Getting to Know Me with 101 Questions

After seven years and a half I have blogged about nearly every topic and for anyone who wants to know more there is an about me page in my header. Even if you are new reader you’ll know I ramble on about new things many times a week to today I am going to kick it back to the kind of post that was popular in 2009 when I started reading blogs and was just fading out in 2012 when I started writing mine – a getting to know me post.

Two years ago I did a post answering 50 Completely Random Questions that People Rarely Ask and I am glad so many people found it interesting or insightful.  And since statistics show many of you are new to Sparkles and Shoes in the last two years I thought I would do another fun take on a getting to know me post. 

I found a list of 371 getting to know you questions but let’s be serious, most of the time people just read the photos here so I would bore you to tears with that many so I answered some that I thought you all might find interesting: 

1. Are you named after anyone? Nope. 
2. If you had to change your first name, what would you change it to? I have never really thought about it as I like my name.  In kindergarten I tried to convince people it was spelt “Kelley” instead of “Kelly” but that was about as far as it got. 
3. Where are you from? New York. 
4. What would your parents have named you if you were the opposite gender?  Kevin (which is my younger brother’s name). 
5. What do you call your grandparents?   On my Dad’s side,  Nana and Grandpa and on my Mom’s side, Meme and Gumpa. 
6. What is your best physical feature? I really like my dimples. or grübchen as I learned on one of my work trips last year.  
7. What is your biggest fear?  Hosting a party and no one showing up.  To be fair, it is not my biggest fear in life (probably loosing a family member) but it is the number one thing that came to mind. 
8. What is your biggest regret?  Not studying abroad in University.  Granted, I was on the Georgetown swim team for four years and did not really allow for study abroad but I regret not taking 4 months and going somewhere like Australia.  
9. What is your eye color?  On my driver’s license it says blue and I would say that is mostly true, they are blue with a bit of yellow and a bit of green and tend to change colors. 
10. Who is your favorite actress?  Julia Roberts.  She really does not need an explanation but I love the range of her acting abilities and how she really makes you believe in the character from Vivian in Pretty Woman to Erin in Erin Brockovich to Laura in Sleeping with the Enemy. 
11. What is your favorite color? Cobalt Blue. 
12. What is your favorite drink?   Flat white with oat milk, sparkling water,  Whispering Angel Rose, or a Mojito without sugar – depends on what we are talking about. 
13. What is your favorite ice-cream flavor? Mint Chocolate Chip. 
14. What is your favorite physical activity? A close tie between swimming and spinning. 
15. What is your favorite snack? Goldfish. And it’s probably a good thing they are very hard to find in England. 
16. What is your favorite type of clothing? Dresses. 
17. What is your favorite social media channel? Instagram.  #shamelessplug
18. Are you scared of heights?  Nope. 
19. If you could eliminate one weakness or limitation in your life, what would it be? Being afraid of what other people might think. 
20. Who is the first person you call when something exciting happens? Mom and then Kitty. 
21. Can you close your eyes and raise your eyebrows? Yes.  (This might be the most random question on the list and yes, I did check try this before answering).
22. Do you sing in the shower?  I will sing along to music but will not sing just out of the blue. 
23. Do you spell the color as grey or gray? Gray. 
24. Do you have a tattoo? Nope. 
25. Where’s your favorite place to take an out-of-town guest?  Columbia Road Flower Market, an afternoon High Tea, or a visit to the Sky Garden. 
26. Do you have any birthmarks? If so, where? A small one on the inside of my right calf but the most noticeable thing now is the seven inch scar on my left knee from surgery. 
27. Who sent the last text message you received? My Mom. 
28. Who was the last person you ate dinner with? My boyfriend. 
29. Who was your first Celebrity crush? Josh Hartnett in Pearl Harbor. 
30. What is your most embarrassing moment? I have had quite a few in the past year and a half moving to England and using American phrases that DEFINITELY mean different things in the UK than they do in the States. 
31. What is your star sign? I am a Libra (my birthday is at the end of September!) 
32. What is at the top of your bucket list?  Diving in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, hiking Machu Picchu, or going to Antarctica. 
33. How far away from your birthplace do you live now? Very specifically?  5,481 kilometers or 3,406 miles. 
34. How many countries have you been to? 70
35. How many oceans have you swum in?  This may be sad but I had to look up how many Oceans there are  – the answer is five in case you were curious.  Thus, my answer is three;  Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific. I am missing Arctic and Southern.
36. How many pairs of shoes do you currently own? Haha, great question and I have absolutely no idea.  Between my flat in London, my parents’ house in the States plus the things I put in storage from when I moved across the Atlantic, I would guess 120?
37. How old were you when you learned how to ride a bike? 7, I think.  I remember exactly where it was – a combination of our childhood street and the long grassy hill adjacent to Rye High School.
38. Would you ever consider living abroad? Haha, clearly yes.
39. Have you ever been in a beauty pageant? Nope.
40. Have you ever taken self-defense lessons?  Yes, it was actually taught as part of our Heath class in high school. 
41. At what age did you go on your first date? 15, I think. I remember I was too young to be able to drive and was so embarrassed that I had to be driven there (as did he).
42. What female celebrity do you wish was your sister? Blake Lively, Emma Watson, or Chrissy Tiegen – all for different reasons.
43. What flavor of tea do you enjoy? English Breakfast or Peppermint.
44. What is the first amusement park you’ve been to? Playland.  This small amusement park is actually in the town I grew up on and before I was a year old.  My Mom used to walk my stroller up and down the boardwalk.
45. What is the scariest movie you’ve watched? Either The Exorcist or The Ring – and I HATE scary movies.
46. What is under your bed?  Clothes for the opposite season (currently Summer dresses and the such)
47. What is something you wish you were gifted at doing? Singing. 
48. What is the first thing you do when you get home? Hang up my keys on the hook next to the door because otherwise I will lose them.
49. What do you like about your home?  That I live by myself – I have for the past six years and it is simply the best!
50. What is the first thing you do when you open your eyes in the morning?  Turn my alarm off.  I have been using the Sleep Cycle app for the last 12 months and I love it!
51. What kind of books do you like to read? I like crime / murder mysteries or historical fiction.If anyone has any good suggestions, I would love you to send them through! 
52. What is the last movie that you saw at the cinema? Captain Marvel with Brie Larson and it was fantastic!
53. What is the last thing you watched on TV? Friends re-runs.
54. What is the thing you change the TV channel with? Remote? Or sometimes I call it the clicker.
55. What language, besides your native language, would you like to be fluent in?  Spanish – I really wish I had paid more attention in school! 
    What was the first concert you ever attended? Britney Spears and LFO.
56. What was the last thing you bought?  A new pair of earplugs for an upcoming red eye.
57. What is the best part of your job? Learning new things every day. 
58. If you could have any job, what would you want to do/be? Dolphin trainer was my childhood dream and now by adult dream would be a food or travel secret critic.
59. What takes the biggest chunk of your paycheck? Taxes. 🙁
60. What is something you’ve never done that you’d like to try? Sky diving or bungee jumping 
61. How often do you skip breakfast? No, never. I love breakfast, it sets you up for the day (and I try to always include protein)
62. What are some of your bad habits? I am not the tidiest person at home – not dirty, just messy.
63. What color is your bedroom carpet? Gray. It came with my apartment and I do not love it. 
64. What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining? A sunshower.
65. What do you do for a living? I work in digital advertising.
66. What type of music you dislike most? Metal, it gives me a massive headache. 
67. Is there any item you collect? I collected snowglobes when I was little but not really any more.
68. Do you know how to pump your own gas? Yes, of course.
69. What is the longest period you’ve spent in a hospital? Quite a long time. I was very sick when I was a baby.
70. Most ridiculous thing you’ve had to visit the hospital for? Haha, well this is embarrassing but when I was a teenager I was playing with a ring and ended up putting it on a finger where it was too small and could not get it off.  We ended up having to go to the ER to get it cut off. 
71. What do you find yourself always procrastinating? Folding laundry.
72. How are you different from your Dad? I am much more creative and love things like fashion and photography.
73. How are you different from your Mother? So many things but the first thing that comes to mind is that she is very tidy.
74. Are you close to anyone now that you initially disliked? Haha, yes, my friends Samantha from university. I actually gave a speech at her rehearsal dinner about this very topic.
75. What non-profit do you believe in supporting? Quite a few but I am currently volunteering for the Junior League of London who’s mission is to end poverty in London. 
76. What is your favorite family vacation? We have this discussion frequently and our top three; though in different orders, is Galapagos, African Safari, or our 2002 trip to Alaska. 
77. If you inherited $100,000 right now, how would you spend it? I would buy a Chanel bag and a Cartier love bracelet, and then I would invest the rest. 
78. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do? That everyone have access to education.
79. If you could eat lunch with one famous person, who would it be? Blake Lively.
80. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation where would you go? I really want to go to Australia and New Zealand but the time of year is so important!
81. When was the first time you were on a plane? I am not sure when the first time was but I spent my first birthday in Paris so definitely before age one.
82. Pick one, a comedy movie or a horror movie? Comedy, I hate scary movies!
83. Pick one, Coke or Pepsi? Diet Coke
84. Pick one, Nike or Adidas? Nike, #justdoit
85. Pick one, vanilla or chocolate? Chocolate
86. Would you rather always be overdressed or always be underdressed? Overdressed.
87. Would you rather be able to play 10 different instruments beautifully or speak 10 different languages fluently? 10 languages, most definitely!
88. Would you rather have 1 million dollars right now or one penny doubling every day for thirty days? The second as that will end up being $5.4 million
89. Would you rather have a roommate that eats a lot or one that sleeps a lot? Sleeps a lot, definitely!
90. Would you rather live in a five bedroom apartment all alone or live in a one bedroom apartment with five kids?  Five bedroom apartment all alone, most definitely, and this is a teaser to a post coming later in 2020 on turning a spare bedroom into a closet!
91. What did you want to be when you were small? I was dead set on being a dolphin trainer!
92. Do you like or dislike surprises? Why or why not? I love surprises as long as they are planned by someone who knows my favorite things!
93.  If money was no object, what would you do all day? I would like to go to culinary school (but not become a chef), learn more about wine, or be an interior decorator!
94. What is the worst gift you have received? For my birthday one year a guy I was dating got me a book called The Confidence Code for Girls which was how to be more confident and he meant it as an insult – it was not great.
95. What are two of your pet peeves? I have actually written ffive blog posts on this topic but socks with sandals and chewing with your mouth full!
96. How many pillows do you sleep with? What an odd question – likely two or three though and ideally extra firm!
97. What’s the tallest building you’ve been to the top in? I may have had to Google the 22 tallest buildings in the world right now so I could answer this question accurately and it is not the building I expected – 432 Park Avenue. (It also reminds me I need to get up to the top of  #7, One World Trade Center, the next time I am back in New York), 
98. What’s your favorite type of foreign food? I love sushi and eating sushi in Japan is definitely on my bucket lsit!
99. Do you love or hate rollercoasters? Love them, just hate the lines!
100. What’s your favorite family tradition? Travelig together.  A few weeks ago someone was mentioning that by the time kids leave home at 18 that 93% of the time they will ever spend with their parents has already passed. I foudn that stat so sad and hope to change it! 
101.  Do you collect anything? Growing up I used to collect snow globes but now, probably just passport stamps!

Well if you made it through these 101 getting to know me questions I applaud you, that was a lot! But for those who asked, I hope you have found out a bit more about me and anything else you are curious about, sound off in the comments below! 

What was the most suprising thing you have learned?