Liebster Award!

I haven't been doing much on this blog lately... because life has been super busy, and because my Tumblr has been taking up most of my computer time... ;)

But I was nominated for the Liebster Award by Miss Jane Bennet at RegencyNovel. Thank you!!! (And sorry I haven't gotten around to answering the questions till now. Ahem.)

The purpose of the Liebster Award is to recognize blogs with fewer than 200 followers. There are the rules:

~Thank and link back the person who nominated you
~List eleven facts about yourself
~Answer the eleven questions asked by the blogger who nominated you
~Nominate 9 bloggers who have fewer than 200 followers (you can't nominate the blogger who nominated you)
~Ask them eleven questions
~Let them know of their nomination!

My Eleven Facts:
1) I was more of a video-gamer when I was young. While I was never a hardcore gamer or anything, I did spend many enjoyable hours with my siblings playing racing games on our Nintendo 64. Ah, nostalgia. Those were the days.
2) My hair is quite long, but I want to cut it shorter. But I'm kind of scared to, because it's already very frizzy, and when shorter, it'll be even more curly and frizzy. But I kind of want to do it anyway. I'm ready for a change, and I think short curly hair is soooo pretty.

Short curly hair is be-you-tee-full

3) I like David Tennant's Doctor more than Matt Smith's Doctor. ;) No offense to Matt Smith of course... I just really love David Tennant's take on the character.
4) I recently got my ears pierced, and now I'm addicted to buying pretty earrings. Yep.
5) I've really been getting into the TV Show "Agents of SHIELD" lately. At first I thought the show was just shrug-worthy, but I'm glad I stuck with it, because it has me totally hooked now.

This guy might be part of the reason I'm hooked

6) Speaking of TV Shows, I'm obsessed with the new BBC series "The Musketeers." It is soooooooooo good! Can't wait for Season 2!!!
7) I don't like to cook. At all.
8) I have a deep, deep longing to travel.
9) I love nature, taking walks, and riding my bike while listening to soundtrack music or classical music on my iPhone. But I hate hot weather, and I live where it gets pretty hot. Boooo!
10) Meg March has always been my favorite March sister, and I'm not sure why. In terms of who I relate to most, I'm a mixture of Jo and Beth (a weird mixture, I know), but I've always just loved Meg's character.
11) Yay! The eleventh fact. Okay, ahem, let's make this a good one... I really, really love Tumblr! If anyone reading this has a tumblr, please comment me your URL, so I can check it out!

My Answers:

• What movie genre is your favorite?

Ooooh, good question! To tell the truth, I love all genres. I'll basically love any movie as long as it has a good story, compelling characters, and is well acted. (I won't watch horror movies though.) But if I had to choose a favorite, I'd probably say historical. There's something about stepping back in time, seeing the beautiful fashion women wore, and so on, that captivates me. I also love sci-fi and fantasy.

• Do you like musicals?  If so, list a few favorites.

I was raised on classic movie musicals! Singin' In the Rain, The Sound of Music, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Funny Face, and Easter Parade are some of my favorites. And of course who could forget one of the greatest musicals of them all, The Phantom of the Opera.

• Favorite modern author?

Gee. To tell the truth, I don't read as much fiction as I used to. The last three books I've read have all been Christian non-fiction. And the last fiction book I tried to read bored me to death, and I couldn't get through the first few chapters. I really don't think I have a favorite modern author. But even though I've only read one book by each of these authors, I think Matthew Stover and Heather Dixon are both really good writers.

• Do you prefer reading a paperback or hardback book?

I like them both equally.

• Favorite time period in history?

The Georgian Era! The hair, the dresses, the opulance! Yes, the Georgian Era indeed!

• Least favorite food?

I don't like mushrooms. Too slimy. Yech.

• Do you have any historical role models?  If so, who and why?

Smith Wigglesworth is one, probably because he's one of the most radically-in-love-with-Jesus people I've ever read about.

• Fictional character who's most like you?

Georgianna Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. So shy I come off as cold and snobby. Yep, haha.

• Do you ever take personality quizzes?  If so, list a few of your favorites.

Ooooh, this is such a fun question! Here are three of my favorite quizzes.

The Jane Austen Quiz: I took this quiz years ago, and got Elinor Dashwood. I took it again today... and I'm still Elinor. Which isn't that surprising, since Elinor and I are quite alike! (On the outside, anyway. On the inside, I'm a bit more like Marianne, actually.)

The Scarlet Pimpernel Quiz: When I first took this quiz, I was Marguerite Blakeney, and after re-taking the quiz, I'm still her. I really haven't changed over the years, have I? But who wouldn't want to be Marguerite?


The Doctor Who Quiz: Ah! When I first took this quiz, I was Donna Noble, but now I'm Rose Tyler! Which I think is much more accurate, as I'm not really like Donna Noble at all.

• Favorite book when you were little?

I loved "An Old Fashioned Girl" by Louisa May Alcott. Not sure if it was my favorite though. I was always reading, and constantly falling in love with something new.

• Thoughts on Kindles?

I'm presuming you mean the electronic book reader. I think they're cool, 'cuz you can instantly download a book and start reading it, instead of going out and having to buy it. But as I get all my books from the library, it wouldn't make much sense for me to buy an expensive e-reader and spend money on books I could easily get for free. Besides, there's something about the feeling of a real book in your hands that I love.

My Nominees:
Okay, I'm going to do a no-no, but I haven't been keeping up with blogging lately, so I'm not exactly sure who has or hasn't already been nominated. So, if you haven't already been nominated, and you have less than 200 followers, please, feel free to answer the questions written below!

My Questions:
1) Is there any crazy hairstyle you wish you could pull off?
2) What is your dream job?
3) What's your favorite type of natural landscape? (I.E. mountains, forests, prairie, etc)
4) If you could get lost anywhere in the world, where would you want to get lost?
5) Who's the most recent character you've fallen in love with?
6) Do you prefer stories in first person or third person?
7) Do you prefer work that's physical or mental? (I.E. cleaning your room or taking a math test)
8) Would you rather go to a museum or an amusement park?
9) Would you rather spend money on clothes or food?
10) What movie/book/TV show have you gotten the most emotional over?
11) Which scares you more - snakes or spiders?

Please, leave a comment letting me know if you decide to answer these questions, because I'd LOVE to read your answers!

And thanks once more to Miss Jane Bennet!

A Tale of Two Cities Dreamcast

Hey, everyone!

So, I'm sitting here, drinking some kombucha (soooo good), trying to think up a Tale of Two Cities dreamcast, cause I really, really want this story to be made into a movie soon. I love this story, and it hasn't been remade in a long time. And I mean a loooong time. The last time it was on the screen was 1989.

1989, people!

And that wasn't even on the big screen; it was a TV mini-series.

I actually haven't seen the 1989 mini-series. I'm a kind of afraid too, personally. Mini-serieses made in the 80s are rarely - ahem - well made. (If anyone reading this has seen it, did you like it, and would you recommend it?)

Actually, the only film version of A Tale of Two Cities I've seen is the 1935 version starring Ronald Colman. And I loooooove that movie to death. I walked in on my sister watching the movie on her laptop once, plopped down next to her, and caught the last half. I wasn't sure why, but I couldn't shake the feeling the movie left me with. Sydney Carton (perfectly portrayed by Ronald Colman) and his ultimate sacrifice really stuck with me. In fact, I think I walked around the house in a sort of daze afterwards. It was so heroic and tragically romantic. My kinda stuff. ;) I eventually re-watched the movie from the beginning. And then I read the book. It's the only Dickens book I've ever read, in fact.

So you've probably gathered that I really love the story. And the 1935 movie. And Ronald Colman.

Ronald Colman, in my opinion, IS Sydney Carton. In fact, it's hard to imagine anyone else in the role. Except for one actor... But we'll get to that in a minute.

What I'm trying to say is that A Tale of Two Cities is an amazing masterpiece of a story, and deserves to be on the big screen again. Or another mini-series should be made. I'm not picky. Seeing this story done right on the big screen or TV screen would give me so many happies! :D

Make it happen, Hollywood!

Okay, so let's move on now to my dreamcast. Who would I want to play each of these amazing characters?

*Drumroll*

First and foremost...

Robert Downey Jr. as Sydney Carton!

*Trying not to swoon over the above pictures*

Ahem.

Crazy as it may sound, RDJ has always reminded me of Ronald Colman. *cough* I'm sure that has nothing to do with my choice *cough*

Please tell me I'm not the only one who sees the resemblance

I love RDJ. He's an amazing Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes, and a great actor overall. Sydney is such a wonderfully broody and complex character, the type I know RDJ can carry off perfectly. Sydney kind of reminds me of Tony Stark, actually. The profligate with the heart of gold. ;)

Now let's talk about Lucie Manette. Okay, she's is a little two-dimensional in the book (sorry, Dickens). Even Wikipedia describes her as "An ideal pre-Victorian lady, perfect in every way." Her purpose in the book is simply to be angelic and good. I'd want an actress who can carry of the angelic sweetness, but also flesh her out, and give her intelligence and backbone. So I'd choose...

Liv Tyler.

Lucie's character is one of angelic goodness. She's the sweet, innocent girl two men fall madly in love with, and one dies for. She's the ideal.

Of course, Lucie isn't perfect, and I'd want a film to show that. She'd have to have smarts and be fleshed out and have flaws. But she'd still need to be that shining beacon of light and beauty that causes Sydney to want to redeem himself. She brings out his selflessness.

Also, Liv has such a beautiful, soft, ethereal voice. She sounds like a real life Disney Princess. I think that's the type of voice Lucie would have.

As for Charles Darnay, the stalwart, good, level-headed French aristocrat, who falls in love with Lucie and is lucky enough to have her return his feelings, I decided to choose an actor you could like and actually root for, but still prefer RDJ over (hehehe). So I chose Matthew Macfadyen.

As for all the other characters, I'm not too picky. Maybe Michael Gambon as Lucy Manette's father? And perhaps Helene Bonham Carter as Madame De Farge?

Do you agree with my casting? What are your ideas? Let me know in the comments below. :)

That Oh So Popular New Years Tag

Everyone seems to be doing this tag, and it looks fun, so I thought I'd join in. It's not too belated, right?

Let's get started!

What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before?

Got my drivers license (yippee!) and got a job.

Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make one this year?

I never make any, or if I do, I don't remember them for long. ;)

Did anyone close to you give birth?

Not that I can think of, no.

Did anyone close to you die?

Thankfully no.

What countries/states did you visit?

Sadly I never went out of state, let alone out of country. Let us look to the future!

What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?

More courage, bravery, and gumption.

What date from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory?

Going in for my first job interviews, and then finally getting hired! It was scary but rewarding.

Did you move anywhere?

No, thankfully!!! My family has moved too many times in my life.

What was the best month?

Oh, gee, I don't know. They all had their share of good and bad.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?

I'd say getting my license and getting a job are tied for biggest achievement.

What was your biggest failure?

Letting anxiety, worry, and stress control me so much.

Did you suffer illness or injury?

I've caught the cold a couple times.

What was the best thing you bought?

A Star Wars graphic tee for my sister for Christmas. It is soooo cute! I love it. Anyway, the question didn't specify whether it was bought for yourself or someone else, so I'm sure this answer is legal. ;)

Whose behavior merited celebration?

My sister, Fayehope, for getting a new, better paying job! Yay!

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Ergh, I've kind of been appalled by the idea of the next Star Wars movie being about Luke, Leia, and Han's kids. I just want my three original heroes to never get old, okay? *wipes away tear* I hope this answer counts. ;)

Yeah, despite what I say, I most positively will see it.

Where did most of your money go?

Forever 21, probably. And Hot Topic.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?

There being another Star Wars movie in the makes (despite my objections above), upcoming superhero movies and period dramas in general, and dessert. Don't judge.

What was the best concert you’ve been to this year?

Didn't go to any concerts.

What song/album will always remind you of 2013?

Uh *scratches head* I don't really think any song or album will make me think of this year, cuz I didn't listen to any one song obsessively this year, so....

Compared to this time last year, are you:
1. happier or sadder? Happier :)
2. thinner or fatter? Probably the same
3. richer or poorer? Richer! I've gotta job!

What do you wish you’d done more of?

Probably taken more walks, gotten out more, spent more time with my siblings doing fun stuff.

What do you wish you’d done less of?

Wasted time on the internet, stressed, worried.

What was your greatest musical discovery?

I discovered Les Miserables this year. It has a lot of beautiful music. :)

How did you spend Christmas?

First at my Grandma's on Christmas Eve, and then with my family on Christmas day.

How are you spending New Year’s?

A lot of my siblings were sick on New Year's Eve, so I just watched Netflix and ate ice cream. New Years Day I worked.

Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?

I don't call a lot of people, so just my family in general.

What was the best book you read?

"In My Father's House" by Corrie Ten Boom was a good one.

Did you fall in love in 2013?

I am always falling in love with fictional characters. :) I really like Neal in Once Upon a Time. And though I don't know if I've fallen in love with them, two of my favorite characters this year were Peter Pan from Once Upon a Time, and Thranduil from The Hobbit.

What was your favorite TV show?

Doctor Who and Once Upon a Time

Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Noooo.

What did you want and get?

A Doctor Who shirt, and I got one for Christmas. :)

What did you want and not get?

A trip to Paris. Haha.

What were your favourite films of this year?

Too many to list probably, but a few were The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Thor: The Dark World, Death Comes to Pemberley, and Frozen.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned twenty-three, and I had a low-key party at home.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013? 

My fashion is constantly changing and evolving. Mostly this year it was a bunch of experimentation, discovering what I like and what I don't like. I'm still finding myself. ;)

What kept you sane?

Jesus. AND MY SIBLINGS! Seriously, the best brothers and sisters in the world.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Oh, gosh, golly, gee. Colin O'Donoghue is quite a handsome bloke. And who can resist a pirate?

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Being less afraid, getting out and doing more.

What political issue stirred you the most?

Oh dear, I don't understand politics nearly enough to answer this.

Who did you miss?

One of my friends who I haven't seen in a while. Hopefully we can get together soon and hang out.

Who was the best new person you met?

A girl and her brother at the young adult group I recently started attending at my church.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.

"God wants to free you from the expectation of having to be perfect, because He's calling you into a walk of being perfected." - Michelle Perry
   
Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

I don't like these type of questions! My mind always blanks. *grumpy face*

Five personally significant events of 2013:

1) Getting a drivers license
2) Getting my first job interviews
3) Getting a job
4) Getting a raise
5) Becoming November Associate of the Month

Five things I want to do in 2014:

1) Seek God and read the Bible more
2) Maybe get a new job? I'd like to try out new things. :)
3) Start making money online, if I can
4) Be more outgoing
5) Get out of the house more

Five people I’d like to know better in 2014:

Everyone at my church's young adult group :)

Maid Marian's Costumes: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

I've seen "The Adventures of Robin Hood" soooo many times. It's a cute, fun 1938 film starring Errol Flynn and Olivia De Havilland. Errol Flynn will forever be Robin Hood to me. He's happy-go-lucky, dashing, and cocky. Everything Robin Hood should be. And Errol is quite a handsome bloke, if I do say so myself.

But this post is dedicated to the glorious costumes of Olivia De Havilland, who plays Maid Marian. Her costumes range from gloriously beautiful to gloriously hideous. That's why I love them so much. I don't know if I've ever seen so many costume changes in a movie... she probably rivals Queen Amidala in The Phantom Menace. ;)

As a young girl, part of the fun of watching the movie with my siblings was just sighing or giggling over Olivia's costumes together. Her dresses are still one of the film's main attractions for me. I've scoured the internet many a time, collecting as many pictures of her costumes as I could.

So let's start! (I can't quite remember in which order Olivia wears her costumes, so I'm ordering these randomly)

This costume is comprised of a silver cascading gown, with red wimple and cloak, and green jeweled broach and belt. I like this costume. It's very medieval (maybe not very historically accurate, but it gives off the medieval feel anyway) and the cape is so dramatic. And I love the belt!

This is probably one of, if not THE, most gorgeous dress in the movie. And it's a nightgown.

It is enough to make me drool with desire. I WANT THIS DRESS. The sleeves are to die for. The whole thing is romantic and stunning. And her braids are so cute. The only question: How does she sleep in it?

I think this dress could have been pretty, but it comes off too metallic and "sci-fi." And, I'm sorry, but who decided wrapping a dark ribbon around her sleeves looked good? It's almost comical. Her arms look like candy canes.

This dress is soooo beautiful! It's white and elegant and the sleeves are beautiful. Are they made of lace? I can't quite tell. Well, whatever the material is, the sleeves are perfectly flouncy, lacy, and airy. (As you can probably tell, I'm not a seamstress or an expert in materials and dress patterns. Just an admirer of pretty costumes.)

Oh, no! The black beetle dress! Yeah, this one kind of makes me thing of a giant black beetle. Hehehe. It's very "sci-fi" and dramatic. You'd almost imagine an evil villainess wearing this. And don't overlook the fur-trimmed sleeves.

AHHH, here it is! The pretties! This is one of my favorite dresses in the movie, maybe tied with the gorgeous nightgown. It's a long velvet burgundy dress, with dramatic sleeves. It oozes medieval majesty, elegance, and romance.

This dress was never in the movie, as far as I can tell. I'm just including it cause it's kind of cute, and again - THOSE SLEEVES! EEEEEK.

It's like she's judging me for speaking harshly of her dress

This is really the only pic I can find of this dress, the first one Olivia wears in the movie. The dress has a very... erm... interesting pattern to it. Definitely not my favorite.

And now... *drumroll*... the most hideous dress in the movie...

The one I always wait for expectantly when watching the movie, so I can gawk, shake my head, and wonder what kind of evil power corrupted the heart of the one who made Olivia wear such a fashion disaster...

The striped dress. Shudder. Which is worse? The vertically striped dress (the stripes coming in a variety of ugly colors, but mostly a muddy brown), or the sickly yellow wimple? It almost looks like she's wearing a very ugly version of the coat of many colors.

I wonder why Marian decided to wear this to Robin Hood's execution? Did she really want this dress to be the last thing Robin saw her in? Not a good last impression, m'dear.

Well, there you have it. Maid Marian's many dresses. The good, the bad, the ugly.

Which dress is your favorite? Which one is the worst? Let me know in the comments below, please. :)

My Obsessive Life

So, for my third post, I thought it might be a good idea to give you readers a better idea of just who I am.

What better way to do that than to list my many obsessions? Haha. ;p

I've had quite a few over my lifetime... but five stand out as being the most extreme, passionate obsessions I've ever had. Obsessions that have caused me much fangirling, happiness, and sometimes even heartache. Sooo... you're all excited, right? Let's get started.

Star Wars

First is... *drum roll*... Star Wars!

Was this anyone else's first obsession? Or was it just mine? Star Wars pretty much defined my childhood. It was my childhood.

Star Wars.

There it is.

My childhood.

I remember the first time I ever caught a fleeting glimpse of my future obsession. I was a wee lass (I can't exactly remember my age. I'm horrible at ages. And dates. I pretty much have no idea when anything happened in my life), and was lying on the living room floor late at night. My Dad had fallen asleep on the couch, and he'd left the TV on. Bright, golden light shone from the TV set, filling the dark blue room with majestic images of a sandy planet. Tatooine.

And, okay, I'm not even 100% sure it was Star Wars I caught a glimpse of that night. But I thiiiink it was. Anyway, it adds a bit of drama to my story, right? A sense of destiny?

The second time (or first, depending on whether you think that previous story was bogus) I heard of Star Wars was from my cousin, who kept chattering on about "Dark" Vader. (Yeah, I thought it was "Dark" Vader at first. Didn't we all?)

After another chance encounter with Star Wars on the living room TV set, my sibs and I pestered our dad until we finally got him to rent the movies and watch them with us.

And we were forever changed.

Can you blame me for loving him?

No, but really, our lives became consumed with this amazing thing called Star Wars. We played it, lived it, breathed it. If we played barbie dolls, most likely it was Star Wars barbie dolls. If we played house, it was Star Wars house. One of our favorite hobbies was to scour the internet for Star Wars pictures, print them out (we wasted so much printer ink and paper, oh my goodness, sorry Dad), then glue them into a homemade scrapbook. A Star Wars scrapbook.

Well, you can't accuse us of being uncreative.

Oh, and did I mention I fell in love with Han Solo? He was probably my first real movie crush. ;)

Whenever we went to the movie store, we rented Star Wars. Eventually we bought the movies. And watched them countless times, until I'm sure our parents thought we were crazy, and were sick of the movies themselves.

And my love for Star Wars has never died. Yeah, the prequels are pretty awful, I admit (except for Revenge of the Sith. I love that one!), but I was a kid when they first came out, so of course they were just as magical as the original trilogy to my young, naive eyes. It took many years of maturing to finally accept that Episode I and Episode II are pretty lame. But I still love them simply for being Star Wars (and cause Obi-Wan is in them. And Obi-Wan, my friends, is awesome sauce... and I've fallen in love with him too...).

Well, there you have it. The rather long-winded tale of my first obsession. *wipes away tear* So beautiful.

Pride and Prejudice

My second obsession was, strangely enough, nothing like the first. It was Pride and Prejudice.

Yep. Haha. And with that came a fascination for all things Jane Austen. Aaaand all things Regency. I kind of fell head-over-heels for the whole deal. So how was I introduced to it? You can thank my sister, Fayehope, who had to read Pride and Prejudice for school. I also read it - well, half of it, before having to return it to the library. We liked the book, so when she found out there was a mini-series, she decided to check it out from the library. Good choice, sister, good choice.

I don't care what anyone says, Colin Firth IS Mr. Darcy

We ended up watching an episode a night, with our Mom and Aunt. Very quickly we all fell under its spell. A few nights in, I was begging my Mom to let us stay up later than usual so we could watch two episodes instead of one. Then we re-watched the whole thing. Years later, when my sisters and I showed my Mom and Aunt the new Keira Knightley version, their opinion was "the mini-series is better." (I can understand this opinion, because it's mine as well. Though I do like the Kiera Knightley version.)

Oh, and I kind of fell in love with Mr. Darcy. *blush*

I have since read the book many times, and I've watched and read almost all of Jane Austen's other works.

The Lord of the Rings

Lord of the Rings was my next obsession! Yay! Again it was my cousin who introduced me to these movies. Hearing her gush about them made me curious, so I had my Dad rent The Fellowship of the Ring, and my siblings and I watched it with him. I liked it, but he fast forwarded a lot of it (some of my younger siblings were watching too, and they were easily scared, I guess. Okay, I was probably scared too), so I didn't fully "get it." Years later, my elder sister and I rewatched it, fell in love, and quickly gobbled up The Two Towers and Return of the King.

And then we bought the movies and watched them... let's just say we watched them a lot. And I fell in love with Aragorn (notice a trend yet? Yeah, I tend to fall in love with fictional characters a lot).

X-Men

I ship them, though they aren't canon. Le sigh.

This obsession has kind of a funny beginning. One night, my sister had a stomach-ache and couldn't sleep, so she asked my Dad if she and I could stay up and watch some TV in our room. My Dad, being a dad, said yes, of course. There wasn't much on TV that night. Except for some superhero cartoon I had never seen before. It was called: X-Men The Animated Series. We only caught the last half of the episode, but I already knew that the superhero with the gruff voice and and yellow tights was the coolest one of the bunch. And thus I fell in love with Wolverine.

We started watching the show nightly... only our Mom didn't know. I remember her finally finding out that we were watching TV past our bedtime. When she told us to turn off the TV, it was a low moment for me. I was miserable. What was I going to do without mah X-Men? Well, we started recording it, of course. ;)

Then we watched the X-Men movies. (Oh, and just a general warning: I suggest adults watch the movies before letting young people watch them, as they do have some inappropriate content.)

X2 was one of the coolest movies I have ever seen. I remember getting up after it had finished and realizing my legs were actually shaking and weak, I was so excited and tense. And I watched that movie to death too.

Doctor Who

Not too long ago, at the library, I pulled a Guinness Book of World Records off the shelf and opened to a random page, which just so happened to be featuring an article on Doctor Who. I laughingly showed my sister the pictures of the various Doctors, joking on how each one got more and more attractive as the show went on.

Then I started hearing more about the show on tumblr. I was curious. Was it really any good? The fans seemed rather... obsessive. That was a good sign. ;)

After watching a few episodes of the first season, I wasn't very impressed. I just couldn't figure out why people loved it so much. I decided to watch one of the most popular episodes to find out if the show was worth continuing. The episode was called "Blink," and if you've never seen Doctor Who before, I strongly recommend it as a starting point. It's a good episode for figuring out if you'll like the show.

Needless to say, I loved the episode. It was well made, funny, and scary.

This fanart is soooo gorgeous

So I stuck with the show. By the time I finished the first season, I was hooked. Then I started season 2, fell in love with the Tenth Doctor, and shipped the Doctor and Rose like a mad woman. "Doomsday" was a painful episode for me. It was literally heartbreaking. But the most painful episode of all was probably "The End of Time." It was the episode that killed me. I wandered the halls of my house after finishing the episode, feeling numb inside. It took me days to get over it. So yeah, just a general warning - if you want to get into Doctor Who, realize you might become very emotionally invested. Like, very.

And there you have it! These movies/shows have been my top five obsessions. Of course I've had other smaller ones along the way.

*cough* Pirates of the Caribbean. *cough*

What have been the biggest obsessions in your life? Do share! I love learning what people are passionate about. ;)

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Review

So, just recently my siblings and I saw The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug!

Just so you know, I'm a hardcore Lord of the Rings fangirl. The Lord of the Rings trilogy are probably my favorite movies after the Star Wars saga. I loved The Hobbit: An Unexpcted Journey, but I don't think it, or The Desolation of Smaug, or There And Back Again (which comes out next year!) could ever touch on how brilliant the Lord of the Rings movies were. I guess the Lord of the Rings movies were just that kind of thing that only happens once, and can never be replicated. That being said, I still really enjoy the Hobbit movies. Especially this one - I think I liked it even more than An Unexpected Journey.

So here's a rundown of some of my favorite parts/aspects of the movie: (WARNING - SPOILERS!!!!)

I walked into the movie theater with high hopes for the characters of Legolas, Bard, and Thranduil. I was also looking forward to seeing Kili and Gandalf (of course). As it turns out, these five characters were the best parts of the movie in my opinion.

First off, let's talk about the Tauriel and Kili romance. I was unsure going into the movie whether it would bother me or not. I had heard rumors about it on the internet, and at first, was kind of shocked and put-off. An elf and dwarf love story? It just sounded a bit absurd. But while watching the movie, I came to think the relationship between Tauriel and Kili was rather sweet and cute. Okayyyy, maybe it was still a little strange. Especially when Kili is asking Tauriel if she could have loved him, even though they had only talked, what, twice? But then that happens in a lot of movies, I guess. But the big question is... do I ship them? I dunno. I think I could. It's one of those relationships that has to grow on you, I guess. We'll see.

Tauriel was pretty awesomesauce, btw. Her fighting skills - wow. ;) And Legolas didn't disappoint either. Some of his acrobatic fighting moves were pretty crazy, and fun to watch. (Like hopping from dwarf head to dwarf head) Loved it! *Big smile*

Speaking of Legolas - in good ol' Legolas fashion, some of his facial expressions were hilarious. There was one scene where he gives someone the squinty "I'm watching you" eyes. I laughed. And then the scene where he realizes he's bleeding - and he looks at his blood as though he's never seen it before. Well, who knows, maybe he hasn't. You don't often see an elf bleed. It must be really hard to get them to bleed, and maybe they see it as uncleanliness (notice all the elves are pretty prisitine, even in battle). Legolas' look of rage was a total look of "okay, dude, you just made me bleed. It's ONNNNN!" I couldn't help but laugh softly during that scene, whether it was meant to be funny or not.

Legolas is judging you

And then there's Legolas's father, Thranduil. To tell the truth, I was looking forward to seeing his character on the big screen most, I think. And he didn't disappoint.

What. A. Diva.

He is hilarious and majestic and spooky and creepy and a total arrogant jerk. And he's awesome. It doesn't hurt that he's played by Lee Pace. ;)

He is seriously one creepy elf, though. I personally would like to see a scene between him and Galadriel, and just watch all the creepiness that ensues. ('Cause Galadriel can be pretty creepy too sometimes) And then throw in Elrond. 'Cause, you know, he ALSO can be sorta creepy... Wow, I never realized it before, but elf leaders are a pretty creepy bunch.

Gandalf's scenes were A-MAZ-ING. Totally epic. Especially the scene where he's facing off with Sauron, and he has that white orb of light around him, but Sauron is too strong for him. Talk about an edge-of-your-seat-gripping scene. It was probably one of the most visually stunning scenes, especially the part when he sees the form of Sauron become the pupil of the eye of Suaron. One word: cooooool.

The whole movie, in fact, was filled with non-stop, heart-pulsing action. And I think it was darker and edgier than An Unexpected Journey. Bard was cool... though I must admit to thinking about how much he looks like Orlando Bloom during the movie. Oops.

Separated at birth? Maybe?

At least one is blonde and one is brunette

And I almost forget to mention Benedict Cumberbatch's absolutely perfect performance as Smaug. His voice was chilling and emotive and perfect. Wowow.

Anyway, as you can see, I really enjoyed The Desolation of Smaug. Throughout most of the movie, I was either smiling or on the edge of my seat - two very good signs.

Have you seen The Desolation of Smaug? What did you think? Leave your own thoughts or fangirling in the comments below!