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ALWB Getting to Know You

Alabama Women Bloggers

Last summer I became aware of a group of bloggers called the Alabama Women Bloggers.  It’s a blog where various bloggers across the state can get connected and can find others in their area.  I’ve enjoyed getting to “meet” some new blogs and even shared a recipe on their blog back in the fall.

Each month they feature a “Blogger of the Month” and in February the blogger of the month was Kari Scott from Raised Southern.  She came up with some questions that she wanted everyone to answer about themselves.  I had bookmarked the questions but didn’t get around to answering them during the month, but I figured that late is better than never!  You can see the original post and other links on the ALWB blog.

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1. What part of the state do you call home?

I live in North Alabama and have all of my life minus the five years that I lived in Tuscaloosa for college and the first year of our marriage.

2. How long have you been blogging?

I started blogging back in May 2008 when my best friend had her little girl, Caroline.  I had wanted to start a blog for a while but felt left out of the whole “Mommy blog” thing.  I now look back and wish I had started earlier when I first got the blogging bug, but I also love that I started blogging with such a special event.

3. Why did you start blogging?

Ok, I guess I answered this in the above answer so see above. 🙂

4. What do you love most about blogging?

I love the sense of camaraderie and friendship that exists between bloggers.  It allows an introvert like me to keep social connections even when I don’t have time to be out and about having coffee every morning with friends because I’ve got littles at home.  I love getting to experience different parts of the world, stages of life, and emotions through blogs.  And I especially love the feeling that I am not alone in my struggles and place in life because I often read about others who are exactly where I am.

5. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Let’s see, in 5 years I’ll be looking at having all three kids in full day school in just a couple months.  That seems so far away right now but I know how quickly it will fly by.  I would love to have expanded my shop and be working on custom items for people who want their stationery to reflect their personality and be just as unique as them.  I want to be involved in my kids schools and soaking up my last months with Hadley at home with me all day while also making lots of goals for how I’m going to use the (what seems like now) infinite amount of time that having all the kids in school will give me (although even now I know how fast those hours will get filled up!).

6. What is your favorite movie?

In the past I have always said that my favorite movie is “Up  Close and Personal” but I haven’t watched it in years and am not sure that I could get through watching it now without having a panic attack.  I now lean more towards fluff movies that help me escape and relax and the one movie that I like to watch over and over is “The Proposal.”  It’s so hilarious!

7. If you could use any actress to play you in your life, who would you choose and why?

Maybe Jennifer Garner?  I was thinking back on the Oscar’s and trying to think of an actress that I really love but who also seems very down to earth and centered and she came to mind.  She definitely has the Mom experience and has been married for a while so I think she would be able to play me well.  I bet she gets sick of changing diapers and enjoys her breaks while also cherishing each second she gets to spend with her kids just like all mom’s do!

8. Name the top 5 things on your bucket list.

I don’t really have a bucket list but I’ll name some things that I can think of off the top of my head:
– Go back to France and spend more time exploring Paris and the countryside
– Write a novel
– Run a 5k
– Get comfortable enough cooking so that I’m improvising and coming up with my own recipes instead of cooking from others’ recipes
Write notes in Bible’s for each of my kids to give them when they graduate high school

9. Who or what inspired you to blog?

One of the first blogs that I started reading and the one that inspired me start my own was Angie Smith.  I started reading when her daughter, Audrey, was still in utero and read throughout as she was born and died.  Reading Angie’s blog where she shared her amazing faith and heart wrenching honesty inspired me to live my life a lot less scared of what others thought and a lot more cognizant of how I could help others by telling my story.  

10. If you could be known for one thing in your life, what would it be?

Being an authentic Christian wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend who was always willing to help others and encourage them.

11. Where is your favorite place to go on vacation?

I’m not sure that I’ve really found my favorite vacation spot yet.  I like the calmness of a beach vacation sans kids but dislike the sun and sand.  I like experiencing new cities and places in big cities but don’t like the lack of relaxing down time that trips like that can mandate.  But I will say that some of my favorite vacations have been to Paris, New York, Phoenix/Grand Canyon, and Aruba.

12. Describe the best moment in your life.

I have lived such a wonderful life and have so many wonderful moments that I could name.  But I think that one of the most important was the day that Jason and I got married.  Being able to commit myself to him for the rest of my life and looking ahead to our dreams for the future was so special.  We were surrounded by so many family and friends and had so much support going into our marriage which meant so much.  There are so many fantastic moments that have happened since then that wouldn’t have had it not been for that day.

13. We’re headed to your neck of the woods for one day. What is one thing we have to do, and what restaurant we must eat at?

If you’re headed up to North Alabama there are a few things that you need to do.  Everyone should go to the Space and Rocket Center at least once in their life.  Big Spring Park is a great place to take a picnic on a beautiful day just be aware of the large duck population that will scavenge for food (and not shyly!).  If you’re in the area in the fall you need to go to Tate Farms to go pick a pumpkin and if you’re here between Thanksgiving and Christmas you need to go to Santa’s Village.

By and large, my favorite restaurant in North Alabama is Commerce Kitchen.  Jimmy Boyce is a renowned chef who has ties across the country and has been on the “Today” show and has done so many other cool things.  He is amazing and his food at Commerce Kitchen is delicious.  It’s a more relaxed environment than another of his restaurants, Cotton Row, and we take our family there often and it’s one of our favorite date night spots.  If you’re there make sure you order the Crab Tots or Fried Green Tomatoes for an appetizer, the Fried Chicken for dinner, and the Pecan Pie for dessert.  You’ll think that you’ve gone to heaven!

14. What is a tradition you and your family have?

One of my favorite traditions that my Mom started is playing the Mickey Mouse birthday song from Splashdance to wake the kids up on their birthday.  My Mom would play the song on a tape when we were growing up and it eventually morphed into a cd and then emailing me the song on my birthday.  I’ve continued the tradition with my kids and I love how excited they are when I walk into their rooms with it playing in the morning.  It’s such a fun, catchy song that we end up playing it and singing it all day.  It’s a fun way to start a birthday with an extra special kick and I love having passed on the tradition to my kids!

15. We all love social media, share your links so we can follow you.

You can follow me on Twitter, Facebook, instagram, Pinterest, Etsy shop, and Bloglovin.

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