- I mostly drink red wine when I'm out socially, but I also really like Crown & 7 with lime. When I worked as a waitress, I worked with a bartender that introduced me to this drink, and it's been a favorite since.
- I love many types of flowers, but sunflowers are my favorite. I love how big, bright and cheery they are. They always make me smile.
- While I love my family and friends and am generally an affectionate person, I know that I also enjoy a certain amount of freedom and solitude. Time to myself, even if just for a little while, is pretty important to me.
- I am a girly girl. Love all the typical girl things, like lip gloss, perfume, shoes, purses, jewelry. Ulta really is girl heaven!
- I have been married for 16 years. Jon and I had what I call the world's longest engagement -- five years! And I got my engagement ring, not on Christmas, New Year's, my birthday, or even Valentine's, but when? On Opening Day of baseball season! Such a romantic ...
- I would be amiss if I left out an obvious thing about me and something I'm known for -- my love for Starbucks. Yes, the rumors are true .... I really do get a venti drink of some kind every day. I'll even admit it -- I have my own button on the register at the Starbucks nearest my house. I believe they call it the Sylvia Special. That's really bad, I know.
- I'm pretty much a crafty person, downright Martha Stewart like even. Now I only crochet sometimes ... it's something I've always done. I have friends and family waiting for me to start projects for them. No pressure -- right, guys? It's gonna be a while.
- I love being able to call a friend with whom I haven't spoken in a while, and just pick up where we left off.
- Of my three children, Annemarie is most like me. Not only in appearance, but artistically she's my girl through and through. My mini -me, is what I called her.
- The biggest surprise of my life was finding out I was having twins. As in ... (nervous laugh) ..."I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you correctly ... did you just say ... twins???" (Thunk! Jaw drop to floor).
- I've had several important losses in my life, including a baby, my mother and two relatives that died young and unexpectedly. From these losses, I've come to look at life a lot differently. Kind of a carpe diem kind of thing. The losses don't leave you, but turning them into a positive thing as best you can was a huge life lesson for me. I'd like to think that's made me into a better person.
- When I was a kid, I studied dance -- ballet, tap, jazz, gymnastics and baton. I loved tap, and I still have my baton. Twirling it in the same pattern over and over again is something I still do when I'm trying to concentrate.
- I preferred The Addams Family over the The Munsters. Morticia's dress was better than Lily's, don't you think?
- In my previous life, I worked in human resources. Started out in recruiting and employment and was involved in hiring people in a wide variety of jobs, from mortuary assistants, service/maintenance staff, clerical, business analysts, customer service reps, graphic designers, computer/systems technicians, and tax attorneys. The weirdest one? A psychiatric technician studying the sexual habits of pigs. Ewww.
- I'm a Star Trek fan. That's my big brother's fault ... made me watch it when we were kids, and now I follow it more than he does. Live long and prosper!
- I usually have coffee and a biscotti for breakfast, but my favorite breakfast is french toast and sausage. YUM!
- I have a really keen sense of hearing. I mean, seriously, I could have been the original bionic woman. Jaime Sommers has nothing on me.
- On the other hand, I have a pretty poor sense of smell. It takes a long time for that to kick in. Except dirty diapers ... that I got right away!
- I love my daughter Kate's voice. She used to surprise me with her big voice in her little girl body. Now when she sings, she just rocks it. Makes me really proud.
- I have special pet names for my kids. Annie is my Little Love Bug (because she's so affectionate and huggy); Kate is My Dear One (in reference to a favorite quote from a book that I always read to her as a toddler); and Chris is My Sunshine (a pun on the word 'son', and I still remember the moment of his first smile at me).
- When I was a kid, I was scared to death of the movie The Exorcist. Linda Blair and split pea soup, to this day, still freak me out.
- I was an avid reader as a child. Always had a book in hand, and I still always have something to read nearby. But my daughter Kate, takes reading to an entirely new level. There are authors that could not keep up with her.
- I am Hispanic, but I don't speak Spanish. I studied it for many years in school, and can understand it fairly well, and can read and write it somewhat. But embarrasingly, yo no hablo espanol muy bien ... just can't think fast enough to get the words out correctly.
- I really dislike ironing, and will avoid it at all costs!! My iron collects dust from barely being touched, and my ironing board is .... uh ... well, I don't know where. It's probably good that we live in Austin, where it's okay to look a little disheveled and the flip flop is the official shoe in town. Part of that whole "keep Austin weird" mentality.
- I love the fact that my son Christopher has so many nicknames. He prefers Chris, but he also answers to Topher, Buddy, Dude and The Boy. His aunt calls him Ferky (don't ask)!
- I love my camera and all my new lenses ... but somehow, I think you already knew that. :)
And here's a random photo of me, taken today by my daughter Kate.
