21 different Disney and Pixar characters sing "Let it Go"

You NEED to watch this! I think this is my favorite cover of "Let it Go"

Office Prank

This is what happens when you call in sick at my work:

EDIT: Is is after noon and my boss still hasn't fixed his desk out of spite

I decided to raise my desk (on the right) so I could stand at work and theoretically be healthier... then the guy on the other side of my boss decided to raise his desk and lower my boss's desk and chair as low as it would go just to piss him off XD My boss came back in today and has been sitting as his kiddie desk all morning pretending like it doesn't both him. Just another example of why it is fun to work with guys!

Firefly Cosplay: Mal's Boots

My wonderful geek husband has been encouraging me to get back into my costuming and crafting hobbies for a while now but it is difficult to find the time an energy when I work full time. Fortunately, I have found a project to motivate me! Salt Lake City Comic Con is hosting a Fan Experience event in April and the Alpha Geek and I decided we really ought to dress up since we didn't in August. As Adam Baldwin will be there, we decided we should finally do the Firefly Cosplay we have been thinking about. I will be cosplaying as Kaylee and my geek will be cosplaying Captain Malcolm Reynolds.

I got the Alpha Geek a prop replica of Mal's gun and dog tags from ThinkGeek for his birthday and our anniversary last year and we ordered the coat, pants, shirt, and suspenders from CosplaySky. While I could have made these items myself, it was actually cheaper to order them when you account for material cost. Instead, I decided to focus my creative efforts on Mal's boots. As it turns out, there really is no accurate replica of them anywhere. Motorcowboy has made some decent replicas out of real leather, but they aren't quite right. If you look closely (and troll fan pages) you can see that his boots are actually made using a Steve Madden shoe for the base with leather boot tops added:

Unfortunately, the Steve Madden shoes are no longer being produced so I had to get creative. I got a pair of brown leather Sketcher's shoes from Ross that have ribbing on the toe:

I also got some brown pleather, black adhesive interfacing, and two 14 inch brown zippers from JoAnne's. I traced around a pair of calf high boots I already own on a brown paper bag to make my pattern. 

Based on the image above I did an outer panel and 2 inside panels with seam allowance for the zipper for each boot cover. Then I cut out the pleather and pinned it to the interfacing.

For the elusive ridges on the side I had to get creative again. I cut out strips of cardboard and used fabric glue to attach the cardboard to the wrong side of the pleather like so.











Next, I pinned the adhesive interfacing over the cardboard to sandwich the strips in between. 

Then, I just followed the instructions on the interfacing to adhere the pieces together.

Tadaa!!! Time to start sewing :)





I'll be posting more pictures of the boots as well as the other costume pieces soon!

Happy Birthday Captain Tight-Pants!

Wish the Fillion a Happy Birthday and 

win a chance to have lunch with him by donating to charity :) 

Thanks and stay Shiny!

3 Reasons Why Women Need to Have Guy Friends

I consider the day I decided to sit next to the new kid in a middle school science class a turning point in my life. Until that point I had spent most of my time with other girls and while they were (and are) wonderful, there was something refreshing about talking to a guy. When I got to high school I found myself drawn to hanging out with the guys and subsequently suffered from far less drama than other girls I knew. When they were in tears because some other girl was spreading rumors about them I just thought about my guy friends and thought, “I am so glad I don’t have to deal with that crap!”

Seriously, get over yourself!

http://www.eonline.com/news/466464/the-20-best-mean-girls-quotes-ranked-from-grool-to-totally-fetch

So what’s the difference?

#1 Frank Honesty

Women (in general) tend to be more concerned with what others think about us so we don’t always say what we are actually thinking. My guy friends all seem to agree that the hardest thing about talking to women is that we don’t always say what we mean. Girls, how many times have we told our friends/family they looked nice and we really thought they looked hideous? This person is our friend so we want to make them feel better, but in reality we just lied to their face! Now I’m not saying we should start making fun of our friends when they show up to a party looking like a clown, but we should take a moment to consider the effect of what we don’t say.

While amusing, I’m sure I would have been ostracized by society long ago.

http://jokeallucan.blogspot.com/2013/10/at-times-im-grateful-that-thoughts-dont.html

When a guy thinks his friend looks or does something stupid he will probably call him out on it; not to be mean, that’s just how men are. The friend can then either decide he doesn’t care what the first guy thinks or realize that he is being stupid and make better choices. Women need to have guy friends who help her stop taking herself so seriously.

#2 Problem Solving:

Sometimes it is nice to have your female friends reaffirm your thoughts and actions, but sometimes you need a guy to tell you that you don’t make sense. For example, when I’m fuming because someone ticked me off, my husband lets me get it out in a way that doesn’t turn into gossip and calls me out when I decide I need to do something incredibly dumb to solve the problem. Men are problem solvers and less prone to emotional outbursts. My guy friends don’t get caught up in the emotions of the situation and let me know if my hormone driven solution doesn’t make any logical sense.

But wait, if men are so much more logical then why do they still do stupid things? Well, men may not always stop to think about their own actions (in fact, they may actually egg their friends on to do dumb things because they know the fallout will be funny), but they can still offer an unbiased listening ear when needed.

#3 Entertainment Value:

Right now I am the only girl in my department and I love it! I’m married so I’m not referring to any romantic attention, I’m referring to the show: When one of my co-workers pulls out a Nerf gun and shoots my boss in the back of his bald head it’s funny! When my boss pours water on that guy’s chair and waits for him to sit down it’s funny! Listening to them give each other a hard time is always amusing because they aren’t being mean, it’s just guy talk for, “We’re cool dude.” Girl’s can learn a thing or two about loosening up and having a good time; not beer and walk-of-shame good time, just good clean fun!

I know you want tickets to this gun show!

http://failblog.cheezburger.com/wins/tag/Nerf

* A note on the dreaded Friend Zone*

I’m sure he just bought me flowers because he wants to be my friend!

http://www.wikihow.com/Escape-the-Friend-Zone

Men, I know there are so many of you out there who are going crazy because you are that awesome guy friend for some girl and you want to be more. All I can say is, try not to obsess over it. It won’t help matters and it isn’t healthy. Keep in mind, some of the best romantic relationships grow from friendship first, so you may just have to wait it out. On the other hand, don’t wait too long for a girl that is clearly not interested or not worthy of your affection. Some girls enjoy the attention they get from multiple suitors and really aren’t making the most of a true friendship. If you find yourself doing everything for her and she doesn’t appreciate you then you need to move on!

Ladies, a real friendship with a guy does not mean leading him on so he will buy things for you. A real friendship with a guy is doing and talking about things you both enjoy. It is being honest about what you think and feel. Don’t take advantage of a one-sided friendship.

*** What are your thoughts? Do you think men and women can ever just be friends?***

The GeekWife's Guide to Dieting

http://bigappledreaming.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/diets-like-clothes-should-be-tailored-to-you-joan-rivers/#more-324

I have been on the “heavy” side for most of my life. I started stress eating in middle school and while I wanted to make a change, I never knew where to start. As this blog clearly shows: I am a geek and a nerd - I would much rather spend my time watching tv, reading, or shooting psychos in Borderlands 2 than exercising. I don’t have the money to spend on expensive weight loss supplements or even a gym membership. I know I'm not alone, so how can couch potatoes like us lose 50 pounds you ask? Through hard work and stubborn determination! If anyone tells you differently they are lying!

http://funnysfoto.com/funny-diet-quotes/

Losing weight is hard because as fat people we know what we are missing! Those skinny people who eat healthy all of the time and have never experienced the joy that is eating ice cream right out of the container don’t experience the same temptations we do. Our bodies have grown accustomed to the amount of food we have been eating and so we think we are hungry when we try to go on a diet to decrease that amount.

But GeekWife, aren’t you just making excuses for why you are still fat? Why yes, yes I am, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true! I lost 50 pounds a few years ago while working a job that had me walking about 4-6 miles every day. I cut my calorie intake down and worked out in the evenings for about 30 minutes in my living room while watching TV. It absolutely sucked to pass on that candy bar, but I was determined to lose weight. It took me about 6 months and I was pretty proud of the results, but as soon as I got a desk job my activity level went down and I kept eating the same as I had when I was walking all day. I didn’t need to eat as much, but dang if I wasn’t still hungry! Over the course of a couple years I, like so many others, have gained everything I lost back, and I am starting to get mad at myself. So what now?

http://themetapicture.com/diet-plan/

I think one of the reasons fat people struggle to lose weight is because we have a defeatist attitude. I failed again! I guess I really am ok being fat so I’m just going to give up and stay fat and happy. I have tried being healthier so many times this year and have failed every single time, but you know what? I keep trying! My secret to dieting: I am going to be stubborn and not give up after I eat ½ a pound of chocolate in 2 days because the next 2 days are a clean slate! I can keep a food journal again and go back to exercising while I watch TV so it doesn’t seem like such a chore. Also, I can about it on my blog so my friends and family can help support me ;)

*** No one has the secret to losing weight, but this is what has worked for me in the past. What about you? Are you a couch potato who is trying to lose weight? What has worked for you? Leave a comment and let’s help each other! ***

Vote for Salt Lake Comic Con Fan Xperience Guests!

Hey there fellow geeks and nerds! 

If you haven't heard, the Salt Lake Comic Con was the biggest first year Comic Con ever - it was so big they are doing an additional event in April! If you live close enough you should definitely try to attend. They are constantly trying to improve their roster (we had Stan Lee and William Shatner among others last year) so they are giving the fans a chance to vote on who they should try to get to come. If you have Facebook (and let's be honest: you do), follow the link below to vote. You can vote for more than one and if you are really cool you will use one vote for Nathan Fillion!!!!!! 

https://www.facebook.com/events/1458410211052586/

It's dangerous to go alone...

My husband saw something like this online that was just a board with hooks for the keys... I decided to take it one step farther and make it a "command center." I found a mail sorter on clearance at Target, used black paint to touch up some nicks, printed the images I wanted to use, got my sponge brush and Mod Podge and went to town! 

A note on working with Mod Podge: I applied a thin layer across the entire surface and carefully laid down the images. I let this dry for at least 15 minutes until it felt dry to the touch before I painted another thin layer of Mod Podge over the top to seal it - If you are working with a computer printed image you will want to make sure the ink is completely dry and that first layer of Mod Podge is nice and thin or the ink will smear.

I ended up applying about 3 coats before I was happy with it, but remember to let it dry in between each layer or the paper will get air bubbles and wrinkles. If you do see bubbles start to form, you can go over the bubbles a couple of times with your sponge brush and a little bit of Mod Podge, but don't mess with it too much or you will make it worse. Mine actually had a few bubbles and they went away as it dried. 

*** So what do you think? Are you working on any fun, Geek-tastic projects? ***

How to Fail a Personality Test

http://www.someecards.com/usercards/viewcard/MjAxMy02Y2JlZGQ1OTcwODNmNGI0

Over the course of my academic and professional career I have taken a bunch of different personality tests and I have failed every single one! From Persogenics, to Jung Typology/Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, to True Colors, to Facebook style “What Animal best represents your personality” quizzes, I always fail. How do you fail a personality test you ask? Simply put: don't fit in with any of the possible results. Every time I take one of these tests the results say that I am diametrically opposed with myself; I am an even split between the 2 completely opposite personality types. I am both Expressive and Analytical, Type A and Type B.

http://www.insidesales.com/insider/uncategorized/profiling-for-profit-hiring-the-best-sales-reps/

I could be completely insane, but I suspect it is more likely that I am not the only one out there who fails personality tests in this way. This isn’t to say that all personality tests are meaningless; rather, they are useful tools for identifying certain characteristics about yourself in certain situations.

My company (like many others) makes all candidates take the Persogenics personality test as a part of the application process. One thing I did like about this test is that it gives you a primary and a secondary personality type, but I still managed to fail; there are four personality types and I managed to tie for three of them. The test showed a graph at the end and one of the types did technically edge out the other two by about a percent so maybe there is hope for me...

We had a big company meeting a couple of weeks ago where we had to sit in groups based on our primary type. They had someone from Persogenics come talk to us about the different types and how to effectively communicate with each other based on our personality type. The presenter even conceded that sometimes we lean toward our secondary personality type depending on the situation.

Do you know anyone who acts completely different at work and around their friends? Do you you it yourself? We adapt how we act to better communicate with those around us, to deal with a uncomfortable situation, or simply to fit in. If you have ever worked on a group project at school or work you may have either been or watched the usually shy and reserved nerd taking charge because they want to succeed and everyone else is goofing of. We may come home for the holidays from college and expect our mom to make dinner while we watch TV or stay up all night gaming with our college buddies because that behavior is familiar in that situation.

The TV show “How I Met your Mother” even gives this phenomenon a wonderfully fitting name:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=revertigo&defid=3025190

http://have-you-met-ted.com/2008/season-3-episode-16-sandcastles-in-the-sand-discussion/

I’ve seen enough evidence of ‘revertigo’ to say it is a thing, but is that the only way inconclusive personality test results could make sense? I say no because 4 Persogenics or even the 16 Jung Typology types cannot account for all of the unique personality types out there. In a completely neutral situation our trains of thought can change tracks for no real reason at all and we may be able to see something from a different perspective. When my co-workers laughed at me for not fully identifying with my “primary” personality type at the meeting I just laughed it off and said that means I’m well rounded. So I guess that’s my point here: you can fail a personality test by simply not clearly fitting within the established parameters, but that means you just got a better idea of what makes you unique.

But before I get too sappy, just remember:

http://engagetargetmedia.com/standing-out-with-unique-content/

***Have any thoughts about this post? Am I way off or did I miss something? Comment and let me know!

Also, here are links to a few of the personality tests I mentioned if you want to see how you score:

http://www.persogenics.com/

http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp

http://truecolorsintl.com/

Legend of Zelda Shoes FTW!

*** New things are on the horizon for this humble blog! 

Stay tuned for original comics, guest posts, and general geeky goodness!***

But for now, check out what this geek wife does when she is home sick from work:

Materials needed: 

A pair of shoes that don't have any seams across the toe area

Gold Acrylic paint

(If your shoes are canvas) Acrylic Paint that matches the color of your shoes

Smallish Paintbrush

Tape (I used electrical tape because it holds better to canvas than clear tape.)

X-Acto Knife (or thin tipped scissors, a steady hand, and patience)

Printed Stencil

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxzQdGSCsQTbWDQoc4eqEV5dJ4NdXtTNfkYQ6xEp8TrVEBrs4ZWy1hJG_OKx8riH7Tl41LRwBuJXRYJ7BPAJJi6BV_DvKYoddKJ0iWrYhC4tQCFGO5Vyn2bnzjJ6b9wUkpVrIC94A-z-9V/s1600/trif.jpg 

Step 1: If you are rich, go buy a new pair of shoes. Or, if you are a normal person like me: dig out a pair of black shoes that you never wear because they are boring and you don't really like bows. 

     *If the shoes are dirty you may need to clean them with something like Dawn dish soap and let dry thoroughly.

Step 2: Print stencil and carefully cut out design

Step 3 (if needed): Remove lame bow

Step 4: Tape stencil to shoe

Step 5 (if needed): If your shoes are canvas I highly suggest painting an initial coat in a color that matches your shoes because the canvas is going to soak up a lot of paint before you get that nice, bright gold. You could do white underneath because it will help the color pop, but I used black so I could also use it to clean up my lines.

Step 6: Fill in the gold

Step 7: Let dry for a few minutes and then carefully remove stencil

Step 8: Clean up your lines - canvas is rough so it is difficult to get super clean lines, but here's what worked fairly well for me: since my shoes were black I painted around the design again in black and let the canvas soak up the paint. I went over the edges multiple times until the paint smoothed over the texture of the canvas to get clean lines.

Step 9: If you want to add a little extra pizzazz, you can paint the rim of your shoes gold as well.

      *Please note that the paint will make the edges harder and a little scratchy so don't do it if you have sensitive feet. I did a thicker coat on the bottom edge and got thinner around the rim that touches my feet so it is more comfortable.

Step 10 (if necessary): I realized the paint made my shoes look all crisp and new except for the soles. I took some q-tips and bleach and cleaned up the rubber so the shoes look brand new!

*Inspired by GlitterMint's post: http://glitter-mint.blogspot.com/2013/03/its-dangerous-to-go-alone-make-this.html 

Thank you!

Annnnnnd We’re Back!

{A Year in Review... or: Why Life Doesn’t Have to Suck}

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:We%27re_Back!_Movie_Poster.jpg

It is a good thing no one really follows this blog yet because it has been a year since I last posted anything. Epic Fail! I will use my previous post as an explanation and an excuse - house flooded, laid off, found asbestos, being homeless and living in a 1 room hotel with a high energy dog and no kitchen for 5 weeks. Yeah, it was even worse than it sounds.

Hit fast-forward on life and here we are with the Alpha Geek getting promoted and me getting a job and a promotion to a position I love. Oh yeah, and we just bought a house! But that’s how life works, isn’t it? You get dragged kicking and screaming through the trenches until every once and a while you find yourself basking in a ray of sunshine. Now how long this ray of sunshine is going to last, I don’t know and frankly, it doesn’t really matter.

When I was in high school I was a stressed out mess taking too many Advanced Placement courses and neglecting any semblance of a social life. The stress and need to be smart and perfect had taken over and I was not the kind of person I wanted to be. I don't remember what the precipitating factor was, but it got to a point that I decided I did not like my life and needed a change; I decided to make the change to choose to be happy. That may oversimplify things a bit and I know that there are those who suffer from depression and can’t just choose to be happy, but what it boils down to is a change in outlook on life.

There have been times like last year’s 5 weeks of misery that have tested my positive outlook and I wasn’t happy. It isn’t realistic to be happy ALL of the time because life really can suck, but it doesn’t do any good to wallow in your own self pity indefinitely. Once I put on my big girl pants and decided to suck it up and deal with life I landed the interview that got me the job I have today. Life may start sucking again here soon because Murphy seems to be out to get this girl and her geek, but when it does I can choose to remember these moments where life is pretty freaking awesome.

http://s2.quickmeme.com/img/91/913520a824b30f3a47ef67ea6adeebc910e4d98958b597f7dde41f769cc380bb.jpg