Being Geek Chic is a blog for stylish geeks, sophisticated nerds and people who enjoy the musings of a complete dork. Join us as we dream of driving the TARDIS, cuddle with our eBooks and test out an iPad sleeve. It's written by Elizabeth Giorgi and a team of brilliant lady nerds. Meet the team.
It’s really a hallmark of the Amy Pond era. Fish sticks and custard. Honestly, kind of eww when I think about it. But then I remember that my favorite combo is salty and sweet… so maybe… just maybe. Yes, indeed, this can be delicious.
When I put our resident food genius Emma Carew Grovum up to the task, she came up with a version that is sure to please the masses. It’s certainly a little more palatable for the non-weird eaters out there.
Recipe and details after the jump…
Next time you’re looking to redesign your office, kitchen or any small space in your home, take a page from the Mara Mi studio + store + cafe in Stillwater, Minnesota. I recently made the trip for an Apartment Therapy shoot (you’ll see a full tour on AT next week!) but I wanted to share a couple favorite shots and a few that didn’t make the final Apartment Therapy slideshow with you.
I’ve been trying to find the “perfect" Sherlock Holmes-inspired pillow for my home for months and months. I’ve been failing desperately though. If I’m being honest, it’s me, not the internet. There’s a ton of options, but I have been looking for something subtle and Google Search Results for “Subtle Sherlock Holmes pillows" does not actually locate much of anything.
Then I thought I found the answer. It was like the internet angels sung it out to me. AHHHHH OOOOH, it’s Spoonflower.
Ugh. Not that easy internet. Not that easy. Y U Got to Go and Trick Me Like That?
There are plenty of great tutorials on their site and a few Google searches pulled up some interesting tips, but after struggling with this thing for hours, I thought I’d share some of my observations with you. If for no other reason than you can hopefully save yourself an hour or two. (Once my swatches show up, I’ll share those too.)
Here’s five tips for avoiding disaster and designing wonderful textiles on Spoonflower:
1. It’s easier to create the single design and then let Spoonflower do the work of repeating the pattern. Take my “Where’s My Deerstalker?" graphic above. I had originally tried to create a brick pattern on my own, but after struggling with it for hours and uploading literally 11 different versions, I gave up on my own concept of the layout and let Spoonflower do the hard part for me. If you have never had to make a pattern before, it is a lot harder than you think. I learned that lesson the hard way.
2. If you upload a JPG, expect the colors to change. I had no trouble with PNGs, AI, PDF or EPS files. I am not sure if a compression would have helped, but since we’re printing high resolutions, I didn’t want to take that chance.
3. Let Spoonflower do the scaling for you too. A handy little trick within the interface is the ability to make the print larger or smaller with the rulers giving you a guide for scale. If you start with a relatively large design, you should be able to get it to the right proportions.
4. Don’t forget to adjust the image on your test swatch. This fabric isn’t cheap. Skip the fat quarter and get the test swatch for $5. You can adjust the crop of the swatch as well, so be sure you are getting a visual of what you really want.
5. Think about using the service for small projects too. I get some of my best ideas from trolling the awesome work of others. I loved this concept from blogger Armommy, who came up with a design that would make 8 hand warmers and then used Spoonflower to make the project available to her readers complete with printed instructions included on the fabric.
Have any of you used Spoonflower before? Have you been happy with the results?
After years of occasionally flirting with the Kindle app on my iPad, I’ve officially moved on to the Kindle Paperwhite. Let’s just say, my eyes have never been more pleased. Oddly, I’m also relieved. Here’s why: I don’t think paperbacks are sustainable for my lifestyle anymore.
I wish it wasn’t the case. There’s something beautiful and romantic about the tactile experience of holding a new book in your hands and turning those pages. Somehow, I know I will mourn the loss of it in my life. Unlike CDs, which I have never missed since getting my first mp3 player in 2004, the physicality of a book seems personal. But practicality ultimately wins out for me and here’s the three key reasons:
1. I don’t own a McMansion. As a city dweller, I just don’t have the space. When you choose to live closer to the city, your home is ultimately smaller. There’s no “study" in my place and the number of bookshelves one home can accommodate has reached its maximum. In fact, my most recent storage effort involved “stacking" the books in a corner, but when the books got to be four and a half feet tall, I realized it was also a safety hazard.
2. My library is digitally accommodating. If you haven’t asked your library about their digital loan program, you really should. Sure, the selection may be smaller and occasionally the wait times are longer, but it turns out that most libraries know they need to offer this service and are eager to talk with patrons about how to make it work to everyone’s benefit. I’ve even asked my local library if they could get certain books and they’ve been able to acquire them for me. It never, never hurts to ask. On top of this, just think of the possibilities when it comes to interpersonal loans as well. With Amazon, I can lend a book to a friend without the fear that I’ll never see it again.
3. Research has never been easier. I’m in the very beginning of stages of a new documentary project and while I never thought this would be a key reason why I ultimately made the jump to 100% digital reading, it has actually been the turning point. Keeping notes, saving key phrases and sharing important passages is easier and simpler than my previous process. The idea of sitting with a book, highlighting passages, writing notes on a post-it and then scanning everything to send as a PDF in an email seems ludicrous to me. Now, I simply read and save a bunch of passages as I go and export them to my email when I’m done.
Have you made the jump to exclusive eReading? What are the key reasons whys? Is it the environmental impact? The low eBook prices?
If you’ve been cooking along with us through the nerdy recipe series, you’ll want to pass this link on to the Santas in your life.
Whether you see yourself most as a Jedi-in-training, a Browncoat, the Doctor’s companion, your district’s tribute or you’re just a straight up geek, we’ve found a gift for you.
(You can make your life easier by clicking on this Pinboard and getting links to every item that way as well!)
Amazon is a good catch-all for geeky gifts. And searching “prime-eligible" can help to cut down on shipping costs. You’ll find gems like:
Looking for something with a handmade touch? Etsy is your best bet. They even have a section called “Geekery," where you’ll find gifts like:
If you’re truly geeky, you may already be familiar with the site thinkgeek.com, which sells all matter of geek-related paraphernalia. This is where you’ll find:
If you’re insisting on hitting up the mall and shopping for your favorite nerdy chef, Williams Sonoma is an unlikely bricks-and-mortar store where you can find some geeky gifts:
Emma Carew Grovum is a data journalist working at the Chronicle of Philanthropy in Washington, D.C. She previously worked as the Digital Editor for The Cooking Club of America and blogs at kitchendreamer.blogspot.com Emma loves Star Wars, pandas and all things Joss Whedon. Find her on twitter at @emmacarew.
Are you traveling this holiday season? Take a cue from The Lord of the Rings and make these lovely lembas. The magical bread baked in the elfen hearths of Middle Earth, were meant to sustain elves, hobbits and men for long journeys.
Just in time for the first Hobbit film coming to theaters, now you can bake lembas in your own kitchen.
If you want to go all out, snag a package of frozen banana leaves at the grocery store, defrost and dry them, and wrap around your lembas to keep them fresh for the midnight showing. (In other words… Maybe don’t wrap them in any old leaves… I’m not sure we have the same vegetation on normal earth as it does on Middle Earth.)
Enjoy!
For this lembas recipe, you need:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Line a jelly roll pan or half-sheet pan with parchment paper and spray with butter spray.
Whisk together flour, 2 TBS sugar, baking powder, salt and one teaspoon of lemon zest and one teaspoon of orange zest. Cut butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. (You can do this in a food processor to save time)
Whisk together 1 egg, 1/2 cup half and half and yogurt.
Mix wet into dry slowly until a sticky dough forms. You may not need all of the wet ingredient mixture.
Press dough onto prepared sheet and form into a large rectangle, slightly less than an inch thick.
Whisk together remaining egg and milk, then brush pastries with egg wash.
Crumble sugar and citrus zest between your fingers until fully combined. Sprinkle over dough.
Run a knife through the dough to cut into 8 equally-sized rectangles.
Bake for 16 minutes at 400 degrees.
Cool completely before serving.
Emma Carew Grovum is a data journalist working at the Chronicle of Philanthropy in Washington, D.C. She previously worked as the Digital Editor for The Cooking Club of America and blogs at kitchendreamer.blogspot.com Emma loves Star Wars, pandas and all things Joss Whedon. Find her on twitter at @emmacarew.
