No Foolin' - My Flag is Waving!!

I am so pleased to be part of this hop and ... 

to have been one of the lucky recipients of a flag pole from  Flag-Outlet.com . 
The Flip Flop mini flag holder I received is adorable and most fitting for helping get the mind out of the winter blues and onto the track of thinking that summer will soon be here ... 

Did you also know that Flags on A Stick has partnered with Sew We Quilt to offer all those entering the blog hop an exclusive chance to win your wish list???

When this hop was announced, asking us to make a flag reflecting something we wished to represent ... this is the picture that came to mind ...

Since I have two youngsters still at home, I often take note of these signs.

Well ... with that in mind, I thought of a sign to warn my children, or whoever else may wander by, that I, a quilter, was at play and they should be cautious!!

{chuckle}

So, I started by drawing this pattern:

And this is where I ended:

You may recognize the lady from Amy Bradley's Have a Happy Scrappy Day pattern ... yep ... you would be correct.  All the drawings I attempted, kept looking like Amy's, just not nearly as fun looking.  I just knew this was the form I wanted to use and it captures ... to me ... the utter joy of playing with the endless possibilities of quilting. With Amy's permission, I was able to use a portion of her silhouette for my flag ... thank you Amy!!  

I believe I will be making another as this one has been requested as a gift.  I'm pondering making dear lady quilter darker, or perhaps outline her in straight black ??? ...

oh the joys of the possibilities when a Quilter is At Play!

Please visit my fellow bloggers today who are also sharing their flags today:

April 1st

Sew Incredibly Crazy

Quilt Doodle Designs

Buzzing and Bumbling

Why Knot Kwilt? (me!)

Creatin' in the Sticks

Meadowbrook

This fun and creative hop is being hosted by Miss Thearica of Pigtales and Quilts with the guidance of our dear Madame Samm of Sew We Quilt... !!  The full schedule for this hop can be found at Pigtales and Quilts should you get distracted at any time during your hop visits ... you can also link directly to Madame Samm's Flags on a Stick Pinterest Board to quickly see all of our waving flags. 

I give my sincere gratitude to both of you ladies for all of the hard work and meticulous efforts put in behind the scenes to coordinate this hop ... you both are top notch!!

I also give my sincere thanks to  Flag-Outlet.com and Flags on A Stick for helping us all enjoy our seasonal flags ...

Best wishes to each of you and thank you for coming for a visit!

My AVON Experience - And Some Reviews

Hey everyone and happy weekend! So I wanted to talk really quickly about my AVON experience. It's been a while since the last time I bought anything from Avon, in fact, I think it's been more than 5 years. I was not on the Beauty Blog Day which took place this month, but I noticed Avon was a sponsor, and that made me think how I missed their products and how much fun it was to go through their catalogue. So, I got a move on and I ordered a few things. Overall, I'd say I'm super happy with their products. All my products arrived very fast and I was not disappointed. I got mostly care and body products, not make-up (because I have too much of those anyways). The products smell amazing. I love the packaging as well - actually, I got this perfume because the bottle looked so cute, EVEN THOUGH this perfume's scent wasn't featured in the catalogue - thankfully, I'm in love with it. This is a testament of how much the Avon's perfume bottle's appearance is similar to the scent - if you love the packaging, you will most likely adore the scent as well. However I do not recommend taking a chance - many scents are available for testing on the pages of the catalogue (including mine, which is featured in the newest catalogue), so maybe it's best to try it before you buy it. Like I said, reviews will be coming soon, but in this post I will review quickly some of the products I purchased which are no longer available to buy.

Avon naturals, Moisturising Vanilla hand cream

I've been testing this for a few days now - the smell is good, not too intense for my taste, but it's more of a bitter-vanilla than the sweet-vanilla that I expected - but still smells great. What I can say about this is that it's very fast absorbing, so I'll probably carry it in my purse. Can't say much if it works or not, since my hands are not dry at the moment, I think it's just your regular everyday hand cream. Seems to work just fine. ;)

Avon naturals vivid, Violet and Lychee, scented spritz

This smells so good - I'm in love! This is perfect - I just spray it on my skin, it absorbs instantly (it's a very light mist), and it just smells gorgeous - not too intense, just a light breeze of violets. Gorgeous - this will be great now as the warmer days are approaching and I need some instant freshness. When I spray this, my whole day cheers up!

Avon senses, Citrus burst, after shower moisture mist

When I saw this in the catalogue, I thought it would be the same as the violet spray - a water mist, but it's not. It's more of a very light skin lotion. I like the scent, it's more intense than the other ones, though. What I love about this is - it's very fast absorbing, doesn't leave my skin oily, and it leaves my skin super soft. It's much easier to apply than my other lotions, so I'll be using it a lot now.

And here is next month's catalogue, I can already tell I'll get myself in trouble...hehe. When was the last time you ordered something from Avon? Have you tried their perfumes? Or their jewelry - I'm thinking about getting some of their jewelry, so I'd love to hear your experiences.

You can check out AVON's website for more info and how to order: AVON HRVATSKA, or check out next month's catalogue HERE, also check out their croatian facebook page HERE. See you in the next post, and thanks for stopping by

love, Jelena

Panda Nails - KKCenterHk Review

Products used for this look: 

Essence Studio Nails 24/7 nail base - I'm not sure if this is still available. I don't like it, this polish always mixes with the nail polish I put over it, and ruins the entire look. Besides, some polishes would stain my nails even despite this base, so it doesn't do a very good job. But it looks amazing by itself - it's a transparent matte shade ;)

3 x Maybelline COLORAMA 51 - Too transparent for my taste, but the texture is good. Unfortunately, it's very slow drying, which is why there's a dent on my thumb.

Essence studio nails, better than gel nails, top sealer - This one is not good for water decals, the brush is rough and it pulls them and damages them, otherwise it's a good product, these essence top coats are really great.
Maybelline COLORAMA Polka Dots, 197 - Worn on the small finger, I'm loving this polish, it's amazing and very cute.

N.NAIL Baby TarePanda Water Decals Nail Art [NNAIL-WDSY778] from KKCenterHk

Link for this product: HERE

I'm LOVING these water decals, they're so easy to use, and they look amazing. The leaves are so pretty, and who doesn't like pandas? What ruined this look is the top coat, which has a very rough brush, and it damaged my panda (#sadface), so I was careful with other nails and I made it work. I need to use a different top coat next time. Overall, I love water decals, they make your nails look fabulous in a few seconds, and they're very easy to use. I highly recommend them.

To check out other KKCenterHk products I've reviewed, click HERE.

What do you think of this look? Panda nails - Yay or Nay? Thanks for stopping by, see you soon

xoxo, Jelena

***KKCenterHK has sent me the water decals for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

Muller Egg-shaped Make-up Sponge - Review

Type of product: egg-shaped make up sponge (for liquid/cream foundation)
Brand: no brand
Name of product: Make-up Sponge White - Egg-Shaped
Price: 19 kn (2.5 euro)
Where to purchase: Muller only
Rating: 9/10
Would I repurchase: Yes.
Opinion: I wanted to try this type of tool for some time now - I've never tried this type of product before, I always used only make-up brushes to apply my liquid foundation. When I saw this product in Muller, I thought it must be bad. But I've ended up loving it. Sure, this product has its flaws. But the good sides are not to be disregarded. I haven't used a brush to apply make-up since I've discovered this product - so it's won me over.

1. If you wash it in cold water, the sponge stays white. If you put it under warm or lukewarm water, it permanently changes color to dirt-yellow-brown (photos below). Not pretty at all. Since you do have to wash it, and I don't like having my hands in cold water, you have to face it - it will only be white before first use.

2. Can the sponge be washed of the product to look as if it's never been used? Absolutely NOT. Nothing that I've tried has been able to remove product from the sponge. And I've washed it so many times. I do not have a professional washer for this type of product, but if you browse the web, you will notice that the cheaper versions of this tool can never be washed clean. So why waste money on an expensive cleaner? Also, note that the foundation I'm currently using is Revlon's Colorstay - which is notoriously difficult to remove from sponges. So, if your foundation is lighter, you might be able to get it clean (but I doubt it). The product remains forever stained.

3. I've only used this product wet. Once wet, it does not change shape or size, it stays the same. More expensive versions of this tool will become bigger once wet, but this product is good for me, because I have a tiny face, and the size of this product suits me. And it applies foundation so easily. The final result is flawless - light, beautiful look.

4. Does this sponge absorb product? YES. So much. But this is a good side for me - you see, Revlon's Colorstay is very heavy on my face, and I do not need so much coverage. I don't need to hide blemishes, I just need to even out the color of my face - when I use this sponge, it absorbs a lot of the product, so I end up with a smaller amount on my face - which is exactly what I was looking for. If you however need to hide a lot of things, or need to apply a heavier coat of foundation - this product might not be able to give you that.

5. Does it shed or bend funny or have dents? No. It takes a long time to dry, but once dry it returns to normal shape and size after washing. No shedding of sponge particles.

6. Does it smell? Yes. Like that mix of rubber/plastic/inside of a plastic bag. You know that smell sponges have sometimes? I've gotten used to it, and don't notice it any more, so it's not a problem to me.

Conclusion: Overall, this is a great product for a student budget. You will apply foundation faster and lighter than with a brush. The price is amazing, so if you're not sure if you're willing to spend a lot of money on a ''beauty blender'', this product might show you all the good sides of this tool - but also show you what improvements you might expect if you spend a little more money. Personally, I will continue using these. It works fine for me, and I'm on a student budget anyways.

Now, the pictures of what this product looks like after being used (this is a washed product), so yeah, can't be cleaned:

And a brand new one:

Have you tried this type of tool? Do you have a more-expensive version? I think this product is so adorable, and I've seen a difference - no joke, a BAD VERSION of this product is still better than a make-up brush. With this product my whole face looks lighter, more natural and radiant. Let me know if you try this little guy out - you have nothing to lose - it's so cheap.

Thanks for stopping by, don't forget to follow me, 

love, Jelena

Waving the Flags on a Stick Hop Schedule!

Flags On A Stick Blog Hop

This fun and creative hop is being hosted by Miss Thearica of Pigtales and Quilts with the guidance of our dear Madame Samm of Sew We Quilt... What fun is in store for us!!  The full schedule for this hop can be found at Pigtales and Quilts should you get distracted at any time during your hop visits ... you can also link directly to the Flags on a Stick Pinterest Board by swinging by Sew We Quilt and clicking the link provided by Madame Samm.

Thank you ladies for all of the hard work and meticulous efforts put in behind the scenes to coordinate this hop ... you both are top notch Cheerleaders!!

Though I am not scheduled until next week, I am so pleased to be part of this hop and to have been one of the lucky recipients of a flag pole from  Flag-Outlet.com . 

If you are looking for high quality flags or accessories at affordable prices then Flag-Outlet.com not only provides the most complete selection of flags, they also provide a wide assortment of wall mounting flag kits, telescoping flagpoles, indoor flags and poles, flag cases, pins, patches, windsocks, mailbox wraps and much more!

The Flip Flop mini flag holder I received is adorable and most fitting for helping get the mind out of the winter blues and onto the track of thinking that summer will soon be here ... I can't wait to share it with you all next week.  Until then, this week's fabulous bloggers will be sure to delight you every day!

Tuesday, March 25th
Pig Tales and Quilts
Fishkopp
Marjorie's Busy Corner
Jane's Quilting
Seams To Be Sew

Wednesday, March 26th
Living with Purpose
Life In The Scrapatch
Devoted Quilter
Made By Me In Red
Quilting Quietly

Thursday, March 27th
Bumbleberry Stitches
Quilted Delights
Red Quilts
On the Banks of Frog Creek
Words & Stitches
K and S Sweets and Stitching

Friday, March 28th
How arT you?
Just Let Me Quilt
Robin's Fabric Nest
Patchouli Moon Studio
CeLynn's Sunflower Patch

Ravelly1

In Stitches and Seams

Thank you FLAG OUTLET.com for helping to make this hop possible. Until next week, happy hopping!!

My Celebrity Girl Crushes

Hey everyone! I thought this might be a fun post - let me show you my top 10 most beautiful women. I just adore their style and their look, and yeah, they're my girl crushes. Let's get started:

1. Emily Ratajkowski

OK, so we all know her as the girl from the 'Blurred Lines' video. But really, she's just so gorgeous. Love her face, and love hearing her give interviews (because she's a smart cookie). I, like the rest of the world, have been obsessing over her. I just love her face - to me she represents what 'drop dead gorgeous' means.

2. Jessica Alba

I think Jessica has been on every woman's most-beautiful-list for a long time. She's breathtakingly beautiful, has a great smile, and can pull off any hair style/make up. I love her fashion sense, she's one in a million to me.

3. Emilia Clarke

Surprisingly, I'm not a big 'Game of Thrones' fan (I still haven't read the books), though her character is my favorite. I really started to adore her when I saw her as a brunette. She's got a very demure look to her, and she's a brilliant actress. She's going to be a favorite of mine for the next few decades! ;)

4. Candice Swanepoel

Candice is my favorite Victoria's Secret model (and she got to wear the Fantasy Bra this year, I was so excited for her). No need to explain much, just look at her, she's perfection.

5. Kim Kardashian

I know Kim gets a lot of hate, but I love her face - I'd agree with Kanye and place her on my 'most beautiful women of all time' list. I personally don't see any reason why I should hate her - because she's successful and gorgeous? So stupid. I'm actually excited to see her on the cover of Vogue. I started following the reality shows a few years back and I got hooked - they're addictive.

6. Lisa Bonet

Being the oldest on my list doesn't affect her at all - she gets more beautiful with time. I remember watching her as a child in The Cosby Show, and was blown away by her beauty. I think if I had to choose the most beautiful woman of all time, it would have to be her. She can do no wrong, as far as I'm concerned. Also, her man has to be the sexiest man I've ever set eyes on in my life (Khal Drogo, yummy). Everything about Lisa is perfect.

7. Cassie Ventura

Sean P. Diddy Combs knows this is a girl you do not let go - so I think most of you will know her as his GF. I think she has gorgeous skin, and I loved her with the shaved-head hairstyle. Great body on her as well. I really don't know much about her, but am obsessed with her. I think she has the most beautiful eye color out of all the women on my list.

8. Amber Rose

The only woman in the world that looks better bald-headed. I love Amber, I think she's the bomb. She's fabulous, and also, one of the most beautiful pregnant women I've ever seen. She's got a very interesting personality.

9. Megan Fox

I remember how I used to be obsessed with her, but now I'm kind of chill. I think plastic surgery is most of the times completely unnecessary. I think Megan is a good example of how plastic surgery can make you less-beautiful. I think she needs to go back to a more natural look and just relax and enjoy. Her eyes are perfect.

10. Rihanna

You know, no one looks as good with red hair as Rihanna. Well, is there a hair style or hair color that she can't pull off? I love her spirit and how bold she is. And also love her nails. She's my favorite bad girl. The tattoo under her bust - perfection. I think I loved her the best with red hair.

So that's my list. Would you agree with my choices? Do you think I left someone out? Let me know. Also, I am now on INSTAGRAM - jelenatpr, so follow me there. I usually upload photos of my cat, but I do post nail looks while I'm wearing them, and they make it to the blog only a few weeks later. You can follow me HERE.

Thanks for stopping by, 

love, Jelena

EDIT: Pozdrav svima koji me uhode i koji dolaze sa Šminkerice (ili kako god se to zove)! :) Ovako, da objasnim što se dogodilo budući da se moji komentari brišu, a komentari koji pljuju po meni ostaju (cenzura bwahahahaha).
Upozorila sam autoricu jednog članka da na stranici s koje je preuzela fotke jasno stoji da je takvo ponašanje nedopušteno, a budući da njezina stranica zarađuje preko prometa, onda znači da oni zarađuju koristeći fotografije koje im nije dozvoljeno koristiti. Čak sam im screenshotala na svom twitteru dijelove iz 'Terms of Service', budući da ga same nisu bile voljne pročitati.
Ja ne zarađujem preko ovog bloga - nemam Google Ads (reklame) sa strane niti igdje na stranici. Zbog toga, a uslijed i drugih elemenata, ono što ja radim spada pod ''fair use''. 
Kada imate posao, kada imate web stranicu gdje zarađujete preko broja posjeta (preko reklama), ne možete stavljati koje god fotke želite - posebno ako tako jasno stoji na stranici s koje ste takve fotografije preuzeli. To sam pokušala objasniti ovima sa Šminkerice (ili kako god se to zove), međutim to ne ide. Pretpostavljam da blogericama ne bi bilo drago da netko uzme njihove fotke i zalijepi ih na svoju stranicu preko koje zarađuje novce, je li tako? ;)

Uglavnom, za one koji se vraćaju ovoliko daleko u moj blog (a ove su me valjda uhodile nakon mojeg prvotnog komentara, tko zna), nakon što sam im pokušala objasniti da je to što rade pogrešno, sjetila sam se da i ja imam fotke na mom blogu koje nisu moje - ovaj post. Ja doduše, ne zarađujem preko ove stranice, ali uglavnom, sjetila sam se da bih mogla updateati ovaj post novim fotkama (kao što to često znam raditi, barem to znaju ljudi koji me redovito čitaju). Kad ono, ove me optužuju za svakakve smiješne stvari. Pa eto, vratila sam i originalne fotke da stoje zajedno sa novijima, zašto ne, nemam se ja čega bojati ili se pred ikim skrivati. Htjela sam im pomoći budući da je stranica s koje su uzele slike (a gdje jasno piše da to nije niti u kom slučaju ok ili dozvoljeno) poznata po tome što pronalazi takve fotke i onda vas tuži. Uglavnom, bring it! 
A btw, ova 'mala sitna slova' koja stoje na dnu članka bila su tu i prošli put. I to isto mogu dokazati. ;) Kao što ta 'mala sitna slova' (kako ih one zovu) stoje i na ctfxc postovovim ili na sponzoriranim postovima. Ali svi koji me i inače čitaju to znaju, mislim, ne možete ih fulati. One tvrde da imaju screenshot čitavog mog posta, pa će vam i one to moći pokazati.

Budući da me znate, znate i da imam screenshotove SVEGA, čitavih komentara, pa bih mogla napisati koji post o tome, čisto jer ne volim takvo licemjerje: tj. moji komenatri su cenzurirani i uklonjeni, a njihovi ostaju. Jadno. Možda bih i ja mogla staviti reklame na blog, pa onda u postovima koristiti tuđe fotke? Zvuči kao dobar plan za zaradu, zar ne? :)

---EDIT br.2: Znate što? Neće meni nitko govoriti što ja mogu, a što ja ne mogu raditi sa svojim blogom. A posebno ne osobe koje rade NEŠTO ŠTO IM JE VRLO JASNO ZABRANJENO, a još preko takvih aktivnosti zarađuju novce! Takve osobe NITKO ne bi trebao slušati, a posebno ne ja. Neće mene takve osobe natjerati da se sramim dopuštenih postupaka, kada bi se sami trebali zapitati što to rade. Trebalo mi je 100 godina da pronađem fotke koje smijem koristiti, pa ih mogu staviti ili skidati kako god i kad god poželim. Na kraju krajeva, ja ne zarađujem preko toga niti koristim fotke u komercijalne svrhe. Kada zarađujete preko sadržaja Vaše stranice, onda bi vam bilo JAKO DOBRO da se pobrinete da sav sadržaj te stranice pripada Vama. Ljudi koji me napadaju to VRLO DOBRO znaju, zato im je trebalo toliko dugo da među 200+ postova prokopaju jedan koji bi mi mogli polu-šlampavo 'zamjeriti'. A i da sam ih optužila za nešto što nikako ne stoji, samo bi odmahnuli rukom, ne bi krenuli u napad - to nešto govori, zar ne? Ove slike ću nastaviti updejtati kad i kako god mi se svidi, a osobama koje zarađuju preko tuđeg materijala iskreno preporučujem da ili maknu reklame sa stranice, ili da počnu plaćati za fotografije koje koriste (što bi na kraju krajeva, bilo pošteno). Pusica!

*** Obviously, I do not own any of the photos featured in this post, however I am not earning any money from this blog. If I've used one of your images and you want it removed, please feel free to contact me.

Balea Grapefruit Mild Face Wash - Review

Type of product: mild face wash - for all skin types
Brand: Balea (dm)
Name of product: Pflegesanftes Waschgel / Balea mild face wash with vitamins (150ml)
Price: 18 kn (2.5 euro)
Where to purchase: dm only
Rating:  10/10
Would I repurchase: Yes
Opinion: I have very oily skin, so I didn't expect a lot from this product, but I was so wrong. I'm not saying this is the best product out there - far from it. But for an amazing price you get a really solid quality product that cleanses your face and doesn't irritate or dry out the skin. I use it in the middle of the day if I want to freshen up my face, or before my deep-cleansing face wash (I would use this one to remove most of the dirt and oil). When my face was very oily, I would sometimes feel like it didn't really leave me super-clean, so I would use this one first, and then use a drop of a stronger product on my t-zone (have in mind I have very oily skin). For my oily skin this is a great product to use when I want to freshen up, or when some of the more aggressive products have left my skin dry and I need a mild but effective product.
Conclusion: Buy it, you will use it up, and you will not be disappointed. If you're looking for a cheap product that will remove dirt and is mild and gentle to the skin - this is for you. I don't think this should be the only face wash you have in your home, but this little guy will really go out of his way to try and make you happy.

For the people who want to see the ingredients list:

Have you tried this product? How does this work with your skin type? Let me know, and thanks for stopping by!

xoxo, Jelena

Catrice Absolute Nude Eyeshadow Palette - Swatch And Review

Type of product: Eyeshadow Palette
Brand:  Catrice
Name of product: Catrice Absolute Nude Eyeshadow Palette, 010 All Nude
Price:  44 HRK
Where to purchase: Muller, Kozmo, Dm
Rating:  4/10
Would I repurchase: Nope.
Opinion: I've already talked about this product, but I wanted to do a review after I've used it for a longer time. I was so excited when this palette came out, but the longer I have it, the less I like it. The good sides are: the packaging is very good quality, it's sturdy and will not break easily, and the quality of the eyeshadows is good (but something to keep in mind: they're not very pigmented, so don't even think about using it without base). The thing that I dislike is: the shades. I don't think this is a nude palette. It's got way too much shimmer in it. I think I've said this before - it would be amazing if Catrice released a matte version of this. I've had this palette for 6 months I believe, and I only ever use the first shade as highlight on my brow bone. I do not think you can use it to create a work or school look, because it's way too sparkly for that. It's ok for a night out if you want shimmer and brown/nudish shades. Overall, I think I could have lived without it had I not purchased it. I never use the brush that came with it, it's ok but I've got better tools. Catrice has also released a new palette (the Bright palette), and I did not get it - it's just a bunch of highlighter shades that all look pretty much the same once applied to the skin. 

Conclusion: I like where Catrice is going with these palettes and I hope they release more of them, but this one does not have what I'm looking for. I do not like the metallic shine of some of the shades, or the crazy amount of shimmer. I think they should have put in at least one matte shade with strong pigmentation. If you're looking for an every-day palette, this isn't for you.

Did you get this palette? Is your opinion of it as mellow as mine? Let me know, and thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to follow me!

Follow this LINK for my review of the LE palette by Catrice.

xoxo, Jelena