Don’t let the name fool you: these kids aren’t whipping up treats in the kitchen. But their work in the studio….well, be prepared to have your head filled with funky grooves that get your rump a-bumping. Straight outta Williamsburg through Cuba via Tel Aviv, you gotta check out Hank & Cupcakes:

Hank & Cupcakes are Ariel Scherbacovsky, whose funky bass riffs and effects pedalboard sound like a full band, and his wife Sagit Shir, a powerhouse vocalist and drummer. Their infectiously poppy self-titled EP is a four-track teaser to their frenetic live shows, where Cupcakes, clad in Chuck Taylors and spandex dresses, stands to bang her drum kit and puts down her sticks to catalyze dance parties in front of the stage. —Paste Magazine

With words like “incessant” and “whirling” used to describe them, we’re betting their live shows are one heck of a great time!

But…no cupcakes? We must confess that the part of us made entirely of sugar was hoping for some. Okay, more like squealing for joy and then sobbing with disappointment. Geez, get it together, Sugar Demon. Or maybe you should just hit the road? Perhaps it’s time for an intervention. Everybody’s doing it these days.

You know how we feel about zombies over here at StickerGiant. But do you know how we feel when we listen to Rob Zombie? That’s right: good all over, if a little angry and just a wee bit scurred. Which naturally leads us to the dark corridors of sunny Tempe (surely there are some) and into the lair of Throb Zombie. From which there is no escape. Or something…

Aahhhh, Fiataly! As soon as we hear your name, we think of la bella vita…which of course gets us thinking of fast cars, great food, and a passionate approach to life.

(Fiataly’s mission is) To promote the LOVE Affair of every Italian facet in the U.S. and around the world. Now THAT’S Italian! FIATALY is a LOVE Affair with FIAT and anything ITALIAN! (Pronounced f? ä t? l?). FIATALY is an Italian based Fan Page, promoting Italian Cars, Italian Comedy & Humor, Italian Cuisine, Italian Culture, Italian Fashion, Italian People, Italian Recipes, Italian Travel and much, much MORE!

Are you a member of the Wiccan religion? Then hie thee mouse to click on Athames.com!

What do you  mean, “what’s Wiccan?” Surely you’ve seen movies like The Craft or the show Charmed (oh, Alyssa Milano—we love you!). In the early 20th century, there was a European movement toward resurrecting pagan rituals. This coincided with the repeal of the Witchcraft Act of 1735. Yes, that was a thing. Can’t make this stuff up, people!  The result is today’s Wiccan religion, which is practiced by an estimated 800,000 people.

Of course, all this talk of witchcraft has us queueing up our favorite Monty Python video. Heehee, never gets old!

There’s riding your bike and there’s cycling. If you do the former, please be sure to wear a helmet and be sure to obey the rules of the road. If you do the latter…well, we can’t offer much more than “Livestrong!” BUT we can suggest you check out some great gear from Hincapie. These folks know from cycling.

The Hincapie family’s dedication to premium apparel reaches back to its roots in Colombia, South America. Ricardo Hincapie developed a passion for cycling when he started racing bicycles in his native Colombia. He introduced his sons, George and Rich, to the sport he loved as soon as they were old enough to turn the pedals. All three Hincapie men have been sharing your passion ever since. Hincapie Sportswear was created to meet the need for quality custom cycling clothing for teams and clubs, and it remains a core part of what we do every day. Our company owned factory in Medellin, Colombia is run by George and Rich’s aunt and uncle, Marie and Jorge Hincapie. Together they have over 30 years of apparel manufacturing experience. We produce custom garments for large and small teams and clubs, races and rides, corporations and charitable organizations.

Oh, and the “George” they keep talking about? He’s none other than George Hincapie, one of the most decorated professional cyclists in the world. U.S. national team, Olympics,Paris-Roubaix, Ghent-Wevelgem—this guy gets around. He’s ridden the Tour de France. Fifteen times! And of course, he’s worn the yellow jersey (look it up, kids).

With Derby weekend (and Cinco de Mayo, ay carumba: our livers are begging for mercy) fresh in our minds, we’re completely captivated by all things horsey. Enter the Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup, an annual event which helps kick off worship at the shrine to equine in the Bluegrass State.

The Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup is an exhilarating display of the heightened connection between horse and rider! Two competitions, testing classic western horsemanship as competitors slide, gallop and spin for the win. The CRI5* on Friday night begins the Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup. With the world’s top riders competing in a series of prescribed turns, sliding stops and flying lead changes, culminating with the crowning of the coveted title of champion. Saturday we deliver a crowd favorite, the World Freestyle Championship. With spotlights on and music playing, Freestyle gives spectators unique insight to the rider’s creativity and showmanship as they craft their own patterns to music while showcasing traditional Western horsemanship.

Sounds like a great time! While we’ve never been, we’d love to put on a big fancy hat and sip mint juleps and rub elbows with the landed gentry. Springtime in horse country always sounds so glamorous. Though to be honest, we’d probably be up in the cheap seats. It’s like the false fantasy of being a princess. Nice to think about, but let’s be honest: we’re not exactly To the Manor Born kind of people. Somebody has to do the work. We’re the folks in steerage, not first class. Which means that in the real life version of the fairy tale, we’d be the ones mucking out the stalls for his highness or emptying my lady’s chamber pot.

Oh hai, kids! It’s time for another meeting of the Mutual Admiration Society! Tshirt gurus Fibers.com gave us sweet props on their blog for a job well done. How do we know it was done well? Because our customer was happy! At the end of the day, that’s what keeps us going. So we’re more than delighted to wax poetic about our awesome new customer…check them out:

Fibers offers a fun and easy way to design and order custom t-shirts. With our innovative technology, each and every design on the site is customizable, allowing you the freedom to create your vision. Upload your own artwork or choose from over 8,000 unique art elements, add and edit text; the end result is a truly unique composition for your t-shirts. Satisfy your need for individual expression with no minimum order, endless design possibilities and extensive product options. T-shirts are for everyday and part of your life for every event; new babies, weddings, marathons, fundraisers, reunions or whatever your life calls for. Your passion, your t-shirt.

But wait! It gets better:

• Fibers.com donates a portion of our profits to help public school kids through funding teacher projects at Donors Choose. To date, Fibers.com has funded teacher projects to help thousands students across the United States! Your purchase helps us to do even more for students and schools.
• Fibers is involved in microfinancing with Kiva to help low-income individuals who do not have access to typical banking services.
• Fibers donates a percentage of profits of all breast cancer t-shirt sales to support breast cancer research.

Um…Seriously? Next thing you know, they’ll be curing cancer and establishing world peace. These folks are like that jock/brain kid in high school who was beloved by parents, teachers, small children, the popular kids and the burnouts. So cool, so nice, and you just want to be near them. Cuz they’re so good, you feel good! *Blush* Someone has a crush!

When you sleep at night, do you dream of monsters who are out to get you? Or do you lie awake in bed fretting about hackers and their ilk who are coming to eat you, steal your data, and generally ruin your day? Of course you can’t sleep: that stuff is terrifying! IOActive to the rescue!

Established in 1998, IOActive is an industry leader that offers comprehensive computer security services with specializations in smart grid technologies, software assurance, and compliance. Boasting a well-rounded and diverse clientele, IOActive works with a majority of Global 500 companies including power and utility, game, hardware, retail, financial, media, travel, aerospace, healthcare, high-tech, social networking, and software development organizations….We are firmly committed to staying on the competitive edge and offering unrelenting value; it’s something our customers have come to rely on over the years and can depend on in the future. In fact, IOActive is the only firm in our industry that offers a 100% service satisfaction guarantee.

Satisfaction guaranteed? Now that’s a company after our own hearts!

You know, maybe the hackers really are monsters—specifically, zombies. They sure make a mess of things. It could happen and there could be real zombies among us. Because Patton Oswalt isn’t wrong about much. It’s probably going to happen. OMG, what will you do if there really is a zombie apocalypse? Run for your life or stay and fight?  Luckily, your government is ready to help you prepare for the worst.

Now, we don’t mean to boast, but StickerGiant is developing quite the reputation among a certain sliver of a niche market among a small group of individuals. That’s right: we’re the go-to place offering great decals for your cornhole boards. Whether you’re a Tuscaloosa man or a Domer, we’ve got you covered on the cornhole…er, front.

This fine specimen was made by none other than Rickys Cornhole, a board-crafting operation out of Montpelier, Ohio. Dressed up nice or unadorned, with or without bags, Rickys Cornhole aims to please. Check them out! And thanks for choosing StickerGiant!

Did you hear the one about the mom who couldn’t find podiatrically-correct shoes for her kid? Yup, she started her own company, pediped, and these are seriously the cutest shoes ever—plus they’re good for growing feet.

From its inception, pediped® has designed footwear to promote healthy foot development. Our mantra has always been comfort, quality and style, in that order. This is why pediped® shoes were among the first children’s footwear to be awarded the American Podiatric Medical Association Seal of Acceptance for promoting healthy foot development. You can rest assured that pediped® is a footwear company that cares about the health and well being of your child’s growing feet.

Okay, they’re not as tap-tastic as Shirley Temple’s clickedy-clackedy mary janes BUT they’re super adores and wethinks they’re perfectly suited to sneaking up on sleeping dogs, cookie jars, and stinky older brothers. And really? If your feet hurt, you’re miserable. And if the kids are miserable….well, that’s not fun for anybody. Do you think Lady Gaga is crabby all the time? Maybe it’s cuz her hooves hurt. Have you SEEN what she totters around in? We predict she’ll be rockin’ those crazy gorilla kicks soon.

If you’re in Denver on May 5th and are looking for a good time—and the chance to do some good—then hie thee to Tellerpalooza at the Mercury Cafe. Come on, do it for the children!

Conceived in 2004 by music-loving Teller parents, the event has grown into this east Denver elementary school’s biggest fundraiser. But this event is not your typical school fundraiser. Don’t expect kid music. Expect everything under the sun music. And while, yes, kids are welcome – Tellerpalooza shows what makes Teller special. Parents that enjoy a great time, great music and each other. Tellerpalooza will also go old-school with the ever-present bake sale – or if wine is more to your liking, participate in the “Wall of Wine” drawing and you may bring home a large box of assorted favorites donated by Teller parents. Basically, come, hang out, plan to HAVE FUN.

WOW! These parents are completely wonderful. Every kid should have it so good!

So we’ve all heard of Lollapalooza, the midsummer music festival with an incredible line-up of bands and mind-boggling lines for the port-a-potty. It’s an epic show of fantastical proportions….hence the name, which means a thing that is extraordinary, extreme, or very impressive. Whatever you call it, if you’re going to make the effort and put on a spectacle, a lollapallotza, a  lollypaloozer, an extravaganza, a hullaballoo, or even a ballyhoo—go big or go home. Right, Perry Farrell?

Sometimes, the hard work pays off and the good guys get ahead. At least, that’s the story with Stoudt’s Brewing Company in Adamstown, Pennsylvania. While the brewery opened in 1987, the Family Stoudt has been building their impressive empire for 50 years!

Whether you’re a beer novice or afficionado, Stoudt’s Brewing Company is a great destination for all beer lovers out there. As one of the pioneering craft breweries in America, Stoudt’s offers a variety of amazing Lagers and Ales. Enjoy the cozy atmosphere of our Brew Pub next door, where you can sample all of our seasonal and specialty beers. Check out a free tour at the brewery and pick up some beer to go at the bar!

Shop for antiques, then dine on angus beef and sip a fine brew? Don’t mind if we do!

Apropos of nothing, did anyone SEE the bit on the Today show about that poor cat that weighs 39 pounds? THIRTY. NINE. POUNDS. Now, we love the felines as much as the next animal lover, but COME ON! That’s the size of your average 3-year-old. What on earth was that poor thing eating? (besides everything, duh) Clearly, it’s never met a buffet it couldn’t conquer….and operates under an “all I can eat” motto. Wethinks it’s time for an intervention, preferably televised. Anyone for  Biggest Loser, Pet Edition?

Tonight’s the night, Yuri. It’s going to be alright. Of course we’re talking about Yuri Gagarin, the telegenic, barrier-busting cosmonaut who launched a cultural fascination with space. What better way to honor his legacy that to throw a world-wide party?

Yuri’s Night is a global celebration of humanity’s past, present, and future in space. Yuri’s Night parties and events are held around the world every April in commemoration of April 12, 1961, the day of cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin’s first manned spaceflight, and April 12, 1981, the inaugural launch of NASA’s Space Shuttle. Yuri’s Night events combine space-themed partying with education and outreach. These  events can range from an all-night mix of techno and technology at a NASA Center, to a movie showing and stargazing at your local college, to a gathering of friends at a bar or barbecue. In 2011, the 50th anniversary of human spaceflight, over 100,000 people attended 567 officially-recognized events in 75 countries on all 7 continents, while thousands more watched the 12-hour live Yuri’s Night Global Webcast and participated online in the virtual world of Second Life.

Sounds like a good time! No word how many extraterrestrial revelers were in attendance, but there was that unexplained group mind probe late in the night. Perhaps someone spiked the punchbowl.

What? You don’t believe? Well, lots of people do. And they’re organized. Hard to dismiss so many people who claim to have seen that which cannot be defined. Still a doubter? Clearly someone hasn’t been watching enough reruns of The X-Files. Come for the aliens, stay for Fox Mulder.

Attention, people who like food: If you’re in the Phoenix area and are looking for a good meal, we have the feeling Arrowhead Grill won’t disappoint.

From the moment you first set eyes on an Arrowhead Grill steak, you know you’re in for a special meal. The searing steak, still cooking in an iron skillet as it’s brought to your table, is a work of perfection, and a savory one at that. It’s this searing, savory first impression that sets the tone for all of Arrowhead Grill’s hand-selected menu items. From the Coconut Battered Shrimp to the AG Butter Cake, each mouth-watering menu item has the personal touch of Chef Charles Wade Schwerd, a Valley culinary hot ticket for almost two decades.

See what we mean? You feel full and satisfied just reading that, don’t you? Oops, we just drooled on our keyboard!

There’s a special art to writing about food. It is believed that the first restaurant review was published in 1859. Since then, everyone and their dog has become a critic. And in the past decade, our society has become more than a little food-obssessed (hello, TV shows about cake decorating?). Even kid’s movies talk about food critics! In our p(l)umped-up society, there are but two paths for the restaurant reviewer: Go incognito or become an unintentional media darling. Us? We’re just here for more of that coconut shrimp!

Have you ever played the game where you go around a room and decide what kind of dog everyone would be or which Simpson’s character they’d play? It’s an incredibly useful entertainment tactic during meetings because it appears you’re actually paying attention (way better than texting with your BFF).

Here’s how it works: every comic book store owner you’ve ever met plays the Comic Book Guy, your neighbor’s bratty kid is Bart, and—depending on your relationship with your mother—you’re either Lisa, Homer, or Ned Flanders.

Playing the role of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon at the local Kwik-E-Mart in Cadillac, Michigan is StickerGiant’s Fan of the Week, Reg! He’s just one of StickerGiant’s fantastic fans on Facebook.

Why is Reg our Fan of the Week? Are you kidding? This guy hands out our stickers left and right…when he’s not busy busting rotten apples for stealing Slim Jims and Red Bull at his place of employment. Which is precisely why we’re sending him a box of yummy cookies from our neighbor,Mary’s Market & Deli. Enjoy, Reg. And thanks for choosing StickerGiant!

The Stow It-Don’t Throw It Project is taking the simple concept of recycling to a shoreline near you.

This project is designed to empower youth to come together and combat the dangers of improperly disposed of monofilament fishing line by making and distributing personal-sized fishing line recycling bins to anglers and boaters, as well as by educating the public on sustainable fishing practices!

We know what you’re thinking: What’s that turtle got to do with fishing? Well…

Monofilament fishing line takes up to 600 years to decompose. Fishing line that is improperly disposed of in the environment can have many negative impacts on a variety of marine wildlife. Here are just a few of the startling statistics which emphasize the growing need for a solution to the problem of improperly disposed of monofilament fishing line…According to the Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program, from 2000-2006, 298 sea turtles were entangled in fishing line in Florida…When wildlife become entangled in or ingest monofilament, it can result in the animals losing their flippers, tails, and wings, drowning, starvation, and death.

Oh, those poor turtles. And it’s just as bad for other oceanic occupants: manatees, fish, birds, and dolphins are all effected by our lazy ways. Do your part, fisherpeople! The kids of Stow It-Don’t Throw It Project are making it easy for you. Good job, kids! The turtles of the seas thank you. Or would, you know, if turtles could talk.

Guess who’s 100? The Girls Scouts of the USA, that’s who!

Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Founder Juliette Gordon Low organized the first Girl Scout Troop on March 12, 1912 in Savannah, Ga. Today, there are 3.2 million Girl Scouts—2.3 million girl members and 890,000 adult members working primarily as volunteers. Girl Scouting helps girls develop their full individual potential; relate to others with increasing understanding, skill, and respect; develop values to guide their actions and provide the foundation for sound decision-making; and contribute to the improvement of society through their abilities, leadership skills, and cooperation with others.

Actually, Girl Scouts was started in America after Juliette Gordon Low met Robert Baden-Powell, a hard core British soldier who started the scouting movement—specifically, the Girl Guides in 1910. At that time, girls were expected to sit quietly and keep their dresses clean. This was about as groundbreaking as Title IX was in 1972. Girl power goes back a long way, dear readers!

StickerGiant was proud to be tasked with printing these stickers—every last 36,000 of them. Happy Birthday, Girl Scouts!

In keeping with our “Know your StickerGiant” theme, we present Jane, who operates our big beast of a laser die cutting machine. If you’ve printed a custom sticker with us, Jane has made sure you can peel, stick, and repeat in whatever shape you desire. We asked what floats her boat, and this is what she said.

Name & Position: Jane. I operate the machine that lasers out the stickers into the many  and varied shapes our customers request. 

Time with StickerGiant: 1.5 years

Best part of the job? Working with fun/smart people who are completely committed to making great stickers and delivering ridiculously good customer service.

Hometown: Longmont, Colorado.

Hidden talent: Does wiggling my ears count?

Cake or pie? Love ‘em both, but brownies are my weakness.

Number one item on my bucket list? Fly to the East coast with my kids where we’d see a Broadway show and a day game at Fenway.

Favorite season and why? Spring. Love the flowers and the birds and the bright blue Colorado sky.

Cats or dogs? A Sophie’s Choice, for sure! Gotta go with dogs only because allergies force me to love cats from a distance.

The last movie I watched/book I read was: Most recently I watched Race to Nowhere, about education in America. Most recent read was The Other Wes Moore. I highly recommend both for their thought-provoking subject matter. 

Favorite use for a sticker? The colorful and shameless promotion of folks’ favorite beers, bands, businesses, charities, events, teams, and projects.

Prediction for 2012? Day will follow night roughly 365 times.

If history teaches us anything, the first annual Sun Valley Film Festival in beeyootifull Sun Valley, Idaho is going to be a smash hit.

Ketchum, Idaho has been welcoming the film industry since Averell Harriman opened America’s first ski resort in 1936. In 2012, the Sun Valley Film Festival will bring the area’s rich cinematic tradition into the 21st century by welcoming cutting-edge independent films, premieres, exciting children’s programming and previews of new television and web series. This spring, filmmakers from around the world bring their vision to the Sun Valley Film Festival and you’re invited to watch it come into focus.

It’s true: Sun Valley was the first ski resort in the United States. A savvy businessman (and diplomat), Harriman was looking for a way to increase ridership on one of his railroads. Capturing the country’s love for winter sport in the aftermath of the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid proved to be a smart move: even Bill Gates has a house there now. So does Oprah. Wonder if they hang out?

Yes, that is a picture of three creepy dudes riding through space on an even creepier burrito. Come on, give the guys a break: They’re just excited about the stickers we printed to promote the Nerdist channel on YouTube, which is described thusly:

‘Nerd’ is defined as – WAIT. You’re here to watch videos. If you’re passionate about comedy, gaming, music, comic books, puppets and magic, then you are going to find hours of video rapture here. If not, then the robots have already won.

Nerdist is the spawn of comedy geek overachiever, Chris Hardwick.

In his spare time, Ensign Hardwick is attempting to build an evil nerd empire under the moniker “Nerdist Industries”, which includes: a wildly popular blog at Nerdist.com, a top ten (and sometimes even number one) comedy podcast on iTunes recently named as one of the top 10 best comedy podcasts by Rolling Stone, a following of 1.3 million delightful supplicants on Twitter (befitting his selection by Time Magazine as one of the 140 most influential people on Twitter), a book, “The Nerdist Way …and his very own social network called “The Node”, each of which makes up a different arm of a growing corporate beast that Hardwick hopes, “…will one day bring destruction and ruin to the mouth-breathing, jock masses…paving the way for a world where video games are free, Cheetos are currency and robot concubines vigorously endeavor to sate our sexual thirsts.”

Um, we can neither confirm nor deny that last part. But Cheetos as currency? You’ve got to be kidding! We can think of nothing worse than getting that orange cheese dust all over our pockets, wallets, and the cash register at the Wawa. Surely Chester can think of something more appropriate.