Here's my review of the Cats revival on Broadway and a haul of what I bought. Cats has been my favorite musical since I saw the PBS filmed version back in 1998. Interested in more of my showtube videos? Watch me dressed as a Jellicle cat at BroadwayCon here or watch my Hamilton Review here.
Let me just start by saying that never have I been to a conference or convention with a more generous swag bag. This was probably due to there only being 400 attendees and the (kinda high) ticket price. The EtsyUp! swag bag itself is beautiful, I mean look at that art! There was also an Etsy banner/flag thing, a stainless steel water bottle, and that's my name tag with one of my buttons on the left.
This cute mug was given to us at the end of the conference, as a surprise last gift. It was made by Small Glow. We also received 3 books in our swag bags:
New Order by Fay Wolf
Dinner the Playbook by Jenny Rosenstrach
Self Made by Nely Galán
Each author spoke at the conference and each was inspiring and uplifting in their own way.
Here is the schedule and map, a notepad with tag ideas (SEO!), an adorable notebook, a luggage tag from Special Event Keys and the other side of the mug.
I visited the pavilion and got a ton of free samples and business cards and flyers. The most valuable part was actually talking to the representatives from Etsy and other companies.
One fun surprise was being one of the few people to win the raffle for swag bag from the San Francisco Etsy Team! Their bags are really great quality and I have been to San Francisco so I don't feel like a fraud toting it around, lol!
So the first thing I pulled out of the bag was another bag! It's a leather backpack by Vincie. It's wonderful quality, limited edition, and I think my laptop will just about fit inside.
Next was a bunch of soap and lip scrubs. (Seriously so much!) The lip scrubs and large soap bar are from Pixie Rocks Crafts and the other soap samples are from Etta + Billie and A Slice of Delight.
In the last group of stuff was a sleep mask from Lights Out Go Bed, a button from Stephanie Hatch, wall hanging/ornament photography on wood by Cuppa Fog, and a wooden necklace from Bottle of Clouds. I am LOVING the cat/night theme here...definitely my aesthetic!
Overall I think I got more free goodies than I ever thought possible. Thank you EtsyUp and the San Fransisco Etsy Team. Now, enjoy my EtsyUp vlog!
I did a Paperback Swap haul and showed off how the books typically are packaged. Join me on Paperback Swap by clicking here! Also, watch my video explaining Paperback Swap here! Thanks for watching!
I did this last year so I'm doing it again! Here's all the stuff I bought during VidCon, woooo shopping!
First up is this squishy 'Subscribe' pillow from Throwboy. I've wanted this pillow for so long (back when it was yellow!)I'm so happy I finally got it.
Next is Catbug, "Soft tacos!" Catbug is a character from the animated web show, Bravest Warriors, by Pendleton Ward. (creator of Adventure Time)Do yourself a favor and check it out!
For Jim I got the latest Hank Green album. It's with his new band, Hank Green and the Perfect Strangers. Jim absolutely loves is! He says it reminds him of late 90s, early '00s ska...so great!
So for VidCon Disney Day that Sunday I was going to meet up with a group of Disneybounders. (more on that soon!) I was going as Belle, so it was perfect when I found these "Once Upon a Time" storybook earrings at the Midnight House Elves booth! I bought from them last year, always a treat!
For Julianne this year I got her this "The Fault in Our Stars" keychain from the DFTBA booth. She loved it!
The next thing was actually a gift from one of my VidCon roommates, Agus. It's a fancy dress BEMO (from Adventure Time) hair clip! It's so cute!
Another gift was this amazing ATC from Jade. It's a closeup of the Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver hand-drawn! So cool!
I hope you enjoyed my VidCon haul!
Now, here's a Bonus Disney Day Video!
Thanks for reading and watching!
Since I won the IndieGiftBox Instagram contest for May, I was sent this awesome prize box! Here's what was inside ( TL;DR there is a video of me unboxing this and June's box at the bottom of this post)
The first item were these cute wooden heart earring from Abby J Studio. I've been wearing a lot of studs lately so these are perfect!
Next is this mineral powder blush from Simplicity Cosmetics. It's sort of brown/pink, very rustic.
Then I opened this eyeglass microfiber cloth. I wear glasses but I could probably also use it on my camera lenses.
Finally there was this adorable wooden bird brooch from Hexagon Inc. I think this was my favorite thing from the entire box.
Thank you IndieGiftBox, for this lovely present!
Now here's a video of me opening the June box and this box, enjoy!
**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on them.
Well I did it, I purchased another IndieGiftBox. If you missed my last post about them, IndieGiftBox is a monthly subscription box service that delivers handmade products
instead of big name brands. Here's
my 'unboxing' of the June "Rainbow Bright" box! If you want a Rainbow Bright box and don't want any of my spoilers, go ahead and subscribe! If you're not the commitment type grab yourself one of these boxes ‘o’ happiness on a first-come, first served basis.
Also, I filmed my reaction to opening this box this time. Think I should post it on YouTube? It would probably go on my second channel if I do. Let me know!
First are these huge, but pretty, swarovski pearl studs by NaZari. They are bright and sure to stand out. I hope I have some green in my wardrobe that they match, or perhaps I can pair them with a black outfit.
One of my favorite things in this box was this leather geo ring by Boo + Boo Factory. It's on a standard adjustable ring base but the different color leather feels nice and looks great!
This bracelet from Hello Zee looks like it's just made of embroidery floss and a chain, but it's so beautifully woven together. I really love the bright colors. (I think it might match a Lion King t-shirt I own!)
I am so excited to try these hair ties from Boho Bands. I've seen them around but never actually purchased any to try. Also, the pink one with the gold skulls, love it!
Words of wisdom:
Here’s what you need to know….
Rainbow Bright artists and makers:
A few weeks ago in May, Jim and I went to the Patchwork Craft Show in Long Beach. Craft shows are my thing but Jim was excited for the food trucks and live music so we made it a date. Let me tell you, it was great! The weather was perfect, the music and food hit the spot, and I found quite a lot of treasures.
The first thing I want to show you is this gift tag kit from JAK. At only $15, it was a steal. (I've seen those mini alphabet stamp kits for close to that by themselves!) I'm a sucker for craft supplies, A+.
Next were these pretty earrings from Sisters of Summer. They were also a steal at $5. I have not had a chance to wear them yet but I like the sort of steampunk feel they have.
Comics! There was a table full of Mr. Toast stuff (I don' know who Mr. Toast is, but he's super cute.) Jim picked out Ninja School as the comic we should take home. I think it had something to do with the Tori gate on the cover...hehe.
Jim found something as well! This Go Ride shirt is perfect for him, as he rides his bike to work quite a lot. I don't remember the name of the company he got it from but they had tons of cool shirts.
Craft fairs are the best! I hope one day I can sell at them again. Till then, I'll seek them out and enjoy discovering all the goodies!
I hope you enjoy this video, I got some pretty neat stuff during my trip to both parks. If any of you are pin traders, let me know! I'm sort of getting into the world of it a bit...maybe, I don't know. Thank you for watching!
I've always wanted to try one of those subscription box things but none seemed quite right for me, then I found IndieGiftBox. They are a monthly subscription service that delivers handmade products instead of big name brands. Perfect! Great value and no commitment (I bought one box, rather than a subscription), what's not to love? Here's my 'unboxing' of the May "Sparkle & Shine" box!
Wrapped in turquoise and sparkles, the box arrived on my doorstep. I avoided looking at the product list at first (didn't want any spoilers!) You're about to get all the spoilers so if you'd rather be surprised, head over and get your box!
My favorite thing in the haul was these turquoise diamond shaped studs from Plastique. They are so cute, I've been wearing them with everything!
Next was this pretty sparkly nail polish from Gothic Gala Lacquer. It's a bit sheer so I needed two coats, but I bet it'd be really cool layered over a similar color.
This lip tint from Tulips Apothecary says it's 'POPS champagne' scented. I guess that means coke-a-cola, cause that's all I smell. Reminds me of summers as a tween in the 90s.
Okay, so I thought these were earrings at first, haha! They're wine charms from Purely Paige. Very cute and keeping up with the turquoise theme. Now I just need some stemmed wine glasses...
Last but not least was the mystery contributor. It turned out to be two nice bracelets from Duchessa. They are very pretty and look nice worn together.
If you like what you saw you can reserve yours NOW by subscribing on a monthly, 3-month, 6-month or annual basis. For those who opt not to subscribe, you can grab yourself one of these shimmering beauties on a first-come. (I might just be doing that again...hehe) Check out the details below. Featured artists and makers:
One mystery contributor! (whoops, totally spoiled it for you)
The 411:
Release date at time: May 12, 2014 at 8:00am PST
Boxes available: 75 Boxes
Price: $25 per box + s&h
New reduced shipping rates: $5 to the United States, $12 to Canada and $20 to all other international destinations.
Shipping info: Boxes will be shipped within 3 days of receiving your order (whichever comes last) and will be sent via USPS First Class Mail.
Get your box!
**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on them.
There was a lot of free swag at VidCon, but there was also lots of shopping opportunists. Here are some of the awesome things I picked up, and yes the are almost all exclusively geeky fashion.
First is this Tetris Nerd t-shirt from DFTBA Records. It was designed by Alan Lastufka & Vlogbrothers. As a geeky nerdy YouTuber, I'm happy it's finally a part of my wardrobe.
I finally got this adorable wood cut owl necklace from Lauren Fairweather and her Fairweather Friends shop. I absolutely adore her shop and own two plushies from her as well. She's also a YouTuber and a musician. She is one of my biggest inspirations when it comes to crafting & doing YouTube. (She blogs too!)
I have been meaning to get a DFTBA necklace from Karen Kavett for quite a while. She is a graphic designer and YouTuber and she is really really amazing. Her designs can be purchased at DFTBA Records. (I also got a sticker with her logo!)
Some other things I bought at VidCon that are not pictured are two card games: Evil Baby Orphanage & Story War. I recently played them both with Jim's siblings and we had a great time!
Did you go shopping at VidCon? What awesome things did you buy? Maybe one day my shop will have it's own shop set up there...maybe.
J.
