Reusable Tote Bag from Japan

I mentioned last week I was still waiting for a [ackage in the mail. It seems I am doing that a lot this year.

While visiting the fabulous Linnie Deluxe, she tuned me into a shop on Etsy that specializies in reusable tote bags. She saw one with a horse pattern on it that she said was totally me. The next day after our visit, I checked it out and decided to buy it.

Etsy is a wonderful place, but terrible for a spender like me! I had held off on buying things on Etsy for a long time, not because I didn't like anything I saw, I just knew I'd go crazy with spending. A lot of the things I want to buy on Etsy are little plushes, but I know I can sadly live without them.

Buy buying something useful? I can totally justify that.

The shop is CraftTokyoMama and she always has really nifty prints!

After I ordered the tote, she wrote to me to tell me she put it in the mail and it should arrive in about a week. After two weeks I decided to just send her a little note asking if there was any tracking number on the package. I also said it may have been customs, but Etsy had been asking me for feedback and I just thought I'd let her know why I hadn't left any yet. She was a little surprised it hadn't come yet, but since I told her we had a holiday here, it may just be a little late. She told me that if it didn't arrive, she could make me the tote with the same fabric and re-send it. I told her I didn't mind waiting, and that I would hate for her to send the tote and the first one arrives! Well, just my luck, it arrived today!

I wrote her back telling her to no longer worry. It was pretty sweet of her to offer to make and send another tote, even though the delay in transcation was not her fault at all. I am pretty sure this is why this gal has 100% feedback.

Anyways, so on to the package! It arrived in a cute little package with decorative Japanese stamps.



















Inside, the bag was wrapped in beautiful plastic tissue.



She wrote me a little handwritten note thanking me for my purchase and wishing many years of enjoying my re-usable tote. And then I unwrapped my tote bag. The fabric is just stunning.

The description of the tote on the shop was:

"This 100% cotton reusable shopping bag features beautifully detailed paintings of horses that are each a work of art unto themselves. Absolutely gorgeous!

Perfect for grocery shopping or wrapping that special gift, this large tote bag folds up into a very compact 4 x 2 inch roll that fits perfectly in a purse or pocket so you can always have a bag with you.

Laid flat, this bag measures 11 x 14.5 inches (28 x 37 cm) and has gussets that lets the base expand to a full 6 inches. Eight one-liter milk cartons fit perfectly inside with plenty of extra room for more groceries.

This bag is unlined with fully enclosed seams and a matching elastic band sewn right on to keep it rolled up tight and tidy.

Machine wash and dry for years of use! "



It's a little smaller in width than I expected, but it doesn't really matter because there is a gusset that makes the bag wider when you put things in it.

I'm still having a little trouble figuring out how to roll it up to fit it in my purse though, haha.


Overall, I'm really happy with this bag. It's a great size for books amd it's not bulky which is always a plus in my books! I love that is can be compacted because I do last minute stops at grocery stores and never think to bring bags with me. I always forget to put my reusable bags back in my car after using them, or I forget to bring them in the store with me! A lot of other stores are adopting this 5 cents for bags policy so maybe I'll have to pick up another one!

Can a Comic Book Be a Good Movie? A Look at "The Watchmen"

(Cross Posted to Scooter's Ordinary, Healthy Blog)

I have to start off by saying that I was a late comer into comics. Since I lived in the country, our shopping was pretty limited to groceries and whenever my mom would drag us to a mall. I never got to browse downtown shops and discover comics on my own. My first introduction to Batman, The X-Men and Spiderman were all through visual media. The only comics I actually saw and bought until I was 20 was Archie Digests that you could pick up at the check out line.

With that, I probably bought a few trades when I was 20 and never really got back into it. Only this year did I begin to seriously build a trade collection and subscribe to comics. I dated a few guys who liked comics and suggested I read some. Watchmen was always on their list, and was something I did want to read. When the movie came out, I knew for sure I wanted to read it. Whether it was before or after I saw it, it didn't matter.

When Watchmen came out, I was working in a different city. My friends saw it without me and said they didn't like it. I ended up not seeing it theatres.

I tried borrowing the graphic novel from some friends, but it never came around. I finally borrowed it from a friend that I met in University, shortly after we started hanging out again after 5 years. I read the comic in a night. I was up until 2 AM. I bought myself my own copy a few months later.

I mentioned I wanted to see the movie, but the only person I knew with it had it on Blue Ray. I meant to rent it but it never came around to it. Only yesterday when I mentioned to that same friend I still had not seen The Watchmen while we were at the comic book store, did he bring it over for us to watch.

I didn't have any expectations for the Watchmen. I heard it was bad from friends and critics alike. I heard that Alan Moore was not impressed that anyone was making a movie on it. I heard that there were some issues with the studio and it almost wasn't released.

We watched the Director's Cut, and my god was it long. I hadn't realized it was the Director's Cut until he told us two hours into the movie when I remarked it was quite long, longer than I had imagined. Once I finished the film, I loved it. I went out and bought it the very next day. I ended up getting the theatrical release but I would like to get the Director's Cut at some point. Tonight I watched the theatrical version.

What I liked:
(Spoilers likely)

1) For the most part the film, ESPECIALLY the Director's Cut, followed the graphic novel fairly well. The ending was different, but it was an ending I didn't think was too bad. It really did emphasize some of the major themes of the graphic novel, such as the price of peace. Sure, we would have all like to have seen the octopus alien but I found using Dr.Manhattan instead to be a smart move. Since you cannot count on every person actually reading the graphic novel, a general audience would have a better time accepting Ozymandias blackmailing Dr.Manhattan. He already had screwed over his other fellow Watchmen to execute his plan to save the world, so why not the big blue man?

2) The soundtrack was amazing. I kept mentioning how much I loved the use of the songs in the film, such as Bob Dylan's "Times Are A Changing", Hendrix's "All Along The Watch Tower", Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" (my personal favourite) - I could go on!

3) The opening credit sequence. I think that an opening sequence sets the mood, narrative and the expectations for a film. If you cannot grab an audience in those first few minutes of a movie, then you've lost them. How many times has a movie started off so slow, you wonder about the quality of the film. I thought Watchmen's credits started off with a bang.The way that scene opened up, flowed and packed in so much detailed information in such a short period of time blew me away. It really set the film and explained how we got to where are when we start the experience.

4) The characters were true to their graphic novel counterparts. I found each actor and actress casted for their roles to be well suited. Billy Crudup was excellent at being the emotion-free sounding Manhattan. Jackie Haley's Rorschach had a better Batman voice than Bale. Patrick Wilson and Jeffery Dean Morgan were hands down my favourites, but they also did play my favourite characters in the graphic novel so that is a bit biased.

5) The attention to detail. Some of my favourite scenes from the graphic novel was in the movie, and done so well. One of my favourites is when Silk Spectre and Nite Owl are on Mars, and peel away each other's naked skin to reveal their costumed selves. Other well done scenes from the graphic novel: Manhattan's sanctuary on Mars, The retelling of Rorchach's past through the therapist, Ozymandias' Egyptian obsession.

6) The costumes were great. It's one thing to see super hero costumes in comics, another to see them in film. With disasters like Batman and Robin, it was great to see how these costumes turned up for this film. I also loved how Adrian's costume mocked B&R.

I could say more, but I don't want to get too repetitive here. I really liked Watchmen. But why would other people not like it? Well, I think I get it. First, hardcore purists will never like it. It's not exact. But how many movies are? Not many by my count. Even my favourite movies based on books are still not 100%, even if the screenplay is written by the author themselves (Such as The Last Unicorn for example). Some things just cannot be done through visual media as well as it can in the written or illustrated form. I get that. I really do. But for what its worth, Zack Snyder tried. He even hoped that Alan Moore would watch it and give it his approval. And if Moore is against it, then his biggest fans are going to be too, even without seeing it. And even if they did see it, I am sure they are picky enough to find the smallest problems and blow them up to justify why they didn't like the movie.

And then there's the general public, the ones that haven't read the graphic novel. Watchmen is a pretty long graphic novel, and there's a lot too it. Obviously it all cannot be condensed, and there are slow parts that are important to the film. I think a lot of people went in expecting an action film with super heroes, as they are lead to believe through the trailers. If they don't know anything about the Watchmen, then to them it is boring, and slow. And the Director's Cut is pretty friggin long. It's a lot to take in. Heck, the theatrical version clocks in at 2 hours and 45 minutes. The Director's Cut is about 24 minutes of footage. But after watching both the versions, those extra 24 minutes added into the story's depth. I was sad to see some scenes cut out, some lines missing. In the end, I think the Director's Cut is a better choice to watch if you love the story.

But yet, looking at Internet Movie Data Base, the first couple of reviews are positive. The User Rating for it is 7.8/10 with 23% of the votes at 10, and 3.6% at 1. 87% of the votes are above a vote of 5. So clearly this movie couldn't have been that hated.

Even though I have read the novel, I think I'm going to read it again. One of my friends who turned me on to it said "It's one of those books that you can read over and over again and find something else, that you missed the first time". Hell, I think it is the same with the movie. I personally am watching the movie for the second time, albeit a different version because I think I missed something, even with already knowing the ending!

This leads me back to my original reason for writing up this review. Can a comic book be a good movie? This is something rehashed over and over again, and I am sure what I am saying is nothing new. It's pretty difficult to make one it seems. Directors have to appeal to two different audiences and make it so they can both meet in the middle. Fans of comic book series are so obsessed with the attention to details while the general audience wants something they can follow without having to know any of the background before they watch the movie. Obviously this has caused a great deal of criticism from comic book enthusiasts who feel a movie should be a true form. For something that had to appeal to both those crowds without leaving anyone behind, and carefully selecting what had to be there, what had to be cut and what needed to be added, I think the Watchmen did an excellent job. So, my apologies to Alan Moore, please don't hurt me, but I thought this movie was as close to the graphic novel as you can in this media, and did a damn good job of pulling it off.

Also, that sex scene... totally blew my socks off.

The Joltess Out.

Scott Pilgrim VS The Joltess

On Friday Night, I was invited out by a bunch of friends to catch the first night of Scott Pilgrim VS The World. I have to admit that I have not read the graphic novels prior to the movie. Maybe I will read them in due time, but we shall see.

Since I didn't know anything about the graphic novels, what I knew about the movie was based on posts at Topless Robot, Word of Mouth and commercials. Some doofus needs to defeat 7 Evil Exes in order to date a girl who supposedly looks cooler than he does.

The people I went with laughed every 5 minutes. The movie was not that funny. Sure, there were some funny moments, and some funny lines but not that damn funny. There wasn't even any humor at all at some of the things they were laughing at.

(Spoilers!)

I found that the plot was weak to me. He had to defeat 7 Evil Exes. Okay, I get it. But why were the Exes evil? Ramona explains that she was the one who had dumped the Exes. How did they get powers, and why do they have them? Why is it that Ramona has the ability to travel through dreams to make deliveries? None of this was really explained in the film. Maybe it's discussed in the graphic novels.

The characters themselves were unlikable. Scott Pilgrim is a slacker doofus with nothing going for him, yet he has two chicks. The band mates are paperthin. They only exist to be a band in this movie. There's nothing else about them. You learn their names, their position in the band and that's about it. Ramona was dull. I don't quite understand the connection between her and Scott, because there was no chemistry between the characters. Ramona seems disinterested in everything around her, even Scott but she takes him back to her place to fool around after one night of hanging out. You don't get any idea of why these two like each other, or why Ramona is worth fighting 7 even Exes for. The Exes themselves were slightly interesting only because they were the villians. Their backstories were short. You don't really get an idea of the last four Exes get their powers. Gideon was especially disappointing because as the head of the Evil Exes, you'd think his background story would have been the most indepth. Instead we learn that Ramona had been obsessed with him, and he rebuffed her until she left. What is in this League for the rest of the Exes? Gideon formed it to get Ramona back, but nothing is really stated about the benefits for the rest. And if there isn't any, why did they agree to become part of the League?

The music was pretty good. I found myself thinking I'd probably get the soundtrack, except I didn't really like the numbers by the Sex Bob-ombs. Everything else was pretty good.

The style of the film was interesting. The videon game references were a nice touch, and the fight scenes were pretty well done, as well as the special effects but they didn't really make up for what was lacking.

I found the best part to be the room mate Wallace. Almost every line he had was a good one. I wanted more scenes with him.

The locations were fun if you lived in Ontario and knew Toronto very well, especially if you lived there. I've been there enough times that I knew all the locations and was excited to see the city in the background. I loved that the coins were all Canadian currency.

At the end of the day, I didn't think it was a bad movie - I just didn't care about the leads. I just felt that the two main characters were douchebags and I really didn't care whether they died, or got together, or lived happily ever after, or split up forever. They both seemed like jerks. Would I watch it again? I don't know. Maybe. Would I read the graphic novels to see what was missing? Another maybe. Did I have a nerdgasm like all my friends who saw it that night with me? Absolutely not.

Miss Saigon Review

It took me a couple of days, but here's my review of Miss Saigon at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto.

This is the first time I have ever been to the Four Seasons and I have to say it was a very interesting theatre. It isn't built like any other I have been in. It felt very roomy. The orchestra pit and orchestra ring weren't too elevated from each other, which felt kind of weird. Either way, we got pretty good seats.

For the review I'm going to break down the components of the musical, starting with the most important aspect, the story.

For those who don't know, Miss Saigon is an adaptation of the opera Madam Butterfly, with slight variations. Both the lead women of the stories are Asian (Madam Butterfly is Japanese while Kim, from Miss Saigon is Vietnamese). Both are promised to be married by American Men (Pinket and Chris) and taken back to America, the reason being for Pinket who just wants to marry a girl in every nation, and Chris,a G.I. in Vietnam decides Kim would be better off in the USA. They are both 'married' in their native country, but the marriage doesn't count in the US for different reasons. In Madam Butterfly, marriages in Japan are like leases that one can leave at anytime, and in Miss Saigon, they have a ceremony with the Vietnamese bar girls, but it is not a proper ceremony in both regards. Also, at the Embassy, it is made clear that Chris must marry Kim on American soil. Both the men leave for different reasons, and do not return for three years. During this time, M.B and Kim are pressured into marrying another man. Both refuse, saying they are already married, and produce a son, claiming that their husband will come back for their child. Both men have returned to America and have remarried since then. They are notified to return. Kim and M.B realize the man they have loved has moved on, and commits suicide.

Now, there is more to the story of Miss Saigon than that. Miss Saigon opens up during the Vietnam war. A man of French and Vietnam descent called The Engineer , who dreams of going to America, has a bar called Dream Land where many G.I.'s come looking for prostitutes. Kim, an 17 year old orphaned virgin is starting her first night as a bar girl. The Engineer holds a weekly contest called Miss Saigon where the men vote for the prettiest bar girl and crown her Miss Saigon. The girl with the title of Miss Saigon is then raffled off to a G.I. The winner of Miss Saigon this night is a bar girl named Gigi. After Gigi has been raffled off to a GI, she begs him to take her to America with him and marry her. The enrages the GI and the bar girls sing about how they want a better life in America.

At the same time, John and Chris enter the bar. John wants to buy Chris some fun but all he wants is a beer. When John sees Kim, he arranges with the Engineer to get a dance and a room for Kim and Chris. At first, Kim is reluctant and Chris is not interested and they share a dance. Chris tries to pay Kim to leave the club, and the Engineer interferes, thinking Chris doesn't like Kim. Kim then leads Chris upstairs to a room.

After they sleep together, Chris asks God why he has met Kim just as he's about to leave Vietnam. Kim wakes up, and Chris offers her money, but she refuses and admits to this being her first time. She then reveals that she became a prostitute because her parents had both died during the war and she did not want to marry the man she was promised to. Moved by this, Chris decides to bring Kim back to America and marry her so she will not continue to sell her body to survive.

Chris calls John asking for leave time to spend time with Kim. John warns Chris that they'll be leaving soon as the Viet Cong will be taking control of Saigon. Chris asks for just two days, and John agrees to cover for him. Chris then arranges to take Kim from the nightclub and the Engineer tries to get a Visa out of the deal. Chris refuses and holds the Engineer at gunpoint until he agrees to a sum of money instead.

The other bar girls hold a ceremony for Kim and Chris. Kim's cousin Thuy, an officer of the North Vietnamese Army, arrives, claiming to have looked all over for her. Thuy reveals that he is the man she was arranged to be married to. Kim says that because her parents have died, they deal is off and she is not obliged to carry through with it. Thuy says she has disrespected her family and he curses her before he leaves. Chris promises Kim he will take her with him when he leaves Vietnam and they dance together.

Three years pass and there is a celebration in Saigon, now called Ho Chi Mihn City in honour of the third anniversary of the new government and the defeat of the Americans. Thuy has become a commissioner in the new government and is now looking for Kim. Thuy finds the Engineer and orders him to find Kim for him. Kim meanwhile believes Chris will come back for her and is living in an impoverished area of the city. Meanwhile, Chris is in bed with his American wife Ellen, and awakes from a nightmare calling Kim's name.

The Engineer brings Thuy to Kim. Thuy offers to marry Kim, but Kim refuses and shows him her three year old son Tam, the child of Chris. Thuy calls Kim and traitor and tries to kill Tam. Kim pulls out a handgun and shoots Thuy. Kim cradles Thuy as he dies, and then escapes with Tam. She finds the Engineer and tells her what she has done, and he agrees to help her once he finds out that she has a son with an American. He believes he can use them to get a passport to America and refers to himself as Tam's uncle. He takes them to Bangkok and they leave on a boat with other refugees.

Back in American, John is now working for an organization that connects child conceived in the war with their American fathers, called Bui Doi. He receives information that Kim is alive and has a son. He immediately finds Chris to give him the information. Chris is relieved to find Kim is alive, as he feels guilty for what has happened in the past. But he is now married to Ellen, and has not told her about what happened in Vietnam. John and Chris agree that it is now time to inform Ellen of what happened. The Engineer is hawking for a bar club in Bangkok and Kim works there as a dancer. John, Chris and Ellen arrive in Bangkok looking for Kim. John finds Kim and tells her that Chris is in Bangkok. John doesn't have the heart to tell her that Chris is remarried, and Kim believes she is going back to America with Chris. John tells her he will bring Chris to her.

The Engineer does not trust that Chris is in Bangkok and tells Kim to find Chris herself. Kim is then haunted by the ghost of Thuy and relives her nightmare of what happened three years ago.

In a flashback, Kim and Chris sign paperwork to bring her to the US. As things become chaotic at the embassy, Chris is asked to help. He tells Kim to pack and leaves her his gun. When Chris gets to the Embassy he finds that there is an order for an immediate evacuation of all remaining Americans and the Ambassador orders that no more Vietnamese are allowed in the embassy. Kim rushes down to the Embassy, trying to get through. Chris tries to call her at her home but gets no answer. He then tries to find her in the crowd but John punches him out to stop him from leaving. John and Chris are they ushered into the helicopter and Kim watches from the outside, pledging her love.

The Engineer has found the hotel room where Chris is staying at and gives it to Kim. Kim dresses in her 'wedding' clothes and goes to the hotel. When she arrives, Chris is not there as John had taken Chris down to the bar to see Kim. Ellen, Chris' wife is there, and reveals that she is his wife. Kim refuses to believe her. She then begs Ellen to take her son Tam so he can have a better life, the one she promised him. Ellen refuses to take Tam because she doesn't want to separate Kim and her son, and she wants children of her own with Chris. Kim demands that Chris tell her these things in person and runs off. Ellen realizes that Kim still loves Chris and when John and Chris return after not finding Kim, Ellen issues an ultimatum: Kim or her. Chris reassures her that he loves only her. They then agree that it is best for Kim and Tam to stay in Bangkok and they will support them from afar. John tells them that Kim will not find it acceptable to leave Tam in Thailand. Kim lies to the Engineer that they are all going to America and the Engineer imagines what his life would be like in America and living the American Dream.

Kim tells Tam he has a father now, and that she will be watching over him. The Engineer, John, Chris and Ellen arrive at the club, and Kim tells Tam to go meet his father. Once Tam is outside, Kim steps behind a curtain and shoots herself. Hearing the gun shot, they all rush into the room and find Kim mortally wounded. Chris cradles her in his arms as she dies, and Kim explains that the Gods have guided him here to his son. Chris begs her not to die, and she asks him to hold her one more time, then she dies.

The themes of this story are powerful; the American Dream, a Better Life, Sacrifice, Love and Tragedy.

The one thing I walked away with from this story was that men are jerks. Chris supposedly falls in love with Kim, but we are lead to believe that he more or less feels sorry for her and wants her to have a better life. Whether he truly loved her, as she loved him - I have my doubts. He explains that he tried to find her in the three years he was gone, but admits to being with Ellen for two years, and they had been married for one of those years. In a war ridden country, where not everyone has a phone and many people are poor, it would take a long time to track someone down. I just got the impression that Chris didn't try as hard as he could have, if he really loved her. His nightmares of her dying could have resulted in not only the guilt he had for not bringing her with him, but the lack of time he spent looking for her as well.

The story also stirs up a lot of stereotypes - the gentle, submissive and feminine East and the dominate, masculine West. The West feels that they need to protect the East. While Kim did need a better life than the one she had in Vietnam, there were many references to Chris guarding her from harm. It also reinforced a lot of female stereotypes like the jealous wife who refuses to allow Kim and Tam to both move to America, as she doesn't feel comfortable having her around since Kim still loves Chris. The other stereotype is the woman who is blindly in love with a man. After three years she holds out for him, even though (unknowing to her) he has moved on. Maybe it's because I'm not one for love stories, especially unbelievable ones, which is strange since I grew up with Disney, that I just couldn't get into the love part of the love story. A tragic one at that, and the tragedy was there. I cried three times during the entire thing. Would I see it again, like I would Wicked or Phantom of the Opera? Probably not.

The music was decent. There were a couple of songs that I really liked, but nothing that stuck with me as much as other songs in the past have. I probably would have bought the soundtrack, had they been selling anything at the theatre. The lack of merchandise at the theatre was a huge surprise for us.

The backgrounds, effects and dancers were memorable. I recall a couple of scenes I really enjoyed such as The Morning of the Dragon, and the scene with the helicopter. Some of the background dancers were fantastic. There were a couple of scenes where there were bar girls, and I was convinced every time that someone would take off their top and jiggle their tits around.

All the performers did an outstanding job, except for the actress who was Ellen. I mean, she wasn't a bad singer or anything, but she really belted it out. During the scene where she's in bed with Chris and singing about how much she loves him despite he never tells her what is going on, she's practically screaming in his ear while he has a nightmare (maybe it was her singing). She is a powerhouse for sure, because she did this in her other numbers as well. She wasn't a bad singer.. just LOUD. The Engineer was very well done. He was slimy but entertaining. Chris was good looking, a great singer but I felt nothing for the character. Kim was beautiful, talented and oh so tragic that she made the role so believable.

So in the end, I did have a good time. I had some issues with the story and some of the portrayal, but this is after all, a suspension of belief. I was glad I had the chance to see it.

For The Honour of Grayskull... the only costume I have ever made

My She-Ra costume started as a project in 2006 when I decided I would make a costume. I always wanted to make myself a costume but I lack the skills such as sewing, and over all creative thinking. I mean, I can draw but I have a hard time figuring out how to make something concrete. The hardest part of the costume was creating the head peice. This would have been easier if I was more crafty and maybe had a better grasp on materials that could be used instead.

I completed my costume around Hallowe'en which was my plan, but I sort of half assed the rest of it. At some point I would like to change some parts of the costume. I didn't wear it in 2006 because I never made it to any parties. I did end up wearing in 2009 at a party, and I recieved many compliments for it.

Here is what I did and how would change it in the future. I wish I took pictures of it as I made it, but oh well.

The first thing I did was buy a cheap white dress that somewhat was similar to She-Ra's costume. Her dress looks more like white bustier type top and a mini skirt. I found a white dress at Wal-Mart for $6.00. It had a halter like top with a cowl and an elastic band around the skirt.

I'm not much of a sewer but I was able to modify it. First I cut the skirt off and took out the elastic band. I sewed the skirt back onto the dress at a shorter length. I cut a slit at the top of the dress and sewed two bra cups in place to make it a more bustier like top. The bra cups were the kind you buy to stick on your boobs when you have a dress that you can't wear any bra type for. The helped shape the dress really well.

And while I am pretty bad at smiling, my breasts looked fanastic.

For the boots, I just spray painted an old pair of knee high boots gold.

I bought a square of gold fabric to construct the belt, the choker and the armlets. I used velcro on these items. The choker and armlets turned out okay, but I botched the belt, and used a gold coin belt my best friend bought for me at a yard sale. I think it worked out okay... a lot better than the belt I had crafted. If I wore this costume again, I would remake the belt and armlets, using real measurements. At the time, I half assed it. The belt wasn't thick enough, nor the right shape. It also wasn't very even.

I bought some flat foam and cut it out in the shape of the wings that are located on each side of the top of her dress. I spray painted them with cold paint and added the detail with a black felted marker.

The red cape needed to be either really long, or really short depending on the version of She-Ra you are using. I used She-Ra's cartoon version, and her cape is quite short. I used a red devil cape from a dog's halloween costume. I pinned it to the straps of the dress because the cape she wears does not tie up around the neck.

The sword was just a cheap plastic sword I bought in the Hallowe'en section, probably from Wal-Mart. I picked the most medieval looking sword.

I bought a couple of fake jewels, one red and one light blue, and some gold paint. I didn't do a very good job on the symbol. It's not as even as it should be. It kind of veers off a bit. I also think I made it slightly too big, or not big enough. I don't think it's too bad, but if I came across another cheap dress I could modify, I may re-do it.

The head piece was the hardest part, and the first thing I would re-do. I bought some wire and shaped it around my head. Then I shaped the wire into wings. I then attached rolled up newspaper around it to shape it. I used paper machie to cover the newspaper and then spray painted the whole thing using a can of gold spray paint, the same one I used for the boots. I gave it about two coats. I glued the red jewel on the helm and it was done. The problem though... the two wings didn't look exactly alike. And one bent more forward, and the other bent a little too far back. It's not perfect. But for my first try, I give myself some credit. I would probably re-make it with some lighter and less bulky material.

In the cartoon she appears to be wearing pink and purple eyeshadow, so I did my eye make up the same. I wore a bright red lipstick, and I straightened my hair.

Over all, it was a pretty cool experience. I felt accomplished that I made something, and now I know how I would approach it again. I know what needs to be improved, and even then, it was still a hit.

Scary Movie Scenes From My Childhood

A few months ago, I read not one but two lists of childhood trauma inducing movie scenes, and watched the Nostalgia Critic's Top 11 Scary Nostalgic Moments. Some of these were a part of my childhood, others not so much. Some I didn't even find scary or disturbing at all.

Most of us have these moments in our lives. Children movies have scary scenes. Some claim that children like to be scared, and it makes for a more enjoyable movie. However, I recall a different childhood memory from theses scenes - hiding behind couches when they came on, laying awake in fear, hiding under the covers (A habit I have to this day, as I can't sleep without covering my head with the blankets) and the nightmares. The worst part was that you LIKED the movies, and you continued to watch them, despite the fears. Sometimes you grew out of it, and began to appreciate the scene. Other times you just tolerate it. But sometimes... you still have to look away.

So, on a topic that has been done to death, in no particular order, here is my personal childhood hell.

1. The Last Unicorn has two scenes that sent me cowering behind the couch. I love this movie. It is one of my favourites. But my little mind just could not handle Mommy Fortuna being killed by the Harpy. It wasn't the fact that the Harpy killed her, it was just the manner it played out. Mommy Fortuna is laying on the ground as a limp hundle of clothing, what appears to be her back to the camera. And the Harpy is picking at her with her beak, like it's trying to eat her! The other scene that terrified me was the entire scene with the drunk skeleton. I already had my issues with skeletons, so this raging alcoholic with his red eyes, screaming "UNICORN!" caused me to complete skip this part when I watched the movie. Today, I can watch both scenes and they don't frighten me anymore, but 15 years ago was a different story.

2. Who Framed Roger Rabbit's dip did me in more than Judge Doom. Yea, he was scary when he reveals himself to be a googly eyed, squeaky voiced bastard, but the part where he's melted into a puddle of goop by dip? Ugggghhh. Then Mickey almost steps in it? Uuugggggh. Much like the Last Unicorn, I am 100% fine with this today.

3. The Neverending Story was a personal hell for me as a horse lover and owner. Artax giving up and sinking in the Swamp of Sadness was a horrible scene for me. I never watched it. I always had to go behind the couch or walk away. While I doesn't scare me, I still cry when this scene comes on, and it's probably the reason I don't tend to re-watch this movie. The fact that a rumor circulated that the horse portraying Artax died by drowning in that scene, as they had to chain it onto a platform made the scene even more unwatchable. The actor playing Artreyu confirmed that the horse did not die, but he himself was injured during the filming of the scene and was rather traumatized by the whole thing, refusing to film for two days.

4. Pee Wee's Big Adventure and its infamous Large Marge scene. Either this did or did not frighten me. The only reason I say this is because I don't actually remember watching the scene as a kid. It's possible I just blocked it out. As a kid, I do not remember being scared by Large Marge. BUT! As an adult, I CANNOT watch it. I've tried. And it gets me every time. I have to look away. And the worst part is, it's not even that scary looking. Maybe it's the motion. Maybe it's the eyes. But at 25, I cannot, repeat, cannot watch or look at Large Marge.

5. The Secret of NIHM's Nicodemeus. He didn't look like the other rats. He was gnarly, skeletal, raspy and had red eyes. He creeped me out. I can handle him today. The owl too, was a bit disturbing.

6. Dumbo's Pink Elephant Parade. Today it's just weird.

7. Care Bears In Wonderland is a bit like Pee Wee's Big Adventure. I loved the movie as a kid, and watched it all the time, without any problems. A couple of years ago, I found the villian's song on youtube and watched it with great delight. I don't remember this movie being scary -at all-. Near the end of the song though, something happens. But it's very quick. So quick at first you don't really notice it, but Alice gives a bit of a reaction, and I had to watch it again. And then I did the most terrible thing I could think of. I watched it in slow motion. And there it was. The scariest cartoon face I had ever seen. I was 23 and it scared the hell out of me. I took a screen shot of it, even though I couldn't bare to look at it, and showed a few people. How the hell did I miss this? Nostalgia Critic remembers it too, and made me have to re-live that scene. Much like Large Marge, I cannot look at it to this day. If you want to see for yourself, watch it for yourself, at 2:05.

8. The Dark Crystal's opening scene with the dying Skeksis emperor is quite disturbing. I haven't watched the movies in years, and I probably would avoid this scene. Two other Skeksis are waiting greedily for the king to die so one of them can claim the crown. As the emperor begins to slip away, one of them grabs the crown. The emperor jumps up in his bed, clawing at the crown screaming "MINE, IT'S MINE! MINE!" in a horrible voice. The emperor is skeletal and gnarly looking, making this scene a childhood nightmare.

9. Disney's Legend of Sleepy Hollow was an absolute favourite of mine. It was narrated and sun by Bing Cosby. I know all the songs off by heart, and love singing "The Headless Horseman Song". The Horseman himself isn't that scary... He is after all just a headless black figure with a cape, on a wicked awesome horse. But the scene leading up to his arrival? Absolute, sheer terror. The eyes in the night. The gnarly trees (gnarly is the word of the day in this post as you can tell). The eerie sounds. This movie doesn't scare me, but if I watch it, and I have to go outside, in the dark, my heart races a little faster.

10. The Black Cauldron is one of the darkest Disney films, and a great one at that. But, as a child with skeleton issues, the Horned King and his undead army that come storming out of the black cauldron itself made me run for mommy. Now that I am mostly over my skeleton fear, I can watch this again. I actually should get it on DVD as it is a wonderful movie.

11. Ferngully: The Last Rain forest helped reinforce my skeleton fear. Hexxus, the evil embodiment of pollution starts out as a skeleton, and in his climatic battle at the end, returns to being a skeleton, surrounded by fire. I had to hide behind the couch for that. Evil skeletons were worse than drunk ones. I can sorta watch it now. It's a little more creepy than the other animated skeletons.

12. Disney's Fantasia 's final scene Night on Bald Mountain, where the Devil himself summons the undead, the demons, skeletons, witches and ghosts. Terrifying. Absolutely terrifying. And the way they animate these horrors? Ugggh. The Disney Hallow e'en special would use footage of this scene. The music just adds to the pant wetting terror. A scary scene for everyone.

13. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory's tunnel scene wasn't that bad for me. It was when Violet began turning violet, and swelled into a balloon. They rolled her off into the dejuicing rom, and I rolled away from the tv in terror.

There are other movies that scare me - some not exactly marketed as horror movies, some are actual horror movies. But these stand out. These were beloved childhood movies, with a pinch of trauma. And I know I'm not the only one who was frightened by these... which makes it all the more comforting!

Star Wars and Her Universe Review

Star Wars wasn't a big thing for me growing up. My parents didn't watch much movies, and my brother and I didn't go to our first movie theatre until 1989. I knew some kids who liked Star Wars, notably the son of our babysitter, who used to watch The Empire Strikes back while we were there. I wasn't even in kindergarten yet, but I do vividly remember the Tauntaun scene, and his many action figures. But I knew of Star Wars. Many of the cartoons I watched as a kid would reference, or even parody Star Wars, such as Muppet Babies. By the time I was 8, I had a grasp on what Star Wars was about, without even watching the movies. I knew who Luke, Leia, Yoda and Vader were. I knew all the spoilers as well.

I was always a nerdy kid, absorbed in a world of Batman and cartoons, with no interest in being popular, clothes, sports and dating like the other girls in my class did, yet how I never was into Star Wars at this age is mind baffling. But, because I was a nerdy girl, by the time I started dating, every boyfriend I had loved Star Wars (except maybe one - the topic never came up). Most of them wanted to watch the movies with me, but only one actually succeeded.

I was going to get around to watching them. When the Prequels were announced, I decided I would watch the Star Wars in order, from Episode 1 to Episode 6. Now, this meant waiting a few years to watch the Original Star Wars, but I thought this was a good plan and I was in no rush.

Episode 1 came out, and my mom and I went to the theatre to see it. Going into the movie, I knew Anakin was going to be Darth Vader, but that was about it. After watching it, I didn't exactly hate it, as I hadn't seen the Originals. But for someone who knew very little about Star Wars, I didn't find the movie thrilling either. When Attack of the Clones came out, I sort of had lost interest in my project, and never went to see it.

Then Revenge of the Sith was coming out. I had to see it, as it was Anakin becoming Darth Vader. That had to be awesome. But it meant I would have to catch up on the story, and I would have to go back to my original plan. The Star Wars movies came out on DVD in its trilogy set, and I bought it after Christmas, vowing that my New Years Resolution would be to watch them in order like I had planned.

The guy I was dating showed great interest in my goal. He had Attack of the Clones on DVD, and he wanted to watch the entire trilogy with me but he didn't want to wait until after ROTS came out in May. So, we sat down and I got through AOTC, and then we watched the entire trilogy. When ROTS came out, we saw it in theatres. My Star Wars promise had been complete, although not in the order I had planned.

So do I like Star Wars? I did like the stories. I wasn't thrilled about Episode 1 and 2, but I did like Episode 3 despite its cheese. I really likes Vader's last line, even though MOST hate it. But from what I saw in the Original Star Wars, it was over the top, and his NOOOOOOO really did fit the series. Return of the Jedi was probably my favourite. I came out really liking Darth Vader, Han Solo (Mostly because of Harrison Ford. I was an Indiana Jones fan before I was a Star Wars one - go figure), and tauntauns. I wouldn't say I am a rabid fan. I don't plan on reading the Extended Universe books. I don't have many collectibles. All I have is a Han Solo action figure, until now.

I always wanted a Star Wars shirt. Not anything from the Prequels, which was what most places were selling at the time. But finding a Star Wars shirt for girls was impossible. The Star Wars store sold everything in Men's sizes, and I had already had to deal with this when I bought a Fox Mulder shirt, which was in Men Sizes, no Women, and was way too big. I happened to be in Zellers one day, and I found Star Wars shirts - for boys. I took a chance and bought the biggest size Boys shirt I could find - a size 6, with a cartoonish Darth Vader on it. It looked a lot like the Baby Tees that were and still are popular at the time. It's the shirt I am wearing with Vader at the top of this post. It's a cute shirt but oh man is it tight. Vader has to stretch across my bust, and because it's cut for little boys, it's not very long. My midriff and lower back gets exposed when I wear this, so I tend to throw a zip up top over it to keep my skin from showing.

The only Star Wars shirt I could find

Then one day, I read a post on Topless Robot about a new company called Her Universe, headed by actress Ashley Eckstein who voices the character Ahsoka Tano on the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars series. After becoming involved in Star Wars, she was disappointed about the lack of merchandise for women and girls who were fans of the series. Shirts were all sold in Men sizes, and lacked a lot of merchandise related to of some of the prominent female characters. She took it upon herself to begin a company to design and sell shirts strictly for female fans. There is some talks about the company branching into other series in Science Fiction, since there are a lot of Sci-Fi female fans, but Sci-Fi has always had a 'Boys Club' mentality to it. The website debuted in the middle of June, with 8 shirts that are made to fit the female form, with promises of more merchandise coming in July and in later months, including jewellery and maybe even light sabre lip gloss.

I followed the Facebook group, awaiting the arrival of these shirts. I hummed and hawed after a few days, debating on buying the shirts. I don't really like buying clothes online because sizes run different for every single company and make. I can fit smalls and mediums, depending on the style, the brand, the fit, etc. On the website, they give the size measurements of the chest width and t-shirt length, which is helpful but doesn't answer many questions. Do the sizes fit big? Are they snug? Is the material stretchy? Will it give over time? Will it shrink? Where would you take these measurements? Each shirt had different sizes too. A small in one shirt was a medium in another. The other thing was the prices. The prices of the shirts aren't bad, and they are a good quality shirt. The shirts ranged between $30 and $40, so I figured with shipping it was going to be $100, in USD.

I decided the best thing to do was to measure some shirts I already owned. Many of these t-shirts ranged from small to medium. The shirts on the website have a difference of one inch between a small and a medium in chest width. I wanted to order two shirts. One was a fitted tee and the other was a thermal hoodie. The small for the fitted tee was 16 inches in chest width, and the small for the thermal hoodie was 15 inches. I was getting a measurement of 15 inches on the t-shirts I had previously wore, and decided to go with two smalls.


When I placed my order, I got the choice of $8.00 shipping, or $50.00 shipping. I wasn't in a huge rush to wear the shirts, so I went with the cheaper price. I was sent an invoice to my email. The next day I decided to log onto the website to see if the shirts had been sent. They hadn't, but I noticed my invoice had went from $80 to $120! I had the email of my first invoice, so I took a screen shot of the email and the account invoice and emailed the company. I received an email the following week explaining there had been a glitch and all international shipping would be around $50 and not $8. I was then asked if I wanted to go ahead with the purchase, which I thought was very considerate of them. I decided why not? and confirmed the order. Because the shipping was $50, it came very fast - three days from my e-mail confirmation.

While I was waiting for my shirts, other women around North America were receiving their shirts, as the store had now been open for one week. The facebook page filled up with reviews and pictures of girls happily posing in their new shirts. But some of the reviews I read made me panic slightly. Some described the shirts as fitting rather snug, especially if you had a large chest, which I do. Others said some were a bit loose. Ashley, who runs the Facebook page, was very helpful with inquiries made on the page. I confessed on the page that I was a bit nervous about whether the shirts would fit or not, after reading the some reviews that said the sizes ran small. She asked which shirt I had ordered. I told her, and explained how I decided on the shirts, using measurements of my own. She said they probably would fit, but I could return them if they didn't. She also encouraged photos of the shirts and to tell her how I liked them when I got them. Ashley's dedication to her company and brand is very admirable. She blogs and asks for suggests. She tries to help customers with sizing questions. She comments on every photo, appreciates every purchase and gives the impression that she really loves what she is doing, and this personalization is how this company will succeed. Friday July 2nd, they arrived. Of course, I had to drive to Peterborough to get it, because the Fed Ex delivery guy didn't knock on my door. I didn't want to wait until Monday to get the package, because I wanted to know if they fitted right away, plus I wanted to wear one to a party that was going to have a lot of Star Wars fans there. I am a bit of a show off! Plus, I wanted to advertise the site, for a lot of girls I know like Star Wars. I had recommend Her Universe at least four times since it opened. On top of the shipping charges, I had to pay $35 in duty fees. Such is the life when you order online from the US!

Here are my reviews of the shirts purchased, and the company itself. I apologize for the photos. I think I look rather blagh in all of them. It isn't easy taking pictures of yourself!

Star Wars Burnout

I really liked the simplicity of this design, and the color. It is a soft fabric, but it stretches. It is a very form fitting tee though. The chest width for this shirt was 16 inches across the bust, so I figured it would be the looser fitting of the two shirts. When I put it on, I was worried that it would be too tight. It is a little tight across the chest, and makes it look huge. If I were to order a shirt in this style again, I would get it in a medium, mostly due to my bust size. As mentioned before, it is rather stretchy, so over time I think it'll stretch out. I wore it to a party and everyone loved it. Ashley said that this shirt may look like it has shrunk after being in the dryer, but it will stretch back out. To be safe, I'm going to hand wash this article and hang it to dry. The only other complaint I have about this shirt (and both of these things are rather minor, the shirt does fit, albeit snugly, a lot of shirts fit that way) is the burn out lettering. The only problem with it, is that it is very sheer. You can see a bra right under it, so you need to wear a dark coloured bra, or one that matches the colour of the shirt. The one I wore in the picture above was a dark grey, but I wore a navy blue one to the party. Wearing a lighter bra really brings attention to it, while a darker one blends in a bit better. Because this material is so thin, it should be treated carefully.
Star Wars Burnout - $30 USD from Her Universe.com


Empire Strikes Back Thermal Hoodie

This is the shirt I really wanted when Her Universe first opened its doors. Vader is just a great, classic character. This design is perfect. There are silver foil highlights in his helmet, and in the stars surrounding him. I order this hoodie in size small, which had a chest measurement of 15 inches. Another issue with ordering bigger sizes is that bigger sizes usually mean they are longer. I have a short torso, and I'm a short person, so I like my shirts preferably not down to my butt. This shirt is a good length, as it isn't too long to make me look like I'm wearing a dress, but it's also long enough that you can move around without the shirt raising up and giving everyone a peek of your midriff or lower back. This shirt despite being smaller in chest width, fits a bit looser than the Burn Out Tee. The material isn't too thick for being a thermal, and it is very comfortable. The material is kind of serrated, which I am guessing is part of the thermal design. It's also softer than I expected. The hoodie is the same thickness of the rest of the shirt, which I really like. I like when hoods lay flat against your back, not bunch up against your hair. It makes putting on a coat in the winter a lot easier when you don't have to move the hood around so much. The minor problem I have with this shirt is the arm length of the shirt. This is the small size, and I'm glad I didn't order it any bigger, as the sleeves bunch slightly at the wrist which you can see in this picture. I think if I got the medium, this wouldn't fit as nicely as it does. I think it would be looser around the waist, and the sleeves would make me look like I was 6 years old, wearing my mom's sweater. This is an elegant design for a Star Wars shirt. I can't wait until the days and evenings cool so I can wear this!

Empire Strikes Back Thermal Hoodie - $40 USD from Her Universe.Com

Final Thoughts
Her Universe is going to be a successful company, especially if they continue to expand their line of female orientated Star Wars merchandise. They already plan on adding more designs, jewellery, and possibly lip gloss. There are also talks about getting licensing rights for other Sci-Fi venues. My personal dealings with Her Universe has been pleasant. Everyone I have spoken to has been informative, polite and considerate. The fact that Ashley puts in so much time and effort into this makes it even more worthwhile, because she genuinely cares about the brand and its customers. The prices for the shirts are fair considering the quality. I was a little disenchanted by the shipping charges and the duties, but I knew I had to pay those. It would be nice if the shipping wasn't as expensive, but most shipping from the US tends to be. The nice thing about expensive shipping meant they came faster. I hope that the company does well, and that it comes out with more designs. I will probably hold off on buying anymore, unless there are a couple I like. I am not sure how much it costs for one shirt to be shipped, but if it is at least $20-30, I'd rather just place an order when there are two designs I like. I am hoping they make a Han Solo shirt. I know a Chewie shirt is in the works, and maybe I'll consider it. It will be exciting to watch this company grow. If you love Star Wars and don't mind the prices (US shipping is cheaper I imagine), I highly recommend this store, and I'd shop there again.