merissa modansky Archives - Sartorial Geek

Ravenclaw Quidditch Cosplay

By Merissa Modansky November 8, 2018

Any day that you can wear a costume to work is a good day. I’m lucky enough to work somewhere that occasionally encourages it. This year we had a mini Harry Potter festival. So, it was suggested that the staff dress up for “Wizard Wednesday”.

I already had a basic Hogwarts student cosplay. But, I wanted something a little bit more interesting. I decided to do a Ravenclaw Quidditch outfit. I only had about seven weeks to get the whole thing together and wanted to spend as little money as possible. This meant that I had to push all of my costume making skills to their limits.

Scales and Scoundrels Volume 1: Into the Dragon’s Maw

By Merissa Modansky October 11, 2018

When Scales and Scoundrels: Into the Dragon’s Maw came across my desk in a box of YA books, I decided to give it a read. The art looked good and a fantasy treasure hunt adventure fits nicely into my pleasure reading pile.

The main character is a young woman named Luvander. She may be a dragon in disguise, or a half dragon, or maybe possessed by a dragon. It’s left a little vague. A flashback with a young Luvander and a dragon, and some unusual talents are most of the information we get. Luvander does tell one of her companions that she’ll explain later, perhaps in the next volume.

The Museum of the Moving Image: Muppets and More

By Merissa Modansky September 13, 2018

I recently had the opportunity to visit The Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, New York. It’s home to the Jim Henson Exhibition, which I had been excited to see since before it opened. This was my main reason for the visit, but the Museum has much more to see the Jim Henson Exhibit is more or less set up chronologically. It begins with Henson’s early work in advertising and corporate training films, early versions of some familiar faces appear in some of these, which is quite amusing. Rowlf on The Jimmy Dean Show and Kermit on Sam and Friends were some of the first appearances of The Muppets as we know and love them.

Uprooted: An enveloping read (Book Review)

By Merissa Modansky August 9, 2018

Uprooted by Naomi Novik is a book that fully drew me in. I was at work and could only think of getting home to keep reading. It takes place in that long ago time where fantasy stories like to live. In a valley put upon by a malevolent power called the Wood. A force that comes from the forest to steal or kill people and livestock, sometimes it swallows a whole village.

Best Foot Fanward – Canvas Sneaker Makeover

By Merissa Modansky July 12, 2018

Now that’s summer’s here, it’s time to break out the canvas sneakers. I spiced mine up with a little fan art makeover. My friend liked them so much that she asked me to make her a pair. If you like them, too, here’s exactly how I made mine.

Here’s what you need:

Flavia de Luce & The Chemistry of a Fun Read

By Merissa Modansky June 14, 2018

I love mystery stories, despite being a terrible detective myself. One of my favorite series (as in pre-order months in advance) is the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley. They have so many things that appeal to mystery lovers: an English countryside setting, a past-its-prime estate, a loyal sidekick. What it has that others don’t is a heroine unmatched in cleverness and sass, Flavia de Luce.

The Princess Bride Book Review: More Than Just “a Kissing Book”

By Merissa Modansky May 10, 2018

“When I was your age, television was called books,” the grandfather from The Princess Bride movie tells his grandson. Television and movies often start out as books, and The Princess Bride is no exception. It was based on the 1973 book The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure: the “Good Parts” Version and was written by William Goldman. William Goldman also wrote the screenplay for the movie, which makes for an interesting comparison between the two.

Knitted Wonder: A Wonder Woman Wrap Knitting Tutorial

By Merissa Modansky March 2, 2018

In June of 2017 the Wonder Woman movie hit theaters. Geeks were happy. Not long after, the Wonder Woman Wrap designed by Carissa Browning appeared on Ravelry.com. Geek knitters were happy. It quickly became one of the year’s most popular patterns. Like many others, I could not wait to make one.