Exciting TV/Fundraiser Update: It’s A-HAPPENING!

The joy is all on the inside, I assure you.

Darling darling people-who-read-this-blog,

While I have no doubt that you are sitting there on the other end of cyberspace, biting your nails off in anticipation of my next utterance on this here website, let me placate you right now with thanks for your patience in my absence this week gone past.

Oh dear Lord. It has just occurred to me that in writing this, I have in fact, turned into the bearer of one of those irritating “your call is important to us” messages, while putting you on hold for 17 hours. Forgive me.

So….since my last post announcing this exciting TV/charity development here at CM headquarters, I have been INUNDATED – truly, I feel like Kate Winslet and Leo DiCaprio in that little corridor scene right now – with messages of support, ideas on how to actually raise this moolah and shock’n'awe ACTUAL DONATIONS TO THE CAUSE!

Update: just got this message on my fundraising page from a complete stranger:

Just saw info about a gig you are doing, google you, found your bog and voila, here I am. I seriously considered spending $200 on walking shoes today, how the heck can I justify not givng you $50? Such a worthy cause. Good luck. Put a gold-coin collection at your gigs!

Squeeee!!! Thank you!!!!

That was all I needed to make it real in a good way, I feel like this is actually going to happen now, whereas this time last week I was feeling sick every time I thought about it. BRING IT!

So…on the agenda thus far:

Comedy Fundraisers (naturally), one in Adelaide (a coupla nights before the shoot!) and one (thus far, I’m working on it!) in Brissie. Bring the funny for the money! Hmm. Catchy.

A cabaret night in Adelaide, details to come. My wondrous pals and fellow graduates from the Australian Cabaret Summer School have been quick to jump on the bandwagon, so excited to actually enjoy a reunion while supporting the cause. Damn this is making me fall back in love with human beings again.

A radiothon in tandem with the fab Funky Kids Radio – launched and run by one of my favourite peeps on planet Earth, Rachel Cooper. We are currently working out the ins and outs of this, but very very excited to see how it all eventuates!

An AMAZING workshop, incredibly generously donated by one of my dear comedian friends’ partners, with all proceeds going directly to the cause.

A pizza day at my kids’ school, thanks to the generous folks at Eagle Boys, who are donating 20 pizzas for us to raise funds with. Just when I thought I couldn’t love pizza with any more passion…

A giveaway of prizes, products and other services – after asking for feedback from my Facebook crew, I have opted to offer a ticket in this giveaway to EACH and EVERY person who donates to the cause. $1 donation = 1 ticket. $100 = 100 tickets, and so on. I will be drawing these prizes in early October and will record the draw and upload it to youtube to share the excitement and prove it’s an honest draw!

On this note, if you have anything you’d like to donate to the prize giveaway or know somebody who does, please get in touch (either via email or my Facebook page). I would LOVE to hear from you!

That’s it thus far, more ideas are floating around the stratosphere and am just trying to wrap my head around all the possibilities, and specifically, which ideas are going to be the most likely to generate the $$ with a minimum of fuss and really more to the point, TIME.

Thanks all so much already who have supported in whatever way, I hugely hugely appreciate it, as I promise you, do the wonderful folks at Cara!

Viva la tutu! xxx

My official fundraising page is here!

My Commercial TV Debut (With a Warm Fuzzy Twist!)

I’m terrified even writing this blog post, namely cos the moment I hit ‘publish’, it’s gonna become real.

AGH.

So a few weeks ago a pretty rocking dream came true. I got asked to be one of the participants in a damn amazing TV project.

Actually, there’s a bit of a story as to how it all came about. Back at the good old Adelaide Fringe earlier this year, there I was strutting my stuff onstage at Titters, one of my favourite shows ever to guest in, filled as it is with delicious lady comics who I dig hugely onstage and off. Anyway, as I tend to do, I invited a random audience member up onstage to do my thang with…not realising at all that the entire audience (bar me, not being South Australian) already knew who he was. I discovered later that his name was Troy Gray, a former AFL player now presenter, TV/radio guy and producer of…da da da da…this incredible doco project.

Serendipity onstage. I love it.

So the concept is this: six folks each have to do their utmost to raise funds for charity (mine being Cara, a truly rocking organisation which works with people with disabilities), and then we celebrate our efforts while shooting a TV adventure documentary! From what I understand, the doco is a bit “Amazing Race”-ish, minus the competition, doing fun adventure-type stuff and will be screening on South Australia’s Channel 7 in early 2013.

EXCITEMENT! AMAZEMENT! AGGGGHHHHH!!!

However, since saying yes to this latest instalment in my series of ‘ridiculous feats to squeeze into a lifetime here in Jen-land’, I have been twisting my guts inside and out with a combination of fear, excitement, more fear and questions of “can I?” “how will I?” “what the heck am I attempting to do here?” “AM I MAD?!”

So why all the drama?

Aside from me being a general drama queen (cue Simply Red’s “If You Don’t Know Me By Now”), let me try to explain.

This is all good. Beyond good in fact. It’s for a great cause. It’s gonna be ridiculous fun.

The target to raise? $10,000.

The deadline? October 1st. That’s right.

I have to raise $10,000 in less than 7 weeks.

Cue anxiety.

CAN I DO THIS?!

Aggggghhhhhhhh…..

The truth is, I honestly don’t know if I CAN do this. But, as Nike said once, the people who get things done in this world lie to themselves, by tell themselves they can do things which they actually cannot.

So…I am trying to pull my head in/out/twist it around just so it feels better, and lying myself stupid.

I CAN DO THIS.

But…I am not so stupid as to think I can do it alone.

Puh-lease.

If you have:

1) IDEAS ON HOW THE HECK I CAN DO THIS
Please. Any? I beg you. Pretty please help me come up with some thoughts on how to raise $10,000 in 7 short weeks and I will be so so grateful. (Note if these are fun and easy ideas, I will bake you cyber-brownies and email them direct to your inbox);

2) POCKET CHANGE
Could you spare even a dollar or two? You can make a donation direct to the cause here and in return I will pretend to pat your children on the head and tell them what a good person you are. Not that they will feel my gesture literally. But the thought does count.

3) PUT YOUR HAND UP TO HELP AND WIN THE TITLE OF “BFF”
If you REALLY wanna help be part of this mission by putting your hand up to raise some $$ through a one-off mission-as-you-see-fit, I may just make you a macaroni necklace and/or carve our initials into a random tree trunk. In fact, scrap the maybe. I will. Could you host a morning tea at your workplace, a movie night, or bring-a-karaoke-machine-to-school day? Gold coin donations are the new black.*

*Note: gold coin donations may not actually be the new black. But they are easy to organise. 

I know I’m probably going to be doing all of the above myself. I am gonna be working my BUTTOCKS off over the next little while on this, I’m already thinking about maybe a comedy night (of course) and doing more than a couple of bake sales at school. Because children need more sugar and baked goods.

But please, rest easy.

I really don’t want to spend all my time on here and social media hassling you for cash, so…I won’t.

I WILL no doubt write some updates on how things are going with unashamed public thank your and fireworks dedicated to those who help, but I don’t want to annoy the heck out of you.

I know there are a bazillion amazing things to give your money to in this lifetime, but if you are moved to in any way support this mad undertaking for a great cause then I do publicly promise you this:

I will do every single televised adventure activity (which, rumour has it, includes racing, boating and flying thus far) they throw my way, WHILE WEARING A TUTU. And, if possible, cowboy boots.

It will be like my little wink-wink at the camera to thank everybody who has helped me on my way.

And just cos I think it’s freaking awesome.

xxx

P.S. My official fundraising page is here!

Image source here.

Needed: A Family Friendly Version of Couch Surfing

Just stumbled across this at my local library: 5 Ways to Carry A Goat, a tale of how an Aussie travel blogger embarked on a trek of the globe relying purely on the kindness of cyber-strangers to meet, accommodate and entertain him en route.

Amazeballs.

As somebody with an insatiable travel itch – and one which I certainly hope to keep scratching throughout my life both with my children and without – I find even the thought of somebody doing this pretty damn exciting.

Could/would you do that with kids though?

Makes me think there oughta at least be a family friendly version of Couchsurfing.

Links of the Week (or WHAT?! You Mean There’s More to Cyberspace than ME?!)

Strawberry picking yesterday with my little men. I must say, I have quite a fondness for child-friendly activities that treat the tastebuds.

Thank you beautiful peeps for the words of support for the changes that are soon to come. Excoitment! And don’t worry, I promise to spill my personal side for your viewing pleasure from time to time. I’m flattered that you would even think for a moment I wouldn’t. I think you underestimate the depths of my narcissism darlings!

So, links this week that I’ve been digging:

Why Time Poor Women Need Understanding Friends. Hells to the yes. My friendships have unfortunately taken a pretty big hit in the last little while, especially earlier this year when I was away a ton. It’s very hard. The ones that endure are the ones who are…surprise, surprise, understanding and/or busy themselves!

This woman’s post sums up pretty accurately how I feel about the whole parenting/passion combo.

Have you been following Sarah Wilson‘s travels abroad? I’ve been scratching my own travel itch by living vicariously through her blog lately, but this post on taking things slowly and having “endless time on your hands” really hit a nerve.

When I read about things like this amazing gathering of creative women, I get tingles of excitement to organise one myself. But the practical side of me talks me out of adding yet another ridiculous project to the ever-growing pile. Hmmm. Back burner.

Just checking out this new and rather funky looking blogging resource (it’s free) which I found via Kyla Roma. Looks cool!

I am pretty damn enamoured with my iPhone, so much so that it’s all I photograph with. There’s nothing like a nice filter to make something drab look freaking artsy. Trust me. I’ve even taken a photo of my crappy old local train station and it looked like it should be in an exhibition. Of, you know, instagram pics of crappy old local train stations. Ehem. Anyhoo, point is, when it comes to actually doing more with it, apparently I’ve only touched the tip of the iPhotography iceberg. Really cool. I shall add this to my list of “things I should but won’t do.”

I am obsessed with trailers, campers and caravans. This is not helping.

I’m also back on Pinterest a bit more these days. Are you? LET’S BOOGIE!

Well that’s it from me. I’m off to bake the world’s most inappropriate birthday cake for a child, given that my daughter has insisted on a UFC theme. Don’t ask. Despite my reluctance, I’m indulging her, but little does she know the cage fight will be between TWO GINGERBREAD MEN.

HAHA!

Mummy scores.

Some Changes Are Coming To Comic Mummy

Blogging, yo.

Ever since I took to the streets – of cyberspace that is, paved as they are with glittery mountain dew – and asked for feedback on this blog, I’ve been taking some time to reflect on your responses and with those as a starting point, clarify exactly where I want to take things.

The thing is, as much as I dig blogging just whatever-the-heck-I-feel-like when I rock up here, it’s not a particularly well thought out or effective way of getting better. Of moving forward.  There was one hunch I’d had which was confirmed by the blog survey. Again, I profusely thank you guys who took the time to respond to that, seriously, I am reaching through the screen right now and shoving a double slice of choc fudge cake down your throat right now (apologies to the gluten intolerant, feel free to spit it out once you’ve had a sufficient glimpse of nirvana to satisfy you). My hunch was that the majority of people reading this are people who I’ve actually met in person/at gigs. Which is lovely. Truly. HAVE MORE CHOCOLATE CAKE!

However, while I’m stoked to have anybody reading my little words at all, I do feel like I have a bit of a problem when it comes to reaching other folks who haven’t yet had the dubious honour of making my acquaintance, onstage or off.

I do believe part of the problem is that this started out as such a personal blog, without much thought. And I don’t think – with certain notable exceptions of bloggers I love, like Edenland – that many people are interested in knowing my personal ins and outs. I still want to keep a flavour of the personal in here for sure, but things are gonna be changing in that I want to make this whole blog thing much less about “me me me” and more about other things. Hmm, are there other things?

Having recently diagnosed myself as a Renaissance Soul (summary: somebody with a semi-ridiculous array of interests), I’m thinking there may be much musing on creative stuff, the biz side of being an artist (including promo, management, grants, planning tours, and more), comedy, improv, cabaret, writing, stuff that’s inspiring me, life, motivational stuff I stumble across, health (have I even told you I’ve joined the gym again? This possibly warrants a whole blog of its own. Hang on, narcissism alert! Move along…), travel and adventures with kidlets, and other ideas on attempting to rock the world and the baby.

I’ve got a designer on the mission to do an overhaul aesthetically – which I am super excited about, to see what she comes up with upon being briefed by my irrationally broad and crazy thoughts (part of my problem is that when it comes to the visual, often I don’t actually know what I want until I see it) – and am also finally pulling my finger out and working out how to do this podcasting thing.

It’s happening.

Soon.

Thank you to all who have supported me thus far, I love you long time and I do hope you’ll stay onboard the journey as things start to morph round here. I won’t thrust more cake in your face as at this point you probably don’t need it.

Mylanta, anyone?