Festivus for the rest of us

Actually, I lied. It's not Festivus anymore. I was really hoping to do this post yesterday, but work intervened (until about 1 AM). Don't get too mad though. Once you see the amount of awesome I unleashed on the world last night you will be okay with my abandoning you for working from home. See: AWESOME. I finished the header, html and color selection on the proposal for the SCLS Teen Blog last night. We will put it to an official vote once our YA Librarian Committee meets again in January, but I'm confident it will work out.

That said, it's not just yesterday--I've been bad for a few weeks. I needn't tell you how much of a time suck the end of the year can be. It is still not an excuse for missing out on my friend Alicia's Blogiversary over at the LibrariYAn. CONGRATS!!

I saw this ARC in our summer reading prizes earlier this year and ordered the book. I featured it in a display in the month of November. I have yet to read it ::hangs head in shame:: I think that librarian by day has finally pushed me into checking out Hold Still by Nina LaCour when I get back to the library on Saturday.

Youth Services Corner highlights all the books turned movie in the coming months with fabulous imagery to boot.

YALSA blog has been out-doing themselves lately. Their daily December postings of Dollars and Sense are beyond helpful. So helpful there are really no words for how helpful they are. I can't wait until the last one is done and a compilation* is created. I wanted to also share this inspirational story that Erin Daly wrote for YALSA about nerdfighting. It is a holiday, after all. It may be my inner nerdfighter, but this story was quite touching.

*Until such a compilation is created, instead look at their economy tag which is entirely comprised of Dollars and Sense postings now.

And that about does it today, folks! Time to get all clean and shiny to go to my mom's house and eat too much food before going to my grandma's house tomorrow to eat even more food. Happy holidays!

Thank you Internet, my Christmas present from you was fabulous!

Dear Internet,

It would have been enough for you to just give me this picture:

Little elven Alice? Rudolph Jacob? Taking a Christmas carol and placing it in hilarious context? It was too much to ask for. But the rest of the website upon which I found it? That was simply selfless of you! I can never repay you for such a gem. How ever would I have known that Santa might be a vampire? You're right, it IS kind of awesome.

No one takes Shakespeare up a notch quite the same way as McSweeneys. Previously, there was Hamlet Facebook Newsfeed. Now they bring you Shakespeare Police Blotters. Hat tip to Bib-Laura-graphy for the link!

I WANT THIS SO BAD!!!! It's no secret I'm an anglophile, but I want nothing more than to use a classic red phone box for a library. Boing Boing, you completed my life with this information. Thank you for your services.

Speaking of things I want... this dictionary + me = rapture:

(via this Super Punch post that also has a nifty steam punk lego curiosity cabinet)

Potential program ideas:

• Zipper rosette headbands
• Duct Tape no-sew fabric totes (too cute!)

Reviews that made me want to read the book yesterday:

• Dark Banquet by Bill Schutt reviewed on The YA YA YAs
• Ash by Malinda Lo reviewed on Librarian by Day

BONAS JONAS*: Super Punch has been linking a lot of fabulous art lately that you need to see. Click here. And here. Initial over here.

*I almost thought I was over these johnsons, but then I remembered how brilliant it is that someone living and breathing right now is dubbed Bonas Jonas.

New Blog Alert! 4YA

Ever since Andrea Graham posted a link to her blog 4YA on the ya-yaac list-serv a week or so ago I have been in love. When I log in to my Google Reader it is the first blog I look at these days. I must admit that a little smile pops up on my face every time I see the bold text indicating that she posted again.

Her tagline, "Inspiration for Youth Advocates" is truly accurate in more ways than one. 4YA inspired me to create Movie Mondays on the SCLS Teen Blog with a single post. Beyond that, the scope is so broad and spot on that it is difficult to put into a simple synopsis. You want craft ideas? Rather have video game suggestions? Well you are in luck because 4YA does this and more. Go. Now. Read it all! Her backlog begins in September so you have plenty to catch up on.

Here are two of her posts that have most definitely inspired happenings at my library in 2010:

Eco Fashion Craft -- Soda Tab Belt
Teen Cafe -- Percy Jackson Nectar Shake

P.s. Her blog design will knock your socks off, too.

Waiting on Wednesday: Two for the price of one!

Last week was my first WoW post and Marce of Tea with Marce left me a comment, leading me to her posting. This week I'm using the book she selected (Thaw) because now I'm waiting on it, too! It also made me think of this ARC I received at the Baker and Taylor Spring 2010 preview, so I decided to give you that one as well. Breaking the Spine is hosting the round-up.

Both of these books center on people going through difficult depression and their journey as they decide whether or not to commit suicide. As dedicated readers of Purple Polka know, my stepfather committed suicide in the beginning of December last year, so it seemed a timely post for this week's WoW. And on that somber note, the books!

Book One: Thaw (Fiona Robyn)

(description pulled from Fionarobyn.com)

Ruth is thirty two years old and doesn't know if

she wants to be thirty three. Her meticulously-ordered lonely life as a microbiologist is starved of pleasure and devoid of meaning. She decides to give herself three months to decide whether or not to end her life, and we read her daily diary as she struggles to make sense of her past and grapples with the pain of the present. "Thaw" explores what makes any of our lives worth living. Can Red, the

eccentric Russian artist Ruth commissions to paint her portrait, find a way to warm her frozen heart?

--

The neatest part about this book is that Fiona Robyn is publishing it on a blog in March in addition to hard printing. To help spread the word she's organizing a Blogsplash, where blogs (this one included!) are going to publish the first page of the book and a link to the blog.

She's aiming to get 1000 blogs involved--if you're interested in joining her email her at fiona@fionarobyn.com or find out more information here.

***

Book Two: By the Time You Read This, I'll be Dead (Julie Anne Peters)

(found on the back of the book--a plot description was found online, but this compelled me more so I opted to use this instead)

23 Days and counting

Dear

__mother

__father

__other

There was nothing you could do to stop me because:

__I'd already made up my mind

__I have been suffering my whole life

__you were too slow to notice

I offed myself because:

__my life sucks

__the world sucks

__you suck

Goodbye,

Daelyn

--

Author of two books burning a hole in my To Be Read pile (Rage and Between Mom and Jo, respectively) why shouldn't Julie Anne Peters add yet another title to the stack? I'm most excited for the count-down method, where we slowly find out more about our teenage protagonist and find out if she decides to pull the plug.

I bet your mom would let me

It's no secret that I'm in love with Super Punch. It's probably my favorite blog ever. But this post has out done itself. Please go ahead and apply the slow clap, the standing o and the hamster dance for old time's sake in honor of alerting me to the brilliance that is Children's Book Cinema.

Waiting on Wednesday

I saw Abby (the) Librarian's WoW post in my reader and thought this was finally a kidlit blog meme I could get behind. Breaking the Spine hosts the event, so check it out if you want to add even more books to your ever growing To Be Read pile.

Freefall (January 18, 2010)

Ariela Anhalt

(Description pulled from Amazon)

Luke was not eager to accompany his best friend, Hayden, and the cocky new kid, Russell, up to the cliff that night. The plan was to watch Russell jump off the cliff into the lake--his initiation to the Briar Academy fencing team. But instead, after an angry confrontation with Hayden, Russell falls to his death.

Now Hayden is in jail and the pressure is on Luke to report what he saw. But what did he see? An accident--or a murder? Luke has always followed Hayden's lead, but this is one decision he'll be forced to make on his own. And to do it, he must face the truth about his friendship with Hayden and his own painful past.

This suspenseful and scandalous tale of rivalry, peer pressure, and finding the courage to take responsibility will have an impact on readers long after the last page.

---

I'm most excited about the fact that this author is a 19 year old sophomore at Dartmouth College. I love when actual young adults write and publish young adult novels. What an achievement!

I received the ARC just last Friday and it is burning a hole in my bag, begging for me to read it. Anticipate a review sometime before 2009 has its final say.

Amanda Palmer signed your mom's toilet last night

To: the world
From: Kristi(e)
Date: 11/14/09
Re: Your Jealousy

I'm aware of the fact that not everyone could be lucky enough to have been in attendance of one of the most awesome performances ever that it was as if you (performances, mind you--not simply "one of the best concerts" but the broader act of staging an entertaining presentation of any sort) but there is no need to shout at me and send Batman up and down my street to honk all day. You and your jealousy can simmer down now.

What's that? You're also upset that I got not only Amanda Palmer's autograph, but Neil Gaiman's? Tough noogies. The exquisite Ms. Sara of Librarian Boredom was in attendance and received autographs as well so go bother her.

Fine, I will show you a photographic representation of the library catalog card for Blacks in the Military: Essential Documents signed by Mr. Gaiman to prove to you that ridiculous happening happened. Yes I'm sad the catalog card was too small for both Amanda and Neil to sign on the same side, no need to rub it in.

... Are you done yet? Fine I will rub it in YOUR face that I had a fantastic time last night. In fact, I will pontificate upon it in a bulleted list in no particular order (because how else will you knew precisely how much fun was really had?):

• Amanda Fucking Palmer told me that I was a good librarian for wearing my glasses to her show. 8)
  
• I have a new favorite song thanks to a random twitter user that may or may not have been at the concert. Amanda may end up telling you that it was not her best performance of the song, but don't listen to her world. I think her charm and humor made her rendition of Pirate Jenny the best I've heard so far (and I've listened to about 4 different versions today [including Bea Arthur's so let's just be real here for a second]). Just shy of 4 minutes of this youtube video you can see the Dresdon Dolls performing Pirate Jenny. DO IT!!!
  
• Amanda read a short story from Who Killed Amanda Palmer and was quite stupendous at storytelling.
  
• Sara's question was read during Ask Amanda! What were the odds?!
  
• Amanda had two artists create fabulous works of art during the duration of the concert that were then auctioned off. There were all kinds of unexpected surprises!
  
• Pretty much every single space in the venue allowed you to have full view of the stage. WIN!
• Nervous Cabaret was a fantastic surprise. Most indubitably for how amazing they were, but most notably for the fabulous facial hair.
• Amanda Fucking Palmer covered the Ting Tings That's Not My Name and made it a jolly affair. That's right, I said it.
  
• Just when I gave up all hope of hearing Coin Operated Boy everyone on stage rallied for a mind blowing performance to close the show!

I think I've rambled enough now. Long story short, you're silly for not going to an Amanda Palmer show. Fix that yesterday.

Free books!

...over on Craft. They're giving away Scorpia and Ark Angel to promote a contest over on their technological counterpart, Make. Head on over to the giveaway post and leave a message in the comments as to why you/your kids/teens need these books!

New Blog!

I am delighted to present you with Curious Pages: Recommended inappropriate books for kids. Not that kind of inappropriate from what I've seen thus far, but a very fun look at random books intended for kids. Whoever knew that John Cage helped pen an awesome book about mud pies? Thanks to this new blogorino by illustrator Lane Smith (and some Bob fellow), I know that. And now you do, too!

Check it out!

Digital Towns

Move over John Green, Google is getting in on the paper town action! Paper towns are getting 2.0 with their bad selves in the form of Argleton. Google may or may not have created this town so that rival mapmakers cannot steal the fruit of their cartographic labors.

My question is does the terminology change because it's an online map or can we still call it a paper town?

NaNoWriMo is my nemesis

November is my favorite month, hands down. First of all, if not for this month I would have a birthday in some less fortunate month that is not November. Secondly, excessive amounts of pumpkin are everywhere. Everywhere. Plus there is something to be said about fabulous shopping deals around every corner. Ahhh November.

But there is one aspect of November that fills my stomach with dread and occasionally puts a scowl on my face. If the post title didn't give it away, this is brought about by the fact that November is National Novel Writing Month. NaNoWriMo mocks me with it's overly productive participants:

"Haaaai Kristi(e), how you doin' gurrl? Me and thousands of mah BFFLs are hangin' out gettin' 2gether writin' up some 50,000 word novels and junk. How's your novel doin'? Oh you got 2 flashcards with character names and whatever written down? That's fine gurl that's fyne. Maybe we can all get some coffee next year or sommen. Take kare of urself!"

I'm aware that if NaNoWriMo were to actually become anthropomorphized it would speak properly, but you must realize that my nemeses always have poor grammar when we get together for tea in my head so that no matter what they say I always speak more eloquently. Duh.

Anyway, I bring all this up because John Green makes a fabulous point in one of his more recent Vlog Brother posts: Anything produced during NaNoWriMo is complete and utter garbage. You hear that NaNoWriMo?! You and your BFFLs are GARBAGE! Even John Green won't be able to come up with some gold in a month. You can stop making me feel bad about the non-existent novel I'm writing, tyvm.

That said, anyone actually participating I wish you the best of luck! Because while the novel you write may end up smelling worse than a city dumpster, it is the foundation for a fabulous novel once you put in all the time and effort revising. Don't take my word for it, either. Try on what Editorial Anonymous has to say about revisions and rejections for size.

Whoopi's Wizarding Foot-in-mouth spell

Whoops. Apparently reading her index cards with info on the guests she's interviewing on The View is not on Whoopi's agenda before she carelessly tosses them aside. Check out the wizarding faux pax below:

VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip

(via Best Week Ever)

TAG! You're it.

My teens are super cool and wanted nothing to do with the traditional "Teen Advisory Board" name and went for the funkier Teen Action Group. It makes me feel like we shouldn't be meeting in the Bicentennial Room of the library, but instead an underground command post with a drop down plasma screen TV the mayor uses for his urgent communications. ... Or not. But still!

Anyway, the only program that regularly gets attendance is TAG. For the life of me, I don't know why. During the summer I got people, but now that it's the school year I only occasionally get people to roll up to Teen Cafe. This absence is despite the fact that the teens show interest in programs like the creative writing group when talking about them in TAG. I spent 4 potential writing programs doing other work.

Well I'm sick of that. I've decided to take action myself. If the teens are only interested in TAG, well they'll only get TAG (actually not true, but whatever). Instead of having a monthly writing program, I am going to have writing exercises at the original Monday night TAG meetings. Instead of a craft program, there will be a craft activity at the new Tuesday night TAG: The Echo meetings. BAM. I'll keep you posted on the progress.

I already tried out the writing exercise this month and it went swimmingly! We ran the meeting for about 45 minutes with little to no tangents and then started an exercise I like to call Judging a Book by its Cover. The teens each got a book they most likely had not read before taken from either the juvenile, YA or adult fiction sections with nondescript or weird covers. Without turning to the back or inside jacket flap they had to create a 4 sentence synopsis. After they were all done we took turns reading first our synopsis and then the official blurb. One girl was mostly spot on and she had the weirdest cover! It was a great time and I look forward to pulling this back out in a few months. :)

Apparently I'm an Inferi

Man I've come back from the dead on this old Blogorino more times than I can count in just 2009. I'm sorry. At this point I feel like I'm probably apologizing to the air because I haven't posted in so long the one reader I had most likely abandoned me. Oh well, such is life.

Instead of blaming computer issues and moving twice in the same month, I'm going to own up and admit it: I'm a bad blogger. But I want to do better. Instead of waiting for January to start a new year, how about I just kick it off now? I've got me one of them there birthdays in two weeks, why not try living up to an older, more responsible (blogwise, anyway) Kristi(e) now?

It will be hard--not gonna lie. I've taken a very silly path to get to where I am now. Bored of reading the same damn blog every. single. URL I clicked on I decided to share silly things, fandom and other non book reviews. In an attempt to stand out I feel like I've just boxed myself in a corner and made it so that when I come across things I want to post about, I can't. Well that's just dumb. So please bear with me as I figure out exactly what type of blog this is.

Kanye Meme!

This is a meme I can get behind! I've participated in memes before, but "I'm a let you finish" is by far my favorite thus far. I've provided some of the gems I found below.

First on deck, a requisite Pottertastic "ima let you finish."

Next we have Kanye traveling back in time to give props to something that hasn't even happened yet.


No words.

And bringing it home with my personal favorite.


Bonas Jonas: Internet Hitler hates Kanye West

Weekend Update

Thanks to my friend Camille, I became obsessed with the NYT article on the bento box phenomenon in America. I have since spent my free moments (when I'm not consumed with assembling new furniture from Ikea, Target and god knows where else) reading up on the blogs mentioned in the article. My favorite is Lunch in a Box because the author concentrates more on speed bento prep, rather than having artistic bentos, like those found on this old 2dayblog post:

Not that I have anything wrong with the artistic bento boxes. They are fabbity fab and I wish I could do them, but my idea of proper amounts of effort for lunch is getting in my car and going to Panera, so making a PS2 controller is clearly not going to encourage me to do this on a regular basis. I made one tonight with leftovers from dinner and other stuff I had in the fridge and I'm quite happy with the results!

In this picture the chicken teriyaki does not look as appetizing as it tastes, but I blame my camera phone. Either way, bento boxes are awesome! I placed two books on hold that should arrive sometime later this week. I will report back on my progress.

Television Update

For those of you interested in the reasoning behind some of your favorite television shows being classified under Dewey number 791.4572 and others under 791.4575 you are in luck! 025.431: The Dewey blog posted a brief write up earlier this week!

For those of you not interested in the exciting world of Dewey, check out the TV Guide listing of the fall line-up. What shows are you looking forward to? What shows would you absolutely need to DVR if you aren't there to watch? Does anything seem like it's going to be really lame?

Personally I am super pumped for Gossip Girl, Melrose Place and 90210 if I ever finish playing catch up on season 1 (only 7 episodes left to enjoy!). If I am off from work when The Office is on I'll watch it, but I wasn't very impressed by last season so I am also okay with waiting for the box set to come out.

Well this explains about 64% of the strips now...

ETA: Alternate theory.

Excuse me miss

...but where did you get your socks? I kinda need to own them yesterday. That is all.

Oh Luna...

Actress Evanna Lynch, known to most as Luna Lovegood of the fifth and sixth Harry Potter films, is up for an award for Spike TV's SCREAM awards. I have my fingers crossed for her (especially considering she is combatting Ashley Greene of the Twilight dynasty) because seriously, no other character in the Harry Potter series has surpassed the version I imagined when reading better than Miss Lovegood.

Want to support Evanna? Click here to vote!

The Daily Prophet

How ridiculous is this image? I found it here doing a Google Image search for Horcruxes. Fun times.

In other news, I still have all these posts I want to write after finally seeing the latest film, but I want to see it again before I get down to the nitty gritty.

Kids, don't do drugs or you might end up altering the Potterverse. ::points and laughs:: You don't get your big death scene now, Crabbe! (Thanks, Mugglenet!)

You were seen by no less than a million muggles. Oh my flipplin' fuck! This cannot be real!!?! Does this mean that Undetectable Extension Charms are coming soon too? Because goodness knows that this little packrat could do with one of them bad boys (Again, props to Mugglenet with the assist from Leaky Cauldron).

Things to check out on the interwebz

• Do android librarians dream of electronic books? That I can't tell you, not having been an android at any point in my life, but I can assure you that the song with the same name is phenomz. Despite being 3256 years old in internet years, you should listen if you haven't heard it and especially listen to it again if you have because you know you love things smothered in awesome sauce (Laughing Librarian).
• Free handwriting fonts = Awesome teen posters (Craft).
• Non library related, but RPattz was in my dream last night (it was awkward, don't ask) so I figured I would share BWE's confession that Robert Pattinson is blue.
• Super Punch has outdone itself yet again. I fought the temptation (barely) to post the same image they used in a link round up because trust me, the Werewolf Nesting Transformation Dolls are gorgeous and must be viewed by everyone. EVERYONE!! Instead, I took one of the images they chose not to share created by deviantARTist spicysteweddemon and placed it below:

Update!

It appears that I am going to be taking another hiatus. D'oh. HOWEVER, this hiatus does not leave you hanging. Nosiree, I am going to be blogging for my library system on our teen blog. There was some blasphemous talk about getting rid of it because no one updated it. Pssshht. Forget that! So, along with the help of my friend Liz, I am going to help revive the teen blog.

You can check me out here. I post under the name "Watchung Teen Librarian." I am going to attempt to still post here, but with my current job, blogging over at SCLS Teens and moving everything I own again for the second time IN A MONTH I don't forsee having a whole bunch of time. :( I will miss you all and look forward to posting again as soon as I can.

You can always count on me...

...and I can count on you. Good times bad times in between your friends will see you through...

Which friends? The BSC of course!! The Library Ladies and I are pretty ridic and spent yesterday determining which officer we would be. I got to be prez by default because my name is Kristie. Anyway, why am I telling you this? Mainly because this led to a whole bunch of adult takes on the infamous permanent 8th graders.

1. You may have already seen the BSC Headquarters as it has had it's heyday and became defunct while ago, but the archive is worth perusing. It was run by some chick named Tiff that goes through the books and rereads them as an adult and then reviews them with insane amounts of snark. Very enjoyable. Here is a sample.
2. Trying to defend Mary Anne to my friend Cara yesterday (who was hating on her for being a good two shoes) I summed up #60 Mary Anne's Makeover by stating the following:

   Ummm helLO!!? Didn't you ever read Mary Anne's Makeover? When she gets an edgey new haircut and cool clothes and the BSC shuns her for being "too cool for school" and Logan is all like OMG BONERZ!

3. Lastly, Danielle sent me this link via email today and there is only one word to describe this take on the BSC: McSweeny's.

MIcroblog day

I've been the worst blogger ever and despite the ambition that graduation + part time job + working computer = blog posts, I forgot to subtract all the time that moving and unpacking ultimately requires from this equation.

HOWEVER

It is Pottertastic Tuesday and I will post dag nabbit. Even if it is just pasting a story tangentially related to the man with the scar from the hilarious website, MyLifeIsAverage.

Today I was sitting on my friends porch. They have automatic porch lights that turn on at 6 o'clock. I waited until 5:59 and shouted "Lumos" at the lights. They turned on. I feel like a wizard. MLIA

ETA: Today, I was asking my teacher a question about Alcatraz. I said Azkaban. MLIA

ETA part deux: Today, my family all got new bathrobes. I got a black one, and my brother got a red one. They are really long, and make a *swoosh* noise when you run. I started pretending to be a death eater, and using forks as wands, my brother and I had a fight with magic. My sister called us immature and went back to pretending to be a princess in her pink one. MLIA

ETA (perhaps I should stop reading this site, since many people appear to like Harry Potter and you are now all aware of the fact that instead of blogging I read stupid websites): At school, I have a class with a kid whose last name is Potter and a kid whose first name is Draco. I might dedicate my entire year to making them hate each other. MLIA

Wait... What?

Baker and Taylor makes up nice little lists for us to peruse and ponder. It takes most of the guesswork out of ordering new books, really. We can order other books that aren't on the list, but why bother when you can get books like this? Below is the line from the Booklist review of Joaquin Dorfman's The Long Wait for Tomorrow that would have made me spit my drink all over the computer monitor, had I been consuming a liquid at the time:

The next morning, however, Kelly wakes up a new man. He buys Patrick expensive gifts. He kisses Jenna like he means it. He's what they dub the New Kelly McDermott; a pleasant change until Kelly mentions that he is a 40-year-old version of himself who has time-traveled in from a mental institution.

I'm quite alright with timetraveling into future or past versions of yourself and other things of that vein (like 13 Going on 30 or 17 Again) as long as they can explain things properly. But the mental institution? That's a nice touch, Mr. Authordude. Really, you decided that was necessary? H'okay...

Why can't YA just be YA? One of the other books in the list features a protagonist whose parents die in an airplane crash. That's not traumatizing enough, however, because then she also has to face the fact that her Uncle is sexually attracted to her after she goes to live with him. Why oh why do we need to shove so much into these books?

Too much adorable

The children's librarian at WGL has all these adorable asynchronous craft programs set up in the main area of the library. This week's craft is Make a Book! She set up a basket of markers and blank books she folded from 8.5x11 paper. Just now, a table of children were all gathered 'round coloring their hearts out. The eldest collected everyone's books at the end and with his very studios face mused the following:

Well now we have to get the published. ... How about Scholastic?

I swear to you, I think I saw him delicately run his thumb and index along his chin. It took all the effort I had to not react how I usually do when things are painfully adorable (which is laughing and saying "awww" that sounds like a bleating goat when combined).

A very important date, indeed!

Yesterday I talked about the horrifying opera of Alice in Wonderland, so it's probably the right moment to bring up the new Tim Burton Alice film slated to come out next year. This. looks. AWESOME! I am super pumped and I'm glad Burton is taking it in the direction he is (i.e., a new storyline and not the same tale rehashed yet again). Countdown until March 5th commences!

ETA: Apparently the trailer is removed until tomorrow. :( Sorry guys.

(!)

Oh man! Why hasn't anyone taken me to see this Alice in Wonderland Opera? I can't remember the last time I woke up screaming from chronic nightmares. I think it's about time and I'm pretty sure this take on Carroll's classic is just the ticket for is-this-bed-moist-or-am-I-just-happy-to-be-awake level of night terrors. Thanks, SuperPunch!

MINI BOOK ALERT!!! I love mini things. I love books. By their powers combine, we get the Captain of AMAZINGNESS!

This reminds me of Kid Kits. Does anyone else remember Kid Kits? I always wanted one. I pretended I wanted to babysit, when really, I just wanted the Kid Kit. AND IT'S MINI!! I'm about to have an aneurysm from excessive enjoyment with all these teeny tiny how-tos floating around the interwebz. (via Craft)

Why do I not watch Jimmy Fallon's late night show? Seriously. He is trying to get a Saved by the Bell reunion up in this bitch and his show is conducive to this level of comedic genius? Thank you Meg Cabot's twitter! You've outdone yourself and that's sayin' something because you also brought me the trailer for My Little Ponies: Live Action.

Post-Pottertastic

So I went M.I.A. for a week. I figured once I graduated and settled into my new job that I would dive right back into blogging. Little did I remember that moving all of my stuff from school back into my already full room at home takes up a boatload of time. Oh well.

Last week, however, I was conspiculously absent. How could I, Kristi(e), NOT post on the eve of Half Blood Prince's opening day?! Because everyone else was. That's my cop out answer. I'm waiting until it opens in IMAX to get the good stuff. I want some 3D 12 minute opening scene action. I want to be the same size as Daniel Radcliffe's nostrils. I want stuff to blow up all around me and give me a migraine. So... until then I will be quiet on Tuesdays. Shhhh!

BONAS JONAS: It's been a while since I've done one of these. I've been looking up crafts for future library programs and stumbled across this bad boy. While we can't do it at the library, the Potter love evident in this purse needs to be shared with my fellow Potterphiles.

Melt-o-rama!

So this week I took a page out of Frank Buffay Jr.'s page and melted a bunch of stuff. The first experiment was only meh because it turns out that the TAG members are not into crafts. A newbie to TAG made a shrink film dog and a ring with her name in Korean, but that's about it. An older teen wrote all over a sheet, but didn't like the Chinese characters and abandoned the idea. Oh well--you win some, you lose some.

Last night fared much, much better. Only two people attended the DIY Record Bowl program, but we all had lots of fun. We gave most of the records a final farewell by playing a track from the record (thanks to YouTube) as we melted them in the oven. A grand time.

I'm glad that I found a job that is so awesome. :D It almost makes the torture of library school worth it. Almost. I'll get back to you one that...

July = Harry Potter Month!

In honor of July being Harry Potter Month (you know, because making a post title a declarative sentence means I can proclaim this) I have some Zombie Haiku for you from Ryan Mecum's work of the same name. Now, I can hear those gears turning. Quiet them with some brain oil* and think on this:

• To quote the great white-bearded guy, Inferi "are corpses. Dead bodies that have been bewitched to do a dark lord's bidding." (Dumbledore::Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince)
  

Hmmm... that sure sounds like this TOTALLY FACTUAL bit of information I pulled off reference website numero uno, Wikipedia:

• Stories of zombies originated in the Afro-Caribbean spiritual belief system of Vodou, which told of the people being controlled as laborers by a powerful sorcerer.

That said, zombies are totally down for some Half-Blood Prince action, no? I think so. Side note, I am down for seeing some zombies in a Harry Potter film. Hopefully the cave scene allows me to wet myself in fright because it has so much potential! Enough fodder, let the zombie rumpus start!

Little old ladies
speed away in their wheelchairs,
frightened meals on wheels.

They are so lucky
that I cannot remember
how to use doorknobs.

Always be careful
when you're biting teeth with teeth.
Dead teeth tend to lose.

Brains, BRAINS, BRains,brains, BRAINS.
BRaiNS, brains, Brains, BRAINS, BRains, brains, BRAINS.
Brains, BRains, brains, BRAINS, brains.

*As we are discussing zombies, it's best to use metaphorical oil and not something like Extra Virgin Olive Oil. They might be tempted to eat brains, beginning with yours.

Update

I never state when I send my computer back in to get serviced, do I? Oh well. It's getting looked at over in Louisville or some other random place that's not in the state I'm from. Good move, Best Buy! Anyway, this is pretty much the last time I'm going to give it back. If they can't fix the problem with my video card, I'll just have to deal. Not having a computer nearly ALL YEAR has been super annoying because

A) I'm addicted to the interwebz

B) I can't blog

C) Did I mention I'm addicted to the interwebz?

::fingers crossed:: I get my computer back next week.

I wrote this thing that one time that sorta seemed like Harry Potter...

People are crazy.

JK Rowling is being sued for plagiarism... again. At least the 2008 lawsuit launched by director John Carl Buechler was slightly legitimate. Harry Potter is a central character's name in his 1986 movie, Troll. It's a fantastical story and one could imagine it possible there is overlap, presuming of course, that Rowling has seen the movie.

Now, however, people are just after their slice of the pie. A lawsuit launched by the estate of author Adrian Jacobs claims that the 1987 novel was blatantly ripped off throughout the Harry Potter series. Mugglenet has a pretty good recap you should check out over herr. At this point I feel like too many people are looking at their own works with Pottergoggles, connecting dots where they see fit to either publicize their own works or gain money from the immense success Lady Rowling has earned. Seriously guys? We're still doing this? ::eye roll::

Someone's been working out

Reasons why I love being a YA librarian:

• In searching Google for things I need for summer reading, I stumbled upon a two page layout featuring Rob Pattinson's topless bod. Holler!

Seriously though, I always tell myself that I don't have a crush on this man and then he just does something gorgeous or says something side-splittingly hysterical and it comes back. There are worse crushes to have...
ETA: Just in case you think this lone picture is enough and you can do without checking out the layout, please note that it uses the highly hilarious abbreviation, "OME." We all know that anything featuring that label is ... special. If you live under a rock and don't know what OME means, I sadly cannot help you out as Urban Dictionary is made of fail right now. Hopefully it works for you when/if you need to travel there.

Express Yourself

Rutgers steals money for various things I never use and then calls it tuition. Usually I just shrug my shoulders and ignore it. What was that? $11 for a grammatically incorrect paper I never read because it makes my eyeballs bleed? Sure, why not. However much you want to take from my lazy non-gym using ass? Please! My wallet is yours.

Well not this time! I am going to use the entirety of my printing budget this year if it's the last thing I do! I made the booklist you see below last night in Fireworks and plan on printing them out with the remainder of the unused printing fund. Mwahahaha I = evil genius. Or a dork. Either way, check out my new booklist!!!!!!!exclaim!!!

FML! Nickelodeon Magazine is Donesville!

I just got an email from the periodicals department at work saying that Nickelodeon Magazine is no longer in print. WhAt?!?! This magazine is my childhood! What is wrong with kids these days? How do they not realize that this magazine is perfect for cutting up silly pictures and collaging or reading comics or a great excuse to be silly for the sole purpose of BEING SILLY!?!

Here's your article verifying this by The Comics Reporter because I am too sad to go on.

::tears of infinite sadness::

New job -- Holla!

Okay. There's no getting around a blog post now. I got my computer back (woohoo!!) and I have today off. Those two items yield bloggyhood, duhz.

To start, everyone seems super nice. Sure, mostly everyone is nice to people they just meet, but it seemed like more than that. The overall atmosphere of the library is very laid back and relaxed. I felt slightly dressed up my first day in and outfit that would have been casual at NBFPL. So far, so good. I'll probably still wear my fancy skirts and dresses A) because I own them and B) because that's the type of librarian I am.

Two YA librarians before me kept EVERYTHING. I don't think you get it, she. kept. everything. I recycled at least 7 New York Times Children's Bestseller lists from 2007 and old carts lists and a bunch of other stuff that made my eyebrows scrunch together when I saw it because... wtf? Why was it saved? No clue. The YA filing cabinet (which I'm guessing my most recent predecessor never used) was reduced to half the size when I was done. I was a one woman recylcing circus this past week.

In addition to all that, I found out that there is greater support in this library system than I had previously seen in my old consortium. I spent the first two hours of my shift on Wednesday at another branch learning the ropes of our system from the YA librarian perspective and was amazed at how much these individual branches seem to make up one family. Since this branch is 5 minutes (if that) down the road from mine, we decided to do cross promotion for summer reading. I have to figure out when I'm planning my programs for the summer next week, but I'm going to attempt to arrange it so that there will be a program at one of our branches nearly every day. :)

All in all, a good first week!!

Oh you crazy kids

My new colleague Jessica summed it up best,"Homeless man should focus on getting a house, not reading sex books."

Note: Thoughts on the new job will come later this week. :D

Dear Carleton Place Public Library,

Are you taking resumes? I know I just got a new job and all, but I love you guys. Seriously. Time after time, I read your blog and get jealous that I don't work there.

Everyone else: Please check this ADOOOORABLE program idea out!

Greener Pastures?

Today is my last day officially working for NBFPL. Sad times, sad times. Even though I feel as if I've outgrown working here (which makes sense as I'm officially a librarian working as a librarian trainee), I still love the people I work with. I enjoy the stacks, the way the trees are painted on the walls and posts and just everything. Even the awkward people/situations most people don't appreciate. I've grown so much working here and now it all ends. :(

I'm also a little nervous. I start my new job on Monday and get tons more responsibility. Eek! I know I can handle it, but it's the unknown that's getting to me now.... it's sort of like being afraid of dementors I guess (and yes, Mr. Spellcheck, dementors is a word). What should I expect? Will I be able to do this? Am I grown up enough?

Only time will tell. ::fingers crossed for Monday::

... but aren't we still waiting for the 6th movie?

Dear goodness this weekend was rough (see also: I thought it was Monday all day). Fortunately, I found some Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows movie info over on Mugglenet and can get that Pottertastic Tuesday to you in a less than timely fashion, but in a fashion of sorts after all.

Dear Mother Reader,

I love you. I do. You prove it time and time again and this time, no different. Everyone that isn't Mother Reader, do yourself favor and read her thoughts on how American Idol is like the Newberry Award. Word.

Yours truly,
Kristi(e)

Apparently this is program idea week?

Booo to censorship! Yay to staying on top of these silly shenanigans and trying to prevent them from happening again!! Thanks, YALSA.

Also from YALSA: Let's hear it for distraction! (i.e, the story of my sad, procrastinating life) and the YA Bookshelf Project. Check them out!

Where the Wild Things are papercraft via Toy-A-Day.

Super Punch, as per usual, produced some gemtastic gems for potential programs. First up is found item sculpture. While the teens may or may not generate such stunning works as those featured on Super Punch, it would be a great way to get rid of junk. Next week I'll provide you with the second link, mainly because I had plans to post something similar but I'm not quite there yet. So instead I will tease you and let you know that it exists and it will soon be yours to view, but not quite yet. Mwahahaha!

Quick! The library is about to close!

And then I will be home without interwebs. So I must post some possible program ideas quickly that you may or may not have use for.

First on deck is a mini little jobber for use in a Twilight program. I know what you're saying, the books are all done and the movie licensing cost is through the roof, what sort of program can I do? Just because you can't show the movie doesn't mean you aren't allowed to hype up the new one with a little program johnson. Anyway, forks into vampire teeth are pretty ridiculous and a fun sidebar.

Second: You say trash, I say art! Who knew that those hard multi-colored playdoh bits could be of use? Not me, that's who.... until NOW!

Also on The Object Project is this nifty little purse that seems vair vair simple to make.

Lastly, this wouldn't fly with my current patronage, but perhaps you could make use of this link, either for yourself or for a library event. Hands free book pillow?! Clearly this is a necessity. Thanks Craft blog!

BONAS JONAS: I want this shirt like woah. It came up in the same slew of links but didn't have a place to call home so bonas jonas time it is!

Gradumacation

In honor of graduation today and Pottertastic Tuesdays (with a little help from my recent fondness for fancy cakes) I present to you what I wish was waiting for me after the ceremony:

Update: My faux-brarian days are over

Tomorrow, I graduate! In honor of being a full fledged librarian, I updated the layout of my page. Plus, some people were complaining about the bright ass fuchsia coloring so why not keep the people happy and change the background? It's still me, so it obviously needs to have some level of obnoxious tones in order to be legit. Hopefully I am successful in the bright color department. :)

New (to me) Blogs

I wish I had Lisa Falzon's level of dedication to flash fiction. Perhaps now that I'm graduating....

::blinks:: What?

My inner lexicographer is flailing in delight. Thanks, My First Dictionary! You are delightfully snarky entertainment.

Mispelled Project begs to be turned into an alphabet book!

Amazing Things, indeed. The pictures on pencils is my favorite, thus far.

Apparently it IS possible for Yoshi to be even more adorable than he already is. You crazy kids at Yoshi 365...

This artist's work is very haunting, especially the blue pieces. I say haunting reluctantly, however, as there is a hopeful quality about it. My favorite is below:

Memorandum

To: the universe
From: Kristi(e)
Date: 5/17/09
Re: Amazingness

If you could go ahead and find some way of producing a cake like this for me, that would be greaaaat.

ETA: Dear goodness, this gold medallion would be PERFECT for book pimping!!

* Please Note

Now that graduation is upon us (and by us, I mean me) and only a handful of days away, I would like to tell you that I am not going to be a librarian. Despite spending 2 annoying years in library school, I have decided that I just don't see myself as a librarian. Instead, I am going to take my newly minted MLIS and my fancy new jobs and become a book pimp.

What exactly is a book pimp?

A book pimp can be described as a person that pimps out books. Oftentimes one can find these creatures exclaiming things like, "OMG YOU NEED TO READ THIS!!!" with such enthusiasm that it frightens puppies. They create book displays of utter beautiousity that it could bestill even the Twits' hearts. In their spare time, the produce booklists that are so nifty, even the most reluctant reader can't just walk past it.

True, there is still the whole shebang associated with collecting money. Any good book pimp knows to delegate this task to circulation. Lest we forget about the hoe slapdown of 87, it will serve no one to have a book pimp slap hoes unless it is in the most dire situations either.

Applications for Pimp My Bookcase are now being collected.

ETA: There is also the requisite nametag worn on a gold medallion of the nametag owner wearing a gold medallion. No book pimp is complete without this regalia.

8 is the natural number following 7

I find it funny that every time I drop off the face of the earth for a few weeks, I'll eventually get around to posting a letter saying something along the lines of, "yo guys, I'm gonna be unplottable for a bit so just hold tight" and then BAM! I start posting the very next day. It's how I roll, apparently.

As it were, I was tagged a bit ago by Sara at Librarian Boredom to complete a survey. Surveys are my friends. I like surveys. ::strokes the survey's furry head::

8 Things I'm looking forward to:
1. Graduating from library school!!!
2. Being a certified book pimp*
3. Creating programs and other book pimpy things
4. Having time to work on my novel(s)
5. Crashing at my friend's house all summer, as she lives directly on the shoreline. :D
6. Swimming, swimming in the swimming pool...
7. Reading non-school stuff (not like I read school stuff to begin with, but yeah...)
8. Blogging more!

8 Things I did yesterday:
1. Pimped books
2. Ingested nutrients
3. Began reading Jellicoe Road
4. Wrote up stuff to finish colloquium
5. Decided to reclassify my job title
6. Told a kid that for him, not being weird was like not breathing oxygen
7. Was then told by my boss that I am too informal with the patrons... meh
8. Celebrated my friend's A on an exam she was nervous about failing

8 Things I wish I could do:
1. Remember Chinese
2. Find time to exercise
3. Know what the heck I should expect for summer reading at my new job
4. Paint realistically, instead of just abstractly
5. Learn to sew
6. Not live with my parents after my housing runs up
7. Go on vacation with friends
8. Get a pug!

8 Shows I watch:
1. Charmed
2. Good Eats
3. Skins
4. Law and Order (with Sam Waterston and SVU)
5. 90210
6. Gossip Girl
7. Degrassi
8. Weeds

Blargh

Dear Blog,

As you may have noticed, I dropped off the face of the earth. I had juuuust enough time to complete all my finals, graduate and call it a day. I had to leave you be for a while, I'm sure you understand. Now, however, I am still doing school work since my computer died. Again. Brand new computer. Dead. WTF.

In order to graduate next Tuesday I have to redo work I've already done. I have to remain studious even though my brain is all yeah...eff that. It is still up in the air as to whether or not I'm actually going to finish Learning Theory because forget about being a school librarian now, if not ever. I'm slightly dejected by all of this, graduating and becoming a grown up in addition to breaking up with my boyfriend of three and a half years all in the span of two weeks. Life is life and boy does life stink.

On the plus side, bloggerino, I got a job. False. I somehow procured two jobs at two different libraries. Starting June 1st I will be an official young adult librarian and sometime in September I will be doing the job of three different librarians in the span of two days a week. I am exhausted just thinking about it! I'm really excited for the experience, however, as I will get to do storytimes, teach people how to use computers and come up with some fun teen programs. All in all, not a bad place to be the week before graduation.

So, life is taking over and my dwindling digital budget is making it unlikely I will regularly post again for at least a week, probably two. Sorry bud. LOVES!

Technically it's Tuesday somewhere...

I have to say, of all the fan art I've ever seen, Harry Potter fans take the cake!

See also:

The verdict is in!

Twilight is out. Confessions are in.

Observe the evidence.

Ex. a,

The Midnight Sun leak is old hat.

Ex. b,

The final confessions of Georgia Nicolson has yet to be published!

(Will it come out in June? October?)

Ex. c,

Robbie, Dave, Laugh and Masimo pwned twilight in this recent Wordle rendering of my twilight tag. It's like Wordle knew that The Confessions of Georgia Nicolson are superior works of fast food YA.

BONAS JONAS:

:twilight:Confessions of Georgia Nicolson::McDonalds:Island Burger:

I don't know how I feel about this...

An animated Hog's Head to be placed in front of the bar of the same name. Mugglenet seems to support this, but I keep having nightmarish flashbacks to the dog (thing?) from The Never Ending Story and I whimper slightly. +++ to the Monster Book of Monsters idea, however.

Keep up the good work on making my spiffy, new hometown, the Wonderful World of Harry Potter. Thanx guyz!

*~*Sparkle*~* like Edward!

or so the blog post boasts...

Forget Team Edward

Hello Team Robbie! Edward and Jacob are yesterday's beef. Bella finally chose and left her scraps for her daughter (creepy) so what's left to benefit from a Team anything Twilight discussion? Nothing, you are exactly right noble reader!

Georgia Nicolson, on the other hand, needs your help getting off the rack of romance and into a red-bottom free existence. Should she end up with Robbie, the sensitive musician that wants a better world? Dave the laugh who is... er... a laugh? Or lastly, Masimo, her adorable Italian stallion?

Team Masimo

• He has a vair vair sexy accent from Pizza-a-gogo land.
• (Not that we have any tangible proof of this, but) he is ridiculously gorgeous. Enough so that Georgia now gets the evil eye anytime he talks to her at a Stiff Dylans gig.
  
• When he understands what she is on about, he seems like a good mix of having a laugh and being sentimental and sweet (though the language barrier often prevents her hilarity to be fully appreciated).
  

Team Dave the Laugh

• They have more in common, what with them both being nonstop laugh riots.
• She doesn't notice when she isn't wearing makeup or pajamas and other things that means she's comfortable enough around him.
• All of his girlfriends, even Ellen, have made her insanely uncomfortable. Jealousy much?
• He is her top snog.

Team Robbie

• He bought a scooter and stayed in England! Adorable and sad at the same time!
  
• Single tear drop, my friends... single tear! His feelings were more hurt than Dave's when she rejected him.
• His serious side needs to be toned down by her madnosity, just the same as her insane antics would calm down a tad if she dated someone serious.
  

I know, I know, Robbie had his chance and he broke her ickle heart (what with moving off to snog marsupials and whatnot) but hear me out. Dave the Laugh is a good option... for now. She isn't grown up enough to handle a realtionship with either Masimo or Robbie. However, her relationship with Dave the Laugh could potentially be one of those "it's better when we're not together and snogging when we shouldn't be" sorts of things. They happen often in high school and could very easily be the case here. Then Robbie can swoop in and comfort her by being her "mate" and she will lose all the rules and regulations she used to follow when dating him previously. Because, seriously, who wants to be the girlfriend of a Sex God if you have to remember to not spread your smile too wide and flare your nostrils and ... ugh too much!

On the other hand, I want Dave the Laugh to be happy too. Gah! Book 10, you and your silly finality!! If there were more books she could be with Dave the Laugh and realize he's too immature or whatever. Since there's not, I'm not seeing it happening. This makes me sad, because while I like the idea of Dave and Georgia.... Robbie! Oh Robbie...

Oh Lilo

In honor of Miss Lohan's recent dumping, here is a poem. Seemed a good time, what with it being National Poetry Month and all.

::Twinkle Twinkle Little Starlets::

Twinkle, twinkle little starlets
More and more resembling harlots
Up above the world so high--
Celebrity's fame's the reason why.

::Other Goose: Recycled Rhymes for our Fragile Times:: Barbara Whyn Klunder::

Thanks to Sara (of Librarian Boredom) to putting this random, random book in my hands!

Online program idea!

I created a animated gif of a YA book cover! ... sorta. I definitely appreciate the outcome and the possibilities this creates. A Myspace page could gain activity with a contest for the best book cover avatar. Or maybe characters from a book could be sent to an email address?
ETA: Audrey, Wait! eLouai

Nobody's perfect!

I gotta work it again and again til I get things right!

Case in point, I am a 23 year old woman that enjoys Hannah Montana, proving once again that no one is indeed perfect (because, you know, without that itty bitty factor of liking Miss Cyrus I'd be totes perfect and all...). That said, check out these Hannah Montana crafts if your library is looking to draw in crowds for some fun times and awesome tunes! The movie is only moments away so this would be a great time to capitalize on the great crafts, like the guitar pick bracelet (seen below).

If your Hannah Montana books haven't been circing as well as you'd like considering the large amount of them published, you can definitely decorate the room with them and I can guarantee you that at least one will be checked out, if not all of them, by the end of the program.

Anti-Twilight sentiments

Yet another list detailing why Twilight is horribly written/boring/blahblahblah. It's fine, you don't have to repeat what countless others (along with your repetitive self*) have said about this fast food saga of young adult literature. We know.

Why mention the list at all, you ask? Oh, because the author managed to add one new thought that needs to be assessed:

92. Martin Luther would not have not have approved if the book was written during his lifetime.

* Dear people on the internet,

If you are making a list, please ensure that you do not reword previous thoughts and try to pass it off as another point. This wastes my time. I could spend that time wisely finding more Twilight snark, thank you very much...

Oh dear god!

This crosses a line even for me. Some photoshop extraordinaire bludgeoned these childhood classics with dirty titles. Though, I do have to give a nod to this one. I almost feel like that should be the title to go with the coverart.
View the rest here.

Oh hot daymn, this is my jaym

Thi is what my blog looks like, according to Wordle. Click that ish to actually be able to read it...

Got the hint

I got the memo.

Memorandum

To: Kristi(e)
From: the universe
Date: 4/1/09
Re: Breathe my Name

It has come to the attention of the universe that you failed to read this book after finding it compelling in Camille's book display and toting it home. Even after walking past it day after day after day after day going to and from your bedroom and the rest of your bubble. The attention of the universe was captured when you brought it with you to your parents' house this past weekend. The universe was impressed.

However, the universe is severely let down by you, Kristi(e). Breathe my Name was left to rot, drifting about the front passenger space. Well the universe will no longer take this lying down. You are to read this book and you will like it, is that understood missy? It better be.

The universe has taken the following actions against you to remind you that you are to read Breathe my Name in the next week or else. Or else...

1. This review of the book by librarina will be the first thing you open on Bloglines after your extended hiatus from the feed reader.
2. The review is good.
3. Damn good. You will feel compelled to push Breathe my Name further up your queue and cannot do anything to stop this urge.
   

Thank you for your attention in this matter and enjoy the book.