So here’s the deal. I didn’t intentionally mean to make 3 out of my 5 posts this week question and answer style posts, but the cards just sorta fell that way. A few weeks ago the fabulous
Bonnie and I decided to come together to grant you one of the longest posts written in the history of all blog posts. Well that wasn’t the original plan but it kinda turned out to be that way. We thought it would be fun to ask each other some questions and get both of our takes on the issues at hand. If you don’t read
Bonnie’s blog I will probably have to stop talking to you. Homegirl is hilarious and one of my favorite writers out there. I have looked up to Bonnie for a long time and am so excited to come together for once!
Oh and hey, to congratulate you on making it through the entire post we have something exciting waiting for you. Make sure you get to the end so you can see what’s down there. Hint: It involves Target.
And without further ado, I present to you, LIFE OF YELLOW.
What is the weirdest thing people say to you about your blog?
Bon: I have a cousin who tells me every time he sees me that he never reads it. That’s always nice to hear. My husband’s friend tells me all the time that he thinks it’s ridiculous that people can make money blogging when he has to do “real work”. One time a totally random chick emailed me and told me I was never going to make it in the blogging biz… so, you know… normal stuff.
Erin: I try to avoid actually talking about my blog in real life. The conversation typically goes like this: “So what does it mean when you say you write a blog? Like what do you write about?” “Oh, just whatever really. My life I guess?” “I don’t get it. People that don’t know you just want to read about your life on a daily basis?!” “Yeah I don’t get it either.” I then quickly change the subject to how cute puppies are and that ends all awkwardness.
If we interviewed your husband what would he say drives him crazy about you (good or bad) wink wink.
Erin: I don’t know if we have a blog post long enough to cover what drives him crazy. I just learned last night that he isn’t too fond of me singing outside so that the neighbors can hear. Something about “your voice is worse than nails on a chalkboard” or something like that. He also finds it annoying that I leave my chewed gum around the house in random places. And that I never put lids on my water bottles. And that I gallop through home improvement stores. And basically that I am alive.
That last sentence is a joke. He actually enjoys my presence. I think. Ask me this same question in another year or two and I may have a different thought on that one.
Bon: Let’s see… I run red lights, I am always late, I chew my food loudly, I leave meat out and then it spoils, I can act quite bratty when I want to. Oh- one time I took off my pants in the car because I had to change. Totally normal! I thought Greg was going to bust a cap when he looked over- he was sure all the other cars were going to be looking in on me and seeing my naked lower half. The guy was seriously fuming! Don’t know why- ain’t nothing wrong with some white thigh!
Crazy in the other way? Well I do have some killer shake your bon bon moves…
What is the favorite post you’ve ever written and why?
Bon: I kind of totally love this
I Believe post that was actually
a link up that Erin did. Every once in a while the writing comes so effortlessly- I almost feel like it’s somebody else is writing for me. The words come together perfectly and naturally, and writing isn’t even work and somehow I make something I am very proud of. That’s how I felt that night.
Erin: This may be a cliche answer but I am going to have to go with my first blog post ever written. That one post has changed my life in so many ways I never thought possible. I get all emotional just talking about how happy I am that I ever hit publish on that February day two years ago. So much courage went into that post and really I think we should all be proud of ourselves for taking that first initial step into this online world. It’s a scary (but so much more incredible) journey to embark on.
How do you deal with negative criticism in the bloggy world?
Bon: First I usually feel really sick about it. You know when your stomach totally drops and you feel like you’re going to puke? Like that. Then I usually tell lots of people seeking some kind of validation. I can’t pretend like it doesn’t hurt or it doesn’t affect me, but I do try to take it with a grain of saly- the majority of the time the criticism is coming from perfect strangers so you can’t put too much stock into that. I usually try to learn from it too- one of the best negative comments I ever read was about how awful I am at responding to comments. I realized I am pretty awful and have tried to do better since then.
Erin: Most negative criticism comes in the form of some anonymous person who has no face or name. This provides quality entertainment between my husband and I as we get to make up what they look like, sound like, and go into full detail on what their favorite hobbies are. They never end up being very pretty and the majority of them play with cats in their free time. And that typically concludes how I deal with it.
What is one of the stupidest things you’ve ever done?
Bon: That would be the time me and my best friend flew into Honolulu with no place to stay for three days, no car, and not a soul that we knew. We were going to school, but our house wouldn’t be available until Monday and we flew in with two huge suitcases and nowhere to go on a Thursday. We slept the first night in the airport. Then we hung out at a beach (with our suitcases!) until some totally random guy offered to let us stay at his house for three days. We said yes.
You don’t have to tell me how dumb and naive that was. I know. Lucky for me, the guy wasn’t a creeper and we came out unscathed, but oh my gosh I will never tell my daughters that story.
Erin: I wouldn’t necessarily call this stupid as much as I would awesome, but one time when I was in middle school my friend and I took brownies from the lunch room and left a trail of crumbs all over the gym. We then went and found a janitor and told him that a mouse pooped all over the gym floor. He totally bought it, whipped out the white gloves and mop, then proceeded to go to town cleaning that mess up as we laughed from the sidelines. Realistically speaking I was a horrible person in middle school. But fun?
You tend to not hold back on your blog, has this ever came back to haunt you?
Bon: Yes, yes, and yes. Good enough answer? I’d tell you details but then I know that would come back to haunt me too…
Erin: You could say that. Here’s the deal on this one though–the one thing that haunts me the most is something I would’ve never ever expected to haunt me. Just goes to show you never know anything in blog land. Or life for that matter.
If I gave you $100 to spend in the next hour, what would you spend it on?
Bon: I’d spend it all on luxury underwear just to feel totally sexy. Or something equally stupid.
Erin: Probably food. That seems to be where all of my money goes these days.
Do you think that blogs have a shelf life or do you plan on blogging until your 90?
Bon: Basically I’m planning on being the first grandma blogger. I’m going to write all about the people in my nursing home- the man who wets his pants, the nurse who is mean, the old lady who leaves her teeth lying around. Watch for it!
In all seriousness, I have no idea. I do wonder if one day we will all wake up and think, “What in the heck are we doing spending so much time on blogs?!?” and all forget about them…
Grandma Bon. Still looking fly!
Erin: It seems with age comes a lot more wisdom and awesomeness. Thankfully that’s all blogs require (wink) so things are looking up for the elderly in the online department if you ask me.
The idea of having babies. Give it to me straight. Your thoughts on having them that is.
Bon: Here’s the deal. My husband’s a ginger. We’re both scrawny things that didn’t hit puberty until we were 19. We’re pale and freckly. We’re nerds. To top it all off, we’re both incredibly stubborn and sassy. Oh- and we’re kind of bossy. So basically by having babies we are guaranteeing ourselves a pack of ugly pale skinny redheads who are total dorks, extremely opinionated, boss all their friends around, and never admit when they’re wrong.
Bring it on!
Erin: Ask me in 5 years. For now I’m too busy taking bubble baths with a glass(es) of cabernet.
For Bonnie: You are a Mormon meaning you don’t drink caffeine or alcohol. What is your daily fix that keeps you going?
I do drink caffeine, just not coffee. I’m a diet coke fiend. Four a day, baby. I also splurge on In-N-Out french fries. And frozen yogurt. For about a month there I was stopping every day on my way home for work for frozen yogurt. EVERY DAY.
For Erin: There’s no wine for a year. What do you do?
I die. That’s what.