Monday, March 29, 2010

Blogger Award

I am really thrilled to have been give a Beautiful Blogger Award by Carrie over here at
 The Vintage Wren . Carrie has a lovely blog where she writes from the heart and is a treat to visit, so if you have not already been there...go now.  Thank you Carrie.

I have to now share 7 things about myself, and because I have trouble narrowing things down I have condensed a bunch of them into one x 7.  So here they are.  ( I recently had an award so I kinda re-used this list)  Is that allowed? 

1. I was born in Nairobi Kenya, left when I was 6. In Kenya we lived in a railway car for a month. A snake killed my cat, the African kids threw stones at me on the way to school, I almost drowned swimming in the Indian ocean when I was 5, my grandmother owned a donkey called Semolina and a shot gun, monkeys ate our tea, we slept under mosquito nets, we had a "houseboy", elephants would block the road, a pole snatcher stole my blankets. And that's all I remember of Kenya before we took a long boat ride to England.

2. I lived in England for 6 years. My relatives are all English. My mum managed on her own with the 4 of us while my dad worked in Saudi Arabia. We never knew my dad's family although they lived in Nottingham, we were not allowed contact. It was one of my lifes goals to find them. I found them all via the Internet in 2008(10 siblings) almost 60 years after he left home at 17. They are mostly in the UK and Australia. They are lovely. I wish I had had them growing up.

3. I moved to Canada when I was 12. I was a big nerd and teased a lot about my British accent which I promptly lost. I met my husband in high school at 16 and married him and had kids in my early 20's. My son is 24 and is in commercial real estate and lives in Montreal. He has a wonderful GF who I adore. My daughter is 22, a makeup artist and hairdresser and she lives 10 minutes away. I don't feel British, Kenyan or Canadian really.

4. I used to be a Medical Office Administrator which is the new name for Secretary. I worked for a family physician who got arrested for billing fraud and the police raided the office and I had to go to court. I then went to work for, as my kids used to say "the bum doctor" and worked for a rectal surgeon. Rectal surgery was not at all what it was cracked up to be, so I made a move to Orthopaedic Oncology where I worked for the most incredible but somewhat crazy (I mean that in the nicest way) surgeon who performed limb salvage surgery (adults and kids). Sadly he died tragically at 48. I went back to college at 45 and got my diploma in Interior Decorating. I got straight A's in college after being a pittiful student all my life.

5. I am a self employed Interior Decorator about to open an online shop of vintage housewares and home goods, a collector but not a hoarder. I have about 30 collections (keep checking the blog, I am sure you will eventually see them all). I challenged myself to read a book a week for 2010, but have only read 4 so far. I try to read Canadian Authors as I believe in supporting the Canadian arts. I like to shop at flea markets, not malls. If you were to buy me a bithday gift, it should be old, worn ,tarnished and battered.

6. I love my Gracie dog, Hannah cat and miss my Mooch boy who died of leukemia. I love, love, love to cook and bake and love Ina Garten and wish I had met Julia Child. For a treat for my daughters 8th birthday she asked for a store bought cake!

If I didn't decorate I would open a cafe. With vintage cups and flowery dishes with homemade buttertarts and organic tomato soup. I set my table with vintage linens and old dishes. I am organized but not tidy. If I was vacuuming and found a Smartie under the sofa, I would so eat it.

7. I am a late bloomer. I didn't get my hair right until last year, struggle with my weight, my mind jumps from here to there and I have so many things on the go but not completed. I do fiber art making hand made felt, would love to learn to paint, love my little cottage and my garden. I found my confidence last year and myself too. Oh... and I was named after a waterfall in Nairobi called Chania Falls. It is pronounced Chania like Taunya, but with a ch.

That's it. 7 things you didn't know before.
 
And now I have to pass onto 7 people, so here are some wonderful blogs that I read daily.
1.  Cranberry Cottage with Melissa over here
2. Lulu at Dusty Lu here
3. A perfect Gray who has an interesting call for posts here
4. The lovely Beach Vintage here
5.  Pebbledash from the UK here
6.  Pretty Far West. (hilarious) here
7. Mamas Without Borders here
 
If I have left out one of my favorites, it is because I had to nominate 7 people recently and I did not want to award you twice so quickly but I wanted to, you deserve it.

8 comments:

  1. Hi Chania! Love your story. Other day I was thinking about "what brought me here" and probably I'll call "a citizen to the world". I kind of think the same way...neither here nor there...I'm from everywhere. And moving soon to NZ!
    How lovely to know more about you. I live in Alberta and was a huge change for me coming from the tropics!
    Well, If I have courage like you, one day I'll write mine as well. I need to feel more confident with my english...
    Love. Li

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  2. We must belong to the same club. I have moved over 20 times since getting married. I dont belong anywhere eithter. Although, the island is the longest I have lived anywhere. This is my 4th city on this island...

    Thanks for mentioning me on your blog. Thats a first for me..

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  3. Congratulations Chania!! Could not have gone to a lovelier blogger:) Enjoy your well deserved award my friend ~ Tina xx

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  4. Hey, I would eat the smarty too. My husband had a meltdown last night over my stash of project that are incomplete, whilst I bring home more....and I worry I am becoming a hoarder. LOL.

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  5. Congrats Chania. Lovely stories. I found the stories of Africa particularly interesting. I can't imagine just seeing monkeys and elephants. I bet that was amazing. I'm glad you "found yourself" and you got straight A's because you are good at what you do!

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  6. Chania, thank you so much for honoring me. I really am touched to be included. I so enjoyed your list of 'about me's' - all wonderfully personal - and I DID wonder how to pronounce your name! Many thanks! Donna

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  7. Congratulations - you so deserve it! You have a lovely story and such a beautiful blog. Thanks for all your inspiration ~
    Sarah

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  8. Oh, you are so sweet to have included me in your list. I feel so honored because I enjoy your blog so much and think your story is so fascinating. ... But boy, do I feel silly. I've been enjoying reading all of your posts that I have missed while taking an unplanned blogging break for a few weeks (!!!) when I happened upon this post. I'm sorry I'm so late to the party but so thrilled for the invitation and obviously happy to participate.

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I love to read each and every comment and are thrilled that you take the time to send one. Thank you so much. Chania