Melificent

A Guide to Geeky Girl Travel

Hi everyone!!!
I hope you enjoyed our guest posts from our buddy, Jessica! I really appreciate her covering me for a portion of my travel time, but I actually have some free time now to throw up some posts of my own. I was surprised at how much I missed the blog during this past week and some change (well, I’m missing a lot of things to be honest), so I’m glad I got the opportunity to get back to business!

Since I do travel quite a bit, and these next 2 months are taking the cake with three different trips lined up back to back, I figured I would bestow some of my most essential travel tips on you all;

1. Make lists; nothing gives me greater joy than starting a trip list. I know this may make me a very strange person but it helps me not forget a single thing. I also have the ability to plan outfits beforehand. This is especially important for longer trips where you will have to wear the same item in different ways in order to maximize space, or for events where you know you will be photographed or will have to attend important functions (for a geeky blogger like me, that’s convention packing). I even make multiple lists for the same trip leading up to departure, such as things I have left to buy or all the last minute items I have to throw in my bag right before I leave. Go ahead. Mock my OCD.

[Read more…]

Allons-y!

Hi, my loves!
Just letting you all know that I will be starting on quite a few adventures tomorrow. I start my journeys in Eastern Europe for my day job and then continue to California and New York City for lots and lots of fun straight into October! During my 2-week stint in Europe, I will have an amazing guest blogger taking over, but I’ll still be extremely active during the U.S. portion of my travels.

See you all soon!

Zachary Quinto Talks About “The Chair,” Mentoring & Being a Jack of All Trades

I was lucky enough to be able to interview Zachary Quinto earlier this week about the new Starz docu-series he will be co-producing, The Chair. It has a really interesting premise, where two first-time directors are given the opportunity to direct separate films adapted from one original screenplay. Zach serves as a mentor for both directors, Anna Martemucci and Shane Dawson.

Photo by Chiun-Kai Shih

Zach is one of my absolute favorite actors (hello, I traveled to NYC to see him on Broadway last year), so I was really excited to have this opportunity. I especially loved that he listed J.J. Abrams and Leonard Nimoy as his inspirations during the interview. Hell, I’m not in the film industry, and Abrams is one of my inspirations! He also touched on his amazing Instagram bromance with James Franco (c’mon, you know you had a hard time breathing with some of those photos, ladies). As usual, I can’t wait to support Zach yet again on this new venture.

———-

On “The Chair,” you will be serving as mentor for the up and coming directors. After years of looking up to others and their craft, how does it feel to have the tables turned and have others seeking your advice and knowledge? 

I really love the opportunity to share the experiences that I’ve had with other people. It’s an incredibly gratifying position to be in and I want to utilize it to the fullest as I continue to grow my life and my career as an actor, a producer and film maker. Bringing people to a point that they otherwise would not have reached is something that I feel really good about – I feel really humbled by, and I’d like to continue it. I like to reach out to people that have ambition and are dreaming of a different level of experience than the one they might be having now.

With producing, Broadway, TV and movies under your belt, along with expressing the desire to direct, do you feel like you gravitate more towards one than the others?

I always consider myself an actor first and I feel like my experience reflects that. I’ve been acting since I was 10 years old and I hope that that will be the thing that I do forever, but as I continue to expand I want to inhabit that expansion. I want to diversify. The industry has changed so much that diversity is key in a way that it didn’t used to be, and I can see that. I also have an interest in cultivating a keen business mind, so I’m trying to navigate these waters from a number of different perspectives. Creativity is the foundation and the thing that I always want to come back to, but within that, I want to give myself opportunities to do other stuff and have other experiences. That’s why I started my company, that’s why I produce things and try to look at things from the business side as well, because that is also fascinating, but I would say that my gravitation is always towards acting and creating in that way.

Make sure to check out The Chair, premiering on Starz on September 6th at 11pm.
Wanna see more? Check out the trailer!

Special thanks to Gotham News for giving me this opportunity!

Cosplay For Dummies: Store Bought

I have loved to dress up since I can remember. My favorite holiday was always Halloween and whether it was myself or my parents choosing my costume, it was always quite the affair. I’m pretty sure without any social norms (those suck by the way), I would be running around in some form of costume on a daily basis (tutu’s are functional, every-day wear). With that said, I am not crafty. Well, I am, but in the way I can use a glue gun and a pair of scissors. I cannot sew, nor do I really trust myself to get near a machine, despite the fact that I own one. You may think this makes me a cosplay failure, and maybe to some it does, but I have embraced my terrible home ec skills and have gone another route: store bought.

Store bought costumes not only save you stress, but also save your wallet! Here are some budget ways to make your store bought costume unique and creative;

1. Accessorize! Many store bought costumes just come with the basics or offer accessories as extras. Take that chance to skip out on the extra bits and find or make your own. For my Babydoll cosplay, I got my swords from Geek Chic HQ. They were extremely affordable, but definitely made a statement. Check out the rest of their swag – you’ll be impressed with their craftsmanship!
2. Use Your Closet! You may find functional pieces in your own wardrobe! Rather than buying a pair of black maryjanes I probably would never wear again, I opted for raiding my collection and finding a much better looking pair of black wedged booties (oldies from ShoeDazzle). They gave the same effect, but flattered the look. Sure, it wouldn’t be considered “accurate,” but these tips are ultimately for a more casual cosplayer like myself.
3. Makeup! Everyone knows the right makeup pulls any look together, and costumes are no exception. Reference character photos and look up YouTube tutorials if need be. For my Babydoll look, I knew I had to go with smoky eyes and a nude lip. Makeup was the last bit I added while getting ready, and I was shocked to see how it all came together the second I “put on my face.”
4. Swag! It’s all about the acting when you don cosplay. Get into character, don’t be afraid to be silly and be confident! Even while taking these shots, my husband was directing me to get into bad-ass-chick-with-swords-and-a-tiny-skirt poses, and at first I felt ridiculous. However, I eventually relaxed and was shocked with the final outcome. When I let go and tried to embody the little ass kicking persona that is Babydoll, I looked legit. I mean, do you see those squats? Hardcore.
5. Pick the right site! Not all costume sites are created equal. Make sure to shop around and find the right one with quality merchandise. My costume came from Costume Super Center, and I loved the product. For the price, it came with a lot of pieces, leaving me with a small laundry list of additional props and accessories. I also loved their selection of geeky costume options. Maybe one day I’ll be brave enough (& ripped enough) to don their iconic Slave Leia piece!

Sponsored post; Very special thanks to Costume Super Center, who provided my costume for me in return for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

Book Requests!

Hi all you lovely geeks out there!

I’ll be taking quite the journey in about 2 weeks to a far off land. It’s not for play, instead for work, but I intend on enjoying every single new experience it brings me. I’ve never traveled alone, much less to Europe. This is something the old Meli would have never done, but my goal after a certain event this year is to not be afraid and not let my anxiety rule me. Thus: hello adventure!

However, this little journey will take me approximately 12 hours so I need BOOKS. That’s right. I’m asking all the amazing people I’ve met through this blog recently to give me your recommendations on some great reading. Please leave them in the comments. I’ll be heading to the bookstore this weekend and hope to share which ones I chose with you all!