Star Wars

How to Choose Your Next Star Wars Cosplay Character

Happy May the 4th Star Wars Fanboys & Fangirls! How are you celebrating? Watching the movies? Like Yoda talking exclusively? Making Wookie Cookies? I, personally, am spending it contemplating my next cosplay undertaking. And obviously it’s Star Wars cosplay.

Last weekend was the first comic con for our team in 7 months. Naturally post-con discussions always include what’s next. The next con. The next costume. And even better, the next group costume! We have established a stellar cosplay crew, so costume selection has an extra dimension. Can we find a fandom that everyone is interested in? And one that has characters that appeal to each of our distinctly different personalities? Conveniently Star Wars seems like it could fit the bill. First, who doesn’t love Star Wars? Seriously… if someone in your group doesn’t you should consider icing them out until they either change their mind or fade into friendship obscurity. And there is a wide variety of people/aliens/heroes/villains so everyone can be satisfied with their new persona.

Whether you use it for picking a solo cosplay creation or to plan out a group deal, here is a convenient breakdown of who some of your typical cosplay personalities should pick for their next Star Wars cosplay:

The One Who’s Made of Money

We all know those cosplayers; the ones who seem too have an unlimited supply of funds. They buy all of the official merchandise and end up with perfectly commissioned costumes (because they would never sink to the level of piecing together that one-of-a-kind creation out of hot glue and sheer will). These cosplays are more about the wearing than the making. There’s nothing wrong with this approach; it ends up looking perfect.
Typical Cosplay Choices: Iron Man, Sauron

Star Wars Cosplay Character: Stormtrooper

Image Sources: 1 / 2 / 3

The One With a Hero Complex

We all have friends who are so pure of heart that they can’t cosplay anything but the ultimate hero. And let’s be serious, there’s no way they could pull off being bad anyways. If you are or you know one of these shining knights make sure to embrace their charming chivalry and help them find their next fandom-saving costume.
Typical Cosplay Choices: Link, Captain America, Harry Potter

Star Wars Cosplay Character: Luke Skywalker (or any random Jedi)

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The Princess

For some people the main appeal of cosplay is the chance to dress up like you live in an era long past, one where ladies wore gowns and dresses that we now mainly associate with Disney Princesses. The hair-curled/make-up-perfect princess in your crew is not satisfied with a group cosplay unless she can undertake a new sewing project that includes at least one of a hoop skirt, corset top, or bustle.
Typical Cosplay Choices: Belle, Zelda, Margaery Tyrell

Star Wars Cosplay Character: Queen Amidala

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The One Who is Too Cute to Handle

Some people are just adorable. There’s nothing else too it. Sometimes these people are also children. Either way, it’s important to make full use of the cutest member of your crew; the Awwwww Factor gets attention.
Typical Cosplay Choices: Totoro, Tinkerbell, Anything Done by Anyone Under the Age of 10

Star Wars Cosplay Character: BB-8

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The One Who Shows All of the Skin

You know who you are… the ladies who love the sexy aspect of cosplay. It’s a chance to let your inhibitions go and wear something you typically never would (or maybe you would all of the time if you could… I don’t judge). Star Wars has possibly the most iconic character for this member of your Star Wars cosplay crew.
Typical Cosplay Choices: Poison Ivy, Mystique, Jessica Rabbit

Star Wars Cosplay Character: Slave Leia

Image Sources: 1 / 2 / 3

The Badass Who Can’t Hide It

It’s hard to be a Disney Princess when you are such a badass that it can’t be contained. You need to be able to move. You need to be doing. You need a weapon in you hand. The badassery flows off you in waves.
Typical Cosplay Choices: Arya, Black Widow, Katniss

Star Wars Cosplay Character: Rey

Image Sources: 1 / 2 / 3

The Bro Who Kind of Wants to Throw Together a Costume

Every group has a bro… not just cosplay crews but any group in general in life. The cool guy. Or a chick with so much chill that she inherits the bro name despite being female. This is the person to cast as your rogue. The flirt. The ladies man with all the charm… but who is also all the trouble.
Typical Cosplay Choices: Star-Lord, Archer, Han Solo (…oh…wait…)

Star Wars Cosplay Character: Poe Dameron

Image Sources: 1 / 2 / 3

What’s your choice? Let us know in the comments and May the 4th be with you!
Love & Luck,
Kris

May 4, 2016 0 comment

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Our Favourite Things: Strong Female Characters

written by Kris Padget

? Rain Drops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens… Confirmed Canon Stories and OTPs Smitten… the Happiness that a New Fandom Brings… these are a few of our Favourite Things! ? … Is that not how the song goes? Well it should be, because our favourite things are so much more interesting than kettles & wild geese. We are into heroes & villains, star-crossed lovers & tales of bromance, epic quests & stories of success… and boy bands. And, of course, Strong Female Characters!

With March being home of International Women’s Day, I have really been thinking about the female role models in my life. I have looked at the women of my family and all that they do to show love & offer support. I think of the ladies I work with who I can only dream of one day being as poised & professional as. And I naturally look at the media I am constantly bombarded with to see which fictional females I hold in high esteem. With all of the talk of strong female characters in movies, tv, etc you can’t help but search through the women of pop culture and examine what makes them worth emulating.

I enlisted a few of my fellow fangirls to make a Venn of our favourite female characters from television, movies, books, comics, etc. We wrote out a whole list then worked through to find the defining feature that makes them a role model. Is it their brain? Their kindness? Of course, a well-written character will have many facets to their personality but here is a look at who we admire most & why we most want to be like them:
our-favourite-things-venn-strong-female-characters

Loving

Love is a powerful thing; it’s cheesy & clichéd but it’s true. We admire the ability of these characters to love others so much that they would do anything for them. I’m not just talking romantic love but the general, unconditional love you feel for someone important to you. Katniss doesn’t volunteer for the Hunger Games because she is brave & sure of victory; she does it because she loves her little sister so much that she can’t stand the idea of her getting hurt. Tessa makes all of her choices based on what is best for her entire adopted family at the London Institute (including, but not limited to, Will & Jem… the men that she loves). Summer & Hermione both exhibit loyalty so fierce that you know their capacity to love is worth emulating. And Dany’s heart goes out to each and every living thing that she meets, making her role as leader all the more difficult.

Brave

Blindly walking into danger isn’t something we would respect. Bravery isn’t the absence of fear. What makes all of these fictional ladies so compelling is that they feel fear yet fight through it. Dany is terrified by every choice she makes but she bravely tells herself to not look back… “If I look back then I am lost”. Buffy is constantly haunted by both real and imagined horrors. While we respect her ability to take out a vampire without even breaking a sweat, her ability to push through pain is why we actually think of her as a role model. All of these ladies do not shy away from danger, but not because they don’t recognize it. They are brave enough to continue even when they are afraid.

Confident

The My Fangirl Life team thinks confidence is key… after all, our motto is “You Do You”. We love a strong female character that is not afraid to be herself. Eowyn & Alanna both exude enough confidence that, in time periods where women are to have babies & cook dinner, they convincingly pull off acting as a man would. Similarly, Allison Argent doesn’t leave the fighting to the men. She puts aside fear and believes in her ability to get the job done. Elizabeth Bennet (in any incarnation of her you choose) will not let anyone change her. She knows who she is and what she likes and will not bow to the will of a man. And Izzy, after multiple novels of showing only her “most confident exterior”, learns to be confident enough to show her vulnerable side.

Intelligent

Intelligence is an important trait for us. We want to see women in positions that decades ago would only have belonged to men, like Felicity who is a woman specializing in STEM subjects. We love women who thirst for knowledge, like Lizzie Bennet. Or ones who are already the smartest one of the group (yet are always willing to share their smarts with others), like Hermione. And we want to see females coming up with the solutions, and exercising their creative problem-solving skills, like the most recent companion Clara Oswald.

The Ultimate Female Badass: Rey from Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

We still can’t get over how amazing Rey is. She embodies all of these traits so astutely that there was no doubt that she had to be the center piece of our Venn. Loving, despite being left alone as a child. Intelligent, full of creative solutions. Brave, willing to risk herself in pursuit of a greater goal. And Confident, so freaking confident that she wields a lightsaber like she was born with it in her hands. We want more Rey! (And more characters like Rey)

Who is your fictional hero? Let us know in the comments below! And be sure to check out a few of our other Girl Power posts: Celebrating International Women’s Day With Badass Fictional Females and February High Five: Girl Power Comics.

Love & Luck,
Kris

March 27, 2016 0 comment

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Celebrating International Women’s Day With Badass Fictional Females

written by Kristin Glass

Yesterday was International Women’s Day but, even though it’s passed, we’re still flying our girl power flags high. We’re celebrating International Women’s Month (or maybe International Women’s Life). It’s never too late to be proud of being female, and here on My Fangirl Life we certainly are. Women are starring in more entertainment pieces than ever before, and leading ladies on television and in movies are becoming increasingly more badass… so let’s talk about that.

There are so many awesome fictional female characters today; it seems that Hollywood is coming around to women being strong, smart, and independent, and it’s nice to see that represented on the big and small screen. Today I’d like to discuss some of my favourite strong female characters, and examine the reasons why they matter.

Olivia Pope – Scandal

Olivia is intelligent, confident, highly educated, and an absolute superstar. Even though she’s constantly jerked around by a man (ok… not just any man, but the President of the United States), she maintains composure and gets herself out of trouble through creative, strategic thinking. She feels & loves, yet can put emotion aside and get the job done. And Olivia Pope is not just important for women everywhere; she is a big breakthrough for black women specifically.

Shonda Rhimes’ shows have a reputation for colour-blind casting. It has resulted in some iconic roles being played by people of colour, which has been so impactful for TV shows today. Even more than that, she has not been afraid to write strong female characters and give them leading roles. Olivia Pope is just one example of this.

Katniss Everdeen – The Hunger Games

When Katniss first burst onto the scene as the main character in the a teen fiction novel, I was blown away. She was so different from Bella Swan of Twilight, who was the most recent young adult fiction phenomenon at the time. Katniss is strong and smart, and isn’t afraid to do anything for those she loves, and despite having men in her life, in the end Katniss is the only one that can unify the districts. At times she ends up a bit of pawn, but Katniss always makes the hard choices, sticking with what she believes is right. Casting Jennifer Lawrence as the movie version of Katniss only backed up the fact that her character is a strong woman. Let’s also give a shout out to JLaw for being a female role model for young women everywhere.

Daenerys Targaryen – Game of Thrones

When I first started reading A Game of Thrones, I fell in love with Dany. She has been through so much, from the loss of her kingdom to the destruction of her entire family, and yet she keeps going. Despite the fact that she is just a girl when the books begin, she repeats her inner mantra of “If I look back I am lost” and continues making her own decisions without regret. Even though men are constantly surrounding Dany, she doesn’t let them control her, and this makes her awesome.

Rey – Star Wars: The Force Awakens

I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the new Star Wars movie came out before Christmas (just kidding… we’ve all heard. It was kind of a big deal). As one of the new main characters in the franchise, Rey was an amazing addition. She is a character that is cool & smart, and is a great role model for young girls. She’s had a tragic life (we assume), but she still picks herself up, makes new friends, goes on an adventure, and does some really neat stuff including wielding a lightsaber, which we’ve typically only seen men do in the Star Wars universe. Are we going to see a female Jedi come to fruition? I hope so.

So way to go, Hollywood – keep up the good work, and keep those female leading roles coming!

Who are your favourite badass fictional female characters? Share them with us anytime in honour of International Women’s Day!

Cheers,

March 9, 2016 0 comment

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The Valentines Fanboys & Fangirls Really Want 2

written by Kris Padget

February 5, 2016 0 comment

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Confession: I’m Obsessed with Forbidden Love

written by Justine Alyssa

This Tuesday was an ultra exciting day on television. We were graced with the mid-season premiere of Pretty Little Liars – with the intriguing #5YearsForward jump – and the series premiere of Shadowhunters, the new series based on Cassandra Clare’s book series The Mortal Instruments. Obviously we are obsessed with both of these fandoms and as the good fangirls we are, we’re dedicating an entire week to discussing these thrilling television debuts. Welcome to PLL/Shadowhunters Week on My Fangirl Life!

I’ve recently realized something or, more accurately, this was recently pointed out to me: I have a serious obsession with forbidden love. There have been a couple of clues pointing to this over the past year:

The majority of my Top 10 OTPs fall into this category
I cried 3 times during our 17 hour Star Wars Marathon
I’ve been obsessed with Titanic for 18 years
I cared more about the fate of Ezria after Season 1 of PLL than finding out who ‘A’ was
I dedicated an entire month of posts to Twilight in October simply because I wanted to

I love the secrets and lies. I love the thrill and excitement. I love when someone risks everything, and is consumed by the desire, to be with that one person. I love how the characters hopelessly throw themselves all in. I love how these relationships almost always end tragically, and I love the sadness that usually comes in hand with them. I love how we often know it’s not going to work out. I love knowing that the odds are not in their favour, but I still cheer for them. I still cheer and cry on my couch watching their relationships unfold.

Here are some of my favourite forbidden romances. Each one has given me so many feels over the years.

Romeo Montague & Juliet Capulet

This is the most classic example of forbidden love: Romeo & Juliet. These star-crossed lovers were doomed from the beginning. With young love and dueling families, it really is quite a tragic tale. In reality, all of the couples mentioned below should have learned from this example. Being together through secrets and lies is hard. This will always be my favourite Shakespeare play and its formula is something I fall for time and time again.

Bella Swan & Edward Cullen

Oh Bella and Edward. You many remember my tumultuous relationship with Twilight and these two. Edward & Bella are forbidden to be together, at least initially. But I think this story finds its way onto this list because there was nothing that could stop them. Edward tried to stay away from Bella for a short period of time (about 5 chapters) before giving in. And once he was in, he was 100% in. He was going to do everything he possibly could to protect Bella. A number of people tried to keep this vampire and human apart, but in the end love won out.

twilight kissing prom

Meggie Cleary & Ralph de Bricassart

I was named after one of the main characters in The Thorn Birds and as soon as I was old enough, my mom made sure I watched the miniseries. This story is focused on the forbidden relationship between Father Ralph de Bricassart and young Meggie Cleary, who must be 15 years his junior. Everything about that sentence is wrong and yet you can’t help but want them to be together and be happy. You want Ralph to give into his desires and be with Meggie. You want them to give into their passion. You’ll spend a minimum of 6 of the 8 hours of this miniseries rooting for them, or at least myself and my entire family does. Disc 3 on the beach is everything.

Rose Dewitt Bukater & Jack Dawson

I remember the first time I saw Titanic. I was 10 years old, and I wept in the theatre. I also remember my mom explaining to me beforehand that it was very unlikely both Jack & Rose would survive. Still, my 10 year old self was not ready. Looking back now, obviously Jack was going to die. He was the catalyst for turning Rose into a strong independent woman. It just took an epic love story across social classes on a doomed ocean liner for this change to occur. There will be a post at some point about this, but for now, I’ll reminisce and recall all the tears I have shed for Jack & Rose, a tragic love story where nothing and no one was on their side. #OscarforLeo

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Anne Boleyn & Henry VIII

This is a rare historical example, but it became fiction through The Tudors. Henry VIII wasn’t supposed to fall for Anne Boleyn. He was married and divorce was forbidden by the church. But that didn’t stop these two. There was desire and secret excursions. There was passion and obsession. Anne and Henry were hot together and wanted to be with each other at every possible moment. Unfortunately, this was probably the happiest time for this doomed couple. As soon as they were free to be together it all went rather downhill. Heads will roll.

Henry/Anne♥ - henry-viii-and-anne-boleyn Fan Art

Padme Amidala & Anakin Skywalker

Now Anakin & Padme get a lot of hate (largely from Kris & KG) in the Star Wars universe but this relationship is a perfect example of forbidden love. A Jedi is supposed to live without attachment but this young Skywalker did more than just break his oath. He fell in love… obsessive love. Anakin & Padme work. They are young and crazy for each other, and have an intense connection that they believe will fix everything else. There’s nothing Anakin wouldn’t do for Padme, and I think Padme would have done anything for Anakin (he was just already gone by the time she tried). Unfortunately, this all took a dramatic turn towards the Dark Side and ultimately nothing could save either of them (until Luke appears 20 years later).

Aria Montgomery & Ezra Fitz

From that bathroom makeout in the pilot of Pretty Little Liars I was 100% on board with Ezria. Aria & Ezra are perfect for each other. Possibly even the greatest love story ever told (at least KG & I say so to bug Kris). They just fit together. They have similar interests and are always connected & aware of the other person. They’re perfect together. Except for one small thing: she is 16 and he is her teacher. This has resulted in a number of trials and tribulations for a pair that has miraculously survived. While their ending isn’t a happy one right now, I am positive these two are end game. Here’s hoping this is a forbidden love story where no one dies (fingers crossed)!

Clary Fray & Jace Wayland

From the beginning of City of Bones you know that Jace & Clary are the romantic heroes of the story. There’s an instant chemistry between the two of them. Jace opens her eyes to the Shadow World and Clary just can’t get enough of both Jace and this new world. Jace is the sexy bad boy with a tortured past and Clary is just an average girl – who happens to be his sister. We see these two struggle to hide their feelings but also give into moments of passion. It’s all so angsty. But, lucky for Clace, it just all happens to work out in the end. Their story is no longer one of forbidden love.

What does this say about me?!? Looking at all this I’m not entirely sure what my preferences mean for my love life. Are my relationships destined for tragedy and heartbreak? Do I secretly want a forbidden love?

While these fictional relationships consume me I am well aware that they are just that – fictional. These aren’t real life. A student shouldn’t date her teacher and you shouldn’t be fooling around with your sibling. But this is fiction, which is meant to be dramatic and these relationships certainly are. I love them and I am rooting for a happy ending amongst all the heartbreak.

Back to my love life. I think I’ll settle for something a little less dramatic. Forbidden love doesn’t sound like the best idea. Perhaps I’ll just keep looking for my Prince Charming instead.

Till next time, thanks for reading.
– Justine Alyssa

Photo sources: Romeo & Juliet, Twilight, The Thorn Birds, Titanic, The Tudors, Star Wars, Pretty Little Liars, The Mortal Instruments

January 16, 2016 0 comment

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Fangirl Christmas Haul 2015

written by Kristin Glass

The holiday season is drawing to a close and I am here to share our team’s collective Christmas haul of geeky gifts from this year. Kris put one together last year, which you can check out here. As she specified in that post, we’re not trying to brag… we realize that we are all very lucky to have received these gifts from awesome friends and family. We’re just sharing this because it is fun and might be useful for your future geeky gift needs. So read on for this year’s Fangirl Christmas Haul!

Adult Colouring Books

Adult colouring has never been more of a thing than it is right now, and I think these were the gifts of the season – no one’s Christmas haul will be complete without one. Kris and I received a multitude of colouring books between the two of us, and we are excited about every single one. I know that many of these are from Chapters (you can check out their selection online here). In addition, the uColour Mandalas book in the picture is from Beyond, A Junior Achievement Company. 25% of proceeds from purchases of this book go to Kids Help Phone, which supports the mental and physical health of young people. A friend of ours has been working with this group, and when she sent this book to Kris and I it was the perfect gift. Basically, 2016 is going to be the year of colouring in my life.

If you’re not up on adult colouring, get with it! It’s most definitely a thing… and you can read all about it in Kris’s post Adult Colouring is Cool… Thanks Science!

British-Themed Gifts

Kris is just into the UK and all things British, from London itself to pop culture phenomena. She received many gifts to go along with this theme, including an amazing giant Doctor Who painting, a collection of Sherlock Holmes puzzles (to keep her on her game), a London mug, and a necklace in the shape of the London skyline (I’m not sure if this is the correct one, but I found something similar here, after a quick search on Etsy).

Princess Stuff (But Mostly Frozen)

Princess stuff is always in, and I like Frozen in particular. I received some printable Anna and Elsa cut-outs, Frozen-themed toothpaste, Frozen tape, and an Elsa ornament that sings “Let It Go”. Kris got Frozen lollipop rings and an Anna Pez dispenser. To bring it all away from Frozen for a moment, she also received princess-themed cookie cutters, so she can make cookies for her two best friends (Me and Justine). All in all it was a collection of things that didn’t necessarily need to be Frozen-themed but were, which made them awesome.

Fangirl Fashion Items

So these items are strictly fandom-themed in any way, but they just seemed like items that should be included in this post. Kris got me a pink tulle skirt as the final gift in my advent calendar this year, and I absolutely adore it. I also received a beautiful bronze sequinned top. I actually wore these two together for New Year’s Eve… it might be a little much for real life, but the combination was perfect for being a fancy person on NYE.

Game of Thrones Ornaments

Kris and I each received these ornaments from some friends. I just love the idea of having a tree absolutely chock full of funny and geeky decorations! Mine is the Targaryen one as I like to cosplay as Dany and Kris does Sansa so the Stark ornament is the perfect fit (though she is more a Lannister at heart). If you want more info on either of our cosplays, you can check out Justine’s tutorials on either my Daenerys outfit or on Kris’s Sansa (though she’s pu together a new outfit since this was written).

Nerdy Board Games

Board games are awesome, and the best ones are the nerdy ones. I recently wrote a post on this topic: December High Five: Board Games You Should Be Playing. Pandemic was already included on that list (because it is SO FUN), and Kris received not one but TWO expansion packs for that game for Christmas. Can’t wait to test those out and save the world from even more intense diseases. She also received a copy of SmallWorld, which I don’t know much about but know that I will love, based solely on looking at the box.

Owl Stuff (Because Obviously)

I’ve been into owls for awhile now and most of my family and friends know this. They’re just so darn cute! I can’t wait to wear this adorable toque during all sorts of winter adventures. And though the socks are a little much, I’m sure I’ll find ways to work them into my Hipster Folk Princess wardrobe.

Geeky Reading Material

We received all sorts of fun reading material this holiday season, as per usual. Between the “Girl Power” comic book pack (as Kris calls it, since it includes three of the most awesome female superheroes today), a Collector’s Edition of US focused entirely on the Hunger Games, Rosanna Pansino’s Nerdy Nummies Cookbook, TIME’s Year in Review issue, and a copy of A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab, we are basically set for before-bed reading for the next little while.

Star Wars Stuff (Because It’s the Fandom of the Year)

Yes, this is the fandom of the year as voted by our team – you can check out our other favourite fandom things this year in Kris’s recent post: My Fangirl Life 2015 Fandom Awards. The Storm Trooper mug was from the company I am currently contracting with – I guess they discovered just how much of a nerd I am. These William Shakespeare Star Wars books came from my brother, who I’m not sure has ever purchased a book in his life before this Christmas. Needless to say, I was touched that my friends and family latched on to my current love for Star Wars. But how could they not? I mean, they all saw my interview on CTV Edmonton...

A Cardboard Cutout of Harry Styles

And last but not least, Kris and I got this masterpiece for Christmas this year. And it was from Justine. Basically, she won. This was the literally the perfect gift (for us, at least… probably not for most people). Because we love our Harry so much, we’ve launched a #HarryoftheDay campaign on Twitter. Check it out by clicking the hashtag or visiting us at @Fangirls_Online. I know you’re all really curious about what Harry is up to at our apartment, so luckily you can easily keep up this way!

What fun and nerdy fangirl gifts did you get this year? Share in the comments – we’d love to hear about your Christmas Haul!

Cheers,

January 4, 2016 0 comment

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New Year’s Resolutions for our Favourite Fandoms

written by Kris Padget

Happy New Year Fanboys & Fangirls! It is time to start anew. 2016 will be your year (and my year and our year). Let’s show 2016 who is running these lives! Yesterday we set out some goals for ourselves in the fandom world with My Fangirl Life’s 2016 New Year’s Resolutions. It’s our job on this blog to be up on the latest (and possibly even next) big fandom so we are striving to be better, to be our best. But what about the fandoms in question? Shouldn’t they also be striving to be their best? In an attempt to be helpful (because none of these would benefit me at all ?) I have laid out some New Year’s Resolutions for some of the biggest fandoms out there, ones that would make this year one of their best ever.

This year we are going to see the return of my first fandom: Harry Potter. It has laid dormant for a few years but with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, we will be thrust back into the alternate reality of magic and intrigue that JK Rowling so lovingly created for us. Will it be the same? Will the magic still remain?

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2016 New Year’s Resolutions for Harry Potter / Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them

And, although it’s been months since it graced our television screens, we cannot forget Game of Thrones. Come April it will be back for our weekly fix of drama, sex, dragons, and masochism. For some reason we live to read/watch this series, even though everyone (from die-hards to casual fans to any randoms on the street) knows that George RR Martin (and the writers of the show) live to kill everyone we love. Perhaps GoT could be a bit nicer to us in the new year? And we all know what Mr Martin could do to make our year!

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2016 New Year’s Resolution for Game of Thrones

We love Pretty Little Liars here at My Fangirl Life. KG, Justine, and I get together every week to watch it as a group. Crammed onto our couch we all jump, squeal, and mock… because real love means you can admit the tv show’s faults. And PLL”s main fault is its sometimes complete lack of logic…

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2016 New Year’s Resolutions for Pretty little Liars

2015 was a Marvel-ous year. Avengers: Age of Ultron was accompanied by Ant Man and a plethora of excellent tv shows. 2016, though, is going to see the rise of DC with Batman v Superman. I am a self-professed Marvel girl, but that doesn’t mean I won’t give DC a chance (it was one of my 2015 New Years Resolutions, after all) but could they maybe not take themselves so very seriously?

2016 New Year’s Resolutions for DC (with Batman v Superman)

OMG, wasn’t Star Wars: The Force Awakens “so good”???? Like soooooooo gooooood?!?!?!?!?!?! But seriously:

2016 New Year’s Resolutions for Star Wars

Although I would act as a diplomatic parent and say I love them all equally if asked, we all know that The Bachelor is our favourite show in the Bachelor Family. It was the original and nothing can top its drama (come on, 28 desperate women?). However The Bachelor has a habit of making me hate its star… but that can’t possibly be the case with this season’s suitor Ben Higgins, right?

2016 New Year’s Resolutions for The Bachelor

Arguably three of the biggest musical acts in the world right now, One Direction, Taylor Swift, and Ed Sheeran have all decided to take 2016 off. As if the 1D hiatus news weren’t hard enough, now Tay-Tay & our fav ginger are going to bow out of the spotlight for at least a year, not providing us with any new music to obsess over?!? So I propose:

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2016 New Year’s Resolution for One Direction, Taylor Swift, and Ed Sheeran

And speaking of One Direction, have you heard they’re going on hiatus? Oh you have? Already in this post? Oh, well at least you’ll understand the last two resolutions then:

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2016 New Year’s Resolution for Harry Styles

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2016 New Year’s Resolution for Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, & Niall Horan

Ok fandoms, your goals are set. Now go out an achieve! ? Let us know if you have any must-have resolutions for your fav fandom in the comments!

Love & Luck,
Kris

January 3, 2016 0 comment

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My Fangirl Life’s 2016 New Year’s Resolutions

written by Kristin Glass

2015 is over. It was a magical year, full of adventure, geekdom, and a whole lot of blogging. It was a good year, and it went by rather quickly. We are now in the process of catapulting into 2016, making things bigger and better and even more nerdy. In order to help ourselves to achieve that, we’ve decided to again set ourselves some fangirl New Year’s Resolutions. We did this last year (check it our here) and some of us were more adroit at achieving them than others… read on to find out what we did, what we are still working on, and what we are resolving to do in 2016.

Kris:

Kris achieved two of her three resolutions from last year, in that she gave DC a chance and finished reading Game of Thrones, so she’s carrying one over:

Watch LOST and document all of the questions it raises (to track if they are answered).

She’ll be adding three new fangirl resolutions for 2016. Here is her list:

Expand our library of Listen & Learn educational posts by adding at least 3 lesser-known artists or groups to the collection.
Compile a list of fanfictions that are actually worth your time, encompassing many of our favourite fandoms.
Become an expert on the new canon Star Wars Expanded Universe by reading/watching all of it.

KG:

I also achieved two of my three resolutions for last year in that I learned to play a One Direction song (“I Want To Write You A Song”) and a Taylor Swift song (“All To Well”) on my ukulele, and I did my first actual planned cosplay (and many other besides). I will also be carrying over one goal:

Watch Doctor Who so I can (a) understand the references, (b) understand the cosplay, and (c) get Kris & Justine to stop harassing me to watch it. And also because I might like it.

I’ve honestly started on this one, but I need to watch it all so I can fully experience the fandom. I’ll also be adding three new resolutions to my list and they are as follows:

Watch all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies in order, to fill in the gaps in my knowledge.
Get more involved in our local geek community by planning a nerdy event.
Finish replaying Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, including ALL of the sidequests.

Justine:

Justine sadly did not achieve any of her 2015 resolutions (though she did get involved in many other things this year)! She’ll be carrying them all over:

3. Make a soufflé in my Soufflé Girl outfit.
2. Get into Downton Abbey. It seems like something that is up my alley.
1. Get caught up on Supernatural. It takes awhile. As of the end of 2014 there have been 204 episodes…that’s approximately 153 hours (without commercials)…almost 6.5 days of my life.

She’s also adding three new ones to her list for 2016:

Read the first two Outlander books, at least.
Expand our collection of Fangirl Guides to Historical Figures by adding at least 3 more areas of study to the fangirl educational curriculum.
Start sewing a Disney Princess ball gown cosplay.

What are your fandom-themed New Year’s Resolutions? We’d love to hear them so share with us in the comments and we can keep each other accountable!

Cheers,

Image Sources: Heart Piece, Rose

January 2, 2016 0 comment

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My Fangirl Life 2015 Fandom Awards

written by Kris Padget

With 2015 complete and 2016 shining like a new day (I guess today it literally is a new day…) it’s time to reflect on the wonderful year we just had. So many tasty treats were released in the geek community, over so many of our favourite fandoms. The My Fangirl Life team all cast their votes for the biggest and best things that came out/happened in 2015, the fandoms that had the most effect on our year. What came out of it was the First Annual My Fangirl Life Fandom Awards!

Click the images for posts about that Fandom/Star/Event!

Most Heartbreaking of 2015

Honorable Mentions:

Winner:
One Direction’s Hiatus – “Just everything One Direction…good god this year has been tough.” -Justine

Most Shocking Twist of 2015 (No Spoilers)

Honorable Mentions:

Winner:
That Thing With Jon Snow (Game of Thrones) – “No Spoilers, but it just can’t be true. IT CAN’T. Right????” -Kris

Favorite Hero of 2015

Honorable Mentions:

Winner:
Rey (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) – “Because Rey is the ultimate female badass I’ve been waiting for for my entire life.” -Kristy

Favorite Villain of 2015

Honorable Mentions:

Winner:
Kilgrave (Marvel’s Jessica Jones) – “Because he is so creepy! And yet I am still weirdly attracted to him.” -Justine

Favourite Face-off, Showdown, Battle or Fight of 2015

Honorable Mentions:

Winner:

The Final Lightsaber-tastic Face-off of The Force Awakens (Star Wars) – “REY WIELDING A FREAKING LIGHTSABER AND BATTLES KYLO WITH HER NEWFOUND POWERS. REY WINS ALL OF 2015.” -Kristy

Favorite OTP of 2015

Honorable Mentions:

Winner:
Fitzsimmons (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) – “Kristy dedicated all of her votes (and her heart) to this pairing…and the rest of us can’t help but agree.” -Kris

Favourite Fandom of 2015

Honorable Mentions:

Winner:
Star Wars (The Force Awakens & all of the rest…) – “Obviously.” -Kris / “The fandom awakens.” -Justine / “I am so much further in this fandom than I have ever been before, and so far it’s worth it.” -KG

What do you think? Do you agree with our choices? What were your top Fandom picks for 2015? Let us know in the comments!

Love & Luck,
Kris

January 1, 2016 0 comment

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Month in Review: December 2015

written by Justine Alyssa

As the holiday season comes to a close, we’ve been posting a number of Year in Review articles, but in all that excitement we can’t forget everything that happened this month. Here’s our Month in Review for December 2015. The My Fangirl Life team got up to a bunch of nerdy and exciting things! Here are the highlights:

FEATURES & MEDIA

Here are all the places we were featured this month, both online and off. Be sure to check them out! If you are interested in working with us in any way in the future, please drop an email to myfangirllifeblog@gmail.com.

Tipsy Verse – Kris did a guest post earlier this month for our friends at Tipsy Verse. Click here to check out Christmas Movie Date Night… With Your Fave Fictional Men
Gingerbread Sagas – Kris and KG teamed up for a guest post for our friend Rosa over at Gingerbread Sagas. Head on over there to check out Geeky Holiday Traditions With My Fangirl Life.
Star Wars Media Appearances – With the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens Kris and KG became media stars! Click the pics below to hear/see some of the interviews.
- Kris and KG were featured on a Star Wars panel with CBC Edmonton Radio
- KG appeared on the 6pm CTV Edmonton News
- Kris was live on the air 3 times on Jack FM in Vancouver, she is now their go-to person for all things fandom related.

-my-fangirl-life-on-cbc-radio-edmonton-2

#HarryoftheDay – We recently started a new and fun campaign on Twitter inspired by the Christmas present I gave Kris & KG: a Harry Styles cardboard cutout! See what Harry gets up to with #HarryoftheDay. You can also find us at @Fangirls_Online!

UPDATES

Here’s what is new at our blog this month. This is where we can welcome new people to the team, announce new content that you can look forward to, let you know what fun events we attended this month, and just generally tell you anything we feel you should know!

Friends of My Fangirl Life – We often talk about our amazing blog friends and how much we love the online community. This month we compiled all our friends into one handy page showcasing a number of people, sites & products we ❤️. Check it out by clicking below!

Blog Awards – This year we held the first My Fangirl Life Blog Awards to celebrate both our favourite posts and the best posts from 2015. Check them out!
Star Wars Marathon – A few weeks ago the My Fangirl Life team spent 17 hours at a theatre in a galaxy far far away. We attended a Star Wars marathon of Episodes I-VII to celebrate the release of The Force Awakens. Check out our live blog of the event (I only cried a couple times ?).

Pretty Little Liars/Shadowhunters Week – We are excitedly awaiting January 12 and the premiere of Shadowhunters and the return of Pretty Little Liars. To get everyone else up to our level of excitement we are going to be featuring both in our Pretty Little Liars/Shadowhunters week! Stay tuned!

THINGS WE ❤️

Read on for all the things we’re loving this month. Anything is fair game!

Star Wars – Obviously, along with the rest of the world. If you missed it, we had an entire week dedicated to Star Wars this month.
Family Holiday Fun – Each of us were able to get away from the hustle and bustle of every day life to spend a few days relaxing with our families. It was an excellent way to spend the end of the month and prepare us for January and everything 2016 has to offer.
Sparkles – Because obviously, it’s New Year’s Eve.
Christmas Mail and Fan Mail – Kris & KG have recently received some strange (but awesome) responses to their holiday mail out. Perhaps there is a post on this to come. Justine also received her first fan mail from Japan for her PrincessBeanySkates blog!

Hope everyone had a festive December!

Thanks for reading!

Justine & the My Fangirl Life Team

December 31, 2015 0 comment

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