Tuesday, December 31, 2013

New Year's Eve

   Hello hello everyone!  It's New Years Eve!  For some of you, it might even already be 2014  No spoilers please!  ^^  So, in honor of our transition into the next year, i'll be live-blogging through out the day.  It probably wont be all that interesting, but i'll update ever 2 or 3 hours and more as we get closer to the transition.  Again, i live in MST which is 2 hours behind the big ball drop in NY (EST).  With the new year, i'll be changing my blog to be organized by month and trying to keep the best parts organized.  Up top, you'll see a set of pages with links to all the posts related to certain subjects.  Do you guys like this style?  If so, please +1 or comment so i know!  Thank you all and i think, to start off the year, i'll do my top 10 Gen 2 Pokemon!!  Or ya know...start it...slack off....and finish it eventually ^^.  See you all in a bit!

UPDATE (10:50 A.M.): Going to go to Walmart and maybe convince my uncle to get me a pack of cards??  My money is at home so if he does happen to buy me one pack, i might make a pilgrimage later to get more to pen with my new buddy, Munna!  See yall in a bit!

UPDATE (12:56 P.M.):  Well, i just got back from the store and i have a lot to say....but!  I got 2 packs of cards and a bath set that i'd like to open on video and in said video, i'll explain what happened!  The video will be up later, but i'm off to film it!  I'll keep you posted!  <3

UPDATE (2:12 P.M.):  We are in the editing state!  I will be posting the pictures i took in the end credits of the video, and the video does tell you about my day and stuff.  Idk when it will be up, but when it is, it will be posted here.

UPDATE (3:04 P.M.):  Ok!  The video is done being edited and now is being saved and then it will be put onto Youtube to upload which generally takes a few hours!  The video includes me talking about the shopping trip and a series of pictures i took while there in a sort of liveblog at the very end!  I will be working on my top 10 (or maybe even 20) Gen 2 Pokemon while it loads!  See yall in a bit!

UPDATE (3:27 P.M.):  Soooo when it's ready, the video will be at http://youtu.be/3ibFm-r2I3U and it's looking like it'll be up in around 3 hours.  In the meantime, instead of being productive, imma play Spelunky!

UPDATE (3:54 P.M.):   Guys, you should check this out.  I'm hoping that since i don't make profit from my videos and i'm not a partner that this won't affect me, but you all should know!  Spread the word (and subscribe to Caddicarus because he's awesome)

UPDATE (5:18 P.M.):  The party begins and the video is ready!!

UPDATE (8:36 P.M.):  Soooo, my family and sister's friends came over to have dinner and play games  We started with Slangology but then moved to 5 Second Rule.  It was rather hilarious and everyone was derpy.  It turned out a lot of hilarious answers that are not blog appropriate.  I think i'll play some more Spelunky, maybe use some of that new bath stuff, idk!  Hope you're having a great day so far everyone!

UPDATE (10:10 P.M.):  Happy New Years east coast!!

UPDATE (12:00 A.M. JAN 1ST)  HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE (except the PST)!  I hope everyone enjoyed my live blogging and all my crazies!  Here's to a new year and hopefully, a lot more bloggin!

Monday, December 30, 2013

All shall love me and despair!!

Peapod!!!
    I got it!!  Let's start with some context!!  For Christmas, i got not on my Wii U, some clothes, candy, open sunset blindbox turret, a Toy Story 3 Peapod (i cuddle to death every night), Hyperbole and a Half the book, Why Bears Should Wear Underpants, some Lucchese boots, and a slew of movies including The Wolverine, The Great Mouse Detective, Sherlock a Game of Shadows, and Disney's Robin Hood just as a few examples.  I also got $30 for amazon from my uncle and aunt (and i found another $25 gift card laying around the house) as well as $25 for Thinkgeek.com from my grandmother!  So, I went on a shopping spree.  By the end of said spree, i ended up with around $150 of merchandise--an Umbreon and Fenniken plushie, a Nenya replica ring, a Wolverine hoodie (that was normally $70 but on sale for 15), and a pair or Wood Elf Ear Clips all for the price of shipping (about $20)!  I had a good Christmas ^^
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   So, i wasn't expecting my ring until the 2nd buuuttt i took a little walk to the mail box and got a lovely surprise!!  It's a bit smaller than i expected, but i'm lucky it fits because i have no concept of ring size and was like "ooo pretty buy it."  If you guys read my fantasies post oh so long ago, you'd know i want to be proposed to with this ring (except a much better, less cheap one!)  I'm so happy!!!  That's also my necklace from Alternate Realty Costuming i mentioned!  It's Legend of Zelda based with a key, sword, and fairy!  So, that's it for me everyone!  I might do a live blog on New Years Eve however, please remember i am MST so if you're in New York or even across the world in Japan and China, yall are getting ahead of me :(  Anyay!  Night everyone!  <3

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Thoughts on: Saving Mr. Banks and Mary Poppins (perhaps spoilers?)

   Hi there everyone.  I know i have yet to put up my Christmas special and haven't been updating daily, but I've been enjoying my break.  Last night, i watched Mary Poppins, one of the many Disney movies i got for Christmas; today, i saw Saving Mr. Banks.   I don't want to do a full review, but here are just some thoughts on the movies as a whole.
    First off, I have always loved Mary Poppins--the music, the characters, everything.  I was extremely excited to hear that a "making of" type movie was coming out about it.  Let's just get this straight out of the way--this movie is a true tearjerker.  Everyone in the audience sobbed, and perhaps for different reasons.  I didn't know why, but i cried.  It wasn't even sad when i was crying, just...touching.  The whole movie is extremely touching.  It has a nice style of blending flashbacks to the 1961 time period of the movie and you really get to see the true inspirations behind Mary Poppins.  It was hilarious to see all the things the author hated at first that she changed her mind about.  The familiar tunes from Mary Poppins played and were sung through out the movie, and it all felt magical.  In my family, Disney is cherished as...almost a staple of our lives.  We visit Disney Land or World when we have the money, and my sister even worked the Mt. Everest ride in Disney World for 6 months with a college program.  I will also be participating in the same program because of my love of everything Disney.
     Being so young, i never got to see Walt himself, but only heard stories.  He was sort of like the characters on the screen, a sort of magical myth.  Getting to see Walt in a movie (and Tom Hanks played the part fantastically) was like truly getting to see him.  My sister and I cried just because we wish we had gotten to go to Disney Land with Walt himself during the golden age of Disney.  The movie touched my family and i in a very special way, just because we have such a close bond to everything Disney (aaaannndddd because my godmother is a lot like Mary Poppins and P. L. Travers).
    The actors were wonderful and everything felt very real.  You even get to hear some of the recordings from the original meetings between the author and the crew at the end which is lovely.  The period was perfect, the movie was amazing, and everything was just fantastic.

    I recommend this movie to:  Anyone who enjoys a good movie.  I recommend taking some Kleenex or napkins for your tears.  Although this movie is a Disney film, it isn't really directed at children.  There's a few scenes (and i mean mainly flashbacks) that were really upsetting to everyone in the theater that was mostly populated by older people.  The movie is funny, cute, and just plain great!        

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Dear Nintendo,

     As you should know, I was most looking forward to my Wii U.  The Wii U didn't appeal to me a year ago at launch, but upon the release of Wind Waker HD, i fancied the new system.  While others fought over PS4s and XBox Ones, I smiled, waiting for my special Zelda Wii U with the game included!  It was especially well timed with the death of my Wii that i had recieved it's first Easter after having visited GameStop daily, begging for a system.  We had cherished the system and i grew up on Nintendo!  My first system was a Gameboy Color with only 3 games.  The systems grew with me, becoming a Gameboy Advanced SP, then DS Lite!  The Wii was my first ever home console and then, i finally received my new friend, the 3DS.
    Christmas morning, I threw open the packaging to see him: the lovely Zelda Wind Waker Wii U.  I had fretted for weeks, worrying that they had gotten me the wrong one or had forgotten all together!  But there it was, in all it's black and gold glory!  As soon as everything was opened and cleaned up, i set the beauty up and noticed something odd: the game (as well as the Hyrule Historia, a book i've also been dying for,) had to be dowloaded from the eShop.  I set up the internet quickly and tried my hand at the eShop only to get multiple errors.  First, it was because my security system is WPA2 (whatever that means) and therefore incompatible with the Wii's eShop.  So i spent a few hours and finally got the internet set up.  Finally i was ready to download my game and be whisked away to adventure!  Er well...i would have been.
    I spent the entire day trying and trying again to get the eShop to work to no avail.  I tried using the support site, but it was no help whatsoever and of course, the help hotline was closed for Christmas.  I finally gave up late into the night and thought that perhaps it would be fixed when i awoke, as if Santa came to give me a little miracle.
    He didn't.
    I have thus been spending hours this morning attempting at the system.  I called and attempted to talk to a representative, but was met with a voice saying "we are aware the eShop is down and are investigating it" and then i was disconnected.  Allow me to rant.
    Wii U has been out for a year as has the eShop with no visible problems and then, suddenly, on the day thousands of children across the world are receiving their big gift, the eShop, which is VITAL to play the games (that should have been pre-loaded onto these special systems) is down.  Not only can we not download our games, but eShop is also required to transfer data from the Wii to the Wii U!  Therefore, unless we all want to start all over in our old games or received an extra physical game alongside the system (which beats the point of having one with the game in it), we can do nothing.  We can look at the internet if it works, but that's what a laptop is for.  We can look at Miiverse, but the only thing we can talk bout is how furious we all are.  And we can make some Miis, which i have already done.
    Thank you Wii U, for making a Christmas that was up to that point fantastic, into a horribly frustrating and anger worthy couple of days.  You have not only stopped me from having the fun I expected and hoped for, but caused me to not write the post I promised to my readers.  For the first time in my life, i have doubted a Nintendo system and I am sorely disappointed.
                            -A long time Nintendo lover
                                       Galen S.    

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Top 10 Ice Types

    There are not NEARLY enough ice types, with only around 30 or 40.  I think though, these festive little devils are just adorable!  For a long time, they were the only defense against the overpowered Dragon types.  This list included Pokemon that are ice and some other type, otherwise there just wouldn't be enough!  So, let's get straight to it! 

10.) Swinub- Swinub is just plain cute.  I remember playing the ice cavern thing in Crystal and running into this adorable bugger.  Thinking about it, it reminds me of biffy!  That shaggy adorableness.  I always used to think Swinubs were asleep since I never saw their eyes.  Although its evolutions are more…competitive I guess, swinub’s cuteness earns it the spot on my list!







9.) Regice- Regice is my favorite of the 4 golems and I think I know why.  I’ve always had a thing for the look of ice (maybe because we never see it here) and I just think it’s the prettiest.  BTW, all the Regis are based off an era, regice obviously being the ice age with regirock the stone age and regi steel the bronze and upward to now!  Cool right?





8.) Jynx- This Pokémon…is admittedly creepy as hell.  For some reason though, I always liked her design.  I though the dress was nice and at the very least she was…interesting.  There is a lot of controversy over her but I suggest you check out these links to get a better grasp on Jynx.  I actually really liked Jynx as a kid and really wanted one and my yearning has started anew with all these videos actually!  Being the subject of so much talk, I really am interested in this Pokémon’s origin.  I also always thought of Jynx as either the third in a trio with Magmar and Electabuzz, or as the lady version of Mr. Mime (even though for some bizarre reason, 50% of Mr. Mime are girls….).  I really wish she had been given an evolution like Magmar and Electabuzz....all well.


7.) Glalie- I always like Snorunt and Glalie and really thought it was interesting.  Seeing as I had no idea how to get a Froslass, I got a Glalie instead.  It was just an overall goodie until…I watchedthis video (at about 7:50)  Um…ya know…I just…ya.









6.) Spheal- It’s a seal.  And a sphere.  It’s just…a seal.  What on earth is cuter?!? 



5.) Sneasle – sneasle is the original badass of ice types and in fact, one of the most epic of all Pokémon.  Its evolution is also amazing, but sneasle was my first love so it’s the one who gets the slot.

4.) Glaceon- As everyone knows, I have a deep love of all eeveelutions and I always loved the design of Glaceon.  I think it’s pretty, elegant, and was a nice addition to the family, fitting right in after 2 gens of nothing new.  However, the method of evolution confused me for quite a while.  Glaceon is cute, cuddly, and a great ice type!

 

3.) Lapras- Lapras only earned 8th on my list of Gen 1 Pokémon, but it is definitely one of my favorite ice types!  I won’t go over it all again but I love you Lapras!  <3


2.) Arcticuno – For a very long time, I owned Pokémon 2000, featuring Lugia and the legendary birds.  I always thought Articuno was beautiful.  I can’t say if it’s my favorite of the birds because of Moltres…but fun fact!  Articuno is a combo of Artic and Uno, Spanish for 1. Thus zapdos (zap and two) and moltres (molten+three) are a little trio of Spanish birdies! 





Honorable Mention.) Delibird- Dear Santa bird, for Christmas I’d like a present that heals my Pokémon!  A lot of people hate on Delibird, but this sweetheart saves people!  Yes, he’s a bad Pokémon to use, but he’s a lovely little guy!!  He’s so sweet!  This Santa bird helps hikers with his food and helps your Pokémon in battle WHEN FIGHTING YOU!  If he was a bit better of a competitive guy, he’d actually be on the list.  Since it is the season, happy holidays to all the Delibirds!  <3






1.) Amaura- A real shocker really.  I was sure I’d top this list with Articuno but then I looked at those big, cuddly eyes and knew this cutie was perfect.  Amaura was one of the first Pokémon I saw released for X and Y and I knew it was the one for me.   Amaura is sooooo adorable; I spend a lot of time with him in my Pokémon Amie because of the adorable sound it makes!!  Amaura is just too cute.  Yes, its evolution is pretty and impressive, but I definitely prefer the baby!  Welcome to the Pokémon family Amaura, you adorable dino you!




   So that's it for today!!  Sometime tomorrow, i'll post the Christmas special you saw the concept art for and pictures of my haul!  Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and have a good night everyone!!  <3  

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Frozen review! (SPOILERS)

    Hello hello everyone!  In spirit with the season, I have decided to talk about this year’s wintery movie, Frozen!  This new movie introduces two new Disney princesses and I have gone to see it 3 times.  This time, I’m not going to be giving it a number score, but instead give it some other form of rating I’m sure I’ll figure out by the end.  Also, I’m sure this is going to be SPOILERY so I’ll try to warn you but technically, everything I say is spoilers so….spoilers.  Enjoy!

Story:  This movie is based on the play, The Snow Queen, which was ironically my first ever play in which I played a snowdrift with a single line—“do you think this will mess up my hair” (during the time I was in my DEEEEEEP tomboy stage so you can imagine how I felt about said line.)  I can’t really remember everything about the snow queen, but I will say this takes a lot of lovely liberties with the story.  When watching the previews for the movie (only 1 or 2 really) I was extremely unenthusiastic.  I had no idea what it was about and, only seeing Olaf, thought the movie would be a bad thing trying to be comedic.  I will talk more about Olaf later, but I was horrible wrong. 
*spoilers of first like....10 minutes*
    The basic plot is there are two sisters named Elsa and Anna.  Elsa was born with a gift letting her create and control ice.  One night, the girls are playing together and Elsa accidentally hit Anna with ice on her head, making a streak of her hair turn white (*cough* rouge *cough*).  The king and queen take them to a group of trolls who erase Anna’s memory of Elsa having magic, but don’t make her forget having fun and loving Elsa.  When they return to the castle, the king forces the servants to shut the doors, never to be opened until Elsa can control her magic.  Over many years, their attempts to control it are feudal and Anna is left in the dark, starting to think her sister doesn’t love her anymore.  The king and queen then leave by boat on a journey who knows where but the ship capsizes.  Three years later, Elsa is of age and ready to be crowned Queen and for the “first time in forever” the doors are opened and people are let in.  I’ll leave it there for now. 
*end spoilers*
   The movie takes a ton of AMAZING twists and turns and I can’t explain them without spoiling it, but it’s amazing and definitely an A+ by any means.  I also like to think of it in a way, as the anti-Tangled.  Tangled centered on the sun and light, whereas this focuses on snow and ice.  They share a certain number of similarities as well which I’ll discuss later.      

Music:   Ok.  Everyone, buckle down.  Let’s start by talking about Disney’s 3 latest princesses-Tiana, Rapunzel, and Merida (yes I know she’s Pixar, but still a Disney princess).  What was Brave missing?  Some catchy tunes.  Well this movie makes up for it and more.  The music in this is some of my favorite and I LOVED the operatic style they took compared to the general I sing you sing format of Disney song’s with and occasional harmony.  If I had to pick what it most resembles I’d have to say either Hairspray, Wicked, or any other broadway because that was the feel of the film.  It had a style that just screamed a broadway show and I can’t WAIT for it to be one.  My favorite song?  It’s hard to pick but I really like “Do you wanna build a snowman?” and “The cold never bothered me anyway.”  I will most likely be getting the soundtrack to this one because it is top notch.    

Scripting:   Now, as I said, I didn’t have high hopes for this movie.  I thought it would be lame and not funny based on what I had seen in the previews but I was dead wrong.  The script was absolutely adorable.  The twists of this movie were fantastic, the characters were loveable, and the best part was, they all felt very real.  Anna was very awkward and reminded me a lot of myself and my oldest sister, Tristan, while Elsa felt older but very similar to her sister like my other sister, Connie.  They were similar but different enough to be believeable and likeable, while the men faired the same.  It was all so fluid and wonderful. 

source
Visuals:  The movie shared a lot of visual style with Tangled and I’ve heard some people complaining about this.  I heard a few people saying the girls look too much like Rapunzel and where yes, they are similar, I don’t feel it was too close.  One thing I like about more recent princesses is they fit their age.  Tiana looked old enough to be having two jobs, but still young.  Rapunzel looked like a teenager, sharing my buck-teeth and round cheeks.  Merida had adorable roundness to her and was adorable.  I like that the girls recently look their age with clear differences between Elsa and Anna.  Although I love Aurora, she looked at least 18 if not in her 20s, not 16 like the story said.  I really suggest you read the source to that picture since it's got some great points as to why our leading ladies look similar but are still perfect.  Check it out!  
      Moving on from just characters, I want to talk about the over all art.  O MY GOD IS IT BEAUTIFUL.  This movie is gorgeous from beginning to end.  The snowflakes are each as unique and lovely as they should be and I have to say, Elsa’s dress has to be one of my favorites.  The frozen atmosphere is just…it’s too amazing to try to explain and I adore it.  The detail of having little snowflakes in Elsa’s hair, each falling flake having its own pattern, the fluffiness of the snow, it’s all perfect. Elsa’s ice castle is gorgeous, the way it changes color and sparkles and...i have to stop before I ramble about how amazing this movie looks.  I’ll just wrap it up by saying that the amazing attention to detail is what makes this movie shine and I adore it.  

Proximity to tears at points:   (SPOILERS?)  When the parent’s die and Anna sings the reprise of do you wanna build a snowman, I was nearly in tears each time.  The song is heartbreaking and it’s gorgeous.  The next tearjerker was towards the end, but I won’t say what it is.  Let’s leave it at…Medium. 

Voice Acting/Characters:  For the most part, I loved the voices and felt that they fit each
character, however, after my sister pointed out the actress who played Elsa, it was hard not to picture her instead.  Also, I felt like Hans sounded A LOT like Flynn at times which threw me off.  Other than that, I loved everyone.  I especially loved Olaf’s song.  Speaking of our dearest Olaf, it’s finally time for me to talk about him.  I doubted this movie based on Olaf and I sorely regret it.  Olaf the snowman is actually one of the sweetest, most heartwarming characters and I adore the little guy.  His song, “in summer” is fabulous, he’s adorable, and he is the perfect comedic element to this movie with quotable, hilarious lines.  I love you Olaf, and I will give you a warm hug as an apology.
      The other characters, as I stated, are great.  Every Troll, every member of the crowd, and especially the leads have great personality and likeability: even you, jerkface from Weaseltown.        

Re-watchability:  Extremely high.  The movie is hilarious every time, the music is fantastic, and there are lots of intricacies to notice each time.  When watching today, I kept my eye on the time, seeing how long the movie took place over (about 3 or 4 days) and each little snowflake.  I will admit that the twist has less of an impact and the first time you see it is the best. 

After credits/secrets:  Now for a new segment about fun stuff to look for when watching.  A lot of movies now have stuff at the very end of the credits.  Is it worth the wait?  Well, in the case of Wolverine, HELL YES.  However, for Frozen…eh. 
     *POST CREDIT SPOILERS*  At the very end, after all the credits, you see Elsa’s snow monster limp over and take the tiara she threw away, put it on, and smile.  That’s…basically it.  Also, at the end in the midst of the credits, it says something along the lines of “Kristoff’s views about all men eating their boogers are solely his own and do not reflect the views of Disney” or something hilarious like that which was kinda worth it.  *END OF SPOILERS* 
      For something fun IN the movie though, if you watch closely as Anna runs out of the palace you see Flynn and Rapunzel walking in!!  How adorable right??  I didn’t notice until my sister told me about it and I watched carefully for it today.  If you found more, please post in the comments or shoot me an email and I’ll add it here! 

More thoughts:  So, I wasn’t sure where to put these so I’ll add them here.  First of all, I LOVED the Nordic twist on the tail, the use of ruins, and the ice sellers song at the beginning setting the mood.  It’s amazing.  I also have to point out that I love the diversity of characters.  There were a lot more larger women and men and it made my whole family really happy to see some variety rather than a bunch of skinny girls and handsome guys.  I also loved the way the made fun of themselves!  Disney laughed about getting engaged to a guy you just met and true love, mocking their own movies and I loved it.  *SPOILERS*  I also enjoyed how Disney movie now are veering less towards they get married instantly, to “after years and years of asking,I finally said yes” as Flynn would so aptly put it.  This one just ends with a simple first kiss! How sweet right?!  *END SPOILERS* 
On a larger note, I love the way Disney has been veering towards stronger princesses.  Anna saves Kristoff multiple times!  As did Rapunzel.  Tiana taught Naveen to cook and be a human being and Merida saved her own self.  This trend actually started more around Belle, Jazmin, and Pocahontas as they were strong independent girls.  Now, this is a side note but one thing I didn’t like about Brave was it’s stress on her being strong and “Brave” as if the other princesses are not and that being an independent woman, she doesn’t need a man, when in actuality, most of them are stong!  Mulan is a prime example (and yes, according to Disney, she is a princess) seeing how she you know…goes to war!  Anna really shows a continuation of that outgoing and powerful girl a lot of people don’t seem to see in Disney princess (I’m lookin at you Snow White).  Brave could really benefit from a sequel with a love interest (perhaps a rival archer?  One she fights with till she loves?  Hint hint pixar??)
One final note about Frozen though, is it resonates with me most because it’s a sister story the same way Brave resonated with me being a mom and daughter thing.  I love Tangled, but I’m not a lost princess and there isn’t a sexy thief climbing in my window…I think.  Brave had the exact bond my mum and I share and was spot on and Frozen has that same bond between sisters that I have with my own and I love it!   

Final Verdict:  This movie far exceeded my expectations and I honestly think it might be the Oscar winner of the year.  Yes, I loved the Croods (which also shattered my expectations), MU (which I’ve praised before), etc. etc, but this one just…was amazing.  I recommend this movie not just to people my age and younger and not just girls, but everyone.  It’s funny, it’s cute, and it’s not nearly as predictable as you’d think going in.  I LOVE this movie and it will have a slot in my movie selection right alongside its other princess predecessors.  I don’t really have much more to say so I’ll give this movie and over all A+! 


Thanks everyone i hope you enjoyed this review!  It's been a long time since my last one  so i'm trying to change things up and get a good reviewing system.  I hope to have a special christmasy themed Pokemon post for you all tomorrow and i hope you have a lovely night!  Goodnght everyone!  <3  

Friday, December 20, 2013

Last Day of School!! Secret Santa and Waffles!

   Man oh man was today fun ^^  This morning, i started off nice and slowly.  When i got to school, i didn't have any finals so my mom sent me off to Starbucks to get a giftcard for her friend and get her some coffee.  I felt like an agent on a super important mission since i snuck right past a cop!  Sneaky sneaky huh?    Well, once i got back i spent the rest of the class relaxing in my mom's room playing with Bilbo!  He went to school with us today!  We watched one of my favorite movies, Holiday Inn, and just relaxed.  The next class, i spent the entire time playing ERS, the card game.  I won a lot.
   The real fun was aftr school.  At the beginning of the month, we picked 2 names from a hat to give a secret santa gift to out of our group of 5!  Today, after school finished, we went to Bite of Belgium to exchange gifts and have waffles!  I got Camille and Joellen sooo i made them each a card and got them both Christmas Pez dispensers and a $15 itunes giftcard for joe and a scarf+fuzzy owl socks for Camille.  Here are the cards!




   Buuuutttt my friends are way more awesome than i am and got me way cooler stuff and i feel so bad :(  Myranda and Camille had me and they got meeeeeeeeee
From myranda:  Some marvel stickers, a wittle Iron Man ball, and a Munna that turns into a pokeball!!!  We have a new pack oening buddy guys!!  <3

From Camille: a darth vader mug+hot cocoa, a Loki charm to match my Mjolnir, fuzzy socks im wearing right now, a Pikachu sticker, and a Loki shirt!!!
 
    I have the best friends ever and i'm really sad this is our last secret Santa as a group.  Jaimi and Camille are going to the same college as me, but Myranda and Joellen won't be :(  Our friend, Ayrton, who did this with us last year and graduated,goes to a different college (luckily not far).  But, no matter what, we'll always remember the awesomeness that was today!  <3

Camille, Jaimi, Myra, and Joe!

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Catch up

  Sorry guys so busy!  Tuesday was both an audition for the big choir show of the year (i sang Fever and got the solo singing it) and the first read through of Beauty and the Beast.  I'm actually sad about B&B because all the scenes with Chip from the movie i.e. him meeting Belle and then saving her later, are not in the Broadway version so i have less actual stuff than some of the ensemble and i don't think i get to sing more than about 4 lines which is super depressing.  Yesterday, i had to take Biblo to the vet to....de-man him, however then i got a call from the vet saying he didn't have...the equipment.  They explained this was extremely rare and dangerous in cats and i first i was worried, but then i said "well, is't he a burman?"  Burmans age much slower than other cats and that's what we have been thinking our little stray is.  Burmans are very rare so we thought he was only half.  Luckily, i was right.  My dad looked it up and our little buddy is just too little still!  He gets to go to school with us on Friday so that'l be fun!
   I'll also be busy tonight, singing at retirement homes, so i might not post again.  Tomorrow for sure though!  Later guys!

Monday, December 16, 2013

Christmas special concept art and a quick thought on TNBC

   Hello hello my lovely people.  Today was rather uneventful in most ways, soooooo i decided to post that concept art for the Christmas special.  In the past, i never used to do concept sketches and thus i hardly ever colored things out of fear of messing up!  For the longest time i was too scared to color my art, so many things, like the original Lea artwork, were left just shaded with a pencil.  Recently, i've tried to be bold and color more and, rather than drawing and erasing repeatedly, doing some concept art!  To see more, here's my Halloween special's concept art!  I never posted those final pictures....eh.  Anyway, as i mentioned before, the cat.....had an accident on the art -_-  I have edited this for your discretion.  Because i didn't put down the lid so i could scan it it came out blurry.  Sorry!  The final picture will be posted around Christmas!  It's already 99% done so i'm not procrastinating i swear!
     This year, the theme is The Nightmare Before Christmas!  I debated for a while if this would be a Halloween, Christmas, or both, but finally decided simply for Christmas.  The Halloween special.....is still not done ;-;  Luckily i never do a New Years one aye?!?  I did use some random screenshots from the movie as reference for Lea/Sally's dress and Z/Jack's proportions as well as the landscape.  I have to say, it was very interesting to try to emulate the style of the movie, especially in Jack's case.  Dem legs.  Also, i normally don't draw the darker sort of things but let me tell you, i got carried away with patches!!!    I'll make other notes below the pictures!!
    Never watched TNBC?  I suggest it for people who like Tim-Burton-esque art, wonderful and touching music, and a strange twist for the Holidays,  As you all know, i have horrible anxiety and as a kid, i thought it was terrifying and yes it is till grotesque but way more funny and adorable than nightmare inducing.  I suggest that if you have anxiety like me, try watching with a friend you trust not to scare you or some family.  It's definitely worth it, if not just for the music alone.
This is the side that got messed up.  We have some failed attempts at hands, Jack's body, and Sally's face. I also tried to daw the curly hill.....tried being the key word.  Z reciting Shakespearean quotation and Sally's gift to Jack: Cola and the Lord of the Rings.  Pippin will be playing Zero this year and looks as though i lost my arm.  Woops.  

This year, i went for simple, only drawing myself, Z, Pablo, and Pippin, so here we have some fun with side characters!  Jaz, Myra, and Joellen are Lock, Shock, and Barrel respectively whereas the Mistress/Marie is Oogie Boogie!  Paul is the poorly drawn majot and Pablo is my little patchwork pin cushion!  I also sketched up some gifts we exchanged and tried to put Z in a beard.....never again.  Each patch on my dress was directly sketched from a picture so it should be 80% right ish.   I have to say, the color here turned out better than it did on the final one :( 



    Also, those of you here for some intellectual thinking, i have a little thing i noticed the last time i watched the movie a few months back.  If you notice, both Oogie Boogie and Sally are artificial creatures, both of which are sewn up and stuffed with something inside.  However, they are total opposites.
    First of all, Sally is Jack's love; timid, shy, and very sweet, she tries to save Jack from the end she sees insight for him.  She represents all that is good in Jack, sharing his curiosities at times and being a very brave little ragdoll in her attempt to save Santa single-handed!  She is stuffed with leaves, not all of which are dead and brown, but some still slightly green.  Sally is nature, kindness, and beauty itself wrapped up in a patchwork bow.  
    Boogie however, is the polar opposite.  Boogie is the antithesis to Jack but--as every good villain does--shares traits with the hero.  Both are cunning and quick, have a sense of humor (although twisted in Boogie's case) and have a dominion over which they rule: Jack as the glorious Pumpkin King and Boogie as the leader of Lock, Shock, and Barrel in his underground death trap.  (Not to mention both have a totally B.A. song)  Fittingly, the latter is filled with bugs, which i don't even have to explain what's up with that.  Boogie surrounds himself in a mechanized and artificial cave whereas, although Sally was created in a similar situation, she often escapes, finding herself out in the...interesting world of Halloween town.  She collects flowers, spends time out in the pumpkin patch (stalking Jack), and  doesn't want to be confined to her mechanized world.  Jack too, wishes to be free of the monotony of his life as king and there you have another connection between the two who finally find purpose in each other.
   In short, Boogie bad, Sally good!  But you didn't need me to tell you that did you?              
Sally filled with leaves

Boogie and his Bugs

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Big weekend!

    Wow i've been busy!  Yesterday, i first sang at the famously haunted Double Eagle and i hope the ghosties enjoyed it.  Then, i had to do MAJOR Christmas shopping, buying for 4 people at about $20 each.  Yeesh.  Then, when i got home, my cousin was having her college graduation party at my house.  Finally, as people were leaving, i went to a 6 to 10 dance for the theater community with Jaimi and the others of the cast as a pirate while she went as Mickey Mouse.  I stayed up for a while and then finally went to sleep around midnight.  This morning, i got up at 11 and got ready then went to my friend's birthday party from 1 until about 6:30. At first, i was scared since i only knew 5 of the people the text was sent to.  Only 2 of the people i knew were there, but the other 2 were really nice!  It was super fun since she had a Wii U so all 6 of us could play one game and switch out often.  We had caaaake and i took her a pressssentt and we played gaaaames so it was super fun!  Now, i'm exhausted and gonna relax!  Bye bye!

Friday, December 13, 2013

What is it about winter?

      Although characters like Lea might not agree, i enjoy the winter most of all.  So many people have told me their favorite seasons for one reason or another and i never really knew what mine was until i recently began to think of it all.  Winter.  I love winter.  Why?  Well...let's take a little look.

1.)  The weather
       Where i live, it is generally very hot through out the year.  We have a strange system of seasons with Spring being rather bland, summer being hot as heck, and fall being...well...practically non existent!  Fall is a strange combo of summer and "winter" where it's cold in the morning. blisteringly hot in the afternoon, and starting to get cold at night.  Winter is what we consider freezing (around 40 or 30 is horrible to us.)  As a kid, i never saw much snow, but in recent years we've had more and i really REALLY like snow.  I LOVE SNOW!  SNOOOOOOOOWWWW!!!!!!!

2.)  The flavors
       One of my favorite things on earth is eggnog and the smell of it.  Peppermint, eggnog, cinnamon, and
that general smell of something tasty in the oven with candles everywhere are my personal favorites.   Every year at Christmas, i get some sort of festive bubble bath.  I use it through the whole year to remind me of the awesomeness that will come at the end of the year.  Also, Christmas brings big feasts of all sorts of tasty things from Thanksgiving all the way to New Year's!  My personal favorites are the pies, especially Pecan and anything coconut.

3.)  The atmosphere
       Whereas others see a cloudy sky as an omen of darkness, i see it as a lovely change to the glaring summer sun.  I love the brisk air (when it's not deathly cold mind you) and the dark clouds suggesting snow or rain.  The air feels so thick and cool and wonderful.  It's even better when it snows and you look out your window to see the endless rolling hills of sand transformed into pillows of white fluff.  The best feeling is that first step on untouched snow and watching your dog hop around through the powder.  The part i love most though is being inside by the fire watching a festive movie and snuggled under the warmest blankets in your coziest pajamas.

4.) The songs
        My whole life, i've listened to Christmas carols in the car with my mother to and from school.  More than that, my father has a strange tendency to whistle christmasy songs all year UNTIL christmas at which point he whistles some random tunes which makes 0 sense.  Although i hate how early stores begin to blare the familiar tunes, i still love them.  This year, i joined swing choir essentially just to sing their christmas selection!  I always love the Christmas concert and the tunes.

  -4.) The songs :(
        Now, all this is great, but some things upset me about carols.  One song in particular that we are singing, "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm", always strikes a chord in my heart because i happen to never have a "love to keep me warm" around this time.  I always start to feel depressed because i've never had that white christmas with a lover.   Mistletoe means nothing to me and honestly, sometimes i just ask for a first kiss in the snow under a branch of Mistletoe.  Sorry boyos that you had to read that....have a cookie:
At least i have Z right?  *sigh*

5.)  The movies
       I have an especially soft spot for Charlie Brown, Rudolph, and Santa Clause as he Comes to Town.  Christmas specials have always been one of my very favorite things about the holidays because my family gathers around the TV for the Grinch or Frosty and I snuggle up to watch the Nightmare Before Christmas or something.  My favorite all-holiday movie, however, is Holiday Inn!  I grew up on black and white and it's my favorite!  The catch tunes, the wonderful dances, the derpyness of Fred Astaire.  Just feels like Christmas!

6.)  The break
       Probably the best part of the season is the fabulous little break.  Sure, we only get two weeks and it honestly feels like 2 days, but it's much needed after this hell of finals.  I never really have much time to hang out with my friends, but generally i play my games and mess with my toys i get and all that good stuff!

7.)  The clothes and the colors
      I have a particular fondness for that long, red dress with a white hand cuff thingy.  I love the light blues, deep reds, and festive greens the season brings!  I love that style and have always wanted that kind of a dress.....le sigh


8.)  The parties
        Here's the big one.  I love parties.  I love holidays.  I LOVE PRESENTS.  The season begins with Thanksgiving, an ok start.  The real excitement though is Nonnie's party where i always get a calendar and another present.  Then, for Christmas eve, we go to church that night then, both sisters and their boys come over and we all squeeze into 1 room.  The next morning, mom wakes us all up and we're forbidden to go to the living room until our grandparents arrive. Then, PRESENTS!!!  I hardly need to explain the glory of presents.  I love the little stocking stuffers and the big stuff too and i'm super excited for this year!  Sadly, my oldest sister can't come home for Christmas this year :( but she might be able to come to my graduation! <3

     Everyone has a reason to love the holidays, no matter what you celebrate, no matter what your family traditions are, everyone has something.  Tell me in the poll what you are most excited for or post it here in the comments!!!  That's it for me today, night!  <3

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Angst ahead

    Never in my life have i cared about what my body looked like.  My face?  Yes.  I always thought i had a weird mouth and uneven eyes but i honestly try not to care anymore.  Body though?  Never.  I never cared what the little tag said (well, except the price of course) and i never minded having to get some new clothes.  That is, until yesterday.  I suddenly feel more self-conscious and horrible than ever in my life and on all days it could happen, it had to be today--the day my grandmother was taking me Christmas clothes shopping.  I hate clothes shopping in general, but i can bare it and maybe even like it when i go with one of my sisters because they are always understanding and help me find cute things i will like.  My grandmother however...was trying to force me to go to Hollister because "things were on sale" but i instantly veered away because i knew everything inside would make me feel worse.  All this because i couldn't fit in hardly anything in the costume room.  
     I felt awful, not quite being right for one size but it looking infinitely worse the next up.  I suddenly hated clothes i would otherwise love.  I felt like i wanted to cry because of a stupid shirt for the first time in my life.  However, after finding a cute top and an adorable red dress, i could calm down a little.  I ended up only getting a silver circle scarf, a pair of comfy jeans (there was only 1 of the size i needed since i need longs -_- darn you legs!), 2 shirts (that i don't feel like describing because im lazy), and a red dress.  That's it.  But after some food and a soda with some ranting to my mother, i feel a tiny bit better.
     I know you guys hate to hear this kind of stuff but i have to tell someone...i can't always pretend to be the spunky person my friends think i am.  I can't always be a source of laughter and stories because i often feel terrible and hide it out in the real world.  I'm going to go off to reading a ton of Crime and Punishment because i need to read all of part 1 by tomorrow.  Tomorrow though, i have a much happier post about why i love winter!  It's almost done but needs some spiffing up.  That's it for my angst fest guys.
Night <3      

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Drawing my sadness away

   So...hi.  That last post was written 99% of the way through in 3rd period when i was in a nice mood.  Then i went to sing at La Posta for the Rotary Club still happy.  Then i read my texts.  In short, i will not be dressing up with Jaimi so essentially, yesterdays post is completely pointless now and you'll notice the poll is gone now.  I don't want to go into details but basically, i feel horrible.  I don't want to rant to you guys because i know you guys don't want to read me talking about how i feel chubby or like crying or yada yada.  In short, i've been more stressed these past few weeks than in a long time, mainly due to the Dante assignment, auditions for Beauty and the Beast as well as the upcoming ones for the big choir show on Tuesday, and finals week.  I honestly don't know if i even will go to that dance on Saturday.  I've been feeling over all very lonely and sort of...alienated from everyone else.  I love you guys for checking my blog and reading my dumb little rants and +1ing my stuff and all that.  You really brighten up my day when i look at that view count.  So, as a little gift, i present to you a thing i've been drawing for the past couple days.  I was going to work on my Nightmare Before Christmas themed Christmas special but my cat barfed on it so i have to redraw it ;-;


I see it as an angler fish in the sea.  Post what you see in the comments?
 


Z

Fearing Finals? Have no fear! Lea is here!

    Those of you in school know how scary finals week is.  A lot of people worry about their grades and want to find the minimum test score they need to pass.  Got a C both 9 weeks?  That doesn't mean you have no chance!   I made a simple equation for you to get your grades.  This is assuming your school, like mine, weights each 9 weeks as 40% and your final as 20%.  Not sure?  Check with one of your teachers!  First, i'll show the equation to get your final score IF you know your test score so you don't have to wait for that pesky report card.  THEN i'll show how to get your desired grade!

.4(n+m) + .2t = G    is the equation to find out your final grade if you know your test score
where
= your first 9 weeks grade,
m = your second 9 weeks grade
t = test grade
G = final grade (or desired final grade)

t = (G - .4(n+m) ) / .2  is how to find out what test score you need

So, let's do an example!

Ex1.) You got a 79.2 your first 9 weeks, a 85.6 your second nine weeks, and a 50.7 on the test.  You mom is yelling at you and you want to prove that you passed the class.  Solve for your final grade.
     So, first let's set up our variables
  • n = 79.2 
  • m = 85.6
  • t = 50.7
  • G = ?
      Now, just plug in!

     .4(n+m) + .2t = G
     .4(79.2+85.6) + .2*50.7 = G
     64.08 + 10.14 = G
     74.22 = your final grade for the semester!!!  Yaaaayyyy you hardly passed!

   Now, let's try to get your desired grade instead as you prepare for your exam.

Ex2.)  You got a 75.3 your first nine weeks and a 95.5 the second nice weeks (nice improvement!)  You need at least a 90% to please your mom.  Find out what you need on your test!
  • n = 75.3 
  • m = 95.5
  • t = ?
  • G = 90.0

      t = (G - .4(n+m)) / .2
      t = (90.0 - .4(75.3+95.5)) / .2
      t = (90 - 68.32) / .2
      t = 21.68/.2
      t = 108.4
   
       Sorry friend, unless you have a ton of extra credit question on this text, you wont be getting that A on your report card.  However, all you need is a 58.4 to get an 80%!    

 So there you have it!  A simple guide to finding out whether your grounded or good!  I will have another post up in about an hour or 2....or 4 about my day:  be warned, much depression ahead.  For now, i hope this helped!  Have an easier way?  Post it in the comments!  See you all in a bit!                  

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Dress up!

   So, today, i had a generally normal day.  i luckily escaped having to take a math test because we had the big group senior pic which i might post tomorrow.  Then, Jaimi-him-jams and i got some McyD's and i made inappropriate jokes.  When we got back, for 6th period, i went with Jaimi to the theater room to pick out some costumes for Saturday's theater dance party thing.  Since there was no mirror, i tried to show her and myself results with my phone as well as text her boyfriend the derpy pictures to much hilarity.  What do you guys think?  These will each be numbered so please vote ooonnn THIS BRAND NEW POLL!!!  --->


1.) The swap color awful things: Jaimi 
1.) The swap color awful things; Galen 

2.) The swap  color awful things swapped:  Galen in red and pink, Jaimi in pin and red

3.) The kinda ok dresses (too big on jaimi)

3.) The kinda ok dresses (too small on me)

4.) Awkward suits tight in bad places

4.) Awkward suits loose in all places


5.) Black, pink, and blue vamp things?

6.) Southern what now?

7.) Fancy dress to small for meeee

Now we enter a realm of terror, i advise u, it is not for the faint of heart.  There are also branching paths here so read carefully


8.) Jaimi shorts suit?

8.) Galen pants suit (no coat)


9.) Jaimi shorts suit

9.) Galen pant suit (with coat)

10.) Jaimi pant suit (no coat) Galen shortsuit

11.) Jaimi pants suit (with coat) Galen shortsuit



And now, our personal choice that we have almost 100% decided on, the russian dignitaries!!

12, 13, 14.) Jaimi as dignitary

12.) Galen as body guard furry vest

13.) Galen as bodyguard fur coat (needs hat)

14.)  Galen as body guard in trench coat (needs hat)

    So what do you think?  We're leaning towards 14.  Vote on the poll by friday and maaaybe you'll influence what we or our friend Camille wears!!  THERE SHALL BE PICTURES!!!  See you all tomorrow niiiight!  <3