This past weekend we celebrated Christmas in Indiana with my father in law and my husbands’ two brothers and their families. His youngest brother is engaged to be married next month and I finally had a chance to meet the newest member to join our family. She is great and I’m so excited to have her in the family. This week I am in Chicago for another meeting with my new company and there are even more people to meet as well as others from before that I am able to get to know more. Isn’t that great? I believe that people come in and out of our lives for a reason. Prior to cancer I was more shy and I guess ‘distant’, keeping people at arms length…you know, the facade stage, nothing deeper. Now, everything has changed and I want to dive in and know people’s stories. In light of that, some of you have read my book and have been reading my blog for a long time and you know mostly about my cancer journey. Today, in an effort to ‘let you in’ and know me better (besides the fact you already know I love lipstick) I thought I’d list some things you didnt know about me:
1. Besides lipstick, I also love chocolate and all things carbs (bread, crackers, cookies, etc)
2. My first kiss was Shawn Cassidy, the album cover, which I kept under my pillow
3. My first crush was in second grade to a boy named Russell. For Valentines Day he gave me a pretend makeup kit ….was this the start of my lipstick love?
4. I am a total introvert and generally shy, which is why I love acting
5. I don’t enjoy cooking and if I didn’t have kids I believe my husband and I could survive on cereal and toast
6. I have a degree in science which I struggled with after I changed my major from Music
7. Chopin is my favorite classical composer. His music is very emotional
8. Every day from 1st grade through 12th grade I brought a peanut butter sandwich to school (Jiffy peanut butter on Wonder bread)
9. I hate spiders…no, all bugs really
10. I’m allergic to cats, therefore I am a dog person
11. I ran away from home once when I was a teenager but only for a few hours at the mall (sorry mom and dad)
12. My first job was at Burger King. I was 14 1/2 and have not really stopped working since
13. I didn’t enjoy reading books until after college. Cliff notes were my best friend
14. I hate talking on the phone; texting was made for me
15. I’ve kept a journal since I was 9
That’s it for now, just some basics. Do we have anything in common? I’d love to get to know all of you too. Tell me your stories!
Today I am keeping it simple and wearing Burt’s Bees tinted lip balm in Rose. I love it. It’s moisturizing and smooth, all natural, and inexpensive. Rose gives me just a pop of color. I of course have Red Dahlia too which I love. Keep opening yourselves to new people, it softens your heart. Cheers!
Anna's Lipstick Journey 
HI Anna, I recently read your book I won it in your last
contest. Thank you for sharing your journey, it is truly inspiring.
Reading about your journey has inspired me so much to open up to
people and to be friendlier to perfect strangers. I hugged a woman
in the grocery store last week because she helped me unload my
shopping cart, she had so much faith and was so happy it was all I
could do so I would not break down and cry. I do have a few things
in common with you, I do not like to cook, some days i am inspired
to do it. Ha ha. I have been touched by cancer I lost my mom to
breast cancer in 1999, it was a hard time in my life she was 44 , I
now have to have yearly mammograms, and checkups to make sure I do
not have the disease. I also love reading books, I have been
reading since I was 4 I am now 37, books have been my favorite
friend for most of my life Again I want to thank you for sharing
your life with us through your blog.