If You Hate Valentine’s Day…

Posted on Wednesday, February 14, 2024 by Laura W

Trust me, you are not the only one. There are lots of reasons to not be the biggest fan of the holiday. Personally, when I was in high school, I actively dreaded the day. For many reasons, I never really dated in my teens. I struggled a lot with my mental health. I wasn’t quite sure of my sexuality. And on top of it all, I went to a very small school and was very unpopular, so no one even wanted to date me. It was a sore spot on a regular day. On Valentine’s Day, it became an active wound. When I started seeing how based in consumerism the holiday is, my dislike turned to active hatred. If you feel like I did back then (some mix of unlovable and alone), first of all, you’re not alone and you are so so worthy of love, in whatever form fits you. Secondly, you might desperately want something NOT love-related during this frankly unpleasant period. Or you might want some examples of love that aren’t horrifically painful and awful. If either is the case, I’ve got you covered. Continue reading “If You Hate Valentine’s Day…”

DIY Sticker Sheets 🐸✨

Posted on Wednesday, January 31, 2024 by Grae

Cover image featuring the text "DIY Sticker Sheets." On the left side of the image is a photograph of various emoji fusion packing tape stickers laid in a grid on a piece of non-porous parchment paper. On the right side of the image is the text "DIY Sticker Sheets." Between the text and the image of the parchment paper sticker sheet are four different graphics from Canva, including a pixelated pair of black sunglasses, a light green frog with its mouth open and stars twinkling above its head (suggesting amazement), a speech bubble with a pink heart inside, and the word "WOW!" in white bubble letters outlined in bright pink.

In another installment of Grae finds household objects and turns them into art — a.k.a mundane magic🪄 — today we’ll learn how to make your very own sticker sheets using toner-printed images, packing tape and waxed or parchment paper! This craft has it all: it’s easy and engaging; astonishing and adorable; low-cost and endlessly customizable. Moreover, thankfully stickers never seem to go out of style, which is probably all thanks to Lisa Frank. Thanks, Lisa!🦄 Continue reading “DIY Sticker Sheets 🐸✨”

DIY Dip Dye Ceramics

Posted on Wednesday, January 17, 2024 by Megan

DIY Dip Dye Ceramics

I know we aren’t very far into winter (not even a month since the longest night of the year), but TBH I’m already over it. Don’t get me wrong I’ll be complaining about the heat too – there are two weeks in the fall I will find happiness, the rest of the year is debatable. Anyways! If you need a quick craft pick me up this one is super simple and BONUS you can use the excess nail polish you have lying around from NOT giving yourself a pedicure. Below I’ll show you how to transform a few household objects into a marbled piece of artwork! Read the supply list and directions carefully before attempting this project. It is very easy, but it also needs to be very quick otherwise the nail polish will congeal – it’s not bad, but it may not be the look you are going for either. Continue reading “DIY Dip Dye Ceramics”

Is It Worth the Hype? Volume Two

Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2024 by Dana

Here I am again, with another installment of “Is it Worth the Hype” to let you know if you should spend the time on that book that everyone is talking about or if BookTok is delulu and you should move on to something else on your to-read list. Every book has its readers, but it can be disappointing when a popular book doesn’t hit you the same way it does for everyone else.  You can share your hot takes and ALL your feels with us by filling out our Teen Book Reviews form. Who knows, we may feature your review in an upcoming blog! Continue reading “Is It Worth the Hype? Volume Two”

Spend Time Creating This Year

Posted on Wednesday, January 3, 2024 by Megan

Start the new year off with some crafts! One of my favorite resources you can access with your library card is CreativeBug*. Really, I can’t recommend CreativeBug enough – they have everything! You can learn to sew, cook and more. If you want to start a new habit I highly recommend seeking out anything by Lisa Congdon. You can find her books at the library too! She has a great month-long series about making your mark. And on January 31 she’ll be doing a FREE online class about mark making! You can sign up here.

Crafting Conversations A free live event all about mark making with Lisa Congdon January 31st at 1pm PT/4pm ET Register Free Continue reading “Spend Time Creating This Year”

This Was a Pretty Good Blog Post

Posted on Wednesday, December 27, 2023 by Nigel Church

You knew it was a pretty good blog post because it told you so in the title. It was right there at the top. Still, the title of a blog post would usually be something more along the lines of Top Fifteen Dog Breed and Drink Pairings! (number 1 is, of course, Keeshond and Masala Chai) Or is it More Environmentally Friendly to Zorb to Work? (important scientists are still searching for the answer to this one). How then could a blog post be so self-assured that it was “pretty good” if it didn’t even follow commonly accepted practices of blog posting? For that matter how could a blog post be self-assured? It doesn’t even have a self, it’s just ones and zeroes on a server somewhere.

Well, blog posts are like any form of writing, they have a narrative and therefore a narrator and sometimes a Narrator! A Narrator here means an active and eccentric or otherwise unusual voice that is often humorous in its absurdity. Most books and writing tell you what happens with possibly some nice simile or metaphor thrown in here and there. But more unusual forms of narration will happily insert their own voice, use mixed media, or might even outright lie to you. xopoɥʇɹoun ʎllɐǝɹ ʇǝƃ uɐɔ ʎǝɥʇ sǝɯᴉʇǝɯoS. By now it should be apparent that I love finding stories told in unique ways but here’s the thing, it’s hard to categorize them because they can be any genre. So, outside of lists people make, it can be hard to find them. You’ve peaked ahead, haven’t you? You can see there’s going to be a list of books with unusual narration. Well, let’s get to it then shall we? Continue reading “This Was a Pretty Good Blog Post”

s🌞lstice seas🌞n

Posted on Wednesday, December 20, 2023 by Grae

Frozen bubble text reads "Solstice Season"

Tomorrow is a precious day for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere: tomorrow we mark the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year that, if you’re tuning in from mid-Missouri, will give us roughly 9 hours and 26 minutes of sunlight. Maybe it’s my Leo Sun 🦁 and Capricorn Rising 🐐 tendencies that have made the Winter Solstice into one of my favorite days of the year, one that I anticipate and celebrate with both the majestic calm of a vulture sunning its wings and the mischievous relish of a (non-murderous, just mischievous) Gremlin fed after midnight.

A gip/moving image of hundreds of gremlins wreaking havoc in a movie theater while one wearing a feathered hat and red sunglasses swings into the front of the theater on a rope before falling from the ceiling.

Continue reading “s🌞lstice seas🌞n”

If the Companions from Baldur’s Gate 3 Were Readers…

Posted on Wednesday, December 13, 2023 by Laura W

if the companions from Baldur's Gate 3 were readers

They would have very diverse tastes. I can’t be the only one who is still obsessed with Baldur’s Gate 3. Since its release in August, there hasn’t been a week that’s gone by that I haven’t at least thought about the Dungeons and Dragons-inspired RPG. The companions are by far my favorite part of the incredibly detailed game. Larian Studios did a fantastic job creating characters who seem truly alive. Each of them has their own complex background, emotions, thoughts, and opinions. Getting to know them throughout the adventure is truly a pleasure. Given who I am, it wasn’t long into my second playthrough that I began considering what types of books they would all enjoy. Before I share my thoughts, a quick disclaimer. I’m going to try and avoid any major spoilers in these recommendations. However, I did consider some of their backstories in my thoughts. I would say there’s nothing past what you would get in ten hours of playtime. For this reason, we’re only going to discuss the first 4 companions you get at the very beginning of the game. If you are incredibly averse to any spoilers whatsoever, you may want to avoid reading my reasoning. If not, let’s begin with…

Lae’zel

“And I Darken” by Kiersten White

"And I Darken" by Kiersten White Continue reading “If the Companions from Baldur’s Gate 3 Were Readers…”

Season’s Readings

Posted on Wednesday, December 6, 2023 by Dana

 

When the nights are long and cold, there are few things better than cozying up with a good book, and with the holiday season upon us, I have some festive (or not) recommendations to while away the dark winter days.

If you want that adventure vibe, give Winter, White and Wicked by Shannon Dittemore a try. Orphaned Sylvi has chipped out a niche for herself on Layce, an island cursed by eternal winter. She takes comfort in the solitude of the roads and the favor of Winter, a spirit who has protected her since she was a child. When her best friend, Lenore, runs off with the rebels, Sylvi must make a haul too late in the season for a smuggler she wouldn’t normally work with. To save her friend, Sylvi will have to choose: safety, anonymity, and the favor of Winter or the future of the island that she calls home.

Continue reading “Season’s Readings”