30 Day Lord of The Rings Meme: Day Two

Day two favorite location:

    It's got to be Rivendell/Imladris! I just adore the architecture, and the gorgeous colours. Especially since when we first see it it's Autumn, my favorite time of year and the trees are just to die for.
    I've always felt that it was a nice compromise to living in the incredibly safe and -probably slightly dull after a while- Shire and somewhere more wild like Rohan or Gondor (not that I'd don't love those places either). To wake up to a landscape such as that of Imladris would be... Just... Wow...

Matilda

30 Day Lord of The Rings meme: Day one

Day 1 favorite hobbit:

 

I think it's a toss up between Merry and Sam really... Merry because he's just so awesome, in general. He strikes me as being really laid back, and the perfect example of a hobbit. But he's also very brave, and very caring, and also pretty damn clever. Especially by hobbit standards, since he and Pippin go on to collect many historical records from all over Middle-Earth after Frodo leaves, and he also writes a book (and no, I shall never stop laughing about how he wrote a whole book about weed *grins and thinks of certain people*).
And Sam for obvious reasons, he didn't need to go with Frodo, nor did he have to. But he did, and he stuck with him to the bitter end no matter what shit was going down. I think you really have to admire that. I don't often go for the characters that are as simple as Samwise, and I don't mean that as in simple = boring/stupid. I mean pure and goodhearted in their intentions with no ulterior motives or selfish reasoning driving their decisions. Just plain and simple selflessness. All the way through to the core.

Matilda

Shameless Advertising and My Uber Nerdy-ness

Firstly, a quick mention... Bit of advertising, whatever.
So my friend Echo started writing this blog, Marigold Garden. It's essentially a blog about lots of things that we both like. The posts will be mainly comprised of things pertaining to J-fashions, Japanese music and Korean bands (all handle by Echo since I know very little about most of those things), cosplay (I'll be in charge of this!), books, concerts, anime, manga, nerdy stuff... Tea and cake? You get the idea. We'll be answering questions on the subjects that we feel knowledgeable in and taking requests for posts. For a more detailed idea of what's to come head on over to Marigold Garden and check out Echo's introductory post!

Now for the second part of this post. I've been having trouble coming up with ideas of things to post (requests are completely welcome, by the way!) so what better way to get my creative juices flowing than a 30 Day meme!
A while ago I attempted to take part in a Lolita themed one of these, I didn't get too far into it seeing as by that point my interest in the fashion was dwindling. But hopefully I'll be able to tackle this Lord of The Rings one! I warn you, this could get pretty nerdy.
I won't be updating every day, partly because -despite certain rumors that have been circulating- I DO have a social life. And also to spare your inboxes my incessant updates.

Bellow I've posted the question to the entire meme if any of you are interested. Though... I'm not entirely sure you will be... *Awkward silence*.

30 Day Lord of The Rings meme

Day 1 Favorite hobbit

Day 2 Favorite location

Day 3 Least favorite location

Day 4 Best meal

Day 5 Favorite weapon

Day 6 Favorite song (soundtrack or performed onscreen)

Day 7 Film you’ve seen the most times

Day 8 Best use of magic or supernatural gifts

Day 9 Favorite member of the fellowship

Day 10 Favorite man

Day 11 Favorite horse

Day 12 Favorite scene in Elvish

Day 13 Least favorite sound/sound-effect

Day 14 A scene that always makes you laugh

Day 15 The spiffiest dresser

Day 16 The ugliest orc or uruk

Day 17 A scene that makes you cringe (disgust, fear, cheesiness, whatever)

Day 18 Best fight sequence

Day 19 Worst fight sequence

Day 20 If you were from Middle Earth, where would you live?

Day 21 Best death scene

Day 22 Worst death scene

Day 23 Worst decision by one of the characters

Day 24 Saddest casualty and/or collateral damage

Day 25 Favorite overall character

Day 26 Character you wish had been featured in the movies

Day 27 Re-edit the movies: what scene would not make the cut?

Day 28 A scene that always makes you cry

Day 29 Whatever tickles your fancy – your chance to add anything this list may have missed

Day 30 Favorite line or scene from the trilogy

I'm going to do day one now, in a separate post ^-^

Matilda

Recent cosplays photodump

I'm having a bit of trouble coming up with anything to write at the moment *fails at life*. So here's another photodump to tide you all over for a little while! Since I'm not sure you guys have actually seen any of my cosplays since like, last May I thought I'd share some of my more recent ones with you. I may make this a periodic thing, and just every few months show off some of my favorite pictures of my more recent cosplays. I've got an aweful lot planned for this summer so I'll need to do this again before long ^-^
Anyway, onwards!

                                                       Deeeeerp! >-<

                                         Serious photobombing skill!!

Hope you liked them! There'll be a TON more coming after May expo, and even more after that, since I've already nearly finished several of my cosplays for this summer!

Matilda

All photos © of me or the photographer in question. Use without my permission WILL result in serious action on my part. Thank you.

Unseen Pictures: Valentine/Emily with a 'Y' photoshoot

Hello again guys!
So I finally got google to work again on my computer, it's been playing up for a while now. I also managed to get rid of the terrible lag I was dealing with.

Today I thought I'd share some pictures from a photoshoot I did a little while back for my Valentine/Emily with a 'Y' cosplay from The Asylum For Wayward Victorian Girls. I wanted to share with you guys some of the photos that didn't make it as far as my DeviantART. So apologies in advance for the photo heavy post!

Yup!! That's all the other decent ones anyway. The rest are all blurry or slightly weird looking. I really wish there was somewhere I could go and have a better location. I must endeavor to find somewhere for when I cosplay The Captain!
Hope you like them!

Matilda

Book Review: The Night Circus

"The circus arrives without warning.".... "Opens and nightfall, closes at dawn"... "No announcements precede it."

The Night Circus, by Erin Morgernstern is by far one of the best books I have ever read. And I've read a lot of books. 
In a theatre in 19th century New York a six year old girl is delivered to a very successful magician, Prospero The Enchanter. Her mother has just committed suicide, her name is Celia Bowen, and she is his daughter. They are more alike than in just demeanour though, as it would appear that Celia has the same gifts her father does. A innate talent for enchanting. Or, magic. Her father disguises his incredible talents behind tricks that are only slightly more impressive than the average magician's, but the audience does not see them for what they really are because they write them off as just more cleverly placed mirrors and mechanics. 
A short while after Celia begins living with her father they are visited by a man in a grey suit with a grey hat and a smart black cane. He is intelligent and polite, but unbeknownst to Celia this man and her father will ruin her life. 


They strike a bargain, much like they have been doing for years that they will each take on a student and train them in the arts of manipulation, then when they are ready they will be set head to head and they will have to exhibit their talents until a victor is proclaimed... Or so we are led to believe. The intricate rules of the game are far more cruel and twisted. 
The stage for this decades long game? A Circus, quietly orchestrated by the man in grey, Alexander, though you would not know that without being told as he seems to control it vicariously through his student, Marco, who in turn assists the "proprietor" of the circus, Chandresh Christophe Lefevre.  
Marco and Celia take turns creating wonder upon wonder for this fantastical monochrome circus, perfectly entitled Le Cirque Des Reves, The Circus of Dreams. Eventually they find each other, Celia having been clueless as to who her opponent was, and Marco having known who she was from he outset, but kept his distance. You have probably already figured it out but this book is a love story, and as is normally the way with these books the characters pitted against each other from the start usually end up entwined in one another's arms at some point or other. 


Now that you've got the basic idea (or I hope you have in any case) I'll get on with the review. 
It is an incredibly skilfully written and elegant book. The pace is very slow and relaxing, and it is written in such a way that you almost feel like you are reading the script for a play. Yet despite this slightly detached style it is by no means void of emotion. I found myself crying at several points, furious at others. I fell in love with the circus and rather felt myself as familiar with it as some of it's special patrons who call themselves the reveres, the dreamers, who follow the circus from country to country whenever they can. 


Celia and Marco are not the only ones who work magic though, Morgernstern has woven it into the text on the pages, the detailed descriptions and complex emotions that this book is rife with are so clear and strong. I can see The Ice Garden so clearly in my mind that I feel as if I've strolled through it, I can feel the clouds from The Cloud Maze envelope my body as a plummet through them and land lightly on the ground. 


I think one of the things I like most about this book is that it is a story from several different perspectives. It doesn't just pick one and stick with it, and I like very much that it's not completely Marco-Celia centric. You have the strong friendship between Herr Thiessen and Celia, Bailey's conflicting feelings about his future, Isabel's loyalty and her well hidden melancholic sense of duty, Poppet and Widget's whole childhood, Tsukiko's cameo parts where she acts almost like a narrator without actually narrating, the altered lives and love stories of those that created the circus. All these combine and interweave, overlapping and getting slightly jumbled up and yet you don't mind, because you can clearly differentiate one storyline from the other and then link them all together in your head in the right order. 


The different chapters are entitled like diary entries, with the year and the country/ies that the chapter takes place in along with it's title, yet they are not in the first person at all. 
That's another thing that I loved about it, how far the story takes us, it begins in the early to mid 1870's and ends in around 1903, which a prologue that takes us up to the present day. Not to mention how the circus travels to almost every corner of the globe. 


One thing that is certainly of note though, especially on a personal level, because I adore period dress and Victorian fashion were the descriptions of the clothes. Especially Celia's dresses, I am itching to make all of them though I'll probably have to just limit myself to just one. From deep forest greens to wine red and then all her monochrome performance dresses. I can feel the organza and the satin moving under my fingers. 


If you are a fan of magic and intrigue, circuses and carnivals, love stories, gorgeous clothing, period novels or are just looking for something to kill time with this book is perfect! I can easily recommend it to those of a lolita, gothic or steampunk  persuasion, I have a feeling you will love it. 
This book certainly deserves the title masterpiece, because it truly is just that. And not many books are. Do your life a favour, read it!


If you would like to see more to do with 'The Night Circus' check out this book trailer I discovered on Youtube. It really captures the feel of the book! 




Matilda 

Well, I suck at life...

So... Hey guys.... *Sweatdrop*....

Firstly, I am so far beyond sorry, it's not even funny!! Jeez! Feel free to pelt me with all manner of hard, sharp cornered objects!

So as my darling friend Echo so nicely pointed out... I haven't updated in like, a year. And for that I am eternally sorry, and I realised that I really have no excuse for not posting anything because lets face it, I don't exactly have a social life.
Before I say anything else I wanted to take this opportunity and thank my new followers, when I stopped posting I had about four, now to see I have nineteen, well, that's awesome! So thank you *sends love*!

Now I've changed quite a bit since the last time I posted here, and I kinda feel like I should let you guys know what you're letting yourselves in for when you follow this blog.
Here goes!

My love for The Lord of The Rings was re-kindled and I am completely and utterly in love with it once again! I got into Firefly and since I also got a Tumblr I've become a bit more involved with the fandom. Finally read The Hunger Games, so glad I did... FINNIIIIICK!!! I still completely adore cosplaying, that will never change... Or at least not for many, many years! Hetalia and Code Geass are now tied for second place as my favourite anime/manga series' right behind the Kuroshitsuji manga. I'm still totally obsessed with Emilie Autumn, I read her book and recently went to one of her Fight Like A Girl concerts! Still love Vocaloid, in fact perhaps more so than before! I made a bunch of new friends that are actually motived to cosplay and that live nearby, and so I shall be posting lots of behind the scenes things from CMV's skits and photoshoots, as well as accounts of meetups and all that good stuff!

I'm not so much into J-fashions as I was. In fact not really at all. I can still hold up a damn good conversation about lolita, but it doesn't really interest me anymore. My fashion sense now is more a case of 'I like that, so I shall wear it with whatever the fuck I want!'. This mostly means jeans, nerdy t-shirts, the odd skirt, vintage-y style floral prints, shorts, corduroy... You get the idea!

As for my online presence... I got a Tumblr, another DeviantART and a youtube specifically for cosplay. Links bellow!

My Tumblr
My DeviantART
My cosplay Youtube
My other things Youtube

Music wise... The Civil Wars, Emilie Autumn, The Decemberists, Vocaloid, Howard Shore, OSTs, anime openings and endings, Panic! At The Disco, Owl City, Avril Lavigne... Um, yeah.

As for the direction that I want the blog to take now, well I'm thinking I'll just start blogging about whatever takes my fancy. Things I've done, what I'm into at the moment, current issues that I feel need more attention whether serious or not. I'll also take requests for posts if people feel up for doing that. Though I'll tell you if I feel like they're... Not my division (you see what I did there? Do you see?!)

I'll be back seen with a post about something or other, until then, feel free to peruse my other sites which I update a reasonable amount (especially Tumblr and DA, on them every day!).


Namarie!