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News

Tara’s at Gen Con!

I’m in hot and sunny Indianapolis for one of the greatest gaming conventions: Gen Con. It’s my first time here and I can’t wait to see all of the great new games and buy my weight in dice.

I’ll be at CrystalCommerce’s booth the whole weekend, telling folks about their awesome e-commerce solutions for game/hobby stores and launching some new marketing services for game stores. If you’re there, stop by and say “Hi!” I’ll be the only lady at the booth, so I should be easy to spot. I’ll also be on their 11am seminar today if you have a Trade Day pass.

Are you going to Gen Con? What are you looking forward to? I can’t wait to pick up the new Dominion expansion, myself!

Weddings

Doctor Who Wedding Cake Topper

This image has been floating around Tumblr and nerd blogs. Much like Doctor Who himself, I have no clue how to find it. If you know, leave a link in the comments! Everyone needs a Doctor Who cake topper/table decoration.

Recipes

Recipe: Cookie Cakes for Hackers

When someone asks you if you’re a god, you say “yes.” And when someone asks you where to find cookie cakes in Seattle, you say “my kitchen.”

I had the pleasure of making cookie cakes for the one year anniversary of Hacker News Meetup Seattle, a great monthly networking event in the Seattle area. It was my first time making cookie cakes, but definitely not my last. They’re super easy and every piece was gobbled up quickly.

Want to give cookie cakes a try at your home? Check out this recipe, inspired by Emeril Lagasse:

Cookie Cake
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups chocolate chips
  • Writable icing and/or other decorations
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a  pizza pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Add the eggs, beating well after the addition of each.
  3. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix with a whisk.
  4. Add to the flour mixture to the  butter mixture, and then add the vanilla.
  5. Fold in the chocolate chips.
  6. Spread across the bottom of the pizza pan and bake until the edges are golden and the cookie is set but the center is still slightly soft, 20 to 25 minutes.
  7. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. Decorate the cookie as you wish. I used icing, you may also want to try candy, sprinkles, powdered sugar, smaller cookies...
  9. Enjoy!
News

Tara’s at GeekGirlCon!

GeekGirlCon is this weekend, and I can’t wait! I’m looking forward to finding new goodies at the exhibitor hall, sitting in on some lectures, and catching up with old friends.

Going to GeekGirlCon? Here are some things you can’t miss:

The Masquerade. I’ll be co-hosting the Masquerade Saturday at 5pm. If you’ve never been to one, make sure you go: you’ll see some amazing cosplay and get to vote for your favorite!

Espionage Cosmetics. Espionage will be releasing their new line in the exhibitor hall and I can’t wait to get my hands on them!

GeekGirlConcert: The Doubleclicks and Vixy and Tony are going to be doing a concert at 8:30 on Saturday. If you haven’t seen these groups live, you need to!

Check out the full schedules and more at www.geekgirlcon.com.

Will you be attending? What are you looking forward to?

Entertaining, Fun Food

Your Party Saver: Plate and Drink In One Hand

I wish networking events everywhere had these. I always get stuck with a plate full of food, a drink, my phone, and a person who wants a handshake and a business card. Let’s just say it gets messy. These “go plates” make it so you can carry your food and drink in one hand, so you can have another one ready to hug, handshake, or tweet about how awesome the event is.

I plan on buying a set of these to have on hand for my next party. I mean, how can you not?

The Go Plate, $14.98-$49.99 based on color and amount of plates. Available at Amazon.com.

(Source: The Daily What)

Fun Food, Geek Fit

Geek Fit: The Perfect Smoothie with Silkology

Staying fit and active can be a tough, but necessary, part of everyone’s life. Having a job that has me sitting from 9-5 plus a blog that has me making a lot of amazing baked goods makes it extra tough to fit into that cosplay outfit or cute nerdy tee.

In the summer, I’m a big fan of protein-packed smoothies for breakfast to help stay healthy and fit, but my smoothies always turn out a bit less than perfect. I always put in way too much fruit and protein powder and not enough liquid, which turns it into delicious-but-difficult-to-eat sludge. Luckily, Silk (the soy milk company) has put together a bunch of fun summer drinks including a Strawberry-Banana smoothie they’ve named the “Straw-Nana Flip.” The smoothie has the perfect mix of liquid and fruit, plus an added dash of vanilla and sugar (my sweetener of choice). Add a dollop of protein powder, and you’ll be feeling better than Wonder Woman. Find this recipe and more on the Slkology Facebook page.

I’d love to work this smoothie into a morning workout party with some of my favorite geeky ladies. Maybe as a good break between “Just Dance” sessions?

Because they’re awesome, Silk is giving away a chance to win Silk for a year and an entertaining set. Whether you use it for a workout sesh like me, or for another summertime party, you’ll be in good hands. Just answer this question below: How can you reinvent your favorite summertime gathering? Is there something new you want to try? (Bringing smoothies instead of cupcakes would sure be a change for me!)

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.

Geeky Fashion

How To Tie a Bow Tie

Chris Hardwick and Bill Nye teach you how to tie a bow tie. What more could you want?

I overheard two gentlemen comparing tips on tying bow ties at a wedding this past weekend. It made me wonder if they’ve watched this video.

Are you a bow tie wearer? If so, I’d love to know how difficult tying a bow tie is compared to a normal tie! It’s certainly much cooler. Let me know in the comments.

Geeky Fashion

New Color Launch from Espionage Cosmetics!

I love Espionage Cosmetics. Whenever I wear their “Double Kill,” Mr. Geek compliments me on my eyes–it’s fantastic.

The lovely ladies at Espionage are launching a new comic-inspired glitter line, and I get the awesome privilege of announcing it first! This line will first be available for sale at Geek Girl Con (which is coming up this weekend!). Check out their booth (number 301-302) to grab these new colors as well as goodies from their other collections.

The great thing about Espionage is that their collection is super versatile–you can use this glitter on your eyes, mix it with some lip gloss for sparkly lips, put a bit in your nail polish… the options are endless. Check out close-ups of the new colors below, and let me know if you’ll be visiting Espionage at Geek Girl Con!

(Not attending Geek Girl Con? Follow Espionage Cosmetics on Facebook to find out when you can purchase it online!)

A Geeky Home

Classy, Retro Video Game Covers

Make your video game collection look a bit more like a library with these custom video game covers. Etsy seller James Bit will make these Penguin Books-inspired covers for any game–just let him know the title and console. He’ll send you a pdf so you can print it yourself. At $2 a pop, you can’t go wrong! Get them now on Etsy.

(Source: The Awesomer)

Geeky Fashion

Chalkboard T-Shirts

Love every superhero and aren’t sure which one you want to support today? Love doodling on yourself during boring lectures or meetings?

Grab one of these chalk tees from Fab.com today and customize to your heart’s content. It even includes a tiny chalk pocket on the bottom of the shirt! The shirts are available with a variety of chalkboard shapes and come in sizes for men, women and children.

Chalk Tees, starting at $17 at Fab.com.