Monday, April 28, 2014

C2E2 Recap - 2014



This past weekend was C2E2 here in Chicago, which is a comic book convention in case you aren't in the know. John actually won a 3 day pass but I wasn't really sold on all the guests and opted to buy just a pass for Sunday.

Here's the gist of how an event like this works (at least for me):
  • Obsess over who may or not be there for months ahead of time
  • Decide to go so you obsess over when the panels are and get upset that all of the good ones aren't on the same day
  • Decide what to wear and then change your mind at the last minute
I was going to wear my TARDIS dress from Halloween, but it was in disrepair
  • Leave the house too late to make it to the panel you wanted to see
  • Feel alright about missing that panel because now you get to see Stan Lee (who is HILARIOUS)
Seriously, so funny. And full of spoilers!

  • Spend several hours on the show floor looking at toys and comics and meeting artists that you love
  • Get really hungry and tired and decide you're done
  • Arrive home and look at all the marvelous stuff you bought!
Megan Lara, JL8, Joe Foo, Jenny Parks, and Tony Moore

Not a bad little Sunday!

How was your weekend, Sweeties?

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

"Prophecy Girl" - The Great Buffy Rewatch of 2014

Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer...

Guys! So much has happened on this first season! We were introduced to Buffy and her witty ways. We met the Scoobies. We got to know Angel. 

We fought vampires and bugs and all things evil. And who's been around waiting for his chance to strike? FRUIT PUNCH MOUTH.

Let's check in with the gang in the season finale.

Xander opens this episode practicing his "big speech" for Buffy with Willow. It's so heartbreaking that Willow loves him so much and has to watch him love Buffy. But she's so supportive of him too! We've all been there... am I right, ladies?

I also love that Cordelia is then seen making out in a steamy car with a guy while Buffy kills things 20 feet away. Is that really how high school was for some people? I mean, do cars actually steam up that bad? Oh god, I'm saying so much about my own HS experience with that question, aren't I? Shit.



Uh oh. We're getting right to the title of this episode super early. Giles is reading the prophecy about the Master (aka fruit punch mouth) as Sunnydale erupts in an earthquake. Btw, do you remember that an earth quake is the reason the master got stuck in this predicament in the first place? I do!  But anyway, I wonder what Giles just learned about the slayer. Hmm.

We're back on school grounds the next day where Xander is going to work up the nerve to ask Buffy to the Spring dance! Could this be a turning point in their relationship? Could they start dating? Is that where this is heading?


Of course not, guys. This is BUFFY SUMMERS. 

And Xander took it poorly enough to insult her taste in the undead. Which, I mean, is pretty telling for her future romances.

Okay, Miss Calendar just showed up talking about water turning to blood and other crazy shit. I LOVE that she's so just....down with this creepy shit. She's another example of badass female characters from Joss Whedon!

Speaking of which, Willow just turned down the consolation date with Xander. Because she's too good to be someone's second choice. LOVE.

After a run in with blood pouring out of the sink, Buffy rushes to the Library to discuss this development with Giles where she runs into him chatting with Angel about the prophecy. The prophecy that says she's going to face the master and die.

She's 16 and she's faced with her own mortality. And she's so vulnerable but strong. She's crying and asking questions and getting angry. She's confronting Giles and Angel and she's showing that she doesn't want to die. This is seriously an amazing performance from SMG. I fucking love it. This is like, where you really fall in love with this character and this series. Before this it was flirtation, but now it's real. I'm weird.


Okay, Buffy is at home now, listening to sad music and staring at photos of her life and crying. She begs her mom to take her away, but ya know, her mom thinks this is just about boys and not about death. But she did get her the most gorgeous dress that Buffy's been wanting - so that's something. A beautiful, white death shroud.

Now there's been a murder of the boys in the AV Club - Willow's friends. And Buffy takes time out of her own shit and baggage to go check on her best friend. To make sure that she's okay after seeing all of this carnage. Willow asks her what they're going to do and you can just see Buffy making up her mind about staying and fighting the Master. She's not going to just let her friends (and the world down). 

Apparently this is a big sappy love letter from my to Buffy. Whatever.

She just entered the library to tell Giles of her plan and she's wearing this beautiful white dress with a black leather jacket. I fucking love it. She knocks Giles out so he won't follow her and arms herself with a simple crossbow to fight this big bad.



And then the anointed is outside waiting for her. He is the most annoying little shit of a character ever. There's seriously no reason for this kid other than to lead Buffy to the Master's lair. 

The Scoobies are gathered in the library to talk about this whole Buffy going off to her death thing and prepare for the apocalypse. Of course, Xander thinks he's strong and tough so he goes after Buffy and the Master (with a pit stop to pick up Angel on the way). I love his loyalty though - he's willing to admit he needs help from his least favorite vampy guy to save Buffy.

We're also learning about the Hell Mouth and making guesses as to where it's physically located. And by we I mean the other Scoobies because I already know where it is. They think it's at the Bronze! Better get over there!

Meanwhile, in a sewer somewhere, Buffy is finally face to face with the Master and she is ready with one liners. This fight starts with a lot of over confidence from the Master and chats about being a lamb. In this scenario, Buffy is the lamb. Idiot. 

Oh hey, all of the vampires in Sunnydale are now congregating around the school because - SURPRISE! - the hell mouth is at the high school.

Back to Buffy. The Master is being creepy and telling Buffy what the prophecy really means. It's sort of like Harry Potter - she has to die so he can be free. And with that. Buffy just fucking died. The Master drank her blood and dropped her face first in a pool of water.

Series over. Buffy #2 will be back next Season.


Just kidding! She's dead, but only sort of! She just drowned! She can be revived! Man, the Master is an idiot for not snapping her neck. Xander is finally proving useful as more than just a comedic counterpart - he's the only one who can save Buffy. Because duh - Angel is a Vampire with no breath. Xander to the rescue!! Hooray!! Buffy's back!

Omg! the vampires are all coming to the library and the Scoobies haven't noticed that there's a weird viney, planty monster coming through the fucking floor.

Thank God Buffy is alive and ready to kill some bitches. Because if there's one thing I learned from this show, it's that death changes you and makes you stronger. And in this case, a little psychic, because Buffy knows exactly where the Master went and is heading up to the roof to take care of business.

Btw, the hell mouth is a mouth and it has TEETH. And looks like Audrey 2 from Little Shop of Horrors.



Back to Buffy and the Master. He still has this weird telekinetic power thing going on but she has the power of observation. She just told him he has fruit punch mouth. So that's where that nick name came from in all these posts guys. 

"I may be dead, but I'm still pretty."

She's so resourceful though. She just flipped him through a window to be impaled on a spike and end the apocalypse. Like, he didn't just dust, he made the world change. This school must have awesome insurance to be able to cover hell mouth damage.

And with that, the first season is over! Wherever will we go in season 2 and beyond? You'll just have to tune in next time to find out! :)



Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Easter Weekend 2014

Do you ever decide to clean your entire apartment/house and then focus on really small details and get nothing noticeable done?

Because that's what I did this weekend.

We went into the whole endeavor with a very ambitious mindset. I made a list! We woke up early! We ate Taco bell!


My food photography game is on point! As is my nail game.

But when it came to actually cleaning, John and I had differing opinions on it. I wanted to gut the apartment. I emptied out ALL of the food in the kitchen and purged at least half of it and then organized it and put it back.


John scrubbed the entire bathroom and made it look SPOTLESS. 

Mine took longer and no one but us will know. And that's how I proceeded for the WHOLE day. Doing time consuming, labor intensive projects that don't make a noticeable impact. And now the apartment still doesn't look clean because we ran out of time. I still have grand plans of emptying out all of our closets and purging stuff. So maybe I'll work on that this week.


At least we hung the bottle opener!

On Sunday, we were hungover and had plans for Easter brunch with some dear friends so we weren't productive per se. But we did get a lot of fun times in!

And dog snugs. Lots of dog snugs.


Anyway, how was your weekend? Were you productive? Do you know any tips for cleaning that will make me want to actually clean? Cuz I don't!





Monday, April 14, 2014

Music Monday and a Weekend Recap

I feel bad not including music on a Monday, so go ahead and press play on this little ditty while you read about my weekend in Michigan.




So, okay! Johnny and I traveled to Michigan on Thursday night after work to attend my niece Hazel's second birthday. It could not have been a more perfect weekend.

I got to spend Friday getting my car fixed and going to garage/estate sales with my dad. And ended the evening with a family dinner at Mexico Lindo. Family dinners are ALWAYS a blast. And I was just so glad to get to see my Mom and brother (Who's birthday was ALSO this past week).

Saturday was spent shopping at thrift stores for my new shop (which was a little bit of a bust but that's okay) and then visiting John's family a little bit.

But Sunday... Sunday was the big birthday party! We got to see the whole family (minus some southerners who were obviously absent). And celebrate a little cutie who has made everyone's lives brighter in the past 2 years.



John got to snuggle Maeby. And look handsome.


This is the Cozy Coupe that we bought for the little lady. It was a preview to having kids because it was a pain in the ass to put together and required beer and extra hands (Thanks, dad!). But she liked it so that's really all that matters.


This moment was sort of amazing. That little baby is Snow, one of Hazel's friends and I looked up and she was just holding onto John, who she had just met. It was adorable.


I mean look at this kid and her bubble mower. It's just the cutest thing! I'm so glad we have the chance to go home as often as we do (though I wish it was more often).

After the party, we hopped in the car and made the long trip home in the rain. But luckily, we stopped at a last minute liquor store in St. Joseph's to buy some Michigan beers. It's like a souvenir for your taste buds! We made it home in time to watch Game of Thrones and eat some pizza. So it was a win all around.




Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Etsy Shop and Product Photos

What have I been doing lately, you ask?

Why, I've been deciding whether or not to open an Etsy store, of course!

If you know me at all, you know that this involves a shit ton of list making and planning and trying to make things perfect. "She's a planner, that one" is what you might say.

I'm also a very cautious person who is aware of her own limitations and pitfalls. Which means that yes, I know that I'm not great at keeping up with hobbies. So, please feel free to keep me honest about going through with this. That is, if you think it's a good idea. :)

So here's a little bit of progress for you:

I've sorted through some of my own things and some things I bought specifically for this endeavor.
I've researched stores and suggestions.
I've made a huge mess in the apartment.
And oh yeah, I took some product photos (that I'm not 100% happy with).

And now I want to share them here with you! But definitely not all of them. There's a lot more to come. :)





Clearly, I'm focusing on vintage housewares. Which, again, if you know me makes sense. I LOVE vintage housewares. I love Pyrex. I love kitchen stuff. I hoard it. But now I want to share it with you! It's the sort of thing I can see myself being passionate about.

Let me know your thoughts! 

xoxo
Amanda



Monday, April 7, 2014

International Tabletop Day

Let's forego Music Monday this week in search of more interesting conversation. Namely -what I did this weekend.

More like, what a shit ton of people all over the world did this weekend. See, Saturday was International Tabletop Day. Which is a fancy way of saying everyone should play boardgames at the same time! Because board games are awesome! And the community that plays them is awesome!

If we're being honest, I took some convincing to go to Dice Dojo to play board games with a ton of strangers. I was having a very high social anxiety weekend and the idea of conversing with strangers was a little too high. But John convinced me the best way he could, with beer.

So, we headed to the store at 6PM to see what it was all about. And OMG. This place has 2 rooms, one for selling and one with 800+ games you can just play. For free.

We didn't know anyone, so we opted for a game that could be played with 2 players - Zombicide. Now, the gist of the game (apparently) is that you play cooperatively with your teammate(s) and try to capture objectives while fighting off zombies. Sounds fun!

One of my characters was a waitress on rollerskates with a chainsaw.

What wasn't fun was reading the rules (and promptly forgetting half of them). But we played for like 2 hours (1 hour was reading the rules) and it was a good time. But then a table near us was done with their game, and I was drunk enough to be social so I invited us into their next round in hopes that they'd pick a fun game that they knew the rules of.

Let me just tell you right now, that is NOT what happened. There were 2 awesome ladies, and one dude named Cameron. And he picked what our next game would be - Mansions of Madness - an intensely over-complicated game with TWO huge rule books. Oh - and he'd never played it before.

This is the game board. It was overwhelming.
But we trudged along, taking an hour and a half to read the rules and set everything up and then started playing. It was fun until it wasn't. See, there are cooperative characters (us and our new lady friends) and an antagonist (the dick with all the power). Which means a game that should be a grown up version of Clue ended up being a vindictive game of power struggles and insults. Meh. Whatever. I still had fun getting to know my teammates and vowing to play a less complicated game next time (next time! woah!).

Did any of you participate in Tabletop Day? Do any of you want to play less complicated games with us? Please say yes - and then elaborate. :)

Amanda
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