I like lists and post-its and calendars and words with lines through them.
I'm a planner when it comes to work and traveling and which drive-thru line to choose at the bank.
I'm also a planner when it comes to my impending death.
I have no reason to believe it's happening today or tomorrow, but who knows?
So. I have some ideas about what should and should not happen when I die. Here's a sample list:
1. Swag bags. Those in attendance at my memorial should receive a gift bag including my favorite things. Cheez-its, a mixed tape, and Super Bubble gum.
2. My Facebook account should be deleted. No moratorium on the wall. More importantly, no posting new photos of me that I can no longer untag.
3. No tombstone. I don't want to risk the placement of fake flowers or a teddy bear wearing a tutu placed near my decaying muffin top.
4. Funeral music. No songs referencing heaven as a lighthouse. No songs which consider a train or ship as the best way to get there. 5. No body. I'm all about some ashes to ashes. Plus, you can divide me up into snack bags and include in #1.
The winner of the Everything Little Miss note/cards is: Penny - who said she would send a note~card to her sister and she loved these Scattered Hearts cards. Ditto.
Not bills or grocery ads or packets with mock car keys attached promising me a deal on a 4-door sedan.
But be aware that I'll squeal like a junior high cheerleader if a free sample of shampoo appears in my box.
What about old-fashioned writing? With a pen? Squeals continue.
My sweet cyber friend April May, who you met last week when she provided some snazzy photography tips, is also an incredible designer of some beautiful note cards.
Here's one of my favorites: Sun Will Come Out by Everything Little Miss
And here's my absolute favoritist. MASH Change of Address by Everything Little Miss. Inside reads "Well, it was right about one thing. We got a house!"
I would be willing to get married and sell my house and move to be able to use these cards.
I would be willing to do that without the cards.
April has been kind enough to offer this fabulous set of Duck Duck Goose note cards from her delightful Etsy shop to one lucky rabbit reader.
Plus, as gravy, I'll throw in an extra Everything Little Miss stationery set of your choice! So you win two!
How To Enter: Leave a comment answering the question: To whom would you mail a note or free sample?
**2 Extra Credit Entries** Each of the following will give you one extra entry in the giveaway. Please make sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do!
1. Visit Everything Little Miss Etsy Shop and comment with your favorite item. 2. Be a follower of April (little miss spy) on Twitter. **You can accomplish both of these tasks by clicking on the links.**
Important Details: Open to anyone in the US. Must enter before 11:59pm CST on Monday, July 26 to qualify. Winner will be chosen randomly using Research Randomizer and announced on Tuesday. Obviously, anonymous folks can't win unless they leave a name in the comment. P.S. Feel free to email me for my mailing address so you can send me mouthwash samples.
My knee made a weird sound when I put on shoes the other day.
Please don't read anything extra into that. I wasn't walking or catwalking or dancing a jig.
I WAS PUTTING THEM ON MY FEET.
Time for some serious reflection on my muffin top.
The first step was to officially request that my employer buy this for me so I can have time to work out.
I hope my boss reads my blog since this is my method for "official requests."
The second step was to look past the Snuggie and Old Navy flip flops and realize I own a treadmill.
Last week, I was watching Matt Lauer and reading InStyle while working on my treadmill fitness. I was dreaming of donning a pair of 4 inch strappy slingbacks while Al Roker helped me answer the age old meteorological question of "Straight or Curly?"
But I had to stop.
I'd flown off the treadmill at a rapidfire 3.2mph bouncing off the bed and landing on the carpet.
Bruised elbow and ego.
I journaled 29 calories burned for the fall. And 43 more for the arm-flailing and disorientation.
Here are 7 links that new and "seasoned" readers of Jamie's Rabbits may find helpful:
My first post: The Post About Starting a Blog.Three sentences. I asked you to "bear with me." I continue to ask that 2 years later.
The post I enjoyed writing the most:The Post About Ladybugs and Why They Should Go. A traumatic experience in high school led to one of the characteristics for which I'm most well-known. A ladybug phobia.
A post which had a great discussion: The Post About The Beach Family Photo and Why It's Wrong. The title is probably a spoiler for the direction of the discussion. I'm sure folks in white button-downs were unsubscribing left and right.
A post on someone else’s blog I wish I’d written: Thinking You're Naked at Stuff Christians Like. I have this permanently starred in my Google Reader. I read it whenever I need to remember I'm not naked.
My most helpful post:The Post About Facebook Blunders. I think this handy list helped pave the way for healthier and kinder Face-booking. Or more unsubscribers.
A post I wish more people had read: The Post About DG. This was way back when my post titles were slightly illogical. The topic is how you snag music and how I might have a budget issue with iTunes. Not one comment. I might be the only addict out there.
If you're a blogger - consider posting your own "Seven Links" and commenting with your post...
Each weekend, I post a readable, a watchable, and a listenable of which I'm fond. You can choose what happens next. Earlier volumes can be found here.
Read The blog, How About Orange..., is one of my must-reads. Author, Jessica Jones, is a graphic creator of the best kind. She offers crafty how-to's, ideas, freebies and all-around inspiration. But with a modern twist. No hens. Plus, I like her even though the color orange makes me think of Jack Nicholson which generally makes me melancholy. Oh, Jack.
First, I love Jewel. I enjoy her unique sound and her crooked teeth. Her debut album, Pieces of You, hogs a lot of the space on my college mixtape. I mean, I stand in the rain and take my coat off because I'm crazy like that. This video is a delightful use of her talents.
Listen I went to see one of my fave musicians Dave Barnes work out his comedy this weekend. 1. He was really funny. 2. As sad as I was that he didn't sing, he brought two great singer/songwriters with him. The first I'll introduce is Ben Rector. Great voice, great lyrics, and not great suspenders. But he acknowledged that. This song, When a Heart Breaks, is just a sample of a delightful catalog of music.
You see, I produce more than the average saliva. My dentist noticed it back in the day since he couldn't get to my molars for the ocean in my mouth.
I was embarrassed.
He kindly pointed out that the more saliva you have, the less cavities you have since that river washes the sugar away. My brain processed that as "Eat all the candy you want."
And I do.
I'm also the go-to for envelope licking and choking on one's own spit while listening intently to a Sunday sermon.
How is it possible that I'm not married? {image: Jamie}
I met April through a Blogging Your Way course led by Holly at decor8. April helped me nurse an addiction for photography & note cards. She does both really well.
April can be stalked at Everything Little Miss and on Twitter @littlemissspy. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hello! I'm so excited to be writing a guest post for Jamie. She asked me to write about photography because it's something she loves.
When I was a sophomore in college, my boyfriend got a digital point-and-shoot camera. My world changed. Before, I'd been careful to conserve film and I was always worried I'd run out and miss capturing the best picture. Suddenly, I didn't have to be so cautious. Sure, the disc could fill up before I got "the best picture," but at least I wouldn't have to pay to print the bad ones. In fact, I could delete bad ones right away to make room for better ones!
Holy cow.
I commandeered his camera and started taking a lot of pictures. Most of them weren't very good, but I was having so much fun. Eventually, we got a digital SLR, and my obsession with digital photography grew.
I started my blog, Objects of Communication, in 2008 as a way to nurture my interest in my photography hobby. It gave me a reason to take pictures and I started to be more careful about composition and content because I wanted to share (mostly) photos, not snapshots.
I got into the habit of taking photos with a purpose, and I think my photography has improved tremendously since I started the blog. Now instead of 1 in 50 photos being good, I take far fewer photos with better results. I've taken the time to learn about the settings on my camera and now I have more control over the outcome (as opposed to automatic settings, where the camera makes the decisions for you).
Photography is my hobby, not my job, and I'd like to keep it that way because it's something fun I do for myself.
A Few Tips + Tricks
Natural light is your friend. It's so much better than the flash. Play around in different types of light and see what you like.
Think about backgrounds. You don't want a great portrait to be ruined by a restroom sign in the background!
Editing. Get a free editing program that will allow you to adjust brightness + contrast, crop, and play with colors. There are free programs available: Picasa and Picnik are popular.
Move around to get a better shot. You can totally zoom in by walking closer or get down on the ground if that's what will improve the composition.
Don't be afraid to delete photos. There's really no point in keeping most blurry or boring pictures. That said, feel free to snap away and experiment. You'll learn what works and can throw away what doesn't.
Organize. If you take a lot of photos, they can get unorganized really quickly. Keep your sanity by marking everything clearly. I use a date + a description of the pictures in each folder (eg, 23-Jun-2010 photo walk in Brookline).
Most importantly, HAVE FUN! Print out your favorite photos and hang them up for all of your friends to admire. That's what I do!
I wish you the best of luck in your photo adventures.
2. Grocery shopping at Publix. The staff are nice and the boy customers are quite fetching. I stumbled on this: What are Digestive Sweetmeal Biscuits?
3. I'm a firm believer in eating at locally owned restaurants. If I must eat at chains, then I avoid those with food items in the name. (i.e. Chili's).
While downing some great burgers at such a restaurant, a man at another table ordered the "Blackwell's Behemoth." It's 64 ounces of heart disease. With a side of fries and onion rings.
4. I saw Eclipse. No picture included to protect my bestie, Kara. She chose not to see the movie because of a minor lust issue she has with vampire Robert Pattinson. She loves her husband of 11 years and tries to honor their vows.
I have made no such vows.
5. I bought this. Now I'll have an appropriate response when someone says "Flick my Bic."
Each weekend, I post a readable, a watchable, and a listenable of which I'm fond. You can choose what happens next. Earlier volumes can be found here.
Read To Kill a Mockingbird turns 50 today and it remains one of my favorites. Its characters are both intense and fragile and the story still resonates. I want to eat Mexican with Harper Lee. Stalking made possible by living in the same state.
Watch I'm encouraging you to watch something I've not seen. I'm confident it's worth the risk. Director Christopher Nolan, who's behind the extraordinary Memento and my favorite Batman, directed this brainy flick starring Leonardo DiCaprio, from Growing Pains fame. As of today, It has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Plus, I like movies that make you furrow your brow. And the trailer has me needing botox stat.
Listen
The David Crowder Band is either a love or a hate. I think most of the hate for DCB is directed at David's hair, which I acknowledge. Their latest album, Church Music, is a keeper. Especially this cover of Flyleaf'sAll Around Me.
It's rare if I don't accomplish at least one thing a day.
This is due to the existence of the Internet.
If I complete no other valuable tasks, I've at least visited the following sites and made some "progress."
1. Facebook: I now know how much you like your job, what movie you watched last night, and where you're headed on vacation. Perfect for my nosy stalking tendencies.
2. Just Jared: I can breathe a sigh of relief by knowing what Taylor Lautner wore on Monday and how many days Lindsay Lohan will have to spend in jail. BTW: 90.
3. Weather: It's my guide for all things meteorology. Meaning, should I wear my hair straight or curly?
How To Enter: Leave a comment answering the question: What's one website you love to visit & why?
**2 Extra Credit Entries** Each of the following will give you one extra entry in the giveaway. Please make sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do!
1. "Like" Jamie's Rabbits on Facebook. 2. Be a follower of Jamie's Rabbits on Twitter. **You can accomplish both of these tasks by clicking on the links.**
Important Details: Open to anyone in the US. Must enter before 11:59pm CST on Tuesday, July 13 to qualify. Winner will be chosen randomly using Research Randomizer and announced on Wednesday. Obviously, anonymous folks can't win unless they leave a name in the comment. P.S. Old Navy doesn't even know I exist, except when I'm sweating in their dressing rooms trying to fit into one size too small. {image: Ethan Hein}
How did you celebrate the country's birthday weekend? A. Inhaled enormous amounts of meat B. Laid out in the sun C. Blew things up or watched others do so. D. Slept longer than a newborn fresh out of the oven.
A, C and D. The sun ages me. I'm trying to pass for 29.
July not only marks the birthday of America and rapper 50 Cent and the rabies vaccine, but also Jamie's Rabbits.
The blog is turning 2.
This means the following:
The blog will be capable of frequent tantrums.
It will be unable to sit still for very long.
It will show feelings of jealousy.
It will point to eyes, ears, and nose when asked.
So, not that much different from my 34-year-old self.
In honor of the development of this blog and its owner - there shall be prizes. First giveaway is tomorrow and new ones will magically appear all month long.
Each weekend, I post a readable, a watchable, and a listenable of which I'm fond. You can choose what happens next. Earlier volumes can be found here.
Read Mucho thanks to Katie at Whims and Inconsistencies who shared her heart for Catalog Living, my new favorite snarky blog. CL describes itself as "A look into the exciting lives of the people who live in your catalogs." As someone who's always wanted to live inside a Pottery Barn publication, this has eased the pain of that not being a reality. Watch My friend Kara & I saw Date Night with Tina Fey and Steve Carell at the $1 theater this week. I laughed so hard during a car chase scene that I started to hyperventilate. I actually had to close my eyes and repeat the mantra "Calm down or you'll throw up." It comes out on DVD on August 10 but check your own local cheap seats for a big screen must-see.
Listen I adore Stevie Wonder. Whether it's Superstition, or Higher Ground, or For Once in My Life - I'm simply kinder and more productive when his music is playing. This embedded song is my current favorite - They Won't Go When I Go.
One of the perks of being an event planner at your job is going to some snazzy events.
Camp APAC is one of them.
It's an annual camp for adopted kids held at Camp ASCCA in Jackson's Gap, Alabama.
You meet great kids. And their "best friends."
You do some fun things.
And you learn.
9 camp lessons I learned: 1. If a child gets attention from a nurse, all he wants is more. Ke$ha was right about love. 2. The woods are creepy at night. It's why horror movies always end up there. 3. Camp pancakes and biscuits are better than the best box of Cheez-its. 4. Staff who take meds for a variety of special needs are usually the best staff for a special camp. 5. Bieber fever can find you anywhere. 6. If you don't make a big deal of scorpions, then children won't either. 7. Testosterone might be the opposite of Febreeze since dirty clothes smell 10x worse in a guy's room. 8. When 12 kids drink 48 juice boxes in less than 4 minutes, they will want to throw up. It's a fact. 9. Children deserve to be in a forever family. It's the least we can do.
{images: Elaine Friel, Lisa Williams, Elaine Friel, Jamie}
Here's a short list of things that have recently puzzled me.
1. 64 oz. Mugs at Gas Stations. Where do you put this in your car? Is half a gallon of soda ever a good idea? Don't you begin to resemble the title of this cup if you drink from it?
2. Humidity. What global benefit comes with me having a "Whitney" lip 12 hours a day?
3. Mommy Blindness. There are moms who look at their less-than-cute children and think they are the most beautiful kids in the world. Then there are moms who look at those same children and enter them in modeling contests. No.
4. Chris Brown. BP needs to intervene to stop his crying.
5. People without Sunglasses. Squinting is annoying and makes me feel guilty and obligated to move so you're in the shadow. I hate guilt. You're also aging rapidly. Buy a pair. {Image: Amanda Weil (because I made her take it)}
