This is Becca. She’s the older by two years and has so many interests I can’t even keep track of them. She’s a talented illustrator, an avid reader, runner/biker/climber and has a keen interest in international issues from her majors of Middle Eastern studies, Arabic, and her time living in Egypt. She drew and painted the logo you see for Say Yes and has worked on a bunch of illustration projects here as well. She’s one of the most well read, well rounded, and kindest people I know.

This is Trina. She lived with us two summers ago and Henry still talks about her all the time.  She has this crazy magnetic, warm, fun loving personality alongside a deep artistic and musical side. She’s a talented graphic designer starting a competitive MFA program this fall. When she’s not studying, she works at a fine art museum by day and sings in not one but two punk bands at night (Baby Ghosts and Bat Manors). She and her husband Quinn recently built this little old amazing treehouse in their yard.

Keep reading to find out how they’d describe each other’s style, favorite childhood memories, what they fight about, and much more…

PS My three sisters and I used to have an ongoing fashion series here called Sister Style, if you remember. Also, here’s one of my favorite pictures of my three sisters and I when we vacationed in North Carolina together last year.

Becca and I were musical fanatics growing up. We would rent every musical from the library and spend entire weekends watching them and singing along. We would even use barbies to put on “plays” complete with songs and costume changes. We also spent a lot of time outside playing on the trampoline and making up games.

That’s a tough question. Unsurprisingly, our relationship has changed a lot over time. As kids we were each other’s primary source of entertainment but we didn’t necessarily talk about the hard things in our lives. In the past few years though, I think Trina and I have learned to open up to each other in a powerful way. There have been many times in my life that Trina was the first person I called when something went wrong.

What is one of your favorite childhood memories together?

Becca: Every pair of childhood friends creates their own cultural lexicon, their own language through which they view the world. Trina and I have our own weird repository of funny stories and jokes that we return to again and again. One time we were watching Saturday morning cartoons under huge blankets in our TV room for about 5 hours. My dad, who abhors laziness in all its forms, told us we had to get out of the TV room in exactly one minute. Trina and I decided to obey – but we found a loophole. We rolled ourselves up in blankets and steamrolled across the floor, through the hallway, into the living room, and ending in the kitchen where my dad was cooking, giggling the entire way. That story still cracks us up.

Trina: One Christmas Becca found a big cardboard box that served as her “sleigh.” She tied some stuffed animals to strings and attached them to the sleigh. I was chosen to play the part of Rudolph and was also tied to the sleigh. I then had to pull Becca down the stairs as she hollered “HO HO HO.” The funny thing is that I was perfectly content playing the part of Rudolph. I would always rather be an animal than a human.

Becca and I never had huge fights. They usually didn’t last very long and we were quick to forgive and forget. But being the youngest you get picked on for just about anything. I remember Becca teaming up with our cousin Elliot and playing a game called “monster” where they would run away from me and then attack me when I got close (as if I were a monster). I guess this made me more sad than angry because all I wanted to do was play with them but they kept running away!

Becca: Honestly, Trina is one of the easiest people to get along with. And I’m not saying that because I’m her sister – her friends can attest to her affability. Because she’s so easy-going, though, I sometimes would get annoyed when she would stand up to me. Reflecting on those years, I think it was important that she asserted herself.

Trina: Becca loved to sleep in. This was usually not a huge problem but sometimes I just wanted her to wake up so bad so that we could play. When she got to high school age I still wanted to wake up at 5am on Christmas to see what Santa brought us in our stockings! I remember when she started saying no and that was frustrating.

I’ve loved every stage of our relationship. When we were younger it was all about constantly making up new games and projects. Now we can relate on perhaps a deeper level because we are both adults. So I love this stage too! We get to remember our fun times as kids but also relate as adults.

Becca, describe Katrina in three words. Enthusiastic. Warm. Creative.

Becca, what’s a quality or skill does Katrina has that you really admire? Where do I even begin?
Trina models so many qualities that I wish I had. I think she is really adept in social situations at putting other people at ease. She doesn’t seek out points of contention or disagreement (something I do relentlessly).

Becca, how would you say Katrina has ‘rubbed off’ on you?
Because we’re so close in age, I think there’s been a lot of reciprocity. Trina has a get-it-done work ethic that has rubbed off on me. She gets so much done in the limited amount of time she has (a quality I also admire in Liz “Lizzing it” Stanley). She has also influenced my taste in art and music.

Trina, describe Becca in three words. Energetic. Knowledgeable. Imaginative.

Trina, what’s a quality or skill Becca has that you really admire?
She had the ability to take in a lot of information in a short amount of time. When we were growing up she could read entire books in a day.

Trina, how would you say Becca has ‘rubbed off’ on you?
Growing up, Becca was always using her hands to create things. She was a fantastic artist and I always looked up to her. I’m now studying graphic design and I think maybe Becca’s desire to create rubbed off on me.

I think that Trina and I both have very warm personalities. We tend to get along with most people and accommodate lots of personalities. On the other hand, I think I tend to question people and authority more often than Trina does. I’m more argumentative than she is.

Becca, how would you say you and Katrina differ in your style? 
I think my style’s a little more buttoned up than hers is, but overall I think we have similar impulses.

 Becca, how would you describe Katrina’s style?

Trina, how would you describe Becca’s style?
Becca is the kind of person that doesn’t hang on to a lot of clothes. She has a few really solid staples in her closet that she wears often. Her style is kind of bohemian but with more class.