KawaiiClaires Review!!

Hello! Today I'm going to be doing a review here (my first "official" review??) of my friend Claire's Etsy store, KawaiiClaires! She sent me a lovely package filled with a sweet letter, candy, some adorable pastel handmade headbows, hadmade soaps (which I can't show because I used them all up!), and the items which I'll be reviewing today! Claire is a really crafty person and she seems to be always making something new, whether it be soaps, phone cases, DS cases, or jewelry.

A selection of some of her items~

KawaiiClaires is located in Canada, and the theme of her store is, of course, kawaii! Her package arrived really quickly from when she sent it out, and everything arrived very nicely; all the jewelry in individual fabric baggies which I thought was a good touch.

Here is how the package arrived to me; featuring the headbows, soap and candy!

Although these items were free in return for doing a review, her prices are very affordable! I'll get to the individual prices when I review each item, of course, but for example - the large flower necklace above is only around $7! (I say around because the exact one I received is not on the site for sale)

Overall everything is very clean, very nicely made. I don't know anything about resin making, perler beads, or decoden-esque crafting, but everything seems to be very high quality and nothing scrimped on! So, let's get to what she sent me!

This review is obviously going to be picture heavy, so be warned! 

Firstly is this pixel Pokeball pin for $7.50! I wore this on my badge when I was at Colossalcon! I have a thing for pins and badges and such, and the Pokeball is something so recognizable to so many people. This badge is about 2", so it fits anywhere you like! If you like this design, she also has Pokeball headphone holders!

Detail on the back and pin

Next is this adorable strawberry pink heart ring for $3.54. This ring could easily be a staple piece in many peoples' cute wardrobes! It looks a lot like a piece of candy to me!

Although it's hard to see from my pictures (and that's my fault ^_^;) the color isn't just a solid pink, but it has little flecks of red inside! I think what I love most about this piece is that it's not at all small! I love big pieces.

You can see a bit of the flecks of red here. As you can see, it's not a small piece, but it's not so huge that it would hinder your hand movements. I've worn this out and about for a while now, and it's very sturdy and holds up nicely!

The second ring I have is this cute decoden whipped sparkle ring, also for $3.54! This ring is a must have for fairy kei, decora, or even sweet lolita! This ring is a perfectly swirled dollop of whipped cream decoden with chunky glitter all over!

This ring has also been worn quite a bit and it's very sturdy as well. I have lots of decoden pieces from lots of different people, and unfortunately some of them don't really hold up. This one has held up through me reaching in my cluttered bag, worn at a busy convention, and other daily wears.

What I think is the best thing about this piece is how unique the glitter all around it is. On a lot of pieces like this, you see very small glitter, but this one has bigger dots and strands of glitter which really stand out and look like sprinkles atop whipped cream! 

Next is the first of four necklaces, and unfortunately I only have one picture of this necklace for some reason. This piece is the most simple of the four, but still very eye catching! It's also the smallest, but I consider it still very sizable. This necklace has a pastel pink and pastel purple merging with each other with glitter all throughout. It reminds me of Nerds candy! This one isn't on her Etsy right now, but I'm sure you could request it!

This necklace is probably my second favorite! Please excuse the glare on this picture. This exact one isn't on her Etsy, but she has many similar piece with other tumblr-esque/sassy phrases, such as this one that says "I hate you"! 

This piece is extremely shimmery and shiny, and definitely catches the eye when you wear it out! I'm really into the offensive sort of tumblr phrases (I'm not sure how to describe it?) that she puts on these necklaces. 

As I said, I really have no idea how resin pieces such as these are done, but I really love how the phrase is put inside of the resin itself. This whole necklace looks like a glittery lollipop to me, with the glitter frozen in mid-swirl. I really, really love things like these. I love wearing this necklace out in the sun!

Second-to-last is this adorable purple glittery kitty necklace! This one also isn't on the website right now, but again, I'm sure you could special request it! Something cool about this necklace is that if you hold it in the right light...

You see the kitty face! Much like the last piece, the glitter on this necklace is extremely glittery and shiny. The glitter catches the light no matter which angle it's turned at! 

Again, I think the glitter Claire used is very unique compared to other resin makers. It's huge and very reminiscent of the 90s! All the edges of this piece are very clean, and you can tell she took care when she makes these pieces.

Lastly is my absolute favorite necklace! Like the heart necklace, similar pieces with other tumblr-esque sayings can be found on her Etsy, such as this one that says "I ship us" for $7.50.

I think my favorite thing about this piece, besides the fact that the shape reminds me of some jewelry I had when I was a kid, is how big it is! The entire necklace fills up the palm of my hand, so it's definitely a statement piece! 

I love that the huge pieces of glitter inside the resin change color from a yellowish color to a green, it definitely compliments the color of the resin. I honestly just can't speak highly enough about this piece, it's so sturdy, yet not at all heavy to wear, and just so very adorable!

So, that's it for my review! I'm also going to be doing a review on my vlog later tomorrow, so I'll be posting that here if you want to watch me actually hold and move the pieces and see them shine and such in the light!

I can't say just how much these pieces make me smile. Yes, I'm doing this review because Claire is my friend, but I truly do believe that these pieces are well made, fairly priced, and completely cute! I hope you all check out her Etsy store and perhaps order an item or two, or share her shop to your friends!

I hope you all enjoyed this review and I'll be writing soon~

OOTD: International Lolita Day - Summer 2014

Last Saturday was International Lolita Day! International Lolita Day happens once in the summer, and once in the winter. It's a celebration of the fashion that unifies us all.

I didn't do anything particularly special this ILD; I had invited two friends over but both said they probably couldn't make it. But  did want to celebrate and get dressed up - so did!

Pinky Paradise!

JSK, Shoes - Bodyline

Blouse - Thrifted

Socks - Offbrand

Wig - L-email

Accessories - Angelic Pretty, My Dearest Victoria, Offbrand

This is one of two new dresses that I received. I love it! It's so princess-y and chiffon-y. But it was so hot, and the wig didn't help, so I really just dressed up and then took it off. But then, one of my friends, Ashley, texted me and said she wanted to come over and get frilly! I got to dress up again, this time in my second new dress, a replica of Angelic Pretty's Milky Planet!

Dark in the Night

OP, bow - Oo Jia

Socks - Secret Shop

Shoes - Bodyline

Wig - MintyMix

Accessories -  Angelic Pretty, Offbrand

Ashley doesn't yet have any lolita clothes, so I got to play dress up with her! I dressed her in my Cinderella Bunny dress, pink bunny blouse, ankle socks, and Bodyline shoes!

Here is a picture of the two of us! Isn't she ADORABLE?

Although we really didn't do any lolita-esque things, it was fun to get dressed up! 

I hope you had a fun saturday as well!!

Frivolities I want: Future Purchases!

You know what today is? Payday! The best day that comes every other Friday, early in the morning. I have so much on my Amazon wishlist, so many links saved to things I want to buy...but oh yeah. I'm an adult. That means I have things to pay for first, like my half or rent, and internet, and gas, and food...and then plans to go out with friends...and just little expenses here and there...oh.

So as much as I'd love to make weekly posts about things I've gotten, reviews on smaller artists's shops, and so on, I just can't. But! I can make a list of things that I know I'll be purchasing in the near future! That might be entertaining, right? Right? Sure!

These are in order to how likely I am to be purchasing them soon to something I'd just really like. I hope you enjoy! Links provided where they can be. 

First up is something I know I'll be purchasing when it comes out on May 30th! I've been a fan of Mario Kart since I first played Mario Kart Advance, and I've loved every one I've played since...except the original, haha. I think my favorite is probably Mario Kart DS. Best handling, portable, and so many tracks to play on! The only thing I don't like about this Mario Kart is the steep price tag...but...such is life.

Second are some sets of stickers! These I might actually purchase tonight, heh. Artist Kaiami has tons of stickers in her storenvy store, and at such a good price, too! She has drawn such things like Animal Crossing, Pokemon, and more, and her style is just adorable! ...I just ordered three different sheets. Oops! I got introduced to this artist by fellow blogger Frillypinkdreams (my favorite blogger...she doesn't know I exist, hahaha). 

 The Karaoke Songstress Shorts in Cherry by Modcloth are just darling! And high waisted? And they come in plus sizes?? Count me in! One of the more affordable pieces on their website at just under $40.00, these shorts look perfect for the upcoming 95-100 degree weather we'll be getting around here. I've really wanted to experiment with high waisted shorts because crop tops are so in style right now and I, you know, have a big tummy and don't want to show it. The only thing is, I don't know what size to order them in :x But they have free exchanges, so if I get a size too big, I'll just change it out for a smaller size! These I might buy closer to or when I get my next paycheck. 

As I mentioned in my favorite Youtuber blog entry, yes, me and this girl differ on so many opinions it's not even funny. But I love her and her confidence. And no, she's not dumb, she just likes to act like it. Curvy and Loving It is her fourth book out, and unfortunately I haven't read any of them. But I really want to read them all, especially this one about loving your body no matter what size you are. The reason this isn't a bit higher on my list is because since going through a sort of...mental breakthrough a few days ago and making that post about loving my body, I've been feeling a bit better about myself and feel I don't "need" this book as much.

Next is...Rilakkuma items! While Tarepanda will always be my first San-X love, this little guy and his pal, Korilakkuma, have been creeping their way quickly into my heart. I don't know why I didn't like them when I first saw them, I guess because I don't really like bears. And maybe because they were so popular, I got sick of seeing them. But I saw a little Korilakkuma pencil case at work a few weeks ago, and since then, I've been obsessed with the tiny bears. I even purchased a Rilakkuma wallet! There are many items of course with these two mascots on them, but I think what I want most is a pillow, like the one pictured above. Of course items like these are kind of pricey, being big and most of them shipped from Japan. But, one day I'll have my own big Rilakkuma to squeeze. This leads me into my next want, which is...

Stationary and other paper supplies!! Again, through Frillypinkdreams, I found this website called JanetStore that has thousands of stickers, folders, papers, pencils, you name it! And the prices are so affordable! This A4 Ultraman folder is only $0.80!! ...The shipping however, is not so affordable. It is paper product coming from Japan, so understandably, the shipping will be a bit high. But the low prices of everything else make up for it. They carry all sorts of things with all sorts of mascots, such as Sanrio, Disney, Sesame Street, San-X, and more! I can't wait to place an order here!

The Very Big Sketchbook is exactly what it sounds like. It's a huge, coffee table-like book full of 300 blank pages for you to fill with whatever. This isn't practical at all as I won't be able to take it anywhere, won't be able to scan easily from it...but I want it. The price is of course steep as this thing is heavy, so this is going to have to wait a bit. But I want to know what sorts of glorious things I could fill this with!!

Next are fake nails, specifically Impress Nails. They're a few years old now. They're fake nails that stick on with adhesive instead of glue, and they stick on really nicely. At my job, I work with my hands so my nails don't stand a chance unless I get something like a gel manicure. So these nails are great for my off days - I can just stick them on quickly, and then use some nail polish remover to pry them off before I go to work. These nails are very affordable, they're a litle under eight dollars at most places I've seen them and they come in loads of different lengths and patterns. I even have some for my toes which I'll be trying out on my birthday! 

Lastly, we have some nice gel pens. I like my writings to be neat, yet colorful. Usually in journals or other notebooks, I only write in colorful gel pens, and I'd love to expand my collection. Sarasa is my favorite brand right now! I have some from Target I adore, but the tip is just too thick for my small writing. 

There you have it!! Of course, I'm not writing this to say, "I want you to buy this for me," or "I have money look at me," I just want to share some of my current wants with you!! 

What are some things you want?

Kawaii Power Up Review!!

This shop can be found HERE!

(Apologies for not posting in a few days again...work just wears me out so much that I pretty much fall asleep right after I get home and completely neglect everything else...)

So! This is my first review on this blog, and unfortunately it's a short one because I only ordered one item! But, I know I'll definitely be ordering from this store again, so perhaps I'll post another review once I do. 

This is a review of the shop Kawaii Power Up, which can be found on Etsy. It can also be found on FaceBook, Twitter, and on Instagram, @kawaiipowerup. This shop specializes in kawaii and nerdy accessories! I found Kawaii Power Up when I was looking for cute dust plugs, and that is what I ordered, which I will get to in a moment. The first thing I noticed was the adorable and unique banner with the sweet mascot! This shop has very varied items, not just the usual things that your typical kawaii accessories shop seems to have. Also, while the quality is very high, the highest price I saw on any of the items was only $18! Here is an example of some of the products I really like:

Buy HERE

Buy HERE

Buy HERE

There are a lot of things at Kawaii Power Up I really like and I'll definitely be ordering myself a few things from them as an early birthday present!

Onto what I ordered. I ordered "Fairy Kei Moon and Star dust plug" in the shimmery lavender colorway (center). I needed something dangly for my new phone.

Buy HERE

It's listed as seven dollars, and I believe only went a little over eight with shipping. As with most Etsy stores, buying was easy enough, I didn't have any additional instructions to add, I just clicked how many and which color and that was that. I ordered it...I believe on Saturday night (because Friday night wen I got my money I was fast asleep...) and I received it today, on Wednesday. Wow! That's super fast. It came in a standard, small bubble wrap packaging, and was small enough to be left in my mailbox. 

The first thing I pulled out was the well-designed business card (again, cute!) which is made out of a nice material...and there was a gift attached! A cute, sweet cupcake hairpin!

I find that when shops like this give little gifts, it really gives me more incentive to buy from them and recommend them. Also I like to keep the business cards, not only as a reminder of where I got something from, but as decoration!

The owner also included a little thank you note on cute paper, another sign that this shop really cares about your business (excuse my short, unpainted nails...work...).

But what really made me squeal was that under the green bubble wrapped mass that was my order, there was...

A BUNNY BAG!!! I will definitely be keeping it, and if not using it for myself, using it for sending something to someone else!! It's the little details that count. Now, onto the actual order...

It looks exactly like it did in the picture, which is good. The actual plug, as you can tell, is tinted slightly purple, which I didn't realize when I bought it, but I really like. Details! There is a clear, blue star hanging close to the moon and three smaller stars making their way up to the plug. And how does it look dangling from my phone?

Very cute, of course! It fits in very snugly. I would say almost a bit too snugly, because I was afraid that if I tried too hard to pull it out again it might snap the ring attached to it. But I know that it will stay in, at least, until I get more to change it out every now and then. Past dust plugs I've had would occasionally get pulled out in my purse. 

So, overall, Kawaii Power Up get's all tens in my book! The only recommendation I would have for the shop is to offer various sizes of lucky packs (but I'm a sucker for lucky packs, so...)! The packaging was fantastic and kept the product safe, it was shipped quickly to me, and the dust plug is super cute! I highly recommend checking them out!!