“You try to scream, but terror takes the sound before you make it,”

October 31, 2016April 30, 2017 ~ lovelyritatheseeker ~ Leave a comment

Another one of my favorite lines from Thriller! Can’t stop jamming to my own Halloween Playlist.

Speaking of Halloween, I’ve got my costumes ready! Yes, that’s plural; I have a costume for a Halloween party this weekend, and then another to wear on Halloween.

First up, my friends and I all decided to dress up as Stranger Things characters and go out together the Saturday before Halloween. Actually, we had previously discussed going out dressed up that weekend together, but the theme our group costumes was decided without me. They even declared which character I would be! But it honestly felt very fitting, so I was cool with it. Then, we found out there was going to be a Stranger Things themed Halloween party in the city that weekend, so naturally we decided that was where we were going to go all dressed up together.

I decided that this was the most memorable and accessible look of Nancy Wheeler:

I present to you, my rough cut of my Nancy Wheeler look:

So, her coat…doesn’t seem that unique, right?! Seems like a common enough style that would be easy to find, right?! WRONG! Luckily we all started shopping for our looks a month ago; I only just found this online a week and a half ago from JustFab. It’s a membership website, so I got it for 75% off, which was amazing because the only other coat I found that was close was from Forever 21 and it was $50 with no sales or anything going on. This jacket would normally be $70, I paid under $20 for it!! The rest was easy; got a plaid button-up shirt that had Nancy vibes on clearance from Old Navy, gloves from Target that were $3.50 that I just cut the fingers off, and I found my monster-hunting bat at Five Below. The bat was also hard to find; I kept looking for toy bats at Target and Walmart that would still look like a real bat, but they were always themed or too plastic-looking. I also checked out Party City and those awesome, temporary little Spirit of Halloween stores; when inquiring about a toy bat, the Party City employee told me that they only had bats for a short while and they sold out fast because they were the Suicide Squad Harley Quinn bats. I knew a ton of people would be dressed up as Harley Quinn but I forgot she also had a bat. My dad suggested Five Below and that ended up being the winner! Got myself a foam bat that looks realistic for under $5!

Honestly, the top part of her outfit was the most important part. I wore dark skinny jeans (rolled up because I am too short) with black booties and it looked pretty perfect.

And here’s the final look from the party:

(All pictures except that last one are with my best friends as Eleven, Barb, and Dustin; we found a Joyce Byers and a demogorgon with his own little wall and had to take pictures with them, of course.)

It was an oddly warm night to begin with in Chicago, and I was just way too damn hot in that coat to keep it on all night. And I already made my own Nancy outfit to not be as warm as it actually is; on the show, she wears a sweater over a plaid button-up shirt…I was simply not having that. That’s way too many layers! I thought my coat would be enough for people to know I was Nancy, but I just couldn’t wear it all night at this hopping ping pong bar. I think my fingerless gloves and my baseball bat helped confirm that I was Nancy, though:

In case you were wondering, the Stranger Things themed party at the ping pong bar was fantastic. Awesome decorations, snacks, drinks (I had a yummy drink called Purple Rain), and so many 80’s songs all through the night. I danced so much. There were plenty of Elevens and a handful of Barbs but I was the only Nancy! Also, doing a group costume is just so delightful. I had only done couples and best friends costumes before; when Black Swan came out, my Eleven that you see here dressed as the White Swan while I was the Black Swan; together, we were the Swan Queen.

As for my other Halloween costume this year?? I have only tried it on a few times, but I’m going to wait to show you the final product. For now, here is just a tease:

Yup, I’m going to be my darling hero, Rey, from the end of The Force Awakens!! I love her other outfit as well, but this one is my favorite. And when I saw that Elhoffer Design was going to be releasing a cardigan vest and arm warmers like Rey’s second outfit, I couldn’t resist! Stay tuned for the full look and go buy this if you also favor Rey’s second outfit; it’s made so well, amazingly soft and just so perfect.

Happy Halloween Eve!!

“This is Halloween…in this town we call home, everyone hail to the pumpkin song,”

October 19, 2016April 30, 2017 ~ lovelyritatheseeker ~ 2 Comments

“LA LA LA LALA LA LA LA LALA LA…..WEEEEE!!!!”

Yes, I adore the Nightmare Before Christmas. And the soundtrack is a delightful time during Halloween, Christmas, and actually, all year-round if you just love this movie and delightful movie scores like I do. But, since we are in the Halloween season, we’ll just focus on that for today.

Are you throwing a Halloween party soon? Are you in need of some festive pumpkin songs? Well you are in luck, because I’m not only going to share the playlist I made for myself and my family to listen to on Halloween three years ago, but also additional songs I have thought of since I made that original CD.

And no, the order doesn’t matter; I always shuffle my playlists anyway.

Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr.
Scooby Doo, Where are You by….okay, I don’t actually know…on my iPod it just says it’s from my Cartoon Network CD and that’s it…
I Want Candy by Bow Wow Wow (you could also go with the original version but I like this one)
Fire by the Crazy World of Arthur Brown (one of my favorite songs ever…both super 60’s and slightly scary)
Season of the Witch by Donovan
Hungry like the Wolf by Duran Duran
Iron Man by Black Sabbath
Love Potion Number Nine by the Searchers (this song includes a gyspy making potions; trust me, it’s relevant)
Paint it Black by the Rolling Stones (another one of my favorite songs ever)
This is Halloween by Danny Elfman from Nightmare Before Christmas (if you want extra creepy vibes, go with Marilyn Manson’s version. Or both, like I do!)
N.I.B. by Black Sabbath (I was jamming so hardcore to this in my car today)
Five to One by the Doors (one of my favorites of theirs that I find both sexy and eerie; Jim Morrison is all like “I love my girl, she lookin’ good”, and then there’s this almost tribal kinda chant that I enjoy)
Devil Inside by INXS
Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down (because what kind of Halloween party is it if there isn’t someone dressed as a superhero?)
Voodoo Child by Jimi Hendrix
Weird Science by Oingo Boingo (it is the song from modern day 80’s fairytale version of Frankenstein, after all) (fun fact: this is ALSO Danny Elfman 🙂 )
Sympathy for the Devil by the Rolling Stones
Devils by Say Hi (the only good thing to come out of the disaster that was Scream 4)
Bullet with Butterfly Wings by the Smashing Pumpkins (“the world is a vampire…” Also, PUMPKINS)
Creatures of the Night by Kiss (quite the underrated 80’s tune)
Howlin’ For You by the Black Keys
People are Strange by the Doors
Fire by Jimi Hendrix (although Jimi is clearly talking about sexuality (which could also work at a Halloween party 😉 ) , also think “fiery pits of Hell”)
Thriller by Micheal Jackson (I love this song so much. From Vincent Price, to the lyrics “girl I could feel you more than any ghoul could ever dare try”, to the dance…it’s perfect.)
House of the Rising Sun by the Animals (badass 60’s tune that can be creepy in the right setting)
Billion Dollar Babies by Alice Cooper
Ballad of Dwight Fry by Alice Cooper (perhaps these ones and the ones by Black Sabbath you can take out if there’s tiny children at this party; they might find them a bit too freaky.)
Welcome to my Nightmare by Alice Cooper
Poison by Alice Cooper
Feed My Frankenstein by Alice Cooper (I know, so much Alice Cooper, but the guy’s concerts themselves are horror shows. It would just be wrong not to include a good amount of Alice Cooper. He’s the King of shock rock, of scary rock and roll)
Hells Bells by AC/DC (if this isn’t the coolest intro you’ve ever heard, I don’t know if we can be friends)
Boris the Spider by the Who (I just love the weird, deep, almost scary voice John Entwhistle does here.)
Bark at the Moon by Ozzy Osbourne (optional; not one of my favorites, but of course it’s Halloweeny)
Raise the Dead by the Hollywood Vampires (my beloved Alice Cooper strikes again; I’ve talked about this fantastic band before)
My Dead Drunk Friends by the Hollywood Vampires (probably my favorite of theirs; “standing all alone here, in a tavern full of ghosts,”)
White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane (You know, make that person that’s dressed up as an Alice in Wonderland character feel special. Also, I find this song to be both trippy and intense)
In the Evening by Led Zeppelin (this one isn’t super creepy (except perhaps the beginning) or anything, but simply it’s just too cool not to have playing at a party)
Pet Cemetery by the Ramones (admittedly not one of my favorites of theirs but it’s pretty decent, and will make people think of the movie and then they’ll be a bit scared)
Blood and Roses by the Smithereens
Miss Murder by AFI (ahh, brings back such fond memories of the music video with the black bunnies)
Helter Skelter by the Beatles (you know I am obsessed with and adore the Beatles, but this song just freaks me out. It’s so rough and aggressive. Plus, there is that sad, forced connection made by the delusional and murderous Charles Manson)
Blue Jay Way by the Beatles (sure, this is mostly just trippy, but ever since a dear friend of mine described a nightmare that contained this song, I can’t listen to it as just a psychedelic song. There’s some weird thing about it…like, something is following you and then chasing you)
Moving in Stereo by the Cars (sure, a lot of you probably think of this as a sexy song because of Fast Times at Rigdemont High, but I don’t simply because the lyrics say otherwise. It’s kinda suicidal and creepy, really.)
Hurdy Gurdy Man by Donovan (I don’t necessarily find this song creepy, but I think its’ general, but beautiful weirdness just make it fun to listen to)
A Girl Like You by Edwyn Collins (not really creepy, but just awesome and mysterious, and also the lyrics “you’ve made me acknowledge the Devil in me, I hope to God I’m talking metaphorically”)
Evil Woman by Electric Light Orchestra
Monster Mash by Bobby Pickett (bet you thought I was going to forget this Halloween classic! You were wrong, I love this song!)

Okay, so that’s mostly it…

BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!!

Guys, as I’ve talked about the greatness of Scooby Doo before, and I obviously included the very first/original TV show’s theme song as part of the playlist, I have more Scooby songs for you if you have an open mind and heart…OR, if you’ve seen the glorious Scooby Doo on Zombie Island, please remember these surprisingly rocking soundtrack tunes:

First up: The Ghost Is Here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeEcs_YCd84

Saving the best for last:

Also, less loved in my heart as Terror Time but still pretty awesome is Hex Girls from Scooby Doo and the Witch’s Ghost:

I hope you enjoy my playlist as well as my additional suggestions, and if you have any awesome Halloweeny songs I missed, tell me, I’d love to know!

“Help me if you can, I’m feeling down,”

October 17, 2016April 30, 2017 ~ lovelyritatheseeker ~ Leave a comment

Do you ever overwhelmed by the weight of life? I do! All the time! When that happens, I goof around and do things like this:

One seemingly mellow afternoon, John and Ringo were strolling when they suddenly ran into a strange obstacle:

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“I’m telling you, John. It’s not mine. I love Keith Moon, but I certainly don’t share his love of instrumental destruction.”

“If you say so, Ringo. But then how do you suppose it got here?”

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“Fellas! I think I know where this came from!”

“Well go on, tell us, Ozzy,” Ringo pleaded.

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“This broken drum set must have been dropped by the monochrome clowns that have been running around over here lately!”

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“Who the hell are you? What are you doing with my drums?!”

“You mean this broken joke of a drum kit?!”

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“How dare you! That’s it, you’re going down!”

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The two leaders and their egos gravitated towards each other. But, something came over the both of them.

“Peter, he’s another drummer,”

“Yeah, Ringo…give Peace a chance,”

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“Man, they’re right,” Peter said, embracing this epiphany that they were destined for friendship.

“I’m sorry I insulted your drum kit, mate.”

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“It’s all good! Let’s drum with our souls!”

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Paul and Ace joined the magic. They wondered where George and Paul were; Ringo informed them that they were on vacation but would surely be sad to be missing this.

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John assured everyone that George and Paul were there in spirit. (Yes, and in the background).

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And they lived happily ever after, as they rocked and rolled all night and partied every day.

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“And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”

DISCLAIMER: This story unfortunately does not contain entirely accurate quotes by Ozzy Osbourne, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, Peter Criss, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, or Ace Frehley. Yes, sadly, this was all from my own imagination and boredom.

“I get by with a little help from my friends,”

October 11, 2016April 30, 2017 ~ lovelyritatheseeker ~ 2 Comments

I consider myself to be a good friend to those I admire and respect. So, I’m going to just up my status with a few friends even further by giving them what they’re asking me for: my list of Star Wars Clone Wars episodes that they MUST. WATCH. I own the entire series, so I consider myself pretty well qualified for this job. Also, look how cool my set is:

So, here are my recommendations/essentials:

Season One:

Cloak of Darkness
Jedi Crash
Blue Shadow Virus
Mystery of A Thousand Moons
Storm Over Ryloth (and the other episodes about Ryloth that immediately follow this one)
Hostage Crisis

Season Two:

Holocron Heist
Cargo of Doom
Children of the Force
Senate Spy (I found myself liking the Padme-heavy episodes a lot more than I expected to)
Brain Invaders
The Deserter (there is a hot magenta Twi’lek lady in this episode 😉 )
Lightsaber Lost
The Mandalore Plot (also watch the 2 episodes that follow, set on Mandalore as well) (also SAD ROMANCE THAT WAS TO NEVER BE)
The Zillo Beast (and the one that follows)
Death Trap
R2 Come Home (Mace Windu learns a very valuable lesson)
Lethal Trackdown (actually these last three all connect, I just like the titles)

Season Three:

Clone Cadets (warning: I watched this after a tragic loss in my life, and this episode had me sobbing)
Arc Troopers (if you like Kamino, where the Clone Troopers are…made? Bred?)
Sphere of Influence (my girl Ahsoka takes control and is awesome)
Corruption
The Academy (another Ahsoka gem)
Assassin (yet ANOTHER one where Ahsoka kicks some ass)
Hunt for Ziro (Ziro is a hutt. He’s pretty..interesting)
Heroes on Both Sides (for the Ahsoka AND Padme lover in me)
Pursuit of Peace
Nightsisters (some weird, scary witch shit)
Monster (more of that scary shit)
Witches of the Mist (yaaaaassss)
Overlords (oddly trippy)
Altar of Mortis (this episode traumatizes me because of what happens to Ahsoka)
Ghosts of Mortis (suuuuuuper cool, somebody gets a glimpse of their tragic fate)
The Citadel (and the one after it completes the story…hey, remember that Tarkin dude? 😉 )
Padawan Lost (Ahsoka giving hope and kicking ass)
Wookie Hunt (CHEWBACCA AND AHSOKA ARE FRIENDS OMG)

Season 4:

Water War (for the Admiral Ackbar fans, watch this and the next few that follow)
Shadow Warrior (this series proves that Jar Jar Binks was actually meant to be a cartoon. He’s actually endearing.)
Slaves of the Republic (and the one after this; it continues that story-line)
A Friend in Need (FEATURES WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN AHSOKA’S BOYFRIEND IF THE JEDI ORDER WASN’T SO STRICT AND WEIRD)
Deception (actually, parts of this episode bother me, but everyone watch it, I want your thoughts! This one and the next two episodes. Again, Ahsoka has badass and endearing moments)
Massacre
Bounty (stupid Boba Fett…AGAIN. I have left the other episodes he’s in a surprise)
Brothers (DARTH MAULLLLLL)
Revenge (MORE DARTH MAAAAULLLL)
A War on Two Fronts (GUYS, YOU MEET SAW GERRERA HERE. OH, NO BIG DEAL, JUST THE GUY FOREST WHITAKER IS PLAYING IN ROGUE ONE) (BUT HIS SISTER IS A B TO AHSOKA BECAUSE THEY HARBOR FEELINGS FOR THE SAME YOUNG MAN)
Front Runners (continuation of this story)
The Soft War
Tipping Points
The Gathering (little itty bitty Padawans get their crystals to construct their very own LIGHTSABERS and Ahsoka is their teacher!)
Bound for Rescue (if you like these learning younglings, watch this one and the one after it)
Revival (more DARTH MAAAUULLL)
Eminence (MAAAULLLLL GOES AFTER KENOBI)
Shades of Reason (Mandalore!)
The Lawless (GRAB YOUR TISSUES)
Sabotage
The Jedi Who Knew Too Much (I have trouble handling the treatment of Ahsoka but I love that Anakin sticks by her in these episodes)
To Catch a Jedi (such good stuff)
The Wrong Jedi (TISSUES. LOTS OF TISSUES. IT’S ALL NECESSARY BUT IT BREAKS ME)

The Lost Missions (aka, the incomplete Season Six):

The Unknown
Conspiracy (these next few episodes are super interesting and imperative to a deeper understanding of how Order 66 was planned and the downfalls of choosing Jango Fett as the one to clone)
Fugitive
Orders
An Old Friend (ANAKIN IS NOT COOL WITH OLD BOYFRIENDS)
The Rise of Clovis (HAVING A SECRET MARRIAGE KINDA SUCKS)
Crisis at the Heart (Guys, I swear…Luke and Leia were definitely conceived directly after the events of this episode. You’ll see the last shot of Anakin and Padme and IMMEDIATELY AGREE….BOW CHICKA WOW WOW)
The Disappeared, Parts I and II (even if you absolutely hate Jar Jar…I swear, try these episodes, it might heal those wounds. He’s better as a cartoon and there’s this lady ruler that wants that Gungan D like you wouldn’t believe but it’s hilarious)
The Lost One (more clone troopers background things….just remember a name they say in Attack of the Clones)
Voices (these next ones are intense focuses on Yoda)
Destiny
Sacrifice (you might be slightly traumatized by the images you’ll see)

Notice a pattern, by the way? The series just got better as time went by!!

“Picture yourself on a boat on a river, with tangerine trees, and marmalade skies,”

October 10, 2016April 30, 2017 ~ lovelyritatheseeker ~ Leave a comment

You know what badass lady has a delicate tangerine tint to her skin?! You guessed it: my hero, Ahsoka Tano!

I know what you’re wondering…and no, I don’t got a day without thinking about Ahsoka Tano. And lately, it’s just hard not to; wonderful things are happening! Just a few days ago, the Hot Topic Exclusive Funko Pop! Vinyl Bobblehead Figure was finally released in stores and online at HotTopic.com. Naturally, I bought her right on October 5th and it’s a good thing I did; online, they’re already out of stock! This was one of the few times that I was obsessively tracking my order online and just uber excited when it first told me it had shipped out:

And then she arrived and I was so happy! I considered doing an unboxing video, but eventually decided that I’m not that nerdy. (False. I just didn’t feel like setting that up because it would mean waiting longer to be with my little Ahsoka). Look at my stupid, happy face!

I can’t upload my own videos on here, but I want to because this Ahsoka Tano Funko Pop! Bobblehead is the greatest bobblehead ever! It’s probably her Togruta lekku that makes her bobble so epic.

In other Ahsoka news, the Young Adult novel that will bridge the gap between her time in between Clone Wars and becoming Fulcrum on Rebels is coming out tomorrow!! EEEEEEE!!!! I am so excited!!!! As a retail worker, I don’t want time to go any faster due to the impending doom that is the holiday season, but I have been begging for October 11th to get here so I can finally read Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston!! I haven’t heard of this author before, but I have faith. I know Dave Filoni has had an influence on the story, and I know he could never let anybody do wrong by this character. Also, look at this picture of the author with Ashley Eckstein, Ahsoka Tano herself, taken today:

Ashley Eckstein is rocking her Her Universe (do I have to tell you she’s the founder of Her Universe?!) Captain Phasma leather jacket and that beautiful Ahsoka’s Journey shirt (that I also have and it’s one of my favorites). Then, the author herself is wearing a Jedi cowl dress from WeLoveFine designed by the lady who runs her own Geek-chic line, ElhofferDesign. Not that you should necessarily judge people by what they wear…actually, I can’t say that with honesty. I do judge people by what they wear, but in a positive manner! If you’ve got a Rolling Stones shirt or some Star Wars apparel on, it’s just more likely that we will get along. I love fashion and I love all sorts of looks, and it’s amazing to see this nerdy girl fashion so often now. I’ve just always been attracted to expressive clothing, so naturally I love seeing that on other people as well. Also, you should always dress for the occasion, and they’re both perfectly dressed to do meet and greets for the long anticipated Ahsoka novel.

I’m just so excited for this book to come out, I wish I could burst into Barnes and Noble at midnight! I remember my friends doing that for the Harry Potter books back in the day; I was never into them enough. In fact, I’ve never been super excited for a book to be released, or least not a fiction novel (not counting autobiographies of my favorite rock stars). I’ve always discovered my books years after their release with very few exceptions. I didn’t even fall in love with the Hunger Games after I saw the first movie in theaters and decided I wanted to read the books, but if I was a fan prior to their releases, I would have definitely joined the madness waiting for the books to come out. I often only find my beloved books after seeing the movie version. So this truly is the first time I’ve been waiting months and counting the days until a new novel is released. Why am I excited, you ask? Oh gee, it has nothing to do with my obsession with Ahsoka! (Sarcasm). But, besides my insane love of this fantastic character, I’ve been really impressed with the Star Wars books that have been released within the last year and a half, especially Dark Disciple and Bloodline. I never read any of the Legends/Expanded Universe books when I was younger; I only liked the novelizations of the movies. For whatever reason, I didn’t crave more. I was fine watching the movies and the special features over and over on my fancy DVD set for several years. Now, that is obviously not the case. Opening myself up to the Clone Wars series was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! It brought me to my beloved Ahsoka and honestly, a deeper understanding and love of and for the prequels as well Star Wars as a whole.

OH! Do you know why Ashley Eckstein is tagging along for the book tour?! BECAUSE SHE DID THE AUDIO BOOK!! I’ve never bought an audio book, but this will have to be my first time exception. It’s just too perfect and glorious to pass up.

Speaking of the Legends novels, it was pretty cool to see Lucasfilm employees talk about the books they adored on the Star Wars After Show on Star Wars’ official Youtube channel. It’s cool to see how people expand their fandom, and fulfilling that can be. Watch these people, they’re pretty cool:

Also, what are your favorite Star Wars books?!

“War, children, it’s just a shot away, it’s just a shot away…I tell you love, sister, it’s just a kiss away, it’s just a kiss away,”

September 30, 2016April 30, 2017 ~ lovelyritatheseeker ~ Leave a comment

Happy Rogue Friday, everyone!! So, Rogue One merchandise is being released now and I am so excited!! I remember last year when they released a bunch of merchandise for The Force Awakens…I bought a lot of things that weekend…mostly clothes. It was the first time I had seen a whole section of Star Wars apparel at a Target, and it was such a lovely sight to see clothes for all genders and ages. I bought myself at least one of the ladies’ shirts I saw (I would buy a few more in the months to come) and a sweatshirt that I suppose was primarily made for men, but a size small was perfect for me. I didn’t buy any of the toys (except, of course, Rey and Poe Funko Pop! figures), but it was fun to look at them. I definitely want to at least take a gander at all of the new Rogue One toys that will come out this weekend. I’m especially excited for Jyn Erso items. I have a feeling about her being awesome…I had the same feeling about Rey when I saw her. I didn’t know exactly how awesome she was going to be, but I knew I would admire her.

Not only is an exciting time to be a female Star Wars fan when women are finally the lead stars in these movies, but it’s also an amazing time for Hispanic/Latino Star Wars fans like myself! First, we had the hunky and beautiful pilot Poe Dameron played by Guatemalan-born Oscar Isaac:

Now with Rogue One, we get Captain Cassian Andor, played by the adorable Mexican (half like me 😉 ) Diego Luna:

Guys, do I want him in that blue jacket,

Or, in his other outfit, which is a Target exclusive?!

They’re both insanely cute and fierce, I don’t know which one to get! I can’t decided on Jyn, either; there’s at least 3 different versions I’ve seen that will be released. Or should I wait until the movie comes out?! Ha, nah…I know I will love these characters, I feel it.

They will look so cute with my other Star Wars Pop! figures:

Actually, I’m going to need a bigger shelf, or maybe add another shelf within that shelf?! Because they all deserve to be seen.

Remember when I said that I do not collect Disney Infinity figures because I want to play with them? Well, that’s mostly true; I need the figures to play as those characters in the games. But, let’s be honest; if I could spend a few hours just playing with them, like I would have with my Star Wars action figures, Barbies, and Bratz dolls like I did when I was a child without feeling incredibly silly, I would. But perhaps that’s just my inner story-teller just wanting to work with something visible, tangible, even. I think that’s partly why I like collecting my Funko Pop! figures; they’re adorable little bobbleheads that are actually quite the hot thing to collect right now, so I feel somewhat socially validated for buying these little figures. Like, they’re meant to be collected by adults, right? Yet, I can’t keep them in boxes like most of the fellow adult collectors I know in person. I need them to be out and free, so they don’t suffer like stupid Jesse and my beloved Bullseye from Toy Story 2. Also, I like to tap their heads sometimes. I collected bobbleheads as a child, so I’ve really just modified that hobby a bit.

In addition these Funko Pop! figures I clearly need, there will be a few non-Rogue One-related Star Wars releasing this weekend, like another Ahsoka Tano Black Series figure that will be exclusive to Wal-Mart. I don’t have any action figures anymore, except for my ones of Ozzy Osbourne, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, Blue Meanie, and Jeremy (Yellow Submarine)…so it would be weird…or would it?! She is my favorite and I’m so deeply attached to her, it would make sense if I just collected everything I found of her. I’ve already been feeling regret at not trying to find this beauty when it came out (because now, it is impossible to find):

And this new one that’s coming out is part of a “vintage” collection…aka, she’s in her best outfit ever; her Clone Wars tunic:

Okay…I might need it..

BUT WAIT…back to the inclusion of females and minorities in Star Wars! I didn’t mean to get distracted by toys! It’s an important change in movies lately, more inclusion. Yet, it’s still not happening enough; there has been criticism about Tim Burton’s latest movie, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, and its’ lack of people of color. I remember seeing the trailer and noticing the only character who isn’t white is black and appears to be the evil character…I thought to myself “damnit, Tim Burton,”, because I’ve been a fan and supporter of his all of my life. I grew up being in love with Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, the Nightmare Before Christmas, and so forth. I consider him my favorite director, mostly because of my deep attachment to Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. I’ve defended him to people complaining that he won’t stop casting Johnny Depp and remaking movies….and then he does this to me. Sadly, he’s really been doing it to me this whole time. Hardly any of his movies have people of color. People of the internet have pointed out that his world is just overall kinda pale, and that’s sort of his aesthetic? But, is that a valid excuse? What’s more disappointing than anything was his explanation of this particular criticism:

First of all, people complaining about political correctness are annoying; these complaints are typically from white people who truly have no idea what it’s like to be a minority and be subjected to the worst stereotypes and slurs. I do understand the principle of not wanting to force anything simply for the sake of inclusion, but then…simply, don’t force it. It should be natural. Like…was Finn from The Force Awakens written as a black character? I don’t know for sure, to be honest, but John Boyega is perfect and darling and I think he was chosen because he was simply the right actor. Second of all….darling, I will always love your weird and creepy style and your drawings and such, but…right now, I kinda want to slap you. Of course you’re not going to complain that there should be more white people in movies…you know why? BECAUSE ALL OF FREAKING HOLLYWOOD FOR YEARS HAS BEEN PRIMARILY WHITE MOVIES. Alas, times are changing and at least these injustices are being recognized. And I’m also realizing this about my favorite movies lately; John Hughes is my other favorite directors, and not only are his films super white, but they’re also kinda racist; I’ve only noticed in the last few years how Sixteen Candles, one of my favorite movies ever, is terrible towards Asians (this realization was largely in part due to watching the show Fresh Off the Boat). I can’t dislike the movie, I’m far too attached; but I can acknowledge that it was a imperfect time. Shit, it’s still an imperfect time, but it is getting considerably better.

Speaking of which, this is old news by now, but please let me talk about how excited I was when I heard the hopefully true rumor that Zendaya is playing Mary Jane Watson in the new Spider-Man Homecoming with Tom Holland!! Then, please understand my disappointment in many people on the internet who were mad that Mary Jane was going to be played not by a white girl, but by a black one. And I freaking love red hair and Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane, but we’ve seen that already. Zendaya is technically mixed race, like me, so that makes it even cooler. I’m also sad because this was the second time I had ever heard this young woman being mentioned in the media involving racism. The first time I had heard about her, it was when stupid Guliana Rancic criticized Zendaya’s dreadlocks hairstyle at a Red Carpet event, saying it looked like this beautiful young lady “smells like weed” (she would later “apologize” by saying she merely was referring to a bohemian look (ha!)), while she praised one of those Jenner girls (I don’t respect them enough to figure out which one it was. They’re both awful, like their older sisters) with the very same hairstyle within that same week. One, Zendaya is absolutely gorgeous and fabulous. Two, Rancic is just a pityful reflection of the shallow celebrity-obsessed channel E! that she works on. Three, I’m sad that every time I heard Zendaya mentioned in pop culture news, it involved her being put down and pitted against white girls. Don’t worry, Zendaya slayed Rancic for her idiotic comments with such grace. And if she’s Mary Jane Watson…I’m so freaking happy and excited. Like, at this point, I’m just going to be sad if she’s not.

Also, while I actually strongly dislike rap and hip-hop, I adore this video of our possible Mary Jane Watson and Peter Parker (and friend) dancing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYuq2AC9M1c

Mugshot Monday #11

September 19, 2016April 30, 2017 ~ lovelyritatheseeker ~ Leave a comment

This week’s mug is far from your ordinary mug; it’s a mini mug!!

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I acquired this beautiful Beatles mini mug while I was in Disney World earlier this summer. I swear, I don’t intend for all of my mugs to be Disney-related in some way, it just happens! I found it in a little shop in England in the Epcot park! It was in a darling Beatles corner with t-shirts, lunchboxes, puzzles, and other fun things. I did consider that this might not necessarily be a useful purchase, being a mini mug, but that didn’t stop me; I have plenty of mugs I don’t actually use that simply become decor! Also, I could not resist the way Ringo Starr looks here. I love this photo session; I’ve seen other pictures from it and Ringo looks exquisite, sexy, yet still as adorable as always. P.S. yes, I am obsessed with Ringo, he’s my favorite!

The Beatles' final photography session, Tittenhurst Park, 22 August 1969....all I have to say is look at Ringo:

beatles...I may have pinned this before, I'm not sure, but I don't care because look at Ringo.:

God, I love them so much. Anyway, here’s my mini mug next to my Funko Pop! figures Jaylah and Spider-Gwen for scale:

Speaking of the Beatles, I just watched Ron Howard’s Eight Days A Week Beatles documentary on Hulu and it was amazing!! I saw an advertisement that was all like “you know the Beatles, but not like this,” or something of that vibe, and I thought to myself really, though? And I was delightfully proved wrong! I had no idea that while touring here in the United States, my darlings refused to perform in front of a segregated audience somewhere in the South (of course), and did not do the show until it was agreed that the audience would not be in sections marked by their race. It was a despicable time in America and it warms my heart to know that these men I’ve idolized my whole life took a stand against the huge injustice that was occurring. As a person of color myself (back then anyone that wasn’t white was considered colored, meaning my grandma of Mexican heritage had to use the water fountain and other things labeled for “colored” people), I found this particularly beautiful. Those men just keep giving me more reasons to love them. I will definitely be watching this many times and buy the DVD/blu-ray when it (hopefully) comes out.

“I won’t leave you…not this time.”

September 17, 2016April 30, 2017 ~ lovelyritatheseeker ~ Leave a comment

Just watching my idol kicking ass, as usual. Don’t mind me crying over here just because the season finale of the second season of Rebels has done all sorts of tangling with my emotions. Have I really become this sappy that I cry when I see Ahsoka cry, like in the episode Shroud of Darkness?! While in the Jedi Temple, realizing that her beloved master Anakin Skywalker had indeed become Darth Vader, I can’t help but cry with her:

Or see her say “Anakin” with such bewilderment and heartbreak, and when I see her walking into the temple after Vader limps away?!

Alas, it’s simply been an emotional Star Wars week for me:

I was watching The Force Awakens with my aunt and, it still hits me every time: when Rey cries, I cry! I can’t find any images from it, but it’s the scene after she touches the Skywalker lightsaber and Maz is all like “whoever you’re waiting for on Jakku…you know they’re never coming back…but there’s still someone who can” and tears stream instantly down Rey’s face, and then she says “Luke”. Oh, my heart!

Another night I was reading Claudia Gray’s Bloodline, and at the very end of a bombshell chapter, “Leia put her head down on her desk and allowed herself to weep”. I just felt so bad and it was so stressful! I’m not going to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read it yet, though.

Basically, when Ahsoka cries, I cry! When Rey cries, I cry! When Leia cries, I cry! Normal? I mean, probably not. Alas, I can’t help it!

On a happier note in my Star Wars love, I forgot to share my latest purchases showcasing the wonderful artwork of Lorna-ka! Here is a tank of all of the Ahsoka stages we have seen:

Here is the art alone:

And here is my epic Ahsoka trooper tee:

I got this beautiful, super cool, super comfy shirt at RedBubble.

I still need more. This artist is incredible and I have plans to buy more apparel with her artwork on it!!

“She asked me to stay and she told me to sit anywhere; when I looked around I noticed there wasn’t a chair,”

September 7, 2016April 30, 2017 ~ lovelyritatheseeker ~ Leave a comment

This classic Beatles lyric just makes me imagine a scene with Jaylah from Star Trek Beyond being her usual awesome self:

Oh, speaking of Jaylah, my little Jaylah finally has a buddy:

I got a little Funko Pop! bobblehead of Spider-Gwen! I finished one of my Spider-Gwen graphic novels that one of my best friends gave me and I loved it! How can I not love a spunky superhero who is a drummer in all-ladies rock and roll band when she’s not webbing around?!

My list of badass ladies to admire just keeps growing..but let’s go back to my number one: my Ahsoka Tano!! Season 2 of Star Wars Rebels came out on DVD and Blu-Ray last week so, that’s basically what I’ve been doing…sorry, productivity! I’m not done yet, because I’m savoring every episode and Rebels Recon, and perhaps watching some scenes over and over again, like Ahsoka’s battle scene with the Seventh Sister (voiced by Sarah Michelle Gellar aka BUFFY aka Freddie Prinze Jr.’s Wife!) in the “Future of the Force” episode. Ahsoka is just phenomenal, so elegant and fierce in her combat. Also, I tweeted about my wonderful purchase and I how spent the rest of that day and Freddie Prinze Jr. AND Ashley Eckstein herself liked my tweet!! It’s the little things that make my day.

Speaking of my idol Ahsoka, look what I have on my car now that I bought from AStickyObsession:

Is it weird I feel like she’s my little Jedi guardian? But really, this decal is amazing and I’ve never seen anything like it until I found this Etsy shop. There’s also a grown-up, Rebels version of Ahsoka that is amazing, but I chose this one because I’m more attached to her Clone Wars look. Speaking of Rebels, there’s an amazing one of Hera as well, but I don’t consider myself enough of a Hera fan to get it, but it’s pretty cool. There’s also a little BB-8 one I have my eye on to order possibly sometime in the nearish future.

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, I lack both the inspiration and the time lately. Alas, I’ll be back shortly, possibly returning with some book reviews! I recently purchased a Black Widow novel called Forever Red, and the cashier at the book store was curious how it would compare to the comics. I only just got into Spider-Gwen but now I need some Black Widow comics as well to compare to this novel I’m excited to read!!

Flashback Friday Album Spotlight: The Who’s A Quick One

August 26, 2016April 30, 2017 ~ lovelyritatheseeker ~ Leave a comment

I know, I wrote about a Who album the last time I did this, but I can’t help my love for them and all of their albums! Now this one is another early album for them, maybe about 3 years before Tommy.

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The only song I knew before discovering the album was Boris the Spider, the John Entwhistle-sung creepy little tune about a spider. At least, that’s the only song from this album I’ve heard play on classic rock radio stations over the past 20 years. I didn’t discover the true gems of this album until, of course, I was delving deep into the Who on my own. On this blu-ray I have where they discuss making Tommy, they first discuss how Pete Townshend was told to write a song nearing 10 minutes to fill the rest of this album. Pete, being the perfect musician he is, was simply baffled by this idea, considering popular songs back then were like, maybe a 2 minutes and 50 seconds long at the most. But he had that in mind; the song A Quick One While He’s Away is about 9 minutes long but it consists of different songs all put together to contribute to the same story. Before I bought the album for myself, I had watched two different versions of them performing this song. Then listening to the song on the actual album was another new experience for me, so I would absolutely recommend doing the same and listening to those two performances and then the album version…however, even though I know I’ve watched it several times before, the first one I watched from the Monterey Pop Festival is gone…so now you only get one. It’s still awesome and honestly it’s the better of the two performances. It’s from the Rolling Stones’ Rock and Roll Circus, which is actually pretty much how it sounds. That’s another DVD I recommend but that’s for another time…but right now I will tell you: unless you want to rip your ears off for fun, PLEASE skip the part when Yoko Ono performs by herself…ugh. But anyway, back to my darlings of the hour; this a fantastic performance all around, you can see just how fantastic of a band these guys were back then (with John Entwhistle and Keith Moon still alive). Watch Keith Moon absolutely slay the drums while he pulls himself backwards and honestly if he’s not the greatest drummer you have ever seen, I don’t understand you.

When my boyfriend and I saw the Who last year, they played this song and I went crazy. I adore this song and it makes me so happy, and somehow I did feel like I was the only person in my immediate surroundings that actually knew the song. Here is what the stage looked like when they performed this song:

Gorgeous…I still get chills when I hear Pete sing “am I back in your arms, away from all harm…it’s like a dream to be with you again, can’t believe that I’m with you again,”. Partially because I imagine him singing this to me, and also I just love his sweet angel voice.

Besides the track where the album gets its’ name from, this album is wonderful to listen to all the way through, but here are my highlights:

Run Run Run-opening track on the album that is just fun.
I Need You- my favorite part about this one is that it is written and sung by Keith Moon. While a phenomenal drummer, he typically didn’t contribute many lyrics or sang a lot, so this is a lovely gem. Also, I’m pretty sure that each member was forced to contribute whole songs for the album.
Heatwave- yes, this is a cover, but I love their version of it. Pretty sure that this was part of simply filling in the album.
Doctor, Doctor- now this is another John Entwhistle contribution. While Pete Townshend of course is the primary hitmaker, everyone deserves a lot of credit. This was truly the way bands were back then; everybody contributed something. That’s when a band was truly a band. But anyway, the song… It’s a fun little tune about a paranoid man thinking he has “every sickness there is to be had”. “Doctor, doctor, doctor, make me well, I’ve not got long to go now, I can tell,”.
Whiskey Man- yet ANOTHER John Entwhistle song! It’s not as great as the other ones but I enjoy this ode to an imaginary friend.

As I have mentioned earlier, the whole album is worth listening to, but other noteworthy songs on there include their versions of the Batman theme and Barbara Ann. Other originals worth noting are Disguises and So Sad About Us.

Until next time, keep on rocking!!

The Who during the filming of the Rolling Stones Rock & Roll Circus - December 11,1968:

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