Featured Blogger: Laurie

Lisa: Hey!
Laurie: Hey, Lisa!
Lisa: I am catching up on reading your blog right now.
Lisa: Because I'm crazy behind in my reading.
Lisa: I am SO INTO IT.
Lisa: Okay, what do you want to talk about in the interview?
Laurie: haha
Laurie: Is that the first interview question?
Lisa: Yep.

[Pause.]

Lisa: Well. This interview seems about wrapped up then.
Laurie: I've already failed.
Laurie: Laurie: Most boring interviewee in the history of 20SB.
Lisa: Don't worry. I'll edit to make us both sound funny and interesting.



Laurie: So you're missing the 20SB meet-up!
Laurie: I learned via Twitter.
Lisa: Yes! I'm very disappointed.
Laurie: But for Kenya-- that sounds like a good trade.
Laurie: I'm just going to interview you now.
Laurie: Tell me about your childhood.
Lisa: Okay, this is so much easier!
Lisa: Are you going to the meetup?
Laurie: I haven't decided!
Laurie: I live a bus ride away from Chicago.
Lisa: Oh man, you should totally go.
Laurie: I know!
Laurie: I'm a bit nervous!
Laurie: What if I'm not as cool and funny in real life?
Laurie: I said that to some of my friends recently and they were like "... yeah."
Laurie: "Maybe you shouldn't."
Laurie: At first I thought the meet-up was a CONFERENCE.
Laurie: Like BlogHer.
Laurie: And I got really excited about that.
Laurie: Because I LOVE CONFERENCES.
Lisa: No, its more of a party, really.
Laurie: Right.
Laurie: I don't really do parties.
Lisa: Let's talk about your party life.
Lisa: Biggest party mistake ever was:
Laurie: Omg.
Lisa: I think mine is "skipping all parties to study"
Lisa: and also "continually avoiding the person I have a crush on".
Laurie: YES.
Laurie: I once threw a party specifically to invite my crush
Laurie: and by the end of the night he was sitting on my bed with my best friend.
Laurie: FML
Lisa: Next question.
Lisa: You started blogging the day after you ____
Laurie: I started blogging right after September 11th actually.
Lisa: 2001?
Laurie: Yeah.
Laurie: It hit me really hard and I think I had this really strong desire to reach out.
Laurie: I mean, I think we all did.
Lisa: How has your blogging style changed since then?
Laurie: It's changed a lot.
Laurie: I started out writing a lot of angsty poetry
Laurie: and talking about what I ate for lunch.
Laurie: It was more of an outlet for me.
Laurie: I don't think of my blog that way anymore, although it still is in some ways.
Laurie: It can be therapeutic for me, but that's not what drives me to write anymore.
Lisa: How long do you think you could go without blogging?
Lisa: Could you cold turkey quit?
Laurie: I went for awhile without blogging actually.
Laurie: When I was between blogs.
Lisa: "Between blogs" haha. That's a funny phrase. WE'RE ON THE INTERNET.
Laurie: hahaha
Lisa: What brought you back?
Laurie: I felt really out of touch with myself when I wasn't writing.
Laurie: I'm not one of those people who can write just for myself
Laurie: like sit at home and fill up spiral-bound notebooks that I never show anyone.
Laurie: So I just wasn't writing at all during that time.
Lisa: And then you forget to take that time to reflect, sort of.
Laurie: Right!
Lisa: Have you ever met up with bloggers IRL?
Laurie: I guess I did recently-- my New Year's Eve story was about a blogger hook-up!
Laurie: But I'm not telling who it was.
Lisa: Secrets!
Lisa: Is your blog a secret to family/friends?
Laurie: Not really.
Laurie: I mean, I don't really broadcast it at family reunions or anything.
Laurie: But I wouldn't say it's a secret.
Laurie: Most of my real life friends read it.
Lisa: Yeah, same.
Laurie: I'm amazed by anonymous bloggers.
Laurie: I don't know how they do it.
Laurie: It would make me a crazy person.
Lisa: I was at a party a few weeks ago and so many people were like "I read your blog!" which was funny. Because they don't comment? I didn't know they all read.
Laurie: Yeah isn't that wild??
Laurie: Every once in awhile an old friend from, like, middle school or something will send me a facebook message and be like, "I just wanted to let you know that I love your blog. I read it every day."
Laurie: And I'm like, "What?!"
Laurie: I mean, it's awesome.
Laurie: But it's kind of crazy.
Lisa: Exactly!
Laurie: I actually had a really funny experience a month or so ago--
Laurie: I wrote a piece for Design*Sponge awhile back about my city, so a lot of people here read my blog.
Laurie: Anyway I was sitting in a coffee shop, and a woman I'd never met saw me through the window and came inside to tell me that she recognized me from my blog!
Laurie: It was amazing.
Laurie: Now we're facebook friends!
Lisa: The best!
Lisa: Whats the blog you most recently added to your reader?
Laurie: I'm really into this new blog.
Laurie: It's written by two women who call themselves Harper & Beatrix.
Laurie: It reminds me of an American Bridget Jones' Diary.
Lisa: Cool! Sounds interesting.
Laurie: They're very smart and funny.
Lisa: I like both those adjectives!
Lisa: Say you had to describe yourself in three adjectives. What would they be?
Laurie: Oh man.
Laurie: I'm always awful at these ice-breaker questions.
Laurie: Like "If you could be any animal, what would you be?"
Laurie: I freeze up.
Laurie: I'm like, "... a penguin?"
Lisa: Oh yeah.
Lisa: Next up we'll play "Do Date Dump".
Lisa: Or "Who Would You Do".
Lisa: "Desert Island"
Laurie: hahaha
Laurie: "Would You Rather"
Lisa: This interview is going to turn into a slumber party.
Laurie: Let's just not go the "Truth or Dare" route.
Laurie: That was usually the point when I called my mom to pick me up.
Lisa: haha
Laurie: Well, Lisa!
Laurie: I better get back to this scintillating stack of work orders I'm supposed to enter.
Laurie: I lead a very glamorous life.
Lisa: Thanks for the interview!
Laurie: Thanks for the good questions!
Laurie: And for letting me off the hook on "Would You Rather".
Laurie: Talk to you soon!
Lisa: Yeah! Bye!


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March Carnival Round Up

This month we went Green for Blog Carnival 13! We simply asked, "are you jealous? Irish? or environmentally conscious? Maybe you're rolling in greenbacks... or you played the Wicked Witch in your high school play. In honor of St. Patrick's Day, tell us why It's (Not) Easy Being Green."

 Here are some of the top submissions:

Sco Man with A Tribute

It was only recently that I started a discussion with my mother about my ancestry. I forget how the topic came up, but being that I'm 25 now it's probably a conversation we should have had a long time ago. Read the rest here.

Jessica tells us how It's Not Easy Being Green 

Last September, I wrote about some simple things everyone can do to live a more “green” life — that is, one that is more eco-friendly and eco-healthy — like buying organic produce, using public transportation and paying attention to energy consumption. Read the rest here.

The Freshest Oat shows her Green Disposition

They call my leaves blades, but I've never cut you. I've always been here for you. I love the feeling of your bare feet and the sound of children at play. Bring back the sun so that I can absorb the essential red light that keeps me alive - for I am living too. Deprive me of sun and water and like all other plants, I will shrivel and turn brown - an ugly representation of my dead self.  Read the rest here.

Phase:Next also thinks it's Not Easy Being Green

Being Irish in these United States is a life-long competition, and unless you're willing to put your all into your competition, you may as well drop out and turn in your pot of gold and pint of Guinness at the birth canal.  Read the rest here.

Sarahbration also wonders If It's Easy Being Green

Growing up I was one of two kids who brought their lunch to school in reusable containers and depending on the meal, a cloth napkin, and stainless steel cutlery. I'm not sure what elementary school is like now in that regard but at the time it was so unusual that I received an environmental award.  Read the rest here. 

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What we're listening to this week (March 23-29)

(Stats from the 20sb Last.fm group)

Top Tracks

Kings of Leon- Sex on Fire

The Postal Service- The District Sleeps Alone Tonight

Lily Allen- 22

Jimi Hendrix- All Along the Watchtower

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Facebook page

20SB now has a facebook page!

Join here

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20SB Member Creations

20SB is excited to announce the launch of HandsIn, an organization created to inspire 20-somethings to change their world.  Part social network, part online magazine, and part volunteer coordination service, HandsIn aims to bring people together through dedicated community service and the shared commitment to a sustainable lifestyle.  The organization was founded by 20SB member Nicole Antoinette, who's tired of the stereotype of 20-something apathy and out to prove that small actions can have big results. 

In honor of the big launch, they're giving away a two part, $200 prize.  The first $100 goes to the winner (as a $100 gift card to the retailer of choice), and the second $100 gets donated directly to a chosen charity.  To enter, simply get active on the site between now and midnight (PST) on Friday, March 27.  Everything you do counts as one entry, so comment on a post, set up a profile, make a pledge for 20 Something Service Day, nominate someone who deserves recognition, submit content for publication, follow @handsin on Twitter, tweet about the organization, join the Facebook group- it all counts! 

Visit www.handsin.org now to join the 20-Something Change Movement!  Read rest of these entry>>>