These wood paneled cupcake wrappers are the brainchild of Renelle Musielak-Legos over on etsy.com. The faux-wood wrappers are easily assemblable to cover ordinary wrappers for all your cupcake demolishing needs. They’re scaled to fit easily onto your delicious baked goods, while still allowing you to show off your awesome frosting arrangements up top. These wrappers were professionally designed (check out that spiffy gloss coating!) and hand cut by Renelle. They are sold in sets of twelve, but can be purchased in larger quantities if need be, and to assemble all you need is a cupcake and a piece of clear scotch tape.

Warning: wrappers are not oven safe, so unless you enjoy visits from your friendly neighborhood firefighters, do not bake them.

Unfortunately, these wrappers are currently sold out over in Renelle’s store, but chances are more will be available in the future. If in special need for a set of these swanky cupcake wrappers anytime soon, you can contact Renelle via her etsy store homepage and hash it out with her.

This geekalicious guest post was written by Julia Gaskill, a  friend of Cool Gizmo Toys!  Read more from her at The Girl Who Loves Muppets.

Wood Paneling Cupcake Wrappers : Knock on Wood is a post from: Cool Gizmo Toys

©2012 Cool Gizmo Toys. All Rights Reserved.

.

Wood Paneling Cupcake Wrappers : Knock on Wood is a post by Guest Author on Cool Gizmo Toys.

Pale legs is right – have you seen the people that I work with?  And the boss wonders why I wear sunglasses inside.  We just use John’s pale thighs as flashbang grenades whenever we want to leave early.  *John bares his sour cream thighs and everyone shields their eyes*

[Via: Pleated Jeans]

Office Workers: Dead Inside, Forced To Wear Shoes That Reduce Flight Risk [Pic] is a post from: Cool Gizmo Toys

©2012 Cool Gizmo Toys. All Rights Reserved.

.

Office Workers: Dead Inside, Forced To Wear Shoes That Reduce Flight Risk [Pic] is a post by Jack Kieffer on Cool Gizmo Toys.

Iron Man Nike Dunk Sneakers by J’Field Yeo

These are Iron Man Nike Dunk High Sneakers.  Shoes that are painted in the colors of Iron Man and include cool LED lights!  How can you go wrong!?  Watch out evil doers everywhere!  With these shoes, you not only proclaim your support for the Iron Man but you tell everyone around you that you are the baddest of the bad.

These shoes have LED lights not only in the back but also on the tongue of the shoe.  It also just so happens that the LED lights in the tongue of each shoe are actually Arc Reactors!

Included with these shoes is your very own Stark Industries briefcase.  Now you can put the shoes inside your case and head off to a meeting with peace of mind.  If you get the call, your super hero shoes will not be too far away.   Inside the case is yet another Arc Reactor, bringing your total to three.  I think this is smart since you never know when you might need to power another suit, a car, or even a small city.  It just makes good urban survival sense.

So the natural question is:  where do you buy them?  Well, you’ll need to custom order them from J’field Yeo at More Than Art To Wear.  And, the rest of us will have to sit and drool.  One thing is certain.  When these hit the streets, bad guys everywhere will tremble at the power of the Iron Man.

Jerry is a project manger by day, a writer by night, and a very bad musician (seriously. He’s that bad).  Not afraid to hide his geeky nature, his wife of twelve years still cannot figure out why he quit leading real soldiers to go back leading 25mm plastic ones.

Goodbye Superhero Underoos – Hello Iron Man Nike Dunk Sneakers is a post from: Cool Gizmo Toys

©2012 Cool Gizmo Toys. All Rights Reserved.

.

Goodbye Superhero Underoos – Hello Iron Man Nike Dunk Sneakers is a post by Guest Author on Cool Gizmo Toys.

This is what REALLY happens when you flush your goldfish down the toilet.

I mean, really. Garbage squid? Asteroid cave whales? Not to mention all the highly dangerous sentient life forms out there? It’s amazing that humans manage to survive in the Star Wars universe at all.

The fact that they do is probably due to this book: The Wildlife of Star Wars: A Field Guide, by Terryl Whitlatch and Bob Carrau. Bound in dewback hide, this field guide/sketchbook is on the same level with books like The Zombie Survival Guide. It’s not a joke book or a gag, and it’s not full of cutsey animal pictures either. It’s a serious naturalist’s field guide to a whole galaxy of creatures that don’t exist. The book includes everything you’d expect from a real field guide – including highly detailed sketches, descriptions, and notes on habitats, feeding, mating, and social habits. Did you know that bantha herds are matriarcha?

The Wildlife of Star Wars: A Field Guide features detailed descriptions of every non-sentient creature appearing in the Star Wars films, and then some. Of all the material out there in the Star Wars expanded universe, this book is one of the most original and one of the most, well, out there. An enjoyable read, The Wildlife of Star Wars makes a great gift for a Star Wars fan, or a creative addition to your own Star Wars bookshelf.
BUY The Wildlife Of Star Wars: A Field Guide

The Wildlife of Star Wars: A Field Guide is a post from: Cool Gizmo Toys

©2012 Cool Gizmo Toys. All Rights Reserved.

.

The Wildlife of Star Wars: A Field Guide is a post by LauraWise on Cool Gizmo Toys.

You are sitting at home, getting ready to watch the latest episode of Downton Abbey when the dog just has to go for a walk.  So you get out from under your afghan, set down your glass of red wine and go outside, only to find that Aliens have infested your front lawn….and that they ate your dog.  What are you going to do?  Cowering in fear may seem like a good idea, but the world is looking at you!

Well thanks to Etsy we have access to replica guns from the Movie Aliens.  The next time you go outside, you can now arm yourself with that Colonial Marines 1/1 full sized, custom made, replica Smartgun.   It is made of a mix of Aluminum infused resin and steel. I will be honest.  I do not even know what that means, but it sounds and looks awesome!   The Smartgun also comes custom hand painted to match the one used in the film with the signature Vasquez “Adios” painted in white!  It does not get any more hardcore then this.

That is, unless you think you need a back-up, and everyone could use a little more in the firepower department.  So before you leave the armory, pick yourself up a M41-A Pulse Rifle with working counter. The pump action works, the counter is reprogrammable, and the selector will move to semi or full-auto mode.  With these beauties at your side, your dog is now officially safe from the bugs.  All this will cost a pretty penny, but what is money when we are talking the fate of the planet?!  So suit up!  Lock and load!

If you’re a fan of these Aliens gun replicas, then you’ll want to check out these 13 LEGO Replicas of Video Game Weapons and the Minecraft Foam Sword when you’re done here.

Aliens Smartgun and M41-A Replicas Great For Saving Domestic Animals is a post from: Cool Gizmo Toys

©2012 Cool Gizmo Toys. All Rights Reserved.

.

Aliens Smartgun and M41-A Replicas Great For Saving Domestic Animals is a post by Guest Author on Cool Gizmo Toys.

10: Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

It’s like having your brain smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped around a large gold brick. The Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster (PGGB) perfectly illustrates the difference between the Guide and the Encyclopedia Galactica (which is much the same difference as that between Wikipedia and Uncyclopedia) and also seamlessly introduces Zaphod Beeblebrox long before he becomes relevant to the story.

9: Energy – Tron

Like the PGGB, Energy isn’t possible to fake. Energy drinks do a fine job as substitution but you can’t pass the caffeinated sugar running through your system to another program in need.  It exemplifies the difference between the real world and the world of Tron while tying the two together. In the digital age, isn’t it nice to know that digital things also need a little boost?

8: Ginger Ale (in a champagne flute) – Batman

When you truly want to impress and disgust everyone in the room with your wanton playboy ways but must be ready at a moment’s notice to stop a madman’s plot, Bruce Wayne has the answer.   While Batman’s secret to staying in fighting form may be genius, it really is more of a plot device than a plot point so it’s just barely behind…

7: Scotch on the Rocks – Iron Man

For the true genius, it’s both a curse and a blessing in disguise. While Tony Stark drank himself to near ruin in Iron Man 2, if it weren’t for his known predilection for mixing himself a drink, his meeting with Loki in Stark Tower (and don’t cry “spoilers!” when it’s in all the trailers) might not have gone quite so smoothly.

6: Martini, Shaken Not Stirred – 007

Bruce Wayne may mask his badassness with a playboy persona but James Bond has no problems with hunting down villains after a vodka martini. And unlike Stark, Bond doesn’t have a problem walking away from the bar.

But Bond’s martini is also controversial; experts stick by stirring as the best mixing method and the original martini was made with gin.

5: Romulan Ale – Star Trek

Another off-planet only drink, Romulan ale isn’t featured in the 2009 Star Trek movie, but that’s understandable considering the villains. It still seems more true to the series than a Cardasian Sunrise, though, and its Earth-available versions (energy drink and Guatemalan beer) are both filled with enough blue dye to turn you into a green-blooded hobgoblin.
BUY Romulan Ale Energy Drink

4: Ent-Draught – Lord of the Rings

A drink brewed from special spring water that can make you healthier, awake, full and taller. Who doesn’t want that?

Granted, spring water IRL isn’t exactly going to fill you up, but if you’re escaping orcs and run into a species of tree-like people, being hungry is probably the least of your worries.

3: Butterbeer – Harry Potter

While it’s described in the books as having a mild alcohol content, so does traditionally brewed root-beer. The more important aspects are the buttery taste and the cold and hot variety, and the muggle versions are delicious!

A drink that’s perfectly enjoyable both on the beach and at Christmas time has to be great. And it’s always appropriate while rereading or re-watching the world of wizards and wishing we too had been invited to Hogwarts.

2: Blue Milk – Star Wars

There’s something about milk that is just so wholesome, even if it is blue and comes from a bantha. Perhaps we’d have known Luke’s inherited awesomeness sooner if his order in the Cantina had been audible. As it was, the farm-boy who dreamed of adventure had to wait quite a while to throw off the childishness that comes from whining about power converters while drinking his milk.

1: Tea – Everywhere

It may seem the most mundane drink in the galaxy, but tea just creeps into science fiction and fantasy as often as it can.
The Tenth Doctor wouldn’t have been conscious in time to save Earth if Rose hadn’t brought him a good cuppa tea in the Doctor Who Christmas Special. Alice was distracted in her search for the way home by the mad tea party in the books but in the Tim Burton film if not for having tea with the Hatter how would she have picked up the vorpal sword?

And on the Enterprise D, hundreds of years from now, Captain Picard orders tea, Earl Grey, hot, as often as he engages, and he won’t even be English!

This awesome guest post was written by Ange Gordon, a huge geek who blogs at Contrary to Popular Belief. 

10 Geeky Drinks: A Dwarf, a Wizard and an Elf Walk Into a Bar… is a post from: Cool Gizmo Toys

©2012 Cool Gizmo Toys. All Rights Reserved.

.

10 Geeky Drinks: A Dwarf, a Wizard and an Elf Walk Into a Bar… is a post by Guest Author on Cool Gizmo Toys.

Iron Man MK IX Armor

Geeky and fashion forward, this official Marvel collectible t-shirt is only $30. That price doesn’t include the Iron Man suit but does include an arc reactor that lights up with 3 AAA batteries. Thinkgeek.com has thought of it all, even how to make a high-tech suit of armor machine washable.

Iron Man 2 Suit

In this t-shirt, you can’t consult with J.A.R.V.I.S. but you will look extremely bad-ass. With a glow in the dark arc reactor, be sure to wear this at night for the full effect. Get one for yourself at $21 or buy 2 for $32 and give one to your own “Rhodey”. Visit here for more details.

Iron Man Hoodie

What this $60 hoodie lacks in repulsor rays, it makes up for in bright and bold colors. This zip-up jacket’s design is printed in some areas and embroidered in others. Pick one up today and save the world tomorrow, from boredom that is.

Custom Iron Man Nike Kicks

Diversitile.com’s M.O. is custom making shoes and clothes but they really spent extra time on this pair of Iron Man Nike Kicks. This limited edition design has sold out, but when they were on sale, each pair was hand painted and made to order. The triangle arc reactor glows in the dark, but for $500 a pair, would you expect any less?

Diesel Limited Edition Iron Man Cologne

Is dressing up just not your thing? (Why the heck not?) Then smell like Mr. Stark instead, who probably smells like crisp Benjamins, with this limited edition Iron Man cologne by Diesel. The painted glass fist is red and gold to match Iron Man’s suit and the cologne smells strongly of leather, amber, and citrus. If you’re interested in how that combination of top notes would smell and have an extra $50 to spend, you can buy it here.

Mark V Briefcase

This limited edition briefcase by Entertainment Earth replicates Tony Stark’s Mark V in Iron Man 2. With pockets and lining made of genuine leather on the inside and its outside crafted from aircraft aluminum, the 500 briefcases sold quickly for $600 each. Luckily, if you’re willing to spend more there’s one for sale on eBay. If you’re low on cash, you can stare longingly at the screen and imagine how awesome you’d look carrying it around.

New Era Iron Man Fitted Hats

In anticipation for the Iron Man 2 movie, New Era made a limited amount of polyurethane vinyl hats that came in these two styles as well as another designed to look like the War Machine. Each hat has either glow-in-the-dark arc reactor or eyes and the words “Iron Man 2″ embroidered on the back. While the original supply sold out a few years ago, you may be able to find one on eBay selling for $50 to $80.

Iron Man Cufflinks

Sometimes elegance is found in dressing with simplicity. These stainless steel cufflinks are simple but make a statement, and wearing these to a black tie event would be much more interesting than using plain buttons to hold your sleeves together. Besides, at around $8 for the pair, how could you go wrong?

Classic Iron Man Apron

If you love to cook and you miss the original color scheme of the classic Iron Man, then retropoponline.com has made this especially for you. Red and ultra-bright yellow in color, its plain cut and string-tied back is essential for any cook-out. Wear it and cook steak — like a boss!

Iron Man Motorcycle Outfit

UD Replicas specializes in making very convincing copies of costumes in movies for motorcyclists. Made entirely of leather, this motorcycle outfit comes complete with gloves, jacket, and pants. All you need to add is the helmet and cocky attitude to complete the look.

If these Iron Man clothes and accessories slap a smile on your face, then you’re going to want to take a look at the Iron Man Xbox 360 Slim Case Mod, which shoves even more geeky into your console.

Eveline Parsons is a freelance writer and contributor to Degree Jungle. In her spare time she likes to read fantasy fiction and watch the original X-Men animated series.

10 Totally Awesome Geeky Iron Man Themed Clothing Articles is a post from: Cool Gizmo Toys

©2012 Cool Gizmo Toys. All Rights Reserved.

.

10 Totally Awesome Geeky Iron Man Themed Clothing Articles is a post by Guest Author on Cool Gizmo Toys.

It should be noted up front that when I say Tony Stark is the best Avenger I am only referring to the cinematic universe. When it comes to the comic book world of the Avengers franchise, my knowledge is limited (ok, I haven’t read one single issue of any Marvel comic). But I fell in love with Iron Man from the moment Stark defied the wishes of his publicist and announced his “secret” identity to a crowd full of reporters. And when it comes to his position in the big-screen team of superheroes known as the Avengers, he smashes the Hulk, squashes Black Widow, shield-butts Captain America, hammers Thor and swats Hawkeye out of the sky. Why is that? I could come up with many reasons, but for the sake of brevity, I’ll stick with the four that he gives himself during a particularly heated argument with the Cap. Even without his armor, Stark is a Genius, Billionaire, Playboy and a Philanthropist.

Genius

Let’s not mince words here. Stark is the kind of smart that runs circles around Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein. Trapped in the middle of nowhere with nothing but weapons parts and an old battery, he successfully made himself a miniature arc reactor that not only powered a primitive version of his Iron Man suit, but kept shrapnel from entering his own heart. Ostensibly, this man performed heart surgery on himself. His lab is its own holodeck 400 years before such things were installed into Starfleet ships. He is the leading name (indeed, the only official name) in clean energy. His engineering prowess allowed him to create Iron Man suits that both fit in suitcases and fly out to rescue him as he dives off his own tower. He can easily talk shop with the only other genius on the Avengers team, Bruce Banner, and became an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics overnight.

All the other Avengers struggle to keep up with Tony Stark’s brain. Even Banner seems slightly mystified by the incredible hacking job that Tony does on the S.H.I.E.L.D. computers. Bruce is certainly a genius in his own field, but Tony is a genius in his field, Bruce’s field, Steve Rogers’ field, Natasha’s and Clint’s fields; heck, given a chance he could probably learn everything about Thor’s field. Do you know why Tony Stark has a drinking problem? Not because he’s a typical drunk who just keeps chasing the feeling. Alcohol is the cooling system for his brain’s processing power.

Billionaire

This is where Tony’s brains are put to work. Sure, most of his fortune was inherited, but the brains ran in the family. The Stark Empire was built on genius. And with this money, he is able to do something about which most superheroes only look back and feel guilty. Fix things. Loki’s first appearance on Earth destroyed an entire small town. And what could Thor do about it, but scratch his head? The Hulk has destroyed more than his fair share of city blocks, and what does Bruce do? Runs away to a third world country. Whatever happened in Budapest, I’m sure Clint and Natasha had little to do with the clean-up. And all of Captain Rogers’ collateral damage was probably included in the whole cost of World War II, but no doubt he would be feeling anguish over the cost of Loki’s army if Tony wasn’t around to lend a few billion dollars to repairs.

Playboy

Let’s not focus here on the amount of women Tony has had swooning over him. Rather, let’s think about the kind of personality it takes to get to that point. Tony Stark is a swaggering, handsome, charismatic man with as much power as he has money. He may not have the musculature of Thor, or the kindheartedness of Steve, but he has what it takes. On screen, a woman might prefer one of the other men to Tony, but put her in a room with the three of them and watch Tony swoop in like a hawk and close the deal before anyone else knew a deal was being made.

Speaking of hawks, there are two other male team members left: the quiet nerd with a mean streak and the aloof weirdo creeping on you from above. They don’t stand a chance. With Natasha, you might think you’re getting lucky, but she only ever wants something from you, and once she gets it, she’s done with you. No, Tony is the true player in this game. His charisma points are through the roof, and if he “doesn’t play well with others”, it’s only because the others aren’t attractive women.

Philanthropist

So far I’ve described Tony Stark in terms of his most upfront and highlighted characteristics. But this is where it all counts. Sure, Tony has an ego taller than Stark Tower, and with the aforementioned characteristics, it’s easy to see how an ego of such size might come into being. But ever since his incarceration at the hands of terrorists, Tony has been working hard to make sure he earns every last penny of his fortune. Peter Parker learned that with great power comes great responsibility, but this is a mantra we don’t often see a lot of rich and powerful men repeating.

When Tony realized the damage that the weapons industry was doing to the world, he stopped weapons production and focused solely on clean energy through his arc reactor. When he was faced with the destruction of the world, he tried in his own unique way to get to the very bottom of it and fix it. He was even willing to sacrifice his own life to get rid of the immediate threat of a nuclear warhead beaming toward Manhattan. His brains, his fortune, his charisma all work together for this singular effort: the betterment of humanity. I can’t compare this trait to the other Avengers, because, let’s face it, you can’t be an Avenger without being a little bit of a philanthropist. But with the size of Tony’s ego, he is a philanthropist despite himself. And I think that counts for a little more than any other Avenger could speak toward.

Your Turn!

Sound off, nerds! You’ve heard my argument for Iron Man, now tell me who your favorite is and why. And I even fully admitted that I have no idea what the Avengers are like in the comic books. You no doubt have an arsenal of knowledge I can’t even dream of tapping into. Is Ant Man your favorite? The Wasp? Black Panther? Ms. Marvel? Assemble all your thoughts and feelings in the comment section.

If you are an Avengers fan, then you’ll want to check out the Avengers Eye Makeup Design and the Avengers Bookmarks after you leave your thoughts in the comments!

Why Tony Stark is a Better Avenger Than You is a post from: Cool Gizmo Toys

©2012 Cool Gizmo Toys. All Rights Reserved.

.

Why Tony Stark is a Better Avenger Than You is a post by SteveBeaudry on Cool Gizmo Toys.

1.  Ladybug Steampunk Wallpaper

Regular ladybug? Too twee, and sort of lame. Steampunk ladybug? AWESOME.

2.  Steampunk Abraham Lincoln Wallpaper

Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter?  It’s been done. Honest Abe, steampunk weaponsmaster? Geek heaven.

3.  Menacing Train Steampunk Wallpaper

I don’t know about you, but I like my steampunk trains suffused with an air of menace.

4.  Mechanical Horse Steampunk Wallpaper

Looking for something a bit more understated? Check out this faded line drawing of a mechanical horse.

5.  Airship Steampunk Wallpaper

Finally, what steampunk tale is complete without an airship?

Now there’s absolutely no excuse for your lame stock photo wallpaper. Change it up and let your geek flag fly!

If you are a fan of these steampunk wallpapers, then you’ll want to check out the other side of the spectrum with these futuristic TRON Wallpapers and Computer Accessories!  Don’t confine how you geek to a single era, my friends.

Jen Schiller writes as the Baltimore Girl Geeks Examiner, where she indulges her obsession with the latest in geeky gadgetry.

Five Amazing Steampunk Wallpapers For Your Computer is a post from: Cool Gizmo Toys

©2012 Cool Gizmo Toys. All Rights Reserved.

.

Five Amazing Steampunk Wallpapers For Your Computer is a post by Guest Author on Cool Gizmo Toys.

Per their website, these concoctions of jarred manliness come in smells such as Riding Mower, First Down, 2×4, and my personal favorite name, Man Town (So many jokes……..Brain….Can’t…..Process). I might give 2×4 a try because having my wife come home to a house that smells like a Home Depot may trick her into thinking I spent the day doing home repairs instead of my usual regimen of sleeping in a pile of Doritos and playing Settlers of Catan with my imaginary friends, but I’m still on the fence about it.

I think it’s a cool idea that Yankee Candle is trying to reach out to a male demographic in a world of products that are usually catered to women but it seems like they didn’t go far enough with these first four. If they’re going to try to sell us some man candles let’s do it right, I say. Give us some buffalo wing candles or the high holy man smell of a sweet, sweet Bacon candle. That’s the type of man product I could put my money behind.

BUY Yankee Man Candles

Larry Gallagher is a freelance writer from Jersey City, NJ. He can often be found across the wide expanse of the interwebs writing under his alter ego “The Writing Rambler”. He is a simple man who believes we’d all be better off if we just read more comics and shared a burrito once in a while.

You can follow Larry’s exploits on Twitter or on his Tumblr page 

Yankee Man Candles Should Be Called Mandles And Smell Like Bacon is a post from: Cool Gizmo Toys

©2012 Cool Gizmo Toys. All Rights Reserved.

.

Yankee Man Candles Should Be Called Mandles And Smell Like Bacon is a post by Guest Author on Cool Gizmo Toys.