My insatiable urge to observe and preserve
I have always been an avid reader and writer. As far back as I can remember, I have had what I refer to as obsessive compulsive documentitis (OCD). The root of this condition? My gene pool, without a doubt. My maternal grandmother kept a journal of daily tasks and the weather. My father wrote daily about the Vietnam War in his letters home to his wife (my mother).
The list of keepsakes I’ve created over the years is long and fulfilling, including my husband’s wedding gift: a daily journal recording every day spent together, dating back 17 years. And then there were the dozen Mt. Whitney binders I made for our backpacking group, who hiked to the top of the tallest peak in the 48 states. The binder wasn’t just about our own experience; it also included posts from an entire year’s online message board, and I found the juxtaposition of personal experience with The Cyber Universe to be fascinating. Little did I know that these early chronicles were training exercises that would prepare me for my life’s greatest to-be-documented adventure: motherhood.
From scraps to script
Fast forward several years to pregnancy and birth and the discovery of an entirely new (to me) genre in which to exercise my documentitis. Inspired by one of my all-time favorite books, Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, I began recording my own observations about being a mother. I was enthralled by Amy’s keen eye, her wry humor and the unusual format that shaped her story. The chapter “The Evolution of this Moment” includes a timeline of the author’s life and key influences.
The bulk of the book, “Alphabetized Existence,” includes definitions, charts and graphs describing the author’s experiences. And hidden beneath the book jacket are lovely little lists of how many times certain words appear in the book, wines that go nicely with the book, and — last but not least — the “we all want it because …” bulleted list. Reading this book was like finding my twin, a fellow sufferer from my distinctive OCD who had found a way to share her offbeat musings with the world.
Gradually, my pile of notes transformed into a dictionary-style manuscript of 1000 definitions, each based in wordplay. After a year, I felt ready to take it to the next level, putting together a book proposal and sending the manuscript to a select group of literary agents. Within 24 hours, I had two offers for representation. I signed on with one, and with much enthusiasm we finalized the proposal and began submitting it to publishers. But alas, no bites.
Egg2Cake: The birth of a company
I put the manuscript on the shelf for a couple years. A year and a half ago, I was compelled to dust it off and transform it into a line of stationery, paper accessories and gifts for new moms. The title of the manuscript, Egg to Cake, became the name of the company I founded with my longtime friend and colleague, Kate Rivinus Blackman. (The “2″ represents the two of us.) Our first product, which closely resembles my original manuscript, was the Momglish pocket dictionary, a primer for getting up to speed in mama-speak.
When it comes to my own version of OCD, I know there is no cure, and that’s fine by me. Is it contagious? I sure hope so. Because life’s substance is in the details and maybe, just maybe, I can help others recognize and capture the memorable moments amidst the mundane — and provide them with inspiration, humor and tools to do it.
Jamie Diersing is the co-founder of Egg2Cake (and its eggcentric blog). You can read Felt & Wire’s profile on the company here and see products in Egg2Cake’s Felt & Wire Shop.
