Redesign!

Welcome to my redesigned blog! The beautiful Natalia from Elan the Blog created this gorgeous design for my blog and I love it so so much! It's exactly what I wanted for my blog. My dear dear friend helped me with my old design and it was so perfect for a jumping off point.

My friend Niki actually said it best a few months back. She turned to me and said, "You know, I love your blog. I love the lavender. I just feel like you write these really beautiful moody pieces and your blog looks like running through a springtime meadow." I agreed. It was a little too light.

When I saw a design Natalia did on one of my favorite blogs, the lovely Meg's Shake, Rattle, and Ramble, I emailed her immediately asking for a design. I loved her approach. She made everything so personal and so thorough. She sent me a list of questions asking all sorts of things about me and my style and how I wanted the blog to look. Out of my disjointed thoughts she made this wonderful space.

I said I wanted Moody without feeling heavy. Inspired and hopeful but still with a sort of peaceful gloom. Like a rainy day with a warm cup of coffee. Your window is open and the skies are grey but your book or your writing is keeping you inspired. A lovely moodiness.

Mixture of light and dark greys. Hints of royal purple. Lilac. Turquoise.

Almost old world literary. Dracula/ Dorian Grey/ Gatsby. Moody and dark. Ink on a page. I think she nailed it :) I love it.

She made me a moodboard out of some pins I had on my blog pinboard that I think really nail the style of my blog and my mind.

Courtesy Elan Designs

It was just what I wanted and this blog is the perfect design. I hope you like the redesign! Go leave Natalia's blog some love too! She's great. Thank you so much Natalia!

Liebster Award!

Hello lovelies! My sweet friend Maddy at Just Your Average Redhead nominated me for the Liebster Award yesterday! Also... Maddy is anything but average. She is incredibly smart and witty and kind. We go way back... like elementary school back and I was so happy to be mentioned on her beautiful blog. So thank you Maddy!

Here is the low down on the Liebster.

The definition:

Liebster is German for sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome. How nice is that?

Blogging is about building a community and it's a great way to connect with other bloggers and help spread the word about newer bloggers and blogs.

The Rules:

1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog and link back to the blogger who presented this award to you. 

2. Answer the 11 questions from your nominator, list 11 random facts about yourself, and create 11 questions for your nominees.

3. Present the Liebster Blog Award to 11 other blogs of 200 followers or less who you feel deserve to be noticed and leave a comment on their blog to let them know they have been chosen.

4. Copy/Paste the blog award on your blog.

So here are Maddy's questions for me! 

1. What is your favorite clothing article? My Gatsby necklace for sure. I wear it every day :)

2. What is your life motto? "Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist but in the ability to start over." - F. Scott Fitzgerald

3. Paper or plastic? Plastic for sure. 

4. What color is your hair? Naturally brown. As of now, dark brown with some red ombre. HIPSTER 4 LYFE.

Did this last Friday. Best decision.

5. What is your favorite movie? Oh geez. All the movies. Hate to be super predictable but probably The Great Gatsby. I just found it perfect. Read my thoughts here.

6. If you could live in any time period, which would you choose? I would pick the 1520-1530s in Tudor England. I'm dying to meet Anne Boleyn. She's my hero. 

7. Is the glass half full or half empty? It is half full of water and half full of air. :)

8. What is your favorite physical trait about yourself? I've always really liked my small waist. That feels weird now that I've written it down... let's just go with my  hair.

9. Who is your hero? My hero is Anne Boleyn. Homegirl knew what she wanted and went for it. 

10. What is your favorite holiday and why? I love the Fourth of July! I like being outside and I like the celebratory and connected air everyone has. I wrote about that recently here!

11. What is your biggest goal/dream in life? I want to be a published author of Young Adult fiction books as well as a literature professor at a big University. 

11 Random Facts About Me!

1. I am currently working on two different manuscripts that I hope will be my first and second published novels.

2. I can't straighten my left arm all the way because I dislocated it when I was 18.

3. I was an Irish dancer for six years. I rocked it, if that was your question.

4. In college I got to play Regan in King Lear on an outdoor Shakespearean stage in Cedar City, Utah. For photo call we had to stay outside in freezing weather for two hours which led to me having a horrible ear infection.

5. I had four pet fish that all died within 24 hours of each other.

6. I am almost done with a dental assisting certification course that will help me pay the bills as I get back to my English education.

7. I feel like I am destined to live in England at some point in my life.

8. When I was younger I used to try to break my sister's arm by pressing her arm really hard against my head when she made me mad. She thought it was so funny and would slap me across the face until I would do it to her. Thanks, Leah. 

9. I first fell in love with someone when I was 17.

10. I feel naked if I don't wear eyeliner.

11. I still sleep with my baby blankets and I am 0% ashamed of that. :)

And now time for my nominations for the Liebster Award! I wish I could nominate more people! I tried not to nominate people if I knew they had already been nominated, or if they have too many followers. I would have nominated 2999 blogs if I could have. 

Nominees!

1. Sarah at As Far As the Eye Can See. Don't even get me started. She uses the most beautiful words and has amazing musical taste. Her blog is also gorgeous. 

2. Laura at in the midst of all this bliss, my world is silent. Another blog full of beautiful perfect words.

3. Carly at Macaroons and Moccasins. She's the cutest and her pictures are always stellar. 

4. Elizabeth Grace at The Ramblings of a New England Girl. She's so lovely and has the best musical taste. 

5. Jessica Sara at Oh the blissful life. She's so sweet. Go love her.

6. Olivia at Oh, My Heart. I want to be her best friend. She's so cute.

7. Stephanie at Owls in my Heart. I always get so excited to see a new post from her. Coolest girl around.

8. Amy at Seafoam Eyes. Can't get enough of this blog. It's one of the first I found and I just want to be her best friend too. She's smart and hilarious. 

9. Taylor at Stories from the Mountains.  Her blog is simple and lovely. The best kind of blog!

10. Ana at The Summer of June. She's just so good. She loves planet Earth and I love her.

11. Maite at you don't love me yet. This girl is unreal. So cool.

Here are your questions, beautiful people :)

1. What is your favorite book?

2. If you could go back in time to one day of your life, when would it be and why?

3. If you had $1 million, what would you do?

4. Would you rather be too hot or too cold?

5. What is your biggest goal in life?

6. Favorite quote?

7. If you could meet one person alive or dead who would it be?

8. What is love?

9. What are you the most afraid of?

10. What is your favorite smell?

11. Why do you blog?

I cannot wait to read your responses! Thanks again to Maddy for the nomination. Stay lovely :)