Who's That Gal: Summer Land, Author of 'Summerlandish: Do as I Say, Not as I Did'
We met Summer Land, the Florida Native, Emerson alum, and now Ex-pat living in Australia through our fellow Boston blogger friend, Emily of Shell Chic'd. Knowing our humor and interests, Emily mentioned we would love Summer's latest book, Summerlandish: Do as I Say, Not as I Did and insisted that we check it out. Love it we did. We laughed out loud while reading it in public places like the T and annoyed our friends around us by insisting we read a few segments out loud. Summerlandish is a book that not only makes you LOL but makes you feel like you're talking to one of your best and most outrageous friends that you haven't seen in a while. We loved the book so much that caught up with our favorite new friend Summer to ask a few follow up questions.
A FEW QUESTIONS On party tricks
In Summerlandish: Do as I Say, Not as I Did you mention your many party tricks (splits, back bends, the worm, etc)...
What’s your husband, Paul’s, party trick?
Ahhh it’s so good! I guess it’s technically classed as a magic trick… he performs an optical illusion that makes it look like his ring is switching fingers. (Totally made out with him because of it. hahaha)
What about Daisy?
She is really good at saying, “shoes!” on command as well as mastering different animal sounds. She also knows where her elbows are. (FYI Daisy is Summer's daughter)
And your mom, Donna?
Donna’s trick? Simply being the coolest cat in the room without even trying.
ON #OMGmetoo Moments
You consider yourself an over-sharer and invite your Twitter, blog and YouTube fans to share back using the hashtag, #OMGmetoo.
Has Donna admitted to any #OMGmetoo moments that surprised you?
A few times.
1. The acid/ poop story I mentioned in my book.
2. A weird confession about how she saved her toenail that fell off after doing a half marathon.
3. Something about needing to google how to flush down a really big poop.
What is the most ridiculous #OMGmetoo moment that a friend has shared to you?
It’s really hard to choose. An X-rated one was where my friend accidentally peed while having sex and played it off like it was an orgasm. Her boyfriend said, “Yeah, I felt it on my balls.” A PG one would be when my friend called the cops and had them break down the door because she thought someone was breaking in to her apartment. She forgot that her roommate was getting back from vacation that night...
On role models and alter egos
Growing up you loved strippers (to be fair, it was really just about their attire) as well as Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, and Jessica Simpson to name a few.
What are your thoughts on Suri and North as future (or current) role models for Daisy?
I actually feel really good about it. Suri is all class and I admire her ability to look completely unphazed by all of the paparazzi and celeb gossip bloggers. It’s never too early to learn how to ignore the #haters. As for North - I think we all need a little bit of Kardashian Inspo to keep us going in life. We all want to take a thousand above angle selfies of ourselves in bathrooms and I feel like North will do us proud and keep making it okay.
You also admit to having had an alter ego, Christina Lachie, who was a Romanian gymnast.
Do you have a new alter ego now or will Christina always be a part of you?
Christina will definitely always with me. But Big Mama comes out a lot more often these days. She is really good at packing cars, giving hugs and putting band aids on cuts. (Just don’t watch her eat, it’s terrifying.)
On motherhood
“Please Exit Through the Vagina” answered a LOT of our questions that we’d never been able to ask, thank you. We just have a few more motherhood questions...
Do you automatically feel more mature?
Mature? No. More badass? YES. I feel like carrying a human and delivering it (through any hole - belly button, butthole or vagina) makes you so strong and powerful. It was like I became an animal in the woods and I found a cave and some other creatures to help me get my young out. I loved it.
How has your “try anything” spirit changed, if at all?
Now that I’m a mom, I’m such a wuss! I feel like I assess risk differently. It’s like once you get everything you want - you’re scared to lose it. I’m suddenly afraid to fly or drive through a bad area. I’d also never take drugs again because what if I lost my mind and couldn’t come back to my family??? However, sometimes my hyper-activity takes over and I do stupid shit anyway. (Like in October when I thought cartwheeling off a platform into a body of water was a good idea. I chipped my tooth and needed a cap.)
What’s the best parenting advice Grandma Donna has shared with you?
1. If you don’t like something your child is doing, don’t worry - it will change. But if you do like something they’re doing, don’t get used to it - it will change.
2. Never hurt your child’s spirit.
3. Set your kids up to win as much as possible.
Tell us more...
What can we expect from your next book?
My next book is all about being a newlywed, new mom and new Ex-pat! With chapters titled, "Losing My Religion, But Keeping My Baby's Foreskin," I promise it will make you laugh, but also make you question just how far you would go for the love of your life.
And most importantly, where and when can we buy it?
Still working on a release date! (This whole second pregnancy really through my timeline off!) In the mean time, keep buying copies of my first book from summerlandish.com!
Catch more frequent and equally humurous updates from Summer on her blog, her twitter and her YouTube channel, Confessions of Another Blonde on the Internet.
And don't forget, for an excellent laugh-out-loud read grab your copy of Summerlandish directly from Summer here, on her site. Psst, she signs all her books!