Five Fandom Friday- Favorite Songs to Get Me into the Holiday Spirit

Happy Holiday season everyone! It has been a very long time since I have done a Triple F, but I do love Christmas music, so I couldn't pass this one up! (Even though I'm posting this on a Monday...better late than never!)  Here are my five songs to get me into the holiday spirit. (And if you look at the one I did back in 2014, you may see a familiar face or two. What can I say, I like what I like!)

1. Don't Be a Jerk (Its Christmas)- Spongebob Squarepants

Sure this little yellow guy can be annoying sometimes, but this song sure is the truth! Just because you're busy this holiday season doesn't mean you have the right to be a jerk to everyone else. This video is the shortened version of the song, the full length is just about a minute longer and I'm sure they'll be playing all the Christmas Spongebobs on Nick this month, so look for those if you're interested :)

2. Christmas Eve/Sarajevo- Trans Siberian Orchestra

To me, TSO can do no wrong in the Christmas song department. They remind me of Christmases of my youth so much that I just love them. And this is one of my favorites.

3. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen- Pentatonix

This is one of my favorite Christmas songs. Its one of the first I learned to play on my violin and that just made me love it that much more. Also, Pentatonix reminds me very much of Christmas now (just like TSO), even though they aren't just a Christmas accapella group, so they'll be on my Christmas playlists for a very long time.

4. The Whole Soundtrack of A Charlie Brown Christmas

When I was younger, I would pop this into my CD player before bed, and fall asleep to it every night. I think its one of the best soundtracks ever created.

5. Jingle Bell Rock

(Apologies, the video above doesn't just show the dance, but its all I could find *womp womp*) This is a new one, because one of my little nephews just loves this song and listens to it over and over. I told my sister it reminded me of Mean Girls, which is why I posted this video and didn't try to find the actual song.

Bonus songs!
Coldest Winter- Pentatonix

So this isn't a Christmas song technically, its a cover of a Kanye West song. But look at this video! And its winter themed, so......yeah. It totally counts.

Hallelujah- Pentatonix

Be prepared to feel all the feels. I blame it on movies always playing this song when someone dies and the fact that this group is amazing. The song is wonderful. Grab a tissue.

So there they are- my go to holiday songs this year (and mostly every year). I also a deep love for Carol of the Bells  and Troy and Abed's Christmas rap from Community (which I mentioned in the 2014 Triple F). And here's a playlist I made just for Christmas last year (because I really feel like sharing Christmas music today!).

What songs get you in the holiday spirit? Let me know in the comments!

Crafting With Feminism

You guys. I'm not an overly huge fan of the F word. I think it has changed a lot from its original intent and I have a lot of feelings about that.

But this book is amazing!! Besides there being a forward by Felicia Day (the best!), there are so many awesome crafts in here (page 91 - the Male Chauvinist Tears coffee mug - is my favorite). Today I'm sharing the Superheroine Wrist Cuffs because its super close to Halloween, easy to make, and I'm pretty sure you can sneak these into the workplace on Monday without anyone giving you any crap for them!

Supplies:

*tubes from toilet paper or paper towels

*scissors

*hot glue gun

*glitter foam sheets

*glitter foam star stickers

*hole punch

*ribbon

I chose a little bit of a Wonder Woman color scheme for mine. The lining of my tubes were yellow felt, and the outside was the blue glitter fabric. I used the red glitter fabric to make my stripe. With it being so close to Halloween and everyone was grabbing up all the supplies for their costumes and projects, there were no glitter foam anythings left for me lol. But these fabric sheets worked famously, so its all good. 

Cut your tube in half, then measure all your felts and foams to its length. Glue it all down, let it set, then apply your decorations to the top. Again, glue it all down and let it set. The ribbon and hole punch are so you can adjust your cuffs as needed in the back of your tubes. I used ball chain instead of ribbon, because I thought it looked tougher, but be warned that it does wear on the tube pretty quickly! So don't listen to me and do what the author says :)

The best thing about this craft (besides how easy and awesome it is), is that its great to make with friends! Just have them bring over their own tubes, maybe even a treat or drink, and then craft out! Down below is a playlist that Quirk Books recommends playing while making these, I added Miley Cyrus and Bif Naked because I think they fit. 

A super big thank you to Quirk Books for letting me get my feminist craft on! You can check out Bonnie Burton here, and Quirk Books here. Also, get your copy of the book here :) Have you tried any of the crafts in this book yet? Let me know down below!

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.

Casual Costumes: Workout Edition #3- Tris Prior

Since last week's CC Workout was about Katniss, I figured this week's would be about another badass dystopian female. Tris Prior fits that description perfectly. She came from the calmest of the factions (Abnegation), to join the toughest (Dauntless), only to realize that she was in fact Divergent- causing her all kinds of trouble and reasons to fight. Get your Tris on with this great look from Target!

Tris Prior Workout by krystellemt 

**The Target link is an affiliate link. If you purchase something from Target after clicking my link, I will make a tiny commission off of your purchase. Nothing extra is charged to you, and you're helping support this blog. Thank so much!**

Casual Costumes: Workout Edition #2- Katniss Everdeen

I would be remiss if I didn't do a CC Workout Edition that didn't include badass Katniss! She's pretty much the epitome of  modern-day-yet-set-in-a-dystopian-future female strength. 

Katniss Everdeen Workout Edition by krystellemt 

Once again, everything pictured can be purchased at Target, so you don't have to break the bank to get a cute Katniss inspired workout outfit! 

And if workout gear isn't your jam, I created a regular Casual Costume back in 2014 for your everyday needs (that's still surprisingly relevant). You can check that out here.

**The Target link is an affiliate link. If you purchase something from Target after clicking my link, I will make a tiny commission off of your purchase. Nothing extra is charged to you, and you're helping support this blog. Thank so much!**

Casual Costumes: Workout Edition #1- Wonder Woman

I have been trying to get into shape lately, and with that comes lots of visits to the gym. I can't say I have been very successful so far, but at least I'm trying! Inspired by the month (hello Halloween!) and all the costumes that are around, I thought I'd do a couple of Casual Costumes with workout wear. To get it started is the strongest woman around- Wonder Woman!

Wonder Woman Workout by krystellemt 

Everything I used can be found at Target! Who doesn't love a reason to shop at Target, right?! And PS, even though that headband is in the girls' section, it totally stretches to fit an adult head. I know- I own it!

**The Target link is an affiliate link. If you purchase something from Target after clicking my link, I will make a tiny commission off of your purchase. Nothing extra is charged to you, and you're helping support this blog. Thank so much!**

WoW Wednesday- I'm Still Talking About Warcraft

So I went to Warcraft for the second time on Saturday, just like I said I would. It was still amazing. We saw it regular this time, no fancy 3D IMAX. It was weird, some of the images that looked cheesy in the IMAX (the gryphons flying), looked okay in the regular viewing. Watching the movie didn't change my opinion of it at all, and this time the people in the theater seemed to appreciate the humor in the movie more than the ones in the first viewing did (although, if you ask critics, there was no humor whatsoever in the movie). What I wanted to talk about today is the promotion that Blizzard and Regal Entertainment are running together, and see if any of you had the same experience that my husband and I did.

So one of the things that had some people really excited for this movie were the promotions that Blizzard has going with various theater companies (you can check those out here, and sorry Canada- you aren't included for some reason), and the fact that if you log in within the two months of its release, you get some cute transmog items from the movie (two items from each faction, plus an achievement). The deal with Regal states that anyone who buys a ticket will get the a code for a digital download of the game, plus if you pay with your Regal Crown Club card, you get a chance to win two tickets to BlizzCon. Great, right? Except, we bought four tickets and got one code. The guy at the box office said he was only allowed to hand out one code, but the way Blizzard words it, it sounds like every ticket is supposed to get a code. Now if you check Regal's website, they word it a bit differently, and its vague enough that it fits with the one code only policy. We have a lot of WoW accounts anyway, but we were going to give the downloads to our kids, so it was a bit of a bummer to have to pick which child was going to receive it. Have any of you run into this problem with the promotion? I was just curious if our theater was just trying to regulate their supply (because the codes are only handed out "while supplies last", and since they're the only Regal in town, I imagine they need the gimmick to take sales away from the other theaters we have here), or if that is in fact the promotion, and Blizzard was misleading.

And if you still haven't seen the movie yet, you really should. Ignore all the critics horrible reviews and just go see it. Its not a wannabe Lord of the Rings, its not a disaster of epic proportions. Its visually stunning, and if you have any sort of WoW knowledge, things will click for you and you will understand the movie. And more than likely, you will want to play once you're done watching it, even if you haven't played in years (and I think that's exactly what Blizzard wanted lol).