Spreading a little Sunshine

Last September, my friend and fellow blogger, Carrie (who writes an awesome ode to organization, Neatsmart), was thoughtful enough to nominate me for the Sunshine Award. The Sunshine Award is a cheerful orange flower that bloggers give to other “bloggers who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere”.

I, however, had a giant case of bridebrain, with my impending nuptials looming a mere 3 months away, and was also wildly busy “honing my slackness” and somehow, never responded.

Ouch.

Just this past week, I was nominated for the Versatile Blogger award from another excellent WordPress blogger, PrinzeCharming. With much gratitude, I beg to respond to his kind accolade in a future post and accept Carrie’s nomination for the Sunshine Award this week, with my heartfelt apologies and deep appreciation for her patience. Thank you both.

So the conditions of the Sunshine Award are:

1. To thank and acknowledge the person who nominated you.

2. To answer the following 8 questions and share a little more about yourself with your audience

3. To nominate 8 other bloggers for the award

Without further a-do:

Eight Questions to Answer:

1. What is your favourite Christmas/festive movie? I may disappoint some people, but truthfully, it’s not a holiday classic, like my husband’s favorite, “Miracle on 34th Street.” Or even my sister’s favorite, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (she kicks off the season watching it on Thanksgiving afternoon and manages to log in 20 or 30 views before New Year’s Day ). I’ll admit I do love the costumes and dance numbers in “White Christmas” and “Holiday Inn” but my favorite holiday movie is actually, “Love Actually,” a relative newbie to the scene, from screenwriter, Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis, who brought us one of my all-time favorite movies, “Four Weddings and a Funeral.” “Love Actually” has Liam Neeson, Alan Rickman, the phenomenal actress Emma Thompson, a wickedly funny Bill Nighy, the gorgeous Kiera Knightly, Colin Firth (Mr. Darcy, drool), and delightful cameos by Claudia Schiffer, Denise Richards, Shannon Elizabeth, and the (also drool-worthy) guy, Rodrigo Santoro, from Lost.

2.What is your favourite flower? I love irises, for some reason. Have since I was a little girl. And tulips. And peonies, probably because of my favorite romantic scene-ever-in-a-novel, the reunion of Aeron and Gwydion among the peonies in Patricia Kenealy’s, The Silver Branch. Also, I do love white phaleonopsis orchids, which I had in my wedding bouquet (along with some really gorgeous purple thistle, privet berries and eucalyptus.

3. What is your favourite non – alcoholic beverage? I would have to say coffee, dark roast, preferably Sumatran. An Atlanta roaster, Beanealogy, makes an incredible Pacific/Asian blend, called Dirty Nekkid Man, that is divine. I am also quite fond of Jamaican ginger beer, and the sweet ice tea they serve in the restaurant where I work – it’s spiced with vanilla, orange, ginger and cinnamon.

4. What is your passion? I guess I am fortunate to have many. I love to write – even though it makes me insane when I get a mental block, and I never seem to have enough time to write as much as I’d like. My husband and our life together. Our family. My furkids, Brodie and Keegan. Making jewelry (again, I wish for more time to do so!) Cooking and entertaining friends. Eating in incredible restaurants. Travel. Reading.

5. What is your favourite time of year? It’s a little cheesy, but I love the Christmas holidays. I love the parties, decor, general festivity and being with our families.

6. What is your favourite time of day? My favorite time of day is twilight – just minutes after sunset, when the light has this amazing luminescent quality, and the sky turns from orangy-pink to silver blue, and then teal to violet to navy. We were so fortunate to be able to time our wedding ceremony perfectly to catch it.

7. What is your favourite physical activity? I would say aerial silks, even though every time I start taking classes again, I manage to injure myself doing something completely unrelated, and have to stop until I’m healed back up again. It’s simply the coolest thing I’ve ever done.

8. What is your favourite vacation? My favorite vacation is ANY vacation I’ve ever taken. Really. There really haven’t been enough. Extra memorable ones include the week David and I spent last March with our families in Rosemary Beach, my last visit to NYC to see my dearest friend, Nkoyen (a mere seven months before she suddenly and tragically passed away, making me treasure that idyllic weekend even more) a wine-saturated trip to San Francisco in 2002 with good friends Tara and the Bear of Doug, my awesome friend Jo’s bachelorette party in Austin and subsequent spectacular wedding in NC…again, every single one of them.

Eight fantastic bloggers that I nominate for the Sunshine Award:

1.Toulouse and Tonic, my sorority sister Suzanne’s sassy and savvy blog about motherhood
2.Where’s Whitney’s Soup? “it’s them, not me”
3.rs interactive, my friend Raphael’s great social media blog
4.Jimmiechew A very fabulous kitten’s guide to life
5.Thoughts Unrestricted“Something, yet not really anything.” I beg to differ.
6.messianic motherhood, POV by new niece-by-marriage, the lovely and very talented Cassidy
7.Forthesakeofvocabulary, “ramblings from a twenty-something idler,” my friend (and fellow wedding industry peep) Jenni
8.shirleyrferguson, my darling auntee, author of “Birth Cry.”