Saturday, December 24, 2011

Twelve Days of Christmas Gifts: Last Minute Gifts, Part 3

It is Christmas Eve. And you're short a gift or two.

This is where the internet comes in handy.

For the Gamer
Facebook credits! Yup. These little suckers come in handy, are the perfect way to support someone else's bad habit without feeling bad about it, and support an internet site that refuses to cave to the Google monopoly (better be careful what I say here...I am blogging on a Google entitity! whoops!).

For the Fashionista
Give a little modcloth love. These gift cards are completely electronic--you buy them, modcloth sends them straight to the inbox of your loved one. And then they can shop to their heart's content, and you don't have to worry about having bought something in the wrong size.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Twelve Days of Christmas Wishes: Last Minute Gifts, Part 2

What do you do for gifts when you start getting into gift-card only territory?

Um. Good question.

Christmas Coal Gag Gift
Probably not very helpful, but attach a gift card to it, and it will look sootingly festive and tasty. You can see directions for making your own Christmas Coal here.

At least it is a better option than buying another set of socks.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Twelve Days of Christmas Wishes: Last Minute Gifts, Part 1

This is where things start getting tricky. Christmas is in three days. Day after tomorrow is New Year's Eve. Aaaand there are gifts that still need buying. What to do???

The mall is always the answer. Just warning you, take a chill pill before you go in, everyone is going to be absolutely crazy. However, a few nice gifts that say "I'm thinking of you." ish.

Gift Baskets
Right now, many WorldMarket stores have this really nice thing where you can go in and "create-your-own" gift basket for people. The employees work with you to quickly create a pretty gift that needs no wrapping and fits perfectly into your price range. Not so much into the gift baskets? Take a quick gander through their Gifts Under $30 section online. This might give some ideas, and will arm you with the information you need to make your shopping trip as quick and efficient as possible. Hint: try to avoid candles as gifts. These tend to indicate that the gift was last minute, or you really don't know the person and couldn't think of anything better. Food gifts tend to be the same, unless you're giving it to an entire family, in which case, smart move.

Backpack Giftpacks
These are really quite simple and easy to create, and make any sporty people you know feel special. You just have to be aware of your budget. Start out with a simple backpack or tote. Then, find the section of the sports store that your giftee would most likely frequent. For example, if the person is a golfer, a box of golfballs, some tees and a nice water bottle, each individually wrapped in tissue paper, would be simple to do, but seem special to the receiver.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Twelve Days of Christmas Wishes: Dressy Gift Ideas

Back with Day 8! Dresses are always nice, so here a two of my favorites from ModCloth. Just as a fact...ModCloth is shipping items until midnight tonight, PST (tonight ending in 3 hours and seven minutes).

The Scout's Honor Dress

This beautiful olive colored dress is nice for looking smart and classy, but not being too fancy. A perfect summer campfire dress...even though it is in the dead of winter right now. This is a personal favorite of mine. It has all the classy lines of a working outfit, but the feminine beauty of a dress. You can see the dress in more detail here.

Let’s FĂȘte Together Dress

This is much more of a party dress...perhaps the perfect thing for someone you know is going to be partying soon. It has the cool colors of winter, but is cute and just the tiniest bit flirty. And polka dots are just plain fun when they're in that size. You can see the dress in more detail here.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Testing Links: Does it Work?

Some inter-family blog helps. Translation: someone found a new widget for their blog, and I've been recruited to help. Click the link below to see who dun it, as well as part of a series of letters from my grandfather during the war days.

A Family Tapestry: Dreaming of a White Christmas

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Its that time of year

where people die from finals.

Yeah. I'll try to finish the 12 days series before I finish finals.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Twelve Days of Christmas Wishes: DVD Gift Ideas

Just to clarify, I am not a Depp fangurl. The top two films that I've been wanting to purchase just both happen to have him as a lead. I am a rabid Alice in Wonderland fan, though. And mermaids are just plain awesome.


Alice in Wonderland
An absolute favorite of mine, if you can't tell. I was really hoping that they'd come out with a special whoop-de-do version, so I put off buying the DVD. They haven't released any special ones that would, you know, work on my non-blue player, and I don't really feel a deep need to watch it in 3D at my house, either. So, I guess I'll settle for the simple regular version. You can see it here. Incidentally, I'll be wearing the same green corset that is in my Mad Hatter costume to class on Tuesday. I consider it fitting, since we are finish the Renaissance right now....

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Same issue--I mean, Avast, there be the same problem here: there ain't a nice version to match our limited editions of ye Pirates of the Caribbean from before. Honestly, blue ray just gets annoying, since every special version is just a blue ray/normal DVD combo. Belay that blue ray stuff. Anyway, I highly enjoyed this film, and I would love to own a copy of it. That said, you can see the scallaywags if ye click yer mouse here, matey. Arrr.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Twelve Days of Christmas Wishes: Gift Ideas from Across the Pond

aka, British. These are great gift ideas for someone who is a little bit out of the ordinary--like me!

The Blue Planet: Seas of Life
Don your flippers--or maybe your slippers--for a plunge beneath the waves. Created by the same team that brought us Planet Earth comes a watery series about our oceans, rivers and estuaries. If you haven't seen Planet Earth, I would highly recommend it for your personal DVD collection. It has become a personal favorite, and is a very good documentary about animal and plant life. You can see the DVD set here.

Doctor Who: Season 6 
Of course, I would never pass up an opportunity to remind all of you how much I love the good Doctor. If you aren't aware, Doctor Who is about the best thing since the invention of sliced bread (and he invented sliced bread, too). Also, if you haven't heard, the Christmas Special is most likely going to air on Christmas Day this year, and it happens to be very reminiscent of the Chronicles of Narnia. You can see the DVD set here.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Twelve Days of Christmas Wishes: Weight Loss Gift Ideas

Okay, not necessarily weight loss, but more gym-ish.

Workout Pants
This is one of the few pairs I've managed to find that doesn't suction attack the areas between your midriff and your knees, yet still has a decent waistband. And it doesn't cost a million bucks. They are simple, and streamlined, but they are not baggy and balloonish. Incidentally, if you can't tell, I really don't care for the boyfriend pants look. These are simple and feminine. oh, and as an added bonus for my phone, they have pockets. You can see the pants here.

Sweatshirt
Ah, yes, Doctor Who strikes again. A long, long time ago (on August 9th, to be precise), I posted a TARDIS hoodie that I quite liked. It is, of course, TARDIS blue, and has the usual text on it, plus a variety of phrases that can go on the sleeve. The nice thing is, this etsy seller, Geekiana, is a "made to order" person. I like sellers like that, because it pretty much guarantees I won't run into anyone else who is wearing the same thing. What would make this perfect would be to have "Hello, Sweetie" on the sleeve. You can see the sweatshirt here.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Twelve Days of Christmas Wishes: Tech Gift Ideas

We all have our little electronic gadgets--indeed, how could we live without them?--but all of these need more than just a little TLC. They need a lot of TLC, as well as an electrical outlet.

I tend to have bad luck with chargers. Thus, while it would be so awesome to get an Apple or something else wonderful and elite-ish, I'll stick with the basics. And since chargers are boring utilitarian things, no pictures today.

HP Pavilion Charger
This spring, my computer got knocked just enough to slide eight inches to the floor. That really shouldn't have damaged it, but it happened to hit the power supply at just the right angle, and it broke. The papers due and finals looming, I got the only replacement I could find. That replacement is evil and is set out to make me lose every paper I work on. Currently, to get my laptop to charge, I have to shove my phone under the plug to keep it forced into my computer at the right angle for it think about charging. Obviously, I need a new one. After painstakingly researching it, I've found one that the kind people who review things on Amazon after they've bought it say works. You can see it here.

iPhone Charger
My phone charger works just fine, except the plastic stripped away from the wire on both ends. If I was smart, I would have gotten some electrical tape and fixed it right away, and it wouldn't be a problem. Unfortunately, I didn't do that, and now the actual wire has started to fray. Plus, all the other really old chargers have bit the dust. You can see the charger here.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Twelve Days of Christmas Wishes: Accessory Gift Ideas

Who doesn't like a few accessories? Some are just necessary, others are fun. As a bonus today, since it is cyber monday, I'm posting two and a half gift ideas. Why? Well, keep reading, and you'll figure it out!

Clock Pendant
Yes, the Mad Hatter is still on my mind, and time is clicking away. For a while now, I've thought that different watches peeking out from various pockets or collars or belts or whatever would be a nice touch, especially if they are all set at different times, with some running and some stopped. This little alarm clock caught my eye when I was meandering through JCP, and reminded me of that. Although, pretty much every play on a pocket watch that I've found reminds me of that, and makes me think about the mad hatter. You can see the clock here.

Doctor Who iPhone Case
This one pretty much comes out of necessity. I managed to crack my iPhone case last spring, and it slowly disintegrated. The latch finally broke completely in the early fall. I kept promising myself that I would get a replacement, buuut I never got around to it.
Well, this is around to it. I knew I wanted to get a nice case the second time around, specifically one without a little snap latch. I also was pretty positive that I wanted one from Doctor Who, and I really wanted one that said "Hello, I'm the Doctor. Basically, run." buuut I figured I'd better stick with pictures. The problem is, I like two. River Song is a definite favorite of mine, but then I really like the promo pictures where the Doctor is wearing a hat. So, double feature! Here's two iPhone cases, one River Song iPhone Case and DW Season 6 iPhone Case.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Twelve Days of Christmas Wishes: Household Gift Ideas

There are those things that are just slightly handy to have around the house, and I've never managed to get around to buying them for myself. I'm sure I'm not the only person who does that, but, here are two house-y items that it would be nice to have.

Cake Stencils
I love baking, which should be a wee bit obvious, since I really love food, too. When I was littler, my mum had me take a cake decorating class, and I loved it. I still have all my tips and like that, but I don't use them often enough. I feel like I have to relearn all of the decorations every time I make a cake, since I only make three or four a year. On the other hand, I want my cakes to look nice. These stencils make cakes look nice without a lot of fuss, and I'm in love with them. You can see the book here.

Brentwood Brushed Twil Bedrest in Chocolate
That is definitely a mouthful to say. The beauty of these is, it makes propping up in bed or on the floor a bit more comfortable, since you have something to lean on, without having to pile pillows every which way. This is especially nice in my bedroom, where my wall happens to slant in right over the bed, sooo I'm already battling to be able to sit up without smacking my head against the wall. You can see the bedrest here.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Twelve Days of Christmas Wishes: Sweater Gift Ideas

Let's face it, it gets cold in the winter. In past years, I've taken care of this with hoodies, better suits, or extra layers. This year, hoodies ain't cuttin it. Thus, two sweaters that would work nicely with layering and look cute to boot.

Thistle Do The Trick Sweater 
This sweater is quite pretty, even though it reportedly runs a size too large. It has a warm, cinnamon-and-pumpkin-pie color to it, and has a stylish flair to it. Even looking at it, I think I'm smelling pie and gingerbread men. I suppose it is technically more fall-ish than Christmas-y, but the problem with asking for Christmasy things for Christmas is, well, once you get them, Christmas is over. The sweater (obviously) needs to be worn as a layer, but I think it would look wonderful with a dark brown or black shell underneath. You can see the sweater here.

It Moss Be Love Tunic
Technically, this is a dress, but the measurements only qualify as a dress for a handful of women. I do, however, love long sweaters, especially when I can wear a slightly wispy long skirt beneath and feel like the outfit is both flattering and streamlined while be soft and floaty. This dress has that same sort of feel. Unfortunately, it is currently out of stock, as the blaring orange "Notify Me On Restock!" button proudly declares. You can see the sweater here.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Twelve Days of Christmas Wishes: Or, Great Gift Ideas

Its that time of year where the nagging thought of "what on earth should I buy so-and-so for Christmas?" arrives. I found out about a week ago that my mother is one of the many suffering from said nag, and I happen to be the so-and-so connected that that. The problem here is, I pretty much don't know what I want. Its not that I don't want stuff, its just that I really really hate buying stuff that I don't need and won't use. The other day, I put on a dress that I had bought nearly a year ago, and I had never cut the tags off it. I actually felt guilty putting it on, because I figured that I wouldn't use it again for a very very long time. My first (translate, only) formal dress that I ever bought was like that. its still in my closet, and I've maybe worn in a grand total of three times? Of course, it doesn't help that I have a sort of "meh" feeling about it, so I'm not going to go out of my way to wear it--in fact, it had better be a really fancy shmancy thing for me to even consider it.

Thus, I feel slightly awkward blogging a wish list, especially considering I don't think I've ever written one out before, but then I thought "I'm already always writing about myself and things I want! Why not just be blunt about it?" Besides, someone wants to know what I want for Christmas. Thus, I have created the "Twelve Days of Christmas Wishes." This is twelve days (duh) of posts, each post having a specific category with two items that I would like, want or might even need. But probably not the last one.

Day One: Music

Blackmore's Night: Ghost Of A Rose 
My absolute favorite band, Blackmore's Night was co-founded by Richie Blackmore and his wife, Candice Night. If you don't know much about them, take a listen to this amazing Renaissance-inspired music. I've talked about them before, somewhat extensively. Ghost Of A Rose has many of my favorite tracks, including Loreley, Way To Mandalay, and 3 Black Crows. You can find the album here

Doctor Who Season Five Soundtrack
Yes, the Time Lords strike again. And no, I do not have this soundtrack yet. This is a great album for writing, both school writing and personal entertainment writing. The music is full and orchestral, the type that either makes you want to stand up and save the world or sit down and cry. Either way, I'd much prefer to have it on my iTunes than having to hunt for it on YouTube. You can find the album here.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Veteran's Day and Remembrance Day 2011

To all those that I love, or, in some cases, that I've never met, who have served their country bravely. I love you all. 

Heroes
By Jared Jenkins
For every life, there is a soul
For every soul, there is a life
For those who have died, we show great appreciation and remembrance
For those who live, along with them live the horrific memories of battle
Some, memories of defeat
Some, memories of victory
Our veterans were more than soldiers
They were, and still are heroes


Kenneth Flowers

F. X. Stevens

R. Nierstheimer, Air Force

 Control their minds with instinct fit 
What time, adventuring, they quit 
The firm security of land; 
Grant steadfast eye and skilful hand 
 Aloft in solitudes of space, 
Uphold them with Thy saving grace. 
O God, protect the men who fly 
Thru lonely ways beneath the sky.


Lord, guard and guide the men who fly 
Through the great spaces of the sky; 
Be with them traversing the air 
 In darkening storms or sunshine fair 
 Thou who dost keep with tender might 
The balanced birds in all their flight 
Thou of the tempered winds be near 
That, having thee, they know no fear 


D. Bevans

For the Fallen
by Laurence Binyon
They went with songs to the battle, they were young, 
 Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow. 
 They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
 They fell with their faces to the foe. 
 They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: 
 Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. 
 At the going down of the sun and in the morning 
 We will remember them.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Will You Stop For The One?



Heidi Baker works with Iris Ministries, especially with the Stop For The One child sponsorship program. One of my friends, activist Claire Johnston, has been working with this ministry during her Miss California campaigns. You can visit www.irismin.org for more information on Stop For The One.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

You Guessed It! The Corset Is HERE!!!

The very first day I announced I was going to make a Mad Hatter costume, I talked about getting a corset. Well, now I have. I ordered it from Damsel in this Dress at the beginning of the month, and I actually didn't tell anyone when I had officially ordered it because I was afraid something would go wrong and it would never show up. :P So I told people I was going to order it, but I never told them when. Anyway, take a look at the website (www.damseldress.com or clicky the hyperlink above). They have TONS of amazing stuff, and also take a look at their blog, which is absolutely amazing and funny and interesting, but especially look at their Alice and Red Queen/Harley Quinn costumes. Such fun! It arrived early this week. I was so excited! I actually stopped slaving away at homework to go try it on. Silly, I know, but still! I have learned a couple things, though:

  1. You can't unlace a corset like you unlace your shoes. The corset has to be completely unlaced.
  2. When ordering, its a good idea to let them know if your hips are extra wide or something. 
  3. Your...uh...front accouterments get an immediate lift, so tighten the straps!
  4. As long as the top isn't tighter than the bottom, you can breathe just fine.
  5. If the top is tighter than the bottom...you're gonna DIE. Or at least get light headed. No idea why.
  6. Elisa's new iPhone hasn't showed yet. She's getting the 4S, lucky skunk.
The corset is a ton of fun--I can't wait to wear it with my Mad Hatter costume. I will probably be wearing the unfinished costume as a trial run at my college Halloween party. I'll be sure to take pictures, and post them. Oh, yeah, and I'm currently researching temporary hair coloring kits. Yes, I'm going ginger!

Next up on the Hatter front is yet another hat...and its awesome. And I promise to post a more detailed post about the corset later, and give it and the company a proper review and blah blah blah. You might see that next summer, if you're lucky. You'll probably see better pictures of the corset first, when I'm not struggling to take the picture with my phone on my own (I'm going to see if I can bribe Rose with food to get her to take some for me in full costume). The corset looks a lot better (like the pictures on their website) when I'm not holding my arms out above me like a zombie while doing the turtle head thing with my head and shoulders. 

Finally, for those of you who want to see the fabrics, the green one is the outer fabric and the gold is the inner:
 

Monday, October 17, 2011

Time For A (Mad Hatter) Jubilee!!

...I received a mysterious package today. :D I've been waiting for this since the beginning of the month, and it is finally here!!!! As soon as I have time to take pictures of it, I'll write about it and post it. Curious as to what it is?

Hint: It has something to do with my Mad Hatter costume.
Hint: I have already posted a picture of it on the blog.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Friday, October 7, 2011

Why Shoes Are Evul

Today is the day where I am again reminded why I really hate close-toed shoes. After walking for eleven minutes, my left foot is all discombobulated. Enough time for three blisters to form and one to break. My right foot is only a little better.

I envy those of you who can wear those little footie-socks  that hide inside your flats. Me? I wear a shoe size eleven, and I've yet to find a place that sells those little socks in that size. Which reminds me of ANOTHER pet peeve of mine. Why don't sock sizes and shoe sizes correspond? A size eleven sock is not made to fit in a size eleven shoe. I think it fits for a size nine or something. It's not like it's based off of the European system or something (I'm a size 42, for those of you who aren't U.S. Shod). That would at least make sense. This only makes sense if you think of some sadistic person who ran the fashion industry a lot of decades ago. This sadistic person went "Ha ha! I'll make all the world confused by using a different sizing chart from our overseas neighbors AND I'll make sure the sock size is impossible to remember!!! BWAHhahahahahHahahHhaha!!!!!!!!!"

.......I have to start my next eleven minute walk. My next class starts soon, and I'm still over here at the coffee shop!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Someday If I Have Kids....

...I am totally stealing this and doing it myself. Blogger Ricochet Dreamer recently posted a letter she wrote to her two-year old son. She explained to her readers that she had decided to write a letter to her children on each of their birthdays and on Christmas. When they grow up, she plans to compile the letters and bind them into a book, so that each child has a specialized book from their Mom about them.

I think this is a wonderful idea. You can read Ricochet Dreamer's post here.

Monday, October 3, 2011

The Mad Hatter's Sweater Dress: Or, What Rosie Misses On Facebook

For those people who have facebooks (which would be, pretty much, everyone but Rosie), you have a very good summary of what happened to me today. You don't need me to blog it all, because you already saw the awesome sweater, heard me rave over it, and agreed that it is the PERFECT mad hatter sweater. Not that the mad hatter wears sweaters, but hey. Somebody does. And its nearly winter.

Please, then, bear with us as Rosie gets a little taste of my day:
Status Update #1: Somehow, my breakfast disappeared from my bag so I am starved. Now I have visions of stuffed butter croissants dancing in my head.
Status Update #2: I'm in love. Anyone up for giving me donations???? That's what I should add to my blog...a donations box......
Status Update #3: I have just decided I am going to quit school and run away to join the circus. Or something.

 The third status got eaten up by Doctor Who, inevitably ending with the stroppy homicidal mermaid. The second, though, had a link. To the sweater. This sweater is one that would be right up my alley. In fact, it is, except for the price. If it didn't cost quite as much ($155!) I would have ordered this in a heartbeat. The sweater is called Paris, but it really fits with Underworld much better. The uneven hem style, the varying colors, the crazy swirls all scream perfection at me. Their description runs as follows:
Long below knee length knit retro jacket with fur collar, embellished floral designs and unique swirls on side hem. It is definately a jacket that your friends will not have.
How right! I could see myself wearing this one foggy morning while I force myself to leave the warm comforts of my car to find my room in the gulag for the morning. It would be cheery, a nice statement against all the gloom! It would make me smile, and it would keep me warm. It is stylish and unique and fuzzy and all sorts of other very, very good things. Also, a huge plus is that it is long. The only long things that look good are usually full coats, and it doesn't get cold enough to really merit those around here.

* sigh * I'm in LOVE.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Resistance Is Futile: You Will Be Assimilated


As of the latest count, five friends and myself will be going to Comic Con next summer. Over my original protests that I would NOT dress up like anything, several of these miscreants have slowly plodded toward the decision to dress up as Doctor Who characters. I can buy this, as everybody wears pretty normal stuff, so I agreed.

Which means....beside all the stuff for my Hatter costume (which I hope to have done by Halloween), I am now setting out on a journey to recreate a lot of Doctor Who stuff. I spent a good hour today tracking down a replica of the Doctor's most recent jacket, so...there's a lot to come.

Anyway, the breakdown so far is: 1 Doctor, 1 Amy Pond, 1 River Song and 1 Weeping Angel. I'm River, Wyrmir is the Doctor, Tina is Amy, and Ithi is the Angel. We're still trying to figure out which costumes we want to use (Ithi's the lucky one, since the Weeping Angels always wear the same sort of thing), so if you feel a burning desire to suggest or request a specific costume, please comment and do so. If I get enough feedback, I may put the top suggested River costumes up on a poll and let you all decide. But that's just maybe.

I'm really looking forward to next summer.

Monday, September 19, 2011

La Belle et la BĂȘte

The End of the Sabbatical

So, if you didn't notice, I took a ten day unannounced sabbatical. Basically, everything was so hectic and complicated and frustrating that I didn't even have energy to complain about it.

Anyway, I'm back. With stuffs. And lots of amazing stuff that I need to take pictures of and post. So keep your eyes peeled. ;)

Friday, September 9, 2011

AerOs: Chocolate Bliss

There is a large spectrum of tastes in chocolate. Many cannot sense it, either because their palate is or because they simply choose not to. Others sense it, but aren't chocolate fans. How they survive, I shall never know.

Anyway, a new chocolate was brought to my attention most recently, one that I had understood was only attainable in Canada.

That is no longer true. The other day, I came home to find three glorious AerO bars sitting on the passthrough. They were nicely arrayed on top of other treats that I shall write about later, but I must say I am deeply grateful to the one who first introduced me to AerOs and to the ones who found these bars, right here in California, to share with me.

For those of you who don't know, an AerO bar is chocolate that has been aerated. And it is really tasty to some people, and to other people, it just taste like plain chocolate. To me, it tastes like slightly burnt chocolate (burnt in a good way, not that black charcoal you get when you accidentally forget to stir it when melting chocolate on the stovetop) with a hint of something else--perhaps cinnamon? Anyway, it is amazing, and I love it. Aerated chocolate wins. So run out to your local World Market/Cost Plus and get some.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

The World's Most Politically Correct Book: The Color Purple

I can't stand it. I'm writing a review on The Color Purple, and I'm doing it RIGHT NOW. This is a book I never would have picked up to read for fun, so, obviously, it was connected to a class that I'm taking (this is also the same class that made me watch a film that had Brad Pitt in it, something I had promised myself I would never do). I read the book yesterday, and now I'm having to write gooshy mushy things about how good it is, why I think this is a great book, and why it is great for adapting to the screen. Next week I'll get to write about how nice the script is and how marvelous the film is.

The fact is, the book is anything but, however, there is no option to say why I think The Color Purple is a BAD book. And I'm going to break step with the old adage "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." Because I AM going to say something. And it will NOT be nice. Why? Because NO ONE ELSE IS STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE AND SAYING IT! It all comes down to this: The Color Purple is too politically correct to make a good story.

What caused me to finally crack was that I had to compose a list of the themes in the book. Sitting down, I immediately wrote the first five phrases that sprang to mind as themes:
  • Men Are Evil 
  • White People Are Bad 
  • Straight People Are Backward 
  • Spelling is Optional 
  • Religion is Delusional
Obviously, I will be awarded a huge "FAIL" if I turn that in, so I'm not going to. Instead, I'm going to be that NICE person that finds some way to say it has great points about independence, self-discovery, and a variety of other nice sounding things that used to mean great, high values. However, it does lead me to give a rather scathing review about The Color Purple.

 Description: The Color Purple is the story of a African-American woman named Celie, who was abused at a very young age by her step-father. The man she was forced to marry kept up the abuse. She was finally freed from her slavery when another woman, who also happened to be her husband's lover, comes to live in her house and makes her husband behave and introduces Celie to the wonder of real (sexual) freedom. Celie and her companion (who is also married. To, like, three different guys at the same time) discover that man is truly evil, and, since God has to be some white male with a long beard, that he really doesn't exist. They find that the REAL god exists in nature, and every thing, living or not, has a bit of god in them. To free Celie completely from the chains of her past life, they choose to leave and move, eventually returning to Celie's home town to repossess the property and business that Celie's step-father had stolen from Celie and her sister.

Critique: The Color Purple is a sorry excuse for a story. In an attempt to be politically correct and diverse, Alice Walker wrote herself out of what potentially could have been a great story. The writing style itself makes the book extremely difficult to read. For example, from page 17:
First she smile a little. Then she frown. Then she don't look no special way at all. She just stick close to me. She tell me, Your skin. Your hair, Your teefs...He say one night in bed, Well, us done help Nettie all we can. Now she got to go. Where she gon go? I ast.
Now, I work with small children. I can read what they write, and it doesn't bother me that much. However, none of them write books. After slogging through 288 pages of bad spelling, my brain was home to the world's worst headache. If it had been the spelling alone, I could have managed. Yet, in the name of equality, social wrongs could not just be righted, they needed to be turned on their head. Men are subservient to women. Blacks are higher beings than scum whites/asians/indians/etc. They're just the black "rejects" (yes, the book does argue that non-blacks were run out of Africa because they are devolved beings that are not true humans. It is in Nettie and Celie's correspondence, if you feel the need to look it up for yourself, the one addressing it in the most detail begins on page 271). Equality is for the dogs, apparently!

I'm sorry to break it to the world, but, this book is not "a work to stand beside literature of any time and place" (San Francisco Chronicle), nor is it "a saga filled with joy and pain, humor and bitterness, and an array of characters who live, breathe and illuminate the world" (Publishers Weekly). The Color Purple is a near-plotless work that is dying a slow, painful death due to drowning in political correctness. We are beyond the French calling the world to "Bow down to the goddess of Reason!" rather, we have reached the place of bowing down to Irrationality, where right is wrong and wrong is right.

 What ever happened to realizing that we are "created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"? Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize that REALLY mean we are all created equal, except for whites, Christians, and heterosexuals. Excuse me, I'll go pack my bags and leave you to rewrite history and life so you can live in your nice little alternate reality on earth. Ciao!

Sunday, September 4, 2011

100 Years in 100 Seconds: A Century of Fashion

My dad found this while trawling though one of his many "Oo, wow, look at this cool stuff" sites. He found this one about the same time that he discovered something I already knew: thousands of women apply dead beetles to their lips every day. This is much more fascinating than dead, ground up boiled beetles, and I think it is fitting to a blog that often revolves around fashion. Take a look and be impressed.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Homewurk and School Collide

Today, I won. It doesn't really matter that I only won in the matter of finding eight other people who were grasping for the definitions of these adjectifs (oui, dans la classe francais), and got this amazing french magazine for a prize. Mais, oui!

....more homework to do. Be back later.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Madman With a Box: A Doctor Who Request

So, the other day, one of my friends and I (yes, it was yet another Rose. I seem to have a lot of Roses that end up on my blog. I might just starting making a tag for you girls.) were talking, and she mentioned how she really wanted to get something that said "definitely a madman with a box." Since I happen to have discovered some items that deal with both madmen and boxes, I have composed this for her perusal. I fully expect to find one of these items in her possession sometime soon. Probably about the time I buy the "Come Along, Pond!" book bag. I need one, anyway. I'm getting tired of having to not drop books or papers and control my purse and go down stairs while turning on my phone. Very inconvenient.

Allons-y!

....because, who doesn't want to fly around with a mad man in a box for a year or two?
from This Is Pop! at cafépress, and comes in a variety of t-shirts and bags and...stuff.

Just in case we get snowed in by accident this winter, some cross-stitch.

Dorm room decoration. We all need it.

Definitely a madman with a box ring and bracelet
from foxwise at etsy

Just in case you want to be the madman with the box.

And finally....
The Doctor Who Surprise Package, which, like the TARDIS, is filled with a lot of things, but you never know what you are going to pull out. 

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Alice in Wonderland Party Jewelry

I recently found some cute Alice in Wonderland jewelry. I thought I would go ahead and put this up, if anyone is interested. This definitely isn't costume jewelry, but I think it has a fun party feel to it--not too dressy, but not too professional. As Goldilocks would say, "Juuuuust right!" All of these pieces are made by mundoinlui on etsy.

The bracelet and earrings both have glass pearls in them, which add a bit of a shiny effect. I personally think it would have been cute to somehow work the pearl into the necklace, too, but, unfortunately, that was not so. The bracelet has a little teapot, which is inscribed with a word you would never guess. Give up? Alright, it says "tea." Ingenious, isn't it? The bracelet is incredibly cute, although I am afraid that my personal favorite in this set is the earrings.

The earrings are adorable, with little rabbits peeking out at the world, one ear bent quizzically at us. The pearls are like the pearls in the bracelet, and can be ordered to match. All in all, I think this is a great combination. It is fun, light hearted, and themed. Now, let's all go have a big unbirthday party!

Thursday, August 25, 2011

I'm Having A Meltdown

Which means you all get to suffer. I'm working on all the reasons why some professors are like the god the atheists claim they don't believe in.

If I stop believing in my schoolwork, will that make it go away, too?

These two video clips sum up how I feel about college right now.



Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Confucius Say....

My Chinese fortune cookie had two fortunes: "Speak less of your plans--you will get more of them done." and "You'll accomplish more later if you take some time for yourself." Translation: stop talking about taking a nap and go do it. I shall take this advice.

Monday, August 22, 2011

I ♥ My Job

I did a gross moulage make-up demonstration tonight. Which is, of course, awesome. I had a lot of fun, and now I'm really tired and not ready to do more school tomorrow. Anyway, if you're interested in movie make up, watch this music video, and then you can watch the making-of video here. Of course, I didn't work on this, but when they're dirtying up the guy that dies, you'll get a small taste of what I do. ;) And, of course, this music is from Blackmore's Night, so it is absolutely amazing. This is, actually, the song that introduced me to their music.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

A Hint for Yesterday's Mindbender

Take thirty pennies (or skittles, or something small and round) and lay them out on a table. Then, moving the change around, see where the extra penny went to.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Mindbender Pop Quiz

Someday, maybe, I shall tell you what I define a mindbender as. For now, enjoy this small project that may make you go mad. Let me know if you can't figure it out, and I may be merciful and give a hint.

Three guys go into a motel to get a room. The room is $30, so each of them pays $10. Afterward, the desk clerk realized she'd made a mistake. The room was only $25. So she gave the bellboy five singles to return to them. On the way up he figured to take a cut, so he put $2 in his pocket and gave them each a single back.
So then, each man paid ten and got one back, ...each paid $9, ...right? $9 times three equals $27, and the bellboy took $2. That equals $29. Where's the missing dollar?

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Doctor's Companion: Amelia Pond

"Its a duck pond."
"Why aren't there any ducks?"
"There's never been any ducks!"
"Then HOW do you know it is a DUCK pond??"

I'm Amelia and you're late.
What happened?
Twelve years.
You hit me with a cricket bat!
Twelve years!
Cricket bat!

Four?
I kept biting them.
Why?
They said you weren't real.

It played for me.
The difference being the computer doesn't register me as human.
Why not? You look human...
No, you look Time Lord. We came first.

Hey, look at this. I got my spaceship, I got my boys... my work here is done.
We are not her "boys."
....Yeah, we are.

Amy Pond, the girl who waited. You've waited long enough.
When I was a kid, you said there was a swimming pool and a library and the swimming pool was in the library.
Yeah, not sure where it's got to now. It'll turn up. So, coming?
No.
You wanted to come fourteen years ago.
I grew up.
Don't worry, I'll soon fix that.
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