liebster award~!

i've just been tagged by charlotte from the colour and the sparkle for this lovely liebster award! thanks, charlotte! :)

the rules:
1. each person must post 11 things about themselves.
2. answer the questions that the tagger set for you, plus create 11 questions for the people you’ve tagged to answer.
3. choose 11 people and link them in your post.
4. go to their page and tell them.
5. no tag backs.

read all my random answers after the jump.

11 things about me that you probably don't care to know:

1. my favorite color is green. always has been, probably always will be :P

2. i was born and raised in tokyo, japan and lived there until i turned 18. 

3. i've been living in nashville, tn for 6 years now and still miss japan a whole lot.

4. i met my husband as a college freshman, dated him for 10 months, and then got engaged :). i was 18 lol.

5. i own the world's strangest cat. she doesn't meow, like ever, and she hates her belly being rubbed. her name is snickerdoodle, but my husband calls her satan.

6. i can't drink coffee without tons of creamer and sugar :). i want the effects of the coffee, not the taste of it!

7. i thought reading books on a digital device was stupid. . . . until my parents bought me a kindle. now i love it.

8. i'm such a night owl. after midnight is when i come up with my best (most hair-brained?) ideas!

9. even though i've probably been on a hundred international flights in my lifetime, i still feel queasy on airplanes.

10. i have a serious phobia of fish, which is pretty stupid since i grew up in japan and i love sushi. but the actual animal- it's all slimy. . . . and the gills, and the flopping around out of water. . . . blech, just thinking about is making my skin crawl.

11. i've never had a professional pedicure. my feet are super ticklish, and i don't think i could take it. i'd probably accidentally kick some nail tech in the face.

the 11 questions i'm supposed to answer:
1. why did you start your blog? honestly? because i spend a lot of time on my manicures, and my husband doesn't appreciate them nearly enough. somebody should appreciate them, right? :) 

2. has it been the experience you hoped for? it's been fun so far, but very slow going. there are just so many fabulous blogs out there (awesome photography, huge polish stashes, etc.) that sometimes i feel like mine is pretty pointless lol.

3. what about your blogging so far are you most proud of? i'm slowly figured out how to work my camera better and take better pictures, which is good. the pictures are the reason you look at a nail blog, right??

4. who was the inspiration for your blog and its contents, if anyone? my husband and his lack of interest in my strange hobby. ahem.

5. what is your favourite social media tool? (eg twitter, tumblr, facebook) i know it's weird, but i'm not really into any of them. facebook drives me crazy with all the dumb things people post- "omg, i have the best boyfriend in the world!!!!!!" or "just stubbed my toe. ow." just- why??

6. who would you invite to dinner if it could be anyone you wished, real and/or fictional? zooey deschanel~! i think she's so pretty and quirky and stylish and hilarious. . . . and i love her singing voice.

7. who is your favourite author? umm. . . . can i get back to you on that one?

8. what are your other hobbies, apart from the one you blog about? bargain shopping, reading, singing.

9. sweet or savoury foods? both! i'm such a junk food junkie- gummy bears, popcorn, gobstoppers, doritos, chips & salsa, blah blah blah.

10. the one thing you'd like to own more than anything else? a new violin. mine is old and falling apart and not very loud :S.

11. the one thing you'd find hardest to give away? my crazy possessed cat :) she's just too cute!

ok, now 11 questions for you!
1. are you more into nail art or interesting layering combinations?
2. what color of polish do you hoard the most of?
3. how long does it take you to do a full mani (base coat, top coat, clean up, etc.)?
4. what's the first thing you want to do after a long day at work?
5. beach vacation or mountain getaway?
6. what's your favorite olympic sport to watch?
7. retail or thrift stores?
8. what's the most you would spend on a pair of sunglasses?
9. what location would you most like to visit (if cost were no issue)?
10. what was the first polish blog you remember reading?
11. what's your biggest polish lemming right now?

11 newly tagged bloggers!
1. something polished
2. alma bunny
3. polka polish
4. polish love
5. young and polished
6. the lacquered lady
7. secretary's nail art
8. not without my polish
9. amoki's corner
10. emalitsa
11. starlight radiance