Animal Crossing Design Request - BloodieMary ∞

Finished making a pastel goth design for BloodieMary ∞! Hope you like it! I know I had so much fun making it. Lols!

What it looks like on....

My Dog Is My Hero!

Surprise! After what seemed like forever, I finally convinced my husband to get us a dog! We got ourselves a handsome and dashing golden retriever puppy, Odin, just a couple of months ago, and have been loving every bit of our time together since then. In the short amount of time that we've had Odin, he has already saved me from my anxiety just by keeping me company and having me focus on things other than my fears when I'm alone and my husband is away on missions. He has already become so dear to me and Odin and I have forged an amazing bond already, so much so that even my husband believes that Odin truly is my dog, since he and I are pretty much inseparable and the fact that he listens to me over him. xD Aside from my husband, Odin's the only real friend I have, but he's starting to change that, too, it seems.

 Lately when I take him out for walks, we have been getting approached by many people, some of which we now encounter regularly. At first, it all started out as small talk about Odin and their own dogs, and then escalated into talking about ourselves and getting to know each other better. For a shy girl like me, this is almost like a miracle. I've always had trouble talking to other people and tended to keep to myself, and now I find myself opening up more and more, all thanks to Odin. To think that he could bring so many positive changes into my life in such a short window of time is just incredible to me and it blows me away. What is it about dogs and their magical powers that can change someone for the better?

He blinked!

Pokemon X and Y: Thoughts and First Impression

It's been a long time since I've been excited over a new Pokemon game (there hasn't been one I've been remotely interested in since Yellow Version first came out). Over time, my enthusiasm over the latest releases in the Pokemon franchise has dwindled, and eventually, it vanished completely. Needless to say, my indifference toward the series didn't stop the creators of Pokemon to be any less successful or from cranking out game after game, and I'm surprised to say that I'm glad that it didn't. The reason for that is because that would mean X and Y wouldn't exist. These two new installments of the Pokemon series have piqued my interest in it yet again, something I thought would never happen. 

After seeing the previews and hearing so much about X and Y, I became more and more curious to see what it was like. It actually made me want to play! The battles looked so much more detailed and the idea of character customization greatly appealed to me. I was also happy to find out that you could choose to be a male or a female character, something I've always wished for as a kid when playing either Red, Blue, or Yellow (I'm aware that one of the other Pokemon games that have come out previously allowed you to pick your sex too, but this is the first Pokemon game I've played where this was an option). Then, I found out about mega evolutions and the apparently new fairy-type pokemon being introduced, and I was sold! I just had to have it! My husband (a Pokemon fanatic) and I were thrilled and bought a copy of both games (he got X, and I got Y) on the very day they came out! As soon as we started playing, we couldn't put it down! 

So far, I really am having a lot of fun with Y. Some of the things I really enjoy about it are Fennekin (yes, I feel Fennekin is reason enough to love this game), character customization (not only can you pick your character's sex, but you can choose your skin color and eventually further change your character's appearance by going to the hair salon and buying different clothes and accessories), Furfrou (I looove being able to choose different hairstyles for Furfrou a lot!), being able to grow berries and berry mutations (my husband told me you could grow berries too in Gold and Silver, but there weren't berry mutations), being able to trade anywhere with your friends, and being able to choose either Charmander, Squirtle, or Bulbasaur in addition to picking among a Fennekin, Chespin, or Froakie rather than them being completely replaced by the latter three. Another fun and rather addicting part of the game that I absolutely adore is being able to grow closer to your Pokemon by using Pokemon-Amie, where you can pet them, feed them pokepuffs (which look really delicious, by the way), and play mini-games with them and win them more pokepuffs! Doing all of this increases the bond between you and your pokemon, and the closer you are to them, the more likely they'll be able to shake off status ailments such as poison or confusion. There's also Super Training, which basically helps raise your Pokemon's stats through playing soccer and using punching bags, which is also quite enjoyable. It really sets itself apart from the Pokemon games that I was used to and that I grew up with. 

If I had to complain about something, it would be how you have to sometimes be at just the right place or angle to be able to talk to some people or enter some doors. It can be quite annoying, especially when the person you're trying to talk to is moving. I also don't really like that you can't really use a pokeball on a pokemon in a horde unless you wipe out all the other ones first (especially when that horde happens to be a Zangoose surrounded by a bunch of Seviper and the Seviper kill it off before I can try to catch it!!!! It's a good thing my husband has X, so I can just trade him a Seviper for a Zangoose!). Luckily, this can all be easily overlooked as the game as a whole is great!  Pokemon Y has been a pleasant surprise for me and has really surpassed my expectations of it. It actually not only makes me curious about future Pokemon games to come, but it has also made me want to play the previous games that had come before it and that I have ignored, as well! Good job, Game Freak, it appears that you've won me back over!

Animal Crossing New Leaf Dream Address

Please feel free to stop by and dream about my lovely town of Sanrio!

Dream Address:
5900-2371-3357

Hope you like it! :D

Animal Crossing New Leaf Dress QR Codes

I've been getting into the spirit of Halloween (even though it's not quite here just yet!)  by creating some cute new dress designs in game. They basically look like costumes, but they're also plenty of fun to wear just because! Enjoy!

Mermaid:

Fairy:

Nurse:

Minnie Mouse:

Animal Crossing New Leaf: More QR Codes!

So, I had a little time to make some more dresses and flags/sign post/whatever designs, and I personally liked the way they all turned out, so I thought I'd share them here. :3 Please enjoy!

Dresses:

Flags/Sign Post Designs:

Beauty Products I Want To Try Out.... Results!

Awhile back I made a post with a list of beauty products I wanted to try out. During the time after I had created that post, I had not been able to test out all of the products that I have put down, I have tried a few of them, and so I will be writing about how they worked out for me! Please keep in mind that this is all based on my personal results and that results may vary from person to person....

1. Mane 'n Tail Shampoo and Conditioner

I have been using both this shampoo and conditioner for roughly about 5 to 6 months now and in that time period, I think I can safely say that I really like this brand and that it's the best shampoo and conditioner that I have used so far! I have used many different brands of shampoos and conditioners, from drug store brands to salon brands, and nothing really seemed to work on my thick, dry hair. No matter what, my hair remained frizzy and nearly straw-like, but Mane N' Tail has made a huge difference, making my hair silky, manageable, and most importantly, moisturized! Another big plus about this is that you can easily find this brand sold in drug stores (I actually found it being sold in the commissary on base, too) and the big bottles are very cheap. I think I'll be sticking with this brand for a long time to come!

A word of caution:  Reading reviews on this product, I noticed that some people had claimed that after a little while of using this shampoo and conditioner, they got a  lot of waxy buildup in their hair and scalp. Some have also said that they noticed an increase of hair falling out after using it. So far, I have not experienced either of these problems using this shampoo and conditioner. Part of the reason may be because I tend to mix in some baking soda in my shampoo once a month and do a apple cider vinegar rinse with it, so that could be a big reason as to why I have yet to have experienced waxy hair. So, if anyone reading this decides to give this brand a try, I recommend doing the same or maybe even using a clarifying shampoo along with it.

2. Henna Hair Dye

I have some mixed feelings about using henna to color my hair so far, though so far I have only tried one brand of henna dye so far (The Henna Guys). One of the best things about this brand is that it is body art quality. Body art quality henna is safer to use than any other type of henna, as it contains the most natural ingredients and does not contain metallic salts, which can damage and irritate the hair and skin. Another thing is that it really seems to help keep my hair healthier and give it a beautiful shine after I use it, unlike the chemical dyes that I used in the past. Creating a mixture for henna is pretty fun, too! It reminds me of cooking, in a way (something I absolutely love to do!), since you can mix your henna dye with things such as tea, honey, lemon, yogurt, certain spices, and plenty of other ingredients that can help nourish your hair! It's nice to be able to experiment with the mixture and seeing which things work the best for your hair. 

 However, using henna is a little messy, and the scent isn't all that pleasant (it has a strong scent of hay or grass). It also takes a really long time for the dye to work it's way into your hair. It has to sit in for at least 2-4 hours before you can wash it out (which reminds me, washing it out can be a bit of a pain, too! It's basically like removing mud from your hair!). Also, it took a couple of dyes to get the color even all over. The first time left my hair patchy looking, which could have been due to the fact that I had been using chemical dyes before using henna, and had been using them for quite a long time. Lastly, the thing I dislike the most about this brand of henna is that the color bleeds just about every single time I use it for weeks on end, sometimes it even takes a couple of months for it to stop bleeding. I think I may try a different brand for my next coloring and see if that may help me with the bleeding issue. I may try out Lush instead, as I have heard good things about it, and see how that goes.

A word of Caution: People with lighter colored hair may land up with orange hair at first, but it should oxidize and darken over time and with continued use of henna!

3. Maybelline The Rocket Volum'Express Mascara

This  was an absolute disappointment. I had some high expectations about this mascara, after hearing so many people rave about it so much, only to find that it didn't quite work out for me. While it did make my lashes look thicker and was a nice, dark black, it clumped up on my lashes a lot and the formula seemed a little.... goopy. Also, I thought the wand was kind of awkwardly large and made applying the mascara a messy job. Maybe the wand itself just takes some adjusting to, but overall, I just did not like this product. I think I'll stick to using Imju Dejavu's Fiberwig mascara instead (which I've started using recently and love! I'll definitely be reviewing it another time). Still, just because it's a product that didn't cut it for me, it doesn't mean that it's not a good product. I still would recommend people to try this mascara for themselves as there are so many other people who love it!

That's it for now! When I get the chance, I will definitely make another post when I happen to try out the other products on my list, as well as include some reviews on other beauty finds that I come across too! Thanks for reading!