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Crocheters of the world, take heed! You don’t need Funny Hat Day as an excuse to look for new ideas. Browse no further than this handy list of literary hats and their corresponding online crochet patterns. The best part? You don’t need to be kid-sized to wear the finished products in the case of nearly every listing here. (Since one of my goals for 2013 is to improve my beginner-level crochet skills, I don’t have any patterns of my own to share, but I’ve got no problem highlighting the work of other brilliant yarnworkers).

(Image via Flickr)

Nothing goes better with a book than a nice glass of wine. Or a cold beer. Or a shot of whiskey. I think some of our greatest authors knew that, too, and that’s why they spent much of their time in pubs. In some of the world’s great literary cities, you can take a tour of these bars and pubs, seeing where our most celebrated literary minds spoke, fought, wrote, and drank.

So I’ve pulled together a short list of my favorite cities for literary lushes like myself. But don’t stop here—after all, what pub crawl wouldn’t be better with a book in your back pocket?

Potato, potahto, macaroon, macaron…

Have you ever tried a macaroon? You know, the sweet treat with coconut? Or you may think it’s the deliciously cute sandwich cookies made with nut flours. If you do some research on (I mean Google) the macaroons vs. macarons issue, you’ll find thousands of websites and blogs debating the difference between the two.  Some people argue that macaroons are both the coconut confection and the gorgeous almond flour treat, while others argue that the two should never be considered the same. But both accounts are right! Kind of. Macaroons and macarons may be very different, but they have one important thing in common—they’re delicious!

In anticipation of National Macaroon Day on 5/31, I spent last week doing what most people do before a big D.I.Y. project – pinning inspiration to my board on Pinterest. For the macaroons I decided on these delicious S’Mores Macaroon Bars and then took inspiration from this extremely helpful book to create S’mores Macarons. After procuring all of the ingredients I spent Sunday baking macaroons (err, macaroons and macarons).

I’ve made macarons before but had never tried my hand at macaroons. In a matter of 5 minutes they were in the oven, and just half an hour later I was enjoying these gooey treats…steeling myself up all the while for the precision and patience that is needed for macarons.

This weekend, the long-awaited Fast and Furious 6 finally hits the screen. Fans of the franchise can expect plenty of fast-paced action, car chases, explosions, and perhaps a resolution of the sexual tension between Dominic Toretto and Luke Hobbs.

But did you know that this sequel is based on a popular children's book?

To get you pumped for an awesome, pulse-pounding 130 minutes of pure excitement, here are some samples from The Fast and Furious 6 Children's Story and Adventure Book. Because all roads lead to this! (They really don't).

O HAI THAR

Is your cat adorable and photogenic? Of course it is. Let us take its picture! Quirk is on the prowl for some feline models in the Philadelphia/New Jersey/New York area to be featured in photos for an upcoming book. We’re looking for a variety of colors, coats, and cat types, so don’t be shy!

If you’ve got a cat, and you’d like to participate in a photo shoot at your house, please send a few pictures and your location, availability, and contact info to [email protected] (subject: Cat Photos).

Image via Flickr

Most consider the act of writing letters a dated activity. With the ease of email – and the immediacy of social media – there doesn’t seem to be a need for snail mail anymore. However, just because there isn’t a need does’t mean we shouldn’t embrace this traditional communication device.

There’s a permanence to snail mail that we can’t find in the digital realm. Sure, pixels on a screen can get a message across, but they don’t fill the heart with joy like the sight of an addressed envelope. We all groan at the thought of an overflowing inbox, but delight in the excitement of receiving a parcel.

Snail mail is synonymous with sentimentality. Writing a letter or putting together a great parcel requires a lot of time and effort. People cherish snail mail for years. Think of all the famous authors and illustrators who have letters on display in museums or in published anthologies (Kerouac, Hemingway, Steinbeck, Gorey – to name a few). It’s time to buy a new set of pens and remind yourself how to write by hand.