The 411

Okay, so today I'm linking up with one of my favorite daily reads, BHB. In honor of April 11, she's invited bloggers to share the 411 - and I took her up on the invitation!


1. The Basics
Who are you: Minnie... except not in real life!
Where do you blog: Right here at Marvelous Minnie.
How did you pick your blog’s name: I live in the Minnie - Minneapolis, Minnesota that is! My great-grandmother really was named Minnie. Having been born in 1894, she was the first woman in my family to go to college. A pretty good idol, right? And I started my blog so I could write about the marvels in my life and, despite some less-than-marvelous in the last 16 months, that's what I've done.

2. Location, location, location
Where did you grow up: I grew up out in the 'burbs south of St. Paul.
Where do you live now: Tangletown, in far southern Minneapolis, near the Minnehaha Creek!
Where would you live anywhere in the world: If my neighborhood had less airport noise, better snow removal and was 20 minutes closer to work, I'd live here forever...

3. Let’s talk beauty - what is your favorite or signature:
Lipstick: Lip Smackers. Yes, really. I buy the holiday themed multi-packs that are intended for Easter baskets or Christmas stockings for eight year old girls. Fave flavors include cotton candy, strawberry-orange, and mint.
Mascara: Mostly none - I always wind up rubbing it in my eyes. When I wear it, it's classic Maybelline Great Lash, top lashes only.
Perfume: The Beat by Burberry. I occasionally switch it up for Burberry Weekend.

4. Yummies - what is your favorite:
Cocktail: Not a drop since August, sorry to be a party-pooper. But, so, my favorite "cocktail" is a Northern Light Vanilla Cooler from Caribou Coffee - YES! I would drink at least one these every day if I could afford it.
Dessert: All of it. Including donuts.
Pizza Topping(s): Pepperoni and pineapple is a classic, I also love pizza with alfredo instead of tomato sauce. My current craving is Pizza Luce's baked potato pizza, which has mashed potatoes and a side of sour cream!

5. I always have these three things in my refrigerator:
Un: Diet Coke.
Deux: Hard-boiled eggs.
Trois: Baby Carrots.

6. Get artsy - what is your favorite:
Movie: The Count of Monte Cristo - starring Jim Caviezel (the guy who played Jesus!) and Guy Pearce. It's seriously the movie I watch when I'm sad... unless I'm watching Bride Wars, which is a movie about weddings that's actually about friendship.

Book: Elizabeth the Queen, the biography of the current queen written by Sally Bedell Smith was a real winner (and a gift from Daisy). I often read non-fiction, but I quite rarely enjoy it so much!

TV Show: I love reality TV a lot. My favorite is Teen Mom (and progeny... ha ha). I also love Hot in Cleveland, the Big Bang Theory, all shows Gordon Ramsay, Scandal, the Good Wife, the Following, Downton Abbey and Revenge.

7. Kid stuffs - three questions about your youth:
What did you want to Be when you grew up? For most of my childhood, I wanted to be a lawyer :)

Who was your favorite teacher and why? Mme Albertson, my high school French teacher. I think she was the first teacher I had who thought I was really excellent at anything. The ability to excel at one thing gave me confidence to believe I could be really good at other things too. 

What was your worst sickness/surgery/hospital visit as a kid? The one and only was meningitis at age 16. I didn't actually have to stay in the hospital for very long, which was a blessing, particularly since it happened in the middle of a vacation to visit relatives in St. Louis. I did, however, experience the thing that's worse than a spinal tap: an unsuccessful spinal tap. Shudder.

8. The Pretty Things - what is your:
Favorite color: Teal-turquoise-light blue. I love it especially when it's accented with red!
Favorite flower: Umm... live ones? I can never justify buying them, but I always feel spoiled when I receive them!
Favorite artist (painter, photographer, etc.): Love Michael Birawer, Lynne Loshbaugh, the Dutch painters, and Norman Rockwell.

9. Shop ‘Til You Drop
What’s one thing you buy the most often: Raisins. Eat 'em every day. Also, craft supplies! I go to Michaels or JoAnn's at least once a week, and sometimes, its a lot more.

Do you prefer to shop online or in-store? Electronics, love to shop online, especially to read reviews. Everything else? Always in store. I sometimes pre-browse online, during a slow day at the office...

Imagine you open your own store - what would you sell? Books, cute housewares, jewelry, antiques (maybe), and greeting cards. Okay, I'll admit it: I want to own Patina.

10. Be a Hater: what are three things you would like to go away?
Ein: Jet-lag (and the related phenomenon that accompanies Daylight Savings Time).
Zwei: Rude drivers - seriously, you're operating your fast-moving steel box dangerously. You're going to kill someone!
Drei: Taylor Swift. Her best song was "Our Song" and it's never even on anymore. The rest of her stuff makes me want to change the station (which rarely helps - she is stalking me!) or just turn the radio off.

11. The Final Three (x Three)
I hand you a genie - what are your three wishes?
1. Healthy eating habits that are effortless
2. Never a wait on a library book or e-book
3. A beautiful, clean, well-maintained, owned house that belongs to me with a dog inside who can pretty much take care of himself :)

List 3 things you can see out of your window right now.
1. Snow-covered trees
2. The Lyndale Avenue bridge
3.  A street that's been plowed clear sometime since I got up this morning!

Who are three people, living or dead, you would invite over for dinner?
1. My papa (say "paw-paw"), who was my dad's dad and who would be so proud of how much I've done since he passed away while I was in college.
2. My grammy, who was Papa's wife and who died when I was a baby.
3.  The rest of my dad's family - it would be the best family reunion ever!

Thanks for reading and, if you have a blog, please join up with BHB as well!