Conventions for old people. the road to ECCC 2019

All you young whippersnappers listen up.

This is how Grandma goes to the Comic Con

The key is comfortable shoes.

Wearability is key. It's still chilly in March, and I'm taking a bus and walking about six blocks to the convention center. And also the return, at the end of the day, where I'll be very very tired. Coat check is a long line, but I will need to wear and check the big green coat. The floor is carpet over concrete. I have an artificial hip so sensible shoes. I pretty much build it all around those issues first.

The flip side of this is that the floor is always too warm. Anything of size needs fans (luckily repurposing the ones from computers and those inflatable yard art works is simple). The Dalek onesie was too warm for ECCC, not big enough for a fan, but I was looking forward to wearing it to the 2018 Anglicon, as the hotel is freakin cold in December.

The Anglicon that was cancelled.

And I'm only going one day to ECCC. You have to pick your day based on absolutely no previous information about who will be there, and which day would be more useful. The four day passes are all gone by a minute into online sales.

So, random choice: I'm going Friday.

A day none of my friends are going to be there, except those I give money to.

Which is sad. But personal life intervenes.

The next issue is: hero or villain? It was a nice change to be Eliza from Shape of Water. For one, it's a cute uniform. Second, it's got a grandma vibe so more small children talked to me. More adults as well.

But I'm.....I'm a Dalek, dammit. Even if no one ever can identify what I am, I know what I am and how to play it.

I made a new one just for Anglicon. I still have it.

The previously mentioned Full Metal Alchemist Alphonse isn't out of my wheelhouse, I've watched all the anime and even the live action ......thing... on Netflix. And it will have endless wearablity afterwards.

But then this sh#t happened. 

Don't bother looking this stuff up if you haven't heard it about it. The world doesn't need to promote hate.

I'm sparing you the pile of troll waste on my email feed from haters after I made ONE COMMENT on a YouTube video.

God dammit, can't we have anything nice anymore?

So I BOUGHT A COSTUME.

https://elhofferdesign.com/pages/our-story

I am very happy with my Hamilton sweater and my Wakandan cardigan, so this preorder was a no brainer.

And while not a thrifty purchase, I don't buy anything but underwear and shoes brand new, so I'm happy to give a good brand my hem money.

I've made some accessories.

Damn my hands are puffy. Supplies came from the stash

And some tights cause cold.

And I bought a 3D printed star and put it on a magnet for the front.

Glue magnets onto star and crossbar 

If you have a nametag at work, this is probably how it works.

Because I have to rep the women.

I am one, after all.

I am sure you all know by now how much I love Clark Gregg in "Agents of Shield". He sums the Captain Marvel situation up very nicely.

https://youtu.be/SJ9SnVJRD0c?t=2488

Your 2019 Target Valentine Round Up

Target has the valentines aisle going now.

There's some time value information in this post, thus it's being posted today.

Plus those Thanos boxes are going to go quickly.

There are NO conversation hearts at all, FYI.

https://www.bhg.com/news/no-conversation-hearts-this-year/

https://cryptogram.com/hearts/

This is all Valentine. No sewing. Some snark.

There were a lot of them I did not bother mentioning here.

Sorry Shopkins and Paw Patrol, and all the Princesses.

This is an annual pilgrimage for myself. 

Just some princess. Not all. Ooooh no.

Clearly, I love this stuff. 

It's fuzzy. A velvet heart. A classic.

What follows....maybe less so.

I loved and still adore Valentines Day store bought valentines. I have a lot of them. I have a large file of photos of them.

These are mostly the ones I did not buy for you.

Click to enlarge. Unless noted, my photos taken at Target.

But clearly, NOT MY CREATIONS.

Darth doesn't do chocolate

Sorry, Darth doesn't do dark chocolate.

That's wrong.

BB8 has stolen someone's thunder

Sadly, that came true.The never part, anyway.

Stormtroopers never seem to get old. There were Praetorian guard Pez dispensers as well.

I am baffled at why this has crossed over from the more logical use of this sort of thing with the Jurassic Park dig it fossil set.

In the same, make a godawful mess for a piece of plastic imbedded in the middle. You get a gem OR a coin. Booooo! A mess AND a choking hazard or three.

Why god why?

But let's get to the paper goods.

Because licensing. 

His agency is working with Print All Over Me now.

http://joesterloriagroup.com/blog/2018/11/13/world-of-eric-carle-and-print-all-over-me-partner-on-new-infant-apparel-and-retail-activations

Okay, that's one fabric related citation.

Sue me.

Actual nonbranded valentine number two

His second year at Target. He must be over by now.

Sequel specific. I love how the pencils are lined up to show the whole image.

Sadly, the photo of the box to the left did not come out. So, screen grab time:

photo from Target website

Taco Time Valentines. They were really charming. Non Branded valentine number one.

Not to be confused with Taco Time restaurants

Or the Taco Bell valentine (screen grab)

No Chimichanga valentine love.

Also no Deadpool2 instore official valentines.

You had to go online for those.

https://comicbook.com/marvel/2018/02/14/deadpool-2-valentines-day-cards/

Cable gets no love.

More sequel valentines, but no candy. Just Lego, and the most expensive one that didn't have velvet and chocolates in it

screen grab from Target webpage

This is a show that's premiering on Nickelodeon TODAY. Who knew? I assumed it's a sendup of mashup memes on the internet, but it's got merch and everything

https://www.partycity.com/girls-felicity-costume---rainbow-kitty-unicorn-P789543.html

How does it have 42 reviews? The show hasn't premiered yet.

January 27. Can you say 'manufactured hype thing'?

Clearly, I am fond of it. 

Valentines in disguise?

I was honestly hoping for all the SpiderVerse folk, Spider Noir, Spider Ham, Peni Parker, but no. It's still your Grandfather's Spiderman.

I did not buy these. I thought about it very hard, but I have a lot of valentines and not so much space. I am kind of hoping I will find other non puzzle valentines for her.

Her breasts are normal size in the puzzle image (relative to her biceps). In the others, they've taken her up a cup or two. And this is a good idea why?

So, clearly I bought some.

Which ones?

Well......

front and back of purchased box. You go look them up.I'm tired.

This set, because Captain Marvel is in there, as well as Daisy/Quake from AoS, and Ms Marvel, and Squirrel Girl (though they are the Rising comics versions, not Erica Henderson's run of SG) And SpiderGwen.

The scented tattoos will have to live outside for awhile, as....scented is not for me.

This was the only difference between the regular set

and the set I bought:

Eight valentines and a premade Valentine collection box. Which is CHEATING, kids.

Which I paid $4 for, mostly for this version of the Thanos card.

I mean, why the hell not?

Holidays Edition: November 2017 The One With All The Food

It's the beginning of the parade of social events.
We cleaned up for the guests: for the board members, for the board of review, and the family.
It has to happen at least once a year.

Sliced up old boys underwear for rags (quite a pile of them)

I save some of the elastic for the ErnieKap bands.

This isn't going to get old for me for a long time. 

How in-store marketing works

My family and The Office. I never cared for it, but here it is, in my living room, on the ginormous television. As I write this, my spouse is watching The Americans. I don't get that one either.
Clearly, there are no superpowered people in either show. 

This is the view from my sewing table now.

The television got moved upstairs out of the room I sew in. We haven't had a television in the living room in the 21 years we've lived in this house, and we did that on purpose.

this means I get the rest of that basement room, but I'm still not sold on the tv as fireplace.

Other holiday related events.

Never? Never ever ever.

The Bodyguard touring show was a matinee 'meh' for me. I never saw the movie, unlike everyone in the audience.  The star Deborah Cox was very good, but she had almost all the singing and not much acting. Not much acting from anyone actually.

 Also no plot twist at the end.

I mean, everyone could have been the Stalker: the sister, the publicist, the old security guy. I wanted it to be the Kid; they all had a grudge. They could have taken turns (Orient Express much? Oh, you didn't know that? What planet are you from?

Am I the only one who reads murder mysteries?)

It was a much more fun show in my brain.

Yes, National Lampoon brand Christmas lights. No, I didn't buy them. 

At Ernie K Labs, we never take ours down.

Went to see Ragnarok again with the Teen. He's the Adult Thor now.

I'm Senior Thor!

I love Mjolnir.

And Agents of Phil Coulson  Clark Gregg SHIELD is coming back this Friday.

While I wasn't cleaning or cooking or cleaning

I spent a great amount of time making a couple of shirts. One more than once. We will visit them next week, after I air the stink of shame out of my sewing cave.

Ow.