liebster, (liebste) meaning kindest, dearest, beloved, cute, endearing in German.
an award given to you by a fellow blogger
i feel honored to have been bestowed this award by my outrageously talented friend Amy from Commona-My House
you remember her
my dear friend whom i was invited as a guest blogger for my Holiday Family Feud Game
someone who has continually given me inspiration and encouragement as i seek out my lofty goals with my blog and as a mother
she has been my champion
the liebster award is a blogger to blogger, peer award, used to highlight up and coming, smaller, lesser known blogs that are less than 6 months old and have less than 200 followers. liebster is an award that you accept with an intention of paying it forward.
Amy passed on this award to me because although I have been blogging since 2006, she knows i am in the process of re-birthing my blog so to speak, giving it a new life.
i will now proceed with the divulging of some random facts that you may or may not know about me
Briana Johnson
blogger here at Sweet Dreams are Made of These
the random that is my life:
1. In high school I drove a sweet stickshift maroon Honda Civic Hatchback bought in Compton with serious ground effects-we're talking pavement scrapers-, a fixed muffler - you could hear me coming from a mile away, boy did i love to hear the gears shift-, heavily tinted windows, and a removable steering wheel. Yes the steering wheel came off as a security measure.
turn a knob, twist the wheel and pop, off it came. Oh how I loved that car til my brother drove it into a fence.
2. I am California royalty. I am ninth generation Californian with my great, great...grandfather being Jose Dario Arguello, founder of Los Angeles and governor of Alta and Baja California. Our family used to own much of California. If only they would have had the foresight to hold on to it, I could have oceanfront property in La Jolla.
3. Mike and I met in August, were engaged in October, and married in January! What??!!
Yes, it happened. I was swept up I tell you. He laid on the charm thick and I bought all of it. It was all true.
we celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary this past January. click here for photos of us throughout the years. and with 14 moves in 15 years, we're intense
4. I was robbed by some gypsies in Spain. I was ambushed to buy a flower for una peseta, una peseta.
Before I knew it they were gone and so was my money. I cried at a nearby cafe and our sweet waiter who didn't want their thievery to be my impression of Spaniards, bought me a beautiful embossed ring from a neighboring shop... yes, I was crying there for a long time. Well, that experience did not deter me from traveling. I have a constant yearning to travel.
my travel log has included: Paris, the French Riviera, London, Oxford, Barcelona, Italy and Mexico City
5. I am extremely accident prone...oh the stories I could tell or my family for that matter. I knocked out and swallowed my front teeth when i was 8 by tripping over a step at 7-11. i got my shoe stuck under the door while saying goodnight to my date. i cut through my arm to the tissue while trying to trim a thread from my sleeve, the list goes on...
people often say, 'it could only happen to you' or 'don't hurt yourself'
i have been affectionately named 'Amazing Grace' and during the Kevin Costner 'Dances with Wolves' era I was dubbed 'Runs into Walls'
holy cow this is long....
6. While speaking in front of my church congregation and sharing a message about our Lord and Savior, a haggard looking man who had walked in from off the street stood up and began approaching me, loudly proclaiming to be Jesus. I'm pretty sure it wasn't him.
7. I love teaching others! I love seeing that light in their eyes when they are grasping onto something new, when they begin to think, Yes!, I can do this!! I have taught many different subjects in my life including yoga, crafting, sewing, Spanish, film, floral design, and currently have the best teaching job around, Sunday School teacher to 16, 17, and 18 year olds!
8. Being surrounded by bold color makes me happy, whether its in my wardrobe or in my house. Color is king. I love one and all. I'm not afraid of it. My response to the 'oh i could never wear that' : If you're confident to walk out the door with it, you can make it work.
9. Family room dance parties are an everyday occurrence. We are music junkies over here {and Spotify addicts} Music in the kitchen, music in the car, music upstairs. My kids have some serious moves. It makes me light up to see my children love to dance and listen to music. Something that has been passed down from my family growing up. We still love to get together and dance. Hiring DJs for our family gatherings is extremely common.
10. I love moments when I can escape and be a kid: slip and slide escapades, ultimate frisbee, Mother May I, relay games, cannonballs in the pool, water balloon fights, Disneyland, pogo sticks, Chinese firedrills
11. A mix-tape of my life, Side A:
September- Earth Wind & Fire
Grace - David Tolk
Together Forever- Rick Astley
Dreams-Cranberries
To Be With You – Mr. Big
Estoy Aqui - Shakira
Groove Is In the Heart – Dee-lite
Canon in D – Pachelbel
Come What May – Nicole Kidman & Ewan McGregor
When You Say Nothing at All- Ronan Keating
Sweetest Thing – U2
Only You –Yaz
Come Back Down - Lifehouse
Stolen – Dashboard Confessional
You Are the Best Thing - Ray LaMontagne
Remind Me Who I Am- Jason Gray
{read more random facts about me here or a brief biography here}
are you still here...
serious props to you if you are still reading this.
Intermission
'Stronger' by Kelly Clarkson playing in background
toast some pop tarts or grab some junior mints
and let's hit it
if you haven't gotten enough of me yet,
here are the 11 questions Amy has asked me to answer:
1. What is your dream home?
oh that's a toss-up:
either an oceanfront home in La Jolla or a flat in Paris
both would need a deck to be able to take in the sights and sounds of the view
but really if it was up to Mike and I we would have a modest home here in the States and then travel abroad giving our children an international education
2. What is your favorite song and why?
this is forever changing as one of my favorite hobbies is to discover new music
right now the song that transports me to another time is
'grace' by david tolk
this beautiful piano piece immediately brings me back to being a little girl holding hands with my daddy
when i hear this song, i somehow imagine my life as a child being played back as if on a reel of projector film with those lines streaming down it, no sound, just a little girl running and playing with her father
i can not refrain from crying each time i listen to it
oh how i miss holding his hand
3. Who is your celebrity designer alter ego?
i'm not sure if Elsie Larson of a Beautiful Mess has reached 'celebrity status' quite yet, but i choose her
everything she does is beautiful
the first night in Minnesota I was with Jessica from Jeff Loves Jessica Photography and she told me that she and her friends had termed the word 'elsish' to represent anything fabulous. love it!!
4. What is your favorite blog post you have ever done and why?
my blog is such an eclectic collection of topics, mimicking real life i guess you could say so it is difficult to chose just one
on the personal side, i guess mine would be 'in pieces',
i am such a visual person and in writing this analogy, it helped me to work through some of my life's difficulties and see how things could fit back together
on a lighter note, i would say 'back to school photoshoot', these photos capture this time in our life and i want to hold tight to it
5. What are 3 of your favorite blogs and why do you love them?
a beautiful mess - the creativity that comes from these gorgeous sisters is inspirational
pugly pixel - my dream of being a graphic designer is lived out through her amazing tutorials for photoshop
a subtle revelry - the art of merrymaking, isn't that such a delightful tagline
6. How long have you been blogging and why did you start?
i started Sweet Dreams are Made of These way back in 2006 when blogger was just a baby. having moved away from my family, i wanted them to have an opportunity to stay up to date on what was going on in my little family's life. since then my blog has greatly evolved, with more changes coming soon. i'm hanging on tight for the launch.
7. "I'll ________ if it's the last thing I do"
that would have to be a toss up between 'learn how to sail' or 'ride in a hot air balloon'
both have been dreams of mine for years.
both so dreamy
both involve feeling the wind in my face and breathing in the beauty around me
i'm there in my mind already
you're welcome to join me
8. 'Best vintage or decor find of all time'
'of all time' sounds so final, so instead my current favorite would have to be my vintage 1950s Son Chief toaster my mother-in-law bought for me after i was drooling over it at a consignment shop.
it is a similar style to Mrs. Hughes' toaster on Downton Abbey {to which an entire blog is dedicated}
smoking included
9. What is a home trend that you have tried/followed that you've regretted?
man i can't think of one
i've made some good mistakes
i can think of a fashion trend though
rolling my socks
awe. some.
10. Who is your favorite author?
being a Humanities major, i read literature from cultures all around the world
i am fascinated to see the world through such contrasting eyes
such an amazing part of my life
today's reading varies slightly to looking at the world through the eyes of my children
we are surrounded by books, books in every nook and cranny
so today i would say my favorite author would be Laurie Keller
you can not help but laugh when reading her zany tales
11. Favorite pattern?
i have been a houndstooth gal for years
the fondness of it originating from the subtle patterned suits my graceful mother used to wear.
it is a familiar pattern and one i have incorporated into my own wardrobe and home decor
well there you have it
if you read through this entire thing, i owe you lunch or perhaps a frozen yogurt topped with butterscotch chips for your time spent
now on to the part where i pass this award onto the next group of bloggers
i am also choosing to feature many blogs whom have been around longer than 6 months,
bloggers who have made an impact on my life
and the nominees are......
My new friends:
1. The woman behind the curtain at Minette and Milo
2. Brianna from Mine Style
3. Jessica from Mine Style
4. Janel from Mine Style
5. Katherine from Katherine Marie
6. April from The Power of a Family
Who I've run to for advice:
7. Leslie from My Happily Ever After
8. Cathi from Simple Sojourns
9. Amy from Our Daily Obsessions
10. Amanda from Oh My Little Dears
11. Jessica from Living the Swell Life
{Amy my nominator, from Commona-My House falls into this category}
So ladies, I'm not sure who the Liebster Award Monitor is but I'm going to be granting you some serious grace on cutting this down.
Not that I don't want to hear all the ins and outs of your life, but lets keep it a little shorter.
so here are my adjusted guidelines,
feel free to do the whole version if you'd like
1. You must post 8 random things about yourself.
2. Answer the questions that the nominator set for you.
3. Create 8 questions for the people you nominate.
4. Choose 8 new blogs you love and link them in your post.
5. Please leave me a comment on this post with the URL to your Liebster post so I can learn more about you!
My questions for you to answer are:
1. Head to toe, what is your favorite outfit you own?
2. What is your favorite song and why?
3. What is your favorite blog post you have ever done and why?
4. What are 3 of your favorite blogs and why do you love them?
5. How long have you been blogging and why did you start?
6. "I'll _________ if it's the last thing I do".
7. What current trend are you loving the most?
8. What is on your mantel?
alright ladies,
congratulations on your liebster nomination
now spill it
and make sure to comment below so we can check back on your post
i feel honored to have been bestowed this award by my outrageously talented friend Amy from Commona-My House
you remember her
my dear friend whom i was invited as a guest blogger for my Holiday Family Feud Game
someone who has continually given me inspiration and encouragement as i seek out my lofty goals with my blog and as a mother
she has been my champion
the liebster award is a blogger to blogger, peer award, used to highlight up and coming, smaller, lesser known blogs that are less than 6 months old and have less than 200 followers. liebster is an award that you accept with an intention of paying it forward.
Amy passed on this award to me because although I have been blogging since 2006, she knows i am in the process of re-birthing my blog so to speak, giving it a new life.
When you accept your Leibster, you must pay it forward and nominate other bloggers that you would like to award.
So, here are the guidelines for the award:
1. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
2. Answer the questions that the nominator set for you.
3. Create 11 questions for the people you nominate.
4. Choose 11 new blogs you love and link them in your post.
5. Please leave me a comment on this post with the URL to your Liebster post so I can learn more about you!
{i wonder if 11 is a lucky number in Germany}
this is how i will follow this award since that is how it was explained to me,
but for those nominated by me,
see my grace-given adjusted guidelines at the bottom of the post
i will now proceed with the divulging of some random facts that you may or may not know about me
Briana Johnson
blogger here at Sweet Dreams are Made of These
the random that is my life:
1. In high school I drove a sweet stickshift maroon Honda Civic Hatchback bought in Compton with serious ground effects-we're talking pavement scrapers-, a fixed muffler - you could hear me coming from a mile away, boy did i love to hear the gears shift-, heavily tinted windows, and a removable steering wheel. Yes the steering wheel came off as a security measure.
turn a knob, twist the wheel and pop, off it came. Oh how I loved that car til my brother drove it into a fence.
2. I am California royalty. I am ninth generation Californian with my great, great...grandfather being Jose Dario Arguello, founder of Los Angeles and governor of Alta and Baja California. Our family used to own much of California. If only they would have had the foresight to hold on to it, I could have oceanfront property in La Jolla.
3. Mike and I met in August, were engaged in October, and married in January! What??!!
Yes, it happened. I was swept up I tell you. He laid on the charm thick and I bought all of it. It was all true.
day 1 of our marriage: La Jolla, CA
we celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary this past January. click here for photos of us throughout the years. and with 14 moves in 15 years, we're intense
4. I was robbed by some gypsies in Spain. I was ambushed to buy a flower for una peseta, una peseta.
Before I knew it they were gone and so was my money. I cried at a nearby cafe and our sweet waiter who didn't want their thievery to be my impression of Spaniards, bought me a beautiful embossed ring from a neighboring shop... yes, I was crying there for a long time. Well, that experience did not deter me from traveling. I have a constant yearning to travel.
my travel log has included: Paris, the French Riviera, London, Oxford, Barcelona, Italy and Mexico City
5. I am extremely accident prone...oh the stories I could tell or my family for that matter. I knocked out and swallowed my front teeth when i was 8 by tripping over a step at 7-11. i got my shoe stuck under the door while saying goodnight to my date. i cut through my arm to the tissue while trying to trim a thread from my sleeve, the list goes on...
people often say, 'it could only happen to you' or 'don't hurt yourself'
i have been affectionately named 'Amazing Grace' and during the Kevin Costner 'Dances with Wolves' era I was dubbed 'Runs into Walls'
holy cow this is long....
6. While speaking in front of my church congregation and sharing a message about our Lord and Savior, a haggard looking man who had walked in from off the street stood up and began approaching me, loudly proclaiming to be Jesus. I'm pretty sure it wasn't him.
7. I love teaching others! I love seeing that light in their eyes when they are grasping onto something new, when they begin to think, Yes!, I can do this!! I have taught many different subjects in my life including yoga, crafting, sewing, Spanish, film, floral design, and currently have the best teaching job around, Sunday School teacher to 16, 17, and 18 year olds!
8. Being surrounded by bold color makes me happy, whether its in my wardrobe or in my house. Color is king. I love one and all. I'm not afraid of it. My response to the 'oh i could never wear that' : If you're confident to walk out the door with it, you can make it work.
9. Family room dance parties are an everyday occurrence. We are music junkies over here {and Spotify addicts} Music in the kitchen, music in the car, music upstairs. My kids have some serious moves. It makes me light up to see my children love to dance and listen to music. Something that has been passed down from my family growing up. We still love to get together and dance. Hiring DJs for our family gatherings is extremely common.
10. I love moments when I can escape and be a kid: slip and slide escapades, ultimate frisbee, Mother May I, relay games, cannonballs in the pool, water balloon fights, Disneyland, pogo sticks, Chinese firedrills
11. A mix-tape of my life, Side A:
September- Earth Wind & Fire
Grace - David Tolk
Together Forever- Rick Astley
Dreams-Cranberries
To Be With You – Mr. Big
Estoy Aqui - Shakira
Groove Is In the Heart – Dee-lite
Canon in D – Pachelbel
Come What May – Nicole Kidman & Ewan McGregor
When You Say Nothing at All- Ronan Keating
Sweetest Thing – U2
Only You –Yaz
Come Back Down - Lifehouse
Stolen – Dashboard Confessional
You Are the Best Thing - Ray LaMontagne
Remind Me Who I Am- Jason Gray
{read more random facts about me here or a brief biography here}
are you still here...
serious props to you if you are still reading this.
Intermission
'Stronger' by Kelly Clarkson playing in background
toast some pop tarts or grab some junior mints
and let's hit it
if you haven't gotten enough of me yet,
here are the 11 questions Amy has asked me to answer:
1. What is your dream home?
oh that's a toss-up:
either an oceanfront home in La Jolla or a flat in Paris
both would need a deck to be able to take in the sights and sounds of the view
but really if it was up to Mike and I we would have a modest home here in the States and then travel abroad giving our children an international education
2. What is your favorite song and why?
this is forever changing as one of my favorite hobbies is to discover new music
right now the song that transports me to another time is
'grace' by david tolk
this beautiful piano piece immediately brings me back to being a little girl holding hands with my daddy
when i hear this song, i somehow imagine my life as a child being played back as if on a reel of projector film with those lines streaming down it, no sound, just a little girl running and playing with her father
i can not refrain from crying each time i listen to it
oh how i miss holding his hand
3. Who is your celebrity designer alter ego?
i'm not sure if Elsie Larson of a Beautiful Mess has reached 'celebrity status' quite yet, but i choose her
everything she does is beautiful
the first night in Minnesota I was with Jessica from Jeff Loves Jessica Photography and she told me that she and her friends had termed the word 'elsish' to represent anything fabulous. love it!!
4. What is your favorite blog post you have ever done and why?
my blog is such an eclectic collection of topics, mimicking real life i guess you could say so it is difficult to chose just one
on the personal side, i guess mine would be 'in pieces',
i am such a visual person and in writing this analogy, it helped me to work through some of my life's difficulties and see how things could fit back together
on a lighter note, i would say 'back to school photoshoot', these photos capture this time in our life and i want to hold tight to it
5. What are 3 of your favorite blogs and why do you love them?
a beautiful mess - the creativity that comes from these gorgeous sisters is inspirational
pugly pixel - my dream of being a graphic designer is lived out through her amazing tutorials for photoshop
a subtle revelry - the art of merrymaking, isn't that such a delightful tagline
6. How long have you been blogging and why did you start?
i started Sweet Dreams are Made of These way back in 2006 when blogger was just a baby. having moved away from my family, i wanted them to have an opportunity to stay up to date on what was going on in my little family's life. since then my blog has greatly evolved, with more changes coming soon. i'm hanging on tight for the launch.
7. "I'll ________ if it's the last thing I do"
that would have to be a toss up between 'learn how to sail' or 'ride in a hot air balloon'
both have been dreams of mine for years.
both so dreamy
both involve feeling the wind in my face and breathing in the beauty around me
i'm there in my mind already
you're welcome to join me
8. 'Best vintage or decor find of all time'
'of all time' sounds so final, so instead my current favorite would have to be my vintage 1950s Son Chief toaster my mother-in-law bought for me after i was drooling over it at a consignment shop.
it is a similar style to Mrs. Hughes' toaster on Downton Abbey {to which an entire blog is dedicated}
smoking included
9. What is a home trend that you have tried/followed that you've regretted?
man i can't think of one
i've made some good mistakes
i can think of a fashion trend though
rolling my socks
awe. some.
10. Who is your favorite author?
being a Humanities major, i read literature from cultures all around the world
i am fascinated to see the world through such contrasting eyes
such an amazing part of my life
today's reading varies slightly to looking at the world through the eyes of my children
we are surrounded by books, books in every nook and cranny
so today i would say my favorite author would be Laurie Keller
you can not help but laugh when reading her zany tales
11. Favorite pattern?
i have been a houndstooth gal for years
the fondness of it originating from the subtle patterned suits my graceful mother used to wear.
it is a familiar pattern and one i have incorporated into my own wardrobe and home decor
well there you have it
if you read through this entire thing, i owe you lunch or perhaps a frozen yogurt topped with butterscotch chips for your time spent
now on to the part where i pass this award onto the next group of bloggers
i am also choosing to feature many blogs whom have been around longer than 6 months,
bloggers who have made an impact on my life
and the nominees are......
My new friends:
1. The woman behind the curtain at Minette and Milo
2. Brianna from Mine Style
3. Jessica from Mine Style
4. Janel from Mine Style
5. Katherine from Katherine Marie
6. April from The Power of a Family
Who I've run to for advice:
7. Leslie from My Happily Ever After
8. Cathi from Simple Sojourns
9. Amy from Our Daily Obsessions
10. Amanda from Oh My Little Dears
11. Jessica from Living the Swell Life
{Amy my nominator, from Commona-My House falls into this category}
So ladies, I'm not sure who the Liebster Award Monitor is but I'm going to be granting you some serious grace on cutting this down.
Not that I don't want to hear all the ins and outs of your life, but lets keep it a little shorter.
so here are my adjusted guidelines,
feel free to do the whole version if you'd like
1. You must post 8 random things about yourself.
2. Answer the questions that the nominator set for you.
3. Create 8 questions for the people you nominate.
4. Choose 8 new blogs you love and link them in your post.
5. Please leave me a comment on this post with the URL to your Liebster post so I can learn more about you!
{8 is my lucky number}
My questions for you to answer are:
1. Head to toe, what is your favorite outfit you own?
2. What is your favorite song and why?
3. What is your favorite blog post you have ever done and why?
4. What are 3 of your favorite blogs and why do you love them?
5. How long have you been blogging and why did you start?
6. "I'll _________ if it's the last thing I do".
7. What current trend are you loving the most?
8. What is on your mantel?
alright ladies,
congratulations on your liebster nomination
now spill it
and make sure to comment below so we can check back on your post
