Tag, I'm It!

First though, here is my Everyday Matters challenge for this week, #156, draw something with steps. This was done in graphite in my small hand.book journal. This is of a set of stairs that belongs with my daughter's doll house. Several years ago hubby and I made this doll house for kiddo as a Christmas gift. I sketched the plans, he built it, and we both painted it. It is designed to look like our own house. We ordered the dolls, furniture, these stairs, and even the pets, like the little doggie perched on the steps in my drawing. The perspective in my drawing looks a bit wonky, but there it is.

Now, for having been tagged. This is my first time so please bear with me. I was tagged by Rose Welty, of Rose's Art Lines. Rose has a fascinating blog about her art and the artistic process. I always come away from her blog with something new to think about in relation to my own art.

The first requirement of having been tagged is to post five things you probably don't know about me. So here you go.

1. I am the parent that causes other parents to roll their eyes for being so neurotically over protective. Partly because I was 39 when kiddo was born. But because of her peanut allergy I am afraid for her life ~ every ~ single ~ day. If she ate one peanut it would surely kill her. Or even one fourth of a peanut. Or a hundredth. (How small is that?) If you touched a peanut and then touched say a table and kiddo came along and touched that same place on that table and then rubbed her eye, for example, she could have a deadly allergic reaction. I know this because I have read where this has happened to other highly allergic kids. (See peanut allergy.com) When I told her allergist that I am so protective that other parents roll their eyes he said, "Good." When he asked about school and I said we are homeschooling he said, "Good." Every day when kiddo is safely tucked in her bed at night is a wonderfully successful day. My name and the word "peanut" are the two things I am sure to hear across a crowded room.

2. Speaking of crowded rooms - they usually make me uncomfortable. I'm a shy person and a homebody. I love having visitors just don't make me go out and socialize. Or dance.

3. I don't like to drive. Because of this I drive a Subaru Forester. I had my first Forester for 9 years and recently traded for a new model. Nothing big or flashy for me. This is the car for people who don't like to drive. Really. It says so in the Subaru brochure.

4. I am spiritual but not religious. I took a survey on Beliefnet.com and my top match was NeoPaganism. Hmmmm. . . .

5. I have been married for 24 years to the same great guy.

The other requirement of having been tagged is that I am to tag five people. Please don't worry if you don't want to participate that's fine. Or if you have already been tagged and don't want to do it again, that's okay too.

1. Wendy Shortland
http://quirkyartist.blogspot.com/
Wendy is a very talented artist from Sydney, Australia, that I met through the Everyday Matters group. I enjoy regularly reading her blog as she is always trying something new. Check out her fabulous watercolors and sketchbook drawings.

2. Rita Woodburne
http://www.ritawoodburne.blogspot.com/
Rita is a colored pencil artist from Canada that I got to know through Wet Canvas. She does awesome colored pencil drawings and her blog is always an entertaining read.

3. Nina Johansson
http://ninajohansson.blogspot.com/
Nina is another artist I have come to know through the Everyday Matters group. She is in Stockholm, Sweden and creates wonderful art works with a variety of media but always with an eye toward drawing.

4. Jessica Stride
http://jess-messyjessie.blogspot.com/
I also got to know Jessie's work through the Everyday Matters group. She is from the UK and another mom/artist. Jessie does incredible things with color in her paintings. They just take my breath away!

5. Starr
http://starrgirlsworld.blogspot.com/
Starr is my art goal buddy from the Everyday Matters group. This year anyone who wanted to participate could sign up for a goal buddy from the group. Goal Buddys were assigned at random and the purpose is that checking in regularly with a goal buddy will help you stay on track with your art goals for the year. Starr is from my home state of Ohio and is a very motivating Goal Buddy! She has been doing some terrific sketchbook drawings and I always look forward to checking in at her blog to see what is new.

And there you have it. The rules for tagees are that you link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog. Share five random facts about yourself on your blog. Then tag five people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs. Don't forget to let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Now that wasn't so bad, was it?