Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi everyone! Happy Thanksgiving! I can’t believe it’s already (almost) here! I am so excited because Thanksgiving has always been my absolute favorite holiday. Over the years, my family and I have come up with and learned about a lot fun and creative Thanksgiving traditions! So I thought I'd share a few...

Watching the Macy’s Day Parade

I know it seems cheesy and tacky, but I promise it’s actually so fun and worthwhile to watch! There’s nothing like seeing all the crazy balloons, floats, marching bands, and dancers parade around the lively streets of New York City. I’ve watched it every year since I was really little (the best coverage is on NBC from 9am-noon!) and it never gets old. It’s best enjoyed while sitting on the couch with a big fuzzy blanket, just as the first smells of delicious food start to waft all over the house...

Drinking Hot Apple Cider

Grab a mug, boil some water, and dump in a packet of apple cider mix... or pour fresh apple cider into a pot and heat it on the stove - that way you can put a lid on it and the cider stays warm so you can keep going back for more! Hot apple cider is especially delicious accompanied by a cinnamon stick, your favorite book, and a roaring fire. :)

Writing My Thank You Notes

This is my favorite tradition that my family does every year! We set out a pretty bowl in a central location in our house, then cut out slips of paper and leave out a pile of colorful pens. All throughout the day, everyone writes various things that they are thankful for on the slips of paper and tosses them in the bowl. At Thanksgiving dinner, we pass around the bowl and have everyone at the table take turns reading what people have written on the slips. It’s really fun and memorable! (Also, the leftover slips at the end of dinner make a great starting point for a collage or poem... :)

Baking!

My family’s philosophy is that you can NEVER have too many desserts! We always stick with all our traditional Thanksgiving desserts (pumpkin pie, apple tart, banana cream pie, etc.), but we also like to try making something new every year. Even if it doesn’t turn out perfectly, it’s still so fun (and a great excuse to sneak little bites of chocolate or frosting!). For some awesome Thanksgiving dessert recipes, visit http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes-and-cooking/best-thanksgiving-dessert-recipes/pictures/index.html

Making Place-Cards

My family also always puts out place cards for Thanksgiving dinner. It makes the dinner seem just a little more special and fancy! There are so many creative ways to make place cards- here are a few cute ideas I’ve come across: bake pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies and pipe people’s names in frosting, type out names in a fancy script (or handwrite them if you’re good at cursive!) and glue them onto blank place-cards or (stripe-side-down) folded index cards, make leaf rubbings onto wax paper with brown/red/orange crayons and write names with a Sharpie... 

I hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving and an awesome break!!!! 

- Sophie :)

The fine line between procrastinating and enriching oneself (Dani)

Hi everyone! Today was our extremely successful Open Mic in QRT and I want to congratulate all of the amazing writers and performers! The works were incredible and your talent is undeniable. 

And with that, one minute wasted.

Like most all students, the worst thing standing in my own way to academic success is myself. I have a great love of the Internet. Sorry, college, it's not very unique and valuable of me.

The key is to trick yourself into thinking you're actually bettering yourself and indirectly improving your academic performance while you sit online and allow your computer to suck out all your time and strain your eyes. It's an art, really. (Like self-deprecation.)

How I Spend All My Time:
A list of suggestions that are more like warnings because you will become an addict and always be behind on work

1. Use Lumosity.com! Whether or not you have seen its ads, you probably do not know that with the unlimited free trial (which is endless membership, just restricted), you can play 3 games a day and improve your memory. In this day and age, who plays Raindrops and actually studies mental math? Who works on mental "flexibility"? I get so much satisfaction from watching the little brain graph go up and tell me I'm getting so much smarter over time. Since Lumosity.com overhauled its graphics, all the games look beautiful and are fun. My favorite is the penguin race one, but I'm bad at it.
2. Tumblr.com because...the feels. (The feels="a wave of emotions that sometimes cannot be adequately explained." -urbandictionary.com) Look at photos of fashion, animals, the earth. Be deep (while actually laughing to death or being shallow and crying in jealousy over others' perfection). It's better than Netflix. (Maybe.)
3. Find an online PDF of a John Green book and go to town. This weekend I read Will Grayson, Will Grayson, which is co-authored by the great David Levithan (actually not just saying that, I have one of his books and as you can see, I don't just often buy books). Here's my favorite line: the mom is watching Pride and Prejudice and the son the 2nd Will (there are two Will Graysons) says "mom's maxiseries hasn't come yet to its austen sh*tty limits." And I had an epiphany because I just thought it was a great pun. "AND YOU TOO MIGHT BE SO LUCKY!" (–TFIOS) as to experience a literary mental explosion like that one.
4. Figure out what your favorite books, shows, and songs and movies are. It is a perfect and unbelievable drain of time because even just favorite songs is impossible. I go back and listen to all my favorite music and judge it based on content and whether it can be stomached on repeat. Do this and you've had fun and tried to define yourself, right? For giggles, I would like to share my favorite lines of all time. Maybe it can be a found poem. I don't know why they are all about sun or the stars.

"You look like a thousand suns, I wanna be the only one" –Neon Trees, "Your Surrender"

"Whatever happened to Amelia Earhart? Who holds the stars up in the sky? Is true love just once in a lifetime? Did the captain of the Titanic cry?" –New Radicals, "Someday We'll Know"

"I was there when the rain tapped her way down your face/You were a miracle, I was just holding your space" –Gregory Alan Isakov, "Big Black Car"

"The stars are blazing like rebel diamonds cut out of the sun/Can you read my mind?" –The Killers, "Read My Mind"

"Remember seeking moons' rebirth, rains made mirrors of the earth, the sun was just yellow energy" –Gavin DeGraw, "Chariot"

"The winds of change are blowing wild and free/You ain't seen nothing like me yet" –Bob Dylan, "Make You Feel My Love"

"I want a sunburn/Just to know that I'm alive" –Thriving Ivory, "Angels On the Moon"

"I wish I could do better by you cause that's what you deserve" –City and Colour, "The Girl"

"Let the rain fall/I don't care/I'm yours, and suddenly you're mine, suddenly you're mine/And it's brighter than sunshine" –Aqualung, "Brighter than Sunshine"

"We're burning down the highway skyline/On the back of a hurricane that started turning when you were young" –The Killers, "When You Were Young"

"Please don't try so hard to say goodbye" –Maroon 5, "She Will Be Loved"

"Another sun-soaked season fades away/You have stolen my heart" –Dashboard Confessional, "Stolen"

"And the decades disappear/Like sinking ships, but we persevere" –The Killers, "Dustland Fairytale"

"When I'm losing my control, the city spins around/You're the only one who knows you slow it down" –The Fray, "Look After You"

"Between who you are and who you could be/between how it is and how it should be" –Switchfoot, "Dare You to Move"

"There's no words to describe it/In French or in English/Cause diamonds, they fade/And flowers, they bloom/And I'm telling you/These feelings don't go away" –Citizen Cope, "Sideways"

There you go. Four hours well spent! P.S. Submit to Tapestry! It's the bomb-dot-edu.

-Dani Burton

What is the BEST Young Adult Novel of All Time??? (a la March Madness)

I'm sure you have a favorite book. I'm sure you also fight very strongly to say that it's the best book EVER. I know that that's the way I feel about all of my favorite books, and I have a lot of those! Also, everyone in my family gets really into March Madness, so I've become a big fan. That's why I was so excited when I stumbled upon Entertainment Weekly's Young Adult Novel Bracket Game. Like the NCAA championship, this started with 64 books, and one will eventually be crowned "the best young adult novel of all time", thanks to online voters in each round. 

As I looked through the (almost) completed bracket, I was so thrilled as to what books made the list. I've read 15-20 of them, all of which I've adored, but many of them are on my list to read when I actually get some time. It made me think about how literature brings so much joy, especially through young adulthood, where we all need something to cheer us up at one point or another. 

The final two are The Fault in Our Stars and The Harry Potter Series. Which one will you vote for? (GO TFIOS!!!)

So check out the bracket here, and be even more thankful for great books!

http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/i/2013/11/18/YA-BRACKET-V2-05_1800x2393.png

-Megan :))))))))

OPEN MIC ON FRIDAY!

Hey everyone!

There will be an open mic in the LGI room on FRIDAY NOVEMBER 22ND during QRT and YOU'RE INVITED! You can sign up on the poster in front of room 176 to read poetry (original or not), perform slam poetry, perform music, or read a piece of yours or someone else's. Can't wait to see you there!

There will also be baked goods on sale for $1! 

- Emily 

Updated Classics (or, Web Series!)

Hey guys!

Today, I decided to blog about web series. (I don’t know how many people are familiar with them, so if you aren't here you go: “A web series is a series of scripted videos, generally in episodic or webisode form, released on the Internet or also by mobile or cellular phone.” Thanks, Wikipedia.) There are three I would like to tell you about, and here they are...

1. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries  -  LBD is a modern adaptation of Pride & Prejudice. I’ve always liked Jane Austen, Regency, etc, but this series made me realize that I was still missing a piece: I didn’t connect with the characters when I read Pride & Prejudice the way I did with other books. The modern update of the plot along with fantastic actors made me think about the characters (especially Lydia) in a whole new light. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, produced by Hank Green and Bernie Sue, has concluded with 100 episodes, 10 Q&A videos, and an Emmy (!).

2. The Autobiography of Jane Eyre  -  I guess you could say that LBD was my “gateway web series”; after it finished, I started watching two others, the first of which was AJE. My sister actually introduced me to it, and it’s a(nother) modern adaptation of -- you guessed it -- Jane Eyre. A lot of people compare AJE to LBD, but I don’t think that makes sense. The stories are completely different, so of course they’re not going to have the same features. The Autobiography of Jane Eyre definitely seems more DIY and gothic than The Lizzie Bennet Diaries… just as it should. AJE is currently ongoing, with 46 episodes released so far (3 of which are Q&As).

and…

3. Emma Approved  -  The most recent web series I’ve began is Emma Approved (produced by Bernie Sue). Emma Approved is a modern adaptation of Emma by Jane Austen. It began in October and has twelve episodes to date. Ever since LBD, I really wanted a web series of Emma, so I am very happy that it’s finally happening!

You might have noticed that all of these are present-day updates of well-known classics. Honestly, I’m not 100% sure why they appeal to me so much, but they do! These are especially great to watch if you know the books, or if you want to experience them without the harder-to-get-through language.

If you’re interested in watching any of these, here are some links and some information about updates:

- The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (completed)

- The Autobiography of Jane Eyre (updated on Wednesday and Saturdays)

- Emma Approved (updated on Mondays and Thursday, with the occasional surprise Q&A)

Videos on Pemberley Digital’s channel

And finally... 
Shoutout to my sister Sarah who is in college but decided to Tapestry blog-stalk me just for kicks. <3


~ Maria

Hey Everyone! 

Since I did not have a first blog post, I made up for it this week with two parts of my blog post! The first part is of natural and man made phenomenas. Enjoy! 

In the Chinese province of Shandong; the bridge across the Gulf of Jiaozhou

Favelas of Brazil.  The boundary between wealth and poverty

These trees grow in the forest near Gryfino, Poland. The cause of their curvature is unknown

photo of a storm in Montana, USA 2010

desert with Phacelia (scorpion weed) flowering once in several years

A cafe in Europe.  On one side of the line is the Netherlands and the other side is Belgium.

Caramel Cupcakes

Do you ever get strange cravings for certain foods?  I normally get them all the time and especially at this time of year because of all the distinct fall flavors.  However; I also get cravings for places; such as when I strongly desire to be in France whenever my mom makes me set out the cheese platter for a dinner party, or when I imagine myself in Alaska whenever I feel crowded in school or with my own thoughts.  But since last autumn when my family and I took a weekend trip to Washington DC, I get cravings to be in DC, walking down Embassy Row, stepping over the golden ginko leaves that clash against the stone architecture of the embassies.  One of my favorite memories of my trip was going to Sprinkles Cupcakes near the Georgetown campus after deciding not to go to Georgetown Cupcakes; the more famous of the two after inspecting the line that bulged out the door.  Despite not being able to go to Georgetown Cupcakes, the cupcakes at Sprinkles turned out to be delightful, especially my salted caramel one.  After that, Sophie Rodosky who shares the same love for DC and cupcakes got me a Georgetown cupcakes cookbook that I adore.  And of course, the cookbook includes my favorite recipe for salted caramel cupcakes.  When or if you make these cupcakes, try to imagine yourself in a place as precious to you as Washington DC is to me.  Sorry for the odd units- I tried to convert everything to mass! Good luck! 

makes 30 medium cupcakes

FOR THE CUPCAKES

~ 31.25 oz. / 906.25 grams :  all purpose flour

~ 6 1/4 teaspoons :  baking powder

~ 0.625 teaspoons :  salt

~ 20 tablespoons :  unsalted butter, at room temperature

~ 30.625 oz. / 875 grams :  granulated sugar

~ 5 large eggs, at room temperature

~ 5 3/4 teaspoons :  vanilla extract

~ 3 1/8 cups :  whole milk, at room temperature

~ 2 1/2 cups :  caramel sauce

~ 2 cups sugar

~ 1 tablespoon water

~ 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

~ 1 teaspoon vanilla

~ 1 cup heavy cream

FOR THE SALTED CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM

~ 46 tablespoons :  unsalted butter, at room temperature

~ 10 cups :  confectioners' sugar, sifted

~ 2 1/2 teaspoons :  whole milk

~ 2 1/2 teaspoons :  salt

~ 1 1/2 cups : caramel sauce

~ 1.2 cups sugar

~ 0.6 tablespoon water

~ 7.2 tablespoons butter

~ 0.6 cup heavy cream

TOTAL CARAMEL

~ 4 cups sugar

~ 2 tablespoons water

~ 24 tablespoons butter

~ 2 teaspoons vanilla

~ 2 cups heavy cream

for the caramel sauce

Pour the sugar and water into a large saucepan.  Heat on medium-high heat and stir constantly until the sugar completely liquefies.  Stir constantly and be careful not to burn the sugar.  After all the sugar has dissolved, add the butter and vanilla to the saucepan and mix thoroughly.  Once the butter has melted and both the butter and sugar are completely mixed, remove from heat and, using a whisk, slowly whisk in the heavy cream until you reach a beautiful golden brown caramel color.  Set aside and let thicken for 5 minutes at room temperature.  Then refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before further use.

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.  Line 2 cupcake pans with 12 paper baking cups.  Line one 6 pan with 6 cups.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt on a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper and set aside.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar for 3 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly after each addition.
5. Add the vanilla extract.
6. Slowly add one third of the dry ingredients followed by one third of the milk.  Mix slowly, and then add another third of the dry ingredients, followed by one third of the milk.  Mix slowly until incorporated.  Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed.  Then, finally, add the last this of the dry ingredients, followed by the last third of the milk.  Mix slowly until fully incorporated.
7. Add the caramel sauce and mix slowly, swirling it into the batter but not mixing it in completely.
8. Using a standard-size ice-cream scoop, scoop the batter into the cupcake pans and bake for 16 to 18 minutes. (start checking at 15 minutes)  Transfer the pans to a wire rack to cool completely.

for the frosting

Add all the ingredients to the gown of a stand mixer or to a bowl with a handheld electric mixer, and mix on high speed until light and airy.  Frost cupcakes with the swirl.  (around, up, 1/2, down, lift.)  Drizzle extra caramel in a flower pattern on top.

~bailey