Burnt Glassworks- Glass Blowing in Jax, FL

Ever wanted to learn to blow glass? I discovered you can learn the art of glass blowing right here in Jacksonville, FL and recently took a class at Burnt Glassworks. Read on to learn more about my experience at Burnt Glassworks, and what it is like taking a glass blowing class.

The Art of Glass Blowing

Glass blowing has been high on my bucket list for years. I was always fascinated by the colors and shapes that could be formed from dust to glass. When I got my first job working as a security guard for an art museum in my teens, I would admire the glass sculptures by the famed glass blower, Chihuly, that sat in our gift shop and vowed to save up enough money to buy one.

When looking for a college nearby, there was one university that offered glass blowing glasses, but it was not the best option financially, so I had to pass it up. Now as an adult, I still admire Chihuly’s work and even got to see some of his famous installations in Las Vegas at the Bellagio hotel.

glass sculptures in las vegas — Chihuly 2019 Las Vegas

Burnt Glassworks Review and Experience

Fast forward to now and I’m still drawn to the art, and I was finally able take my first glass blowing class right her in Jacksonville, FL at Burnt Glassworks.

This local studio offers a wide range of classes that focus on making one individual item for you to be able to take home with you. These could include glass orb ornaments, hearts, flowers, starfish, or a wine glass.

Most classes range from $40-67 per person and last anywhere from 10 min to 45 min in length depending on difficulty. It includes one-on-one instruction form a glass professional to ensure you go home with what you create in the studio.

You can also take a couple’s class which makes for a fun date night. If you’re feeling especially inspired, Burntglass now offers glass blowing workshops to become a true master of the glass art!

It Starts with Sand

When you sign up for your class, the first step when you walk in the studio is selecting your sand. These sands are made up of different minerals that offer a wide selection of colors in every hue you can think of.

My buddy and I made stemless wine glasses to celebrate my birthday, and my feminine side was drawn to a combination of pink and white sand that reminded me of Valentine’s Day while my friend chose a lovely purple hyacinth.

Our instructor was very fun and detailed in his instructions making it easy to follow without fear of burning ourselves in the process.

We also got the option of making a traditional wine glass or using one of their molds to add “pineapple-like” texture to our creation. With repeated movements from in and out of the kiln to balancing the rods on bases to roll and blow our melted glass into full-blown wine glasses, it was a fun and exhilarating process to take part in.

One-on-One Glass Blowing Instruction

Our instructor provided individual instruction by reading the needs of the glass as is formed right in front of us. The process can be a delicate one requiring varying levels of force when blowing or pressure when shaping for the correct results.

I had a miscalculation when it came time to tap, and even when I messed up, my instructor was able to salvage my piece into something I love to look upon.

In fact, I love to look for the mistake I made on my glass whenever I use it because it reminds me that even mistakes can lead to something beautiful.

See my video below of my creation from Burnt Glassworks:

Check out their website and facebook for upcoming events!

Spy x Family CODE: White

I grew up in the 90’s when parents had no idea what anime was. I would walk down the Blockbuster aisle admiring the colorful video cases of shows like Akira, Princess Mononoke, Sailor Moon, and Project A-Ko. Because they were so unknown back then, most videos were Unrated meaning parents had no idea the video with the cartoon cover had some adult themes with fan service tropes common in most shows.

That being said, now that I’m a parent, I’m making sure to be careful with whatever my daughter watches. Anime is so much more popular and available now than when I was a kid, and while I’m still cautious, it’s also been fun to bond with my daughter over it. Her favorite anime so far has been Spy x Family, so as soon as my daughter heard the new Spy x Family CODE: White was coming to theaters, she had to go. These are my thoughts, starting with the series itself.

Spy x Family follows an international super spy, Lloyd Forger, who is trying to go under cover to reach a powerful diplomat and prevent war between the East and West, but to do so he needs to infiltrate his inner circle of a prestigious school. This would require having a family which results in him taking on Yor as his fake wife. It may sound harsh but Yor has a secret as well. She’s actually a skilled assassin and “marrying” LLoyd helps her stay under the radar to complete her goals. Finally, the young and adorable Anya comes into the picture to complete the family, and of course, she has her own secret as well. She’s a telepath which helps her along the way to complete her goal- to have a real family- with often hilarious results.

That being said, the overall message of the show is about family unity with heart warming moments that over shadow the occasional fight scenes. It plays the part of both a wholesome family anime and intense spy show with the occasional curse worse, fighting scenes, and blood stain on the wall (usually caused by Yor). As for the movie, I will say, the very first scene of the movie had me a little nervous because it contained a flirtatious opening scene that literally showed a bit of ankle but thankfully changed directions fast.

I’ll admit, most anime movies have their glaring flares with plot and I think we overlook them because we just love them for what they are, but I felt CODE: White was able to incorporate a lot of subplots well to make the story exciting, hilarious, and still keep everyone’s secret in tact to continue the series without a hitch. My daughter could not stop laughing out loud at Anya’s antics and you could tell the animators had fun exaggerating her childish imagination during her “crappy” situation.

Also, there is something nostalgic about playing claw machines at movie theaters. Just something magical about seeing a movie with a parents followed by a new stuffed toy.

Nerdy News- Harley Quinn and The Joker: Sound Mind Podcast

I just started listening to the Spotify original series, Harley Quinn and The Joker: Sound Mind, and I’m hooked.

The series is a retelling of Harley Quinn’s origin story, and follows Dr. Quinzel who is fresh out of college, trying to care for her patients at Arkham Asylum while satisfying the unprofessional standards and sexist behavior of her boss in order to keep her job. Things really take off when J becomes Harleen’s patient, and they both seem to be psychoanalyzing each other. Christina Ricci voices Harley and brings a whole new side to the character. She’s not flirty and obsessed like the original Harley in Batman: The Animated Series, nor is she maniac and fierce like the new Harley from Suicide Squad. Ricci’s Harley is calculated, relatable, and endearing in the dark world that is so well crafted for an audio series.

The whole production is well-scripted, and I love Billy Magnussen as Joker. He has the ability to capture elements of past portrayals of the Joker but still make him his own, in one crazy package.

The seven-episode podcast is worth a listen and I’m hoping to see more studios present some of our favorite series in this way and with this much hard work and attention put in. What story or series would you like to see made into a podcast?

Book Review: Wizard and the Lizard, The Magic of Marvelous Manners

Katie Reed is back with the next installment of her magical book series, Wizard and The Lizard. In this book, you meet two new characters, Mage and Page, and the four magical words that can change your life- “Please”, “Thank You”, “Excuse Me” and “Sorry”. The story starts off with the lovable main characters, Wizard and Buddy the lizard, then pulls the reader into a playful lesson about manners being like magic that can strengthen friendships. It’s a perfect way to introduce an important message that all young children should be aware of.

After reading the book, I wanted to have a little fun with the magic words we learned and talk about the importance of growth as a person and in relationships. So to drive the points home, my daughter and I picked out some flowers packets and planted them like the magic words to see them grow into something beautiful. We used recycled plastic items so we could reuse them as well.

As for the book itself, I just have to say the cover is gorgeous! After working alongside Candy Keane to illustrate our own children’s book for the first time, I’ve learned to appreciate a good font! As for the new magical stars of the book, Mage and Page, I love the color and designs for these fun characters! Illustrator, Jenna Wing-Hu drew them to be so charming. They are perfect to help teach etiquette is a fun way!

As a mother, I realize keeping our little monsters in line can be a hassle. I love books that open my little one’s eyes to vital lessons like how to be a kind and good person. The Magic of Marvelous Manners fits right in to our library and not only brings a smile to my little girl’s face but adds some magic words to her vocabulary.

Available at Amazon

Book Review: Wizard and The Lizard by Katie Reed

I got the chance to read the brand-new children’s book series, Wizard and the Lizard by author Katie Reid. Katie is not only creative but supportive of fellow authors (more about that later)! We read her second book first (Wizard and the Lizard: Wacky Weather) which is actually about the main characters dealing with a literal storm raining on their picnic and as someone born and raised in Florida, I can totally relate with the ups and downs of ever-changing weather!

This book is a fun adventure with Wizard and his friend Buddy the lizard and their shenanigans as they try to change the weather so they can enjoy their day outside! Now that I’m the mother of a 5-year-old who wants nothing more than to play outside, I frequently experience the frustrations of the rain putting a damper on our outside adventures! Their attempts to bring out the sun got the whole family laughing at the silliness of their antics. It’s a lighthearted story that will get your child giggling over goofy spellcasting and the unexpected friendship between a wizard and his friend lizard.

This book series is great for any fantasy-lover like myself. Nothing like a good, old-fashioned wizard with his castle and potions to make me reminisce of classics such as Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit, and maybe even act as a steppingstone for your little ones who may someday feel drawn to them as well. In summary, Wizard and the Lizard is a fun, fantasy adventure perfect for little ones with a lesson about friendship and loving yourself.

Lastly, by reading this fun series as a family we learned that my husband has an impressive wizard’s voice! He had my daughter and me laughing with each page, and we had to share a quick reading with you all…if my husband and daughter can control their giggles! Check out the video on my Instagram!

As I mentioned earlier, Katie is supportive to fellow authors like Candy Keane and myself as we progress to publish our first ever children’s book ! Her support will actually give her a cameo in our upcoming book and I’m so excited to share it with you! So go support Katie and you can get her book here!

Toy Story 4: See You [Space] Cowboy

As I mentioned in an earlier post, our family designated July 2018-2019 as “The Year of Disney” by buying annual passes for my daughter’s 4^th birthday instead of putting that money towards a one time, birthday party. With July now here, the countdown has begun, and we are making an effort to squeeze in as many trips to Disney to experience all the magic before the clock strikes midnight (our passes expire July 13^th ). Our most recent trip was a focus on Disney’s Hollywood Studies and the new Toy Story Land.

Woody greets you at the entrance to Toy Story Land

Jesse and Rex will chat if you stick around long enough

To infinity and beyond!

Quite appropriately, we saw Toy Story 4, the final installment to the Toy Story series, prior to our trip which made it all the more special. I don’t want to give any spoilers for the movie, but I will say it was my favorite of the 4 part series. I don’t know if it is because I have grown up with the characters and seeing the final movie was like a sweet farewell to part of my childhood, or maybe because Toy Story 4 focused on some very meaningful themes (rejection, acceptance, and healing) that I myself could relate to from my own experiences (there you go again Disney making me feel things!!). I can say that I was thrilled at the thought that my Toy Story adventure started at the age of 8 (I even had all the toys!) and I now get to share the magic of Toy Story with my daughter.

Slinky Dog Ride

Trash ❤

The slinky ride is full of fun designs

Toy soldiers are everywhere

Toy Story Land is a colorful submersion into the world of toys with life-sized versions of common childhood necessities (crayons, Uno cards, dominoes, etc.) all around. You will spot the stars of Toy Story where you can hear them chatting if you stick around to listen. Of course, the stars will come out to play and put on performances like the Army Men drum procession that entertains as you wait for your next ride. The main attractions are Alien Swirling Saucers (a new take on the Magic Kingdom Tea Cup ride), Toy Story Mania (a new and improved take on the Magic Kingdom Buzz Light Year Space Ranger Spin), and Slinky Dog Dash (Kids must be 38” tall and we made the cut!) which we loved. It is fun, it is entertaining, and it’s got a bit of a wait time for rides (“Thank you!” to whoever decided to add umbrellas along the path of Toy Story Land. That Florida heat is no joke!), but check it out!

Meet Jesse in Toy Story Land

I have been chosen!

Woody and Bo are back!

Tell me what you thought of Toy Story 4, Toy Story Land, or what was your favorite Toy Story movie?

#Disney #Toystory #Momblog

That Nerdy Mom

Mom+Nerd+Artist

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