I Got Nominated Again...

for the Sunshine Blogger Award 🌞

While on a mission trip to Toronto last week, I got a notification that said Jessica B. Brown had nominated me for the Sunshine Blogger Award. I was so surprised and delighted!

Jessica is a published author, YouTuber, entrepreneur, blogger, and an overall lovely person. Her faith is always apparent in everything she writes and I’ve loved getting to know her these past few months. Check out her Linktree here!

She recently launched her Gentle Heart Planners, an amazing organizational tool for Notion users. Her templates are absolutely stunning (yet simple)!

Jessica’s short story was published in Fingerprints in Frost: A Wild Blue Wonder Press Anthology, which is a collection of cozy short stories about “seeking God in the messy joys of homemaking and family.”

You can find her Substack below, which I highly suggest subscribing to. 💗

A little while ago, Molly McTernan nominated me for the Sunshine Blogger Award (you can find that post here). Today’s post will be very similar to it, though with different questions. :)

Let’s get started, shall we?

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The Official Rules:

• Display the Award’s official logo somewhere on your blog.

• Thank the person who nominated you.

• Provide a link to your nominator’s blog.

• Answer your nominator’s questions.

• Nominate up to 11 bloggers.

• Ask your nominees 11 questions.

• Notify your nominees by commenting on at least one of their blog posts.

Jessica’s questions and my answers:

1. What is a book you will never tire of rereading?

   I don’t think I can tire of reading/listening to several books…

   I would say the Bible, A Long Way From Chicago and A Year Down Yonder, and the Ramona Quimby series. <3 Also Patricia Polacco’s beautiful picture books!

2. What is something that inspires you? Why?

   Honestly? My bedroom. 🥰😂 I recently got my own room, which I painted pink and made into my own little haven. My windows face northwest so sometime around evening, the light is pouring in to splash across my quilt and over the walls and books. It always gets my creative juices going. <3

3. Who is someone who impacted you a lot in your life?

   My family. 💓

4. How did you get into writing?

   My love of books and my need to share my opinion with like-minded people. 😆

5. What is your favourite colour?

   Pink is the superior color, obviously. Not a screaming, hot pink, but a feminine, gentle pink.

6. Do you like your name? Why or why not?

   I do like my name and always have. To me, the name “Nicole” sounds feminine and pretty. Not too brittle or prissy, though. :)

7. Do you prefer the city or the country? Why?

   I was raised in the city so cities always have a special place in my heart. Visiting New York City a couple of years ago fueled my love for it even more but also grew in me a yearning for the calm and quaintness of the country!

8. Do you collect anything?

   I like to collect postcards from my travels and books now that I have more shelf space.

9. What hobby have you never tried but would like to?

   I’ve always liked the idea of book(re)binding or rock climbing!

10. Do you keep a journal?

    I do…but I seldom write in it. I used to have a daily, line-a-day journal that I purchased at Louisa May Alcott’s house but stopped writing in it a few months ago. I should probably pick up daily journaling again…

11. What is your favourite flower? What does this flower mean to you?

    Oooh, great question. I don’t have one favorite flower per se but I love all wildflowers, especially ones that somehow grow on the side of the highways! To me, they are symbolize hope and beauty.

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Okay, here’s my nominations!

• Jessica B. Brown - Jessica, I know you’ve literally just been nominated by Molly but I just wanted to let you know how much I’ve been enjoying your posts. They make a difference in my life! You don’t have to answer my questions (but if you do, you’re certainly welcome to!) but just know, I love reading anything you write!

• Ellen McGinty - Ms. Ellen’s author newsletters are by far one of my favorites to read!

• Amelia Wright - oh my gosh, her photos and her prose 🤩✨🤩✨🤩

• thewildflowers - reading thewildflowers’ posts feels like going into a beautiful garden with a dear friend. I always emerge encouraged and smelling the ghost of flowers in the air!

And here’s my questions for everyone:

1. How did you discover Substack and why did you decide to write on it?

2. Who encourages you the most to write?

3. What has been the biggest blessing about writing and making it public?

4. What’s the most important lesson you learned as a child?

5. What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in yourself as you’ve grown older?

6. Lots of company or being alone - which do you prefer?

7. Favorite movie of all time and why?

8. Favorite book of all time and why?

9. If your readers only took one thing away from your writing, what do you want it to be?

10. Who are you most inspired by?

11. Why do you still write?

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If you’re not subscribed yet, be sure to do so now to catch the 30th’s email!

Also, if you’d like and even if you weren’t nominated this time, I would love to hear your answers to any of my questions! <3