Ce N’est Pas Une Lune!

Yesterday, a couple of friends and I decided to explore our artistic sides at a social art studio called “I Painted That!”. We signed up for the two hour art class, which was to be a picture of a couple strolling through Paris. We were also encouraged to bring wine. Drinking and painting? Yes, please.

A few days before, I jokingly said that I was going to paint a zombie horde coming toward the blissful couple. Then I decided I’d paint Chris Hardwick as the guy in the picture. Then the idea of the TARDIS and the phrase “Allons-y” became a possibility. After the Jurassic World trailer came out, I really wanted to paint a T-Rex. But when the Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer was released, I knew it had to be the iconic Death Star hanging in the Parisian sky. I love Star Wars, and more importantly, the Death Star is basically a circle that even I could draw.

Before the evening class, my friend had already hit the Chardonnay in the afternoon, so I knew it was going to be a hilarious class. Exhibit A, and by the way, I’m the blue texts.

When we arrived to class, we had all our necessary materials: bottles of wine, popcorn, chocolate-covered Lays potato chips, and some salami and Gouda cheese. Oh, and no artist would ever attempt their masterpiece without a wine glass sippy cup.

The canvas already had the couple and Eiffel Tower roughly sketched in pencil, so anyone could do this. As the night progressed, that blank canvas started to tell a picture.

But while people worried about creating the perfect color for their dusky skyline, I was wondering about the perfect color for my Death Star. And in the end, I created exactly what I wanted.

We drank. We laughed. We painted. We spilled wine. And then we drank some more. I’m quite sure the teacher was not impressed with what we did, but at least we put our own twist on it. I was 99.9% sure that she would pixelate us out of the Facebook and website picture, but she didn’t. I’m secretly hoping that when someone takes the “Parisian Stroll” class, they request the Star Wars option.

A Geeky Christmas

Last year, I wanted to make really cute and geeky personalized Christmas cards for my friends and family. After scouring Etsy and not finding what I wanted, I stumbled upon the Red Stamp app. They also have a website, but I love that I can create cards from my phone.

All you have to do is create an account and start making your cards! The app saves all your drafts and cards you sent. There’s even an option on your sent cards to edit in case you were struck with a really creative idea after you already made it (this happens to me quite a lot).

What I love it that you have so many sending options. You can send it as a postcard or real card. There’s really something quite lovely about receiving cards in the mail. The cards run less than four bucks with postage included.

But there’s also a digital option which allows you to share your cards through email, text, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook…for free. I have so many amazing friends that I only really talk to through social media, but it makes me so joyful that I can create and share a card for them as well.

Here are a few that I created yesterday and some from last year. The card templates already have greetings on them, so it was just a matter of finding an image. In some cases, I added a personal message, but I’m still racking my brain for something about the T-Rex. If you can think of something, I’d love to hear it!

Give it a try–I think you’ll have some fun with it. Happy Holidays!

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San Diego Silver Lining

Today started off with so much hope. I got up, turned on my laptop, and waited for the familiar blue, spinning circle to appear on my screen. That’s right. It was the Pre-Registration sale for San Diego Comic Con, the chance for previous attendees to try their luck before the general sale offers the badges to the whole flipping world.

As I sat at my computer, watching the Doctor Who marathon on BBC America, I felt calm. At peace. Confident.

At 10:01, I was zen as sales began. At 10:09, I was starting to feel a bit less zen. At the first banner announcing low quantities of Preview night, I still held some hope. Who needs Preview night? At 10:27, the banner read Saturday and Friday were gone. And just like that, I knew. I knew. I was zen less. At 10:36, the banner read all the badges were sold out.

Was this going to be the first time in four years that I wasn’t going to be lining up for panels, seeing sneak previews, and taking pictures of incredible cosplayers? I felt like this was a nerd Christmas special, “A Year without a Comic Con.” I even tweeted that. And then something really amazing happened.

I had friends on Twitter commiserate with me, offer virtual hugs, and, even more amazingly, promise to help me score badges during the general sale. Strange, isn’t it, how people you don’t see in your day to day, “real” life can be true friends in every sense of the definition?

I think this is the reason I love San Diego Comic Con. It’s brought so many people into my life, and that is just extraordinary. It’s the reason that I will gather my up my forces and get my tickets for 2015. I have no doubt that I will be a part of the awesome craziness again this summer. And if the nerd gods just happen to throw a curveball my way and keep me from getting tickets in March, I will still make the trip to San Diego and be a part of all it, in some way or another. It’s just too special to not experience.

Top 5 Fandom: Geeky Accessories I Need Immediately

The awesome ladies behind Super Space Chick and The Nerdy Girlie have come up with an amazing link up project called ” 5 Fandom Fridays.” I missed the first post about the fandoms that made me who I am (um, just FYI: Disney, Star Wars, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Harry Potter, and Doctor Who), but here’s the second topic: Geeky Clothing I Need in My Closet Immediately.

As much as I’d like to, I can’t really go to work dressed in my nerdy tees and Comic Con outfits. Sometimes, I feel the need to wear my Her Universe TARDIS cardigan or my favorite skirt ever, but most days I like to share my geekiness through accessories. They may not scream fandom like some of my weekend staples, but I love that they are almost a secret to be shared only with others who recognize them.

So after spending a few, lovely hours on Etsy, here are my five top five geeky accessories that I covet rather desperately.

1. Pride and Prejudice may be my favorite Jane Austen novel, but Captain Wentworth’s letter at the end of Persuasion is particularly swoon worthy. This infinity scarf is what I want to wear the next time it’s cold, and I’m feeling a little resentful that people don’t write love letters anymore.

2. There are a lot of gorgeous Doctor Who items on Etsy, but I really love the simplicity of this necklace that spells out the Doctor’s name in Gallifreyan. I also love that only a Doctor Who fan would recognize what this is.

3. You don’t often find Sherlock Holmes jewelry that pays homage to all the key players, but this awesome cuff bracelet does so in such a cool way. Just as a side note, everything in this particular Etsy store Jezebel Charms is gorgeous.

4. As much as I love Harry Potter, I must admit that I do not know what my Patronus would be (I kind of feel like a die hard Potter fan shouldknow what theirs is). Maybe wearing these earrings would help.

5. And finally my dream piece, the piece that I would have to save and save for, but it would be so worth it. This amazing cuff bracelet would be a lovely reminder every time I looked at it that Jurassic World is happening. This would definitely help me wait for the movie with (some) patience.

I can’t wait to read what others have posted about their top 5. How about you, readers? Anything geeky and fashionable that you absolutely need right now?

Polka Dots and Moons

As I was watching last night’s Doctor Who episode, “Kill the Moon,” I couldn’t get over one thing: the Doctor was wearing polka dots.

Inspired by my ever-growing love for Peter Capaldi’s Twelve, I decided to download the Polyvore app and create an everyday cosplay of his outfit. Here is my first everyday cosplay attempt:

I especially love the high-heeled Doc Martens, moon earrings, and OPI nail polish that calls to mind the lining of his “magician” coat.

I have a feeling that I might have found a new time suck in the Polyvore app. Those papers waiting to be graded might have to wait a little longer. And isn’t that what Clara probably tells herself as she sets out on every new adventure?

Glowing For It

One of the first posts I had on this blog was the idea of a novelty run where you would run toward certain handsome British men, or at least their doppelgängers.I still think that idea is awesome, and while I wait for someone to agree and help fund the first BBC Man Run™, I look to other novelty runs that might actually make this hater of running somewhat active.

I hate running. I find it painful. I find it unnecessary, unless I was being chased by zombies (Oh, there’s another idea! A Walking Dead Run where you don’t run from zombies, but run toward Rick and his sexy beard). And yet, tell me about a 5K with mud, obstacle courses, color powder, or something just as silly, and I’m there. Case in point: this weekend’s Glow Run, which was an evening 5K around the UTEP campus.

The great part of these novelty runs is the prep work. I don’t mean working out and training, but creating a team name or shopping for tutus to run in. This run’s prep work consisted of hitting the neighborhood Walmart and buying everything and anything that glowed.

I actually ran the night before for a school fundraiser and my friends were going to run the following morning, so it was decided that we would quickly walk the course instead of run it. This plan allowed us to have a pre-run (pre-walk?) drink (beer is a carb, right?) and allowed us to take as many pics as we wanted on the course.

We had a blast as we quickly walked the hills around the university and looked at the nighttime city views. Dance music was blasting everywhere on the course, and people just seemed happier wearing all the glowing necklaces, bracelets, wigs, and tutus. The best part? Everyone even received a medal which glowed in the dark!

Yeah, I might hate running. But it’s funny how glowing shoelaces and a cheap t-shirt somehow make running seem like it might actually be fun.

My next run (walk?) is The Color Run, which is a blast.

How about you guys? Do any of you do novelty runs? Which ones?

Confessions of a Blogger

Earlier this week, Megan of the awesome The Nerdy Girlie shared her own blogging confessionsand asked readers to the do the same. Ok, scary, introspective challenge accepted! Here are my five blogging confessions.

1. One More Blog?
There are so many blogs out there, and so many are just insanely fantastic (um, have you checked out The Nerdy Girlie? What are you waiting for?). In fact, there are close to four hundred members of our Female Geek Bloggers G+ group. Sometimes that sheer number is really intimidating, and doubt can really creep into my head. Does anyone really need to read another Doctor Whopost in the blogosphere when someone has probably already written a fantastic post? I have to fight that self-doubt and look at other fantastic bloggers as a source of inspiration, because that’s what they truly are.
2. If a Blog Is Written But No One Reads It, Is It Still a Blog?
It’s the old “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?” conundrum. I know I have a small minuscule number of readers, but I still blog, knowing that there are posts that I really worked hard on and love but may not be read. I write because I love it, but it’s human nature to want to share with an audience. This leads to my next big number…
3. Social Media Shyness
I am horrible at self-promotion. In fact, I think only a handful of people even know that I have a blog. I’m not sure why I haven’t told all my friends, who I know would check it out. I have maybe tweeted a link to a post maybe once, and it felt really…icky. I had contact cards made up for Comic-Con featuring my blog name, but again I felt weird handing them out to the people I talked to for hours in lines. I need to work on this.
4. Blog vs. Life
My job as an English teacher means that I almost always have a pile of essays to grade. At this exact moment, there is a stack of essay tests on my desk judging me for leaving them in their pretty purple folder, ungraded. Now, add excessive amount of time spent with friends to ensure good mental health. Throw in some yoga classes and a very strong desire to binge watch Netflix. All this leads to long stretches of time when I don’t post anything, even if I had a million ideas swimming in my head. I need to start planning ahead, and not just the particular season of Parks and Rec I plan to watch.
5. Questions, Questions, So Many Questions
I have no idea how to imbed a video on a post. I am not sure how to add a cute, catchy header on my blog. I have tried to add a link to our Female Geek Bloggers group on my blog with no success. Heck, I’m not even sure if I should take up WordPress on their constant offer to buy my own domain name. All these questions float around my head every time I write a post (including right now). I find many
answers through trial and much error and through great support systems out there, but sometimes all those questions seem overwhelming, especially when they seem embarrassingly obvious.

Well, those are my blogging confessions. Thanks, Megan, for your post and asking us all to share our own confessions. I have to say, it felt really, really therapeutic to write down these feelings. How about you, gentle reader? What are your blogging confessions?

Flashback Friday: My Fair Lady

A poor flower girl meets a misogynistic professor who bets he can change this “draggletailed guttersnipe” into a lady by simply teaching her proper English. Who will be most transformed?

My Fair Lady is one of my favorite movies. I saw it first as a young girl and instantly fell in love with the story of Eliza Doolittle and Professor Henry Higgins. It’s difficult to say what I love more: the incredibly funny dialogue, the beautiful costumes by Cecil Beaton, the amazing chemistry between Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison, or the songs that can make me laugh (“Just You Wait,” “A Hymn To Him”) or swoon (“On the Street Where You Live,” “I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face”).

Every time I watch My Fair Lady, I always fall in love with it all over again. If you haven’t seen it, you must. I promise you’ll be singing “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” before you’re through watching.

Camping, Nature’s Netflix

I’ve been camping in Colorado for almost a week, and I really miss my significant other, Netflix. Here’s what I’ve been watching instead.

Instead of watching Clara, the Impossible Girl, blow into the world on a leaf, I saw this:

Instead of watching Sherlock solve a mystery, I had to solve the mystery of who broke into the damn kitchen and stole all my Emergen-C and trail mix, with only this clue:

(It was a bear, probably the same one who victimized me last year as well).

Instead of watching Andy Dwyer get ready to rock out with Mouse Rat, I saw this:

Instead of watching Leslie Knope send Ron Swanson a singing horse telegram, I saw this:

Instead of grossing out at watching Dean eat a Pepperjack Turducken Slammer, I saw this questionable foodstuff growing outside my cabin:

And, finally, instead of just getting off the couch to make a quick snack between episodes of a Netflix binge, I had to walk this for anything edible:

Nature, you’ve been beautiful and interesting and all, but I’m afraid my heart has been claimed. Netflix, I’ll be home soon.

Funko-fying the Classroom

I have a wee obsession with Funko Pop! vinyl figures which grows on a daily basis. Just this morning I learned of a winged Castiel figure that I suddenly need very badly in my life. And why do these small, vinyl objects bring me so much joy? Because they’re cute.

My classroom is where I spend the majority of my time, and there are moments that I need an extra dosage of cute. My Funko Pop! figures were rather contained last year in one area, but this year I decided to use them to decorate my library shelves. I found books that complimented them, and I have to admit, the displays really make me smile.

I still need the right books for my Maleficent, Evil Queen, and Castiel figures (oh, and I guess I’ll need another book my future winged Castiel). Tomorrow, when those moments of chaos that come with the first day of school seem overwhelming, I’ll see Rick Grimes battle a great white shark, smile, and remind my students of the most important rule in my classroom: Don’t play with my toys.

How about you guys? Are any of you completely obsessed with this overwhelming cuteness? And if you are, how do you display your Funko Pop! figures?