Here are some little-known facts about me. Or maybe they’re more widely known that I realize. Either way, it’s a peek into what makes me tick, on a more day-to-day basis.
[subheading]I love to dance[/subheading]
I’m terrible. It’s a trainwreck. But I absolutely LOVE IT. And I do it anyways. I don’t care what I’m dancing to, or where. If I’m moving, I’m a happy girl. We’re notorious around my house for spontaneous kitchen dance parties – so be warned if you ever come to visit. My girls and I also have dance parties in the car on the way to school, walking through the park, or whenever we start to feel a funk creepin’ in. Dance it out, baby!
[subheading]Any excuse to dress up[/subheading]
I firmly believe that there are NOT enough excuses to dress up as an adult. Who wants to be a grown up if we can’t randomly decide that TODAY is a pirate kind of day? And who doesn’t feel instantly better after donning a tiara? Or a cape? I will seriously jump at any chance to play dress-up, play pretend – and just get silly.
[subheading]Full of useless knowledge[/subheading]
I would clean house on Jeopardy. I’ve been playing along at home since I was about six, and I have mad trivia skills. Mostly because my head is crammed so full of random, seemingly useless knowledge. I’m determined that one day, I’ll cash in on this fact. Somehow.
[subheading]I sing all day[/subheading]
Music is a major part of my life. It always has been. It’s an escape, a release, a way to communicate when words fail. I taught myself some piano and guitar back in high school, but singing has always been there for me. The instruments were always just a way to accommodate the singing. From high school choir and theatre to church choir to a brief stint in a band, I have always loved to connect with harmony. It’s moving on a soul level. Song touches all the corners of a heart, and can chase away shadows – no matter how huge.
I also, somewhere along the line, developed a major fear of singing in front of others. Solo. Can’t do it. Freeze up completely. I’ve been working through that fear over the past few months – starting with my Christmas card for this past year. It was a video, and I sang the soundtrack. It was my first public offering, and it felt amazing to reclaim my voice again! Now the secret is starting to creep out, and I’m finding it easier to let others hear what I have to offer. Let’s just say, if you ever get in the car with me, you’re guaranteed a sing-along.
[subheading]I’m ordained[/subheading]
Oh, yeah. I’m a minister. I can lead a church, perform weddings and funerals, and baptize followers of all ages. I started this path with the intention of creating a spiritual group for those who don’t connect with organized (traditional) religion. Although it didn’t come together at the time, my path has come back around to this concept, and I’m actually putting together the details to bring this dream to life now!
[subheading]Rom-com bliss[/subheading]
It’s definitely no secret that I’m a hopeless romantic. It should come as no surprise, then, that I absolutely ADORE romantic comedies. The cheesier, the better. Too predictable for you? Exactly. I *like* knowing there will be a happy ending. I love watching the ups and downs, all the while knowing that the guy gets the girl, the girl picks the right guy, and that love wins the day. Because really, with all of life’s unpredictability, isn’t it nice to have somewhere to retreat where there is a guaranteed happy ending?? In an hour and a half’s time?
Made-for-tv rom-coms are the best kind. Hallmark Channel originals, ABC Family presentations. I eat them up. And the Christmas ones?? It’s like they were MADE FOR ME! I can’t get enough. I may need a 12-step program. (But not until after New Year’s.)
[subheading]Candles everywhere[/subheading]
I am entranced by candles. The soft flicker, the soothing scents, the warmth that fills a room. It’s mesmerizing, and I may or may not go overboard with candles in my home. Particularly in the winter months, when they make my little world seem so cozy.
[subheading]I’m such a nerd[/subheading]
I got my first computer when I was really young. It was one of those ancient Tandy computers – you know, black screen, green DOS prompts. It was a magic box, and I quickly learned all that it was capable of doing. I started programming my own primitive games and learned to speak this mystical language of abbreviated commands and symbols. I was hooked. By the end of middle school, I built my first websites and I could build a PC from bare bones. Technology has always come second nature to me, and I’m definitely THAT girl – the girl who starts to twitch every time Apple announces an announcement, the girl who itches for the latest and greatest. An early adopter? You could say that.
[subheading]Ultimate DIY girl[/subheading]
I get off on making things myself. It’s seriously a sickness, I think. Even when I could go buy something for a reasonable price, and have it instantly READY MADE…I stop and think, Yeah, I could make that. And then I do. I love the satisfaction of being able to say, I made this. Myself. From my own brain. It’s fabulous! I am insanely crafty, I own more power tools than any guy I’ve ever dated, and I have this bizarre, endless flow of creativity that is just chomping at the gate to be unleashed.
Of course, now that Pinterest has come on the scene, I constantly hear, “Oh, did you see that on Pinterest?” NO. I did not. (Usually.) I actually come up with this random shit all on my own. (It’s a slightly touchy subject. I get pouty.)
[subheading]Intuitive[/subheading]
I’m one of THOSE people. I say I’m spiritual but not religious (because it’s true). I like new age-y things and metaphysical studies. I talk to dead people, I use tarot cards, I channel my higher power. I believe in reincarnation. And you know what? It’s INCREDIBLE. I love being so connected and so tuned in. It gives me a deeper gratitude for life, and it certainly has instilled in me an unshakable faith. I can’t imagine my life without my intuition – I would be beyond lost. You know how bad I am with directions? Yeah, it would be like that. No GPS to help me out.
For the longest time – most of my life, actually – I kept this side of me tucked away, out of sight of the public eye. I didn’t want to be ‘outed’ as one of those crazy psychics. It cheapened what I knew, what I saw. And it made me afraid to share that part of me. Which actually happens to be a VERY LARGE part of me. My spirituality is my center, and to deny it and hide it away only left me feeling alone, isolated and empty. Now that I’ve embraced it openly, I can feel it beginning to move mountains for me! And if that’s not miraculous, I don’t know what is.
[subheading]I’m a sucker…[/subheading]
…for a boy with an acoustic guitar. There is honestly no way around this one. I melt. The whole scene – a guy, his acoustic, eyes closed, pouring out his soul in song. Yep, I’m a goner. It’s organic and stripped down and just so real.
[subheading]Graph paper obsession[/subheading]
I have a crazy obsession with graph paper and markers. Most of my journals are graph paper notebooks. And I always carry around a handful of colored markers with me. I doodle and sketch and draw my notes, and they turn into little pieces of my soul, hand-written. Whenever I see a graph paper notebook in a store, I have to buy it. (They’re hard to find, you know.) I don’t know if it just appeals to the designer in me to have all the little squares mapping out my blank pages, or if I like the rebelliousness of the lines going BOTH WAYS on my sheet of paper. Either way, I have a problem.
[subheading]Weddings much?[/subheading]
Remember that hopeless romantic bit? Yeah. It carries over into real life in a big way. I am completely, head over heels in love with weddings. Right after high school, I got certified to be a wedding planner. I even started my own wedding planning business – Bri’s Brides – until I realized that I was about a decade ahead of South Dakota. Nobody here could figure out why they’d want to pay someone to plan their wedding. I ended up starting my photography business shortly thereafter, and a year into it, my best friend asked me to shoot her brother’s wedding. I was hesitant at first, but agreed – and immediately fell in love. Hard. Now, over seven years and 100+ weddings later, I still cry at every wedding I shoot.
So, for those of you keeping score at home, I can perform marriages (minister, remember?). I can plan weddings. I can photograph OR film weddings. I can make all sorts of kick-ass wedding stuff (queen of DIY). I could probably even work up the nerve to sing at a wedding. I sure as hell can dance at a wedding. About the only thing I can’t do is find a groom of my own, it seems! 😉
[subheading]Cooking with soul[/subheading]
I absolutely love to cook. When I was younger, I thought I was a terrible cook. Just ridiculous. I burned everything I tried to make. When I was married, my (ex) husband did all the cooking. After I went through my divorce, something magical happened. I was thrown into the fire, so to speak, and had to figure out how to feed myself – and my two girls. I avoided it as much as possible at first. Freezer meals and ramen noodles were all the rage. Finally, one day, I’d had enough. It was time. Gotta get a handle on this food thing. I grabbed a bunch of ingredients, threw them together in an attempt to cook from scratch…and lo and behold, it was delicious!!! Turns out I just have to give myself room for improvisation when cooking. I cook everything from scratch, making it up as I go. I’m not into following recipes too closely, and I rarely measure anything. Cooking is an art form to me, another outlet for creativity. When I have a stressful day, cooking actually helps me relax into the evening. (Most days. Some days it’s all I can do to call for a pizza. Or just bust open a bag of Doritos.)
[subheading]Sports fan[/subheading]
I love sports. I love being a fan. I love cheering on my teams. I’m not very good at being a girl sometimes – if I’m out somewhere and Sports Center comes on a TV nearby, I’m sorry to say that my attention is gone. Being from just outside Pittsburgh originally, I bleed black & gold. Three times over. Steelers, Penguins, Pirates. (On that note, I’m THRILLED that I can finally be proud to be a Pirates fan again! GO Bucs!) I got into college football during high school, and am a huge Huskers fan.
I might be all about love…but a different side of passion comes out on game day. I’m often found yelling at my TV, jumping around the living room. My girls are right there with me. We like our sports.
[subheading]The ocean calls me home[/subheading]
Despite the fact that I’ve never actually LIVED near the ocean – not during this lifetime, anyways – I always feel so incredibly at home when I am standing at the shore. It’s the most powerful way I’ve experienced that sense of Universe-awe. Ever. Lakes have a similar effect, but obviously on a smaller scale. Standing at the edge of the ocean, hearing the waves crash around me, feeling the tide rise over my feet…it’s home. Oneness in the grandest, most immediate sense.
And I live right smack-dab in the middle of the United States. I don’t think I could get much more land-locked if I tried. 😉
[subheading]I’d live in a tent[/subheading]
Camping is my ideal retreat. I have to spend at least one full week away from the rest of the civilized world, roughing it in a tent, in order to survive the rest of the year. If I had my way, I’d spend the entire summer in a tent at the lake. It’s essential for my own re-centering. Totally unplugged. Off the grid. Glorious peace. Creativity running wild…like my children. (Who, incidentally, share my overzealous love for the outdoor life.)
[subheading]Obsessed with Old[/subheading]
I adore antique stores. There’s something magical about walking into a shop that is crammed full of stuff that is just BURSTING with stories. Not just factory-floor-survival stories. Not mass-produced. But a place where each and every item has already LIVED a full life, before coming to rest wearily on shelves and in cases. A store where all the wares have already seen, already known, love. And fear. And joy. And sorrow.
I have a collection of old cameras, and I have to ask them…what have you seen? What memories have you captured?
I also collect vintage jewelry, giving it new life in repurposed uses. New pieces, hair clips, photo frames, artwork. It’s gratifying to take something that once had such life and renew it once more. (This repurposing obsession doesn’t end with vintage jewelry.)
[subheading]Will run…for color[/subheading]
I am not a runner. I have never been a runner. I’ve had asthma most of my life, I’ve had a bum knee for over six years. I don’t run.
Apparently, there’s an exception. I never EVER thought I would voluntarily run a 5K. That’s over 3 miles, you know. But…if you promise to throw paint at me while I do it, I’m so there.
I did my first 5K this summer – a color run called Run or Dye. We had more fun than I EVER though possible – while running. Who knew?!
[subheading]Not very good at being a girl[/subheading]
I’ve never been one to cave to gender stereotypes. I joke a lot that I’m a terrible girl. I love sports – ESPN stops me in my tracks, even when I’m out with the girls for happy hour. I ride a motorcycle (recently sold mine to get a bigger one…so if you know anyone willing to trade my services for a decent bike…). I hate drama and the games that some girls insist on playing. I’m really laid back, not remotely high maintenance. I like to shoot, I’ll cook any wild game like a pro, I love to fish. I like Sci Fi stuff and shows like Top Gear. Oh, yeah, and I’d love to live in a tent.
Of course, I have a lot of girly tendencies, too, so there is some balance there. I wear skirts and dresses 90% of the time. Plus…I’m obviously a hopeless romantic.
[subheading]Your Turn[/subheading]
Now it’s your turn! I’d love to hear some little-known facts about you, either in the comments below OR on your own blog, if you’re into that sort of thing!
xo
Brianna