Caged- A Dream Crate

Have you thought what you might put in a Loot Crate if you could design your own? You know, a Dream Crate? I started thinking about it (obsessing about it, really) and came up with a million ideas! I narrowed it down to about four different crates that I might actually share with people, and then ultimately chose this one because I think its relevant, and it has some of my favorite fandoms in it. I hope you guys like it as much as I do.

My theme is Caged, and I know immediately Luke Cage is what comes to mind. As well it should, because he was the inspiration for the crate. The show gave me a lot of feels, but that's a post for another time. But Caged can translate to a lot of other things. Some literally, like Orange is the New Black (I mean, they're in prison), and some not so much, like The Walking Dead (even though they did live in a prison, but I'm thinking more that they're trapped in this new world with no real way out).

Dream Crate by krystellemt 

1) Luke Cage Bullet Hoodie by EscobarsClosest on Etsy. Perfect for the easiest cosplay ever or for your SJW needs, this hoodie is amazing! I watched the series and the hoodie gave me all the feels (again, a post for another time), and I wondered how long it would take for people to start selling them. Not long, is the answer to that.

2) Cuff Me Walking Dead Bangle by Love and Madness. I'm a sucker for handcuff jewelry, but this one is extra special because its for all of us Walking Dead fans. Rick has come a long way from that Sheriff that woke up in that hospital, don't you think?!

3) Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman. So I haven't read this (but its on my list!), but the show is pretty good. And by pretty good I mean binge-worthy. I love comparing books to the shows/movies they inspire, and I can't be the only one.

4) The Scorch Trials Soundtrack. In the Maze Runner, the kids were trapped in a maze. In the Scorch Trials, they were trapped in the desert. It goes with the caged theme because these kids are always fighting to break free from their captors. Also, this score is amazing. We all need it in our lives. (PS, the books are pretty awesome too, go read them.)

5) Netflix gift card. So we can binge on Luke Cage, Orange is the New Black, and plenty of other shows that fit this theme (and uh....lots of shows that don't). With the holidays coming  up, you're going to want to unwind. Just don't cozy up to Grams and Gramps to watch OITNB- totally not appropriate.

6) Morty and Summer as Harley and Joker by Mike Goes Geek. So I own a lot of Mike's work. Most of it is his Adventure Time mashups though. He is an amazing artist and I really love this one. Rick and Morty is one of my favorite shows, and the Suicide Squad movie took me by surprise at how much I liked it. Of course, Harley and Joker were my favorites in the movie, and I think they both know a little something about being caged in. Make this a shirt, keep it a print, I don't care- I love it and want to own it!!
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So there it is- my Dream Crate. While this one isn't for purchase, there are plenty of awesome crates available at lootcrate.com/crates. They have the OG Crate, plus some fandom specific ones, even apparel specific ones (so bummed I missed last month's Loot Tee- it had Sylvanas- my bae!). Trust me, your crate options are endless, and they are all fantastic!

What would be in your Dream Crate? Leave it in the comments below.

Happy Birthday IGGPPC! An Interview and a Giveaway! (CLOSED)

If you've been reading along these past few months, I'm sure you've seen me talk about International Geek Girl Pen Pals Club on more than one occasion. So imagine my great surprise to find out that they are celebrating their first birthday just a few days after my 30th! March is a great month for birthdays, what can I say? Emily Farquharson, co-founder of IGGPPC, recently took the time to answer some questions about the group- where they started, where they want to go, and do guys really sign up for pen pals? Read on to find out!

1.This has been a busy time for IGGPPC! A new site, a first birthday...When you started IGGPPC, what did you hope would come from it?

It's crazy busy at HQ, we are nonstop with the planning for the birthday and beyond! When we very first started Leslie and I really just wanted candy! We never thought it would become this amazing, versatile community that it has become at the time. The best things are those you aren't expecting to happen! -F

2. Do you feel like the response from geeky girls/guys has been largely positive, or have there been some Negative Nellies in regard to IGGPPC and its community? 

You know, we are so lucky, the response to the project has been resoundingly positive and there has been no negativity within our ranks. We've nurtured an environment of support and acceptance that is universally embraced across our members, which just makes IGGPPC a fantastic community to be involved with. There have been a few people who have tried to goad us into petty arguments on twitter but we don't rise to the bait. Internet survival 101: don't feed the trolls! 

3. And speaking of guys... are there any that actually sign up for pen pals?

Yes! They are definitely in the minority but their numbers are steadily growing!

4. Is there anything you'd like to achieve with IGGPPC that you have yet to?

So much! We joke a lot about one day being able to have a proper IGGPPC convention with all the trimmings; like comic con but with more stationery and Lisa Frank stickers. 

5. There are so many fun things going on to celebrate your birthday; a week of giveaways, a birthday video and a House competition. Regarding the House competition, I am stuck between two Houses. I will be House GlaDOS until March 13th, then its onto House Organa. Should I post my awesomeness to both houses or how does that work?

Hot damn that is tricky, as leader of house GlaDOS I am inclined to say stay with us until after the comp because switching teams half way a game is just not cricket. The amount of people who are so generously giving their time and products to help us celebrate our first year has blown us all away. A lot of the prizes for the week of giveaways have come from shops owned by our members which just makes it even more special! 

6. Anything else you'd like to say about the community that we didn't touch on?

I do not have enough superlatives in my vocabulary to express my love for all aspects of IGGPPC. Where would I even start? The beautiful friendships that have blossomed; the candies, mix tapes and postcards swapped; the healthy twitter debates about everything and anything; the generous nature of our staff and members who give up chunks of time to organise, plan and promote the club; the list goes on and on. If I dwell on it too much it kicks me right in the feels because I cannot wrap my wee pea brain around the fact that a project we started on a whim has turned into this magnificent beast! 

If you have never signed up to get a pen pal, do it! You never know you might be a top 5 geek love away from meeting your new best friend!

For those of you that are not IGGPPC members, Iggles and Miggles are broken up into Houses by their age. House GlaDOS houses the twenties basically, and the House Organa is for the 30+. Currently, House GlaDOS is winning the competition. The House competition started March 3rd and is running through April 3rd, 2014. The giveaways are happening March 13th (Happy Birthday to me!)- March 19th (Happy Birthday IGGPPC), 2014. Every day is a new prize, and they're all pretty awesome.

Now for my giveaway! As my way of saying goodbye to House GlaDOS, I am giving away some Portal gear. If you subscribe to Loot Crate, it may look familiar to you. And it should, as this came from September's (I think) crate :) Also, I am giving away a super cool measuring cup that looks like a beaker and an ice cube tray that resemble a tiny elements chart. Now for the rules:

This is open to US addresses only. Once the giveaway is over, a winner will be contacted by email and has 48 hours to respond to that email. If no response is received within that time frame a new winner will be chosen. No giveaway accounts can be used for entries in this contest. That means, if you do what the widget says and one of your entries is chosen, and I can very obviously tell that you use that FB/IG/Twitter/Tumblr/BlogLovin account for contests only, your winner status will be thrown out and a new winner will be chosen. This contest is not sponsored, and is not affiliated with Loot Crate, Portal, IGGPPC or Target. I purchased everything for this contest.

Good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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!

Source.

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.

Keeping Up With The Cons- Stan Lee's Comikaze

My name is Amanda, and I'm an SDCC-aholic. Its true. While I've gone to WonderCon the past few years, I left feeling good about it, but haven't been obsessively thinking about it. This is not the case with San Diego Comic Con.  It was an  incredible experience, and I miss it. There, I said it. So to combat this, I've read that its good to go to smaller cons, or just any con that catches your eye. Well, Stan Lee's Comikaze has caught my eye, and let me tell you why.

I first found out about Comikaze through the Golden Ticket that was given away with June's Loot Crate. I went to the site and immediately liked its vibe. But what clinched it for me was seeing that LeVar Burton is going to be a guest. If you're saying "Who is LeVar Burton?", then shame on you. Reading Rainbow and Star Trek: The Next Generation were both big parts of my childhood. And even now, hes on Perception, and I love love love that show! And it gets better. Yesterday I found out that Weird Al is going to be the Guest of Honor. Weird Al!!! I also grew up listening to his songs, and I even traumatized my friend's cousins once because they heard me playing The Night Santa Went Crazy to my friend.....they were still old enough to believe in Santa. Ooops. Also, Weird Al songs were played all the time on Dr. Demento, and thats what my dad and I listened to while cleaning the house on weekends. Two icons of my childhood under one roof? I have to be there.

Whats also neato is that The Topps Company is going to be there with an exclusive Mars Attacks card featuring Stan Lee! The card is limited to 2500 and will be given as a freebie on a first come, first serve basis. How cool is that? They're also bringing some Garbage Pail Kids and Star Wars cards, so thats pretty cool.

Are you going to Comikaze? Think it sounds awesome or lame? Let me know in the comments below!

Monday Mix Up #2

A small little list of links to help you procrastinate the start of another week.

*The June Loot Crate! The theme was Mash Up and everything in it was amazing. 8-bit sunglasses, Warhead candies, a Mario/Ninja Turtle sticker, a Deadpool Kool Aid Man tee shirt....just to name a few items. I'm hoping that they sell surplus crates because my husband isn't sharing anything that came in his lol. 

*Pixel oven mitts. So cute! I don't cook too often, but when I do, I have a tendency to burn myself. I think these would help me not injure myself. 

*Skylar Grey. Final Warning and C'mon Let Me Ride - two very different types of songs, and still very awesome. 

*These Armada Controller leggings by Jeffie. They are so cute! I wish they were in stock so I could snag a pair. 

*Color Changing Pixel Heart Mug found on Store Envy.

*Wornontv.net. I stumbled on this site while trying to find a teeshirt that Abed was wearing on an episode of  Community. I found the shirt thanks to this site! Other shows on there include The Big Bang Theory, The Carrie Diaries, Awkward, and Pretty Little Liars.

*Lazy Meadow/Desert and Hicksville. They just look like fun. Maybe in the fall though, since the desert is no place to be in the summertime. 

*Coffee cubes! I can't wait to put some in almond milk (no cow juice for me).