Tania Michele: November 2018

Friday, 30 November 2018

November 2018 Faves

Another month gone, and we're getting even closer to the end of the year, as well as Christmas coming at us quickly. Save a thought for those of us who work in retail and have been listening to festive music for the last 2 weeks, and already hate every Christmas song going! No, Elton John, I do not want to step into Christmas with you!!

Anyway, hope you're all well, and here are my monthly faves!

Song
I am obsessed with this song! I've listened to it 61 times on the day that I wrote this post up - had it on repeat without noticing for the first 20 odd plays and then just left it on! I'm pretty sure I have the lyrics down now. I love this video for it too, as it's filled with 90's nostalgia.

TV Show
It is the season of the returning shows, and it's been grand so far! I only started watching this show a month ago, but already addicted and caught up with season 2! 9-1-1 is such a good show, and I love the cast. I started watching it because Angela Bassett was starring in it, but then got to see the other cast, and can safely say I'm in love with Oliver Stark now too, haha!

Film
I have been working my way through some movie sets this month, and watched all the Jurassic Park and World films, just before the new one was released on DVD. I've watched that for the second time, and loved it just as much as the first time. I like that we've got away from the islands at last, and now have dinos in the wild, plus a human clone!

Picture
Fave picture of the month is this one of a visit to Folkestone during the month. My sister, her boyfriend, and I were all super ill when we went with my Dad, but fresh air helps right? Nope! Took this by the harbour, before we headed on a long walk into the town. It was nice to get out of the house and not be working, so enjoyed myself a lot.

How has your November been, and what are your faves from the categories above? Let me know! Hope you have a great day and keep safe :)

Wednesday, 28 November 2018

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 4 Predictions!

Original images from Billboard

Gentleman, start you engines! And may the best woman, win! It's been a few weeks since the cast for All Stars 4 was announced, and after a good gander at the promo images, it's time for my predictions. I am really excited for the new season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, which starts next month. Season 4 has 10 Queens from previous seasons - as well as Latrice and Manila, who also competed on All Stars 1.

This All Stars 4 cast consists of the wonderful:

Farrah Moan
Gia Gunn
Jasmine Masters
Latrice Royale
Manila Luzon
Monet X Change
Monique Heart
Naomi Smalls
Trinity Taylor
Valentina

So here are my predictions, all based on their current promo pictures and what I can remember of them from their seasons!

My top three have to be Trinity, Monet, and Valentina. Trinity is serving such a look here, I'm actually mesmerized. I wasn't a huge fan of her at the start of her season, but grew to love her as it went on - and her Category Is rap was amazing. I loved Monet on her season, and will never get over that fake death drop during her lip sync against Dusty. Valentina was another great competitor on her season, but after that 'I'd like to keep it on please' fiasco, she left early. Hopefully these three will get to the top this season and one will snatch the crown!

As for the others, I really struggled to think of where to put them, but I finally came to a decision!

I've put Naomi in 4th, Manila in 5th, and Latrice in 6th. I love all of these three, but I feel like Naomi has done pretty well after her RPDR season, and as much as I love Manila and Latrice - plus they were shoved out too early in AS1, I feel they've been on the show enough now.

Monique in 7th was good on her season, but I couldn't get along with some of her looks! Gia in 8th place, was a good fishy queen on her season, and HALLELOO, she is the first openly trans woman to now walk the runway! Gia transitioned a while after her season, so this will be a great moment for RPDR. However, as much as I like Gia, I always struggled with her looks and attitude, so I have hopes she will be better this year.

Farrah in 9th... I loved her, but her last name is so apt. She moans all the time! I couldn't get on with her personality all that much. In 10th I've put Jasmine, which hurts me a little, but I barely remember her from her season, and I can't say I'm loving her look in this promo too much. I remember thinking she was eliminated too early, but honestly cannot remember her at all, except her voice!

Recap on my predictions! Who's going to win in my opinion?

Trinity Taylor
Monet X Change
Valentina
Naomi Smalls
Manila Luzon
Latrice Royale
Monique Heart
Gia Gunn
Farrah Moan
Jasmine Masters

Who do you think will win, and what order will you be placing the queens for All Stars 4? Let me know! All Stars 4 premiers on VH1 on Friday December 14th. Hope you have a great day and keep safe :)

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Monday, 26 November 2018

I'm Going Back To Florida!

I've been buzzing to do this post since Easter, and now I finally can! If you haven't guessed yet from the title, I'm heading back to Florida!! Aka, the land of Disney, Universal, sunshine, good food, and more.

We decided last November that we wanted to go again, and after a quick evaluation of the budgeting for it, we were able to pick dates that meant I could save up enough to head back. We started properly planning it all in April this year, and I am beyond excited. We're going in the first half of 2019, so not long to wait for my next visit.

It took a while to get the holiday booked off from work, but so happy it finally came through in September, as it meant I could start booking things.

We're staying at the same villa as last September, as we adored the villa so much. It had everything we needed - the pool is the main fave - plus it was only a 10-15 minute drive from Disney and Universal on a good day of traffic. There is a Walmart, CVS and Walgreens nearby, so we can get everything we need really easily. Due to us having power issues during Hurricane Irma, the people who own the villa have been incredibly nice, and gave us a £200 discount for this trip to make up for it; even though it wasn't their fault and they couldn't do anything, this is beyond kind of them.

We chose to go with British Airways to fly there again, as they are the only company I've flown with and haven't yet had a bad experience with them. We purchased the flights, and the car hire from Avis at the same time back in September as a package deal, and we managed to save £500 for the three of us. We had a silver Chevrolet last time, which I wouldn't mind something similar again, as long as we don't have another spider infestation!

Spiders you ask? Well the car in the above image seemed to have a spiders nest somewhere in the car, and for the life of us we couldn't find it, but everyday a few tiny spiders would be dashing about over the seats or dashboard - until our second week when it was 34°c, there was about 150-200 tiny spiders that just erupted over the backseat, and crawled all over my sister and I... It's hilarious now, but my lord, my heart...

ANYWAY...We're getting our tickets from Attractions Tickets Direct again, as they are honestly the best company to get your tickets from. We're currently waiting to see what the next 'free' attraction is on offer before we buy our tickets, so should be doing that this month! Once that's all done, we only have a few other things to sort out, and we're done.

The tickets we purchased last time, and again for this trip, is the Orlando Freedom Ticket. This enabled you to go to all the Disney parks, Disney water parks, Universal parks, Volcano Bay, Sea World, Aquatica, and Busch Gardens. We've never done Busch Gardens before, so we're going to give this a shot for this holiday, and see what it's like. We're also hoping to do a water park this time, as last year the plans for that were knocked aside due to the hurricane! We also buy tickets separately for Kennedy Space Center, which is another day we all enjoyed last time.

I am soooooooo excited to be going again, and incredibly lucky to be able to go back again, so soon after the last trip. If you have any tips for Busch Gardens, please pass them along as we've not been before and don't know what to expect. What parts of Florida would you also recommend visiting? Let me know! Hope you have a great day and keep safe :)

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Friday, 23 November 2018

Christmas Party Outfit Ideas

It's about this time of the year that a lot of the workplaces around the country, start planning their Christmas parties. Or maybe you're heading out with your friends for a dinner as you're not altogether on the big day. Here are some pieces for Christmas outfits that are perfect for the party season - or just for a novelty gift!

I've included a plus sized part too - aka my section where I love to shop - and also a men's section at the bottom, which is a first for me on this blog! Hope you like all the ideas.

What items from the above do you like? Hopefully the men's section is okay for you gents out there - first time trying to find things for the guys too! How did I do? Let me know! Hope you have a great day and keep safe :)

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Wednesday, 21 November 2018

November Wishlist

I know Christmas is en route, but just in case any of the family haven't a clue what to get me, here are some other ideas for them! Yeah, I already know how much that Disney DVD set is, so that's likely something to treat myself too. Hope you're all having a good month, and are prepping for Christmas!

What's on your wishlist for November, and have you picked up any bargains recently? Let me know! Hope you have a great day and keep safe :)

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Monday, 19 November 2018

10 Things I Love About Comic Con

I'm experiencing con flu - and not just the actual flu where I feel like death - but con flu, the one where I am missing comic con a great deal. It's been a little over 3 weeks since MCM London was all over, and I want to be back there already!

The planning
There is just something about planning when to get tickets, what days to go, what trains we're getting, and what food we'll quickly munch before we get going. I get super excited during the planning, and that's before I'm even there!

Convention only items
Predominately Funko's POP! figures, I love seeing what items are specifically for the convention, as it is more likely I'll buy it!

Cosplaying
Still getting into this, but I've done this for the last 4 times I've gone. I've been a generic Gryffindor student twice, and Arkham Knight Harley Quinn, as well as animated series Dr Harley Quinn.

Meeting other geeks!
I've meet a handful of amazing people at these conventions. Even if it's just a quick chat when I'm getting a picture of their cosplay, or even via Instagram after the event is over, I love making new geek buddies! Plus there are always a dozen meetups going on for different fandoms, where you can meet loads of people.

Time with my cousins
I go with my two cousins, Daniel and Lucy, each time. It's nice getting to spend a whole weekend with them, and being right in our comfort zones of shopping goodies, and pointing out all the amazing cosplayers we see!

Panels
Though I don't really go to these, I've been to a few of the Creator Space ones in the past. I'd love to go to the main stage ones at some point, but they're always so busy! This is a great way to see what your fave YouTubers, actors, comic writers/artists are up to.

Celeb Guests
On the subjects of panels, you can see an array of celebs at these events. I've seen a few of the original Power Rangers, Paul Bettany, David Bradley, and others from a distance! Also spotted Warwick Davies one year and managed to catch his eye and wave at him, and he waved back. Hoping that MCM London has more amazing guests in the future - fingers crossed for Captain America himself, Chris Evans!

Buying goodies
My nerd soul is always fulfilled from all the things I buy. Do I need any of it? No. But that doesn't stop me dropping £200+ every time I go!

Sneak peeks at upcoming TV shows/movies
At the panels, you can sometimes be lucky and get a sneak peek at trailers that are not yest released, scenes from upcoming TV episodes, and sometimes a clip or two of a movie you are dying to see!

The exhaustion
A weird one to add I know, but as much as I ache all over from the weekend of walking, heavy bags and the thousands of steps at the train stations - it's a sign of a good weekend!

I really hope I can go again next year, so I can go mad and buy more things! What things do you like about Comic Con, if you've ever been to any around the world? Let me know! Hope you have a great day and keep safe :)

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Friday, 16 November 2018

November Playlist

I've been listening to a lot of music over the past month so thought I would create this little list of all the songs I am loving for the month. Click any of the titles to get taken to a YouTube video, so you can check them out for yourself. Hope you like them!

Levi Hummon - Patient
Charli XCX & Troye Sivan - 1999
Brad Paisley - Online
The Cadillac Three - The South
The Greatest Showman - This Is Me
Alan Jackson - Chattahoochee
Levi Hummon - Earthquake
Runaway June - Buy My Own Drinks
Mitchell Tenpenny - Drunk Me
Lauren Alaina - Ladies In The 90's

Had another month of being obsessed with all of these songs!! Like any of the songs above? Let me know! Hope you have a great day and keep safe :)

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Wednesday, 14 November 2018

Stocking Fillers Under £10

Shock. Horror. A Christmas post!

It's the middle of November, and I'm about to give you a stocking filler gift idea post! I think Superdrug, Find Me A Gift, and Jewellery Box UK, are all fab for this kind of mini gift, so all of the below items can be found via their site, or in stores.

I tend to get a few items for small gifts for my friends and family - and maybe not quite small enough for a stocking, but they're all amazing ideas. May it be a little chocolate treat, something fun, or even a beauty item! All of these are under £10, so perfect if you are on a budget!

Hope this was helpful and you can find some goodies for people! What sort of items do you like to get as stocking fillers? Let me know! Hope you have a great day and keep safe :)

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Monday, 12 November 2018

10 Things To Do In 5 Minutes

Ever have trouble getting some of your to-do list sorted quickly? Here are a few things that you can quickly do during the day, or if you feel the need to be productive. Pick one of the below, and spend 5 minutes for each of these items, and you'll have a few things checked off for the day!

Clean rubbish off your desk, shelves, counter tops and throw it out
Reply to 10 tweets / comment on 10 Instagram posts
Check and reply to any emails that you need to do
Throw out any old, or messy makeup
Clean out the refrigerator for any food that has gone bad
Schedule your next blog post, and get the promo tweets scheduled
Swap out your seasonal clothes
Paint your nails
Remove items from wishlists that you now own/no longer want
Listen to your fave song and dance to it!

What other things would you add to this list, and what things will you give a try? Let me know! Hope you have a great day and keep safe :)

Friday, 9 November 2018

London MCM Comic Con Haul!

Okay, so I'm still sick, and I have little energy to go to work, let alone do a blog post. SO, here's a cheat day for me! I was originally going to take pictures of everything for you to see, but that didn't work out, so here we have my MCM London Comic Con haul video!

It's filled with a bunch of goodies, such as jewelry, mystery boxes, Harry Potter and Harley Quinn merch, and more!

And if you're confused about the bag idea I saw people walking around with, here's my bag after an hour and ten minutes of pinning things to mine! I drew blood for this beauty, and I'm super happy with how it looks - even though it now weighs an awful lot! What fandoms can you spot?

See you all next week when I am hopefully a lot better! What did you like from my haul?
Let me know! Hope you have a great day and keep safe :)

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