Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Random stuff: thanks (!) awards, a guessing game and news!

Wow, lots of things happened while I was away! My Pewaukee trip was fun. Mr. CJ and I hung out with my mom, sisters, their husbands and kids, just gabbing and eating yummy food. I also lost a game of SPUD to my nieces and nephews, OD'ed on Jalapeno Krunchers, and got a whole lot of lip from my Packer-freak family about Brett Favre coming to the Vikings.

On Saturday, my sister, who is a super-fabulous professional photographer, took my official author picture, a total exercise in Carolyn Crane narcissism where I learned that I sometimes make a weird mouth. She was like, You're making a weird mouth again, Carolyn! Honestly, I wasn't aware I do this, and I'm not entirely sure what it looks like. If you ever see me in person and I'm making a weird mouth, please avert your eyes. Anyway, I can't wait to see the pics.

THANK YOU!!!
I am so grateful to whoever nominated me for the BBAW week award. What a kick!

Here is the official description: Funniest/Most Humorous Blog – This blog cracks you up. You make sure you’re never drinking anything while reading this blog for fear you may snort it out of your nose. You’ve been known to forward the posts from this blogger to friends, saying, “This is so funny! You have to read this!”

Thanks also to Barbara at Happily Forever After - she awarded me the Excellent Blog award. So wonderful! (She is also up for a Book Blogger award. Good luck!)

Also, thank you Hilcia, fellow Keith Partridge lover and proprietress of Impressions of a Reader, She awarded me this very mod "I'm Okay You're Okay" award, which is "for bloggers who review across the spectrum of romance, who do so with laughter and a good will, and who aren't limited to the expectations of their audience. They open doors."

From Jenre at Well Read, Christine at The Happily Ever After and Tracy at Ahhhhhhh Romance: Kreativ Blogger!

With this award, I'm supposed to think of 7 of my favorite things and then nominate 7 bloggers to pass the award onto. Hmmm.

1. Hanging around with my husband. It sounds silly, but just on the road trip we took this weekend, we had such fun in the car talking and laughing. I can't think of anybody who I would've rather spend time with. I am totally lucky!

2. Reading in bed. I so look forward to getting in bed at night with a book. (Tonight's fare: Your Scandalous Ways by Loretta Chase. Ooooh, I'm LOVING IT.) I didn't discover romance and fantasy until my adult life, and it has been such a revolution in my life to always have a book I'm hugely looking forward to.

3. My cats. Even though I exploit them terribly here on this blog, they are the best kitties ever.

4. Popcorn at the movies. I love to load tons of salt on and just CHOW DOWN. It can be a bad movie, but the popcorn is always so satisfying and I will always eat an embarrassing amount of it.

5. Running. I like to just empty out my head and turn up the music and run. It's my favorite time of day.

6. Pedicures. I love when somebody fusses over my toes and paints my toenails.

7. Getting into a sun-warmed car. Even when it's summer, when I first get into the car after it's been sitting in the sun, I don't open the windows for a minute or two, because I love the oven feel of it. But just for a couple minutes.

Upcoming giveaway!
Be sure to stop back on Thursday the 27th when we'll be talking about Jill Sorenson's new book, Set the Dark on Fire, and giving one copy away to a lucky visitor. Today you can win a copy at KatieBabs. Go on over, but wouldn't you rather wait until Thursday and win one here?

Congratulations, Renee!
Stop over and wish our lovely reading addicted pal Renee a happy one-year blogiversary! I can't believe all that she has built in a year. That girl is TOGETHER! While you're there, you can WIN BOOKS from her renowned TOP FIVE lists.

Now for a super FUN GUESSING GAME!
Okay, we are going to do something different here with the awards. Did you see those seven items above? The Kreative Blogger favorite things? I lied: one of the seven items is not something I love at all, but rather, something I hate! It is something I avoid at all costs!!

Whoever guesses which of the seven things I actually hate gets ALL the awards above (except the book blogger one) PLUS three extra free entries on the Thursday's contest for Set the Dark on Fire. In case of a guessing tie, I will do a drawing. Deadline is whenever the Jill Sorenson post goes up on Thursday. Whew!

UPDATE: Deadline is now FRIDAY noon CST, and the prize is three free entries plus the ULTIMATE RULING BLOG of all time award.
Top Image: Les grimaces (Funny faces). Lithography by Louis-Léopold Boilly from Wikimedia.

34 comments:

Lori said...

Hmmm.... first off, congrats on all the awards. Goodness gracious!

OK. I'm guessing you're not a pedicure girl.

VampFanGirl said...

Congrats on all your awards and BBAW nomination, Carolyn!!!

;) VFG

Patti (@TheLoveJunkee) said...

Wow, congratulations on your nomination and bling! You do have quite a terrific blog here!

I'm going with #7 - I could see you getting in but keeping the windows shut? Nah...

Unknown said...

Congrats on all of your awards it is awesome. I am going to choose running. Just a feeling.

Carolyn Crane said...

Hey! Thanks for visiting and the congrats, guys! Ooh, this guessing game is exciting already.

Stacy~ said...

Hey, very cool on the award and teh BBAW nomination - well deserved on both counts.

I'm a former MN resident with too many friends who are Packer fans. I'm curious to see what happens with Mr. Brett as I haven't converted to being a Bears fan in the 18,19 years I've lived here.

Tracy said...

Congrats on all the awards CJ!!! They are very much deserved.

Mandi said...

Congrats on the awards!

I would say you are lying about enjoying a pedicure.

If you truly do like getting in a car when it is really hot - I do too! I love to be warm. If that is the thing you are lying about, then that is too bad! ;)

Chris said...

Congrats, you!

Donna said...

Congratulations on the awards and your BBAW nomination!

orannia said...

Congrats on the awards and the nominations!

Hmmmm....CJ's being tricky :) I reckon it's No. 7. Getting into a very hot car? *shakes head*

KT Grant said...

You are one amazing woman CJ. :)

Renee said...

Thanks for the nice words, CJ!

Very cool about your author pictures, though for some reason when I think of "author pictures" I imagine you in a smoking jacket with a pipe. (Sorry, my mind is random that way. lol)

You totally deserve all the lovely awards. Whenever your new post shows up in my blogroll, I hie myself over here, because I know I'm in for a great read!

I love that you and your husband can have such a great time. My guy always says he misses living far away from family because we don't get to road trip as much anymore. We used to read to each other. There's just something about being together in a car with no interruptions that lead to great conversations. Did you find an audiobook to listen to after all?

Hmmm...I'm going to guess running.

Can't wait for the new Sorenson! I'll be looking forward to your post.

Blodeuedd said...

Congrats on your nomination and awards :D

Hm I would say the warm car, mostly cos if I do it then I feel like puking. Or perhaps it' the pedicure one, hm

Leslie said...

Aren't sisters great? They tell it like it is - weird mouth. LOL (Probably daydreaming about David Cassidy-*rolls eyes*)

Congrats on the nomination and the awards.

Hilcia said...

Congratulations on the nomination and awards, CJ!

Can't wait to see that picture -- weird mouth? Hmm.... glad you're enjoying that Chase. :)

Jill Sorenson said...

Carolyn, you crack me up. Avert your eyes, LOL. I hated having my author pics done. Just thinking about it makes me twitch.

Congrats on the nominations!
See you tomorrow. : )

AnimeJune said...

Congratulations on your nominations and awards! I've only discovered your blog recently, but I'm liking what I've been reading so far.

In fact, sorry to heap another bothersome award onto your pile, but I nominated you for The Lemonade Award in blogging:
The Lemonade Award is a feel good award which shows great attitude or gratitude.

Here are the rules:

* Put the Lemonade Award logo on your blog or post.
* Nominate at least 10 blogs that show great attitude or gratitude.
* Link your nominees within your post.
* Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
* Share the love and link to the person from whom you received the award.

Serena said...

Congrats on the BBAW nomination. I hope you will be sharing those author photos...lol including the ones with the weird mouth!

Sweet Vernal Zephyr said...

Add one more award to your list! I just started following you last week - and your humor astounds me! Stop by my blog to see your name in print.. um I mean pixels!

http://sweetvernalzephyr.blogspot.com/2009/08/my-first-award.html

Carolyn Crane said...

You guys, thanks for stopping by! and so many kind words.

SVZ and Anime: thanks for the awards!!!

Renee: We listened to some of Old Man's War by Scalzi. Really good!

And for all who asked, I don't think I'm even going to see the weird mouth photos. I think sis will discard them, but if she doesn't I'll post.

Joanna Chambers said...

You have awards coming out of your ears. Well done.

Contest: I think it is hanging out with Mr CJ. I bet you really hate that.

Kidding.

It is definitely the pedicure or the car. I am going with the pedicure because you are a cat person and wear glasses.

Heloise said...

CJ glad to hear you made it back safely from Wisconsin. It can get a little hairy over here sometimes.

I'm totally guessing the hot car. You live in MN, no way would you voluntarily sit in a hot car. (although it's unlikely you would put it last...*thinking too hard*)

A Library Girl said...

Ooh, guessing games, I love them. :) I'm thinking it's either 6 or 7. I will guess... 6, that you actually hate pedicures. I'm sure you actually find them ticklish and hard to endure. :D

Amy C said...

Congratulations on all your awards and nomination! You do have a way with the humor :D.

As for which one on your list do you actually hate, I'm going to say running, because I hate to run. I love to walk, but never run!

M.A.D. said...

Mary D
zenrei57 (at) hotmail (dot) com

Firstly, a HUGE CONGRATS :)

and I am going to pick #7 - the hot car thing doesn't feel right lol

Jane said...

Congrats, CJ. I'm going to guess #5.

Janicu said...

I'm thinking that #7 is B.S. Sun warmed car? I like humidity but even *I* want those windows opened.

Mary G said...

Congrats on all the recognition.
I think #7 is not true. No one likes to sweat just sitting there.

Unknown said...

I instinctively wanted to say the baking in the car thing was the lie, but then I was reminded that you don't like to follow the "rules," so it's likely that you could enjoy being baked. There's not a "clam" before that, is there? ;)

So that leaves the pedi and the running. Now, I often imagine that you are fairly cat-like. And like a cat, you probably don't enjoy doing anything physical unless you want to. And even then, it's for short periods of time. Being pampered might do it for you... so I'm going to bite the bullet and say that you lied about the running.

I'm fighting changing my answer... ::internal scream of frustration:: such a hard question!

Teddyree said...

I'm going with running, only because I hate it LOL

Congrats on all your blog love & your nomination, *woot woot*

Christine said...

You're lying about loving pedicures. :P

Congrats on all of your well deserved awards, Carolyn.

Amanda said...

Congratulations on all your awards! I'd guess it's the baking in the oven hot car. While I LOVE being warm...that is a little too extreme.

Serena said...

Congrats on the awards...

This is probably wrong, but I'm going with #5. Running.