Drawing in a Recording Studio...11 Random Things!

Aaand that is what I am doing.

I wanted to get out of the house today in order to be productive...sometimes it just helps to have a change in scenery. My plan was to possibly settle in at a coffee shop in Doylestown (Coop's band has a show there tonight) while the boys practiced at a studio for a few hours before the show. But I ended up here, and they have Wifi and a room with a couch that I took over.

Figured while I was here blasting the Gotye Pandora station into my eardrums (so good) and gettin' all jacked up on Mountain Dew , I should use some productivity time here to answer the 11 Things post I was tagged in via Bess.

Eleven Things

Okay, so the rules are to:

1. List 11 random things about myself
2. Answer the 11 questions she asked me
3. Come up with 11 questions to ask other bloggers
4. Tag 11 bloggers to do this next.

Buuut this is already going to be long enough, so I am going to go with the first two.

11 Random Things About Me

1. I hold my pencil like a freak.

I used to get in trouble for this all the time when I was in grade school and would always try to quickly hold it the "right" way when a teacher would walk by during handwriting exercises, like when we were learning how to write in cursive. I literally have the world's wobbliest hand when I try to use a pencil correctly.

2. I think I have the world's biggest Stitch collection.

Oh...just some of it.

Had to bedazzle my grad hat

2010 Pumpkin!

Sand drawing in San Diego!

Moving is a little more tolerable when you wear a Stitch hat.

My own little Stitch

I am so in love with the character that I am even in contact with my hero, Chris Sanders, every so often. He created the character and story, drew the character, co-directed the movie, and even did Stitch's voice! We became email pen-pals after I contacted him years ago for a school presentation about our favorite illustrator, and has been an incredible inspiration and mentor to me. SO cool.

3. I was a dancer for thirteen years, and we used to dance on cruises.

Patriotic!

At a rehearsal on the ship 

With our favorite waiters ever!

Always makin' friends with the staff...our Australian Cruise Director we dubbed "The Thunder from Down Under."

I spy with my little eye....a small Allie!!!

Standard.

4. I tend to eat and cook healthy most of the time, but ice cream and beer are two things that I CANNOT turn down if other people around me are having them. I call it "beer pressure."

5. I went to San Diego Comic Con in 2010 and got to meet Chris Sanders in person, but also got to see Michael C. Hall, David Duchovny,  Mary-Louise Parker, and other Showtime stars that I am obsessed with.

I also met Bill Plympton, one of my favorite animators, when I wandered into the Chuck Jones gallery downtown.

I heart San Diego.

6. I went to University of Delaware for two years before I transferred to Arizona. I loved it, met some amazing people, and love visiting still...my little sister goes there.

7. I don't like folded-over chips and will always break them apart before eating them, I always pull cup lids and paper plates out from the middle of the stack, and pick off little pieces of excess bread from any and all sandwiches, burritos, hot dog buns, and wraps...which is weird, because I LOVE bread. I have done this since my family can remember. I guess I like a pretty low meat/filling-bread ratio.

8. When I get lazy, I pile my hair on top of my head into a weird "Pebbles" bun. Which prompted me to make this costume a few years ago.

9. I collect giraffes and turtles.

10. I once dressed up like Mr. Brady of the Brady Bunch for a dance performance in tenth grade. All 5'1 of me.

(The other shortest/youngest person of the group, my best friend Christine, was naturally elected to be Mrs. Brady. Don't be jealous of our wigs and thrift-store polyester finds. And thanks to Grandma's closet...that shirt was once my dad's.)

11. I always wanted to be a Disney princess (and a mermaid. Love you, Ariel!), but Allie, on the other hand, wanted to be Aladdin.

Cinderella Sammi in the background...

I believe the day of their meeting is still her happiest moment to date.

Yes. The Bock family photo archives are full of gems like these.

11 Questions asked by Bess


1. If you could change your name, what would it be? Amber. 

(...get it?)

2. What is your favorite place to go on vacation? See #5 above. I freakin' love California.

3. What is the craziest thing you've ever done in your life? Transfer across the country to live and go to school in AZ for three years, away from family and friends.

4. Best dessert you've ever had? Probably the pizookies of Tucson. Ice cream atop an infinitely big and gooey cookie. Half chocolate chunk, half peanut butter, please! And now they have red velvet. (!!!!!)

(I miss BJ's!!!)

5. Favorite workout? Les Mills BodyCombat! SO much fun! I do it 2-3 times a week.

6. One thing you wish you could do? Move to California and work in animation! But I am learning that things happen for a reason. As long as I keep workin' hard, I know good things will come, even if CA isn't in the equation. If I get out there one day, though, and could afford it, I'd be happy as a clam.

7. What is your guilty pleasure? Too. Much. TV. But I love it all.

8. If you could speak another language besides the one(s) you already know, what would you chose? I took French in high school because it is so pretty-sounding, I wanted to vacation there to see wineries and the Louvre, and because I was a ballet dancer that knew a few French words. I've retained about 15% of that language now, sadly. But German would be pretty sweet. How badass would that sound if you just broke out in German?

9. What is your perfect date? (April 25th. Because it’s not too hot, not too cold, all you need is a light jacket??) Hmmm. My Miss Congeniality answer is: A June beach-day-into-outdoor-happy-hour-night in Avalon. Not a worry in the world, beginning of summer, and perfect temperature before it gets too humidly hot.


Otherwise, something creative is always fun....mine and Coop's first date was a comedy club (Gilbert Gottfried!), and a wine bar afterwards. I also am a huge homebody and love staying in to cook and watch TV or movies.

10. What was the first pet you ever had? A Beta fish....I think I named her Charlotte.

11. Favorite motivational quote or picture? “There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” ~ Nelson Mandela

....and.....

(Via my Pinterest)

I hope you enjoyed this session of public humiliation of myself (and family and friends) via the interwebs.

Ya welcome.