I am so thrilled and honored that one of my blogger peers, Lori from “Serendipity On Purpose,” has nominated me for the Sunshine Blogger Award. The award is given from bloggers to fellow bloggers who bring positivity and creative content to the blogging community and to their readers. I truly appreciate the nomination, Lori, thank you!
Let me tell you a little about Lori and her blog.
Lori is married to an amazing husband (Lori’s words), a mother of 8 children, with 23 grandchildren; family means the world to her. To her, having a large family means building family memories with them all, and she makes many memorable times with them by doing some of her favorite things, such as traveling to her favorite places: the beach, Disneyland, San Francisco: she loves cruising! I enjoy reading about the family trips she plans and takes; I am sure you will too!
Now here is a little bit about Me!
As part of the award, the nominees are given 11 questions to answer. Here are the questions that Lori asked me. It is interesting to read the answers that the bloggers give.
What is your favorite holiday, and why?
I love Christmas the most because that is when our family near and far usually get together.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be the editor of Vogue Magazine.
Why did you want to be the answer to #2, and did you achieve that goal?
I just loved fashion, and I thought it would be so cool to live in NYC and have to travel for Fashion Week to Paris and Milan (think ‘The Devil Wears Prada’). I didn’t become the editor of Vogue, but I did end up going to College for Fashion and working in the industry for years. Once on a fashion trip for college, I got the chance to go to some of the big fashion houses in Milan and Paris; and I also had my chance to live in NYC for many years, working directly with Evelyn Lauder at Estee Lauder headquarters in NYC (Estee Lauder’s daughter in law) and Mrs. Jacob Javitis. I also worked for a modeling agency where I was the director of the runway and the Men’s Division (oh back when I was single that was so..o..o hard!). I put on several fashion shows for some prominent designers, back in the day. My last job in the fashion world was as a stylist for a local magazine a few years ago.
How is your life easier now than when you were younger?
It’s easier now because I am more mature, and I know what I want out of life.
How is your life harder now than when you were younger?
My siblings and I have each other, but our parents have been gone for years. I have wished many times that they were here to share the joys in my life and for them to be here so that I could ask their advice; they were great parents, and we are very fortunate to have had them as our parents.
Why did you start blogging?
I started another blog years ago because I didn’t understand my children’s language, I began having children in my late 30’s, so when I heard my son say, “My bad” I thought, what are they teaching my son at school! I learned that is how their generation says, “I’m sorry.” I figured I wasn’t the only one not understanding their language, so I started to blog about it. It’s still out there, but now I blog about our family travels and the food we love eating on trips and at home.
Describe one person who has influenced you in your life.
I would say, my mother. She and my dad raised four children. My dad was working outside the home, but she was the one who kept things running. Our home was always immaculately clean, every meal was on the table, she drove us everywhere, and she managed everything in the household. She called herself a ‘Domestic Engineer’, and she was. Now I know this first hand… it takes a lot to have a home filled with love and be able to create lots of memories.
What is one thing that makes you happy?
I love spending time with my husband and both my children, especially when we are traveling together, making great memories; but I equally enjoy it when we are just sitting around talking with each other.
What words of advice can you give?
I would say live by love and grace, meaning you may not always agree with others, but extend understanding. We can have different opinions, but we don’t all have to agree with one another; we can agree to disagree yet still extend love to each other.
I really believe this world needs to live by a motto that is one of my favorite songs by Burt F. Bacharach: What the World Needs Now
Here is the chorus of that song:
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No not just for some but for everyone.
What is your dream vacation, and why?
I would love to go to Italy again. This time I would like to return with my entire family. When I say my entire family, I mean my family of four, my siblings, their spouses, and their children. I want to go to Palermo, Sicily because we have family there that we have never met, and they have a restaurant right on the Mediterranean. My mom and her family lived there for a couple of years over 90 years ago.
My nominees for the Sunshine Blogger Award
Tricia, author of Born to Be Boomers
Lisa, author of Food Family and Chaos
Emma, author of Girl Eats Charleston
Shannon, author of BRB Going to Disney
Shelby, author of Pretty in the Pines
Chris, author of Top Disney Blog
Rebekah, author of Beck Eats World
Katie, author of Sweet Purple Tulips
Jennifer, author of Love Dwells Here
Katelyn and Tony, authors of Best of the Bull
Trish and Anna, authors of Habibi House
Questions for my nominees:
- When you were a child, where did you go to for your first family vacation?
- What was the most adventurous vacation you have ever been on and why?
- When you are on vacation, do you visit family and friends if they are in the area?
- What is your favorite food?
- Where is the place that you had your BEST favorite food served? A restaurant or at someone’s house? If at a restaurant, name the restaurant and where is it located?
- What is your favorite dessert? Where did you have the best ever of your favorite dessert? A restaurant or at someone’s house? What is the name of the establishment and where it is located?
- If you were to go on a cruise, with whom would you want to go and to where?
- What do you love most about blogging?
- What is one of the bravest things you have ever done in your career?
- If there is one thing you would want people to remember about you, what would that be?
- If you could live anywhere in the world where would that be and why?
Sunshine Blogger Award Guidelines
- Thank the blogger who nominated you in your blog post and link back to his/her blog.
- Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you.
- Nominate 11 new bloggers to receive the award and ask them 11 questions.
- List these rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and on your blog.
I am looking forward to reading all your answers to your questions.
