"Shot Through the Heart...and you're to blame"

Greetings readers! I am back from my slightly unexpected absence. We have a "new addition" to our family, in the way of a very precocious little black and white dog. (More on her in an upcoming post!) She has taken up a lot of our time recently, but D&Di has returned with more geeky goodness than ever! More on her in an upcoming post!

Today I bring you a very simple modern day vampire hunting ensemble. Where are the silver bullets and the UV Ray guns you ask? Well, I thought about it, and the things I highlighted here can be purchased with ease on the internet, and a lot of brick and mortar stores. (And in the case of the stakes, procured from your own back yard!)

As Buffy showed the world, there is no need to let style fall by the wayside when battling the creatures of the night. 

1. Joie, "The Pepper" suede messenger bag, (here) $265.00

2. Low Luv x Erin Wasson, cross pendant necklace, (here) $113.00

3. Lars Enander, Gransfors Bruks Ancient Collection Battle Axe, (here) $876.99

4.Barnett, Panzer V Crossbow package, (here) 189.99

5. Puma, tank top, (here) $60.00

6. KRMA, "Dean" leather jacket, (here) $598.00

7. The Green Dragon, curly walnut vampire stake, (here) $27.00

8. Enzo Angiolini, "Zoot" boot (here) $99.00

What would you include in your vampire hunting kit? 

Also, check out my newest article over at Loremaster.org. : "Challenge your Self/yourself"

"Shot Through the Heart...and you're to blame"

Friday Favorites

Here is a quick re-cap of some of my favorite things this week.

Coffee

I really want to find a decent way to make iced coffee at home for the summertime.(But really, I'll take it any way I can get it.) Do any of you readers have any suggestions, or recipes? I used to work at Starbucks, but their ice coffee brewing method never seems to work quite right at home

(This mug makes a bold statement. Get yours here.)

Avatar: The Last Airbender

I was (pleasantly) surprised by this Nickelodeon cartoon. Marius and Sitara have actually been singing its praises for a while now. I had caught commercials here and there but dismissed it as another "lowest common denominator" anime. But during a cleaning spree in my apartment last night, it happened to be on when I was looking for something to put on TV in the background. After ONE episode I was hooked. It is actually NOT an anime, but a really smart, well edited, mature cartoon.

And let's keep it real, I <3 this weird animal companion from the show (Which has a name but I lovingly call "flying bison thingy")

Making Wedding Arrangements

We finally found a venue!!! I have actually started to get excited about planning, rather than getting frustrated that I had made ZERO progress. We are about 6 months out now, so I figure I should probably start dress shopping soon. (Thank jeebus p90x just came in the mail today!)

http://www.eventsatregency.com/

Puppy
Our new puppy will surely get her own post this weekend, (we pick her up on Saturday) but here is a teaser.

Pet-Finder.com - An awesome resource for adopting a rescue.

Late Night Vacuuming 
Every night this week I have gotten the urge to vacuum way past the time when any normal person would want to vacuum. Have I mentioned yet that I love to clean? I also love fresh laundry, no dirty dishes, and clean floors.

 Martha Stewart's Spring Cleaning Checklist

I think that's pretty much as random as it gets. That's what keeps life interesting though.

What were your favorite things this week?

Friday Favorites

Welcome to the Jungle

In the past few months, my fiancee has introduced me to the wonderful world of Warhammer.
Warhammer is a miniatures game created by Games Workshop, whose HQ is based out of the U.K. (They even have a Warhammer themed pub called Bugman's Bar where you can order a pint of your favourite brew and play a quick game, or discuss battle reports with the local nerds.) As the title suggests, it is essentially a wargame in which two armies built with an equal number of points, go head to head on the battlefield. It is equal parts skill (building your army, deciding which attributes to give your soldiers) and luck (roll of the dice.)

One of our good friends "Marius" has been plotting a campaign for quite some time now, and we have spent the last couple of weekends play-testing in the jungle setting he has developed. I am interested to see where this campaign goes, and I want to pull out all the stops. I will be creating a blog based on yet-to-be-named campaign, where you will find background stories on all of the armies, profiles of the players, and battle reports after each session.

The armies disembark on the shoreline. I am playing Ogres, my fiancee has the Brettonians, "Eurydice" is fielding a sweet Dogs of War group (with a BEAR), Mike G. is playing Chaos Warriors, "Sitara" has the wood elves and Matt J. (of http://www.loremaster.org) is playing Daemons.

I only had my iPhone on me at the time, so the quality of the photos aren't that great, but you get the idea.

And naturally, when the concentration of nerd is high, you get stuff like this.

Brettonians Into the Fray from Alexis B. on Vimeo.

Beers, Burps, Battle from Alexis B. on Vimeo.

Are you currently running a warhammer campaign, or playing in one? 

Are there any other Warhammer topics you'd like to see written about? 

Welcome to the Jungle

Be Prepared

First, D&D is back! (Can I even use those symbols together without getting sued?)

Second, Happy Memorial Day! My father served in the US Army for 25 years and my fiancee served in the Air Force for 6, and both say they're better people for it. To those who defend our country, (or used to) I say THANK YOU.

Third, I had a doughnut (spell check would not allow DONUT) this morning for breakfast, and boy oh boy was it tasty.

Survival of the Alive-est

A few weeks ago, before one of our weekend Warhammer sessions, Jon, Liz, Chris and I were pontificating on the subject of survival during a "hypothetical" zombie epidemic. Jon happened to hear of a brilliant  item called a "bug-out" bag. This is a bag packed with gear that you would need to survive at least 72 hours in case you had to "bug-out" of your house quickly. In case you didn't already have one put together, I have given you some options below.

Your bug-out bag should be small enough for you to carry on your own, but big enough to store the essentials. They need to be durable enough to withstand the elements and a some "wear and tear." (Especially the "tear" part if we're talking about zombies.) The first style, is a backpack design which leaves both hands free, in case you need to carry weapons, children, or pets. (Or one of each?) The second is a messenger style, which also leaves both hands free. The last example is a hand carry, which if heavy enough, could also be used as a blunt weapon.

 
1. SPEC.-OPS."T.H.E. Pack", available (here) $179.99

2. UTG "Multi-Functional Tactical Messenger Bag", available (here) $28.50

3.Klein Tools 20" Canvas Tool Bag, available (here) $60.87

Even more important than the bag part of your BO bag, is what is contained within. As much as I would like to include lip-gloss, some instant Starbucks coffee, and a fashion magazine or two, the BO bag needs to be pared down to hold only the basics. (Although it's questionable how long I would survive without a cup of coffee.)

1. Rand McNally, "Map of Northern Virginia", available (here) $4.70

2. Morakniv™ " Forest Exclusive Model 311BB 4 1/4", available (here) $99.00

3. Adventure Medical Kits, "UltraLight/Watertight Medical Kit, available (here) $36.00

4. Surefire, "E2L Outdoorsman Dual Output LED Flashlight," available (here) $159.00

5. Eton, "FR400 Special Edition Pink Crank Powered Emergency Radio with AM/FM, NOAA and TV-VHF", available (here) $58.99

6. Glock "19 Pistol, 9mm," available (here) $459.00

7. Datrex, "2400 Kcal per ration Emergency survival food bar," available (here) $5.19/12 pack

8. Steri-Pen "Traveler Hand-held UV Water Purifier," available (here) $60.00

9. Evian bottled water, available (here) $34.99/24 pack

10. Ultimate Survival Technologies "StrikeForce Fire Starter," available (here) $24.00

11. Max Brooks, "The Zombie Survival Guide," available (here) $9.50

Is there anything you think I should have included and didn't?

Do you have your own version of a bug out bag?

Be Prepared

On Location

With summer just around the corner, I have been day dreaming about all of the many exotic places I would love to go on vacation. I love the outdoors, so I would be happy on a beach, in a forest, in the mountains, and yes, even on a snow-capped mountain. 

It's a big, beautiful planet so there are lots of choices for all of the aforementioned choices. If we're talking day-dreams though, you might as well dream big. And what could be dreamier than visiting one of the seriously amazing settings seen in some of the most epic movies and television shows.

New Zealand: Lord of the Rings

Nelson Region, NZ

Image: TripAdvisor

Wellington Region, NZ

Image: Wellington, NZ, Botanical Society

Taupo Region, NZ

Image: http://timmjunge.files.wordpress.com

Middle Earth

 

For information regarding "Middle Earth" tours, check out the following sites:

Southern Lakes Sightseeing- Lord of the Rings 

Red Carpet Tours- There and Back Again 

United Kingdom: The Chronicles of Narnia

Glenfinnan, Scotland

 

Image:  ParadiseConnection.com

Gloucester Cathedral, Great Britain

 

Image: Business Week 

Oxford University, Great Britain

Image: Veritaserum.com 

Hogwarts

 Image: PotterForums.com

Harry Potter Location Tour Information:

British Tours- Harry Potter 

Harry Potter Fan Trips  (This is amazing!!)

Hawaii, United States: LOST

North Shore, Oahu 

 Image: Mark Benko.com

Kualoa Ranch, Oahu

 Image: AffordableHawaiianTours.com

K'olau Mountains, Oahu

 Image: Pono-loa.com

New Otherton

 Image: lotsafunmaps.com

LOST Tours:

KOS Inc, LOST Hummer Tour
Hawaii Activities- "Oahu LOST Paradise Quest" 

If money was no object, where would you go on your dream vacation?

Is there a set from a film or tv show that you'd love to visit?

 

 

On Location

Pick a Palette: The Legend

This is for a friend, who had a request. I think it really works for summer. Or going on an adventure to save a princess.

Clockwise from top:

Shirt: Old Navy, "Women's Eyelet Flutter Sleeve Top," in New Zealand, (here) $24.50

Belt: Banana Republic, in bark brown (here) $55.00

Ring: Noir Jewelry, "Dagger Knuckle Ring", in gunmetal, (here) $77.00

Pants: Gap, "The New Easy Straight", in khaki, (here) $25.00

Shoes: Stuart Weitzman, "Apron Sandal", (here) $375.00

Pick a Palette: The Legend

Pump up the Jam

Image:  http://paleolife365.wordpress.com

Promoting a healthy, active lifestyle, is something that I've been striving to do for the last several years. (And at the very least I want to be prepared to outrun zombies.) In my opinion, the best way to do that is to lead by example. This week I've been evaluating my fitness levels (or lack thereof) and have decided to make some small daily changes that I know I'll be able to keep up with. Now, I am not an expert by any stretch of the imagination. But I'm going to share the things that I've learned from experience. 

1. Small Changes make a Big Impact- By trying to change everything all at once, you are only setting yourself up for failure. (Especially if you have a lot of other things going on in your life.) Today, for example, I forgot my lunch, so I went to Subway and chose apple slices instead of chips. When I go to visit my colleagues on other floors, i try to take the stairs. It's easier for me to make things a habit when I start small. 
2. Be Active- Something as simple as taking a walk around your neighborhood or going for a bike ride will give you more energy and contribute to a healthier lifestyle. Activity doesn't always have to take place in a gym. It could be your backyard, a pool, or a park. Make it fun! I take horseback riding and fencing, and am looking for a hip-hop dance class in my area. Want to ready yourself for a possible zombie apocalypse? Look up your nearest accredited martial arts studio or medieval sword-fighting instructor. (yes, they exist!) 
3. Set realistic goals- Instead of saying "I want to lose X amount of pounds in X amount of days" or "I want to have a body like so-and-so" why don't you say to yourself "I want to be able to do 30 push-ups in a row," or "I want to be able to run a 5K." I used to say the aforementioned things to myself all the time when I was feeling down and out about my fitness. Now I just want to be stronger, faster, and appreciate my body for all the amazing things it can do. 
4. Everything in Moderation- Let's keep it real here. I am not giving up sleeping in on Saturdays, lazy Sundays, french fries, cupcakes, beer, or pizza. But I always try to keep in mind how much and how frequently I have these things. It's easy when I'm active, because I always want to choose to do/eat things that make me feel good and give me energy.Moderation means I will never feel deprived.

My work-out must haves!

 Clockwise:

1. SIGG water bottle. This is a kid's version, but there are many more designs and sizes (here). Good for the environment and keeps water cool. Also at your local Wegmans or Whole Foods grocery stores.

2. iPod video. This is an older version, and really any portable music player will do. I like how light-weight this is. (here)

3. Herban Essentials Wipes: These come in packs, with scents like Peppermint, Lemon, Eucalyptus and Lavender. These are really refreshing after working out, and awesome in the summer as a general anti-bacterial, all natural wipe. I got my packs at Marshalls for $4, but you can also purchase them online (here).

4. Nike training gloves. My hands get very sweaty, so I HAVE to have these when I lift. (here)

5. Towel from my linen closet. :)

Pump up the Jam