What an honour, I can't believe it

 

 

Hello Everyone do come in and have a seat, it is so wonderful to see you all again.  I hope you have had a great day or evening and are in good health.  I had the most wonderful surprise this morning when reading my blog.  The lovely Hannapat  had nominated me for the Liebster Award Nomination.

Like Hannapat I know very little about this award but I am so so happy to even be nominated and cannot thank Hannapat enough for thinking of me.  There are so many fabulous bloggers around and I have been overwhelmed by the kindness and encouragement I have received from everyone.  Hannapat has posed a number of questions for me to answer which I have completed below.  Please accept my apologies for the quality of some of the photographs as they are from Google images bar one or two as I wanted to make the post as interesting as I could for you all.  I fear I may have rambled on and not really answered the questions correctly but I hope you find it interesting to read.

 

Now I have to give you eleven random facts about myself:

 

1. I was once escorted out of the Liverpool Empire for trying to climb on the stage to kiss Mick Jagger!  My parents thought I was at the convent attending Mass but we had sneaked out as my friend had got tickets for the concert.  It was recorded in the Liverpool Echo the next night and my Dad said that these kids should be locked up........they never found out about it.

 

2. I have always wanted to fly to the moon.

 

3. I have been a vegetarian for 45 years - long before it was fashionable.  My GP at the time said that I would never be well and would eventually eat meat and fish again.

 

4. I just love being up and about very early when it is so quiet and am happily in work around 6.30 - I have so many ideas rumbling around my head and can find lots of answers during that early part of the day - that is not saying they are the right answers though!

 

5. I have always wanted to play the piano and it is one dream I wish I had pursued.

 

6. I always wanted to have 6 children but only managed 4.  My dream was to have twins.

 

7. I have a deep and passionate love for Freddo Frogs (for our lovely readers all over the world these are little Cadbury chocolate frogs).  I could eat them all day.

 

8. I don't think I could live without my skinny lattes.

 

9. I used to think my great love was knitting but now it is crochet and sewing plus all the other exciting things which are there to be explored. 

 

10. I love going to work - teaching my students give me the ultimate pleasure in life along with my family.

 

11. I would love to have an allotment as long as I had a gardener to do it for me - I would just sit in my little shed and do all the crafty things.

Here are the questions from the lovely Hannapat:
1. If you won the Lottery, what would the first thing be that you buy?
2. What is your favourite band or singer?
3. Are you impulse or do you like routine?
4. What is your favourite item of clothing?
5. What is your favourite holiday destination?
5. What would you prefer, sitting on top of a mountain or sitting on a beach?
6. What is your favourite thing that you have ever made?
7. Do you have a favourite author?
8. What is your earliest childhood memory?
9. What is your favourite movie of all time?
10. Do you have a favourite artist?
11. Who has been your biggest inspiration in your life?

 

1. If I won the Lottery, at my time of life there is very little I would wish for - obviously taking care of my family would be priority and making sure they were all financially secure.  If it were possible I would try and see if I could improve the health of my darling husband.  I would possibly have a big splurge on a super duper summer house all decked out as a sewing room - drool drool. 

 

 

 

 

One thing I would love to do would be to have a huge crafty party and invite all the lovely bloggers I have met so far online and have a really fantastic day sharing all our stories and tips, loads of gorgeous food and drink and fabulous goody bags for you all to take home.

 

 

Finally I would make sure my favourite charities were given a nice little gift to enable them to carry out their fantastic work.

 

 

2. I have to admit that I am a bit of a headbanger and love the Rolling Stone and Status Quo.    I also love some opera and swing music.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. I thrive on routine as it keeps me on the steady path of life but my heart rules my head every time.

 

so I have a very impulsive streak which I have to keep in check all the time as it has got me into lots of trouble over the years, particularly if it has to do with chocolate, cake, fabrics and anything crafty.

 

 

4. I love the colours red and pink and am drawn to them all the time.  I find wearing red is so uplifting and energising.  Would love to wear this dress!

 

 

I have a wonderful red coat which I love wearing and a glamorous red suit for best.

 

 

5.Hannapat gave me two questions here.  My favourite holiday destination would always be Bamburgh Beach looking over to the Farne Islands and Holy Island in Northumberland.  It is so lovely to see the little seals bobbing around in the sea - if you ever get a chance do try and visit, it is just wonderful.I feel so peaceful here, just love going back there every time.

 

 

 

 

 

I am not a mountain person as I don't like heights.  When I first met my lovely husband he was into mountaineering in a big way and was a qualified guide.  He asked me if I liked walking - I envisaged walking around a lake and was horrified when he turned up with a stout pair of climbing boots for me and proceeded to lead me up a mountain in North Wales.  Being so in love I couldn't bring myself to tell him that I hated heights.  It all came to a head a couple of days before we were due to be married in Scotland - we'll have a walk he said and we proceeded up what looked like the Eiger to me.

 

 

Coming down we were surrounded by midges and I was convinced that I was going to be bitten a thousand times on my face.  I had an almighty blowout and told him that if one midge bit my face the wedding was off!  A miracle happened I wasn't touched and we got married.  By that time he had realised that climbing was not my main focus in life.  I do adore beaches but not for sunbathing but for walking and watching the sea coming and going.

 

6. I haven't an answer for this one as I tend to fall in love with everything I am making at the time.  Some things turn out better than others.  I made a felted bag quite a few years ago for my lovely friend at work and it is still going strong.  Every time I see it I think that I didn't make such a bad job of it.  I am loving the little pink bag I have recently made with the VW on the front and looking forward to making a second one for my other little granddaughter.

 

 

 

 

7. My favourite author was always Enid Blyton when I was a child. 

 

 

 

but I also love the work of John Steinbeck

 although I love reading anything except Mills and Boon.

 

 

8. One of my earliest memories was seeing my lovely newborn brother in my doll's pram for the first time.  It was a big Silvercross pram, my pride and joy

 

and I wasn't too pleased with the midwife put him in it - I think Mum and Dad were waiting for his pram to be delivered.  The midwife said that I was a lucky girl but I was transfixed on the pram and thinking about my dollies.

 

9. The Searchers is my favourite movie of all time and I must admit I could watch it every day.  I always loved John Wayne and the scenery is just magnificent.

 

 

 

  We went to Monument Valley years ago and I just adored the place and the people.

 

 

The native Americans who live there are so interesting and I was lucky enough to be shown around their school in Monument Valley, it was rather quiet and the Head explained that most of the children had gone back to their tribes to help out with the work.

 

10. I do love the work of Johannes Vermeer particularly the Girl with a Pear Earring - I think she is just beautiful. 

 

However there are so many other fabulous painters too numerous to mention but this is my favourite.

 

11. My inspiration has to be my gorgeous Dad who is sadly not around any more.  He had such a difficult upbringing and was working on a coal lorry at the age of 14 carrying coal in huge sacks into people's houses.  He never complained and worked so hard to give us a good life.

 

 

His small company used to look after the Mersey Ferries in Liverpool, making sure they were painted and ready for work all year around.  I always shed a tear when I travel on the ferry when I am visiting Liverpool and like to think his spirit is still around here as he adored working there.  He worked right up to the last day of his life and he was 74 when he left us.  He never had a bad word to say about anyone and was one of the kindest, most generous men I have ever known.  His motto was if you can't say anything good about someone don't say anything at all.  I miss him so much.

There are a wonderful group of people who also inspire me every single day - all of you lovely bloggers - you will never know how much you have kept me going since I started my blog, thank you all so much.

 

I have to choose three blogs to nominate myself and this has been so difficult.  I have been thinking about it all day and would love to put you all forward for this.  I know that there are criteria which we have to follow so I apologise to all your lovely people I have had to leave out.  The three blogs I have chosen are:

 

1. Three Stories High with the lovely Jo - joeveryday19.blogspot.com

2. Calmly Creative with the wonderful Lesley - calmlycreative.blogspot.co.uk

3. The Quiet Home with the gorgeous Tina - thequiethomeblog.wordpress.com

 

Now for the eleven questions for the three blogs that I am nominating.

 

1. If you could spend a day anywhere and with anyone how would you use your time?

2. What craft person would you like to meet and why?

3. Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?

4. What is your greatest quality and the thing you would like to improve about yourself?

5. Apart from your family, pets and home, what is the one thing you would save in an emergency?

6. Who has influenced you the most in your life?

7. Who is your favourite actor?

8. Describe a meal you always enjoy.

9. What was your best subject in school and it is still something you enjoy now?

10. If you had £1000 to spend on yourself what would you buy?

11. If there was a big craft competition and you were asked to take part what would you make to show off your skills?

 

Thank you all for taking the time to read this post - I have a few things to tell you tomorrow and will be back with the normal type of post then.  I have been thinking about my giveaway all day and thinking of the prizes I shall give - I am going to give two prizes which I am sorting out tomorrow and will give you all more details.  Have a lovely evening or day depending on where you all are.  Do come back tomorrow as I do love to see you all.  Take care, lots of love, Dorothy :-)xxxxxxxxxxxx