Star Wars Uncut
You guys already know about my love affair with Star Wars. So when it came on my radar that Star Wars Uncut: The Director’s Cut had FINALLY been released, I couldn’t be more excited. Created by Casey Pugh in 2009, A New Hope was cut into more than 470 15-second segments for contributors to fill in. In 2010, Pugh’s team won an Emmy for their work on the project. (BTW- Lucasfilms give the project his blessing!)
There are reenactments with toys, dolls, animations, Toy Story figures, salt shakers, pets – almost anything you can imagine. And, ta-da! You can watch the entire film, right here.
(Pause for getting popcorn…)
I am human
This video is amazing. That’s all I’m going to say. It’s about nine minutes long. Watch, enjoy.
(Dear girl at 1:26, me too. Me too.)
The broadcasting team at Liberty Middle School in Madison, Alabama, put together this incredibly powerful video called “I’m Human.” The video features students, faculty, and staff standing against a wall, each holding up a sign that tells you how they’re different. But one thing is the same- they’re all human.
Face Off: Water World
I wrote this post while watching the episode, so I was very much reacting to what was going on. Let me know if this is a good/bad format.
Episode two starts out at the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific. The spotlight challenge is to work in groups of two, find fish and be inspired. (there is no foundation challenge, unlike last week)
As a twist, Brea gets to choose which team she’s on, meaning her team has three members. She joins Sue and Rayce.
Another twist? The models will be submerged in water the day of the showcase, so the makeup must be waterproof.
(Someone do an octopus-style, please!! I would love to see tentacles or something similar to a jellyfish popping out of the model’s head.) But, I also foresee some makeup mishaps. What would this show be without some mishaps?
The teams choose their fishy inspirations. Nix and Jerry use a turtle as their inspiration. Oh man, teenage mutant ninja turtle power!
Ian and Rj go for a zebra shark. A lawyer zebra shark…
Beki and Miranda choose the same Leafy Sea Dragon that Brea, Sue and Rayce picked. They also admit that they’ve never designed something for water before, so rather than focus on paint, they’re focusing on fabric that will sway and move in water. Then, they turn their face into a duck/chicken hybrid. Oh man, I foresee a hot mess!
Turtleman looks kinda exactly like a turtle… I mean, great detail, but it’s a true turtle face, which looks like a cartoon already
As is usual with these types of shows, there is always a group that clashes. So far Beki and Miranda are cat fighting about their design. Miranda is the youngest on the show (21), and Beki seems to be questioning what she could possibly know at her age. Obviously she knows something because she’s on the show.
Miranda seems to want to work together, but Beki keeps arguing with her. Get over it girl. You don’t have to like her, but if you want to be safe you need to work together.
They decide to work together (good), and I was pretty interested to see their final design. They seemed to mend their differences enough where they were able to work together and bring out a fairly interesting looking creature.
Creatures designed by: Ian and RJ; Beki and Miranda; Athena and Heather; Sue, Rayce , and Brea; Nix and Jerry; Tara and Matt
Finally the creations go to the water. Tara and Matt’s design looks phenomenal. The fabric they picked to cover the seams looks amazing and resembles scales really well.
(out of water)
(in water)
Beki and Miranda’s creation still had a duckface, but the details flowed really well in the water.
(out of water)
(in water)
The turtle was a huge failure. The choices of colors were comical, the shell detached in water. The paint wasn’t waterproof, and the model had a tough time breathing. I really wanted to toss him a purple mask and some nunchucks and beg him to yell “cowabunga!”
(out of water)
(in water)
Athena and Heather’s lion fish was actually really impressive, and their model really played the part. Athena is a body painter by trade and she did a fabulous job. However, I do believe their model helped them get better scores, not that I believe they shouldn’t have had high scores.
(I only have a pic of him in the water)
I was not impressed by Brea, Rayce, and Sue’s design. Not at all.
(I also only have this one in the water)
And last but not least, we have our lawyer zebra shark. I like RJ and Ian, but this wasn’t well thought out. They didn’t take into account the clothing and how it would shift and move in the water, and they made the fin way too high on the model’s neck. But, it was a nice paint job.
(out of water)
Spoilers are under the jump.
One thing I bought (with a gift card)
You remember when I started my shopping ban? I said I was OK with shopping if I was given a giftcard. So, when I happened to get one for Christmas I was a little dumbfounded with what to do with it. I haven’t been shopping for myself in so long, the possibilities were (somewhat) endless. Do I want a new skirt? Top? Shoes? DVD?
It took me about a month to decide what I would do, which ended with me spending it on a video game for Joe, shoes for me, heating pad for my cats (I swear it’s not as weird as it sounds), and a movie. Yeah, got all that for $46.
My favorite item is the shoes. I found them on Amazon, in my size, and was geeked when I realized they were only $25! Betsey Johnson shoes for only $25? Crazy!
They’re a cotton print, with a metallic toe. I don’t know what I was expecting when I ordered them, but I’m really excited they fit. I have quite large feet, so sometimes shoes that are my size end up being a little too snug. And having never owned anything Betsey before, I didn’t know what to expect. But have no fear! If you’re in the market for anything Betsey and unsure of shoe sizing, they run pretty true-to-size.
The best part of the day has to be that black blur you see in the background of the above photo. Joe and I have been busy packing and sorting (it’s a long story, I’ll tell you all about it later), and some of the boxes are banana boxes. If you know anything about these boxes, it’s that they have these holes cut into them for ventilation. So, even though we can use them, I didn’t want the cats to climb in them and make a mess or anything, so I decided to toss a blanket over the hole.
Totally fixed the problem, right?
Wrong. Ruckus still climbed on the box, sank into the hole and has been sleeping there for three hours.
That’s my girl 
Face Off: Return to Oz
One of my favorite TV shows is on Syfy, and is the special FX makeup version of Project Runway. Instead of making fabulous outfits, these artists create characters using molds, castings, prosthetics, make-up and body paint. The show is hosted by actress McKenzie Westmore, with judges (l to r) Glenn Hetrick, Ve Neil and Patrick Tatopoulus.
I was obsessed with this show when it was on last year, and I am so excited it just returned for its second season. Throughout the new season I’ll be posting up photos, talking about what I liked and what I didn’t like and if I think the winner should’ve won, and if the person asked to leave deserved to leave. I’ll put those spoilers under a jump link so I (hopefully) don’t ruin it for anyone. I’m also planning to wait a few days before posting my thoughts, which should give those of you also watching it time to catch up.
The first episode was called Return to Oz. We’re introduced to the new cast, who are immediately given a Foundation Challenge. Basically this is a “simple” challenge where every person does some sort of makeup, and the winner is given immunity at the Spotlight Challenge (which is the BIG challenge of the show).
The winner was Jerry, with his pink/purple sprite makeup job.
I felt a little “eh” with this makeup. I was also a little perturbed that not all the models were shown. They quickly flashed through them all, but really focused on the top two and bottom two. (Brea found herself in the bottom- her makeup was horrible).
The Spotlight challenge revolved around reimagining four of The Wizard of Oz’s iconic characters: the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Woodman, the Wicked Witch of the West, and the Scarecrow. The cast was divided up to boys vs. girls, which was an interesting way to go. Immediately the boys noticed how good at sculpting the girls were, and the girls outshines the boys with their ability to work together (minus the lion team).
Tara was working alone on the scarecrow, and DAMN that girl has so mad carving skills. The boys could not stop checking out her work, which bodes well for the girls!
My favorite overall was Tara’s scarecrow. She put so much thought at detail into him, I really wanted her to win.
I was amused that both teams ended up in a similar dystropian-style reimagining of Oz. Although their ideas were different and none of their characters looked the same, you could almost mix and match them. (Spoilers behind the jump)
What have I been doing?
Well, I made it until January 13. Three months of not-shopping, with only three incidents where I purchased something for myself (not even with my own money either!). I made it through the one-year anniversary of losing my father.
What else have I been doing? Through my job I was able to meet Matthew Stafford:
I cut off my hair (five inches were taken off!)
I started off the new year by taking one photo every day. So far they’re just in a folder on Flickr, but I’m considering blogging them.
I also wrote up a “30 before 30″ list of things I want to do in the next four years. Some I’ve already accomplished! I left three blank spaces so I can still add to the list if I choose to.
I had the best/worst autocorrect ever
I also took some time to think about this blog and what I want to do. I don’t feel like I’m done with blogging, but I feel like I’m done with blogging about my personal style. That part of me is over and done with. Instead, I’d like to blog about what photo I took to represent that day, what crazy TV shows I’m watching (who else watched American Horror Story?!), maybe some of the books I’m reading, and pretty much whatever strikes my geek-heart (DIYs?).
I really appreciate the encouragement, comments, tweets and emails I’ve been receiving. Knowing that I needed to take a break, and that those of you who know what I’m dealing with know that it’s not easy. You can’t just wake up and feel OK knowing that a person you’ve depended on for 25 years of your life is gone. This blog has been my outlet over the past few years I’ve been working on it, and I’ve my share of ups and downs. I’ve had kind comments and rude comments; been put down for “always complaining” and for not dressing “well” enough; I’ve made some wonderful friends because of this blog, and have even had the chance to work with some great brands.
However, the way I see it now is different. I am no longer interested in sharing what I’m wearing, because it’s changed. I don’t wear cute skirts or dresses to work. I wear jeans, t-shirts, sweatshirts – basically what I used to wear to class when I was in college – and I’m OK with that. My job changed, my priorities changed, my life changed. Every once in a while you may see an outfit pop up, but I’m fairly certain it won’t be in the same capacity it once was. If you’re here because you like my outfits, I thank you, and encourage you to follow my Instagram feed or my twitter feed, because I do occasionally post photos of what I’m wearing there.
For those of you still here, wanting to follow along with wherever 2012 takes me, thank you. To those of you heading off to remove me from your feed because this blog no longer fits what you are looking for, I thank you for reading it in the past. If you’re new here, hi! I hope you’ll find something you like here, even if it’s just photos like this one of my cat:
I will have a few review posts coming up, because I was working on them before my break, so bear with me while I transition this blog into what I’d like it to be. I appreciate your patience and your kindness while I figure things out, and I’d also like to say I’m happy to be back!
Dear blog…
Some of you may have noticed my silence over here lately. I’ve had a few people check in to make sure things are OK, and I just want to (sort of) assure you they’re as OK as they can be.
Work has been busy, as is normal for a nonprofit in December. I’m also coming up on the one-year anniversary of when we lost my father (if you want some background, read my father’s day post).
It’s because of these reasons, and a few more, that I’ve taken an extended break of sorts from blogging. I’ve been contemplating taking a break, calling it quits, or just pushing through. For now, I’m content with taking a break. I need to reevaluate why I’m blogging and what I want to talk about. I’m no longer interested in taking photos of what I’m wearing all the time and posting them here. For one thing, I’m usually wearing jeans, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and sneakers. Not exactly what I think people are interested in seeing (if you are, let me know). For another, I am just disenchanted with the notion. I’m over that part of my life, and I don’t mind a bit.
You may still see some brief shots of my outfits, or see a post pop-up here or there, but it won’t be as often as it once was.
I have other ideas of what I’d like to talk about, from my growing nerd-y necklace collection, to some fun DIY projects. I also plan to continue to discuss my progress with not shopping (almost done with month two). For now, I’ll probably remain quiet as I make it through the holidays, the anniversary and subsequent weeks of events at work.
I am hopeful that once I make it through this difficult time, I will be better able to decide the fate and direction of this blog. I appreciate anyone who takes the time to read my posts, and I am thankful for the friends I’ve made along the way.
See you in the new year,
Suze
Congrats to the winner!
Sorry for not posting this sooner! Work has been crazy, and that comes first. I know you’re all interested to see who won the fabulous Shabby Apple dress, so without further ado, congrats to the winner!
Congrats Crystal! Please email me at vinylahoy (at) gmail.com to claim your prize!
Shabby Apple Giveaway!
I really excited to be able to give away this dress from Shabby Apple. I really enjoy their selection of women’s dresses, and I think this one is universally flattering and interesting. I also really love that their dresses are covering. You don’t have to be concerned about flashing anyone, or hemline length in these dresses- they’re all work appropriate, which is fantastic.
Today’s giveaway is for the Baciami dress.
In order to enter you only need to like Shabby Apple on Facebook and leave me a comment below telling you’ve done so. The winner will be drawn from the comments received below.
Giveaway ends December 19 at noon, EST.
I was given this dress to review and am very excited to share how I wore it with you, which you’ll see tomorrow.
One entry per person, the winner will be chosen by random draw at the end of the contest, which is December 19 at noon EST. The winner will have to contact me in order to claim their prize. Dresses have been provided by Shabby Apple for review and for the winner of this giveaway. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.
One month of not shopping- done!
One month of not shopping is under my belt and I feel great. I haven’t purchased anything for myself since I began this experiment November 1, and to be honest, I don’t miss it a bit. Perhaps it’s because I’m really busy at work, am taking a night class and am focusing more on my family right now than worrying about what’s hot and what I should own. Perhaps it’s because I’ve stopped caring if I have the next big thing or if I need something new to feel like I’m keeping up with the Joneses. Whatever the reason, I feel very content with my shopping ban, and am really excited to continue.
One thing that I’ve discovered that has helped me tremendously is going shopping (at the mall or online), looking at items, trying things on, filling up a cart, but not buying a thing. Yes, this sounds very counterintuitive and like it shouldn’t work, but for me it does. I’ve been to the mall, I’ve gone to stores online and picked out items I like, pinned them, saved them as inspiration, tried them on, thought about how I’d style them. But in the end, they go back on the rack or back into the digital archives. I suppose because I know I’m not going to purchase anything I feel more free to try items on I normally wouldn’t (whether because of price or style), and I don’t feel guilty about it at all. I tried on a slim black dress with feather detailing at Ann Taylor. At $300, it’s out of my usual price range, but since it was never going to come home with me, I tried it on, stared at myself in the mirror, showed it to Katie (who was at the store with me), and put it back. No pangs of sadness or guilt when I put it back. In fact, I was almost relived in a very strange way that I was able to try something on that was so interesting and delicate, but was also able to put it back without feeling like I should be buying it, just because I liked how it looked or a salesperson talked me into it.
I also survived Black Friday and Cyber Monday, much to the surprise of other shoppers, and I suppose the chagrin of stores. I felt no need to wake up early on Friday morning (or stay out all Thursday night) to wait in line for items I don’t need. On Monday, I woke up to 20 new emails from stores celebrating their percentage off and free shipping. Although I clicked through to a few sites, I didn’t feel any urges to purchase anything. Maybe this is what growing up feels like, or maybe this is what happens when you just don’t give a damn anymore, but I feel pretty good with the items I currently own, and although I may still covet a few newer items, I don’t think I’m going to feel like I’m missing out on anything by not purchasing them. Sure, I could’ve gotten some great deals over the past few weeks, and I could be walking around right now in brand new boots, a fabulous new sweater and a great new pair of gloves, but I’m not. My Target boots are working just fine, as are my already-loved sweaters and my comfortably worn-in gloves. Nothing I currently own needs to be replaced, and I’ve yet to shed a significant amount of weight that would force me to buy new pants (I’m still waiting to see if my new gym routine forces me into a new pant size or not), but for now, not shopping is working out really well.
I’m even more excited about my ban because it’s allowing me the ability to save money, find great gifts for others for the holiday, and it’s giving me and Joe a chance to do things other than shop (like DVR 30 movies from HBO’s free preview weekend and watch them all together in the span of three days…). This ban is also allowing (and forcing me) to think about this blog, where it’s been, where I’d like to go and what I want to do with it. This time of year isn’t as great as I’d like it to be. It’s the first year without my dad. This time last year he was getting worse, and worse, before we lost him in January. Thanksgiving wasn’t the best holiday; it was painful and will never be the same because he’s not here. So my silence here is a mix of being busy at work, taking my class and taking care of myself and my family. I am hoping that these next five months will help me find a focus for this blog that may or may not be the same as it’s been for the past two years, but hopefully it will be something I am happy and comfortable with, and hopefully you will also enjoy it.
Here’s to a fabulous first month, and five more of not shopping and resisting the temptation to purchase anything for myself.
(Come back next week, I have three different giveaways and a few reviews coming up, so you may be able to win something great for yourself or as a gift for something else!).
