As I’ve mentioned before, I’m completely in love with A Spinster’s Guide to Dating, and the two lovely women behind it, Gertrude and Charlotte. (To be honest, I’m not even sure if those are their real names because they’ve got this whole “You’ve Got Mail” / secret squirrel business going on. But I really hope those are their names because they’re amazing.)
Anyway, the ladies were kind enough to sit down with me–virtually that is–and answer some of my deeply personal and journalistic questions. I was ecstatic to learn that we have a mutual love for Taylor Swift and fruit roll ups.
You can read all about their awesomeness below. And Gertrude and Charlotte, if I ever run into you both out there in the real world, I want you to know that I may shower you with hugs. And cookies. (Because hugging a stranger seems less creepy when you bring cookies)
1) Why did you decide to embrace the term “spinster?”
Everyone and their dog was getting married, yet we found ourselves caught in a strangeI-still-feel-young-but-everyone-is-acting-like-I-missed-the-boat-because-I’m-not married-yet limbo. We decided that being single wasn’t as bad as everyone was cracking it up to be and decided to rock it.
2) How did the blog come about?
How did the SpinsterHOOD begin?
Well…let us tell you.
There we were. Five Spinsters. Blog stalking and eating fruit roll-ups. We were having an un-planned girls night one night (aka no boys called us so we decided to call it a “girls night out”) in one of our bestie Spinster’s basements. Our friend, Storm, lamented that her favorite blogger was no longer posting. Then she turned to the two of us and said, “You guys should write a blog!”
We looked at each other and knew something ridiculous was about to be born.
But what could we blog about?
We couldn’t make animal cupcakes, didn’t have engagement rings or pregnant bellies to take pictures of, neither one of us had iPhones so we couldn’t mask our typical college lives with instagram…but we were really good at doing one thing.
Talking about boys.
3) When you’re not blogging, what are your day jobs?
Remember that part in “You’ve Got Mail” when Tom Hanks asks Meg Ryan online what her business is and she replies, “No specifics, remember?” We kind of live two lives. If our real life identifies and careers were leaked we would lose our super powers. But it’s safe to say we both enjoy writing immensely.
4) How did people react to the blog?
It surprises us daily that other people like our blog. Everything we write is basically an inside joke so it’s kind of bizarre that other people think it’s funny too.
One time we were at a party and some girls found out we wrote the Spinsters blog. We were immediately surrounded by attack hugs, screaming, and one girl even asked for our autograph. We felt like the Beatles but without the billions of dollars and good singing voices.
But most the time our moms just read the blog.
5) What are the rules to dating/boys/relationships that all spinsters should live by?
Keep it:
Classy
Sassy
And never love anyone who treats you like you’re ordinary.
6) Tell me about your worst date.
Charlotte: 5:30 AM. Hiking. With stomach flu. With my date’s mom handing me toilet paper over a bush as I answered Nature’s call THREE different times and ultimately having to be fireman carried down the mountain by my date.
Gertrude: Was told I had to “dress up nice” but was taken on a wild goose chase of activities including writing thank you notes, coloring with side-walk chalk (in a pencil skirt. And heels.) not fed till 11 p.m. and was asked why I was not married yet. Awesome.
7) Any favorite famous spinsters?
Charlotte: Taylor Swift. She says it how it is.
Gertrude: Jane Austen. A girl can dream right?
8) How would you explain your blog to a stranger?
We would just quote from our first post:
Like it or not at one point in time all of us feel like we will end up being spinsters but that doesn’t mean we should pout. In fact, we should treasure it.
If you’ve ever been disoriented by the dating scene or never understood why we must perform acrobatics to survive college life, then meet here and we’ll do lunch.
This blog may frustrate you but it will also liberate you.
9) I love the “Ask a Spinster.” What’s the best question you’ve ever gotten from a reader?
We got a casting call for some TV spotlight about girls who had their whole wedding planned and were more or less, on the prowl for a husband but were not having a lot of luck. Weren’t quite sure if we should be offended or complimented.
10) When you ladies find suitable suitors, will you continue blogging?
The only thing that will keep us from blogging is marriage or death. Which ever comes first.
