My Little Pony Scents Available at WeLoveFine

My Little Pony inspired perfume oils. Yes, they are a thing thanks to the wonderful folks at Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab and WeLoveFine:

You can snag perfume oils inspired by either Fluttershy or Luna. WeLoveFine ran an April Fool's promo with BPAL teasing My Little Pony scents but as with all cool April Fool's tricks, fans went crazy for the idea. So, BPAL made very limited quantities of imps (sort of sample size vials)! Yay!

To get "Shy" or "Luna by Luna," you just need to do some shopping over at WeLoveFine - $100 worth of shopping. WeLoveFine does a cool thing where you unlock free achievement gifts with certain levels of orders. You just have to be sure to add them to your cart before you place the order, and you can get 1 imp per $100 order.

The description of the scents sound amazing:

Shy: Pink carnation, spun sugar, white pear, peach blossom, and vanilla bean.

Luna By Luna: Blue musk, white sandalwood, black currant, jasmine leaf, green tea, and ylang ylang.

If you want some of these scents, I recommend getting your WeLoveFine order in as soon as possible.

h/t BPAL

Geeky deals for Black Friday

I can't imagine what kind of deal it would take to get me out of the house and into a mall on Black Friday, but I do enjoy browsing deals online. If you plan on sitting in front of your computer and knocking out some Christmas shopping for yourself or others on the big retail day, I have a few suggestions for geeky deals you may want to check out.

Her Universe - Stock up on Star Wars, The Walking Dead, Doctor Who, and more geeky apparel! If you spend over $50, you get free shipping and all orders come with a limited edition holiday pin. As an added bonus, all Syfy apparel (read: awesome Battlestar Galactica designs) is currently 40% off.

Geek Covers - Is your phone bare and boring and unprotected? If you've been searching for covers with a nerdy bent, this Etsy shop has you, uh, covered. They have several designs for different phone models, and everything's 50% off on Black Friday weekend. Just use the code turkeyday13.

Damsel in this Dress - Need a kick-ass corset, dress, or blouse? Then you seriously need to take advantage of Damsel in this Dress' Black Friday sale. The company makes solid and sexy corsets and skirts, and you can really score. This is a popular sale so you have to act fast when items are listed. Check out all the details on the sale before Friday morning.

Black Milk Clothing - Get ready because Black Milk is offering a 30% discount! It's actually a Cyber Monday deal, but you'll need to prepare and plan early. Remember, the times listed are on the Australian clock. This is another hot ticket so check out the list of items that will be on sale Friday evening (again, Australian time) on Black Milk's Facebook page.

Etsy - As most of you probably already know, Etsy is magical. Now, people who make things by hand can't mark items way down like mass retailers, but you can find some deals. My link above links to a "black Friday" search in the Geekery category. Who knows what you'll find? Be sure to look at turnaround time if you order from Etsy. Many shops have made to order items, and you want to be careful if you're shopping for the holiday.

Amazon - I know, from independent crafters to super corporate, but Amazon has insane deals. You can browse great savings in movies (like the entire Harry Potter collection on Blu-ray for $47.99), video games, books, comic trades, tech - you get the idea. Amazon's variety of items lets me take care of several people on my list and with my Prime account, I can get free shipping (you should sign up for a Prime trial just for the holidays and cancel it in January).

Happy shopping! Feel free to suggest more Black Friday deals.

Television series to marathon during the long weekend

Thanksgiving is almost here and after the day of giving thanks and spending time with family and eating all the things, many of you have a long weekend ahead. The four day weekend offers many hours, and I always intend to spend many of them being lazy. It's the perfect occasion to dive into Netflix and check out a new series - especially if you live somewhere cold and snowy and don't fancy going outdoors. Binge-watching television shows is satisfying to me. So, in case you are one of the lucky ones who gets to spend some hard-earned quality time on your couch,  I have some recommendations for you based on how much time you have to spare this holiday season.

I chose these based on whether you could watch the entire show as available on Netflix. So, even though you could start season one of a series like Battlestar Galactica or Supernatural, I didn't include it here because it would be a challenge to watch every season of those in one weekend. (I won't judge if you're up for taking that challenge).

10 hours/600 minutes or less
Firefly, complete series, approx. 9.8 hours - If you haven't seen the 14 episodes of the western set in space, well, there's no time like the present. It's one of those seasons of television that's more or less perfect.

Adventure Time, season 1, approx. 9.5 hours - Only one season of this wacky cartoon is available on Netflix, and it's just enough to get you hooked. All you need to know before going in is that you shouldn't expect the series to make sense. Just go along with the ride.

The IT Crowd, seasons 1-4, approx. 9.2 hours - It took me a few episodes to get into this British comedy about Jen, Moss, and Roy working in the IT department Reynholm Industries. Stick with it, give it a chance, and you'll be laughing out loud in no time.

Sherlock, seasons 1-2, approx. 8.8 hours - Watching Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes is just about as good as it gets. Martin Freeman is a spot on Watson, and the production design is gorgeous.

16 hours/960 minutes
Continuum, seasons 1-2, approx. 16 hours - I haven't personally watched this series yet, but I've heard so many good things about the sci-fi, time-traveling, sort of cop series from people I trust that it's on my list.

Arrow, season 1, approx. 16 hours - I'd argue this is the best superhero television series of all time, and it all starts here. It does take a bit to find its feet, but once it does - holy cow. You're in for a treat. Great action, a million DC Comics Easter eggs, intriguing characters, romance. Yeah, this series has it all. Season two is currently airing and it keeps getting better.

Alphas, seasons 1-2, approx. 16.8 hours - It's more complicated than this, but it's basically a Syfy series about mutants like the X-Men. Yep, awesome.

20-24 hours/1,200-1,440 minutes
Being Human, seasons 1-2, approx. 18.6 hours - The US version of the series about a ghost, a werewolf, and vampire is different and in my opinion, better. They only share some similar plot points in season one but the US one goes in alternate directions after that. The acting's solid, the jokes are fun, and the main trio is just fantastic together on screen.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, seasons 1-3, approx. 23.8 hours - The newest incarnation of My Little Pony is nothing but heartwarming goodness. They work in a lot of pop culture references, adult humor (but still safe for kids), and a lot of lessons that make it a great show for adults and children.

Torchwood, seasons 1-3, approx 24.2 hours - If you've watched Doctor Who, you'll probably recognize Captain Jack Harkness. John Barrowman is so memorable in the role. Torchwood follows his adventures with UNIT, and you don't need to have ANY Who experience to watch and enjoy it.

Batman: The Brave and Bold, seasons 1-2, approx. 19 hours - Batman in some wonderful cartoon action. I don't need to say more.

What did I miss? Share your recommendations or let me know what you'll be watching over the weekend! I'll be finishing up The Vampire Diaries.

Thoughts on The Day of the Doctor

Well, Whovians, by now some of us have watched Doctor Who's 50th anniversary special a few times. "The Day of the Doctor" was a fine story full of heart, Easter eggs, laughter, and satisfying moments. Matt Smith, David Tennant, and John Hurt were nothing short of fantastic - so fantastic that those three really could have pull off any adventure written for them. As it was though, they had an epic one which sets the series off into a new direction.

Rather than write a review, I have random thoughts to share and questions that need answering. The special made me having FEELINGS, and I bet I'm not alone.

Spoilers after the image.

Things I liked:
- It never seemed fair to me how the Doctor destroyed his race and the Daleks to rid the universe of them and that the Daleks eventually came back. Their return didn't make his actions entirely pointless but suddenly, he was only responsible for wiping out the Time Lords. That seems like an even more difficult burden to bear. For that, I'm happy Gallifrey was saved.

- This is not something I say often, but I enjoyed the role Billie Piper played. I was so very worried we'd get more of the Rose Tyler and 10th Doctor ooey gooey love crap (can you tell I have feelings about their relationship?). As it was, she delivered a wonderful performance as the Moment. I liked her and John Hurt playing against each other. Plus, she named herself Bad Wolf girl. Is that why the phrase is stuck in the 9th Doctor's head? Hmmm.

- At first I wasn't a fan of Clara being the voice of reason to the three Doctors. Why couldn't they stop themselves without her aid? But it occurred to me her talking sense to the Doctors illustrated one of the key points about Doctor Who - well at least the modern series - having a human companion is just as important as having the TARDIS to travel through time and space. Humanity makes the Time Lords more grounded and try as they might to be like humans, they're not quite there.

- Matt Smith, David Tennant, and John Hurt in all the things together, please. They made a delightful trio. And honestly, seeing the older version of the Doctor against the younger ones is making me so happy were aging up for the next incarnation. It's time.

source

- The appearance of Tom Baker as the Curator was nothing short of delightful. I believe he's the final incarnation of the Doctor and he retires in the role. He must regenerate with the Sisters of Karn or in some way so he gets to choose his final appearance. It leaves plenty of unanswered questions, but I like the possibilities.

- The 3D paintings. Those were just neat.

source

Things I liked but didn't make sense:
- Watching all the Doctors sweep in to save Gallifrey made me cry. It was one of those happy fan moments that make you cheer and feel warm and fuzzy and ecstatic. But! Why did the past Doctors show up? And as a friend pointed out to me yesterday, if the 13th Doctor showed up, why didn't Doctors 14, 15, 16, and beyond show up too? We don't know the faces for those Doctors, but they could have showed a ton of TARDISes and the Time Lords could have said they're "all" here instead of mentioning a specific number.

- This goes back to the mini episode prequel "The Night of the Doctor." Watching the 8th Doctor regenerate into the War Doctor was awesome and mind-blowing, actually. But when we see John Hurt in the minisode he looks much younger than when we meet him in "The Name of the Doctor" at the end of series seven and in the 50th special. How fast do Time Lords show age? It doesn't seem like it adds up.

- The whole bit in the Tower of London was wonderful, and I thought the bit about the sonic running calculations for 400 years was clever. However, does the sonic screwdriver now work on wood?

Things I didn't like:
- I can't take the way they portrayed Queen Elizabeth. I do appreciate that we now know why she was so angry at the Doctor, but the fact that they wrote her as this sort of giddy girl who kept getting insulted by the 10th Doctor wasn't my favorite. Just personal preference.

- Why didn't they let us know what happened with the negotiations with the Zygons? I guess it will come up in a future episode and maybe wasn't so important right now.

- I mentioned I'm happy they saved Gallifrey, and I am. Moving forward, the Doctor is free of his guilt about the genocide and can approach the world with an air of hope. It's an ideal time for the change since he's regenerating soon. However, that guilt and despair has been a driving force of the modern series. The Doctor has been tortured and filled with regret. Fresh from the Time War, the 9th Doctor is an example of all of those intense feelings. I'm not saying this change lessens Eccleston's amazing performance, but it does make you look back at the past seven series a little differently. Sure,  none of the Doctors until 11 will remember they saved Gallifrey, but the audience knows.

Favorite quotes:
"Great men are forged in fire. It is the privilege of lesser men to light the flame." - War Doctor

"Never cruel nor cowardly. Never give up. Never give in."


"I'm The Oncoming Storm, the Bringer Of Darkness, and... you are basically just a rabbit, aren't you?" - Tenth Doctor

"Imagine. Americans with the ability to rewrite history? You’ve seen their movies." - Kate Lethbridge Stewart

"I hope the ears are a bit less conspicuous this time." - War Doctor

"Oh the pointing again. They're screwdrivers! What are you going to do? Assemble a cabinet at them?" - War Doctor

"Geronimo!
Allons-y!
Oh, for God's sake!" - Eleven, Ten, and War

"I know where I’m going, where I’ve always been going: home, the long way round." - Eleventh Doctor

“You know the sound the TARDIS makes? That wheezing, groaning? That sound brings hope wherever it goes. To anyone who hears it, Doctor. Anyone. However lost. Even you.”  - Rose/the Moment

source

"Gallifrey Falls No More." - The Curator


At the end of the day, creating a 50th anniversary special to celebrate a show as vast and rich as Doctor Who was an impossible task. You can't make everyone happy, and you have to balance a certain amount of nods to the history without compromising the story. For that reason, I'm happy more Doctors didn't appear. I would have loved to see the full regeneration into the 9th Doctor, but I understand why they didn't go that route. I think "The Day of the Doctor" was probably among the best stories we could have gotten for the occasion. Well done, Steven Moffat, well done.

The Day of the Doctor Merchandise - Yep, It's Already Available

"The Day of the Doctor" brought Whovians across the world to a standstill on Saturday. The 50th anniversary didn't disappoint as far as I'm concerned. I haven't been this excited about Doctor Who since early in season six. I'll get into more thoughts later today but for now, I wanted to give everyone still on a Who high a heads-up that there is already some 50th anniversary themed merchandise (mostly for ladies) available.

Check out the items after the image and as River Song would say, "Spoilers."

Her Universe had items for the event before it aired. They posted teasers of the 50th apparel last week with question marks instead of images and revealed the graphics as soon as the special was over. You can choose from five different tops over at Her Universe, but these are my favorite designs:

Over on Etsy you can find bracelets featuring specific quotes from "The Day of the Doctor" as well as more general products just celebrating the 50th.

"Neither cruel nor cowardly. Never give up. Never give in." Spiffing Jewelry has a few different quotes from the special (and there were so many fantastic ones).

Gallifrey falls, no more, and Gallifrey falls no more are phrases I expect to see all over clothing and mugs and everything over the next few months. This charm is by Alicia's Art and is the only 50th item in her shop for now.

Keep your place in the book you're reading with all 11 Doctors. This bookmark by Graceful Diligence doesn't include the War Doctor, but it's still awesome.

"I've had many faces, many lives..." This typography poster from TARDIS Blue Wings says it all.

One special, three doctors. Commemorate the occasion with this poster set from the Art of Logan Pack.

And now, I need to watch "The Day of the Doctor" several more times.

How an Art Museum Mixes with Doctor Who

I've recently moved to a new city and one of my first priorities has been finding geeky activities. Even though I had a love-hate relationship with Los Angeles, I can't deny that the geek community there was pretty awesome. It's not easy to replace, but I've been surprised by the cool events happening in my new neighborhood. The approaching 50th anniversary special for Doctor Who has brought fun stuff to the surface - such as a tour at the Cleveland Museum of Art based on points in history the Doctor and his companions have visited.

The program called Art Bites takes a 30 minute tour of the museum with a twist. From their site: "It’s art with a twist—unique topics inspired by your favorite hobbies, books, television shows, and more." I was sold as soon as I read it.

We began the tour in with the ancient Romans. The First Doctor encountered Emperor Nero in "The Romans." The museum had a connection to Nero in their museum; they had a bust of Octavia, one of Nero's wives. It was a perfect opportunity to discuss Nero's uh, less than stable personality, and it was shown in the Who episode. In the same room, they also had The Emperor as Philosopher statue. It's thought to be Marcus Aurelius.The tour guide pointed out the similarities in the ensemble to those worn by the Eleventh Doctor in "The Wedding of River Song."

Next, remember the Headless Monks in "A Good Man Goes to War?" They had some portrayals of the Mourners of the Tomb of Philip the Bold that looked similar. A painting by John Martin titled Ruins of an Ancient City evoked the fantastical feeling of "The Wedding of River Song" because it's sort of a mashing together of different times and styles - like time crashing together.

And then we explored a connection to Madame de Pompadour. The woman from "The Girl in the Fireplace" is a real figure from history and she was the primary mistress of Louis XV. The museum had a ceiling to floor rug from the dining room of Louis XV's chateau. I was amazed at how bright the colors still looked despite the item's age!

And there was more. They had a fair amount of porcelain on display and even if Madame de Pompadour never owned any of the specific items, she was affiliated with Sèvres - the factory where some of the porcelain was produced. She had a soft spot for the functional art and was part of the factory's development.

The final stop on the tour was to see a Vincent van Gogh painting. Though the museum is having a van Gogh exhibit in the spring (I want them hire Bill Nighy as the docent), they had one painting available for us to see - Portrait of Adeline Ravoux. It wasn't featured in "Vincent and the Doctor," but van Gogh created the painting in 1890. That ties to the episode because the Doctor and Amy visited in 1890. As you probably guessed, they took liberties with the locations and timeline to suit the story. And I'm okay with that - it's a phenomenal episode and I wouldn't change a single scene.

I was sad the thirty minutes went so fast! Incorporating pop culture into tours is a fun and fresh way to experience the museum's collections. I'm already looking forward to attending The Hunger Games session in January.

Her Universe Has New Items and Free Shipping For Black Friday

Black Friday wasn't something I paid attention to until I realized online shops offered deals, too. I can get bargains while drinking coffee and remain in pajamas. It's a no brainer. Sometimes I have to get up early to take advantage of deals, but I can make a few sleepy clicks and roll right back into bed. Done and done. I always check out Her Universe's offerings for the day of crazy retail-ness, and I'm not disappointed this year. Besides tons of new offerings, you can get the fourth annual Her Universe holiday pin free with any order while supplies last and if you spend more than $50, shipping is free. Honestly, I'd place an order just to get the cute pin. PLUS! Did I mention new items?!

The Star Wars and Doctor Who offerings:

These items will be available on Friday, November 28th, at Her Universe!

Even though I love adding new Star Wars apparel to my wardrobe, I have to say that out of this release, I'm most excited about the TARDIS cardigan. I love to layer sweaters over tees and tanks and hope to see more geeky sweaters available in the future!

Are you putting any of these items on your wishlist?

A fan-made R2-D2 is officially in Star Wars: Episode VII

Bad Robot tweeted the first behind-the-scenes photo from Star Wars: Episode VII last week. It featured J.J. Abrams, Kathleen Kennedy, two guys, and the droid everyone is looking for - R2-D2.

Twitter

The first thought for many - myself included - was that the picture meant R2-D2 is in Episode VII. I mean, I assumed he would be. He's a constant presence, a through-line. But, seeing the picture was reassuring. Now it's officially official. According to StarWars.com, the lovable droid will be in Episode VII.

Even cooler news though? The astromech was made by fans. You read that correctly. The two guys in the above picture are Lee Towersey and Oliver Steeples. They're members of the R2-D2 Builders Club. They were showcasing their work at Celebration Europe and none other than Kennedy herself stopped by for a tour of the builders' area. Steeples teased that the UK R2-D2 Builders were available if they needed them. She took them seriously, and they're now part of the Creature Effects team for Episode VII.

Talk about a dream come true! It makes me feel warm and fuzzy to see fans included like this. Star Wars fans are the best fans after all, and I love seeing their devotion rewarded.

A different definition of cosplay shirt

In case you want an alternative to the Hot Topic cosplay shirt, try this one from Undies of Wondy:

It's available in a few different colors. I know the language isn't for everyone and that it's piggy-backing on someone else's design, but I personally like the message this sends over the Hot Topic tee. You can find it at Printfection for $25.99 and up.

Throw the Ultimate Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Party!

Just eight days until "The Day of the Doctor!" Who's excited? I am! Besides the fact that we're celebrating 50 years of Doctor Who and seeing more than one Doctor on screen at the same time, it's a wonderful excuse to throw a big theme party!

Over on That's Nerdalicious, I break down several ideas for decorations, activities, party favors, food, and drinks. You still have plenty of time to invite friends over for the event and plan a shindig with as few or as many themed touches as you wish! Allons-y!

How To Throw The Ultimate Theme Party For The Doctor Who 50th Anniversary

What are your plans for the big event?

This "Define Cosplay" Shirt Gets It All Wrong - Updated

Anyone who wears a costume in public is brave. It's not easy to put yourself out there in the world. Some people are 100% comfortable and don't care what others think or say, but many are not. This horrible t-shirt goes to the heart of cosplay fears, and it's not okay.

This "Define Cosplay" shirt is on sale at Hot Topic. It says cosplay means "do it right or not at all."
Screw. that.

There is no "right" way to cosplay. If you can't sew and instead make a cardboard version of a costume, that's fine. If you apply rule 63, that's good too. Not the right shape, height, color of the character you're cosplaying as? Doesn't matter. Cosplay the characters you love, have fun, and don't pay attention to what anyone says about it.

I hate the message this shirt screams. Hot Topic may not have designed it, but they could have rejected it and used the opportunity to create a tee that communicates a positive message about cosplay. Maybe they need suggestions. I have a couple:
- dress up like whomever you want, it's all right
- do it, have fun, everyone wins

It's bad enough for those of us in the community, but what kind of elitist signal is this sending to non-geeks or people who want to cosplay and have been too shy to do so? It's bullying captured in a t-shirt. Ugh.

h/t Molly McIsaac

UPDATE 11/15: Hot Topic replied to me on Facebook about the shirt: Hot Topic wrote: "Hey Amy, thanks for reaching out. We are sorry you found the shirt's message to be negative. We intended the message to encourage cosplayers to go all out. That said, we're removing the shirt from our site in response to your feedback."

UPDATE 11/17:  Geeks Are Sexy posted about the cosplay shirt and this post today, and I think their post was misleading. I was far from the only person who spoke out against the cosplay shirt. Molly McIsaac, Jessica Merizan, and several others did via Facebook and Twitter. When I left a comment for Hot Topic I at no point said "take down this shirt", I asked what's up with the negativity? They replied to me with the message above which they also copy/pasted to almost everyone who commented about the tee on Twitter and Facebook. There's no way a store would pull something down because one person didn't like it. That would be dumb.

Women in Thor: The Dark World (Spoilers)

Thor: The Dark World opened last weekend and though I've only seen it once, I think I like it more than Thor. The overall design of the production was gorgeous, and I loved that it felt more like a space fantasy than a superhero action film. While I'll post a full review later this week at another site, I did want to carve out space here to discuss the badass women featured in the film. A couple of them are physically badass, one is funny and loyal, and one is ridiculously smart. Flaws and all, it was a joy to see a range of women depicted in the film - they were not all cut from the same "strong female character" cardboard.

Beware spoilers for Thor: The Dark World after the first image.

Frigga. I'm starting with her because she got to me on a few levels. We could connect with her as a mother, a loving wife, and a warrior/protector. I admired her in all cases, and Rene Russo couldn't have been more awesome (okay, not true, I noticed her breathing after she was stabbed). She didn't hesitate to accept Jane and to put her life on the line for her kingdom. She possesses an insane amount of bravery.

Darcy. Kat Dennings rocks as Jane's funny assistant. She's more than comedic relief though; she's a loyal friend who pushes Jane into action and risks her own neck for the mission. And at the end of the movie, she's the one sweeping intern boy off his feet for a kiss, not the other way around. I like that take charge attitude.

Sif. Man, this character did not get enough to do. Jaimie Alexander is great in the role as the warrior, and I selfishly wish she would have had more scenes. The story didn't focus much on her and the Warriors Three though, and they didn't have a ton of screen time. She kicked ass in what we did see of her, and I like that we got a glimpse of her softer side. Her implied jealousy of Jane worked okay but was possibly a hair overplayed. Not by much though.

Jane Foster. I've seen several people express disappointment in Jane and her depression over Thor being gone. I've even seen comparisons to Bella Swan. To that I say, ease the frak up. Most of us have experienced heartbreak and longing for someone hasn't returned to us - it can be miserable. She's allowed to have feelings for crying out loud; it doesn't automatically make her weak. Also, she wasn't alone in her sadness. Thor wasn't exactly jovial either. The only point I'll give leniency on is that is has been two years. Two years of moping can read as a touch excessive - but again, she wasn't the only one in that boat. If you're going to call her Bella, call Thor Bella as well.

Additionally, for all we know, she could have been doing better until the battle of New York - that probably plastered Thor's face all over media and brought up buckets of sad feelings. Granted, even that was over a year ago.

Now that I've justified her having emotions, let's focus on her brain. She might not be able to jump into battle in the same way as Frigga and Sif, but she was strong enough to not be killed by the Aether and she saved Earth and all the realms with her intelligence. She had help from those around her, especially Selvig, but she ran the show and did so under pressure that those of us who haven't had to save the planet can't imagine.

As far as Natalie Portman's acting? The word meh summarizes my feeling on that subject.

Overall, not such a bad group. I'd call it forward progress. What did you think of the women in Thor?

I just want to live in an animated movie, is that so much to ask?

As much as I enjoy new animation styles as seen in movies like Tangled, I miss the old days. The level of gorgeous in the opening scenes of the countryside in Beauty and the Beast is enough to take your breath away and make your knees go weak. Nothing looks quite like those hand-painted backgrounds, and it's easy to lose track of them while you watch the characters' journeys. There are so many scenes I could get lost in - I would kill for a book filled with only backgrounds from Disney's animated film library. Until such a book exists, I'll rely on the internet. These are some scenes I could happily live in:

The Beast's library is a given - endless books, a fireplace, chairs - I'd never leave. I'd just drag my tauntaun sleeping bag in and have the talking utensils serve me meals. Bonus: the library is big enough for walks and has stairs so I could easily work some exercising in.

I'd also be more than happy to live here, just outside Belle's poor provincial town.

The forest from Sleeping Beauty looks like an enchanting place to explore, build a cottage, and/or talk to animals and meet princes. I love the muted colors of the trees - it makes it seem more magical.

Prince Eric has an impressive castle, but I'm particularly impressed with the kitchen. It looks roomy and well-stocked, and I could gladly spend many afternoons here not cooking Sebastian (the scene where the chef wrecked the kitchen makes me cringe).

Just about anywhere in Hunchback of Notre Dame seems like a fine place to hang my hat. Even in the bell tower.

Atlantis features a cozy library I'd happily take if I can't have the Beast's grand room. Basically, I just need to live in a library beside a forest and I'm a happy girl.

The source of all of these backgrounds except the library is Animation Backgrounds by Rob Richards. It's no longer updated, but there's a huge archive of digitally restored scenes from tons of animated movies - not just Disney ones either. Restoring the images seems like an intense process, and I'm grateful for the work Richards has done. It's easy to lose hours browsing the posts.

Can you recommend any sites like Animation Backgrounds?

Game of Thrones Taxidermy in Supernatural

Someone behind the scenes at Supernatural must have a thing for Game of Thrones. The Winchesters and Charlie had a slumber party last week and marathoned the first season of the series. Dean's reaction was appropriate: “Wow, that Joffrey’s a dick.” Truer words...

Last night in "Dog Dean Afternoon," Game of Thrones came up in a different and completely wacky way. The episode began at a taxidermist's, and he was working on mice as Game of Thrones characters. Yep, you read that correctly. I immediately thought of taxidermy enthusiast Bonnie Burton. One of the mice is clearly Joffrey (click to embiggen):

I'm not sure about this one - who do you think it is?
Update: Rachel has pointed out to me this one looks like Tyrion!

And is this Sansa or Margaery? They both wear blue frequently so I'm not sure.
Update: Rachel and I also discussed this one and with the white hair and the acorn, we're thinking it's Daenerys! Whew, now I can sleep tonight.

And according to Jared Padalecki, it's an actual location in Vancouver! He tweeted the following last night:

As you might guess from the inclusion of the Game of Thrones mice, it was a slightly silly episode. Or a lot silly. It was highly enjoyable to watch though; you can read my review on IGN.