sunshine award

{photo credit}

i read a lot of blogs. if you are a blogger, i'm sure you can say the same. sometimes, i lose track of time because one blog links me to another which takes me to another to another to another. and then i don't remember how to get back. i forget to leave the trail of breadcrumbs to find my way home. but it's ok because instead of ending up at a candy cottage with a witch for a landlord, i end up in a cool, virtual space.

one blog that i have recently found and LOVE reading is the hippie memoirs. emma kate runs this lovely space, and she was sweet enough to nominate me for the sunshine award. humming right along blog started small and has remained relatively small, but i just love the creativity it allows me to express and for the friends i have met and connected with because of it. i wish emma and i lived closer because i honestly think we'd be fast friends upon meeting. she has the most lovely posts and pictures and i can just tell she's a fun person. her instagram is always full of cool images to boot. so, emma, if we are ever within 100 miles of each other, let's promise to meet up. ok? ok.

here's how the sunshine award works.

1. display the award on your blog
2. announce your win with a post and thank the blog who nominated you.
3. post ten interesting things about yourself
4. nominate some other deserving bloggers
5. link your nominees in a post and let them know with a comment

10 "interesting" things about myself:

1. i have a fingerprint on my right palm. is this rare or not? i thought it was until i recently found out that someone else i know has two! one print on each palm. some people get all the breaks.

2. this month marks the 20th year i have lived in north carolina. good grief. that makes me sound so old. the funny thing is that i don't really feel rooted here. i love my friends and family to the ends of the earth, but i feel like my heart longs to travel and move west. i've been talking about this for years though and still i remain in the south.

3. i prefer to listen to others talk rather than being the one talking. it's just easier to be the listening ear. i don't like talking about myself all that much unless it's with friends who make it easy. however, i don't like being talked AT. there is a difference.

4. i recently learned how to do doughnuts in my car. a really cute boy taught me.

5. i have yet to have an epic new years. it is probably one of my least favorite holidays. there is so much hype and expectation and it stresses me out. it seems to be the one holiday that reminds me of how single i usually am. way more than valentine's day or christmas. it's that dang midnight kiss.

6. i love fashion and cute clothes, but i usually end up wearing some variety of workout apparel. i feel comfortable and relaxed in my tennis and sports bras and yoga pants. and it actually works out pretty well because when i do dress up, people be like whoa.

7. music is everything. i always have music playing. i am always on the lookout for new music. concerts are fun. i would love to make you a mix cd. i would love it if you made me a mix cd. tell me what bands you're into, and i'll tell you mine.

8. i am a very friendly person, but i find making new friends to be hard. the older i get, the harder it seems to make real friends. it takes time and intentionality and a good amount of vulnerability. those things are hard to find in people (myself included) these days. when you were little, you became best friends with the kid playing next to you in the sandbox. "you like sand? me too!" i'm not saying it's impossible, just harder.

9. my middle name is kate. my older brother suggested it, and my mom was like "cool." lacey kate. i think it has a nice ring to it.

10. if you treat me to a coffee, i will love you forever. no explanation necessary.

so there you go. a little insight into how boring i really am! let's redirect the spotlight on some well-deserving bloggers.

tightrope to the sun: emma's writing is beyond beautiful. i first featured one of her poems in this post, and it is still one of my favorite pieces i have read by her. since finding her, i make it a habit to check her blog on the daily. i think what i find most attractive about her posts is the sincere honesty in them. i can't even. it impresses me, it intimidates me. she is also an avid reader and gives the best book reviews and recommendations. i have a list of books and authors to check out thanks to her!

blooming branch: my dear friend chelsea is the woman behind this beautiful blog. her posts are always thoughtful, insightful and well-written. she writes deep from the heart and is brave enough to be honest about both her struggles and her triumphs. this is something i admire in bloggers as i am not that courageous. chelsea and i met in college and have remained besties through the years. i am grateful for her and for her wonderful blog. (side note: she/her blog is one of the reasons i started my own a few years ago!)

real home living: laura is a fellow raleigh/durham blogger who i met a few years ago at a blogger's meetup. her blog is a blast to read. she and her husband (and now new puppy!) have the most fun adventures in raleigh and beyond. they recently bought their first home, and i love that laura updates her readers on the progress they're making with house renovations. laura and i met up one evening for dinner in raleigh, and it was really fun to catch up in real life instead of our usual blog comments back and forth.

have fun checking out these blogs and bloggers! what blogs are you reading these days? have you ever had the chance to meet up with some blog friends in real life? i'd love to hear!

thank again, emma, for the nomination! keep up the awesome blogging. in fact, i'm heading over to your blog to see if you've posted anything since the last time i checked five minutes ago.