Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Bye Bye! Away at Otakon [ 07-25-2012 ]


Hey guys, just wanted to let you know! No regular posts this week for today and Sunday! I am going to Otakon!!!!

Don't worry, I will still access my email and Twitter so catch me there! And I will be posting the photos online so you can see the awesome stuff that will be there!


Take care all and see you next week!




Until next time~


Cuddles & Kisses,

~ Kieli ~


Sunday, July 22, 2012

Sweet Sunday: Conejos, Usagi, Bunnies! [ 07-22-2012 ]



Hi all! Back in action until Otakon! Today I thought I would talk about my undying love for animals. On this particular day - Rabbits. I'm sure you've all noticed how much I love the little fur balls. Nearly everything I own or have on my websites have bunnies. I don't know what it is. I guess I just assimilate myself with them so much, it's kind of hard to explain.



Since I have become a bun mom, I've been trying to get more things related to bunnies. My Lolita coords have definitely become more wrapped up in towards things with them. I have a doodleband with bunny ears, bunny rings, necklaces and tons of hair accessories. Sadly, the dresses that I would like to have with rabbits are well over $100! Like this one from Innocent World:



A very popular print for Lolitas, besides stars and candy, are rabbits. The Lolita fashion is very whimsical and delicate and of course very feminine. So it's no wonder why so many popular prints have bunnies. They are seen in tea parties, having picnics or even part of an Alice in Wonderland theme like the Bodyline skirt I have!








Big brands like Angelic Pretty and Baby the Stars Shine Bright have introduced super cute handbags in the shapes of bunny dolls. And I'm sure you've noticed a decent amount of Lolita photo shoots have them posing with their pet bunnies. (Which I hope to do very soon when I plan my next photo shoot!)



Rabbits are especially popular when crafting deco or making any kind of plush, whether it be crochet or stitching. One of my favorite tutorials for crochet is done by the lovely Violet LeBeaux over at ♥ violetlebeaux.com ♥. Please check out the video and her website!

I also plan to be making accessories (after Otakon is done) and putting them up in my shop. I have also tried my hand at making a bunny doll but it never actually got far since it was more like a test of my skills. Not too bad for a first try though!

I have big plans with this, which is why I brought it up today. But for now, that's a secret! You'll have to wait and find out what this has to do with my blog. Hee hee...

In the meantime, what is your favorite animal print?

Until next time~

Cuddles & Kisses,

~ Kieli ~

Thursday, July 19, 2012

The Laser is Mightier Than the Sword: Di Dēpux Review [ 07-19-2012 ]




Hello! Hope everyone is doing well! Sorry for not posting yesterday - had some things that needed taking care of so I ran out of time after work. But because I like to keep up with my blog as much as possible, I bring you What's in the Box Wednesday....on a Thursday! Ha ha....






Anyhoo, today I am reviewing my purchase from the lovely Despina, owner of ♥ Di Dēpux ♥. This is definitely a woman that knows design and personalization. Her work is so intricate and spans over many different forms - from necklaces to bracelets to even cute brooches. Acrylic and mirror are her canvas and laser cutting is her weapon of choice. What she makes is so pristine and clean, no wonder so many people love her shop so much!



I decided it was time to get one of my own. She's great with communication and will make sure she gets down every detail before she starts to work. I told her what I wanted and she got everything down exactly as how I wanted. I really wanted a word necklace with a symbol. She directed me to exactly which one I needed.




If you look in the photo, you can see it says "Bunny Love" with a heart in the middle! It's in a sweet pink lettering with a white background and a gray mirror heart. The chain is silver and has her notorious tag on it so you never forget where you got this awesome necklace! I am very happy with my order and I even got a free gift!




It's a really pretty black 'B' brooch with little gems embedded in it and a star cut out. I believe it's laser cut acrylic (gotta' love that stuff!). I wonder exactly how people work with acrylic. Despina does such a great job with it!


Here are a couple of bonus model shots with my new necklace (and my bunny doodleband from Paper Cute - watch out for a review in the future on that too ;) )

  
 



Overall, my shopping experience was wonderful and harmless. She took me through every step of the way and was very patient. There are so many options, it really is hard to choose exactly what you want. Thank you so much, Despina! I love my necklace and brooch! I will definitely buy again in the future and recommend you to others!

Did you guys also know you could buy some of her stuff through ♥ sassyNpunk Boutique ♥? Definitely check out that shop too for more awesome goodies!

Until next time~

Cuddles & Kisses,

~ Kieli ~

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Vintage Love: Ladybird Likes Review [ 07-15-2012 ]



Hello everyone! Hope you're all doing well! I have officially decided to bring back my "Sweet Sundays" and "What's in the Box Wednesdays". As you all have seen, I am bringing more stuff to my blog like things I am interested in, things I have done and still continue with my reviews. Since last time was more like a Sweet Sunday post, today will be like a What's in the Box post. Hope that didn't confuse you!


A little while back, I saw that one of my favorite bloggers, who also owns an Etsy shop, called ♥ Ladybird Likes ♥, was getting closer to her 200th sale. Her shop is best known for wooden pieces that she makes into hair clips, brooches and other things. I was the very lucky 200th buyer of one of her gorgeous butterfly necklaces!To celebrate this big event, she included a bunch of other little goodies.



I love the packaging. Anyone that reads her blog will know that she is very much into the vintage style. So when I saw how each item was presented with their own little pouch and a name tag-like card, it made me even more excited than I already was! Presentation is key, guys. It's the first impression you will make. I have to say, Ladybird did that wonderfully!



The first item to be included was this really nice bird brooch. It's a bright pink color but isn't like a neon pink. It's bright enough that it sits perfectly on darker colored clothes. The details are amazing as you can tell which direction the feathers sit. It's actually one of my favorite pieces! I think it's made out of acrylic but I am not sure. But it's sturdy and perfect as a brooch!



My next gift is another brooch. But this time it's actually crocheted cherries! They're super soft and the actual cherries have stuffing in them so they actually look like the real fruit. They sit on a pin and fit anywhere you place them. They're super cute and go very well with my Lolita outfits.



Here we have owl hair pins! They're a very light cream, almost translucent. I think they are also acrylic but I don't work with plastics so I am not sure, myself. If you read this, Ladybird, can you correct me if I'm wrong? xD These birds are also finely detailed and you can even see the big eyes that owls tend to have! They look very puffed up and are sitting on branches. Very cute! 



And now, for the main attraction! This is the necklace I bought - her wooden butterfly necklace series. She has two different sizes. This one is the miniature size (which still has a good size to it!). There are also many different colors and patterns that each butterfly has. I always had my eye on this blue one and finally got it. Each butterfly is a gorgeous image on a beautifully cut wood piece which was cut into the shape and finally hung from a silver chain. I wear it quite often and it can fit with any coord so even if you wanted to wear it for a fancy occasion, it makes a really nice accessory.

 

I also received a sweet handwritten card from her as well as this neat photo card. I don't think I will ever use it, I love the photo too much! Nature is always peaceful to look at and so inspiring. I will keep it on display in my room so that I may always work hard.

Ordering from her shop is so easy and she's always coming up with new things. If you love vintage, she always has wonderful accessories! I definitely have to get her pin-up girls brooches. Classy and it definitely works with vintage coords. So please check out her shop soon!

Thank you so much, Ladybird Likes! I definitely must order from you again in the future!



Until next time~


Cuddles & Kisses,

~ Kieli ~