Friday, January 31, 2014

Poppin' Off- King of the Nerds Season 2

King of the Nerds is finally back on the air! (Thursdays, TBS, 10/9c) I am pretty excited, as I loved last season. Of course, nobody will ever beat the original cast, but I already have a few that I like. I went through their profiles before the show started, and the only one I didn't really click with was Kelsey.
                                 
Her constant using of Japanese reminded me of that SNL bit with Taran Killam and Vanessa Bayers, but not in the fun way.


So I wasn't completely heartbroken when she was eliminated last week. 



Josh was last night's eliminated contestant. I have mixed feelings about it. Its always sad to see the nerds who are there with nerdy interests over the nerdy education go. This season's competition is heavily dominated by "nerdy" academic paths. Its a little off putting honestly. Last season was a good mix of nerd interests and academic pursuits. Overall, I'm enjoying the season so far. I actually wanted to audition for this season, but then I got scared and changed my mind. And it looks like its a good thing I did. I don't have the education for this season, that's for sure. 



Here are my favorites for the season, and I think one of them has a good chance of winning. 


He has a mind for problem solving and numbers, and hes friendly. 
But I think that makes him a huge target too.

I dig the purple hair. She also has the attractiveness thing working for her.
Shes no Celeste though (who was just along for the ride). 
She has skills that make her a worthy opponent.

Very Genevieve (who should've won last season).
I think shes a strong competitor and we'll see that not only is she smart, 
but she knows how to play the game.

The Gaymer. Hes very fun and has a personality that I think a lot of people are going to like. 
I think he'll be able to skate through for a while based on that alone, and that's not a bad thing!


So who do you think will win this season of King of the Nerds? What do you think of the show in general? Lots of fun or a slap in the face to nerd culture?

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Datevitation Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations Thomas! You are the winner of the Datevitation giveaway! Be sure to check your email, Datevitation has contacted you with your code. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that participated in my very first giveaway. I hope to have many more sponsored giveaways in the future. And don't be discouraged if you didn't win, there is still the discount code available! Use code MISSTELLS for $10 off and free shipping on you Datevitation order until February 27, 2014. 

Also, don't forget that I'm currently having another giveaway, this time for Drew Barrymore's book, Find It In Everything. Contest ends February 3, 2014 at 12am PST. Go check it out!


Buy these balloon here.

The Importance of Harassment Policies at Conventions





Just thought I'd share this video from Molly McIsaac regarding harassment policies at conventions. She was my favorite on Fangasm, and I really respect her opinions and her continued quest for making geek culture a safe place to reside in. I know we're all getting ready for conventions, so just take a minute to watch. I'm sure none of you are engaging in such behavior, but she does mention being more observant and vigilant if we see the behaviors going on. I have only been to a few conventions, and the comments that males make about the female cosplayers have generally been.... either damn near pornographic or down right rude (it honestly depended on how pretty the girl was). I think its sad that they say stuff like that. And I also feel angry with myself, because while they're making their horny comments, I'm often judging those girls for having their butts and boobs hanging out (silently, of course. I wouldn't say that to someone, ever.), and that's just as bad. She also included a link from The Mary Sue, which has a list of articles they've run about convention harassment and also includes a list of conventions that they know of that have harassment policies in place (sadly, the ones I have attended are not on that list). I'm sharing the link here, so you can check it out.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

WoW Wednesday

Happy Wednesday everyone! Have you been busy getting all you Lunar Festival achievements? I know I haven't lol. I have been too busy trying to utilize the last few days left on my RaF. The Lunar Festival is very pretty though, and there isn't much to do other than honor the Elders. A pain if you can't teleport or fly, but otherwise fun (and a nice way to fill in your maps). Here's a little guide from Wowhead to help you out :) Its going on now through February 3rd, so don't miss out!

The models for the Female Humans in Warlords of Draenor have been released recently. Nothing too different about them I think, just a little more definition in the body area. You can view some of the other race remodels here

Also, if you were mourning the fact that you weren't chosen for Hearthstone's closed betas, mourn no more. Hearthstone is now in open beta! Yes! So come hang out at the table and show us what you've got (not that I'm so great lol. I usually lose my games....) Here's a fun review from The Daily Crate (Loot Crate's hub of knowledge) about Hearthstone.

How cute are the new WoW sweatshirts from Jinx!? I mean seriously. And since I have an Alliance sweatshirt, but don't really play Alli anymore, I think this is the perfect time to get me a Horde sweatshirt! The hood detail is so awesome,  I just love it.







Monday, January 27, 2014

Monday Mix Up #15- Inspiration from Drew Barrymore and a Giveaway! (CLOSED)

I love Drew Barrymore. If I were ever to meet a famous person and like, be able to hang with them for a day, she is who I'd like to hang with. I had been reading all the press on her new book,Find It in Everything, and it really got me thinking about hearts. I have always been pretty anti-Valentine's Day (chalk that up to my unpopularity and not having a boyfriend until the ripe old age of 16), but its the holiday I like to shop for the most. I love all the hearts and pinks and purples. While her book focuses mostly on those unintentional hearts (like when you lift a pretzel out of a bag and you're like, "hey, its a heart!"), below are some of my pictures that were inspired by her book.

This one I got lucky with this one (do you see it?). 
I took this in San Luis Obispo back in July 2013.

Me and my daughter eating heart candy at the car wash.

Cleaning under the couch the other day.

Random pile at my house.

Also check out her Instagram @drewbarrymore and #finditineverything. You'll see some other great heart inspirations. 

+++++++


I love the book and the idea behind it so much that I am giving away a copy to one of you fantastic readers! Rules are simple - do all or some of the Rafflecopter things down below, and in a week a winner will be chosen. Once a winner is chosen, they will be contacted by email (so make sure I have that). If you are chosen, you will have 48 hours from the time I email you to respond to the email. If there is no response in that time, a new winner will be chosen. Because of shipping costs, the contest is only open to US addresses only. So that means if you live internationally you can still enter. However, you must have an address in the United States that I can ship to. This is not a sponsored giveaway. It is not affiliated with Drew Barrymore or her publishing company in any way. I purchased this book specifically for this giveaway.




     a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you for entering and good luck!!!

PS While the Datevitation giveaway is now over (winner should be contacted by Datevitation shortly), my discount code is still active! Enter MISSTELLS or $10 off and free shipping, good until February 27th, 2014.

Friday, January 24, 2014

Poppin' Off- The Bling Ring


So I know this movie is old, but I just rented it the other day and I wanted to write a review about it. It got so many bad reviews, and I thought it was laughable because it was based on real events! One of the main complaints was that the characters were boring and that nothing happened to them. Well, that's the justice system for you. Most of them got nothing sentences in real life. 

I recently read the book (I posted the review yesterday) based on the article that this movie was based on. The book trudged along in the beginning, it was boring. I was happy that the movie skipped all that and went straight into the story. I think that people were disappointed in the fact that we don't learn why they rob all these celebrities. Well, the defendants never came out and said why. I read the book, I read the article. I read a lot of news stories seeing if one of them would finally say something about why, and they didn't. At the end of the day, a lot of criminals do what they do just because they can, I think that was the case with these kids. 

The movie was done really well, I thought. Emma Watson played a great vapid Valley Girl. And Claire Julien played a great Chloe/Courtney. In fact, all the actors did really well at playing their roles. That Rebecca/Rachel character (Katie Chang) was phenomenal, and exactly how I pictured the real Rachel based on Nick's story. It showed them partying and clubbing and everything like its explained in the book, except a few people (like Tess Taylor) are absent from the movie, and the burglaries weren't done quite right (I found myself saying "It didn't happen like that!" a few times during the movie lol), but that's a movie for you. Also, Alexis' reality show wasn't mentioned in the movie, but a lot of the scenes at Nicki's house are straight from Pretty Wild. What's interesting is that Alexis Neiers (Emma Watson's Nicki) was a consultant on the film, as was Brett Goodkin, the LAPD officer that was in charge of the case. Alexis denied ever being involved in like, anything, so you have to wonder why, as a consultant, she allowed them to film her in such a predominate role in the Bling Ring (unless its true). Also, because of his consulting work (and eventual acting part) on the film, Brett Goodkin gave three of the Bling Ring's defendants the opportunity to get basically nothing sentences (probation and fines). 

I would recommend this movie, especially if this case interested you when it was a thing. 

Links:




Thursday, January 23, 2014

Krystelle's Book Club- The Bling Ring by Nancy Jo Sales


Remember when The Bling Ring burglaries were a big deal? Its been a few years now, almost a lifetime ago in today's attention deficit world. They were shocking- not only because it was celebrities that were the victims, but because teenagers (rich teenagers at that) were the culprits. In a time when people were grossly underestimating today's youth, they showed that they were smart enough to pull off something big. Too bad it wasn't something beneficial to society. 

I went into this book hoping to be thrown right into the story of the Bling Ring-ers. I remembered that only two really spoke out about it, the boy (Nick) and Alexis, the girl whose one season reality show with E! was centered on this. Instead, this book dragged its way into the story. The book itself was based on Nancy Jo's article for Vanity Fair titled "The Suspects Wore Louboutins", and I wondered if the dragging of the book had to do with her trying to stretch the content of her article to make it book length.  The book is broken down into three parts, with each part having chapters. Part One and half of Two are littered with historical facts and statistics that don't really have a place in the story (she also seems to think that America's inflated ego and the rise of such trash as the Kardashians was made possible by the crashing down of the Berlin Wall. Seriously?). It felt like reading a term paper where someone had just thrown in a bunch of junk to meet the word requirements their professor had set for the assignment. And she appears to be liberal, as she threw in some political jabs that were unnecessary (George W Bush is like Paris Hilton? Its his fault that the Bling Ring kids used the Internet to stalk celebs because of what his administration did? Um, no.). I try to leave my political affiliation out of my reviews, but I really hate when people throw theirs into their work for no reason other than they can. It really took all I had to keep reading through those beginning parts. It bored me.

The second half of Part Two though, and all of Three, finally focused on the case. It really got into the story, and that was interesting. The only two that really talked were Nick and Alexis (Diana, Rachel and Courtney were the other main players), and their stories were so different, you really had to wonder who was telling the truth. Or maybe neither one of them was. When Nancy Jo tried to talk to the other defendants, their lawyers wouldn't allow it, or would deny any comment made (mostly by Nick). Nick sold out his friends on the advice of his attorney (who turned out to be shady himself), Alexis tried to distance herself while still speaking out because she was on teevee (you can still see the season of Pretty Wild, her show, on Netflix. Its pretty funny, even though its not supposed to be.). You can see her story change several times in the book, which I thought was interesting. What was also interesting, was Nancy Jo recalling a night when she kept getting calls from Alexis's mom, but she didn't answer.  They turned out to be from Alexis,who kept leaving voicemails. She was saying the same thing over and over. I remember her doing that from the show. And Nancy Jo put in her book that that whole incident was in fact scripted for Pretty Wild, so she was glad she didn't answer! (The book also shows just how scripted Pretty Wild was. Its amazing. Its pretty much a sitcom with that much script.) 

For all the crap in the first parts of the book, I really enjoyed the last part. It even made me want to rent the movie (and I did, review tomorrow!) I can only half recommend this book though. If the first part of the book didn't exist, I could wholeheartedly recommend it. But it does, so I can't. If you want the abbreviated version though, you can always read the article :) 

Links:



Ms. Hilton by The Penfifteen Club
(since the Bling Ring Broke into her house five times)

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

WoW Wednesday- Oh Sylvanas

I don't really have anything WoW related to say this week- I'm trying to write up a series of WoW posts meant for beginners to the game. So I'll just leave you with this picture found on WoW Insider. I think WoW Barbies would be awesome and I would buy them all.....just throwing that out there. Happy Wednesday everyone!!

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Raid Snacks- Geeky Sprinkles!

Today I would like to share with you a tasty Kickstarter for Geeky Sprinkles! The brainchild of Tara Theoharis (aka The Geeky Hostess), these fun sprinkles are perfect for Doctor Who, Steampunk or wizard enthusiasts.

Her goal is set at $33,500, and her Kickstarter ends on February 19th, 2014. The sprinkles will be made and bottled in the United States, so there's no worry about overseas hangups. There are plenty of incentives at every price point (some featured below), and remember that every little bit helps (for $3 you get Sprinkle Karma. Who couldn't use some good karma in their lives?).



I asked Tara if she plans on expanding her Geeky Sprinkle line to other designs if her Kickstarter reaches funding, and also if there are any other types of cooking supplies she'd like to sell in the future. This is what she said: 

If the Kickstarter is wildly successful, I'd love to branch out to other sprinkle designs. I want to make what the backers want, so I've been listening to suggestions. I've heard requests for pirate and zombie-themed sprinkles as well as a lot of licensed shapes. If it can be small, one color, and recognizable, it's possible!

My dream would be to have a well-known geeky sprinkle and baking accessory brand. Ultimately, we'd have everything a craft or baking store would have, but created exclusively for the brand. Cupcake liners, boxes, recipe cards, tea towels, you name it! 

Any future shapes or cooking supplies is entirely based on how well this Kickstarter goes. I've been thrilled to see the response so far and can't wait to see what the future holds!

I think everything mentioned above sounds fantastic! If you haven't had a chance to read her blog, you should. She has all sorts of creative, geeky and yummy ideas on there. And definitely donate to her Kickstarter, lets see these Geeky Sprinkles in action!

Important links:
Geeky Sprinkles Kickstarter
The Geeky Hostess Blog



Monday, January 20, 2014

Monday Mix Up #14

Hello and Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! My daughter is having surgery this morning, and I am an anxious mommy (but trying to hide it for her sake). The posts for this week will mostly be queued (which is my standard), but I thought I'd mention it in case anyone wants to think that I'm taking time away from her to be on the computer. I will be checking my email and Instagram occasionally from my phone though, so if you need to reach me, that's the best way. Today's mix up is dedicated to wishes and dreams, as Dr. King had a big one for all of mankind, that while it has become true in some ways (desegregation) is still not in others (discrimination, racism). And while I don't think humanity will ever be completely rid of those things, it wouldn't hurt to tone it down a little bit.



"Its a world of laughter/A world of tears.
Its a world of hope/And a world of fears.
There's so much that we share/ That its time
we're aware/ Its a small world after all."







B.oB. ft Hayley Williams- Airplanes


Friday, January 17, 2014

Recently

This is the first of my Currently/Recently posts. I'm not sure if I'll keep these up, but I've seen them done on so many other other blogs and I love them, so hopefully they can find their place here on KMT.

Happenings: The Wienermobile was in town recently. I succeeded in getting a Weenie Whistle, even though I had to embarrass myself greatly by singing in public to get it. And shout out to our local paper, who felt the need to print that in an article the next day :)




Listened To: I love this song. They hardly play it on the radio, and that's a shame. Guess I need to stop procrastinating and buy it from iTunes already.




Watched: The Real Housewives of Atlanta and Beverly Hills. Atlanta was the first Housewives show I watched, and its always been my favorite. Beverly Hills is getting really stale and I'm not sure I'll be watching it next season. Kim needs to go, Brandi needs to shut up, and Yolanda needs to get back to being nice.


Read:
 
I should have a review about it up soon. I want to watch the movie now.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Krystelle's Book Club- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green


"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars/But in ourselves." Easy enough to say when you're a Roman nobleman (or Shakespeare!), but there is no shortage of fault to be found amid our stars." pg 111

Wanting to keep up on my goals for the year, I knew I needed to start reading a book right away. Rather than dash straight to Amazon to see what the hot new book to read is, I started to browsing through the stack of books/downloaded Kindle books I'd bought last year, but never had the chance to read. It didn't take me long to decide on one. I'd purchased The Fault in Our Stars right after I'd finished reading for Looking  for Alaska- which was supposed to be the first book review I did for this blog (oops) and also made me a huge John Green fan. 

Now I will try to write this review without any spoilers, but I can't guarantee it. I had heard that this book was sad, heartbreaking even. And I had heard that crying was to be expected while reading it. But that didn't deter me. I finished the book in two days (hey, I have kids to take care of, or it would've been sooner). And yeah, the book is sad. Heartbreaking really. I did get that feeling in my throat a few times like I was going to cry, but no tears actually came out. The movie is set to come out this summer, and while I'd really like to see it in theaters, I know I won't. I will rent it, because having actual people faces to place in this story will make me sad enough to actually cry. And nobody wants to ugly cry in a theater. But on to the book!

"And yet still I worried. I liked being a person. I wanted to keep at it. Worry is yet another side effect of dying." pg 65

At the beginning of the book we meet Hazel Grace Lancaster- a sixteen year old girl living on borrowed time thanks to a cancer drug named Phalanxifor. She is forced by her parents to go to a support group for children with cancer and its there that she meets seventeen year old Augustus Waters- an amputee, thanks to cancer. Augustus is drawn to Hazel instantly, but it takes her a little longer to warm up to him. Their relationship advances quickly, but one assumes that with the cancer comes the ever present reminder that tomorrow is not promised, so its okay.

"(Off topic, but: What a slut time is. She screws everybody.)" pg 112

The pair bond over Hazel's favorite book, An Imperial Affliction, which ultimately leads to a trip to Amsterdam (where the book's author lives), funded by the Genies (the fictitious Make-A-Wish). Its Augustus's wish and Hazel wonders how he receives it if he is considered not terminal. The meeting with the author was....not what they expected, but the rest of the trip was magic (as it should be for a Wish).

"Some tourists think Amsterdam is a city of sin, but in truth it is a city of freedom. And in freedom, most people find sin." pg 157

I can't say much more without giving everything away- but some foreshadowing a little more than halfway through the book pretty much prepares you for the twist you don't think is coming. (Hint: its easier to spot if you've known someone who has had cancer. My grandfather was that person for me.) The book is beautiful though. It doesn't sugar coat its serious subjects (cancer/loss), and it shows you how great young love can be (minus all the sap). John Green gives this generation of teens a chance to pick up a book and read something equally intelligent and relevant to today's lifestyle (Hazel reflects more than once on how people respond to death on Facebook). But more importantly, he seems to give them a chance to get inside themselves, to react and feel.

"It seemed like forever ago, like we'd had this brief but still infinite forever. Some infinities are bigger than other infinities." pg 233

Even though this is a Young Adult novel, I recommend reading it- regardless of age.

Find John Green online:

*Page numbers with the quotes are from the Kindle. I'm not sure if they're different than the actual book.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

WoW Wednesday- In-Game Etiquette for Newbies (and maybe some not so noobs)

Since my husband and I are taking advantage of the revamped Recruit- A-Friend perks and goodies, I have been spending a lot of my recent WoW time in dungeons. And with that, I have been seeing a lot of behaviors that you didn't used to see too much in the game. Some of it might be because there are a lot of new players, and the game is set up to be so face roll easy  now, that most of them aren't taking the time to learn about their class. Also, guilds don't seem to be as helpful as they once were. They're basically just cranking out crap players now that the realization has set in that  most people only want a guild for their perks, so new players don't have the  people resources that a Vanilla or BC guild could offer (although, a level 25 guild can give you all the perks you need for leveling without using RAF, so there's that...) Keeping all that in mind, I thought I would take this opportunity to write a little etiquette post for all you new WoW players that just might not know that you're pissing people off in groups (and for those of you veteran players that just need to stop being so  rude).

Back in the old days, you had to spam trade chat to find members for a group you wanted to run. It could take hours before you finally had every class you needed. So when Blizzard added the LFG (looking for group) function to the game, I think a lot of people breathed a little sigh of relief. Finally, no more hour long searches! Except, with the LFG came all the ninjas and baddies. Who cares if you ninja loot in a LFG dungeon? The likelihood of you playing with those people again is slim. And sucking? Same thing. LFG has now been edited to allow a party to kick someone for whatever reason they may have, but all it does it give that person a timer, and then they're free to get back in the queue and do it again and again to some other groups. Its frustrating having to deal with these types of people. So first things first- don't be a ninja! What's a ninja you ask? A ninja is a person who needs on gear that they don't really need. For example, a mage needing on a pair of plate gloves. Mages can't wear plate! So what's the point of rolling on it? Vendoring it for gold or to disenchant it for mats. Blizzard has tried to prevent this in higher levels, once you hit Outlands' dungeons, you can no longer need on things you can't use. But until then (like from level 15 when you can start using LFG until about level 57), you can enter an instance and need on whatever drops, regardless of its use to you. Also, if you need on things in a group, it now becomes soulbound to you, which didn't happen before. Back in the day, people would need on things that were bind on equip (BOE), and then sell them for crazy amounts on the Auction House. Now they just need on them and vendor them. And while we're on the subject of rolls, you should only need on items that pertain to the spec you're in unless you ask. Like if a Pally is in a group as a tank, but something that a healer or other caster can use drops and the tank needs it for his heal spec. If he rolls against the healer or DPS and wins, but its a real upgrade to the other person, is that fair? I say no. Because as a caster, I can't roll on your tank stuff, so why can you roll on my caster gear? If it looks like nobody in your group needs the item though, its best to put a line out in group like "mind if I need for OS?" and usually everyone will say sure. You look like a considerate player, and you get your gear. Win-win. I would also say that, as a caster (Mage/Warlock), if something drops that has Spirit on it, but it would be huge upgrade for you, inspect your healer before you role. Intellect and Stamina are shared stats between all casters, but Spirit is mainly for healers (helps with their mana regeneration, which if you want to get technical, can help you too). If you roll on it without asking, and win, prepare for others in your group to yell "But that's a heal (insert item here)! It has Spirit!". Alternately, nobody will yell at a healer when they roll on something that has Critical Strike (which they don't need) and no Spirit , so get ready for that too.

Also, its a good idea to know what your class needs as far as gear and stats. Because if you're rolling for things with stats and armor qualities you can't use you're going to look like a ninja, and you're also going to look like an idiot. For example, I have run into a quite a few players wearing a mishmash of gear lately. The other day, there was a hunter in one of my groups who was wearing mostly cloth (hunters should be wearing leather or mail) with Intellect and Spirit. Okay. Like I stated above, those are caster stats, and mostly for healers. Hunters need Agility. Needless to say, his DPS (damage per second) was low, and was the laughing stock of the group. People will inspect you. It pays to know the class you're playing. Read the information tab when you're creating your toons, or even look in your specialization book once you've started. In the general tab (where you're guild perks and things are), it will show you what type of armor and what type of weapons you can use.

When you're in a group, each person has a designated role. There is a tank, healer and three DPS. Tanks can get really angry if you're a DPS trying to pull things. Let the tank pull. It will make your life so much easier. And also, accept the fact that tanks tend to come with inflated egos. You will also need to stay close to the healer. Make sure you are in their line of sight and in their heal range, otherwise you will die. Any time a group fails, the healer gets blamed for it, accept that too. Mages are considered a face roll class, as in, you just roll your face over the keyboard to play one. Hunters, or huntards, are considered the dumb ones. Rogues and Paladins are always considered the OP (overpowered) classes. Every class has some stereotype, and sometimes, someone might say something to you. I say, as long it doesn't get too rude or disrespectful, just let it go. It is just a game after all. But if they keep hounding you, or it just gets out of control, that's what the report function is for (and then kick, because who wants to finish a group with a douchebag?). But that is for extreme cases only.  I always feel a little sorry for people that have to hide behind a computer screen to bully. It makes you wonder whats going on in their life that's making them that way.

So to review:
1. Don't be a ninja.
2. If needing for your off-spec, ask before you roll.
3. Know your class.
4. Be nice.


Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Happy Mail- International Geek Girl Pen Pals Club Version 2

I have written about the International Geek Girl Pen Pals Club before (you can read it here) and how great I think it is. If you follow me on Instagram though, you may have recently seen me bitch about the swaps that go on through the site. Basically, I've had horrible luck with their swaps- always sending stuff out and rarely receiving anything in return. It was frustrating, especially when all the other Iggles were posting pictures of all the great stuff they were getting. I felt a little hurt and left out. And I almost let those experiences ruin the site for me. Almost. But I've decided that I will probably will just forgo the swap aspect of the site from here on out in favor of all the positives it has to offer. (Also, I'd like to point out that Kara sent me a super sweet surprise Christmas package as a way of making up for my bad luck with the swaps. She didn't have to do that, and that's just the type of greatness that can occur through the site)

I love signing up for Rounds- I've met some really great ladies through them. Their blog, +5 Charisma, has a variety of topics that suit every type of geek interest, and the forums are equally as varied as well as active. The IGGPPC has recently moved to a new site- just in time for Round 10 of pen pal sign ups- and its amazing! Along with a redesign, they've added something I think is totally cool- achievements! They're kinda like the achievements in WoW (and I'm a huge achievement whore), but a little more difficult to find. I think the achievements add a little something extra (those Chief Iggles were channeling their inner Elle Woods) to the Iggle experience, and it might awaken the competitive giant in some of us ladies. Sign ups for Round 10 (with a cute Monsters theme) begin tomorrow, but if you just can't wait- you can donate $5 to the site for VIP registration that allows you access to the sign ups now! I hope you'll join me for Round 10 and see you around the IGGPPC site! And make sure to tell Kimberlee congratulations on her Ninja status with the Iggles. You may remember her as a contributor to the BlizzCon 2013 recap post and she was also my very first WoW player profile.

 A

PS Don't forget to enter my Datevitation giveaway! Or visit the Datevitation website and use code MISSTELLS for $10 off your order and free shipping.

Monday, January 13, 2014

Woot, Woot- Its Loot, Loot! A Giveaway from Datevitation :) (CLOSED)

Back at the end of Novemeber, Mariko of  Gamer Wife held a pretty awesome giveaway for a Datevitation booklet. The idea really intrigued me. Its like those coupon books that you see in stores that you can give to your significant other for "One Free Hug", except its about hundred times cooler and a lot more original. But getting back to the giveaway, I put in all the entries I could, and I won! And I love my Datevitation so much that I now have the extreme pleasure of offering one to you- just in time for Valentine's Day! Yay!

So what is Datevitation exactly? Well, its the first online platform to create these awesome custom love books. The customization on these are amazing. The Add Your Face feature is fun, I put in our faces, and then chose hairstyles that my husband and I don't normally use, just to make it silly. Also, each date idea comes already written, but if you would like to write your own description of what you'd like to do (and trust me, for those 18 and over adult options, you might want to *wink*), you can. Just no crazy symbols and it has to be in the English alphabet. There are also over 500 date ideas in their library. Yep. I had such a difficult time choosing just a couple! I probably could have created a novel with all the ideas I loved, but hey, there are always other occasions to make one.
(That's me!)

Datevitation is a family business ran by the husband-wife team Alex and Olga Karpman. They offer video guides to date ideas and romantic gestures on the Datevitation blog. You can imagine that they know a thing or two about romantic gestures, since their marriage proposal video has over 1.5 million views on YouTube (watch it here) and its so cute. 

Have I sold you on these coupon books awesomeness yet? I hope so. But if you're still on the fence about them, let me just bring it all home for you. You don't even have to use these for a romantic partner. Nope. These books are awesome to give to friends, friends you're hoping to pull out of the friendzone or even your children. There are so many different ideas for every type of relationship, you won't be disappointed.


Now all the details. Datevitation currently only ships to the US and Canada, but you don't have to be a resident of either one of these great countries to enter our giveaway! Just make sure that you have someone who will let you use their mailing address and you're good to go (what you do with it from there is between you guys though!). Books start at just $25 (a deal for such a personal gift) but if you enter MISTELLS at checkout you'll receive $10 off plus free shipping on your order (that's a savings of $13.50). The code is good now through February 27th, 2014. If you're ordering for Valentine's Day, make sure to create yours before February 3rd to ensure its arrival before the big day.




a Rafflecopter giveaway Good luck and remember, enter MISSTELLS for $10 off and free shipping!

Friday, January 3, 2014

Its Goal Settin' Time- The Renaissance Project Revival


Everybody makes New Year's Resolutions, and usually breaks them within the first month. Or maybe that's just me, which is why I stopped making resolutions years ago. Instead, I like to set goals. I am a chronic goal setter. But I am also a chronic non-achiever, in that, I still usually end up falling short of meeting my goals.

At the start of 2011, I started a New Year's project for myself called The Renaissance Project. It was loosely based on a very old diary entry of mine, where I mused that being a Renaissance woman (in a more modern context) is what I needed to be loved (I was like fifteen at the time, and every movie I was watching had the gorgeous, popular boy falling for the artistic, worldly girl. I wanted that so bad, I just had to be that girl.), and also the very definition of Renaissance that was taught in history class- great changes, all for the betterment of mankind. I started the year off fairly well, until six days into that new year, my grandmother passed away. We knew it was coming, she was ready for it (or so she told me every day after she got really sick), but it hurt. It still hurts. We were very close, and it just hit me so hard. I tried to continue with the project. I was determined to finish something for once, because she has seen me try and fail at so many things, but she always supported me. But the pain got to be too much, the depression too great, and after our birthdays in March, I gave up. Then last year I decided to try again. I even made a website to document it and everything (The Renaissance Project). I thought that maybe I'd gain followers, become accountable to someone other than myself, and that would finally be the trick to succeeding. But can you guess what happened? That's right. I wasn't meeting my goals and I gave up. Again. I like the idea of the blog, and that's why I never took it down. And I might use it again. But for now, I will be attempting the Renaissance Project for the third time, and sharing it here. With you. Below are the first versions of the goals I've set for myself for this year. They will change, I guarantee it. I might meet some of them and expand them. Or I might find that they just aren't working and eliminate them. But I will keep up with them and I will keep going. I have to.

Personal Goals:
*lose 20lbs
*visit the Old Zoo in LA
*read 10 books
*keep up with Rat Queens and Sex Criminals
*visit one National Park
*more road trips
*make more time to be creative
*Project Life (by month, not week)

For the Blog:
*four giveaways (first one starts January 13th!)
*more contributors (if interested, please email jenarynkrystelle@gmail.com)
*new segements- The  Renaissance Project and Currently
*book/comic book reviews (for reals this year)
*a mini series on explorations from Keri Smith's book How to Be an Explorer of the World: Portable Life Museum
*be a contributor on someone else's blog
*improve my social media presence (especially the blog's FB and Twitter)


So there you have it. This is some of what I hope to accomplish this year. I hope 2014 is everything everyone wants it to be :)


Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Happy 2014!

I hope everyone had a very safe and fun New Year's night, and I hope all of you  have a wonderful 2014. As always, the start of a new year often makes people reflective and gives them a new hope for the year. Maybe this will finally be the year something great happens. Or maybe not. In any event, I will have a proper post about all that another day. Today is for everyone to go outside and see what this new year has in store for them. To feel great about the possibilities. And to maybe nurse that hangover :)





One Republic- Counting Stars
"Old/But I'm not that old.
Young/ But I'm not that bold."
"Everything that kills me/
Makes me feel alive."