Post 200 = Award for ME!

Oh hey there friends! Want to know what I'm doing for my 200th blog post?! I'm just chillin' over here, accepting my first blog award!! Hooray for accomplishing one of my goals for 25 Before 25 (200 posts & 10,000 views), because this post allows me to cross that off my list! And hooray for the award too, obviously :)

Sooo, actually the first time I was nominated was a few weeks ago by Megan at Just a Small Town Girl, but I didn't technically accept it then, because I didn't do this whole rules-of-the-Liebster-award post deal. But then just a few days ago, Kim from A Latte & A Prayer nominated me again, so I figured it was finally time to get movin' on this bad boy. Buckle up kids, 'cuz this is a majorly long post...so, here we go!

As some of you may already know, The Liebster Award is a way to give a friendly little shout-out to bloggers who have less than 200 followers. It's a way to tell others that you really dig their blog, and to meet a few new people. The rules of the award are as follows:

+ List 11 random facts about yourself

+ Answer 11 questions from your nominator

+ Create 11 new questions for your nominees to answer

+ Nominate up to 11 bloggers for the award with less than 200 followers

+ Go to each nominee's page and tell them you've nominated them for the award

+ Link back to the blogger who nominated you as a "thank you"

So, this should be pretty fun! I'll start first with 11 random things about myself. I tried to make it stuff you don't already know or I haven't shared on here yet...And hopefully I don't bore you all into a snooze-fest....!

1. I have never lived outside of Florida (only in Tallahassee and St. Augustine)
2. I have never ever broken a bone
3. The first time I saw snow or flew in a plane I was 17 years old, on my senior trip to Colorado
4. I never had to wear braces
5. I used to blow-dry and straighten my hair every day for like 8 years, and now I haven't done it since May 5. Instead I wear it my natural curly way, and I like it so much better!
6. Also, I used to have super bright blonde hair, but I stopped highlighting it June 2011, and  I love it so much more now. I now have a natural ombre thing happening, even before that became popular :)
7. My desire to lose weight and my love for yummy foods are constantly battling each other in my life
8. I can kinda-sorta play the piano. The one song I remember every note to is "Fur Elise"
9. I absolutely love singing, and if we're being honest here tooting my own horn, I'm pretty good at it too
10. I honestly can't pick just one single movie to be my "favorite ever." There's just too many good ones
11. One of my goals in life is to have a personal library room in my own grown-up house, complete with a fireplace and super cozy chairs and blankets

June 2011, approx. one week after the last time I did my hair. This is also the brightest it's ever been.

July 4, 2012. Darker and curlier, and healthier... And I'm actually wearing the same shirt as above! Haha :)

Ok, well that wasn't too bad...and if you'd like to stick around for more randomness, I will now answer the 11 questions that my nominator, Kim, posted on her blog!

1. Do you have any pets? Why yes! We have 2 dogs -- Mollie is the sweetest little Peekapoo, and I love her little old self so much. And then my sister's dog is a beagle named Squirt. He's pretty loud all the time, but he has his sweet moments too.
2. What's your favorite holiday and why? Um, I'm gonna go with Christmas on this one. And here's quick synopsis of why: Jesus' birthday, family, presents, yummy foods, decorations, Christmas trees, sparkly lights, cookies, presents...
3. If you could meet one famous person, living or dead, who would it be, and what would you ask them?  I honestly have no idea... I'm not super into famous people or have much of a desire to meet them. I mean, sure it would be cool to sit and have dinner with someone like Carrie Underwood or something, but ya know...it's whatev's...
4. Is there one food you refuse to eat or absolutely hate? I tried raw oysters once and was not fond of them. I have no desire to try those guys out again, ever.
5. Mac or PC? Currently I have a Dell, but if a Mac magically appeared in my lap, I certainly wouldn't be upset about it. Or even if the money to buy one appeared in my lap, that'd be fine too. *wink, wink*
6. Favorite guilty pleasure song? I'm a sucker for all sorts of teen pop actually. Things like: Call Me Maybe, Boyfriend, and We Are Never Ever Ever Getting Back Together can frequently be heard blaring from my car
7. What accomplishments/achievements are you most proud of? The first would definitely be my college degree. I worked hard for that sucker - if only I can find a good way to put it to use these days... And second would be my blog! I am actually very proud of what I've done with it, and the amount of work I've put into it.
8. Do you read your horoscope? Do you think the description of your sign fits you? I don't read it at all. I know I'm an Aquarius, and that's where my knowledge of that stops...
9. Have you ever gotten in trouble (little or big) with the law? Well, I've had my fair share of traffic issues and oopsies, but it's nothing a little S.P.E.E.D. class/court couldn't take care of back in the day...
10. What is the one book you would recommend everyone read? The Bible, duh. (But seriously, yes...) And I also really, really like "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein
11. What's your favorite quote? "Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, drink the wild air." by  Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Whew! We finally made it through the all-about-me portion of this post! And now for my 11 questions for the blogs I will nominate...

1. What is one of your favorite memories from college or high school?
2. Do you (or did you) play any organized sports?
3. What is the one food you can eat over and over again without getting sick of it?
4. What is one big goal you wish to accomplish in your life?
5. Do you like roller coasters and amusement parks?
6. What's your all-time favorite album or record or CD?
7. Mexican food or Italian food?
8. Do you believe in Heaven and Hell?
9. What are your top 5 favorite books?
10. What are three things you can't get through the day without?
11. Do you prefer a vacation in the mountains or at the beach?

And now may I have the envelope for the nominees, please?

Ricci at A Beautiful Mess

Katie at Take Two!

Lauren at The Crazy Life of LT

Angie at The Happy Bean
Laura at Calm Delight
Anna Lizbeth at Anna Lizbeth: My Life and Other Lovely Things

And here are some awesome bloggers who I'm actually friends with IRL that I also want to nominate ;)

Kaley at Cozy With Toast

Nicole at Hands Up

Maggie at Hook & Stylit

Now go visit some of these lovely ladies, and tell them I sent ya :) And share the bloggy love! And now that I've shared way too much and written such long post, I hope I haven't scared any of you away from my blog  :)

Oh and also, I voted today!!