Follow Friday: Geek Dad & Geek Mom

Since it has been so long since I've offered up a Follow Friday and these two fit so well together, I'll give you a two for one deal.

I am not a parent, but I am a geek with a special interest in children's media. These two blogs are a perfect fit for me because they are intended for geeks who are immersed in children's media.

From Geek Dad

I discovered Geek Dad just after grad school and I've been an avid reader ever since. It is a great resource for updates and reviews of gadgets, games, comics, movies, books and Phineas and Ferb!

From Drop Box

I confess, I was leery of Geek Mom when it started. It is a spin off from Geek Dad and my initial thoughts were that separate is inherently not equal.  Women were posting on Geek Dad for as long as I had been reading, so I didn't really find Geek Mom necessary. Geek Mom seems to have some extra parenting tips, education related discussion, and healthy food ideas, but overall it is just more great information. There is a little bit of cross posting with Geek Dad, but they do a great job of organizing theme topics without having overlap redundancy.

Follow Friday: Further Dispatches

From Further Dispatches

Since Lost ended Jorge Garcia has been sharing tidbits and updates from Further Dispatches. He introduced me to Plants vs. Zombies, P.J. Clark's and now he's started to talk about party games. He doesn't post frequently, but I always enjoy them.

Follow Friday: Family Chic

From Family Chic

From about section:
I love feathering my nest in unique ways. This blog is a place for me to catch all of my ideas as I'd like to put out a book one day. I hope these projects inspire you.

Camilla's projects on Family Chic are colorful, simple and inspiring. She shares fun little ideas that cute and affordable little projects. I really like that most of her ideas do not require much in the way of craft supplies. A lot of people create beautiful things and share wonderful instructions, but I usually feel like their craft room is a mini-Hobby Lobby. I admit that I have an outrageous amount of stuff for knitting, but I don't have (or want) a large collection of supplies for crafts I don't do regularly. I love that Camilla's ideas are not just inspiring and beautiful, but also things I might actually do. Check out this adorable bud vase. I know I'll use that.

Follow Friday: Exercise Before Knitting

This should have been Friday's post but Blogger's troubles kept me from posting it on time so this week you have a bonus Wednesday Follow Friday!

From Exercise Before Knitting

From About Elinor:

I live with my husband, two kids, and two dogs in Columbus, OH, where I attend medical school at The Ohio State University. Generally speaking, I find “exercise before knitting” a good rule by which to live. I will wash dishes for homegrown tomatoes, sturdy wool, and even sturdier coffee.

I agree with Elinor that exercise before knitting is a great rule. I need to do better about following it myself. Her blog is just as inspiring. It is everything you could want from a knitting blog: fantastic projects, beautiful pictures, great patterns and enviable fibers. If you really want to  appreciate Elinor, look no further than her post on making the most of your yarn. It is a fantastic tutorial on how to use a little bit of math to plan out stripes that will let you use your miscellaneous yarn left overs and look completely intentional.

Follow Friday: Eskimimi Knits

From Drop Box

Hopefully you remember Eskimimi from Knit and Crochet blog week. She does an incredible job of putting together an internet event, and her online realm is just as awesome. She has great knitting posts full of beautiful pictures. She also has great patterns, and a bunch of useful tutorials (check out the photography series.)

Twitter Bonus: @Eskimimi (here you will also get to see great pictures for World of Monkey!)

Follow Friday: Epbot

From Epbot

From About Page:
Hiya. I'm Jen. You might know me from my other blog, Cake Wrecks.

In the past I've been a Jungle Cruise skipper, a cash office accountant, a children's book inventory expediter, a house painter, and a clown - not necessarily in that order. Today I'm a blogger, which is kind of like "clown" and "expediter" mashed together. And from the beginning, I've always been a geek.

Epbot is where I share the things I like, the things that make me laugh, and the things that I'm working on. If it's sci-fi, steampunk, clever, crafty, or cute, I probably love it.

I also quote The Princess Bride and Ghostbusters a lot. Sorry.

Hope you like it.

- Jen

I talked about my love for Jen and her Cake Wrecks team. Epbot is where Jen unwinds and shares all of her non-cakey interests. Cake Wrecks led me to believe that Jen is an entertaining humorist. Epbot has be convinced that she is my long lost BFF. She matches my Disney fandom and general geekery. I my (completely not creepy at all) fantasy world we'd be be neighbors. I'd teach her to knit, and she's lend me steampunk books and we would have regular squee fests playing games and watching movies. Sadly my (completely not creepy at all) fantasy world doesn't exist, I just lurk on her blog and pretend that everything she writes is something she is sharing specially for me (which admittedly does seem a little creepy...) Go check out her blog. You will quickly be able to tell if her interests match up with yours and if they do, you'll likely wish she was your best friend too.

Twitter Bonus: @cakewrecks

Follow Friday: The Art of Elsa Chang

From Elsa Chang

From Profile:
Recently graduated from Art Center College of Design in Illustration. Currently working for Disney Publishing.

I seem to be on a streak with the art blogs. I just really like to look at pretty pictures. Elsa Chang's work is no exception. I was drawn in by her Wicked Series, but I am smitten with this giraffe. (A giraffe by a Disney artist, that was probably predictable.) What about you? Do you have any favorite artists?

Follow Friday: Drawn to Run

From Flee

From About Me:
My name is Flee. I'm an illustrator and runner - and this is the place where my worlds collide. Here you'll find all the running cartoons you've always known you've never wanted.

Flee hasn't posted in awhile, but I want to share her blog anyway.  I love the content so much when she does share that I stick around just in case.  On Drawn to Run, Flee combines her fantastic illustration skills with her running passion. I found her blog very inspiring when I was starting to run last year. I share her love for Disney even if I haven't been converted to birthday shoes. If you would like to check out more of Flee's art you can browse her website and grab a great picture of Belle rocking the running gear from her Zazzle store.

Follow Friday: Drawn From My Father's Adventures

From Drawn From My Father's Adventures

From About This Blog:
I have always loved my father's stories, the grim ones from boarding school during the war, the exciting ones from being the son of a spy, the exotic and bizarre and beautiful ones from traveling to unpronounceable places long before there were guide books. I have always seen these stories as pictures and I thought it was high time I coaxed them in writing from the source and drew them.

While I was going to college in Arkansas, I co-taught an ethnography course with a very good friend. I don't quite remember how I initially got involved with it, but I know that it gave me a new appreciation for listening to and making note of the stories that our loved ones have to share. Drawn From My Father's Adventures has Simon Blackall's fantastic stories and his daughter Sophie adds her art to take them a step further. I always enjoy what I find here.

Follow Friday: Dr Chop Suey Knits

This post should have been last Friday, but I lost track of time in a Zombie Apocalypse. All of the prep for Blog Week has been keeping my writing efforts pretty busy so I am just now catching up.

From Dr Chop Suey

From Header
A blog about a research technician who is addicted to yarn and knitting, oh yeah, and is still trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up.

I spend all day working with researchers and trying to help them get the funding they need to keep their labs running. You'd think at the end of the day I'd need a break, but I admit, I have a soft spot in my heart for them. The knitting and the science geekery were enough to get me to get me to check out Dr Chop Suey. The adorable bunny pictures keep me hooked.

Follow Friday: DC Women Kicking Ass

From DC Women Kicking Ass

DC Women Kicking Ass is a Tumbler for "Thoughts, pictures, reviews and other stuff about the women of DC Comics, and occasionally Marvel and other places, who kick ass."

I have been trying (and I think finally starting to succeed) to get into and understand comics better lately. While I don't have a blanket affinity for the female stars, I am drawn to the women characters more. I relate to them more than most of the guys and I want to cheer when they get to be strong individuals rather than frivolous eye candy.  Though I haven't figured out why, I also seem to more of a DC fan than most of the other publishers. So, this tumbler is great for me. Most of it is fantastic art of these beautiful characters, but I can also count on updates and news about them as well.

Follow Friday: Cake Wrecks

From Cake Wrecks

What's A Wreck:
A Cake Wreck is any cake that is unintentionally sad, silly, creepy, inappropriate - you name it. A Wreck is not necessarily a poorly-made cake; it's simply one I find funny, for any of a number of reasons. Anyone who has ever smeared frosting on a baked good has made a Wreck at one time or another, so I'm not here to vilify decorators: Cake Wrecks is just about finding the funny in unexpected, sugar-filled places.

I confess, I've made and I've bought my share of wrecks. Jen and her team crack me up every day with wrecky mistakes. You could laugh yourself to tears just looking at the photos in each post, but I promise reoccurring giggle fits throughout the day if you read along. (Though sometimes, you'll need to sing along for full effect.)

Amazingly enough, this site has almost completely overcome my sweet tooth and ended all of my cake cravings. Throughout the week, the wrecks are unappealing enough, that I have no desire to eat most of them. On Sunday's the sweets are far too incredible to eat. I couldn't bear to cut into a single one. The best and the worst are all here, and thanks to Jen, I appreciate my local bakers like never before.

Twitter Bonus: @Cakewrecks

Follow Friday: Brooklyn Tweed

From Brooklyn Tweed

From About:

Jared Flood is a Brooklyn-based knitwear designer and photographer. His articles and designs have appeared in Vogue Knitting, Interweave Knits and various other print and online publications.


His first book Made in Brooklyn, a collection of handknitting designs in natural fibers, was published in August 2009.


In October of 2010 Jared launched Shelter, an artisanal line of American wool yarn. Shelter was meticulously developed as an ideal product for handknitters with an aim to support the American textile industry.

It seems silly for me to be gushing about Jared Flood again but it was inevitable. His blog is where I get my first reports of new projects, finished patterns, and now original yarn. I know that I've used elegant to describe his work before, so this time I am going to call it graceful. Both his designs and photos are filled with undeniable beauty, and they inspire me to create with the same perfection.

Twitter Bonus: @BrooklynTweed

Follow Friday: Brooklyn Botanic Garden

From Brooklyn Botanic Garden

From the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Mission Statement:
The mission of Brooklyn Botanic Garden is to serve all the people in its community and throughout the world by:
Displaying plants and practicing the high art of horticulture to provide a beautiful and hospitable setting for the delight and inspiration of the public.
Engaging in research in plant sciences to expand human knowledge of plants, and disseminating the results to science professionals and the general public.
Teaching children and adults about plants at a popular level, as well as making available instruction in the exacting skills required to grow plants and make beautiful gardens.
Reaching out to help the people of all our diverse urban neighborhoods to enhance the quality of their surroundings and their daily lives through the cultivation and enjoyment of plants.
Seeking actively to arouse public awareness of the fragility of our natural environment, both local and global, and providing information about ways to conserve and protect it.


I love my Botanic Garden. When the weather is nice Hubby and I take our after dinner strolls in the garden. It is one of Hubby's favorite places to take pictures. I follow the blog to keep up with the events and news, but mostly, I want to see their gorgeous pictures.

Twitter Bonus: @bklynbotanic

From Hubby

Hubby has enough pictures of this waterfall to make his own calendar.

Follow Friday: Ask a Copywriter

From Brian Thompson

From About:
I believe advertising can solve all of the world’s problems.
Well, at least yours.

I like advertising. When I watch TV by myself, I'll rewind the DVR if I've accidentally skipped a commercial I've seen before.  I have once or twice moved to the other end of the subway car so I could read all of the ads in a particular series. I'm not such an avid fan that I stay current with the field or really follow what is new very seriously, but I like this blog because it is just what I want.  Every so often, Brian Thompson will post pictures and videos (with admirably concise commentary that could only come from a copywriter.) What I enjoy the most is that he will post a full (or close to full) series of ads. I may have seen one commercial or walked by one poster and thought it was witty. His posts will have all four of five in the series and by seeing them all, I appreciate the approach (and often the humor) even more.

Follow Friday: Art Yarn

From Drop Box

From ArtYarn's about blurb:

ArtYarn is a collaborative knitting and crochet project coordinated by visual artist Rachael Elwell.


ArtYarn formed in 2008 and continue to collaborate with local community groups, world wide knitting and crochet networks and arts organisations to create gallery installations, public arts projects and creative craft workshops.


ArtYarn are inspired by the versatility of knitting and crochet as an artistic media, as well as the traditional technical aspects of knitting and crochet.


This supports the creation of highly crafted art works with a contemporary outcome. All ArtYarn projects reflect the artistic, social and historical contexts of knitting and crochet, and focus on the tactility of hand manipulated processes.


With this, ArtYarn explore individual creative expression and focus projects on devising ways to make knitting and crochet accessible through participatory making.


ArtYarn are currently based; At Ebor Mill Studios, Littleborough, Lancashire (UK), and from ArtYarn's home town Todmorden, West Yorkshire.

I like following Art Yarn because I like to be reminded of the art associated with my craft. I don't think of myself as an artist. I create things, but I rarely use much creativity. I think that a lot of knitters are artists, but I sometimes forget that. I've found that since I've become a knitter, the way I view knitted things has changed. My ability to recreate something dulls my awe of a lot of knitting.  This means that when I am in the store and I see a sweater I'm not as impressed.  I now weight the benefits of getting it quickly and cheaply now against waiting and customizing it to myself later.

While I generally think this is a good thing for shopping (I've stopped buying as many mass-produced, poor fitting, acrylic sweaters) it is not as good, but almost as strong when it comes to hand knits.  I have huge respect for people who create and design knit pieces. Sadly, respect does not have the same immediate emotional impact that awe does.  Art Yarn regularly posts yarn bombings and creative pieces that are fiber creations, but are different from the sock, sweater, and blanket patterns that I regularly see on Ravelry. That difference is enough to re-inspire the awe, and remind me how much more than a craft my hobby is.

Follow Friday: Daily Squee

From Daily Squee

The Daily Squee is part of the Cheezburger network. This entire site appeals to my love for animals. Well, my love to look at animals (especially when they are looking cute.) I would love to have a cat, and some day I'll convince Hubby that we need a dog. Right now it is not a concern because our apartment is very clear about their no pets policy. Hubby and I even strategically asked* about a kitten right after we had some mouse issues. Despite the recent rodents, we were denied. So, all of those moments that I am missing with my very own pet are made up for with the adorable photos on this site.

*If you are planning to ask for a pet, I suggest you take a look at the strategy of KPiep and her daughter. They are masters of their art ;).

Follow Friday: A Rare Bread

From  Julia Baum

From Julia Baum's profile page:
Some say we're going extinct. As a redhead myself, I think the world needs more pictures of our Rare Breed

For A Rare Breed Julia Baum takes fantastic photos of some of the world's best looking people. Redheads! If you are a red head, if you love a redhead, or if you simply recognize their beauty, you will appreciate these occasional photos.

Follow Friday: A New Dress A Day

From A Dress A Day

A Dress A Day does not have an about section so this was taken from the About the Author information associated with Erin McKean's new book The Secret Lives of Dresses:
Erin lives in California south of San Francisco and spends her free time reading, sewing, blogging, roller-skating, and arguing about whether robots or zombies would win in a fight (lasers optional). She loves loud prints, quiet people, long books with happy endings, and McVitie's Milk Chocolate Hobnobs.

Sewing is not my craft, but I admire those who do it.  Despite not being able to even consider the possibility of sewing a dress, I cannot stop reading Erin's blog. She shows off fabulous fabric, and great patterns.  The absolute best part is her revelations of what the women in the pattern example images are really thinking and talking about.  She is a grammar advocate with great taste and a wonderful sense of humor.  I recommend everyone check out one of her pattern story posts for a smile, and those of you who like sewing should stick around for a few more posts.

Twitter Bonus: FakeErinMcKean

Follow Friday: 1000 Awesome Things

From 1000 Awesome Things About page:

1000 Awesome Things is just a time-ticking countdown of 1000 awesome things. Launched June, 2008 and updated every weekday. Published as The Book of Awesome in April, 2010.

I was late in discovering 1000 Awesome things. I didn't hear about it, until the book was published, but now I'm hooked. What can I say, he's got me pegged. Every morning, I am reminded of something small that I find completely awesome. It is usually something simple and situational. Each post sparks a memory of the time that I experienced that something awesome, and memory always gives me a little smile. I am in full support of taking a moment out of each day for good memory and a small smile.

Twitter Bonus: @1000Awesome