Concerning Hobbits

 

This weekend, we attended the Maryland Renaissance Festival for the first time since before the pandemic.  We don't always attend in costume, but it's always more fun when we do.  This year, I was inspired to dress us all up as Hobbits- specifically, Sam and Rosie and (a few of) their kids.

The weather was beautiful, but a little chilly, so we only posed barefoot for a handful of pictures.  The rest of the day, these Hobbits wore sneakers!

These pieces were all upcycled from clothing and non-clothing things I picked up at a local thrift store, as well as some items from my stash and scrap from other projects.  There were a couple of things, like ribbons, hardware, and cording, that I needed to pick up to create cohesive looks (not to mention matching thread) but all in all these were probably 90% upcycle, which I feel good about.

Now it's time to put together Halloween costumes!

Do you have a renaissance faire near you?  Do you like to go in costume?

Much love,

The Geeks

The Best Time of the Year

That's right folks- it's time to start talking about Halloween costumes!

If you've been following the blog for a while, you probably know by now that Halloween is my favorite holiday because I love dressing up in costume.  Now that I have my own little family, putting together family costumes is the thing I look forward to most every year.  I'm no master sewist, but I can certainly up-cycle some simple pieces to pull together a pretty adorable group look.  Here's a recap of some of our past family costumes:

Probably my favorite costumes of all time- Han, Leia, and a little ewok!

Treebeard and his two hobbit friends were certainly a hit at the Renaissance Faire.

Our single best trick-or-treating experience definitely happened when we wore our 101 Dalmatians costumes.

Although someone didn't want to pose for pictures, we looked awful cute at the Renaissance Faire last year dressed as Cinderella and two of her mice friends.

Last Halloween wasn't really a group costume, but our little Abby Cadaby sure looked adorable!

I just got started on this year's group costumes and cannot wait to show you the finished product!

What are you dressing as for Halloween?

Much love,
The Geeks

It's COSTUME TIME!!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

It's October!  It's time for pumpkins and sweaters and homemade costumes!!!!

Looking for ideas?  Here's a reminder of what our little family has worn in the past:

Here are tutorials for Han, Leia, and a little ewok if Star Wars is your thing.

Is Lord of the Rings more your style?  Try this simple Treebeard and his little hobbit friends!

Are you a total Disnerd like us?  This 101 Dalmations family costume was super easy, as Cruella and Jasper are entirely store-bought.  Stay tuned for a tutorial for the little puppy!!

Are you as excited about Hallowe'en as I am?  What will your family be wearing this year?

Much love,
The Geeks

Best of 2015

lulz, it looks like the star is growing out of Mr Geek's head // *personal photo*

Merry Christmas!  (Because it still is Christmas, don't let social media fool you.)

As it's officially 2016 now, I figured it's a- time to break the accidental hiatus that always always always happens on this blog in December and b- time to look back at the past year!

So here, in no particular order, are my personal favorite Our Geeky Adventure posts from 2015:

That Time I Took My Sister's Engagement Photos

My sister is getting married in May and has apparently also lost her mind, because she asked me to shoot her engagement photos.  They actually turned out rather good!

Crafting Adventures: Treebeard

We went to the Maryland Renaissance Festival in costume this year!  I did a couple of posts explaining how I whipped up the outfits for two hobbits and Treebeard the Ent.

Fashion Adventures: I Made Her a Skirt!

I shared with you my first foray into making clothes for this little goober (shown here talking to Daddy on the phone and explaining that we were in the middle of a photo shoot).

Fashion Adventures: Sweater Skirt

I got better at making skirts, and she got more excited about photo shoots.

Bookish Adventures: The Ocean at the End of the Lane

I finally read Neil Gaiman, and now I want to read his grocery lists, no joke.

Bookish Adventures: The Martian

I also read The Martian and suggest you do, too, even (especially?) if you've already seen the movie.

Twenty Random Things About Mrs Geek

I shared 20 random things about myself, because, you know, I'm random like that.

Potter Talk: Tom's Worst Memory

Mr. Geek and I proved that even though it's been 8 years since the last book was released, it's still possible to come up with new Harry Potter theories.

Culinary Adventures: Pumpkin Pie Brownies

I made these brownies with a pumpkin pie layer in the middle and they were pretty gosh darn good, if I do say so myself.

Currently, Chief is... {2 years}

Our little goober turned two!  Our home is officially baby-less :(  But what an incredible two years it has been!

So those were my favorite posts this year!  Did you have a favorite post that I didn't mention?

Are you a blogger?  What were your favorite posts this year?  Share them over at Like Mother, Like Daughter, where I'm linking up!

Much love,
The Geeks

Crafting Adventures: Treebeard

Yesterday I showed you the costumes that my daughter and I wore to the Maryland Renaissance Festival this year.  But what did Mr. Geek wear?

Why he was Treebeard, of course!

Whenever Mr. Geek convinces Chief to ride around on his shoulders, he always says, "Don't be hasty, little hobbit," which is what Treebeard says to Merry and Pippin as he carries them through the forest.  So I figured it would be perfect for the two of them to dress as Merry and Treebeard!  At first, I thought I'd go as Arwen or something, but then I figured I should pick a character who was with the two of them at some point in the story.  That left Gandalf...or Pippin.  Mr. Geek was okay with wearing a beard, but I wasn't ;)

So how did I make that beard?

Well first, I found a brown zip-up hoodie.  The hoodie was so comfortable and fit him so well that I didn't want to forever tarnish it with tree-pieces (or should I say Ent-pieces), so I knew it had to be something easily removable.

So I decided to just make a beard covered in faux leaves that buttoned on to the hood.  That way, he could unbutton it to eat lunch, and when the Faire was over, all I needed to do was remove the buttons with a seam ripper and it'd be like nothing was ever attached.

The beard was really simple.  I picked up a few fat quarters in various fall colors.  I took the brown and green and cut a vaguely beard-shaped piece out of each, making sure it was wide enough that I could attach it to buttons sewn just on the inside of the hood on both sides.  Then I took the other colors and cut similar beard-shaped pieces that were all a little shorter than the brown and green.  Then I laid everything on top of each other, with the brown on top, and all of the other colors (except the green) slightly farther down than the next, and stitched them all together.

Then I cut a rectangle out of the top portion so Mr. Geek's mouth wouldn't be covered- I left about an inch on the top and on the sides.  Next, I arranged my faux leaves over the beard, including a couple on the "mustache" portion.  Finally, I attached buttons on the inside of the hood and put button holes on the beard so that the beard lined up properly on Mr. Geek's face.  In the words of my toddler- "All done!"

Are you doing any family costumes this year?

Much love,
The Geeks

Crafting Adventures: A Pair of Hobbits

So I know I promised to share our Ren Faire costumes with you last week and then...I didn't blog at all last week >.<  Oops!

But if you follow me on Instagram, you saw our costumes the day of!

Since I knew I would be doing 2 sets of costumes this year, I had to make sure neither set was particularly complicated.  As it turned out, I did more sewing for the Ren Faire costumes than what was involved for our Hallowe'en costumes!  Today I want to show you what Lil Chief and I wore, and tomorrow I'll show you how I made Mr. Geek's costume to round out the family photos.

image by New Line Cinema

So we are nowhere near the same height (okay fine, she's just over half my height, whaaaaaaaaat?) but I decided that my almost-2-year-old and I would go as Merry (her) and Pippin (me) from Fellowship of the Ring.  Here's the result:

Most of my costume was store-bought.  I wore jean leggings, a white button-down blouse, a blue blazer that I picked up at Goodwill, and a grey scarf I found at Target.  The only thing I needed to make was the cloak, and here's how I did it:

I bought a yard and a half of a brown fleece (on sale!) because I'm just over 5 feet tall.  (The width of the fabric bolt was the perfect size to wrap around myself, so I could make it from one piece.)  Because it's fleece, I didn't have to worry about finishing the edges (they won't fray) and because this was intended to be just a one-time-use costume, I wasn't concerned with the hood looking perfect- in fact, the hood was just for show, I never actually wore it.  (It got hot at the Renn Faire in early October!)  I only made one cut on my piece of fleece.  I measured the approximate distance from my collarbone to my ankle (let's call it h for this diagram) and cut the fleece there.  The h portion would be the body of the cloak and the smaller portion would be the hood.

I took the hood portion of the fleece and cut it in half width-wise.  Then I stitched the two pieces together along the long side (labeled s in the image) and one of the short sides.  If I had a serger, I would have used that, but I don't, so I used a zig-zag stitch instead.  (Fleece is heavy, and you want a strong stitch to hold it together.)  Now, technically, I didn't stitch perfectly along the edges.  Instead of making an L shape with the seam, I stitched a curve- like the curve of my head that the hood would be covering.  (If you don't stitch along a curve, you'll end up with a pointy hood.)  Then I trimmed the excess fabric and turned it inside out.

So now that I had a complete hood (the seam represented by the dotted line in this image), all that was left was to attach it by sewing the bottom (labeled b) to the short end of the cloak body.  After that, all I had to do was attach a closure.  I found a big round decorative button that sort of looked like stone (it was definitely plastic) and attached it at the point just beneath where the hood was connected.  Done!

Little Merry needed a cloak, too.  I made hers first, and I was stupid when I planned it out- I went with a lightweight grey cotton instead of a fleece.  This meant I needed to finish the edges, but it also meant my little hobbit wasn't sweltering when the weather warmed up during the day!

I made my measurements the exact same way I did for mine, except I added an inch on both sides to this rectangle (to allow for a 1/2 inch seam on all sides), and I needed to cut the width down because the bolt of fabric was way larger than my toddler.  I assembled the cloak the exact same way, but I used straight stitches (with white thread because, like I said, I'm stupid- I didn't buy matching thread!) and did something different for the closure.

You can't tell in the above photo, but Merry's cloak actually has 2 buttons.  I couldn't really figure out exactly how the costumers did it for the film, but it looked like there was some sort of tab with 2 buttons and you could tighten the cloak based on which button you used...so that's what I made.

I laid my two buttons side by side with a decent amount of room in between them (perhaps a whole button's width- so this image is not to scale) and then drew a rectangle around them.  I cut two identical rectangles this size, stitched them together along 3 sides, turned them inside out, and stitched the fourth side closed.  (If I wanted this cloak to be worn more than once, I probably would have strengthened my little button placket with some fusible fleece in the middle of this rectangle, but that was too much work for me.)  I attached this little placket to the cloak on one side, then I attached the two buttons to either end and created a button hole on the other side of the cloak.  Done!

The rest of Chief's costume was store-bought- I got her the eleven leaf pin, a little boy's yellow vest, a white button-down blouse, and khaki pants.  I couldn't find a green toddler-sized blazer anywhere, so I did something absolutely insane.

This is a green ladies' size 4 blazer that I got for a few dollars at Goodwill.

I cut it to fit her.

Again, this costume was just for the one day, so it was acceptable for it to be kind of wonky, in my opinion.

U jelly of my artistic genius?

I turned the jacket inside out, and I took her coat and turned it inside out and laid it on top.  It wasn't quite the drastic difference as in the image, but the blazer was quite a bit larger than a coat that fit my almost-2-year-old.  First, I cut the bottom so that the coat would be the right length (just above her knees).  Then, I cut the sleeves to just a bit longer than the sleeves of her coat- I had no intention of actually finishing the edges, I just rolled the cuffs up.  Finally, making sure the center lines of the jackets were perfectly matched, I measured the distance between the shoulder of one jacket and the same shoulder of the other.  (Three inches.)  I folded the blazer in half, measured 3" in from the fold, and ran a zigzag stitch the length of the coat at that mark.  It made the collar all wonky, but it worked!  Of course, the sleeves themselves were still much too large, though they were the right length, but this jacket had padded shoulders and I was not going to mess with adjusting the armholes because, again- it was a one-day costume.

Here's how the finished product looked!

Check back tomorrow to see what Mr. Geek was dressed as- and how I made it!

Have you ever been to a Renaissance Faire?  Did you make your own costume?  What are you going to be for Hallowe'en?

Much love,
The Geeks

*all photos personal unless otherwise noted*

Oh, Internet... {72}

So, yeah, it's Sunday evening and I'm just now posting this week's Oh Internet.  But I can't help it- this is the first time this week I've had a chance to sit down and read some blogs!

Here are the awesome things I read, that you should read, too:

You are not a locust.  PREACH, Heather from Mama Knows, Honey Child.

Everything I read about The Benedict Option makes me feel weary, but then I read Daniel Bearman's take- Benedict Option B.  Hmm.  He may be on to something.

I figured out a long time ago that you can't talk about sex without offending people.  So I completely understand Kendra at Catholic All Year when she says we probably can't talk about NFP without offending somebody, so why don't we all try to put ourselves in each other's shoes, and realize that when somebody shares their own very personal journey, it is not intended as a critique of yours?

In much less heavy territory:

Mary at Better than Eden has taken the phrase epic birthday party to a whole new level with a Lord of the Rings-themed party for her son.  That cake is so awesome!

Emma at A Pinch of Pixie Dust visited Walt Disney's hometown, and I have now found a reason to visit Missouri.

I absolutely adore the top that Jamie is wearing in these outfit photos over on Petite Panoply!

I'm not gonna lie, I'm super jealous of Kendra's latest birth story.  (Although it was her 8th childbirth so I guess she deserves something so easy?)

What awesomeness happened on your internet this week?  (Er, last week?)

Much love,
The Geeks

A - Z Book Survey

A little while ago, My Life as a Teacup posted this little survey and, as I'm a sucker for these kinds of things, I figured I'd fill it in with my answers, too!

photo courtesy the wonderful Emile Frey

Author you've read the most books from:
Jo Rowling (under one of her pennames).  [I've got a feeling she's going to be the answer to many of these questions...]


Best sequel ever:
Hmm...is Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card considered a sequel, or a companion novel?  If it's a sequel, I'd say it's one of the best ever, in that it's even more compelling than the original (or, at least, I think Bean is a more awesome character than Ender).  If that doesn't count...then it's hard to decide between the Potter books!  As far as a direct sequel is concerned, Chamber of Secrets is pretty amazing because as a first-time reader, you're not sure if it will hold your interest the same way the original did...and it does!  But the best Potter book is either Prisoner of Azkaban because we're introduced to the best characters ever (the Marauders) or Half-Blood Prince because of Snape's epically tragic life story.

Currently reading:
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, the first in The Mortal Instruments trilogy.  It's actually pretty good!  hopefully I can finish it in the next week so I can publish my monthly book review here on the blog!

Drink of choice while reading:
Hmm...I don't necessarily need a drink with me while I'm reading, but a good mug of hot chocolate makes any situation better.  A pumpkin spiced latte is pretty amazing, too- decaf, of course, in my current condition :)

E-reader or physical book?
Physical book all the way!  I love having a very visible library when you first walk into our house- two entire bookcases full of treasures.  I love the smell of book pages and the feel of a worn-out, well-loved book.  Plus, you can loan a physical book to someone and share your love with them!

Fictional character you probably would have actually dated in high school:
Hmm, let's see...in high school, I went for the brooding types who "needed me" to "fix" them- I had sort of a saving-people-thing back then, and boys were my favorite projects.  A school-aged Remus Lupin would've been right up my alley- quiet, bookish, and emotionally needy.  Ender Wiggin could've been a contender, too- dealing with the ramifications of having destroyed an entire intelligent race at the age of 12, he was one messed-up teenager and as long as he told me I was pretty, I would've made it my mission to fix that wounded soul of his, or get lost in his dreamy eyes while trying.  (And yet either of these would've been better choices than most of the fellas I actually dated in high school...)

Glad you gave this book a chance:
Definitely The Great Gatsby.  We read it in 11th grade AP English, along with a slew of other classics and randomly-selected snooze-fests, so I was sure I'd enjoy it as much as I enjoyed The Scarlet Letter- which is to say, not at all.  Obviously I was going to read it anyway- the only book I ever used Cliff Notes for instead of reading in high school was The Crucible because urgh- but I'm glad I was forced to, because it's really an amazing story.  (Not in a "Oh what a sweet, tragic love story!" type of way, more in a "Geez these people are messed up and yet I can't look away from the trainwreck!" type of way.)

Hidden gem book:
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith.  Obviously it's not quite so hidden anymore since we know who the real author is, but as I explained in my review- even if you're not into noir-style crime dramas, it's really a wonderful read with complex characters and an engaging story.

Important moment in your reading life:
It's cheesy, but the day I met Harry Potter changed the way I look at books forever.  My sister had bought the first book at the book fair because all of her friends did, too, but she never actually read it, so it sat on our family bookshelf.  Then a friend of mine did a book report in our advanced English class that was the longest paper she'd ever written because she could not stop gushing about this book and dissecting its story and characters.  Then our 6th grade homeroom teacher popped in a book on CD in the morning before the announcements...a book that started with the line, "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of Number 4, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much."...and I was hooked.  Harry Potter was the first book I read purely because I wanted to- not because it was assigned, or because I needed something to write a book report on, or because somebody told me I should read it- I just read it because I wanted to.   And it opened me up to a world of books that I could read just because.  Potter even kindled a passion for foreign languages and Greek and Roman mythology and word etymologies and world history and...everything!  Was I always destined to be a bookish nerd?  Probably, but Potter was the door I walked through to get there.

Just finished:
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

Kind of books you won't read:
I don't want to say that I flat out won't read any one genre- if it comes highly recommended, I'll give anything a shot.  I tend to not stray too far outside the sci-fi and fantasy realm, but my library covers all sorts of genres.  I guess the only books I don't read voluntarily are non-fiction- unless it's for a class, or I'm studying a topic intensely (like, say, being pregnant and birthing a child and nursing and raising that child...), I don't go anywhere near the non-fiction section of a bookstore.

Longest book you've ever read:
Um...Atlas Shrugged, I think, as it clocks in at over 1000 pages.  I'm glad I read it, and it is a good book that should be read, but I think Rand could've used a better editor- it didn't need to be that long, honestly.  And maybe I prefer my novels to be more story and less didacticism- by the end, she's beating the reader over the head with her philosophy, rather than letting him figure it out on his own by enjoying the story.  Still, it was very worth reading, and there are definitely more people on my Facebook feed who need to read it...but that's another discussion entirely.

Major book hangover because of:
Untouchable by Scott O'Connor.  The feels, you guys, the feels.  Mr. Geek and I refer to this book as "The Sad Book of Sad" because...it's sad.  I couldn't read anything else for a few weeks after putting that book down- and I couldn't really do anything else for a few hours afterwards because I just needed a hug.  Read my whole review here.

Number of bookcases you own:
Two, in our front room / library / formal sitting room / whatever you want to call it.  Not all the books are mine, but I think more of them are mine than Mr. Geek's, and we have 2 full shelves of textbooks (plus more in my car that never quite made it into my new office at work...) so they're not both packed with novels.  Plus Chief has her own bookshelf in her room, but her library is quite small at the moment- although it is ever-growing as I stumble upon more childhood classics every time we're in Target or Walmart or any bookstore...

One book you have read multiple times:
The entire Potter series, duh.

Preferred place to read:
I can read anywhere- in bed, on the sofa, curled up in an armchair, near a window on a rainy day, on a plane, in the lobby of a doctor's office, at work over my lunch break...my preferred place to read is anywhere that I can bring a book.

Quote from a book you've read that inspires you:
I guess I can't really claim that the text of an entire book is a quote, so if I have to reduce it to just a few lines, let's go with this:

“I believe the universe wants to be noticed. I think the universe is inprobably biased toward the consciousness, that it rewards intelligence in part because the universe enjoys its elegance being observed. And who am I, living in the middle of history, to tell the universe that it-or my observation of it-is temporary?”
 -The Fault in Our Stars

Reading Regret:
I certainly don't regret any book I've ever read...but I guess I regret not reading The Hobbit sooner.  If I had picked that up instead of the first Lord of the Rings in middle school, I may not have had such a strong distaste for Tolkien in high school and I would have been able to enjoy Middle Earth much longer than just the past year.

Series you started and need to finish:
Veronica Roth's Divergent trilogy.  I've only read the first one- I'm selfishly waiting for the second to be released in paperback because, at the moment, I don't feel this is a hardback-worthy series.  (That is, it's not a series I need to own in hardback.  Or want to shell out the money to own in hardback.)  I do intend to finish the series as I'm interested to see where it goes and I enjoy Tris as a character.  I will also definitely be finishing The Mortal Instruments series, as City of Bones has sucked me in.

Three of your all-time favorite books:
Oh dear.  Oh dear dear dear.  Don't make me do this.  Can the Potter series count as one?  Can Orson Scott Card's Shadow series (the books about Bean) count as one?  So if that's just 2 books (heh) then I guess my third choice would be The Fault in Our Stars as it's much easier to pick a favorite John Green book than to pick a favorite Rowling or OSC book :)

Unapologetic fangirl for:
Have you not figured out my Potter obsession yet???  Also, I am unapologetically a fan of Orson Scott Card, though perhaps not a "fangirl"- popular culture has placed such a double standard on him lately for his political beliefs, so it's not cool to be a fan of his work.  There are plenty of authors whose political beliefs I don't agree with- and yet I still enjoy their work.  Get over it.

Very excited for this release more than all the others:
Hmm.  I haven't really craved a book release since Potter ended, but I am looking forward to the rest of the Divergent trilogy- it will be nice to pick up the second one knowing that the series does, in fact, end.

Worst bookish habit:
Um...talking about my favorite books too much?  When I'm really into something, I can get a bit obsessive and over-excited and I'm sure that turns people off.  Oh well :-P

X marks the spot: the 27th book on my shelf:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Other Stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald.  Our bookcases are arranged sort of arbitrarily, though.  My Fitzgerald books are on the shelves that are alphabetized by author and then title (except for series), but then the bottom shelf of that bookcase is entirely devoted to Tolkien.  The other bookcase has an entire shelf dedicated to Potter, and an entire shelf dedicated to futuristic sci-fi which includes all of my OSC books, The Hunger Games, and Divergent, and then the bottom shelves are text books.  (And cookbooks are sitting on top of this bookcase since I have nowhere else to put them.)

Your latest book purchase:
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, for Chief's library.

Zzz-snatcher book (latest book that kept you up way late):
I've spent a couple of nights staying up late to read City of Bones both because I'm really enjoying it and because I'm so freaking pregnant that it's impossible to find a comfortable position to sleep in, so I might as well sit up and read.

Phew, that was quite the survey!  I'd love to read your answers to some or all of these questions, either in the comments or on your own blog.  Do you love books as much as I do?

Much love,
The Geeks
  

Oh, Internet... {35}

I'm not gonna lie, this week was pretty crummy.  Well, at least until my mom and MIL showed up yesterday evening because a certain party in honor of a certain Miss Chief is happening tomorrow!!  We're going to spend all day doing some last-minute grocery shopping and preparation for a very special tea party :)  The internet was pretty awesome this week, too- check it out:

I find this absolutely hilarious // via xkcd

I must get this Neil Gaiman book for me...I mean Chief... // via BoingBoing

And then of course, there was this:

John Green says "almost every line" of dialogue from The Fault in Our Stars is included in the movie script (and millions of fangirls just died with happiness).

This post from A Pinch of Pixie Dust came at just the right time.

Author Tom Clancy has died.  He wasn't my favorite author in the world, but I did enjoy some of Jack Ryan's adventures.

Silk Road, one of the "success" stories of the Dark Web, has finally been shut down, and the story is pretty fascinating.

What happened on your internet this week?

Much love,
The Geeks

Oh, Internet... {28}

Mr. Geek and I both took the day off yesterday to do baby stuff.  We had an OB appointment in the morning for my glucose test, an ultrasound to follow up on a (thankfully) non-issue, and a regular check-up.  (Side note: I really do consider these doctors appointments to be our appointments.  I realize he doesn't have to be there but I love that he's made an effort to come to every single one, to hold my hand when they draw blood, to watch the screen with me when they show us our baby girl.  He asks the doctor questions and sometimes remembers instructions I might forget, and is overall 100% invested in this whole being-a-dad business.)  Then in the afternoon, we went to tour a daycare center that we're looking at for when I go back to work in February.  (The center is wonderful, and I know they'll take good care of her, but still...I don't want to think about having to drop her off there every day.)  So going back to work this morning, after having Thursday off, was rather difficult- we had to wake up early for the doctor's appointment, so I wasn't quite in full weekend-mode yet, but still.  Today felt more like a formality than anything else, a box to check before I was allowed to say, "Okay, the week is over  now."  In other words- I wasn't very productive ;)

The internet was plenty productive this week!  Here are some of the awesome things I found:

kitties playing leap frog!  // via Cheezburger

One does not simply build a hotel on Mordor... // via ThinkGeek

A LOST-themed nursery...perhaps for baby #2? // via M&J Collection

these look delicious! // via Little Big

SakaCon made some adorable earrings out of shrinking plastic- you know, like Shrinky-Dinks!

Geek in Heels wrote a post about how you just can't please everybody- especially as a blogger.  I agree with the sentiment 100%, but still, I can't help but to want people to like me, and to be deeply affected when they don't.

Bloggers have been singing the praises of engineering prints for years now, but I love the way Kaelah Bee has used them to do a gallery of wedding photos!  I'm definitely stealing this idea!!

Thank you to Engadget for reporting on the fact that every episode of Goosebumps ever is now available on Netflix Instant.  YES.

What awesomeness happened on your internet this week?

Much love,
The Geeks

Books: July 2013

As you will recall, I wasn't able to finish The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in the month of June, so I had hoped that would mean I'd finish more than one book in July.

Nope.

All I had time to read this month was the rest of LotR, and I just barely finished- as in I finished last night.  (Just in time to watch So You Think You Can Dance.)

image via Google Books

It's not to say that this book was more painful to read than the other two- if anything, it was more exciting than the first two, as we got some real battles this time.  It's just that moving into a new house and all the work we're doing preparing for the baby to get here has left me little-to-no time to read for pleasure. 

I'm very glad I finally finished this series, as it feels like something of an accomplishment- that which once seemed an insurmountable mountain (especially in middle school) has now finally been climbed, and, on the other side, I'm actually eager to watch the movies.  (Keep in mind that I fell asleep halfway through my first attempt at watching the first movie of the series and never even tried the other two...)

Tolkien truly is masterful in his creation of this universe of Middle Earth and all the characters that inhabit it, but I think I liked this book best out of the whole trilogy because the hobbits, my favorite characters, truly have a chance to shine.  (Except Frodo.  He kind of sucks as a hero.  I never really liked him through the whole series.  Sam is the real hero.)  There were moments when I thought all hope was lost- when I truly believed little Pippin had died or that Sam would never make it back to his old gaffer- but the underlying sense of hope throughout kept me hooked until the very end.  It's refreshing, really, a book about such an epic war that is ultimately hopeful, when the best-seller list nowadays is chock full of dystopian futures and just wars that are robbed of their justice by a heavy-handed author bent on preaching rather than storytelling.  (Yes, I'm looking at you, Susan Collins...)

So there, I've done it.  I've slain the beast.  I'm ready to take on my next conquest, only Mr. Geek hasn't finished it yet...

Which is your favorite of The Lord of the Rings trilogy?  Who is your favorite character?  What books did you read this month?

Much love,
The Geeks

Oh, Internet... {21}

And once again I am relieved to have made it to Friday!  (Although honestly this was a fairly good week, all things considered.)  Here's this week's roundup of internet awesomeness:

Lauren from Fizz and Frosting looking fabulous, as usual

-yeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssssssssss



I found this tutorial on Offbeat Home for how to make your own fitted sheets, and I've already purchased fabrics to make some for Chief's crib!  I promise to post pictures once I'm done :)

Shayla at Northern Exposure shared why it was so necessary to find out her baby's sex.  (Spoiler alert: she's having a girl!)  Mr. Geek and I are adamant about finding out, too- not because of medical reasons (thank heavens), but because we want to know as much about Chief as we possibly can to help us bond as a family even before Chief arrives.

The Kitchn shares the news that the American Psychiatric Association has officially labeled caffeine withdrawal as a mental health disorder.  (Mr. Geek, feel free to insert your jokes about the past 19 weeks here.)

What awesome things happened on your internet this week?

Much love,
The Geeks

Oh, Internet... is inspired by Kaelah Bee's Things I Love Thursday posts

Books: April 2013

So, once again- you guessed it!- I only made it through 1 book this month because, once again, it's Tolkien :)  But boy was it good!

image via Amazon

I enjoyed Two Towers much more than Fellowship because a lot more plot actually happens in this book.  Fellowship is almost entirely set-up, giving us lots of background on hobbits and their customs, the layout of Middle Earth, the story of the Rings, elves and orcs and wizards and all the other characters we meet along the way.  The need to pause and explain things is what turned me off to the entire series back in middle school, but I'm glad I pushed through this time, because I was rewarded with real action and adventure in this second book! 

I mean seriously- the book starts with a fight!  A death!  A kidnapping!  And yes, it is a little monotonous at times listening to Gimli and Legolas and Aragorn debate the finer points of tracking the poor kidnapped hobbits, or the Ents telling long, rambling stories like senile old men, but there's enough going on in this book to make the pace work.  The first half of the book deals with two intertwined storylines, so you forgive them for stopping for long conversations, and the second half of the book finally catches up to Frodo and Sam (and Gollum)- and it's definitely my favorite half.

I'm torn over who earns the title of Favorite Character- Sam, for his loyalty, bravery, and all-around underrated heroism, or Gollum/Smeagol for being one of the most interesting characters I've ever read.  I don't always like the little devil- I'm pretty much with Sam the whole time and strongly distrust him- but damn if he isn't fascinating!  I think a lot is owed to Andy Serkis for this- although Mr. Geek read the books before the movies came out and therefore has always heard his own personal Gollum-voice in his head, the Andy Serkis version has always been my reference for the way this creature acts and speaks.  Like I said, I don't always trust his motives, but, like Frodo, I can't help but feel pity for the poor wretch, or that maybe it's not entirely his fault that he became what he is.  There are moments when I even want to cuddle the little guy- like when Frodo tricks him into being captured by Faramir's men and he's told that the penalty for stealing fish from their pond is death.  He immediately drops the fish from his hand and says, "Don't want fish."  He's just hungry, guys!  Leave him alone!

Anyway.

I'm eager to finish the trilogy soon, but first I'm going to take a break and tackle something a bit easier for May.

What book (or books) did you read this month? 

Much love,
The Geeks

Books: February 2013

...or, more accurately, book.  Yeah.  I only read one book this month.  And technically, at the time I'm writing this post, I haven't quiiiiiiiiite finished it yet.  But I will by tomorrow, the end of the month!

via Tower Books

Believe it or not, I've never actually read The Lord of the Rings.  I tried to, in middle school, when the movies were first being released...but it's kind of a slow read, and it reminded me more of a history book than a novel, so I never finished the first book.  I hate history.  But then I met Mr. Geek, and after a few years (literally) of convincing, I finally decided to give Tolkien another go.  At The Mister's suggestion, I started with The Hobbit this time- which reads more like a fairytale than a textbook and therefore feels more like entertainment than work.

So now, I've finally started LotR.  And...I like it!  This isn't nearly as arduous as I remember :)  Maybe it's because I enjoyed The Hobbit (both the book and the movie) aaaaaaaaaand because we listened to the first half on CD while driving back and forth from Alabama for wedding stuff.  So technically I've only read half this book, but it counts!  And I like it.  And in March, I'm tackling the next one.

What books did you read this month?

Much love,
The Geeks

No Admittance Except on Party Business

Well folks, invitations are in the mail, and by now at least a few guests will have received theirs.  So, in the tradition of Weddingbee bloggers, I can finally reveal our design!

Shower the People You Love with Love

**10 cool points if you can name that singer!**

So last weekend was the most awesome party I've ever attended- and that's really saying something, as I myself have thrown a few awesome parties in my day.

**all photos in this post are courtesy of Mr. Geek**

Mom Geek, BM BabySis, me, MOH

It was my 50's Housewife - themed bridal shower!

My sister- the artist and most awesome maid of honor- organized a lovely afternoon of food, games, and gift-giving.  As everyone arrived, they were given an apron she had decorated with ribbons and fabric paint in one of our wedding colors- and mine was decorated with all four.  Since Mom Geek and MOH are wearing red in the wedding, they got red ribbon on their aprons, and BM BabySis is wearing purple, so hers was purple- clever, right?  Each guest's name was written across the top- notice the name on my apron?- and she used the names I've always used for these important women in my life, so my mom's says "Mom" and my grandmothers' say "Mammaw" and "Grandma".  The bottom of each apron had my and Mr. Geek's names and the wedding date.  The pocket of each apron was stuffed with a wooden spoon decorated with another ribbon.

all decked out in my vintage-inspired get-up

a yummy spread featuring a lovely silk flower arrangement courtesy of my super talented MOH

Everyone worked hard to pull together a delicious spread of 50's-inspired party food including deviled eggs, spinach dip, and a delicious punch.  There were even tiny glass bottles of Coke!

these were a huge hit with my younger cousins

As guests grabbed snacks, they were asked to contribute to a few secret games that were then revealed when we all sat down together.

BM BabySis reads the "love story" everyone helped assemble

First, there was the "love story".  BM BabySis started the story by giving it a title- "A Geeky Adventure", of course!- and writing the first line.  Then she handed it to the next person to write another sentence.  Then the paper was folded backwards so that all that was visible to the next person was the line that was just written.  This continued, with guests adding just one sentence to the story at a time while only being able to read the sentence that came before.  BabySis added the last sentence, knowing how it started, and then read the whole thing to me:

A Geeky Adventure
-A long time ago, in a geeky summer camp far, far away, our two lovebirds met for the first time.
-Miss Geek saw Mr. Geek and said, "Wow, his calculator is hot!"  Mr. Geek thought Miss Geek was cute, so he called her a nerd.
-Miss Geek knew she could really love and nurture a nerd.
-They were made for each other.
-And then they broke the mold.
-And so they lived happily ever after <3
-Sometimes there are rainbows and sometimes clouds.
-But Miss Geek is always a princess.
-Except for that one time when...
-You two crashed while texting each other.
-But then they had hospital rooms across from each other.
-They cried and cried to be together and soon they united and got well.
-They lived happily ever after and had seven geeky children.
THE END

...it got a little dramatic towards the end there.  They said it's because every good love story has some tragedy in it.  Trust me, though- we don't text and drive :D

MOH reading the advice she collected from everyone

Then, there was some advice.  Everyone's pockets contained a slip of paper on which MOH had printed some tips that every good housewife should know.  Guests were asked to include their own advice on the back, and then MOH read them all aloud.  Most of the advice was actually very sincere words of wisdom for a happy marriage, met with many chuckles and caveats to "Do as we say, not as we do!"  The most repeated bits of advice were to "not sweat the small stuff" and to "not go to bed angry"- which we later all admitted might mean that I'd never get any sleep!  Some of the advice was more humorous; one of my younger cousins, for example, advised that I should always let my future children have candy before school, and BM BabySis gave what sounded like sage advice for any dog owner- give him plenty of food and belly rubs.  All in all, I think I've got a nice list of rules to follow to be a successful housewife :)

Then, of course, it was time for presents!

thumbs up for the KitchenAid!

I received many wonderful things for our kitchen, and Mr. Geek is salivating already at the thought of all the dinners- and most importantly, desserts- I'll be making with all my fancy new gadgets and serving on my fancy new plates.  And then my cousin's wife presented me with the most creative gift we've received so far- remember how we translated our names into Tolkien's Elvish for our invitations?  She downloaded the same font I mentioned in that blog post and cut out our names with her vinyl cutter for a gorgeous piece of framed art that will be making an appearance as a wedding decoration!

so.  freaking.  cool.

But I'm not the only one who received gifts!  There were two contests played during the festivities.  The first prize went to the guest whose birthday is closest to The Big Day- my cousin, one of our flower girls.

MOH and I posing with the contest winner // also, see those tissue poms?  MOH is quite the Martha Stewart;)

Then we played a rousing game of Wedding Pictionary.  In teams of 3 and 4, we raced to guess the wedding-themed drawings of our teammates, and each round involved a different restriction- sometimes you had to draw with your eyes closed, or with the opposite hand, or without lifting the pen from the paper.  There were a few freebie rounds, though, and that's when my team did the best.  The winning team was awarded kitchen accessory prizes for being the best artists and fastest guessers (mostly the latter).

Finally, we nibbled on cake, guzzled some more of that delicious punch, and headed outside for a group picture of all the lovely ladies that attended.  Sisters, grandmothers, aunts, my mom, and a whole slew of cousins- we're quite the clan!

  Did your bridal shower have a theme?  Did you receive any creative not-on-the-registry gifts?

Much love,
The Geeks