About Me

That's my husband and me, on the glorious day upon which we pledged our eternal and unwaivering love... a.k.a our wedding day.

I think this is my favorite picture of the day.  Hband thinks I like this picture so much because one can only see half of his face.  Oh Hband.  I love all of your face!  I love this picture because I remember being completely in the moment on the best day of my life.  Plus my neck looks uncharacteristically thin.  I kid.

What do you want to know about me?  Probably not much, because I'm not very interesting, despite what I might have thought in college.  By way of introduction, I've decided to set up an imaginary interview with Conan O'Brien for your reading pleasure.  I used to pretend to be on his show all the time when I was in high school and briefly thought I might become a famous actress.  I had a vivid imagination and completely overestimated both my talent and my dedication to that dream.  Don't judge-- like you never sang into a brush in front of your mirror or pretended the Professor from "Gilligan's Island" was pushing you on the swings?  ...No?  Still just me?  OK then.

COCO: It's great to have you here, Amanda-- you're a fellow redhead; always great to meet a fellow redhead.  Is it natural?

AA: Thanks for having me, Conan!  I'm a big fan, big fan... yes, my hair is naturally red, or as my students say, "orange," but they haven't learned their colors yet.

COCO: What grade do you teach-- kindergarten?

AA: Highschool.

*brief silence*

AA: Anyway, in my poetic days in high school, I determined my hair was "carmel apple" colored.

COCO: This is boring; who cares about your hair?  Certainly not me, because nobody has better hair than I.  Look at my flaming pompadour!  But seriously folks... so you recently got married?

AA: YES!  I was married on 1-12-12, a date my husband thinks has some kind of numerical pattern, but I maintain isn't any kind of pattern besides two twelves.  It was the best day ever.

COCO: Great, and now you live in wedded bliss in a beautiful home with a white picket fence?

AA: Yes to the marital bliss and no, more like a one-bedroom apartment with a broken gate and rats that live at the dumpster.

COCO: But are you happy?

AA: Definitely.  I prayed for a very long time to meet the man of my dreams, and God answered those prayers.  Even when things get tough, I get to wake up next to my very best friend, and I'm lucky: he looks cute when he first wakes up.  Then it wears off.  Just kidding!  He's hot.

COCO: You mentioned God... are you one of those Bible-thumping holier-than-thou types?

AA: I try not to thump anything; I find it makes people edgy, and I'm not holier than anybody.  I don't believe in religion-- I have a relationship with God, made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for my sinfulness.  I've admitted my need for a Savior and now have a living, growing relationship with Him.  I believe the Bible is God's Word and is complete, inerrant, and gives me everything I need to live my life in a way that shows God how awesome He is and how thankful I am for what He's done for me.  Everything about my life comes back to my relationship with the Lord.  Even when it's not popular in the world's eyes, I want to obey God.

COCO: Moving on... what are some of your favorite things?

AA: OH... how much time do you have?

COCO: Not long, please move along here.

AA:  Sorry... I love Jesus, singing (even though I'm really pretty terrible), music, violin, cooking, baking, eating, fashion, designing, decorating, polka dots, reading, writing, grammar, teaching, spring flowers, photography, antiques, pastries, navy, gray, girly things, soft cardigans, coral, Golden Retrievers, thunderstorms, shopping, Chicago, travel, boats, laughing--

COCO: That's enough, we're almost out of time.

AA:  I wasn't even half done...

COCO: No, you're done.  Why do you have a blog?

AA: Well, I started one on Xanga when I was in college--

COCO: The short version, please.

AA: After college I started writing about my struggle with singleness, tempered by assorted humorous stories.  Then I got married and I thought I'd create a one-stop blog with lots of material for women-- unmarried, married, whatever.  I have a real passion to share things I've learned through the written word. 

COCO: Changing topics; you're from Chicago, right?

AA:  Yes!  I lived there until after college when I moved to Florida with my best friend to start our new teaching jobs.  I love everything about Chicago--

COCO: Everything?

AA: OK maybe not the corruption or the way my nosehairs stick together and feel like massive, rock-hard boogers in the winter, or the smell of urine in the subway, but otherwise... yeah.  My family is there, delicious food is there, my favorite team is there (White Sox!!), incredible culture is there, and of course-- countless memories are there.

COCO: But you met your husband in Florida?

AA: Indeed I did. And you can find our stories here.

COCO: How lovely.  Finally, what are your plans for the future?

AA: Well, I've found it's wise to not make too many plans, because I can plan as much as I want, but God directs my steps, and He knows a lot more than I do.  Someday I want to quit teaching and have a family.  Someday I want to write a book.  Someday I want to travel to poor countries and teach women how to teach the Bible.  Someday I want to be really good at photography.  But I've also learned to be where I am.  And for today, godliness with contentment is great gain.  So excuse me while I take my husband's ratty t-shirts out of the dryer with a smile.

COCO: Oh-- one more thing: why is your blog called "the Irish Hag's Hut"?

AA: There's no symbolism there.  When I was in high school and blogs were NEW, my friend Josh suggested it.  It stuck.  Plus, when my hair is really frizzy and curly, I do look like an Irish hag.

COCO: Alrighty, thanks, Amanda, for the interview.  It's been real.

AA: Thanks for making my DREAMS come TRUE!!!

*nervous smile from COCO*

So there you have it.  If you happen to have other questions about me/my decisions/my life/my favorite brand of toothpaste, comment and I will be more than happy to divulge all the splendid details of my life that I'm sure you're just itching to know.

xoxo, A