i’m pairing up with polyvore, tristinstyling, and laura roeder to feature indie fashion, stylists, and people who just know what looks good (that means you!).

now until july 24th, you can dress me! just go to polyvore’s site. free signed gift from me for the winner!

so go there - right now.

4:30 to 5:30 on thursday (probably the only day i’ll be there so you better come find us!)

did i mention that ben templesmith is doing the covers and kyle strahm is doing the art?

details on the idw signings here.

also - zane and i will be announcing a secret project we’ve been working on. check back here on monday for the details!

want to do an interview with us at comic-con, please contact media@idwpublishing.com. thanks!

so here it is - a list from some of the smartest women i know about what to do make your life a little bit better each day. (i call it pt. 1 as i will have more soon from more smart people!)

Compliment Someone - Everyday find something genuine (keyword) to say to a stranger, your lover, your best friend, (etc.) and tell them. It uplifts their day and, in turn, you feel better about brightening someone’s day.  Even when dealing with the worst kind of person, it is a way of forcing you to look at the positive side of things.  Also, it takes a really assured person to sincerely compliment someone else.  I mean, over the long haul, a props can really go a long way.  You gain confidence, they gain confidence and you just started a whole kudos movement.  –  Stacey Storey (link to Stacey’s blog)

Swap Mix CDs With a Friend - Homemade gifts are the best, both to give and receive. While a lot of people put their iPod or iPhone on shuffle these days, swapping mix CDs with friends always makes me happy. Putting one together – arranging the track list, deciding on a possible theme, making cover art, debating whether to include liner notes – makes me feel like I put together a little piece of art just for my friend. Getting one from a friend who put similar kinds of care in a mix makes me feel closer to that person, and I get new songs to sing along to in my car! I always include a handful of songs I know my friend likes and some songs I think my friend will like that I’m into. I also try to keep it dancey and fun. So find a friend, agree to a swap, make a mix, and pump up the volume. — Alyx Vesey (link to Alyx’s blog, Feminist Music Geek) (follow her twitter!)

Water Yourself - One of my favorite things about a spa is the chilled water with fresh fruit they provide…I finally realized if it’s incredibly economical and feels decadent to provide this luxury for myself at home! Twice a week I fill up a pitcher with water and freshly cut fruit. Sometimes it’s homegrown lemons from my neighbor’s tree, or an organic orange, or half a cucumber,  a lime, or even a combo! I drink more water throughout the day, and I stay off the expensive and unhealthy habit of caffeine. It’s a win all around!          — Elisabeth Fies (check out Elisabeth’s at thecommunemovie.com) (follow her on twitter!)

Create a List and Complete It - Not to sound morbid, but have you ever written a “Things I want to do before I die” list?  If not, take pen to paper and create your list now.  Do you want write a book?  Do you want to learn Spanish?  Do you want to run a marathon?  Whatever your heart desires, write it down and post it near a place you frequent often (i.e. the fridge or the space above your computer.)

Now here’s the fun part.  Look at the list and start incorporating your “things to do” into your daily life, little by little.  If you want to write a book, start writing a page a day.  If you want to run a marathon, start running a mile or two a week, and so on and so forth.  Before you know it, your dreams will go from “things you want to do” to “things you are doing.” — Brea Cola (check out Brea Cola’s website here)

Grow Something - If you read my blog or follow me on twitter, then you probably know I have a garden. I started it about 3 or so months ago. It’s been hard work but I can’t tell you how fulfilling it is so see something I’ve planted get bigger and bigger, to pick mint straight from my mint bucket (that’s right - it’s in a bucket) to make tea, and watch my little tomatoes get bigger and grow redder. It’s helped me to acknowledge the passage of time and to focus on something aside from myself (for once). And I’ve learned a lot. Plus, I think I could totally survive in the post-apocolypse because I can grow my own food. If you think for one second, “I don’t have the space,” check out the book, Garden Anywhere. It has great tips for urban and apartment gardening. — Brea Grant (you are currently reading my blog so I won’t link it again)

this one in particular was my favorite.

here’s the behind the scenes video:

(scout is in it too!)

go to http://www.express.com/content.jsp?pageName=RADD to see the actual psa.

humpday - one of the funniest movies i’ve seen in a long time with wonderful actors - mark duplass (link to his production company here), joshua leonard (his production company link here) and alycia delmore were also really really funny). i can’t wait to see more films from the director lynn shelton who clearly is a genius.

oh - should i say that this movie contains sex so don’t watch this if you’re super sensitive. or is that just clear in the title?

i know i just got to see it because it was at the los angeles film festival and i am lucky enough to live in los angeles but hopefully it’ll be in your city soon or at least on dvd.

garage sales - generally, i love summer - i grew up in texas so the more heat, the better. and with summer, comes garage sales. i literally found over 20 in my neighborhood just by looking on craigslist. i’m a big fan of david kadavy’s eight life hacks for health, wealth and happiness and “buying used” is one of those things. there’s just such a joy i get out of making other people’s junk my treasure. i literally found a sci-fi decoupaged jewelry box a few weeks ago. is there anything cooler?

1000 awesome things - this website makes me so happy. thanks for the link @lkr.

soulpancake - what a cool site! started by rainn wilson, soul pancake is the thinking man’s (or woman’s) website. it challenges you, questions you, and encourages you. i’m a fan.

the dirty projectors - bitte orca

this is the band i’ve been wanting to hear when i get up in the morning. there’s something fresh and relieving about them. can a band be fresh and relieving? i’m gonna say yes. sometimes, you hear something and you say, “what a relief. this is new and different.” this is that kind of band.

venus magazine - i tweeted about venus earlier this month and so many people replied by asking what it was. i was really shocked. venus is one of my favorite magazines and i’ve been reading it for a long time. i trust it for all my music recommendations. it’s a general source of massive creativity. check it out, friends. you will not regret it. and you can follow them on twitter.

credit to fangoria for putting it up. be sure to check out their next issue which has a lot of h2 in it (and an interview with me!)

passion pit - manners

this album falls into my summer dance marathons. this video for “the reeling” is super rad too - looks like it was shot 30 years ago. this album makes me incredibly happy. you can follow them on twitter here.

lowboy by john wray - this is the best fiction book i’ve read this year.

a book about a schizophrenic boy named will on the subway of new york. amazingly written. there’s a good interview on the link above to an interview with john wray. also - here’s a great link to a music list by john wray on the nytimes paper cut blog.

night of the comet - ok. this isn’t a new movie. it came out in 1984, but it’s a really great post-apocolyptic, zombie/comet-themed movie. possibly the best ever with those combos. directed by thom eberhardt and starring catherine mary stewart, kelli maroney, and robert beltran, if you haven’t seen it, you should go rent it right now.

see? and you’d have to ask phil plait but i’m pretty sure if an extraordinary comet went by earth we would all turn to dust or zombies.

locali - located on franklin in los angeles near the ucb theatre. i love this place so much i have to blog about it. it’s like an organic, veg-friendly convenient store that also has sandwiches. i find myself going out of my way to buy c’est la vegan desserts there. plus, i think all business people can take a cue from them - they twitter their daily specials!

jen from corpse run sent me this pic of the ladies from the film at the closing party for dances with films.

from left to right: me, jen nikolaisen (actor), louisa kendrick (actor), danielle jacobs (actor and producer), and mary kouyoumdijian (composer and music editor).

moon (the movie, not the earth’s largest natural satellite) - directed by duncan jones and starring (almost exclusively) sam rockwell. if you are in new york or los angeles, this is not to be missed. the best sci-fi move this year.

MOON: Movie Trailer - Funny home videos are a click away

last goodbye - another great movie. directed by jacob gentry (you might remember me blogging about another movie of his i liked called the signal). i specifically checked it to see more of jacob’s work and it paid off. it’s an intense indie that’ll leave you both happy and a little sad.

jason lytle - yours truly, the commuter - best known for grandaddy, jason lytle’s album sounds pretty similar but in a good way. this has become my late night jam (is that a contradiction?) - it’s chill and pretty.

I Am Lost (And the Moment Cannot Last) from jason lytle on Vimeo.

the ten-cent plague: the great comic-book scare and how it changed america by david hajdu -

a great history of the politics of comics in the 1940s - including comic bans and burnings - with a focus on horror comics. great for you comic readers who may not know the history of censorship in the comic world.