Tanya's Questions:
How much time do you devote to blogging each day?
Not a lot, clearly. Each week I try to spend a few hours to get posts ready for the week but I have a regular day job plus a part-time job where my schedule varies. That means I sometimes work weeknights once I'm done my day job and usually weekends if I'm around, so getting projects done to even write about here is impossible at times.
My biggest struggle though is just taking and uploading photos while the sun is out and then re-sizing/adjusting colours if needed. Once I have the photos ready to go, writing posts up is quick, but it's a slow process for me to get the photos taken and fixed up...
What do you think is the best room in your house/home/apartment/lean-to?
I'd have to say my bedroom since it's the most put together at the moment, which really isn't saying much. We're just starting to work on the house since we haven't changed much over the past 20 years, so I'm sure my opinion will change with time! (And pictures will come eventually as well, but remember the answer above!)
What is your favourite colour?
Blue!
What skill would you love to learn?
I would love to learn to sew. I didn't have a clue what was happening in grade 8 home ec and we ran out of time so I brought my unfinished boxer shorts home for my mom to finish! She's a pro at sewing so I've never had to but I should probably learn since I want to make pillow covers and whatnot.
Are you sentimental about stuff, or can you de-clutter with ease?
I am a total pack rat! I always say that I got the pack rat gene from my paternal grandfather who kept everything (newspapers, VHS tapes with random recordings, magazines, etc)! For me though, I keep things because of sentimentality or because I might need it one day. It never fails - as soon as I throw something out, I'll need it soon after, so I just deal with that by never throwing things away! I'm trying to de-clutter now though so that when I move I have less to sort through and less to bring with me as I have accumulated a lot of stuff over the years. I also hate spending money knowing that I just had something so I try to avoid throwing away the still useful stuff.
Who is your favourite band/musician?
I can never just pick one! Mat Kearney, John Mayer, Jon McLaughlin, Maroon5, Take That, The Script, Sara Bareilles, Pixie Lott, and some of the remaining boybands from the late 90's/early 2000's... Their songs are catchy!
How do you organize your books? By colour? By theme? Some personalized system?
I order mine by genre and then sometimes by size or based on what spine colours look better together. I'm very particular on the organization of my files and stuff, so now that I think about it, I'm surprised I'm so easy-going with my books lol.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
I always struggle with this question in interviews! But since this isn't job related, I'll say, purchasing my condo! I've only paid 10% on it so far and I wish I had a (real) job earlier on so I'd have more saved to buy earlier, but hey, it's done now! It definitely won't hit me until I'm all moved in though.
Do you buy yourself fresh-cut flowers?
I would like to but my dad has a ton of plants around the house so it seems like a waste, even though we have way more vases than any household needs. When the condo is done, I plan on buying some for myself every once in a while. I can't keep plants alive so it'll be nice to have some fresh flowers every so often.
Do you screen your phone calls?
We don't have call display on the landline so we just pick up all calls even though our voicemail is capable of screening. On my cell I usually don't, unless I'm near a landline and then I will reject the call and call the person back on a landline lol. I'm on pay-as-you-go and text more, so I try to use a landline when I can.
What is the funniest thing that has happened to you?
Ok, I know something funny must have happened in my lifetime, but I cannot remember anything! I have a terrible memory for these things and I've already been thinking about it for the past 4 days but to no avail. Maybe one day if I think of something I'll tell ya'll.
- When I was a kid I swore that I would never drink coffee... then I got my first office job in my second year of university and kept falling asleep while reading scientific journal articles on the first day! Now I can't go a day without having caffeine, otherwise I get a headache! Terrible. It definitely helps perk me up though!
- I watch a lot of TV. Like, everyone says they watch a lot, but seriously I watch A LOT. It's a problem I have, but I have to watch shows that air regularly on TV, then I have to watch shows that are not available in Canada (or are usually at least a year behind), plus Brit shows! I'm really behind on shows because I watch so many though and I'm talking months or even years, behind... It's hard to keep up!
- I am definitely a night owl. I always set my alarm early to train myself to be an early riser, but it just can't happen. The snooze button (and sometimes accidentally, the off button) is too easy to hit in my sleep.
- I wish I could be more stylish! I love reading fashion blogs, watching shows like 'What Not To Wear', and I know what styles I like on others, but I cannot for the life of me put myself together that nicely! Despite my mass amounts of clothing, it's a struggle to think of what to wear each day! Sometimes I wish I had my own personal stylist and hair/makeup people.
- I love chocolate. Depending on the amount, it will disappear within a matter of minutes, hours or days of me spotting it if it's in the house. No one else even has a chance to taste it sometimes, I'm that quick!
And just so this isn't all just text, here are some photos from 2 weeks ago when the Toronto Blue Jays beat the New York Mets 14 to 5! So many home runs that night, it was amaaazing!
Blue Jays at bat with the open roof at Skydome! (I hate calling it the Rogers Centre)
Enjoying the great weather/game/company and unlimited quantities of food! . The Jays running back in to bat
I *think* the Jays are at bat here... The white (Jays) and grey (Mets) look the same from a distance.