BCGFMN #8ish – The Last Unicorn

To make up for the relative paucity of nonsense in my last Book-Centered Gift for My Niece, this week I went crazy-go-nuts. Everything in this one was purchased – whoops!Anywho, included in this package:

• The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle – I was unfamiliar with this one, but the reviews were so good I picked up a copy for myself. It may be the best book I have ever read.
• a unicorn bookmark made of wood veneer
• a unicorn zippered pouch
• two different unicorn lapel pins
• a pair of unicorn hair pins
• three unicorn stickers
• a tin of unicorn adhesive bandages
• a set of three unicorn pocket notebooks
• a unicorn magnet
• a unicorn journal with Pablo Picasso quote
• a unicorn and mermaids Mad Libs book
• a "You Can Do It" unicorn greeting card – with a little message from me
• a matching flying unicorn sticker

I really hope my niece likes unicorns!

Book-Centered Gifts For My Niece — Package #7(ish)

My niece is a voracious reader who dreams of leaving that whole public library baloney behind in favor of her own personal library. Can you blame her?I had that same dream when I was her age, but have had thirty years to make good on it. I've amassed quite a collection, most of which (I donated many boxes of books to a local library a while back) is now quietly collecting dust on the bookshelves, side tables, and/or any available flat surfaces of my home -- up to and including the floor. And, though the threat of our home collapsing under the weight of said books concerns me deeply, I continue to purchase more. It's like a sickness. A sickness that makes you feel good and learn things and exercise your brain and whatever. Disgusting.Anywho, I got to thinking: This little girl wants books and I appear to possess more books than generally considered healthy for an individual person (if I were a library it would make more sense -- you might even be disappointed with the selection -- but fuck the library). And, I definitely want to cut back on the amount of just plain "stuff" I own. Perhaps I could send some of these books her way to get her personal library started!So, each weekend for the last six or so weeks (I haven't kept track), I've sent my niece back in Texas a little package containing an age-appropriate (she's ten) book from my collection and a little note wishing her well, etc.At least, that's how it started.After the first couple of books, I began thinking things like: "Oh, maybe she'd like a bookmark," or "Maybe she needs a journal to keep track of all the books she's read," or "Maybe she needs hella packs of cute Japanese stationery, pens and pencils, stickers, and those erasers that smell like food."So, I started purchasing and adding more things to the packages.After another couple of weeks, a problem arose. As it turns out, at a childless forty years old, I don't actually own that many books appropriate for a ten-year-old. I've begun running low on my own books to send her -- I have maybe half a dozen left.So, now I'm buying books specifically for my niece instead of purging my own collection.This has not turned out the way I'd planned.But, you know what? It's fun. I get all the satisfaction of shopping with none of the having-to-keep-stuff-around bit. Plus, I get the bonus satisfaction of knowing I'm making another person happy without having to actually physically, personally interact with them! If you ask me, that's money well spent!Somewhere along the line, though, I realized I hadn't been keeping track of the books I've sent nor the various knickknacks that accompanied each book. Hence this post and the photo above. From here on out I am going to keep a visual record of what goes into each package. Wish I'd thought of it six weeks ago, but here we are. Hope she doesn't end up with three different collections of the Lord of the Rings (cuz somehow I did).This week's package is pretty bare bones to compensate for the absolute madness of the last one (the one with the ultra cute Japanese everything). This package contains:

• An Edward Gorey book (mine)
• An Edward Gorey wall calendar (purchased)
• A great big bag of googly eyes (mine, obvs)

Much more to come!In the meantime, I would greatly appreciate any suggestions for books appropriate for ten-year-olds. I am clueless. Tell me things!Hope you're well.

I Wrote A Book!

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be just two things when I grew up: five foot nine and a writer. I only made it to five foot seven, but guess what! Yesterday I self-published a book!

How to Celebrate National Days: Instructions for Enjoying Daily Pseudo-Holidays, Volume 1 is the work of my not-so-secret alter-ego, Certain Doom.  Over on Certain Doom's site (followmetocertaindoom.com), I post questionable advice for a different "national day" celebration every single day. It's a lot of fun and surprisingly challenging, but more than anything else, it allows my mind to go to some very weird places. Here's a recent example...

National Days aren't even the main event on Follow Me to Certain Doom, that would be the Challenges, and that's what prompted this book. A little over two weeks ago – after a long hiatus from daily posting and with some newfound free time on my hands – I gave myself a personal challenge. In addition to writing a daily National Day post – which I typically scramble to do as soon as I wake up on the morning of said day – I would write a whole month's worth of days and release them together, in convenient ebook form.And, I did it!It's just a little thing – about an hour to read – but I'm ridiculously proud to have completed it. I would be honored/grateful/infinitely appreciative if you might check it out. It's available now in paperback and for Kindle devices. If you might even be willing to leave a review, I would love you until the end of time.Have a swell day! 

I Got This: Patrizia Motta Platform Sandals

Remember how I said I was going to take the time to fish out all my unworn and/or forgotten purchases and show them a little love? Boom. I am doing that shit. First entry!I got these sandals for some kind of crazy bargain on Yoox. I haven't worn them yet. I was going to make excuses, but decided against it. I am going to wear these suckers... tomorrow.Take that, me!

Buying Stuff & Thinking About Buying Stuff

packed closet

You know what always sounds like a really fun time? Buying stuff. You know what's almost better than buying stuff? Thinking about buying stuff. I can spend hours just poring over shopping sites, flash sale sites, even just plain fucking Amazon. (I love you, Prime!) Well, that's got to stop. I have too much stuff. No one needs this much stuff. It's ridiculous.I've already begun working on it. Over the last few months, I've sold, given away, or thrown away dozens of giant bags of shoes and clothing. In fact, in a single week, I sold 17 pairs of shoes, the majority of which I had never even worn. That is completely absurd.Culling my closet is the first step. Additionally, I'll be making an effort not only to curb my purchase behaviors, but to reduce the time I spend simply looking at stuff and thinking about buying it. This will likely free up a good two hours of my day, every single day. Isn't that kind of horrifying? Fuck.

To reinforce these efforts, I'll also be starting yet another picture project—a sort of "item appreciation day" series of posts. There's a familiar saying: "Out of sight, out of mind." Well, if I put things in plain sight, will they become top of mind? If I make an effort to sort through all those items sitting unworn and forgotten in my closet, take pictures of them, and post those pics to this blog, my awareness of them will certainly increase dramatically. And then, perhaps I'll be more likely to make use of them. And then, perhaps I'll be less likely to feel the need to purchase new stuff.It's just so crazy it has to work! And, it starts right now.