and the 2019 nominees are...

This is Ian's and my eleventh year following the Oscar-nominated animated shorts. Between work travel and projects, a month of sickness, and the added complication of needing a babysitter, Ian and I once again were unable to make it to the Coolidge before the awards show. We're bummed to miss out on the highly commended shorts (Wishing Box and Tweet Tweet both look really good), but we're thankful we were able to catch all the nominees, courtesy iTunes and our personal Pixar collection.

This year is an impressive lineup, which makes breaking our current losing streak a challenge (our prediction record is now 3 for 8, counting just the years we've seen all the animated shorts).

and the 2018 nominees are...

This is Ian and I's tenth year following the Oscar-nominated animated shorts. We had to improvise a bit this year, since a family vacation meant we wouldn't be able to catch them at the Coolidge before the awards show (we still plan to go, and it will be our eighth at the Coolidge). Even though we cobbled it together (thanks to Amazon, iTunes, and Netflix) I'm so glad we're still able to enjoy our longest family tradition (I can't wait until we can include Lucy!). Our prediction record is now 3 for 7, counting just the years we've seen all the animated shorts. Fingers crossed we can bump up our batting average this year.

and the 2017 nominees are...

This is Ian and I's ninth year watching the Oscar-nominated animated shorts (our seventh at the Coolidge). It's hard to believe we've kept the tradition for so long (and next year we'll need a babysitter...), but we look forward to it every year! Our prediction record is now 3 for 6, counting just the years we've seen all the animated shorts.

and the 2016 nominees are...

This is Ian and I's eighth year watching the Oscar-nominated animated shorts (our sixth at the Coolidge Corner Theatre). While this year's nominees didn't feel as compelling overall as in previous years, we still enjoyed our continuing tradition. Our prediction record is now 3 for 5, counting just the years we've seen all the animated shorts. I'm still disappointed The Dam Keeper didn't win last year — Disney seems to be our prediction kryptonite. But especially since there's not a Disney short in the mix this year, here's hoping we're 4 for 6 after tonight!

Sanjay's Super Team — Sanjay, a first-generation Indian boy, loves super heroes. But when his beloved cartoons conflict with his father's Hindu prayers, he is forced to reconcile his western culture with his storied heritage. I can relate to Sanjay's experiences as a first-generation American trying to balance his two identities. Through an entertaining story and beautiful visuals, Pixar reminds us that a fresh perspective is sometimes all we need to bring different worlds together.

World of Tomorrow — A little girl suddenly finds herself transported to the world of the distant future, where humanity has made vast strides in the effort to extend life. The short finds laugh-out-loud humor through the juxtaposition of an innocent toddler with the strange experiences of her glitchy digital future self. This contrast also illustrates technological "progress" is not always what it seems, and the short manages to deeply explore questions of life and what it means to be human. Its minimalist but clever animation is fresh and incredibly fitting. This is our bet to take home the Oscar.

Bear Story (Historia de un Oso) — An old bear spends his days as a street entertainer, telling his life story as a kidnapped circus bear through an intricate and beautiful mechanical diorama. The diorama is a unique and impressive storytelling device, but I felt the story itself was missing an intangible spark.

We Can't Live Without Cosmos — From the director of Lavatory, Love Story, this short follows two lifelong friends as they train to be cosmonauts, following their shared dream of making it to the stars. With delightful bits of humor sprinkled in, Cosmos explores the idea of shared dreams, friendship, and failure.

Prologue — The ancient war between Sparta and Athens is brought into sharp, hand drawn detail as four warriors battle to the death. This was a graphic and intense short, noted as "not suitable for young viewers." The well composed animation with realistic human rendering was astounding, but the story itself wasn't as thought-provoking as I would have hoped, given the dark and deep subject matter.

Highly Commended Shorts

If I Was God — A middle school boy daydreams about ultimate power during a science class frog dissection. The claymation was a perfect medium for this hilariously awkward coming of age story. We've enjoyed all the selections we've seen out of Canada's NFB, which produced Bus Story in 2015 and Wild Life and Sunday/Dimanche in 2012, and this year did not disappoint.

The Short Story of a Fox and a Mouse — A mouse, alone and without cover, escapes one danger only to enter a bigger predicament. But an unexpected alliance at the right moment can change everything. The pale winter scenes and bright animals were a beautiful way to tell a sweet if predictable story.

The Loneliest Stoplight — At the intersection of two local roads, an old stoplight tells his life story, from installation to obsolescence to one shining moment thanks to a pileup on the freeway. It's a classic story of small town charm versus the efficiency of progress, retold through an unexpected lens. This was another solid short from Bill Plympton, the animator behind last year's Footprints and one of our all-time favorites, The Cow Who Wanted to be a Hamburger.

Catch It — A meerkat family has been anticipating the day they can finally enjoy the fruitful bounty of a nearby tree. When a vulture swoops in and steals their prize, the meerkats fight back, only to learn sometimes victory isn't so sweet.

As always, we enjoyed all of the shorts, and highly recommend catching them if you have the opportunity. Have fun watching the Oscars, and may the best films win!

*update: we predicted World of Tomorrow, but Bear Story took home the Oscar.

2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015

Great Scott, it's MUTEMATH!

We've been MUTEMATH fans for a long, long time. The summer after my sophomore year of high school, I went to church camp in Nebraska, where I heard "One Time" by Earthsuit. I loved it. I bought a CD so I could listen to it over and over. But this was before the internet was really a thing you could use to find the answers to life, the universe, and everything, and they eventually fell off my radar. Until a few years later, when Ian shared a band called MUTEMATH, a new project from a couple former Earthsuit members. I was hooked.

When we lived in Philadelphia, MUTEMATH was my soundtrack as I walked to work at Reading Terminal Market. And after we caught them opening for 30 Seconds to Mars in Boston, I couldn't get enough. We saw them open for Matt & Kim, and headline on their Odd Soul tour. They were meant to make music, and their passion is palpable.

When we heard they were coming back to Boston this September, we bought tickets the moment they went on sale. The show sold out in hours. They added a second night. It sold out the same day. We soon learned the venue, Great Scott, is tiny. Surprising, knowing they can fill the House of Blues. But also amazing, knowing we'd be up close and personal with the band and music we love so much.

We grabbed dinner at our beloved Roxy's, then jumped in line at the venue. While waiting, we saw Paul walk out the front doors on his way somewhere before the show, saying hi on his way. The doors finally opened, and we hustled in. Quiet Entertainer kicked things off fantastically, and then it was on to the main event. We were front and center, so close I couldn't fit the whole band in one shot (sorry I only got part of your guitar, Todd!). This was a tour to say thanks to all their longtime fans, before the new album came out. They played their big hits, crowdsourced, which resulted in "Peculiar People, and shared music from their (at the time) upcoming album, Vitals.

Vitals, like all of their previous albums, feels like it was written specifically for me, right now. Stacia Brown puts it best in her Washington Post article: "Sometimes it isn’t the music a band produces that most endears us to it. It’s how precisely its albums can be synced to our lives; it’s the notion that the band is evolving in tandem with us." The song "Light Up" especially hits me. After eight years of marriage, I know exactly what the lyrics mean when Paul sings "Sometimes we just have to walk through the fire / Just to see once more what has never shined brighter."

Paul, Darren, Roy, and Todd, thank you so much for sharing your talents and passions with the world. We'll be listening as long as you keep making music.

Gregory Alan Isakov and his "Suitcase Full of Sparks"

Apparently some of our favorite musicians favor the Sinclair: Pomplamoose, Brooke Fraser, and now Gregory Alan Isakov.

We first saw him play at Newport Folk Festival, and it was just the kind of music you want while sitting under a giant tent, rain tapping along and thunder rumbling with the base line. Although the Sinclair is a much different space, they didn't disappoint. Old suitcases, a glowing globe, and a cozy rug set the vibe. He introduced his band as his best friends, and you could feel their easy camaraderie. Imagine sitting around a campfire in the Rocky Mountains, cuddled under a blanket, with your favorite people in the circle around you, and you're almost at the show.



Our favorite is "Suitcase Full of Sparks," which Ian sang at Fox and Sara's wedding (Ian tweaked the lyrics slightly so the details reflected their relationship and the wedding). And it gets me. every. single. time.



(Also, "Stable Song" and "Amsterdam," because.)

I'd say more, but the Boston Globe says it better. Meanwhile, I'll be listening to "Suitcase Full of Sparks" on repeat...

Brooke Fraser, Brutal Romantic

For Valentine's Day, Ian nabbed us tickets to see Brooke Fraser at the Sinclair. We've always been captivated by her incredible voice and songwriting, and love her latest album, Brutal Romantic. The week's snowstorm threatened to cancel our plans, but thankfully held off until the wee hours of the morning. (Giant flakes began to fall as we walked up to our front door around midnight.)



She was funny and down to earth. Her voice was pitch perfect. And we love the new techno vibe to her music, as she continues to evolve and explore her craft. In addition to songs from Brutal Romantic, she also played some of her old favorites, like "C. S. Lewis Song," remixed to her current style. She said, since the songs were now over a decade old, it was rather like teenagers getting tattoos and piercings. I like her similes.

The show was amazing, and the perfect Valentine's Day respite from the crazy snow. And the next time Brooke Fraser comes to Boston, we'll be there.

and the 2015 nominees are...

For the seventh year in a row, Ian and I watched the Oscar-nominated animated shorts (our fifth year watching at the Coolidge Corner Theatre). Our prediction record is now 3 for 4, counting just the years we've seen all the animated shorts. Here's hoping we're 4 for 5 after tonight!

Me and My Moulton — This was a delightful recounting of a memorable summer for a young Norwegian girl and her two sisters growing up in the 60s. Their quirky and unconventional parents, both modern architects, often leave their daughter uncomfortable, wishing they could be more like other families. But over the course of that summer she learns to appreciate her family, quirks and all. I loved both the storytelling style and the bright, simple, yet expressive animation. Ian and I relate closely to the parents' design sense, which made us enjoy the short even more. (Someday, we are going to be those parents. #notpregnant)

Feast — This year's Disney short is a boy-meets-girl story told from the perspective of the boy's dog — more specifically, the dog's food bowl. Food is love, so reflecting the story of a relationship through a series of meals is an intriguing concept. However, the pet perspective reminded us of Adam and Dog, a 2013 animated short nominee. The animation also felt very similar to Disney's Paperman from two years ago. Like Paperman, this short was sweet but a bit contrived, and the ending seemed too cliché.

The Bigger Picture — Two brothers deal with the responsibility of caring for their aging mother. Her increasing dependency changes her relationship with each of her sons, and also reveals the brothers' differences. Most impressive is the stop motion animation of the characters, painted life-sized, frame-by-frame, on the walls of the rooms, and the way they interact with the three-dimensional rooms and the objects the contain. This unique technique combined with the creators' willingness to address such a difficult topic makes this a serious contender for the Oscar.

A Single Life — An album mysteriously turns up at the door of a young woman, and it turns out to be, quite literally, the record of her life. It's a hilarious two minutes of film that still achieves a poignant message about what can happen when we're in a hurry to get to the next phase in life. And the soundtrack is fantastic.

The Dam Keeper — A young pig has inherited his father's job as dam keeper, protecting his small town from the ominous dark cloud on the other side of the wall. His job is thankless and unappreciated, and the other animals at school bully the dirty pig. When a new student appears at school, the pig begins to hope he might not be so alone. But with friendship comes vulnerability. The story touches on important issues of bullying, loneliness, and metal health. Beautiful and epic, this is my pick to take home the Oscar.

Highly Commended Shorts

Sweet Cocoon — A well-fed caterpillar needs some help squeezing into her tiny cocoon. Two kind bugs work hard to assist her, with surprising results. I loved the almost slapstick comedy, and the humor of a lady working hard to wear a too-small dress translates so well into the insect world.

Footprints — From the creator of The Cow Who Wanted to be a Hamburger is a story of a man who wakes up in the middle of the night to a crash through his window. He grabs his gun to track down the intruder, and with each new clue, the imagined monster grows larger. This was a dark short with a deep twist, the meaning of which we're still debating.

The Duet — Glen Keane, an animator who worked on The Little Mermaid, Pocahontas, and many other Disney classics, created this short for Google's new virtual world app. A love story is told in one continuous spiraling shot, twisting to follow the two characters crossing paths until they finally unite. It's a beautiful animated short, which I can imagine is even more impressive when experienced in the viewer for which it was created.

Bus Story — A woman has an idyllic dream of life as a school bus driver, picking up happy children and waving at parents while rolling along the beautiful Canadian countryside. When she gets the opportunity to drive the only school bus in town, she soon feels the reality of a temperamental boss, charmless passengers, and an unwieldy bus. This was a delightfully funny short, and I particularly loved the narrator.

As always, we enjoyed all of the shorts, and highly recommend catching them if you have the opportunity. Have fun watching the Oscars, and may the best films win!

*update: we predicted The Dam Keeper, but Feast took home the Oscar.

2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014

PompTour Boston 2014

As soon as I found out the Pomplamoose Season 2 #PompTour included Boston, we purchased tickets for the September 23 show at the Sinclair in Harvard Square. I may have slightly modified the lyrics to "September" as I counted down the days.

Much like our first Pomplamoose show, we began our evening with burgers and ice cream, this time at Shake Shack, before heading to the venue. We weren't too far back in the line, and scored a fantastic spot in the mezzanine right above the sound board. John Schroeder kicked off the show with a solo acoustic set. His Spanish guitar skills are off the chain, and his soulful songs are equally impressive.



One set change later, and the Pomplamoose band was on stage. Based on their 2011 show, I knew it would be crazy, entertaining, and full of amazing music. But they completely blew my expectations out of the water. Not only did they kill it with their set, Jack started a "mosh fractal" that culminated in a dance party, Nataly crowd surfed for the first time, and they capped off the evening with "La Vie en Rose" for an encore, with just Nataly singing and Jack playing accordion.



After the show, we landed at the end of the meet and greet line. It was late for a weeknight, but while we waited we had a great time chatting with Carlos, the drummer, as he shared more about Jack, Nataly, and the history of Pomplamoose.



When it was finally our turn to say hi, I didn't clam up like last time. And they remembered us! Also, they were still impressed with my Pomplamoose shirt, and Jack told me I look like Catherine Zeta Jones. They were so kind and patient, and they were incredibly accommodating for a Fingerwarmer fan photo.



Jack's full financial disclosure of the tour has drawn a flurry of criticism, but as a longtime fan who has attended both of their tours, I feel qualified to say they made a smart investment. The PompTour show was electric. Almost everyone we talked to in line before the show discovered them more recently, and that kind of performance can only solidify and grow their fan base. We have friends trying to make a living with music, and one thing they emphasize is they are small businesses, and if they don't treat their careers that way it isn't sustainable. The idea of artists creating art for the sake of art is romantic, but artists also have to pay the bills. I appreciate Pomplamoose's transparency, and hope they continue "making it" for a long time to come. We're already looking forward to the next Pomplamoose tour. Please come back to Boston!

See the rest of our PompTour photos on Flickr.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: a book review

It's the worst of bad manners — and self-protection, I think, in a nervously cynical society — to ridicule the small gesture. These earnest efforts might just get us past the train-wreck of the daily news, or the anguish of standing behind a child, looking with her at the road ahead, searching out redemption where we can find it: recycling or carpooling or growing a garden or saving a species or something. Small, stepwise changes in personal habits aren't trivial. Ultimately they will, or won't, add up to having been the thing that mattered.
     —Barbara Kingsolver, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

After reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, I feel motivated to do something to further our journey in living green. What, I'm not sure. On one hand, I'm inspired to raise chickens and grow fruits and vegetables, to learn to can and otherwise preserve our surplus, to make everything from scratch, to shop almost exclusively at farmers markets that pop up around the city when warm weather entices everyone to spend more time outdoors. On the other hand, we have constraints. We live in an apartment building in the city with no space for chickens or a garden or a stockpile of preserves. Many farmers markets are open on weekdays, when we're both at the office. And it's New England. Farmer's market season is limited (though CSA options extend beyond it).

Where does that leave me and my aspirations? What I find most compelling about Barbara Kingsolver's book is she acknowledges that conscientious eating in practice looks different for everyone. Instead of mandating what everyone should do, she highlights why the local food movement matters. She discusses the high long-term costs of our current food economy — to our health, to our environment, to our communities — and then explains how the local food movement can stem the tide through small and simple choices.

"Locally grown" is a denomination whose meaning is incorruptible. Sparing the transportation fuel, packaging, and unhealthy additives is a compelling part of the story, but the plot goes well beyond that. Local food is a handshake deal in a community gathering place. It involves farmers with first names, who show up week after week. It means an open door policy on the fields, where neighborhood buyers are welcome to come have a look, and pick their food from the vine. Local is farmers growing trust.
     —Barbara Kingsolver, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

This resonates so much more now than when I first heard about the local organic food movement. On 60 Minutes Leslie Stahl interviewed a dreamy-eyed foodie in California who seemed to suggest that every family had the money to buy expensive organic food and the time to make everything from scratch, and just did not value the flavor and experience enough to do so. We moved to Boston in the middle of the winter on one entry-level salary, and after cutting out all expenses not directly related to survival, we were left with a $40 budget to feed both of us each week. I wasn't buying $8/pound organic grapes.

In contrast, Kingsolver isn't puttering around in a kitchen the size of my apartment, waxing poetic about how much better an egg tastes when it's poached in a wood fired oven. She works long hard days in her garden, revels in the first shoots of asparagus, serves as a matchmaker for her adolescent flocks of chickens and turkeys, spends late summer days in a hot kitchen canning, and builds meaningful relationships with the growers in her community. By sharing her experiences — the hardships as well as the joys of pursing local food, she inspires me to believe I can do it too, in my own way.



One of Kingsolver's keys to making local organic food economical, and therefore practical, is eating in season, whether you grow food yourself or buy from a grower or grocery store. Tomatoes in the middle of summer surplus are inexpensive. The same tomato in the middle of winter is not, due to the expense of either transporting it long distances or using lots of energy to grow it in a hothouse. Because the book follows their year-long local food experiment chronologically, it lends itself to good tips and recipes to eat seasonally (basil blackberry crumble? twist my arm). And while her family was committed to the project for one full year, she admitted once it was over, they would allow themselves more flexibility. But Italian wine and bananas would be treats, not staples.

So what are our next steps, in a small city apartment and six-month winter without outdoor space or a car? Switching our Boston Organics box to the local option (I acknowledge we may cry uncle to root vegetables by mid-February). Making a more concerted effort to see if/when we can work local farmers markets into our schedules. Finding restaurants and grocery stores that buy or even grow local (like Russos and Wilson Farm). Shifting our perspective to see out-of-area and out-of-season food as treats. Eating less meat, and making sure it's from happy healthy animals when we do. Planning meals around the seasons, instead of picking recipes first. Supporting and celebrating growers who are passionate about their craft. It is these seemingly small changes that will "add up to having been the thing that mattered."

Eat (real) food, not too much, mostly plants.
     —Michael Pollen

and the 2014 nominees are...

For the sixth year in a row, Ian and I watched the Oscar-nominated animated shorts (our fourth year watching at the Coolidge Corner Theatre). We've had a fairly good record predicting the winner (going 2 for 3 when we've seen all the nominees... and I really wish our predicted winner won last year), and are trying our luck again.

Get a Horse!  — This Disney short first seems to be a long lost Mickey Mouse animation, with a wagon full of beloved characters on a pleasant afternoon ride. Then Peg-Leg Pete picks a fight from his newfangled car, and the ensuing chaos crashes into the theater. I learned after the fact that this appeared in 3D before Frozen, so we missed the full effect of Mickey & Co. erupting from the screen. I can imagine this as a technical masterpiece, but the characters and storyline, while charmingly nostalgic, remained two-dimensional.

Mr. Hublot  — The obsessive compulsive Mr. Hublot is drawn out of his carefully ordered world by the barks of an abandoned robot dog. He soon finds himself torn between maintaining his measured and meticulous life and upsetting the familiar to make room for something new. The visuals are a beautiful and quirky portrayal of a futuristic and mechanical world, and the story is heartwarming and unexpected. I found myself thinking about both the cost and the value of inviting new people and things into my life. The field seems tight this year, but we're guessing (and hoping) Mr. Hublot takes home the Oscar.

Feral  — A hunter finds a wild boy in the woods and brings him home to civilization, which may not be as civilized as it seems. The stark and haunting style of animation effectively conveys the confusion and distress of the wild boy as he encounters a strange new world, but the story and its themes were quite perplexing. Am I happy at the boy's rescue? Angry he is forced to change? Is his wildness nature or nurture, and should it be accommodated or tamed? Is the kindhearted hunter better off without this feral boy? Are the flaws of society irredeemable? I appreciate movies that make me think, but this short could have benefited from a stronger focus and direction.

Possessions — A lone traveler gets caught in a storm and takes shelter in a dilapidated shrine. He soon discovers it is inhabited by broken and discarded household items that have, as described by Japanese folklore, developed souls and are ready to take revenge. The traveler's wise responses to each challenge feel like part of a long line of fables where wit, not might, conquers the foe. The anime style of the film seemed a bit disjointed at the beginning, but in retrospect, I can't imagine the story visualized in any other way.

Room on the Broom — A kind and cheerful witch and her cat unexpectedly pick up a few extra passengers on their broom, to the cat's chagrin. But soon they discover they have bigger problems: the witch has inadvertently caught the attention of a dragon, whose favorite meal happens to be witch and chips. As fans of The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo's Child, we were tickled to see some of those characters make cameos, and the claymation, once again, was delightful. The story didn't build quite as expected, but as a children's story it offers an important lesson on friendship and flexibility.

Highly Commended Shorts

A la Française  — A day in the life of Versailles during the reign of Louis the Fourteenth is full of big hair, big egos, and big drama. The short starts with empty shots of Versailles, which we were excited to recognize thanks to our trip last year. When the first chickens finally appeared on screen, I laughed out loud. The concept is so creative and full of humor. Each tableau of court life is delightfully comedic (don't miss King Louis's tail: a fleur-de-lis), and slowly builds to a surprising finale in the Hall of Mirrors.

The Missing Scarf  — A squirrel out searching for his lost scarf bumps into several friends, who are each too preoccupied with their own fears to help him find his scarf. The chipper and optimistic squirrel offers each of them conventional advice for conquering those fears, which they follow to unexpected results. The animation was inventive, and we both loved the use of infographics to build suspense. We loved the visual style and the dark humor.

The Blue Umbrella — While waiting at a crosswalk, a blue umbrella is smitten when he bumps into a red umbrella. They exchange a few shy glances, but too soon their owner's paths diverge. Determined to spend more time with the red umbrella, the blue umbrella escapes his owner's grasp, only to end up in the middle of a dangerously busy street. It is up to the setting to fix this dire situation. Although the storyline did seem to be missing that Pixar creative spark, the photorealistic animation is breathtaking.

We enjoyed all of the shorts, and highly recommend catching them if you have the opportunity. Have fun watching the Oscars, and may the best films win!

*update: we were right — Mr. Hublot took home the Oscar!

2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013

Advent Conspiracy: handmade knitwear from the Philippines

"One size fits most." —Fingerwarmers in the honey winnower's cowl

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably already know that Ricefield Collective, which I supported on Kickstarter, held a photo contest for their Kickstarter backers and early customers. Fingerwarmers won the grand prize, and the Ricefield Collective blog Q&A just posted today!

"Look! I'm a hipster/Berklee student!" —Ian in the peacoat dreamer hat

The contest grand prize was seven pieces from the winter collection (which fortunately fit Ian and I much better than Fingerwarmers), and we love every single one. They are all warm, soft, and cozy, which is very important here in New England (currently 15 degrees). They also are beautiful, hand knit, and feature patterns difficult or impossible to replicate on a machine. And every purchase supports women in the Philippines, providing them enough of an income to stay and farm their ancestral lands.

"Knitwear from Ricefield Collective makes a great holiday gift." —Anna in the elf/huckleberry seedling slouchy

Since today is the last day of guaranteed first class shipping before Christmas, Ricefield Collective is offering 20 to 40% off everything until midnight EST tonight (December 17). Don't miss out!

Thanks for everything, Google Reader. (Hello, Feedly.)

image via Feedly

Confession: I follow more blogs than I can count. My casual habit turned into an addiction when I discovered Google Reader (eight years ago when it first came out; I'm a nerd). Whenever I see a blog that piques my interest, I add it to my reader for a trial run. Every so often I pare down so I can do more with my life than just read blogs, but I can't imagine a life without my daily dose of posts.

The day Google Reader announced it's retirement, I panicked, counted to five, then did a Google search for replacements. Going without a feed reader was not an option I would accept.

Several suggestions kept cropping up, but Feedly was the one that caught my eye. I loved the clean, simple design, the logo color (green!), and the smooth transition. Feedly was running on Google Reader's infrastructure, but they were already preparing to clone Reader's nuts and bolts to ensure seamless service as Reader sails off into the sunset.

I logged into Feedly using my Google account. All of my subscriptions and starred posts were there waiting for me with no export/import migration hassle. Also to my amazement, reading blogs on my phone was now an option I enjoyed thanks to the Feedly app (iOS and Android).

If you're interested in giving Feedly a shot, log on with your Google account before July 1 (Reader's official sunset date), and you'll feel like you still have the Google Reader you know and love, but with a fancy new outfit. (While you're at it, subscribe to the blog if you haven't already!)

Google Reader, you've made my life better for the past eight years. Thanks for the memories, and enjoy retirement.

Ricefield Collective: knitwear from the Philippines

photo via Ricefield Collective's Kickstarter campaign

I look forward to my weekly Projects We Love email from Kickstarter. It's always fun to see highlights from the wide range of projects that pop up. But a few weeks ago, one stopped me in my tracks: Ricefield Collective.

Overlooking rice terraces in the Philippines, Meredith Ramirez crafted a plan to combine knitting and tradition with local Filipina women. Together, they're creating a collection of knitwear inspired by the ascending lines of the mountains they call home.

Thanks to my Filipino heritage, this project pulled my heartstrings. Ifugao is not terribly far from the areas we toured while visiting my family in the Philippines a few years ago, where we saw people struggling to maintain their culture while navigating in a changing economy. The women in this knitting collective are desperate to make enough money for their families to stay on their ancestral farms. Growing up in Kansas, this too is a story I understand.

On top of the emotional draw to this project, the hats and scarves look amazing. I already had my eye out for a cute new winter hat, since my trusty go-to is beginning to look the worse for wear. What could be a more perfect replacement than a beautiful piece handcrafted by a Filipina, supporting her and her family as they carry on an important piece of Filipino heritage? I backed the project at the Spiral Slouchy level (photo below), after deliberating between all of the well-designed options.

photo via Ricefield Collective's Kickstarter campaign

The project is already fully funded, which means Ricefield Collective is getting the money needed to expand operations and help more women (and backers are guaranteed their rewards!). But they aren't done. They've created new gifts as motivation to reach a new goal: $85,000. This would allow them to create a permanent home base in Ifugao and employ even more women. They have one week to reach this goal, and still need another $18,600 to make it.

Today, on a cold and gloomy spring day in Boston, it seems like the perfect time to spread the word about something so warm and cozy. If you could use a stylish new hat and/or scarf next fall, make a difference with your purchase! Meredith, Jean, and the other members of Ricefield Collective will thank you.

and the 2013 nominees are...

For the fifth year in a row, Ian and I watched the Oscar-nominated animated shorts (our third year watching at the Coolidge Corner Theatre).

This year, the official screening included the five nominees plus three highly commended shorts. The experience felt a bit strange without a Pixar short in the mix (no new short out in time), but we were impressed with all of nominees.

(watch the official trailer for Head over Heels on Vimeo)

Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare" — Dropped off at the Ayn Rand Daycare Center, Maggie Simpson is labeled average and carried past the Room for Gifted Babies to the "nothing special" corner, where she runs into butterfly-smashing Baby Gerald and befriends a caterpillar. In the prison-break caper that ensues, Maggie throws herself into protecting her new friend from Gerald's mallet. I'm not well versed in The Simpsons, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment. Maggie steals the show, and the writing and humor are excellent.

Adam and Dog — This short takes the well-known story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and retells it through the perspective of the first dog. The setting of this short is an expansive and breathtaking artistic interpretation of an unmarred world, and the characters' innocence and joy are infectious. The fall is unseen by the dog, but it's effects are felt in the gloom that permeates everything in the latter part of the short. This is a hauntingly beautiful work of art and I would not be surprised if it ends up winning. (This is the one Ian wants to win.)

Fresh Guacamole — A recipe for guacamole might seem an uninspired premise for a short, until you see the ingredients. This short takes a familiar process and makes it fresh (pun intended) using impressive stop-motion animation and brilliant sound editing. Everyday objects replace the usual ingredients for an imaginative and entertaining under-two-minute food spot.

Head over Heels — Walter and Madge have grown apart after years of marriage. They live in the same house but on different planes: he on the floor, she on the ceiling. When a tattered pair of ballet slippers inspires Walter to try to bridge the gap, it throws off the delicate balance keeping their house afloat, and they must find a way to weave their lives back together. The stop-motion animation is incredible in it's execution and attention to detail, and the story is a compelling take on a universal question: how do you keep love alive? The answer is poignant, and we're predicting this takes home the Oscar (I cried, which has proven a good indicator in past years).

Paperman — George has a chance encounter with a lovely lady, but misses his opportunity. He gets a second shot when, at work, he spots her in a window of the skyscraper across the street. In a light bulb moment, he folds the contents of his inbox, sheet by sheet, into paper airplanes and sends them towards the open window. In a surprising yet classically Disney twist, his crazy idea turns into an unexpected success. The pencil-drawn appearance of the characters is charming, as is the 1950s New York City setting. Most impressive is the pioneering combination of computer and hand-drawn animation. This may win over voters, but after watching Head over Heels, Paperman's ending felt a touch contrived, the music demanding, instead of encouraging, my emotional response.

Highly Commended Shorts

Abiogenesis — A giant robot lands on an empty planet and transforms it through a sequence of mechanical operations. While the animation is impressive, I was left wanting more. From where did the robot come? Why did it transform the planet? What happens next? What does it mean? It is a creation story, but it feels unfinished somehow. (This might be due in part to expectations from the teaser text which implies the robot has an agenda and the planet's transformation "has profound implications for an entire galaxy.")

Dripped — In the same vein as a tall tale, this is the story of Jack, who steals then eats priceless paintings in order to experience the works in a very literal way. But when his crimes begin to catch up to him, he is forced into hiding and his stockpile of paintings dwindles. Desperate and out of options, he pulls out a canvas and begins to paint. I loved Jack's various incarnations as interpretations of famous paintings brought to life, and Jack's identity, revealed in the end through his art, was a fun surprise.

The Gruffalo's Child — We saw The Gruffalo, nominated for best animated short in 2009, and were delighted by this sequel (again, based on the book series). One snowy night, the Gruffalo's child sneaks out in search of the Big Bad Mouse from her father's stories. She encounters the snake, the owl, and the fox before she finally runs into the not-so-big, not-so-bad mouse, who once again must use his wits to survive. The clay animation is beautiful, and I love that this is a story about a brave little girl (and that wit still beats might).

We enjoyed all of the shorts, and highly recommend catching them if you have the opportunity. Have fun watching the Oscars, and may the best films win!

*update: we predicted Head over Heels, but Paperman took home the Oscar.

2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012

Katharine Grubb giveaway winner announced!

image courtesy of Katharine Grubb

The winner of last week's giveaway for a digital copy of Katharine Grubb's Falling for your Madness is #1, Didy! Congratulations! I know you're going to love it. Email me at annakristina28 [at] gmail [dot] com.

Thanks to everyone for sharing, and don't forget you can still enter to win a SIGNED copy on Goodreads. Just can't wait until February 14? Buy it now on Amazon in paperback or for your Kindle. (Support a local independent artist!)

Falling for Katharine Grubb: author Q&A + giveaway

image courtesy of Katharine Grubb

I met Katharine a couple years ago at REUNION. Ian and I fell in love with her family (she and Marc have five amazing kids), and she and I bonded over our writing adventures (and Midwest roots and love of Big 12 football). I had the privilege of serving as part of a focus group for her second manuscript, which has now become her first published novel! I could gush about it, but since I already have, I thought it would be fun to hear from Katharine herself.

What's your elevator pitch for Falling for Your Madness?

Boy meets girl. Boy is looking for a bride. Boy has fake English accent, loads of charm, and strict rules concerning a counter-cultural relationship. Boy claims he is bound by the laws of chivalry both body and soul. Girl falls for him but suspects he is mad. Girl finds out secret of why he does what he does, a secret filled with magic. Does she release him or marry him? (And then, in a elevator pitch, I would give the spoiler, because an agent or an publisher would want to know. But for the sake of this interview, I’ll stop there.)

Have your own experiences with love and romance influenced this book?

My husband and I met online in 1995, back when you had to explain e-mail to people. So, like David and Laura’s, our courtship was unusual and there was an intentionality to it. We were both looking for a spouse, not a fling. We both understood God’s vision for marriage and agreed on how to go about courting each other in a respectful, honest way. I moved to Brookline, Mass in 1996 to be closer to Marc, and the neighborhood that we fell in love in is the same neighborhood of Laura’s apartment and all of the teas, lunches, and dinners she had with David.

That's so sweet! So what would you consider a perfect date? (Confession: whenever I hear this question, I think "April 25th. Because it's not too hot, not too cold, all you need is a light jacket." Thanks, Miss Congeniality.)

HAH! After you are married for 16 years, your expectations are a little lower and you’re always thinking "can we afford this?" But I will say this: the perfect date to me is eating a meal that I didn't cook. Laughing a lot. Maybe a hike. I have five kids, so I would probably just be thrilled with a little peace and quiet.

If you were in Laura's shoes, would you take a chance with David?

I would! Because I find respect and good manners attractive. I created him to be someone I would have dated—smart, funny, not afraid to be goofy, gallant, and not caught up in society’s expectations of what men should be. My husband is like him in many ways. Not the hair in his eyes part. My husband does not have that problem.

Poetry, specifically Tennyson's poetry, is generously sprinkled throughout the book. Why poetry, and why Tennyson (besides the fact that David is a quasi-British English professor)?

David’s obsession with chivalry had to have a cause. He had to be well-read and smart (plus, I think those qualities are very attractive in men). And a literature professor would be more fun than a history professor, in my opinion. In my research, I found out that Tennyson’s Idylls of the King were instrumental in keeping Arthurian legends alive. Honestly, I didn't know that much about Tennyson before I wrote this book. So, I looked at his other poems. "The Charge of the Light Brigade" is one I made my kids memorize. Once I put that one in, at the beginning, I realized that David would use poetry to convey his most passionate feelings. Tennyson had a ton of poetry to choose from and I had a lot of fun figuring out which was perfect for David’s big moments. Tennyson was a great fit for David. It kind of makes me want to sit in on his classes.

Tell me more about your journey as a writer.

One of my earliest memories is when I was about four years old and I had a blank piece of paper and a pencil and I remember thinking that I should put a story on the paper! But then I got very frustrated because my penmanship skills were far slower than my brain. I've always created stories in one form or another. But I've also been plagued by crippling self-doubt and a lack of confidence. Failing college journalism courses didn't help.

Six years ago, right after the birth of my youngest child, I spent a lot of time in prayer asking God what to do with my desires to write. It was a slow beginning—blogging, an article here or there, then I started a novel. God was faithful. Not only did the opportunities to write show up, but he revealed to me the root issues of my self-doubt and fear. Over the last six years, I've never written more, never been so free to be myself even though the journey has been, at times, very painful.

I know writing this book was a very different experience from that first novel. Tell me more about the process, and what that was like.

The first novel, The Truth About the Sky, came about because I wanted to challenge myself to write a novel. It took me five years to complete it. I’m hoping to release it next fall. I had just assumed that all of my novels would take this long. Falling For Your Madness, however, came to me in a flash. I had the entire story in my head over the course of a weekend, a workable draft in three weeks, a finished draft in six, and most of what is in the finished project within eight weeks time. This is unusually fast for anyone. I wrote like a madwoman. I barely spoke to my family. I barely stopped to eat and sleep. It was an obsession. I loved it! But at the same time, I've never been so obsessed with a story and it was a little scary!

Laura's father said to "fill up and look" so as an artist she overflows with creativity and unique perspectives. How do you do this?

I came up with this idea because I was trying to explain to myself why, all of a sudden, I was so obsessed with writing this story. It was like I was overflowing with words. One of my explanations of this was that earlier in the summer I read a LOT of fiction, all different genres. Perhaps I just filled up and overflowed. The idea of filling up on others’ creativity is good for everyone, artist or not.

Let's talk about self publishing. It's amazing: countless best sellers almost weren't because publishers passed them over; how many more are out there waiting? It's frustrating: I lament the exponential growth of poorly edited fiction that comes with the lack of systematic quality control. It's scary for writers: most self-published authors don't have the experience and knowledge a publisher would provide. How did you decide to take the plunge? What resources have you used to deliver a high quality book and navigate the world of marketing thus far?

I had never considered self-publishing because I thought that there was safety and credibility to sticking with traditional publishers. However, Falling For Your Madness changed everything. Because this is a romantic comedy, it was far more marketable than my first book and I believe that it will open doors for me that The Truth About The Sky won’t or can’t. I wasn’t convinced to self-publish though, until an early reader-stroke-college buddy, Kate, who loves indie authors and reads voraciously, strongly encouraged me to do this. Kind of like, “DO IT NOW! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!”

Luckily for me, I know a few indie authors and I've been watching how they did it. I went with Amazon.com’s self publishing venues, Kindle Direct and Createspace. It was ridiculously easy. Kate’s daughter, Bree, designed my cover. My church friend, Christina, did my editing. I have no marketing budget, but I’m relying on my indie author friends, blogs like this one and my social media presence (@10MinuteWriter and www.10MinuteWriter.com) and some unexpected, enthusiastic word of mouth sales. We’ll see what happens. Publishing is a slow, slow business. My goal now is to grow a reader base who’ll want to read my books in the future.

You present a variety of views of women, and what it is to be a woman. An object to be toyed with and conquered. An equal, nothing less but nothing more. A lady to be wooed and honored. (And the contrasting fear that chivalry reduces a woman to a barefoot, child-bearing homemaker.) While you explore this with much more finesse in the book, how would you explain in shorthand your own views on womanhood?

Contrary to the way I was raised in the 70s, I believe being a woman is a beautiful thing. God did not make us to hate ourselves, compare ourselves to men, or to cheapen who we are. Chivalry is just an orderly way of looking at God’s purpose for men and women. This is based on reverence and respect. When men and women view each other this way, it enhances them both and frees them to fully embrace all of who they are to each other. I never understood this until I was in college. Many of the things David says in the Arboretum came right out of my college ministry’s guidance to me in the 80s, which shaped the wife and mother I am today.

Several moments in the book made me laugh out loud. What role does humor play in the book, your writing style, and your life?

Which ones??? Oh my, humor is just a part of me. My family of origin used humor for good reasons and bad ones and I learned as a child that humor was a powerful force. I joke around when I’m nervous. I joke around to get people to like me. I joke around to diffuse a stressful situation. I joke around to teach my kids big concepts. I wouldn't know how to live without doing this. I’m also drawn to funny and I only write books that I would enjoy reading, so my books have to be funny. At least funny to me.

I wish I had noted them for you, but most if not all of them involved David and Merle—they make quite a pair!

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, AND for generously offering a digital copy of Falling for Your Madness to one lucky reader!

To enter to win a digital copy of Katharine's book, leave a comment with the most recent thing that made you laugh out loud by Sunday, January 20 at 10pm (EST). I'll select a winner at random and announce here on the blog Monday. Good luck!

This giveaway is now closed, but you can still enter the Goodreads giveaway!

If you prefer paper, Katharine is giving away three SIGNED copies via GoodReads. It opens Wednesday and runs through Valentine's Day.

image courtesy of Katharine Grubb

Katharine Grubb was born in northeastern Oklahoma. She was raised in the Tulsa suburbs, attended OU, taught school, wrote stories, and then shocked everyone by moving to Boston to be with a man she had been e-mailing for nine months. She married that man, and with him had five boisterous children. She still lives in Massachusetts, homeschools her children, bakes bread, does ridiculous amounts of laundry, and sets her timer to write stories in ten minute increments. Her favorite type of books to read and write are quirky, imaginative tales of romance, faith, and humor.

Advent Conspiracy: a Q&A with Christina Rosalie

I waxed poetic about Christina Rosalie's book last month, so you probably aren't surprised to hear I think it would make a brilliant gift.

As I've mentioned, Ian and I celebrate Advent Conspiracy with [REUNION]. It's a reminder to slow down, cut out unnecessary holiday bustle (particularly overwhelming and excessive consumerism), and spend time and money on what really matters.

While Christina didn't write A Field Guide to Now about faith or religion, it shares a certain spirit with the AC movement. Live with intention. Make time to be present in the midst of whatever chaos surrounds you. Don't seek significance where the world claims you'll find it (finding the perfect gifts, attaining a high-profile job). True significance comes through investing in relationships and pursuing your passions. When the world screams "buy more so they love you! do more so the season counts!" Christina offers a welcome respite.

Now on to the good stuff: the Q&A!

photo by Thea Coughlin, courtesy of Christina Rosalie

Where did the idea for the book come from?

It was three years ago when the title for this book showed up at the back of my mind. It was early fall, and the light had just begun to slant in long angles and the first maple leaves were turning vermilion and the idea simply arrived one afternoon, in answer to my own life. It was a time when almost everything in my life was uncertain, and I longed for something tangible—some reference manual for navigating the moments of my life. The book then began as an exploration. I was curious: what might happen if I brought my entire attention to the moment at hand? What might occur if I showed up only here, wholeheartedly, in the process of becoming?

I like to say that it’s part survival guide and part adventure guide—because it’s both an invitation to create whatever your heart yearns for from the ordinary substance of your life—and proof that it is possible. For if we have anything, we have this moment, and if you stop and really pay attention, you’ll discover that wherever you are is exactly where you need to be.

photo by Christina Rosalie

Place is a powerful presence in the book. How did you and your family find yourselves in Vermont?

We came here after Bean was born. If you go back in my archives—way back, you can read about all those adventures of moving from suburban CT, just outside New York City, to rural Vermont and then gutting our house and remaking it into the home it is today. What motivated us to move, really, was the longing to be in a place where our kids could be feral in a good way: wild-hearted with mud on their knees, and safe enough to walk to the neighbors independently. That’s the reality of where we live now—at the end of a dirt road among maples and mud and big, big sky.

What are your favorite things to do as a family?

I love sharing meals with my boys and husband. T is an incredible cook—and does most of the cooking around our house, and it always feels like such a sacred and joyful way to end the day: around the table holding hands and being thankful and then digging into something seriously good. It’s nourishing on many levels.

We’re also big on family walks. We head out on a weekend afternoon down our dirt road. The kids are often on bikes ahead of us, the dog on a long lead. T and I hold hands. We point out clouds to each other that remind us of inanimate objects or monsters or animals, and sometimes we bring coffee in ceramic mugs to sip along the way. Living out in the country the way we do right now, means that a walk down the road is a tangible check-in with the season. Right now the trees are bare, and the road is stippled with potholes and puddles and across the valley the mountain hunches bare and brown like some hibernating prehistoric beast. Going out and taking a walk resets all of us. We come back energized and rosy-cheeked and more ready to take on our day.

photo by Christina Rosalie

Your writing voice is so distinct—detailed and poetic, yet personal. How did you find and hone your style?

Writing a blog for so many years definitely evolved my writing style. There are certain creative constraints that blogging requires: brevity, timeliness, and consistency. Blogging also nurtured my inclination towards multimedia storytelling—and it’s almost reflexive to want to include an image or illustration now when I write.

Speaking of multimedia storytelling, I absolutely love the artwork you created for the book. Do you have a favorite medium and/or subject?

I love mixed media. I love just showing up at a blank page and starting to assemble and imagine and smudge things around a bit. Though I love to do collage, I feel very strongly about creating my own imagery rather than snagging and rearranging vintage images, ephemera, etc. For the book, some pieces were made entirely by hand, in the physical world—while others, like all the stamps on the back of the postcards were made by hand first—in a much larger scale, and then digitally compiled. Working with digital tools is both painstaking and magical. It opens incredible possibilities for dimension and scale. At the same time, it’s utterly laborious to do the exacting work of digitally cutting apart an image and remaking it in some new way, and while I like it for the breadth of capability it’s added to my repertoire, I’m a paint and gel medium girl at heart.

photo by Christina Rosalie

Following along on your blog through the book process, I am amazed by the grace you exude while juggling family, work, school, and creating. How do you decide what is worth sacrificing for, and what you should let go of?

Oh my, grace? Thank you. That’s just lovely of you to say. Some days, many days it doesn't feel as graceful as all that—and A Field Guide To Now is as much an exploration of the messy moments as it is of the gorgeous ones. But that’s not really your question, is it? How do I decide what I should let go of? Children force some of that prioritization: they make you really understand the value of your hours down to the minute, and the minutia of things really stands out as just that: minutia. Laundry, matching socks, the perfectly wrapped gift, evenly blow-dried hair, and the fact that there is almost always a little mud on the calves of my pants from getting in and out of my car—these things don’t matter. Creative time, alone time, dinner together as a family. These things matter very much.

Thanks Christina, for taking time out of your busy schedule to share!

photo courtesy of Christina Rosalie

Christina Rosalie is a writer, mixed-media artist, and creative consultant whose award winning work and been featured in print and online. Most recently she has written for Kinfolk, Milk and Ink, and the Los Angeles Review, and her mixed media artwork has been included in shows at Burlington City Arts gallery and SEBA gallery. Christina has an MFA in Emergent Media from Champlain College, and lives with her husband and sons at the end of a long dirt road in northern Vermont. You can find her online at christinarosalie.com where she writes about the art of living intentionally, and the realness, hilarity, and wonder that results from the convergence of curiosity, creativity, and life with little boys.

Click here for Christina's book, A Field Guide to Now.

Click here to see past Advent Conspiracy posts and gift ideas.

smitten with food blogger Deb Perelman

After Thanksgiving, I achieved a blogger book tour trifecta.* Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen, who has never let me down when I need simple, delicious food (mainly of the dessert variety), was on her new cookbook tour and was making a stop in Coolidge Corner. Erin and I had planned months ago to attend. I called Booksmith the day tickets became available, but was 30 minutes too late. The sales associate reassured me that the standby line offered good odds for making it into Deb's talk at the Coolidge, and the book signing was open to everyone, not just ticket holders.

Almost a month later, Erin and I were in the standby line in front of the Coolidge. We chatted about the cookbook as we waited. Erin already had her copy, and she let me flip through as we waited. On the blog Deb's essays complement the recipes like a good glass of wine and provide an extra layer of depth, and her photography is mouthwatering. I had high expectations for the cookbook, and it didn't disappoint.

We slowly moved forward as someone from Booksmith sporadically counted off people from the front of the line. We were two of the last people to make it inside.

Deb was like your amazing next door neighbor: not a slick rehearsed speaker but an endearing storyteller. She gave a quick rundown of how she started the blog and how she happened to write her cookbook, then devoted the rest of the time to answering questions. In response to a query about the number of monthly hits her site gets, she said "8 to 10... million, no big deal" with an embarrassed laugh, and joked that her readers and book tour attendees were all bribed by her mother to read/show up.

After the talk, we were thankful for our late entry to the Coolidge because being at the back of the theater put us near the front of the book signing line. (Tip for author events at Booksmith: buy the book ahead of time, because the book must be purchased before you get in the signing line.) When we got to the table, we had a great conversation with Deb. I told her how a few weeks prior I made her everyday chocolate cake to celebrate a community group birthday, which Deb informed us led her to the red wine velvet cake in the cookbook, which Erin exclaimed she just made for John's birthday. A chain of chocolaty birthday goodness.

Though Ian couldn't join us, he's the cook in our family so I couldn't leave him out of the dedication. He flipped through the cookbook when he got home later that night and we could eat for a month if we executed all of the recipes that made him say "we should make that!" I can't wait.

*In addition to this Smitten Kitchen event, I also attend the Young House Love event at West Elm and a Christina Rosalie event at Trident.

a snowstorm, giant cookies, and Young House Love

I think it's safe to say that Young House Love is one of my favorite blogs ever. It's full of inspiring, doable projects infused with family and a personable, quirky, lovable writing style. John and Sherry just released their first book (Young House Love: 243 Ways to Paint, Craft, Update & Show Your Home Some Love) and one of their first stops on the book tour was West Elm in Boston. No way was I was missing it.

While the blog world allows people to make amazing connections, it can also be very contained: you know who you follow and to some extent who follows you (if you blog), and occasionally connect with another commenter on the blogs you follow, and that's it. A perk to real-life blog events is you sometimes discover people you know and love in real life happen to be fans of the same blogs as you. Thanks to the YHL event, I connected with one of my coworkers and we made plans to attend together.

The day of the book signing, it snowed in that wet, not-really-cold-enough-to-be-pleasant kind of way. We were a little worried we'd have to wait outside, but West Elm had cleverly snaked the line around inside the store. We waited and chatted for 30 minutes in the home office nook, and then John and Sherry appeared to cheers. They quickly ran through some travel-friendly book projects they brought with them, then moved on to the signing portion of the evening.

We waited in line for a little over an hour, but it was fun to spend some time getting to know Sarah (we have so much in common!) and West Elm kept handing out house and heart cookies (made by a local bakery) and hot chocolate. We slowly browsed the majority of the store thanks to the winding line (brilliant marketing) as we moved closer and closer to the signing table.

Finally, our moment arrived! I'm discovering that meeting bloggers in real life is actually not that surprising. Blogs are often a one-person (or couple) show, which means if you follow that blog, you have a fairly accurate representation of that person (or couple). Just as I expected, John and Sherry were sweet, funny, and open, taking time to chat with us as they signed our books, not distracted or rushed by the still-lengthy line behind us.

We didn't do anything crazy or attention-grabbing (brilliant photo ideas, witty comments, thoughtful gifts) so I'm sure, with the thousands of people they have met and will meet on this book tour, they won't remember me. But I'm okay with that, because in those few minutes, they made me feel like I mattered to them; that they appreciated we showed up in the slush and faithfully read their blog.

John and Sherry, just in case you read this, it was so much fun to meet you; you are both so gracious and kind. I look forward to your blog posts every day and love the book (which is currently full of to-do flags). You inspire me to do more to make our apartment feel like our home, and give me confidence that I can make it happen.

And if you were wondering what happened to the leftover cookies, I dragged Ian to West Elm a couple days later to look at Christmas decorations (Ian hates to do anything Christmas before Thanksgiving) and discovered they styled them around the store. They looked cute with the ceramic owl mug, which seemed very appropriate!