Sunday, May 25, 2014

Currently/Recently

Watching-
Firefly! Its about damn time, right?! Its been sitting in my Netflix queue forever, but my husband and I have finally made the time to start watching it. Its pretty freaking awesome. 

Reading-
Lumberjanes! Well, not really. I have been desperately trying to secure a physical copy of issue number one that doesn't cost a million dollars and have had no luck. I did get number two and added it to my comic subscription list, but I am hesitant to read it without reading number one first. I have been keeping up with the other comics in my subscription though (Ms. Marvel, Sex Criminals, Rat Queens, She-Hulk and Deadly Class), so that makes me happy. I am also getting ready to reread The Fault in our Stars. All the pictures of that book blowing up my Instagram feed lately has made me want to read it again. 

Listening- 

Ed Sheeran- Sing

The Lonely Island ft Pharrell Williams- Hugs
I have been listening to this song since The Wack Album was released, and was excited to see that they made a video for it to play while Andy hosted SNL's season finale last week. The song in the video is a little different than the song on the CD, but its still good. 

Happenings-
Currently, I am sick. It might just be really bad allergies, but either way, it blows. I am sneezing nonstop and my throat is so itchy and hurty! Bummer that it has to happen right before I have more dental work done (the past few weeks have involved a root canal and a deep cleaning, I just need to get a crown and a filling and I should be good to go). To me, there's nothing worse than having to have your mouth open for long periods of time when you're not feeling well, its like asking to vomit (or is that just me?). Its also my son's last week of school. I can't believe the school year is over already! I am relieved though. I have really been hating on his school this year. Its like they don't even care about educating the kids....but that's a rant for another day.

A couple weeks ago, my husband and I went to see Jay Mohr perform his stand-up with my sister-in-law and her boyfriend. She'd actually purchased the tickets as a birthday present for my husband and as an anniversary present for her boyfriend. Not going to lie, we all came in with expectations kinda low. The role I could most easily place him in was moderator for BlizzCon's costume contests. Ouch. But I guess he does a sports radio show, so there were a lot of dudes in the audience. There were also a lot of old people there, which was surprising. I think they were surprised too, because most of them were visibly offended by Jay's act (and really offended by his opener- Dean Delray). The show was dirty and vulgar and pretty awesome. When we went to see Aziz Ansari, it was good. He was funny, but it all felt really rehearsed and scheduled. Dean and Jay were both really out there, and actually responded to hecklers in the audience....it just a little more natural. Also, they took the time to come out to the front of the venue after the show for pictures and things, which was pretty cool.

Around that time, we found that the kittens had returned to our backyard (have I mentioned the kittens here? I know I have on Instagram). I was determined to keep them here this time, so I put more food and water out for the mommy kitty in hopes that she'd stay. I checked on the kittens constantly, as she had placed them in a shed this time (my mother-in-law left it full of junk...we rent from her..). Things seemed to be okay, but after two days we noticed that the sickest looking kitten had disappeared. We thought maybe it had wandered off, since they were pretty mobile by that point. Well....sadly that was not the case. A few days later the other kittens were making horrible cries that had drawn the attention of our neighbors. I went to check on them and saw that another kitten had gone missing, yet I could hear her. We moved a bunch of stuff around and found her stuck in a box. And upon removing her from the box, my husband found the sickest kitty behind the box...dead. I was devastated. The kitties were looking rough, one was dead, and I hadn't seen the mommy kitty since we found the kittens in the shed. So we called the cat rescue people and they finally agreed to take the remaining two kittens. They were both very ill with upper respiratory viruses and fleas, so the chance of them surviving I was told, was slim. I haven't had the nerve to call them and find out, but I do have a claim on the spotty one if she makes it :)
The orange one in the middle is the one that passed away. The white one with spots is the one I'm hoping we'll get when/if she recovers. Also in backyard news- this cat:
I feed this one, since it pretty much lives in my backyard now. I think he/she has some relation to the kittens. I've named it Oreo, just because I hate just calling it Kitty. 

I also got caught up in the parking pass drama related to SDCC. I managed to get parking passes late that night, but boy was it a pain! Maybe next year they can use a different parking company? Or maybe that parking company can use servers that can handle that type of traffic? But on the good side of San Diego Comic-Con (besides the fact that I'm going), I did get tickets to see Nerdist Podcast Live! Super excited for that, I really love Chris Hardwick. Anyone know of anything else that's going on that Saturday and Sunday? Those are the only con-related days I'll be there.

So that's it for me right now. I hope everyone has a safe Memorial Day weekend, and while you're out there B-B-Qing, please remember to take a second to reflect on all that the Armed Forces has done and will continue to do for us as a nation. 



Friday, May 23, 2014

Poppin' Off- Pokemon X and Y Happy Meal Toys

Pokemon has become a household staple and I am thrilled that the McDonald's Happy Meal toys have finally transitioned from the Spider-Man toys to the Pokemon ones. I'm sure that I will now be spending way too much time at McDonald's trying to get all the Pokemon toys for my children (or maybe I'll just turn to eBay if I get desperate enough), but that's alright. Just remember that the Pokemon toys are considered the "boy" toys (they are having a concurrent promotion of American Girl toys for the "girl" toy), so if its presented to you in that way, just ask for the boy toys. I know that for the next few weeks (June 12th is the last day for the Pokemon toys I believe) I will have two boys while at McDonald's.

Visit the Happy Meal website for some cool  Pokemon printables too (found under the Activities tab). 

And here is a video by Kurt Hugo Schneider ft Lindsey Stirling doing a Dubstep version of the Pokemon theme song. I really enjoyed it (and what creepy timing YouTube, for sending me an email with this link right when I'm doing a post about Pokemon toys...)



I hope you all have a great weekend! And to my US readers, happy Memorial Day weekend. Enjoy the extra day off :)

Saturday, May 17, 2014

#Cosplay Video (#Selfie Parody) VS. #Selfie by the Chainsmokers

This is the first in a new column I like to call Versus. And it's exactly like it sounds. I pick two (or three, or four....) like things and compare. I hope you enjoy!

I came across this YouTube video the other day, made by Nerd Reactor. There are a lot of cosplayers in the video that you will recognize (and yes, that is Lindsey Stirling at the beginning of the video!). I thought it was pretty fun. It captured the spirit of the original song but applied it to cosplay.


And the original, #Selfie by the Chainsmokers. I really don't like this song. It gets played on the radio here all the time. My favorite part of the song is when the girl says ratchet, because white girls trying to be ghetto and saying things like ratchet is hilarious to me (and I can say that, I'm the whitest white girl you will ever meet).

The verdict: Honestly, both videos made eyes hurt from all the selfies and hashtags flashing onscreen. But I think the cosplay video wins....because its cosplay (and slightly less annoying than the original).

Which video do you prefer?

Friday, May 16, 2014

Keeping Up With The Cons- This Weekend

If you're in California and looking for some comic book fun this weekend, there are a couple of small conventions going on.

This Saturday and Sunday (May 17th and 18th) is the Big Wow ComicFest at the San Jose Convention Center. Ticket prices at the door are $25 for an adult one day ticket or $35 for an adult two day ticket. Children's prices are $15 for a one day ticket and $20 for a two day ticket. Children are considered 8-14yrs old. They have a lot of guests attending and some after hours programming. There's also a Batman Museum and a Monster Film festival at the convention.



If you feel like braving the heat this weekend, head to Bakersfield for Bakersfield Collector-Con. Located in the Marriott, its only $5 to attend. And, if you wear a costume, its only $2.50! This convention is Sunday (May 18th) only. Its going to be a very small convention, but there's a chance to audition for a zombie movie!

Are there any conventions I've missed? Let me know in the comments. Have a great weekend!


Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Krystelle's Book Club- Camp Boyfriend and Camp Payback by J.K. Rock Giveaway! (GIVEAWAY CLOSED)

CAMP PAYBACK
By J.K. Rock


 Camp Boyfriend #2

Young Adult Contemporary Romance

Released April 29, 2014

Published by Spencer Hill



Alex has big plans for camp this year, starting with making it the best summer ever. Having fun and breaking some rules will get her the payback she wants against her parents and her ex-boyfriend. Because of his disgusting texts, she's headed to a super strict all-girls school in the fall. Then she meets Javier and revenge doesn't seem nearly as important as getting to know the troubled loner determined to keep a low profile at camp. But Alex's trouble-magnet personality and Javier's need to stay in the background don't mix nearly as well as their irresistible chemistry. With her home life eroding under her feet and her last year of summer camp speeding to a close, Alex wants to make her mark on the world and squeeze every bit of fun out of her time with Javier. Too bad her old plans for revenge turn back on her just in time to ruin everything. Will she lose Javier too?



About the Author

J. K. Rock is the pseudonym for YA writing partners - and sisters-in-law - Joanne & Karen Rock. Although they started out sharing an annual shopping trip, they ended up discussing their favorite films and books, joining the same book club and talking about writing... a lot. Their debut novel, Camp Boyfriend, is the first in a three-book series plotted during family pool parties. Their creative partnership is unique in that they enjoy passing a book back and forth, each adding a chapter and fine-tuning the chapter before. Years of friendship has yielded a shared voice and vision for their work that makes writing a pleasure. Learn more about Karen and Joanne at http://jkrock.net






 Camp Boyfriend #1



The summer of her dreams is about to get a reality check.
They said it couldn't be done, but geeky sophomore Lauren Carlson transformed herself into a popular girl after moving to a new school halfway across the country. Amazing what losing her braces and going out for cheerleading will do. Only trouble is, the popular crowd is wearing on Lauren's nerves and she can't wait to return to summer camp where she's valued for her brain instead of her handsprings. She misses her old friends and most of all, her long time camp-only boyfriend, Seth. This year she intends to upgrade their relationship to year-round status once she's broken up with her new, jock boyfriend, Matt. He doesn't even begin to know the real her, a girl fascinated by the night sky who dreams of discovering new planets and galaxies.
But Matt isn't giving her up without a fight. As he makes his case to stay together, Lauren begins to realize his feelings run deeper than she ever would have guessed. What if the guy she thought she was meant to be with forever isn't really The One? Returning to Camp Juniper Point was supposed to ground her uprooted life, but she's more adrift than ever. Everything feels different and soon Lauren's friends are turning on her and both guys question what she really wants. As summer tensions escalate, Lauren wonders if she's changed more than she thought. Will her first big discovery be herself?








a Rafflecopter giveaway

Krystelle's Book Club- Camp Boyfriend and Camp Payback by J.K. Rock Reviews

Remember a few Recentlys back when I hinted that I had something fun coming up relating to Camp Boyfriend? Well, its finally here! The second book in the series, Camp Payback has just been released, and in honor, the publishers are having a giveaway! To avoid a seriously long post, I've broken this thing up in two, and the giveaway is in the post above. This post will contain my review of both books, and a guest post about payback written by one of the authors of the book.

This is the first time I've ever worked with a publisher, so I hope I'm doing this right :) I feel like I should let you know that I received e-versions of both Camp Boyfriend and Camp Payback for free in exchange for my honest review of the books. Additionally, I have no part in the giveaway that's listed in the other post. That is all the publisher's doing. But it is open internationally, and the prizes are pretty awesome. Also, you might want to check out some of the other blogs on this tour. Its been interesting to read what other bloggers think of the books. 

Camp Boyfriend 
Camp Boyfriend is the first book in the Camp series. We meet Lauren, a girl who has spent the last year living a lie. Due to a move from New York to Texas, she has seized the chance to reinvent herself from nerd girl to popular cheerleader, hot football boyfriend included. As we meet her on the last day of her sophomore year, she struggles with this, and she can't wait to get away from it all and get back to her nerdy self at Camp Juniper Point. There she has a great group of nerdy girls, and an equally nerdy camp boyfriend named Seth. But just when she thinks she's about to get out, football hottie Matt tells her that he's having some family issues that he needs to escape from, and he's coming to camp with her; foiling her plans to breaking up with him before her departure to camp. From there, Lauren's summer is spent trying to figure out if she wants the jock or the geek, in addition to trying to figure out if there is some balance between her own new identity versus her old one. Her new look and interests have hurt her old friends in Munchies Manor, while simultaneously making the Divas Den (their cabin's most hated rivals) much  more invested in her life.

There was a lot I loved about this book. Lauren reminded me a lot of Liz from MTV's My Life as Liz, except in the reverse. While Liz was a Texas girl who had been popular until she decided not to be by expressing her like for comics, etc, Lauren was a New York transplant who took her move to Texas as an opportunity to reinvent herself as a non-nerd. I think a lot of people would change their circumstance if given the chance, so its easy to relate to. And while at camp, Lauren's cabin mates reminded me of a modern day Babysitter's Club, minus their need to watch children. There is a Claudia in free spirited and artistic Trinity, a Mary Anne in uber uptight and smart girl Siobhan, a Kristy in extremely athletic girl Jackie, a Stacey in boy fixated Alex, and a Dawn in Earth loving Piper. The story really flowed well, and I read it in about a day. I just had to know which boy Lauren had chosen and if things with her family worked out (They were a bit Sixteen Candles towards her. Not forgetting her birthday- but the focus was on her sister getting married, and not at all on an academic pursuit she was hoping for.). It ends how you would expect it to, which is fun, but it also leaves you wanting more. 

My rating *4.8/5*

Camp Payback
I started reading Camp Payback right away. This time, the story is mainly focused on Alex, the drama queen at camp who has be reserved the rest of the year because of her famous parents. Her parents write a blog called Wholesome Home, and it highlights all their parenting successes (her brother Andrew) and all their failures (Alex). After a vindictive camp ex-boyfriend sends her a text that gets her a guaranteed spot to an all girls school, Alex is determined to have the most fun and get in the most trouble she can this summer at Camp Juniper Point- her summer of payback to her parents. The catch? Her parents are up for a reality show, and some time during the summer, a camera crew will be popping in on Alex. Not to mention Alex's crush happens to be a boy who is working at the camp to stay out of a group home because his mom is in prison....

I have to admit that while I was eager to start the book, once I started it, I had to put it down for a bit. It wasn't because the writing is horrible, because its not. It was more of a preference thing for me. The premise of Alex's parents blogging was a big draw for me, not only because I am a blogger, but because I follow a few parenting/lifestyle blogs and sometimes I think to myself "I wonder if they would've done that if they knew they weren't going to be blogging about it later?" What made me put it down at first is that its told in a split perspective- half told by Alex, and the other half by Javier, the worker boy whose mom is in prison. I am not a fan of stories told that way, its a huge reason why I have yet to finish Allegiant. Anyway, after leaving the book to settle for a few days, I picked it up again. While I didn't care for the way the story was told, I did care how it ended. I was eager to see how Alex's life turned out, and even Javier's. 

The book dealt with heavier issues than Camp Boyfriend, but it was done in a way that wasn't preachy and that YA audiences can relate to. There were some new characters brought in that I thought were a little underdeveloped and underused, but now that I know there's a third book being written (yay!), perhaps they'll get more time in the next story.

My rating *3.6/5*



 Payback, Karen style J
By J.K. Rock

In our April release, CAMP PAYBACK, our main character, Alex Martineau, is determined to get payback against her parents and her ex-boyfriend. His disgusting text prompted them to banish her to a super-strict all-girls school when summer’s over. All she has is two months to have fun and get into a little, innocent trouble. And I can relate! As a teenager, my eleventh grade Social teacher took discipline to Hitler level. In fact, he was impressed with the Nazis and spent a lot of time making fun of the ‘weak’ Mussolini and the Italians in WWII. This really bugged me and my friend Laura because we were the only two Italians in the class, besides hot Greg Brienza who slept through most of class and never noticed.

I was one of those girls like Kayla, the main character in our third novel in the series, CAMP FORGET-ME-NOT, who never said her real thoughts out loud. I was too afraid of making other people upset or that they wouldn't like me. But my best friend, Laura, was- and still is- like an extension of me. I could tell her anything. We talked a lot about how much we hated our Social teacher for making insulting comments about Italians. Worse yet, Mr. M would point to Laura and I (and a dozing Greg) after saying them and ask us if we agreed. As if! Since Laura was quiet (in front of adults) like me, she just shrugged. But inside, she was boiling too, especially when Mr. M made jokes to get the rest of the class laughing at Italians.

Christmas came and a brilliant, but risky payback plan came to us while we were in the mall. We passed a store that sold cheap lingerie, and I commented how funny it would be to give something like that to our uptight teacher. To my surprise, Laura hauled me in there and we bought the tackiest set of red, ruffled, see-through lingerie I’d ever seen. We couldn't stop laughing every time we pulled it out of the bag. Since we were having a sleepover, we wrapped it up that night and put a big bow on it. We couldn't wait until Monday to sneak it onto our Social teacher’s desk. For the first time, ever, I couldn't wait to get to school. Before Social, I asked to go to the bathroom before the bell rang. I grabbed the present from my locker (hidden in a bag) fast-walked to Mr. M’s room and peaked in. Luckily he wasn't there and I put the present on his desk before dashing back to my other class. I gave Laura a thumbs up as we walked to his class, and we had to hold in our smiles when we took our seats.

Mr. M came in after the bell and made a big fuss when he spotted the present. He exclaimed at what a nice surprise it was from our class and since everyone was basically afraid of him, no one denied that they’d given it to him. It took every ounce of will power not to look at Laura as he undid the elaborate wrapping, lifted the box cover and pawed through the layers of tissue paper. His dumbfounded, shocked expression was priceless when he held up the lingerie, trying to figure out what it was. The class was hysterical with everyone laughing and finally, I could give in and join them. It was awesome. Mr. M got so mad that his face turned purple, especially when Greg Brienza (who’d woken at all the noise and seen the gift) fell backwards in his chair from laughing so hard.

Laura and I, ‘the innocent quiet girls’, got away with this payback prank. To this day, no one- except now you- knows we were behind it. It became a legend in our class and school and- poor Greg Brienza- got detention for ‘distracting the class’. Mr. M blamed him and muttered something about Italians… but it was the last negative thing he said about our nationality. Justice was served!


Find out more about the camp series and us at http://www.jkrock.net or http://www.campboyfriend.net Order Camp Payback in print or ebook at http://amzn.to/1fHPv9m (Amazon) or  http://bit.ly/1nW6nh5 (Barnes and Nobles) and follow us on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/jkrock or on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/JoanneRock6 and http://www.twitter.com/karenrock5

Thanks!



WoW Wednesday

I have started playing WoW again! Yay! I started playing right at the tail end of Children's Week, and managed to do the Darkmoon Faire (totally missed Noblegarden though, which was a bummer). I have been playing my level 90 shadow priest on the Alliance, running around Panda land and doing the copious amounts of dailies that are out there now that I can fly. I've always been big on dailies (remember all those dailies you could get in Shattrath? Anyone? Bueller?), so this is super exciting for me. I just wish it was on my mage, but they're all hovering around around level 86-88 and are severely under geared. 

Last week was also the time to buy BlizzCon tickets. I was super pissed because I didn't see anything announcing it, so  I completely missed the May 7th opportunity. They usually send emails announcing it, plus they advertise it on the opening Battlenet screens, but again, I saw nothing. It wasn't until I saw people's screenshots on Instagram later that night that I learned about it, and the second opportunity on May 10th. My husband and I tried on May 10th, but of course, we didn't get tickets. The system they used sucked, and we got kicked out of the waiting room a few times. Tickets were showing as available, then we'd try to purchase them and either we'd get kicked off of the screen, or the screen would say that the tickets were no longer available. It was very frustrating and I feel that Blizzard didn't handle the ticket sales well at all. They usually don't, but this was probably one of the worst years. We've been trying to get tickets since 2006, so its been very frustrating. It only took four years for us to get SDCC badges lol, and its supposed to be super difficult to get SDCC badges.

Did any of you get lucky enough to score BlizzCon tickets? Any thoughts on this year's ticketing system?

Monday, May 12, 2014

Personally....Mother's Day and Red Balloons for Ryan

So I wanted to post yesterday, but I wasn't sure how I wanted to do it. I thought maybe I would keep it funny and share my favorite Mother's Day song (Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake- Motherlover). Or maybe I would go the overpersonal, whiny route. My in-laws kinda crashed the last minute plans my husband made when he realized he'd forgotten what day it was (so yeah.....no presents for me), and my mother-in-law plans on crashing the other plans we made for a date night later this week (seriously). But in the grand scheme of things, it all seemed trivial to me. Something has been weighing heavily on my heart, and it made me feel selfish to be upset.

Early last week I was doing my usual early morning Instagram check and I kept seeing these pictures of an adorable little boy with beautiful red hair with the hashtag #redballoonsforryan. Of course I went searching the tag, wanting to see what was going on. Eventually I learned the heartbreaking truth, he had been hit by car and passed away the Friday before. It broke my heart, and I have no connection to the family at all. And then I got pissed off, because while the majority of comments were nothing but supportive, I saw negative ones too. People that blamed the parents because they had let their little boy play in the front yard. Because they let him live.

The Internet can be equally a grand and awful thing. So many businesses came together to make specialty items celebrating Ryan's life (like this Mulberry Press Co print), with all proceeds going to his family. There were funds set up, auctions held; all to help pay for whatever the family needed. Of course, you should always donate with people you trust, because there are people that can take advantage, but the generosity was overwhelming. Most of the auctions and special product orders ended yesterday, but Indie Nook is still donating a percentage of the sales of their Red Balloon shirts indefinitely to Ryan's parents. There was far more positivity than negativity for this little boy and his family, and that was heartwarming. It restores some faith that people still want to help others, that people are still kind.


So now you know why I felt so selfish because I didn't get a present. I still have my children, and that's more than enough. I can't even imagine what this family is going through, its truly devastating.

From @babyboybakery's Instagram. This is how she spent her Mother's Day.
Sending red balloons into the sky in Ryan's memory, instead of hugging her little boy.



Here are some links to get a better understanding:
*Baby Boy Bakery - Jacqui's (Ryan's mom) blog
*Diary of an Addict- Alissa Circle's (Jacqui's best friend) blog. Ryan's story is here and here.
*CBS Los Angeles reports about his accident, and the out pour of support from online.

Hug your loved ones always. Never go to bed angry. Unplug and be present. Do what makes you happy. And annoyingly enough- YOLO. Because its true.

Monday, May 5, 2014

Monday Mix Up #21

Happy Monday everyone! In honor of my starting the Blog Life e-course done by the super talented sisters Elsie and Emma of A Beautiful Mess, I have decided to make this Monday Mix Up all about blogging!

This e-course is priced at $50, which is not cheap. But it comes with a lot of their personal experiences peppered with valuable advice on how to make a living off your blog. They also give you cute printables to take notes on :)

I randomly stumbled upon Alexa Poletti through IG the other day, and was surprised that one of her latest blog posts was so in tune with what I was thinking about in terms of my own blog. While her guide focuses more on fashion and beauty blogging (because thats what she blogs about), there are still some tips that can translate to any type of blog you're writing. 

I read this book while starting my blog last year. Its what prompted my almost immediate URL change (oops!). It has a lot of really good advice in it, and I will be re-reading it again soon (probably after Elsie and Emma's e-course). I recommend this book if you want to learn a lot of blogging basics. 

And here's a picture of Neil Patrick Harris as Doogie Howser- the OG of bloggers.
Anyone else love this show? I still do.

Friday, May 2, 2014

My Blog As A Mixtape


Joie from Confessions of a Book Pimp had the awesome idea to do a My Blog as a Mix Tape post today, so I decided to play along. I made a ton of mix tapes back in the day, then transitioned to mix CDs as the times changed. I participate in the IGGPPC music swaps because I still have a deep love for mixes, and its nice to meet others that do too!


If My Blog Were a Mix Tape by aka Krystelle on Grooveshark

I chose songs that I think represent my blog pretty well., or I hope they do. Making this list was actually a lot harder than I thought it would be. Here's the track list (and if you're listening where there are fragile ears around, be warned. There is some cussing and adult themes in some of the songs):
*California Love-2Pac I'm proud of my state, what can I say?
*Never Gonna Fall In Love Again- New Kids on the Block Old school NKOTB. You guys know how much I love them.
*Sail- AWOLNATION One of the songs I listened to on repeat when I first started this thing.
*Let It Go- Idina Menzel from the Frozen soundtrack I love Frozen, and it represents the movie reviews I do.
*Riff Off- Barden Bellas/Treblemakers from the Pitch Perfect soundtrack Another movie song.I nerd out hardcore to this movie! I have a deep love for Skylar Astin, Anna Kendrick and acapella singing. 
*I Got That (Boom Boom)- Britney Spears ft the Ying Yang Twins To show my love for the early 00's. And Britney. I appreciate her much more ever since her breakdown, no lie. And for nostalgia's sake. I'm all about nostalgia on the blog.
*Taverns- Blizzard Entertainment Its a song from World of Warcraft, I had to put it on. I have a lot of WoW elements on the blog, even if WoW Wednesdays are taking a small hiatus right now.
*Don't You Forget About Me- Simple Minds  The 80's and Brat Pack movies have shaped me into who I am today :)
*Radioactive- Lindsey Stirling and Pentatonix Last summer's post-Apocalyptic jam covered by a violinist (did you know I play?) and an acapella group. So much greatness.
*Video Games- Lana Del Ray I like video games. I write about video games (sometimes). So why not? 

What would be on your blog mix tape?

Poppin' Off- The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Merchandise

Since today is the release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, I thought I would share some of the ultra cute and awesome Spidey merch that is currently available.

McDonald's Happy Meal toys:
I know there has been some bah humbugging over McDonald's decision to make gender specific Spider-Man toys, but there has been some praise as well. Personally, I don't have a problem with it. My daughter adores Spider-Man, probably more than my son does, but she doesn't always appreciate the boyishness of the Spidey toys. Since seeing that she can have similar toys to the boys, but its in her favorite pink and purple, she has been ecstatic. Granted, shes four and doesn't understand the whole concept of gendered anything, but that's the point. Shes four. She doesn't need to worry, she just needs to be happy. 
I think the Spider mask looks awesome, and I think the clutch does as well. I don't always agree with McDonald's separating the toys by gender (like they tried to with the Lego Movie cups....well, there were only two girl cups in the set of eight, how is that fair? Or the toys coming out after Spider-Man, when its the Pokemon and American Girl toys. We will only be getting the Pokemon or "boy" toys, because both children love Pokemon.), but I don't think their intentions were misguided with this one. I think they were trying to incorporate girls into this franchise promotion, not alienate them from it. 

Revlon's Spider-Man Collection:
Its no surprise that Revlon is doing an exclusive collection for Emma Stone's movie, since shes been a long time face of the brand. The collection consists of six nail polishes and three lip glosses. Its not available online, so you have to go to a drugstore to get it. The nail polishes look absolutely stunning and expensive, even though they're only $5.99. 

Clothing:
Forever 21 and Wet Seal are great places to get comic themed clothing for cheap. Here are some of my Spider-man picks.

$15.80
$18.90
$14.99

USPS Stamps and Boxes:
Even the United States Post Office is getting in on the Spider-Man action! They have medium and large Priority Mail boxes available (you can get them at your local post office or order a pack of ten online) with Spidey's picture on them, and stamps that are only available through at select self serve kiosks (you can check that out here).



Do you plan on seeing The Amazing Spider-Man 2 this weekend? Are you one of the early birds that's already seen it? Let me know what you think of it in the comments section!



Thursday, May 1, 2014

Poppin' Off Early Edition- Mean Girls Turned Ten Yesterday!

In case you were living under a technology free rock yesterday, you might have missed that Mean Girls turned ten years old. I can't tell you how old I feel right now. There are few movies I can quote in near entirety, and Mean Girls is one of them.

I'm not sure why Mean Girls means so much to me, but it does. I even donned Army pants and flip flops back in the day, because of this movie (I know! But I was so cool lol.) Lindsay Lohan was an actress that I admired, but this was pre-drug use and plastic surgery. Her scene in the blue tee shirt and jeans when she survives her first three way call attack is what firmly cemented  for me the theory that jeans and tee shirts are the best look for a girl, and I still stand by that to this day (much to my mother-in-law's chagrin). 

I think that its great that ten years later, people are still quoting Mean Girls like it just came out yesterday. There were some great quotes, there's no denying that:
And some awesome logic:

And of course, the rules of dressing: 
You can't wear tank tops two days in a row, you can only wear jeans or sweatpants on Friday and you can only wear your hair in a ponytail once a week....

Mean Girls is, and always will be, one of my favorite movies. So Happy Belated Ten Years, Mean Girls! You are so fetch.

For more quotes and things, check out these links:
*MTV.com (even though the commentary on this list is a little snarky)

Most of the photos came from E Online, and the rest from a Google image search.