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Archives for April 2014

The Double U’s

April 28, 2014 By Jessica 1 Comment

Ws with X

The Double U’s are a set of links that I’ve come across in the past week. They are simply a collection of items, articles, ideas, or videos that have caught my fancy.

Whether you visit one or all, please enjoy. 

1. Amazing blue DIY lamp. (sarahmdorseydesigns.blogspot.com)

2. A book about food inspired by books. Sold. (people.com)

3. A great reminder about what matters by the DIY gods. And there’s “oreos” in the title. Could they get any cooler?! =) (younghouselove.com)

4. Where are you in baseball nation? (newytorktimes.com)

5. “I Love Camping” sweater. Gotta get this for the cool summer evenings. (nordstrom.com)

6. Tried these scones from Trader Joe’s this week. No surprise, they were delicious, and you just add water! (traderjoes.com)

7. “20 Relaxing and Cozy Reading Corners!” I like slides 5, 10, 11 and 14. What about you? (countryliving.com)

Spring has Sprung

April 25, 2014 By Jessica Leave a Comment

If you saw one of my tweets yesterday, you’ll know that I was totally digging the weather. The funny thing is that I can’t even say the weather was perfect. The wind was howling for most of the day, which definitely made it too cold to go outside without a jacket. But, I loved it nonetheless. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and the temperature was just warm enough that I could wear my Better Sweater, unzipped, and feel totally comfortable. Plus, I got to whip out my new shades (on sale for $5 from LOFT!), which made it extra awesome.

Even more incredible was that something so simple caused me so much joy. Every time I walked outside yesterday a tiny seed of happiness sprouted in my belly and just spread every so slowly, warming my insides,  as I continued to linger in the sunshine. Maybe I feel this way because of how cold and snowy this past winter was, but I’m definitely becoming more open to the idea of living in a place where it’s sunny and in the sixties/seventies year-round. I’m fairly confident that the splendor of spring would maintain its power despite the dearth of a contrasting winter gloom. What do you think?

all images from Boden’s “How we are inspired” board on Pinterest

What I’m Reading – Disasters and Apocalypses

April 23, 2014 By Tyler 4 Comments

With summer fast approaching many of us will have more time and energy for reading. I am always looking for good books to dive into and, once I find a book that I love, I want to share it with everyone.

I don’t always read science fiction, but it is definitely on of my favorite genres. Recently, I have been on a Sci-fi kick and these three books are some of my all-time favorites.

The Martian by Andy Weir
The Martian is a serious page turner. I don’t think I have finished a book this quickly since The Da Vinci Code. The novel’s story is told by Mark Watney, a NASA astronaut who has been left for dead after an accident on a mission to Mars.

The Martian is hard science fiction–where emphasis is placed on realism. It takes place in the near-future in which technology is slightly improved over current knowledge. There are no hoverboards in this story. In fact, much of the story is spent trying to retro-fit older technology. Remember that scene from Apollo 13 where the NASA scientists have to “put a square peg in a round hole” to fix the oxygen system? This whole novel feels like a spiritual reboot of that challenge.

What really holds the novel together, though, is the sarcastic wit of Watney. His descriptions of issues and frequent jokes about his own demise make you want to root for him. It won’t take long before you are really invested in seeing just how long Watney can survive on the Red Planet.

Good for…people who enjoyed Apollo 13, like science fiction thrillers, or play Kerbal Space Program.
Avoid if…you might be intimidated by pages of technical and/or scientific jargon.

Wool by Hugh Howey
The story of how Wool came to be is almost as good as the novel. Howey wrote the first section of Wool as its own novella during lunch breaks and at night while working in a bookstore. He published the first portion of the story on Amazon’s Kindle network, and then he waited…

A few readers downloaded the book and left positive reviews. A few more downloaded the book based on those reviews. Next thing Howey knew, his story was blowing up! Howey released future segments of the story serially and they were also received well. Wool is an omnibus of the first 5 stories.

Each story in Wool flows into the next naturally. This is not a collection of short stories, but a carefully crafted story of a apocalyptic world.

At an unknown date in the future, all that remains of humanity survives in a single underground silo. Wool is the story of people living in the enormous underground silo. Expect twist after twist in a world that is more than it seems.

Good for…fans of post-apocalyptic worlds where things are not necessarily what they seem.
Avoid if…the even the idea of reading about an underground silo might make you feel claustrophobic.

World War Z by Max Brooks
After the Brad Pitt’s film adaptation flopped at the box office, people’s interest in World War Z definitely waned. But, as a sign in my school says, “Never Judge a Book By Its Movie!”

World War Z is a phenomenal book. The type of book that can be enjoyed even by those not interested in zombies. You don’t have to watch The Walking Dead to appreciate World War Z.

The challenge of any disaster/apocalypse story is to balance the telling of the global struggle while still developing characters. Brooks’ solution is to tell the story as an oral history.

Through a collection of interviews with characters from all over the world, Brooks slowly unveils what happened when a Zombie epidemic began and spread. His interviewees have serious personality and provide color commentary. The book feels more like an investigation of geo-politics than a horror flick. You won’t be able to put the book down.

Good for…people who like zombie stories but are always frustrated that those stories don’t take themselves more seriously.
Avoid if…you hate enjoying yourself!

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