Sunshine Blogger Award

I was crying over my blog stats the other day in a fug of impatience and denial (I’d neglected it for about a week, actual real life was up in my face all week … although I do know how to schedule posts so yeah – my fault) when I got a lovely surprise. Chomeuse With A Chou had nominated me for a Sunshine Blogger Award. An award! Thank you! Hurrah! And so ill deserved if based on the way I treat this sorry weblog; I felt like the evil mum in “Ballerina” who bribes and pushes her emotionally neglected progeny into the Grande Opera with the finest prime rib in Paris.

That’s a film reference people without dance mad kids won’t get.

Chomeuse With A Chou is also heartwarming and French; a warm, humorous family blog about an English stay-at-home mum in her ancient French farm house. With funny tales of renovations and references to heritage literature, this is a refreshing ‘parenting blog’ free from the usual stereotypes and cookie cutter posts. It’s a lovely little escape in blog form and I recommend it!

The Sunshine Blogger award rewards inspiration and creativity. There are some rules which I list below, because otherwise I will forget how to do them and ruin everything. No one wants to be the weakest link.

RULES

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you in your blog post and link back to the blog.

2. Answer 11 questions that the Blogger asked you.

3. Nominate 11 new bloggers to receive the awards and write them 11 questions.

4. List the rules and display the Sunshine blogger award logo in your post on your blog.

So, here are the questions I was asked:

Why did you start your blog?

I used to blog about vintage, kitsch and charity shopping (Perdita’s Pursuits) between 2011-2014, I enjoyed it and it opened up a lot of opportunities for me, as well as helping me make some long term friends. However it sort of faded away due to health stressed before and after the birth of my daughter, including recurrent miscarriage. I just didn’t want to do anything.
Once I got back on my feet I realised I couldn’t go to antique shops, wear irreplaceable clothes or go out to vintage parties every week because of my job and the Childe, so I decided to blog about how my lifestyle fits into my local area. It’s a wonderful part of London, but this makes it an affluent and expensive place to live – however many of us do so without being loaded by being thrifty and creative.
To be honest I was also sick of the repetitive, ill researched and sanctimonious blogs that pop up on social media because an algorithm ‘pushed a small person out of her’ has been triggered somewhere. There are so many excellent mum bloggers, who don’t conform to the Stepford stereotype, out there and I wanted to engage with the community and find them!

 

What are your favourite things to do (when you aren’t blogging, of course)?

Drinking coffee in the sun, reading with the Childe, coming up with bizarre schemes with the Childe, staring at Pinterest on my phone. Working. Cooking. Sleeping. Craft beer drinking.
I could lie and pretend I volunteer at a donkey sanctuary or virtue signal about wanting to gaze lovingly at my family all day while prostrating myself as a human doormat but I don’t.

 

If you could only visit one place, where would you go?

Barcelona I reckon. I like cities.

 

Do you have a favourite post from your blog?

I really liked writing this one. Seems an odd choice, possibly a bit boring, but when I read it and I think about some of my favourite wardrobe staples I get a huge bargain buzz!

 

What is your favourite book? (If it is far too difficult to choose, who is your favourite author?)

Boris Akunin writes incredibly tight detective fiction, and is a fascinating character himself.

 

What are your goals for your blog?

I would love a healthy local ‘hobby blog’ with a loyal following. I’m not after internet fame or professional blogging (I know some pro-bloggers, it’s the hardest parts of creative work and being a sole trader businessperson – with higher risk! All of those ‘earn loads, it’s easy’ fantasy how-tos disrespect full time creatives and tend to rely on people coming to it without an established career: my professional career is established and I’m not looking to move away from it).

 

Which three possessions would you grab in the event of fire?

My phone, my purse and my lucky bunny teddy. (I am presuming here we don’t mean possessions in terms of relatives, I’m not completely heartless.)

 

Do you live in the town or country where you were born?

Yes. I have lived elsewhere but gravitated back here about a decade ago. London is unique in that it’s almost like a culture of its own (same with Liverpool, Manchester and other large cities). I’ve gone elsewhere in the UK but it’s never quite the same.

 

Do you have any unusual phobias?

Slugs. Vom vom vom vom. Slugs (and a moderate list of other stuff).

 

Do you speak another language?

I was dragged through GCSE French and German, everyone thought I’d be good because my mum speaks about five languages, but I really struggled.

 

If you could chat to any person in history (real or literary) who would you choose?

Nanny Plum. I like her style.

 

Here are my 11 Questions:

1. What is your daily work and how did you get into it?
2. How would you describe your writing style?
3. How do you express your creativity?
4. Are you extravagant or thrifty?
5. What is your favourite time of year and why?
6. What book, character or TV show would you love a movie to be made of?
7. Describe your ideal day out.
8. What little social media habits really irritate you?
9. What is your favourite meal to eat ‘out’?
10. Describe something you have done skillfully/well.

 

Here are my nominees (I appreciate not everyone does blog awards, but if you do… have this award from the one who always comments with weird errors because of the auto correct on her phone):

• The Recipe Hunter: Cook And Enjoy Recipes
• Whinge Whinge Wine
• Ramya Recipes
• Mumma Scribbles
• Drunken Bunny: The Endless British Pub Crawl
• English Language Thoughts
• Crystal’s Site
• But I Smile Anyway
• 3 Kids No Sleep
• Kiddo Adventures
• Feeling Ealing

 

If you follow me because of parenting, lifestyle tips or the London link, check these blogs out! You’ll be sure to find some better drafted and planned posts than you get here…