My nephew Oliver was born last night. I can’t wait to meet him! 
I wanted to do something nice in honor of his birth, so I’ve updated my SIL’s blog header to include him:
A big congratulations to A&W! You guys have been waiting for this for so long and I know that you’ll make be fantastic parents!
Please hop on over to my Anniegurumi.com and wish them congratulations!
Stock photo website Shutterstock has followed the steps of other brilliant marketing campaigns that have used their products in advertisements to appeal to the geek crowd.
Taking advantage of today’s popularity of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice novels — as well as the Game of Thrones television show! — they have taken six of the Great Houses of Westeros, took into account their strengths and cultures, and transformed them into modern corporations with their own distinct brandings.
What’s more, they did this using stock photographs from its extensive database. 
Take a look below — I’m especially loving Air Targaryen! (But then again, I may be biased because Daenerys is my favorite character from the series.)
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Arryn Communications |
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Baratheon Security |
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Greyjoy Cruises |
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Lannister Investment Group |
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Stark Outfitters |
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Air Targaryen |
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Don’t you think more companies should take a cue from Shutterstock while promoting their ideas and products? After all, which other group has as much clout as geeks and die-hard fanatics when it comes to spreading ideas through the web? 
Be sure to check out Shutterstock’s original blog post to read more about this project, learn how they arrived at each modern-day equivalent, and see the original stock photos!
A chaotic life and lack of inspiration does not make for a good blogger. Here’s some eye candy for those who are curious as to what C&A have been up to lately…
Last week, while taking a walk with the girls, I came across a small playground that seemed intent on being kept hidden. Located on an overlooked side street and tucked between two tall buildings, it’s large enough for basic playground equipment and picnic tables, but small enough to easily keep an eye on your kids whilst sitting down and taking a break.
I also love that it’s guarded by a heavy gate, so I don’t need to worry about the kiddos running into the street. The crowd that visits is friendly, and perhaps the best part is that it’s a lot closer to our house than my previous favorite playground. Suffice it to say, we’ve been there a lot lately.
Those who follow me on Instagram may have seen this already: a product called “Squeezy Bubbles”— gently squeeze the bottle and the bubble wand pops up, “pre-loaded” and ready to use! It seems to be the perfect little invention for those like Claire who love to blow bubbles but hate getting their hands dirty.
I picked it up at our local grocery store for about $3, and I see that a similar product called Squeeze n Blow Pop-Up Bubbles is available online on Amazon for $10. (It seems to be a much larger bottle than the one we have.)
Last weekend, we met up with friends and family for a mega-playdate at the Liberty Science Center. Similar to what happened during our last time at LSC, the battery on our camera died so we missed out on some major photo ops (this time, it was me who forgot to charge the battery…doh!). 
However, the kids all had a blast and that’s all that counts, right?
The Saturday we attended fell on the last weekend of the Curious George exhibit, so it was undoubtedly crowded. (I overheard a security guard saying that he’s never seen the line for the entrance that long!) The girls watch Curious George occasionally, so they joyfully explored and played. Claire really seemed to like golf — she got 2 hole-in-one’s in a row! (And I immediately texted my father with the news, with accompanying pictures, since he’s a golf fanatic.)
Here’s a fun side-by-side of Claire entranced by the same exhibition, the left from a year ago.
Lastly, because I have been wondering this to myself and out-loud to J:
He says it’s probably more so because of the latter. Do you agree?
If this doesn’t make your geek senses quiver with joy, I don’t know what will.
Created by Etckt, this periodic chart includes all characters from Episodes VI, V, and VI. Each character is categorized by allegiance, and their order of appearance and movies are numbered in each cell (in Aurebesh).
Be sure to check out Etckt to read more about how the chart was developed!
Via Neatorama.
Call me Busy Lizzie. Life isn’t crazier than usual, but it requires my spending less time from this blog. I know most of you don’t really care, but I’d like to indulge my stalkers and overshare the mundane.
So here it is, the top 5 things that have been keeping me busy…
(Cue deep announcer voice)
Number 5…
The NBA Playoffs. The Knicks haven’t made it to round 2 in THIRTEEN YEARS. 
And while they still have some kinks to work out (and they shouldn’t be partying the night before games…ahem Smith!), my boys are looking pretty good. Just check out numbers 3 and 1 of last night’s top plays!
Number 4…
My site was hacked. It was a pharma hack, so it’s likely that you didn’t notice anything off about this blog. (And don’t worry. It doesn’t harm visitors to the site.) But since I didn’t notice it for months, it led to some decrease in my web ranking and traffic. 
The good news is that I think I’ve gotten it sorted out now. Let’s just hope that I’m right.
Number 3…
Dead Ever After, the final book of the Sookie Stackhouse (otherwise known as the Southern Vampire) series. The quality of the books have definitely declined over the years, but I feel the need to read the last one to get some closure.
I’m not holding my breath, though, as most early reviews are far from glowing.
Number 2…
I actually had 4, not 5 items on this list. But since 5 is a much better number than 4, I’ve decided to share with you the following clip of Jimmy Fallon and John Krasinski having a lip-sync battle:
Who knew John Krasinski had so much swagger?!! I’m sorry Jimmy, my imaginary boyfriend kicked your ass on this!
And now, for number 1…
Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day.
It rained today. We’re expecting more through the weekend. And as any mother knows, keeping young kids entertained through long bouts of inclement weather is akin to pulling teeth.
I like books, gadgets, spicy food, and art. I dislike shopping, hot weather, and the laws of entropy. Although I am a self-proclaimed computer nerd, I still have a love for handbags and makeup... and I am always teetering on high heels. To learn more about me, visit the "About" page.
