My First PAX! :)

Jacki here with a quick listsaurus update :) Unfortunately this will be a quick post as that my kid sister is waiting behind me to hang out. I have much to say about the great time I had so perhaps I'll go back for an edit but for now here it is:



It was great to see friends, all the cosplay was awesome and the free shirts and videogame previews were great! Battlestar Galactica was a blast and I LOVE my new swag from Sanshee (SO glad we discovered them at PAX) Can't wait for next year!

-jackisinahurry

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

This week's list has me in a bit of a tough spot. Jacki and I decided that we would do our top five favorite things about PAX, which was a fantastic idea, but tomorrow my geek blog goes up and I'll be doing a full run-down of my bursting-at-the-seams-with-awesome weekend. I don't want to do double posting, but alas, a teeny tiny bit of it is going to happen.

Last week Jacki wished that I would have been more comprehensive in my post, i.e. I would have talked a bit about my favorite toys like she did. I have absolutely no qualms, holds, reservations or hesitations in saying that she was 100% correct and I truly promise that I had every intention of rectifying the situation with this week's post.

However! In light of the first paragraph of this post, I am sorry to say that I will not be adding additional information to my list. I am so incredibly sorry to disappoint. I'll be better next week, I swear! I really want to save up my PAX-memory mojo for the post that'll be going up tomorrow because I can guarantee that it'll be a lengthy one!

So now without further ado, and that introduction out of the way, I present to you my Top 5 Most Fantastic Moments of PAX 2011!

In order to assuage your feelings of remorse for my lack of supplemental information, I will provide you with a few photos of these five favorite things!

Be sure to check out my geek blog tomorrow if you want to hear all about the amazing things that happened, including a lot more information about the five things pictured here! I promise they're pretty good stories :D

-Miranda

Not sure how this one will be possible

This weekend is PAX, the tremendous and amazing penny arcade expo. I am a veteran attendee, proud and pleased, whereas poor Jacki has never been before! I'm really excited for her to see all that there is to see, and participate in the fun events.

She suggested that we do a video game themed list in honor of PAX, and I posed that we do a "favorites of PAX" list! She doesn't know what to expect, and I love it all, so we'll both have a difficult time creating a top five. Wish us luck!

-Miranda

TOYS ARE AWESOME

Ok. I had WAY more fun with this than I thought I would. I was excited at first but emotionally distraught over missing my sister. I didn't give myself a chance to really soak in the idea of toys and all the nostalgia it would come with. So here it is:

We decided to keep boardgames and videogames out of it, which I'm glad for since this list was hard enough to come up with as it is.

POLLY POCKETS. My sisters and I could not get enough of them. If we were good during our family outings to the navy exchange, we all got to decide on a brand new polly pocket from the store. THIS WAS MY SHIIIIIIT.
I remember we got a lot of different ones, beach houses, animal related ones that came with tiny puppy figurines to train (I don't remember what brand they were and if I could remember I'd lose my mind with joy) we had off brands of different mansions and stuff that we just mixed together and created an entire city or village or what have you. My absolute favorite was my tree house though. It made me really really want to live in a tree house one day. it had a hammock, and a trap door, cameras and a little creek...AND A WORKING SWING? yesssss. No matter what new awesome mansion or shopping center or pet shop we ended up getting, the treehouse was always my homebase. Everything about this toy has me brimming with joy and my imagination is running away with me. I used to pretend the little magenta bird sitting on top of the tree was my camera security system. YEsssssss...

MCDONALD's AMAZING WILDLIFE PLUSHIES.These toys were a big deal for me and my sisters. One, because we loved animals and making animals have amazing lives with awesome personalities. Before we got super into barbies, our little animal friends were there with their crazy adventures. Two, because my parents never let us buy happy meals...but they finally did so we could get these specific toys! We lost our cute little azn minds over these things! The best part about these little critters was that we created an entire universe, with families and drama and social lives. We just kept adding and adopting to our animal families and creating strange dynamics between each of the creatures. We used to write stories where I would illustrate in a comic book style fashion... Gosh I could go on forever about these critters. We never left the house without them, which worked out well because they were pocket sized! This was my little fella. His name was Brownie. (I think that later I got another happy meal with another koala...she was dubbed Cupcake, Brownie's girlfriend). These little toys later trickled into an obsession with TY beanie babies but let's not go there....

BARBIES were another obsession of ours. We had soooo many barbies. All kinds of accessories. The coolest part was that my mom would often just let us pick and choose from garage sales and we ended up with really ghetto but awesome set ups for our dolls. We'd create dramatic lives for them of course, with adventures and story lines that lead us all around the house and sometimes into the yard (weather permitting). My favorite toy of all my barbies though, was the only toy I ever threw a legitimate tantrum for in a store. My mom was LIVID.....she fooled me into thinking it would never ever happen since I cried in the store for it. BUT...Low and behold, the toy of my 7-8 yr old dreams appeared on my birthday (thanks mom! ;D). I've searched high and low for the correct image of the horse she got me...I'm not sure if it was Tawny or not and honestly I can't even remember what I named her myself. I was just so enamored by her beauty. I literally combed her hair all of the time. I didn't even comb my barbie's hair. Just the horse. hahaha. Of course she couldn't walk on her own for very long like the commercials boasted, and she certainly couldn't trot or hop over fences. Barbie wasn't even able to properly sit on her without them both toppling over. I didn't care. She was mine! I'm certain my love for this horse trickled into my obsession with aimlessly riding Epona when I started playing Ocarina of Time later in life ;)

PLAYDOH. Playdoh. playdoh. PLAYDOH. How can anyone not like this stuff? I used to eat it, I loved it so much. Hahah well, no I didn't EAT it, eat it. I merely tasted it out of curiosity and sometimes the food creations I made out of it just seemed so convincing. I am so thrilled that I was able to find an image online of the exact toy my mom got for us when I was 6. I LOVED this thing. My mom has an adorable video of me, my sisters and my cousins all playing with this stuff and gosh it makes me miss it so much.

And finally, POKEMON CARDS. This one I was hesitant to add to the list cause I wasn't sure if it counted as a boardgame or a toy....I'm just going to go ahead and call it a hybrid. It is everything and anything I ever wanted. Hahahahah. Collecting the cards was a blast, battling was always epic, drawing them and imagining and trading...all of it! :D I wish it were still socially acceptable for me to carry them around and show them off and battle. hahahaha. <3 I'll have to look for where my sisters and I kept our collection...We even had fun japanese versions on some of the pages. And our holographic cards were so awesome! Argh!!! I must look for them 8)

Anyhow. This list theme was VERY FUN. I encourage anyone else to think of their favorite toys from their childhood and maybe look for images of it online to see if their memory of it is still fresh. and just for funzies, I wanted to list a few runners up:

1. POGS
2. Creepy Crawlers
3. Sky Dancer Fairies!!!

I was so stoked to find a picture of the exact Sky Dancer my mom bought me! I used to take her outside and see if I could get her stuck in the trees. Kind of dumb, but hey kids are kind of dumb sometimes. <3

My mom refused to buy me POGS and creepy crawlers (they were boy toys...harumph). But boy was I stoked when I got my own Sky Dancer Fairy. That bitch was awesome. Hahahahah. And with that, I bid you all good day.

-Jackisrollinginthenostalgia

Favorite toys! I just have so many.

So this list wasn't easy.

Many items popped into my head, it's insane how many toys children have. There were tons that I loved, that I remember being completely enamored with. I attempted to pick the ones that I played with longest and wow, I really enjoyed playing with dolls.

We'll have to do another list for board games and video games. It wasn't easy to exclude those items from this list, but I knew that I had to!

Nothing too flashy, but it gets the job done.

For number five I almost put Puppy Surprise, the dog stuffed animal that had a velcro pouch in its belly that held anywhere from three to five tiny puppies. I also had Kitty Surprise, and probably even a bear one. I remember bringing it to school in second grade and playing with it at recess. I loooooooved it.  But then I remembered Skip-it, and how amazingly fun it was and how devastated I was on that fateful day that I left mine in the park and someone took it. Still makes me feel choked up.

I wish I could find a photo of the genie dolls, but I can't seem to find them online anywhere. I forget what they were called exactly, but they were tiny dolls that had a bunch of accessories and they fit inside of lamps. The lamps would open up hinge style and you could set up the room. I had a whole bunch of them and they were awesome.

Just a final note: I absolutely regret getting rid of my Barbies. I had school teacher, doctor, vet, and I miss them so much D:

-Miranda

EDIT!!

After additional research encouraged by Jacki, I managed to find the name of the genie dolls and even some photos!

I had all four dolls AND the magic carpet!

My Magic Genie was awesome. Once I got into junior high I stopped playing with them, but I kept them in my room alongside my Garfield books and my nail polish collection.

Just for fun, here's a runner-up toy:

Pretty flower princess!!

I only had one Princess of the Flower doll, but I thought it was so awesome. I'd open it and close it over and over again with the provided toy key. And here's a fun fact; Fun Dip was my favorite candy when I was little and I liked to use the key to scoop up the powder because I didn't like the white sugar sticks. Children are weird.

Yet another impromptu list by Jacki

I am excited to list my top 5 favorite toys in elementary school, but that just makes me think about who I shared those toys with in my youth. My sisters. Specifically in my thoughts today, is my big sister, Ethelyn. She left for Korea this morning and she is to be gone for a year at the least, with potential for a longer contract depending on how her first year goes. While this is an amazing opportunity for her and I am thrilled for this turn in her life, I am also losing my mind with loneliness and throwing little mini tantrums by myself. I miss my big sister :(. So. Much.

When I told her about our Listsaurus blog, she sort of laughed and called me a dork. But she was also pretty into listing things herself when topics of interest were brought up. When Miranda and I were brainstorming, Ethelyn's first suggestion to me was:

top 5 favorite things about ETHELYN. (i'm shocked. what a goober) And even though I made fun of her, well, I'm such an emotional wreck right now that it's all I can think about. So why not post about it? Here are my Top 5 Favorite things about my big sister, Ethelyn.



What a dork she is. The dorkiest I've ever met, and I love her dearly for it. She always has been. Always will be.

What's with her love for guys like Jesse Eisenberg and Matt Bellamy? Hell if I'll ever figure it out. But hey, maybe guys like that like to hang out in Korea. ;)

I love spending time with her next to my mom. They have the same silly mannerisms and smiley eyes. When I hug my mom I feel like I can just close my eyes and rest for a while and nothing else matters. Oddly enough, when I hug Ethelyn it feels almost exactly the same.

I've never fought with anyone more than I have with Ethelyn, but she's always trying to improve. She's always willing to deal with my headstrong, battering ram approach. She always calms me down even after she's the one who has riled me up to begin with. Sometimes she's fucking awful at it. Sometimes I'm fucking awful at it. But moments after she has stared emotionless at me and shrugged with indifference and I've screamed and thrown things and tried to break down the walls around her, we're hugging and smiling and laughing. Whatta pain-in-the-ass-Libra. Whatta-stubborn-jack-ass-Aries. <3

And when it's all said and done, I have a handful of my very best friends. Talking with Miranda is like talking to myself. It's odd, but I've tried explaining this to a few people and it's the only way I can seem to break it down. I talk to her in the same voice I use to talk to myself, with the same voice I hear in my head. It's like she's my brainwave buddy and the best one anyone could every hope for. But even I tend to put my brave face on for her. Because, well, I can't very well lie and say I've never pretended I was brave to myself. I have to fool myself into feeling that way sometimes. And if talking to her is like talking to myself, it's kind of hard to avoid lol.

With Blake, it's like he's my lover and my friend but he's the most different of anyone I've ever tried being friends/in love with. To some degree I can break down to both he and Miranda. I can cry and thrash and scream and be upset to them both, they've both seen that side of me. But it's like even then I'm doing something different. I'm trying to rationalize and calm down and be strong even if I'm breaking down.

With my little sister Jenne, it's a strange dynamic where I feel like she's one of my favorite people to talk to ever, but I always feel a little on guard or on edge. Something inside me still feels like I've got something to prove. Like, I'm the big sister, keep it together. Something to have to show for myself. A brave face I still have to put on. In some ways, I feel like I've got to do this with Miranda, Jenne and Blake.

But with Ethelyn. She's seen me at my worst. My most scared. My most infantile. Most tragic and pathetic. At some points Miranda and Jenne and Blake have seen bits of this, but with Ethelyn, it's like I feel OK doing that. I feel like that's where it belongs. She's the one I can really truly act like a big blubbering baby to. I've literally known her all of my life and she's seen it all. I can't seem to hide anything from her, and the fact is, I don't feel like I have to. I hide shit from myself all of the time, and everyone around me. But I can let all my ugliness and sadness out with her. I don't have to play brave. I can just be her goofy whiny little sister. And sometimes that's all I need in my day to make it better.


Sorry this post got so serious. I've been having a hard few months and she's been the solid point through this summer. Having her leave for another country so soon after Miranda moved away has been really hard. Miranda, you are welcome to post a response about Ethelyn (which I'm sure she'd be all about :P) OR you can share a post about YOUR big sister... Since I know you're lucky enough to have one of those shining stars in your life.

-Jackisablubberingbabyrightnow

After much brainstorming...

...we have decided that this week's list is five favorite toys when we were in elementary school!

There were many discussions trying to decide how to make this specific enough to have to think hard about it. We talked about board games, and then dolls, and specific age brackets. After much back and forth we decided that toys (not including board games) from elementary school would be enough of a challenge.

I can think of a few right now, and it'll be super fun to write up a quick list of all the toys that I can remember and then pair it down from there.

Does anyone remember 'Melanie's Mall'? I do!

I have a sneaking suspicion that this'll be on my top ten! I loved the crap out of those little dolls. I even had the escalator piece that took about four C cell batteries. It almost never worked because my mom never had C cell batteries in the house because, well, why would she?

-Miranda

Disney animated classics top 5 - Miranda edition!

So I've been thinking about this for a few days now. It was much harder than I anticipated being! There are so many amazing Disney films, I just started listing ones that I enjoyed. There are a few left off of this list that have a spot in my top ten for sure. Here we go!

Jacki I knew your number one would be Beauty and the Beast, and you were spot on with my number one! :D

I was *this close* to adding The Rescuers Down Under (I didn't realize it was one of your favorites too!) as well as Lion King. They were both beat out by Sword in the Stone and Robin Hood though.

What a great first round of listing! Time to pick next week's. Stay tuned Listsaurusous! That's the name I just came up with for our fans. We'll see if it sticks.

-MirandaiscopyingJackilikeshealwaysdoes<3

p.s. I also forgot 'the' in 'the little mermaid' =O

Jacki's Disney Cartoon Classics Top 5 List!

Miranda has been MIA, as that she is spending time with her man and family :) I hope you've had a great time friend! I, however, have mostly been working and moping so I got a head start on my Disney list and thought tonight would be a good night to post it. Aaaand...drum roll pleaaaase......... SO!!! Does the list contain the movies you thought it might? hehhhehh...

I'm going to go ahead and take wild guesses as to what might be on your list, just for fun. Here is my guess for Miranda's list:

1. The Little Mermaid - she LOVES sealife!! :D
2. um... Alice in Wonderland?
3. Aristocats..? I have no idea actually, I just said so cause I wanted it on my list and she loves cats.
4. The Rescuers Down Under....again, because I wanted it on my list.
5. The Lion King..? again, related to cats. Big ones.

I hope I got at least two right. hahaha. Can't wait to see your list :D

-Jackisawaresheforgot"the"in"thelittlemermaid"

Impromptu reply!

Here is my list of my favorite shades of green! Styling shamelessly stolen (or at least attempted to be stolen) from Jacki's list of blues. I had to look these up to find their names. Usually I just point to a green and go, 'Oh I really like that color!' So I hope that my dedication to the project is recognized here. I truly went above and beyond.

Also, my favorite shade of blue is cerulean. Just a fun fact for you all!

Disney classics list teaser...

Mirandaaaaa...the little black sketch pad in the pic is my official "Listsaurus" bookie. Belle & Beast are just providing useful and welcomed inspiration. Hehhehh... I'm going to go for a run then perhaps afterwards you will be back home from the airport.

I think I'll also use the notepad available on my iPhone in case an impromptu list tickles my brain and I just HAVE to show you (and Listsaurus bookie is not immediately available). For example....I'm waiting in line at the grocery store and I am struck with list inspiration. Wouldn't it be fun to log on and notice a quick list uploaded to make you laugh? To kick off that mini idea, here is a quick list to make you smile :D These are just a few shades of blue I happen to really love....There are so many more to choose from! Do you have various shades of green that you prefer over others? What fun names do they have? The weird names people come up with for colors...hahah anyhow, I'm off to run now. I hope you enjoyed this post, friend.

Jackisnowthinkingtoohardaboutthecolorblue

Excellent addendum.

It looks as though we'll be doing volley replies via posts! I like this idea, as it includes our audience and leaves surprises for one another. That's a win-win, which everyone loves. Also I just figured out that I can add Jacki as an author on this blog, so her posts will be published by her login, not mine. This is the best day ever!

Now to continue with my point. I believe that restricting this week's list to Disney classics only is an excellent idea. Perhaps we'll do a Pixar one later! I haven't started writing mine yet (I'm surprised that you've started already!) but I've been thinking about it a lot! Are we restricting ourselves to only animated, or are we including live action as well? I thought I had picked such a simple topic!

-Miranda

Jack Attack's first post!

Jacki here. I was told to make a blog post when I came home from work. I didn't want to disappoint.

Mirandafriend! I propose a few stipulations to our Disney-list. Let's keep it non-Pixar (as that Disney-Pixar films could be a whole new list in and of itself!) and might I suggest that we keep it to a Disney classics theme? I've already started on my list. I don't have much else to add to this. I am so interested to see which of our movies will match up. I'm almost certain I know which will be your number 1. I bet you can guess mine :].

P.S.
Mine is colorful! I'm excited to see yours. Are we allowed to post ahead of schedule? hm.

-Jackisgettingartsywithherlist

The origination.

Miranda here, doing my best to set this blog off on the right foot! Jacki and I will be doing some aesthetic tweaking here and there, but I think we've pretty much got it set. To get the ball rolling I am going to suggest the oh-so-original list topic of top five favorite Disney movies!

Jacki and I are pretty sure that our schedule will be as follows: each Friday we will alternate posting list ideas, and then the following Wednesday we will both post our responses. We will intersperse the lists with general writing topics in order to keep things interesting and varied. I'm sure that if either of us has something spectacularly enthralling to share then we'll pop in and make a new entry.

The blog is new and so I'm jump starting things by a day. Next week we'll have it all squared away and on a regular schedule. Until then!

-Miranda