11 Facts + Questions

Hello! Did you all have a great Easter weekend? What's new in your life? I headed back to my hometown this weekend. Friday I had a fun night catching up with friends from high school over drinks. Even though we are only a couple hours away we still don't see each other as much as I'd like! Saturday was a work day where I caught up on lots of e-mail and things on my to-do list, but I also got to play with my niece so I still had some fun. She is the sweetest thing and loves to "talk" at three months! On Sunday we had a nice family dinner and then I headed back to school for a busy week ahead. When I'm not at my own place I kind of forget about social media, so I've been MIA lately on Twitter on Instagram. I'm really trying to get better at that and posting more regularly.

This weekend I was asked to participate in the Liebster Award by Emily of The Small Stuff Counts. To be honest, I had never heard of the Liebster Award before. I started reading Emily's post about it and discovered it's a way for bloggers to recognize other up and coming blogs. How cool is that? That is one thing I love about the blogging community so much. Even though we have never met, bloggers are so supportive of each other and I love these little things that help connect you to even more fabulous bloggers and readers. That's what blogging is all about! Thank you so much Emily for thinking of Hammer & Heels and nominating me! What a fun surprise :)  If you're wondering about the name, Liebster is a German term of endearment which couldn't be more fitting since I am German myself.

So here's how the Liebster Awared works: share 11 facts about yourself. Answer 11 questions from the blogger that nominated you. Then nominate other bloggers for the Liebster Award.

11 Questions:

Do you collect anything?

Technically, no. But if we're talking home decor and little trays and dishes and things…that's another story.

If you had a Saturday all alone with nothing you needed to do, how would you spend your time?

That would be a dream! I would probably go shopping, grab lunch at a cute cafe, go thrifting, and catch up on my Bloglovin' feed!

What is your pet peeve?

It's funny because I was just talking about it this weekend. One of my pet peeves is when people upload the worst photos to social media. When I say worst, I mean: blurry, dark, uninteresting, with zero effort. I don't claim to take the best photos and I'm definitely not an expert (in fact, I'm working on improving) but if you can hardly see what the picture is of, why upload it? 

What is your favorite season of the year?

Just recently I had a change in heart and decided fall was my favorite season. For the longest time it was summer, but now that we're recovering from a rough winter, spring isn't looking too shabby either.

If you could travel anywhere in the world and money was no object, where would you go? Why?

Greece! I have always had a fascination with the country and its blue waters and white buildings (probably after watching Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants as a kid) and am dying to go ever since. It looks absolutely beautiful, and it would be so fun to experience the culture.

What is one thing on your bucket list?

Honestly, I don't have an official bucket list besides the things I think about in my head. Maybe I should make one. Going to Greece would definitely be on it though!

What is something you fear?

Hmm…the unknown. It really makes planning difficult :)

What is your favorite small business near you?

Raygun in Des Moines carries t-shirts, koozies, and other random things with the funniest sayings related to states in the Midwest. They are so creative and have the coolest shop. That's where I got my "I'm not a player, I just blog a lot" t-shirt!

What did you want to be when you grew up? Did you meet your expectations?

This is so funny to think about now! I went in phases. I used to want to be a cosmetologist and do hair when I was in elementary, then I wanted to be an athletic trainer, then I wanted to be in sports marketing and wear suits every day so I looked important. I'm still in marketing, but I have a much more entrepreneurial spirit and I'd love to start my own small business someday. Fun fact: I never changed my major in college! I chose marketing and thankfully I love it.

What inspired you to start your blog?

I was away from my friends in a new city at an internship I didn't like. I was tired of coming home from  my internship with nothing to do, so I started reading online. I wish I could remember the very first blog post I read, but it sort of just lead me to a new blog, and then another, and suddenly I was obsessed with the blogging world because everyone had a different story, but they were so inspiring. I quickly found that almost every blogger started their blog as a creative outlet, which was exactly the thing I needed. I related with bloggers so well and I admired the whole community they built. I have always been obsessed with home decor and projects, so I used my blog as a way to organize all of my thoughts and share my ideas. It is one of the best things I ever did, and I never dreamed of saying that the very first day I started it.

What’s one piece of advice you have for something thinking about starting their own blog?

Just do it! What's the worst thing that can happen? I remember contemplating starting my blog for weeks, and I thought I needed to nail down every little detail before I started my blog. Remember, nothing is irreversible. If you hate your blog name or design, you can always change it later. I promise, the most important thing is just starting. After that, all of the other decisions will come with time as you begin to find your niche, so don't stress about it too much in the beginning.

11 Random Facts:

1. I'm the youngest of 5 kids, with 10 years between me and my oldest sister.
2. Growing up on a farm meant the closest Target was an hour away.
3. I played volleyball, basketball, track, and softball in high school.
4. I graduated with a class of 42 people. There are 1,000 people in my hometown.
5. I am a night owl and would rather stay up late than get up early.
6. American Idol is one of my favorite TV shows right now. I haven't watched the other seasons in forever, but I'm really into this season for some reason. Jena is my favorite :)
7. Coming up with 11 facts is super hard. I'm already stuck and I'm only at number 7.
8. I don't have one favorite music artist. I usually listen to what's on the radio, but some favorites include Rihanna, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan.
9. Out of Paris, Madrid, and Barcelona, Barcelona was my favorite city because of the beach and relaxed feel.
10. I would rather choose ice cream over a meal.
11. I have visited about half of the United States and I want to visit all 50.

Now, the fun part of this award is to spread the love to others. I’m nominating these bloggers for the Liebster Award: 

Tiffany Leigh Interior Design - She's also a student and finds the best thrift items. Tiffany is so talented in interior design plus she has amazing drawing skills!

The Makerista - I met Gwen at Go Blog Social without following her blog before. She was nice and then when I checked out her blog discovered she is a DIY genius with the cutest kids ever. Her photography skills are amazing.

Clothed in Confetti - I recently started following Jenna and now I'm obsessed with her style! She is so creative in her outfits.

Charmingly Styled - A fellow Midwest blogger, Maya is the absolute sweetest girl you'll ever meet! 

Amanda Marie - I heard her speak at Go Blog Social and she shared some of the most helpful photography tips. You NEED to check out her Instagram. I check her feed daily for inspiration :)

Ladies, now that you’re a Liebster Award winner, it's your turn to answer 11 questions and give 11 facts and spread the love to other bloggers! Please answer these 11 questions, include 11 random facts, and then nominate 5-11 small bloggers. Since Emily did such a good job with questions, I'm using hers :) 

Do you collect anything?
If you had a Saturday all alone with nothing you needed to do, how would you spend your time?
What is your pet peeve?
What is your favorite season of the year?
If you could travel anywhere in the world and money was no object, where would you go? Why?
What is one thing on your bucket list?
What is something you fear?
What is your favorite small business near you?
What did you want to be when you grew up? Did you meet your expectations?
What inspired you to start your blog?
What’s one piece of advice you have for something thinking about starting their own blog?

There are so many other bloggers I could have included but I've already spent wayyyy too much time writing this post! Can't wait to hear all of your answers and I hope you enjoyed learning a little bit more about me!