The Christmas Tree Made of Awesome
A while back, I wrote how I was going to blog about random crap from my office/room. That went nowhere after my PS2 post, so I'm gonna attempt something similar yet different, and present to you the Awesmas Tree. It's basically a digital tree (produced in Illustrator and Photoshop) decorated with awesome crap I had laying around.
Princess Rosalina Figurine
If you've played Super Mario Galaxy, you know who she is. If you haven't, well, she's basically a new character to the Mario series. Her main role was to assist Mario in his quest to collect stars all over the galaxy. Throughout the game, she'd read stories to the Luma (a race of these cute little chubby stars), and through these narratives, you'd learn how she became the overseer of the cosmos. Rosalina's character design is quite alluring (I'm not gonna lie, the swooped bang over her face is insanely attractive), so I couldn't resist getting a figurine of her when I came across one at a convention. Because of her importance to the Luma race, I thought it'd be fitting that posed as the proverbial star of my tree.
Caps Hat
Throughout college, I was known as the guy wearing this hat. It was my most identifiable feature. Of course, ever since Washington underwent a logo change, this hat has gone retired along with my white jersey of the same design. From time to time, I'll pull it out of the closet.
Aerith Gainsborough Figurine
As I have alluded to in the past, Aerith is my favorite character in all of Final Fantasy. This is a really cute version of her, so I couldn't resist getting it.
'Johnny's Casino' Dice
Got these during a family trip to Las Vegas a while back. I was underage at the time (by like a year), so the only things I could do were play in the arcade or go sight-seeing. When I found these in one gift shop, it kinda made me feel better.
Obi-Wan figure
The first Star Wars figure I ever got and what made me into the action figure enthusiast I am today. Around the time of the Special Edition release, everyone in my class was into Star Wars, so I joined the band wagon. Prior to this, action figures were to me, like for many kids, a form of play. Not too long afterwards, I started to consider them as a form of art, especially if you look at all the detail that goes into both toy and packaging. Eventually, my Star Wars collection would flood, so I took the fascination further, by making little stop motion movies. People thought I was crazy, but hey, look at Seth Green- he's made a fortune with that form of media!
Helix Pendant
For those who don't watch Heroes, this is the most recognizable symbol in the entire series. Every season you'll see it somewhere, like on a tattoo, or with graffiti. Some are easier to spot than others. Here's a list of where it's found throughout the Heroes universe. I'm not one for neckwear, but I really dig the symbol, so I gave it a shot. And as a fan, you've gotta show your geeky support! In fact, I've gotten a few, "Hey you're a Heroes fan!" from folks spotting me with it. Either that, or someone inquires and it makes for a good conversation.
Wii-Mote
I often tout about the Nintendo Wii, mainly because it's the only system from the current generation I have. The only new game I got this year was Muramasa: The Demon Blade. Aside from Mario Kart, it's the only game I've really been playing. Controls get a little repetitive, but the over-extravagent visuals and intertwined storyline make up for it.
Mini Stanley Cup
Got this on Caps opening night following the dreaded lockout. It's a firm reminder that in the new NHL, Washington will get the Cup. With the way they're playing right now, this could be the year.
Habs Loonie
My cousin Rex gave this to me back in October. I think it's kind of neat that the Canadian Mint would honor the Habs' by stamping loonies (Canadian Dollar) with the team's Centennial logo. I wish the US did something like this with sports teams (the state quarters were soooooo last decade, lol).
Haruhi figure
It takes one crazy transaction to turn you financially responsible. Haruhi was that occurrence. During one Otakon weekend, I roomed with a bunch of friends. A couple of things happened that more or less pushed my buttons. The following day I took my frustrations out on my wallet. The obvious target on my list was an import Haruhi Suzumiya game bundled with a Haruhi figure. I won't go into how much I spent (go dig through my archive if you really want to know), but it's a constant reminder that when a room full of friends piss you off, the wallet is the last place you wanna take it out on. I've been a little more reserved at anime conventions ever since.
Alex Ovechkin Toy
Around the time of the NHL All-Star Game, McDonalds restaurants in Canada offered these player helmet/puck/figurines in their Happy Meals. One of the players in this collection was of Alex Ovechkin. Needless to say, my sister and I were quite jealous, since US McDonalds get crap. As luck would have it, raveygirl17 was cool enough to hook us up. But the collection doesn't stop there. Since Rex works at one in Montreal, he hooked me up with more: another Ovechkin, as well as Jarome Iginla, and Roberto Luongo. So between me and my sister (who's got an Ovechkin and a Malkin), we're only missing Vesa Toskala and Carey Price. Proves my point that Canada get all the cool stuff!
Brush Pen
Earlier in the year, I had mentioned my growing interest to invest in webcomics. I bought this in a set after watching this tutorial on how Dave Kellett produces his daily strips. I've never really been proficient in drawing with ink, so I made an effort to hone my craft a bit. I'm really enjoying it. Perhaps I'll show some of the things I've done with it, but I'll leave that for another entry.
X-Men Figurines
Growing up, Wolverine was always my favorite comic book character. Psylocke on the other hand, was my favorite female X-Men character. When I saw these bundled together, I couldn't resist. The fact that they're in a cute little chibi form amuses me. I have no problem with this supposed Super Hero Squad line being rolled out towards kids nowadays. In fact, I think it's a good way to market comic book characters to a younger audience, potentially easing them into graphic novels.
Can of Molson Dry
This was the first beer I tried when I was first legal to drink... in Canada. Since then, it's become my absolute favorite. This specific can was bought at the Duty Free Shop on the way back home following Tour de Canada '08. Makes me a little sad that Molson Dry only available up north, but it only makes it that more special.
Princess Rosalina Figurine
If you've played Super Mario Galaxy, you know who she is. If you haven't, well, she's basically a new character to the Mario series. Her main role was to assist Mario in his quest to collect stars all over the galaxy. Throughout the game, she'd read stories to the Luma (a race of these cute little chubby stars), and through these narratives, you'd learn how she became the overseer of the cosmos. Rosalina's character design is quite alluring (I'm not gonna lie, the swooped bang over her face is insanely attractive), so I couldn't resist getting a figurine of her when I came across one at a convention. Because of her importance to the Luma race, I thought it'd be fitting that posed as the proverbial star of my tree.
Caps Hat
Throughout college, I was known as the guy wearing this hat. It was my most identifiable feature. Of course, ever since Washington underwent a logo change, this hat has gone retired along with my white jersey of the same design. From time to time, I'll pull it out of the closet.
Aerith Gainsborough Figurine
As I have alluded to in the past, Aerith is my favorite character in all of Final Fantasy. This is a really cute version of her, so I couldn't resist getting it.
'Johnny's Casino' Dice
Got these during a family trip to Las Vegas a while back. I was underage at the time (by like a year), so the only things I could do were play in the arcade or go sight-seeing. When I found these in one gift shop, it kinda made me feel better.
Obi-Wan figure
The first Star Wars figure I ever got and what made me into the action figure enthusiast I am today. Around the time of the Special Edition release, everyone in my class was into Star Wars, so I joined the band wagon. Prior to this, action figures were to me, like for many kids, a form of play. Not too long afterwards, I started to consider them as a form of art, especially if you look at all the detail that goes into both toy and packaging. Eventually, my Star Wars collection would flood, so I took the fascination further, by making little stop motion movies. People thought I was crazy, but hey, look at Seth Green- he's made a fortune with that form of media!
Helix Pendant
For those who don't watch Heroes, this is the most recognizable symbol in the entire series. Every season you'll see it somewhere, like on a tattoo, or with graffiti. Some are easier to spot than others. Here's a list of where it's found throughout the Heroes universe. I'm not one for neckwear, but I really dig the symbol, so I gave it a shot. And as a fan, you've gotta show your geeky support! In fact, I've gotten a few, "Hey you're a Heroes fan!" from folks spotting me with it. Either that, or someone inquires and it makes for a good conversation.
Wii-Mote
I often tout about the Nintendo Wii, mainly because it's the only system from the current generation I have. The only new game I got this year was Muramasa: The Demon Blade. Aside from Mario Kart, it's the only game I've really been playing. Controls get a little repetitive, but the over-extravagent visuals and intertwined storyline make up for it.
Mini Stanley Cup
Got this on Caps opening night following the dreaded lockout. It's a firm reminder that in the new NHL, Washington will get the Cup. With the way they're playing right now, this could be the year.
Habs Loonie
My cousin Rex gave this to me back in October. I think it's kind of neat that the Canadian Mint would honor the Habs' by stamping loonies (Canadian Dollar) with the team's Centennial logo. I wish the US did something like this with sports teams (the state quarters were soooooo last decade, lol).
Haruhi figure
It takes one crazy transaction to turn you financially responsible. Haruhi was that occurrence. During one Otakon weekend, I roomed with a bunch of friends. A couple of things happened that more or less pushed my buttons. The following day I took my frustrations out on my wallet. The obvious target on my list was an import Haruhi Suzumiya game bundled with a Haruhi figure. I won't go into how much I spent (go dig through my archive if you really want to know), but it's a constant reminder that when a room full of friends piss you off, the wallet is the last place you wanna take it out on. I've been a little more reserved at anime conventions ever since.
Alex Ovechkin Toy
Around the time of the NHL All-Star Game, McDonalds restaurants in Canada offered these player helmet/puck/figurines in their Happy Meals. One of the players in this collection was of Alex Ovechkin. Needless to say, my sister and I were quite jealous, since US McDonalds get crap. As luck would have it, raveygirl17 was cool enough to hook us up. But the collection doesn't stop there. Since Rex works at one in Montreal, he hooked me up with more: another Ovechkin, as well as Jarome Iginla, and Roberto Luongo. So between me and my sister (who's got an Ovechkin and a Malkin), we're only missing Vesa Toskala and Carey Price. Proves my point that Canada get all the cool stuff!
Brush Pen
Earlier in the year, I had mentioned my growing interest to invest in webcomics. I bought this in a set after watching this tutorial on how Dave Kellett produces his daily strips. I've never really been proficient in drawing with ink, so I made an effort to hone my craft a bit. I'm really enjoying it. Perhaps I'll show some of the things I've done with it, but I'll leave that for another entry.
X-Men Figurines
Growing up, Wolverine was always my favorite comic book character. Psylocke on the other hand, was my favorite female X-Men character. When I saw these bundled together, I couldn't resist. The fact that they're in a cute little chibi form amuses me. I have no problem with this supposed Super Hero Squad line being rolled out towards kids nowadays. In fact, I think it's a good way to market comic book characters to a younger audience, potentially easing them into graphic novels.
Can of Molson Dry
This was the first beer I tried when I was first legal to drink... in Canada. Since then, it's become my absolute favorite. This specific can was bought at the Duty Free Shop on the way back home following Tour de Canada '08. Makes me a little sad that Molson Dry only available up north, but it only makes it that more special.