Lisha at One House One Couple was tagged by Shannon at Bungalow 960 with this Eleven Things Post, and now Lisha has tagged me…read on to learn a little more about me, Miss Louise aka Laid Off Mom….

Here are the rules:

1. Post these rules.
2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 random things.
3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post.
4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.
5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them that you’ve tagged them.

This picture of me was taken while I was attending FIDM.  I’m right outside the downtown SD campus (building is in the background), waiting for the trolley.  True story…I was riding the trolley back to Fashion Valley, and this old man with no teeth asked if he could take me dancing, and then kissed me on the cheek when his stop came…cute or creepy?

11 Random Things:

1.  I got sprayed by a skunk in college…well, indirectly.  The skunk sprayed in a crawl space underneath my closet, and my roommates and I smelled for days.

2.  I used to eat cookies in even numbers.

3.  My friends in high school named a trait after me.  If you pulled a “louise” it meant that you just told a joke, and no one got it.

4.  I’m in love with Robert Pattinson….haha, yea, I’m that girl.

5.  If I need to stay awake when I’m driving, I scream to wake myself up.

6.  I hate when people drive bad…but I’m guilty of being a bad driver too.

7.  It takes a lot to get to know me.  I’m sort of an introvert, and only after a while do new friends get to see the real Louise…bad jokes, weirdness and all.

8.  If someone underestimates me, or says I can’t do something…I always prove them wrong.

9.  I love dogs, but I’m not too affectionate with them.  I don’t know why…we had a family dog for 13 years that I loved so much, and I rarely hugged him…but I petted the hell out of him!

10.  I have a box of old junk mail sitting in my garage that my husband keeps telling me to sift through.  I’ve kept it, because I need to shred it, and I just haven’t had time to do it.  I don’t want to just throw it away…afraid of identity theft.

11.  You’ll rarely see me without makeup…sad I know…my husband likes me without it…but I’ve been this way since I was a teenager.  Everytime my girls watch me put on makeup and they try to mimic me, I always tell them they don’t need it, that they’re beautiful.

My 11 Questions & Answers:

1. Do you believe in God, and if so, why? If not, why not?

Yes.  I grew up in a religious household, and I’ve always felt that God is a powerful entity.

2. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

Paris.  Cliché, I know.  But I’ve been there before, and its not the touristee places I grew to love.  It was the cobble streets, the façade of the centuries old buildings, the air, and the way of life that I fell in love.  Parisians take their time to eat a meal.  And they savor time with their friends and family.  Everything you need is within walking distance.  And if you want to go to the countryside, its not too far away.  The people there also have such a je ne sais quoi.  I love how the women know how to wear a scarf…and being that I love scarf’s, I know I’d fit in there! =)  I’d also be content with living in the countryside too.  I’ve told Anthony that once the kids are all in college, I’d like to live there…even if just for a year.

3. What’s your favorite thing(s) to do in your spare time?

Oh my goodness…I don’t think I have spare time! haha…but when I do, I love to crochet (I’ve been crocheting the same cowl scarf for almost 2 mos now) or read a great book.

4. What’s your favorite thing to cook (whether it be baking or cooking for a meal)?

I’ve started to cook more meals now, and really, I don’t have a favorite dish.  I just like cooking for my family…especially when they like what I cook.  Because there have been times, when I’ve cooked something for them, and the food is barely eaten =/  I am known for making cake pops/cakeballs..and while they are so delicious…they are a headache to make.  But in the end they are so beautiful.

5. What is the meaning of life, to you?

Wow, the answer to this question can be as long as a novel!  I’ve learned through countless experiences that life isn’t about working so hard that you forget to live.  Life is for living.  Being with the ones you love, and doing things that you are passionate about.  I see my mom work so hard, that when she comes home she is so tired and doesn’t have the energy to do anything else….I don’t want to be that person.  I’m not a lazy person, and anyone who knows me will vouch for my work ethic…I think I just have a better balancing act when it comes to work/life/family.  I’m not an expert, but I know enough that my family comes first.  To me, it’s not about trying to find the meaning of life, it’s relishing in the moments of your life….your celebrations, your hurdles, your triumphs, the ones you love….

6. What type of car do you drive?

Hyundai Santa Fe…would like a Porsche Cayenne tho…anyone want to give theirs up =P

7. What’s your favorite band, or musical artist?

Christina Perri…I saw her live this past December, and her voice is amazing…you can tell that she feels her music when she performs.  And that is what I find admirable about her.  She writes her music too, which makes it even more meaningful.

During that same concert, I also got to see Scars on 45.  They’re a band from England, and I ended up falling ini love with their music that same nite.  I actually got a chance to meet their two vocals: Danny & Aimee and take a pic with them.

8. What was the last good movie you watched?

I’m a romantic.  I love movies that strike a cord with me, enough to make me ball like a baby.  This past weekend, I saw “Notting Hill.”  I haven’t seen that movie in ages…and that moment where Julia Roberts comes to visit Hugh Grant and says, “I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her” gets me everytime.

9. Do you have any strange, unusual, or just plain cool talents?

Talents, Ehh not that I know of…Me, strange?  sometimes yes. =P

10. What do you think is your weirdest quirk about you?

haha, I just asked my husband, and he immediately said my throat scratching.  I can scratch the back of my throat with my tongue, and it makes this annoying noise…haha, very weird.

11. Did you ever get to go on vacation with your family as a kid, if so where, and did you like it there?

Yes, we traveled to many places.  The one I remember vividly was a trip to the Philippines.  We went to a beach resort, and I just remember looking out into the ocean and thinking that I was at the edge of the world…felt like paradise, like a dream.

People I’m Tagging:

Joy Uyeno @ Frock Flies

Rachel @ A Home In College Hill

Erika @ Our Cozy Cubby Hole

Becca @ I’m Pretty Sure That

Faye & Yvonne @ Live Bake Love

Rachel @ Rara’s Everyday

Claire @ Life’s Layer Cake

Questions for the people I Tagged:

1.  How old are you?  How old do you feel?

2.  What do you do for a living?  How did you arrive at your career?

3.  What was the last nice thing you did for a stranger?

4.  Describe your perfect climate situation and why?

5.  If you could invent anything, what would you invent and why?

6.  What is your weirdest quirk?

7.  Coffee drinker or tea?

8.  Are you a night owl or a morning person?

9.  If you had the money, what would you change about your current life?  Why?

10.  What do you like/dislike about blogging?

11.  What do you do to de-stress or relax?