The Modern Quilt Guild recently made a great suggestion that all of us attending QuiltCon introduce ourselves with "five things you might not know about me" as a way of introducing ourselves before we all get together in Austin.
I'm Tammy from Marmalade Fabrics and here are my five things!
1. Becoming a mother was the best thing that ever happened to me. I'm so proud to be a mommy of 2 rowdy boys. (You probably already knew that.)
My youngest son has been helping me make home-made pizza since he was 3 years old. He's now 6 and makes his "famous pizza" without much help from me. He's decided that he wants to own his own pizza restaurant when he grows up.
My oldest son who's 7 wants to be a builder when he grows up. The other day he told his little brother that he wanted to help at the restaurant too. He said that after a day of building, he would wait tables at night. They're quite a little team!
2. I love starting projects but I'm not very good about finishing them. I'm distracted easily and once my energy is drawn to a new project the old one simple vanishes from my mind. I couldn't tell you how many WIPs I have but it doesn't really matter because I've finally accepted that some things just don't get finished.
3. I colloect vintage Pyrex bowls and refrigerator dishes (especially the orange ones). It all started in 2003 when I happen to see this set of nesting bowls at a flea market. I was immediately taken back to my childhood. My mom used one just like the large yellow bowl to mix up chocolate chip cookies.
As my collection grew, I decided to start using the dishes. After all, they're practically indestructible and seeing them everyday is much better than looking at them stacked in a curio cabinet. Plus, my chocolate chip cookies are much better when mixed in that big yellow bowl!
4. I would like to say that I'm not afraid of anything but I am afraid of heights. I can climb a ladder without any trouble, but looking out the window of a really tall building makes my head spin. Actually, I don't like to be in buildings more than 4-5 stories high. Of course my phobia doesn't stop me from going into skyscrapers, I just stay away from the windows.
Once I tried to impress a guy by going to the top of the Stratosphere Hotel in Las Vegas. (The Stratosphere is the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States at 1,149 feet tall.) I didn't stop there though, I also agreed to ride the roller coaster AND the Big Shot on the very top of the building. Let me shorten the story a bit (only a bit). I managed to somehow maintain my composure on the roller coaster. I don't remember much of it but I do remember the Big Shot. Here's a perfect description from Thrillride.
Close your eyes and imagine:
You're flying over Las Vegas in a Piper Cub, about 900 feet above the desert sands.
Suddenly, the fuselage rips away, and your seat flies straight up and out of the plane, soaring another 160 feet above terra firma.
Gravity's pull brings you to a breathless halt: you're 1,080 feet above the ground with the wind whipping through your hair.
And then you begin to fall...
By the time I exited the Big Shot ride, I was screaming at the top of my lungs, begging to get off, sobbing like a baby and shaking uncontrollably.
That was the last time I tried to impress a guy by hiding my acrophobia. The good news is that despite the horrible scene I caused, the guy liked me anyway and now we're married!
5. My nick-name in college was Frank. I was quite outspoken. I remember getting my feathers ruffled one day when a professor addressed a question about a make and model of some car from the the 50s to the men in the class. Naturally, I blurted out, "Why did you address the question to the men? Did it occur to you that a woman would know the answer?" Maybe if I hadn't known the answer I would have kept my mouth shut but my dad passed along his knowledge of vintage cars to me and I was quite proud to know my share of automotive trivia.
Now I cringe at the memory. Thankfully, I've grown much more reserved over the years.
I look forward to introducing members of my QuiltCon team to you in the coming days; stay tuned!8 Days until QuiltCon. Can't wait!
I love your comment to the chauvinist professor! I would have done the same thing in that situation. Thanks to a high school boyfriend, I knew my cars, too.
Posted by: Sharon B | 02/14/2013 at 11:35 AM
Oh gosh, we have so much to talk about...I worked at an antique car museum as a curator and you should have heard the comments I got from the men there! And I am terrified of heights. And my mom has that same yellow Pyrex bowl and to this day, I think of it as the egg salad bowl (like your chocolate chip bowl). Wish I was going to meet you!
Posted by: Amy | 02/14/2013 at 11:37 AM
I think your comment was right on to that professor! Don't cringe about it! I love your pyrex bowls. I bought a set similar to my mom's pyrex bowls at a yard sale one time, and I love them. I've often wanted to start a collection, but haven't gotten up the gumption to follow through on it yet. haha!
Posted by: Stephanie in MI | 02/15/2013 at 04:52 PM
Sew looking forward to my trip to Austin. See you there.
Leona
Posted by: Leona | 02/18/2013 at 01:16 PM
I have the 3 smaller bowls of Pyrex colors. Sadly I broke the big yellow one when I was a kid, carrying a bowl of popcorn to the basement to watch the Mickey Mouse Club. I'm sad every time I use the bowls that my Mom loved
Posted by: Colleen Arnold | 03/15/2013 at 01:53 PM