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Pirates, Recipes

Pirate Rum Cupcakes

My friend Liz’s surprise birthday party took place at pirate-themed-bar Pillagers Pub, so naturally I needed to create a pirate-themed cupcake. She had mentioned that she liked the idea of alcohol-infused baked goods, so I got working on a Malibu Rum cupcake and frosting. The cake is an old recipe by Sandra Lee, and the frosting was something whipped together by myself. The result was a light, fluffy, refreshing cupcake with just the right amount of coconut and rum flavoring.


Photos by Justin Schmauser

Malibu Rum Cake
(Recipe from Sandra Lee’s Semi-Homemade Cooking)

Ingredients:

  • I box classic yellow cake mix
  • 1 cup Malibu Rum
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 3.4 ounce package vanilla instant pudding mix
  • 4 eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and prepare cupcake pans with wrappers (I used this Pirate Cupcake Kit)

Mix all ingredients (cake mix, rum, vegetable oil, instant pudding mix and eggs) in a bowl with an electric mixer for 2 minutes.

Pour mixture into cupcake pans, filling each 2/3 full.

Bake according to the directions on the back of the box, or when a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Let cool, frost, and enjoy!

Coconut Rum Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

  • 8 TBS unsalted butter
  • 3-4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 TBS Malibu Rum
  • 1 TBS coconut milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

In an electric mixer, whip butter until fluffy.

Add in 3 cups of powdered sugar, rum, milk, and vanilla slowly as you mix.

Continue to mix until you reach the frosting consistency you prefer, adding in more powdered sugar or coconut milk as needed.

(Warning: These are not for lil scabbers under the age of 21, on account of the rum.)

Arrgh you going to make these at your next pirate gathering?

Geeky Fashion

Become a Capitol Stylist For the Hunger Games!

The Hunger Games have been doing an amazing job with their marketing, especially through their fashion and culture blog, Capitol Culture. They’ve been profiling characters from the movie along with real-life designers to create a realistic portrayal of the Capitol. Taking it one step further, they’re holding design contests for wannabe Capitol designers. The first was a shoe design contest, where the winner received a pair of shoes. Today, the next contest was announced: makeup. Design your best makeup look for the Capitol (or your favorite District), and you’ll be entered to win a MAC giftcard. Pretty sweet! See all the info in the email below:

Find out more by visiting http://capitolcouture.pn/. And don’t forget to grab your tickets to the midnight showing of The Hunger Games before they sell out!

Geeky Fashion

Geek Fashion: POW Necklace

We all know geeks have some of the coolest outfits and accessories out there when we see them at cons, but we don’t often get to see them dressed up and styled in everyday life. On Tuesdays, I’ll show you how to rock those geek fashion and beauty trends while incorporating them with on-trend or girly outfits. This first look is from a shoot I did with the lovely Molly McIsaac–more photos from the shoot will be seen on an all new Geeky Hostess site, coming soon! (Along with these changes, keep an eye out for more original content and two posts a day! Eee!)

Although I normally keep my jewelry subtle, I couldn’t resist this necklace. I found it in Hot Topic over the holidays, but have since found many great versions on Etsy. The necklace is a great ice breaker or a way to incorporate your comic-loving side into an otherwise normal outfit. I paired it with some classic stripes and a hint of color to bring it into spring. Add some big black boots to this outfit to feel like a modern-day superhero, or pair it with a flouncy skirt and some red heels for a fun date night.

(Looking for a great red trench? Mine is the Scottevest Women’s Trench and I love it!)

Do you have a geeky statement necklace you wear often? Tell me about it in the comments!

Do you have your eye on any geeky accessories or upcoming fashion trends you don’t know how to wear? Leave me a comment or email me at tara@geekyhostess.com, and you may see it in an upcoming post!

Geek Etiquette

Geek Etiquette: Twitter

The Geeky Hostess is gonna help you get your manners on! Each Monday, we’ll focus on a topic of etiquette. We’ll take a look at the classic rules (using Emily Post as a guide), and then evaluate the rules for our daily lives, creating a guide to “Geek Etiquette.” Have an etiquette question or topic suggestion? Email tara@geekyhostess.com!


Twitter is an amazing social networking tool that can serve as a replacement to your RSS feed, a way of communicating with your friends, favorite companies, and celebrities at the same time, a promotional tool, and a way to spread news. (People have heard about earthquakes occurring before they felt it themselves, thanks to Twitter!) However, tweeting too much or tweeting incorrectly can get you unfollowed or blocked faster than you can tweet an apology. Here are some tips on how to be a mindful tweeter from myself and my followers!

  • “Be interesting but don’t take yourself too seriously.” –imkyleoneill

  • Keep an eye on your following to followers ratio. If you’re following thousands of people, it will be hard to keep up with your twitter feed, and people won’t think you’re interested in making genuine connections.

  • If you need to make any changes to a RT (to accommodate space, for instance), then it is a modified tweet (or MT). Please label it accordingly.

  • “People might actually be interested in what you have to say. Not what you RT. Too many people RT too many things.” –michaelrobles

  • “Having auto-tweet on whenever you like, comment or favorite a video on YouTube is extremely annoying. <3.” –Britt5091 (KristinaHorner said the same thing about Tumblr, and I feel the same way about blogs, Pinterest, and Facebook. Autotweeting is no fun for anyone! Be more authentic with your tweets.)

  • “Always keep your privacy settings in mind when you post, if you don’t want a future employer to see it, don’t post it!” –Alice_Wakefield (Same could be said about brands, friends, and anyone you may be talking about.)

  • See people on Twitter talking about something that seems a bit more private, or referencing an event you haven’t been invited to? Don’t assume the conversation is an open invitation. Respect their space, even if they’re not smart enough to take it offline.

  • “No more than 1-2 hashtags in a tweet. Sitting on the couch? Probably don’t need to hashtag couch.” –GeekyLyndsay

  • Want to become BFFs with a celebrity on Twitter? Treat them like a normal person! Tweet at them when their conversation or questions apply to you, and/or if you have something of substance to say. Don’t bombard them with tweets or get offended if they don’t respond to you.

  • shnoobles breaks it down for us: “people are reading what you’re saying! don’t be a jerk.”

What piece of twittiquette is this list missing? Let us know in the comments! On Twitter? Follow https://twitter.com/#!/GeekyHostess!

A Geeky Home

West Elm Is Here To Help

I have a confession to make: home decor stores scare me a bit. I walk into places like Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel, and I get a little overwhelmed. What do I need? How do I use this in my home? How can people afford all of this? I usually just ignore the larger pieces of furniture and home goods and go straight to the kitchenware.Check them out!

When I received an invite to attend a tour of the new Spring collection at the Seattle West Elm, I agreed, but was a little hesitant. I’ve heard all of my design/fashion/art blogger friends talking about how amazing this place is. I was afraid that it meant West Elm would be super trendy, unapproachable, and overpriced. I was wrong.

West Elm is extremely approachable, even to decorating novices like myself. Most of the employees have an interior decorating background, and they are willing to sit with you and help you design your living space. They’ll even come to your house, take measurements, and give you suggestions, all free of charge! Although their products aren’t super geeky by themselves, they can all complement your existing decor, and take your rooms from “Geek Collectible Showcase” to “Grown-Up, Well-Put-Together Room with a Geek Focus.” Their brightly colored kitchenware would be the perfect addition to a large pop-art or comic print. The papier-mache animal sculptures can add a modern and funky twist to your version of a “hunting lodge.” The great thing about the animal sculptures (and a lot of their pieces), are that they’re a collaboration with smaller artists. West Elm works with small artists and companies (like Etsy) to find great up-and-comers to feature in their stores. This ensures that you’re getting unique pieces and supporting artists with your purchase!

Whether you’re looking for home furnishings to show off your action figure collection, a bit of inspiration to redo your bedroom.

 

 

A Geeky Home

Geeky Etched Glassware

Fanboy Glass has taken all of your favorite geeky shows and games and turned them into your newest set of glassware. His shot glasses, pint glasses, mugs and wine glasses range in price from $7-22 each and feature artwork inspired from Buffy, Portal, Doctor Who, My Little Pony, and more. I particularly enjoy the My Little Pony Cutie Mark shot glass set, Tardis pint glass, and the Magic: The Gathering Mana Symbols pint glass set.

Check out the almost 200 items he has to offer here!

Source: Geeks are Sexy

Geeky Fashion

OPI Spider-man Collection

OPI has announced a Spider-man collection to be released in May. You’ll have plenty of time to grab your favorite colors and perfect your manicure for the movie’s release on July 3!

I, as well as almost every nail polish and fashion blog, am obsessed with “Just Spotted the Lizard.” It’s such a cool color (and would be perfect for so many costumes–whether you’re dressed as Poison Ivy or a zombie!).

Will you be picking up any of the Spider-man colors?

Geek Etiquette

Geek Etiquette: Networking

The Geeky Hostess is gonna help you get your manners on! Each Monday, we’ll focus on a topic of etiquette. We’ll take a look at the classic rules (using Emily Post as a guide), and then evaluate the rules for our daily lives, creating a guide to “Geek Etiquette.” Have an etiquette question or topic suggestion? Email tara@geekyhostess.com!


Networking can be a tough but necessary task that can happen anywhere. Sure, networking events house the majority of it, but we’ve all had encounters where the person sitting next to us on the plane or in line behind us at the store has happened to turn into a great contact. So how can people who are normally introverted make the most of these networking opportunities? Think of it less as a spontaneous activity, and more as a series of steps.

Next time you’re at a function and don’t have anyone to talk to, try this:

Approach Someone
Ideally, you’ll find someone who is standing around awkwardly, also looking for someone to talk to. If everyone else is grouped up, keep an eye out for a group that has open body language, or is loud and happy enough that you could slip into or “overhear” their conversation.

Break the Ice
You don’t need to be clever, just come up with a couple go-tos to help you start a conversation. I find people in the room that are wearing something I like–I’ll seek them out to compliment them on their glasses, dress, jewelry, etc. and ask them where they got it. If they respond and turn their attention to you, then you’re set! Nothing grabbing your eye to compliment? Keep an ear out for people discussing similar interests of yours. It’s an easy way to jump into a conversation.

Bring the Conversation to Business
Once the ice breaker has run its course, it’s time to bring the conversation to something more mutually beneficial–sharing what you do and seeing if a connection can be made. It may be as simple as “So, what do you do?” or asking what their connection to the event/host is.

Don’t Talk About Yourself the Whole Time
You’re more than welcome to share what you do and answer any questions they have, but don’t bore the other person(s) with stories about yourself all night. If they share a story that segues well into a personal anecdote about yourself, share it quickly and get back to them. Ask them more questions about what they do, and maintain interested body language. Remember–you already know all about yourself. Use this time to get to know more about this person and find out how they can help you and/or your business.

Know When To End The Conversation
Keep an eye out for body language cues, and don’t overstay your welcome in the conversation. Are they standing away from you, losing eye contact, answering with very short answers, or trying to start conversations with others? It’s time to move on. Conversations can be ended simply by saying “It was so great to meet you, I’ve got to move on.”

End With a Call To Action
Is this someone you want to get to know better or potentially work with? Try to set up the opportunity to meet again. End with “we should do lunch sometime,” or “I’d love to get more info on that ____ you mentioned–I’ll send you an email tomorrow.” This is also a great chance to exchange business cards.

Emily Post has some great words of wisdom on business cards:

The business card of today

  • Invites a new business acquaintance to get in touch with you
  • Defines your position and responsibilities (e.g., Vice-President, Sales)
  • Provides a number of ways to reach you: mailing address, telephone, fax, e-mail address, and sometimes your assistant’s telephone number and alternate phone numbers for you

The smart businessperson should never be without at least a few cards in a jacket pocket- and the newer-looking they are, the better. You never know when you might need a card (at a dinner in a restaurant, say, or sitting next to someone in a baseball stadium’s bleachers), and they should be in perfect condition when you present them. Stationery and department stores sell business card holders that prevent smudging and creasing.

How to hand out business cards, and to whom?

  • If you’re reasonably sure you’ll be dealing with someone in the future, ask for a business card and give yours in return. Probably the one exception is when you encounter a top executive who clearly outranks you; if such a senior person wants your card, or wants you to have hers, she will tell you so.
  • When given a card, don’t just snatch it and jam it into your pocket. Take a moment to look at it, perhaps complimenting its design. Then slip it into your wallet or date book.
  • Offer cards one to a person- rather than presenting a fistful, as if you were trying to flood the market with the wonder of you and your title.

Offering your card privately to someone at a social event is perfectly fine- but suggest holding off on detailed business talk until another day. Don’t pop out your card in the middle of a dinner that has nothing to do with business; if you want to present one, wait until you’ve left the table.

Looking for a unique business card? Check out Pinterest for some great ideas. Some of my favorite cards are from Moo, a card company that is very popular among the blogger set.

Does networking still make you anxious? Bring a wingman. Just like in dating, a wingman can help you make introductions and can talk you up while you’re there. Better yet, become friends with the host of the event. Ask them to introduce you around, and they’ll get the conversation started for you.

What are your networking tips and tricks? Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ended up networking?

Geeky Fashion, Gift Ideas

Crocheted Viking Dwarf Hat with Beard

Want to look a bit more like your D&D character, but can’t grow the facial hair to do so? Legendary Crafts is here to help you out!


Design your own custom crocheted Viking Dwarf Hat with Beard, and add on other items like a mohawk or horns. Dortha will make you a unique hat to your specifications. Epic cuteness! (And your face will feel oh-so-snuggly!)

Crocheted Hats with Beards: Starting at $75 at Etsy.com

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