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Blog, Geek Etiquette

Living The Life You Want

Oprah

In the past week, I’ve been thinking a lot about reinvention, setting goals, and getting the most out of my life. I just celebrated my birthday, I just quit a part-time job to focus more on Geeky Hostess, and in the next month the sprinkles will have arrived and I’ll be wrapping up three large projects that are taking up a majority of my life. My focus will get to be entirely on Geeky Hostess and the brand I want it to be, and with it, I get to focus on myself and the type of person I want to be.

It was serendipity, then, when I was invited to be a part of a media tour for Oprah’s The Life You Want Weekend. I was thrilled to get to be in the same arena as Oprah and spend a whole weekend focusing on my goals and becoming the person I want to become. Plus, I got to call my Mom and hear her excitement when I told her I got a +1. (“Are you serious? I want to burst into tears. I think I’m going to puke.”)

The weekend was full of fun activities and inspiring speakers, and one of my favorites was Elizabeth Gilbert from Eat, Pray, Love. She spoke about The Hero’s Journey and how that applies to our life.

I think us geeks can often relate to the hero’s journey, and when you put the vision of your life into quest-form, it makes it feel like a game. Your experiences, negative, and positive, help you level up and become the person you are. You have goals and prizes at the end of your journey to keep you going, and you can even gamify certain aspects of yourself and reward yourself with points or treats for doing the things you need to. Plus, just like playing a game, although you have an end-goal, it doesn’t mean you don’t have fun (and maybe even explore some small side quests) on the way.

I’m currently on a quest to make The Geeky Hostess the best it can be. I’m turning what started out as a little blog into a larger brand with a lot of new and exciting things coming in the next year. Along the way, I’m greeted with my fair share of tests, allies, enemies, and mentors. But I keep pushing through until I hit my goal. And I’m not afraid to change and revise the goal(s) as needed.

Are you the hero in your story? What is your quest? Is there something I or Geeky Hostess can do to help you with your quest? Let me know in the comments below!

Special thanks to Procter & Gamble for providing me with tickets to the Life You Want Weekend. It was a fantastic time, and I’m renewed and excited to continue striving towards my goals!

Blog, Friday Favorites

Check Out These Web Series!

As you may know, I’m a producer and actor on a web series called Job Hunters. And when one spends a good chunk of their time on a web series, they watch a lot of others. We decided to make a little video of some of our other fave series so our fans have something to watch in between episodes. If you’re looking for a fun way to procrastinate for a bit, check these out!

The recommendation portion of the video starts at 1:10. I’ve also listed all of the web series below:

Storytellers
Because Science
Humans & Households
The New Adventures of Peter + Wendy
Transolar Galactica
JourneyQuest
Classic Alice
I Ship It
Gritty Reboots

What are your favorite web series? Have you seen any of the ones listed above? Let me know in the comments!

 

Blog, Gift Ideas, Libations

Set Phasers To Drunk with Star Trek Wine

Star Trek Wine

You’re going to be the best dinner guest ever when you bring over one of these bottles.

The limited edition Star Trek wine is a 2009 red blend from Sonoma. It includes Merlot, Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, Dolcetto, Tinta Cao, and Tempranillo. Each bottle contains the same wine, but has one of three commemorative labels created by Juan Ortiz. The labels showcase artwork inspired by three classic Star Trek episodes: The Trouble with Tribbles, Mirror Mirror, and The City on the Edge of Forever.

At $24.99 a piece, this is a great holiday or host gift for the Star Trek and/or wine lover in your life!

Find the Star Trek wine at Vinport.com.

Blog, Weddings

Geeky “Just Married” Car Clings

Just Married Car Cling

Getting married and want something that’s so “you” on your car as you drive off into the sunset? Tell your wedding party to put down the car chalk and toilet paper, and direct them towards Anthony Herrera Designs. He has wedding-themed window clings for every type of geek, whether you like Doctor Who, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, The Princess Bride, The Simpsons, Back to the Future, or gaming. The best part? The clings are easy to put on and take off, and look really great.

I think these would be absolutely fabulous for a couple planning a road trip for their honeymoon, or anyone who wants to show off their love for their favorite fandom and their new partner at the same time!

You can check out all of the options on Etsy. Which one would you pick?

Blog, Gift Ideas, News

Geeky Hostess Store Sale!

GH Store Apron

The geeky sprinkles are coming! This month, I’ll be receiving thousands of bottles of sprinkles, and with this huge shipment, I’ll be making some (awesome) changes to the Geeky Hostess store and site. To make room for these new additions, I’m having a store-wide sale!

From now through Sunday, November 9th, save 25% off your entire order with code “SPRINKLES”. 

This means you can get the cute D20 underwear for only $11.25, or the Geeky Hostess Espionage Makeup Collection for under $20! Plus, at $12, it’s the cheapest you’ll see the Geeky Hostess aprons for a while.

So what are you waiting for? Treat yourself and help me make way for the next line of Geeky Hostess goodies! Visit the Geeky Hostess Store to get started.

Blog, Geek Fit

Get Fit with ClassPass

classpass

In my endless pursuit to be more like Wonder Woman, I’m always looking for fun ways to get more fit. For me, classes are the way to go. I LOVE Barre3, and have had a lot of fun in Zumba, spin, pole, and other barre classes. But these classes are pricy on their own, and I have to know I’m going to absolutely love the class if I want to splurge on a monthly membership. That’s why when I heard about ClassPass, I got incredibly excited.

ClassPass is a monthly membership that allows you to take classes from a large selection of studios in the Seattle area. For $99 a month, you can take up to 3 classes per studio (and with almost 50 studios signed on as of today, you’d have to take 5 classes a day to hit the maximum). It’s a fun way to try out a bunch of different types of classes and workouts, which is great if you’re new to working out or just don’t want to get bored easily.

I’ll be signing up soon, and will give an update after I’ve done a month with a recap of my fave studios in the Seattle area. (Not in Seattle? You can also get a ClassPass for Boston, Chicago, New York, LA, San Francisco, and Washington D.C.!)

Will you be giving ClassPass a try? If so, I hope to see you around!

Find more info and sign up at ClassPass.com.

Blog, Fun Food, Recipes, Zombies

Nutty “Bloody Brain” Dip

Looking for a fun, healthy, last minute Halloween snack? Make this “Bloody Brain” dip! The garlic walnut dip is placed in a cauliflower “brain” and is perfect at a Halloween or zombie-themed party with some bread, crackers, or veggies. See below for the recipe featured in the video. (And special thanks to Sante Nuts for sharing the recipe!)

Nutty “Bloody Brain” Dip
by George Duran

Ingredients:
7-oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained
1 C. Panko bread crumbs
1 5-oz. package of Santé Candied Walnuts
3 garlic cloves, pressed or crushed
1 T. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. dried hot red pepper flakes
1 tsp. kosher salt
¾ C. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large cauliflower for “brain”
Pita chips

Directions:
In a food processor, place all of the ingredients except olive oil and pulse until coarse. Slowly add olive oil and process until smooth. Set aside.
Make cauliflower “brain” by trimming leaves and bottom stem. Make hole in the top center of cauliflower by gently cutting a ring that will fit a small bowl. Keep digging through the top half of cauliflower until the bowl fits snuggly. Place dip inside bowl, making sure it overflows around cauliflower “brain.”
Serve with pita chips.

No matter what your plans are or what type of treat you make, I wish you a happy, safe, and spooky Halloween!

Blog, Holidays, Lifestyle

You Asked For It: “Sexy” Kool-Aid Man Costume

I’m beginning to worry about you all. Sure, I get the sexy shark costume. Sharks are dangerous. Sexy Boba Fett I understand. I mean, it’s Boba. But the Kool-Aid Man? This is the “sexy” Halloween costume you wanted me to wear?

Lucky for you, even if I begin to worry, I still have your best interest at heart. And your best interest was to see me in a Kool-Aid Man costume with fishnets. And even luckier for you, BuyCostumes.com didn’t bat an eye when I said I needed the Kool-Aid costume, fishnet tights, and long red satin gloves.

As a disclaimer, I tried so hard to find a brick wall with a hole in it, but apparently Seattle likes to keep their buildings in somewhat decent condition. This wall with a painted over spot was the next best thing–I like to think they were just repairing it from my last visit, and I’m back to taunt them.

Special thanks goes to the lovely and talented Liz Leo for taking what looks like high fashion photos on a windy day in the middle of an old parking lot in Seattle. She’s amazing!

Ok, ok, without further ado. Here are some ridiculous(ly awesome) pics of me as the Kool-Aid Man. The costume itself recommends you stuff it with newspaper or other padding, but the wind wasn’t cool with that idea. So instead, you get a Kool-Aid Man inspired dress-type-thing. You know you love it.

Kool Aid Collage 1

Kool Aid 3

Pick up your own Kool-Aid Man costume at BuyCostumes.com (You can still get your costume in time for Halloween with some of their shipping options!)

What are you going to be for Halloween this year?

Blog, Geek Etiquette, Gift Ideas, Lifestyle

Con*Quest: The Con Adventure Journal

While at NYCC, I came across a fantastic new tool for convention goers: Con*Quest, a con adventure journal. The journal, a successful Kickstarter project, is a way to keep all of your autographs, sketches, prints, business cards, and photos in one place. It’s like a scrapbook or smash book for geeks.

The journal has specific pages for the types of “quests” (autograph, artist, cosplay, panel, etc.), business card pages, pages to hold prints, a zipper pouch for anything small, and a spot to put your trusted sharpie. It even comes with an adorable tote bag (with shoulder-length strap) to carry it in!

While this works for all-ages and is fantastic for any type of con, I can really see this catching on with kids and first-time con goers. It gives you a great idea of everything you can do at a convention, and makes sure you have everything in one easy location.

And if you weren’t already in love with the journal and this company, wait till you hear about their Con*pliment Cards. These cards are a fun, easy, and appropriate way to compliment someone on their cosplay or artwork. It’s a great thing to give to someone after you’ve taken a picture of them (with their permission, of course)–it has a spot for you to put your twitter handle or Instagram account so they know where they can find the picture later! I’m all about spreading kindness and I think this is such a cool idea.

You can purchase a Con*Quest journal (as well as extra pages, a mini journal, and con*pliment cards) at conquestjournal.com, or you can enter below to win your own! Bonus: Use code “NYCC” to save 10%!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog, Geeky Fashion, Gift Ideas

Handmade, Indie, and Cool Products from 9th and Elm

MotherofDragons

I recently found out about 9th & Elm, an online store that features handmade and independent designers, and I’ve become obsessed. I was given the opportunity to pick out some goodies, which I then modeled around Central Park (shout out to my MIL Roni for taking the pics!), and I still check the update emails every day and browse the site whenever I have the chance.

You’ll find your favorite indie designers and Etsy shops, and a bunch of folks and products you’ve never seen before, all for a great price. Above, you’ll see me wearing:

  • “Mother of Dragons” tank top from ClassicSciFi (No longer on the site, but there are other fun graphic tanks available!)

This shirt is ridiculously comfy and looks great with jeans or as a workout top. I got a few compliments from strangers the first day I wore it around!

  • Scarfbag from Go For the Throat (No longer on the site, but there are other hidden pocket scarves available!)

It’s a scarf. With a secret hidden zippered pocket. It’s AMAZING. Plus, the fabric is super soft and cozy. This is going to be my go-to scarf this Fall and Winter!

This organic, vegan lip balm smells and tastes just like a vanilla cupcake, and keeps your lips nice and soft. It’s the perfect size for your purse or pocket as well!

The selection on the site changes daily, but you’ll always find clothing, accessories, housewares, jewelry, and gifts. Prices vary just as much as the designers–you can get super inexpensive and super high quality items right next to each other. The collection is well curated and fun to look through–it was tough narrowing down what items I was going to add to my first order, and I can’t wait to place another!

Check it out at 9thElm.com and let me know what you end up getting!

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