Blogger to Blogger

This week the beautiful, talented, stunning, blog-queen Leslie of A Room Somewhere stopped by for a little chat. I've been thinking about this woman a lot and had some pressing questions to ask. So I did.

Leslie asked: As a mother of three redheads, I am immediately drawn to others with red hair. My daughter, in particular (the reddest of the three), hears comments about her hair pretty much daily. Does that continue through adulthood? How many times have you answered the question, "So where does the red hair come from?" because I'm thinking of having a pillow made with that question upon it. Also, I feel like redheads kind of are expected to have a gregarious personality. But what if you are shy and don't want attention? Did you have a hard time with it as a child? Do you love it now? Do you sometimes wish you were just a brunette? :)

Katie answered: Great question! And it shows that you really understand the plight of us redheads. I regularly get comments about my hair even now, as an adult. When my sister and I were little and people asked us "where we got our hair" my mom taught us to answer "I'm not sure...I think it just came with my head" I still think it every time someone asks.

Being a red-head people often lump you into a personality type. You are either obstinate and feisty or really really nerdy. I do feel bad for the shy reds out there because, with flaming hair they really don't have the option of blending into the background. I had a hard time with it as a kid because when I exercise my face turns BRIGHT red...kids called me tomato face after gym class.

But I adore it now. It is, hands down, my personal favorite physical feature by a mile.

And I've never wished to be brunette.

Leslie asked: You and your Ear Doctor seem like so much fun. One of the reasons I love your blog is that you are so playful and always seem happy (even at work!). I like happy people. Are you really as much fun as you seem to be on your blog?

Katie answered: Jeez, I hope so. One of the major reasons I married the ear doctor was because he brought out the kid in me. With him by my side I feel free to just do whatever grabs me. Together we've decided that this year, 2009 is the year of happiness and so far, it's working.

Leslie asked: You have had some fun cooking adventures on your blog. What's the best thing you've made for dinner in the past month? I want a recipe.

Katie answered: I'm not sure if this was awesome because we were both starving, or because it takes about 15 minutes to pull together or if it really was just that good, but this dish blew my mind.

California Chicken Salad

Here's a funny side note. Every time I make dinner about half way through the ear doctor will raise up his hand and demand a celebratory high 5. We both love food and rejoice together over a slam dunk.

and then....

Katie asked: Alright, so this is 4 questions in 1 but I just have to ask: have you always lived in Texas? How do you stand the heat? Would you ever consider living somewhere else? Where?

Leslie answered: I have lived in Texas for eight of the past ten years. I grew up in Southern California and went to college in Utah, where I met my husband. He is from Texas, and was still a Texas resident when he applied for Dental School, so it made a lot of sense for us to move here when he was accepted. To be honest, the South Texas heat was really difficult for me. I have a hard time being sweaty and happy at the same time, let's just put it that way. They say that Southern Women don't sweat, they glisten, but glistening for 6 months out of the year can be tiresome after a while. I do love all the rain created by living in such a tropical place, though. I can't ever get enough rain! The weather in the Dallas area, where we live now, is a bit more my style. It's not quite as hot or humid, there's almost always a breeze, and the kids can play outside in the summer without fear of heat stroke. So I love it! (That being said, I could never live in Colorado! Way too chilly for us!)

I happen to LOVE everything else about Texas. The people are incredible, the food is amazing (BBQ and Tex-Mex), the schools are wonderful, and the cost of living is low (no income tax!). I feel very much at home here and we don't plan on leaving any time soon. It's fun to live somewhere that has "personality," and Texas has a big one. Could I picture myself living somewhere else? Oh yes, all over the world. I'd love to live in a big city at some point. I spent some time in college in London and thrived on that energy. I think it's important to find something wonderful about each place, though. An optimistic outlook can take one very far. At this point in my life, suburban Texas is perfect.

Katie asked: Does it sometimes bum you out to have a blog that is so dedicated to awesome pretty things and not be able to buy them all? How do you avoid feeling that way?

Leslie answered: It never bums me out to blog about pretty things I can't have. Because in the end, they're all just things. I feel like I have my head on straight when it comes to the important things in life. Sometimes I feel like I'm encouraging other people to buy things I put on my blog, and then I feel kind of bad. I don't want anyone to get caught up in the race for acquisition because you can't ever win. I like to use the ideas I find to inspire creativity with what I already have. If there's a gorgeous room full of designer furniture, I don't long for the designer furniture. I may take one element and recreate it in my own (cheaper) way. There are lots of ways to have what you love without spending your life away. Truthfully, my only real joy comes from my family and the love we have for each other. (Sappy, I know, but true.)

Katie asked: What is the most rewarding part of writing your blog?

Leslie answered: The most rewarding part of writing my blog is the way I feel like the world has opened up to me. Although I stay at home with my kids and love that part of my life, it can, at times, feel isolating. Through my blog, I have made connections and friendships that validate a different part of my personality. I feel like I've found something I'm good at and maybe one day, when the kids have moved on, I'll be able to put what I've learned to further use.