Zombieland Saturday

So when the rumours began about Zombieland 2, we were geeked from the beginning! With all the hardcore horror movies coming out around Halloween, this was actually something we could get behind. It was a great option to take our kids to that we felt wasn't going to terrorize them-or us. Yeah it's gory, but it's a zombie movie!

See for anyone who's a big zombie fan or just likes good comedy, you may have heard of Zombieland. We became fans immediately-I mean who wouldn't be? The first one was absolutely hilarious!! Let's start with the actors themselves, since they can set the stage of how the performance would go. You've got Woody Harrelson, an epic actor that has kept with the times, beginning on the 80's show Cheers. His success includes the likes of White Men Can't Jump, Planet of the Apes, The Hunger Games series, Solo, and this! Emma Stone who has a heck of a resume having been in Spiderman, Superbad, LaLaLand and even the Help! Jesse Eisenberg who is of course a character in and of himself. You may not recognize the name, but you'll recognize the movies: Batman vs Superman, the Social Network (you know the flick about Mark Zuckerburg) and of course Zombieland.

Then you have the amazing, the rolling-on-the-floor laughing (for like 40 years now) freakin Bill Murray! Yes, THE Bill Murray!! Remember he was in things like the ORIGINAL Ghost Busters, Space Jam (also the original), Groundhog Day, Stripes, (the voice of the) Garfield animated series, and Zombieland. PLUS he was a comedian long before he was into acting. So when Zombieland 2 came out in October, I made it my personal mission to make it a Zombie-filled day.

Jay got in on it and thought it would be great to play our tabletop game, Zombies, after we go see the movie. It couldn't have been more perfect that way! So we may it Zombieland Saturday and proceeded to enjoy the family day together. The family does typically get frustrated with me during these games, because I commonly win. So I thought I should also point out, Jay won out at the end! And with such a nasty move! He flooded me with zombies Haha

BTW, you should definitely go to see Zombieland 2. If you are a fan of that stuff at all (as in comedy, zombies, or those awesome actors!), you will definitely enjoy the movie :)

After Zombieland Saturday, real life started to get much more complicated, but I wanted to keep the momentum going. So Jay suggested I paint up my graveyard. I kinda forgot about it, so it was a great suggestion. Plus I knew it wouldn't take long at all! So in a week, my daughter and I painted up the graveyard terrain. In case you were wondering, what we are referencing is the Games Workshop  Sigmarite Mausoleum. I'm really happy with how they turned out.

October wasn't over when we painted them though, so I felt like I needed to paint my two undead Harbingers. They had been sitting partially painted for about 3 weeks, so it was time to finish them. I treated them as a team, but that reflected the colors in my skeleton army (red and purple). It turned out to be an excellent idea and gave them each a bit of personality despite being 1 unit in the game.

I couldn't be happier with how they came out! I'll include some of the photos of the process below, as well. Let me know what you think?

   

Now what this really gets me thinking about it is the latest South Park episode (as of this post) called Board Girls. There is plenty of politics in the episode, but I had to share the 'nuance' I noticed, which was how the episode featured girl gamers! Better yet, it didn't just show them off, in it's own way, it showed off the games themselves!!

There were references to some of the common games, Ticket to Ride, Axis and Allies, and of course D&D, but that wasn't it. They referenced tabletop miniature games! In a big way, they put it right in front of pop culture and the everyday joe. I was delighted that Mythic Battles Pantheon seemed to be featured, because that was not only our first kickstarter, but it was initiated by me. I was the non-gamer girl or normie, until after that miniatures game. So it really has significance for me. It seemed that they even wanted to reference 40K or AoS, but I'm sure Games Workshop would never sell the rights lol

Certainly there are many other girl gamers out there who enjoy these hobbies too, as is evidenced by the facebook groups I am involved in. So you should check out the episode, because you will be so excited when you see a very recognizable meeple on the table!

I'll work on being more consistent with my future posts, but I thought you would enjoy hearing (and seeing) some of the things we have been up to in the Yellow Rose household. Look forward to hearing about my thoughts on the Sisters of Battle soon, because I want to hear yours too.

Have a great November!

Why I painted a Mourngul

This time of year is always filled with excitement!! The weather gets cooler, the days get shorter, and I get to look forward to a well-known American holiday meant for dressing up (and I don't mean in tuxes and gowns). No I mean dressing up as a pretty little princess or a horrifying aBoMiNaTiOn meant to scare the kids (and some adults) into a panic! With all of the scary horror flicks and deathly vibes permeating the local Walmart, I tend to feel especially excited about playing with my Age of Sigmar army. Admittedly, I don't just have an army, so much as I have a whole faction: Death.

It started with an interest in the color schemes and simple models. I love purple and black together and thought something like skeletons would be a breeze to paint. Jay had some death models (vampires, skeletons, and zombies mostly) as well as a gorgeous zombie dragon! These models inspired me and I began working on a small unit of skeletons. I was frustrated with myself in the building and painting process, particularly because I was so slow. But when I completed painting my first unit of skeletons, I couldn't help but to beam with pride. I found myself staring at them trying to pick apart what I would do differently or better. Eventually, Jay came along and teased me for 'admiring them', but he knew exactly what I was really doing. He has been painting miniatures for well over 20 years. 

So after I completed that unit, I decided to try the grand zombie dragon. It took a lot of time to put together, but was well worth the wait! I was truly pumped for death after that model. So I wanted to get onto the next set of models I could build or paint. The next set was a few horses-skeleton horses of course. I excitedly started this next unit and completed it in half the time I did the first skeleton unit! I was starting to make this a habit.

Well, my timing was very good and a short time later, Games Workshop released the Legions of Nagash, along with the avalanche of models that came with it. Neferata had me hooked! She would be the next model I STARTED to paint, but I would not finish her for years! I wanted to make sure my skill level improved before I continued with her. Oh, but the models they released!!

It was around this time that a close friend of ours graciously sent me a horrific creature of doom, released by Forge World. He sent this to me so I would have some advantage on the game table when I played Jay. I did not anticipate the look or power of this model. So when it came in the mail, I could barely contain my excitement! The model I received is known as the Mourngul.

This is one big baddie and a creature that gets both Jay, and our son, groaning whenever they know they will face him on the battlefield. He does go down, but it takes a lot of hits to do it! So I used my mourngul many times with all different kinds of lists, but I never quite got the nerve to paint him. It would be another two years before I finally touched him with a paintbrush.

Meanwhile, the next year went by and Games Workshop began their next batch of releases for AOS death-a bunch of wicked-looking GHOST models! And I thought I liked my skeletons, but these ghosts were even more enticing to me. I had to have it all-and we kinda did get it all! This is also when the new Nighthaunt codex was released, so I was able to oooh and aahh over all the new models. This was a good time for death!

Actually painted by our son - Great job!

At this point, I had increased my confidence in painting, starting to delve into my Sisters of Battle in 40K and continuing to paint different death units that caught my interest. I painted several more units of skeletons, including grave guard. I also did complete Neferata in 2018. And as you have seen in my blog, I also painted Necromunda models within the last year here. And yet, the mourngul sat...

But then I wanted something fun and BIG to do. The mourngul called my name... it was at the tail end of another painting project I had just finished. I was looking for a single model that was exciting, wouldn't take too long to paint, and really had an impact. With his horrifying body, only comprising of his torso and above, as well as this huge gaping mouth and menacing claws, I knew it was time.

Now let me take a moment to familiarize you with the Warhammer lore of the mourngul. Originally this model was released in a newsletter from Forge World towards the end of 2012. The model was thought to be used for chaos, but that was before the "end times" referenced the end of Warhammer Fantasy. Shortly after that time, the 9th age began and this was where Age of Sigmar (or AOS) was born. In this new universe, the mourngul was to see it's time, but more as a death model, than as a chaos model.

The lore refers to the soldiers that succumbed to the cold and gnawing hunger of survival in the bleak cold regions of the world. They turned on their countrymen or tribes and became wild cannibals. The individuals would eventually die and attract "the most destructive and insidious magicks" and they would take the spirits to "taint and saturate them into existence. Then their cadavers [were] warped and twisted into inhuman proportions, and they [became] something neither ghost nor revenant" (reference source here). This monster is neither alive nor dead and actually derives from a real-life mythical creature called a wendigo. It is driven by insatiable hunger, attacking living flesh with malice and never satisfied before seeking out the next warm-blooded victim. In other words, this is a baaaaad guy!

http://www.animalplanet.com/tv-shows/lost-tapes/creatures/wendigo/

So, when I started painting him, I had this vision of an arctic undead creature with shades of blue, gray, and black throughout. However, when I began laying the brush to the model, I shifted to more of an undead green color. As far as I'm concerned, he is a zombie. lol I began adding bloody details, using older Games Workshop colors (such as red ink) and really started getting into this model!

The horse, that he modeled to be ripping open with his giant claws, was a breeze as well. Though the gaping hole in his gut was a little more challenging. I didn't really see the model as the horrific scene it was, but more as a canvas where I wanted to get the colors just right. It was gory alright, but an absolute blast to paint!

So here is my mourngul, completed in a week (maybe a total of 8-10 hours?). You can see how mortifying this disgusting creature is! And with the special abilities he has in the game, you can't go wrong to carry one of these bad guys in your army.

Not only does he cause fear, not only does he cause 2 wounds on 6's to hit, but he also heals each turn he takes an enemy model out of action! You can see his full war scroll below:

So that is why I ended up painting a mourngul. Now you know how and why I ended up playing the death faction, as well. I absolutely loved painting this model and look forward to throwing it down on the battlefield soon. Maybe it will pop up in a graveyard somewhere, what with Halloween on the horizon...We'll see!

Indecision - The great Immobilizer of Creativity

What is it that inspires your creativity? In conversations I have had with many creators, taking a walk in nature, watching a thunderstorm roll in, or being active outdoor spur inspiration. Sometimes they have said stimulation such as a good conversation, healing music, or an unusual/emotional experience really gets them going. I have also heard of the unconventional methods to encourage inspiration, such as drinking, drugs, or intimacy. I'll be honest, I have tried them all and different experiences encouraged my creativity at different times.

Let's say that the 'juices are flowing' and I decide I am inspired to create. Since I am like many creators, there are many outlets to express that creativity. I have paints, canvas, wood, sewing machine, papers of all kinds, photo stock, brads, ribbons, fabric, heating guns, stamps, jewels, masks, buttons, models, flock, etc. The point is that I have so many tools to create that even if I have found the inspiration to make something, I then am caught up in deciding what I want to create.

I have to determine how I want to turn that inspiration into something tangible. Sometimes it is really easy. I see a moving photograph and I want to show my version of it on canvas. That's easy. But, when I am itching to create something amazing, I can get caught up being indecisive about what I want to do - wasting my time and motivation to express my creativity. That can deflate me and leave me depressed over the eventual decision to do nothing. Humanity can get no-where if they fail to ever act. 

So how can you get past the immobilizing indecision of what to do?

Pick a project and plan the project from the end to the beginning. Yes, you read that right-plan it from the end, to the beginning.

Here is where I take a page out of Jay's book of thought. He has a degree in project management. I thought one of his courses was very fascinating and it helped me determine how to be more decisive and in control of the projects I want to do. In planning a project, there is a program that breaks down every small detail of the project in it. To summarize it, you start from the end of the project and then work your way back to the beginning of the project. 

This allows you to understand what vision you have for the final project and then work your way back, helping you to anticipate the challenges you may face along the way. It also gives you a chance to put together your supplies, create a timeline, and really flesh out the details of your creative venture. Plus, this allows you to seek out advice or do research into parts of the project that you may lack knowledge about. 

After all, the final project is what really inspired you in the first place. So figuring out the details before you even begin, will help you lead to a successful project void of unexpected issues that may stall your work. Becoming discouraged before you start or halfway through a project, won't help you get anywhere in completing a project that makes you beam with delight!

For example, when it comes to a canvas painting, I have 5 solid steps:

1. Sketch and color the image (Here I get the idea down on paper. I always sketch in pencil so I can erase lines and perfect how I want the image to appear. I also have the ability to play with shading. I will color this image, as well, just to make sure I'm happy with the base colors I have in mind.). 

2. Draw the image on canvas (The difference between drawing on paper and drawing on canvas can be significant! The scale is one issue that you can run into, but it can be overcome. The grid method is a great way to transfer your original image, but I prefer freehand.)

3. Add basic colors, but do not get into detail (Add a thin coat of paint for the largest regions of color. This is treated as a base coat and most of the paint will get covered as you paint more.)

4. Adjust the color with shading (This is where some creativity really starts to come out. Here you are taking that base coat and expanding out with shading, tone, shadow, light, and dark. You can really see the depth of the painting start to come out.)

5. Add details (Finally, this is where you start to add fine details, still following steps 3 and 4 to help really give you that 3D effect and shading that makes your painting pop.)

That's it!

Working my way backwards, I may realize that I'm completely out of certain colors of paint. So then planning to go to the store to restock on supplies needs to be added to these steps. As you work through the plan, it may also occur to you that the subject matter is new. Perhaps you decide that you want to do a little research on how a subject is drawn or painted to get the structure correct. All of these small issues determined early on, will help you have an easier time completing a successful painting.

The advice on how to make a plan for any project has a huge impact on the success of it. Let the logical-minded folks out there help us creators be more successful in our ventures. Once we know how to do what we are going to do, then it will definitely get done!

And if it doesn't quite work out this time...

Don't let indecision immobilize you, instead let planning and execution empower you!

Let me know what projects you have been inspired to start? What has prevented you from starting? Tell me about it. 

A Little of This and A Little of That

*crickets*

Oh hello there! I imagine you are looking for something new to read. Well, I'm afraid that with summer coming to a close (literally this weekend for my kiddos), I have been a little distracted trying to make the most of it with them. It's shocking how quickly a month can fly by! My sincerest apologies.

Frankly, I do have a post I have been working on too! Buuuut it has been a couple of weeks since the game, so I am still recalling all the details. I will get that up this week due to more available time to complete it. So look out for that AOS battle rep. In the meantime, I thought I'd share some of the interesting activities and topics that have been occupying our time over here at the 'yellowrose' household.

During the month of August, we have spent time turning our attention to other nerdy interests as well. With the older teenager, we have spent time teaching her the skills of playing her Underworlds band. She took a particular interest in the Ylthari Guardians. They are both elegant and deadly, when the deck is built properly. Deck-building was another part of teaching her the game. This particular band inspires itself through healing and is the most destructive from afar. Since they are heavy-handed with their spells, we had to teach her the strategy that would give her the most success with this band. 

After she created her deck (and we helped her tweak it), we played a few games, but still need to get in a good tournament match. Perhaps that is something we will do tomorrow, but in the meantime we still need to get the band painted. Nothing is better than painted models in any game that requires models!!

We also, of course, have been following the rumors of Underworlds developing it's 3rd installment called Beastgrave. With this installment, we will gladly grab up all the new bands and cards as well. Since this game is so fast and so strategic, like a chess match with death involved, we are very much looking forward to what Games Workshop is going to release. 

Games Workshop isn't all we talk and think about around here, however. We have also been exploring other activities. Naturally, summer in Texas is particularly hot and sticky. So we have been doing whatever is necessary to keep cool when the over 100 degree temperatures daily simply remind you that's it JUST PLAIN HOT! The kids have found relief with some swimming, whereas we haven't quite gotten around to that much this summer. Otherwise, we hibernate indoors where there is air conditioning. So Youtube, Netflix, and Hulu have become our best friends as a pass-time.

So on Youtube, we have found some interesting people such as Miranda aka Wargamergirl, who is an awesome chick into tabletop miniature gaming of all sorts, such as Malifaux, Games Workshop, and other competitive games. She is incredibly down to earth, has her Wednesday night live casts (which Jay and I love to tag-team on the message boards), and seems like she would be a blast to game with. Maybe one day... We have also been watching CalebCity, which is a group of young guys who cover all different topics of nerdiness with their hilarious skits. Ever wonder how life would be if it stopped in the way animes pause for their characters to introspect? Well they cover that topic-hilariously!! We love these guys and can't get enough of their well-thought out skits. Just don't be all Normie about it (believe me when I didn't know Normie was a term until about 2 weeks ago Haha).

On Hulu, my teenagers insisted that I watch My Hero Academia from the beginning. I laughed because I thought, oh boy another anime. I'm sure I will be speaking heresy when I say I thought Dragon Ball Z was no big deal, but then again, my exposure to anime was some of the most unusual (Ranma 1.5 for example. It's about a boy that changes into a girl when he gets wet-with water of course. Click Ranma 1.5 for a list of episodes on youtube). I loved Avatar: the Last AirBender and Kora, but that's not quite the same. I decided to give it a shot. I was not disappointed!! I love My Hero Academia and am looking forward to seeing more after every episode. Though, the crying...there's a lot of that in the beginning lol

Then of course planning for the future is always on my mind, as in what are we going to do or buy next when it comes to our inner geek! Right now, I'm hoping to pull together a trip up to Dallas for the Dallas Fan Days in October. In case you don't know, I am a HUGE Dr. Who fan!! Regardless of the recent controversy, I am loyal to the Who-niverse and all who is in it. It began when my friend, Bill, had me sit down and watch the entire season of the 9th Doctor in 2014. I had the wrong impression of Dr. Who for years, so when I was finally coerced into watching this series, I didn't expect much. I was wrong! I became the biggest Dr. Who fan and quickly worked to get a local following to continue watching the series through. So to hear that the original 'New Who' Doctor, Chris Eccleston is going to be there, has really had me in a tizzy! I hope we can make it happen, but we'll see. As for more Dr. Who talk, it will be coming. I'm just waiting for more details..

And if you doubt my fandom for Who, let me add that I not only got my whole family into it (with varying degrees of opinions), but I have gone to great lengths to enjoy it! My son became a huge David Tennant fan and even dressed as the 10th Doctor for the Dallas Fan Days back in 2017. In fact, we were originally supposed to meet Matt Smith, but he bowed out 2 weeks before and David took his place. No loss to us-we are a fan of both! In addition, I created a completely Dr. Who themed birthday party for my son, complete with a full-size Dalek (not a perfect one, but pretty awesome, if I do say so myself) and a lots of accessories. I'll share all the details and photos of that party another day. And yes, I even have my favorite episodes listed on my phone (The Empty Child, Silence in the Library, and the Husbands of Riversong among many!).

 

As for other hobbies and events going on, I am getting the itch to work on some scrapbooks and paint lately. And of course, I am eager to game! I also have been very diligent with my Keto lifestyle, continuing to make progress there. I've been working on consistency with my exercise and loving the fact that a burpee doesn't kill me anymore!!

So what have you been up to over summer? Are you exploring your hobbies or just staying cool with the various streaming services to keep you entertained? Comment below and have a great weekend!