Tuesday, November 27, 2012

About Dang Time

Ah, finally made another video, but it took like 3 minutes to film. XD

Wanted to make this long ago, so enjoy. ^^


Sunday, October 28, 2012

Gabi's Top 5 Reasons to Quit Cable

Hello! I'm Gabi and these are my top 5 reasons why I don't have cable...
1. Trash.
When I visit a friend's house and sit down to watch TV, I'm shocked at what even the commercials are allowed to show! Without cable, I have one less thing from which to protect my (and my future family's) eyes.

I'm a movie person and I can use the internet to look up the decency of a movie. This is very difficult with television shows because each episode might contain something you can't erase from your memory. (Focus on the Family's "Plugged In" is amazing for all sorts of reviews.)

Youtube has a feature which disables the viewing of any video which has been flagged for inappropriate content. The user will also not see comments on any video, unless they transfer to a page specifically for the comments.

2. Cost.
I have a television which is plugged in to an energy-saving power strip. This means that the TV doesn't use energy from my wall sockets when it's not being used (as well as the attached products like a game console or a DVD player).

    I rent from Redbox and Blockbuster and I have a Neflix account. I use an HDMI cable to hook up my laptop to my TV. This way, I don't need a DVD player. (I do own one, however. It was a birthday gift and it allows me to use my laptop for school/whatever while watching a movie.)

    By the way, if you use Redbox:
    The next time you check out, notice the button that says "Promo Code." Type, "DVDONME" for a free DVD-- once per credit card. :)

    3. Commercials.
    As previously stated, commercials on television can be appalling  Likewise, Youtube has been known to have some trashy ads in its day. (Namely, the "Blue" series. Made me furious every time.)

    On Youtube, I sit through a single advertisement. These are 35 seconds tops, and often as short as 5 seconds play before allowing you to skip the ad.

    Netflix has no commercials-- on TV series or movies.

    4. Availability.
    Online, you can watch as many episodes of your show in-a-row as you please.
    With television, unless you have recorded several episodes (which probably aren't in order) or there's a marathon scheduled, you can't sit down and get a belly-full of your favorite show.


    5. Time.
    The internet is a real time-saver.

    There's an almost unlimited amount of online resources which can tell you all the details of the movies that have you asking, "Is this worth my time?"
    With this, you don't have to sit through 30 minutes of a show just to see someone's head gorily explode and scar you for life and wish you had known that was going to happen beforehand. Find out ahead of time by reading a review that's 1 click away from your movie.



    So quit spending too much on 500 channels when there's nothing on any of them.
    Quit rolling your eyes at the Jack in the Box "no nookie" commercial.
    Quit searching endlessly for what sounds good.
    Quit cable.

    Thursday, September 27, 2012

    Adventures at Jimmy John's

    My favorite thing to do at my job is drive-thru! I get to talk over the speaker and take orders and take money. It's exciting and not too over-whelming (and when it is, I can get someone to come over and help me, or say, "Hi, welcome to Jimmy John's! We'll be right with you.")

    Here is my favorite drive-thru moment:

    I took orders one day, as a boy named Tim took money. Tim took a man's credit card and was typing the credit card number into the computer. The computer switched from the slot where the numbers go, to the slot where the AMOUNT goes.

    Tim charged him over 46 billion dollars for a sandwich. Haha, it was amazing! XD
    (The manager came and voided the order, no worries.)

    Side story:
    A few weeks ago, I was making a delivery for my job, and I locked my keys, wallet, and phone in my car. I had to walk 2 miles to my mom's house to use her phone (I have no numbers memorized except my boyfriend's and he did not answer).

    It was very, very embarrassing. I thought I'd be fired for sure, so I resigned. The manager said I wasn't fired, and that he'd give me 2 weeks to decide if I wanted to really leave. It was embarrassing to return to him and say, "I can stay" without eye contact...

    But! He high-fived me and told me he was happy about my decision. He says I have good work ethic and on two occasions during those 2 weeks he said, "I would like to keep you." :)

    I like my job a lot, especially when I can work drive-thru. I love customer service!

    The biggest downfall is the gossip. It's so hard to sit around pretending like I don't hear everyone talking about who they'd love to see fired-- or even DEAD! The managers do this as well.

    In addition, everyone apparently thinks it's appropriate to talk about their sex lives. They shouldn't be talking about this in a professional setting, especially around food. >_> Yuck.

    Nonetheless, I like everyone there just fine, when they aren't discussing how often they 'do it.'

    And everyone seems to like me. :)

    I wonder what the future will hold for me in this job.~

    PS:
    I have a little secret.
    I've been dreaming of opening a cafe'. I hope to make that a reality (despite my young age) in the next 2 years. <3

    xoxo
    Gabi

    Saturday, September 8, 2012

    Cheese


    I just got a job at Jimmy John's. :D
    Well, a few weeks ago.
    It's fun. I especially like working on the register. :)


    I wanna say something, though. :\
    Jimmy John's only has provolone cheese.

    It's not a Subway.

    Does McDonald's have Swiss, pepper jack, etc? No. They have one kind.

    When we ask, "We only have provolone. Is provolone okay?", please stop replying, "If it was ok, I would have asked for it." :(

    >_>

    Anyway.

    My car broke down toniiiight! D:

    First time that's ever happened to me.

    Poor Carlito.

    Drove it to a repair shop; gonna call in the morning.

    It was an adventure. :)
    Some nice strangers helped roll it out of the street!  :DDD

    Time for sleep!
    xoxo

    Wednesday, September 5, 2012

    Congrats to Yvonne Kettner!

    Kettner's piece revealing her next creative
    project: 365 more zentangles-
     this time, with color!
    I was assigned to write a piece about a current event in the world of visual art. :)

    This is for my Art Appreciation class.

    I decided to write about my friend Yvonne Kettner, who recently finished her 365 project! Such huge congratulations, Ms. Yvonne!! :)

    Here is what I wrote:


    I found this article on the blog 365 Freestyle Zentangles. This is a blog hosted by the website Blogspot.com. The article URL is as follows: 365freestylezentangles.blogspot.com/2012/08/what-will-it-be.html


    • WRITE A MINIMUM OF ONE PARAGRAPH SUMMARIZING (IN YOUR OWN WORDS) THE ARTICLE


    My friend Yvonne Kettner embarked upon a journey to create a zentangle every day for one year. A zentangle is a free-hand drawing, usually containing unpremeditated patterns. Kettner was inspired to attempt such a project by Noah Scalin, and artists who tackled his own year-long creative process to make one skull every day. Kettner finished her venture on  August 30th, 2012. On that day, she revealed her decision to tackle yet another 365-day-long project, continuing to draw zentangles, but this time adding colors to her beautiful designs.

    • WRITE A STATEMENT OF “RELEVANCE”
      This statement of relevance should also be a minimum of one paragraph in length and discuss HOW you see this news item as relating to the study of “ART APPRECIATION.”


                In a world constantly creating new types of art, Yvonne Kettner embraced a style not commonly known. Because of her fervor for zentangles, Kettner was able to create a unique piece of art every day for one year. Her appreciation for this distinctive art style shows her most beloved qualities to all those who are graced with seeing her collection. Truly challenging herself and letting her creativity flow every day, this artist from the Netherlands captured the meaning of art: having perseverance and taking joy and pride in her work.




    Friday, August 3, 2012

    5 Camping Songs for My Generation

    My mom's fire pit. :)


    I love the classic roadtrip songs my mother would sing with us. "Boom-dee-ada", "Kumbaya", etc.

    However, being 19 years old and having friends that didn't grow up with these songs, I've decided to put together a list of songs that we would all know-- in light of a camping trip we'll be taking in a few days! :)





    1. "The Campfire Song Song"- Spongebob Squarepants
    This song is hilarious and we love singing Patrick's part! It's a lot of fun to sing it fast and do the "OH, YEAHHH!!" at the end as well, hehe.~


    2. "We Are Young"- F.U.N.
    A pretty campy song to begin with, this song has become incredibly popular among my generation. Who wouldn't want to shout "TONIGHT, WE ARE YOUNG!" around a campfire and under the stars? :)
    Though we'll try not to "set the world on fire" with our makeshift fire.


    3. "Fireflies"- Owl City
    What better than singing about the beautiful creatures floating in the distance?

    4. "Mean"- Taylor Swift
    A little twang is good when you're in the woods surrounded by good friends!

    5. "Lights"- Ellie Goulding (OR Boyce Avenue)
    Boyce Avenue has an amazing (and slower, acoustic) cover of this song.


    BONUS SONG:
    "Bad Moon"- Creedence Clearwater Revival
    I felt like this would be an awesome song for under a big, bright moon! :) But not many people my age know it, so, alas, it is a bonus.



    Wednesday, July 25, 2012

    Let's be Controversial

    Someone posted a comment on Yahoo! that Chick-fil-A "is nobody's puppet." (This was the article reporting how the Muppets company decided not to support Chick-fil-A.)

    I LOVED the comment and decided to make a political cartoon out of it.

    I just grabbed a Sharpie and my sketchbook and doodled this real quick:



    Also, at Safety Day at the mall (where kids meet firefighters, police officers, etc and learn about them), there was a booth for Chick-fil-A and I got a bumper sticker which reads, "I <3 Chick-fil-A." I just slapped in onto the back of my car and will be driving it around with pride. :)

    Matthew 5:10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."

    Tuesday, July 24, 2012

    Questions Women Ask

    My latest video. Just a late-night (aka, early morning) video I made for fun.

    Not the best quality because I made it on a whim.

    Enjoy.~

    Wednesday, July 11, 2012

    Show n Tell

    My older sister gave me a blank canvas a while back. I've been wanting to paint it to match my bamboo-themed bathroom.
    Yesterday, I bought some green paint from Michael's and used some brown paint I already had to make...

                      

    While I had all my unwanted junk-mail out as a tarp, I decided to wrap my little sister's birthday present. I made the bow by folding a long strip of the paper, then stapling the middle, then making the ends meet on each side. I topped it with a shiny sticker, and voila.~


    Have a nice day~!

    Wednesday, July 4, 2012

    Captain America's Shield

    A while back, I found a wooden toy shield at a garage sale. :)

    I painted it yellow and planned to put a dragon sticker (or something similarly knightly) on it. I was going to give it to my nephew and teach him to sword fight, which my older sister told me not to.

    I should have listened. When you say, "be soft!" or "don't hit hard," he could care less. He hurt me more than I'd like to admit, hehe.

    So I decided to sit down and repaint the shield.

    I've recently found myself liking Captain America more than usual. I got out my red, white, and blue acrylics and went to work. Here is the result:


    Before I stenciled on the stars:



    This is Captain America's first shield from the film. :) I know the top is a little more wavy than the one in the film, but the shield came shaped that way, so :P

    Saturday, June 30, 2012

    What's that guy doing in here?

    Howdy!

    The fires have been pushed away from my home and I'm not likely to be evacuated now. :)

    Still, prayers and good thoughts are needed for those who have lost their homes, as well as the victim(s) of the flames. We are yet unsure of the number of fatalities. :(


    I haven't done a thing art-wise for a while now-- apart from that sign I showed you in a previous entry.

    Tomorrow I'll be attending a rodeo with the boyfrannn! (If he doesn't work tomorrow... I may have just bought the tickets now, at 2AM, and haven't asked him yet...)

    I love rodeos! Afterward, there will be a dance!

    Slightly related story:

    Last summer, my grandmother (Maw-maw) took the boyfrannn (who is a dark-skinned Dominican) and I to her hometown in Louisiana. There is a bar there which plays live Cajun music in the morning.
    Many people were dancing and, once we stepped in, everyone started giving Joan interested looks. Let's just say that town is a little behind on political standings of sorts...

    Joan and I tried to dance, but the Cajun two-step is NOT my thing. We were too used to pop, so we were shaking our hips and shoulders. Everyone had the right to stare at that point...

    I was embarrassed, so we left the dance floor to stand with my grandmother. Joan surprised us by asking Maw-maw to dance! She actually said yes! He took her to the floor and he was much better without me trying to lead, hehe...

    They danced until the end of the Cajun-French song and I caught it on video! :)

    Later, I overheard my grandmother speaking on the phone to a friend. "I haven't danced in... shoot, 20 years?"

    It was a beautiful thing.


    Monday, June 25, 2012

    Beach Sign

    I'm going to be throwing the boyfrannn's niece a birthday party! A pool party to be exact. I might write a detailed post on that later.~

    Since it's in August, I don't have to rush by any means, but I also live alone and I sometimes get bored out of my mind, so I decided to make these now:


    I used cut planks from my mom's broken fence. I spray-painted one blue. ^^
    My sister has a Cricket so I cut out the word "BEACH" and punched out the letters and used the remaining paper as a stencil. I used white acrylic paint and a cheap foam brush, and voila!




    Saturday, June 23, 2012

    Halloween Music Ideas


    *Again, I'm moving this post form my Tumblr to my Blogspot. Sorry about the off-season holiday posting. :)

    Here’s some tips for your already-awesome Halloween party!
    We’ll start with music! My following posts will include decorations, games, prizes, and crafts! :)
    Many of us, including myself, have searched Google for Halloween songs to add to our playlists. But it seems like everyone suggests the same 10 songs, right? “Thriller”, “This is Halloween”, “The Monster Mash.”

    Well, this year I suggest a more modern alternative. Who says the songs have to be about Halloween to be spooky?
    Create a creepy atmosphere with popular hits and some indie songs to get the party going.
    Here’s ten of my song suggestions.
    ♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪ 
    First up, we have “Disturbia.” If you’re like me and can’t stand Rihanna,  try the rock version by The Cab! The intro is more eerie and the boys do a great job with it!
    Next is “Crawling in the Dark” by Hoobastank.
    Less of a dance tune, “Autumn Story” by Firekites is a great spooky song for Halloween and all of fall.
    “Livin’ La Vida Loca” by Ricky Martin. This song is popular, fun, and involves a creepy tone when he sings about the strange girl.
    If you and your guests have played the recently popular game “Plants vs. Zombies”,“Zombies on Your Lawn” is perfect if you want a little relief from creepy music.
    Try “Magic” by B.o.b. and Rivers Cumos for a good dance tune! It’s fun and pulls in the theme of magic, which will be fun for the witches at the party.
    If you grew up on Scooby Doo in the 90s, you probably remember the movie where the gang visited the swamps of Louisiana and encounter cat-people and zombies. A scene in the movie has the song “It’s Terror Time Again” by Skycycle, which is a really enjoyable song, especially if has the feeling of nostalgia. J
    The not-very-well-known 90s band Allstars made a song called “Bump in the Night”, which is a poppy way to celebrate this cool holiday!
    I love the movie “The Labyrinth!” In it, David Bowie, dawned in awkward tights, sings a song called “Dance Magic,” which is a great dance tune and has me repeating the opening with my sister all the time.
    And, finally, Regina Spektor’s voice incredible and powerful, especially in her song“Apre Moi.” It’s a great song which connotates a spooky air and dark-sounding instruments.
    If you want more music ideas, check out the link below for my Halloween playlist. It has instrumental music if your party isn’t really for dancing and even some classic Halloween hits.

    Halloween Decoration Ideas


    I know Halloween is months away, but I need to move these from my Tumblr page onto my Blogspot. X)

    As for decorations, I honestly found some awesome stuff at Dollar Tree.
    Being my favorite store, it has awesome deals and has products for every season when they come ‘round, which is great for someone who likes to throw seasonal parties.
    Here are some of the items I purchased there:
    I found this creepy cloth which comes in black and gray. I’ll drape the grey over the tables to add an eerie atmosphere and use the black as a cheap (but large) spider web. They also sell awesome velvet spiders.
    Source: http://mathewsfamilyhappenings.blogspot.com/, where you can learn to make an awesome Halloween wreath upon scrolling down! :)
    Dollar Tree also has paper lanterns, which are very cute, but the lights inside don’t always work. It’s rare that they do, plus they require batteries. If you’d like to get the lanterns because of their looks, use these cheap, light-up candles from the same store and place them inside, or just leave them without a light. Either way, they’re super cute.
    There’s also an assortment of wall hangings, stickers, gel window stickies, and more.
      (Target $ section)
     
    (^ Transparent stickers from Dollar Tree)
    I’ve also purchased miniature Styrofoam tombstones from there.
    Wal*Mart has miniature hay-bales for $8, which will continue to be useful to place outside amongst Jack-o-Lanterns or blank pumpkins later in the fall.
    Wal*Mart also has LED “strobe” lights and “blacklights”, but these don’t work well at all. One of the three black lights I purchased was broken and when I tried out another one, I realized these aren’t really blacklights, but, well, black lightbulbs that don’t really give off any light. The LED light was more for a pumpkin and didn’t strobe at all, but rather slowly changed from blue to green to red and wasn’t bright enough for a room.
    From Walgreens, I bought this pack of 25 scented tea candles for $3.99, which I’ll be using to light the party instead of having the room’s lights on.
     They were red, however. They also has orange ones for the fall season. :)
    In addition to my store-bought décor, I’ve also created some crafts to put around my home.
    Have a happy Halloween in... 4 months...

    Halloween Spiderweb Entry



    This craft came from several items I picked up from Dollar Tree. I did this in my last apartment for Halloween 2011.
    SIMPLE FABRIC SPIDER WEB
    Supplies:
    • Push pins
    •  "Creepy Cloth" (x2 or more, as desired) from Dollar Tree, $1
    • "Black Spider" (these come in two sizes. The smaller ones are 2 for $1, the larger is $1.) I love these because of the cool designs on their backs.
    For this craft, you could position the web to a place where guests must walk through it, as I have here:
    Otherwise, pinning it directly to a wall is just as simple. :)
    1. Open and stretch out the "creepy cloth" as desired, leaving either tanlges or letting all the ends out as seen at the bottom of my web.
    2. Using the cloth and your pushpins, tack the fabric to the wall.
    3. Add the spider. The 'web' is made up of many small holes through which the spiders' legs can be pushed. Tangle their feet in the web and viola!!

    Saturday, June 16, 2012

    Family-Friendly Halloween Specials

    For a HUGE list of pretty-much every Halloween special episode/short, click HERE.

    But here is a list of my favorite Halloween specials. :) All are family-friendly!

    1. Shrek Halloween Special: Thriller Night
    (If the video does not work for you, the link is HERE:
    http://youtu.be/g7vCuB-_omY
    This version has Spanish subtitles.
    ESTA VERSION ESTA SUBTITULADA EN ESPAÑOL.)
    Shrek goes to a movie theatre and sees "The Sound of Music" and complains that he wants to see something scary. Donkey has a "spontaneous, musical outburst" and sings "Thriller" throughout the video with other characters who also dance~

    2. Dreamworks Spooky Stories
    Dreamworks whipped up a DVD of 3 Halloween shorts in 2009!
    It includes:

    • "Scared Shrekless"
      • In this short, several characters tell spooky stories
    • "The Ghost of Lord Farquad"
      • Lord Farquad returns and Dragon is still somehow evil. The film was made to be a 4-D attraction at Universal Studios (which I'm proud to say I was able to see when I was younger)
    • A "Monsters vs. Aliens" short called "Mutant Pumpkins"
      • Mutant Jack-o-Lanterns take over Susan's hometown


    They are now available on Netflix! :)


    3. Mickey Mouse's House of Mouse: Donald's Halloween Scare
    http://youtu.be/c7BiNY86xjA
    In 2000, Mickey Mouse's House of Mouse was the cool thing to be watching among my friends and siblings!
    This entire episode is Halloween-themed, but this is just a clip. It features Donald's nephews (Huey, Louie, and Dewey) going trick-or-treating. Their uncle scares them so bad, they drop their candy and must somehow get revenge.


    4. "Garfield's Halloween Adventure"
    Binky the Clown, the creepy star of a children's television show, reminds Garfield that it's Halloween. The famous fat cat convinces Odie to go with him and the two find a haunted mansion.~

    This is a 24-minute-long episode of Garfield. This is family-friendly, however, kids may not have the attention span for this one... Even for a previous Garfield-obsessee, it's a bit dry at times. :)

    5. "Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School"
    This absorbed a large portion of my daily routine at one point of my childhood.
    The voice cast is superb and even includes a newsie! (Mush, to be exact.~)

    Scooby, Shaggy, and Scrappy become substitute teachers at an all-girls (all-monster) school. They compete in a series of games against an all-boys military school next door.~

    This is a movie and can be found in-whole on Youtube here:
    http://youtu.be/4XexWb21-RI


    More to come in the future! Until then, keep in mind that there's only 137 days to Halloween! ;)

    -Gabi

    Easy Hair-Appliance Organization

    Today I saw THIS on Pinterest.

    I had only one folder-organizer and I was going to hang it on a hook on the side of my cabinet, but my hairdryer was too big so it was bending the organzier. :\

    I looked around my home for something else to hang and I found this wired trashcan from Dollar Tree (I swear I should be sponsors by Dollar Tree!). I hung it up and stuffed my hair supplies right in the basket-- where I can easily access them. :)


    Tuesday, June 12, 2012

    Hooray.

    Happy birthday to me!

    It seems every single one of my friends forgot.

    At least my family remembered.~

    And I'm sure the boyfrannn remembered, but unfortunately he is unable to call me. :<

    I wanted to share this picture of the boyfrannn with y'all.~


    Got him that shirt for his high school graduation-- when we first started going out.~
    But it's NOT okay to stare-- he's mine! ;D

    GAH, I miss him! But luckily, he's coming home in two days!! :)

    Thursday, June 7, 2012

    The Displeased: A Poke'mon Creepypasta

    Hi, party people!

    As a child, Poke'mon was a huge part of my life!

    A few months back, it became so again. I created an OC (original character) for Poke'mon, starting re-playing the Gameboy games, re-organized my card collection, and wrote some Poke'mon creepypastas.

    If you don't know, a creepypasta is a short, horror/thriller story.

    Poke'mon creepypastas are a breed of these stories about the fictional world of Poke'mon (which is highly developed).

    I thought I'd share one of my Poke'mon creepypastas with you today! :) If you don't know about Poke'mon, you probably won't understand this in the least... I stopped watching Poke'mon after Johto, the second era of the Poke'mon series, so if you only have knowledge about Johto or even Kanto, you should be fine. :)

    http://smokeylove11.deviantart.com/art/Poke-mon-The-Displeased-252576278

    Enjoy~! <3
    A piece of Poke'mon fanart I made for a contest (Nyan Cat + Charizard)

    Saturday, May 12, 2012

    Super 19th Birthday

    Hi, all!

    So I'll be turning 19 in exactly one month! :)

    After seeing "The Avengers", I've decided to have a superhero-themed birthday party!
    Yes, I'm a freakin' 4 year old at heart, okay?
    Are you ever too old to be super?


    In case you or your kiddos wanna have a superhero party as well, here are some ideas I have so far! :)




    1. INVITATIONS

    THIS webpage has an awesome invitation! I used my slightly advanced technological skillzzz and edited the text a little bit to make it more adult. (So it wouldn't say things like "play clothes".)

    I signed the letter as "Director Gabi." I think, at the party, I will wear a badge with "Director Gabi" written on it.

    Also, I will provide name tags of some sort for my guests to write their 'superhero names' which they can create themselves. :)

    I printed off THESE and pasted them onto envelopes for the invites, as instructed on the aforementioned website.~














    2. DECORATIONS

    My absolute favorite part about any party!


    IF YOU WANT AN "AVENGERS" PARTY:
    I visited Party City (which is the Taj Mahal of party supplies-- they have every theme I could think of!) for some ideas.


    First, I saw an Avengers end-cap with a bunch of costumes, including the Iron Man chest piece (the glowing circle on his chest) which made me want it really bad.

    Next, I saw they had Avengers plates, cups, buckets for snacks, tattoos, wristbands, and even Avengers streamers!

    See the activities below under "ACTIVITIES" for ideas for games. :)

    IF YOU WANT A CLASSIC COMIC BOOK SUPERHERO PARTY:
    I decide to go with an old-fashion superhero theme (like the invitations-- old-timey, comicbooky heros).

    Such a theme includes basic colors like green, blue, red, and yellow.

    So I went to Dollar Tree and picked up yellow utensils, green plates, and red cups.

    For a tablecloth, I'm going to be using newspaper as seen HERE, as newspaper is a common theme in superhero stories. ^^

    I'll be using streamers and balloons of the aforementioned colors. :)

    I like to scatter balloons along the floor and put streamers in doorways for guests to scramble through.~

    Balloons with characters on them should have helium inside and float to the ceiling or be tied down. :)

    White crayon looks so cool against a black background! I picked up some black poster board (2 for $1 at Dollar Tree!) and I'm going to either draw windows or paste yellow construction paper as windows, onto the blackness.~
    These will be background props. :)








    3. ACTIVITIES

    GAME 1: Able to Leap Tall Buildings
    When I was in Tae Kwon Do, we would stack up sparring pads and see who could jump over the most.

    I decided to do that same thing, but with 'buildings'! Superheros should be "able to leap tall buildings", right?

    Use this picture as an example on how to make the 'buildings'.

    Simply cover boxes with city shades (greys, blacks) and put yellow sticky notes or squares of paper to look like windows.

    Have guests run toward the boxes and leap over them! (One at a time-- form a line.)

    Use a miniature trampoline if you'd like! That's how I've always played the game (running and jumping from the trampoline over the blocks).

    After everyone has a turn jumping, add a few more buildings, then everyone tries to jump them again.

    You're out if you touch the buildings!

    Whoever can jump the most buildings wins!


    GAME 2: Free the Frozen Heroes!

    Oh, no! Mr. Freeze has frozen some superheros in ice!!

    Buy several very small action figures (there are miniature Spiderman, Captain America, Iron Man, and other figurines at Dollar Tree) and freeze them in Tupperware before the party.

    When it's time for this game, take out the frozen heroes and give one to each participant (or each team).

    Whoever completely unfreezes the figurine (using only their breath or warmth from their clothing,  OR hairdryers or water if that's going too slowly) wins the game!! Everyone gets to keep their figurine. :)

    I think it's pretty dang amazing that I came up with this game myself, but there is a tutorial on how to play this exact same game HERE. Haha, check out that site as well! :)

    GAME 3: Puzzles
    Sometimes villains may have traps or puzzles for a superhero to solve!


    I bought these two 100-piece superhero puzzles from Dollar Tree.

    Separate guests into two teams (or as many teams as you have puzzles) and have a relay to see who can finish the fastest.




    GAME 4: Who am I?
    Egads! It seems you've been in a harsh superhero battle, got knocked in the head, and have forgotten your identity!

    Place superhero stickers (or simply tape pieces of paper which read the name of a superhero) to each player's back (or forehead).

    Use a range of heroes like:*
    SpidermanBatman
    Superman
    The Hulk
    Superman
    Wonder Woman
    Captain America
    Thor
    Wolverine
    Green Lantern
    Iron Man
    Black Widow
    Mr. Incredible
    (Let kids know what range of films the characters could be from.)

    *Or use more illusive heroes for adults or older teens.


    Make sure they don't see which superhero is on their back!

    Each person walks around and asks other guests YES or NO questions.

    "Am I a girl?"
    "Can I fly?"
    "Am I a Marvel hero?"

    They do this in order to guess who they are.

    Whoever comes to you/the host, and guesses correctly which hero they are, is the winner!

    GAME 5: Faster than a Speeding Bullet

    Create a relay race or an obstacle course for your guests.
    Idea from:  catchmyparty.com/photos/429375 

    Put things like tunnels to test agility, a bean-bag toss to test accuracy, carrying weights from one point to another to test strength, crossing beams to test balance, etc! Think of as many super powers as you can and incorporate them in the course!



    Foam boards are available for purchase at Dollar Tree and, of course, Office Depot.






    I'm using Spiderman balls from Dollar Tree instead of beanbags.






    GAME 6: Phone Booth Changing Station
     
    Set up several "phone booths" as shown in the picture, or maybe a couple of stalls separated by curtains.

    Give each guest an outfit to put on OVER their current outfit! Mask, sweatpants, large tee, and cape*-- maybe more?

    *(Red CAPES are available at Target for $2 in the party section. They have adjustable Velcro neck-straps and can fit children to adults.)

    Whoever puts on the whole costume the fastest is the winner! (Make sure each guest has the same number of clothing articles.)

    Large boxes can be picked up for free from La-Z Boy furniture stores if you go inside and request a few.~

    Otherwise, you'll need to ask department stores like Wal*Mart to hold large boxes for you.

    Click HERE for the source of this phone booth and more superhero party ideas!

    GAME 7: Hulk Smash


    Have guests break open a super-themed pinata!

    OR blow up a bunch of balloons and have guests, in teams, pop a set number of balloons by sitting on them.

    Each team lines up in front of two chairs. Each player has a balloon in hand. Once someone places the balloon on the chair and sits on it to pop it, the next player in lines runs up to pop their balloon, and so on and so on.

    Whichever team gets through all of their balloons first wins!

    GAME 8: Web War


    Buy a can of silly string from Dollar Tree or elsewhere for each guest (have a few back-ups because sometimes they don't work).

    Have everyone in a different part of the yard and, once the host says "GO!", guests rush at each other with the cans and have a spray fight!

    Be sure to tell guests not to spray each other in the face.~

    A bit aimless, but it's a good way to burn energy and get messy-- which, let's be honest, all kids love. :)


    4. SNACKS

    I bought green rock candy on sale at Party City. I'm going to label it "KRYPTONITE" :)

    Keep it on the stick or break it up and put it in baggies.



    Following the basic colors of the party, check HERE for some cute, classic-colored snacks!




    Idea from dollartree.com


    For popsicles and drinks, I bought a smaller Styrofoam cooler from Dollar Tree. I found some old super-hero rub-ons and put them onto the cooler. :)

    Put streamers, stickers, or drawings on the cooler to spruce it up! Or paint it.











    Using the same rub-ons, I decorated this foax gumball machine! Inside, I'll put gumballs that match the colors. :)


    Here's a tutorial on how to make these cute fake gumball machines!
    http://craftingwithintention.blogspot.com/2011/06/gumball-machine.html




     Entree's can include hotdogs and hambugers in honor of the good ol' boy, Captain America; pizza (as delivered by Spiderman in "Spiderman 2" or NY pizza as homage to Iron Man, who lives in New York; or tuna in reference to Catwoman.

    Also, remember when Thor smashed the cup and demanded "another!"? That was coffee he was drinking, so, for an adult party, mention Thor if having coffee. :) Also, apparently Asgardians drink a lot of liquor, so...

    5. MUSIC

    I always use Playlist.com for every single event I have. It's amazing and free! :)

    Playlist doesn't always have the best selection, but whether you're using it, iTunes, or CD's, here are a few options for background music for your super party:
     
    -Spiderman by Michael Buble'
    -The Incredibles soundtrack by Michael Giacchino
    -The Dark Knight Theme by Hans Zimmer
    -Superman Theme by John Williams
    -Iron Man by Black Sabbath
    -Superman by Five for Fighting
    -Walk by the Foo Fighters (their contribution to the Thor soundtrack, the ending credits)
    -Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down
    -Static Shock by Little Romeo (this may only be recognizable by children of the 90s)

    6. FAVORS

    A popular favor for superhero parties is masks! I'll be giving out felt masks at my party. Cut your own masks from felt, paper, or foam and use yarn or stretchy string to fasten them.~

    I took some 3-D glasses from my local theatre and I hot-glued felt masks onto them.
    Must sturdier than elastic straps and they stay in place better. :)

    I'm also going to allow guests to decorate a mask of their choosing (I used many different colors and used two templates found HERE) with jewels from Dollar Tree's craft section. You can also cut out lightning bolts (I tried until I realized I'm the worst lightning bolt artist on Earth, hehe) or polka dots, stars, hearts, etc.


    HERE are some examples.~

    ohgoodiedesigns.com/2012/03/super-girl-party.html
    Ring Pops (especially green ones, as in "The Green Lantern" can be used during the party as props for the kids. :)

    PEZ can be a cute favor for guest of all ages! Many superhero PEZ dispensers exist. :)


    Example: http://pinterest.com/pin/206039751671707630/

     Capes are good (particularly if time is taken for the guests to decorate them), but more for kids than older teens and adults.






    Here are my gift bags and just a few goodies (from, you guessed it, Dollar Tree-- I should be sponsored!).

    Well, that's all my ideas for now! I get bored sometimes and plan things months in advance, hehe.~

    I hope you enjoyed these tips, some of which are not original ideas and have been accredited to their owners.

    I hope you have a super party!! :)

    Friday, May 4, 2012

    C.P.R. is an L.I.E. (in movies)

    Here's my latest video!

    Using the characters Payter ("Peter" from the snow infomercial
    video) and Chayder, I explain how
    CPR is portrayed falsely in movies. :)


    Tuesday, May 1, 2012

    Faiv Thangs

    Hihi!

    So here is a little cliche' video for ya. <3

    Peace, love, and basking sharks~!

    -Gabi

    Thursday, April 26, 2012

    The Great Moth Migration: Moth Diaries, Log #2

    Every year, miller moths migrate to and through Colorado.
    Cute and harmless, but scary. :(

    Some years the plague is far worse than others.

    This years seems to be particularly popular for the little buggies.

    Two entries ago featured me cowering in the bathroom because a moth flew by me.

    Luckily, I've figured out that my cat eats the moths if she can catch them!

    I don't believe in flat-out killing them, but if she gets sport and a snack, that means they served a purpose. X)

    She just nom-nom-nommed a poor fella. :<

    I'd prefer saving them, but I'm such a chicken!!

    They'll be here for a while apparently. Until summer, I think I read.

    In other news, I'll have a video for you Monday.

    Tomorrow night will be Disney Princess Movie Marathon night at my apartment with my gal pals.~

    And, as for right now, I'm watching Hercules! I find mythology fascinating, but I feel awkward and a bit guilty watching them. Like I'm rooting for the 'good guy'-- a guy made up in place of my Lord and Saviour.. :\

    Mixed emotionssss...

    Until next time~!
    -Gabi

    Monday, April 23, 2012

    "We're get'n hitch'd!"

    My dream dress <3 In white, of course
    A while back, I decided I'd someday like to conduct a series of interviews for YouTube.

    I would visit one woman every week and question her about her wedding experience.

    Some would make you cry, some would make you laugh in disbelief of how catastrophic that day was, etc. :)

    I'd still like to do this at some point. Maybe after I finish this 365(ish) thingy, I can cut down to a video a week, or every two weeks, or have no schedule at all.~

    And I'm sure it'd get old after a while, but its a nice thought.

    My friend Kimberlee is getting married next year and has asked me to be a bridesmaid!

    I was the Maid of Honor at my sister's wedding and a bridesmaid at one of my boyfrannn's close friend's wedding. :)
    A photo I edited of the 2nd wedding I was in

    I've also attended my brother's wedding, which was glamorous...

    I want a HUGE wedding.

    My mother says that you spend a lot of time stressing over it, but then you forget the details as if it's just another day in your life.


    I do hope that's not true for everyone...

    I have so many plans...

    The boyfrannn and I have been planning to marry for a long time now. We believe that's what dating is for. :)

    May 11th is our 2 year dating anniversary!

    We celebrate by reliving our first date: Olive Garden and a movie (Shrek 4 was the first one).

    Anyway, we plan on marrying once we graduate college. I'm not sure how we came to this decision, but I think it was mine and he hopped right on board (I can't imagine why-- how can you stand to be away from me for more than moments? I'm irresistible! Haa, just kidding. ;D )

     So, in a few more years, I'll be picking out table scatter, lighting, and, of course, the perfect dress! :)

    Waiting is the most stressful part...


    If you'd like to follow me on Pinterest, here's my page!
    http://pinterest.com/giftsofgab365/

    I have a few wedding boards which I can't wait to fill! :)