Lap Desk Lady Review!

As I mentioned previously, I was looking at some lap desks for Christmas presents for both my father and grandmother. They're both hard to shop for, but a lap desk just seemed like a great gift. The problem was FINDING one that looked like it would actually hold up.

I shopped on Amazon and such places and only found ones that were either plastic (boo) or barely had a pillow on the bottom to make it comfortable for your lap. Now that I'm an Etsy fan, I thought, "Well, maybe..." So I searched there and found EXACTLY what I wanted with the Lap Desk Lady!

Not only does she have a variety of sizes for your needs, but she has a ton of styles! The hardest part for me was deciding on the styles for my dad and grandma. After consulting my mom, I went and purchased them each one in small.

I was incredibly thrilled when my box came via UPS.

As you can see, they came packaged very professionally.  They aren't CRAMMED in the box, and they're sealed in giant plastic bags. Although I didn't want to take them out of the bags (they are gifts after all), I did want to examine them.

I was amazed how fluffy the pillow part was and even knocked on the tops - no cheap plastic here. I also took a closer look at the details of the desks.

They look so professionally made. I felt like I would have spent a fortunate on these, but they were the same price as the cheap plastic things I was finding. Look at the attention to detail and quality!

I absolutely love the handle. You can easily rest this up against a recliner and pick it up off the floor whenever you need it. They may appear to be bulky, but they're really light. I think my pillow on my bed is heavier XD They also look really nice, so you could easily get something to compliment your furniture or decor, so sitting it around will never look odd at all.

I was also curious as to how sturdy the pillow was, so I shoved my fist into it a few times. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't ever push on it hard enough to feel the solid top through it.

I was also curious if the size would work as well as I intended, so I sat it on a computer chair with a laptop on it. This will also give you a sense of the size for the small one.

I couldn't be more ecstatic about my purchases. The workmanship is obvious; real care was taken when they were made.They look nicer and are clearly better quality than what I was finding elsewhere and for the SAME price. Each lap desk also has the top treated with scotchguard. The attention to detail is obvious here.

If you're tired of a hot lap or need a writing top that doesn't take up a huge space, definitely check out Lap Desk Lady's shop. With the variety is sizes and styles, she has something for everyone! Check out her shop!

Comic Craziness

So, I'm kind of a comic book geek. I can't say I'm hugely into them as I don't read them religiously, but I have comic crushes, love reading comic RP twitter feeds, and watching pretty much anything comic book related.

This started when I was little. Three animated shows that sucked me in and changed my life forever: Spiderman, Xmen, and Batman. As I watched, I got a crush on Peter Parker, Gambit, Wolverine, and Dick Grayson. I know, strange line up, but that's how it is! (I'm randomly naming them with pix on my Tumblr blog)

Richard "Dick" Grayson - Nightwing

On top of that, I found myself wanting to be like girls in these shows: Black Cat, Catwoman, and Rogue. I couldn't help myself. They were strong and confident which didn't make them horrible role models. This love has never changed.

I hate that, too, Cat.

The only thing that rather bugged me growing up was the lack of redheads (of course, now that I'm older, I know this not to be true). My absolute favorite chick is Black Cat (I can't help it, I fell for Peter first!), and I always wondered what she'd be like as a redhead.

Well, I've been keeping odd hours, so at about midnight last night, I decided to take my favorite Spiderman and Black Cat pic and recolor Black Cat's hair to be a redhead. I finished it at nearly 3 AM XD  Yes, I'm crazy, but I'm pretty happy about the result which is why I've posted it nearly EVERYWHERE! And now I'm adding my blog to that list!

 

 Well, now I know... XD

This is also prompting me to want a leather super hero mask that I've wanted forever. I've been sitting here debating it ... all day! I've picked one out on Etsy, and here it is.

You can see more Ravenwood masks HERE on Etsy!

Now I have this strange desire to dress as a random version of a comic book character for Halloween. Not sure if I'm going to or not, but yeah, so I've been randomly shopping for comic book stuff all day XD  Decided I'd take a break and randomly blog about it, too. Why not, right?

So, until next time I lose my mind... here's your moment of cute!

Geeky Gamer Review!

I recently won an 8bit hair bow clip from Geeky Gamer, and I just had to share about it! I won a Slytherin bow which I'm so wearing to go see Harry Potter this weekend!

My little bow came in a cute little organza bag with a nice, geeky note about winning!

Since it's small, I was kinda worried it'd be fragile, but I played with it and bended it gently, and everything stays well intact. I'm pleasantly surprised at the sturdiness considering it's size and what it's made out of it.

BIG A+! I've been admiring Geeky Gamer's stuff for awhile now, and now I know she's definitely a winner! Look at some of the other very geeky, crafty things she makes!

 

She definitely has a variety of fun things! Check out Geeky Gamer at ALL these locations!

Geeky Gamer on Etsy

Geeky Gamer on Facebook

Geeky Gamer on Twitter

Kandyland Bowtique Review

I recently made a purchase at a BNR from Kandyland Bowtique.

First of all, it was SO HARD to make a choice. She has TONS of things to choose from, and they're all awesome! She does geeky and girly and so much more. I mean, look at the variety!

My item was made to order, so I had to wait a little extra, but it was worth it! The pendant is thick and sturdy. I even tugged on the eyelet, and it was firmly in place.

I also loved how it came in a cute little organza bag and got a little treat with my purchase which I gave to Tiger because he's a starburst kinda guy :D

I also got a little nervous about the ball chain since they can be so short, but this one is just the perfect length.

And of course, I had to have some fun with my new necklace....

That pic is now my facebook profile pic :D  Yeah, I'm a geek.

If you can't tell already, Kandyland Bowtique gets a big A+! Check her out at these locations:

Kandyland Bowtique on Etsy

Kandyland Bowtique on Facebook

Tempura, Romance, Previews, and Puppies!

I'm determined to get writing more here on the blog. I feel bad if I don't write, but life has been crazy for me as you know, and I'm continuing my quest to get a puppy ;D

Before I get into everything, I finished The Host last night. LOVED IT! I want a sequel NOW! It was so much better than the horrendous Twilight. The Host is so about what makes us human, really human, that I was just bawling my eyes out. I really hate being a girl, btw. Just so you know. If I cry from a stupid girl emotion, I get so mad at myself, but I guess that's part of the reason I understood how Wanderer feels so much. Regardless, now it's sitting on Tiger's desk with a note for him to read it :D

First of all, let me tell you about tempura that I made last Thursday. I bought a little box of Dynasty tempura mix to make some chicken, sweet potato, broccoli, green bell pepper, and red onion tempura. I used skinless chicken tenders and all fresh veggies. I cut up extra veggies thinking I'd never use them, but that little box can be incredibly deceiving!

 

 It looks so small. You take out the bag and dump it into a small to medium sized bowl with cold water (the amount is listed on the box). I looked into the bowl and sighed. I have this giant bowl of veggies, and I might get tempura out of a quarter of it.

I was incredibly mistaken. I nearly RAN OUT of veggies! I chopped up 2 small heads of broccoli, 1 large red onion, 1 sweet potato, and 2 small bell peppers, and then I had around 9 chicken tenders, and the batter nearly lasted through ALL of that! If I had chopped up just 1 head of broccoli, I would have had the perfect amount of food, I think.

I took one of my large pots and filled it about 1/3 to a 1/2 way full of extra virgin olive oil (2 inches according to the instructions). I'm an EVOO person because the oil is hard to burn when frying things (from my experience anyway), and you still get flavor without the fat of butter or crisco. If you have a candy thermometer, you want your oil to be up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  If you don't (like me since I've packed mine up somewhere), I'd give it a good 10 minutes or so. A good test I've heard is you put a wood spoon handle in the oil, and if you see bubbles like it's frying the wood, you're good to go. The oil shouldn't ever come to a boil, so don't look for that.

I will warn you chicken tenders take awhile because you have to wait until they're cooked all the way through. I waited until they were a really deep golden brown - almost that of fried chicken tenders you'd get as fast food. You'll want to think they're done, but let them brown. You can't really kill them unless they're so brown, they DO look like fast food tenders. I do suggest turning them every few minutes, though, to help them cook thoroughly.

Now, after a little trial and error, chicken and sweet potatoes were best to do first - they take the longest to cook. Your tenders, if you are unsure, can be sliced open on the side to see if it's cooked all the way through. Sweet potatoes are much easier - trap one at the side of your pan with your metal spoon/strainer and fork it for doneness.

Onions and bell peppers cook UBER fast, so I tried to do those last. Broccoli doesn't take too long, either, but wait until they're golden just like everything else.

The batter goes a LONG way. Using my kitchen tongs, I stirred whatever around in the batter to get a light coating. Then I lifted slightly to let excess drip off. Once you barely have a drip going, flip it upside quickly (to try and not get batter everywhere, although I still did anyway :D), and slowly drop into your oil. Tongs make this easier because you can get some distance between YOU and the hot oil, and if you just drop it, oil can splatter, so ease your foods into the oil.

Once done, you take them out with your metal spoon (Remember, plastic melts :) ) and let them drain in a large bowl lined with paper towels. Paper towels help soak up excess oil.

Here's a pic of the finished product. This was AFTER Tiger and I ate our fill of chicken and veggies. Look how much is left! I winded up getting 6 portions (3 meals each) out of just ONE box. Can't beat that!

My favorite is still the red onions and broccoli.... I love red onions because they have such a distinct flavor than regular white onions, and I love broccoli pretty much anyway I can get it. I even saved the leftover stems to maybe make a fresh veggie salad with.

Now, when Tiger and I first lived together, he worked second shift, and we'd always have dinner very late. The advantage to this, though, was I could surprise him with awesome dinners by candlelight at the table.

It had been awhile since we've had this sort of opportunity since, for a long time, we worked the same hours. No way to surprise him, really. Well, last week, he sounded like he was having a bad day, so I decided to break out some romance - no tv, no distractions, just us and food (and Jean getting random bites of cheese).

I always like to add a little romantic touch, and since I don't have a nice candle holder, I broke out some aluminum foil, and I cut hearts into it. Easy to do, a romantic touch, and would easily clean up any spilled wax.

Dinner was easy enough. I tried a new slow cooker chicken recipe, so the chicken would be ready whenever I needed to plate. I took some leftover tempura (again, because I had so much!) and reheated. Spray a cookie sheet with some oil and place your tempura in an even layer; reheat in your oven at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes. You'll know they're done because they'll look crispy again and be sizzling and golden again. Very easy.

I know how fast Tiger gets home, so I plated dinner about 5 minutes before that and lit my candle. When he walked through the door, he had a big smile on his face. See, Ladies? Screw your romance needs - guys could use a touch, too!

I recently did some spring shopping for new items, and I found some really gorgeous pendants I HAD to buy, and of course, it's only fair if I show you a preview, right?

Yeah, crappy pix, but it IS only a preview... gotta leave some mystery in there ;P

Lastly, my pursuit of puppies. No basset puppies in my future. The ones we heard about were already spoken for which I kinda figured. However, even if they weren't, I wasn't sure I could convince Tiger the price was worth it, so I'm back to looking at adopting a puppy and posting puppy pix and vids on Tiger's facebook wall. So, I thought you guys should get a taste of his torture as well :D So, no normal moment of cute for you - moment of overloaded cuteness instead!

Until next time, I'll keep ya up to date on my Puppy Pursuit!