Sunday, October 16, 2011

Only 10 things you didn't know about me

Lori Anderson recently revealed "Thought Balloons: 25 Things You Didn't Know About Me" on her blog, "My Pretty Things." 


I thought it was such a cool idea, I wanted to try it.   (I used to be an over-achiever and would have tried for 50, but I'm giving that up lately and so I'm only reaching for 10.)  


I'm not sure what process Lori used to come up with her list, but I just sat down and "brainstormed" and wrote the first 10 that came to my mind.  I wasn't sure I could get to 10, but it wasn't too hard:


1) You can guess some of my favorite colors if you know what color cars I've owned:   metallic blue, metallic silver, deep purple/eggplant, and a muted lime green.


2) My husband's family is from Western Australia, and I've visited there twice.   Really nice place, really nice people, amazing flora and fauna, lovely beaches, cool accents.  I always "sort out my priorities" when I visit.  Miss the place and family every time I think of them.


3) I have a giant magnet on my desk that reads, 
"One person can make a difference, and everyone should try."  I keep it there to remind myself.


4) One of my life dreams is to visit Europe.  I had planned to go with a friend in college and never made it.  I'd like to start with the beginner tour where you go to a lot of countries so you can say you've been there, then go back additional times to the more hidden spots of England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Italy, Greece, France,...  I really want to see:  1) Anyplace in Ireland before I die.  2) Bath, England because of the vision I have of it from Jane Austen's writings. (Also before I die because, frankly, I doubt it's  much use to go later.)   


5) My next car color should be aqua.


6) I have an orange-colored mouse.  (Actually you might know that one.  I included a photo of it on my room redo entry!)  Okay, I'll give you a "bonus" one instead:  I have a Jane Austen "action figure") on my desk--a gift from my son he got at the university book store.  They have all the cool stuff there!






7) The first gift my husband gave me, just after our first date in graduate school, was a pair of pliers for making jewelry.  More than 20 years later, I'm happy to say, I still have the pliers and the husband!  


8) I spent more than 10 years at universities after graduating from high school.  I still do not have a Ph.D.  I have a B.A. with a double-major and two masters' degrees (4 totally different subject areas) and not one of them was in art or design.   (What was I thinking?  Wish I could try for a 5th!)


9) I love to flower garden, but can't grow a vegetable.  (A real shame coming from a family that turned vegetable gardening into a competitive sport!)  


10) My bedroom looks nothing like Lori Anderson's (#15 her list), but I wish it did!   I would never iron jeans or t-shirts (her #21).  In fact I tend not to buy clothing that requires the use of an iron.  (Sorry, Lori!  I know your way looks better!)


11) If I were younger, stronger, braver, I would... join the Peace Corp.


12)  I've never been able to... turn a cartwheel.  Even as a kid, my wrists would collapse and I would fall to the floor on my face.  Not very becoming or an encouraging result to make me try again.  And it's a bummer, because cartwheels really look like they should be fun.


13) I became a vegetarian because my son decided to be one.  He was 5.  I had tried when I was in my teens and had gotten a lot of flack over it.  So I decided I would support him for as long as it lasted by not eating meat either.  We are both still vegetarians 15 years later.  Can't imagine eating meat now, even if he ever changed his mind.  Have a hunch he feels the same.  (My husband on the other hand is a complete carnivore.)


14) My favorite colors in elementary and Junior High School were hot pink, bright orange, lime green, and purple.  While I never want to go back to the avocado green and harvest gold interior design colors of the day, lately I've found myself oddly attracted to the brighter colors that I liked back then.  (In 4th grade, I had shoes and a purse in these colors that were to die for!  They were probably my last major fashion statement!  Well those big red-and-white checked bell bottoms in 7th were lovelies too!)


 
15) And here I am making another fashion statement.  I've loved jewelry since I was very small.  This is a photo that was taken of me when I was 3 years old with an arm full of silver bracelets.  I still like to wear them that way!


Uh-oh, just realized I overshot my goal of 10.  (Some things will never change...  You should know that about me.)


--Sharyl


P.S. Thanks to Lori Anderson for an idea so good I couldn't help "copy-catting!"
   
Image Credits:


Girl making a list:  http://www.wpclipart.com/education/kids/students/student_writing.jpg

Entry #3--John F. Kennedy saying magnet, photo by Sharyl


Entry #4--Bath, England:  http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/The.circus.bath.arp.jpg/789px-The.circus.bath.arp.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The.circus.bath.arp.jpg


Entry #6--Jane Austen Action Figure, Photo by Sharyl.


Entry #8--Book stack:  http://www.wpclipart.com/education/books/books_1/book_stack.jpg


Entry #9--Tomatoes:  http://www.wpclipart.com/food/fruit/tomato/tomatoes_1.jpg

Entry #12--Girl turning Cartwheel:  http://www.wpclipart.com/cartoon/people/kids/kidz/Kids_smiling_girl_cartwheel.jpg

Entry #14--Flowers:  http://www.wpclipart.com/plants/gardening/Naturefine.jpg


Entry #15--Portrait of Sharyl at age 3.  Portrait photographer, unknown.  Reshot by Sharyl.



5 comments:

Lori Anderson said...

I wanted the green VW bug, but had to make do with white, as that was all that was available throughout the state at the time.

My best friend from college's husband is Australian -- she met him in Japan!

Visit Europe! And I hooted and the last sentence!

Oh, you'll shoot me but I don't get Jane Austen.

http://www.prettythingsblog.com/2009/07/jane-austen-wont-be-coming-to-tea.html

Ditto on the Peace Corps but the Air Force will have to substitute.

I can't do a cartwheel -- I'm terrified of being upside down. Yet I love roller coasters with loops. Go figure.

Zack is a vegetarian -- proclaimed that this year (at eight).

Sharyl said...

Thanks, Lori! It's fun to see where people land on these topics!

I made a bee-line for your blog entry on Jane Austen and left you a comment there (of course)! :-)

And yeah for Zach! I knew I liked that boy! We'll have to compare favorite foods sometime!

P.S. Have you ever found that roller coasters can help migraines? I'm convinced (not a medical opinion, mind you) that they make a shift in the pressure in the head. If you can stand to get ON one with a migraine, you may feel better coming off! Seek a medical opinion, then try it if you dare! Ha!

Mary C said...

That's a cool magnet and a great reminder!
I would LOVE to visit Europe too! Not sure if the budget or the terrible travel sickness I get would ever allow it, but I'll stay open to the possibility.
Number 7 is very sweet. :)
My hubby grows a small veggie garden every year. Nothing like Jersey tomatoes! Ah, but they are done for the season now.
I like a lot of vegetarian dishes, however, I do eat meat too.
What an adorable photo of you.

This was a fun post!
Have a nice day.

Krista said...

I am more than happy to take the Europe trip with you!

There was a Jane Austen conference here this weekend. I guess everyone was in costume and they discussed "Sense and Sensibility." Who knew!

And I am totally interested in your other degrees. I of course only know about your MLS.

Sharyl said...

I feel a European, vegetable-eating, jewelry-making-blog trip coming on! Ha!

Okay, I would never impose this on you if you hadn't inquired, but since you did.... my degrees:

BA--Majors in English (Creative Writing)
and Communication Studies

MA in Religious Studies-- (Focus on the history of Ancient Near-Eastern Religions of 1st-2nd Century)

MA (MLS) in Library and Informational Science

And as I stated above...
0 degree in the Fine Arts--what a shame!

Now, I'm curious to know what proportion of people in this business have degrees in Fine Arts...or some kind of equivalent professional training. Or does it tend to be more DIY and workshop training? I'd be interested in hearing how others gained their jewelry-making skills!

(Cat's out of the bag--I guess I've just admitted I'm a DIY person who read a bazillion library books, looked at jewelry in shops to observe how pieces were made, read and watched online tutorials, talked to bead shop staff, (and now learning from blogs)! Which is why I really appreciate everyone's help!

I also hope to attend some workshops at one of our local bead shops in the future. They have a wide array of workshops each month.

Thanks for all the feedback, and again to Lori for the idea. To all of you...I'd love to hear some of your "things we don't know about you!" :-)