...and More: Getting to Know You/Me

This weekend I was tagged in a little "getting to know you" game by another food blogger, Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes (SMBP). If you haven't already, you must check out her blog, her pics and recipes are wonderful.

I have to admit, whenever I get chain letters or forwards that promise bad luck if you don't send them along, I cringe. Sometimes I do them because I feel guilty; most of the time I pray that I don't upset the voodoo Gods and I delete the message. But, this was a little different (and without the threats of bad luck of course!), and reading other blogs, I have often thought, "this person seems like someone I'd be friends with in real life." SMBP is one of those people, so when she tagged me in this little getting to know you game, I figured why not?! But don't hate me for altering the rules slightly! ;-)



Getting to know you:

The Rules:
1. You must post the rules.
2. Post 12 fun facts about yourself in the blog post.
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post and then create 12 new questions for the people you tagged.
4. Tag 12 people and link them on your post.
5. Let them know you’ve tagged them.
 

10 things about me: or here's 11: I don't always follow the rules- see above :-)

1. I love to make people laugh. Sometimes I make myself laugh more than others, but as long as someone's laughing, right? ;-)
2. I get carsick if I try and read in a bus or car.
3. I love my dog more than anything; no-one gives a better greeting than him.
4. Almost every time I go out on a run, I find little things that make me break into a big smile- I call them little gifts: an incredible view that takes my breath away (and not just because I'm winded!), a vibrant bluejay, an awesome spiderweb filled with dew, a friendly runner who gives a big genuine smile and says hi, the way the sun hits the water, or amazing green hills against blue skies. Sometimes I find these little gifts when I'm not running, but I think I notice them more when it's just me and the road! 
5. There's a motivational slogan that says "You're just one workout away from being in a good mood," and I totally believe that. See above ;-)
6. I walk around when I'm brushing my teeth. 
7. I used to be a group fitness instructor and personal trainer part time. I miss it but my "real job" took over, and I felt like I couldn't commit what was needed to be my best at training. Plus, I had barely any rhythm, so moving to music in group fitness wasn't my strength ;-)
8. I'm a bad napper.
9. Some of my best travels have been solo, but there is nothing I value more than time with my friends and family. 
10. I love quotes. One of my favorites is: "You find that you are made up of bits and pieces of all those who have touched your life, and you would be less if they had not touched you."

So thanks for touching my life, those of you who blog, leave comments on my blog, and keep coming back to see what I'm posting!

SMBP's questions to me/those tagged: I am answering a sampling...see #11 about me :-)

1. What is your ultimate food weakness?
   Probably fresh baked bread. But sometimes candy.
2. What is your favorite book of all time?
   I'm really bad at "favorites" questions because I can never pick just one! I love reading though, but was spending far too long and too much text trying to answer this...
3. What is the most exotic place you have traveled to or through?
   Probably Peru or Tasmania. 
4. What is your favorite aspect of blogging? 
   I love all the new things I have learned and am learning through blogging. I love that I never would have imagined making half of the things I do now, and that ingredients I'd never heard of a few months ago are ones I use regularly. I love that it has stimulated change & excitement in one little area of my life, that has spilled over into others! 
5. Would you describe yourself as a control freak, perfectionist or laid back & why?
   I'm a mix of both. I like having things neat & organized, and I like being in charge, but for certain things I see myself as laid back. But on average, yeah, I'm probably more anal than laid back.
6. Favorite Cocktail or Mocktail- please share!
   Again, I can't pick just one, but in the right mood I do like a really good dirty martini, or French 75, Bushwhacker, my white Sangria, or this drink with basil & gin in it that I'm forgetting the name of.... basically, I'm a fan of many "fun drinks" as I call them ;-)
7. Do you sing in the car; if so, at the top of your lungs or do you lip sync?
   Top of my lungs. And completely off-key.
8. What is the one goal you set for yourself in 2012 that seems the most attainable?
   Oddly enough, running a marathon and going vegan.
9. Who are the bloggers that most inspire you to be a better blogger, writer, photographer or all around person?
   Almost every food blog I regularly check, and some I happen across every now and then, inspires me to try new ingredients, to not be afraid to make things I previously would have thought could only be bought in stores, to be more creative with my meals, and to take better pictures. All other blogs inspire me photography-wise, but especially SMBP, because I always wonder how much time & planning goes into those set-ups! And getting the lighting that perfect. Vanilla & Spice inspires me to try new healthy dishes- and recently, to eat more beets ;-) I think Choosing Raw inspires me to be a better vegan, and Healthy Happy Life was one of the first blogs that really made me consider going vegan. But that's just a handful of the amazing blogs that have touched my little world! Most regularly, I check Finding Vegan and all of the pictures inspire me!

Who Am I tagging?
Since SMBP tagged many of the ones I would, I'm going to leave this part out and just post a few questions - please leave a comment below answering any or all of these if you care to share!

My questions:

1. How long do you spend taking photos for given blog post?
2. How do you pick your meals for the week?
3. What is your all-time favorite recipe?
4. If you are vegan, what made you decide to go vegan? 
5. What is your favorite food?
6. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? 

Thanks for stopping by!