It's all about giving and receiving

Fellow blogger, Cherie, was generous enough to present me with my very first blog award over the weekend:

Seriously, Cherie? I can't thank you enough! ThankyouThankyouThankyou! Check out Cherie's blog @ Ready. Write. Go.

**NOTE: I've been informed that I first received this blog award from Robin Weeks, but failure to read the fine print prohibited me from realizing it! We writers don't always read as closely as we should. A HUGE THANK YOU TO ROBIN! (And an apology, too!)**

Then I wake up today and Anita Grace Howard @ A Still and Quiet Madness has graciously bestowed upon me THIS award:

Anita, I can't tell you how much I love this award. THANK YOU!

Both of these rewards come with a few fun rules:

1. Thank and link to the person who nominated you.
2. Share seven random facts about yourself.
3. Pass the award along to 5 new-found blogging buddies.
4. Contact those buddies to congratulate them.

Since I've already thanked Robin, Cherie, and Anita, here are 7 more random facts about myself:

1. My entire life, various people in my family have asked me, "Whose child ARE you?" My mom was a HUGE tomboy growing up. I, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. I loved the color pink, frilly dresses, dolls, and forcing my cousin to play "house" more than any other game out there. Like so:

You'll notice I didn't dare let him take the driver's seat, and in other snapshots of this same picture, you can see where I also made him carry my tiny little purse. 

2. The "Whose child ARE you?" question is also a direct result of my being "high-maintenance." Now, I don't particularly like that word, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't fit. I'm not the type to get my hair highlighted or my nails done on a regular basis, but I do LOVE shopping, I sometimes have expensive taste (Ha! Who am I kidding? I always have expensive taste), and my mom's nickname for me has always been "princess" because apparently I liked to boss people around and make lofty demands as a child.

Some say this hasn't changed today. I say I just know what I want. But whatever. Maybe it's SORT OF true. *winks* I guess this might explain why I wore a birthday hat that said "All Hail the Birthday Princess" on my birthday last year:

And why certain uncles thought it'd be funny to sign the photo
at my wedding like this:

3. On the flip side, people my entire life have said upon meeting me, "Let me guess. Cheerleader in high school?" And I have always responded, "No. Softball player. I played catcher." I love seeing that look of surprise on their faces.

4. I got married two months before my 21st birthday. For some reason, we decided to go to a club even though I couldn't legally drink, and they slapped a wristband on me. Later, I tore it off and had a couple shots, but I still feel a little cheated. I didn't exactly get to do my bachelorette party justice. Here's me, a mere 20-year-old on my wedding day:

5. People we know say hubby and I live a charmed life. It's true. He's self-employed and his own boss, so our bedtime usually falls around 4am and wake-up time is anywhere from 10am to 1pm. Trust me -- I'm trying to break this terrible habit of ours. But, I mean, we might as well enjoy it while we can. Right?

6. If I could live anywhere else in the world, it'd be somewhere in the New England area. Living in the South is great and all, but I'd pack up my bags and move to the East coast in a second if it weren't for the family and friends I have here.

7. My favorite food is Italian, my favorite dessert a tie between tiramisu and crème brûlée.

And NOW. For the nominees.

To the following people I present The Versatile Blogger award:

1. Dawne Webber
2. Robin Weeks
3. Angela V. Cook
4. Sophie Li
5. Aisha Saeed

To the following people I present the Stylish Blogger award:

1. Meredith Jaeger
2. Melanie McCullough
3. Jessica LeSaicherre
4. Tiffany A. White
5. Kristy Colley

Come get your awards, girls!