Tag Archives: pop goes the page

Pop’s Top 10: Fabulous Fails

Posted on by

acid drops 2

We make (and get) ourselves into a lot of messes here at Pop Goes the Page, and today we are honoring all those…uh…valuable learning experiences by counting down Pop’s Top 10 fails, misfires, and whoopsies!

#1 GINORMOUS FORTUNE COOKIE

cookie progress 2Our first fail comes from the kitchen of Katie, where a fortune cookie recipe test took a turn for the huge. Mis-measuring the batter resulted in a giant mega cookie that appears to be smirking at all the other cookies.

#2 UNFOCUSED LAPIN

blurry flashlight bunny 5ALWAYS test your light source. Not all beams are created equal! As we quickly discovered when our oatmeal container projector resulted in an unfocused, blobby bunny.

#3 PANTS BEWARE

deflated messLearned this one the hard way – and so did our carpets and clothing. Erasable chalkboard ink enthusiastically liberates itself from deflated balloons. And it makes a mess. A permanent MESS. Oooooo such a mess.

#4 DASHING DOGS 

more puppy post 1It took SIX tries to get Katie’s pup Finley to simply walk down the hallway with a mailbox strapped to his back. And the one time it worked? Watch the video closely, because a piece of mailbox literally breaks off in transit and drops to the floor! Argh!

#5 WATER WORKS

full tin foil sheetOur program at a local community pool was going swimmingly, until the entire waterway leaked like mad and beached all the boats. Yes, in hindsight we should have reinforced the seams of the tin foil with packing tape…but ah well!

#6 TODDLER TORNADO

teddy bear picnic afterWhat started as a lovely bucolic picnic scene quickly devolved into chaos at a baby and toddler program. The hardest hit was a lovely contact paper river. We foolishly thought the adhesive would anchor it a little. But no. It lasted about 5 minutes before being twisted and crunched into a slouching shadow of its former self.

#7 THE FAMOUS FUDGE INCIDENT

foojYes. That is fudge in a CUP. One of Pop’s most classic fails, Katie learned how woefully temperamental fudge making can be. However! It should be noted that she made a triumphant comeback a few years later, with the assistance of Toni & Slade Morrison’s Peeny Butter Fudge recipe!

#8 CAUGHT PINK-HANDED

Otherwise know as the day I turned my bathtub and hand pink. It was supposed to be a simple project, but the art materials juuuuuust weren’t cooperating. But in my defense, who knew cellophane could be so vengeful?

#9 WHEN CANDY GOES BAD

dr. dana taste tests burned acid drop

Another classic from the kitchen of Katie. Long story short, the Harry Potter acid drops recipe went horribly wrong and turned black. The second batch welded your teeth shut. I insisted on trying both batches, and, well, a picture speaks a thousand words.

#10 NOT TO BURST YOUR BALLOON…

balloon progressWhile doing research for a Willy Wonka escape room, I attempted to turn myself into a giant blueberry by shimmying into a 6ft latex balloon that would snap around my neck. The process also required the use of a leaf blower. How could this scenario possibly go wrong???

Pop’s Top 10: Pop Goes the Page?

Posted on by

royal pieQ: Hi Dr. Dana and Katie! I love the Top 10 posts, and I’m wondering what your Top 10 favorite blog posts are?

A blog post about this blog? Whoa, things are about to get super-duper metaphysical. But we’re game! In order to tackle this challenge, Katie and I each picked our top 5 favorite posts and commented on them. With 5 years and 463 posts to chose from, it was tough. But, as we soon discovered, sometimes it was a childhood memory, or a behind-the-scenes, that actually made the post one of our favorites.

#10 IT BEGINS

horse and riders

Dr. Dana: I have a lot of affection for this post because it is my VERY first one. August 13th, 2013. For years, people had been asking me to find a way to share my creative projects and programs (there was even person who suggested I get my own TV show…hmmmm). It was Katie who started whispering You should blooooog in my ear. I agreed to try it, not realizing that this blog basically adds a part-time job on to my already full-time job. I will get even with her. Someday.

Katie: I remember the first time I suggested a blog about all things Cotsen, Dr. Dana and I were crafting a Tiger Tales project and fielding questions about what we were building from an inquisitive parent. I think my comment went something like, “It’s easy! Just take a few pictures of the project, explain how to put it together, and BAM! You’re done!” So maybe it wasn’t going to be that easy, and maybe it has added a few grey hairs on Dr. Dana’s head, but the blog has certainly delivered creative literacy magic across the globe.

#9 ICE ICE FISHY

gone (ice) fishingKatie: This project was near and dear to my heart. It conjured up many memories of when I was a kid out ice fishing with my grandfather on a cold lake in Minnesota. Being outside in the cold is not my favorite activity, honestly I still hate being cold, but spending time with him doing one of his favorite things in the world was totally worth suffering through the frigid temperatures. I also believe the ice shanties were one of the first large-scale props that Dr. Dana had me design and build for Tiger Tales. If I only knew then what she was going to make me create in the future…

Dr. Dana: Notice how Katie put the shack on TOP of another big box? That was so kids could actually fish into the “ice” floor of the shack. Exactly like a real shack. Fantastic. Katie rules! Also, this project taught me the phrase “Ya Der Hey.”

#8 POETRY, LIKE WATER FLOWING

soaked poetKatie: When Dr. Dana said we were going to head to her house to take pictures and/or video of her in the shower while she tested a product for the blog, I was totally up for it. What I did not realize was how I was going to have to restrain myself from laughing when she was in the shower and what ensued while she was there. You may hear me chuckle a bit and see the camera move, but the video did not show me nearly collapsing onto the tiled floor in laughter after I stopped recording. Hilarious.

Dr. Dana: Yup, writing poetry in the shower whilst wearing a soaking wet beret was one of those “Huh. First time in my life I’ve ever done this” moments. Which seems to happen ALL THE TIME on this job.

#7 ROYAL PIE

katie with pizza

Katie: One of the reasons I applied to work at Cotsen was because the job description specifically stated that applicants would be asked to wear a costume. I’ve worn many a costume during my tenure at Cotsen and transformed myself into fun characters: a renaissance princess, a steampunk spelunker, Charmander, a car mechanic, a Potter-esqe witch. I think dressing as a medieval herald is one of my favorites. The tights were super comfy.

Dr. Dana: All in my orbit must enter the costuming vortex! Mwah hah hah! And hey…who wants to see Katie as Eloise?

#6 CAN YOU DIG IT?

can you dig itDr. Dana: This was an archeological dig we designed for a Journey to the Centre of the Earth event in 2013. We really wanted to do this activity, but there were so many challenges. How do we replicate an actual dig?  How do we tie the concepts together in a way that allows kids to self-discover? How do we make this thing portable? How do we keep it hygienic? How can we produce it fairly cheaply? The results were a total home run.

Katie: We estimate that 5,000 people attended this event. Along with being able to participate in an archaeological dig, learn about spelunking, climb a inflatable mountain, meet nocturnal animals and play music on rocks, those who were brave enough got to meet a baby Tyrannosaurus Rex!

#5 GIRAFFE’S GOTTA DANCE

giraffe's gotta dance

Katie: Figuring out how to make a giraffe puppet with dancing legs and a moveable neck was tough. Really tough. Dr. Dana and I went through at least a dozen ideas and templates before we struck gold using cut straws, string and toilet paper tubes. I still have the giraffe we created hanging in my conference room office. I’m pretty proud of that little dancing giraffe. He’s quite adorable, too.

Dr. Dana: At one point, Katie and I were madly designing separate giraffe prototypes, grinding our teeth in frustration. In the end, Katie had the winner. The giraffe really dances!

#4 THRIFT STORE COSTUME CHALLENGE

dolores-umbridge-costumeDr. Dana: My specialty is unusual takes on literacy, and I think this was one of my finest moments. I challenged a Princeton University student designer to costume as many literary characters as he could in 180 minutes, using ONLY what he found in our locally-owned thrift and consignment store. My only regret was that we ran out of time before I could be dressed as Mrs. Whatsit.

Katie: Mad props to the Princeton University students who were willing to stuff their feet into shoes that were several sizes too small. And salad forks as crystal daggers? Brilliant.

#3 SHOW JUMPING!

show jumpingDr. Dana: As a horse-obsessed little kid, I was constantly building show jumping courses, which I would then jump over, endlessly. This project allowed me to revisit those happy memories, and I was surprised at how deeply touching it was. Also, the video! The cheers when the little girl recovers from her misstep over the last combination? Awesome.

Katie: This is the perfect time for me to introduce an often used phrase in our office: LID. Leave It Dana. She wanted to create an elaborate jumping course and I had to constantly remind her about our young audience. LID.

#2 KATIE HITS THE ROADSHOW

Happy to be here 5

Katie: This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to be a part of the PBS ANTIQUES ROADSHOW! I was lucky enough to spend a long weekend hanging out with my younger brother, I got to meet my favorite ROADSHOW appraiser, and I learned what some of my inherited treasures are worth. PBS is currently airing the episodes of the San Diego ROADSHOW, so tune in and see if you can spot me in the crowds!

Dr. Dana: Well, I was on Channel 20’s WOW when I was a little kid. Anyone? Anyone?

#1 THE DYSLEXIC LIBRARIAN

welcome to my worldDr. Dana: Marissa is amazing on so many levels. How can she NOT be on this list?

Katie: Yup. What Dr. Dana said.

AND THE GRAND FINALE…RUN COOKIE RUN

run cookie runKatie: I was living in Belgium when Tiger Tales kids were creating gingerbread houses and chasing an enormous cookie that looked strangely like Dr. Dana across campus, but this project still tickles my funny bone. From our apartment across the Atlantic, my son and I watched the accompanying video and we both went into hysterics when Dr. “Gingerbread Girl” Dana did her little hop and started running away from the excited kids. It takes a confident cookie to dress up like one.

Dr. Dana: This story time definitely ranks as one my favorites of all time. I distinctly remember running away from the kids, giggling madly, thinking: “I have a Ph.D., I’m dressed like a giant cookie, I’m being chased by kids on an Ivy League campus.” Life is sweet!

Pop Turns Five (and Ian Says Goodbye)

Posted on by

pop turns 5It’s August! It’s Pop‘s fifth birthday! That’s right…5 years and 422 posts strong we be. Five years is also how long Ian has worked at our library, but ladies and gentleman, it is a bittersweet announcement I’m making today.

Ian, our Curatorial Assistant, is moving on.

But being Ian, he is moving along in the most awesome, stylin’ way possible. He completed his library degree at Rutgers AND is a newly minted Fulbright Student (he was also awarded a scholarship to Rare Books school in London this summer!). In short, Ian is shining, and we are so very proud of him.

So today’s post is a retrospective of all the things we convinced this intellectual powerhouse to do for the blog. But if you’re just here to see him smash birthday cupcake in my face, skip to the bottom of the post.

ian walks the dogWe first met Ian in this 2013 post. Usually, it only takes a couple weeks for me to ask people to start doing ridiculous things for me (like walk box dogs on invisible leashes). Ian made it 4 months. But once the flood gates opened…

ian

Ian tests printable tattoos

spreading the loveIan strews hearts

groverIan jams on pan pipes

penguin 1Ian is photobombed by a penguin

ians-cameoIan encounters the paparazzi

pudding taste testIan taste tests Harry Potter pudding

i heart robotAnd the grand finale…Ian gets shoved in a robot costume with low visibility and questionable foot gear. For the 5th birthday post/ Ian retrospective, we thought it appropriate to ask him 5 questions:

Where are you off to, Ian?

I’m off to Baku, Azerbaijan. For the other geography nerds out there: Azerbaijan is a small country on the eastern side of the Caucasus between Iran and Russia, and Baku is the country’s bustling capital on the west bank of the Caspian Sea.

Why Azerbaijan?

I chose to pursue my Fulbright in Azerbaijan because I am fascinated by the complexities of the region. Azerbaijan is a land of mixing and clashing cultures, a border land of influences and diversity since antiquity, positioned at a crossroads of migration, colonization, and cultural exchange. I wanted to be in a modern city, but one with an ancient and medieval past. I wanted to be some place less familiar and rewardingly challenging.

What will you miss about our library?

It has been a true privilege and a joy to work with the rare books and other materials here at Cotsen. Every day is filled with new discoveries, new learning, color, art, and mystery. I forget sometimes how lucky I am to get to experience what “old books” can show us and how the chance to do what I do for a living is rare indeed. I’m not sure I’ll ever work in an “office” this fun again. And I will miss my colleagues at Cotsen most of all because one will always miss their friends when they move away.

What was your favorite thing you did for Pop Goes the Page?

Definitely the time I got crammed into a robot costume. Not only did I get to dance the robot dressed as a robot, I was also really happy to be part of a story time activity featuring a really sweet book. The kids liked it too, I got a lot of hugs that day!

Who is cooler, Dr. Dana or Katie?

Dang, honestly I think they’re both nerds! Good thing for them that at the library, nerds are cool!

A birthday is nothing without sugared toppings, so I grabbed a couple cupcakes for Ian’s final blog photo shoot. Except that meant there were extra cupcakes sitting around. To be smashed into my face. Before final consumption.

cupcake smash montage

Ian, we are really going to miss you. Best of luck in your world travels, academic pursuits, hopes, and dreams! Waves of love and joy from us, your friends, to you – Ian the Indomitable.