With pretty much the biggest shopping days of the year coming right at us, you might be trying to plan ahead of time and figure out what you’re buying everybody. If you’re out and about this weekend, I have some suggestions for you that will satisfy the Star Wars fans in your life (ahem, me) and feed malnourished children. Starting November 27, you can get awesome Star Wars Rogue One shirts at Target in a collection called “Force4Fashion”. For every shirt you buy, Target donates $5 to UNICEF for Kid Power, aiding in funding meals for the malnourished children in the world. I first heard about Kid Power a few days ago from my beautiful hero Ashley Eckstein, the founder of Her Universe (geek chic clothing) and the voice of my beloved Ahsoka Tano:
I haven’t been able to get out to Target since I first saw this video, but I definitely need to ASAP. I encourage everyone to grab a Kid Power band and help your fitness unlock meals for kids in need around the world!
Oh, and back to the shirts…they’re so cool. Also, I think each is designed by a different celebrity, because each shirt has a different name attached to it. Here are my favorites/the ones I need:
And while they’re all on Target’s website right now, they are still not yet available for purchase. Look for them and buy them between November 27-December 31! Make that Star Wars fan in your life happy while helping feed children!
I love all of the Rogue One fashion that has been coming out lately; these new shirts and the stylish tees by Junkfood Clothing that I talked about recently must be mine!
Also, please continue riding this hype train with me and keep falling in love more and more at every viewing of a new trailer:
Actually, familiarity is the most comforting to me right now. While November/December is a time I try to not spend so much on myself, I decided that I needed to get my geek on and go to another comic convention. This one wasn’t a big one in the city, though; it was Mighty Con, which was less than a half hour away from me. Cheap admission, and I already had a few Cosplays ready to go, it was a no brainer. Can you guess who I was?!
Alright, I’ll tell you! I was Ahsoka Tano, one of my beloved Star Wars heroes/favorite characters. I already had everything I needed for this costume from a convention I went to last March. In fact, that’s how I justified that investment at the time: “Oh, I’ll wear this a bunch of times to other conventions,”. That is also how I want to justify my dream purchase of a latex headpiece of Ahsoka’s lovely Torgruta lekku and montrals on Etsy, but I won’t let myself buy it just yet; the good ones are all over $100. But like, I could honestly dress up as Ahsoka a few times a year for the rest of my life, having discovered the joy of Cosplay at these lovely nerd conventions. So eventually, I do plan on getting one of those expensive headpieces…or two; her lekku is longer in her Rebels look, which I would also love to do someday but that costume is a bit more difficult to find. I would actually have to make that myself, most likely…or commission someone far more talented than I.
Another thing I love about dressing up as Ahsoka is connecting with other Clone Wars and Rebels fans and having young girls be excited to see me. At this convention, my best friend dressed as Princess Anna of Arendelle, so we were a double-whammy of awesome. I had a few children, both young boys and girls, and adults like my outfit, but my favorite was this little girl who was in awe of us together and her parents told us (she, like myself as a wee lass her age, was quite shy) that we were her two favorite characters. We bumped into them a few times after our initial encounter; the second time, they asked to take a picture. The little girl- who had her own little Batgirl cosplay going on- kept smiling at us, and the parents felt bad for “bugging” us but we honestly loved it, it was just so sweet.
In between impressing the children, I wandered off while Princess Anna was kicking ass during a Smash Brothers tournament looking at Star Wars toys. I always look at Star Wars toys in case they have something of Ahsoka. Here I am, looking at some stupid Boba Fett action figure when the seller approaches me and asks “Did you see the Ahsoka figure?”. It was literally right in front of me and I missed it somehow when I actually looking for it. I gasped. I said something about how I was tempted because I never see that action figure anywhere (at least at a reasonable price, which this one was), and he conceded its’ rarity. He then told me he would give it to me for $25 instead of $30 because I seemed to be a fan. How magical is that?! I’m dressed up as Ahsoka and I finally find the Elite Series action figure for a good price!!
Due to my intense love of Toy Story, she did not stay in that box for long. Also, I don’t know what that blue glare on her chest near her lekku is about; there’s no blue spot on her now. Now she is roaming free, protecting my dresser with her lightsabers:
I have justified this purchase because it was a magical moment and I collect everything Ahsoka. There, that’s my excuse. Now, I still want that Wal Mart exclusive Elite (I know the ad says “black” but it’s wrong) Series figure of her in her Clone Wars days:
Like, just in case anyone who loves me is reading…I would really love to have that Ahsoka figure ;-).
But guys…now that I have one Elite Series action figure, can I stop? Can I only have 2?! I suddenly want Jyn Erso and Rey as well…perhaps also Cassian Andor and Luke Skywalker, if one exists with him in his all-black Return of the Jedi outfit (obviously his sexiest outfit). Do I need them? No, but…I just really like them. I know most adult collectors typically keep them in the box, but I like being able to touch them and make them move. After all, they are action figures, aren’t they?! Also, I can hand them down to my children one day, if I ever have them. And they better play with them. But with care! But like, with liberty; I can’t be like the dad in The Lego Movie.
But really…I can’t buy anything for myself anymore. I’m cutting myself off! I already let myself indulge in a lot of retail therapy in result of this past presidential election (yes, my heart is still broken). In fact, one of those impulsive purchases that seeped from my melancholy was this beautiful Nightmare Before Christmas print and Tsum Tsum set by Spooksieboo (which is also where I got my bloody FN-2187 print that is on my wall). First, look at how she packaged them to me; it’s like a I got a little Halloween treat! And who else do you know sells their art with adorable little Tsum Tsums to match?! This artist is awesome and adorable.
The two prints are now officially the first Christmas decorations I have up, while I’m still working on where to put the perfect little Santa Jack Tsum Tsum. I love Santa Jack.
My favorite is the Sally with the Christmas tree!
I’m sorry to disappoint you, but…this bundle is totally gone. But, check out her other artwork, it’s all super cute, mostly zombies and Dia De Los Muertos style! And a lot of Nightmare Before Christmas stuff!!
That is my favorite lyric from my favorite song from my favorite Disney Princess movie, The Little Mermaid! Did you know that it’s the 27th anniversary of when that was released?!
Happy Birthday, Little Mermaid!!
Thank you for giving me my favorite princess, Ariel, as well as my favorite prince, Eric!!
This glorious pearl of a film is not much older than me, so that’s probably why I have grown up with it and loved it my entire life. My love has only grown over the years; each time I watch it, I find something new to love. I also think it’s my love of it and the characters, mostly Ariel and her sisters, that also make me enjoy watching the stupid prequel The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning. Don’t have hope; it’s a dumb story, I just love me some Ariel and her sisters and there at least a handful of hilarious moments! The sequel, on the other hand? Yeah, it’s actually insulting to even think of that atrocity on this special day of Little Mermaid legacy, so…let’s just not!
Like my Star Wars apparel collection and my Rolling Stones collection, I do have a lot of Ariel shirts. Obviously it’s necessary; she is my favorite princess! I’m sorry to disappoint, but I actually didn’t gather my collection of Ariel shirts/sweatshirts/socks/etc out of pure laziness. But unlike my Star Wars and Rolling Stones collections, I don’t have an Ariel dress…yet! I actually recently ordered myself a shorter version of one of my favorite Ariel outfits from Hot Topic:
It’s cute enough to wear on a normal day, isn’t it?! Seriously; I can’t wait to bust it out on date night or even to the next comic convention!
As far as less costume-like and just simple dresses that showcase my admiration…I don’t have it yet but I will someday hopefully soon-ish, this beautiful tattoo-styled Ariel print dress, also from Hot Topic:
I NEED it!! Also, I might want it because I’m particularly fond of tattoos…I do want an Ariel tattoo someday; I’m thinking of possibly having her next to R2-D2, taking the place of another dear Disney Princess, Leia, giving him vital information. How adorable would that be?!
Speaking of showing off my love of Ariel, I recently put up some artwork I’ve collected over the last year on my wall. Don’t judge by the way it’s arranged and old nail marks still in the walls…and I know it’s crooked and uneven. It’s not final yet! I just wanted to finally have them up:
That is one of the many moments giving me hope and chills in one of the latest Rogue One trailers. It is spoken by the beautiful Diego Luna:
An American with Mexican heritage, I have had a devastating week. I’ve never intended for this blog to touch on politics and that’s not changing now, but that doesn’t that mean I can hide my heartache and disappointment. I’ve lost count on how often I’ve cried reflecting on how half of the country elected an unqualified “business” man who has had several bankruptcies, cheated employees out of payment, called Mexican immigrants as a whole rapists and criminals, mocked the disabled, mocked our own veterans that happened to be prisoners of war when this man himself has dodged the draft several times, normalized talk of sexual assault and abuse, called for identification systems for Muslims (sound familiar? Hitler did that to the Jews) and has been endorsed by the KKK. People say to me, “oh Rita, you’re American, you’re okay”. Well no shit, I’m American. But the kind of people that that man has incited a hatred of minorities in…those people see no difference in someone whose family recently immigrated here to someone who has been here for 4 generations now. All they see is our brown skin. And this despicable excuse for a man chose one of the most anti-gay politicians I’ve ever seen to be his running mate. I fear for all of us who are different. I mourn the struggles some have already faced in the wake of this tragedy and I grieve the future to come. I have no hope anymore.
So, I have decided to continue thinking about the things that make me happy…naturally, one of those things is Star Wars and how close we are to the first stand-alone Star Wars story, Rogue One! I need this movie so badly right now. I need Jyn Erso’s earnest hope and glowing determination. I need Captain Cassian Andor for his darling Mexican self being a leader. I need the severely war-scarred Saw Guerrera for his passion and for his Clone Wars ties; the fact that we are seeing a character from the Clone Wars series in a live action film is just amazing. I just need all of it so much. I need this small group of diverse people coming together to fight something much bigger than they are, to fight the evil and oppressive Empire. I need to see them get those Death Star plans. I’m honestly quite in love with Jyn and Cassian in what I’ve seen in the trailers so far; Jyn in all of her ass-kicking glory, saying “We have hope. Rebellions are built on hope.”, Cassian saying “make 10 men feel like 100,”.
Surely you have heard of a coping mechanism known as retail therapy…I couldn’t help but engage this past weekend when I saw the exclusive Funko Pop! Captain Cassian Andor bobblehead at Target:
If/when I see this movie and fall in love with him, I also want the bobblehead of him in his blue coat that has very Han Solo-on-Hoth vibes:
And yes, that’s a hint to the people that know and love me who need ideas to buy me things for Christmas! Also, I still don’t have any of the ones of Jyn Erso. I need some, though. There’s several different versions of her; I love all of them except the one where she’s in the black Imperial suit. Obviously she rocks and looks amazing, but I just like the other ones that capture her true character’s essence. So, preferably her main outfit, hood or no hood.
Look at how perfect Cassian Andor looks next to fellow Star Wars Latino Poe Dameron:
However, while I love Poe in his flight suit, I want one without his helmet. Because mmmmmmmmm:
The one that I want that embodies this sexiness is a Wal-Mart exclusive, but I’ve found a few on eBay. I’m probably just going to buy him for myself the next time I’m feeling really down. But I’ll cut myself off just for this week, because just today, I also required this Funko Pop! bobblehead of another Star Wars rebel:
Finally got the Mandalorian-masked Sabine from Star Wars Rebels at just the second Walgreens I checked! She fits in pretty well with the rest of my darling Funko Pop! Star Wars bobbleheads:
Christmas list opportunity for people that love me: I don’t even know if they will be released in time, but Funko Pop! is set to release more Star Wars Rebels bobbleheads. Sabine and Ahsoka were the first ones, and they both exclusives; Sabine to Walgreens and Ahsoka to Hot Topic. I’m pretty sure the other figures will be everywhere that these little guys are typically carried, like Target, Wal-Mart, Hot Topic, etc. All I want is Hera. Perhaps Kanan and Ezra as well, but all I need is Hera:
I love having all of my favorite Star Wars characters together like this. Keep them coming, Funko!
OH, and back to Cassian and Poe making me so happy because they’re both sexy and Latino (like me 😉 )….I love all of the diversity that’s coming through this franchise lately. Yes, there were always some there ( like Lando by the wonderful Billy Dee Williams), but it’s nice to be getting more. Especially more Latinos! Yes, of course I’m bias. But it’s just so fun. Also, I’m in love with Oscar Isaac.
And guys…I’m not forgetting Jimmy Smits, aka Bail Organa, aka Leia’s beloved adoptive father.
He’s of Puerto Rican descent, which is amazing, of course. It made me so happy so see him even just for a moment in the first season of Star Wars Rebels; he bends down to R2-D2 just like his daughter and that image just makes my heart smile. He’s a wonderful character. But sadly…we don’t really get that much of him in the films. In Clones Wars, yes. He’s an incredibly vital character but he is not a main character.
That’s why I’m so excited for my fellow Latinos because now, they are among the leading stars in these movies. I just hope it keeps coming and we get even more diversity as these projects continue. It’s just beautiful to see; one of the things I love about Star Trek and Gene Roddenberry’s vision for it is the diversity, so it’s lovely to see Star Wars follow that lead.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe it was Lin-Manuel Miranda that tweeted his excitement about seeing Diego Luna in the Rogue One trailers all like “YESSSSS LATINOS IN SPACE”. So now Latinos in Space is a thing; a trending topic, a hashtag, whatever you consider to be hip. And I adore it. I WANT TO JOIN MY FELLOW LATINOS IN SPACE!! Speaking of which…look at this adorable and sexy piece of art by a lovely artist named Mariana Avila:
I need it on my walls! It makes me so happy, it’s just so perfect and cute! Of course, it’s called Latinos in Space!
I’m tempted to buy it right now; it’s 10% off with free shipping until midnight! But…it would just add on to the things I’ve bought this week just because I’m massively depressed. But hey, sometimes materialism has a purpose, however shallow, silly, or brief it may be.
Oh, Jyn Erso…as an American going through this election right now, I could use your optimism and hope. I’m actually watching The Force Awakens right now as an attempt to alleviate my anxiety. So I’m just going to keep talking Star Wars to keep myself at peace.
Guys, ROGUE ONE IS SO CLOSE NOW!!! I somehow have refrained from buying any of the new apparel for the film, but here’s what’s making me want to break that:
Both tees by Junk Food Clothing…who pretty much always make super cute and comfy graphic apparel. I bought a JFC The Who shirt from Express recently and I just adore it.
I think I’m mostly enthralled by the tropical setting…I love the palm trees. I absolutely love this scene, it’s honestly one of the coolest Star Wars scenes I’ve ever seen…and it’s merely from the trailers!
And I’m normally not thrilled by stormtroopers, but OH. MY. GOD. This image, man. I never knew how badly I needed Star Wars and palm trees until these trailers came out.
I think I’ve just briefly discussed my Disney Tsum Tsums before, but I must update you on what I call my little Spider Squad + Gamora:
Aren’t they precious?! I have Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man, Miles Morales, Spider-Woman, and Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy on side of my car, accompanying me on my everyday travels. Spider-Woman makes an appearance in the Spider-Gwen comics, but I haven’t read any of her own comics. Nor have I read of Miles Morales, I must admit…but I needed him. He is half Hispanic and half African American! I love seeing more diversity in comics and superhero movies lately, being a minority myself. I am a half-breed as well (as Cher would call me), and also half Hispanic like Miles Morales!! Also, his Spider-suit is black and red, which is my favorite color combination. I couldn’t resist him. You can get your own adorable little Marvel buddies at the Disney Store!
Also, Spider-Gwen and Spider-Woman aren’t my newest additions to my Tsum Tsum traveling buddies gang:
I got Jango Fett and Aayla Secura from their latest Star Wars collection! While I think Boba Fett is overrated (but still makes for a cool car coaster, as you can see with my little Aayla), I love Jango. Perhaps it’s my love of the Clone Wars, and having been able to get to know his clones better through that show. Or maybe it’s just that I like his color scheme better…who knows!! (Okay, it’s the color scheme…)
And my little Aayla…I love Twi’leks. I love their lekku. That’s why I have her on the lower level of my car, so I can see her lekku more! So here’s a better shot of that, as well as a side shot so you can see her blue lightsaber:
Obviously, they’re not my only Star Wars Tsum Tsums!
I still want more. They’re barely fitting in these tiny spaces in my car now but I still want more! I want most of the other Star Wars characters they sell, more of the Marvel ones like Captain America, and of course the classic Disney ones, like Princess Aurora from an upcoming Sleeping Beauty collection. I have a plan if I decide to go crazy and buy all of the ones I want…first of all, don’t judge me. They’re reasonably priced/somewhat cheap, and after they have been at the Disney Store for a while, they go to stores like Wal-Mart and Target for a little bit cheaper! But anyway; if I end up getting all the little cuties I want, I plan on sticking them with double-sided velcro on my dashboard, like my Hula girl, Lolita. Well, not exactly on my dashboard; just right under the bottom of the front window? I don’t know car part terms, okay. I would just have them lined up against the window with the velcro on the bottom so they wouldn’t be rolling all over the place while I’m driving.
In other nerdy collectible news, Star Trek Beyond came out this week and I got the Best Buy exclusive Steelbook edition simply because I love the cover. It’s just like the poster they released when the movie was in theaters that was a throwback to the original poster of the first Star Trek motion picture. Also, I have a hook-up, so I also got a Starfleet pin this week:
They both look so perfect with my little Jaylah Funko Pop! figure!
You probably already know at least one song from this album…it’s called The Stroke. I love it and hate it. It’s catchy and rocking, but lyrically silly and stupid compared to everything he has ever released. I think it’s just tainted for me, though, because it constantly overshadows the rest of his brilliance. I remember one time on VH1, when they still aired programming all about music, they had some sort of countdown of the greatest rock songs ever. The only Billy Squier song that made the cut was the Stroke, and this still bothers me. I mean, it’s not like they air that special anymore, but when they did, how many viewers saw it and immediately disregarded looking into Billy Squier’s whole catalog because of that one song?! That thought hurts my heart. After all, if it’s the only song by him on a list of the supposed greatest rock and roll, if I wasn’t familiar with his music I would just be like “oh, so that’s the best he’s got?” and not be interesting in pursuing his albums. But it’s really not!! It’s not even the best on the album it comes from!!
“You’re no stranger, you know what I like…”
This whole album is awesome, but here are my highlights:
I Need You-it’s romantic and a bit dramatic but it’s not quite a ballad. It’s still rocking and awesome.
My Kinda Lover- also romantic and rocking without being your typical ballad. It’s just a sexy rock song. This might be my favorite on the album.
In the Dark-also dramatic but less romantic. “Do you need a friend, would you tell no lies? Would you take me in? Are you lonely here in the dark?”
You Know What I like- “I fell into your face before I ever knew your name”. Clearly about an encounter with a new lover. I don’t normally enjoy songs about one-night-stands and the like but I love this one. It’s awesome. It’s rocking and sexy, like many other songs on this album.
Lonely is the Night- this might be the best song (and yes, My Kinda Lover is still my favorite). “Lonely is the night when you find yourself alone. Your demons come to light, and your mind is not your own”. It’s just epic and belongs in a movie’s soundtrack; your main characters are suddenly stranded in a strange land and they don’t know what to do. All you hear is this song and suddenly you panic and want to party at the same time.
This isn’t even the only Billy Squier album that I own that is amazing, so look forward to another album spotlight to get know him better!!
Okay, so this time it’s actually Vogue doing the ridiculous body-shaming. According to the high-fashion magazine, cleavage is no longer fashionable. In this infuriating article, not only is it claimed that classic cleavage and glamorous plunging gowns are no longer seen on the red carpet, but that women should be less pressured to buy underwire bras because bras do not matter anymore.”Bralettes” are proclaimed to be the new bra standard, but that’s just dumb. Do you know what “bralettes” are? They are light, usually unlined bras lacking underwire. Sure, they’re a big thing at Victoria’s Secret now, but I always saw them as casual or for layering. Shit, I sleep in them. I guess now they are being marketed to wear as normal bras, which is silly. As a woman who wears a DD cup, I can assure you that I couldn’t possibly get away with wearing a bralette under my work polo or even a t-shirt. Because the bralettes cater to the petite-chested:
“The end of cleavage does not mean the path to a more realistic, more diverse, more empowering world of female body image has got any easier. But at least we get to make the journey in more comfortable underwear,” UMMM, SPEAK FOR YOURSELF. This new “trend” of less supportive bras for the sake of being fashionable is not comfortable for us women who have boobs. I actually love lacey underwire bras; they support me and I feel glamorous. I feel like Marilyn Monroe. I don’t have to worry about things peeking through or popping out when I move.
Now, I’m not here to body-shame the skinny and flat-chested women out there. I’m just trying to point out the injustice of this new “trend” to simply not really have boobs. You know what’s trendy now? The braless “70’s boob” look. However, us busty gals cannot achieve this look without major weight loss or deduction surgery. The Guardian article supporting the new Vogue statement uses Michelle Phieffer as an example of the ideal look of modern breasts:
Only tiny women can possibly get away this kind of look. I can’t help but think that’s got to be uncomfortable; for me and other curvy women, that’s just a lot of bouncing during every day life that is a pain and a nuisance. The article goes on to acknowledge that this look is for women who have small boobs or surgically enhanced boobs because they won’t need a bra. Again, I’m really not trying to put down petite-breasted women, but here is where I became angry: “breasts piled together like a pair of cream buns do not make a subtle statement,”. Ummm, fuck you. No, seriously, screw off. Some of us that were blessed/cursed with big boobs simply cannot help having cleavage. We don’t have to try and it’s just there. Like, earlier this week, I dressed up as Rey for Halloween. Rey, one of my perfect Star Wars idols, is played by the beautiful, darling, and badass Daisy Ridley. I had been sitting next to my mother in my costume on Halloween morning watching Ghostbusters (2016 ladies version) and she turned to me, shocked and somehow almost offended: “Geez, does Rey have that much cleavage going on?”. You know what, mother? She doesn’t. She’s very small in that area but damnit, I am not. So I had to layer my outfit and wear two tank tops to cover up the cleavage and even then I struggled; my mom embarrassed me in front of my family by walking by and pulling up one of my tank tops while I was mid conversation with a family member. I know she meant no harm, but things like that just instantly make me feel guilty. I truly wasn’t trying to show off my ample cleavage while at a family gathering. Do you know how annoying it is to be busty and constantly pull up whatever you’re wearing, Vogue?! DO YOU?! Do you know how annoying it is when you buy a cute top at Express and then you put it on and you didn’t realize that the scoop-neck style would just fall so low on you?! On the rack (no pun intended), it honestly appeared to be a regular, casual tee-shirt. But it wasn’t on me. ALL I WANTED WAS TO HAVE THAT PRETTY PINK AND WHITE TYE-DYE TOP. I DID NOT ASK FOR THE CLEAVAGE OR ANTICIPATE HAVING TO LAYER THAT TOP TO TRY TO MAKE SURE SOMETHING IS MORE SECURE ON MY CLEAVAGE.
(P.S., here’s my costume in case you were wondering! With the fabulous vest and armwarmers by Elfhoffer Design)
And I shouldn’t have to feel like I can’t wear certain things because people will be judging or staring, or now, saying that I’m out of fashion simply because I’m busty. So, fuck you, Vogue and insignificant Guardian writer.
Here is the beautiful and voluptuous Scarlett Johansson to further iterate my point:
We all feel a little self-conscious at times; you’re not helping by telling so many women that the way they are naturally is just not fashionable.
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