This is a 3D ultrasound photo taken a week before Evie was born. She looked just like this when she came out, much to our amazement. I just remember thinking, “I’m so glad she’s actually cute. People won’t have to lie and say ‘Oh, what a pretty baby!’ when they really mean, “Start the car,...
One of the reasons I adore Chad Thomas Johnston and think of him as a brother from another mother is his affinity for stories with a fecal undertone. I was introduced to Chad’s penchant for potty humor through his post on a snow toilet he built with his sister in their yard one winter. They...
My friend Sam Billen has orchestrated yet another fantastic holiday project this year. It’s called “A Light Goes On,” and it is a synthesis of art and music that pairs musicians’ Christmas songs with visuals that likewise celebrate the festive season. It features works by the ever whimsical and wonderful Half-Handed Cloud, Japan’s The Tenniscoats,...
Today’s guest post is by Pennsylvania-based author Shawn Smucker, who is both humble and talented (a rare combination, I assure you). He is a stone’s throw away from one of my favorite bands, The Innocence Mission, and it appears that he loves them as much as I do (also a rare thing). Mr. Smucker has...
DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM HERE, OR USE THE WIDGET ON THE SIDEBAR! A hearty thanks to the following people for inspiring me to assemble this musical madness: Ben Chlapek, for making a mix of only my songs for his friends a few months back, even if it meant they might all (Gasp!) unfriend him on Facebook....
If you really follow my blog (I don’t, but you might), you’ll know I ran this exactly a year ago today. But I figure a rerun is acceptable on occasions such as these, when new parenthood has left my eyes bloodshot, my brain beleaguered, my hair prematurely gray. I exaggerate: Baby Evie is a delight....
Yes folks, that is indeed She-Ra masquerading as the Angel of the Lord. A good enough reason for me to say “Fear not!” unto you. The shepherds and cow below belong to a nativity scene my family used to set out each December when I was a child. I often played with the figurines as...
In the summer of 2004, my friends Matt and Rebecca Fillingham gave me a copy of a Christmas album they made together as husband and wife. Being perpetually nine-years-old in my mind, my 25-year-old self listened to it and instantly replied, “I want to make a Christmas record, too!” That fall, beginning in early October,...
In 2004, I had the privilege of having a tremendously talented young artist in my public speaking class, although I did not know it at the time. Megan Frauenhoffer was quiet, reserved, and a good student. Like most of her peers, public speaking made her visibly nervous. But buried in her head were innumerable images...
Please extend a warm welcome to my newest client, author Jennifer Luitwieler (@jenluit on Twitter). I will be serving as her publicist, much as I have for Kansas City artist Danny J. Gibson. Her book, Run With Me: An Accidental Runner and the Power of Poo, is a delightful memoir that mines both dog poo and depression...
I met Landra Graf about a year ago on Twitter (Follow her: @riseoftheslush), and she went on to become a member of #DessertIsland, the online collective that brings you literary heroes such as Jennifer Luitwieler (@jenluit), Nancy Berk (@nancyberk), Ian Makay (@ianmakay), Jennifer Harris-Dault (@jennintheattic), Liza Hawkins (@AmusingFoodie), Jackie Wilson (@WritRams), Amanda Lynch (@thebookprincess), and...
I knew I needed to blog about this as soon as my friend Brandon showed up with an ax. It’s not every day that a friend is welcomed to your house with cheers when he steps out of his car clutching an ax, is it? It was August 2oth, 2011 – the day of our first...
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