Ahnspired

Shop Miss A - Part 1 (Haul)

I found out about this site on YouTube from people who generally seemed to have good things to say about them, so I decided to check them out for myself.

They mainly sell accessories...hair accessories, jewelry, makeup (which includes an E.L.F section), nail products, sunglasses, kids section, body jewelry, and other miscellaneous items.

The main pull/attraction of this site is that everything is only $1, but still decent quality. Aside from 1 item, locket charms which they sell for $5, everything really is only $1 on their site...which is probably why things sell out so quickly.

I found myself getting frustrated at times because there were things on there that I really wanted, but they were already sold out or the color that I wanted was sold out so I couldn't get it. That happened A LOT while I was browsing their site so much so that I was getting discouraged at times.

I read their FAQ section and it said that they generally don't restock their items, so that was a huge bummer. If you guys do decide to check them out and you see something you like you should add it to your cart right away because once it's gone it is GONE.

As far as the quality, some reviewers on YouTube equated the merchandise to Forever 21 but I will let you know my thoughts on the matter once I get my second order from them, which has a lot more jewelry than this order, and I've had a chance to look at it all. Stay tuned for that.

Lastly, they have flat rate shipping on all of the orders they send out. It is $3.50 in the states (and if you spend $35+ they will automatically upgrade you to priority shipping), $9.95 for Canada, and $19.95 for all other international countries (customers are responsible for any additional customs fees, import duties, or taxes that may be imposed by customs).

Other reviewers on YouTube said they got their packages really quickly...mine however took awhile to get to me. This order took about 2 weeks so definitely not quick by any means, but then again my order was less than $35 so it was not automatically upgraded to priority shipping which may have played a factor I suppose. I put in another order from them, before I received this order, which was over $35 so I'll let you guys know how that goes.

http://www.shopmissa.com/

Link to my 2nd Haul: http://ahnspired.blogspot.com/2015/01/shopmissacom-haul-2.html

HAIR ACCESSORIES

Sasha Vintage Stone Hair Clip

Bigger than I thought it would be. The stones on the one I received were very noticeably misaligned (circled in blue below) and the claws aren't spaced in even intervals either, which really bothers me...but I have a weird thing about things being properly aligned so I don't know that it would really bother anyone else.

See how you can see the gold backing where the stone was supposed to be aligned on?

Bigger gap on the left side then the right...claws aren't spaced evenly.

However, it is still cute and the stones seemed to be glued on really well. I thought about taking the stones off and re-gluing them on myself, but I feel like I might break them trying to get them off because it really does seem to be glued on quite well so I think I'm just going to wear it around my house. Also, the clip itself seems quite sturdy as well.

Filigree Butterfly Stone Hair Clip

Also bigger than I thought it would be, but I still love it. Super cute. The stones on the one I got were also slightly misaligned on this one as well, but it is barely perceptible so it's not a big deal on this one as it was for me on the other one. Also, the claws were spaced evenly and not so gap-y on this one which was great. The stones were glued on very well for this one as well...I have no qualms about the stones possible falling off. Better quality than the Sasha Vintage clip.

JEWELRY

Enamel LOVE Heart Ring

The color of the gold kinda looks cheap, but I still love it nonetheless. Very cute and fun to wear.

I'm not a big fan of gold to begin with, so I wish they would have had it in silver, but gold is all they had.

3 Piece Rhinestone Studded Bangle Set

Very cute. Light but sturdy, which is just how I like my jewelry. I wanted the one that was only silver/graphite, but they were sold out so I got the silver/graphite/gold.

The metal bangle part was good, but the crystal accents weren't glued on/mounted properly...but unless you're really paying attention it's not super noticeable so not a big deal. However, I feel like the crystal accents could get easily snagged on things because it wasn't mounted properly and juts out...which would then of course naturally lead to the crystal accents getting pulled out.

Silver Hammered 5 Piece Bangle Set

Decent quality. Doesn't look super cheap. Very jingly. Again, it is very lightweight, but still seems sturdy which is just how I like my jewelry.

Rhinestone Studded Wooden Bangle - Dark Brown

I was looking forward to getting these the most and these ended up being the biggest letdown. The quality and execution on these bangles were just terrible. The wood on the bangles came chipped and weathered and the crystal accent was just super cheap looking and chipped and bulging in several places. These bangles just totally screamed I only cost a dollar.

Does anyone know where I can get similar bangles that are much better quality? Because I really love the idea of these...I just wish it was executed better.

Arrow & Dangle Heart Necklace

I love this necklace. The charm and the chain is pretty good quality, however the clasp came broken which was a huge bummer. For those of you thinking why not just take some pliers and re-attach the clasp...the actual clasp itself was broken. It wouldn't open up.

I contacted ShopMissA and they gave me a refund for the necklace.

MAKEUP

Kleancolor Essential Angled Brow Brush

e.l.f. Essential Eye Shadow Brush

e.l.f. Essential Eye Crease Brush

e.l.f. Essential Eyeliner Brush

e.l.f. Essential Concealer Brush

I ordered a concealer brush, but ShopMissA gave me an extra eyeshadow brush instead.

However, when I contacted them they were extremely apologetic about the mixup and refunded my money whilst letting me keep the extra eye shadow brush.

e.l.f. Essential Shimmer Eyeliner Pencil - Black Bandit

The built in sharpener on the cap is kinda annoying, but that's not ShopMissA's fault.

e.l.f. Essential Brightening EyeLiner - Black

e.l.f. Essential Lengthening & Defining Mascara

e.l.f. Essential Natural Lash Kit

MISCELLANEOUS

S Blended Drink Cell Phone Dust Plug - Coffee

Super cute. The only thing is that I have a cover on my phone so when I plug it in, it doesn't go in all the way (due to the extra thickness of my phone cover) and therefore it's not completely secured in.

I almost lost it when I stuck my phone in my sweater pocket and took it back out because the plug fell out, but I noticed it right away and was able to retrieve it. Now I'm super aware and constantly checking it to make sure it hasn't fallen off again, which is kinda annoying but it's still cute nonetheless.

Cute Vinyl Double Card Holder

I love these card holders. I got one in each color. Works great and has been tremendously helpful in keeping my various cards neat and organized whilst also keeping them protected, plus they're just so darn cute to look at and colorful to boot.

However, of course right after I ordered these I found them on AliExpress.com which were selling 10 of them for $2.00 and had more various colors, but what are you gonna do.

2 Piece Silicone Gel Shoe Pads

Great for preventing your feet from sliding around in your shoe, especially when you are wearing stockings.

2 Piece Gel Heel Grips for Shoes

Great for protecting the back of your ankles from getting scraped up and blistered.

Happy New Year!!! ~ Resolutions for 2015

Happy New Year Everyone!!! I hope everyone's year has gotten off to a great start.

Now that a new year has started, I'm sure a lot of people have compiled their resolutions and list of things they'd like to do, try out, and accomplish this year. I've put mine together and wanted to share it with you guys...

I would like to start my own YouTube channel.

I really want to meet/interact with new people and I felt that this would be a great platform to do that while stepping outside my boundaries and expanding my horizons.
Here is a link to my channel...

http://goo.gl/6l1IHg

Take baby steps to being healthier.

I know it's not realistic to think that I can completely revamp my eating habits overnight and maintain that, so instead of setting the impossible goal of going cold turkey and eating completely healthy, I wanted to take the baby steps to help get me there slowly but surely because as we all know from "The Turtle and the Hare" parable sometimes slow and steady is the way to go.
For example: using the oven more to bake foods rather than frying, substituting out my very unhealthy potato chip addiction with healthier alternatives like all natural air popped versions, substituting dark chocolate for milk chocolate, etc. all the whilst whittling down portions little by little.
In terms of exercise, I would love to start taking my power walks and go hiking again...in terms of the hiking I'd like to go at least once a month.

Learn a new language...I'm gravitating towards Chinese, but I hear its really easy to learn Japanese so it's a toss up between the two.

So these are my goals for this year.

What about you guys? I would love to hear what you guys have planned/in store for this year.

Cheers to 2015 being an amazingly fantastic year for each and every one of you!

Gift Certificate/Card/Money Idea...(DIY)

For those of you who want a more creative and fun way to give a gift certificate/card/money, here is a quick and easy way to do so.

I created different variations for you guys based on the type of gift you are giving.

Here is an example of a food certificate that I recently gifted...

MATERIALS NEEDED

Gift Certificate/Card/Money

Picture Frame (8x11.5 in.)

Printed PDF (Links are Below)

Adhesive or Exacto Knife (Depending on how you'd like to mount the gift)

DIRECTIONS

Step #1 - Print the PDF you want to use

For Money: http://goo.gl/g7edrH

For Food: http://goo.gl/rIqZtd

For Clothes: http://goo.gl/yRDVBx

Step #2 - Mount the Gift Certificate/Card/Money

You can use a light adhesive to hold the certificate in place, or you can create little half moon slits to hold the certificate/card/money like I did.

Step #3 - Mount the PDF in the picture frame

Step #4 - Gift it to the person

Incredible Landscapes Carved Into Books

All I can say is wow...truly amazing; and I love this statement that he makes: "My work, in 3D as well as in painting, originates from the very idea that ultimate knowledge could very well be an erosion instead of an accumulation." I think it truly resonates with his book landscapes.

Incredible Landscapes Carved Into Books

http://twistedsifter.com/2012/01/landscapes-carved-into-books-guy-laramee/

Artwork by GUY LARAMEE

Hailing from Quebec, fellow Canadian Guy Laramee is a man with many talents. Not only is he a very accomplished painter and sculptor, but Guy is also a highly regarded musician, composer and stage director.

With more than 30 years of practice, Guy’s work has been seen and heard in galleries and theaters around the world. And when he’s not involved in his artistic pursuits, he finds time to pursue an investigation in the field of anthropology.

Below you will find a collection of his incredible book carving work from his series’ titled The Great Wall and Biblios. In these series, Guy carves magnificent landscapes into relevant volumes of work, some pieces using well over ten books. Enjoy!

Artwork by GUY LARAMEE

Carved Book Landscapes by Guy Laramee – Artist Statement

The erosion of cultures – and of “culture” as a whole – is the theme that runs through the last 25 years of my artistic practice. Cultures arise, become obsolete, and are replaced by new ones. With the vanishing of cultures, some people are displaced and destroyed. We are currently told that the paper book is bound to die. The library, as a place, is finished. One might say: so what? Do we really believe that “new technologies” will change anything concerning our existential dilemma, our human condition? And even if we could change the content of all the books on earth, would this change anything in relation to the domination of analytical knowledge over intuitive knowledge? What is it in ourselves that insists on grabbing, on casting the flow of experience into concepts?

When I was younger, I was very upset with the ideologies of progress. I wanted to destroy them by showing that we are still primitives. I had the profound intuition that as a species, we had not evolved that much. Now I see that our belief in progress stems from our fascination with the content of consciousness. Despite appearances, our current obsession for changing the forms in which we access culture is but a manifestation of this fascination.

My work, in 3D as well as in painting, originates from the very idea that ultimate knowledge could very well be an erosion instead of an accumulation. The title of one of my pieces is “ All Ideas Look Alike”. Contemporary art seems to have forgotten that there is an exterior to the intellect. I want to examine thinking, not only “What” we think, but “That” we think.

So I carve landscapes out of books and I paint Romantic landscapes. Mountains of disused knowledge return to what they really are: mountains. They erode a bit more and they become hills. Then they flatten and become fields where apparently nothing is happening. Piles of obsolete encyclopedias return to that which does not need to say anything, that which simply IS. Fogs and clouds erase everything we know, everything we think we are.

After 30 years of practice, the only thing I still wish my art to do is this: To project us into this thick Cloud of Unknowing. [Source]