SOCIAL MEDIA

ten things

Saturday, June 30, 2012

No comments



Star Wars That I Used To Know... This has been making it's rounds on the internet, but it's just so amazing, I couldn't resist.

I love pretty quirky cups. And mugs. This week I bought a teal ceramic mug from goodwill. (It will be living at my boyfriend's house. My cat and ceramic cups do not get along.) I have also been drooling over some copper cups. Specifically this one, this one, and this one.
  
Spoilers. I love Kevin Smith. I've loved him since the first time I saw Clerks in high school. I've seen him live at SDCC. Zach and Miri is one of my favorite movies. Basically, it would be a dream come true to be able to talk about whatever with him. This... kinda... fulfills that dream. 
 
Upcycled herringbone flooring. This company makes BEAUTIFUL flooring from old pallet wood. 
 
Gadchick's gaming blog. Little Chief Honeybee did a blog post about Gadchick. It's a female run, and written, tech/nerd magazine. Recently I've been lamenting the fact that I haven't found any gaming magazines written with females in mind, so this is an amazing read for me.


Advice for the day... retro diner mugs could probably take out a zombie or two if it came down to it. Also, it holds tea. For these reasons, everyone should own one.
Read More
at

Photo Scavenger Hunt

Friday, June 29, 2012

No comments
Like with most small towns, the teens around here are constantly bored. At the library we try to cure this problem by providing them with activities that are fun, but also different from what they would find anywhere else. 
We keep most of our programs for the teens exclusive to just their age group, to avoid the catastrophe of the event being "lame". This year, though, we decided to branch out and try program called "Big Geek, Little Geek" that combines the older kids and a younger kids. Big Geek Little Geek is a monthly program that partners a High School student with a Junior High student to promote unique learning experiences in a friendly and accepting atmosphere. These programs are more about teaching new skills in an interesting way than being directly book based. Of course we try to tie in books whenever possible, but our main hope is that these programs will being new people into the building, and change perceptions on what the library is. 
Our first Big Geek Little Geek activity was a photo scavenger hunt. Here are some of the shots (not all taken by me), and a scan of the list of possible things to find. If you look at the number of kids who attended it might be our worst program this summer, but everyone who was there had fun, so I'd say it was worth it. 


No guinea pigs were hurt during the making of our Angry Birds level. :)

If you click on the list it will take you to a version that's easier to see.

There are a few programs every year that I'd like to try again, to see if we could get more people to attend. This is one of them. We used digital cameras this time around, but I'd love to get some disposable cameras for the next time. It would limit the amount of photos everyone could take, so I would have the group (as a whole) judge the photos on things like composition, or pure awesomeness. I think that having them work with a real camera and film and then critiquing the photos themselves could make it more of an interesting and educational experience.


Don't hesitate to print it out the list and try this for yourself! I'd love to see the results.
Read More
at

New look!

Thursday, June 28, 2012

1 comment
It's only been a month since I started this, and I'm already rearranging everything. Here's to new-new beginnings!

Also, you'll notice I added some links to the side. One is  my pinterest! I've also claimed my blog on bloglovin :)


Follow my blog with Bloglovin
Read More
at

Portal 2

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

No comments
GORGEOUS Portal fanart done by Alex Garner


Yes, I know that Portal 2 has been out forever. I'm ridiculously stubborn when it comes to video games. Even if all of my friends are telling me to try them, I won't do it until I'm good and ready. Also, just to keep things honest, I haven't played through the original Portal yet. What can I say? I'm a sucker for games with a female lead.


Portal is one of those games that I don't think you need to be a "Gamer" to enjoy. To win you have to use your portal gun (just like it sounds, you can create two portals, then hop through one and come out the other) to play through these puzzles that are weaved into an extraordinary story-line. The puzzles are just complicated enough to make you think, and they give you a sense of satisfaction when you figure them out. The snippets of dialog from your companions had me laughing constantly, and the twists in the plot are fantastic, if not a little predictable sometimes. There are a few things I didn't see coming... like the thing with the potato. Plus, you get to dive into a portal from ridiculous heights, only to be thrown through the corresponding portal and soar though the air for hundreds of feet. Whats not to love?


My favorite Portal etsy finds:

If you want to BE Chell:
This tank top, this hoodie, this portal gun, these socks, these shoes, this lanyard, this potato science kit.


On a slightly different but still related note, check out this post by Aisha Tyler. It slaughters stereotypes about girls and gaming. Very inspiring.
Read More
at

Inspire Me: Peony Yid

Sunday, June 17, 2012

No comments
The artist I am featuring today is "An amateur artist/illustrator trying to make my way" who comes to us from Hong Kong. Her name is Peony Yin. How cute is that? I fell in love when I first saw Peony's work on my dashboard on tumblr. Her use of negative space combined with her love for soft colors and her understanding of human anatomy make her pieces hard to resist. Her subject matter ranges from adorable and inviting portraits to ones with subjects that almost seem to be trying to push you away. She uses a wide variety of tools to create her pieces, and has a brilliant understanding of all of them. The piece I am showing is the one that I personally would love to own. If you like this artists work, please check out her portfolio.

Again, this artist is Peony Yip.

Past featured artists:
Read More
at

a silly gift for you

Saturday, June 16, 2012

No comments
I've completely re-imagined my blog, and I've been absolutely giddy these past few days with how well it has been going. Now I want to share my joy with you!
These silly simple paper patterns are my take on sunglasses... "paper funglasses." (Groan...) You might have to fiddle with the settings a bit to get them to print the right size. The image should take up a full 8x11 page.


I hope you find these as entertaining as I did. Thank you for reading!
Read More
at

Let the Games begin!

Friday, June 15, 2012

No comments
(aka Part 2 of HPLD's events based on The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins) (read part 1 here)

The next day us Gamemakers showed up bright and early to set up the cornucopia, catalog sponsor gifts, and make sure the arena was ready. The weather was gorgeous, a perfect 72 degrees, and only a few clouds in the sky. We couldn't have asked for a better day.
The tributes arrived at the arena dressed in full uniform. After reading through the rules and handing out of the survival packs, we positioned them around the cornucopia. One blast from the air horn, and they were off!

Basically, each kid got 5 clothespins with their numbers written on them. To get a "kill" you would either take another tribute's pin, or hit them in the "kill zone" with one of the weapons. (Think of the pins as lives in a video game.) You could only take one pin at a time, though. The Gamemakers were also walking around with extra pins, which we gave out for showing off survival skills, answering trivia, or just for being a part of an amusing or epic moment. Dying didn't mean you were out of the fun, either. If you had all of your pins taken away, you were to report to the Gamemakers, who gave you the option of returning to the game as a "mutt," which gave you the freedom to cause havoc without the consequences of death. (Read a full explanation of the game, along with rules, here.)
Eventually we had to condense the playing space to just the clearing that the cornucopia was in. (queue epic battle montage music)
The whole thing ended spectacularly when the last three remaining tributes stormed the Gamemaker's seats, yelling "uprising!" From what they told us later, they had all decided to do this from the very start. Personally, I don't think it gets much more awesome than that.
All in all, I'd say the program was a fantastic success. "Next time you should make it last three days" was the comment we got from more than one participant, so apparently the teens agreed.


Though this day was for the teens, I did learn one valuable piece of advice that could one day save you from the zombies: foam noodles can make amazing weapons. Stay safe... and may the odds be ever in your favor.
Read More
at

ten on thursday

Thursday, June 14, 2012

No comments
This week has been stressful, but in a fun way. I've got a video game tournament to set up tonight, and then a full day of teen tournament madness tomorrow. I've got my Rockstar, Xbox, and every copy of Halo that I own ready, so I should be good to go.... famous last words...

For now, though, I'd like to take a minute to relax and share all the things I'm obsessing over this week.


The Game Boy Advance SP Classic NES Edition
Photograph from this flickr.
A few years ago my Game Boy Micro's screen broke. Since then I have had my heart set on getting another Micro, but recently I have been entertaining the idea of getting a SP, because it seemed more durable. I was going to get a basic one and paint it orange, but then I came across this one. It was pretty much love at first sight.

Felted Chicken by The City Girl Farm.
I was introduced to this cutie by the Craft blog. It is a chicken. It is a footstool. It is a chicken footstool, and it's feet are made of bronze. How stinkin cute is that? 

(This photo was found on pinterest, but the source was a dead end.) 
Blue hair is so refreshing and beautiful. I planned on dying only my tips this summer, but every time I see a picture like this I want to color the whole mess blue.

I've signed up for the Color Run in August. From what I understand, it's perfectly fine to walk it... but I'd like to run at least a little of the way. :)

(image found on google)
I always wanted to live in Selena Kyle's apartment from Batman: Returns. Vintage decor, pale pink walls, stuffed animals everywhere, a dollhouse that has been spray painted black, and a neon sign that says "Hell Here." This might have been my first introduction to the world of creepy-cute, and I loved it.

DIY "recipes" from the blog Dailylike.
This blog isn't in English, but the pictures explain the crafts with such clarity that it doesn't really matter. The projects they feature are mostly made with paper, and they're all relatively simple looking, and adorable to boot!

Found at Mid Century Modern Finds.
I am on a quest to find the perfect Mid-Century buffet sideboard. I don't really know anything about antique furniture, but I've been finding myself wishing I had one of these to put in an entrance hallway.

Photo from the shop Sarah Rainwater. Found on Design*Sponge.
 Wouldn't it be so neat if someone developed a badge program for bloggers? "You did 10 DIY posts! Here's your badge!" or "100 followers! Put this on your vest!" I would love it. It would be my mission to get all of the badges... or at least the pretty ones. :)


 Found on Design*Sponge.
A house with fading pink steps and card catalogs in the office? Be still my beating heart.

Found on pinterest. From Collier Campbell.
The colors in this scarf are so lovely, and I can't get enough of that painted design.

My advice for how to stay alive today is... paint your stairs distracting colors. Blood red is a good choice, or some bright neon color that will blind the zombies, therefore making the stairs impossible to go up. Hope you have a wonderful day!
Read More
at

Do you have what it takes to be a Tribute?

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

No comments
(aka HPLD's events based on The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins)
A year or so ago my sister was shoving a book into my hand, demanding that I read it. After about a month of resisting, I finally gave in. I am so glad I did. From the first page, and throughout the rest of the trilogy, ideas were swirling around my head. At my library, we are always looking for new program ideas, and this one practically planned itself. When we sat down to settle on a date, we decided that with the movie recently released, the best time to do it was now.
Since we live in the Midwest, we have a TON of great wooded areas that could work as arenas. We eventually chose a beautiful area that was technically a park, so the kids could climb, run, jump, and even make their own weapons and shelter if they wanted to.
We planned our event to span over two days. One day was set aside for training, while the next was for the actual Games. We hoped that with this setup, the teens would have time to absorb the educational information we gave them, and think of some strategies for how best to win the Games. We even arranged for the local movie theater to have a showing of the Hunger Games the night of the training. With events like this, it pays to live in a small town.

"All tributes are required to attend training."

The survival training program was set up completely by our library's genealogist, and she did an marvelous job. True to Hunger Games form, we had separate stations for the kids to learn different skills. There was literature on shelter building, tying knots, edible plants, and everything else having to do with basic survival skills. I was pleasantly surprised at how seriously they studied the materials. To keep things interesting, we also had many hands on activities, such as tying knots and practicing camouflage. 


At the end of the training, the kids took a very intense quiz. So intense, in fact, that even I had a hard time with it.  Here is a sample of what the questions were like. Do you know the answers?

1. Never pass up the chance to ________, ________, ________, or________.
2. Never step ________ something you can step ________; never step ________ something you can step ________.
3. Name three useful knots, and be prepared to demonstrate one of them.
4. Name three poisonous snakes commonly found in the Midwest.
5. Name five edible animals you could catch with a snare.

The results of the quiz proved what we had hoped for: the kids had learned a ton. Now it was time for them to apply that knowledge in the arena! In my next post I'll talk about how our very own Hunger Games played out.

I hope you have a great day, and here's a piece of advice... stay alive.

(To read part two of our event, please click here.)
Read More
at

Hello!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

No comments

Pleased to meet'cha!
I figured since I've redesigned/moved my blog, it was about time I got some sort of about me out onto the internet. Does anyone else have trouble writing about me statements? I always feel like it's much easier to describe myself visually. So... here are some pictures that pretty much make up the base of who I am, and below are the explanations to go with them. :)

1. I'm a gamer! It's more of a casual pass-time than a intense way of life, but it is still immensely important to me. 
2. Drawing is like breathing to me. I can't go without it. The sketches you see above (paired with the way cool sunglasses) are mine.  I've got a Bachelors Degree with a focus in drawing. Drawing, playing video games, and reading are hands down my favorite things to do.  
3. I've worked at a library since I was in High School. I love everything about my job, something I'm sure you'll understand after I post about our the fantastic events we do for our Summer Reading program. 
4. The picture next to the books is my current lovely sunglasses (stolen from my little brother), and a lightsaber. Because every girl should keep a lightsaber in her purse. You know, just in case. I guess that picture also explains how much of a geek I am. Though in my defense, the lightsaber is from when I was a kid. If I bought one now, it would be Luke's, because his is blue, and I love blue.
5. As you have probably guessed from the picture, I live in the Middle of Nowhere. Even though I'm pretty sure our town should be voted "most likely to be where the zombie apocalypse started," I can't complain much. It's pretty here. (How much in the middle of nowhere is my town, you ask? The nearest Super Wal-Mart is an hour away.)
6. And that's my cat, Odin. Yeah, I'm one of THOSE people, but I try to limit myself to one photo of the cat doing cute things per day, and I hardly ever put them on the internet. Except for that whole album on my facebook... 

Read More
at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Copyright © Hello, Wild Things. Blog Design by SkyandStars.co