This past weekend, I found myself in NYC for a couple of hours. It was pouring out in the city- damp, frigid and pretty miserable- and I ended up ducking into The Morgan Library and Museum on Madison Avenue for a short period of time to dry off, warm up, and browse Pierpont Morgan’s private library and study. I couldn’t resist snapping some photos (without flash, of course,) of the collection- because the rooms were just so gorgeous and awe-inspiring. I wound up slowly walking from shelf to shelf- exhibit to exhibit- staring through the glass at rare books and artifacts that had been accumulated over the years.
Admission to The Morgan Library was $18 (for adult entry) and I recommend it for anyone who wants a quiet and quaint museum experience for a couple of hours while they’re in New York- with or without a torrential downpour outside.
Afterwards, prior to catching my train, I made a quick-stop a couple blocks down and around the corner at Black Shack Burger to grab a bite to eat- and although the service left a lot to be desired (the guy at the counter obviously wanted to be anywhere but there and seemed kind of irritated while I was doing a speedy browse of the menu-) the food was really, really, REALLY good. I liked the atmosphere of the place, too, which felt like an underground punk rock club with all the gig posters I saw tacked up by where I had sat down. I’d definitely stop by again- and hopefully the employees are in better spirits when I do.
All in all, it wasn’t a bad way to spend a rainy, chilly Sunday- although next time I’ll be sure to bring or buy an umbrella.
I’ve been occasionally mentioning it in my past few posts, and the time is finally here to announce the details of my 2014 Halloween Giveaway! As most of you have probably figured out by now- October is my favorite month of the year- and Halloween is undoubtedly my favorite holiday. For that reason, I wanted to do something a little different this year and curate an assortment of items to give away to one lucky Legally Redhead reader! And unlike other giveaways I’ve hosted here on the blog in the past: this giveaway isn’t limited to United States residents only. I’ll be paying for the shipping and handling myself- which means it’s open to those of you across the pond, below the border, and anywhere in between, too!
Before I get to the important part: how to enter- let’s take a closer look at what’s inside!
As an avid collector of Funko figurines, included in this giveaway is a POP! Vinyl figure of one of my favorite horror movie villains- Freddy Krueger. From the detail on his burned and scarred face, to his infamous striped sweater- to the even more infamous metal clawed glove- this toy is too adorable to be afraid of. Put it up on a shelf, in a display case, or- if you dare- near your bed.
To help get the winner into the Halloween spirit, I’ve also included the medium sized “Pumpkin Patch” candle from Yankee Candle in the giveaway. A mix of the “Harvest” and “Spiced Pumpkin” scents from the same company, this swirl candle will get your entire room/home/wherever you light it smelling like a delicious combination of sweet cinnamon and pumpkin pie- perfect for the season.
I couldn’t possibly have a Halloween themed giveaway without including SOMETHING “Walking Dead” related, could I? To help the winner catch up just as we’re set to begin the fifth season (one week to go!) or even just provide them with something to gift to a TWD-enthusiast they may know, I included a new copy of the recently released fourth season of the show. This particular edition is Blu-Ray – Digital HD formatted and is loaded with special featurettes and deleted scenes that will keep you occupied for hours after you’ve binge-watched every single episode.
Fable & Fury has been one of my favorite Etsy-based jewelry shops for a long time. Their pieces are well-made, unique, and guaranteed to garner attention. This stainless steel Nosferatu pendant is no exception. This would be a perfect accessory to wear on Halloween night to whatever frightening plans you have lined up- although I’m the type of person who would wear this year-round, too.
On the surface, this brown bar from Fortune Cookie Soap– scented like berries and cinnamon- may look a little bland, but inside- it’s loaded with bugs. Not real ones, of course. From the “Nightmare Before Christmas” collection, this “Oogie Boogie” bar soap is made from natural ingredients and adds a bit of fun to any bath or shower as the soap begins to melt away with each use, revealing a bunch of creepy crawlers lurking on the inside, below the surface.
Lastly, most people my age can recall reading Alvin Schwartz’s “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark,” “More Scary Stories to Tell in The Dark,” and “Scary Stories 3 : More Tales to Chill Your Bones” in middle school around this time of year. Admittedly, the stories weren’t particularly terrifying, but when paired with the haunting illustrations by Stephen Gammell- the books became timeless. This hardcover compilation of the best works from the three novels is a nice shot of nostalgia to keep for yourself or to gift to a friend or loved one.
Not shown in the above photos, but will definitely be included in the giveaway- is the candy I plan to send the winner after contacting them (just to make sure he/she doesn’t have any allergies, of course!) and a personalized card once someone has been selected!
The giveaway is running from now through midnight (EST) on Sunday, October 19th, after which time a winner will be selected at random through Rafflecopter and contacted directly to obtain additional information to process shipping. If selected, you’ll have 72 hours to respond to the confirmation e-mail. If I don’t receive a response in that time, I’ll unfortunately have to select another winner, instead!
First and foremost- please visit the Rafflecopter page for the giveaway by CLICKING HERE to make sure your entry is properly counted!
That’s it! Just two simple steps and you’re in!
Good luck to everyone who participates. I’m really looking forward to selecting a winner!
If you’re a regular reader of Legally Redhead, you may have noticed the layout of the blog changed today! As much as I loved the cute, olive green style I’ve had for the better part of a year and a half- I’m quite smitten with this new (but still easy to navigate) design and header, made possible by WordPress. I hope you all like it as much as I do!
This afternoon, the lovely Imogen linked me in “The Reading Habits Tag,” and I thought I’d unveil the new design of LR while answering the book/reading questions presented to me in her original post.
I usually read while I’m in bed, or curled up on my couch depending on how quiet it is in my living room. If it’s nice out, though, I like to sit out on my patio/deck with a good book!
I do the unthinkable- I turn over the corner of the page I left off on. I know it’s awful but I have a tendency to misplace bookmarks or pieces of paper! They always fall out and I always lose my place. Dog-earing the page is so much more convenient for me.
I try to finish whatever chapter I’m on before I save my place and take a break from the book. There have been a couple of occasions where I’ve had to stop abruptly, sometimes mid-sentence- but I usually go back and re-read the chapter, or at least a few pages before where I left off- mostly to re-familiarize myself with what was happening in the story before I got sidetracked.
Although I really do love a good cup of hot chocolate while I read by the fire during the winter.
Not usually, since it can be a little distracting. If I’m reading during a flight, I tend to keep my headphones on just out of habit- and even then I’m usually listening to very soft jazz music so it won’t break my concentration.
One book at a time! I like to focus on and finish one story before I begin another.
I prefer reading at home since it’s where I’m most comfortable, but I read a lot when I travel, too- in the airport, on the plane, in my hotel room, etc.
Silently in my head, unless I’m reading something to someone. Otherwise, I feel like reading out loud is sort of like those people who listen to music through their headphones or ear buds but insist on singing along anyway. It’s distracting to other people!
I try not to. There have been a couple of instances where I’ve been so frustrated with a book that I’ve skipped ahead to see if there’s any indication of it getting better/what happens to the character to determine if I want to keep reading- but I prefer to be surprised.
I know that sometimes it can’t be helped, but I like to keep my books in good, new-ish condition as much I can for as long as possible. That way, if I decide to lend/give the book to someone else to read, I know it won’t be falling apart on them.
I’ve highlighted stuff before, but I very rarely write in my books. Again, a lot of it has to do with potentially lending/giving the books to other people to read. I want them to be in good shape!
This is going to sound ridiculous, but while helping with some Summer cleaning at my mom’s house, I recently came across a crate of my old collection of “The Baby-Sitters Club” books, as well as some other novels I absolutely adored as a kid. Nostalgia got the better of me, and I started re-reading some of them again. I’m currently in the middle of “Boy-Crazy Stacey,” which was always my favorite BSC book. When I’m done with that (which should be in no time at all,) I’m moving onto my other favorite childhood book I found- “The Silver Tree” by Ruth L. Williams. Memorieeeees!
Instead of tagging any specific person or people for this, I’m just going to tag anyone who is interested in participating in this fun little questionnaire!