Thankfulness 2013

Today is Thanksgiving here in the US… So happy day to all that celebrate it! Since I have a some international readers, I’m calling this post “Thankfulness” instead so it can be enjoyed by all.

Dictionary.com defines thankful as “feeling or expressing gratitude.” Whether it be for an object, a person, an idea, a place .. or really anything. Too often I find that I don’t acknowledge how grateful I am for things in my life. So here are a few wonderful things I am truly thankful for!

 My family!

I am incredibly close to my parents and family! My mom helps me put on nearly every cosplay and even attends conventions with me sometimes. And my dad is usually the one that is willing to drive us so we don’t have to worry about traffic and parking. They support my crazy interests and are always there if I need them. They are so cool and do so much for me and I am super duper thankful for them! 

My kitty!

And of course my little Pixie Doodle is a part of my family, too. She gives me the best hugs and purrs and always snuggles with me at night. She has been in my lap the whole time I typed this, too! I am so grateful for the love she’s shown me!

My computer!

I decided to share this ridiculous picture because this is basically what I do all the time. And I am so thankful for my life! I love that I grew up with an interest in computers and video games. I enjoy being curled up in my chair with my headphones on listening to music. It’s my little part of the world where I feel most at home.

Books!

I wanted to show a photo of my whole bookshelf, but I’ve already packed it up! (I am in the process of moving.) And I couldn’t find a pic anywhere on my computer. But here’s a pic of The Hunger Games (since I just saw Catching Fire and LOVED it!) which is one of my favorite books. I have so many other favorites like Harry Potter, Twilight, The Mortal Instruments, etc and I am very thankful for the chance to read interesting stories and let my imagination take flight.

Disney World!

One truly remarkable adventure I was able to go on was visiting Disney World. I’ve considered moving to Florida just so I could go all the time. I wasn’t really sure if I would ever get the chance to visit, though, and my family made it happen. I was able to meet all my favorite characters and live out a dream. And due to some major flight delays, my dad and I were actually able to go again with some flight vouchers! This is a trip I will never forget, and I’m so thankful I was able to experience it.

The chance to be a chameleon!

I am definitely thankful for the opportunity to become anyone I want to be. Cosplay has been such a joyful way for me to express myself. I’m thankful I have a lifestyle that allows me to change my hair color, create costumes, and get the chance to meet new people. I am still quite a newbie at cosplaying, but I’ve really become attached the creativity it’s brought to my life!

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So those are just a few of the wonderful things I am thankful for! I am looking forward to eating some yummy food and spending Thanksgiving with my family.

What are you thankful for?

The Vampire Diaries: Dallas Convention 2013

Back in August I was able to attend The Vampire Diaries Convention put on by Creation Entertainment! I feel bad it took me this long to post about it because I had a total blast!

There were so many cast members from the show there.  I was glad my ticket package included a lot of autographs.

A cool treat at the convention was seeing Ian Somehalder’s brother Bob. He runs a really cool company called Built of Barnwood (BOB).. There were so many wonderful things for sale and you could even meet Bob and get his signature!

Although this convention was smaller than most, they still had a nice display of goodies to buy.

They had a small costume contest, and most of the girls were dressed as Elena or Katherine. I decided if I had dressed up I would have been Matt in his football uniform lol

During the auction, I bid on this really cool bag that was from the 2011 San Diego Comic Con!

The money from the auction went to charity, and I think it’s cool to have this hanging in my room 🙂

I bought a t-shirt at the convention and wore it with my lapis lazuli necklace my mom had bought me!

She also bought me a lapis lazuli ring, and I ordered Damon’s ring from eBay.

This was the Q&A panel for Torrey DeVitto and Kat Graham who play Dr. Meredith Fell and Bonnie Bennett in the show. Torrey DeVitto is also in Pretty Little Liars.

This is a pic of Trent Ford on stage. I was SOOO excited to meet him because he is in one of my favorite movies How To Deal. I love that movie SO much, and I have watched it so many times that my DVD skips now. He had a small role in the Vampire Diaries a few seasons ago, but when I saw him announced for the convention I got really excited!!

This was the bead I made for Trent Ford. He collects beads for his necklace when he travels to new places. Since this was his first convention and I’m a huge fan, I thought it would be cool to give it as a gift 🙂 He was really grateful!

Charlie Bewley was also there, and I was excited to meet him because he was part of the Volturi in Twilight.

This was my outfit for the second day! I wanted to look cute since this was the day I’d get Damon’s autograph!

Ian Somerhalder (Damon) was the big guest of the show.. Paul Wesley (Stefan) canceled his appearance last minute *cry* .. I had met Ian before so I was looking forward to seeing Paul Wesley. Oh well. I’ll take Damon if I have to! 🙂

Here are all the autographs I got! I already had Damon’s and Caroline’s on my poster from a few years ago. So I got Damon’s again since it was included in my ticket package. I also got Bonney’s, Jeremy’s and Matt’s autograph on my poster! Then I went ahead and had Charlie Bewley sign my Twilight book. And honestly, I was probably most excited to meet Trent Ford. He was so cool.

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I also went to a Supernatural convention so I will be sure to post an update about that soon!

Are you a Vampire Diaries fan?

Are you Team Damon or Team Stefan?

Giveaway: Pokemon Posters

Attention Pokemasters! Here is your chance to catch a Pokemon Poster of your very own!

I am giving away a Pokemon X & Y poster and a Pokemon: Through the Years poster! (Pictured above) 

Entering is easy! Just follow these steps on the Rafflecopter widget. Two winners will be picked at random and mailed one of these posters. Currently, this contest is only open to US residents. Once a winner is selected, they will be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to respond otherwise a new winner will be chosen. Contest ends on Sat November 23th at 11:00pm CST. 

Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Things #19

Here are some things that have made me happy:

Pixie Doodle being a pretty kitty!

And here she is helping me play Animal Crossing.

Marshal is one of the funniest characters on Animal Crossing! I just love him.

My friend Natalie shared this adorable photo of a kitty named Cuddles!! He was in for a teeth cleaning 🙂

I went to the local pumpkin patch to pick up one for the holidays. Last year my pumpkin didn’t even last a week.. Hopefully this one makes it to Thanksgiving!

They had cute little bunnies and ducklings there, too! 

I finally signed up for Pottermore, and I was sorted into Gryffindor! I couldn’t believe it! I also was given a larch wand with phoenix feather core! I tried brewing a potion and it was really difficult. But the rest of the website sooo cool.

I’ve always wanted a Friday the 13th tattoo and couldn’t believe I didn’t already have one. I’d been meaning to post this because I got it in September but just kept forgetting! A lot of tattoo shops do specials on this day so I got this one for only $20!

Well I am guessing that a lot of people dressed up as Princess Peach for Halloween because my crown tutorial post had nearly 2000 hits in October! A few readers sent me pics of their finished crowns, too, which I think is just the coolest thing. 🙂 I decided to add a template to the post to help people make it, too.

And this meme was just too cute not to share!

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Anything making you extra happy this week?

~GlitzyGeekGirl~

Movie Review – Thor: The Dark World

Theatrical release poster; Walt Disney Studios

As you can tell from my previous post, I was pretty excited to go watch the second installment of Thor in theaters. I had made a winged headband to wear as I cheered on Thor and Loki in their adventures! I will keep this short and sweet and spoiler free!

I actually had not seen the first Thor movie until a few days ago. Luckily, my nearby Redbox had it to rent. So I made some popcorn and checked it out. I knew I was an instant fan of Thor after watching The Avengers. He and Captain America were my favorites due to their stunning good looks and gentlemanlike qualities. (Hey, they’re my type ok!) But truthfully, Thor appears to me as a true hero. He’s big, buff, kind, and genuinely looking out for the good of his people. And his role in Thor: The Dark World confirmed all of that for me.

Marvel.com

First, the movie has an overall comedic feel. Which I loved! I laughed out loud at so many different parts. And I never felt like the lines came off as cheesy. Many of the funniest moments weren’t even spoken lines (like where Thor puts his hammer at the apartment) .. That was hilarious! I’m glad they included cameos of other characters, too. That was a nice touch to get a laugh out and also a glimpse at some of our other favorite super heroes.

Marvel.com

Second, the movie had a great message. I feel like Thor and Loki’s relationship has excellent balance. This makes the movie more of a family film. It shows that a family may be complicated, but love doesn’t disappear, no matter how evil you might be. I especially enjoyed Rene Russo’s performance as Frigga. Her scenes were so moving and heartfelt that even Loki feels it. And I liked that I understood what I just watched. I didn’t leave the theater wondering why someone did something or what was that meant for. It was an enjoyable story to follow.

Marvel.com

Finally, the action was just right. I’m comparing this to how I felt after Man of Steel. Superman straight up destroyed everything. And I had a hard time enjoying the mass chaos. I’m all for some good fight scenes, but too much and I’m a little turned off. The scenes in Asgard had a magical feel to them with the use of a more medieval touch. I enjoyed seeing the close up punches rather than who can throw the other into the farthest building.

So to conclude, I would probably say the two Thor movies combined have made it one of my favorite super hero story lines. The actors and actresses meshed well, the special effects brought another world to life, and the subtle love story resonated with me. I’d say this movie has something for just about everyone!

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What is your favorite super hero film?

Did you enjoy Thor: The Dark World?

Tutorial: Thor Inspired Wing Headband

Art by Oliver Coipel

A few days ago, I decided to rent the first Thor movie since Thor: The Dark World comes out this weekend! I have totally fallen in love with Chris Hemsworth. But also Natalie Portman! She’s so cute in the movie. I am excited to watch the second movie tomorrow so tonight I was googling Thor crafts and came across this awesome headband tutorial by Doodle Craft. I decided right away I had to make it!

I made my wings smaller than Doodle Craft’s tutorial so they could be worn more often. But it would be fun to remake this in different wing shapes and sizes.

I printed out a wing shape that I liked and traced it onto some sheet foam.

Normally I would gesso the sheet foam so it would become thicker and more sturdy, but tonight I wanted this done quick so I just decided to spray paint the wings silver.

Then I outlined the wings with gold paint and used hair spray to add some glitter. 

Because I am a glitzy Thor girl! 

Attach your wings with hot glue to a skinny headband and you’re done!

Pixie insisted on a hug during my photo shoot.

Aww kitty!

This was a super quick and cheap DIY project!

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Who is going to see Thor: The Dark World this weekend?

Are you Team Thor or Team Loki?

~GlitzyGeekGirl~

Birthday Wish List 2013

My birthday is this month so I decided to make a list of some little (and mostly big) wishes I have!

“Message from Home” by Jeremiah Ketner

I have had my eye on this painting for quite some time now. The movie Tangled holds a magical place in my heart (I even have a post about it!), and this painting captures the essence of the story beautifully. I entered a Facebook contest on Jeremiah Ketner’s page to try and win this painting, but it just wasn’t written in the stars for me. So for now it stays on my ~wish list~..

Pink Howlite Plugs

King’s Body Jewelry has these beautiful Pink Howlite stone plugs for only $15! I wear a size 25mm (or 1 inch) plug in my ears, and they are usually super crazy expensive. Most of the time you’ll see me wearing Opalite plugs, but I really want these pink ones! 😛

New Mac Desktop/Laptop/Operating System

My desktop computer that I use for eveerrrrything was purchased in 2007. I’ve only upgraded the operating system once when my hard-drive decided to crash three years ago. Honestly, most everything runs just fine still (knock on wood!) But I’m a tech geek, and I love to have the newest models. I still can’t decide if I should just upgrade to the latest OS, switch to a laptop, or get the bigger desktop. So that’s why I still have what I have 😛 

Adobe Illustrator

Although I haven’t had any professional training with Adobe products, I find myself constantly using Photoshop for blog stuff, photos, and just for fun. I would love learn how to use Illustrator as well, and begin expanding my digital art skills. It costs quite a bit so this will probably stay on my ~wish list~ for awhile especially since I already have Photoshop.

Special Effects Hair Dye

When I first started dying my hair funky colors, I used Specials Effects from Hot Topic. They no longer carry that brand (they switched to RAW which I use now). But Special Effects has a wider range of colors, and the quality is amazing. I can’t find it in stores anywhere so you have to purchase them online now. I would love to have one of each color! 😛

Legend of Zelda 3DS XL – A Link Between Worlds

I really really don’t need another 3DS XL .. but it’s so hard not to love this special edition one! I definitely plan on picking up the new game at least.

The Hobbit: Thorin’s Key Necklace

This replica of Thorin’s key looks uber magical as a pendent for a necklace. I would rock this all the time. It’d be especially cool to wear to a Renaissance faire. ThinkGeek offers it for $30 which is a little steep for me, but it says it’s an officially licensed collectible and comes in a “handsome” gift box!

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So those are my crazy wishes for my birthday this year! According to my age I should probably be asking for more “grown up” things, but that will never happen! 😛 I will be a kid for life!

~GlitzyGeekGirl~