The Liebster Award

I’d like to thank Being Lydia for nominating me for a Liebster Award. I took a hiatus from blogging for the summer and I’m glad to be back involved in the blogging community. It’s been awhile since I accepted a blog award, so I thought it would be fun and also nice to share more about myself. The award has rules, so here we go!

The rules are:

1.Thank the person who nominated and link back to their blog.
2.Display the Liebster Award on your blog.
3.Share 11 random facts about yourself.
4.Answer the 11 questions you were asked.
5.Nominate 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers for the award, by asking them 11 new questions (or having them 6.Answer the questions you were asked).
7.Make sure to let the bloggers know you’ve nominated them!
8.And don’t forget to copy the rules into your post!

My 11 random facts about myself:

1. 11 is in fact my favorite number.
2. I used to be a figure skater.
3. In romantic relationships I am the most attracted to Leos.
4. I love adult coloring books, way before they became trendy. I have been using coloring to relax since I was a child and given a box of crayons.
5. I have had 3 dogs and 2 cats during my life, though the dogs were serial.
6. My favorite color to wear is burgundy, but my favorite color is actually orange.
7. I have a transgender younger half-sister.
8. I used to color my hair light blond.
9. I travelled to Europe for 3 months alone when I was 19.
10. I always thought I would end up living in Southern California. (There’s still time!)
11. I have the movie poster for Pretty in Pink framed and hanging in my kitchen.

My 11 questions given to me to answer:

1.What got you started with your blog?
I was a volunteer at Northside Music Festival in Williamsburg in 2009 and met a blogger named Rob Fields who was hosting a showcase. We had a long conversation about music blogging and he convinced me to start a music blog. I had previously been too intimated to do it.

2.What are your favourite hobbies?
I love to read. I prefer memiors and YA novels. I love movies. I like to write poetry and very short stories.

3.Do you prefer the city or the country?

I live in a suburban enclave 18 minutes from the city. I’d like to ideally live in the country and play in the city.

4.What is your favourite way to de-stress after a tough day?
Watch the show “Nashville” and be with my cat.

5.If you had an hour to watch anything you wanted on TV (past or present) what would it be?
I used to come home after junior high school and watch MTV (when it was cool music videos) for hours.

6.Do you play any musical instruments?
I studied classical piano until I was 18 and I can play a bit of acoustic guitar.

7.What was/is your favourite subject in school?
Math, because it came naturally and was easy for me.

8.Do you prefer to dress up and go to a classy restaurant or dress down and eat take-out?
Definitely dress up and go out to a nice restaurant!

9.Do you like to cook? bake? what is your favourite thing to make?
I like it but I didn’t grow up cooking so my favorite thing to make is a big salad.

10.If your blog were turned into a movie, who would be most suited to play you?
Winona Ryder. A cool, but kind of sad girl.

11.Do you have a favourite animal (domestic or wild)?
I love owls.

The 11 bloggers I nominate:
blue light blue
Writergurlny
The Daily Struggle
writingspiration
Keep Going
Positively Un-broken
Wind Rush
Can I Do It All?
Just Like Julie
Collecting Moments
All Things Kalen

Please if you accept the award, answer these 11 questions:

1. What got you started with your blog?
2. Please link to your favorite post you have written and why is it your favorite?
3. What is your favorite color?
4. If a movie were to be played about your life, who would play you?
5. Where would you like to travel that you haven’t travelled to yet?
6. What was your favorite book or movie as a child?
7. What is your favorite season and why?
8. What is your astrological sign and do you feel it describes your personality?
9. Do you have a bucket list? What is number 1?
10. If you like to exercise what’s your favorite type of exercise?
11. What’s your dream job?

Thanks again for the award!

Jillypopmusic 1 year anniversary!

Hello to my followers and friends! Please enjoy this post celebrating my 1 year anniversary at WordPress with Jillypopmusic. Grab a virtual glass of champagne and let the celebration begin!

The most exciting thing about my year of bloggging has been seeing that I have had visitors from 60 countries! While the US is still where the mosts views come, Jillypopmusic has been read globally.

Aside from the countries, what really makes me happy is the interaction and friendships formed in the WordPress community. When I took Blogging 101 in January, I discovered some amazing blogs and supportive bloggers. I even got nominated for some blogging awards. I barely interacted with my readers in 2014. In 2015 the comments and likes and followers has been really rewarding. A special shoutout to my top commenters: DesleyJane and Adele.

A blog is only as good as its posts. Here are some of my most popular posts

Even though this started as a music blog, I have posted some personal journal entries and short stories and poetry. I enjoy mixing it up and I hope my readers like it. I attend a weekly writing critique meetup in Astoria, Queens. I also wrote some entries from an online workshop Griffla which is a Swedish/English blog.

Well, it’s been a great almost 3 months after my 6 month hiatus. Here’s to the next year of Jillypopmusic getting even better, and thank you to my over 100 followers for reading my blog. I’ll end with this thought: I write, not because I want to, but because I have to.

xx
Jill

The Versatile Bloggers Award

The Versatile Bloggers award was given to me by the wonderful sisters of Faraday’s Candle.

These are the rules to follow to accept this award:

Show the award on your blog.
Thank the person who nominated you.
Share seven facts about yourself.
Nominate 15 blogs.
Link your nominees’ blogs, and let them know.

About me:

I prefer to travel by myself.

I have colored my brunette hair blonde and burgundy before.

I quit smoking cigarettes 10 years ago.

I know all the worldwide airport codes since I used to work as a travel agent.

I mostly dress in black.

I am an only child.

I have an enormous amount of film trivia in my head.

The blogs I am nominating:

musingsofafrequentflyingscientist | A lovely travel and photography blog from desley jane.

Bipolar Scorpio | She blogs about her journey while living with Bipolar 1 Disorder. A must read!

The Real Atypical Italian Traveler | John documents his worldwide travels in a unique voice with great photos.

Griffla | A bilingual English/Swedish online creative writing course from Emilie in Sweden.

Basil and Oil | Easy and fun recipes for any occasion.

The Simply Sassy Life | Share Kalyssa’s journey incluidng how a 22 year old manages a chronic illness.

After Midnight: A Christian Bipolar | Excellent and educational, Kathy’s blog helps fight the stigma of mental illnesses.

Anniewhere she goes | A mix of poetry and pop culture posts by Little Snowflake.

A Writer’s Journey | Blogging a spiritual life and journey.

bluchickenninja | Emma blogs about books.

Outside the Fish Bowl | Michelle shares her beautiful artwork.

A Lady in Adelaide | inspirational writings and travel blog.

Memoirs of a Pond-Crosser: A Southerner Abroad | Poetry and travel blogger with a unique perspective.

Megan Elizabeth – Creative Imaginations | a writing blogger based in Chicago.

Designs By Kylee | blogging from a college student’s perspective

It’s an Honor to Be Nominated

It may not be Hollywood, but here in the WordPress Blogging 101 course, it’s awards season. Ryan Seacrest isn’t doing the Red Carpet arrivals and interviews, but the blogger who nominates you does give you a list of questions to answer. The awards have rules, as well if one were to accept.

Some may be skeptical to accept their award. Some get jubilant at the nomination. For me, when I accepted the Sisterhood of World Bloggers award, I had fun answering the questions and coming up with new questions for my nominees.

Anyway, I have since received 2 more nominations. It is nice and flattering but I can’t fill my blog with these kind of posts.

Rather than decline altogether Little Snowflake asked me to answer her questions. And so I shall. Because it is an honor to be nominated after all.

While I’m up here sipping Champagne with my fellow bloggers, I’d like to thank Bipolar Scorpio who nominated me for a Leibster Award. I can’t accept but I hope you’ll understand. Now, where’s the limo to take me to the After Party?

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So, Little Snowflake here are my answers to your 10 questions

What is the biggest achievement in your life?

Honestly, I never thought I’d make it to my thirties and now I’m in my early forties. My younger years were tumultuous and I struggled a lot. When I turned 30 I realized, maybe I’m supposed to stick around for awhile.

What is the place you have always wanted to visit?
Ireland. It looks so green and gorgeous in the movies. And the people are really nice. I’d like to hang out in a pub with the locals.

If given a chance to be someone else, who would you want to be (fictional/non fictional)?

Pippi Longstocking.

What part of your body would you like to change?

My eyes. They are big. But they also make me look like me, so I don’t wish to change them.

If you were immortal, what do you imagine yourself to be/what would you be doing?
I’d do every extreme activity – skydiving, bungee jumping. I’d take a million risks.

What else do you enjoy besides your (usual) hobby?

I volunteer a lot, mostly with nursing home residents.

If you knew the purpose of your life, would you rather pick another path (choice will be provided), or continue the same one?
I read Divergent and I would probably choose a third option.

Would you prefer Diving under the sea or Space travel? And why?
I love the ocean, and I have been snorkeling. It’s a fascinating world under the sea.

Who would be your favorite author and why?
Erica Jong. She was a trailblazer in Feminist fiction.

What is your favorite quote?
When I die, sprinkle my ashes over the Eighties. – David Lee Roth