5 Types of Candy I Hope For When Trick-Or-Treating

Happy Halloween fellow amazing peeps! Speaking of marshmallow peeps, it's time for me to dish out what my top 5 favorite types of candy I like to have melting on my tongue, sitting in my belly and rotting my teeth this spooky time of year. Let's get to it!

#1: Tootsie Roll Chew-able Candies!

I used to like Tootsie pops as a kid, but only for the flavored candy portion of the pops, not for the Tootsie roll that sat in the center. Which is why these little delights are perfect, because they're the best mouth-watering candies out there that don't include typical Tootsie rolls at their center. One thing you might not know about me is, when it comes to candy, orange is usually either my favorite flavor or the only flavor of candy in the bad that I'll actually eat XD So the orange ones are the ones that I always go for.

#2: Jersey Milk Miniatures!

Is there anything better than simple yet delicious milk chocolate? And with mini chocolate bars, it always feels like you can have "just one more", even when you really shouldn't! XD Are Jersey Milks a thing in the US too? I'm not entirely sure . . .

#3: Large Sour Patch Grape and Orange Box!

Now right HERE is one of my favorite things about Halloween - this baby hits the shelves! Not only are the size of these Sour Patch Kids a lot bigger than usual, but they come individually wrapped and there's only 2 flavors - orange and grape, meaning there's WAY more orange than there is in your average bag of Sour Patch Kids. My mom and I used to buy these for ourselves and I'd get the orange and she got the grape. It was a great system.

#4: Orange Suckers!

Always a classic - and in my favorite flavor no less! These are what I used to treat myself to if I craved a little sugar between houses whilst trick-or-treating.

#5: Mini KitKat Bars!

Another chocolate classic, but in miniature form! Out of all chocolate bars, KitKat's have always been my absolute favorite, bar none. They're the thing I had to hide from my mother when I brought my candy home because she loved them too. But I let her have all my mini Aero bars, and that usually distracted her enough for me to claim most of the mini KitKat's.

Now I'm craving Halloween candy and chocolate, this is all your fault +The Nerdy Girlie! XD Anyway, Happy Halloween you guys! 

Wednesday Wish Lists #3

Yay for wanting more stuff! Let's be honest, does the wanting ever end, for any of us? Probably not :P Here's a small collection of things I could go without but wish I didn't have to XD

#1: "Scott Pilgrim- Toronto" T-Shirt from Pwnapple on RedBubble! 
This was one of the first items on my Favorites list on RedBubble - I'm a big fan of the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels (and Edgar Wright's film of course!), and I'm also a big fan of Toronto, so I think this t-shirt is definitely a must-have that I need to get at some point in my life, especially if I end up living in Toronto some day.

#2: "Botanical Stickers and Labels" from FoxandStar on Etsy!

Lately I've been on a bit of a stationary kick, what with setting up my new writing desk and all. Plus, while the paper I've been writing my letters on lately is gorgeous, I've been using the same pages for a while now, and I think I'm in need of some new pages. I happened to browse Fox and Star, as well as Quill & Fox upon a recommendation from one of my newest pen pals Shelby. From there I happened upon this sticker set, and it is absolutely perfect! With all the snail mail-themed stickers and the general adorableness of all of it, I wish I had this sticker book in my possession immediately! Alas, I don't :( I already placed an order recently with Quill & Fox which I shouldn't have XD

#3: My Acceptance Letter from Humber's Creative Book Publishing Program!

Last Wednesday, I visited Humber's Lakeshore Campus in Toronto for the very first time in order to attend an interview for the post-grad Creative Book Publishing Program that I hope to be attending in April 2015 until August 2015. I'm pretty sure the interview went well - I wasn't nervous when I got in there, the lady that interviewed me (who used to be the Director of the program but is now stepping down) liked that I've worked at a bookstore for over 6 years, and she seemed really impressed with my essay, which I was incredibly relieved about. I'll be hearing, probably via email (although an old-fashioned letter would be nice) by the end of November whether or not I've been accepted. If I had it my way I'd know right now and not go through the agony of waiting XD But alas, I must be patient . . .

#4: "Saints Row Letterman Jacket" from Insert Coin!

I can fully blame +Natalie A for pointing me in the direction of this amazing Saints Row-inspired jacket that she included in one of her #5FandomFriday posts. If I had this jacket, I know I would rock it like a true Saint, even if nobody else that saw me knew anything about the Saints Row games. It's got such a classic look with an amazing twist and I want want WANT it so freaking badly! Perhaps this is a Christmas idea for anybody that is rich and exceptionally generous that happens to see this post? Hint hint nudge nudge?

#5: 20's/30's Style Women's Hat

Truth be told, I've been drawn to this style of hat for a long time (even though I don't the exact name of this style - if you do, please enlighten me in the comments below), but it was recently when the desire to get one of these for myself sprung up again. I was recently getting my makeup done at the MAC counter in the Pen Center - I had a gift card I'd received from my brother as a Christmas gift that I was finally getting around to using - and one of the ladies that worked there had on this black outfit with high black books and a black hat that was the same style as the one above.

I felt compelled to tell the lady how much I liked her hat, and how it complimented her bright red hair. She thanked me and even let me try it on, and I really liked how it looked. Now I'm obsessed with the ides of getting one for my own. I don't need one with anything fancy like the flower in the above picture, just a felt hat with some sort of ribbon. I'm thinking it'd look great in red with my green winter jacket and my rainbow scarf and my darker hair. There's a little shop called Hometown Treasure in the Seaway Mall that I'm pretty sure sells these hats, and I plan on stopping in there soon to see if I can find a hat that suits me. My mom always told me that I look great in hats :)

Meet Shawna Miller/Scrawny Girl!

Are you all enjoying your Tuesday so far? Now it's about to get even better - it's time to meet another fellow geek! Today I'm introducing you to Shawna Miller, the lady behind the Scrawny Girl Shop, nominated by iggle Overlord Stewie!
"I nominate Scrawny Girl!!!! She rocks!" - Leslie
Short but sweet :) So without further ado, it's time to learn more about Shawna!

TWW(s): So I now I've asked you this before, but as of this moment what are your Top 5 Geek Loves?

Shawna: My top 5 geek loves right now are Sailor Moon Crystal, Animal Crossing, Leverage, OUAT, and reading manga (right now I'm reading Sailor Moon).

TWW(s): I'm loving Sailor Moon Crystal right now too! And I've been eyeing the Sailor Moon manga for months at the store where I work XP

TWW(s): Aside from the Sailor Moon manga series, are you reading any good books right now?
Shawna: Truthfully I'm super behind on my book reading. I'm still reading last month's book from my book club (The NovelTea Book Club hosted by Kristin from My Life As A Teacup), Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger. I really want to finish it and move on to this month's book, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. I want to read all his books, and so far I've only read Stardust!

TWW(s): What does a typical day in your life look like? Where do you go? What do you do?

Shawna: I have a toddler, so pretty much my day revolves around her. We get up around 8 and I distract her with Disney Jr so I can make coffee and turn back into a human instead of a zombie. We have breakfast and I check my email and do some quick social media rounds and it's off to play outside. We have lunch, then it's nap time for Amelia and I work as quickly as possible on orders, emails, blog posts or painting while guzzling another cup of coffee. By the time she gets up, it's time to start dinner and clean up a bit before my husband gets off work. We eat dinner as a family with no phones or TV going. Our evenings are pretty laid back and we usually watch a show while Amelia runs around and plays until it's time for her to get ready for bed. I make a cup of tea and stay up about 1 or 2 AM working.

TWW(s): When in your life did you start to self-identify as a geek?

Shawna: Probably in high school. I already had a major love of anime, but after a knee injury sports weren't taking up all my time and I got more into theater and art. I met different people and realized I wasn't the only one who loved anime, Buffy or cute video games. Life got a lot more fun and a lot less stressful and being a geek was just who I was.

TWW(s): Tell us a bit about your family :)

Shawna: Clint and I met at one of his shows way back in 2006, he was the bass player for the band Thrift Store Cowboys. One of my friends dated the drummer in college and had remained friends and that was how we were introduced. We had a long distance relationship for about a year, then I moved to Lubbock and went on tour with his band. We got married in 2010 on his parents ranch in a meadow, which was just gorgeous. His brother played the Amelie soundtrack on accordion (which was the 1st movie we watched together). Amelia (who we were going to name Amelie) was born in December of 2012, and will be 2 this year. We are pretty laid back, with daily dance parties and the occasional late night trip to Target to play with toys.

TWW(s): What kind of music do you guys play during your daily dance parties?
Shawna: Our dance parties used to consist of The Shins and They Might Be Giants, but recently it's been more Yo Gabba Gabba songs (which really aren't awful because hello Jimmy Eat World, Mates of State and all sorts of other hipster indie rock bands have played on the show!). Amelia also loves "Let it Go" from Frozen, so sadly I have to listen to it a lot, but now she's trying to sing the lyrics which is just too cute.

TWW(s): If you could travel to any place, real or fictional, where would it be, for how long, and why? It can be a foreign country, the world of your favorite novel, sky's the limit!

Shawna: This is the hardest question because there are so many places that I want to go! I would really love to go to Japan and just stay there forever. I just love everything about their history, culture, food and all the kawaii things! I'd also like to visit Seoul because I watch a lot of Korean Dramas and find it super interesting . . . also kimchi, I want to eat all the kimchi!

TWW(s): It's been SO long since I've watched any Japanese or Korean dramas! What are some of your all-time favorites? Tell us about them!
Shawna: I actually wrote a blog post about some of my favorite Korean Dramas/crush on Lee Mn-Ho that you can check out here.I always recommend City Hunter if you like action/romance or Lie to Me which started off super funny. I really could go on about Korean Dramas . . .

TWW(s): Tell us about any pen pals that you have right now!

Shawna: I have a pen pal from Australia and ne from Scotland. They are super cute and I'm in the process of sending them some Halloween goodies because apparently Halloween isn't a thing in their countries. I love learning about where they're from and how cool it is to be all the way across the world and have similar interests.
TWW(s): What's your favorite part of the snail mail process? Writing the letter? Decorating the envelope? Maybe you enjoy licking stamps, no judgement if you do :P
Shawna: My favorite part of the snail mail process is finding cute cards/stationary and of course decorating the envelope. I have an addiction to washi tape and I recently started using my own stickers to decorate. I also like cute stamps! I have my eye on all the sets from AshleyG.
TWW(s): I share your addiction to washi tape - it's just way too much fun to collect and decorate with!

TWW(s): Explain to the lovely people how you first got started with your own business.

Shawna: After Amelia was born we decided that I would just stay home with her, and Clint got a job using his degree (and retired from the band). I have always dreamed of working from home and doing something art related (besides teaching :) ). During nap time it felt weird just sitting around watching Netflix, so I started to make dolls for fun using a pattern I had made several years ago for gifts. An online friend asked if I could illustrate the cover of her next zine, and I fell in love with drawing and painting again. I found a lovely community of other makers who helped me grow as a business person and artist. It's almost been a year since I started Scrawny Girl, and right now couldn't see myself doing anything else.

"More candy corn earrings in the shop! I'm glad you guys like them! Thank you! https://www.etsy.com/listing/206345173/candy-corn-earrings-plastic-earrings" 

TWW(s): Do you have a favorite moment/memory you've experienced as an iggle? Tell us about it!

Shawna: I've recently met so many iggles online, and it's just wonderful to talk to people at any time of the day about anything (usually fun stuff!). So I think right now my favorite experience is the iggle community. Everyone is super supportive and sweet. It feels like we've been BFF's forever, and I hope that anyone who is scared to join the IGGPPC will read this and know that they're your people and they'll embrace you :)

TWW(s): I hope so too :D

TWW(s): Look at the new Iggle anifesto and tell us your favorite line from it, or which line you'd most like to apply to yourself, and then tell us why.

Shawna: My favorite line is"I will proudly be myself." Being true to yourself is important, and it's something you shouldn't have to think or worry about. It's definitely one of the things I want to impress on my daughter. I've always walked to the beat of my own drum and I believe I've been happier for it.

Want to get to know Shawna? Find her here:

Twitter - Instagram

Etsy - Website

Don't forget to tell her how awesome she is! :D

5 Must-See Halloween Movies

Is everyone enjoying their Friday so far? I certainly am! Fridays are my favorite day, in no small part that I've been getting to show off fandom-related fun every Friday - plus, y'know, Halloween is a week from today. What better way to celebrate than with some great Halloween films? Let me show you my favorites! To be honest I haven't seen some of the classics like Halloweentown and Hocus Pocus but I still have 5 Halloween-themed or scary movies that I feel like chatting about.

#1: Addams Family Values

As great as the first movie is, I'd have to say, without a doubt, that Addams Family Values is my favorite, bar none. What with Wednesday having to survive summer camp with smiling, happy, blonde children, and with Fester being drawn in by a homicidal gold digger, it's a good time for everyone.

#2: Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd

Pretty much anything by Tim Burton is great for this spooky time of year, but this movie in particular is a delight to watch. It's scary and violent (and pretty much everyone in the world except for me finds Johnny Depp attractive) and the music is fantastic and it's also very suspenseful. Warning though, there's a lot of blood and a lot of slitting of throats, so I would not recommend this movie to the faint of heart, even if you do love show tunes.

#3: Edgar Wright's Shaun of the Dead

Anybody that knows me well will know that I will take pretty much any excuse to watch any film from Edgar Wright's Cornetto Trilogy - I love him as a filmmaker, and I love the unique acting talents of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and the first film in the trilogy is a romantic comedy with zombies, so it's perfect for this time of year! To be fair though, Hot Fuzz is about a series of murders in a small community and The World's End is about an alien invasion, so really any film from the Cornetto Trilogy would work as a Halloween film.

#4: Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands

It's been a while since I sat down to watch this movie, but it's still one that I really enjoy when I do get in the mood to pop it in the DVD player. Although it always makes me sad that Edward isn't able to fit in alongside all of the 50's era housewives that live in the same neighborhood as his adoptive Avon Lady mother. It's especially sad when he doesn't get to end up with Wynona Ryder's character :( But nevertheless, this movie is a bit of horror story with a bit of gore and overall is an enjoyable yet tragic story.

#5: The Others

It's been a while since I watched this movie - truthfully I had to watch it in order to write an essay on it for my very first university-level English class. I'm not a huge fan of horror movies or ghost stories in general, but I found this one really interesting. It's got a great story line with quite a few great plot twists that you won't see coming. If you're looking for a movie with ghosts and plenty of suspense, this is one that you'll definitely want to pick up.

Bonus: Death Note & Death Note: The Last Name

So I know that Death Note is not exactly Halloween-themed, but these movies are definitely about murder and mystery and intrigue and the story line is great. If you don't mind foreign films with sub titles OR if English dubbed movies don't bother you, I highly recommend checking out these live action adaptations, even if you haven't watched the anime or read the original manga. I prefer the second movie to the first, and I did originally see the 2nd live action movie before I'd seen anything else related to the Death Note universe, but I still recommend that if you're new to the franchise that you pick up the first movie in order to get all the background information. Also, one cool tip, the voice actors that voice the anime characters for the English dub also do the English voices for both live action movies :)

I Must Be Out Of My Mind . . .

Nope, you don't have something in your eye, you're seeing exactly what you think you're seeing.

I have decided, and am officially announcing to my geeky companions, that I will be participating in National Novel Writing Month, 2014.

Now, I really feel like you have to understand, and it might not make sense because y'all know how much I love to read and how I love to write and want to write for a living one day, how normally this would be the thing I would be the LEAST likely to do! Honest to Blog, my friends have participated in NaNoWriMo for years. They are gung-ho about this and they are passionate about it even if they don't make it to the end. 

For me, I've always been an all or nothing kind of person. I feel that if I'm not confident enough in myself to make it to the end and "win", then I might as well not participate at all, which is why I've never attempted this before. November is an incredibly busy month for school, and I've always felt like it would be impossible to write enough, and to reach that many words by the end of the month. Plus I've never had a "good enough" idea that I felt I could flesh out and really write up to 50,000 words. But out of nowhere this month, during one of my classes, I was thinking about my blog and the amazing geek girl/iggle community that I'm apart of, and out of nowhere I got an idea for something I want to write, something that I really, REALLY want to try and get on paper (or onto a Word document, technically).

I'm hoping that this will not impact the quality of my blog. I might not be able to blog (almost) every single day like I have this past month, but I'm not going to disappear either. It's something that I want to do for fun, and it's going to me an amalgamation of all the things that I love (geekery, snail mail, supportive online communities, best friends, online web series and YouTube in general, great books, etc.) and I can use all the support I can get. I created an account on the official NaNoWriMo site, you can find me on there as Kacie2292 if you feel inclined. Please feel free to post in the comments or Tweet me some encouraging words, any advice you might have, and send me as many electronic hugs as you can muster. If you are also participating this year, I'd also love to extend the favor.

I picked up the revised edition of Chris Baty's No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days and it will act as my guidebook over the next 30 days. From what I've read, every excuse I have come up with not to do this has been explained away by this book, and I'm feeling more confident than ever. The next week before November will be settled into planning stuff for my book as well as figuring out my schedule so that I can make the most of my time and not lose my mind in the process.

I believe that is all! If I decide to write anything else on here that is NaNoWriMo related, you'll be the first to see it if you decide to subscribe by email up above on the right-hand side. In the meantime, I'll  be sure to keep you all posted!

Wednesday Wish Lists #2

Time to show off a few more things that I am currently living without in my life but I wish I didn't have to XD It's always fun to gush over dresses and other online and geeky wares that you and your friends are currently lusting over. Let me know if you also wish you had any of these items listed below and we'll gush together!

#1: PewDiePie-themed Note Cards from Wordtoyourunicorn!

The only thing better then these note cards inspired by a lovable YouTuber and gamer is being able to send these note cards to somebody who is also a fan of the lovable YouTuber and gamer! Of course the Etsy shop, run by Overlord Leslie, is taking a bit of a break, so I shall have to be patient and wait to get some PewDiePie cards - and some TMNT cards - and some GoT cards - and Studio Ghibli cards. Basically all of the note cards from Wordtoyourunicorn are amazing.

#2: Anatomical Heart Necklace from Boutique Academia!

Now that I'm on such a big Frankenstein M.D kick, out of all the awesome jewelry pieces to select from on Boutique Academia, I'd have the say that the one I'm yearning for the most would have to be this one! I also had my eye on another necklace that had Latin written on it that translated to "She who dares, wins" which is pretty amazing.I'm thinking that if I need a gift for any of my friends in the Computer Science department at my university, this would be the place to pick them up.

#3: The Lizzie Bennet Diaries DVD Set from DFTBA Records!

If I'd had the money at the time of the Kickstarter for this DVD boxset, I definitely would've ordered it and waited in agony with the rest of the LBD fans for mine to arrive, just like Katie Campshure who made this video about waiting for her DVDs (which has disappeared from YouTube for some reason :( [Side node: I think Katie Campshure is amazing and I wish she was my friend XD]). But now the box set is available on the DFTBA site again, and I'll either order it when I have the spare cash or I'll ask for it for Christmas. My aunt is a huge Jane Austen fan and I really want her to watch this adaptation to see what she thinks.

#4: The Sequel to Now You See Me!

I have been a huge, HUGE fan of this movie ever since it came out. I was excited to see it when I saw the trailers, and I'm pretty sure I saw it in theaters three times in total (including one round at the drive-in). I adore the characters and the story line and the plot twists and I am super anxious for the sequel to be made. Unlike a lot of movies that are out nowadays, like the infamous superhero flicks or films based off book series such as Divergent and The Hunger Games, this isn't meant to be a full-franchised series, but merely a story told in two parts, hence the second movie. I am very eager to see what will happen next in the magical universe of Now You See Me. Is there anybody out there that loves this movie as much as I do?

#5: Royal Bones Black Corset Dress from Hot Topic!

Truth be told, I almost bought this dress when there was a big sale on Hot Topic and when international shipping was super cheap. This dress is a it shorter and a little more bold than what I would typically wear, but I still feel like I could totally rock it with the right attitude ;) I'm probably going to wait until the option to ship orders to the new Hot Topic store in NOTL becomes a reality, then I'll start ordering this store's amazing and geeky wares.

What top items are on your wish lists right now? Let me know in the comments below!

Meet Claire Addison!

Happy Tuesday! It's time to meet another featured geek. This week we're meeting Claire Addison, an iggle that has been nominated by the person that she nominated before XD And I can promise you, Franny made her nomination before she knew the person who had nominated her, which I find amazing :)

"Claire is just an awesome person. She is always positive and helping you to see the bright side of things. She will bring a smile to your face and makes you believe that you are special. She also organizes the Fabulous Sticker Swap for the IGGPPC. She is a great iggle friend and always has a kind word when you are having a bad day. She is definitely a TERRIFIC iggle to know." - Franny

Thank you so much for your nomination, Franny. Now it's time to meet Claire!

TWW(s): As of right now, what are your Top 5 Geek Loves?

Claire: 1. The Maze Runner Trilogy

2. Grandville (Graphic Novel by Bryan Talbot)

3. Illustrations by Chris Ridde;l (Goth Girl, and The Edge Chrinicles)

4. Castle

5. Cats [obviously ;)]

TWW(s): If you had to describe yourself in 5 words, what would they be? Why those words?

Claire: 1. Adorkable - I'm adorable but a dork.

2. Loyal - I will go to the ends of the earth to make sure my friends are happy.

3. Supportive - good in a crisis, and for any project. If you need someone to talk to, I'll listen.

4. Tolerant - This one came to me at work this afternoon, I get asked the same questions over and over at work, and I still manage to keep a smile on my face.

5. Feline - I like to nap and sit in the sunshine.

"This hedgehog has a message to share... (Thank you @MartelloMicah it's super cute!)"

TWW(s): Describe a typical day in your life. Where do you go? What do you do?

Claire: A normal day begins with me being woken up by the cats in some way, either a paw to the face or standing on me. In the morning I do my messages [something that my great-grandmother called errands . . . it's a Scottish thing]. I go to work, I run a business with my other half Alex - it's an independent gaming store selling card games, board games and table top games of all types. In the evenings we run a variety of gaming sessions. After the gaming session is done, the evening is for relaxing with the cats, reading or catching up on my shows.

TWW(s): Working at an independent gaming store sounds amazing! Do you have any funny/cool/geeky work stories you can share with us?
Claire: The name for my blog comes from one of my favorite stories about work. Just after I had started, 4 years ago, the shop used to be in a little upstairs shop above a barbers shop. This was not a particularly classy establishment, and often the customers would come upstairs and loiter in my shop being cheeky and asking stupid questions. The game group of lads saw me walking down the street one day and they pointed at my and shouted, "Hey, that's the girl from the nerd shop."
Also, around Christmastime we start to get loads of deliveries everyday, when the shop is busy it's really hard to keep on top of them and get them unpacked quickly. We ended up making the counter into a box fort so we had a little bit of space we could see out and the rest was a solid wall of boxes.
TWW(s): I think I need to see pictures of this awesome box fort XD

"@iggleswaps 3 bracelets today! from Helen, Shellie and Pamela. Beautiful! #iggppc"

TWW(s): Reading any good books right now?
Claire: I'm devouring books at the moment, this week I read both Goth Girl books [by Chris Riddell, such pretty things!] I've also just finished The Scorch Trials [second Maze Runner book]/ I loved it, you can never tell who to trust, I'll be picking the third in the series up really soon.

TWW(s): What would you say is the #1 most exciting thing in your life right now that you can't help but gush/fangirl over?

Claire: The thing I am fangirling the most about at the moment is Fables [by Bill Willingham]. I know it's been around for ages, but it's new to me and I'm loving it.

TWW(s): It's new to me too! I just started reading the graphic novels this summer, I'm loving it so far too. I also loved playing The Wolf Among Us and I can't wait for the second season.

TWW(s): If you could travel anywhere, real or fictional, where would it be and why? A foreign country, the world of your favorite novel, sky's the limit!

Claire: In the real world I would go to Hong Kong. It's where Alex grew up and he has so many stories to tell about the places he went there. So it'd be nice to be able to see some of those places for myself.

As for a fictional place, I would go to the sprawling mansion that Goth Girl lives in [book by Chris Riddell] some of the parts of the house are just so wonderfully silly, like a secret garden, with an even-more-secret-garden hidden inside it.

"@HowPeculeah kitty caught on reading mountain"

TWW(s): Tell us anything you'd like about your cats :)
Claire: My cats are really spoiled. The first Christmas we had them they got more presents than the rest of us combined . . . and they would still rather play with the wrapping paper.
Now that the cold weather is setting in, they like to curl up on the bed at night. They're also allergic to really random things. Noodle is allergic to mice and Floss is allergic to parakeets!

TWW(s): What is your favorite tabletop game?
Claire: I'm loving Tokaido right now, it's such a fun game. You journey from one side of ancient Japan to the other . . . collecting souvenirs and visiting spas. It's very relaxing as far as games go, and all of the pieces are super pretty.

TWW(s): When did you first become an iggle, and how did you first hear about the IGGPPC?

Claire: I found the IGGPPC in June 2013, I was at work one afternoon, and it was quiet . . . so I Googled "cool geek girls" and one of the top hits led me to our wonderful community.

"I love this colour @HowPeculeah cc @iggleswaps"

TWW(s): Tell us about any pen pals you've met through the IGGPPC :)

Claire: I've only signed up for one round of pen pals, most of the people I write to on a regular basis I've met through various swaps that I've taken part in on the site. I've been writing to Franny, Micah and Bekki for a few months and I just sent my first letter off to Mel, who I met through the IGGPPC Camp Care package swap.

TWW(s): What is your favorite part about being an iggle?
Claire: My favorite part about being an iggle is the people I've met since joining. My twitter is full of supportive, kind, wonderful people who always know how to make me smile. I love being part of something, it's oddly empowering, being part of a group of people that are really proud of who they are and want to share their geeky loves with the world.

TWW(s): When did you start to self-identify as a geek?

Claire: I started identifying as a geek the year that I finished university. After I handed in my dissertation I really focused on the books I loved to read and the shows that I liked. The signs were always there . . . I thought that discovering my love for fantasy novels occurred then, but the signs were always there. I loved books about magic best when I was growing up [books like Harry Potter, The Divide, The Edge Chronicles].

"@Raindrop487 I'm always doing weird mouth shapes"

TWW(s) Take a look at the Iggle Manifesto and tell us your favorite line from it, or the line you'd most like to apply to yourself, and why.

Claire: I'd most like to apply the line "I will not doubt myself" - it's so easy to try to second guess the outcome of every single thing you do. But that takes up valuable time that you could spend doing the things you love. I've come to a point where I don't want to do that. I don't need to doubt my choices. I love the things I do, and if you don't - then that's fine with me.

Want to get to know Claire?

Tweet her & tell her how awesome she is!

Or check out her blog www.girlinthenerdshop.co.uk!

Random Acts of Kindness Project Start-up

So a few of you might have seen this image I've had posted in the top-left corner of my blog for a few weeks now. Well, the time has finally come where you get to learn just what this project is! :D

While one should always be attempting to accomplish a few random acts of kindness towards their fellow people throughout the year, there are two times a year in which these random acts are "scheduled" - there's Random Act of Kindness Day on November 7th (the internet disputes this date a lot, but for the purposes of this project I'm going with November 7th) and there's also a Random Acts of Kindness Week that happens in February. Instead of simply celebrating for one day of next month, I have decided to keep the kindness going for that entire week!

Here is what you can expect on the blog: Every day from the 3rd to the 7th of November you can expect a post from me filled with ideas on how you can spread the random kindness to those around you, whether it's to your family, your friends, your neighbors, your community, your country, or those random strangers that you pass by every day of the year. I myself am going to be acting out a lot of these random kindness ideas, and therefore there will be plenty of pictures to show off. This is a time where you can be both creative and kind, and where you can inspire others you meet to pay it forward.

But that's not all! On November 7th (or November 8th, depending on delays), along with my blog post, I will also be sharing a video that I will be making throughout the week, showing you my own stories of spreading random kindness to those I know and love.

I ask you to share this post on social media to spread the word about the upcoming Random Acts of Kindness Day, so that others will feel inspired and inclined to get involved and to spread the love! And then come back on November 3rd to start getting some ideas on how to make that a reality.

Everyday Cosplay: Shaun from Shaun of the Dead

Ever since writing about characters that I'd love to dress up as for Halloween, I've been thinking about the characters from the Cornetto Trilogy (and I've also been itching to re-watch Shaun of the Dead again XD).With that in mind, I decided to put together a quick set on how I would put together an outfit to cosplay as Shaun.

I was tempted to pick a pair of blood-spattered white heels for the shoes, but then I realized that it'd be very hard to run in a zombie apocalypse in those, which is why the red converse were the next best choice. If you plan on running from zombies for longer than Shaun had to though, I'd recommend a shoe that's a little more on the orthopedic side, but that's just me . . .

Shaun doesn't wear glasses, but I do, so I couldn't resist adding in the blood-spattered frames/And all of the makeup - that being the nail polish and the two samples of lipstick - are blood red, so they're very fitting. If you accidentally get some of your makeup spattered on your shirt you don't have to worry about it because it's completely in character. Plus, I think Shaun might've handled himself better if he had a copy of Max Brooke's famous Zombie Survival Guide, so I threw that in.

Of course you need to wield a cricket bat; it's a great weapon that doesn't make too much noise and doesn't need ammo. But a girl could always use a handheld for those dire situations when you're trapped in a pub and are being surrounded, am I right? The bleeding rose pin just looked so nice, and it pretties up the look a bit. Add the red tie, a red name tag, and arm yourself with a frothy, cold pint and you're ready to wait for all of this to blow over :)

Let me know what you think of my take on this Shaun of the Dead cosplay in the comments below! Keep me posted!

Re-Watching Gossip Girl - Season 3

I'll start off by saying that season 3 of Gossip Girl has never been a favorite of mine. In fact, it's probably my least favorite if I was pressured to put them in order, from best to worst in my own mind. That doesn't mean that there aren't definite moments of the third season of this show that I thoroughly enjoyed - both the first time and with re-watching it again!

Serena & Nate

"Up until now, your biggest concern is whose hair is shinier" - Chuck

I think that quote probably sums up their entire relationship XD Sure they obviously have history and they're adorable together and they're both so good looking that it physically pains the rest of us that are decidedly average - but that's really it. I don't know about the rest of the world when they watched the season 3 finale, but I wasn't all that broken up over their break-up.

Much like Serena and Nate's relationship, I'm also going to add here that I wasn't all that happy with how the relationship between Dan and Vanessa played out as well. The threesome plot with Hilary Duff's character whose name currently escapes me was hilarious, and how it led into Dan falling hard for Vanessa was pretty great, and that whole period where he secretly loves her and then is finally able to be with her is great - but once they're together, I'm just not feeling it.

Jenny: From Little J to Totally Cray

To be honest, "Cray" is one of my least favorite "words" out there, but the word is perfectly suited for what Jenny ends up becoming throughout the 3rd season. The world of the Upper East Side really changes Jenny for the worst, and she goes from being the bitch queen of Constance to an attempted boyfriend stealer to becoming one of the most heartless manipulators on the show - much, MUCH worse than any of Blair's schemes! This change in character marks the end of having Jenny as a regular character on the show, which at the time was due to Taylor Momsen taking more time to pursue her music career. With how awesome the music by The Pretty Reckless is, I think the sacrifice of one of my favorite Gossip Girl characters was probably worth it.

Blair and Chuck

Even with how weirdly into games and schemes this couple is, these two start off with one of the more stable relationships that we've seen on the show. The same could be said for Rufus and Lily, but it's easy to see just how quickly that decides to fall apart, even with their wedding. I must say that I really like the evolution and de-evolution of this couple. If one had to choose "sides" with regards to how their relationship fell apart, I'd have to say I'm on Blair's side; Chuck's argument that Blair didn't even know about the deal doesn't really stand, and he has no right to be angry at Blair for what she would've done in order to save his hotel if he knew perfectly well what she was willing to do, and it was that knowledge that was the basis for the deal in the first place.

As much as I love these two together, I'm glad the second season ended with them apart; with Blair standing by him when all the drama with his mother went down, things were getting too loving and pleasant in the realm of Blair and Chuck. Now Blair and Serena are off to Paris as two single girls - and two best friends - to have an unforgettable summer!

When I get back from this wedding in Kitchener where I've been since Thursday, I plan on starting in on watching season 4 - as soon as I get my homework done that is :P So look forward to my thoughts on the 4th season :)

5 Characters I'd Love To Dress Up As For Halloween

And another happy Friday to all! I hope everybody's got some great plans for this week. This Friday marks the end of my break from school but I've still got a wedding to attend today and I'll be spending the day getting ready for that (and doing some homework in my hotel room XP). Time for me to show you all 5 characters that I'd love to dress as for Halloween. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

#1: Cybersix

I'm not sure how many of you geeks will have heard of this comic-turned-cartoon that used to air on TV late at night on Teletoon when I was a little kid. I always ended up staying up past my bedtime in order to watch this show, but I absolutely adored it. I thought Cybersix was such a bad ass and I could never really tell if she was a girl when she was in her everyday disguise because she looked so darn much like a guy XD Either way, if I was a little more comfortable in my own skin, enough to pull off a leather jumpsuit and a cool black hat, this would be a Halloween costume I would be all for.

#2: Gary King from The World's End.

Out of all the main character's from Edgar Wright's Cornetto Trilogy, I think that Gary King has to be my all-time favorite. And I would very much like to dress as him for Halloween one year, even if nobody recognizes the costume. It would give me an excuse to wear a wig, wear all black and spout out lines from the movie, seemingly at random XD Anybody else want to collaborate and dress as the 5 Musketeers?

#3: Jenna Marbles as Eve from Epic Rap Battles of History - Adam VS Eve.

This costume idea mainly has to do with wish fulfillment - right now if I tried to put on that costume I probably wouldn't feel all that great about myself. BUT, if I was able to rock something similar with somebody else dressed at Adam and we could both recite this entire Epic Rap Battle off by heart, I think that'd be incredibly fun XD "I made a map, motherf%*$er, and I'm readin' it too! Gives me specific directions how to f%*$ with you!" :P

#4: Elphaba from Wicked

Last month I put together an #ootd that was Wicked-themed for going to see the musical in Toronto with my sister-in-law, and one thing I remember distinctly from that night was a girl in the front row of the theater that had both completely greenified herself and was also wearing Elphaba's dress from the second act, and it was gorgeous. I think this would be a really fun costume to wear, even if I'm not nearly as good of a singer as the many women who have played Elphaba.

#5: Giselle from Enchanted.

I've always loved the dress Giselle makes out of Robert's curtains. I at one point actually saw my go-to site for fully made cosplay costumes, Cosplay House, had the option for a commission on this exact dress. If I wanted to cosplay as a Disney princess, this would probably be my first choice. Plus I'll take any chance to wear a long, red wig :) Now I just have to learn the songs! XD

25 Years of Popular Halloween Costumes

"How original was your last Halloween costume? This month, go with a classic and grab inspiration from this guide by Personal Creations. Illustrating the past 25 years of popular Halloween costumes, it includes classics like Spiderman and Catwoman to pop culture favorites like the Hangover and Britney Spears. Have you dressed up as any of the costumes below? Be sure to share the nostalgia via Personal Creations." - Julissa Garcia

Popular Halloween Costumes of the Last 25 Years via Personal Creations!

Big thanks to Julissa for writing the introduction for this post & showing me this cool, nostalgic image for me to share! All of the statistics at the bottom of course apply only to America, but it's still interesting wherever you live (assuming you live somewhere that celebrates Halloween) to think about how much goes into Halloween costumes every year. Feel free to share this image off as well, just make sure to include the link to Personal Creations if you do :)

Wednesday Wish Lists #1

I've seen so many versions of people blogging about their favorite things, or the things they wish they could have - in my opinion it's like they're re-writing the lyrics for their own version of "If I Had A Million Dollars" by The Barenaked Ladies :P (Whaddup Canadian band reference?!) I've wanted to give this a shot for a while now, so here is my own version!

#1: "Stitches Necklace" from WeirdlyCute on Etsy

I first spied this unique piece of jewelry from Nerdjoy's blog post titled "13 Shops With Spooky Halloween Jewelry" Ever since I read that post and spotted this particular choker, I haven't been able to get it out of my mind. I know for a fact that if I had this necklace I'd wear it for purposes other than for cosplay, and would probably just wear it to seminar one day for the heck of it XD And since the recent events within the web series Frankenstein MD I have been thinking of this necklace more and more. I really do wish I could buy this XP

#2: Zoella's "Blissful Mistful" from FeelUnique.com

I adore vlogger/blogger/internet personality Zoella, aka Zoe Sugg from the UK, and I recently treated myself to a few of her products from her brand new beauty line. I picked up one of the make-up cases, the bubble bath/shower gel and one of her fizz bars to make my bath time a little more special. The signature scent contained in all of these products is absolutely amazing, and I can't get enough of it. Unfortunately, there are rules in Canada about shipping liquids in glass bottles, specifically perfumes or any other kinds of fragrances. It makes me really sad, because I love perfume and I would love to have this scent as part of my collection :(

#3: The Shakespeare Stealer Series by Gary Blackwood

These are books that I read when I was still in grade school, and I found them really interesting and very imaginative. Truth be told, I only figured out a few years ago that there was a 3rd book in the series Shakespeare's Spy, so now I have to re-read the first 2 books and then check out the 3rd one! Thing is, grade school was a long time ago, and these books are kind of hard to find now, both tucked away in a box somewhere in my basement and in regular book stores. One of these days I need to make myself order all 3 books in these series so that I can re-enjoy this part of my childhood.

#4: "Me, Myself and Ivories Dress" from ModCloth.

You'll probably figure this out pretty quickly as I keep doing these Wednesday Wish List posts, but I have something of an obsession with dresses. Some girls like Carrie Bradshaw moon over shoes, and that's how I am with dresses. Ever since discovering ModCloth, I have spent far too much on retro and vintage-style dresses and other adorable clothing items. This dress in particular is one that I would love to own at some point (luckily it's out of stock in my size right now, which my wallet appreciates XD). You can't tell from the photo, but the piano skirt actually has pockets! How awesome is that?!

#5: "Iggle Snail Mail Sticker Set" from ScrawnyGirl on Etsy!

SO MUCH WANT! Gotta love Scrawny Girl for being undoubtedly awesome and making stickers exclusive to our amazing iggle community. I could definitely use this amazing sticker set on letters that I send out to others iggles. But knowing me I'd probably want to keep all of these for myself and I'd stick them on my laptop or something else I own XD

Let me know what you think of my first installment of my Wednesday Wish Lists in the comments below. Do you want to covet any of these super sweet items for yourself too? Keep me posted!