Time Out Tuesday: Valentine's Day (sorta?) Edition

Maybe, Valentine's Day really is just another day. Maybe, Valentine's Day is really corporation blah-blah. Maybe, Valentine's Day is pretty great because... it snot? Maybe, you need a Time Out from chocolate covered hearts, stars, horseshoes, and blue moons. I dunno. Maybe this Time Out Tuesday: Valentine's Day Edition post isn't really about Valentine's Day at all. Maybe this is just a list of things that I thought were neat.

Chocolate is best any time. Even in Time Outs.

For those of you not feeling the warm fuzzies of Valentine's Day... here is a list of the bloodiest anime series ever.

Have you ever hitchhiked? I have, but me hitchhiking wasn't nearly as cool as this guy hitchhiking.

These large format photographs of the Olympics are really beautiful.

This is a camera made of Popsicle sticks!

Neil Patrick Harris has Puppet Dreams. Here is how they made the puppet dreams.

Here are some Instagram photos of the blizzard in the Eastern US.

Here is Bill Nye the Science Guy talking about the blizzard in the Eastern US.

Less complaining. More sexy rumpus.

Cause, Shiny.

Valentine's Day card ideas for those who have to make them but don't want to.

Dead bodies are rising from their graves in Montana and I didn't even know about it until it was revealed to be a hoax.

Speaking of dead bodies, here's a Neil Gaiman story.

And now for something completely different: Who doesn't love Shakespearean insults?

Emergen-C for your ego! I kill myself.

Here is a cool inside look at the Ocracoke, NC lighthouse.

Think you have a pretty cool job? So does this zoo keeper who dresses up like a zebra.

Feeling down this Valentine's Day? Here are some emergency compliments. It's like a packet of Emergen-C for your ego! Maybe... kinda... just go with it.

This is one reason why I love Jhonen Vasquez.

"Tag! You're It!" or "Time Out Tuesday with S.Kemp"

Remember running around with your friends during a summer day playing tag or red rover or kick the can? Have you ever had to watch (or baby sit) someone's child and the first thing out of the whippersnapper's mouth is "Lets play" and play involves running around saving imaginary people or fighting imaginary monsters?

These Italian children showed me that "let's play" can also
mean "run around and chase pigeons".

 A couple of weeks ago I went to a friends house for a cook out. Their granddaughter came over a little later and the first thing she said after she met me was, "You be the sparkle ninja and I'm the rainbow unicorn pegasus. We can change into any animal but we gotta save the people but first we gotta fight each other". I kid you not. I knew it was going to be the start of a beautiful friendship.

It turns out, I'm not as fit as a seven year old. I don't just run around the yard for fun any more. (OK, look. I don't have a yard to run around in anymore.) I was out of breath after 15 minutes of changing into dragons, tigers, sea monsters, rainbow sparkle unicorns and the like. I called a time out. It's a magical phrase.

A time out can be called when you need to catch your breath, when you've been running around with someone 21 years younger than you and you need some water, or when you're about to be tagged "It" but you don't really want to be tagged so you pretend you're out of breath just before the "It" person tags you, so when the "It" person stops running you call "Time in!" and run away. (Apparently, this tactic is only allowed if you are between the ages of three and seven and the "It" person is, like, 28 years old.)

I know it's only Tuesday and Friday seems like a distant star in the glimmering weekend universe, but call a time out, catch your breath, and check out these links before you go running off to something important... like fighting off rainbow sparkle unicorns.

Cutie egg tarts! Yummy source here.

I just love cupcakes. If you do too check out this photo series called "cupcake wars". Cute "edible" things made out of yarn.

I really want to read "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs. Children with extraordinary abilities, old photographs, and a mystery... yeah. Check out this teaser video for the book.

Fan of BBC comedy? Me too. Watch this trailer for the movie "In The Loop". If you think this is funny I'm told you'll also laugh hysterically at the BBC series called "The Thick Of It".

Love writing and you've always wanted to submit something to a contest but don't know where to start? Check out Poets&Writers Magazine's list of contests. It's tidy and sorted by application fee and application deadline.

This link is for Lucy. Fast cars and motorcycles. The Selvedge Yard has some pretty fun photos and links. (The film "Shutter Speed" has a lady motorcycle rider, Lucy! But watching parts of it made me sea sick...)

I love taking photographs of my daily activities as boring or pretty as they come. I also really enjoy looking through photos taken by others to see what their life is like. Aan de dijk is a collection of bright photos taken during everyday Dutch life. (Check out the list of photography links in the "some info" section.)

The art work of Johan Potma. Whimsical cartoonish pantings and sketches. Check them out.

Also. If you haven't seen this yet it's a video of Neil Gaiman when he addresses the University of the Arts Class of 2012. It's an inspiring piece for anyone who wants to write or make good art.

Time Out Tuesday With Lucy

Have some links and pretty things to help you through the week! 

& Rock and Roll Bride talks about Self-Confidence.

& In a similar vein, here's Joy Junkie's list of boosting your Self-Love.

& After reading Imagine by Jonah Lehrer I can tell you that the man knows a thing or two about Creativity. Have a look for yourself by reading this interview he did with Barnes & Noble.

& Why the words Suffering and Artist don't belong in the same sentence.

& Gala Darling isn't Sorry, and neither should you be.

& Damn good writing advice from Dear Sugar 

& Kate Beaton's Mother's Day comic will make you seriously happy. Especially if you've ever been let down by a hero in your field. Or just have really cool parents.

Have a good one!

Time Out Tuesday

Adam "Foxy" Levine. Totes not his nickname, but it should be.

How's it going out there? Y'all having yourselves a good week so far? My Tuesday's looking a little lackluster- but at least there's nifty things on the interwebs! Here, let me show you-

& Let's start this off properly with an article about the talented Mr. Levine. (Phwar!)

& I betcha there's at least one of these 5 Gender Stereotypes that you'd never heard of before. Neat, huh?

& Feeling a little stuck and need to know where to start? Anne Lamott has a few things to say on the subject.

& Strikingly beautiful pictures of New York City when it does, actually, sleep.

& Fiction writers using crazy grammar? Really? Who knew? Grammar Girl, that's who.

& How to stop buying into the BS and how sometimes no choice is the best choice.

 

Time Out Tuesday: Birthday Edition

It seems as though all I do lately, apart from going to work, is take time out. But you have to understand, I work for accountants and as it is tax season... well. You can imagine; only take what you imagine, turn it on its head, flip it, and then multiply it by 10 and you'll get my average work day.

So naturally after a long day dealing with other people's financial angst, I like to come home and switch off my brain.

I didn't today. You see, it is my mom's birthday. And to celebrate, her sister cooked a special birthday meal for her and invited me along. It was simple; a salad, roast pork and asparagus, then poached pears and sweet cheese for dessert. But having a simple meal in the company of some of your favorite people makes a world of difference.

Tonight, we were as rich as kings.

It is the little things in life that are the best. I want all our family birthdays to be like this. Good food, good company, good wine, and good gossip about family scandals is the way to go.

Happy Birthday Mom, and a lovely Tuesday to all of you.

Time Out Tuesday

I played basket ball in high school. I also played ping pong, volley ball, and backgammon. Oh, yeah. Backgammon. I played backgammon in math class so that probably doesn't count as a sport. Ping Pong probably doesn't count either. I wasn't on a team. It was more of a "My school doesn't have established sports teams or P.E. classes, just yet, so let's ask this ping pong coach we know to teach P.E. class for a few weeks" thing. I still claim both. As far as sports go now... well, I'm more of a reader anyway.

Can you think of anything else more unflattering
on a high school S. Kemp? Four-eyes and pimples?
Not even close.

One thing about basket ball I remember, besides the unflattering, blue mesh, knee-length shorts we wore, was the coach calling a "time out". Time outs lasted roughly 60-20 seconds depending on something or another and were usually called strategically at the last minutes of a game. We were behind by two points and needed just three more to win, two more to tie the game. Or, we were ahead by three points and wanted to keep the other team from getting any more points. "Don't foul the other team!" translates roughly to "Don't slap the other girls". Time outs were called so the coach could quickly describe a strategy of getting the ball to one of the VIPs playing so they could get the last points. "Yeah, all right. Go get 'em Seahawks! Break!"

High school sports aside, calling a time out every now and then can be useful. In-office memos invading your Inbox giving you a headache? Call a time out, remember to breathe, take a walk, start over refreshed. Maybe burn some memos when you get home? Got some blue mesh shorts slinking up your legs while you walk? Time Out! Go change your pants. Got a case of the "It's Only Tuesday"? Take a "Time Out Tuesday" with the FS. Yeah, all right. Go get 'em Spatulans! Break!

& Coming Soon: "The Host". The newest movie based on "Twilight" series author Stephenie Meyer's other book. "OMG! I Can't Wait!" or "F*@% That Noise!" And... Discuss.

& Disapproval Glasses. When you're real eye brows just can't disapprove enough.

& This is a fun short video with Sam Daly and Nathan Fillion. Recovering super heros. Do you have a favorite comic book super hero?

&  Learn some new words with copywriter extraordinaire, Charlotte Moore, at The Irritable Vowel. 

& I love Science Fiction. Love. It. This is a really cool detailed graph called "The History of Science Fiction". Zoom in to find LOTR, Mr. Poe, Mr. Lovecraft, Mr. Gaiman, Harry Potter, and other recognizable and not-so-recognizable names.

& Ever dream of flying only to fall awake just before you really start soaring? Check out this video of Birdmen: The Original Dream of Flight.

Time Out Tuesday!

& My favorite comedian, Robin Williams, will be receiving the very well-earned "Stand-Up Icon" award at this year's Comedy Awards! 

& I plan to make a batch of this adult version of Butterbeer this weekend. Who wants a glass?

& Danielle Laporte hits the nail on the head in her article: In Praise of Women.

& Neil Gaiman has a tumblr, and dispenses sporatic bits of wisdom and insight into writing and publishing. Here is an example of how amazing writers know how to kindly kick the arses of their grasshoppers.

&  Digital camera that makes Polaroids? WIN.

Time Out Tuesday: Just Like Childhood

I'm going to have to make this short; Blogger is sassing me and I think that by this point it is just doing this on purpose.

Anyway, I keep forgetting that the new Fantastic Spatula schedule allows me to post on days other than Tuesday, but old habits die hard. But that's ok, because I am actually taking some time off this Tuesday. That's right; I'm not going to worry about falling behind at work, or not having the time to write what I want anymore, or that I have allergies so bad that I'm actually contemplating cutting my nose off. (Ok, not really, but they are bad.)
You want to know why?

There's a storm coming. It's on the edge of town and closing in fast. And it looks like a proper storm, with thunder and lightning. I was saying to Miss Lucy the other day that I remember having a thunder storm every evening in the summer when I was little. It's been a long while since we've had a proper thunder storm and it sounds and smells like those childhood summer evening out there right now.

So, I'm going to be a bit nostaglic tonight and take some time out to relive some of my childhood; listening to storms and watching cartoons. "She-Ra" is on Netflix, and "Freakazoid" is on Youtube. I'm just going to sit back and watch these silly shows and listen to the rain and think of simpler times.

Time Out Tuesday with Lucy!

Meg Park knows how I feel in the mornings.

Good afternoon, Pineapples! :D

I've always wanted to say that. 

How's it going out there, on the internet? Y'all having a good Tuesday so far? How about a reward for making it past Monday? Here! Have some lovely, sweet links! And take a little Time Out. (Though not the kind SKemp was referring to! Yes, the fun kind of time outs!) 

Huzzah!

& Kat, pink-haired genius of Rock-n-Roll Bride, writes brilliantly about The Art of Self Confidence.

& NYLON has a fantastic write-up about the smell of tobacco scented candles. (WANT.)

& Talk about leaving behind a legacy! This man rowed across oceans, lived in the Amazon, worked with a pirate, was a mink farmer, and oh, became a professional gambler in his later years.

& "To Kill a Mockingbird" turns 50 this year. Here are some of the lessons learned on and off the set.

“[Fiction] is an exercise that hones our real-life social skills, another body of research suggests. Dr. Oatley and Dr. Mar, in collaboration with several other scientists, reported in two studies, published in 2006 and 2009, that individuals who frequently read fiction seem to be better able to understand other people, empathize with them and see the world from their perspective. This relationship persisted even after the researchers accounted for the possibility that more empathetic individuals might prefer reading novels.” --Your Brain on Fiction

& Speaking of turning fifty, "A Wrinkle in Time" also has the honor of being half a century young! Here is how comic book artist Faith Erin Hicks summarizes one of her favorite books.

& How to make a Rainbow cake. In a Mason jar. (SO PRETTY!)

& Amanda Wachob is the Inkist behind the most beautiful tattoos!

Time Out Tuesday with SKemp

I remember getting "time out" in the lunch line when I was in kindergarten for kissing my friend Marcus on the forehead. I had to put my nose in the corner and think about what I did. Today, I still don't know what I did to deserve the embarrassment of time out in the lunch line. Marcus was a great friend in Kindergarten. Why shouldn't I have kissed him on the forehead if only to say, "Hey! We both still suck our thumbs. Let's rejoice and get some Jungle Juice."

Time Out Tuesday is better than this.

Thank goodness "Time Out Tuesday" at the Fantastic Spatula offers a little more than just "think about what you did". Thank goodness "Time Out Tuesday" doesn't mean I have to stick my nose in the corner all day. 

Instead, "Time Out Tuesday" is where I can share some of the neat interwebby things I've found, links to stories that have made me ponder, and images that I just want to share. Thank Lucy for a day in which to do that.

& This is a well written article form Gala Darling about feminists and high heels. I've felt this way about wearing make up and fancy clothes for a long time. It's nice to know someone else feels like I do. 

& Katharine Hepburn's Trousers. Scandals of the Silver Screen. 

& On May 8, there will be a vote to amend the NC state constitution that would define marriage as between a man and a woman only. I'm glad that while I'm in Montana I have some friends marching against the amendment.

& My friend Sarah Hamm introduced me to this artist: books and collages and lovely lady art. 

& My dad always sends me interesting things to read and look at through e-mail. Girls that defy gravity and old books carved into awesomeness with medical tools are just a sampling.

& Felicia Day (from The Guild and Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog) will host (host?) a series of awesome nerdy web blog videos. Board Games, Sci Fi Books, Music, Geek and Sundry. It will make nerds smile again. 

Time Out Tuesday: Be A Man

Well now. Miss Lucy's revamp of the Fantastic Spatula format couldn't have come at a better time. At last, I have my Tuesdays back. That means a marathon of "Criminal Minds" that I have heretofore missed because I was busy writing my posts. And let me tell you, I have really missed Hotch's eyebrows. (what?)

But actually my Time Out this week has actually come from across the Pond. Yes, thanks to the miracle of Youtube I can watch shows from my most favorite of nations, Ye Olde England. More specifically, I get to watch my favorite men, or man, rather. Yes, my friends it is true. I have fallen in love again with TV's James May. (What?)

I knew this particular show existed, but had only been able to watch bits and pieces until now. Please, allow me to introduce you.

Ladies, are you tired of having a useless man lying around unable to perform the simplest of tasks? Say, build you your own foundry or defend your honor in a duel? Gents, is mowing the lawn too tiresome or remembering to restock the toilet paper too tedious? Fret no more good people, for James May has come to save you. Welcome, to Man Lab.

This show is definitely worth a look. James May is a master at being a proper bloke. He can even wire plugs, a skill that most modern (English) men can't perform. It is his mission to get men off the couches and back into the shed to reclaim the lost art of being a Man.

I've already wasted countless hours this week watching the man of my dreams, but it has been a happy time. I hope one day to meet a proper chap who can not only wire a plug, but also escape from a maximum security prison and make his ways across the moors and back to my side using only an ordinance map. (What?!)

Time Out Tuesday with S.Kemp

What is up, Spatulans? So, I've started this word file of links and interesting interweb things I've come across and would like to share with you. So, take some Time Out this Tuesday to peruse these links if you so choose.

& I just can't get enough of food that's good for me and delicious at the same time and new recipes. Here are some food blogs that I've come across. My New Roots (try the Tower of Power and the Banana Bread Pancakes), anything with Nutella gets my attention (also this is a good place to find other food blogs), Brown Eyed Baker has a list of St. Patrick's day things to eat and she also helped create the 30 ways to make mac and cheese. Yes, Please. And Joy the Baker is just a joy! (I'm sure she's heard that before.)

Boom! The Next Gen! Photo Credit.

& I really enjoy photographs that are a tad bit creepy, or tilted, or skewed from the way we may be told to look at the world, or just down right pretty in its saturated-ness or fuzzy-ness. So, I've really enjoyed looking at Alison Scarpulla's Flickr photo stream.

& Also, I am a Sci-Fi fan. I don't know why I've only now begun to read Wil Wheaton's blog/twitter/stuff. But here is a pod cast of his.

& My friend Charlotte Moore has a new blog about copywriting called "The Irritable Vowel". She is crass and wonderful and I love that she has the balls to say the things us writerly types are sometimes too scared to say:

“'The Irritable Vowel' is not just a blog about writing. It’s about having the balls to write. It’s about the love of a craft that is too often abused by the likes of the careless and lazy. It’s about style, technique, and damn it, accountability." - Charlotte Moore

& And while we're on the topic of down-right coolness, here's how to grow some Moss Graffiti.That's right.

Photo Cred of Lepine Classic. Om Nom.

& Writing Utensil Porn. Don't open at work. Especially if your work doesn't pay you enough to afford one of these.

& While working at a unique vintage clothing store and costume rental I've been able to use my creative powers for good: window displays and photoshoots. I love looking through clothing blogs for inspiration.

& I also love fables, folk tales, and fairy tales and have recently been searching out new tales to inspire photoshoots and window displays.

& My friend sent me this web site link about design and places to live. Design sponge. But I'm sure you all have seen this web site.

& And we're going to end it with a six-legged giant walking-stick bug. Oh yeah, science and shit.