A Coffee Date with...Natalie

Let's have a little fun, shall we?

Today I'm having a digital coffee date with my friend in real life and in Blog Land, Natalie from Life As I Know It. Check out her blog when you get a chance, as she is the reason I'm obsessed with beef stew this season!

See? We really are friends in real life! She even came to our wedding in September! The proof is in the pudding, people. Or perhaps just the picture (check that nice alliteration going on there...yeah English!!!) that I "borrowed" from her blog ;)

Anyway, blog friends, meet Natalie. She pretty much rocks. She's a genuine and kind soul with one of the most precious pups ever! I'd like to think that if Natalie and I were to really have coffee this morning, our conversation would go something like this:

G&G: Hey Natalie. 'Sup?

Natalie: Not much. Sup with you?

G&G: Ah, you know. Bloggin. Chillin. Livin the dream. You know, all that jazz. Remember, there are no wrong answers here, so answer freely. What's your favorite color?

Natalie: Blue!

G&G: Are you an Introvert or Extravert, or somewhere in between?

Natalie: Extremely introverted; for real.

G&G: I feel ya. That's why I write. Nobody can see me and I don't get tongue-tied! How long have you been blogging?

Natalie: About three years...

G&G: Why did you start blogging?

Natalie: I think because I expected something really grand to happen in my life & I wanted to have it down to remember; I’m not the best with a journal. Granted, here we are three years later & I don’t think anything very grand has happened…but one day…maybe one day…

G&G: I don't know. That beef stew of yours seems pretty grand to me. What "type" of blog would you consider yours to be? Lifestyle, food, etc. (Hint: You don't even have to put yourself in a category!)

Natalie: I have no clue; I’m a little bit of everything…but I do love to share recipes.

G&G: Secret dream job?

Natalie: My dream job (and it’s no secret) is to be a Momma. I’d really like to find Mr. Right & have some sweet little babies; I’d like to be able to stay home & take care of my home & family!

G&G: Hey, are your palms sweating? 

Natalie: Not in the slightest.

G&G: Is this too much like a job interview?

Natalie: Not even remotely; far less stressful.

G&G: GREAT! On with the questions! What's your favorite holiday tradition - whether Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, Easter, etc.?

Natalie: CHRISTMAS! I love everything about Christmas but the best tradition is how my family celebrates Christmas Eve! We all go to church together on Christmas Eve night to take part in the Lord’s Supper as a family & then we go back to my Uncle & Aunt’s house to have a little party, complete with tons of delicious Christmas goodies & a rousing round of Dirty Santa. We’ve done this for as long as I can remember…I don’t remember a time when we didn’t do this & there are pictures to prove it; pictures that date back years and years. Oh – and then my family goes home & watches White Christmas. Sorry – I rambled a little.

G&G: That's okay. Rambling rocks. It's why I have a blog. What's the best thing you ever ate? (if you want to pick one or two, that is fine. Indecisive peeps YEAH!)

Natalie: I have no idea! I love to eat & I’m finding new & delicious things daily. I will say that I love anything that has cheese involved & if it’s of the Italian or Mexican variety, I’m always in.

G&G: Picture it: We're at a coffee shop. We sit down {or get in line} to order. Where are we and what are you having? 

Natalie: Probably at Starbucks, but it would be neat if we were at a little hole in the wall type place – they tend to have the best stuff. I’d be getting something flavored: a vanilla latte, a caramel macchiato, a peppermint mocha. It’s never just plain coffee!

G&G: Oooh fun. Hey can we sit on the couches? Starbucks couches are pretty much the best things ever. Besides coffee, I mean. 

...

G&G: What things are you most interested in and why? Fashion, cooking, acting, reading, playing with messenger pigeons, etc?

Natalie: I find myself very interested in movies, TV and books; I really like entertainment in any form & it shows if you’ve ever been to my house. I have shelves and shelves of books, movies and TV on DVD. Playing with messenger pigeons…or birds in general; that’s a huge NO.

G&G: I'm glad I'm not the only one that's slightly okay MAJORLY creeped out by birds. They give me the shivers, man. What's your all-time favorite outfit?

Natalie: I don’t know that I have one. I do love jeans and cardigans for the cooler months and dresses of all types in warmer months; I may have a favorite outfit in the making…but I’ll have to wait till Christmas to unwrap part of it.

G&G: Check out your iPhone. What types of pictures take up MOST of your photo storage? 

Natalie: I don’t even have to look to know this one: my phone is filled with pictures of my dog, Watson and pictures of me with my friend’s kids – since I’m my church’s nursery coordinator, I take lots of those.

G&G: What's on your radio/in your car CD player/on your iPod right now?

Natalie: I haven’t turned on my radio in ages…so no clue. My car CD player has the Game of Thrones soundtrack (from season three to be precise) in it & my iPod on my phone is paused on a song from the soundtrack to the TV series Sherlock. I like instrumental music.

G&G: And finally...the age-old question...Coke or Pepsi? 

Natalie: COKE! Always COKE!

G&G: You know what, Natalie? I lied about what I said earlier. THAT is the wrong answer. Sorry, chica. Pepsi wins every time. Oh well. At least we had coffee. Even if it was invisible.

Thanks for playing along, blog peoples! And Natalie, I still like you even though you like Coke =)