Michelle Ward asked me...

Now here's a power pack. The sassy and spectacular Michelle Ward of When I Grow Up Coach met up with White Hot Truth Soothsayer Danielle LaPorte and created this kick-butt interview meme. Michelle designed special questions just for me and I'll answer them at the end. I'll play along too and if you decide you'd like me to create 5 interview questions just for you, I would love to.

THE INTERVIEW RULES

* leave me a comment with your email address saying: “interview me”
* I will e-mail you five questions of my choice
* you can then answer the questions on your blog {with a link back to my blog}
* you should also post these rules, along with an offer to interview anyone else who emails you, wanting to be interviewed
* anyone who asks to be interviewed should be sent 5 questions to answer on their blog
* it would be nice if the questions were individualized for each blogger

My Questions from Michelle

If you were a rock star, who would you be and why?

Okay, if I'm going to be a rock star, I'm not going to be an imitation. I'm going to be the loudest, proudest, most kick-ass Jamie this world has ever seen. With fabulous boots. And a personal stylist. And attitude to spare. (See my inspiration photo above.)

If you had to make a dreamboard for your daughter, what would it contain?

I won't be having children, but if I was to imagine a dreamboard for my daughter, here's what it would be like:

• a daytrip with me to get magazines
• a big piece of bristol board on a wide open table with glue sticks, markers, scissors, glitter and in the middle the words, "Your dreams go here."
• a day of fun creating
  

What would make up your perfect breakfast?

French toast with raspberries and real maple syrup. The perfect dark roast coffee. Fresh squeezed orange juice. Champagne. I'm wearing a fluffy white robe, have the perfect pedicure and am sitting on a balcony with my husband looking out onto a white sandy beach, watching turquoise waves roll in under a sky brushed with scattered white clouds. We have nowhere to go and nothing to do. Yum.

If you were forced to get a tattoo right now, what would it be and why?

Tribal black panthers around my left bicep.

How do you get over being scared?

I remind myself that at this moment, right here, right now, I am safe.

Want me to interview you? Leave a comment including your email or email me directly and I'll send you 5 questions just for you. I might even use the tarot for inspiration.

Eight Questions and Growing

Peppy Lady created this meme and tagged me. I'm so excited to be a part of the first round!

The rules are:

1. Link to the person or persons who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Copy these question but add your own answers to them
4. Add one question to the last one, don’t forget to answer your own question
5. Tag as many as you feel like but you have to a least tag one
6. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog
7. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.
8. If anyone catches this out in blog world is welcome to jump on board

The Eight and Growing

1. Real or Fake tree?
Real. We thought about it, talked about it, and decided that real was the way to go.

2. How many do you expect at your family holiday dinner?
Family dinner 1 (not hosting): 9
Family breakfast (hosting): 9
Family dinner 2 (hosting): 6
Family dinner 3 (not hosting): 7

3. Do you know one of your great great grandmother's name?
Nope. But I miss my grandma, Olga.

4. Did you have chocolate today?
No, dang it.

5. Do you visit all of your blogging friends everyday?
Oh, I wish I could! I've been working hard closing up this year and prepping for the next and not doing nearly as much visiting as I would like. I miss you all!

6. Do you have carolers come to your home?
No, never. I remember when I was in high school and we went carolling at the hospital. I thought it was such a great thing to do.

7. What on your feet?
Grey socks.

8. Do you make Candy for the holidays?
Nope. I've only made candy once in my life. It was exciting, delicious and a bit dangerous. Oh, with that description, maybe I should make it again, lol!

9. What's a favourite holiday memory of yours?
This may sound weird that it's a favourite, but it is. My grandma used to sleep over every Christmas. One year, we were just going to visit her on Christmas Eve instead. On the way there, I started to get all weirded out and scared. Then Suzie started to get freaked out too. I just had a feeling that something was going to go wrong. My Dad, none to happy about it, drove us home, picked up my Grandma and she slept over. It was the last Christmas she was with us. I miss her a lot. Merry Christmas, Grandma.

I Tag:

• Suzie
• Shannon
• Claudia
• Boho Mom
• Tammy
• Sunny
• You! I'd love to hear about your holidays.

Tagged!

Bohemian Mom tagged me for this - thank you! Let's see, let's see, what 6 new things can I tell you about me?

6 Random Things about Jamie

1. My desk is currently a mess
2. The colours I usually wear are black (black and more black), white, grey, blue and pink
3. Movies about ghosts, hauntings and that kind of thing can freak me out!
4. I'm a Sagittarius with lots and lots of Virgo in my chart, which makes me an enthuastic perfectionist :)
5. I'm drawn to spheres and all things clear and sparkly
6. My bellybutton is pierced

And I tag...

1. Romana
2. Shayne
3. Judi
4. Mindy
5. Mmrilla

Here are the rules (or I prefer to call them guidelines):

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they've been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Marvelous Meme

(1. wakerley woods, 2. Bare Raspberry, 3. Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, 4. white on white, 5. Angelina Jolie, 6. hasselblad summer rain, 7. La Rue Mouffetard, Latin Quarter, Paris, 8. Raspberry - Swirl Cheesecake, 9. Another Year Wiser, 10. Sunset, 11. Dandelion Restaurant Ceiling, 12. Starshyne)

Daisies inspired me to try this beautiful meme. I had so much fun in the process! I hope you'll try it too. Here’s how you play:

Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr search, using only the first page, choose an image, copy and paste each of the URL’s into the mosaic maker.

The questions:

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you attend?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What do you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One word to describe you.
12. Your Flickr name.

Film Meme

Shannon shared this film meme the other day, and I wanted to play! Our family has always, always loved movies. And Shannon has raised that love into an art in itself. Check out her film site, Movie Moxie. You're in for a treat.

Thinking about it, it's very cool how the movie tables have turned.

You see, I took Shannon to her first film, Sleeping Beauty at the Willow Theatre (which has long since disappeared). When we were young, I could often be heard saying to my siblings, "Let's all go see..." And then we'd head out and get in line for the big blockbuster. Getting there way early and hanging out was half the fun. Now I get to tag along with Shannon. This year I've been to movies at the Toronto International Film Festival, the After Dark Festival and The Reel Asian Film Festival, all with Shannon as she was covering the event. In the past few years I've seen some real treasures that I probably wouldn't have seen otherwise, most notably True North which never came out in wide release and was a-mazing! So thanks Shannon not only for meme but for all the movie fun and memories.

Okay, onto the meme. Um, lots of guilty pleasures are about to be revealed.

1. Name a movie you have seen more than 10 times. Star Wars. Lord of the Rings. The Matrix. Grease. Gidget. Alien. Aliens. Probably all of the Harry Potter movies. Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. It's a Wonderful Life. Miracle on 34th Street. Strictly Ballroom. Now, Voyager. Gladiator.
2. Name a movie you’ve seen multiple times in the theater. Star Wars.
3. Name an actor who would make you more inclined to see a movie. Kate Winslett.
4. Name an actor who would make you less likely to see a movie. Jack Black.
5. Name a movie you can and do quote from. Star Wars. "Stay on target."
6. Name a movie musical in which you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs. Moulin Rouge, Dreamgirls, Jesus Christ Superstar, Oklahoma, West Side Story, the Sound of Music.
7. Name a movie you have been known to sing along with. All of the above.
8. Name a movie you would recommend everyone see. Whale Rider (I'm with Shannon on this one)
9. Name a movie you own: Little Miss Sunshine (of course), The Rocket (probably less expected)
10. Name an actor who launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops. Charlize Theron.
11. Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in? Yes.
12. Name a movie you keep meaning to see but you just haven’t gotten around to yet. Spirited Away.
13. Ever walked out of a movie? I'm trying to remember. I think we walked out of Vampires.
14. Name a movie that made you cry in the theater. The Stone Angel (and how).
15. Popcorn? I'm a fiend. I often try to avoid it because my popcorn addiction is relentless.
16. How often do you go to the movies? Usually couple of times a month.
17. What’s the last movie you saw in the theater? Owl and the Sparrow.
18. What’s your favorite/preferred genre of movie? Dance, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Drama
19. What’s the first movie you remember seeing in the theater? Bambi.
20. What movie do you wish you had never seen? Sudden Impact. There are a few films (this one particularly but also Colours, Dead Man Walking) which have depicted images of violence, callousness and cruelty that still come to my mind with painful detail. They have truly impacted my sense of safety in the world in a negative way.
21. What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed? 8 1/2 Women (which is highly problematic from a feminist viewpoint but there was a lot that was compelling)

Bonus Question: The last movie I saw which I would highly recommend is After the Wedding.

The ABCs of Me

These meme post feels like a family thing for me. My sister Suzie tagged me. And this pic is one that my sister Shannon took of me when we were out at the pub celebrating. Feel free to play along! It's simple. Just share random facts about you that correspond with the alphabet. Getting to know you, Sesame Street style!

A... I have usually been an A student. Except for typing and my first year of physics.
B... Bascha, my beautiful, old girl of a cat.

C... Current Radiance (I'll write about that another day). Oh, and I really believe in celebrating.

D... Dance is in my spirit.

E... I have touched an elephant. I was surprised to find they are covered with coarse hair.

F... I'm more formal than most people that I know.

G... I got married on Groundhog Day (aka Imbolc).

H... Buying a house was one of the biggest goals I've attained so far.

I... I love life.

J... is or Jamie! And for Justin, my husband (we're J-squared). And my brother's Jason. Oh, and there's Jinx too.

K... One of my best friends in public school was named Karen Fowler. Are you out there Karen?

L... I feel incredibly lucky for all I've been blessed with.

M.. My dance teacher, Marjorie, was a profound influence on what I thought it meant to grow up as a woman.

N... Discovering Nia let my dancer out. Now, as a teacher, I help other people do the same.

O... I'm a little bit of an organization nut.

P... I walked away from my phD.

Q... I grew up in a small neighbourhood called Roxboro in Quebec.

R... Though I am a Ridler, I am not the Riddler. I'm saying that for those who teased me in public school.

S... My two sisters, Suzie and Shannon. Oh, and I want to mention I'm stubborn.

T... On occasion I still consider getting a tattoo.

U... I like to try and understand people, why we are who we are and do what we do.

V... When we were dating, my husband bought me a ring with a symbol on it that means volatile.

W...I have been ravamping my wardrobe for what feels like forever.

X...I'm studying X-pressive Arts Therapy. Okay, that's cheating a bit, eh?

Y...I always wonder why we do the things we do. (Yes, 2 cheats in a row)

Z...Going to the zoo is on my 101 Things in 1001 Days list.

Meme from Megg

Megg just tagged me for a meme. It's especially fun to participate because Megg is one of the very first friends I made out here in Blogland. She is a real treasure - a generous, warm and gifted person who is a treat to know.

The 8 Random Things Meme

• Players post these rules before we give you the facts.
• Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
• People who are tagged write their own blog post about their eight things and include these rules.
• At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged.

1. My Venus is in Scorpio which means I have very intense feelings, form deep bonds and have a jealous streak a mile wide. (Who me?)
2. My fear of deep water is so intense that watching water scenes in action movies can elevate my heart rate and increase my breathing rate.
3. When we went on our honeymoon to the Dominican Republic and I saw passionfruit for the first time, I thought it looked, well, revolting, all goopy and lumpy. (If you haven't seen it, this is what it looks like) But then I tasted it and had it at every meal and still miss it! Delish!
4. I have a list of movies that I won't watch because they're too nightmare-inducing.
5. When I was in university I scheduled all my classes between 11:00 and 3:00. That's still a good schedule for me.
6. When I was a little girl, I loved to bake. My mom said that I could bake anything I wanted as long as I left the kitchen exactly as it was when I began. I felt so privileged to be able to use the kitchen and took the clean up seriously.
7. I'm a straight arrow. When we were little we had a rule - if you find a present, you don't get it. I accidently found a game that I was going to get for my birthday. I didn't say anything but when I opened the present on my birthday I burst into tears. My conscience couldn't bear it.
8. I once tried to break up a fight on a streetcar. I didn't even think about it. I just walked towards the guys and tried to snap them out of it.

I tag: Suzie, Shannon, Jenn, Carmen, Vedrana, Star, Melba, Sunny

And to all you wonderful ladies, participate if it makes you smile or catch the wave next time if that feels better. Hugs to you all!

Housekeeping Meme (Can you believe it?)

I am truly amazed that I'm doing this meme and that I found it so interesting. I found it at Deb's Daily Distractions.

Housekeeping A to Z

aprons - y/n?
I don't wear an apron, but frankly, I should. I still remember the wonderful apron I had as a girl. It was yellow and had a J on the front. I loved it.

baking - y/n?
Not very often. I remember the first time I baked around my husband. I made chocolate chip cookies and he enjoyed them so much and indulged so much that he said, "Jamie, please, never make those again." We ate them fast, often and even for breakfast! But if you want to see baking, check out my sister Suzie and her yummy creations.

clothesline - y/n?
No. I understand the value of a clothesline but we have a small yard and are really close to our neighbours. I am way too private to hang out my "smalls," as they say on Coronation Street.

donuts - ever made them?
I can't even imagine.

everyday - one homemaking thing you do everyday?
The dishes. I pine for a dishwasher. It would have to be a condo-sized small one because we don`t have much space. Though I do have to say that whenever I'm discouraged or bogged down and just feel like I need to step away and accomplish something, the dishes are handy. I also tend to do them when I'm making a cup of tea.

freezer - do you have a separate deep freezer?
No. There's just the 2 of us, and we don't really need it. Plus, we don't really have space for one.

garbage disposal - y/n
No, we don't have one. Toronto has a green bin program where they collect organic waste separately.

handbook - y/n?
Well, what I consider my handbook is my flylady control journal.

ironing - love it or hate it?
I avoid things that require ironing. It's simply too much of a hassle. I do have to say though that there are some things I really enjoy having freshly pressed, like tablecloths.

junk drawer - where is it?
You know what's weird? I thought, "Lol, that`s so true. Everyone has a junk drawer" and then when I went to type where mine was I thought, "Huh? I don't really have a junk drawer." Weird.

kitchen - design and decorating?
It strikes me just how often I've mentioned my preference for a white kitchen on this blog. Poor Shannon knows it really well personally because she's helped me paint more than one. The clincher was the kitchen where I took off all the cabinet doors and we painted the insides and all the shelves (top, bottom and sides) white, white, white and it took 3 coats. I love you, Shannon! By the way, today`s picture is Shannon once again helping transform our latest kitchen into dazzling whiteness.

love - what is your favorite part of homemaking?
When it's all done and you feel great in your space. Actually, I do also have to say the mental decompression that I feel when I just putter around the house, knowing that everything's getting nicer with each little step I take.

mop - y/n?
Not as much as I should.

nylons - wash them by hand or in the washer?
I don't wear them often but when I do, it's by hand.

oven - do you use the window or open it to check?
Open it. Then you can check with your nose too.

pizza - what do you put on yours?
Depends on my mood but I love pepperoni, mushrooms, feta cheese and onions.

quiet - what do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment?
There are quiet moments? Just kidding. Well, sort of. When I take a quiet moment, I journal.

recipe card box?
Nope. I have a binder called Jamie's Family Cookbook.

style of house?
I'm not sure I understand this question. Our taste tends to be rather modern but our house is older. I would love our home to be beautiful, elegant and serene.

tablecloths and napkins - y/n?
Not on a day to day basis but I love when there's an opportunity to pull details like this out. Love it, love it, love it!

under the kitchen sink
The garbage, the green bin and cleaning supplies.

vacuum - how many times a week?
Never more than once unless we're having company.

wash - how many loads do you do a week?
Two. One dark. One light.

x’es - do you keep a list of things to do and cross them off?
I am the Queen of Lists!

yard - who does what?
Justin takes care of the grass. I take care of the plants. We both do the watering and cleaning up.

zzz’s - what is your last homemaking task for the day?
Putting away my clothes.