C. Jane, Enjoy It

C. Jane Enjoy Rules of Inheritance

2012-01-31T00:01:00.004-07:00

My mental facebook has pages reserved for people I find fascinating and Claire Bidwell Smith is on the front page. I met Claire in 2010 on a BlogHer trip to Chicago. She was the most lovely person I had ever come across--I know that sounds like a spewed compliment, but I mean it, lovely, interesting, sweet and smart.
I had left my baby Ever to attend this trip even though I was breast feeding regularly at the time. Claire was also nursing her baby Veronica, so we bonded over tight chests and lonesome moments away from our children. At the time Claire was living in Chicago, and after our initial dinner together she left for home back to her baby. I made my way up to my room at the top of the hotel, heavy-chested but happy to have met a such an interesting human being.
The next day Claire told me she wanted to write a book about grief. Both of her parents had passed away due to cancer by the time she was twenty-five and because she was an only child, she was left without an immediate family.

This scenario was so starkly different from my own life of family abundance I couldn't really process the idea of not having anyone around. After our trip was over we continued to email and correspond. Last year, Claire wrote a guest post for me about healing called, What I Know Now (a must read!) Then she did it. She finished writing her book--a poetic memoir about her life--and it was picked up by Penguin. I was honored when she sent me an advanced copy.

Anytime I get a few minutes of my own these days, I hide myself in the bathroom and open the pages of my friend's book--her personal tale about how our tragedies and our joys are all encompassed in our families. And when I think about like that, it's not so hard for me to imagine her life at all.

The Rules of Inheritance by Claire Bidwell Smith is now for sale. She's getting great reviews all over the charts (James Frey) plus posts in Oprah Magazine and Entertainment Weekly. I am so proud of her.

And her book website here has a video of Claire talking about how grief can be beautiful. If you watch it you'll agree with my" lovely" description. That was one fateful BlogHer trip indeed.

this month I've decided to write a book while simultaneously breastfeeding my baby and battling the postpartum blues. should be a blast. stay tuned.

Sunday Night Scheming: Sip & Savor Refrigerator

2012-01-29T22:20:00.000-07:00

Thank Yous:
Thanks La Yen for sending us your hot chocolate maker. It's sorta like having my own Starbucks at home. I like to dump a little Milo in mine (the Australians send it to me, along with those melty Tam Tams--SLAM!) and we sip and savor the mornings (as you read : sip and savor, think of my lisp). Maybe one day you could drive up from El Paso and join us for breakfast. What? It's practically a hop, skip and border crossing.
(EP is in Mexico right?)

And thank baby Jody for us too. He was patient enough to wait in the hospital while you took a trip to the post office. Cutie face.

Thank you Korie from Petunia Pickle Bottom for always spoiling me and my babies to rotten bits. To come home and see a refrigerator box full of prizes was just what my little heart needed this week. Could you do one more thing? Could you please pray that I will get a vacation soon so I can use my weekender bag? Is that too much to ask?

Thank you Erin, a reader who took the time to find my PO BOX to send me a sweet note in the snail mail. You know, Saint Nie Nie is the one who runs that BOX and sometimes she stops by to grace me with something that had my name on it. I was so touched to get your kind words--so much so it's posted on my fridge. It also inspired me to reach out to those who have brought ideas into my life and made me proud to be who I am. It's timely how these things work: you wrote it in November but I recieved on the day I needed it most. (Saint Nie Nie needs to hire some elves...)

p.s. My Erin Caroline tells me her fellow Erins rule the world?

Is that true?
Cue: maniacal laughing:

Goals for this week:
1. Get a head massage. After all the damage I have done to my brain trying to write, I am sure my thinker muscles could use a good touch. Call: a super niece, ask for a head massage trade for treats.
2. Finish this book. (SO HELP ME! One day I'll write about how this was the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life. If I live to tell the tale...)
3. Allow myself a Don't Be Stupid walk around the block every time I start feeding my emotions with curt comparisons and/or feeding my body with mounds of Nutella on merciless graham crackers.

My craft projects:
(I stuffed glitter in their navels)

Also, paper doll snowpeople cause there's not enough snow to build a real one.

(As if I'd actually go out and build one if there were--puff, ugh, burr--not my field of expertise).

And yes, you can call Mrs. Snowoman "HOT LIPS" she gets it all the time, but Mr. Snowman thinks she's bright and intelligent and virtuous and vibrant and, yes, a good kisser.

Ever likes to make Mr. Snowman and HOT LIPS kiss. Like this: mmmmmmmm.

Someone has been staring at me as I wrote this post:

Cue: tired eyes.

Good night!

OH! after some good feedback with an Instagram audience (cjanekendrick) I am going to start a random feature on here called, Things That Happened While I Was Nursing, do you have a photo to submit?
Email me cjanemail @ gmail .com (yes, I am serious).

Snakies On My Arm, by Ever Jane.

this month I've decided to write a book while simultaneously breastfeeding my baby and battling the postpartum blues. should be a blast. stay tuned.

Sing It Into the Weekend

2012-01-27T03:24:00.001-07:00

Here it is the last weekend in January. Did this month go by speedy quick for anyone else?
No?
Just me?
To celebrate our landing at the bottom of the month let's have Jack & White sing us out of the January haze from their brand, spanking, new Winter EP (which you can check out here). I have a girl crush on Brooke White and I don't care who knows it, by the way.

kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

Um. Ever ripped the 'k' button off this laptop and sometimes it gets stuck a little.

Sorry about that and have a happy weekkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkend!

this month I've decided to write a book while simultaneously breastfeeding my baby and battling the postpartum blues. should be a blast. stay tuned.

I Made My Bed Just After This Photo Was Taken

2012-01-26T09:57:00.002-07:00

This was me yesterday. I am trying to get up and get dressed and make my bed daily if not just for the ability to say I accomplished one thing. As it turns out writing a book is difficult. I would not recommended it. I would however, recommended getting up and getting dressed and making your bed.

I've really missed blogging proper this month--and vlogging too--I have so much energy to post here daily and vlog weekly I can't wait for next week to begin. C.Jane's going to be back y'all.

this month I've decided to write a book while simultaneously breastfeeding my baby and battling the postpartum blues. should be a blast. stay tuned.

Not My Favorite Day I've Ever Lived...

2012-01-25T00:38:00.001-07:00

...but not so bad either.