Behind the Blog: Claire

Another installation of Behind the Blog, coming up!

Let’s welcome Claire – sit back and enjoy…

1. What’s your name and blog address?

Claire, A Fresh Dille (Dille is my middle name),  AFreshDille.wordpress.com

2. How long have you been blogging?

I started the blog in June 2008, but I took a hiatus when I graduated college the next year. I would blog occasionally but just recently got back into it. I definitely was away much too long!
3. What do you love / hate about blogging?
I posted about why “we blog” and I truly feel that it gives me such satisfaction knowing that there are so many others with similar interests. Many times in our personal lives, we feel that we might be missing opportunities to share with individuals who care about the same things we do. This is where the blog comes in for me. It is so refreshing to find a community of people with similar passions. Of course, at times, it can be overwhelming, but I always try to remember that blogging and reading others posts really creates a tremendous amount of motivation.
4.  What’s your favorite color?
GREEN! Mostly moss green and jade green. I have always adored the greyish green hue of moss and here is an interesting fact about jade: In Chinese culture, if one wishes to express one’s love for someone, one gives them something made of the gemstone jade or an object that is colored jade. (wikipedia).
5. Favorite movie?

This is a toughy for me…I currently work in the film industry so feel I should keep my mouth shut…but I love watching Almost Famous. I can recite most of the words and I am pretty much a fan of any film with Philip Seymour Hoffman. I also adore music from the 60’s and 70’s so the soundtrack is one of my favorites.

6. Favorite book?
When I was younger, Swiss Family Robinson and The Secret Garden. Don’t you just want to escape to the wilderness every so often? A recent favorite is The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera (it’s quite risqué).
7. Favorite food?
Too hard! Probably dark chocolate. When I was sixteen, I traveled around Italy devouring an incredible amount of chocolate in everything from nutella, cakes, to gelato. My parents told me I should one day compile a list of my favorite chocolate from around the world and publish it. It is never too late, right?
8. Chocolate or vanilla?
Guess I already answered this one…but I also adore vanilla, especially in my morning oats.
9. Favorite tv show NOW and when you were growing up?
Felicity and Friends were two favorites growing up. Being from New York, I always felt connected to Keri Russell’s character who is “finding herself” while at NYU. Now, I hardly have time to watch much television but find myself tuning into many HBO and Showtime shows (True Blood, Big Love, In Treatment, Californication) when possible.
10. Do you like playing sports? Watching sports?
I was one of those children who sat on the field picking dandelions while the rest kicked the soccer ball around me (much to my British father’s dismay). I found out I was a fast runner in my early middle school years and ran Cross Country and Track for years to come. I love running for the mental and physical benefits that come from it. Watching-wise, I favor tennis, soccer (referred as football in my parent’s home), and maybe pretend to understand/enjoy for my boyfriend who was a college player.
11. Are you a coffee or tea person? Or neither?
BOTH! I grew up drinking tea every afternoon and still do to this day. I also make sure to start the day with a delicious french press coffee to get the creative juices flowin’ (photo of me sipping coffee attached!)

12. Do you have tattoos or piercings?

Just the two ears and don’t wish to add any more. I do like tattoos on others, but can’t imagine one for myself.
13. Do you have any special talents?
I can do this weird twist thing with my tongue that isn’t really photo-attractive. I’ll just leave it at that.
14. If you could go anywhere in the world TOMORROW, where would you go?
Guatemala- One of my best friends and her boyfriend recently opened a cruiser bike shop there and I hope to visit soon. From there, I would travel around most of Central America because it is a place I have yet to explore!
15.  Last thing you ate?
English Green Pea soup and a whole grain roll with a side of sautéed broccoli rabe @ Fork in Philadelphia. YUM!
16. When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A doctor, until I found out in my pre-teen years that I was too afraid of blood after fainting when my father slammed his finger in the car door while vacationing on Maui. Similar occasions have happened over the years…
17. What was your favorite subject in school?
A few: English, History, and Geography…in college it expanded to Sociology, Anthropology, and Philosophy.
18. What games did you play when you were younger?
Outdoors- Capture the Flag all summer long! Indoors on rainy days- Clue and many card games.
19. Favorite restaurant?
Café Gitane in Soho is my favorite casual and quaint place to eat. Candle Café is my favorite vegetarian place so far, and it doesn’t hurt that my grandmothers apartment was two blocks south in the Upper East Side. I spent too much money there when I was only an intern living in her apartment one summer.
20. Favorite store?
Midnight Farm on Martha’s Vineyard (very similar to Anthropologie) because I spent most summer’s yearning for most things within the walls.
21. Favorite animal?
I had a fascination with the Ocelot when I was young and studying the Rainforest. Since I was always the tiniest in all my classes, I felt close to this cat which was the “smallest cat in the big cat family”. I pretty much am a total animal lover with a certain fondness for my 11 year old yellow lab.

22. Favorite thing to cook/make?

Anything involving chocolate.
23. Most embarrassing guilty pleasure?
The British show now being aired on Showtime, “Secret Diary of a Call Girl”
24. Do you have any nicknames?
I was called Dille (pronounced like DILLY)  in high school, mostly by my running teammates and many boys who got a kick out of the name. Claire bear gets thrown around a lot too.25. List one thing the “blog world” doesn’t know about you but should!
I grew up hating PIZZA! I actually still would choose pasta over pizza any day…with pesto. I do like flatbreads a lot though and often refer to one of my favorite Pizza’s by Amy’s (Roasted Vegetable) as a flatbread. I just found out that they are making a gluten free one too, which I am all for after having some great results from a gluten free week challenge!
Thanks Claire!

5 comments

  1. We are actually watching Felicity right now! I loved in before and still love it now! It just feels like me! I love Claire’s blog! Thanks for sharing! I love learning things about people!

  2. English is also my favorite subject…and my life!

    Fun post!

  3. What a great idea! Loved the post (:

  4. LOVE CLAIRE!!! and i love her blog! this was so awesome to read more about her, thank you for choosing her to feature.

    <3

  5. Same here bout the chocolate ;)

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