15 moments from 2015

I was looking forward to 2015...

Why? Well

a) Fifteen is my lucky number (because)

b) I was born on the 15th (January)

c) I turned 15 on the 15th of 2015

d) All the factors of 15 are odd, and I love odd numbers (okay I'm a weird nerd, don't judge me! xD)

And I have to say, the year turned out marvellously (loads better than my terrible last year) :D

Now I'll share with you some moments from this year :)

1. I received a ukulele from my friend's for my birthday!!! Still love it as much as I did when I first got it :D

This photo was from last year, and that's actually Judy's ukulele xD

2. Getting my kitten. It's inexplicable, the feeling I had in the car ride home, holding onto a box containing that tiny little ball of fur.

3. Watching the musical Les Misérables, and sitting in that dark theatre, tears in eyes, squeezing the life out of my friend's arm next to me and letting the music and story wash over me.

(I had a photo to put here from after the musical, where the theatre was dark yet relatively empty and the stage showed 'Les Misérables' in an eerie green blue... but it was on my phone which I lost *cries*)

4. Visiting Canberra (Twice! Once with my school :D) and driving through my old town, and seeing all the places I had spent years expanding in my memory with imagination.

5. There wasn't exactly a defining moment for this, but realising that I'm very comfortable with using my camera and can fiddle with settings and know what is happening everywhere without really thinking about it.

6. Going overseas to China and realising the sheer enormity of the world and what it has to offer, and how incredible it is that there can be so many people, each with their own unique story.

7. Running a waffle stand at school!

8. Having three awesome kids at volunteering run up to me going "YELENA WE MISSED YOU!!!" and having a big group hug :D

9. Finding an old cockatiel chirping literally on our door step. Rest in piece, little guy :(

10. Getting bombarded at school with all sorts of career, university and degrees advice, and deciding on my goal.

11. Holding a picnic with my friends.

12. Changing uniform. Like most Aussie schools, we have to wear a uniform, and this term I had to change from the junior uniform of Year 7 to 10 to the senior one... which I like a lot better! :D

13. Waking up at 4 am to witness the sunset on the Gold Coast.

14. Making new friends :)

15. Posting on this blog (somewhat) consistently and surpassing 100 posts! ^_^

Here's a quick little montage of random video clips from my year to go along with this post. :)

Thanks to each and every one of you for reading our blog, whether you've stumbled upon this little corner of the internet a year ago, last month or even starting from this post- you're awesome! <3

As always, stay fabulous! :D

Lena xx

PS. Second post in two days!!! AMAZING :O New record! I wanted to get this up before the new year, and I posted this 4 minutes shy of New Year's Eve... excellent timing I must say *pats self on the back* I think Judy is doing her own little recap tomorrow (which is now in 2 minutes :O) so look forward to that :)
PPS. Sorry about that, my body is always exhausted by midnight (including my eyes which feel like they're swelling shut) but my mind is more alert, awake and talkative! Oh look, one minute left til New Year's Eve!
PPPS. IT'S NEW YEARS EVE!!! FAREWELL 2K15 :D

japanese candy review + GIVEAWAY!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

As a little Christmas present to all you lovely viewers, we're hosting a give away for these Japanese candies, held by Japanese Candy Box :D

Details will be at the end, alongside with a video taste testing all of these in case you're interested ^_^

BUT FIRST, ONTO THE CANDY!!!

This is a subscription box, so you pay a certain amount and every month you receive this box full of goodies ^___^

Can I just say... the tissue paper it was all wrapped in is very cute :O

Moko Moko Mokolet 3 Candy Toilet Kit

First up we have a... toilet?! xD

It's a DIY candy toilet kit (which I didn't open because I've already done one of these before, so I'll just give this one to Judy to do heh :P Maybe she'll make a blog post on it?)

Basically, you pour a powder and water into the toilet, and foamy liquidy stuff comes out of the bowl, which you drink with a straw... sounds a little dodgy, but it's somewhat cute xD Personally, I didn't enjoy it a lot when I did it, but maybe Judy will like it better :O

However, must say, very impressed that this subscription box includes DIY kits. They're pretty hard to find in Australia, and if you do find them, they're not the cheapest/most worth it things ever... D:

Puccho Pyramid Blue Soda Candy

Next up we have these soda candy balls which are hard on the outside but have chewy centres. These were really yummy and fun to chew on xD

Because of my impatient nature, I tend to chew on lollies instead of sucking them slowly like most people I know... anyone else do this? :O

Coris Mizuame DIY Syrup Candy Kit

Next is another DIY kit, which was a syrup thing?!?

Sorry for the pathetic photo... the photo I took of the actual packaging came out super blurry T_T

They give you three little packets of syrup in pink, yellow and blue, and you mix them together and just eat it xD

First impression? VERY VERY STICKY. I hate getting sticky stuff on my hands T^T

In terms of taste? It was reaaaaally sweet o.o And I felt like it tasted a lot like flour which was a little odd.

Meito Puku Puku Tai Fish Shaped Wafer

Totally not holding this upside down T_T

This inside looks a bit like cake, doesn't it?

Now we have a wafer fish! It was super light and airy, and I think the inside was chocolate? Not sure to be honest o.O

Pine Deka Pudding Candy

This one was really yummy and caramel tasting :D

Meiji Pucca Chocolate Filled Pretzel

To be honest, not my favourite. Mainly because I'm a sucker for anything sweet, and I felt like the chocolate was slightly dark :O

Fujiya Milky Sweets

Reminds me a lot of these Asian lollies I had when I was little called White Rabbit or something :O

Tohato Caramel Corn

THIS ONE WAS REALLY YUMMY and so familiar tasting, but I have no idea where else I've tasted it before...

Meiji Cola Flavoured Popping Candy

A really nice twist to normal popping candy, as it has normal candy inside!

So yes, here's the video! :D

So, now time for the exciting giveaway!
We will be giving away a Japan Candy Box filled with delicious and fun Japanese candy and snacks. All you have to do is scroll down to the handy gadget and follow the steps to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The aftermath T^T

So ja, hope you're having a wonderful holiday and that you live every day hoping to make the next one better ^_^ Inspirational quote of the day, maybe? xD

Stay fabulous!

Lena xx

how to make a slip-knot | crochet creations

Hello!

It seems that my crochet post from not that long ago was received with quite positive attention, so I decided to continue with this series and make a handy tutorial for you all! To begin your crochet journey, you'll need to know a few simple knots - the most basic which is of course, the slip knot. So follow this handy pictorial and enjoy crafting!

Materials:

• wool 
• a crochet hook (I usually use a 3mm crochet hook but any size should do)
• and that's all!

Steps for a Slip-Knot:

1) Take the loose end of the yarn and wrap it around two fingers on your non-dominant hand. Make sure the string is crossed over.

2) Slip your crochet hook under the string, as shown in the picture. This can be explained through referring to the triangles that appear when you cross the strings over. Slip the hook under the right side of the top triangle.

3) Hook and bring up the string suing your crochet hook.

4) Slowly let go of the circle and pull the two strings on each side down, tightening the slip knot.

5) Ta-dah! You have completed your slip-knot! 

Happy crafting! Follow our blog for more future posts on crochet and more.

Have a lovely day ^_^

~ Judy x

november favourites

I'm still going through a phase where I've been loving this faded effect on photos xD

I'm about half a month late... so to make up for it, I made a video to go along with this post, which you can find at the end :D

Alrighty, let's just get right into the cool bits and bobs I've loved recently ^_^

Essence nail polish in 17 Juicy Love

Even though this brand is super inexpensive, I LOVE their nail polishes- the brush for them is so nicely shaped and the formula is smooth and easy to apply with :D I wore this particular red one for my school formal this year and it stayed on for more than a week which is always great! :)

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Face Sunscreen

I've been wearing sunscreen basically every single day starting from the first day of kindergarten, and I think I've always been that kid in the class that's super shiny and smells of it from a mile away... This sunscreen in particular is rather light, but it has SPF 50+ so it's amazing! It's even matte, so I can say goodbye to the super shiny forehead for now xD

Oral-B Superfloss

I know, I'm really weird... Recently was my first time using floss ever, and because I have braces, I have to use this special type which is precut and has a thin, stiffened end to act as a needle, to thread under wires and all that. I think my gums have actually become a lot healthier since I've started using this (I use it while watching YouTube right before I brush my teeth haha) because a sign of gums being unhealthy is if they bleed easily after being poked, which used to happen to me but not anymore! :D Was that a bit TMI? Oops... ^^;

Headphones

Lately I've been replacing earphones with headphones when I'm listening to music or watching videos at home. These ones are super comfy, as they're not an awkward size where they jam and press your ears. Although admittedly I think these are a bit bigger than normal xD These ones are by the brand Moshi I think, which reminds me a little too much of the game Moshi Monsters (which I used to despise- the characters moved SO INCREDIBLY SLOWLY IT WAS SO FRUSTRATING)

DIY Clear Umbrella

I've talked about this here in one of my recent posts, which you can also see for more photos of it. The DIY technique of using chalk markers to doodle your own design on the inside of the umbrella is really fun and personalises your umbrella- you'll probably never mix yours up with someone else's ever again! :D

Frankie magazine

If all of my interests were squished into a colourful, every two month magazine, this would be the result xD

November News

Here's a little tradition I started all the way back in January's faves, but it kind of died halfway through the year... no fear, now is the time to revive it!

Any news?

School HAS ENDED FOR 2K15 YAAAAAY :D Bring on the last stress free holidays we'll have for the next couple of years xD

Achievements!
Got an award for my least favourite subject from my most hated teacher!!!!!!! *fist pump*

The Best Thing

Enjoying nature and life's little moments. Some days when I look out the window at around 6 PM I see a purple tinged sky, and I grab my camera and bolt to the street to take photos of the sunsets. Probably my favourite moment of the day to be honest.

My love for summer
Is larger than the amount
Of ice cream I eat.

Haiku of the day. :P

One New Thing I Learnt

At school we spent an entire three weeks working on projects in random groups, and Judy and I learnt about tiny housing. At the end of the whole thing, a lovely couple actually came to our school and BROUGHT their tiny house, and it was so inspiring! I've learnt not to be too influenced by the materialistic societies we call first world countries, and to be more aware of what I actually need and don't need.

Here's a photo of tiny house we designed, laser cut and put together :D

 Favourite past-time

I've been trying to get back into polymer clay charm making. Trying is the key word...

Let's just not speak of the monstrosity that is this little guy's nose....

What I've Been Listening To

Secret Love Song - Little Mix
Clued Up - Little Mix
Love Me or Leave Me - Little Mix
Grown - Little Mix
Anna Sun - Walk the Moon
Broken Home - Five Seconds of Summer
Catch Fire - Five Seconds of Summer
Drive - Halsey
Ghost - Halsey
Send My Love - Adele
Water Under the Bridge - Adele
Remedy - Adele
All I Ask - Adele
Perfect - One Direction
Halt Dich An Mir Fest - Revolverheld

Goals for December

Be productive, make good memories and not look back on these holidays thinking "what on earth did I even DO that entire time?!" (which was exactly my reaction after the LAST holiday... let's not repeat it!)

AND FINALLY... here's the video!

Let's chat! Feel free to share with me in the comments below anything- products you've loved, moments from the past month, tunes you've been jamming to, goals you've accomplished... :D

Until next time, stay fabulous!

Lena xx

lego christmas trees, candy and almost free fruit

Ellooooooo :D

I wrote this an entire year ago and never posted it :o How time flies! It was during Christmas time, so I thought it would be relevant for it to be posted now xD

So on a random day in December last year I went to the city with a few friends, and I took a few snaps. Yes, ages ago, but thought someone out there might appreciate these photos anyway :)

Lego Christmas tree! In Pitt St, Sydney. Not the greatest photo, but the crowds were hard to fight xD

The jelly beans and the hard boiled sweets were for Christmas presents, the Wizz Fizz (which is sherbet powder) was randomly given to me for free (I remember feeling really sad in primary school when all the other kids had these and I had never had one! xD) and the lollipop for moi ^_^

Funky and cool looking artwork a building called the Galeries. Unfortunately it's not really a gallery :( Loved the use of ordinary little objects to create something special :D

When life attempts to give you free fruit but there aren't any, cry.

Finding a piece of the online world in real life feels good. #teaminternet Again, this is from December 2k14. I've actually started reading the second book recently and can't say it's very promising at the moment, but oh well. A friend gave this one to me as a present though which I really appreciate ^_^ ♥

I'm always late when I talk about things. I need better organisational skills.

Stay fabulous everyone!

Lena xx

october favourites

Hello again!

It feels like ages since I've written a blog post, but it's only been a mere two weeks. Anyway, let's get onto the favourites!

/ Eclairs sweets /
I need some serious control over these because I consume way too many at a time. These lollies taste like Werther's Original (yummy) but are just that tad bit cheaper. If you've never these caramel/toffee lollies before, you're missing out. Sorry about the sad photo... I ate all of these except two T_T

/ Vanilla & Almond Body Scrub /
This was from a bigger set of goodies but I just picked this out to try it as I've never used a body scrub before. The scent is quite strong but so far so good!

/ Pens /
Yep, been loving pens recently. I'll have a more detailed post on this later so enjoy this picture for the time being! ^_^

Courtesy of Marvel.

/ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. /
I have been obsessed with this show for the past week. IT'S JUST SO GOOD. If you don't know already, it's a TV show by Marvel that continues after the events of The Avengers (2012) and follows Phil Coulson and his team basically kicking ass as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. It shares continuity with other films and shows from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The show starts off a little shakily but immediately picks up its game during the second half of season 1. Oh yeah. Spoiler alert. Coulson lives.

// Music //
Writing's On The Wall - Sam Smith (from Spectre)
Awesome Mix Vol. 1 - Guardians of the Galaxy Soundtrack
I've loved old classics recently and this playlist from GOTG contains some pretty good ones!
Dancing On My Own - Robyn (covered by Cyrus Villanueva)
This was an X Factor performance and it was a beautiful rendition of the song originally sung by Robyn. Although it is an incomplete cover, it's still wonderfully done!
Wicked Game - Chris Isaak (covered by Cyrus Villanueva)
Don't Stop Me Now - Queen
This song is so upbeat! I love it!
Another One Bites the Dust - Queen
THE BASS FROM THIS SONG REMINDS ME OF CHILDHOOD. AHH GREAT TIMES.


Well this post was a tad bit late. Please forgive me ^_^

Stay cool!

~ Judy x

OOTD // november grey skies, spring showers and DIY umbrella

As spring transitions into summer (it was flipping 40 degrees Celcius the other day o.o), there have still been a few overcast days of grey and rain.

The other day a friend, Aolei, and I went exploring around the city, and had an impromptu photoshoot in the on and off rain... we only had one umbrella between us, so one person kept getting drenched ._.

I tried a new kind of editing for these photos. Normally I go for a super bright, in your face, high contrasty kinda effect, but these have a much more muted, washed out, film look I think/hope.

Grey turtleneck sweater/cape top // unknown

Jeans // Target

Platform Chelsea boots // Lipstick Shoes

Umbrella // DIY/Daiso

Ring // markets

Here's my friend looking like a princess as always :P

Top and skirt // Gumboots

Boots // Hush Puppies

Ring // markets

We matched with the grey kind of accidentally. What a nice coincidence though, seeing as the sky and the buildings around us matched too! :D

Attempting to twirl around HAHA

As I'm always behind the camera, the few times I'm in front are very awkward and I spend them going "WHATDOIDOIDON'TKNOWWHATI'MDOINGARGHHHH"

Inspired by this super lovely and creative tutorial by Eat Your Teacup, I bought a clear umbrella from Daiso for $3.80 a few weeks back along with a pink and green paint markers. I simply doodle some weird looking flowers and leaves on the inside, attempting to cluster them towards the edges, and bam! Cute umbrella complete :)

I really want to go get another one so I can do a new design, but common sense is screaming in my ears that I don't need fifty umbrellas.

This was an attempt to get a cool reflection photo... f.t. my annoying hair.

Is it just me or would this photo perhaps fit within a sci-fi film? Maybe? *crosses fingers*

I was pleasantly surprised with this photo, seeing as I had no idea what Aolei was doing.

Thanks Aolei, for being the only person who is willing to let me boss them around and for doing crazy stuff in public for the sake of photos xD

We got these rings on the same day, with the fox being mine and the heart infinity hers. I've never really owned a ring before so that's something new. Funny story- she lost the ring on the same day (but someone found it for her so it was all good).

Don't read the next paragraph if you get grossed out easily :P

Bye the way, before you ask, my nails weren't fake xD My friends thought it was extremely gross, but I was trying to see how long my nails could grow without breaking, and I made it to a good half a centimetre before I had to cut them for work ._. 

She reminds me of a happy bear in this photo and I'm not sure why.

I saw the sign to this place called Anita while we were wandering around, and I recognised it from the wonderful aesthetic world of Instagram, so of course I had to go in ;D

It has gelato! I got Hersheys and Cheesecake as flavours, and Aolei got Kiwi Banana and Watermelon Mint.

Turns out the bottom left is a frozen yogurt booth, where they only have the plain flavour of it, but you get UNLIMITED toppings. I should try that next time.

Anywho, sorry this post was a day late! :(

Lately I've been feeling pretty bored and underwhelmed with life. Hopefully I'll get out of this funk and start being productive in preparation for CHRISTMAS BLOG POSTS :D

Question for y'all: what's your favourite ice cream flavour? :)

I love me some strawberry or cookies and cream <3

Stay fabulous!

Lena xx