tagged!

there have been a ton of awards going around blogland right now, have you noticed?  i was the recipient of a couple of them.  so without further ado...

first, the lovely ana, from the world through my eyes, gave me the stylish blogger award, where i am to divulge 7 facts about me. sooo...

1. i have synesthesia. 
2. i don't own a television.
3. i LOVE to watch live breakdancing. 
4. i kept my last name when i got domestically partnered.
5. i am a classically trained soprano.  although i haven't sung in several years - i miss it!
6. i am terrified of heights.
7. i'm allergic to corn and all corn-related products {and i'm pretty sure america is trying to kill me because there's corn in EVERYTHING!}.

{seeing sunshine! dress: ruche, pocket watch necklace: lunashineshine, little stone earrings: made by my friend echo!}

also, the soon-to-be, brand new momma connie, from all about connie, tagged me with 10 questions:

1. why did you create the blog?  

originally, i wanted to start a blog that kept my family in the loop of the goings-on in my life.  they live on the east coast and i on the west, so it was tough to keep in touch.  this seemed like a good way for my mom and grandma to see all of our adventures {and my ever-changing hairstyle}.  

i had also just begun grad school to be a therapist, and i was feeling inspired to create a corner of the blogosphere that was focused on making the world a better place, either by spreading the word of good causes, or helping encourage people to live the best life they could, to have their own fantastic adventures, and to make healthy choices, even if it seems hard.  

lately, i've also been feeling more and more passionate about using the blog to help others see that there are SO MANY options in life. this began with sharing our wedding and our choice to do a domestic partnership in lieu of a marriage, which i know have both inspired others to embrace their non-traditional love.  there is NO ONE RIGHT WAY to do anything - no one right way to have a relationship, be an adult, or experience spirituality.  in our western culture, we often get strong messages that we must do things in a certain way, but that's just not true.  we all find happiness in different ways, and that's beautiful!

2. what kind of blogs do you follow?

i'm a big fan of those blogs that feel personal.  you know, the kind that show real pieces of who the blogger is in a way that is genuine and allows meaningful connections to be made.  those are usually the ones where i find great ideas that are right up my ally {restaurants to try, movies to see, music to listen to, etc.}.  those are also the kind that translate into great real life friendships if you have the benefit of meeting in person at some point.  hooray friends!

3. favorite makeup brand?

i love bare escentuals mineral makeup.  i don't use very much makeup in general, so this stuff lasts me a good long time.  it feels great on my face and never looks "cakey."  you know what i'm talking about.  plus, it's good for the skin.

4. favorite clothing brand?

i hope i don't lose followers over this, but i really don't care about brands.  i never spend more than $30 on any item of clothing {except for my wedding dress which i got for $400}, which means i never ever ever buy name brand items.  i also have bought most of my clothes from a select few san francisco thrift stores, so who knows what those brands are!  i guess the most clothes i own that come from one place, are all from h&m.  the first time i went there was about 8 or 9 years ago when i went to london.  i was so excited to find several h&m's when i moved to san francisco, and i've been shopping there ever since.  cute clothes, great prices, totally my style!

5. your indispensable makeup product?

honestly, i go many a days without wearing makeup at all.  i really don't have an indispensable makeup  product.  but if i had to choose one thing, and one thing only, to wear for the rest of my life, it would be blush.  i love adding a little color to my face.

6. your favorite color?

this question always makes me laugh because it makes me feel like i'm in grade school again.  i don't have a favorite color.  i have colors that i like a lot and colors that i absolutely abhor. having synesthesia makes colors very emotional and musical to me.  i will never ever ever wear red because it is a dirty, evil color and makes me really anxious {my maroon sweater is as close as it gets for me}.  but i find certain greyish blues and greens to be rather soothing and lyrical.  

7. your perfume?

um... does rubbing the fragrant flowers from our meyer lemon tree count?  :) if not, "heavenly" by victoria's secret is what i wear when i go out sometimes.  but usually i forget to add perfume.  it's a wonder i even remember deodorant!   

8. your favorite film?

these questions are so hard to answer, because how can you decide between so many great films? but some of the films i like most are: the goonies, the royal tenenbaums, the red violin, big fish, sixteen candles, lars & the real girl, the life aquatic with steve zissou, fight club, amelie, strange brew, the darjeeling limited, being john malkovich, & so i married an axe murderer, just to name a few.

9. what country would you like to visit and why?

again, there are so many tied at the top of my list, but i'm going to say australia.  the mister's family is from there and i have a lot of friends who've lived there at one point or another.  it sounds just like my kind of place!

10. make up the last question and answer it.

um... 

self: if you had unlimited resources, what kind of party would you throw this weekend?

me: why, what a good question you!  i would have to say, throw a huge blogger party where everyone in my google reader could all get together in real life and have a grand ole time!

thanks ana & connie!  both of these ladies have fantastic blogs and are definitely worth checking out.

anyone else want to play along?