Another award for AbsolutelyLucy and I’m absolutely thrilled!

The Liebster Award

Thanks to the beautiful Meli and Becca for this nomination – check out Chick Chat here. My third award, and the last was just a few weeks ago so I am over the moon! Check out my answers and nominations for the award below.

The Liebster Award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. So, what is a Liebster?  The meaning: Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome. Isn’t that sweet? Blogging is about building a community and it’s a great way to connect with other bloggers and help spread the word about newer bloggers/blogs.

If you haven’t heard of this before, here are the rules:
– You must link back to the person who nominated you.
– You must answer the 11 questions given by the person who nominated you.
– You pick 5-11 nominees with under 200 followers to answer your questions.
– You cannot nominate the person who nominated you.
– You must tell the nominees that they have been nominated by you.

Questions:

1. Why did you start blogging?

I first started blogging as Absolutely Lucy just a few months ago – I already work as a journalist for a newspaper and an editor of a festival news website, but I wanted to create a space that was all mine creatively. I wanted to write on topics I felt passionately about and to have a little piece of the world that was all of my own. I felt that blogging would give me complete freedom to write what I really wanted to instead of conforming to journalistic styles and writing someone else’ words all the time.

2. Any advice for other bloggers?

My advice to other bloggers, as a relative newbie, would be to keep doing what you love. Remember at all times, no matter how many views or how much notoriety your writing gets, to keep your feet on the ground and your head out of the clouds. Never forget what and why you started writing, once you lose that, you lose your readers. Also, never be afraid of writer’s block – it happens to us all and when it does, put down the laptop, get out and live, get some inspiration, don’t just give in to it!

3. All time favourite movie?

I’m going to be really boring and say I don’t have just one favourite movie – I love so many different types of film that I simply couldn’t choose just one. I love the classics like Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Pretty Woman and Notting Hill – anything with Marilyn Monroe is a winner. But I also love comedies – anything with Will Ferrell (especially Blades of Glory and Stepbrothers) has me hooked. I love anything with Natalie Portman, Naomi Watts or Rachel McAdams, or equally, Ryan Gosling, Robert Downey Jnr or Christian Bale – all gorgeous and incredibly talented. The most recent film I have seen that I loved was The Great Gatsby and I really need to see Wolf of Wall Street before it disappears – Leo is such a great actor. I could talk all day about films that I love (and this may be another blog post in itself) but my one steadfast is loving any Disney movies – especially the ones with princesses, and my recent love of unknown indie movies – I can’t resist a coming of age tale!

4. If you could only have one bit of make up what would it be?

I’m so picky about make-up because I find it so hard to find colours that match my skin tone when it comes to foundation etc but the one thing I really could not live without has go to be my Benefit They’re Real mascara – I’ve just never found another mascara that compares.

5. What is your favourite item of clothing that you own?

I think the best item of clothing I have ever bought has got to be my Asos leather jacket – it was expensive but worth every penny because I have never worn anything as much as this. It goes with everything and I can wear it in all weathers – I just love it. Even though I have had it a while, as soon as I put it one it just makes me feel fabulous and always completes an outfit.

6. Where do you see yourself in ten years time?

I have absolutely no idea – and that is really bloody exciting! I have recently decided I’m upping sticks next year and going travelling with hopes of working abroad for some time. This has totally changed my life plan and means leaving behind my boyfriend of eight years. Up to this point, if you asked me this I might have said in 10 years we will be settling down, have our own place in a city, perhaps a child or wedding on the way and that I would be working for a marketing/pr company or writing freelance – or even blogging full time (that’s the dream!). But now my change of plans means I don’t know what will happen between us, I may end up staying abroad and working there, I may return and move to London, I may change my career entirely. I may go away and meet someone else and settle down with them. Who knows? But I really like how up in the air things are at the moment – utter freedom!

7. If you could recommend one place that everyone should visit, where would it be?

Oh god there are so many places I don’t know how to choose! I would definitely recommend Mauritius as my father’s home country – it is truly beautiful and a tropical paradise. Words simply cannot do it justice. But for those who cannot afford it, I would also recommend London – there is so much more to London one you get off the tourist trail and it really is a beautiful city. I’m just not so keen on all the rubbish attractions, I’d rather walk around and discover crazy little neighbourhoods instead.

8. Top 3 qualities you look for in a person?

Always – honesty, sense of humour and thoughtfulness – I love genuine people who really make an effort to be friends rather than just expecting things from you all the time, and they have to have plenty of intelligent banter.

9. What is your ideal night in?

My perfect night in is sometimes spent blogging and writing in front of the TV, watching Downton Abbey and eating chocolate with scented candles. Other times it is eating a massive Chinese, drinking wine and gossiping over episodes of Mistresses and Sex & The City with my best friends. Other nights it is cooking an amazing meal with my boyfriend and watching coming of age movies while snuggled up in bed. It chops and changes every day, but each is an amazing way to spend an evening.

10. Your favourite free thing to do?

Hmm well as a reviewer and writer I often get lots of free tickets to shows and gigs which is great – I love to share these with my family and friends and I would say my favourite free thing would be just spending this quality time with my loved ones and friends. I love just those days where you don’t really do anything but just have lots of fun with your parents, your boyfriend or your mates. Days spent sunbathing with friends, hanging out with my tortoise or just going for a run are the ones that stick in my mind.

11. Who do you find the most inspiring/successful person in the public eye and why?

I’ll be honest, I don’t tend to keep up with celebrities and I don’t tend to look at those in the public eye as someone to aspire to be – mainly because I prefer to look at those around me as inspirational – real people, not just people who have been thrust into the limelight because of their looks or reality TV. I don’t know if I can include them, but the people I write about in the newspaper I work for (I suppose they are then in the public eye) are the ones who inspire me. Real people who suffer real hardships and make real differences as a result – the ones who have lost their daughters, mothers, brother and grandfathers but who have set up charities and done amazing works despite this. I interviewed one guy earlier who despite breaking his hip and suffering extreme back injuries continues to cycle and walk for charity and has raised more than £85,000 for Macmillan in less than 15 years in memory of his parents. That’s real inspiration right there.

Nominees:

Sarah Hardman Travels

Emma Victoria Stokes

The London Scrapbook

Tales of a Travelling Photographer

Yes I Have A Blog

And my questions for you guys:

1. What has been your favourite blog post to write and why?
2. If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go?
3. What’s your day job and how does it link with or fit around blogging?
4. Which blog really inspired you to take up blogging?
5. What was your happiest memory from the past year and who were you with?
6. Are you planning any trips? Where are you heading to next?
7. What is the worst and best thing about where you live?
8. Favourite book and why?
9. How would your dream man/woman sweep you off your feet?
10. What was the best thing about the nineties?
11. What was your most embarrassing moment?

Enjoy!!