The Sunshine Blogger Award

“I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy. Let’s face it, friends make life a lot more fun.” ~ Charles R. Swindoll

The Sweetest Blogger 

One of the sweetest, and most authentic bloggers I know, nominated me for the Sunshine Blogger award last week. I am so honored and grateful to call Jennie from 50shad3s0fjay a friend and she is one of the reasons why I love the blogging community so much. In many ways she and I are very similar. Much like mine, her blog is a fun eclectic mix of fashion, beauty, (she is so talented and much better at make-up then I could ever dream of being!) travel, self-love and every day life. She does not fit into one genre and I absolutely love her for that. As well as thanks to her she is one of the reasons I am watching Love Island US Edition!

Her posts always exude positivity which is why the Sunshine Award is so fitting for her. She IS sunshine. And I am so honored that she nominated me for this award. Thank you Jennie!

The rules:

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you and include a link to their blog.
2. Answer their eleven questions.
3. Nominate eleven bloggers and post eleven questions. (I am only doing five)
4. Let the people you nominated know that they’ve been nominated.
5. List these rules and display the logo on your post.

Jennie’s Questions:

1. What are three things you are most grateful for today? I love this question because I do a gratitude journal every day. It centers me and begins my day on a positive note. This is a snippet of some of the things I am grateful for today.

“Today (and always) I am grateful for JJ, Thomas, Gianna, Carter, Jackson, and Piper. 

I am grateful for all the love they have taught me and filled my heart with.

I am grateful for the ocean. It makes me happy, centers me, fills me with peace, and where I find the most contentment. 

I am grateful for words. The loving ones.The supportive ones. The ones that make me a better human. The ones that let me express myself”

2. What’s your current favourite song? I am obsessed with the Original Cast Recording from Hadestown. The whole album gives me life. If I had to pick a favorite song it would have to be Wait For Me Reprise. The vocal and musical arrangements cut right to your heart, and the lyrics are filled with wisdom and inspiration.

3. What’s your ALL time favourite song? This is a hard one. I am not sure I can pick just ONE song. I love Carrie Underwood’s Love Wins (honestly her whole music collection is absolutely divine) the Greatest Showman’s This Is Me is another catchy tune that makes me want to run faster and my mood brighter. I also appreciate whenever some good nineties music comes on. You might even see me strike a dance move or ten.

4. Recommend a book to me! What’s the best book you’ve ever read and why? I have so many favorites, but one I read pretty much every summer is The Beach Trees by Karen White. It is a message of grief, perseverance, love, rebuilding, and appreciation. Something that I think not only resonates with all of us, but sometimes we need to be reminded of. Below is one of my favorite passages from the book.

5. Where’s your favourite place you’ve ever travelled? Another difficult question because I feel like I have visited so many beautiful place. I was going to say Charleston or Cape Elizabeth, but since one will eventually be my home, and the other is a place I consider home, I think I will switch it up and say Ocean Beach, San Diego. Walking along the cliffs, including an area called Sunset Cliffs, and listening to the waves brought such calmness. I felt like this was the edge of the world where the living and the spirits met and that all my questions would be answered and that everything would be alright. I have only ever felt this amount of peace a handful of times (Two Lights State Park which is also in Cape Elizabeth, and atop Mount Willard) and it is an incredible feeling.

6. What’s your favourite pizza topping? Does cheese count? I love artisan pizzas that have unique toppings like egg, arugula, and caramelized onions, but it always has to have cheese on it.

7. Favourite musical? Another hard one, I think my Gemini is coming out, lol. Currently my favorite musical is Hadestown. Once you see it, you not only will be inspired and changed, but you will want to go out and change the world.

8. Mcdonalds, KFC, or Burger King? None. I don’t typically eat fast food and I actually don’t remember the last time I ate at any of these places. I think it was over twenty years ago when my brother was in high school and the teams would stop after games. I always got fries or ice cream.

9. Where do you hope to be in five years time? Making a career out of writing and traveling. Continuing to be able to work with the most amazing people and striving to be a positive force in this world. I would love to be in a healthy loving relationship, maybe planning a wedding, but I won’t be to greedy there. It is only five years away after all. I would like to say that I have settled down in Charleston, but there is going to be so much change this next year, that I won’t rule anything out. Most importantly I hope that I am kind and loving to myself, my mind, and my body. Self acceptance and contentment is so important and what helps us to be happy in this life.

10. What’s currently top of your bucket list? My bucket list is mostly contrived of travel, with Greece and Cappadocia at the top of my list.

11. What are three qualities you love the most about yourself? Being a fighter and never giving up, even in my darkest days. Always being that support system for my family and friends. Loving with my whole heart unapologetically.

I Nominate: 

Mack 

Cleia

Britt

JJ

Ann-Kathrin 

My Questions:

1. What is your favorite thing that has happened thus far this summer? 
2. Are you excited for fall and why?
3. Coffee or Tea?
4. How do you feel about Animal Print?
5. Favorite food? 
6. Where is your next trip?
7. What is your dream destination? 
8. What is your favorite part of blogging? 
9. Where do you find contentment
10. What was you favorite part of the day? 
11. What is your latest guilty pleasure? 

I am so lucky and grateful to know so many bloggers and many of them are friends and even a few family members! Please check their blogs out! They have all created such amazing content and I am so lucky to be able to give them some love.

Thank you again to Jennie for nominating me. I loved answering these questions Please check out her amazing blog and Instagram. Hopefully it will brighten your day, like it does mine!

How would you answer these questions? Do you like doing these awards? Who are some of your favorite bloggers?