Friday, November 28, 2014

The Heart of Black Friday


I am not trying to absolve myself. I know I am guilty of perpetuating this form of consumerism. These are just thoughts I had while talking to strangers during Thanksgiving's Black Friday.
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     For years my mom and I have been Black Friday shopping. It used to be something fun that we would do together the morning after Thanksgiving. As the years progressed we began to rely more and more on Black Friday sales, financially. Money gets tight and family members continue to procreate. 

     The past few years we have needed to endure the increasing horror of this day not only for holiday gifts but for our own essentials. Towels, pillows, clothing etc. Many times we have gone without some luxury like a crock-pot or coffee maker in hopes of a decent deal on Black Friday.  

     The new horror in Black Friday is that it is no longer on FRIDAY. I feel absolutely terrible for the employees that have their national holiday taken away from them by a faceless corporate machine. I do not want to contribute to this, but I am at a conundrum. I know that the only way to stop Black Friday from taking over Thanksgiving is to not shop the so called Black "Friday" sales Period. My problem is that we rely so heavily on these sales. 

     The corporate people say that we, the consumers, want to shop on Thanksgiving. LIES. Everyone I talked to tonight and last year hated shopping on Thanksgiving. They felt guilty for the employees having to work too. They also disliked having their own holiday cut short. 

     Like I said before, the only way to stop this from continuing is to stop shopping. In theory it is a great idea, but in practice I do not see it working out. Too many of us cannot afford not to shop these discounts. 

If this trend continues..."Sorry kids, no trick or treating tonight. The Black Friday sales start Nov. 1st at midnight."  

Friday, November 21, 2014

5 Fandom Friday: Characters I Would Invite To My Thanksgiving Feast

I do not always make a 5 Fandom Friday post but I love having the option of using a fun geeky prompt as a blog topic. It is especially welcomed when I have had a bad week and coming up with a blog post just doesn't happen.
The brilliant ladies behind the idea are The Nerdy Girlie and Super Space Chick.

This week's Fandom Friday is "Characters I Would Invite To My Thanksgiving Feast".
I decided to make this a bit more of a challenge and only include American characters, or at least American based characters. It is a challenge because most of my fandoms are UK related. 

1. Captain Jack Harkness from Doctor Who and Torchwood
I believe he is technically an American character. With the help of the Captain's time vortex manipulator there would be no waiting around for the turkey to cook. Plus he is charming and omnisexy. He will charm the whole family.

2. Daryl Dixon from The Walking Dead
This handsome, brooding hunter is needed for a Thanksgiving feast. Not only will he bring the freshly caught turkey but he will know how to carve it to perfection. There is a chance that he will bring some squirrels for side dishes though.  

3. Max from Two Broke Girls
I will need a drinking buddy and who better than Max. She would totally be up for free food. And maybe even bring some cupcakes for dessert, although they probably had fallen on the diner floor.
  
4. Regina from Once Upon a Time
Someone has to bring the class and sophistication to the table, so who better than the Queen herself. I bet she makes an apple pie to die for.

5. John Crichton from Farscape
To be perfectly honest I just feel that John needs a good old fashioned Thanksgiving meal. After years of food cubes the boy deserves a turkey and cornbread stuffing.






Friday, November 14, 2014

November Ipsy and Birchbox

Since I have been getting both Birchbox and Ipsy for a few months now I thought it would be fun to put up a monthly review. So far I am really enjoying these subscription boxes. I share them with my mom. We open them up and take turns choosing what we want. It has worked out really well for us so far.
Both Ipsy and Birchbox send products based on an initial beauty questionnaire. Which means that not everyone gets the same products in their boxes each month. They both also have a points program which is also great. Freebies!
Since I share these boxes with my mom the products in blue are the ones I received out of the boxes.

  • Coola Tinted Matte SPF 30 For Face- A tinted moisturizer. The size of the sample is pretty good. She hasn't used it yet. 
  • Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Sensitive- A facial peel using fruit acids to dissolve dead skin. I tried this and I have pretty sensitive skin and it didn't cause any irritation. Again she hasn't tried it as yet.
  • Firecraker ChocoPods- A bonus sampling of some chocolate. We both tried this and we both did not like it. If it had been the orange or the honeycomb sample it may have been different but the chipotle taste was too much. 
  • ModelCo Party Proof Lipstick in Get Naked- A great size sample of lipstick, only neither of us wear nude color lipsticks. 
  • Gilchrist & Soames Spa Therapy Body Lotion- I really like this sample. Perfect size for my purse. I've been using it to help with my dry cuticles. It is sea fennel and absorbs well.
  • Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk in Natural Tint- This dry shampoo is tinted for brunettes and since my mom has black hair I got it. I have never used dry shampoo before but I tried it and it worked really well. 
Ipsy
Ipsy's glam bag includes a makeup bag each month. This month is was a silver glitter one, see top picture.
  • Be A Bombshell Cosmetics Eye Base- The sample I got was Submissive. It is a creamy base that can either be used alone or to build up other eye-shadows on. It is a pretty shimmery color that I will probably use on its own
  • TEMPTU S/B Highlighter - This is a sheer, pearly highlighter to use when contouring with makeup. Not really sure how to use this with my regular makeup so I will be experimenting with it. 
  • J Cat Beauty Wonder Lip Paint- The sample I got was Red Potion. It is a very dark red but it is lighter on, than in the tube. It is also really messy to use but it looks good with my pale skin tone and dark hair. And it has good staying power. It may be my favorite from this bag.
  • Starlooks Gem Eye Pencil- You can't see it in the picture but the eye pencil came in the color Ultra Orchid. A shimmery purple. Not sure about the staying power with so many sparkles in it.
  •  Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco Argan Oil Volume Shine Hairspray- A decent sized sample of hair spray perfect for purses. She hasn't tried it yet. 

Truthfully I like both of these subscription boxes. Ipsy has more full sizes in the glam bags and they tend to send out more makeup related products. Birchbox is more of a mixed bag with skin care, lotions, makeup etc. For $10 a month each including shipping I think these are a pretty good deal. A great way to try out new products. 
My favorite products this month are from Ipsy: The Wonder Lip Paint and from BirchBox: The Spa Therapy Body Lotion









Friday, November 7, 2014

TV Shows That Should Have Had Another Chance

With current TV shows now facing cancellation it brings to mind the variety of past television shows that I wish had gotten another go.

Pushing Daisies (2007-2009)
I loved this show. It was whimsical, odd and funny. The whole look and feel of the show made it seem like a different world. Bright and cheerful even with the running theme of death. The cast was amazing. This was my introduction to Lee Pace, Thank You Pushing Daisies, Thank You. Plus Anna Friel's Chuck and Kristin Chenoweth's Olive as the women vying for the love of Pace's Pie Maker were perfect. Each episode had a fairy-tale like quality mixed with a whodunit setup. The series had a quick wrap up but it was unsatisfying. So many loose ends especially how did Chuck and the Pie Maker finally get to touch?  On a personnel note: Chenoweth is from Oklahoma and I got to meet her once at a book signing. Stood in line for almost six hours but worth it.

The Unusuals (2009)
I bet ABC regretted cancelling this show once Jeremy Renner's career really took off. This Amber Tamblyn led series was a take on the many cop and investigations shows that crowd the schedules of most networks. How many NCISs and Law and Orders have there been? This was about the oddball cops while still keep some dramatic aspects of being a cop to keep it from being a pure comedy show.
What I remember most about this was Jeremy Renner's character. I am not sure how well this show would have done in the long run but with only ten episodes it doesn't seem like it had a fair shot.

Joan of Aracdia (2003-2005)
Amber Tamblyn has not had a good run with television. This show made it two season before cancellation, just when a potential villain arrived. It managed to be a show with god as a recurring character without making it a religious show. And how cute was young Jason Ritter?! What really gets me is that it was replaced by Ghost Whisperer which lasted 5 season. Really? I could not stand that series, but to each their own...I guess.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009)
Let me just say that I love the first two Terminator films and that I have despised the other films. Which is why this was the perfect series for me. It picks up right where the second movie ends. Lena Headey is great as Sarah Connor and River Glau makes a pretty damn good terminator sent to protect Thomas Dekker's John Connor. Also a featured terminator, Shirley Freakin Manson from Garbage
This series was clever, intelligent and had some decent action. A very good follow up to some great movies. So of course when John Connor time times to the future it gets cancelled. 

The Middleman (2008)
I remember liking this series and being bummed out when it was cancelled but it has been so long since I've seen it that it's a little hazy. It was a about a straight laced suit and tie guy whose job is to solve strange problems. It mainly followed his new recruit Wendy as she navigated her life as a artist and as the future Middleman. I need to find this series again and watch it again. 

Firefly (2002)
I still cannot believe that this only lasted one season. This series has such a massive following gained since cancellation that it seems like it could have been a huge hit if FOX had given it more seasons.
 Instead of leaving us with some slapped together end or the dreaded cliff hanger, Firefly got the opportunity to bow out with a film, Serenity, that was fitting for our rag tag group of Browncoats. I would have loved to have had the series continue but I am happy with the film.

Anything With James Van Der Beek That Isn't Dawson's Creek
I was not a Dawson's Creek fan, just wasn't my thing. But I adore James Van Der Beek when he is playing comedic roles. Unfortunately each time he gets a comedy series it gets cancelled.
The B in Apt 2B: He played a funny, possible fictional, version of himself. He was my favorite part of that show. Cancelled
Friends With Better Lives: This show suffered from trying to cash in on current fads such as Hashtags. In fact it was promoted as #FWBL. Never a good sign. But Van Der Beek's newly single gynocologist was funny. Also Majandra Delfino and Zoe Lister-Jones were a joy to watch. This show didn't even make it a full season.

Are there any show that you wish had a reprieve from cancellation?
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After blogging so much last month I am probably only going to post once a week this month and maybe next month too. Unless of course there is something amazing I want to write about. I'll try and post every Friday.

Faux Foodie- Eton Mess

Since life is strange right now, I have nothing relevant to post right now... so instead a re-post/edit of one of my favorite desserts ...