This week, I made a cake. A cake that takes the cake, if you know what I mean. I found myself in possession of some very disappointing Red Delicious Apples (as all Red Delicious Apples tend to be) that were starting to grow even less appetizing over time. Thus, I went to find my Apple Cake recipe and put them to some use before they morphed into fruit-fly traps on my counter. Sadly, I couldn’t find my recipe, but NOT AT ALL sadly, I wound up using one that I found online (somewhat modified) and it might just be my new favorite Apple Cake recipe. The original is from here, but I made just enough changes that I am going to share with you what I wound up making (based on what was in my cupboard) so that you can reproduce the exact apple-y goodness that I was able to mash together, should you so desire (although I’m sure the original recipe is pretty stellar!).
Cake Ingredients:
2 cups white sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup coconut milk (unsweetened vanilla)
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon rum
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla/vanilla bean paste
3 cups (4 or 5) grated Red Delicious apples ( leave the skins on!)
1 cup shredded coconut
Saucy Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk mixed with 1 tsp.white vinegar (makeshift buttermilk) – allow this to sit for 5-10 minutes before using!
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325°F and adjust rack to middle position.
Stir together sugar, eggs, coconut oil, coconut milk, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and vanilla in a large bowl. Fold in apples and coconut, and then pour the batter into a buttered Bundt pan – the batter was quite thick!
Bake for approximately one hour, or until a toothpick inserted near the middle of the cake comes out clean and batter-free! Now, I found that the toothpick was still not quite clean after about an hour, so I increased the temperature to 350°F at that point and baked it for an additional 10-15 minutes and that seemed to do the trick!
During the last 15 or so minutes of baking time, pull out a medium-sized sauce-pan and get your carmelly-drenching-glaze ready. To make the glaze, you put butter, sugar, milk/vinegar mixture (ahem: buttermilk), and baking soda into a medium sauce pan over medium heat, stirring until ingredients are mixed/melted together. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Stir in vanilla.
Immediately after removing cake from oven, pour most of the sauce over hot cake, reserving about 1/2 cup. Let the cake stand for 1 hour, letting the sauce seep into the cake and absorb its magical powers, and then turn it out onto a plate. Pour the reserved sauce over the top.
Serve the cake warm or at room temperature. I had a piece that night and it was STUPENDOUS, but when I served the rest of it to friends the next day, the reports were good! It was so moist, but not chunky or overwhelming – just the right blend of Apple and Spice and Caramel (aka. Heaven).
Every year for Halloween, I dress up. I think teachers who don’t dress up without a good reason are kind of a drag, to be honest. But I’m also a big nerd who loves to stay creatively on/near the topic of my content-matter as much as possible. SO, typically, I try to pick a costume that is at least somewhat french-related. This year, though, a staff theme was chosen without le français in mind, and so I had to get creative. Thus was born the idea of:
Super Sucrée!
That’s right. I’m Super Sweet/Sugary. My mission?
My biggest weapon would probably have to be the Sugar Coma, but mostly I like to think I help keep the peace. . .
I’m not gonna lie, a few people have said my eyelashes are reminiscent of Effie Trinket, and my dress fringe is a little insecure. . . I leave a candy trail wherever I go, but somehow it’s fitting, don’t you think?
In any case, this has been a fun one to wear, if slightly less-French than my usual!
This past weekend, I had a chance to attend my very first Zombie Prom. While the event itself was quite fun (who doesn’t like dancing and people watching with a bunch of undead characters in downtown Salem, MA?), I think the festivities preceding the dance itself were equally as delightful, so I thought I’d share with you some of the creative treats that were included!
My Contribution?
With a little pinspiration [x] I decided that I would attempt my very own sugar glass shard cupcakes, with a zombified green twist, and what you see is my not-quite-pleasant (but exactly what I was going for) result! I followed a simple online how-to for making my sugar glass, but added just a little green food coloring in near the end. The whole process was very fire burn and cauldron bubble-y, if you know what I mean.But I wound up quite pleased with the results! As an added touch, before I frosted them, I put some raspberry jam in about half of my cupcakes for the added oozy effect . . .
. . . and they were DELICIOUS!
Some of my friend Romina’s contributions (that likely deserve their own posts, but as I didn’t make them myself, I’ll leave that up to her) included:
These jell0-shots were actually delicious, and were made in STRAWS to achieve the exceedingly nasty look!
Somehow this was simultaneously adorable and gross at the same time – definitely a rare accomplishment, if you ask me.
So, there you have it! Some deliciously icky-l0oking zombie party treats!
Recently, I got this message posted in my message-box on another type of blog I run. . .
This poor person is in the same boat as a LOT of other 18-22 year-olds the world over, and I can empathize with their plight. SO, I am sharing a slightly-varied version of my response to them on this blog, in the hopes that it might be helpful to anybody who stumbles across my blog whilst feeling similar stress.
First of all: I’m to anyone who is feeling stressed about choosing your major or career path! I remember the struggle to decide what major to declare. First of all, remember that it is NEVER too late to change your mind. There’s this weird belief that once you pick a major your fate is sealed, and there’s no going back. But, even though there are some majors (like pre-med or pharmaceutical medicine) that you have to declare very early on and pursue all the way through your studies, it is never too late to change your mind later on if you find yourself unhappy with the career path you are on. Most people I know changed their major at least once. I also know people that switched careers after doing something for 10 years. It might not be the easiest path, but it is do-able. In light of this, my biggest advice is to try to pick something that aligns with both your passions and your talents, because that is where you will most likely find future career success.
On the other hand I 100% encourage picking a field of study that will result in a job or some kind of marketable skill set! We all know the stereotypical example of being an English major – which might be fascinating, but is not always marketable in a practical or direct way (especially not without further formal study). So, as you study your way along, periodically you should probably ask yourself what you’re going to put on your resume.
Let’s do just that and take a critical look at teaching as a viable job option. If, like my forward-thinking message-friend, you’re worrying about the availability of teaching jobs before you’re in your junior year in college, I would encourage you not to worry about that juuuust yet. There is a certain amount of assumed job security in teaching (although it is not always accurate, if we’re being truthful with ourselves). Honestly, until the zombie apocalypse arrives and we’re all more focused on survivalist skills, there will always be a need for teachers. Even with Zombies, if it comes down to teachers v. zombies, my money is on the middle school teacher team. If they can thrive in a middle school, they can survive anything.
Jokes aside, though, there are a lot of teaching jobs, although not always where/when you want to work. Finding a teaching job can sometimes mean being flexible about the when/where you will teach, which can be hard. Another reason why you shouldn’t worry about this just yet, though? Any College Teacher-preparation program worth its salt will do their best to help you network and find a job post-grad.
Likewise, if you go to a school with a good education program and you want to be a teacher, you should not worry about the licensure test. Real Talk Time, friends. At this point, I have taken . . . four? maybe five? of these miserable exams. While they aren’t fun at all, they ARE do-able. If you have studied your subject matter and taken those studies seriously, you will be just fine when it comes to licensure tests that evaluate content knowledge and educator-knowledge.
One last bit of advice about teaching and whether it is for you? If you want to go into teaching, then you should GO INTO TEACHING!!! But you should only do that if you LOVE (A) the subject you teach, and (B) people/students! Too many people get into teaching thinking it’s a “sure thing” or a “good fall-back” and do not realize that it is a job that requires a lot of heart and soul if you want to do it well. If you feel passionate about being a teacher, then pursue it full steam ahead and see what happens. I sort of fell into becoming a teacher and now I’m addicted – it’s not always perfect, but it’s still the most wonderful thing I’ve ever gotten to do!
(If you don’t know what a meme is and you happen to use the internet, you should probably go educate yourself. I’ll wait. . . )
I knowI have written about memes before, but that is the beauty of the meme . . . and the reason for its existence! They just keep resurfacing. Sometimes a meme can just PERFECTLY encapsulate your feelings in a way that nothing else truly can. Case in point:
Now, some memes are just tasteless. HOWEVER, my humble opinion is that, while some memes are stupid and obnoxious, a well-made meme can enhance most simple messages. Thus, I am sharing a few humble Jane Austen memes I recently made for a friend’s birthday. . .
In closing, Jane Austen once said “My idea of good company is the company of clever, well-informed people who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company.”So, be clever, be well-informed, and please join in the potentially witty conversational world of the internet with clever memes!
For any of my dear friends who are feeling sad, blue, or generally icky. . . here are some words of wisdom and well-wishing from the mouth of my very own niece, Bizz:
I recently posted about my experience with GISHWHES scavenger hunts in both 2013 and 2014, and I know I’ve already talked about the brilliantly fun community of GISHWHES in the past, but I don’t think you all truly understand the ridiculously awesome group of people involved in this annual undertaking. Meeting new people during GISHWHES isn’t limited to your 14 teammates, or even to the unsuspecting “normal” folks who you ask to become your GISHWHES accomplices. Oh no. GISHWHES is more of an expansive creative community than that! Surpassing all geographical and a heck of a lot of social boundaries and bypassing the red tape of society’s “norms”, there are beautiful pockets of gish-community to be found all over.
One of my favorite “places” to find community during this most recent hunt, which continues to be a lovely forum in the post-hunting months, is The GISHWHES Network on Facebook. With a roster of just over 2400 people from all over the world, this network proved to be a daily source of encouragement and community during the hunt! By the end of the week, the feeling of camaraderie I had with just teammates at the onset had ballooned out to encompass so many more people!
First: The Creativity of Other Gishers is both Inspirational and Impressive!
Throughout the hunt, AND after, creative people shared their inventive perspectives on the hunt in ways I would never have dreamt up on my own. One perfect example was a poem that one Gisher, Elise, posted a day after the hunt ended this year. Forgive the fact that I will be sharing this masterpiece with you via several image/screencaps of an actual posting. I didn’t want to have anyone think I was responsible for this gloriousness, because the author, Elisa Welch, deserves ALL of the credit for her creativity!!!
Second: Other Teams Succeed Where Yours Has Failed . . . and it is well worth witnessing.
Some items are outside of my realm of influence or capacity to complete, despite how many e-mails I send or phone calls I make. I have come to accept this at the end of every hunt thusfar, although I never seem to quite accept it until we’re out of time to try. HOWever, where some (read: I) have failed, others will succeed . . . and honestly? It’s pretty freaking amazing to get let in on their success.
Third: Like soldiers who shared a foxhole, Only a fellow Gisher Truly understands…
One unifying factor for this delightful conglomeration of gish-folk is that enjoyed the absolute ridiculousness of frenetic GISHWHES activities, and can all understand what it means to exist in scavenger hunt mode. The day after the hunt, the following thread took place, much to my delight!
We might be insane at the end of a hunt, but we all at least understand the insanity and band together and laugh uproariously at it!
Fourth: You get to collectively share in not just the hunting, but the judging!
At the end of GISHWHES, you can volunteer to be a judge for which submissions may wind up in the “GISHWHES Hall of Fame” at some point. Even if you don’t win the hunt, this is definitely a goal for most teams. I wound up judging for about 5 different items, and enjoyed most of it immensely! Some of the posts that people shared during the judging were almost as good as judging the items yourself!
I sent out a blanket YOU ARE AWESOME note to the person responsible for this video, hands down a favorite of mine.
And there were just some generally fun silly moments that came along with judging things – especially because you kind of naturally have a built-in respect for most of the submissions, since you know the kinds of effort that go into even the simplest of submissions!
Fifth:You Suddenly Find that your Bizarre Hopes and Plans for the Future are shared by Many Others
Only a fellow Gisher can truly understand that feeling, when you are cleaning out your attic and attempting to de-clutter your home . . . and you just cannot bring yourself to throw away the life-sized paper-mâché goose. Or the absurdly large tube of green body-paint. Or the three full-sized nerf broadswords.
Then there are the random ideas that sound certifiably insane to strangers, but unusually wonderful to those of us who have participated in the memory-making mayhem.
And so it goes, you see?
Gishwhes Networking is not your average experience.
It is an induction into a gloriously quirky, creative and unusual extended family; a multi-faceted group of strange relatives you never knew you wanted before you have them!
Spicing up my summer for the second consecutive year (reppin’ the 2013 GISHWHES pride), I survived another charitably insane week of scavenging mayhem this past August. Keeping a little of the zany GISHWHES spirit throughout the year is a life goal, and has been so since before I even knew what GISHWHES was. Adulthood is not for the faint of heart or the unimaginative, and I am a firm believer that growing older does not mean “growing up”.People that cling to “normalcy” often lose sight of the beautiful whimsy in life, and it’s ever-underestimated capacity to showcase fun and kindness!
With that said, let me share with you some of my favorite successfully-scavenged items collected by my team during GISHWHES 2014, with hopes that it might inspire you to declare DEATH TO NORMALCY on your own in some small way that could transform a mundane day into something truly extraordinary!
Shower Style
Photo Prompt: You are off to a most elegant formal evening gala. Disaster strikes! Your outfit is ruined! Dress yourself in an outfit fit for such an evening, using only items found in your bathroom
I may have missed my calling, because this was really fun. I wonder if there’s a market outside of GISHWHES for improvising clothing out of household objects. Hmmm.
Ahead of Social Media?
A HEAD . . . GET IT? [I’m such a nerd!]
Photo Prompt: As you well know, all the actors who work on the CW network collect hand-painted paper-mache models of their own heads. Get one of these actors to post a photo on Twitter or FB of them holding your team’s painted paper-mache creation of their likeness.
Two of our AWESOME former teammates from Vancouver, who were in class for large chunks of the week and couldn’t be in the hunt full-time this year (much to our sadness as a team), did an AMAZING and very GISHWHES-ish thing, and helped make achieving this particular item possible!
Trickle-Down Economics
Photo Prompt: You’ve heard of Ronald Reagan’s “Trickle-down Economics”? The idea is that when rich people get richer, they spend more money doing things like getting their nails done and having their Porches waxed, and that in turn creates more jobs for pedicurist and car washers and other lower income families. Show us what trickle-down ice-cream-onomics looks like: One person on top, messily eating an enormous, melting Sunday, with two people on the floor below, trying to catch the drippings in their mouths as they fall. This needs to be a real mess.
If I had to choose a favorite photo form the 2014 Hunt, this is the one. Not only does it have two of the best partners in crime featured (Eileen and Kayla – who inspire me on a regular basis!), but I think it’s the epitome of what I wish all my submissions could be: fun, artsy, creative, accurate, and ridiculous! Not to mention we had an audience of small children who thought we were a hoot (while their parents kept them at a safe distance so the crazy wouldn’t catch!).
Also, I may or may not have gotten frostbite on my fingers from grabbing fists full of ice cream and globbing them on myself and the girls. Sacrifice went into this one.
The Regatta Regalia
Photo Prompt: Stage a mini-newspaper boat regatta in a public fountain with at least four competing vessels. We must see intense competitiveness and gambling.
This event was like a fun, snooty-licious, fabulous, serendipitous oasis activity in the week of chaos. With a friend swinging by to take the pictures at a Manor house where we pretended we were supposed to be, everything kind of just came together at the right moment to make this photo happen!
Memoires of a . . . Mower?
Photo Prompt: Let’s see a fully dressed, face-painted geisha mowing the lawn.
Did I mention recently that I live on a busy street corner?
Sauce Picard
Photo Prompt: Obviously, everyone’s favorite Captain of the USS Enterprise was Jean-Luc Picard. Create a heroic Captain Picard using condiments (mustard, relish, ketchup, etc.) for paint.
This beauty was a creation from one of my English teammates, and I’m still absurdly impressed!
Retirement
Video Prompt: There is a retirement home in Baltimore, MD called Rolland Park Place. My grandmother lives there. Bring flowers, chocolate or funny homemade or store-bought cards for some of the residents. Since this is a bit nepotistic, if Rolland Park Place is out-of-the-way for you, do the same at another retirement home. You must interact with the residents.
It seems that every year there is one scavenger hunt item that will touch my heart and renew a sense of sheer thankfulness that I get to be a part of something so wonderful and unusual, and that I get to meet people I would otherwise not know! This year, Theresa, our teammate from Australia, brought on this moment for me with her thoughtfulness and beautiful heart (sounds super cheesy, but I’m being honest!).
See what I mean? How could I ever opt out of an experience that brings this kind of exposure to beautiful shared facets of human nature!
Jammin’
Photo Prompt: (three edited side-by-side-by-side images). Collect fruit from a tree on from which the fruit hangs over a public sidewalk. Make jam from the fruit. Eat it.
Apparently, according to Theresa, lemon jam is not as tasty as it may appear.
Science Fiction?
Photo Prompt: Get a previously published Sci-Fi author to write an original story (140 words max) about Misha, the Queen of England and an Elopus.
Similar to the Bestselling Author DMV readaloud (keep reading, you’ll see), we wound up with not one, but TWO incredible submissions from people who were gracious enough to collaborate with our team on this one!
The Fictitious Inventor of Rubber Gloves
Photo Prompt: Erect a tribute to Horris Packard, the inventor of Rubber Gloves.
After some exploration, it was confirmed that this man did not actually exist (?). Thus, some creative (SPN related) license was taken!
The Elephant Octopus
Photo Prompt: Make a mosaic Elopus, 2 meters in diameter, made entirely of natural objects (i.e. no plastic, human-made materials, only leaves, rocks, dirt, flowers, wood, etc).
Not So Sweet Now, Are We?
Photo Prompt: Gingerbread Villages are always so cute and quaint. Make a gingerbread village that shows urban blight: needle exchanges, prostitution, heavy police presence, etc.
Gingerbread hookers are a thing now, thanks to Misha Collins. I hope he’s pleased.
Chalk It Up To Supernatural
Photo Prompt: The writers and producers of the TV series, “Supernatural”, sometimes pretend they don’t like the limelight. Of course this is false-modesty. Immortalize one of them with a stately portrait done in sidewalk chalk art.
Here Fishy Fishy Fishy!
Photo Prompt: Catch a fish, with a fish while dressed as a fish.
Sadly, after finishing this task and herding the above 3-year-old and 4-year-old through one LONG & exhausting photo shoot, we found out that this item was actually supposed to be a video. Argh. Worst feeling. EVER. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the ability to re-do it as a video, so we submitted the image regardless, because it is still perfection-in-a-photo.
Not Fonzie.
Video Prompt: “Jump the shark”. You will be penalized if you are bitten or eaten by a shark, so plan accordingly. (Liberal interpretations of this item are encouraged.)
We ALL Scream for Ice Cream
Photo Prompt: Feed your demons. You are not permitted to submit an image of you eating desert.
One of the best moments we had in getting this picture was just the staging of it while we ordered the sundae! New Englanders are surprisingly blasé about skeletons in public.
Wrestle You For It?
Photo Prompt: Challenge a movie theater employee: If you beat them in an arm-wrestling competition, they have to give you a free ticket. If they beat you, you’ll buy one. Either way, you get to see a movie. The images should be of you arm-wrestling across the counter and then you enjoying your movie.
Annelies, my favorite Belgian beauty, said that she didn’t win, but it was still fun.
Eye of a Tiger
Video Prompt: Sing a harmonized duet rendition of “Eye of the Tiger” with someone standing 30 yards away from you. The camera should be centered between the two singers and we should be able to see both in the frame.A museum-quality installation exhibition of the dishware in your cupboard. Artist Statement is NOT optional.
Pasta With Jam Sauce?
Photo Prompt: It’s summertime and everyone loves a lemonade stand. But then again, every Tom, Dick and Harry is setting up a lemonade stand in the summertime and the market is flooded. Respond to consumer demand and carve out your own niche. Let’s see two children manning a “Hot Pasta With Jam Sauce” stand.
Note: if you haven’t seen it yet, you should see the video (below) that inspired this item!
Album Release
Photo Prompt: GISHWHES rock band album cover including one, some or all of your teammates
It’s kind of awesome that this album artwork exists, especially considering the reality that everyone on the cover will probably never meet, but still got to share an awesome experience!
The End of the World
Video Prompt: Make a children’s Pop-Up book about the CROATOAN Virus ending the world.
Forgive the speed of the video-reading. We already had to cut it down ridiculously short for the story, and we had to speed up the video to make it fit in the aloted time!
Chicken Soup For. . . The Soul?
Video Prompt: Your friend is in bed, not feeling well. Feed them a big bowl of warm (not hot) chicken noodle soup. One caveat: instead of feeding them with a spoon, use a leaf-blower.
Excel-ent
Photo Prompt: Jared Padalecki does not love Excel Documents. Post one to him on twitter that might change his opinion of Excel.
Brave
Video Prompt: Stand in front of a recognizable landmark or monument, wear something magnificent, and in whatever your native language is, complete the following sentence: “GiISHWHES makes me feel _____”
One of my favorite things about the brainstorming of this event was how perfect the idea came together, and how perfect the word “brave” really fits this whole scavenger hunt!
Trolling for Followers
Photo Prompt: Trolling for fish is when you drag your line slowly through the water hoping to fool a fish into snatching your bait. On your favorite social media site, create a new user. Your profile avatar will be a photo or drawing of Orlando Jones. Your user name will be evocative of “Orlando Jones.” Now, masquerading as Orlando Jones, troll for–and hook–at least 400 followers.
A Sweet Gesture
Video Prompt: You see people holding up signs from time to time that say “free hugs.” I have always been wary of those people. I don’t know what it is they’re after. Are they trying to cop a feel? Get me to buy a timeshare? I avoid them. But your “free hugs” sign won’t leave any doubt in the readers’ minds… Wearing a bathing suit, cover every inch of your exposed skin with honey, whipped cream, syrup or jam. Hold a sign on a busy public sidewalk that reads, “Free Hugs.” Enthusiastically attempt to recruit hug-victims.
Some of the comments people made were the best! Sadly, they seemed to avoid the camera whenever possible . . . although maybe they were just giving me a wide berth to avoid hugs.
Bestselling!
Video Prompt: A New York Times best-selling author or Tony-award winning actor or actress doing a dramatic reading of a section of this:
I am STILL star-struck and reeling from the reality of having not one, but TWO amazing authors help my team with this item. I was already a fan, but Chris Grabenstein and Suzanne Brockmann definitely earned my undying appreciation on top of my admiration!
I just have to add that Suzanne Brockmann did this for us after an exhausting drive and despite the fact that it was 100% poor timing in her life. Seriously incredible.
Bird-Brained or BRILLIANT? (Both?)
Photo Prompt: Birds have style too. Create an architecturally-significant GISHWHESESQUE birdhouse. Hang it on a tree in a public park. On the photo, write the name of the park and the city and country in which it is installed.
I think the Misha in the Lighthouse is my favorite part of this.
Perth-ect.
Photo Prompt: Find a woman at Toast, East Perth, Australia on Friday morning 8:00-8:30 am (Perth time, of course). She’ll be wearing a red skirt, a purple GISHWHES t-shirt and a navy cardigan. Get a picture of her and you, with you holding up a piece of paper with your team name and “I found you in Perth, Australia!” written on it. Bring her a flower.
Jared Padalecki? How about . . .
Photo Prompt: If Jensen Ackles, Jared Padelecki, Misha Collins, or Mark Sheppard were part man/part animal, what would it look like and what would its name be? Example: “Jensen Catkles” would be ½ cat, ½ Jensen. Tweet the image with the twitter handle of the actor your hybridizing and the hash-tag: #GISHWHESspecieshybridization. You only have to amalgamate one of the aforementioned men. Edit the tweet and photo into one image.
I cannot even think about this picture without laughing. Still.
The Grudge.
Photo Prompt: Forgive someone with whom you have been holding a grudge against.
Being Neighborly!
Photo Prompt: Many people go their whole lives without really getting to know their neighbors. Find a neighbor you’ve never met and offer to sweep their patio, mow their lawn or help them with some other task they have to do.
Please Pardon the Interruption. . .
Video Prompt: Have the proprietor of a crowded sports bar turn off all the televisions. Then, you must serenade the patrons with a song accompanied by an acoustic guitar. The video must show the proprietor turning off the TVs, and the patrons’ reactions as you (and a friend if you wish) sing the song.
Zombie TP Run
Photo Prompt: Zombies need to buy toilet paper too, right? What does that transaction look like?
This was surprisingly easy to make happen, actually. The hair was quite a feat to get un-knotted afterwards, but otherwise it wasn’t too bad! Bonus moment: the picture above is what we submitted, but how great is this one:
Also, I think the zombie face was best perfected here:
May Day in August!
Video Prompt: Do a maypole dance in a bus station (pilgrim attire and flower garlands required).
My 4 year old niece thought this was the best thing ever. . . as did many of the people waiting for their busses and trains.
Death to Normalcy
Photo Prompt: Using charcoal or chalk, stencil the term “D2N” on the exterior of a factory. (The “2” must be backwards, but I can’t figure out how to do that on this keyboard.)
Fun fact: this is the marshmallow fluff factory!
Beat the Heat!
Photo Prompt: It’s August and in much of the world we’re sweating right now. In a region with plentiful water, let’s see gleeful children and firemen playing in an elaborate, temporary water park built by your town’s firemen using fire department equipment.
Poor, Wonderful Baristas
Video Prompt: You know how at Starbucks they ask your name and write it on the cup so that when your latte is done, they can say, “Misha, skinny decaf grande latte – extra foam, extra hot, lightly sweet!” When they ask for your name, give the most ridiculous name you can think of when you order your Starbucks beverage. The video is of the barrista announcing your drink and your absurd name.
You’re a Trooper
Photo Prompt: It’s “me time.” Spoil, pamper and be decadent to yourself like you never have before. Oh, and P.S., you’re dressed as a Stormtrooper.
Snarky Awe
Photo Prompt: Smoke and mirrors. Awe us.
Twinsies!
Photo Prompt: Find someone with the exact same name as you who lives in another state, province, or country. We must see two photos together: the two faces and two ID cards with all private/contact information blacked out except for your names and birth dates.
Not only do we have twin names, they’re HISTORICALLY FAMOUS!!!
This Group Must Somehow Form a Family!
Photo Prompt: An image of each of the members of your team in Brady-Bunch style grid format. Photos should be mug-shot style with each team member holding a black and white sign stating their city and country of residence.
My Beautiful Team, hailing from Florida, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Belgium, The United Kingdom, and Australia!
An Artistic Labor
Photo Prompt: Marge Simpson tummy-art. The “tummy” canvas in question must be that of a woman who is at least 7 months pregnant.
Seven? Try 9.
Love
Photo Prompt: In Washington State, USA there is a woman whose legal name is “Life Has Meaning.” Another woman has legally renamed herself, “Table.” Find someone whose name is a noun, verb or a phrase, and take a photo with him or her and his or her driver’s license with everything blacked out except for his or her name.
Adoption Promotion!
Photo Prompt: Go to your local animal shelter/rescue and hold a photo shoot for one of its residents. Make an adoption flyer promoting the animal using the photos you’ve taken and post them on telephone poles. Prove that your campaign was successful. (It can be multiple images photo-shopped into one submission)
Pool Shark?
Video Prompt: On a pool or billiards table, sink at least 4 balls with one shot. So we know it’s you doing it, wear a t-shirt displaying your GISHWHES team name. The more balls that go in, the more points.
Saving Lives
Photo Prompt: Register to be a bone marrow donor: you could save a child’s life or someone’s mom’s life. As a sign of solidarity on this item, I (Misha) pledge to register to be a bone-marrow donor myself during the week of the hunt. This item requires you filling out a form, receiving a “cheek swab test” in the mail, and mailing it back in. The registration process cannot be completed in just one week, but if you show us the photo of your online registration confirmation or email, you will qualify for points on this item. ONLY do this item if you’re serious about going through with the whole process. Even though we consider this one of the more valuable items on the list we are assigning a low point value to it. Really this item is not about points, it’s about trying to help a stranger. We need to see a screenshot of your application. Each application will be worth 3 points. If you edit several screenshots into one image of you and your teammate’s applications.
Knot a Problem.
Photo Prompt: Create the famous “Spider-hair-knot.” Eight long-haired people lying on their backs with their hair tied all together in one big beautiful weave or a nasty knot. Photograph from above.
I met 3 of these people just prior to being braided to them, and I have to say: it’s a great ice breaker. My friend James turned to me just before we started and was like: “FYI: I haven’t washed my hair in a few days.”
92 might not cover much, but OUCH:
Photo Prompt: Covering your unmentionables with something you deem appropriate, how many clothespins can you fit (pinched) on the rest of your body? We know; it hurts. We’re sorry, but no pain, no gain!
My poor teammate, Kelly, was unbelievably dedicated, and she tackled this, among a few other of the less savory items on the list.
Insta-Cool
Photo Prompt: Create the next hip facial hair look or hipster accessory.
Our working slogan for marketing the Insta-Cool? “Moustache Fan: Keeping You Cool the Way they Kept Cool Before it was Cool”
Family Bonding Like You’ve Never Wanted It
Photo Prompt: Not to throw around big words, but “Hirsute” means “goat-like or hairy.” Shave a recognizable corporate logo onto a hirsute man’s back or chest hair. Bonus points if the man is holding a product emblazoned with the same logo.
Beauty in the Wild
Photo Prompt: Well done! You’ve just managed to catch a rare “Popcorn Child Monster” on camera.
Genius Level Complexity & A Simple Task
Video Prompt: Create a Rube Goldberg machine that includes “Eye of the Tiger”, an image of John Travolta, a toilet plunger, and acorns, among other things.
Pucker Up!
Photo Prompt: Two people kissing across the Russia/Ukraine border. If safety is a concern, the image may be two people (anywhere) wrapped in a Russian and Ukrainian flag, kissing each other.
The Next Doctor
Photo Prompt: “When I grow up, I want to be…” Have a child dress up as what they want to be when they grow up (lawyer, doctor, ballerina, dragon-slayer, etc.). Then stage the photo in the environment they would be working in.
Probably the cutest thing about this item was how excited my nephew was to do it! When we got back in the car afterwards, we were getting buckled in/turning on the car, and I just heard Ben say to himself in his happy little 3-year-old voice “I is the Doctor.”
Candy? CanDID.
Photo Prompt: You at the beach, pool or on a boat, wearing a homemade, 99% edible, candy bathing suit. (The remaining 1% can be inedible thread or wire, but we don’t want to see it.)
Gorgeous though it was, my suit was not exceptionally durable, and the trek to the beach almost proved too much for it. Thankfully, we made it through with a few photos intact and only a brief moment of toplessness, tactfully shielded from very-confused and disturbed pic-nic-ers by my loving team members.
Blood Donut
Photo Prompt: Suck blood from a doughnut.
One of those times when red-eye worked to my advantage, if I do say so myself.
Well Look Who’s Checking You Out
Photo Prompt: Get all of the checkout employees at a supermarket to wear “Mishapocalypse” masks as they ring up customers. They all must be working their individual registers when you take the picture. There must be a minimum of four checkout workers. The more cashiers, the more points.
I had to talk to three different managers to get this photo to happen, and I’m okay with that.
Ice Cream So Hot
Photo Prompt: GISHWHES has taken its toll this year. You deserve a break. Hit the hot tub with a couple of friends… wearing hats made of ice cream.
Over the Charles and Through the Woods…
Video Prompt: Get everyone on a subway, bus or train car to sing “Over the River and Through the Woods.” There must be at least 8 passengers and it must not be staged (i.e. this must be a random collection of commuters, not your friends)
Stayin’ Alive, Stayin’ Alive!
Photo Prompt: Based on the Internet, which is always super reliable and never wrong, each year almost 100,000 people are saved by out-of-hospital CPR in the US alone… from everything from choking on food to heart attacks. Get an online or offline CPR certification. It only takes an hour or two to do it online (Internet search for “online CPR certification”); however, the Interwebs say it’s more thorough if you go into an actual class (among many other organizations, the Red Cross and YMCA’s host classes). Your choice. Submit an image of you holding up your Certificate. Bonus points if you do it with a friend.
Seriously?
Video Prompt: A lot of politicians oppose minimum wage laws. Let’s expand their horizons: pay an elected official less than minimum wage to do at least 1 hour of yard work for you.
Well, this could just go on forever . . .
. . . but this post is getting absurdly long, and I doubt anyone even made it this far! If you did, I hope you enjoyed viewing these moments as much as my teammates and I did living them! Please remember that all of the images and videos I shared are the property of my team and the only person we’ve signed a release to republish any of this outside of our personal use is The Random Act, Misha Collins, and other associated GISHWHES organizers.
Cakey Hankerson: Great Adventures 
