The big photo convention season is quickly approaching and I am getting so excited about meeting new friends and catching up with old ones! One thing that always bums me out after convention season is how many emails I get from people who were too shy to come up and introduce themselves to me (believe it or not, some people are under the impression that I am one of the cool kids. lol.) I thought it would be fun to sort of break the ice ahead of time and give you all a little glimpse of who I am (definitely not a cool kid!), so we have something to talk about in Vegas.
I am (embarrassingly) addicted to US Weekly and always love their “25 Things You Don’t Know About Me” features, so I thought I’d make a little list for myself.
1. I am addicted to Burt’s Bees lip balm.
2. I love Gin, but it makes me a crazy woman, so I don’t drink it anymore.
3. “24″ is one of my favorite shows, but it really bothers me that Jack Bauer has never, in 8 seasons, eaten or taken a drink of water. I am now obsessed with Jack’s nutritional intake.
4. My parents bred Australian Shepherds when I was growing up and we always had at least 7 or 8 dogs.
5. Kids called me “Chenin the Dog Girl” in school 
6. I met my husband, Doug, in middle school. He was the best friend of my boyfriend at the time (woopsies.)
7. It took me 3 years to convince Doug that he was in love with me. I think he finally just gave up.
8. My son is named after the artist, Maxfield Parrish, and the famous Chicago Cub, Ernie Banks.
9. I secretly hope Maxfield grows up to be a dork.
10. I refuse to eat American cheese, because, in the 6th grade, a bully put it in my hair. (Told you I am not a cool kid.)
11. My grandfather was a photographer and used to let me play in his darkroom when I was little.
12. If there was plastic surgery for shortness, I would do it.
13. I am currently eating an Atomic Fireball for the first time in 20 years. It’s spicy as hell.
14. I am sort of just making this stuff up so I have something to blog (don’t judge. you do it too.)
15. I love Cat Stevens’ music but right now I am listening to Ice Cube’s “Amerikkka’s Most Wanted.”
16. I am an enigma.
17. My favorite book is “Franny and Zooey,” by J.D. Salinger.
18. I love champagne and dark beer.
19. My heart has stopped on more than one occasion.
20. I am a sushi snob.
21. My first car was a 1987 Mazda RX-7, which I crashed at least 3 times. One time, I hit a Samoan lady with it and she almost kicked my ass
22. I have an irrational fear of birds. I am disgusted by their feet (which is why the bird in my logo has none) and I am convinced that they carry disgusting germs.
23. I am a germaphobe.
24. I am not a rock star.
25. I sometimes wish I was a bank robber, because I want to scale walls in a tight black suit.
So that’s it…. 25 things you don’t know about me.
I will be posting later this week with my speaking schedule at WPPI! Hope to see you there!
delightfully,
Chenin
LOL@number 21. I’m laughing because I’m Samoan (the WHITEST Samoan you’ll ever meet) and can TOTALLY see that happening! I’ve been following your blog, Chenin, for quite some time and have never commented. But I just HAD to on this one! Glad you made it out ok…Samoan women can be scary!
ROTFL for #12: I’d do it too!!!! And I laughed a lot at #14! So true!!!!
I love Burt’s Bees lip balm too! I’ll have to pack a few for WPPI just in case I lose one! If I see you around WPPI, I will TRY to be brave and come up and introduce myself!
Cracked up about the irrational fear of birds!!! So ironic! Would love to meet you at WPPI! So, I’m excited you’ll be posting your schedule!!! wahooo!
this is fantastic! i would LOVE to meet up with you at wppi. hopefully i can make that work!
thanks for sharing!!
Love your #14, rofl!
I’m with you one #1. LOVE that stuff. I’m just going to say that #3 is amazing. NEVER noticed. But now I’m concerned for Mr. Bauer as well.
Hope to meet you at WPPI! Your irrational fear of birds sounds like my irrational fear of fish.
hey chenin! we’ve only met briefly at dwf and wppi in 2008… then we both skipped the shows last year due to having babies! I look forward to seeing you again and will definitely say hi. btw, also wanted to say I like how much more personal your blog has become lately since you had max… I hope we’ll have a chance to chat a bit at the show! I might steal your blog idea for my own.
I am still laughing out loud about the Samoan lady 1) because you actually hit a person and not just another car and 2) because she probably would have done more damage to the car that vice versa.
“Chenin the dog girl” is AWESOME!!! If I ever start a band, that is what I will name it. Incidentally, my nickname in Jr. High was “Colorado Man.” Thanks for all the t-shirts from your trip Grandma…
Sarah and I will try to introduce ourselves if we see you at WPPI…
From one sushi snob to another, I hear there’s a great place to get sushi inside MGM.
Hope to get a chance to meet you!
Umkay, totally wiping my eyes from laughing my A off.
so i COMPLETELY agree with #22! birds are terrifying, but for no good reason!
I love Cat Stevens too!
My mom also breeds Australian Shepherds! Moose (my naughty puppy who ate my discs after I shot with you) is an Aussie, as is my other pup Bandit. I don’t think i’ve ever met anyone else who’s parents also bred dogs. I was also super uncool in school. Maybe the two are related?
So surprised about #22 since you have birds in your branding! I’ve had a phobia of birds for years, and it totally sucks since pigeons are *everywhere* in San Francisco.
Can’t believe people mocked you for having so many dogs, dogs are awesome! They can scare away the birds.
LOVE IT!
Hope to see you in Vegas! Thanks for sharing!
number 24 is simply not true. you are a rock star. in this nerd’s book anyways
I would have loved to have been called “amy the dog girl” and genuine is way better than cool any day. #7 is totally funny, and I am a sushi snob too! we’ll have to go snob it up sometime!
loving this! hope to meet you in vegas!
There is absolutely nothing embarassing about being addicted to US Weekly! I am so intrigued with the “Stars, they’re just like us” section. There is something facinating about seeing Angelina buy groceries and a Kardashian pick her nose.
#3 is LOL hiliarious!!! and I pulled a #6, only it was in college, and i’d do it again!
love you work!
okay, now i am so not intimidated by you…so i will introduce myself next week in vegas!
i am so glad to hear someone else realizes this about jack bauer! i have always wanted him to take a drink of water, and to use the bathroom. does he never have to pee? regardless, my hubby & i are still obsessed with the show. :]
Well, the don’t call Gin “mother’s ruin” for nowt eh girl!?
Chenin Blanc is my favorite white wine grape.
Re No 18. – Dem call it Black Velvet. Fo Shizzle ma Chezzle!!!
Isn’t having something you’re afraid of as a logo against all rules of branding?! hahahaha
I love the Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer. I think it’s the papaya I have. It’s perfect! http://www.burtsbees.com/natural-products/lips-lip-shimmer-gloss/lip-shimmer.html
Maxwell Parrish, my mother use to reupholster furniture when I was growing up. She would by old antique chairs and fix them up to look beautiful. Those chairs are still holding strong after 40 plus years. One day she came home with this very large painting she got at a old thrift store. I would spend hours looking at it. I thought it was eve in the garden of Eden. Love love Maxfield Parrish’s work. So how are you liking your switch to Nikon?
I giggled so loud I almost woke up my sleeping baby when I read this
I love your photography, and this post just made me like you as a real person! Even though I don’t know you. But I blog stalk you. So it’s all good 
(and #22 is the best thing EVER)
i just love you. always. i am a germaphobe also
i won’t even drink after my husband..haha i’m convinced it’s a disease..
i just love you. always. i am a germaphobe also
i won’t even drink after my husband..haha i’m convinced it’s a disease..
Your blog provided a smile today ~ thanks! I can also relate to #16 “I am an enigma”…..in fact I’ve been told that more than a handful of times & secretly kinda like it! =)
I would totally do the plastic surgery for shortness as well!
Number 22 had me and my friend laughing so hard I think we hurt ourselves. ROFL! Tears in my eyes as I type this comment.
It’s funny how many of those we have in common! Especially #22, I thought I was the only one!