~ Photography Practice: The Morbid Version ~

I have been super busy lately. Lots of exciting changes happening and lots of summer activities. So, today, just want to do a short post with pictures I have taken lately. It's a little morbid and not cute and cheerful like my usual pics.  Here they are... the flies trap....

My dad set this up because there were a lot of flies in our yard.  

This one was still alive....but for how long?

Then he throws them in our outdoor fish tank and the fish loves this extra food.  Yum....Flies BBQ.

But the flies are not enough apparently.  Either that or they just had a nasty fight.  It was still alive when we pulled it out.  We had to quickly put him out of his misery.

'Ok, 1 flower to counteract the morbidness.  When my lightroom exports, the pictures look too dark.  Anyone know why?

~ The Shopping Spree Continues ~

I saw a few good sales so I headed to the mall with my friend and did some major damage to my credit card!  I intended to get some new clothes but I got a little bit distracted.

First, there's the semi-annual sale at Bath and Body Works.  They have some antibacterial soaps for 75% off.  With the $10 off $40 coupon, it was about $1.25 a bottle.  Good deal.  I actually didn't need anything from there.  Together with my friend, we barely made it over $40 to use the coupon.

I also got this little silicone bee for my soups.  It goes on top of the soap pump.  So cute!

This is a new bag I got for work.  I love the bow!  Usually, I wouldn't get a Guess bag.  But, I really like this one.  And it was 40% off!  There's a pretty good sale going on at Guess right now with their clearance items.  Lots of cute skirts and club wear.

I also went a little bit crazy at Crabtree and Evelyn.  I love their age defying hand cream and they are on sale for $10!  They are regularly $25.  And if you purchase over $30, you can pay $5 for their hand scrub which is usually $22.  Purchase over $50 and you get a free travel set.  And they have a lot of scrubs and lotions for 75% off.  Also their hand soaps are buy 1 get 1 free.

This is my favorite scent because I think it smells like one of my husband's colognes.  The sale is also online, though there's a 4-item limit for the hand creams.  Free shipping over $75 (after discounts) and there's a 20% coupon code (WELCOME0611).  I went to the store because I didn't want to buy $75 worth of stuff and I wanted more than 4 hand creams.  But, you can return stuff at the store if you buy online so technically, you can buy enough for the free shipping and then return the extras at the store.  The 20% off works for the sale items online even though it says it wouldn't.  So, if you plan to buy a lot, it's a good deal.

I also got some clothes from Express and kids stuff from the Disney store.  I am a little disappointed with the Express sale.  I think I went too late.  There weren't a lot of stuff left.  I am still looking for some new clothes because I recently went through my closet and donated a bunch of old clothes.  That means more shopping next weekend!

~ My First Sasa.com Haul ~

I finally broke down a few weeks ago and bought masks and moisturizers from Sasa.com.  I was a good girl though.  I went from a cart with $250 worth of stuff down to $80.  Here's everything.  It's mostly ISQueen masks.  I really only "needed" the vitacream b12 but it's free shipping over $50... so naturally I had to look around.

Overall, I am pretty happy with the purchase.  Sasa.com is a slow website to me.  It took a while to look around.  The check out process was a little confusing and it took me a few tries to actually finish.  But, shipping was surprisingly quick!  It was only 2 weeks.  Everything was packaged securely and arrived in perfect condition...not even dents in the boxes!  I can't wait to try everything.  I use masks about twice a week so I estimate my complete masks collection will last me about 5 years.  Ok, I exaggerated.  It's really 3 years :)  I guess I better start doing more masks!

~ New at Happy Cloud Moments: Purse Hooks ~

Have you ever gone to a crowded restaurant and have no room to put your purse?  The floor is dirty and the chair has no room for it.  What to do?  Hang it under the table!

These hooks work on flat tables and can handle about 10 lbs.  I always carry one with me because it's small and so useful.

You may have seen ones that is completely round ones that don't wrap around the anchor.  These look like a lock.  

I put different charms on them just for a lil bling and a lil cuteness.  I think my favorite is this lady bug.

I also have some very girly ones like this crown and ballerina tutu.

You can hang these outside on your purse for easy access.  But, that mean more wear and tear on the hook.  Sometimes I hang it inside my purse for more security and so I can find it easily.  These are all available at Happy Cloud Moments.  Check them out!

~ Sushi Indulgence at Todai ~

Oooo it has been so long!  I think it has been like 5 years since I went to Todai.  Today, after relaxing at the spa, I stopped by Todai on the way home.  If you haven't had Todai before, it's a good experience.  They have such a big variety of seafood, sushi, Korean, Chinese and Japanese food.  I like to try a little bit of everything!  Let's start with sushi...

Then, more sushi!  I love salmon sashimi.  This is like 2 orders worth of salmon sashimi from regular restaurants.  It's very filling!

We got there just in time for lobster!  So I grabbed one and some seafood.  Really, just one of everything 'cause there's no room for more!  

Then, it was time for some crab legs!  I love snow crab legs.  Some of them were a little bit salty, but some were so sweet!  Some were really big.  These were a lot better than the ones in all the Chinese buffet restaurants.  I dislike Chinese buffet restaurants by the way.  I don't want any cheap, greasy food!

Finally, just some desserts.  I usually also have a plate of fruits, but we were having such fun that I forgot!  Dang, the watermelon looked good too.  I can't believe I forgot it.  I love the dessert at Todai.  Everything is so mini and cute.  I got the red bean ice cream, the tofu cheesecake, green tea cheesecake and strawberry cheesecake and tiramisu.  All good! 

Of course, there are more pictures.... check out this pretty yellow Hawaiian roll.  It's wrapped with pineapple!  Pretty refreshing!  

This was interesting too.  It's tuna with avocado.  Not bad, but only 1 was enough.  Gotta save room for the important stuff!

This was the first time I had crawfish.  It's so funny.  It looks so big, but after I peeled off the shell, there's like nothing left!

Check out this crab leg!  It was so huge and sweet!  I think Todai is awesome every once in a while.  $35 is a lil much, but the variety is awesome and I don't think you can get little cute desserts like that anywhere else.  They have a lot more food than in these pictures.... like noodles, tempera, crepes, and stir fry.  Yum!

~ Ren's Ramen Reopened ~

After long nine months, Ren's Ramen has reopened!!  Once again, I was able to eat this...

The new place is nice!  It's still tiny, and I think they can sit about 25 people.  It's still very simple with barely any decoration and ordinary wooden table and chairs.  It's a lot nicer than the last place though.

The menu looks the same... still the few style of ramen, its toppings and some appetizers.

I had the Sapparo style Tonshio ramen (#2) with corn, fatty pork and egg.  The fatty pork is pretty awesome.  But, I think I will skip it next time.  It's awesome, but it's so filling.  And.... I need to... eat healthier.

Everyone gets the egg.  It's a special soft boiled egg.  I sprinkled some seasoning on it.

My husband got the Sapparo style miso ramen.  Basically, it's the same as the tonshio one except for the soup.  I think I like the miso one more.  It's thicker and richer.  

The actual noodles are thick and yellow and has a firm texture.  Usually, if I finish the whole bowl, I am stuffed.  It's a lot of food!  Overall, Ren's Ramen is still an awesome Ramen place.  You know it's awesome when there's a line waiting for a table outside most of the time.  Parking kind of sucks though.  The best time to go would be right when they open.  Usually there aren't a lot of people at 11:30 and you can get seated right away.  Can't wait to go back!

~ Missha Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Cream Review ~

Remember that big Missha Haul I did around Christmas time? Well, I finally opened the scariest sounding item...the Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Cream. From the website, it says "Containing Snail Slime Extract and Botanical Stem Cell, this cream renews and triggers the regeneration of skin. Also, Baobab Tree ingredient and Deep Sea Water Complex provides abundant amount of moist onto the skin". It's a big box! The set comes with a small bottle of sleep mask too.

The jar is big but it's just an illusion.  Most of it is just clear plastic.  But, I love it!  I love it because it's such a pretty yellow!  And I specially love the sleep mask bottom because it is yellow and it has stars on it!  Super super cute!  I haven't tried this yet, but I will soon! 

Ok, perhaps I am biased because I am in love with the yellow packaging, but I like this cream.  The scent is very sweet and light.  To me, it's a very relaxing scent.  The texture is more like a gel than a cream.  It comes with a little clear spatula for you to scoop out the cream, which is a sign of luxury right?  After putting it on, I must say that it's very nice.  My skin absorbed it quickly and it feels very soft. 

The reason I tested this today is because this cream is on sale on the Missha website!  If you follow this link, it will take you to the product page with the special price of $19.99.  That's $30 off!  Plus, guess what they have on sale!  40% off nail polish and 50% off BB cream! Plus you get free stuff when you order $60 or more!  So, you can get the snail cream for $20, a bunch of nail polish for ~$2-5 each, and a set of BB Cream+Boomer for $28 and you will get the Time Revolution White Cure Super White Toner.  What a steal!!  I am tempted, but I have so much BB Cream already.... what to do what to do!

~ New Jewelry and Accessories Inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean ~

This past weekend, pirates took over my living room. I never saw Pirates of the Caribbean III so I had a little Pirates of the Caribbean marathon to get myself ready for the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie.  After seeing all those pirates, I got a little bit inspired to make some pirates-related items!  First, a pair of earrings...

These skulls are super sparkly and I love the muted blue tear drop crystals!  I added a little golden shadow in there for extra beachy sparkles!

 

Another skull item is this awesome purse hook.  I put this charm on a white pearl cabochon on this hook.  Have you ever used a purse hook?  These are awesome!

This is like the star fish on Bill Turner's face right?  Ok, not really.  This one is much much prettier!  I love it! Check it out in my shop here.

 I also have a little pirates theme going on at Happy Cloud Supplies with these skull charms, crown charms and skull key charms.  I threw in the flower because it's awesome.

Did you see the new Pirates of the Caribbean yet?  What kind of pirate DIY projects have you done?

~ Strawberry Picking at Butler's Orchard ~

Today was an awesome day!  The weather was just beautiful!  What better outdoor activities to do with kids than picking strawberries!  We headed to our neighborhood Butler's Orchard for some sweet and juicy strawberries.  I love these turquoise containers that they gave us!

These strawberry plants are very low to the ground.  You have to move the leaves away to find the ripe strawberries.

Sometimes, you may get lucky and find some nice strawberries just hanging out.  Unfortunately, I was to busy taking pictures of it and forgot to pick this one!

The strawberries are so juicy that the juices were just squirting out of my niece's mouth!  She couldn't stop eating them.

Some of them were super ripe and some of them are perfect in a couple of days.  Most of them are small, smaller than a standard meatball.  But the sweetness and juiciness makes up for the size!

We also stopped by the farmer's market and got some Strawberry Apple freeze.  It was too sweet for me though.  I rather have just the strawberries.  The strawberries are $2.29/lb, very reasonable price.  We will be going back again soon!