Liebster Award (x2)
Hello, lovelies! A lot of things have happened in the last month. We made an offer on a house (that was accepted!), Anthony and I both celebrated our birthdays, I was featured in the Lancaster Newspaper, I filed my taxes for the first time as a small business owner (not as bad as I thought it would be!), I was named a "Blogger to Watch in 2015" by Entrepreneur Hub AND I was nominated twice for the Liebster Award!
Today, I'm answering both sets of questions for my Liebster Award nominations, and I'm nominating 5 more bloggers for the award at the bottom of this post.
My first nomination came from Katie Diamond of Diamonds are Forever. Katie and I met while competing in the 2012 PA State Fair Queen Contest and have kept in touch through Facebook and Pinterest. I am so excited that Katie's started her own blog!
Thanks for the nomination, Katie!
1. How did you get into blogging? I started blogging in 2011, when Anthony and I had just moved into our first apartment. I started my blog mostly for myself, as a way to document the DIY and craft projects I was doing at the time. Since then, my blog has definitely evolved, changing domain names a couple of times before I launched Stevie Storck Design Co. in Fall of 2014.
2. What can people expect to see on your blog? The primary focus of my blog centers on my work as an Interior Designer. My goal is to show readers that no matter what their budget is, good interior design is within their reach. My husband, Anthony and I are closing on our first house next week, so moving forward, I’m excited to share all of the home improvement and decorating projects we plan to take on! In addition to posts about Interior Design & DIY Projects, I also write about Blogging and what I’ve learned over the past 4 years of trial-and-error. My friends and family will tell you that I’m kind of a blogging evangelist, so if you are thinking about starting a blog and have questions, I’d love to help!
3. What is your proudest accomplishment? Ever since I was a kid, I said that I wanted to become a homeowner by age 25. As an Interior Designer, the concept of “home” is at the forefront of my daily life, and over the last 2 years, Anthony and I have worked hard to make this dream a reality. When we close on our house next week with both of us just a few weeks over 24, I think that will be my proudest accomplishment to date.
4. What do you do to treat yourself? I love buying fresh flowers at the grocery store. Something about having fresh blooms in our apartment just makes me feel happy and relaxed. If you combine fresh flowers with a cup of tea I can enjoy without any distractions or to-do lists, I’m in heaven!
5. Who is your favorite celebrity? Oh lord, I’m actually pretty into following celebrities. I don’t care so much about their movies or careers, I mostly just pay attention when they get married and have children. What can I say? I love to look at pretty dresses and cute little babies. That being said, my favorite celebrity at the moment is someone who’s career I actually am interested in but who also had a gorgeous wedding and is a mom to two adorable children. That would be Ivanka Trump! She is so inspiring as a modern professional woman, wife and mother. You should definitely check out her new website!
6. What would you do with 1 million dollars? Up until this year, I probably would have given a much more fun answer but honestly, I would pay off our student loans and mortgage, renovate the kitchen and bathrooms in our new house, set up education funds for our future children, purchase and renovate an investment property or two, donate some to charity and save the rest for retirement. I know, how boring and adult of me.
7. What is your favorite item in your closet? I love the black leather jacket I bought in Berlin. It wasn’t terribly expensive or anything (it’s faux leather), but it’s a classic piece that reminds me of my trip to Germany every time I wear it.
8. What would be your dream vacation? I would love to take Anthony back to Germany with me, since it’s where the Storck family is from. Actually, my dream vacation would probably be if Anthony and I starred on a joint episode of Who Do You Think You Are? and we got to explore Europe while learning about our family histories.
9. What’s something you’re embarrassed to admit you are addicted to? Well, I already admitted to following celebrity weddings and babies so I may as well admit that I keep up with the Kardashians as well! Say what you want about the show (I’ll probably agree with you!) but I still like to watch it.
10. What are your plans for the future? That’s a big question! I have so many goals and plans for the future but if I learned one thing over the past couple of years, it’s that things change! It’s good to be a planner, but you also have to be flexible so you can roll with whatever life has in store for you.
11. Describe your dream job. I have my dream job! I’ve wanted to be an Interior Designer since I was at least 15 or 16. It’s awesome that almost ten years later, I’m doing it!
My second nomination came from Emily Cassel, my life coach and Chatham sister. Over the last year, Emily has become such a great friend and supporter for my goals in life and business. She is one inspirational lady! You have to check out her blog.
Thanks so much for the nomination, Emily!
1. What is your favorite place you’ve ever visited in the world & why? When I was in Germany, we took a day trip to Potsdam and toured some beautiful historic homes and gardens. My favorite place was Schloss Cecilienhof, which was actually where the Potsdam Conference in WWII took place. It was a gorgeous Tudor Mansion set on several acres by the Jungfernsee. Maybe it's because I wrote my undergraduate tutorial on Tudor architecture, or the fact that my Gram and Pop always called me Cecil, but I just felt totally electric there.
2. Who is the most inspiring person in your life right now? I am really inspired by my younger sister, Frankie. She recently moved to New York City and has been doing some pretty amazing things. She worked on the publicity for Lena Dunham’s new documentary, is freelancing with a start-up based in Tel Aviv and last night, she ran the official Snapchat account for the Shorty Awards! Here's a shot of her with Nev from MTV's Catfish:
Also, you should definitely follow Frankie on all them social medias. Especially YouTube ("The Birthday Present" is about me!). She's hilarious!
3. If you could choose only 3 foods to subsist on for the rest of your life, what would they be? Crab cakes, Mozzarella Cheese and Dark Chocolate.
4. What is your dream career? If you already have your dream career, what’s your alternate dream career? I’ve got my dream career! But I’ve always said that as a retirement career, I would like to buy and renovate a historic farm and turn it into a wedding venue.
5. What’s your favorite/most-played song at the moment? “Riptide” by Vance Joy
6. What do you purely because it brings you joy? Sing! I was big into choir in high school and I even considered a career as a music teacher. I currently sing with the York Symphony Chorus.
If you're in the York area, come see us perform "The Creation" on Saturday, May 9th!
7. If you could choose one responsibility in your career or life to eliminate, what would it be and why? STUDENT LOAN PAYMENTS! haha, really Anthony and I don't have it that bad. It's not like we went to medical school and have 100's of thousands in student loan debt. But still, a little bit of me dies every month when we pay our bills.
8. If you could choose one super power, what would it be and how would you use it? I wish I could apparate like Harry Potter. It would make traveling so much more manageable with a busy schedule!
9. What’s your favorite room in your house? In our new house, I think it’s going to be our master bedroom. It’s not the largest bedroom in the house but it has two closets and a little balcony right off of it. I can’t wait to decorate it!
10. Post your favorite photo of yourself and tell us the backstory. Do you remember what you were thinking, doing, or experiencing that day? I love this photo from our wedding. We snuck away with Savannah during the reception to take a few portraits in the field in front of my parents house. I just remember feeling so happy! It was nice to sneak away for a moment and just relish in the amazingness that was that day.
11. What’s your go-to order at a coffee shop? Honestly, I usually order just a small black coffee with one sugar. Sometimes I’ll mix it up and go with a Chai Latte.
I NOMINATE...
Kim of Kimberly Lynn Fit
Gabrielle of GABBYELLOW
Landen of Measure & Whisk
Lauren of LB Designs
Shannon of Much.Most.Darling
TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS:
1. What/who inspired you to start your blog?
2. What topics do you love to write about most?
3. Who should read your blog and why?
4. What's one thing people would be surprised to learn about you?
5. If you could snap your fingers and be anywhere in the world right now, where would you want to be?
6. What's your favorite room in your house?
7. Do you have a celebrity doppelganger?
8. Which of your blog posts are you most proud of? Tell us why and share the link!
9. What does your perfect day look like?
10. If you could only listen to one band or artist for the next 10 years, who would you chose?
11. What's your favorite social media platform? Which one have you never really gotten into?