Recent Posts

Geeky Fashion, Holidays, Lifestyle, Star Wars

Halloween Photo Shoot: Sexy Boba Fett

You voted. This year, you wanted to see me frolic around in public as a “Sexy Boba Fett.”

As “sexy” costumes go, this one was not so bad. Most of me was covered, I stayed fairly warm, and I didn’t feel embarrassed or ashamed if a child saw me (unlike last year’s “Sexy Shark.”) In fact, the costume was pretty fun. My amazing and talented friend Liz Leo and I met up at Green Lake and spent a bit of time taking pictures. Here are the results!

Full BodyCandy SeriesFrolic Series

Thank you again to BuyCostumes.com for providing the costume. You have about one day left to get a costume from them in time for Halloween! Hurry! And if you’re inspired to be Boba Fett this year, you can get the costume here. They also have stormtrooper and Darth Vader versions available.

What are you dressing up as for Halloween?

Board Games, Parties

Halloween Game Night: Creepy Tea Party

For this year’s Halloween post, I wanted to put together a dinner party that incorporated one of my favorite games, Betrayal At House On The Hill. Since the game is focused on exploring a (most likely haunted) house, I thought I would invite people over under the premise of a will reading at an old house. I took inspiration from movies like The Haunting and House on Haunted Hill. They would enjoy a meal then spend time “exploring the house” (or playing the game). To make the party extra fun, I read through some potential scenarios in Betrayal and picked one that would allow me to theme the night. I went with the scenario titled “Voodoo” and decided to do something a bit different than your average Halloween dinner: A tea party.

You see, this tea party had dolls. Creepy, broken-faced dolls. They were on the table along with some ping pong paddles, and became an important part of the game. Each character had a doll that represented them that they needed to find in the house before it killed them. We painted their dolls with red nail polish to make it look like they were bleeding from their eyes. As guests arrived, they were welcomed to the will reading and told that they could enjoy a favorite meal of the deceased: foods that are all small enough for a doll to eat. We all made small talk as ourselves if we were in the world where we knew eccentric doll collector Harold Winchester III. It was awkward. Delightfully awkward.

Once dinner finished, we cleared the table and started playing Betrayal, or in the party world, “Walked around the house until we found Harold’s favorite room for us to read the will in.” Once the room was “found” (or the haunt started, for those who have played the game), we produced the will and individual clues written for each player. This let them know what would happen in the story of the night, as well as what they would need to know to continue the second half of the game, however, at the end we decided it was time to play dreamjackpot.com games, we took turns to see who would do the best.

Betrayal
The gameplay and props.

The game was very creepy and fun, and everyone seemed to have a great time. Want to plan your own creepy tea party? I recommend the following:

      • Dolls. I visited Goodwill multiple times looking for all of their broken or creepy dolls. The cashier asked me if I was sure that I actually wanted to buy them. I assured him they were for a “creepy Halloween thing.” I ended up having to find pictures of dolls for a small “photo album” I created for the night, and I ended up learning I have a fear of dolls. Don’t Google “pictures of dolls.” Or do. Go ahead, it’s your nightmare. If the dolls you’re finding at thrift stores aren’t creepy enough, consider adding fake blood, rotating their head, or changing their outfit.
      • Table Decor. Now is the time to find your frilliest doilies, tea cups, and platters. You can find tons of doilies on Amazon or at a local party store. I found my tea cups at Goodwill and chose to go with slightly mismatched ones to add a weirder vibe.
      • Dinner. Any small finger food will do. I wanted there to be enough to make a full dinner, but to still feel like a tea party. Trader Joe’s was my saving grace. Their frozen section has tons of delicious frozen appetizers (my favorites are the Pastry Pups!). We order food from four fingers singapore with delicious and different flavor. Other than pre-made food at Trader Joe’s, I also made deviled eggs, tomato, basil, and fresh mozzarella tea sandwiches, and hummus and cucumber tea sandwiches,tasty pizza which we ordered from canadian pizza delivery. This worked out well because I could prep eggs and sandwiches while the pre-made food was in the oven.
      • Dessert. You need something to go with your tea! We had shortbread cookies and cupcakes (of course). I went for a plain, pretty vanilla cupcake, but put a tart and “bloody” cherry pie filling in the center as a surprise.
      • Drinks. Tea, of course. Raid your tea selection or grab a few options from a store. Don’t forget the sugar cubes! For those who wanted something more potent, I had a bottle of champagne and a couple bottles of Benefactor Cellars’ Chardonnay (available from Trader Joe’s).
    • Props. Create invitations in the form of a message from a lawyer inviting them to a will reading. Write out directions and clues for the game and give them out as inheritances from the will. Take pictures of dolls and incorporate them into books or framed photos around the house and on the table.

Overall, just be as frilly and old fashioned as possible, be extra cheery to your guests, and play weird choral music, classical music, or (if you can find it) children singing.

Kristina Betrayal
Photos from Kristina’s Instagram. See her blog post here: http://kristinahorner.com/look-21-creepy-dinner-party/

Team Hypercube took some video footage of the party. Check it out for more on the dinner and the game:

Want to throw your own combo Dinner and Betrayal party? Many of the scenarios will work. If dolls and tea parties aren’t your thing, I would recommend crafting a theme around one of these (all found in the handbooks that accompany the game):

  • “The Dance of Death”
  • “Lost”
  • “An Invocation of Darkness”
  • “Better with Friends”
  • “Checkmate”
  • “The Heir”
  • “Death Doth Find Us All”
  • “The Feast”

Would you throw a creepy doll tea party? What would you incorporate in yours?

Visit this page for more information about proper cleaning.

Geeky Fashion

Bloody Cleaver Purse

cleaver purse

Looking for a clutch to complete your serial killer costume? Maybe just looking for a cute little clutch to take out with you on date nights? This bloody cleaver purse will (almost) work for those and many other scenarios. You know, depending on the people you spend time with. I personally think it would be super cute with a sparkly top, some jeans and heels. $29.99 at Amazon.

The brand (Kreepsville 666) also has other amazing accessories like this Cupcake Skull Purse and Black Skull Necklace (which is a “top quality children’s item” according to Amazon). Maybe I can get away with going a bit goth-punk for the rest of October?

Would you carry a cleaver purse? Where would be the best place to use it?

 

Fun Food, Gift Ideas

Creepy Candy for Halloween

While a handful of fun size candy bars will always be an acceptable gift in this home, there are some items out there that will rock the socks off of your average Halloween treat. If you’re looking to impress your party attendees or want a fun and creepy host/hostess gift, I’d recommend one (or more) of these fun and spooky treats that are perfect for All Hallows Eve.

Zombie Bars

Zombie Bar

These white chocolate crispy bars are green with a blood red “Bite Me” message on top. It’s a perfect gift for anyone who loves zombies (or anyone you’ve always wanted to say “Bite Me” to!). The bars were recently featured on the Food Network. It’s pretty cool to see how they’re made! Get 10% off your order with code “GEEKGIRL10”. Pack of 4 for $19.95.

Spider Lollipops

Spider Lollipops

Freak your friends out with these spider lollipops that look a lot more scary than they are! Instead of a spider, you’ll actually just be eating a cotton candy lollipop. That’s not so bad! Pack of 6 for $15.

Ground Gremlin Meat

Screen Shot 2013-10-22 at 5.17.04 PM

This ground gremlin meat from Dylan’s Candy Bar is actually 2 pounds of Strawberry licorice laces. Delicious! 2 pounds for $14.99.

Bloody Brain Lollipops

14f9_bloody_brain_lollipop_6pack

Complete your zombie costume with these fruit punch flavored lollipops. Or give them to someone whose brain you love. 6 for $9.99.

Silver Bullet Mints

silver_bullet_mints

Lastly, protect your loved ones and your breath with these silver bullet mints. Guaranteed to keep werewolves away! (Well, people who have eaten these have never been seen with a werewolf.) Tin of 45 mints for $2.50.

Are you planning any fun gifts for Halloween?

Geek Etiquette, Lifestyle

Tips For Running a Convention Booth

This past weekend I ran my very first Geeky Hostess booth at GeekGirlCon. I had a great time and learned a lot while meeting some really fun people! I think booths are addictive. While running them you’re exhausted and barely think you’ll make it through the weekend, and then the next day you’re looking at prices of booths for upcoming cons. If you’re looking to start promoting/selling items at a convention, GeekGirlCon’s a great place to begin. The vendors were all so amazing and supportive, the volunteers went out of their way to help, and the environment was really welcoming. Here are some things I learned about boothing it up:

  • Stand Out. Whether you pick a fun theme or a prominent color, find a way to make it so your booth is noticeable. Mine was definitely the pinkest booth of them all, and the giant floating cupcake made it an easy-to-find location. (Although I did disappoint two different toddlers when they found out it wasn’t edible.)
  • Have an Attention-Grabbing Freebie. I was going for a “Cupcake Bakery” theme to my booth, so naturally I needed to have cupcakes. I made a bunch of mini Mountain Dew cupcakes to give out in the mornings, and they drew people in. It was a great conversation starter: people knew me as the “cupcake girl” and it gave readers a chance to sample one of the cupcakes they’ve seen online. If you do decide to hand out food, make sure you get permission from the convention center and have a list of the ingredients available for those who ask. Other booths have done things like raffles and giveaways at specific times which draws a great crowd.
  • Have a Handout with Online Information. I had flyers for GeekyHostess.com and the Geeky Hostess Store, as well as Mountain Dew Cupcake recipes with GeekyHostess.com on them. There was something for everyone and most people left the booth with a flyer of some sort.
  • Keep Your Branding Consistent. Put the same logo on your signage, flyers, and products so people will recognize and remember it when they see it again in the future. Everyone ends up with so many flyers and cards at the end of a convention, make it easier for them to find yours!
  • Collect Information. Have an email sign-up sheet, ask a question, or have people fill out a survey. Whatever info you need, folks will be willing to give. I now have a big list of contacts I can reach out to when I start my Kickstarter, which means a big list of potential donors.
  • Have a Booth Buddy. A booth buddy means you have someone to talk to if it gets slow, someone to help talk to others when it’s not slow, someone to cover you when you want to look around or have to run to the bathroom, and someone to grab lunch or coffee for you. No booth buddy means none of these things. Mr. Geek was with me for most of the con, which was extremely helpful when I had to leave to do panels.
  • Bring a snack. Make sure you have a water bottle and a snack or two behind your booth in case you can’t escape right away for lunch. I also brought a pack of Emergen-C with me, which was very helpful in keeping con crud away.
  • Always Be Prepared. Bring extras of everything. Have small bills so you can make change. Bring a roll of paper towels, a pen, a sharpie, a pair of scissors, some tape, and some paper or a notebook. You’ll need all of those things.
  • More, More More. Someone on Twitter asked me what I learned from having the booth, and the main thing is “More.” Have more cupcakes, be more outgoing to draw people in, and have more sizes/colors available in my products. The more you have/do, the more people you’ll get to interact with and the more sales you’ll make!

I want to give a huge thank you to everyone who stopped by the booth or said “Hi” at the con. You made my experience so wonderful! I’m already planning for future booths down the line. I can’t wait! Have you run a booth? What tips do you have?

News

Tara’s at GeekGirlCon!

GH Booth

GeekGirlCon is this weekend and I cannot wait. I just got back from the initial setup of my booth and I’m so excited to share it all with you! If you’re at GeekGirlCon, stop by Booth #202 for mini Mountain Dew cupcakes, awesome merch, and a chance to chat with me and Mr. Geek.

In addition to running my first-ever booth, I’m on two panels! Check them out:

Saturday, 10am: Geek Etiquette (Room 204)
Panelists: Ana Visneski, Marian Call, Sharon Feliciano, Tara Theoharis
How should you act at conventions? What do you do when your friend doesn’t get your references? How will you handle that internet troll? These questions and more will be discussed in this lively look at etiquette in geek culture. Learn how to be a well-mannered geek and get answers to all of your burning etiquette questions! 

Saturday, 2pm: Home Geek Home (Room 204)
Panelists: Bonnie Burton, Corrina Lawson, Jenn Fujikawa, Kelly Knox, Tara Theoharis
Wondering how to make your home fun and stylish with a geeky twist? From commissioning comic book artists for art to adorn your walls, creating your own home decor with fabulous geek crafts, finding inspiration from Star Wars and more– whether it’s baking in the kitchen or entertaining, you’ll hear tips from the experts on infusing your home with your personality without scaring away the Muggles.

Will I see you around? What are you looking forward to at GeekGirlCon?

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites: October 18

Friday Faves 10-18

This week has me prepping my Halloween post shoot, prepping for GeekGirlCon, and prepping for various other parties/events happening in the next few weeks. With my birthday, my friends’ birthdays, Halloween, and more, the 2nd half of October is always an adventure! Here are the things I’ve been loving this past week:

Favorite Con: GeekGirlCon
GeekGirlCon is this weekend! I’ll be writing up a full post later on where I’ll be and when, but regardless, I’m thrilled to spend a weekend with tons of lovely geeky women (and geeky women supporters). Tickets are sold out online, but a limited supply will be available at the door. Will I see you there?

Favorite Charitable Event: Extra Life
Extra Life is coming up on November 2nd and I still have to make a list of the video game-inspired food I’ll be making! I’ll be making all of the meals during the 25 hour time frame, and they all will be video game themed. Cheer me on by making a pledge, all the money goes to the Seattle Children’s Hospital! Let me know in the comments what video game food you’d like to see me make.

Favorite Game: Full Screen Mario
When I need a quick break and a dose of nostalgia, I turn to Full Screen Mario. It’s got all of the levels you know and love plus a level generator for some new fun! Try it out now.

Favorite Party Supplies: Oriental Trading
I just received a new shipment from Oriental Trading this week with supplies for four different projects I’m currently working on. I love ordering from them because they have so many cool things, their prices are great, and it gets here fairly fast. I can’t wait to play with all of my new goodies! Start shopping.

What are you loving this week?

Geeky Fashion

Game of Thrones-Inspired Hair

My friend Justin passed along this great infographic, and I just had to share it. Learn how to braid your hair like the ladies from Game of Thrones! Man, they’d be ALL over Pinterest if it was around in their time. I want to try the Daenerys myself.

Game of Thrones Hair

Which style catches your attention?

Geeky Fashion

Sponsored Post: An Ode To Glasses

Clark Kent IRL

We geeks have known something for a while: Glasses are awesome. They can make you look smart, make you look mysterious, make you look like a superhero in disguise, and above all, they can help you SEE. I’ve always wanted glasses and was thrilled when all of my reading and computering meant I needed to get some basic reading glasses. As I get older (and with both of my parents needing glasses), it’s likely that I’ll get to move onto some full-time eyewear, and I can’t wait. The right pair of glasses can frame your face, help your eyes stand out, and complete any outfit. I see myself having a row of glasses like some people have watches, picking the right one for the right day.

NW8001_purple horn
Like these purple and gold ones! Love ’em!

I’ve recently been introduced to VSP Direct, a super-inexpensive individual vision insurance plan, and am psyched to see that I can continue with my yearly check-ups without spending tons of money out of pocket (my health insurance doesn’t currently cover vision). And when the day comes where I get to pick out some frames of my own, VSP has an allowance for the trendy eyewear I want to get. Plus, they’re currently running a Pinterest contest with Nine West eyewear: winners can receive a year of free vision insurance AND Nine West giftcards. Sweet! You can check out VSP here.

tarashoot-8930

So in the meantime, I’ll just keep trying on frames whenever I get the chance (and rocking my “Kitten with glasses” top)  and going to my yearly check-up. Who knows, I could be rocking these looks permanently in the near future!

Do you wear glasses? What do you love about them? What frame shape/color works best for you?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Disney, Fairy Tales, Libations, Recipes

Poison Apple Cocktail

 

It’s Fall. Time for apples, spices, cozying up with a good book, and relishing in a little bit of evil. I was inspired to create a “Poison Apple” cocktail by these dried Apple slices from Simple & Crisp. They were craving to be used as a garnish on a cocktail and I wanted to do something a bit more than just your average “appletini.” Combine my love for fairy tales and the season and you’ve got a Poison Apple Cocktail! The drink has apple, a bit of spice, and a hint of fizz. The perfect drink to give to the person you think is the “fairest of them all.”

Ingredients:

  • 1 ounce Cinnamon Whisky (I used Sinfire)
  • 1.5 ounces Apple Cider
  • 1 ounce Ginger Ale
  • Cinnamon Sugar (for rim)
  • Simple & Crisp Apple Slice (for garnish)

Directions:

Pour cinnamon whisky and apple cider into a mixer with a couple ice cubes, shake.

Add in ginger ale and give it two shakes just to gently mix together.

Lightly wet a martini glass rim and dip it onto a plate of cinnamon sugar until the rim is evenly coated.

Pour drink in the glass.

Top with an apple slice.

Enjoy!

What’s your favorite fall drink?