Hello!
As I am approaching a year since I started this blog I would love to hear a little more from the people who are taking time to read what I am writing. Learning about my commenters when they share stories or insights into their lives is one of my favorite parts of having a blog.
I thought it would be fun to directly ask people to share about themselves and have a chance to give me feedback on the blog or ask me questions, too. So, please tell me five random (or not so random) facts about you! I love learning what makes a particular person uniquely them.
Also, is there anything you would like to see on my blog or anything that you particularly like that I am already doing? Also, feel free to ask me anything that you would like!
I figured I would start things off with five random things about me so here it goes:
1. I've lived in four states and two countries but I think that I will probably stay put where I am for a long time to come. I've worked too hard on my house to move!
2. Whenever I am stressed, worried or thinking really hard about something I yank on my hair. It is a weird habit that I have tried to stop for years with no luck. I usually don't even realize I am doing it...
3. I am a terrible housekeeper. I know that when I post photos of my house it looks neat, but that's because I've cleaned up before the picture. I have a tendency to prefer working on house or craft projects to cleaning. It's just more fun! This is my craft room right now:
4. I've grown out my hair and then donated it to Locks of Love a few times. My hair is actually long right now so I should probably update my profile picture on the blog (it's from April 2011 right after I cut it last time).
5. My middle name is Marie
Okay, now that I have shared, tell me about you!
Wednesday, November 7, 2012 at 8:23AM | Posted by Lisa | 21 Comments | Share Article | Email Article | Print Article 
Reader Comments (21)
1. I graduated high school a year early. I was only 16 years old at the time.
2. I served for 4 years in the U.S. Navy. I was a weapons specialist and qualified as a sharp-shooter.
3. My favorite chocolate is white chocolate, especially Cadbury's Milky Bar/Buttons.
4. My first job, at 14, was in a donut shop. I still cannot eat donuts.
5. My feet are shrinking as I get older. I used to wear a size 8. Now I wear a 7 1/2.
Hi Lisa:
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your wonderful blog! I read it every morning when I arrive to work. I love all your crafty ideas, travel adventures, giveaways, practical ideas, photographs, and all your unique stories. Please keep it coming!
Here are five random things about me:
1) I was born in Morocco, North Africa and have only been able to go back once in 2008 for vacation - it was the most sentimental trip I've taken.
2) I ride a unicycle and own one.
3) Although I speak English fluently, French is my native tongue.
4) Close friendships mean the world to me considering I have no relatives; my mom was an only child and my dad was an orphan.
5) I am border line OCD with cleanliness.
Have a great day; look forward to reading your words tomorrow.
V
1. OMG I can ride a unicycle, too! I thought I was losing it when I saw that poster's comment because that was my first thought!
2. My family has lived in St. Louis since 1833. My kids are 8th generation St. Louisian's.
3. I have worked at the same place since 1986 and i met my husband there.
4. I played the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz in high school.
5. My high school graduating class was nearly the size of my entire college.
You have the best blog ever!! Love it!
Hey Lisa,
I love your blog and read it everyday. I love the daily pictures. I love the different posts on trips, traveling, food, crafts and fixing your house. Keep it coming.
1. I am from a very large family. 2 parents, 3 brothers, 2 sisters, 2 brother-in-laws, 1 sister-in-law, 3 nephews, 1 niece, 12 aunts, 9 uncles, 17 cousins, 9 second cousins. (61)All of whom I see, talk to, email, text, or visit regularly. These numbers are a combinatin of my mother and father's families. Our Christmas's are quite crazy, loud and full of fun, laughter and food.
2. I've traveled over 2/3 of the U.S. and hope to hit all 50 states by the time I turn 50. I've lived in 1 foreign country (Germany) and traveled to 4 different foreign countries.
3. My first job out of college was for a public Accounting firm and on my first auditing job I got the nickname Bulldog...because I am tenacious.
4. I was a 4-H Member from 3rd grade to my freshman year in college and I still help out at our county fair during August or whenever they need me during the year.
5. Both sides of my family have farming backgrounds. My grandparents on my mother's side were hog farmers & crop farmer's and my grandparents on my father's side were crop farmers. One of my aunts and uncles were dairy and crop farmers so I've combined corn, soybeans and wheat, bailed hay and straw, made haylege and silage, made feed for cows, help give pigs shots, pitched horse, cow and pig poop, milked cows, birthed calves...you name it.
I love your blog, and still use and cherish your book in my scrapbooking!
1. I worked nearly 20 years in college athletics, and miss it daily.
2. I know how to milk a cow, buck a bale, and a host of other little nifty things from growing up on a farm.
3. My house is always in chaos...I can't seem to clean too often.
4. I am in love with my hubby, kids and my adorable italian greyhounds. I can tolerate my cat, and he tolerates me.
5. I seem to find random celebrities in airports...Carlos Valderama, Ted Nugent, and a couple of lesser known local celebrities...but none of them are ever on my flight!
Lisa I like your blog the way it is, always full of interesting things about you, your hobbies, talents and your trips. Your travel blog entries are always so well written, I feel like I have taken the trip with you.
Random facts about me:
1) I am a proud Canadian and have traveled to 6 of the 10 provinces but none of the 3 territories.
2) I have been horse crazy my whole life and have owned 4 horses, leased 3 and part boarded 10.
3) As of 1998 I cannot no longer fly on an airplane - terrified and have failed 3 fear of flying courses. It is strange because I use to fly all the time especially for my job and had no negative experiences.
4) I am a huge Harry Potter (the books) fan.
5) I am vegetarian
Hi Lisa, I love to travel, and seeing pictures from different places is inspiring. I feel like I grow so much as a person every time I travel. I also like the daily activities you add in your blog like baking, crafting, tips and "misadventures" in travelling, fixing/building things, and food porn-LOL! Also, the quotes are an interesting touch that I like as well.
Some things about me:
1. I just celebrated my 10th wedding anniversary in New Zealand. (I remembered your blog on the IDP, and decided rent a car. Thank you putting that option out there). Aside: Move over pomme frites, I am now addicted to wedges with sour cream and sweet thai chili sauce! :)
2. I am 6 mos. pregnant, and am expecting our first child due February 14. ( I feel giddy every time I say the date). My husband says he wants our daughter to be as self-sufficient as you are. He loves to build things, and admires your skills (e.g. kitchen island you built)
3. My first "baby" is the sweetest Chihuahua/Papillon mix I named "Mischa", who has been with us for 2 1/2 years now.
4. I am a high school drop out, but still managed to graduate with a bachelors 6 years later.
5. I have lived in 4 states, moved around every couple years, but am now "settled" in my overpriced home for 5 years now. Possibly thinking about moving to Portland, OR or try Europe for a year or two, just for the experience. We love all the different cultures you get to experience in such a "tiny" place. To be able to spend a weekend in Bled, or Salzburg, etc. would be just incredible, while perusing all the wonderful museums and city sites during the week sounds spectacular!
I love your blog your adventures and your photos!
Things about me...
1 I'm due my first child on Dec 5 after waiting 9years 9 months and It makes my heart explode with happiness
2 I'm actually 5'7" everyone thinks I'm short because my husband is 6'5" and I look short in photos
3 my favourite place on the planet is the Oregon coast
4 I love scotch pancakes and could eat the everyday :)
5 I love to go adventuring with my Husban whether it be near our home or further away
This is so much fun to read! Thank you all for responding and thank you so much for your sweet words about my blog! Hearing positive feedback really means a lot to me. Also, how cool is it that both Veronique and Kathy can ride a unicycle?
Rene- Wow! I can't believe that you graduated so young! Also, going from being a weapons specialist in the Navy to later becoming a geology professor is quite a career change. How was it that you decided to make such a big change? That is crazy that your feet are shrinking because my feet are actually getting bigger as I age. I used to be a 7 and now I am a 7-1/2. I would have been in heaven working in a doughnut shop. Mmmm!
Veronique- I didn't realize that French was your first language! It makes perfect sense with you being originally raised in Morocco, but I never put it together. I took French when I was in school and loved it. I wish I had a chance to use it more often and was better at it. I remember you posting about your visit to Morocco when I asked what everyone's favorite travel memories were. It sounds like it was such a special and wonderful trip. Also, if you have some good cleaning tips, I would love to hear them to get myself more organized!
Kathy- That is so cool that your family has lived in St. Louis for nearly 200 years! It has been years since I've been there but it is such a lovely city. One of my good friends from high school went to undergrad at Washington University in St. Louis and then one of my girlfriends from undergrad went to law school there. Both of them really loved their time living in St. Louis. Frank and I met at work, too. We were friends for a long time, then I liked him and eventually wore him down and convinced him to start dating. ;) So was your high school class really large or your college really small? Where did you go to school?
Lisa, Your blog is one of my all-time favorites. Your talents for home improvement projects, cooking, and photography are all so inspiring. I also love reading about your travels and live vicariously through your photos. Thank you for taking the time to entertain us so well!
Five random things about me:
1. I have a coloboma in my left eye. My pupil was not fully formed before I was born, and I have an upside-down teardrop-shaped pupil. No one ever mentions it to me or asks me about it, so I often wonder if they don't notice (I have dark eyes) or are too afraid to say anything. It doesn't bother me at all, and I think it makes me unique.
2. My husband and I began dating in high school. He asked me to go to a "Chicago" concert in tenth grade (his mom had to drive us there and back), and we've been together ever since. We celebrate being married 22 years next month.
3. My daughters (ages 13 and 10) have never eaten meat of any kind. My husband and I decided to become vegetarians in college (about 24 years ago), and our children have never missed or wanted to eat meat. They actually cannot understand why anyone would choose to eat it.
4. I am a native Floridian and live where it's only snowed once in my lifetime (1977). I think the lack of exposure to snow is the reason I'm so nervous when we vacation in places that have it. Driving on roads that are even dusted with white makes me anxious since I have no experience with how to handle a car in that environment.
5. Speaking of weather, we have had many hurricanes come through our area. Two such storms caused giant oak trees in our yard to fall on our house. We've had to replace the pool screen enclosure (which was crushed to the ground) and repair the same room of the house TWICE in the last five years due to trees crashing through the roof and the resulting water damage.
Keep the great blog posts coming!
Sandy
Jen- I can't believe that your family is so big. That must be so much fun! I have a tiny little family with not a single cousin. I love the nickname Bulldog. That is really great! I bet you definitely lived up to it! I remember you mentioning living in Germany when you shared that terrible story about your trip back there from a short visit to the U.S. when I asked about everyone's worst travel stories. I still think that is the worst I've ever heard! Bad flight story aside, I bet that living in Germany was a ton of fun! Do you speak German?
Mel- I'm so glad to hear that you still use my book. That really means a lot! How were you involved in college athletics? Were you a coach of a sport? My house is always in chaos, too. I'm so bad at letting things go, especially since I live alone. I have a tendency to only get things cleaned up when people come over. Italian greyhounds are so cute! I have friends who have two (regular sized) greyhounds that were rescues and they are the sweetest ever. How crazy is that that you have seen so many celebrities at the airport! I have never seen any...
Mary-Lou- Canada is a lovely country! Which province that you have visited is your favorite? Wow, that is something that your fear of flying seemed to develop from nowhere. The mind is a complicated thing, isn't it? I loved reading the Harry Potter books as well. They are such a fun read and the magical world that J.K. Rowling created was so vivid and detailed. I know you mentioned before that you rode, but I didn't realize that you had owned your own horses before. That must be so much fun!
Ethylene- Congratulations on your pregnancy! How wonderfully exciting for you and your husband! Also, what a sweet compliment for your husband to say that he hopes your daughter is as self sufficient as me. Congratulations as well on your ten year anniversary! New Zealand is such a lovely country and I bet you had a wonderful time. What was your favorite part of the trip? I'm so glad that my post about getting an IDP came in handy. That would be wonderful to live in Europe for a while. Do you have a particular place that you would like to live?
Jemma- Congratulations on being about to welcome a little one into your life! With less than a month to go you and your husband must be so excited! I had never heard of Scotch pancakes and had to look them up. They sound delicious! I love anything with carbs. The Oregon coast is so lovely so I can easily see why it is your favorite place. Do you live near there? I have a girlfriend who has a similar situation as you and your husband (she's 5'10" and he is 6'11"). I always feel so short next to them! Also, I am jealous that you are tall. I would love to be 5'7"!
Sandy- I had never heard about colobomas before so I had to look it up on wikipedia. Does it affect your vision at all? That is so sweet that you and your husband are high school sweethearts. How romantic! Congratulations on celebrating 22 years of marriage! Driving in the snow takes a little skill because driving out of a skid is a bit counter intuitive. I can completely understand how that would be a little nerve wracking if you weren't used to it. To be honest, it can be a little stressful for me and I live up North! I can't believe that you have had so much damage from hurricanes. Scary!
Lisa,
My coloboma affects only my iris and not other structures of my eye (like my retina), so I am lucky that it doesn't affect my vision. It does, however, cause me to be extremely light sensitive in that eye, so I live in sunglasses year round. At least that looks pretty normal since I live in Florida. This image is a pretty close approximation of my coloboma, except I have brown eyes: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/fh/mch/webcourse/vision/images/coloboma1.jpg
Sandy
Hi Lisa! As a fellow Ann-Arborite, I stumbled across your blog during a google search for Ann Arbor related DIY projects. I love reading your blog especially since your projects and local reviews are so close to home.
I will share 5 things that are related:
1) I love the ReUse center. It's my goto place before I hit any of the big box home improvement stores. Someday I vow to have a project that is worthy of the incredible Urban Wood selection they have there. The other place I like is the Habitat for Humanity ReStore on Jackson Ave near the westside Lowes. They have lots of good construction material that tends to be newer. Both stores are so much fun in a scavenger hunt sort of way.
2) I'm a big fan of Maker-Works in Ann Arbor. Being able to take classes and rent time on a laser cutter, CNC router, and all sorts of high tech fabrication equipment has opened all sorts of new avenues for DIY creation. If you haven't seen them, I highly recommend it. Right now I'm using the CNC router to carve out new kitchen cabinet doors and shelves. Since I live in an old house, nothing is level or flush, so I love being able to CNC control a router to cut things with such precision that everything is perfectly fitted.
3) I recently realized what Hollander's in Kerrytown was, and I wish I had known about it sooner. I could get lost in that store for days. I recently made a case for my tablet using the same bookbinding techniques they teach there. Very fun DIY project especially with the mind boggling selection of materials they have there.
4) Love Mark's Carts and LeDog
5) People always ask, but I'm not a UofM football fan... just no ties to the university...
Justin
Hi Lisa - Your blog is always filled with energy, fun and wonderful instructions for your projects. I was so glad when I found it again.
1. I discovered your scrapbook work many years ago, and love your style.
2. I am a wife, mother of 2 daughters, and Nana to five wonderful grandchildren (who are the focus of my scrapbooking)
3. I spent a summer in Europe while I was in college (many years ago) - and enjoy so many of your photos that remind me of places that I visited.
4. The bagpipe is my favorite musical instrument.
5. Winter is my least favorite season...and it is on its way.:)
Hi Lisa, what a great idea for a blog post, I have had a lot of fun reading these facts about everyone!
1. I actually met you once, at the Two Peas crop in Madison...it must have been in 2006. I still have the t-shirt from that event, wear it to sleep in every week, LOL!
2. I won a car when I was in college. I "adopted" a (rubber) duck for a duck race down a river. Mine was the first duck to the finish line, so I won the big prize!
3. My husband and I met in high school, and have been together ever since (20 years).
4. I don't like eating blue food (blueberries are okay because, really, they're purple!). I give away the blue m&m's if I get them!
5. This year I have been to 3 states that I had never traveled to before...in a few weeks, after my trip to TX, it will be 4 states. The others are RI, MA, and OH.
Sandy- That is so interesting. I've never seen anyone with an eye like that. Very unusual! I'm glad to hear that your vision isn't affected.
Justin- I am a big fan of the ReStore as well. Both doors from my closet are salvages that I found there. I also love Hollander's. The paper there is so beautiful and they have such a wonderful selection. I've used papers from there for a number of projects. I also agree that Mark's Carts and Le Dog are wonderful. I'd never heard of Maker-Works. I looked it up and it sounds really cool! I didn't go to U of M either but neither of my alma maters (Duke and UC Berkeley) are exactly football power houses and Frank is a huge fan so I have fun following them.
Linda- It sounds like you have a beautiful family! I would love to spend a summer in Europe. That must have been a wonderful experience! Were you based in a particular city or traveling the whole time? Having the bagpipe as your favorite instrument is interesting. Do you have Scottish ancestry? Winter is my least favorite season, too. I am okay through the New Year but January, February and March can seem to drag on with cold yucky weather way too long.
Hilary- That Two Peas crop was such a fun event, wasn't it? It was so fun to meet so many people from the Two Peas community in person. I have a t-shirt, too, but I am not sure what has happened to it... I've never known anyone who has one a big contest like that before. You must have been thrilled to get that car! That's interesting that you don't eat blue food. Is there any particular reason why? It sounds like you have been having fun this year exploring some new parts of the U.S. I'm from Ohio originally. Where did you visit there?
I think the blue food thing is because it's not a color found in natural foods...if they're "blue", really, they're purple, right? Blue food is just fake looking to me! Just a weird little quirky thing about me!
DH and I went to Sandusky, Cedar Point specifically, for triathlons in September. Unfortnuately, my (sprint distance) triathlon was cancelled due to bad weather, but the next day things cleared up and my husband was able to do his half Ironman distance tri. We stayed at the Breakers, but didn't go into the amusement park at all, we didn't want to ride roller coasters before our events, but the park was closed after our events! we're probably the only weirdos who stay on the grounds of a huge, popular amusement park and don't ride any of the rides, LOL!
Where in Ohio are you from?
Hilary- That blue is not a natural food color as your reasoning does make a lot of sense. I used to go to Cedar Point every summer when I was young. It was a lot of fun, but I haven't been in about ten years now. I grew up on the East side of Cleveland in South Euclid. That is a bummer that your event was cancelled, but I think it is amazing that you do triathlons! How many have you done? What your other traveling this year for events, too?
I've done 2 sprint distance tris, both in Naperville, IL which is very close to home. They have a women only event there every year which is nice, very well organized.
The only other traveling we did for triathlons was to WI, which is not too far to travel. My trip to RI & MA was a quick trip for some training for work, and our TX trip is for pleasure (Austin/San Antonio mainly, then Arlington for the Thanksgiving day Cowboys game).
Next year we'll be in Louisville, KY for my husband's first full Ironman distance tri. He hasn't decided yet what other events he'll be doing, but probably fairly local (IL, IN or WI) since it costs so much to enter the longer events!
Hilary- That is so awesome! Good for you and your husband. I am super impressed. Have fun in Texas. San Antonio is a really nice place to visit. I'm sure you will have a lovely time!