The Blue Forest

A Very Important Date

2010-02-15T21:33:00.001-08:00

What with Tim Burton's new "Alice in Wonderland" coming out next month, I thought I would plan a little get-together with some old friends. I'm going to try and share my preparations and ideas so perhaps you too can have a very merry "un-birthday!"

So far, the plan is for a quasi-shabby chic-tea party at a local park. Not going for a strictly "un-birthday" theme, so I am looking to incorporate some other Wonderland elements, like flamingos, playing cards, hearts, and red roses. Try checking out the clearance aisles for red heart and rose leftovers from Valentines Day. :)

I'll be back with pictures and links of what I've come up with...soon.

To Boldly Go...

2009-05-25T01:27:00.000-07:00

So did you see "Star Trek?" I did. I must say, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I think it's the best movie so far this "summer." The new cast was pretty much spot-on. Eomer as "Bones" McCoy? Heck yeah! Of course, no big splashy summer movie comes without major marketing, and that includes the toys...

Enter Playmates. They've put out a line of action figures in no less than 3 scales. Not only that, but you can get yourself an Enterprise model, a bridge playset, or...dare I say it...a communicator replica! I haven't bought any of these, and I can't say I've even had a good look at them, but the figures I saw in stores recently looked a little cheesy. Then again, Trek is a little cheesy.

Coming Soon: SDCC 2009! (+ "Chuck")

2009-05-25T00:39:00.000-07:00

Your intrepid blogstress is again heading south of LA for the annual San Diego Comic Con International! Alas, I'll only be there for a few days (Saturday and Sunday, mainly), but I intend to bring you as many photos and fan-girl babblings as I can from the con floor.

No word yet on the official presentations, but I am sure there will be some awesome exclusive stuff and guests on hand. Speaking of awesome...

Did you hear that NBC's "Chuck" has been renewed for 13 episodes next season? You might wonder what that has to do with Comic Con? Well, for you loyal "Chuck" viewers, that's an easy one. First off, the cast has appeared at SDCC in the past (why, isn't that Sarah, Ellie, and Awesome in that picture at the WB booth?). Second, if you watch the show, you'll notice the SDCC logo stickers, posters, etc. that decorate Chuck's room and the lockers at the Buy More. "Chuck" is a show for geeks just like us. :D 13 episodes is only half a season's worth, so we gotta keep watching and buying those "Five. Five dollar. Five dollar foot looooooongs..." Support "Chuck!"

Harry Potter Widget

2009-04-26T13:05:00.001-07:00

Replicas and Such...

2008-11-16T19:44:00.000-08:00

I got the Noble Collection Holiday 2008 catalog a few weeks ago and finally got the chance to browse through it.

I sure liked the look of this:

http://www.noblecollection.com/catalog/product.cfm?id=NN4536&catid=45

and this:

http://www.noblecollection.com/catalog/product.cfm?id=NN8133&catid=21

among other things. I've got several Harry Potter items from Noble and I really love them.

Of course, there are things which I have yet to see from Noble or other prop replica or collectible stores, so I thought I'd check out etsy.com and see what cool stuff is available.

First up, this gorgeous re-creation by Deconstructress of Satine's dress from "Moulin Rouge." I'm not a fan of this movie, but dang this dress is purdy. Another frock of note is her Corpse Bride wedding gown. Love it!

I've become a "The Tudors" addict. So even though I support Team Katherine, this Anne Boleyn "B" necklace replica by duchessa caught my eye.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_4&listing_id=13464407
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16632942

I love Greg Broadmore's Rayguns (I have both of the minis, yay me!), so of course I've been exploring the whole "steampunk" look. I found this adorable raygun pendant at Builder's Studio. They also sell robots (deactivated, I assume) and other gadgets.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5130230

Finally, I've been drooling over the notebooks and bags being hand-printed in Italy by celestefrittata. The Potter-inspired items are especially spit-cloth worthy. I might just commission an order for my next Potter class...

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vt_related_1&listing_id=17327890

For those who haven't yet, I highly recommend browsing the shops at Etsy. Handmade, one of a kind items abound, as do vintage goodies. They also have a function called "Alchemy" which lets you make custom requests. You just wait while the bids come rolling in! You can also contact specific artisans and work with them to create a custom project. The holidays are upon us and this is a great place to find the perfect gift!

RocknRolla!!

2008-10-09T00:51:00.000-07:00

I have not, obviously, been paying due attention to the blogging thing. :P I'll try and be better, I have a few things I want to post about sometime.

Anyway, I went to a screening of the new Guy Ritchie film, "RocknRolla" on Wednesday night. We barely made it, with just 2 minutes to spare! Thank goodness for reserved seating. :D Gotta love the Arclight. There was a scheduled Q&A for after the film, but when the email went out, the guests were TBA. I took a chance, hoping that Ritchie, or, dare I hope, Gerry Butler would show up. I was duly rewarded. :) I had only heard confirmation that Joel Silver, the producer, would be there, though.

Just before they rolled the trailers, the usher announced that Butler would indeed be there to answer questions. Woo! At the Arclight, they only show 3-5 trailers (no commercials), so we were rocknrolling pretty quick. The movie was just what I expected, for the most part. It was both funny and action-packed, with twists and turns typical of a Guy Ritchie gangsta pic. If you liked "Snatch" you'll probably like this one. If you're a "Lock, Stock" fan, you might feel like it's too commercial.

When the credits were rolling, I looked to my left (we were on the aisle, about five rows back on the left) and spotted Silver watching the crowd's reaction. There were a ton of people who pretended to be leaving so they could try and go by there. My brother spotted the top of Gerry's head. Be sure to stay and watch the credits, there's a funny extended version of a scene.

It was really dark in there, so I only got a few shots, and most of them were bad. This was, sadly, the best one of the bunch. Butler confirmed his involvement in "The Watchmen," another hotly anticipated movie. He does a voice-over for the Japanese graphic novel in the story, but it will only appear on the DVD. There were some terrific stories about the making of "RocknRolla," including one involving a 6'7" Russian with a large machete, jumping on a bed on top of a ball-gagged Butler. :O He even did the "This is Sparta" line, off-handedly. He pointed in my direction at one point, I swear. Hahaha... There were also a lot of stupid or meandering questions, thank goodness for the moderator! Butler had some (mean-sounding) answers to those. Awesome.

I looked around for some RnR merch, but found nothing. I did take a picture of the big backdrop in the lobby though. When we left, my brother went to pay for parking and the lady stole his ticket! It was weird, she asked us for a movie ticket, which he showed her, and she just took it! He was so confused, he didn't make her give it back. Thank goodness it wasn't autographed, or he would have Archie-slapped her. ;P

Nightmare Before Christmas Widget!

2008-08-27T06:41:00.001-07:00

Who doesn't loooove NBC?
Here's mine...

Postcards for Sale!

2008-08-26T23:05:00.000-07:00

So you know how I love postcards...? Well, one day, after I'd exhausted my brain for silhouette ideas, I thought, "Why not use colors?" So I looked up the cover of The Lorax by Dr. Seuss and started cutting out shapes, some in appropriate papers and some that make no sense whatsoever. For some reason, I'd made it just the right dimensions for a postcard. So when I was done, I looked at it and thought it would be cool if I could have it printed. Since I had to have 100 of them made, I am now offering them in my Etsy shoppe (link on the right) for a very reasonable $2.50 + s/h for a set of five. Envelopes are available for an extra $1.

The same price applies to my Elijah Wood "Frodo and Bilbo" postcards. I took this photo of Elijah at ORC (I think it was 2006). We weren't allowed to use flash, but I took a chance and asked him because they had just cut the lights. With The Hobbit coming soon, I think these would be great invitations for a line party or screening. The back is not quite blank, in a light grey it says "Frodo and Bilbo There and Back Again" at the top.

I can also make these into wirebound blank books if you like. Basic books in this size start at $4.00 + s/h. Be on the look-out for new listings of blank books of all kinds in the coming weeks. Also, I have a third postcard (steampunks, ahoy!) that I will be posting for sale soon, so stay tuned for more info!

Now Open for Business!

2008-08-09T04:16:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to posting something (anything!) for sale in my Etsy shop, The Blue Forest Shoppe. Yay! So far, I only have a few of my handmade wirebound blank books. I make most of them out of found items or postcards from my extensive collection of postcards and other paper goods. For example, the Pineapple Express journal is made from a postcard I picked up at SDCC last month. Most of these would be thrown away, I hope I've saved a few from that sad fate. :P The TTT one to the left was made from a tent card ad. Even the backings were cut from saved bits of chipboard packaging. So, I get to combine two things I love...geekery and conservation. Woohoo! I will try to upcycle, recycle, reuse, etc. anything I can, so don't be surprised if I've turned a used box inside out. ;)

I've also created a few postcards which I am planning to offer soon. (Have I mentioned how much I love postcards???) One card is made from a photo I took of an actor, and the rest are (so far) mostly based on my papercuts. My favorite is based on the cover of a book by Dr. Seuss. They will most likely be offered in sets of 5 or 10, with envelopes or without.

I am trying to keep the costs reasonable, but competitive, and I might be able to take special orders. Since I am currently on break from work, I can afford the time to be crafty, but normally my labor is just too expensive! Hahaha...

Visit The Blue Forest Shoppe by clicking on the links at the right. Thanks!

Silhouette-Cutting

2008-08-01T02:25:00.000-07:00

So I don't know how I got into it, but one night I just started cutting silhouettes. After exhausting a few basic design ideas, I got onto my computer and started looking for pictures that I could turn into silhouettes. I found a shot I took of the mini Manmelter raygun box last year and was inspired. I think this was one of the more complicated ones I had done to that point. Everything but the two bits that are essentially lines was cut from one sheet of black paper. I was pleased enough with it, I glued it down onto cardstock and gave it to Greg Broadmore last weekend. Kinda silly, but I thought it a good idea at the time.

Here are some of my other cuts, can you tell what they are?

SDCC Pictures!

2008-08-01T02:01:00.000-07:00

Hey peeps!

I know, how lame, Comic Con was like a week ago and I'm just now posting pictures. I actually didn't take that many this year, and I have been on break from work all week, but I didn't get around to editing them until today. Eek.

Anyway, check them out in my flickr gallery. I just threw them up, some with little comments. I'll post some write-ups on various and sundry SDCC-related topics as soon as...oh, who am I kidding...when I get around to it. ;)

Prince Caspian

2008-05-18T01:57:00.000-07:00

So cco invited me to the midnight showing of Prince Caspian at the El Capitan on Friday. For those of you who don't know, the El Capitan is an old theatre in Hollywood. It was purchased and renovated by Disney, so it is now used exclusively to show Disney films. Since we also saw LWW there, our Narnia streak continues...

We got there a bit early so that we could see the costumes, props, and set pieces on display in the lobby and downstairs. However, before we got to that, we had to stuff our faces. :P Next door to the El Capitan is the Disney Soda Fountain, which, besides being a soda fountain, is also a store. After pawing the merchandise (a few tempting pins and such), we sat down at the counter for some sandwiches and a Narnia sundae. I had 2 cokes before we went in to the movie and that was a tactical error on my part...

I forgot my camera, so I don't have any pics...not until I pester cco to email me hers. :D

I'm not sure, but I think there were fewer pieces to see. The theatre was decorated to look like WWII-era London, complete with "underground" signs, red phone booth and mailbox. In the lobby were Peter's armor and the Pevensies' school uniforms. The pieces down in the (for lack of a better word) basement seemed to be mostly Telmarine and Miraz property. Weta has definitely done a fine job with all this. If you're interested in Narnia merchandise, I highly recommend the very limited edition Weta pieces. I believe they have a satyr statue, mounted Caspian, and minoboar bust available at present (see link to the right). I own several LWW pieces and they are large, detailed sculptures.

We finally got over to the theatre to take our seats for the movie. At the El Cap, reserved seating is $25 and includes popcorn (keepsake Caspian bucket) and bottled drink. The usher escorted us to our seats in the orchestra section as the organist began playing onstage. Yes, they employ an organist at the El Cap. ;) After that, there was a little staged swordplay by a Caspian look-alike before the screen came down for the film. If you liked LWW, you should be pleased by Caspian. It is not entirely faithful to the book, I won't say specifically how, but there's quite a bit more action and humor. There isn't a whole lot of explanation given for the backstory, so I suppose it could be a bit confusing to Narnia-virgins. For example, it might not be clear to the uninitiated that the Pevensies were adults when they left Narnia the first time. A little flashback might have been appropriate here.

On the way out, they were giving away card packs. I'm not sure of the manufacturer, but there were five character cards: Caspian, Peter, Susan, Ed, and Lucy (see pic above). Very pretty pictures. :)

Oh, and bonus random "celebrity" sighting...that KoJo fashion guy from the entertainment shows in the Hollywood and Highland parking structure.

2010!!!

2008-04-28T17:27:00.000-07:00

or 2011. or 2012. Aw, who cares so long as it's made!!!

Look at all the good news, including apparent commitments from two major actors!!!

http://www.variety.com/VR1117984595.html
http://mckellen.com/cinema/index0.htm
http://www.serkis.com/cinema.htm

My PUB!!

2008-04-28T17:17:00.000-07:00

Look what happened to my pub. :(

My favorite pub when in San Diego is The Field on 5th. I like to order up a plate of bangers and a Guinness whenever I'm in town (which happens to pretty much just be the week of SDCC).

I knew that one of their former waitresses had gone on to be a finalist on American Idol, and when I stopped by last weekend, there was, I kid you not, a tourist taking a photo of a Carly poster in the window. Later on, a tour bus stopped outside. When the check came, there was a wad of these cards for Carly stuffed in the folder. Sigh. At least it wasn't too crowded inside, everyone was probably still down the street at the Padres game.

Still, the waitstaff was pleasant and the food delish (mini beef guinness pie!!). Here's hoping I can still get them to pull me a pint the old-fashioned way come July. :)

The Man in the Hat is Back

2008-03-30T19:28:00.001-07:00

Just think of all the new goodies we can buy!

cco and mbf's Downtown Adventure!!!

2008-03-02T16:40:00.000-08:00

So my old friend cco and I met up this morning for our annual trek to the FIDM Costume Design Exhibit. The school's gallery sets up this exhibit to show off the handiwork of Oscar-worthy costumes from the past year. We've had the opportunity to see up-close and personal some amazing costumes from Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and many other films. This year, they have last year's winner, Marie Antoinette, as well as this years' fashions (Elizabeth, Sweeney Todd, 300). If you're interested in going, click on the link below.

ht tp://fidm.com/resources/museum+galleries/exhibits/motion-picture-costume-design/2008/index.html

I woke up this morning only to find that the Los Angeles Marathon was taking place today. Since most of that 26.2 miles winds through the streets of downtown Los Angeles (where FIDM is also located), I knew that we were in for some closures. Armed with my trusty GPS, cco drove around and around looking to get close to the building (obviously, the GPS didn't know there was a marathon going on!). We gave up and headed over to Chinatown for lunch around 11am.

After a very filling lunch of dimsum, we gassed up the car and tried again to make it to FIDM. The sites of downtown LA are not familiar to many southern californians, so I got to play tourguide a bit. :P We were a bit luckier this time and parked in Pershing Square. It was probably about a half mile to the exhibit, but who's complaining when there are people running a marathon right by you! It turns out that we were right in the thick of the marathon. If you look closely at the picture below, you can plainly see we were at MILE 26!!

After hoofing it over to 9th and Grand, we discovered the museum was closed on Sundays! Doofus me, I only noticed the hours (10-5) and that they would be closed for Easter weekend. On the way back to the car, we stopped at the South Park Flea Market and perused the handicrafts (some beautiful hand-bound journals and letter press cards!). So four hours and $12 in parking fees later, we actually didn't see anything we came to see! However, it was still a good time and I don't entirely mind having to go back another day. :)

Flickr

2008-02-03T04:05:00.000-08:00

So after the demise of Photosite, I spent some time wondering what to do about my photos. It isn't a perfect solution, but I've decided to go with flickr. There, you can view new and "vintage" photos of my collections (prop replicas, statues, action figures, books, etc!), events (eventually), and miscellaneous stuff (like Sweeney Todd costumes at the Arclight in Hollywood). I've got a lot of updating to do, at some point, when I have the time. I've actually had flickr accounts for a while, but hadn't gotten around to setting up this one until now.

Use the link below or the one in my "Linky-Links" bar.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marybluefairy/

The Blue Fairy

2008-01-29T21:51:00.000-08:00

I bought this on ebay a little while ago. If I understand correctly, this pin was given out to participants chosen to perform in a parade at Disneyland. A larger version was sold in the stores. I don't really collect Disney pins, I have one that was a gift and one I bought on impulse this past Christmas, but I thought if I should have one, this would be it.

The Blue Fairy from Pinocchio was the inspiration for my well-known online moniker. I have a dress somewhat like this one which I once wore whilst shopping in old town Pasadena (granted, we just had dinner at the Ritz). Maybe you saw me? Anyway, everyone thought I was Cinderella, but I decided I liked how blue fairy rhymed with Mary and here you go!

I think I'll dig out my old blue fairy tote bag and pin it on for my official marybluefairy outings.

Doctor Grordbort's Contrapulatronic Dingus Directory

2008-01-29T21:21:00.001-08:00

See what came for me in the mail today? I hear that it was delivered by a postman perched on an incredible contraption identified as the Posteriotron 12. You know, I inquired about just such a machine several months ago and was told they were not in production. Liars! Why, I am of a mind to march right down there to Doctor Grordbort's laboratory and take him out. Of course, since my only weapon is my mini Manmelter, I hope to take him by surprise.

Anyway, this marvellous directory of dingus is available for $12.95 from Weta Publishing (through Dark Horse Comics). With shipping from UPS, I paid about $20. Do yourself a favor and get one from amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Grordborts-Contrapulatronic-Dingus-Directory/dp/1593078765/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201671489&sr=8-1

The Hobbit!

2007-12-20T20:32:00.000-08:00

Woohoo!!! It looks like we will get the chance to see the horror at left rectified! Yes indeed, it seems that Peter Jackson and New Line have struck a deal to produce The Hobbit in the very near future. Not one, but two pictures! I am awaiting collectibles, do you hear me Weta!?

LOTR Film Cel

2007-11-10T21:16:00.000-08:00

It's been a long while since I've had any new LOTR purchases, so I am pleased to bring you this find. :) I was out carousing at Dave and Busters with my family when I saw this in the prize shop. At only 1500 points, this was a real bargain (a small plush Hello Kitty was more!). The film cel is of Arwen. All the ones I looked at had the same scene, though the girl at the counter said there were different ones. Since this is the Two Towers set, I'd like to see if I can get one for Fellowship and Return of the King, if they're out there. It's about 5x7 inches and comes in a clamshell packaging with COA.

Toys for Tots Toy Drive

2007-09-22T15:41:00.000-07:00

As a reformed toy collector, I feel that all kids should get to experience the joy of that new toy smell!

From November 6th to the 11th, Walden Media is sponsoring this great toy drive for Toys for Tots. They plan to break the Guinness World Record by collecting over 12,000 pounds of toys from 10 US metro areas. If you are affiliated with a school, library, or community center, see what you can do to get them to participate. Even if you don't live in one of the areas, they will still help you collect and donate the toys, they just won't be weighed for the record. Or, gather some toys and find out who is participating. This is a great cause to support!

To host a drive, sign up at the website below by September 28, 2007.

http://www.walden.com/walden/properties/magorium/toysfortots/toysfortots.php#

I am going to see if my school will host a drive and I might donate some unopened LOTR figures. :)

My Lazy Ass...

2007-09-15T04:59:00.000-07:00

As you can see, by the fact that it's been nearly a month since I bothered to make a post...I've been a 30-year old lazy ass. :)

I am, however, in recovery. I joined a gym. Wha??? Yeah, after handing over a major chunk of paycheck (no more collectibles for a while :( ), I am a card-carrying 3-year member of . No, I'm not telling you which one so you can come to point and laugh. I've been going to personal training sessions and I do pilates and yoga every week. I must admit, I do feel somewhat less like a lazy ass, though many, many of my body parts are unhappy about this turn of events. The best part was when my brother's friend (he used to work there, so we decided to hook his friend up with a commission) was entering my info in the computer, looked at the DOB on my CADL and said, "Oh, you've just had a birthday." Waits a few beats and then goes, "Wow, a big one!" Yeah, thanks dude. No need to remind me. At least I still get carded at bars. Though no longer young, I can still look the part...

My brothers and I had some time on our hands today, so we went to see "Shoot 'Em Up," the new Clive Owen movie. I am not typically a Clive Owen fan, but we were thoroughly entertained. I'd been wanting to see it since the panel at Comic Con, where they previewed at least 2 of the major action sequences. It's an over-the-top wink-wink clever action flick, that has very little downtime and a very little running time (1 hr 20 min). Owen's character, Mr. Smith, is Bugs Bunny to Paul Giamatti's Elmer Fudd. Hilarious. Ooh, and a bit cringe-worthy. I'm a pretty jaded movie-goer and even I had to burrow a few times. I really didn't care too much about the characters' backstories, which were blatantly obvious. They really didn't need to explain any of that! :P I'm surprised that it didn't do better than 4th place in its opening weekend against 3:10 to Yuma (I like Russell Crowe far less than Clive Owen, so good luck catching me watching any of his movies!). I don't think it was marketed very well to the target audience, which I'm assuming is males 17-35. Then again, the R rating and post-summer release isn't helpful either.

Oh whatever. I'm going to bed. My lazy ass won't be up again until this afternoon, in case you want to join me for drinks (don't tell my trainer!) tonight! :D

Last Wednesday

2007-08-19T03:47:00.000-07:00

I was editing my profile and noticed that the number next to "Age" has changed. This sucks. This couldn't possibly mean that I have to start acting, gulp, my age, does it?

Anal Retentive Obsessive Compulsive Collecting

2007-08-19T01:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I realized after my last post that I have a problem. It's called "Anal Retentive Obsessive Compulsive Collecting" or AROCC for short. Here's an example of what I mean:

"What's that about?" you might ask yourself. That, obviously, is a pile of business cards. I started picking them up when I was in high school, I think. They're free, they want you to take them, and they're small. I very rarely pass up a business card that is just sitting out in the open. If you're not careful, and you did not offer, I'll sneak one out from off your desk when you're not looking. Most are just from stores and restaurants or from friends and business associates, but I've got some from artists, museums, and I don't know who else. Every once in a while I'll unearth a little stash of them while "cleaning" in my house. That's the obsessive compulsive part.

To serve their useful purpose, I devised this oft-neglected organization system. I have a binder with these card sleeves in it. Business cards are sorted by type. From the picture, I think you can tell where I usually shop for my wardrobe. If you're in the know, you can probably also guess that I'm a UCLA alum (mmm...cookies). Originally, I thought this would be useful. Like, "Oooh, I want to go to -fill-in-the-blank-restaurant-here- tonight, I should make a reservation. Let me get my business card book." Yeah right. I never use this thing. I also haven't put a new card in it since 2002. It may have something to do with increased internet use. Yet, I still compulsively gather the cards. My anal retentiveness makes me feel like it must be perfect or I won't do it at all, so now I have cards sitting in boxes and bowls all over the house.

You may have noticed that it also says "Menus." I collect these too, under the assumption that I might want to order take out sometime. I haven't in years. Now, you might say to yourself that you have a menu drawer or folder too. Well, do you laminate them? Alphabetize them? I didn't think so. I do this with directions and maps too. For years, whenever I went somewhere, I pasted the map into Word and added directions to/from my house. After printing it, you guessed it, laminate and alphabetize. This way, I never had to print the directions again, they were spill-proof, and they looked uniformly tidy. In fact, nearly everything I own that can be alphabetized will at some point in time, be alphabetized.

Okay, enough about my neuroses...I think I've over-shared.

;P

Other Things I Collect

2007-08-17T18:52:00.000-07:00

Besides debt. :P

Before I became a "collectibles" collector, I had various and sundry little things that I liked to collect. I amassed a big tangle of keychains, flirted with stamps and coins, but I didn't get obsessed with anything until my Lord of the Rings habit. It was weird because I didn't have a lot of toys growing up, I had moved on to books at about the age of 5. The toys I had would collect dust on a shelf. My brothers were the toy guys (GI Joes, HeMen, Transformers, all that 80s goodness), so it's crazy that I was the one who wound up with hundreds of little plastic men. :)

I do still have a couple of other collections which I cultivate: postcards and shotglasses. I pick them up to mark my travels, but I receive many as gifts as well. Above, a few new items I got in Vegas this week.

With the postcards, I like to get one postmarked, so I mail them to myself. Lame, I know. I will often just stick an address label and stamp on it and draw a happy face. I've mailed myself postcards from Canada, Scotland, England, Wales, and all over the US. When I was studying in London, I brought a sheet of address labels so I could easily send cards to all my friends. There are a few old Chinatown and Disneyland ones from my parents and from friends around the world. A while back I bought a postcard spinner at Pottery Barn that I LOVE! The sales guy tried to sell me on its uses as a photo display, but I really wanted it for postcards. :P Of course, my collection has already outgrown the thing, but whatever. I just signed up for http://www.postcrossing.com/, which sounds promising. Only, I recently discovered that it costs 90 cents to mail a postcard internationally (via a returned-for-additional-postage card), which is more than double the 26 cent domestic rate. What's up with that? I normally would just put two postcard stamps if mailing overseas. Sigh.

As you can imagine, the shotglass habit started about the time I turned 21. Hehe. I had long stopped collecting keychains, but I still wanted a small, ubiquitous collectable I could pick up on my travels, in addition to the postcards. It didn't hurt that these could get some practical use. ;) Since they are breakable, I get a little nervous about using the "irreplaceable" ones. I try not to spend too much on them. The ones I got in Britain usually cost . Whenever possible, I get one that is $1 or less. One favorite is from Maui. My best friend picked it up on her honeymoon, I think, and it has a little island sculpture inside. Another is from Stratford, with a "gold" rim that I paid one pound for at a shop near Trinity Church. I like the standard single and double shot shapes best, though I do have a few novelty ones.

See? Some people are just born collectors. :P

Best Buy 300 Special Edition DVD

2007-08-13T01:37:00.001-07:00

So the other day I was whining about selling my Comic Con 300 DVD because Best Buy didn't ship me my Spartan Helmet version:

http://marybluefairy-forest.blogspot.com/2007/08/300-special-edition-dvd.html

Well, amazingly Best Buy came through. :) "Backordered," I think, is code for "We're going to string you along until you can't get a copy anywhere for a decent price and then we're going to cancel your order." Hence, great shock to get an email that it had shipped and then four or five days later, to actually get a package. I don't suppose it has anything to do with the scathing review I gave them when they sent me a customer service survey about my purchase? Hmmm? I've always had horrible customer service from Best Buy, but that's another story. Shipping box was crushed on one side, thankfully all items arrived safely.

First off, even though it seems like it may be made of some type of plastic, it is fairly heavy for its size, approximately 12oz. I haven't compared it to any of my LOTR helms yet, but it looks roughly the same scale. It was actually secured to the bottom of the box insert with what looks like rubber cement. Just FYI, you can safely use a bit of Goo Gone to remove the residue. It's too bad that they didn't use the velvety black material from the SDCC version on the insert in this one. That was classy. ;) Mine is tilting off to one side and there are some small paint appilcation errors, but all in all, it is quite satisfactory considering that it basically cost about $10. I like it much better than the mask, but then again, I have the full sized Immortals mask, and like the helmet, both masks were made by Neca, so there isn't much difference in quality. It's too bad the helmet is not removable, though I suppose there is no purpose for that being the case, is there? Haha...

Inserted with this set is a little bonus, a set of four cards featuring mighty Leonidas. They are about 5x7 inches with the 300 logo embossed on each one. I thought they were going to be trading card size, so I am very pleased with them. I have a slightly larger card of Leonidas holding his shield up in the rain which I got at Comic Con last year that might go nicely with these. So with these, my Immortals mask, arrow, and cardboard shield, I'm starting to have enough 300 stuff to set up a display!

Sorry about the poor images, lighting conditions were not optimal. :P

SDCC 2007: Ebay Watch

2007-08-11T01:18:00.000-07:00

I didn't buy nearly as much stuff for myself as most con-goers, but I picked up a couple of goodies and out of sheer curiosity I wanted to see how they are fairing at the 'bay right now. I think all 4 items are now sold out. Not shown are the 3 art prints I bought.

Gentle Giant Glorfindel Bust

LE: 500

MSRP: $50

Ebay: $115-120 (35 auctions)

Probably the hardest to get of the four, by virtue of small edition size and the crappy GG line situation.

Weta Mini-Manmelter Raygun

LE: 500

MSRP: $30

Ebay: $65-70 (4 auctions)

These 4 are unsigned, a signed one went for about $80 recently . Had this pre-ordered, easy-peasy.

Mine is signed. Teehee.

Sideshow Stealth Iron Man Comiquette (Pre-Order)

LE: 1250

MSRP: $300
Ebay: $650-700 (8 auctions)

Ordered this for my brother. Despite the edition size, which is 500 more than what was rumored in San Diego, it is still pre-selling for more than double the MSRP. Crazy. For those that missed out on the red and gold version, I guess this is a slightly less expensive alternative. At the same time, it has light up features, which the other two do not. I wonder which I would choose if I had both...?

Gentle Giant Luna Lovegood Bust

LE: 1000

MSRP: $50

Ebay: $75-80 (40 auctions)

I got this for my sister-in-law, after trying frantically to reach my brother (since I was lucky enough to get into the line, I figured it was better to buy it than not). Of the items listed, this is the only one I'm getting rid of so far. I really don't have any other GG Harry Potter items (she has the new Harry and Cho), though I must admit that they are tempting. I was really eyeballing that large-scale Voldemort with the fabricated um, gown, but the Harry was a no-go.

So that's it. I really only bought one bust, one gun, and three prints. That's some restraint, eh?

Update on the Raygun as of 8/18, I just saw one on Ebay that sold for over $100, unsigned. Impressive gains on a $30 item...the others seem to be levelling off a bit.

SDCC 2008: What I Want!

2007-08-09T06:46:00.000-07:00

Okay?

When I see you in San Diego next year, I expect you to take me to a nice pub (I have a favorite, though I will consider your choice). We will sit in a dark corner and someone will pour me one of these and it will take forever, but it will be OH SO GOOD! I don't really know how many of you are out there, but I expect each and every one of you to have one with me (I will have one for each of you!). I don't care if Guinness is not a "summer" beer. :) I will give you a pass if you order a shandy because those are tasty, but nothing non-alcoholic or I swear I will not be your friend anymore. Oh wait, unless you are under 21, I am an upstanding citizen afterall, and would not contribute to the delinquency of a minor. Ahem.

**Dang it, see what happens when I have too much caffeine! There are like 50 million posts here tonight/this morning and none of them are coherent.

SDCC 2007: OMG the Secret is OUT!

2007-08-09T05:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, so maybe you don't know, because you're my geeky "friends," but I am very serious when it comes to keeping my "worlds" separate. There's 1) family, 2) "school" friends- high school and/or college, 3) work friends, 4) work, and 5) geek friends. I tell you, most of them don't even know the rest exist. I have separate emails, phone numbers, credit cards!!! Most of all, I keep you guys well away from #1-4. My "wardrobe" does not consist of Star Wars/Hot Wheels/Transformers t-shirts, jeans, shorts, long black coats, dark sunglasses, baseball caps, and sneakers. (I am not high-maintenance, though, I swear!). I do not have the Star Wars theme as my ringtone. I have not even seen Star Wars more than twice in entirety. I do not go into Toys r Us, K*B Toys, Suncoast, FYE, the toy section at Target, Puzzle Zoo, Frank & Sons, comic shops, or the Games Workshop store at the mall when with, or in the vicinity of, people I know, present company excepted. I will generally not be seen with you at family functions, school reunions, my college campuses, work (at any of two dozen sites), or anywhere besides the Gaslamp of San Diego during Comic Con. If we happen to run into each other in such a situation, I will wave, smile, and then I will speed-walk away from you. Don't take it personally.**

Well, imagine how aghast I was when I stopped in at work today and one of my "work friends" asked, "So, how was Comic Con?" I just about died. I asked for the time off from work and I mentioned I would be in San Diego, but I certainly hadn't told her anything about it. Apparently, some people are capable of putting two and two together, even though I actually went to university in the area and could have been visiting a college buddy or something. Oh woe is me, I was caught so off guard, I had no cover. The answer went something like this..."I was, uh, visiting with friends...I am so over it, I wouldn't even have gone if they hadn't made me...I slept in almost every day (this part was true!) because I wasn't that interested...I only went for the drinking (partly true, though I did NOT have enough liquor, that was disappointing)."

I might have to quit my job. Thanks a lot, Comic Con.

**Tongue planted firmly in cheek, of course. :P Don't hit me!

Formatting

2007-08-09T05:52:00.000-07:00

Peeps, I'm sure you've noticed what a craptacular job I've done with the formatting on this page. :P Fact is, I am not computer-savvy, whatever anyone might say, and html gobbly-gook drives me crazy. I have tried and tried to make the page behave...why does the post never look the way it does when you write it? So screw it, I'm just going to live with it. Maybe you will find it, like me, endearing. Right? Okay, you'll probably be annoyed. That's alright. I am too.

SDCC 2007: Sideshow

2007-08-09T05:08:00.000-07:00

Beside Gentle Giant, Sideshow is one of the few companies out there still making Lord of the Rings products (amen!). There was a relatively large public debut of new pieces, which garned mixed reviews from the fans. In order of how much I like them:

1. Sam $70
Mr. Frodo couldn't have made it very far without him. This little 1:6 scale figure packs a whallop with his highly detailed kit. Pots, pans, bedrolls, Sam is like a Boy Scout, always prepared. Since I don't have a Sam and Bill statue, this is a maybe for me. The bodies for the hobbits are due in part to Sideshow's new partnership with Hot Toys.

2. Frodo $70
I have so many Frodos. However, this one is a very good likeness and though not as detailed as Sam, should be well worth the $70. I have a problem with both hobbits, though...I am not digging the very visible ball-joints in the ankles. I wouldn't really need poseable feet, would I?

3. Gandalf the Grey $150
I like it, I do. The price is reasonable, so is the size. Likeness, pretty good. I even like the pose. Drawback? I have two Gandalf busts, two Gandalf statues, and Gandalf on Shadowfax. Pass.

4. Aragorn vs. Uruk Hai $299
Sorry I didn't get a good shot of the whole diorama. This one is an impressive size, since you basically are getting three statues and a little environment. I don't have an Aragorn statue, so that's in it's favor, but I am not going to devote this amount of space right now. The Uruks look very good, even the Aragorn likeness is better than usual. However, even though they seem to be dynamic poses, I am not getting much energy off this piece, if that makes any sense. Aragorn does not look like he is dealing out a whuppin' to these guys.

5. Gandalf the White $275
This is definitely the low man on the totem pole. The buzz on this piece was not encouraging. In fact, I heard a rumor that Sideshow sent this to New Line even though they were not completely happy with it. They were surprised that it was approved, and now they cannot change it. Hopefully this is not true, because it needs significant tweaking. I made a remark that the beard looked like whipped cream, it's just so dense. I got some laughs, but in the end, people agreed with me. I know that rooted hair would look even worse (unless done in the uber-expensive Cinemaquette way), and I certainly could not do better, so I'll leave it at that. The kit does look pretty nice, I can tell that the Sideshow fabrication team did their homework. This is nit-picking, I know, but the quilting on the tunic doesn't seem quite right. I'm sure it is accurate, but something does not ring true. Also, I was not aware that the flaps of the top "skirt" were microsuede. At least, that's what the fabric on the figure appeared to be. I'd have to watch the movie again, but that texture should be apparent on film, right? This doesn't bode well for the future of the Premium Format line, which started off with a bang (Lurtz). I hope this isn't the case, we need more LOTR products for everyone. :)

SDCC 2007: Um, More Weta?

2007-08-09T04:30:00.001-07:00

Oy, so I feel like I've left out something in my Weta-thon post...
http://marybluefairy-forest.blogspot.com/2007/08/sdcc-2007-weta-thon.html

Here is the intrepid Lord Cockswain and Moon Mistress. This bad@$$ sculpture was LIFE-SIZED! It was a bit eerie to walk by this every day, as Lord Cockswain seems to have a twinkle in his eye. In fact, in one video I saw, I could swear his eyes moved! Freak-y. Since it was made of some type of foam and was NOT roped off, you could often spy little children poking at it, bits being knocked off, and Jaime performing emergency surgery with a bottle of tacky glue. Seriously though, the sculpture was really life-like, the skin was amazing. I spotted this hilarious video of Cockswain getting dressed. ;)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=gEq2D7QmU4o

Sorry, Broadmore. :P

In case you didn't know, Weta Bug is the awesomest. You know who thinks so? Weta. Apparently, Daniel Falconer did the original Weta Bug illustration, from which this statue was made. Several Weta members were involved in the sculpting and painting of this one of a kind collectible. Hmmm...makes me think I should commission a marybluefairy collectible...Okay, at least a drawing? No? A sketch? Sigh...

So these thingies here were a sore spot with some fans at Comic Con. I cannot profess to be a Dr. Who fan (in fact, I caught a glimpse of the show the other day and declared it to be so awful, I changed the channel, heh), but there are apparently legions of them and they were piping hot when these bits of gold cloth stayed on all weekend! There were to be 4 statues revealed at SDCC, but only two were uncovered. The two here were not yet approved for viewing, though Jaime slyly let a few bits and bobs peek out. You can read the labels for yourself if you are so inclined. I, however, was present when Jaime briefly lifted the covers to give us a look (no pics, sorry). Mighty impressed, I was, though I still don't have any desire to watch the show! I will be stoned by Dr. Who fans who justifiably feel that such fortune was wasted on my miserable self. :P

SDCC 2007: Gentle Giant

2007-08-09T03:55:00.001-07:00

Gentle Giant had some beautiful offerings this year in the area of Lord of the Rings collectibles. I even spotted Richard Taylor admiring them. Okay, I can't exactly make that claim, I have no idea what he thinks of it all, but I did see him. In the pic to the left, you can see the backs of the new busts, Sauron and Orc. I think the orc is Snaga, though I have been told otherwise. I have better pictures (of the fronts, imagine that!), but there are obvious "No Photography Please" signs on them and I'd rather not get into too much trouble. :P These are both beautifully done. However, there are several Sideshow Weta incarnations of The Lord of the Rings, and while you can certainly make a case for this one being different enough from the others, I am not buying it. The Orc, however, is a "new" character in polystone form. I don't feel that it fits in with my existing orc busts, which are more facial studies with classically styled bases. These busts are like half-statues, really. They could turn out several different orcs, I'm sure, but I doubt they would be nearly as popular as the Star Wars clones. Still, these might be a nice collection, especially for those who didn't hop on the Weta wagon soon enough.

Strangely, I don't have many pictures of their products, probably because we were always being shooed away from the area. The line for exclusives was ridiculous, often snaking in and out of the displays. Sometimes people would be waiting in line hoping to join the purchasing line. Bizarre. I was fortunate enough to find my friends at the right time, themselves being in the right place at the right time. The fastest seller was probably the Glorfindel bust, no doubt due to the 500 piece edition size. I got one! More on that later.

Above are the "Classics" busts which debuted at Comic Con. I have to say, I am not very impressed. They are a bit larger than a chess piece, and seem similar in quality to a Bust-Up. I'm not sure what the difference is between a $6.99 Bust-Up and a $30 Classics bust, but seeing as how I balked at $7 for a Harry Potter Bust-Up, I'm sure as heck not buying these things. The Gimli is the best of the lot, but I am partial to Gimli. Legolas is average, the likeness is no better or worse than a Toybiz figure (Gentle Giant supplied the scans for Toybiz, I believe). The Eowyn, though, is awful. I think it actually looks worse in person than in pictures. Considering how beautiful their regular busts and maquettes are, I don't understand why they are bothering with these. I seriously think the only good use for these would be as chess pieces, but for the money, I'd rather have a Noble Collection one.

SDCC 2007: 300 Special Edition DVD

2007-08-04T01:29:00.000-07:00

So I was one of the lucky 4,000 to buy a 300 Exclusive DVD set with an Immortals mask at SDCC last weekend (for $50!). Well, since I already have the full-size Neca version, I decided to sell my exclusive and buy the Best Buy Special Edition with the Spartan helmet (see pic) for $35. Well, Tuesday morning the DVD went on sale. I checked online and saw that my local store was out. Opting not to drive 15-20 miles to the next store, I paid the $1.99 shipping on the IN STOCK item. I had to deliver the DVD set to it's new owner today, so last night I started wondering what was taking so long. Two days is a long time, people! :P Come to find out, Best Buy has BACKORDERED me. It may take 2 weeks to get my new set, if I get it at all. I'm a gal of my word, so that SDCC version went to a good home, but I don't think I would have sold it yet if I knew my Spartan helmet was not on its way. Boo on you, Best Buy!

SDCC 2007: LOTRG

2007-08-02T21:49:00.000-07:00

So, thanks to our devoted forumite, Blackthorpe, many LOTRG members were sporting these uber-cool laminated badges. Contact Blackthorpe for more information on how to obtain one for yourself (if you’re a member, that is). Of course, it’s not like I need any help identifying our good members! Heck, I’ll even remember your real name for free. ;) We had a good number of members in attendance, though we were not all together at the same time. Dunedain87, choopie, fritz, and radagaster were the mods representing. We also caught up with Ithilethiel, cco805, abandonada (and her friend asilomarworks), jedichef, and diane. Forgive me if I’ve gone and forgotten anyone. I’m sure there were other members lurking about...

…Oh yes, that ever-elusive Gothmog. I do have a picture of his face, but I think the Lord of the Balrogs would fry me to a crisp if I posted that! Such a spoil-sport. Keep your eye out for that shirt and you should have no trouble spotting him! :P

We hope to have a strong contingent at SDCC 2008, so feel free to contact me via PM on the boards or my email: marybluefairy[at]lordoftheringsguide.com (cross fingers it doesn’t end up in the junk mail) if you need more information or assistance.

SDCC 2007: Weta-thon!

2007-08-01T15:54:00.000-07:00

So, truth be told, I don't even remember how it started. I found myself blabbering on and on about cupcakes. With trilobites on them. Now, anyone who knows me knows that I can't help but take a joke from the hypothetical to reality. Thus there I was on Wednesday afternoon, putting chocolate frosting on chocolate cupcakes. I topped them with gummi centipedes and tarantulas because I couldn't find any trilobites. Imagine that. I very nearly ordered a trilobite mold so I could make them out of chocolate. Crazy. Anyway, I popped by the Weta booth at the close of Preview Night with 2 dozen gooey chocolate cupcakes (a half dozen were chocolate-butterscotch ones) and that's what they looked like. They got a little melty in the San Diego heat. Wetabug was kind enough to take the cupcake carrier back to her hotel and wash it, how nice, right?! Apparently, I started some sort of cupcake avalanche at the Weta booth...how terrible. ;) *oh, btw, I stole these pics from the wetaholics site.

Well, since they wouldn't sell me anything on Wednesday night, I was desperate to get there as early as possible on Thursday. First, I made sure to beg Greg Broadmore to sign my "The Battery" calendar. Four Weta artists contributed artwork to it, including Broadmore. I got this from Warren Mahy about a year ago, it was awesome of him to send it to me. :) Mahy was also at Comic Con this year, so I stopped by to say "hi" to him as well. Oh, and yes, I rock. Hahaha...I also bought both Raygun prints. I'm a little disappointed that I didn't get there in time to buy #1 of each, but I got #4 and #5, so I shouldn't complain. I picked up a Mahy print as well. When I get a chance, I'll take pics of all these and post them.

While Broadmore was signing my prints, I picked up my pre-ordered mini-Manmelter raygun. I have it in a little plastic case (forgive the crappy lighting in the picture). It's a bit larger and heavier than I had expected. For $30, it was a steal. If you didn't know better, you could easily mistake pictures of it for the full-sized one. I was so busy chatting with someone about something that I didn't realize I should have asked Broadmore to sign the box (fabu design, btw!), so I had to trek on back Sunday like a fool to ask him. I'm a dork. Heh.

More SDCC musings on the way!

SDCC 2007: Iron Man

2007-08-01T02:52:00.000-07:00

So I think this little guy will end up being the story of SDCC 2007. That's the Iron Man armor from the upcoming movie. The buzz coming off what we saw at San Diego Comic Con is going to be huge.

I just got back from San Diego a few days ago and all I can talk about is Iron Man. We were treated to two presentations, one on Thursday by director Jon Favreau and one on Saturday with Favreau and cast. Stars Robert Downey, Jr. (perfect Tony Stark, btw!), Gwyneth Paltrow, and Terrence Howard were in attendance. The footage was incredible, especially considering that almost everything we saw was pre-CG, in-camera shots. The origin story is addressed in the footage, which was cut to Black Sabbath's "Iron Man." We did get to see the iconic red and gold suit on screen and a flying Iron Man.

Attendees scored some sweet Iron Man swag: a t-shirt (which Favreau himself sported on Saturday) and poster. A second t-shirt could be made on the spot if you visited the Paramount booth. The huge Stark Industries crate was opened on Saturday at the Marvel booth, revealing the OG Iron Man above. Eagle-eyed fans also spotted the Stark 4 license plate on Tony Stark's Audi, parked in front of the nearby Omni Hotel.

This is one comic book movie that should NOT disappoint.

There was so much to see and do at SDCC that I will probably spend the next few months blogging about each one!

My PhotoSite

2007-07-19T23:08:00.001-07:00

Oh woe is me! My PhotoSite is going to be shut down. :( Well, the whole site is actually shutting down, but still, I must be the one most affected by this! ;) Ah, how I loved my PhotoSites...I had 2 or 3 of them. So easy to use, so nice and professional-looking. I even paid for one of them. Well, go on and enjoy the gallery, relive the good ol' days, until September 27, I'm not moving over to Snapfish. Sigh.

Harry Potter Bust Up

2007-07-19T22:59:00.001-07:00

I must apologize for being such a very bad blogger! All work and no collectible hunting has made me very cranky. Grrr.

So, in honor of the new Harry Potter movie and of course, the book, I present a little bauble. I picked this up at the mall last week while I was searching for Harry Potter treats (for some goodie bags I made for the movie). Anyway, it is the Timeless Collection Harry Potter Bust-Up by Gentle Giant.

Little Potty comes in six pieces, and is very easy to assemble. At about 2.5" tall, I have to say it's not quite worth the $6.99 and tax I paid, and I probably won't be getting any others, but I do like it. The likeness is fair and the quality is consistent with something this size, though I wish the shirt was a bit more white (it's kind of peachy in real life). I found the box a bit confusing, what with all the pictures of other Bust-Ups. I feared it was one of those "randomly inserted" things, where you have no idea what figure is actually inside, especially since the box was taped up.

While I'm on the subject of Harry Potter, I'm actually hunting for a good spice cabinet, preferrably one with glass doors. Why, you ask? Well, I am wanting to put together a potions display for a class I might possibly teach next year. Something like this (for under $30, I forgot to bid on this one on Ebay) would be ideal. Even better if it comes with bottles. Let me know if you find one! Otherwise, I suppose I'll haunt the flea market. Ooh, and a birdcage! Oh, but I'm getting ahead of myself again...

I might be dressing up for the book party Friday night, you all should too! Happy Deathly Hallows-Eve!

POTC

2007-05-26T16:00:00.001-07:00

A girl is allowed to have an unhealthy appreciation for pirates, right? :)

I just got these yesterday, a gift from a friend. It's some sort of promotional material from the POTC online game, which I believe she got at the Pirates showing at the El Capitan in Hollywood. There was a Beta disc (which my brother will get to play with) as well as this litho (game artwork?) inside the envelope.

Since we're on the subject of pirates, I picked these up at Disneyland a while back. I really like the artwork they did for the playing cards, based on the ride, of course. The keys I thought were useful as a prop for school. They appear to be made of metal, they're pretty heavy.

Leonidas Helmet

2007-05-09T23:49:00.000-07:00

I saw this.

I want it.

300 Arrow

2007-04-29T01:33:00.000-07:00

I recently learned that the 300 Spartan shield is rather limited, an appropriate edition size of 300. Silly me, I thought I could just pick this up later on down the line. Alas, it appears to be sold out everywhere and is going for upwards of $1000 on Ebay. Grr. I wouldn't even have sold it if I had one, but I would also not pay $1000 for it. :(

Since I couldn't have the shield, I let my brother buy me an Immortal's arrow. :D Since the box was kindof an odd shape, I declined a bag. The clerk seemed to think I was a dork to carry it around the mall like that, but I don't care. :P The packaging is pretty flimsy, and there's just a small rectangle of styrofoam to protect the arrowhead. The shaft and fletchings are left to fend for themselves.

I'm having a hard time not damaging the feathers (not sure if they're real). My arrow doesn't seem to be painted right, the darker coloring at the head does not extend all the way down the shaft but kinda stops about an inch or two above where it should. Maybe I'll be brave and paint it later. Also, the arrowhead, which is a separate piece, does not sit well on the shaft. I might have to putty it in. I do really like it, and I'm glad to have it, but it seems a bit pricey ($40) for an arrow, especially when the Immortal mask only cost me $30. Maybe I wouldn't mind as much if I could stick it in a shield...hmmm...

The store also had a set of the Immortal Swords in, but they were opened and sitting on top of the display case with what looks like their last mask. I wouldn't be surprised if someone had set them aside. I didn't even see a box or a price. Maybe that's a good thing. They had a small selection of other collector goodies as well, such as the Gentle Giant busts (including Strider).

Britannia

2007-04-28T12:45:00.000-07:00

So I walked into this pub last Saturday...and stumbled out several hours later! My group of friends had the upstairs section to ourselves for a while, it's quite cozy and there's a pool table.

I can't say what the food is like, as I didn't eat anything other than Guinness. ;P After a Guinness, a Newcastle, 4 shots, and a Bacardi and Coke, it was no surprise to anyone that I found myself sitting on a beer keg (sorry to the sweet British guy who was trying to talk to me!), or that I closed out my personal tab at $60, including a shot on the house. My friends and I recommend the Britannia and Red-Headed Slut. Our waitress was awesome, and the horrid karaoke downstairs was much fodder for our amusement! Our designated driver, who remained completely sober, took many incriminating photos which I refuse to share! :P

Somehow, I managed to not only make it down the street, but up five flights of stairs to the car! Oh, and in the morning, I woke up without a hangover and went to work for the next eight hours. Oh the joys of being me! Hehe...

It was so much fun, but I suspect you will need to bring a rowdy group of friends, a lush like myself, and down enough booze to die of cirrhosis to have as much fun as we did!

Grab yourself a pint at Britannia Pub in Santa Monica:
http://www.britanniapub.com/

**btw, that's not us in the picture, I grabbed that off their website.

The Blue Fairy

2007-04-28T12:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry to be so lazy about checking in, work has been crazy!

My friend Ithilethiel sent me this fairy. I was walking around the house with it, looking for a place to put it, and I nearly banged into a wall. I'm a clutz! I especially like the wings and the little gazing ball.

I think this is the only Blue Fairy in my collection. Sideshow never released a Froud Blue Fairy, even though my avatar (see profile) has been a Froud painting for ages! In case anyone wonders, the avatar was supplied by my friend Gideon, who happens to have owned that painting, I think.

Whimsic Alley

2007-04-12T20:11:00.000-07:00

So I finally got to go to Whimsic Alley in Santa Monica (thanks to cco805). The last time I tried, they were closed. On a Tuesday. I suggest checking their website for hours before going across town, they do seem to keep it updated. Though the store is pretty much devoted to Harry Potter, there is a selection of other fantasy products (fairies, Lord of the Rings, Narnia). Each section of the store has a different name to reflect the product you might find there.

"Habber & Dasher" carries many of the licensed costume items, like the hats above, as well as clothing that appears to be made especially for them. The robes and house sweaters have the name and location of the store on the tags. Sweaters are a reasonable $35, but the adult robes are in the $120 range. However, they are fully lined and feature a wand pocket. You can also pick up a matching tie or scarf to complete your outfit.

"Phoenix Wands" is definitely reminiscent of Ollivander's and also has a few swords and walking sticks. They sell several different collections of wands, and they do look pretty good.

I tried on just about every size of sweater before deciding on the Gryffindor Style 2 in Small. They definitely run large, I almost bought the Youth Large instead, but the resulting fit is rated PG. :P It's folded up a bit in the pic, but it does have long sleeves and a v-neck. I already have a Harry Potter wand from Noble Collection as well as a tie, so I didn't need to buy one today. I'd also like to pick up a sweater in Slytherin colors as I have Snape's wand and a tie. The robe is quite spendy, so I might make my own instead.

Visit Whimsic Alley yourself at 2717-1/2 Wilshire Blvd. Santa Monica, CA

IKEA Lighting

2007-04-07T20:54:00.000-07:00

Ah, so it's Spring Break and I find myself wandering the aisles at Ikea again. I'm always on the lookout for display items for my collection. Today, I focused on lighting. There is currently no lighting in my cabinets, which is okay since it's a light-colored wood, but still. I didn't find anything that just jumped out and said "buy me," but I thought I would share anyway.

This first one is from Magiker, and it's on clearance right now for $6.99. The arm is adjustable and there's a little flip switch on the front. If the cabinet is too high, though, it might be a pain to turn on. It didn't feel too hot, and if you have just a few open shelves, this might work well for you. Mine are enclosed, though...so moving on...

Next up, the infamous NON lights. These are usually paired up with Detolf cabinets. Unfortunately, though they look good and the Detolf actually has a hole in the top just for these, they run really hot. Beware of using these for extended periods of time if you have polystone. However, the two packs are on clearance for $4.99 if you have a heat-proof display item to illuminate.

This 8W fluorescent Liesta seemed promising. It didn't seem to be hot at all and you can string several together and only have to use one outlet. Since my cases have doors with wooden frames, they might actually be able to conceal the lights somewhat. I would change out my wooden shelves for glass and then only mount two in each case, under the top and under the fixed wooden shelf. The light also looks kinda yellow-y rather than "white." Not terrible for $12.99.

This last one is called Dioder, which sounds kinda odoriffic, but whatever. They didn't have this one on display, so I can't say what the light looks like other than that they have different colors. According to the label, they emit little heat, last 50 times longer than normal bulbs, and can be used in small spaces (they're pretty thin). The four pack will set you back about $40, and it looks like they are all attached to one power cord, so it must be meant for use in very close proximity.

I spent about $60 on stuff for school and organizational supplies...yes, the struggle for storage continues...nothing for my collection. :(

New Job

2007-03-29T22:25:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty lax with blogging (and internet time in general) since I took over a friend's class. I worked there years ago in another capacity, so I am kinda settled in already.

I took this picture on a foggy October day. Who knew I'd be there for the rest of the year? That's my classroom on the far left. It's pretty, isn't it?

Immortal Mask

2007-03-29T21:52:00.000-07:00

So I'm pretty much a sucker for anything remotely cool and collectible.

After seeing the movie for the second time, I wandered into a Suncoast and saw this mask. I wanted it, but I thought I might find it for less online. I hemmed and hawed for about two weeks, but I finally made a special trip to the mall and got it today.

I'm pretty happy with it, though if I'd paid more than $30, I might have been a bit less so. The mesh-y fabric presses right up against my eyes since there's not enough padding. Or at least not enough for my flat face. I believe it's made of fiberglass, and it's quite sturdy. There are two elastic strips which cross in the back, so it fits snugly.

I was afraid that I would want to buy the Spartan helmet if they had it, I didn't want to spend another $60. Fortunately, or unfortunately, they were sold out. They also had the arrow, which I hadn't seen before, for $40. I exerted great willpower this time, but in two weeks...

I creeped myself out a bit when I tried it on in the mirror. Yeah, I did.

Bowling!

2007-03-25T23:47:00.000-07:00

A bunch of my coworkers and I went bowling the other night. Sort of a team-building exercise. We were pretty bad, got spanked by a four year old! By the end of the second game, we were granny-ing it. At one point, I set the ball down and kicked it, like a football. Would you believe that was a strike? Go figure. Did I mention that I forgot my socks that morning on my way to work? I didn't know we were going bowling, and I don't usually wear shoes that require socks. Of course, I stopped at home so as to avoid going commando in rented bowling shoes. Ew.

Smeagol Bust

2007-03-24T11:54:00.000-07:00

I would be remiss if I blogged about meeting David Wenham, but not Andy Serkis. Andy was genuinely cool. I made a dumb joke, something about Ebay, which actually got a few laughs from the folks standing around. I felt like an idiot, but I couldn't stop it coming out me mouth!

It took me a long time to decide what to get signed, I really wanted to get the Gollum DVD exclusive signed because it's (inexplicably) a bit less common, and even thought about getting the Smeagol signed too (extra $35, ka-ching for Creation), to make a matching set. In the end, there was just no smooth surface on the base, and I don't have the big Gollum bust, so this one was it. As you can see, Andy figured out the right place to sign. :P It's a little off-center, but that's mainly due to the hand being in the way. It really is a well-done little piece, but it is a bit front-heavy and because there are so many of them, it doesn't get it's due. If the edition were, say, 1000, it would be more popular.

I didn't take this photo, I don't remember where I found it, but it's awesome, no? Hehe. My friend Dune and I got to see photos that Andy took with this little guy. It belongs to one of the attendees, looks like maybe the Rubies life-size? Anyway, I believe she brought it in for a photo-op and Andy was so taken with it, he asked for a few shots for his personal collection. There's an especially charming one where he is pushing the stroller, Dune dubbed it "Son of Gollum." Alas, since the photos were just for Andy's benefit, I don't have any to show you, you'll have to use your imagination. :)

Autographed Faramir Helm

2007-03-17T00:08:00.000-07:00

Dear Collectors,

Do you notice anything unusual about this helm?

No?

I had the good fortune to have David Wenham autograph my Faramir Helm last Saturday. I probably waited about 10-15 minutes. Having mistakenly thought that the line was going to take a lot longer than it did, I went back to the hotel room, but rushed back in time to be one of the last through. Since I was totally oblivious to the "no pictures" rule, I had my camera out. I try to be helpful in such situations and tried to show him where to sign it. Well, the woman in charge dismissively said, "Oh, he's signed lots of these before," to which he added something to the effect of "Yes, and it's rather difficult to do." I take a few blurry pics as he carefully pens his name:

It is only after I get back to the hotel room and open up the carefully swaddled base that I discover...that he signed the back.

In the photos above, I have the helm on the base properly. However, on my shelf it is displayed signature and helm forward. It doesn't look terribly out of place, as the helm obscures the top of the base (which indicates the direction), but still. Had I noticed while I was still in his presence, I might have sheepishly asked him to write "Faramir" on the front. John Rhys Davies signed my Gimli bust similarly, with the signature on the front and "Gimli" on the back. Ah well.

I also have a lovely portrait of David and I together, and indeed we are wearing eerily matchy-matchy black shirts, but no I am not blogging it! One thing I noticed about him in close proximity was the straw-like texture of his hair. I swear it was sticking straight out in the back!

300!

2007-03-16T00:30:00.000-07:00

So I actually went to see this on opening night, sorta. I hadn't planned on it because my weekend was already going to be pretty busy, but then I figured, "why not?" We actually tried to get tickets at two different theatres, and couldn't get anything earlier than 12:10am on Friday night/Saturday morning. So obviously, $70m+ wasn't a surprise to me.

We got to the theatre in Burbank at least an hour early, and this is what the line looked like:

Not so bad until you realize that way off in the distance, the line doesn't end, but goes up a very high flight of stairs. It was actually not a bad wait, but it certainly looked it. There were some pro-life demonstrators trying to convert people, which was uncomfortable. I'm not religious in the least. There were also a couple of kids trying to bribe someone to let them cut the line.

Anyway, I thought the movie was well-executed, great style, at once modern and ancient. Love the grainy film stock, digital would have made it too cold. There was a touch of detachment which I found heartbreaking, but they don't dwell on it. It's almost like the filmmakers have taken the stoic Spartan-ness to heart and aren't about to let emotion bubble to the surface. I think that people will either really enjoy it, or really dislike it. Some folks have made the argument that it is xenophobic, homophobic, etceteraphobic...but we're looking at it through 21st century eyes. I'm sure that over the course of the millenia that people have said awful things about one another in order to rally their forces and "win." This is told from a Spartan point of view, what would a Spartan military leader tell his government and troops? That the Persians were nice guys? The Persians were supposedly benevolent conquerors, but that doesn't mean that the Greeks were wrong to fight for their independence.

I don't see this as a truly historical film, but an action movie of historical fiction. Movies are for entertainment, for suspending belief. If I want to know what really happened, I can go check out a book at the library, for chrissakes!

Oh, and the boys were so beautiful, props to the costume designer! :P

IKEA!

2007-03-05T00:57:00.000-08:00

Okay, so what does one do when one has Sunday night off? Since I was feeling much better, I dragged my brother off to Ikea, armed with naught but two cough drops. Fortunately, it was only 20 minutes away. Unfortunately, I got there at 7:30 and they close at 9.

Naturally, I was there to scout display options for my collection-cum-crack-habit. Oh, and to get some organizational goodies for my house. Currently, I have two birch Billy bookcases with glass doors. They retail for about $180 (doors alone are $50 a piece). I got lucky and found the doors on clearance for $10 a pair, so it only cost me $180 + tax for both. Seriously kicking myself for not buying more doors, I have room for one more case. I really like these, they were fairly easy to put together (I needed a little help putting on the doors) and are pretty sizeable and sturdy. Glass shelves are available for an extra $8 each, so eventually, I think I may swap out some or all of them. I am concerned that they won't hold enough, as the max load is 22lbs. Ikea has dropped the price on the white ones a bit, making this one a steal at $130. If I didn't already have birch ones, I would totally get some of these. They do have other colors and door options, the cost varies.

I also have one Detolf glass cabinet. Strangely, I didn't see this one in the showroom at my local Ikea, just one for $40 in the As-Is section. I hope it isn't being discontinued because, at $60, it's good value for the money. *update as of 7/07, these are now available in black and white as well as um, "wood." I know a lot of collectors use these for their prized pieces, I have even seen Cave Trolls perched on them! It's a little difficult to put together on your own, the shelves are not adjustable, and the dust can still get in though the sides. Still, it offers a clean look, and most collectibles fit inside just fine. I think if you remove two of the shelves, you can usually get two Premium Format figures from Sideshow in each one. The same goes for the Sauron statue. In keeping with the clean look, I try to have just one or two pieces on each shelf for maximum impact. I have my Narnia stuff (Weta mostly) in mine, though the Ringwraith on Steed used to live in it. There is a cutout on top for installing a light fixture, which is a nice bonus, though I would not recommend anything halogen or incandescent, for fear of melting the precioussses.

I spotted this Revinge glass front cabinet in the media storage section. I was looking for a cabinet with doors for all the DVDs that we have (I would put a curtain inside the door). It looks really cluttered when you can see them all out in the open, even if they are in alphabetical order. The regular price is $100, but it's on clearance for $60. It appears to only be available in this pretty sort of Martha Stewart blue. I forgot to look and see if the shelves were adjustable, but I assume they are since they are all glass (7 or 8 shelves). Besides DVDs, I thought it might be nice for helms, medallions, 6 or 12" figures. If I actually collected the Froud Fairies (I only have one fairie and 2 pixies), this would be perfect. It's a bit shallow, less than 6" deep. It would be nice in a house with a cottage or shabby-chic decor. In the end, the color doesn't go with any other furniture in the house, so it was a no go. If it gets marked down further though, I might be persuaded to take it home and give it a paint job. :) (Update as of 5/10, I saw a few left at IKEA for $40. I didn't get one, though, I didn't realize it was $60 last time).

Depending on where you live, it costs about $49 for home delivery of 250 pounds. I can tell you that 2-3 Billy bookcases weigh about that much. If I ever decide to get more cabinets, I'm renting a UHaul.

Now, I see I've run the risk of sounding like an Ikea commercial, but collectors are almost as obsessive about display as they are about the objects themselves, and Ikea does have a few reasonably priced options for those of us who don't have $2000 for a Pulaski. :P Given my sizeable collection, I'd go broke if I tried to go that route! You can see pics of some of my collection, by the way, at http://mbluefairy.photosite.com/

Okay, so after all that, I didn't buy any of those things today! Or rather yesterday, as it's now well past midnight. :P I got a medicine cabinet, for medicine, but not for the bathroom (you should never store medicine in the bathroom!). In the As-Is section I found what I think is one side of a bookcase or cabinet, which is just perfect to mount as an extra long shelf in the laundry area. Looks aren't important there, and you can't beat it for $0.60. Also got a couple of storage boxes for my stash of Holiday cards and a cutting board to use for folding laundry. I know, that sounds anal retentive, doesn't it? I tried it out, though, and it works great! All my shirts will be folded to the same size, how cool is that? ;P

I'm going to bed. I have a long day of folding laundry and drilling holes in the wall tomorrow...

Feeling Blue

2007-03-03T00:50:00.000-08:00

Not that anyone should notice, but I've been away for most of the last few days with a miserable cold and flu thingamajig. Check out my awesome arsenal of drugs and stuff:

I've sucked down at least 2 bags of cough drops in 4 days. I drank half a bottle of Nyquil, and some of that yucky stuff in the bottle there. Someone recommended the Sudafed 24, which I had to get from the pharmacist. It might be working, but since the flu has run it's course anyway, maybe not.

Missing from the pic is the smell-a-riffic Salon Pas. For those not familiar, it's a patch of what appears to be medical tape infused with what smells like menthol, or camphor, or eucalyptus (?). I think you're supposed to use it for sore muscles, but my mom always stuck it on my forehead when I had a cold. Then, once you peel it off, you have a sticky rectangle on your skin, and possibly some red wrinkly lines. No, I'm not posting a picture of that.

Given my miserable state, I'm surprised my mom didn't force me to undergo one of her medicinal back rubs. Sounds pleasant, but it's not. First, she rubs on some smelly oils (or Tiger Balm) from neck to tailbone. Then, wielding a spoon or coin, she proceeds to scrape my skin until it turns red. In the mirror, it's like a big red skeleton on my back. Top it off with more oil or balm and when you lay down, the skin simultaneously feels cold and as if it were on fire.

I also sent my brother for chicken soup and Diet Coke (for the massive headache which I was sure was induced by lack of caffeine). He returned 6 hours later. I'm actually surprised he came back with anything at all. Progresso chicken soup is pretty yum.

I expect to be back in fighting form for ORC next weekend, until then, I'll be in bed. :P

Hello and Welcome!

2007-02-24T22:06:00.000-08:00

Welcome to The Blue Forest, blog home of marybluefairy.

I am new to this whole blog thing, so be kind. :)

Even though I am a collect-a-holic, I don't think that's all I'll be blogging about...but don't be surprised if it is! I spend virtually all my message board time over at http://www.lordoftheringsguide.com, where I am also known as...marybluefairy. I've been a member there since 2003, and I expect most people who check out my blog will also have been members. ;)

So what do I collect? Well, I started out with Lord of the Rings toys, I just thought they were so cool. After amassing a few hundred, I traded them in for the spendy Sideshow Weta pieces. Like potato chips, once you 'pop' you can't stop! I probably have about 80% of all the pieces they ever made, from statues down to medallions. The collecting bug has spread to other (LOTR and non-LOTR) pretty things from Weta, Sideshow, Noble, Master Replicas...I could go on, but I won't. :P

Oh, and I do my geeking out at conventions. I go to ORC (One Ring Celebration) and SDCC (San Diego Comic Con) every year now. I've become a Lord of the Rings Symphony groupie (seen it FOUR times: Grand Rapids, Cleveland, San Diego, Louisville). I obsessively disguise my geekness from friends and colleagues in my 'normal' life. I think my family is worried about me!

As you can see, I like (parentheses). :D