the liebster award!

Just a little excitement here at girlwithagypsyheart today... even having my page sit idle for a while, sweet Maegan (aka: Mama Bee over at The Bee Hive Buzz) nominated me for The Liebster Award! THANKS SO MUCH MAEGAN!!! What an honor?! 

If you, like me, are unfamiliar with the Liebster Award, let me fill you in... (I did a bit of research after discovering I was nominated.)

I love words, so let's start with the word 'Liebster' itself:

Liebster has German roots and is typically used as an adjective describing someone as dearest, sweetest, kindest, nicest, beloved, lovely, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, welcome, sweetheart, and sometimes even boyfriend... all great things!

SO, playing off that knowledge, this award is given to bloggers by other bloggers. It's similar to a chain letter in that it is sent forward to a number of other writers and it's main objective is to introduce readers to new wonderful up-and-coming blogs. 

The unofficially official rules (I found a slew of rules to choose from, so I'll go with the ones Maegan used...) are:

1. Each nominee must post 11 facts about themselves.
2. Answer the questions from the person who nominated you and create 11 new questions for those you nominate.
3. Nominate 5-11 of your favorite bloggers and link them in your post.
4. Go to their page and tell them.
5. Thank and link back to the person's blog who nominated you.

And so it begins!!

11 facts about the girl with a gypsy heart:

1. I hate the idleness of complacency. Enough to warrant doing things I dislike almost as much... like making an utter fool of myself for years just to conquer something I know I'll love and cherish for a lifetime.
2. I am an ambivert. (Aka: a walking contradiction. Watch this TEDTalks for a better understanding and to help you discover which you are.)
3. My balance of grace and justice is pretty much BROKEN. (I'm a lover, not a hater!)
4. I spent a year living in Europe that absolutely changed my life forever and brought light to things I never knew I was capable of. I now am a square peg in a round hole trying to figure out where I belong! :) (It's not as bad as it seems... or at least I'm learning to come to grips with it.)
5. I would rather go to the ends of the earth SOLO than have to organize every little detail or be held back by a group.
6. I could eat avocados with every meal. I could probably incorporate them into any and every type of dish as well.
7. I am a libertarian in every sense of the word. (FREEEEEEEEDOMMMMMM!!!)
8. I sincerely believe I would not only survive, but thrive living as a part of a commune. :)
9. I whole-heartedly believe in holistic health not just because of the evidence and simplicity of it, but because I worship a mighty God who created a perfect earth and I believe that in His work of creating this crazy wonderful residence for us, He delighted in creating solutions for us as well. Everything that grows from the ground and breathes on this earth has purpose and a place. (I could go on and on, but I think that's a view of mine that gets distorted into just being a hippie -- there's much more to it peeps! :) )
10. I have more dreams than I know what to do with, but am nevertheless striving to accomplish each and every one of them.
11. My deepest awareness of myself is that I am deeply loved by Jesus Christ and I have done nothing to earn it or deserve it. (As a sidenote: my very favorite author is Brennan Manning.)

And now, for the questions Maegan provided:

How did you decide on the title of your blog?

My dad and I have always loved adventures and I believe he's the one who first deemed us as having 'gypsy hearts'... we're pulled wherever our interests lie which is usually a road trip or plane flight away. I created my blog in attempts to keep in touch and document my adventures in Europe and thought it was a little long, but nothing short of perfect.

Do you have any pets?

I have a Mollie-girl who is actually my parents', but I claim her as my own. She's a sweet yellow lab and a fellow lover of life.

If you could change one thing in your life, what would it be?

This one is really, super difficult. I honestly am so crazy excited for where my life's taking me and all I've learned in the past few hard earned years that I can't say I'd change a thing, one small difference would have me somewhere other than where I am right here and now... 

What was your favorite cartoon as a child?

I always loved Beauty and the Beast... except for that scary part in the forest. Eeech... I still want to be Belle. :)

Coffee or tea?

COFFEE. I'm a total poser, but in the past few months, I have become such an addict!! I love, love, LOVE that bit of morning when you wake up to a quiet house and sunshine and can sit in the new light of day with a steaming cup and a beloved book and just gear up for all that is to come. Ah, is there anything more glorious?!

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

Ireland. I've never met more hospitable, wonderful, gorgeous people in all of my life. I visited during a drought and it was so beautiful, I can't even imagine the sights with lush green pastures! AND they have some of the strictest standards in agriculture which means their food is pure, delicious, and nutritious. 

What are your 3 favorite blogs that you follow?

1. http://suebryce.com/blog/
2. http://www.101cookbooks.com/
3. http://enlightenedmama.com/blog/

What is one thing that you can't leave the house without doing?

My morning coffee ritual - it really throws off my day to miss it!

What is your favorite topic to blog about??

Food. 

And Jesus. :)

...and babies.

......and traveling.

Really, Maegan? How can I pick just one?!

I have a lot of passions. It's a blessing and a curse. My favorite time to blog is when it is so authentic, I don't even have to think - the words just course through my veins and out of my fingers. 

I have three posts in perticular that have been such a delight to write - they always seem to be the ones that get read the most and have the most response to them. All were about different things. Sorry Sweets! I can't pick just one! Not today anyway! 

What is something you do in your house to be more ecofriendly?

We have a compost bin in the backyard and take all of our scraps and seeds and such out after a day or two of collecting in a mug or a bowl. It makes the tomatoes grow super-tall too, win-win!

In your opinion, what is the best blog post you've written so far? Share the link!

There's a lot of extra words from my very favorite author, but here it is... 

I now nominate:

Renae at Launder Life.

Mary at Real is the New Good.

Ashley at Ashley Grace.

Shannon at Organic Girl.

Christen at Brain Bending.

Hannah at These Encounters with God are Defining Who I am.

Andi at The Narrative.

Maegan at The Bee Hive Buzz.
Hanna at Simply Gina.

And my questions for you are:

1. For you, what is the most rewarding part of blogging?
2. Why do you blog?
3. What inspires your writing?
4. Do you have a routine for your blog? If so, what is it?
5. What makes your heart so full you think it might explode? How do you feel you can encounter these moments more in life?
6. What is your favorite time of day and why?
7. If you discovered you were just gifted a plane ticket anywhere in the world with any two people, where would you go and who would you take with you?
8. Do you prefer blogging or journaling?
9. If you could rewrite the definition of 'adventure', how would you describe it?
10. What is your very favorite town and why?
11. Your choice (or both!) -- what is the most popular post you've written thus far and/or what is your favorite blog post you've written to date?

Nominees, please either send me the link to your Liebster Award post OR, better yet!, leave a comment with your link so I can learn the answers to the questions I've asked you! :) I'm excited to hear all the different answers and discover more reasons why I love these writers!

Thanks again, Maegan, for the nomination! What a fun way to celebrate the art of blogging?!

BHG Opportunity

As if life hasn't been crazy enough, lately... it seems God thought it'd be nice to compensate for all of the tough stuff that came along in May by blessing me with lots of incredible opportunities and fun in June. :) One of these many opportunities was an opportunity presented by an old friend from when I lived in DSM, Sue. 

Sue taught cooking classes at Kitchen Collage during the time that I was working there. Thanks to her, I am now capable of creating delicious homemade egg rolls, some incredible Thai soups, and if I tried really hard, I might even be able to remember how to successfully poach an egg.

It's been a while since my DSM days, but Sue and I have been able to keep in contact via Facebook. I keep up with her different catering gigs and gorgeous foodie photos while she keeps up with my travels and photography.

At the end of May I received this from her:

• May 31, 2012
• 

  5/31, 10:45pm

  Sue 

  Hey you!! Long time, no talk to! Hope all's well. Say, I have a seriously crazy proposition for you: My company is doing some VERY last minute video work for Meredith through the month of June where we'll be shooting some short cooking-type videos, and we're looking for some people who might be good in front of the camera (I know you're doing beautiful work behind it!) and who have some familiarity with food (that is, they are comfortable cooking and chopping and all that stuff). Would you happen to be interested in coming in for a day or two to give it a try? Don't worry if this isn't up your alley--I totally get it! If you have questions about it, call me...

Naturally, I responded with this:

• 
  

  5/31, 10:47pm

  Lauren

  SUE THAT SOUNDS SO FUN!!! When do you need me?! thank you for considering me!

We talked. We emailed. We planned. Everything came together. I showed up one Friday and was BLOWN AWAY at the whole scene of a professional video shoot!! It was SOOO much fun. 

I had the privilege of being made up by the one and only Mary-Kate Gales. She's incredible. Just after sitting with her for an hour, I felt like I had known her for a lifetime. She was so personal and encouraging. She gave me tips on building a small business and taking advantage of opportunities such as this one to build a portfolio. She was kind enough to take photos of me during the set (I'll add those in a minute!) There was just something about her presence, she is very much alive and inspiring to be around... these types of encounters are my favorite!

Throughout the course of our day, we shot enough for three 1-2 minute videos: 

Secrets to Success from Better Homes and Gardens

• Chicken and Dumplings
• Spice Rubbed Chicken with Roasted Onions
• Maple Brined Turkey

I don't yet have the links to any of them... but will probably add them on here when I get them. We'll see. 

Everything about the day just gave me such a rush. The pressure of knowing my lines and being animated enough on camera was so strange. Having to fill up a silent room with a the voice I've carried for the last 24 years was really bizarre too! It was fascinating how they prepared the food downstairs and created such works of art... and they were still edible! It was fun to see how Peter, the cameraman, worked with the lighting and changed his angles to create depth and different focuses to keep things interesting. 

It was a great day, I can't wait to do it again!