I've been tagged by Jenny from
Pulchritude Fest to do a little quiz thing and since I didn't have anything planned to post today, heck, why not participate :) I haven't done one of these things in a long time. Thanks for thinking of me Jenny!
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THE RULES
1. Post these rules
2. Post 11 random things about yourself
3. Answer the questions provided by the one who tagged you
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag
5. Go to their blog and tell them they've been tagged!
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11 RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ME
1. I grew up in England from age 2-8 and I didn't feel like I was American until the end of high school.
2. I was a semi-professional classical singer in high school. (soprano 1!) During my senior year I spent 40 hours a week singing in 3 choirs and a quartet in school and then was in a semi-professional classical singing group outside of school called
Penumbra. I also got to tour Germany, Austria and Hungary singing with my high school choir!
3. I grew up in 3 very very small towns and I lived at the end of a dead end road in each town. Age 0-2: Quincy, CA, population 1,728 people. Age 2-8: Helpston, England, population 870 people. Age 8-18: Nevada City, CA, population 2944 people.
4. I taught myself guitar at age 15 and I play right handed but I am left handed, and I started writing music at 15 as well.
5. I wrote and recorded an indie/folk album called
Be My Friend when I was 19.
6. I opened for
Rocky Votalato when I was in college. He was a really nice dude.
7. I changed my major a million times in college: Art History, Apparel Design, Philosophy, Painting and Drawing, Illustration.
8. I graduated from Seattle Pacific University in Seattle, WA in 2009 (I did 5 years of college...) with a degree in Studio Art with an emphasis in Illustration and New Pictures. How do ya like that crazy long title?
9. My boyfriend and I went to high school together in Northern California but maybe only talked once or twice. ( I did think he was pretty cute in high school :) We reconnected after college and we now both live in Seattle and have been dating for two years. I love him <3
10. You wouldn't guess it, but I love playing sports and games of all sorts. I'm really competitive but always with a smile. I've rarely been encouraged or asked to participate in any sports though because my whole life I've been categorized as "artsy" which I find incredibly annoying. But I played soccer for a few years when I was in jr high and I played Tennis throughout high school.
Edit: I forgot my 11th random fact about me:
11. Johnny Depp is my 2nd cousin once removed. No joke.
QUESTIONS FROM JENNY
1. Name three people who inspire you and why? a.) My grandmother because she was incredibly smart, strong, independent and wise and gave back to her community. She started the program that the now nationally known ESL program is based off of. She started the first 3 bi-lingual schools in the LA area. She was a bad ass.
b.) My great grandmother who was a suffragette. Go girl! She helped women gain the right to vote!
c.)
Laura Lasworth was one of my professors and mentors in college. She is so brilliant and thoughtful, an incredibly talented painter, so loving, kind and encouraging. She really challenged me in my art work and pushed me to be my best while always supporting everything I pursued in college.
2. What are three hobbies you always enjoy doing?
Well since my work is making things all day (jewelry, illustration, design) my hobbies aside from my work are playing games, chilling at home watching movies, getting food/drinks with friends. Not too exciting :)
3. If you were to have a soundtrack to your life, what would today's song be?
"When Rose Speaks" by Pickwick
4. What was your first pet growing up?
When I was a baby, my parents had a bunch of horses, 2 dogs, chickens, peacocks, 2 cats, a bunch of animals. I'm allergic to horses and cats though.
5. Do you have any siblings? What are their names?
I love my baby sisters so much. In a lot of ways, I raised them as my own daughters growing up. <3
Alexandra - 21
Isabella - 16
6. What was your first job?
I started nannying at age 12 but my first job outside of that was I was barista at 16. I had to beg and beg my dad to let me start working at a coffeeshop at 16.
7. If you could be a superhero, what would your power be?
Saving people from deep suffering
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8. What are you most proud of about yourself or something you've accomplished recently?
I'm proud of myself that I manage to juggle running my own jewelry business, freelance illustrating and designing, and blog designing for Freckled Nest. And I'm amazed every month when I manage to pay my millions of bills. Plus I manage to maintain a happy and healthy relationship with my boyfriend. Now... to only have more free time to hang with friends.
9. Name three tips to being a good blogger.
a.) Don't compare yourself to other bloggers. Who cares if someone else has more readers than you or appears "cooler" online. Real life matters so much more. Be happy with your life outside of the web first and let yourself just enjoy blogging just because. We are all nerdier in real life than we appear on the web, so don't worry about that.
b.) Be friendly to others online. Don't judge, don't hate, don't let jealousy or a competitive spirit squash your kindness. You may develop real life friends from the friendships you develop online. So be nice and enjoy that! Don't slander others online, written words are so powerful so don't trash talk!
c.) Write about what you truly enjoy. I'm often embarrassed by the fact that I love fashion so much. I know that some people probably view me as shallow because I dig fashion. But who cares, we are all complex people! I have many other things I care about that are deeper and more meaningful, but for me, my blog is just not an appropriate space to share those things. If you like to keep some parts of your life private, go ahead! There is no pressure to word barf all over the web.
10. When was the last time you laughed until you were crying?
Hm, well working at home all day alone doesn't call for much laughter. Wa wa wa. But probably the last time I laughed till I cried was while hanging out with my boyfriend and all the funny dudes at his house playing card games or while seeing my little sisters over Christmas.
11. What is your dream job?
Basically what I am doing now but just with a more stable income. I love the freedoms I have in being a jewelry designer, small biz owner, illustrator and designer. I love being my own boss and whooping my own butt. But kids, if you are looking for financial stability in a job straight away, do not follow my lead. My jobs require a LOT of sacrifice financially, they require a lot of patience and faith, a lot of effort, and a lot of dedication. My dream job would be to keep designing and running my jewelry business but expanding so I could have a nice big studio space with lots of metal working equipment. I hope to have a few employees someday that I love working with and trust. And I'd love to feel like my income is more stable and consistent.
Bloggers I Tag:
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11 Questions for You:
1. Who do you feel most similar to in your family and why?
2. What do you wish you could say to yourself at age 13?
3. How do you treat yo self?
4. How do you try to improve yourself?
5. What/Where is your favorite place to go in your town/city?
6. What was your first job?
7. What was your worst job?
8. What are you proud of in yourself?
9. Do you have a guilty pleasure?
10. Who inspires you most right now?
11. What is something that you wish you could have made, invented, created or designed and why?
And for the rest of you, if you'd like to answer the questions I've asked, feel free! Take the questions and send a link back in the comments below so I can see your answers.