Sunflower Blogger Award - New Round of Questions

So, I've been nominated yet again for this award, which is so sweet of Hamlette! I think this makes the third, or possibly the fourth time. I love how everyone comes up with new questions that are totally unique from one another. On to the questions!

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The Sunflower Blogger Award (Part 2)

It seems that I've been nominated yet again for this award! Thanks very much to sweet Ruby for the nomination. I hope you head on over to her blog and read her answers to the questions posed by those who nominated her.

The Rules:

• Share 11 facts about yourself. 
• Answer the questions set by your Nomination Blogger 
• Nominate 11 bloggers. 
• Set questions for the nominated bloggers.

 (Yet again, I won't nominate anyone for the award since I love all the blogs I follow and I hate to narrow them down)

11 Facts about Me:

• I have a thing for shortish, stocky men like Martin Freeman, Seamus Deaver, Jensen Ackles, and Jeremy Renner. My best friend can attest to it.
• I met Michael Buble live and in person at his last concert! Fan-club prize passes are AWESOME!
• I never wear mis-matched pajamas, ever.
• My toenails and fingernails almost never match in the polish department.
• I'm a total Kevin Ryan fan on Castle. As soon as he started wearing those three-piece suits, I started paying attention and now I adore him.
• I listen to James Darren music while performing data entry at work. I commend those of you who know who he is.
• I'm a cat person.
• Disneyland is my favorite vacation spot.
• I've seen Phantom of the Opera on tour twice, LOVE IT!
• Mint green and shrimp are two of my favorite colors.
• I dream of someday running a literary themed bed and breakfast with rooms dedicated to The Great Gatsby, Romeo & Juliet, The Lord of the Rings, Gone with the Wind, etc.

Questions from Ruby:

Is there a fictional book you think everyone should read at least once?

I would say A Lesson before Dying by Ernest Gaines. I read it for college a few years back and it made a lasting impression about racism, sort of like To Kill a Mockingbird. It's brilliant and everyone should read it.

Mr. Darcy or Mr. Knightley?

I would pick none of Austen's heroes, but if I had to narrow it down, probably Mr. Knightley. Although I give more credit to Jeremy Northam's portrayal than to the actual character. I've yet to hate Northam in anything, even when he plays the villain. Like in The Net with Sandra Bullock. Yum.



What would your dream car be?

 A black 1967 Chevy Impala in pristine condition just like the Metallicar that my boys own in Supernatural.

Dude, that car is freakin' awesome!





Would you rather wear your hair in a bun or a braid?

My hair is baby fine so it always escapes a bun and looks entirely too messy. So I'm a braids girl by necessity, not by choice. Although a bun with a braid never hurts.

What is your least favorite movie (or miniseries) of all time?

Hah, that's a tough one. I pretty much hate Labyrinth and Willow, but I think the new winner in this category is the 1984 version of Dune. It's just gross. Love Paul, the hero, but it's disjointed and when it is cohesive there's a slobbery fat guy with homosexual tendencies pulling heart plugs out of his male servants so he can get aroused watching them die. Top that off with the rock star Sting playing the fat guy's nephew and very nearly stepping nude out of a shower and you've got a recipe for disaster. It's horrible so don't ever watch it, ever. 

What movie do you think is the most underrated?  Most overrated?


Well, let's see. The most underrated movie for me is the 1939 Pride & Prejudice with Laurence Olivier and Greer Garson. I love it. I think the hearts of all the cast and the crew were in the right place, and I couldn't care less that the costumes are off by 20 years. A lot of Austen's books were published years after she originally wrote them so she never imagined the clothing in the Regency era either. So I don't care one whit about those who dislike the costuming because I think it's darling.

And the most overrated is not a movie but a miniseries, Downton Abbey. I watch it with my parents because they love it and I do find it fascinating, but it's not worth all this muss and fuss. Drama and tragedy is thrown in just to keep things moving and that's not fair to the fans or the characters. So, yes, at the risk of sacrilege, Downton Abbey is totally overrated.

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The Sunflower Blogger Award

I was actually nominated twice for this award, which is quite amazing and I'm truly honored! So, thanks goes to Anna at A Cowgirl and a Dream and Hamlette at The Edge of the Precipice and Hamlette's Soliloquy. I'm only going to answer the questions, not nominate anyone. :)


The rules:

1. Share 11 facts about yourself. 
2. Answer the questions set by your Nomination Blogger 
3. Nominate 11 bloggers. 
4. Set questions for the nominated bloggers.

So here are my 11 facts:

1. I was homeschooled through high school.
2. My family sold spices and jewelry at fairs and festivals as an income up until I was 8-years-old, traveling around the west and midwest.
3. I collect salt and pepper shakers.
4. My family has been accused ( ? ) of being British due to the way we drink afternoon tea.
5. I'm a cat lover.
6. I only have one sibling, my sister Caitlin.
7. I work for Compassion International as of last week.
8. Brideshead Revisited is one of my favorite books.
9. Sherlock is one of my favorite shows on television.
10. I don't have a huge shoe collection, but I have more purses than I can ever use.
11. I change my nail polish color every week.

My Answers for Hamlette

If you had to spend the rest of your life in a different century of Earth's past, where would you spend it?

Probably in the twentieth century. I love the 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s so that seems like a pretty good option. Plus I would get to see Laurence Olivier play Romeo on the stage!

What's your favorite salad dressing?

Umm, probably Newman's Caesar dressing. It has a lovely kick to it!

What's the worst movie (that you liked least) you saw in 2013?

That has to be The Lone Ranger. Sorry, Rachel!

Do you paint your toenails?

Yes, but mostly in the summer when I'll wear sandals. Less now because I have to wear dress shoes at work.

What are your three favorite TV shows?

Sherlock, Castle, and The Originals.

Are there any books or movies you own more than one copy of?  If so, what are they?

I own three copies of The Lord of the Rings in book form. One that's a boxed set, one that's all wrinkled and gnarly because it was my first set, and one incredibly heavy book that's illustrated by Alan Lee. I also own an e-book copy of Cornelia Funke's Fearless along with the physical book. I own more than one adaptation of certain movies like Pride & Prejudice, but not more than one copy of the same movie.

My Answers for Anna

Dogs or cats?

Cats all the way.  Although I don't hate dogs, I just prefer cats.

Eponine or Cosette?

Mmm, neither really.  I'm not that big of a Les Mis fan.

What is your favorite kind of cultural food? (Chinese, Mexican, Italian)

Ooh, definitely Mexican. Although I love Chinese too, it's just that I adore enchiladas!

One dream role on Broadway? (yes one!)

Mmm, possibly Mrs. Fairfax in the no-longer-playing Jane Eyre that is absolutely brilliant.

"One Day More" or "Do You Hear The People Sing?"

Neither because I don't recognize the titles.

"The Phantom of the Opera" or "Love Never Dies"?

Phantom, hands down!

Favorite Book?

There are many, but Fahrenheit 451, The Lord of the Rings, and just about anything written by Cornelia Funke make that list.

What would your ideal first date be?

Since I've never been on a date, I have no clue. I don't see anything wrong with going to dinner and maybe seeing a movie.

Where do you find the most beauty of God's creation? (sky, trees, your own home, etc.)

For me, it's the power of the ocean. Some people are moved by mountains, but I have always found the ocean to be the greatest reminder of God's power and the glory of His creation. That's what comes of living in Oregon for 6 years. :)

Iced tea or lemonade?

Probably iced tea, although I like both.

Who are some of your favorite blogger friends?

Tops is, of course, my best friend Charity at Confessions of an INTP. Then there's Hamlette over at The Edge of the Precipice and Jody over at Author, Jody Hedlund. I also follow Lizzie at His Redeemed Child and Birdie at Lady of the Manor. I also have lovely friends who post on my blog, but don't necessarily have blogs of their own.

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Elegant Blogger Award

First of all, thanks Lizzie, for nominating me! :) 

The rules:

• When you receive the award, link back to keepcalmandsparkle1099.blogspot.com and the blog that nominated you:  His Redeemed Child.
• Display the award button in the post 
• Answer all of the 12 questions given in this post (do not make your own questions) 
• Nominate 8 bloggers (see below)
• Notify them that they have been awarded.  

The questions:

1.  What made you start blogging?
I started blogging because of a friend, actually. She had a blog and I figured it couldn't hurt to try since I liked writing. I did actually keep a Livejournal account for years and years, but it has since been deleted, something I sort of regret doing because now all of those memories and experiences are lost. Oops! But, I've got new memories with my current blog, and that's enough.

2.  What is your fashion style?
Hmm. I love jeans and sleeveless shirts. Skirts and dresses not so much, but that's only because I never find ones that fit properly. I love the clothing line from Christopher & Banks, so lots of shirts with cute, festive designs on them. I guess you could say I'm casual chic.

3.  What is something none of your followers know about you?
Okay, this is embarrassing, but I can't defrizz my hair. Nothing I try works, and while it's not major frizz, it's enough to be annoying. So, my next step is trying Wen, a product that is supposedly great at quelling the frizz. We'll see.

4.  What are some of your blogging goals?
Well, I'd like to move away from talking about movies and more into my real life. This is why I blog about books, because I love reading, but I'm also planning little posts on ideas for Christmas decorating, hosting afternoon teas, knitting projects, that sort of thing. So, my goal is to be more genuinely me on my blog and let the world take care of itself.

5.  Where is your favorite place to shop?
I LOVE this little shop called Bernideen's in Old Colorado City. She has the cutest, most elegant merchandise, all tea related. She keeps a ton of teacups and pots, clothing and hats from the Titanic era, linens for the table, fancy foods imported from England, paper products from Punch Studio (my favorite line for cards and notebooks), and the coolest selection of antique china. It's just such a cute place, and Bernideen is an absolute doll! I've known her since I was about 16.

6.  What would your ideal amount of blog followers be?
Oh, probably around 50 or so. Although I wouldn't mind more than that, or even less. Right now, I'm quite content with the lovely ladies that make their presence known on my blog. I'm more into the responders than merely the followers. :)

7.  What are your talents?
I'm pretty awesome at knitting socks the four/five needle way. My fiction writing style is pretty active, something I've accomplished after sweating much blood. I can make a success out of almost any new recipe, the old ones, not so much. I'm great at reading, and following, patterns and instructions. You might not think it a talent, but it is, especially when my mother struggles with both patterns and instructions. ;)

8.  Are you a leader or a follower?
I can be either depending on the situation.

9.  What is one of your favorite quotes?
"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future."

10.  Do you have a favorite book or series?
Lord of the Rings, hands down. Followed a close second by Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness.

11.  Out of all the synonyms for elegant, which would you describe yourself with?  (smart -- stylish -- dressy -- graceful -- dainty -- fine)
Err, this is not an easy question. I am not graceful, although I was when I took ballet classes as a child. Stylish depends on the day. Sometimes I don't even put on makeup! Dainty, nope, never have been, and dressy, definitely not. I guess you could say that I'm smart, at least regarding some things, although I hate to say that because it makes me sound arrogant. So, we'll just go with smart since, frankly, what girl wouldn't want to be placed on that side of elegance?

12.  What is your favorite flower?
Is it bad that I don't have one? I know what ones I don't like. I guess I can just pick cosmos. The ones in our backyard are a lovely blue in the summer and very, very pretty.

I'm not usually comfortable tagging people, but here are the lovely folks whose blogs I consider elegant and delightful and haven't already been tagged.

Sorry that it's not 8 bloggers, but I don't actually follow all that many blogs. Hmm, maybe I should change that. :)

1. Caitlin
2. Skye
3. Birdie
4. Charity
5. Marian

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