Baby Thor, Haunted Mansion Minis, & The Basement Of Every Trekkie/Whovian's Dreams

I don't know about you, but I've been leaning HARD on my favorite creators and fan pages lately to save me from doom scrolling. I've joined more fan groups on Facebook, watched a lot of Rachel Maksy on Youtube, and even convinced John to join me on TikTok, where we obsess over synchronized roller skating and sea shanties. Oh yeah. Gimmie all that beautiful randomness.

Sure, it's the ostrich approach to dealing with... ::gestures vaguely:: ... but at this point I've determined every non-destructive coping mechanism is valid. A better time is coming, we just have to hang on 'til it gets here.

So in that spirit, and for my fellow ostriches, here come some of my favorite finds and follows to interrupt YOUR doom scrolling.

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As always, The Replica Prop Forum is THE page to follow if you like anything geeky. It's a smorgasbord of smiles, like this: 

 Speak softly and carry a big hammer. Also wear a cape. Unless Edna Mode is around.

The RPF is also where I found Todd Pineapple Spann, who's been building something incredible in his basement for over 2 years. I've been eagerly waiting for him to finish so I could show you all, and happily for all of us, this week it's finally done!

Behold!

It's 8 minutes long, but you keep seeing new stuff the whole way through, I promise. Plus time flies when you're drooling on the keyboard. :p This was just the mini vacation from reality I needed when it came out earlier this week. Dang.

Also to whom it may concern:

Todd, I don't know you, but with this crowd that basement will at LEAST get you a first date.

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You know those things from your childhood that always makes you smile? For me one of those are the original Care Bears illustrations. I can't get enough of that pastel 80s style art. So last week I joined the Care Bears Forever in the Kingdom Of Caring group on FB to get pretties like this in my feed:

EEEEE! It's just so darn cute.

The group also posts toys for sale or trade, which can be a nice trip down memory lane. In fact I've joined a couple of toy groups, both for the nostalgia and to see peoples' collection photos, which are super addicting. Some give me great display ideas, too:



This clear shelving is made from acrylic storage boxes! So clever.

Anyway, Care Bears may not be your jam, but think of something you loved as a kid and do a quick search for any fan clubs in Facebook Groups. They're a great way to drown out the Awful in your feed, trust me.

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I've been following Ryan Wells since some of his earliest cosplays - all of which blew my mind - and now he's turned to making geeky miniatures that blow my mind:

Y'all. He made Delia Deetz's sculptures. Tell me you don't want the whole set. You know, to sprinkle around the house and hold little dance parties with?

And get this: Ryan is currently building a miniature version of the entire Haunted Mansion ride at Disney - complete with ride track and Doom Buggies! Go follow him on Facebook for jaw-dropping progress pics like these:

These are my favorite kinds of fandom builds: the ones you KNOW are done from pure passion. I want to see people doing the stuff that gives them LIFE, not the stuff they think will get them the most likes. Be your best weird self, peeps.

Which brings me to Jenny Nicholson.

 Jenny Nicholson is a YouTuber most famous for her Star Wars movie reviews, but I prefer her almost breathtakingly niche stuff.  I'm talking the topics seemingly plucked from out of left field and exquisitely researched, like her "excruciating deep-dive" into everything wrong with Pandora at Animal Kingdom, or her absolutely riveting hour-plus long history of Bronycon.

And now, there's this: an 18 minute take-down of an obscure Hallmark YouTube Channel craft show that no one watched... until now.

There it is, proof that I'll watch Jenny talk about literally anything. Ha! Oh hey, and for further entertainment go check the comments; one or two of the old Hallmark hosts chime in. 0.o

As always I have lots more, but I'll leave you for now with this heavenly photo taken inside a hydrangea:

Taken by MoonLightIce on Instagram - give them a follow for more amazing photos.

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P.S. Before you go, it's been over a year since I bought these sleep headphones, so time for another shout-out!

Bluetooth Sleep Headphones

I have the kind of insomnia old-timey bards would write songs about, so I listen to boring audio books on these every night to keep my brain from spinning out of control. Lately I've been wearing them like a sleep mask -  like the model here - and WOW, that's helped even more than when I wore them like a headband! These things have been a life saver: comfy enough for side sleeping, not too loud like some of my old speakers, and they only cost $20. Note that they do run on the big side, but that works out great if you have a big head like me. :D