I'm Digging It

Busy writing day today, but quickly I wanted to share a list of things I am digging.

First, Paul W. in Australia created this cover for men who want to read my book on the bus without underpants.  (Without the underpants on the cover, I mean.  Not personally sans pants.)

(click to embiggen)

Seriously, is this not THE AWESOME?

* * *

I am currently also digging:

Jess Riley's Driving Sideways.  I read it last fall in order to give a cover quote, but I'm re-reading it now and still can't get over how good it is.

* * *

And speaking of sparkly sandals, these jelly shoes (I know!) have captured my heart.

(They're way more shiny in real life.)

* * *

I'm always excited when a grocery store-type brand comes out with something salon-quality.

My current manicure (in Orange You Cute?) went on more smoothly and has outlasted anything I've used previously by Essie and OPI.

* * *

Sloane Crosley, author of I Was Told There'd Be Cake.

Yes, I've already explained how much I liked her book.  But I didn't know how charming she was until I watched her listen politely when my husband trapped her for twenty minutes, sharing his suspicions of a pending zombie war.  The best part?  When he asked if she were a member of the NRA, she sweetly replied, "Oh, no.  We're Jews." 

* * *

What I'm not digging:

Having fans drive in from all over the Midwest and then not be able to get into our session due to space constraints.  (You guys who couldn't get in - I'm so sorry!  We were led to believe there was a contingency plan in place.)

* * *

The Biblical weather causing me to go 0/15 in terms of my hair looking good at events.

* * *

Deadlines, I'm really not digging them.  But I've got to honor them.

* * *

So, what are you digging?

Comments

[Kristen]

Hey,

The weather has been on the side of "the end of days". I'm digging my new job - I have nothing to do...yet. I'm also digging my ability to let my frustration out via electronic diaries. Alright - also Halle B kickin it with a kid from NKOTB.

[Faye]

Thanks for the book recommendations (and the polish one; will have to try it at my next pedicure!).

Also, I own (and am proficient in the use of) a gun. and I'm an Orthodox Jew. But vive le difference.

P.S. Just read your latest book and loved it! Thanks, as always, for a great read. I think we may have been soulmates in another life.

[Wendy]

Digging the early heat wave in Philly after 7 months of freezing said "big ass" off. Digging that the kids are finished school in 2 days . Hooray - no more nagging to get the homework done and no more Projects!! Digging that the pool was about 80 degrees yesterday (I usually don't go in til at least the 4th of July) Always digging Jen and the witty comments from everyone on this site.

[Marlee]

I'm digging that the jelly shoes featured in this post are on SALE at "Needless Mark-up" and that I have to go to Target tonight and check out the shiny nail polish!

Other things I'm digging:
Macy's One Day Sale today
The ice-cold fountain COKE at my desk (yum!)

Not digging
Severe weather in central FL
$4 gas

[AP]

You got a shout out yesterday on the Sirius show "Whatever" with Alexis Stewart and Jennifer Hutt. They were discussing weight (Alexis is a stick and Jen is "healthier" looking) and a caller mentioned to Jen that she should read "Such a Pretty Fat!"

Love the Ferragamo jellies, I have a pair of Burberry ones from a few years ago that I have been saving.

[Sheri]

Digging:
Starbucks Iced Tea - yum!
New Bed Head Hairspray for high humidity (sorry should have told you about this sooner)
The remake of "Life in a Northern Town" by a bunch of country artists
Super cute Kate Space tote bag

NOT Digging:
The fact that my Dunkin Donuts went all self serve and now I have to pay with the "general pop" instead of just the Dunkin people. They didn't even have iced coffee made this morning. Seriously gas station with the self serve Dunkin in it - you, too, along with the entire state of Illinois, are on notice.

[stephani]

What I am not digging...Getting a one day suspension from work for the most inane, stupid nonsense...due to contract negotiations...blows hairy goat...not getting paid for said suspension, not finding a decent bathing suit.

What I am digging...trashy summer reading...it's like chocolate, but doesn't make me fat; the beautiful weather, my son playing in the wading pool, and awesome summer pedicures to show off my toe rings!

[Lori]

Hi I'm new posting too!

Christine, I am also unemployed and have been for over two months. I feel your pain. My hubby is not so happy either. I'm wondering when is the right time to swallow my pride and work with the high school kids at mcdonalds. Unemployment is very depressing. This is the longest I've been out of a job since I started working at 15.

Enough depressing talk.... Totally love the books, Jen. Just read through Bitter for the third time. Have yet to pick up Such a Pretty Fat.... with the unemployment and brokeness and all. But hopefully soon!

Digging:
The nice weather here in Montana, now that the week of endless rain is gone.
That my son is almost one year old.

Not Digging:
Sanding entire deck-because I am an idiot- for son's first birthday party.

[Sarah]

I'm totally digging a new book called "Not Quite What I was Planning: Six-word Memoirs"
If you could only say six words about your life, what would they be? This is an awesome thought for those who are always questioning and an awesome site for those always curious about others lives. Go check it out at sixwordmemoirs.com

[T]

I'm not digging the 40 degree wet weather in June and the cold I can't shake that came with it.

I'm digging telling all my friends about your book. I'm a librarian so people are always asking me what I've read recently.

And my Wii Fit.

[T]

I'm not digging the 40 degree wet weather in June and the cold I can't shake that came with it.

I'm digging telling all my friends about your book. I'm a librarian so people are always asking me what I've read recently.

And my Wii Fit.

[T]

I'm not digging the 40 degree wet weather in June and the cold I can't shake that came with it.

I'm digging telling all my friends about your book. I'm a librarian so people are always asking me what I've read recently.

And my Wii Fit.

[T]

I'm not digging the 40 degree wet weather in June and the cold I can't shake that came with it.

I'm digging telling all my friends about your book. I'm a librarian so people are always asking me what I've read recently.

And my Wii Fit.

[T]

I'm not digging the 40 degree wet weather in June and the cold I can't shake that came with it.

I'm digging telling all my friends about your book. I'm a librarian so people are always asking me what I've read recently.

And my Wii Fit.

[T]

I'm not digging the 40 degree wet weather in June and the cold I can't shake that came with it.

I'm digging telling all my friends about your book. I'm a librarian so people are always asking me what I've read recently.

And my Wii Fit.

[T]

I'm not digging the 40 degree wet weather in June and the cold I can't shake that came with it.

I'm digging telling all my friends about your book. I'm a librarian so people are always asking me what I've read recently.

And my Wii Fit.

[Lin]

Jen, how's a girl to study for a CPCU test when shes's elbow deep in Bright Lights Big Ass, and DESPERATELY anxious for Such a Pretty Fat....? You are the best read ever...and I loves me some reads!!! THANK YOU!

[michelle]

Digging:
Jen Lancaster (DUH!)
My signed copy of SAPF
Woody White Wine from my recent trip to Sonoma
Top Chef Finale tomorrow night
My week long beach vaca starting Saturday

Not Digging:
97 degree temps in Atlanta in early June
Finding a bathing suit for said beach vaca which looks appealing on winter white colored fat! (by the way...i suggested the sales clerk should sell a loaded gun with her size 16 "skirtini" so I could put myself out of my misery)
The Army Wives season premiere (it was sad!)
Dieting

[Paige]

I'm digging the fact that my power just came back on after a particularly powerful summer storm, and now I won't have to sleep tonight in the buff because my A/C is back on!!!

I'm not digging the fact that nobody in my city knows how to NOT STINK. Seriously, people, I know it's hot out, but does that mean you have to smell like B.O.?

[SalvatoreFan]

Digging: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (yay for getting in the mind of a dog!)

Not digging: That I can't find those funky sandals anywhere online!

[Soren]

Embiggen? I actually had to look it up :) (my nickname is Thesoren, as in thesaurus, cuz I know lots of good words :D )... ANYhoo, yes, it was a word way back when, and it seems the Simpsons re-made it up in 1996 and now it's used on the net to indicate when you want to make something bigger, or, get this-- when something gives a guy wood. LOL
Look at us Jenatics (is that good? do we like that?) with our word knowledge :D

thank g-d for wiktionary!

[margalit]

Not digging that I had to special order SUch a Special Fat today at our local very very large bookstore.

Digging that we got Season 3 of House on DVD today and will have a House marathon for the last night of school. It's a family tradition to do an all night marathon once school ends and vacation begins. Last summer is was Lost season 1 and 2, and the summer before it was 24 seasons 1-5. Evidentially we're a family of insane people.

[A Jill of All Trades (Wendy)]

I'm digging air-conditioning right now....that's about it!

:)

[Sara]

Hiya Jen! I'm digging a book that has totally put me in a tropical mood. The author is Daniel Putkowski and the book is An Island Away. It gives you an inside look at Aruba's Red Light District. Pretty spicy stuff/definitely on the PG-13/R side. Loving it though, I'm just a bad girl that way I guess :-)

[taryn]

not digging: desperately needed a job. being broke can totally blow me.

digging: laurie notaro. she makes me laugh almost as much as jen does.

[Beauty411]

I'm digging Fresh Sugar Lemon eau de parfum--it's so summery! I am also digging the lime green cosmetic case I got at The Body Shop for $3.00; a total steal.

[teachergirl]

Digging finally being cool - still in my wet bathing suit in the air conditioned house - in the midst of this suck-assed heat wave in the deepest of the South.

[HeatherErin]

I am not digging the fact that my kids have just decorated their bodies with craft glitter, and now it looks like a fairy crapped all over my house.

What I *would* be digging is if there were a Manties version of your cover, for men who want to read a book with Manly Undergarments on it. Remember, panties are for ladies, Manties are for Men. (Seriously, you have to see this - http://www.manties.net/ . Don't do it if you're drinking. Oh heck, don't do it if you're *not* drinking.)

[Crystal]

What I'm DIGGING: Being a teacher, especially in the SUMMER, laying by the pool reading "Bright Lights, Big Ass" trying not to laugh out loud (which is more acceptable by the pool than it is in the gym where everybody is so SERIOUS about their workouts) in anxious wait of my August 1 move to Chicago. Also included in the I'm digging being a teacher in the summer category: grilling on my patio; drinking wine (which may or may not involve the whole bottle being empty at the end of the evening) without the fear that I will oversleep and leave a classroom full of high school students unattended while I try to come up with a good excuse as to why I am 45 minutes late (ummm...my cats hid my keys???); baseball games; outdoor concerts; NO TIME SCHEDULE - NO COMMITMENTS!

What I'm NOT DIGGING: slowly selling off all of my possessions to the highest bidder on Craigslist in anticipation of moving into a much smaller, MUCH more expensive apartment when said move to Chicago occurs; searching Craigslist for an apartment (do we see a trend here???)and trying to determine a)if the neighborhood is shady (not as in trees lining the street, shady as in "Will there be a crazy looking in my window when I go to sleep at night?), b)will I ever be able to park my car near my house again without paying the equivalent of my car payment for a parking spot, and c)is it possible for me and my two cats to live in an affordable apartment that is not the size of a shoebox???; freaking out about taking public transportation to work and being late on the first day after reading all of Jen's woeful stories of getting lost/buses running late/people running in front of the El, etc!

And lastly, I'm not digging waiting until August to read Jen's new book so I can enjoy it while actually LIVING in Chicago!

But all in all I'm definitely DIGGING my life right now!

[Tina]

Here's one Jen will certainly appreciate: I'm digging Barack Obama. tee hee.
In other, less serious news, I'm totally digging being on summer break in a week and a half! Go teaching! And I defy anyone to come and do our job for a day and tell me I don't deserve my break.

[Liza K]

Digging: Authors Emily Giffin, David Sedaris and drinking Smoothie King's Caribbean Way beverages

Not Digging: The continued incompletion of the retaining wall and patio in our backyard, despite the fact that 6-8 men have been seemingly working out there for the past week and a half...

[Sara, Chicago]

I'm not digging having to go back to work after maternity leave in '09 - any work from home jobs in Chicago out there? (Ones that are not a scam for $8/hour!) Ugh.

[JennC]

Currently digging: Such a Pretty Fat (of course!), and I Was Told There'd Be Cake (thanks for the heads up there!).

Not digging? 90-degree temps in early June.

[duckmama]

Diggin: Kids out of school, bbq ribs, neighbor's pool

Not diggin: snarky other neighbor, extra 5 lbs, kids out of school

[Amy]

Digging the new Indiana Jones movie because Karen Allen is still a fox twenty years later, so I can hold out false hope for myself, even while wearing stretchy pants and licking chocolate candy bar shreds off my shirt.

[christi]

I am digging Exotic Coconut fragrance from Bath and Body Works. Sadly, it is being discontinued! Just mny luck!

[stefanie]

I'm not digging my deadline either. Everyday I wake up with a cramp in my chest that only gets worse when I look at my computer.

But I am also digging Jess Riley's book. I'm in the middle so I can review it on my blog. Bitch never asked ME for a quote!

[Jessica]

SUCH A PRETTY FAT is now available on the Amazon Kindle! Men won't have to worry about what the cover looks like when reading a book on a Kindle...

[Amandangerous]

What I'm digging: You... Always. (Not in a creepy way. Even though it sounds RIDICULOUSLY creepy and probably always will sound that creepy. Wow, sorry)

[Karen]

Love the sparkly Ferragamos ... where can I find them?

[Lillo]

Trader Joe's dried fruit - especially the chilli spiced mangos, the dried pineapple, and the dried Lychee. A little taste of tropical heaven in a ziplocked package.

All three of your books - especially SAPF - which is my story only told in a laugh out loud way. I may be your newest fan, having only discovered you two weeks ago (which is when I also discovered Trader Joes and it's fab dried fruit) when on vacation in Chicago at the MM Borders. I have already read all three of your books and am so excited you are writing a fourth one! Thanks Jen.

[burntoutmom]

Not digging - Wasabi peas. Who decided to ruin perfectly good snack mix with these acid tasting little balls of crap?

[Kelly]

Thank you so much for turning me onto I WAS TOLD THERE'D BE CAKE. So smart and funny and the first essay made me laugh out loud and broke my heart at the same time. I heart Sloane Crosley. Also, here's to SAPF!

[Divine Miss M]

I am SOOO digging that while shopping for "I Was Told There'd Be Cake," I learned that David Sedaris has a new book out. And I bought it. Squeeeeeee!

[Kelly P.]

I'm ALSO digging I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley - I am in the middle of it right now...seriously, the Oregon Trail essay? Fabulous. I am getting ready to dig David Sedaris's new book....woo hoo....I love summer.

Not digging? Idiots who don't know how to drive in the rain. Folks, this is Fort Wayne....we deal with feet of snow...a little rain won't kill you.

[Jenn]

I am not digging that my copy of "such a Pretty Fat" is missing the last 3 chapters?!
I don't know how it ends!!!!!!!!

[Manic Mommy]

Jess's book wil be a Target break out beginning June 19 if anyone's out looking for it! And yeah, it does ROCK!

[Astacia]

I am not digging this effing migraine that has been trying to pop out my right eye today. I am not digging my kid's new fascination with the water cooler.

I am so digging SAPF, When Engulfed in Flames (David Sedaris' new book) and my new reading glasses. And tomorrow afternoon I will be digging fresh organic produce from our new crop share.

[mr mike]

wow. check out the big following for jen. responses from all over the place. fig and lit. i was hoping for a meet and greet at printers row but was timed out. did not dig that but from what i'm reading i would not have made it in breezing in at the crack of panel time.

digging that jen lancaster is very talented, honest writer. also dug the post from the pro making cash is neighbor's yard.

good idea altering book cover for us burly construction types.

[hebba]

DIGGING:
the hot summer weather
driving with the top off
swimming in the ocean
seeing my neice's dance recital Friday
all the birthdays, graduations, and father's day celebrations keeping me busy

NOT DIGGING:
that I injured my shoulder putting on a sports bra. (what's up with that?)