Breaking news: The Empire Strikes Back has been chosen for archival and preservation by the Library of Congress.
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| Ollie Moss design prints via The Daily What |
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| "Lord on vacation" by Abell Octovan via The Daily What |
You Should Stay Home for New Year's Eve |
 By the time New Year's Eve comes around, you are usually exhausted. You just need to rest. That doesn't mean you won't celebrate, but you'll definitely be toasting the new year in your own low key way. You'll reflect on the year that's passed and make plans for the year to come. And when the clock turns over at midnight, you'll be cheering along with anyone else. You'll just be in your pj's! |
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane
I had high hopes for this book. It's the story of a woman in present-day Marblehead, Mass., dealing with the sale of her grandmother's colonial-era home while working on her doctoral dissertation. As she's cleaning out the house, she discovers an ancient family Bible belonging to Deliverance Dane. Further research leads her to learn that Deliverance was hanged for a witch during the Salem witch trials - and that she left behind a book of "receipts" or recipes for spells and healing potions.
Add in a local repairman for romance, a mysterious bad guy, the hunt for the lost Physick book and blurring lines between physick and magic, and you have the plot in a nutshell. It was the plot that intrigued me, and I did like the way the focus switched back and forth between present-day and 17th century Massachusetts. It's obviously well-researched.
However, I found it too predictable. It was no secret to anyone but Connie, the heroine, who the bad guy was. No surprise how the end played out. In fact, it was a bit of a disappointment. So much potential, only to fall apart at the payoff.
Victoria: A Woman's Christmas: Returning to the Gentle Joys of the Season
A nice book, focusing as much on the genteel as the gentle. It offers ways, big and small, that we can cozy up the holidays. Delicacy is in the details, and this book doesn't overlook any. It includes blank lined pages at the end of each section to add your own ideas, which is - appropriately - a nice touch.
You Are Flexible |
 You crave human connection. You're ready to deepen your existing relationships and develop new ones. You are working on following your gut. Your intuition is usually right, and you know you should listen to it more. Your past has made your ready for a major breakthrough, and you're just about to have it. The key to improving your life right now is taking risks. The bigger the risk, the bigger the reward. |
You Are Brilliant |
 You are a complex thinker, and you're good at creating elaborate theories and projects. You tend to have a lot of technical knowledge. You love to learn how to do things. You are innovative and competent. You can often see where others have gone wrong. You are also a bit of a skeptic. You aren't going to believe anything until you've investigated it yourself. |
Your Life's Path is Indigo |
 You seek harmony and understanding. You want to be one with the universe. You believe it's important to find and cultivate a purpose in your life. You can't imagine living without meaning. You are intuitive and thoughtful. You appreciate solitude, but you also draw energy from being with others. You are an excellent communicator. You can connect with even the most withdrawn people. |
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| Star Wars paper snowflakes by Ethan's Mom via The Daily What |
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| Death Star ornament by PowerPig |
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| Fett the halls by Broken is the new fixed |
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| Lucasfilm holiday card via Rebel Scum |
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| AT-AT Family Christmas via Reddit |
This is it, the final one...
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| Ballet toe shoe stocking by SewnNatural on etsy |
You Are Down to Earth |
 You prefer to celebrate the holidays in your own laid back way. You don't need a lot of glitz or glamour. If you attend holiday parties, they tend to be a quiet affair. You are past being rowdy. This time of year has deep meaning for you. It's fine if others don't share that meaning, but you're not about to turn your back on it. You like to celebrate an old fashioned Christmas. All these new "traditions" give you a headache. |
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| Snow White stocking by girleatscupcake on Etsy |
Be forewarned: this is the guy who wrote "Coraline" and "The Graveyard Book."
39 Degrees North: Christmas Card 2010 from 39 Degrees North on Vimeo.
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| photo: Advocate.com |
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| image: TYWKIWDBI |
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| Recycled Sail stocking by reiter8 on Etsy |
Today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. Coincidentally, the longest night of the year, and the darkest. Which made it happily coincidental that a full lunar eclipse was visible over most of North and South America.
We in Rhode Island were under cloud cover at 2:15 am when the eclipse started, but there was a lucky chap in Florida that got the whole thing on tape. Below, the time-lapse version.
further reading:
Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse from William Castleman on Vimeo.
You Are Happy Holidays |
 You love to celebrate the holidays, and you're the first to point out that they aren't just about Christmas. Hanukkah, Solstice, Kwanzaa, and New Year's... you love them all! It's great to have so many holidays in one season. So when you wish someone "Happy Holidays," it's not about making a stand against any particular holiday. Instead, you're recognizing that we each celebrate differently - and that's something to celebrate! |
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| Cheetah print stocking with purple feather boa by Chimney Chic on Etsy |
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| photo: Moore than you wanted to know |
You Are Kind and Caring |
 You're the type of person who just naturally appreciates and respects others. You think ill of very few people. You are naturally open minded and nonjudgmental. You're a good listener, and you end up hearing many secrets. You reach out to everyone during the holidays, and your acts of kindness and generosity are remembered throughout the year. You are easily touched this time of year. Even the right holiday card or little gift can move you. |
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| Linen Christmas Stocking by EvitaKr on Etsy |
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| Quilted stocking by CraftsbyCarrie on Etsy |
You Are Confident |
 You are a sentimental gift giver. You prefer to give gifts that have meaning, even if they aren't particularly useful. You are well reasoned and deliberate. You plan out almost everything that you do. You are somewhat organized, but you always feel like you could be doing a bit better! You have high standards for yourself. Your style of dress is classic and chic. The clothes you wear will never go out of style. |
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| Slave Leia drawing. Unsure of artist. More Slave Leia's in various levels of SFW here. |
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| Pottery Barn Kids display |
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| Star Wars origami at vivaboo |
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| 19th century French and German firefighters' smoke masks. Inspiration? One manufacturer's name was Vajen-Bader via The Daily What |
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| Necessity is the mother (or father) of invention: Unable to paint a mural in his son's room, Brandon Peat instead created an alphabetic Star Wars poster, which is now available for sale as a book. |
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| Wedge (Wedge!!) from the same collection |
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| Matt Ranzetta's remixed movie posters |
