Friday, January 21, 2011

Versatile Blogger Award!


A GIANT thank-you to Anna-Marie at Life's Adventures for the Versatile Blogger Award! I really enjoy reading her posts about life in the U.K. (and I envy her for all the great places she gets to visit with her family!) So, I'm supposed to answer some questions and then tag some blogs that I've recently found. Here are the questions (I found some of them a bit odd!)

Why did you create this blog?


This blog started two years ago as a way for me to sort out my feelings about homeschooling our son, Dude. I was already lurking around on other homeschooling blogs, trying to get ideas and build up the confidence to take the plunge. So I decided to start my own. I never thought anyone other than my mother would want to read it!

A few months later, Super jumped on the homeschooling bandwagon, and we really started living the homeschooling lifestyle. I began using this blog as an online journal of our activities, at least the ones worth writing about. I'm SO grateful to homeschooling parents who take time out of their busy lives to share ideas and information! Those early days were overwhelming, but reading others' blogs gave me the courage I needed!

What kinds of blogs do you follow?

Homeschooling is my obsession, but I also like to read about cooking, gardening, travel, and politics. One of my favorite places to "goof off" is Awful Library Books. If you haven't been there, you need to check it out. Hilarious!

Favorite makeup brand?

Makeup has brands? Seriously, I've been buying the same maroon tube of mascara for years and I don't even remember what it's called! I have bought fancy department-store makeup maybe twice in my life. If I can't grab a new lipstick at the same place I get my groceries, it's not worth a special trip!

Favorite clothing brand?

I am SO not hip when it comes to clothing. To paraphrase the wonderful Gilda Radner, I make my clothing choices based on what doesn't itch. I usually wear jeans and crummy t-shirts when we're schooling and jeans and a less-crummy t-shirt when we're in public. If it's cold out, I wear a fleece over the t-shirt. I don't need a What Not To Wear intervention--I do own some Very Cute Outfits. It's just that when paper-mâché frescoes, cooking with kids, riding lessons, and pooper-scooping the yard are on your agenda, you tend to dress down.

OK, OK, I'll admit to loving shoes, Mom! (I swear, I can hear her ahem from three states away!) Let's just say that most of my Christmas presents (to myself) came from Zappo's last year.

Indispensible makeup product?

What is this, market research? ;)

Favorite color?

Yellow. I have a yellow kitchen (I actually matched the color to my favorite yellow serving bowl) and my dishes are yellow and blue Fiesta ware. My wedding bouquet was yellow roses and my bridesmaids wore adorable pastel yellow sundresses. To me, yellow is happy, kind, and sincere.

Favorite perfume?

Hanae Mori Butterfly.

Favorite film?

All time favorite: Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Runners up: Raising Arizona, Muriel's Wedding, and Milo and Otis.

What country would you like to visit and why?

Taking my kids to the Louvre is on my "aahh...someday" list. But if we're just talking about me, I'd have to say Japan because I've never been there, I love kawaii stuff, I've always wanted to see Tokyo, and I want to try real Japanese food.

Would you rather forget to put mascara on one eye or forget to put blush on one side of your face?

This would never happen. I may be a mountain mama now, but I'm still a Texas girl at heart, and we do not forget to put on our makeup.

Thanks, again, Anna-Marie! Now I'm supposed to tag some recently-found blogs. The problem is, I haven't done much exploring out there in the blogosphere lately. So, I'm listing some new (to me) and some old favorites:

Feet Off the Table


Adventures In Bento Making

Ramblings of a Dysfunctional Homeschooler


GeekMom

My Side of the Mountain


Enlightened Life


Wendolonia

I Capture the Rowhouse

These are all fantastic in their own way, so check them out!

8 comments:

Karen said...

Good for you Sparklee!
And very well-deserved, I must say :-)

I love how you answered the questions, I feel like I know you better now. (I was laughing out loud at the makeup qu's, I feel the same way!)

Cheers,
Karen

The Adventurer said...

Hey there, I love the experiments you do with your kids:) I didn't come up with these questions BTW It is always nice to learn more about other bloggers:)

Sparklee said...

Anna-Marie: the questions are AWESOME, I didn't mean to sound like I was complaining! I'm glad they were a bit different than usual--it kept it interesting!

Sparklee said...

Karen: I'm a small-town Texas girl transplanted to the Rockies. I take my makeup very seriously. But not much else! ;)

Unknown said...

Wow! Thanks for including me in the Versatile Blogger!

Jessy
http://oursideofthemtn.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Oh, yikes! Am I supposed to answer the questions on MY blog too? And nominate others? I know nothing about awards! LOL

Jessy
http://oursideofthemtn.blogspot.com

Rholmes said...

Thanks for the award! I'll have to work on this tonight. And thank you for following our dysfunctional little family. ;)

Aliceson said...

Aw, thanks for the award. Not sure if I'll get to it in a timely fashion (heck, it's been 5 days since you commented on my blog and I'm finally making it by now. :O) but soon. Thank you!