Birthday Blast!

Well, I expected to spend today mostly at home. Maybe going out to eat, and if I was lucky, going to Putt Putt at our local All Star for my birthday celebration. The hubby never does much for birthdays, because they aren't a big deal in his world.

So imagine my freaking amazement when after our big lunch at CiCi's Pizza, he drives me to the zoo! If you've been a follower of this blog for very long, you'll remember that zoos and museums are basically my favorite places in the world, so I was thrilled beyond thrilled!

Flowers in the newly renovated Jungle exhibit.

Now, the Sedgwick County Zoo is massive, so it took us a few hours to get through, but I was having so much fun that I didn't care how sore my feet were or how hot I was! There are so many amazing exhibits, segregated by their region in the world. So you have Australia (my personal favorite), Africa, Asia, South America, and North America. Along with the regional exhibits, you have the stand alone buildings and exhibits: The Jungle (a freaking real life slice of the rainforest!), the amphibian and reptile houses, the penguin cove, and the children's farms (which showcase animals from different regions in a petting zoo like setting).

A tropical bird perched above the entrance to the waterfall, in the Jungle.

We hit the Children's Farm first, and spent an hour or so wandering the various barns and exhibits, feeding the sheep and goats, and the fish as well. Next, we swung by the penguins, then on to the reptile house! OUtside the doors to the enclosure, I noticed some very out of place sunflowers making a go of it, and snapped a photo.

We toured North America next, and saw all the bears and antelope, and even a few bison. The otter enclosure, wasn't super crowded, but there was a trio of children running wild along the glass tank and screaming bloody murder, so I had to bypass one of my favorite exhibits since the parents didn't seem to see that behavior as any amount of disruptive to the rest of the zoo goers. but I digress...

A sleeping Cougar in the North American region.

We finished up the rest of the regions, and had to backtrack a bit to find our favorite cluster of exhibits: Australia and South America. Unlike the rest of the zoo, these two regions are entirely open to explore, with the wildlife running free in many instances. Which means you get some awesome encounters, like these!

A wallaby grazing near the entrance, about 2 feet from the doors, happily greeting visitors as they come in!

A pair of macaws sitting over the river that runs through the exhibit. They were close enough to reach out and touch!

As we entered the Australia enclosure, there was a Tawny Frogmouth just sitting on the sign, posing for photos. So needless to say, I had to snap selfie! I had no idea he was smiling too!

Needless to say, today was awesome, and I couldn't' have spent my 27th birthday any better!

Love and Lightning Bugs,

 

Fallout Shelter: Not Your Normal Apocalypse Game

This is NOT a sponsored post. It's just a game I'm into, and I wanted to share.

Well, I got a new phone a couple of weeks ago, and I've been spending a bit of time browsing the Google Play store looking for apps or games to amuse me in my spare time. I don't normally find a game I really get into, but then I spotted this little gem: Fallout Shelter.

As an avid PC gamer, I came across the Fallout franchise when it went on sale a few months ago on Steam. I bought Fallout 3, and have been hooked ever since! In Fallout 3, you play as a Vault dweller, who is forced to leave the safety of the Vault, and explore the nuclear fallout landscape (called the wasteland), in search of your father. The entire franchise has a very 50's feel to it, and the distinct art style reflects that. Thankfully, the Fallout Shelter app keeps with the feel of the original games!

Unlike in the other Fallout games though, you don't explore the wasteland or see the horrors it holds. Instead, you play the role of a Vault Overseer, who is in charge of keeping the dwellers in your vault happy, healthy, and safe from everything the nuclear apocalypse has in store for them. You build rooms that give you basic resources, such as water, power, food, medical supplies, and more. You place dwellers in the room that best suits their SPECIAL skills, to help you gain more resources.

I was thrilled to see SPECIAL being used in this app, since it's such a vital set of statistics in the main games. SPECIAL stands for Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Luck. Each of these stats plays a huge role in the app, and will dictate what dwellers you can put in what rooms, how fast resources are gathered, etc.

But Fallout Shelter isn't just a boring level-builder game. Oh no! You're also tasked with repopulating the now desolate world! Or...at least starting by filling up your vault. You can create more dwellers by placing a male and a female in the Living Quarters, and well...just waiting for human nature to kick in. What else can you really do to entertain yourself in a subterranean community where work and survival comes first?

You can also send dwellers out to explore the wasteland, where they will bring you back caps (bottlecaps are the in-game currency), new armors and outfits to equip your dwellers with, and weapons to help fight off the raider attacks to your little hive of safety!

Overall, I'm incredibly impressed with how well this Fallout app came out. It ties in well with the main franchise, but is good enough to stand on its own as a credible game. If you're a fan of the franchise, I can't suggest this download enough! If you've never played the main games, I still suggest giving this little app a try. It's fun, it's unique, and it's a good way to waste some time.

Love and Lightning Bugs,
 

Dessange Vox Box

Earlier this month, Influenster sent me an amazing new Vox Box to test and give a review of, and just like all the others I have tried, this one was just as great!

I received the Dessange Paris California Blonde Collection, and since I had just bleached part of my hair blonde, I was more than thrilled to see what this new line could do for me. Now, at home bleaching rarely goes the way a person would like, and of course, I ended up with brassy blonde hair. I didn't hate it, but it wasn't quite what I wanted, so I was hopeful this system would be able to even it out.

I used it for a few days, and was completely THRILLED with the results!

Not only did it lighten and even out my blonde, but it didn't remove any of the intentional red I put in my under layers! My hair is softer, and feels so much healthier as well! I honestly can't recommend this system enough for bleached blondes!

Love and Lightning Bugs,
 
I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Christmastime Joy, Thanks to the Frosty Vox Box

Well, it's been a while since I've written anything here, huh? Let's just say, life has been hectic. But I'm back! And I've come bearing gifts!

Last week, I received an AMAZING package in the mail. I had thought that Influenster might have forgotten me, since I hadn't received a box in a couple months, but then I checked my PO Box and found this Vox Box, bursting with winter goodies!

Generally, every Vox Box has a theme, and this one was geared toward winter. More specifically, the holidays! I know I can never seem to have everything together for the rush of holidays at the end of the year, so I was incredibly thankful to see such awesome contents inside!

1.) First up, are the Fruit Vines. I received the strawberry flavor to try, and let me just say YUMM. They are sweet, but not too sweet, and come in little clusters of three that you car tear apart. I thought they were a great snack, especially for the multiple road trips I took over the Christmas holiday. It was nice to not have to stop all the time for snackage. Just a few of these little guys was enough to tide me over between meals, and they would make a fantastic treat for kids too!

2.) Now, I received the EcoTools Styler + Smoother Hair Brush, and let me tell you....my hairbrush game was weak before I got this thing. I'm not tender headed, so I would just rip through my hair like it was nothing. As you can guess, I had breakage to the extreme. My brush looked like a scary rabid rat after a shower. However, once I started using the EcoTools Styler, I was shocked how much less hair was ending up in the brush after each swipe. After an entire week of using it exclusively, the hair I saw in this brush was a third of what was in my normal one after a day. A DAY. If that doesn't speak volumes about the power of a good brush, i don't know what will. I no longer wonder if I'm balding...

3.) Normally in the Vox Boxes, you get full sized products, but I only received a small sample of Boots No7 Protect & Perfect Intense ADVANCED Serum. That said, I can see why...it is pricey stuff. It promised visible results after two weeks, but I only managed to stretch it out to three days. It did leave my skin super soft though, and didn't go on greasy like most serum type products.

4.) Can I say that I squealed when I saw this next product, and still sound like as a grown woman? because I totally did. NYC New York Color Expert Last Lip Color has been in previous boxes, and everytime I try it, I love it even more! Sugarplum was the shade of choice this time, and just like with all the other shades I've tried, it goes on smooth, velvety, and beautifully pigmented. Sugarplum was a touch dark for my taste just looking at the tube, but once I actually put it on, I was impressed with how subtle it really was. plus it has moisturizers in it, to keep your smile it's prettiest!

5.) Now, I wear liquid eyeliner exclusively, so I wasn't sure about the Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Eyeliner I received, right out of the box. But like everything else in life, I put on my big girl panties, decided to try something new...and was pleasantly surprised! Not only does it go on smooth, but it stayed all day without smudging or flaking. I have rather large eyes, that water a LOT, so generally normal Kohl liner is gone in less than an hour. The only liner I had found that stayed like I wanted it to was waterproof liquid, and we all know how hard that can be to get off at the end of the day. This liner though, came of with only two swipes of my make-up remover.

6.) To be perfectly honest, I don't cook. If it doesn't come in a box, or is microwavable, I would starve to death. So the McCormick Gourmet Thyme wasn't really something I could use. but, I did gift it to a friend of mine who cooks like a freaking gourmet chef, and she raved about it!

7.) This next item, I loved with an unholy passion. Celestial Seasonings Candy Cane Lane® Decaf Green Tea was flipping delish! It was fresh, it was warming, and it was a perfect ending to a cold winter evening at home with the family.

8.) Ok, so normally, I'm the cheapest of the cheapskates. I buy makeup, bath and body products, and a lot of other items at places like Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Family Dollar...are you sensing a theme? I don't like to pay more than a dollar for a lot of things. Generally, it's fine. The dollar make-up is E.L.F and NYC, which is cruelty free and still makes you look amazing on a budget. but it can be terribly difficult to find a good make-up remover for cheap. In fact, it's pretty much impossible. The couple of products I have tried never took off all the make-up, and would rub my face raw trying to get that eyeliner off. Then, I tried the Rimmel Gentle Eye Makeup Remover that came in my box, and knew I could never go cheap on my remover again. It took almost no product, and the make-up wiped off with such ease I was actually shocked! No rubbing, no sitting it on and waiting, just a quick swipe and my face was squeaky clean! It was super gentle, and left my skin feeling soft and refreshed. I can not recommend this enough!

I hope you guys enjoy these products as much as I did!

Love and Lightning Bugs,
 

I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Delightful Dragons

When I was little, I was completely obsessed with all things fantasy oriented, and to be honest, I still am. In every sculpture class I ever took, I would make a small dragon to sit on my shelf at home, and watch over my belongings and room when I was away at school. But anything I made in class could never hold a candle to the absolute masterpieces that Donna's Dragons provides.

Opened in 2013, Donna's Dragons has been creating dragon sculptures for people around the world, using polymer clay, household items, and the owners own creativity. Not only does she have some ready made dragons in stock, but she is also happy to take custom orders and create the dragon of your dreams.

Like she did for me.

Meet Asha, the 4 inch long, 2.5 inch tall dragon who now graces the corner of my dedicated desk/workspace. Her name means "Hope" in Sanskrit, and she's going to be my little daily reminder of all the turmoil I have overcome in my life. She's small enough to be unobtrusive in my workspace, but not so small that I'm scared I'll lose her.

Which is a good thing, because if you've ever seen my workspace, you would understand how I could lose things easily.

Donna goes to great pains to pay attention to details such as spikes, gems, and general body placement. Not to mention the lovely little "possessions" that many of the dragons come with. Asha came with a key curled up in her tail, but Donna has used things such as flowers, spheres, tiny skulls, religious symbols, eggs, coins, butterflies, or even separate creatures, such as a memorial to a deceased pet.

If you can imagine it, she can most likely bring it to life with her amazing craftsmanship skills. But don't be fooled, she can create more than just dragons. Unicorns, dogs, deer, bears and more have all been made and featured on her Facebook Page.

If you know someone in your life who loves dragons and the fantasy genre, any of Donna's creations would make the perfect gift. For little one's though, I would suggest letting these be "look only", as they can be fragile due to the detail put into them. Despite that though, I find Asha to be sturdy enough to carry around and pose for many photography sessions, as she has quickly become one of my favorite photography subjects.

In the end, I could not be happier to have such a gorgeous creation adorn my desk, and keep me company during those long photo edit sessions or graphic design jobs. Everyone could use a little fantasy in their lives, do you have any?

Love and Lightning Bugs,
 

Wire Wrapped Perfection with Gel Art

When it comes to jewelry, I usually just throw on my O2 necklace and I'm done with it. But every great once in a while I find something that I just have to own, and this is one of those times!

I recently found out about a wonderfully sweet woman in Australia, who runs a small business out of her home called Gel Art. I had seen a few of her pieces show up in my Facebook feed over the last few weeks, and thought that they were gorgeous, so I knew I had to share with you!

The packaging was amazing for an overseas seller, with plenty of bubblewrap and tissue paper to keep the pendant from damage. Once I pulled it out of the package, I noticed it was wrapped in a smaller parcel package (as shown above). Inside, the pendant itself was placed in a lovely gold drawstring bag, which I know I'll be able to use again!

On her Etsy Shop, she has a ton of ready-made pendants that you can purchase as is, or if you're willing to wait for a little bit, she also does custom orders! Being the fox fanatic that I am, I knew I wanted one with a vixen on it, but didn't see any on her shop that really called to me. So I went to place a custom order, and was pleasantly surprised to find out how easy it was!

She has a note on her Facebook Page titled, "How To Order A Custom Pendant", which has a very easy to follow order form. You just pick and choose everything you would like out of the options she has listed in various albums, so that you can see the colors, textures, etc.

After looking through everything, and having the hardest time narrowing it all down, I finally came up with the perfect pendant for me.

I chose the traditional tree style, with a copper wire hoop base. I loves the idea of mixing my wire colors for the actual tree, and she was more than happy to intertwine the antique brown with the green. I chose Jasper for my stone 'leaves' though she has a multitude of other stones and gems to choose from. Jasper is a stone I like to wear when I'm lacking confidence, or feel I need a touch of courage, and since I intend to wear this pendant at conventions with my Steampunk Fox character, it's the perfect stone!

She even went so far as to paint the silver fox charm for me, so it looked like a tiny red fox hiding under the shadow of a large tree.

The roses were a last minute add in I decided on, and I just love the contrast they create! 

Gel Art is run by a stay at home mother of three. She started her business to help pay the bills, and originally was making gel candles. But after a while, she expanded her line of work to include wire wrapped pendants and gem trees, which is most of her merchandise now.

All in all, the experience was great when working with her, and the outcome is just beautiful in my opinion.

If you'd like to see more of her stunning work, please feel free to visit her sites:

Etsy
Facebook
Pinterest
Google +
YouTube

Love and Lightning Bugs,
 

Celebrating my Last Semester with the Uni Vox Box

It's Vox Box time again! Once again, Influenster has outdone itself by sending me another box of goodies to test!

This time, it's the Uni Vox Box, which is meant for college girls, which is perfect since this is my last semester and I am struggling to keep up my spirits through this last class. While the boxes from Influenster are usually packed with all kinds of goodies, like Sally Henson Polish, and other themed goodies, this one was literally stuffed full!

It had so many awesome things inside, and I was thrilled with what I was sent.

These Playtex Sport Fresh Balance tampons were the very first thing I saw. I don't normally think twice about what tampons I buy, but the scent of these had me hooked! They have some kind of really light floral scent that made the whole box of products smell amazing!

Look at all those beauty finds! I actually got to choose what shade of foundation I needed, and let me just say, its feels amazing on my skin. I have weird combination skin as well as eczema, so it's hard for me to find a foundation that covers all the issues without gunking up or looking oily after a few hours.

Then I tried the Rimmel London Stay Matte mousse foundation, and I fell so hard in love that my boyfriend should be jealous. Not only does it actually do what it says, but it doesn't gunk up after a few hours either. It's my new go-to foundation.

Included among all my pretty new beauty items was probably the item I was the most weary about. I'm one of those people who is beyond particular about my pens (Thanks Dad), and anything that isn't a needle point I generally don't use, or toss. being in the box though, i knew I had to try this Pilot Acroball PureWhite pen, and I was pretty surprised with how much I ended up liking it. It even got put into my purse, a place of honor among the pens in my office.

I'm not normally a lipstick wearer, especially in such a bold shade, but when I tried this, I was shocked at how well it went with my fair complexion. The color of this Expert Last lip color is called Forever Fuschia, and the texture isn't sticky like most lipsticks I have tried, so it was a nice change.

 Oh my Gods, these nails were GORGEOUS. Broadway Nails included a set of imPRESS Press-On Nails in this Vox Box, and I went haywire! My real nails are always so brittle, and I can never seem to grow them out, but getting my nails professionally done costs way more than I'm willing to pay, and even at-home kits were too much work (I always ended up gluing my fingers together, without fail). These nails were awesome, you just peel off the backing, and stick them on. No muss, no fuss, and I could do it in about 5 minutes.

I love tea in pretty much any form, but I was hesitant about this product. I know it's along the lines of MiO, and other water enhancers, but I wasn't sure how well concentrated tea syrup would work out. After trying it, I did enjoy it, but I will say this that "lightly sweetened" on the label is a lie. It could just be me, but the sweetness was a bit overpowering. I put much less of the stuff in my next glass of water, and it was way better.

Like always, the Influenster Vox Boxes are a huge hit with me! If you aren't a part of the Influenster nation, you should be!

Love and Lightning Bugs,
 

Rilakkuma, The Perfect Plush!

You know, no matter how old I get, I have always had a soft spot for the cute things in life.

Cute dishes (like the hoard of Bento Boxes that I own just to make sure I have the most adorable tupperware for my lunches), cute bedsheets, cute clothing, heck, even my toaster has Hello Kitty on it! So when I was pitched by Rilakkuma Shop, last week, you can bet I jumped all over that!

Rilakkuma is a Japanese character, designed by Aki Kondo, and produced by San-X since 2003. In fact, this little bear has become so popular, that's he's the fifth most well known character in Japan! He has a massive line of products, including computers, books, games, stickers, and his assortment of plushies.

In the few days I have had my Rilakkuma plush, he has quickly become one of my favorites! He is beyond soft, since he is made with a fine microfiber fabric that makes him feel like a mix between a rex rabbit, and velvet. His size also makes him perfect for a little travel buddy, but not to small that I'm afraid I'll lose him. He's just the right size for kids as well!

He is also well known for the little pouch on his back, that zips open and closed. I like to put a few spare dollars in it, but I think it could be awesome as a tooth fairy hideaway, or even a little treasure hiding place for the little ones.

Along with my plushie, I also received a little book, that explains who Rilakkuma is, as well as his back story. He has a couple of friends that are often portrayed along with him, named Korilakkuma (the small tan bear) and Kiiroitori (the chick). There are easy to understand pictures and English words, along with the Japanese kanji, so that you could begin to teach yourself or your child some basic Japanese!

 Overall, I was head over heels in LOVE with this plush! I would highly recommend one for any family looking for that perfect toy, or any person who just loves the cute things in life!

Love and Lightning Bugs,
 

Dressale FAIL

If you ever get pitched by a company called Dressale.com, DO NOT DO IT.

No matter how great the pitch might sound, it is not going to be worth the nightmare you're going to go through. I can speak from experience.

I was contacted by them way back in January, and they offered me $30 in credit to their website, if I were to publish a giveaway post for them. I thought that was fair, so I went ahead and did it, expecting my payment to be ready as soon as I emailed my contact back.

Well that's where it all started going to hell.

The post went live on January 10th, and I was told I would be payed when the giveaway ended. I IMMEDIATELY  responded with how my payment policy works, and I heard absolutely nothing back. It wasn't until February 11th when I was contacted again...only to be asked to repost the giveaway on my Facebook page.

You can imagine just how pissed I was, so I responded with this e-mail:

"I have to say, that unless I receive the $30 payment I was promised, I won't be sharing this, or any other post. I put up my blog post, as well as an additional post on my Facebook page, and still have yet to receive payment."

Two hours later, I received an e-mail letting me know that my account had been credited, and asking if I would share the giveaway post again. Obviously I didn't share the post, because I was a bit perturbed at this point. 

Well, I went about trying to find something to use my credit one, because dammit, I had invested too much time into this to not get something for my hard work. I found a couple of fascinators that I thought would be nice for Steampunk, and after making sure they were well under my limit, I went to check out...where I found out that I had zero choice in shipping choices. The absolute least I could pay for shipping two fascinators that weighed less than a pound was $13.79!

That insane amount of shipping made my credit go over, so I paid $4.77 out of my own pocket to just be done with this ridiculous nightmare.

About a week later my items arrived, in the worst packaging I have ever reen.

Each fascinator was wrapped in a single cellophane bag, with no padding whatsoever. Those two bags were shoved in a UPS bag, that again, had no padding or protection for what I think to be fragile items. Then I opened them, only to find out that what I thought I was getting was way off from what I actually received.

The photo from the website

What I actually received.

Well look at that, it's broken. The beads were just loosely hot glued to the tulle.

The clip is insanely small. And glued on in such a way that it makes it impossible to open. Because I tried, I tried really really hard to get this clip to work, but the only way to fix it is to rip it off, and replace it with a barrette clip, because this alligator one is just useless. 

Look at that, MORE beads that were poorly glued on. I'm going to have to sew all these to the tulle, which won't take much time, but it's the idea that i shouldn't have to fix a brand new item that has never been worn, due to crappy construction.

The Website photograph of the second fascinator. Doesn't that look like a birdcage veil, that is full, and lovely, and will go around your face?

This is what I received. A singe piece of millner's veil in a long rectangle, that just falls in your face and looks dumb. I'm going to have to ripoff the veil, and try to reposition it, and sew it back on in a way that it's supposed to look.

This fascinator also has one of those useless alligator clips that is so small, and glued on in such a way, that  it makes it impossible to use. I'm going to have to replace this one as well.

Not to mention, the actual flower part is just crushed, and covered in glue threads.

 So, after all that, I emailed the company again, saying that I wanted a refund for my $4.77, since my merchandise was pretty messed up and useless. That was a week ago, and I still have yet to hear back from them.

TL;DR - DO NOT EVER EVER EVER WORK WITH DRESSALE.

Love and Lightning Bugs,