Stylish Blogger Award, and a beg for votes

Today is our third school day off due to "inclement weather and power conservation." We've been experiencing rolling blackouts here that last about 15 minutes each time. But today has started off on the right foot. Take that, cabin fever!

Thanks to my Paint Chip Wall Art, I was nominated as one of January's Top Ten Bloggers of the Month. The winner gets a CD from My Vinyl Designer, one month of free advertising, and bragging rights. I want it :) Will you vote for me? You can vote on the top left hand side of the page, and you don't even have to register. It'd make my day, pretty please?



My second UH-mazing thing for today? Anna from Blissfully Whimsy nominated my blog for a Stylish Blogger Award!

Seriously, it's awesome. I started my blog on December 27th, 2010, and it's already getting out there. I love it. Gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling. You like me. You really like me. :)

So there are a few rules that come along with receiving the Stylish Blogger Award.

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers.

4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award!

So here are my 7 random facts about moi. 

1. I am a huge animal lover. I'm that person that will stop on the side of the road for a stray. My most recent rescue? A boston terrier that was wandering around the street, dodging traffic. I brought him inside, put a "Found Dog" sign outside, gave him food and water, and kept him company while he took a long nap. A few hours later, I hear a knock at the door. I open it and pop my head out (I didn't want the person to see the dog unless it's was theirs) and there was a lady, sobbing. She asked me "Did you find a black and white dog?" I opened the door, the dog was at the end of the hallway, and she called him and he RAN to her. She asks me "Is it okay if I give you a hug? I don't know what I would have done if I had lost this dog, I've had him for 9 years." I would want someone to do that for my doxie, if he got out. 

2. I am a huge UFC lover. Yes, that UFC. The half naked men, beating the snot out of each other, UFC. Hubby and I get it on PPV every month, and we have a few guys over to watch. I'm always the only girl :) I took kickboxing for a while before I got pregnant, so I know what moves hurt where, which makes it more fun to watch.

3. My wedding dress cost me $48. At least, the fabric did. Our whole wedding was done on a budget. My mom made my wedding dress, she was a seamstress for 20 years. Hubby's suit was the most expensive part, at $250. The shop wanted to charge us $200 to alter it, but my mom did that for free. We were married at hubby's work in the Baptism room in front of a stone pool (employee discount), the pastor didn't charge us his fee, we had finger foods and sandwiches (it was a lunch time wedding). And that night, we went with a bunch of our friends up to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch, yes, a UFC fight. And my parents threw us a huge BBQ the next day for everyone. It was low key, and not expensive, but it was "us".

 

4. I can speed read. Books that would take a normal person 3 days to read, I can have finished in a day. It really came in handy in high school, where most tests are just regurgitating information that you read in the book. Hubby tried to test me on it one day, saying that it's impossible that I read that fast. He showed me a long paragraph in his magazine, I looked at it for about 3 seconds, and when I said I was finished, he said "What did it say then?" I was able to quote most of it, word for word. Booyah.

5. My favorite animal is a penguin. I collect penguin figurines, I sleep with a stuffed penguin, and hubby actually arranged for me to meet an emperor penguin on our honeymoon.

6. I have horrible eyesight. I absolutely cannot see a thing without my contacts. I can't even read anything without my contacts, I have to hold the book so close that it makes my eyes go crossed. So if I am going to read something, I have to close one eye. For those of you contact wearers, my box numbers are -8.5 on the left, and -9.0 on the right. My glasses are so thick that I refuse to wear them in front of people, I only wear them if my eyes need a break. My husband calls them my "sexy specs"

7. I got engaged in a hot air balloon. Taking a trip in a hot air balloon has always been on my "Bucket List". He woke me up one morning at 5am, told me to get dressed, and wouldn't tell me anything else. We drove for about an hour out to McKinney TX, and a man with a basket met us in the Tom Thumb parking lot. We got into his van, we drove out with him and his wife to a huge field, and we helped set up the hot air balloon. Hubby proposed to me at 1000 feet in the air, and even had the balloon operator video tape the whole thing.

So the bloggers I would like to bestow this award to?

1. Miss Madison's Charmed Life
2. Loving Every Second
3. 5 Second From Crazy
4. Seven One Six
5. Homemaker On A Dime
6. Mommy Spirit
7. Elousions
8. Black Cab Designs
9. FabuLESSly Crafty
10. Beads, Buttons and Baubles
11. J and J Home
12. Joy, Junk and Juxtaposition
13. My Girlish Whims
14. Our Forever House
15. Military Spouse House

So congratulations ladies!