Perler Beads- Loki and Thor

Hey guys!

I have a really short post today. I was in a really crafty mood and decided to make some little Loki and Thor sprites out of perler beads. Here are the patterns I used (I didn't make the patterns):

And these are my finished sprites :)

So cute!! I am so obsessed with Thor: The Dark World that I had to make these. I think they look pretty awesome. 

Thanks for reading :) I'll talk to you again very soon!

Keri <3

Varsity VoxBox Review

Hey everyone!

As you probably already know, I've been trying out some products this month that I received in my Varsity VoxBox from Influenster. I did an unboxing post a few weeks back (check it out here!), and decided it was time for me to post my final review of the products. So, let's get started!

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DISCLAIMER: I received these products complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster.com. This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. 

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Clearasil Daily Clear Refreshing Superfruit Wash ($6.49)

Just as an FYI, I have combination skin, and I have a few problem areas that tend to break out (mostly around my chin). My skin is not overly sensitive. 

I used 2 out of the 3 samples I was sent. I decided to hold onto the last sample for when I was really having issues with my skin (I want to see if it makes a difference). The first two times I used this wash, I wasn't breaking out too terrible bad, but I did have some spots that cleared up after I used the product. This smells awesome- like a fruit smoothy- and really gets your skin nice and clean. Because I was sent 3 $1 off coupons, I'll most likely purchase this product in the near future. 

Overall, this wash does it's job, and I would recommend it to you guys. 

Airheads Xtremes Bites ($1.69) 

Like I said in my unboxing post, I'm so glad Influenster sent me some candy!  I absolutely love sweet and sour candy, so these Airheads Bites were perfect- I snuck them into the movie theater when I saw Thor: The Dark World last weekend (which is one of the best movies I've ever seen, and I'm kind of obsessed with Loki now).  These would be awesome to have as a snack during a late night study session; they're also great for any other time of the day :) I will definitely be repurchasing these candies!

Kiss Nail Dress ($6.99)

Ok, I'm not going to lie, these were the worst product I received so far from the program.  Honestly, I don't know if it was just me, but I had a really hard time applying these strips- I couldn't get them to look good, they barely fit my nail, and they kept wrinkling on the edges as I tried to apply them.  It doesn't help that my nails were unusually short when I applied these.  I'm sure the strips would look better over longer nails.  I've used the Sally Hansen nail strips before and I adore them!  For some reason, these are just not up to par with the other brands I've used in the past.  Trust me, I wanted to like these nail dresses. 

I do not recommend these nail dresses.  If you want a hassle-free nail strip, try the ones from Sally Hansen (they are a few dollars more, but it's definitely worth it).  The only thing good about this product is that they came right off my nail when I wanted to remove them.  That being said, I don't see these as lasting any longer than a few days.  I should have left mine on to see how long they would last, but I just couldn't stand the look of them on my nails.

NYC New York Color Big Bold Plumping & Shine Lip Gloss ($3.99)

As part of my VoxBox tasks, I did a separate review for this lip gloss, which you can read about here.  Overall, this gloss is not my favorite, but it's not bad.  It doesn't have a ton of color payoff, but it isn't overly sticky, and it gives a nice shine to the lips.  I don't notice a major plumping effect, although there is a slight tingle when you first put the gloss on.  This probably lasts about 2-3 hours with minimal drinking/ eating/ talking (you will need to reapply this gloss after lunch).

Tide Pods (no price)

This is another tried-and-true product for me.  I've been using these Pods since they first came out- I was in the dorms for a year, so these were my go-to laundry detergent.  They're convenient for storage, light-weight, and so easy to use (you just throw a Pod in, pile in the clothes, and wash!).  I use cold water to wash all of my clothes and I haven't had any problems with these.  Even though I have my own washer and dryer now, I still like to buy these little guys :)  The scent Spring Meadow is amazing, by the way!

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All and all, I loved every single product in this box with the exception of the nail dresses.  If you want to learn how to get free stuff for testing purposes, check out Influenster for more information. 

I'll talk to you all again very soon.  As always, thanks for reading!

Keri <3

What I'm Reading: 2013

Key:

* - read for class

RE - re-read

Books, Plays, and Short Stories

1. Divergent by Veronica Roth

2. Insurgent by Veronica Roth

3. City of Bones (Mortal Instruments # 1) by Cassandra Clare

4. City of Ashes (Mortal Instruments # 2) by Cassandra Clare

5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

by JK Rowling (RE)

6. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling (RE)

7. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling (RE)

8. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling (RE)

9. The Way I See It: A Personal Look At Autism and Aspergers by Temple Grandin *

10. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon *

11. Marked (House of Night # 1) by PC Cast

12. Betrayed (House of Night # 2) by PC Cast

13. Chosen (House of Night # 3) by PC Cast

14. Untamed (House of Night # 4) by PC Cast

15. Hunted (House of Night # 5) by PC Cast

16. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling

17. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling

18. Notes from Underground by Fyordor Dostoyevsky *

19. Are You There, Vodka?  It's Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler

20. "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" by Leo Tolstoy *

21. Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen *

22. The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov

23.  "The Rod of Justice" by Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis *

24. "Kabuliwala" by Rabindranath Tagore *

25. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad *

26. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka *

27. "Barn Burning" by William Faulkner *

28. "Spotted Horses" by William Faulkner *

29. Omeros by Derek Walcott *

30. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling

31. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (RE)

32. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (RE)

33. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

34. Coriolanus by William Shakespeare

DIY No-Sew Blanket

Hey guys!

Mom and I were in a crafty mood the other day and decided to take a trip to Joanne's.  We wanted to make some no-sew/ tie blankets to use when we transport dogs (they deserve something soft and cuddly for their long car ride!).  Plus, the fleece was on sale for $3.50 a yard!!  Needless to say, we bought a ton of the stuff.  I figured I would do a DIY post while I was working on the second blanket :)

This is a quick, easy, and really relaxing.  What a great way to start the weekend!

Just as an FYI, you can use any amount of fleece for this project; I would suggest using around a yard and a half, or even 2 yards if you are making this for a kid or as a throw.  Because these blankets are for dogs, I made them a bit smaller.

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Supplies

1/2 yard of fleece for the front

1/2 yard of fleece for the back

Scissors

Rotary cutter (optional, but very helpful)

Cutting mat

Ruler (preferably an acrylic one)

Maker

Instructions

1. Pick out the patterns/ colors for your blanket.  Most people tend to use a colored fleece for the backside and a patterned piece of fleece for the front; I chose to use two patterned pieces just to make things more interesting.  There are whales on the front of my blanket and green chevron on the back.


2. Lay out the pieces of fleece and make sure to trim off any access if they don't line up.  This doesn't have to be perfect, but make sure your lines are as straight as possible.  A rotary cutter and acrylic ruler comes in handy at this point (especially if you're like me and can't cut a straight line to save your life...).

3. Using the ruler, measure out and draw a 2in x 2in square in each of the four corners of the fleece.  I used a paint marker and lightly drew on the fleece, but chalk, eyeliner, pencil, etc. will also work.



4. Measure 2in up from the bottom of the fleece and make a mark.  Take the ruler and mark off every inch or so (see picture below).  These will be the tabs that you will tie off at the end of the project.  If you are making a bigger blanket, you can choose to make the tabs bigger, but I wouldn't recommend making them any smaller than 2in tall- if the tabs are too small, it's really difficult to tie them together.

Continue making these marks around all four edges of the fleece.

5. With your scissors or rotary cutter, begin cutting strips using the marks you previously made as a guide.  DO NOT START TYING YET!  Make sure you have made all the necessary cuts before you start knotting.

6. After all of your cuts are made and your fleece is lined up, you can finally start knotting!  I like to tie all of my knots the same way because I'm a little OCD, but feel free to tie the tabs any way you want.  Also, I make double knots just to make sure everything is nice and secure, especially since I plan on washing these blankets every now and again.

The Finished Blanket

Charlee and Howie love their new blankets!  I'm glad I cut the fleece in half; it makes the perfect size for doggie blankets :)

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I really enjoyed making these blankets, and I can't wait to start working on some more!  This project probably took me 30-45 minutes for each blanket, but it may take you a bit longer if you have never done this before.  Either way, it's a quick project and it's a ton of fun!

Hopefully I'll talk to you guys again very soon :)

Keri <3

NYC Big Bold Pluming & Shine Lip Gloss Review

Hi!

I recently received the Varsity VoxBox from Influenster (check out this post for more information), and I thought I would do a quick review on one of the products from that box. Influenster gives you a bunch of different tasks to complete once you receive a VoxBox; one of my tasks was to write a blog post about the NYC New York Color Big Bold Gloss. 

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DISCLAIMER: I received these products complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster.com. This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. 

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Price

Normally this gloss retails for $3.99. Considering it's from a drugstore brand, I would say that's a pretty fair price- it's not the cheapest gloss, but it's also not the most expensive gloss at the drugstore. Plumping glosses usually cost a bit more than regular glosses, so keep that in mind. Again, I think the price is definitely fair for the amount of product you are getting (0.38 fl oz or 11 mL). 

Color 

The color I received is called "Pleasantly Plump Pink (467)." It's a sheer, rosy pink with gold and maybe some rainbow shimmer (not glitter). In the sunlight, the rainbow shimmer is noticeable, but in indoor lighting, I see mostly golden shimmer. I think these are meant to be pretty sheer, but I would have liked to see a bit more color payoff. I most likely wear this gloss alone because it is so sheer; however, I'm sure it will look great layered over any pink lipstick or stain. 

Applicator

The applicator on this product is pretty unique. Like most glosses, it has a sponge doe-foot applicator, but this applicator is huge. It pretty much covers my whole lip when I apply the gloss (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). Basically, you just swipe once, and you're good to go! I don't feel like it picks up too much product, and I'm not constantly reloading the applicator. I literally take the cap off, swipe it on my lips, and I'm done. I really do like this type of applicator- it's easy to control where the color goes and you get the perfect amount of product each time. 

Plumping Effect

I've probably said this a million times, but I usually don't go for plumping glosses. The tingling sensation is not pleasant for me- it just feels kind of painful, most of the time. This gloss is different. After about a minute in the lips, it starts to tingle a little. I've noticed that the sensation stays around for awhile (maybe an hour or so?), but eventfully stops. This gloss claims to plump the lips by 50%. Honestly, I don't see that much of a change; the shine makes my lips look a bit fuller, but I won't say it actually plumps my lips and makes them look 50% fuller. 

Other Thoughts

The company says you can get about 4 hours of wear from this gloss, and I would say that's pretty accurate. The consistentcy of the product is pretty standard- it's sticky enough to cling to the lips and not feel greasy, but it's not too sticky. Like some glosses I've tried in the past, this gloss seems to get more tacky the longer you wear it. It's definitely not my favorite formula in the world, but it's not the worst either. 

Just an FYI, I don't smell or taste anything offensive in this gloss. It has a chemical-type smell (I don't really know how to explain it...) in the packaging, but it goes away once it's on the lips. 

Rating

I would give this gloss a 3.5 out of 5 stars. I like the color, shine, and shimmer, but I wish it was a bit more intense. I don't really feel like it plumps the lips, even though there is a tingling sensation when you first apply it. I love the applicator, the price is on point, and the formula isn't bad. It really doesn't have a smell or taste once it's on the lips, so that's a plus for me. Overall, I like this gloss, and I may pick up some other colors just to see if they have better color payoff than this one. 

Hopefully this helped some of you guys out :) Let me know if you have tried this gloss, or if you plan on trying it. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Keri <3