“…and we’ll keep on fighting ’till the end,”

That’s what I have to tell myself when all but one of my squad is gone and I’m up against Sith Lord Count Dooku and the Jedi he appeared to have brainwashed into joining him:

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Anyone else addicted to the Star Wars mobile game Galaxy of Heroes?! No?? Let me tell you a little bit about the game that has consumed much of my free time and spit on any chance I’ve had to do anything productive.

First of all…it should come as no surprise to anyone that knows me well or has even looked this blog at least twice that I started playing the game to play as my darling Ahsoka Tano. I knew the game had both Clone Wars-era and Rebels-adult “Fulcrum” versions of the character and I thought it would be cool to have my squad have two Ahsoka’s! This goal took a while, though. First, I had Luke Skywalker, a Clone Sergeant, Chewbacca, an Ewok, and a Nightsister (from the Clone Wars), and a few more obscure characters I was less excited about. Within my first week or so of playing, they had a special event to get “shards” (which you need a complete collection of to get a character) for Ahsoka Tano (Fulcrum), so naturally I played a few rounds, then saw that the shards and items necessary for her for only $9.99 and I’ve never bought anything for a mobile game faster. This is her today, just a few weeks later, leveled up like a badass: IMG_2430

(And yes, you can still collect shards after getting the character to…power them further? I haven’t done it yet so I’m not entirely sure how it works.)

And while the Clone Wars Ahsoka Tano had already been a part of the game before this Fulcrum version came around, it took me a while after getting this Rebels Ahsoka before finally obtaining her younger self. Before I had her, I many battles where my adult Ahsoka faced her teenage self. It was weird yet not unfamiliar to be at war with myself;

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But now I have them both and it’s awesome. I wish I could have a whole squad of lady Jedi. But I just recently unlocked Luminara Unduli (mostly from the Clone Wars, but also seen in the background in Attack of the Clones) and I have two Nightsisters now, along with Hera Syndulla from Rebels, so I have some pretty kick-ass ladies on my crew. Before I acquired Luminara, I had this battle the other day which was almost an all-ladies squad, but I needed my tie fighter pilot this particular round:

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My Ahsoka’s are so beautiful together, aren’t they?!

Although I love this addictive RPG, it makes me do terrible things sometimes…you see, some battles, like Cantina and Galactic War battles, you can mix everyone together, dark side or light side, it doesn’t matter. But in the Dark Side and Light Side battles, your team members have to all be from one side. I’ve just so happened to collect more Light Side players, which is awesome for me, seeing that it is my true alliance, but I like some Dark Side characters too! I’m desperate for Darth Maul, Asajj Ventress (Count Dooku’s apprentice from the Clone Wars), and Captain Phasma…but right now I just have a variety of stormtroopers, a royal guard, and a few Nightsisters (who are sisters of Asajj Ventress so I keep calling them “Ventress” in my head even though I know it’s wrong). So while playing these Dark Side-only battles, I had to battle Ewoks:

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Guys, do you even know how terrible it is to hear an Ewok scream in terror as they fade away from the Universe? Play some Dark Side battles and you’ll also be traumatized. Look at them clutching their sides with pain. Heartbreaking.

It’s much easier to hear the pained cries of stormtroopers and other baddies like Boba Fett…especially Boba Fett…I love kicking his ass. Here’s my Fulcrum Ahsoka doing so, whispering “overrated” within her battle grunt:

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Alas…it’s a fun game. Here is my collection of heroes as of a few hours ago:

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Yes, that’s my beloved Rogue One fallen hero Bodhi Rook on the bottom line! And of course I have Zeb, even though when I click on him his face still freaks me out, and  Hera Syndulla as I’ve already mentioned. Moments after I took this picture I finally got all of the shards I needed to get Hera’s beautiful boyfriend, Kanan Jarrus:

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I haven’t even been able to play him yet but I’m so excited I have almost all of the Rebels crew now!! Just need Sabine Wren and Ezra Bridger, and you bet your bottom I’m working collecting all of those shards.

Aside from my Clone Wars and Rebels favorites, naturally my dream team would include Rey, Jyn Erso, Princess Leia, Cassian Andor, Poe Dameron, and I mentioned earlier Darth Maul, and then my last team picks would include Plo Kloon, and Aayla Secura…oh, and Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, but he would be a priority like Rey or Jyn…but the thing is, I could have had him already….up until last week, they had a similar sale like they had for Ahsoka (Fulcrum), only he was $20, probably because his particular character requires more shards. Every day I would look at the shop deals and contemplate it, thinking it would be so cool having Snips and Skyguy reunited, and also having a super sexy Jedi on the team; they use his Revenge of the Sith look for the character in this game. Every day I thought about it…and was like “no, Rita, THAT’S RIDICULOUS, IT’S JUST  A SILLY GAME ON YOUR PHONE, YOU CAN SPEND THE TWENTY DOLLARS ELSEWHERE”. But then, in its’ final hour, I told myself “BUT YOUR CLONE WARS AHSOKA’S POWERS GET BETTER WITH HIM ON THE SQUAD YOU NEED SEXY ANAKIN OMG AND IT’S LITERALLY ONLY $10 MORE THAN YOU SPENT ON CLONE WARS AHSOKA YOU GOOF” and this happened to be while I was home on my lunch hour and because I told myself to mull it over, I missed the deadline while I was eating and now I FOREVER LIVE IN REGRET FOR NOT HAVING ANAKIN SKYWALKER ON MY SQUAD.

I will get you someday, Anakin. SOMEDAY.

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Guys, don’t make the same mistake I did; just buy the characters you love when the opportunity arises, otherwise their shards are practically nowhere to be found and you’ll feel like this every day:

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“Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope,”

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These iconic words of our beloved Princess Leia are forty years old today. On this day in 1977, George Lucas gave the world Star Wars, now dubbed A New Hope. I know, I’m only 24, I haven’t been enjoying Star Wars for 40 years..but I have enjoyed it pretty much my whole life. Being introduced to this beautiful space fantasy is actually one of my earliest memories; I remember being on the phone with my aunt Adelaida, and she was describing the cover of the VHS tape she had just bought me. “It has Darth Vader’s face, which is all black and shiny,”. I was so excited. And this was 1995…I was just 3 years old and had no idea who or what Darth Vader was, but I believe the excitement in my aunt’s voice is what made me so excited. I don’t think I necessarily made this conclusion back then, but I think it must have been meant a lot to her to share this with me. A movie that she saw at least 17 times in theaters (she would often say 100 but who knows), a series that she’s adored so much…I think it was important for her to share it with me. Looking back on it now, she must have been so elated when I first watched the movie and loved it.  And I’m forever grateful for her introducing me to this world that I so adore, that I’ve loved all of my life, that inspires me and soothes me daily. And of course I still have the VHS with Vader’s “all black and shiny” face:

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And I’m pretty sure she bought me the other two, Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, either at the same time or shortly after, and I loved those two dearly as well…actually, it was Return of the Jedi that was constantly in my VHS player; it’s always been my favorite.

Alas, today is about 40 years of A New Hope! Again, I can’t really attest to those 40 years, but during my personal lifetime, Star Wars has always been there. From crushing on the beautiful Luke Skywalker played by Mark Hamill, to also crushing on his father, Anakin, played by Hayden Christiansen…to Diego Luna and Oscar Isaac, the first Latino men to lead in Star Wars. To the women I idolize, starting with the late Carrie Fisher, to her mother played by Natalie Portman, and to my current baes, Rey and Jyn Erso played by Daisy Ridley and Felicity Jones, respectively. I adore so many of the characters and relationships this saga has given us, and I’ve always loved them above everything else. I appreciate lightsaber battles and spaceships more now, but as a kid, the battles didn’t really excite me (because obviously I was a stupid child). But really, it was always Luke and Leia that cemented my attachment to these stories.

The only thing that’s really changed about my love of Star Wars is how I’ve been able to express it. When I was a kid, there weren’t many other kids I got to talk about it with. As the years went on,  I was ridiculed by my peers for loving it and letting it show. First, I believe, it was for wearing the beautiful watches that Burger King sold at the time of the theatrical release of Revenge of the Sith, the final prequel/what we all thought at the time would be the last Star Wars film we would ever receive. They were all double-sided and just the greatest watches ever. My favorite was the Darth Maul side of the Phantom Menace watch.

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I mean, it probably didn’t help that some days, I would wear all six watches at once on my tiny 13-year old arms, but still…no regrets.

The other item was a black t-shirt from Hot Topic with the beautiful Hayden Christiansen as Anakin Skywalker on it…I miss that shirt. Sadly, it is long gone…it didn’t fit me anymore anyway.

And yet, with my massive love for Star Wars, that was all I really ever had, aside from a t-shirt or two from the little boys section when I was little. It’s been amazing to see Star Wars fashion grow over the years, particularly for women, and while some people (like my parents) might think I have gone overboard with all of my t-shirts, sweaters, dresses, skirts, jewelry, etc….I don’t care, I’m just happy that all of these fabulous apparel has been available to me and I can’t help but buy so much even when I’ve probably already made up for lost time (when no such amazing things were available)  And I don’t care if you don’t like that I love Star Wars so much…I’m not that shy and vulnerable child anymore. I wear my love and express every way I can and want to. But back to the fabulous galactic wardrobe I have now…this is from under a year ago but it doesn’t reflect even my current collection, but just to give you an idea about how much Star Wars fashion I’ve acquired over the last few years or so:

If I had to guess without actually going through my closets right now, I’d say my collection has AT LEAST definitely doubled.

Guys, it’s not my fault…I just love this series and the characters so much and I love to express it!

Also I love dressing up as the characters, naturally…here is me as the ultimate rebel princess a few Halloweens ago:

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I think that’s just a testimony to how meaningful this franchise is; I’m dressing up as a character that I was introduced to when I was 3 years old in my adulthood, and I definitely plan on continuing to do so (whether it be at comic conventions, Halloween parties, or even just random days where I want to feel regal yet super badass and fabulous).

Happy 40th Anniversary, Star Wars!! May you continue to inspire all generations to come!

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“It surrounds us and penetrates; it binds the galaxy together,”

May the Force be with you on this lovely May the 4th! I mean, the Force is with me all the time, because every day of my life is Star Wars Day, but this little holiday is still fun, seeing what tributes people conjure up and, my favorite part, how many new items and sales various websites will have! I’ve actually already participated in one of those online sales because they started early yesterday!

In case you didn’t know, Hallmark has this adorable line of tiny stuffed animals called Itty Bittys. They’re kinda like Funko Pop! in that they’re collectible and of pretty much every cool franchise you can imagine, such as Disney, Marvel, DC, Star Trek, other cartoons such as Scooby Doo…just so many delightful things. I only have Star Wars ones at the moment:

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And shortly, thanks to a May the 4th special, I will have Sabine Wren and Ahsoka Tano from Star Wars Rebels!! They went on sale exclusively on Hallmark.com yesterday, just a day early. My girl Ahsoka is super popular, and Sabine is getting up there as well, so I didn’t hesitate to order them when I first saw that they were finally available.

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THEY LOOK SO CUTE!! I CANNOT WAIT FOR THEIR ARRIVAL! AND THEY WILL LOOK SO BEAUTIFUL WITH MY ITTY BITTY REY, LUKE, OBI WAN KENOBI, C-3PO, AND THE LONE JAWA!

These collections just happen by accident, okay?! But like….I still want Princess Leia and there’s also a Poe Dameron…because I need them…for reasons…

Speaking of collections….look at my Funko Pop! collection when I started it like maybe a year ago:

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And look at it as of today:

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And the ones on my desk at work (complete with a tiny and curious kitten):

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While I should be trying to be frugal, I’ve already began my Star Wars May splurge with the Itty Bittys and my order of this month’s Funko Star Wars Smuggler’s Bounty box…so who knows what will happen with other sales I will see this week… But guys…I need this box. It’s the 40th anniversary of Star Wars/A New Hope this year, and naturally A New Hope is the theme for this month’s box, so it’s clearly going to be even more special! I’m hoping for a cute Leia Pop! shirt or something…I’m pretty sure this is the Pop! it will come with:

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That’s pretty damn adorable, if you ask me. I can’t wait to see what else in this special anniversary box!!!

I would like to write this tremendous piece about how much Star Wars means to me and what my favorite moments are, but sadly, I just don’t have the time. I barely have time to write this now…and quite frankly, I’m only half sure why I even bother; I know nobody cares about this blog but me, but also, it’s fun to do these little projects for myself and focus on the things I love for a little while. I have been trying to organize this site a bit more, though; I’ve compiled everything I’ve written (I think?) on this site about Star Wars and put it all in a folder called…Star Wars!! Same for Disney, Marvel, Rock and Roll, and a few other things. So, if you’re really that bored, you can delve further into this obsession that’s enriched and consumed my life by checking out that particular folder!

“Welcome home.”

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Yup, I am watching Rogue One again…and yes, that means I am crying again as well. I just adore my beautiful heroes.

Speaking of heroes and feeling at home, I went to C2E2 (Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo) this past weekend! It honestly does feel quite welcoming, walking into a convention center surrounded by people dressed as characters from Star Wars, Marvel, DC, Disney, and every other beautifully nerdy thing you could possibly imagine. It’s also surreal and awesome to know that you’re in the same building as many of the people who give these characters life, such as Stan Lee and badass actors like Mike Colter (Luke Cage and Jessica Jones) and Millie Bobby Brown (11 of Stranger Things), just to name a few that graced us with their presence this weekend….not that I met any, but still; when you’re walking up the stairs to get some lunch and you happen to see the top of Stan Lee’s gray haired head in the distance…it’s pretty damn cool.

My friends and I got there a bit later than planned due to traffic, and we already had planned to leave before the evening due to our various plans, so I didn’t feel like I got to see everything I wanted to/there was to see. Also, it didn’t help that I waited in a massive line just for a frappucino from Starbucks…but I was craving caffeine and my head hurt. But anyway, I still ended up feeling fabulous dressed as Senator Padme Amidala in Attack of the Clones. My friend Hallie was dressed as Agent Peggy Carter and she was super popular! Both of our outfits were from two of my favorite clothing companies, Elhoffer Design and Her Universe! Here’s a few shots of us just standing around some comics (Emily is just her beautiful self; no costume necessary):

I paired the beautiful oversized Padme sweater with a $12 light blue maxi tank dress I found at Forever 21! And yes, I drew a beauty mark on my top left cheek…Natalie Portman has one; I had to! Although…mine was a bit bigger than hers, but like, I’ll just contribute that to this technically being my Mexican Padme look ;). I watched Attack of the Clones earlier in the week to confirm aesthetics for this look. She hardly wears this outfit but it’s one of my favorites, as I have mentioned before. And my hair is just not long enough or even fabulous enough to get anywhere close to her hairstyle here, so I just went with my normal hairstyle. After all, this is supposed to be a low-key day on Anakin’s newly discovered step-family’s moisture farm…but Padme is never completely casual. She’s always glamorous, even if she’s trying for a subtle look.

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I didn’t pick up a whole loot of things, but I’m pretty pleased with what I did pick up:

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I already had a Poe Dameron corgi and Captain America golden retriever from this awesome artist named Naomi Romero, and now I have a Rey collie and a Kylo Ren…black retriever of some sort to join the others at my office!

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The adorable and sexy Poe Dameron “I can fly anything” button was an impromptu gift to me from Hallie, so unfortunately I have no idea what artist made it. If you know, please tell me! I feel bad not giving credit!

And the even sexier portraits of Kanan & Hera from Star Wars Rebels and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier from the Captain America films are by Risa Hulett. It took me approximately 4 seconds to decide I needed this perfect depiction of Kanan and Hera. She had a deal that was cheaper when you bought 2 prints, so I decided to get another and I was actually going to get this gorgeous Princess Leia she had, but then Bucky won me over. Sebastian Stan is just a beautiful man and she nailed this piece (get your mind of your gutter…BUT WOULDN’T ANY OF US BE SO LUCKY IF WE DID).

On the way out, I saw two people coming in for a droid builders competition. This one kind gentleman let take a picture with his beautiful R2-D2:

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Well, that’s all, folks!

“The strongest stars have hearts of kyber,”

I’ve watched Rogue One 4 times this week, and sobbed every time. I love it so much. The special features on the Blu-Ray combo pack are pretty awesome as well, although I wish there was a directors’ and/or cast commentary on the film…oh well. I’ll just keep watching it as it is and crying at the tragedy and beauty of it all. And yes, of course I got a special edition…I originally wasn’t terribly impressed with the exclusives offered by Target, Wal Mart, or Best Buy, but…my boyfriend happened to surprise me with the Best Buy Exclusive Steelbook combo pack! The only reason I didn’t preorder that one myself was because I had decided I wanted to have Jyn, Cassian, Bohdi, Chirrut, and Baze, basically my main bae heroes, on my cover….meanwhile, the steelbook has the Death Troopers on the front. Don’t get me wrong, they’re super cool, but…they’re kinda evil? But they’re also walking through the water on the beaches of Scarif so that’s kinda beautiful enough to make up for their evilness. Also, regular stormtroopers are on the back cover also walking through the water, and I’m just so fond of that particular image. It’s oddly glorious to me:

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In addition to my Rogue One addiction, Star Wars Celebration has been happening since Thursday in Orlando, Florida, and I have tried to keep up with most of the panels by watching them stream live on YouTube or later when I can. And of course the panels are also making me emotional, especially when they mention our beloved Carrie Fisher. If you haven’t seen this already, here is the tribute video they played for her when Celebration began this week:

Just beautiful…yes, yes this also made me sob.

Yesterday, they continued to honor Carrie Fisher’s legacy in Star Wars by showing the path that her Princess Leia led for the future of women in this franchise in the Heroines Panel. It such a magical panel…first, they had a sizzle reel of all of the heroines of Star Wars:

I highly recommend watching the entire panel if you’re as obsessed with these powerful ladies as I am!

I think the main point of the panel, though, was to promote a new series of animated shorts called Star Wars: Forces of Destiny focusing on Rey, Leia, Jyn Erso, Sabrine Wren, Padme, and of course AHSOKA TANO!!!

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In addition to these shorts, they are releasing these “adventure dolls”, which are basically action figure Barbies. They’re fantastic and I need them and I’m sad I didn’t have these as a kid. But hey, little girls now will finally have badass Barbie-like dolls that are heroines! Also, seeing Daisy Ridley (Rey), Ashley Eckstein (my darling Ahsoka Tano), and Tiya Sircar (Sabine Wren) react to their new adventure dolls was just beautiful: (And yes, I took these from various Instagram stories/various official Disney/Star Wars accounts on there)

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Also they all look absolutely fabulous and beautiful but I’m particularly in love with Tiya’s darling outfit. She’s always quite stylish, though. AS THEY ALL ARE!

Speaking of my beautiful idols, I finally revamped one of my walls…it was tough to take down my ginormous The Breakfast Club and mini Pee Wee’s Big Adventure posters, but I’ve had them up at least since I was like…8? They’re still in my favorites but it was simply time for a change. I still have them; I want to use them in the future when I have my own house, perhaps for a massive movie theater room. Anyway, look at my new mini-mermaid mural:

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Are you surprised I’ve centered my mermaid mural with Ahsoka, or rather, Mersoka by Lorna-ka, one of my favorite artists?! If you know how obsessed with Ahsoka I am, you’re probably not surprised at all. But she is joined by other mermaids!

On the left, the first smaller print is of Belle, Aurora, and Rapunzel as mermaids, and the print underneath is classic mermaid, my favorite mermaid and princess, Ariel! Oh, and she’s being held by my favorite prince/her true love, Eric. I purchased those two on Etsy by the lovely Elisa Garcia Bonilla/Aasilee, and naturally I have other pieces by her already on my walls.

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On the right of Mersoka, I have a beautiful mother and daughter mermaid set also from Etsy. Becuase Ahsoka is facing this way, I wanted her to face her dear old friend, Padme. Underneath Padme, I have her glorious daughter Leia. Guys, I can’t get it to show in pictures but up close they both have golden sparkly accents! Because Aleigh Watford is awesome! She has so many original mermaids on there but naturally I had to start with her Star Wars mermaids.

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So, underneath my mermaid mural…I just have more Star Wars!

I had talked about needing this art before, and now it’s mine!! Everyone looks so beautiful and perfect. I especially love this version of Ahsoka; I saw on Twitter that this artist hasn’t even watched Clone Wars or Rebels but simply loved the way Ahsoka looks. How could she not?! But anyway, I just love this artist’s style. Jealous? Get your own by Mariana Avila right here!

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And this I’ve wanted this since  before Rogue One even came out! Being in love with both Oscar Isaac and Diego Luna, and being Latina/Hispanic myself (yes, I consider myself both), this piece means so much to me. It’s aptly titled Latinos in Space! and it’s also by Mariana Avila!IMG_2126

Being a woman and being Latina, both of these pieces mean so much to me, and it’s honestly so inspiring and heartwarming to look at them every day now.

“Everybody wants to be a cat, because a cat’s the only cat that knows where it’s at,”

Being the huge Disney lover I am, I kinda watch Disney movies all the time. They make me happy and help me unwind. So tonight, it’s the Aristocats! I love this movie so much, and it’s so underappreciated. I’ve talked to quite a few people lately that have told me they’ve never even seen it!! I’ve always been more partial to the animated films with dogs and/or cats, so I may be slightly bias, but regardless, it’s a hilarious and adorable movie. Even if you’re never seen it, you’ve probably heard or seen this iconic moment referenced at some point in your life from the adorable kitten, Marie:

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And then there’s several other moments that make me smile:

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Also, Duchess and Thomas O’Malley are #relationshipgoals:

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God, I love this movie; so charming, sweet, and darling. Also, I’ve been particularly fond of kittens lately…these past few weeks at work, we’ve had one-month old kittens in the office, and I adore them. They’re so tiny and uncoordinated, it’s so adorable. While I prefer dogs, that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy these adorable babies! And I have to take advantage of these opportunities when I get them. This past August, I was cat-sitting for my friend’s parents when I had a really bad allergic reaction. I had grown up around cats, though, so it came as an incredibly devastating shock; it must have developed only in these recent years. But last month, we had a different lot of kittens at work, and one of my coworkers suggested I wait to take allergy medicine because sometimes people are only allergic to adult animals. Thankfully, I seem to be one of those people, because I’ve been absolutely fine with all of the kittens!

I’m trying not to get attached to these little cuties for several reasons, but it’s so hard…but I’ll enjoy these moments while I can. They love to nap on my lap, and I can still actually do my job because they seem to enjoy being underneath my desk while I type. But like, I still haven’t had allergy tests done by a doctor, so there’s hope?! I don’t know.

Anyway, so…I’ve just had kittens on my mind lately so anytime someone posts a cute cat thing on social media, I usually click it. Just this morning, I saw someone post an article about a farmer who found strange-looking kittens. Of course they’re adorable anyway, but still, he knew something was up. He eventually discovered that there were indeed a breed of wild cats; Pallus cats, or Manul cats.

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I was curious about them, so naturally I did some online research. Turns out they’re smaller than lions and tigers, but they’re still wild hunters (my main inquiry was whether or not they would eat me if I encountered one…and I don’t think so??). This is what the adults look like:

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Wait a minute….

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This cat looks familiar….

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Oh snap, I think I’ve got it….

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These short, stout wild cats remind me of the tall, combative Lasat, Zeb Orrelios from Star Wars Rebels!!

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And to think, I was proud of myself for realizing that Zeb was based on some classic concept art by the legendary Ralph McQuarrie when I stumbled upon on Pinterest one day:

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Yup, this Zeb ancestor was actually supposed to be Chewbacca:

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Pause. Does anyone else find this concept art terrifying?! I’m so glad that Chewie ended up looking the way he did…and to be honest, I’ve never been super fond of Zeb’s look. I love his character, but his eyes always kinda freaked me out…but now that I know he’s clearly part Pallus/Manul cat, I think I actually like his look now.

Speaking of Star Wars Rebels, I just have to say…I was so happy with my Star Wars Rebels themed Funko Smuggler’s Bounty box this month! Just look at some of the goodies:

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I adore this shirt with the whole Ghost crew on it!! Also, now I have a Pallas/Manul cat patch ;).

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That sparkly orange Chopper is a Hikari Mini, and it’s so perfect; I was hoping I would get him in orange! (FYI, the R2-D2 next to him is another Smuggler’s Bounty Exclusive is not actually dirty; he was from the Jabba’s Palace themed box, so this is the poor droid back on Tattoine, serving up drinks for dirty gangsters).

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Aaaaaand shirtless, sexy Darth Maul….I love it. He’s my favorite Star Wars villain so naturally I was super excited to finally have him in Funko Pop! form. There is one out there that is Phantom Menace-era designed, and that one’s cool too, but I love this one more.

Speaking of Maul…his time has finally come, and it was oddly beautiful. SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU ARE NOT CAUGHT UP ON REBELS… Obi-Wan Kenobi struck him in a surprisingly short duel, but it was fitting. Kenobi doesn’t need to be flashy anymore; those days are long behind him. But my favorite part had to be that Kenobi actually held Maul in his last moments…just beautiful. And Maul asking about the Chosen One?! LUKE?! AHHH!!! And of course, Maul is still Maul, with a lingering hope for revenge renewed in the hope that is Luke Skywalker.

As for the season finale…I haven’t watched it yet. Guys, it’s not my fault, I don’t have Disney X D and I didn’t have access to my typical source this weekend. But I will…but honestly, I’m more excited for the whole season to be released on DVD/Blu-ray; I enjoy watching them all together.

 

“Bright young women, sick of swimming. Ready to stand.”

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY, EVERYONE!! I mean, I try to celebrate the women who influence me every day, but still; it’s nice to have an official day for it.

To the women who raised me -my mom, my grandma, and my aunts- I love them so dearly and I just hope they know how much I appreciate them. To my best friends- what is life if we’re not together to laugh and cry, to remind each other of our values and strengths, to enjoy our favorite things yet embrace all of our differences? You all inspire me every day, and I just hope I can do the same for you.

To the heroines I’ll never meet, such as Rosa Parks and Carrie Fisher, among so many others…your legacies will continue to inspire for so many generations to come. Speaking of women I’ll never meet…HAVE ANY OF YOU SEEN HIDDEN FIGURES?! If not, please do so. It’s an excellent film about the incredible true story about how genius African American women got us into space. While it was beautiful, I left the theater angry that I was never told this story before. As was my mother, who was never told the important details of this historical event in school. I mean, it only happened in 1963, so I can somewhat see how just a few decades after, predominantly white schools wouldn’t think to teach kids that (because they were still racist, unfortunately). But fast forward to me…I graduated high school in 2010 and I was never taught this story of genius women getting us into space. It makes me so sad that so many Americans and I have only just learned of these extraordinary women, Katherine G. Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughan. And the women who played them were all amazing in their portrayals; Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monae, and Octavia Spencer.

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If this was out on DVD/Blu-ray, I would absolutely be watching it right now in honor of International Women’s Day…but it’s not, so I watched Mulan. I have to appreciate my fictional heroines as well, okay?!

Hard work always pays off #WednesdayWisdom:

If you’ve read any previous post of mine before, you were probably able to glean that I’m a bit of a Star Wars fan. So naturally, I have to mention my favorite Star Wars heroines:

Jyn Erso, from Rogue One…has everyone seen this yet? Is it okay to say yet? WARNING, SPOILERS: she gave her life so that the Rebel Alliance would have a fighting chance against the Empire by obtaining the plans to the Death Star. I adore her so much. Felicity Jones is just perfection.

Jyn Erso

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Hera Syndulla, Rebel pilot from Star Wars Rebels that is also badass and all in for the cause.

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And Sabine Wren, also from Rebels, badass Mandalorian who used to be an Imperial Cadet, now specializes in being awesome and blowing things up.

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Former Queen, turned Senator of Naboo, turned mother of the greatest twins ever, Padme Amidala. I’ve come to appreciate her more in recent years.

True Warrior! <--- this should be the standard for everyone in government authority:

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Princess Leia, her badass daughter who leads the Rebellion against the Empire.

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Rey, who lived her life thinking she was a nobody until one day the Force awakened with her.

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And of course, my darling Ahsoka Tano, former Padawan of Anakin Skywalker, forever a badass.

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Also, please enjoy this gorgeous picture of my two idols, Ashley Eckstein, voice of Ahsoka Tano, and Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey:

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MY QUEENS!

Also….here is me dressing up as Leia, Ahsoka, and Rey:

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OH, and I have all of the Star Wars ladies I mentioned above in Funko Pop! form, of course:

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GUYS. I know I have so much Star Wars stuff, but I also need this beautiful piece by Mariana Avila:

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Everyone looks so awesome in this…I NEED THIS ON MY WALL LIKE LUKE NEEDS TAUNTAUN GUTS ON HOTH.

I know it’s almost over, but again…HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY!! Tell the women in your lives how much you appreciate them!!

“So this is how liberty dies…with thunderous applause,”

I know it’s been a while…you must think I haven’t made any nerdy purchases lately, but you’re wrong! But guys…it was a necessary order, I swear! You see…I started a new job back in December; it’s an office job and I was told to wear “business casual”. I’m almost running out of my plain (not Star Wars, Disney, or rock and roll) attire because for 6.5 years, I didn’t have to think about what I wore to work because I always had a uniform; I only shopped for expressive attire to wear while out with friends and such. I need more “normal” clothes. And I do have some nice outfits but honestly, they’re almost too nice; I feel overdressed sometimes wearing cute clothes I bought at Express several months ago just because I thought they were cool looking. Also, we have an animal shelter, and I get to play with cats and dogs almost on the daily, so I shouldn’t even wear my nicest clothes (although it’s really not the end of the world if a blouse gets dirty). Actually, all of that kinda pushes away any justifications I had for ordering this sweater and more…but oh well. YOLO, as the young folk say!

PREORDER - Galactic Twilight Dolman - Elhoffer Design

This gorgeous dolman was naturally inspired by the ever fashionable Padme Amidala:

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My goodness, that Senator was fabulous even in the morning, just fresh out of bed in Attack of the Clones. I have ordered this with no regrets; I can use it for Cosplay, but also force it into my work wardrobe by pairing with a simple white top (tee or tank, doesn’t matter) and jeans!

And here’s another one that I’ve yet to order but I need it because it is also both perfect for Cosplay and daily/work wear:

PREORDER - Galactic Eclipse Oversize Sweater - SWC Delivery - Elhoffer Design

And yes, it’s supposed to be oversized; that’s how Padme wears it:

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I can’t find a picture of it but I’ve always loved the way she looks in the actual scene of the movie…Anakin is crying and flipping out because he went all mass-murderer after seeing his mother’s final breath, and Padme is trying to be compassionate and understanding. Naturally, Anakin just shuts her out, but she looks too precious and adorable with those huge sleeves; there’s something about her standing there with these barrels on her arms that is simply quite endearing to me. I’ve always loved this outfit, so yeah…I NEED this sweater. I haven’t ordered it yet, but I can’t resist it…it would look super cute with skinny jeans, or leggings (which is what I plan to wear it with on just a regular day).

And there is yet another piece by Elhoffer Design that is taunting me, but I think I could only get away with it doing Cosplay at a comic convention…

PREORDER - Galactic Princess Cape - SWC Delivery - Elhoffer Design

I love Padme, but everybody knows that the original space fashionista is her own daughter:

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Princess Leia-Empire Strikes Back - nice view of the back of this costume!:

Sadly, in the society we live in today, I simply cannot wear a cape on a regular day to work. I can dream that perhaps someday it will be acceptable, but I know right now it’s really not. Damn you, Lando, and your Cloud City capes! To be fair, it could also be considered a long vest; it was designed to suit either preference. It could possibly work with a white long-sleeved top and pants/leggings, if we’re going with the vest label. Elhoffer Design named this piece the Galactic Princess Cape, though, so that’s what I shall refer to it as.

Alas, it’s not bad to buy things just for Cosplay; one of the many ways adult nerds spend their money. So, I need it. It’s gorgeous, and I’ve never seen anyone cosplay this look of Leia’s at the conventions I’ve gone to. Also, it’s not the first Elfhoffer Design piece I’ve purchased only for costume/cosplay purposes:

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I dressed up as end-of-Force-Awakens Rey and it was quite lovely. I mean, I’m out of shape, but I still felt super cool and badass. I happened to get the vest and armwarmers during the first wave, but now I think it’s on its’ last run so if you also want this look, don’t hesitate and get it now!

So, I need the Galactic Princess Cape, right?! It seems to be a pantsuit-ish ensemble Leia wears underneath it, but if I get this cape, I would just try to find a long-sleeved burgundy dress and have my own look that way. Or, a burgundy tunic and matching burgundy leggings! I don’t know. I just don’t think I’m going to find anything exactly like what’s supposed to be underneath. Or does this mean I shouldn’t get it?! ……NAH! I’m probably going to get it.

I need these items…I’m excited for the dolman I’ve already ordered to arrive! I think it will be a while, though. But I don’t care; I just want it! And all of these Padme inspired pieces by Elhoffer Design are just the beginning; there are more designs to come! There goes my wallet… #worthit

That’s not the only Star Wars fashion I’ve indulged in lately, though.

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I recently ordered this tee from Poprageous. I knew when I first saw it that I needed it because 1) this is a gorgeous and badass image of Carrie Fisher and 2) I #resist the bigoted, sexist, idiotic asshole that is now the POTUS and 3) at the Wizard World comic convention I went to this past August, Carrie Fisher was asked what she would do if she had the Force in real life at her panel and she said “get rid of Trump”, so I know in my heart she would approve of this image and all of the posters that women made for the Women’s March Protest that happened just the day after this new Hitler came into office:

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I don’t usually get political but today, I can’t afford to ignore it. It’s on my mind daily, what rights that bastard is going to infringe upon next. But I have hope…on January 21, I had honestly never felt more proud to be an American woman than on that day. We are motivated by our idols, both historical and fictional, and together we will #resist.

“Does anyone care what the Padawan thinks?”

I DO, AHSOKA TANO!! It’s Ahsoka Tano Day!! Happy 9th Anniversary, Padawan of Anakin Skywalker, Togruta queen of my heart, sage and magnificent hero of mine! Ashley Eckstein, the lovely voice of Ahsoka and founder of geek girl fashion company Her Universe, posted this today on her various social media accounts:

My loves!!

I have celebrated this joyous day on here before, but I had just a tiny collection back then:

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I have acquired a bit more since then:

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I know, she’s gorgeous on this cosmetic bag by Lorna-ka.

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Jealous of how badass my car looks? Get your own!

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More art by Lorna-ka; the first one is from Society6, like my little cosmetic bag above, and the second is from RedBubble.

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This beautiful sketch t-shirt you see above is naturally by Her Universe, but sold exclusively at ThinkGeek.

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Aaaaaand even more work by Lorna-ka, also from her Society6 and Redbubble accounts.

And Ahsoka Tano was my first ever Cosplay at a comic convention, and I loved every second as being dressed as my hero.

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I couldn’t help but do it again at another comic convention several months later:

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That’s where I found the rare Elite Series Ahsoka Tano action figure that now joins my other Ahsokas:

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To honor Ahsoka on her anniversary, I’ve been watching some of my favorite episodes from Season 3 of Star Wars Rebels. If I had been home all day, I would have been watching several Clone Wars episodes, but I was out with friends and then family. But, in case you haven’t noticed, I treat most days as if it’s Ahsoka Tano Day. I can’t help that I adore her!

Let’s further celebrate her with some awesome gifs of her life:

CAN YOU EVEN HANDLE TODDLER AHSOKA?!?! ♥

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Strong and courageous characters like Ahsoka Tano give me the strength to be such a badass myself, that perhaps I can also be so strong and brave and save people. In this world of darkness, she is my shimmering light of hope.

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“Long live rock! I need it every night”

So do I, my darling Who. But I need my Disney animated classics, too; right now, I’m watching 101 Dalmatians because I haven’t in a while and I’ve been craving it. Truly, I need both. Seldom do the two ever cross paths, but lately they do on graphic tees…

Who-De-Lally Women's Baseball Tee

This take on my beloved 4th favorite band, the Who, and their classic logo and mixing it with Robin Hood is just delightful. My favorite part is “THE WHO-DE-LALLY TOUR ’73”, which is combining the two even further by referencing the classic song “Oo De Lally”. You can get this shirt and a few other rockin’ ones  from Whosits & Whatsits. What else, you ask?! Well let’s take a gander…

Next up, we have an AC/DC and Hercules mash-up; note the “HIGHWAY TO HADES”

Highway to Hades Tank

And then this Ramones and Snow White and the Sevens Dwarfs mash-up:

7DWARFS Ladies Muscle Tee

7DWARFS Ladies Muscle Tee

They’re all so clever, cute, and hilarious. I think it’s a small, independent shop, so you won’t be seeing these at Macy’s or anything like that. But it’s fun to buy from small businesses like this; there’s much less of a chance that you will run into someone wearing the same shirt as you this way, since it’s relatively lesser-known.

Of course, at least one major chain store has also had the sense to combine Disney with rock and roll, and of course that’s Hot Topic.

Like this awesome, “metal” style Sleeping Beauty shirt:

And this icy-rock Alice shirt where she looks moody af:

And my favorite, but so far it’s only in mens/unisex sizes…I like more fitted and less…straight-down-shaped tees? It’s hard to describe. But whatever, I still love this faded Little Mermaid tee:

Oh, and the font style is obviously inspired by Def Leppard. Look at my own Def Leppard tee:

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And then there’s this epic one of the Beast:

I knew instantly when I saw that it was Ozzy Osbourne-inspired! I dug through my dad’s closet full of vinyl records to find proof (he doesn’t mind; what’s his is mine when it comes to music):

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Well done, Hot Topic! But…I want more!! Also, it would be awesome if they weren’t all in black. I love black, but when it comes to “band tees”, it just reminds me of my wardrobe in middle school…literally just black band shirts that didn’t fit me well because they were mens’ shirts. I like having shirts in all different colors and cuts now that actually flatter me! But, I will still buy these shirts; I can cut them up in all different ways that I have seen on Pinterest!

But wait…it doesn’t stop there!!

This is their only rock and roll Star Wars one, but I hope they make more!!

But wait….this is relevant. Look at this beautiful mash-up of Rogue One’s Jyn Erso and the late David Bowie:

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It’s by my favorite small business, BeepBoopBeepClothing, who are actually temporarily only at TeePublic at the moment.  ROGUE ONE SPOILERS…”Stardust” is Galen Erso’s sweet nickname for his daughter Jyn. And Jyn is seen here with an Aladdin Sane look as an ode to David Bowie. And “Stardust”…obviously that’s referencing his album Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.

In conclusion, rock and roll is the greatest thing ever and is beautiful when blended with other things I love dearly. Does this mean that rock and roll and Disney should collide in more than just clothing?! Perhaps! After all, Lilo & Stitch had a lovely Elvis Presley soundtrack. Princess Elena of Avalor is darling with her musical story-telling:

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I am definitely excited for the next Disney Pixar film, Coco, a Dia De Los Muertos tale about a young boy who wants to be a musician despite the disapproval of his family (I know, so far it has the exact same premise as the Book of Life, BUT I WILL WAIT UNTIL I SEE IT AND GIVE IT A CHANCE TO BE DIFFERENT AND BETTER…).

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Obviously we haven’t seen any footage from this film yet, but either way, I’m excited about all of these guitars we’re getting now!