So I've read a few places that people like to know an artist's story. Apparently, folks like to have a connection between the creator and her work, perhaps as a context for the work. Well, my creative existence consists largely of packing orders, planning, and paint-speckled clothes. The mail lady and the neighbors might think I'm nuts, but I can't be glamorous while I'm doing messy work. That's the short of it. But for anyone interested in knowing more, here are twenty random facts about me, the writer of this blog, creator of the things featured in it, and all around "unique" person.
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| my favorite chocolate chip recipe |
1. I love to bake chocolate chip cookies (and other sweets!) from scratch. I like the chocolate, but I pick up the cookies with the fewest chips, so I can savor the brown sugary, chewy cookie goodness around the chips more.
2. I can whistle and yell exceptionally loud (and long). Not sure why I was equipped with these lungs, but they've come in handy under special circumstances.
3. I can throw a baseball quite far. I mean I don't know the exact distance, but I'm strong and I can definitely get rid of one. Strangely, I didn't play a lot of sports in school. But I do like to be active and consider myself athletic.
4. I'm a two point parallel parker. Three on a bad day. (Maybe there's a correlation between that and my last name, Parker?)
5. I'm fascinated by animals, I like most, but I don't have any pets.
6. I wouldn't clinically diagnose it, but I can be a bit of a germaphobe. As in, I will use too much cleaner and wipe a surface multiple times until it "feels" clean. I know I've driven a few people crazy with this. I rarely get sick, and I think that's partly because I wash my hands a LOT. Not one of those rubbing the skin off situations, but I frequently go from one thing to another, from cooking to painting, to packing, to cleaning, and I wash my hands between tasks.
7. Jazz (traditional, not easy listening elevator stuff) is one of my favorite music genres, and I happen to be a pretty decent shower singer. But I cannot scat. I get embarrassed attempting it even when I'm all alone.
2. I can whistle and yell exceptionally loud (and long). Not sure why I was equipped with these lungs, but they've come in handy under special circumstances.
3. I can throw a baseball quite far. I mean I don't know the exact distance, but I'm strong and I can definitely get rid of one. Strangely, I didn't play a lot of sports in school. But I do like to be active and consider myself athletic.
4. I'm a two point parallel parker. Three on a bad day. (Maybe there's a correlation between that and my last name, Parker?)
5. I'm fascinated by animals, I like most, but I don't have any pets.
6. I wouldn't clinically diagnose it, but I can be a bit of a germaphobe. As in, I will use too much cleaner and wipe a surface multiple times until it "feels" clean. I know I've driven a few people crazy with this. I rarely get sick, and I think that's partly because I wash my hands a LOT. Not one of those rubbing the skin off situations, but I frequently go from one thing to another, from cooking to painting, to packing, to cleaning, and I wash my hands between tasks.
7. Jazz (traditional, not easy listening elevator stuff) is one of my favorite music genres, and I happen to be a pretty decent shower singer. But I cannot scat. I get embarrassed attempting it even when I'm all alone.
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| sprouts from Spring |
8. I love the outdoors and eating healthy. This past Spring, I got back
into container gardening, and am growing a variety of (mostly edible)
plants to one day be part of my dream garden.
9. I love languages, I speak a little of several, and pronunciation is my strength (while grammar is my weakness). I love to discover old Latin phases, and decipher bits of languages using their common root words. I studied French in school, and don't remember everything I learned, but I spontaneously practice it while I'm working in my studio, cooking, or in the shower. (I know, I'm a dork) Often when I meet someone from another country, I ask them to teach me a few words (no, not those kind of words). Surprisingly, they've come in handy. I've got a couple of good stories around catching people off guard (in good and bad ways) by knowing what they were saying or speaking a few words that created a connection.
10. I'm a country girl whose grandparents were raised on and around farms in the South. I love being out in the country, but I love a taste of urban life, too.
11. I'm an introvert. Not the antisocial kind. The kind that likes to go places and do things, but needs her "me" time, to feed my brain, rest, and reflect. I like to get out, have fun, people watch, talk to friends, see scenery, etc. but I'm always glad to get home again.
12. I love old movies and tv. Classic black and white, colorized, and even a few campy 80's gems. They inspire both my personal and creative style.
13. I have absolutely NO use for horror movies or anything with graphic violence. They stress me out and affect my outlook. I'd rather watch a funny sitcom, historical documentary, or cartoons.
14. I've never "fit in". Luckily, most of my life I didn't mind it.
15. I've been a coffee drinker since I was about 2. Started making my own by the time I was 6. (Back then I was often up before my parents, so one morning I figured it out).
16. I'm closer now to what I hoped I'd be doing when I grew up than I really thought I'd get. My creative pursuits are not always mistake-free, easy, or fun, but I think little old Renée will one day say "yep! I did it! And it was worth it! Heh heeehh!"
17. I think of myself as deeply spiritual, I value my faith, and I think it keeps me balanced. I don't go around prophesying, but I don't mind being asked about my beliefs.
18. One of my favorite things about me is my resourcefulness. I once cooked a casserole in a skillet on a grill during a power outage (and light rain). Yes, being hungry takes those abilities up a notch.
19. I love to dance, and I'm pretty good at it. But it takes me longer than most people to learn dance routines or line dances.
20. I don't have any tattoos. Birthmarks, yes (not saying where!), tattoos, no. I'm not exactly against them, and I've admired some. I just don't think I could ever commit to one.
21. Sometimes facing a blank canvas intimidates the heck outta me! NOT, however, if I'm going at it with a specific inspiration in mind. Creating from a place of inspiration and passion wins out every time over creating out of a robotic sense of "must make something now!"
22. I like to collect and hoard pretty greeting cards and stationery. I use
them when I feel a person or occasion is worthy of my pretties. I also
like to send things via snail mail for a nice surprise.
23. I'm pretty handy and I'm good at building and fixing things.
24. I started drawing, painting, sculpting, building at a young age, and just never stopped.
25. I have to get messy for my work, but I love to get all done up to go out. I love stylish, sexy clothes and shoes, but don't always have time for them.
9. I love languages, I speak a little of several, and pronunciation is my strength (while grammar is my weakness). I love to discover old Latin phases, and decipher bits of languages using their common root words. I studied French in school, and don't remember everything I learned, but I spontaneously practice it while I'm working in my studio, cooking, or in the shower. (I know, I'm a dork) Often when I meet someone from another country, I ask them to teach me a few words (no, not those kind of words). Surprisingly, they've come in handy. I've got a couple of good stories around catching people off guard (in good and bad ways) by knowing what they were saying or speaking a few words that created a connection.
10. I'm a country girl whose grandparents were raised on and around farms in the South. I love being out in the country, but I love a taste of urban life, too.
11. I'm an introvert. Not the antisocial kind. The kind that likes to go places and do things, but needs her "me" time, to feed my brain, rest, and reflect. I like to get out, have fun, people watch, talk to friends, see scenery, etc. but I'm always glad to get home again.
12. I love old movies and tv. Classic black and white, colorized, and even a few campy 80's gems. They inspire both my personal and creative style.
13. I have absolutely NO use for horror movies or anything with graphic violence. They stress me out and affect my outlook. I'd rather watch a funny sitcom, historical documentary, or cartoons.
14. I've never "fit in". Luckily, most of my life I didn't mind it.
15. I've been a coffee drinker since I was about 2. Started making my own by the time I was 6. (Back then I was often up before my parents, so one morning I figured it out).
16. I'm closer now to what I hoped I'd be doing when I grew up than I really thought I'd get. My creative pursuits are not always mistake-free, easy, or fun, but I think little old Renée will one day say "yep! I did it! And it was worth it! Heh heeehh!"
17. I think of myself as deeply spiritual, I value my faith, and I think it keeps me balanced. I don't go around prophesying, but I don't mind being asked about my beliefs.
18. One of my favorite things about me is my resourcefulness. I once cooked a casserole in a skillet on a grill during a power outage (and light rain). Yes, being hungry takes those abilities up a notch.
19. I love to dance, and I'm pretty good at it. But it takes me longer than most people to learn dance routines or line dances.
20. I don't have any tattoos. Birthmarks, yes (not saying where!), tattoos, no. I'm not exactly against them, and I've admired some. I just don't think I could ever commit to one.
21. Sometimes facing a blank canvas intimidates the heck outta me! NOT, however, if I'm going at it with a specific inspiration in mind. Creating from a place of inspiration and passion wins out every time over creating out of a robotic sense of "must make something now!"
22. I like to collect and hoard pretty greeting cards and stationery. I use
them when I feel a person or occasion is worthy of my pretties. I also
like to send things via snail mail for a nice surprise.23. I'm pretty handy and I'm good at building and fixing things.
24. I started drawing, painting, sculpting, building at a young age, and just never stopped.
25. I have to get messy for my work, but I love to get all done up to go out. I love stylish, sexy clothes and shoes, but don't always have time for them.
And there ya go. Probably more than you ever wanted or needed to know. So, are we kindred spirits on anything?
