Volume Up!

I've got a kind of LOVE for K-Pop. A little interlude between moving this blog from WP to Here!

And an old favorite...

Dreamchaser

This is my K-Sister Jeewon's cousin's music video. Check him out!

Nigahiga

My wonderful K-Sister Jeewon introduced me to Nigahiga videos last night while I had slept over at her house. These were the highlights. I put up the Epic Meal Time one particularly for the giggles, as I happen to love Epic Meal Time, and had shown Jeewon their escapades after we saw the Nigahiga video. She was like "OH!!"

Rage Comics - In Real Life

The Sweetest Thing

This is a bridge in Paris. You hang locks on it with the name of you & your boyfriend/girlfriend/best-friend then throw the key into the river. So even though the friend/relationship may end, you can’t remove the lock. It stays there forever, as relevance to someone once a part of your life.

Cosmetic Reviews: Buying on a Budget (Volume 1)

This post is about when you're on a budget, and want to get a bang for your buck. In fact, these products I'm reviewing I swear by, and will be buying again and again.

Physicians Formula - Physicians Strength Concealer - 7.99

For 7 dollars at Ulta I have finally found the best concealer that I have ever tried. This product is totally worth getting your hands on even if you think that 'lower end' products are blasphemous. It blends well, it stays on all day long, and it's thick. I think that may be the key to this concealer. You don't need a lot at all (which means it'll last a long time) and for red spots and blemishes: ZAP! It's like I had perfect skin (and I tend to have problems with blemishes). It blew me away so much so that I will recommend it to the world.

Next up: Mary Kay Mineral Powder Foundation $18 (also recommended: their face primer - $15 and microdermabrasion set -$55!)

I've always had a problem finding a good foundation for my oily and slightly blemishy skin. With the Mary Kay face primer (though there's one other primer I'll talk about that I swear by now) I was so confident feeling. It covered so much more than I could have dreamed, and it went on so flawlessly for me that I didn't even think twice about getting a finishing powder. Didn't need it! It made my skin so matte perfect and stayed on even through hot sweaty summer days. It is the ONLY foundation (and one of the only beauty products) that I have ever finished. The Mary Kay microderm abrasion kit also is one product I've stuck with (used once a week) and has made a huge difference in keeping my face smooth. It was a little pricey and I wasn't sure I wanted to invest at the time, but I can honestly say when I finish the set, I will be buying another one. One perk is you don't need a lot to make it work. The Mary Kay product I'd like to try right now is their $14 'Wash and Shave'.

Iman Time Control Primer and Facial Moisturizer - About 16 dollars each

David Bowie's wife's product line! I hadn't started using her products until I was dying for a facial primer that wasn't going to be heavy or have the after feeling of a lotion. I searched far and wide and finally off of customer reviews and a reasonable price I decided I'd go out on a whim. I actually meant to buy the primer first, but I didn't look on the box, and it happened to be marked wrong by the price at Ulta. I was really depressed that I bought the wrong thing, but decided to use it anyways. I was so blown away by the smooth and light feel, the way it lasted all day and the SCENT! I've never smelled nicer skin care products in my life. I decided to use it before I put on my Mary Kay primer and foundation and I was the happiest girl in the world with my new finds. My face felt like there was nothing on it, and the combination of the three blended flawlessly. For oily skin, those are three amazing products to wear together.

Physicians formula - Happy Boost Bronzer - 13.99

It doesn't use a lot of fluffing your brush on it before applying for great color, it comes with a little blush heart (I love it and I want to get the Happy Boosting blush now) it's reasonably priced, and over other powder mineral makeup, it gives you a beautiful glow that's not unnatural and blends super well. I love it.

L'Occtaine - Rose 4 Reines Eau de Toilette 2.5 fl.oz - $45

$45 dollars may sound like a lot, and I'll admit the L'Occtaine products are a bit pricer than the rest of these I'm reviewing, but I must tell you - they last a long time. A LONG LONG time and they're fabulous. The Rose perfume smells natural, you only need one spray, and considering the prices of designer perfumes, this is a good price. Not a steal, but a good price. I sometimes get headaches from wearing certain perfumes, but this one does not do it for me, and the kicker - it's scientifically shown that men remember events more clearly when smelling the scent of roses. Great for romantic dates! If you don't want to spend $45 dollars, you can grab their roll on for $20. Often times if you go in store they will give you deals/discounts if you show interest but 'aren't sure' you want a product. At least in Chicago.

L'Occtaine Red Rice Line (Cleanser - 20 , Toner - 20 & Lotion - 26)

These products together work the best (instead of having a different moisturizer or facial lotion etc.) They're mattifying and you can almost instantly feel your pores getting smaller. If you buy the three together you're almost guaranteed a discount, but if you were to buy one of these products on its own, I would recommend the cleanser first and then the mattifying lotion. Indeed the prices are a little higher (as priory stated) but they last forever. In fact the cleanser I have I need the teensiest bit (if it were water it'd be only maybe 3 drops) to completely cover my entire face and foam it up. The lotion is what goes the quickest, but you only really need one squirt. If you have particularly dry skin you may need 2 or 3. Still, when I bought these products, used them religiously, I still have half a bottle of cleanser and toner and I finished my lotion a couple of months ago (but overall I bought these in December of 2011). It's been a good run and if you keep in mind the amount of time I've had them and amount I've used them, it's a great value. Think about the amount of money you spend on shoes and an outfit to go out. Then think about how often you'll actually wear that outfit, or maybe those shoes. You should keep that in mind when you think about the daily use of beauty products. If you have problems with acne, this is a great line as well to help out your skin without benzyl peroxide and all that other junk. They smell great too.

Lastly, Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer

The best, longest lasting, easy blending and to make your eyeshadow POP you NEED this product. Normally it's 20 dollars (as well as their mascara primer which I also have) but this product you can find in smaller sizes for 9 dollars. That's a steal. The bottle shape makes it a little hard to get ALL of the makeup out of it, but there are tutorials on youtube of some very creative people who have found a way around that. I recommend the original rather than the other newer primers as well.

Post-Easter Fun

My Easter was very calm and I enjoyed it very much. The Easter Bunny still brings presents and this year I got the most awesome pen, some chocolate, a shirt...Little nice things :) I mowed the lawn and it was a real workout because the thing on the lawnmower that makes it go automatically is busted. I was sweaty and out of breath but totally digging the idea that this was my workout for the day. It's got me pumped to go to the local gym later! We just had Garden Delight (I highly recommend this as an alternative to normal pasta) pasta with homemade sauce and meatballs, but that was good enough for me. I also had a piece of cake. It was supposed to be a lamb cake, but it got all jacked up taking it out of the mold, so we just had a plate of lumps of cake. Regardless...That was amazing cake.

I must say that people have gotten pretty creative with Easter this year.

Particularly egg decorating. It's not just for kids!

Illuminated Easter eggs you can make with plastic eggs. Just put glowsticks inside!

And the cutest of all...

Remembering to put this up in the Easter blog has me wanting to talk about "Dogs Decoded". It's a NOVA special which blew my mind. I'm an animal lover so I've seen a LOT of documentaries, and shows about dogs. But this goes so much deeper than you've ever seen or heard. It has me wanting to watch it again so that I could remember every little fact! The most interesting part (to me) was about the connection between dogs and their owners and the connection with levels of oxytocin. It's the chemical in women that has us immediately connected with our babies to take care of them. An experiment was run with blood samples taken from dogs and their owners before a petting session. After the petting session blood samples were taken again and levels of oxytocin were drastically elevated. How amazing. I think what really makes this stand out is a personal reason. My soul mate dog and I don't live together, but I've known him the majority of his life and dog sat a TON. Even when we first met it was commented how much he loved me, and the bond between us is tighter than I have with many humans. Our oxytocin levels must be THROUGH THE ROOF!

Happy Belated Easter to everyone out there!

If Dogs Could Text

A HUGE Collection of Date Night Ideas

A HUGE collection of date night ideas!

• Get a role of quarters and have a contest to see who can get the best and most creative item from the 25cent machines (maybe in a shopping mall)
• Color pictures together—find a fun coloring book or print coloring book pages off of the Internet
• Blind-Fold Miniature Golf—miniature golf is fun, but it can be even more fun when you add some variations; play a round with blindfolds, then try playing three legged miniature golf (tie your dates left leg to your right leg)
• Build something together with legos or lincoln Logs
• Reverse Trick-or-Treating Directions: Dress up in your Halloween costume (any time of year) and walk around town with your date knocking on doors. Instead of asking for trick-or-treats, bring treats of your own to hand out.
• Have a “LAN Party”—a computer game night with everyone playing at the same place. This can be fun even if you don’t normally enjoy video games—just laugh together and have a good time.
• Go horse back riding then have a picnic in a canyon
• Grab some good books and climb a tree or find a tree house to read with your date.
• Put a love sac in the back of a truck and head up a mountain or out in the open under the stars--watch a movie, or just stare at the stars
• Taking an adult education class is a fun inexpensive date night activity. You can take a cooking class to learn how to cook Indian food or to make sushi. Or you can learn how to do crossword puzzles or Sudoku. Or you can listen to a lecture about modern film. Adult education can be fascinating and teach you new things about a fun hobby or an interest that the two of you can share.
• Write a letter, put it in an air-tight bottle and throw it into the ocean or a laker or even a river
• Draw Pictures with Sidewalk Chalk
• Go to Wal-Mart or Target late at night and play with the toys
• Play “Tackle Football” - ON YOUR KNEES
• Set up a lemonade stand
• 1000-Piece Puzzles
• Read a book together
• Bubble Tea (Or other tea!)
• Dance outside in the moonlight
• Fishing
• A rowboat date
• Build Sandcastles
• Firefly hunting (Or butterfly!)
• Beach at night
• Camping Ground
• Rollerblading
• Outdoor Cinema
• Decorate Each Other
• Movie Marathon (Themed or not themed!)
• Blindfold Tag
• Ebay Date
• Play Doh
• Take a Bath Together
• Camp Overnight in your Backyard
• Fondue Dinner
• Makeup Kit
• Newspaper Puzzles
• Palm Reading
• Write a Song
• Pick fruit at a fruit farm
• Plan a trip even if you don't go for a while
• Go to the theater
• The bookstore
• A carnival
• A haunted house
• Play 20 Questions
• Go to an art gallery
• Go for a hike
• Stargaze
• Go to a yardsale
• Lay in bed all night/day
• Shutterbug Date
• Make Jewlery
• Fly a Kite
• Nature Walk
• Farmers Market
• The Zoo
• Amusement Park
• Ferry Trip
• Botanic Gardens
• Hookah Lounge
• Casino
• Strip Chess
• Build-A-Bear
• 3D Imax
• Arcade
• The Aquarium
• If I win you will ___
• Milk a Cow
• The Circus
• Have a dance party in your living room and dance to your favorite songs from high school.
• Carry along a loaf of old bread and feed the ducks at the lake.
• Head out to a midnight cult movie, like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Showgirls or Donnie Darko.
• Mini date- make everything mini. Go mini golfing, make mini pizzas, make mini s'mores (golden grahams, chocolate chips and mini marshmallows) on a mini campfire, or add in other 'mini' activities.
• Carve a pumpkin or watermelon
• Go ride go-carts
• Karaoke
• Go paintball
• Go get some white tee-shirts and Tie-dye them crazy colors
• Make a movie together—find odd props around the house, then come up with a funny scenario to act out.
• Find a little stream or small river and make boats out of aluminum foil then race them! Bet little things for the winner, such as "if my boat wins you have to hold my hand" or "if my boat wins you have to show me your favorite childhood park" its fun, creative, and competative.
• Dress in all black - buy window paint and go around town drawing funny pictures on your friends cars.
• Get a raft and put ii in a pool. Everyone get on the raft and watch “Jaws” projected on the side of the house.
• Cartoon date: Meet at 9am and watch cartoons while eating your favorite kids cereal...must be in your pajamas.
• Go to a restaurant—just order appetizers
• Make of list of must-haves in your dream home (laundry chute, three car garage, spiral staircase, etc.)
• Paint each other’s portrait
• Make a map of places you have been and want to go. Make a list or places and sites to see.
• Teach each other about something you like.
• Build a fort and watch a movie
• Watch home videos
• Attend a festival
• Go see a local band
• Spa night!
• Cookie bake-off!
• Build out bucket list (as a couple and as individuals)
• Make a work of art for the house
• Visit the Museum (Particularly on discount days)
• Paint your own coffee cup at a pottery place
• Go to a Flea Market
• Play board games
• See a movie at the dollar theatre
• Go to a wine tasting
• Go on a picnic
• Go to a Goodwill or Thrift store and pick out one crazy item for the other person. $10 budget.
• Get up early and go eat brunch somewhere nice
• Watch stand-up comedy all night
• Make a list of potential baby names (for way in the future!).
• Take the dogs for a long walk
• Make a gift for someone else. Just because.
• Try a new work out!
• Cook an exotic meal or cook something you have always wanted to try.
• Have a picnic at the lake
• Go through that junk drawer! Ew! I know! No fun- but it can be if you do it together!
• Rearrange a room. Just for a change.
• Play video games all night
• Pajama party! Pop some popcorn, make a pallet, and watch a cheesy show or movie.
• Go to a bar (during happy hour to save money!) and flirt mercilessly with your man! It’s sure to spark something ;)
• Go for a long drive to nowhere.
• Watch each other’s favorite movies from childhood.
• Have a rapping contest ;)
• Do nothing but enjoy being together.
• Mute your favorite TV show or movie and make up your own dialogue.

Masquerade Ideas

I've never been to a masquerade ball, but I sure would buy/paint on one of these masks if I was going to attend one.

Or I could walk around doing this all night..

Crift Craft I Was Takin' A Bath

No need to craft merely on the weekends! Some of these are so simple and (not) time consuming, that you can keep yourself busy when you're feeling the need to be empowered, ease anxiety, or let your creative spirit shine! I wish I had thought of these myself!

(Above) "Play" Makeup. This would make the cutest gift for little girls! Especially if you know their favorite colors. New nail polish for you as well. Win-Win!

(Above) Elmer's glue on canvas. Then paint the whole thing one color. Who DOSEN'T have Elmer's glue laying around? And if you don't, stop at the local drugstore. This is such a sweet way to make a gift, or decorate your own home, elegant or otherwise.

(Above) Frame Key Holder. Minus the fact I am ALWAYS losing my keys (Accio Keys!) I think this is a cute piece for the home. Wood frames and glossy paints like that are super cheap at craft stores, and hooks as well.

(Above) Epsom salts are WONDERFUL for bathtime and also useful for various ailments. If you go to the drug store you can pick up Epsom salts for pretty cheap. The way to make this 2 ingredient salt scrub is:

Put 1 cup Epsom Salt in a reusable plastic container. (Don’t use mason jars because rusting tops, soapy hands, glass jars, and showers don’t mix). Add 2 TBSP of your favorite body wash. You want a thick consistency. Then stir.

The end. For real. Use a Sharpie marker to label your container. If you're planning on using the same container for multiple scrubs, know, you can get permanent marker off of many surfaces, including plastic. The way to do it is Scribble over permanent markings with a dry erase marker. Wipe off with paper towel. I got this 'recipe' from 'Lovezilla.'

(Above) Happy Birthday (or any other occasion) Beer Bottles.

Ingredients: Beer bottle, spray paint & stickers. I'm sure you can get even craftier with them if you'd like! But think about what a cheap, easy and adorable gift this would make to bring to your friends birthday party!

(Above) Not particularly a 'craft' but an easy DIY for summertime. Freeze cubes of aloe vera for instant sunburn relief when you forget the SPF.

(Above) Make your own snowglobe. Prettayy Prettayy self explanatory by the picture tutorial.

(Above) Easy melt & pour solid perfume. You can sell these, gift them or use them for yourself. You MAY need to hit the store for a few of these ingredients, but it won't be a huge cost. (Recipe below by 'Oh my! Handmade goodness'.

Coconut oil (available in health food stores) or another carrier oil such as extra virgin olive oil or sweet almond oil. Beeswax, Measuring spoons, A small pot, Essential oils or fragrance oils of your choice, A small bowl for mixing essential oils, Small jars or tins for your completed product (you can re-use a lip balm tin, cosmetic jar (etc.), Medicine dropper.

{Essential oils above from New Directions Aromatics: lavender, vanilla & ylang ylang} How to: If you are using a combination of essential oils, mix these in a small bowl. Use: 10 drops vanilla, 10 drops lavender, 5 drops sweet orange, 5 drops ylang ylang. (You can even drop a couple drops of your essential oils into the toilet paper tube of a new roll so you have a sweet scent when you spin the roll!) This mix makes a floral, slightly earthy scent.

In a small pot over medium heat combine 1 teaspoon each beeswax and coconut oil. Stir until melted. Add 10-15 drops of your essential oils and mix gently. Pour into small jars, allow to set. Cake.

(Above) Crayon Art. This is a huge trend right now and sounds easy enough. You can do tons with this from flowers to colored rain.

You need a canvas and crayons. Picking your colors may require more than one box for a large set like this. Glue crayons to the edge of canvas with a glue gun. Turn canvas upside down so crayons are pointing down. Using hair dryer on a low heat, start melting crayons. Then you can glue on the flowers or whatever else you want to do to your picture, and vwalah.

(Above) Popsicle Stick Puzzles. So cute for little gifts or kids puzzles. You need: Jumbo popsicle sticks Photo or clipart, Glue, Craft knife. Print and cut out whatever photo you're using. Lay out the craft sticks to see how many will be needed. Tape the edges of the craft sticks to the work surface so they will not move. Glue the photograph to the craft sticks. Using a craft knife, cut through the photo to cut the sticks apart.

(Above) Make your own photo hangers. I still use 35mm film and mourn the day it dies out, however, even if you have your digital pictures printed, this is a glorious way to mount them.

Fasten twines on the empty frame and hang photos using clothes pins on them. You can use a frame you bought or a frame you made by yourself. To make it you just need to find some wood strips, sand them, paint or stain them and fasten together with the staples and nails.

(Above) transfer photos onto canvas. Something I think is brilliant. This 'recipe' is from bhg.com

[If you want to transfer your photo onto a bottle: Print your photo on Lazertran paper, making sure the image prints on the chalky eggshell side. Let dry for 30 minutes. Cut the image to size. Soak the printout facedown in a pan of water for about a minute. Peel off the backing and place the filmy printout onto a ceramic vase, smoothing out any air bubbles. Once the paper dries, the white on the photo will show. If you want it to be clear, paint one to three coats of polyurethane over the top of the image.]

For the canvas: Start by selecting your favorite photo and pumping up the color saturation using an image-editing program on your computer. Print the image on an overhead transparency. Cover the surface of your canvas with a thin coat of gel medium. Place the transparency ink-side down onto the gel medium and smooth out any air bubbles. Burnish it with the back of a spoon or a bone folder, rubbing vigorously. You can also do this by flipping the canvas over and rubbing from the underside.

Lift a corner to see if the image has transferred. Once it does, peel off the film completely. The resulting image will have an artsy, gritty quality.

(Above) Easy bathtime crayons. You'll need: 1 cup grated Ivory soap or Ivory Snow flakes, Warm water, 4 Bowls, Food coloring. (These crayons are EASY to wash off).

Craft instructions: Grate a bar of soap, making one cup of soap. Next, divide the cup of soap into 4 bowls. Then, add water and several drops of different food coloring into each bowl, and mix. Stir the mixture until the soap mixture forms a thick dough. Add more water or soap shavings to get the right consistency. Once the dough is firm, shape it into crayons by hand or press it into ice cube molds. Place the soap crayons in the freezer for 10 minutes, and then pop them out of the mold. Let the bath tub soap crayons dry 1 to 2 days.

(Above) Silhouette Wall Art. Step 1: Cut plywood to desired size (one piece can be cut into four 12"x12" squares).
Step 2: Take a photo of your model’s profile against a lightly colored background and print in the size you would like. Step 3: Cut out the silhouette, tape it to the plywood, and trace around it with a pencil. Step 4: Paint carefully around the outline on the outside of the profile. We used high-gloss black paint.

Nailed It

Tomorrow I plan on re-painting my nails. It's been kind of a lame goal of mine to keep up on my nails (keep them in shape, and not let old polish wither and look gross). I'm highly inspired by certain colors and designs. Maybe once I get good at giving myself a manicure with basic colors I'll dare to do designs.

Also! Adding about 20 drops of clear nail polish to eyeshadow and there you go brand new nail polish!