Monday, August 16, 2010

At the Fair with Julia

Please help me welcome my dear blogging friend, Julia from Dark Glass Ponderings! Come join us on a trip to the fair!

Amber: What is your favorite part about the fair?

Julia: I haven't been to the state fair since I was a child, so this is fun to think about. I am a total nerd and I always thought the invention exhibits were fun. I thought it was neat to see the new innovations. And I also love fair food because those are foods I don't eat throughout the year.

Amber: Do you have a favorite fair food (ie: popcorn, cotton candy, curly fries)?

Julia: Oh, definitely my favorite fair food is fried dough. I love it hot as the powdered sugar "splashes" my chin. And I love fresh squeezed lemonade.

Amber: What kind of ride do you enjoy the most, and what do you think that says about your personality? (For example, if your favorite ride was the Ferris wheel it might say that you're daring and you like seeing the big picture from a higher perspective. This is just for fun, so anything goes!)

Julia: Hmmm...I still love the carousel and love taking my kids on it. We have a beautiful historical carousel in our city. I am definitely a traditional person and I have always had a love for beautiful things. I'm a bit of a dreamer, I guess that's why I love to write.

Amber: Any fun fair memories you want to share?

Julia: The first time my mom took me on the Ferris wheel, there was a malfunction and we ended up stuck near the top for nearly an hour. My mom hasn't been on one since, but I don't think it phased me too much.

Amber: Can you think of any movies or books set at a fair that you would recommend for us to check out?

Julia: I can't think of any books. But I can think of two great movies set at fairs. Meet Me in St. Louis and State Fair are both great musicals. I love old musicals. Carousel is also a wonderful musical where the hero works at a carnival. I know Carol Cox has Christian fiction set at a fair, but I haven't read it.

I would have loved to have attended the Chicago's World Fair or Prince Albert's Exhibition in 1851. I think those would have been two of the coolest events ever!

Amber: Thank you so much for joining us today, Julia! I'm sure in the mood for some fair fun now! =)

(The picture above is the poster from my school's production of State Fair last fall, which I participated in. Lots of work, for sure, but also lots of fun!)

12 comments:

Julia M. Reffner said...

Thanks so much, Amber! This has been a fun series. BTW, what type of flowers are those on the right side of your blog? I love them & was blessed by the verses.

Amber Holcomb said...

Julia,

No, no--thank YOU! ;) It was really fun doing the interview with you!

As for the flowers, I really have no idea! We saw these flowers in a little garden area near one of the Smithsonian buildings in Washington DC. They are lovely, though, aren't they? :) Wish I knew what they were called!

And I'm so glad you were blessed by the verses! I'm blessed by them, too. :) They're a great reminder!

~Amber

Renee (BlacknGoldGirlsBookSpot) said...

I love fried dough but funnel cakes are my favorite...I'm suddenly very hungry...gee thanks guys! :-P

Fun interview otherwise ladies :-D

XOXO~ Renee

Michelle said...

My fair food would probably be candied apples. I love them!

BTW, Carol Cox's series set at the Chicago World's Fair is very good, if anyone wants to read it.

Amanda Stanley said...

Thanks Amber & Julia! This was a really fun interview!

Julia, I love your answer to the question of which ride you enjoy the most :) And I love fried dough, too, though up here we can them doughboys- is that just a RI thing? But my favorite "fair food" hands down is cotton candy!! We don't really have "fairs" in RI, but we have something called the Scituate Art Festival that takes place every Oct. here and it's lots of fun, not exactly a fair but it works for me ;) There's something called The Big E, either in Massachusetts or Connecticut (not sure because I've never been) but everyone says its amazing so hopefully one day I can check it out :)

Blessings to you both!!
Amanda Stanley

Julia M. Reffner said...

@Renee, Sorry we made you hungry.

@Michelle, I'm glad you enjoyed Carol's series, I really want to read it, too.

@Amanda, Thanks :). Hmmm...not sure, haven't heard of doughboys. The Art festival sounds like fun, maybe you'll share with us how you like that if you go this year. I love looking at art, such inspiration for writing.

Bluerose said...

Lol..when I saw the fried dough comment, I thought that was just another name for funnel cakes. I'll have to go look up what fried dough is now! :)
Great interview! I enjoyed your answers, Julia!
I'm jealous that you have a carousel nearby! :)

Amber Holcomb said...

RENEE: I concur with Julia--sorry that we made you hungry! As my poor mother found out again this evening, I can be rather grumpy when I'm hungry...so I hope we didn't make you grumpy! ;)

Glad you enjoyed the interview!

MICHELLE: Thanks for stopping by, and thanks for the book recommendation. :) I borrowed A Proper Pursuit by Lynn Austin from a friend this summer, which is also set at the World's Fair in Chicago, and I really enjoyed it!

AMANDA: Thank you for sharing your thoughts, and I'm so glad you enjoyed the interview! I love that name, "doughboys," and cotton candy is good, isn't it? ;)

JULIA: Thanks for stopping by and responding to the comments! :)

BLUEROSE: I'm with you on that one--I'm not entirely sure what fried dough is either! ;) Happy to hear you enjoyed the interview!

~Amber

Ashley (Ibreath2read) said...

What a fun interview, you guys! I like riding carousel, too. I wish you could still try for the brass ring, like way back then. But, I do think it would be painful if you missed, right? :P
And I'd have to say my favorite fair food would be a toss up between Cotton Candy and Turkey Legs. Mmmmm... Know Y'all got me thinking about food too! Poor Renee and me. LOL;)

Julie~ First off, you gotta tell me what fried dough is. I've had about everything thing that's fried, or could ever be fired, but I have no clue what fried dough is about.
I LOVE Meet Me in St. Louis too, Julia!!! I watch it all the time with my sister, and it just never gets old for us. But, I've never seen State Fair. I'll have to look that one up.

I'm having a lot of Fair fun, so far this week, Amber. Especially since I didn't get to go to ours this year:(
Can't wait till tomorrow!
Love Ya,
Ashley

Amber Holcomb said...

Ashley,

Glad you enjoyed the interview! ;) And isn't the carousel fun? I love how colorful and cheerful it is!

It probably would be pretty dangerous trying to reach for a brass ring while you're on the ride! ;)

Sorry about the food thing--but we can enjoy the imaginary food, right? Yay for cotton candy--when you're in the mood for it, that is. I wouldn't suggest eating it when you're really full, though...if it's anything like what happened between me and baklava. ;) Stuffed and super-sweet do not go well together!

I do hope you get to see State Fair--so cute! Wish you could have seen me in it last fall semester, even though I didn't have a big part. ;) It was still fun doing all those group song and dance numbers!

I'm sorry you missed your fair, but I'm glad to hear you're enjoying our fair here! ;)

~Amber

Ashley (Ibreath2read) said...

I'll have to get my hands on State Fair one way or another. And what's this you say about Baklava? I'm greek and we believe Baklava can be eaten anytime. Breakfest, Lunch or Dinner and I think it can used to cure the flu. Or, at least that what I said to persuade my mom into to making me some, when I was sick once. LOL. jk;D
Love Ya,
Ashley

Amber Holcomb said...

Ashley,

I hope you do get to see it; it's a cute story! ;)

As far as baklava goes, it's not that it isn't good! In fact, when I got back from my trip to Israel several years ago, I really enjoyed it. And then one day I ate some after eating a lot of other food (and I was really full), and all that sticky sweetness did NOT make me feel good. ;) Suffice it to say, I've kind of shied away from it since then!

Glad you enjoy it, though!

~Amber