The first thing I saw when I walked through the door. Shout out to all the other Supernatural fans out there! 😀
For years, my reason for not attending comic book conventions was simple: I don’t read comic books. No better reason than that, right? Well, a month ago the Mister (a big video game and comic book fan) asked me if I was interested in going to our local comic con, Wizard World Chicago. I thought, why not? With him working full time and attending grad school, it’s not often we get to spend a whole day together. Plus, my geeky horizons have widened considerably over the past couple years. I still love my books and tea, but now I’ve added things like Star Trek and Firefly to the mix. I still don’t have much interest in comic books, but I figured the convention might still be fun anyway. Turns out I TOTALLY wasn’t giving it enough credit.
Sherlock and Star Wars pillows by Craft Encounters
Tree mugs by Mesiree Ceramics (they had Totoro mugs too!)
This was a tea booth with steampunk flair!
When we got to the convention hall yesterday, it was PACKED. There were hundreds of people in the main lobby alone. Our first stop was the vendor hall, and I was floored by the huge variety of things there. We’re talking Hogwarts house bathrobes, hobbit hole watercolor paintings, leather Celtic journals, steampunk coffee presses, Star Trek oven mitts, and of course all things superhero. We stopped by a gaming room where the Mister played Super Smash Bros, and there were even Q&A panels with Youtube stars, comic book creators, and famous actors. We went to the Firefly panel and saw Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, and Summer Glau! * insert fangirl squeal here *
Like cars? They had three famous ones on display. This is the car from Knight Rider, but there was also a Mystery Machine and Iron Man’s 1965 Shelby Cobra.
And these are the spoils of my lovely trip to the vendor hall: a custom quote pillow, handmade stoneware Totoro mug, and two custom teas (Red Queen and Irish Whiskey Cream).
As you can see, we’ve got a new look around here! You may recall my special post a few days ago, where I explained that some unexpected problems with my previous blog theme had me hunting for a new one. This gorgeous new theme (courtesy of Nose Graze) caught my eye right away, since it’s so customizable. Unfortunately, it took me almost three whole days to get it set up, but I promise I have a good reason:
I wish I could show you what a cutie he is when his eyes are open, but he’s a VERY hungry man when he’s awake. I seriously doubt he’d have much patience for a photo op if it meant he had to wait for food…he takes after his auntie! 😉
This awesome little guy is my brand new nephew (and soon to be godson!). I’ve been staying at my sister’s place the last couple days to help out with the new baby, which hasn’t left much time for blogging…but it HAS left lots of time for baby cuddles and playing pretend with my 3-year-old niece. The toddler and I even colored some leftover sugar cookies (from my Candied Flower Cookie recipe) with some special food markers I had on hand.
Howdy, folks! I just got back from ringing in July in the best way possible: 5 days of cabin camping with old college buddies! It’s a summer tradition that started 5 years ago. Now that we’re scattered across 3 different states, it’s the most important way we keep in touch. Despite the mosquitoes and lack of cell reception, it’s the highlight of my summer. There’s just something magical about age old inside jokes, ice cream cone s’mores, and late-night discussions about how The Lego Movie is basically The Matrix.
On our way to get groceries for the cabin, we stopped at a Mickey D’s for wi-fi so I could post our final Tom Sawyer recipe: Tom’s Whitewashed Jelly Doughnuts. I brought the leftover doughnuts with me to share at the cabin, and my oh my were they popular, especially with blackberry jam (possibly more so than the original raspberry jam I used). If you’re looking for a drink to go along with your own jelly doughnuts, we just released our Tom Sawyer tea from Adagio: Becky’s Peach Tea! Click here or the image below to visit our tea gallery!
We jumped outside of our comfort zone last month and made a classic MOVIE menu: Star Wars! It was crazy fun to make AND eat, especially the May 4th foray into molecular gastronomy: Raspberry-Mango Planets and Lemon Clouds. I definitely plan on doing more movie menus in the future, but for now we’re back to classic books. Can you guess what our June Book of the Month will be? Here’s your photo hint:
I make no apologies for the punny title. PUNNY TITLES FOREVER!
April was definitely a fun month for food. The Pineapple Ticking Crocodile was a particularly rewarding leap outside my culinary comfort zone. But now it’s time to say goodbye to Neverland and set our sights on somewhere even farther away…
Any guesses as to what our very first Movie of the Month will be, based on the picture?
If you need a final dose of Peter Pan before we head into the realm of sci-fi, swing by the book blog 101 Books to learn some Fascinating Facts about Peter! 🙂
P.S. We wrapped up our April menu yesterday by premiering our new Alison’s Wonderland Teas page (so feel free to order some if your teacup looks lonely).
“Would you like an adventure now,” he said casually to John, “or would you like to have your tea first?” Wendy said “tea first” quickly, and Michael pressed her hand in gratitude, but the braver John hesitated. “What kind of adventure?” he asked cautiously. — Peter Pan
We’ve completed our Peter Pan menu, but since this month has an extra Thursday in it, we get to do a bonus post. Huzzah! This post also happens to be extra bonus-y because we’re announcing a new permanent page on the site. Double huzzah!
It’s hard to believe it’s been 4 whole months since I created a new book-themed tea blend for one of our menus. Fear not, tea lovers! We’ve got a new blend, this time with a Peter Pan theme: Second Star to the Right. It’s a bedtime blend composed of moonlight Earl Grey tea, vanilla, cream, and a sprinkling of lavender.
Click here if that sounds delicious and you need some in your life RIGHT NOW!
Which leads me to my announcement: See that new tab on the menu bar, the one labeled “Alison’s Wonderland Teas from Adagio”? Now you can find all my Adagio blends right here on the blog. SO MANY HUZZAHS! Please order as many as you desire, since the proceeds from the sales help keep the lights on around here.
They make for great Mother’s Day presents too!*
* That was my attempt at a shameless product plug. Am I doing it right?
I had so much fun making the Hunger Games menu this past month, especially the lamb stew (it’s one of my favorite recipes now). Last week’s Katniss Cakes marked the end of the menu, so it’s time to welcome December with a new Book of the Month! Your photo hint is below. Can you guess it?
Happy October, folks! It is officially an acceptable time to decorate for Halloween, so you can bet my apartment is decked out in its finest spooky raiments. Of course, this means it’s time to say goodbye to September and our Redwall menu, but don’t worry. As always, we’re concluding our current menu with an awesome new Adagio tea blend: Abbot’s Chocolate Hazelnut Tea!
Howdy, Wonderlanders! Summer is already in full force here in Chicago, so it looks like we’re in for a pretty intense July. Maybe if I make an appeal to the snow demons, they’ll have mercy and send autumn a little early.
