Meet My Faves: Mariah

The next episode in the "Faves" series features the one and only, Mariah S. She's awesome. Let's start there.

Mariah and I met during the Disney College Program in 2004. She was in Entertainment (ooooh...) while I was a lowly attractions hostess. We actually met through the Disney branch where we both attended church in the hallowed halls of Disney University. OH SO MAGICAL. But really, it was Gregory that brought us together. Turns out--what we'd heard about each other was so intimidating we were both nervous to meet! HA! But...a beautiful friendship began.

I love that Mariah travels and lives all over the place--giving me opportunity to travel places and visit. I love that she thinks I'm hilarious and will eat loads of yummy food with me. And I love that it took traveling all the way to Florida for me to meet this amazing woman who hails from Kaysville--only 45 minutes North of my hometown.

Best Thing: Laughing out loud for hours over the wild and crazy stories we love to share.

Worst Thing: Only getting together a couple times a year because she lives so far away!

Where are you from?
Kaysville, Utah

What do you do for a living?

I am a nanny right now, but I am still looking for that perfect museum job. I can't stay a nanny forever.
(Editor's Note: Since answering my questionnaire a couple months ago, Mariah has found a new job as a legal secretary. It might just be an eye candy job but the pay is still better!)

What is your favorite comfort food?

mac'n'cheese or a peanut butter banana honey sandwich or a grilled cheese sandwich...or maybe all three. I know of restaurants that specialize in all three, and I like fancy kinds as well as the not so fancy kinds. Also, if it is summer, fresh peaches with milk and rootbeer freezes. I think anything my dad made as a "specialty" when I was a kid makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

What color is your bedspread?

dark purple

What book/movie has had a major impact on you?

Book: "Raise High the Roofbeam Carpenters and Seymour: an introduction" by J.D. Salinger. I read it in London for the first time in 2002, and it had the curious effect of making me feel expansive and all encompassing, while creating a feeling of coming home to a home that had always been there, but I had never known. It pulled the real me out of deep inside myself. It is full of truth and life and beautiful thoughts.

Movie: "The Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind." It affirms life, while messing with your mind a little bit, and it is a gorgeous piece of art. Sometimes I find it comforting and sometimes I find it indescribably tragic, but I always love it.

What is your favorite word?

Hard to say, because I LOVE words, but I will admit that lately I have been particularly fond of the word "cad." As in, "I won't put up with your dastardly tricks any longer, you cad!"

Also, "dastardly" is a fun word.

What is your best color?

I think this is a weird question. To wear? Or are we talking Charlie and Lola "best color" as in "pink milk is my favorite and my best." I look pretty darn fabulous when wearing kelly green or an intense coral or a dark plum or puce, but if I were to answer what my favorite color is I would have to say a variety of oranges--including, but not limited to, mac'n'cheese, which was my favorite crayola crayon color when I was allowed to have the ginormous box of crayons with something like 108 different colors. I also really loved "periwinkle" as a child, but only because I had no idea what a periwinkle was, so the crayon was a mystery to me...and it was fun to say.

What is your favorite restaurant?

Seriously? I live in NYC and I plan travel around food...

Alice's Tea Cup? Queen's Lane Coffee House? Nargila? S'mac? Kyoto? Mandarin? Sally Lunn's? Westville? Serendipity? Grimaldi's? One if by Land, Two if by Sea? Gramercy Tavern? Juliet et Chocolat? Earl of Sandwich? Q.I.? The Rio Grande? Le Cellier? Boma? The Grand Floridian Garden Tea Room? Salt Lake Coffee Break? Nelson's Frozen Custard? Pace's Dairy Anne? Cici's Pizza? Tazuri? Sweet Melissa?

Honestly...I couldn't say.

What is one material possession you couldn't live without?

I am not sure...I think it would have to be one of my go to books, such as the Salinger book mentioned above, or the complete works of Frank O'Hara...or Whitman's "Leaves of Grass"...or maybe "The Ordinary Princess" or "Peter Pan."

Which cartoon character do you resemble the most?

I always thought Belle, in personality and appearance. It's the first character everyone guesses when I tell them I was a character at Disney World. However, someone recently told me I look like Coraline, and I resented it. Do I look like a creepy 13 year old?

Why do you think I like you so much?

Because we are S'mac eating, bun shoppe in Bath buying, "My Best Friend" listening, gyoza hunting, punting, tea party attending, Central Park strolling, Tower of Terror riding, caramel apple craving, hot sausage consuming, SYTYCD oggling, twilight dancing, Organ Loft appreciating, world travelling, greeting card sending, gut busting laughing, love sac lounging, lime chip loving, good hug giving, hotty-totty dress wearing, conversation junky friendsies. People WISH they were as cool as us, because we are LEGIT.

(Editor's Second Note: This is pretty much the best answer EVER)

What is the best compliment you could receive?

Someday I would like to be referred to as "dishy"...or a "dishy bird." Or perhaps a "dishy minx."

I wish I could pull off "bombshell" but voluptuous is not a word that will ever describe me.

I also find it charming when people think I am nice.

What is your favorite memory we have shared?

"The Mark of Zorro" at the Organ Loft was a favorite. Kyoto lunches are always a favorite.
That time I fell into you butt while you were trying to take a nap.

Punting/lazing around at the Royal Oak.

How about the time Keith dripped hot custard on his arm, but wanted to eat it so he was trying to lick his elbow WHILE it was burning him...and we laughed.

Reading the "Art of Kissing" book on our way to Bath and having a tea party at Sally Lunn's.

Last summer's first S'mac extravaganza was pretty amazing.

Blues dancing at twilight in Brooklyn with fireflies while full of chastity bread pudding.

Lime chips, Sara B., and Connie and Carla.

Our beach day in Florida with the Disney family was kind of amazing too.

I guess that whole trip to England sort of wins just because of the epic magnitude of it, but our Organ Loft dates and your visits to NYC are chart toppers...wait! NYC wins because I get you all to myself. HA!

What 3 words would best describe you?

fabulous

saucy

smart