Almost famous

Remember waaaaaay back in early September, when I mentioned that I had been to a blogger meet-up with Andrea and Kerry? I never did get around to writing more about it, but that night there was a reporter from the Ottawa Citizen there, and she was intrigued by our discussions about the free stuff bloggers get (and you know how I love the free stuff) and the agonizing I was doing at that time over running ads on the blog.

Well, this morning the feature she wrote was the cover of the Tech Weekly section, with a giant photograph of Tristan and I, framed in our laptop monitor! How cool is that? I so wish the photograph was in the online edition, because it really is a lovely shot. Maybe I can scan it and show you later on.

The article itself was great. The reporter compared four Ottawa bloggers and our different approaches to blogging for profit. I know one of the other bloggers (Hi David!) and met another one of them at the blogger meet-up. It was a lot of fun to be part of the process, too. While I’ve had letters to the editor run a few times before, this is the first time I’ve been part of an actual article.

I had to laugh when I saw she had written, “Postcards from the Mothership provides an intimate look at Donders’ life. The federal government employee recently told readers about her pregnancy before she told her bosses.” Hmmm, as of this morning I still hadn’t gotten around to telling some of those bosses formally yet. You think communications exectives read the paper much? *cringe* Then again, I’m not sure all of them knew about blog, either. (Hi, big bosses!)

I laughed out loud when I read that the reporter, Alexandra, worked in a plug for me. In discussing ads on blogs, she quotes me saying “‘Blogging — for me, at least — is so very personal that allowing ads on the blog seemed a slippery slop to selling myself and my kids and our personal experiences,’ she says” but then continues on with “while pointing out that she’d be willing to consider a book publisher’s offer.” Random House, Harper Collins, House of Anansi – are you listening?

The best reaction was from Tristan, though. Newspapers have an elevated status around our house already – the boys know nothing happens in the morning until Mommy has read the newspaper. The picture of us is almost a full half-page, and he is absolutely tickled by it – and by the fact that you can see his new-for-school Scooby Doo backpack in the photo! We were both up a few minutes before the rest of the house, so I had time to show it to him before anyone else was up. He practically bowled Beloved over shoving the photo up to his bleary, half-opened eyes, and wouldn’t let me take Simon out of his crib until Tristan had positioned the paper just right for optimal viewing.

So, if you’re here as a result of the Citizen article, welcome! Pour yourself a coffee and feel free to join the conversation – we’re a friendly lot around here. Me, I’ll be out looking for extra vanity copies of the paper. For Tristan’s baby book, of course.

Edited to add: thanks to Andrea – although I hate to foil her enterpreneurship! – I have this scan of the photo from today. Props to Citizen photographer Ashley Fraser, who took this and about 100 other pictures that day, and was incredibly patient with both Tristan and me!

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Author: DaniGirl

Canadian. storyteller, photographer, mom to 3. Professional dilettante.

85 thoughts on “Almost famous”

  1. Hi Dani!
    I’m a professional lurker, but wanted to tell you that you, as well as a few other fantastic Mom Bloggers have inspired me to start my own too! We seem to have some great talent and parenting abilities here in Ottawa! Thanks for the inspiration!
    Vanessa

  2. Hi Dani!
    I’m a professional lurker, but wanted to tell you that you, as well as a few other fantastic Mom Bloggers have inspired me to start my own too! We seem to have some great talent and parenting abilities here in Ottawa! Thanks for the inspiration!
    Vanessa

  7. Way cool! Congrats. Try contacting the paper if you’re looking for a copy of the picture. We did that locally when my grandfather was in the paper and they gave us a couple of photos. They might even be willing to email them to you.

  8. Way cool! Congrats. Try contacting the paper if you’re looking for a copy of the picture. We did that locally when my grandfather was in the paper and they gave us a couple of photos. They might even be willing to email them to you.

  9. I’m glad you got such great recognition for your work! You make me feel as though I’m not alone and now you can reach out to so many other moms as well!
    Way to go!

  10. I’m glad you got such great recognition for your work! You make me feel as though I’m not alone and now you can reach out to so many other moms as well!
    Way to go!

  13. It very exciting to see your beaming picture in the paper. And how many 4 year olds can say they’ve been in the paper, named and everything!
    Congratulations!

  14. It very exciting to see your beaming picture in the paper. And how many 4 year olds can say they’ve been in the paper, named and everything!
    Congratulations!

  21. What a nice surprise to open the newpsaper and see a familiar face!!! Allie was equally thrilled but wondered where “Baby” Simon was. LOL
    Congratulations!!
    Ann 🙂

  22. What a nice surprise to open the newpsaper and see a familiar face!!! Allie was equally thrilled but wondered where “Baby” Simon was. LOL
    Congratulations!!
    Ann 🙂

  23. What a nice surprise to open the newpsaper and see a familiar face!!! Allie was equally thrilled but wondered where “Baby” Simon was. LOL
    Congratulations!!
    Ann 🙂

  24. What a nice surprise to open the newpsaper and see a familiar face!!! Allie was equally thrilled but wondered where “Baby” Simon was. LOL
    Congratulations!!
    Ann 🙂

  25. What a nice surprise to open the newpsaper and see a familiar face!!! Allie was equally thrilled but wondered where “Baby” Simon was. LOL
    Congratulations!!
    Ann 🙂

  36. So it’s officially “Yay for Dani Day!” Reading your blog (and others that you link to) has also inspired me to start one and I’m finally linking it here.
    Congats on the article!! My boys have been in the paper before so I know how Tristan is loving it!
    (And you are too, but just for the baby book…)

  37. So it’s officially “Yay for Dani Day!” Reading your blog (and others that you link to) has also inspired me to start one and I’m finally linking it here.
    Congats on the article!! My boys have been in the paper before so I know how Tristan is loving it!
    (And you are too, but just for the baby book…)

  38. So it’s officially “Yay for Dani Day!” Reading your blog (and others that you link to) has also inspired me to start one and I’m finally linking it here.
    Congats on the article!! My boys have been in the paper before so I know how Tristan is loving it!
    (And you are too, but just for the baby book…)

  39. So it’s officially “Yay for Dani Day!” Reading your blog (and others that you link to) has also inspired me to start one and I’m finally linking it here.
    Congats on the article!! My boys have been in the paper before so I know how Tristan is loving it!
    (And you are too, but just for the baby book…)

  40. So it’s officially “Yay for Dani Day!” Reading your blog (and others that you link to) has also inspired me to start one and I’m finally linking it here.
    Congats on the article!! My boys have been in the paper before so I know how Tristan is loving it!
    (And you are too, but just for the baby book…)

  56. Ooohhh…. Andrea ft fishbowl, I want one, I want one!!!!!!!!!!
    Go Dani go! Well done! Consider this a small taste of the fame and fortune coming your way after The Motherlode Panel!!!

  57. Ooohhh…. Andrea ft fishbowl, I want one, I want one!!!!!!!!!!
    Go Dani go! Well done! Consider this a small taste of the fame and fortune coming your way after The Motherlode Panel!!!

  58. Ooohhh…. Andrea ft fishbowl, I want one, I want one!!!!!!!!!!
    Go Dani go! Well done! Consider this a small taste of the fame and fortune coming your way after The Motherlode Panel!!!

  59. Ooohhh…. Andrea ft fishbowl, I want one, I want one!!!!!!!!!!
    Go Dani go! Well done! Consider this a small taste of the fame and fortune coming your way after The Motherlode Panel!!!

  60. Ooohhh…. Andrea ft fishbowl, I want one, I want one!!!!!!!!!!
    Go Dani go! Well done! Consider this a small taste of the fame and fortune coming your way after The Motherlode Panel!!!

  61. How very cool! I’ve only just started the article but it’s so interesting to see a discussion that we so passionately discussed here recently, hitting the offline press. Kewl! Enjoy the 15 minutes…hope it lasts for 30.
    Then you can charge more for your ads.

  62. How very cool! I’ve only just started the article but it’s so interesting to see a discussion that we so passionately discussed here recently, hitting the offline press. Kewl! Enjoy the 15 minutes…hope it lasts for 30.
    Then you can charge more for your ads.

  63. How very cool! I’ve only just started the article but it’s so interesting to see a discussion that we so passionately discussed here recently, hitting the offline press. Kewl! Enjoy the 15 minutes…hope it lasts for 30.
    Then you can charge more for your ads.

  64. How very cool! I’ve only just started the article but it’s so interesting to see a discussion that we so passionately discussed here recently, hitting the offline press. Kewl! Enjoy the 15 minutes…hope it lasts for 30.
    Then you can charge more for your ads.

  65. How very cool! I’ve only just started the article but it’s so interesting to see a discussion that we so passionately discussed here recently, hitting the offline press. Kewl! Enjoy the 15 minutes…hope it lasts for 30.
    Then you can charge more for your ads.

  66. Hi Dani,
    It is really fun to be part of a real article like that, but for you, this should almost be a step to a “lower” medium, as you have already appeared on television. Viva La Blogging! 🙂
    It was great to finally meet you.

  67. Hi Dani,
    It is really fun to be part of a real article like that, but for you, this should almost be a step to a “lower” medium, as you have already appeared on television. Viva La Blogging! 🙂
    It was great to finally meet you.

  68. Hi Dani,
    It is really fun to be part of a real article like that, but for you, this should almost be a step to a “lower” medium, as you have already appeared on television. Viva La Blogging! 🙂
    It was great to finally meet you.

  69. Hi Dani,
    It is really fun to be part of a real article like that, but for you, this should almost be a step to a “lower” medium, as you have already appeared on television. Viva La Blogging! 🙂
    It was great to finally meet you.

  70. Hi Dani,
    It is really fun to be part of a real article like that, but for you, this should almost be a step to a “lower” medium, as you have already appeared on television. Viva La Blogging! 🙂
    It was great to finally meet you.

  71. Congrats! You come across very well. And how cool for Tristan. He’ll have something pretty great for show and tell!

  72. Congrats! You come across very well. And how cool for Tristan. He’ll have something pretty great for show and tell!

  73. Congrats! You come across very well. And how cool for Tristan. He’ll have something pretty great for show and tell!

  74. Congrats! You come across very well. And how cool for Tristan. He’ll have something pretty great for show and tell!

  75. Congrats! You come across very well. And how cool for Tristan. He’ll have something pretty great for show and tell!

  76. Congratulations! And I’m glad I’m not the only one who loved the slippery slop!
    Darling picture, too! You look a lot more refreshed and happy than I ever did at 9w.

  77. Congratulations! And I’m glad I’m not the only one who loved the slippery slop!
    Darling picture, too! You look a lot more refreshed and happy than I ever did at 9w.

  78. Congratulations! And I’m glad I’m not the only one who loved the slippery slop!
    Darling picture, too! You look a lot more refreshed and happy than I ever did at 9w.

  79. Congratulations! And I’m glad I’m not the only one who loved the slippery slop!
    Darling picture, too! You look a lot more refreshed and happy than I ever did at 9w.

  80. Congratulations! And I’m glad I’m not the only one who loved the slippery slop!
    Darling picture, too! You look a lot more refreshed and happy than I ever did at 9w.

  81. Dani,
    I’m totally late with this, but just wanted to say – you rock! I really enjoyed reading your portion of the article. Awesome stuff.
    Cheers.

  82. Dani,
    I’m totally late with this, but just wanted to say – you rock! I really enjoyed reading your portion of the article. Awesome stuff.
    Cheers.

  83. Dani,
    I’m totally late with this, but just wanted to say – you rock! I really enjoyed reading your portion of the article. Awesome stuff.
    Cheers.

  84. Dani,
    I’m totally late with this, but just wanted to say – you rock! I really enjoyed reading your portion of the article. Awesome stuff.
    Cheers.

  85. Dani,
    I’m totally late with this, but just wanted to say – you rock! I really enjoyed reading your portion of the article. Awesome stuff.
    Cheers.

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