MAGICCATJENNY: June 2013

June Sponsors

TheGreetingCardShop.com is an online greeting card shop that allows our customers to personalize a greeting card with a message and a photo to be mailed directly to their recipient. These are not e-cards; they are paper greeting cards which are printed and mailed via USPS. The site offers convenient features such as the ability to set reminders for future birthdays and holidays, as well as the ability to import contacts to make sending cards easier.

1. The Owls Den

My name is Amber and I run the lifestyle blog called The Owl's Den. This where I share recipes, vintage finds, crafts and what's going on in my crazy world!

2. Paint Smudges

Paint Smudges is a mix of art, food, and life! There's geekiness, craftiness, a smudge of pop-culture and a smidgen of fun. Come join in!

Thanks so much to everyone who has sponsored or swapped with my blog this month! If you'd like to as well, head over to my sponsor page!

A Sponsored Giveaway

I hope you enjoyed the last Musical Mondays post yesterday. Free things are great, right? I know I love free samples and prizes. I once won an iPad in a YouTube contest(!) So when Angie asked me if I wanted to help host another giveaway...I mean, I've won some Rafflecopter blog-hosted giveaways myself, so why not? Full disclosed, I've never tried NAKED makeup before (or any of the other makeup listed below), so I can't offer my opinion on them. I wish I could enter though, because this stuff looks cool. Anyways, I'll be back with a normal post soon, until then...may the odds be ever in your favor!

J.

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The Urban Decay Naked Palette is a must have this summer because we all want to look good! As another makeup favorite of mine the timing is perfect to give it away. Enjoy, from LeChateaudesFleurs.

This long, lean, seductive case is packed with TWELVE gorgeous neutrals. Shades range from delicate champagnes to dark, gritty gunmetal, with names like Darkhorse, Virgin and Buck. We've also included a range of textures: everything from glitter to shimmer to matte.

RainShadow Labs

RainShadow Labs provides the highest quality wholesale cosmetics. They offer lotions, washes, cremes, candles, soaps, gels, essential oils and so much more.

Visit them here:

http://rainshadowlabs.com/

One of my favorite products fro RainShadow Labs:

AEWR Turbo Wrinkle Smoothing Treatment The name says it all. If there is one turn back the clock product that every person over 25 with skin should have, this is it. Restore firmness, heal sun damage, increase hydration, erase wrinkles, smooth texture, nourish at the dermal layer, minimize irritation, increase skin brightness and even out skin tone.
Enter to win the Urban Decay Naked Palette: Open worldwide. Ends 7/8/13. Entries will be verified. See Rafflecopter for full Terms.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Musical Mondays: Kirstyn Hippe

For the last Musical Mondays post of the month, I'd like to highlight Kirstyn Hippe. She is a young independent singer songwriter I met online. She sings covers, originals and even some wrock and trock. Wrock is Harry Potter inspired music and Trock is Time Lord (aka Doctor Who) inspired music. The song I'm sharing with you today is called Mirror of Erised and it's one of her wrock songs. She's very talented and even if you're not a fan of nerdy fandom rock, she's worth checking out!

In cause you did not see last week's post, every Monday this month I'll be participating in the 'Music Mondays' link up hosted by My So Called Chaos. I'll write about what song I'm feeling that week and link up with a bunch of other bloggers doing the same. Also, this month I'm the sponsor! That means that I am doing a music related giveaway, so if you want to win a prize just check the bottom of this post! I'm giving away a CD from Jim's band, The Long Holidays. It's called The Adventure Through Liquid Space and has 11 songs about adventures, submarines, vikings, gods, and more.

What music are you listening to today?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Makeup Video: Jemima from CATS

Recently I've found lots of my old CATS makeup videos that used to be on YouTube. I have decided to re-upload them to my original channel and turn it into a cosplay channel. This is a more recent makeup than the photos I've been posting to this blog. I will, however, catch up with them and you'll get to see photos from this makeup soon. I hope you enjoy!

If you are interested in seeing more makeup and costume videos, go ahead and subscribe to my cosplay channel! I have a few more old videos to re-upload there and then if I get enough intrest I'll make some new ones!

J.

My Trip to the Renaissance Fair!

In May (11th) I went with a few of my friends to the Renaissance Pleasure Faire. I've been before but that was a few years ago. The RenFair is great cause you get to dress up and act like a weird-o and you probably won't be the strangest person there. I hope you enjoy all of these lovely photos. (we took tons!)

Me and Kirsten at the fair.

My costume!

RenFair hair!

John Piggins is sad for the pig.

Welp.

Those are actually not his drinks.

The queen.

I loved that guys costume, but he must have been HOT in it.

Gentlemen spear throwers.

This is not a good idea.

I found Daenerys Targaryen!

And the 10th Doctor!

Probably the coolest thing I saw at the fair.

Those are a teeny tiny portion of all of the photos taken (we took about 80). Overall the fair was fun, albit hot and dirty and the food was really really greasy and the drinks were expensive. We had a good time and I do think I'll come back next year. (If only for the shopping and falcons.)

J.

Musical Mondays: Lip Sync

For this week's Musical Mondays, I'm going to embarrass myself. Yup. I was trying to think of a great song to share with you when I remembered I recently did a lip sync video for my (currently on hiatus) collab channel. I picked a few of my favorite songs so you'll get to hear a bit of my music taste as you watch me act very silly. Enjoy!

What music are you listening to today?

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Found Favorites #9

If I had kids, this teepee would be a perfect start to a room-wide blanket fort!

(via. Little Fierce One)

So...my favorite band (since '97) recently brewed their own signature beer. I mean, the name is just too perfect. Also, I'm a beer drinker so I am totally going to pick some up during their summer tour!

(via. Mmmhops.com)

The image says it all. Sound wave jewelry(!) I wonder how different 'I love you' looks when different people say it.

(via. David Bizer)

I don't wear skirts enough because I simply don't know how to wear them (what to wear with them, what looks good, etc. ugg) However, if I had one of these skirts, I would sure make an effort!

(via. Armkel)

My friend, Whitney, has one of these sweaters. I think it looks like a the Cheshire Cat!

(via. Endless Fashion)

Family, Domains, and Zucchinis

Lately I've been seeing quite a bit of Jim's family and it's been so nice to get to be a part of their lives. However it has reminded me that I don't spend the time with my own family that I'd like to. Recently my sister and some of my cousins and I got to hang out together, a rare occasion these days. My sister Amy was just about to start her stay in Japan for her work, so we all went to a country western bar/concert with her and her friends. Amy, my cousin Dianna, my cousin Kavita, and I actually hung out and it wasn't a holiday!

Dianna and I.

Dianna is very busy and lives just far enough that it make it difficult to hang out all of the time. Amy is always in different countries it seems, for her work. Kavita, as you know, lives in Sweden. Her sister, Sabina, is coming to town this week and I really want to see them both before they leave for home.

Kavita, me, and Amy.

Big blog related news! I purchased a domain! Yes, you can now go to www.magiccatjenny.com to get to this blog. It's a small change but it means quite a lot to me. I will probably be making new business cards eventually that include my Storenvy store as well. If you want one of the old ones before they are gone, perhaps you can take part in the 100 Letters project (that I am way behind on, eep!) and let me know you want an old card.

Last night I made some awesome zucchini boats with cheddar broccoli rice and onions. I found a few recipes online and modified them to my liking. I'm not often the one cooking, so when I try to make it count.

I hope you enjoyed my random life updates. I might do more posts like this in the future. If I don't post about things right away they tend to get pushed further and further back on my blog schedule. (I still haven't posted about my trip to the Ren Faire!) I hope you are all having a great Tuesday!

Musical Mondays: Cut Right Through Me

Today I'd like to share with you a clip from "De Constructed ANTHEM" a making-of documentary of Hanson's sixth studio album. I have been a Hanson fan ever since 1997 (I was 11 years old and in love!) I have never stopped following their career and I try and see them play whenever they are in town touring. Their new album is coming out soon and can be pre-ordered on their website, Hanson.net. I wish this was the whole song but it's a great teaser!

What music are you digging today?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Harry Potter Craft Fair Haul

When I was selling at the Whimsic Alley Harry Potter Craft Faire I did a bit of shopping. All of the shops I mention are linked in the video description, so just click the little YouTube logo in the lower right of the video to see all of that. I hope you enjoy my haul!

Thanks for watching!
J.

Photo an hour >> May 28th

I know I said I'd never do another 'photo an hour' on a work day, but I did. I completely forgot about this project until the evening of the last Sunday of the month, so I was left with no choice other than another weekday. I've tried my best to make it a bit more interesting than last time. Enjoy!

Past Photo an Hour:
January

February

March

April

8am >> Just a bit of blogging before heading out of the door to go to work. I like being awake with enough time to do this during the week but it does not always happen.

9am >> One nice thing about working in an office: free coffee! Although I forgot my mug this morning so poorly insulated paper cups it is.

10am >> Awkward photo of our industrial celling. What? You really wanted another photo of my desk?

11am >> Necessary shoe shot! Jim gave me a weird look when I started folding over the tops of my Convers this morning. I like 'em like that!

12pm >> New shirt inspired by my favorite Wes Anderson film. This was actually a late Secret Santa gift from the CalNerdCon Secret Santa last year. Thanks Ellie!

1pm >> I like to sit outside by this baseball field and park during lunch. It's peaceful and nice to just be outside.

2pm >> I love this tree. The bark is so beautiful and I really want to climb up into it. It's nice when I find a great tree, makes me forget I'm living in the city sometimes.

3pm >> I like looking over my blog planner when I wait for an email to be replied to or a meeting to start. I'm really taking this blog seriously this year and it's so much fun! (Planning things is really fun for me!)

4pm >> I don't think I've showed you this before. It's my name plate at work. You're suposed to write something that you make but instead I made a pocket to hold my personal business cards.

5pm >> Well this photo was actually taken more likely at 5:30. It's right after I got home from work on my porch. There is this huge tree blocking our view of the street (and more importantly, the view of inside our apartment from pedestrians.) It's a bummer that it blocks the sun as well,

6pm >> A bit of reading until Jim gets home. I got that beautiful bookmark at the Getty during my February photo an hour.

7pm >> Dinner time!

The rest of the evening consisted of watching far too many Arrested Development episodes from the new season. It was a good yet unexciting day. This month I'll try and remember early on and pick a weekend day where I'm not stuck in one place the majority of the time.

Pen Pal Mail: IGGPPC

I finally got around to posting my mail vlog from when I opened my first ~~letter~~ package(!) from my IGGPPC pen pal. I hope you enjoy my 'squeeing' and my inability to 'even' as I get probably the coolest thing ever in the mail from a stranger.

Thanks for watching!
J.

Musical Mondays: Cold War Battle Call

Every Monday this month I'll be participating in the 'Music Mondays' link up hosted by My So Called Chaos. I'll write about what song I'm feeling that week and link up with a bunch of other bloggers doing the same. Also, this month I'm the sponsor! That means that I am doing a music related giveaway, so if you want to win a prize just check the bottom of this post!

I'm giving away a CD from Jim's band, The Long Holidays. It's called The Adventure Through Liquid Space and has 11 songs about adventures, submarines, vikings, gods, and more.

The song I am feeling today, however, is off of their latest album (they did not release a physical copy or else I would have given that away). It's called Cold War Battle Call and it's about two spys, on oposite sides of a war, in love. I hope you enjoy the song and be sure to let the band know what you think on their Twitter or their Facebook.

Linky Code:

a Rafflecopter giveaway