Liebster Blog Award

The lovely Lauren from Scarlet Realm's Vintage Blog recently nominated me for a Liebster Award, which, I think makes that my fourth nomination of the year so far! Thank you, Lauren, I'm very flattered, and amazed you guys keep nominating me! Your cheques are in the mail.

So the deal is I have to tell you some facts about myself, and answer Lauren's questions. I won't nominate some more blogs myself, as I've done this several times before, and I'd just be repeating myself. I follow over 200 blogs, and I love each of them, so if I follow you, I love your blog.

11 Facts About Me

1. I prefer Costa to Starbucks.
2. My first ever concert and the last concert I went to were both Boyzone concerts- Birmingham May 1997 and Inverness August 2011.
3. I think New Years celebrations are overrated.
4. I'm extremely short sighted. I can only read the top letter on the opticians eye test chart with my left eye!
5. I love forties and fifties fashion.
6. I have a very sarcastic sense of humour.
7. The last film I watched was Save the Last Dance.
8. The last song I listened to was Linkin Park's Valentine's Day.
9. I still get excited about Christmas like a kid in a sweet shop at Disneyland. I've been known to get excited for Christmas as early as September in the past.
10. I love musicals.
11. I enjoy baking.

Lauren's questions to me are:

1. Where was your favourite holiday as a child?

My favourite holidays were the ones spent in Perranporth, Cornwall. My parents would take my Sisters and I there for a week most Summers. We always stayed in one of those big luxury caravans, and spent most of our time on the beach. I would spend hours playing in the sea being pushed to shore by the waves on a body board or giant inflatable rubber ring... it was heaven! I've always been obsessed with the sea and the waves in Cornwall are rough and powerful, but I was fearless of them. I could- and did- spend six or seven hours in the water at a time, while my Sisters took some coaxing. My memories are of building giant sandcastles complete with motes with my Mum, catching a million new freckles, exploring rock pools, being buried in the sand and shaped in to a sand mermaid..., visiting Newquay Zoo, fish and chips, seeing Seals in the harbour, arcades, tacky souvenir gift shops, The Tiger Club (haha), exploring sea side villages, and I can still smell the food my Mum would cook up for breakfast only on holiday. I have good memories from my childhood, and my Sisters and I are so sentimental for the area we've returned three times together as adults.

2. What is your favourite meal?

 I've always loved the house special chow mein from my local Chinese take away- their noodles are so good! And for home-cooked, I love fajitas, and the Christmas dinner my Mum makes. Our Christmas dinner is typically turkey, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing (the family recipe is made with sausage meat), peas, carrots, broccoli, parsnips, butternut squash, and gravy. There are also brussel sprouts, but I can't stand them. I feel full for a week after that meal.

3. What is your favourite cocktail?

I love woo-woos, sex on the beach, and daiquiris (especially strawberry and raspberry). I don't particularly like the taste of alcohol, so I prefer fruity tasting ones.

4. What scares you?

Spiders, daddy long legs, and small spaces/feeling trapped.

5. What are you doing for Halloween?

I'll probably just have a movie marathon of Halloween themed films, and maybe carve a pumpkin with my Sister.

6. What is your goal for 2013?

Well, I guess that would be to hopefully regain some of my mobility, freedom, and independence back, but that's something I really don't have control over. I'd also like to continue on the path to self-acceptance, and maybe feel more comfortable baring my legs and arms in public.

7. Who is your inspiration?

My best friend, Angela. She's a fantastic, hard-working single mother. She works extremely hard to provide for her lovely son, who is such a credit to her. He's the most well behaved two and a half year old I've ever met. She always puts everyone before herself, and fights for what she believes in. She always has a smile on her face and a positive outlook; I don't know how she does it, but I'm always so proud of her.

I draw inspiration from other close friends, family, body positivity and style bloggers, and celebrities, too, but my best friend is my biggest source of inspiration.

8. What makes you laugh?

My friends, especially when they send me silly messages.

My best friend's little boy and his quick wit. Honestly, he says the funniest things so innocently.

TV: The Big Bang Theory, Two Broke Girls, old episodes of Friends, The Vicar of Dibley, Family Guy, American Dad...

9. What makes you cry?

I cry at everything these days. TV shows, films, musicals, adverts, magazine articles, text messages... If somebody is going through a bad situation, injury, or illness on a documentary or TV show, I'll end up blubbering like a baby.

My back pain and the frustration of not being able to live a normal life anymore, or do simple things like go to the supermarket without a near collapse also makes me cry sometimes. I try to remain laid-back about it, but sometimes I have my weak moments when it all gets too much.

10. Who inspires you in your blog?

I'm most inspired by other bloggers and their blogs. There are so many amazing women out there who wear what they want with confidence, and who aren't afraid to be themselves regardless of their shape or size. In a world where society tells us only slim people are desirable, it's inspiring to see so many ladies sticking a middle finger up to the begrudgers and loving who they are and how they look in fashionable clothes at any size. I love to read fashion/personal style/body positivity/beauty blogs by ladies of all shapes and sizes every day, and it doesn't matter if they're a size 0 or a size 30, I draw inspiration from them all. Reading these blogs has definitely increased my confidence, changed my perspective on my own body, and inspired me to be proud of who I am, and I try to reflect that in my blog and posts.

11. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I'm dying to go back to New York. There's no place like it in the world. I'd shop, sight-see, and explore to my heart's content and go back to Serendipity 3's for their amazing peanut butter frrrozen hot chocolate before taking a tour of the skyline in the dark.

I've also always wanted to visit Australia, and Italy.