I’ve been tagged by the fabulous Tresa.  So here goes!  7 Random Facts About Me…

1. I used to be the smallest, shortest, shyest kid in class.  And the most picked upon by other kids.  All that changed when my parents moved us from Oklahoma to Kansas. Suddenly I became LoNg, TaLl Sally.  And I wasn’t going to be a wallflower any longer either…  7th Grade.  What a change!!  I thank my parents for making a move that they knew would make a difference for me.  And I know that it was harder for my older sister, since it was her Junior year in High School.  But I am so grateful for that change.  Transported from where I was — to where I could be.  Truly the land of OZ.

I remember the first day of school in 7th grade in my new life.  I remember the pretty blonde girl picking on the smallest girl in class.  Both were named Pam.  She was asking ‘why is she wearing (eye shadow?)’, loudly to the other girls.  She was taunting the smaller girl.  Now, I don’t remember exactly what it was – and it isn’t important.  What is important is my reaction.  I was sitting between the two girls and I turned around, looked pretty blonde girl straight in the eye and said pointedly, ‘Because she wants to’.  That startled her and shut her up too!  I had found my own voice.  I was standing up for the kid getting picked on.  And that kid was no longer me!  A defining moment.

I did spend an inordinate amount of time those first few years worrying that somehow Tulsa was going to come back and haunt me.  That the people in Kansas would figure out that they were supposed to be picking on me, and my wonderful new life would come to an end.  Didn’t happen.  And in the end, my height soared to 5’11".  Which brings me to fact two…

2. I used to do modeling.  Runway, in-store, and a little bit of print.  And I even participated in the Miss Kansas/USA pageant.  Quite a leap from fact #1, eh?  Funny how being a teenager, and a TALL one, makes a girl tend to slouch her shoulders in an attempt to seem shorter, stand out less.  Complete opposite of Fact #1.  But teenagers don’t make sense. 

In high school I went to a store ‘call’ for the ‘Swanson’s Juniors’.  I did my best to shine.  Got the position.  Learned how to runway walk.  BIG boost for the ego of a teenager.

But later on, I was with an agency and the lead photographer, told me I wouldn’t go anywhere unless I got a nose job.  So I decided – not to go anywhere.

I wasn’t going to change myself in that way just to please someone else.  My nose became my ‘family crest’.  LOL!

3. I got married young.  My friends did NOT like him.  But oh boy, did I.  He was my destiny.  Smart, funny, accomplished.  And he made me feel treasured.  My family, DAD in particular was NOT for my marrying him.  He literally asked my boyfriend, ‘What are your intentions with my daughter?’ (can you believe that?) and when Neil said in so many words that he thought that we would probably be married at some future date, my Dad said, "50% of all marriages fail, and I give you less than that".  Gotta hand it to Neil though, he stood his ground with my Dad.  And that is saying a LOT.  So I was 21 when we married, and now 20 years later – still married!  Egads, just gave away my age…

4. I crave Edy’s Swiss Orange Ice Cream.  Completely and totally addicted to it.  If you haven’t had it – buy it.  The perfect combination of Orange Sherbet and dark chocolate chips.  Ok, drool alert… and definitely part of the reason that I am no longer model material.  LOL!

5. My craft area looks like a BOMB went off in it.  I have two big teaching engagements left for the year, but I think the only way to tackle it is to set the Flylady 15 minute timer, several times a day.  I have boxes and drawers full of class kits stacked everywhere.  I hear a craft garage sale coming on…   It was so wonderful for the HGTV television shoot (I have proof airing in 2008!).  But never recovered from the reality of everyday crafting.  I’ve also become a moth to a flame when it comes to my friend Ellen’s new paper arts store, MOMENTO.  Every spare momento I can grab, I am either AT, thinking about, coding the website for… you get the drift!

6. I still tie my shoe laces with the two-bunny-ears method.  Perhaps this was the start of something big for I cannot tie a pretty bow.  My neighbor Lisa kept telling me I was ‘strangling my knots’.  Think I’ll just stick to knotting since I’m so good at it!  I’ve bought that little bow maker thingy – but keep losing the directions!

7. I love my car.  It transports me and my kids safely.  It reliably (do you hear that, car?) has transported me to more teaching engagements at stores and SDVs than I can count.  It just hit 100,000 miles this weekend after the family went down to OBX for our annual summer trip.  It puddle-hunts to the children’s delight.  It drives on the beach.  It can transport three children and still go to Home Depot with confidence.  And it even lugs my crafting stuff around – without needing to strap a friend to the roof.  Or two friends.  Why I would feel this way about a 2000 Ford Expedition?  I can’t explain.  It’s just my car.  I need to call Laura and Ellen and setup a playdate to craft… Aren’t they cute in the tiny niches available in my car?  February, girls – we need to go again…