sockii is just your typical Jane-of-All-Trades who never has enough time in her day for all of her projects. She has written for many websites online including Squidoo, Zujava, Yahoo! Contributors Network, HubPages and Wizzley. She has been attending and vending at science fiction and media conventions for over 15 years, and for several years ran an art gallery and jewelry store in Philadelphia. Today she is happy to be living in South Jersey with her partner David and their 6 cats. Sockii is a member of several affiliate sales programs including Amazon Associates and Viglink. Products from these services may be advertised on her posts and pages to generate sales commissions.
Reproduce a Renaissance Portrait Painting
February 3, 2017 | Posted in TRADITIONAL ART AND PAINTING | By sockii
Creating a reproduction of an old master or Renaissance portrait painting can be a fun and educational experience for any artist interested in realistic painting techniques. By working on a reproduction artwork…
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Celebrates 400th Episode
February 1, 2017 | Posted in CRIME/DRAMA | By sockii
On February 8, 2017, NBC will air the 400th episode* of its long running crime-drama/procedural Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. The most successful spin-off to date from the original Law & Order series, SVU is currently the fourth longest running scripted U.S. primetime series in history— just behind The Simpsons, Gunsmoke, and the original Law & Order.
MasterChef Junior Season 4 Episode 3: November 20 2015
November 22, 2015 | Posted in EPISODE RECAPS, REALITY TV | By sockii
Last week it was the end of the journey for Chad and Annabelle, leaving twenty kids still in the MasterChef kitchen. There’s a giant mystery box awaiting them when they enter, and after a countdown the box lifts to reveal three figures in space suits: the judges, of course.
MasterChef Junior Season 4 Episode 2: November 13 2015
November 16, 2015 | Posted in EPISODE RECAPS, REALITY TV | By sockii
Last week we had our first taste of the new batch of MasterChef Junior contestants. Two went home, and 22 still remain. We may get to meet a few of the kids we didn’t get to see much of last week, including Amaya…
MasterChef Junior Season 4 Episode 1: November 6 2015
November 9, 2015 | Posted in EPISODE RECAPS, REALITY TV | By sockii
Season 4 of MasterChef Junior is here, and it’s time to meet a new group of incredibly young and incredibly talented home cooks. Will they set the bar even higher than last season? Will we perhaps finally see a young girl win, after three seasons of boys being victorious?
Buying Ceramics in Italy
November 8, 2015 | Posted in CERAMICS | By sockii
Italian craftsmanship and artistry is of course recognized around the world. If you are traveling to Italy, in almost any town or city you will find shops and boutiques overflowing with beautiful painted ceramics…
Creating a Classical Still Life Oil Painting
November 4, 2015 | Posted in TRADITIONAL ART AND PAINTING | By sockii
On this page I will go step-by-step through the oil painting techniques I used to complete this painting: choosing and adjusting my reference photo, roughing out a charcoal sketch, completing a verdaccio underpainting and then adding color through glazing and opaque color application.
The Good Neighbor by A.J. Banner is so bad, it’s almost funny.
November 2, 2015 | Posted in MYSTERY/THRILLER | By sockii
I decided to give this title a try because it kept showing up in my Kindle Unlimited recommendations, especially for Autumn-themed reads which I was in the mood to explore. It had over 3,000 reviews on Amazon, most of them quite positive, and a write-up that said it could be “the next Gone Girl.”
Mockingbird by Walter Tevis is Science Fiction You Must Read
October 30, 2015 | Posted in SCIENCE FICTION | By sockii
In the 25th century, a robot wanders through the streets of a decaying New York City as mankind grows ever nearer to extinction. Those humans still alive exist in a state of near constant numbness and isolation, trained from youth to favor self-interests and internal thoughts over interpersonal relationships and all but the most trivial conversation…
Tarbox Station by Rhonda Eudaly: A New Science Fiction Whodunit
October 28, 2015 | Posted in MYSTERY/THRILLER, SCIENCE FICTION | By sockii
Situated at the intersection of four wormhole gates, Tarbox Station plays an important—and unique—part in the operations of the United System Concorde. Originally built by the Aren Empire as a military outpost…
