Countdown to 40 and Fabulous - 7

May 9th - 7 days to 40.

As many of you know, I am into scrapbooking and crafting. I love it. It's a very relaxing (though often messy) hobby. But it keeps me creative. Well I got this in my inbox today for a website I am a member of and I wanted to share it with all of you. It's the Paper Source Colorscope that tells you what it means if a specific color is your favorite - kind of like a horoscope but much more visually appealing. My favorite color is RED and I thought the description was pretty on point.

RED: You know who you are and what you want. Popularity, money and power are all yours. You are kind and generous to your friends.You love to have fun at parties,especially if you are in charge.You are also a perfectionist and you state your opinions boldly.

I think these are all qualities I have. Admittedly I am not quite the perfectionist I used to be. I had to let a lot of that go since there are only 24 hours in the day. I also don't need to be so popular anymore, but I definitely did like that. Money and power are arguable. I don't have any real money and power, well that's all relative. But overall, this totally describes many facets of who I am or who I was. 40 years is a lot of mileage and changes our perspective. I love to have fun at parties, but I don't last as long at them anymore. And I still have bold opinions, but I am much more filtered these days for practical reasons like not wanting to get fired. LOL. Anyway, check it out and tell me what your favorite color says about you.

Here's a little fun interview with myself. If you've known me a long time, see if you think anything has changed. I'd love to know.



What are my favorite shows these days?
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Vampire Diaries and Hawaii 5-0. Can't miss those. I like Glee but I don't feel obligated to always watch it. NCIS wins over Glee most times unless it's a repeat. I have often thought of getting rid of cable so I can be more productive and save money. But I enjoy watching TV so much that I just can't do it. I mean True Blood is right around the corner.

What's on my ipod?
I'm all about podcasts and audio books these days. When I was first getting used to my commute and a crying infant in the back seat, audio books saved my life. I got through every Twilight book from itunes the summer of 2008. I developed a love for classical music too. It's amazing what Bach can do for your road rage and stress! I have a few podcasts that I really enjoy - Manic Mommies (it's a talk show of sorts for, you guessed it, manic mommies). Their tag line is "for moms trying to do it all, and then some! Does that sound like someone you know? They are really funny and you just know you aren't alone when you listen to them. They have some great topics and interviews that are quite relevant (religion, raising independent/free range kids, struggles with getting your kids evaluated for adhd or autism, etc.) Check them out on itunes or ManicMommies.com. I also have a craft podcast I listen to. It's very nerdy, I know, but it makes that one hour commute seem like 20 minutes. It's called paperclipping roundtable and paperclipping digi show. I have several audio books I haven't gotten to yet like Skinny Bitch, Oscar Wao, Siddhartha, and Reading Lolita in Tehran.

What is my favorite piece of technology right now?
iPad

What is the most important thing you have learned in 40 years?
I can't believe how hard I am quizzing myself. I guess this is what I would want to know about someone turning 40. I think one of the most important lessons I have learned is that there is always a choice. When people say they have no choice, it's not true. It just means that the best choice is the one that has the least negative consequences. I have a choice to say no to my boss, but are the consequences of that worth dealing with? I still have a choice nonetheless.

What do you want most for your child(ren)?
I only have one for now. I want him to be normal. If he ever finds fame and fortune, I hope he also maintains a sense of normalcy with all that fame and fortune come with. We just saw the royal wedding with a billion other people around the world. Princess Diana did her best to make a normal life for those boys. Even though their normal is most certainly not my normal, they seem pretty down to earth for people who have access to the crown jewels. Yea Harry drinks alot. But I know a lot of people who like to party like him. it's NORMAL at that age. Maybe I am just romanticizing life, but I do think there is something to be said about just being your average everyday person. That's why I married Ron. When people would ask me what I liked/loved about him, my response was always, "he's normal!" Little drama (let's face it we all have some). Down to earth. Doesn't feel entitled. Normal. That's what I want for Ethan. I want him to have everything he dreams of as long as he remembers his sense of self, hard work, down to earth-ness (not a word I know) and his sense of normalcy. Oh and I also want him to be the person who stands up for himself and others. I want him to be the popular, smart, athletic kid that doesn't allow a less popular kid to get pushed around. High expectations? Maybe. But I can try!