A Girl Named PJ

Wish I Was Here + Friday links

April 26, 2013

Zach Braff wants to make another movie, and he wants our help. He’s reaching out to his fans via Kickstarter to raise money for his next project, “Wish I Was Here,” a follow-up of sorts to “Garden State.” Being a girl from New Jersey who was in her 20s when “Garden State” premiered, I was instantly a huge fan of Zach’s directorial debut. I’m not even sure which I liked better — the film or the soundtrack.

I’d love to see “Wish I Was Here” get made, so I think I’m going to make my first Kickstarter contribution. So far the response has been tremendous. As I’m writing this, Zach’s more than halfway to his goal of $2,000,000. Amazing!

After you check out Zach Braff’s Kickstarter page, here are some more worthwhile links to visit:

– Why do we blog? In many ways, I do think it’s a narcissistic activity, although I think the level of narcissism depends on the individual blogger.

– A 360-degree tour of Jenna Lyons’s J.Crew office

– By taking and sharing so many photos, have we become tourists in our own lives?

– Boston runs on Dunkin’

– I’m always motivated by posts about how other bloggers get it done.

– I’ve given JB personalized Treat cards for various occasions; they are such a clever idea! Now you can get 25% off Mother’s Day card from Treat.

– Need a Mother’s Day gift for mom? Make her a Blurb book for 20% off!

– Win 1 of 4 gift certificates from Stuck On You!

– Please take my reader survey (attention, coffee drinkers!)

4 spring trends + plus a bonus favorite

April 25, 2013

According to the calendar, we’re more than a month into spring – although you wouldn’t know it by the weather outside my window! Temperatures are below average where I live, so I’m still donning long sleeves and boots with socks (my feet get very cold). I’m eagerly anticipating a warm, sunshine-y spring day so I can break out the newest additions to my wardrobe.

You can read about four spring trends I’m excited to wear this season over on Lifetime Moms, but I wanted to share one more trend I’m currently crushing on this season: orange!

When paired with pink, orange feels almost tropical, but when matched with navy or other neutrals, it’s perfectly preppy. I love how a pop of orange can brighten up an entire look (especially when you’re still wearing cold-weather clothing). Here are some orange accessories on my wish list that’ll put you in the mood for warmer temps, too:

Revlon nail polish / MICHAEL Michael Kors sunglasses / Fossil watch (on sale!)

Coach loafers / Givenchy lip gloss

photo of J.Crew model via Allure

Reader Survey! (and a giveaway)

April 24, 2013

Ah, the reader survey. A necessary evil when it comes to blogging, I’m afraid. We can only learn so much about our readers through our social media interactions.

As I continue working hard to create exciting, entertaining, and informative content for Bunny & Dolly, it will be helpful to have certain demographics available to share with potential collaborators (when they ask). I’m also curious to know what you think about the blog’s current content and what changes you’d like to see.

Although this blog does chronicle certain adventures in my life, it’s not my diary. It’s not meant to be kept a secret. As a writer, I want readers! I want my thoughts and my words to have meaning to you, so I want to know what it is about my blog that makes you want to come back for more — and the things that might turn you away. Your feedback is important to me.

I have an idea. Let’s bring back blog comments. Saying you “don’t have time to comment” is like saying you don’t have time to be nice.

— Danyelle Mathews (@dandeedesigns) April 23, 2013

Unfortunately, comments are the easiest way to gauge reader feedback, so when you don’t get very many, you fear you are doing something wrong. Like Danyelle, I’d love to bring back blog comments, but I don’t necessarily think that people aren’t commenting because they don’t have time. I think it’s because it’s not always easy to comment when you read blogs on a phone or iPad. No matter the reason, not getting comments still sucks (just ask any blogger).

However, there is another way to get reader feedback: the reader survey.

I would really, really appreciate it if you’d answer my short 10-question, mostly multiple choice survey. To make it worth your while, I’ll throw in a small reward: one survey participant will win a $20 Starbucks gift card! If you’d like to be included in the random drawing, just leave your email address as the answer to question 10 when prompted on the survey. ~~The survey will close on Tuesday, May 7th, and the winner will be notified by email the next day.~~ (The giveaway is now closed.)

Thanks in advance for your participation! I’m so happy to have you as a reader!

Q&A with Ami Price of Entouriste

April 23, 2013

Since it’s been proven that planning a vacation creates a boost of happiness, the readers of the new travel blog Entouriste must be very, very happy! Entouriste was founded by Ami Price, one of my first online friends. It’s true! We actually met in person at the National Stationery Show back in 2009 when I owned a (short-lived) stationery company, and I later contributed to the lifestyle spin-off of Elizabeth Anne Designs, her wildly popular wedding blog.

I recently chatted with Ami about her newest online venture, juggling multiple blogs, and her upcoming travel plans. Enjoy!

How would you describe Entouriste? And how long did it take for you to come up with the perfect name?
Entouriste (“ahn tur eest”) is a community-based travel blog founded on a passion for travel and discovering the world one corner at a time. Entouriste brings travel to life in a whole new way with stunning imagery and glimpses into the adventures of like-minded voyagers. We’re bridging the gap between personal travel journals and travel magazines with galleries and articles that focus on showcasing the boundless beauty of the world’s destinations. Entouriste wants to inspire your next journey!

I’m indebted to Kelly Cummings from Spindle Photography for free associating with me via a twitter chat late one evening and helping me to name Entouriste!

You already run Elizabeth Anne Designs, a renowned wedding blog. What inspired you to start another community-based blog?
I not-so secretly harbor a lifelong goal of wandering through every corner of the world, and Entouriste brings together my love of beautiful images and connections in the photography world with my passion for exploring. I will always adore beautiful celebrations, and truly love curating Elizabeth Anne Designs, but this is a whole new adventure!

How do you manage both blogs simultaneously, and how much time goes into running each of them?
I won’t lie – there have been too many late nights, as I am pulling together all of the articles for Entouriste myself currently! Elizabeth Anne Designs was founded in 2007, and although I still review and, in many cases, create the articles for the site, I have a wonderful team of ladies handling many of the day to day duties. And I’m excited to say that Entouriste will be bringing on an editor soon to shoulder some of the responsibilities. Also, after many years of running EAD while working full-time, I’m excited to officially be cutting the cord on my corporate life in early May!

When was the first time you traveled overseas? Where did you go? What were some highlights from that trip?
My first adventure overseas was a 10-day vacation to Rome and Paris in 2004 with my husband and two of our best friends, with whom we still travel annually. Landing in Italy may as well have been landing on Mars, for all of my excitement! I remember the trip well – the feeling of experiencing true ancient history for the first time when stepping foot into the Colosseum, taking that first bite of gelato (I adore gelato!), and, of course, that first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower. I also remember being baffled by the lack of breakfast available in Italy, and desperately wanting a salad!

Where has been your favorite vacation destination so far?
That’s such a difficult question, because each destination has its own living, breathing, personality! But if I am pressed to choose, I have to pick Iceland. We rang in 2012 celebrating in Reykjavik, and let me tell you, Icelanders celebrate New Years like none other! We visited Iceland with the aforementioned best friends and their toddler, and it truly is a winter wonderland. We went dog sledding at sunrise (Noon! My kind of sunrise!), swam in the Blue Lagoon (heaven in the cold weather), and toured the fame Golden Circle. But the most memorable experience had to be gathering with everyone at the neighborhood church yard to set off fireworks at midnight for New Years. Pure joy.

Do you have your next trip already planned? If so, where will you be going?
Yes! For me, the thrill of planning a trip is almost as wonderful as the trip itself and I’m currently in the throes of planning my next two journeys. First up, my sister and I are doing a girls’ week in Europe, where we will visit Munich, Salzburg, Český Krumlov, and Prague. Then after a short week and a half back in the States, we are grabbing my husband and jetting to Australia! After 15 years in the corporate world, I’m living it up my first two months out!

Ami’s photographs of the Great Wall of China, dog sledding at sunrise, and the pyramids of Giza are all from Entouriste. Please check out Entouriste and visit them on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. Good luck, Ami! xx

Stuck On You Giveaway!

April 22, 2013

I’m excited to kick off the week with a giveaway from Stuck On You!

Now, I don’t often buy Levi personalized items because I’ve found that they are usually low-quality products with cheesy designs, so I was hesitant to partner with a company that offers clothing labels and personalized gifts for kids. I’ll never promote a company on Bunny & Dolly whose products I wouldn’t personally use!

Stuck On You offered to let me review some of their products first, and after browsing their site, I was happily surprised by how many items and designs actually caught my eye. I ended up choosing small stick-on clothing labels in red with a rocket ship design and a personalized lunchbox in navy featuring retro robots. (Their cartoon graphics, all of which can be personalized, were super adorable. Other boy-friendly designs I liked included Super Strong, Tradies, and Monster Derby, and there are plenty of sweet girlie designs, too.)

The cool thing about the labels is that you can simply affix them to the tag of a piece of clothing like a sticker or you can iron/sew them on to the fabric for a longer-lasting hold.

Obviously, Levi was thrilled with his new personalized lunchbox. Although he doesn’t bring his lunch to daycare (yet), he loves carrying his lunchbox around the house, and it will be great for day trips and outings this summer.

Stuck On You would like to give you the chance to try out their decidedly non-cheesy personalized gifts! Four Bunny & Dolly readers will each win a $25 gift certificate to Stuck On You! Yay! If I won, I would either get Levi a library bag, a wooden number puzzle, or maybe a silicone placemat. What would you chose?

To enter, please follow the Rafflecopter prompts below. You can enter 4 different ways, so please read the directions. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

P.S. – If you are wary about your little one carrying around items with his or her name on them, you can still buy any product on Stuck On You without the personalization option!

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