Elegant Blogger Award

I was nominated for my very first blog award by Carissa, thank you so much!

The rules:

- When you receive the award, link back to keepcalmandsparkle1099.blogspot.com and the blog that nominated you: Musings of an Introvert
- Display the award button in the post
- Answer all of the 12 questions given in this post (do not make your own questions)
- Nominate 8 bloggers (see below)
- Notify them that they have been awarded.


1. What made you start blogging?
Well, before I started Lady of the Manor (very recently), I've been blogging on LiveJournal for a few years. In fact, I still crosspost most of my stuff to my LiveJournal. But as I started reading and following more and more blogs outside of LiveJournal, I missed the opportunity to really connect with the blog authors and decided I could best remedy that by starting a blog myself! I like to share my enthusiasm for books, television, history and other things with a group of people who share many of my interests.

2. What is your fashion style?
Casual, I'm afraid... I do like to dress up a bit, wear dresses and elegant shoes etc, but I often find it restricts me in my comfort when I have to work all day in those clothes. So I often just go for things which wear pleasantly, but always stay a bit on the classical side.

3. What is something none of your followers know about you?
I live in a house which I share with almost 100 other people. It's a a Bible school, where the students also live during their study. The students live on the first floor and on the second floor and in the side wings there are rooms and apartments to rent for young people. I live in one of those rooms and share my kitchen and bathroom with a group of my housemates. The only things which I share with all 100 of my housemates are the entrance, the bike-basement and the garden!

4. What are some of your blogging goals?
I would like to become better in writing reviews. I don't think I'm very bad, but I find it quite a chore to write them still, so I want to practice that. I would also like to write some more posts about meaning and message in books or movies and how they relate to our real life.

5. Where is your favorite place to shop?
Dille en Kamille (translated: dill and camomile) is a Dutch and Belgian chain of stores which sell a range of things for the kitchen, house, bathroom, garden and children. Many of the things found there are unique. How about pliers especially to get seeds out of cherries? Or a spoon to make little balls out of melon for a fancy desert? Everything at Dille en Kamille is made of natural materials and has a simple charm. The shops are an oasis of quiet, a pleasant piece of classical music is playing and the staff is friendly and helpful. I never fail to find a gift here (and maybe take something small for myself besides)!

6. What would your ideal amount of blog followers be?
I think for now 30 is a nice goal.

7. What are your talents?
I think I'm pretty good at organizing, both processes and 'stuff' (paperwork, arranging cabinets etc.). One of the things I like best about my work is preparing large experiments: ordering everything beforehand, calling in helping hands, making sure everyone knows what to do etc. etc.
My mum always says I'm good at explaining things and I guess she's right. I try to think of ways how to explain complex matter so it's easier to understand, for example by making a comparison to something familiar or drawing a diagram.

8. Are you a leader or a follower?
More of a follower, I think. 

9. What is one of your favorite quotes?'All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us' by Gandalf from the Fellowship of the Ring movie.

10. Do you have a favorite book or series?
Yes, many! But to name a few: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brönte, Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Thursday Next novels by Jasper Fforde and basically all of Jane Austen's works.

11. Out of all the synonyms for elegant, which would you describe yourself with? (smart -- stylish -- dressy -- graceful -- dainty -- fine)
Ouch, not an easy question. As I mentioned above, I'm not very dressy or stylish. I'm not dainty, with my length of 1,85 m. I ám smart (I like to think ;-)), but not in the sense of a synonym to elegant...

12. What is your favorite flower?
Does a bloom count? Because I absolutely adore a chestnut tree in bloom! Otherwise tulips, I am Dutch after all....

I hereby nominate for the Elegant Blogger Award the following people:

1. Kate from To Read or Not To Read
2. Sarah from How to watch a movie
3. Lianne from caffeinatedlife.net
4. Blaire from Pen and Paper blog

I know that's not 8 people, but quite a lot of the blogs I follow have received this award already recently.