This week, I have the pleasure of introducing to you our wonderful accountant, Anna Khlebnikova. Read on for more about this behind-the-scenes Spoonflower employee in her own words!
I grew up in Southern Russia, in the city called Krasnodar. It was founded 218 years ago and has a troubling but interesting history. With the city’s numerous theaters, museum and galleries, there was always something to do. Because of its geographical location and pleasant climate it is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful regions in Russia. While still at Kuban State University in Krasnodar, I started teaching statistics to people sometimes twice my age. It was my first job and probably the most challenging one. After moving to the US and graduating from the University of South Carolina with a degree in accounting, I worked for two mid-sized CPA firms until I became an accountant at Spoonflower.
When I was a kid, I had a very active life. I started taking ballroom dance classes when I was 6 years old. It was something I really enjoyed. I also took piano lessons but didn’t give as much effort as I should have. I do regret that now. My friends and I spent a lot of time outside playing games and going to the park, which had all kinds of great, permanent rides. Our parents would not see us until dark, especially during the long summer break. We had so many different games which we made up ourselves. It’s fascinating to me to think how creative kids are and how their minds work.
I like classical literature as well as prose from the first half of the 20th century. A few of my favorites are The Twelve Chairs, Little Golden Calf, and American Road Trip by Ilf and Petrov, and The Master and Margarita and Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov. I also enjoy reading about historical events. Often when I read about real people living during difficult periods in history, it makes me think of what I would have done and imagine whether I would be able to go through that.
There are so many designers that I admire, and my list is getting longer every day. That is the biggest benefit of working here at Spoonflower; you get to see the work of extremely talented people. I have made several pieces of clothing for my two boys using the adorable designs of Drea Roman, aka Ttoz. I love Lisa Barrett (Ninaribena on Spoonflower), Nadja Petremand, Heather Dutton, Jiah Harrison and so many others. My favorite fabric types that Spoonflower offers are silk, cotton/silk and our new Kona quilting-weight cotton. I would not be original if I say I wish there were more hours in a day. Every weekend I plan to sew something from my Spoonflower fabric but most of the time it is moved to the next weekend.
My family and I love to travel, and we especially enjoy the ocean. Sometimes we wake up on Saturday or Sunday and just decide right then to go to one of the beaches in North Carolina. They are relatively close and we love to walk on the beach, even during winter. There is a long long list of places I would like to visit before I die. Some of the first few are Brazil and Argentina. It's also been a dream of mine for a while to learn to operate a small plane, so I am planning to get a private pilot license. Hopefully that will happen soon.
Wow! I wish I had half of your energy, and that is an experience list to aspire to 😀
Ooo flying yourself is so much fun – it’s bloody expensive but one of those peak experiences you’d never regret. Yay – go for it Anna! 🙂
Wow! Hope to fly with you some day! 🙂