Anna profile picture

Anna

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much

About Me

I live in sunny San Diego California and have lived here since I was 17 when I moved here for college in 1987. I am a preschool Teacher and I have worked with children since 1989. I am also a Creative Memories Consultant and I have a home-based business. I have classes and workshops where I help people with their photos.
I am happily married to Claude who is a Physics Professor and professional artist. Claude and I have been together since 1992. We got married in May 1999.
For many years I lived in Ocean Beach and in Mission Beach and south Mission. When we bought our house, we were bummed to move away from the beach. I really miss O.B.---it still always feels like home. I like the vibe there. I still feel lucky to live in San Diego. It is a great place to be!
My life in a nutshell:
I was born in the tiny town of Ozark, Arkansas where my whole family still lives. A few years ago the lame T.V. Show called the "The Simple Life" was filmed there. The show was about Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie going to this small town to see how the 'simple people' live.
My Dad is the old man in the coveralls at the start of each show who is whistling at the girls as they go by. He did have a few on-camera interviews about the girls, but they were cut. My Dad tends to tell it as he sees it, and the interviews were not appropriate for television.
My Dad is a farmer and owns a backhoe company. He lives on a 90-acre farm. He lives in the same house that he was born in and grew up in. I have many fond memories of my summer's spent in Arkansas.
My Mom on the other hand is a beautiful six-foot tall woman that grew up in Los Angeles. She was a hard working professional woman.
Being so opposite, it makes you wonder how they ever got together. Needless to say, they did not stay together. They split when I was two and I spent my school years in Los Angeles, California and my summers in Ozark, Arkansas.
On my Dad's side I have one older sister... Deb, two half-brothers... Kevin and Roy, and six step-sisters... Donna, Deanna, Dee-Dee, Natalie, Edwina, Mona, and three step-brothers...Eric, Chad, and Adam. They all live in Arkansas except for Kevin who lives in Indiana. (Yes, my Dad raised a lot of kids!)
On my Mom's side I have a wonderful step-father named Wayne and he has five kids. I have three step-sisters...Linda, Krystyl, and Renell, and two step-brothers...Mark and Wayne Jr. They all live in Las Vegas except for Mark and Linda who live in New Jersey.
I love my family and I like to spend time with them. Since I don't have any family close by, I try to go to visit them as much as I can.

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My Interests



♥I am a fun loving, easygoing person.

♥I love spending time with my husband. We always enjoy traveling or just being together at home.

♥ I like to hang out with friends. My friends mean the world to me.

♥I love to go to concerts and music festivals and I love to dance.

♥I am a Deadhead! When the Grateful Dead was on tour I saw almost 100 shows live.

Fare thee well, Fare thee well, I love you more than words can tell.

I miss Jerry!

♥I like drumming and drum circles.

♥I like hiking and camping and the great outdoors.

♥I love sunsets especially the ones with a purple glow.

♥I love to go to Sushi Dinners!I also enjoy many types of ethnic foods.

Hidemi my favorite Sushi Chef

♥I go to the Renaissance Pleasure Faire every year at least once a year and dress up. Sometimes I am a wench, a pirate or a fairy.

♥I love to go to Fairy Festivals. Someday I hope to attend the big Fairy Festival in England and meet my favorite fairy artist.

♥I like Maypoles and dancing around them. (My husband proposed to me at a Maypole).

♥Spring is my favorite season.

♥I love flowers. My favorites are Morning Glories, Sweetpeas, Foxglove, Hollyhocks, Forget-Me-Nots, Hydrangeas, Cosmos, Mexican Sage, Texas Primrose, Roses and many more.

♥I love wee fairy gardens. This is one that a friend made for me.

♥I love stained glass and hand blown glass. My windows are filled with both.

♥I collect fairies and have them all over my house and yard.

♥My favoirite fairy artist from today are:
Linda Ravenscroft

Jessica Galbreth

Amy Brown

Victoria Griffin

Michele-lee Phelan

Nene Thomas

Becky Kelly

Julie Fain

♥Fairy Artist from the past that I like are:

Ida Outwaite

Cicely Mary Barker

♥Other artists I like are:
Mary Engelbreit

Marjolin Bastin

♥I love the Art Nouveau style.

I especially like Alphonse Mucha

John Waterhouse

♥I like Mandalas.

♥I also like the Rock Posters of the 60’s.

I'd like to meet:

I am open to meeting new friends or finding old friends that happen to be on MySpace.

I would like to meet open-minded people that share common interests with me. People who like: having fun, dancing, going to music festivals, concerts and live shows, The Grateful Dead, traveling, international cuisine, scrapbooking, crafting, photography, Renaissance Faires. Also imaginative and artistic people that adore mystical creatures and fairies.

I would also like to meet people who are interested in learning more about preserving their photos in safe scrapbook albums. For more information about Creative Memories, my workshop schedule, or online ordering click here: my Creative Memories website

Music:

My musical taste is very eclectic. It depends on which soundtrack from my life is playing and what kind of mood I am in.

People call me "The Human Juke Box" because I like to sing along with almost any song from the 60's to now and I know all the lyrics. Everyone tells me that I should go on a music game show because I know all the lyrics to songs and who the artist is.

*"LET THERE BE SONGS TO FILL THE AIR...":
The Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia Band, Phil Lesh and Friends, Ratdog, Robert Hunter, Phish, Merl Saunders, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Pink Floyd, Led Zepplin, Neil Young, Credence Clearwater Revival, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Crosby, Stills and Nash, The Allman Brothers, Queen, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Peter Frampton, Paul Simon, Lynard Skynard and The Animal Liberation Orchestra.

*REGGAE:
Bob Marley, Steel Pulse, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear, and Damien Marley.

*MELLOW MUSIC:
Loreena McKennitt, Enya, Clannad, Julee Cruise, Ravi Shankar, Gary Stadler (Fairy Songs), Mike Rowland,and Woodland.

*OLD SCHOOL DISCO:
Wild Cherry, Peaches and Herb, Kool and the Gang, KC and the Sunshine Band, The Commodores, Chic, Earth Wind and Fire, Anita Ward, Gloria Naylor, Lipps Inc., Sister Sledge, Klymaxx, Frankie Smith, The Gap Band, Moris Day and the Time, Midnight Star, and Dana Rayne.

*DANCE:
Chaka Khan, Nenah Cherry, Tone Loc, Debbie Deb, Young MC, Technotronic, Newcleus, Vanity 6 (Apolonia), Salt-N-Pepa, Digital Underground, Dazz Band, and Whodini.

*FUNK/RAP:
Run-DMC, Beastie Boys, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Grandmaster Flash, Sugarhill Gang, and 2 Live Crew.

*60'S AND 70'S Tunes:
Gordon Lightfoot, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Harry Chapin, Jim Croce, Dan Fogelberg, Simon and Garfunkel, Van Morrison, Don McLean, The Monkees, Elton John, Cat Stevens, Steely Dan, Loggins and Messina, Rupert Holmes, Jimmy Buffet, Bread, Helen Reddy, Barry Manillow, Nicolette Larson, Marvin Gaye, Neil Sedaka, Captain and Tennille, Carole King, and Al Stewart.

*80'S TUNES:
The Untouchables, The English Beat, Elvis Costello, Squeeze, Pet Shop Boys, Dramarama, The Smiths, Morrissey, Modern English, Depeche Mode, Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians, The Cure, The Clash, New Order, Tracy Chapman, Everything But the Girl, Sade, Joe Jackson, Madonna, Prince, Roxy Music, Aerosmith, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, John Mellencamp, and Bryan Adams.

*90'S TUNES:
Lenny Kravitz, Tori Amos, Red Hot Chili Peppers, R.E.M., Spin Doctors, 4-Non Blondes, Blind Melon, Gin Blossoms, Collective Soul, Counting Crows, Blues Traveler, Fiona Apple, Fastball, and Shawn Mullins.

*THE 2000'S TUNES:
Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, Jason Mraz, John Mayer, David Gray, Five For Fighting, Dido, Norah Jones, The Wallflowers, Pete Droge, Rachael Yamagata, Beth Orton, Sia, Gary Jules, Amos Lee, Colbie Caillat and Mat Kearney.

Movies:


♥ I like a lot of movies from a while ago: Harold and Maude, Grease, Terms of Endearment, The Color Purple, and Blue Velvet.

♥ I also like the 80's movies from High School: Valley Girl, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo’s Fire, Footloose, Say Anything, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Some Kind of Wonderful, The Outsiders, The Lost Boys, and Purple Rain.

♥ Other movies I like are Heathers, Edward Scissorhands, Wild at Heart, Fried Green Tomatoes, Singles, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Benny and Joon, Reality Bites, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Pulp Fiction, How to Make an American Quilt, The Truth About Cats and Dogs, Like Water for Chocolate, The Wedding Singer, There's Something About Mary, Titanic, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Memoirs of a Geisha, and Juno.

Television:

♥ The Shows I like now are Weeds, Lost, Survivor, Men in Trees , Desperate Housewives, Real World, The Girls Next Door, The L Word, and L.A. Ink.
♥I like to watch HGTV (Home and Garden Television) or TLC (The Learning Channel). I love all the home decorating shows and shows like Mission Organization and Clean Sweep. I like to see the 'before and after'. I also like 'This Old House' and I love gardening shows too.
♥ I also record my soap-“Days of Our Lives” ( I have watched since I was a kid). I know...huge cheese factor.
♥ My favorite show was Six Feet Under (I was so bummed when it ended).
♥ I also watched Everwood, Sex and the City, and Will and Grace when they were still on.
♥ The shows I watched in college were Seinfeld and (hate to admit)...Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place.
♥ After college I watched Twin Peaks, Northern Exposure, The X Files, Dawson’s Creek, Felicity, Party of Five, and The Real World.
♥ Some of the old school shows I watched when I was a kid were Flipper, All in the Family, Carol Burnett Show, Happy Days, The Jeffersons, Alice, The Facts of Life, The Love Boat, The Andy Griffith Show, Laverne and Shirley, Fantasy Island, Green Acres, Little House on the Prairie, Charlie’s Angels, Planet of the Apes, The Partridge Family, 8 is Enough, Dukes of Hazard, Soul Train, and Moonlighting.
(Yes...I was a latchkey kid, so we watched a lot of TV afterschool)

Books:


♥ I love books and I really like to read!!!
♥ I collect fairy books of all kinds (stories and art).
♥ I also have lots of cookbooks. My favorite cookbooks are by Susan Branch.
♥ I have many books that are more reference types on gardening, travel, music, photography, art and coffee table style books.
♥ I read mostly women authors~ mainly novels. I hate romance novels.
♥ My favorite author is Ellen Gilchrist. I have read every book she has published.
♥ I also like Marion Zimmer Bradley -I LOVE the Mists of Avalon series.
♥ The authors I like are Margaret Atwood, Lynn Andrews, Judy Blume, Sylvia Plath, Louise Erdrich, Laura Esquirel, Carrie Fisher, Fannie Flag, Sue Monk Kidd, Madeleine L’Engle, Terry McMillan, Sue Miller, Toni Morrison ,Gloria Naylor, Whitney Otto, Anita Shreve, Jane Smiley, Amy Tan and (hate to admit it)V.C. Andrews.
♥ I collect children's books and I have thousands of of them. I collect many of them because of the beautiful illustrations. I like many illustrators from the early 1900s. I collect Green Tiger Press books that are out of print. I love the art in them.
♥ When I was a kid I loved to read! Some of my favorites were:
~All the Madeleine L'Engle books including 'A Wrinkle in Time', 'A Wind in the Door', and 'A Swiftly Tilting Planet'.
~All the Judy Blume books especially 'Are You There God It's Me Margaret', 'Blubber' and 'Forever'.
~Roald Dahl books especially 'James and the Giant Peach', and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'.
~I also liked 'Black Beauty', 'Treasure Island', 'Little Women', 'Island of the Blue Dolphins', and 'The Secret Garden'.
There are so many more books that I like, but the list would be really long.

Heroes:


♥ My biggest hero is my Mom~ She is a very strong woman who has overcome a lot and is a cancer survivor.

♥ I admire the talented artist Linda Ravenscroft. She is amazing!

♥ Another hero of mine is my husband Claude. He is also a talented artist who was born with true talent. He is also very smart!

♥ I think Lance Armstrong is amazing too.

My Blog

4-26-08 Electric Waste Band (with photos)

On Saturday April 26th I went to see Electric Waste Band play at Winstons down in Ocean Beach.Electric Waste Band is a local Dead cover band that plays every week down in O.B. for the past seventeen y...
Posted by Anna on Sun, 27 Apr 2008 01:43:00 PST

4-24-08 Dark Star Orchestra (with photos)

On Thursday April 24th I went to see Dark Star Orchestra play at the Belly Up in Solana Beach.Like always, they put on a totally ROCKIN', JAMMIN' performance.  I danced the whole night non-stop.&...
Posted by Anna on Sun, 27 Apr 2008 11:38:00 PST

3-17-08 Shawn Mullins (with photos)

On March 17, 2008 (St. Patrick’s Day) I went to see Shawn Mullins perform at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach.It was just him and his acoustic guitar and his deep southern voice.  I have...
Posted by Anna on Sun, 30 Mar 2008 06:11:00 PST

2-15-08 Sia Concert (with photos)

I got to see Sia perform again in San Diego.  Since I got her new album I have been anxiously waiting for her to come to San Diego.What an amazing show!  The crowd was literally moved to tea...
Posted by Anna on Sun, 17 Feb 2008 10:32:00 PST

2-13-08 Animal Liberation Orchestra Show(with photos)

On Wednesday February 13th I went to see Animal Liberation Orchestra (ALO) play at the Belly Up in Solana Beach.My good friend Martin first turned me on to them because he used to see them play often ...
Posted by Anna on Sun, 17 Feb 2008 10:15:00 PST

My Celebrity Look-alikes

I saw this on someone's MySpace page and I tried it.It is pretty funny to see who they come up with. I ran one on my husband's pic too and we got a good laugh out of it.He looks like Matt Damon, Stev...
Posted by Anna on Sat, 19 Jan 2008 11:38:00 PST

11-15-07 Melvin Seals and JGB show (with photos)

On November 15th I went to see Melvin Seals and JGB play at Canes in Mission Beach.I have not seen JGB since Jerry passed away.  I was not sure how it would sound without Jerry, but WOW was I blo...
Posted by Anna on Sat, 24 Nov 2007 08:51:00 PST

11-15-07 Cubensis Show (with photos)

On November 15th I went to see Cubensis perform at Canes in Mission Beach.  They were the opening band for Melvin Seals and JGB.  Cubensis is a really fun Grateful Dead cover band.  Whe...
Posted by Anna on Sat, 24 Nov 2007 08:11:00 PST

10-28-07 Colbie Cailatt Concert (with photos)

On October 28th I went with my friend Nikki to see Colbie Cailatt perform at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach.What a sweet girl and a sweet voice.  Colbie is a 22 year old girl from Malibu.&nb...
Posted by Anna on Mon, 05 Nov 2007 07:22:00 PST

10-11-07 Dark Star Orchestra Show (with photos)

On October 11, 2007 I went to see Dark Star Orchestra perform at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach.Oh my God...what a great show!  My husband and I jigged all night non stop.It was so much fun....
Posted by Anna on Sat, 27 Oct 2007 11:52:00 PST