Posts
Cybersecurity Lib Guide
Reference and Information Services
I got a 96% on my final lib guide! Originally I wanted to do one on spooky high strangeness phenomena but then I figured I'd switch it to something I'd bring around in October for cybersecurity awareness month.
2026 Book Reviews
Librarymonster ate some ARCs nom nom nom
Wherein a certain monster has read some advanced reader copies and reviewed them: Platform Decay: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells and We Burned So Bright by T.J. Klune
Summer Ephemera
Life & Journal Spreads
Reviewing summer 2025 with a few highlights on school, preparation for the fall, and art journaling with a hefty sprinkling of fannish works.
8 Credits Down, 32 to Go
And a bunch of final projects to share.
Also I wax poetic on why Severance is so good.
Severance
3D Printing Corporate Dystopia A E S T H E T I C
3D Printing Corporate Dystopia A E S T H E T I C
My recent obsession with Severance has me getting SO makery. Stickers to transform my work ID card, and 3D design and printing a Severance-themed dock for my Boox e-reader.
Thunderstorm ⛈️ ASMR
Summer Storms & Sirens at Night
Chicago storms are a favorite type of weather for me. Everything charged; the anticipation of something exciting and dangerous about to hit. Sirens add an extra sense of foreboding. Storm pic credit.
ChocoBread
Phone Case DIY Project
Hi yessss I made this chocolate bread cell phone case! But how? What supplies and materials did I use?
Valentine's & Imbolc
An elixir, independent art, and self-love
February 2 was Imbolc, first day of spring!
IN THE LAIR READING
Digital Reading Journal and Resource Center
As part of my resolutions for 2025, I want to get back into reading books (in addition to the considerable, tasty amounts of fanfic I read) and diligently tracking it. After all, I am on count down to begin my masters of science in library and information science!
Nye
Starring Michael Sheen, written by Tim Price, directed by Rufus Norris
A topical, interesting, nourishing story about the man behind the U.K.'s National Healthcare System (NHS). Michael Sheen plays Aneurin Bevan, the Welsh minister of health and housing that created the NHS in 1948.
Facing November's Realities
and the next four years
Trump won the election. I have some thoughts, some learning opportunities, some tools. Topics include: tarot, decentralizing social media, privacy and security, security and AI, and supporting digital and physical knowledgebases
Ski Lift Gondola Paper Ornament
with a little door
Silhouette Studio design files for this festive winter ski gondola papercraft for indoor decor projects like garlands or ornaments! This has been a month in the making ❄️⛷️
Hosting an Álfablót
A Christmas for the Elves
Read an excerpt from The Old Magic of Christmas, Yuletide Traditions for the Darkest Days of the Year by Linda Raedisch about how to host your own "Christmas for the Elves" around early-mid November
My Tarot Collection on Display
at my library
All the attention and admiration they're going to get, they're gonna love it! The kawaii tarot has been the most brutally honest and unsympathetic with me, lol./p>
Visit the Cauldron for my takes on each tarot deck
New Webpage: The Colophon
Looks like a book
Important website source/citation information. I share accessibility love, tool recs, acknowledgements, and design choices about my lil ol' website.
Good Omens Fic Rec
Couples Therapy - Jurassic Park Edition by RainbowUmbrella
As a huge fan of Jurassic Park, and to see someone merging the premise with an interesting AU of Crowley and Aziraphale, I was so there.
Lake Michigan Summertime - 29 mins
Waves crashing ASMR
Finally finished editing this 29 minute video of lovely waves crashing over the shores of Lake Michigan.
Lake Michigan Summertime - 8 mins
Relaxing nature beach vids
The cinemagraph to relaxing video editing pipeline.
UIUC Master of Science in Library & Information Science
I'm in!
And rebranding. I go by Monster now, Library Monster. Look at all these cool classes!
My Cerulean Chronicles Obsession Continues
With artful annotations.
The full spread in my art portfolio!
Bookmark: Crow Tarot
by MJ Cullinane
More on my collection of Tarot decks soon! but so towards the end of summer my house had a few crows, some quite young, stop by in/around the deck and backyard. We spoke gently to them, tried to leave out little treats for them. Not sure if they'll come back but when I stumbled across this tarot deck, it was a no-brainer.
Samhain 2024
Photo & set shoot!
Love those tights. It was a dark night, the new moon was November 1, All Hallow's Day. I took it as a sign to get excited about starting "something new and dark" but now (post-Nov 5 election) I think perhaps I misread the omens. Also, Halloween should be a federal holiday.
@LibraryMonster on Maker Tube
Decentralize, baby
Shall be moving all four of my YouTube videos to an instance on PeerTube, a decentralized version of YouTube <3
Horror Movies
and Rivals
Watched many horror movies that I'd never seen before this month. And Rivals got in there because David Tennant ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I archived the highlights as a video on MakerTube :)
Book Rec and Fic Rec Stickers
Read an excellent fic or book, get one of these stickeroonies, fill them out, slap em into your journal.
Book Rec: Somewhere Beyond the Sea
By TJ Klune
There's a difference between a positive review from me, and a story sending me through the "I need to keep rereading this"-"What fanfiction is available?"-"OK might need to write my own" pipeline. I've purchased the hardback special editions of both books, and the paperbacks that I'll be artfully annotating as an expression of love and study for fanfic. Visit its page on Storygraph!
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND
The trip had its challenges (disliked seeing AI art of the 'hairy coos' sold on coasters, dish towels, etc., and you can read my scathing review of The Hairy Coo tour company).
I loved meeting the famous Scottish highland cows, the spooky weather + geography of the highlands, and the gothic architecture in the city. What matters most is the travel photography though amirite!?! My photography portfolio has a new Scotland entry
Hag Stones FTW
just a new lil entry into The Cauldron. If you lean witchy pls contact me let's start a coven and go hunting for hag stones on the beach together.
Whumptober 2024
Visit their FAQs!
Every October, fandom hurt/comfort authors and readers commit to 31 days of prompts that involve themes of pain, trauma, and recovery for their favorite characters.
Most cathartic and healing event ever, y'all. Tune into their Tumblr, where mods reblog participants' entries that match the days' prompts.
Mabon and the Harvest Moon
Descending into longer nights, colder climes, firelight, shadows, and scary stories to tell in the dark.
Listen to Blue Oyster Cult's Harvest Moon with me.
Switzerland
Gorgeous
Traveled to Verbier, Lauterbrunnen, and Grindelwald, Switzerland and snapped some pics :D
Bridging the Digital Divide
Omg it's professional me!
Look! Read about some of what I do IRL in this news article, "The Digital Divide: How local libraries guide seniors through tech troubles," from The Record North Shore.
Fall Jacket for Tavish
Made a lil jacket out of an old scarf for my dog, Tavish. We rescued Tavish October 2016; we think he's about 10 or 11 years old now. Visit PAWS Chicago.
Good Omens Fic Rec
Don't Fall Away From Me by PhoenixRose314
This fic is a season 2 continuation. Read it. It's incredible. You'll feel emotionally wrung out and rinsed. It's the best.
PS if anyone is struggling with their love for Neil Gaiman's works, I recommend fiction-is-not-reality2's meta about it. It is so on point.
Hellier
I love they're touring
Absolutely obsessed with this paranormal team. Their podcast, Hellier, their movie The Unbinding. I take shots on the word "synchronicity." Blue star birthday balloons. TIN CANS JFCCCCC.
Summer Full Moon Bath
August 19, 2024 is the blue sturgeon moon! Manifest!
My webpage "Spa Day" has undergone a transformation and it is now 'The Cauldron' to refer to witchy spa days, as most of my healing and meditation leans into witchcraft and the occult.