Melissa's Attic

Anime Reviews for School

2011-09-28T08:41:00.001-07:00

Here are some of the Anime Reviews I have written for my Survey of Japanese Anime class at Boise State University. I have enjoyed this class a lot, and hope that the following reviews will spark your interest!

Vampire Knight- Episodes 1-4

Chopstick Rating- IIIII

Available through Netflix- DVD viewing only

Basic Observations

With the big vampire craze going around these days, I was at first hesitant to try Vampire Knight. But after watching the first episode, it was made apparent that this story was much more how vampires should be. Of course, in both Twilight and Vampire Knight, the vampires are all very attractive (or supposed to be at least), but as far as glowing in the sunlight, Vampire Knight definitely shines brighter.

The opening song and graphics are very well done and appropriate for setting the overall mood of the anime. The storyline is very interesting, especially with the presence of Zero, the boy who hates vampires (since a vampire killed his family), but is slowly becoming one himself, due a bite he received at the time the family was killed.

Semiotics

The two genres that this anime would fall under are supernatural and romance. The audience expectations for the genre of supernatural are that of action, suspense, mystery, monsters/demons, and perhaps some blood and horror. Vampire Knight of course does an excellent job of fulfilling those anticipations concerning the elements of monsters/demons and blood in the fact that the story revolves around vampires. The prospect of mystery is also well done because of Yuki’s inability to remember her past. Action, suspense, and horror are present as well, although not as prevalent.

In a romance genre outlook, the one attribute that stands out best to me is that of the love triangle between Yuki, Zero, and Kaname. In this love triangle, as with many other romance animes, we see our main girl leaning towards one boy, but then a turn of events leads the viewers to wonder who she will choose in the end.

Conclusion

All in all, I would give a rating of five chopsticks to Vampire Knight. As stated earlier, Zero is especially fascinating, leaving me to wonder what turn of events are in store for him. This anime is interesting, beautifully animated, and very engaging.

Sources:

Vampire Knight. Viz Media, 2009.

My Neighbor Totoro

Chopstick Rating: IIIIII

Available through Netflix for DVD viewing only.

Basic Observations

I knew from the moment the charming into song and credits started rolling that My Neighbor Totoro would be an enjoyable anime. Hayao Miyazaki’s intriguing imagination and attention to detail really make his work, including this one, pleasant and entertaining. The two sisters, Satsuke and Mei, were both adorable and very believable in the fact that they really acted the way children do. For instance, Mei was always following whatever her older sister did and all along the way saying things like, “Me too!” and “Wait for me!” I especially loved the part when Mei is so excited to eat the bento box lunch Satsuke made that she asks her father, “Is it lunchtime yet?” And he replies, “We just had breakfast!” Having the sisters both act exactly how real children do helped to bring out the meaning and semiotics in this movie.

Semiotics

The colors are bright and beautiful in My Neighbor Totoro, most likely because the film is targeted toward children. The sunny sky that is usually present throughout the story implies happiness and a sense of security, while the scene when the rain is falling down communicates worry and anticipation. It isn’t until Totoro comes that the mood is lifted by his playful manner in smiling as he hears the raindrops fall onto his umbrella. Totoro plays an important role in always being there for the sisters when they need him.

Our lead characters are usually happy and curious and have the special ability to be friends with Totoro, since he can only be seen by children. In terms of an ideological analysis, the reason for Totoro only being able to be seen by children could be that children are innocent and have pure hearts. It also communicates how children have strong imaginations and how adults cannot always perceive things the way children do.

Conclusion

Overall, I would give the anime My Neighbor Totoro a rating of six chopsticks. The voice actors for the dub were excellent. The actors seemed to enjoy the work they did more so than what we read in the story Winging It in Schoolgirl Milky Crisis. The anime was enjoyable, heart warming, imaginative, and overall something I find very appropriate for all children to see.

Sources:

My Neighbor Totoro. Studio Ghibli, 1998. Distributed by Disney.

Clements, Jonathan. Schoolgirl Milky Crisis page 8. London: Titan Books, 2008.

Romeo X Juliet, Episodes 16-21

Chopstick Rating- IIIIII

Available through Netflix- DVD viewing only

Basic Observations

Upon reading the title of this anime realizing it as a story based off of Shakespeare’s classic well-known tragedy, one would expect to be watching a sappy romance show full of clichés and drama. However, Romeo X Juliet adds so much more depth to the original account along with action and an entirely different way of retelling the story.

The art in this anime is much different than that of what is usually expected in an anime. For example, the large eyes are not present, and neither are many of the usual cultural/media effects, such as oversized sweat drops and exclamation lines. The creators obviously wanted the feel of this anime to be set more in a style of old European Neo Verona, the city in the initial Romeo and Juliet story.

Semiotics

From a feminist analysis, this anime depicts Juliet as strong, active, and a young woman who can usually take care of herself. Perhaps some of this stems from her being forced to dress as a boy to conceal that she is the sole survivor from the night the Montagues killed the Capulet family. She is skilled with a sword and goes around Neo Verona posing as a Robin Hood type of character called the Red Whirlwind. As time passes and her relationship with Romeo blossoms, she does break down emotionally from time to time. Juliet also gets somewhat mushy whenever she thinks of her love, but she always gets back up and fulfills her duties and responsibilities to the resistance.

An economic analysis would reveal that this anime is most certainly artisanal. Besides being loosely based off of one of the most well known plays in the world, the show is full of references to other poems and characters that Shakespeare created.

Conclusion

Overall, I would give Romeo X Juliet a rating of six chopsticks. The art is beautiful, the music is perfect, the story is compelling and creative, and the way that Shakespearean themes are woven into the plot is amazing. The dubbing is also excellently done.

Sources:

Romeo X Juliet, Funimation Entertainment, 2007

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=7087

Rainbow Jelly!

2011-06-21T14:32:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! It's been a looooooooong time! Crazy how life gets...well, crazy! XD Lots has happened, but I'll give you a brief update:

Started summer school to begin my schooling at BSU. I'll be getting my bachelor's degree in

Communications- Video Production. I'm soooo excited!! It's really all thanks to video editing really. If I had never tried it out and found out how fun it is, I probably never would have decided to make this my major. :)

I went to Anime Oasis 2011 a few weeks ago. I cosplayed as Mitsuki from Full Moon wo Sagashite. It was lots of fun! I had a great time! I also won second place in the amv (anime music video) contest! I was sooooooooooooo HAPPY! I'll be going to another convention in August, at which they will have another amv contest, so I'll be entering 3 other videos into this one. It's actually a basic fan convention, so I can pretty much submit anything. ^_^

Me, as Mitsuki/Full Moon

Takuto and Meroko. I made these two and carried them around with me at the con (they are also from the show and I knew they would help people to know who I was. Plus they are just so cute! ^_^ )

Two girls cosplaying as characters from Lucky Star

(never seen it. I just thought their costumes were great!)

Lady Kaede from Inuyasha and...not sure what the guy is from. ^^; But he looks great!

A girl cosplaying as a night class student from Vampire Knight (I LOVE these outfits! Vampire Knight student uniforms are my favorite out of any anime I've watched so far).

Sailor Moon!

And Inuyasha two disc CD I bought.

Cute Shugo Chara Amulet Heart bag I also bought...

Yes, I splurged... ^^; Su from Shugo Chara. I just thought she was soooo cute I couldn't resist! :D

Me and Jason David Frank, the original green ranger from Power Rangers. Oh the memories...

Here is one amv that I'm certain on submitting:

(Please feel very free to open this in YouTube. Sorry to admit it, but I'm too lazy to try and figure out how to re-size this thing, lol!)

I just finished one of the best things I've ever read. It's a manga (Japanese "comic book," but I'd rather call it graphic novel) called Kitchen Princess. Its about a girl named Najika who parents died when she was very little. she was crying one day, and a boy came to her and gave her some flan with a pretty spoon and told her, "When you eat something good, it makes you smile." Najika was happy and promised him that someday she would make him the world's best dessert. Najika grows up (15) and finds a lead to the school that her "flan princ

e" is probably attending. She applies for the school, and because of her impeccable taste and amazing cooking skills, is accepted into the school, w

here she hopes to find her flan prince. It's absolutely adorable, and there are sooooo many twists and turns in the story. Whe

n I thought I had things figured out, it turned out that I was wrong and the story just kept

getting better and better!

What's also fun is that there are recipes from the story in the back of the book to try out! Here's one called Rainbow Jelly!

There are two ways you can make this: The hard way, or my variation. The hard way probably has more natural flavor to it, but is much more time consuming. ^^;

Rainbow Jelly

Makes: 8 glasses (only 6, if doing my variation)

1 cup each of 5 different juices

5 bags gelatin

2 tsps. granulated sugar for each juice

1. In a small pot, add 1 cup juice over low heat. When it warms up, add the granulated sugar and stir. When the sugar melts, stop the heat. Make sure you don't let the mix boil.

2. Put gelatin in the pot and stir until it is completely

melted.

3. When you stir it, white foam will form, so remove it with a slotted ladle, and the jelly becomes smoother.

4. Put the pot from step 3 in a bowl filled with ice to cool. When the mix is cool, pour it into eight glasses.

5. Put the glasses in the refrigerator and leave the

m in for an hour. When the jelly hardens, repeat the steps and add the different juices one at a time in the glass.

Top with fruit if desired.

Okay, so that's the original recipe. Mine is the same idea, just simplified. All you do is buy however many colors you want of Jell-o (I chose only two, strawberry and lime, for my first try. Two Jell-o packets will end up making 6 glasses). Make half the packet according to the box directions. Let the Jell-o liquid cool, and then pour evenly into glasses. Leave glasses in refrigerator for one hour. Then repeat the same thing, but with another color, then the same thing with the other half of the first, and then the same with the other half of the second. You can top it with whipped cream and fruit if you'd like (it makes it look really pretty!)

You can even try doing lots of different kinds of Jell-o, since different colored layers is what the original recipe was aiming for (hence the name, "Rainbow Jelly"). :)

I would totally give this story a million stars! It was that amazing! :D

Pirates of Penzance...Goes West! Preview

2011-02-22T17:19:00.000-08:00

Come see Starlight Mountain Theatre's production of Pirates of Penzance...Goes West! in Boise, Idaho!

2011!

2011-01-05T13:30:00.000-08:00

Wow, already a new year? Wha-wha-whaaaat??? ;)
Well, not much to report that won't take a long time, so I'll post a couple of vids I've finished since last time...haha, I don't do enough with this stupid blog. Oh well! Here ya are!

Ann Marie & Co.

2010-10-13T16:57:00.001-07:00

Here's an ad for my etsy store I made! Enjoy!

Video of the Week...Here ya Go.

2010-10-12T21:03:00.000-07:00

Nothing very interesting to report, so here's the Video of the Week. Katara and Azula- Paparazzi from Avatar: The Last Airbender by AviiAvitar02. Awesome job, although the ending is kinda creepy...enjoy!

In Response to The Human Rights Campaign: Mormon Leader Gives Anti-Gay Sermon After Suicides

2010-10-07T09:59:00.000-07:00

*Note: This post is not intended to be bashing on anyone, and/or said with hatred, anger, etc. This is simply me stating my own personal opinion on the matter along with thoughts and feelings of what I know to be true.*

A friend of mine on Facebook just posted a link to a Human Rights Campaign page. I was curious what the argument was about, seeing the word Mormon in it. Being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints myself, it caught my eye and I wondered what was going on.

The article stated that recently, many homosexual teenagers have committed suicide due to terrible bullying at schools due to their sexual preferences. I find that very sad that anyone would bully someone so much to the point of them feeling so trapped that suicide is the only way out. I don't care if you are atheist, Catholic, LDS, whatever, no one should be harassing other students that way. I feel bad for the families and friends of those teenagers who took their own lives, and I feel bad that that teenager felt like they had no one and no where to turn to in their time of need.

However, the article then went on to say that it was wrong for Elder Boyd K. Packer to openly say in his talk just this last week in General Conference that homosexual conduct is morally wrong, "impure and unnatural," and "against God's law and nature." The article says that this only encourages intolerance and all of the bullying that has been occurring. Personally, I feel that this person perhaps misunderstood the intent and meaning behind the talk that Elder Packer gave.

First off, this person makes it sound like President Packer choose this time specifically to give this talk, as if he heard about the suicides and decided to talk about how their sexual orientation is morally wrong. But the talk was given during General Conference, a gathering of the saints at which they can listen to the words of God through the prophets and apostles, which is set at a certain time every year. Consequently, the conference happened to land at about the same time these suicides happened. Furthermore, there have been many talks given at previous General Conferences about same-sex marriage, homosexual behavior, etc. being morally wrong in the eyes of God. President Packer, along with all of the apostles, prophets, and leaders of the church, are always inspired in what they should talk about during General Conference. It is what the Lord wanted His people to hear.

Second, I disagree that this talk influences people to harass those who are homosexual, and if anyone takes it to mean that, and acts upon it in that way, then the sin is on them. President Packer's talk was merely conveying that 1. Homosexual behavior does not agree with God's laws. 2. Although some suppose that this is the way they were born and cannot overcome what they feel, it is not so. God loves each and every one of us. We are His sons and daughters. Why would our Heavenly Father do that to anyone if it is contrary to His law? 3. Paul promised in the scriptures that we will not be tempted above that which we are able. Those who do struggle with this have the potential to overcome it, if they truly desire to do so, and will come to the Lord for help. (I fully believe this to be true). 4. These feelings are not only against God's law, but against the law of nature. It is impossible to set a law against nature. "What good would voting a law against gravity do?"

If you look very carefully, President Packer's talk is not intended to bully or harass homosexuals or encourage such. It is merely stating a spiritual fact, and actually giving a message of hope for those who are like this that they are able to change. Now I know that some would argue that this is intolerance, and why should they change? First, I do not believe that my views and beliefs are intolerance. If this is the choice someone is to make, then that is their decision. I will not go out with a sign rallying others to do away with all homosexuals, or go to classes to bully someone who is. I will not shun my friend if they confide in me of their feelings, although I will have to tell them that I disagree, and let them know that I am here to help them out of it, if God's will is what they desire to follow. But the reason they should "change" is so they are not acting contrary to God's law and will. His will cannot be altered or changed by mankind. It is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Therefore, with what I have said, I believe that I am tolerating their decisions, although I do not agree with them. Tolerance does not mean agreeing or changing my views and beliefs, and with my tolerance, I expect those who are homosexuals and supporters of them to tolerate my views as well.

Near the end of the article, it asks for people to please sign their name to an open letter addressed to the leaders of the LDS church and post it to Facebook so that everyone may know that "these views are scientifically wrong and misguided." Well, here's some news for you. I am not a person of science. I am a person of faith. I follow God's laws and commandments before I follow anything that mankind has "proven." I find it interesting that people try so hard to defy Him, boasting in our technology, as if we know everything. Although mankind has come a long way scientifically, I know that there is so much more that we do not understand and cannot comprehend simply because we are mortal. God knows everything, and all things. I would much rather put my faith and trust in someone like that more than millions of people who have worked throughout the ages to uncover mysteries that God knew all along.

As for the letter addressed to Elder Packer, I have pasted it here:

Dear Elder Packer,

I'm appalled that you chose this moment to deliver a sermon saying same-sex attraction is unnatural and same-sex unions are immoral. You have risked further alienating LGBT youth and potentially contributing to suicides of even more vulnerable young people. You've told them that their very identities are "impure and unnatural" and you've incited the violence and bullying that often drives them to suicide by repeating lies disproven by both science and the experience of millions of Americans who know their LGBT neighbors and care about them.

I hope you will cease putting young people in real peril and acknowledge the scientific truth: sexual orientation cannot be changed, nor should it be.

1. As I stated earlier, Elder Packer did not choose this time. General Conference is always conducted at this time of year. Also, if you choose to argue that he could have chosen another topic, you are correct, but God specifically impresses upon the minds of those speaking what they should say and speak about.

2. If Elder Packer has risked more teens committing suicide due to what he has spoken (which are God's words, by the way [D&C 1:38]) then they have completely missed the critical spiritual information and message of the plain and simple truths he has stated. God does not mince words or sugar coat things. It is what it is.

3. Naturally, a girl's very identity is to be attracted to a boy, and a boy's very identity is to be attracted to a girl. They are to be united in marriage (which marriage, by the way, is not something set by law only, but is a holy union- but that's a different argument I won't go into right now) and have children so all of God's spirit children may have a chance to come to this earth. Producing babies can only be accomplished by a man and a woman.

4. Again, inciting the bullying is not what Elder Packer intends, nor is it what he says for people to do. If people do that, they are acting on their own accord.

5. Stated earlier: I am a person of faith, not science. I don't care what mankind has "proven."

6. Just because I don't agree with someone doesn't mean I don't care about them. I can like chocolate ice cream while my friend likes vanilla, but that doesn't mean we hate each other.

Perhaps we don't understand each other's views, but I won't hate her because her beliefs are different from mine. Nor will I encourage her desire for vanilla if I do not agree with it.

7. The real peril here is that so many people do not understand God's will or know about Him. In order for people to know, they must be told the truth. The real peril is in lack of spiritual knowledge.

8. The last statement in here is very contradicting. Perhaps I am misunderstanding what they mean or are saying (which is possible) but isn't saying that "sexual orientation cannot be changed nor should it be" is like saying (according to the dictionary) "your natural preference in sexual partners cannot be changed nor should it be?" Wouldn't natural selection mean men and women, women and men? And if that's right, then isn't that just what Elder Packer and so many others have been talking about? Just saying...

In conclusion, I just don't think that this is something that people should really be targeting The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for. Saying that stating our beliefs in what God has told us is true may cause people to commit suicide is ridiculous. People bullying and harassing those who are homosexual because they don't agree with them may cause people to commit suicide is a reasonable thing to say. But ultimately, even if these people get loads of people to sign this letter and send it to the LDS church leaders, it really doesn't matter. They aren't going to stop the laws that God is set on, and they won't stop Him from commanding His apostles and prophets to tell us that this is impure and unnatural, can be overcome, and against His law. So you may wonder why I took all this time to write this thing up. It is simply because I want to show that I stand faithfully beside the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and beside my God. I know that He lives and loves all of us. I know that He has blessed us all with strengths that will assist us and weaknesses that will define and shape us into better people if we allow them to. I know that the words of the prophet Thomas S. Monson, his counselors, and the apostles are words straight from God our Father to us, His children. I stand this day forever beside Him, determined to follow Him until the end of my days.

The Duck at Daybreak

2010-10-05T09:37:00.000-07:00

Most people wake up to birds singing sweetly in the trees. I woke up this morning to a duck quacking in the canal. Haha, it was great! :)

So, let's see, recent happenings...Well, I'm just working hard at getting Savior of the World all put together. Can't remember if I mentioned that I'm in charge of putting that show together for the ward Christmas party, but I am! I'm very excited and hope that things turn out awesome! :)

This last weekend we went to Twin Falls to visit family for Conference weekend. It was great and wonderful to hear all of those wonderful talks. Really felt the spirit. :) We had a fun time, all together. We didn't do anything amazing (except watch conference :) ) but we had a fun time. I just love spending time with the family, no matter what! The hardest thing though was not eating any sugar. My mom always makes the best food, and that includes the best desserts too. She made some peach cobbler and THAT was hard to resist! I had a teeny tiny taste of it though, and that was good enough for me. It was delicious!

We also went shopping to TJ Maxx while we were there. It was fun. I found a jacket I really liked, but even at TJ Maxx, it was a little more than we could really afford. It would have been nice to have, but it wasn't necessary, so with a sigh, I set it back on the rack like a good girl. I'm proud of myself though that I can do that. Sometimes it is sooooooooooooooo hard, but then I'm glad that I'm able to say no and save the money. I'm sure Brandon is glad too. :)

I'm getting more hours with babysitting. It's going good, and I'm enjoying it. Kids are so much fun to be around, and they are soooooo cute too! I'm going to love being a mom someday.

Ballet is fun too! We just started turns (piruettes, I think that's what it's called...pretty sure that's not how you spell it too! haha!) I've done those in Jazz before, but these are a little different, and I REALLY need to work on landing. It's a lot harder than you'd think actually. But I know I can do it! :)

So I got some essential oils from Young Living yesterday! I am sooooooooo excited to try these out! I am really hoping that all of this helps me to become healthier and solve a few issues I have. I really want to learn all I can about these things too! It will be a fun adventure! :)

Well, I don't want to ramble too much about everything and bore everyone, so I think I'll just wrap things up right here. Oh, and while I'm at it, I think I'll post the video of the week as well. :) This one is entitled Basil and Mrs. Brisby Beauty in the Breakdown starring Basil from The Great Mouse Detective and Mrs. Brisby from The Secret of Nimh by boebliek. Not a fan of The Secret of Nimh myself, but I thought this crossover was really well done! Just short and sweet. Here it be! :)

Title...?

2010-09-22T09:17:00.000-07:00

So, basically, just going to ramble about what's been going on recently. Last week we had Jacob and Kalli over (Jacob is one of the vendors that Brandon helps at work) for dinner. They travel all over the world, so we thought we would give them a homemade meal and dinner at home. It was fun to have them over, and we also had Daniel and Hailey over too, which I think helped because Daniel is so good at driving conversation. To be honest though, I was a little nervous, just because it was a work thing, and I wanted to be a good hostess, and make Brandon look good (because he is!) :) We had a good time, so I guess things went well! It's funny though. Stuff like this makes me feel...not old exactly, just....older? I mean, honestly, what do you think of when a husband comes home one night and says, "I think we should invite an important someone from work to have dinner with us this week." I think of mom and dad. That's their thing. That's what mom and dad do. I guess it's just weird to see that I'm at a more grown up part of my life than I thought or feel. I still feel really young actually. I think I want to keep it that way though. I've always wanted to stay young, and I think I always will. :)

We also had our housewarming party this weekend. We invited sooooo many people, I was a little worried as to how we would fit everyone in, but things worked out. I have learned one thing from this though. From now on I am definitely rsvp-ing to invites. It makes things sooooooooooo much easier when you know how many people will be there for sure so that you can know how much food to get, etc. It ended up being that I could end up having 21-45 people show up, so I just rounded out to the higher end and made a lot of cookies. Of course, we had the lower end come, so we have lots of cookies left over that we've just taken over to friends and to ward choir. There's no way I'm eating that many cookies!

Speaking of which, I've decided that I am going to cut out sugar and yeast from my diet. My mom said that she recently found out that people who have been on antibiotics for an extended period of time may have issues with yeast and sugar which can cause problems in the digestive tract and stuff. I've had my own share of health issues in my life, and some of which I am still going through, where I've had to be on antibiotics for years and a little in between. My digestive system hasn't been what it could be, and I wouldn't be surprised if the two were related somehow. So, I figure I will give this a try and see how I feel. The good news is that even if it doesn't solve the problems I am facing right now, I will be healthier and probably feel better and look better, so that's cool! The only thing is that this is going to be much harder than I thought. Sugar is in EVERYTHING and you can find yeast in many ordinary places too! I mean, I've already run into problems this morning with breakfast. Cereals have too much sugar in them, so that's one thing off the list. I figured eggs would be good, but I can't have toast due to the yeast in bread. I thought, maybe I can have a granola bar? But that has lots of sugar. I thought about hash browns, but they are a carb which turns into sugar, so I'm not sure if that works...So I got so desperate that I thought, maybe I can have peanut butter on saltine crackers? But NO! To my amazement, saltines have YEAST in them! I couldn't believe it! So, I ended up having a couple of eggs and a lot of water...I'll have to fix this somehow. Oh, something else I had no idea there was yeast in, is cream of chicken soup! Now, what the heck is yeast doing in SOUP???? My mom warned me that lots of canned soup has yeast in it, but WHY????? Ingredients in foods these days are very strange...

Let's see, what else? Oh, I've been put in charge to do the program for the ward Christmas party. I think what I would really like to do is the part of the first part of Savior of the World. It would be amazing! The only problems I see though is we don't have a stage at our building and I'm not sure the choir would be interested, and I'm not sure if I would have enough volunteers. I guess I would just recruit friends from elsewhere in that case...As far as a stage goes, I could always ask bishop if we could have the party at the stake center where there is a stage. I think a stage make a lot of difference. Well, I hope things work out though. I would LOVE to do that!

Well, I think I've rambled enough...the only other thing I can think of to put on here is the video of the week, called Vampire Knight- Zero's Chance, a remake of a previous video by TheWingsofKanna starring Yuuki and Zero from Vampire Knight, and anime that I would definitely recommend, although it didn't end the way I wanted it to. :P Booo! Oh well, still good. Enjoy!

Canning, Story Writing, Videos, and Headbands

2010-09-14T07:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to an older lady's house from my church ward with a friend and we canned peaches. I've never really done a whole lot of canning before (I did apples one time- it took forever!) but peaches went by pretty quick and it was fun! She's a really cute lady and it was nice to learn something new and useful. :)

We also had lunch over there too. She had made some homemade bread and it was sooooooooo good! We had homemade peach jam on our bread or homemade raspberry, or mayo and tomato with salt and pepper (I tried all 3!) I thought the tomato was kinds weird, but I tried it anyhow and I was sooooo glad that I did! It was delicious! :)

This picture is seriously what the tomato looked like! It was huge!

So, something I forgot to mention before that I'm doing is I'm writing a story. It's a fantasy-type story, and I would put what it's about, but it's kinda complicated, so maybe when I get the story really put together I'll be able to give some more details about it. But it's going to be awesome! I'm so excited that I have the time now to finish it. I've had this idea for about a year now, and I started it, and then had to stop due to absolutely no time to do it. :( But now I can, so yay! :D

I thought this cartoon was cute (love Calvin and Hobbs!) and also very true at times.

The other day I was messing around with my video editing stuff, and ended up making a video about me! I think it turned out good and it was fun to make. Enjoy if you'd like to!

Something else I've been doing is making headbands (I don't have pics at the moment- I'll get them up soon). They are really cute and fun to make! I think I'll try selling them on etsy.com. Hopefully that will help with my ballet class fund. Speaking of which, I had my fist lesson yesterday and my friends Diana and Tony are both in my class! I was so surprised and delighted! It was a blast having them in there! We had a great time, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the time we get to spend in the class together. :)

We're going to finally have our Housewarming Party this weekend. I'm excited but for some reason a little nervous. I don't know how to host parties, so I'm hoping it will just go it's own way smoothly, haha!

Well, Brandon has some people from his work in town, and we might have one of them, along with his wife, over to our house for dinner tonight, so I need to get to cleaning the house and figuring out what to serve! :) Bye!

Fun Photo Shoot...In my Kitchen!

2010-09-10T15:22:00.000-07:00

Messing around with the camera on my laptop. I got some fun pictures. What do you think?

Haha, this one reminds me of Grover from There's a Monster at the End of This Book when he says, "Shhhh, I have an idea!"

Fun stuff. :)

My Poor Puppy...

2010-09-09T17:30:00.000-07:00

He has a calcified disk, which I think is like a ruptured disk. Two actually. This makes me soooooo sad though because he is such a cute, sweet, lovable little dog, and I love him so much! Is it weird to pray for you dog? I don't think so, but even if it is, I'm praying that he'll get better soon anyway! Poor little guy can't jump, can't walk up the stairs, was in so much pain he was crying, couldn't eat, and he drags his leg while walking. Just imagining all that makes me cry! :_( My poor little Happy dog...

These pics are pretty old, all but the last one. That was back in February.

Long Time No See...

2010-09-08T20:32:00.000-07:00

Well, not that anyone follows up on this thing anyway (at least I don't think so...) but I figure I have the time now these days, so I should at least document that I am still alive and what's new. ;)

Let's see, so, I started working at the Chiropractic office back when things suddenly came to a screeching halt here. It was a good experience, but not exactly right for me. I'm hoping to become a mom hopefully soon, which is the real job that I want anyway. :) I'll probably start a babysitting job soon though in the meantime.

I'm enrolled in a ballet class! I'm so excited! My first lesson starts on Monday, so I'm going to go shopping for leotard and tights tomorrow. :D I already have shoes, so there's one thing down to get. :)

We moved into a home (picture not of our real home...just thought it was fun!) recently. We're renting it from a friend of my parent's, which works out really well for us in case we ever need to get up and leave for whatever reason (pretty much work or school).

Some new (and by new I mean not listed on this blog) animes I've seen are: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Romeo X Juliet, Fruits Basket, and Vampire Knight. All of which were good, but I still LOVE Princess Tutu most of all. :)

Zuko and Katara from Avatar: The Last Airbender

Romeo and Juliet from Romeo X Juliet (duh...)

Shigure, Yuki, Tohru, and Kyo from Fruits Basket.

Yuuki and Zero from Vampire Knight (still think they should end up together...)

Um...trying to think of what else has been going on...well, I'll write it later if I think of it. That's all I can really think of at the moment.

So, the bi-weekly video has been basically non-existent, so I'll put a video on this post to make up for it. Yay! This post's video is one made by your's truly called Fakir: The Hand of Sorrow. I've entered the video into a Princess Tutu AMV contest. Hopefully something positive (such as placing?) will occur! Eee! ^_^

Princess Tutu- Memories

2010-03-28T16:18:00.000-07:00

Video of the Week is MY very own Princess Tutu music video I made! :D So happy with how it turned out!

THE STORY
*WARNING* This is most definitely a bit of a spoiler video, meaning it gives away some of the plot in this awesome show. So, watch if you don't mind finding out some stuff, and don't if you want to keep the mystery a mystery until you actually watch the show. :)

The video starts basically where the series ended. Fakir has tried many times to write a story about Duck so she can become a girl and they can be together again, but with no success.
One day, as Duck is swimming in the lake, waiting for Fakir to visit her, she is attacked by a vicious animal. Fakir arrives in time to drive the beast away, but Duck is too badly injured and dies in his arms.T_T Fakir is devestated and blames himself for Duck dying since he wasn't able to write a story about her sooner.
Fakir is visiting Duck's grave one night (I know it says Drosselmyer, just pretend it says Duck or something). He reflects on what happened that day, and with new determination, sits down to write a story to bring Duck back. As he writes, he recalls all of his memories with Duck.
Meanwhile, Duck awakes as Princess Tutu inside another story (kind of like being reincarnated, I guess). She searhces around for a way to escape, but finds none. Tutu wonders if Fakir is all right, and misses him terribly. She thinks about her memories of him as she dances.
Suddenly, Fakir senses Tutu's thoughts and feelings, as does Tutu. The two draw strength and hope from each other. As Fakir writes, he recalls the time that Duck showed him the mime for "I love you." Fakir proclaims his love for Duck. She hears him and is lead out of the story and falls safely into Fakir's arms. The two are reunited and live happily ever after. ^_^

So that's my vid! Please feel free to leave comments and suggestions as long as they are both clean and constructive. Thanks for watching!

Song: Memories
Artist: Within Temptation
Anime: Princess Tutu

I'm not the creator of Princess Tutu, nor am I in any way associated with Within Temptation (although both are AWESOME!), but I did buy and song, and the DVDs, so I would expect that I have enough ownership and rights to at least make this thing and post it for others to enjoy. :)

The Bi-Weekly Video...VERY LATE!

2010-02-22T16:49:00.000-08:00

Hey, sorry about not updating this thing in FOREVER! I have been insanely busy, and I haven't had time to do anything! But, here is the Bi-Weekly Video, extremely late, but here it is anyway. :) I actually can't post the video into my blog because the author has disabled this feature on their video, but I do have the link to it. :) The video is entitled Ikuto is Amu's Bad Boy by 0SimplyAngel0. The video features Ikuto and Amu from the anime Shugo Chara, which I have watched only a few episodes of. It seems okay, but really the only thing I was interested in was this couple, but that doesn't justify watching 100-somewhat-odd episodes for me. But, nonetheless, I thought this video was really well done, and the couple is fun. ^_^ Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcKXq-SQzaw

Bi-Weekly Video!

2010-01-03T17:21:00.000-08:00

Ta-da! The Bi-Weekly Video! And surprise, surprise, it's Princess Tutu again! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D hee hee! This one's titled Viva La Susantivo (Live the Story) - Collab by luigirules64. When I watched this one, it also gave away a major part of the plot, so I would suggest to those who have not yet seen it, and would like to have the end a surprise (because that is the best way to watch it), then please stop the video at about 2:45. Enjoy! ^_^

The Bi-Weekly Video

2009-12-21T20:53:00.000-08:00

Here's the Bi-Weekly Video! It's called "One Family" by the1koolkitty starring Ahiru/Duck and Fakir from Princess Tutu. The vid gets it's name from the title of a song from Disney's Tarzan sound track. The song was put in place of the original music from the show and I must say it turned out AWESOME! Way to go the1koolkitty! :D Enjoy!

Christmas

2009-12-10T17:36:00.001-08:00

So, Christmas is fast approaching...crazy. I haven't even had much time to really think about what I want for Christmas this year! I mean, there is always really cute clothes (I LOVE getting new clothes!) but really that was all that I really thought of. Then I finished watching Princess Tutu and decided that I think it would be fun to have the box set of that, but maybe that's kind of impractical...but it's Christmas, right? :) I think I'd really like to have the box set of Princess Tutu...such a cute, fun, and awesome story!

Anyway, so I'm also in this play called White Christmas! It's based off the movie, and it's mostly all the same, and it's a really fun show! I've enjoyed being in it, and still am! I found out today that we are all sold out for the rest of December! Crazy! We have a few performances in January too, so we're not completely sold out, but it's always good to hear that tickets are being sold. :) Oh, so my boss and his family are going to see the show tomorrow, and also my home teacher and his family, and one of my friends! I think it's fun having someone you know in the audience while you perform and to say hello to after the show. Last week one of the patients from work was there...

Well, I'm also writing a story, and I just thought up another idea, but I've been pretty busy lately, so it's just been sitting there needing to be written. I hate it when I do that, especially when they're really good ideas too. These two are fantasy love story ideas, so I think they would be cool. :)

Haha, the Muppets version of We Wish You a Merry Christmas just came on the radio! It's pretty funny. "Now bring us a figgy pudding, now bring us a-" "Piggy Pudding?!?!!" "No figgy pudding. It's made with figs." "Oh." "And bacon..." ;) Here's a link to it so you can listen to it if you so desire. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2DHvCc7MoY

Well, I think I've rambled enough. I was going to write about something actually important instead of just random thoughts, but I can't remember what it was, and I need to go make dinner now. Oh, BTW, if anyone needs any ideas for Christmas presents, there's this really good site for really cute girls clothing at REALLY good prices! It's called bPriceless Clothing. Here's the web address! http://www.bpriceless.com/index.html Merry Christmas everyone!

Video of the Week!

2009-12-06T15:30:00.000-08:00

This week's video is called Tutu by KiriwarxGunzi starring the cast of the awesome anime, Princess Tutu. This vid is awesome, but I must warn you that it has some spoilers in it! If you haven't seen Princess Tutu, you won't want to have ANY of the plot revealed to you, since the mystery of the story is a key part to this anime being so great. If you would like to watch this, but still not have the mystery revealed, feel free to watch up until 2:30.

Video of the Week!.....Um....Actually, Bi-Week Now!

2009-11-30T16:14:00.000-08:00

So, I've decided that a weekly video is just too much. #1, I'll run out of vids to post soon, and #2, it's just hard to find time to do it every week...soooooo enjoy last weeks video, and expect a Bi-Weekly Video from here on out! Yay! :D

Video of the Week!

2009-11-24T15:28:00.000-08:00

Bah, I've been so busy! This whole blog is going to turn into a Video of the Week blog if I don't get to writing other things on here! :P
Anywayz, this week's video is called Inuyasha and Kagome: Already Over by LveXHrtbrkMisc. Awesome vid!

Video of the Week!

2009-11-16T16:18:00.000-08:00

Here it be again! :D
This week's vid is called Something I've Become by Maelanna starring Frodo, and some of Sam, from Lord of the Rings. It's a really great video, I'm impressed! :)

Inuyasha Songs

2009-11-08T17:02:00.000-08:00

I've just spent some time listening to Inuyasha songs on the computer while I write up a few things. Gee, I love this music. It's so pretty, epic, calming, etc. Whoever made the music did a really, really good job of capturing so many amazing emotions, moments, characters, etc. Music is definitely a part of making a really great show or movie. I decided to put a couple of the songs on this post, just so you can listen to my favorites. These two are awesome, although my favorite is Dearest. You can listen to it and more on my music player- it's on the right hand side, if you haven't noticed in yet, haha! :)But seriously, all in all, Inuyasha music is one of my favorite things to listen to right now. It's just awesome! :D

Video of the Week!

2009-11-08T15:47:00.000-08:00

Holy Moley, it's already the start of a new week! :P I was hoping to get my Halloween pics up here before the next Video of the Week post, but oh well.
This week's video is called Things Helga Will Never Say, starring Helga G. Patacki and Arnold from Nickelodeon's Hey Arnold! Such a funny show! I forgot how great it was! Enjoy!

Video of the Week!

2009-11-02T16:18:00.000-08:00

This week's featured video is called Inuyasha- When You're Gone by SavvymacDavvy starring Inuyasha and Kagome. :) Totally love this couple...and totally love this video! Have fun!

Life Takes a 360

2009-10-30T06:59:00.000-07:00

Wow...so, pretty much everything in my life right now is completely changing. I just got a new full time job (which is great!), so 1.) I'll be getting up before the sun to get to work on time 2.) Because of this job, I'll be switching chiropractors (sure hope this new one is as good as my last- he was such a good doctor!) 3.) Also because of this new job, I won't be able to take care of "Little Boy" anymore :( (I'll miss that cute little kid...I'll have to visit every now and then) 4.) We just started rehearsal for the musical White Christmas, which opens in only 3 weeks, ah!!! 5.) And last, but not least, I have been called to be the Young Women's President in my church ward. I'm excited to be working with the Young Women, but it's going to be a challenge and a little difficult to get the hang of knowing how things work and what to do!

I just can't believe how much life is changing all at once! It was like BAM! One day I suddenly was bombarded with all these changes! I can't believe how busy I'm going to be...and probably how tired too! :P Don't get me wrong, I like being busy, but...all of a sudden all at once?! Wah! Oh well, I guess this is what's going to happen when I have kids, huh? Might as well get myself to adapt well to quick changes while I can, lol! ;)

Well, not like this is the most exciting story ever, but I just needed to write down my thoughts about all of this. It's just crazy how much life will be changing now! Good things happening, some bittersweet too, and although it's crazy, I'm sure it's good for me and that good things will come from it all. :)

Video of the Week!

2009-10-26T09:25:00.000-07:00

It's that time again! Wow, the weeks just fly by!
This week's video is called Disturbia by 3173master starring the characters from the Final Fantasy games. I've never played them, but this video is totally awesome! :)

ZOMBIES!!!

2009-10-23T08:14:00.001-07:00

Hahahaha, this is hilarious! And just in time for Halloween too! :D

Video of the Week!

2009-10-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

Welp, here it is again! This week's video is one that my awesome friend made! It's called It's My Life-Matrix (on my YouTube channel) by SavvymacDavvy, starring Matrix from Reboot, along with all the other Reboot characters. (BTW, Reboot is an AWESOME show! Click here for info from Wikipedia on it!)

HAHAHAHAHAAAA!

2009-10-16T09:59:00.000-07:00

Ever wondered what Tommy the Green, then White, then Red Power Ranger is doing now that his Power Ranger days are over?
Here's your answer:

Inuyasha...So Cool! :D

2009-10-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

So, my new favorite thing right now is a Japanese anime called InuYasha. The story is really fun (click here for the plot explanation), and I enjoy it a lot, although I like the episodes in the middle best, so like parts of season 1, season 2, season 3, and season 4 until the Band of Seven come into the picture. Seriously, I just got so bored with those weirdos and the main characters kinda got overgeneralized...Oh well. I guess that's what happens when you make 167 episodes (WAAAHHH!) Crazy huh? And then there are the 4 movies (which number 2 is the best so far)! It takes FOREVER to watch the whole thing, and maybe my problem is that I'm just ready for the story to end. It's been fun and all, but I'm just ready for the story to end because the story didn't actually end either, so there is one more season that just came out this fall in Japan. I don't know when it will be available for English dub or even subtitles, so I guess I'll just have to learn Japanese! Ha ha, ;) Here's the new opening and ending for the series. I put them on here because they are awesome! :D

(BTW, in case anyone was wondering why they have that red string tied around their pinkies, I looked that up, because I was wondering too, hee hee! It's a Japanese concept called the Red String of Fate. The idea is that two people who are destined to be together are attached by an invisible red string bound to their pinky finger. This makes me sooooooo happy though, because I am definitely an Inuyasha/Kagome fan, they are so cute together, eee! ^_^ )

I LOVE that ending song! Here's the whole song on this next vid, if you'd like the hear the whole thing. It's pretty cool! :)

Video of The Week!

2009-10-12T10:07:00.001-07:00

Here's the video of the week! This one is called Princess Tutu AMV - Hold Me Now by Komichi on YouTube. I've never seen Princess Tutu, but this video makes me want to! It's so cool! Enjoy!

The gist of Princess Tutu (according the Wikipedia): Princess Tutu includes elements of fairy tales and famous ballets, particularly Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. The series follows Duck, a duck who has transformed into a young girl who attends school and takes ballet, and her efforts to restore the heart of her mysterious schoolmate Mytho by transforming into Princess Tutu. The series explores the consequences of her actions and how they affect her and those around her, particularly Duck's classmate Rue, who is in love with Mytho, and Fakir, Mytho's childhood friend. It becomes apparent that Duck, Rue, Mytho, and Fakir are meant to play out the roles of characters in a story written by a writer named Drosselmeyer, but the characters begin to resist the constraints of their assigned fates and they fight to keep the story from becoming a tragedy.

Happy Halloween...InuYasha Style! :D

2009-10-07T15:26:00.001-07:00

This is hilarious! I put it together! Have a good laugh and enjoy! :D

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Video of the Week!

2009-10-02T13:52:00.000-07:00

So I was thinking it would be fun to do a video of the week every week, and although I know it's Friday, I thought I'd start the first one early. :)
Our first video of the week is called "Our Story" by YakuKikyo on YouTube, featuring Inuyasha and Kagome (so cute)! Enjoy!

Conned By a Two-Year-Old

2009-10-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

So, I take care of this cute little boy 2-3 times every week. For safety purposes we'll just call him "little boy" from here on out. He's a very cute kid and I love getting to take care of him and we have lots of fun together. Well, about the 2nd week (about a month ago), I couldn't remember how old he was, but I didn't want to seem silly, having to ask his parents what age he was. Well, I then got this brilliant idea. Why not ask Little Boy how old he was? Perfect! So I asked him, "Little Boy, how old are you?" and he said, "I'm four!" and held up four fingers. Great! Now I didn't have to feel silly asking his parents and I was able to find out how old he was! I thought I was so clever! Plus, I supposed that this would make sense since they had mentioned that they wanted to put him in preschool soon, and my own 4-year-old niece had just started preschool.

So, weeks went by, and one day we were visiting his aunt, who happens to be my friend, and her little boy. While we were talking, I thought I heard my friend mention something about Little Boy being 2 years old. I was a little confused by this, but, again, not wanting to be silly, I didn't mention it. So when we got home, I asked Little Boy again how old he was. "I'm four!" he said, and held up four fingers. "Hmmm..." I thought. "I must have just heard my friend wrong."

The next week, I needed to stop by the post office, so Little Boy and I went on a little outing together to run some errands. When we got to the post office, I happened to see a friend of mine from church. She asked who Little Boy was and asked him if he was two. I replied to her that he was actually four. She seemed a bit surprised, and as we said good-bye and Little Boy and I were standing in line, I looked down at Little Boy and wondered, "You know, if I were anyone else, I would say he was two also." That's when I began to get very suspicious.

So, my friend came over to visit later that same day, and, again, not wanting to seem stupid, I tactfully asked her without actually asking her how old Little Boy was. "His birthday was in March, so when his mom has the baby, he'll be almost three," she said.

I couldn't believe it. I had been tricked by a two-year-old! How could I have been so stupid????? All those times that my friends in elementary school had told me I was very gullible were suddenly coming back to me...

I seriously don't know what's wrong with me. I wondered sometimes if he really was four, but I figured he could tell me his real age, so I believed him! The other thing too was that he is taller and talks a little more than my nephew who is also two, so I thought maybe he had just barely turned four!

But I feel so silly...and the ironic thing is that I really wouldn't have felt so silly if I wouldn't have been so afraid of being silly in the first place! I feel even sillier now than how I would have at the start!

Oh well. I suppose this does make a good story, and a good lesson to never be afraid of feeling silly. :P

What is Happening to Toys These Days????

2009-09-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe that this is actually for real! What happened to the good old days when a simple stuffed animal was sufficient to entertain a child? Most of my favorite toys were just that.

Anyhoo, these are hilarious, and what makes them even more hilarious is that they are totally seriously selling these!

First off we have Barbie's old dog that's learned a new trick:

....Wow.....You know, I've always wanted dog that I really did have to clean up after! :P

Next we have Teresa (Barbie's friend) and her cat...

Teresa's cat is just too boring being a cat alone. We need to do something different, something new... BLEH!!

And this one really doesn't have much to do with the toy itself, but I thought the cat at the end was HILARIOUS just because it's so WEIRD! lol, enjoy!

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrush me, do you mind?
If my cat said that to me, I would seriously freak out!
hahahahahahahahahhahahaaa!!!

It's Just My Opinion, But...It's True ;)

2009-09-28T09:37:00.000-07:00

My first post, oh boy!

This blog is basically just me saying what I like, what I do, and what I think. Yay! :) For anyone who ever reads one of my posts and doesn't agree with what I say, just remember that this is just my personal opinion, which I am entitled to, and watch this video. It's hilarious, and he takes the words right out of my mouth.