: about me :

Howdy! Come in! Pull up a chair and get comfortable, because I'm going to tell you a bit about little ol' me.

I'm really quite all over the place, you see. When I was in high school, an extremely insightful friend told me I was "a study in contradictions". Many years later, this keen observation continues to hold true. Any of those left brain/right brain quizzes I've ever taken always yields a split right down the middle. My life is ruled by the creative, yet I have an extremely analytical and methodical side. I spend a great deal of my free time these days throwing around heavy barbells in my local CrossFit gym, yet my dearest ambition is to learn how to knit. I'm most comfortable in a pair of Chuck Taylors, but I adore skirts and girly details. Reserved in crowds, though affable in small groups. Light-hearted and responsible. Passive/Agressive... Sometimes I even have a hard time figuring out what I'm thinking!

Which brings me to Oh, Hopscotch! here. When I originally started this blog, I very much lived for anything crafty, and was hungry to embrace all the latest fashion trends. So that's how I tailored this personal little bit of cyberspace. However, as my life has shifted course and I've changed along with it, I've discovered a couple of new loves. I've developed a serious passion for CrossFit (read about that here, here & here) & the Paleo/Primal lifestyle. So in addition to DIY and cute shoes, here you'll find some of my favorite recipes, as well as stories of triumph and tribulations in the gym.

You will occasionally be bored regaled with the adventures of my two pugs, Gomez & Cooper. You might also get to hear about my wonderful husband, Rodger. He's pretty cute. OH, and while I have a fancy, expensive camera, these days I half-ass my photography and Instagram nearly everything. I'll apologize for that one in advance. In the 9-5, I'm a graphic designer. I get to design all sorts of super cute graphics for school products—think notebooks, folders, binders, pencil pouches. I'm a regular Lisa Frank. I kid. I'm not that awesome, and I don't like rainbows that much! 

I also collect globes.

Thus is the quirky, hodge podge tapestry that makes up my life!

So, yeah. I think that about sums it up. It's the abridged version anyway. Welcome aboard! Let's be friends!

Sincerely,

Val Smith