Darphynia's Diary

While at one of Whimsic Alley's craft fairs, I came upon a shop with some of the cutest earrings I've ever seen!  They are all inspired by something, whether it is a T.V. show or beloved cartoon.  The Nerdy But Still Girly (formerly known as WenSi Creation), was founded around 2011 by Shelly and her cousin, Wen Wen.  They, along with the design team, create products that are "For fan girls, by fangirls," hence the motto.  Shelly was kind enough to take the time to complete an interview:      In one word, how would you describe your current customers? Bacon Please describe the process behind the establishment of your business (i.e. How the concept came about, the mission/purpose of your business, etc.). I bought Wen Wen some necklaces and she said to me, "I can teach you how to make these". I went kinda crazy and started making things I really want but cannot find.  How would you describe the relationship amongst your staff (i.e. family

When I was at Nordstrom Rack , I saw these Just Cavalli sunglasses , and they spoke to me.  Okay, not in that way.  You know when you walk into a store, see an item, and you just have to have get it?  Well, that's what happened. Image courtesy of ebay.com Image courtesy of ebay.com They fit well, protect against harmful UV rays, and the lenses/frame are large enough to provide excellent coverage (without looking like I have bug eyes).  These sunglasses go with everything, too, which is always a plus with any accessory.  They come in three colors:  gradient smoke/gunmetal (the kind I purchased), shiny rose gold/brown mirror, and gold/gradient brown.  Since I am more light-sensitive, I chose the smoke gradient lenses.  I'm also not a huge fan of gold and don't care for pink, nor brown lenses.  They were at Nordstrom Rack for $50.00.  Those of you who know me know I don't normally spend more than $30.00, but this was well worth it.  They came with the

Image courtesy of bikramyogacapalaba.com.au I took yoga while getting my AA at the local community college.  A physical education course was required to get any sort of degree, and I was told that yoga would be a good option.  My yoga instructor was a little, older Japanese guy.  The first thing he did was a headstand, and said by the end of it we would be able to do the same...well, on the wall anyway.  I found that yoga was a great relaxer for me, and while it held no spiritual meaning, I did feel better.  It would be 8 years until I really started it up again.  Now, when I have some time or am winding down, I put on a program and get my yoga on.  Since I'm currently unable to really do any sort of working out aside from walking or light swimming, yoga is great when the nights are cold.  Over time, you realize how much your body has changed, especially when you are not able to do things as easily.  Certain yoga positions are far more difficult to do than I remembered, a

Image courtesy of lushusa.com LUSH recently released several new massage bars.  Since they have been aerated, you get far less product.  I am not a huge fan of the new scents.  Even Dirty (which is my favorite scent) doesn't smell quite the same...at least, not in massage bar form.  Here are my hits and misses regarding LUSH massage bars. Massage Bar Hit Okay Miss Wiccy Magic Muscles  x Each Peach (and Two’s a Pair) x Shimmy Shimmy  x Soft Coeur x From Dusk ‘Til Dawn x Strawberry Feels Forever x Wiccy Magic Muscles Wiccy Magic Muscles felt great.  It has a spicy, earthy scent and the azuki beans make for a great massage.  Unfortunately there was a problem, which makes this a miss.  When I woke up after using this, my skin was covered in pimples!  I had broken out so bad it looked like I ha

Image courtesy of lush.co.uk LUSH's fresh face masks are only available in their shops.  Due to their ingredients they are required to be refrigerated.  They should also be used within a couple of weeks, or they may spoil and mold.  Each mask is formulated to address all types of skin concerns.  I have not tried all of them, so I will only include those I have. Fresh Face Mask Hit Okay Miss Love Lettuce x Brazened Honey x Cosmetic Warrior x Catastrophe Cosmetic x BB Seaweed x Oatifix x Love Lettuce I really liked the idea of Love Lettuce because it is a mask and exfoliator all in on pot.  It was moisturizing and balanced out my skin.  When I was in the shop, they said to use approximately half a pot per use, but I found that I got about 7 or so uses out of one pot.  Unlike Catastrophe Cosmetic, my skin did not fee

Image courtesy of lush.com.au Image courtesy of lush.com.au One of my best friends introduced me to LUSH a few years ago.  Since then, I've noticed several changes in the quality and prices of many of their products.  For instance, they have begun to aerate their massage bars, which means you're getting less products for the money (they weight about 1/2 or less of what they used to).  Their prices have also increased exponentially.  At any rate, the products that work are the ones I will continue to support.  There are some things I have yet to try, mostly because I don't care for the scent.  I did make an exception for Soak and Float (yes, it really does smell like a campfire, but the scent does not linger all day) because it was said to soothe itchy scalps, and it does.  The following is a chart of my personal hits & misses regarding their selection of haircare: Shampoo (liquid/solid) Hit Okay Miss Big