Cracker Bag

A friend shared this short film with me. If you have 14 minutes and 26 seconds to spare, watch it.

A Modern Gingerbread House

Hometta is giving away free modern gingerbread house plans for Draft House, one of a dozen small modern house designs available at Hometta.com. Draft House is the product of Minneapolis and Houston-based studio HouMinn Practice.

The plans for the 'Gingerbread Draft House,' which include detailed instructions on how to build this contemporary confection, can be downloaded at Hometta.com until the end of the year. As a bonus, Hometta members are automatically entered to win a Gingerbread Draft House Kit that includes all of the supplies needed to construct the little guy. The winner will be announced December 15, 2009.

When Hometta is not giving away free gingerbread house plans, the company offers an array of modern home plans under 2,500 square feet. Additionally, the designs are by award-winning studios from around the world. Considering the fees for the services of any respected architect, the plans go for a very reasonable price. Plans range from $1195 to $3195 and are purchased directly from the website.

For a low $9 monthly membership fee (or $49 for a year), those looking to build a small modern home can virtually view – with potential local builders via up to five guest memberships – the entire set of construction documents for their favorite Hometta house. And that's not all.

I personally prefer the more savory treats of the holidays. But I admit, the "snow"-covered gumdrops are very pleasing to my eyes.

Bless Google

Having traveled a fair amount for work this year (Los Angeles in June, San Francisco in September and Boston in October, it is strange to be traveling for myself. Just me and my belongings – a mess of sweaters, cables and cords and the November and December issues of Martha Stewart Living. No business cards (aside from the nine I always carry in my wallet), brochures or the business casual skirt or dress. But I digress. When I traveled for work I often logged into Boingo at the airport to catch up on work emails and would love to catch up on personal emails this time around and browse my friends' Facebook statuses (how's this one: "my return from x-mas plane ticket confirmation code is NOWYOU") but didn't feel like shelling out the seven dollars or whatever it is. So while I'm flirting with idea of logging in, lo and behold I see a promotion from Google and Boingo – free airport Wi-Fi for the holidays!!

From Boingo:

This holiday season, Boingo and Google have cooked up a little something to take the edge off your travel excursions: the gift of airport Wi-Fi. That’s right: from November 10th to January 15th, you can access complimentary Boingo Wi-Fi at select airports in the U.S. (see list below). This limited time offer is brought to you by Google, a premier sponsor of Boingo’s Sponsored Wi-Fi Access program. Our sponsorship program benefits everyone involved by allowing:

See participating airports here. I'm off to Seattle for the first time ever. Stay tuned.

Divine Is Good

Last week I wrote about local brewery Saint Arnold's latest brew: Divine Reserve #9. A week later, I have tasted it. And it's good. A lot like what The Houston Press described. You, too, can try this Imperial Stout Pumpkin Ale. But not until December 1, when it hits shelves. Herewith, the brewer and his creation:

Flannel Pajamas: Didn't Like It

VIA CINECULTIST
I like to rate what I watch on Netflix and recently gave Flannel Pajamas two stars, which, on Netflix, is equivalent to not liking it. Did you like it?

Flannel Pajamas stars Justin Kirk (Andy of Weeds) and the pale, freckly Julianne Nicholson. A quick summary: psychologist introduces two of her patients (unethical!), so man meets woman, man and woman date, man doesn’t like her best friend or large dysfunctional family, for that matter, in part because woman is too into said large dysfunctional family. Man and woman get married, woman wants a baby, man wants one but not yet. I’ll stop there.

Nicholson’s character, Nicole, annoys me. She seems like a difficult girlfriend, then fiancé, then wife. She is selectively bothered and Stuart comes off pathetic, paying off her loans, buying their apartment, helping her start a catering business. His love for her, which he professes over and over again, isn’t believable. And the film's title comes from something in the film that seems like an afterthought, just like Nicole’s mother being a painter, Stuart being Jewish.

All in all, not a very good indie romance. Flannel Pajamas, which could also be called Dress Pants from The Limited, is available instantly on Netflix.

Pecha Kucha Night in Houston

Pronounced "peh-cha-cu-cha'', a mix of show-and-tell, open-mike night and happy hour, Pecha Kucha has become the forum for ideas on design, culture and a lot else that has swept the world in just four years now having taken place in over 200 cities globally.

Each presenter is allowed 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds each - giving 6 minutes, 40 seconds of fame before the next presenter is up. This keeps presentations concise, the interest level up, and gives more people the chance to present.

RDA has been instrumental in helping organize and support Houston's inaugural Pecha Kucha presentation, so we hope you will come out in support of this fun event. RDA Board Member and Cite Editorial Chair, Christof Spieler will be one of the main presenters!

Doors open at 6pm for drinks and chit chat. Talks start at 7pm. The event is free and open to the public. Cash bar. Space is limited so get there early.

Date: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Location: Domy Books | 1709 Westheimer Rd, Houston TX (Near Brazil Coffee House)

- via Rice Design Alliance

Saint Arnold, Hometta

Some news. Apparently my friend Nik (pictured above) has created Saint Arnold's latest brew: Divine Reserve #9, an Imperial Stout Pumpkin Ale. It will be on the shelves December 1. Katharine Shilcutt writes in the Houston Press:

The #9 has a strong initial scent of nutmeg and cinnamon -- unsurprising, as Harris told us they used pumpkin pie spice in the recipe -- but that spiciness fades quickly and pleasantly upon drinking. Despite the fact that there quite literally is an entire pumpkin (canned pumpkin, at least) in every single keg, the pumpkin flavor isn't at all overwhelming. In fact, the tastes of caramel and chocolate are at least as strong as the pumpkin, owing in part to the dark malts that were used in the recipe. The result is a dark, creamy, strong, rich beer -- completely unlike any other pumpkin beers we've tasted (which tend to be mild, lighter and almost fruity).

Sounds delicious, right? I get to try it tomorrow. Stay tuned for the report.

In other news, Welcome Hometta: Boston has been extended for a week. Go see the exhibit at pinkcomma gallery through Friday, November 20.