So I’ve seen this floating around Facebook recently and since I havent posted anything this week, I figured why not…
Are you named after someone? Yes, I am named after my dad’s late sister, Natalie. My actual name is Gina-Natalie.
When was the last time you cried? I actually cant remember the last time I had a real snot en trane (snot and tears) cry. I do tear up at least once a day because of something I’ve read online or because something reminds me of someone I’ve lost, but no real tears.
Do you like your handwriting? Sometimes. If I’m not rushed.
What is your favorite lunch meat? Thin sliced turkey breast.
Do you have any kids? Aaron and Faith 🙂
Do you use sarcasm? Me? Use sarcasm? Never!
Do you still have your tonsils? Nope.
Would you bungee jump? Hell no!
What is your favorite cereal? I don’t really eat breakfast and never cereal. It gets soggy and that’s just yuck.
Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? No.
What is your favorite ice cream? Plain ol’ vanilla.
What is the first thing you notice about people? Their smile and if its genuine or not.
Red or pink? Red.
What is the least favorite thing you like about yourself? I am not patient enough with my kids.
What was the last thing you ate? Mac & cheese for dinner last night.
What are you listening to right now? The sound of the aircon in my office.
If you were a crayon what color would you be? Something in the blue range.
Favorite smell? The first rain of the season.
Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? The mom of one of Faith’s friends.
Hair color? Really? I have no idea. Reddish, brown with blondish tips??
I’ve seen this going around and thought I would steal it…
1. Are you named after someone?
Yes. My late aunt Natalie, my fathers sister. She was born with a hole in her heart. and she died when she was just 15. She was one of Dr Chris Barnard’s first patients. My full name is Gina-Natalie.
2. When was the last time you cried?
Frustrated tears – A few days ago.
Sad tears – A few months ago.
3. Do you have kids?
Two. Aaron, who is almost 8 (!!) and Faith who is almost 5 (!!).
4. If you were another person, would you be a friend of yourself?
I think so. I tend to make friends easily.
5. Do you have a guilty pleasure?
Books. I cant stop reading. I walk and read. I walk into things and read.
6. Do you like handwriting?
Mine, not so much. Doctors, definitely not.
7. What is your favorite cereal?
Frosties!
8. What is the first thing you notice about people?
Their face. No, really. Are they happy, sad, twitching like a crazy person?
9. What color are your eyes?
Green. Dark green.
10. Scary movies or happy endings?
Happy endings. I don’t like horrors but I will watch a psychological thriller. If I’m not alone.
11. Favorite TV show?
Way too many to choose. Right now we are watching Doctor Who, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Flash, Arrow and Supernatural.
12. Summer or winter?
Summer. Much prefer being hot. I can never get warm enough in winter.
13. Hugs or kisses?
Neither? I’m not really a touchy feel-y person. I kiss and hug my children and husband but even then it should be short and sweet.
14. What’s the furthest you’ve been from home?
6462km. That’s the distance between Johannesburg, South Africa and Jerusalem, Israel.
15. Do you have special talents?
Cooking/baking.
16. Where were you born.
The Marymount Maternity home, Kengsington, Johannesburg.
17. What are your hobbies?
Reading, cooking, baking.
18. Do you have any pets?
No, but I would like to adopt an older rescue dog soon.
19. Favorite movie?
Pretty Woman, Rocky Horror Picture Show, anything super hero.
Thank you Janice for nominating me, I haven’t done one of these in ages and I love them 🙂
1. What is your current fashion obsession? – Slops! I haven’t worn anything but slops since summer started. I love that people don’t bat an eye when you go to work in slops here. 2. What are you wearing today? – Levis, a grey, short sleeved, cowl neck tunic dress and pretty black slops.
Stairway in Jaffa
3. Hair? – I’ve given up straightening my hair during the week, I just dont have time, so its up in a high, messy bun with lots of waves and curls all over the place. 4. Do you nap a lot? – My husband says yes. If I can get a nap or two in on the weekend I am a happy girl. 5. Why is today special? – My son is graduating 1st grade. Its his last day of school and after 8 weeks of summer vacation he will be in 2nd grade. So proud of him! 6. What would you like to learn to do? – I would like to continue learning Krav Maga, I want to be able  to take down someone bigger than me. 7. What’s for dinner today? – Mystery container of leftovers from the freezer. I keep forgetting to label what I put away so its always a surprise. 8. What are you listening to right now? – The hum of the aircon in the office and the clacking of computer keys. I’m about to put on the new Mumford & Sons though.
9. What is your favorite weather? – Hot. I cant abide the cold, especially when it is cold and rainy. 10. What’s the last thing you bought? – Milk and grapes. 11. What are your essentials when traveling? – Kindle, iPad, chargers, clean undies. 12. What’s your style? – Casual. I don’t do uncomfortable in any way shape or form. Life is too short to be miserable. 13. What is your most challenging goal right now? – Learning Hebrew. I’m getting there slowly and I know it will happen but its going to take hard work. 14. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be? – Near my family. I really don’t care where I live as long as my family is with me.
15. Favourite vacation spot? – Mountains. In SA it was the Drakensburg. I need to find my favourite spot in Israel still but it will probably be somewhere up north. 16. Name the things you cannot live without? – My husband and coffee. Not necessarily in that order. 17. How was your childhood? – Regular. Happy. Sad. Stressful. Fun. Family orientated. Normal. Or at least I think so. 18. What would you like to have in your hands right now? – My book. 19. What are you most excited for? – My mommy coming to visit in August. I cannot wait to see her! 20. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? – Heaven (yes I know, not really ‘in the world’) to see my dad and my brother.
21. Which countries have you visited? – South Africa and Israel.
I have started using a small handbag as opposed to my little ‘purse‘ I was using before. Â Its not much bigger, maybe twice the size but it it has a shoulder strap and leaves my hands free.
Here is what’s in it…
My purse that I was using before.
My glasses in their case.
An iPhone cable and an adapter so I can charge my phone if when I need to.
A nail file.
Apen.
A cupcake shaped birthday candle (don’t ask).
Mascara.
Aarons asthma pump.
My house keys.
A piece of cotton wool.
Lipice.
Two lipsticks.
A piece of foil (??)
A tag from a McDonalds kiddie meal toy.
Not pictured: My cell phone is usually in my bag too 🙂
Well, I don’t actually use a handbag any more. Â I haven’t for a while now. Â It started out with me using a very small, hand embroidered bag that my mom-in-law made for me, but I would just grab my wallet, phone and keys if I had to dash out during the work day. Â Then {Core/iStore} sent me a gorgeous {Knomo wristlet purse} and since then I haven’t used a bag at all.
The purse has place for my cards, cash and my phone. Â The only thing it doesn’t have is a dedicated space for coins.
And even though its so small, I still manage to collect some crap that shouldn’t be in there (although I actually cleaned it out on Saturday so its looking pretty good today)…
So, what’s in my ‘handbag’?
My bank card
My medical aid card
My drivers licence
My Pick n Pay Smart Shopper card
My Vitality Healthy Food card
My MySchool card
A random SpeedPoint slip
A slip of paper confirming my gym contract cancellation
Two tickets to a fundraiser at Aarons school that was cancelled
Two temporary {Tattoo-a-thon} tattoos that I was supposed to give to my kids
A 10c piece
A cherry Lip-Ice
And my cell phone (not pictured because I took the picture with it)
Gosh, so many wonderful people have come into my life.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012.
Kids will make a mess, leave it until they go to sleep, then, clean up. You will drive yourself crazy trying to clean up while they are still making a mess playing.
Photo by Jeanette Verster Photography
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year?
{ If you’re happy and you know it…} – I have sung this song till my face turned blue and every time, no matter what, I was so much happier after singing it 🙂
Gosh, so many wonderful people have come into my life.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012.
Kids will make a mess, leave it until they go to sleep, then, clean up. You will drive yourself crazy trying to clean up while they are still making a mess playing.
Photo by Jeanette Verster Photography
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year?
{ If you’re happy and you know it…} – I have sung this song till my face turned blue and every time, no matter what, I was so much happier after singing it 🙂
Julia over at Unwritten posted this meme and I thought I would give it a bash 🙂
How do you organise your books?
Oh hell, seriously? I try and keep fiction and non-fiction apart, I try keep books by the same author together and books in a series together, I also have an issue getting rid of books so at the moment my books are an utter mess because there just isnt enough space for all of them.
Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?
Both, I just love to read 🙂
Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?
Whenever and wherever I can.  I love my new Kindle that I got for my birthday, its small enough to pop in my hand bag so I can read wherever I am.
Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?
I would love to be able to read more than one book at a time but I just cant, I tend to loose myself in a book and I just cant concentrate on more than one at a time.
What is the last book you bought?
Hmmmmmm, the last book I bought was a fairytale book as a birthday present for one of the kids friends.  For myself, I bought The Dragon Who Loved Me by G.A. Aiken, book 5 in a series of books about, you guessed it, dragons.
What are you currently reading?
Witches Under Way (Book 2 in the Witchlight series) by Debora Geary.  Its a spin off series from her A Modern Witchseries which I have read.  These are also the first books that have been shared via Kindle with me.  You have a few days to accept the loaned book and once you accept it you have 2 weeks to read them in.  I heart Kindle!
If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
If I am near my computer then yes, if not I try to remember to check when I have access to my computer.
Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
I pretty much snack all the time, so yes, I snack when I read. Â Its usually whatever is handy.
