A Girl Can Dream: Holiday Wishlist 2009, Part 5

So, December has come and it's time for presents once again. The "A Girl Can Dream" posts are, well, pretty much exactly what it says on the tin: they're stuff I wish I could buy for myself. The sorts of things that make me sigh and say, "Oh if only I had [insert obscenely large amount of money here]; this is what I'd do with it."

None of these entries have absolutely anything to do with advertising or what-not. It's a wishlist. That's all.

HOLIDAY WISHLIST PART 5: FIGURES GALORE

[OMG YAY last one!]

This was the very first year that I had heard about such things called Figma and Nendoroid. Plastic/resin sculpted figures, well, I knew about those already. And very many Figma, figures, and Nendoroids out on the market are irresistibly cute, as will be seen in this entry.

The problem with finding out about these sorts of things is that, of course, one comes to WANT SOME, to the detriment of budgets and lifestyles and etcetera thereof....

All pictures unless otherwise indicated from the official English website of Good Smile Company. Please don't make the same mistake I did - DON'T get bootlegs, only get the original stuff!

FIGURES

Asahina Mikuru, Suzumiya Haruhi, and Nagato Yuki, Extravaganza Version 1/8 PVC figures, by Max Factory. Original picture from A World Through Lenses.

This three-figure set comes from a popular official art piece of the central characters from "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya", which depicted the SOS-Dan as members of a rock band. Don't they look smashingly good?

FIGMAS

figma Saber: Armor Ver.

Everyone loves the stately majesty and kickass potential of King Arthuria a/k/a Servant Saber from the Fate/Stay Night series of games and anime, and I'm one of her fans. This figma of her looks so toothsome and cute. She looks like she could guard my toy chest and/or books....

A Girl Can Dream: Holiday Wishlist 2009, Part 4

So, December has come and it's time for presents once again. The "A Girl Can Dream" posts are, well, pretty much exactly what it says on the tin: they're stuff I wish I could buy for myself. The sorts of things that make me sigh and say, "Oh if only I had [insert obscenely large amount of money here]; this is what I'd do with it."

None of these entries have absolutely anything to do with advertising or what-not. It's a wishlist. That's all.

HOLIDAY WISHLIST PART 4: ATLANTICA ONLINE

I thought my interest in Atlantica Online was waning, but...well, seeing as something brilliant happened to me just today with regards to this wishlist - I'll keep going, hahaha.

1. KITTY BAG

This accessory is one of the most sought-after items in Atlantica Online. You carry a cute kitten in a knapsack on your main character's back; there's a little rod with a fish hanging off a hook, and every now and then the kitty bats at the fish. Stat boosts: Attack Power: 400-500, Vitality: +70, Defense: 500. Random drop from Wild Cat's Pocket Watch.

2-3. LUCIFER'S WINGS / MICHAEL'S WINGS

After the Kitty Bag above, these two back accessories rank on the must-have list. The character on top has the Michael's; the one on the bottom has the Lucifer's. The Lucifer's Wings were the first wing-type items to come out of the game, and for a few people, are still the coolest ones, though rivaled closely by the Michael's Wings. No, they neither flap nor allow you to fly - but they make you look GOOD. Stat boosts: Lucifer's Wings - Attack Power: 350-450, Vitality: +60, Defense: 500; Michael's Wings - Attack Power: 450-550, Vitality: +80, Defense: 500. Lucifer's Wings are a random drop from Pledge of Citratus; Michael's Wings are a random drop from Gabriel's Deliverance.

4. SCARLET COSTUME HORNS

Okay, here's the deal. Here is a female main character wearing the full Scarlet Outfit set i.e. Costume + Horns. (And Lucifer's Wings for good measure.) The Costume is self-explanatory; the Horns give the white hairstyle, the cross on the forehead, the pointed ears, and the namesake horns. All three items used to be on my wishlist.

Until this morning. I'd been idly looking at the world broadcasts in my server, and found a message stating that someone wanted to trade hir Scarlet Costume for a Changshan Costume.

If you remember how I got my Changshan Costume, well, you can see where this is going.

Got LUCKY again in terms of costumes. After the trade was completed:



Now I wish that I could obtain the same luck with regards to the head decoration.

Stat boosts: Scarlet Costume - Vitality: +50; Scarlet Horns - Vitality: +50. Each item is a random drop from Iris' Promise.

***

Do you spend real money on virtual items? Tell me about your MMOs and the items you want.

Watch out for the rest of the "A Girl Can Dream" posts. :)

A Girl Can Dream: Holiday Wishlist 2009, Part 3

So, December has come and it's time for presents once again. The "A Girl Can Dream" posts are, well, pretty much exactly what it says on the tin: they're stuff I wish I could buy for myself. The sorts of things that make me sigh and say, "Oh if only I had [insert obscenely large amount of money here]; this is what I'd do with it."

None of these entries have absolutely anything to do with advertising or what-not. It's a wishlist. That's all.

HOLIDAY WISHLIST PART 3: CHARITIES AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

Lest you think that the long list of things I'd like to do with a huge amount of money is all about me - well, the answer to that should really just be a rather emphatic no. There are organizations out there that are working to make the world a much better place than it is now. They deserve to be supported. Here are the ones I believe in.

1. Philippine National Red Cross

After Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng (international names Ketsana and Parma) hit the Philippines in September and October this year, I couldn't make time to volunteer at the various relief centers. So I did the next best thing: give money to the Philippine Red Cross. I already believe in their blood donation advocacy; I believe even more in their efforts to reach out and help as many people as they could even when they themselves are in danger or are already overextended.

2. World Wide Fund for Nature

I hope that this WWF will not go the way of radical "green/environmentalist/animal rights" groups that in their excess of zeal and lack of common sense turn themselves into objects of ridicule. At least I know that they're still working tirelessly to save the planet and its endangered species, despite the stigma of being associated with the aforementioned groups.

3. Project Gutenberg

Preserving books whose copyrights have already expired (at least in the US) by turning them into good-quality e-book versions. No one is hurt and future generations can get ahold of classic books and great reads in media that they can access and understand more easily - what's not to like? I really should look into volunteering for that "Distributed Proofreading" thing that they do.

4. The Office of Letters and Light

They say they believe in "ambitious acts of the imagination". These are the fine folks behind National Novel Writing Month (November of every year) and Script Frenzy (April of every year). Each program has a corresponding Young Writers Program for - you guessed it - kids in school who want to learn how to write. I support them because they're all for literacy and for literature, and because they work very hard to better not only the world at large, but everyone who participates in their programs too.

***

Do you support any charities or non-profit organizations? Tell me about the ones you volunteer for/give money to/help manage or lead in the comments.

Watch out for the rest of the "A Girl Can Dream" posts. :)

A Girl Can Dream: Holiday Wishlist 2009, Part 2

So, December has come and it's time for presents once again. The "A Girl Can Dream" posts are, well, pretty much exactly what it says on the tin: they're stuff I wish I could buy for myself. The sorts of things that make me sigh and say, "Oh if only I had [insert obscenely large amount of money here]; this is what I'd do with it."

None of these entries have absolutely anything to do with advertising or what-not. It's a wishlist. That's all.

HOLIDAY WISHLIST PART 2: TAKARAZUKA KAGEKIDAN

Having been a while since I last posted about my fandoms, have a wishlist composed of the DVDs and shows I'd like to collect from my one and only favorite all-female theater group, the Takarazuka Revue.

Soragumi - My first and foremost favorite troupe.

a. Nostalgia Across the Sea / Millennium Challenger! 2000-2001 - Because Hanafusa Mari as Catherine the Great meshes so well with Wao Youka as a shipwrecked samurai, and because the revue, Millennium Challenger, is a bit of a Y2K headtrip.


b. Castel Mirage / Dancing Spirit! 2001 - Partly for the story and the amazing dance sequences in Castel Mirage, and partly because it has Kozuki Wataru as the "second man" for Wao.


c. Pierre the Mercenary / The Star Dust Party 2003 - Because, COME ON, it's Hanafusa as Jeanne d'Arc.


d. Casablanca 2009-2010 - I am SO getting the DVD for this when it comes out. New Top Stars Oozora Yuuhi and Nono Sumika play the star-crossed lovers Rick Blaine and Ilsa Lund, with Ranju Tomu as Victor Laszlo. This is why I love Sora so much: they're the only ones who would DARE an undertaking of this magnitude.

A Girl Can Dream: Holiday Wishlist 2009, Part 1

So, December has come and it's time for presents once again. The "A Girl Can Dream" posts are, well, pretty much exactly what it says on the tin: they're stuff I wish I could buy for myself. The sorts of things that make me sigh and say, "Oh if only I had [insert obscenely large amount of money here]; this is what I'd do with it."

None of these entries have absolutely anything to do with advertising or what-not. It's a wishlist. That's all.

HOLIDAY WISHLIST PART 1: BEAUTY

As unglamorous as my real life might be - going into the office bare-faced is the rule instead of the exception - I also do want to be able to use certain really classic and useful bits of make-up and glamorous things. The following products are the ones I've always wanted to have.

1. EYES: Stila Smudge Pots

Pictured is the Holiday Smudge Pot Collection: the smudge pots are smaller, but there's a free brush.

If there's any piece of my face I like to highlight, it's my eyes. Yes, I'm painfully aware that they tend to stay hidden behind corrective lenses. Hence a wish for some really saturated eye colorings. As I understand it these babies can do double duty as liners or as shadows. I particularly favor the Cobalt and Starry Night blue pots, and the Kitten shade is great for everyday use.

2. LIPS: Clinique Color Surge Butter Shine Lipstick

These lipsticks are located in that beauty limbo between lipstick and lipgloss and are, for all that, my preferred sort of lip product. I read that when they first came out the bullets of color were so soft that the company had to rebuild their lipstick containers completely in order to support them. I think the shades that might suit me are Pink Goddess and Fresh Watermelon.

3. MULTI-PURPOSE MAKEUP: NARS the Multiple

I prefer to be a woman of a few products, and few products beat something proudly called "The Multiple". The Orgasm shade is acclaimed because it works on nearly any skin color and tone. I think I'd probably be more prone to using this on eyes and cheeks.

4. PERFUME: The Body Shop White Musk Fragrance Oil / CK One Eau de Toilette

Yes, these two are my absolute favorite perfumes in all the wild and decadent worlds of all the scents that ever appeared on this planet. Yes, I am aware of how *old* they are, thank you very much. I prefer to call them "classic". The mere fact that each scent has been around for so long and is still a best-seller proves just how alluring they are. For me, they're the two perfect scents for all possible occasions.

***

That's it for the beauty products wishlist. Yes, it will be very short compared to the other lists I'll be drawing up. Anyway, I did say I wasn't much for primping and preening - but I want to be able to do it RIGHT when I absolutely have to.

Watch out for the rest of the "A Girl Can Dream" posts. :)