The Unicorn Hunt: Book Reviews

April Round-Up: Geek & Sundry, The Host, & a New Bike!

Movies Watched 

2 Days in New York - A sort-of sequel to 2 Days in Paris, in which Marion and her boyfriend visit her family in Paris, this movie takes place years later when Marion's crazy French family comes to stay with her and her boyfriend (and their children from previous relationships). Her family is absolutely nuts, so it's all so hilarious.

Before Midnight - If you haven't seen Before Sunrise or Before Sunset (Before Midnight is the third in this series), I highly recommend them if you like character-based movies with lots of thought-provoking conversation.

Much Ado About Nothing - I love Shakespeare movies because they allow me to actually enjoy Shakespeare! No one can appreciate or understand Shakespeare when it's being read awkwardly aloud by a 15 yr-old boy in your 10th grade English class. They are plays, they need to be played out! If you're not familiar with Shakespeare, this is a good movie to start with. It's totally understandable (they just speak in a lot of metaphors) and hilarious.

Frozen - I swear, by the time I watched this movie, I had already seen half of it in gifs on Tumblr. I'm not nearly as over-the-moon about it as everyone else seems to be. It had laugh-out-loud moments, but the story was nothing special. A pretty quick fairytale. It needed more development time. I didn't feel like I knew the characters at all. (But maybe I'm just getting too old for Disney fairy tales?)

Monsters University - Monsters Inc. is a movie I've rewatched many times because it's lighthearted and fun (and Boo is so cute!) and Monsters University is the same. I really liked seeing younger Mike & Sully become a team.

TV Watched

Happy Endings - I watched this series (only 3 seasons- wah!) sometime last year for the first time. It's pretty funny and I love the characters. (P.S. If you are watching it on Netflix or something, the episodes (esp. season 1) are out of order. Look it up on Wikipedia and watch in order of the production code numbers. I realized this problem the first time I watched it because they put episodes 2 & 3 later in the season and I was like "Why are they dealing with this stuff months after the fact?")

Sherlock: Season 3 - I just had to watch it again! Drunk Sherlock & Watson is my favorite! :)

American Horror Story: Coven - I'm a sucker for anything witchy and everyone was so obsessed with it on Tumblr that I gave in even though horror/thriller as a genre does not appeal to me. I really loved it, of course. Incredible and crazy. I'm definitely going to watch the first two seasons now, and I'm excited for next season- Freak Show!

Broad City - These girls are ridiculous and amazing. I love these shows (mostly web shows) coming out that show twenty-something girls in a more realistic way. It's the humor of everyday life that we can all relate to. Or, if not, you would laugh if it happened to a friend.

Web Series Watched 

Caper - This is a great series from Geek & Sundry about a group of superheroes that live together and find that having superpowers doesn't mean you can pay rent.

Dragon Age: Redemption - I checked this out because of my recent Felicia Day obsession (she wrote & starred in it) even though it's based in a video game world and I'm not a gamer. It's actually a really good story. It does a good job of explaining how things in their world work, so you don't feel out of the loop.

Cristina Viseu - This isn't a web series, exactly, just a channel. Cristina is Geek & Sundry's videography & photography vlogger. I've already learned a lot from her about equipment, cameras, and shooting.

Chaotic Awesome - It's a live online show, but segments are uploaded to the channel after. I haven't been interested in every segment, but I watch any that look interesting. It's all about geek culture, technology, gaming, etc.

The Flog - It's my favorite geek girl- Felicia Day! She talks at the camera about cool stuff and then there is a segment in which she learns something like blacksmith-ing, crocheting, yo-yo-ing, even trapeze-ing! Lots of fun.

Felicia Day - Again, not a web series, but rather a channel. Felicia no longer does her series The Flog, but she has been uploading vlogs on her own channel. She talks about interesting stuff or recaps her adventures.

Bee and Puppycat - Blame Felicia again. She mentioned this web series, so I checked it out. It's only two parts right now, but a successful Kickstarter campaign means they are making more! It's so weird but so funny and awesome.

Books Read 

The Host- I finally read it! Once I got started, I couldn't stop. (As with any good novel.) It's been 5 years since I last read it, so it was still exciting to read, even though I knew the gist of what would happen. I'm going to watch the movie this weekend. I'm a bit nervous because I know it will not be as good, but I'm interested to see how they adapted it.

Music Played

Christina Perri - Head or Heart

Iggy Azalea - New Classic

OneRepublic - Waking Up, Native

Shakira - Shakira.

Games Played

Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! (PlayStation)

I last year, my friends and I had a yard sale, and they were selling their PlayStation and games. Being the retro console collector that I was (or trying to be) I snatched that baby up. I haven't played it much until my gaming kick I've been on lately, and I finally found a game for it that I liked. Being the "casual" gamer that I am, I like easy games. Spyro is pretty chill. There's no pressure to be fast, or good, or not die. Plus, he's really cute!

Cakes Made at Work

Fun Had 

I got a new bike! I've had the same bike since I was a kid. I didn't use it much, so I didn't care how stupid I looked on a boy's blue and yellow mountain bike. But this past year, I biked to work all Summer, until it finally got a flat tire. I was planning on getting myself a new bike in the Spring anyway, so I said so long to my childhood bike and looked forward to a cute bike in the Spring! I could only find one bike that had the cute retro cruiser style, but actually had gears. I wasn't looking for a purple bike, but I've come to love it.

After I got my new futon mattress, I got out my sewing machine to fix up/make some pillowcases I've been meaning to do. I'd been saving this cute Nintendo t-shirt to make into a pillowcase. It wasn't big enough on its own, so I had to use a scrap red t-shirt to give it a border, and a white t-shirt to make the back.

I tweeted the link to my Girl I Love: Felicia Day blog post to Felicia and she tweeted back! So exciting!

Links & Likes

A Bad Lip Reading of The Twlight Saga: Eclipse made me laugh so hard. Do yourself a favor and watch all the bad lip readings videos. Maybe have a paramedic standing by to revive you when you kill yourself laughing.

In 2012, Miley Cyrus made a few Backyard Sessions videos. Her rendition of Jolene is pretty amazing.

I love this geek anthem from Felicia Day & friends; I'm the One That's Cool. It's an awesome song with a great message.

February Round-Up

Movies Watched

Upside Down - The concept of two planets being so close together and their gravity applying only to their respective matter intrigued the sci-fi nerd in me. The love story was kind of sweet, but the flaws in the physics distracted me.

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters - This is an example of my excellent movie instincts. I knew I wanted to see this movie as soon as I saw the trailer. Despite poor reviews and general lack of enthusiasm from the public, it stayed on my list. I loved it. It is so bad ass. I have a default interest in anything fairy tale or witches, so it already had those going for it, but that's not why it's great. It had cheeky humor when it needed to, it had a good back story revealed throughout, and it is just super bad. Ass.

Camp Takota - If you have not heard of this movie, then you're not an avid YouTube watcher. YouTube stars Grace Helbig, Mamrie Hart, and Hannah Hart got together to star in this movie that Mamrie wrote. It was not the laugh riot I expected of these hilarious girls, but I don't mean that as a bad thing. It was most definitely funny but not in an obnoxious way, like trying to shove in as many jokes as possible. It was smart kind of funny and was a really nice story. You can buy it on iTunes now!

Identity Thief - This is an example of going against my movie instincts. I was not too interested in seeing this movie based on the trailer. However, my friend insisted it was hilarious and the short scene she showed me was pretty funny, so I took a chance on it. It had it's funny moments and jokes. I love Melissa McCarthy, of course, but overall it didn't do it for me. And I hated the ending.

The Cell - Based on my love of The Fall and Mirror Mirror, I was interested to see this earlier film directed by Tarsem Singh as well. It had the cinematic beauty of The Fall, but much darker. I loved it. It's definitely disturbing, but just so incredible to watch.

The Fall - After watching The Cell, I had the urge to watch one of my favorite films, The Fall, again. I realized right away that this was my first time watching it since getting my HDTV because- Wow. It is so beautiful. And the story is so beautiful and heartbreaking. It's amazing to watch Lee Pace (yummy!) interact with the young Spanish-speaking actress, it's so realistic (because she really didn't understand English very well, a lot was improvised). This is a movie that I will always recommend to everyone.

Midnight in Paris - Nothing like a movie set in Paris to give your mind an escape for a couple hours. And Paris in the 20's? I die. It's all so lovely and such an adventure.

Beautiful Creatures - I was in the mood for a fantasy, so I chose this one. It was a little too familiar. High school kids, special powers, "But, I love him!". It was pretty cool, but the kind of movie you can tell is based on a book because things move along a little too quickly and feel unexplained.

TV Watched

Whose Line Is It Anyway? - Just background viewing. I've seen it all before, so I don't laugh out loud too much, but it's something I can ignore or just listen to without missing out.

Miranda - I've mentioned before my distaste for laugh-track sit-coms, but this is a big exception. Miranda Hart is hilarious. All the characters are hilarious, but not unrealistic caricatures. I love that she "breaks the fourth wall" by giving the camera looks or repeating jokes, she introduces each episode like she's catching up with the audience, and at the end of each episode everyone waves goodbye. It's not the usual "dry" humor you expect from British shows, it's a lot of physical comedy, actually.

Dead Like Me and Wonderfalls - Oh, Bryan Fuller... Why do they pick on you so? Does every Bryan Fuller show have to be cancelled so soon? The last one he tried to make didn't even make it past the pilot! (Mockingbird Lane) I love re-watching Bryan Fuller shows. They're funny and cute and just a joy to watch. But also, a little dark.

Web Series Watched

Friendship is Witchcraft - This is a genius parody show. The creators dubbed over episodes of the My Little Pony show, Friendship is Magic, to make it hilarious and weird. Like, really weird. It got taken off YouTube for copyright infringement, of course, but someone else uploaded it, thank goodness.

The Better Half, The Neighbors, and Kiss Her I’m Famous - I found some article on Buzzfeed about lesbian web series you should watching, so I checked them all out and these are three that I liked. They all have an effortless quality about them. The acting is just so natural. I particularly love The Better Half. The characters are adorable together.

Books Read

The Host - Okay, I've barely read any of this book, to be honest. I just haven't been in a reading mood, okay? I read this years ago when it was new, and after the movie came out I had to decide if I wanted to re-read the book before seeing the movie or vice versa. I decided to re-read it first, so I don't have any movie images or interpretations invading my reading. I remember when I was reading it, wondering how they could turn it into a movie (I often do that with novels) because the majority of conversations take place between two beings inhabiting one body. I guess I'll find out when I finally finish the book and watch the movie.

Music Heard

Once Upon a Dream by Lana Del Rey - It's sooooooo dreamy and beautiful. I just close my eyes and sway slowly while listening to it.

Take Me to Church by Hozier - At first listen it seemed like a love song, but after listening to it more, I decided it seems more like singing to one's muse, than a person. I love (attempting to) belt out the chorus, so I've added it to my list of songs to learn on the piano.

Say You’ll Be There by MØ - Why are there not more Spice Girls covers in the world?

Camp It Up by Grace Helbig, Mamrie Hart, Hannah Hart, Flula Borg - A fun danceable song from Camp Takota

Girl Talk by Kate Nash - I don't love the whole album, but there are a few fun songs like Fri-End? and OMYGOD!

Cakes Made

Videos Made




Fun Had

Over a year ago, I donated to a Kickstarter for a web series that I loved created by a girl I loved (Marissa A. Ross) called Tangents & the Times. The Kickstarter's success meant that we got more episodes of this great series. Well, they finally got around to mailing out the Kickstarter rewards, and I received my copy of the series on DVD, along with a personal note from Marissa. Aside from the excitement of having the series on DVD to watch (which I did that night, of course), the note from Marissa was really touching because she actually remembers who I am (and likes my cakes!). After a few weeks of shitty things happening, that note was just what I needed to cheer me up and inspire me. I think Marissa is a great writer and just an awesome person. She's the kind of person that serves as great inspiration for me, but not because I want to be just like her. Yes, I do want to pursue writing like she has, but it's seeing her do things like this web series and hearing about her writing a TV pilot that give me that "If she can do it, I can do it" lift I need. I'll stop gushing, now. You start watching.

January Round-Up

Movies Watched
Baraka and Samsara -I'd call these two films documentaries, but then you might expect something narrated by David Attenborough. But these films don't have narration. They just show you the world. People, nature, technology, life. You might not make it through one if you're a bit ADD, but if you can sit back and just enjoy, you will be amazed. The world is a wonderful place. (It's also a horrible place, though. I couldn't bear to watch scenes from factory farms and the like. But, hey, it made me feel something. And in my book, that's a movie worth watching.)

Hugo - If I had known that this movie was so much about early surrealist film, I would have been eager to see it much sooner! It was a beautiful movie, a bit of mischief and mystery, and some really cool old films which gave me film school flashbacks.

The Secret of Kells - The illustration/animation style is just beautiful. You must see it. It's not a grand, epic film, it's really just a fairy tale. It's lovely. And Irish. Don't you just love listening to Irish people talk? It's so musical. Sigh. I just want to exist inside this movie.

Sleepy Hollow - This was intended for pre-Halloween viewing, but I didn't get around to it until now. I think my favorite part was Johnny Depp's hair. But I also liked that the headless horseman was very real, and there was a very interesting story behind it. I always thought the headless horseman was like a ghost people see, but they never have any proof. But this story has a lovely, gory ending.

Jack and Diane - I'm still not sure what the symbolic purpose of the "monster" side of things was... Nevertheless, it was still what I thought it would be; a story of two girls meeting and creating a very strong connection, and then going through some shit. I like character-driven movies like this.

Mirror Mirror - I'm always right when I have a gut-instinct about a movie. This movie was not well-received when it came out, but I thought it looked colorful and cheeky. I was right, of course. It's absolutely stunning visually and it makes me laugh out loud at the adorable dwarfs. I highly recommend it for any fairy tale lovers.

TV Watched
Friends - This was my 'background watching' show for the month. I just always need something playing on the TV. Friends is one of the very few laugh-track sitcoms that I can watch. I generally can't stand that filmed-in-front-of-a-live-studio-audience style of show.

Him & Her - I re-watched the third season and then watched the fourth, final, season. This British show makes me laugh out loud so much. It also taught me what being in a relationship in your twenties is like. I assume. The fourth season was a little different style, though. It gave me anxiety. I got very worked up. The hilariously awful characters that I never took seriously were suddenly in a very serious situation. But I still laughed a lot.

Books Read
Inferno by Dan Brown - I love Dan Brown's books. I have them all. I mean, they all pretty much do the same thing- there's a great mystery to be solved, the world is in danger, the stakes are high, etc. But that doesn't stop me from getting addicted to the story. I read most of this in one day. This one deals with the themes of Dante's Inferno and the problem of overpopulation- seriously, we need to do something about it and a character in this book makes a drastic, but effective, move to help the entire world. I couldn't wait to discuss the book and ideas with my friends.

Bossypants by Tina Fey - I've been reading non-fiction more than fiction lately. I thought I better read this one since I read and enjoyed others like it. It had it's humorous moments, but generally, I wasn't in love with it. It's a good read, but overall I felt like I didn't get anything out of it. I guess I'm just not that interested in Tina Fey's life story. (Also, she didn't mention a single thing about Mean Girls!)

Music Heard
Beyoncé - I finally bought BEYONCÉ early this month, watched the entirety, and have been obsessed ever since. I think I've had any/all of the songs stuck in my head everyday since. I came home and danced to it almost everyday for couple weeks. I really need to watch it again, too. Goddamnit, Beyoncé has out-Beyoncéd herself with this one. (And I haven't even had a Beyoncé album since Destiny's Child, just some singles.)

Chloë Howl - I'm anxiously waiting for her latest single, Rumour, to be available on iTunes. She just has a few singles out so far, but I am loving her Brit pop style and can't wait for more.

Cakes Made

(New Year's Eve)

(At work)

Videos Made

Fun Had 

We had a pretty mellow New Year's Eve at Kim's house this year. We were planning a masquerade party like we did last year, but no one could come. So, we just had fun playing my new game Catchphrase with Kim's family all night.

Kim, Kelsey, and I finally made it to Alight at Night. Upper Canada Village is a tourist/school field trip kind of pioneer village. For the Christmas season, they cover all the buildings in lights and open up at night. There really isn't much to it other than seeing the lights, but we enjoyed the night out.

I got my Camp Takota t-shirt and friendship bracelet in the mail! But I haven't taken a photo in it yet, oh no.

I painted some things that have been sitting around waiting to be painted. 

Way back in August, I submitted a piece about being an introvert to Hello Giggles, which they posted. Very exciting. It was the first of three that they've accepted. Last week I got a few messages from people about the article, which I thought was an odd coincidence. Turns out Hello Giggles re-posted it on their Facebook feed, so new people were reading it. I love reading the comments and getting messages from people about pieces I write. The Hello Giggles community is great. :)

I made the decision to simplify my Internet life by deleting my The Bakestress Facebook page, moving The Bakestress videos to my main YouTube channel, and, finally, importing The Bakestress blog back into this blog. I haven't been baking much on my own since I got a job as a cake decorator and I'm no longer interested in making cakes for people as a side business. I still love baking, though! I'm just not ready to commit to The Bakestress brand right now. I'm having too much fun writing lately and, of course, I've been busy with The Unicorn Hunt.  

We wanted a calendar at work, so I printed off Mandy's Man Calendar. Unfortunately, no one at work seems to know and/or care about the gorgeous nerdy men featured, but at least I will enjoy it. :)

Kim and I went to Milestones to celebrate her milestone and I chose to have a grown-up drink, a Lipstick Martini (aka a raspberry martini). It tasted like Swedish Berries, which I loooove. Adding raspberry vodka and martini fixings to my liquor store list.

January // A New Frontier

 

January is the beginning, right? Technically, it's the beginning of our calender year, which means people think of it as a good time for beginning new things. Well, I never stick to an resolutions or goals I make for New Year's, but there are a few things I know I can stick with; like watching a good TV show, reading a good book, and always wanting to learn, learn, learn. Why stay the same, when you can change? Why stick with what you know, when you can learn more? One of my favorite topics to learn about is space. And that's a pretty wide topic. I mean, we're talking about the whole universe, here. From the tiniest proton, to a galaxy billions of light years away, there's always something new to discover. As fun as science fiction can be, I've always found science fact much more interesting. This is the month to have fun learning about astronomy, physics, space, technology, the universe, and discovering new territory.

Watch: Defying Gravity

When this show premiered in 2009, it was described as "Grey's Anatomy in space". If you want a good mix of an ensemble cast drama mixed with science fiction, this is for you. Forty years in the future, eight astronauts are embarking on a six-year mission to visit 5 planets around the solar system. The show goes back and forth between current time and 5 years ago, as the candidates were training to be chosen for the mission. Aside from the usual people-living-in-close-quarters-in-space issues, there is a big mystery behind the mission which will keep you hypothesizing and begging for the next episode. The tragic part is- there's only 13 episodes. Like so many good shows, it was cancelled too soon. There are still so many questions unanswered, so much I was looking forward to seeing on the show. If only television shows could be judged on something other than ratings...

Watch: Stargazing Live

This month with be the third year of this three-night, live-broadcast BBC show hosted by everyone's favorite physicist, Brian Cox, and everyone's favorite Irish comedian/TV presenter, Dara O'Briain. I've learned so much from this show the past two years. Even though I can't actually watch it live, it's still just as exciting. Last year they focused on our Sun as the main topic. They had a corespondent live from an observatory in Hawaii with amateur astronomers taking photos of the sun. They also showed footage of Professor Cox in India during a solar eclipse. They cover everything from the "big" questions, discoveries, & science to the fun stuff that you can do at home with your telescope and camera. I can't wait to see what topic they focus on this year and what interesting stuff I'll learn about our solar system, galaxy, and universe.

Watch: Neil deGrasse Tyson

Even if you're not much of a space geek, you may have heard of a little thing called the Hayden Planetarium. It's kind of a big deal. So, who better to learn about space, the universe, and astronomy, than the Director of it? If you've been drawn into all this space stuff by the pretty pictures and fun facts, and you're ready to learn more, then do a YouTube search for Neil deGrasse Tyson, get comfy, and get ready to learn. Specifically, there are some great videos on the Big Think channel, from other great minds as well, talking about the big stuff in a way we common folk can understand. Don't forget to check out some other astro-hotties like Brian Cox, and Carl Sagan in your YouTubing, for even more astro-fun.

Do: Some stargazing, telescoping, & astrophotography

Depending where you live, January may not be the best month to be spending your nights outdoors with a telescope. I know I won't be. So, even if you can't get out there this month, start doing some research, learning techniques and tips for the Summer, when you'll get out there. Watching Stargazing Live will definitely give you some tips for home astronomy and astrophotography, and give you a lot of inspiration and motivation to want to get out there and try! Even without any equipment, you can still have fun just stargazing, learning the constellations (there's an app for that!), you can even try your hand at some photography without a telescope. Maybe just get inspired and next time you're outside at night and the sky is clear, you'll remember to look up and just enjoy the view for a few minutes. Even in the cold.

Read: Deception Point by Dan Brown
Yes, finally, I am recommending a book that cannot be found in the Young Adult section of the book store. And, yes, this is the same Dan Brown that wrote The DaVinci Code. Yes, he wrote some less controversial books. And, yes, they are most definitely good reads. Like his most famous novel, this, too, is an unraveling mystery of a story. It's not exactly science fiction. It does not take place in space and there aren't any aliens- well, maybe. It's a story of finding evidence of life on other planets and the story of trying to prove or disprove it. I can't give it away, it's a mystery! Just get into it and you won't want to get out because there's a twist at every step. 

Check out: NASA Hubble Space Telescope Photos
Alright, now, this is what it's all about. You want to explore space? Well, short of becoming an astronaut (I think it's a little late for me), you can journey through space via images, thanks to NASA and Hubble. My favorites are the nebulae, but you may be captured by the galaxies, stars, black holes, or even our own solar system. Take some time to look through the photos and just enjoy the beauty of the universe.

November // Home & Away

I was having trouble thinking of a theme for November. I was thinking of how it's not quite full-on Christmas mode yet, or even full-on winter yet, but things are starting to get cold and cozy, which made me think of home. But, then thinking of home also made me think of "home is where your heart is" and sometimes traveling is home. While this time of year is starting to make me feel "homey" with all the warm and fuzzy Christmas traditions, it's also giving me cabin fever. I suddenly have the urge to move (across town or across the country), get out of the city, travel somewhere new. I guess I'll just have to get my fix of "anywhere but here" in my usual place: movies.

Watch: Human Planet
While you're looking around your warm and cozy home, possibly starting to fill up with Christmas decor, do you ever stop to think what other people all over the world are doing right this moment? What do their homes and lives look like? How do they spend their days? Well, lucky for you this show answers those questions. The series takes a look at the lives of varying groups of people all over the world and how they live, build their homes, feed their families, and have fun.

Read: In Spite of Killer Bees
Okay, okay. I know you're sick of me just recommending teenage girl novels every month. Frankly, that's 90% of my fiction. I think it's time for me to acquire some "grown-up" novels, not only for my self but for the sake of my blog. I promise this will be my last teen novel, if you promise to read it. It's a story of three sisters, all very different, coming together to live in a dead relatives home in a new town. The youngest sister is trying to make friends despite wearing the strangest outfits possible, the middle sister is the typical wild child, and the oldest sister is the mother figure. The dynamic sounds pretty formulaic, but the story is really interesting and takes a lot of crazy turns.

Listen: Ellie Goulding

Particularly, her new album Halcyon, but if you haven't already had the pleasure of diving into her music before, then you better get her first album Lights, too. Ellie's second album keeps her dreamy, synthy, beautiful style and adds some sweet beats. Her music is the kind that you can listen to lying in bed and just be consumed by it, but also don't be afraid to get up and do some twirly dance moves when you feel moved.

I'm Looking Forward to...

Getting into the Christmas Spirit!

I love Christmastime! I am always so ready to leap right in to full-on Christmas mode immediately after my birthday, but I try to restrain myself for a few weeks. Yes, I want as much Christmastime as possible, but I also worry that if I start in on the Christmas music too early, I'll get sick of it before Christmastime is over. I may even be considering making a loose Christmas movie schedule, something like 1 per day because I have so many to get through! Yup, November is time to start thinking about Christmas presents, Christmas plans, even New Year's Eve plans!

Christmas Baking

I already have some ideas, but this will be the month I have to get started planning and making Christmas goodies, especially if they're going to be videos or blogged, they need to be up earlier than Christmas. And speaking of videos...

The Bakestress Promo Shoot

I've had the idea for quite a while, waiting until I could get myself a new camera, and now the time has come. I'm going with the retro 50's housewife/pin-up theme again. But this time I'm going all out. I'm going to do a full video and photo shoot of me and my fancy-looking baked goods. The video will just be a fun "promo" for my YouTube, and also clips will be used for a short intro for future The Bakestress instructional videos. And the photos will be used for my website, Facebook, etc.

October // The Outsiders

I was born on Halloween and I've always thought that says a lot about me. Growing up, and all through my teens, I was always trying new styles, fashion or otherwise, and even trying to be someone different. I always enjoyed being seen as the weird one, liking the things that I wasn't supposed to like, from socially unacceptable things to just silly superstitious things (my favorite number has always been 13). In that way, I always loved and related to The Addams Family because they reveled in the odd things that everyone else shied way from.
October, to me, is always the excitement of my impending birthday, seeing fun Halloween decorations, costumes and items in stores, watching the leaves change colors, that distinct smell of a chilly Autumn night, pumpkins, scarecrows and other Autumn decorations. Halloween is the one day of the year that everyone tries to be an outsider, but I'm a Halloween baby, and I was born this way. ;)

Watch: Ruby Gloom 

I came across Ruby Gloom a few years ago when it was still fairly new. I instantly fell in love with it. Just the animation style, the character's style. It's so adorable! This show is like The Addams Family but a group of kids (teens?) living in a big house together in Gloomsville, where the sun never shines. But they're all the most happy characters! (Except for Misery. Misery is her thing.) They're always having so much fun and crazy adventures! The characters are all so different and odd! Iris is the out-of-control crazy one, Frank and Len are the stupid rocker dudes, Poe is the uptight serious one, Misery is a walking disaster, and Ruby is the cheerful glue that holds them all together. I just love it so much, guys! If there's one family of outsiders I'd want to be a part of, it would be this one. (If you're not convinced you'll love it, just take a look at the show's intro.)

Listen: Marina and the Diamonds

I got both of Marina's albums a couple months ago, and I am still listening to them. That's quite a long time for me to be consistently listening to one artist/album/playlist and not get sick of it. Her music may be a good dose of pop, but Marina's on the outside of the other pop stars. She makes fun of those fame-seeking girls in 'Hollywood'. Her lyrics are so much more than "pop". Her first album stays away from love songs and instead focuses on Marina's social observations. "Girls are not meant to fight dirty / Never look a day past thirty" Her second album focuses on archetypes ('Homewrecker', 'Teen Idle', 'Primadonna') with more personal lyrics. I love Marina's music for its dance-pop catchy-ness and its thought-provoking lyrics. I love when an artist can combine intelligent lyrics that I can relate to and also enjoy singing and dancing along to the fun beat.

Read: Alice, I Think

When I had to choose a book on my theme "Outsiders", odd Alice first came to mind. Alice is the stereotypical awkward social outsider. Joining public school after growing up home schooled by slightly hippie parents, Alice finds herself in all sorts of awkward teen social situations made even more awkward by Alice's lack of social interaction with peers. (Think Cady in Mean Girls but even weirder.) The descriptions of her thrift-store outfits alone make it clear what a freak this girl would look like walking down the street of her small Canadian town. Throughout the three books in the series, Alice finds herself faltering through many typical teen situations including boys, a local beauty pageant, friends, family, school, and her on-going quest for the strangest outfits she can find. (If you're not much of a reader, Alice, I Think was also briefly a Canadian TV show.)

 Last Fall // I've started collecting skulls // Halloween props // A wig just for fun

Looking Forward to...

My Birthday (and a whole week off!)

It's only a month away! I still don't have definite plans, but I have lots of ideas that just need to be confirmed. No matter what I plan, I know I have the entire week free! I felt so grown-up booking "vacation time". Am I grown-up? Is 23 grown-up? Do grown-ups say "grown-up"? I'll be using the week for fun birthday and Halloween plans, of course, and I'll also try to fit in as much baking, photo shoots, video shoots, and blogging as I can while I have the time! I have a very busy month ahead of me and it's not going to get any less busy as we head into the Christmas season!

Halloween

I've got everything I need to make my costume, so that's my project this month! I'll leave the costume a surprise, but I will say that I didn't want a pre-made costume because I'm doing my own interpretation of this... character. It's been a long time since I put effort into making a costume, so I'm excited to actually have a proper costume and celebrate Halloween this year, not just my birthday. (Which is on Halloween. In case you didn't know that. I'm sure I've mentioned it before.) My friend and I are also working on Halloween party ideas. Like I said, I've never really had a Halloween party, as I always try to make the day more about my birthday, but this year I'm trying to embrace Halloween. (Not that I don't like Halloween, I'm just very self-centered.)

Autumn Weather

The weather changed very quickly this year! It seems that September began and- BAM! It was colder, the leaves were falling, and it got darker an hour earlier. I'm enjoying workin' it in my new leather jacket on my walks to work and the smell of chilly Autumn evenings on my walks home. I'm all for Autumn- but Winter better hold off as long as possible! It better not snow on my birthday like two years ago! Last year I was still riding my bike at the beginning of December- let's do that again. Yay, for global warming, right?!

New Camera and iPhone 5!

This week I am buying myself a (well deserved, I think) early birthday present- a new camera! I've been putting off all of my video ideas for months (years!) because I didn't want to waste good ideas on my crappy, old camcorder. Soon I'll have lots of HD videos for you! I have a few photo shoots & videos planned for this month already, so watch out!

It's also time for me to upgrade my phone to the new iPhone 5! I've had the iPhone 3GS for three years, so I'm due for an upgrade. I am very excited about having not one, but two HD cameras on my phone! (Second camera for videos & no need to carry around a separate camera in order to capture spontaneous moments in good quality photos!)

Aside from the excitement of these new gadgets, just the fact that I'm earning enough money to buy these for myself is pretty exciting to me!

September // Too Cool for School

That's right, kids. I'm too cool for school. But I'm definitely not too cool for learning. I love learning! I love learning about space with series like Wonders of the Universe. I love learning about religion reading books like The Everything World's Religions Book. I love learning about people, places, news, science, history, movies, everything! That's what the Internet was invented for, right? Sharing information. I'm going to share some information with you right now.

Whether September means back to school for you, or not, I bet it still feels like the beginning of the year. We grow up with this yearly cycle and never really lose it. This time of year also feels like the beginning of the year and time for fresh starts because I'm reminded that my birthday is a mere two months away. In a lot of ways my birthday is my New Year. It's a new year, a new season, it's time for something new. So go do something new. Enjoy the last weeks of Summer, enjoy the beginning of Autumn. Learn something new. Start something new. Plan a kick-ass Halloween costume. Plan a kick-ass end of Summer party. Or just read, watch, and listen to this stuff. It's like school but better because you don't really have to go.

Read: Please Don't Kill the Freshman by Zoe Trope
I was fascinated by this teenage memoir when I was a teenager. Living my fairly mundane teenage life, any movie/book/story about a teen with a different, more interesting, life was very appealing to me. In this book, where the characters are all referred to by odd nicknames, our author describes her teenage world of high school, relationships (gay, straight and otherwise), zines, independent publishing, parental angst, and indie music. It's probably too "young" for you if, like me, you're long out of high school. But it's not immature or impossible to enjoy beyond the angsty teen years.

Watch: Gilmore Girls
Something about this September, back-to-school, Autumn's-coming time of year reminds me of Gilmore Girls. Mostly just Autumn. Actually, it's more that Gilmore Girls makes me feel Autumn-y. Despite being filmed in California and set in Connecticut, featuring a consistently sunny climate, even with the faux-snow on the ground, Gilmore Girls doesn't feel like a sunshiney California show, or a even a well-represented quadro-seasoned show. It's an Autumn show. Perhaps it's all the Autumn-themed DVD covers they make to try to maintain the impression that this show actually takes place in lovely Connecticut, where there is indeed Fall foliage.
What is my point? Especially when we all know that September is most definitely not Fall foliage time of year. The Autumnal Equinox may be this month, but it's hardly sweater season yet. It is, however, back-to-school season. And Gilmore Girls is not actually about fake New England climates, it's about school. Well, it's not about school, but Rory is in school. A lot of stuff happens at school. There are a lot of school uniforms, school books, mentions of studying and how much she loves Harvard/Yale. So, come September instead of going to school, I watch Rory go to school. (Rory Gilmore. Not my brother who also happens to be named Rory. Although, I think my brother is going back to school this year. But I won't be watching him. Because he lives far away. Thank god.)

Listen: Music from Glee
Glee is the only high school show left that I watch. I'm too old to watch those silly high school shows. Except Glee. It's silly in a musical way not an "Oh-em-gee! So much drah-ma!" kind of way. Lucky for you, in three seasons of the show the Glee kids (and adults) have covered a wide range of music genres for you to enjoy. Most of my favorites from Glee are the songs that they really "made their own" including their famous mash-ups. (Surely, you've heard the epic Adele 'Rumour Has It'/'Someone Like You' mash-up.) If you're not already a Glee fan, I suggest using iTunes or YouTube to preview their songs and see what a variety they've done. Also, just watch the show. Just do it.

[Looking forward to more of this in the last days of Summer and into Autumn. My favorite place to visit, the cemetery. Captured with the Hipstamatic app on my iPhone.]

I'm looking forward to...
The Weather Cooling Down- Only Slightly!
Just enough that I can wear long sleeves and maybe even a light jacket in the evenings. I'm not ready to give up my shorts, but I like jackets and sweaters. And I can let my hair down! Be free, hair! Blow in the cool Summer breeze!

Michaels Open House - Sept. 8th
As you may or may not know, I am a Wilton Method Instructor. I teach Wilton cake decorating classes at a Michaels store. A few times a year Michaels has an "Open House" to advertise all of the classes they offer. We're always trying to make the event better each time to get more people to sign up. This time, we are holding the event outside! Although it is a strain and a drain on my social skills to be an outgoing, charming, small-talking salesperson, I love my job as an instructor and love telling people about the classes and getting them excited about them! I think the day will be a lot of fun and at the end of the day we'll be proud of our success. (If you're in Ottawa- here's more information.)

My Birthday/Halloween Is Only Two Months Away!
I always obsess over my birthday plans. Every year I try to make it amazing and every year it disappoints me. (Except my 20th. Thank you, Addie.) This year I plan to take an entire week off from work (something rarely possible since I started teaching 4-week cake courses). I had a plan, but wasn't able to save enough money for it. So, now, I'm brainstorming affordable, probably local, ideas.
Last year my Halloween costume was Knives Chau (from the Scott Pilgrim comics/movie). This year, I'm fairly decided that I'm going to be Snow White. I've thought about being Snow White for many years, but this year I finally have her "hair as black as ebony". And Kelsey is going to be Pocahontas, so we've got a Disney Princess thing going on.

Addie & Family Are Here!
My best friend, Addie, her husband and two (TWO!!) kids are here (within an hour of me) for the month. I am so excited to hang out with my best friend, play with her almost-two-year-old son and meet her brand new daughter!

TV
DOCTOR WHO IS BACK!!! Season 7 premiered last night on BBC (I downloaded it and will watch it later today). I have been avoiding any spoilers or previews or news about it so I can just watch it and take it all in. The biggest spoiler I've seen is a picture of the new companion. (New companion?!?!)
The Mindy Project premieres September 25th. (You can view the first episode online for free somewhere, but I might as well wait.) I'm hoping I will love this new girl-centered comedy in the same way I love New Girl. Which is also returning on September 25th. (Yay!)

Other returning shows: Parenthood, Glee, Private Practice, and Grey's Anatomy. (If my Googling of premiere dates proves accurate.)

Links + Likes // 02.12.12

More Handmade Valentines: Playful, Psychic and Sweet by Mr. Kate on Hello Giggles

Nine Questionable Fashion Choices from Parenthood's Amber on Vulture

I actually like her hair and most of her outfits, but they do make their point that she has worn some questionable outfits on the show.

Buy a Ticket: Sleepless in Seattle on I Love Wildfox

I love this idea and the resulting photos. It's basically a photo story of two girls visiting a city, checking out the vintage shops and happenin' spots, and making you jealous of their fabulous lives.

My blog friend, Mandy, is having a really neat giveaway on her blog, Chocolate & Cream Cake! Some Amazon gift cards, yes, but what I'm really excited about is winning a custom bookplate design! Mandy made this geeky cute one for her & her husband's personal library (for the inside cover of books, so borrowers know where to return it) and I love the idea! I hope I win, so we can design one for me together, but I may just design something for myself. ;)

Literally the Best Thing Ever: Degrassi on Rookie

Degrassi (the original series, guys) really is one of the best TV shows ever. I remember going to my best friend's house everyday after school to watch Degrassi Junior High on TV. She even once cut her hair like Liz. Man, we were so cool. Degrassi taught me so much about being a teenager, even though I was only in the third grade. I think it prepared me for high school much better than Clueless, which was also a big influence on third grade me, did. I watched the entire series this past year and loved every bit of it, even though 80's fashion hurts my eyeballs.

Scott Pilgrim vs. Reality on Torontoist

As a Scott Pilgrim fan and a Canadian, I was extremely jealous when my friends, who have lived in Toronto, said they recognized a lot of places from the Scott Pilgrim movie (which, like the comic, is set in Toronto). Someone got photos of the real-life places depicted in the Scott Pilgrim comics to compare. Nerdfest!

Let's all Watch Dawson's Creek! Episode 8: "The Ex-Boyfriend" on Hello Giggles

I have no interest in ever watching Dawson's Creek (I think I was bit young to be enticed by it when it originally aired, so I've never seen it.) but I am so enjoying these hilarious recaps.