Hello there, my name is Tiff Setzler!
Whether you are new here or have been following along for a while, I want to introduce myself.
Let’s start with the basics. I’m a Cancer, and my birthday is on July 18th. I was born on a Wednesday night. Each year for my birthday, I host a toy drive to collect toys for the children at The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh. On the last day of our toy drive, we have a party with live music, raffles, beer, games, and performances by The Goodfoots, among other activities.
My favorite color is blue, and just about everything I own is blue. I also like dark green because I’m a Slytherin! Ambition, resourcefulness, and determination are some of my character traits. I also really love gray and black, but those are shades — Color Theory 101!
Speaking of Slytherin, Tom Riddle and Professor Lupin are my two favorite characters. Both are very misunderstood and didn’t have the right tools as children to succeed.
This leads me to my next tidbit: my favorite characters are Mycroft Holmes and Hannibal Lecter, from my two favorite shows, Sherlock and Hannibal. They are also my two favorite fanfics to read on Archive of Our Own!
I do love reading fanfics, but I also enjoy real books. I have a nice collection from a variety of genres. One day, my goal is to have a home library. I don’t have as much time to read physical books as I used to, but I hope to get that time back when I’m older and working part-time, because I’ll probably never retire.
I absolutely HATE onions, pickles, and ketchup. However, I do know that Heinz ketchup is the one true ketchup, so don’t come after me, Yinzers! I also dislike crowds, especially with strangers, and places with loud music (I’ve always been that way, I’m old). What’s the point of going out with friends if I can’t hear them? I love wearing conversation earbuds; they’re my favorite!
I really dislike people who are always late or who don’t inform others of their delays. It’s 2024 — there are so many ways to reach someone: email, text, social media, snail mail, smoke signals, or even a singing telegram. Communication is key!
I also love crafting and DIY projects. My house is full of bins of craft supplies and different odds and ends from various hobbies. The Michaels rewards program is great for that! At any given time, there are at least three or four craft or hobby projects going on in our house.
For a while, I was really obsessed with plants. I had a whole house full of them, but keeping a schedule for plant care wasn’t for me. Now, I have a few plants throughout the house and sold the rest at a yard sale.
Summer used to be my absolute favorite season. Now, with 99-degree days and air quality alerts to stay inside, I’m more of a fall person. Not only because it’s cooler, but also because of Halloween! A whole month of fall activities, hayrides, pumpkin painting, carving pumpkins, rage pumpkins, and costumes. What’s not to love about fall? Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday — it’s the best.
My second favorite holiday is St. Patrick’s Day. I feel this holiday doesn’t get enough recognition. It’s great at every age and changes with each stage of life. When you’re younger, you make leprechaun traps, and the leprechaun turns your milk green and plays tricks. In college, it’s about getting up at 6 a.m. for Kegs N’ Eggs with friends and spending the whole day drinking. As an adult, it’s a day to wear green, drink with friends, and enjoy green food. It’s the best and deserves more recognition!
Besides my bed (I absolutely love my DreamCloud mattress), Hershey Park is my favorite place! It’s the sweetest place on earth with the best roller coasters, great food, amazing customer service, and the best wave pool. My favorite Hershey candy is Mounds — #1 candy!
It probably helps that I’m from central PA, from a small town called McVeytown. I grew up there at my grandparents’ home and spent summers and weekends there. When I wasn’t there, I lived in Lewistown. They’re interesting places, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend visiting.
I attended college at The Art Institute of York, PA — RIP — where I received an associate degree in Web Design. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after graduation, so I decided to go back and get a bachelor’s degree in Web Design & Interactive Media. After college, I moved to Utah for a job, which was an eye-opening adventure. I decided Utah wasn’t for me and moved back to Pennsylvania, ending up in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh has been my home for over 10 years now, and I have no plans to move. I bleed black and yellow! Pittsburgh is the best city in the world to live in, and even Livability agrees! We have sports, art, museums, and some of the friendliest and kindest people I’ve ever met. Yinzers will shove your parking spot out, put a parking chair there, give you the Steelers shirt off their back, and help anyone in need.
Enough about how amazing Pittsburgh is! I also really love to travel. I’m more of a weekend or three-to-four-day traveler. I love my bed, familiar sounds, and air purifiers. But I do travel often, usually in three-hour sprints. Fun fact: I cannot drive more than three hours without falling asleep — the car soothes me to sleep. So, we often plan our trips for three hours, stay, and make it more like a fun road trip. We also get to see new areas along the way. My goal for the next year is to take a train, so I’m open to any suggestions.
I didn’t mention flying because I don’t like to commit! Plane tickets need to be purchased in advance, which feels like too much of a commitment for me. I’m more of a “let’s plan it next week and then go” kind of person. We’ve even done a lot of our trips last minute — just decide to go somewhere, throw together a suitcase, and book the hotel on the way.
I love having things planned out, but vacation is not one of them. Everything is a game-time decision for me. What if I don’t want to eat at this place or that place? What if it rains and I bought tickets? No, everything is a “let’s plan it when I get there” kind of thing. It might seem weird, but vacations should be fun, not stressful.
Speaking of vacations, here are the three most important things I need: an Instacart subscription (in case I forget something or need groceries), the Uber (I don’t like driving on vacation, and it’s much easier), and an Amazon Fire Stick (for when we encounter smart TVs that aren’t there — how do I relax in between pool trips?).
Oh, and I LOVE to swim. I’m a big run-and-jump-in-the-pool, get-out-and-jump-back-in kind of person. One day, I will own an inground pool with a waterfall wall I can jump off of. Dream big, I say!
As for what I do for work, I currently run my own small business agency. I offer web design, web development, graphic design, social media planning, content writing, and more. I focus on helping small businesses with advertising and marketing. I also do consulting for companies needing help with their existing websites or social media.
Another cool work fact about me: I also with for DJ Cake w/ Event Lab, managing the photo booth. My tasks include designing graphics, setting up events, and working at the events themselves. I’ve had the chance to attend multiple weddings and charity walks, and I’m excited for more opportunities. I love being able to help others make memories, and best of all, when they rent the printer, I can print out photos on the spot and see their smiling faces.
When I’m not working or volunteering, or jumping into pools, I’m hanging out with my absolute favorite human, Zoie! She’s the light of my life and an absolute wild woman. She’s going to change the world one day, and I can’t wait. I just have to survive her wild ambitions first.
Well, that’s me — Tiff in a nutshell. By the way, squirrels are my favorite animals! If you have any other questions, check out my other blog posts or reach out. I’m an open book! 😊
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