Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Liebster Lovin'!


Exciting news!  The lovely Masha over at The Itinerant Seamstress was kind enough to nominate me for a Liebster award, a blogger-to-blogger award meant to recognize blogs with small readership and to help widen their audience.  And here's how I feel about this nomination:
Translated: yesssssssssss!  Also, a sneak preview of my latest make...
 Masha and I just recently discovered each others blogs as well as a connection we have: husbands who were in Peace Corps together.  Thanks for the shout-out, Masha!

So, when nominated for a Liebster award, the process is that the nominee must answer the questions from the nominator and provide 5 random facts about her or himself.  Then the nominee pays it forward by nominating more small blogs for the award and sending them more fun questions.
 
Here are my answers to Masha's questions:

1) How much time do you spend on blog photography?

Not much... I go with natural lighting on my balcony or the kitchen table for clothes I am sending to my nieces.  A little cropping, perhaps some color adjustment and then I post the photos.  I could probably stand to find some more inspiring or interesting spots for taking photos, especially considering there is a wealth of interesting backdrops in a big city like Bangkok!

2) What is your idea of a perfect vacation?

Scuba diving all day followed by happy hour beers.  Since moving to SE Asia, my husband and I have become mildly obsessed with diving and trying to document all of the amazing underwater wildlife we see.  We only occasionally succeed on the documentation part!

3) What fabric are you currently drooling over?

I am sucker for prints and have been drooling over all sorts, mostly the ones out of my price range (Liberty, anyone? Also, Art Gallery fabrics are pretty amazeballs.), but I am trying (not very hard) to bring some solids into my life.
  
4) What is your favorite candy?

Anything sour or with a chewy consistency.  A childhood favorite that I never find here in SE Asia is Charleston Chews.  Mmm... so chewy...

5) What is the scariest thing that has ever happened to you? 
Eek... I don't really like thinking about the absolute scariest things that have happened to me, but I will say: as a kid we had bats that somehow found their way into our old house during the summers... you know what's scary?  Waking up to a bat flying circles around your bedroom.  Makes me shudder just thinking about it.

5 random facts about me:

1. I love chili peppers but hate bell peppers, particularly the green ones.

2. I went to law school at night while working full time at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

3. I am trying really hard to stop biting my nails.  I have been unsuccessful since middle school, but don't count me out yet. Fun colored nail polish helps...

4. Sewing zippers intimidates me.

5. I adopted a street cat in Indonesia.  I'm pretty sure she doesn't understand English.  Or Indonesian, it seems.

My nominations!:

When trying to decide who to nominate, I realized that I don't read enough small blogs. Time to remedy that!!  In the meantime, here are a few that I follow that I think deserve some recognition for the cool stuff they're making:

1. Climbing the WillowTeri blogs about sewing for her kids, and she is also dabbling in pattern design.  I recently made a tunic for my niece Anna based on Teri's free Izzy top pattern and tutorial and it is freaking adorable.  I can't wait to see what her next pattern will be!

2. Ivy Arch: Daniela posts about her beautiful handmade clothing as well as the cool totes and toys she sells out of her Etsy shop.  I loooove her fabric choices, funky style, and use of Japanese patterns. Check out this amazing Painted Portrait dress she made. I absolutely adore the pieced bodice.

3. Stitch Parade: I recently discovered this blog via Kollabora.  Sewing AND knitting AND jewelry making?!  My three favorite things! Yes, please!

4. Needle and Ted: Another Kollabora discover (I love Kollabora... can you tell?)... Olu blogs about her effort to create wardrobes for her kids that go beyond pink, sparkles and glitter.  From what I have seen on her blog, she is definitely accomplishing that in spades!  The clothes she makes for her daughters are impossibly cool also very cute.  Check out her bad-ass refashioned sweatshirt dress, or her goes-with-everything grey harem pants.

My questions for the blogs I nominated, should they choose to accept!:

1. Why do you blog?

2. What's your all-time favorite item you've made and why?

3. What's a good book you've read lately?

4. Besides sewing, what other hobbies do you partake in?

5. What's been your favorite moment of 2014 so far?


Thanks again, Masha! 
Looking forward to learning more about my nominees!!