Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: Author Catherine Nichols Interview with Mr. Media

Author Catherine Nichols connects with Mr. Media in this great podcast and discusses the epic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and all the media that’s embraced Lewis Carroll’s mad, mad world!

Catherine Nichols podcast excerpt:

“My husband and I went on on the ‘Alice in Wonderland Tour that goes up the Thames River. Lewis Carroll told his story to Alice and her sisters during a boat ride up that very river. To see it and to be able to think that, 150-odd years ago, he was on that same river, telling the same story to those kids was very thrilling. And walking around Oxford, seeing the old buildings where he lived, worked and socialized was so exciting!”

10 Best Lines from Children’s Classics

Get nostalgic with these classic quotes from children’s literature. Some of the best insight comes packaged in the the most delightful and well-loved tales for kids.

10) “I deny your right to put words into my mouth.” — Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.

9) “He who is too well off is always longing for something new.” — Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm.

8) “There is no place like home.” — The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

7) “To die would be an awfully big adventure.” — Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie

6) “If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.” — The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

5) “Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don’t you think?” — The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

4) “All the world is made of faith, and trust, and pixie dust.” — Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie

3) “Then her envious heart had peace, as much as an envious heart can have.” — Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm.

2) “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” — Aesop’s Fables

1) “Dead men don’t bite” — Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.

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The new line of children’s classics from Knickerbocker Classics are bold, beautiful, and totally collectible. Get the little reader in your life started on the classics with these gorgeous, totally collectible editions.

Celebrate Gift Carding Day

Have you heard of Gift Carding Day? To celebrate you just need the coveted gift cards you received for Christmas, and a few hours off work. Uggs and yoga pants are recommended for maximum comfort, and BYO canvas bags will definitely help with your haul.

Gift cards are an absolute staple of the holiday season. They are the perfect solution for busy but affectionate people who want to share their bounty. Gift cards allow bosses and coworkers to show their affection without risking the potential letdown of a risky gift choice, or a misunderstanding that could lead to years of awkwardness in the workplace.

Image: SNL Live screenshot

After a delicious free lunch using one of your restaurant gift cards (perhaps a Panera Bread gift card or an Olive Garden gift card), continue on your day of gift carding. Then swing by Starbucks for your Chai Tea Latte and hit the mall to start celebrating. Did you know that Visa gift cards were the most popular type of gift card in 2014, followed closely by Amazon, iTunes, and Google Play? Netflix also made the top 10—so don’t forget to work in time for a quick binge as you celebrate Gift Carding Day. Whether you received a gift card to a local bookstore, Target, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble, you can keep the party rolling with super savvy bookstore purchases.

Here are our top picks for great buys on Gift Carding Day:

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Have fun spending those gift cards!

A John Hughes Holiday – the Best Moments of ‘Christmas Vacation’

This month marks the 25th Anniversary of ‘Christmas Vacation’ starring Chevy Chase! To mark the occasion, Rolling Stone Magazine just published the article, “Xmas or Bust: The Untold Story of ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,'” that describes behind-the-scenes craziness “from freak snowstorms to the comedic cyclone that is Chevy Chase, the cast and creators reveal the secrets behind this beloved holiday-movies classic.”

In 1989, the prolific pop culture visionary John Hughes wrote the movie based on a screen play he had started years earlier. Chevy Chase starred in the film, alongside Beverly D’Angelo, Juliette Lewis, and Johnny Galecki. The movie instantly became a Christmas classic—though it had its fair share of critics—and is solid-gold rerun royalty a quarter-century later.

Check out one of several chapters starring Chevy Chase in John Hughes: A Life in Film (coming in February 2015).

Follow Race Point Publishing’s board A John Hughes Inspired Christmas on Pinterest.

About John Hughes: A Life in Film:

“I stumbled into this business, I didn’t train for it. I yelled “Action!” on my first two movies before the camera was turned on.” – John Hughes

John Hughes wrote 46 movies, produced 23, and directed 8. He never went to film school, never spent time studying film and its history, but was unusually adept in three key areas — writing, directing and producing.

Classics like Mr. Mom; Sixteen Candles; The Breakfast Club; European Vacation; Weird Science; Pretty in Pink; Ferris Bueller’s Day Off; Planes, Trains, and Automobiles; Uncle Buck; Christmas Vacation; Home Alone; and Beethoven will forever live on in the history of film. Launching the careers of Andrew McCarthy, Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, and James Spader, and working with greats like John Candy and Chevy Chase, John Hughes’s influence can still be felt today.

John Hughes: A Life in Film, by Kirk Honeycutt, former chief film critic at The Hollywood Reporter, is the first complete illustrated tribute to the legendary writer and director, and includes fresh interviews with Judd Nelson, Matthew Broderick, Christopher Columbus, Steve Martin, and more.

 

5-Minute Mug Cake: Chocolate Peppermint Cake Recipe

What more delicious holiday flavor can you get this time of year than Chocolate Peppermint? Oh, the tastebuds recall the delicious melting of York peppermint patties and chocolate covered candy canes. This scrumptious cake produces the same brilliant flavor, and only takes 5 minutes to make!

 

 

Chocolate Peppermint Mug Cake:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup (45g) semiswete chocolate chips
• 3 tbsp (45ml) fat-free milk
• 3 tbsp(22.5g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tbsp (7.5ml) vegetable oil
• 2 peppermint candies, finely crushed

Topping, optional (serves 2)

• 1/2 cup (120ml) whipping cream
• 2 tsp granulated sugar

Cooking Instructions:

1. Combine all chocolate chips and milk in an oversized microwave-safe mug. Microwave for about 40 seconds. Mix with a small whisk until chocolate is completely melted.
2. Add flower, baking powder, and oil and whisk until batter is smooth. Stir in crushed peppermints.
3. Cook in microwave for about 1 minute. If cake is not done, heat an additional 15 seconds. Let cake cool a few minutes. Cake is best consumed while still warm or within a few hours of it being cooked.
4. If desired, place the whipping cream and sugar in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer (or use a handheld mixer), and mix on high speed until peaks form. Top the cake with whipped cream. Cake is best consumed while still warm or within a few hours of being cooked.

Stumped on gifts for friends this holiday season? Gather ingredients in a holiday themed clear plastic bag. Find a cute mug, drop the bag full of yummy ingredients inside, and gift a 5-minute delicious dessert to a dear friend. Include the 5-Minute Mug Cake book to ramp up the gift.

About 5-Minute Mug Cakes:

Don’t think you can make a warm, gooey homemade cake in under five minutes? Think again! 5-Minute Mug Cakes is the perfect gift for anyone with a mug, a microwave, and a dream. With nearly 100 delectable recipes for cakes, brownies, cookies, and more, every single recipe can be made in an ordinary, microwave-safe mug in just a few minutes. Author Jennifer Lee, creator of Kirbie’s Cravings, guides you through simple recipe favorites like:

-2-Ingredient Flourless Nutella® Cake

-Salted-Caramel Chocolate Cake

-Funfetti Cake

-S’mores Cake

-Strawberries & Cream Cake

-Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

-Red Velvet Cake

-Lemon Dream Cake and dozens more!

Featuring special chapters like Skinny Mug Cakes (all under 200 calories!), Gluten-Free Mug Cakes, and even 4-Ingredients-or-Less Mug Cakes, there is no excuse for eating tasteless, packaged desserts anymore. Every recipe in 5-Minute Mug Cakes is simple, fast, and delicious. The best part? If you mix your ingredients right in your favorite mug, there is next to no cleanup!

artisticbarf:

I found a cute little bear vest in my garage when I was playing with the kids today and so of course I had to see if it fit hiccup. If I had to guess, I think he likes it. UuU

Win Extreme Hollywood Makeup at New York Comic Con

Do you dream of thick hair sprouting off your face and knuckles? Maybe you wish your flesh would start rotting off your bones? How about some pointy ears to go with your glittery eyebrows? Well, now your fantasy could become a cosplay reality!  Bruna Nogueira, cinematic makeup artist for Teen Wolf, Catching Fire, and CSI:NY, and co-author of the new book, Hollywood Makeup Lab (racepointpublishing) and co author Diane Namm, are offering a chance for one lucky winner to receive a full extreme makeup at New York Comic Con on October 11! QGeekBooks will be hanging out with the team at booth #2006. Swing by and hang out with us! Contestants can enter here: a Rafflecopter giveaway Rules: Must enter by 7:00 pm on Friday, October 10th. 1st place winner must attend New York Comic Con 2014 on Saturday, October 11, 2014 to claim prizes. Entrance not included. Please bring proof of identification. For a peek inside this inspiring and easy-to-use book, check out our concept art from Rayce Bird, contestant on syfysfaceoff!

Enter today to win! Bruna Nogueira, cinematic makeup artist for Teen Wolf, Catching Fire and CSI:NY, will be at NY Comic Con rewarding one lucky winner with a full, extreme makeup look! 

Win Extreme Hollywood Makeup at New York Comic Con

BEER HISTORY from Beer: The Ultimate World Tour

BEER HISTORY:

“Among America’s early statesmen, not only Samuel Adams, but both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were brewers.” – Bill Yenne, ‘Beer: The Ultimate World Tour’

Feel like a movie star! Bruna Nogueira, cinematic makeup artist for Teen Wolf, Catching Fire and CSI:NY, will be at NY Comic Con rewarding one lucky winner with a full, extreme makeup!

http://qgeekbooks.tumblr.com/post/98382164315/win-extreme-hollywood-makeup-at-new-york-comic-con

If you’re going to be at New York Comic Con, enter to win a FULL EXTREME MAKEUP from Bruna Nogueira, cinematic makeup artist for Teen Wolf, Catching Fire and CSI:NY.

Enter here:  http://qgeekbooks.tumblr.com/post/98382164315/win-extreme-hollywood-makeup-at-new-york-comic-con