No, no, it's not existentialist musings or even a proclamation about how cool I am (though, let's face it, I'm pretty rad). Instead, it refers to me being tagged by the lovely Claire of Chickenpants and Absolutely Small fame for one of those blog meme games. I think it fits in with my effort to share a little more about myself and not be all plushies all the time, plus it's a nice excuse to blog a bit. First, the rules by which I am bound:
- answer the questions
- replace a question that you don't like, with one by your choice
- add one more question
- tag 8 people to continue the game of tagging
And now, random tidbits about me!
What is the thing that makes you happy?
Friends and family. Sewing, knitting, and spinning. Wine. My dogs. The moon. Autumn. Pumpkin-flavored anything. Oceans and mountains. Moss.
Coffee or tea?
Both, but usually tea. Pumpkin chai is sweet, sweet ambrosia.
What’s for dinner?
Spaghetti. Pasta is our staple; I'd say we have some variation of sauce with noodles at least three times a week. Because neither of us particularly enjoy cooking. But mainly because we're ridiculously lazy.
What was the last thing you bought?
A really cute hair clip made from a vintage button and ostrich feathers at I Like You, a super cool store here in Minneapolis that carries only local, handmade goods (including mine!). All Minneapolitans should shop there.
What are you listening to right now?
At this very moment, the new Tegan & Sara album, Sainthood. I feel kind of meh about it so far. This month, though, I've had the Fun. (period included in name) album pretty much on repeat.
What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe?
Um, I guess I'll go with two corduroy skirts I bought at Anthropologie last season. I pretty much live in them. One is brown and the other is a lovely steel blue.
What is your favourite ice cream flavour?
Mint with brownie chunks. It's very hard to find, which I guess is just as well because I don't need to eat any more sweets than I already do.
What do you think of the person(s) who tagged you?
She's very creative! Her Chickenpants always crack me up, as does her blog. I only know her through the Internet, but she seems like someone I'd totally be friends with in real life (is that creepy/weird to say?).
If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
I love Claire's answer to this: "Could you just drop me off in Tokyo with a few fresh credit cards? Shibuya station please. Thaaanks." and pretty much second that. I've been dying to see Romania too, and I'd love to go back to Iceland someday.
Which language do you want to learn?
As someone who learned only useless languages in college (Latin and ancient Greek), I'd love to learn German (my ancestry) and Japanese.
What is your favourite colour?
Bright green and bright blue.
If you had £100 now, what would you spend it on?
A new winter coat. Bright blue, with a classic yet somewhat mod feel, please.
What is your favorite animal?
Alpaca. And sheep and goats and dogs.
Describe your personal style?
Eclectic. I like to play around with many styles. Most of the time, I'm a turtleneck and skirt with knee-high boots kind of gal. And I wear knee-highs with almost everything.
What are you going to do after this?
Sew! Well, that's what I should do, anyway. But I'll probably watch TV instead. I know, I'm a slacker!
What are your favourite movies?
Run Lola Run, Princess Mononoke (really, any Studio Ghibli movie, but this one is the best. My husky is named after the main character), Perfect Blue, Garden State, Metropolis (the Osamu Tezuka one), High Fidelity, Rear Window, Little Otik.
What inspires you?
I'm blessed to have highly creative friends, and their ideas and input on my work are constantly inspiring. Aside from that, fairy tales, mythology, pop culture. I know, the last one is just a prettier way of saying "anything and everything," but it's true.
What is your favourite fruit?
Cantaloupe.
Do you collect something?
Books, hobbies, tiny cute things, song lyrics, fabric (somebody stop me!), dog hair (unintentional).
How many hours do you sleep a day?
About 7. I don't really like sleeping, though. I wouldn't do it if I didn't have to; there's so much I'd rather do with that time! I'm not a workaholic, just a girl with too many hobbies who refuses to give any of them up.
How many times do you press the snooze button before you get up?
I'm replacing this question with:
Share a childhood memory.
One night when I was about 5 and my brother Matthew was about 1, our parents left us at the dinner table before we were finished eating (it only just occurred to me to wonder why, though I probably don't want to know). My brother was still in a high chair. I have no idea why I did this, but I suddenly reached over and jabbed his cheek with my fork, hard enough to leave tine imprints but not hard enough to make him bleed. He, of course, starts screaming bloody murder and my parents rush into the room. Before they can even ask what's going on, though, I look up at them and in my most serious, innocent voice proclaim, "I didn't poke him with a fork." They burst out laughing so hard, they hardly thought to punish me. And we all still laugh about it to this day.
What is your favourite smell?
Wood smoke. Freshly-baked brownies. Cinnamon. My dogs' heads (I swear it's not gross!).
What is your biggest regret?
Not going to the fine arts college that accepted me because I was too shy to move to a big city in another state all by myself, and because I didn't want to leave my then-boyfriend behind. On the other hand, I wouldn't trade my current life for anything, and who can say if I would've ended up here had I taken that other path.
What are you most proud of?
This is really tough. I guess starting this business, putting myself out there. Though I've always been creative, I used to be painfully shy and the thought of putting my creations out in the world to be critiqued is something I never thought I would do. I'm proud that so far I continue to persevere despite hardships and setbacks.
Cats or dogs?
Definitely dogs.
What’s your biggest fashion mistake?
Everything I wore in the late 80s, early 90s.
What is your guilty TV pleasure?
I totally watched all of the Rock of Love seasons, and loved every trashy minute.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
Mostly a veterinarian (I still sometimes toy with this thought), but other times I wanted to be a writer for National Geographic or an artist. I went to school for English and Archaeology, though. Go figure.
If you could meet any person dead or alive who would it be?
Uh . . . I'm completely and utterly stumped on this one.
What is your biggest dream?
To
live in the country and own a small fiber farm where I hand-dye and spin all the fiber from my own animals into yarn that I sell from a small shop on my own property. (I would also sell Plushroom Soup critters there, of course!) To live simply and well, and always be surrounded by those whom I love.
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
No one title stands out. I've always been a voracious reader, and have always liked stories with fantasy and fairy-tale elements. I also remember enjoying the Happy Hollister books. They were kind of like The Hardy Boys, but with two sisters as well as two brothers. The books had been my Dad's when he was a boy, and they had that wonderful slightly musty smell that old books have and were worn just enough to feel like old familiar friends. . . .
If today was your last day on earth what would you be doing?
Pleading with fate to give me more time. Hugging my friends and family. Probably drunk.
If you could have any super power, what would it be?
The ability to not sleep! That, or teleportation so I could travel on a whim. Who needs planes—I'll just send myself! Who needs to board the dogs or pay for expensive hotels—I'll just pop back home to take care of the animals and to sleep real quick!
And here is the question I'm adding:
If you joined the circus, what act would you perform?
I am tagging the following people (and many apologies if you hate these! I won't feel bad if you don't participate. Promise.)
I'm finally ready to reveal the pieces I made for this awesome show! I decided to make the Queen of Hearts, Alice, and Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. I envisioned the Queen of Hearts as a nasty sea monster who captured Alice:
