Wonder Woman! DC Cinematic Redeption

NEW WONDER WOMAN TRAILER IS HERE

The new trailer is amazing! Now, I am really excited about this movie. It brings an iconic female character to the table, whom others have tried to reboot but has failed. 

That CG. Those costumes!

I am very hopeful, but I was also hopeful about Suicide Squad, which I am still holding a grudge over. That is why I wanted to post prerelease impressions before I see the film. As with Suicide Squad, I was very excited, trailers looked great, but the end result was garbage. Here is hoping we don't go down that road again.

Now Gal Gadot is the amazing Diana Prince, who when announced she would be Wonder Woman was met with a lot of skepticism,  from me as well. However, after BvS, which is universally regarded as a not as good film as it was hyped up to be, it seems unanimous that the best part of that film was Wonder Woman, so she is already set up for success.

It also looks like the first movie where the female character is "written" or "treated" the same as the men in the movie. 

Now, I touched on that in a prior blog, when I talked about why many studios don't want to do female-driven movies, and I mentioned that there is an irritating need to write women differently from how you would write the men, often with forced cheesy or "sexy" one liners, to much hip swaying, and crappy costumes. (Looking at you Catwoman, the film not the character). However, when the characters are treated the same, Selene from Underworld, Alive from Resident Evil, Black Widow in the Avengers, Rey, and Leia in Star Wars we see huge success and support for them. 

It's not that people don't want to see female-driven action movies, it's that they are not often written as action heroes.This movie and character have really set themselves up though, and I am very optimistic.

I am hopeful that this movie is a huge success, that it is done well, and it is what they are advertising to us in the trailers. Being a huge Marvel fan, who at first was pretty progressive with its female characters, it seems they are falling behind. Between the two, I expected the first sole female action movie to come from them. On you left Marvel. (pains me to say that.)

Hope you enjoy the trailer, 

please leave your thoughts, 

Jessi Harm

Evil Regal

Here are the other blogs I mention in this entry:

http://jessiharm.blogspot.com/2013/12/women-superhero-movies-are-not-as.html

http://jessiharm.blogspot.com/2016/08/suicide-squad-commits-suicide-post.html 

McCalls 6819 Finished: Evil Regal

  The Evil Regal is back, and her new outfit is awesome.

      So here is the nearly finished product on the dress form, getting the approval from Ms. Abby Cat. This is the almost completed product I referenced in my last blog. I did everything last minute. With hours left to go, I got the grommets done, hemmed the bottom, did some final fittings, finishing touches, and voila.

     So I love this dress. It is so much fun. Below is a picture of my outfit at Michigan Renaissance Festival opening weekend. Also, note my awesome Son of Sandlar boots, I have been coveting a pair for years. My favorite thing about this coat is how with very little wind or effort it billows out when I walk providing the perfect dramatic effect. The only thing this outfit needs is a fabulous hat to pair, and a different shirt. (I also intend on getting some great leather gloves to match the hat and boots.)

     There are some changes I will make next time around, and there will most definitely be a next time around.

     First, I made an error when I was constructing the bodice, and I made it a little shorter on me than I would prefer, so when I put on my belt you can't see the tabs in the front. It basically sits right above my waistline, and it should be just below.
     Secondly, because I knew I was going to wear a corset I opted to not do a full bust adjustment, and bust apex reposition, because of that I also opted to not do the hook and eye closure in the front, or lace ties in the back. Next time around I will, and although I still don't know if I am convinced on hook and eyes, (mostly concerned about their durability while LARPing) I will say I think it would have looked a lot better. I hate the space in lacing at the top and then they are completely closed at the bottom.

     I did see one other lady wearing the same pattern, but hers was made with stiffer fabric and a cotton lining so it held its shape really well. Hers looked nice and crisp, she did the hook and eye in the front and ties in the back. When I saw her outfit I wanted to remake mine immediately because it looked so amazing. She had hers made for her by a professional and it really showed. She wore hers with a skirt under it and added other feminine touches. I love how versatile this piece can be.

     I am considering making a second version of this for larp, and later in the fair season when it cools off and the rains get really bad. I did notice with the length on this one if I am walking up anything I step on it, so running and swinging a sword may prove difficult.

     I made some awesome new friends at fair too, (shout out to Chris and Chris) who loved the outfit
and were down to help with the next one. That one I will most likely do the full sleeves, heavier fabric, but a shorter asymmetrical skirt similar to this picture. So the M6819 pattern, but just change the skirt style. Chris and Chris also suggest the use of trim and stones which are a must do. When I begin that one, I plan on doing a more step by step tutorial.

    Please leave your thoughts, tips, tricks and experiences below.

xoxoxo
Evil Regal, aka Jessi

Renaissance Festival project progress: M6819 pt. 2

     So we are about day three into the McCall's 6819 project and it's almost done. The construction was pretty easy considering. My biggest praise is the lack of hand stitching involved. I hate hand sewing, and other than slip stitching the inside of the bodice lining once you attach the skirt there really isn't anything else that requires it.  The picture here is the version I am doing. No sleeves or all around skirt pleats.

     Originally I was going to include boning on the side and back seams for structure, but I have since nixed that idea since the bodice and skirt meet right at the waist line and my waist is short, even my apple shape doesn't warp the structure or how it hangs. Another change I mentioned doing was adding ties in the front to replace the hood and eye closure it called for, and I am still thinking of taking this route, or, I may do some buckles. Haven't decided that yet.

     The pattern calls for decorative lacing in the back, but I haven't done that yet, and I am debating if I want too. It's solely decorative, and if I make the wide waist belt that also comes with the pattern, it seems silly because the laces would be covered up. (However, I am thinking of wearing a corset under, so we will see.)

     This picture is everything that is included in the pattern packet. I am thinking for a second project of making the bodice with the all around skirt pleats, minus the skirt for a second project. There are so many ways to change the options up and have fun.



   So this is the inspiration for the project. Regina is my spirit animal... of fashion. When I saw this picture I immediately thought of my pattern and knew this is what I wanted to make/use as a base. Michigan Renaissance Festival starts August, and goes until October, so I knew I needed something that would offer versatility for the dramatic weather we see in that time frame. We get heat with high humidity, we get lots of rain, and then it gets cold very quickly. I opted no sleeves since my chemise has the long sleeves, and I'll later layer a cloak. I am not part of the cast so I can have more fantasy in my outfit, so I wanted it to be less formal, but still feminine, and along the lines of pirates and roguish. I love this pattern for that.


     The pattern calls for lining, and the jacquard I got from the upholstery section was durable, but not stiff, so it lacked structure. I decided I would take the muslin shell of the bodice I tested and attach that to the lining to have it as an underlining. To be honest, I will never do that again. This was my first time with a lining, and it was frustrating at times to work with not two, but three layers. In fact, I hated the slippery lining I used. unless its a dress or something more delicate, I am using a muslin or cotton linings from now on. I know I will for my next bodice I am already planning.

Here you can see the muslin and lining inside out on my dress form as I was checking the seams and preparing to pin to the main fabric.



     I LOVE THIS COLLAR. On my next project, I may exaggerate it even more. The little sleeve caps are so much fun too. Here is the collar, sleeve caps and bodice sewn up with the lining. It looks great. The collar and sleeves were so easy, you just pin to the edge of the fabric on the right side between the lining and outer shell, and sew it all up in once swoop. Once you do that and turn it right side out, everything just falls into place. The edge stitching was already done to the collar before it was attached to the bodice, I did double line of edge stitching on the collar, one line on the sleeves, and once it was all sewn together I did one line down the front and blended it into the collar.



     My moms' cat Abby kept hiding under the dress form as I was working on the skirt, which I assume was just one giant tent to her. She is a beautiful minx kitty though, so I decided it was a great time to get some shots of her. I posted a few more on my Instagram. Here she is trying to be sneaky.

     I got the skirt lining sewn and the unit attached but I still need to hem the skirt and lining. I deviated from the pattern instructions a little at this point. The pattern calls for the right sides of the skirt to be together and you sew up the sides, up the slit in the back and along the bottom, leaving the top open, but I needed to trim up fabric and lose some inches so I left the bottom open too.

     At this point, all I need to do is add the little decorative pleats, one on either side in the front closure, slip stitch the inside lining closed, which I'll do last in case I need to do anything inside the bodice, trim and hem up the skirt, add whatever front closure method I decide, and decide on the back ties or not. I also have some Kuchi jewelry from my belly dance days I thought about adding to the outfit for more of a pirate look. Not much more to go, and I should have it done in one, maybe two more days time. Fair is 5 days away.


I think this would easily be a long weekend project. I did work at my own slower pace, and on a few occasions I got over confident and ahead of myself which lead to me seam ripping and starting parts over. Over and over. Here is how it's panned out so far:

Day one: cut out pattern, made muslin shell of bodice to decide on fit and alterations (really more so a couple hours at night. I spent the day at JoAnns picking out fabric and notions.)

Day two: cut out lining, and main fabric, cut out sleeve caps, and collar, sew the bodice together, didn't do more because I was waiting for the boning to come in the mail. So I edge stitched around sleeves, collars, and caps

Day three: decided to nix the boning even though it came in the mail, cut out skirt and lining, and sewn them up. (at this point I think my sewing machine was over it because it started to jam on me all the time. I had to put the darning plate cover on to reduce the issues I was having. I have a singer curvy and I was told my the sales person it doesn't do well to layers and layers or heavier fabric.)

Day four: this will be the day I do my finishing touches, touch up anything else thing that needs it after I put on and move around, hem the skirt, and take lots of pictures for my conclusion blog. I'll make sure to get pictures of the details.

Women Superhero Movies are Not as Successful

     I am going to geek out on you all for a minute and I am sorry. This is something that has been on my mind for a while, and with a Wonder Woman movie in the works, as well as a possible Black Widow movie from the Avengers, I need to say this.

     I read an article a while back where filmmakers and Stan Lee explain as to why they put a female superhero movie on hold. The reasons included getting more of the essential characters of the universe out there, creating a better back story, and that female starring action movies just don't do as good. In fact, movies for women are still considered a niche market. The latter reason made my head spin. So I started wondering, why would they think that? Two examples, Electra and Catwoman. TERRIBLE representations of awesome female characters.

You can read the original article here.
 
     I first want to share with you a lovely quote from Meagan Marie who is a phenomenal cosplayer and Crystal Dynamics employee who I feel worded it perfectly.

     "One of the problems I think female superheroes face is that because there are so few of them, they have an unfair onus put on them to represent "women" across the board, rather than a unique person. Essentially, they are painted as easy-to-digest stereotypes - a vixen, a damsel in distress, a motherly character, and so on. They tend to be less interesting as a result. With a slew of male characters to feature in any given movie, each has the opportunity to be nuanced." Meagan Marie

     That explained the reason why the characters are not as diverse, but there are amazing characters out there regardless of stereotypes, and I don't understand why anyone would think they would be less successful in film. So I sat down and watched some of the best, and my favorite strong female staring movies.

     For starters, I notice an over-saturation of  female stereotypes. In almost all female hero movies I have seen, frankly, the women characters are written differently than men. More specifically, I am targeting the dialog, interactions between characters, especially with the male ones. There is too much hip swaying, cheesy attempting-to-be-witty-and-seductive dialog, and over-sexualization of the female form. Sure, we all want to see an attractive actress portraying our favorite character, kicking some ass, and taking names, but what we don't want to see is our favorite characters painted up as bimbos in costume trying to be more sexy, versus standing up for the greater good.

     The other thing I noticed was the dialog. Women in some of these movies are more Coy, flirty, and sassy. When the women are giving the crappy dialog you lose both men and women. Your character and story lose substance. Even though it's not real, we want it to feel real, and let us be honest, most people don't talk like "that". What I am trying to say, is if you think about conversations between male and females in movies, the flirtatiousness, and the one-liners most of the time are cheesy, but also not necessary.

     The Next thing is the sexualizing the characters. Yes, men are the ones who primarily see the comic book and action based movies. Sure guys want to see sexy, but again there is a line that you don't have to cross, that is often crossed. With that being said the gap is closing and more women are seeing the same movies, so to us when you represent women as very sexy, or seductive, the women don't respect or take the character seriously because they are represented more like bimbos.

     The idea that female leading action movies don't do as good is false because we saw great success with the Selene character in Underworld, Princess Leia in Star Wars, as well as the Alice character in the Resident Evil movies. Why do they stand out so much from other female leads? Because they weren't written differently. Their conversations were solid, their actions were solid. They were not based or influenced by their gender or emotions, they were based on the story and relevant situations happening in the movie. Sure Selene was sexy in the corset and catsuit, but she also had brains, she was strong, and could handle herself.

     So in short, you want to see a successful female action based movie, then write them like you would write the men. The male dialog isn't dripping with excess testosterone, so the females don't need extra estrogen. Write Wonder Women like you wrote Man of Steel or Batman. Write Black Widow like you would any of the male Avengers. You can have witty, but Think Tony Stark Witty or Princess Leia witty, not Hallie Berry Catwoman cheesy.

     I truly feel it isn't the female aspect, or even the character aspect as to why female leading movies do poorly, I truly feel its how they are written, how they are represented, and how they talk. In short, we can clearly see a beautiful actress playing our favorite characters, we don't need the extras.

Inner Thigh Gap, The Unrealistic Expectation

Hello Everyone,

     I am seeing lots of people obsessed with, and repining how to guides on the inner thigh gap. I don't get the obsession. But I also find a lot of the repins very misleading. So I am going to talk to you about realistic expectations, and why things like the thigh gap, or tiny waist goals may just lead to disappointment.

     In the last blog, we talked about your body being unique, and you should set goals for yourself, and not base them around others. This is very true. The shape of your body is determined by many factors, including bone density, height, and genetics. That is why if you took two people and put them on the exact same diet and workout plan, they would achieve different results. To say that you want to work out to look like someone else is going to set you up for failure. You need to understand this. There is no set definition of what a beautiful body is, except for what you say it is. You need to have confidence and know your body well. You may not have an hourglass shape, you may not have wide hips, you may not have the v cut in your abs. All bodies are unique. Look at the difference in bodies from Jessica Biel, Pink, Gwen Stefanie, and Salma Hayek. All are beautiful, but no two are alike.

     The inner thigh gap is one of those things that is not realistic for everyone. Let's play with this logically for a second. If you were to look at lots of the inner thigh gap photos, most of these women are very skinny (like in the photo taken from Pinterest. I don't think it looks good at all), and or have wide hips. In some photos, you can even see that the model doesn't have the inner thigh gap at all, it's just the way she posed. So what happens when you set something like the gap as your goal and don't achieve it. Well you think it's your fault, you train and diet harder, stress out, get upset, or your get discouraged and quit. There are beautiful women out there who are toned and healthy without a thigh gap, like Jessica Biel, she is a female fitness inspiration to many women, and she has no gap.

Now that's not to say that you shouldn't try and work out all areas of your body, but it has been proven you can not just spot treat areas of your body, to lose weight. To tone evenly you need to work your body all over. Try adding one or a few Squat Jumps, alternating lunge jumps, side squats, Bulgarian squats, calf raises, or burpees, to your current routine.

Remember you results and experience may vary, and that is okay.

Yours Truly,
Jessi Harm

"The Honest Life" by Jessica Alba review.

     I am so excited to do this review for you. I have done several books and DVD reviews, but this one I am most excited about because it’s a product that promotes something I believe in. The book is beautiful. There are several lovely colored family photos, beautiful text, and graphic designs. The book is 250 pages long and as graceful as its writer.

Here is my review of the book. At the bottom are links to where you can by the book, as well as Jessica Alba's company web page and more.

     "In The honest Life, actress, activist, and entrepreneur Jessica Alba inspires readers to make affordable healthy, nontoxic choices for themselves and their family- from the food they eat to the products they put on their skin, and the materials they use in their home- without sacrificing style."

     "The Honest Life: Living Naturally and True To You" by Jessica Alba is an extremely informative collection of tips, tricks, facts and life lessons. She promotes the idea of living a healthy and natural lifestyle, without feeling like a lecture. She brings her own past and experiences to the table, as well as several hours of research, working with some of the best in the fields of natural health.

     Jessica Alba asks why anyone should have to choose between nontoxic, eco-friendly, and pure products, or affordability and style. That is why she got inspired to get informed, and start her own company, where healthy natural decisions didn't have to be boring anymore. Where natural and pure products didn't have to be expensive and lack performance.

     Jessica Alba talks about everything. It covers hygiene products, beauty products, cleaning products, food, hobbies, affordability of organic living, (or at times, the lack thereof) and so much more. She talks about key harmful agents in many household items, such as but not limited too, Formaldehyde, Mercury, Parabens, Petrochemicals, and Lead. Products that we use every day could be causing hormonal or even  minor nerve damage over long term exposure. She talks about where the chemicals are found, why they are bad, and how to work around them. There is even an easy to understand reference guide in the back of the book.

     The book is filled with many uplifting stories, tons of inspiration for beauty, fashion, dinner parties and hobbies. It has lots of natural recipes for product alternatives, plus some of her personal food recipes.

It truly is a fun read, a very informative read, and an inspiring read.

     There are even a few chapters for parents or expecting parents. However, you do not need to have children to get the benefit of this book, the majority of the information is based on a clean, healthy, day to day lifestyle. She was inspired to write, and start her journey during her pregnancy, but she primarily promotes keeping harmful things out of your life and bringing in safe effective alternatives.

     Jessica Alba "The Honest Life" is truly something that everyone needs to read. It’s an eye opener. However, there is no judgment in the book. She doesn't beat into the reader how 'horrible our current lifestyle is, and if you continue to use it you are a bad person'. Jessica simply shares her experiences, what she has learned, and how she avoids or works around these issues. She lays the information out for you to take it or leave it. Her true desires and passions are simply to get the information out there so everyone at least has the chance to be informed. PLUS, it’s written in a way that is extremely easy to understand. It's not over-saturated in science or medical terminology like other books I have read on similar subjects.

     This book is backed by her personal experiences and tons of research conducted by her and countless professionals in the specific fields. She didn't write a book on opinions, Jessica really did lots of research of the issues she talks about in the book and worked with many different specialists to make sure she is bringing you the most accurate and current information possible.

     I truly love and stand behind this book 100%. Please check is out. Again it’s called "The Honest Life: Living Naturally and True To You" by Jessica Alba. I have linked it several different times throughout this blog. I Love www.rodalebook.com, and that is where I purchased mine, so that is where I linked all of you, However, I am not paid or endorsed to do so, but I love so many of their products, I hope you take a look around and find other inspiring works.

     Here is a link to Jessica Alba’s company website. She has started a company that sales and promotes, affordable, safe, CLEAN formula products for everyday living. They have sample packs, so you can try sets of multiple products, all you have to pay is shipping and handling. It is only ($5.95) which I highly suggest.

https://www.honest.com/.

Questions or Comments please leave them below!

Jessi Harm

The Spartacus Workout

I recently made a purchase from Women's Health which I love and I am so excited to share it with you. It was originally promoted by Men's Health Magazine, and then Women's Health. It's The Spartacus workout. 

I recently Purchased The Spartacus Workout 2 DVD Set, and The Spartacus Workout 20-minute Body Fat Torchers. I absolutely love them. I felt wonderful today after I did The Gladiator Gauntlet. I look forward to alternating between the 20 min circuits and the main workout. I felt fatigued but confident in my workout. The host is motivating, and there are several people doing the workouts with you, who are performing different move alternatives and at personal speeds. So no matter what level you follow at, there is someone to go along with. 

I loved it. I felt wonderful during, and after. It challenged me and my body was shaking, but it moves at a wonderful pace. It keeps you moving. It's a little different from other workouts that I have done, as, in each circuit, you increase your effort. It's very accumulative. the first round is a very basic warm up round, and the last round is in full swing. I was discouraged at first when I skipped through to see what to expect and I saw more rest times than I am used to, but MY GOSH you will need them. You will sweat.

The DVDs are compiled of a few different workouts, all High-Intensity Interval training, and circuit training. Some require equipment but show you alternatives for body weight, or kettle-ball vs dumbbells. There really is no excuse, when some of the circuits are 15-20 minutes long, and you don't have to go out and purchase equipment.

I like how they make you feel confident no matter your level, pushing proper form and alignment over quantity and speed. They encourage you to be aware and resituate yourself if needed. I am used to other DVDs that push you to go as fast as you can and push out as many as you can, and almost guilt you into pushing yourself. This DVD MOTIVATES you to keep pushing yourself. 

I hope this helps, any questions please feel free to ask.

I was not paid to review this product, this is something I found and bought on me own. I have purchased many things from Women's Health and Rodale, and I have not been disappointed yet.

Yours Truly,
Jessi Harm

Slim Calm Sexy Yoga

     I used to work in an understaffed nursing home as a Nursing Aide, and my body was constantly stiff. Now before I got the Job I loved to stretch, but since I got the job, oddly my flexibility decreased, and I found I needed to stretch more. I came home so stiff and sore sometimes it hurt to stand.

     Yoga had always appealed to me because it was strengthening, lengthening and stretching the muscles, so FINALLY I purchased this yoga book and DVD I had seen on womenshealthmag.com called Slim Calm Sexy Yoga. It's an amazing buy, filled with beautiful glossy colored pages with detailed descriptions and instructions on each move, and some routines. It's just a beautiful product. The Accompanying DVD is amazing and wonderful as well.

     Even though I had always stretched before, yoga was different to me, some moves felt awkward and at times were more uncomfortable than anything. Well the more I did them the better they felt and the less awkward they became. Literally, every time I did a move or a routine I saw improvement. One move especially was the downward facing dog. At first it was too awkward to hold for a breath or two, I was sliding all over the place and my arms and legs were just wrong, but I just forced myself to hold as long as I I could until I reached the recommended time (five to ten breaths) and now my form is improving.

     Anyways, the point is, yoga is different but its great. Sometimes a little awkward at first but it's worth the perseverance. Yoga can by as intense or relaxing as you want. You can do a move or two to loosen up or a whole routine that works and stretches the entire body. There are yoga routines to help you sleep, help you wake up, to ease a headache, assist with orgasms and fertility, help with anxiety and metabolism. Whatever you need yoga to do, it can. So if you are looking for a switch or something to add to a preexisting fitness regimen, give it a try. You feel and see the accomplishments.

If you are unfamiliar with yoga check out Slim Calm Sexy Yoga by Tara Stiles. It's a great place to start I think. It can by found at www.rodale.com

There's my two cents, I hope you enjoy,
Jessi Harm