Octomandarian?

Yeah, I know, it sounds a little weird… But everyone keeps telling me I’m an old lady because I go to sleep by 10pm almost every night, I spend my afternoons crocheting/knitting and I already have two cats! Is there anything wrong with being a cat lady?

Anyway, in case you’re wondering, “Octomandarian” is a mash up of my name (Mandy) and “octogenarian”, meaning 80-something years old — which I’m not, but people think I might as well be.

I’m a 22 year old girl living in Orlando, FL pursuing a career in web design. I live with my boyfriend, John in a one-bedroom apartment. We share our space with our cats, Piranha and Beekers.

I am not 80. Yes, I like cats but I’m not the crazy, lonely old woman living in an apartment with little kitty coasters all over my coffee table. Though maybe I will get some kitty coasters and maybe I am a bit crazy.

I have many interests, including art, art history, reading, crocheting, music, design and all things web-related. I love to draw and sing. Curling up with a good book and a great cup of tea is a little slice of heaven for me. I love traveling, trying new foods, discovering new music and learning.

I have started this blog as a personal outlet so I can talk about things that are not web design-related. (As much as I love web design and the web, sometimes I just want to talk and think about something else.) This is my place on the web to be a little more personal and a little less professional. If you want to see a slightly more professional side of me, visit my portfolio.

A few of my favorite things

This is an on-going list of my favorite things.

• Watching the shadows of the trees and plants outside of my apartment come through the blinds and onto the floor.
• Spending hours in a craft store molesting the yarn. (hehe)
• A great song to sing-along to.
• Singing with my dad while he plays guitar.
• Spending quiet time reading, writing, designing, crocheting, surfing the web or just listening to music.
• Tasting new teas and pretending I know exactly what I’m talking about when I start sputtering about the flavors.
• Taking a well-composed, well-lit photograph.
• Hardcover books with surprisingly beautiful covers underneath a book jacket.
• Thinking a little too hard about humanity’s small place in the universe.
• Reading non-fiction books about quantum physics to fuel the previous favorite thing.
• Quiet moments looking into John’s eyes and the calming feeling that I get knowing that I’m right where I’m supposed to be.
• Being outside, somewhere full of greenery and flowers on a not-too-hot day.
• Thinking about how just a year ago, I would have thought anyone in the world who owned more than a couple skeins of yarn was a crazy coot and now I am one of them.
• Turning a web design comp into working xhtml/css.
• Checking said website in every browser known to man and seeing that it works!
• An intellectual challenge.
• A creative challenge.
• Painting to be painting.
• Random, cute knick-knacks.
• Scented candles and wax tarts.
• Trying a new sushi roll and being as blown away by it as the first time I’d ever tried sushi.
• Seeing that “oh my gosh, this is amazing” look on someone’s face when they’re eating something that I cooked.
• The gathering of my family.
• Random moments of connection with an animal. (I feel like such a dork. No, I don’t wish to be the Cat Whisperer. )
• Traveling to new places and trying new things.
• Traveling to places with lots more history than Orlando, FL has to offer.