[Fwd: Penny's book]

[Amanda Lewanski]

Here you go, anyone who hasn't see the original idea and/or
specifications.

--Amanda

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Penny's book
Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2001 19:36:08 -0600
From: Amanda Lewanski <editor at texas.net>

Thanks for responding, all you guys! Here's my idea, in typical
Amandesque rambling fashion.

When my cousin threw me a baby shower, lo these many years ago, she sent
little pieces of paper out with the invitations. The invitation included
instructions to write on the little piece of paper---words of advice,
anecdotes, personal experience, humor, just about anything of value to a
mom-to-be [humor *does* equal value, believe me]. Actual content was up
to the writer.

The pieces of paper were mailed back to my cousin, prior to the shower
itself, and she bound them into a book--it's got heavier paper for the
front and back, and is bound with ribbon. I treasure it.

Since Penny is due on tax day, April 15, I don't have loads of time, so
I thought I would just send you all the dimensions, and let you cut out
your own sheets, and then mail them to me. This also lets the more
voluble among you use more than one sheet if you like.

Fiction is allowed.
Cartoons and/or other drawings are allowed.
Anecdotes are allowed.
Personal experience is allowed.
Tidbits your mom told you are allowed.
Things your mom did that you hated, and you think no one should ever do,
are allowed.
ETC.
Use your imaginations. I got a cartoon from one person showing me,
holding the baby, looking furious and yelling at my husband, and my
husband, looking sheepish and lowering a raised bottle of champagne,
entitled "Polish Baby Christening." [I love it, although it wasn't
tremendously relevant to the "support a new mom" theme.]

I also need someone with a kick-ass color printer (*any* color printer,
actually--I've no access to anything but B&W) to print me out a couple
copies of logo #10, which even if it doesn't win is the one I liked
best, for me to use on the cover of the book. Or anyone got good ideas?
Like logo #10 and a little teeny hat next to it? Or a big broomstick and
a teeny one? Etc.

Anyway.
The pages of my book are blue construction paper, and are roughly 4
inches by 5 inches. This, I think, is the size you get when you quarter
the larger-than-letter-size standard American construction paper.
However, we tend to be more verbose than my shy, retiring, nonloquacious
relatives, so I think we should go with half a letter size, so 5 1/2
inches by 8 1/2 inches sound good?

I give the inch measurements because I know standard letter-size is not
8 1/2 by 11 in other countries.

I will bind it along the short side, the 5 1/2 inch side, so leave me
about an inch on the left side of your sheet (s).

Use whatever color paper you want. Construction paper is fun, but is
less flexible than writing paper.

Deadline--say the first of April? That gives you a couple of weeks, and
me a couple.

And email anyone else you know to get more people--I wanted this to be a
"list" present. I only posted to the "Chatter" group, the better to be
sure Penny wouldn't read it, but perhaps I should troll the real one?

My address:

Amanda Lewanski
929 Vista Verde
Adkins, TX  78101
Don't forget to put USA if you're not here

--Amanda