It pays to have a say

So since my closet sale has yet to result in any sort of revenue, I was happy to see a small section in the magazine I happened to be reading while sitting outside one day of easy ways to make some extra cash. As odd as it may sound, there are websites that will actually pay people to fill out online surveys for different companies about various products and such, and that even pay you to refer friends! So if you're someone like me who is probably on your computer anyway and can spare 10-15 minutes once in a while to fill them out, it's probably a pretty sweet deal! Hey, if I can do it sitting around my own place AND get paid, I'm down!

Here are some websites you can register with:
Opinion Outpost
MySurvey
Surveyhead
SurveySavvy
GlobalTestMarket
Ipsos i-Say
Brand Institute

Closet clean-out sale

So since my wardrobe is rapidly outgrowing my closet and I'm a little short on cash I've decided to try to sell some of my clothes as I take good care of my things and they are all still like-new! If anyone is interested here's the link, check it out! ShopMyClothes

Here's a small taste of what you'll find:

yag couture charcoal gray sweater

H&M faux-sweetheart layered 3/4 sleeve tunic

Lush striped ruffle front lightweight cardigan

Cutest cookies and shoes to match!

So a while back I stumbled upon this Japanese food and gift shop downtown and was blown away by two things- the variety of foods and snacks that I had never even seen before and how there was little to no English found anywhere in the store, which truly made shopping in there an adventure because other than the pictures on the packaging (which were for the most part completely fun and adorable!), there really wasnt any way to tell what you were about to purchase and eat. Fortunately the few things I chose were just as delicious as they were fun, one of my favourites being a box of Hello Kitty shortbread cookies that came packaged in the cutest box and came in the most adorable shapes I just couldn't resist! I'm such a sucker for Hello Kitty, who knows what else they could have got me to buy on Hello Kitty packaging alone... But if you're in the downtown Toronto area but want to feel like you're in a foreign country, I'd highly suggest going down to Sanko and roaming the isles, I dare you to find some English in there!

The picture inspired me to eat them with some hot-chocolate

The cookies really are that cute!

I love how even the inside is adorably decorated!

... and the bag too!

Look at how cute the cookies are!!

Now onto my second item, Hello Kitty has just released their most recent designer collaboration, this time with Vans shoes! With five different prints to choose from in two different styles (lace-up or slip-on) and some even available in children's sizes everyone can step out in Hello Kitty style! I personally can't wait to get my hands on a pair... if only I could decide which ones to get! Available at shop.sanrio.com

Lace mani/pedi how-to

When my toe-polish chipped recently I decided I was going to attempt to do a lace pedi for summer. Luckily, my experiment was successful! So I decided to share my experience with you all and write a lace mani/pedi how-to! I hope at least one of you tries it!

What you will need:

• Nail polish- preferably in a colour that constrasts your lace so that the lace pattern is nice and visible (I used OPI's "pearls of wisdom" which is a really pretty irredescent pearly light pink colour. I also always use a base-coat before applying any nail polish because it protects your nail and makes the colour last longer but I suppose it isn't necessary).
• Top coat (I like Seche Vite's dry fast top coat because like the name suggests, it dries fast and provides a really nice protective coat to your nails. For this particular manicure, it is necessary because it seals in the lace).
• Lace trim- you can use any colour you like (I used black). The thinner the lace the better it will work.
• Scissors- preferably smaller than the ones I used to be able to get nice and close to the nail when trimming excess lace.

The process:
Step 1- Cut 10 small pieces of lace, 1 to fit each nail (at this stage it's ok if they're a little long, you can always trim the excess! It's more important to get the width right). Set these aside for later.
Step 2- Paint 1-2 coats (as preferred) of your colour onto your nails (if you are planning to use base coat, do so before applying colour).
Step 3- While your nails are still wet, carefully place each piece of lace onto the nail it was sized for. Press it into the nail polish with your finger to make sure it sticks, trimming any excess with your scissors.
Step 4- Apply top coat (I would suggest 2 coats to really seal in the lace).
Step 5- Let dry, admire your handy-work and wait for all the compliments you will surely receive!

Et voila! :)

Getting Crafty

For some reason I was feeling creative today so I decided to make some stuff and then show it to you all.

Polymer clay cupcake cell-charms and lace earrings with beads

Close-up of one of the more elaborate pairs

And a close-up of the cupcakes! :) Who knows, I may even go crazy and add some bead sprinkles!

Your favourite new DIY blog

If you're a crafty kinda person and in need of a few projects for the summer then you're in luck, as I have just happened to come across the perfect little DIY blog for the fashionista with some time on their hands! While Honestly... WTF is not a DIY only blog and only posts about one new DIY project per week, there are plenty in their archives to choose from (I should know, I've spent the past little while looking through them)! Some that I personally can't wait to try are the origami brooch and the lace earrings. The instructions seem surprisingly easy and the resulting projects look super impressive, so give it a look and if you have any success stories definitely let me know!

origami brooch

lace earrings

Do something different for Mother's Day!

If you're still scrambling to find something for Mother's Day, well you probably should have started shopping earlier... just kidding! Anyway, if you're looking to do something different for your mom and still can't decide between flowers or breakfast in bed, why not combine the two this year and make her a lovely and delicious bouquet of bacon roses courtesy of Obvious Winner. I can almost hear her now, "Awww thanks hunny, they're beautiful... AND delicious!" Obvious winner indeed.