Unicorn Wizard

Bullshit 2.0

2012-02-07T12:17:00.000-08:00

What do you think of my shitty banner 2.0? No applause is necesary. I never graduated from Paint to Photoshop so my blog will forever look like an Angelfire page circa 1997.

New revelations since we last met...

*I have a tv

* I have the internet

*I tried to give Egbert a Mozart haircut. Failed.

*I now eat flamin' hot cheetos at least once a week and curse myself while I shit molten red lava.

That's about it.

I'm going to Amoeba tonight to see Lana Del Rey. I'm more excited about going to Amoeba with a $3 off any dvd coupon than anything else. I'm still on the fence about Del Rey. It's free and I have a ride.

I went to the Egyptian Theater last weekend. It was magical!

I saw the Loved One. Robert Morse, Haskell Wexler and Anjanette Comer were there. We all sang happy birthday to Wexler.

I want to blog but I have less to say than I thought. There are more constant distractions at this point in my life than ever before.

I guess I'm done for now.

I fucking love cats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-10-14T23:29:00.000-07:00

They'z Mystikal.

yeah.

Beachez Foreverz

2011-10-10T20:57:00.000-07:00

Visiting Florida for a few days. As much as I hate Panama City, it's abrasive tackiness shaped me. I wouldn't have such an unmatched lack of taste if it weren't for growing up in airbrushed t-shirts and collecting shell art.

There's a magical awfulness I love and can only try to recreate in my little one bedroom Pasadena apartment.

On a more serious magical music note, I discovered the greatest bath product of all time. Crabtree and Evelyn has made the most lovely products. I grew up with Nantucket Briar in the shower, but I rarely buy it or experiment with their other pricey scents. This weekend being sort of an early birthday celebration I splurged on some things that make me feel like a lady! I bought this Vetiver soap that has changed my life...

intense bath time wizardry.

dainty juniper dreamz.

My flight was canceled today so instead of going through Houston tomorrow I'll be connecting through Baltimore. I keep day dreaming I'll see John Waters on my flight *heart*

Unicorn Destroyer

2011-08-30T16:26:00.000-07:00

I want a rainbow cheetah.

I want a pizza.

I want Rosie from the Jetsons to clean my headquarters.

I want to roll around in a field of enchanted flowers.

I want to climb a crystal mountain.

I want to tug Zeus' beard.

I want a big diamond to descend from the sky and give me a kiss.

Today was almost magickal.

my tackiness knows no boundries

2011-08-27T22:31:00.000-07:00

I just ordere these!!! WOW!

In other news, Fred Savage is really scary in the 1996 Lifetime orignal "No One Would Tell".

I'm gonna go eat a burrito.

Radical Raynebeaux!!!

2011-08-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

XENOMORPHING!

2011-08-10T20:48:00.000-07:00

YAY! I miss my darling Lisa Franklien!

I fart hearts.

records are round

2011-06-07T07:21:00.000-07:00

We went to the Pasadena City College Flea Market/Record Swap the day before yesterday. It was really pretty mind blowing. I started out perusing the outer area which was mostly antique collectibles. It's the kinda place you gotta be careful or you could easily spend all your money in one spot. I could have probably found stuff I wanted at any random booth but I'm glad I held off, after walking around for a while I came across a booth of Japanese antiques and ephemera. They had these amazing movie posters, they were so cool I knew I had to get one even though I had no clue what I was looking at. There were several that were under consideration, one with Toshiro Mifune, but I didn't really like the design of that one. Another was obviously a Roman Porno, I was able to get the Japanese lady who worked there to translate the title as "Sex Document". It was pink and had women in bondage on it. That was a serious contender but after much consideration and pacing back and forth, I ended up going with this one...

"Tiger Mask"...sure, I've never seen it. All I know is that it's a late 60's Toei production and that's good enough for me. Plus it goes more with what I'm trying to do with the apartment. I also went ahead and picked these up...

Lovely! Must frame!

And this for $1...

The Avon bottle, not the Egbert.

After that I moved on to the massive parking structure that housed the records. It was more than overwhelming, it was kind of a dream come true. We only focused on a few vendors and ended up with the following...

This was really the find of the day. The cd goes for about $60, I'd much rather have this $25 LP. The two issues are the the only place you can get most of these themes.

I wasn't sure how I felt about this one at first. Side A is like melodramatic opera, but side B is much more upbeat beginning with a twist song and keeping a steady rhythm throughout the rest of the record. Definitely worth it and now we own another Riz Ortolani score, Score!

Ever since hearing the "Shock" album, I've always had a fascination with the Creed Taylor Orchestra. This one is even better, it's spy jazz! My favorite. I had completely forgotten that the Nervous Beat is a song I'm already familiar with and kind of love. Kind of a lot.

Tangerine Dream keeps popping up in my life lately. First I bought that silent film L'Inferno in which TD has redone the score for contemporary release. Then a facebook friend posted a bunch of TD youtube videos, including the theme to Sorcerer, which peaked my interest in the score and the film. Because of both, TD has just been coming up in conversation more than usual lately. This was a cheapy so I decided to jump on it. Every once in a while you need some nice ethereal Tangerine Dreaminess.

This was my husband's big find of the day. He's been wanting it for a while and if you're a fan of experimental jazz, you can understand why. It was written by Bob Graettinger. Anytime you see a Stan Kenton record with Graettinger's name on the credits, it's going to be awesome. Think Ornette Coleman or even Naked City. I was very please with this one too <3

This one's a given. One of my favorite compiled soundtracks. The Cramps, Oingo Boingo, Lords of the New Church, Concrete Blonde. Such a fun movie and a fun soundtrack.

I love me some Matt Helm! This is basically just any old Dean Martin record only you get to hear his rendition of the theme to the Silencers, which is awesome! One of my favorite 60's spy themes!

This was kind of an impulse buy. It was cheap and I'd never heard the Roxy cast recording...plus, can't beat that cover. Well, the truth is I'm a little embarrassed of this one. Not sure why. To top it off it's not even as good as the movie cast recording, behhhh...oh well!

Gotta go! Good morning to you Sir!

and Ma'am'zzz!

I heart Jayne Mansfield

2011-05-17T00:20:00.000-07:00

I super do. So much that I dare write two blogs in one evening! I love busty blondes from vintage movies. The trashier, the better. Jayne's great, she's the embodiment of Hollywood Babylon. Hour glass figure, platinum cotton candy hair, sex fiend, SATANIST, B-movie queen and a morbid death. I really couldn't ask much more from a celebrity. Do I even need to mention the fucking Pink Palace? Ahh yes, she's a Goddess of sorts. I have every intention of turning my bathroom into a shrine to her kitschyness .Basically, pink with pictures of her, eventually, that's a long time dream I've had for years. I wish I could have her heart shaped bathtub <3

We recently got the Wild Wild World of Jayne Mansfield I do believe it's on the bill for tonight. Its essentially a mondo film about Mansfield. Pure unbridled exploitation. Muy excited!

Anton Lavey and Jayne, wow.

I really need to see this movie too while I'm at it. I'm kind of obsessed with her exotica hula dance...

Dance right on into my heart, Jayne!

you can't fart around with love

2011-05-16T21:57:00.000-07:00

Even this funky Weather Report album can't give me a second wind today. I usually turn to Weather Report when it's time for house cleaning, which it most definitely is. My Mom will be arriving for a visit in just 10 short days and I'm far from making this apartment presentable. Ehhhh. I'm running on little sleep because of the Demons/Demons 2 double feature I attended last night at the New Beverly (followed by work this morning), but I'll touch upon that more on Atomic Caravan when I write my review. I had an iced mocha from starbucks earlier, a drink I rarely (as in never) have. Something about it beckoned. Sweetness and coldness. I drank it insanely fast and still passed out for a nap which was what I as trying to avoid. Faehrt.

But seriously. I've been listening to Mr. Gone by Weather Report for like two days and I just can't seem to get enough. It reminds me of Rick Wakeman's score for Lisztomania mixed with like, um...Return to Forever, or Miles' On the Corner. All of which make a lot of sense. So far all I've wanted to do is eat trail mix and sit here idley, so perhaps I should stick to Heavy Traffic when it comes to domestics.

I'm thinking about starting another movie review blog for non-genre films. Like I need another blog to neglect. Ehhh, more on that later.

So Roddy Mcdowall is my latest obsession. Currently making my rounds through his filmography...slowly. After he saved the fuck out of that semi-disastrous Legend of Hill House I pretty much fell in love. That was a few years ago but I was reminded recently when I finally caught "It!", which is like Norman Bates meets the Golem, starring Mcdowall who's looking pretty handsome in his tailored suits and black turtle neck cat burgler outfit. Ahem...I'm totally in denial about his gayness. I have way too big of a crush to admit creepy-unrealistic-dead-celebrity-I'm-married-anyways defeat. Why are all of my celebrity crushes dead and gay? Someone answer me that.

Ok, well there's no food in the house and this unicorn's gotta eat! Catch ya later...

Kindred Spirits

2011-04-21T03:16:00.000-07:00

The Residents.

2011-04-11T14:28:00.000-07:00

As if seeing Devo a few weeks wasn't life changing enough I was lucky enough to catch the Residents at the El Rey Theater a few days ago. It still hasn't fully sunk in that I saw these living lengends. I've been a fan for a few years but I still feel new to them. Their body of work is so vast and perplexing. I thought seeing them might give me some kind of insight into their whole esoteric discordian creation . I'm still delightfully confused and entranced. There's some truly grotesque wizardry at work here.

Dirty Brown Extra Terrestrial Hashbrown Love Machine

2011-04-02T16:15:00.000-07:00

TOBACCO - Super Gum from TOBACCO on Vimeo.

Etsy.

2011-03-27T15:57:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I've never posted a link to my Etsy here in the magical world of wizardry and wonderment. I don't have nearly as much as I'd like right now. I still have the movie business and a regular job *pukes*. But now that we're settled into our apartment in Old Towne Pasadena, I should have more freedom for ma' jew-ray!

Devo and Xuxa.

2011-03-21T23:03:00.000-07:00

I saw Devo. That's right. And it was glorious. Indescribable. Magic.

I might also add that I recently acquired a dvd of miscellaneous episodes of Xuxa. Yes, Xuxa, the vixenous children's show hostess. How I loved her. It was a pocket of my childhood I remember well. I was seven years old, it was at the peak of kid's variety shows like "What Would You Do?" and "Wild and Crazy Kids". This show is obviously a cash in on both, the success of such shows and an American vehicle for the Brazilian sensation, Xuxa. I remember colors, shoulder pads, hot pants, dancing, singing, animals, kids having fun...

Then I watched it now.

It's so terrible. Her english is so atrocious, she has no idea what's going on. The jokes aren't funny, the music's pretty lame. It's really just an awful show. Does this mean I dislike Xuxa now? Of course not. Her memory will live in my heart forever, and apart of me wonders if that's where she should have stayed. Thankfully, no matter how sucky the show might have been, there will always be this...

I have a confession...

2011-03-06T13:19:00.000-08:00

I need this...

Patina Love

2011-01-15T15:41:00.000-08:00

I think I figured out a patina solution from household products that doesn't suck. I've tried sooo many different things, with little to no avail. The only patina that remotely worked for me was an expensive store bought chemical treatment from Michaels. It's about $7 for a small bottle. Sure, it works pretty well, but goes super fast. I knew I could save a shitload of money if I could just learn this magical alchemy that so many crafters have conquered.

What HASN'T worked for me? Vinegar. I dont get it. I've tried a dozen different vinegar methods without so much as a tint. If anything it made my brass look brighter and shinier since it's a natural cleaner. Woo hoo, so there you go. If you want to do the OPPOSITE of patina, try vinegar.

The first thing you need to do is clean your pieces. I use dish soap and a toothbrush (or vinegar, whatevs). You gotta get all the oils and factory dirt off. Rinse, pat them dry with a paper towel and set them aside. In a well venhilated area set up your ammonia station. Take a container with a lid (Tupperware is fine but don't use it for storing food after doing this, duh!) and fill it a couple of inches with household ammonia, I used clear but as far as I know it doesn't matter what kind you use. Cut a piece of wire and string your findings so they're hanging ABOVE the ammonia, not touching it. If it touches it, the affected area will turn black. You may decide later that you want that but if you want an even color make sure it doesn't touch.

Snap the lid on so the wire is sticking out on both ends holding the pieces in place. I haven't taken pictures of myself doing this but I did a search and found someone elses (beadfx.blogspot.com) to give you a visual.

The original article I read on this said that leaving it overnight was plenty of time. For good measure I gave it a full 24 hours. I noticed definite oxidation. The brass had a greenish white film over it and the copper was significantly darker. Come to find out it can take up to 10 days to get the full effect of "ammonia fuming", so I was misinformed and jumped the gun a bit.

I decided to mix up a few other tricks and methods on those same pieces while I waited on the next batch (since I have such a long wait)...

First, give them an ammonia/salt water bath. Heat water up just before the boiling point and pour it in a small bowl with 3 or 4 tablespoons of salt. With craft tweezers alternate the pieces between the ammonia and the hot salt water. Back and Forth (forever, jk) I did this about 5 times. The heat, then the chemical is supposed to make the metal more willing to accept color. With the ammonia being the last one, lay the pieces out on a paper towel. Before they dry sprinkle salt, dried cilantro and the secret ingredient, a drop of Mrs. Stewart's Liquid Bluing on the pieces. Let them sit for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Lightly brush of the excess and you'll have a beautiful rustic patinaed piece. Spray it with a clear matte coating to ensure the durability of the colors.

All of these ingredients I bought at the dollar store with the exception of Mrs. Stewarts Liquid Bluing. I got that at the grocery store for a few bucks. I had no luck finding it when I lived in Florida so if you have this same problem try using blue food coloring. I haven't tried it myself but based on the consistancy of Mrs. Stewarts (basically just a blue dye) I have a feeling it would work. Now I'm curious about other dyes and colors that may work as a substitute. Maybe using yellow Rite dye would make the object a brighter green? Also, why stick to just cilantro? Any dried green herb spice should work. I wonder what metal would look like with pepper sprinkled on it along with salt? Experiment is the mother of invention so once you master the oxidation part, play around with the colorization aspects. The possibilities are limitless!

and just to brag, here's my newest toy I got at the Pasadena Bead and Design show...

Gilders Paste! The amazing wax based product that covers metal, glass, plastic, wood, leather even upholtrsy! It's the funnest stuff ever, I got this color....

Doesn't have the charm of natural patina but it's still a lovely green and I know I'm going to have a blast with it!

~ ~ ~ EDIT! EDIT! EDIT! ~ ~ ~

Ok, so after putting this technique to practice for a more substancial period of time I decide to report back on the results. After four days of fuming multiple pieces of both brass and copper, here are the results...

They turned out more of a blue than green! I'm happy about this because I always thought blue patina would be hard to achieve. I'm wondering if the fact that I put so many pieces in one container effected the color. One clue to let you know that the pieces are about ready is the color of the ammonia. If you start with clear ammonia then after the 3rd day it should start to have a bluish tint. This is an indication that it might be ready.

have fun!

New Year, New City, New Life, et cetera...

2011-01-05T16:09:00.000-08:00

Have you ever started an epic blog and gotten distracted from it? You say "I'll come back to it after work or school or whatever..." but it never seems to happen. This long blog sits unfinished in "draft" limbo before you finally realize that all it's doing is preventing you from moving forward into future blogdom.

I usually write this grand scale gift blog after Christmas. I've been doing that since the ancient days of Xanga, but this year for some reason the blog just couldn't seem to finish itself. It could be that I'm out of my comfort zone and there are endless distractions around me constantly. This could also be why my movie reviews have come to a screeching hault. I'm doing the best I can to keep myself balanced and unfortunately my blogs seem to be suffering. A pity because writing has always been a pivotal part in what keeps me well adjusted. Since it's a new year I've made a few resolutions I'd like to share here...

1. Write more often. Now that 2010 has passed I can safely say it was a good year. I married my sweetheart, my creativity levels were high and I even made a little money from it, not to mention my movie business which is still doing extremely well paid for MANY supply shopping sprees, birthday presents and even the occasional bill! One constant thing I can say about 2010 is that I kept a good journaling regiment. Whether it was my hand held journal, sketch book or one of my various blogs. Now with all of these distractions I'm going to have to make time for it. That's why I've made it a resolution. To set time aside at least once a week to put some thoughts down on paper or into blogosphere cloud.

2. To bring Endless Fall back. What's Endless Fall you ask? It's this movie marathon me my friend Tony started over 4 years ago! Watch a movie every day. It's as simple as that. Of course life comes up so I changed the rules to a movie for everyday of the month. Meaning, you can skip days, but make up for it on a free day. You'd be amazed how fulfilling it is. I always kept an Endless Fall diary where I logged every movie I'd watch along with any notes I may have. I'd usually make a list of the top 10 at the end of each month. I bought a notebook specifically for this purpose the other day. Now to just start doing it again. It will also motivate me to write reviews again, which will aid resolution #1. It's win/win across the board when Endless Fall is involved!

3. Up the ante with my jewelry making. I love making jewelry. In all reality it's the one creative thing I could see myself doing permanantly for a living. I learned alot this past year and now I'm ready to advance even more. I've just learned some basic wire wrapping techniques and I'd like to get even better at it. Not only that, I also want to start using better materials. I want to graduate from base metals to silver and gold. I want to use stones instead of glass and cheap crystals. Of course I'll still use those things, but I want "Atomic Caravan Studios" to be associated with quality not just pretty costume jewelry. I've been spending all my spare time getting an inventory back up and now I finally feel like I have enough to revive my Etsy. Also thinking about trying out Artfire, just a basic account, since I've heard so many mixed things about it. Eventually I'd like to graduate to really professional jewelry. Real fire tools and metal saws. All in due time! Stay tuned for updates on all of these things.

4. Learn to bake. Thankfully I come from a long line of amazing cooks. Not just cooks, natural chefs. Holiday events in my family are something to be revered. Being the youngest, I'm the last to start exploring this gift that we all have. Yes, I'm using the word gift, because now that I'm seeing what it's like in another family I can appreciate the fact that not everyone can make a meal happen with a magical finesse. I think for the most part I have savory dishes down. A combination of trial, error and Martha Stewart have made me a decent chef. What's standing in my way? Baked goods. Sure, I can make a simple drop cookie, but what about pastries, cakes (and icing), fancy breads, tortes, et cetera. There's this whole world of chef-ing-ton I've yet to explore. Getting a Cuisine Art food processor as a wedding gift will bring good tidings, I'm sure. So by the end of the year, watch out!

5. Explore LA. Ok, so since I've been here so far I've spent my "spare time", job hunting, then jumping right into a full time job. A shitty retail one at that. Now January is underway and I'm still working 5 days a week. I'm not complaining, the cash flow is good and in a place like LA you really need it. But I still don't feel like I've had the full LA experience. I know, that takes years, right? Even a partial LA experience. I'd at least like to put a dent in it. So to remind myself why I moved here I'm making it apart of my New Years resolution to do the following....

Have one day a week where I venture out of my city. Living in SGV can be a little boring. Sure, I love the Asian markets but I can only buy so many herbal teas and encounter oh so many pissed off Chinese people. There is more to the area than this. There are over 200 cities in Los Angeles County and I'm going to have to make an effort to pursue these little adventures. I'll try and take pictures to commemorate these events.
On a smaller scale, something I can do around my neighborhood to get the full experience is try a new restaurant every week. Let's face it, we eat out a lot. There are too many people in this house eating any groceries we may be bringing in to rely solely on that. Besides, eating out is cheap here and there are a lot more healthy options (one good thing about all the Asian food) than most places. So rather than getting pigeon holed into the same greasy spoon I'm making a point to be bold and experiment with the varieties of culture I'm surrounded by.

So there you have it. Not too bad, eh? Nothing too difficult to accomplish, but small things I can do to ensure a good year. And just so I don't completely break tradition here are my top five favorite Christmas presents...

FINALLY! Thanks to my Aunt Regina I can retire my crappy German bootleg of my FAVORITE movie! I think this calls for a revised review on Atomic Caravan!

I LOVE Finders Keepers, even more so if it's under the "B-Music" cannon. This was from my awesome hubby. The description says it all, "Imagine Melody Nelson taking a trip to La Planete Sauvage with a synth, a drum kit and some herbal french cigarettes."

Since my discovery of it a few months ago, Mystic Topaz is my very favorite stone. You can imagine my surprise when I discovered that my Mother in-law got me these GORGEOUS earrings!

Through out the month of October when we were doing some serious job hunting I really just wanted to curl up into the fetal position and watch Powerpuff Girls non-stop. I'm not sure what brought that urge on but being out of my comfort zone and having to branch out into a brave new world made me want to retreat to something safe and familiar in my spare time. I made several passing comments about wanting to watching some Powerpuff, so what does my husband do? Gets me the ENTIRE series! What a sweet heart! It's even better than I remembered. Fan fo' life.

Oh, Grandma. You spoil me so. I got this awwwesome espresso machine from my Grandma. I use it every day. I suppose that technically makes it my favorite gift? BEST EVER.

<3

On that note I shall depart. I have more jewelry picture to edit and I have to go to work soon. Sucks. Until next time...

Black as Midnight, Black as Pitch, Blacker than the Foulest Witch

2010-11-15T15:16:00.000-08:00

For the past month Venus, my planet, has been in retrograde which as far as I know supposed to make life a little more complicated. I could concur that assertion but I'm I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. Since last fall, around this time actually, Saturn has been in my chart. For the first time since I was a baby. I noticed a huge astrological impact from Saturn before I even read up on it. Despite Venus representing art and beauty I've found more inspiration during this Saturn period than ever before. All of my classic paintings came from Saturn and all of my complicated jewelry.

I've felt so strange since last month. I assumed it was the move but now I'm thinking that in reality, Saturn is a big part of the reason I made the decision and was able to press forth through the painstaking process. With Venus being out I've felt almost completely ruled by Saturn which I've decided I absolutely love. Some Librans have issues with Saturn but I feel energized by it's strange cosmic energy. My interpretation of certain things are different and I find myself inspired by things I'd never given any thought. This past month having so much Saturn while living in a completely new place has been an adventure. I feel different in Southern California. I realized today that I feel much more at home being near mountains than I ever did being near the beach. Every day on my way to work I drive through a hilly area with an abundance of oriental plants and old buildings, in the distance I have a photographic view of a gorgeous mountain scape. I'm sure it's taken for granted by the locals, the way I grew tired of hearing tourists rave about white sand and sunsets.

As I mentioned, my taste has changed, but not really "changed" it's just become more defined. Lately I've felt very romantic, not just with my husband but also with myself. An abundance of positivity and imagination. I feel my inner craftress coming out. I feel inspired by colors, aromas and simplicity in a completely new way. I've made several jewelry racks recently out of scraps I've found in the back yard. Upon completion I've decided that I despise jewelry boxes. Some are nice decorative items but really, who even came up with the idea of storing your fineries in a dusty old box like they were meant to be hidden. Not only do I feel more inclined to wear them when they're in plain sight but it also seems to brighten the room up quite a bit having reflective metals and crystal prisms catching the light (which is very little since our window is blocked by a big tree).

My latest obsession is Mystic Topaz. Can you think of anything more amazing? A true rainbow crystal. A unicorn's talisman. I never really knew what they were called but every I'd seen one in the past I gasped at it's stunning beauty. I seem to recall the ones I'd seen in the past being somewhat pricey and only now have I been able to put the name to the stone. It is MY stone. My birthstone is opal, which I love, but it's so it's own thing. It's pearlescent and it's also extremely soft. My first engagement ring was an opal by my request and in less than 6 months, wearing it day in/day out, I cracked it opening a box of wine. Can you think of anything more tragic and tacky? It was quickly replaced by a diamond heirloom...but still. White diamonds may be relatively indestructible but there's no magic there. How could they be? Liz Taylor named her stank ass old lady perfume after them. ANYWAY... the mystic topaz is like the opal of the crystal world. I realized that I don't have many nice rings. Mostly costume jewelry and a few nice gifts from my mom. But I don't recall ever buying a nice ring for myself. So I just got over it and bought myself this...

..oh mah gawsh..

Is it not superb? It's a little big. About half a size up from my ring finger but coming in right under two inches it's probably meant for my middle finger. This ring will complete my journey of becoming Queen of the Unicorn Wizards.

But back to stinky perfume. I can't standz nastay cheap stuff. As I've mentioned before, I'm a connoisseur of fine colognes. I usually gravitate towards light florals with subtle hints of vanilla and citrus. Lately, with this change of cosmic energy I've been wanting something different so I decided to finally order some things from For Strange Women on Etsy. Since her fine oils and solid perfumes are somewhat pricey (although I'm sure totally worth it) I decided to start with some samples to get a feel for what I can and can't live without. So I ordered the following...

Mix and Match three samples. I chose:

*Winter Kitty
*Moss and Ivy
*Astral Projection

I greatly anticipate trying these lovely handmade oils. Better yet, I ordered a sample of a solid perfume that sounded so lovely from the description, how could I resist?? Antique Settee...

"This blend reveals the past with hints of roses, violets, and everlastings lingering on velvet upholstery from perfumed guests that have come and gone. Freshly polished wood trim is woven throughout, finished with a deep base of Earl Grey tea (spilled on the cushions over the years). The essence of black tea leaves soaked in bergamot improves with age while lending a comforting character. This aromatic interpretation offers you the opportunity to embody this classic heirloom’s history."

Oh.My....must have. I got a "pine cone" lip balm as well. Which leads to to my current favorite lip wear.

Lately I've been wearing this black YSL lip gloss. It is BLACK. But don't fret, I don't wear it like that. Just a little bit goes a long way. Blended evenly it casts a smokey shadow on my lips that I love. With a layer of translucent purple Anna Sui lipstick is absolutely gorgeous. Just thought I'd mention it...

I'm not sure what the story is here but I can't help but be a little worried by it.

I was just informed that Rasputina put out a new album a few months ago. Where the heck have I been? This discovery couldn't have come at a better time.

Until next time my Unicorn Minions...

Candy Time

2010-11-06T16:19:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about living in a culturally diverse area is the variety of things I shouldn't be eating. Every time I walk into a grocery store I'm tempted by something I've never seen before. I especially love Japanese chocolate, but really anything is better than American chocolate. So then I started thinking about all of these different things I've tried and how much I love talking about stuff. It makes to combine the two and start doing candy reviews. Not just candy but beverages, snacks and anything else that might stand out at these awesome Oriental grocery stores. So for today I'm going to start with the three most recent entries to my confectious conquisition.

Meiji Apollo Chocolate Lolipos

You've probably seen these or something like them. Usually they're small, like the size of a chocolate chip, and come in a box. They're rich and creamy but are also pretty mild. The bottom half is milk chocolate and the top half is a soft strawberry. This is the Lolipop version (or "Lolipo" according to other sites I've found it on). It's the same concept only larger and on a plastic stick. Maybe I should have started with the original. Apollo chocolates have been a long time favorite of mine. But I just tried this one so I figured it was a good place to start. Over all, I like them slightly less than the small version. It seemed a little chalkier than the original which is perfectly smooth. Although I did look at the back and realize that the expiration date is this month so it's probably been sitting on the shelf for the better part of the year. They still run circles around any American chocolate treat. Verdict? Cute concept, but I think I'll stick to the original. I think you get more chocolate for around the same price anyway.

I bought them at the Tozai Japanese Market, Monterey Park, CA.

Price: $1.69

Rating: 6/10

Meiji Chelsea Yogurt Scotch

Yogurt flavored things seem to be really popular in Japan. I saw these sitting next to the same brand's regular butterscotch candies so I assumed it was some butterscotch/yogurt hybrid. I also assumed they were soft chews, which was totally wrong. They're hard candies. I'm usually not crazy about hard candies. I tend to get bored with them and end up spitting them out. These were different though. It did have a slightly creamy/tangy taste like yogurt does. The texture was like a butterscotch candy, but nothing else was similar. It was really smooth and disolved pretty fast, which is good for me.I probably wouldn't buy them again but I by no means regret getting them. They'll be a nice treat while I'm at work when I need a little pick me up. Maybe next time I'll try the regular butterscotch flavor. I love the packaging too. So pretty!

Tozai Japanese Market, Monterey Park, CA

$1.69

7/10

Calpico (original flavor)

Something about this milky white drink looked so refreshing to me. According to the website it's non-carbonated soft drink made from milk and lactobacilli. Apparently lactobacilli is a natural acid found in yogurt. It's hard to describe the taste. Definitely tangy but also smooth. It's also very much yogurt flavored, but not at all thick. It's watery like any juice beverages would be. The tartness has a bite, almost like citrus but the aftertaste is really smooth and creamy. It's very pleasant and enjoyable, but the tangy sweetness is a bit much for me. Like a kids drink. I also don't know how I feel about the flavor being so unidentifiable. It's kind of it's own thing. Next time I think I'll try the strawberry or mango.

bought at Tokyo Japanese Lifestyle in Monterey Park, CA

$2.25

6/10

Invoking the Spirit

2010-11-02T22:37:00.000-07:00

A while back I mentioned the possibility of reviewing movies I feel aren't Atomic Caravan worthy on this blog. It's hard to explain what exactly a movie like that entails since I obviously have no problem reviewing complete garbage but today I think I'm going to explore one such film. The epic, the life changing, The Craft.

Ok, so it's 1996, I'm 10 years old. It's been a good decade for teen movies which isn't helping to prevent my wanting to grow up too fast. I remember wanting to see this in the theater SO bad! My mom, being the concerned parent of a pre-teen wouldn't let me. Hummph. Thankfully, around the time of it's video release, I was now 11 and she herself had become curious about it so she decided to let me see it. How can I describe how this movie effected that small, under developed version of me? In a way it validated Mom's reason for originally not wanting me to see it. I had no interest in Robin Tunney's boring good witchery. I was all about some Fairuza. I wanted to BE her! I had just begun wearing make-up and made sure I applied far too much black eyeliner any chance I could get away with it. The clothes in that movie really effected my taste, even still today. White button up shirts with long tapered collars, black vests or suspenders and of course the signature plaid skirt with knee to thigh-high stockings. I remember thinking Nancy's cross earrings were so cool. I still have the onyx and marcasite cross necklace I bought a few years later which I viewed as the "perfect Craft inspired cross necklace".

Years passed, I had my fair share of slumber parties featuring "light as a feather, stiff as a board", at least three gothic phases between middle school and early college and still to this day endless quoting and fond memories of watching it with friends. It's not even a movie I'd say I'm proud to be a fan of, it's beyond that. Like many girls (and some very special boyz) my age, it's just apart of us! Anyway, this isn't exactly a review. I just had my annual viewing so I thought I'd emblazon my undying love for this movie on my public blog. I watched it with some first-timers, both were somewhat freaked out by it. Or taken aback at least, which completely confused me. COMPLETELY. Maybe I'm desensitized but the Craft, to me, is a semi-juvenile fashion oriented fun fest. Forget that whole suicide and murder sub-plot. There's ... um ... magic and cool clothes. Whaddya' want??? Besides, I can't take any movie seriously with Jewel on the soundtrack. C'mon!

"HE'S-SAWRY-HE'S-SAWRY-HE'S-SAWRY-SAWRY-MY-ASSSSSS!!!"

Feliz Dia De Los Muertos

2010-11-01T22:03:00.000-07:00

I celebrated my first day of the dead this year. I can easily say it's one of my favorite holidays of all time. It's so festive and colorful. I always hated that Halloween decor tends to be limited to black, purple and orange. Colors I like, but not necessarily together. We went to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery for the celebration and had a blast. Not going to go too picture crazy but here are a few high lights...

This might be the most hideous painting on the planet.

My three favorite things right now...

2010-10-23T20:27:00.000-07:00

Aloe Vera juice is the SHITTTTT!! It's incredibly healthy and very lightly sweet. It tastes like a mild grape. I especially love the pulp. This is my beverage of choice now.

This is not a beverage. This is my current moisturizer. It's very mild and refreshing. I love the way it smells and how bright my face looks after wearing it for a few hours. Kose's regular Sekkisei moisturizer is a little too high in alcohol for my taste. I attribute this to my present state of well being.

Liquid royal jelly has been apart of my regular consumption lately. It gives you energy and is supposed to help the blood flow to your brain. It also tastes pretty good. I love the little glass bottle and little straw.

YAY!

Now I'm going to go make a snack dinner!

I LUV SGV

2010-10-23T11:53:00.000-07:00

It's been way too long! As I mentioned before I had a HUGE move to deal with. I now live in Los Angeles County, more specifically Monterey Park. We'd been planning a move back for a long time and it's still kind of surreal seeing it all flesh out. I don't really want to get into the whole job/apartment thing right now. It's been tedious but steady going. Things are coming along but really slowly for some reason. I really like the San Gabriel Valley. Since the last time we were here I didn't have my car, I couldn't do the exploring I wanted to. I've really enjoyed my time driving around looking at all the little Chinese shops. You know what an Asiaholic I am. I like Alhambra a lot as well. There are so many nooks and crannies you kind of have to know what you're looking for. My big obsession right now is Japanese cosmetics and skin care products. I read that they're both a decade ahead of Western products. After trying some things I've bought recently I'm pretty much convinced. My favorite store so far is Takashimaya...

It's really crowded and colorful. If you don't know anything about Japanese make-up it would be impossible to know what to get. I don't know much but I have been wanting to try Majolica Majorca (owned by Shiseido), Lavshuca and Kate (both owned by Kanebo), rather than blind buying some over priced import, it made sense to track down this shop that's in my own freaking neighborhood and take a look. I was so overwhelmed that I just ended up only getting an issue of Voce.

One of Japan's leading beauty magazines. Sure, I can't read it but the pictures are large and clear. They also do a variety of tests on products using numbers to identify them so it's still very enjoyable and informative. On top of that it came with a free sample of RMK firming cream and a terry cloth head band for facials. Still feeling a little overwhelmed by this amazing store and getting vibes from my bored husband I decided to move on tothe next store. Across the street was a smaller more conservative make-up store that carries the make-up I've really REALLY been wanting. Paul & Joe.

Did I drop $25 on this without hesitation? Hell yes I did! And I'm still not sure if I'll ever be able to bring myself to use it.

I also got this lovely nail polish since it was on sale for $9...

I've been wanting a nice corally orange for a while. This one's really soft and lady like.

While I was there, the girl who helped me showed me a product that is CHANGING MY FREAKING LIFE! Possibly the most incredible skin product of all time...

It makes your dead skin fall off! It just falls right off! As you rub it into your skin you start to feel clumps of what resembles rubber eraser shavings. Afterward you're skin feels SUPER soft and there is a noticable difference. When I drove over here from Florida I got somewhat of an unsightly farmer's tan from the window. I could litterally see my tan fading as I used it. it's meant for the face but I'll rarely use it for that. Every once in a while when I give myself an intense facial. What I love about this product is what it's doing for my arms. I'm one of those people who has bumps on my arms. You've seen them I'm sure, a lot of people have them, most people grow out of them...some dont. I've tried everything to make them go away. Scrubbing with exfoliant really dilligently in every shower, I've tried salicylic acid. My mom used to think it was some sort of acne (it's not) so we tried body products for acne, they obviously didnt work. I'd all but given up. I tried this and I could immediately notice a big difference. After just 3 days of using it you can barely see them. At this rate they'll be completely gone in the next couple of weeks. And there aren't any dagnerous ingredients in it either. Lots of "root extracts"...it's a miracle product! I'm in love!

Ok...so what else? We went to Knott's Scary Farm for my birthday. The whole park was like a giant haunted house. It was a lot of fun! I can't think of a better way to have spent my 25th birthday. We haven't been watching as many movies lately. Our set-up is kind of sucky right now, I wrote about all of that on Atomic Caravan. I'm only about 10 minutes from Little Tokyo so I've spent a few afternoons there. There's a great grocery store I've been frequenting as well as a place called the Japanese Cosmetics Company where I've been buying my Kose products. Their white powder wash has helped restore my natural bright fairness and their Junkisui moisturizer is perfect for my sensitive-ass skin.

Ok, that's all for now. I have a second job interview today. That's all I'm sayin' because I'm a firm believer in jinxing things. I need to go have my royal jelly and start getting ready!

Until next time! <3

I wanna have a tea party!

2010-09-22T22:36:00.000-07:00

It's true.

I used to pretend to be sick in middle school so my Grandma would come and pick me up. Whenever this happened she took me to have a High Tea at Willows, the local tea shoppe. Can you think of a better way of encouraging class skipping?

I've been addicted to vintage make-up adds lately...

GAH! I would use all of these! Cosmetic packaging has really taken a nose dive since the 70's.

I've been wanting to post this pink peacock for weeks but I haven't been able to think of a good reason. I'm just gonna go for it...

annnnnnd......Ann-Margret.

Introducing: Unicorn Wizard's Mixtape Club!!!

2010-09-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to do something like this for a long time. When I started my other blog (Atomic Caravan) a little over a year ago I had originally intended for it to be an all-purpose blog. I was still mourning the downfall of Myspace where I had been blogging since high school. I also had a separate Myspace (Endless Fall) for movie reviews. Slowly after starting Atomic Caravan it turned more and more into a replacement for Endless Fall. Before I made the conscious decision to let the movies take over, I posted several music downloads. One being Mulatu Asatke's "Mulatu of Ethiopia" , hip African jazz with a Latin flair. Another being the rare Frank Zappa album "Trick or Treat" as a Halloween special. My favorite though, was an incredible mix I made called Frankenstein Radio Controls Volume 1. I was so very proud of this mix I made for house cleaning that I combined drawings and clippings to make an awesome cover and posted it on the blog for download. I even made a bonus disc to double the fun! I enjoyed posting my mix so much more than posting regular albums. I understand people want whole albums of artists they like, but that kind of sharing isn't for me. Where's the fun in that? Besides, I think it's less illegal to share compiled music.

As time passed I wanted an everything else blog, so I started this one. There you have it! Now I can start making mixes again.

My mixes are world famous... Ok, that's not true at all. But my friends and family have always enjoyed receiving them to the point where's expected. It makes sense to start posting mixes regularly since I'm moving very soon and probably won't be handing out tangible copies to my loved ones as frequently. This way EVERYONE can get them and I can conserve my blank stash.

What to know:

Technically they aren't mixtapes at all. they're actually tailored to be mixed cds (duh) since they're around 80 minutes and I'm assuming most of you don't have a cassette adapter for your computer (we do, but it's a pain in the ass). Since I'm not handing it out in any particular format, Mixtape works, Mixtape Club it shall be. Although I guess it's also not really a "club" since it's available to everyone, but whatevs. Don't get all semantic-y on me.

I have no idea how frequently or infrequently I'm going to do this. Basically, I know nothing, so there's really not much for you to know either.

Like any person who posts something they made, I'd like to know if it was (or will be) enjoyed. Friendly comments are encouraging but I don't expect them. I've done my fair share of blogspot downloading and I know that it's not always convenient to say anything. Just throwin' it out there ;-D

To start with I'm going to post the wedding mix we made for our guests. Don't wince just yet. We're not a conventional couple and we didn't play conventional music at the wedding. Have I mentioned that my husband is a bonified music historian? I thought I had a lot of records when we met having but a measly 400 or so. Pah! He trumped my collection with a towering 20,000 records, most of those being 78's. There's music constantly playing in our house from the dawn of recorded sound to present day. You can see why we make so many mixes! Although I will admit that the wedding comp was more challenging since there was such a large variety of personal taste to take into consideration. Everyone from my Grandparents to my weirdo friends. We did try and play it somewhat safe. We started out with some lesser known b-sides by famous classic artists we like and slowly made it a little more quirky to appease our taste. All the while sticking to "essentials" for us over the years. Shared favorites such as Chuck Miller's "Lookout Mountain", La Lupe's "Fever" (which is, in both our our opinions, the best and wildest version of that song. she sounds like a demented chipmunk) and of course Spike Jones' "Cocktails for Two" which was one of the first mutual musical loves we discovered upon meeting, and appropriately ends the disc.

Also personal favorites, Arthur has a particular obsession with Italian bad ass Adriano Celantano and his Elvis-style way of singing. Mose Allison's "Seventh Son" and LOVE's "!Que Vida!" are also among his favorites. A few of mine include Nina Simone's rendition of "Work Song", Kayoko Moriyama's "Melon No Kimochi" but more than any other George Baker Selection's "Little Green Bag" which has long been one of my all time favorite songs (way before I saw Reservoir Dogs). We weren't sure if it was appropriate to put songs about chain gangs, lost bags of marijuana, religious prophets, and being haunted by the ghost of your dead husband on your wedding mix, but sticking exclusively to a "love" theme was just lame and boring.

So without further adieu...

The Marriage of Like Minded Unicorns

1. Chuck Berry - You Never Can Tell
2. Bobby Darin - Lovin' You
3. Elvis Presley -Surrender
4. Adriano Celantano - Svalulation
5. John Barry - Beat Girl
6. George Baker Selection - Little Green Bag
7. Nina Simone - Work Song
8. Serge Gainsbourg - Chatterton
9. R. Crumb and His Keep On Truckin' Orchestra - Wisconsin Wiggles
10. Chuck Miller - Lookout Mountain
11. Sam Cooke - Good News
12. the Kinks - Everybody's Gonna Be Happy
13. Mose Allison - Seventh Son
14. LOVE - !Que Vida!
15. Gary McFarland - Fried Bananas
16. Nat King Cole - El Bodeguero
17. Kayoko Moriyama - Melon No Kimochi
18. the Troggs - With a Girl Like You
19. Os Mutantes - Hey Boy
20. France Gall - Jazz A GoGo
21. the Shirelles - Love is a Swingin' Thing
22. La Lupe - Fever
23. Rita Pavone - Viva La Pappa Col Pomodoro
24. the Newbeats - Bread and Butter
25. Huey "Piano" Smith and the Clowns - Don't You Just Know It
26. the Coasters - Down Home Girl
27. Dengue Fever - Clipped Wings
28. Chicha Libre - Indian Summer
29. Spike Jones - Cocktail for Two

As I was panicking less than two hours before the reception to organize our playlist, my cousin wisely told me not to worry. He said that you won't even remember what you played afterwards since everything will be so hectic. He was right! Everyone was talking and having fun, no one really noticed the music. Or if they did, I haven't heard anything about it. This is after weeks of meticulously going through 600 gigabytes of music to put together three separate playlists. An upbeat but mellow pre-dinner playlist, one specifically for dinner which would be mostly pleasant samba and jazz, then the last playlist which would be fun dance-y music for those of us who'd be drinking the night away. As it were, the playlists got scrambled leaving me a semi-nervous wreck. But it was all good music and no had any idea, so OH WELL! There were so many great songs we wanted to put on the wedding mix, but couldn't fit. 80 minutes is not enough! We easily had enough for another mix. So after the wedding when everything calmed down I went through the playlist and picked some of our other favorites to compile a ....

BONUS DISC!

1. Lawrence Welk - Bubbles in Wine
2. Frank Zappa - Why Don'tcha Do Me Right
3. Baby Huey - Messin' with the Kid
4. Mickey & Sylvia - No Good Lover
5. the John Buzon Trio - Caravan
6. Perry Como - Magic Moments
7. the Cowsills - the Rain, the Park and Other Things
8. Pizzicato Five - Nata Di Marzo
9. Wanda De Sah - So Danco Samba (Jazz 'N' Samba)
10. Van Dyke Parks - Riverboat
11. Thurston Harris - Little Bitty Pretty One
12. the Four Seasons - C'mon Marriane
13. Boney M. - Ma Baker
14. Ray Sharpe - Hey, Little Girl
15. the SG Sound - Jump the Shark
16. the Four Seasons - C'mon Marianne
17. Roger and the Gypsies - Pass the Hatches
18. Ronnie Foster - Mystic Brew
19. Ann-Margret - Someday Soon
20. Jacques Dutronc - Le Responsable
21. Oh! Penelope - Lait Au Miel
22. the Vogues - Five O'Clock World
23. Mel Torme - the Games People Play
24. Link Wray - the Swag
25. Tom Waits - Jockey Full of Burbon
26. Dick Dale - Misirlou
27. Julius La Rosa - Eh Cumpari
28. the Coasters - Brazil
29. Um...*bonus track*

There you have it folks, the first (and second I guess) entry to the Unicorn Wizard Mixtape Club. Although I love classic old stand by's, there will probably be less "safe" songs on my regular mixes.

Until next time!...

Trousseau

2010-09-18T23:52:00.000-07:00

Today was one of the final shopping hoorahs for me and my Mom before the move. She had bought me pair of leather boots from J Crew to go with this gold and black Anthropologie cocktail dress I was going to wear to the wedding party. The dress ended up being WAY too big, twice we ordered it and both times I felt like I was wearing a burlap bag. The boots ended up being too small. It was just a big last minute disaster and the aftermath is having all of this nice stuff to return. Not that I mind having a $200 shopping spree at J Crew! I ended up with two outfits my favorite being a bright plum corduroy pencil skirt with a chartreuse cardigan. All I need is an ascot and my Cesar Romero Joker look will be complete.

ps... I also got a purple velvet jacket that would be way too matchy to wear with this outfit, but I could if I wanted. I feel a Halloween costume idea coming on.

Other than what mi Madre graciously bestowed upon me I wasn't having much luck finding anything I wanted to buy myself. We wined and dined (lunched, rather), and when I thought all hope was lost she reminded me that Belk has a MAC counter. Oh shiz. I forgot. And so the make-up buying frenzy continues...

I'm such a huge fan of MAC. I always have been. It's built to last and just LOOK at those colors! I always wanted to buy more MAC but I couldn't afford it in high school (when bright colors are the most exciting), not to mention it's a pain in the ass getting anything out of the ordinary around here in the way of make-up. I always wanted to try their pigments. I ended up picking "neo-orange" on the top right which doesn't look nearly as vibrant in the picture. When I put it on it shocked my Mom. First she advised against buying such a garish color, but after I toned it down with some basic pink and white she agreed it was very "fun and youthful". I haven't had much of a chance to play around with it but I can tell that it could be really versatile and will last FOREVER. Can't wait to try those other colors later on! I also ended up with their pro longwear lip creme in "good to go" which is an orange-y coral. So NOT a color I would normally get. I'm trying to mix up my make-up routine. For years it was either smokey black/grey or thick liquid eyeliner with red or burgundy lipstick. I thought of those as "classic" and I can't knock the basics, but I'm soooo over that. Get it off ma' face! I also got MAC's superslick liquid eyeliner in "pure show" which is a bronzey- gold. And finally since I normally would wear intensely bright nail polish I went in the other direction with that too getting their nail lacquer "earthly harmony" which is an irridescent taupe. When I saw it next to the bright green and orange I would normally gravitate to it made me picture a sepia toned photograph of a mermaid. Naturally such imagery would lead one to the conclusion that it must be purchased at once!

I think I may have been partially inclined to invest in such out of the ordinary colors for me because I've been listening to Nina Hagen a lot lately.

I've always liked her but only in the past year have I grown a true appreciation for her music and style. Hearing her speak in interviews is great! She's hilarious! Adorable, quirky and almost alien in her demeanor. She's like a cartoon character. In Ekstasy is my favorite album of hers and the cover makes me miss having pink hair. Oh to be a teenager again! Although Nina Hagen is living proof that some people can pull off outrageous hair colors well into their 30's.

Things I Like About Today...

2010-09-15T15:41:00.000-07:00

I'm making Indian food for dinner. It's going to be a feast of sorts with saag paneer, mataar paneer and jal frezzie with chicken, potato, carrots and whatever other vegetable I can come up with. I'm not supposed to be eating dairy, but I still have some lactaid leftover from the wedding and paneer is basically my favorite food in the world. I've been fiending for some curry since we stopped our DJing gig at the Indian restaraunt.

Along with getting the necessary ingredients from World Market and the Indo-Pak Market I did some light shopping which was fun and I didn't go too overboard. I finally found a rice paper sketch book. I've been looking for one since 2006 when I filled my last one. Rice paper is great for markers. With some cheap crayola washable markers you can make a drawing look like a water color painting. Especially if you add a few drops of water when you're finished. This one is extra awesome, it's quilted with Indian fabric on the cover. I also got some Chowards Violet mints. I always loved these. They taste so strange and lovely. I like the taste of sweet flowers.

I plan on watching The Taste of Tea tonight. I've been really excited about this one!

When I was driving today I put in and old mix and two songs by the Vanishing were on it. I haven't thought about them in a few years. They were really great. Not sure if they're still together but I know Jessie Evans does solo stuff now. I saw them with Glass Candy the summer I graduated high school. There were less than 10 people there. It was sad in a way that so many lamies didn't show but also awesome because it's like the performance was for us. I think I might have to bust out my Vanishing record on translucent purple vinyl! I always loved that record.

I found this mascara at the Vietnamese dollar store today that is in the exact same bottle as Anna Sui's "Full Mascara". Pretty black curvy tube with a rose on top. I've had it before too, there's no doubt in my mind that it's the same bottle. The brand is "Role Rose", they must be a knock off. It's even in the same purple lettering. For a buck I decided to to give it a go. Either way, the tube is totally pretty and reminds be of the 30's.

I wonder if this stuff works...

I'm really fair and lately I'm all about preserving my skin. They still make this stuff. I'm gonna have to track it down in Little India.

For the record I REEEEALLY like Dumpling/Darling Dynasty.

Who is your favorite Gremlin?

2010-09-09T16:16:00.000-07:00

I rewatched Gremlins 2 for like the umptillionth time last night. It's a timeless classic. It's far superior to the first which is nowhere near as colorful and fun. Not only do we have a cascade of cameos but also so many strange varieties of Gremlins. There's the Gargoyle, the Electric Gremlin, the smart Tony Randall Gremlin, "Daffy" the goofy cross eyed Gremlin, There's the one with lips like Edward G. Robinson, there's Mohawk of course which I think is the one who turns into a spider, "Lenny" who has buck teeth and long rabbit ears, and the Phantom of the Opera one. SO many! I always thought they were so cute, even even as their slimy scaly selves. I'm a sucker for small creatures with big eyes and ears. Who isn't?? But I think it's safe to say that the coolest Gremlin is the fairest of them all...

Greta ♥

For a species that is asexual "Greta" (whose name I had to google since they never say it in the movie) sure knows how to work that hot reptilian babeness. I always thought she was so gorgeous! I wish I had green hair like that! She's glamorous, sexy and completely weird. Does she count as a magical girl? She's not exactly a "girl" but she's female and most definitely magical! I always wished there were more scenes with her. Naturally, she is my favorite Gremlin.

Another I was always fond of is Vegetable.

One brief cameo of him bursting out of the salad bar isn't enough! His lumpy enliven plant face always creeped me out easily making him the winner of Weirdest Gremlin award (which only exists in my mind). Strange carrot beard and cabbage pecs still make me shiver a bit when I see him.

I'll always have a soft spot for the classic Mohawk too. Mostly because he reminds me so much of my cat Egbert...

I used to compare Egbert to Gizmo but it was clear right away that something was amiss. He's a very mischievous boy. He eats garbage, makes messes, poops on the floor when his box is perfectly clean, has a gruff scratchy voice (dead ringer for Mohawk's raspy way of saying "gizzzzzmoooooo") and in all of his ridiculously adorable fluffiness he has the gaze of a trouble maker. Shifty eyes, much like the grimacing bastion known as Mohawk. He acts so radically different than our prince Charming tabby cat Giuseppe that there is no doubt in my mind Egbert is part Mogwai. Look at that! He's chewing on my Unicorn!

Obviously Gizmo is the fan favorite, and Christ, he's most definitely cute, but sort of boring in a way. I always wondered what he'd be like if he made the transformation from Mogwai to Gremlin. I think Joe Dante should make another sequel with Greta being the first to actually give BIRTH to a part Gremlin part human (since she marries Forster). Maybe it grows up like normal (although I can't imagine a human baby coming out of Greta) and starting to go through changes when he hits a certain age. Or whatever, I'm not a screenwriter but I think Gremlins 2 totally left room for another sequel. Then they could explore the idea of Gizmo turning into a real Gremlin! It would be SO cool!!

If only...

So the question remains, who is YOUR favorite Gremlin?

So it's my wedding day...

2010-09-01T23:35:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it. So effing surreal. I'm the most absent minded bride ever. I decided to make a necklace to wear tomorrow. Maybe shoulda started that earlier but things have been so crazy. Arthur's Dad arrived today from LA. We still have a ton of stuff to do tomorrow, and then of course there's the party on Saturday. I better finish this necklace so I can get some sleep. Next time I update I'll be a wife!

Let's try this again...

2010-08-30T02:35:00.000-07:00

I've been in lame mode all day. For the past couple of weeks really. My priorities are all out of whack right now. I think it's because I'm usually relatively carefree and as irresponsible as one can be within the confines of adulthood and with everything that's going on it's just not possible right now. I feel out of sorts when movies or crafting aren't my sole existence. It's like I feel an even stronger urge to goof off.

I want to get lost in a hobby but it's not an option right now, though I'm inadvertently fighting it. I gotta admit though, being a bride has given me an excuse to get some nice things that I normally deny myself because I spend every penny on media and art supplies. I bought some Benefit and Urban Decay make-up today when we went to get Arthur's shoes. I'm especially happy about this purchase...

I've really been needing something foundation-esque and this is exactly my skin color and it blends perfectly. Not greasy but it doesn't dry me out either. It's pretty much perfect. I've always have a hard time with foundation because I'm really fair and I need very light coverage. Nothing too thick, nothing too cakey or wet, pastey is bad. Basically when I put something all over my face I usually don't like it. It shouldn't be a problem but it always is for me. I have pretty good skin and really just need something sheer to smooth my face out. I usually default to just using powder because it's easier to find light translucent powder. It can be kind of drying though. There's so much room for error with liquid foundation. I've never been able to do drugstore foundation. It's always either too this or too that. And unlike high end brands crap like Maybeline and even Loreal will make my ass break out (my face, not my ass). Last time I bought foundation my town didn't have an Ulta, which is pretty much life changing when I can afford to shop there. I LOVE Benefit. I haven't tried everything, but every product that I've used, I've loved. Somehow I've made the Benetint I bought when I was 17 years old last all this time! I STILL use it!! The bottle is down to the last quarter, SHIT, that's seven years! I don't use it every day but I use it more often than any other lip color (which I rarely wear anyway). THIS is perfect and I love it. I read mixed reviews for it but I think it's light and basic, which is exactly what I need from a foundation.

I also got Urban Decay's Eden Primer Potion which I was told by a trusted friend that it will make even cheap eyeshadow stay on vibrantly like the good stuff. I'm pretty much in love with it already.

Ghod I'm so boring these days. Don't worry, I'm about 10 pounds away from being obsessed with clothes again. Then another 10 from being a complete vapid egomaniac. Quitting dairy was the best thing that ever happened to me (and worst).

Seriously though, if I don't watch a fucked up movie soon I may lose it. Spermula anyone?? I can't wait until I get Haseena Atom Bomb! I'm semi-freaking-out about that. I still can't quite believe it. I've been searching for it for YEARS. So yeah, at some point in the hopefully near future you'll be seeing a review for this on my other blog...

Until then I guess I'll just keep being lame.

Evangeline Lilly

2010-08-29T16:58:00.000-07:00

I just want to gush over one of my all time favorite TV actresses Evangeline Lilly for a minute. In case you're one of the unfortunates who hasn't opened themselves up to the wondrous universe of LOST which I whole heartedly think is the only decent thing that has happened to television in a LONG time, she plays Kate the beautiful strong willed spirited female lead. If you're not into it just skip this post because it probably won't make any sense anyways. We just got the entire series set with all kinds of crazy supplement features and we're actually about to run out the door to start season 6 with our friend who hasn't caught it yet. But first I need to get this off my chest.

I LOVE Kate SO SO Much!!! She's a hard ass, she's loyal as fuck, she killed her lecherous wife beating (step) father and she's always giving the men on the show a run for their money. She doesn't "belong" to anyone and the only person she feels a responsibility is Claire. Oh Claire, I like Claire too although I think they could have done a little more with her in the last season. What I love the most about Claire is her relationship with Kate. They have a bond that I think is really cool. Kate is really the only woman that does that on the show. She has an "us gals gotta stick together" kind of attitude. Like she was with Cassidy, and even Sun at times. Who can forget when she was handcuffed to Juliet! I gotta say, I think I loved their dynamic best of all! Talk about conflicts of interest! I don't think my love was fully realized until she gets shot in the 6th season and during the commercial break Arthur turns to me and says "...they shot your girlfriend."

What did I not like about the Kate Austen storyline? Probably what the majority of retarded LOST fans love about her character. You know, the "Jaters" (Jack and Kate romance sub-plot) and the "Skaters" (Sawyer and Kate romance sub-plot). Kate's character deserved so much more than being "the love interest". I'm happy that they didn't take the show in that direction. Around Season 5 her priorities changed and she really evolved as a character. I'm sick to death of weirdo jealous fan-girls taking jabs at Kate, a FICTIONAL CHARACTER, who happened to get the attention of another FICTIONAL CHARACTER that said fan-girl is attracted to. It's fucking delusional. You don't see me hating Helen because I have a crush on Locke :-P

I'm not only impressed by the character development, but also Evangeline Lilly as an actress in general. When she cried, I cried. And this was her first time acting EVER. Not only that she does just about all of her own stunts! All that tree climbing, getting tousled around, that's all her! On top of it all she's just ravishing. I can't decide if I want to be her friend or just be HER!

She's an amazing actress who really made me fall in love with this character. I anticipate what ever she ends up doing next.

Do you prefer Fashion Victim or Ensembley challenged?

2010-08-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

I always felt a kinship towards Phyllis Diller, like we're somehow the same on some basic obnoxious female level. I have every intention of being like her when I'm a little old lady.

Last night I dreamt that I got a job working with Klasky Csupo. Pretty much the great dream in the history of ever. All morning I've been wondering how impossible this dream may actually be to make a reality. I know exactly where the Klasky Csupo studios are, it's not far from where I'll be living. Surely they have some grunt work for a girl who's spent her whole life drawing monsters inspired by them.

I've been looking at a lot of fashion blogs lately. Some are so great like White Lightning, who mixes amazing thrift store finds, cool records and videos with a big helping of humor. There are some other I'm coming across though that get on my nerves. Most of the posts aren't even about fashion just repetive pictures of the blogger. You can see a lot of ego in these types of blogs. I just want to look at fun clothes and fun-other-stuff. Faces aren't fun unless they belong to Phyllis Diller.

I watched Clueless last week for a long time in WAY-TOO-FUCKING-LONG. In fact that's part of what inspired my last post. I haven't been able to stop thinking about a few things...

*the line when Elton (Jeremy Sisto) raises his hand in class and says "I can't find my Cranberries cd!"

*How cute Brittany Murphy was when she had boobs.

* And just in general, Ambular.

What an underrated charcter. I'm so glad Elisa Donovan got to explore her a little more in the tv series. She did NOT get enough screen time in the movie. She had the funnest clothes and she was a great counterpart for Cher. I always felt like they really kind if liked eachother deep down but in that "Mean Girls" kind of way.

Just because I can't think about anything else here's an obligatory wedding update:

Spent ALLLL yesterday at my Mom's painting. I painted the rafters of the loft while watching "The Pregnancy Pact" a wonderfully awful Lifetime movie about teenage girls making an agreement to all get pregnant at the same time. How HORRIBLE! Umm...I still need shoes and some make-up from Ulta. We also need to finish our wedding playlist/mix. Things are coming along though. I'm only mildly freaked out.

That's all I got.

Music: the Formative Years

2010-08-26T09:18:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here drinking Turkish coffee dreading a certain visitor who'll be arriving today. I don't have to worry about him seeing this because he's way too self involved to read anyone's blogs. He's one of Arthur's "friends" from back home. I try not to be mean to him but he's a conversation hog, an attention whore and a general social retard. He seeks approval but when he gets it, he abuses it by acting out like a fool. His idea of "charm" is to be loud and flamboyant. He staggers around with no real direction flopping into total strangers. It can be pretty embarrassing to be in public with him, especially if he decides to start dancing for no reason. He claims to be interested in film and "music" but that's pretty much limited to his Tom Cruise blu-ray collection, U2 and Lady Gaga (sorry, I've got no love for her, but that's another blog), and of course the Beatles and Bob Dylan because that's like hipster 101. You can't be christened into an edgy persona before you've passed that milestone. See, I can't help but feel a little ruthless when it comes to this guy. I also feel like he's gay for Arthur and see's me as some kind of eminent threat to his "friendship". There has been more than one time he'll stick his neck in between me and Arthur if one of us is saying something to the other quietly. I can't believe he actually is coming to my territory. We're going to be back in California in a month and then I'll never be able to get rid of him. This Florida visit seems somewhat unnecessary.

ANYWAYS. That little vent should probably be under lock and key in my private journal but I just couldn't resist. These are stressful days leading up to the wedding. No, he's not staying for the wedding, he just came to distract us from everything. I told Arthur that if things get hairy I won't hesitate to leave and go shopping. He laughed and said "fair enough".

Ok, back to what's happening in Nowsville. On facebook someone tagged me in a note where they list the 15 albums that have stuck with them the most. In turn, I make a similar list with my choices. So naturally I start this epic list of all of these albums I love and have loved for years. It was hard to eliminate to a measly 15. Summing up 24 years of music listening into something like 20 hours of music. That's not even an hour for every year of my life!! It was really difficult and I felt guilty leaving some important albums off, so I decided to apply this same thing to a much more elaborate blog (or blogs, rather). Also, I think it will help get my mind off of all the stress. I'm not going to limit myself to a certain number. But I am going to break this up into eras. For this entry, I'm going to focus on everything pre-highschool. Omg, this might be a little embarrassing but here it goes in semi-chronological-order-to-when-I-discovered-it.....

This was officially the first piece of music that was "mine". I'll never forget Christmas morning when I was SIX YEARS OLD opening a big present. It turned out to be a GIANT purple Caboodle!! Remember those??? I'm pretty sure they still make them but as far as I'm concerned they belong to the 1990's. My Mom was so sneaky! She put the Roxette CASSETTE TAPE inside the Caboodle so it would be a surprise when I explored all of the compartments. And it was a wonderful surprise! One I still remember 18 years later! I really don't remember what this album sounds like at all though, I should download it!

Oooooh! How do you say Deee-lovely? Deee-vine? How do you say Deee-lite! Naturally being like 6/7 I was taken in by the amazing catchy-ness of Groove is in the Heart. I wanted the whole album but my Mom got me this Cassette single. Which was still fine! I played it until it warbled and warped. Now I've several of their albums on cd and pop them in any time I need to put on my platform shoes and go-go dance with Miss Lady Kier...which is all the time, by the way.

I believe this was my very first cd! I think I was ashamed of that for years but now looking back I'm kind of proud! En Vogue was pretty fucking hip. They got a little modernized with their late 90's albums but this one was a lot fun. Kind of Pointer Sisters-esque. I always thought they were GORGEOUS too, all of them! OMG...I need to download this or something.

...are you noticing a trend of female vocaled groups?? Make note of it.

I'm not sure where but somewhere along the line I heard "Sugar, Sugar". Maybe on the radio, maybe in a movie. I can't remember, but I thought it was the cutest song ever. I asked my Dad who it was and he said "the Archies"...I said "WHAT?? Like...my favorite comic???" I had NO idea that the Archie Digest books I'd been hoarding for years had anything to do with music. This was when I was given a brief lesson in the whole Archies sensation in the 60's. Not long after this my Dad came home with two records in hand, making this my very first LP. Isn't that cute?? I still have it :-)

Don't ask me why Dad chose this as my OTHER first record. I'd never seen this movie but I think he thought I'd enjoy the disco tunes. He was pretty much RIGHT! I LURVED this! Oh God. I'll never forget my Beegees phase. It's sort of like the Big Chill soundtrack though. The movie isn't good, you see it EVERYWHERE, you want to deny that you like it but somehow it's just a staple of it's time.

Oh, Clueless. How you changed my life. Being an impressionable FOURTH GRADER I pretty much made a conscious decision to become a character in this movie. My back to school clothes for the following year consisted of brightly colored mini skirts and knee socks. Yes, I was like 11 and dressing like Cher Horowitz. My Mom thought it was adorable, I got made fun of by the rednecks at my lame Christian school, but I didn't care. They were a bunch of "Barneys". This soundtrack made a HUGE impact on me. Discovering bands like Luscious Jackson and the Muffs lead me to riot grrl and that would of course become one of the most character defining aspects of my teenage self.

Say what you will about the Spice Girls. They're loud, obnoxious, garishly dressed and put together by a studio. It's apart of Pop Music history that most people try to forget. I remember the first time I heard "Wannabe"! I was in my room, my Mom was having a dinner party downstairs and it came on the radio! I turned it up so loud that she came and yelled at my to turn it down :-). I was already inspired by the bold fashion statements of Miss Lady Kier and Cher Horowitz, the Spice Girls were the proverbial nail in the coffin of my day-glo freak-fest attire. And yes, "Girl Power" totally attributed to what would later become my riot grrl obsession, although I've read it was supposed to be a sell-out cash-in on the growing trend of grrrl bands. Ha! What 5th grader cares about those kind of politics though?

Did anyone out there ever read Twist magazine? It's a teen magazine from England that I bought because the Spice Girls were on it and it became my staple teen-mag for years. I was sad to see a copy the other day at Books-a-million with Justin Bieber and a bunch of other retards plastered all over it. It now looks like Tiger Beat or something. Kinda sad, I thought it was so cool! The fashion and articles were a little different from other teen-mags like Seventeen and YM since it was published in Europe.

holy shit....this is ALL really bringing me back.

omg. this album is SO good. I actually rebought it this past Christmas. She samples Donovan and a bunch of other great stuff. She has this kitschy sound that I love. The ENTIRE album is good. I farking love it!

Wow, so the Cardigans were pretty much just amazing. I'm sure I wasn't alone in totally falling into the "Lovefool" obsession. I think they may be considered one hit wonders but this WHOLE album is good! Although I don't remember the cover being this "blah".

Another one that was considered one hit wonders, again I say, this whole album is worth a look. And I had the biggest crush on the lead singer!

My first Beck cd! That's kind of a milestone! I remember being disappointed because I wanted Odelay, but naturally ended up loving this one. I don't think I could pick which one I like better!

Discovering the Monkees is an important part of a young girls life. They make the Arches look like popcorn. The Monkees defined everything I wanted from the 60's. Their music is fucking amazing, ALL OF IT, and they're ADORABLE. They would remain of my all time favorite bands FOREVER.

If Clueless gave me the itch for girl bands, Jawbreaker pushed me over the edge. It's basically Clueless
with murder so it opened up a whole new world for me. Discovering bands like Letters to Cleo, Shampoo and the-fucking-Donnas was like tapping into a goldmine!! I listened to this cd every day on my way to school on my discman :-)

Indeed, Letter to Cleo is necessary part of 1990's sanity. This has always been my favorite of their
albums.

SHIT! Where is my head?? This should have gone like 5 albums ago. Ok, so the Weezer Blue Album isn't really anything to be proud of. It's really just a staple and I'd be lying to myself if I didn't include it because there was a time I was OBSESSED with Weezer Blue, Pinkerton and Green (nothing after green though, and that wouldn't be until 9th grade)...there are worse things a pre-teen could be obsessed with? Look at what teens have to deal with now!

Oh Goodness. This looks so tacky but the music was so fun! I kind of need this again.

I remember getting this album! I was in 7th grade I think and my Grandma took me to the Commissary. I was looking for something else and then I saw THIS. I didn't know what it sounded like but it was brand new and I remembered several years earlier thinking "stupid girl" was amazing. Soooo, I begged my Grandma for it! She bought it for me and it became one of my most listened to albums of my middle school days. I need this one again too!!

This album mystified me. No one I knew had ever heard of the Eels (I live in a really shitty town), I had it special ordered at Camelot after hearing "Novocaine for the Soul" in a movie. I should really get more of Mr. E's music, it doesn't ever go out of style!

Best for last!! My last musical obsession of my middle school days was the discovery of Cibo Matto.
After hearing "Sci-Fi Wasabi" on my cousin Kat's mix I fellll innnnn looooovvvvvveeeee!!!! It's like all of my music listening had been leading up to that moment and my life would never be the same! Once Cibo Matto came in the picture I wanted to find more like it, and so my high school career became nothing less than a HUNT for the loudest, cutest, scariest, sweetest, weirdest, pop-iest, punk-iest, funn-iest, girl-iest music EVERRRR!!!!

...but that's for another blog.

Maybe not the hippest taste ever, but not bad for a kid stuck in Panama City Florida. I left out some things that I'd rather forget like Bush, Sheryl Crow, No Doubt, TLC...actually, I don't necessarily dislike those now (except Bush maybe), I just didn't want to emblazon them all over my unicorn blog!

I was only supposed to work on this until my coffee cup was empty but that was like an hour ago and I pressed on! Now I'm officially running late, but who cares? This was fun! Now I think I have to grab some middle school era music on my way out the door.

I love you, my baby-corns!!!

WANT. NEED. MUST HAVE.

2010-08-25T19:36:00.000-07:00

Dear Mattel,

Are you for real?? You made a Chantal Goya Barbie Doll??? As if you hadn't made most of my hot pink plastic dreams a reality in my baby days. Now as a mature young woman I discover this wonder of the toy world. I HAVE to find this!!!!!

easy breezy

2010-08-25T01:35:00.000-07:00

I went make-up shopping in Destin with my Mom yesterday! I'd really been wanting to do this for two reasons.

I'm getting married next week and I think I deserve nice new make-up after using nothing but Revlon, Cover Girl and NYC for the past 5 years or so.

I'm moving to California next month! Going to Destin reminds me of spending quality time with my Mom and Grandma when they'd take me back to school shopping. I wanted to relive this experience at least one more time before I leave!

So we went and had our much needed Mother/Daughter time. Lots of venting about this or that, talking about cleavage, food, sleazy Italian waiters and why certain colors of eyeshadow make us look tired or retarded. I love the Cosmetic Company Store (I think that's what it's called) you spend as much on MAC and Estee Lauder as you would on Revlon or Loreal at a drugstore. I ended up with a nice haul of great stuff. I got things I normally wouldn't too, which is always difficult for some reason. I usually gravitate towards smokey eyeshadow and something in the bold/dark red family for lip color. This time I got bright summery eye colors and light, flowery lip colors. I really love MAC. Their colors are truly outrageous! I ended up with mostly blues, greens, pinks and purples. The lipsticks I ended up falling in love with were two (well, three really) colors looked that looked great together! Pink Nouveau (really bright 60's bubblegum pink) and Vanity's Child (which is SO not like any lipstick I've ever bought, it's kind of a modest beige. It goes on sheer and mixed together they make the perfect not-too-loud retro pink. Even better if I go over it with the MAC Suntints Liquid Lip Balm I got in "Moist Plum" a translucent purple gloss. When I wear these things I feel like France Gall or something. I know I don't actually look like her but it's nice to feel so dainty and pretty.

Getting much over-due decent make-up was great. But the highlight of the trip was definitely picking up a bottle of this for myself...

Oh how I love Anna Sui Fragrance! I started buying her original scent in middle school. I think I got my first bottle at this same fragrance store! I remember being instantly attracted to the vintage-looking black and clear bottle with the lovely purple perfume inside. It has a CLASSIC smell, it reminds me of the 1920's, not that I know what the 1920's are like but my projection of it. This was my staple perfume for years, I distinctly remember wearing it on my first date when I was 15. Then when "Sui Dreams" came out in it's strange arched shape bottle with the lovely sky blue perfume inside, I was overwhelmed! I liked it even more than the classic scent. It really is soft and dreamy. Over the years I've gotten some of her other scents. Sui Love in the sweet pink and orange butterfly shaped bottle. It's the most flowery. It has a beautiful smell like they all do but it's kind of strong so it never quite ranked up their with the Classic scent and Sui Dreams. I only just ran out of my first and only bottle, I did use it and enjoy it but very slowly in small doses. That's another thing, I've had some bottles for years and it never gets that old alcohol-ly smell that some do. Even other designer perfumes. My Mom has a bottle of Estee Lauder's Youth Dew that I bought on a whim around that time that smells even worse than when I got it. That's some rank-ass old lady shit. I can always tell right away when someone walks in the room wearing Youth Dew. It's very musky and geriatric. Don't wear it ladies, it's just awful.

Anyways, I just love all of Anna Sui's perfumes, they're so fresh and versatile. You can even mix them! No, don't go breakin' those pretty bottles. I mean, you can wear a two at once and it's not gross and over powering. It makes this awesome hybrid. I always used to do that with classic and dreams, or dreams and love. Dolly girl and love are great together too! I swear Dolly Girl actually tones down "love". Ok, I'm WAY too enthusiastic about this. I just hadn't been keeping up with any of her fragrances in the past several years so I was shocked and amazed when I saw this awesome peacock bottle! and I KNEW it would smell amazing, and it soooo does. It makes me want to wear pearls, powder my nose in front of my vanity and have tea parties. It's weird how she always manages to match the design of the bottle to the aroma and make it fit! I would describe Dreams as "dreamy", Classic as "classic!" and now I would describe Flight of Fancy as "feathery".

Boy did this blog get boring.

I think I'm all yuppied out for the night.

Goodnight my darlings. It's time for beautiful dreamz!

Meet the Pink Rangers!

2010-08-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

So as I briefly mentioned in my last blog, Super Sentai is one of my current interests. Sadly because I'm an American, (meaning I was an American kid raised on American TV) I missed out on shows like Go-Go V and Gaoranger. We had, of course, Power Rangers. To be quite honest, I always liked Power Rangers. I remember catching a lot of slack for it in school because it was so campy and redundant. That was apart of it's charm to me. The bad graphics, the bright colors and the Monster of the Day schtick. At first, there was really nothing else like it on American TV and I was way too young and unexposed to know about anything going on in Japan. This became a passing interest, meaning like timeless shows from the days of yore, such as Ren & Stimpy, Pete & Pete and Clarissa Explains it All, it didn't hold my attention for long. It was a little kid thing that I just eventually grew out of. Now that I'm in my Mid-20's, I'm easily given to nostalgia and I'm also a bonified Japanophile, my interest in tokusatsu has lead me back to Sentai. Which is a word I didn't even know existed at that time.

Just in case you need to brush up on the lingo...

Tokusatsu: "a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects (tokusatsu literally translates as "special filming" in Japanese)."

Sentai: "a word for a military unit and may be literally translated as "squadron", "task force", "group" or "wing". The terms "regiment" and "flotilla", while sometimes used as translations of Sentai, are also used to refer to larger formations."

Years ago I found out that the Power Rangers thing was the Americans cashing in on a formula that was big in Japan. That's all I really knew though. It wasn't relevant to my interests at the time so I never did any further research. Now that I'm starting to get into a few of these shows I'm noticing how highly superior they all are to Power Rangers, which unlike most Japanese Sentai shows, was definitely geared towards younger kids.

Like any little girl, Kim, the Pink Ranger was my favorite! It didn't matter what her character was like, all that mattered was that she was pink. So just for fun, I found pictures of ALL THE PINK RANGERS. And there's kind of a lot! I enjoyed it so much I decided to post them all here! Pink only (and a few spectacular White Rangers as well).

Let's start with the old American stand-by...

I remember squealing with retarded delight when I was 14 and realized that "Julie" from Felicity was "Kim" the Pink Ranger! But really though, she's kind of lame compared to the following Sentai Ladies (arranged alphabetically)...

Bioman: Pink Five

Boukenger: Bouken Pink

Carranger: Pink Racer

Changeman: Change Pheonix

Dairanger: Houou Ranger (one of my favorites! Check out that Pink Peacock!)

There she is again. Wow! Love her <3

Dekaranger: Deka Pink

Denziman: Denzi Pink

Dynaman: Dyna Pink

Fiveman: Pink Five (any Pink Ranger with a heart shaped face is an automatic winner!)

Flashman: Pink Flash (she's not wearing her mask, but I so love this picture)

Gaoranger: Belle Tiger Gaowhite (kinda, pink? Totally cute!)

Gingaman: Ginga Pink (Kitty helmet!!!)

Goggle V: Goggle Pink

Go-Go V: GoGo Pink

Goranger: Momo Ranger (one of my FAVES!!)

Goseiger: Gosei Pink

J.A.K.Q: Heart Queen (ANOTHER fave, this show is just great)

Jetman: White Swan (SWANNY ATTACK!?!)

Magiragner: Pink Magician Magi Pink (totally effing cool, but wait! It gets cooler...)

Pink Magician, wow! I need a suit like that for when I have to go pay my bills.

Maskman: Pink Mask

Megaranger: Mega Pink

Ohranger: Oh Pink (I like the simplicity of this one)

Shinkenger: Shinken Pink (BUT WAIT...it gets better...)

hmm, what could she be doing?

WAHHH!! Turning into a turtle!!!

Timeranger: Time Pink

Turbo Ranger: Pink Turbo

Zyuranger: Ptera Ranger

I wish all the Pink Rangers had gotten together and formed their own Sentai! I guess it'd be hard to tell some of them apart in fight scenes. Well, they're all cute! Even the more basic ones. This was just a little labor of love to see all those pretty pink faces together. Let me know if I missed any. And because I'm not a total sheister (only kind of), I got most of my photos from http://supersentaiimages.blogspot.com/ which is a really great blog and you should check it out if you're interested because, unlike me, they actually know what they're talking about, lol.

In closing I'll leave you with one of my favorite Sentai ladies, not pink, but totally amazing anyway...

Miss America from Battle Fever J...

So cool.

The Art of Being Frivolous

2010-08-14T23:09:00.000-07:00

I've found myself interested in beauty and fashion a little more lately. I've been shedding weight pretty rapidly since I found out I'm lactose intolerant which has been kind of a re-awakening of my femininity. I normally can't focus on such frivolities. It's much easier to be a ragamuffin and give it no nevermind. Especially when you're obsessed with movies and culture the way I am. Sometimes I feel like I've immersed myself in boy things for so long that I find myself grasping for girl things that I can also enjoy. I usually default to the things I liked in high school, hell, I still use some of the make-up I bought in high school.

It's all really just a matter of forming good habits. Making sure I wash and moisturize my face every night. That's not frivolous, that's important. Being confident and well groomed is important! So there you have it. I'm still a girl, go figure? I forget sometimes and then it's like this crazy epiphany.

So here are some of things that have been giving me the gimmie grabs lately...

1. Bust Magazine ♥

I really think that Bust is the greatest women's magazine ever. I used to buy it religiously but over the course of the past few years I've only gotten a few here and there. I should really just think about getting a subscription because they always brighten up my day, give me ideas, remind me that all new music doesn't suck, showcase clothes I would actually wear (and could afford, modeled by women with all body types), they even have a dirty story at the end of each issue! This issue they had a quiz about the late Lena Horne which surprised and delighted my music aficionado fiance (who got almost every question right!). Alongside my all time favorite movie magazine, Shock Cinema, Bust continues to deliver and is definitely an old stand by I'll never stop loving.

2. Sushi!

Guess what! I can always have sushi! No matter what dietary fuckery I must subject myself to, sushi is fair game. Unless it has cream cheese :-( . Yesterday I had the above pictured, sweetheart roll with spicy tuna! I find myself doubling up on ginger with this one. This whole no dairy thing has been tough, but I'm getting used to it. It's easy not to slip up because when you do, you get sick. It's not like normal diets where you're like "oh well, one little slip up is ok". Asian food, especially Japanese, has been a life saver. They hardly put dairy in anything, it's a fucking miracle. Delicious food that doesn't suck.

3. Pastel/Spring Nail Color

I love painting my nails. It's kind of relaxing. Although I will admit that I hate Revlon's nail polish. It's more tacky than some of the higher quality lacquer, the brush is crappy, they've been using the same bottle/brush design since the 70's or 80's I think. It's thinner than most and takes FOREVER to fully dry, BUT...look at that color. I'm addicted to their shade "Minted". It's ok though, a few coats and a thick layer of clear makes worth it. Am I seriously blogging about nail polish? What has come over me??

4. STICKERS!

Paperchase's new Dreamland line ♥ How I Love Thee. Borders always has the cutest stationary stuff. Yesterday when I was picking up Bust I noticed they had some EXTRA cute stuff! I'm a sticker FIEND! I'll shout it from the rooftops! I never plan on growing out of stickers. These are some of the cutest I've encountered in a while. though I'm not a fan of the puffy stickers. I usually sue them in journals and collages where puffiness is counterproductive. I'll deal with it though because they're just that cute!

5. MUSIC. duh.

I should just face the facts. I can't get enough Japanese music. Lately that is ALL I've wanted to listen to. Shibuya-kei has filled my ears with so much happiness that I just can get enough of these poppy tunes. Here are some things I've been listening to lately...

Maki Nomiya - Pink No Kokoro

Five years before Pizzicato Five would release their first album lead singer Maki Nomiya would release her first solo album. You can totally hear the early stages of what would later become the biggest pop sensation in Japan. It's more raw and unpolished, but still totally great!

Singapore A-Go-Go vol.1. I love all of these Eastern comps of 60's girl garage groups! This one was taken from rare Malaysian 45's, wonderful 60's and 70's surf, psychedeic and girl groups. Chew Yan & the Stylers is my favorite. Their song "Mimi Cat" is sooo adorable!

I got volume 1 (3003) for Christmas and have PLAYED-IT-OUT! These Sushi comps are the best introduction to Shibuya-kei music. If you like Pizzicato Five or Cibo Matto (and I know you do) this is a good next step. The first in the series introduced me to artists who are now favorites like Kahimi Karie and Les 5-4-3-2-1. I can already tell the second one will do the same. I'm already semi-obsessed with Oh! Penelope.

Not Shibuya-kei at all. eX-Girl is an experimental classically trained girl group that has become one of my favorite things ever! I also got their album for Christmas, Back to the Mono Kero, and it is wildly wonderful. But after downloading Endangered Species I can definitely say I like it better. It's a little less brash and lies more within the realm of J-pop/rock opera, which works really well for them. The first track on this album has been in my head for DAYS!

So I discovered a new (to me) genre! Pico Pico Pop! From what I can tell it's basically a new wave of cute kitschy Japanese pop groups who were raised on the shibuya-kei movement and inspired by the various "bloops" and "bleeps" of Nintendo games. This group, Macdonald Duck Eclair, is one of the front runners and one of my favorites so far! It's so chipper and cute you might not even be able to stand it!

OMG. I love Marino so much. If this album cover wasn't enough to sell me (check out that purse!), obnoxiously infectious happy fun tunes definitely sealed the deal. Also apart of the Pico Pico cannon, Marino is just as good Macdonald Duck Eclair.

6. Super Sentai!

Now it's past my bedtime and I'm just about to snuggle up in bed and watch some Super Sentai. It's the 25th Anniversary special, I'm especially diggin' J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai. They're so cool looking! Especially Big One and ♥Heart Queen♥. Words cannot express how much I love Toei! Tokusatsu is pretty much the best thing ever and Toei really knows how to deliver.

That's all for me right now. Suddenly I feel the urge to go on a tangent about how much I love Toei Sentai Heroine's like the pretty heart faced Heart Queen above, so I better just quit while I'm ahead.

G'night!

My Early Morning Projections of Cigarette Island

2010-08-08T07:43:00.000-07:00

But I don't smoke?

Sweet Valley High Sucks.

2010-08-08T07:26:00.000-07:00

I don't know what came over me this past week. Sometimes when I'm at a thrift store hoarding my usual stack of out of print horror and action movies...something happens to me. I need a different kind of bad, and I need it badly. I see something colorful and I turn into this mutant half pre-teen girl/half schlock reviewer-thing. I pick up something so vile, so horrendous that it's clear that I must pay for it, take it home, watch it and talk about how awful it was. This sequence of events becomes clear the moment I lay eyes on it. I usually can't get it out of my brain until this has happened. It has a hold on me I can't quite put into words.

This is what happened last week when I found this Sweet Valley High tape at my local Goodwill. I knew it was going to be God Awful, yet I was uncontrollably drawn to it. I never watched this show, though it seemed familiar, probably because it's just like the hundreds of other shows just like it from this time period. I remembered reading one of the books when I was in 6th grade. Not sure which one, but I always thought the covers were cute.

I always wondered if the art was done by the same person who did V.C. Andrews covers. I don't remember anything about which ever SVH book I read, so it must not have been very good. But still there's something about it that reminds me of my youth and I'm a sucker for nostalgia. So I made the leap.

My first thought when watching this abomination was that it seemed like a rip-off of the Clueless series, which I happen to love! But not enough to love shows that ripped it off, or were just apart of that general late 90's trendy teen era. The 90's were a peculiar decade for fashion, then again I guess they all were. The two obnoxious bratty twin sisters who are obviously more like 27 than 16 and they're group of retarded looking friends do boring tv show teen things rather than normal teen things, like...nothing. Eating and sleeping. I always thought it was funny how there are no adults on shows like this. Just "teens" who do what they want whenever they want. Even at school all you ever see are "teens" chatting it up by the lockers. I never even used my locker in High School. I could never remember the combination and even during the brief time that I did someone managed to rip my Johnny Rotten poster through the holes of the locker. I was one angry 15 year old (go figure).

So the more annoying of the two sisters develops a crush on a B-Boy (B for Bad and Boy does he look tough). She freakishly subscribes to bike magazines to impress him and stalks him at his work. He realizes she's probably an easy lay so they start going out. Her sister and their group of cronies go into a state of panic fearing for her life when they realize that he's been in detention or something... OK, so he went to reform school. Big farkin deal. Are these teenagers or fundamentalist Christians straight out of Squaresville? As it turns out he's really a good guy, they learn to love him, they go to prom or spring dance or one of those dozens of dances they have in shows like this, she has a ridiculous curly up-do that makes her bangs look like a moustache, and he gets some great motorcycle job and leaves. Boo hoo.

What the fuck, man?! I feel totally ripped off! I know I said that I knew it would suck, but COME ON. It wasn't funny, it wasn't cute, the music sucked, the clothes sucks, there was no drama, no suspense. Total popcorn. It made me wish I was watching California Dreams.

This blog sucks, I almost regret writing it. Almost.

I'm your daughter from the future!

2010-08-02T16:34:00.000-07:00

Oh man do I love Sailor Moon! I just started the last season so far it's REALLY good! So good that it dawned on me that I'm not sure I can cope with not having any more Moonies to look forward too :-( . So I promptly went online and ordered the complete Live Action Series, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. I have a sampler with three episodes but with the end of my all time favorite animated series just around the corner I don't think I can handle having nothing else to look forward to.

Ok, so they totally fucked up PGSM. It's retarded, I won't lie. But I'm learning to like that about it. It's like the cheapest knock off of Sailor Moon you can imagine only it's totally legit. I don't think it did very well either, the ratings slowly dropped every week. The costumes and wigs look like cheap K-mart Halloween costumes for 6 year olds and the special effects have that terrible plastic-y early computer graphics look even though this was 2003! Luna looks like a piece of shit and that pretty much makes me want to die inside. This trailer for one of the specials pretty much sums it up...

I like bad movies, bad acting and all around badness, so I can accept this. Not all hope is lost, there is enjoyment to be had. But like many girls, my imagination was sparked by the colorful excitement of the animated series. For years I thought about (DREAMED about) a live action Sailor Moon being made. Maybe nothing could have lived up to that expectation, but I definitely think they could have done better than this. Some truly epic things could have been done here. Like the Cutie Honey movie, I know it didn't live up to it's TV fan base but it runs circles around Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. Instead we're given something that, quite frankly is an embarrassment to creator Naoko Takeuchi and we the fans who had anxiously awaited a live action adaptation of the show. I'm only basing this on the three episodes I've seen and the trailer above, maybe it gets better. Or maybe not. Maybe it will leave a bad taste in my mouth after having finished the five season animated saga.

Unlike most hardcore Sailor Moon fans, I don't have any problems with the American DIC version that aired on Cartoon Network. The dubbed version that all of we American kids watched in the mid-90's. Little issues like changing them from "Sailor Soldiers" to "Sailor Scouts" aren't very important to me. In fact, I like how naive the DIC version of Sailor Moon is. It reminds me of being a kid and watching it. During season 2 (R) and 3 (S), it's fun to listen to it in English with the English subtitles on. The translations are HYSTERICALLY different. Especially with the introduction of Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, cousins in the American version, lesbians in Japan. The changes you can hear compared to what's actually going on (which you're reading in the subtitles) is borderline wrong. The cousin angle makes it seem really icky. Like most fans I got really into their storyline anyway, it's pretty romantic if you take out the whole kissin' cousins aspect.

My favorite thing about Sailor Moon is the music! Not the sappy Japanese somber romantic pop music. The quirky playful incidental music. I was able to download the COMPLETE Sailor Moon music. Everything from the Brazilian version of Moonlight Densetsu to that little number that plays everytime Luna senses the Negaverse. The only thing I'm missing is this!...

I've heard samples, it's pretty much the most wretched crap ever, but I still need it.

When I got the complete animated series earlier this year it sent me back into a Sailor Moon frenzy! I dug out all my old SM stuff that had been collecting dust in storage. My awesome Sailor Moon purse I got in Chinatown, my dolls, even the Sailor Moon hairbrush I got in the 5th grade at the peak of my magical obsession. And then I painted this...

Which I'm pretty sure is my greatest achievement in art and in LIFE.

During this whirl wind of rediscovery I realized that MAGICAL GIRLS ...is a genre! And it goes WAY further back than Sailor Moon. I used to think I didn't like anime. Sailor Moon was always the exception, but as I get older I find myself wanting other things like Sailor Moon. I realized that there's really just a style of anime I don't like. I'm not fond of the sharp, crisp, "adult" animes with dull colors. It has to be kawaii themed with bright colors, cute girls and a couple of monsters here and there. Such describes the genre of Magical Girl. I find myself more and more interested in shows like Candy Candy , Cutie Honey and Sally the Witch. There are still other SM related thing to hunt for. I'd love to find videos of the stage plays. Even after I've absorbed all the Sailor Moon I can, at least there will always be Magical Girls out there for me to discover, dream about and (secretly) pretend to be ♥

Hortense the Horrible Hag

2010-07-27T13:42:00.000-07:00

When I was in third grade I had this awful teacher who I'm pretty sure was a witch. She was old, ugly and evil. She was the kind of mean spiteful teacher that you see in Roald Dahl story. Think Miss Trunchbull from Matilda. No, she never put me in the Chokey, but she made my entire third grade year feel like a Chokey. She even had a Roald Dahl villain name, Hortense Hair. Perhaps being given a name like that is apart of the reason why she turned out to be such a terrible teacher. I imagine she had a favorite student to pick on every year but in 1994/1995, I was her target. Other students noticed and made comments to me privately about how they also weren't sure why she treated me differently, but they dare not have spoken out about it. She had a general meanness that no kid wanted to aggravate.

Last night I went to a local arcade that's been around since the late 70's called Funland with my Mom and two little cousins. It's known for being covered wall to wall with loud neon clown imagery. Being there reminded me of a Hortense the Horrible Hag story, which inevitably leads to me reminisce about all of them. Being a 10 year old mortal enemies with a 70 year woman should be a thing of fairy tales not a daily routine that will haunt the child well into her 20's. One day we had an assignment that I guess I misunderstood. It was writing project about a clown. I can't remember his name, but let's call him "Jacko". There was a list of words and were supposed to write a short story using those words. I was under the impression that "Jacko" was an example and that we were supposed to write our own original story. So I wrote about a subject I always like, GIRL clowns, which there aren't enough of. I always thought that women seem less menacing and fewer people would be scared of lady clowns so why is it so rare you see them? I was still at an age where I loved clowns so it seemed like an appropriate subject. I wrote a story about Sassy the Clown, because she was Sassay. She had unicorns, living teddy bears, hot pink yarn hair and was always on the outs with the boy clowns. Well, I was wrong about the project. Everyone else wrote about "Jacko", and rather than just taking points of or GOD FORBID letting it slide since I still used all of the same words in my (much more imaginative) story. She proceeded to scowl at me while reading it allowed to the entire class making a point to repeatedly say that the person *shifts crooked eyes at me* who wrote this obviously doesn't know how to follow directions, before inevitably drawing a big red 0 on it. I believe that was the day I asked her after school why she hated me, she kept her eyes down at her desk and brushed off my question with an "I don't know what you're talking about". Like that's a proper way to respond to a question like that anyway.

Perhaps this should be a story for my private journal but I felt like sharing it here since it's about witches and clowns. I've built the life I live around imagination. Those aspects of my personality which were still in early stages of development were under attack. Maybe I had my head in the clouds, but why shouldn't I have? Your 10 year old school career shouldn't play out like a rigid boot camp. And your teacher shouldn't act like the fucking Gestapo. My interests at the time included India, the vintage stuffed animal collection I had just started, building forts, pretending to be a princess, writing in my diary and drawing mermaids. Having a personality was strictly verboten. I was a burdenless kid and I felt like she wanted to tear that down. I suppose she failed, though she left me with a lot to think about. Mostly about what I hoped to never be.

Thinking about all of this reminded me another Hortense Hair story that makes me smile. It was around Halloween and we were given a worksheet with a witch on it. And wouldn't you know, the witch was named "Hortense the Horrible Hag"! I was one of the few students who knew her first name because my Mom had to call her to bitch her out so many times. After she gave the instructions she asked if anyone had any questions. Not even knowing what I was going to say, I raised my hand as knee jerk reaction. She glared at me with the wrath of Satan himself, scrunched up her shriveled lips and shook her head "NO!". She knew exactly what I was thinking. Perhaps this is why she hated me? Maybe I was the only one who knew she was a witch.

Things that come up when you google image search for "Hortense Hair"....

wtf?

And BEST of all....

This looks JUST like her. Amazing.

So how did it end? She was old and died of natural causes a few years later. I wasn't really effected by that obituary. I was glad she didn't have some terrible ailment but there was a strange sense of relief that she wouldn't be around to torment anymore children. Is that wrong? How do you mourn the Hitler of elementary school teachers?

I grew up and managed to forget everything I learned in that class except a few lessons of morality based on the strange isolation and punishment I had to endure. It's amazing how a a great teacher can effect you in wonderful ways. You remember their warmth and take it with you. A bad teacher leaves you with an antipathy that you won't forget. People like that are the example of what I know will never be so in that respect Hortense Hair served her purpose in my life and can now be filed back away in my memory bank along with Sassy the Clown.

woe is me

2010-07-23T19:52:00.000-07:00

you know what is NOT magical? Old garlic and cat piss. Maybe if I were a gypsy alchemist but as it is I'm tired of my apartment smelling like butthole.

I've been craving a plain boiled potatoes with a pad of butter for a week. I have potatoes. I have butter, I have no potato peeler though and I'm not about to eat some nasty boiled tater skinz.

I got a Samsung netbook today!! My old craptop was on it's last leg. I needed a change. I love this little guy!

Wowie, I've had a long day. I think it's time to eat potatoes and watch Battle Fever J

purrfect honeymoon

2010-07-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

tiny friends

2010-07-19T09:55:00.000-07:00

Last night I dreamt that these weird little bugs were swarming around my head. I was with my Mom and she was really freaked out by them. She thought they were locusts or something. I was unafraid, I reached my hand out and several of them landed on me, then we realized they teeny tiny humminbirds!! Hundreds of them flying all around us!!

Smaller than this even. Not much longer than an inch. I could feel the aviation of their tiny little wings fanning wind on my hands.

I love coming in contact with creatures from the dreamlands.

Happy Sundae

2010-07-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

If I don't watch 'My Boyfriend's Back' soon I'm gonna lose it! My mouth tastes like feet! Not feeling very magical today. Saturn, where are youy?? I've got a hot date tonight with this guy named Artie. Giuseppe is jealous. Egbert is staring at an empty glass with Grimace on it. I was watching Beastmaster but now I'm totally distracted. It's been too long since I've had oolong. I want my pink pigeon friend to come and visit me.

daintyness is not here. I over did it on the snackers and cracks.

HOW ARE YOU REAL?

I used to look like this.

SAVE ME FROM MY ETERNAL LAMEY BOREDNESS ROCKBAT!!!!

Where have I known you before?

2010-07-17T10:56:00.000-07:00

Broadway Magic

2010-07-16T06:32:00.000-07:00

Last night I was dreaming that I had a special breed of colorful cats. They communicated with my telepathically. They warned me of impending disaster and if I left them today they'd surely die. I think this is probably due to my apprehension for going to my Grandma's today. It was a lovely dream, and playing with these colorful cats was set to this song...

I remember listening to this song a lot on my way to New York for the first time. So I literally associate it with Broadway. I was listening Jem and the Holograms like crazy. That and the All Girl Summer Fun Band really encompassed this magical time in my life! 17 years old, first time in a big city alone, discovering Chinatown! Make no mistakes. Pure unbridled Unicorn Magic.

Hey Handsome!

last pic taken from my favorite blog and BFF forever!

Heartfluttering LOVE OF MY LIFE!

2010-07-16T00:40:00.000-07:00

I GOTTA get me one of these!

BY THE WAY, if anyone knows where I can get copies of this show or even more information on it I'd love you forever.

Birth of the Unicorn

2010-07-15T21:17:00.000-07:00

In the beginning, there was nothing. Vast emptiness of endless space. Only microscopic dust particles and galactic amoebas bouncing off of each other for eons and eons. Until finally a cinder of cosmos and a whisper of fantasm fused into a bright illuminous star crystal which gestated for another century, and then the first Unicorn was born. She made everything that is magical...

Pterodactyls, Lisa Frank, strawberry milk, rhinestones, Muppet Babies, lychee fruit, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Divine, video toasters, pixies, weird beards, dream weavers, mystic scrolls from the lodge, electric violins, LSD, gryphons, Sailor Moon, Penanggalans, sand worms, Sega Genesis, straight to video Danielle Steele adaptations, Norfin Trolls, Sphinxs, yard sales, Olivia Newton John, Ultraman, Robot Jox, Synergy, Annette Funnicello, megalodons, the Toxic Avenger, Klaus Nomi, Xanadu, super sentai, Russian Fairy tales, A Wrinkle in Time, peacocks, Mothra, Dschingis Kahn, Secret Gardens, Yma Sumac, birds of paradise, glitter, Nikola Tesla, whirling dervish, sword and sorcery, Pizzicato Five, hookers with hearts of gold, David Liebe Hart, Cerebrus, exotica music, Lemuria, Anunnakis, all seeing eyes, cherubs, Planet X, Hausu, Pheonixs, sparkly eye technique, the 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T, telepathy, JCVD, Piers Anthony, pogs, nail polish, Jem and the Holograms, monkey ninjas, astro turf, gem sweaters, mudskippers, the Amazing Criswell, sea serpents, ice nymphs, woodland creatures, tesseracts, single bullet theories, mix tapes, dancin' & romancin', the halls of Mountain Kings, forbidden planets, forbidden zones, Monoliths, dish frogs, root beer, Burgess Meredith, lasers, Bruceploitation, Fezs, trapper keepers, ring pops, sitars, 3 Devil Adam, Sun Ra, Paper Rad, birthday cake ice cream, Chinese Vampires, Holy Mountains, Medusa, owls, carnival glass, Pee Wee Herman, Gremlins, Munchie, Atomic Caravans, Dr. Herbet West, Nukie, Donovan, crystal skulls, Elves, Toynbee plaques, Moai, Mac Tonight, Space Ghost, the Red Shoes, Chuck E. Cheese, Killer Klowns, Patchwork Girl of Oz, Peanut Butter Solutions, H.R. Pufnstuf, H.P. Lovecraft, and Pipi Longstocking.

And on the last day she said...

Let There Be Cats.

And then she rested. She admired her creations and watched them blossom into new and interesting adventures. Inspiring new ideas and endless resources of creativity. Forever and Ever.