Monthly Randoms- April 2022- No Internet, Easter, and the Blue Bunny Queen

 Hey  Friends,

Time for the monthly randoms. Today we talk Easter, no internet, and a great mental health tune.

No Internet

So Tuesday or Wednesday a couple weeks ago I was online and the internet stopped working. It was windy so I looked at my modem to see if it was down due to the weather, well usually it's only the bottom two lights that go out, but that day it was all of them. Something told me to go check the satellite and when I did I smelt smoke, and saw  red hot line and a small flame erupted at the corner of the house. Luckily it was small so we easily doused it, and unplugged the power till we got the cable cooled and safe. Luckily all we had was some scorched grass and slight burn mark on the house. 

So I called my internet company since we pay extra for issues like this to get repaired with no extra costs. I'm figuring a couple days without the internet. They couldn't get someone out till the 30th. So I was without internet eleven days. I'm already without a TV now the net. Mental health was not happy and that's why this post is late, for once it wasn't the mental health hydra b*****. 

This led to some issues like my job, which had an assignment due the 28th, two days before the person was suppose to come to fix it. This was okay, cause I got to spend time at my library, which I haven't got to do in person in years. I usually check out books digitally, cause I can't get to a library branch easily.

Easter

So Easter was last month, got a new candy supply, even adults get baskets at my house. I added to my blue bunny army this year. 

 

I have lots of blue bunnies, this isn't even all of them.

 A few days earlier Fangirl gave me these lovely blue bunny items:

And the folks hooked me up with this set:

 

I then spent some the day in my queenly attire, blowing my bubbles for I am the blue bunny queen: 

 

Favorites On My Socials

Don't have a lot in the socials this month, actually only one. Fangirl showed me this song by Josiah Frazier and it's totally me. Warning heavy on the swearing.  This is my life everyday.

Things to Watch

So with my internet out, and still no TV. I had to pull out all my DVDs, so I watched a lot of DVDs I'd gotten but hadn't watched yet or hadn't watched in a while, I saw the Dungeons and Dragons cartoon, Sailor Moon, TMNT late 80's/ early 90's, and even the Super Mario Brothers cartoons. Lots of nostalgia. 

Music I'm Jamming To

Fangirl was jamming to Comin' Are The Nein by Chase Noseworthy when we went out earlier last month. I of course had to find it. It's a song written about the Mighty Nein from Critical Role's Campaign Two. Everyone knows I love some Critical Role.

Random Rambles

Crazy Idea Time: Library of Annuals

So you all know I love thrifting, I am Thrifty Geek after all. I will come across sometimes old years books when I'm thrifting, and I always feel sorry them. Just tossed away into the land of second hand far from their owners. I thought it'd be cool to collect all these and put them in a library for people to peruse. 

Well there's another random. I hope you guys have a good week, smile, and God bless.

*Thrifty Geek*

Ghostbusters and the long awaited Ghostbusters: Afterlife review

 Hello Ghostbusting Friends,

Okay, been sitting on this post idea since this past November. It's way overdue to discuss Ghostbusters: Afterlife. So sit back, today is gonna be all bout the boys. Now you know how we do here, do a bit of my personal history then we get to the actual review. So let's get cracking. 

A slimming is going to go down

Origin Story: Ghostbusters and Mine

So I arrived in early June of 1984 then a few days later that same week this epic movie would arrive. I of course was a five day old baby, so this all was lost on me; my only concerns were if my belly was full and my diaper was changed. Well fast forward five years and they were releasing Ghostbusters II. I was oblivious to this still cause I'd just turned five two weeks earlier. Since my family didn't get a chance to go to the theaters often I wouldn't see the second movie, which was the first of the live action movies I believe I ever saw, until a couple years later. I was into Ghostbusters already thanks to the cartoon series The Real Ghostbusters. In my imagination I was busting ghosts with the guys. We had Slimer stickers on the fish tank and I so wanted the different Kenner equipment toys they put out. You can see the commercials I drooled over for these toys thanks to 910dohead's Kenner Compilation video. You can also check out Ghostbuster News' review of the trap, it also has links to the other Kenner toys he reviewed, he's site is an amazing bed of Ghostbusters activity, so check him out. 

I'd finally see my first movie, 2, when one of the local channels was airing the second movie. I wouldn't see the original movie till I think after we got our satellite in middle school. Well it started an hour before my sister and mine's bedtime, which meant my sister missed the second half, but not me cause I was sick and wasn't going to be going to school, so I didn't have to go to bed! This meant I got to see that epic scene where the guys made the Statue of Liberty walk with positively charged slime, Howard Huntsberry, and that giant NES controller, we had one of those, which we probably used to play the two GB games.

Of course times have change, but I'm still a big fan. While I'm not scouring places for those old Kenner toys, I have been wanting this RP Minis of the P.K.E. meter, since I don't have a lot of space for big busting tools (I also would like the trap and proton pack their links are in the "Frequently Bought Together" section). I  like that they look like the movies version of the tools. I also want this Tobin's Spirit Guide for my bookshelves and of course the ultimate collection, cause I don't have any of the movies yet. What I'm a poor geek!

In 2016 Answer the Call came out, and I know a lot of fans were upset cause it wasn't the third movie they hoped for, some ridiculously so, but I still enjoyed it. I mean Patty smacking the ghost out of Penny, and Holtzman ripping those ghost a new one was awesome! Those two have a place on my dream Ghostbusting team. I mean was it as good as the originals, no not by a long shot, but I loved the idea of an all girl team. That being said no frelling flames in comments for difference in opinion please.

When Ghostbusters: Afterlife in the original franchise was announce I was excited we were finally getting that third movie. Filming began a month after my 35th birthday. For those keeping score at home that's another five age for me and the main movies, hope I don't have to wait till I'm 45 for another. Of course we all know Covid delayed it. It was worth the wait though.

Okay, now that we're caught up let's get into this new movie. I'll do this in two sections: my movie theater experience then the review. Sound good? Cool.

Ghostbusters:Afterlife: The Movie Experience

I was so excited to see this movie and had been waiting since 2019 to see it. I of course had to go in style. Which since I have no GB themed shirts was up to my nails. The slimer-like green from My Beauty Spot® gave my nails that just slimmed look:

We decided to go to our local theater, which I had only been to one other time since it's reopening. This movie would mark my first movie, in a theater, since Covid began.

Our local theater was geared with special cup and popcorn buckets for the movie. Fangirl treated me to a Slimer topped cup. Squees!

He was actually willing to share

It's been a while since I've went in to a movie so excited, and came out even more excited. The night even got in the spooky mood with a full moon:

Crappy Moon Photo

I used my cup a long while after, don't worry I washed it. The Slimer topper, which pops off, decided to reunite with my Venkman Funko Pop:

Aww

He slimmed me!

It was a great experience, and the movie was good too, it was nice after three years on fandoms ripping us to shreds to be happy with something a fandom put out: Infinity War 2018, Endgame 2019, Supernatural 2020. Actually this premiered a year to the day of the SPN series finale, so it was like a soothing fandom balm to my fragile geeky soul.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife: The Review

WARNING! THERE WILL BE SPOILERS! So if you don't wish to be spoiled proceed to the next section, I usually try not to do spoilers, but I just feel so much time has passed, and I just gotta talk about some parts! 

Okay, let's start with the opening. I loved they had the actor in shadow, so we could have the illusion it was Harold Ramis. Which is probably why Egon's demise didn't hurt as much as it did, because I'd already went through Harold's passing in 2014:

My memorial pin from GBfans.com

Then we meet Egon's daughter and kids. It sucked having Egon being cast in such a dark light by his daughter, and eventually Ray, I've always had a soft spot for Egon since the cartoon. Paul Rudd as Phoebe's teacher/GB fanatic was perfect, he was the right guy to lead Phoebe into the ghostbusting world. I can't believe the world forgot the Ghostbusters though, you figure a walking Statue of Liberty would have some historical significance, but of course with each passing decade even big events get washed away. 

It's fun seeing Phoebe unlock her Granddad's legacy. It's also great seeing Trevor, being the typical teen dude who's happy to have a set of wheels for cheap, bringing our beloved and neglected Ecto back to life. Podcast is an amazing addition to the team. He really is the Ray to Phoebe's Egon in a sense, I think Ghostbusters News mention he was their Ray and I'm inclined to believe it. He has an interest in the paranormal and rocks the visors. Then Lucky is kind of the Winston, that streetwise soul who kind fell in with this new busting crew. I wish I'd had a movie like this as a kid. Where I say kids and teens busting, I mean I was already busting ghosts in my head, but this would have been amazing.

The throw backs to the previous movies were great. All the little nods to the past that us fans would recognize, or try to remember if it was a previous movie reference. This is a great way to bring new fans to the world, and hold on to the old ones. Love the return of the old foes like Gozer and the Terror Dogs. Thought that scene in Walmart with the dog was hilarious, and reminiscent of Tully's terror dog attack. We even get to see a character only previously mentioned in the first movie Ivo Shandor, the Gozer worshipping builder, who's making  all these end of the world inducing buildings.

While I enjoyed the old I also loved the new, especially the new ghosties. Muncher has got that Slimer charm that made us all love the spud to begin with. Then there's the mini Stay Puff Marshmallow Men! These little sources of destruction are so cute!!!! My Mom has only seen them in commercials and she loves them already.

Now I heard they'd included Egon in some way. I was thinking "what he gonna be one of the ghosts"?  Heh, yeah. It was so creative how they had Egon and Phoebe interact, that chess game between them was heartwarming, you know before Egon was a sore loser. And him guiding her in his work area with the lamp, was genius. But the best part was at the end, cause I'm here thinking ghost Egon would be something Star Wars like, but no it was far superior. That detail to the ghost, I'd swear they'd summoned up Harold's ghost just to play the part. Then that ending where the original team, in addition to the new team up for that final fight. When the other three showed up I got tingles, which thankful still happened thanks to that spoiler of a moment they put in the last trailer, seriously trailer makers don't do that please! Seeing all them together on screen in some form or fashion, I was getting misty eyed, and for once not cause I was sad. Hollywood needs to take notes, things can get emotional without being sad, seriously over these sad endings. But yes just epic!

This movie exceeded my expectations. I hope this will result in more movies, cause I wanna see where their story goes. It was a great blend of old and new, and it was amazing. The future is in good hands.

The End Section After The Spoiler Filled Review

So that concludes this long awaited, at least on my part, review. I hope you enjoyed our little trip down nostalgia, as we celebrated the now and contemplated the future. Hope you have a good week, don't be afraid of the Ghosts, and God bless.

*Thrifty Geek* and Vampire >vv< Kitty

Musical Moment: Twister Soundtrack

Hey my fellow music lovers,

Today is a segment I haven't done in a bit Musical Moment. It's where I talk albums, playlist, basically anything musical. I'd like to try to do these once a month, the first Monday or close to it as I can. Well today's segment I'm journeying through my CD stash once more to bring you guys some music awesomeness. Today's is new, well new to my collection anyway, the soundtrack to the movie Twister, truth is this CD has been rocking the world since the mid-nineties. So in usual fashion in addition to songs I'll talk a bit about the Cover, booklets, and disc art, cause I feel that's something that doesn't get as much appreciation as much in this digital age.

Artist: Various
Album: Twister Original Soundtrack
Released: 1996

Cover: 

 

We have the Twister tile in red, with a Sepia shot of a scene from the movies. Okay that font they use to list the artist is giving me all the mid-nineties vibes.

Booklet: 

The booklet is comprised of color and black and white stills of the film. The back page features the slogan: "The Dark Side Of Nature", basically what you'd expect for a movie soundtrack, to push the movie.

 

 Back Cover:

 

We see darkened skies and the movie's namesake off menacingly to the side. The movie slogan I guess is featured again. The artist names are in the same red as the movie title from the front.

The Disk: 

The disk feature the title over a reflective surface. Those clouds are not part of the art, but are in fact the clouds above my house when I was taking pictures.
 
The Music:

Humans Being- (Written by Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar, Edward and Alex Van Halen/ Sung by Van Halen) One of my favorites on the CD, always think of Dustin riding up in his van blaring it. That sweet electric guitar makes you wanna just break out the air guitar.

Virtual Reality- (Written by Michael Glabicki/ Sung by Rusted Root) Got some electric guitar meets twang in this song. Rockabilly with a hint of Louisiana flavor? I don't know  I get a Louisiana vibe with this song.

Talula (BT's Tornado Mix)- (Written and Sung by Tori Amos) The lovely tune by I feel like a ninety's Pop staple. The mentions of chasing tornadoes, as well as being BT's Tornado Mix ties it back to the movie. It has a beat, but not like full on toe taping beat, but a mellow beat that'll get you nodding a bit.

 
Moments Like This- (Written by Viktor Krauss /Sung by Alison Krauss & Union Station) I believe this is a different side to the band I usually associate with country and bluegrass style. This is their sound with a rocking 90's vibe.

Darling Petty- (Written and Sung by Mark Knopfler) We get an Irish band style intro that leads into a gentle rock jam with a deep rambler's voice serenading us. I believe I heard a steal guitar in there? Another song with strong electric presence.

Miss This- (Written by David Pirner/ Sung by Soul Asylum) This song is straight up ninety's that I'd associate more with the teens of the era than the road riding adults in the film. Perhaps a modern, at the time, sound the gang discovered and  loved to rock out on the road.

Broken- (Written by Tanya Donelly/ Sung by Belly) More electric guitar. This is an album of the electric guitar. Here we have a ninety's rocker girl jam, I know I'm saying nineties a lot, but this is one of the albums that shows of their mid point so well.This brings us back to that road warrior vibe I said most the album has so far had, or has a thread of.

Love Affair- (Written by (music) Ennio Morricone (lyrics) Alan and Marilyn Bergman/Sung by k.d lang) This song really slows us down from the rack jams. I can just imagine the gang chilling somewhere between chases and this comes on and Jo and Bill just dance to it spontaneously. Surprising here is a song with no strong electric guitar.

 
How- (Written Lisa Loen/ Sung by Aforementioned singer and Nine Stories) Another slow number with a strong acoustic sound, with a hint of that electric. Yup I love all the guitar sounds, plus Lisa Loeb's vocals.

Meloncholy Mechanics- (Written by Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Dave Navarro, and Chad Smith/ Sung by Red Hot Chili Peppers) I don't know what it is I like about this song, but I do. Starts out this mellow jam then slaps us with hard rock sound of banging drums and electric guitar.

 
Long Way Down (Remix)-( Written by John Rzeznik/ Sung by Goo Goo Dolls) Another heavy rocker in the music line up. One of those song that just makes you wanna jump up, rock out, and bang your head to the beat.

No One Needs To Know-(Written by Shania Twain and R,J. Lange/ Sung by Shania Twain) My other favorite song on this album. Shania is one of my top favorite artists of all time. I loved the video to this where her band and her are performing in the old house we see at the end of the movie, or at least it looks like it. I performed this song for a coffee house one time.

Twisted- (Written by Stevie Nicks/Sung by Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham) I feel like Stevie Nicks was stable of the mid-nineties soundtrack, I think this is like the second one from the mid to late nineties that had her on it. The song title and weather themed images in the song ties it perfectly to the movie.

Respect The Wind- (Written and Sung by Edward and Alex Van Halen) In a album heavy with the electric guitar it only is fitting we end it with an score featuring a mainly epic electric rock sound backed with a keyboard. You can hear this tune as the credits for the movie start at the end. The title is perfect cause this movie does teach you to respect the power of the wind. Was this wrote for the movie?

I hope you had fun on this trip down the mid-nineties highway. Sad to think Bill Paxton is no longer with us. This is a movie that's in my favorite movies. 

I hope you guys have a good weekend, continue to rock, and God bless!

*Thrifty Geek*

Happy Birthday Maya Angelou!

 Hey friends,

I know this was suppose to be a Musical Moment post, but word reached me today was my favorite poet Maya Angelou's Birthday, and it is now National Poetry Month, it's also Take Your Poet to School Week, and anyone who's been here a bit knows I enjoy poetry, I'm a pot myself, I've actually been published, I mean it was one time, but still makes me published (anyone who has a March 2015 issue of WNC Woman will find my poem Believing in there). Well for all these reasons and a call out to Maya's fans to help celebrate this years Dr Maya Angelou Day of Reading theme Still I Rise, I decided to delay my planned post for this great celebration, by doing the post for Maya I'd already planned to do sometime this month.

How I Discovered Maya Angelou and Her Impact On Me

My first encounter with the activist/poet/writer/actress/singer/any other titles I can't thing of right now was back in middle school. It was in my 8th grade Language arts class taught by Mrs. Hooker where it happened. Our reading for that day in our books was a excerpt taken from I know Why the Caged Bird Sings. I think a section involving the woman in Arkansas she knew growing up who had her own home library that she let Maya use. Well Mrs. Hooker informed us it was part of a whole autobiography and offered it up for any of us to read, maybe for extra credit. Well I joined the list. I remember starting strong plowing through it with my usual read frenzy, but as we got to her older years in the book I suddenly just dropped off reading to the point I'd had it so long I was afraid I'd get in trouble so I had to return it as an unfinished read. I'm still perplexed as why I dropped off, It makes no sense given things I was reading at that time. But that was the start. Over the next couple decades she'd become more elevated in my favorites. Her poem Phenomenal Women would get on my radar when it was used in the movie Beauty Shop. I know this movie isn't a well like as the rest of the franchise, but I love it, and it was curiosity at what beautiful poem they were quoting that led me to look it up, and discover it was Dr Angelou. This is now one of my favorite poems of all time. Maya also is a contributing factor to which Madea movie is my favorite. Madea's Family Reunion is my top favorite and one of the reasons is because Maya has a role as one of the matriarchs in the family. One of my classmates had the pleasure of meeting her at a health convention some years ago, I was jealous of this guy cause he got to shake her hand. I'd hoped to get to get to meet this amazing woman, but sadly it did not get to happen, at least this side of the veil of life, for as many or you know, or may not know, she passed in 2014. I honored her my watching OWN's Sunday dedication the did, by airing all the specials they did involving her. It was during that watching that I burst into tears. I'm not sure if it's what Maya was saying, the fact I never got to meet her, the fact she was gone, or some combination, but this is the first time I've cried over a noted human's passing. I've been sorrowful over many. but never cried. I even created a digital art piece in her memory, called The Caged Bird Is Free. I like to think she's ascended to a glorious higher form.

Still I Rise

This years theme for the theme, for Maya Angelou's Birthday celebration they've decided for her  Day of Reading to do it around another powerful poem of hers: Still I Rise.

I find this poem to be one of her most amazing works due to the fact how it speaks to me and empowers me. I've often found people who'd suppress because I'm poor, or a woman, and there's probably people who'd try to suppress me because of my mental health. It's due due to my mental health that I find a bully in my mind in the form the Mental Health Hydra. When she describes the things people do to her  it sounds like some of the the thoughts the hydra sends my way trying to break me, but like the poem says I keep rising. Even when this monster crushes me and I feel like I want to give up, I keep coming back, rising up from my broken thoughts, because I will not give it the satisfaction of beating me. When I read this poem it reminds me how I constantly am rising up in my daily battles.

My Future Maya Angelou Shelf

It's my goal to someday have a space big enough where I can properly display my books and book/author items. I'd also like to dedicate shelf space to certain series or authors. One of the authors I want to give space to is Dr Angelou. So I thought given the day I'd take time to discuss what that'd include or what I'd like to to have included as part of that space, if this is something you have no interst in just skip to the conclusion.

First a foremost are her books, sadly all I have been able to get is the Phenomenal Woman: Four Poems Celebrating Women book which includes the title poem and Still I Rise, it's the book I used in the above picture. I also have her Hallelujah! The Welcome Table: A Lifetime of Memories with Recipes cookbook. My book goals is to purchase the blue version of this Juniper Books set of her complete works they would look gorgeous in her space.

Included in this space would be the Maya Angelou items I have acquired in addition to her books. First there's her lovely quarter that I managed to get a hold of thanks to my Granny:

 

Speaking of issued items, there is also her stamps, which I swore my folks had given me a framed set, and I haven't found them yet, so yes those will be included if I find them, if not they'll be something I want to get. Other items I want to get include this Maya Angelou Barbie® Inspiring Women™ Doll, cause this hits my poetic and toy collector sides. She's beautiful in doll form, and I just love the Barbie mint of her book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, it's so cute.

Lastly is this beautiful Litographs poster for the Phenomanal Woman book I have. This wouldn't fit on the shelf, but it would be displayed on a wall nearby, at least I hope it would. I was actually a contributor for their tribute project they did in Dr Angelou's honor after her passing. I use to know where I was at in this guess I'll have to hunt for it again. Wouldn't mind the bag from this as a book tote she says hinting to gift giving peeps, actually this whole section is a gift giving hints for you in case you guys missed it.

Conclusion Section For Those Skipping The Last Section

So to conclude I wish Maya a happy birthday. I hope she is celebrating today phenomenally, cause she truly is a "phenomenal woman", and yes I said "is" cause death does not negate this fact. Happy Birthday Dr. Angelou!

So my friends take time today to read her work, watch one of her movies, and just remember her. Also remember it is Take Your Poet to School Week, with Poet in a Cupcake Day this Friday, and Tweetspeak does have a Maya Angelou cut-out you can use for the celebration, and you can reuse it for Take You Poet to Work Day in the 3rd Wednesday in July. 

So have a good week, read a poem (especially a Maya one), and God bless!

*Thrifty Geek*

Monthly Randoms March 2022: Dinosaurs, Good Anthems, and the Pesky Dream

 Hey Friends,

Happy Friday everybody. I hope your week has been good. Well, it's time for another Monthly Randoms! The segment of this blog where I give you an over view of random things in my life from the month. That's basically it.  So lets hit the ground running.

It'd like to open with a random concert preview video that I think is appropriate for the day from musician SJ Tucker. The song she sings is one of my favorites. She's having an online concert, they'll be two shows I think, the first is tonight. All the proceeds go to various causes, which she mentions in the video. So check the show out if you have a chance.

 

Decided my nails needed a pop of color. So I dressed them in L.A. Colors® Color Craze® Number 504. Good color I think to end and start a new month.

Favorites on my Socials:

We'll begin this section with a Reddit post that really hit my r/nostalgia by u/tRubbelMaker1. This is a video of the opening of the old Dinosaurs TV series. It followed the adventures of your typical prehistoric dino family. My whole family loved this show. I still have somewhere, at least I'm suppose to, the toys that one of the fast food places gave away with their meals. One Christmas both my sister and me got talking Nugget dolls, the baby if your not familiar with the show, this is also the year the dad Earl came with Santa. Santa's sleigh must be magic to fit a dinosaur. 

Over on Instagram a favorite of fine this month was these group of shots from one of my favorite places in Asheville: Morgan's Comics. These were from their Spring Eve celebration this year. It's got comics, flowers, and bubbles.

The "Dreaming Star" dice set that Spaethenarts made were so gorgeous that I had to enter her give away for them. Sadly I did not win, but you guys should totally check out her dice guys. They are beautiful!

Over on Tumblr the Mistress of the Manners of the Gothic Charm School made me smile when she sought support from her "emotional support cannibal".

Meowcos pinned a cute pull tab heart necklace tutorial on Pinterest, credit for the idea was given to @yano4kaa. I love when people do craft projects with recycled elements.

Things to Watch:

Earlier this month Fangirl was regaling me with the tale of Quincy's Tavern. The tavern in question is the Lucky Gryphon, run by Quincy who is ready to offer adventurers with a quest, food, or good advice. This concept is a brilliant idea. The way it's filmed you are made part of the scene, as if you are a patron of the place. He utilizes ASMR sounds creating a rich experience. Quincy himself is a kind, knowledgeable man. I see so many times in his comments he is a calming spot to people's day, and I have to agree. There's just something relaxing about these videos. 

Things I Want To Get:

Last year I posted about my dream keyboard a couple times I said my dream keyboard would have the classic look like this keyboard and the back lighting of this keyboard here. Well my friends 7 Keys must have sense my desires, because they have made my dreams reality with their Retro Typewriter  Keyboard! This has the look of the old, but with a modern day twist. Squees! 

Music I'm Jamming To:

Last little while I've been jamming to my writing playlist as I've been writing. It's filled with music to break up the quiet, but not enough beat to get me jamming. I tend to start jamming hard to some songs. One of  those songs was a cover of Touch the Sky from Disney's Brave by Malinda Kathleen Reese. It was a suggested song by Spotify for this list. An excellent suggestion.

Apart from this list I've been listening to Ya'll Means All by Miranda Lambert from season 6 of Queer Eye. A beautiful song of a country girl who welcomes everyone. I'm the same, out in my section of the backwoods all are welcome here at my house, well if we could fit you.

Been also jamming to Michael Jackson's Black and White, the anthem that encourages people of all races to stop looking at the skin, that we are all the same no matter how we look. I feel like the world really needs to revisit this song. 

Lastly been jamming to Belle from Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Belle is one of my favorite Disney princesses that came out when I was a kid. We have a lot in common a love of books, being big dreamers, and stubborn women.

 

Belle hanging out on my bookshelf near the bookmarks.

 

Books to Read:

Austin Kleon is celebrating ten years of his hit book How To Steal Like An Artist. In a recent newsletter he reflected about writing it and its success. I don't have the original, but I do have the journal he put out for it. I love it! Congratulations on your success!

Random Ramblings:

Understanding That Dream

I've always had strange dreams. Some mornings my senior year I'd tell my friend Fangirl them, to the point she bought me a dream journal for Christmas and told me to write them down. Well in the years since high school I've always left space in my journal entries for my dreams. In all those years though I've had a reoccurring dream that bugged the crap out of me. 

The Dream: I'm an adult who's returned to do senior year, or college, all over again even though I've completed it. Often times I'm freaking cause I haven't been to class most the year and now like the finals are happening and I fear I'm going to fail if I don't start going. Often times have forgotten my schedule, and can't find it in my bag, which added to the stress.  Sometimes I think I also remember forgetting my locker combo too. 

As I mentioned this is a dream I've had frequently over the years, I had it multiple times in one month. I knew my brain was trying to tell me something, but I couldn't figure it out. I tried multiple dream dictionaries looking up the symbols trying find the answers, but never had luck, that is till last month. I came across this article by Kate Bingham-Smith for Scary Mommy. Here she says "...all fingers point to stress, anxiety.." Upon reading that everything became clear. The keyword here is anxiety. As I've mentioned here before I suffer from bad anxiety issues, which does causes me a lot of stress to boot. Which explains the frequency of them, cause I'm frequently in the anxiety hole. Now knowing the cause I'm sure won't make the dreams go away, unless you can wave your hand and make my mental health issues go bye bye, but at least know I know why I have them. It'll make it less frustrating. 

 

Ok guys that's enough random rambling for the month. Next time I'm hoping to have you a Musical Moment post (I know been a moment since I've done that). I hope you all have a good weekend, have great adventures, and God bless. 

*Thrifty Geek*

Artsy Fartsy Time: Expandable Cards

 Hey crafty friends,

Today we're bringing you a segment I haven't done in a minute, Artsy Fartsy Time, because I am artsy and fartsy. Yes I know a woman who's admitting it, it's unheard of I know, but here I am.

So today's Artsy Fartsy surrounds expanding cards I made last month.  So last month was Valentine's Day and my Mom's Birthday, and at some point prior to these events that I saw a aPasos' Easy Love Expandable Card. Both cards featured today use these instructions. I love cards like this, and it looked super easy to make. Since it had been posted for Valentine's Day I thought why not make one for Fangirl for Galentine's Day? So I did, but my card is less cutesy, and more Supernatural. I thought I'd warn the squeamish it does show what's suppose to be a bloody heart, but you can't tell it really what it is with my mini drawing skills, not good at drawing little things. Fangirl is a big fan, and the reason I gave the show another shot.*see this post for more on that*. So I decided to go SPN with hers:

Fangirl's Supernatural Expandable Card

 When you take the card out of the envelope it's flat like this. It's a black card with some anti possession symbols on the pull tabs, since this is a SPN themed card. The first picture is a drawing of my friend that says "All I need is your warm, kind, sweet heart for Valentines":

Pull the tabs to expand and reveal the inside of the card, which features a were wolf me with a heart meal that says "Thanks for the pick me up Galentine! Love ya!", and then I finished with my artist signature:

 

Did she she like the card, yeah but between her being half asleep and the crappy miniature drawings, she didn't get it at first.

Mom's Birthday Card

My second card of the week was for my Mom's birthday. I went more cute with this one. I used my Mom's favorite colors of red, white, and blue for the color scheme. We have a cake made to look like her favorite cake, strawberry flavored. It says "Happy Birthday!" at the bottom  :

Upon expansion you'll see a drawing of me holding my arms out for a hug. It reads "I Love You Mom!" with the date and my artist signature:

Now every car need an envelope so I took to Pinterest (check out my Pinterst page link. It's in my links section the right *points*). I found a pin that led me to this Mini Envelope Pin tutorial, I sized them up and presto easy envelopes:

A Purple Envelope for Fangirl's

 

I gave my Mom's card a white one

Yeah they look wonky, but they worked, and it's the thought and your attempts that count right?

And so we close out today's post. Hope this inspires you to make your own cards if does let me see it in the comments or one of my socials. I hope you have a good week, craft on, and God bless.

*Thrifty Geek*

Thrifty Geek's Library- When We're in Tough Situations

Hello Friends,

How's the weekend going? I hope all is well for you guys. So today I decided to hit you with a long overdue Library post. Of course I've not had many books to write on lately, but I've finally managed to read enough to warrant a post. I'll go in more depth about that later. Today's post is themed around people in the tough situations. 

 

Getting Lost in a Good Book (Thursday Next Book Two) by Jasper Fforde

So I'm continuing the Thursday Next series now that my digital library provider got book two! We once more go into the alternate 1985 universe of Thursday Next, where extinct things have been brought back to life, airships are common, and time travel and going into your favorite books are possible. Well you can go into your favorite books if you have the skill, or your uncle makes a device to do so. Well Thursday finds herself dealing with old foes and relatives of foes from the first book. It's a mess and their all out to kill her, or at least make her life a living nightmare. You know usual day in the life of a heroine. Well Thursday has had her husband taken from her for ransom, and her father warning that the world is going to end, all of which she's gotta solve.
I love how we get to see the world of books, basically how our favorite classic characters live when their not being read. We have a whole group in charge of keeping the literary world running smoothly. I love how the author breaths life into the written word. There's actually a funny battle between two characters in the real world that takes place in like a black Friday of book sales. I love this world has people who are fanatics of books and/or authors. I mean peoples lifestyle and looks surround their favorites.\Now I know this is a series and you leave some things open to keep the series going, you can do that with a series, but in my mind there was two main problems our character faced that I figured would be solved this book, well one was, but the other wasn't. Plus the end of the book ended with the main character still kinda in the middle of the adventure we've been on this book. I mean like in the first book we had illusions to more minor mysteries that you feel would play bigger parts in future books, but all the main issues for that book were tidied up and given a proper book ending. With this one I felt like this book was just part one of the story we were on.
Another thing we have a minor event that gets brought up off and on in the book, then suddenly during the last fifty pages or so we find out that event is actually a major problem, then next chapter we're fixing it. I just felt like it all just happened too quick. Seems like that background event and the true problem it involved should have been introduced earlier then made part of the mysteries needed to be solved in the book, not tossed at us toward the end of the book after we're getting to were we should be solving the problems that have been in the books already, I mean it's okay to do if it is part of surprise twist and it turns out it's part of one your stories problems all along and didn't know it, but this twist didn't really have anything to do with the problems we've been trying to solve in this book. I mean awesome twist, but I felt like it didn't really do anything to the big events that'd we'd been working on in the story, just  this atmospheric event, is that a thing?
But if you love book based literature check this book out. I'll definitely be continuing the series, because I gotta see it she fixes things, and mainly cause it's a great series.
 

A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

I'm not sure how this one ended up on my radar, and I didn't know it was a children's book, well older children's book until I started reading it. It's the story of Mona a 14 year wizard baker who's powers only work with bread products. The story opens with Mona discovering a dead body in the kitchen of her aunt's bakery when she comes in to work one morning. Soon Mona finds herself in a plot to rid her city of all magic people and to overthrow the ruler.

As I mentioned earlier no clue this was a children's book, but it actually proved a good book to get me back into reading. In the latter half of 2020, my attention span due to my anxiety, or we are thinking could be ADD/ADHD, started falling off. I missed my Goodreads goal that year. I started with a goal of thirty then I lowered it to twenty went I saw I was struggling and missed completing by one. Then last year I tried 20 again and only managed five books. So this was a good book to ease me back in to the swing of things and remind me of why I love reading.
This was a really good book. It was Funny, thought provoking.  I was making notes of so many great quotes. I definitely recommend this for an older child, or the young at heart. My only thing was the fourteen year old protagonist kept referring to herself as a a child... I could see her saying she's a teenager, but not a kid, I mean what parent hasn't had the being called a kid argument? But that's just me. Though this could be cause they want to keep this aimed at kids. I definitely had some Shrek 2 vibes with the wizard being able to animate bread.
But it was a short sweet read, definitely gave me confidence and hopefully the willpower to try to focus my attention to reading again.

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

You know how they say the first line should grab your readers? It's very true, especially this book. When I read the first line "Never mix vodka and witchcraft", I knew I was in for a good time with this book. It is the story of Vivi,  one of the magical women of the Jones family of Graves Glen, Georgia. Vivi is going through a break up with Rhys Penhallow, a magically gifted man from Wales who's ancestor founded the town and made it a haven for witches, apparently all magical people, men and women, refer to themselves as witches, the term warlock for men is only used by older generations, specifically Rhys's father who refuses to let go of the old ways.
Well, Vivi and her cousin Gwyn the night Vivi breaks up with Rhys, decide to make a vodka induced decision to "hex" the guy. It was never meant to be an actually curse, no real magic, as Gwyn would say, was involved, more like just a bunch of mumbo jumbo to help Vivi feel better. Of course, they'll learn why their matriarch's advice of never mixing magic and vodka is very true, especially when Rhys returns to their town nine years later and they learn how fake drunken spells can lead to magically drunken consequences.
I'm happy to report this book was a good time. It hit all my marks magic, romance, and saving the world, well town. I love the characters, they made me smile as I read it. I couldn't put the book down. I now see why there was a waiting list at the library to get this book. I love magical families who have a long history, like Charmed, Practical Magic, or The Good Witch, this book fulfills that nicely. It also fulfills my love of strong magical women families.
There were great memorable quotes in this book that made me laugh. I always love a good book you want to remember the words from. I'm totally adding this to books to add to my permanent library, because I'll definitely want to revisit it in the future.

I'm So (Not) Over You by Kokoso Jackson

This is the first contemporary romance by the author. The book book follows the escapades of Kian who is approached by his ex of three months Hudson to go to his cousin's wedding. Seem he's neglected to tell his family they'd broken up.  Hudson sweetens the deal by offering him a glowing recommendation to a job he recently had been looked over for. What could possibly go wrong.
I had to give this a three on Goodreads. It wasn't like Robin Sloan's Sourdough that was just average and kinda forgettable. It was more of mixed bag of feelings about it. I liked the main character was a fellow North Carolinian, and suffers from similar mental health issues I do. I also loved when his geeky side came out. There was parts of this book that made me laugh so hard I had to tell my mother about it.  It also had very humorous and humorously quotable moments.
That being said I don't know why but it was hard to warm up to the characters. I sometimes found that they grated on my nerves for some reason. It was hard to love them, even the ones we're suppose to like, such as the main character. I get having an irritating secondary character, or a villain, but when a good portion of the characters, including the main character has me cringing in annoyance most of the time, yeah hard to really enjoy. Keep in mind though this is just me and how those personality types came of to me when I read. It could be you read them and will find them delightful, so don't pass the book up just because I'm not crazy about the character types.
If you love a gay Romantic Comedy I totally recommend it. It's funny, has a gay leading couple, and a hint of the geeky, we love the geeky here. If that sounds like your thing then give this book a read.

So we came through those tough situations to reach the end. I hope the rest of you weekend is good, read a good book, and God bless.

*Thrifty Geek*