Geeking out in Seattle

You may have seen my post about going to Urban Craft Uprising this past weekend, but you might not have seen all the other fun I had after it! Unless you follow me on Instagram, then you saw some of the awesomeness.

So I sort of joined the Empire...

Just for a little bit, I swear!

It's almost impossible to turn to the dark side when you're wearing an ice cream print top and polka dot shoes. That didn't stop me for trying to strike a badass pose though! (Poor guy in the suit in that heat! Mr. Vader was fake.)

Then we saw a few more sites, the usual...

Met a majestic unicorn or two (second not pictured)

I feel like someday I will need to photoshop this.


After that I had a brief brush with extermination...

But I ain't afraid of no Dalek!

We finished off our trip by stopping at Kerry Park.

Gotta love that view!

I really enjoy being so close to Seattle that I can visit any time I want, but without the hassle of living in such a big/busy city.

Do you have any big cities close by that you like to visit? Let me know in the comments!
If you've been to Seattle before, leave me a suggestion on where to visit next! I'm usually up for new adventures.

Check out my other Seattle Posts: My first Seattle trip + Woodland Park Zoo

Seattle's Urban Craft Uprising Artist Showcase

Saturday I went to Urban Craft Uprising [Website | Facebook | Twitter] in Seattle. I haven't been to any big craft fairs like this before, so it's easy to say this one was the best I've ever seen! There were a lot of great vendors and artists with a variety of goods from ice cream to terrariums, puppets to metal jewelry, puzzles made from real stamps, yarn... and so much more!

I would have purchased from every single artist if I could! There were some very cute little Venus Fly Traps that I wanted and forgot to pick up, too. But, for the ones I did get to visit with and bought from, I decided to do a little showcase of them!

Yarnarchy! [Website | Etsy | Facebook]

The first shop that really caught my eye. Not only was the owner spinning right there in the stall, but the yarn that was for sale was gorgeous! Some of it even had sparkles in it!

What I bought: 

When I saw these cute felting kits for $5 in this old-fashioned suitcase I knew I had to have one! It includes a piece of foam, a needle and various pieces of wool fiber. She even added in a few more pinches of wool to my bag!


Forge + Fire by Amy Burgess [Website | Etsy]

Her jewelry was gorgeous and unique which is why I was immediately drawn to it. She was also selling geometric stained glass air plant holders. What a great name too!

What I bought:

She had a $5 bin like a lot of the other artists at UCU and I found one of my new favorite necklaces! I am so excited to wear it because mint is one of my favorite colors and it pairs well with the copper underneath. 


Collisionware [Website| Shop]

"Add an adorable edge to your kitchen!" is their slogan. I definitely agree with that! So many cute patterns and product types to choose from! And did you see that cash register? I wanted one of everything. Don't let the small amount shown in the picture fool you, there was double that amount with full aprons, and a couple other kinds of potholders and oven mitts for sale. She even had shark mitts. SHARK MITTS, you guys!

What I bought: 

First of all, a skillet mitt has been needed in this household for quite some time. Second, cupcakes. For $5 I was sold!


Half Pint homemade ice cream [Website | Facebook | Twitter]
It wasn't that hot in the building, but I was starting to get overheated anyway. Decided to cool off and get a nice cold treat. Plus, I was wearing an ice cream shirt, how could I not?! It was a photo op for sure!

What I bought: 

The flavor I chose was Sweet Cream Caramel and it was soo delicious! I can only imagine how good the other flavors were. Mouthwatering! So if you're in the Seattle area, seriously consider getting them for your next party. It's sure to be a treat!


Spincycle Yarns [Website | Facebook | Etsy | Ravelry]

They were all so nice and encouraged me to touch the yarn (a favorite pastime of mine.) They had several finished projects on display that had been made with their yarn and were even in the process of knitting some projects then and there! I think I spent the most time at this booth simply trying to figure out which yarn I wanted and gazing longingly.

What I bought:

I ended up with an "oops!" yarn that had been spun too bulky on accident. The weight is perfect for me since I prefer a DK or a worsted to sock and fingering weight yarns. The colorway is "Devilish Grin" and a delicious looking red wool blend that's machine washable!


Brenda Dunn Illustration [Etsy | Instagram]

I love her style so much! I haven't seen anything like it. Gorgeous pin-ups meet fashion illustration with vibrant pops of color, polka dots, and fun situations.

What I bought:

This really cute umbrella girl print! I was sold when I saw this one, but I also liked this girl and dog and a girl and her cake. I haven't decided if I want to color it myself or not.

Honorable mentions I forgot to photograph and didn't purchase from but greatly admired:

Business Cattual [Website| Facebook | Etsy | Twitter]
Bow ties for cats to make your favorite feline even more dapper and lots of other kittyrific awesomeness! Space Cats? Space cats!

Catshy Crafts [Website | Facebook | Etsy | Instagram| Twitter]
Very cute felt hoop art, flowers,wreaths, and embroidery using fun motifs like hearts, banners, flowers and thought bubbles to create a unique piece of art that's really comforting to look at. 

Shower Art and Ugly baby and La Ru [Website | Facebook | Etsy | Twitter]
An innovative idea, art for your shower! Clear rubber filled with sprinkles, letter beads, plastic men, and various other bits and pieces that make for a very kitch style. Plus they had an AT-AT in love shirt. How awesome is that?

There are so many more I could mention! I have a ton of business cards that I picked up, these were just the ones that really stuck out to me. I loved this craft fair and there will be another Urban Craft Uprising fair in August during the Seattle Street Food Festival and I would love to go!

Definitely a great show, so if you're ever in the area and want to see some really great artists, be sure to stop by next time! Better yet, let me know and we can meet up!

End of May Photo Roundup

1.) May the 4th Be with you, 2.) Sour Patch Kids, 3.) Duo monitors! Yay! 4.) My new Tee Fury Shirt, 5.) Spending the day in Edmonds, WA, 6.) Being crazy close to a train,7.) Completed cupcake scarf (Read about it here!) 8.) Marvelous new socks, 9.) Taking my old dog for a walk

Just a few things you've missed by not following me on Instagram

Influenster Venus® Snap with Embrace Review

Disclaimer: This post is a review of  the Gillette Venus Snap with Embrace. I received it free from Influenster for testing and review purposes. All thoughts and opinions shared on my blog or other social media about this product are my own.

You may have already seen them in stores, and had to do a double-take like I did to make sure your eyes weren't deceiving you. Yes, that is a full razor that's actually small and travel size! Most of the travel or disposable razors I've seen have the full-length handle, and I think that's such a waste personally. (Despite the fact that the whole disposable razor market is waste actually, but I digress...) Being an Influenster member means doing lots and lots of reviews, and sometimes to get points I'll be doing them on my blog. You have been warned! lol


Here is an overview of the Gillette Venus Snap with Embrace:

The razor and handle measure 3 inches in length. It has a comfy grip handle that is somewhat pliable. Like other Venus razor products, any shaving head can fit on this razor. The one that comes included with the Snap is Venus Embrace with 5 razors. It claims all you need to do is "wet the razor and go!" It comes in a compact clamshell container that includes holes on the bottom so that the razor can dry out after every use.

My thoughts:

I had tried a few Venus brand products before, but hadn't tried the Embrace shaving heads yet. Overall I like the brand, but there was a miss or two with their products, such as the Venus with Olay in Sugarberry that I got a huge pack of at Costco. I had to keep those out of the shower otherwise they would melt away much quicker than I wanted them to. They also claimed you just wet the razor and shave. I thought the Embrace shaving heads were fantastic for close shaving. However, I wouldn't suggest using only the shaving head unless you were desperate and properly moisturized afterwards. I shaved my left leg with just the wet razor and the right with shaving cream. On my sensitive skin I had a lot more shaving bumps on the left leg than on the right. Also, like most other Venus handles I feel like the head will pop off at any time because of where I hold it which is really close to the release.

Despite that, I think the size is perfect for me. I'm a little lady with small hands, and sometimes I feel like the regular handles on shavers are just a bit too big or too far away and I'm not doing the best job I could be doing. I love how squishy and comfortable the handle it is to hold! I agree with Gillette when they say that the size is perfect for travel. When I first moved to Washington from California I was making a lot of weekend trips down to Tacoma where my friends live. This would have been the perfect little travel buddy because fairly often I would forget my razor and/or my shaving cream. Now when I go traveling I can just throw it in my bag and go! The case might seem a bit bulky if you consider putting it in a purse, but for a gym bag or a weekend bag/carry-on it's perfect size. I also like that it cuts down on garbage because it uses shaving heads instead of throwing the whole unit away. I think with proper care this handle and case will last at least a year if not more.

Final review:

I would give this product an 8/10
I would recommend it to others with suggestions
I would purchase it again, especially the shaving heads

tl;dr:

• nice size
• compact and portable- perfect for travel
• comfortable handle
• razor has 5 blades and offers a close shave, but I wouldn't recommend using it without shaving cream if you have sensitive skin like me.

p.s. Thanks for reading! Part of being an Influenster member means that I do reviews on the website as well as post them on my blog and other social media, so thanks for putting up with that! I also had fun playing around trying to get the text to match as closely to the brand's as I could. So that was fun practice for me anyway. We'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming soon!

Nerdcrafting

I had a really awesome chat with a couple of fantastic nerdy craft bloggers Melissa from Readerly Geek and Jenny from Magic Cat Jenny on Monday and thought I would share!



Basically: Nerdcrafting is awesome because we get to make things personalized to ourselves that we might not find in stores, we get to share that nerdy/crafty enthusiasm with others, and we get to have fun doing so!

I had a lot of fun, even if it was kind of weird being a moderator! I'll be moderating another Con-At-Home in a few weeks covering Sci-fi (because we all know how much I love that! look at what's behind me in the video! lol.)

Be sure to check out their Etsy shops too and favorite if you haven't already :)

Melissa's Cute Crochet: She makes really adorable crochet amigurumi that are geeky inspired from Star Wars to Doctor Who! And she even sells some of her patterns!

Nerdy Monsters by Jenny: She makes her signature "nerdy monsters" that all have their very own favorite fandoms they belong to, but she also has some other neat things for sale like bows and purses too!

Weekend Adventures: Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle

So this weekend my mom and I decided to go to the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle for a little adventure. Here are some of the things we saw and did! (Mostly a bunch of pictures of animals and also my face.)

Bears and wolves, oh my!

 

This little one really wanted to land on me. It made my day!
This is the first time in my life that it has happened too. I felt so very special.

More of the winged variety. Peacock, Saw-whet owl (very small, but full grown!), and a flamingo.

Left: My ravens and I are ready to take over Westeros.
Right: Monkey kisses are best when they're given by fake monkeys

Speaking of monkeys.... and their other variations of species and whatnot (obviously I'm not an animal expert, okay.) Clockwise from top left: black-and-white colobus, (oops sorry don't know!), orangutan, and lemurs

"I'm not related to monkeys!"- a little girl said after her dad said they were her "cousins"
and here I am monkeying around.

I was actually really disappointed when I found out there wouldn't be any poo paper making.
It must have been a code violation or something.
(Warthogs, lion, and elephant)

Lots of spotted kitties! Clockwise from top left: leopard, ocelot, and cheetah

More spotted things that aren't as cute to me. My exact words were "I hope Harry Potter isn't here... because I'd be really happy if these three giant snakes didn't escape while I'm here."

I love zoos even if the animals don't seem to be enjoying themselves. It's still interesting to see them interact with each other and with the people behind the glass in ways that I would never get to see otherwise. This is also one of the best I've been to, and I've been to quite a few! I'm happy we were able to see most of the animals too.

I hope you enjoyed my little photo post! Did you do anything fun this weekend? Let me know in the comments!

25 things I've learned before 25

It's weird being a quarter of a century old! The great thing about being in my early 20's was all the experiences I've had so far. Granted, I haven't really had that many, but I've had enough to learn a thing or two. This post is to impart some of that wisdom on all the other 20-somethings of the internet. So here's a list of things I've learned (and wish I knew earlier!) before I turned 25.

1. Stop drinking soda! Drink as much water as possible all the time. Not only did I feel so much prettier and lighter than I did while drinking soda, but I was happier too. My complexion improved, my attitude improved, and I lost weight! Water is amazing.
2. Cooking at home isn't actually that hard. It takes some practice to get the hang of it, and a couple of burnt dishes before you improve, but you'll get there eventually! Four years ago I had never cooked anything on the stove except for ramen. Now I feel like if I put my mind to it, I could cook anything I like! Just read all the instructions completely first, and then try it! You might be surprised of what you can accomplish. I even wrote my own recipe!
3. Slowly cut out fast food from your diet. Maybe limit yourself to a certain amount of trips a week. Your wallet and your body will thank you. Believe me, your metabolism won't keep up with you forever. Everything bad for you is okay, but only in moderation. Also, you need to start eating more green things. We're not talking jelly beans here either. I mean broccoli, spinach, kale, asparagus, lettuce, etc. You might be surprised at what your body starts to like once you get closer to your mid-20's. I used to hate broccoli, now I eat it several times a week!
4. Clean up after yourself. Whether you live in a dorm/barracks, an apartment, a house, or even with your parents you will learn very quickly that there won't always be someone there to pick up after you, and no one actually wants to. Take a little time each day to put away clothes or pick up trash and do dishes. (Side-note: do dishes every day, or every-other day. It will save you time and grief.) Just simply make an effort. Your friends, your dates/partner, and your health will thank you. If your surroundings are clean, you'll feel a lot better about yourself and your life and will have fewer things to worry about. I learned this the hard way when I lived in NC. Roaches like your leftovers. Gross! Also, I developed an allergy to mold because of my poor cleaning habits and the house I was living in.
5. Take classes that matter, but also take some classes for fun. My first year of college I took a "Rock History" course. It was by far the easiest class I had ever taken in college and it really helped me balance out my first term and get used to college life. I'd also suggest taking yoga to give yourself some time to relax during the day. Plus you're improving your body as well as your mind! Win/win!
6. Read. Just read all the books. I would personally suggest anything by Jane Austen or John Green. Don't forget that libraries can be your best friend! That reminds me, I need to get a library card one of these days.
7. Learn all the adult things they neglected to teach you in high school as soon as possible. Taxes, balancing checkbooks (which I still never do, by the way), budgeting, taking care of your vehicle, rent, computer care, sex ed (if your school and parents sucked), etc.I know they aren't fun, but they're necessary and important. I'm lucky that my dad helps me with most of these things, but I know someday I'll need to do all these on my own.
8. Dating sucks. Online dating sucks. Boys suck. You thought they sucked in high school? Wait till they're able to get drunk publicly. Also there's a certain group of boys that will pretend they like you simply to get some. It's awful. I wrote a whole post about stupid things guys do on dating sites on my Tumblr. Welcome to the wide world of dating, where everything sucks and the points don't matter.
9. Learn some self-defense tactics and carry pepper spray or a knife. Always be aware of your surroundings and protect yourself. I like the idea of being a self-rescuing princess. I've never been personally assaulted, but I've had friends that have been. I'm not saying that they weren't prepared because there are some situations you simply can't prepare for. But our society has a bias towards men that allows "boys to be boys" and they teach defense to women instead of teaching boys not to hurt them. So be careful out there!
10. Relationships and friendships take work. You have to be a friend to keep friends. Relationships are two-way streets. (How many other cliches can I use? Do you get it yet? lol.) Some friends are awesome and will stay friends with you even if you don't talk to them much, but others need more attention to keep them in your life. I wrote a post about that too.
11. Talk out your problems. If someone hurts your feelings don't let it stew, tell them how you feel! (But without blaming them. Use I-messages.) Making compromises and understanding how others feel is how you make relationships last. Most problems come from miscommunication. It's a waste of time to stew over something stupid if you can clear it up by talking. If you're in college I recommend taking a psychology or a sociology course at least once. Both give you better ideas of how to handle situations.
12. Have at least one job where you work for minimum wage in retail or the food industry. You will learn to respect the people who work at your favorite stores and restaurants a lot more, and you will also learn to hate people just a little more than you did before. It's important. Working at a craft store made me realize how lazy people can be. Now I regularly spot things out of place, especially at the grocery store. One thing I'd like to tell you from my experience is that cashiers and sales associates prefer that you bring items you don't want up to the register. Especially cold items. Come on people!
13. Be as open-minded as you possibly can. The world is a huge place filled with billions of people. You're not the only one with opinions and you won't always be right. Hear things from another person's point of view for a change so you can be more flexible. It will make you a better, well-rounded person.
14. People will like what they like. You have your own preferences, right? Well so does everybody else. Generalizations about what girls or guys like is just a waste of time. Some guys like things, some guys don't. Some girls like things, some girls don't. It's as simple as that. All that matters is if you like something someone who likes the same things as you will come along eventually. 
15. Don't change who you are to be with another person. Don't ever allow someone to make you change and don't expect others to change. Additionally, don't give up your dreams for anyone. This is your life and you should live it however you want while keeping the future in mind. It took me a five year failed relationship to realize that I practically gave up my future for another person. He didn't want me to, and I didn't either, but I wanted adventure and I thought I loved him. Which leads me to my next point.
16. You don't have to stay with a person if they're doing things you don't like or appreciate. If you're being treated badly, you don't have to stay with someone regardless of if you "love them." love won't change a bad relationship. You have to work and make things better. If your partner isn't willing to change, find someone who will. This also applies to friendships. You don't have to settle. You'll regret it later. If you plan on cutting someone out of your life, it's best to just do it as soon as possible. Out of sight, out of mind most of the time. Hey, it worked for me... twice!
17. High school never ends. (Hey, there's a song about that already!) But whether you're 20 or 50 people will still act like they're in high school no matter where you work or go to school. You just have to learn to deal with it. 
18. Keep your frivolous drama off of facebook/social media. Everyone is judging you and you're making a fool of yourself. Find another way to vent like a friend to talk to or a journal. Some things just need to stay private. Also, these days companies and colleges have more access to your accounts than you realize. There's always the chance you could get fired for what you say online.
19. Developing your own style can take years of work if you haven't got it down already. Also, you don't have to spend a lot of money to look great. Sales, thrift stores, Plato's closet, and consignment stores all have potential for giving you great items for a great deal. You'll get there eventually. Maybe watch some What Not To Wear to make sure you're on the right track! It might also be a good time to get rid of all the clothes you've saved from high school or middle school. My confession, I had a pair of workout pants from 9th grade! That was 10 years ago for me. Get rid of that stuff!
20. Make mistakes and learn from them. As long as they aren't really stupid mistakes that can potentially screw up your life like drunk driving. I'm just saying, don't be afraid of messing up. Everyone does it and it's a good experience. Just don't let the sense of failure fester too long. Kick yourself a little for whatever it is and move on. You're a better, stronger person now!
21. Respect yourself and everyone else. You are not the center of the universe and probably won't be the most important person in the world, but you are important. You just aren't any better than anyone else. They may rank higher at a job than you, but they aren't any better and you aren't any worse than they are. Don't ever think you're worthless because you're not.
22. Love yourself and your body. I'm planning on writing a more in-depth post about this later. It took me years to get to the point where I accepted what I see in the mirror and just do whatever I can to make myself look the way I want to feel. Your body doesn't deserve to be treated badly. If you love it and take care of it, it will love you back. If you really don't like what you see, then work on changing, and don't give up!
23. Do something a little outrageous before starting your career. I wish in college I had dyed my hair blue or gotten a crazy piercing or something. Something I would be able to recover from easily, and not something permanent that I would regret later. Instead I stayed plain and have always regretted it. I envy people who are able to express themselves that way.
24. Start cutting out your bad habits now or as soon as you can feel motivated enough. In 2011 I stopped biting my nails for a while, and it actually worked somewhat, but I ended up going back to my old ways. Here I am again growing them out and it's going well so far! Identify the things that are holding you back, figure out a way to solve that problem and cut them out of your life!  
25. Life is short, have fun once in a while! Let loose and enjoy yourself! I was so deprived of friendship and fun for the past few years that I've spent the last few months between here and Tacoma visiting my besties regularly. It was a necessary part of the healing process, believe me, lol. 

Now it's time for me to really focus on what I want to do with my life. I'm still confused but I at least have a general idea of where I want it to go. I just don't know how to get there from here.

In other news, my birthday was pretty fun! Last week a couple friends and I had dinner (free burger at Red Robin, wooh!) and then we went out dancing. (After I sat in traffic for 3 hours...) By the way, a crown is the perfect accessory for anyone celebrating who wants to get a ton of attention from drunk strangers! I got a bunch of hugs and high-5's. It was great.

Happy Birthday to me!

Then I finally had cake on Saturday with my parents and took a few pictures. I usually get ice cream cakes, but this year none of them fit my fancy, so I made up for it by wearing ice cream on my shirt instead! (Shirt from WalMart, surprisingly!)

 Oh! And before I forget,

happy 3rd birthday to my blog too!

 It's been a fun on-and-off adventure! :)

So, what things have you learned from being in your 20's? 30's? I'd love to hear advice from anyone in the 25-30 range so I know what to look forward to in the next 5 years!

Liebster Award X2!

If I haven't mentioned this already, I joined a group on Google+ called Female Geek Bloggers, and since then I keep finding more and more awesome bloggers to follow every day!

Two of these awesome bloggers, Joie Fatale from Confessions of a Book Pimp and Kelly from Apockylypse, happened to have given me two Liebster awards recently! Yay! I am definitely feeling the love and can't thank either of you two enough! :) Be sure to check out their blogs! They're two of my very favorites.

So what is a Liebster award? The last time I got one I didn't have to answer questions, but things have changed since then! Basically you answer questions given to you by the person who nominated you and then pass it on to more people! Pretty simple, eh? It's a great way for both small and large blogs to spread the love across the blogosphere! Now I've got 10 questions to answer, 5 questions to ask, and 5 people to nominate, so let's get started!

Here are the questions from Joie:

1). Why did you start blogging, and what have you learned so far?

I blogged a lot in high school, but of course that was mostly about boys and junk.
I started blogging about other (more important) things 3 years ago under the name Crafty Camo Lover, because I wanted something to motivate me during my then boyfriend's deployment and to share my crafts. Last year I changed the name to April Sprinkles as a better way of expressing myself and my creativity. 

In that time I've learned a quite a bit about being a good blogger. You have to put a lot of effort into content, design, and being a good bloggy friend. If you want to make money or be popular you have to put even more effort into it. I think the most important thing I've learned so far is that there's always more that I can learn, and you can never stop improving and expanding yourself as a blogger if you put your heart into it.

2). Describe your blog in 5 words, or, write a haiku about your blog (5-7-5 syllables)?

Crafty, cute, geeky, thrifty, thoughtful

3). What is your favorite song that perfectly describes your life? AND What is your favorite lyric from that song?

Oh my gosh! That's a lot of pressure to put on a song! lol. I think I'm gonna have to go with "Brick by Boring Brick" By Paramore. Favorite lyric: "keep your feet on the ground while your head's in the clouds."
Basically it's about how I need to grow up, because I do. I'll never stop believing in fairy tales though! 

4). You get to have lunch with three people: one historical (real), one fictional BOOK character, and one fictional film/TV character. Who are they, and, how do you think this melding of minds would go?

 I'm not sure if he counts as historical, but I'd love to have lunch with John Green! Book character would be Hermione Granger from Harry Potter. The third would, of course, be the Doctor! 

I think the whole scene would end up being me fangirling over John Green and he and I fangirling over the other two together. Something that I am perfectly okay with, by the way!

5). What is your favorite Manga/anime? If you don't have one, which one have you been interested in the most, but haven't seen?
In high school I was much more into anime/manga (I was even in Japanese club!), but now not so much. The ones I still like currently are Cowboy Bebop and Kiss Me Kill Me.

And the questions from Kelly:

1.) What is your favorite blogging moment?
I'd have to say my favorite blogging moment is finding the female geek bloggers group! When I was a milso blogger I never felt as welcomed or a part of a community as I do now. It's all I could have ever asked for. You girls are the best!

2.) Who is your biggest nerd/celebrity crush?
Oh gosh... I am having a hard time picking just one. Young Harrison Ford will always have a big chunk of my heart. I've had a crush on him since I was 8!

3.) If you could marathon watch only one show for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Futurama, hands down.

4.) What is your favorite book to re-read?
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

5.) If your life was a video game, which game would it be?
I like this one! But I don't play many games so TETRIS, haha! Constantly trying to organize and fit things together perfectly. Either that or it's a crappy game of Sims where nothing interesting happens, but time still goes at Sim speed. Also I'm a witch with blue hair. (Oh wait....)


My nominations for the award go to:
1.) Jessica at Down the Rabbit Hole
2.) Molly at The Princess and the Geek
3.) Selena at Reaperfox
4.) Rochelle at The Chic Geek
5.) Jasmine at Quirky and Curvy

And my questions for you lovelies to answer are:
1.) If you could dye your hair any color/colors without any negative affects (physical or society wise) what color(s) would you choose? If you're not interested in any particular color, what style would you try?
2.) What's your favorite one-liner from a movie or quote from a book?
3.) Light side or the dark side? Jedi or Sith? (Or any other good vs. evil references you care to use.) Which side would you be on?
4.) If you could have an unlimited supply of something, other than money, gold, or anything that can be traded for goods, what would it be?
5.) Favorite snack you probably shouldn't eat but do anyway because it's so delicious?


If you wanna be super awesome, go check out all the blogs I've talked about today! They're definitely worthy of your visit :)

Hogwarts house flowers for the fashionable nerd

I've been pretty lax with posting this week. I planned on writing posts in advance, but nothing would come out right. Instead I've been working on finally finishing up some projects to go up in my Etsy once they're photographed!

You may have already seen this, but I'm excited to announce the newest addition will be: Hogwarts houses themed flowers!

I am a proud Hufflepuff and I know most of my friends belong to the other houses. I just love the idea of alternative Hogwarts pride! I'm thinking of other ways to make them with different centers too.

After that, I'm thinking of doing some Avengers/superhero themed flowers! I was inspired by this originally while making these flowers because Gryffindor looks pretty similar to Iron Man's colors and Slytherin could easily be used for Loki too. The others I'd like to make are Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, Spiderman, Superman, Batman... you get the idea. :)

If you're interested in any of these, send me an e-mail and I will get it sent to you before these get put up in my Etsy. I am also open to taking custom orders. If they make the colors in sparkle yarn I can make it for you! These flowers are $7 plus $3 shipping (same as on April Sprinkles Etsy.)

Are there any other themed flowers you'd like to see? Let me know in the comments below! 

How to survive a trip to the Goodwill outlet

The Goodwill outlet is one of my favorite places to go! I have gotten a lot of cool stuff from the few that I've been to. I thought I would share the awesomeness of this gem with the rest of the world. See if you have one nearby and take a trip if you're brave enough!

What is a Goodwill outlet? It's a large room filled with bins lined up and usually divided according to type of content like clothing, bedding/fabric, toys, household goods, purses/bags, shoes, books/cds, random junk, and electronics. There's also a chance that it will be all combined together, so keep that in mind. In addition they will probably also have furniture and a rack of DVD's or games. They might also have a cabinet with rarer or name brand items that have a specific price. Everything in the bins except for select items like books and movies are pay by the pound. Here's an idea of the prices from my local GWO:

You'll have to check with yours, but as you can see the prices are very low compared to regular Goodwill stores. If you're on a budget this is a great place to go!

So, now that you know what the Goodwill outlet is it's time to find one nearby. Here is a list from Ask.com as of 2013. But don't be surprised if you do a little research and there are more that aren't listed. They might just be smaller.

Before you go there are a few things you should know.

The rules of the place are simple enough. Don't steal, don't shop in other people's carts, don't get in fights, etc. But with the bigger outlets (and some smaller outlets) It's good to know replenishment procedure. Usually this means you can't shop the new bins that are being brought out until a worker tells everyone it's okay. You probably have to stand behind a taped line on the ground or in another designated area until then. This time is the most hectic so if you're timid or scared of a little push and shove you might just want to wait until everyone else has done their shopping/grabbing and there's a break. The problem is you'll miss out on the really sweet stuff.

Now that I have sufficiently warned you about general procedure, here are my tips for surviving a trip to the Goodwill outlet:

1. Bring gloves! I tend to forget mine, but for my first trip I was very happy I had a pair. I'm not going to lie, some things are dirty and gross, but not everything. You just might have to dig through a bunch of dirty things to find something you want. It's a lot like looking for buried treasure. My favorite gloves to wear are gardening gloves, but regular latex gloves are also good to have.
2. Secure your belongings. Don't bring a large purse and keep your personal items close to your body. I bring a small cross-body purse that I always wear. Never leave it in your cart! Just make sure if you put things in your pockets that they won't fall out easily. Check on them frequently. I'm not trying to make you paranoid, but there's always a chance you might accidentally drop something important in a bin and it could get lost quickly.
3. Wear comfortable clothes/shoes. I don't get dirty when I go, but I still wear clothes that I don't care about as much. You'll also be standing on your feet a lot and walking around. It's good to have nice, comfortable shoes especially if you plan on staying for more than a few hours. Yes, this can turn into an all-day thing!
4. Hydrate/bring snacks/take breaks if you're staying for an extended period of time. You can't bring them inside, but if you bring a buddy along one of you can watch the cart(s) and the other can take a break. Believe me, if you stay for two hours or more it's exhausting, but you can also lose track of time. You'll thank yourself for taking breaks. Usually they'll have bathrooms and water fountains inside that are available for customers.
5. Have a general idea of what you're looking for, or go in with an open mind. The possibilities are endless, and you really have no idea what you're going to find in this place. It's easy to get distracted. By focusing on what you want you might be able to find it easier, and by keeping an open mind it will allow you to find things you didn't know you needed. 

   

   Okay, this might be a bad example! lol

6. Sort later. If you like something about it, throw it in your cart and keep shopping. Save the sorting for the end before you check out. You could miss out on something right in front of you that you like even more by staring at something you can't decide if you like or not. It's a waste of time to sort while shopping, I cannot stress that enough.
7. Don't be afraid to dig. Be cautious when in housewares and other piles that may contain sharp objects, but in the clothes it doesn't hurt to dig or move big piles out of your way. The good stuff is almost never on top unless someone just threw it back.
8. Bring your own bags or find some there. We always bring our own bags. It helps a lot when you're sorting through your stuff at the end of the day to divide it up into categories. That makes it easier for the cashier, and you will more than likely get a discount for it!
9. Make friends. Fairly often people are open to talking to strangers, especially if you're willing to help them find things. They might even help you in return! It doesn't hurt to ask. Just don't be too disappointed if someone doesn't carry on a conversation with you your first go. Being friendly to the workers and getting to know them is a good idea too. It's just a nice thing to do especially if you make a habit of going to the Goodwill outlet frequently.
10. Don't start or give in to fights. Okay, I'll admit, some shoppers at the GWO can be MEAN. This is especially so when new bins come out. If someone hurts you either tell a worker or move to another location. Sometimes whatever you want isn't worth it. This rarely happens, but it's always a good idea to be aware of what could happen.

As you can see, this place may not exactly be for the weak thrift shoppers or those afraid to get their hands dirty. However, if you're willing to try it, it can end up very rewarding! When I first moved to Washington state I lost a lot of weight and needed new clothes. I found some really great stuff there. (Some name brand too!) If you're a crafter it's also a great place to find supplies. I have a whole tote full of yarn from there, and several totes of clothes I plan on refashioning. I also shop the belts for studs because it is so much cheaper to buy an old studded belt than a bag of studs at the craft store. Plus you get more for your money! If you've ever pinned anything on pinterest that requires certain pre-used materials (plastic toys, home decor, mason jars, picture frames, etc.) chances are you'll find what you're looking for there.

Personally, I find the only cons of shopping at the Goodwill outlet is the time and effort put into finding good treasures and then taking them home and cleaning them. Still, I think that it's worth it! Maybe one of these days I'll do a haul of my favorite finds from the Goodwill outlet.

So what do you think: would you ever try shopping at a Goodwill outlet? Have you ever been to one before? Let me know in the comments! 

Until then, thanks for stopping by and