Thoughtful Gifts

I’m feeling extra special. Today’s post was originally about a really sweet and thoughtful gift that I got from a friend, but in a funny turn of events, I have two gifts to brag on. The first is one I got a couple weeks ago.

Isn’t it gorgeous? My super crafty friend made it for me! It’s a mini scrapbook that fits in a tin so I can display all the pictures of our house in a unique and trendy way.

Yes, I got it a few weeks ago and I still haven’t filled it, but it’s on my list of things to do! I’ve been really picky about what pictures are good enough to grace the pages and I’m having a hard time narrowing them all down. Hopefully by the end of February I’ll have most of them done. P.S. I also hope to have some kind of tutorial on how to make a mini scrapbook on here, but that’s entirely up to my friend that made it…nudge nudge!

My other gift came yesterday, but I didn’t see it until this morning! See, it came in comment form and I had stopped checking those since so many were spam. Side note: Pretty Handy Girl recommended a ton of webkit tools for WordPress blogs that I use now and the spam is no more! You should check it out if you’re a newbie blogger like me.

Anyway, this is it!

So what is the Liebster award? Well, I’ll tell you. It means beloved, favorite, dearest in German. Best of all, it’s given out by fellow bloggers to up and comers with less than 200 followers, encouraging new friendships and community.

But it’s not all fun and games. No, there’s work involved. Upon receiving the Liebster award, you do the following:

1. Post the award on your blog for the world to see!
2. Show your thanks to the blogger who awarded you the Liebster by linking back to them.
3. Reveal your 5 picks for the award and let them know they’ve been chosen.
4. Bask in the love from the most supportive people on the blogosphere…other bloggers!
5. Finally, the best rule of all, have fun and spread the love!

See how much work? I don’t know if I can handle it! So much pressure! But you all know I’m a glutton for punishment so I’m going to add a 6th item to task my chosen bloggers.

6. Thank your readers. They may not be bloggers themselves, but geez, without you all, I’d just be a weird chick talking to myself about paint and projects. So thank you readers!

I am so honored to get it. After nearly ten months of blogging, I’ve finally started to get a consistent number of hits a day. Yes it’s low (cough, cough, 15), but it’s a start. With my busy schedule, I haven’t exactly been advertising central over at the Parsonage anyway. The best part of blogging, for me, has been the discourse of ideas, the inspiration from other bloggers, and, not going to lie, the little rush I get whenever I get a comment. I know it’s weird, but hey, who doesn’t like a little compliment now and again?

Now for the work: a big shout out and thanks to Jennifer at Laughter and Grace, who bestowed me with the award. By all rights, Jennifer should not have the free time to share her many projects and ideas – two dogs, a husband, a full time student, and a job – but in just over a week, she’s made a big splash in the blogging community.

Choosing my winners was difficult for me because there are so many awesome blogs out there! There are way too many cool ideas and crafty chicks out there to pick just five, but I finally narrowed it down.

1. I’ve talked about her before and she guest posted here, but Liz at Life after School writes about her new life in the nonprofit workforce. She shares recipes, Pinspiration, and her eternal optimism (probably my favorite part!)

2. Maybe it’s a cop out, but I love reading my Mother in law’s blog, Gail’s Place. She writes about her adorable puppy, her amazing sewing creations, and, if you’re lucky, her DIY transformations, like her completely redone kitchen. Also, she posts nearly everyday, which is awesome.

3. This one is a group effort kind of blog. Create Inspire Motivate just popped up this month, but already the girls over there have great projects to share, like a heavily revamped dresser and kid’s play kitchen. I would keep an eye out for these up and comers.

4. Karah at The Space Between is also one of my favorites. Her blog is a wealth of information and ideas and she finally hit that goal that nearly ever blogger dreams of, hosting her first giveaway!

5. Last, but not least, Cat is all about the bling. You want your house done up and ready for the most glitzy of parties? Check her out.

On that note, I’ll just go back to basking in the glow of these awesome gifts. Oh, and keep your eye out, I might be sharing something special tomorrow.