Thursday, September 8, 2011

Charlie Brown's Great Pumpkin Came Early This Year

It's BIG, it's ORANGE, it's squishing out of its casing ... and it sure seems to be having one helluva time.

Your great pumpkin came early this year, Charlie Brown, and it's me.

The official BlogHer '11 Voices of The Year videos are up.

Yes, the footage of my reading at the BlogHer '11 Community Keynote Presentation this past August in San Diego is here. To let you in on some early viewing comments, here's a few from my three boys: "You look like stretched out silly putty, Mom." "Your hair is crazy, like you don't care if your friends see you." "Mom, that shirt looks too small. Never wear that shirt again, Mom."

And from the big guy himself, "Honey...the orange-- don't know if that's your color."

My biggest fans who share this house with me, see the outside. I view this, seeing the inside: me--in stunned disbelief that I have this moment in my life, and I am reveling in every minute of the mind blowing honor that it was to stand next to thirteen other Voice of The Year writers, and read my post, "When You Love a Blogger," that was chosen, over a thousand submissions, as a Voice of the Year for Humor.

Who knew?

What was it like, to walk on stage, and speak in front of so many?

It felt natural.

I have loved few things more. Opportunities and invitations have since been extended to me, and I've been asked to speak at three local communities: on the subject of humor and finding it in daily life.

Like I said, who knew.

BlogHer, you've given me one of the greatest honors of my life.

THANK YOU, BLOGHER, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART,  for a surreal memory that I can hardly believe is mine.




The thirteen other amazing Voice Of The Year Community Keynote Speaker Videos can be found here. Some seriously beautiful words from these women that I wish you would all hear. Ladies, thank you for the pleasure, and the honor, of being onstage with you.

43 comments:

  1. Awesome! What a great experience for you. :)

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  2. What an amazing experience! I think you looked great as your friend I would love to see you again, with the orange shirt, crazy hair and stretched out like silly putty (not sure how they got that reference)...I need for my husband to see this and know that you are not like mister snufalupagus..

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  3. I'm not nearly as into this blogging gig as you are, but I definitely need to have my husband listen to this. He totally doesn't get it! You might be able to help him understand.

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  4. You're a natural public speaker Alexandra! Loved it as much as when I read it.

    What crazy hair? What stretched out-ness?

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  5. congratulations. you produce elite content. off to watch this hair craziness...

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  6. stretched out silly putty...oh my...lol...you did marvelous...

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  7. You did a wonderful job Alexandra! Loved hearing you read the post. Your kids are way too hard on you... :)

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  8. So amazing and nothing like our kids to try to burst our bubble.

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  9. OK, your boys? Sound like a bunch of WOMEN!!! Stretched out silly putty?! And I thought your hair was awesome, BTW.

    I'm so happy for you to have the honor, and how fantastic all the good that's come since! Hooray for you!

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  10. congrats! You done good kid! also, ignore a household full of guys...seriously, ignore them

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  11. How cool is that!!! I need to show my husband this so maybe he will believe me when this is what I tell him :)

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  12. Your kids are nuts! You look hot! I mean, I wouldn't do you but still, you look good.
    Love the video. It made me laugh often. So how do you suggest I get Fred to watch so he understands me and my "friends"? Maybe he will when the money starts rolling in. And I'm sure that will be any day now. Although I'm not sure how or why. Oh well, you can explain it to me when I arrive to your house in 2 or 3 days. Yep, I Google Earth-ed you, got my Depends on and am driving straight through. See you then. ha!
    m.

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  13. Oh, thank you, everyone: it's hard for the kids and husband to understand the thrill this is.

    You've got to be a blogger to understand to be recognized by BlogHer...just, no words for that.

    Thank you so much for watching.

    And, the orange...yeah, thinking, maybe not my color...

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  14. Yay! I love it. I'm so glad you had this experience - for the record, I think you look great. And I love hearing your voice, and being able to put a voice to the person! :)

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  15. I think orange IS your color. And I love the turquoise and orange combo esp. Do not pay attention to boys when it comes to fashion.

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  16. Hooray! I was hoping I would get to see this.

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  17. I've read but now I can't wait to watch it!

    And the pumpkin.

    (I love pie.)

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  18. You were awesome and all I can say is that in person, you were WORKING that color - it looked gorgeous on you. Truly. And everyone told you so, so tell the family to mind their own beeswax.

    You did great!

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  19. You were awesome! And I thought you looked great... nothing like silly putty at all!

    I loved the post and how you read it even more. Congratulations!

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  20. Okay, (1) you looked beautiful and (2) I just love seeing good things happen to good people.

    Congratulations again, my dear friend. It was so wonderful watching you on stage.

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  21. LOL! Love how supportive they were ;). Love the shirt on you btw. Congrats again on the honor

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  22. Isn't it great that they love you enough to say what they really think? Great and also a little bit crappy? :)

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  23. ---This is F)A)B)U)L)O)U)S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Loved it. x

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  24. It was WONDERFUL! I laughed and saw myself (and my hubby) in SO many of your examples! BRILLIANT! Happy Halloween - you look FAB!

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  25. This is old news to me, I already know you nailed it!

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  26. Orange is SO your color. You were awesome, my friend. (But stretched-out silly putty still made me laugh).

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  27. Aren't those fears real? Thanks for suggesting all that kindness. I'm employing it for myself.

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  28. Hello mamacita -- I so enjoyed your reading and am glad you wore orange so I could stalk you more successfully. Congratulations!!

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  29. You spoke and look wonderful! Don't listen to your family, but thanks for the laughs.

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  30. you look good, you sound good, and what you're reading? well, of course it's good too.

    you can tell your family we said so!

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  31. So awesome. Major congratulations to you. :)

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  32. You do NOT look like a pumpkin! Though, truth be told, I think that that video is a bit stretched out. It's not you; it's the video.

    So glad you were chosen. You deserved it.

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  33. Love.
    Had the husband watch this since he refuses to read :) He nodded his head through the whole thing.

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  34. Stretched out silly putty? Bahahaha! Frazzled hair....yup leave it to kids to bring you down to humble town! hahaha

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  35. You are such a natural, girl. I remember this post and love it even more now--after hearing you read it--as I did when I first saw it published here.

    Congrats on the honor, Empress. You are so deserving (and look BEAUTIFUL in that color!).

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  36. You are a natural! Wonderful. Congratulations!

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  37. You did a FANTASTIC job! You looked wonderful and natural. I loved how your read it with hand gestures and the tribal dance sway. Such a funny post that we can all relate too! Congratulations on this tremendous honor. :-)

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  38. I wished I could have seen it live!!

    You did great!

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  39. Loved seeing you in "real" life!!
    You did a great job, the shirt was perfect and you were delightful!

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  40. You are always so wonderful. ALWAYS.

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  41. HA! Way to softsoap mom, guys. If that's bad hair, stretched out silly putty and a poor wardrobe choice, what the heck do you look like at home, Halle Berry? You have a team of stylists and a wind machine at your back? You vaseline their eyeballs while they sleep for that soft focus glow? I guess they just want mom looking like mom, and I guess that's a backhanded compliment of sorts, but dudes, cut the pretty lady a break. Thanks for bringing the humor on this much needed day. I'm going to push away from the computer while I'm smiling. Thanks, girl.

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