What Do You Want?

Hi sweeties!

First of all, don't take offense at the title, because it's meant in a positive tone. Literally guys, I'd like to know: What do you want with this blog now that we're already so far in the new year?

It's now 2018 and this blog has been running for approximately a year & a half already. We've had fun challenges, such as:



And: 

The challenges had prizes, such as a coloring sheet (drawn by me), or even your own image featured here on this blog!!

We also had a major giveaway in Christmas 2016, won by Silvia D. 

And in addition, we've got cute games and quizzes here for you to enjoy!

Last March/April we had a fun contest where those who correctly guessed a visual pun [from a popular Disney movie], won a cute coloring page. Can you try to guess?

In addition, for quite some time throughout 2017, this blog was running Review Wednesdays, where we'd do a video or photo shoot of some kawaii cute items. I am honestly planning to bring these back to this blog, now that I've recovered from the flu and am less busy since the Holidays are over... for now.

We also used to have a very fun part of this blog, called Feature Fridays. Currently, this blog is calling for submissions - it's free to be featured once, as long as some of these guidelines are met:

⭐ You're a kawaii artist, fashion mogul, YouTuber, blogger, or fan of the culture ⭐

We also still like to occasionally review characters or pop culture that may be considered 'kawaii', and weigh in on whether or not it counts.

So please, as a loyal reader of this blog, if you have any suggestions for NEW fun stuff for 2018, please direct ideas to darylannderoche@gmail.com 

Thank you,

Daryl J. of

Holiday Gift Guide (counting down to Christmas #8)

Holiday Gift Guide

Wow! December 25 is getting to be so close already! Though you probably already have your shopping all done (and wrapping yet to do), here are some last-minute gifts for:

The Foodie

An owl-shaped Bento box


A kawaii Banana mug

Buy it from deviantArt

The Techie

A cute phone case!


A series of cute & pretty backgrounds/wallpapers

Get a whole series of Japanese backgrounds on Etsy

The Fashionista

A super kawaii cat handbag!


A funny tee decal

Printable tee decals on Etsy

The Animal Lover

A Kigurumi of their favorite creature



Toys for their favorite pet!


The Homebody

A coloring book (plus pencil crayons)

'My Christmas Adult Coloring Book' on Etsy

A set of coasters, mugs, or magnets with their sign on them

available on deviantArt

Giveaway Winner Announced!

You have probably already heard that the December 12 blog giveaway has been won by a sweet lady named Silvia, who lives in British Columbia, Canada.

Here are a couple of pictures Silvia sent me on the Kawaii365 facebook page - she is so sweet and I am so glad she is happy with her new items!

 

And today I had more time to do a #Kawaii365 project for you, than I did yesterday - so I'm happy to share another Frozen (licensed to Disney) inspired greeting card (see the Olaf-inspired one here).

Rob's dad came to Red Deer for a nice visit, and we went out for a dinner and a very nice time. And after dinner I left this card for the waiter & the staff.

That's supposed to be a carrot in Sven's mouth

It's going to be my 'thing' for the rest of the Christmas season ^_^

A Winner Has Been Chosen!

We would like to conclude this Kawaii Giveaway hype by announcing today's big winner (who's receiving a whole package of cute items from Blippo, including jewelry - and my handmade holiday creations, plus fun adult coloring supplies!) is....

~Silvia D. from British Columbia, Canada!~

And Silvia is receiving this cute package, just in time for the holiday season!

I would like to thank everyone who commented on the facebook group, who sent me messages on twitter, comments on Instagram and emails - you are all amazing and I love you! xoxo

 

It's late at night now (this may be the latest blog post I've written since starting), so I will finish with today's #Kawaii365 project which was made specific for Silvia as well.

Good night sweet lovely stars!

Kawaii365 Blog Giveaway Video

We are less than 2 whole days away from the big winner reveal! Will it be you?

The Final Countdown!

Kawaii Giveaway WinnerCountdown

Review Wednesday for December 7

Konnichiwa friends!

I know today was going to be a #ReviewWednesday video, and I was going to showcase the scratch & sniff stickers of kawaii bubblegum characters by 'Smickers'.

However, there was a lot going on today (like our new dishwasher being installed, and my decorating for Christmas, and learning Spanish) so the video has been put on hold. And I have good news for you friends...

The stickers are kept in tact for the giveaway! Yes, I have not opened them because I want YOU to have them instead. To enter for the December 12 Giveaway, just join the Kawaii365 group on facebook and post the word 'Giveaway' on the wall once you're a member.

One (1) winner will be chosen at random on the morning of Monday, December 12, 2016. Winner will ne notified by facebook messaging as well as tagging. Please respond to accept within 5 days or sooner. Any age or gender is welcome to enter. Please note that multiple entries do not increase the chance of winning. No purchase or skill testing question necessary to win. Items will be shipped out of Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.



And with the above being said, I did take 30 minutes out of the day to make a #Kawaii365 cutie for you. He's a peppermint, super excited that Christmas is less than 3 weeks away now.

And, if you want to wear him on your Tee shirt, I also put him on Etsy for you:

Okay, I am off to put those stickers in the big Giveaway bag - hope you get to win it all ^_^

A Busy December Day!

Hello my sweet bubblegum cuties!

I haven't forgotten about sharing with you, today's #Kawaii365 project...

Today's been fairly busy, as I'm losing hours at work and all this holiday shopping has begun to put me into debt. I have cried myself to sleep from the stress, which is also making my cough worse. I have tried to seek part-time seasonal work, and now I have turned to selling my personal belongings, so I have been spending a great deal of the day on Amazon as well as local buy/sell groups on facebook. If I can make just enough to compensate for my Christmas shopping, then I'll happily change my job situation in the new year.

Anyway, today when I was wracking my brain trying to be creative (more on that in a moment), I looked at the wrapped gifts by our tree and it came to me. So I went to the tags and drew this cute snowflake face for you ^_^

Some of you might just be tuning into this blog recently, and that's awesome! Welcome 😍

So you might be wondering why I tune in every day (even when I'm sick or sad or busy) just to draw or create something cute and label it with a 365 hashtag. You can thank a man named Noah Scalin for that. He's the artist of the Skull-A-Day project and author of books such as '365', 'Creative Sprint' and my personal favorite, 'Unstuck: 52 Ways to Get (and Keep) Your Creativity Flowing At Home, At Work, & in Your Studio'.

That book is very significant to me because in early July, my husband Rob & I went to an adult coloring event at our local library. And the coloring theme happened to be kawaii (by artist Miss Wah) and so it began. Rob & I were sitting at a very lucky table indeed, as I happened to win a copy of Noah's book! And it's been very inspiring with the various projects, meant to last for a year.

To be exact, this blog was born on July 10, 2016 (so it's a Cancer the crab).

Okay well, I have to go dry my eyes after watching Frozen (yes I got misty).

And please make sure to join the facebook group Kawaii365 and post for your chance to win the December 12 Giveaway!

Here I am as Promised

Konbanwa, good evening!



Earlier today, I posted about the ~Official~ Giveaway of more than 10 Kawaii items, including coloring supplies, stickers, pop culture collectibles and fashion accessories!

We have until Monday the 12th of December (2016) to determine a winner, and entering is easy. There is no age limit as all the items are family-friendly and this isn't a form of gambling. No purchases are necessary and no skill-testing questions are required.

To be eligible, you only need to join the facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/Kawaii365 and when you've been approved, post the word Giveaway on the wall!



And also as promised, I'm doing for you, another 'Are They Kawaii?' post. Last week, we debated about Super Mario & Friends (all licensed to Nintendo).

This week, we will be discussing Shopkins!



Though these smiling groceries are mostly popular with children - parents, teachers, babysitters, and other family members (aunts like me) are noticing the pure adorableness of these tiny plastic pals.

Not only are they cute to look at, they are often scented and can even be interactive. In addition to the collectibles you see above, there are also lip balms and even candies of them (see my review on Shopkins Candy here).

Got Questions about Shopkins? They were designed by a Californian company called Moose Toys; co-chief Paul Solomons credits his mom for the idea. The first set of Shopkins was released to the public in June 2014 :)

Let us know what you think of Shopkins, in the comments section below.

And last before I go to bed (we go to bed at 8pm most nights because Rob gets up before 4am to go to work), I want to share with you my #Kawaii365 (the whole reason this blog started) project for December 5. I recently made a clay moustache cutie for Movember (last month) and I tried to turn him into a magnet for the fridge. Only he was too heavy and kept sliding. So I popped him onto our holiday tree. There you go, he's now an ornament!

Well, good night my sweet friends! xoxo

Blog Giveaway is Officially Underway!

You have seen it mentioned on this blog a few times, and now it's official - we're doing a Giveaway!!

On Monday, December 12, 2016 - the morning of - a winner will be selected to get all of this cute kawaii stuff! Your kit will include:

1. A Hello Kitty jumbo coloring book
2. 3x kawaii coloring sheets drawn by me ^_^
3. Collectible My Little Pony figurines
4. An ornament hand-made by me
5. Plus a greeting card also designed by me!
6. 2x kawaii sticker sheets
7. An emoji ornament
8. Coloring supplies (gel pens and pencil crayons)
9. 3x cute rings (adjustable) from Blippo
10. Kawaii hair accessories (2x)

Everything you see above has an approximate retail value of $40 CAD. And I am super happy to give it all to you for free, All you have to do to enter, is simple:

1. Join the Kawaii365 Group on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/groups/Kawaii365). When you're approved as a member, post the word 'Giveaway' on the wall so I know you saw this.

2. Winner will be selected on December 12 (morning GMT) and you will receive a message on facebook to notify you, as well as being tagged in a congratulatory post! Please note that you will have 5 days to claim your prize from that time, before it may go to a runner-up :)

3. Above all - have fun with it!

Stay tuned for this evening's second "Are They Kawaii?" debate post, as well as December 5's #Kawaii365 daily project, as inspired by Noah Scalin's book "Unstuck".

DIY Tree Ornaments

Hello everybody, I know I gave you very strong hints in the last post, as to what this project was going to be. So you were 100% right when you guessed.

Here are the remaining ornaments (I made 5 in total, one is going to be in the Giveaway for you, along with many other Kawaii things for the holidays, and one went to the amazing staff at Smitty's this morning!)

So here is December 4's #Kawaii365 project, an ornament and card, left after mine & Rob's breakfast date at Smitty's (Gasoline Alley, Red Deer, Alberta).

How To Make These Ornaments:

1. Gather your supplies: Foam balls, quick-dry paint, detailed painting brushes. scissors, tacky glue, pipe cleaner, black marker (fine tip), polymer clay (pink, silver, etc.), white paint w/ tiny brush, a clothes hanger, newspapers (to cover surface) and paper towels (for spills).
2. Start by making small, 1/2 inch-deep holes in the top of the foam ball with your scissors.
3. Cut the pipe cleaners into 2-inch pieces. Put tacky glue in the hole (ball) and stick the pipe cleaner inside until it won't go anymore.
4. Carefully bend the pipe cleaner into a hook shape and allow to dry before hanging.
5. Once dry, create a work space with all your supplies on newspaper so as not to make a mess. Then hang your clothes hanger from a nearby fixture and hang your ornaments on it.
6. One at a time, paint festive holiday styles on each one, and allow to dry. I recommend quick-dry paint or even nail polish for this step.
7. When dry, apply your details made from thin polymer clay designs with glue - for sure you will want small pink ovals for the 'kawaii cheeks'. Keep them on hanger until dry.
8. When your tacky glue is dry, use a black marker to apply the facial details.
9. Though this is optional - I used some white nail polish on the eyes for a shine to add cuteness.
10. Enjoy!

Thank you for reading, stay tuned my sweet lovelies! xoxox

A Late Night on December 3

Konbanwa こんばんは lovely friends!

I know it's late and nearly bedtime, I just wanted to tune in and share with you, this adorable Christmas tree ornament that I drew (for this collection of holiday clipart available on Etsy)

And then, using the Corel PaintShop Pro system that Rob got me for my graphic designer career (yes I do custom work for clients and have for years), I added today's date for today's #Kawaii365 project.

Can you guess what my next project will be from this photo? The above cutie is a hint (✿◠‿◠)

And one of them will be included in this month's upcoming giveaway! Please comment, share and stay tuned for more information!

Good night, sweet friends xoxo

After A Trip To McDonald's

I got a 'My Melody' figurine along with a happy meal.

Yes, a 28 year old woman totally went to McDonald's and totally enjoyed a yummy chicken nugget happy meal - in public! And it wasn't my first time, either as you can see from this previous post.

And I thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate milk, reasonable amount of fries, strawberry yogurt, and yummy nuggets! And I thoroughly enjoyed opening this cute Sanrio toy ^_^

As promised in the above video, I carefully opened and documented this adorable, musically-inclined bunny friend of Hello Kitty.

Comes with stickers

My sticker placement makes little sense

Neighbours!

My Melody is a licensed character in the Sanrio line of cuties. Unlike her best friend Hello Kitty, she has a mouth. This helps her to sing, because she is musically inclined. In Japanese her name is Onegai mai merodi (おねがいマイメロディ) which literally translates to 'Please My Melody'.

She can play many instruments, including guitar, piano, trumpet, violin, and flute. She also loves to dance as well as singing. Since she had a popularity boom, she has been featured in various TV shows, merchandise/clothing, and video games via Nintendo - often wearing pink, red, or other colored hoods.

And as promised earlier today, I did a #Kawaii365 cutie for December 2 - I bet you can guess who it is? Yes! Another My Melody theme. I couldn't resist doodling this sweet bunny on the back of a business card while at McD's with Rob.

Thank you sweeties, as always, for being loyal readers. You're the reason I keep coming back ♥‿♥

And please stay tuned for an upcoming Giveaway this December, on this blog! You could be the lucky recipient! xoxo