Have you ever noticed that the most charming and inviting blogs are the ones where you get to know the person behind the screen? Someone who shares themself with you no matter the subject they’re talking about. It’s that personality that keeps you coming back again and again regardless of how small or broad the niche.
This past weekend I had such a great time networking and learning at a bloggers conference called BlogJam Atlantic and one of the main threads that was present throughout the day was that it’s so important to share your own personal voice and story with your readers, no matter what your blog is about. It’s something I haven’t done much of with this blog because my focus so far has just been on the books. That’s about to change!
On the drive home, I thought a lot about how I would be able to incorporate more of myself in my writing here without taking away from the literary conversations I’m trying to have. In something like a review, I can do that by expressing my opinions and get into why I feel the way I do about things. In more general posts like my list of bookish podcasts, I can show myself more openly to you and talk about the things that I’m interested in. No matter the post, the language and words I use will definitely show you a part of who I am.
When I got home I saw a notification on twitter that the lovely Cat from The Bibliovert had nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award. This was so timely because I truly do want to be a versatile blogger. I want to contribute to bookish culture and literacy and I want to do it in a way that allows you to get to know me so we can be friends! I want to have conversations with you and I want to meet other people who like the same things that we do. I want to find my people!
Along with this award, comes a fun tag to help share things about myself which is why the timing was so perfect. So here we go!
Rules:
♥ Thank the person who nominated you and include a link to their blog
♥ Share 7 things about yourself
♥ Nominate bloggers that you follow for this award
Thank you so much Cat for thinking enough of me to include me in your list! You can learn more about her in her post. Check out the other people that she selected too! They are fantastic!
Now here are some things that you may not know about me!
#Momlife
I have two wild and crazy boys who are 5 and 3 years old as of today. I’m not sure how that happened though, because I literally just gave birth. Sometimes I feel like it’s a strain on my sanity, but we have recently embarked on the journey of homeschooling which has been challenging but incredibly fun and rewarding. I can’t wait to see where it will take us!
True Crime Junkie
I know I mentioned in my spooky spoofs post that I don’t like reading horror novels or anything too scary and I really don’t. But there’s something about true crime shows, books and podcasts that really draws me in and satisfies some sort of morbid fascination in me. Some of my favorites are Making a Murderer, I’ll be Gone in the Dark, and My Favorite Murder.
Taphophile
I am what some call a “tombstone tourist” or a “cemetery enthusiast”. For whatever reason, I find graveyards incredibly peaceful, beautiful and interesting. You can find the most intricate artwork and amazing monuments. One of my favorite things to do is to find very very old graves and think about what the person might have been like or what life would have been like for them at the time they were alive. I feel that by acknowledging their life, their footprint on this earth is carried on and they are not forgotten. Even if it’s just in a small way.
Gamer
I love playing video games. I don’t have as much time for it these days with homeschooling and all of the other activities our family is involved in but it’s still one of my favorite ways to check out for a little while and relax. I wish I had more time for it and I’ll still try to when I have a change, but I have a channel on Mixer where I stream video games for fun. It has allowed me to meet some great friends and connect with people from all over.
Abandoned
I find abandoned buildings so cool! I love to explore a place that is all but forgotten and has been left behind. I don’t want to take anything or do any damage, I just want to explore and walk around a big time capsule. Writing all of these things is really making me see how weird I am!
Foodie
I love to cook! This wasn’t always the case, but in recent years I’ve really gotten into my groove in the kitchen. As much as I like cooking, I think I like eating even more. I enjoy trying new foods from all over the world and I’ll trying anything at least once if someone, somewhere likes to eat it! I don’t think I’ve ever been a picky eater a day in my life but when I married my husband, he sure was! It’s been a process, but I have slowly been able to encourage him to try and like to eat all kinds of different foods too. It’s so fun to help my kids find food that they love too!
Professional Student
If I could, I’d be a professional student! In a lot of ways I think that I already am. I am constantly learning. I enjoy taking courses, attending conferences or seminars, watching documentaries, reading non-fiction books about things I want to know more about. My brain has a thirst to know more and more and I have never felt that thirst satisfied at this point in my life. I feel like we’ve always got a chance to learn more and grow from it.
I Nominate …
YOU! If you’re a new blogger, an old blogger, a blogger who is starting over. Tell me about yourself! Share yourself with the world so we can see how unique your voice is and how no one else is quite like you are. Please feel free to accept this nomination and make sure to come back and share your link with me so that I can make sure to see it.
I am so glad that I am not the only one who finds cemeteries peaceful!! (My husband thinks I am creepy, haha.) I love walking around them, particularly old ones. My favorite cemetery is Bonaventure in Savannah, which is GORGEOUS and overlooks a beautiful spot in the bend of Wilmington River. I can’t think of a nicer place to spend eternity than right there. My second favorite cemetery (…just thinking now, is it weird that I have a list of favorites? LOL) is Old Brompton Cemetery in the Earl’s Court section of London. It’s a long patch of land with very old gravestones, many of them busted and no longer readable — but that ones that are still in good shape are pretty interesting to read. I discovered it while on a business trip a few years ago, and it’s one of my fave London walk spots now when I’m in that area.
Savannah is on my bucket list for cemeteries and food haha! I try to find beautiful cemeteries wherever I go!
I loved learning more about you! I cracked up at: I just gave birth. HAHA, and BAM, there they were! I don’t know how you manage to do it all. I love that you find peace and serenity in cemeteries. I like looking at older headstones and seeing what I can piece together about someone’s life. Salem, Charleston, St. Aug….they all have interesting graveyards. I also wish that I could be a perpetual student. I love learning new things. I went back to grad school almost 10 years after undergrad to get my MLIS. Although it was scary at first, I think it’s always healthy to continuously learn and grow.
Salem would be such a cool place for headstones! I used to work in the funeral industry as an answering service for funeral homes and cemeteries and there are some huge ones I would speak to that are now on my bucket list to visit haha! I can imagine myself going back to school at some point to add to my BA!