Song of Ice and Fire

This is the series most commonly know as "The Game of Thrones" by George RR Martin. I suppose it's a catchy title.

Like Atlas Shrugged, there is so much I wish to say, but do not know where to start. Atlas Shrugged would have sparked political heat so I'll defer until after the beginning of November, but I have not forgotten.

I have a no hold bars narrative here. Spoiler alert possible for anything up until a Dance with Dragons. Don't get too attached to the characters; this is the game of thrones and in the game of thrones you win, or you die.

In the beginning, the very beginning, before the book picked up it's story. There was a war that would shape future generations and bring about times so dire I cringe with thought. This was fought of a woman, most fittingly. A woman by the name of Lyanna Stark. Prince Rhaegar Targaryen has disappeared with her, though she was to marry Lord Robert Baratheon. Lyanna is wonderful, Robert Baratheon decides to go to war for her and for the deaths of the Lord Stark, her father and her brother Brandon. The King killed them when they got upset about the abduction of  Lyanna. While we are on the topic of King Aerys II Targaryen, lets note that he is a pyscho. This may be for many different reasons but I'm going to chalk it up to inbreeding. 

Long back story short, Robert Baratheon and Ned (younger brother to Brandon) Stark take names, kick butt, and win the rebellion. Robert Baratheon becomes the king and marries Cersie Lannister. Wait! Wait a minute! Wasn't there a war just fought for the right to marry Lyanna Stark? Why yes there was, but right after the war Lyanna dies of a cold or something silly like that.  Keep in mind all of this happens before the books even begin. Martin of course does a beautiful job writing in little bits here and little bits there. Enough to keep you in the dark but enough to let you know that there is a huge picture you are not really seeing. 

Now, let's be serious, the above isn't really that good of a story, but what follows is. This series is not a tale of one man or woman. It's narrative is diverse, many characters weave their tales together to form one epic. The first book alone is narrated by 9 different characters. 

Before we get into all of that lets try to keep everyone straight from the beginning. In this fantasy land there are 9 Family Houses and a group called the Night's Watch. There is also the Dorkathi, a nomadic group.

The Houses include:

Baratheon

Targaryen

Stark

Lannister

Tully

Arryn

Greyjoy

Martell

Tyrell

The Night's Watch is a group of men that have taken life vow to protect the realm of Westeros at frozen wasteland called the Wall.

Our story actually begins north of the Wall with a ranging group scouting out the activities of the savage Wildings. The rangers of the Night's Watch come across from freaky undead people with creepy blue eyes. They are referred to later as "the Other's." The rangers are not particularly note worthy, the Other's kill all except one. The one that escapes is beheaded in the next chapter by Ned Stark for breaking his vow. You see in Ned Stark's nobleness, "the mouth passes the judgement must also wield the sword." Think about that in awe for a moment and mourn that men like these are few and far between.

After this action the Ned Stark and his children, plus others find these cute little direwolf puppies. One for each of Ned Stark's 5 children and his bastard. Two notes, one direwolves are rare, especially south of the Wall and two bastards (can't believe I'm using that word!!!!!) are treated completely unequal to their legitimate counterparts. Ned is a rare man that has his is being cared for and living his his children. 

So as the story progresses and we are introduced to the children ages about 14-2 we start to gravitate to Ned Stark as the typical poster boy for the role as the "main character." He's put in a lot of tough spots, he has more honor than anyone we've met so far, and he's a very good father and ruler of his northmen. The children from oldest to youngest are Robb, Jon Snow (bastard), Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon. His wife Catelyn is also important, she is strong and independent but everything is motivated to protect her children. This ends up as a surprise because in the beginning of the book she sits doing nothing for three weeks next to her child in a coma.

Now, keep in mind I've given you a wealth of information about the characters and the land. Martin did not spend narrative explaining customs. You just figured it out as went along, with exception of the Dorkathi which is explained when a curious foreign girl asks question about them. That alone makes Martin a genius.

Now before we get off onto the main action of the story. Let's put some names to faces (Yeah that's right! There is a TV series about this, which is only okay. But I love the way the characters look, even if most of them look too old.)

Eddard (Ned) Stark

Catelyn Stark

Jon Snow (If he's 14, I'm a monkey's uncle.)

Robb Stark (14? I think not!)

Sansa Stark

Arya Stark

Bran Stark

Rickon Stark (doesn't come into play often)

Simple enough, but that doesn't include any supporting characters or any of the other houses, and there are many.

So right after Ned beheads the traitor, he goes to pray in the godswood. While there his quaint wife brings news that the king is coming to Winterfell (where they live) and Jon Arryn has died. Arryn his second bff. His first bff would be the king.

So the king brings his wife and children. Queen Cersie has two brothers as well, her twin brother Jaime and a dwarf, Tryion. Jaime is called the Kingslayer, after killing the Aerys, the king he was sworn to protect. The children, oldest to youngest are Joffery, Marcella, and Tommen. Joffery is 12 in the beginning.

Complicated enough? Not really. This is about the first 30 pages of 600.

This is a world that doesn't have back story. It has history. Seriously, I'm sure there are super nerds out there that could write out the history of Westeros and such. And just like real history there are slight variations and skepticism to what is real and what is fiction. Martin is that good.

So maybe in the next post we can talk about the rest of the book. Or another house. Or you can comment that you just don't care and I'll stop writing about this fun series that you should really give a try.

Lovely Summer Nail Polishes

Officially summer time. Beaches, sand, breezes, and activities to boot.

Love it, especially when I was younger. I also love exploring the feel of the season. 

The cheapest update to a look is nail polish. I buy mine at $2.00 a pop. My favorite brands are Sinful Colors and Pure Ice by Bari Cosmetics.

My favorite go to accent right now is Pure Ice Spitfire. It's glitterly and has great application. It goes with pretty much everything. I mostly use it on my "ring" finger nails. 

I highly recommend this polish as an accent.

For a work friendly polish I like Sinful Colors Easy Going. The color looks good with my pale skin tone. I pair it with Spitfire. The application is a bit uneven but manageable.

For the patriotic summer holidays I'll be sporting Freedom from Pure Ice.

I love blue nail polish. Blue nail polish cracks me and makes me buy it. I'm going to highlight two blues. Pure Ice Splash and Love Nails from Sinful colors. The brightness of these blues puts a smile on my face. I like the brightness of Love Nails for the beach/parties and Splash for long term application as I feel it has a hint of neutrality that could be paired with jeans, skirts, or work wear. 

 

There are a lot of vivid colors in vogue and these are the shades I have that are screaming, "wear me! It's summer." The first is Island Coral from Sinful Colors. I don't like pink a whole lot but this orange/corally pink makes me smile and goes with my lobster shirt. The next color is from Pure Ice called Excuse Me. Now let's be clear, I don't wear yellow nail polish. In fact this is the only yellow color I own because yellow nails are sickly nails and normally considered "gross". This yellow is so vibrant there is no mistaking it for nasty nails. I still only wear it as an accent. The last color is also from Pure Ice called Saddle Me Up. It looks like a sparkly version of my watermelon growing in my backyard.

One day I'll take my own pictures, but until then enjoy these from other blogs. C'est la vie. 

Until next time when I might actually get to have access to my garden pictures. But probably not.

What's Been Going on the Kitchen? Dessert Edition

This is a new series of posts about the recipes I yoink of Pinterest. 

I've been in the kitchen like a lover in a bedroom. Saucy, I know. Like chocolate sauce, cream sauce, red sauce, pan sauce...it's all here. Every drop of delicious.

Starting with dessert! 

Disclaimer: pictures are not my own. 


Truffles

Dark Chocolate Truffles: http://naomi-sugarspice.blogspot.ca/2012/10/easy-dark-chocolate-truffles-recipe.html

Yes. Do make these heavenly bites of decadence. The directions are wonderful. The product is tasty and anyone can make them. I made them at Christmas time when I was under a time crunch. They were beautiful. Do coat them with cocoa, nuts, ect. Otherwise they will be too rich and melt on your fingers. I coated mine in nuts and they were divine. Do share some with me if you make them. These would be great for a beginner.

Frozen Banana Bites

Frozen Banana Bites: http://martinigirlgoesprimal.blogspot.com/2012/01/i-call-them-frozen-banana-bitesmy-kids.html

These are my favorite of the desserts in this post. I made them twice in the same week. The ingredient list is tiny, and the recipe is simple. Anyone can make these. I made them without any trouble and everyone in house devoured them.   The only thing...the almond butter was $8.00 for a small jar. But I can make about 6-8 batches with the jar. I will be making these banana bites all summer long.

Twix Cookies

Twix Cookies: http://mirandasrecipes.blogspot.ca/2010/03/twix-cookies.html

Let's just talk a minute about Twix cookies. Mine, did not turn out looking like a baker's dream. They were sloppy and my chocolate didn't drizzle in perfect little lines. I plopped large globs on top that looked unappetizing. However, everyone liked them. Or said they did. I didn't care for them one way or another.

I do not recommend these for beginners. You don't have to be an expert but this is not a good place to start baking. If you are looking for a little challenge to throw down in your kitchen try these babies out. This is also a good recipe for a small group of 10 or so people. 

______

Now, I know that I promised a post on my veggie garden. I'm about half way through with that posting. But I'm stuck downstairs at work away from all the downloaded pictures I have of my garden. Instead you got this drool worthy post.

Enjoy!

Employed

Wait. Before we get going. My blogging site has changed! Outrageous. How dare they hide the font changing feature?! Who authorized this? As the customer, I will play the "always right" card. Give me back the old interface.
 Let's use the term "customer" loosely considering I don't actually pay for this service.

 Anyway, I'm employed now. Applaud, it's okay. Step 1 checked off the Going Galt check list! I am the human resources representative at Don Facciobene Inc. This means working with my dad which is a pain in the rear. He gives me more trouble than anyone. But it's fun and now I am a contributing member of society.

I would apologizing for not updating regularly...but I'm living at the moment. 

 Next post: Veggie garden!!!! That will be a good one, I promise.

My Unoriginal Thanksgiving Day Desserts

Desserts. Second only to the turkey itself. 

This year, finally achieving "adult" status in my eyes, I have self appointed myself to make desserts. I'm not one to experiment on my family (friends, that's a different story!) so I have pulled out a recipe for Pecan Pie Bars.

Supposedly all flavor and half the work.

Please check out the recipe here: Pecan Pie Bars

I'm also making Eclair Cake, this recipe was whispered to me by one of my dearest friends so I'm not sharing. ;) Think of fluffy light filling between layers of graham cracker topped with a perfect chocolate fudge frosting. But seriously it a favorite of everyone that it meets. You'll just have to take my word for it.

But if you ask me the one thing I've been dreaming of eating for Thanksgiving desserts--it's peanut butter pie.

I can't decide which version to make! 

There is frozen with Oreo crust:

Or Southern Style: 

Or Peanut Butter with Chocolate Chips

AHHH! Can't decide.....

Going Galt

 This independent idea occurred to me one day; it turned out to be not original. The idea stemmed from one of my favorite books--Atlas Shrugged. Now, regrettably I am no Dagny Taggart, John Galt, or Hank Rearden so punishing society by leaving society won't work for me. I actually don't even have a job, which is terribly embarrassing. Well, that is beside the point. There are three main problems I faced when reflecting upon myself as a person.

One, I fit the definition of a looter. Not that I take government assistance but that I don't contribute. This dismayed me. I hate looters on principal. 

Two, in America, we are sending ourselves into a downward spiral and I'm not doing anything to prevent that or prepare myself. Let's face it, I see new shoes at Charlotte Russe and I am all about figuring out how to purchase them. There are many, many reasons this is a terrible mentality but we aren't going to get into that.

Three, I avoid exercise like the plague. Why? I must be lazy because once I actually exercise I feel great! I have no excuse, there a treadmill four feet away from my couch. 

So the conclusion: I am lazy looter that is obsessed with things I can't have but can't accomplish the feat of making money. Ugh. The worst part? It's all my fault.

Yes, it is my fault. There are no excuses.

I am not content with being this person. Throughout my formal education I had drive, persistence, and excellence. What happened? Well it turns out it doesn't matter what happened. It only matters what I am going to do about it. 

1. I made a schedule, a to do list, and goals. Finally, I have a sense of purpose?

Now really, what does that have to do with "Going Galt"?

The price of groceries and goods has and will continue to sky rocket. My family will not be able to keep up in the state we are in financially. 

Going Galt for me will include scaling the already threadbare budget back. We will sell a car, cancel car insurance on that vehicle and cut registration fees in half. If we cannot sell a car, we will take one to the scrap yard. Two, roommates are important. Right now, we've cut the rent in half by having roommates and completely eliminated utilities and internet costs. And guess what 95% of the time having roommates is awesome. 

I will start a serious garden with fruit trees, veggies, and nuts. Research into a chicken coop will be considered. 

One of the things Dagny Taggart did on a break from society is fix up a cottage. I don't have a cottage to fix up but I can work on drafting plans for a greenhouse and furniture. My interior design degree might actually be useful after all. 

Wish me luck. 

Carraba's Coupon Alert

Eric and I's favorite chain restaurant would have to be Carrabba's Italian Grill. Sure, it's pricey, but the flavors are to die for. 

This week there is a coupon on smartsource.com for the zip code 32901 that is $10.00 off the purchase of two entrees. The coupon is good until December 9, 2012. Check it out if Carrabba's is one of your favorites! 

Let me know your favorite restaurants and I'll post excellent coupons to cheer up your day. <3

 

Craft Show [Cancelled] and Moving

I can't believe I haven't posted for over month.

I planned for this post to about all the crafts I made for the craft show that was suppose to be today, but the hurricane (?) cancelled it. So sadly, I have no reports on what sold well, and what didn't sell at all. 

In other news, I've packed almost everything up into boxes. It's driving me crazy because there are boxes EVERYWHERE. And now that there was no garage sale I have no idea what I'm going to do with most of this stuff.

So, want some of these items let me know. I'm willing to let some of them go for free but I do want payment for some of the nicer stuff.

Available Merchandise:
Desk with built in labeled power strip and upper cabinets (I don't want to give it up but I have no room!)
Futon in the Upright position. Free to Good Home.
Lazy Boy Chair, blue cloth.
5 shelf Black tall Bookshelves. $10.00 obo
3 shelf black bookcase $7.00obo
Lots of books. 
Shoes, women's size 5-6
Clothes. 
Glasses, set of four $2.00obo
Green and Yellow plastic glasses set of 8 $2.00obo
Dutch Oven, blue enamel, never used $20.00obo
The Logo Game $2.00
Pictionary $1.00
Full set of sheets and comforter green with black and white flowers, never used. $10.00obo
Vases, medium $2.00 a piece. Large, $3.00
Fall pumpkin decorations $2.00
White ceramic pumpkin salt and pepper shakers $2.00
Soaps and Lotions, never used
Modern white wall shelves with hardware $10.00obo
Wicker chair, white,  for a vanity with a pink cushion, comfy. $10.00
White wicker dresser with 7 drawers on glides, very clean. $40.00 firm
Drafting/Craft Table, white, with built in organizers $50.00
Light pink table lamp with neutral shade $5.00
Kitchen gadgets
King sized blue flipflop theme quilt and pillow cases
White Rice Cooker/Veggie steamer $10.00obo
Platters: dark plum and bronze, Free
Portable radio, white $5.00
Blue Blanket $2.00

Let me know if you want anything and you must come pick it up. I cannot deliver anything. 

Jennifer's Bridal Shower Part 2

Finally, I've got my act together on this post which has been a long time coming. Here are the results of all the bridesmaids' and MOB's hard work. I love watching paper ideas come to life!

I had nothing to do with the actual making of the cupcakes. But these little guys were so cute. This is our groom complete with brown eyes and bowtie. And this is our lovely bride complete with blue eyes, blonde eye lashes, and a pink hair bow.

 

This was one of our game stations where guests had to
guess the ages of the bride and groom. 

 

I had nothing to do with making of either of the above two images. The first, the chair decorations, were fantastically adorable. Jennifer and the groom had a great chair decorations for the places of honor. The cake is a Publix cake I ordered about a week before the shower. Note, the color of the flowers is not alterable. The basket weave was a perfect touch for the park theme.

 

Sorry the picture is fuzzy, but it really was cute. Everything hung straight because of the rigging though I had a little trouble getting Jennifer's name to face the right direction.

 

Here is a close up of the photo part.

 These cute little guys were the favors. I think they were a great hit. Inside was a this great sweet treat: Oreo cookies n cream bark. 

These two pictures are the fish centerpieces, through somehow most of the fish managed to hide behind the ribbon for the picture. Camera shy, I'm afraid. The other is the shadow box decoration. The flowers and butterfly can be reused. Also, these flowers are similar to the blue garland of used on the gift table, which you can see in the first picture of the blog. 

This is how the pond of ducks turned out. The picture doesn't do it justice! And below is how the photo opt turned out (not the original plan to do it outside, darn the rain). But it was still cute. Sadly, if the flash wasn't on for the pictures, which it wasn't in most cases, the pictures came out with a lot of noise. :(

A twist on the virtues.

I'm always thinking in absloutes, especially when it comes to things like virtues.  Here is a little tid bit from a reading adventure that has me glimpsing at a slightly gray area. 

"Li paused to crouch and slice a mushroom neatly off its stalk with his knife. He held it up for Sakura's inspection.
 "Can we eat this?"
 "Umm…" Sakura bit her lip as she stared hard at the little fungus. "Y...es?"
 Li blew his bangs out his face and rolled his eyes. "You've just killed us. Congratulations. Look, I told you, these ribs on the underside are too far apart. Poisonous, see?"
 "I see," Sakura huffed. "But it's really hard to tell when I don't have the right mushroom to compare it to!"
 "Tough. You have to do it anyway." He tossed the mushroom over his shoulder and continued on his way. Sakura gave Tomoyo an exasperated look and followed.
 "I am trying, you know. But there's a lot of information you're throwing at me."
 "You said you wanted to learn."
 "I do. But you could try to be a little more patient."
 "You can't eat patience for dinner.""