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

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

Music Monday: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - That's What's Up

I'll try to actually post this week. I swear.

I'll pull myself away from Lost and watch an episode of Buffy so that I can write about that. And stuff.

Anyway, this is the first day in forever that is warm and spring like. Which means I'm wearing a skirt and a denim jacket and feeling good about myself (other than my ridiculous bangs that wouldn't dry right).

Basically it's a great start to a week. A week that involves the end of a month and the beginning of another. It's all very confusing.

This song is one of those ones that makes me just think about summer and driving with the windows down and camping and drinking beer. That's a lot for a song to do!

Plus those hand claps at the end!

xoxo
Amanda

Music Monday: Iggy Azalea - Fancy

I've been sick for the past 4 days. So, now that I'm feeling a little better (by no means 100%) let's dance a little!

This song is pretty fun. So just listen to it!

Happy Monday!

xoxo

Amanda

"Out of Sight, Out of Mind" - The Great Buffy Rewatch of 2014

Okay, guys! Let's do this! Sorry for my lack of updates on Buffy. I was taking all of my free time to focus on rewatching Veronica Mars for the movie release. But now that I'm caught up we're back to business as usual.

Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer...

We learned about the dangers of online dating with Willow when a demon came to life in the internet! And fell in love with her! Then, the gang dealt with a living dummy during a school play. You'd think he'd be evil, but really he was a demon hunter! Surprise! Then, we learned about everyone's deepest fears when a little boy in a coma brought those fears to fruition.

Okay, it's Springtime in Sunnydale and I'm getting so sad that it's still so cold here! Apparently there's a dance coming up that Cordelia will inevitably be queen of. And then there's Buffy. Dropping a bag full of weapons. I don't understand how no one questions this with how often it happens.

Now we've moved to English class where Cordelia is somehow the teacher's pet. Despite being a moron. But, she loves this lady teacher so I guess it makes sense that she actually tries. So, she's setting up a teacher tutor session tomorrow after school. Remember that for later!

Moving on. Cordelia's BF is naked in the boys locker room. Making jokes about bedding her. Class-y! But karma's a bitch! and so is this invisible girl! Oh hey, this episode is about an invisible girl btw. She just took a bat to this guy. Oof!

If Cordelia is so effing popular, why does she need to bribe her fellow students with chocolate? I guess to show how much she seriously loves titles. And now we're learning that Buffy was Spring Fling Queen at her old school. Because of course she was. She's super attractive and nice! Too bad she had to get all weird and save the worldy.

I don't care how weird she is. Everyone would want to bang Buffy.

Oh hey! So Mitch isn't dead. That's a positive! But he's badly maimed, so Buffy needs to check out the floating bat anyway. She's not in on the fact that it was actually an invisible girl...yet. But this message ("LOOK") on the lockers might make her more suspicious! 

Here's Giles to explain things in a cute, Britishy way. Maybe it's telekinesis! Maybe it's a ghost! Maybe it's an invisible creature! Who knows! 

Cordelia is back to show her true colors. She's upset that Mitch is all beat up for their photos. And now there's a flashback! So we're introduced to the background of this invisible girl. OMG! She just shoved Harmony down the stairs! (she being the invisible girl) They're pretty tall stairs, but she just twisted her ankle. NBD. But it's giving Buffy the chance to follow the laughter of IG (invisible girl) back to the...band room? And confirm that it's IG and not some ghost. An IG who is obsessed with Cordelia.

Buffy is in the school hunting IG. And for some reason there are a bunch of girls there helping Cordelia with her dress. Under no circumstances would the cool girls hang out at school at night trying on dresses. But, there's flute music in the background so Buffy's off to find it's source!

Meanwhile, Angel is in the library talking about how much he loves Buffy. But he's tortured, so he can't see her. Brood brood. But he brings information about the Master. Remember him? He's the big bad for the season....but he's been sort of absent. I guess he'll be back soon! DUN DUN DUN Also, it should be noted that Angel can't see himself in a mirror, so chances are he has no idea how hot he is.

Another flash back! It's our first glimpse of IG in the flesh. She's literally standing right in the middle of Cordelia and her friends and they're being bitches and ignoring her. Girls, amirite?

Oh hey, Cordelia apparently won May Queen? Which gets announced during the school day...whatever! School seems fun! And now incognito Buffy has learned IG's name - Marcie. She disappeared! She played flute in band! This all tracks! (That's a thing Buffy just said...)

This is what Buffy looks like when she's spying.

Back in the band room, a dusty footprint has lead Buffy to the ceiling. Where Marcie (IG) has apparently been living. Right under everyone's noses! (or, you know, above their heads). I can't imagine her bringing all this stuff up here while invisible. What if someone saw her doing it? Just a floating teddy bear walking through the school! Buffy grabbed her yearbook and left.

Okay,  end of day. Time for Cordelia's meeting of the minds with her English teacher. But wait! That's not Cordelia! That's Marcie Ross! Oh no! She's killing the teacher! But Cordelia is back just in time to save the teacher and watch some chalk write another message - "LISTEN".

The Scooby Gang is analyzing Marcie's yearbook. And realizing she had no friends and no one noticed her. Apparently, ignoring someone can make them invisible! So, basically, you should pay attention to people. You never know what they could be going through. 

Pay attention - you never know who might become invisible and want to kill you.

Cordelia bursts into the library asking for help because Buffy is a total weirdo who carries weapons. Which is pretty smart on her part. Even though she's insulting them a lot. Which is basically the worst way to ask for favors.

Marcie is gearing up for something big! She's talking to herself - which I do when I'm getting amped up for a confrontation. Cordelia better watch out!

Buffy and Cordelia are roaming the halls in search of a closet to get changed in. And Cordy just said "I can be surrounded by people and be completely alone." Which is seriously poignant. And I feel like people don't realize she's insightful. Which is what I was doing in the beginning of this episode. Huh. Lesson learned.

Of course, now that Cordelia's alone in a closet she's going to get kidnapped. Because she's alone. And a target. DUH. And also, because Marcie is amazing at navigating the ceilings in this school. So Buffy's going after them. Because she's amazing at being a hero.

Oh, also, Xander, Giles and Willow are now trapped in the boiler room with a gas leak. So they're out of the picture in terms of helpfulness. Just wanted to make sure you knew what happened to them.

Back to Buffy. Cordelia's unconscious and Buffy just got her ass handed to her. And then drugged, so she can also be unconscious. They wake up tied to chairs and Cordelia has a numb face. I wonder what Marcie's thinking! The last of her one word messages is scrawled across the wall in glitter - "LEARN".

Craft-tastic!

Learn what? She's here to be sassy and invisible and teach us a lesson! A lesson in what everyone values in Cordelia - her looks. She's going to make her gross by cutting up her face. Gross. A face to remember! 

Thank God the slayer is here! She's so resourceful. She's cutting herself free while Marcie is distracted. Of course, it's hard to fight someone who's invisible. So Buffy will really need to focus (also, Angel just saved everyone who was trapped in the boiler room. In case you were nervous). 

Everyone shut up so Buffy can hone in on her slayer sense of hearing! It's one of those moments where she just looks like a fucking badass. Boom! Contact with the first punch! And Marcie is knocked out cold. And the FBI is here? To collect Marcie? WHAT? They've apparently known for a while and they want to take her somewhere to become a valuable member of society... creepy.

Cordelia learned a lesson and was just nice to the Scoobies. Aww. For just a split second we caught a glimpse of her good side. But the episode ends with Marcie in a room full of invisible children learning about assassination and infiltration. Totes creepy.

Next time on Buffy - we're gearing up for the season finale! I'm sure fruit punch mouth will make an appearance. And maybe Angel! How exciting!

Til next time!

xoxo

Amanda