Come visit the Facebook fan forum for TIWTPITF

My humor blog, Things I Want to Punch in the Face, now has a Facebook fan page. I realized that the comments section of the blog really only scratches the surface of the things you'd really like to beat down. Come visit the PITF Facebook community and join the curmudgeonly confab.

Reader's Digest names me one of America's funniest bloggers!

In its June/July 2010 issue, Reader's Digest names the four funniest bloggers in America and, yep, I made the list for Things I Want to Punch in the Face! And yep, I'm geeked!

As you may know, TIWTPITF came out of my "Bad January," a suck-ass eight days I experienced last year. I like to think of myself as economical and creative, so I turned my grief and irritation into something that felt productive, cathartic, and even healing.

So I went on a rant, one that has lasted 17 months and shows no signs of slowing down.

But I'm still a nice person. Really. When I'm writing a first-person story or blog post, the "I" that I relate to you is not the real me, or rather, it's the me that I choose to share with you. Chuck Klosterman put it this way (in an essay about the Unabomber in Eating the Dinosaur): "I enjoying writing about my life, but I don't like people knowing anything about me." I don't mind people knowing things about me, but I can't stand when they assume things about me based on what I choose to write about myself. If you only read TIWTPITF, you may assume that I'm a hateful curmudgeon or a bitchy cynic. You may also think I'm funnier than a PT Cruiser full of clowns.

I am, but that's not all I am.

If you read my craft books (like the just-published Simple Gifts), you may conclude that I knock out homemade masterpieces like a machine and that I'm sweet as pie.

I'm currently crafted out. And many of my creations look, to put it kindly, shot in the ass.

However, I just might be the nicest person you've had the pleasure to meet.

Writing about myself has proven to be tricky. I'm a lot of things, I like a lot of things. The current wisdom would be to pick a lane and develop my brand. That would be smart, sure, but it might also make me claw my face off. I like addressing all facets of my personality and writing about my many interests. I like being nimble and able to switch gears. And I sure as hell like punching things in the face. That's a safe assumption.

Check out the Reader's Digest story and congrats to the other bloggers!

Crafts I Want to Punch in the Face

In honor of my new blog, Things I Want to Punch in the Face, I thought I'd write about the top craft things that bug me, such as running out of bobbin thread just as I'm about to finish a seam. Grr. Here's the article, posted over on CraftStylish.

What gets your goat when it comes to crafting?

The Artist's Shui

Over at CraftStylish, I talk about restyling my desk with a Feng Shui eye. Embrace the bagua!

And while it might seem a bit counter-intuitive, check out my new blog, Things I Want to Punch in the Face. It makes me giggle. Maybe you'll get a kick out of it, too!