Browsing Tag

sweet

Business Features Visual Splendor

Inspired by Lovely Lovely UK

03/25/2010
lovely

I *love* Lovely Lovely — you may even recognize seeing some of their goods in my apartment feature — I had to have quite a few of their pop art cute, neon sugar clad brand. Years later, they’re still my favorite plates.

Picture 1
Picture 3

If your taste is anything like mine, the retro revival food (check out the rosy gelatin mould!) and cake-inspired palettes are enough to make your eyes gleam with eye candy overload.

Self Decoration Wear the World

Wear the World: Miseducatees & Ichigo Pink

03/19/2010

Yay! Wear the World! What a great idea for new content, actually forcing me to use new goodies by artists and items I’ve been stashing in my closet for a fun day.

OOPS. One problem. I’m pregnant. My panda pants wont fit.

I guess it gave me an excuse to FINALLY create this elusive shirt we’ve been chatting about for so long? <3 The shirts are custom, one of a kind especially made for you. They come in the sweetest package and smell like a bakery. These are limited edition shirts. They're made to order and uniquely you.

miseducatee
Headband by Locketship

Want your own customized Miseducatee?

Fun on Friday Set

Design Your Life

Living Up to the Princess Influence

12/13/2009

When we’re younger, a huge amount of us girls grow up with The Princess Syndrome. A lot of us latched on to a favorite Disney princess. If not Disney, perhaps another storybook princess. She helped to shape us as we grew up and for good reason. She was beautiful, kind, smart, loving, maybe animals flocked to her when she sang. It was all very awe inspiring.

As we grow up, do we lose The Princess Syndrome? Is it something we should hold onto? While I don’t always agree with waiting for Prince Charming to save you, I think that Princesses still offer a good framework for an individual.

Princess stories are often a transformation tale which can still remind us to not lose sight of becoming the best we can be.

Princesses are often very kind, caring, and empathetic which is something a lot of people lose when they get older and get out into a colder world. It’s something to hold onto. It’s a gift that keeps on giving.

Princesses are often kind to animals. This is an important thing to learn as a child and something we should hold onto. Relationships with animals are incredibly rewarding.

Princesses are often courageous. Fighting for what’s right and for their own happiness. I know so many people who forget this. It’s something you should never stop fighting for.

In Cinderella type stories we are taught to never give up and that your situation does not define you.

Princesses like Belle teach us that beauty starts from the inside and it’s best to look to see who people really are outside of appearances.

Snow White was kind to animals and less fortunate individuals. She teaches us to look after the needs of others.

Ariel teaches us to be strong willed and brave. She also teaches us that what seems impossible can in fact be possible if you believe and if you try hard enough.

All of these things can and should still be implemented into our lifestyles as we become adults. Perhaps the biggest change I would make in Princess stories would be to show that you don’t need royal blood or a marriage to be a Princess. Every girl can be one in her own right. It’s all about embodying the positive traits and outlook. Sometimes it’s still a good thing to look back to our childhood heroines to remind us of things that are easily forgotten.

Le Game

Le Game: Hello Kitty Online Lovers Guide

12/09/2009

Now it’s time for me to be a bad girl and write about a little something that occasionally steals my attention and with good reason. It’s the digital candyland of my wildest dreams come true, a land completely revolving around SANRIO characters in design and purpose. Although I’ve been playing since the closed beta, I still haven’t really posted anything of justice about the wonderfulness that is Hello Kitty Online. Did I mention I was a Sanrio-fan since birth? I’m sure you can easily find that information inserted into articles at least about 35 times, no less! 😉

Can I play?

Yes! Currently in open beta testing, the download is free (and will continue to be free with the option to purchase goodies for your character at the item mall — such a popular trend for free online gaming these days!)

Is it newbie friendly?

If you’re an MMORPG player you should pick things up quite quickly, if this is new for you it will take a bit of getting used to but there are *tons* of tutorials available to help you on your way!

The GUIDE

Miseducated’s crafty kitty paws crawled the web for days and days to bring you absolutely everything you may or may not want to know about the world of Hello Kitty. If you get confused you can refer to any of these amazing guides put together by the lovelies who inhabit the world wide web. If you have a question that we didn’t discuss, let me know and I’ll help you out.

System Requirements – bad news: it’s only for PC (but with Parallels you can easily run it on your mac!)
Introduction
Official FAQ
News & Game Blog
Official Tutorial (try it!)
Events
Download
HKO Wikipedia

Lamb in Wonder

My character’s name is Lamb and she’s a slow riser but that’s only because I’m a workaholic and try to play just a bit late at night (or anytime I’m feeling blue/stressed and need to get away!).

Lamb’s Farm

Yes, you get to plant and manage your own little farm in which you can choose to build your own little home at in future levels. Carpentry is a skill you master at later levels also, can you imagine all the personalized cuteness at your fingertips (paws!)?
farm

Gallery

More photos will be added periodically!

Design Your Life

How Well Do You Know Yourself?

12/02/2009

Your relationship with yourself defines so many aspects of your life. So how is it? Do you know what you want and who you are? Do you have a strong sense of self? How do you know?

Think about your morals and values. Where are your limits and boundaries in life? What do you cherish or hold valuable?

What about your personal relationships? Who do you hold close to you and why? What traits do you value in a person? How do you interact in these relationships?

Picture your ideal life. What’s in it? Who’s there with you?

Think about your past, especially focusing on crucial events. How did you react then? How would you react now? How have you evolved as a person? Are you still hung up on something that happened in the past? Why? How will you get past it?

What goals do you have in life? Where do you want them to and what do you hope to learn?

What influences you in your life? The opinions of others or your own? Who inspires you? Why?

Think about your childhood and how you’ve been shaped as a person. How were you influenced as a child?

Where do your passions lie? What do you love doing? How can you do that for the rest of your life?

What should you do if you can’t answer these questions?

It’s time to do some soul searching and self analysis. One thing I find helpful is to make yourself a “Self Exploration Notebook” where you can write down all these questions and start to answer them as you think about them. Think of it as making a map of yourself. You can even go further and start to ask yourself different questions that really make you think. Try to take time to write in it every day and see what you come up with.

Consider yourself as the world views you. Think about what kind of an impact you’re making and how those closest to you view you. Think about how a complete stranger views you. Is it how you view yourself? If not, what’s different?

Take time to evaluate all of your relationships. Think about family ties, romantic relationships, and close friends. Are these healthy relationships? How do they impact your life?

Consider the endless possibilities that you are faced with in your life. You can do anything and with all those options you’ve got to sit down and think about them. Think about your happiness and the path that leads toward it.

Continue to get to know yourself better every day. Think about your actions and the drive behind them. Think about your choices and the reasons you make them. Think about your daily interactions and how they affect you. It’s never time to stop exploring. Your map is constantly changing.

Don’t give up. Even if you’re a stranger to yourself the benefits of finding who you are as a person are endless. It’s one of the most important things you’ll ever do.

Design Your Life

Living like a 5-year-old

10/29/2009

When I was five years old, if you had asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have stated, very specifically, that I was going to be a pony rider in the circus. Apparently, riding horseback in a tutu with a tent full of people watching was my greatest aspiration. Nowadays, you’ll find me working odd jobs waiting tables, organizing office files, and ringing up sale items to pay my rent, but in my heart, I’m still a performer. True, my dreams have moved beyond the circus saddle to in front of a movie camera, but actresses love their audience too. There are those who find my aspirations foolish, childish, and unrealistic; naysayers who feel it’s time for me to grow up and settle for something more sensible. So far, I’ve refused.

Why is it that we are expected, even encouraged, to have ridiculous ambitions in childhood, but realistic goals as adults? Let’s find ways to keep the magic within us alive even as we grow older. To find out how, I set out to discover what we can learn from the dream jobs of our five-year old selves. Through discussions with friends and family, I’ve compiled a few themes within common childhood dreams and ways to never let go of them.

Art/Entertainment

Creativity is important to us as children. We want to color. We want to create. We want to let our imaginations run wild. Perhaps that’s why the vast majority of the people I asked remembered wanting to do something artistic or entertaining when they grew up. If we’d all had our way, today’s world would be filled with ballerinas, writers, artists, movie stars, and even a few ‘In Living Color’ Fly Girls. Maybe it was the glamour that attracted some, but I think most of us just wanted to express ourselves. That instinct doesn’t have to die with age. Ballerinas and fly girls can take a dance class or volunteer to teach dance to children. Writers can still express themselves in blogs or webzines dedicated to their subject of choice. As for the movie stars, there’s actually a lot more local film opportunity than you might know, find your way in and you can ham it up on your weekends off.

Caring/Helping

As selfish as some children may seem, there are quite a few of us that still care about the rest of the world, even at a young age. A large majority of former five-year olds that I talked to wanted to be veterinarians. As children, we sense the importance of having furry friends in our lives and want nothing more than to help them. Oftentimes this dream falls to the wayside later in life when the reality of a long veterinary education sets in. But fret not; you can still have a taste of your Dr. Doolittle dreams by volunteering at local shelters or adopting your own menagerie of pets. After all, adults need furry friends too.

Inspirational

For every dream that’s set aside, there’s another dream fulfilled. While my research revealed that perhaps superheroes and cowboys are aspirations best left in childhood, there are still several inspirational stories of those who are making their dreams a reality: lawyers just graduating from law school, writers working nightly on their novels, and animal lovers plugging through pre-vet exams. Anything is possible, if it’s what your heart truly wants.

Quick Tips for Making your Dreams a Reality

Be realistic about why you want what you want. Do you want the reality of your dream or the fantasy?
Don’t let television dictate what you think is real. Find out what the job is really like before deciding it’s your ideal.
Start small. No one makes a career happen overnight. Find ways to participate in your dream field, even if they’re not bringing in the big bucks.
Surround yourself with people that understand. You need support to follow your dreams. Nothing picks you up after failure like the voices of those who believe in you completely.
Never stop dreaming. Make a list of new and exciting dreams annually and don’t be afraid if your goals change, just always be honest about what you truly want. Follow your heart and you can do no wrong.

Escapeland

Ponies and Cotton Candy Tea

10/07/2009
Sweet Sugar Pink

As important to me as any adorable childhood hero.. and as adorable as.. My Little Pony carried me into a land of friendship, rainbows and smiles. I absolutely loved the cartoon because it swept me away into a sweet-filled land of sundae houses and happiness.

For this reason I have many more 80s goodies planned for the future and waiting to be uploaded. What’s your favorite 80s toon? I’m thinking it’s about time for 80s toon style catchers.. (like star catchers only they catch cute 80s creative ways of inserting whimsical nonsensery into your wardrobe)

If you have an 80s toon you feel is not being represented here in Miseducatedland, let us know! In fact, why don’t you write an article about the said toon and submit it?

Now for the sweets!

Ice Cream Tea

3/4 cup black tea
1 scoop milky ice cream (any flavor you love that mixes great with tea!)

Pour the tea into a cup. Add ice cream. The ice cream melts quickly into the hot tea, slowly in cold tea.. depends on how flavorful you’d like your tea and how sunny or blustery it may be. This can be quite a treat on both occasions!

Cotton Candy Tea

2 teaspoons rooibos tea
2 teaspoons mixed-fruit herbal tea
1 teaspoon oolong tea

Heat water to just before boiling and steep the teas and blends for 2-3 minutes. Add rock cane sugar (or use a rockcandy lollipop to stir!) while cooking to sweeten to your liking. Pour over ice. Top with a colorful fluff of cotton candy for extra sweetness.

Design Your Life

The Need in Speed

10/05/2009
frog prince

Here’s the deal; the facts are in. At least 50% of marriages don’t make it—which, if you’re a gambler, is slightly better than a crap shoot – this is what I told RadarOnline, when asked for a comment about Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom’s marriage.

And it would seem obvious to many people that marrying someone you have only known a few weeks would increase your odds of failure…among other things. So perhaps a better question to ask is not what are the downsides, but rather…why? Why get married? So you can have a party? Show up your sister on TV because you are profoundly insecure or desperate for ratings? What’s the rush? It’s not like love has a shelf life. Unless one is deeply religious, which is not evident in this case (correct me if I am wrong; I don’t think so), there are so few reasons to rush into nuptials before we have taken time to do a minimum of due diligence.

What I do know about these two people is they know something about success. It takes discipline, skill and focus (and perhaps a little luck) to turn your desire into reality. Hence my concern, again, about their haste. I am not convinced that these two people understand the game they are in. I feel whatever their motivations for wedlock—“looks good, feels good,” ratings, or whatever—they would benefit by focusing on the fact that the same commitment, discipline and skill that supported their success is needed to enjoy a successful relationship; particularly a healthy, fulfilling, sustainable one.

With all due respect, if these two people love each other, or feel a strong connection and want to jump into marriage (which I likened to jumping out of a plane, considering, well…that they have just barely met), they should strap on a parachute. Which is to say, they should strongly consider checking under the hood to make sure they have what it takes to make the journey before Sunday. Many things are very difficult, if not nearly impossible, to re-negotiate after they say “I do.”

While celebrity marriages may seem qualitatively different than the average boy-meets-girl scenario, all relationships thrive best when they rest on a solid foundation. In some ways, the celebrity relationship needs to pay even greater mind to this, as their relationship is subject to stresses, pressure and scrutiny that on a good day most of us cannot even fathom.

So I would say to this couple, go for it! IF they have managed in this three-week period to establish the following, at minimum:

Their top three non-negotiables.

If this person is worthy of their unconditional devotion and respect.

A strong “out” clause or good consciousness agreement.

If they themselves are a strong, loyal, devoted, trustworthy partner.

They have revealed all their deep secrets or habits that have the potential to destroy the relationship if not revealed and healed.

They have cleaned up all their past relationships.

Have the capacity to tell the truth despite the consequences, and see the value of truth as a cornerstone of their relationship.

Love each other’s friends and current daily lifestyle.

Have agreed upon children and child-rearing responsibilities.

Understand and are in alignment about money.

They are confident in each other’s ability to negotiate their feelings and concerns responsibly.

Know what each other values most in life.

Have shared and are in alignment and support of their 10-year plan.

Have agreed to see someone (either within the family or outside) to act as an unbiased counselor, to help support the relationship should they get stuck or feel they cannot resolve any matter that has the potential to end the relationship.

This, I believe, would afford them a good start. While relationships are a great breeding ground for personal development, chemistry as a litmus test for the potential of a relationship is too often a crash-and-burn method & can be quite painful. Rather than each failed relationship being a lesson learned, the pain becomes either fuel for the next one or a barrier to intimacy.

In our 20s we are at a peak in some ways, in terms of learning about who we are and who we are not, and oftentimes get into relationships based largely on chemistry—without having acquired some essential relationship tools and turned them into skills. Life will teach them soon enough. The good news is, if they really want a healthy relationship they are in a position to develop these skills, provided they have interviewed each other and revealed their shadows and non-negotiables to each other. Some of these deal-breakers, like infidelity or drug or alcohol addiction, are things that you want to know before you get married, not after!

Hard to establish trust when you have had so little time to see if the person’s words and actions match up. If you are in a rush, and clearly Khloe and Lamar seem to be, I’d advise them to take some time before Sunday to drop in with each other, because having a success plan is important! Bottom line, at least half of marriages end in divorce. If you want it to work, make sure you are prepared and have what it takes to make that happen.

To Re-cap

Hard to negotiate your needs after the marriage ceremony; double check your non-negotiables, you two!
What do you want and expect from each other & the marriage: do you both want kids, how will you share your money, or not? I call this a consciousness agreement.
What kind of relationship skills do you bring to the table? Do you have issues with commitment and intimacy, do you have a track record of being able to stay and hang in there when things get tough? “Looks good, feels good” isn’t going to cut it when things get sideways…these things are very difficult to negotiate after you already have established a pattern. Talk about it. What are you committing to?
Happily Ever After is not a place, and chemistry is not enough to keep a relationship together. They say that, in unconsciousness, the thing that brings you together in a relationship will be the thing that pulls you apart. What is your foundation for your relationship? I recommend spirit, God or the divine, and having a real practice.
Love is a choice and a privilege, not a sentence, so act like it!

I recently explained my take on the Khloe/Lamar situation at a book signing. You can watch it here.

DIY Recipes

Recipes for Chocolate Spa Night

06/24/2009

I know I’m not alone when I say that I love every kind of chocolate there is. Chocolate bars, hot chocolate, chocolate ice cream, dark chocolate, chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookies…the list of “delicious types of chocolate” is a list that never ceases.

Recently, though, I’ve become slightly obsessed with beauty products that infuse delicious chocolately-goodness! I figured that if the big stores like Philosophy and others are making their own chocolate products, why can’t I? And on that same note, why can’t you?

Here are 3 delectable DIY beauty recipes that use chocolate as their main ingredient.

Scrumptious Chocolate Facial Mask

What’s it for? Moisturizing dry skin
Indulge yourself with this sweet face mask. It serves as a moisturizing agent and leaves your skin ultra soft to the touch. Here’s what you need to gather:

3 tbs. heavy cream
2 tsp. cottage cheese
1/4 cup honey
3 tsp. oatmeal
1/3 cup cocoa powder

Combine all of the ingredients into a bowl and stir until you have a smooth and consistent texture. Get rid of any lumps and bumps!

If you have a blender it would probably be easier to mix the ingredients that way.

Once your mixture is ready to go, tie your hair up and apply it to your face. Let it set for 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water and follow with a splash of cold water to tighten your pores. Gently pat dry.

Decadent Chocolate Body Scrub

What’s it for? Exfoliating skin
This recipe yields one fierce body polishing agent! And it smells great, too! This is what you need:

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup powdered cocoa
A few drops of chocolate and/or raspberry fragrance oil (optional)
In a large bowl combine all of your ingredients. Mix thoroughly until the mixture is smooth and consistent in texture.

Liberally apply the contents to your body with a washcloth or loofah. Gently massage it into your skin in a circular motion while in the shower. Rinse off and feel refreshed!

*This recipe will yield plenty so there is enough for future uses! Store the remains in an airtight container. It will last for up to 6 months.

Sweet, Sweet Chocolate and Honey Scrub

What’s it for? Exfoliating and moisturizing
This is similar to the above recipe only this one incorporates a little bit of honey (which adds moisture) and uses salt instead of sugar for a less-course mixture! This is great if you are looking for a refreshing scrub-down! This is what you need:

2 cups honey
1/2 cup grape seed oil
6 tbs. unsweetened chocolate
2 cups kosher salt

First, grate your unsweetened chocolate into a medium sized bowl.

In a separate bowl, place your honey and grape seed oil until the two are blended together. Add the chocolate and salt. Mix completely until you have a texture that is smooth and consistent.

Liberally apply the contents to your body with a washcloth or loofah. Gently massage it into your skin in a circular motion while in the shower. Rinse off and feel refreshed!

*This recipe will yield 2 uses. Store the remains in an airtight container.