Making Smiles on Faces

While attempting to catch up on my blog reader last night (to say I'm behind is an understatement - can you guys stop writing for a little while, please?), I was so touched to see that my friend April presented me with this Making Smiles on Faces Award. April, it has been so fun getting know you through our online scrapbook classes, the blogosphere, and the Twittersphere. You bring a smile to my face, and I'm glad to call you my friend.

To accept this award, I have to name five random facts about me (I'll try not to repeat myself from last time).

1. My love of Broadway musicals carries over into my real life. I can turn anything and everything into a musical and frequently do. Hubby never knows when I'm going to bust out into song and dance. Give me a song, any song, and I can make up new lyrics appropriate to the situation completely on the fly. I call it a talent. Hubby calls it a sickness.
2. I sometimes flutter my eyes when I roll them. I never knew I did this until Hubby pointed it out when we started dating (apparently I rolled my eyes at him a lot - you should hear the jokes he tells). He likes it so much, that he'll withstand an eye roll from me just on the off chance he gets to see it. ☺
3. While I like the instant gratification of email and Twitter, I tend to prefer delayed gratification in my "me" activities. For instance, instead of ripping into a new magazine when I receive it, I put it in a pile (which looks more like a stockpile right now) for a rainy day. Similarly, I tend to hoard gift cards (unless it's a gift card to iTunes... that puppy gets used the second I get it).
4. I watch TV shows and movies I like over and over and OVER again. It's like a mix between comfort and nostalgia (I have even been known to - I can't believe I'm admitting this - replay scenes from old soap operas on YouTube). Even though I've seen them a bazillion times, it's difficult for me to turn off an episode of Friends, Law & Order SVU, NCIS, or 90210.
5. I wish my cat hadn't been spade when I got her. She's a fluffy white sweetheart, and I would have loved to have made more of her.

Now for the fun part. I get to pass this award along to five people. If you're reading this blog or talk to me on Twitter, you deserve this award because all of your comments bring a smile to my face. And for that, I thank all of you. Since I received the award from an online friend who I plan to meet IRL next year, I decided to "officially" give the award to five online friends that I also plan to meet IRL sometime next year.

1. Jenny, okay, so I know you IRL, but I figure it's not really cheating since we haven't seen each other in like a gajillion years. Thanks to the virtual worlds to which we belong, we have learned so much about each other, making us way closer now than we ever were in high school. Whether we're talking toys of the 80s, foods that make us puke, or more serious "life" issues, you always make me smile. You're also an incredibly loyal cheerleader. I can't wait to finally give you a real-life hug one of these days!
2. Margie, you make me smile constantly. The night we watched Twilight together virtually, I thought my side was going to bust, you had me laughing so hard. In addition to being someone I can have a lot of fun with, you've been a supportive friend, and I've also been introduced to a lot of new things and people because of you. And we ARE meeting 209 days from now at the premiere of Eclipse. ☺
3. Sarabeth, I will also be meeting you 209 days from now. ☺ Sometimes I forget that we haven't met IRL because we got to know each other so fast. You have been a thoughtful, supportive friend from Day 1, and I can always count on you to put a smile on my face. Like your sister, you have introduced me to so many new things and people, and I'm thankful to you both for welcoming me into your circle with open arms.
4. Colleen, from Gator football, to hobbies, to soap opera hunks, we've shared a lot of smiles in a short amount of time. It's been so fun getting to know my virtual soul sister. I swear, it's like we were separated at birth. The craziest part is that we were practically under each other's noses, and our paths didn't cross until years later in the virtual world. Timing is everything, I guess. Our IRL paths *will* cross, though, when I visit Florida next year. I believe we have some dishing to do over a drink or two.
5. Amy, okay, so again I have to defend myself that I'm not really cheating because even though I know you IRL, I haven't seen you since... I don't remember when. You make me smile in so many ways - from the pictures you share of your niece and nephew, to the enjoyment you get from baking and Disney, to the beautiful things you make. I'm so glad we've been able to reconnect virtually, and I hope to collect on an IRL hug one day soon.