Liebster Award

Do you know what a Liebster Award is?  Don’t feel bad, I didn’t either!

The Liebster Award highlights new bloggers and connects them to an even bigger blogging platform.  I was nominated by the amazing duo of Amy and Vicki from Canary Street Crafts.  Amy and Vicki are SUPER talented.  Their blog focuses on crafts, home decor, recipes, family friendly activities and awesome tips!  If you haven’t met Amy or Vicki yet, please head over to Canary Street Crafts and give ’em some love!

Rules of the Liebster Award

• Each person must post 11 things about themselves by answering the questions that the nominator has set for you.
• Create 11 questions for the people you’ve nominated to answer.
• Choose 11 people (with less than 200 followers) and link to them in your post.
• Go to their page and let them know!
• No tag backs!

{{Everything you’d like to know about Erica and Dwell Beautiful}}

1. What’s the inspiration behind the title of your blog?

I spent a loooong time trying to come up with the perfect name for my fledgling blog! I’ve always loved interior design and the little things in life that make them that much more beautiful. After trying a vast combination of words and synonyms that had to do with home and aesthetic appeal, I finally landed on Dwell Beautiful! I love the word dwell; dwell, dwelling, dweller. It’s just a gorgeous word to me!

2. What do you like to do in your free time?

What free time? Haha, I’m pretty busy with this blog, wedding photography, and much more, but when I do have a moment to catch my breath, I love to read (I’m participating in a Goodreads challenge to read 40 books this year!) and go on little dates with my husband! We love going out for coffee, going swing dancing, and working in the yard.

3. What is your favorite book?

Boooooks. I. Love. Books. I’ve been an avid bibliophile since the age of 5. It’s so hard to pick just one! I’d have to say that my all time favorites, though, are the Harry Potter Series. The magic, the friendship, the incredible journey and good triumphing evil. All the themes that run through it are fantastic. They started coming out when I was 11, which is when witches and wizards first get accepted to school, so I grew up along with the characters. Still waiting for my letter to Hogwarts, BTW.

4. Why did you start your blog?

I’ve always loved interior design (I wanted to be a designer since watching Trading Spaces when I was in middle school!) photography, writing, crafting, and art. I went to the University of Washington for a degree in art, but somehow forgot my passion for home design along the way. I rediscovered it, and realized that blogging encompasses all the things I love! It gives me such great joy to use my creative skills to make something for others to enjoy 🙂

5. Name one item near the top of your bucket list.

To visit as many countries as I can! Hubby and I are planning on going to Machu Picchu in Peru in October, and hopefully we can take a European tour sometime soon after! I love traveling and learning about other cultures and countries.

6. What is your favorite food?

This question is so easy, it’s not even funny. Hands down it is macaroni and cheese. Any sort of handmade macaroni and cheese. If I could eat it for every meal and not weigh 500 lbs, I would. Trust me.

7. Name one goal you have for your blog?

It’s my goal to make this blog my career! I hope to share what I have to say and form as many connections with other wonderful bloggers as I can 🙂

8. Finish this sentence: After a long day, it makes me happiest to…

Kick back and snuggle with my hubby and two kitties 🙂

9. If you could give one piece of advice to a brand new blogger, what would it be?

Try with all your might not to play the comparison game. Everyone has different goals, different methods, and different ways of doing things. It’s okay to be you and have your blog grow at it’s own pace. Be happy with where you are at, but never stop striving to achieve your dreams! You’ll get there eventually, even if it doesn’t feel like it 🙂

10. Which of your blog posts is your favorite?

I think one of my favorites so far is my gold-dipped vintage chair makeover. It’s my very first furniture transformation, it got featured on Hometalk, and I really loved how the photos I took turned out 🙂

11. What is your favorite season and why?

That’s a toughie! I’d say either late summer or late spring – basically the bits of season that bookend the season of summer. It’s not boiling hot, but perfectly and deliciously warm, the air is crisp and fresh, and everything is alive and green 🙂 Mmm, perfection.

Want to learn a little more about me?  Check out my About page!  

If we haven’t connected on social media yet, you can find us here:  Facebook, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest and Twitter. I’ll follow back! I’d love to get connected 🙂

Last but definitely not least, here are the bloggers I’ve decided to pass the Liebster Award to.  Some of these bloggers already have more than 200 followers, but they’ve been blogging for around a year or less and are all really talented with lots of fun projects and ideas. Without further ado, here are my Liebster Award nominees!

– Leigh Anne @ Houseologie

– Stacey @ Addison Meadows Lane

– Karisa @ Petite Modern Life

– Carrie @ Kenarry

– Laura @ Mastering DIY

– Breighanne @ Average But Inspired

– Tara @ My Anything and Everything

– Christina @ Operation Home

– Kendra @ Joy in Our Home

– Nicole @ Meet the B’s

– Becky & Glenna @ My Paper Craze

Questions for our nominees:

1. What’s the inspiration behind the title of your blog?
2. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
3. What is your favorite movie?
4. Why did you start your blog?
5. Name one item near the top of your bucket list.
6. What is one of your biggest fears?
7. What is one goal that you have for your blog?
8. Which superpower would you most like to have?
9. If you could give one piece of advice to a brand new blogger, what would it be?
10. Which of your blog posts is your favorite?
11. What is your biggest pet peeve?

When you write your Liebster Award post, don’t forget to link back to this page so I know you’ve accepted! I can’t want to see what your answers are!!