LBD 30 day challenge: day 31

day thirty one: i know it's a thirty day challenge, but March has 31 days, so this is a summary day i guess. it's been a month and LBD is done and i'm not sure how i feel about it (hence being a day off on posting here at the end) because it was really good, compelling entertainment, but now it's done and there's nothing left to look forward to. i definitely recommend it to others, it's better than i expected any web-original production to be (which i guess means i'm a snob? oops) and just.. compelling, which i totally already said. i liked the changes from the original story, i liked the bits of original dialogue that were kept entirely, really i just loved the whole thing and i'm kinda sad it's over. i'll probably get around to buying the DVD sometime after it comes out. until then there's the youtube playlist to watch, even if it means enduring repetitive and obnoxious advertising.

LBD 30 day challenge: day 30

day thirty: i think that Emma would translate well to a similar format, though i'm not sure if it'd be quite so compelling to watch. i've seen most of Shakespeare's comedies get modernized, so i know that'd be entirely workable, but i can't help thinking that Clueless was awesome and is technically a modern retelling of Emma with everyone getting new names, so i wonder how a more direct updating of it would go.

LBD 30 day challenge: day 29

day twenty nine: i think my favorite prop is the over the top Mrs Bennet hat. i've laughed every time it's been worn, and i know there's more to the costume, but it' the hat that really stands out.

LBD 30 day challenge: day 28

day twenty eight: my favorite siblings are the Darcy siblings i think. i do love the Bennet sisters, but having sisters i'm close to myself it's not anything groundbreakingly new. Gigi and William Darcy though play a loving sibling pair with obviously different temperment and i really enjoy it.

LBD 30 day challenge: day 27

day twenty seven: i've loved most of what Jane's worn on camera, but i think my favorite outfit is the TERRIBLE coordinated ketchup and mustard costume set Charlotte and Mr Collins wear at the Halloween party about halfway through. so terrible they became good, at first i was wondering why Charlotte was dressed as a crayon, then my brain caught up to what my eyes were seeing. xD

LBD 30 day challenge: day 26

day twenty six: the cutest moment i've seen in 109 episodes (with only one episode left to go) is the tag end of Q&A 10. Darcy leaves the camera's range, then swoops back in to carry Lizzie of in a princess carry. it was ADORABLE!

my standard non-challenge post for the week

so i was gonna post yesterday, but my computer refused to turn on. it's doing better now, and i think the problem's taken care of for at least a little bit longer? i dunno, it's working for now at least.

my brain's still all over the place, so forgive me if my post seems a bit scattered. i've had trouble thinking coherently, or sleeping, so my productivity in pretty much every regard has been nil for a while now. most days i lose hours completely unaware of what i've done at all. i've been up today since 4am and all i've done today is check my standard internet stuff and read some. i also went out to lunch with a friend, but it was kinda a last minute thing, so i dunno how much it counts for anything.

i feel like i should be doing more, but it takes me ages to manage to finish a thought at all, much less follow through on impulses or actions. i've gotten up to do things today, only to forget what i'm doing two steps away from my desk, it would be a little funny if it wasn't happening pretty much every time i tried to do anything at all. ugh.

i dunno, i guess i'm hoping that Kyu and i will manage to finish the last of the cleaning we wanna do prior to the last of the rearranging of the living room. i'd really like to have the space to set up me easel so i can paint again with some semblance of convenience. if i wanted to now i'd have to gather the supplies from about 3 different storage areas and clear all my other hobby stuff off my desk to make enough space to lay out a canvas. once the easel's set up i can consolidate my painting supplies in one place and be ready to go whenever inspiration strikes.

LBD 30 day challenge: day 25

day twenty five: nothing! i think the casting (and costuming) are great. i'm enjoying the way the original story's been spun into something new. i think the projected length according to rumored endpoint is just long enough to cover everything without dragging anything out too much. i wouldn't change a thing.

LBD 30 day challenge: day 24

day twenty four: i'm torn, i really loved when Darcy impersonated Fitz, but also crazy good was when Lizzie's impression of Mrs Bennet had Jane calling her 'Mom!' trying to get her to stop. i think though, that my favorite impression was the last episode Lydia took over hosting. Jane is helping out in it, playing Lydia in costume theater and it's just fantastic, the mannerisms, the wardrobe, the speech patterns. it really plays like an older sister pulling out all the stops, and when Jane worries she's gone too far, Lydia reassures her that it was possibly the best impression of herself she'd ever seen. xD

LBD 30 day challenge: day 23

day twenty three: my favorite Lydia episode is the one where she took over and pushed Ricky Collins into costume theater with her after Lizzie stormed out. it was a great episode. not only was it funny, it showed that Lydia actually gets Lizzie way more than she's understood in return. it's most obvious when she tells Ricky "the first rule of Lizzie's videos is that they're Lizzie's videos" or something similar.

LBD 30 day challenge: day 22

day twenty two: okay, this question is a repeat, originally asked on the 19th, but my new answer is YESTERDAY'S (aka ep98)! holy crap it was amazing! i watched it twice in a row and screeched like.. i don't even know, all my hyperbole died of fluffy happy feeling overdose. there was emotional mush talk and kisses and smoldering looks and I LOVED IT!

LBD 30 day challenge: day 21

day twenty one: what keeps me watching? well aside from my penchant for falling into new things obsessively, the acting is amazingly good, and the writing doesn't go the way i always expect it to, so i keep watching to see specifically how the points i know are coming get laid out. with a week left, and only the happy endings for everyone to resolve, i'm watching for the pacing, and the chemistry, and i'd be a straight up liar if i denied hoping for a Dizzie kiss or two since Jing got one upon reconciliation.

LBD 30 day challenge: day 20

day twenty: Lydia: adorbs or annoying? TOTES ADORBS! it helps that LBD Lydia is probably the most sympathetic, fleshed out version possibly ever. frequently she's left as little more than a plot device, but LBD Lydia is clearly a younger sister that desperately wants to be as close to Lizzie and Jane as they are to each other.

LBD 30 day challenge: day 19

day nineteen: favorite episode thusfar? yesterday's, episode 97. after episode 96 when Lizzie left Darcy a super awkward voicemail asking to "chat" it's 3 days later and she still hasn't heard anything. Charlotte shows up to be a good BFF and distract her with junk food, chick flicks, and their shared 25th birthday. after venting her feelings to the camera and admitting that she and Darcy both deserve more from each other, he shows up at the tail end just in time for the feed to cut off. i made a screechy squealing noise not unlike feedback on poorly setup audio equipment. it scared the dog.

LBD 30 day challenge: day 18

day eighteen: my favorite ship would be Lizzie/Darcy (Dizzie to some) because it's the healthiest and the most fleshed out, with them being the primary focus of the story. i like Jane/Bing because the actors are likable, but the relationship itself seems hollow to me, and the Lydia/Wickham plot was really well done, but i don't like it because emotional abuse is uncomfortable and they went there and made it visceral. by default that really only leaves Lizzie/Darcy to enjoy, and while it's not resolved yet i think i can count on it getting there. xD

my mind keeps wandering lately

song+ Wasted Years -Maroon 5 -Overexposed
book+ my DQ8 guide
quest+ clearing out things i've compulsively collected but no longer want
upper+ Kyu & i are up to the current season of New Who
downer+ having hip trouble
attire+ starry pajama pants and a navy tank
drink+ Dr Pepper (then more ginger ale)

okay so lemme think about what's happened in the last week.. we made a bit more progress in our living room cleanup. it's looking less and less cluttered, though there's still a fair bit to be done before i can drag my easel downstairs to actually paint. the most recent change is dragging down the top of a broken drafting table that we're now using as a baby gate type blockade so we can have the sliding door open for much needed ventilation without having to worry about the dog (who still seems to believe she's a cat) escaping.

Rory and i have talked a bit more about doing twin dolls together. there have been a few conversations over the last week to iron out probable hair and eye colors, and names. i've also got a few ideas on the personal style i'll favor for her, though i still have no idea when i'll be able to afford my half. xD i'm thinking a rich earthy palette with a general silhouette markedly divergent from the fitted everything i tend to favor for FaithAnn and Rosalie. fluffy and soft for her outlines. lots of browns and cremes, with splashes of pinks and other softish accent colors.

this posting thing would probably be easier if i could manage to hold on to any thought at all for more than a hand full of seconds. my brain is telling me that i do have reasonably interesting things to share, but i can't for the life of me think of what they are. ugh. maybe later this week, no promises though. *shrug*

LBD 30 day challenge: day 17

day seventeen: before watching LBD my knowledge of P&P was the basic plot. initial meeting, misunderstandings and ego, scattering of dramatic moments, pleasant resolution for most. i mean, i knew a bit more than that, but i've always had trouble with straight adaptions. something about it just rubs me wrong, but put the story in a different setting and i love it. i think it boils down to me liking Austen's plots and characters, but disliking the Regency setting.

LBD 30 day challenge: day 16

day sixteen: all the characters i've cared about have made it into the videos. we've never actually seen Mr or Mrs Bennet, but i prefer them as costume theater caricatures, the emotional focus is on the sisters this way and i think it really works. i really like Darcy, but at this point there's four episodes left and he's likely to show up again pretty soon, so i'm just waiting out the end.

LBD 30 day challenge: day 15

day fifteen: coming into it so late, i basically knew what i was in for, so the only thing that surprised me was how the resolution of the Lydia/Wickham drama's solution was revealed to Lizzie. Darcy needed to fix it, and Lydia pretty much had to be the one that told her, but there were a handful of ways those things could have gone, and none of the ways i expected were the way they used.

LBD 30 day challenge: day 14

day fourteen: the only spinoff videos i watched were the Pemberley Digital ones with Gigi, Fitz, and Darcy. i would totally watch more of those though because i loved them.

LBD 30 day challenge: day 13

day thirteen: my favorite quote is absolutely the following (from one of the earliest episodes) where they're talking about overhearing an early conversation between Bing and Darcy and Lydia goes off script, demonstrating costume theater is a work in progress.
Lydia-as-Bing-Lee: This dance is super slammin! So is that Jane Bennet? I wanna bang the *bleep* outta her! Are there any hot chicks that you'd like to slip your man-banana into, Darcy my homie?
Lizzie: *horrified stare*
Lydia: ...What? That's totally how guys talk!
(coinciding with the *bleep* is a subtitle from Charlotte: "WHAT?")

LBD 30 day challenge: day 12

day twelve: my favorite friendship is the Lizzie-and-Jane one. it's really nice to wach sisters get along like i KNOW they can, instead of falling into the cliche of fighting all the time. i know it's possible that siblings can be that close, so i like it better than the Lizzie-and-Charlotte friendship.

LBD 30 day challenge: day 11

day eleven: pirates or ninjas.. ninjas i guess? i've never really been super into pirates (and i think this question is an in-joke that sailed entirely over my head) so yeah, ninjas?

meme time

song+ Not Falling Apart -Maroon 5 -It Won't Be Soon Before Long
book+ my DQ8 guide
quest+ clearing out things i've compulsively collected but no longer want
upper+ made it through a whole season of Dr Who this weekend
downer+ we've hit the episodes that require genuine effort to play on the xbox
attire+ green Supergirl tee and black cargo pants
drink+ Canada Dry ginger ale

okay, so i was trying to think of what to post for this week (aside from the obvious LBD30day post)and all i really had going for me was "kyu is up to the beginning of Series 6 on his New Who watch! yay!" xD

i mean that's actually really exciting for me, but ya'll mostly don't care. then Rory told me i'd been tagged in this meme, so i figured i'd do it, but i'm not gonna tag anyone else, or write any questions, because these ones are fine and Rory already tagged everyone with em.

1) What color are your eyes? Do you like them, or did/do you wish they were a different color?
brown. they're a changeable brown, but they're still very brown. at times they're so light they're nearly amber, and other times they get dark enough you can scarcely see the color at all, but they remain stubbornly within the brown continuum.
2) If you could live in any time period of your choice for a week, when and where would you choose?
i think now. i'm a fan of modern conveniences. possible sometime in the near future, but really i'll get there eventually, so now's still good enough. living now i can look back nostalgically on all kinds of cool things and miss the terrible that was part of it initially.
3) What is your favorite flavor? Sweet, savory, spicy, any or all of the above.
it depends. i like sweet, and savory, and salty, but not spicy. i like my sweet to be fruity, or super mild, like gummy candy or dark chocolate are my favored ways to get it. i like my salty to also be savory though.
4) Do you make New Years Resolutions? If so, do you tend to stick to them? If you don't make resolutions, why not?
i don't. not because i don't think i'll follow through, but because one day's as good as any other, and really my brain barely perceives time anyway.
5) What is your main hobby? How long have you actively participated in this hobby?
ah reading? also BJDs, video gaming, dolling, clothing design, painting.. i don't know that i'm regularly participating in any of them though, i tend to jump from one to the next whenever  the whim strikes. except reading, i've been doing that all my life and it's pretty consistent.
6) Do you prefer City or Country living? Why?
city. the few times i've been in the country for any extended period of time it's been unpleasant. i get paranoid and impatient and all kinds of hard to live with.
7) Would you rather take a scenic route (assuming time and fuel are not an issue) or the most direct route?
direct. i don't drive, but i do get carsick on extended trips so i prefer to avoid them.
8) How old were you when you first remember being photographed? Was it a school photo, or something else?
hmm.. i remember posing for family photos when i was like 9 or 10 i think? with the way i don't really process linear concepts of time this is a hard one to answer, honestly.
9) Do you think consider yourself a confident person?
nope.
10) How do you think you would react if someone you respect or admire took the time to compliment a skill of yours?
i'd probably freak out. i don't handle attention well, in either positive or negative connotations it's different if i ask for feedback, but when it's offered spontaneously i panic and clutch.

LBD 30 day challenge: day 10

day ten: how involved am i with the interactive side of the story? i'm kinda not. i'm not on twitter, so i don't follow the characters there, the only character blog i follow on tumblr is the generic one that just posts links to the new videos as they go up. i don't have any of it liked on facebook. i'm kinda tempted to follow the twitter feeds as seeing the characters follow each other and talk between episodes does fill things out a lot, but not so temmpted that i've actually created a twitter account. *shrug* i can see other people compile the twitter stuff into images to reblog on tumblr easily enough if i want it.

LBD 30 day challenge: day 9

day nine: my favorite actor (and again there's only like four to choose from) is Daniel Vincent Gordh, who plays Darcy. it helps that he's had the most screentime, but the few episodes he's appeared in have all been fantastic, even when they've been some of the most dramatic. being a person with severe socail impediments myself, i really like the subtleties imbued in his portrayal. Darcy comes off as socially awkward, but generally well intentioned. his initial intaractions are stilted, but the longer he's known a character the more open he is with them, and i appreciate that having lived it pretty much my whole life. lots of actors have trouble portraying that kind of thing, so i really notice when it's done right.

LBD 30 day challenge: day 8

day eight: my favorite actress is Mary Kate Wiles, who plays Lydia. one of the biggest changes between P&P and LBD is Lydia's story arc. being a hybrid of the younger sisters LBD Lydia has the immaturity and interaction with Wickham the story needs, with the emotional and character growth Kitty gets in the book via spending more time with Jane and Elizabeth. the subtle nuances she gives LBD Lydia to show that slide from immature vibrancy to a broken shell, then to hopeful healing is beautiful and heartbreaking and really resonant.

LBD 30 day challenge: day 7

day seven: the saddest moment to me was the part where Jane is trying to deal with Bing just leaving town without saying a thing to her at all. the way she tries to just soldier on bravely and only breaks down when reenacting Wickham's disappearance with Lizzie. it took distancing herself from the problem to even be able to acknowledge that it was a problem and when she broke down and cried on camera it was heartbreaking.

LBD 30 day challenge: day 6

day six: i think the best costume theater was the one where Lizzie was imitation Ms Bennet and Jane tries to get her to stop by yelling "mom! mom! ..Lizzie!" her saying the wrong name really drove home how accurate the impression was despite the over the top nature of costume theater by design.

LBD 30 day challenge: day 5

day five: there's been a lot of funny, but i think the hardest i laughed was during the Pemberley arc. Darcy's trying to do costume theater but decides it's too weird trying to be his sister, and ends up playing Fitz in a hilarious series of some of the things he'd done in his first video appearance. Lizzie lost it on screen and it was legitimately hilarious.

back from Mom's, with pictures!

song+ Only Wanna Dance With You -Ke$sha -Warrior
book+ my DQ8 guide
quest+ clearing out things i've compulsively collected but no longer want
upper+ Mom's dining room looks awesome
downer+ i'm that next-day kinda sore that comes from working muscles you generally ignore
attire+ starry fleece pajama pants and a tank
drink+ water

i was back last night, but catching up on the internet stuff i missed took until close to midnight, after which i went to bed. so the big story this weekend was obviously the painting of Mom's dining room ceiling to resemble a starry sky. it came out pretty awesome. xD

okay so Friday i'm chilling starting a new DQ8 file when i get a message from Mom asking if this weekend is good for the starry sky painting. absolutely it is. she picked me up after work and we swung by Jenni's to borrow her air mattress (and to go to dinner, which was awesome) before heading back to mom's to set up for the weekend. Saturday morning started with breakfast, then a 6am trip to home depot for the paint (which looked like a rich aquamarine to me, but i think it was named something insipid like 'beach towel' or whatever) and some backup supplies. i taped off the upper wall edges and the line we wanted between the dining and living rooms, then started the edging work on a stepladder. for a while mom was holding my paint tray for me, but when i switched from brush to mini roller we were both looking up and mom tipped a steady dribble down the front of her shirt and onto the carpet. (exhibit A)

i'd been trying hard not to make a huge mess, so when she got back from changing i told her it was nice not to be the messy four year old in any given craft project. xD anyhow, after the edging was done (including around the ceiling fan) i was back on the brush trying to get an even coat on the air vent (which took multiple layers to eliminate white spots and brush strokes) while mom used the handle extender and a big roller to lay down the first coat across the everything-else. the first coat took much longer than the second, and we had to stop for sitting-breaks multiple times as the most effective standing positions all resembled limbo-meets-mopping-the-ceiling. it got done though. (exhibit B) this picture was after the first coat, and before i'd finished the vent, as the interior of the blades is still white.

after the second coat was up and drying Mom got our her collection of craft paints so i could inventory what was there and we could head to Michael's with a better idea of what we needed to buy, with a stop at Braum's on the way, because ice cream is awesome. Mom got butter pecan, i got pumpkin and peppermint. not the worst choice i ever made, but they did taste a little strange together. in any event, we ended up picking up a purple tone, two or three additional blues, and a set of natural sea sponges. my inventory probably should have included a shake test to see if any of the already-owned bottles were dried out or almost empty, but live and learn. that was all the crafty progress we made Saturday since we took that evening to head the the chili & cheesecake cook-off Mom's ward was hosting. it was fun, but i think it was the right choice when we used the distraction of most everybody getting up for the cotton-eyed Joe to flee.

Sunday morning Mom directed as i started sponging on the color layers, starting with our purples and working into the blues. after an hour or so she had to get dressed for church, but i stayed home and kept going. due to the previously mentioned dead bottles, toward the end i was wondering if there was enough paint to finish the sky effect, but it all worked out and mom did the research for a few constellation formations. it came out delightfully uneven, but cohesive overall. (exhibit C, above) while it was drying Mom cut the center out of a paper plate to serve as out moon stencil, and i worked on layering it with the fill olor while she took a brief nap. (exhibit D, the moon stencil- not the nap, and exhibit E, the finished moon with depth sponging)

after the stencil came down it was a matter of cutting small sponge circles to paint the starts and heading up the ladder while Mom directed placement. if we'd scaled them smaller, we probably could have fit more constellations, but in the end our selection of the big and little dippers and Aries look good without anything else competing for attention. (exhibit F)

so after all was done and cleaned up (these pictures still have the painter's tape up, i just realized) i packed up my stuff and the air mattress and we headed back to Arlington. first to Jenni's for a lovely visit, then home again for me. i returned to a roommate fighting off being sick, and a perpetually excitable dog (that think she's a cat). home sweet home. xD

LBD 30 day challenge: day 4

day four: my least favorite character is Mr Collins. i know he's written to be obnoxious, but they did a little too well. every time he appears i'm struck with the urge to put my fist through his face. ugh. even the designated villains are more likable than he is, and he's easily classified as an ally of the protagonists.

LBD 30 day challenge: day 3

day three: there's only so many male characters to choose from,so i guess my favorite male character is Darcy. this isn't super surprising since he's basically had the most appearances of the i think four males you actually see? anyway, what i like about him is the way he's been acted since he was finally introduced beyond Costume Theater. the way he's acted makes you sympathetic toward him, while also letting you see just how Lizzie jumped to the conclusions she did regarding his personality. i especially enjoyed the way he explained his point of view and acknowledged that perhaps he'd been mistaken without being pushed to apologize for doing what he thought was right at the time.

LBD 30 day challenge: day 2

day two: i think my favorite female character is Jane? like if i met her in real life i'd probably spend my time wondering if she needed a hug or a push toward standing up for herself, but in the show she manages to be the Nicest Person Ever without becoming obnoxious. i felt horrible for her when Bing left without saying anything, and anytime she's gotten good news i've cheered. i just really love her.

LBD 30 day challenge: day 1

song+ Make the World Move (feat. CeeLo Green) -Christina Aguilera -Lotus
book+ my DQ9 guide, off and on
quest+ pulling off the LBD 30 day challenge
upper+ i woke up to a MoonPie, Dove dark chocolate, and yummy juice waiting for me
downer+ nothing comes to mind (yay!)
attire+ starry fleece pajama pants and a tank
drink+ AriZona Strawberry Kiwi juice

okay so, i figured that before when i was having trouble posting doing a however-many day challenge helped get me back in the swing of things, so this is me starting the Lizzie Bennet Diaries 30 Day Challenge. it gives me a post for every day of March if i choose to do a day 31 summary, so that's the goal, even if they're somewhat brief. this could be tricky for me as i generally draft my challenge answers in advance, but LBD is ongoing, so  my answers could easily change over the course of the month.

okay, day one: i discovered the Lizzie Bennet Diaries through a girl i follow on Tumblr. she'd posted numerous gifsets of the Pemberley arc all tagged with her "is an Austen addict" tag. it took me several weeks to give in to curiosity and actually try watching it, not because it didn't look good (it looked awesome) but because i'm terrible at waiting, and i KNEW it was still ongoing. i didn't actually give it a shot until i saw her reblog a Q&A with the creators saying the end would come sometime in March. i think my terrible waiting skills can live up to one month of two episodes a week, especially since this close to the end most of the drama's dealt with and i can expect mostly happy fluffy feelings.

LBD Challenge master post

one day at a time: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty, thirty-one