Melificent

Geek Out: Home Is Where The Geek Is

When the hubs and I first moved out and got our own place, we thought we had to decorate it “like adults do.” This resulted in a home that looked nice, but didn’t go with our personalities at all. By the time we bought our first home, we knew that had to change. Just because we were adults and now owned a proper home, did not mean that we had to make it look a certain way. Nothing makes a house a home more than looking around and saying, “yep, this is my space.” For that reason, we started incorporating more fun elements that reflected our interests and personal style. Now people walk in and can’t say our house looks anything but us.

I love that Brad-Pitt is chilling in both shots!

Obviously, our home decor has a strong geeky theme. We buy most of our art at conventions, and enjoy figures just as much as any other nerd. What was important to us was to showcase this in a very subtle, modern and classy way. Despite being in our home for 4 years now, we still are working on it every day to make it our perfect little cave, but I’m happy to say that I love the progress we’ve made! I especially am a fan of our living room and bedroom. Wanna see?

One art wall where you can display all your fandoms in a simple, yet strategic way is great for a living room space.
I still can’t get over how amazing our Tara Mcpherson LOST piece is.

Incorporating geek is all about the little touches in a home, like our Harry Potter Pop-Up Coffee Table Book.

I always laugh at this photo op we have up in our bedroom of us with John Barrowman because it looks like we are one, big, happy family (which we could be, of course).

The little touches continue in our bedroom. My nightstand houses a Fiona figure and is graced by the beautiful Rose Tyler, as drawn by Pooka Machine of Ocho Placas Tattoo.

These are some of our new pieces that are going up this week throughout the house. I can’t sing enough praises about Artist Alley’s at conventions. They are my absolute favorite part about attending! The prints above are from Upside Down Grin & IdeaStorm Media

Some other great sites to visit for quality geeky home goods is;
Etsy
Look Human
ThinkGeek

When creating a home that is YOUR own space, you really need to sit down and think about what matters to you. Here are a few ways to do so:

 

Don’t Fall Into Trends

First and foremost, do not fall into keeping up with the newest trends. They tend to change quickly and if you do this, you will fall into the same trap that I did – just decorating my home like most adults do. The point of decorating your home for yourself is to bring you happiness every day and create a space that feels safe and like yourself, not someone else. 

 

What Are Your Interests

So, in order to skip over trends and really zero in on what you want your home to be filled with, start with your interests, like we did. Have a love for movies? How can you incorporate that into your home? Love the color gold? Add it in! Love words of positivity. Find ways to throw them in here and there. While you do not want to go overboard (or maybe you do), you can add just the right amount of your interests into your decor to make it feel like your home. 

 

Use What You Have

It can be overwhelming to start when it comes to creating a home that truly fits you – on your mind and on you wallet. To help ease the pain when it comes to your wallet, try using what you already have. Don’t like old furniture? Maybe renovate them. What about your paint color? Try painting the walls yourself.

 

Your Decor Is Not What Matters

At the end of the day, know that your decor is not what matters. What matters is that you have a safe place to live with the people you love. Keep that in mind when house hunting too. Think of the song Bones by Maren Morris: “When the bones are good, the rest don’t matter. Yeah, the paint could peel, the glass could shadder.” When looking for a home, consider the bones, not what is inside. Not sure where to start? Call up local Florida-based realtor, Erin E. King with Jax Historic Realty. Erin can help you find homes for sale in San Marco, Riverside, Avondale, Murray Hill, and other areas around the Jacksonville area. His website was created with you in mind. You want to get a clear picture about life in whatever city you are looking in for your family. That’s exactly what you will find on his website: the highest-quality property images, the most informative guides, and blogs a-plenty. He is there to help your home buying and/or selling process extremely smooth and stress-free. If you are looking for a home with good bones (because that is what matters when it comes to your home), give him a call. At the end of the day, your decor doesn’t matter: it’s what is in your home and how safe your home is.

Megacon 2019

Megacon Orlando and I? We have history.
My first Megacon was in 2014, just a brief month or so after I suffered a miscarriage. I cried the way up to Orlando because I felt guilty for doing something “fun,” but then quickly realized it was just what I needed. The convention scene and I have always been allies, a place I feel safe and at home in. Somewhere where I feel I can be myself without judgement. I had quite a lot of that fun I was feeling guilty for experiencing and met some lifelong friends. For this, it has always stayed in my heart.

It was only natural that Luna’s first convention be Mega, and it was last year. I had my reservations about how she would take it, but she was such a champ. Not many two year olds can say that their first celebrity encounter was Jeff Goldblum while dressed like Queen Elsa. Just sayin’.

[Read more…]

Holiday Bucket List #1: Tates for Substitute Santa

If you follow me on social media, you know I decided to make our first annual family friendly holiday bucket list! Every holiday break, my husband is off and we are able to adventure as a trio more so than usual. This year, I decided to make it official, turn it into a list and share it with you all. Make sure you follow me over on Instagram (@melificent) to get the full list and possibly join in on the fun (seriously, let me know if you want to meet up)!

First on the list was Tates for their annual Substitute Santa. Instead of Santa Claus, Tates gets a different fandom character to sit in for pictures with the family, and usually, hilarity ensues. If you want to get in on the fun before it’s over, make sure you head up to Lauderhill (an hour north of Miami) next weekend – their special guest will be Darth Vader! This past weekend we had Hela, Thor’s evil sister, and goddess of death. All pictures are free – whether you take them with your phone/camera or theirs!

[Read more…]

Geeky Baby Shower: Fandom Elements

IMG_5101

I had my absolutely amazing baby shower last month at Earls in Dadeland Mall. The venue was beyond perfection and the staff even better. But what really made the shower special (aside from all the love in the air), was the little fandom touches I made in decor.I figured I would share these touches with all of you in case you are wondering how you can incorporate some geekiness into more formal events and parties. And yes, I planned and orchestrated my entire baby shower. I’m a control freak and I do what I want. Plus, I think I’m pretty darn good at it. 😉

For those of you wondering what I was wearing, my dress was from Dorothy Perkins and all my accessories (including flower hair pins) and shoes were from Forever 21. My entire outfit cost me no more than $80!

collage

All photos by Elizabeth Star Photography

I knew I wanted there to be a geeky vibe in decor throughout the shower, but wanted to make sure it was subtle. I decided to go with writing some of my favorite quotes from some of my favorite fandoms on little chalkboard easels or place cards. The easels were from Target, while the chalkboard place cards were from Hobby Lobby. I sharpened up on my chalkboard art skills by looking through Pinterest and copying my favorite designs and layouts. Although time consuming, it was relaxing and I honestly was very surprised with the results. Word to the wise, don’t use regular chalk – a chalk pencil will give you much better lines and control especially if you will be writing/drawing on design elements as small as mine. Each of these easels or place cards were placed on the tables, along with a mason jar full of baby’s breath and gold-glittered antlers, which were my homage to Hannibal. I finished the centerpiece look with a little gold animal to tie in a childlike element all the while sitting on top of a wooden slab.

Although I could have gone crazy with geekiness, I wanted our shower to be simple and modern. Our venue was already very aesthetically pleasing to my style so I let it speak for itself. However, all the fellow geeks in attendance definitely took note of what I incorporated, which is exactly what I was hoping for and everyone else just found the quotes sweet. Overall, it was an awesome day with awesome people that I will cherish forever!

To see more pics, go here.

Geeky Wears for your Bridal Party

If you have followed me for long enough, you know I love event and party planning, especially if I get to add some personal (& geeky) touches. There’s nothing like an event with personality, and I think having yours shine through is so important in making it unique. That’s why I absolutely love the growing trend of geeky weddings! There have been some really beautiful ones (this Star Wars one immediately comes to mind), and I want to show you how easy it can be to incorporate your fandoms in a classy & subtle way when dressing your wedding party.

 

Geeky Bridal Party

 

Weddington Way has introduced a new Gents Shop, which makes the initial bridal party shopping even easier for you and your lucky friends and family. You can customize the guys’ suits to match perfectly with your little ladies’ frocks (which are also just a click away) without much stress, which is always valued during the craze of wedding planning. Once your outfits have been chosen (I dug the retro vibe of this Alfred Sung dress & grey herringbone suit), the fun can truly begin!

 

For the ladies, I honestly think the options are limitless when it comes to geeky components that you can add to their outfits. My personal picks were a pair of geeky earrings that compliment their dress (these heart pixel studs would really look great and subtle with an updo), a possible alternative bouquet that illustrates your fandom (totally love these Sailor Moon rods) and a nerdy manicure of either your or their choosing. These are such easy ways to incorporate the worlds you love into your most special day – and I promise none of your girls will complain – they are just too fun!

 

Dudes have it a little less easy. Suits and tuxes can be tough, but there are definitely ways to bring out the fanboy in any groomsmen. I like the idea of a subtle fandom-inspired pocket square to begin with. These can be matched to your wedding colors and feature a fun geeky design like these I found through Etsy, or be a physical prop, like this amazing Chewbacca pocket partner. I also love the look of a suit with Chuck Taylors, and these superhero themed ones would look so rad. Don’t believe me? Here is photo proof! Finally, a man isn’t ready to 007 without a pair of nice cufflinks, so lets make them geeky, shall we? These deathly hallows ones are just one of the many you can find scattered all over Etsy at affordable prices. I especially love when each of your guys has a different look like these awesome men!

 

Are you planning a geeky wedding soon? Do you want to?
What are your ideas?
I’d love to hear them in the comments!