But Why Pop Culture, Why Now, Why Me?

In the interest of time, I am going to fast forward and start my story in media res.

All this time, I had believed that my interests in pop culture had always been all-inclusive and had come from an inherent need to know about everything that exists. The fact that I can chat about Thelonious Monk and America's Next Top Model and 1960s politics at around the same high conversational level made me believe that I was an unchanging vacuum of knowledge. I never didn't want to know.

But intense self-reflection and hours of poring over journals and remembrances had just shown me the opposite.

My inhalation of movie quotes from films I'd never seen had been born of my first boyfriend; our dates were filled with him spouting lines of dialogue that left me wondering if he was going crazy. I never wanted to feel lost in conversations again, so I began to voraciously seek out lines and plots from popular movies. I can now have an intelligent conversation and drop in a reference to that one time at band camp, even though I have never seen an American Pie movie. What I thought was just a knack for memorization actually stemmed from my infatuation with a guy.

The eclectic taste I have in music was not inbred nor was it even wholly from my parents. If anything, it was from my best friend's parents. From a young age and still to this day, my constant stream of music came from her mix CDs that held a mystery compilation of fantastic songs; sometimes there would be a theme, such as "R&B Slow Jams," and other times I'd simply receive a CD entitled "Holly's 23rd Birthday Mix." My BFF's tastes came from her father's rock preferences and her mother's soundtrack love, plus a finely-tuned ear for music you can dance to. I may know which corners of the galaxy to peruse for the latest hits now, but I got the road map from her.

And my addiction to TV was something I thought I came by honestly enough. It's my entertainment of choice and the more the better. But, you know what I really love? Talking with other people about TV. I have discovered that I watch TV mainly so that I can converse about TV; the water cooler moments and the filler episodes are equally as fascinating to me, and my first instinct when the credits roll is to go to Television Without Pity or Facebook to see what my comrades were watching. My self-perceived devotion to the small screen was actually a lifeline for continual conversation with others; my deserted island would not include a TV, because who would debate season finales with me there?

So, although I spout more than the average bear about books and celebrities and general pop culture knowledge, what I am really doing is holding up a sign that says, "I am the product of the people around me."

And my mom has always said that I have great taste in friends.

A Different Kind of Science Class Volcano

In eighth grade science class, I once made a disparaging comment about the company 3M. For the life of me, I cannot recall what the comment was or why I was such a corporate expert. It's possible that 13-year-old me was a know-it-all. More like, it's probable I was.

After class, my dear friend Mark got up in a huff and left the room at light speed. I chased him down, asking if he was okay and why he seemed so rattled. Yes, our teacher was pretty strung out and of course, the rotating schedule made our young lives difficult. But what was the problem?

He whirled around to face me, all six feet of him, and said, "3M is a great company because my dad had a heart attack, and they helped him out. I can't believe you said that about something so important to my family."

The remark I made did not cause a permanent rift in our friendship. I barely remember if it made a dent in our general congeniality towards one another. But the brief few minutes of this exchange is ground into my brain. Saying something so seemingly benign and having it affect someone on such a personal level taught me an insanely important lesson: Words can mean everything.

No particular event caused me to share this story, not even a particular person. We actually bought some Scotch tape today for Jacko's Star Wars Angry Birds character list; 3M's logo is etched on the back of the package. Today's remarks were brought to you by the fact that I read the packaging on the items I purchase.

Gifts of a Meaningful Nature

Macaroni and Cheese BFF necklaces by ArtbyAshLigon

Starting in a few days, I am hitting my Spring wall of gift-worthy events: many birthdays, Mother's day, graduations. As usual, I have been approaching the shopping for these gifts with a hellbent focus on being thoughtful. What has this person mentioned to me within the last year? Which gift is something they would never buy for themselves? Who is creating something that my loved one doesn't even know exists, but would love?

And even though I want to put all my mental energy into the people I most care about, lately, I can't.

My mind has been clouded and my heart heavy for the last month or so. Without too much detail, my feelings have been deeply hurt and my expectations have not been met. Because of those ever-increasing troubles, I have been putting off the most basic activities and exerting myself beyond my presupposed limits.

And yet, I desire to show friends and family in my life that I wouldn't have even come this far without having them around.

So, yes, I sent out my entire collection of postcards to people around the country. I insisted that my children mail letters to their friends in order to foster the love of sharing feelings and appreciation. You better believe I pondered my dad's insistence that he misses "[his] friend Mark," so I bought him this linocut-printed pillow for his birthday.

Some of those envelopes may have been tear-stained, and I was interrupted writing those postcards by having to call 911 for my sick husband. But no matter what is going on in my personal life, my loved ones deserve to feel my love. 

Holly's Teenage Poetry: Part Two

Do you happen to remember my long-lost love? I may have mentioned him while talking about my ephemera collections or my inspirational message about miscarriage or my countless essays about difficult break-ups.

You know, my first Real Boyfriend who cut off all contact with me suddenly and I haven't heard from him in nearly 10 years?

Or should I say, hadn't.

Out of the clear blue sky, he emailed me this week; his same sweet demeanor showed through his tough, non-paragraphed exterior. All of my 18-year-old emotions have been sweeping through me ever since. I am (clinically-approved by my therapist) riding this roller coaster of feelings in hopes that he and I can become friends again.

And don't you worry—Caleb thinks this is a laugh and a half. My boyfriend is the stuff of legend in my personal history and Caleb has been well-aware of it.

So, to usher back this extreme angst, dizzying love, and outrageous confusion, I welcome the second set of Holly's Teenage Poetry.

Stream

Don't come too close; I may burn you with my fiery personality.

Barriers made of sugar-coated smiles protect me and my Elvis memorabilia.

Geez, I love to laugh.

Colloquialisms abound in my diarrhea of the mouth;

And it know it makes me sound dumb.

Maybe I do it to spite myself.

I am spontaneity, but I follow everything I should.

I like to sing, but I hate when my bed is unmade.

I encompass positivity, but pessimism feeds my soul.

Somehow there is this cosmic conflict in me,

And I like it.

Damn me for being so forgiving.


Perfect

Trying to shape my every move to her.

I watch the day tick-tock away as I

Attempt to bend my elbow to concur

With the elbow of she who owns the sky.

We lie under the clouds and she speaks of

Life and dreams. So jubilant is her laugh.

With hushed and tender voice, she speaks of love.

And I, awed, grasp all I can photograph

With mind's film. She is what I want to be:

Loved, bright, fair, good. The girl intoxicates

Those she meets. One day only, Perfect Me.

The day's about to end, and yet she waits

To go back. She is like that. So ideal.

When she leaves, she whispers, "I can be real."

 Vague

Just another one of those days

Where there is no way in

But through X-Y-Z.

Dang. Here it goes again.

I've never been one to sigh

At the travesties I own

Or possess or whatever one says

When he is trying to be humble.

I've been told I'm mysterious,

Shallow, slow, savvy, deep.

Make up your mind.

I'll get back to you.

Jumping through another hoop,

Going through a door when I have to stoop,

Falling asleep in my Froot Loops,

While my brain turns to goop.

That sounded intelligent, right?

 

Holly's Teenage Poetry, Part One

The last few nights, I have been staying up way too late.

I can't seem to pull myself away from my latest library book, Columbine. Published in 2009, Dave Cullen's book illustrates the how, why, and when of that fateful day in Colorado; he had access to far more information than the press did in those early days. Do you think the two shooters were a part of the Trench Coat Mafia, intent on murdering their bullies? You may want to pick up this book and find out the truth.

One of the resources that Cullen had was the journals of the two teenaged shooters. Reading the excerpts from these has reminded me that we all wrote a little bit as high schoolers—some more than others, I know.

During my last trip to California, I uncovered a slew of my teenaged writings. Here are a few of the poems to whet your appetite for extremely dramatic literature. Of course they were dramatic! These poems were about me, duh.

And Still You Burn

Little fire spark, don't play your small games

That so complicate otherwise-hard Life.

Existence is yours to grasp; lay the blames

Of others by your side. The wildlife

Known as men have tried to lessen your blaze

By using their cold and hurtful mixture

Of betrayal and lies and false displays

Of friendship. And still you burn. Now you stir

Up feelings that make you shine twice as bright:

Renewal, realization, rebirth.

Welcome to the time known just as Twilight,

For the new dawn of hope is on the Earth

for those who seek it. You too, fire spark,

Can step out of oblivion—make your mark.

January 9, 2002

My second home should rightly be my first.

I go there when I'm hurt or longing for

An understanding ear; I still have thirst

For it as I look through the bars, once more,

Of Cell Block C, my premier abode. "Stop,"

Says the guard, as I try to travel there.

So I sit cross-legged on the concrete. Top

Of the class, I am, but I still dare

To dream of where I should be, not locked up

In Cell Block C. I want a home of free

Movement, without black chains, I drag my cup

Along the bars, thinking the guarantee

Of existence is in order, but no.

Cell Block C, the home of mental Death Row.

And after wading in those murky waters, I thought I'd throw in this silly one I wrote. In my AP Psychology class, I traded poems with a dear friend instead of listening. His name is Stephen.

Stephen's Lament

After the dust had settled,

The carpet was unclean.

From a friend's house was peddled

A child-eating machine.

This giant piece of torture,

This cause of boyish fear,

Pervaded the house so pure

And brought evil so near.

But off in the far distance,

Curled in a morose ball,

Twinkled a fearful, bright glimpse—

A star about to fall.

His interest in this monster

Mixed with wide-eyed wonder.

His horror made unrest stir

And existence a blur.

And yet he reached out his hand—

For this boy had assumed

That he and the world could stand

Against this feared vacuum.

A Recap of SDB's Recent Guest Posts

Hey! It's Holly again. I've missed you.

Being in California over the 4th of July meant the world to me; I'll fill you in on all of our adventures next week, but right now I want to thank Priscilla Montgomery for her fantastic road trip navigating. She's the best, you guys. I feel an interview coming on....

A special thanks also goes to the fabulous friends who filled in for me here at So Dang Brilliant this week. I told Priscilla somewhere on the I-15 that I wish I traveled more often—I love reading what my favorite bloggers have written especially for you guys!

Here are the links, in case you missed any or have been meaning to reread some:

• Experience New Places Like a Local with Kam
• Record Your Summer with Amy
• The Right to Bare (Hairy) Arms with Kimberly
• Feel Better Healthy with Cori
• A Handmade Day in the Life of Liz
• A Few of Mandy's Favorite Nerdy Things

A Few of Mandy's Favorite Nerdy Things

Hello So Dang Brilliant readers! I’m so happy to be here with you today. My name is Mandy and I blog about a whole slew of things, much of them of the nerdy variety, over at Chocolate and Cream Cake. I live in Austin with my husband and our dog, Mrs. Mollie Weasley. We spend a lot of time playing board games, attending midnight movie premieres and planning our next trip to a comic con.

When Holly asked me to write a guest post for SDB, I was honored. Holly is one of the most genuine people I’ve met through blogging and her aspiration to make everyone she meets a better person is truly inspiring. (I hope to be more like her when I grow up!) I wasn’t really sure what to write about, but then I thought—be like Holly and just be genuine.

If you hadn’t already put two and two together, I’m a huge nerd. (And proud of it!) I wear nerdy t-shirts on a regular basis, I have a nerdy half-sleeve tattoo and spend a whole lot of time doing nerdy things. While I’ve long inwardly been a fan of such pursuits, it’s taken me a while to get fully comfortable with being outwardly so. But now that I am, I am more than happy to share my love with the world. The following are a few of my favorite things; I hope you enjoy!

The Avengers

I’m a huge fan of the Iron Man, Thor and Captain America movies, but never did I think that a combination of the three would be one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. (I’ve seen it three times in theaters so far.)

I won’t get too deep into spoiler territory for any of you who have yet to see it, but it’s an amazing mix of action, humor and hot mens (and ladies, too). The acting is superb, and it’s just an all-around fun time at the theater. Plus, Tom Hiddleston is absolutely spectacular as Loki. (I could have done an entire post just dedicated to him! I mean, have you seen the Loki’d video?!

 
Music mashups

While music typically isn’t the nerdiest of media, it can be very inventive. Particularly when artists take songs that don’t really sound like they’d fit together and make them sound awesome. Here a couple of my favorite mashups:

Party Ben’s “Boulevard of Broken Songs”: 
DJ Earworm’s “United State of Pop 2011”: 

 
Doctor Who

I jumped into watching this show—which holds the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running scifi TV series of all time—with the Ninth Doctor (played by Christopher Eccleston). I've since fallen madly in love with the wacky hijinks of the show and the great cast of characters, particularly the Tenth Doctor (played by David Tennant).

Fans of the show have wildly different opinions on who the "best" Doctor is ... for me, "my" Doctor will always be Ten. I really enjoy Eleven (played by Matt Smith) and the Ponds, but I still have moments where I long for the camaraderie of Ten and Donna.

(In doing research for this post, I found this video, which covers Donna’s story in 90 seconds. Awesome!)

 

Beards

Beard Love by Powerandlight

It’s hard for me to resist a man with whiskers—it’s a good thing my husband has it!—and I personally think that most men look better with at least a little bit of scruff. I'm sure this infatuation probably stems from the fact that my dad had a beard for most of my formative years. (When he shaved completely, I'd beg him to grow it back.)

I was sent a link to this beard infographic by a friend of mine a few months ago and I think it’s a most excellent take on this fanciest of facial hair.

 

Nail polish

I’m not really a girly-girl, but I do enjoy both looking and feeling pretty. And one of the easiest ways to make myself feel good is by wearing a fun shade of nail polish, particularly one that’s not your typical shade (of pink, red, etc.). I also love myself a good dose of glitter, whether all over or as a gradient.

Currently, I’m longing for a couple of shades that have as yet escaped my grasp (in part because they’re a bit on the expensive side and/or retired shades):

Rescue Beauty Lounge's IKB 2012

China Glaze’s OMG

If you’re a fan of any of the above and would like to learn more about some of my other favorite things, visit me! I’d love to have you stop by.

A Handmade Day in the Life with Liz

Hello there, Holly's friends! My name is Liz and I run (design/own/slave over) a jewelry line called With Care. I've been asked to entertain you while Miss Holly is out of town. I hope I can do a well enough job. Young master Jacko's list of summertime fun was pretty untoppable so feel like there is only so high that I can fly. Seeing as Holly and I have very different lifestyles, I figured that I would do my best to lead you through a fairly normal Thursday. It starts at 9am.



Time to arise and greet the day. I hope the day isn't expecting too much from me at this point. I do what I can. I generally have a difficult time getting out of bed, particularly since my boyfriend and our tiny dog get to sleep for a few more hours.


It's a hard life, right, Martin?

By the time I make it to the foot of the bed, my place has already been absorbed.

I'm not a big breakfast person so plain yogurt with granola, a handful of cherries from the tree in the backyard, and a coordinating cup of coffee will be more than sufficient. While the coffee is perking, I get myself all made up and dressed. I check my email over breakfast. More accurately, I eat breakfast over checking my email. Which has ended in disaster more than once.

I work a mere four blocks from my house so I shuffle over there around 11am. Normally, I ride my bike over but today is my boss's birthday and I'm carrying over a present that just won't fit in my trusty messenger bag.

Ah, work. I work with my friend, Kelly, making clothes and things for her popular Etsy shop, I'm Your Present. There are 3 main employees, myself, Kelly, and our friend Kayla. We turn out a good number of packages each week, somewhere between 100 and 200, all filled with bright, fun, candy colored clothes and accessories. It can be weird working with your friends, particularly when power dynamics come into play. I think that we have managed to do a pretty good job of it, so far. It's taken a few years but no one has lost any limbs and we keep the crying to a minimum. Meatball the cat helps us to regulate.

Kelly really likes her present: a crazy magical picture of a unicorn with a twinsies hairstyle.

I told her that I went back in time and won it for her at a carnival in the 1980s. I know that you can't see the prodigious amount of sparkles in the piece but, trust me, they are there. I start off my morning in the shipping room, figuring out what orders are ready to be shipped and what jewelry must be made.

Then, I sit down to make whatever it is that we don't have in stock.

At some point, I got up to grab a glass of seltzer water (we have a Soda Stream at work and it is the BEST THING EVER) and snap a picture of myself to prove that I was here.

After jewelry, Kelly and I work on a new shirt design. She cuts out the initial pattern and I figure out how it is best put together. Then, we make a preliminary version and check it out. If everything works out, the pattern is copied down, along with any notes, and then filed away for future use. Although, often we are so excited by new things that we make a whole stack of new designs, trying out different color and material combinations.

All the new finished garments are put in a pile and every two or so weeks, our friend Lizzy comes over and models them for the website. We work out of Kelly's house and have managed to fit in a lot of big studio amenities into a double-parlor, Victorian apartment. The photo studio is in the basement. I wonder if the landlord knows... We break for lunch around 2pm. Tomorrow is Kelly's birthday party so we close up the studio and run some pre-party errands.

It's a very nice day outside, a little on the hot side and Providence, Rhode Island is looking especiallylovely.

Can you guess what kind of party it will be?

Ah, yes. That kind of party. After party prepping, I walk home. Our neighborhood is really good looking. I'm not even going to front like it is not. Much of Providence was fully built up by the late 1890s, leaving a wonderful heritage of beautiful, old buildings and areas. I love looking at all the architectural details as I walk around.
 
On the way home, I pass by a piece of land that has just been acquired by my downstairs neighbor. He is tearing up the black top and it will be the new, hopefully permanent, location of his small farm. I keep suggesting that he turn the large building on the property into the "Not-country" store.
On the way home, I swing by the farmers market in the park and check if there are any provisions I'll need for the weekend.
I'm almost when, gee, is that one of the neighbors' chickens roaming down the block? Man, what is this? A Portlandia episode?
It's almost 7pm and as soon as I get home, someone has some demands to make.
Finally, it's food time. I pick some greens from the garden (healthy!) but also make myself a hot dog and avocado sandwich (ew. what?!). It's like when couture meets street style.

I eat, read the paper, and relax a bit. Since I have a guest staying over this weekend, I also tidy up the house a bit. I'm not much for dusting so vacuuming above the mantel will have to do.

At around 9pm, I go upstairs to my studio and begin working on things. Tonight, I'm getting together some items to bring to a local boutique as well as making and packaging up orders from my recent sale on Uncovet.com.

Around 1:30am, I cease working. Dave comes home from his practice space and we spend some time goofing off in the kitchen. Around 2:15 or 2:30am, I realize that I have to do this all over again and, if I know what's good for me, I should turn back time and go to bed, like, 2 hours ago.

Feel Better Healthy with Cori

Hello all! My name is Cori and I am a Registered Dietitian [RD]. I was pretty excited when I learned Holly wanted me to guest post because I am an advocate for doing what I can to get the dietitian name out there. I don't know if it's just me being slow on the uptake or if this is most people, but I hadn't even heard of dietitians until I got to college and began my classes to work toward becoming one! It seems we have been in the public eye a bit more these days, but we have a long way to go.

There is a wide range of jobs, practices, specialties, programs, etc. that dietitians can be involved in, but the most common response I get once people find out I'm a dietitian is some variation of the following:

"So you make sure people eat healthy?"

"Do you make meal plans?"

"I need you to help me lose weight!"

Since this is most of what I hear from people, and for the sake of this post, I am here to tell you what meeting with a dietitian might be like in regards to the above responses.

Let me first tell you a few things I would want to know from you:

1. Why are you visiting with a dietitian? What is it you want to get out of the visit?

2. What have you done or tried [if anything] to help you reach your desired outcome?

3. What is a typical day of eating like for you?

4. What is your activity level, height, and weight?

5. What are some attainable goals you would like to work toward?

Now that you know some of the information I, as a dietitian, would like to know, you are already ahead of the game. I feel it important to say: we are not here to judge you.  In my experience, the clients I've seen appear to be overly self-conscious when I ask them to tell me what they eat, and ofttimes they do not tell me the truth! And it's obvious. Please tell the truth when you come to see us, it's the only way we will be able to really help, and I repeat, we are not here to judge you. That is not why we became dietitians. I guarantee not one person thought, "I want to be a dietitian to judge and make fun of people." We really are in the business to help. With that said, come prepared to be brutally honest with your eating habits, activity level, and your struggles. We want you to be specific, too. What kind of cereal was it? How much of it did you eat? Where were you when you were eating it? What was your mood during that time? Write down everything you eat. Keep a food journal. I promise it will help bring things to light you did not notice before. And if you had that to bring into your dietitian visit?! We would be so impressed.

Some of what you can expect from the dietitian at your visit [this may vary from dietitian to dietitian and what it is you want exactly]: tips including healthy cooking, appropriate portion sizes, individual meal plans, your calorie needs to maintain, lose, or gain weight, suggestions on how to change and how to reach your goals, etc.

If you are interested, you can find a Registered Dietitian in your area by going to eatright.org and clicking "find a dietitian" on the top right. If you're not quite ready to make an appointment with a dietitian, start by answering the questions above and try to keep a food journal. So much of eating right means changing current not-so-good habits into better ones, which is really up to you. We can help you along the way, but we can't make the changes for you.

I hope this has been at least a bit enlightening to those interested in meeting with a dietitian. Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments at feelbetterhealthy [at] gmail [dot] com. Good luck with your healthy endeavors!

Thanks, Holly, for having me! What a treat to be a guest on So Dang Brilliant.

The Right to Bare (Hairy) Arms with Kimberly

 Hi there! I'm Kimberly and I live in the Midwest with my husband and our cat and I blog about mail, cocktails, crafting and housewife (mis)adventures at kimberlyah.com. Thanks to Holly for letting me visit!

Back when I worked full-time, I was the director of an after school learning center. Our center was a training facility, which meant that every year, hundreds of potential new directors came to my center to see the students and me in action. It was a little nerve-wracking at times. Those of you who work with kids (or live with kids) know that on a given day, anything can happen, especially when an audience is watching. I had a few students with special needs. Kaled was one of those students. He was on the autism spectrum and was usually pretty quiet, but often distracted. When he got distracted, I would walk by and gently place my finger on the next problem and he would (usually) stop zoning out and start working again.

On this particular day, Kaled was distracted by the trainees, so I stopped by his desk and pointed to the next math problem. He looked down, started to move his pencil and then, his pencil stopped. He placed his hand on my arm. And, in a quiet room filled with students and twenty extra pairs of eyes and ears, Kaled's sweet (but oh so loud) voice asked me, "Why are your ARMS so hairy?" Time passed too quickly for me to come up with a witty, parent-approved reaction, so I just said, "I don't know, Kaled, I guess it was just the way I was made." I smiled at him, chuckled with my audience and moved on—as bright as a maraschino cherry.

It was really only a matter of time before some sweet, curious child noticed my hairy arms...I'd noticed them. And I'd compared them to other women's arms. And I'd compared them to men's arms...I'd even compared them to my cat's arms! Until I was in my late twenties, it didn't occur to me that other hairy women wax, shave, trim or chemically remove their arm hair. I'd always just thought I was the hairiest woman on the planet. So Kaled's comment prompted me to go home and Google five hundred ways to remove arm hair. But then, I couldn't remove the hair right away. My whole staff would think I did it just because of Kaled's comments.

So I left it. For two years. (I'm a bit of a procrastinator.)

Randomly, I saw the Smooth Away at Walgreens. Hopeful, I bought it. It was basically sandpaper stuck to a pink handle that you use to scrub the hair off (all while exfoliating your dead skin cells, it claimed.) After a long while, lots of sanding and a little bit of pain, the hair was gone! My arms were soft and smooth! They looked weirdly bare and very naked!

What had I done?

Of course, once the shock of the bare arm wore off, I was loving my smooth, hair-free arms. I felt more feminine and happy to wear short sleeves without feeling self-conscious. But the hair grew back. And it was stubbly and kind of itchy. And I didn't want to keep using the sandpaper every week.

Hair growth is a losing battle, and I don't have the energy to fight the good fight. I am horrible at upkeep. And, I would rather paint my nails or read a book instead of being stuck in my bathroom sandpapering my arms. So I've given up. And, while I haven't embraced the hairiness, I've accepted it. If Bigfoot ever attacks Chicagoland, maybe he'll see me as a kindred spirit.

Record Your Summer with Amy

Hey friends! This is Amy of Lemon and Raspberry here to remind you .... it's JULY! The heart of summer!

My husband and I just bought a house not to far from where I went to high school. The other day, driving past the school I saw a gaggle of 4 or 5 high school kids walking down the street, and I was immediately reminded of the summer of 1997 when - between summer school and summer theater - I spent all day every day that summer with my little group of friends.

My next thought: I'm pretty sure I haven't recorded those memories anywhere.  

This summer, I encourage you to set aside a little time each week to record the fantastic season.

I love memory keeping and really intend to fit it more into my every day. Stories slip away and memories get lost. But the more you practice the easier it will get. Take photos every day - even if you end up deleting them. Sign up for Instagram or download the Day One app (both of which I use) to capture small moments here and there that really speak 'summer' to you.

Make this summer the season to really tell your story.

Even if you're not planning on doing a minibook project, go ahead and write your summer manifesto or glean ideas from the list below. Photos to take and stories to write about your summer .....

• flip-flops and white skirts

• summer theater

• apartment gardens

• Fourth of July

• sprinklers

• weddings

• family vacations

• crowded swimming pools

• mowing the lawn for $5 extra allowance

• work on our new house

• walking down to 7-11 for a Slurpee

• book piles

• summer fruit

• walking the dog

• picnics and the Hollywood Bowl

• Beach time!

• swimming with sharks in La Jolla

I'm off to get started on some more pages for my Summer 2012 book! For more ideas on what to document this summer, download my new journaling resource: Summer Lovin' (psst! Use discount code Summer50 to get it for just $2!).

I am SO inspired to start journaling stories of past summers, impressions of this summer, and other little season details I wouldn't otherwise remember to record ....