Commander 2013 Mind Seize

~
Happy Friday MTG peeps, 

We have for you today part two of five separate articles we are doing on the new Commander 2013 decks just recently released by WotC to a very welcoming Magic: the Gathering fan base.  Each of these new Commander pre-constructed decks provides a ready to play stack of 100 cards including a choice of three legendary creatures to act as your general which may be also represented by an oversized foil card.  The card list is a solid foundation which you can easily adjust to taste - we'll likely throw a few of our nostalgic favourites we've picked up from MTG Mint Card into the original mix. 

The is the overview / review for Commander 2013's 'Evasive Maneuvers' deck and we've prepared a video with our good friend Jon from 'Command Tower' on Tumblr.  

~

~
This Grixis (blue / black / red) has the folowing legendary creatures in the deck to choose as your Commander / General -

Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge
This 1/3 Vampire Wizard has a cmc of four (one colorless and an 'grixis').  Not only does this fly but also mills (actually exiles) based upon how much you just cast her for - the spell cost and subsequent 'commander tax'.  From the pile of exiled cards, you can free-cast any of the spells whenever she attacks - very powerful.

Nekusar, the Mindrazer
For five mana (two colorless and a 'grixis), you can have 2/4 Zombie Wizard.  This guy forces everyone to draw an extra card each turn but goes further by dinging each opponent one damage for each card drawn.  We suggest you employ shenanigans like Forced Fruition for the lulz. 

Thraximundar
Here's a reprint from Shards of Alara. This is a great beater.  For seven (four colorless and a 'grixis') you get a hasty 6/6 which forces the defending player to sac a critter whenever Thrax attacks.  The bonus is that you also get a hard +1/+1 counter on Thrax every time a player sacs a creature as well.

This is the most difficult of the five Commander 2013 decks to get your paws on.  Even when stores had protected themselves on a product rush by jacking the price two or three times the suggested retail price, players still had no problem willing to pay.  Why?  A few reasons but foremost is True-Name Nemesis, a very powerful merfolk creature spell which a lot of Legacy players want - this will go as a single for about 40 or 45 bucks some places.  Balefule Strix, a reprint from Planechase also commands a price of 15 to 20 clams.  Another card of interest is Strategic Planning from Portal Three Kindoms, which original cards are going for $30 although the price is dropping as a result of the commander and recent Modern Masters reprinting.
~

Holiday Reveals- Sunshine and Roses and Seattle

First off, a very huge thank you to everyone who emailed me or left comments after yesterday's post...the feedback was ridiculously appreciated...so nice to know you're not alone out there as it were.

And on that note, here's some sunshine...

[in the form of a glowing orb of a light sculpture that is P.S., not going anywhere...so happy that it gets to stay and so grateful to Patina for literally being the only store that husband and I adore equally...it makes for a much easier 'we must own this' sell;]

...and roses...

[I'm officially obsessed with pink fluffy roses after buying this lot...thinking I'll need to allocate some weekly dineors for a steady supply of these beauties...though flowers aren't free, the certainly do add something special to a room]

...to start the day.

And to continue things, I thought I'd give you another dose of...

...in the form of #projectalreadyfabulous...which you may recall, started off with some pretty great 'before's....

As for the 'after's, here are those...coming all the way to you from Seattle, by way of Toronto...

 There are plans to add a mirror in between that pair of the most fabulous lamps I've perhaps ever seen, but aside from that, she's done and I couldn't be happier with the result...a bit traditional with a modern flare...and a dash of pretty glamour of course.

And with that, I'll sign off for now with another big thank you for being my unicorn lovers...as I said before... love you mucho for it.

xo

My Deco File (and a Domino Give Away!)

Happy Friday! Anyone else double-ready for the weekend? I think Mercury must be in retrograde or something. :)

The good news is my second story for Domino is live, right here! I talked a little bit about my new wall color and my approach for using color in big, but strategic, doses in my own home. I also shared some of my favorite colorful pieces from Domino's online shop. They are selling so many beautiful, inspired products - it was hard to narrow down my favorites! (all of my favorites are saved here though, in case you're up for some early holiday shopping this weekend!)

Also, Domino is giving away a few $50 gift cards to LGN readers, which could really come in handy this time of year, right? Enter here on Rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Angel Evolution

~
Happy Thursday MTG peeps,

Our local card shop, OMG! Games here in Barrie, Ontario runs a Commander night on Thursday evenings and although we've not been out to one of these for a while, we're told that it is becoming more popular than ever and you can see all the recently released Commander 2013 decks at the tables.  We'll likely pick up a few extra singles from MTG Mint Card and upgrade one of our existing builds before committing to going though.

Anywhoos - there was one Commander 2013 card which caught our attention (yes, we admit that many more did) but this had more to do with the art than the actual game card abilities.  Specifically, we're talking about Angel of Finality with the lovely art from Howard Lyon.  We've seen this angel very recently in the Innistrad set - Angel of Flight Alabaster.

~
The new Commander 2013 version is most assuredly a reference to the previous Innistrad one but beyond the art and creature type, everything is quite different.

 











Where the Innistrad Angel of Flight Alabaster allowed graveyard recursion of a spirit creature card from your graveyard to your hand, Commander's Angel of Finality nuked cards in a target player's graveyard.  Both these cards can still be good friends in the same deck however and we know there is a number of MTG Realm readers out there who have told us they have a thingy for angel themed decks, so we say 'go for it' - there are more than a dozen legendary angel creatures in a variety of colors you can call upon to be your commander / general.
~
Now - for some flavor -
Innistrad Angels were organized into Flights of Angels - Flight Goldnight, Flight of Herons, and Flight Alabaster.  As our angel in today's article is from Alabaster, here's some background from the MTG creative team -  

The Flight of Alabaster
These angels personify the Blessed Sleep and are associated with the Hunter's Moon season. They provide magic that wards against the desecration of dead humans. In the absence of Avacyn they remained the most active and continued on to reinforce wards that protected the human populations.

This flight of angels is centered in Thraben, and is instrumental in maintaining Avacynian wards. These angels reside mainly in the Lofts and are a familiar sight to the inhabitants of the city. They generally travel in small groups as they visit the centers of healing in the city. Alabaster angels also aid priests and cathars in maintaining the protective wards on the city walls and holy sites throughout Innistrad. According to the other flights, Alabaster angels tend to be overly sentimental, but they think of themselves as practical yet sympathetic. They often do not travel with weapons, preferring to use their magic, and engage in battle only when the conflict can't be resolved another way. During the archangel's absence, the Alabaster angels were first to recognize the Avacynian wards were failing. Many remained active—more than those of other flights—doubling their efforts to reinforce the wards. These efforts likely saved Thraben from the fate that befell many other towns and settlements. 
~

Holiday Reveals...The Reality Behind the Photgraphed Pretty in My House

I've been posting photos of new stuff for a while now on Insta and the like...all of this because as you know, I've been crazily trying to get ready for some photos shoots and TV segments.

All of this happening during what I can only say is not my family's best economic times.

So today, I thought why not tell you/show you how I'm doing this...and no, it doesn't involve winning the lottery or spilling head first into debt.

As with everything you see in magazines or on the tube, things are often a little different than what's there on the glossy pages etc...so I thought why not give you a little behind the scenes reality check as it were...and why not make it part of my...

...series...because really, this is very much a reveal:)))

Let's start with the basement.

To be honest, it was pretty much done in better moula times so there's not real trickology there...what you see is what's there and what's staying there.

I did get some fabulous deals on some pieces like the custom cabinet that Allen made for me, but it still definitely wasn't free...

Same goes for everything in this picture...the anewall art, daybed, striped side table and chairs...all bought at a reduced price (from the amazing Black Rooster) but still purchased as it were.

I could go on with the basement but let's just sum it up by saying that everything down there is mine, bought (aside from the RugsUSA beni and eCarpet Gallery rug in the bedroom which were both gifted in exchange for blogging/PR, same goes for the flooring and tile from Home Depot) at either a reduced price or for trade discount etc.

The space hasn't been manipulated for photos or staged or anything...it is what it is.

Moving on.

The living room.

As you know, I've been working on a rather big change in this room's shtick.

I wanted to move it a little away from it's previous super frilly feminine installation.

To do this, I had to get rid of a lot and add some more.

I've got stuff stored away for either the new house or sale and have added the alky chairs...

...a pedestal (made by Allen) with this glorious JA vase...

..the later of which is very much thanks to Christine (whose shop 219 now carries Jonathan Adler!!!) ...aka, the best online friend a girl could ever have.

And then there's the art...this Jen Mann gorgeousity...

...and my Stephanie Vovas masterpiece...

The former is being rented from the fabulous folks at Neubacher Shor Contemporary...I arranged this last month, with the intent to purchase.

Because I'm trying to reign in spending as of late, this is very up in the air...it makes me very, very sad to think that I might have to give this back because it's literally one of my most beloved things in the house...by a landslide actually.

Please cross your fingers that prior to Christmas, husband lands another job so that this can be my gift...praying to the gods every single day on that front.

On a happier note, I do own the photograph on the fireplace...and this makes me incredibly grateful...I'm a little sad that I had framing issues, which meant the image had to be cropped smaller than intended with a thinner frame and plexi rather than glass, but such is what sometimes happens with shoot deadlines and the like.

Now the chairs.

These are a catastrophic pain in my ass to get.

I had arranged to borrow them on approval, again with the intent to purchase.

Though I was supposed to pick them up on Tuesday, and had sent my husband to retrieve, they weren't ready until yesterday morning on the actual day of the shoot so as the photographer was working, in comes husband with a u-haul in between shots trying to place the chairs.

The thing is with these guys that I LOVE them greatly to look at, I can't afford them so they'll be going back today on the same u-haul they came on, with a huge thanks to Julien Armand for letting me try them on for size...very much hoping I'll be able to add these bad boys back in soonly.

I mean just look at the backs of them alone for goodness sakes...

Bliss:(((

Moving on...

My new lamp...

...came to me thanks to the amazing peeps at Patina.

Again, this has not been purchased but after long discussions with the other half, we've decided that this has to stay...it just has to.

So...peanut butter sammies and lots of painting/designing for me to be able to afford.

Sometimes, true love/one of a kind stuff just can't be passed up on and no I'm not advocating spending on things you can't afford...I'm just saying that there are times when 'making it happen' as it were is worth it.  We'll forgo some other stuff so that we can keep this piece because though it happens pretty rarely, this guy is something we both absolutely adore.

So that's the living room...the truth and the fiction as it were.

Now the kitchen.

You've seen this space a thousand times so there's nothing 'propped' in here that isn't mine so to speak.

I thought it might be funny to show you the reality of 'staging' for a shoot though and how that often plays out.

On Tuesday night, I sent husband out to find me a loaf of French bread, some macaroons and a small white iced cake for styling.

He aced the bread but came home with this stuff as his version of the other two...

Men...god love them.

And then there's the flowers...

...it's really too bad that they cost a lot and last for all of a couple of days.

I'm really hoping the roses stay put for a bit longer- they're so pretty in real life.

Hydrangeas, though I love them, are so finicky...half of the ones I bought wilted on day one- they definitely have a mind of their own.

*edit...thanks for the soak in water tip from a few readers...going down to try this asap*

I also wanted to show you the reality of my bar area...

The photo shoot ended at 5 pm yesterday and this is how it looks at 8 am today...

Note the Red Label (for husband) and wine (for me) and Tylenol (for both of us)....and trust me, this space usually looks a whole heck of a lot more cluttered than this...so when you see the published photo of this nook, know that it's really looking more like this;)))

And finally, I thought I'd save the best for last as it were.

And by best, I mean literally the all encompassing reality of our lives that is the master bedroom.

As the only room in the house not to be photographed, it has become the dumping ground/catch all for all the shite that has nowhere else to go.

And because I can shut the door on it whenever anything is going on, the walls are still not painted apres moulding application...there's mounds of laundry on the floor pretty much all the time...the kids dump every toy that ever migrates from downstairs in here...and well, I'm not so good at putting clothes away.

So, may I present how this little cranny of my house looked last night, after the mad dash to get every piece of crap that was anywhere else in the house, hidden away...

Yikes.

So there you have it...the what's what for realz behind the fantasy.

Life as it were.

xo

DIY Autumnal Garland

The year after I moved away for college, my parents moved about 2.5 hours north of Phoenix. The small town that they moved to was the place we had visited every summer and Thanksgiving for most of my childhood. It was where my dad grew up and where my grandparents had always lived. It's a special little place in the high desert, and the drive up there from the Valley takes you through all sorts of beautiful Arizona scenery.

Michael had to work over Veteran's Day weekend (boo) so I decided to take the girls up to visit my parents. The weather was perfect and the sky was that perfect color of winter blue. I've always loved the desert, but I think I can appreciate its unique beauty even more after living on the east coast for a decade.

On the way back home, the girls and I decided to collect samples of some of the plants and foliage along the road back down to Phoenix. We found everything from sage to juniper (with pretty little blue berries!) to gorgeous maple leaves in every shade from red to yellow.

I was surprised that we were able to collect something from every color in the rainbow in less than two hours of driving. How could I resist making an ombre garland with all those pretty colors?

Here's the easy how-to:

I've made a few wreaths with evergreen boughs before and the concept is very similar for a garland. It couldn't be simpler or much less expensive (it was actually free for me since I had the floral supplies on hand already).

To make a similar garland, you'll need a good collection of leaves and plants. Try to find plants that are either already pretty dry or that will dry out well (flowers usually do not dry that well). It can get a little messy, so try organizing everything on a canvas drop cloth to make clean up easy.

Here are a few things I used:

You'll for sure want two thicknesses of floral wire, wire clippers and floral shears. The Dried Material Preservative (available at craft stores) is optional, but is actually pretty helpful for keeping the brittle, dry plants more soft and pliable. And actually I've been giving my garland a light misting with this stuff every few days, just to give it a little more life.

So, I would say the trickiest part here is figuring out the flow of the garland. I wanted mine to have a gradient or ombre look, so it took a little planning to get the right plants with the right color in the right area of the swag so there was a good balance to the thing. I knew I wanted the juniper berries in the middle though, and the red leaves in the corners and the white grass at the ends, so then it was just a matter of filling in the rest.

Once all your foliage is ready to go, and you have a good sense of how long your finished garland will be (mine is about 15 ft long), measure out three equal lengths of thick floral wire and then braid the wire. It doesn't have to be perfect at all - and don't stress if the wires get a little tangled. The idea is you want a thicker but still pliable surface to tie the flowers to.

I used two of those stick-on hooks (in black, to match my fireplace) in the corners of the mantle. I looped the braided wire around the hook and sort of pinched it to help the wire stay put. If you want the finished garland to swoop down a little in the center, let the wire sag just a bit here, but not too much. The weight of the foliage will pull it down several more inches.

Then it's time to start layering on the foliage. The most important part is to start at the bottom and layer on top of each little bundle and work your way to the center.

To make each bundle, you just layer the foliage in your hand in a pretty way so that there are no gaps or blunt lines. And then you hold the bundle up against the braided wire and wrap it three or four times with the smaller gauge floral wire, just around the base of the bundle, mostly. For the lighter foliage, I used gold wire and for the greenery I pulled out my dark green wire.

Once I finished layering on one half of the garland, I started at the bottom of the other side, trying to copy the layout exactly. When both halves are finished, you should be left with two mirror-image symmetrical swags. I think it would look a little funny if you don't have a center piece that is sort of bunched up and less layered looking. So I made a little end cap for the very center out of more juniper bush. I used floral tape to sort of bunch and fan out some shorter pieces, and then attached it with wire just like with the other bundles.

Also, and I didn't end up needing to do so here, but if you've lost a lot of leaves in the process, you can strategically hot glue a few leaves back on to help fill things out a bit.

Finally, you can sort of bend and tug at the wire to get it to look right and you're done! It's easy and fun and only takes an hour or two. My garland has been up for about a week and a half and I think it'll still look great for Thanksgiving next week! The only plant that's shed at all is the soft gray sagebrush in the middle, and it's not been bad at all.

I'm already dreaming of ideas for a winter palette of all blues and greens and grays for my next garland. Maybe a double swag!