Hi, I'm Carrie!

For my first post, I thought it made sense to begin by introducing myself!

Photo by Amalie Orrange, The Branded Boss Lady

I'm Carrie and I'm a licensed architect in Orlando, Florida. I came here in 2007 for an internship... and never left.

Since my favorite number is 11, here are 11 things about me:

1. I'm originally from Indiana. I do miss the changing seasons sometimes... but not having to deal with snow and ice in the winter makes the tradeoff worth it to me. Plus, who doesn't love 70-degree days in January?!

2. I'm really interested in self-discovery and learning about personality types - both my own and those of the people around me. I'm a Scorpio, INTP, Enneagram 5, and my tendency is Questioner (if you don't know what that is, look up Gretchen Rubin, one of my favorite authors - a bonus fun fact!)

3. I'm an introvert, which means I recharge with alone time, but I hate being called shy. I can take some time to open up around new people, but once I do, sometimes I don't stop talking! I like being a part of what's going on, and I don't mind big groups. So I think I'm more of an extroverted introvert.

4. I love puzzles. Pretty much any kind, but logic puzzles, cryptic crosswords and jigsaw puzzles are my favorite. Pour out a box of puzzle pieces and a pour me glass of wine, and I'll be saying, "I'm going to bed after just one more piece," until about three in the morning. Which brings me to the next one...

5. I'm a night owl. I've wanted to be more of a morning person, especially since finishing my exams, but I've just always felt most productive in the evenings. I'm not giving up, though. More on that later.

6. I love art and anything creative. Ever since I was little, I've loved drawing and painting. The art supply store is my happy place. Lately I've been really into The Crafter's Box, a membership community that features a project by different maker each month. They ship a box containing all of the supplies needed for that month's project, and an instructional video by the maker is posted online. I'm currently learning basket weaving! I'll have to talk more about that later, too.

7. I'm definitely a grammar nerd.

8. I'm not much of a TV person, but my two favorite shows are Big Brother and New Girl. I've been watching Big Brother since Season 5 and can definitely talk strategy and BB history. I look forward to it every summer. Designing and building the competitions would pretty much be my dream job. I still have one more season of New Girl to finish, but I don't think I'm ready for it to be over! Also - I've started watching Schitt's Creek since spending more time at home and I think that might now be my third favorite! So funny.

9. I love planning themed parties. My friends who have known me for a while have been to pink, Candyland, jungle, metallic and underwater themed birthday celebrations. I think I have just as much fun planning out all the details as I do at the actual party.

10. I am an eternal optimist.

11. My birthday is November 11, or 11/11, which explains my favorite number and the number of items in this list.

Leave me a fun fact about yourself so I can get to know you, too!