Ten on Tuesday

1. How many blogs do you read every day and what are they? (I’m talking the ones you NEVER miss)
My honest answer is I don't read a blog EVERYDAY.  If I really like a blog I will subscribe by email so that I have a copy of the newest posts in my inbox to read at my convince.  Roots and Rings and the South 'n France Blog being the ones I have sent via email.  I have tried Google reader but I forget to check it.  So having the new posts sent to me is the best way.  For those blogs hosted on Blogger (like mine) I will scroll through the reading list on my dashboard about twice a week and read the ones I like the most (Craving Cupcakes, IKEA Hackers, The Savvy Savin' Mama, and Fuegita Bonita).

2. How many “best friends” do you have? Do you have different “besties” for different areas of your life?
Well my oldest and best friend ever is Jennie.  I have known her since 5th grade and she knows every boring and not so boring detail of my life.  I have posted about her several times (she used to be the traffic reporter on WXII in Greensboro) on here because I am so proud of what she's done and it was kinda cool to see one of your best friends on TV.  But she lives about 3 hours away so I don't get to see her enough at all.  James is also one of my best friends.  He is the one first one I call to talk about anything and everything.  I have to admit that I have never had a ton of girlfriends in my life.  And when I first lived here after college I didn't have any who lived here but after my son was born I found a wonderful mommy group and found Ivy & Jennifer.  Ivy has far and away become one of my best friends forever.  And Jennifer is not only one of my best friends but also my neighbor which is really cool.  And I can't imagine my life without any of them!


3. What’s your daily make up routine?
So on a typical day when I am just at home with Marley or running errands I don't wear any make up.  When I was working I always wore make up and I wear it to go out.  So when I do wear it I wear tinted moisturizer, powdered mineral foundation, creme blush, mascara, and eye shadow.


4. What is your ideal girl’s night?
I hit the movies once a week with Ivy because we share a LOVE of movies and Carmike Cinemas popcorn and we manage to talk during the previews.  But when I go out with all my girlfriends here I prefer to do dinner or drinks so that we can all talk and catch up.

5. Do you keep up with your nails/toenails or are they au natural?
I try to.  I always file my nails and keep them fairly short because that's what works best when folding my origami creations.  I love having long nails and can grow them out but it just doesn't work well with folding origami or working with the Mod Podge I use to make frames.  I always try to have polish on my toes but I honestly haven't had any on in the last couple of weeks.  I have been meaning to get to my manicurist for the last 3 weeks because I usually go around my birthday but I finally got an appointment with her for this Thursday and I am soooooooo looking forward to it!!

6. What’s your best roommate story (assuming you had a roommate at some point in your life)?

 I did have 3 roommates (Ali, Karen and Julie) on campus my first year in college and that was OK.  There were some personality conflicts among the group.  I tried to keep my head down and be friends with all of them because I liked all of them.  Not sure it worked that well.  But I did end up moving out to a 2 bedroom apartment off campus after freshmen year.  The original plan was for my high school boyfriend at the time to come move to Wilmington with me and we would share the apartment.  But on the day of the move in he basically told me he had cheated on me and didn't want to move.  Nice right??  Anyway I had to scramble to find a roommate to share the rent.  I found one but she bounced checks on me and had her slacker, surfer boyfriend (he left half the beach sand in my shower) move in without asking.  So after the summer was over I kicked her out.  I then got one of my old roommates  Karen from my freshman year to move in with me.  The kicker was that I was really good friends with Ali one of the other freshman year girls and the two did not get along at all.  It was awkward.  I felt bad that they didn't like each other and that Ali felt uncomfortable being around Karen.  It kinda sucked and I know Ali felt like I betrayed her.  At the time I wasn't aware of how Ali felt and I wish I had.  I hated how that friendship ended (it ended later after another incident, which I can't remember right now.... hmmm now that's gonna bug me).  Anyway after about 6 months of living with Karen she got into a really bad car accident on the way back from Christmas break.  So she couldn't come back to school but also couldn't get her stuff out of her room so that I could get a new roommate.  She did pay rent but I then had to cover everything else and it was tight.  So after that I decided NO more roommates and I moved into a one bedroom apartment by myself.

7. What’s your “go to” outfit that you wear more than anything else?
It's not really an outfit but I have several v-neck t-shirts from Target in lots of different colors.  I love them!  They are cute and comfy and I can add a colored tank top underneath to mix things up.

8. Do you have a beauty secret?
Not really!  I joke that I don't have any wrinkles because I keep a nice layer of fat on and that hides/keeps the wrinkles away!!

9. Did you read Seventeen magazine growing up?
I sure did!!

10. How did you learn to put on makeup?
I guess from magazines and going to makeup counters but also doing plays at school too.

Ten on Tuesday

I love, love, LOVE the questions this week!!!

1. When someone asks you for a book recommendation, what is your go-to book?
Honestly it's Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer.  It's a heavy book full of history and religion but I could not put it down!!  It's all about fundamentalist Mormon sects and their history and why they are like they are today.  It's downright fascinating!!!  Plus I am sort of obsessed with FLDS to begin with.

2.  Do you buy your books, or are you a library patron?
I buy or trade for my books.  Now that I have a Kindle I am buy most of my books for it (but I use Swagbuck rewards {wanna sign up for Swagbucks it's great!! just go here http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/katiemommy} to get Amazon gift cards).  But still somethings are not available in ebook format and sometimes I just like to have a hard copy.  So my first stop is Paperback Swap to see if the book I want is available there first (you just use credits you have earned sending out books you no longer want), if it's not then I will buy it from a book store or used book store.  I just don't go to library because I can NEVER get stuff back on time (I am the same way with movies).

3.  E-readers, yay or nay?
YES!!  I LOVE my Kindle to pieces.  I also have an iPad and tried using it as an e-reader but the back light gave me the worst headaches.

4.  What was your favorite book as a child?
I loved to read as a child and I still do. I remember loving One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey because of the illustrations.  As a pre-teen/teenager I loved A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L'Engle but I loved all her books period.

5.  If you could be any character in a book, who would you be?
Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter books.  She is smart, an excellent and talented witch and lives in the wizzarding world!! What could be better!?!?

6.  What book would you love to see turned into a movie?
I was just thinking last night that the book I am reading right now (Night Road by Kristin Hannah) would be a good movie.

7.  What is your all-time favorite book?
Too hard to choose.  I have so many that I love.  The Laura Ingalls Wilder books (Little House on the Prairie books) are great and I loved them as a child and again as an adult.  The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien is also a childhood and adult favorite.  The Harry Potter series is one of my favorites too.  Oh and The Bean Trees and Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver.  Oooo the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris are some of my favorites too!!  See I really could keep going and going. 

8.  How many books do you read at once?
Usually only one but I have been known to have 2 going at once.  I can't read more than 2 at a time though, it gets too confusing.

9.  What is your favorite book genre?
I typically read fiction but I love to branch out and will read just about anything and have a slight preference for historical fiction or science fiction but I also really like biographies or autobiographies.

10.  Which Harry Potter book is the best?  Or haven’t you read them at all?
I have each and every one at least twice, some I have read a dozen or so times (I read them to my classes when I was teaching and to Noa).  But I think my favorite is The Prisoner of Azkaban or Half Blood Prince.

Ten on Tuesday

1. If you work, do you drive to work or take public transportation?
Nope for now I am still a stay at home mom and Etsy seller so I don't leave my house for work.

2. How often do you get your haircut? Do you go to the same person every time?
At the rate I'm going once a year.  I have a hair dresser who I like but finding the time and money to go as often as I should just doesn't happen.


3. Do you read the newspaper? If so, a hard copy or the online version?
Nope I don't read the paper.  I get my news from the TV or online or my husband since I tend to not see breaking news as fast as other people because I am kid land most of the day.

4. What is the best book you have read this year?
I am in the middle of Night Road by Kristin Hannah on my Kindle.  So far it's really good much better than any of the other books I have read this year.

5. What is the best movie you have seen this year?
OK well the best in terms of my enjoyment and something I would like to own or see again it's a tie between PAUL and No Strings Attached.  In terms of a really good critically acclaimed movie that critics also liked it would be Black Swan.


6. Do you tend to crave sweet or salty foods?
Sweet always sweet.  My sweet tooth is way too big.

7. Do you eat breakfast every day? If so, what do you have?
Yes, I can't function without it.  My usual is an egg sandwich.  I toast an English muffin or bagel and then add a piece of cheese and sausage if I have it and then poach an egg (my awesome new toaster poaches the egg and toasts the English muffin at the same time).  If I don't feel like waiting for the egg then I will have a bowl of cereal.

8. If you celebrate Easter, what Easter treat/candy are you most looking forward to?
Yes, we do Easter.  I LOVE Cadbury creme eggs and their mini eggs!!


9. How late is “sleeping in” to you?
Thanks to my children anything after 8AM is sleeping in to me.  My ideal is around 9-9:30.

10. Where are you going on your next vacation?
Chicago in may for my step sister's wedding.

Ten on Tuesday

 OK well this will be a very short edition of Ten on Tuesday.  I have been married for almost 12 years (!) and with James a total of 14 years (dang that was a fast 14 years!) so dating is a distant memory but we do have date nights.

1. What is your idea best date?
I love to go to the movies so I always like to go.  It's a bit cliche but going to dinner and movie is great.  But if we are going for out of the ordinary something like painting pottery or going to a fun comedy show or something of that sort.

2. How long does it take you to get ready to go on a date?
If I go all out and take a shower, dry my hair, put on make up and wear a nice outfit, it takes me about 30 to 40 minutes.

3. What would you wear on the date?
I like to wear a skirt and a nice shirt or blouse.  If we are headed to more expensive restaurant then a dress.

4. If you are married, how often do you go on dates? If you are single, when was your last date?
We go about once or twice a month, basically whenever my mom and step dad offer to take the kids overnight.  We lost our babysitter to college and just never found a new one since my mom moved to town.

5. What was your worst date?
I haven't had a bad one with James and I sure don't have one from my single days that sticks out.

6. Do you/Did you kiss on your first date?
It all depended on how things were going.  I was/am a go with the flow see how things feel kinda girl.

7. If married, how long before you knew he/she was the one? If single, how long before you know if the person is marriage material?
As bad as it sounds I knew with in a few dates.  James was just so different from the guys I had been dating and it was soooo nice.

8. Do you prefer day dates or night dates?
I like night dates.

9. How old were you when you first were allowed to date?
I think I had my first date at like 12 or 13.  I remember who it was with but for the life of me I can't remember how old I was.  But there was never a set rule as far as I knew.

10. What is the most embarrassing moment you have had on a date?
Again it's been too long.  Nothing is popping into my brain.