Liebster Award

I was absolutely delighted when the lovely Lauren from Fizz & Frosting nominated me for the Liebster Award! Her blog is one of my daily reads, so  I was extremely flattered that she chose me! I  was nominated a while ago for this award  when I had less than 200 followers (which was only 12 days ago, I can not believe how fast my blog is growing). But with Hurricane Sandy and everything else going on in my life it fell to the way side. Now, I am so happy to do a blog post about this! (and very happy to have Internet for the first time in two days)!

The Liebster Award is given by bloggers to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. The meaning: Liebster is German and means  sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.  RULES: 1. Each person posts 11 things about themselves 2. Answer the questions the nominator made for you, and create 10 more questions for the blogs you nominate. 3. Choose nominations and link them to your post. 4. Go to their page and tell them.

Eleven random facts about me: Hmm, where to start-this is certainly going to  be a bit all over the place

1. I don’t have a “grandma” but I have a Nana and a Meme both of whom I love very much.
2. I use Aquaphor everyday and I do not know what I would do without it. 
3. I write thank you notes for everything, my mother taught me well.
4. I prefer vacationing to somewhere warm instead of cold.
5. I try to sleep at least 8 hours every night – beauty rest is important!
6. My favorite candy can not be found at most stores but I like it that way because it is more of a special treat when I find red licorice wheels. 
7. My favorite vegetable is asparagus.
8. My brother Kevin and I are 18 months apart and I love him dearly – I really hope he moves to New York City after he graduates college. 
9. I salt everything. 
10. Josh Harnett was my first serious crush. 
11. I think pearl studs go with any outfit. 

10 Questions from Lauren:

1. What made you decide to start blogging?  As a creative outlet for all of my thoughts, ideas, and passions. My first blog post was actually an explanation of why I began blogging.

2. How did you come up with your blog name?  This was actually a recent decision to change the name of my blog. It was originally “A Few of My Favorite Things”, so when creating the name of my blog I made a very long list of my favorite things and then paired up alliterations. “Sparkles and Shoes” was my favorite because of the way it sounded together and because they are definitely two of my favorite things.

3. Who is your style icon?   Jackie O. The First Lady was incredibly classic and poised, but had absolutely amazing clothes. My mother took my to see her clothes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art when I was 10 and it is still one of the best exhibits I have ever seen, well, besides the Fabregé  Eggs at the Vatican Museum. 

4. Where is the farthest from home you’ve ever traveled? After I graduated high school I went on Safari for three weeks in the south of Africa. The furthest I have ever been is the Cape of Good Hope which is the southern  most point of the continent. I actually took a photo of the sign that told me how far I was from home, an astonishing 7,792 miles! It was a truly amazing trip that I hope to do again!

5. If you were forced to eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would you chose? (For vanity’s sake, we’ll say it wouldn’t affect your girlish figure.) Dark chocolate in all it’s forms

6. Do, Dump, Marry: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Jake Gyllenhall  Do: (pass), Dump: Ryan Gosling and Jake Gyllenhall, Marry: Bradley Cooper! He is definitely the most attractive of the three and we share the same alma matter!

7. When you were little, what did you think you wanted to be when you grew up? A thought I would be a banker like my dad, but I wanted really badly to be a dolphin trainer.

8. Besides blogging, what are your other hobbies?  Photography, baking, scuba diving, collaging, trying new things, bike riding, and traveling.

9. Name a goal of yours for the upcoming year.  Visit all five boroughs of New York City and do all of the “touristy” things on my list including Coney Island, the Brooklyn Flea Market, and Arthur Avenue in the Bronx

10. If you could go back and offer a younger version of yourself advice, what would it be? Don’t sweat the small stuff, and is mostly all small stuff.

10 Questions for Nominees: 

1. What is your favorite beauty product?
2. Gold or silver?
3. Three favorite online shopping websites.
4. What is something you learned recently?
5. Fall, Winter, Spring, or Summer?
6. What is your favorite cereal?
7. If you could travel anywhere in the world and money was no object, where would you go? Why?
8. What pair of shoes do you wear the most? 
9. What did you laugh about today? 
10. What three things do you make sure you always carry with you? 

I nominate:
Alyssa from The Glossy Life
The Cute Couple from She Said He Said
Lily from Fancy No Pants
Jenny from Rock n Roller
Roxy from RoxtheFox