Happy Birthday......to me!!

Hi!  So that's me in the picture above.  I realized that the two pictures I have on the blog are with long hair........so nope......I've got short hair now.  Today is my birthday and I thought I would take this opportunity to tell you a little bit more about myself.  That's fun, right?  Personally, I love getting to know people better so I thought you might too!

So, my name is Lindsay Michelle Wilkes and I was born July 15, 1981.  That makes me 29 years old today.  How old did you think I was?  Not sure if it's a good thing or bad thing that I reveal my age on here, but there you have it - 29 years old!

I was born in Indiana, but moved shortly after I was born to the bay area in California.  I spent the first 13 years of my life in CA, then (due to my Dad's job) we moved to The Woodlands, Texas (suburb of Houston).

It was during my junior year of high school that I met my now husband (Brett) - he was a senior at the time (an older man, I know!).  After my senior year of high school, my parents ended up getting divorced after 20+ years of marriage.......definitely was big shocker to everyone.

Upon high school graduation, I attended the University of Cincinnati - College Conservatory of Music majoring in musical theatre (singing, acting, and dancing).  After a year of being in Cincinnati, I decided that musical theatre was not a practical major and knew that if I wanted to make things work with my (at the time long-distance) boyfriend, I needed to move to Chicago (where he was attending school).  I made the move to Chicago and transferred to DePaul University majoring in Finance.

Before my senior year of college, Brett proposed to me and we got married the summer after I graduated.  A month after we got married we closed on "The Cottage Home" and have lived here ever since.  We will celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary later this month.

After graduation I worked in commercial banking, then transitioned into selling real estate and ultimately ended up where I am now.  I stay-at-home Mom, sometimes work-at-home Mom raising my two beautiful daughters, Savannah Rose and Matilda Jane.

Hmmmmm.........what else about me........

• My favorite food is shrimp.

• My favorite color is deep red.

• My cocktail of choice is gin and tonic.

• I prefer red wine to white.

• I LOVE carbs - bread, pasta, ect.....

• I sleep on the left side of the bed.

• I love jazz music.

• I watch trashy TV and am not ashamed (i.e. The Bachelorette, The Hills, Keeping Up With The Kardashians).

• I sing in the shower.

• I love Broadway shows.

• I need coffee to function.

• I find balancing motherhood, house-work, being a good wife, blogging, and running a small business quite difficult at times.

• I love being a Mommy.

• I had a natural birth with my first daughter and a c-section with the second.

• I had postpartum depression after the birth of my first daughter, but luckily recognized it quickly and did not suffer long.

• I think my husband is one of the most talented people I know.

• I truly love my in-laws (I know, rare, right?)

• I would love to live near the ocean someday.

• I never feel like I "get it all done", though I wish I could.

• I consider my Mom my best girl friend and wish we lived closer.

• I am Catholic.

• I love, love, love to create and sew (sure you already knew that)........especially for my girls!

• I love all things vintage.

• I think my daughter Savannah is one of the funniest people I know.

• I love the feeling I get when my girls wrap their arms around my neck and hug me tight.

• I feel blessed beyond belief and sometimes take my life for granted.  But when I step back, there is no where I would rather be.

Well, I'm sure that was WAY more than you ever cared to know about this Cottage Mama, but I just thought I should put it out there.  Anything else you would like to know about little ole me?  Hope you all have a happy day!!