I'm blushing over here.

Popping in for a Saturday post to express my gratitude to Robin & Ashley for choosing to honor me!

I'm so thrilled and surprised!  I adore this little award because it shines on us "smaller" blogs that have still made a footprint in the blogosphere.  The low-down on the Liebster goes like this:

• Choose five up and coming blogs to give the Liebster award to.  Blogs must have less than 200 followers. 
• Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
• Post the award on your blog. 
• Don't leave your recipients in the dark! List the bloggers you gave the award to with links to their sites.  Leave a comment on their blogs to let them know. 
• Share 5 random facts about yourself!

Thanks again to 333 Miles, with love... for thinking of me!  I'm still so tiny over here at Skinny Jeans that I don't even have a button (don't worry...I'm working on it!)!

Time for me to share my blog love!

[Kimberly at Wanderlustee]

[Christin at With a C.H.]

[Kristin at Mrs. Miller's Miles]

[Claire at Beaktweets]

[Anna at Life is Sweet*]

Now you need to know 5 completely uninteresting randoms:

1. I'm obsessed with Law & Order.  I have it on in the background as I type.
2. Even though I have two cats + two dogs, I'm unofficially allergic.  My eyes get all itchy and my nose stuffy when I get too much pet hair near my face.
3. I'm also unofficially diagnosed with asthma.  It's a real bitch for working out.  I have to use an inhaler before every physical activity.  This gets really annoying when keeping up with an inhaler and annoying financially (those things are expensive!).  Also, I think the asthma is allergy-related.
4. I might drink a lot of good (ie. quality and craft) beers, but I'm not opposed to a light, "crappy" beer when I am sitting at home alone.
5. I've been to Asia...Cambodia specifically.  I was a junior in high school when my family travelled there to adopt one of my sisters.  It was truly a life changing experience.  It sparked my love for children and social work.

And there ya go!  Now go give some shout outs to those "baby" blogs.  I swear I'm always 10x more likely to follow a blog that has a little blog following because I want to support them!

I gave myself ulcers and won an award.

That came out wrong.  I didn't get an award for getting ulcers.  And I don't even really know if I got ulcers, but it certainly felt like it.  My stomach has been in knots for the entire week after an interview at an elementary school.  I've been talking since at least the beginning of 2011 about how I want to teach in an elementary school setting, not middle school.  I always felt that's where my heart was.  Anyhow, fast forward through two "failed" interviews to last Tuesday.  Basically my options were narrowed down between (um, this was the only interview scored since my last in April...I'm telling you it is HARD to score a teaching position these days) a new, challenging position at my middle school and the possibility of another challenging position at an elementary school.  Due to some changes at the middle school, I was weary combined with my desire for an elementary setting.  Between all of my anxiety, I accepted that whatever happened was meant to be.  Well, I found out today that I was offered the elementary position!  I'll bore you with more on that later, but I'm very excited!  It will be challenging, but it is also a great opportunity for me to have leadership and really shine.  I will be losing some of my summer because (and missing out on a group trip to NY, which I'm pretty bummed about) the school is on a different type of schedule, but I am THRILLED!

In actual award news, Amy, over at Juice Boxes and Crayolas, awarded me with this:

Thanks Amy!  Amy is a fellow runner and teacher!  I am constantly pinning her teaching posts and running posts as motivation and for tips.  Anyhow, without further ado (and probably many good pics since I am using D's computer):

Favorite Cartoon Character

Um, I seriously have to think about this one.  I am going to have to say...

Stewie Griffin; 

 Family Guy is about the only cartoon I watch and I haven't thought twice about Disney movies in quite a few years.  Although I totally want to race at Disney!

Favorite Thing to Photograph

 My favorite thing to photograph is definitely places we travel to.  My favorite, happiest memories are of traveling, and I love reliving those through pictures.  I'd probably say I have the most pictures of my pets though.

Favorite Thing to Cook

One dish wonders.

 D and I always joke about what my side is going to be because I usually don't have one.  I like to just throw everything in a bowl, dish, Crockpot, etc., and let it cook.  I'm not much of a multi-tasker in the kitchen.  I like my meals easy.

Favorite Exercise

 Gentle Yoga

While I do enjoy running and the way it makes me feel, it can still be a challenge to actually start doing it sometimes.  I love gentle yoga because it is so relaxing while it is an exercise.  Yogis out there would probably shun me for saying this, but it's the ultimate "lazy" exercise.  I hope to one day say running is my favorite...it's my #2!

Favorite Movie

I really have to think on this one too.  I have more favorite shows than movies.  I used to love Grease!  Now, I think I'd have to say...

Anchorman

"I'm Ron Burgundy?"  It never fails to make me laugh.

Favorite Article of Clothing

It's hard to think of just one thing...

Simple V-neck tee

They are comfy for every occasion.  I'm a simple girl, really.

Favorite Flower

Tulips, hands down.

Favorite Breakfast

I honestly love anything that D cooks for breakfast.  I'm not a huge pancake or french toast fan except for when he makes it.  When we go out, I typically order something with eggs over easy or poached...yum!

Favorite Book I've Read Recently

I didn't read The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath super recently, but it's one that stands out to me. I really fell in love with this book.

Favorite Place to Be

 Duh, the beach.  Any beach...near, far, anywhere.  It is my ultimate relaxing place.  Those photos are from Aruba, where we eloped/honeymooned.

And One of my Choice: Favorite Drink

 Terrapin Wake-N-Bake Stout or a margarita!  Cheers :)

And I'm tagging...(only two because I'm lazy and this took a while):

Joanna at Drizzle of Sunshine

AND

Tyly at One Mile at a Time

Sorry if either of you has been tagged already! And all pictures are my own or courtesy of Google images.

It is such an honor to be up here accepting this award...

Annelise from Box of Crayons presented me with my first blogger award!  I'm so honored :)  I mean seriously.  I feel like I'm now officially a BIG DEAL.

Since I've never officially accepted an award before, I hope I get my speech right.  I believe I am supposed to impress you with seven random things about me.  I must say this is quite difficult as I feel I am pretty open about myself and what goes on with me and my life.  Hmm...here goes nothing?

1. I've told you about my love for tattoos but not that I have any.  Well I do currently have two.  A cluster of three stars drawn by myself on my foot (not so original) that I got my sophomore year in college.  It actually represents a very transitional year for me.  My other tattoo is on the back of my neck and is a peace dove sketch by Picasso.  I adore the sketch and meaning behind peace doves but that represents my time in Athens and as a social worker.
2. I'm not the best driver.  I actually hate to say/type that out loud.
3. The previous being said, I have been through five cars now (on my sixth) and I have only wrecked two of those.  The wrecks have also only happened within the past 3 years.
4. I am about to pay off my last credit card.  I made some bad mistakes with credit cards in college and don't plan to get another one unless it is for family emergencies.
5. Even though I still feel like I know very little about teaching, I feel like I am exactly where I am supposed to be.  I hope I stay a teacher forever.  (ps. I love the flexibility you have as a teacher to experiment with different ages, subjects, etc...I hope that keeps me in the field).
6. D and I actually went to the same small, rural high school together but never spoke to one another until college.  
7. Of all my talk and love of craft beer, my favorite beer, when I "met" D 5 years ago, was Rolling Rock.  We still get a laugh out of this.  I also use it as testimony that anyone can become a quality beer lover...I went from Rolling Rock to stouts :)

Now I get the honors of passing on the award to three wonderful bloggesses!  I have been finding soooooo many wonderful blogs lately that it is so hard to pick...here's my best shot!

• Kaleena at Just Add Kaleena - somehow she always makes me laugh with her posts!  And I can relate to something in every single post
• Mayra at life is BANANAS. - I know she has received this award already (is that blogger faux pas??) but I can not get enough of her posts.  Love love love this blog!
• Carrie at this free bird - I love her pictures, her fashion, and her stories, (her comments on my blog ;))

Seriously...I would love to be friends with all these ladies in "real life" (at least I hope I would).  Thank you blogging world for making me laugh, giving me fashion tips, reminding me that I'm not alone, showing me beautiful art and photography, and giving me virtual "friends."  And so completes my "First and foremost I need to thank God" award speech (because we all know I would never thank god)! 

Thanks again to Annelise and my growing blog supporters!