Monday 29 April 2013

Etsy Wishlist

As you may have gleaned from previous posts, I have a small obsession with Etsy. Okay, a big obsession. Just so awesome! I can't help it!

And with that love comes a ridiculously long list of things I am desperately wanting to buy... I'll try to narrow it down for you guys. Because believe me, it's long. Way longer than I care to admit.

  1. Basically anything from the Starlight Woods shop. These earrings are a personal favourite, but really, all their stuff is adorable!
2.   This Les Miserables book scarf. That's right. IT'S GOT LES MIS ON IT. I find these scarves super cool - the shop has other books on their products as well, including Sherlock Holmes, Wuthering Heights, and Pride and Prejudice. So creative! The shop is storiarts.


3.   Zodiac sign constellation necklaces. I just love the idea of wearing a constellation in that subtle, lovely way... so pretty! I really love galaxy/constellation jewellery, it's gorgeous.
4.    THESE. I have a bit of a peacock theme going for grad, and these would go PERFECTLY with my dress and shoes! Plus, they'd be good for everyday use as well - simple yet a little bit of a statement. 
5.    These earrings, this entire shop really, is so delicate and lovely. Very pretty earrings, I love them!















So yes, that's my top five for now, and it was surprisingly difficult to narrow down that list... ah well, here they are. I tried to keep it mostly jewellery, but as you can see, that magnificent scarf found its way in there! 

What kind of things are on your wishlists? Any Etsy envy? :)

Saturday 27 April 2013

Things are good!

It's been a long week, but one of those weeks in which everything went really well. Things are just very... right. At least, for now they are! Nothing really substantial has happened, so this post is rather short and uninteresting, but, in short, my week has been uneventful in a good way.

First of all, I got a new ring! A while ago I made a post about how much I wanted a new ring, basically, and it's finally happened. It's a plain silver band with a light, greeny-blue square stone on it. So not fandom-related, no, but I find it gorgeous nonetheless! And it's a bit silly that I'm so thrilled about it, but hey. What is it they say? It's the little things? I agree with that.

I also went in to pick up my grad dress today (!!!) and am delighted to see that it needs almost no alterations, just needs to be shortened. And it matches the shoes I chose perfectly, which is awesome because I was going out on a complete limb buying them, hoping desperately the colours would work together. And they do, so that's nice! That and my recent acceptance to UBC (MORE EXCLAMATION POINTS) is making me super excited about my future.

So really, things are just great. I do still feel like going on a nice big shopping trip, so maybe that'll happen soon and I'll be even happier! But for now, I am perfectly content. Life is good, guys. Always make sure to love life.

Sunday 21 April 2013

Fingers Crossed...

Yesterday, my parents and I did a campus tour of a university I am considering attending in the fall. I'd seen the UBC campus before, fleetingly, for sports and science field trips and such, but hadn't seen it in much depth before. And I had been considering the university as one of my options, but now, it's really the place I want to attend. I want this so badly.

I get kind of obnoxious if I'm worried about being late, especially if it's something I am really excited for, so it's safe to say my parents were just barely tolerating me. I shoved them into the car a good hour and a half early, not even allowing them a breakfast before the 10:00 tour. Thankfully we were super early, so we located a Starbucks on campus and got a bite to eat.

The campus is gorgeous. I didn't take any pictures, unfortunately - I was too busy taking it all in! We wandered around briefly before the tour started (we had about forty-five minutes to kill) and I was just in awe at how well-kept and green it is. Very peaceful, too, although that was probably due to the fact that it's exam time. As the tour drew nearer and nearer, I grew increasingly excited about what was to come.

And the tour did not disappoint! Our two tour guides were extremely good-natured and knowledgeable, and managed to keep the tour humorous yet informative. One was from Nairobi and the other from Tanzania, which was apparently a complete coincidence, but really accentuated the fact that UBC has a vast international student body, which is something I find super cool.

We didn't go all over the campus, just through places I would be around most often as an undergraduate student. We didn't actually go to either of the places I had personally been before - the field hockey fields and this one science building with a DNA double helix on the side. But it was an excellent tour, and managed to cover tons of information in just a short hour and forty-five minutes (at least it FELT short!)

Plus, it didn't rain at ALL. It was lovely and sunny, and everything was in bloom. Gorgeous.

In short, I have fallen in love with the UBC campus, and also feel really comfortable in all I learned during that tour. We were not only told about buildings and places, but also general information about classes, buying textbooks, and tips for transit.

So now I am eagerly and anxiously waiting to hear UBC's decision! FINGERS CROSSED for an acceptance!

Wednesday 17 April 2013

Mail from MODCLOTH

For at least two years, I have had some serious Modcloth.com envy... I'd spend ages scrolling through the clothes and books and kitchen supplies, falling in love with item after item. Since I first set my eyes upon that glorious website, I dreamed of ordering my first item from them.

And that day has come, my friends. That day has come, and it is just as wonderful as I dreamed it would be.

Okay, enough with the theatrics. Let's get UNBOXING.

Modcloth - doing the near impossible and making wood print work
My mum picked the box up from the post office when she went into town, and all I could think during the entire day was "oh my goodness when I get home I can unwrap my gorgeous and fantastic Modcloth package ahhh AHHHHHH!" Needless to say, near the end of my day, concentration was pretty out of the question.

My order came in this adorable wood-patterned box, with a cheerful "Hello there!" on the side. Even Modcloth's BOXES make me feel happy.

So tempted to keep the box
I opened the box slowly, wanting to preserve it's prettiness and the feeling of anticipation I was having. When I opened it, this adorable "Pleased to meet you! Now let's have some fun" was on the inside flap. Modcloth, how are you so cute?!

Inside the box was another box, the one that held my prize. At this point, I was pretty antsy. I said goodbye to cautiously opening the box to preserve prettiness and tore right in.

I am so in love with these shoes. 
AND HERE THEY ARE.

My FLAWLESS "Proudly Posh" Modcloth heels. Very first Modcloth purchase. I am honestly all smiley just looking at that picture there.

And the awesome part is, they basically fit! I was a bit nervous about ordering online because of sizing, but I was thrilled to find that they are only off by mere millimetres. I'm sure insoles will fix the problem.

The shoes also came with two extra heel treads, just in case yours break or become worn. The shoes themselves are T.U.K., where I will definitely also be browsing in the future, as they have some cool shoes!

This was my first and hopefully not my last Modcloth purchase! I am very pleased with packaging, condition of the shoes, and how quickly they arrived. High five, Modcloth!

And only TWO DAYS left in the week. Hope you're all having good ones!

Tuesday 16 April 2013

Trailer Tuesday

There are two trailers I would like to bring up on this fine Tuesday - Man of Steel and Star Trek Into Darkness. Two epic trailers. One much-less-epic post.

Can I just start this off by saying Henry Cavill is beautiful? Yes? Good. Because he is.

So as many of you must know, the third Man of Steel trailer came out today. And it is a beautiful thing indeed.


I was never that massive of a Superman fan, but I am beginning to be seriously excited for this movie. Maybe because it's directed by Christopher Nolan, or because the graphics look incredible, or HENRY CAVILL, but I am.

When I heard they were rebooting Superman, I was sceptical. But they aren't really rebooting it... they're creating a whole new feel to the superhero. Watching this trailer and the previous two has made me realize just how well the people behind this whole thing are doing this. The trailer in itself is gorgeous, intense, and breath-taking. I can only imagine how epic the movie will be.

Next - Star Trek Into Darkness.


!!!!!!!

Wordless excitement!!!

I am seriously excited for the next Star Trek instalment. This trailer is fantastic; we finally get to see and hear Benedict Cumberbatch's chilling portrayal of the villain, we see more of the amazingly done graphics we have come to love, and really, we just get a wonderful taste of what the movie will be like. It's intense, action-packed, and overall, awesome. I cannot wait for the movie.

So there are my two trailer picks for the week - two movies I am looking forward to seeing! What movies are you excited for?


Friday 12 April 2013

Truly StuPINdous

What are we going to discuss today? That's right. PINS!

So a little while back when I attended Emerald City Comicon, I got a couple of awesome Supernatural pins from a shop there. My friend and I got five together, and split them - she took the Dean and the "BITCH" pins, and I took the Sam, Cas, and "JERK" pins.

This picture doesn't do them true justice, but here they are!
Now recently, I've been feeling especially bereft of my Comicon happiness, and while browsing through Etsy for more fandom-related things I could potentially drown my sorrows in, I found it. It. The shop my friend and I had found our pins at.

I experienced it again - that simple joy of being immersed in the world of Comicon. I decided then and there that I would buy more pins. I mean, what else could I do? I had found the shop. It seemed fate was nudging me in that direction.

So I have decided I will save up and one day soon splurge on some magnificent pins. Cas and Sam are lonely, man.

One thing I really like about this shop in particular is the fact that they are so well-made, and have a decent variety of pins available. There are Sherlock pins, Avengers, Wreck-It Ralph, X-Men... their selection is vast and glorious.

Definitely in the top five of my pin-ing after list
This sudden and amazing realization of my true love for pins led me to searching for other shops and other pins. Which led me, inescapably, to pining after even more pins I would, of course, eventually have to buy.

There are just so many cute and creative pins out there! Each pin is like a tiny, awesome way to show what you're a fan of. I came across an adorable Grape Soda pin, like the one from Up, a set of Adventure Time pins that I have decided I must get at some point, and many, many more.

Pins are, in short, a way to communicate. You can express your individuality with the pins you make or wear. You can show what you like, your sense of humour, your style. You can wear them ironically, fashionably, or just because you like showing off your fandoms. Pins are so versatile, it's insane.

So this is me telling you to go get some pins! Go! At least buy one, just so you can experience the simple joys of wearing pure awesome on your bag or jacket.

Pins, guys. I love pins.

Monday 8 April 2013

Winter is Coming: A GoT Review

It's Monday, April 8th, and I have finally watched the Game of Thrones season 3 premiere. During the break between seasons, I read up to book four, which filled the gap slightly. Still, it's nice to have the show back, though I had forgotten how brutal it gets!

I was extremely in awe of how utterly gorgeous some landscapes were in this episode! First beyond the wall, all vast and glorious, then the beach and ocean at King's Landing, and the view from Daenarys' ship... stunning! They did an amazing job putting together those scenes.

The graphics, also, have improved substaintially. Though Dany's dragons were never badly done, I remember them looking kind of off in the past seasons, but now they're looking impressively real, though Daenarys is still frustrated with how slowly they're growing, apparently. And though the giants in wildling territory only really had a quick introduction in this episode, I thought they were really well-done. Well, the one giant that was shown, anyway! I'm excited to see even more in episodes to come.

And through it all, Joffrey still annoys the living daylights out of me. It amazes me how he can just irritate me so much with just simple facial expressions and gestures... the actor has a vast career ahead of him, methinks!

Then there is the other side of the Lannister family - Tyrion. Still love him, and I'm glad to see he's kept some of his wit that I grew to appreciate in past seasons. I was at first a little miffed at his scar, because I had remembered reading in the book that his nose had basically been sliced off... but then I remembered that removing a nose from someone with make up is probably easier said than done! I will have to learn to let go of the images I have from the book series, it seems, if I want to be 100% pleased with the show. Goodness, it's like the Harry Potter book vs. movie debate all over again!

But overall, I seriously enjoyed the episode! Nine out of ten for me, I think. Beautiful scenery and graphics, and the acting was, as always, superb, but I just felt a little something was lacking. Not sure what... maybe it's Arya I'm missing. Where is my favourite character?!

It's funny how I'm already behind in the season... hopefully I can catch up soon, and stay caught up. I hope you enjoyed my review, and have a good week!


Sunday 7 April 2013

April Attire

So we are entering week two of April 2013. Time flies, hey? I personally am already beginning to look forward to summer, and every now and then I have to remind myself that yes, there are good things in these silly mid-months too. It's just difficult sometimes to get out of that can-the-holidays-just-get-here mindset!

For now, I'll drown my April melancholy in dreaming about clothing. Time well spent, I know.

Now, it's a bit too far into spring to be dreaming of scarves, since the weather is beginning to warm up now, but this scarf was too fantastic to resist.

Even just posting this picture made me excited! LOOK AT IT! I mean, yes, it's pretty blatantly Sherlock, which is part of the reason I love it so darn much. I only have one other Sherlock-related clothing item. That is so not enough!

The shop that makes these on Etsy is brilliant - they make the fabric themselves! Scarves, skirts, aprons... I highly recommend you check them out if you're a fan of Sherlock, LOTR, Game of Thrones, you name it! Here's a link. Use it.

Personally, I find browsing Etsy to be one of the most fun yet heartbreaking things to do. Fun because it's so great seeing all these amazing things people have created. Heartbreaking because I yearn for so many things I will most likely never own. I still do it, though, and always feel inspired by the talent and workmanship that goes into it all!


On the topic of APRIL, it has just begun absolutely pouring outside. "April showers" is so accurate it hurts. And that leads me to the utter NECESSITY of the month: a good and sturdy raincoat. Preferably a bit fashionable, too. I am in dire need of one of these.

Actually, that's not necessarily true. I do have an excellent raincoat, but I feel as if I bought it back when my style was vastly different from what it is now, you know? And plus there are so many lovely designs out there. I am personally a fan of the belted-waist type.

This one here is a London Fog belted, hooded raincoat available at Macy's. I am a massive fan of the bright colours they have available, though I feel like I'd probably end up buying a black or grey for ease of matching. Maybe I will splurge on one of these for next year.

Scoping out raincoats makes me think of new shoes, which makes me think of expanding my heels collection, which makes me think of more skirts and dresses to wear with said heels. Buying new clothes is a chain-reaction, people. A dangerous one at that.

But hey, still going to do it. If the weather has the nerve to force you into wearing a raincoat, it might as well be one you feel fantastic in.

So that's what I had to say, basically! I apologize for the blandness of this post. I found myself wanting to write a post but not having anything exciting to say, and this just came out. I tried to wrangle some sort of topic out of it, and I suppose it semi-worked, but still. SORRY.

On another note, my buddy Huyen and I are going to be doing some DIY shenanigans soon, so I'll definitely be writing something on that! On our various failures, battle wounds, finished products. Sometime next week, probably.

And on to week two!

Tuesday 2 April 2013

April HOPES AND DREAMS

Or just goals, if you want me to be a bit less melodramatic.

APRIL is upon us! WHOA! It's strange - it feels like the year is flying by (April already, that ain't right!) but at the same time, just taking it's sweet time. That may be because I am feeling that mid-semester soul-crushing that comes around every year.

Even though my soul is being crushed, there are things I am looking forward to and hoping to accomplish in the coming weeks. I'm not completely apathetic. Not yet.

For instance, spring is basically here! This makes me happy! We have been having some mighty fine weather here, sun and everything. Two days ago, the trees were all still bare and uncomfortable-looking. But over the weekend, BAM. Blossoms. It's great.

With the sun comes that need to get things done, at least in my case! The sun bared it's glorious head and I'm feeling the energy. Time to do things and do them well.

I plan to do a lot more DIY this summer, and I'm thinking, hey, why not start now? I have tons of ideas I've snatched off the internet, and I'm going to go completely crafty and make things. The first thing I am planning on doing is fandangling one of my old, ratty t-shirts into a tank top; here's the tutorial if you're interested! I'm super excited to give it a try, and I'll make sure to update you all on my finished result, though it may look a bit less tanktoppy and slightly more potato sack-ish.

In the coming months, I also hope to start baking and cooking more. I can bake fairly well and cook decently, but I want to get a little more experience in before I leave the mothership. Ultimate goal: to successfully bake a souffle. Hey, shhhh - let me dream!

And lastly, because accomplishing goals are hard and I might as well add one that literally takes no energy to complete - I need to get caught up in all my television shows. Like, I am seriously so behind! But I have made progress! The Walking Dead, check. Firefly, almost, just need to steel myself for emotional trauma of the last episode. Supernatural, well, getting there.

It took me a very large portion of my life to figure it out, but I am actually a massively goal-oriented kind of person! Goals are what motivate me to get things done. Lists, too. Sometimes it's a painfully slow process, achieving a goal, but in the end, I find it is worth it!

Best of luck with your goals, simple or monumental, and I hope April is treating you well so far!