#OOTD - May The 4th Be With You!

Happy Star Wars Day, fellow nerds! Today I'll actually be venturing into Toronto with my boyfriend for a fun May the 4th adventure - we'll be hitting Ripley's Aquarium first before checking out my favorite comic book store in the city, The Silver Snail. Finally, the two of us have tickets to a double feature of The Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 1 & Volume 2 😁 In honour of this nerd holiday, I thought I might showcase what would be my ideal outfit for a day like this.

I had to include the Millennium Falcon dress because I actually own that dress, and that's what I will actually be wearing when we're out tomorrow, The weather they're calling for is rainy and cool, but I don't care because it's Star Wars Day and I need to wear my Star Wars dress! XD It's because of the gloomy weather that I added the Darth Vadar umbrella into the set XD And anytime I head into Toronto, I always make sure to bring a bag that either has a long strap I can wear across my body or a bag that I can tuck close to my body - you can never be too careful, after all.

I know you can't see much of it, but here is the dress in question, and that's me and Kurt posing in front of Niagara Falls. Unfortunately you can only see the American falls, which aren't nearly as magnificent as the Canadian ones XD Although I may be a little biased.

So excited to celebrate such an amazing nerd holiday with my lovely boyfriend, and I'll be sure to take plenty of pictures so that I can document the day and then tell you guys all about it! Hope you like my #OOTD, and once again, Happy Star Wars Day! May the 4th Be With You!

My Insta Love #9

Hello my lovelies! Happy Monday to you all 😊 I know that this is nobody's favourite day (and for those who love Mondays, well... I'm sure there's a support group out there for you somewhere XD), which is why I like to brighten it up and maybe even give fellow creators some inspiration by showing you some beautiful pictures from my friends on Instagram. Don't forget that you can click each image to see the owner's Instagram page, make sure to follow them all because they're all awesome 💓

Upcoming Goals - May

Happy Last-Day-of-April, folks! And a happy Sunday to you all as well, for those who actually have the day off XP I've been working non-stop for what feels like forever, but has probably only been two weeks or so. I have my first day off in a long time coming up, and I can't wait to take the day to exhale XD Even with all of these shifts, I've still found the time to set a few goals for May, and I've even had time to reflect on how I've done with the goals I've set for the past two months.

I know just how busy April has been because I've only managed to publish four blog posts, including this one 😞 I didn't even finish my April Goals post in time to publish it XP Last month I vowed to work at saving as much money as possible, to send out more snail mail, and to get out more as the weather has gotten nicer. With the amount of work I've had, I've only made real progress on the first of those goals. In March I had a number of goals as well, but the day after I posted what my goals were, my priorities shifted to wanting to try and start saving so that I can move in with my boyfriend Kurt. But I'm already determined to meet my goals for May, and I have a working plan of action to get me there! 😄

The Gamer Tag

Let's be real: If I'm ever procrastinating in any way, the thing that I'm actually doing is playing some sort of video game 😋 Games are a huge passion of mine, and I would 100% identify myself as a gamer - even if I'm not a very good one most of the time, and am more of a self-proclaimed gaming enthusiast. This tag created by ZombieGoddessBeauty is right up my alley, so without further ado, here are my answers to the whopping 20 questions in the Gamer Tag!

#1: What is your Gamer Tag? On Steam I simply go by Kcrules48, but that's my username on a whole bunch of web platforms. On my Xbox360, I let it randomise a gamer tag for me, and it generated one I love, which is MotorDaffodil63. Now that I think about it, I should probably change it to MotorDaffodil64 to sound even more awesome, so I'll probably end up doing that sometime soon 😝

#2: PC or Console? Honestly, I play on both. I used to not play as many PC games simply because I sucked at playing games using a keyboard, but I've started to get a little better, plus there are a few PC games that I plug in my boyfriend's USB controller to play with to make things a little easier for myself.

#3: Console of Choice? The main console that I own and use right now is my Xbox 360, although I occasionally play on my boyfriend's PS4 as well. 

#4: Handheld of choice? (DS, PS Vita, etc.) Definitely my 3DS. I've gotten into playing it a lot more lately, and have even broken out some of my old DS games. I've been trying to hunt down my copy of Animal Crossing: New Leaf, but it is still MIA amidst all of the boxes from when we moved. Knowing my luck, it's stuck somewhere in the storage unit 😌

#5: Keyboard or Game Pad? I play a lot better using a controller, although I don't use it for every game - mainly because a lot of games won't work with a controller XD But I'm fine using my keyboard for games like The Sims 4, World of Warcraft and Stardew Valley, among others.

#6: Single Player or Multiplayer? The majority of what I play is single player, although I do play a few MMO games. Plus I occasionally play games with my friend Blair or my boyfriend.

My Insta Love #8

Happy Monday, everybody! For those of you that are enjoying today off as part of your long weekend, make the most of your day :) And for those of you who are stuck working, enjoy the doubled holiday pay! 😆 I apologise for being MIA for an extended period of time; aside from being busy with getting more shifts at work and generally just being lazy, I actually have a valid excuse this time, which is that my beautiful laptop suddenly died, causing me to have to replace her and get used to this new piece of technology. Things have been pretty crazy for me, but I'm going to give 110% to this blog to make sure I can continue giving you guys regular posts even though I'll be working. And without further ado, here are some gorgeous pictures to brighten up your Monday :)

5 Favorite Nerdy Drinks

Happy Friday, everybody! Hope you all have super fun plans for this weekend. For me, the newest card set for the Star Wars Destiny collectible card game will be released, and I booked the weekend at work so that Kurt and I could attend a few pre-release events together 😁 For those who plan on enjoying a drink or two this weekend, here are my personal recommendations if you're looking for something more on the nerdy side.

#1: Princess Peach Martini! This is my favorite nerdy cocktail, without a doubt. I had this for the first time last month, while having lunch with Kurt at The Geekery in Niagara Falls after we'd finished playing together at a Star Wars Destiny tournament. I don't know the exact measurements, but I do know that this drink is made with Peach Schnapps, Raspberry Sour Puss, and orange juice. It tastes like candy! And like in this photo, it was actually served with a little Fuzzy Peach inside, skewered by a little plastic sword. It was so yummy, and learning to make my own Princess Peach Martini is definitely on my to-do list.

Review: The Last Chance Matinee

(An advance reader's copy of the ebook was
provided to me in exchange for
an honest review.)

Some of us might struggle to get along with our siblings when we're stuck working together on some kind of task - doing chores for our parents, helping each other move, that sort of thing. Now imagine if you had only just met your siblings and were expected to live under the same roof as them and tackle a massive renovation project at the same time. Such is the underlying premise for the first novel in Mariah Stewart's Hudson Sister series, The Last Chance Matinee.

Stewart's new novel is told from the perspective of three women living in different states that are brought together by their late father's lawyer and best friend, Pete Wheeler. Sisters Allie Monroe and Desdemona Hudson meet Cara McCann for the first time in Pete's office, and learn that their father had a second wife, and that Cara is their half-sister. If that wasn't enough information to process, they are then told that their father had set aside some very specific conditions in his will that must be met before any of the three girls can claim their inheritance; they must live together in their father's childhood home in Hidden Falls, PA and restore the Sugarhouse, a large art deco theater that is a part of Fritz Hudson's estate. If any of them leave Hidden Falls before the project is complete, than none of the sisters are to inherit anything.

The Last Chance Matinee's narration is split between these three sisters, but it is probably Cara McCann whose perspective dominates the majority of the chapters, and that is an aspect of this first book that I really enjoyed. Compared to Allie and Des, Cara is the outsider, raised as an only child whereas Allie and Des grew up together, although the two of them aren't at all close and even live in different states. While all three sisters are living in less than perfect circumstances before they learn about their father's death, the events in this book focus primarily on the events in Cara's life, both leading up to her move to Hidden Falls and everything that Cara experiences living with her Aunt Barney and her half-sisters. Cara's perspective in this first novel is a great way to look at how Des and Allie cope with the news about their father's double life. Cara is determined to learn just what sort of person their father was, given that he only showed certain parts of himself to her and her mother while he was alive.

My Insta Love #7

Happy Monday! I know that Monday is nobody's favorite day of the week, which is why it's nice to make things a little prettier at the start of the week 😊 Here's a collection of some pretty Instagram images that caught my eye this week - enjoy! 💖

The Geeky Girl Tag

How's everybody doing today? I hope your week has been treating you well so far. Today I've decided to participate in a tag I learned about through the Female Geek Bloggers G+ group known as The Geeky Girl Tag! I learned about it from The Howling Wolfheart, and this tag was originally created by Zombie Goddess Beauty. Go check out their posts, as well as their respective blogs, which are both awesome :) Anywho, time for me to answer some geeky girl questions!

#1: What is your must-have tech gadget?
Like everybody else in 2017, my phone is somehow attached to me at all times. I rely on it for its amazing camera, for keeping in touch with my friends, family, and amazing boyfriend, and of course all the awesome games and apps and visual novels that I have. Let me tell you, when I dropped my phone earlier this month and the screen cracked, I went into full-on mourning, especially when I learned how much it would cost to replace it. Guess everyone experiences their first cracked phone screen at some point or another...

I'm also very reliant on my laptop, for my blog of course, and also for the recent Facebook games I've gotten a little addicted to XP And lately I've become re-attached to my 3DS, and I've actually been enjoying one of my favorite original DS games, Urbz: Sims in the City. Have any of you guys played this game for the DS or GameCube? Let me know in the comments below :)

#2: Which house do you belong to in Hogwarts?
Hufflepuff, through and through! I'll be honest, when I was first sorted by Pottermore, I was hoping to be sorted into Ravenclaw, but since then I've embraced yellow and black, and I am a very proud Hufflepuff.

Wednesday Wish Lists #33

(This post contains affiliate links)

Happy Wednesday, folks! Let me tell you, I always feel the urge to write "Happy Hump Day" at the start of these posts, but hearing it in my head just makes me cringe and I can't bring myself to do it XPP Anyway, I have more pretty things to show all of you, and PLEASE feel free to leave a comment or even tweet me @KacieCruise if you feel like gushing about these items, and we can chat about having similar tastes!

#1: Ariel Green Foil Princess Dress from Hot Topic! I have a weakness for The Little Mermaid, and mermaids in general, and this dress is beyond gorgeous! My favorite part is the draped shoulders, but the neckline and bodice and amazing too. I'm pretty sure that I'll be adding this to my massive collection of dresses this spring or summer.

#5FF Green Photo Challenge!

TGIF, everyone! Hope everyone had a great week, and here's hoping the weekend is even better. With today being St. Patrick's Day, I'm sure a lot of your weekends are off to a great start, and you'll be hitting the bars or your local liquor stores. I'll be working tonight, but I've never been one for green beer anyway 😆 Drink responsibly, everyone! Now, for the pictures! This week's prompt was to show off some green-inspired photos, and since I didn't want to rush and take a bunch of crap pictures of green things, I decided to showcase a few of my older photos instead. So here we go!

#1! Here's an Instagram pic of me showcasing one of my favorite nail polishes from Black Sheep Lacquer, which is a stunning emerald green. I love pretty much every nail polish I've ever received from the subscription I used to receive from BSL, but I always really enjoyed wearing unusual colours on my nails, instead of the typical red, pink, etc. Greens and yellows and dark blues are my favorite, and BSL has also sent me a number of glitter coats that are both bizarre and awesome.

Chocolate Oreo Mousse Pi Day Pie!

Hello everybody! And a very happy Pi Day to you all! Normally this day just passes by me as a regular day, but this year I decided to celebrate, and I wanted to do it with all of you 😄 To mark the occasion, I decided to make - and eat - my very first pie ever! Yes, I am one of those weird aliens living on Earth that has never eaten a slice of pie before. This recipe looked so yummy that I was dying to try it out! Just to be clear, this is not my recipe, but was created by +Rosanna Pansino of Nerdy Nummies. You can click here to see the video she made that steps you through the process to make this very pie in your own kitchen.

For anyone who wants a list of the ingredients without going through watching the video, here is an image you can save that lists all of the ingredients you will need.

5 Favorite Sequels

Happy Friday everyone! And a Merry beginning-of-the-weekend to all of you as well! Me, I've been working most weekends for the past month or so, but I still get most Sundays off to spend time relaxing, and going to the YMCA with Kurt 😊 I actually had a little help from him for this post, when I was struggling to remember which movie sequels I actually found semi-decent, so you could say that this post is something of a collaborative effort. Thanks for the inspiration, my love! Without further ado, here is a list of my favorite sequels.

#1: Love Never Dies - Sequel to Phantom of the Opera! This was the first thing that popped into my head when I started to think about sequels! Okay, that might not be true, #2 was really the first thing that came to mind, but I know without a doubt that Love Never Dies is my favorite sequel of all time, probably because of how much I also love the original Phantom of the Opera. Let me be clear for any theater geeks reading this, I'm not saying that the sequel is better than the original, but as far as sequels go, this one did not disappoint, and I am determined to see this show live on opening night once it finally comes to Toronto!

5 Favorite Ways To Celebrate An Achievement

Howdy, folks! I know this weeks #5FandomFriday prompt is about favorite local coffee shops, and don't get me wrong, I started to write about coffee shops, but then realized that I only had 2-4 that really mattered anything to me at all. Plus, I prefer caffeinated tea over coffee. So I decided to make my own prompt, and who knows, maybe it'll catch on and other Female Geek Bloggers will give this one a shot sometime? Plus, it gives me a chance to tell you all that I got 92% on my Product Knowledge test! AND the test only took me 12 minutes to complete!!! With all the studying I put in, now comes the time to celebrate this awesome accomplishment, and for the fun of it all, here is a list of the 5 ways that I usually pick to celebrate an achievement in my life.

#5: Have a "Party" with friends! When you picture a party, it's probably a lot different than the sort of thing me and my girlfriends would consider an ideal party. Usually it's just me coming over to their place (my 3 best friends all live together) and us shooting the shit, laughing at just about everything, me lusting after my friends' bookshelves filled with tons and tons of books - lately we've sometimes including adding wine to the mix, because we're "grown-ups" now, but that won't stop us from watching Markiplier's gameplay videos from the various Five Nights at Freddy's games XD

Wednesday Wish Lists #32

Happy Hump Day, my fellow nerdlings! For this week's Wednesday Wish Lists, I have put together a set of tantalizing nerd goodies that I've been lusting after. One of the items on this week's list is a little more on the melancholy side, but I've always had a policy of being honest with people, especially like-minded people such as yourself, who I hope will be my future friends :)

#1: Beauty and the Beast Makeup Collection by L'Oreal! I've seen this makeup set advertised all over the place - articles shared on Facebook, on Instagram, etc. Only problem is, this set is limited to being sold in Italy 😔 Let's hope that L'Oreal in the states (and also Canada 😁) get their butts in gear and release this gorgeous set in North America.

My Insta Love #6

From people's creative spaces to their actual creations, this week's selection of pictures inspire me to both create and to (finally) set up my own creative space where I can be surrounded by inspiration and make the magic (if you can call it that) happen!

Upcoming Goals - March

March is almost upon us, and that means spring time is nearly here! We've had a decent streak of warm weather lately where I live, although it's just starting to cool down a little again. Hopefully we've seen the last of the snow until next winter, keeping my fingers crossed! Anyway, a new month is nearly here and that means it's time to set some new monthly goals! First off, I'll let you know how I did with my goals for this past month.

The first thing I hoped to accomplish in February was to generally keep up the momentum I had built with regard to the work I was doing on my blog and other creative projects. There were times where I felt a bit stunted, whether by anxiety or simply having a brain fart, but I'd like to think that for the most part that I accomplished this goal. February was a really fun month, and I feel like I was still able to get a lot done at the same time.

My boyfriend's birthday was, according to him, a great success, and he especially loved me going out early on the morning of his birthday (the 14th, aka Valentine's Day) to pick up some fresh treats from the bakery. I picked up a box of cream-filled cannolis and another box of peanut butter cookies, two of his favorites. I also took him out to dinner at M.T. Bellies (was so thankful we were able to get a table during one of the busiest days for restaurants of the year) and then treated him to a viewing of John Carter: Chapter 2 at the Cineplex, where they just put in brand new leather chairs that recline at the push of a button. It was a very enjoyable evening.

And finally, even though I didn't study as many days as I would have hoped, I am confident that I still achieved this goal. While reviewing the test questions with my boyfriend's mother this morning, I found that I only got 3 out of 98 questions wrong, and the minimum amount I need to pass this test is 60%. I'm actually going to my store today to take the Product Knowledge Test, so everybody wish me luck! I'll let you know later how I did.

Wednesday Wish Lists #31

I've missed doing these posts, so I thought I'd finally bring you my first Wednesday Wish List of 2017! I keep going back and forth about whether or not I should continue this blog series - just showing you guys a bunch of things I wish I owned can make me feel a little materialistic sometimes. But lately I've been trying to think of it more as a way to show you guys a whole whack of cool things I've seen or heard about on the internet or elsewhere. It's certainly a great ice breaker, to chat with someone about cool things that you both love, and it's my hope that posting about a number of things that have recently caught my eye and that I've been lusting after will bring out those who like the same things as me, and from there connections are made! I'm always looking for fellow geeks to chat with after all! Without further ado, here is this week's wish list.

#1: Poison Ivy Formal Dress (Gotham Knights Collection) from Hot Topic! I flipped when I received the Hot Topic email with the new Gotham Knights formal wear line - everything in it is absolutely gorgeous! The Wonder Woman dress definitely caught my attention, but I also couldn't stop staring at the Poison Ivy dress. This style is typically something I would avoid, because it clings quite a bit to the model's shape, but I was thinking that if all goes well with mine and Kurt's trips to the YMCA, maybe I'll be able to tone up enough that I won't have to be afraid of these sorts of styles anymore.

My Insta Love #5 - Valentine's Day 2017

Hello everybody! I know Valentine's Day has already come and gone, but I still wanted to showcase a few of my favorite pictures that Instagram uses posted to celebrate the occasion. There were so many pretty pictures on my feed that I just had to show you guys a few of my favorites :)

Review: Unbecoming

You may have noticed by my lack of reviews posted lately, but I have been in a bit of a reading rut for the past... Well, it's been quite a while, I must say. I'd like to say that all it takes is one good book to mend that sort of bookless abyss, and for some people it very well might be. If anyone has suffered from a similar affliction, may I recommend this remarkable read. Unbecoming is a young adult novel that can easily be enjoyed by women of any age, and the three women who take center stage in this story suffer from their own separate afflictions, all within the same family and under the same roof.

Katie has final exams of her junior year (or the equivalent of that in the UK, where this novel takes place) just on the horizon, and as if that were not stressful enough, she is currently a victim of bullying because of a private moment shared with her best friend, where Katie initiated a kiss with her friend Esme. Since then, Esme has been ignoring her texts and calls and dodging any attempts at talking things through with Katie.

Caroline is a single mother, whose husband cheated on her and now lives in their old home with his new girlfriend, with their brand new baby daughter. They've moved to a flat in Bisham, where on top of working as a Realtor, she works hard to raise and be there for Katie as well as her son Christopher, who was born with an undiagnosed disorder. Things become even more stressful when Caroline's biological mother, who gave her up shortly after she was born, shows up out of the blue with nobody else to care for her, and with nobody but Caroline to take responsibility for her.

And finally there's Mary, who is taken in by her daughter Caroline and is lucky enough to live with her grandchildren Katie and Chris, although she has difficulty remembering her names - though Caroline tries relentlessly to drag Mary to a number of doctors, they are able to nail down a specific diagnosis, although they are certain that Mary suffers from some degree of Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Mary's condition is actually described quite aptly in the book itself, and I'll quote the passage for you guys below:

"He showed them the CT scan, pointed to some black smudges with the tip of his pen, and said Mary had plaques in her brain. It was about the only thing he was certain about. He used the analogy of a forest - one day a tree crashes to the ground and bang, the recipe for lasagna you've known for years falls out of your head. The next day a different tree silently collapses and bang, the memory of your first kiss disappears forever. Eventually, Mary would forget how to use the toilet, how to walk, how to eat. Until, one day, the forest became a wasteland and she forgot how to breathe.

'Silent, deadly, and irreversible,' the consultant said."

- Chapter Twenty-Two, Unbecoming by Jenny Downham

5 Galentine's Day Gifts!

Happy Friday, everybody! I hope everybody's looking forward to the weekend, and also to all of the fun days coming up next week. There's Valentine's Day, of course. As for me, on the 14th, it is also my boyfriend Kurt's birthday, so we will be celebrating Valentine's Day on a different day. And for others that want to celebrate the lovely ladies in their life, on Monday the 13th we also have Galentine's Day! I'll be perfectly frank, I had to Google the definition of Galentine's Day to fully understand what this holiday was all about, but I had no problem finding some super cool gifts that I wish I could afford to spoil my girlfriends with. 

#1: Cozy Essentials Print from Lily & Val! Like me, my girlfriends enjoy their downtime, and we love each and every nuance of getting to relax with our books, our video games, our Netflix and our snacks. I can guarantee that any of them would adore receiving this print as a gift. Honestly, I would totally buy this for myself right this second if I could afford it.

My Captured Moment #8 - Happy Planner 30/01/17 - 05/02/17

Happy Mid-Week, everybody! I'm a little late in sharing this, but at least it's because all of the other productivity has gotten in the way of me taking pictures of the last week in my planner. I was able to get a lot done last week, and I hope I can keep up the momentum throughout the rest of the month to continue with my first goal for this month :) Anyway, here are some pretty pictures of my Happy Planner!

My Insta Love #4

Happy Monday, everybody! I'm back, and I've found more of my favorite Instagram pictures to share with all of you :) There's something about scrolling through my Instagram feed that relaxes me (like I mentioned in my post about being at the gym for the first time) and inspires me at the first time, and I hope that these pictures can spark a bit of inspiration or relaxation into the coming week for all of you.

@thesaguarops @theresetgirlshop @carpediemplanners

@michaelsstores @katespadeny @kikki.k @targetstyle @homesensecanada