Monday, January 16, 2012

Hostess of 477 at Your Service, Now Where Did I Put My Cocktail?

4.77?  Nope.
47.7?  No!
477!   Yes!

477 is the number of human beings that visited this very site on the inaugural Banana Peel Thursday.  WOWZA! To me, this is unbelievable! It is also really thought provoking...

I am a terrible host. As soon as someone walks in my door, I don't know if I should give them a hug, hide a dirty sock I spy behind the couch or offer them somewhere to sit. Since I am so indecisive and awkward, I immediately start talking their ear off, to the point that in mid conversation, they feel parched and they have to ask me for a glass of water! Sheesh!

I have often thought how lucky I was to NOT be born in the twenties because I would have made an awful 50's housewife.



So what does this mean for someone who just started hosting guest authors on her blog? Is she doomed for the same crazed hostess fate? Well, I have learned a few things from this last week.

There are some definite perks of being a blog-host as opposed to an at-home-host. Let me share them with you. As a blog-host:

1. I don't have to clean my house

2. or do my hair

3. or find a shirt that doesn't make me look pregnant (my youngest is two, however, still packing)

4. WAIT TIME... there is wait time in between posts, between comments, etc., This allows me, as my blog-host-self, time to regain my rational thinking abilities so I don't sit there wondering what to say or do like my at-home-host-nincompoop-self would. 

 This week's experience also caused me to pause and reflect on how I could polish this series.  I paused, I reflected, and then I pondered...

1(a). How much luck the universe will actually have to dish out to me in the up coming months in order to find enough children's authors to participate in Banana Peel Thursdays each week (yikes!)...for the next year!!! (Double yikes!)

2(a). If there was something I could give each literary guest in return for their participation. I am so appreciative! Thinking bronzed banana peel, whatcha think?

3(a). If there was something to give returning viewers  in return for checking out these authors' posts. Again, so appreciative! =)


Then I realized how amazing it would be to create a badge to unite all of us who ADMIT to their banana peel slips and feel PRIDE in those slips (and any post-slip owies)!


So, in conclusion, I have two questions for YOU blogosphere...

1(b). For a future Banana Peel Thursdays (BPT) badge, I would love to create a silly slogan: I SLIP ON BANANA PEELS!*, for example...any ideas? Please shoot them my way!

*disclaimer: silly slogan example is not that silly

2(b). Is there any illustrator out there who would like to design a BPT badge just for kicks and a great, big bloggie hug? This badge would be made available for participating authors and/or readers to show on their blogs, who have no shame in admitting that they too fall on their tushies every once in a while!

Yes. Even her!

26 comments:

  1. WOW! That is seriously impressive, Elizabeth. After 13.5 months of blogging, my best day has been 461 visits and that was on Friday - yes, the one that just went by! I love the idea of Banana Peel Thursday and wish you very success with it - I hope at least some of my friends will help you out :) And there are so many talented illustrators involved with 12X12, including Loni who made my Perfect Picture Book badge, that I'm sure you'll find someone who wants to do it! I'll have to think on ideas for a slogan.... Can't wait to see how it turns out! P.S. My youngest is 14 and I'm still packing! :)

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    1. Susanna, thank you so much for being so popular! I am so impressed by your humility and sense of humor! =) A couple of your friends have already contacted me! I am very excited to receive their stories! I'm glad you like the idea of the series. I hope others will too! If any ideas come to mind for the slogan, let me know! Thanks so much!

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  2. That's great, Elizabeth! I just finished my very first week of blogging, so I have a ways to go to meet those stats -- but if you've got good content, they will come, as we've seen with your new series. I'm published by an independent publisher, so can't really help you out as a guest with horror stories. I'm also not an illustrator, so basically I'm totally useless to you, haha. But I am a reader, so just wanted to pop in and say congrats! (And my twins are almost two...yup, still packing. The next time someone asks if I'm pregnant I'm just going to say yes...with triplets.)

    How about: Is my slip showing?

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    1. Renee! You must be incredibly BUSY with your little ones! Whenever someone asks, "Do you mind if I ask you a question?", I think, oh no, here it comes..."Are you pregnant again?" I just expect it now and actually hold bets with myself for how long it will take a new group of students to ask. =)

      I LOVE your idea for the slogan...I was also thinking of somthing along the lines of: How do wear your slip? =)

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  3. Banana cream pie. Bananas Foster. Banana Split. These things I like - but your Banana Peel Thursday wiped the floor with them. (Leaving that floor sticky, and not a little slick.) I was going to leave my suggestion for your Silly Slogan ("I've got Blog A-Peel!") but I have to say, I like Renee's "Is my slip showing?" much better.

    And my not-quite 5 year old (btw- still packing and will always be packing in certain lights) believes you should have music; the kid's musicians Ralph's World do a version of the Banana Splits theme song that is extremely cheerful - listen to the sample here if you like: http://www.amazon.com/Banana-Splits-Tra-Song/dp/B00138IVV8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326732809&sr=8-1
    I have no idea how to link in music, but I told him I'd tell you about it.

    Looking forward to this Thursday!

    (Anonymously yours, Melissa K.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And in terms of music, there's always Raffi's Banana Phone :)

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    2. To coin a phrase... D'OH!!! Now that's in my head for the rest of the day... :)

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    3. Melissa! Wow! Thank you! And thank you to your son for recommending the song. My kids will love it when I play it for them tomorrow. You can tell your son that we are a dance party kind of family and that song will be new on our playlist!

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  4. You kinda rock in sooo many ways! I hope you continue the success...and that I can somehow find success for my blog in your wake. :) Well done!

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    1. OMG Marcie! Thank you!!! What a great compliment, but I think your writing shines way too bright to be in the wake of any other person or high speed jet ski for that matter. YOU and your writing rock Marcie! You crack me up! I mean, you are the Jelly Bean Christmas author for Pete's sake!

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  5. I love your "voice!" mpflory.blogspot.cpm

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    1. Thank you!!! Wow. Amazing compliment...=) Thanks so much for reading!

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  6. Wow that IS an impressive turnout for your first post in the series - go Susanna!

    I find that most people, if they accept an offer to guest post, are happy to get the support and the exposure. Every week is tough, but luckily there are LOTS of writers out there. I'd schedule yourself out a month or so and then if you keep getting stats like last week, you'll have people contacting YOU to participate.

    Great job!

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    1. Thanks so much for your advice Julie! Susanna was amazing!

      I am so grateful to have a handful of great authors lined up. Now the work will begin in terms of recruiting more writers willing to participate. =) Thanks so much for reading and for your great advice! =)

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  7. Congratulations on your first Banana Peel Thursday! I have a couple of ideas for a badge :) My blog is http://hnewmanart.blogspot.com/ and my website is http://www.heathernewman.net/ If you like my work, you can contact me through my website. Cheers!

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    1. I would love to hear your ideas for a badge! Thank you so much for offering! Let me know when you have the chance! Should we FB it?=)

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    2. FB sounds great! I'll send you a message with a couple of ideas :)

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  8. Congratulations on your first post! That is quite an accomplishment.

    I think you are going to find more than enough authors willing to participate in Banana Peel Thursday. It is great idea and has lots of potential. Looking forward to hearing more stories from the authors.

    Keep it up!

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  9. Congratulations on hitting on a great idea right off the bat. My first year of blogging consisted of me posting occasional illustrations to my one fan (who wasn't even my husband). Looking forward to reading more of your posts.

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  10. Totally delightful! New to your blog and love the idea of banana peels... that we all slip once in a while. Looking forward to more!

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