Time to Catchup!

Twenty quick updates.

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Hello Wonderful People! I feel like we have so much to catch up on. I’m going to make a list so I don’t forget anything:

1- Ralph graduated from Berkeley and I was able to attend! Ben Blair came out for graduation too. Convocation took place at the Berkeley stadium, and Steve Wozniak was the speaker. It made me chuckle that no matter how serious the speaker was, they would end with “Go Bears!”, and there were references to school rivalries throughout the program. The whole thing felt so American, and I ate it all up. (French schools do not have mascots or rivalries, so it was a fun/funny contrast.)

2- Ralph’s film was one of a select few featured in a student showcase at BAMPFA — Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive. This was the first time seeing one of Ralph’s films on the big screen. Such a cool thing.

3- The UK edition of my book was published on May 11th. Hooray! It has a different subtitle, and a new letter from me. What do you think of the new subtitle?

4- For the UK book launch, I was interviewed in the Times (online and in print!).

5- I was also interviewed on BBC’s Woman’s Hour. I heard from many Brits that being featured on Woman’s Hour is a big deal, and very prestigious, so that’s extra fun.

6- I painted one set of the big metal doors of the Small House! It’s a stunning transformation. I used Farrow & Ball Railings for the color. You can see the project here and see the entire process here. Here’s what the doors looked like when we started:

7- I LOVED my trip to the US, with book tour stops in Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Berkeley, and Atlanta. Plus, I got to spend Mother’s Day with Ben Blair & Ralph while I was in Berkeley. You can see a full report of my trip here.

8- As a surprise, Maude and Laurie Smithwick drove down from Charlotte for my Atlanta event. So rad! We went to an excellent museum, and Maude brought me warm Krispy Kreme donuts for breakfast. Such a treat to see both of my U.S.-based kids while I was in the U.S..

9- I was heartbroken to hear about Heather Armstrong’s death. I wrote an Instagram post with a few thoughts the day I found out. A few fellow-bloggers worked with her family to set up 529 funds for Heather’s two kids. If you’d like to donate, you can find info here.

10- I was interviewed by Celeste Headlee for a Slate podcast. The topic I suggested: Your Kids Don’t Owe You Anything.

11- I was also interviewed by one of my very favorite people, Lisa Valentine Clark, for The Lisa Show podcast about The Myth of Authenticity.

12- A Republican Senator in South Carolina quoted from my book to her colleagues!! You can see the whole story here. Here’s an image of my book on her desk:

13- My sister Jordan took three of her nieces to see Taylor Swift in New York City. Here is Betty’s reaction when she found out (she unwrapped a box with printouts of the plane ticket and concert ticket). That link also includes some irresistible footage of Betty at the concert.

14- They wore matching pastel suits to the concert. So dang cute!

15- We spent a lovely day in Paris and went to the Rodin museum.

16- C-SPAN shared a video of my book tour stop in DC. So great! I was interviewed by the fabulous Charlotte Clymer. You can watch the interview here.

17- We found the coolest antique bathtub for the Small House. You can watch us figure out how to get it up the tiny staircase in this highlight (near the end).

18- After 3+ years of heavy duty use, my jumpsuit finally wore out and I ordered a new one. (Plus this one for Ben Blair.)

19- The Brazilian edition of Ejaculate Responsibly comes out in June! The cover is completely different, but the inside has a similar feel. Take a look:

20- While the US marked Memorial Day, it was a long weekend in France too, and the weather was lovely. We made burgers and lime freezes. Then I took a walk through our local cemetery to visit the graves of soldiers from WWI and WWII.

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That’s all for now. I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Feel free to comment on anything I mentioned above, or whatever’s on your mind.

kisses,
Gabrielle