The Sunshine Blogger Award & the Liebster Award

Hey everyone! I'm here with two tags that I borrowed from a friend... and I also borrowed her idea of having a sibling answer the questions about me! I had my two oldest sisters do it, and... they sometimes know me better than I know myself. ;) 

Rules: 

• Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link back to their blog so others can find them.
• List the rules and display an award logo on your blog post.
• Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you.
• Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and notify them by commenting on any of their posts.
• Ask the nominees 11 new questions.

Kassie posted the tag and didn’t tag anyone, so I nominated myself. xP I am using the questions that she was given.

• Do you have any food allergies?

Ummm... cocoa upsets my stomach, so like brownies don’t sit too well with me (I eat them anyways xP). 

Lissa: No. 

Becca: No. 

• When was the last time you had a bowl of cereal?

Uhhhh.... I don’t know?? I think I had some this week... 

Lissa: You don’t like eating cereal, so probably when you were a kid. I haven’t seen you eating cereal and milk for a long time.

Becca: *rolls eyes* I don’t know. A week ago? 

Lissa: She never eats cereal. 

Becca: Yeah, but she eats dry cereal. So yeah, yesterday morning. Or the day before that? [This was written on Saturday, July 19th.]

• What is your favorite cereal?

Harvest Crunch because I can mix it with yogurt. Frosted Flakes when I haven’t yogurt. I don’t drink milk so I eat my cereal dry. 

Lissa: Harvest Crunch.

Becca: Umm... the religious cereal. Quaker. [Harvest Crunch.] 

• What is your favorite flavor of chips?

Cheddar!! I love cheese. I also like the original flavour though.

Lissa: Cheese, probably? 

Becca: Oh, I don’t know. Salt & vinegar? [I hate salt & vinegar so I have no idea where she got that answer!]

• What is your favorite meal containing pasta?

I love pasta sooo much! It would either be Cheesy Pasta Soup (aka a twist on Lasagna Soup) without onions, or pasta with cheese melted on top. I love pasta with just tomato sauce though. And I absolutely LOVE spaghetti!!! 

Lissa: Just pasta and cheese, I guess. 

Becca: Pasta & cheese. 

• Do you enjoy cooking? If so, why?

I don’t mind cooking most of the time. I don’t like trying new recipes because I generally absent-mindedly do something wrong or forget something or... things like that. 

Lissa: Nah. 

Becca: [Because] you get to eat after? I don’t know. 

• Do you prefer fast food or sit down restaurants?

Sit-down restaurants take so long, but they taste better. But I don’t mind fast-food, except McDonald’s sometimes gives me a stomachache. 

Lissa: Sit-down restaurants? 

Becca: Sit-down. 

• What is your least favorite fruit?

The first that comes to mind is bananas... but it would be easier to ask what are my favourite fruits. I had some fruits I love and then the rest I don’t like at all. Same with vegetables. 

Lissa: Fruit? We don’t eat all the fruits anyway. *shakes head & contemplates* Umm... banana?

Becca: Mangoes? [I don't like mangoes either!]

• Have you ever had food poisoning?

I... don’t think so... 

Lissa: Nnnno. 

Becca: Um, I think once. [She might be right. Not sure if it was food poisoning though.]

• What is your favorite month of the year?

Probably late August/early September? I love when it’s warm but not hot and the trees are so golden and green. 

Lissa: I have no idea. 

Becca: *laughs* January? [It's my birthday month.]

• Have you ever seen the US White House in person?

Nope. xP I doubt I ever will too... I expect the Canadian version of this would be "Have you ever seen the Parliament Buildings?" Which NO I NEVER HAVE, but I want to so bad!!

Lissa: *snickers* No. 

Becca: *rolls eyes* Why would you have seen the US White House in person? [We've never been even close to it, I don't think.]

I’m gonna skip the nominees because I don’t have enough followers for that. But if you want to do it, PLEASE DO! In the comments, even! :) 

Annnnnd the next tag is....

Rules: 

• Acknowledge the blogger that gave it to you and display the award. 
• Answer 11 questions that the blogger gave you.
• Give 11 random thoughts about yourself.

No one gave me this award... I just stole the tag from Kassie... xP Again, I am using the questions that she was given.

• Are you an evil author? Do you make your characters suffer?

Yes. And it totally doesn’t bother me. Which is weird because generally I hate having people hurt!! 

Lissa: Not purposely? *snickers* 

Becca: Yes. 

• What is the worst piece of advice you’ve ever received?

*thinks for a moment* *suddenly remembers and does a facepalm* There was this one time we had a celebration at church and there were bottles of soda. Keep in mind our family never gets a bottle of soda (like maybe once a year). Anyways, my little brother wanted soda and I picked up a bottle to give him some. He told me to shake it, and I—I was thinking of something else, and I did it. Someone exclaimed, “Oh, no, don’t do that!” It was too late by then. I can’t remember if I opened the bottle or not, but I was mortified. xP

Lissa: You probably said some piece of advice I gave you. ‘Cause you always take it the wrong way. [I almost did say that, lol!]

Becca: I don’t know. 

• If you had to choose between having hair for nails and nails for hair, which would it be?

Umm... neither?! Like what??? I guess hair for nails because I like my hair and I have no nails anyways... so I could just keep my finger-hair trimmed xP.

Lissa: You’d look hideous either way. Umm... nails for hair would look kind of cool. It’s look like you’ve got armour hair. You’d probably... I guess hair for nails. 

Becca: Hair for nails.

• Do you like to write with something to eat or drink? If ya do, what would that be?

No, it’s distracting. :) But I love to snack while reading! 

Lissa: Um... no. 

Becca: Yes... I don’t know [what].

• Do you ever tire of life and want to simply lie in bed all day?

NO! It would be far too lonely! I got enough of that when I’m sick. 

Lissa: *to the world in general* If you do you’re pretty dumb.... *to me* It won’t happen unless you’re sick. 

Becca. Yes. *says something about recharging* 

• What is your earliest memory? (yes, I’m making you…)

I think it was when my father baptized someone and forgot to take his keys out of his pocket so the automatic unlocked keypad thingamajig didn’t work anymore and we were locked out of our car... I was 5 or younger. 

Lissa: Ooo, hard. I have no idea. 

Becca: You getting stitches? [She’s right. I was less than 5 then. Traumatic memory, but what bugs me most is the lie one of the nurses told me!]

• Pumpkin pie or apple pie?

Apple!! I love apple pie sooo much. Swedish apple pie and traditional North American apple pie. I love pie!! I love apples too. And I don’t like pumpkin so I don't like pumpkin pie. It's a waste of pie crust. (Which I love). 

Lissa: Apple pie. 

Becca: Apple pie.

• Why is it that all the characters of other author’s books I’ve met always tell of how their authors make them go through terrible life situations? 

Because life does have terrible situations but God can always turn them to good, and we like to remind people of that. Besides, your stories are just like that and we can’t change it. Sorry. 

Lissa: Because they like to emphasize. It’s a matter of pride for authors how much they make characters suffer and then make the characters much better after. 

Becca: Because they think it teaches them. 

• If you could say anything for the whole world to hear for one minute, what would it be?

I have several things I’d say. But I think this is the top thing: There’s so, so many things to worry about and be afraid of. But God doesn’t want us to have a spirit of fear. He delivered us from the biggest worry and fear by sending Jesus to save us. And He can help us in our everyday life, giving us peace and joy and letting us cast our cares on Him. Don’t let the fear cripple you, Step out in faith. It’s worth it, I promise. 

Lissa: Oh, my, I don’t know what you would say. Um... let’s see... oh, you’d probably... *she’s unpacking while doing this so she’s distracted* I have no idea what you’d talk about for the whole world to hear. If you were talking to just a bunch of authors you’d probably talk about your favourite book. I don’t know if you’d tell that to the whole world. You might, actually. 

Becca: I don’t know! I don’t know what you’d say. It depends what the situation was and where you were. 

• Plants, games, or paint?

I don’t like gardening. I dislike painting because I can never paint what I see in my head. So games. :)  I like playing board games and card games quite a bit. 

Lissa: Games, ‘cause you don’t like your paintings. 

Becca: Games. 

• What is the first story you’ve ever written?

My early stories were mostly plagiarisms. xP My first all-mine story was probably the one I wrote from this story prompt (scroll to bottom), set during the Sir William Wallace’s time.

Lissa: Oh my word, I don’t know. About some prince and princess stuck in a castle or something? Or a Pollyanna-type story. 

Becca: One of Gwendoline Mary. [She’s actually right—my first real story was about a girl named Mary (no Gwendoline involved—similar names caused confusion). I never finished it but it wasn’t that bad. xP]

And now for the....

11 Random Facts: 

1. I love the water but I am terrified if I cannot feel the bottom. 
2. I love hanging clothes up on the clothesline (unless I'm like too hot or busy doing something else, haha!) I have very particular mehods--lots of pattern making. ;)
3. I twisted my knee when I was 12 while I was running and I just lay down and cried and moaned. Afterwards I felt so ashamed because a friend sprained his hand and didn't make a duss. 
4. I love to watch babies and toddlers but I never want to babysit them (unless the toddler is a sibling) because they can't explain themselves to me and I hate that. 
5. I adore calligraphy. 
6. I have burned myself badly in the kitchen at least 3 times. (I'm sure there were more). I also burned myelf less severely and cut myself often. All in the kitchen. 
7. I have seldom seen fireworks but I love watching them so much!
8. I both love and hate reading translations of books (English-French and French-English) because I remember each little phrase and notice how its different. It's both cool and annoying. xD  
9. I love to listen to Swedish. Like, people talking Swedish. (I'm also learning it (a little...).)
10. I collect names. Girl names, boy names, full names, last names, pet names, ship names...
11. I am allergic to dust. (Not fun). 

Lissa: 

1. She never likes doing her hair fancy.
2. She never makes her bed unless she really has to.
3. If you met her, you would think that she isn’t very girly...
4. ...But she loves pretty things.
5. She hates having things messing up her bed. Such as teddy bears. They’re unceremoniously kicked off.
6. It’s very easy to get her to fangirl about something.
7. She’s allergic to painting her fingernails. [I’m allergic to the paint]
8. She probably spends a quarter of her day reading something. 
9. She loves poetry. 
10. She has a great fear of getting lost.
11. And a great fear of many other things. 

Becca: 

1. You have glasses.
2. You broke a wall. [She’s right... unfortunately.]
3. You’re scared of losing people.
4. You’re scared of big dogs.
5. You have a lot of friends. 
6. You’re good at knowing big words.
7. You sometimes brush your teeth at lunch. [Gab: She does that often. Me: what??] 
8. You keep on breaking your earphones. 
9. You never do anything to your hair.
10. You tend to over-exaggerate. 
11. You always prefer good people to bad people. [Me: Doesn’t everyone??] 

I’m gonna skip the nominees again because I don’t have enough followers for that. But if you want to do it, PLEASE DO! In the comments, even! :) 

~ / / ~

I hope you enjoyed this... xD

My Mission with Little Blossoms for Jesus

I'm a reader. I've been a book lover all my life. I carried my favourite books under my arm when, as an 18-month-old, I went to see my newborn sister in the hospital (for your information, they were little board books of Bible stories--I think one was Moses in the bullrushes, but I don't know what the other one was.) I've read books ever since I (finally) learned to read. I've read good books. I've read bad books. I've read amazing books. Reading is one of my very favourite activities.

I'm also a big people-person. I love people. I love sharing what I love with people. People and books are two of my favourite things.

Recently I have realized that I can use one of these loves of mine to help my other love.

I know what it's like to look at a book and wonder, "Should I get this?" The cover looks intriguing, the synopsis sounds really good, but... "Is the romance okay?" "Is there some nasty details I don't want to know?" "Any language?" "Is there magic in here?" "Is this worth spending money on?" Sometimes your friends have reviewed it. Sometimes they haven't. And sometimes when they have reviewed it, you're still left wondering about issues that you may have but they might not.

I want to help fill that need. I desire to help people who share similar standards and book preferences with me to be able to read my review and maybe be able to decide whether they want to buy this book or not. I hope that I can help girls like me find books that they love and stay away from books that they wouldn't love.

That is part of my mission with my blog. The other part of my mission is this: just to have a place where hopefully I can encourage people like me. A place where I can make a difference by kindness and love and following Jesus.

That is my hope and my prayer for this blog.

~ / / ~

I hope that through this blog we can create strong, Godly friendships. Drop me a comment and introduce yourself! Are you a book lover? What's your favourite flower? Have you any siblings? Let's chat. <3

11 Things I Love in a Blog

These thoughts are from a blog-reader's point of view, not a blogger. They are things I have found make or break a blog for me. ;) 

1. Interact.

This one is super important. Interact. Reply to comments on your blog, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, you name it. It doesn't need to be long—just say, “thank you!” Follow blogs or accounts you think you will like (you can always unfollow if you don't). By doing so, you create a friendly atmosphere, one that says you're willing to be friends and you want to know about us! It makes you personal—not a stuck-up girl who's amazing at _______ (fill in the blank—writing, sewing, etc.).

2. Be Humorous. 

Don't be afraid to let your special brand of humour out upon your blog. It's you! It makes you and your stuff unique and interesting... and funny. xD Some of my favourite bloggers are hilarious! Some people are not as funny as others—that's OK. Everybody has some humour. Let it out. I’ll  love you for it. 

3. Be Serious. 

On the other hand though, don't shy away from on-my-heart and God's-been-teaching-me and this-is-life posts. This also builds your “personality” to us. You're a person who cares about others, not just an island in a sea of yourself. You can raise awareness, you can touch hearts, you can share experience, you can share wisdom, and so forth. You don't need to make this a place for your pet peeves or whatever, but you get the idea.

4. Share Tips & Tricks. 

We all like to know about hacks and tips and ideas. They're useful. Don't be stingy. Share your experience in writing, sewing, reading, you name it! We'll be sure to read it. 

5. Share About Your Life.

Again, this builds your “personality.” Share what's going on! It doesn't need to be super detailed, just a quick little update. But it keeps you real. Vlogs can be super fun (but don't neglect articles. We can save an article if its useful, but vlogs are harder). Share your thoughts on life or your life. Share lessons you've been learning. Share about your faith. Do tags. (I love tags!!)

6. Don't Post Too Often. 

Some bloggers post two to three times a week. That gets wearing. If not on them, then on their readers. We have life going on too. We don't have that much time to spend online (or we shouldn't. *coughs*). One of my favourite bloggers posts once a week. Every Saturday. I love that! I only have to read one thing from her, I know when it's coming, it's always worth reading. Check for you how many posts can go up. Maybe you can post a review on Tuesday and a real post on Saturday, and a Wrap-Up once a month.

7. Share Stories. 

You want people to read your writing. You want them to buy your books. One way to get readers is by sharing your work. Post Flash Fiction. Post the first chapters from your books. Post excerpts from your WIP (I swear, that can really whet people's bookish appetite!) Have freebies and sales! They'll read it because it's free, and if they like your work, they'll be far more likely to buy it, share it, and review it.

8. Have Good Blog Navigation.

Try not to have adds if you can help it. Make sure to have a search button (what if I want to reread that three-month-old post of yours because it was so good?). And try not to have 5,000 tags. Have as few as you can, but have enough—and use them! They're amazingly helpful to us. 

9. Try to have Guest Posts & Share Articles.

Guests posts are always a win-win. You get a break + you get to share a blogger or author you like, the author/blogger gets known by others, and your followers get a new, different post. Several of my friends include their favourite articles of the month in the wrap-ups. That is also amazing for everyone concerned! 

10. Share About Books.

The chances are, you're a bookish person and your followers are bookish people. Share reviews. (They are a-maz-ing for if you want to check out a new author). Share your raves and rants. We want to know what books are so good we should maybe try them out, or which ones we should avoid or be cautious of (especially if we have similar tastes). Be respectful and don't overdo it, but I think you know what I mean. ;) 

11. Schedule.  

Most of those tips boil down to this: be (yo)unique. This is your blog to do what you want with (as long as it’s God honouring, of course). This is your place to bloom and be creative and experiment. Write about the stuff you love. Do the kinds of things you enjoy doing. Post what you’d like to see. You don’t need to copy another blogger even if she has 1k followers. Be yourself. Be who God made you to be. Don’t be afraid. If He put you here, He has a plan for you and He’ll tell you how to do it. 

~ // ~

This was one of my very first posts and I decided to take it from the vault and post it on the chance that it might help someone. :) Let me know what blog things you love/dislike in the comments! :)