Featured on Fridays

September 11, 2015, by Deena @Shoes to Shiraz

Welcome to Featured on Friday with The Blended Blog.  
Over the course of the next few months, we will be introducing you to the regular contributors and then will move on to Guest Bloggers.  
Please send us an email if you would like to work with us - theblendedblog@gmail.com


Today we are featuring Deena from Shoes to Shiraz.  
You can take a peak into her world on her Instagram Feed here.


1.  Other than blogging, what do you do for a living?

Oh, the roles that I play, can I just call myself the master puppeteer of our life?  But to break it down, I'm a high school teacher with a French major and a Fine Arts minor:  I love language and creating things.  
I've taught in 2 different cities and in 3 different schools, covering grades 5-12, as well as teaching my brother and brothers in law (which is a tale for another day).  Last year I decided to switch things up a bit and took on a gig doing Cyber School so that I could be home with my daughter before she started school and what a great learning opportunity it was!  This year I have found myself back in the classroom, teaching half-time (periods 2 and 3) and doing cyber half-time (which can be done anywhere/anytime).  
I'm also a wife and a mom, hence the necessity to manage and micro manage our little lives.

2.  Do you have any children? What parenting advice would you give to a someone having a new baby?

Why yes, I sure do and naturally, I think they are the cutest little faces around.  My son, Willis, is 8 years old and is obsessed with the Blue Jays (gee....wonder where he got that from) and my daughter, Lucia, is 5 and just started kindergarten.  
As for advice, I definitely think it's important to be able to laugh.  There will be so many learning experiences that require an open mind and positive spirit if you plan on surviving parenthood.

3.  Are you married? What marriage advice would you give to a couple getting married? What have you learned? 

I have been married for almost 11 years to a loyal, kind-hearted and generous man; he is the love of my life and I am very blessed.  
If I have learned anything over the years with Dan, the most important thing would be to love yourself first.  Odd, I know.  But when I'm happy with who I am as a person, then it resonates everywhere and in all of my relationships.  Dan is usually the first one to feel the brunt of my bad day or stinky attitude, so when I'm content with myself and happy in my skin, then I can love him even stronger.  
Advice?  Do all things with love.  That is all.

4.  What is your greatest unfulfilled ambition? 

I need to do something creative with my life.  Don't get me wrong, teaching can be very creative, but I'm running out of steam.  I don't know what that looks like for the future or for a job, but I just know that I'm happiest when I'm dreaming and then turning it into something tangible.

5.  What hobbies do you have other than blogging? 

I love photography, painting, videography, technology in general.  I could easily curl up on the couch and read a book for a day, or watch Netflix.  I enjoy playing Scrabble and exercising.  But not at the same time.  Is watching baseball a hobby? If so, then I love watching the Blue Jays, especially this year.

6.  Who is your favourite blogger and why?

Hands down, easy answer: The Bloggess.  Jenny's blog was one of the first blogs I ever read and I am still a faithful follower.  She makes me laugh, I love her voice and writing style and oh my, have you read her book?  I can't wait for her new one to come out at the end of the month.

7. Which fashion trend do you currently love? 

Don't hate me when I say this...but I love acid wash.  I love how it's very different from the acid wash of the 80s/90s.  I love that I can wear it in small doses and feel trendy.  Also, observation, if I may?  Tons of acid wash in the high school hallways.  I definitely wouldn't wear some of the pieces that adolescents are wearing, but I can certainly get behind a touch of it, here and there.

8.  What is the last book you read and would you recommend it?

I'm currently reading "Quiet: The Power of Introverts a World that Can't Stop Talking" by Susan Cain and so far I think it's brilliant.  I don't even know where to start with what I like the most....maybe it's all the points that she makes that I can bring into my classroom.  Or the fact that she talks about how great things are done when you work alone, or when she talks about how different leadership styles should be mixed.  You see, I think when I was a teen,  I was an extrovert, but now I think I'm more of an introvert.   Actually, when I took her quiz on her Quiet Revolution page, I found that I'm an ambivert: right in the middle of the introvert-extrovert spectrum.  Anyway, it's a thought-provoking book and I highly recommend it for parents, teachers....actually, anyone.



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Come back on Monday when we start our Fall Blog Hop!  
Have a great weekend,
~The Blended Bloggers


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