Surfing Saturday: 07/06/2013

Surfing Saturday: a weekly round up of some of my favourite links on the interwebs.

4th of July

I hope everyone is having a great weekend. If you wanted to bake something special for the holiday, there were tonnes of ideas online. Quite a few blogs had 4th of July idea round ups, with many treats, and sweets, and ideas to impress your guests. There were cake pops, and cake pops, and cake pops, and even Rice Krispies pops if you wanted to celebrate with treats on a stick. There were also cookies, and cookies, and more cookies in case you wanted to try some festive decorating. There were cakes, and cupcakes, and other cakes, and tips for decorating. There was an assortment of red white and blue items, including beverages, jello, and strawberries.

Canada Day

We Canadians love festive treats too, and there were some neat recipes and ideas to be found. There were flag cheesecake bars, festively decorated cookies, more festively decorated cookies, and some maple bacon cupcakes (very Canadian). I even made some Canada Day cupcakes (and they were really good!). We also have a lot of civic pride, and here is a great list of awesome things to love about Canada.

Have a great weekend everyone! :)

Surfing Saturday: 6/29/2013

Surfing Saturday: a weekly round up of some of my favourite links on the interwebs.

Pride Week

It's Pride Week in Toronto, so I'm celebrating with some of my favourite LGBT2Q links.

Equal Marriage

Here are some of my favourite equal marriage campaign and related videos from around the world. Have a tissue handy, some of these videos make the eyes wet.

Sinead's Hand from Ireland
It's Time from Austrailia
It's Time from Scotland
MP Maurice Williamson's 'Big Gay Rainbow' Speech, New Zealand
The Golden Girls and Marriage Equality

DOMA/Prop 8 Ruling

On Wednesday the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled that DOMA (Defence of Marriage Act) and Prop 8 were unconstitutional. The plaintiffs in the case had this amazing press conference after the ruling was announced. Presidient Obama called the plaintiffs to congratulate them, Buzzfeed showed a collection of reaction photos outside the Supreme Court, and San Francisco City Hall was made rainbow to celebrate.  Nancy Pelosi had this amazing response when asked for thoughts on Michelle Bachman's reaction to the ruling. I think I have watched that video about 50 times so far. Also George Takei wrote this opinion piece which is worth reading. There was a lot of joy on Wednesday; felt really positive and proud all day.

Pride Events

Toronto Pride is happening this weekend and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne will be the first sitting Premier to march in the parade. HuffPost has a slideshow of some of best fashions from past Toronto parades. If you are searching with Google, certain Pride related key words will turn the search bar rainbow, which is pretty awesome. Simcoe County pride week isn't until August 2nd, but if you're local you can check out Simcoe Pride for more information.

Happy Pride Everybody!!!

Surfing Saturday: 06/22/2013

Surfing Saturday: a weekly round up of some of my favourite links on the interwebs.

Geeky

Are you watching Under the Dome on Monday? It's based on Stephen King's book Under the Dome and the trailer for the show looks scary and good. io9 has a spoiler free review of the pilot episode, and I'm excited to see it. I always love it when Jeff Fahey is working.

A trailer was released this week for a big screen LEGO movie that is due in February. I'm pretty much obsessed with LEGO so I'm really looking forward to this.

Baking

Check these detailed Game of Thrones cupcakes at Sugar Swings! Serve Some. They are all super awesome, but I love the White Walker. So cool.

I added to my baking stash this week, picking up new items at Bulk Barn. I'm really into flavour extracts and colour gels right now so I picked up some Pure Orange and some assorted Wilton Gel Colours. I also noticed Bulk Barn carries Flavour Oils, and I might have to give them a try too.

Astronomy

Looks like I am getting a Space Selfie! The Kickstarter project I funded reached it's goal. The Oatmeal made a cool comic about it this week and the campaign has announced some stretch goals. Only 8 days left! Looking forward to what they accomplish!

Someone amazing sent Commander Hadfield a crochet Commander Hadfield doll. I think it is just adorable.

Surfing Saturday: 06/15/2013

 
Surfing Saturday: a weekly round up of some of my favourite links on the interwebs.

Geeky + Baking

If you want to bake something Star Wars related, a good place to start is Sugar Swings! Serve Some. Click through Michelle's Star Wars posts and just spend the afternoon scrolling through all the awesome. Also check out her posts labeled geek for even more awesome things to create.

Rosanna at Nerdy Nummies showcases how to make a lot of geeky treats on her YouTube channel. Felicia Day stopped by to make these cool D20 cookies (which I need to make for our next gaming night). I'd also love to try making this Lego Cake or the Lord of the Rings shortbread.

Found these amazing D & D dice cake pops at Midtown Sweets. I bet they would be difficult to make (especially the D12 shape) but they look so freakin' cool. I also love the Hellboy cake pops and the Megaman cake pops. So fun!

Just Plain Geeky

Gillette has been promoting it's razors by using geeky/science celebrities to answer a classic question about Superman: How does he shave? I know it's advertising, but watching Bill Nye, Kevin Smith, Mayim Bialik, and the Mythbusters give their theories is kinda cool.

Remember the awesome dinosaur chasing the wedding party photo from a few weeks ago? Well now there is one with AT-ATs from Star Wars chasing people. I hope this trend continues and can't wait to see how far people go for comedy gold.

Lastly Commander Hadfield announced his retirement from the Canadian Space Agency this week. io9 has a lovely article about it. After he takes some time off, I really hope he writes a book/does a speaking tour/continues being awesome (that last one is a guarantee).

Surfing Saturday: 06/08/2013

 
Surfing Saturday: a weekly round up of some of my favourite links on the interwebs.

Astronomy

Turns out there are a lot of astronauts on Twitter. Here is a giant list of current and former astronauts who tweet.
Want to know when the International Space Station is flying overhead? Provide your email to NASA - Spot The Station and they will email you on days when it is flying over your city.
A 15 year old girl wants to be the first astronaut on Mars. Read about her adventures and how she is educating other students at AstronautAbby.com
Wondering what the Mars Curiosity Rover is up to? Check out the website or find it on Twitter!
Ever wanted a picture of yourself from space? Consider pledging $25 to the ARKYD Space Telescope Kickstarter.

Game of Thrones

If you haven't seen the most recent episode of Game of Thrones, you can skip this section entirely as each of these links is going to contain massive spoilers! If you have seen it, check out these links about the Red Wedding.

io9 had the 100 Best Tweets about last night's Game of Thrones.
Gawker had 6 Minutes of People Losing Their Shit Over Last Night's Game of Thrones.
BuzzFeed had 25 Steps To Get Over Your Intense "Game of Thrones" Depression and The Best Tumblr Reactions to the Episode.
Maisie Williams, who plays Arya on the show, posted this fun Vine video.
HappyPlace always does pretty stellar If Game of Thrones Took Place Entirely on Facebook recaps. (Go back through and read them all if you haven't seen them - pretty funny stuff.)
Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin told Entertainment Weekly why he wrote that scene.

Surfing Saturday - 03/12/11

Surfing Saturday: a weekly round up of some of my favourite links on the interwebs.

Send Some Love

Sweet and adorable cake-pop star Bakerella, recently blogged from the hospital that she is having a serious health crisis.  Head over to her blog and leave her a comment with wishes for a speedy recovery.  Get well soon, Bakerella!


Arts and Crafts

I have been surfing through some card making sites this week with my favourite being Card Positioning Systems.  They post a design template and then show a number of samples for how the templates look as cards.  It is amazing to see such a variety of designs - great for when you are lacking card making inspiration!

Having some fun with Dollar Store Crafts.  They have tutorials and ideas for fun crafts to make on the cheap.  Have a bunch of old cassette tapes?  They have multiple ideas for crafting them - make a wallet, coin purse, or a lamp!


Fun and Games

The Infinite Cat Project is addictive and fun; just keep hitting "next cat" and enjoy the ride!

Don't have a buddy to play Rock-Paper-Scissors? Try out a simple online game here, or a sophisticated version here, where you can see what your computer opponent is thinking!

Surfing Saturday - 02/19/11

Surfing Saturday: a weekly round up of some of my favourite links on the interwebs.

Music

If you haven't heard it yet, go over to LadyGaga.com and listen to Born This Way.  It is a TONNE of fun and the song will start playing right when you land on her page.  You can also watch massively talented ten year old Maria Aragon from Winnipeg sing it too, by clicking over to YouTube.  There is also THIS ADORABLE video of Maria talking to GAGA while on a Winnipeg radio station yesterday morning!  It is so sweet I watched it twice!

This year marks the 40th Anniversary of the Canadian Music Awards, The Junos.  In honour of the anniversary, they are having a contest where you vote for your ten favourite Juno nominated songs by following this link to their Facebook Page.  I don't think you have to "Like" the Juno page to vote, but you do have to accept an application to submit your list.  There are too many amazing/classic songs to choose from that I couldn't pick my favourite ten, so I haven't voted.  Some of the awesome choices include: Rock Me Gently by Andy Kim, Don't Forget Me When I'm Gone by Glass Tiger, Can't Stop This Thing We Started by Bryan Adams, Drinking in L.A. by Bran Van 3000, and Could I be Your Girl by Jann Arden.


Geeky Goodness

I recently discovered some online photo editors.  FotoFlexer provides many different tools to embellish and enhance your photos, and there is even a function that lets you merge two photos together.  I used FotoFlexer to add the text and the border to the above photo of Gary.  I also tried Picnik, which has some pretty cool shapes and designs that you can layer onto your photos.  I also like that you don't have to "sign-up" to use these services.

Atomic Tom does a pretty good cover of Don't You Want Me for a movie coming out called Take Me Home Tonight. The music video is really fun, with the movie's actors portraying iconic scenes from 80's flicks.

Rick Mercer does a nice send up of the proposed metered internet in Canada.

This is the best use of Justin Bieber I have ever seen.  Have a great weekend everybody!

Surfing Saturday - 02/12/11

Surfing Saturday: a weekly round up of some of my favourite links on the interwebs.

Geeky Goodness

If you like RPGs, Rule of the Dice should be on your Blog List.  They recently added some new writers, and they are exploring topics like the greatness of the Star Wars RPG, tips for introducing new players to your game, and what makes RPGs awesome.

Ivy over at The Happy Whisk might be happy to see these fun Wonder Woman Cosmetics that were released this week.

Mixing my love of Mike Holmes and video games where the goal is to destroy things, check out this awesome comic from The Joy Of Tech.


Baking

There are some pretty amazing cookies at Bake at 350.  I want to try and make the olive and martini glasses, the Scrabble pieces, and the Harry Potter cookies!  For some video instructions, check out University of Cookie.  I really want to try making these turkey shaped cookies too (I love turkeys!)

If you want to get lost in pretty pictures of cakes, check out Sweet Things.  She has many amazing cakes, including a Sesame Street cake, a Star Trek Enterprise cake, and there is even a tutorial on how to make a purse cake.   And if you're new to using fondant, check out Cake Decorate Celebrate; they have some great tips about decorating with fondant.


Things to Do

Are you a youth from Ontario, a teacher of youths, or do you have one at home?  Check out this weekly round up of Youth Opportunity News at MarilynAnneCampbell.com, for a variety of arts related opportunities and resources.

Over at the Canadian Living Craft Blog, they linked to something called National Sweater Day happening this Thursday, February 17.  The World Wildlife Fund, in partnership with Loblaws, is encouraging people to turn down their thermostats 3°C and put on a sweater to help fight climate change.  Seeing as sweaters are my favourite, I will be wearing one on Thursday for sure.

Surfing Saturday - 01/29/11

Surfing Saturday: a weekly round up of some of my favourite links on the interwebs.

Human Interest

Remember this blog about the kid who dressed as Scooby Doo's Daphne for Halloween?  Well his mom is still writing and is having a giveaway of some of the cool stuff she's received since her post went viral.  She's accepting comments on her blog as entries in the giveaway until Jan 31, and the last time I checked there were less than 100 comments - so those are some good odds!!  The Daphne blog and it's discussion led me to find My Princess Boy, which is a "nonfiction picture book about acceptance".  I love that there is so much attention being given to real people who are allowing their kids to just be kids!  More power to these mothers!

An amazing blog that started this month, Born This Way, is too adorable for words.  Cute photos from LGBT youth coupled with heartwarming stories about when the pictures were taken.  I get lost in this blog, and some of my favourite stories so far are Renee, LaMar, Ken, Joshua, and Dustin. They keep adding more daily, so there are many stories to choose from!


Arts and Crafts

For any playwrights out there, the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto is having an Emerging Playwrights' Competition.  It is open to Canadians, and be sure to read all the eligibility requirements to see if you are eligible to participate.  Submissions are due April 29, 2011.

My craft blog addiction this week is Craftgossip, which is constantly updated with all types of crafty/DIY things to do, sourced from tonnes of different bloggers.  Some of the hundreds of posts that have caught my eye are: Cinnamon Trolls (eek!), DIY mini-notebooks, and Printable Valentines.  There are tonnes of posts to choose from at Craftgossip - and it is updated frequently, so my new addiction is being fed constantly!


Deals

Finding a deal on gas nowadays is all but a pipe dream, but OntarioGasPrices.com makes finding the lowest price a little easier.  Here are the links for the Barrie, Elmvale, and Midland gas stations.  The prices are usually best in Elmvale, but I like to check all my options, just in case someone is selling it for less than $1/Litre.  I know - pipe dream, right?

On Fridays or Saturdays over at Smart Canucks, some amazing people go through your weekly grocery flyers and post their Hot Coupon Flyer Deals of the Week!  I used their superior deal-round-up skills last week to get TWO 1.77L jugs of Tide liquid laundry detergent for only $4.96+tax.  Each jug was $2.47!!  Smart Canucks rocks!  They also have Baby Deals for all the Mom's out there, and I love that they call it 'Baby Deals', because it makes me think they are selling babies...for cheap!!

Surfing Saturday

Surfing Saturday: a weekly round up of some of my favourite links on the interwebs.

Arts and Crafts

My friend Tasha was rewarded this week for her readership of The Canadian Living Craft Blog.  Her comment was randomly selected as the winner of a basket of yarn. Congratulations Tasha!  The craft blog is great, and this week they show you how to make picture mats using scrapbooking supplies.

Last week I needed help with a title for a scrapbook page and found The Perfect Title.  Lots of suggestions for a variety of page themes.

Also with Scrapbooking, I realize that my new favourite thing to work with is brads.  Eyelet Outlet has tonnes of them that I am falling in love with:  Guitairs!  Legos!  They even have Moose!  The store motto is: "Because Eyelets & Brads Aren't Just Round Anymore!" They sure aren't!

If you're a knitter and haven't joined Ravelry yet, you should!  It's free to join and there are tonnes of free patterns on there.  I have a number of patterns in my queue that I will one day get started: a needle case, a rocking wonder woman sweater, and the always inspiring flying spaghetti monster! 


Geeky Goodness

If you dig Role Playing Games, check out Rule of the Dice, and not just because I know the dude that writes for it (it's also awesome!)

For technological news, reviews, analysis, and advice, head over to Ars Technica for some interesting reading.

And if you've ever made a website for someone or been involved in advertising, Things Real People Don't Say About Advertising is right on the mark.


Celebrity Blogs

After the recent NOTroversy over his hosting of the Golden Globes, I have been avidly reading Ricky Gervais' blog.  Funny, funny, dude.  And he has balls!

I recently caught up on Jorge Garcia's blog.  He played Hurley on Lost and he has a new blog since leaving Hawaii (this is his old blog).  Seems like a neat dude.