There are years when you can't believe its over, you don't want it to end, you just can't imagine that life gets any better than that year. 2014 was not that year for me. These posts are supposed to be the highlight reels of a fantastic year, but the truth is, I had a pretty rough one. Turning thirty wasn't quite the treat I had hoped it was going to be. I don't understand all the celebrity hype about the thirties being the best time of your life. I'm a few months from thirty one, so maybe this will change, but this year has been probably one of the most lonely years I can recall. There have been some personal things I've been dealing with that I didn't want to bring to the blog, because I don't want it to be that kind of blog. But then I kinda let it spill onto the blog in other ways, so that wasn't super great. And all of my health issues have just been....a nightmare, to say the least. I can't even imagine what my senior years will be like if I'm this sickly now. Its difficult not to let every negative thing consume you, and I admit, I did a pretty horrible job at that this year. Every little thing got to me, and I have to learn to not let that happen anymore. Like Pitbull says,"any day above ground is a good day," so I just have to keep on truckin'.
I hope all of you have a happy and safe night tonight, and a fantastic 2015! I will be back on the 2nd to discuss what I hope to accomplish with the blog for 2015, and maybe some personal goals as well.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Monday, December 29, 2014
Thank You
In just a few more days, we'll be saying goodbye to 2014 and hello to 2015. It seems like only yesterday I was saying hello to 2014 and writing my goal setting post! Its funny how some parts of the year seems like its moving so slowly, and then all the sudden, you're hearing Auld Lang Syne and watching the ball drop on teevee (or if you're lucky enough, in person). This year was my first full year of blogging, and I feel like I have learned so much! This post is to say thank you to everyone that has helped me through this year. This is for everyone that donated to Extra Life and Play Live. This is for all the people who have sponsored and supported me through various endeavors and for the people that I have sponsored. This is for the conventions that were kind enough to grant me attendance as press, but my crappy health made it impossible for me to attend as such (I hope that they extend such grace to me again next year). This is for the people that I have won giveaways through, and for the blogs that I think are doing a great job at promoting a welcoming geek girl culture. Hopefully I don't forget anyone, and if I do, I am truly sorry! Your support has meant the world to me this year, and I hope you all know that :) And most importantly, before I start in on this list, I would like to thank you, my dear readers. Without you, there would be no Krystelle's Miss Tells. This would just be another blog taking up space on the Internet with no one to read it.
JK Rock and Spencer Hill Press
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Merry Christmas :)
Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all have the happiest of days today. I hope you get everything you asked for, make people happy, and eat lots of delicious food. Share laughter and joy, and please, be safe.
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Poppin' Off Early Edition- Best Teevee Shows of 2014
I feel like I haven't watched as much teevee as I did last year, which is why making this list seems more difficult to me. It also explains why a few of these shows aren't even technically teevee shows, they are Netflix shows. This list isn't necessarily shows that were new this year, they are just the shows I loved the most this year.
1. House of Cards. (Netflix) My husband and I binged watched this so fast! Kevin Spacey is a fabulous bad guy, and why do we have to wait until February 2015 for the next season? It has all the political snark and sass that Scandal has, but to me, this show seems a little more realistic. I completely believe that politicians have reporters in their pockets, and I can see how votes get swayed the way Frank does it. Now the way he got to the Presidency.....that's a little much. But its still a great show!!
2. Bojack Horseman. (Netflix) I didn't think I was going to like this show at first. A cartoon about a washed up 90's sitcom star that also happens to be a horse? What? But its actually pretty hilarious. And it has the voices of Will Arnett, Aaron Paul and Alison Brie, just to name a few. Here is Buzzfeed's breakdown of the background jokes in Season One. Season two starts some time next year.
3. Sons of Anarchy. Love this show, so sad its over. How many people died this season?! Like practically everybody. This was a show that took me forever to start watching, but once I did, I was so glad. And now I'm sad that its over, but really, it would be worse if they tried to drag it out. If you didn't get a chance to watch it on teevee, its on Netflix!
4. Cold Justice. I really like that this is a "reality" show, but its not completely outlandish like most reality teevee is. They don't always solve their cases, which is a bummer of course, but that goes to show you how real the show actually is. In a world where people think they know everything because they watch CSI or Law and Order, where the crimes get solved with witty one liners in an hour, its nice to have a show that actually shows people that it doesn't get solved that quickly. And fun fact, Marg Helgenberger's character on CSI was based on Yolanda McClary.
5. Rizzoli and Isles. I like cop shows. And really enjoy the dynamics that Jane and Maura's friendship share. I was a little nervous watching the rest of the season this year. Lee Thompson Young committed suicide in the summer, and he was one of my favorite characters on the show. I wasn't sure I wanted to see where the show would go without him. It did pretty well, though. They didn't rush to fill his shoes, gave the cast time to mourn, and as a fan, I appreciated that. I wasn't ready to see anyone sitting in his desk just yet.
Honorable Mentions-
Here are a couple of shows that I like, but I don't go out of my way to watch.
Project Runway Threads. I stumbled upon this when I had nothing to watch while folding laundry one day. I'm honestly falling out of love with the Project Runway franchise, there isn't anything new about it anymore. But with Threads, its different designers every week and they're teenagers! Its amazing how talented they are, and I really enjoy seeing their creative process. And the fact that they get to bring an assistant (usually a parent), is pretty great. The only thing that bothers me about the show is Ingrid Nilsen. She looks so young yet so old at the same time. It just bothers me.
Ladies of London. I want to live in London, and I love a good Housewives franchise. But this one was kind of eh. They made the Americans look rude, ignorant and loud, and they made the British ladies look too cool for school and mega bitchy. I had my favorite (Caroline) and my least favorite (Caprice), but it just fell a little short of what I was hoping it'd be. I still watched it though, because England.
Homeland. Without Brody, its nothing. Lol, okay, its not nothing- I just didn't really feel into it this season. Of course I still watched it....
And I still have my regular shows like Pretty Little Liars, 2 Broke Girls and the Real Housewives of Atlanta, Beverly Hills and Orange County that I watch too, but I think I put them on the list last year :)
How about you? What were your favorite shows this year? Did you keep to your old favorites or did you watch anything new?
1. House of Cards. (Netflix) My husband and I binged watched this so fast! Kevin Spacey is a fabulous bad guy, and why do we have to wait until February 2015 for the next season? It has all the political snark and sass that Scandal has, but to me, this show seems a little more realistic. I completely believe that politicians have reporters in their pockets, and I can see how votes get swayed the way Frank does it. Now the way he got to the Presidency.....that's a little much. But its still a great show!!
2. Bojack Horseman. (Netflix) I didn't think I was going to like this show at first. A cartoon about a washed up 90's sitcom star that also happens to be a horse? What? But its actually pretty hilarious. And it has the voices of Will Arnett, Aaron Paul and Alison Brie, just to name a few. Here is Buzzfeed's breakdown of the background jokes in Season One. Season two starts some time next year.
3. Sons of Anarchy. Love this show, so sad its over. How many people died this season?! Like practically everybody. This was a show that took me forever to start watching, but once I did, I was so glad. And now I'm sad that its over, but really, it would be worse if they tried to drag it out. If you didn't get a chance to watch it on teevee, its on Netflix!
4. Cold Justice. I really like that this is a "reality" show, but its not completely outlandish like most reality teevee is. They don't always solve their cases, which is a bummer of course, but that goes to show you how real the show actually is. In a world where people think they know everything because they watch CSI or Law and Order, where the crimes get solved with witty one liners in an hour, its nice to have a show that actually shows people that it doesn't get solved that quickly. And fun fact, Marg Helgenberger's character on CSI was based on Yolanda McClary.
5. Rizzoli and Isles. I like cop shows. And really enjoy the dynamics that Jane and Maura's friendship share. I was a little nervous watching the rest of the season this year. Lee Thompson Young committed suicide in the summer, and he was one of my favorite characters on the show. I wasn't sure I wanted to see where the show would go without him. It did pretty well, though. They didn't rush to fill his shoes, gave the cast time to mourn, and as a fan, I appreciated that. I wasn't ready to see anyone sitting in his desk just yet.
Honorable Mentions-
Here are a couple of shows that I like, but I don't go out of my way to watch.
Project Runway Threads. I stumbled upon this when I had nothing to watch while folding laundry one day. I'm honestly falling out of love with the Project Runway franchise, there isn't anything new about it anymore. But with Threads, its different designers every week and they're teenagers! Its amazing how talented they are, and I really enjoy seeing their creative process. And the fact that they get to bring an assistant (usually a parent), is pretty great. The only thing that bothers me about the show is Ingrid Nilsen. She looks so young yet so old at the same time. It just bothers me.
Ladies of London. I want to live in London, and I love a good Housewives franchise. But this one was kind of eh. They made the Americans look rude, ignorant and loud, and they made the British ladies look too cool for school and mega bitchy. I had my favorite (Caroline) and my least favorite (Caprice), but it just fell a little short of what I was hoping it'd be. I still watched it though, because England.
Homeland. Without Brody, its nothing. Lol, okay, its not nothing- I just didn't really feel into it this season. Of course I still watched it....
And I still have my regular shows like Pretty Little Liars, 2 Broke Girls and the Real Housewives of Atlanta, Beverly Hills and Orange County that I watch too, but I think I put them on the list last year :)
How about you? What were your favorite shows this year? Did you keep to your old favorites or did you watch anything new?
Monday, December 22, 2014
Poppin' Off Early Edition- Best Music of 2014
Last year I did best albums and singles, but I have to admit, I only bought one CD in its entirety this year. It was Taylor Swift's 1989
. And while that album is amazeballs, I think I'm sticking to just my favorite singles this year. Just like last year though, these are based purely on my musical preferences alone, and have no bearing whatsoever to any Billboard charts.
1. Bloodstream- Ed Sheeran This song is off his album x
and it is just amazing. Its so sad, but beautiful. Its good if you're going through a rough time, especially in a relationship.
2. Shake It Off- Taylor Swift Sometimes you just have to remind yourself that people are going to be who they are no matter what, and you just need to shake it off and get on with your own fabulous life.
3. Black Widow- Iggy Azalea ft Rita Ora This song is just catchy to me, and for all the play its been getting on the radio, I'm still not sick of it yet. Plus, I'm a huge fan of Rita Ora. Find on Iggy's album The New Classic.
4. Centuries
- Fall Out Boy I will always have a special place in my musical heart for Fall Out Boy. A band that references the Simpsons just can't fail in my book.
5.Till It's Gone- Yelawolf I love this song so much. It was debuted during the first episode of the last season of Sons of Anarchy, and it fits the show perfectly.
6. L.A.Love (La La)
- Fergie I like Fergie's music for exercising or car rides, because its catchy and fun, and this song is no exception.
I might be making a part two to this, I'm not sure. Because there are a lot of songs I liked this year! What about you? What are your favorite songs from 2014?
. And while that album is amazeballs, I think I'm sticking to just my favorite singles this year. Just like last year though, these are based purely on my musical preferences alone, and have no bearing whatsoever to any Billboard charts.1. Bloodstream- Ed Sheeran This song is off his album x
and it is just amazing. Its so sad, but beautiful. Its good if you're going through a rough time, especially in a relationship.- Fall Out Boy I will always have a special place in my musical heart for Fall Out Boy. A band that references the Simpsons just can't fail in my book.
- Fergie I like Fergie's music for exercising or car rides, because its catchy and fun, and this song is no exception.
7. I Can't Stop Drinking About You
- Bebe Rexha She sounds a bit like Miley Cyrus to me, but that's not a bad thing! And I just really like this song.
- Bebe Rexha She sounds a bit like Miley Cyrus to me, but that's not a bad thing! And I just really like this song.I might be making a part two to this, I'm not sure. Because there are a lot of songs I liked this year! What about you? What are your favorite songs from 2014?
Friday, December 19, 2014
Five Fandom Friday- Must Watch Christmas Movies
Christmas has some of the best movies and teevee shows around, don't you think? I like that they all have snow, since I don't live in a place where the term White Winter applies at all.
1. All I Want For Christmas. This was one of my favorite Christmas movies growing up. Tiny Thora Birch is just so cute! And I had a mad crush on Ethan Embry lol. I guess growing up with divorced parents, I could relate to the story. Although, and this is mega harsh, I never wanted to pull crazy schemes to get my parents back together. They split when I was just a baby, so living with my dad was the only thing I ever knew. I've always wondered if anyone has ever tried to do that though.
2. Home Alone. "Kevin!!" So many quotables in this movie! And Macauly Culkin was living the dream in that movie, well, until the burglars showed up.
3. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Its hard to have a movie live up to its predecessor, especially a family comedy. But this one did. And because of this movie, I obsessively hunted for turtle dove ornaments lol. I found them too, at an antique store.
Derpin' through the 90's
4. A Charlie Brown Christmas. I don't think this is technically a movie, but this is a must watch every year. I love Charlie Brown's sad tree, and "Hark! Then Harold Angel starts to sing." Not to mention it probably has one of the best soundtracks ever.
5. A Christmas Story. "You'll shoot your eye out with that thing!!" If you have seen this movie, I really don't think I need to explain it. Its great. Its probably the first Christmas I watch every year.
I also have to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the cartoon version), The Santa Clause and all those teevee specials with Rudolph and Frosty. The Christmas episodes of Family Matters and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air are also some of my favorites, if I can catch them on.
What are your holiday must watch shows and movies?
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Casual Costume- Person In An Ugly Holiday Sweater
I wanted to write about ugly Christmas sweaters, but it just felt wrong to make it a gift guide, so its a Casual Costume instead. Call it, Person Wearing an Ugly Christmas Sweater Unironically, or something. I think its great that stores intentionally make ugly sweaters every year. I don't have the occasion to wear one, I don't know anyone that throws Ugly Sweater parties. I'm always grateful that Target makes sock versions of their ugly sweaters, I usually just buy those. This year I did buy the Feliz Navidad sweater from Target thats down below though. I just couldn't resist those smiling cacti! I'm hoping that I'll have somewhere to wear it soon.
These came from Kohls, Target, Modcloth and Teefury. Some of these sweaters and sweatshirts are men's, it seems like they get the ugliest sweaters lol. The Modcloth sweaters are female, and the Teefury ones have the option to be bought in either men's or women's sizes.
Gingerbread Pullover-Modcloth / Santa pullover-Modcloth / Elf pullover-Modcloth / Mossimo Supply Co. Men's Gnome Sweater / Mossimo Supply Co. Men's Cactus Sweater / A Christmas Sweater-TeeFury / Holiday Mix Vol. 1-TeeFury / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Snowflake Sweatshirt / Vader Lack of Faith Sweatshirt
These came from Kohls, Target, Modcloth and Teefury. Some of these sweaters and sweatshirts are men's, it seems like they get the ugliest sweaters lol. The Modcloth sweaters are female, and the Teefury ones have the option to be bought in either men's or women's sizes.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Gift Guide- Subscription Boxes Pt.2
I had so much making the first gift guide about subscription gift boxes that I thought I would make another one! The thing is, there are a ton of subscription boxes out there. Its so difficult to choose just a few a great ones, because there are a lot of great ones. But there are also a lot of crappy ones floating around out there too. So please do your research and make sure that you're choosing boxes that fit what you're looking for and know that they are a gamble.
For the kiddos-
Kiwi Crate. These boxes come in a variety of age appropriate choices starting from three years old and going all the way up to sixteen years old. Each box contains enough materials to complete a project, and some other fun stuff depending on the age group. Subscriptions start at $19.95/month with free shipping.
For the cat lady-
MeowBox. This box is expensive, but if you love your kitty kitty then its worth it! A monthly box is $32.95 here in the States, but they are shipping from Canada. Each month a little box of treats will come for your cat, and a small portion of sales from these boxes goes to animal rescue.
For the makeup enthusiast-
Ipsy. This fun little bag comes with a few different beauty finds for just $10 a month. You take a quiz to determine your beauty style, and samples are sent based on that quiz. If you like what you receive in your bag, you have the option to buy the full size product at a discount.
For the hero supporters-
HeroCrate. A bit like Loot Crate, except each month is dedicated to one specific hero! And, you don't have to have a subscription to get the box. You can buy your boxes as you want at 29.99 a month (although, there is a three month bundle at 27.99/month if you prefer). A teeshirt is guaranteed in every crate, plus four to six other items. And rumor has it that a VillianCrate is in the works.
So I'm sure there are still many more amazing boxes out there, but I am running out of time!! What are your favorite subscription boxes?
For the kiddos-
Kiwi Crate. These boxes come in a variety of age appropriate choices starting from three years old and going all the way up to sixteen years old. Each box contains enough materials to complete a project, and some other fun stuff depending on the age group. Subscriptions start at $19.95/month with free shipping.
Little Passports. For the world traveller in training, this box has everything. Its a great way to help a child explore different parts of the world without breaking your bank to actually take them there. There are different plans for different age groups, and each age group seems to cost different amounts, so check your prices accordingly. The first month in the first two age groups, the child will receive a suitcase and passport with their first lesson, after that its letters, etc.
For the cat lady-
MeowBox. This box is expensive, but if you love your kitty kitty then its worth it! A monthly box is $32.95 here in the States, but they are shipping from Canada. Each month a little box of treats will come for your cat, and a small portion of sales from these boxes goes to animal rescue.
Ipsy. This fun little bag comes with a few different beauty finds for just $10 a month. You take a quiz to determine your beauty style, and samples are sent based on that quiz. If you like what you receive in your bag, you have the option to buy the full size product at a discount.
Julep Maven. This box is similar to Ipsy, but it comes with two price options, My Maven ($24.99), and Maven Deluxe ($34.99). Each box comes with beauty items tailored to your style profile (yep, you get to take a little quiz to start this subscription too!). These are full sized products though, which is why the subscription price is a little high.
For the hero supporters-
HeroCrate. A bit like Loot Crate, except each month is dedicated to one specific hero! And, you don't have to have a subscription to get the box. You can buy your boxes as you want at 29.99 a month (although, there is a three month bundle at 27.99/month if you prefer). A teeshirt is guaranteed in every crate, plus four to six other items. And rumor has it that a VillianCrate is in the works.
So I'm sure there are still many more amazing boxes out there, but I am running out of time!! What are your favorite subscription boxes?
Friday, December 12, 2014
Five Fandom Friday- Gifts I Want Santa To Bring Me
1. A Range Rover. Santa will need to park this one in the garage, not under my tree! My poor, beloved Honda Accord is on her last legs of life. A new car for me isn't a stretch, but that new car being a Range Rover probably is. I like SUVs because they're higher off the ground and have room for my kids and all their kid stuff. They aren't super great on gas though, which sucks when I'm trying to convince my husband to buy one. My first car was actually a truck (an old Silverado), so that kind of ruined me on cars forever.
2. Canon Selphy CP910 Printer
. One of my goals for next year is to try a version of Project Life that I think I can stick to. This printer would help me so much because I would be able to print my pictures at home as soon as I need them, instead of having to order them from some online place like I've done in the past. And this one is blue, which is my favorite color.
. One of my goals for next year is to try a version of Project Life that I think I can stick to. This printer would help me so much because I would be able to print my pictures at home as soon as I need them, instead of having to order them from some online place like I've done in the past. And this one is blue, which is my favorite color.
3. A gym membership. I have tried to work out at home, but it just doesn't work for me. I get too distracted by things here and then the workout never happens. Plus, I get motivated by the fact that money is being spent on the membership, is that weird? Like I don't want to waste the money, so I might as well go....This year has been a particularly rough one in terms of my health, and I know that part of it can be cured with a little (okay, more than a little) weight loss. Maybe Santa will feel my pain and put a gym membership in my stocking.
4. Razer Black Widow Chroma Keyboard
. I hope I get a new computer soon, since my laptop is also on its last legs (whats with all my stuff deciding to crap out at the same time?). If I do, I really want this keyboard. Its designed for gaming and its so pretty! It has a rainbow colored backlighting, and I've never had a keyboard thats been backlit before, so I might as well start off with a bang!
. I hope I get a new computer soon, since my laptop is also on its last legs (whats with all my stuff deciding to crap out at the same time?). If I do, I really want this keyboard. Its designed for gaming and its so pretty! It has a rainbow colored backlighting, and I've never had a keyboard thats been backlit before, so I might as well start off with a bang!
5. R2D2 Ring from Her Universe. I love R2D2, hes just so cute! And this ring is fabulous! I would wear it all the time if I had it.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Casual Costume- Katniss Everdeen (Mockingjay)
I like The Hunger Games movies, even though they seem to be in competition with The Twilight Saga for worst consecutive endings ever in a movie franchise. Today's Casual Costume is inspired by Katniss Everdeen's Mockingjay outfit. Its pretty easy, since the whole thing was black. I think its a good outfit for a day when you need to feel tough (or you need to ride a Harley). Big angel wings might be hazardous in everyday life (unless you're a VS model), so I chose to have them as a necklace instead.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
My Thoughts On Warlords of Draenor So Far
Warlords of Draenor has been out for a few weeks now, and I haven't said too much about it. When the expansion was first announced, I wasn't too eager to see it really. The only thing that sounded interesting to me were the garrisons. As the expansion neared, Blizzard started releasing these mini movies that gave some background into the upcoming expansion. Those were actually pretty cool, and they got me interested in seeing what the expansion had to offer. I have to say though, that excitement was short lived once patch 6.0.2 went live. You can read about all the changes here, but basically Blizzard wanted to take WoW back to its roots. So we all got hit with the nerf bat and everything sucked. Especially when the dungeons in Panda Land hadn't been fixed yet. That was miserable. And the race remodels. I really didn't like them. My humans looked like taller dwarves, and my undeads just looked....weird. But like with anything in WoW, you complain about it for a while, and then you get over it and get used to it.
So the expansion finally released, and I waited a few days to try and log in. I didn't care about being any kind of server first (besides, most of those went to people that a-beta tested and knew the general gist of how things worked already or b-work for wowhead), and I knew with the amount of people trying to log in, it would be a nightmare. I waited four days after launch to log in, and it still took me hours to finally get onto my server. It was worth it though. I started out with a Horde toon of mine, and shes actually my highest toon right now (94). The quests were pretty easy to do, although I found myself taking a lot of damage from mobs at times, and I'm not used to that lol. But I guess thats part of Blizzard's "taking it back" thing. I remember when I first started playing, mobs were hard to kill. Once you get out of the starting area (and thats not an immediate thing), you go onto Frostfire Ridge (Blade's Edge Mountains). When I started the quest line on my Alliance character, I was expecting to go to the same place. So it was really nice to see that after getting out of that starting area (because you do start the same way, no matter your faction), you do go to a different area to start building your garrisons. The Alliance start in Shadowmoon Valley. I haven't gotten too far into the quest lines with my Ally toon to see how different they are, but at least you have the change of scenery.
I really like the garrisons and all the quests you can have your followers do for it. Yes, followers! You earn them from quests, and they help you complete tasks. The achievement whore in me just loves it because there are so many achievements related to the garrison and your followers. You can also kill beasts out and about and they give you garrison supplies, plus you can just find them while questing. Also while you're questing, bonus objectives can pop up on your map, and if you complete them, you get gold and xp, which is good. The addition of the reagent bank is super awesome, but I've already filled mine up on my 94, so thats a bummer. That reagent bank saves you a ton of bag space though! It really comes in handy, well worth the 100 gold to get it.
Some things I don't like about the new expansion is that the characters light up when you hover over them. Thats just distracting to me, and it reminds me of EverQuest. Actually, most of this expansion reminds me of EverQuest, which is pretty crappy. Its like Blizzard couldn't think of anything new on their own, so they went to rip off another game instead. I also don't like how squishy I've become. I get hit so hard by mobs, its really difficult to quest alone. I'm not horrible at my class either- the mobs just hit harder. And like I mentioned above, I don't like how any of my toons look remodeled. I like how they looked before.
Overall though, I am enjoying this expansion a lot more than I thought I would. I feel like there is a lot to do in this one so you can't get bored with it super easily (like with Pandaria, even though I didn't even finish most of what was out there).I still haven't tried to do any of the new dungeons though, so that should be interesting. And leveling of professions is different a little now too. There are some items I can use from Draenor that have a really high level with no problem, but items from the old world, that have lower levels, require a certain level in a profession to use them. Its a little wacky how thats done, but I think it has something to do with the garrisons and work orders.
Have you tried Warlords of Draenor? What do you think of it so far? Let me know in the comments!
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So the expansion finally released, and I waited a few days to try and log in. I didn't care about being any kind of server first (besides, most of those went to people that a-beta tested and knew the general gist of how things worked already or b-work for wowhead), and I knew with the amount of people trying to log in, it would be a nightmare. I waited four days after launch to log in, and it still took me hours to finally get onto my server. It was worth it though. I started out with a Horde toon of mine, and shes actually my highest toon right now (94). The quests were pretty easy to do, although I found myself taking a lot of damage from mobs at times, and I'm not used to that lol. But I guess thats part of Blizzard's "taking it back" thing. I remember when I first started playing, mobs were hard to kill. Once you get out of the starting area (and thats not an immediate thing), you go onto Frostfire Ridge (Blade's Edge Mountains). When I started the quest line on my Alliance character, I was expecting to go to the same place. So it was really nice to see that after getting out of that starting area (because you do start the same way, no matter your faction), you do go to a different area to start building your garrisons. The Alliance start in Shadowmoon Valley. I haven't gotten too far into the quest lines with my Ally toon to see how different they are, but at least you have the change of scenery.
I really like the garrisons and all the quests you can have your followers do for it. Yes, followers! You earn them from quests, and they help you complete tasks. The achievement whore in me just loves it because there are so many achievements related to the garrison and your followers. You can also kill beasts out and about and they give you garrison supplies, plus you can just find them while questing. Also while you're questing, bonus objectives can pop up on your map, and if you complete them, you get gold and xp, which is good. The addition of the reagent bank is super awesome, but I've already filled mine up on my 94, so thats a bummer. That reagent bank saves you a ton of bag space though! It really comes in handy, well worth the 100 gold to get it.
Some things I don't like about the new expansion is that the characters light up when you hover over them. Thats just distracting to me, and it reminds me of EverQuest. Actually, most of this expansion reminds me of EverQuest, which is pretty crappy. Its like Blizzard couldn't think of anything new on their own, so they went to rip off another game instead. I also don't like how squishy I've become. I get hit so hard by mobs, its really difficult to quest alone. I'm not horrible at my class either- the mobs just hit harder. And like I mentioned above, I don't like how any of my toons look remodeled. I like how they looked before.
Overall though, I am enjoying this expansion a lot more than I thought I would. I feel like there is a lot to do in this one so you can't get bored with it super easily (like with Pandaria, even though I didn't even finish most of what was out there).I still haven't tried to do any of the new dungeons though, so that should be interesting. And leveling of professions is different a little now too. There are some items I can use from Draenor that have a really high level with no problem, but items from the old world, that have lower levels, require a certain level in a profession to use them. Its a little wacky how thats done, but I think it has something to do with the garrisons and work orders.
Have you tried Warlords of Draenor? What do you think of it so far? Let me know in the comments!
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Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Carol of the Bells
Last Friday I posted about my favorite holiday songs and I mentioned that I love Carol of the Bells. I even had a whole playlist dedicated to it once! I received a comment asking to see it, so I thought why not? Well, I couldn't find all the songs I once had, because it had taken me years to find all the versions of the song that I loved. And with my computer crashing like it did, and me being the nar-nar that I was and didn't back anything up, all of it was lost. So I created just a little Carol of the Bells playlist on Spotify that I'd like to share with you guys today. If you know of any versions of this song that you love and I didn't put it on here, please share! I am looking to make an even better playlist this time around :)
Monday, December 8, 2014
Gift Guide- Subscription Boxes
I think subscription boxes are really fun to give as gifts because you have the option of sending them for more than a month, and its always a surprise as to what's in the box. There are so many boxes out there though. These are the ones that caught my eye.
For the Paper Lover-
A Beautiful Mess Happy Mail Its a monthly delivery of stationery created by Elsie and Emma and produced by Studio Calico, so you know its legit. Available for monthly billing at $20, the price lessens if you can make more than a month to month commitment. Perfect for the letter writer in your life!
Studio Calico Scrapbooking Kits Speaking of Studio Calico, they create their own awesome boxes of goodies that they ship out monthly! They have a scrapbook kit, cardmaking kit and a Project Life kit and prices vary depending on which kit you choose.
For the Nerd-
Loot Crate (starting at $13.37 plus S&H) Probably the most popular of the "nerd" crates, but thats because it does have good stuff. Every month has a theme, and they try really hard to stick to it. Its just hit or miss, mostly based on your preferences. December's crate theme is Anniversary though, and its supposed to have a few exclusives and lots of other neat stuff.
Nerd Block ($19.99 plus S&H)This is another fun one, and it always comes with a teeshirt. Its a little more pricey than Loot Crate if you live in the States, because they ship from Canada. But whats really cool about this place is that they have a ton of different options. There are Arcade and Horror Blocks that cost as much as a Nerd Block, and then there are Nerd Block Jr's that are meant for children ages 6-11. The Jr Blocks are gender specific though, so that's kind of a bummer. They do cost less ($13.99) than the regular Blocks, but I think thats because they don't include shirts.
For the Eclectic-
Quarterly Curated boxes of things by celebrities. I first heard about it when Bill Nye started doing boxes, but now I'm hearing that Wil Wheaton may soon be curating some! The boxes range from $50-$100, and are sent every three months (or you know, quarterly). There are all types of boxes to choose from, so you could probably even find a box for that one friend or relative thats so difficult to shop for.
Barkbox If you have an avid dog lover on your hands, Barkbox might be for them! You chose the size of the dog, what type of payment plan you'd like (prices start at $29 with free shipping for one month, but lessens with longer monthly commitments), and they send a few treats and toys monthly for the dog. Plus their website says that 10% of their profits go to various animal charities.
For the Paper Lover-
A Beautiful Mess Happy Mail Its a monthly delivery of stationery created by Elsie and Emma and produced by Studio Calico, so you know its legit. Available for monthly billing at $20, the price lessens if you can make more than a month to month commitment. Perfect for the letter writer in your life!
Studio Calico Scrapbooking Kits Speaking of Studio Calico, they create their own awesome boxes of goodies that they ship out monthly! They have a scrapbook kit, cardmaking kit and a Project Life kit and prices vary depending on which kit you choose.
Loot Crate (starting at $13.37 plus S&H) Probably the most popular of the "nerd" crates, but thats because it does have good stuff. Every month has a theme, and they try really hard to stick to it. Its just hit or miss, mostly based on your preferences. December's crate theme is Anniversary though, and its supposed to have a few exclusives and lots of other neat stuff.
Nerd Block ($19.99 plus S&H)This is another fun one, and it always comes with a teeshirt. Its a little more pricey than Loot Crate if you live in the States, because they ship from Canada. But whats really cool about this place is that they have a ton of different options. There are Arcade and Horror Blocks that cost as much as a Nerd Block, and then there are Nerd Block Jr's that are meant for children ages 6-11. The Jr Blocks are gender specific though, so that's kind of a bummer. They do cost less ($13.99) than the regular Blocks, but I think thats because they don't include shirts.
IndieBox For the nostalgic gamer, this subscription box offers collectible editions of indie games, with some other goodies thrown in. Their motto is "bringing back the box!" Its a cool idea and prices are about the same as the other boxes in this category. The picture below is one of the past Indie Box games.
For the Eclectic-
Graze I love my little snack boxes. They're very customizable, you just tell the people at Graze what you like and what you don't, and they're pretty good about sticking to that. They have a variety of options for those of us that have food allergies, and there's a regular box and a lower calorie box for those that are watching their weight. Use my referral code (95LLHF2NP) and get your first and fifth box for free! Plus, once you sign up, you can start referring people and earning your own free boxes.
Quarterly Curated boxes of things by celebrities. I first heard about it when Bill Nye started doing boxes, but now I'm hearing that Wil Wheaton may soon be curating some! The boxes range from $50-$100, and are sent every three months (or you know, quarterly). There are all types of boxes to choose from, so you could probably even find a box for that one friend or relative thats so difficult to shop for.
Barkbox If you have an avid dog lover on your hands, Barkbox might be for them! You chose the size of the dog, what type of payment plan you'd like (prices start at $29 with free shipping for one month, but lessens with longer monthly commitments), and they send a few treats and toys monthly for the dog. Plus their website says that 10% of their profits go to various animal charities.
KawaiiBox This box is full of all kinds of cute! Every month they'll receive 10-12 snacks, toys, stationery or other goodies from Japan and Korea. Its a full on Kawaii explosion right out of the box! Its $18.90 a month and free shipping worldwide.
Friday, December 5, 2014
Poppin' Off- The Walking Dead Mid-Season Finale
I don't usually write about specific teevee episodes. I'm more of a series-as-a-whole type of person. But last Sunday's season five mid season finale of The Walking Dead was so talked about that I thought I would throw my two cents in. And yes, there are spoilers if you *still* haven't watched it or read any of the articles or tweets or Facebook statuses about it yet :)
I am the type of person that actively seeks out spoilers. I didn't use to be like that. But lately, they almost seem unavoidable, so I figured I would just embrace the spoiling culture. But with this episode, I didn't want to know. I knew someone was going to die, and I just didn't want to deal with it yet. However, I had been reading articles that speculated who was going to die, and most of the comments had Tyreese, Judith and Sasha as the main picks. Carol was also a top contender after Norman Reedus said that he spent hours crying before shooting a particular scene. Only once did I see someone say that they thought it was Beth, because they had read somewhere that she had a new gig lined up already. Spoiler alert, that commenter was right. So that night, I tried so hard to stay away from the Internet dumping grounds. No Facebook. No Twitter. No Yahoo with its spoiler filled front page. But I went on Instagram. And damnit, I saw a spoiler. So I knew it was coming. But it still shocked me.
I don't know why her death got to me like it did. She wasn't a favorite of mine. I didn't hate her character, but I didn't love her either. I felt like I was finally getting to know her this past season, when she was off with Daryl. But then they took her away. And when they finally did bring her back, and with her own story arc no less, they killed her off. Weak. The whole episode was pretty tame too, until the end. Then it was like "Here's all the emotions! Feel them! NOW!!!" Seeing Rick and Daryl cry was tough. And then Maggie. Oh Maggie. That made me tear up. Twitter almost crashed with reaction. So many people were upset, I almost wonder if Robert Kirkman and the rest of TWD creative team regrets choosing Beth as the one to die. And then that awkward Talking Dead where he had to sit next to her while she cried about having to leave the show....
The fan reactions weren't all mourning her loss though. Some were mourning the wasted episodes. Why build up the hospital arc, only to kill off Beth and then leave the hospital without taking anything or anyone from it? Others tried to liken it to current events because of Dawn, which is so unnecessary I can't even fathom why they thought that was a good idea. Just because they were cops means....what? I believe that Dawn knew that story about how the other officer died was fake. She was already well aware of the fact that her cronies in the hospital were losing faith in her leadership abilities, as exhibited by her friend that met his demise in the elevator shaft. Her adding Noah to the negotiations was her way of grandstanding to the hospital folks, trying to show that she still wears the pants. I think Beth's pitiful attempt to stab Dawn in her bulletproof vest protected shoulder was an attempt to get her group to help the hospital people get away from Dawn. I don't think she expected Dawn to shoot her since they'd had the bonding moment in the elevator area. In any event, she shouldn't have gone out like that. It was pitiful, and she had developed into a much stronger girl then she was when they found her at the farm. She deserved a better send off, if not more time on the show.
What did you think of the finale? Was it what you were expecting, or were you disappointed by Beth's death? There's so much to cover on this one! Let me know what you thought of it in the comments :)
I am the type of person that actively seeks out spoilers. I didn't use to be like that. But lately, they almost seem unavoidable, so I figured I would just embrace the spoiling culture. But with this episode, I didn't want to know. I knew someone was going to die, and I just didn't want to deal with it yet. However, I had been reading articles that speculated who was going to die, and most of the comments had Tyreese, Judith and Sasha as the main picks. Carol was also a top contender after Norman Reedus said that he spent hours crying before shooting a particular scene. Only once did I see someone say that they thought it was Beth, because they had read somewhere that she had a new gig lined up already. Spoiler alert, that commenter was right. So that night, I tried so hard to stay away from the Internet dumping grounds. No Facebook. No Twitter. No Yahoo with its spoiler filled front page. But I went on Instagram. And damnit, I saw a spoiler. So I knew it was coming. But it still shocked me.
I don't know why her death got to me like it did. She wasn't a favorite of mine. I didn't hate her character, but I didn't love her either. I felt like I was finally getting to know her this past season, when she was off with Daryl. But then they took her away. And when they finally did bring her back, and with her own story arc no less, they killed her off. Weak. The whole episode was pretty tame too, until the end. Then it was like "Here's all the emotions! Feel them! NOW!!!" Seeing Rick and Daryl cry was tough. And then Maggie. Oh Maggie. That made me tear up. Twitter almost crashed with reaction. So many people were upset, I almost wonder if Robert Kirkman and the rest of TWD creative team regrets choosing Beth as the one to die. And then that awkward Talking Dead where he had to sit next to her while she cried about having to leave the show....
The fan reactions weren't all mourning her loss though. Some were mourning the wasted episodes. Why build up the hospital arc, only to kill off Beth and then leave the hospital without taking anything or anyone from it? Others tried to liken it to current events because of Dawn, which is so unnecessary I can't even fathom why they thought that was a good idea. Just because they were cops means....what? I believe that Dawn knew that story about how the other officer died was fake. She was already well aware of the fact that her cronies in the hospital were losing faith in her leadership abilities, as exhibited by her friend that met his demise in the elevator shaft. Her adding Noah to the negotiations was her way of grandstanding to the hospital folks, trying to show that she still wears the pants. I think Beth's pitiful attempt to stab Dawn in her bulletproof vest protected shoulder was an attempt to get her group to help the hospital people get away from Dawn. I don't think she expected Dawn to shoot her since they'd had the bonding moment in the elevator area. In any event, she shouldn't have gone out like that. It was pitiful, and she had developed into a much stronger girl then she was when they found her at the farm. She deserved a better send off, if not more time on the show.
all photos from tvline.com
What did you think of the finale? Was it what you were expecting, or were you disappointed by Beth's death? There's so much to cover on this one! Let me know what you thought of it in the comments :)
Five Fandom Friday- Songs to Spread Holiday Cheer
1. Carol of the Bells- Pentatonix I've actually made playlists dedicated to this song. It is my all time favorite Christmas song. Ever. I even mentioned that last year lol. I guess I keep consistent :)
2. Don't Be A Jerk (Its Christmas)- Spongebob Squarepants Some words of wisdom from a sponge that wears pants. Don't be rude, its Christmas!
3. Troy and Abed's Christmas Rap I loved Community when it was this Community. *Troy and Abed in the Morning.* And its no secret that I love Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino.
4. Grandma Got Ran Over by a Reindeer- Elmo and Patsy Probably not the best to listen to if you have children that still believe in Santa, but this song is kind of a stress reliever during the holidays. Its silly and fun. And if you're pissed off at someone, you can substitute their name in for Grandma's :)
5. Hark the Herald Angel Sings- A Charlie Brown Christmas This soundtrack was one of the first CDs I ever owned. And this song never fails to conjure images of Charlie Brown and the Peanuts Gang with their heads pointed to the sky, so all you see are mouths and noses, singing. Reminds me of being a kid, which is nice sometimes.
Bonus songs-
Carol of the Bells- Destiny's Child I told you this was my favorite Christmas song!! And I am a musical product of the late 90's early 2000's in some ways. I have the N'Sync Christmas album too. Shh, don't tell anyone.....
Mary Did You Know?- Pentatonix I really like Pentatonix. And super sad story about this song. My father-in-law's mom passed away last November, and this was her favorite church song, as they called it. The congregation sang it at her funeral, and my father-in-law's dad sang along the loudest, and it was just heartbreaking. I can't really hear the song anymore without thinking of that day, but Pentatonix sings it really well.
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Con*Quest Journal Review and Giveaway
Today I am beyond excited to share with you this Con*Quest Journal! I started talking about it yesterday in the Convention Goer Gift Guide, but I had to stop myself because it would've given away the surprise! Yes, this is the item you get a chance to win!
There are a few pages for each "quest" and you can buy refill pages on the Con*Quest journal website for just $5.00. I think the Panel Quest pages are especially neat because sometimes celebrities say really memorable things, and later when you want to blog about it, you'll have it written down. I know when I went to a few Nerd HQ panels this year, there were quotes I thought for sure I could remember, and then when I came home I just could not think of them. Luckily they put those panels on YouTube, but that isn't the case for everything, so this definitely comes in handy for those moments.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Photo from conquestjournal.com
I have a deep love for journals, notebooks, scrapbooks....anything that I can turn into keepsake. I've always been like that. I find that as I get older though, I don't have the time to spend to sit down and create the elaborate layouts for scrapbooks like I used to. When Smashbooks came onto the scene a few years back, I really embraced those because the pages already came patterned, and all you had to do was jot down your thoughts, stick in your ticket stubs or what have you, and you were done. Instant memory book. So when I saw that the Con*Quest journal had the sustainability of a scrapbook, but with the ease of a Smashbook, I was sold. I reached out to Shelley, the creator of this fabulous journal, to do this giveaway, and I was floored when she said she'd love to. And then I just about fainted when she said I could have one to review!!
I had to take my journal outside to photograph, because my house was not built with lighting in mind. But this is how it comes, right out of the box. Theres a Sharpie included, so you can just pick it up and go out onto the convention floor. There's a band on the journal that will keep it nice and closed.
Once you open the journal, there is an introduction page that explains how things work. Then you flip to the next page and you see this guy, Questly. Super fun side note, Shelley recently held a contest to name this little guy, and I suggested Questly. I was so surprised when I found out that she chose that name as the winner! Anyway, each area of the journal is broken up into "quests". First up is autographs, then artists, vendors, cosplay, panel, peeps and city.
There are a few pages for each "quest" and you can buy refill pages on the Con*Quest journal website for just $5.00. I think the Panel Quest pages are especially neat because sometimes celebrities say really memorable things, and later when you want to blog about it, you'll have it written down. I know when I went to a few Nerd HQ panels this year, there were quotes I thought for sure I could remember, and then when I came home I just could not think of them. Luckily they put those panels on YouTube, but that isn't the case for everything, so this definitely comes in handy for those moments.
The City Quest is another one I really like. If you're attending conventions that aren't in your hometown, then this is a good way to remember places to eat, stay, visit, etc that are good. There are also spaces to write down what places are not so good. That way, you don't have to worry about making the same mistake next time you're in town.
In the back on the journal there are four protectors that are perfect for putting 8x10 photos in, plus one sheet for storing business cards. Theres also a huge zip up envelope for ticket stubs, stickers, or any other loose item you want to keep that doesn't have a space on the pages.
Every page has vibrant coloring, and the paper quality is very good. And since its a binder, there is lots of room for expansion. There are also two buying options, which I didn't mention at the beginning. You can buy the journal with a really neat canvas tote bag or you can buy the journal by itself. The tote bag has an extra long strap (or maybe I'm just short), so you can use it cross body and it will fit over any bulky costume pieces. I don't know about you guys, but I'm a sucker for a bag just as much as I am a notebook, so the fact that you can get both together was a major plus for me :)
Now here's the super exciting part for you guys. You get a chance to win one of these bad boys!! This contest is open internationally. It starts today, November 29th, 2014 and will end on December 7th, 2014. A winner will be chosen on or around that date. The winner will be notified by email that they've won, and will then have 48 hours to respond to that email. If no response is received within that time period, a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway or promo only accounts are not eligible for winning, and if you use one, you will be disqualified. I cannot stress that enough. If you're like me and just love this journal so much that you want it now, use code TURKEY on the Con*Quest website today until Monday, December 1, 2014 for free shipping on your order. Thanks so much for stopping by and good luck!!
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