Last year, Jenny Cupido and I connected via the blogosphere, and I’m so glad we did, as I love her blog. She asked me and a handful of other blogger friends to participate in a blog hop (started here) where we share 10 facts that our readers may not know already. You’ll find all of the participants linked at the bottom of the post. I’m honored to participate in this fun series. Some of my readers have been friends for years and years and may know all ten facts, but others may be surprised about some of these tidbits. I’d love to know if you learn anything new!
1. I have traveled to 6 out of the 7 continents – I still need to visit Antarctica, and while I’m excited to go, I don’t think it’ll happen for a number of years. If you like tracking your travels, you should get an account on Wolpy (unfortunately, the Wolpy map doesn’t show the mapped cities in mobile view). I’ve traveled to a number of cities, but only lived in Scotland, Texas and Paris (for a summer). I speak conversational French, but definitely need to brush up before our trip in May! The world is enormous and when you see it all mapped, it makes you realize there is so many places you still have to go to. Thank goodness for Bucket Lists.
2. I’ve never shared this on Snapshots & My Thoughts before, but my husband, Sasha, was on Season 5 of the Bachelorette with Jillian Harris. We still give him a hard time for it now – I’m so glad that she stopped giving him roses! It’s funny because we watched a lot of Love It or List It Too (for which she’s a host) while in Durango, and now I absolutely love Jillian. I like to think I’m his unicorn! Sasha and I met while working for the same global consulting firm. We were both on a project in Oklahoma City – I love how our paths aligned. We also went to the same high school… only we were 7 years apart!
3. I interned at the Cannes Film Festival in 2009, and it was one of the coolest experiences of my life. I went to the premiere of Up (and cried) and Inglorious Bastards, and I met and chatted to Justin Long for over an hour. I also talked to Dileep Rao, as he was friends with Ed (second from right), whom I also met at the festival. I lost my cool when I was asked to help photographers get access to a private balcony to ensure they got good photos of Brad and Angelina. Ugh, take me back!
4. I was born in Scotland (in a tiny village called Catterline) and moved to Texas when I was 8 years old. We were supposed to move back a number of times, but it never happened. My two sisters, my parents and I are the only people on either side of the family to live outside of the UK. My sweet husband wore a kilt at our wedding to honor the Scottish tradition. You can see more of our wedding photos here and here.
5. Ailee (like Haley without the H) is spelled Eilidh on my birth certificate. Eilidh is pronounced the same way as Ailee, but is the Gaelic spelling. In 7th grade, I changed it unofficially to Ailee, and then when I became a US citizen in 2012, I changed it legally to Ailee Eilidh Semple. So my first and middle name were essentially the same! Then in 2013, when I got married, I became Ailee Semple Petrovic. So many changes!
6. I’ve been a vegetarian since the day I ‘graduated’ from 5th grade. I wanted to become one earlier (like most of my aunts and uncles), but my parents made me wait until I was in middle school. I haven’t had a single piece of meat since 1999! I stopped eating eggs in high school, but still love cheese.
7. I have a serious phobia of needles. I fainted every single time I had blood drawn while pregnant, which is pretty darn often. I should probably go to see someone about this fear before we start trying for another baby! It’s not fun. I do have a tendency to faint though, as I fainted during our wedding ceremony! I was back at the altar after 30 minutes, but had to sit down as I still didn’t feel 100%. That explains why my hair is super frizzy in so many of our wedding photos – but I don’t mind, as there’s a good story behind it!
8. I am obsessed with Cirque du Soleil and have been to 8 shows (in Portland, Minneapolis, Vegas, Austin and multiple in Houston). I was an intense cheerleader in high school (competitive and for my school), and I think that I now live vicariously through the acrobats doing all of their flips and contortion acts.
9. I cannot stand watching TV (excluding the news) or movies. I fall asleep during the latter, and cannot be bothered with the former (literally 0 hours per week – with the exception of our time in Durango, when we watched more TV in two months than we have together in four and a half years combined). Of course, there are four exceptions: Anchorman, Zoolander, Notting Hill and It’s Complicated. I think that my lack of TV makes me very behind with pop culture – which is why I read People Magazine to keep up to date!
10. I adore Justin Timberlake. I’ve been to two *NSYNC concerts and four solo concerts (three in Houston and one in Miami). The only other musicians we listen to a the house on repeat are Jason Mraz, Ben Rector and James Morrison. We love those four so much!
Make sure to go to She Lives Free next week to read about Sybil’s 10 facts!
Blog Hop Participants
Jenny – Jenny Cupido // Jo – Real Married Life // Stasia – Our Life on a Budget // Michelle – Mummy From the Heart // Sarah Ann – Faith Along the Way // Ailee – Snapshots and my Thoughts // Sybil – She Lives Free // Johanna – Our Joyful Home // Kate – Making Space // Rachel – Dreaming of the Country
49 Comments
#2 really should have been #1 but whatever 🙂
You’re always #1 in my eyes 😉
YOU GUYSSSS!!
I would agree!!!
Lol, I just read Sasha’s comment – hilarious! And also number two was a total shocker! You two seem like such a star American couple. I think I’d be a little scared to play sports of any kind with you guys. I loved your map of travels! Such a cool idea and I’m so jealous you’re going to Paris! I only live 3 hours away and I still haven’t been. Some day though – it will happen. Thanks for joining in Ailee, I’ve loved getting to know you and your gorgeous family better. xx Jenny
I am laughing because we are really big nerds, and definitely not a star couple. You’d have to see me try to hit a ball (football, volleyball, basketball… anything) to know you would be DYING to play against in me sports! You should definitely go to Paris! Come meet us in May!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thank you so much for including me in the blog hop!! xoxo
Oh my gosh. Wow. So surprised by a few of these! I love the map of cities! And I had no clue your husband was on The Bachelorette!!! I also love that he wore a kilt at your wedding. Such a fun post/series!
Yes, I don’t talk about it regularly!! He is an angel re: the kilt!! xoxo
Ok, I knew the Sasha fact. I remember being excited to watch each week and root for him. Luckily Jillian wasn’t as wise as you, Ailee. Fun facts, you are such a fascinating person, doll. Lovin’ the mobile site!
I am so glad she isn’t as wise!! 😉 She re-tweeted my tweet though, so she’s now officially my favorite celebrity ever! Ha. It’s the little things!!! I know you are equally as fascinating!!! Maybe you need to do a 10 things post too! xoxo
LOL I love that you told the Sasha fact. I remember keeping up with the season until he got the boot, and Ivana having to leave work to film the family segment. That’s not a fact many other people can say!
Yes, it’s been a well kept secret! I didn’t know she had to leave for the family segment!! Too funny.
This might be my favorite post yet! So fun to read these facts!!
Thank you, Shelly!!
I love this :))) Philip pronounces your name in a funny way, I guess from high school? haha, and it confuses me every time! I’m always like, I’m pretty sure it’s still pronounced “Ailee” 🙂 Love you and your unicorn!
Hahaha Philip… how does he say it??? I’m going to need to get to the bottom of this on Friday! I laughed and laughed when I read your comment. I miss you and cannot wait to see you soon!! xoxox
I am so jealous of you going to the Cannes Film Festivsl. That’s a dream of mine!
Ah, yes, it was a dream come true! Add it to your bucket list and go!
i remember him on the show! Jillian was my favorite bachelorette!
I didn’t watch it! But we watched a few episodes at my bachelorette weekend, which was funny.
Ahhhh i LOVE this!!! My favorite part about reading other blogs and connecting on social media platforms is getting to know people better, and since I adore you I’m excited to get a sneak peek into some more of your life! How funny that your hubs was on the Bachelorette! And I love that he wore a kilt to the wedding. I’m so jealous of how many places you have traveled to, so cool! And yay for vegetarianism, my stepdad has been a veggie for 42 years!
xox, Maya Beth
mylifeasmaya.com
You are just the sweetest. Every time I read a comment from you, I am smiling ear to ear. You are amazing. I love getting to know each other better via blogs too – an amazing vehicle to create new friends. Sasha is a good sport re: the kilt – his groomsmen all wore them too, which was pretttttty interesting while dancing (no undies!). I am amazed that your stepdad has been a veggie for 42 years! That’s what I’m shooting for 🙂 And re: traveling, I am always up for a trip! You’re in LA, right? Sasha’s cousin lives there and was here on Saturday, and we were plotting our trip this summer!!
xoxoxox
#5 is how I remember you! haha and the Gaelic spelling of your name. Crazy that we’ve reconnected after all these years.
Ah, that’s right! Eilidh!! I know – I love that we’ve reconnected! And I’m SO jealous of your current homeland!
I LOVE that you interviewed at Cannes. So awesome!!!
Great post, Ailee!
xx.
Thanks, Mara!! I’d love if you did a similar post – some fun facts we may not know!!
Loved this, Ailee! It was so cool to get to know you better. 😉 I love the explanation of your name. So cool!
Thank you so much, Kristy!!! xo
I can definitely say I know your love for JT! You’ve always been one of my favorite people, I enjoy reading your blog!!!
Hahaha, I’m a litttttle obsessed! Thank you, Melissa. You seriously just made my day. xoxox
OH, how I love this so much. I didn’t know he wore the kilt for YOUR heritage…that is ridiculously sweet! also, I applaud your taste in music! 😉
Thank you, Annie!!! Yes, he’s an angel. I think he just wanted to go underwear-less for his wedding!! 😉
Girl! We have SO much in common, where to start 🙂
I am a fainter too and I hate needles, the funny part about it all is that I’m a nurse haha. I can give them but I can’t take them and although I didn’t faint getting blood work while pregnant, I’ve been known to faint other times getting blood work. I faint on airplanes, often, it’s seriously an issue because we live so far away from both of our families!
LOVE Cirque du Soliel! I’ve only seen a couple of shows but I dream of seeing a Vegas Cirque show one day! I also hate watching TV, I fall asleep all the time and my husband just always ends up picking the shows. I do have a few shows I like to watch, one being the Bachelor (but only because my girlfriends and I get together and just make fun of the entire process) haha! I can’t believe your husband was on Jillian Harris’ season! Loved her 🙂
anyway… sorry for the novel! Glad you joined our group on Facebook, I’m excited to follow along and get to know you more! xo
Tawnya
Okay, I seriously cannot get over all of the similarities!!! I LOVE IT!
I CANNOT believe that you hate needles and are a nurse. How in the world did that happen??? Fainting on an airplane would really freak me out! I guess an altar isn’t ideal either! 😉
I saw LOVE in Vegas – it was amazing! I definitely recommend it! I want to see the Michael Jackson show so badly! I also laughed that you hate TV but love the Bachelor (and that it’s such a girls night thing!). I love Jillian too! I love her blog!!
I’m so glad to be welcomed into the FB group. Love everyone so much already!!! xoxo
I loved this, great facts! I remember watching Jillian’s season in college, so funny! I had no idea Sasha went to high school in Katy too, crazy! Travis and I both went to Texas State but just missed each other as well since he’s 4 years older.
Thank you, Courtney!!! Yes, we are all one big Katy circle! It’s nuts!!
This has got to be my most favorite post of yours (next to everything about Little Miss Isla, of course)! I still can’t get past the fact that Sasha was on Bachelorette Season 5… Hahaha!
Hahaha yes, his glory days 😉 And thank you!!!
You’re officially the coolest and most interesting blogger ever! Scottish, 6 out of 7 continents, Cannes film festival, Gaelic name, husband on the Bachelorette?! Yeah, I am so boring. Haha!!!
Oh my gosh – I am far from the coolest and most interesting. I promise!!!! You’re definitely not boring at ALL!
This post made me miss you even more! Specially because I think the only one I didn’t know was the one about Cirque du Solei! Did you change your number? I can’t get through to you and it’s killing me! LY
I could not be happier that we talked for over an hour today. I MISS YOU SO MUCH IT’S INSANE!!! I love you to pieces!!
Ok, 6 out of 7 continents is like a dream! Jealous. Love the history behind your name. So awesome. So glad you joined our FB group!
Thank you, Tiffany! It’s definitely been a bit weird with all the name changes, but I’ve become flexible. I’m concerned the government is about to flag me though 😉 I’m so glad to be a part of the FB group. I love everyone’s blogs!!! xo
I love posts like this. I love getting to know the secrets behind the blogger. And your hubby was on the Bachelor!? Too cool! I wish I was as well travelled as you. I’ve only been around North America. Maybe one day we will venture out across the world!
Yes, absolutely! I hope you get to go and venture too!! I like the secrets posts too – fun to find out little snippets they don’t normally share! 🙂 xo
You have SO many interesting facts about yourself, this was a really fun read! You’ve been all over the world, your husband was on The Bachelor, you spoke with Justin Long, you’re from Scotland….seriously you’re like the least dull person ever lol. Very cool!
So cool to visit your blog Ailee and learn so much about you, you have lived an exciting life so far. You’ve come a long way from your Scottish roots. Mich x
This is just the sweetest! You and your husband just looks perfect together 🙂 How did you stopped eating meat since 1999 tho? Thinking of giving up meat kills me haha!
New reader here, and I surely adore your blog <3