Tom Hanks Performs Slam Poem About "Full House" (Jimmy Fallon)

(via Jezebel)

ESCAPE (2012)

Zombies Save Lives in Heart Attack PSA

  This is just cruel.  Dear Apocalyptic Zombie Horde: If I die of a heart attack before you can eat my tasty innards, please do not try to bring me back to life.
(Reblogged via Zombie Heart Attack PSA | The Mary Sue)
'via Blog this'

Blow Out

Here are the pictures of a blow out I did this summer for Adam's sisters wedding. I did experience some heat damage but my hair came out really big!

CRAVING: Nachos

Lately, I have had this major, never-ending craving for nachos.  It came about around Monday of last week and has been non-stop.

I Want!

(Reblogged via A L B):
'via Blog this'

A Queen Has Fallen

The lovely Ms. Sahara Davenport (Antoine Ashley) has passed away at the young age of 27.  I am completely saddened by this news.  I feel for her boyfriend and family. 

More Real Life Dolls

Real Life Dolls?! WTF

This is creepy but cool at the same time.  This girls name is Anastasia Shpagina and she is a self-described anime character.  Her makeup skills are really legit, however, if this is a daily thing for her then there might be a really dangerous psychological problem going on.  Word is she's talking about getting surgery done to look more in character. Scary.

Hipster Disney Princess - THE MUSICAL

If you want to get on my bad side call me a hipster.  While I might have hipster traits, I am in no way as pretentious as those twad wads!  With that said check out this hilarious video I found via The Mary Sue:



'via Blog this'

Sometimes He Was The Only One She Could Talk To | Janet Hill

I was randomly scoping out blogs when I came across the blog of an artist named Janet Hill.  Her paintings are whimsical and crisp.  This one is personally my favorite, and I hope to have it hanging in my home.  Sometimes He Was The Only One She Could Talk To | Janet Hill:

More of her work can be found here.

'via Blog this'

Photo Booth of Love!

I love my kooky faces and my BF!

There was some nutty stuff going on here mixed in with some finesse.

SOLANGE - LOSING YOU

I was completely thrown off when I first watched this video.  The look and feel of the video is awesome (Le Sape woo woo) but the song feels like a mash up of two songs.  But by the end of the video, the song grew on me.  It definitely gets an A+ for uniqueness and originality--two things most music is missing these days.

Getting In Shape: Crunch Fitness

So my boyfriend has been on my ass to join a gym (at his expense) not because he's a total tool and thinks I'm over weight, but because he thinks it would get me out of a rut and out of the house.  Finally, this weekend I broke and took him up on his offer.  I have joined Crunch fitness and am looking forward to kicking some butt.  My goal is not to lose weight ( and I have been warned by the boy not to lose my caboose) but rather to become stronger and firm up. What better way to keep motivated than to keep up with my progress via the internet.  No judgment going on here (sarcasm).  Wish me luck!

One of Crunch's tenants is no "No Judgments"

Comic Creators Sexist?! NO!!!!!!!

For anyone that thought that sexism in comics was over check out this vivid commentary on sexism within the comic world! (Reposted from A L B):

 akitron:

sammvitch:

Christopher Hart - Drawing Cutting Edge Anatomy

Found this on my harddrive, I’m not sure if I downloaded the pdf as a joke or as legitimate help. But copy-pasting the same body for a woman is /not/ how you draw. I was scrolling through this with pretty good hopes that this was going to be a decent explanation of the comic medium in general and how anatomy can be pushed without falling into Esher girl territory.

Nope.

Take most “Lets draw design comic characters” books with a huuuge grain of salt.

i like that basically u can see whats wrong with the way we view women just right here in “body shapes”

this is absolutely ridiculous

albinwonderland: 

    SEXISM IS OVER

Me:  Look at all the variations of male body types in comics versus the one body type for women (all slender!) WT Fudge Sunday!

'via Blog this'

Beaded Thrift Store Dress and Bright Blue Nails

I found this absolutely fabulous dress at the Goodwill!  It has great beaded detail across the bodice and an amazing print on the skirt.  I topped it off with a yellow head scarf and bright blue nails (polish from the $1 store.)  I think it came out pretty snazzy.

The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott

I recently finished The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott and I must say that it is a great, quick summer read.  We are all familiar with the story of the Titanic and have seen it redone several times over; however, Alcott does give it a unique spin in this tale which focuses on the life of a British girl named Tess.  Tess is an ambitious and talented dressmaker whose dreams are far from realized in her current position as a maid.  However, she soon becomes employed by the great Lucy Van Gordon and takes a trip upon the biggest cruise ship at the time: The Titanic.  While it may seem that Tess' life is extraordinarily charmed we all know too well that things take a turn for the worst in a drastic way.

If you are looking for a quick read to end the summer I would recommend The Dressmaker.

The Look: Smokey Eyed Maven

This is one of my favorite simple smokey eyed looks.  It is quick, simple, but dramatic.  The nude lips are a perfect paring and stays within the theme of "I want to wear makeup but am way too lazy for a full on glam look."

                                        

In a Reading Rut with Maia by Richard Adams

Currently I have been reading Maia by Richard Adams.  I had started reading this book a very long time ago (high school??) but never got to finish it because it ripped in two and I lost the half containing the ending.  I recently found it for sale at the public library and pounced on the chance to own and finish this massive fantasy novel.  

From what I could remember, I had a pleasant time reading this book.  However, my memory has failed me.  As I am reading the book, I cannot tell if the warm feeling that I am having is because this is a good book or because of nostalgia.  The main character of the book is a 16 y.o. dimwit named Maia who I was hoping would mature intellectually as the book went on; however, this does not seem to be the case. Maia's stupidity is so epic that I am finding it hard to finish this behemoth of a book. At around 1200 pages, and me being only on page 400, I am having quite a dilemma.

Hi.  I'm Maia, and I am the dumbest person every.  But for some reason, everyone falls in love with me just because I am absolutely the most beautiful person they have ever seen.  Oh, did I add that I am selfish, judgmental and a nightmare to feminists?

Mercedes Lackey: Why have I been sleeping on you!!!?

Okay. Okay. So, a long time ago a friend and I were discussing fantasy novels and eventually came across the topic of fantasy novels.  He brought up Mercedes Lackey and when I told him that I had never read any of her work, he looked at me as if I had just killed his childhood pet.  Apparently it is a sin in the book community to never have read any of Lackey's work.  

Fast-forwarding to the future: I picked up one of Lackey's books from my volunteer position at the library den and decided to give it a read. OMBuddha!!!  What possibly could I have been thinking!  I now see why her books are a definite fantasy lover must have. 

First, I read Vows and Honors which contains the books The Oath Bound and Oathbreakers.  I am not going to give a word for word review of these books I will just say that they were magical.  I could barely put them down and finished them rather quickly.  If you do happen to read these books, you will pick up on a feminist them that runs strongly throughout this book (and to a slightly lesser extent int he Arrows of the Queen books.)

I then moved on to the books that my friend from times past let me borrow: Arrows of the Queen, Arrow's Flight, and Arrow's Fall.  Let me tell you!  The end of this trilogy had me in tears.  IN TEARS!  This is a fabulous trilogy and you can come to care for all of the characters.  It really is touching.  If I had only one neg critic, it would be that I wished that there was some omni-powerful overall villain. But other than that, these books are fabulous!

Sofn'Free Grohealthy Product Review

Lately, my hair has been weighed down, limp and dull looking; and I finally came to the realization that I needed  to clarify my hair and a true deep conditioning.  For the past year or so, I have been co-washing with Herbal Essence's Hello Hydration and shampooing once or twice a month with ________ shampoo.  This has resulted in my hair not being fully purged of all of the product that I have been putting in it.

Out of desperation and a feeling of guilt for not taking care of my hair, I finally went to Sally's Beauty Supply and purchased Sofn'Free Gro Healthy's Nothing But Clarifying Shampoo and Nothing But Intense Healing Mask.  I decided to try these products out because they were the most reasonably priced natural hair products that were sulfate, patrolatum, mineral oil, parabens, colorants, and phtalates.

It worked!  When I first used the shampoo, my hair felt a bit squeaky/waxy, and I was afraid that the product would not work.  However, once I applied the Intense Healing Mask all of my fears subsided.  I could easily detangle my hair from root to tip without any problems--something that I could not do with my HEHH.  I twisted my hair and once I took them down after they were dried my hair was noticeably thicker, shinier and healthier looking.  For me and my 4a-4b hair, this product is a definite A++.

"Kindred" by Octavia E. Butler

Riveting. Bone-chilling.  Unabashed.  These are all words that describe Octavia E. Butler's "Kindred".  I remembered seeing this novel in a local Barnes & Nobles and making a mental note to check it out from the library, but had completely forgotten about it.  Then this past Thursday, I ran across it while looking in the science fiction section.  I checked it out, took it home, began reading it Friday night while my boyfriend was away, and hardly put it down until I was finished reading each tantalizing page.

I know it is complete cliche to claim that a book was so good that you could hardly put it down, but that is exactly how I felt about "Kindred".  Butler draws you in in the prologue by opening with the protagonist, Dana in the hospital with a missing arm.  

I'm not going to give a summery of the book.  It is really one everyone should read for themselves.  What I am going to do is lay out why I absolutely loved this book.  First, it presents an interesting twist on the slave narrative.  I recently became enticed by these stories and read one whenever I could get my hands on them.  "Kindred" is labelled as a science fiction, and I was completely curious to see how an author would tackle the issues of slavery in a science fiction perspective.  What I soon realized upon reading the book is that this label is a misnomer.  "Kindred" is more of a fantasy than anything else.  It leads the reader through the complicated world of an African-American woman born in 1976 who is somehow teleported or warped back to the 1819 antebellum South. Trippy.  

Another interesting twist is that Dana is married to a white man.  This adds a layer of complication to the feelings that Dana must be having.

As for Butler's style, it is well above most author's that I have read.  The pace is "fast" and yet "slow" all at the same time.  You feel that things are happening quickly, but in a drawn out manner that makes them feel real. (You'll understand better once you read the book.)  Butler's word choice is crisp and clean, and she does not over-exaggerate the "negro speech" like most books tend to do.  The slaves in this book sound like my grandmother, grandfather, and many of my relatives that still live in Alabama.  It makes them completely relateable, which makes the book that much more powerful.

Well, this post is running long so I will just sum up by saying one must read this novel.  It is well worth the time, effort, and energy. 

"Naamah's Blessing" by Jacqueline Carey

This is the third and final installment in Jacqueline Carey's Naamah's series of novels.  I thoroughly enjoyed the first one, and enjoyed the second installment well enough to read the third and final novel.  And let me just say, it is not as good as the first two.

The main problem with this book is that the heroine, Moirin, is too perfect.  So perfect that you cannot connect with her and she just comes out as self-righteous and a know-it-all.  Moirin would have been a lot more endearing if she had some real palpable faults.  While Carey attempts to make Moirin more "like the rest of us" by harping on the fact that Moirin never asked for any of the admiration and praise that is sent her way, it is sent her way endlessly nonetheless with her detractors painfully obviously being in the wrong.

Carey also makes a valid attempt at making us see the Terra Nova natives as noble, however, you always get the underlying feeling that the Terre D'Ange (French counterparts) are of a level of sophistication above them.  In fact, the two natives who travel to Terre D'Ange are almost completely disappear never to be heard from again--except of course to help the D'Angelines throw a native styled fete.  And one must not forget that the Emporor of one of the nations in Terra Nova cannot resist the European woman who has come over.  It would have been a lot more enlightening if the Emporor had resisted Moirin or gone so far as not to find her any more attractive than one of his numerous wives.

Overall, I would recommend reading the series to those who are Carey fans, especially those who read the Kushiel line of novels.  For those, reading the Kushiel line should be enough as the Naamah series may disappoint you.

That Real Black Girl Swag

I haven't done an outfit post in forever (if ever?) so I decided to share one of my current favorite outfits and a new take on the normally chunky twist outs I do.  This time I decided to do smaller twists, and I love the curl definition that I got when I unraveled and fluffed my mane.  I also tried sealing my twists with shea butter (which I detested doing when I first went natural) and surprisingly, my hair was soft and manageable!

"For More Than Glore" by William C. Dietz

I just finished another book by one of my favorite authors--William C. Dietz.  It was good, but I did it find it disenhartening that while Dietz introduces a new main character to the mix, he has just followed the same formula that he did with Booly in previous novels.  *Potential light spoilers* Big, burly soldiers with above perfect morality, loyalty, and comeradity is at a rank far below his skills because his morality has put him at odds with a corrupt and imperfect system.  He finds himself in a situation where his men respect him, and almost every key battle must be won by him.  While saving the day, he meets a lovely and fiery woman who is rich and well-connected beyond comprehension, in a class well above his own.  They are initially at odds with one another but eventually the laws of attraction kick in and they become an item at the end of the day.

Don't get me wrong, I love Dietz and his novels, but I would have liked to see a different story line being played out.  If there was a need for romance, and I am not against it, I would have loved to see maybe two soldiers fall in love with one another rather than a well connected rich woman and a lowly soldier.

Thrift Store finds

Adam and I have made it our regular weekend outings to go shopping at thrift stores (Goodwill, Thrift Town, and Deseret Industries being our main go-tos.), and this past weekend I found some great items! First I found these great shoes for only $5 dollars at Goodwill.

Normally, I could give a hoot-and-nanny about what others think about my fashion choices because I believe that fashion is highly personal and subjective, but you know you have a good find when several people stop you and point out how cute the shoes are your holding.  So I definitely had to grab these.

Next, we went to Thrift Town, and while I was coming out of the dressing room I practically tripped over this uber cute carrying case that was just lying on the ground!

After I regained my balance, I turned around to pick up the item that had tripped me up, looked at the price tag, and found that this little lovely was marked for $4.99!  As you can see below it is thin from the from the front profile and quite deep on the inside. It also has mesh pockets on the inside to allow for storage of makeup bottles, shampoo bottles, and other care products.  I can't wait to use it.  

Very sleek, and I love the buckle and tan leather detailing.

Picture is a bit unclear, but you get the gist.

I also picked up this really cute and flattering dress for $3.99, as well as some other clothing items, from Thrift Town. Now it may seem like I bought a lot, but my boyfriend had a store card that took $10 off any purchase of $20.  Score!  I love thrift stores, and won't be surprise if I'm back at one this weekend.

My Star Trek BABA!!!

So this weekend my boyfriend and I went to Evangeline's in Old Sacramento.  We ate Mexican food (Waffles favorite) and walked around.  And guess what he bought me?!  A Star Trek Baba! Nerd +1! 

Your boyfriend truly loves you if he accepts your nerdy side and buys you a reusable star trek cup. 

Rainbows and Sunshine Tears

The following clip has been making its way around the internet, and when I finally saw it I couldn't help but shed a tear.  It's wondrous the power that music can have, and the elderly gentleman has a powerful message at the end that the world could really use right now.  Enjoy.

Wrath of the Titans

Tonight, I went and saw Wrath of the Titans with my boyfriend.  I loved it, but then again I usually love anything with action.  My boyfriend gave it a cool 7, but he is hard to please.  I on the other hand thoroughly enjoyed myself.  Liem Neeson was awesome as Zeus and Sam Worthington as Perseus?  Mmmmmmm, mmmmmmm, mmmm!  The action was good, and the story line was enough to keep me watching.  The ending was a lot of sad (especially for this Greek Mythology lover.)  However, I don't do spoilers so you will just have to check it out for yourself.  Its definitely worth a see.  However, waiting to see it as a rental is not a crime.

These guys seriously kicked ass!

B*tches in Bookshops

I came across this little gem while I was cruising the internet and fell in love!

Toddlers and Tiara's Update: Stop this nightmare!

If you thumb down and read a couple of posts, you will see that I began using Toddlers and Tiara's as background noise when I am working at home.  Well, that plan is totally backfiring.  I initially started using T&T because I quickly figured out that if I put Star Trek: Next Gen on I would stop doing my work and starting watching television all day long.

However, now I am completely obsessed with T&T and have even caught myself saying things like "Oh, that's cute" or thinking "I can't wait to have a pretty lil' girl so we can do pageants together!" I know. It's scary, but it seems harmless.  So for now, just pray for my soul because I can't stop.  Hopefully all the glitz and glam will wear off, and I'll be back to my normal pageants-freak-me-out self in no time.

I seriously want one of these dresses.  For use in sex role-play  would be too close to wrong for comfort, but simply playing dress up would be almost just as fun.  

By Blood Alone by William C. Dietz

I'm not sure if I posted about Mr. Dietz before, but if I haven't, then you are in for an introduction. = )  Dietz is one of my favorite authors and introduced me to the world of not only The Legion of the Damn but Military Sci-Fi Novels in general.  So, I owe much to Mr. Dietz.  With that said, for the topic/book at hand--By Blood Alone.  I must say that it is no surprised that I loved this book.  Dietz stuck to his usual formula within these novels and wrote a fast-paced but human story surrounding characters that are strong yet vulnerable at the same time.  Dietz also continues to do something that is not often seen.  He thoroughly introduces a character and then kills them off, usually as a casualty of war.  This method conveys the realities of war.  Soldiers and civilians alike lose people that they know and love.

This novel begins with the Legion hurting bad.  Their funding has been slashed and as a result once-soldiers are left unemployed, broke, and disgruntle.  Pair this with an ambitious Governor with her eyes on the presidency, a sentient race who is looking for home planets to house its population which is about to grow to astronomical proportions, and a world of clones looking for some unknown advantage, and you have the makings of an overthrow of a legitimate government in order to further those goals.  Oh, but did I mention that not all of the Legion is ready to jump ship?  This just adds the extra spice of compatriots battling one-time fellow soldiers.

I won't give anything good away.  Just know that once the above scuffle is solved, the book ends with a new threat laying just over the horizon from not one but two new sentient (?) beings.  If you haven't checked out any Dietz novels and you love SciFi, Fantasy, Military novels, what the hell are you thinking?!  Get to it solider! = p

Walking Dead: Season 2 Finale and looking forward to Season 3!

Last nights Season 2 finale episode of Walking Dead restored my faith in the series!  I had stopped watching the show and have not seen the previous three episode's because I felt the series had become too much of a soap opera and had gone too far away from including zombies in the mix.  With that said, the season finale did not disappoint and made up for the lack of zombies by including a whole herd of zombies!  Yes!

Michonne!?  Yes, finally. Show save +10!

Let's start from the top.  The previous episode left off with Rick killing Shane in "self-defense."  While this was self-defense, you also get the feeling that Rick wanted him dead anyways (which he admits to Lori in the finale.)  Rick come backs to life and our young friend Carl, who is given too much leisure to roam for a 10 year old living in the zombie apocalypse), puts a bullet in his head.  Of course the gun shot attracts any walker within gun shot range.  And this is where the finale starts.

The walkers that we last saw grubbing on Rick's horse back in Atlanta, well they didn't stay in the city.  There dinner party is interrupted by a helicopter flying over head and of course they are drawn in the direction that the helicopter is flying.  It just so happens that the helicopter is flying in the direction of Herschel's farm.  What are the odds?! (Pretty good if Herschel's farm is in the direction of the Prison...this is only my guess of where the helicopter came from.)

Anywho, the zombies play follow the leader with the helicopter and end up occupying the wooded area around the farm.  Thus, when our young lad Carl blasts zombie Shane away, he attracts a herd of zombies.  The zombies swarm the farm and eventually bring about its destruction with the help of Rick and Carl who find it necessary to set them on fire inside of the barn.

Its at this point that all chaos ensues.  The group appears to have no plan.  Its every man for himself first, and then help your neighbor if you can/feel like it.  Well that doesn't work too well and the group is split into mini groups who have no idea what is going on except that they are supposed to meet back at the highway where they encounter the first herd of zombies before coming to Herschel's farm.  Good plan.

A bunch of drama happens, the group finally reunites but wait!  Andrea is missing, at least to the group she is.  And guess what: she has all the guns!  Really?!  Why weren't these things in the lead vehicle?  Anywho, back with the main group, Rick's car runs out of gas and the group stops and builds a fire for the night.  Rick tells Lori that he killed Shane and that he wanted him dead.  Ohhhhhh.  And guess what? Is Lori elated because this is what she has been goading Rick to do the entire time?  No!  She is actually really, really upset and mad at Rick!  Go figure.

When they rejoin the group, Rick breaks it to the group that he killed Shane and a group of people who wanted Shane gone are now all upset with the man who made their wish come true.  Tired of all the whining and pity partying that has been going on, Rick finally loses his shit when a mutiny begins to brim. Rick informs the group that this is not a democracy, (its a Ricktatorship!  Stolen from Talking Dead) and if anyone has a problem with that there's the front door!  Ohhhhhhh.  Surprisingly nobody leaves and Herschel (who I believe has a secret man-crush on Rick) has this little smirk on his face.

Back with Andrea, who has been running this whole time but is still being closely followed by zombies who can only walk swiftly; she finally trips out of breath and is about to meet her maker when a flash of steel separates the encroaching zombies head from its body.  Left in the once zombies place is a hooded figure with two pet zombies chained to her.  Michonne!!!  Yes.

Oh, and least I forget, in the background after Rick's Ricktatorship speech, we see the Prison.  Season 3 looks like its going to be good!!!

Naamah's Curse by Jacqueline Carey

I have finished reading the second installment of the Naamah's lineage.  I did not enjoy this book as much as the first.  Both books span a lot of space and could be broken into two stories.  That being said, I felt that this one did not do the antagonist enough justice.

Guilty Pleasure: Toddlers and Tiaras

I recently started throwing Toddlers and Tiaras (T&T) on as background noise for when I work.  The theory is that I would never in a hundred years want to seriously watch this show, so I will not pay any attention to it.  Hopefully, I don't get any funny ideas like dressing up any of my future kids like small wedding cakes and parading them in front of strangers for judgement. = )

What time is it?! Pancake time!

Arrow's Flight by Mercedes Lackey

I finally got around to this little gem that a friend loaned me years ago during law school.  I had forgotten all about until the other day when I ran out of books to read due to holds at the Library.  Goddess, am I glad I read this!  I consider myself a Fantasy lover and can't believe I hadn't read this series before.  It is a great book with romance, magic, and did I mention romance?  I can't wait to finish reading the books I currently have and get my hands on the next book in the series.

Naamah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey

I finished reading Naamah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey and this book definitely does not disappoint!  I own several of her books, along the kushial line and enjoyed those all also.  This book is kept within that same world.  No spoilers here, just want to say its a must read. Oh yeah, and I placed the books following this one on hold at the library!  I can't wait!