Book Club Monday #23: The Munsters - A Trip Down Mockingbird Lane by Stephen Cox

I tried Grammarly's grammar and plagiarism checker free of charge to write this blog post because no one should hang out with people who use bad grammar, and I do not want to be one of those people!

Ever since I was a kid, I remember watching reruns of The Munsters on television at night and just falling in love with it. As an adult, I have spent many a weekend watching one episode after another on Netflix, and just remembering why it was such a great show. It had a great way of explaining current events in its own way, much like television shows do now. All of the characters brought something great to the show - from Lily's motherly, caring personality to Grandpa's goofy experiments and his way of regularly making everyone laugh. Or Herman and his silly ideas, and that laugh! Of course, we can not forget about Marilyn, who could never catch a break with the opposite sex.

On a recent trip to Half Price Books, I was wandering through the stacks as usual when I found this gem in the pop culture section. The Munsters: A Trip Down Mockingbird Lane by Stephen Cox came into my view pretty quickly, and I picked it up and flipped through it, and decided to buy it just by the photographs alone.

When I got it home and got into it, I learned so much about the show I've loved for so many years! The photos were just the icing on the cake I realized, once I got into it. There were chapters with character profiles, the history of monsters on film, and the history of how The Munsters made it onto television in the first place. My favorite parts of the book were the photos and the interviews, as well as the in-depth look at everyone's makeup. There was a chapter comparing The Munsters to The Addam's Family, as well as a chapter each on the films they made after the television show had its' run. As a unique beginning and ending, the foreword is by Yvonne DeCarlo and the afterword by Butch Patrick. Did you know that The Munsters were only on television for a total of two seasons? That and more was explained in the book's trivia section!

I got everything I wanted out of it and more, and I think you will too! If you know anything about The Munsters, or at least have seen it and would like to learn more, you would love this book.

We have a winner in our Diamond Candles giveaway!

Great news! The Diamond Candles giveaway ended just today, and I have a winner already! The winner is....

Jenna Thurn!

Look for an e-mail from me with your next steps today - congratulations, and thanks to everyone who entered! I have another great giveaway coming at you very soon - and hopefully you'll love it as much as I do!

Blogtember 8: Discuss ways that blogging or social media has changed you.

To start off - I don't do much shopping on Etsy, which is why you don't have a post from me for yesterday. I felt like pretending I'd bought stuff would have been awful!

It's no secret that social media as a whole has changed the way that we do things in our day-to-day lives. With Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, it seems like there should be no way for us to have secrets from the world. Of course, at the same time, the oversharing drives me absolutely up a wall. As for me, though, I think it's changed me - it has made me more comfortable with sharing parts of my life I otherwise wouldn't have. It's fun to be able to post a picture on Instagram of one of my cats, or just something silly I'm doing, and have other people like it and comment on it. It's also great to be able to promote my brands (both my blog and handmade business) via an outlet like Facebook. I'm not one of those people who just sits on Facebook for hours at a time - in fact, I barely use it to communicate! It's just a good timewaster for when I have a few minutes.

As for blogging, for a long time, I always just read blogs and loved reading the stories of other people's lives. It was a bit of a double edged sword, since I've been a writer for a long time and figured there would be no reason why I couldn't do it, except for how I felt about myself and how I compared myself to others. Now, though, I've gotten comfortable enough to toss caution to the wind and just write again, which is something I haven't been able to do for years and something I can definitely thank blogging for. And I always thought it would be really difficult for me to think of new things to write, and things like that - but every once and awhile, a great idea just pops into my head and I run with it! That's one thing I love about blogging, and one thing I definitely wouldn't change.
 

How to Tuesday: Cat Tower Re-Do

A few years ago, a neighbor of mine built a great cat tower for my cat kids. All real wood and carpet, it has been a joy to have in my home. Of course, though, as the years have passed and the carpets deteriorated with the constant scratching of multiple sets of nails, the posts were looking a little worse for wear (the carpet completely worn down to the posts in a couple spots). Our carpenters at work were going to re-cover the tower for me last year, but I didn't want to take it out of my place, even for a day. So, I took to Google and figured out that I could re-cover the carpet posts with sisal rope fairly inexpensively, and it sure beat buying a piece of fiberboard crap cat furniture that I (and they) would hate every day and that wouldn't last nearly as long.

So, I set off collecting supplies! Here's the list of things you'll need:

Sisal Rope
Hammer and Small Nails (or staple gun)
Box Knife
Wood Glue

Seems pretty simple, right? What I would do, though, is before you pick up the rope, especially, comparison shop! The day I had the idea I spent $5.99 each for balls of 50 feet, and a couple of days later found balls of 100 feet at Lowe's for about $1 more! As for the rope, I picked the 5/8" diameter, but you could go smaller - though you'll need more. How much you need will depend on what you're trying to cover - for the front posts on mine, it took right around 150-200 feet. Everything else is pretty easy to find. I chose to use Gorilla Wood Glue, but any wood glue should suffice. As for the small nails, anything less than 1" should be fine - I used all small nails out of a picture hanging kit that I picked up at Target and had no issues.

Here we go, the steps:

1. Rip the old carpet off of what you're trying to re-cover with a box knife so you're left with a bare surface.

If there are staples or anything in your way, either pull them out the best you can or pound them into the wood. I cut straight down the side of mine and pretty much just yanked until the carpet came off. If you have older, flakier carpet, you'll want to have a trash bag and the vacuum handy!

2. Apply a liberal layer of glue to about the first four to five inches of the surface.

Why do I say four or five inches? If you don't have help (like I didn't), you will need to hold the rope taut and if you have too much area, it's hard to get the glue to stay sticky long enough to get all the way up a post.

3. Pound a nail into the center of the rope at the back of a post to start with. Pull the rope taut as you wrap, and add another nail every four to five wraps.

I started with a nail so that as I pulled the rope, I wouldn't have slack. The tighter the pull, the closer the rows will be together.

4. As you go, use your hammer to pound down on your rope, so you can fit more on and have a tighter wrap.

5. Repeat the above steps. Nail, wrap, repeat. And before you know it, your cats will be enjoying the fruits of your labor like Vegas is here!

Overall, it looks scary, but it was pretty easy to accomplish, and Vegas and Reno definitely appreciate my giving their favorite perch new life. In place of nails, you could definitely utilize a nail gun, but either way works. I didn't want to use too many nails since I didn't want the cats to get their paws stuck and hurt themselves, but thankfully, I haven't had any issues.

If you try this project, I would love to see how it turns out, as well as any feedback or questions in the comments!

Blogtember 6: Describe a distinct moment when your life took a turn.

While I sat and thought about this prompt, I really couldn't think of anything. I did other stuff for a few minutes, and then it came to me: my life took a turn when I decided to stop drinking myself into a stupor each and every weekend.  I was at a very, very stupid time in my life a few years ago. I didn't want to meet people in Milwaukee, so I stopped trying and just opted to go home to Green Bay every weekend. I would go out to the bar, hang out with people who didn't give a shit about me, treat my family like garbage, and all around just feel stupid when I finally got my head back on straight. But did that stop me? Of course not. I decided to just keep going, and going, and going, until finally, it hit me.  It was 3 AM, I had just gotten home from the bar and was eating some kind of leftovers in my dad's recliner, with a true crime show playing on the TV in front of me. I wasn't drunk, but I also wasn't sober, either. It hit me like a ton of bricks: you haven't done anything constructive in months. And it was true! I hadn't been making anything, writing, or doing anything good. I was pissing all of my money away every weekend to hang out in a shithole of a bar two hours away from Milwaukee with people who could care less about me. What a horrible way to live. And it just hit me from there. I had to pick up, do something, anything, that wasn't what I was doing. Since then, I've been living a lot differently. I focus on positive things, like creating. And writing. My job, that I love more than anything. And friends. And building up a great life, just because that's what I'm supposed to do.  To be honest? I haven't ever looked back to that life.

Blogtember 5: Take a personality test and respond to your results.

I had a lot of fun with today's post! Today's prompt was to take a personality test here and respond to your results. I'm not usually one for this kind of stuff, but I figured hell, why not! 

My results stated I am an ENFJ, or "Extraverted iNtuitive Feeling Judging". Honestly, I feel like it was pretty spot on! Here was the description: 

ENFJs are the benevolent 'pedagogues' of humanity. They have tremendous charisma by which many are drawn into their nurturant tutelage and/or grand schemes. Many ENFJs have tremendous power to manipulate others with their phenomenal interpersonal skills and unique salesmanship. But it's usually not meant as manipulation -- ENFJs generally believe in their dreams, and see themselves as helpers and enablers, which they usually are. 

ENFJs are global learners. They see the big picture. The ENFJs focus is expansive. Some can juggle an amazing number of responsibilities or projects simultaneously. Many ENFJs have tremendous entrepreneurial ability. 

ENFJs are, by definition, Js, with whom we associate organization and decisiveness. But they don't resemble the SJs or even the NTJs in organization of the environment nor occasional recalcitrance. ENFJs are organized in the arena of interpersonal affairs. Their offices may or may not be cluttered, but their conclusions (reached through feelings) about people and motives are drawn much more quickly and are more resilient than those of their NFP counterparts. 

ENFJs know and appreciate people. Like most NFs, (and Feelers in general), they are apt to neglect themselves and their own needs for the needs of others. They have thinner psychological boundaries than most, and are at risk for being hurt or even abused by less sensitive people. ENFJs often take on more of the burdens of others than they can bear.

Seriously! Spot on! It's funny - I feel like I'm the most introverted extrovert you could ever meet! I love people, but I also love being by myself, too. I have a crazy attention to detail, and often fixate on the needs of others and/or the wider view of the world. And, imagine that, I'm an entrepreneur, too! 

Take the test and find out what you are! I'd love to have you share it in the comments!

Sunday Social #66 - Fall is coming!

1. What is your favorite fall activity?

Riding my bike and not sweating my face off the whole time. Doing craft shows. Watching the trees change colors, leaving the windows open when I fall asleep at night. Oh, and watching football, which is why the next question is fun!

2. Do you follow a football team? If so, which one and why?

Born and raised in Green Bay, I am definitely a Packers fan. I am hoping that this season is just as entertaining as the last season was, without as much disappointment! 

3. What is something fun about fall in your area?

All of the aforementioned things. Wisconsin is a big, big state for football, and we definitely all have something in common as far as that goes. I just like watching the leaves change and getting back into craft shows. 

4. What are your favorite fall staple outfits?

Lots of black (as usual) with pops of fall colors like mulberry, dark orange, and dark green. And boots! I love my boots.

5. What things are you looking forward to most about this coming fall season?

More than likely getting back into craft shows. I did a couple over the summer months, and it just didn't go as I was expecting it to.

6. What is your favorite fall holiday? Tradition?

Halloween and Thanksgiving, for sure. It's great to get out of town for a weekend and go see my family, too. 

Blogtember 4: A story about a time you were very afraid.

You know, this is a weird one for me. I can't say that I scare that easily. But here goes nothing - the last time I really remember being afraid was, oddly enough, my last breakup. 

The end of us was near, and we both knew it. The two of us had been fighting for weeks. Most of the time, over nothing, but I was just sick of him and I'm sure he of me. These fights weren't just pithy, small, get-over-it-in-two-seconds fights. They were explosive, horrible fights where we just screamed at each other for no reason, and he even punched a hole in the wall of our apartment. It was going to end, and it would be a car crash, and I knew it. So, in an act of self-appreciation, I threw him out, instead of leaving myself. I was just so shaken, so emotionally over it all, that all I wanted to do was go to sleep.

Know what the worst part was? I couldn't. I had myself so convinced that he would break into the apartment while I was sleeping (for what reason I don't know). For weeks, I felt like a crazy person as I listened to each and every sound in my apartment - and honestly, at one point, the refrigerator's ice maker scared the shit out of me to the point that I thought someone was in my apartment. It was ridiculous.

I honestly can't remember being so scared of anything before, or since. Unless you count the first time I ever knocked the wind out of myself falling off of a set of monkey bars when I was nine. 

Even though the story isn't the best, and not really something I wanted to revisit - it's true, and honest, and all I try to be. 

Blogtember 3: Share useful advice or information you learned and always remembered.

"You know what's true."

These words have echoed through my entire life. My mother always said it to me growing up, but I never quite knew what it meant until I started to navigate my way through this crazy thing they call life. As I went through trials and tribulations, one dead end job to another... it was always in the back of my mind. 

When she said it to me as a kid, I just brushed it off as one of those "mom-isms" that would never come into play in my adult life. And you know what? I was wrong. Here you go, Mom! I was wrong! There are always outside influences at play in life, and knowing yourself is one of the most important things about getting through it. It really comes into play in my every day - at work, at home, even alone - it comes into my mind every day. As far as others went, if someone treated me like shit and I was upset about it, I always remembered that. It has been my security blanket and my one true word for my entire life, and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

I always remember that I'm a good person. A hard worker, and someone who would give a friend or family member the shirt off my back if they wanted it. It's been difficult to maintain that ferocious level of loyalty, especially since it seems to be lost on so many people, but I still do. Do I feel like the loser for it sometimes? Sure. But at the end of the day, do I sleep well at night? Of course. Because I know what's true. 

 ( Today, I found out about this awesome September blogging event courtesy of Story of My Life, and I decided to get into it - keep checking back, as I'll do everything I can to keep up! )

Tattoo Stories #2

Since I'm bringing back all of my old favorite posts, here's the second installment - though I know you've had to wait awhile - of Tattoo Stories. Another of mine, but I have enough that I could keep this going for a year with just mine!

This piece is one of the first ones I ever got on my legs. As someone who loves music, it has always been a huge part of my life, and that includes in my tattoos.

Tiger Army has been one of my favorite bands for as far back as I can remember, and this tattoo, consisting of a black rose and banner with my favorite song's title, "Outlaw Heart", was exactly what I was picturing and exactly everything I wanted this tattoo to be. They have a lot of black roses in the imagery of their songs, and it just seemed very fitting.

Still, to this day, even with how many tattoos I have, this is still one of my favorites and will likely forever be, only because of the story behind it and how special this band still is to me.

Would you like me to feature your tattoo story? Please e-mail me at anepicliz@gmail.com and we can set something up!

Until then, though - here's one of my favorite Tiger Army jams, "Rose Of The Devil's Garden":

Hear ye, hear ye: my Etsy shop is finally full again!

All day, ABSOLUTELY ALL DAY, I have been posting each and every item in my handmade line on my Etsy shop. It has been painstaking to list all 115 items. I'd love if you guys wanted to check it out! You can either find it by clicking the 'Blackheart Knits' link above, or by going directly to Etsy here.

And if you find anything that strikes your fancy, use coupon code FACEBOOK for 10% off any order.

The Return of Book Club Monday #22: Doomed by Chuck Palahniuk

Let me start off by saying that I don't win things very often - if ever - and I was genuinely surprised by my luck in getting to be one of the first to read Chuck Palahniuk's newest novel (releasing on October 8), Doomed.

When I found the giveaway on Facebook, I applied, not thinking anything of it. A couple of weeks later, I got an e-mail with a UPS MyChoice shipping notification for something from Random House books. I didn't want to get too excited, but when I received the package I knew for sure that I had finally won something from an Internet giveaway - and a pretty cool something at that! A galley (AKA review) copy of Doomed. It's awesome to have something like this to add to my collection.

Onto the good stuff, the review. Let me just preface by saying that this is a companion to Palahniuk's previous work, Damned, and you're gonna want to read that prior to this. Damned was the first story of Madison Spencer, a dead thirteen year old girl and her descent into the afterlife via hell. It chronicled the people she met, things she saw, and you can't forget her confrontation with the devil himself.

Doomed is written in the form of blog posts from the afterlife, or, rather, purgatory. Madison still walks amongst those she left, and they can't see or hear her. In each chapter (or 'post', as it were), she encounters something new, from seeing her dead grandmother's ghost on a trip to her parents' apartment to guiding the reader through the worst summer of her life - and quite possibly the reason she wound up in hell in the first place.

Later, we find out that in no uncertain terms, death was her destiny. Her crazy-as-all-getout parents knew what would happen from the start, and didn't care one way or another what happened to their daughter.

As a reader, the blog post format is actually very easy to read, offering the story in easily digestible pieces. Every now and again another character will chime in with a post of their own, but about 95 percent comes from Madison's point of view.

As with his other novels, Palahniuk hooks the reader very early on with Doomed. I found myself wanting to read a single chapter before bed and before I knew it, it would be a hundred pages and an hour later! Chuck Palahniuk is really a champion amongst authors, and if you've read and enjoyed his other works (yes, even Pygmy), Doomed definitely will not let you down.

Doomed will be released on October 8, 2013 by Doubleday Books, but can be preordered on Amazon here.

Milwaukee was also one of the cities picked for Chuck Palahniuk's 'Adult Bedtime Stories' author tour, and I picked up a ticket not long after hearing about it. Never fear, I'm certain I'll be putting together a recap of that, also!

Happy birthday, Harley Davidson!

In case you didn't know, I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - home of Harley Davidson motorcycles. This weekend is the 110th anniversary of Harley Davidson, and there have been absolutely thousands upon thousands of motorcycles in town all weekend. Every five years, they have a giant anniversary party, and this year has been no exception. They put together a huge festival on our Summerfest grounds, and it has just been awesome to hear the potato rumble and see license plates from seriously everywhere around town.

Unfortunately, I didn't make it to any specific Harleyfest events, but I did go to a motorcycle firefighter brotherhood bash on Friday, and I decided that would be enough. As a driver in the city, it can be a bit of a pain, but honestly, in comparison to having all of these awesome events going on, it doesn't even matter.

If you want to check out some photos, check the #hd110 tag on Instagram! Happy birthday, Harley-Davidson, and I hope we get to have 110 more!

The return of Sunday Social! #65

The Sunday Social blog posts have been something I've always loved to do - and I am really excited to bring them back! So, enjoy!

1. What was your favorite trip/vacation/activity this summer?

I would say, without a doubt, my Dayton trip. I need to be a lot better at getting out and going on adventures (even if it's by myself), and it was exhilarating to be able to get out of town for even a few days. I got to see my best friend, eat great food, and go do something fun that was out of my comfort zone. It was a great adventure, and being able to pay respects at the Air Force Museum and see some great fireworks. And, like I said earlier, being able to try a Red Velvet shake at Steak N Shake for the first time ever (we don't have them here), almost made the whole dang trip worth it! 

2. What was your favorite outfit look/clothing item of the summer?

Honestly, I don't think I even bought new clothes this summer, besides a few pairs of jeans that were a smaller size than my previous pairs! :)

3. What is one thing you wish you’d gotten to do this summer?
It has really been a perfect summer full of ups and downs, and I can't say that I would ever change anything that happened. I wish I would have gotten to adventure more!

4. What was your favorite song of the summer?
This is a bad question, since I don't listen to music via the radio, really. Most of the music I listen to is contained in about four Pandora stations, those being about 3 90's stations and one that mixes Tool, the Deftones, and other artists like that. I like listening to a song in my office at work and having one of my guys walk in and just shake their heads. That's my favorite.

5. What was your favorite movie/tv show of the summer?
That new True Blood season wasn't horrible. I'd say that was the 'newest' show I watched over the summer. And as for movies, does Star Trek: Into Darkness count?!

Check back next Sunday for another great set of questions!