(Me with my mom on the porch… was a windy night!  Shot with the Fuji Instax (my new toy!)

(Photos below are via Instagram.  You can find me @leahsak)


Happy New Year!!!  Hope you all had a great time over the holidays!  Scott and I went to Florida to visit the fam.  We had a fun time hanging out with everyone and making our Greek family recipes.  We also made our way over to Orlando to spend the day at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  I’m such a huge HP fan… photos coming soon!

So I was tagged by Betül from Ballad of Seasons to answer 11 questions and to also include 11 things about me.  I’ve also tagged 11 other bloggers at the end of the post… can’t wait to read your answers!

RULES:
1.  You must post these rules.
2.  Each person must post 11 things about themselves on their blog.
3.  Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post and create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
4.  You have to choose 11 people to tag and link them on the post.
5.  Go to their page and tell them you have linked him or her.
6.  No tag backs.
7.  No stuff in the tagging section about ‘you are tagged if you are reading this.’  You legitimately have to tag 11 people.

11 THINGS ABOUT ME
1.  I collect matchbooks, stickers, and small decorative dessert plates.
2.  I’m part of a big fat Greek family (3 sisters, 1 brother, and 12 nieces and nephews) and I’ve always lived in warm climates near the ocean.  I was born in Florida and moved to southern California 10 years ago.
3.  I was a member of the Orange County Astronomer’s club for a year.
4.  For some reason I have a really great memory.  I usually remember specific details about things that people would normally forget with time (like what color shirt a friend was wearing at a party 10 years ago).  Weird.
5.  My new liquor drink of choice is a Hemingway daiquiri (when it’s made right).
6.  I’ve hated dolls and the color pink since the day I was born.
7.  I love trekking and camping in the mountains just as much as I love getting dressed up and going out to dinner in Vegas.
8.  Somewhere in the gene pool I acquired some pretty great coordination skills and can pick up a new sport (or video game) quickly.
9.  Some people call me a dude because I’ve always liked “dude-like” things, but I’m not a dude, I’m just myself.
10.  Small talk has never come naturally to me and I tend to keep to myself, but I’m always working to change that.  Also, I never get caught up in gossip.
11.  I make a mean minestrone soup!

Betül’s Questions:
1.  Describe yourself with three words and give three words that describes the person you want to be (are they the same three? lucky you!)
Explorer, Open-minded, Honest…….. Fearless, Patient, Photographer!

2.  Tea or coffee?
I love fresh brewed white or oolong tea.

3.  Who is the most beautiful woman on earth? and the most elegant one?  same for men?
I really admire my mom!  She’s beautiful inside and out.  She’s the most loving, altruistic, fun, optimistic, and stylish woman I know.  Also, my other half, Scott, is such a stud.  He’s an incredibly positive person and helps me see that anything is possible.  Also, Grace Kelly always oozed elegance in all the old Hitchcock films and I really miss Paul Newman.  What a man.

4.  Have you ever been deeply affected (positif or negatif) by a movie?  which one?
E.T.!  I love everything about it… the story, the music, the characters, the lighting, the humor… and I cry every time during the scene where E.T. “dies”.

5.  What would be the best movie to watch on Christmas (doesn’t have to contain Jingle Bell tones, can be anything)
The original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (or Christmas Vacation).

6.  What are your recent three favorite blogs? (honest answer please)
Seth Godin, Yatzer, Foodgawker

7.  What is your must-have in your hand bag?
Alba organic lip balm in pineapple flavor and a camera.

8.  Paris or New York?
Paris (but I love NY too!)

9.  Can you inspire us with a photo?  (just put a photo of your choice as an answer)

10.  What do you want to do/become before you die? (hm. is it a hard question?)
I want to continue to learn, grow, and challenge myself to become a better person every day.  There’s lots of traveling on my list too… Antarctica, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, and outer space just name a few places!  Speaking of, can I borrow $200,000?

11.  What are you hoping for yourself in 2012?  Tell us three of your resolutions.
Well, I’m in the middle of a transitional phase.  After seven years of having my own biz as a jewelry designer, I’ve decided to leave it behind so I can dive head first into something I love – photography!  I love to cook and I’m dying to learn how to make some gourmet French dishes.  Also, I’m going to make more conversation with strangers (something I normally don’t do).

My questions for the 11 people I’ve tagged below:
1.  List 3 words and a color that describes you the best.
2.  If you had to pick one, which Muppet would you be?  Why?
3.  Share three different photos from your travels and tell us a little about them.
4.  What’s your favorite video game of all time?
5.  What is one accomplishment you are most proud of doing in 2011 and what is one thing you’d like to accomplish in 2012?
6.  What is the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?
7.  What are your “go-to” pair of shoes right now?
8.  What was the last thing you bought online?
9.  What are three websites that you visit on a regular basis (besides Google, Twitter, FB)?
10.  Winter or Summer?
11.  What are you most passionate about?

I’m breaking the rules and tagging 12 people:  Lea Barlow, Lea Michalopoulos, Maryse Coziol, Kimia Kline, Jennifer Chong, Katherina, Elissa Braun, Karen & Valerie, Krystal, Ashley, Gregory Han, and Scott Gold

Tags: Florida

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 4th, 2012 at 1:32 pm and is filed under Inspiration, Personal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.