Wednesday Wants: Geeky Gifts for Dad

I dont know if I would be the geek I am today if it wasn't for my geeky Dad.  Whether he was teaching me how to read off of a Kool Aid Man comic book, letting me play Atari and my favorite MS-DOS game Castle Adventure, or building something that involved saws and wires in the garage, it is clear the seeds of geekdom were sowed early.  Buying him geeky gifts is something I always look forward to.  I am not big on overt geeky displays like spiderman ties or a star trek robes.  I think the more subtle you are with geeky gifts, the more likely the recipient will be to use said gift.  Here are a few classic Dad gift ideas with a geeky twist.

Darth Vader and Son book by Jeffrey Brown at Amazon.com

I am not a dad, a son, nor do I have any kids, but this book always brings tears to my eyes is just so dang cute and sincere.  Jeffrey Browns sequel, "Daddy's Little Princess" is unfortunately not out yet for Christmas 2012 (WHY??), but is coming soon!

LittleBits Holiday Kit at littlebits.com

For the Dad that likes to tinker.  These electronic components easily snap together with magnets to perform cool functions.  The website has a directory of project ideas and you can buy more components individually on the website to expand off of this starter kit.

Star Trek Logo Cufflinks at amazon.com

My dad was a huge Star Trek fan and religiously taped every episode on VHS, even through Voyager and Enterprise when he would complain about it not being very good.  There is quite a good selection of nerdy cufflinks out there for the more mainstream geek fare, like Star Wars and Marvel.  Also, there is a matching tie bar.

The Zombie Survival Guide at amazon.com

My dad isnt into Zombies, but I imagine some are, and I am sure you would like your dad to survive right?  You can pair this gift with a nice paracord bracelet and your Dad will be more than ready for the Zombie apocalypse.

Ethanol Molecule Flask at Think Geek

For the responsible drinker geeky scientist Dad.  Flasks are another thing that can be easily personalized, so you can put whatever geeky thing you want on it.  Just be careful with copyright images!

Geek Dad project book at Think Geek

For the Dad that still has kids at home.  This is a good gift if you are a geeky kid without a geeky parent.  Help your Dad become the geek you've always wanted him to be!

Zombie Terrarium at etsy store FaerieNest

Terrariums are great gifts for your Dad's desk.  This is a zombie version, but terrariums are easy to make with a few supplies from your local craft store and the right miniatures.  An online search for "[insert geeky thing of choice here] miniature" should be all the start you need!

Happy gifting!

Wednesday Wants: Geeky Baby Shower Gifts

While I dont have kids of my own, I am a proud Aunt to a niece and nephew, and I am getting to be of a certain age where even my non-committal friends are starting to settle down and have children.  Luckily, this provides me with an excuse to buy really cute nerdy baby things, without the commitment of actually having children of my own :)  Below are 10 of my favorite gifts for geeky parents to be!

R2D2 Robeez Soft Soles at Amazon

Little R2s for little feets.

n00b onesie at Think Geek

For the future gamer.

Star Trek light up spoon and bib at Think Geek

I want a light up enterprise spoon myself.

Dr. Who pacifier clip from Etsy shop badwolfstudio

Time travel can be a bumpy ride.  Dont let your baby lose their binky.

Firefly Jayne replica hat by Etsy seller geekabyebaby

Baby hero of Canton!

Superhero onesies at Think Geek

A onesie for everyone's favorite superhero - whichever superhero that may be.

Star Wars ABC book at Amazon

It will take the child a while to appreciate this, but the parents can appreciate right now.

Pacman bib from Etsy store geeklingdesigns

Nom Nom Nom.

Star Wars family car decals at Think Geek

I want to see the family that chooses slave Leia to represent mom.

Ninja vs Pirate Mobile at Etsy store saltyandsweet

Mobiles rad enough to hang in your office once your kid doesnt want it anymore (if that ever happens).  And of course there is a star wars one too!

Wednesday Wants: Geeky Gifts for Pets!

Remember when your pet didnt judge you when you insisted on watching your favorite X-Files episode for the 100 time?  Or how they were there to comfort you when Joss Whedon decided to kill off your favorite character?  Its time to say thank you.  Unfortunately, there is not a lot of geeky stuff out there for pets.  Etsy, hear my plea!

It took a lot of digging (ha!), but I was able to find these 10 fun pet accessories for you and your furry/feathered/scaly companion to enjoy together.

Star Wars Leash at Petsmart

Pretty much a must have for any Star Wars fan with a dog.

Upcycled Apple Computer Pet Bed by Etsy Seller  AtomicAttic

The cat is IN THE COMPUTER!

Stainless Steel Batman Logo Dog Tag by flashgordondesigns.com

Collar bling!

Steampunk birdhouse at Etsy shop kyoob

Ok, so not exactly for a pet, but its still cool.

Zombie Foot Dog Toy at Think Geek

A way to play with a zombie without the fear of getting infected.

Comic Book 'POW!' Catnip Filled Cat Toy at Etsy Shop  myFuzzyTail

Now your cat can get just as excited about comics as you do.

DOG Binary Food Bowl at Zazzle

Why write in English when you can write in Binary?

Hulk Aquarium Ornament at Petsmart

Aquaman would make more sense than any of the Avengers, but alas Petsmart is partnered with Marvel and not DC.

Yoda Dog Ears at Etsy Shop HandMadeMonster

Because when is putting hats on dogs not fun?

Harry Potter Inspired Cat Collars at Etsy Shop MogsTogs

Muggle made, Mrs. Norris approved.

Geeky T-Shirt Repurposing: Batman Drawstring Bag

A couple years ago on the eve of comic-con I realized I didnt want to drag a boring purse around, but I also wanted a small bag I could throw some of my swag in that wasnt indestructible-will-never-decompose plastic.

My friend had given me this batman shirt she said she had loved but grew out of and never used anymore.  It was also a bit small for me, and I couldnt bear get rid of it, so I decided I could repurpose it into a simple drawstring bag.

Unfortunately I made this a couple years ago and I have no idea what tutorial I used (I might have even used the book recommended at the bottom of this post, but I am not sure).  Regardless, this tutorial over at Momtastic does a good job giving you the basics, and I like that it doesnt require you to buy specialty materials like grommets.

I will note the bottom of my bag differs from the tutorial.  I just folded over the corners of my bag and stitched them down, then ran the string into the loop I just created and made big knots so it wouldnt slip out.  You want to make sure when you fold the corners over you leave just enough room to thread the rope through, but not enough where the knot would slip out.  Or, you could just follow the tutorial and do it the right way instead of the lazy way.

If the dimensions dont match the t-shirt (or other fabric) you have, dont get discouraged.  Its your bag, you can make it whatever size you want!  I modify tutorials all the time as you can see with the bottom of my bag.    I am a firm believer in working with what you have, and as long as you are happy with the end result, who cares how you got there.  See the "recommended modifications" at the bottom for some ideas of ways you can modify the tutorial using things you already have in your home.

After comic-con I ended up gifting the bag to a friend's son that was going through a huge Batman phase (I am pretty sure he still is).  I am happy the shirt got to be used and loved by all of us!

Recommended Modifications:

• Instead of a t-shirt, try using old superhero sheets/pillow cases.
• Instead of string, you can use ribbon, shoe laces, or leftover strips of fabric.

Recommended Books:

Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-Shirt by Megan Nicolay

Generation T: Beyond Fashion: 120 New Ways to Transform a T-shirt by Megan Nicolay

Wednesday Wants: Gifts for geeky bakers!

Geek up your kitchen with these 10 awesome gifts for the baker in your life.

Robocup measuring cups at Think Geek

Robotcup wants to help you with your pumpkin pie!

Hunger Games cookie stamp set from Etsy seller totalum

You dont have to be a rich capital sponsor to give your friends the gift of these cookie molds.

Wonder Woman apron at the WB Shop

Be the amazonian princess of your own kitchen.

Lab Science cookie cutters at Think Geek

Because baking is a science.

Stormtrooper spatula from Williams Sonoma

This stormtrooper will do your kitchen bidding.

Darth Vader cake pan at Think Geek

The dark side never tasted so chocolatey.

Pac Man oven mitt by Etsy seller DeeZignz

Cause you know you are going to go all Pac Man on those cookies you are taking out of the oven.

Rosie cookie jar at Amazon

Rosie swears on her mother's rechargeable batteries that she will keep your cookies safe!

Marvel cakelet pan at Williams Sonoma

Embrace your inner villain and show these super heros whos boss by eating mini cakes of their faces!

Handmade Cthulhu cookie mold from Etsy seller ZandaPanda

Feeling anxious?  Have a cookie.

How-To: Batman Bokeh Photo Effect

So with Halloween this past week and everybody dressed up like superheros, I was inspired to try out a new geeky camera effect:  Batman symbol bokeh!  It is also my current title bar for my blog.  I wish I could say I have been getting tons of requests to know how I did it, but I have not.  Here it is anyway.

For those of you unfamiliar with bokeh, its the aesthetic quality of the blur in an out of focus photo. With a little effort, you can actually alter the shape of the blurred lights in the photo.  I have seen people use shapes before, and there are even a few kits you can buy with pre-cut out shapes, but I have never seen superhero themed bokeh.  And that needed to change.

For proper settings for your camera, check out this article at photopoly.net

All you really have to do to get this photo effect is to cover your lens with a piece of dark paper with your shape cut out.  Yes, that is it.  It doesnt even have to be pretty.  I did this in about 10 minutes with a few simple tools I had lying around the house.

Ideally you would use thick black cardstock for this project.  I did not have any, but what I did have was a brown envelope from a 'save the date' for a friends wedding I attended over a year ago.  It was just there chilling in my monstrous bag of "to shred" papers begging to be used.  Procrastination FTW.

I traced around the edge of my camera lens, and cut out the circle.  I free-handed the Batman logo, opting for the most recent 'Batman Begins' version since it was the easiest to cut out with my box cutter, since I couldnt find my craft knife.  Sadly I think the iconic Batman-ness was lost a bit and it just turned out looking more Halloween bats that superhero, but live and learn.

I then very haphazardly taped the disk to the front of my camera.  Save yourself some headache and make an actual "hood" so you still have easy focusing capability.  You can find an awesome video tutorial of this whole process (executed much more eloquently) at the digital-photography-school.com

Now you might be thinking, ok, thats kinda cool, but why/when would I used this technique?  I think with Christmas coming up, and all of the pretty colored lights, you will have plenty of opportunities to play with this.  A christmas card with a classy geek edge?  Or maybe celebrate your geekiness at your wedding reception will all those pretty white lights?  Use your imagination!!

I would love to see your attempts at taking your photography to the next level of geekiness in the comments below!