I got tagged (and loved it)

Abby (at I Pick Up Pennies) and Emilita (at She's Little and Lovely) tagged me today as one of their favorite reads in the blogosphere. I had a pretty rough day at work (another colleague I was close to got laid off, sigh), so when I got home and saw the awesome shoutouts it definitely brightened my day. Thanks guys! (Does a little dance.)

And now for the rules:

1. To link the tagger and provide the rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs.

Hmm, 7 facts about moi? Here goes:

1.) I'm obsessed with the '70s (and mid to late 60s). I love classic rock, disco, Swingtown, and am fascinated with the societal shift in America's consciousness surrounding events during this period (Vietnam War, Civil Rights movement, etc.). Someday I want to rent a souped up '68 VW bus (like this one) and go on a long Doors-esque road trip across the desert a la Easy Rider. While I'm a hippy at heart, I'm also obsessed with '50s style and culture, which would explain my penchant for Mad Men. Have you seen Down with Love? Yeah, that's my dream life.

2.) I am a walking encyclopedia of pop culture trivia, useless or otherwise. Many people say this about themselves, but it's embarrassingly true in my case. Music, movies, books, infamous commercials, classic TV moments -- you name it, and I'll not only remember it in excessive detail, but I'll be able to spout off random facts about it. This is especially the case with classic film trivia. I could teach whole classes on classic film (1930 - 1970) and I'd be set with fodder for months.

3.) I love to design clothes, from sketching, to picking out fabric, to perfecting every stitch and hem. It makes me happy to wear clothes I design from scratch.

4.) I was and will always be an English lit major at heart. I love reading fiction. LOVE it. Can't stress that enough. I plan to write fiction in the next few years when I don't have to depend on a steady biweekly paycheck. I don't think there's anything better -- well, almost anything -- than losing yourself in a great novel. Blanket and cup of coffee required.

5.) I knew I wanted to be a journalist my senior year of high school, when I was an editor for the school newspaper. When I was in college my friend and I started a monthly arts and entertainment magazine in Santa Barbara. Got into lots of great shows (for free), met a lot of fun people and got to do what I love (publishing). Very fun times. It was like Almost Famous, minus the Rolling Stone gig, cross-country bus ride and excessive drug use.

6.) Every night before I go to bed, I have a long, "drawn out" (or so my husband says) regiment of moisturizing my face and hands. Eccentric? Maybe. But I do it because I know that the No. 1 way wrinkles surface is from dry, dehydrated skin. Overly moisturizing every single night satiates my neurotic need to look young forever. So Sunset Boulevard.

7.) I have a younger brother and sister who are 23 and 21, respectively. Yes, that would make me the "older sister." And yes, I possess all those obnoxious traits that make up a true "older sibling": I am bossy, protective, nosy, probably too caring and fiercely loyal. Plus I'm an Aries, so those qualities are magnified even more with my loud, over-dramatic personality. I often tell my husband he was crazy to marry me. Once in a while he'll agree .... but only after laughing at me. ;)

And my 7 blog picks (in no particular order) are:

Kate at MoneyMate Kate
Abby at I Pick Up Pennies
Emilita at She's Little and Lovely
Elessa at Pursebuzz
Budget Mama at Mom's Budget Files
J. Money at Budgets are Sexy
The girls at Frugal Fashionista