Challenge Accepted.

One thing I love about blogging is all of the amazing, amazing girls I’ve met along the way. There are so many women in the blogosphere who just wow me everyday and with whom I feel I have forged some truly special bonds. I also love that blogging is a platform where pretty much “anything goes” and there are so many possibilities to how you can share yourself and your point of view, ideas and opinions. It makes the future very exciting!

Last week, two things happened simultaneously. First, I read this fascinating piece in the New York Times about ‘The 36 Questions To Ask To Make Anyone Fall In Love With You.” If you haven’t read it, do. In a nutshell, a NY Times writer set out to loosely re-create a study done by psychologist Arthur Aron in which he “made” two strangers fall in love by having them ask each other a series of 36 increasingly personal questions intended to accelerate intimacy. I was fascinated by the piece!

Then, Hallie of Corals + Cognacs posted about the piece, and translated it to the blogosphere, challenging her blogger friends to do the same. I loved this idea! So, I decided to accept her challenge and answer the questions myself. Obviously, at the end of the day, I want you to love me. I want to love you. I want us to love each other. This seems like a great way, no? So, check out my answers. If you have a blog, I encourage you to take on the challenge, too! If you don’t have a blog, answer in the comments! Full disclosure: I didn’t answer all of the questions. (I did answer most!) For the full list, head here. So, will we fall in love? Let’s find out, shall we?

Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?

Easy. Mindy Kaling. I LOVE MINDY. I think she is witty, intelligent, and totally unique. 

Would you like to be famous? In what way?

Not famous, per say, but well known and highly regarded in my field, definitely. I would like to be respected as an expert in what I do. Interestingly enough, in blogging and the fashion world, there is an aspect to being “famous”, I suppose. I think the difference is that being “famous” just means that people know who you are. What I’d want for myself goes beyond that… it’s way more important to me for people to know who you are but also respect you and value your opinion. Credibility has a lot to do with that. 

Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?

It depends… I don’t necessarily REHEARSE the call, but I do think about what I’m going to say! Especially now, I think phone calls are so weird, no one does them anymore. We’re definitely losing the art of the phone conversation. People are so used to email and texting, when your phone rings, it’s almost a bizarre moment. If I’m calling a friend or family member, I don’t rehearse what I’m going to say, but if it’s work related, I definitely at least jot down a few bullet points before to make sure that I communicate everything I need to!

What would constitute a “perfect” day for you?

I think the perfect day would be one in which I feel accomplished, empowered, and like I really DID something. A day where I get to see and spend quality time with those whom I love and get to do something of value. I don’t know that there’s anything SPECIFICALLY that I would need to do on my “perfect” day… it’s really more of what you get OUT of the day. 

When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?

I sang to myself… this morning? I am SO susceptible to earworms. My sister does this thing where she’ll quietly sing a little bit of an annoying song and hours later, I’ll realize I’m singing it to myself and wonder… where did I hear this song?! She always laughs and I know that it was her. Evil. Last time I sang to someone else was a couple of weeks ago when I was babysitting my best friend’s baby boy. He LOVES Taylor Swift’s ‘Blank Space’ and it makes him totally light up.

If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?

This one’s tricky, and I think it depends… how bad would your mind get? While it’d be amazing to look young forever, I’ve had enough heartbreaking experience with aging relatives to choose the mind over the body. When you’ve seen someone lose who they are and regress because of age and illness… it’s a very easy choice, in my opinion. What’s the point of looking young if you can’t even make any sense or know who you are or who your loved ones are? I guess if you could be guaranteed that you wouldn’t be totally out of it and completely still be yourself, then I’d go body. But if there are no guarantees… I’d go for a clear mind, any day of the week. 

Name three things you and your [reader] appear to have in common.

I think that we have a lot in common! I love you guys so much and feel really connected to you. I think three things we have in common would be: an interest in fashion, obviously. A love of sparkle, of course. And probably a love for the thrill of the bargain. 

For what in your life do you feel most grateful?

I’m most grateful for a loving and supportive family, God’s amazing and unfathomable grace and provision, and the opportunity to do what I love every single day and pursue a dream that is so out-there and crazy! 

If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?

I would love to be more self-disciplined and organized. I think that when you are both of those things, the sky’s the limit and you can do anything. It’s something that definitely doesn’t come naturally to me, but and a quality I try to cultivate. 

If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know?

I’m not worried about the future or what will be. Nor do I think I’d WANT to know how things turn out! Part of the beauty of life is the unknown. I’d definitely be interested in self-reflection; who I really am and maybe how I come across to others. I think being able to see yourself as others see you is a really valuable thing. 

Is there something that you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it?

I have a lot of goals and things I want; mostly out of my career. I want to write a book, I want to do a podcast, I want to produce video content. I want the site to be more than just a blog. I haven’t done it because, frankly, it’s not the right time. There’s a definite danger in taking on too much. You know what they say; “A jack of all trades, a master of none.” I think it’s important to get to a good, strong, consistent place before piling too much on your plate. All of that will eventually come; I’m still figuring out the blogging thing, for now! 

What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?

Starting A Sparkle Factor LLC. Making the decision to start my own business and taking the reigns of my professional future and investing in myself is the greatest accomplishment of my life so far. I’m really proud of what I’ve done so far and what I’ve created. 

What do you value most in a friendship?

Honesty, trust, vulnerability, openness, authenticity, and loyalty. I think it’s most important to be comfortable enough to tell someone anything. And I think you have to be able to trust that someone will be there for you, no matter what. 

What does friendship mean to you?

I think friendship is finding common ground and connecting with someone in a real, honest way. True friendship is investing yourself emotionally in someone else and being there for them, no matter what. I’ve always loved that quote– “friends are the family that you choose.” It’s so true! I love my friends like family and would do anything for them. And really, there’s something so beautiful about that. Your family is your family and the bond you share with them is something that you’re born with. The ties you forge with your friends are done intentionally and by choice. 

What roles do love and affection play in your life? 

I try really hard to show the people in my life how much I value and appreciate them. I want everyone to know how I feel about them and how important they are to me. I think that having love in your life is really important- being surrounded by people you care about and who care about you is crucial to living a life of happiness. 

Tell your [reader] what you like about them; be very honest this time, saying things that you might not say to someone you’ve just met.

I love so many things about you guys. I love your passion and excitement, your kindness and the fact that you care about things and causes and people. I love that you’re supportive and encouraging and that you take the time to show the people in your lives that you care for them. I love that you get just as excited about the things I love as I do. All of you are so, so beautiful inside and yout; all of you have a sparkle factor. 

Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why?

Photos. All of the old photos of my parents and family, my childhood, growing up, etc. Photos are the only thing that can’t be replaced. 

So, as Hallie asked at the end of HER post… are we in love?? Would love to hear your answers! If you don’t want it to be public, email me: Stephanie@asparklefactor.com.

xx S