Chai Tea, Anyone?

I received a set of shampoo, conditioner, and oil from Dessange through Influenster. My favorite about the line is the scent. It's really unique compared to other shampoos which are usually flowery or fruity in scent. This line smells like spices to me, which was perfect for me since I tried this line during winter time. Speaking of winter, the conditioner was nice and thick, and the oil helped smooth out my dry ends. I'll consider it again when the weather gets colder.

#JadoreDessange

Influenster #GoVoxBox review

I finally qualified for my second voxbox from Influenster!

It included:

Aqua Spa Relax Collection Bath Salts

Loved these. My feet especially loved soaking in these dissolved in hot water. They got a little sudsy when they hit the water which was a nice surprise. These were lavender scented and very relaxing.

Profoot Pedi-Rock

And after a long soak, I gave my beat up summer feet a scrub with this. I thought it was really a rock when it was in the package but it's actual very light, more like a sponge with an exfoliating exterior. The shape is good but kind of large for my hand. I kind of felt like it was scratching at my hand as well. 

Vitamin Shoppe Jax water bottle 

This bottle is really cute. It's a good size and there's a tight seal on it so nothing goes spraying everywhere when you shake it. I don't really think the little jack made much of a difference in mixing versus just shaking the bottle. But in general it's a pretty good travel bottle.

Vitamin Shoppe Next Step Fit N Full Protein Shake

Are these better or worse than other protein shakes? I can't say. I kind of have to force myself into meal shakes. I will say they are on par with the other flavors I've had.

Profoot Triad Orthodics

So so so grateful for these! My commute to work involves a lot more walking so I've been switching them into my shoes in the morning. Heels definitely hurt but so do those thin flats after a while. Until gym shoes become work appropriate, insoles will be saving me. They're not the flimsy kind either. After all this wear they've still held their shape.

Muller Greek Yogurt Coupon

I love Greek yogurt but I'm terrible at remembering to being coupons to the grocery store. This was the second to last product I got around to trying. I like the mix-in concept, kind of like fruit-on-the-bottom yougurt. I'd buy again.

Blue Diamond Blueberry Flavored Almonds

Um, YUM. They really do taste like blueberries! These were a good snack size, but I'm sure I'd devour more if it were in a bigger size. I'd definitely buy these again. They were a good sweet snack.

Box of Playtex Sport Fresh Balance Tampons
I haven't tried these yet. It hasn't been the right time lol. Guess I'll update again on these later.

All products were sent to me for review from Influenster.

Girl Crew Draft Picks

I love when I find out celebrities I like are friends. It makes me happy to think they're joining in awesomeness. I don't think I'm the only one. The Simple Life aired for years on the basis of the Paris and Nicole friendship. Twitter and Instagram go nuts over the Taylor Swift Selena Gomez BFF-ness.

Guys have fantasy football/baseball/basketball leagues. My friends and I once considered making a Fantasy Boyband League but couldn't figure out how anyone got points. (In reality, there are only winners in a Fantasy Boyband League.) So if all my teen hopes and dreams come true one day, and I make it big, these are the girls I want to buddy up to ASAP.

• Mindy Kaling - Hilarious. I thought maybe she only played characters I liked, but then I read her book and found out she's just awesome in real life too. She knows the first generation kid struggle.
• Zooey Deschanel - She has a vintage girlie look, and she sticks with it. The kind of look I can only pull off halfway before adding a hoodie or combat boots. Her voice is so good in an understated, not-trying-to-shatter-windows way. She is also the only woman I would want JGL to be with other than myself. 
• Jennifer Lawrence - She's pretty but somehow also speaks her mind, is funny, and eats. What???
•  Kristen Bell - She's been a fave since Veronica Mars (Yes, I joined the kickstarter. You're welcome, world.) She's cute and fun. We could build a snowman! Plus, she's little like me so I wouldn't be the only short one in our pictures.
• Lauren Conrad - Reality stars get a lot of flack, but hear me out. LC has purposefully chosen to strive for a good girl image and not the catfight/boyfriend stealing/rebel image so many young adults on TV do. She also has a style/beauty blog, clothing line, and book series (Yes, it's about a reality show, but aren't you supposed to write about what you know?). She's a girl's girl and isn't apologetic for it.
• Sophia Bush - I liked her character on One Tree Hill and then on the short-lived Partners on CBS. I was like, "Hey! Brooke can be funny!" Now she's on Chicago PD. Way to be well-rounded!

Why I'm Still Sad I'm Not A Gilmore

I watched Gilmore Girls when it was on, beginning to end. I bought every season on DVD from Target, which was saying a lot back then since it was a large chunk of my money when I was a college kid. I got TWO ex-boypersons hooked on the show to the point them saying "maybe we can watch just one more episode..." and admitting they weren't just watching it for the hot chicks. I watch the entire series again every year even though it was canceled in 2007, and there are dozens of shows readily available on Netflix. 

I love Gilmore Girls. I love Gilmore Girls because I know I will never be a Gilmore Girl. Here's why:

1. My mom and I will never have that post-Freaky Friday closeness. We will never be best friends. I love my mom, but she will always be my mom first and foremost. I have a Filipino mom. We have mother-daughter boundaries. As a teenager, she went busted her ass at work, told me when she didn't think I was dressed appropriately, and lectured me on eating too much junk food. My mom has never helped me get ready for a date, taken me on a road trip, or thrown a party in my dorm room. Though in my mom's defense, I don't know anyone's mom had a hairbrush-singing sleepover and ordered hundreds of dollars of takeout on her daughter's first night at college. I had a roommate once who's mom did a kegstand with her. I was secondhand embarrassed.
2. I am fascinated by small town life. Other CW/WB shows I've watched include Roswell, Dawson's Creek, and Hart of Dixie. Common theme: all set in quaint small towns. I've lived in Chicago the majority of my life, but when I was a teenager my parents move me to a really far out suburb. I had typical "you're ruining my life" flip outs, but I think it's because it was it was inconveniently far from Chicago, but not far enough to fit the TV image of a small town. It was too in-between, too up-and-coming suburb. I'm mentally awww-ing at the idea of knowing everyone in town, small town annual fundraisers, and having everywhere be within walking distance of the town square. I absolutely love living in Chicago, but I love the idea of the other extreme, having to make a day trip to find a shopping mall and watching the stars while sipping lemonade on a porch swing. I want to go to the ridiculous town festivals!
3. I feel Lorelai-ish feelings of disappointment. Lorelai always feels like her mother is judging her, that she's shaming her parents in one way or another even though she's a successful business owner. I never got knocked up in high school, never got arrested, I got a degree from a good school in the appropriate amount of years, and I don't go crawling to them for money. But somehow there's that slight bit of disappointment that I'm not also married with babies. When your parents want it all for you, there's always that bit of disappointment for not being able to meet expectations in all the categories. At least my parents never expected me to be a doctor.
4. The banter and vernacular. I talk fairly fast. I like when conversation flows back and forth easily. I make entirely too many popular culture references in every day life. I'm girl that yells "Pivot!" when trying to make something fit, and tells people to stop trying to make fetch happen. And yes, sometimes I talk in a loud and excited Gilmore-ish way. When I was a kid, we had a family party and I once asked my aunt why everyone's yelling. She said, "That's not yelling. That's just how we talk back home." Real talk. Never hold back at a Filipino party.
5. I seek a Luke Danes in my life. Rory's men included Dean (safe to the point of boring), Jess (her bad boy phase, but I stand by in thinking they should've ended up together, and Logan (rich douche bag). Lorelai's men included Chris (immature and packed with history), Max (safe to the point of boring), and Luke. While flannel and fishing isn't my shtick, Luke was otherwise wonderful. Cleans up well and willing to deal with a crazy family (need that, see above), check. Willing to bend over backwards for people important to him (high school dropout Jess, the Santa burger, lending out his precious truck to move Rory into Yale), check. Luke is the rare good guy who gets on the good side of his nemesis to buy his girlfriend a house, who plans his black sheep uncle's funeral, who saves a handwritten fortune in his wallet for years, and brings food to a cat's wake. Bonus: Luke could go off on a rant like no other! He was still a guy's guy. He's the grumpy man with the heart of gold.

I never wore six inch heels to class while I tried to solve a murder like the Pretty Little Liars.  I don't scheme like Blair on Gossip Girl. I've never fallen for a teen vampire like Elana. Or Buffy. Or Bella. But I still wish I were a little more Gilmore.

Finished! (Part 1)

Here's the first round of finished projects:

1. Display Mardi Gras beads.

I specifically brought home pink, purple, and red beads this year just because I wanted to decorate the empty wall beside my bed. I didn't want to nail a bunch of holes to my wall. Also, beads get heavy fast. So I bought a shit ton of 3M Command hooks. The wire ones jut out further than the plastic ones of the same size so they could hold a few. I still have a few necklaces leftover, but I like the amount I got up there for now.

2. Add rhinestones to my red tutu. 

I was too lazy to iron them on while in NOLA. So my strawberry costume was missing its seeds.

3. Display more of my Instagram-y pictures.

Thumbtack holes are way smaller than nail holes right? Well, I think so. Thumbtacks, tiny clothes pins, and some semi-crappy prints on card stock.

4. Paint the candle holder crate.
My family in the Philippines sent me this really cool shell candle holder. It was packed in a wooden crate with a sort of nest under it and bubble wrap all around it. I liked the way it looked so I wanted to keep it together. So I gave the box a few coats of acrylic paint and turned it on its side.

5. Fix the jewelry holders.

I was using ribbing before, but the heaviness of the necklaces started to make the ribbon droop. So I changed the hooks to ones that were open on time instead of the eye-type. (I clearly don't know my hook names.) I painted some dowel rods black and replaced the ribbon.

6. Make a tall bracelet.

I wanted a way to slightly cover up the tattoo on my right wrist if in case I needed to for work. It's lower on my arm than the one on my left and I'm also severely right-handed and don't want to have to put on/remove a stack of bracelets, which is fine for the left. I've had these dark beads forever,a nod they remind me of an oil puddle. A few metal spacers hold them in place. I might make another just because I have enough beads to do so.

7. Dyed two pairs of my grey leggings.

This one wasn't really picture worthy.They were 1/4 scribbled on, and then I decided I didn't like the look of them. Also I just needed more black leggings. I got a box of Rit dye, a pot, and time. Twice, technically. I didn't think it dyed evenly the first time.

40 Days of Finished Crafts

I'm not much of a Catholic, but I do try to give something up for Lent. It's sort of like taking on a temporary New Year's resolution. Since I gave up most of my excessive spending problems already, and I failed immediately at my other two ideas (chocolate, swearing), I gave up unfinished projects for Lent. Meaning, all the things I start, or have started in the past, I need to finish. So far so good!

Meanwhile...

I remember when I first started blogging. A girl I went to high school with wanted to do an article on online journaling. If there's some sort of HHS archive there's probably an embarrassing quote in it from me. My gateway blog was on Blogspot. Later came Xanga. Livejournal. A brief stint on a Sanrio site somewhere in there.

I wanted to keep this blog public-friendly, but I think I end up revealing too much about my personal life. I don't reveal much in person but I guess I cant shake the anonymity of a screen. So I'm starting another blog. I'm keeping this one for reviews and photos and other things I don't mind the public knowing if they stumble upon it. For all my personal ramblings, and I'll only share this once, I've started hellostinie.blogspot.com

And now back to your regularly scheduled glitter crafts... 

Year 28

Surprise, surprise: I made a list of goals for my 27th year of life. 

But now, my 28th birthday is sneaking up on me. Shit.

There are things I have completed ("Do at least 25 of the things I have pinned." which was easier than I thought. See? I do use Pinterest in a useful way!), things I've sort of completed ("Learn something new." I think I learned how...), and things I totally failed at (I've really let you down "Lose a pants size.").  So maybe declaring my list this time will at least shame me into getting more of these things done.

Celebrate Twenty-Eight:

1. Take at last two trips.* I only made it to NOLA this year, unless you're counting Milwaukee. (I don't.)
2. Learn a new activity, skill, or craft.* Guitar, crochet, glass-etching, hula dancing, one of the other I-wish-I-knew-how-to's.
3. Do a better job keeping in touch with family. Not one of my goal's this past year, but it did happen. It was mostly for sad reasons, but now I'm grateful for having my family around and want to keep it up.
4. Meet new people. Romantically or not. I've definitely been awkward with meeting people post-college.
5. Experience more, spend less. Say yes to people. Don't bring that to the register. I've started this one already but I want to keep it going.
6. Take a photo a day.* I tried the Photo A Day Challenge and made it about six months before realizing I was really forcing some of the photos and didn't want them later on. Now I want to do it without outside prompts.
7. More cooking, less fast food. I insist I know how to cook. And yet I'm too damn lazy too most days. 
8. Serious job hunting. Not another job I just "fall into".
9. Work out. At. All. It's pathetic. Even just while chain-watching shows on Netflix, I should at least manage to not be sitting on my ass once in a while.
10. Write more. I have at least 20 more drafts of posts I haven't finished. 
11. Work on my creative skill set every day. Take photos with a real camera, decorate, draw, sew, something, if not just for half an hour every day.
12. Look into buying a condo. I want a bigger apartment, but I want my next move to be a more permanent one.
13. Be more organized. Files. Mail. Most importantly my apartment. It's currently such a mess I'd be ashamed if even my closest friends made an impromptu visit. It's in a constant state of laundry.
14. Do more career-related reading. I'm adding more design and marketing blogs to my Feedly, pinning infographics, and got a subscription to Fast Company.

 Continuing with one of things I did accomplish this year: "Be less responsible."

Happy Halloween!

Less Shopping, More Living

I think when I got my first big kid job, I got in my head that I had money to spend, since it was all mine. But then when opportunities came up I thought they were too expensive. I still have a problem of spending money stupidly because I'm currently employed. Saving is hard enough. I should be spending my money on first times, not possessions I'll be bored of in a couple months. I want to look back and say "I've done that" or "I've been there. I have a long ass bucket list. I have daydreams of places I've never visited. My Yelp bookmarks of "To Try" restaurants spans a few pages. There are shows I've never seen. There are places in my own city I haven't checked out. My lists are growing in length. It's time to start crossing them out.

From here on out, I want memories.

Weekly Wonderful III

Fall temperatures ♥ Hoodies and scarves ♥ EIGHT family members starting tomorrow! ♥ Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Coffee ♥ Finally finishing this catalog! ♥ Earning a few LOLx3s ♥ Chocolate Chip Brownie Brittle from Swaggable ♥ Freeman Paper Masks ♥ Super convenient Curel samples from BzzAgent ♥ Thinking of what to buy myself for my birthday ♥ Dinosaur slippers (though they used to be cheaper ♥ Thank god my Pro Sonic never exploded on me! (Switching to the Olay Pro-X version) ♥ Working my way through two packages of pan de sal ♥ Basically designing pajamas ♥ Buying adorable shirts on Etsy ♥ "Now You See Me"/Why did no one tell me Dave Franco is adorable? ♥ Colorful hair inspiration ♥ Sweet tea ♥ 50% for grown ass clothes I needed ♥ Finding out my old office is moving to the boonies ♥ Powering through and finishing a book that was kind of boring ♥ Adam Brody (watched The League and Grind recently) ♥ The surge of a new TV season ♥