Author Archive



How to Make a Wampa Cave Shadow Box

Jennifer Landa | December 11, 2012

Wampa Cave Shadowbox

‘Tis the season of keeping warm inside a tauntaun! When the temperature drops, I am reminded of the icy planet of Hoth. Nothing says wintertime quite like snowtroopers, smelly tauntauns, and a one-warmed wampa. One of my favorite things about the “Hothidays” is putting up twinkly lights and decorations. However, you won’t find me building a miniature Dickens village. Instead, I try to deck the halls with dioramas, Yoda lights, and some of my favorite Star Wars action figures. This year, I turned a wampa cave into a holiday shadow box decoration! Whether you have these action figures or not, this craft will help you celebrate the Hothidays…Star Wars style!

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Last-Minute Star Wars Costume Ideas

Jennifer Landa | October 29, 2012

Star Wars Halloween

It’s the day before Halloween and you don’t have a costume. Dressing up like Queen Amidala might be out of reach, but there are plenty of other Star Wars costumes you can make in a day. Maybe you just got invited to a Halloween party? Or perhaps you want to dress up for school or work tomorrow? Whatever the case may be, fear not! Here are some Star Wars costume ideas that will help you get ready for Halloween in a hurry!

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How to Make a Great Pit of Carkoon Bundt Cake

Jennifer Landa | October 24, 2012

Carkoon Cake 1

Brain cupcakes. Chocolate eyeballs. Worms in dirt. These are the types of desserts I look forward to eating every Halloween. For this year’s festivities, I wanted to create a treat that puts a Star Wars twist on those traditional spooky desserts. In my opinion, nothing says scary like The Great Pit of Carkoon and the deadly Sarlacc that inhabits it. Being digested over the course of a thousand years is what nightmares are made of!

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How to Make a Stormtrooper Pumpkin

Jennifer Landa | October 17, 2012

Stormtrooper Pumpkin 1

For me, Halloween is the time of year when I embrace the dark side to the fullest. I find that the spooky holiday just brings out the Sith in me. So for this year’s festivities, I decided to carve a Stormtrooper pumpkin.  What better way to salute the boys in white than by carving their helmet into the side of a squash? Now I’m no Pumpkin Geek but fortunately there are a lot of cool Star Wars templates online, like these downloadable Star Wars stencils here. For my carving, I liked the idea of using a Stormtrooper helmet not only because it’s so iconic, but also because it’s fairly simple to carve. So if you’re a beginner carver (like me), then this is the design you’re looking for!

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DIY: Yoda Coffee Cup Cozy

Jennifer Landa | September 19, 2012

Yoda Cozy Main

I’ll admit it…I’m a coffee lover.  Whether it’s a Dark Side Roast or a Coruscant Blend, I always look forward to my cup of caffeinated bliss.  In fact, I quickly turn from Jedi to Sith if I don’t have my usual morning cup o’ Joe.  But sometimes my local coffee shop makes my latte hotter than Mustafar!  So in order to cool my hands and show a little Star Wars flair, I decided to make a reusable coffee cup cozy.  I think this eco-friendly Yoda cozy is a great way to go “green.”  (In more ways than one!)

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A Back-to-School Guide for Padawans

Jennifer Landa | August 30, 2012

Padawans

The time is here, my young Padawans, to head off to Jedi training.  Or as some people call it, “go back to school.”  Ah yes, I can hear you cheering now.  School is a fantastic place to learn, challenge yourself, and interact with all different types of people.  But for some younglings, heading back to school can be a scary time.  When I was a kid, going back to school made me as nervous as Ben Quadinaros in a podrace.  So when the going got tough, I watched Star Wars.  Star Wars gave me hope and many valuable life lessons along the way.  In Master Yoda, I had the greatest after-school tutor ever!

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SWCVI: Closing Ceremony

Jennifer Landa | August 26, 2012

Closing Ceremony 1

The time has come to bid farewell to Celebration VI!  And what better way to start the closing ceremony than with a little dancing and singing?  In addition to a dance off between Jedi and Sith, Mark Daniel got the crowd to sing along to his Star Wars version of, “Feeling Hoth, Hoth, Hoth.”  Even though it was the end of our SWCVI experience, there was a lot of energy and excitement amongst the crowd.

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SWCVI: Smuggler’s Gambit

Jennifer Landa | August 25, 2012

Smugglers Gambit

There was a lot of speculation as to what Smuggler’s Gambit would be about.  As one fan told me, “all I know is it’s a radio show written by Kyle Newman so you know it’s gonna be awesome.”  And indeed it was!  Kyle Newman began the evening by telling us a little bit about how Smuggler’s Gambit came about.  Newman said that what we were about to see was a, “Han Solo (original trilogy era) radio drama for all ages.”

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SWCVI: Mark Hamill

Jennifer Landa | August 24, 2012

Mark Hamill 1

Some fans waited in line for 6 hours.  And even though the theater reached capacity an hour before the panel, hordes of people waited outside with one hope:  to see Mark Hamill.  I’ve never seen Mark Hamill in person.  I’ve watched him hundreds of times in the Star Wars films, I’ve hung his photos on my wall, and as a kid I hoped to one day marry him.  So after years of wishing and daydreaming, I rushed into the theater, plopped down into a seat, and prepared myself to see Luke Skywalker in person.

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SWCVI: Super Secret Star Wars Panel

Jennifer Landa | August 24, 2012

Super Secret Star Wars Panel

Crowds of fans poured into the Chapin Theatre.  Onstage a DJ played a techno remix of AC/DC while images of the band flashed on giant screens.  Before long the crowd (including myself) started clapping to the catchy beat.  People jumped and waved as t-shirts were thrown into the audience.  There was so much anticipation and energy in the crowd.  Everyone was ready and pumped for the main act.  No, this wasn’t a rock concert.  It was the Super Secret Star Wars Panel!

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