A Tag... Concerning Doctor Who!

A bajillion thanks to the awesome Felicity (of Felicity Helen) for tagging me for this lovely Doctor Who tag.  It's so super fun to talk about Doctor Who because I feel like I don't get to do it much!  Probably because it's a TV show... and I'm more of a movie-loving gal... and I haven't gotten into the current seasons soooo... yeah.  ANYWAY.  Let's get to those questions and fill you in about my favorites concerning Doctor Who. ;)

1. Who is your favorite doctor?
Well that's easy.  David Tennant, 10th doctor.  Hands down.  Need I explain this?  No I needn't. ;D  Come on, guys, he's just awesome.  And hilarious.  And has extremely fabulous hair...

2. What is your favorite story?

...this is literally so hard because THERE ARE SO MANY STORIES, KAY.  I will say Doomsday is "a" favorite of mine, tho.  (Those feels, man.  I bawl my eyes out every time.)

3. Who is your favorite companion?

Rooooooooooose.  Or Martha.  Martha was cool.  I don't understand all the hate she gets.

4. What was the first story you ever watched?

Actually... weird thing, I came across a DVD of the 10th Doctor specials at the library one day and decided to watch it.  Not the best place to start, but heyyyy, it worked... ;)  Besides, "Planet of the Dead" is actually a really good episode, imho.

5. What is your favorite series?

This is hard, but I might say season 7.  The writing was absolutely brilliant.

6. What is your favorite pre or post regeneration story?

I haven't even the slightest idea.  Literally.  I haven't watched them enough to choose... xD

7. What is your favorite TARDIS theme?
Eleven's TARDIS theme was just perfect, in my opinion.  Precisely what the TARDIS should look like. ^_^

Awh, you're just jealous, 10. ;)

8. What/Who are your favorite villains?
Well, the weeping angels... or the Daleks. (EXTERMINATE!)

Now, as to who I tag... you reading this, if you are a Whovian, I nominate you.  Yes, you.  I'm not kidding.  I am so, so sorry but now you must do this tag.  Sounds good?  Sounds good. ;D

(Another) Liebster Award!

Liebster: German for "dearest" or "darling."

My dear friend Karis, from The Meanderings of Me, was super sweet and nominated me for the Liebster Award!  Now, I've technically already done a post on this (just a bit over a year ago, actually!) but it's been so long since then that I figured I'd do it again anyway.  Plus I needed a fun post to write up... ;)  And thus here we are: Liebster Award, round 2!

The rules:

1. Answer the eleven questions of the tagger.
2. Share eleven facts about yourself.
3. Nominate up to eleven other bloggers.
4. Ask those nominees 11 new questions.

First, I shall answer the 11 questions from Karis:

1. TV show you liked that you wished hadn't been canceled?  Erhm.  Nothing is coming to mind.  In case you didn't know, I'm not much of a TV-lover -- I'd take movies over episodes any day. ;)  The ones I do like either ran themselves into the ground and didn't deserve another season, or are still ongoing.  I'll just put "N/A" for this one, then. ;)

2. What is the last thing you watched?  *groans* Figures I get asked this the day after I watch Disney Channel's "Teen Beach Movie" with my younger sister for some silly entertainment. xD  Before that, I watched "The Quiet Man," the 1952 classic starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, famous for being the first American movie to be completely filmed in Ireland, and having the longest film brawl at the time.  Man, was that a bizarre movie...

3. What is the last thing you watched in theaters?  Ant-Maaaaaan.

4. What is your favorite song from a musical?  I'm not a huge fan of musicals, but "Defying Gravity" (Wicked) is a fav, as is "Think of Me" (Phantom of the Opera).  This list would be longer if I listened to more musicals. ;D

5. Do you have a dream car?  Ford Mustang GT convertible (whatever the latest model happens to be whenever I can afford such a thing).  Just like this:

6. Favorite fruit?  Tough, but blueberries win out.

7. Do you have any posters in your room?  Yesss... I took down my 3 Hobbit posters (one from each movie) to pack up, but I still have my map of Middle-earth on my wall. :)

8. What song do you have stuck in your head right now?  "Exhale" by Plumb.

9. What movie are/were you most excited to see that premiers in 2015?  I was most excited for Avengers: Age of Ultron.  I am currently most excited for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.  Still figuring out what costume I should make for le premiere of that...ideas? :D

10. What book have you read and re-read the most?  Either "The Hobbit" (Tolkien) or "Soul Surfer." (Bethany Hamilton).  I think.

11. Favorite Olympic sport?  Show jumping.  Ahhh it's just heart-stopping to watch those incredible horses fly over those humongous fences.  Plus, it's the event I'd most like to participate in. :D

Next up, 11 facts about yours truly:

1. I'm an ambivert (the official word for a personality between introvert and extrovert).

2. I laugh way too much, sometimes so much so that I annoy myself.

3. I get annoyed easily, but God's slowly helping me get over that.

4. I can't smell skunks, except in extreme cases.

5. My favorite time to pray is when I'm lying in bed, waiting for sleep.

6. I'm starting to get over my fear of heights.

7. Words of affirmation are my "love language."

8. I believe anything costing over $5 is expensive.

9. I love grocery shopping -- at least, when I'm in charge. ;)

10. I have a secret (welp, not anymore, I suppose!) love for to-do lists.

11. I'm still saving the tabs off of pop cans. Force of habit, I suppose. xD

Now, I nominate these 11 lovely people:

1. Felicity Helen

2. Leia, A Revival Warrior Princess

3. The Shy Introvert

4. Most Excellent Timing

5. Ladies of the Press

6. Meanwhile, in Rivendell

7. A Wanderer's Journey

8. Cascades of Grace

9. Gazing Wonders

10. Gardener of the Hill

11. Eruanna of Edoras

...and, of course, if you would like to do this and I didn't tag you, pleaseeee do it anyway!!  Rules schmules, am I right?? ;)

Lastly, here are 11 questions for you nominees (plus any others!):

1. What is the best memory of 2015 you have so far?

2. What book are you currently reading?

3. Scissors or tape?

4. What does the ideal weather forecast look like to you?

5. Is there anything you hate that almost everyone else loves?

6. TV shows or movies?

7. What's your favorite type of exercise?

8. Would you like to live on a different continent than your current one, and if so, which one?

9. Soda can or plastic bottle?

10. What do you think is the best perk of technology?

11. Do you have a favorite "vintage" movie?

I hope you enjoyed this little post, and that those of you who have a mind for it enjoy writing your own! :)

Now, back to packing for our move to Virginia...

A Superhero the Size of An Insect

As I'm sure you've heard, le 12th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe premiered this weekend. Yes, that would be...

Let's just say, Ant-Man is an extremely amusing ride, and most definitely not your usual superhero movie.  And, for the most part, its completely un-self-righteous style works well... I mean, the critics are practically drooling over the movie for it's inventiveness and ability to sell a guy who shrinks down to the size of an ant.  However, it didn't make me want to go back for more.  Let's break down the reasons for why I didn't come away from Ant-Man gushing about how awesome it was (and gushing is the norm for me when it comes to Marvel movies, in case you didn't know.)

Minor, vague spoiler-y stuff ahead, just to give you a heads up. Nothing movie-ruining, I promise. ;)

Con 1: Lack of conflict/suspense. When I put up that spoiler-warning, I was wondering why I felt like I didn't need it.  Well, here's the thing -- Ant-Man has no really significant drama that compels the viewer.  There're no times when you're truly wondering, "What's going to happen?" (Except once, when something really crazy bad happens to Scott). But mostly, Scott Lang (aka Ant-Man) saves the day by saving his reputation as a father and successfully infiltrating Pym Technologies and then defeating Darren Cross (aka Yellow Jacket), with a lot of laughter along the way. This all makes for a lot of fun, but is truly not memorable. Whether this is a problem or not may just be dictated personal preference -- but I, for one, prefer movies that inspire me and leave me awestruck. Empty entertainment doesn't suit me very well.

Con 2: In the words of Steve Rogers...

Besides [most likely] being the heaviest and hardest cuss-laden of all the MCU movies, the language featured only serves, many times, as a device for humor -- and, in the process, cheapens those laughs. See, not only was it hardly necessary to throw in those s or d words, but they drug our characters down to such low levels of respect for themselves and others that I almost felt bad rooting for them. That's the thing: curses are cheap, inexcusable alternatives to actual, intellectual thought. Call me what you like. but that's the truth and I stand by it.

Con 3: Paul Rudd. I feel absolutely terrible saying this. I promise it's nothing personal, Paul, I promise. It's gotta be said though: Basically, I don't think our Ant-Man has a confident enough personality to frontline his own movie. He felt, to me, a bit underwhelming. So often he played like a secondary character to Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, or even Michael Pena's characters, and this left me unconvinced Paul was the right guy for the job as a superhero. The "star power" that we've all seen in Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson... even the newest member of our MCU cast, Tom Holland shows it in his dubsmash videos -- well, I just didn't see that star-power in Scott Lang, and the movie suffered for it.

WELL. Now that I've so cruelly picked apart this little movie, allow me to show you the positives of it; the aspects of it which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Pro 1: The shrink-y grow-y fight sequences. Just uber cool, and nothing like anything we've ever seen before. Plus, all the hilarity that goes with. Dog-sized ants are super scary, as is train-sized Thomas the Tank Engine. Also... *coughcoughcough*you who have seen the movie know that particular scene I'm talking about with that particular awesome avenging person*coughcough*

Pro 2: The soundtrack. It's just a blast, particularly the "Ant-Man" theme...

LOVING the theme from Ant-Man by @CBeckOfficial. Just the right mix of fun and cool. Cannot wait to hear the rest. https://t.co/fWN3qXP45w

— Beth P. (@AnElvenPrincess) July 13, 2015

If you look at the one retweet... Yes, that would be the writer of Ant-Man's soundtrack who retweeted me. I thought that was a little bit awesome... :D

Pro 3: The ants. Who would've thought that ants could be a highlight of a movie??? Not me. But they were. The different kinds were so cool to see, using all their special abilities to help Ant-Man. Also, rest in peace, Antony. We loved you. Next time I find a winged carpenter ant I will name him after you. *sniff.*

Bonus Pro: SpiderMan reference. "We've got ones that jump, we've got ones that swing, we've got ones that climb up walls..." If that ain't SpiderMan, I don't know what is. #yesssss

WATCH OUT FOR BIG IMPORTANT SPOILERS BELOW ABOUT END CREDIT SCENES.

I chose the poster above for a very good reason, and you who have seen the movie and stayed for that post-credits scene understand why.

OH but first, EVANGELINE LILLY IS GOING TO BE THE WASP I CANNOT EVEN. I am so excited for that. Next cosplay maybe...??? Hehehehe.

And now... THE SCENEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. I have watched and rewatched it a bajillion times now and I'm still reeling... BUCKY IS HERE THEY FOUND HIM THEY FOUND DEAR BUCKY AND HIS ARM IS STUCK IN SOME WEIRD MACHINE AND HE LOOKS SO HELPLESS AND DESPONDENT JUST LIKE BEFORE HE WAS BRAINWASHED IN WINTER SOLDIER AND DOES HE MOUTH HELP OR IS IT JUST MY IMAGINATION AND STEVE AND FALCON ARE THERE AND THE SUPERHERO REGISTRATION ACT MUST HAVE BEEN PUT INTO EFFECT A WEEK AGO BECAUSE "ACCORDS" OR WHATEVER AND SAM KNOWS A GUY BUT HOW ON EARTH COULD ANT-MAN HELP ANYTHING AND AND AND I JUST NEED TO GIVE BUCKY A HUG BECAUSE LOOK AT HIM THE POOR DEAR AND HE'S BAAAACCCCKKKKK WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

Needless to say, it will take me all 10 months until Civil War to get over this.

Green Velvet Coat - A Refashion (Part One)

As most of you know, I really love refashioning and repurposing old and ugly clothes.  So, I wanted to share with you the work in progress of the refashioning of this old, dark green velvet dress.  It's a thrifted relic of a by-gone age from my older sister's younger years, and is at this point very, very worn.

So, though it is a pretty dress, it is much too yucky to be worn as-is, and I don't have any use for such a dress anyway. But looking at all that gorgeous green velvet in the skirt, I knew I had plenty of fabric to work with to create something new out of the dress.

I'd been playing with the idea of making a winter coat for myself for quite a while, using the same pattern I made my "battle Tauriel" dress out of, with some adjustments, of course, to make it a more modern piece.  While I was staring at this dress, trying to come up with some brilliant idea for it, I remembered that coat idea, and realized how cool a green velvet coat could be (something like this / this)...

See, I've recently become obsessed with the haute couture look, and have really wanted to try my hand at making something slightly "over the top" like that.  This velvet coat idea struck me as something that could be kinda couture-ish, which made me want to try it even more.

Now, keep in mind, I'm not finished with this coat yet.  I'm about half way through so far, and while I'm rather liking how it looks currently, it might look awful in the end.  If it does, we can all just have a good laugh over it when I post "Part Two" of this project.  Sound good?  Sounds good. ;D

Now that you've got all the exposition, it's time to plunge straight into my new project... The first thing to do was prep the skirt, so I could get the most out of the fabric.

Ripping out the gathers in the waist (it took f oreverrr).

Unfortunately, you can't iron velvet (because of how the fabric has a standing-up pile), so I just smoothed it out the best I could and started cutting out pattern pieces for the top of the coat.

After a few hours of work, I had all the main bodice pieces cut out, pinned, and ready to go.

Next, over the course of a few days, I did the sewing for those eight pieces...

After that was done, it was time to move on to the sleeves.  Getting these prepped is always easy, and I love the shape of this pattern's sleeves so there wasn't any cause for alterations.  After sewing them up, I pinned them to the main bodice.

And that's as far as I've gotten with the coat as of now!  It's not much to look at (lacking a collar, lining, and the peplum hem I'm planning to add to lengthen it), but I think it's a good start.  Hopefully I'll get this thing finished soon so we can all find out whether making a green velvet coat was a good idea or not... ;D