Simple Gifts contributor kudos: Shanon Lyon

It takes a crafty village to make a book. I wanted to give a shout-out to the lovely and ingenious Shanon Lyon, a professional writer and author herself, who showed up to my friend's birthday party with the cutest knitted wine sleeve. She told me it was made out of a sweater she accidentally shrunk. A trip to Goodwill later and I was in business. In fact, I even found the same striped Gap sweater she had used for hers! What are the odds?

What have you made out of stuff lying around the house?

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.

Kick off your summer reading program with Simple Gifts

Simple Gifts hit the market this month and I'm already hearing great things from folks who are trying out everything from the salted caramel recipe to the toy top project (never underestimate the magic of a classic toy). If you do dig the book, I'd love it if you'd consider posting a review on amazon—they really do help.

And if you aren't in a position to purchase a book at this time (it is $14.39 on amazon, fyi), you can request it from your local library. Go to this handy website, find your local library's site, and place a request.

I used to love the summer reading program at the Sodus Township Library. I'd rip through 10 books at a time. I think Mrs. Ribecki started putting a cap on the number of books that could be checked out at a time because I was so ambitious about it. I loved the library so much that I worked in the children's department of the Benton Harbor Public Library when I was a teenager. There, I threaded filmstrips of The Lorax and The Creature from the Black Lagoon and listened to kids report back on the books they were reading for the summer program. These days, I'm not quite as competitive with my reading regimen, but I still manage to take out a pile of books from the library each time I breeze through my branch.

If you make a project from the book, shoot me a photo of you and the finished gift. I'd love to see your handiwork!

(photo of ticket garland project: Gregg Snodgrass)

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!

Hugo House Writer's Conference this weekend

You probably already know about this but I just can't help beating a dead horse.

Join me during the Richard Hugo House's first writer's conference. Held over the weekend of May 21-23, the theme of the weekend is Finding Your Readers in the 21st Century. They've created three "tracks"—Publishing Choices, Self Promotion, and Writer's Toolbox—that are designed to help you learn more about publishing and promotion, while honing your craft.

I'm going to lead a workshop on Sunday, May 23, that will help you put together a winning proposal. "The 7 Elements of a Successful Nonfiction Book Proposal" will break down all the components that go into creating a proposal that will win over publishers.

"Black Is Not Your Color (And It's Not Your Brand)" Workshop on May 19

Check out this great workshop being offered by my friend Darcey Howard. I did a one-on-one phone session with her and it totally transformed how I view my personal style.

By popular demand, this workshop is being offered in both

Seattle and Manhattan at midday & evening times

Darcey Howard

"Personal Branding Through Appearance"

Being your brand takes guts.

Owning your value takes guts.

How do you create a brand that reflects your value and uniqueness in a sea of competition?

You have be ready to own it.

Are you ready to own your brand and stand out from the crowd?

_______________________________________

"Our society wants you to fit in so it can ignore you." —Seth Godin

___________________________

As an expert in building brand integrity for businesses and individuals, Darcey Howard, Personal Branding & Style Consultant, will provide the tools, tips and guidelines you can put into place immediately to make sure you stand out in a crowd versus just fitting in.

Come away with...

• Clarity of how your personal brand is conveyed and perceived both visually and professionally.
• Tools for bridging the gap between how you feel, how you look and how you sell.
• Knowledge on how to leverage your USP (Unique "Style" Proposition) to attract ideal customers.
• Guidelines to identify, build and maintain your personal brand and leverage it in your business.

Don't miss this opportunity to get what your personal brand needs to not be ignored. Cost is just $40.00.

Join Darcey Howard, founder of Personal Branding Through Appearance & LifeStyled, Ltd., on May 19th for one of two scheduled times, either 12:30 pm or 6:30 pm for this 90-minute program.

_____________________

"Black is Not a Color (And It's Not Your Brand)" Workshop

May 19, 2010

12:30–2:00 pm

Or

6:00–7:30 pm

Aspira

1823 Terry Avenue

Seattle, WA 98101

(206) 623-8900

______________________

To sign up or for more information, please contact Darcey at darcey@darceyhoward.com.

Be Thrifty on April 28

I'm thrilled to be filling in for the hilarious and insightful Warren Etheredge tomorrow night at the Hotel Andra for a timely event brought to you by Kim Ricketts. I'll be doing a Q&A with Califia Suntree and discussing her spanking new book, Be Thrifty: How to Live Better with Less.

During the evening (which kicks off at 6:30), receive a signed copy of the book, appetizers, the conversation with Califia, and the chance to chat with her (and me, if you're so inclined). For $35, it sounds like a nifty, thrifty deal to me! If you are in Seattle, this is a fantastic opportunity to meet an author in a casual, fun atmosphere. You can order your ticket at Brown Paper Tickets.

Write a kick-ass book proposal...and so much more

Join me during the Richard Hugo House's first writer's conference. Held over the weekend of May 21-23, the theme of the weekend is Finding Your Readers in the 21st Century. They've created three "tracks"—Publishing Choices, Self Promotion, and Writer's Toolbox—that are designed to help you learn more about publishing and promotion, while honing your craft. I'm going to lead a workshop on Sunday, May 23, that will help you put together a winning proposal. "The 7 Elements of a Successful Nonfiction Book Proposal" will break down all the components that go into creating a proposal that will win over publishers.

Hugo House is an amazing hub and resource for writers in Seattle. I encourage you to check it out.

Simple Gifts is hitting the market soon!

I just got my advance copy of Simple Gifts and after a long, long, looonnnggggg journey, I have to tell you…

It's gorgeous! Since you can only see pictures of the cover, let me tell you a little about the physical book. It's 160 pages of full-color goodness (the talented Gregg Snodgrass took the photos and Michaela Murphy lent her talents as stylist and model; she really is a good woman to know). The matte-laminated hardcover has spot lamination over the title and the paper stock is thick and yummy. The book feels as good as it looks, which is saying something.

The book has a long history, which I won't go into. But it was originally conceived as an illustrated book and when Voyageur Press decided to publish it, it became a book with loads of photography. Which meant I had to make all 50 projects look really faboo for the photo shoot. I can't even tell you all the random places I had to pick up materials, tools, and props but I will say that the men at Home Depot readily helped me cut down a slab of pine so I could make a kick-ass tool box (it may have helped that I was wearing a dress).

The reason that the materials were so random is that the book is chockablock with projects for everyone on your list—mom, grandpa, newborns, kids, pets, hostesses, co-workers, significant others, and anyone you really, really like—and they range from easy and quick to "Hi, can I borrow your table saw?" The projects assume you're a beginner and walk you through knitting, sewing, felting, candle-making, wood-working, hammering, embroidering, book-binding, papier mâché, découpage, cooking, baking, and everything in between. And, heck, if you don't make anything else in the book, the salted caramel recipe is worth the $20 by itself (but with 50 crafts, each project only costs 40 cents!).

I'll be sharing more about Simple Gifts as the books roll in and events get scheduled, but I had to gush a little (and let you know that you can preorder your copy now). I'm always a bit giddy whenever the first real advance arrives.

Skamania Lodge event cancelled

I just wanted to let y'all know that due to extenuating circumstances, the Skamania Lodge Bed and Bookfest with me has been canceled this weekend. So if you want to learn how to make fizzy bath bombs or bind a book, you'll just have to buy Backcountry Betty: Crafting in Style or the upcoming Simple Gifts: 50 Little Luxuries to Craft, Sew, Cook & Knit.