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Thursday Movie Picks #282: Adaptations

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I’m back for another round of Thursday Movie Picks! I skipped the last few because I couldn’t really think of anything that worked but I didn’t have that problem this time around! This is probably one of the easier lists I’ve made but I’m curious to see what everyone else picks. If you want to take part, the rules are simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them.

1. JAWS (1975)

I absolutely love this movie (and the book). I watch it anytime it’s on and I love that you can always find a nice marathon around The 4th of July. The amount of suspense that’s built up before you ever see the shark in question is perfection. Plus the soundtrack is just iconic at this point. I actually know a few people who are afraid of the water because of this film. While I wasn’t born when it was released, I’ve had the chance to catch it on the big screen at one of our classic movie theaters and I loved it. I really wish I could go back in time and see this on opening weekend.

2. Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Another one that hooks me anytime it’s on TV. I’ve actually read the book a few times along with the other novels in the series. Anthony Hopkins just does an outstanding job grabbing you with what little screen time he actually has. Jodie Foster is just perfect as Clarice and I was always bothered by the fact she was replaced in “Hannibal.” It does make me giggle knowing that Ted Levine went from playing Buffalo Bill to Captain Stottlemeyer on “Monk.” If you watched Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, he was in that as well! I do think my favorite part of the movie though is the twist where we find out the FBI is actually at the wrong house, and Clarice is actually at the correct one. That entire sequence is just *chef kiss* and it still gets a rise out if me.

3. Misery (1990)

I actually saw this movie before I read the book and boooooy, is the book some how 100x worse violence wise. When I put that thing down I just kind of sat there for a little bit but it was such a good read. I found it to be a pretty quick read too as I finished it in about a day or two. Kathy Bates plays an unhinged fan better than anyone out there. Plus taking place during Winter in the middle of nowhere just adds an extra level to the entire story. The entire cast is solid though and I think they all bring what’s needed to the story. I know that Castle Rock on Hulu is centered around Annie Wilkes and I need to get around to watching that. I still can’t believe this movie hasn’t been remade again though. I feel like with technology and the internet, it’s the perfect time for updated crazed fan story.

4. The Martian (2015)

Something a little different! Everything else on my list is pretty scary or at least more on the thriller side of things. If you haven’t read this book, please do. It had me on the edge of my seat and I’m glad I grabbed it before watching the movie. Matt Damon does such a wonderful job in this role and I honestly believed that he was stuck on Mars. He really had to bring a range of emotion in this film and he really did do a great job. Matt Damon isn’t an actor who has me rushing out to see a movie but I’m glad I saw this one. Seriously, I only saw one of the Bourne movies and it was the one with Jeremy Renner in it. The only actor I felt was a little out of place was Kristen Wigg but that might be a “me” problem. I’m just use to seeing her in comedies that it felt a little off this time around.

And that’s my list for this week! If you know me, I’m sure none of these movies are surprising. I’m super curious to see what everyone else picked this week! Let me know some of your favorite adaptations in the comments!

The 30 Days Of Elhoffer Fashion Challenge

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I’ve tried to do challenges before and always fail. It doesn’t matter if it’s nerd related, just posting a random photo every day, I always just end up lasting a day or two and then forgetting about it. Not this time though! When Elhoffer Design announced she was doing a 30 day fashion challenge, I knew I had to do it. It would be a good way to step outside of my comfort zone a bit and I knew I had more than enough of her items to make 30 days happen. The hard part was just matching up what I own with the different themes and trying to get decent photos. I didn’t want every photo to be a work bathroom selfie! Thankfully my Mom and my BFF stepped in to help. When Manda came out for a visit, we actually stockpiled some photos. This is probably the number one tip I can offer with something like this. If possible, take a day and try to take a few photos. You don’t need to do all 30 days obviously, but having a few days already out of the way can really help take the stress off!

Another thing I did was print out the prompt. That way I could make notes, circle anything I thought might be a little harder, and see if I needed any help with any of them. Plus as I completed them I’d highlight them to help keep track. A few were Harry Potter related and I don’t own anything from that collection. Luckily my friend Elizabeth does so I was able to borrow a few things from her. Since I printed the list out and studied it, I knew when I’d need those photos in order to work around her schedule. Plus, if you did want to purchase a few things to help with the challenge, it would give you time to order and hopefully get them in the mail. The challenge ended over the weekend and I still can’t believe I managed all 30 days. And guys, it was a lot of work. I don’t normally think about what I’m going to wear but for a month I had to do exactly that. And I had to remember to take photos and post them. Plus remember the hashtag! While I’m a little sad the challenge is over, I let out a little sigh of relief as well.

I want to thank Team Elhoffer for all the hard work they put into this. It’s not easy to keep track of 30 days worth of entries. I know people had a lot of questions about certain things and they did a great job of answering them. Plus all the fellow Starpuffs were amazing in spreading lovely comments, advice, and sharing ideas for some of the more challenging days. Honestly, we’re all winners here. I stepped outside of my box a little bit and figured out how fashion works just a little more than before. I’m not someone who posts a lot of photos of myself on Instagram, so that in itself was a big thing for me. I’m not going to share all 30 days here, you can find my photos on my Instagram, but here are just a few of them!

Fiona Glenanne Cosplay Updates!

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Guys, things escalated quickly. Something that should have been a simple “closet cosplay,” using things I already own, has turned into a monster. I made the mistake of looking up her wardrobe which is super easy to do thanks to the internet. The main source I’ve been using is Pradux. It’s basically a website where people have ID’d clothing used in shows and movies and what not. This is where everything went to hell. If you take this and combine it with Ebay or Poshmark, it’s very easy to fall down the rabbit hole and try and fine screen accurate items. Now, I don’t know if what I’ve found was used in the episode/look I’m going with, but I know they were used on the show. That’s enough for me. Now let’s see what I’ve managed to get my hands on already!

Happy Cow Hip Bag (Ebay): $74.28 (including shipping)
Hudson Beth Baby Bootcut Jeans (Poshmark): $22.69 (including shipping) // These jeans are normally $200! Are they real? I assume they are but I honestly don’t even care at this point! They fit perfectly expect for the fact I’ll need to cut 5 feet off of the bottoms.
UGG Callia Wedge (Poshmark): $31.80 (Free Shipping) // I know these are real and normally around $130. Sure, they’re used but are actually in pretty decent shape!
D&G Sunglasses (Ebay): $72.04 (including International shipping) // Believe it or not, these were hard to track down because I needed brown, not black. Luckily I came across an International seller on Ebay that had exactly what I needed. Normally these are around $110 I think.
Chan Luu Wrap Bracelet (Ebay): $37.10 (Free Shipping) // This was easy to track down but finding a deal was the hard part. These bracelets are normally in the $200 range and even the listings I came across on Poshmark or Ebay were still higher than I wanted to pay. I must have checked at the right time because when I saw this deal, I jumped on it!

As you can see I’ve already spent around $237 on this thing and I haven’t even bought a wig yet. At the same time though, I’ve saved a lot on these name brands. Let’s be real, I couldn’t get “normal” jeans for $15 unless I waited for a kick ass sale at Target or Old Navy. The hip bag I knew was going to be a cost but I did save a few bucks by going with Ebay plus I think on the Happy Cow website some of the colors were back ordered. I knew the sunglasses were probably going to be a little expensive. I could have just went with a random pair but I got sucked into the hunt. I almost gave up on the bracelet because of the high prices but I guess it pays to stalk Ebay! The only thing left is a wig and I’ve found the perfect one I think. It’s a steal too at around $15. The last piece of the puzzle is the tee which will be done on a super budget. Basically just using a basic white tee and an iron on transfer.

The Sacrifices Worked! I Secured SDCC Badges!

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I still can’t believe it happened but it did. Saturday I rolled into the office to purchase San Diego Comic Con badges and left victorious. My squad was six deep but between all of us we had around 11 codes thanks to friends who weren’t planning to attend. Personally I had three different browsers up and running. I entered the waiting room right at 11AM (EST) and then waited an hour for the sale to actually start. My group had a chat going and everyone was just sending stressful gifs back and forth, waiting for the claw to select someone. I was keeping an eye on the CCI Twitter account as they were tweeting out how sales were going. I noticed that Preview Night were almost gone according to them and then around 12:20PM the Con God’s smiled upon me and I was picked to purchase badges. Not only was I picked, but EVERY DAY WAS AVAILABLE. Yes, including Preview Night! I was shaking like a leaf in the wind but I managed to not panic and fill in all the info needed. Then with a few more clicks it was official. I had purchased badges for myself and two others in my group. Then another friend was picked and grabbed badges for two more who only wanted Thursday badges.

I still can’t get over the fact I was able to score every single day. And that I actually entered all the information correctly. We’ve already received the emails with our barcodes and now I feel like we can all let out a giant sigh of relief. This was my first time taking part in the wild west of badge sales. The first time I attended was 2010 and you could just go online and buy them, no issues. Then after that I attended as Press. The stress and nerves on Saturday were out of this world. Bodies are weird with how they react to things! I’m glad I made the choice to come into work though. I’d like to think having a business speed connection helped things, plus there’s no way I could have comfortably had three browsers open while on my laptop at home. Plus I just know the internet would have disconnected for some random ass reason, like a bird landed on a wire or something.

Now the only thing left I need to do is book airfare but I’m still waiting for Southwest to open their schedule. We’ve had our condo booked for a few months now. I still can’t believe how all of this has managed to come together! Did any of you take part in the badge sale on Saturday? Let me know below!

New Offerings From Elhoffer Design

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year where Elhoffer Design starts dropping some amazing new pieces. The best part is everything I’ve listed here is in stock and ready to go! No waiting until next year for these wonderful things!

Corps Longline Cardigan – Green: $135

I actually ordered this one! I’ve never bought one of the longlines before but who doesn’t love a cozy sweater? It can be worn year round honestly. Throw it on over a tank in the Summer, use it to stay toasty in the Winter! I can see this being super helpful at conventions where you never know if the AC is going to be blasting or not. And I love this color combo. I’ve learned that the classic Carol colors are just not a combo I’d wear on a regular basis but I’m all over a black/green option!

Galactic Desert Pullover Sweater – Black: $95

Yes, I own this one too. I actually have this in Purple as well! It’s a very comfy sweater and I love the simple details on it. It’ll be a staple in my wardrobe that’s for sure.

Serpent Slayer Shell: $75

I absolutely love this design. It’s one of those patterns that if you know, you know. And the shells are perfection. I own I think about three shell sweaters at this point. I can wear them year round since I work in an office. You can wear them alone or style them with a button up or something else underneath like in the photo here.

This is just a very short list of things you’ll find over at Elhoffer Design. Don’t forget to check out the Starpuff Special everyday as well! It’s always changing and some retired stuff has been popping up lately. If you want to stay in the know, before to sign up for their Newsletter and give them a “Like” on Facebook.

It’s Time To Prep For SDCC Badges

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Where thousands of nerds (maybe millions?) gather around their computers to try and purchase San Diego Comic Con badges. Confession, I’ve never had to take part in badge sales before. I’ve gone as Press or early enough (like 2010) where I could just log on and buy them without any fuss. I’ve always just watched from a distance as my fellow nerds tried to make the most out of a stressful situation. I’m actually looking forward to joining them on Saturday. There’s a bit of a rush that goes along with buying in demand tickets. Like back in the day when I’d camp out to buy tickets for Nsync. The nice thing is I can do everything from the comfort of an office and not outside in line at 3AM in the cold.

Right now we have a group of six of us trying to get badges for three of us. The one thing that we have going for us is we all signed up to be volunteers which means we can attend SDCC for “free” after we do our time, as long as we make our shifts. I am looking forward to volunteering but I’d like to have options as well which is why I’m still trying to get a badge for whatever pops up that day, if anything. Two friends in the group are just going with the volunteer angle to save money which makes a lot of sense. It never hurts to have options!

Saturday I’ll be going into the office to use my work laptop and their much better internet. I can’t risk the weather or anything else messing up my connection on Saturday morning! Imagine finally getting picked to make a purchase and then getting disconnected. I think I’d throw my laptop across the room. Are any of you trying to secure badges on Saturday? Let me know! And be sure to watch my Twitter that day as I most likely have a badge induced breakdown!