Higher-res means–CLOSE-UPS!

Higher resolution files mean you can do more with John Ascroft images . . . so when Nadia supplies them to me, away we go!

Here are links to the original high-res photos:

http://4put.ru/view-max-picture.php?id=1936548

http://4put.ru/view-max-picture.php?id=1936544

Guyday Friday: Just another hard day for a hot henchman

So–to catch you all up!

Yeah, Benny is happy with my editing of the “bonus feature” for the kindergarten vid. He’s also found an extended version of the song I am using that will be exactly the length I need so it won’t necessitate repeating part of the song during the six minute video. He said he will download the longer version for me tomorrow at work (takes FOREVER here . . .)  Later, we may embed the vid on the Pecan Ridge website –not right away, but later.  After battling a sinus/allergy malaise all week, Benny is finally doing a bit better. Still not resting really well at night.

There is an outside possibility we will be shooting another stage production this weekend in a neighboring county. A friend of mine is checking tomorrow about copyright issues. It’s not as if we don’t have a lot on our plate right now, but we don’t want to miss out on opportunities when they arise.

And now, without further ado–thank God it’s Guyday!!!!!!

Even if it IS the same old song . . . with Hoodie & the Tree House Gang once again getting away with the goods and making the Hot Velveteen Henchman, the Treacherous Troll and the castle guards all look like complete numbskulls.
It’s enough to drive a poor misunderstood baddie to the edge–or at least to Ye Olde Pub. Sir Guy may be knocked down by the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune (not to mention Hoodie and the boyz) but he gets back up again . . .

Because, really, you can’t keep our good baddie down for too long!

You just know someone will be thwarting Guy once again.  But dang, doesn’t he look good all angsty and angry and thwarted? *sigh*

And of course, when he turns from the Dark Side, he is still our gloriously sexy Gisborne with his tousled bedhead and energetic swordplay. And his magnificent bellowing. LOVE it when the man bellows.

And I leave you with this image. Which, oddly enough, remains one of my all-time favorite screencaps of Sir Guy. I just can’t quite point my finger on it . . .

Happy Guyday Friday!

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• Guyday Friday! So Not Dead (and loving it). (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)
• Sir Guy is Fly! Happy Guyday Friday. (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)

And the drip feed continues . . .

These showed up via RA Bulgaria at FB and then I did some photo editing. These are not large files, more’s the pity, but I enlarged them a bit anyway. I love RA’s smile in the bottom one along with his cool grey kicks, but his hair, not so much (almost looks like a center part). So I sort of made said part go away. 😉 And we’ve got him in the Burberry coat yet again. Just how many photos did Mr. Ascroft take of our fella? Of course, I wouldn’t have wanted to stop clicking away, either! What an ideal subject . . . *sigh*

Just had to share these for Thorin Thursday.

More charming and saucy Thorin/RA inspired fanart from Facebook via Tumblr.  Oh, Cbeebies Thorin and the lads!  Please note the careful addition of Orcrist to the portrait of Naked Calendar Thorin. *ahem*

  And from Tanni Tani’s Hobbit Cats project–these handsome pair of alluring felines. 😉

And this gorgeous piece of fanart by Kimberly from Facebook of Thorin and his grandfather.

And my own Thorin photo edit. Happy Thorin Thursday, y’all!

Well, bless my soul: My latest RA video

I left this one to finish uploading while I grabbed a few hours of sleep earlier. Worked on the kindergarten “behind the scenes” vid until the wee hours. If I do say so myself, it’s shaping up to be really cute and fun.  As with Mr. A, I started out with great subject matter, of course. 😉 I hope you will enjoy!

Gotta wash out my sticky, icky eyes and grab some coffee. I will have a Thorin post up a little later. Happy Thorin Thursday and hang in there, Guyday Friday is coming!

ICYMI: At long last, the Popcorn Taxi interview!

Meri daring to stroke The MAN”S beard during their brief encounter on the Mornings Show in Sydney.

I was working on the Kindergarten vid in the wee hours and that somehow segue wayed into making a simple (but sexy!!) little RA vid, which I may get uploaded later. In the meantime, I see this video finally showed up. In case you missed it, take a gander at the Popcorn Taxi interview some of our own got to enjoy IN PERSON. 😀 Not to mention beard stroking and book signings earlier . . .

Time for lunch and a little nap. Later, y’all.

Related articles

• A Fan’s First-Hand Experience at RA’s Sydney Q&A: A Must-Read! (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)
• TORn shares Popcorn Taxi’s Q&A with RA: Complete Transcript (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)
• I knew I woke up before dawn for a reason. Read. this. now. *squee* (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)

Look for the good in the bad, the happy in the sad . . .

It’s been a rather tough day, after an unpleasant night. I am well behind on social media and keeping up with other’s blog entries. A lot on my plate at present, a lot on my mind.

Someone very dear to me, a relative by marriage and a person with a great heart for animals and their welfare in our county, has been hurt by someone else with an equal passion for animals but very little tact and diplomacy. My sister-in-heart has actually been having bad dreams, worrying this may negatively impact our organization’s efforts to help find homes for as many animals as possible.

Yesterday at our humane society board meeting I saw my dear friend cry as she spoke of this. I had to get up and give her a hug. I also gave her the advice above, and I think it may have helped, at least at little. And maybe it will help some of you. I think we also need to remember the words below:

I have struggled at times with my self-image; I suspect many of us have done or do so, including our own dear Mr. Armitage.  He grew up doubtful of his looks, uncomfortable with his height, never as certain of his talent as he might have wished to be. One of the things I appreciate most about him is the honesty with which he shares his own struggles.

It hasn’t been easy for him by any stretch of the imagination, nothing was ever handed to him on the proverbial silver platter; he’s earned the successes he’s now achieving. It’s said that good things come to those who wait, but in Richard’s case, I would say good things come to those who are patient and still plug away, keep working, keep perfecting their craft, keep behaving like the class act they are. Our awkward duckling has blossomed into this elegant, beautiful swan, while the boyishly cute fellows who relied on their cheeky charm and dimpled smiles are left in the dust.

I’ve said I think he makes a great role model for other actors and people in general– after all, he’s a true, old-fashioned gentleman and a real professional with a strong work ethic and willingness to be a good team player.

I think this is what RA strives for in his work and life. I’d like to be the same. I don’t have his good health and natural athleticism, and I am afraid I’d never be able to endure all he does physically; still, when I look at him and his example, I know I’d like to be a better, stronger person in every way.

And so, even though it’s not been a “good” day, there are lessons to be learned, things to be gleaned and tomorrow to look forward to. I leave you with these words of wisdom . . .

And this adorable image (oh, Uncle Thorin had a few bad days, too, and more than just facing Azog and dragons!)

Somewhere over the rainbow . . . you’ll find RA and the gang

The lovely Graham McTavish shared this photo on Twitter tonight, saying, “This is a view from our base camp on one of our locations for The Hobbit. This is really what NZ looks like!”

A beautiful country. A gigantic film trilogy that feels like the world’s “biggest home movie,” the first film a worldwide success with fans counting down the days until the next installment. A small city of people putting their skills and talents to work in what appears to be a labor of love.

I am certain there are squabbles and flares of temper and days when people are so tired they can hardly see straight.  In spite of the varied creatures they play, they are, after all, only human.

Still, to do something you really love, something that captivates you and motivates you–that is a joyous experience.

And to do it all in a place that looks like that. Your brain would have to be feeling pretty joyous!

And the friendships they’ve developed must be so special. Not surprised to hear Graham say he was worn out from all the hugging they did upon their reunion in New Zealand.  I’ve become incredibly fond of the gang, as I think of them; the feeling amongst them seems to be the same.

Richard Armitage in his Thorin guise giving makeup and prosthetic artist Tami Lane a hug. Of course, we are NOT envious.

Have a wonderful time, Richard, in that glorious land called New Zealand.  Goodness knows, you deserve every minute of it.

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• It’s all about the journey, isn’t it? Lead on RA, lead on. (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)

So this is what has taken up much of my weekend.

Hello from our new website! If you all would be so kind, click on the link and take a look. Browse around a bit and if you have the time–even leave a comment!  Much obliged. 😀

via Pecan Ridge Productions – Pecan Ridge Home.

 

 

It’s all about the journey, isn’t it? Lead on RA, lead on.

Steak, a Julienned baked (jacket) potato, green salad with Ranch dressing and a thick slice of Texas toast washed down with iced tea. I could imagine Richard Armitage eating such a meal (although my steak might be cooked a little more than he prefers). This is what we had for supper, courtesy of my sweet spouse. I think the Marie Callender pie and ice cream is going to have to wait a bit . . .  as well as the rest of that potato (like, tomorrow).

I didn’t feel great this afternoon so I took a nap and never did get anything posted here. Color me lazy.

I did finally get the video production business website and blog live today, hooray. Still work to be done there, but it’s coming along.

Let’s see, I now have two blogs, a website, three FB pages, two Twitter accounts (one of which I really need to do something with) and a Tumblr account which is a rehash of this blog but is steadily climbing in number of followers. My FB followers have jumped up by more than 70 people this week, I think.  And I used to be afraid to touch a computer.

I guess I have come a long way, baby! Although what I have accomplished seems a mere drop in a bucket compared to a certain actor I deeply admire.

(courtesy of FB and Thorin’s Arkenstone)

And Mr. A has come a long way, too! After all those early struggles and disappointments. After almost giving up.  From winning so many hearts and starting his own army with his portrayal of the romantic hero, John Thornton . . .

To turning what could have been a bog-standard cardboard cut-out villain into a complex, charismatic, intensely erotic anti-hero we loved, Sir Guy of Gisborne . . .

To bringing us Lucas North, a mysterious and alluring spy fractured by his years in a Russian prison, trying to reclaim his place in the present . . . and totally fascinating us all . . .

To giving breadth and depth to role of a tough soldier with a tender side, John Porter, an alpha male seeking redemption and making us fall in love–and lust–all over again . . .

So many other roles, too, large and small, always making an impact. Always giving his best and making the most of the role.

Thank you, Richard. Little wonder you’ve wowed audiences all over the world with your amazing portrayal of the King Under the Mountain, Thorin Oakenshield.

It’s all added up, hasn’t it? The successes and the seeming failures from which you surely learned valuable lessons; the long hours of research and rehearsal and hard work you’ve put into your roles over the years, the commitment. The dedication. I sense you wouldn’t take anything for the journey, the experiences, the lessons learned along the way.  You’ve grown as an actor and, I believe, as a human being. Which has only, in turn, made you a better actor–or so I would argue.

It’s been an amazing journey thus far. And I can’t wait to see where it takes you next, my wonderfully gifted, deeply dedicated, beautiful Richard Armitage.

Again, thank you.

He’s lookin’ fine . . . well, no surprise THERE.

Gosh, ladies and gents, I am tired. Throat is sore; probably just sinus drainage from these cool nights/hot days we’ve had.  Tried to get at least partially caught up with the comments (you have been busy little bunnies!). You seem to be having a good time and that’s really what it’s all about. 😀

I’ve been working on the website for Pecan Ridge Productions for a good part of the evening and then decided to go ahead and write a “let me introduce us” blog entry for it, too. The blog entry is published, but the site is not live yet–still some more things to sort out, and Benny lost some additions he had made to the products page this morning (yes, e-commerce!).  I managed to lose an entire blog post, so we are pretty much even there. *sigh*

Hope to get the new website up and going tomorrow.  Now that school is out, we need projects booked for the summer and the ability for people to check us out online without going to FB.

I decided to relax with a bit more photo editing with my fave photographer of all things RA, Robert Ascroft.

Some of the original images aren’t the best quality, but one does the best one can. It’s still such fun . . . hopefully I can serve up some smoRgAsbords for you tomorrow, my dears.

It’s Richard Freakin’ Armitage! More of my photo edits.

I am really feeling very emotional at the moment. Someone upset me on FB–I stupidly made the mistake of commenting in the politics/religion arena, which I had sworn I would never do–and I paid the price. Anyway, we’ve kissed and made up, so to speak, but still feeling the after-effects.  Must dry my tears and spackle the face and try to be–well, not dazzling, but at least presentable–tonight for the graduation.

Thanks for all the fun and kind comments on the blog entries. I will try to get caught up over the weekend, but have to get ready for tonight’s commencement exercises shortly. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy some of my latest efforts.

Happy Freakin’ Gorgeous Guyday Friday, Y’all!

 

 

 

Not a great pic, but Pavlov’s dog will take what she can get.

This showed up in a Wellington newspaper today and PR Welly tweeted it and shared a scan of the page. I tried to improved the image quality but newsprint is newsprint.

Still, that is undoubtedly our tall, dark-haired, blue-eyed, bearded hunk of gorgeousness right behind the handsome Lee and Sir Peter (looking as endearingly scruffy as ever).  I recognize the black leather jacket and the blue shirt with the snap buttons, if my eyes (which aren’t great these days) are working correctly. Looking good, Mr. A!  Hope they had fun at the concert. Here’s the little article that went with the photo below:

I’d love for Sir Peter to direct an ep of Doctor Who. Love, love, love it. Even more would I love it if our RA could have a guest role on said ep. LOVE. *sigh*

Oh the glories of The Mane. Happy (Hairy) Thorin Thursday!

Yes, you ARE!

Oh, those flowing “romantic” locks.

Toss those locks, Thorin! Toss ’em!

Glamour Dwarf . . .

 

 

Looking good and ready for a fight–hair and all!

Amen.

 

 

 

who thinks Thorin would make a great model for a shampoo commercial? *raises hand*