I won! I won! No, it’s not a golden statue, and I don’t have to wear a sequined dress (But I’m going to. Seriously, how many opportunities do we get?) or give an acceptance speech on national TV in front of millions of adoring fans (Maybe next year?) But today I won a LIEBSTER award, and I’m taking it.
Blogging can be a very isolated activity. Most of us sit in our offices for hours (days, weeks…oh hell, years) on end, in our sweats, all bed hair and bunny slippers, writing and rewriting posts that we’re not even sure anyone will read. Sometimes the only way to know if our stuff is reaching anybody is to click our stat boards like crack-addled squirrels, whoop-dee dancing in our empty offices when we get a new subscriber, or crashing to the ground like the only kid not invited to little Johnny’s birthday party when we lose a Twitter follower we’ve never actually met. So bloggers have created their own awards that we pass along to each other, to encourage, support, and offer enthusiastic shout outs to our favorite writers. It’s our way of sharing the blog love and helping other bloggers grow their readership.
Today Richard Rumple, of the ever-so-fabulous That’s Life…Sometimes gave me a LIEBSTER award. Check out his blog. You’ll be glad you did!
The Liebster award was created for newer bloggers. We’re the ones who daily compare ourselves with seasoned bloggers who have a billion followers and have quit their day jobs to sell their wildly successful books. They’re constant reminders that we may be good, but we’ll never be that good. The Liebster award is a way of saying “Great blog! Keep writing, and don’t give up. YOU CAN DO THIS.”
Of course, as with most awards, there are rules. The Liebster award says you must answer 11 questions about yourself, then make up 11 different questions for the 11 bloggers you pass the award over to. Wow. At the risk of never receiving another award (and because I have a day job and this assignment will take me days to complete), I’m am going to toss out the existing rules and make up my own.
Vikki’s Liebster Award Rules:
1. There are no rules. None. Just accept the award, bask in the glory and do with it what you will.
2. If you’ve read more than, say, 3 of my posts, you already know more about me than you probably ever wanted to (I tend to blurt out everything), so I’m going to skip answering any questions. Feel free to do the same.
3. Put the badge up on your blog if you’d like. I did, because it’s cool. And it’s an award. I like awards.
4. Nominate other bloggers that you like. You decide how many and what the rules are. We’re writers. Write something, and pass it along.
Rule #4 is the hardest. When passing an award to other bloggers, there’s always a chance you’ll nominate someone who has already received it, or you’ll overlook a blogger you love, or you’ll list someone who doesn’t need it (they have a thousand followers, and this one is for new bloggers). Aarrgghh! So here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to list my favorite blogs and leave it at that.
If you’ve already received it, now you’re a multiple-award-winning ROCK STAR. If it doesn’t apply to you because you’re too big for it, you’re definitely a ROCK STAR. If your blog is fabulous and I overlooked it, I suck and you’re a ROCK STAR anyway.
Vikki’s List of Favorite Blogs (You need to check these out. They intimidate the crap out of me and I read them anyway. Yeah, they’re that good):
Life According to Julie
Confessions of a Mommyholic
The Dose of Reality
Empty House, Full Mind
Janie Emaus
Oh Boy Mom
Rachael’s Insane Rants and Bizarre Musings
After the Kids Leave
My Half Assed Life
Grandma’s Briefs
The Great Jollyhoombah
The Adventures of a Misplaced Alaskan
Kiss My List
Momopolize
Sadder But Wiser Girl
Something Clever 2.0
Carpool Goddess
A Pleasant House
So to my fellow bloggers, go thank your parents, your husband, your children, and your Aunt Mimi’s brother’s sister’s Chihuahua, Lola, for bringing you to this celebratory moment. And now pass it along.
I love your rules for this and seriously thanks for the mention. I admit I hate the whole rules part for these awards and the fact that you made up your own rules is awesome!! :) By the way, I think you know I love you and your blog too, so the feeling is quite mutual!!!
Aww. Thank you!! Your blog is so funny and so good, and I have no idea why you’re intimidated. :) xo
I won one yesterday too! We’ve hit the big time. I guess the press junket is next? =)
Too funny! You’ve listed some of my favorite blogs here, and some new ones I need to check out!
You rock the free world our friend!! THANK YOU for including us in this list and giving us this award! We humbly accept while practicing our acceptance speech in our bathroom mirror talking into our hairbrushes! :)-Lisa and Ashley
Vikki, thanks so much for this lovely award–we love that you like our blog, and really appreciate the mention.
Now, as for you being intimidated…what??? You’re an excellent writer, a great storyteller, and most important (from our point of view, at least) a comic genius. Go forth and be awesome, and keep making us laugh!
xoxo
Thank you for the recognition…so appreciated! And coming from someone whose blog I LOVE, makes it that much more valuable!
Congrats o your award…so deserving.
Many thanks for this award – but more than that , many thanks for your blog! You are an entertaining, genuine voice, and I never miss reading your posts. Keep on writing!
Gah! I never expected to win, considering all the other worthy blogs! I’m honored to be included in the same breath (or blog post) as them. Worthy women. Sheesh … I didn’t even prepare a speech. Oh my…! Well…I’d like to thank … YOU!! For the award, for the steady stream of smiles provided by your blog, and for the rules-out-the-window rule as I’m horrible about sticking to award rules.
You, my funny friend, ROCK! Thank you!
Congratulations! Aren’t awards fun!
We are so excited to check out these blogs, Vikki. We are honored you chose to list us, and we promise not to let you down. In your honor, we will continue to blog about our ridiculous antics.
My favorite answer of yours: #2. But, you know, we could never know too much about you! Keep writing! That way, when I am 85, I can say, “See these laugh lines, CJ? It’s that Vikki!” I’ll slap my knee, sip my Metamucil, and check to see if your next post is out.
Thank you I accept your award, was nominated twice for it, but afraid of trying to find 11 bloggers to give it, to! Thanks for making it easy!
Thank you so much. I’ve been hooked on your blog ever since I read “Good morning mom, now for the love of God put some clothes on”
Aw!! Thank you!! And congratulations!!! We little guys gotta stick together!! I’ll post my award tomorrow!! :)
Vikki you’re awesome. Thanks for the shout out, and I love your rules!
I LOVE your new rules!! I have a few awards that people have kindly bestowed on to me but have not posted about them because of the rules! May I shamelessly borrow your rules to finally post about mine?!!
You most certainly ROCK! Congrats on your award!
Love Youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!
Wow, me, a winner?! Yippee!!! Coming from a rock star blogger like you, I am totally humbled. Thank you for the honor!!
Thanks so much Vikki! I’m truly honored I am one of your recipients! I love your blog and look forward to your posts because I know you will ALWAYS make me laugh…I also love your made up rules for this award…since I’m on vacation this week, I’m going to graciously accept and bask in the glory (along with the sun I am hoping to bathe in)…thx again!!
Aw shucky-darns, Vikki! I’m honored and confuzzled! Why the heck would I intimidate YOU?! You are awesomesauce and make me laugh every damn time I tune into your peppergasm blog!
Thanks for mentioning me! And for the record, I love your blog.
I love the support your award brings to others! Congratulations…glad I found you!
Naughty! Naughty! Tossing away rules and making your own can get you sent to the land of the zombie bloggers! lol What we now have to do is circle the wagons to keep all that have done the work so far (many also having full time jobs) from going on a tirade and attacking. :) Still, it would take a moron to think you didn’t deserve the award! You always do a great job! Thanks for the shout out!
I just hopped over from another blog, and I am so glad I did! You have really summed up what so many of us feel. A wise man (or some literary agent I talked to) once said that the difference between those who have made it and those who haven’t is that those who have made it simply didn’t give up. He reminded me (as he was rejecting my work) that he had rejected Who Moved My Cheese, which became a best-seller, and that he would reject it again if he had the chance. :) Anyway, the point is, you put all of these things perfectly into words. So, would you want another award? Because I’d love to give you the Very Inspiring Blogger award. My post on it is coming tomorrow.
Shay, Thank you! And I would be honored. Is this fun or what?? :)
Tammy, that was really sweet! I’ll have to come check you out after I get this post up. And Vikki–it sure is! I’m so excited to have “met” you! I love the name of your blog, by the way. Laugh lines are the best! They just put a person’s whole happy personality on display for everyone to see. Screw Botox; I’ll keep my lines! Looking forward to getting to know you girls better!
Shay, I’m so glad you found Vikki. She really is AMAZING and deserves every award she gets. She is the belly laugh I can count on. I have only been online, reading blogs for about five months, and Vikki is the real deal. A great, great woman!
OMGosh, Tammy, you just made my day! Thank you for the “endorsement!” Shay, you need to check out Tammy’s blog. It’s a daily read for me! :)
I speak the truth! Well, most of the time, and certainly when I’m talking about you, Vikki.
Shay, I look forward to being in touch.
This IS fun, indeed!
Congrats on a well-deserved award!! :)
Congratulations and Great dress!
Thank you for including me in such an awesome list of bloggers, Vicki. You deserve this award, plus any and all others – you are one of the funniest and most supportive bloggers I know. Congratulations!
Thanks so much for the recognition!
Jesus! Had you NOT won one of these before???? Why OF COURSE you should have one (Thank You Richard). Here are things I know for sure: The sun will come up in the morning. Someone will piss me off today in traffic, and YOU ARE A FABULOUS WRITER!!! I love you so. xxxooo
PS; your gold lame gown ROCKS!
I’m finding your blog for the first time and I already love it. No wonder you got that Liebster Award. Now if only you could add bloglovin so I could silently stalk you. *hint hint* :)
The Leibster is an exciting award to be sure…. Congrats, Thanks for hooking up to the Hump Day Hook Up