Those of you who follow me on Twitter already know I’m a shameless fan of Jenny Lawson, @TheBloggess.  What you don’t know is that it’s not just her absurd humor, Texas-sized heart, or habit of adopting stray taxidermied animals that makes me feel so connected to her.

It’s things like this tweet:

And my twin brother:

You’ll need a bit of backstory to see the connection, so bear with me, k?

“I don’t see a big tent… do YOU see a big tent, Ollie?”

“No, Stanley, but I do see Tori standing there under a striped umbrella, looking a bit like a wannabe tightrope walker expecting a thunderstorm…”

“Don’t look now… butted in a Marx Brother from outside the frame, “But she’s trying to shoot an elephant in my pajamas!”

Thus endeth today’s absurd exercise in I-didn’t-know-how-to-start-this-post. No, there’s not a point to it, so you can stop looking.

But there IS a point
to this Big Tent stuff.

The last few posts here have offered an early glimpse of  the Circus Serene metaphor/brand, and where I thought the brand was going.  Many detours and a year later,  some of those ideas have become reality, a few were ‘red-lighted’, and others are still in rehearsal.  But one thing *not* included in those posts, or the early metaphor?

The Big Tent.

As part of my plea for your vote as finalist the Tastiest Brand awards,  I’m sharing the origins of the Circus Serene imagery and concept, as described back on MindTweaks, in 2010.  My method? A combination of metaphoring, helper-mousing, and just a touch of piracy – enjoy!

The other day, I told you about Havi’s Pirate Queen expeditions, how she lets a mouse provide metaphors for her business,  and then I announced that I wanted a metaphor of my very own.

A metaphor to help me better get a handle on this business stuff. A metaphor that  made it fun. A metaphor that made it not scary-and-over-whelming and HUGE.

As part of my plea for your vote as finalist the Tastiest Brand awards, I thought I’d share the origins of the Circus Serene imagery and concept, as originally described back on MindTweaks, just about two years ago.  My method? A combination of metaphoring, helper-mousing, and just a touch of piracy – enjoy!

I’m Running Off To Join The Circus!

(Pretty much as published on MindTweaks, with a few minor… erm… tweaks)

Yes, yes…  I know it’s St. Patty’s Day, not April Fools day.  And no, I didn’t get totally confused by the switch to Daylight Savings Time last weekend.   My run-away plans will all make more sense by the time I’m done explaining…  at least, I think they will.

But meanwhile?  I’m running off to join the circus.

This whole business is related to the renovations going on in the background of the site,  and it fits with my “Places, Everything!” theme for the year, too.  But mostly, it’s about the Metaphor Mouse stuff that Havi Brooks has been writing so much about over the past few weeks.   You can ignore the mouse part for now, if you like, and just focus on understanding the metaphor business.  After all, the mouse is…  just a metaphor.

Well? Have you guessed yet?

Hint: Her brand is flavored with popcorn and cotton candy,
with just a wiff of  wild animals, calmed by meditation…
<cue the trumpet flourishes>

That’s right, it’s Tori Deaux & Circus Serene!

And guess who gets to vote for the finalists?
You do! (YAY!)

Here’s what to do:

(for action steps, see the comments below)

Yes, I know. You hate politics. Especially on a non-political site. And the last thing you want to read from me is a lecture about the importance of your voice, or yet another overblown whine about proposed legislation and how it’s going to kill the Internet.

So instead, I’m going to violate that proposed legislation in a dozen different ways, and embed a video that explains it brilliantly and with much irony:

Hitler Reacts To SOPA

Watched it yet? Awesome.

Is it really the 20th? REALLY? Five days ‘til Christmas? Yikes!

Did Someone Say…

“Hoppings”?

We’re going to have to really hop to it to get things done.  Of course, the froggie socks I was going to list  to make the rhyme work are all sold out, but Delisa Carnegie comes to our rescue with her curiously silky beer based soaps.  Because beer contains hops, don’t ya know!