The Neo-Traditionalist was generously awarded the “Kreative Blogger Award” by Haydee at Happenstance and the “Sugar Doll Blogger Award” by Rachel at Girl Learning Along the Way. In return I have been asked to share some facts about myself and then choose a select number of bloggers to do the same. I am going to break all the rules however, and rather than choose, I’d like to invite all of you to share a fact (or ten) about yourselves with me here today. I love your comments and LOVE learning more about my readers. This way anyone who feels compelled to share may do so!
Here goes nothing:
1. I rarely drink, but if I do it’s a greyhound or some bubbly. Sometimes I go wild and add a dash of peach for a bellini.
2. I never fancied myself an animal person, but then I got a pug. His name’s Lord Alfred Tennyson and I treat him like a spoiled rotten child.
3. I want to have lots and lots of babies someday (ideally a few of my own, a few adopted). Some favorite girl names: Harper, Genevieve, Fiona, Eloise, Finn and boy names: Jack, Theodore, Edward, Oliver, Hugh. I want to be the mistress of a lively, creative and affectionate household.
4. I keep a list at my desk of women I admire for their style, smarts and/or eccentricities. Diana Vreeland, Nancy Lancaster, Jackie Kennedy, ‘Debo’ Duchess of Devonshire, Fleur Cowles, Elsie de Wolfe, Madeleine Castaing, Peggy Guggenheim…it’s quite a long list. Their legacies inspire me on a daily basis.
5. I dream of someday buying a historic little fixer upper and transforming it into my dream home.
6. I didn’t get my driver’s license until I was twenty-three years old (a few months ago…). Between boarding school, Switzerland, San Francisco and Manhattan I’d simply never needed one. Laugh it up, it was a historic moment.
7. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel and live around the world. My life motto is a line from Audrey Hepburn singing Moon River in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Do you remember? She sings, “There’s such a lot of world to see…”
And now it’s your turn. Tell me something about yourself, won’t you dear readers? You’re all “kreative sugar dolls” in my book! Oh and have a lovely weekend — see you Monday for the third installment of Plucky Pioneers!
XX Kate
(Pictured above—Princess Radziwill with her pug, Thomas. Photographed by Henry Clarke in August 1960)
oooo!!! I love this game! Here are some facts about me
1. I absolutly LOVE figure skating. I love practicing 4 days a week, getting dresses for competitions and shows, and I love walking into the rink and feeling that crisp cold air. although I’m no longer competitive or skating daily, I still dream that I have the time and extra $$ to do so.
2. Even though I design and sew dresses, I’d much rather high someone to do the dirty work for me. soon… very soon!
3. Before my fiance and I started dating, he was not the one to chase me… I chased him.
4. I miss Europe! I studied abroad there in 2005 and haven’t been back. I need to plan a vacation there, and soon!
This was so much fun!! Thanks for sharing all the fun facts about you!
charming post!
Kirby — I’ll buy your dresses!!
I’m twenty-four and I STILL don’t have a driver’s license. Really, I need to get on that.
Abbie—-And I thought I was the only one!!!
Congrats on the Kreative Blogger Award – you so deserve it! I LOVE this post about you! Your #3 & #5 are currently my works-in-progress! :) Have a fabulous weekend! xo
So fun. First, I have no business spending time doing this because I’ve got soooo much to do. But for you, Kate, I will.
1. I love my family and friends. They are my source of laughter, tears, strength, weakness, fits of pride and frustration all rolled into one. I love them all for who they are and what unique things they bring to my life.
2. I love my business and clients. I started my interior design business 10 years ago after having a previous career. I decided I wanted to do my passion for a living and I wanted to give up the corporate world after having a child.
3. I raised millions of dollars as a job before I started interior design. Fund-raising was in a strange way a great launch pad for my interior design business. I learned invaluable lessons early in my career and met wonderful people who were so good to me and helped me learn and grow.
4. I love what I do every day. It’s a part of who I am and I do believe God truly gave me a visual gift. Even though it’s not brain surgery not everyone can do what I do. And, I suspect, my daughter has it too. She knows how to put just the right things together (to wear, of course) that make them really special. We don’t do garanimals around here.
5. We have a pug, Otis, a chocolate lab, King, a jet black cat (that lives outside), Blackjack. We love animals. I can’t imagine our life without them. My daughter rides horses. I suspect we may have a horse in our future.
6. I was voted Best Dressed of my senior class in high school and drove a 1978 Toyota Landcruiser. Go figure. Everyone thought it was cool but me. I guess now I see my Dad’s wisdom in basically making me drive a “hunting truck” to school every day. I’ll probably do something similiar to Lucy. It grows character. It was an awesome color – mustard. He did upgrade me to a Volvo when I went to college (but his old one).
7. I was an English major in college, though you can’t tell with my pitiful writing. Note to self: brush up on your writing before you start a blog! Pull out ye old “Elements of Style” before you start blog. Practice writing before you start blog. Oh, it’s a joke the whole world could be reading my less than perfect writing. My mother emails me daily with all my blog’s grammatical and punctuation infractions.
8. I loved my wedding day and still 15 years later know how special it was. We are Catholic (made our guests endure a full mass, Yikes!), we had bagpipes that filled our beautiful church instead of an organ, I loved my dress and my husband and his groomsmen didn’t where tux. We had a day wedding which is unusual in Memphis and we left immediately following our reception and caught a flight to Los Angeles to start our honeymoon. It was old-fashioned and I loved it. People still tell me today how wonderful it was. That makes me happy.
9. My daughter is named for my maternal grandmother, Lucile. We called her Lutie and my daughter is Lucy. Lucile with 1 L please, it’s way cool that way, not so fuddyduddy! It was the only name my husband and I agreed on for a girl, meant to be.
10. I love all my new blog friends! I started my blog to become a part of the larger community I felt like I was eavesdropping on on a daily basis. It already has brought me so much happiness, like meeting you Kate!
I wish you the best with all your wedding planning. Enjoy this time in your life. It is a wonderful and so very special time. It will provide memories for years to come. I have to tell Lucy the story of the day of our wedding at least once a week. She is fascinated to know more about how her parents met and fell in love. Isn’t that sweet?
I think I’ll turn this into a blog post now that I’ve spent 30 minutes here. Why, because you are a darling girl!
How fun! Here’s a little bit about me:
1. I start and end every day saying “thank you” for three blessings in my life… being grateful for what you have in life is so important.
2. I’m an identical twin; poeple say I’m the “Tigger” to her “Eeyore” since I’m hopelessly optimistic.
3. I, too, have traveled the world and lived in Europe for 14 years (11 in Belgium and 3 in Paris); am fluent in three languages and feel like I have one foot on each continent.
4. My guilty pleasures are Belgian chocolates (Leonidas pralines) with red wine (a nice Bordeaux), any movie starring Audrey Hepburn (B at T is one of my favorites) and Cid Cerise, and family board games with my two adorable boys.
5. My husband was my student guide when I visited the business school I ultimately attended and he proposed in less than 8 months! Needless to say, we’ve been married for 15 happy years so when you know it, you know it!
6. While we live in a 1920’s farmhouse with a white picket fence in the country (not quite a fixer-upper but needed a lot of work!), I’m still a city girl at heart – concerts, plays, restaurants, museums – you name it, I love it.
7. If I weren’t a business owner and blogger, I’d be a gourmet chef!
But enough about me! How do you like my dress?
Gwen and Diane! I am so thankful to have you two incredible women as blogging buddies! This little sharing session has been such a treat! What exciting and inspiring lives you both have led! XXX Kate
Miss Kate- Congratulations on your awards- and all your accomplishments so far in life (including the driver’s license)… I’ve searched through most of your readers and their blogs- so very impressive…one fact about me: I wish I could blog!
Hi Kate! Thank you for introducing yourself at my site!
1. Kirby and I have known each other for a majority of our lives — over 15 years now. :)
2. I live in Minneapolis but always find myself wanting to travel everywhere else. I once skipped around Europe for five weeks with two girlfriends.
3. I’m planning a wedding with my best friend Dustin, the love of my life, a wedding not-so-much-planned-yet for this summer.
I love all your favorite names!! I never really liked animals either until I got my Boston Terrier Jack and now I don’t know what I’d do without him. He is also so so so spoiled!! Hope you have a fabulous weekend!
Hi Kate,
While the company is named after our mother, Diane, my twin and I run the business for her and I write The Buzz… (just in case you were wondering why a woman of a certain age is still playing board games with her sons!) Thanks for such a fun post!
Carolyn
1. My Mom claims that the first time I lifted my body up as a baby, it was to look at myself in the mirror.
2. David Bowie is one of my favorite artists… in every way. His music warms my heart, makes me think, and can fit every mood. He is so inspiring!
3. When I was recovering from a horrible injury and surgery (tore my Achilles tendon playing squash!), I became an origami master. I can make just about any animal!
4. I’ve been known to wear flip-flops in the snow.
5. When I was little and had bronchitis, I told everyone I had a brontosaurus.
6. Peggy Guggenheim is one of my favorite people in history. Simply put, I love her. I read anything I can find about her life, love her style, and my trip to her museum/home in Venice was borderline spiritual.
7. I always swore I would never live with someone until I was engaged. No reason for it other than I value my privacy. That being said… I moved in with my boyfriend after moving from NYC to DC this fall, and couldn’t be happier with breaking me own rule. Sometimes our own rules are the ones most in need of breaking!
8. This spring, I’m getting a French Bulldog. His name will be Horatio Scrapple Bowie. He will be an absolute delight!
No wonder I am following your blog, there are some eery similarities I have with you!
1. I keep a list of potential child names, three of which currently include for girls: Genevieve, Fiona, Eloise (I know, weird); boys names are lacking, coming in only with “oliver” or reginald, neither of which I’m wild about! I hope to have 6 children, and an open to an adoption opportunity
2. I am half-way through law school and my husband and I plan on moving to Switzerland, preferably Geneva either Fall 2011 or January 2010; he to work in Finance and for me to work in International Intellectual Property rights (where you went to school!)
3. I have been married for one year and one month to a man named John Gregory (another odd coincidence with you!)
4. I am wild about horses and have owned and ridden a horse since I was 5, and continue to ride my horse despite a time crunch in my life
5. I get depressed when the skies are grey, I believe an undiagnosed SADD syndrome- I become ecstatic and bounce of the walls in gorgeous sunshine
6. I wish I were a better photographer, videographer, etc. and hope to take classes when I have more time
7. I was a vegetarian for a year of my life, but then found it too socially difficult to maintain
8. I speak Spanish rather well, have travelled extensively to South America, but I have a deep burning desire to be fluent in French (preferably with the effort of just snapping my fingers)
9. Chocolate, Cheese, and Champagne top the list of my favorite foods
10. I love so many types of music, but am a poorly skilled piano player and can hardly sing a note on key. (I have a love/hate relationship with ironic things :) )
oops! don’t know how to edit or delete my past post- I meant in #2: January 2012
sorry for the other misspellings/ grammatical errors! (I was an English major so they drive me crazy!)
I’ve recently become a follow of your blog and I loved getting to know you a bit in this post. I’ll share a few things about myself..
1. I currently live in Washington, D.C and work in politics but dream of going back to school to study interior design.
2. My golden retriever is basically my child. It makes me smile every morning when he comes over to my side of the bed to say hello.
3. I also went to boarding school and I think I cherish my time there almost more than college!
4. I can’t have enough color and pattern in my life, Kate Spade and Lilly Pulitzer never fail to make me smile.
Looking forward to getting to know you through your blog!
hooray for you Miss. NEO-Trad! you deserve every accolade in the book you crazy pug mama!
I think your blog has had enough of me this week!
one thing you can learn..since your like family now..
**i have celebrateed my birthday on FEb 1 my whole life, my birth certificate says i was born on the 2nd, but my mom swears it was a mistake of the hospital?!?–later to find i think she just didn’t want to celebrate my birth on groundhogs day..i know I know its CRAZY..sort of set the precident for how i would turn out..
…i still celebrate on the 1st, its habit how can you change that later in life..thanks mom.
What a fun idea! I am new to blogging, and still doing it under a somewhat veiled cloak, remaining anonymous…not sure why?
1. My name is Sue
2. I can wiggle my ears.
3. I have two girls and a boy, I LIVE for them.
4. I used to practice Law, left in 99 to have a family, and never missed it or looked back.
5. I own every episode of Upstairs Downstairs on dvd (PBS show from the 70s)
6. I am addicted to the Jersey Shore show on mtv (and somewhat horrified by this :) )
7.I spend far too much time online
8.I could go on….and on…but have to run and pick up a child!
Happy weekend! Neo Trad!
xx
Sue
Hello Kate! Congrats on your awards! A little something about me…
1. I just graduated college (this december) with a major in art history and am currently working part time at a contemporary art gallery. I hope to move to SF and open my own gallery some day. I love that I get to surround myself with beautiful art all day!
2. If I’m not working I’m training for triathlons. I will complete (hopefully) my first half-ironman in July.
3. I am an architecture nerd. I love all kinds of architecture, and I know when it comes time to buy a house its going to be a nightmare because I have already planned it all out. Guess I will just have to build my own!
Happy friday!
Genevieve and Jack were both on our names list too! Love your list especially the list of women you admire.
I am going to share something…
I love you katie kate and am so proud of you!
Fun Fact-
Your friend Brooke in love with wallpaper by Carla Venticinque-Osborn.
xx,
banana
Oh my Lord I don’t know where to even begin. First and foremost THANK YOU to each and every one of you for stopping by and sharing a bit about yourselves!!! These are truly the greatest comments I’ve received to date and I’ve had so much fun pouring over them just now. They each deserve at least a few words so here it goes…
Kirby — You are my hero for admitting that you chased your fiance first. That is hysterical and humble and often the case I think, and hey, why not?! Love you.
Abbie — You’ll get your driver’s license when you’re ready. My best friend is twenty four and she still doesn’t have hers. Take your time. I’m rooting for you.
Amanda — I’m envious you’re working on having lots of babies and fixing up your house, that sounds like my dream life. Especially since I know you have the CUTEST kids on earth.
Gwen — Where do I even start?! Your daughter sounds sweet as pie. I love that you all love animals and that you came to interior design later in life because it was your passion. That takes such courage. Clearly it was your calling! It’s been such a treat getting to know you!
Carolyn — Thanks for clarifying that you’re not your mother Diane! My mistake! I loved each of your facts—your farmhouse (SO jealous), marrying your tour guide (sweetest darn thing I’ve ever heard), your years abroad (pure magic!)… I too am currently living in the country, but am a city girl at heart! Thank you for stopping by and sharing tidbits of your fantastically inspiring life!
Kate McG — You’re a genius studying at Georgetown, pretty sure you could figure out how to blog. LOVE YOU.
Sheena — Welcome! I’ve never been to Minneapolis, but have family in Minnesota and have always wanted to visit. Best of luck with your wedding planning! Sounds as though we’re on the same page. John and I are shooting for a small ceremony this summer or fall, but haven’t prepared a thing. We’ll have to keep each other updated!
Staley Mc — My best friend (the Kate McG above) has a dog named Jack!!! I love him and I’m sure I’d love your boston terrier too! Thanks for stopping by and introducing yourself!
Prippy —- You’d better post photos of your French bulldog puppy this spring!!! I LOVE them. I’ve always wanted a Frenchie named Jean-Pierre.
Corinna — So excited for your hopeful move to Switzerland. My two years there were some of the most incredible of my life! Every morning I would wake up, look out at Lake Lugano and pinch myself. It’s such a magical country. As for your winter blues, I hear you! It’s so brutal—I’m a sunshine kinda gal myself. Thanks for sharing!!!
Lindsay — Interior design, boarding school, dogs, Kate Spade?!—I think we’re soul mates. If we end up moving to D.C. in June you have to be my friend!!! So happy you stopped by!
Rikshaw —- HAHAHAHHA. It all makes sense now. I love your mom.
Sue — I’m envious of your kiddies! You seem like the sweetest, most devoted mother. Such an inspiration. And as for the ear wiggling—I wish.
Jaclyn — Half iron man? Holy smokes!! Not that I’m surprised miss athlete of the millennium. I think you emailed me and I owe you a response. Will write you back pronto. Oh and I can’t WAIT for your gallery in SF—it will happen and it will be FABULOUS.
Haydee — Clearly we both have good taste in baby names : ) Thanks again for the award!
Brooke — Fun fact, I’m proud of YOU!!!!!!!!! Coming to NYC to visit your stylish self soon, I promise. Can’t wait to see the apartment!
PHEW!!! LOVE YOU ALL. THANKS AGAIN! I’m so touched! XXXXXX Kate
Really interesting facts, unfortunately I don’t have many interesting ones about myself to share. :P
Cherry,
I don’t believe it!
XX Kate
Looks like I’m a little late but…I’m a new reader and fast fan of yours. I love your daily quotes, they’re quickly filling up my journal.
In reference to your post yesterday, I’m a Southern belle born, raised and relocated to NYC. I really really miss (real) sweet tea.
I currently work at a website which I love but I hope to one day be an interior designer and have started that quest by reading your (and others) blogs.
I too keep a list of baby names and as my boyfriend of 2 and half years is Indian they are currently – for a girl: Shanti, Indra, Ashima — for a boy: Kishin, Nikhil, Justus (that’s not Indian, it’s my dad and brother’s name and I love it).
I traveled around Europe for 4 months and have wanted to go back ever since I got home. (Could also be because that’s where I met my boyfriend and Paris while you’re falling in love is perfection.)
Congratulations on all your success, you certainly deserve it!
Ok first, I LOVE all of the names you have chosen for your (future) children. Second, I was also a late gal getting my driver’s license for the same reasons and well…let’s just say it was interesting. Me and 15 year old or immigrants all studying hard for our tests! OH geeeeeez!
Your list is so similar to a list of mine (if I were to make one!). I rarely drink too (it used to be the OPPOSITE) and when I do it’s always champagne. (My absolute #1 drink of choice). I also aspire to the dream house, blood sweat and tears. I put you on my blog roll (faves) today because, well, sometimes even if it’s only been a short time, you just know someone fits well with you and I love your blog:)
Great List! Have a great weekend!!!
Lauren #1 — Welcome to The Neo-Trad…aren’t you darling!?! I can’t wait to see these future southern belle/Indian babies of yours—can you say gorgeous?! And those names you have picked are beautiful! So jealous of your Parisian love story. My fiance has never been to Paris and I’m dying to show him my old haunts. Thanks for stopping by and sharing! Hope you have a fantastic weekend—how I miss Manhattan! XX Kate
Lauren #2 — Thank you for the blog roll addition you sweet girl, I get to add you to mine now! Someday we’ll have to get together over a glass of champagne and compare notes on our fabulously named children and successful home renovations. We’re going to be fast friends—I can feel it. Thanks for your sweet comment—now get out and enjoy the weekend! XXXX Kate
Why didn’t you tell me about your award? Congratulations my sweet.
The only interesting fact I have to share about myself is that I have absolutely no clue what I am doing. I read your post and have read the comments that others have written on this post and I so dearly wish I had something profound to say about myself. “I’m working toward this…”, “I’m working toward that…”, “I’m a successful such and such…” In the past week I have dropped out of university, picked up a second job, and am trying, with little success, to direct my next steps in the right direction. I so desperately want to have the life I imagine you and your fellow bloggers have, but I find that my life is far too dreary to do so. For now, I suppose I will hope for the best and leave my future in the hands of destiny and fate… May they lead me to the life of happiness and beauty I long for….
(PS I also attended Franklin-for only one year… the best year of my life. I first started reading your blog because one of my dear friends was a fan of yours on facebook. I believe you and your blog were brought into my life by fate!)
Erin — Thanks, mom : )
Lauren — Sweet girl! I can probably vouch for everyone that wrote on this post that we too have bad days, weeks, months, even years. My dad always reminded me “this too shall pass.” It seems silly, but when you feel the whole world is against you, sometimes even simple words like these can help. Enough here though, I’m sending you an email my dear! So glad fate sent you in my direction! Chin up! XXXXX Kate
Hi Kate,
Here are some facts about me. (Fun game BTW).
1. I feel like the grandma blogger since I am 48! Everyone else out there seems to be in there 20s (like you).
2. I too learned to drive late in life. My husband Larry taught me at age 30 and I am from Pittsburgh so I have no excuse!
3. I admire Julia Child because she started her career in middle age. (at age 38 she didn’t know what a shallot was). Although design, fine art and a decorative arts have been my hobbies my entire adult life, my design career began at age 43.
4. I built my own house and loved it after it was destroyed by a fire.
5. I love to cook.
6. I had twins with no drugs and none in my family (so it could happen to you too!!)
Happy Weekend. Lynn
Congrats on winning both awards! Much deserved! And I’m glad that I was able to get to know you a little better!
Oh gah. Every time Audrey sings that song I cry…I blubber. I can see why that line drives you.
And some facts about me:
1. I wrote a novel this summer.
2. I have seven brothers and sisters.
3. I made my first key lime pie with meringue topping today!
That’s it for me…haha.
Just came across your blog and love it! Charming bits about yourself. I do have a lot of kids, including a set of twins like Lynn and it is so fun but also exhausting!
Oh la la!! What a fabulous list! I too rarely drink and I love your #3- my children’s names are similar!!
Right now I am so out of it from reading art history texts that I cannot think of my own list, but maybe I will make a blog post out of it :)
Congratulations on the awards!
xoxo
So I had a little list on here and it didn’t save. now I’m bummed. Maybe I am meant to be mysterious.