Monday, January 10, 2011

like a million parachutes.



Hey snowbirds! According to the weather wizards, the storm of the century is presently swooping down over my city. I just peaked outside the window to see if the winter-white madness had arrived. I had a feeling that the snow was falling even before I looked though. I could feel the quiet. Does snow ever make you feel that way? I think there is a very particular kind of quiet that comes with snowfall. And, with it, a particular kind of peace my heart most definitely needs.

Know what else I needed today? Milk. And this is what the milk freezer looked like in Target:

[I will upload a picture when my Blackberry isn't being cranky. Stay tuned. Imagine a wasteland of freezer space with one lonesome milk jug.]


We Southerners tend to go ballistic over snow.

My brother and I like to joke about buying milk and white-bread every time it snows. In the town where I grew up, impending snow storms sent people to town en masse to stock up on groceries. According to my friends who worked at the grocery store, milk and white-bread were very hot items when snow came. (Why white bread? Why not Oreos?) To be fair, there are roads in my hometown that don't thaw out until June. Best to stay prepared, I suppose. I was too late for milk today, but I still managed to elbow my way through the crowds to buy protein bars, apples, and a Marie Claire. I'm a real party animal that way.

I have a few fun blogs scheduled to run later this week but I wanted to fire up ye olde blog during this midnight snowstorm to share something fun.

The Fun: Katie and Ali, two blogreaders and book reviewers who are 1.) adorable and 2.) total smarties, run a review site called inafarwayland. A few months ago, Katie contacted me and said they would be hosting a Paperdoll party on their site.

I had no clue what that meant. I'm still not exactly sure.

But I am
f l o o r e d to see my little pink book on inafarwayland. Those girls review lots of books on there, from many different genres, from authors I love (... like Sarah Dessen!). The fact that they've taken a week (a week!) of their blog to talk about my book is CRAZY. They're also giving two copies of Paperdoll away. If you're interested in winning a copy, all you have to do is leave a comment on their first post. At the end of the week, I'll be sharing a post over there about how Paperdoll came to be and what I hope it becomes. Somehow, in that same write-up, I also find a way to mention ferrets and Brandon Flowers. I'm not sure what that says about the current state of my brain.

I
am sure that seeing The Pink featured on such a cool site made my New Year. Thank you so much, Katie and Ali!

You can check out inafarwayland here. Also, Ali blogs here. Her blog is called Finding Faith, Purple Rain, and Talking Cows. That's just a flat awesome name for a blog, yes?

And Katie blogs here. Her blog is called Beauty Like a Kaleidoscope. Katie has some serious photography skills. I like her pictures because they tell stories. Also, she looks so pretty in a hat. Am I the only girl who doesn't look cute in a hat?

I'm excited to follow along and see how the party goes this week. I only wish it was a real party so I could bring cupcakes and confetti. And a Brandon Flowers CD. And the Harry Potter version of Clue.

I think I'll end tonight's post with storm-talk. And sixpence.

This whole week has been a stormy one. Tragedy in Arizona.
MAJOR history being made right now. Stories being poured over and pondered. Flights delayed. Birds falling. Crazy times in my family. Do you ever have one of those weeks when the world around you seems to spin into chaos at exactly the same time as your personal world? My fam totally had a week like that.

And now comes a blast of wild winter weather, masquerading out the window as something peaceful. I like wild. But I need peaceful tonight. I hope a snow-kind of quiet falls over your heart tonight too, and makes you feel uber-safe and happy.

And then, tomorrow morning, I hope you get to sleep in. I hope you eat chocolate-chip pancakes. And build a snowman (or snowwoman!) (or snow walrus!) with your best friend.

Because the snow walrus? He gets no love this time of year. Frosty Shmosty! (Please send me a picture if you build a snow walrus.)

... how did we end up talking about a snow walrus? This is what happens when I stay up too late.

I'll be back later this week with a post about sardines. Till then, here's my favorite snow song:

11 comments:

  1. Thank you Natalie! I'm excited for the rest of the week. :)

    hahahaha...there seems to be some confusion about the hat pictures. Those happen to be my little sister, who is absolutely gorgeous, with or without a hat. I can only very rarely wear a hat with out receiving odd looks.

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  2. I'm from Texas so when it snows I get pretty excited! A few weeks ago it snowed (well blizzarded is a better word....if that is a word), but I didn't get to build any snow walruses because we were trying to get out of town :( maybe it'll snow again...

    oh and only about one in five pictures do i look cute with a hat :)

    and a paperdoll party? that's a party i'd attend! :)

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  3. Your talk about snow reminds me of this clip from Gilmore Girls, it's cute. Just like you and your blog. :]

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuS5IrQPqFg

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  4. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who feels that crazy quiet peace when it snows!

    I've never made a snow walrus, but snowmen with snowdogs are my speciality :)

    -Sara-

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  5. I am so thrilled about the blog party. I was confused at first too, but I think it's a great idea. I also adore their blogs. And Harry Potter Clue. And I look awful in hats:)
    LF

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  6. I AM SO EXCITED!!!! :D Thanks so much!
    And, it's not you who doesn't look good in a hat. It's the hat's problem if it doesn't look good on you :)

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  7. Ali, I love what you said about hats. I found one that works for me, ya know those hats kids get when they go to Steak and Shake? Yeah, that's how small my head is:)
    LF

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  8. Katie, I'm a dork. You and your sister are both adorable though. I bet you look great in a hat, too. :) Thank you again writing about Paperdoll. You guys are making me QUITE the sap this week :)

    Courtney, I love Texans! I think it is way too fun that you had some serious snow! I lived in Dallas for awhile and it flurried a few times. No biggie snows though. I hope you get a big one when you're back in town!

    allysonkate, I. Love. Gilmore Girls. I had forgotten about that scene! That makes me laugh. I love Luke and Lorelai together. If I'm snowed in again tomorrow (likely), I'm having a Gilmore Girls marathon.

    Sara, a snowdog is the work of a serious now artist. I can barely even get the snow man to look like a man. It's more like a snow-roll-of-toilet-paper. It makes me happy that you like snow-quiet too :)

    LF, your comment about the steak and shake hat makes me LAUGH. We have the opposite dilemma. My head is weirdly big (I think I probably look like a bobble head). When I got measured for my cap and gown in HS, the lady told me my head as bigger than all the football players. I think that's why I feel goofy in hats. I'm glad you can relate!

    Ali, ... I LIKE the way you think ;)

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  9. For the record, I love chocolate chip pancakes! They are my favorite thing to eat for breakfast- and at other random moments.
    And I hope you enjoy the snow! I just moved to a place where it snows a lot and it has been quite fun. I know what you mean about "feeling" that it's snowing. I do that sometimes. It's pretty cool, actually. :)

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  10. Nodding my head to all you said about snow, the peace and sound that's all its own. I love it, and not just because we finally got a day off from school. (woo!)

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  11. Every time I see Jenny B Jones on here it makes me smile. :) Shes my favorite fiction writier.

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