The Gal Behind the Blog: 20 Things

You know when you read blogs and you're like...who the fuck is this girl? Yeah, it's the worst. It's like, alright girl I get that you really like these brands, but who even are you? My favorite bloggers are the ones that I feel like are my best friends but like, not in a creepy way. I just want to know a little about the person who I'm reading about everyday. You can recommend me all the brands, sure, but who are you? What makes you tick? How did you get here?

2017 has been really good to Donuts + Down Dog and there are a whole bunch more of you chillin' over at this corner of the internet than there were before so HELLO HUMANS OF THE INTERNET! I appreciate you!

Even though this is a professional platform and I am an adult, I wanted to open up a bit and introduce myself to all you newbies. One of my fave bloggers inspired me to share 20 things about myself, so here we go. Let me tell you, amigas, it's way easier to write about products I love than about myself. This is so awkward. Does this all feel very Live Journal to anybody else? Oh god. 

I am a hummus addict. I realize this is one giant #veganproblem but I eat that shit like it's my job.I once gave it up for a month and lost SEVEN POUNDS because I use it as a vessel to eat pretty much anything that I can get my hands on. I have been known to dip fruit in hummus and am unashamed. This also, since we are being honest, means that I am always gassy. Always. 

I am obsessed with my dog. Her name is Maxi and I am 100% obsessed with her. She's a Rat Rerrier, is completely insane, and I am pretty sure thinks she's a cat. Recently she turned 4 and I bought her a card. She is afraid of it. I adopted her from a great shelter in Seattle and it was one of the best decisions of my life. 

Sweat is my religion. I have always felt like a good sweat can change the world, or at least it makes me feel like everything is going to be alright. I can only go a few days without working out before I start to feel like I'm losing my mind. I swear by hot yoga because I feel like there is something very cleansing about sweating everything out and then starting over.

I've been vegan since college. It started as a New Years resolution and then kind of stuck. I should point out that I had a few dairy breakdowns and ate cheese, but I haven't for a few years now. I don't think veganism is for everybody, it just happens to work really well for my body. After my mom got sick (more on that in a bit), I started looking into long term diets that would keep me healthy, and veganism seemed like the best fit for what I was looking for. Like any lifestyle change it definitely took a lot of research and planning in the beginning, but my own veganism makes me feel really energized. 

I'm engaged to my best guy friend. Dan was my best guy friend in college and I had the biggest crush on him. I wasn't even smooth about it- everybody knew. We both got really, really drunk one night and confessed our love for each other and we've been together ever since. We are getting married in July of this year (AHHH WEDDING PLANNING) on the beach. We are having donuts instead of cake and he is going to wear a Hawaiian shirt. I just love him.

I'm a rower. It's kind of a crazy story, but after pretty much no athletic experience I decided to join the rowing team when I got to college and went on to be a D1 athlete. After a lifetime of fighting my body to look a certain way, rowing was liberating because my body had permission to be strong. I got to travel across the country for races, met my soon-to-be-husband, and a whole slew of friends, too. Rowing is one of the craziest sports out there- it's both endurance and strength. We literally used to workout so hard that we would throw up in buckets and then keep going. 

I am the queen of procrastination. I have the best intentions, but sometimes my ideas overwhelm me so much that I wait until the last minute to tackle them. Since I've started running my own business this has gotten a lot better, but it's still my biggest opportunity. Plus like, my dog is so cute and distracts me? I'm basic, guys. I know I am.

A good book gives me life. I think that it's depressing as fuck when people say they don't read, or that they don't remember the last book that they read. Really?? I'm usually reading no fewer than 3 books at a time because I'm indecisive, but also because I am too impatient to wait to start one once it's arrived on my doorstep. Some favorites are Where'd You Go Bernadette, The Bell Jar, and Annihilation. 

I'm a beer gal. I should point out that this does not mean that I am a beer snob. Don't get me wrong, a good micro-brew can be life changing, but give me a PBR and I'm golden. Wine makes me weepy and I'm too cheap for hard alcohol. I am obsessed with the novelty of drinking some brews with buds. 

I used to hate yoga. I seriously used to think that yoga was the stupidest thing of all time. I thought it was just a bunch of lazy hippies who weren't real athletes. I got into yoga after my rowing injuries weren't going away and completely changed my tune. It was actually a little embarrassing when I fell in love with yoga because I had talked so much shit about it before. Yoga has actually helped to rehab a lot of old injuries that I've had, has helped calm my anxiety, and has been introduced me to hundreds of cool people. There are like a million kinds of yoga out there and I really believe everybody should give it a chance. 

I can fall asleep anywhere. I've fallen asleep on a speed boat, in the middle of a party 100% sober, and in every car ride I've ever been on. My life is basically one giant #sleepygirlproblem and I've been this way since I was a wee little babe. I just love sleeping, you guys. I love sleeping so much and I will never, ever feel like I've gotten too much of it. Wake me up never.

I live with my brother and my fiance. My brother, Steven, has always been my best friend. He's about 6 years younger than me and is an absolute riot. Steve has Autism. When Dan and I were first getting ready to move in together Steve was graduating high school and we were looking for some job training options for him. My dad was concerned about Steve commuting all over the city and back to our hometown late at night, so Dan suggested that he just move in with us. I'm pretty sure that Dan and Steve like hanging out with each other more than they like hanging out with me, but whatever. I've got the dog. 

I grew up on a tiny island. Vashon Island if we're being specific. It's one of those islands you can only get to by ferry boat and is full of eccentric artists. It was one of those small towns where everybody knew everything about everyone. When it was stormy we would lose power for weeks at a time. The whole town would pretty much shut down by 8 PM and we would party in the woods. I still get giddy at the thought of grocery stores being open all night and I hope that excitement never fades.

I like to travel solo. The two times I've gone abroad I've gone by myself and either met up with friends or traveled with strangers. I like having a skeleton plan, a free schedule, and a few ideas of what I want to do but just letting the rest of the trips plan themselves. I've traveled solo to both Thailand and Italy and each time I learn more about myself than I ever could've expected. Travel solo. Do it! It's so fun and terrifying and perfect.

I am basically a Seattle cliche. I'm a vegan yoga teacher that drives a Subaru. I live in my flannel and drink more coffee than is probably good for my health. A beanie is my favorite accessory and I love a good beer. I also, apparently, do not have a single original bone in my body. Le sigh.

I quit the corporate world. I feel like I never shut up about this, but I used to work for a giant tech company and it was really, really not my jam. I was really depressed and really discouraged, so on a whim I left to blog and teach yoga instead. My dad was actually the one who gave me the push that I needed since he's always had his own businesses and he backed me up on the idea of not conforming to the general ideas of success. The last year or so (I quit in March 2016) has been the happiest time of my life I can ever remember.

Blogging is one of the best things I've ever done. People love to hate on blogging. They say that it's "cute" or assume that I make zero dollars, but that's alright with me. I've always really loved writing and social media, and running my own blog (and business) has been a really fascinating challenge for me. I've met some of that baddest bitches in Seattle and also had the opportunity to work with some really wonderful brands. I am #blessed and #basic.

I lost my mom. I feel like this should have been point #1 because it defines me so deeply, but I always struggle with bringing this up. I lost my mom in August of 2010. She was very sick for a very long time, and watching her handle her illness so valiantly inspired me to change my life goals also. Watching her be so sick really made me readdress my own health and lifestyle, which is what pushed me into veganism and eventually yoga. Life is too short to be sick or unhappy, which is why I am so passionate about following your passions and finding your healthiest self. I like to think that she would be proud!

I have to live by the water.  Before they had kids my parents bought a little cabin on the beach and turned it into our family home. I grew up a few steps from Puget Sound and when it would rain, our yard would flood with seaweed and drift wood. I never realized how much I needed the water until I went to college in the inland northwest and found myself feeling a little crazy. Now my dudes and I live in an apartment on the edge of Lake Washington. We spend pretty much every sunny day laying on the dock or swimming. Dan and I actually got engaged in the water.

Death Cab is my favorite band. This is embarrassing. I love them endlessly. I even have a Death Cab tattoo on my ribs that say soul meets body which my friends tease me about endlessly. Listen to Transatlanticism and then Plans on a rainy day and pretend you are 15. You will feel all the feels. 

Thanks for reading and indulging me, little beans! I so appreciate each of you coming to Donuts + Down Dog, my silly readers, and all of you fine people who message me every day. I tried to use this post to answer the questions that I get the most, but let me know if you want to know even more things and I can put together another post for your eyeballs. Wishing you all a happy #FRIYAY and a great weekend ahead! It's sunny here in Seattle so I may contemplate shaving my legs. Key word here- contemplate.

Love and donuts,

This post contains affiliate links. They are *literally* how I pay my bills!