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Showing posts from July, 2019

15 fanvids I recommend

I love fanvids. Here are some that I would recommend watching (trying to limit myself to one per fandom). MARVEL || Glitter & Gold (collab w/ djcprod) The Good Place || Someone To You Rick & Michonne (Richonne) || I'll Be Good Stranger Things – Your Friend Steve game of thrones | everybody wants to rule the world [s06] eliot | parker | hardison | I. L I V E D. Rick/Michonne & Carol/Daryl ~ Start A Riot by Banners sense8 | sending out flares Some Nights, with Zuko Star Trek: Tik Tok Harry Potter | The War Firefly and Serenity: Defying Gravity History Maker Viktor X Yuri ► Han & Leia | Some Things Never Change Non/Disney Men - Sexy and I Know It (Prompt by me) Photo source

15 American alligator facts

Hopefully some of these will make you as awed by alligators as I am. Alligators can climb fences. In fact, they've gotten into NASA buildings. Alligators can use tools. Now I don't mean a hammer (but boy would that be cool), I mean that they balance sticks on their snouts to try and lure birds into landing. Alligator moms are the most protective reptile moms. They guard their nests, help the babies get out of the nest, and respond to their calls for help. Alligators skulls are so thick that they can do some serious damage just whacking you with their heads. Alligators can hibernate (kinda). Apparently for reptiles it's called brumation, but it's a lot like hibernation. Anyways, alligators can just kinda be in frozen water and stick their snouts out a bit and survive it, despite being cold-blooded. Alligators can shift the position of their lungs in order to change their position in water. Alligator blood is insanely resistant to infection. It's being studie

15 things I find scary or creepy

Not sure why I'm making this list, but here I am. Spider. They scuttle and some can kill you. The dark. What could be out there? Insects with a lot of legs in the bathtub. They're always a surprise and it's the worst. Internet and phones suddenly dying. This has only happened once, but I did think I was in a horror movie. People staring blankly at you. I just find it unnerving. Things that look like hands but aren't. Maybe this is uncanny valley stuff? Mannequins. This one is probably uncanny valley. A lot of holes next to each other. I forget what this phobia is called, but it makes my teeth feel funny. When answering machines use the first person. Okay so this only happened once, but I was unnerved when the machine said "I will take your message." Dreams that are too real. I hate not being able to quite tell when I wake up if it was a dream or not. Dense fog. I guess this is like the dark in that I can't see what's ahead, but also adds a

15 Harry Potter creatures I would like to have

Now there are more that I would like to see, but these are ones that I would like to have. Hippogriff Owl Phoenix Niffler Puffskein Kneazle Knarl Horned serpent Hippocampus Billwig Wampus cat Augurey Demiguise Flitterby Diricrawl (Prompt by me) Image source

15 summer festivals that would be a bad idea

Now there are infinite summer festivals that are bad ideas, but here are some. Fire festival. Now I don't mean the terrible music festival, I literally mean one focused on fire. So there would be like fire everywhere. The booths would be on fire, the food would be on fire, the performers would all have fire. Just a huge lawsuit in the making. Allergy festival. All the most common allergens out in the open air, what could go wrong? Amateur tattoo festival. People who aren't licensed give out tattoos. Can't beat the price! Excessive non-recyclable plastic festival. How many layers of wrapping can we get on all food and prizes? Nothing can be served on things that can be easily disposed of. So much waste to clean up. Fanged animals on the lose festival. I think this title is pretty self explanatory. Wool festival. Everything worn at the festival must be made of wool and only warm things are sold. Only on in terrible weather festival. It only comes out when the weather

15 pop vinyl pairs or sets I wish existed

So if you don't know, I collect specific pop vinyl figurines. Now I'm not one of the people who doesn't take them out of their boxes (they're toys, I want to play with my toys) and I'm also not one of the people who spends like $100 on a rare one (not worth it), but I do enjoy them. Here are some that I wish I could collect. Eliot, Parker, and Hardison from Leverage . Derek and Stiles from Teen Wolf  (I believe Stiles exists, but not Derek). Magnus and Alec from Shadowhunters . Bo and Kenzi from Lost Girl (I adore their friendship). Steve and Terri Irwin. All of the Try Guys (can you say squad goals?). Karen Gilgariff and Georgia Hardstark from My Favorite Murder  (their friendship is amazing). Justin and Sydnee McElroy. Frog and Toad (the characters, not the animals). Mulan and Shang. Angela and Hodgins from Bones . Garcia and Morgan from Criminal Minds . Richard and Kahlan from Wizard's First Rule . Captain Raymond Holt and Kevin Cozner from Br

15 street festivals Chicago should have

So it's possible these exist or something sufficiently similar exists, but here are things I would love to go to. Chance the Snapper fest. Let him not fade into the past! Let us celebrate him every year with caiman themed food (but not caimans), games, and merch. I would adore this. Redesign the Chicago flag festival. Now I'm a pretty big fan of the Chicago flag (especially when you compare it to the Illinois flag), but it would be cool to see people do their own take on it. Large board game festival. Only games allowed are either games meant to be played outside or are like huge versions of games (like human chess). People could make teams or just hop in on random games. There would of course be tons of games on sale and lots of game-themed food and shirts etc. Reptile festival. It's warm out, let the cold blooded creatures out to play! Teach people that they shouldn't be afraid of an animal just because it's a reptile. There could also be reptile rescues the

15 ideas for theme hotels

You know, back in the day, a standardized test did tell me I should manage a hotel. So maybe this is fate. Escape the room. Now before you go getting concerned that I'm trapping guests in hotel rooms, all escape the rooms come with an easy out button, so guests could use that if they have to leave. Also, I would be sure in case of a fire alarm that the doors just fly open. But, wouldn't it be fun to have an escape the room to stay in. I would also have smaller puzzles for getting to the bathroom and closets. There would also be hotel amenities that you have to solve a puzzle to get into. It's definitely not haunted hotel. So this would be a hotel that we say is all fake haunted stuff. We have paintings with moving eyes and spooky decor and books of ghost stories for you to read. But then...some things seem to go awry. The people in the room next to you are being loud? Oh right, yes, there are TOTALLY people there. I will look into that. Haha the power went out...the eye

15 kinds of parties I'd like to throw

Some of these require time, money, or space that I just don't have...but a girl can dream! An all night murder mystery party. The game would go long into the night with lots of drama unfolding. Puppy party. Just lots of puppies everywhere! Petting zoo party. Why are these only for kids? Bouncy house party. Lots of bouncy houses! Escape the room. If I could make my own, that would be the most fun. Baking party. Just bake a ton of stuff and eat a ton of stuff. Mermaid party. You can learn to swim with a mermaid tail and there have to be a ton of mermaid foods that I could figure out. Groundhog Day party. Who couldn't use a party in February that isn't Valentine's Day? Fairy tale party. Costumes, stories, and definitely games. Candyland party. This would certainly involve a life size Candyland path and you have to answer candy-themed questions or make candy or eat candy to progress to different parts of the party. Space party. So definitely food and decoration

15 tattoos I'd consider getting

So I'm not saying that I am going to get a tattoo anytime soon, but the thought does cross my mind every now and then. So here are some of the thoughts that have crossed my mind. Smokey says resist (with Smokey the Bear). This image just brought me hope during this administration and not a ton does that. An alligator. You had to know this would be on the list.  When you're going through Hell, keep going. I find this inspiring. The Chicago flag. I'm a Chicago girl, through and through. Holly (the plant). It is my name so I feel like it would be very appropriate. An alpaca. These fluffy creatures of snuggled their way into my heart. In the future, my kids' and grandkids' names. Mostly I think it would be fun to embarrass them. I have been, and always shall be, your friend. Star Trek feels. 34. Everyone must know the number that haunts me. Lilac. I just think it looks so pretty and almost always makes me smile. SSDGM. This podcast has meant a lot to me. C

15 UNESCO world heritage sites I want to see

Just more places I want to travel. Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site Machu Picchu Amalfi Coast Dubrovnik L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site Ha Long Bay Risco Caido and the Sacred Mountains of Gran Canaria Cultural Landscape Península Valdés Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System Ancient City of Nessebar Writing-on-Stone / Áísínai’pi Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains Dazu Rock Carvings Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis There are certainly more though! (Prompt by me) Image source

15 museums I want to visit

One day I'll be able to travel more and here are some museums I'd like to go to. International Cryptozoology Museum The Museum Egyptian Antiquities Museo Nacional De Antropología Museo Larco The Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses The Musée du Louvre The Acropolis Museum Galleria dell'Accademia Pergamon Museum Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa Cancun Underwater Museum Museum of the Weird International UFO Museum The Neon Museum Winchester Mystery House (Prompt by me) Photo source

15 things I'd love to see turned into a Broadway musical

Tons of things are getting turned into musicals these days, so why not these? Note that these include ideas for funny musicals as well as serious ones. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend . Songs are already written, just need some editing to make it into s concise musical. Firefly . Whedon stuff has had musical aspects before, so why not a Firefly  musical? The saga of Chance the Snapper. Discovery, alligator Bob's failure, the arrival of alligator Robb, and the reveal that Chance is not, in fact, an alligator. It's all there. I'd pay for this. Are You the One? . So many actors would be needed, but god this insanity of a show could make a very entertaining musical. Scooby Doo . This could be so goofy, so campy, and oh so fun. Geekerella . This precious YA novel has such heart that I think could carry through to the stage. Camel corps times. Hey did you know that we used to have troops on camels? No? Well this musical could teach you all about them. Brooklyn 99 . This show is so d

15 quotes that give me comfort

It's hard times for a lot of people right now. So here are 15 quotes that give me comfort. "If you're going through Hell, keep going."—Winston Churchill "You’re braver than you believe and stronger and smarter than you think."—Winnie-the-Pooh "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." — Dumbledore " Frodo : I can’t do this, Sam.                                                                                                      Sam : I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy. How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened. But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when

15 Lego sets I want

Kimi and I watched The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part yesterday, so I got to thinking about Lego sets I want to exist. Please note it's possible some of these already exist. Irwin family and their zoo. God there could be so many cool Lego animals in this one. Natural History Museum. I think it would be fun to make my own Lego exhibits. Large pangolin. So maybe you'd only need shades of brown and instructions, but I think you could make a really cool looking Lego pangolin with the right tools. Bachelorette . So many roses would be needed as well as the Bachelor mansion, four hometowns, several travel locations, and Chris Harrison. Winchester Mystery House. Such a confusing layout, but that's what would make it awesome. Atlantis. Mermaids and Ancient Greek architecture galore! Serenity. Complete with the whole Firefly  cast. Cryptids. Bigfoot, Loch Ness Monster, and so much more! Galway city. I'd just like to be able to see a little model of it all the time. A

15 recipes I want to try

Hopefully making this list will make me make some of them. No-bake strawberry and cream pie.  https://therecipecritic.com/no-bake-strawberry-cream-pie/ Avocado chicken salad.  https://tasty.co/recipe/avocado-chicken-salad Watermelon salad with arugula and feta.  https://tasty.co/recipe/watermelon-salad-with-arugula-and-feta Turkey bacon guacamole cucumber sub.  https://tasty.co/recipe/turkey-bacon-guacamole-cucumber-sub Smoked salmon cucumber sub.  https://tasty.co/recipe/smoked-salmon-cucumber-sub Tuscan white beans (with some adjustments).  https://tasty.co/recipe/tuscan-white-beans Sweet potato pizza bites.  https://tasty.co/recipe/sweet-potato-pizza-bites Bourbon peach creamsicle.  https://tasty.co/recipe/bourbon-peach-creamsicle  Irish coffee milkshake.  https://tasty.co/recipe/irish-coffee-milkshake No-bake cookies and cream cheesecake.  https://tasty.co/recipe/no-bake-cookies-and-cream-cheesecake No-bake dulce de leche cheesecake.  https://tasty.co/recipe/no-bake-du

15 alligator themed things I still want

So I do have an alligator collection going, but I need more. Here are things that I would like in an alligator theme (please note that this does NOT include something in alligator skin). A dress. Just think of how pretty it could be. Sheets. I would love to be able to make my bed alligator themed. Shoes. Crocs don't count. Skirt. I want to be able to have something that could be part of an outfit, but still alligator themed. Towels. Especially a beach towel. Sunglasses. These would be so cute and somehow feel so appropriate for warm weather. Piggy bank. I do love my elf pig piggy bank, but an alligator one would be awesome. Phone case. I would enjoy a big goofy one, but it would be nice to also have an artistic and classy one. Dishes. If I could host a dinner party on alligator plates, I would be a happy camper. Pajamas. A onesie, if possible. Shopping cart. Not sure how realistic this is, but I would feel so cool walking into a grocery store with a green shopping cart

15 internet animals I like

Internet famous animals can be so insanely cute and fun. So here are some I like (and I'm including animated ones). Lil Bub. Who can't love that face? Doug the Pug. I just love pugs. MacGyver the Lizard. Tegus are the best! Grumpy Cat. Such funny face. Marnie. His little tongue just lolls out in the cutest way. Pusheen. Every version I've seen is cute. Nyan Cat. Early internet days. Oolong. An adorable rabbit. Doge. Love this meme and what a cute dog. Moon Moon. Yes, this is a stretch, but I loved this meme so much. Bowie. This is one of the Try Guys' dogs and he's so pretty. Boo. Can you get any cuter? Minnie and Max. Not one, but TWO pugs. Mishka. A husky that can say, "I love you." Chance the Snapper. There are so many twitter accounts, but hopefully Chance can also get some Insta fame. (Prompt by me) Image by Joyful Noise Recordings. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lil-Bub-2013.jpg

15 things we should do about the Humboldt Park alligator

So if you haven't heard, there is an alligator in a Chicago park (named Chance the Snapper) and I thought it'd be fun to come up with a list of things we can do about it/for it. Hold a seance to summon the ghost of Steve Irwin to help us safely transfer the gator somewhere better suited. Get a photo book together of Chance the Snapper where the sales go to protecting crocodilians. Alter a bunch of Chicago merch to feature gators. Like replace the four stars of the flag on merch with four gators 🐊🐊🐊🐊. Host some free lectures about gators so people can learn more about them (and why you shouldn't get one as a pet). Make sure Chance the Snapper is fed. Is this being done? I don't know honestly. Throw an alligator art fair. All art must feature alligators or other crocodilians. And, hey, it's the summer...isn't Chicago all about fairs and festivals? On that note, throw a whole gator festival. Gator themed rides. Gator themed food (but not actually allig

15 signs I saw today

I went to a protest today and saw some great signs. NEVER AGAIN IS NOW We cannot say we did not know ALWAYS. PUNCH. NAZIS. Children in cages have heartbeats too!!! Caging children is CHILD ABUSE VETERANS AGAINST TRUMP AMERICAN HORROR STORY PRESIDENT TRUMP No ^Concentration Camps (this one included a cardboard cage around the carrier) IMPRISON THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES NOT THE CHILDREN OF THE HUMAN RACE (printed on a large padlock) Crush ICE Fear is the path to the Dark Side CLOSE THE CAMPS, Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free LET'S TRY NOT TO BE NAZIS IM🍑 TRUMP Be nice to kids (held up by a tiny child on a note card) (Prompt by me)

15 things I've learned while babysitting

Okay so I'm super naive about babies which is why I babysat with my mom, but here are some things I've learned today. Babies are heavier than I thought. Yes, I realize plenty of people know this already but ho boy, we just put him down for his first nap and my arms are feeling it. Textured baby books are the best kind. My nephew has one called Never Touch a Dragon  and it's awesome. My nephew loved touching all of the the different textures and I liked the cool pictures. Babies eat more than I thought. When my mom handed me my nephew's breakfast, I asked if he would really eat that much and sure enough he did. It just looked like so much and he's so little! I need to narrate books more as I read to babies. I thought I should just read the story, but my mom said it's better to point out things on the page and make the noises of the animals. Cool playgrounds have t-rexes. The one we went to had one and I was delighted. Sometimes poops interrupt mealtime.

15 kinds of crocodilians

People think there are just alligators and crocodiles, but there are many more and more than one type of alligator and far more than one type of crocodile. American alligator. This one is my favorite. Chinese alligator. Yep alligators are only indigenous to the US and China. Dwarf caiman. They're insanely cute. There are actually two kinds of dwarf caiman (Cuvier's and Schneider's). Gharial. They're super weird looking with a long snout. False gharial. I always find it funny when animal names include "false" in them. Nile crocodile. Very big and very scary. American crocodile. The Americas have crocodiles too. African dwarf crocodile. Super duper cute. Saltwater crocodile. One of the kinds in Australia. Freshwater crocodile. No kind of water is safe in Australia! Cuban crocodile. Cuba has its own kind. Slender-snouted crocodile. There are two kinds (West African and Central African). Mugger. I'm terribly amused by this name (yes, it does hav

15 thoughts on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

I finally started watching Crazy Ex-Girlfriend . Here are some random thoughts on what I've seen so far. Dear God Rebecca needs to go to therapy and not just for medication. The songs are terribly fun. So far my favorite might be "I'm a Good Person." I'm so glad Rebecca made some progress with her mom. Paula needs a hug. So, so bad. Are White Josh and Darryl gonna get together? I really appreciate that Rebecca is good at her job. Is Paula going to finally leave her husband? Will Paula's kids ever be nicer to her? Heather is one of the best characters. Pretty much everyone would benefit from some intense talks with their family. Is Greg going to finish business school? I really hope this plot line doesn't get dropped. Are Greg and Rebecca meant to be? I feel like the show has hinted that. Where did the big fish come from? I think I missed it. I enjoy the many quirky background characters like Karen. I do have some second hand embarrassment

15 animals I'd think about having as pets

Dog. Obviously. I love dogs and they love me and they get you out and about and you can cuddle them. Rabbit. They are fluffy and bouncy and you can take them for walks if you want. Guinea pig. I saw one at the zoo and I really wanted to steal one. Iguana. I love reptiles and I always thought iguanas were cool. I'm also pretty sure you can put them on a leash. Bearded dragon. It would be so cool to say I have a pet dragon. Fancy spotted gecko. Okay I definitely just love that it's called fancy, but it's also very pretty. Toad. I can't remember the name of toad I saw that I really liked, but it was so cute and round and I wanted it. Tegu. They are incredible. I love their jowls and I would love having a lizard so big I can cuddle it and take it on walks. Chinchilla. They are super cute and fluffy. I've heard they can be a bit mean so I'd have to hang out with the chinchilla before I bought it. Love birds. I think they're adorable. Cockatoo. I'v

15 things I've enjoyed during my trip to St. Louis

Meeting Lauren...she's wonderful. Petting two new doggos...they're so cute. Battle Bubbles...just look at the photos. Baking blondies...so tasty. Going to the zoo...I love animals. Eating a cupcake from the Cupcakery again...how I've missed them. Swimming in a fountain...the sign about no swimming is gone so it must be allowed! Watching reality TV with friends...it's good to binge it with people. Seeing Hannah's home...I just really like seeing where my friends live. Going to 5 Below...I got an alligator floatie. Getting outfits at Target...I actually found some that I like. Eating pesto...Hannah's mom has the best recipe. Starting Wizards Unite...it's very fun. Listening to Crazy Ex-Girlfriend  songs...I need to watch. Listening to MFM together...it's a good one to have company for. (Prompt by me)

15 things I learned at the zoo

Macaws need as much attention as a toddler and can develop dangerous habits when lacking it. Porcupines can't shoot out their quills like TV makes us think. Goats can have little extra flaps of skin. A snake uses its little "tentacles" to lure fish. Another snake uses its horn thing to collect water. Guinea pigs are the only animal other than humans that don't make their own vitamin C (Lauren told me this). Owls fly very quietly because their feathers are spread more spread out. Way too many species are endangered. I'm shorter than a llama. There are way too many alligator things I want to buy. I am getting too tempted to buy alpaca/llama stuff. When I can, I act like a child when buying food. I wish I was rich enough to donate a habitat to a zoo. Fans that spray mist are true salvation. Ice cream always needs to be eaten when its this hot. (Prompt by me)

15 things I saw at the zoo

A goat with little extra flaps hanging down from his chin. An armadillo pushing a weight. A macaw that had been abused and ripped its own feathers out. Alpacas that were trimmed. A height thing that told us we were all about the size of llamas. An adorable train. A goat climbing on little stump. Very tiny babies sleeping through their first zoo visit. So many alligator things that I wanted to buy (I only bought one). A shiny otter sculpture. Giant fans spinning out water mist. A tree kangaroo (who knew there was such a thing!). Ozark hellbender (at last)! A turtle just poking its head out from the sand. A cafe that I thought was called Cafe Kuru. (Prompt by me)

15 things I saw on my way to St. Louis

Hey all, I'm on a vacation so sorry I missed days. I'll try to makeup for it. Edges of a rain storm. Water droplets racing like horses around the curved windows. Uncomfortable levels of patriotism. Blank billboards. Fluffy clouds passing above wispy ones. Rows of crops that only reveal themselves from some angles. more lakes or ponds than I knew. Arby's bragging about chicken. A town called Dwight that very much confused me for a while. A large bonfire. Graveyards on opposite sides, but both in sight of, the highway. The St. Louis arch to let me know I was close. A sincere lack of WiFi. More construction than I thought would happen in the summer. Adorable children who needed their adult to not be asleep for the ride. (Prompt by me)

15 things that could be fun to do with my nephews

Admittedly, I know very little about babies and small children, but here are things that I think could be fun to do with my nephews now or sometime in the future. The zoo. I love animals and I think kids do too. The aquarium. I went with one of them before, but he was so so little that he definitely needs to go many more times. A petting zoo. They'd have to be older, I know. Dozin' with the Dinos. Much older, but all little boys go through a dinosaur phase, right? Drag queen story time. Okay maybe this one is more for me. The beach. Definitely have to be older. A bookstore or book sale. Yes, they'd have to be older, but I'd love to share my love of books. To a movie. I love seeing movies and talking about them, plus there are quite a few good kids' movies. But yes, they'd have to be older. An escape the room. I know, they'd have to be a lot older, but they'll get there! And then we'll solve puzzles together. Maggie Daley Park. Every time

15 museums I recommend

Hey all, still need a bit of a break. What can I say? Writing 1,000 words a day for my portfolio is starting to take it out of me. Anyways, visit these museums if you get the chance. The Field Museum of Natural History. The Museum of Science and Industry. The Cork Butter Museum (real thing). The National Museum of the American Indian. The National Museum of African American History. The Vatican Museum. Rijksmuseum. The Chicago History Museum. City Museum. The Art Institute of Chicago. Anne Frank House. The Museum of Contemporary Art. The Icelandic Phallological Museum. Picasso Museum. Rembrandt House Museum. (Prompt by me) Photo source

15 things I want to do this summer

Hey y'all, I need a little bit of a break, so please enjoy another listicle post. See a movie in the park. I almost went to see Wonder Woman, but then I was too tired. One day though! Get in the lake. I know the lake is probably pretty cold still, but it's also getting hot, so this should be good soon. Buy some new dresses. This will be a challenge, but I want some summery dresses that I could also wear to a job interview. Get a job. I know, I know, this isn't exactly a summery activity, but I really do want it. Go to St. Louis. I'm cheating a bit here because I'm already going (leaving on the 4th!). Get some new pen pals. Hint, hint, write me a letter. Hang out with my nephew. Again, cheating a bit because I already know I'm babysitting him soon, but still! Go to the zoo. I want to see some animals. Take puppy for a walk. I've had a few chance, but they haven't really worked out. Play around in makeup a bit more. One day I'll get good at