101 Things (mostly about me)...

Scroll through here to learn more about me, Rose of Rosebakes!

Picture taken by my 15 year old son Joshua... I think he's got a future in photography!

This was written in 2012. There's an updated About Me page here.

A long time ago I saw something like this on another blog and it intrigued me. I made myself a note to one day have my very own “101 Things” page. So last night when I got bored of the boring stuff, I sat down and wrote this. You might think it's dumb (I hope not) or way too long (it is!), but if you're curious about me, here's your chance to learn some totally cool, interesting (maybe boring) and totally useless!

Well, these are mostly about me, but not totally. They are not in any particular order of importance… just how they rolled out of my brain. Oh, and I squeezed extra sentences in everywhere, so there’s really way more than 101. Anyway, here’s my list…

A more recent picture... Fall 2014:

1. I’ve been married to Richy, my college sweetheart, since 1996. I was 20 when we got married… he was 24.
2. He makes me laugh, is a great snuggle-er, a fantastic Daddy, my best friend, and I love him more now than ever.
3. We have 6 kids… they’re all mine and his… biologically. You wouldn’t believe how many people ask that… or assume that we’re a blended family … we’re not. Have you seen them? They all look just.like.him. Just sayin’.
4. Five of my kids are boys. The other is a girl. She’s in the middle, sort of. But not exactly.
5. My favorite “fancy” dessert is Tiramisu. It's an Italian dessert. On very special and rare occasions, my husband makes it for me and I want to marry him all over again.
6. My best friend in the whole wide world is Kathy (other than Richy, that is). She lives in Italy and is married to an Italian. She made me Tiramisu once but forgot to drop it by my house (oops!)... one day she's gonna bring me some more. Or at least that's what I'm hoping for. Are you reading this, Kathy? Hello? 😉
7. My favorite non-fancy dessert is Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies. My son Joshua makes them for me often. He rocks!
8. I sold my first cake on December 31, 2009. It was this one. Before that, I only baked for my own kids and occasionally a close family member.
9. I’d have never dreamed I’d write a blog – especially about cakes. I started with a blog about saving money first… then I switched to cake when my IRL cake business took off. Oh, and I’ve taught coupon classes. Fun stuff!
10. I’ve dreamed of doing cakes since I was 13 when I asked for a cheap-o Wilton decorating set (like this) for Christmas. My Mama got it for me and it's finally paid off... nearly 20 years later.
11. My favorite cake flavor (at least this week) is Dark Chocolate with Chocolate Chips. I dream of filling it with Whipped Ganache and piling on some Cream Cheese Frosting. I’ve never made this combination – I just imagine it and that it would be my favorite. Maybe I’ll try it one day and post about it. In the meantime, these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes are pretty fantastic too!
12. Yes, I’m crazy.
13. I collect cute socks. Lots and lots of cute socks. So many that I have to trade them out of my sock drawer based on the season because there’s not enough room for them all.
14. I’ve never owned a pair of Thanksgiving socks. (sad face)
15. I like to watch NFL football. I like to watch it with my sweetheart. I like to watch HIM watch it – he gets excited and animated and that makes me smile!
16. I like Sushi. Next to Italian, it’s my favorite thing to eat. I’m experimenting with making it at home... no success yet.
17. I live in the country. Seven (7) miles from the nearest town. A tiny town. A town with only 2 stoplights, 2 dollar stores, and no chain stores. No Walmart, Kroger, McDonalds, Wendy’s, 7 Eleven. You get the idea. I’m at least 35 miles from any of “those” places.
18. We own chickens and we eat fresh eggs. We’ve eaten one fresh chicken – killed by accident. Maybe one day I’ll tell you that story - but probably not. This is a cake blog, afterall... not a "how to not kill a chicken by accident" blog.
19. We have 2 3 cats – Cowboy and Sapphire. Sapphire is not a blue cat. She does not have blue eyes. I have no idea why my kids picked that name.  Cowboy and Sapphire are both deceased - a really terrible loss for our family. But we now have Oreo, Midnight, and Sam.
20. My kids names are Joshua, Caleb, Sarah, Noah, Christian, and Asher. They were born in years ranging from 1997 – 2011.
21. My kids were born in 3 different states: Idaho, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
22. Richy and I (and our kids) have lived in 3 different states: Idaho, Florida, and Mississippi.
23. We’ve had 9 addresses in 15 years of marriage. Moving is not fun.
24. I hate any form of cardio exercise. I hate to sweat.
25. I like to lift weights, but I never do it.
26. I want to lose weight and get healthy. And be a cake decorator. This is not a good combination of wants.
27. I like to use ellipses….
28. I like to read. I like to take bubble baths. I like to read while taking bubble baths.
29. My favorite fiction book is The Notebook'The Notebook' by Nicholas Sparks. “The Mountain Between Us” by Charles Martin is a close second.
30. My favorite flower is a tulip. Pink or purple or yellow or white… pretty much any color. I love tulips.
31. We homeschool our kids. Not one of them has ever stepped foot into a public school. Except to visit their MawMaw (my Mama) – a public school teacher.
32. I was not homeschooled. I was valedictorian of my class in 1993. I skipped the 11^th grade and graduated one week after my 17^th birthday. When you get to be an adult, no one cares about that sort of thing.
33. I attended 4 colleges.
34. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Mississippi University for Women. I'm a math nerd... yes I am!
35. At MUW, my GPA was 4.0. Another thing that doesn’t matter when you get to be a grown-up.
36. There were men in my classes. Do you know why I'm telling you that? If not, you'll get it eventually.
37. I love math and sometimes do algebra for fun, but other than my own children, have ZERO desire to teach it. I also get to do math when doing cakes… and that’s fun to me!
38. I wish I had gotten a degree in baking. Is there such a thing? MUW offered a degree in culinary arts… they made great Cream Puffs at that school… from scratch. I have the recipe.
39. I have never taken a baking or cake decorating class. Anywhere. At All. Ever. I’m completely “self-taught”.
40. I am not athletic at all.
41. I don’t like to play sports.
42. I don’t like to be hot. EVER. I wish it was spring and fall and winter year round. Any season except summer. I don't like to sweat, remember?
43. I love the mountains and snow. And cabins in the mountains and snow.
44. I don’t love the beach and summer time.
45. I live in southern Mississippi. Go figure.
46. I like to burn candles.
47. I like to burn candles while taking bubble baths and reading.
48. I like to play with fire. So does my son Noah. He’s my wild child and that worries me.
49. We own two houses – not as a luxury, but because the economy tanked and we can’t sell one of them. It sucks. I don’t like it when my kids say “sucks”.
50. I’m slightly claustrophobic.
51. The house we live in has 3 bedrooms.
52. Did I mention we have 6 kids? Do the math on that one.
53. All of my children except Caleb (my second boy) have blue eyes. Caleb’s are brown. Like mine.
54. I like to alternately nibble on some form of chocolate and some form of cheese. Such as M&M’s and Cheetos. Are Cheetos considered a form of cheese? I think so.
55. I love Diet Dr. Pepper. And Diet Coke with Splenda. And I’ll drink Diet Pepsi if the other two aren’t available. It’s my morning "coffee".
56. I do not like coffee.
57. I love coffee ice cream.
58. I love the smell of coffee.
59. Tiramisu is a coffee flavored dessert. I am weird.
60. I have big, cushy, red couches. They’re stained and worn, but hubby says we can’t replace them until the children are grown, so I’m sort of stuck with them… forever.
61. Pink is my favorite color. But I also like red and purple a lot.
62. I’ve visited/driven through 40 states (I think). I should recount one day.
63. I’ve never been outside the United States. One day I will go to Italy (God-willing).
64. I love things that smell good. Sweet Pea is my favorite scent as far as body products (especially from Bath & Body Works). But I also love vanilla scents for my home and for body products!
65. I have had chronic headaches since Junior High School.
66. I have had chronic neck & shoulder pain since I was in a wreck in 2002 (I think that was the year). Chronic pain sucks stinks.
67. I minored in Art in college and used to love to draw with pencils, chalks and charcoal. I think I still would love it if I ever made the time to do it.
68. I think I’ve only drawn one picture since college. It was for Kathy.
69. I am a Christian. A Bible-believing, born again, Jesus died for my sins, Christian.
70. I don’t really like to claim a religion, but we are currently members of a Baptist Church and we love it. We’ve also been members of non-denominational churches, a Church of God Church and an Assemblies of God church…. and loved them all.
71. I am a night owl… not a morning person. I like to stay up late and sleep late. Those are bad habits. But not my only bad habits.
72. I am not a good housekeeper.
73. I don’t have a (house) decorating bone in my body. Cake on the other hand….
74. I dream of being a minimalist.
75. Mostly I’m a clutter-bug.
76. I have 2 brothers and 1 sister. They and my parents all live within 7 miles of my home. We’re a really close-knit family.
77. I have purple running shoes. I’m trying to learn to like to run. For now, I mostly walk. Running = sweating. I don't like sweating. Oh, I already said that.
78. I am not fashionable at all. My sister is very fashionable.
79. I love to hear my husband play trumpet. He plays at church on Sundays and it’s awesome!
80. I like most kinds of music – pretty much everything except rap and metal.
81. We have a 1967 Convertible Mustang and it is purple. It hasn’t run since we were dating, but one day…
82. I waited tables at Pizza Hut when I was in college and loved it! I’ve also worked in a Justice Court Clerk’s office, a library, a tire shop, and as a private math tutor... just to name a few.
83. I love to ride motorcycles. I used to have one when I was a teenager.
84. I want to sky-dive and/or parachute one day. My husband says “not!”.
85. I hate going to the dentist, or any doctor really, and I often deliberately miss appointments.
86. I have to sit down if anybody’s bleeding so I don’t faint.
87. My next-to-youngest son Christian got the end of his finger off when he was about 20 months old and had to be taken by ambulance to the children’s hospital in New Orleans to have it sewn back on. If we hadn’t been at a friend’s house who also happened to be a nurse, I’m quite sure I’d still be passed out on the floor.
88. I can’t play any instruments but I dream of playing piano. I took lessons briefly in college, but didn’t get very far.
89. I have a semi-fancy camera and mostly don’t know how to use it. I’d love to take a photography class.
90. I’m not allergic to anything.
91. I like bananas but hate banana-flavored anything. Asher (my baby) loves bananas!
92. I love strawberries and I love chocolate milk. But not together! That would be gross.
93. My favorite pie is Key Lime Pie with fresh whipped cream on top.
94. I was born in 1976.
95. I read frugal blogs (I mentioned I have one!), money/finance blogs, baking/cooking blogs, diet/weight loss/health blogs (I have one of these too… sort of), and a few other inspirational, funny and just plain entertaining blogs!
96. When I was a young girl, I always wished my name was Marissa and I had curly hair – my daughter does. Have curly hair that is… her name is not Marissa, it’s Sarah. My middle name is Marie.
97. I hide M&M’s from my children so I don’t have to share. I don’t like hard candy but I love chocolate candy and candy bars. Baci is from Italy and it’s a favorite (Kathy brings/mails it to me when she can)… along with more common things like Andes Mints, Mr. Goodbars, Dark Chocolate Reeses, Symphony Bars, Twix… you get the idea. Oh, and I love Oreos. But that’s not candy or a candy bar.
98. I watch too much TV. I am a news junkie and I like crime/mystery shows and some dramas. I’m not much into all the latest reality TV shows, but I do love American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance? I also love to watch cooking, baking and cake shows… bet you’d have never guessed that, huh?
99. I love the Anne of Green Gables movies. My Mama got me the DVD set for Christmas this year and I'm working my way through watching them again right now.
100. I love breakfast foods… eggs, grits, bacon, sausage, biscuits, pancakes, cereal, Pop-tarts, hash browns… everything except oatmeal. Unless it’s an oatmeal cookie. But then that’s not really breakfast, huh? Waffle House is one of my favorite places to eat.
101. I don’t consider myself a writer, and yet I choose to blog and love it!

Congratulations if you made it all the way through my very long list!! Did I miss anything? Something you'd like to know about me? Leave a comment and I'll answer if I can! Want to keep up to date with all the new stuff happening on Rose Bakes? Sign up for my free email newsletter below!