You might be wondering, “So what in tarnation is this Monday Poll thing anyway!?”
Well, it isn’t exactly a poll. It’s more of a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past seven years. (It’s like a kickstart for your brain.) I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.
- Have you ever sent someone a lock of hair (or have you ever received one)?
No on both counts because, um…it seems kind of weird to me. Strangely enough, though, I’d be totally fine with Tabs sending me a lock of his fur through the mail, LOL!Yeah, let’s just go ahead and file that under “Weird Things Crazy Cat Ladies Say.” 🙂
- How old were you when you started using email?
Dude, I was in COLLEGE. Maybe a sophomore or a junior? And it had something to do with a statistics class I was taking…Speaking of “the good old days,” sometimes I do miss the privacy and general simplicity of life before email and social media. There were fewer distractions everywhere, but I don’t miss other things about it, like having to deal with car trouble. That happened to me a few times pre-Internet and cellphone — cars stalling — and it always took, like, half the day (or sometimes ALL of your day) to deal with. Catching the bus or finding a ride, getting a tow, having to walk literally miles to the nearest pay phone. Now it only takes 15 minutes to get a tow truck and hail an Uber. Amazing!
It blows my mind that Baby Girl is gonna grow up not knowing what it was like to live without email or the Internet, or the feeling of constantly being connected to the entire world. It’s just weird to me…
- Do you do vests?
Not since the ’90s! I remember having a cropped denim vest from The Gap, and I thought I was hot sh*t in it at the time, but now when I see old pics of myself wearing it? Hmm… I looked pretty silly. I don’t know what I was thinking! - How do you like your chocolate-chip cookies?
1) Soft and chewy with slightly crispy edges, or 2) thick and moist.I don’t have time to mess with that thin, crunchy business, because they’re gone in like two bites. I like it when my cookies make me work a little…
- Is your wallet neat or messy?
Surprisingly neat. I can tolerate a certain degree of messy chaos in some aspects of my life, but I just can’t do it with my wallet, and my biggest pet peeve is when there are eight million receipts up in there. So, I try to go through it every week and file away my receipts. Then I put the spare change in a basket in the living room that we call “The Genie Jar,” and re-stock my business cards.
Your turn. 🙂 Just copy and paste the following questions into a comment with your answers. I look forward to reading ’em!
1. Have you ever sent someone a lock of hair (or have you ever received one)?
2. How old were you when you started using email?
3. Do you do vests?
4. How do you like your chocolate-chip cookies?
5. Is your wallet neat or messy?
It’s a holiday here today, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and a lot of people have the day off from school and work. I have a few things I wanted to get to — chores and baby arrival prep-type things — but it should be a pretty lazy day.
I hope you’re having a good one. Talk to you soon. 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
auxiliary beauty says
1. Have you ever sent someone a lock of hair (or have you ever received one)?
Ew, no. I do think those Victorian lockets with locks of hair are cool, though.
2. How old were you when you started using email?
I had an email account throughout high school (2001-2005), but didn’t start using email regularly until I went to college in 2005. Crazy.
3. Do you do vests?
Speaking of high school, I was all about vests back then! I grew up in San Francisco, where a vest is a really practical layering piece, and I remember wearing down and fleece vests in several different colors. These days, though, I don’t own even one vest.
4. How do you like your chocolate-chip cookies?
As thick and gooey as possible! Levain Bakery in NYC makes my ideal cookie.
5. Is your wallet neat or messy?
Messy, like every other aspect of my life except my makeup shelf.
Amy says
1. Have you ever sent someone a lock of hair (or have you ever received one)?
My HS boyfriend taped a piece of his hair onto a letter he wrote me. Now that seems like such a tactile and 3D way of communicating! Love it. Love the Victorian locket thing, too. But when I found my now clean-cut husband’s HS ponytail in a forgotten box after we married… I threw it out. More than a few strands gets a little funky in my book!
2. How old were you when you started using email?
College. Regularly, after college.
3. Do you do vests?
1990s! Had a green vest I wore with a floral skirt I got at a drugstore in Mexico. Tan bonita back then!
4. How do you like your chocolate-chip cookies?
Chewy, not too much flour. Or flourless with cocoa nibs!
5. Is your wallet neat or messy?
Neat. But the shoulder bag I keep it in? Let’s not go there! 😉
Happy baby prepping Karen! Have a fabulous week. 🙂
Chelsea says
1. Have you ever sent someone a lock of hair (or have you ever received one)? No, that’s creepy!
2. How old were you when you started using email? Like, 10? I was a regular on the Nintendo chat rooms.
3. Do you do vests? I’m wearing one right now! It’s a long flowy knit vest in grey that I wear all the time, but it’s pretty much the only vest I wear.
4. How do you like your chocolate-chip cookies? Not too dark of chocolate, other than that I’m pretty flexible.
5. Is your wallet neat or messy? I don’t even use a wallet because I can’t be bothered to put things away, I just shove everything in a side pocket of my purse!
Jennifae says
1. Have you ever sent someone a lock of hair (or have you ever received one)?
I’ve donated my hair to Locks of Love a few times. Does that count?
2. How old were you when you started using email?
I remember it was 1997. I was 18 and a college freshman.
3. Do you do vests?
No, I don’t remember ever wearing vests.
4. How do you like your chocolate-chip cookies?
I like them thick and chunky. Yum!
5. Is your wallet neat or messy?
It’s pretty neat, considering I only put my IDs and cards in it. Everything else gets shoved in my bag. LOL
Ruchita says
1. Have you ever sent someone a lock of hair (or have you ever received one)?
Nope.
2. How old were you when you started using email?
Well, back in my day…I was in college too! I’m pretty sure it was during the fall of 1995. I’m just glad I went through all the “drama” of middle and high school without Facebook, Twitter, etc.
3. Do you do vests?
Not usually. I remember wearing them back in high school. Sometimes I think of getting one of those puffer styles to wear outside, but then I feel like my arms would get cold.
4. How do you like your chocolate-chip cookies?
Warm, right out of the oven and slightly under baked. In high school, the cafeteria had Otis Spunkmeyer cookies. They made chipwhiches by putting some frozen yogurt in a bowl an topping them with two warm cookies. Best dessert ever!
5. Is your wallet neat or messy?
Usually pretty neat. I try to get out any receipts or papers at the end of each day so they don’t pile up.
Happy Monday!
Rachel R. says
1. Have you ever sent someone a lock of hair (or have you ever received one)? No to both.
2. How old were you when you started using email? I’m 46 now, so email wasn’t around for half my life. When I was in my early 20s, after college, but before I had my first kid at 25. Early to mid 1990s.
3. Do you do vests? Rarely. I’m plus sized, really big busted, and really short-waisted. They usually aren’t flattering on me. I have a faded denim one with rhinestones scattered across the front that I’m fond of, though. I also love the plaid flannel motorcycle jacket style one I got from Torrid. Torrid really knows how to cut jackets and vests for plus-sized women so they’re flattering.
4. How do you like your chocolate-chip cookies? With oatmeal in them, lots of chips, and moist.
5. Is your wallet neat or messy? Neat.
Kwmechelle says
1. Have you ever sent someone a lock of hair (or have you ever received one)? Nope. I’d kinda be creeped out if someone sent that to me.
2. How old were you when you started using email? I was in college, too. Surprising, right?! I too miss the simpler days. Nowadays, everyone lives their lives on social media. It can kinda be overkill. Still, I do think it’s awesome in moderation.
3. Do you do vests? Yep, especially faux fur vests. But I also have a mini best that I got from F21 & it’s definitely cute. Think “A Different World” cute. Which I’ve been Netflix(ing) like crazy.
4. How do you like your chocolate-chip cookies? Same as you. A bit chewy & soft but crispy around the edges.
5. Is your wallet neat or messy? Hmm, it’s not the neatest but not the messiest either. I try to keep it organized bc disorganization drives me crazy. But at the moment, I don’t have any other things in it that I can toss out.
Erin says
1. Have you ever sent someone a lock of hair (or have you ever received one)?
No. Ew.
2. How old were you when you started using email?
14
3. Do you do vests?
I’m very busty so it’s hard to find one that is cut right. Right now, no.
4. How do you like your chocolate-chip cookies?
Crispy on the edges and soft in the middle.
5. Is your wallet neat or messy?
Messy!
jen. says
1. Have you ever sent someone a lock of hair (or have you ever received one)? NO! I have encountered a lot of creepy gifts from weird dudes, but thankfully never a lock of hair.
2. How old were you when you started using email? I think like freshman year of HS (95- 96ish)? I remember my dad made everyone in my family juno email accounts, and I came home from school and he was like, here’s your email address.
3. Do you do vests? Nooooo….
4. How do you like your chocolate-chip cookies? Ditto everything you just said.
5. Is your wallet neat or messy? Neat. It has a billion slots for cards and stuff, so it’s easy to keep it organized.
Grace says
Man, I was first introduced to email in high school because computer courses were being offered. I remember being so confused with the point of email, and how difficult it was just to come up with an email address lol.. I also recall how my best friend and I were completely clueless over Yahoo; I even remember how a classmate was showing us Yahoo and how ingenious it was.. and all I can ask was, but.. what would I search for? lol fast forward a decade and I google everything, EVERYTHING no matter how mundane.
It’s kind of a nice feeling to know we were one of the last to have experienced the first protocols of communication 🙂
Jennifer says
1. Have you ever sent someone a lock of hair (or have you ever received one)? No, but since you asked, I still have a lock of my son’s hair from his first haircut 13 years ago! I keep it in my jewelry box.
2. How old were you when you started using email? Hah, sad to say college. I’m not what you’d call an “early adopter” by an means. Now or back then. And this is a hoot, the website I visited most regularly back then was Martha Stewart 🙂 I know what you’re saying about your daughter and technology. I don’t think we can imagine what will be available in her lifetime. When I was my son’s age, 12, the coolest thing was to talk on the landline phone for eons. He’s been able to talk looking at his friends using facetime on the ipad for years now. I have no words to describe how trippy I find that.
3. Do you do vests? As a rule, no. However, I did last winter have an LL Bean vest that I would wear over a sweater during cold weather if I didn’t want to put on a coat. I’m too short and curvy to be adding bulk to my body with a vest. I need to look as streamlined as possible.
4. How do you like your chocolate-chip cookies? Chewy with slightly crisp edges! (and by the dozen)
5. Is your wallet neat or messy? I don’t have a wallet right now. It was stolen several months ago and I haven’t replaced it because I can’t decide on size. I’ve been carrying a crossbody bag so I’ve been using an inside zippered pocket as my wallet. I try to keep it neat though, all the cards together and the cash together. By the way, where do you get your business cards done and might I get a look at one?
Stephanie Smith says
1. Have you ever sent someone a lock of hair (or have you ever received one)? No! I think that’s not for me.
2. How old were you when you started using email? I think I was about 20. I vividly remember going online for the first time. It’s such a different time now.
3. Do you do vests? Lol! Tacky Christmas Pug-themed vests, yes. But that’s it. When I was a freshman in 1989, almost every girl wore a vest to the first day of school. They were in back then.
4. How do you like your chocolate-chip cookies? Home baked, big, with a lot of salt, and chewy on the inside with crispy edges.
5. Is your wallet neat or messy? It’s pretty neat. Its also falling apart so it’s time to find a new one, I’m looking at some super cute Fossil ones.
LindaLibraLoca says
1. Have you ever sent someone a lock of hair (or have you ever received one)?
No, not exactly, but I kept a lock from my daughters first hair cut for myself.
2. How old were you when you started using email?
18. I used it on my fathers computer, because it was the only one connected to the internet, by one of these old modems you could hear dial.
3. Do you do vests?
No.
4. How do you like your chocolate-chip cookies?
Thick, chewy and chocolatey.
5. Is your wallet neat or messy?
Compared to what? It is messier than my desk, but cleaner than my handbag.
Lulle says
1. Have you ever sent someone a lock of hair (or have you ever received one)?
No, that sounds creepy!
2. How old were you when you started using email?
It was my first year of college, so about 18. The internet was new then, with dial up modems. Not so fond memories of those!
The thing that really blows my mind is to think of today’s kids, they don’t know what it is to live without a mobile phone. When I was a teen, my friends and I had to arrange a meeting time and place in advance, and, you know, stick to it! And when someone was late, you actually WAITED. Once my high-school boyfriend waited for me several hours at our usual meeting spot: I had been taken to the ER and I had absolutely no way to contact him.
3. Do you do vests?
Erh, no.
4. How do you like your chocolate-chip cookies?
Thin and crunchy! I really don’t like soft cookies. I feel like they’re just uncooked!
5. Is your wallet neat or messy?
Somewhere in between? I have a few receipts in there, otherwise cards are in their slots.
Carolyn says
1. Have you ever sent someone a lock of hair (or have you ever received one)?
No. So weird.
2. How old were you when you started using email?
I was probably in my late teens to early twenties. I think I mostly use it for online shopping, otherwise I pretty much just delete everything.
3. Do you do vests?
Yes. I know what you’re saying with the bad cropped denim vest, but I love my denim vest (not cropped). I’m not nor have I ever been into the sweatervest. Sorry Chandler
4. How do you like your chocolate-chip cookies?
Soft and still warm and melty from the oven. There’s actually a local bar that has warm cookies on the menu. Sooo good!
5. Is your wallet neat or messy?
So neat. But I am totally OCD. I even have a wallet sized file-o-fax that holds all my gift cards and any receipts for items that need to be returned. And of course I keep a running list of the balance on each gift card.
Marissa says
I was like 13 when I started using email… Maybe even younger because I remember using a computer back in school when I was in 3rd grade lol
Heather L says
1. Have you ever sent someone a lock of hair (or have you ever received one)? No
2. How old were you when you started using email? I don’t remember. I don’t remember accessible email being available until I was in my 20s. Maybe then?
3. Do you do vests? No. I don’t find vests figure flattering.
4. How do you like your chocolate-chip cookies? With lots of chocolate chips! Double preferred! Soft or crispy!
5. Is your wallet neat or messy? Neat wallet, messy purse.
Lauren Sutherland says
1. Have you ever sent someone a lock of hair (or have you ever received one)?
SO TOTALLY TERRIBLE, but my sister was dating this guy long distance. They had probably been together for about 3 months before he went to work on a fishing boat in alaska. He asked her to send him a lock of hair and she was kind of into him, but she had just gotten her hair cut and wasn’t THAT into him. So we snipped off a little piece of mine since I was due for a cut and sent it to him. thankfully, they broke up a few months later and he was none the wise.
2. How old were you when you started using email?
15 ish?
3. Do you do vests?
unless it a down puffer vest that is truly for warmth, nope.
4. How do you like your chocolate-chip cookies?
soft, chewy, with a bit of crisp ad sea salt on top.
5. Is your wallet neat or messy?
very neat! it can only carry 3 cards, my id, a little bit of cash and maybe a 1.50 in coins
breyerchic04 says
1. Have you ever sent someone a lock of hair (or have you ever received one)?
Umm no. Ew. I mean if I had a baby, I’d totally keep a bit of theirs but ick (says the girl who spins yarn professionally and cleans sheep poo out of wool for fun).
2. How old were you when you started using email?
My mom worked in academia, so I’d sometimes email her co-worker’s kids, using our moms email addresses back around 8, but I didn’t get actual access to the internet until 13 (1999)
3. Do you do vests?
Nope, too busty for that trend, if it’s ever a trend again?
4. How do you like your chocolate-chip cookies?
With super dark chocolate and soft.
5. Is your wallet neat or messy?
Messy!
My big news of the day was I placed a sephora order last week, and used one of the codes for a sample bag. In my sample bag was a Guerlain Meteorites Base! Full sized! I’d never ventured into the world of Guerlain or Meteorites, so it’s quite exciting, I love the violet scent and the product worked beautifully on my test run.
Andrea says
1. Have you ever sent someone a lock of hair (or have you ever received one)?
No!
2. How old were you when you started using email?
I was in elementary, maybe 9 or 10?
3. Do you do vests?
I do not, but if the right one came along then maybe…
4. How do you like your chocolate-chip cookies?
Soft and sweet!!
5. Is your wallet neat or messy?
Soooo neat!
Lauren says
1) Weird, gross, no
2) also in college and I HATED it!
3) in the 90s aldo! Mine was paisley with a shiny back…and yeah, I thought I was cool!
4) same as Karen. Warm, soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside…and huh Mrs. Fields!!
5) mmmm…over filled. Sounds better than what I mean, but I carry 2 currencies, credit cards for 2 countries, etc. I’ve tried to have 2 seperate wallets, but doesn’t help when you forget to grab the right one!
sarah says
1. Have you ever sent someone a lock of hair (or have you ever received one)? No, that’s extremely weird.
2. How old were you when you started using email? Sophomore in college
3. Do you do vests? Yes, but only the sporty, poofy ones for when I take my dog for a walk on a cool day.
4. How do you like your chocolate-chip cookies? gooey and warm with lots of chocolate.
5. Is your wallet neat or messy? Neat, I just got finished reading the KonMarie tidying method and have been making an effort to keeping it clutter free.
Sakura says
1. Have you ever sent someone a lock of hair (or have you ever received one)?
No, but I wouldn’t mind saving a lock of my doggie’s(Yorkshire Terrier) hair for his scrap book.
2. How old were you when you started using email?
College. I got a college e-mail account.
3. Do you do vests?
No, never have.
4. How do you like your chocolate-chip cookies?
Same as you. Crispy on the edges, soft in the middle.
5. Is your wallet neat or messy?
It is neat. Though, my money is organized in a way that I only understand.
Sarah says
1. Have you ever sent someone a lock of hair (or have you ever received one)? Ummmmm definitely NOT.
2. How old were you when you started using email? I can’t remember. I’m thinking I had one when we had AOL in middle and high school (I’m 32). But as far as using e-mail regularly, I didn’t start until end of high school/college.
3. Do you do vests? Yes! The cold weather vests from J. Crew are SO cute. I have the red and navy buffalo plaid version and I love it. I’ve been tempted to buy a crop denim vest jacket, but feel like I wouldn’t get enough use out of it to justify.
4. How do you like your chocolate-chip cookies? Crunchy!
5. Is your wallet neat or messy? Neat.
Eileen says
1. Have you ever sent someone a lock of hair (or have you ever received one)? No. That’s quaint and old fashioned but, by today’s standards, that’s definitely weird.
2. How old were you when you started using email? Oh, my! I was born in 1944 and started using email when it first came out so I was a full-fledged, middle-aged, working adult. I love email.
3. Do you do vests? No. When I think of vests I remember the fur vests Sonny and Cher wore with bellbottoms back in the 60’s and I cringe. Not one of the greatest style moments.
4. How do you like your chocolate-chip cookies? Soft and chewie with crispy edges and preferably fresh from the oven.
5. Is your wallet neat or messy? My wallet and my purse are neat and well organized. I hate clutter and things out of place.