Teddy Bear Picnic

Each year a different part of the library hosts a lunch for the whole library. This year it was our turn (Resources & Access) to host the lunch. My manager decided to have a teddy bears picnic, which we held outside.
I was part of the organising team, which I really enjoyed. For the picnic I made my chocolate brownies. The picnic was a real success!

I wore a new dark green dress from New Look that I got on sale (they have a BUNCH of really awesome plus size stuff at the moment, I wish I had enough money to buy it all)

This was the drinks and prizes table. We had two other tables filled with food. I'm holding my childhood toy, Charlie, who is a dog not a bear :)

 

 

Here are my two favourite co-workers. I made the Avengers cross stitch for the one on the left, and the Game of Thrones cross stitch for the one on the right. I'm so glad that I get to work with these two, they put up with my silliness and make me want to come into work to be with them.

Horror Movie Review: The Changeling

I found The Changeling (1980) to be a very spooky film. It's about a ghost seeking revenge, and a old Gothic house.

Following the death of his wife and daughter, Dr. John Russell moves from New York to Seattle. He rents a historic run down Victorian mansion, suggested by some friends. He's a pianist, and starts a new job at a University.

Soon strange things start happening around the house. He is woken up by strange echoing bangs at the exact same time each morning. He hears sounds of someone else in the house.

He goes to his friend, Claire, at the Historical Society (who he rents the house from) and asks for her help to figure out what's going on.

Back in the house he discovers a secret attic room boarded up behind a fake closet. The room seems to have belonged to a young child. Even spookier, John finds a music box that plays the exact same tune that he was composing on his piano.

DON'T GO UP THERE, YOU IDIOT!

 

Claire and John try to find more information about who lived in the house. The Historical Society archives for the house don't run back to 1909, so they go to a library (YAY LIBRARIES!) and look at the newspaper microfilm. They find out that a young girl who lived in the house, named Cora Bernard, died in an accident.

When the haunting continues, John invited a medium into the house and they have a seance. They find out that the ghost in not the young girl Cora but a boy named Joseph. After the seance, John listens to the recording he made and notices another voice answering the questions (aaah! creepy!).

This is where the film really picks up. John and Claire do some research and realise that everything revolves around Senator Carmichael. I'm not going to give away the rest of the film, I highly suggest you watch it because it's very interesting.

A lot of the scenes really drag out and are slow, but I find this really helps with the creepy atmosphere. I suggest watching this at night with no lights on, certain to give you chills! It's really the small things that get me scared in a horror film. Having fake jump scares just annoy me (like a cat jumping out of a closed room). This film has all the spooky ghost things that I love, it's even better when you actually don't see what's causing the scares because it lets your imagination run wild!

Scare factor: 2/5 Gave me goosebumps
Gore factor: 0/5 None
Boob factor: 0/5 None
OVERALL: 7/10 A good scary film.

Horror Movie Review: The Abominable Dr. Phibes

The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) is a very, very strange horror film. Set in 1925, it tells of Dr. Phibes seeking revenge on doctors who he thinks killed his wife. He does this in a strange way, setting up elaborate death scenes based on the ten plagues of Egypt.

The first death was by bats. I think they're cute!

This guy had his blood drained out.

Death by locusts. For some reason she was coated in brussel sprout juice beforehand. She apparently took a sedative so that's why she didn't wake up (so random!)

The horrible burnt face of Dr. Phibes!

Inspector Trout is on the case from Scotland Yard. Dr. Phibes is apparently dead, so the Inspector has to follow the clues to figure out why these people are dying.

I found this film to be a bit confusing at times, there were scenes of randomness that didn't seem to fit anywhere. I'd like to have more explanation of Dr. Phibes and who the hell is assistant is. There was some black humour, and I actually really enjoyed it once the film picked up. I'd suggest watching this if you enjoy older films (Hammer Horror, etc)

Scare factor: 0/5 I wasn't frightened at all
Gore factor: 2/5 Stage blood, but you don't see anyone getting killed.
Boob factor: 0/5 None
OVERALL: 5/10

Horror Movie Review: The Woman

It's movies like The Woman (2011) that make me realise how desensitised I am to horror films. It's a bit hard to watch at times, some of the situations make me squirm. Not in the "this is too gross to watch" sense, but the "I want to punch that guy because he's a dick" sense. There is quite a lot of blood in this film and a lot of "what the hell?" kind of scenes.
I don't really want to give a lot of the film away, so this may seem very short.

The Cleek family seem to be the typical American family. Chris is the head of the family, he rules over his submissive wife, two daughters and son.
While out hunting one day, Chris comes along a feral woman bathing in a stream. He captures her and sets her up in the cellar of the house.

He want to 'civilise' the woman, and his family reluctantly do as they're told. The woman is subjected to torment from both Chris Cleek and his young son.
As the movie progresses we get to know the family more. Chris is a real horrible man, and his son is following in his footsteps. His wife is timid and does everything her husband says, the eldest daughter is hiding something and the youngest daughter seems oblivious.

I really enjoyed this film. I loved how the actors playing the family all had the same type of hair, so they actually seemed like a family. The film didn't seem to drag, and everything was really well shot.
Like a lot of revenge horror films starring women (Last House on the Left, and I Spit On Your Grave) you hope that the woman survives and goes crazy killer on the people who wronged her.

Scare factor: 0/5 I wasn't frightened at all
Gore factor: 5/5 Realistic and crunchy
Boob factor: 3/5 One set of boobs and a rape scene.
OVERALL: 7/10 Enjoyable, I'll watch it again!

The Loft: Trinity

Last Sunday The Loft was on again! It's been a while since it has run, and I've really missed being able to DJ and go for a dance. The Loft will be running monthly now, but it's better than nothing.
This time was a special Cure, New Order, Depeche Mode night. I got to play mostly Cure songs, I only had a half hour set but I fit in five songs.

Here is what I wore:

Net shirt thing: New Look

Skirt: Big W

Belt: Torrid? I can't remember

Ripped tights: various

Winklepickers: Pennangalan

 

I'm wearing my lovely Pennangalan winklepickers. They're finally back from the cobbler, who put a new sole on them. Very comfy and easy to dance in.

 

My hair is faded and needs another dye.

 

Here I am with my beautiful friend Merissa

Here is my setlist:
The Walk by The Cure
Cities in Dust by Siouxsie and the Banshees
Logic by Sisters of Mercy
Primary by The Cure
Digital by Joy Division
Just Like Heaven by The Cure
Let's Go To Bed by The Cure
I Ran (So Far Away) by Flock of Seagulls
Lovecats by The Cure

Horror Movie Review: Phantasm

Phantasm (1979) is a strange cult film, and I'm not sure if I like it or not. The acting is pretty terrible and the storyline is a bit silly. It's filled with lots of characters you only see once, and characters who are given names but you don't know who the hell they are. I'm going to keep this one pretty short.

Mike, a 13 year old boy, is being looked after by his older brother Jody. Both of their parents have died, and they only have each other left. Mike is scared that Jody will leave and make him live with his aunt, so Mike follows Jody around everywhere.

While Jody is at a friends funeral, Mike sees something strange. A heavy coffin that took many men to lift, is lifted by the creepy mortician (by himself) when the mourners have all left. Mike sees it as he has been hiding watching his brother.

I seriously thought Mike was a girl at first.

Mike becomes very suspicious of the mortician and the cemetery. Jody and Mike become more involved in the strange happenings, as they're attacked by midgets in brown hoods and they investigate the funeral home. Overlooking all is the creepy Tall Man (who I didn't find very creepy)

Overall I wasn't very impressed. I found that scenes dragged on too long, and nothing was really explained. The dialogue seems very outdated now, and I laughed a few lines. I don't think I've seen a horror film set around a cemetery before, so that's a plus! I didn't feel creeped out at all, and I left a bit disappointed. It's worth seeing if you haven't already, but I probably won't watch it again.

Scare factor: 0/5 I wasn't frightened at all.
Gore factor: 4/5 Fake blood, but great effects!
Boob factor: 2/5 One set of boobs
OVERALL: 3/10 Not a big fan

Budget

My goal for 2013 is to go overseas again. I'm aiming to go to Whitby in November, and visit my family in Leicester. I would also love to travel over Europe.
To do this I need to stick to a budget, which is hard but worth it. I need to start saving now, because airfares cost $2000! :(

I'm setting limits for myself, but I'm also going to reward my good saving behaviour. When I reach my monthly goal I'll buy myself something that I've been wanting.
Since I've have good income it's always easy for my to just buy things in one go. This means that I never have any money to save. When I get my fortnightly pay I'll put some away in my saving and make sure NOT TO TOUCH IT!

When shopping I always look at the thing I'm about to buy. I think "do I REALLY need this?" "is it something that I can get on ebay, or I won't see ever again?"
This makes me put back a lot of things, because I don't really need more makeup. I don't really need that book, because I can wait for a few months (and I probably won't read it straight away).

I need some saving inspiration! I'm going to find some photographs of the places I want to visit. I should print them out and put them on my wall.

Paris Catacombs

 

Vienna Funeral Museum

 

London Punks

Yes please! *grabby hands*

 

Whitby Abbey

 

Do you have any good budget ideas?