Cassie's Chrismukkah

In the next post for my Christmas Project, Cassie @yrchmonger submitted this piece! Thanks Cassie!

A Very Merry Chrismukkah

Every year I go to Target and purchase candles for my Menorah, and a Christmas ornament to add to our tree. Every year the cashier gives me a strange look. It's either a look of pity signifying that they feels bad that as a Jew I cannot share in the fun of Christmas, or a look of confusion, as if I'm "doing it wrong". 'Silly Jew, you can't hang an ornament on a menorah'.

I do this every year 1. for amusement and 2. because I was raised in a multi-faith household. When I say multi-faith I mean we celebrated both Christmas and Chanukah/Hanukkah (or whatever 6 other spelling options you choose). Some of the only Hebrew I know is the blessing over the candles, but I couldn't tell you what it means. We're not the world's best Jews. Just ask my Jewish Society and Culture professor and the C he gave me.

My family gave up on 8 days of presents a long time ago, my last one being what I have dubbed the Beanie Baby Chanukah, where Mom got me eight days of Beanie Babies. Sometimes my aunt gives me Chanukah socks, although those are going extinct.

People often ask me what we do to celebrate. We light candles for 8 days. We put up our Christmas tree (artificial of course). On Christmas Eve we go to my aunt's house and exchange presents and eat Chinese food. 'How stereotypical' you must be thinking. You'd be wrong. We eat Chinese food not because we're Jews, but because that's my cousin's birthday and it's his favorite food. The Chinese restaurant appreciates it; there are only 3 Jewish families in town.

When I was younger I was way more pro-Chanukah because it made me different than the other students. Yes, I was one of those strange breeds who thought being different was cool. (It still is.) It gave me the right to complain that there was only one lame song during the winter chorus concert dealing with Judaism and it was the awful dreidel song. (What are you implying, that Jews are so cheap they refuse to buy a $0.25 dreidel?) If I was feeling especially feisty I would comment on the offensive use of Jesus in a number of the songs. Whatever happened to separation of church and state?

I was anti-Christmas. Decorations were put up too early. Christmas songs were annoying. It was an expensive support of consumerism. We encouraged children to sit on strangers. I was a teenager, railing against happiness was to be expected. I thought Chanukah was the way to go, despite the awful taste gelt left in my mouth.

Over the years I have learned to reconcile the separate holidays with one another. I can put up my Christmas tree with my fiancee and then make latkes. I can teach him the only Hebrew I know and we can- GASP- wrap our presents in non-denominational paper. I know, the blasphemy. I can safely say I am no longer a Chanukah elitist. I have dropped my cynicism against Christmas. I now firmly tout my belief in Chrismukkah.

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Side Note

Last night I had a dream where I was having a romantic picnic with Andy Serkis. This is important to document because I'm continually surprised at how unconventionally nerdy my dreams can be. Of course I'm the kind of girl who would rather have dinner with Andy Serkis than say, Brad Pitt. Or George Clooney. Or those half naked kids in every teen movie ever. I am okay with this.

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@ThinkGeek @StarWars Giveaway Winners!!

Huge thanks to ThinkGeek.com for supplying these awesome Star Wars holidays lights!

The winners are Cassie (@Cassiemb) and Kristen! (@dramaqueen327) 

Happy Holidays everyone!

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Jessy's Christmas Story

I invited my twitter followers to submit their Christmas stories again this year. I am continually honored and touched by the stories you guys have been sending me. For the first one, here is perhaps, my favorite of the ones I've received:

"If pop culture has taught me anything, it's that miracles are bound to happen anytime, anywhere during the holidays. And in 2001, that  was the year that my biggest Christmas wish would come true. 

On November 28, 2001 my dad was diagnosed with Stomach Cancer. It was really hard for our family because it was very unexpected. I was in 7th grade, and I didn't know how to accept it. I had always looked up to him, Especially around Christmas because we would decorate our house and our family tree together, but more importantly his birthday was on Christmas Eve. 

Once December came around we weren't exactly in the Christmas spirit due to the fact that my dad was in and out of the hospital for Chemotherapy and the side effects he was experiencing. Around mid-December we received the news that he wasn't going to make it to Christmas. The doctors had told us he had about a week to live. The news hit us very hard. Especially me and my mom. I remember her crying and begging for another doctor's opinion. I also remember my dad being ok with what the doctors had told us. He just had one thing to say. "Let me go Home with my family." The one thing I remember the most is asking Santa, (whom I still believed in that year) that all I wanted for Christmas was my dad to get better. Being a kid at that age, and watching countless Christmas specials, I was hoping for a miracle. What happened the week after we were given the bad news, was nothing short of one.

During one of his last Chemo sessions, we decided to have most of his family from Mexico come up to celebrate his last birthday early. All my aunts, uncles, and cousins came up to celebrate and say goodbye. The night before the birthday party, we received a phone call from a different doctor who had a second opinion on my father's condition. He discovered that the tumors had reduced in size since his last chemotherapy session and if continued a stronger treatment, he would be healthy again. My mom broke down crying with tears of joy thanking him over and over. She told me and my father, including the rest of my family the good news and we did the exact same. All I knew was my Christmas wish came true. 

Over the course of the next week my dad had shown much improvement on his health, and we celebrated his birthday on December 24th with his brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews. 

Since then his cancer has been in remission, and we celebrate his birthday every year with our friends and family. And since then, I have and always will believe in Christmas miracles."

Thank you SO MUCH to Jessy, @H3artlessSeph, for sharing this story.<3

If YOU have a story you want to send in, email me at zoe.gulliksen@dailybalm.com !

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The Kitty Bradshaw: Meet 'n Tweet Blogger Event

A year and a half ag I was invited to my first Kitty Bradshaw event. She is a fashionista and lifestyle blogger, recording her New York life from a California native's perspective. Kitty is outrageous and hilarious, often live tweeting her adventures and having discussing online about her dating experiences. Recently she hosted an event for her top 45 professional bloggers and I was honored to be invited.

Us bloggers attended this Meet 'n Tweet to network, have drinks, and interact with over ten companies that would give a presentation on their products. Aka: Just hang out, have a few drinks, talk to other bloggers and take home a wicked goodie bag!

Now, I am not the first person you'd think of when attending this kind of event. I admittedly don't know squat about fashion: my attire is typically yoga pants and a superhero shirt I bought from the kid's section at Target. I wear heels and lipstick only when cosplaying, and I happen to think stockings are the devil.

I also am horribly anti social. I'd much rather stay in bed on a Friday night in sweatpants reading comics than go out to a party. Which is why I found myself in a surreal situation, sitting in the swanky cool downtown Manhattan offices of nRelate, holding a glass of wine, and looking around the room at the other bloggers. I was also in a black mini dress, heels AND stockings. Talk about being out of my element.

But I said to myself, I did not get all dressed up to just sit here and stay on my phone all night. I suppressed my anti social tendencies and scooped the room. A few bloggers were talking to each other but most were buried with their noses in their phones. These are the kinds of people I'd get along with.

I approached an Asian girl, which bleached blonde hair and a wicked outfit who was texting on her iPhone. I asked her where she got her rubber bunny case and the conversation shot off from there. Turns out her name is Tineey and runs a fashion blog! We talked a bunch about the event, how we knew Kitty and where to find the best iPhone cases.

From there I found my groove, thanking people when they complemented me on my shoes (I wore the heels from my Peggy Carter costume, I needed a little bit of bad ass to bump my confidence). I, on a rare social occasion, then befriended the quiet girl sitting next to me. I met Tiffany, who runs the blog www.loveandstudentloans.com about life after college filled with dating mishaps and all those damn student loans.

The products that were presented were great! As I've mentioned I am not a fashion blogger, which is who most of these products were for. But I realized that I could take a special new twist on these items, because geeky tomboy girls need fashion things too! The following are my favorite products from that night:

1.) nRelate is a cool way to advertise on your site! I use it on my blog, I signed up as soon as I got home from the event. You can see it on the bottom of all my posts, and increases page views like mad! www.nrelate.com

2.) Squeem is a corset type of product that is no stranger to ladies and drag queens. It's a great way to avoid a muffin top, but Kitty swore by this particular brand Squeem because it fixes more than a muffin top: it fixes your "soufflé top!" At the event I was given the wrong size and I was extremely disappointed to find out it didn't fit me when I got home. The reps on the site were fantastic though! I emailed them asking if I could have a different size and they sent me one right away, emailing me multiple times to double check they were sending me the right style, size and color.

I am, at this very moment, wearing a beige Squeem vest and I must admit that it does everything it promises to do. It not only takes care of my "soufflé top" but also fixes my posture. I have a horrendous posture, all those years of sitting curled up in a chair or hunched over a computer. But this immediately makes me stand up straighter, without being uncomfortable or constricting. It makes my boobs look worthy of Jessica Rabbit.  ;) Squeem also promises to help you lose weight. Because it's constricts, it makes you eat less. My favorite part about this product is that it is VERY comfortable. I can sit, bend out, run around in it. You can even work out in it! It reaches all the way down past my hipbones, making sure none of that soufflé escapes. I highly recommend it for every day use, but especially when cosplaying. Spandex reveals everything, but for other costumes it would fit seamlessly under your outfit, making sure you look sleek and slim for those photo shoot that end up all over the Internet. www.squeem.net

3.) Pencil Me in Cosmetics show cased their eyeliner, which is infused with vitamins and anti-oxidants for your eyes! I brought home a sparkled black and a shiny silver pencil that have a sharpener included in the cap! #Genius

 

What’s unique and innovative about this company is that they also do pencils specifically made to color in hair shaved designs such as this Spider-man! I had a discussion with the owner, Linda, about how she made the pencils specifically to last long on your skin. I told her it would be perfect for cosplayers that do extravagant face designs and body styles such as a Poison Ivy Cosplayer that wanted leaves drawn on. You can visit her site here: http://www.pencilmeincosmetics.com/

4.) Emergen-C is a vitamin drink mix to help ward off that lingering cold this winter. They taste good and easy to add when on the go. My favorite part about this product is that they work with special funds, such as Surfrider Foundation. Surfrider is a big part of my family, because my whole family surfs. (I bet you didn’t know that.) I grew up spending my summers on the North Shore of O’ahu, surfing and visiting my friends who own a surfing school on the island. Surfrider is a great organization that helps protect the beaches in the country, and I am very proud to be a member. For every Emergen-C Blue packet purchased, 20 cents is donated to this organization. So fight the flu and help save beaches! http://www.emergenc.com/index.php/fund/blue

5.) Hanes Hosiery is the accessory I did not know I needed. We were given a pair of Silk perfection opaque tights and it was heaven. As I mentioned above, I hate tights. They are the devil and completely uncomfortable. But this pair of Hanes was like slipping on liquid. They look great on me and felt incredible. I will be sure to buy them for every event and every convention I attend in the future. http://www.haneshosiery.com/SilkReflections/

Overall it was a great night, especially Kitty called me out in front of the whole room that I was a comics blogger. After that, many bloggers came up to me and wanted to know more about how "such a pretty girl got into comics". It was pretty neat to find out that all these fashion fans were interested in the comic book world too =)

Here is a list of the notable bloggers I met that night!

Tineey: @Tineey www.tineey.com

Tiffany: @LoveandLoans www.loveandstudentloans.com

Shoshi: @Shoshi http://www.lusciouslifestylediva.com/

And of course

Kitty: @KittyBradshaw www.kittybradshaw.com

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Think Geek Star Wars Holiday Giveaway!

Thanks to ever awesome guys at ThinkGeek.com, 

I am providing you with a 

Holiday Emergency Gift Giveaway!

Do you have that one friend you don't know what to get them? Or a sibling you forgot to buy a gift for? Perhaps you just think you deserve a present for yourself. No matter what your cause, enter to win one of these Star Wars Holiday Lights! 

Choose between Yoda and R2D2 lights that can be found HERE from ThinkGeek.com

Rules

1. Tweet a link to this post & remember to tag me!
2. Comment on this post with your Twitter handle
3. Give a geek a hug!

I will announce the two (2) winners this Wednesday, December 14, 2011 on Twitter! However, due to shipping costs I can only ship to those in the U.S. Next time I promise I can include my world wide friends!

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Date a Girl Who Reads by Zoë Gulliksen

On March 2, 2011 I wrote this in response to Rosemarie's "Date A Girl Who Reads". You can find it HERE. I did not think it was as accurate as possible, so I wrote my own:

Date a girl who reads.

There are girls you’ll find in your sociology class, with Abercrombie shirts, flat iron hair and an abundance of mascara. There are girls who wear sweatpants and Uggs, on their way to field hockey practice or who can tell you who won the world cup last summer. There are girls with chopped up hair that listen to grunge music and know a lot about bands that don’t give a shit about society or girls who are sweet and simple and not into much of anything at all.

And then there are the girls who read. I’m not talking about girls who read sometimes, that finish one or two or three books a month. I’m not talking about the girls that like reading, I mean the girls that can’t possibly imagine a life without paperback novels, who cannot express how much they love written words so instead they just remain silent.  These are the girls you should date.

You should date her because she will not want to go out on a Friday night. She will stay at home curled up on the couch while you play the latest Call of Duty or have a James Bond marathon. She will not feel the need to dress up in a short skirt and heels to go to a bar  because she will have no tolerance for people who don’t know the different between an Orc and an Urukhai.

You should date her because you will never have to find that she spent $150 on a pair of shoes. She will never complain about not having enough money because her needs are simple and inexpensive. You will never have to panic over what to get her for her birthday or Christmas, for she won’t be impressed by diamonds or a new silk cocktail dress. For Valentine’s Day any book of poetry would do and for important anniversaries a signed copy of her favorite novel is worth more than anything that sparkles.

You date a girl who reads because she will never stray. She falls in love with literary characters every day, her need for romantic adventure is constantly being met. For an hour or three she will pine over men in tweed solving mysteries or knights in armor slaying dragons. But at the end of the day you are her prince charming and all her kisses are saved for you.

In fact, these romantic adventures in her books will only inspire her to be a better girlfriend. Once in a while she will read a trashy pirate romance novel and you’ll come home from work and she will tackle you in the doorway. She’ll cover you in kisses, ask you to call her a wench and drag you to the closest available clear surface….

There will be piles of books in your house. On shelves in the living room and hallways, on top of the TV and in the kitchen. Beside the toilet in the bathroom will be a pile for whatever subject you’d enjoy while you conduct your business. There will be stacks beside the bed, in cluttered messes you will constantly knock over.

She will never run out of things to talk about. Some relationships grow dry and after a time two people can find that they have nothing in common anymore. But a girl who reads loves a story. And often it doesn’t matter where this story comes from. This is the girl that will sit and watch you play Halo for six hours straight because she is intrigued by the plot line. Soon she will be yelling at Master chief to run faster and will bite her fingernails wondering if he’ll make it.

Now of course, this girl isn’t perfect. Her mood will depend greatly on the book she is currently reading. As frisky as she will be after reading a trashy romance novel, she will feel forlorn after reading The Two Towers or The Time Traveler’s Wife. During these times perhaps she may be moody or distance, saddened and woeful. There is nothing you can do to help her during these episodes except to promise you’ll always be around.

And mean it.

Girls who read are smart. They learn a lot about many different cultures and worlds, however I warn you. They don’t know anything about whatever is on MTV. They don’t know who pulled whose hair out on last night’s episode of jersey Shore. They don’t know the names of reality TV stars or which Hollywood couple got divorced.

But by god, how much she will love you. Girls who read know what true love is about, and they know that love can overcome any obstacle. If Wesley and Buttercup could make it, if Arwen and Aragorn, if Lancelot and Guinevere can overcome their trials and tribulation damnit so can you and she. She will love you and you better damn well keep her and love her back.

However, beware the girl who writes. For she will write about the way you loved her, or how you didn’t love her. Break her heart and every flaw, every mistake, every way you did not take care of her heart will be carved in literary stone for the rest of eternity. Love the girl who reads and proceed with caution the girl who writes.

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12 Days of Christmas Blog Project

Similar to a project I conducted last year, I'm going to have a 12 days of Christmas series of posts on a Christmas moment that stands out to you.

I am having open submissions for everyone and anyone who would like to email me their Christmas moments in the form of stories, art, video, and whatever other ideas you have. I will chose the best 12, with honorable mentions after that.

One of my favorite pieces submitted last year was by the lovely Sarah (@SarahWize) and you can read it HERE

To submit to my Christmas project, please email me at zoe.gulliksen@dailyblam.com. I will be taking submissions until December 24th, but the 12 Days starts on December 14th. 

Thanks guys!<3

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A Look Back At Better Times: #NYCC 2011

This is my last week of classes for this semester, also known as hell week full of cramming for exams and doing pointless projects. In lue of this misery I figured I could take a moment to reminisce on better times: Like Comic Con!

I mean, at Comic Con I met Chris Evans, was in a Marvel photoshoot in my Peggy Carter costume, and ran around like a Pokemon. Life doesn't get much better than that. If you missed my recap of #NYCC 2011, here it is for your reading pleasure! Glad to be of aid to your procrastination.


"Here is my breakdown of New York's largest comic book-centric geek culture convention, which this year added plenty more movie and TV happenings than every before. How does it compare to the San Diego's International Comic Con, follow the jump to find out!"

Thursday: The best part of the new added Thursday is how empty everything was. It was worth going just to see the floors and the booths without the over packed “This is SUCH a fire hazard!” feeling. The artist alley was near empty with no lines for all the incredible people that made appearances. Simone Legno, the Italian creator and artist of the phenomenon Tokidoki, was all by himself at the company's booth. Being a huge fan of his Marvel work I kinda fangirled out, asking him to draw me a sketch of his Captain America. Legno was more than happy to (even saying that Cap was his favorite one) which caused me to go buy the same t-shirt he was wearing.

For the rest of the recap, READ HERE

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A Normal Week

What a crazy packed week this has been. On Tuesday I had the honor of attending Kitty Bradshaw's Blogger's Party, in which she invited 45 of NYC's most elite bloggers for a gift suite! A very detailed blog about that is in the works, look for it soon!

After the party I met up with some of the best, Pietro (@poni_boy) my partner in crime, and one of the craziest girls I know Cathy (@ARMORSonly) at a bar in Times Square. It was pouring and beautiful, a normal Tuesday night.

Then on Thursday I had yet another crazy day, as always. I had two classes in the morning before hopping on a bus to Manhattan. I had a top secret meeting at Midtown Comics in Times Square, and when I can share those details with you I will. Afterwards Pietro and I attended a book signing at one of the most beautiful book stores I have ever been to, The Rizzoli.


After the book signing we rushed to a screening of Spielberg's Warhorse where we met up with our trio companion Giovanni (@MarioPrime). Warhorse was....bad. And unnecessary.  I will leave it at that for now. You can expect our full reviews on The Daily Blam! soon enough hahaha

Yesterday, Friday was another eventful day. I took my brother and three of his friends to a party at Angela's house. For those of you that follow me on twitter, you know that these teenage boys are infamous for sleeping over when they hear Angela is sleeping over. It started when over a year ago they all happened to be staying over the same night. Everyone hit it off smashingly, staying up until 4am watching low budget scary movies on Netflix. Ever since then it has become a ritual, Angela & myself plus up to 7 high school boys.

Now most of them are in college but they're all still very awesome<3 Angela is in fact going to one of their senior prom's this year!
The party was a lot of fun, mostly just people that Angela and I work with. Our old boss even came and brought his karaoke machine, which turned out to be a mess, as expected for drunk college kids. Overall good night! Now tonight Giovanni and Pietro are coming all the way out to Jersey for Cassie (@yrchmonger) & Ken's (@HerderOfNerfs) engagement party!!

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