Someone was telling me the other day that I could be a little more personal on my blog.. show a little more of myself.. so today I thought I would share with you some stuff you may not know about me.. some you might.. some you might not :). I am pretty sure I am done, you will be grateful I don't do this everyday! lol.
I thought it would be fun to do a top 10.. top 10 things you might now know about me..
THEN I thought it would be fun for YOU to list top 10 things I don't know about you! Post them on your blog and link it back to my blog, so people can come read yours too! Okay so I will start..
1. The most misspelled word I spell is announce.. I always spell it annouce. Forget the last n. Even when I try to type it right, I always spell it wrong! I was really bad at spelling in school. Thank goodness for spell check!
2. I am currently on Nutri-System to help me learn to eat a more healthier lifestyle! I used to be really great at calorie counting.. but when I was also diagnosed with Diabetes, and PCOS, and Fibromyalgia... I realized that I needed to really watch my sugar intake too. I have eaten it for so many years, I didn't know what was good and what wasn't good for me! So In November, I went on the Nutri-system Diabetic program and I cantell you it has helped me so much! I have really learned a lot about my eating habits and also learned that just because I can't have sugar, doesn't mean I can enjoy sweets once in a while! It has been a huge help! Plus I have lost 12 pounds in the last two months.. so that is a bonus as well!
3. I have a huge fear of heights. HUGE fear. There is an amusement park about 2 hours from our house and each summer we like to go there as a family. They have a ride called the Rocket.. that either launches you straight up in the air, or takes you straight up and then suddenly drops you. I tried going on it last year and honestly about freaked out. Once I was strapped in, I was begging the attendant to let me out. I was waving at the people in the booth that I thought my seatbelt thingy wasn't on properly.. I was in a freaking PANIC! I started crying.. literally. lol. You know how sometimes after a ride is over.. you are like.. oh that wasn't that bad.. I would do it again. Umm.. NO. After that ride was over, I was shaking for the rest of the day and wanted to puke because I was so scared! lol.. so yes.. I am a baby. Sorry.
4. I have a cat named Fartmickmuffin. Well he is not really MY cat, and we are not really cat people. But Last summer my kids found a baby stray cat in our yard and went from house to house in the neighborhood asking if it belonged to anyone. It didn't, so they begged us to keep it. Most of my kids and my husband have bad allergies and so even though we said yes.. we also told them it would NEVER come inside. They named him Fartmickmuffin.. I call him Jack. He has long, white fluffy hair and adores people. He is HUGE! He is not even a year old yet and he is almost 13 pounds! My kids lug him around like a baby.. and when he does get snuck into the house (I admit, sometimes I sneak him in and I don't even like cats!!! lol).. he loves to just cuddle. Yesterday morning, someone let him in before school and didn't put him out (BIG NO NO).. and I was sitting in the bathtub, relaxing.. when I hear this thump and look over and Jack is jumping right for me! INTO THE BATHTUB! I screamed.. my husband came running.. that darn cat! lol.. I guess every morning, while ben and I are helping kids get ready.. someone let's jack in and he goes up to the upstairs bathrooms and drinks water out of a bowl we have in the bathtub to wash kids hair with. So he thought he was jumping in to get a drink and didn't know I was in there and it was FULL OF WATER. It was pretty funny.. even if he did scare the peejeebes out of me!
5. I have 6 kids. Speaking of kids.. I have 6 of them! My oldest is 15 and my youngest is 5. Five boys and one girl. She is right in the middle. When Ben and I first got married, I wanted 12 kids.. he wanted 13. Well we got to six and decided that was enough! lol. Infact it took us almost 2 years to even have our first one.. but then they just kept coming and coming. I had 3 miscarriages between my 2nd and my 3rd.. which was hard. But Apparently normal! THEN after my third, I went in for my 6 week check up and found out I was pregnant with my Fourth! Allie and Preston are 9 months, 15 days apart. Poor kids are in the same grade and get mistaken for twins.. even though she is almost a foot taller than him. What is said is that my three oldest are ALL taller than me! My two oldest are almost 6 feet! I am only 5' 2". I love having a large family.. and love having only one girl. I so enjoy our family time together.. we love to snowboard, water-ski, camp, go on trips, hang out and watch movies or tv together. Play games. It really truly is fun. I remember as a young mom.. when they were all under the age of 10.. that was NOT fun. I had like 3 in diapers at one time and the bottles and the crying and the lack of sleep! Oh my goodness, I thought I would never see the light. Now I am sad because my oldest is only 3 years away from leaving the house (even though right now, he is in the phase where I am not really cool and so he doesn't really talk to me). I am hoping he grows out of it! soon.. but I here it lasts until they are 18.. yikes. So that's me. I have 6 kids.. wanted more. But 6 is good!
7. I have always been an entrepreneur. Even from the time I was little. I remember calculating plans to make money as a kid.. lemonade stands, selling homemade goods, babysitting, doing odd jobs.. anything to make extra cash. When I got into high school, I lived with my dad.. and 5 of my 7 brothers and sisters. My dad was gone a lot during the week running his own businesses across the state (he had 4 or 5 facilities he ran for the mental ill or retired). I had his same work bug and always had a job in high school. He didn't ask us too, he wanted us to focus on getting good grades. But I wanted to work! I worked at Pizza Hut making pizza's (i actually wanted the cool job of waitress.. like my best friend.. but apparently I wasn't that cool! lol). I sold water treatment products. I sold advertising for sports related posters. I worked in the corn fields, breeding corn.. helping to create new types and styles of corn for feed and other things. I sold cemetery lots (um yep.. I only did that for about 2 weeks)..apparently people don't really like to think about buying a spot where they are going to be buried when they are only like 50. I worked on commission and didn't get much of a paycheck. Plus I worked atthe cemetery in this small little building... by myself.. and it got pretty creepy at night! I worked at a fashion store in the mall, I worked at JC Penny.. I worked at a Day Care.. you name.. I thinK I did it! lol. It wasn't any surprise that shortly after I married my husband.. we started our own business in the craft industry. Designing and selling pattern both in wood and cloth.. which eventually led to a book deal in Michaels and a licensing deal in Japan. Out of the 17 years of our marriage.. we have only worked for someone else for 3 years. I worked for Chatterbox.. a scrapbooking manufacturer as their PR and Marketing director.. plus helped design products, ran the design team and traveled and taught at events. My husband only worked for 2 years.. and worked as a Superintendent for a large home building company. We did that at the same time. But after 3 years of working for someone else.. I realized I really wanted to work for myself. I wanted to be at home with my kids.. and my husband. So we quite our jobs, we moved to small town Shelley, Idaho (4000 people) and started Scarlet Lime. That as in 2007. I am so blessed I get to do what I love and work for myself.. AND I get to work with my husband too. AMAZING! I always thank my dad for that drive and push. I miss him.. he died 6 months ago.
8.. oh wow this is getting harder (I did not pre-plan this post.. so i am going on the fly! LOL).. okay.. I AM A REALITY TV JUNKIE! It's sad but true. I have tried to stop.. but the real life drama.. just SUCKS ME IN! lol.. I mainly watch shows like Survivor, the Amazing Race, Cupcake Wars, Project Runway and even The Apprentice. However there are some shows.. that seriously I know are bad for me.. that I just can't help but watch!!! I love the Bachelor! (I know I know!!!!! My son tells me there is NO point to that show!). But I am a HUGE romantic and I am always hoping that one of them makes a true love connection and it lasts forever!! Hey.. it's happened! I also love Pawn Stars and Dr. 90210.. and a few others.. uh hum.. .. Well we all have to have faults somewhere right? lol
9. I expect a lot from my kids. I lived with my mom until I was 13 . She and my dad divorced when I was 7 and she remarried a man that had 5 children. I had 6 brothers and sisters.. so totally there were 13 of us (they had one child of their own).. living in the house at one time. It was crazy! So my mom set up a system where each of us had responsibilities.. Even the younger kids. We each had our own nights we did dishes, we cooked a dinner one night a week (we had a partner). We did our own laundry.. our rooms had to be clean every morning before we went to school. I HATED IT.. but you know what? When I went to live with my dad when I was 13.. I realized how much it had taught me to be independent. My dad was gone during the weeks on work trips, so all of those things she had taught us..(four of my other silbings also chose to live with my dad after they turned 13).. it really helped! We were strong independent people! Infact my dad moved to another town when I was 16.. to run one of his bigger facilities.. and I really wanted to stay and finish out school where I was. He agreed to let me live in the house by myself for the rest of my high school years (half of Junior high and all of my Senior year). And I loved it! I was a good student, got good grades.. skipped at least an hour of school almost everyday.. ShHHHH don't tell. But I still graduated with a 3.8 GPA and was holding down like 3 jobs! lol.. I was impressed with what I could accomplish. Um but don't let that fool you. I went to collage and last about 2 days before I realized you couldn't play hookie in college and get even a C! I had to study EVERYDAY and had homework EVERYDAY.. so I dropped out. I didn't not sign up for that! lol.. oh.. what a bad example I am for my kids! I KNEW when I started having kids, I wanted the same for them. Each of my kids have their own night they do dishes.. including my 5 year old. All of my kids do their own laundry.. including putting in the washer, dryer and folding it and putting it away. Of course I have to REMIND them to do it.. or they will wear the same clothes to school three days in a row (and yes that has happened). Infact one day my 8 year old went to school WITHOUT a shirt on! It was winter and when we came downstairs to help them finish getting ready for school, he already had his coat on and zipped up. It wasn't until after school when he got home and took of his coat I realized he Had NO shirt on!! He didn't have clean one and so just went without and kept his heavy winter coat on all day! lol.. oh my.. we are good parents! I was shocked the school didn't call. But I guess they wouldn't have been surprised either. I expect a lot of my kids.. but they are really good kids. They are independent and strong willed and free spirited. They think for themselves and though they may end up wearing two different colors of flip flops to church on sunday (again my 8 year old).. or put their hair in a side pony tail that looks frightening..I try to encourage them to be themselves and express who they are. I am grateful to my mom for teaching me to be independent and to work hard. My dad too. I was so lucky.
10. Oh my gosh can we get to 10 all ready! lol.. I am tired of hearing myself type! lol.. I can imagine how tired all of you are! Okay.. number 10.. number 10. I have insecurities. I am sure we all do.. but Just so you know.. I do too. BIG time. People that know me.. think I am so outgoing and fun and funny.. but when I first meet people. I am HUGLEY shy. If I am in a room with other people who are outgoing as well, I become a giant wall flower. I am insecure about my weight, my thin hair, my body. Having 6 kids didn't do much for that.. and so I do everything I can to hide it (you will rarely find me in short sleeve shirts.. and when I wear a swim suit, I wear surf shorts that go down to my knees). I worry if people who read my blog think I am self centered.. because I am always posting about my art, or my jewelry.. or something. I promise I am not. I just simply love to create.. I love to share. I love to feel like a part of a community. I worry that my kids won't think I am cool. Doesn't every parent? Yet I am one of the strictest parents I know. I have boundaries for my kids and set rules for them.. and I think sometimes they think I am meanor I won't let them do things.. just because I can say no. But truly it's because I have a belief in God and I live and love my religion and sometimes you just have to set boundaries. It might make me seem uncool but I have to take that chance. I get embarrassed when my house is a wreak and someone stops by. We live in small farm house.. built in 1910.. and it's not anything grand or spectacular. It has old carpet we keep meaning to replace and I cringe every-time someone comes over and has to look at it. We are simple people. We have used cars and we buy our shoes and a lot of our clothes at Thrift stores because I can't stand that my kids grow out of them faster than they wear out. I wear my pj's almost everyday. My friends make fun of me because I am a huge ditz sometimes.. I am insecure about ALL Of these things because as much as I would like to say I don't care what other people think.. I really do. I am just like all of you.. wanting to be accepted for being me. I am HAPPY with who I am.. but I am also a small town girl, that lives in a small house with her family of 8 (which is messy MOST OF THE TIME).. and loves to create art. that's all.
thanks for letting me share 10 things about me! I would REALLY love to hear ten things about you! post them on your blog and then come back and leave a comment with a link to your blog! Also link it to here on our blog and maybe we can all learn more about each other!
I was going to tell you about Alt.. but holy cow this post turned into a novel! Don't want take anymore of your day.. infact I am sure I lost most of you at number 3.. lol..
Come back tomorrow! I promise mimimal talk and some fun Art inspiration! (I can hear the cheering now! lol)
happy tuesday!
I knew lots of these already...but I loved reading them again! :) I don't think you're even a tiny bit self-centered and I love the art you share on your blog.
I want to see your house too! :) (I remember the other one and I loved it!!)
Posted by: Courtney Walsh | January 25, 2011 at 11:20 AM
You are just awesome!thnx for sharing....have great day!
Posted by: Dawn | January 25, 2011 at 11:32 AM
I love you sweet friend!!! All of these things are what makes you beautiful in every way!!! I want to see photos of your old house because Courtney tells me about it ALL OF THE TIME:-)
Posted by: Jeanne | January 25, 2011 at 11:34 AM
That was a fun read!! I may have to think about doing this on my own blog. LOL
Posted by: Briana Pinales | January 25, 2011 at 11:38 AM
wow that was LONG! {that's what she said! ahh lol!} i got through it all! that is wha i admire about you, you are just YOU! and don't ever feel that people might think you are self centered...you are just one creative girl! and i love that you share all your beautiful artwork!
SHE was an ARTIST and her LIFE was her CANVAS!
Posted by: alicia king | January 25, 2011 at 11:40 AM
i will do this too...but later today, or tonight :)
Posted by: alicia king | January 25, 2011 at 11:43 AM
How fun to learn more about you, cousin. Here's a similar post I did a while ago: http://datinginreallife.blogspot.com/2009/11/you-dont-know-me.html
Posted by: Crista | January 25, 2011 at 11:50 AM
That was fun to read! Thanks for taking time to share your life with us :)...and your art is aammmaaazing!!!!
Posted by: Robin Blackman | January 25, 2011 at 12:03 PM
All that makes me MORE inspired by you! <3
Smiles & Hugs!
Posted by: Dawn-Rene Tomlinson | January 25, 2011 at 12:36 PM
I love EVERYTHING about you...and you and I are WAAAYYYY TOOOO MUUUUCH ALIKE! it is spooky!
I LOVE YOU FOREVER!!!
Posted by: melody ross | January 25, 2011 at 12:44 PM
I had fun reading these things! It is good to see how human we are when compared to others!! Ha ha!
I have done this on my blog, I don't think mine were too interesting, but it is me.
I'm so glad to have found your blog! I can't wait for the SHE workshop! You have inspired me to get past my "block" thing I've had going on and just play!! It is so fun to make things like you show in your tutorials! And the best part is that it's so messy, but fun!
Here is the link to my ole bloggity blog ...
http://happyscrapper72.blogspot.com
I have some thing on there 2 entries down that I'd love some constructive criticism on. It is a "look-a-like" to one of yours. I can't wait to see how you make your girls!!
Have a wonderful day ya'll!!
Lisa
Posted by: Lisa Hodge | January 25, 2011 at 12:50 PM
You are so stinkin' cute, I just want to hug you. Thanks for sharing your list. If I had a blog, I'd share with you.
Posted by: Annette Kuusinen | January 25, 2011 at 12:54 PM
That was fun and so BRAVE of you! Yay! You are beautiful inside and out...So happy I got to chat with you at BGC. I admire you and all you do. I love that you share your art (and now yourself!) with us.
Posted by: Lisa | January 25, 2011 at 12:57 PM
Fun post to read. 6 kids - you're awesome!
We have spent this year learning lots about diabetes too. Type 1 - my daughter was diagnosed last April. It is amazing how God will show up and bring you through in moments like that.
I played along, too :)
Posted by: Shelley | January 25, 2011 at 01:03 PM
Thanks for sharing more about yourself. I remember seeing your name and work in old CK issues and on Chatterbox products, but only just started reading your blog after Donna posted about your coming She Art workshop. I like your work, and as a mom of 3 and a normal person, I can relate to a lot of your top tens. =)
Posted by: Julia Irene | January 25, 2011 at 01:05 PM
I love you sweet friend!! Looking forward to learning 10 more things about you! You are such a blessing in my life!
Posted by: Julie Parmer Hosley | January 25, 2011 at 01:16 PM
So great to know ten things about Christy! Thank you for sharing.
Posted by: Dorothy F | January 25, 2011 at 01:21 PM
i love this post....and I knew some of those and glad to know know more....
xo xo
oh ps..get your dresses ready because it's nice and sunny here...
Posted by: michelle hill | January 25, 2011 at 01:38 PM
love this, sweet friend.
you are so brave! it IS scary to post such personal stuff...but, I LOVE THAT YOU DID!
love YOU!
xox
r
p.s. i'll try to be brave & share on my bloggy poo, too.
Posted by: Rhonna Farrer | January 25, 2011 at 02:06 PM
I love it! Thank you so much for sharing all that! I'll give it a go later tonight or tomorrow, but am certain mine won't be NEARLY as interesting!!
Posted by: Rebecca | January 25, 2011 at 03:49 PM
I have also been diagnosed with PCOS. I know exactly what you are going through. I have found it very difficult to deal with. I found out about 8 years ago and still deal with all the problems. Well thanks for sharing about yourself.
Posted by: Annette A. | January 25, 2011 at 04:04 PM
Okay... I did it... and felt a little silly, but here you go:
http://whispersandwishes.blogspot.com/2011/01/ten-things-you-might-not-know-about-me.html
And, Christy... we love that you share with us... we wouldn't keep coming back if we didn't. You rock... you just do.
Posted by: whispersandwishes | January 25, 2011 at 06:28 PM
Great post, Christy. Thanks for sharing parts of yourself with us!
Here's my list:
http://unfoldingcreatively.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Amanda St.Clair | January 25, 2011 at 07:27 PM
Oh so much fun! Here is mine:
www.stiglets.blogspot.com
Posted by: shannon | January 25, 2011 at 07:57 PM
trying again
http://stiglets.blogspot.com/2011/01/10-things-about-me.html
Posted by: shannon | January 25, 2011 at 07:58 PM