Monthly Archive

What inspired you to start a blog?

There are 2 reasons I started blogging.  The first is that I have a terrible memory.  I can’t even remember what I did for my birthday last year.  The hope is that chronicling my life online will help me remember things a little better, take things a day at a time, and be more accountable for the things I say I’ll do.  The second reason I started blogging was to become part of the amazing community I’ve witnessed among bloggers – the sisterhood that can be found online.  I realize what we post on our blogs is only a tiny peek into our lives, but it’s nice to follow someone’s life and have them follow yours.  Technology is an amazing thing, and I’ve witnessed friendships forged via the internet.  I hope to be a part of that someday.  I already feel a kinship to the lovely ladies that read my not-so-fabulously written posts regularly.  Hi ladies!  You rock! 

Where did the title “Crooked Halo” come from?

I look like a sweet, innocent little girl and I’m easy to pick on…but the older I’ve gotten, the more comfortable in my skin I’ve become.  I’m still an easy target, but I’ve become increasingly more capable to hold my own!  (Something my mother is very proud ofJ).  About 4 years ago, I was having my bridal portraits taken by a couple of amazing photographers who happened to be a husband and wife team.  I had a great rapport with the photographers and we joked while I posed and smiled and tried not to get grass stains on my pretty designer gown.  I can’t remember what he said, but the male photographer made some sort of joke and I quickly reciprocated.  His wife looked at me, a young, sweet 24-year-old in a pure white dress, and told me I had a crooked halo.  I think the phrase suits me to a tee, and I’ve adored it ever since.    

When did you start making purses/bags? Who taught you how to sew? 

I started sewing around 2 years ago.  A good friend of mine had a “purse party,” where we got to pick out fabric, a purse design, and then had a bag custom-made.  I signed up to have my own party, and then started thinking about just how much I was paying for something I could probably make myself!  My mom got me a sewing machine for Christmas in 2005 and I taught myself how to use it.  I now make purses, wallets and other crafty items under the name Crooked Halo Designs. 

What are your two degrees in?

I went to UNC Chapel Hill and graduated in 2002 with 2 B.A.s – Spanish and Interpersonal/Organizational Communications.    

What is your dream job? If possible, would you ever blog for a living?

I would love to do something rewarding.  As a child, I wanted to be a singer, and actress, and a pediatric oncologist.  I also had aspirations of working with autistic people (after watching Rain Man of course!).  In college, I toyed with the idea of studying audiology and speech pathology.  I took a couple linguistics classes (including a Spanish phonetics class!) and loved the subjects.  Sadly, I had slacked off too much in my first year or two of college to have the GPA necessary for grad school in such a competitive field.  FYI, I made Dean’s List my entire senior year – I wasn’t a complete slacker!  I still don’t know exactly what I want to be when I grow up, but I think very few people know what they want out of life.  As I get older, my interest change, I develop new strengths.  If we’re being completely honest though, I’d give up my salaried job in a heartbeat to be a stay at home mom. 

 As for blogging for a living, I would do it in a heartbeat, but I’m no Heather Armstrong.  I am not sure I’m eloquent enough for someone to pay me to write.   

 I, too, am nearing thirty. I think everyone has a list of accomplishments that they hope to have checked off by their thirtieth birthday. Focusing on your resolution to live for the present, what things have you accomplished/checked off already?  

I’ve never really had a laundry list of things I hoped to accomplish by 30.  I have traveled a fair amount, though nowhere near as much as I hope to.  I’ve married a wonderful, hard working man.  I’m working on living a healthier lifestyle, but haven’t gotten to that exercize thing yet.  Bah!  Overall, I’d say my biggest accomplishment is that I’m happy with who I am.  I’m still awkward at times, and I still have the nasty habit of comparing myself to others, but I like who I’ve become.  I’m more assertive, more independant, and I look forward to knowing myself more as the years pass.  Who we are is anything but stagnant - getting to know who you are is a lifelong, beautiful process and I’m learning to enjoy the ride.

You’re a self-proclaimed “procrastinator.” What are you currently putting off?

Answering this question. 

10 minutes later…  I’m putting off these things (in no particular order):

• tidying my house
• learning how to use Elements 6 because the instruction manual I bought is intimidating
• purchasing interfacing so I can make a wallet I promised someone as a Christmas gift – it means I’ll have to go to Walmart!  Gah!
• exercising – I’m waiting for daylight savings to spring forward so I can start the couch to 5k program.
• photographing and posting some items for sale at my etsy shop – I want to learn to make the pictures prettier in photoshop!
• drinking water – my diet pepsi is so much tastier! 

What is your favorite “$100 word”? 

My favorite lately is probably the word trollop.  I don’t think we use the word trollop nearly enough these days – and it sounds so much nicer than calling someone a skanky ho!  

Answer your own question: What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?

The best gift I have ever received is my Yorkie, Rex.  I had begged, pleaded, and been particularly obnoxious in regard wanting a puppy for several months leading up to Christmas.  B is a saint for not knocking me out and stowing me in the apartment storage room for the puppy pleading hell I put him through.  I was so sure I was NOT getting a dog for Christmas that I spitefully bought him a little bendy dog magnet for his stocking so I could say that I gave him a dog for Christmas, even if he didn’t love me enough to get me one.  I know – I act like a 5 year old sometimes!  Anyhow, I came home from that exact shopping trip to find a little 1.5lb fuzz ball sitting in B’s lap.  My husband can keep a secret like no other!  While we’ve felt like sticking Rex in the microwave from time to time because he’s so damn stubborn, I love the little mongrel.  I still regularly tell Brian (4+ years later) that Rex was the best gift I’ve ever gotten.    

Write a brief personal ad for your dad.  

Fifty-nine-year-old gentleman seeking female companion of similar age.  Ladies with the personality of a dishrag and those who are high maintenance need not apply.  Must love to travel, enjoy random conversations about off-the-wall subjects, and deal well with being interrupted (as we’re bad about that in my family) during conversations.  Must also like dogs, aviation, be family oriented,  and receive the stamp of approval from my daughter. 

What’s your favorite piece of marital advice?

Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each
other but in looking outward together in the same direction.
Antoine De Saint-Exupery

While I wasn’t given this bit of advice before marrying, I think it rings extremely true. Marriage is not all rainbows and sunshine. You don’t spend a lifetime gazing into eachother’s eyes and rolling in puppy love. Marriage is about working together, realizing you’re on the same team, and making the best life you can together. Boy has B’s time in school taught me that lesson! He barely has time to touch ass to the couch to relax these days, but we endure because we know working his butt off now will result in a better life for us in the future.

Thanks for the great interview t.w.i.t! 

Neil over at Citizen of the Month is conducting The Great Interview Experiment, and I’ve signed myself up.  I’ll be interviewed by Lori at t.w.i.t - keep an eye out in the next week or so.  Meanwhile, head on over and sign yourself up.  I need someone to interview

There are loads of wonderful things about being 28.  At this age, I’m much more confident in who I am and what I want.  I’m not 100% confident, but I’ve come a long way.  I’m more my own person than ever, and I’m making positive changes in my life.  I work hard, I try to take care of myself, and I’m happy.  I have a wonderful, loving husband who busts his ass to do well in school so that he’ll be happy with work and we’ll be more financially comfortable in the future.  We’ll have all of our credit card debt paid off by the time he graduates. 

The down side?  This damn biological clock thing I’ve always heard about - it’s real!  And mine has a super loud ticker!  On Friday night, B and I went to Winston-Salem to a party for his cousin who’s leaving for Iraq next month with the Marines.  At the party, I spotted a wee 3 month old baby, who was the damn cutest thing I’ve seen in ages.  What’s worse?  She had olive skin, brown hair - looked like she could be my child!  I wanted to snuggle, coo, tuck her under my arm and take her home with me!  My ovaries were crying.  One of my best friends is due next month.  I am so very happy for her, but I’m also immensely jealous because it’ll still be a good while before we start a family of our own…but if it was up to me?  I’d be preggers now!  I have belly envy, bad!  There is no logical, eloquent way to explain this crazy hormonal thing going on inside me.  All I can say is that I’m a woman in her late 20s that really really wants to be a mom!  The worst part is that B only has a year to go after this semester and then he’ll be finished with school.  Realistically, I could get off the pill and we could start trying about a year from now.  But…I’m not sure if he’ll be ready by then.  He wants to enjoy being out of school, having a little extra income, being free for a while.  Everyone says not to worry.  I have plenty of time.  Well…I worry.  What if it takes us 6 years to get pregnant like my parents?  What if?  I worry.  I also picture our future children.  I picture them with our oive skin, (hopefully) my shiny brown hair, B’s gorgeous eyes and long eyelashes.  I can’t wait to feel my child growing inside me.  I can’t wait to see B reduced to a ball of mush by an 8lb little person.  I can’t wait to meet the person that’s part me and part him.

Deep Breath…

 I need to remember my resolution to live for the present.  I need to stop planning the future with such a rigid schedule and be happy where I am.  I need to chill!  Sigh.

Once upon a time (28 years ago today, to be exact), a wee little tan baby was born. It was snowing to beat the band (a blizzard in Virginia Beach!!), but she was 2 weeks late, breach, with the umbilical chord around her neck twice, so it was time. Her mother uttered the words “bikini cut”, was rolled into the operating room, and an 8lb bundle of joy (me) was delivered. Meet Erin Elizabeth Brown.

What was once couple of 2 became a family of 3 after 6 years of trying for a child. A tree was planted in honor of her birth - why they chose a weeping willow, I’ll never know, lol.

Erin was a happy baby, always smiling and laughing. She was very outgoing and loved attention, and was always ready to pose for the camera…

She adored her mama and daddy, playing dress-up, listening to thunderstorms on the front porch, and fried chicken. She learned to read at the age of 3 (though kangaroo was a horribly difficult word to master!), had a fondness for Cabbage Patch Kids, Strawberry Shortcake and Rainbow Brite.  She loved everyone and everything. She would preform at the drop of a hat.

Elementary school went pretty well, until 4th grade, when she got both braces AND glasses - Double Whammy! (sorry, no photographic evidence survived) Before her parents’ knew it, Erin was heading off to her very first (5th grade) dance.-stylin’ in her faux off-the-shoulder frock. She danced with a nice young man named Christian that evening, but only because the teacher asked him nicely.

In 6th grade, Erin was subjected to what all young girls (and some poor boys) had to endure…the dreaded Glamour Shot!

After taking said Glamour Shot, Erin walked through the mall with her mother to grab some dinner before heading home. She recalls feeling like “a tiny hooker” with all that gunk caked on her face. She still hates foundation with a passion to this day!

After a series of awkward phases, her first love, a totaled first car, lots of studying, various high school plays, and zillions of giggly sleepovers, Erin was finally ready to graduate from high school.

She headed off to Tarheel Country (UNC-CH), but came home often to do laundry, raid the fridge, and practice random acts of silliness.

She graduated from college in 2002 with 2 degrees (but only one freakin diploma! Cheapskates!). Two years later, she married the love of her life.

Today, she celebrates her 28th year. She looks back on the last 27 years with a mixture of regret, immense joy, and fear that the future will go by as quickly as the past has. Tonight, her mother tells her how proud of her she is. Proud because of the woman she has become. Tonight, she can answer that she’s proud of who she’s become too. It’s been a hell of a ride - she can’t wait for the next 28!

I’ve been uber-cranky lately. A vast majority of my sucks-to-be-me behavior has to do with worky stuff, and that’s just not a savory blog post topic, as you never know who might pop online and run into your site. That’s the cruddy part of the blogosphere - the (very reasonable) fear to reveal all incase someone crazy finds you, incase an important person stumbles across the wrong thing, incase somehow something I say on here comes back and bites me in the ass. That said, I’ve been quiet ’round here cuz being crabby drains all my energy, drive, and desire to do anything but be a lump on the couch and wish the damn writers’s strike would end so I could have some good TV again already! Don’t misinterpret, though - I’m not depressed or anything. Just stressed and anxious. I don’t like big change, especially at work (unless I choose the change), and things? They are a-changin! Couple that with other crap and I’m a big ball of anxiety with tension headaches and a side exhaustion.

Anywho, for all you lovely people who are capable of posting on a regular basis, I thank you, as your lives, stories, photos, silliness, and honesty on the interweb have kept me going. Thank God computers are a business necessity. And google reader - it’s the bomb!

Despite my headaches and general bitchiness, I’ve managed to do a few things lately. For instance, last night I got all gussied up and attended a First Friday gallery opening at Points of View Gallery downtown. My buddy K has an internship at the gallery (she’s studying graphic design) and invited me to attend. The photography was beautiful and very moving - the artist lost her mother to cancer and this particular collection was comprised of photos of her mother, sister, and various images of hair - the photographer’s, the sister’s, locks of her mother’s). It sounds a little odd, but hair is important when you lose it all while battling cancer. The experience was enjoyable and I felt a little hip and cultured Also, I was introduced to people at the gallery as K’s best friend. So I feel like a kid when I say this, but it was exciting to be referred to as a best friend. It’s true - K and I see eachother at least once a week. We are very honest and open with eachother, as are our significant others. I have spent a lot of time in the past mourning the close friendships I had when I was younger. High school was so fun, with the gossip, whispers and giggles of girlfriends, but as I have grown older, I have grown farther and farther away from the girls, now women, that meant so much to me. To find that closeness again is like coming up for air. To giggle and whisper and be silly again feels fabulous. I love that I can play cards (clad in PJs despite the fact that I’m not at my house) and burst into random song knowing someone’s going to chime in and sing along with me. Friendship is fabulous - especially the bond between us girls!