5 Fandom Friday- Late to the Game TV Shows

This week's Fandom 5 prompt is "Late to the Game TV Shows". I have quite a few of these. Thanks once again to The Nerdy Girlie and SuperSpaceChick for these weekly ideas.

1. Parks and Rec

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I started Parks and Rec before but I didn't like it. Then someone told me that it gets better by the end of season 2. They were right and I loved it. I managed to binge the entire series that was on Netflix in time to watch the final season live. It was LITERALLY the best timing ever.

2. The Office

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Another show that I never watched when it was still going. It just did not look like something that would interest me. Again I was wrong. Thank yo Netflix for allowing me to curl up in bed watching this show for days on end. Creed is who I want to be.

3. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

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I was late to the Marvel fandom. I didn't start my obsession until after the first Avengers movie. So of course I would be late to this TV show. There has not been a show that have kept me so enthralled before. I cannot wait for each new episode and yet I am terrified for these characters. I am almost too invested now.

4. Farscape

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I didn't see any Farscape episodes until the show was over. I think the first Farscape related thing I watch was the mini-series that served as a wrap up. This is a really great show. Human Astronaut Criton ends up on a living ship filled with alien prisoners on the run. Add Henson shop puppets and you have a fantastic sci-fi show.

5. The Tribe

This kid soap opera from New Zealand was a passion of mine in High School. I think it was over by that time and it played randomly on tv. It was basically a hide and seek show for me. It never played at the same time and almost never show up on the TV schedule. If you have never seen it, it is a drama about kids coping in a world where everyone over 18 has died of a virus. They wore outrageous outfits, hair and makeup. I totally dressed up as a Tribe member for Halloween my senior year. No one knew what I was though. My first cosplay : )

December and January Nail Art

I've been thinking about making a Nail Art post for a while. So perhaps every other month or so I could put up some pics of my sometimes failed attempts at Nail Art.

(Also if anyone wants to make a graphic for these posts I would love you forever )

The one above is Googly-eyed Rudolf.

Some crossed eyed Penguins.  I really cannot make eyes on these, they just go all wonky.

Christmas Lights. I used black acrylic paint for the strings but the paint brush was a little too big.

Ah the sponging technique. My favorite even though it is a mess to clean up. I also added some nail stamped "snowflakes"

These actually turned out pretty good. I should have cleaned them up a bit more for the pictures.

Let me first apologize for blinding everyone. This Instagram filter made the Galaxy nails look amazing but my pale, pale skin looks insane.

Here is where I attempted to make nail decals. I used some ugly OPI I had bought for Halloween, hence the green/yellow thing going on.

I guess they worked. Not the prettiest thing I have ever seen....at all.

5 Fandom Friday- 5 Favorite Movies Currently on Netflix

This week's prompt from The Nerdy Girlie and SuperSpaceChick is "Favorite Ways to Netflix and Chill". I know what "Netflix and Chill" means but I don't really do that. So I chanced the prompt a bit to just a list of my favorite movies currently on Netflix.

1. Velvet Goldmine

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I have loved this movie for years. In fact it is the film that introduced me to my favorite band Placebo. If you like David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Glam rock this is the movie for you (No, Bowie and Iggy are not in this film but it has characters loosely based on them)

The soundtrack is great. Plus there is baby Christian Bale as a groupie.

2.Heavenly Creatures

This strange film based on a real life murder is both Kate Winslet and Peter Jackson's first film. Two young girls in New Zealand murder one of their mothers. Simple plot right. Nope. Peter Jackson takes you into their imaginary world and you get to see the world through their eyes.

3. The Crow

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All three of The Crow films are on Netflix right now but the first is truly the greatest. This film may be more known for having the lead actor, Brandon Lee, die on set. But the film itself is amazing. A tale of vengeance and redemption. The whole look and feel of the film is great. Add a 90's alternative soundtrack and BAM! 

4. Human Traffic

Why do I love this film? Maybe it is because I missed out on the 90's rave scene, especially the 90's in England. This film is about a group of friends on a night out in Cardiff getting trashed and having fun. Nerdy note: The lead character is played by John Simms aka The Master from Doctor Who and if you look closely you can find Andrew Lincoln aka The Walking Dead's Rick Grimes

5. Heathers 

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The classic 80's dark comedy. I have become obsessed with the musical version of this. This film has become a cult classic and for good reason. It is funny and wrong at the same time. There are tons of one liners that just make this film great.

January Birchbox and Ipsy

The first Birchbox and Ipsy Glam Bag of the year have arrived. 

These are monthly subscription boxes that cost $10 shipped in the US.

I share these with m mom each month. The items she chose are in PURPLE

Birchbox

• Harvey Prince Hello Body Creme- This mini tube of body creme has a pleasant citrus-floral scent that is not overpowering. 
• Key West Aloe Gentle Facial Cleanser- A decent sized sample of a foaming facial cleanser. 
• Ciate London Mini Paint Pot in Mineral Love- As a nail polish lover I have wanted to try Ciate, but I'm just not liking this. Besides being a tiny and only half full "paint pot" the color isn't good. It is a translucent pink with mineral glitter.
• Raw Spirit Fragrances Bijou Vert-  My mom always grabs the fragrance samples. Not entirely sure what it smells like but she liked it.
• Eyeko Fat Liquid Liner- I have never seen my mom grab something out of these boxes so fast. She claims she will try the Adele cat eye look. Her attempt thus far is a little scary.

Ipsy 

Ipsy always includes a makeup bag with there subscription box. See the first photo

• PEEK Beauty Natural Stain Brow Powder- This little tin looks like eyeshadow but the powder is a light stain to define your eyebrows. Last month in the Ipsy bag they sent me a brow brush that works perfectly with this.
• City Color Cosmetics Eyeshadow Trio in Falling Leaves- A full sized eyeshadow trio in a reddish purple tones. 
• Pur~lisse Blue Lotus 4-in-1 Eye Adore Serum- A tiny tube of eye serum for getting rid of wrinkles and puffy eyes among others things.
• Mitchell and Peach English Leaf Body Cream- Such a strong scent. Personally I didn't like it but my mom did.
• theBalm Cosmetics Mr. Write (Now)- A Purple-ish eyeliner pencil. Not a fan of this. The color is fine but it doesn't go on smooth. It tugs too much.

 This month's favorites are from Birchbox- The Fat Liquid Liner and from Ipsy- the Brow Powder.

Did you get either of these subscription boxes this month?

What was your favorite item?

Try Dry Vox Box

I received a free #TryDry #Target vox box from Influenster to test out some products.. Influenster is a review site that also sends out products for its users to try and review. Not everyone gets a vox box. You have to answer questions called snaps, earn badges by reviewing products on their site and just have good luck.

This Vox Box included two Dove antiperspirant sprays. One for women and one for men.

The Dove Nourished Beauty Dry Spray Antiperspirant has a nice crisp cucumber scent. It goes on clear. The only problem is that the "button" used to spray is a little difficult to press down but not impossible.

I decided the best way to test this out was to use it before a workout on the elliptical. 

In general this works. It does not prevent 100% sweat, I doubt any product could, but it does keep you drier then most products.

It also doesn't leave any residue like some solid deodorants.

Would I recommend it: Yeah.

The product works and has a pleasant scent. 

The other product in this box is the Dove Men+ Care Clean Comfort Dry Spray Antiperspirant.

I cannot place the scent. It smells good and familiar but I just cannot place it. 

I gave this to my dad. He seems to like it, that is about all I can get from him. He said he would use it again. So I consider that a recommendation.

"I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes."

5 Fandom Friday- Ways I Am Going To Take Chances In 2016

My first Fandom Friday of the Year!

This week it is "Chances in 2016". Thanks to the Nerdy Girlie and SuperSpaceChick for these weekly fandom prompts.

1. JOB

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I have been trying for months to get a job. I have spent the majority of the past few years helping to take care of my grandfathers. That included having one live with me. He had dementia and could not be left alone. So I have a giant gap in my resume which makes finding a job nearly impossible. Now that both grandfathers have passed I have been applying like mad for opening but still no bites.

This year I will find a job. A perfect job. So help me...

2. Fitness

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I have already started getting healthy this year. Cutting out soda and exercising daily. As the months go by I plan to continue to do more healthy things and get rid of the unhealthy habits I have acquired through the past few years. I hope to try to run a 5k by Fall. (It gets way too hot in Oklahoma to attempt one in Summer)

3. Arts

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Once I get a job and get my fitness on I plan to get back into the arts scene that I have missed so very much. There are always auditions going on that I have not been able to attend due to family or financial restraints.

4. Try New Things

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I am a creature of habit. I want to change this by actually trying new things. Whether it is a new place to eat or a new activity or hobby. This is something that will have to happen later once I achieve some of my priorities. 

5. Go New Places

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I would love to go to Disney World but until we are out of debt from my Grandfather's last expenses that doesn't look like that will happen.

(Way to totally make this depressing and slightly morbid...sorry)

Since Disney is probably not going to happen this year I want to try and go to New Orleans. Maybe in the Fall.

Goodbye David Bowie

It was at my mom's friend's house that I first fell in love with David Bowie. I don't think I was even 5 years old then. This friend's house had door beads, incense, pet dragons and snakes. It was like going into another world. And on these visits, waiting for me, a VHS copy of Labyrinth. 

I was young enough not to know the difference between reality and what I was watching on the TV. I felt like that world was real and I wanted so desperately to go there. 

Unlike Sarah, I was smitten with the charming and seductive Goblin King, Jareth. I used to wish that I had a younger sibling to use to get to the Labyrinth.

It took a few years before I loved Bowie for Bowie. I started listening to his music. His voice was so unique and beautiful. Some songs piercing me to the soul, as though someone is seeing the world in a way I could not imagine and was trying to tell the world of such wonders.

I have seen every movie David Bowie had been in. From the strange but compelling Man Who Fell to Earth, the sexy Hunger and the wonderful Absolute Beginners. The night he died I was sing the song Absolute Beginners out loud to myself before I even knew he had left us. 

In a way David Bowie introduce me to my favorite band, Placebo. The film Velvet Goldmine is in some ways a false and fantastical biography of Bowie (even though Bowie wasn't trilled about it). In this film the members of Placebo have smalls roles and a few songs. This led me to the listening and watching the video of the collaboration of Bowie and Placebo, Without You I'm Nothing.
After that I bought all of Placebo's albums and they became my favorite band. Bowie my favorite artist.

David Bowie also connected me to my best friend. Two 14 year old band camp kids who had just met in suburban Oklahoma. Our mutual love of David Bowie and Rocky Horror cemented a friendship that has lasted over a decade. 

Listening to and watching videos from his last album, Blackstar, I now realize that he knew he was going to die. He wanted to give his fans one last gift while at the same time telling us the end was coming. And since Bowie is the ultimate artist, he never came out and said he was sick, he used his art to say goodbye.

Right now my heart hurts for a man I never met, but who I felt had been a part of my life for almost as long as I can remember.
I can't look around my house without seeing something related to David Bowie. The "coffee table" book with his pictures, the Labyrinth poster on the wall, the cds and my one vinyl record (Diamond Dogs), dvd of films he was in and even the clothes in my closet. It hurts but in a good way.
He made such an impact on me.

We are lucky to have lived in a world where such a person existed.

  

Am I Falling Out of Love with Doctor Who?

Let me preface this by saying that I am still a fan of Doctor Who. 

I have been a "whovian" since the moment Christopher Eccleston took Billie Piper's hand and then said " I'm the Doctor, by the way... Run for your life".

I was hooked.

My favorite Doctor is 11 even though I adored both 9 and 10 in different ways. I felt a connection with almost all of the companions (except Martha, not a big Martha fan). The 11, Rory and Amy trio with dashes of River became my favorite era. 

T-shirt design by Megan Lara

Then came Clara.

I had hope for the next companion after she was first introduced as Souffle Girl. Unfortunately I just never liked her again after that. I can't recall any of her episodes with 11 without looking them up. The only ones that pop into my head are the Christmas episodes. Matt Smith's last episode still hurts...in a good way. I will say that Doctor Who gave him an amazing send off complete with one last moment with his Amy. 

Back to Clara. 

The Impossible Girl arc never resonated with me. Maybe I was just still recovering from the Pond Trio era. 

I never liked Danny Pink. Sorry but he was just so antagonistic. I get the whole Danny and the Doctor are soldiers of different calibers. It was just so heavy handed. The constant hostility from Danny just put me off. And I never saw a real connection between Clara and Danny until he died. Danny made me like Mickey more in retrospect.

I hate to say this but Clara may end up being my least liked companion. Nothing against the actress, who I loved in the Titanic mini series. But Clara is in turns overly cheeky or excessively reckless. An adrenaline junkie with a death wish. 

As for Peter Capaldi's Doctor, I can't tell if I like him yet. He started out way too mean for my taste but has since balanced out. I will admit I sometimes can't understand everything he is saying. I won't give up on him yet.

There were things in the past few seasons that I liked. I loved Missy. I know that she could not be a regular fixture. Too much of a good thing and all.

The Christmas episode with River gave me hope for 12.

And Maisie Williams recurring "Me" was delightful. She is proving that she has the potential to be one of the greatest actors of this generation. 

I won't give up on Doctor Who. Not yet anyway. For me, this may just be the succession of over 10 years of being a fan. The ebb and flow of a favorite show.

  

Literary Fixation: Longbourn

I have been a "Janeite" for some time. I have read all of Jane Austen's novels and seen just about every film adaptation of her works. In fact I have written posts about all of the Austen books on this blog. So when I was browsing the library the title Longbourn made be stop in my tracks.

Longbourn is the name of the house the the Bennets from Pride and Prejudice lived. This novel is about the people who work for the Bennets.

Longbourn focuses on the staff including the housekeeper Mrs. Hill, maids Sarah and Polly, Mr. Hill and newcomer James Smith. 

Think of Downton Abbey only worse. From the very beginning of the book you understand the bitter reality of being in the service class during Jane Austen's time. It is a glimpse of the daily struggles of servants in a time without plumping or electricity. It shows the filthy underbelly of these classic novels. Unlike Austen's works, this novel mentions sex and repercussions. Also detailing how bodily functions were dealt with by the servants when toilets didn't exist. Yup chamber pots. The leisure class either ignores the service class or treats them with contempt. 

In some ways this books takes the shine off of these well known and loved characters. When viewed from the eyes of those who see all but are not allowed to technically exist. While Jane and Elizabeth Bennet are still fairly decent people when it comes to the servants, the rest of the well known characters are not. Anyone who has read Pride and Prejudice already know the Mrs. Bennett, Lydia and Kitty are selfish, petty creatures. The biggest change in perspective goes to Mr Bennett. Wickham is seen to be an even bigger villain and a possible pedophile. 

 The biggest part of the book revolves around the maid, Sarah. At the very heart of the book is a love story full of sacrifices and false starts. 

I would write more about the staff but I think this is a book that I do not want to spoil. If you are a fan of Jane Austen or of Regency novels this is a good book with a different perspective. The story is interesting and the characters are compelling.

If you have read this tell me what you think.

Previous Jane Austen Posts:

Jane Austen 1- Emma

Jane Austen 2- Northanger Abbey

Jane Austen 3- Mansfield Park

Jane Austen 4- Sense and Sensibility 

Jane Austen 5- Pride and Prejudice 

Jane Austen 6- Persuasion 

New Year- Restart

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A New Year has started. As with every New Year I like to think of it has a new beginning. A restart if you will.

Last year was pretty horrible. I want 2016 to be a thousand times better.

Here are my goals for this year.

1. Go Somewhere or Do Something New Each Month

I think the main reason I never get to do anything remotely fun is due to a lack of money. Being poor is a bitch. But this year I want to try and get out of this house and participate in life more. It could be anything from trying a new place to eat, going to an art exhibit, going on a road trip (Fingers crossed) or anything in between. My life has been on hold for so many years do to family obligations, time to have some fun.

2. Exercise Everyday and Eat Healthier

I think everyone has this goal each year. I really want to stick to it this time. I will not do what I did last year and try to completely change my eating habits over night. I will just to to start cutting out the junk food and including healthy options a little bit at a time. 

With exercising I tend to work out every weekday but once the weekends come along I veg out, eat badly and fail to do any sort of exercising. Then I am shocked when I haven't gotten fitter. I will change this.

3. Take Classes

I enjoyed my college classes. I took a variety of different types of classes because I learned that too many Psychology classes a semester is bloody insane. They all seem to contradict each other.

I miss learning new things. I plan to take some classes this each, even if it is just a refresher of French on the library website. I would love to find some dancing classes that are not just for kids. 

4. Go To The Theatre

With taking on the elder care of both of my grandfathers, things like going to see musicals and plays were out of the question. My mom and I used to go to all of the touring musicals that came to the PAC. We really miss that.

I will make this happen.

5. New Recipes (That Are Not Desserts)

I bake, I don't cook.

When it comes to making proper food I fail. I can make almost any dessert and I enjoy trying new ones out. But I need to learn to make something other than sweets. It doesn't help that I am a picky eater and that I hate the smell of meat cooking. This will be a difficult goal but it also feeds into my healthy eating goal.

*Also I would love to get this blog redesigned but I fail at the tech side of blogging. If anyone wants to volunteer to help me with that comment below or get a hold of me on twitter.

I want 2016 to start off with hope and good intentions that will carry it through til 2017. 

I hope you all achieve your goals this year too.