Vocal Harmonies to Cleanser Your Ears

This is coming to me at the perfect time where I need to clear my head of all the crappy sounds. I stumbled upon it after signing the petition to name le Parc Clark after the late Lhasa de Sela (une demande qui a jusqu'à présent passée dans le beurre).

Fiume Night 17 _ Jess Chambers & Justin Firefly, part3 _ 

Wellington, june 2009

This is a screen shot of the video that you should see here (http://vimeo.com/5369573)

Enjoy, my good lasses and lads.

Merry Decoden Christmas

Woohoo! I finally changed the Halloween case for the Christmas one. Complete with Christmas donuts, candy canes, reindeers, pretzels, bows and, you know, all of that fun stuff.

Survive Pre-Christmas With Productivity Meals

So I've been posting a lot about Shinysht lately, but I haven't forgotten how I wanted to get back on track and post regularly about all the things that get me motivated in life. As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm out to help you incorporate veganism in your current diet.

Life is getting extra hectic with Christmas on its way, but you don't need to make compromises to your healthy diet. Actually, now is the time more than ever to eat proper food and boost your energy.

Here's a simple yet very flavourful recipe that I call Multiple Vegetables and Bean Over Coucous (yeah.) It's packed with protein and will give you the energy you need to be productive during the say.

Ingredients
• 1 large sweet potato (that I choose not to peel)
• 1 large yellow, orange or red bell pepper
• 1 small white onion
• 1 540ml can of mixed beans
• Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce (best thing ever)
• Cumin
• Crushed Red peppers
• Couscous

1. Preheat the oven to 425C
2.Dice your vegetables and place them raw on a baking tray
3.Poor olive oil onto the vegetables and toss around until coated
4. Add cumin and crushed red peppers to taste
5. Pop this in the oven for 30 mintutes: toss after 10 minutes. After another 10, add the beans and toss and turn the heat down to 350C. Leave for the remaining 10 minutes.
6. Prepare the couscous -What's great about the recipe is that you can prepare the portions of couscous as you need them and store the extra vegetable bean topping in the refrigerator
7. Take the veggies out and add the hoisin sauce
8. Pour the veggie/bean mix over the prepared couscous and voilà!

Hope this saves some of your meals from turning into the horrifying frozen diner supper.

3, 2, 1 Decoden Lift Off!

Woohoo! It's done guys. It's all online ready for you to look at and support the decoden adventure that is just starting. Click here and be happy.

Voilà c'est fait! Cliquez ici pour découvrir mes créations qui sont FINALEMENT sur le web après tout ce temps.

Thank you thank you thank you for your support, share news to all your facebook friends, twitter friends, instagram friends and mustn't we forget your real life friends too.

Peace <3

Fake Food ShinySht Decoden: Launch Tomorrow!

Officially setting off on a Decoden/Fake sweets/Fake food adventure called ShinySht. It will be online and ready for you to encourage as of tomorrow, Saturday December 15th at http://storeenvy.com/shinysht.

Looking for Christmas gifts? Here's the place for all lovers of sweets, decoden and happiness!

See you tomorrow,

Gal at Shinysht

"Toxique pi cancérigène pi toute le kitte loh..."

There really isn't a lot of information on the toxicity of 100% silicone caulk because it's such a commonly used material, but my experience with it and this information here by a furniture maker on Livejournal is enough to convince me.

When I used it, I started feeling dizzy, high, had irritated eyes and a sore throat instantly.  I was wearing a mask and was in my dad's construction work room which is made to be ventilated and yet I was still feeling it.

Not only that, but the other people living with me had to endure the smell that permeated the rooms way beyond my work area.

In conclusion, this kind of boring post is essential before my decoden adventure launches because, yes, I am aware that latex caulk is less sturdy. However, no, I am not willing to sacrifice health for that.


"hi I'm a furniture maker. I joined this community recently, and it concerns me that you guys are using silicone glue in exposed or unsafe conditions. TAFE (college chain in Australia) students are actually banned from using silicone glues nowadays because they're highly toxic when in use, including only breathing this product in.

The glues are only considered non-toxic when dry and covered/unbroken. In a wet state, or in the process of curing, or in the case the dry glue starts to flake apart, it's toxic and an irritant to skin, eyes, etc.

You might not find much research or documentation on the dangers of silicone products, as it's one of those things that are used too much in production of many items, and in many forms (chemically speaking), and would cause a great deal of issue to remove it from production altogether until the research is complete, but evidence of the dangers are definitely being uncovered.

Please, for your safety, if you insist on using it, wear a breathing mask and cover any skin that might come into contact with the glue when using silicone glues and products, and always heed the warning label.

Read below if you want more specific info, otherwise just skip the rest. :]
---

On silicone adhesives. Note: this is only one once-time contact or exposure, repeated contact or exposure could have worse consequences, such as long-term damage to your eyes, skin, breathing capacities.

VI. HEALTH HAZARD AND PROTECTION DATA (By-product: Acetic Acid)

This material releases acetic acid until moisture curing is complete.

A. Personal Protection Recommended:

Wear impervious gloves and protective clothing as required to prevent skin contact.

Wear protective goggles to prevent eye contact.

An eyewash and safety shower should be nearby and ready for use.

B. Signs and Symptoms of Exposure:

1. Inhalation: Moderately toxic. Severe mucous membrane irritant.

2. Eye Contact: Severe eye irritant.

3. Skin Contact: Severe skin irritant

4. Ingestion: Moderately toxic.

5. Chronic Effects of Exposure: May cause bronchitis and pharyngeal edema. Acetic acid may cause burns upon prolonged or repeated contact. Skin sensitization may occur.

C. First Aid for Exposure:

1. Eye contact: Immediately flush with water for at least 15 minutes while holding eyelids open and lifting upper and lower eyelids occasionally. Get immediate medical attention.

2. Skin contact: Immediately remove excess material from the skin with a waterless skin cleaner. Wash skin with plenty of soap and water. Get medical attention if irritation persists after washing. Remove contaminated clothing and shoes and wash before reuse.

3. Ingestion: Not applicable. Dilute acetic acid is approved for food use.

4. Inhalation: Remove to fresh air. Give artificial respiration if not breathing. Get immediate medical attention.

5. Carcinogenicity: This material is not considered to be a carcinogen by the National Toxicology Program, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, or the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

D. Medical Conditions Generally Aggravated by Exposure: No data is available."

You can find the full thread here.

Thank you for your time!

Crazy Asian Bakes Decoden Cookies

NEWS FLASH: Crasy Asian Gal (CAG) makes fake cookies for the upcoming launch of her decoden adventure called Shinysht.

Hey wait, what's decoden already? 
"This type of keitai is known as "Decoden" [デコ電] (also spelt as "Dekoden") which is short for "Decoration Denwa" - "Denwa" meaning "Phone." -Danny Choo

Any decodeners wanna connect on Twitter, I gots de account now! @shinysht

I've Been Thinking About You

I do enjoy Frank Ocean's music but... Yuna's cover of Thinkin Bout You is really breathtaking to me. It might be a weird thing to say but it sounds like a tiny is lodged inside her body and sings to pass the time. Watch this, you won't regret.

Too Good To Be Only 3$

"This product is the mere price of a good pair of shoes!"   "Oh, so you mean three dollars, right?"

Found these at the Happy Castle City thrift store. Rubber soles are the seriously the best.

All things said, although I won't tell you where my favourite thrift stores are since I'm greedy like that (actually, I'm just too lazy to get all the addresses), I encourage you to go the eco/affordable/somuchchiquer way and thrift until... the end of time...

If you still ain't convinced, let Macklemore lead the way for you.

Until next time,
Stay snazzy, friend.

Life After Facebook

Even when facebook is desactivated, there are still a million ways to procrastinate. Photobooth is a great example of that.

Photobooth is definitely a good way to add merry feelings to one's day. It's just brainless fun. Stay cheerful, semester's almost over!

ARE YOU FRIGGIN' BLIND?!!

 U Mad Bro? A.k.a. Me, pretending I have bad eyesight in
keeping with the theme of the post (getitgetit?)
 a.a.k.a. Having To Much Fun With XnRetro.

Well anyway, regardless of if you are or not, you may want to try out this CCCG (Curry Carrot Coconut Ginger) vegan potage. I just made one it this weekend and it is mad tasty and maaad easy to make. You only need to be *actively* cooking for no more than a half hour.

The recipe for it is: here. I wasn't sure about where I was going with this blog so I stopped posting. However, I know for sure I want to help people incorporating vegan meals, desserts and snacks in their diet. It's so much easier than what people may think and really beneficial to your health. 

DIY Sunday: Rock Keychain

I found these rocks when camping in Oka a few days ago and I decided to make them into keychain pendants. Here's how things went down.

Materials:

• Pointy-ish rocks
• Pre-looped wire (optional; you can always make these out of plain wire)
• Some beads
• About 10 cm of chain
• Plyers/cutters
• Wire

Thrift Treasure Hunter #2

This makes me think, this weekend is your last chance to check out Vintage POP !

Summer is coming to an end... but I swear there's still some time to bask in the sun. Regardless of the stormy weekend ahead in Montreal...

Profitez-en le plus possible!

Cheers

Lucky iPod Case

Today is the day that I made an iPod case out of a red envelope. You can look further down for quick and simple instructions proudly brought to you by my so far very basic tablet drawing skills.

So you basically cut out a piece of fleece big enough so that when you double it over, it covers your device entirely. Then you sew it shut on all side except the top (duh). Then you fit it in the envelope and add some glue (I used Rubber Cement) between the two. Then press tightly and let dry. I also chose to plastify my envelope with some clear tape.

Voilà! And for all of you who don't get these on special occasions, just drop by my house. The gift shop lady gave us a huge wad of them last time we went to Singapore.

Cheers !

Motivational Quote #1

Pain is only weakness leaving the body. -General Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller

This is the first of an ongoing series that will serve to not only motivate me, but anyone else that may come across this.  Fitness and a healthy lifestyle in general is something immensely important and I believe that it has been taken for granted lately. 

Oh woupes.

So I've been out for nearly two months and a half but I am still alive and will start crafting and all that jazz again. Just letting the world know in case anyone missed me. And, well, yeah! Cheers

Meatless: The Great PB and Apple Sandwich

Making compassionate choice in food isn't as hard as it may seem. There are three main components to keep in mind.

• -Know where your food comes from
• -Eat food grown and produced locally
• -Encourage food industries that are making conscious decisions to improve our environment and the environment of those that are eaten

I confirm that it may be difficult at times to consistently follow these ideas, but to be aware of them when choosing your food is being one step closer to a planet full of healthier, happier beings.

Here's one simple on the go recipe for you: grilled peanut butter and apple sandwich. All you need is two slices of whole wheat bread, some peanut butter, an apple and butter (I use butter if I know where it comes from and how it's made, if not it's better to use some oil in the pan (coconut oil is the best!)).

• 1. Heat the pan
• 2. Spread the butter on one side of the bread and the peanut butter on the other for both slices
• 3. Cut the apple in slight thinner than quarter inch slices and place them between the two bread slices on the side of the peanut butter
• 4. Grill the sandwich on both sides and serve warm on a plate
• 5. Step back for a second and admire your compassionate and aware sandwich.

Hey ya'll it's Friday! Have a nice weekend
Cheers.

Treasure Hunt #1

Thrifting, looking through hand-me-down bags and walking around flea markets are part of my favourite activities. It's like going on a treasure hunt. I'm going to start making inspiration boards with amazing bargains I've found and hopefully enkindle your desire to go second-hand rather than always get new (and often poor quality!!!) items.

DIY Sandals From Scratch!

Woohoo! I am so excited because I have finally been able to take the time to make sandals. I'd like to thank Jose who drove me around everywhere to find a rubber mat (go figure, I thought I'd be able to find rubber mats anywhere).

I'll post a guide to make them yourself once I tweak the pattern!

Ps. For all the crafty girls out there: Handmade Ryan Gosling . Hilarious and yet, probably the best boyfriend a craft oriented girl can ever picture. Thank you to Mini Eco on which I found a link to this tumblr blog. Her blog is beautiful btw.

Cheers!

Open House Tea Party + Mother's Day Shopping

Anne, the lovely lady behind Dot & Lil, hosted a open house shopping event and tea party yesterday in her studio. She had an adorable little setup, complete with cupcakes, fresh lemonade, sablés cookies and most importantly an array of scrumptious body products up for grabs! Here are a few highlights.

These soaps are part of Dot & Lil's custom order products for events such as weddings.

And last but not least, Anne!
Don't forget to check out all her other products here.
Happy Mother's day everyone, catch ya later!

No one puts iridescence in the garbage

The reason I kept these hand-me-downs in the first place was because my eye was attracted to the iridescence of the rectangular pieces of these earrings. I've never worn them though. The blue of the plastic beads is off and really, the dangly chains didn't do it for me this time.

So I converted them to stud earrings! Notice also how the originals are already missing their ear hooks. I used them for the embroidery thread earrings. Double attack on reusing, woohoo!

Stay snazzy, friends.
Keep in touch !

Package From Japan

The anticipation leading up to clicking "Confirm order" the wait to receive the package, THE OPENING OF THE PACKAGE! Oh, the joys of online shopping. I decided to have my own Hello Kitty fake glasses, just because I can. The deco pieces were bought at Danika 58's Etsy shop. Friendly service and speedy shipping!

Did you know that they have a Japan Decodenist Association?! Apparently you can become a certified professional decoden artist. Amazing, that country blows me mind.

One's Trash, Another's Treasure: Bowling Pin Ring

What to do with a tiny set of bowling pins? A double finger ring of course! I know, I know, spray paint is horrible for our environment... guilty pleasure... argh!

Feel free to ask questions or add your thoughts.
Have a nice weekend and party safe (or have a safe homework night just like yours truly here...)!

Sunday Crafty Time: Thread Ball Earrings

It's Sunday morning again! If you're like me, you have dozens of embroidery thread balls collected since childhood to make friendship bracelets, but just never got around to making THAT many of them. Here's another way to create greatness out that thread! Time to end the our week in happiness with this step-by-step guide to making your own embroidery thread ball earrings.

Materials you'll need:
• 2 earring hooks
• 2 jump rings
• 2 empty water balloons
• 1 pair of jewelry pliers (however, I managed with my utility pliers and so can you haha)
• 1 pair of scissors
• 1 'ball' of embroidery thread
• White liquid glue in a plastic container lid

Blow up the two balloons to desired size (I made bigger and smaller ones). It helps to stretch them out a bit before trying to blow in them.

Now cover about three inches worth of thread with the glue in the lid and apply it to the balloon. Repeat until you get something like the following picture

This is approximately what it should look like, however every earring will turn out unique. Now leave it to dry completely (or else your ball will get all wonky)

Now's finally the time to pierce the balloons and pull it out. Important:Keep a holding the part of the balloon that sticks out (unlike in the picture!) or else you might get stuck trying to fish it out

Finally, thread the earring hooks to the jump ring and secure it to the strand of glued thread of your choice. Where you decide to attache the jump ring affects the way your earring will hang, so choose wisely!

You can vary this technique to make different looks.

Hope you enjoyed this guide and most importantly, have a happy week!