Small details offer a glimpse into a person’s life. I adore answering memes and random questionnaires. When my blogging friends, Lindsey and Stacey brought this Goop questionnaire to my attention, it inspired me to answer these random questions in my space. Please join the fun – I’d love to hear your answers too.
Go-to weeknight recipe?
Veggie tacos. I soak pinto beans overnight, steam them in the cooker and then cook them on the stove top. We love to dress our tacos with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and of course, our favorite condiments, like homemade salsa and guacamole.
First job?
I worked as a sales associate for Mothercare, a maternity store at a mall. My very first “adult” job – in-house legal counsel for the Associates.
Next job?
Published author.
Mentor?
A few professors in college and more recently, I’ve relied on virtual mentors from websites I enjoy, like the treasures Maria Popova offers on Brain Pickings or the numerous writing sites I frequent.
Hometown?
Dallas, Texas
What would you put on your neon sign?
Let go.
Wouldn’t leave home without?
Iphone, lipstick, driver’s license and a book.
Essential beauty products?
My MAC compact and lipstick.
Wouldn’t fly without?
Laptop, iPhone, my black tote bag and a few books.
Things you buy in bulk?
Toilet paper. Paper towels. Frozen berries.
Favorite book?
This is a difficult question, but these are works I tend to revisit so I will refer to them as my favorites –
The Razor’s Edge by Somerset Maugham, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, short stories by Flannery O’Connor and Raymond Carver and The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy. I love poetry by David Whyte and Mary Oliver.
First celebrity crush?
Johnny Depp (the 21 Jumpstreet version of him).
Favorite movie?
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and the Lord of the Rings series.
People on speed dial?
My mom, husband and sister.
Preferred form of exercise?
Running.
Drink of choice?
Coffee. Coca-Cola (although always trying to give it up).
Proudest moment?
When I recognized the grace in the ordinary.
Perfect Sunday afternoon?
Lounging at home either reading or writing. Perfect afternoon if my family is home too.
Image: Cable car let go by Mr. Littlehand via Flickr
Welcome! I am a lawyer turned freelance writer, essayist, and editor. On staff at Literary Mama and the co-founder and co-editor of the literary journal, The Sunlight Press, my essays and reported work have appeared in The Washington Post, The Lily, Saveur, Civil Eats, Brain, Child, ESPN and elsewhere. I am currently at work on a memoir on grief and culture and how it provides perspective on life’s ordinary graces. I invite you to appreciate the ordinary with me. I hope my daily practice of seeing the magic in the mundane helps you celebrate and find more of these moments in your life too.
Love this questionnaire. And love your proudest moment. xox
Thanks for the inspiration, Lindsey. xo
Love this! I really have to watch Benjamin Button. I constantly talk about how we should all be like Benjamin Button because we would appreciate our lives so much more backwards but I have never actually seen the movie!
Stacey,
I am obsessed with the passage of time and Benjamin Button portrays this theme so well with various scenes. I also love Cate Blanchett and believe this is one of Brad Pitt’s better movies. I’ve watched the movie a few times and adore it. Hope you check it out!
What a fun questionnaire – I may have to borrow it for the future.
The veggie tacos sound amazing. We usually use canned beans – blah.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button gave me a strange reaction. I was pregnant with Des, but I’m not sure I can blame it on that. I’d have to see it again.
Basically it made me cry until I couldn’t breathe. Like.. wracking sobs.
And I don’t often get that from movies!
We buy the same things in bulk.
I’d love to hear your answers on the full questionnaire, Tamara. I sob every time I watched BB too. It always elicits such a strong reaction from me.
I love these too. Coffee and reading are my favorites too!
They go hand-in-hand, don’t they? Glad to see you in my space, Tiffany. xo
Johnny Depp is definitely sexy. Not gonna lie he pulls off that ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ look really well. 🙂 I’m already working on my next job, well two which I hope to intertwine in some ways. My favorite cosmetic items are my eyeliner, mascara, highlighter, and Sephora purple lipstick. Have a great one Rudri! Talk Soon -Iva
Hey, what a fun questionnaire – I’m going to do it on my blog too, and link it to this one. Thanks for the inspiration xo