Femme Friday: Ms. Marvel

My boyfriend recently started a new job and I have been home recovering so I have had a lot of time to catch up on comics. In march, I discovered some new (or new to me) titles. I have been wanting to read G willow Wilson's Ms. Marvel for awhile now and since my comic shop was having a sale on first volumes I decided to pick up Ms. Marvel: No Normal. I really enjoyed reading it and being introduced to Kamala Khan. Kamala is a teenager that takes over the mantle of Ms. Marvel from Carol Danvers. I will admit that prior to this, although I knew some things about Ms. Marvel, my knowledge about the character is somewhat lacking. I enjoyed everything about this book from the art to the writing. Adrian Alphonia's art was fantastic. I am a fan of the iconic costume but it was nice to see a more realistic take on it as well. It seems like with the popularity of comics like Squirrel girl, less sexed up, "real" depictions of women are on the rise. It is possible to be the embodiment of sass in a realistic costume, after all.

G willow Wilson's writing is superb as well. It is really refreshing to see young women portrayed so realistically. One of the things I enjoyed most about reading this was that crime fighting does not come naturally to her. She had to learn to use her powers while hiding her true identity from her very concerned parents.the Overarching theme of volume one seems to be Identity. Kahn is Marvel's first Muslim character and although, it may have turned some off of the character her struggle with faith is relatable to anyone regardless of religion preference. She faces peer pressure at a party which magnifies the differences between her and the party-goers, leading her to question her faith. Ultimately she ends up saving one of her a"frenemies" from the party from drowning later on. The struggle with keeping her identity from her parents is also very real. Being a teenager is hard enough without being a superhero, you know? Her father wishes that she would focus on school, and her mother is worried that she will make the wrong choices. Again, this makes Kahn an easily relatable character.

I will definitely be picking up volume two!Are you a fan of Kamala?

Happy (un)birthday IGGPPC! (a love letter of sorts)

Last week the International Geek Girl Pen-paling club celebrated it's third birthday! I joined the club a year ago and was quickly paired with my own iggle (that's wbat members call themselves). The penpals are disburse dafter monthly rounds which are usually themed and sign up is easy. After visiting the website (here), you are asked to fill out a short form with your name and email, and provide five of your geeky interests.

I just signed up for another penpal and my list included:

• Disney

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• Horror films

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• Comic Books

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• Reading

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• Kawaii

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My first penpal and I were featured on the IGGPPC blog this month as part of their birthday celebration.to learn more about our story click here.In the year I have known Bree we have become close friends through lengthy letters, social media, and texts. This year we opened our christmas gifts on Skype so we could see each other's reactions. I am always amazed with how thoughtful she is and we have gained a deeper friendship because we can be more open, honest, and build a connection through snail mail.We live in such a digital age that it is actually nice to sit down and plan a letter. Alas, Geek Girl Penpals is more than a group of hardcore lady types who share a love of stationary goods, it is also a community of like minded individuals that are extremely active on social media. The club hosts events for everything including read-a-longs, movies, and even a digital summer camp. If I have ever wanted to discuss fandom but find that none or few of my IRL friends share that interest (like my current obsession Zodiac Starforce) the iggles are always a tweet away to indulge my nerdy whims. When I was hospitalized (see last entry). Bree organized a valentines/galentines/get well card drive for me. It meant a lot to receive that many cards from the iggles.

I also received two drawings from the lovely Whimsy and Noir (who is also an iggle) and I have Jem makeup in the smaller one. I also have a strange desire to die my hair blue and orange now!

Are you a member of the IGGPPC? Have you ever had a penpal?

an unfortunate update

I haven't blogged in what seems like forever so I thought I would post a bit of an update. About a month ago I was hospitalized again. I initially went to the emergency room thinking I had bronchitis or pneumonias because I was experiencing congestion and was having trouble breathing. At that point in time I had been dealing with the return of my acid reflux as well. I was getting sick almost nightly and on medication to help keep food down, if possible. It all started to become clear when the tech that was taking x-rays of my chest suddenly yelled, “What the heck is that?” Not exactly what you want to hear after an x-ray. As it turns out my stomach had moved up into my chest cavity and was pressing on my heart, lungs, and against my spine. It became clear that I needed to have surgery for a second time in little over a year. Because this was my second surgery, there was a lot of scar tissue and it could not be done endoscopically. I was also incredibly malnourished which made surgery even more risky. Thankfully, I was transferred to a hospital in Dallas with a surgeon that put my concerns at ease. I was on something called TPN for about a week before surgery. I could not hold down food so I had to have an 18ga IV of nutrients that went directly from my upper arm into my chest. It provided all the nutrition I would need and even had a handy port for drawing blood so that I would not need to be stuck often.

The surgery itself was extensive. Again, because this was my second go, I would need a larger incision that would go from the bottom of my chest to my belly button. The surgeon opened me up, brought my stomach down, wrapped my esophagus, and inserted a pig skin mesh to keep my stomach in place. To be honest, it felt completely like a horror film.

Recover has also been difficult. Ultimately, I spent three weeks in the hospital. As a result, I had to withdraw from my classes and am currently in the process of paying back financial aid. Emotionally, this has been a real struggle because I had formed an identity around being a student and I was so close to the finish line. This was going to be my last semester before my AA and considering I had obtained my GED and spent the last 2 years being an A student, it has been difficult to swallow.

  Physical recovery has been difficult as well. I left the hospital with twelve metal staples down the middle of my abdomen. You really never think about how much you use your muscles until you lose the ability to. I had to learn how to do simply things like using my legs and arms to push up from a chair. As a person with limited mobility already this has been a nightmare. I cannot use the walker I am familiar with because I cannot walk with my arms in front of me. I have to use a “granny style” walker instead. I also have to use an oversized wheelchair that dwarfs my small frame. My muscles are still really weak and wheelchair I currently use is so big that I have to rely on someone to push me. My insurance will not cover the style of wheelchair I want and at over $2,000 it is too much for me to afford on my own. I am still waiting to see how much of my hospital stay my insurance will cover. The hospital estimate that was sent to my home is about $94,000.

 I am overwhelmed financially, emotionally, and physically.

Thankfully, I have amazing people in my life and a friend of mine started a gofundme to help lessen the financial burden I am facing. We have raised over 900 dollars so far! The money I owed the school was $925 but gofundme also takes a cut of whatever you raise. If you would like to donate please click the link below. If you are reading this and have already donated, I am beyond grateful. Thank you.

My Favorite buffy Episodes seasons 1-5 (spoilers)

Back in february, I was browsing netflix and decided to revisit one of my favorite shows of all time.  I began watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 1997 when it debuted. I was ten years old at the time and it could be easily argued that no other television show has made such an impact on my life. sadly, I have yet to complete the series and have taken to netflix to catch up. I will be starting on season six tomorrow morning.  On May 20th, 2003 the last episode of Buffy aired. In honor of that I would like to post about a few of my favorite episodes in seasons 1-5.

Season 1:

My favorite episode from season one is The Pack. In this episode xander and a group of Sunnydale students get possessed by the spirit of  Hyenas which resulted in the adopting somewhat of a pack mentality.That dodgeball scene brought me back to my middle school days and still leaves me feeling vaguely uncomfortable. Plus, when you factor in that poor pig! scary.I have always had a soft spot for Xander and even got to meet Nicholas Brendon at a convention last year.

Another episode from this season that I feel is worth mentioning is Out of Sight, Out of Mind. As I rewatch Buffy as an adult I am able to pick up on more of the meaning behind each episode. I don't think anyone could argue that they have felt invisible at some point in their lives. This is especially true in middle and High School. I know I had a lot of "Have a great summer" inscriptions in my year book and at the time this episode aired it made me feel less alone. Not that I wanted to be invisible and live at my school,
 that would be an entirely different sort of Hell.

Season 2:

My favorite Episode from season two is Halloween.I kind of enjoyed the idea that with a little magic, a costume could transform you into anyone. I have always resonated with Willow. she was always the super smart and socially awkward one. I remember the way she wanted to wear something a little less modest and then dawning her ghost costume at the last minute. as a young girl I was really self conscious as well. I also really liked that Buffy chooses a "Helpless Damsel" costume only to discover that Angel truly likes her for who she is. Until Buffy, strong teenage girls were barely portrayed in the media. I think Whedon did an excellent job exploring gender ideals by transforming Xander into a military know-it-all. I feel like Xander felt that he did not have anything to offer Buffy until this episode.

Season 3:

The Wish is my favorite episode from season three. I love wishverse Willow. In this episode Cordelia uses a vengeance demon to make a universe changing wish.I enjoyed her little boost of empowermint in this episode. Especially once she gets to the Bronze. Vampire Willow did not take any crap from anyone including  Percy the jock. I also like her catch phrase in the episode. BORED NOW and the scene where the real willow goes undercover still cracks me up! I wasn't too crazy about Anya in the beginning but I really like her now.

Season 4:

Restless is my favorite episode from this season. to be completely honest, I wasn't a huge fan of the Initiative storyline. I'm not a huge fan of Riley, either. I really enjoyed this episode because it gave some backstory to what it means to be The Slayer. I liked that they went all the way back to the first slayer in this one.  also, everyone loves cheese.



Season 5:

As much as it was a heartbreaking episode, The Body was my favorite. It was so eloquently written. as someone who has lost a parent, this episode captures it beautifully. When you lose a loved one a thousand and two scenarios play in your head, "If I had just done this or gotten there sooner." The confusion of loss is suddenly unbearable, I feel like Tara's words to Buffy also cement her as a character and in that moment a bond is made between the two of them.

What are your Favorite episodes of Buffy?

Neopia awaits!

I am finally on summer vacation and that means I can devote all summer to successfully updating this blog with all my  toy conquests and adventures. As a toy collector I really enjoy visiting the toy sections of thrift stores. Usually I can find some pretty good reasonably priced toys from my childhood and since I am not a stickler concerning toy condition aspects. A lot of my toys are opened and displayed on shelves to save space unless they are exclusives, high value, or if I really like the packaging. There is just something magical about opening a new toy and creating a new display or adding a piece to an existing shelf. I manage to  make out pretty well at thrift store or flea ma. However, there are a few things that I watch out for like visible writing and missing clothing.

I am a huge, huge, huge, collector of stuffed animals. 

Fun fact:

The Huckleberry Pie cloth doll next to Rainbow Brite is the first toy I remember owning as a kid. The original was purchased for me on a family road trip at an IHOP restaurant. I remember throwing it out a window sometime later and screaming my head off until my parents turned around to retrieve it. After that, he lived a very long and happy life as a constant companion to my childhood whims, eventually, he got so battered that my mom had to patch him up using one of my father's t-shirts. The one in the picture was purchased as a christmas gift by my boyfriend three years ago.

Recently, I went to a local thrift store and found a treasure trove of Neopet plushies for five dollars a bag. I loved playing neopets in middle school and high school but the toys which were sold at Target and Limited Too were pretty hard to find and pretty pricey for a kid. Most of these even had the tags still attached and they even gave away a Petpet Noil! I think the rainbow Poogle is my favorite. Not pictured are a Pink aisha, and plushie paintbrush Wocky that I found. On previous trip, I found a talking Kacheek. I think my cat thinks he is a little neopet as well.

Naturally, this glorious find revamped my love for the little digital pets. sadly, I could no longer access my old account under an email that I have not used in years. Thus, I made a new one. I love playing Spellseeker on my foldable laptop because it has a touchscreen. This time, I made a Uni!

What is your favorite Neopet? do you still play? What are your favorite games?

Arendelle just got a bit colder!

I just had the pleasure of viewing the new Frozen short and Cinderella on the big screen. Naturally, I wanted to show up in style and show that I  have come down with a case of  Frozen Fever!

One of the many souvenirs I brought back from my trip to Disney World in January was this Olaf pin. I normally keep my pins on my Pin Trader lanyard or on a button curtain that I made from a piece of Dumbo fabric. However, occasionally I use them to accessorize outfits, so I pinned it to my black denim jacket. I thought this pin would be perfect because Anna and Elsa's  costumes in Frozen Fever are so bright and adorned with flowers.  

In addition to the pin I also wore my supper comfy Anna dress that I bought from Hot Topic around Christmas time. Although, I still love Elsa, Anna is my favorite sister. This is largely due to the fact that we both love to shove chocolate in our face and also because her name is similar to mine. we also tend to ramble a lot!

The short itself is really cute and I loved the new song. I am really hoping Disney store makes little plushies of Elsa's new creations. I think I might just have to buy the them in threes. I have been snatching up the new merchandise as I see it but have yet to display the pieces I purchased.

first I found these dolls at Toys R Us. When I purchased them they were roughly 17 dollars a piece. Their arms and legs appear to be pretty stiff but I love the hair and intricacy of the outfits for the price range. They also had a more expensive two pack featuring Anna and Kristoff but I did not have the money at the time.

However, I do have lots of plans for the next set of dolls that I purchased. The Disney store currently offers a two pack featuring Anna and Elsa and it is stunning.  The first thing I noticed was the fact that this set of dolls was ball jointed which makes the dolls easier to pose. I am thinking about buying a Japanese model kit and setting up my own version of Anna's birthday party with Cake!
The paint detail on the facial features of the dolls are fantastic. Look at Anna's natural blush! I  also love the tightness of the bun and the way her bangs fall just right. It was well worth the price. I am really torn about opening the package for these two.

Check back tomorrow for my thoughts on  the live action Cinderella and some pictures of the new Cinderella merchandise I picked up!

Rockin' In My Roadster (Jem Collection)

I am on spring break this week so that means that I can use my time off to catch up on blog posts. If you have ever meet me in real life you already are aware that I love anything 80's especially toy wise.  as a kid, one of the cartoons that I found truly outrageous and totally rad was Jem and the Holograms. I am really excited for the live action movie and also for the new comic that IDW is coming out with. I have already ordered the first issue box set all of the various covers from Collected Comics in Fort Worth and have set up a subscription service as well.

Jem was also one of the first characters I ever Cosplayed at a convention. I bought the already made costume from Halloween city. The costume came with her signature earrings, a spandex dress, microphone, and the belt that you see pictured. I paired it with pink legwarmers,  pink fishnets, and glitter filled bangle bracelets that I already owned. I wore pink flats because it is difficult for me to wear heals and I try to be as comfy as possible. 

My makeup consisted of bubble gum pink lipstick and the pink triangle-shaped eye makeup that I drew on with Halloween makeup crayons.

I also had to buy the wig separately and styled it myself. It was deliciously 80's and I had lots of fun. I was actually surprised at how many people recognized and loved the character.

As far as the toys go, I have been collecting them for some time. I started with the Glitter and Gold Comic Con Exclusive and received several complete dolls for Easter two years ago.  My boyfriend also collects toys and insisted that if I were to get any of the original dolls it would be best to hunt them down individually so that they had their clothes, shoes, and instruments. Previously, I owned a Kimber that we found at a Thrift store and she was a little worse for wear and missing everything BUT Kimber was always my favorite and I have the fatal flaw of never passing up a lonely toy.

 After some searching he purchased several dolls off of E-BAY that even came with the cassettes. Oh, if I still owned my little pink walkman circa 1992! Seriously, I would be jamming to The Misfits right now because everyone knows their songs are better.

For Valentine's Day this year my collection grew even bigger with the addition of a Rockin' Roadster. It was purchased off of E-Bay and shipped all the way from Holland. It was opened but came pretty much mint with the plastic casing still on the roadster.

The seller even said that the FM Radio still works. It is common for the roadster to be missing the headlights, hood ornament or removable convertible top but mine is complete.

 Jem had to take it for a spin but Rio was unavailable. Thankfully, our new Starlord Hot Toys figure was more than willing to take his place!

What toys do you collect? What was your favorite 80's Cartoon?