Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Win a Ruffle Scarf from An Epic Liz!

I have seen so many people putting together great giveaways in the last few months I've been seriously blogging, and I was just waiting for the right time to put together one of my own - so here we go!

There are six scarves pictured here, but I have far more colors in my stock and can knit another one quick!
Recently, I've been making a whole bunch of ruffle scarves for a bazaar coming up in September, and I have a great deal of extras - as well as extra yarn to make more. So I would love to give three away!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Your part in this is simple! Here are your steps:
  • Answer the question on the giveaway - and I promise it's an easy one! What's your favorite color?
  • "Like" An Epic Liz on Facebook!
  • Follow @littlecreep on Twitter
  • Tweet about the giveaway!
The giveaway begins today, and will continue until July 21! Winners will be announced on Monday, July 23. Open to those in the US and Canada. There will be three winners, and if you win you will get the color of your choice based on the answer to the giveaway question. If you are one of the winners, you will be notified via e-mail within 48 hours!

The Blogger 411 - hosted by From Mrs. to Mama!


Throughout my perusal of various blogs on various subjects, I always see blog hops, but haven't ever participated in one myself! I kept seeing the button for one in particular this week, and decided to check it out and do one! The one I chose was the Blogger 411, hosted by From Mrs. to Mama. If you'd like to participate, check it out on her blog - I am very excited that I decided this was my first link-up!


1. How long have you been blogging? And what got you started on blogging? How has your blog changed?
 I started not so seriously around two years ago – I think my blog was made in March of 2010. I would post once in a great while, but nothing to write home about, certainly. It started as a way for me to just get things off my chest to virtually zero followers, but I found myself inspired by the other blogs I saw and spent time reading, and decided to get more serious about it earlier this year. I think it definitely changed from a place to be broody and ridiculous into a place where I could teach others to do fun DIY projects and let people into the pieces of my life I decide. It's valuable, at least to me. 
2. Did you go to college? If so where, and what did you study?
I went to Milwaukee Area Technical College from 2007 until around 2009. It just wasn’t right for me – I initially began my quest for an associate’s degree in Funeral Service, but later changed it to an Associate of Arts. It’s still waiting for me, but I’ll know when the right time is, or if the right time even comes.
3. Where have you traveled?
As an adult, not too many places. Columbus, Ohio for a tattoo convention in 2009, and Fort Wayne, Indiana for the same purpose in 2010.
4. If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would buy?
I would more than likely buy a house, if possible, or just use the money to pay off old debt and things like my car.
5. What are your 3 biggest pet peeves?
Negativity. I dislike people who can’t find any positive in life, who have to spend all of their energy putting others down or whining about how hard life is.
People who make weird noises with their hands in my ear. Long story, but one of the supervisors at work rubs his thumb and forefinger together in my ear, and it drives me crazy. I even started throwing elbows when I hear it!
Those who touch me when asking about my tattoos. Now, I’m pretty tolerant, and by all means have no problem answering questions about my tattoos or the meanings behind them. What I don’t like, however, is people that arbitrarily think that it’s okay to touch me because of that. I once had a random woman at a gas station touch the tattoo behind my ear to tell me that she liked it. It was a bit strange.
6. What is your favorite movie?
Of all time? I would say more than likely Cry-Baby. I am also a huge fan of all of Vincent Price’s films, so would say The Abominable Dr. Phibes, as well.
7. What is your drink of choice; wine, beer, or liquor. Or Water, Soda, Tea?
Of the two alcoholic varieties, I’d say beer and whiskey (Pabst and Jack Daniels, if it matters), and of the non-alcoholic I would venture to say Diet Pepsi or the delicious Chai Tea I get from my Keurig.
8. What is something you enjoy to do when you have me time?
Work on my blog or any number of craft projects I have sitting half-finished throughout the house. Either that, or I’m in the bath tub enjoying some relaxation courtesy of Lush bath bombs!
9. If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, which store would it be?
Probably – and this is equal parts embarrassing and representative of my crafty personality – Jo-Anns. Or Target. You can never have too many craft projects or household goodies! They don’t call Target the $100 store for nothing.
10. Share with us an embarrassing moment of your past? Or present.
I would say that probably one of my most embarrassing moments would be… when I was about eight years old and stood up in my now aunt and uncle’s wedding as their flower girl. I may have even been younger than eight – in any case – I was responsible for throwing the flower petals down the aisle as they walked up, and the bottom of my basket was lined in Easter grass. You can bet dollars to doughnuts that I threw that Easter grass on the ground because I wasn’t paying attention, and that everybody saw it. That, and it was forever immortalized in VHS format by the wedding videographer.
11. What day would you love to relive again?
Any day that I spent shortly after I learned to drive. I would drive anywhere and everywhere, mostly aimlessly, listening to music loud, enjoying life. I am still a huge purveyor of driving around for no real purpose.
12. If your life was turned into a movie... what actor would play you?
I haven’t put much thought into a question like this! Hmm. I honestly couldn’t tell you. Christina Ricci, maybe? I have no idea.
13. What are the jobs you had in high school/college/the early years?
My first job ever was at McDonald’s on Oneida Street in Green Bay. I started working there at fifteen because I couldn’t get a job at the mall until I was sixteen. From there, I worked at a small bead store in Green Bay’s Broadway district, at a call center, an animal shelter, a Blockbuster Video, and countless office jobs.
14. Show us a picture from high school or college.

In high school, I was obviously the super-broody, living in my parents' basement having a rough time kind of kid.

15. If you could travel anywhere in the world, all expenses paid, where would you go?
Australia or anywhere in Europe. Australia because I’d love to hold a koala and I’ve heard that you can do that there, and Europe because I have always been a fan of, and have wanted to visit places like France, Germany, and England.
16. Show us the most current picture of you or you, or your family, or anything of meaning to you.
A silly picture of my cat, Reno, wrapped in a scarf like the cat in the ad.

17. Where do you see your life 5 years from now?
To be honest, I couldn’t tell you. I don’t know if I’ll still be in my job or somehow working for myself (!!!). I couldn’t say if I’ll be married or not, or what I’ll be into. Above all, I just want to be the happiest I can possibly be.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

OK, I'll admit it....


I'm pretty excited No Doubt are putting out new music.

Sure, they've been a bit touch and go for the last few years, but everybody grows up - even members of our former favorite bands. Yesterday, the video for their new song "Settle Down" hit the internet, and I took the time to check it out today - let me say, I was pretty alright with it.

Do you remember how awesome they were in the 90's? When Tragic Kingdom and Return Of Saturn came out? It was all kinds of girl power awesomeness, all the time (no offense to the Spice Girls). Of course, Tragic Kingdom was a strange recounting of Gwen and Tony's breakup, and Return Of Saturn seemed like around an hours' worth of pining love letter to Gavin Rossdale, but it was just awesome. To be a girl and be growing up when those albums were popular was a gift in itself. In the music industry, completely domineered by males, No Doubt was just... the greatest thing since sliced bread! As a girl, it felt like Gwen knew what I was going through in the trials and tribulations of my teenage life, and I remember there even being a few photos of Gwen and the boys plastered all over the walls of my bedroom. No, seriously - my walls were absolutely covered with photos and posters from magazines like Circus, Spin, and anything else I could really get my hands on.

I wouldn't consider myself a super fan, by any means, but man - don't you remember how awesome you felt as a girl listening to "Just A Girl", or any of the other anthems that came out during their heyday? Rock Steady was a little too weird for me, and "Settle Down" gives me a bit of that overtly reggae vibe, but I'm going in with an open mind.

When bands come back out after a long absence, it's a crapshoot. Gwen Stefani did great starting both a clothing line and a solo career (both successfully), and I'm sure the guys did their thing in their personal lives, as well as producing and working on music on their own. For most bands, taking that kind of time off is a death sentence - for No Doubt, I doubt they'll be completely done until they've really done all that they want to do.

If you're ready to check out the newest incarnation of No Doubt, you can check out the video for "Settle Down" here.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Weekend Recap!

You know, I haven't ever done one of these before, but I thought hey - it could be fun! So here goes.

I took the day off of work early on Friday, and decided to take a friend up on a tattoo deal at his shop for Friday the 13th, and grabbed some new ink!


The piece is based on a quote from Timothy Leary: "What you have to beware of is transcendent reality, the looking in and looking out". I thought the quote was interesting, and the piece turned out absolutely awesome. Done by Kyle Cook at Horseshoe Tattoo here in Milwaukee.


Then, I almost died in a hail storm since I was driving home. I didn't mind the rain, the hail just made it scary and I had to pull off into a random residential neighborhood and wait it out. 


Friday night, I reorganized the living room. The book shelves were getting incredibly full of collections and you could barely see the books on them! We decided to get some wall cubes and shelves in order to keep that stuff and the books separate. I think it turned out great!

The rest of my weekend was pretty simple: errands and knitting scarves! I can't wait to share what I worked on!

What did you do with your weekends?

Book Club Mondays: UR


This week, I didn't have time to read an entire book - but I figure I've been doing pretty well at a book a week for a long while - I decided to take a break and read a short story instead - Stephen King's UR. I found it on my Kindle, and as far as I know, you can only get it on a Kindle - for a special reason, of course!

UR is about a man named Wesley, who, when trying to get through a nasty breakup, decides to order a Kindle online. A large contributing factor to his breakup with his girlfriend Ellen was his love of books, so it was a purchase of spite. He gets it and notices something pretty obvious - it's pink and definitely not what he ordered. Thinking it was a fluke, he decides to keep it, and when exploring it, finds the Experimental area of the menu, and the Ur section. Many authors he loved had many unpublished works there, and he continued to explore until he realizes that the pink Kindle's Ur Local section allows him to see into the future, and realizes that someone close to him will die without his intervention.

If you are expecting a balls-to-the-wall, regular old Stephen King work, this isn't for you. It is a short narrative, which some have called an advertisement for the Kindle. Though, of course, in a way it is. Stephen King also has a history - Tommyknockers, anyone? - of writing about current events, specifically those technology related. If you are however interested in reading a great little narrative, UR is definitely all yours.


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