Now, I will be the first to admit that I do not have the greatest taste in movies (especially horror flicks). Do I appreciate deep, inspirational cinema? Of course I do. I can appreciate beautifully crafted narratives, nuanced characters, and thought-provoking explorations of the human condition.

But you know what else I appreciate? Pretty visuals. Epic fight sequences. A killer soundtrack. And anything else that makes the nerdy little dopamine receptors in my brain light up like a Christmas tree.

So what movie has made me feel like the person in this comic? Oh, there are several. But one that immediately comes to mind is Zack Snyder’s 2011 film Sucker Punch.

For the uninitiated, the official synopsis reads:

“A young girl institutionalized by her abusive stepfather retreats to an alternative reality as a coping strategy and envisions a plan to help her escape.”

Sounds pretty bleak, right?

Well, yes. But also: SAMURAI. DRAGONS. ZOMBIE NAZIS. GIANT ROBOTS. EXPLOSIONS.

It’s basically what would happen if someone took an anime, a video game, and a particularly unhinged D&D campaign, threw them into a blender, and handed the resulting concoction to Zack Snyder with an unlimited supply of slow-motion effects.

And I. Ate. It. Up.

While much of the film takes place inside the main character’s mind, her imagined reality consists of a series of increasingly elaborate fantasy worlds. So technically, the film can be classified as a fantasy action movie.

And technically, that means I can appreciate it as a fantasy epic rather than defend it as a cinematic masterpiece.

Oh, but the visuals! The music! (Björk’s “Army of Me” blasting over a battle sequence is so gloriously on-the-nose that it circles right back around to being brilliant.) The anime-inspired fight choreography! The elaborate costumes! The sheer audacity of making every action sequence look like the final boss battle of a video game!

Even the uncomfortable themes and metaphors struck me as compelling. I thought the juxtaposition of fantasy and trauma was fascinating, and the layers of imagined reality gave the film an almost dreamlike quality.

Was it subtle? Absolutely not. But asking Zack Snyder to dial back the visual spectacle is like asking Michael Bay to make a movie without explosions.

I thought Sucker Punch was a visually stunning, wildly imaginative, deeply flawed but thoroughly entertaining movie.

…Apparently, I was in the minority.

What I didn’t realize was that the majority of the world HATED this movie. Critics lambasted its one-dimensional characters. Viewers dismissed it as all style and no substance. Others found its treatment of female empowerment and exploitation contradictory, which, to be fair, is a criticism worth discussing.

Currently, Sucker Punch has a 23% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Look, I’m not claiming Sucker Punch is some misunderstood cinematic masterpiece that future generations will study alongside Citizen Kane. I recognize that its storytelling is messy, its symbolism can be heavy-handed, and its portrayal of women raises some legitimate questions. But I also think there’s room in the world for movies that prioritize imagination, atmosphere, and sheer visual insanity over airtight plotting.

To me, Sucker Punch is right up there with 300 among Zack Snyder’s most memorable works. Both are gloriously excessive visual spectacles that seem to operate under the philosophy that subtlety is overrated and excess is an art form.

Maybe I have terrible taste in movies. Maybe my inner film critic has been permanently distracted by shiny objects. Maybe my inner nerd has hijacked my critical thinking skills and refuses to negotiate.

But I refuse to apologize for enjoying something just because the internet has collectively decided I’m wrong.

So now I’m curious: What’s your cinematic hill to die on? What’s a movie you absolutely adore despite critics, audiences, and possibly your own friends insisting that it’s terrible?

Do share! I promise this is a judgment-free zone.

Can I confess something, though? As much as I adore Buffy, I think I might love Angel just a little bit more. The humor! The mythology! The deliciously devastating heartbreak! Wesley’s character arc alone deserves its own dissertation. Am I alone here?

Anyway, you can imagine my delight when I discovered that Alyson Hannigan (our beloved Willow Rosenberg) and Alexis Denisof (Wesley Wyndam-Pryce himself) had fallen in love, gotten married, and — unlike approximately 97% of relationships in the Buffyverse — are still happily married. Alexis even had a recurring role on How I Met Your Mother, starring his real-life wife. It’s the ultimate Buffyverse crossover, minus the tragic deaths.

More recently, Alyson has been popping up all over my social media feeds, and I’ve discovered something wonderful: she’s an absolutely adorable dork in real life. And her daughter? Basically a mini-Alyson.

But I digress. (As one does when discussing the Buffyverse.)

The actual reason for this post is that Alyson recently shared an Instagram reel giving us a tour of her Halloween graveyard.

Big whoop, right? Plenty of people turn their lawns into spooky cemeteries every October.

BUT NOT EVERYONE HAS ACTUAL PROPS FROM BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER IN THEIR FRONT YARD.

Yes, you read that correctly. Alyson has been casually hoarding pieces of Sunnydale history for more than two decades, and apparently, every Halloween, she just… puts them on her lawn.

As Alyson explains in the video:

“One of the benefits of being on Buffy the Vampire Slayer was that set dec gave me a bunch of Halloween stuff. They used to loan me things for Halloween, and then when the show was over, they were like, ‘Just take it all.'”

Meanwhile, the rest of us were spending our hard-earned money on Buffy action figures and replica Mr. Pointy stakes.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Alyson Hannigan Denisof (@alysonhannigan)

Since Buffy ended in 2003, Alyson has been holding on to these treasures for 23 years. And that skeleton emerging from a coffin? Apparently, it’s from Season 1, making it nearly 30 years old.

But the moment that really got me was when Alyson came across a wooden cross with metal detailing that she couldn’t quite place.

“You guys tell me,” she says. “I bet you can tell me when you’ve seen this.”

ALYSON. GIRL. HOW COULD YOU FORGET?!

That’s the cross from one of the most gut-wrenching scenes in Buffy history!

Remember Season 7, when Buffy discovers that Spike has gotten his soul back? And in his guilt-ridden, emotionally shattered state, he drapes himself over a cross, his flesh literally sizzling and smoking?

THAT CROSS.

And it’s just… hanging out in Willow Rosenberg’s yard.

I cannot.

Watching this reel brought me an absurd amount of joy. I love that Alyson has kept these pieces of Buffy history alive and shares them with those of us who still consider Sunnydale our spiritual hometown. (I’ve heard Sarah Michelle Gellar is pretty great about indulging us fans, too.)

It also makes me sadder about the cancellation of the planned Buffy revival on Hulu. With so many familiar names involved, it really could have been something special. Or a complete disaster. Either way, I was fully prepared to watch every episode and complain about it.

But at least we still have Alyson Hannigan’s personal Sunnydale Cemetery.

And now I have just one question:

HOW DO I GET INVITED TO HER HOUSE FOR HALLOWEEN?

Because if there’s one thing Buffy taught me, it’s that graveyards are where all the fun happens.

Well, graveyards and the Bronze.

An Irishman lost his wedding ring in a fast-moving stream while vacationing in Italy. Which, let’s face it, is pretty much the end of that story for most people. But three Italian strangers decided otherwise. They spent DAYS searching for the ring and, against all odds, actually found it. How did they announce their discovery? With a text message that read, “Hi Sméagol, look what we found.”

I mean, how can you not love these guys?

But wait. It gets better.

Rather than simply mailing the ring back, these three magnificent humans FLEW TO IRELAND DRESSED AS HOBBITS to return it in person. Three grown men crossed international borders in hobbit costumes to reunite a stranger with his wedding ring. Somewhere, J.R.R. Tolkien is smiling. And probably wondering why nobody thought to involve the giant eagles.

I also love that this particular Fellowship apparently consisted of Frodo, Sam, and Merry. Poor Pippin. Even in real life, nobody trusts him with anything important.

Fool of a Took!

All joking aside, what I love most about this story isn’t even the miraculous recovery of the ring or the spectacular commitment to Tolkien cosplay. It’s that three complete strangers went so far out of their way to help someone, simply because they could. And then, instead of treating it as just another good deed, they turned the whole thing into an adventure and, apparently, a lasting friendship. I can barely motivate myself to retrieve something I’ve dropped behind the couch, so their dedication is especially impressive.

And really, isn’t that what The Lord of the Rings is all about? Beneath all the epic battles, terrifying monsters, and impossibly attractive elves, it’s a story about friendship, loyalty, and ordinary people doing extraordinary things for one another. Granted, these guys weren’t trying to save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord, but I’d argue that voluntarily searching a rushing stream for a stranger’s wedding ring is pretty heroic in its own right.

With all the negativity in the news lately, it’s refreshing to be reminded that there are still genuinely lovely people out there doing wonderfully ridiculous things for one another. No grand speeches, no ulterior motives, just kindness, perseverance, and a healthy appreciation for Tolkien lore.

Faith in humanity: restored. Faith in hobbits: never wavered.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think it’s time for second breakfast.

So I spent some time tinkering over the weekend. What started as a few minor tweaks turned into a mini makeover: a warmer, more elegant header image, a refreshed color palette, updated typography, and redesigned sidebar tabs for a cleaner, more modern look.

The biggest change, of course, is the header. I wanted something that felt a little more polished and sophisticated while still capturing the playful personality of Geek in Heels. I also wanted the different elements of the site to feel like they belonged together, rather than looking like pieces borrowed from different designs.

So, what do you think?

I’m still a bit on the fence about it, to be honest. I’ve always gravitated toward more minimalist designs, and this new header image is anything but. There’s a lot going on between the furniture, the plants, the cityscape, and my little laptop-toting avatar. But I do love how it turned out, and I think the warmer colors and softer details give the site a more inviting feel.

More importantly, the entire site feels much more cohesive now. The header, typography, colors, and sidebar all seem to be speaking the same design language, which was exactly what I was hoping to achieve.

Of course, knowing me, I’ll probably find something else to tweak before long.

In the meantime, take a look around and let me know what you think! Is the new header too busy, or does it strike the right balance between playful and polished? Is there anything else you’d change?

This blog has always been a work in progress, and I’m always open to suggestions and new ideas.

Rather than showing off his own moves, he often asks strangers to teach him theirs. Sometimes it’s a traditional dance from their culture; other times, it’s simply their favorite dance move, regardless of where it originated. Whatever the style, he enthusiastically joins in, often with hilarious, heartwarming, and downright infectious results.

This guy got people from around the world to teach him their favourite dance moves. Credit: Ed People
by u/FloatyFloatyCloud in MadeMeSmile

Watching this video brought a big smile to my face. There’s something genuinely uplifting about seeing people from different countries, cultures, and walks of life come together through something as simple as dancing.

They say there are two universal languages: math and music. But after watching something like this, I can’t help but think there must be a third: dance.

After all, you don’t need to speak the same language to share a rhythm, learn a few steps, or laugh at yourself when you inevitably get them wrong. A smile, a little encouragement, and a willingness to look silly are often all it takes to turn two complete strangers into dance partners.

And that’s what makes these videos so special. It’s not really about the dancing itself. It’s about the connections being made. It’s about people opening up to a stranger, sharing a little piece of themselves, and finding common ground without necessarily exchanging a single word.

Watching these interactions also reinforces something I’ve long believed: most people in this world simply want to live peaceful, happy lives. They want to laugh, love, celebrate, raise their families, enjoy their communities, and find a little joy wherever they can.

Yet so much of what we see and hear every day focuses on what divides us. Wars, politics, hatred, greed, and the selfish ambitions of those who seek power often dominate the headlines. It’s easy to forget that, beneath all those differences and conflicts, ordinary people around the world have far more in common than we might realize.

Of course, a few minutes of dancing won’t solve the world’s problems. But videos like these are a welcome reminder that our shared humanity is still there, even when the noise of the world makes it difficult to see.

If you’d like to see more, check out Ed People’s YouTube channel. He’s danced with people in all sorts of unexpected places, including a prison and a refugee camp. He’s even attempted to learn what he calls the most difficult dance in the world: the mesmerizing Zaouli dance from Côte d’Ivoire.

It’s worth spending a little time watching his videos, especially on days when the world seems particularly divided or depressing. Because sometimes, all it takes is a little music, a few dance moves, and a couple of strangers having fun together to remind us that the world isn’t such a terrible place after all.

We may not all speak the same language, but we can certainly dance to the same beat.

I purchased the Dolce&Gabbana Blueberry Nutri-Tint Skin Tint earlier this year, and it has been in heavy rotation ever since. I especially loved it during the summer months, when I wanted something light and refreshing. (It smells like fresh blueberries, so it actually feels refreshing, too.)

The Dolce&Gabbana Blueberry Nutri-Tint comes in a whopping 40 shades, which is pretty unusual in the realm of skin tints, where many manufacturers produce fewer shades and market them as “flexible.” At first, I was hesitant to purchase this tint because the stock photos made even the lightest shades look too dark for me. Thankfully, I managed to find some swatches online that assuaged my concerns. I was also able to confirm that shade 1N does, in fact, have a slight yellow undertone.

(Believe it or not, the photos I’m posting here of this skin tint are of shade 1N, according to their website. As you can see, it looks pretty dark and pink. This is why we don’t blindly trust stock photos, people.)

So, how does the Dolce&Gabbana Blueberry Nutri-Tint actually perform?

It’s infused with blueberry from Cilento to enhance the skin’s radiance, along with glyceryl glucoside for hydration. Because it’s a skin tint, the coverage is light, although it can be built up where needed. I wouldn’t describe the finish as particularly glowy or dewy — it’s more natural. And my dry skin loves it.

With primer and setting spray, it lasts a solid 8–10 hours on me, even on hot, sweaty days. That’s pretty impressive for something this lightweight.

As you can see in the photo below, my skin’s imperfections still show through the Dolce&Gabbana Blueberry Nutri-Tint. But that’s kind of the point: this isn’t a product that’s trying to erase your skin. What it does do is even out my complexion, soften the appearance of some texture, and leave my skin looking naturally bright and radiant.

I should also mention the primer I use with this product: Yunjac Skin Perfecting Protective Base Prep. It’s a Korean primer that went viral last year after being spotted in the kits of famous makeup artists. It has a serum-like texture and dries down to a glowy, slightly sticky finish. It’s incredibly hydrating, and I find that it really helps my makeup last longer.

I’ve tried plenty of skin tints, including the Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Soothing Serum Skin Tint and the Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint. I liked the Danessa Myricks for its hydrating glow, while the Ilia felt like pigments suspended in a serum. But neither quite nailed the balance of coverage, hydration, and longevity that the Dolce&Gabbana does for me.

Is $57 a lot for a skin tint? Absolutely. Am I still going to keep reaching for it? Also absolutely.

Where to buy:

Dolce&Gabbana
Macy’s
Saks Fifth Avenue

And hey, you can destroy my website too. The images didn’t load correctly for me, but I do like how the menu broke apart as though it were an actual strip stretched across the top of the screen.

You can “play” solo or with friends. If there’s a website you particularly despise — or you just have a few minutes to kill — it’s a surprisingly entertaining way to wreak a little harmless havoc online.

Via Kottke.

My, my, does time fly.

It really does seem like just last month that we were rushing to the hospital on that rainy Thursday morning, about to meet her for the very first time. And somehow, that tiny baby is now sixteen.

Claire, when she was about six months old

Claire has always preferred a small circle of very close friends, so it wasn’t much of a surprise when she told us she didn’t want a big sweet sixteen party. At first, she considered having it at a noraebang in New Jersey, but she and her friends quickly vetoed that idea when they realized the atmosphere was a little too adult for them (i.e., lots of alcohol being consumed there).

Instead, she decided she wanted to celebrate at home.

So that’s exactly what they did. They ate good food, sang karaoke with a set her grandfather bought for her, played board games, and just enjoyed being together.

We asked her more than once if she was sure she didn’t want to go out to a nice restaurant with her friends. Nope. She was perfectly happy celebrating at home with the people she loves most.

We did, however, get her a pretty spectacular custom cake…

Splatoon is one of her favorite video games, and she’s played every version since the first one was released, so this cake couldn’t have been more perfect for her. And it wasn’t just gorgeous — it was delicious, too. The baker did a fantastic job.

Right after she blew out the candle

At sixteen, Claire has become someone I couldn’t be prouder of.

She is so smart, but what makes me even prouder is how dedicated and loyal she is. She’s a junior now and has been studying for the SAT (she’s taking the PSAT in a couple of weeks), consistently scoring in the mid-1500s on her practice tests. She’s taking ALL AP classes this year — even though I told her she should take it easy — and she earned 5s on both of the AP exams she took as a freshman and sophomore. She has over a 100 average on her transcript, is active in several organizations at school, and even founded a volunteer club.

But as proud as I am of everything she’s accomplished, I’m even prouder of the person she’s become.

Her friends mean everything to her. She loves fiercely, and she is incredibly loyal to the people she cares about. She would go to hell and back for her friends — and I know they would do the same for her.

When Claire was a baby and toddler, I remember sometimes worrying that she was too much like me. I saw so much of myself in her, including some of the parts of myself I wished I could spare her from.

But somewhere along the way, she took those pieces of me and made them her own.

And now, at sixteen, I’m so happy to say that she’s become a much better version of me.

Smarter. Kinder. Braver. More driven. And entirely, wonderfully herself.

What more could a mother possibly want for her child?

Happy sweet sixteen, Claire.

Okay, there’s an ulterior motive too: I earn a small commission whenever someone buys something through one of those links.

And just last month, I started wondering whether I could monetize the most popular post ever on this blog: the Star Wars MBTI Chart.

The only problem? Star Wars is obviously owned by Disney, and Disney is notoriously protective of its intellectual property. So rather than go anywhere near that, I decided to try my hand at the other half of the chart: MBTI personality types.

I designed a line of MBTI shirts to sell on Etsy.

And then I designed another.

And then…another.

In all, I ended up creating three distinct lines of MBTI-inspired shirts, with a design for each of the 16 personality types—for a grand total of 48 shirts.

And now I’ve embedded my Etsy shop right here on the blog! You can find all of them through the Shop menu above.

The MBTI Statement Shirts feature direct (and often cheeky) observations about the quirks of each personality type:

The MBTI Minimalist Shirts feature playful acronyms that use the letters of each MBTI type to describe the personality behind it:

And the MBTI Graphic Shirts use those same personality-inspired acronyms, but pair them with bolder graphics and additional details about each type:

I realize MBTI may not be having its biggest cultural moment right now, but there’s something enduringly fun about recognizing yourself — or someone you know — a little too well in a personality description. My hope is that you’ll find a shirt that makes you laugh, feels suspiciously accurate, or immediately makes you think, Oh my God, this is so [insert personality type here].

So please take a look at the new Shop section at the top of the page! And if you find something you’d actually wear—or something that would make the perfect gift for your resident INTJ/ENFP/ISTP/etc.—even better. Every purchase helps support Geek in Heels and lets me keep creating things for this little corner of the internet.

Yes, the Geek in Heels blog is now 20 years old.

Which, in internet years, makes it approximately 147.

I actually started blogging before Geek in Heels, back in college on Xanga. (Does anyone else remember Xanga? Please say yes so I don’t feel ancient.) Even after the Xanga craze died down, the itch to blog never really went away. So in 2006, I finally said, “To heck with it,” and decided to buy my own domain.

At first, I considered something sensible and boring, like my name. Then one of my best friends at the time described me as a “geek in heels,” and something about the phrase just clicked.

Surely the domain was already taken?

It wasn’t.

And geekinheels.com was born.

One of the first site redesigns I did, when it was hosted on Squarespace

As with most personal blogs, traffic was practically nonexistent those first few years. I was essentially shouting into the void, except the void occasionally left a comment.

Then I got engaged.

I applied to become a blogger for Weddingbee.

At the time of this writing, Weddingbee is a shell of its former self, but back when I was planning my wedding, it was a thriving community of women blogging their way through wedding planning — and it was popular. I even got recognized by strangers in public for being a Weddingbee blogger, which was both thrilling and slightly surreal.

After I finished my wedding recaps and signed off from Weddingbee, I linked to my personal blog here. Quite a few readers followed me over, and suddenly this little corner of the internet wasn’t quite so little anymore.

I kept blogging after I had my kids, and at its peak, Geek in Heels was getting more than 120,000 visitors a month. There were sponsors. There were giveaways. There were people voluntarily coming here to read my thoughts!

My most popular post ever, the Star Wars MBTI Chart, has received millions of visits over the years. It has been featured on various websites and even in a university lecture.

Apparently combining Star Wars with personality types was my greatest contribution to academia.

Another redesign I did over the years, when the girls were just babies

But then life got busy. And complicated. And, if I’m being truthful, a little boring.

I became less inspired and less inclined to share my life with the world. My girls weren’t babies anymore, and as they got older, I became increasingly protective of their privacy. Eventually, I entered a stretch of about seven years when I barely blogged at all.

There was another reason for my absence, too: blogging itself was dying.

The golden age of personal blogs was over. Everything was moving toward shorter, faster content. Social media posts. Stories. Reels. Videos measured in seconds rather than paragraphs.

Who had time to sit down and read a blog anymore — especially one about the life of some stranger on the internet?

Unsurprisingly, my traffic plummeted. But I suspect it would have dwindled even if I had kept posting regularly. Google certainly wasn’t making things easier, with its constantly changing algorithms and an increasing emphasis on keeping people within its own ecosystem and advertising products.

Then AI arrived.

And if personal blogs were already lying on the side of the road, AI may have backed over them just to make sure.

My blog’s last design, which I had to change because it was no longer compatible with the latest version of PHP.
I still love this design, and I honestly can’t decide whether I like it or the current one better.

During my long hiatus, I seriously considered shutting Geek in Heels down. Every time another hosting renewal bill arrived, I would think: This is ridiculous. I barely blog anymore. Why am I still paying for this?

And yet, every single time, I couldn’t bring myself to hit the cancel button. Maybe somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew I wasn’t quite finished.

I’m still not entirely sure what made me start blogging again last year. There wasn’t some grand epiphany or carefully plotted comeback. I just know that I missed it.

I missed writing.

I missed having my own little place on the internet.

And after all these years, I realized I had invested far too much time, energy, and love into Geek in Heels to simply let it disappear.

So here we are. Twenty years after I nervously published that first post, this blog is somehow still here.

Are personal blogs dead? Probably. But then again, this one has already survived Xanga, the rise and fall of the blogosphere, Facebook, Instagram, Google algorithm changes, seven years of neglect, multiple redesigns, PHP incompatibility, and now AI.

At this point, killing it might be harder than I thought.

So I’ll keep beating this very dead horse for as long as my fingers can type.

And if you’re still here reading along — whether you found me 20 years ago or 20 minutes ago — thank you.

Here’s to another 20.

Or, you know, until the next PHP update.