A Little Bit Zombie, and a Little Bit Rock and Roll

I have a quart of mint-flavored fake blood and a snappily-dressed skeleton torso in my closet. The highlight of Thomas' night, last night, was finding a fake severed tongue for five bucks on ebay. We're not exactly normal people.

(I assure you, we're perfectly nice. Okay, maybe not perfectly, but nice. We're definitely nice. Just odd.)

Photo Credit: Mattel

So, a couple of years ago, we ran across this rag doll in a new collection called Monster High, we had to pick one up for our niece (she's not normal, either. She's just plain awesome). Niece went nuts for it, and even went as Frankie Stein for Halloween last year. Now, since she enjoys the brand so much, I tend to keep my eyes peeled for anything new and cool, especially with her birthday creeping closer. That's how I discovered that this existed:

Photo Credit: Walmart

Forget the munchkin; I want this one!!

She is Operetta, the daughter of the Phantom of the Opera (a mystery never fully explained). I promise, I will keep her in the original packaging, and place the box in a place of honor on the shelf in my office! She can keep me company while I practice singing! Please, please, please!! My birthday's first, you know!

*ahem*

Excuse me for that sudden outburst. My love of the Phantom goes back a long, long time, and runs deep. I apologize. 

The doll is gorgeous. She's styled in rockabilly fashion, which I think was a bold, amusing choice. Considering she's supposed to be a teenager, it makes sense she'd rebel against her father's love of classical music by embracing a wildly differing genre. Rockabilly is also so stylized that it borders on theatrical. A lot of careful thought went into her look, and it shows. 

I'm a fan of Monster High. The dolls are cute without being cookie cutter, and I feel like it teaches kids to accept each others' differences. It's those differences that make us special. There's also a coordinating book series, and I'm always up for anything that makes a child want to pick up a book. Plus, there's always a chance that they'll want to read about their favorite character's dear old Mom or Dad when they get a little older. Somewhere, I think Mary Shelley and Gaston Leroux are smiling.

Monster High dolls are manufactured by Mattel, and can be found at Toys R Us, Walmart, Target, Amazon, and many other retailers. For more information, click here, or check out this forum here. If you want to lose a day, click here for a downright addictive dress-up game.

Gift Guide: The Geek Chic Couple

Yay! It's my favorite season of the year!! What season is that, you ask? Summer? Baseball? Rabbit (or, perhaps, Duck)? Why, no, silly! It's WEDDING SEASON!!!

And I'm not invited to a single one. Thank God.

I do, however, have a ton and a half that I'm scheduled to sing, starting with one this weekend. That's why Wedding Season is the true "most wonderful time" of the entire year. That's the time of year when Erin has a lot of opportunities to pick up a little extra cash.

That also means that it's time for some of you to start figuring out gifts. Me, I'm a pillow-giver. Pillows are on everyone's registries, yet, no one seems to remember to pick them up. In the event that pillows aren't on the registry, I go in for what will surely be the next most overlooked item, like glasses, casual dining, or kitchenware. I remember the day after Thomas and I got married. We went over to my grandparents to open up the gifts that were left at the wedding, and were absolutely touched by all of the beautiful, sentimental, heirloom quality items we received. I was, literally, in tears over how obviously loved we were. Then we hopped in the car and ran to Target to buy sheets, pillows (see!), and forks so we could sleep and eat that night. Luckily, gift cards were in the pile, too.

So, now that I've convinced all of you to purchase lovely, practical gifts for your friends and family, here are some completely impractical, totally geeky, frivolous wedding gift ideas. Because I'm fickle. Deal with it.

Photo Credit: WB Shop

Okay, so this isn't totally useless. It's a Lord of the Rings inspired jewelry chest. The chest stands thirteen inches tall, and is constructed of hardwood with metal detailing. I love the teeny ring box in the center. Thomas gave me a very sweet gold ring before we got engaged. I don't wear it very often now (clashes with the white gold wedding jewelry), but that little box would the perfect place to properly keep and display it. I'm sure I'm not the only old married lady out there with a similar problem. I also like how the decoration, while ornate, isn't feminine. This is a great unisex piece that both bride and groom could use. The space under the lid would be a wonderful place for cufflinks and loose change. Now, I warn you, this chest doesn't come cheap, but for a close relative, this could be a very appropriate and cherished gift. $174.95, WB Shop.



Photo Credit: WB Shop



Now, this one's just silly, but at the same time, a little romantic. If you know some Harry Potter-heads (like myself), a pretty display case for their favorite wands (mine's Hermione's, thank you) could be a very romantic gift. Even better, the case holds four, so as their family grows, the collection can grow along with it. The little hanging plaques are a nice touch, don't you think? $44.95, WB Shop.

 

Photo Credit: Amazon

If you look to the left, you'll see something that's actually quite useful. When two people really love each other and commit to being together for the rest of their lives, something very magical happens: somehow, they manage to fit all of their stuff into one shared living space. And by 'all', I mean 'some'. And by 'magical', I mean 'with a great deal of anguish, screaming, name-calling, and possibly blood-shed'. By giving the gift of the USB hub, you're not only giving a gift that says, "Congrats!",  you're giving a gift that says, "Hey, I love you guys and want you to not end up divorced or in prison because one of you needs to charge their iPod, and the other needs the printer. Mazel Tov!" $53.14, Amazon.

I also love this idea because it's the very embodiment of the old saying: "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, and Something Blue." If you don't believe me, read this...

From Doctor Who, courtesy TV.com: "When you wake up, you'll have a mom and dad. And you won't even remember me. Well, you'll remember me a little. I'll be a story in your head. That's okay. We're all stories in the end. Just make it a good one, eh? Because it was, you know. It was the best. A daft old man who stole a magic box. Anyway, did I ever tell you that i stole it. Well, I borrowed it, I was always going to take it back. Oh, that box. Amy... you'll dream about that box. It'll never leave you. Big and little at the same time. Brand new and ancient and the bluest blue ever."

...then watch this:

Okay, enough geeking out for one day. A big, brown box from Sephora landed on my doorstep today. Here's hoping it's bigger on the inside, and I have some lovely product reviews in the near future. Toodles!

That Mouse Is a Bad Influence

Photo Credit: MouseSurplus

Well, my productivity is shot today, and I blame my husband.

 

Thomas found this website, MouseSurplus, that sells Disney memorabilia and collectibles--but not just any collectibles. How would you like to own the FastPass entrance to Disneyland's It's a Small World? Maybe the MGM Studios Toy Story Van is more your style (fun fact: it was the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Van before the Pixar gang took it over)? Talk about taking home a piece of Disney! I, personally, have been mulling over the Who Wants To Be a Millionaire hot button from the park attraction. I think it'd look really nifty in the computer corner, plus, it actually works! 

 

The site itself was cool enough, and I spent a few minutes checking out the pretties. Then, I noticed the ebay link. Oh. My. God.

 

There were ten pages of auctions!! Be still my little Mickey-loving heart! Want a stage light prop from the Disney Store (I do)? Original Darby O'Gill press kit (Lord, I get tickled just thinking about Sean Connery singing)? How 'bout a Pirates of the Caribbean promotional pocket watch? What about a (*gasp*) seat from the Alien Encounters Magic Kingdom attraction?! 

 

Yes, some of this stuff is priced in the thousands, but there are things--many that would be considered historic--that the average person (read: ME) could afford. Now, I want to see what someone does with that monorail door that sold before I could get to it. 

Have a great weekend, folks!