A Blogging Award for Crafty Cucumber

I am very excited to tell you that I have been awarded a Liebster Award from the lovely Julie who blogs about her life and her crafts at Julie's Lifestyle. I really appreciate all the comments and support that I have received from Julie and am so humbled that she would recognize my little blog with this award. Thank you Julie.

The Liebster Award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. It is a way to bring attention to these blogs and build the blogging community. The meaning of Liebster in German means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome. How nice is that?

As a recipient of this award I need to do the following:

1. List 11 random facts about myself.
2. Answer the 11 questions the awarding blogger has asked me.
3. Nominate 11 bloggers (with less than 200 followers) for the award and link to them in my post.
4. Create 11 questions the nominated bloggers have to answer.
5. Let the nominated bloggers know they have been nominated.

(These are the requirements for the people whom I nominate as well)

Sounds like fun, so let’s get started.

Random Facts About Me (Rachel):

1. I love to crochet, scrapbook, make cards, sew. Basically, I love to make things.
2. I love drinking coffee, especially out of a pretty mug.
3. I do not like dogs. I realize this makes weird as so many people love dogs, but so be it - the cheese stands alone.
4. I played field hockey when I was in high school. So much fun, but so many injuries.
5. I have a lot of grey hair – sometimes this bothers me and sometimes I don’t really care too much.
6. I have been married for over ten years.
7. I love listening to country music. And dancing to it too.
8. I love the ocean – the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, the salty air.
9. I hibernate in the winter but spend as much time as I can outside in the summer.
10. I have seen Bon Jovi in concert four times.
11. I love gardening. 

Here are my answers to the questions that Julie asked me:

1. What do you have planned for the summer? This is the first summer in seven years that I will be working full time (the last seven summers I have been home with my girls), so it is going to be a little different. We have a camping trip planned, are attending a family reunion, are leaving some time free to just hang out in the backyard or visit the park, and have ambitious plans for our garden. 
2. What is your favorite outdoor activity? Biking and Gardening.
3. What is your favorite indoor activity? Crafting – crochet, scrapbooking, sewing. 
4. What is your favorite season? Spring and Autumn.
5. Why did you decide to blog? I was at home with my two girls (who were quite young at the time) and I needed something that was all mine, something that I could get totally absorbed in. I also wanted to join the blogging community – I was so excited by all the sharing that was going on that I just needed to be a part of it and share all the crafts that I was doing.
6. How did you pick the name of your blog? I am not sure. It just came to me, I liked the sound of it, so I went with it. 
7. What is your favorite dinner? Soup and crusty bread.
8. What is your favorite drink? Coffee, followed closely by Somersby Apple Cider.
9. If you could travel to anywhere in the world where would it be? Europe.
10. Do you like to wear makeup or no makeup? No makeup.
11. Do you like dressing up or wearing casual clothes? Both. Some days I am okay with comfy pants and a t-shirt and other days I want to put a little more effort in. It all depends on the day.

I nominate the following blogs:

• Terhi @ http://tellimaria.blogspot.fi/
• Svetlana @ http://wanttocrafteverything.blogspot.ca/
• Lenny @ http://getinspiredandbecreative.blogspot.ca/
• Katie @ http://whatkatiedid2.blogspot.co.uk/
• Crystal @ http://crystaljustus.blogspot.ca/
• Shawna @ http://scrapyourmamanevertaughtyou.blogspot.ca/
• Becky @ http://memoriesbybee.blogspot.ca/
• Jill @ http://www.lapinetoiseau.com/
• Jessica @ http://www.jlfbarnes.blogspot.ca/
• Apryl @ http://onescrappysoul.blogspot.ca/
• Amanda @ http://bringingupallie.blogspot.ca/

And ladies, here are my 11 questions for you:

1. What was the last book you read?
2. Describe your perfect day?
3. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?
4. What is on your nightstand?
5. Early riser or night owl?
6. Coffee or tea?
7. You wake up to a rainy day, what do you do?
8. You wake up to a sunny day, what do you do?
9. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
10. What was the biggest surprise of your life?
11. Favorite animal?

For those of you who I have nominated, I really hope you accept and participate. This is such a fun way to spread the word about different blogs and learn a little about the bloggers themselves. Please leave a link in the comments if you do participate so that I can read your answers to my questions.

Thanks again Julie for the award. Much appreciated.