{a little bit of me}

hello there, it's me.

First off, let me just tell you that I had to take a self-portrait yesterday for 

something new I am involved in (more details later) 

and it was rough. Humiliating even.

I had to send in an unedited picture of myself. 

No touching up, no trying to hide the patches of poison ivy on my face.

I mean, it's bad enough taking like 75 pictures of yourself and cringing at every one of them...

but then actually having to email an unedited done? 

Where I look like a 14-year old with a serious pizza face? 

Painful.

{These are obviously my edited pictures though}

{Oh well. What are you gonna do?}

Okay, so all my talk of procrastination yesterday has got me 

moving on at least one thing.

In the past couple weeks I was tagged by both Corrine and Melissa to answer these

interview questions that I have neglected to sit down and really think about.

They were tagged or given some kind of an award so these were passed on to me.

They are both writers, and wonderful ones at that, I'm merely a blogger 

and really my life is just not that exciting...

just another reason for me to drag my feet.

But I'm finally doing it.

And I'm kind of cheating.

I'm just taking some of the questions from each of them and answering them, so here goes.

Oh and Melissa demanded me to quit the procrastinating already,  

sit down and answer these with a glass of wine.

And it would be rude to argue with her, right? 

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{from Corrine}
If you had a whole day with no commitments, what would you do?
Wake up well-rested to see the sun rise, have breakfast with my family, spend the day going to fabulous antique stores filled with wonderful treasures, take a long drive through the country, meet my girlfriends out for margaritas then come home, sit out back with my husband with a little fire going.

If you could travel anywhere, where would that be and why?
France. For about 6 months with my family. We would spend time in the city and the country, go on adventures every day with our kids and have a nanny that would teach the children to speak French while Eric & I  had time to sit at outdoor cafes, drinking coffee, eating pastries and reading the newspaper. Charlotte says she wants to go to Paris and see the ballerinas and the Eiffel Tower so I know she would be all for this, too.

Who do you have a crush on?
Hmm.... Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam has been at the top of my list for a long time and remains there. Jude Law, Javier Bardem, Richard Gere and John Corbett (Aiden from Sex and The City) to name a few.

What did you think you were going to be when you grew up?
An artist.

If you could spend just one day in someone else’s body, who would it be?
My grandma's. My mom's mom had 15 kids. 15! She was a wonderful person, famous for her pies as well as her laid-back demeanor. I never really use the word "role model" but in this case I will;  she is someone I looked up to and admire for so many reasons. She was beyond patient, sweet and did a wonderful job raising her kids (along with my grandpa). I would love to spend a day in her life when she had so many young children at home and see how she did it all, just how she made it work day-to-day....and many say without ever  hearing her raise her voice.

Which book or books have inspired or touched you the most?
So many. A few favorite classics that I could read over and over:
 To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger. Along with a few more modern reads that pop into my head:
The Lovely Bones, The Pilot's Wife,  She's Come Undone, The Secret Life Of Bees and all of the Little House On The Prairie books.

What is your favorite family custom?
Christmas Eve with my mom's whole side of the family. It's been my favorite since I can remember and now that I am an adult with my own children, it still is. A big, extended family means lots of aunts, uncles, cousins...and lots of fun.

{from Melissa}
Why do you blog?
I started blogging this time last year for a couple of reasons; to give me something to do that was just for me, for a place to "put" all the pictures I was taking and most of all for a creative outlet that I really needed....somewhere to put my thoughts, ideas, inspiration, stories and favorite things.
I now blog for these same reasons but also for the connections I have made with people. Complete strangers all over the world, women  that  I never would have known otherwise but because of this little blog and because of theirs, we really are all connected.  I love that.

What do you love about yourself?
This is a hard one for me. The very critical, ever-present part of me has a million things I don't like or need to change about myself and that part of me usually talks louder than the other, positive part. But a few things I do like: I like that I don't really care about what other people have or compare myself  or my family situation (cars, jobs, house, money) to others. I just really don't worry about what other people have or what they are doing and I know that deep down no matter what people may have there are things in their lives that they are unhappy with or that they are struggling with. Money and possessions truly do not buy happiness. I like that I can make do with found things, family heirlooms as well as rummage sale finds. This is something I love to do, I can see a purpose, use or function in things others may cast off. I also like that I can find beauty in everyday objects and everyday moments...which is why I love photography so much.


The best movie ever made?
Oh,  I could never, ever pick one favorite movie or even ten. Like Melissa, I love movies and relate them to different times in my life. The ones I loved in high school, those coming-of-age movies, children's movies, comedies, classics...I just love movies. Just a few favorites in no particular order: Peter Pan,  St. Elmo's Fire,  Pretty In Pink, Breakfast Club, Beautiful Girls, The Silence of The Lambs, The Goodbye Girl,  An Affair To Remember,  The English Patient,  E.T.,  Almost Famous,  The Shining,  The Big Chill,  You've Got Mail,  An Officer and A Gentleman, old Elvis movies.....

What is the best thing about being a woman?
Oh wow,  I think that we have the amazing ability to carry a child, give birth and then actually feed and nourish a baby ourselves--with our very own bodies. I think women are wonderful care-takers, nurturers, providers, business women, creators, leaders... and we can do it all with a baby on our hip and the others fighting in the background.

*            *            *    

If you really read all of that, thank you so much and I am sorry, that was long. 

When you have time you should go read the other girls' interviews, they are very

interesting and so well written. I really admire both of them so much!

I hope you all here in the States have a wonderful Labor Day weekend! 

We are headed down to the Cabin to end the summer with a big family cook-out. 

I am looking so forward to the long weekend and the beautiful weather that is predicted.