Yes, that’s me! Jim Wright, over at olbigjim very kindly nominated me for this prestigious award – thanks so much Jim! Jim is a wonderfully supportive author and blogger, always retweeting and sharing useful information, and his first novel, New Yesterdays (I just love that title!) was released last year.
So, what do I have to do now that I’ve been nominated? Here are the VIBA rules:
- Display the award logo on your blog
- Link back to the person who nominated you
- State 7 things about yourself
- Nominate 15 bloggers for this award and link to them
- Notify those bloggers of the nomination and the award’s requirements.
Oh, easy-peasy. The first two are done, so now for seven things about me … OK, here are some facts you may or may not know:
- When I turned 30 I gave up a well-paid and very enjoyable job to go work as an air hostess with Easyjet.
- I lasted only 6 weeks with Easyjet – and 4 of those weeks were training!
- I REALLY don’t like the colour orange.
- When I got married in 2006, my husband chose ‘burnt orange’ as the colour for his waistcoat. And wore orange socks.
- I said nothing (because I love him) – he only found out about my orange-phobia a few months ago.
- I once shaved all my hair off, just on a whim.
- My brand new linen cabinet in my newly decorated office was supposed to be red, but it is actually a kind of reddy-orange. But I still like it 🙂
There you go! Fascinating stuff, huh? Right, now for the 15 blogs I’d like to nominate for the award:
Estelle Wilkinson
Rebecca Bradley
Pete Denton
M. Louise Locke
Fiona Chapman
Be Not Afeard
Nikki Goodman
Paula Acton
Megan at Reading in the Sunshine
Lynsey James
Debbie Young
Nicky Wells
Karen Inglis
Emily Anne Shaffer
Vikki at The View Outside
Each of these blogs may well already have the award! But if not, you deserve it. Thanks again, Jim x
Joanne Phillips 
February 2, 2013 at 9:08 am
Well done, Jo, that’s well deserved – your blog inspires so many people!
Thank you so much for nominating my Young By Name blog for the award too. I’d already seen this award on someone else’s website – it’s such a gorgeous badge that I was rather hoping I might get one too!
February 3, 2013 at 1:07 pm
Thanks Debbie, and you’re welcome – Young By Name is a very inspriring blog too. 🙂 x
February 2, 2013 at 12:44 pm
Hi Joanne – Congrats on the award. I absolutely loved the hair! I’m intrigued because I have recently been toying with the idea of shaving all mine off (it’s quite short anyway). I imagine it is both scary and liberating. How did it make you feel? Would you recommend it? Maybe it’s a way to celebrate my 51st birthday!
February 3, 2013 at 1:10 pm
It felt a bit weird to be honest! I was in my mid twenties at the time, and I really felt I had to wear a lot of make up to offset the way it felt quite masculine. And when it grew back I was surprised to see how grey I was!
I think if you have a small face, small ears (!) and a nicely shaped head then it’s a good idea to give it a try 🙂
PS: I was working as a mobile hairdresser when I did this, and you can imagine what new clients thought when they opened the door and saw that standing there!
February 2, 2013 at 4:44 pm
Congrats on your award. Very deserved. Well done for A) Cutting all your hair off; and B) sharing the photograph!
Thanks for the nomination. I will prepare a post though I’m a little behind on accepting awards. Happy writing.
February 3, 2013 at 1:11 pm
You’re welcome Pete 🙂 Yes, that’s not the most flattering photo of me in existence!
February 2, 2013 at 5:33 pm
I hope your 6 Easyjet weeks were good novel-fodder! I lasted 8 months at my last job (which seemed scandalously short) so I’m always glad to find others who had to make boomerang choices!
February 3, 2013 at 1:14 pm
Hi Pauline, 8 months is a long time! Yes, I went back to the employer I left and asked for my old job back, but they’d just that week employed someone else. I’ve made lots of odd job choices, but they are all great material! 🙂 xxx
February 2, 2013 at 6:41 pm
Congratulations on winning the ‘Very Inspiring Blogger Award’, Jo – very appropriate!
I lasted just two days at a job picking runner beans (a combination of rain, rashes on my arms and only earning £8 a day did it for me), so six weeks at easyjet is good going!
February 3, 2013 at 1:16 pm
Hi Kate,
Oh dear …
I don’t blame you – sounds like a horrible job! My shortest job was as a switchboard receptionist. (Ironically for a small publishers – should have stayed on there!) I lastest until lunchtime on the first day, went home for lunch, then phoned them and said they should call their second choice candidate asap – I wasn’t coming back!
February 2, 2013 at 11:12 pm
Congratulations Jo, much deserved 🙂
And thank you so much!
Xx
February 3, 2013 at 1:17 pm
Hi Vikki,
Thanks lovely – have you already had this? You get so many nominations xxx
February 4, 2013 at 11:31 pm
I have, but that’s ok 🙂
Xx
February 3, 2013 at 10:41 am
Well done Jo – so well deserved. I love reading your blog &
I love your hair – not many women could carry that look off but it looks super cool.
Can’t wait for The Family Trap to come out – see you at the book launch.
Dawn x
February 3, 2013 at 1:18 pm
Thank you 🙂 Although if you remember at the time everyone said I looked really ill, and Mum cried when she saw me! xxx
February 4, 2013 at 12:58 pm
Yes, I did Jo.. You frightened me half to death. Such a shock and no warning. (Not that you were scary or anything, I really did think you were ill.) Well done with the award, you deserve it. I feel inspired every time I read your blog,
Mum x
February 4, 2013 at 2:28 pm
You do look very pixie-ish, although also rather ill (I agree with your Mum, I do tend to associate that look with recovering from chemotherapy). Well done on a very well-deserved award and I can hardly wait for the book to be launched!
February 4, 2013 at 6:24 pm
Congratulations on the well deserved blog award and thank you for nominating me.
6 weeks with Easy Jet. I wonder what the record for quickest turnaround for them is!
February 6, 2013 at 2:10 pm
Well done on your award, so well deserved. And sorry about the orange! 🙂
February 20, 2013 at 2:24 pm
Aww thank you so much I have been terrible at accepting awards lately but I promise to try to get this one done