The Liebster Award

So the blog received a reward. Becky says thank you too...she's in the middle of something very important right now, so she'll chime in soon. As for me, here goes!

I was nominated by Chelsea of A Sartorial Statement, (who I have loved reading for awhile)...
And the 11 blogs I would like to nominate...

-Veronica at A Country Victorian. She is a fellow Michigander whose writing I adore.
-Have you met Kate at Mademoiselle Euphrasie? I love more than a few of her modern creations...
-Or what about Bygone Elegance? Her red and white 1890's bathing suit makes me green with envy!
-Isabella's sewing journey is incredibly inspirational at Isabella's Project Diary.
-Dixie Heartless at Heartlessly Handmade adds a little steampunk flair to her projects!
-The Dreaded Seamstress wins the title for best name! And also, her sewing.
-At Sewing and Sightseeing, Elizabeth does just that. A woman after my own heart!
-My Darling Dear and the Regency features historical lovelies by Abigael.
-Don't forget So Steady as She Sews. I love her writing voice!
-I just found the Calico Sisters. They're from Michigan! I feel a blogger conference coming on...
-And finally Dolly Creates. Because she has my Grandma's name and reminds me of her!

Here are the questions I'd like you all to answer:

1. When did the creative bug hit you? What sparked it?
2. Which has been your favorite project?
3. Which crafting skills would you like to learn, if time and money weren't an issue?
4. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself when you started your first big project?
5. How do you work through frustration?
6. Favorite time period to dress in-GO!
7. Which 3 tools are the most loved in your crafting room?
8. Who inspired you to start your hobby?
9. How have you grown as a blogger?
10. Tell us one of your little secrets about sewing.
11. Post a picture that tells the most about who you are. Tell why!

1. Where is your favorite place in the world?
That depends on my mood. On Tuesdays I like curling up on my friend Sue's couch talking. On Fridays it's the field of my indoor soccer league. Giggling with my goddaughter in my arms? Napping with my younger brother watching ice skating? But sometimes I need to travel...so this year, my favorite place in the world was the at the foot of the pyramid in Chichén Itzá. 

Mexico!

2. What has been your most challenging project, to date?
Sewing my first dress was ridiculous. I flew my sewing machine out to California while I visited my grandparents for a few weeks. It survived stuffed between bras and tennis shoes. I broke about 20 needles and my grandma's patience. Finally, I had a dress! It was that first hurdle, that project that I had never done before. After that, everything got easier!

Thank God for padded bras!

3. What do you like most do do on a rainy Saturday when nothing else is planned?
I'm a fan of an antique store road trip. By myself-it's a time for historical meditation! Then I'll stop by a sandwich shop and read a book. At that point my fiance will probably wonder where I'm at...I'm an extrovert that likes her alone time. Ambivert? Hanging out with my family is fun too. 

We're Michigan fans...

4. If you could travel to the past or the future, which would you choose?  How far in time would you go?
I would totally go back to Regency England and hang out with Jane Austen. Her voice is just so me. We would be buddies, I imagine. And we would sponge our sheer dress just like other ladies, because fashion is where it's at.

We'd get kicked out of every party

5. What is your favorite holiday tradition?  
Food. Anything food related is my absolute favorite. I have a healthy mix of Polish/German/Mexican ancestry, so my holidays are full of crazy different combinations. Turkey tacos? Check. Pierogis dripping with butter? Yep. Eating at 2 different Christmas celebrations in one day? Priceless.

Oh, and eating in 1865

Photo by Ken Giorlando

6. How do you motivate yourself when a particular project is difficult or tedious?
It really depends on the project. I still have a few tucked away, waiting to "age" properly. In terms of my jewelry, I often run into problems as to the materials I should use to achieve the most accurate reproduction possible. I'll set it on my desk and look at it for awhile. Then I'll put other things on my desk so it doesn't feel lonely. One day I'll accidentally knock a million beads on the ground, and it magically turns into art! In all seriousness, I'll do more research, ask for help, and set goals for when I want a project done. Little milestones help motivate me through bigger ones.

And then I make this face

7. Do you ever have a hard time explaining your hobby to strangers?  If so, how do you handle that?
Very few people in my life understand why I do this, my fiance included. He's the kind of guy who can build computers and fix sick people. I love him to the ends of the earth-but we're very different! As for strangers, I explain that I like history, camping, and dressing up. Usually people like one of those things, and we can go from there. I'm nerdy and proud.

My friends are strange too

8. What is your most invaluable tool?
My reading/writing skills are the most important tool in my box. I need to research a piece/dress, read directions, understand context, and eventually write about it later. I read very quickly, a skill that has had a very positive impact in my life, considering the hundreds of school books I've demolished.

My greatest asset

9. What is your dream project?  Time and money are no object - what do you make?
A reproduction Queen Elizabeth I dress. Like exactly from a painting, dripping with gems. Can someone also dye my hair? Give me a kingdom? *Sigh*

BAM

10. What is the last book you read?
I've been reading "doctor" books lately, ones that illustrate their struggles in medical school and beyond. I'm trying to better understand the lives of doctors since I will be marrying one! Also I have a bit of a morbid fascination; at a young age I watched horror movies and such. Stephen King is amazing! 

Click here if you share my eerie passion!

11. What is your biggest guilty pleasure?  (Food, TV show, clothing item, etc.) 
I should feel guilty about reality television, but I don't. Ghost shows, housewives, pampered rich people...is it so wrong that I'm amused? They're perfect, since I don't have to pay attention while I sew or create a piece. 

There you have it! And now to pass on the great Liebster Award to a few more of my favorite blogs...

Good Luck, and Good Writing!

~Kristen