Awards post where I break the rules #23

Hello there my lovely virtual friends! Two of my wonderful WordPress amigos nominated me for awards. Erika Kind nominated me for the Sunshine Award. Here is her original post, which will show you what an inspiring and amazing person she is. I really can’t say enough Kind (see what I did there, eh? EH?) things about her.

I was also nominated for the Infinity Dreams Award by Spence’s Girl. Her post is here and I got insanely excited reading it because we have so much in common. So if you even kind of like me (and you do, right? *nervous laugh*) then you will love her!

Thank you both so much ladies, not just for the awards but for being really amazing women!

Anyway, as much as I love awards, the posts always take forever to write, and then I inevitably forget to nominate someone and my pizza goes cold. And that is just THE WORST. So instead of following the rules….I’m gonna rebel…again.

I have wanted to use that video for so long…..

Both Erika and Spence’s Girl left great questions to answer as part of their posts, so I will answer those and that’s doing half of it right at least….*clutches at straws*

So without further ado, here are the questions from Erika’s post:

1)    Which decade do you miss the most?

Like most ’80’s babies, I can’t say enough amazing things about the ’90s. Life was much simpler back then, before smartphones and social media. And let’s not even talk about the cartoons, the Nickelodeon shows, the amazing fashion, girl power and hair mascara. HAIR MASCARA. I’ll stop now, because I might genuinely cry. *Sobs through Kenan and Kel theme tune*

2)    To which poet do you feel most connected to?

This is a difficult question for me to answer since I taught students about poetry for so long, and I really connected with so many poets. I have loved Shakespeare’s sonnets, T.S. Eliot, W.B. Yeats, Elizabeth Bishop, Adrienne Rich, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Patrick Kavanagh and Seamus Heaney…I could go on all day. If I absolutely had to pick, I would choose Sylvia Plath. Her poetry is so raw, honest, intense and personal that it just evokes something so strong in me every time I read it. One of my favourite poems of hers is the poem Elm, which is actually so intense and emotional that it is difficult to read.

3)    Your spirit cartoon character/TV show artist?

Garfield. He hates Mondays and he loves lasagne. If he wasn’t a cat….I’d marry him.

4)    Your favourite indulgence when in stress?

Chocolate, specifically Kinder Buenos or Galaxies. Or a fancy coffee…or both.

5)    How has your blog helped you the most?

I don’t even know where to start. I was going through a pretty difficult part of my life and I felt kind of….lost. I started my blog to serve as a place that I could come and just be silly and forget about the stresses of the real world. I never, ever thought that anyone would actually read anything I wrote, not to mind actually be so kind to me. I have met so many people here who have helped me, sometimes without even realising it. So to answer this question, my blog has helped me by connecting me with such a wonderful, supportive community. I never feel lonely.

And now…….*drumroll*…….Spence’s Girl’s questions:

1.What is your favorite comfort food?

I make a lovely shepherd’s pie. It is so lovely on a cold evening.

2.Do you have siblings?

Yep! I have an older sister and an older brother. They are amazing.

3.Live to eat or eat to live?

Live to eat, totally…I adore food. I once fell asleep on a pizza. I may have been slightly intoxicated.

4. Swim in a lake, ocean or a pool?

I’m actually not a great swimmer. I really need my feet to be able to touch the bottom. I’d feel safest in a pool…in an inflatable ring.

5. Coffee or tea?

I actually adore both. Coffee in the morning, tea in the evening.

6. What is your favorite time of day to blog?

Usually the evening, when I’m not distracted….by…all the….shiny…..things…..

7. Name something from your “bucket list”

This is going to sound crazy…but I would really (times a million) LOVE to find a meteorite. I love astronomy and space, so finding something that is billions of years old and has fallen from space would be so amazing. I’m actually buying one next week. But finding my own one will always be the dream.

8.What scares you?

I struggle to even type this without shuddering….*whispers* spiders. I really am terrified of them. I’m also terrified of tidal waves (random, I know). That scene in Interstellar caused me to actually struggle to breathe.

Just a whole bag of nope

9.Cats or dogs?

Both! I have two dogs, Molly and Oscar and a cat called Kit. I also have guinea pigs…so a zoo, basically, I have a zoo.

10. Best childhood memory?

I have a few. They are really simple, but I think its their simplicity that has made them so appealing. I loved playing outdoors in the summer nights with my friends. We lived in a beautiful yet tiny village in the south of Ireland. I also loved visiting my grandparents, which I wrote about here.

11. What or who makes you laugh?

Everything. Literally….everything. I am one of those people who laughs all the time. I just can’t help it. I actually spent a long time today conversing with an African Grey Parrot called George, who was HILARIOUS. He wolf-whistled at me, which meant I was totally working my sensible fleece jumper.

So there you go guys. I’m sure you learned absolutely nothing but…we all survived, which is the main thing.

Awaaaaarrrrds!

Woah. Where do I even start? Accepting the awards that have been gathering dust on the shelf at the back of my blog (the one my owl lives on) would be a good start! The super fantastic Rob from The V-pub and the fascinating and beautiful Alexandra from Post Curfew Bewonderments nominated me for a Versatile Blogger Award. Can I get a whoop whoop? No? Whatever. 

Rob’s blog has long been a favourite of mine and if you are not a regular reader, you should be! He is funny, charming, friendly and is paying me handsomely for all this praise (I jest). He is also the first person I have ever guest blogged for! (Tune in tomorrow!)

Alexandra has a fascinating blog. She is funny, intelligent and charming and her own awards posts here and here are so entertaining that you need to go read them now while I wait here and twiddle my thumbs. 

  
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Oh, you’re back. Wonderful. Let’s continue, shall we? 

So I was discussing the Versatile Blogger Award, which is a very pretty award:

 

Look at it, all snazzy…

 
So as part of the process I must:

-Thank the person who nominated me and include a link to their blog

-Display the award on my blog 

-Write seven facts about myself 

-Nominate fifteen people for the award 

Okay, well I’ve done the first two. Hashtag winning. 

So here are seven random facts about me that I’ve probably shared a dozen times already but if any of you are stalking me I’m giving you so much material and wow this sentence has no punctuation:

1. I buy myself a bouquet of flowers every two weeks to cheer myself up and also because I’m a total charmer and I love myself.

  

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2. Despite my very chilled exterior, I am actually a very anxious person. I worry about everything and it has caused me numerous health problems. 

  

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3. I am a bit of a neat freak and my friends used to call me “Monica” because of my tendency to clean, well, all the time.

  

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4. I love singing and dancing when I’m alone. When Jack goes to work I throw on Beyonce and own it like I’m at the Grammys. 

  

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5. I get very huggy when I’m drunk.

  

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6. I really enjoy playing the PlayStation and Red Dead Redemtion is my favourite game ever.

  

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7. I have completely run out of facts so here’s a pineapple:

  

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Here are my nominees: 

(I hope no one will be offended if I don’t choose 15, because I would actually be writing this post for weeks) 

spencesgirl

Apricots and Cream

Living With Benji

And now onto my second award, woohoo! Alexandra also nominated me for a Liebster Award which is so sweet and I have all the feels. 

  
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Here are the rules for accepting the Liebster Award:

-Thank the blogger who nominated you and display the award on your page 

-Nominate ten other bloggers for the award

-Answer the ten questions asked by the person who nominated you 

-Ask your nominees ten questions

So firstly, thank you Alexandra from Post Curfew Bewonderments for this lovely award:

  
Here are the ten questions Alexandra asked me and my answers:

1) When you listen to music, do you focus on the melody or the lyrics?

I tend to focus more on the lyrics because I adore poetry and I love a song that I can really relate to lyrically. 

2) Do you eat a kiwi by peeling off the skin and slicing it into pieces OR by cutting it in half and eating it with a spoon?

I cut it in half and eat it wih a spoon! Om nom nom.

3) What was your favorite cartoon when you were a kid?

Without a doubt, The Simpsons. I was obsessed. I still am, but only with seasons 1-10.

4) Do you still keep in touch with your first friend?

Yes 🙂 She actually surprised me for my birthday by calling to my come from hundreds of miles away. She is a very sweet and considerate person.

5) What is your ethnic background?

Irish. Although my father’s name is Norse and my mother’s is Anglo-Norman but that’s going back over 1,000 years so…Irish.

6) Things you look forward to?

I love snuggling on the sofa with my fiancé and eating a good meal. I also love the build up before I see my best friends because I live quite far away from them.

7) Which 3 cities you would always recommend to visit?

London, Barcelona and Prague. I loved them all.

8) Who do you think you were in your past life?

I would say Katherine Hepburn but that makes no sense. I just love her. So maybe I’ll say an Egyptian queen because I love cats and gold.

9) Do you think almond milk is still milk and turkey bacon is still bacon?

*Shudders* I had to give up dairy for a week and almond milk will never, EVER be a substitute for an ice-cold glass of cow’s milk. Turkey bacon is okay but bacon bacon brings me inner peace. 

10) At which circumstances did you last say “Man, it’s great to be alive”?

Saturday night when I was dancing with one of my best friends to Bruno Mars wearing my favourite dress and for once, not worrying about anything 🙂 

What great questions! 

I will now nominate some bloggers to partake in this, although there is no obligation to accept!

The V-pub

Char Spillane

Apricots and Cream

Delirious Antidotes

Tropical Affair

Naturally Dreamy

Okay guys, here are my ten questions should you choose to accept this award:

1. If you could get rid of one word from the English language, what would it be and why?

2. Are you good at keeping secrets? 

3. Do you think your favourite food reveals much about your personality?

4. Would you prefer to visit the theatre or a museum?

5. What is the best holiday you have ever been on?

6. What is your favourite time of day?

7. Do you have a hidden talent?

8. Do you have to sleep at a certain side of the bed? 

9. Do you think it is more important to be liked or respected?

10. What is the most important attribute that you seek in a friend? 

Okay guys, that’s me finally done! I have a lot of posts to get through over the coming weeks (yaaaaay) so expect a barrage of blogs on your reader from me 🙂  

The Creative Blogger Award with added rule-breaking

Hi there! How’s it going? Good? Good. Rob from The V-pub has nominated me for the Creative Blogger Award, which is nice (that’s a Fast Show ref-oh never mind). Rob is honestly one of the nicest bloggers around; he’s a loyal reader of my blog, as well as being a funny, caring and all round good guy. His blog also shows that he has a variety of interests and talents and it’s a fun place to be. Check him out at the link above please! 

  

So what are the rules? THERE ARE NO RULES! Lol, of course there are rules. There are always rules. Here they are:

• Nominate 15-20 blogs and notify all nominees via their social media/blogs
• Thank and post the link of the blog that nominated you
• Share five facts about yourself to your readers
• Pass these rules on to them
• Bake Jane a cake

Okay, I made the last one up. Worth a try.

So here are five facts about me:

1. I am currently a home tutor, because my contract in my previous school was up and I wanted to try something new. Everyday going to work, this clip plays through my mind:

http://youtu.be/qG4NaRkFYmk

2. Something exciting is happening in my personal life but I’m not allowed to tell anyone…yet. I can tell you that I’m not pregnant. Not even a little bit.

  

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3. I’m obsessed with Shakespeare and Hamlet is the best thing written in the English language in my opinion. I also love To Kill a Mockingbird; I wanted Atticus Finch to be my dad. 

Sorry Dad

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4. My favourite sport is rugby. It’s an incredibly exciting game. I also love a sport called hurling. It’s a native Irish sport that has been described by foreigners as “hockey mixed with murder”. Seriously, it’s CRAZY. 

 

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5. I live in a very beautiful place that I will possibly have to leave soon but *pouty face* I DON’T WANNA! 

Just to clarify, I don’t live *in* the castle…

Here are my lovely nominees: 

Musings from a Workaholic 

Jessie Janelle Reyna

Insidethelifeofmoi

The Indecisive Eejit

Apricots and Cream

Tropical Affair

Deep Blues and Sea Foam Greens

Michelle Eastman Books

I Didn’t Have My Glasses On

Not a Punk Rocker

The Verbal Spew Review

Confetti and Curves

But I Smile Anyway

Hello World

 It’s a Britta Bottle

Hugs x Heart

Mother Hen Diaries

All Things Britney Lee

Cats at the Bar

Darshan Gajara’s Weirdo Tech Blog

Behind the White Coat

Char Spillane

Okay, I’ve broken the rules by nomimating too many bloggers, SUE ME! (Don’t really, I’m poor.) As usual, apologies if anyone feels left out (at least Santa loves you) and there is no pressure on anyone to accept the award, you can just bask in your collective awesomeness if you want 🙂 

Have a great day everyone! 

Oops, I’m a Finalist

So I woke up this morning and found out that I have been selected as a finalist in the Most Humorous category for the 2015 Weblog Awards, or Bloggies. Then I hit myself over the head with a shoe, because I thought I was dreaming. 

But no, it’s true. Looook:



There I am! Also, look at my battery power. You’re looking into the mind of a champion.





Of course, I owe a huge thank you to all of you who nominated me. So thank you; sincerely and from the bottom of my weird heart, thank you. 

If voting for me to actually win seems like something you would like to do, then you can follow the link below to do so:

2015 Weblog Awards

Voting is very simple and won’t take long. You just click on the blogs you wish to win and submit your vote.

The truth is, I’m up against some really famous bloggers who have a lot more followers than I do and my chances of winning are slim. Nobody in my “real” life knows about my blog, so I can’t pester my friends on social media to vote for me and that’s definitely a drawback. If you want to share the crap out of this and bug your friends, I would be eternally grateful! I’ll name my firstborn after you.*

 I’m still really honoured to have even gotten this far though. I’m definitely going to make myself a cup of celebration tea (it’s like regular tea, but with wine in it…okay, it’s just wine). 

Also, I would like to congratulate Ben from Ben’s Bitter Blog who has been chosen as a finalist in the Weblog of the Year category. Well done Bitter Ben! You guys can also vote for him by clicking the link above. 

If you do vote for me, I love you. I know that it might be a little soon but seriously… I love you. If you don’t, it’s cool…we’re still friends. *plots your downfall*

Thanks for all of your support. 

*you…Emily Dickinson…Hulk Hogan…it’s all good…

The 2015 Weblog Award Nominations Are Now Open

Hi guys!

I hadn’t planned on posting today but I’ve been made aware that the 2015 Weblog Awards or “Bloggies” have opened their nominations today.

For those of you who may be unaware of the Bloggies, I am going to be super lazy and copy and paste their Wikipedia entry:

The Weblog Awards, nicknamed the Bloggies, are annual non-profit blog awards that have been presented since 2001. They are the longest running and one of the largest blog awards, with winners determined through internet voting by the public. The Weblog Awards are presented by Nikolai Nolan, and are covered by many major news organizations.
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I could explain to you guys the rules, or I could put the link to their site and have them do it better:

2015 Bloggies

There are several different categories, so you can nominate a blog/your blog for any that you feel apply to said blog. You must nominate three blogs at a time for any given category.

Now comes the part where I need you guys. I don’t stand a Lohan’s chance in rehab of winning but I would at least like to be nominated. The competition is based on votes so it would really mean a lot to me if you could nominate me in the Most Humorous Weblog category. If you do, I will love you forever. You can click on the link above to nominate. Once you get to the page, scroll down and fill in my blog’s name, Cupid or Cats, and my URL which is https://cupidorcats.wordpress.com
You will have to nominate two other blogs in this category as you have to nominate three at a time, as I mentioned above.

Also, if any of my lovely followers would like to be nominated, please let me know in the comments what category you would like to be put in and I will nominate you because I more than likely love you.

Thank you so much for reading this and for being the best followers in all the land. No, I’m not sucking up. Okay, I’m sucking up a little bit I also am being sincere. I love you. I’ll stop now.

If you don’t nominate me, that’s absolutely fine.

I definitely won’t send my flying monkeys after you.

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All the Awards

Aw, you guys. So I’ve been letting some awards pile up because, well, lazy. Then I realised I was drowning in a metaphorical sea of awards and possibly looking very ungrateful, which of course I’m not. So pull up and a seat and lets do this thing!

My last awards post was back in June (I think) so I’ve just went to my “About Me” section and I’m going to accept any awards I’ve gotten since then. If I forget or let anyone out, it’s because I’m an idiot and I give you complete permission to “pfft” at me right now. Okay, we good? Good.

The first award I shall accept is the Quintet of Excellence Award from the wonderful Cheryl over at Tropical Affair. I wanted to mention Cheryl because she has been one of the kindest people that I have connected with and her blog is just a wonderful place to get lost in. I want to say a big thank you Cheryl for your loyalty as a reader of my own blog and also for your wonderfully inspiring blog.
The Quintet Award requires you to use the letters of the alphabet to describe yourself, which I did previously here.
As for nominations? Well, I’ll make it simple. If you are reading this and you follow my blog, then please accept this award because I love you for following me. If I make up a list, I’ll inevitably leave someone out and I don’t want anyone crying/sticking pins in Jane effigies. So honestly, go to my quintet post, steal my pictures and TAKE IT!

The second award is The Very Inspiring Blogger Award which was given to me by OpinionatedDuck, now SJ who now blogs at Delirious Antidotes.

I have been absent a lot lately, and so have just caught up with SJ’s new blog but I can say with great confidence that if you check this blog out, you won’t regret it. SJ is not only intelligent and articulate but also funny. We’ve had some gas conversations! Thanks SJ 🙂

Rob over at weight2lose2013 also nominated me for this award. I’ve included him in my list below because he’s really a great blogging buddy. Thanks Rob!

I’m going to write a list of bloggers that inspire me. If you choose to accept this as an award, great! But really, I just want the following to know that I have been inspired by you and you have helped me in my own writing, whether you know it or not. If I forget anyone, it’s because…look over there…*runs away*…

I’ve already mentioned you Cheryl but I couldn’t make this list without including you. Your blog is wonderful and your stories are so rich in vibrant imagery. Check her out at Tropical Affair.

One of my all time (Kanye voice: Of all time, ALL TIME) favourite bloggers is Amanda over at Inside the Life of Moi. We share a very similar sense of humour and her blog has been a huge inspiration to me. If for some weird reason you are not following her, then you really should be. She’s honestly one of the best bloggers out there and you’ll soon be hooked on her hilarious yet heartwarming posts. I also have an award to accept from her which makes it sound like she bribed me…but she didn’t *winks at Amanda*. No really, she’s great.

Another AMAZING female blogger is the hilarious Julie over at Musings from a Workaholic. It’s been a while since Jules and I have chatted but I wanted you to know that your rant-a-riffic posts often inspired my own rants. You’re also hilarious Julie and I hope all is well in your world.

Mother Hen over at Mother Hen Diaries…what can I say? Have you ever just known someone who is practically your twin? And in some alternate reality, we probably are twins. She is equally as random and cray cray as I am and I adore her for it. If you check out her blog, you’ll see this for yourself. And you’ll love her as much as I do.

Next is a blogger that I’m in quite frankly in awe of. She’s a young’un who has her head very firmly screwed on. She has a wonderful writing style; she’s both funny and articulate and has understandably garnered quite a following. Z, you haven’t just inspired me, I’m sure you’ve been a hugely positive influence over anyone reading your blog. Guys, check her out over at Deep Blues and Sea Foam Greens.

There are few people on here who I’ve met that have been kinder and Warner than Lisa Macy. I haven’t spoken to Lisa in a while but I just wanted you to know that you were one of the people on here that inspired me with your positivity and humanity, so thank you so much.

I must also include Rob from weight2lose2013. Rob’s blog is so eclectic and Rob himself is not only a witty writer but he’s also a talented musician. He’s a bit of an all-rounder really. He’s also a genuinely very nice person so you won’t regret connecting with him on his blog. Many a time he has made me laugh out loud which is no easy task. Okay, it’s a very easy task but he’s still hilarious.

Another brilliant blogger that I simply adore is Trent Lewin. I really can’t heap enough praise on him as a writer. He is one of the most talented word smiths that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Seriously, his pieces will stay with you a long time after you’ve read them. I’ve found myself troubled, touched and awed at his writing. It’s fantastic.

Speaking of talented, Melanie over at Wordifull writes poetry that just evokes so much emotion in me that I can’t quite put it into words. I think her poetry would appeal to anyone who has an appreciation for honesty and rawness. It’s perfect. On the very rare occasions that I have written poetry, it has been inspired by you Melanie, so thank you.

I also want to mention the fantastic David Ellis from Too Full to Write. David is one of the lucky ones who knows my real name 😀 Seriously though, David is a great poet who has helped me find my inner muse and we have had some fun collaborating all over the shop. He’s a great guy and his poetry is fantastic. Thanks for helping me write David!

Aisha over The Hashtag Generation (aside: what a great blog name!) has a blog where you could just while (wile? While?) away the hours pouring through the wonderful posts. It’s a really fun blog run by someone very intelligent and perceptive. I love this blog!

Sean, I’m not going to say anything soppy cause that’s not how you roll but…screw it, I miss you. And I love your blog. There, I said it. Don’t leave us for too long.

When I’m having a bad day, which seems to be a lot lately (waits for your tears…keeps waiting) I go to Cats at the Bar for all my LOLs. Because, cats. And not just any cats, articulate, adorable, sassy cats. This is a site that is funny and clever, so now you need to go check it out and get lost in a world of cats. Which is not a bad world to get lost in really.

Beth over at I Didn’t Have My Glasses On rules. She really does. Her blog is brilliant; she’s exactly the kind of blogger I wish I was but I’ll settle for being a huge fan instead. She’s deservedly very popular so if you check her out you’ll be one of the cool kids. Thanks for the inspiration Beth.

Minnie, I have to give you a shoutout because you’re another talented and creative individual that has influenced me in a very positive way. I love how artsy and cool your blog is. I hope some of my followers will check you out and see what I mean!

If you had to ask me what my two favourite things are, I would say humour and food. So when a blog combines both of these things, I’m a fan for life. Head on over to Cheergerm to see what I’m talking about. Great blog and I’ve been inspired to make some very yummy food 🙂

I don’t know how Ben will feel about all these lovely kind words but his blog is delightfully sardonic, and hey, under all the gooey crap, aren’t we all a bit bitter? Have a gander at his blog and see for yourself how gas this guy is: Ben’s Bitter Blog. P.S. Ben, I almost typed “Ben’s Butter Blog” which would also be an amazing blog so you might wanna buy that URL before someone inevitably does.

I have to mention Eileen over at eileenwrites. That’s a link to a wonderful poem written by her, but also I just want you to know that your comments always put a smile on my face and I really appreciate you Eileen! Seriously, I’m glad to have connected with you and this poem is so simple yet brilliant. I’m putting it on my fridge 🙂

I’m fascinated by the lovely Evie over at Girlseule. She writes with more honesty than I ever could. I really wish I had the guts to write the way she does. Evie, you have been a big influence on me because I love your writing style and I think we’re actually very similar people. Your blog is entertaining, witty, perceptive and fantastically frank. You’ve also been a loyal reader of my blog and I really appreciate it.

When you read these thirty random facts about Melanie over at I Follow Islands, you will love her blog as much as I do. Melanie, we should never EVER play each other at Monopoly but other than that, I think we’d be great friends 🙂

Okay guys, I have to stop. If this was the Oscars, the music would’ve started playing and security would be edging closer and closer to the stage. I could actually have gone on here but I’ve been writing this post on my phone for….*looks at watch…realises I’m not wearing a watch….looks at clock* THREE AND A HALF HOURS. Seriously. Mama Mia! I just want to say that all the bloggers I have listed above are wonderful. I’ve been a bit ill recently so I haven’t been able to catch up with all my favourite blogs but I know these guys would appreciate it if you popped in and said hello. Or else they’ll chase you away with a chainsaw…either way, you’ve got a story to tell.

Am I done? Aw hell nope! The next award I shall accept is The Sisterhood of the World Blogger Award.

This was given to me by the lovely blog Drown in Melancholy. She’s a great blogger and I particularly love her bucket list. Have a read of it, it’s great!

Ladies, if I had to nominate more people, I’m pretty sure I’d end up sunken over my desk like Edgar Allen Poe so again, just take it. FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT’S GOOD IN THE WORLD, TAKE IIIIIT!

Next up is the Sunshine Award. I love this award!

This was given to me by the lovely Aisha over at The Hashtag Generation who you’re already following because I already included a link to her blog…right? RIGHT? Well, if you didn’t listen to me then, listen to me now. Here’s her lovely blog: The Hashtag Generation.
Thanks Aisha!

Finally, the lovely Amanda nominated
me for an award I hadn’t gotten soiwasactuallygoingtostealithahanotreallybutactuallyreally. It’s the One Lovely Blog Award:

Isn’t it lovely? I’ve mentioned Amanda above but I just want to reiterate my fondness for her blog and also mention that I’m the secret president of her fan club. Thanks a thousand Amanda!

Man, I think that’s it. I think I made it. Now, I know I cheated a little. I didn’t nominate people for every award. Technically, I’m nominating all of you. Because if you’re following my blog, you’re clearly good people and I want the best for you. I’m nice like that. If I forgot you, then you have my permission to punch me in real life. Just give me fair warning so that I can duck. Thaaaanks.

Since most of these awards require you to share some facts about yourself, I’m just going to throw five random facts at you right now. Just five because I may actually be dying of exhaustion.

1. I’m not very well at the moment. I have a lot of abdominal pain which has been going on for aaaaages so I’m getting medically investigated next month. Basically, certain things are being put in certain places and I want to cry. That’s one of the reasons I’ve been quiet on here guys, just in case you think I’ve gone all Jack Nicholson in The Shining.

2. I lost my voice today because Ireland won a rugby match against South Africa and it was amazing.

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I once met this guy in an ATM queue. True story.

3. My hair has been many different colours. It’s been bleached blonde, black, red, purple, medium blonde, and all types of brown. At the moment, I have a bit of balayage going on but I’m thinking of dying it again cause I’ll like to mix sh*t up.

4. I’m completely addicted to tea/coffee. I’m drinking tea right now. I couldn’t go a day without either or people would legit die. That may or may not be a threat. Take it how you will.

5. You guys know I love owls. But I also love sea otters. Like, really love sea otters. I feel I can completely justify this bizarre statement with this story.

Aaaaaand, that’s it. I’m done. If you read this far then you deserve some kind of medal.

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I’m going to go collapse now.

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I made the short list!

If you guys didn’t have a chance to catch the international news today, you may not know that I have been shortlisted by The Blog Awards Ireland in the Best Humour Blog category.

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I am thrilled! And hungry…but mostly thrilled! If it wasn’t for my lovely and loyal followers then I would have no reason to blog, so I owe this to you guys. There’s a gratitude owl on its way to you as we speak. (It’s basically a regular owl, but it curtsies.)

Time for me to go party*.

*Not really because I have school tomorrow. Maybe I’ll have a a cup of tea and not use a coaster….okay, I’ll use a coaster.

Very Inspiring Blogger Award

It’s been a while since I’ve done an awards post so I said “hey Jane, why not have some pie and do an awards post?” Great idea, Jane.

Aisha over at The Hashtag Generation has nominated me for a Very Inspiring Blogger award and now I’m all fuzzy and warm. She is a great blogger, and I urge you to read this post just to get to know her a little better. Her blog is both intelligent and
funny and you have to visit because I said so and I’m using my teacher voice. Thanks Aisha!

Here are the rules for accepting the award:

1.Thank and link the amazing person who nominated you.
2.List the rules and display the award.
3.Share seven facts about yourself.
4.Nominate 15 other amazing blogs and comment on their posts to let them know they have been nominated.
5.Optional: Proudly display the award logo on your blog and follow the blogger who nominated you.

Here are seven facts about moi:
(I’ve done this a lot so I’ll try to do something new here)

1. My parents split up a few years ago. I have one brother, he lectures law, and a sister. She’s got two adorable kids and one on the way.
I’m the youngest, which means I’m automatically the coolest.

2. I have a Master’s Degree in International Relation yet I choose to blog about owls.

3. I am distantly related to a former Taoiseach (prime minister) of Ireland. He came to my house when I was seventeen and I posed for moody, indifferent teenage pictures with him. You know, because it’s not a big deal to meet someone who negotiated deals with Margaret Thatcher.

4. About a year ago, I was in a car accident where my car was basically crushed to a cube and I managed to escape virtually unscathed. Self-five.

5. I can speak basic Irish ach tá mé uafásach toisc nach raibh mé ag éisteacht nuair a bhí mé ar scoil.

6. I love to sing. I didn’t say I can sing but I llllooooovvvve to ssssiiiiiing <—-I just sang that.

7. I am a total space and cosmology nerd. If you are Chris Hadfield and you are reading this, call me.

Now comes the incredibly hard part. I'm supposed to pick fifteen bloggers who have inspired me but the truth is, I could pick hundreds. I also get a little stressed because I always forget someone. I’m just going to compile a list of bloggers who have inspired me in my almost year long journey in some way or another. You are under no obligation to carry this on, just know that I appreciate you and everything you do.

If I do forget someone, just know that I left the hand break up on my car today soooo….

Here are my nominations:

Tropical Affair

Inside the Life of Moi

Trent Lewin

Wandering Rush

girlseule

The Shit Show That Is My Life

Musings From a Workaholic

weight2lose2013

Mother Hen

Lisa Macy Coaching

Screen Kicker Movies

Witless Dating After Fifty

Wordifull.com

ISpontein

I Didn’t Have My Glasses On

A Minnie Blog

The Verbal Spew Review

I Prefer Deep Blues And Sea Foam Greens

Aussa Loren

Cats at The Bar

An Upturned Soul

Sean Smithson

Headlong Running Betty

Tis For Tea

Mike Steeden

Drown in Melancholy

Ben’s Bitter Blog

goinrougedotnet

Lex Borgia

Pouring My Art Out

Well, That Happened

Too Full to Write

Love From Tara

So, now that my pie is long gone and for some reason, I have tennis elbow, I’m going to stop.

I just want to say a big thank you to all of the bloggers I have nominated and to Aisha for the nomination. My blog is nearly a year old, and I’m very happy that on a hot July day in 2013 I decided to start a blog as an outlet for my weirdness.

Butterfly of Light Award

I am so touched when I receive awards. It’s getting to a point where I have lots of them stored up and haven’t really gotten around to properly accepting them and I feel so guilty. I have more to do, but I’ll start with this lovely one from the beautiful Lisa . Lisa is a fabulous blogger and a lovely person, and I can promise that you will love her blog as much as I do. She’s a kick ass person! Thanks Lisa 🙂

This award was originated by Belinda at Idiotwriting and, as Lisa puts it “is intended for bloggers who spread light into others lives or are a positive influence.”

Isn’t that lovely? I’m all gooey here.

In accepting this award, I’m supposed to write a paragraph about how I’m spreading light or how I’m spreading positivity. This might be hard but I’ll give it a shot 🙂

I suppose I’ve always looked to humour to alleviate any stress that I’ve experienced. I find that laughing or even smiling is an amazing way to de-stress.
When I set up this blog, it was my intention to bring a smile to my readers’ faces. I love when someone tells me that I’ve made them laugh or smile because to me, that’s the greatest compliment one can receive. Knowing that I can contribute even a glimmer of positivity to someone’s day feels amazing. I’m not the most intelligent or insightful person, but I don’t mind being the clown; if it makes other people happy, then I’m happy too 🙂

So now I’m just going to copy the rules from Lisa’s blog:

1. You must write an acceptance post, making sure you link back to the blogger who awarded you and thank them. You may not lump this award in with a batch of other awards.

2. You must individually name and re-award to a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 9999999 bloggers. You must let them know either personally with a comment on their blog OR a pingback (I’d suggest their about page)

3. You must link back to Belinda’s blog either to http://idiotwriting.wordpress.com/2014/03/13/i-love-charismatic-geeks/ OR http://idiotwriting.wordpress.com/about/ – make sure you check out her blog too! I haven’t read it before today and it’s now in my list of blogs I follow! 🙂

4. You must write a short paragraph – Entitled either “How I’m Spreading Light” OR “How I’m A Positive Influence”

5. Display the “Butterfly Light Award” badge on your blog

And now for my nominees:

I’m going to break the rules slightly here. Or massively, but whatever. You see, I have so many amazing friends on here that I would be listing them for the next ten years (okay, hour or two but that’s still a long time) so I’m asking you, yes YOU, to just go ahead and accept the award. There are so many of you who make me laugh and smile on a daily basis. I’m afraid that if I make a list, I’ll be excluding some people (and there’s the fact that some people might possibly consider it more of a chore than anything, though I love these things). So don’t be shy, take it 🙂 I said take it. TAAAKKKKE IT.

Okay, Janey out.

I like you guys a lot. I might even love you.

*Disney singing voice*

I got more awaaaards and life is wonderfuuuuuulllllll!

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I’m not so sure about the second part, because a bird just shat on my Moschino handbag but the first part is definitely true 😀

Firstly, the lovely tisfortea nominated me for a Liebster Award. I’ve posted the link to her own acceptance of the award because she is hilarious and sweet and you need to read it.

While I’m not going to actually do the whole nominating thing (only because I’ve done it a lot lately), I will answer your fantastic questions Helen!

What is your biggest regret?

I know it’s the cliched response but I try not to live with regrets. I don’t hold grudges and I don’t argue for very long with people, that’s the best way to avoid regret.
I do regret wearing my mother’s Prada shoes to a festival once. Sorry Mammy.

What is the first anecdote about yourself that you’d tell to impress someone new?

I’m not cool enough to tell anecdotes. I usually just get people liquored up pretty good. Usually works.

First crush?

A guy called Kenneth who I used to chase for kisses. He wore an Aran jumper and hid from me in the boys’ toilets.

How would you survive a zombie apocalypse?

I would find Keith Richards and pretend he’s my father. The zombies would think he was one of their own, so by association, I’d be safe.

Most embarrassing moment?

Fainting at mass, while altar serving. Yep. That happened.

When was the last time you cried?

Yesterday. I have all the emotions.

What is your relationship deal breaker?

Douchebaggery. The type of guy who puts a girl down to impress his friends.

Do you believe in karma?

Not as a supernatural force, but I do believe that if you are an asshat for most of your life, it will inevitably come back to bite you in the testicles.

How would your friends describe you?

Odd. Weird. Fun. Pensive. Sceptic. Sarcastic. Humorous.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

A bad attitude. I’m just a nice person who expects the same in return. Simple.

If you could tell anyone to royally fuck the fuck off who would it be, and why?

Probably Hitler. Maybe no one ever told him to fuck off and that was the problem.

Thanks Helen! Great questions 🙂

Next up, thegirlimtotallyobsessedwithbutdonttellhercauseitscreepy the brilliant Amanda over at Inside the life of moi. If you like me (please say you like me), you will love her! She’s funny and her posts make me want to clap out loud if that wasn’t actually really weird.
Amanda very kindly nominated me for the Quintet of Radiance Award.

Again, I’m not going to nominate. Please don’t think I’m being selfish here, I just have already accepted these awards and would be nominating the same people. I am so grateful to both Helen and Amanda and wanted to do this post because I love their blogs and I want you (yes you) to check them out.

For the Quintet Award, you are supposed to describe yourself with a different letter of the alphabet. I did that already so I thought to change it up I would provide you all with 26 brilliant and totally useable chat-up lines for you to use, each beginning with a different letter of the alphabet. You. Are. Welcome.

Are you from a forrest? Cause you’re a fox.

Baby, I’m a love pirate and I’m here for your booth. Arrrgh!

Could you be any hotter?

Do you have raisins? No? How about a date then?

Ew, did you just fart? Cause you blew me away!

Fat penguin. What? I just wanted to say something that would break the ice.

Given that the universe is infinite and time is infinite…wanna shag?

Hi, can I buy you several drinks?

Is it me or does this rag smell like chloroform?

Just do me.

Kiss me if I’m wrong, but is your name Chaniqua?

Life is too short for us not to be having sex right now.

Man, are you Jamaican? Cause jer-makin-me crazy!

Now I know angels exist!

Oh, you’re hotter than Papa Bear’s porridge!

P.S., I dig you.

Quel dommage que vous êtes seul
mais cela peut changer ce soir.

Roses are red, violets are blue, I have a gun, get in my van

Smoking is hazardous to my health and baby, you’re killing me!

There must be a light switch on my forehead, cause when I see you, I’m turned on.

Ukuleles. Unicorns. Things that are not as cute as you.

Very true. Sorry, I’m just telling my heart that I agree; you are the most beautiful girl in the room.

Wow, did you just clean your pants with Windex? Cause I can totally see myself in them.

Xylophones make sweet noise when they’re banged. Do you?

Zebras are basically horses with stripes and I’m just a loser with a crush.

Aaand there you go 🙂

And while you’ve read this far, a few more things:

I know somewhere along the lines, I have probably ignored some awards. I don’t mean to do that, I just am very forgetful!

Also, it has come to my attention that sometimes my replies don’t post when I write them on my phone. If you think I’m not replying to you, it’s because I think I already have and my phone is stupid. I love you really.

Also, if you’re on twitter we can become twitter BFFs. Hit me up (the link is at the side of my page).

Peace out homies x