I heart Groupon

In my quest to be more frugal this year, I signed up for Groupon. And Living Social. And some others. But it's not the coupons that have me swooning. Frankly, it's the writing at Groupon that has me hooked. Although I've purchased only a few Groupons, I read each one. Recently I saw that they were hiring freelance writers. They asked for applicants to write a sample Groupon based on a real company called Sea Kayak Georgia -- the deal was for a $25 Groupon for a guided tour. I though it would be fun to try my hand at writing a Groupon.[me, eating cupcakes, not writing or being witty whatsoever]

Finding yourself up a creek without a paddle might sound like a bad spot, but when you’ve got Sea Kayak Georgia’s seasoned guides and naturalists by your side, you’re in good hands. Use today’s Groupon — $25 for a half-day tour (a $55 value) — to amaze your friends with your command of Pirate lingo and tales of adventures at sea. Sorry, at this time the offer is not available to swashbucklers, crimps, scurvy dogs, hornswagglers, or scallywags.

From landlubbers to those firmly planted on sea legs, Sea Kayak Georgia has been offering paddling adventures amidst the beauty and majesty of the George coast, Tybee Island, and the inland rivers of south Georgia since 1994. Grab your mateys and choose from a relaxing river ride or an exhilarating day on Coastal Georgia’s warm waters and rollicking waves. A paddling trip is an experience that won’t soon be forgotten, especially if you drop your camera in the water or fall face first in the sand as you step out of your kayak. Best yet, Sea Kayak Georgia can customize tours for groups such as scouts, schools, corporate teams, and families.

Discover the joy, fun, and relaxation kayaking offers. Sea Kayak Georgia owners Marsha Henson and Ronnie Kemp reside on Tybee Island and are certified instructors in sea kayaking and canoeing. With such knowledgeable owners and staff, who knows what sort of sunken treasure may be discovered. Get ready to set sail and discover your inner skimmer.

How do you think I did? Should I apply?

A Friend's Search for Heartbreaking Beauty

Growing up I had a few really close friends. One of them was Sonya. She had white-blonde hair and the most adorable smile. And one thing I remember about her all these years later is that she had the best art supplies and an insane amount of talent for a little girl. Did you ever have a friend like that? When she colored with colored pencils, it was like there was no white paper underneath. I swear she out-colored all of us, even in like first grade. And don't even get me started about the notes she passed me in high school or the handmade gifts (like the "How We Look Book" she gave me one year, full of photos of her family with hilarious little descriptions) or when she started entering (and of course, winning) photo contests in high school.


So it's no wonder that today she's a super talented artist, about to set out on the adventure of a lifetime. She's planning to spend a couple of years (YEARS!) wandering the globe documenting what she sees with photographs and writing. When she told me she was going, I started to think "Boy, am I lame." and then, "What's going on with everyone these days?" Didn't I just mention how I just recently ran across an acquaintance of mine who took his entire family (kids and all) on a year-long bike adventure to Mexico and blogged about the whole experience? What is it about right now that's causing people to pick up and take off like that? Or is this something that people have been doing forever and I'm just now catching wind of it?

Sonya says she's "sacrificing security for the sake of experience." She says it's not a new story. That lots of us get jobs to buy cars to drive to work to...wait...what are we doing? Why are we stuck in this grind?

I can see where she's coming from. "Regular" life gets kind of stagnant and you forget that you only get one chance at it, so you better make the best of it. I have to admit I'm a bit jealous of her freedom and I'm anxious to live vicariously through her for a while. She's already seen more of the world than I have, and she has an incredible eye for finding heartbreaking beauty.



She's looking for financial backers, if you can throw a buck or 20 her way, she'd be forever grateful (and I think there are perks to it, too!). If you have $750 to pledge, she will let you choose a location on her itinerary and she'll create a blog post with photos just for you. To learn more about Sonya and her project, check out her Kickstarter pledge pageand her blog, which has a ton of gorgeous artwork and writing.

I'll be checking in with her progress periodically, so c'mon back. Live vicariously with me!

A Pumpkin Girl's Dream Come True

I have some BIG BIG BIG news! Little miss Pumpkin Girl is going to be in a book called One Yard Wonders, by the talented local duo Trish Hoskins (owner of Crafty Planet)and Rebecca Yaker (designer behind Hazel and Melvin's Room). I'm pinching myself with excitement! The concept of the book is 101 sewing projects that require a yard or less of fabric. I am not only completely humbled and honored that one of my projects was chosen for the book, but I honestly cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of the book so that I can check out all the amazing work by other crafters. I think a few crafty gals I know personally also have designs in the book, so it'll be especially fun to try out their designs!



You can become a Facebook fan of the book and get a sneak peek at some of the projects (check out the adorable little girl's skirt designed by Rebecca) or even enter a contest by the publisher to win a yard of fabric for a year! The book is due out at the end of October, just in time for all that holiday crafting we all say we're going to do and then generally don't get around to. Maybe this year will be different. I think a yard of fabric and this awesome book would make a pretty awesome gift in itself.

It's a real dream come true for me. Now, I just have to try to suspend my disbelief that my project will actually be in there!

Air Your Grievance Properly!

After seeing this post over on How About Orange's blog, I had to rush out and try it! I sent a Statement of Romantic Intent to my hubby! It was so fun. I know he'll want to use the one for Airing of Grievance. So many great ways to waste time on the Bureau of Communication site. In fact, I'm trying to figure out a way to work that into my position here at work as a Communications Consultant. Hmmm, the possibilities!

In other literary news, check out Language Lessons, a new blog created by a friend of mine who is learning French. The idea is to write a haiku, translate it into a foreign language (I've been using Spanish), and then translate it back into English and see what comes of it. If you want to participate, you can send her your haiku by email and she'll post it.