The Nail Files

 

Normally I forget to link-up for this one and get my post up in time, however I saw these Mario nails on Sprite Stitch a week or so ago and just have to share them!

 

 How cool are those?!

Sprite Stitch Roundup!

It's been a few months since I last posted about some neat things I saw on the Sprite Stitch blog and since my GReader is overflowing with all the neat stuff they've posted lately, I thought it was time for another round-up post!

First up, this Atari Joystick Lamp:
 

Top 5 Video Game Cakes!
I LOVE the Mario one and the Portal one is pretty cool too!

Top 5 Video Game Shoes!
I *really* like the Super Mario Bros heels from the boss worlds!

I want this car decal:
 

I might just have to make this felt Jedi Star Wars book for Jay.

These Pokemon coffee cup drawings are just too cute:
 

This is cute too:
  

I also want this old school Gameboy mug:

 

 

This lamp is actually a pretty cool way to recycle old action figures:

 

 Lego Mortal Kombat! Poor Johnny Cage though!


Top 5 Video Game Stained Glass Projects
These are all really cool but I especially like the Tetris one!

Noah's Ark Pokemon - this is just funny!
 

This Pac-Man doormat is pretty cool!
 

A super detailed mini Playstation console with game:

An NES Advantage clock:


An NES Guitar:


Fallout Themed Monopoly:
 

I want this Mario Pipe Stool!


This purse made out of a DDR pad is actually pretty neat too!
  

This Space Invaders Argyle Sweater is pretty cool too!


These light switches are really cool, I might even try making them!
 

I LOVE this Triforce lamp too:


These Sonic shoes are pretty cool:

Jay's Super Mario Bros Room, part deux!

Awhile back I showed you Jay's Super Mario Bros room in progress, as I hadn't had the time to really hammer out the details as I surely can't work on it while Jay's around and during the day it's usually just me and him at home.

With hubby on his night job vacation this week he decided to take a couple days off from the day job as well so he'd have several full days of vacation. This was a great chance for me to work on Jay's room during the day!

And work on it I did!

Check it out:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really wanted to do something unique for his nursery but at the same time, if I was going to put this much work into it I wanted it to be something that could last for a long time. I figure, as he grows, he'll love it when he's a little kid and hope that as he grows into a teen and a young adult (assuming we're in this house that long - who knows!) that he'll grow to still appreciate it - after posting these to my RL friends on Facebook, I had quite a few my own age that thought it was the coolest thing ever and wish they had a Mario World 1-1 room in their house! I hope Jay feels the same way when he's older!

Recent Sprite Stitch Favorites

I know I've mentioned the Sprite Stitch blog in the past - it's a blog that compiles various submitted video game related art, most of it being old school gaming-related stuff like Mario, original Nintendo, Megaman, etc. This past month or so they've had some really neat stuff and Etsy shops displayed!


First, there's these Pop Art Console posters, created by Biscotto:

 

Biscotto also makes ones with other consoles, including the more recent Xbox, PS3 and Wii consoles, as well as 8-bit version of various characters too! Prices range from $15-30 for single images or $35-65 for multiple sets.

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Next are these mini-cartridge rings by Lauren Swingle and her Etsy shop The Clay Collection:

 

 

These rings are made from clay and unlike some actual cartridge clocks that were recently shown on Sprite Stitch (which actually destroyed old school cartridges to make!!), they babies are made custom - you tell her what game you want on your cartridge ring, she'll replicate it! She also does other game systems too, such as Playstation game case replicas.

She also makes various cufflinks and other jewelry - these Call of Duty ones are perfect for most of our spouses! And there's also some Star Wars ones in her collection, among Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Doctor Who, MST3K and many others! I think the DVD cufflinks are pretty neat too!

Prices range from $25-85.

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This next shop, LicketyCut, has a bunch of items I'm planning on buying, however the one that was featured on Sprite Stitch that got my attention was this set:

 

Super Mario red mushroom pendent and earrings!

LicketyCut items are laser cut acrylics. Prices range from $5-45 and while there's lots of video game pieces, they also make other items as well!

In addition to the mushroom earrings seen above (which they can paint in any color you'd like!), I'm also planning on getting these:

 

Portal earrings

 

Fishbone earrings

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Basement Invaders makes some really neat glassware pieces, including these featured Piranha Plant wine glasses:

 

Most of their items are Nintendo themed and they do have some earrings in addition to their glassware. I particularly would like to get a pair of these Yoshi egg earrings in green:

 

 

 And check out these Zelda inspired 8-bit heart glasses:

Prices start at $3 for single items and are as high as $30 for sets.

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And last, but not least for this edition of geeky art found on Sprite Stitch is this Aperture Science Office:

There's too many photos to show on here, but feel free to view the rest yourself - this is actually a pretty awesome Portal/Portal 2-inspired office! Someone did A LOT of work here!

"Marrrrio!"

Forgot to mention this the other night!

Since the theme of Jay's room is Super Mario Bros, he's acquired several Mario-related accents to display in his room (in addition to a few Star Wars ones too!). Some of these are the plush Mario, Luigi and Yoshi dolls that stand less than a foot tall. They currently reside on his changing table along with several other stuffed animals to keep him occupied.

We have Luigi, Mario and Yoshi.
Just need Toad & the Koopa Troopa.

Lately he's been really interested in his Mario plush when I'm changing him, going so far as to flip around trying to reach for it if it's in the corner.

I usually hand it to him, doing the Mario voice, saying "It's-a me! Marrrioh!", Jay laughs and proceeds to stuff Mario's big nose into his mouth.

The other night we go through this routine but as he's about to bite down on Mario's nose I hear him say: "Marrrrrr-oh!"

It was too cute and funny!

I've mentioned before, Jay says random words from time to time - only a few, like "hi" "hey" and "okay" does he ever seem to repeat on a regular basis (he often greets whichever of us gets him out of his crib in the morning with a joyous "hi!!!" or a "heeeeey!!"). I'm guessing this time he was just repeating me, but who knows!

Jay's Super Mario Bros Room

I've recently posted this on my baby/family blog, but since some of you have asked in the past, here's the progress I've made the last few months on Jay's Super Mario Bros themed nursery/room! (keep in mind, it's a work in progress, as I don't have a lot of time sans baby to work on the painting).

  

The name sign on his door. We almost bought one after seeing an ad in one of our parenting magazines and seeing the cute ones on the website, however it dawned on me that, duh!, I went to school for graphic design, why not just make one myself and keep it Mario themed?? So an hour in Photoshop, printing by FedEx/Kinkos, and a dollrod, shoestring and hot glue and voila! Custom door name sign!

 

The "growth tracker" vine I just did this past weekend - I thought it would be a neat thing to use to track his height over the years =)

 

Here's the changing table area. The 4 panels I did at our apartment before we moved but never got around to hanging them until recently. Jay LOVES Elmo and since taking him to the new Winnie the Pooh movie he's been quite taken with his stuffed Eeyore (he never paid any attention to it on the table, opting to eat Yoshi or Tails' faces instead, until after we saw the movie, like he recognized it, lol...). He's got Mario and Luigi figurines that we picked up during Border's going out of business sale, a scent warmer lamp (which comes in handy when changing those dirty diapers!). There's also his Jedi Bear from Build-A-Bear Workshop and Yoda and Darth Vader bobbleheads we also got during the Border's GoB sale.

  

I wanted mushroom dresser knobs and after finding a photo of one on DeviantArt, I decided to just buy plain white ones and paint my own! This is them drying, lol...

 

Red curtains to offset the blue (and Tiger peaking out the window!) and the castle at the end of the level.

 

Another view of that side of the room, you can see the crib and more of the painting

 

The corner on the other side of the crib with his bookshelf and the beginning of the level painting.

 

The lamp on the table - I just painted the shade this last weekend to make it look like a mushroom!

We decided to do Super Mario Bros for the theme as hubby and I are both gamers and I wanted a nursery that was different and unique, plus something that would last for awhile (at least) and that Jay would eventually come to appreciate as he gets older.

Thoughts on the Supreme Court's recent ruling on video games

This past weekend my husband and I took a trip up to the Twin Cities for a wedding and on the drive home, we came across an afternoon FM talk radio show. Normally we'd flip the channel and continue trying to find a good rock station, however the topic of discussion caught our interest - it was about the recent Supreme Court ruling on violent video games and the interviewee was Melissa Henson of the Parents Television Council (aka the PTC).

As put by the Washington Times:

"In a 7-2 decision written by Justice Antonin Scalia, the court struck down a California law banning the purchase by children of violent video games. The court upheld a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision throwing out the ban on sale or rental of these games to minors, writing that governments do not have the power to "restrict the ideas to which children may be exposed," regardless of the amount of grotesque violence.

Scalia wrote for the majority in Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association that children are not traditionally shielded from violence as they are from sexual conduct. He also stated that archaic texts and stories, such as Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Snow White and other popular fairy tales and stories depict violence as well, but we wouldn’t think of limiting children’s access to those. 

"Certainly the books we give children to read - or read to them when they are younger - contain no shortage of gore," wrote Scalia. In building a case for protecting the rights of children to purchase games that simulate decapitation, violent murder and gruesome stabbings, the senior justice actually elevated violent video games to the standard of art.

“Like the protected books, plays, and movies that preceded them, video games communicate ideas — and even social messages — through many familiar literary devices (such as characters, dialogue, plot, and music) and through features distinctive to the medium (such as the player's interaction with the virtual world),” Scalia wrote. “That suffices to confer First Amendment protection."

He called the California law “seriously over-inclusive because it abridges the First Amendment rights of young people whose parents (and aunts and uncles) think violent video games are a harmless pastime."

The case is a win for the $20 billion dollar video-game industry. Approximately 46 million American households had at least one video-game system in their homes in 2010."

 Scalia definitely makes some good points.

The interview we heard with Henson was also interesting, as she pointed out that the Paducah, KY high school shooter had never held a real gun before but he had played plenty of 1st person shooters, accurately killing many of his victims with the well-known video game headshot method. She said that he had played some of the same games that the US military has their soldiers play to help desensitize them for killing.

I see her point, but the boy was 14 and I'm pretty sure that all 1st person shooter games, including the ones the military uses, have an M-rating on them, meaning "mature content" and "inappropriate for those under 17" exactly like the R movie rating. So the question is, where were the parents and why were they letting their 14 year old play a game meant for adults?

She also called this ruling a recluse, asking "what's a parent to do?"

Um, parent their child...?

Where are these pre-teen boys' parents?

Hearing her say that, my husband and I both had the same response - you take the game away from the kid and either throw it out or put it somewhere they won't find it, duh! Apparently Ms. Henson is not familiar with this approach, however both my husband and I are - I remember growing up not being allowed to listen to certain radio stations or watch certain TV shows/channels. Yes, I did occasionally sneak listening or watching something I knew I wasn't allowed to, but still, if and when my parents found out, I was in trouble.

While I understand what California was trying to do, I applaud the Supreme Court for taking a stand and basically saying that it's not the government's job to parent your child because you're too lazy or afraid to.

The problem I think (from what I've noticed) is that the generation before mine was too concerned about being their child's best friend rather than their parent so that's partially why so many teens are messed up today when it comes to right and wrong, doing things they shouldn't, and why they're so uneducated - the parents were afraid of their children hating them if they disciplined them so they let them do whatever they wanted and gave them anything and everything whether or not it was good for the kid! And now we have an entire part of a generation that can't read, write or spell for crap because their parents never made them sit down and do their homework or paid attention to what they were doing when they were at home so the kids watched whatever, played whatever, listened to whatever.

I've noticed my part of the generation (those of us in the mid-late 20s and early 30s) are sick of the way kids act and behave today - I have several friends who teach high school in the public school district and they get soooo frustrated at how some of these kids have reached the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades and can't spell, form a sentence or even study or do homework. And when they confront the parents about their child's poor performance in school the parents don't seem to care - all they care about is making sure their child is wearing the latest fashions! It's pretty sad!

Most parents I know around my age have the same attitude about parenting as my husband and I, and I'm sure it helps that the things our kids are growing up with now are things we are already accustomed to so we that can be more involved with our kids and keep up with what they're into and parent better than the previous generation did. Most parents I know with young kids take the time to spend time with them, playing together and reading, teaching them, etc because the majority of us think it's ridiculous how teens today can't spell for crap and are so uneducated about everything.

While I may be a new parent, and disciplining your child does suck (unless of course they really pissed you off, then a "time out" comes as a bit of a relief), it's my job to teach my children right from wrong and monitor what they're playing, listening to and watching.

The ESRB has a rating system for video games that's very easy to understand and is pretty similar to the MPAA's movie rating system. They have these ratings for a reason! TV shows have ratings now too and most cable providers provide parental controls so you can even block channels on your TV. And unless anything has changed, I recall video game consoles had a parental lock on them too so unless you input the correct code, the machine won't let you play. If you find out your kid is watching, playing, reading or listening to something that's inappropriate and too mature for them, set the kid down, explain to them why it's inappropriate and get rid of the item in question. Sure they can sneak it at a friend's house, but again, as a parent it's your responsibility to be involved with your child and know what kind of friends they're hanging out with (which is a whole 'nother story).

Besides, what good is banning the selling of certain games to minors when some parents will just buy it for them anyways? Right after Christmas, I went to Gamestop to pick up a few games for our brand new PS3. There were a few people a head of me in line, one of which was a mother and her son who couldn't be more than 10 years old. I forget what game it was they were purchasing, but it was M-rated. The clerk at the register, before ringing up the game, turned the parent and told her that the game was rated M, explained what that meant and what type of Mature content was in the game (I want to say it was the Call of Duty: Black Ops, but I didn't see for sure) and asked if she was sure she wanted to buy it for her son. Without thinking twice the mom said sure! What the heck?

Yes, my husband plays CoD while he's holding our 5 months old son, although half the time he's on the verge of taking his nap and falls asleep soon anyway. As he gets older, I don't think we'll be letting him watch or play that one much if at all until he's older. Even with watching Sunday night shows on HBO like Game of Thrones and True Blood or some of the movies we watch, Jay's too young to understand it, and it's usually close to his bedtime anyway so he usually falls asleep and we just make sure he's turned away from the TV so he's not exposed to too much violence or other things he doesn't need to grow up watching. I would NEVER buy an M-rated video game for a child 10 or younger. And even in their teens, I would find out first why the game is rated M and use discretion from there.

And while I can't speak for every place that sells video games and movies, the ones around here (in the "9th most dangerous city of 2011") do card for M-rated games and R-rated movies if you look young enough. Buying a copy of CoD: Black Ops for my adult brother-in-laws for Christmas, I got carded at Gamestop as did several others ahead of me in line that were also purchasing M-rated games. And I'm 26 and definitely don't look like a teenager (and at the time I was 7-8 months pregnant too!). I've also been carded at Walmart of all places for buying an R-rated movie! So despite what some might think, places DO card for Mature products.

The bottom line is, as a parent, it's YOUR job to actually parent and teach your child, not the government or anyone else.

The Smithsonian Art of Video Games exhibit opening soon!

Awhile back Eleni from RPG Called Life posted about the upcoming Art of Video Games exhibit at the Smithsonian where they let the public vote on which games would be included (sadly, I forgot to vote!).

Anyways, just this week did they announce the winning chosen games.

The following games topped the public vote and will be featured in The Art of Video Games in 2012. In addition to the 80 games below, five playable games will be included in the exhibition: Pac-Man, Super Mario Brothers, The Secret of Monkey Island, Myst, and World of Warcraft.

1943: The Battle of Midway
Advanced Dungeons and Dragons
After Burner
Attack of the Mutant Camels
Bioshock
Boom Blox
Brütal Legend
ChuChu Rocket!
Combat®
Desert Commander
Diablo II
Donkey Kong™
DOOM II
Dune II: Battle for Arrakis
Earthworm Jim
Einhander
Fable
Fallout
Fallout 3
Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy VII
flOw
Flower
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2
Goldeneye 007
Gradius V
Gunstar Heroes
Halo 2
Heavy Rain
Jumpman
Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth II
Marble Madness
MassEffect 2
Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Metroid Prime 2: Echos
Minecraft
Okami
Pac-Man
Panzer Dragoon II: Zwei
Panzer Dragoon Orta
Panzer Dragoon Saga
Phantasy Star
Phantasy Star IV
Pikmin 2
Pitfall II: Lost Caverns
Pitfall!
Portal
Rez
Shadow of Colossus
Shenmue
Sid Meier's Pirates!
SimCity
SimCity 2000
Sonic Adventure
Space Invaders
Spy vs Spy
Star Fox™
Star Fox™: Assault
Star Strike
Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator
StarCraft
Super Mario 64
Super Mario Brothers 3
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Mario World
The Bard's Tale III: Thief of Fate
The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Walker
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
Tomb Raider
TRON: Maze-Atron
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Utopia
Worms Armageddon
Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure
Zaxxon

-http://www.americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/archive/2012/games/#games

I'm glad obvious ones like WoW, Tomb Raider, Mario Bros, Zelda and the like are included, however I am a bit surprised that revolutionary games/franchises like Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero were left off! I mean DDR was one of the first to incorporate movement like dancing into the gaming genre (and look where are now with the Kinect, PS Move and Wii!) and Guitar Hero... well that one paved the way quite a bit too for Rock Band and all the other accessory dependent games. Also surprised that Little Big Planet isn't included either, as it won so many "game of the year awards" and was the first major PS3 release that EVERYONE seemed to love.

For the "Era1" I found it amusing that ET was nominated! That game was HORRIBLE! I remember playing it on Atari when I was like 4, getting so confused as the controls sucked and there really wasn't much of a plot as to what you were supposed to do! LOL... and you'll see that in "Era3" Michael Jackson's Moonwalker was nominated as well! That game was a bit amusing despite being terribad, lol...

Other fun ones I've personally played that are on the list include: Fable, Fallout, Final Fantasy VII, Goldeneye007, Pacman, and Starfox, despite recalling plenty others on the list.

What are your thoughts? Which ones have you played?

Valentines for your WoW playing signifcant other

As I've mentioned in the past, one of my favorite crafty blogs is Sprite Stitch, which shows off submitted video game-related art by people from all over the place.

Today they posted these pretty awesome World of Warcraft valentines!

While I know it's Thursday today and not Wednesday, if I waited til next week to share these with you guys, well, Valentine's Day would have already come and gone.

Enjoy!