Monthly Music Favourites: February 2014

Hey guys :)

It's time for another MMF! February has whizzed by super quickly and I've been listening to more music. Today's post, however, has to be dedicated to Arctic Monkeys, my new favourite band. I have literally not stopped listening to them since the beginning of this month, and my obsession would have to be labelled insane :) Their music is just so energetic and uplifting, great for studying or just hanging around.

Since I have basically only listened to Arctic Monkeys this February, I'm going to talk about my favourite albums and the songs in them :)

1. AM
AM is Arctic Monkey's latest album that came out last year. This album is one of those albums where I actually like ALL of the songs. You know, normally on an album I have a handful of favourites. But for AM? No, I love them all! Listen to 'R U Mine?', 'Why Do You Only Call Me When You're High?', and 'One For the Road' if you like upbeat, fast-tempo songs, or 'No. 1 Party Anthem' for ballads.

BTW, have you seen Arctic Monkey's performance for the Brits? It was pretty freaking awesome. Also, people have been hating on Alex Turner's speech when they won the award for the MasterCard British Album of the Year. I found it hilarious!

2. Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
'I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor' is one of my favourite songs on this album. 'A Certain Romance' has been stuck in my head all week because it's so unique. It starts off with this really hard-core-rock tune, so you immediately think, oh yeah, rage. But it just melts into this chill song which I reallyreallyreally like :) I would also mention 'Mardy Bum', but that's obviously a given. They rarely perform it live, but the time they did it on stage at Glastonbury last year was just asdfghjkl;

3. Favourite Worse Nightmare

'D is for Dangerous' and 'Fluorescent Adolescent' have to be my favourite songs from this album. They're fun and upbeat, so what's not to love? By this point, I am running out of things to say because a. I really think Arctic Monkeys is just amazing and b. I don't want to repeat myself.

If you haven't picked up on the message yet, here it is: Arctic Monkeys is freaking amazing. DEFINITELY check them out if you haven't already because you are missing out big time. 

That's all for today. Have a good day/night!

What are your music favourites for this month? Leave a comment down below and don't forget to follow Love From Icy on Bloglovin, or @icygirl79 on Instagram!

Birthday!

Hey guys :)

I haven't been posting a while, I know, but today's my birthday! I turn 14 today and I had a pretty good time :) just wanted to say thank to all of my friends and family that wished me a happy birthday.

Haha, sorry for the lack of posting but hopefully I'll get a post up next week or so!

That's all for today. Have a good day/night!



Leave a comment down below and don't forget to follow Love From Icy on Bloglovin!

DIY: Sponge Nail Remover

Hey guys :)

Here I have another DIY for you today! However, I'm going to take a break from the desk decor and turn towards the 'beauty' DIYs. This DIY is a sponge nail remover, as the title says. It is an easy way to remove your nail polish without cotton pads and whatnot. I was inspired to make this by these empty paint pots I found in my drawer. It's an awesome little project you can make for yourself or for a gift, and it includes recycling which is always good.

Last week, I had my nails painted in OPI's Black Cherry Chutney (my absolute favourite OPI shade!). Like all manicures, it started to chip days later. It was so not a good look and I had to get rid of it, stat. The chipping looks more extreme in this picture because I sort of... peeled it off... don't do that guys! Peeling off nail polish can peel off the thin protective layers on your nail, weakening them and making them gross :(






You will need:
1. an empty jar that can fit a finger
2. washing up sponges
3. nail polish remover
4. a pen or something sharp

1. To start off, wash your jar. I had to wash out all the paint from it because the jar contained poster paints. When washing the jar, use something to scrub out add the dirt and excess.

2. With your washing up sponge(s), peel off the green layer that you would use to scrub the dishes. We only need the soft spongy part.

3. Tear up your sponge(s) and stuff them into the jar until it is full. Use your pen or sharp object to puncture a hole through the middle.

4. Pour the nail polish remover into the jar a little bit each time. The sponges will soak up the remover, and you don't want your finger to be swimming in remover when you dip it in. Pour up to three quarters of the jar. 

5. Dip your finger into the sponge, twisting and turning to clean the polish off.

6. Clean the rest of the polish off and you are done!

My nails are uber short and fat, and it is a constant struggle for me to paint them :(

I absolutely love this DIY as it is extremely useful. The jar I used was pretty small, and it is the perfect size to put into my bag or use when travelling. To jazz up the jar, I stuck ombré letter stickers with the phrase "Love you". Another idea could be to wrap some twine around it, and attach some charms. 

That's all for today. Have a good day/night!

Show me your recreations on Instagram by tagging my username @icygirl79! Leave a comment down below and don't forget to follow Love From Icy on Bloglovin!

Update

Hey guys :)

Yep, my post is late. AGAIN. I've been stuck in a rut lately, and I'm really not sure what to write. I wanted to do a nail polish remover DIY but a. I literally just painted my nails, and b. I've already done a few DIYs in a row. So today's will be a chatty post; just an update on how things are going :)

Have you seen today's news? The annual Standard Chartered Marathon happened today and there was A LOT going on. A few people fainted, which was really sad, but at least they completed the marathon. Good for them :) There were crazy costumes, such as Rilakkuma the bear, the Monkey King, and Batman (they must have been roasting in those costumes!), and there was even a marriage proposal from one of the guys that finished the marathon. It was a total awwwwww moment!

Today I visited the Hong Kong Museum of History, where there was a cheongsam exhibition. A cheongsam is basically a traditional-style Chinese dress. The museum displayed all sorts; plain, printed, embellished. I love fashion and when I found out the exhibition was running, I definitely had to go! The exhibition was pretty small, which I have to admit was a littleee disappointing, but there were so many cheongsams on display. One that caught my eye was a black one, with a phoenix made out of sequins on the front. 

This particular cheongsam was worn by pop artist Teresa Tung. The sequins totally represent what pop music was like then in the 1970s and 80s [in Hong Kong]: fun, colourful, playful. 

I have been trying to keep my New Year's resolution of keeping fit. Yesterday, I discovered this app called Seven Minute Workout. It's a cool app where you can chose a long or short workout to do. They track your progress, and the better you do, the more bonuses you can unlock. I did the 7:50 minute workout twice this morning, and I have to say, it did keep me going. For this workout, there are 12 exercises to do, such as squats, push-ups, sit-ups, and planking. The exercises are planned in 30 second intervals, and they give you a 10 second rest in between each interval. A voice-over guides you through the workouts to keep you motivated, and for some reason they have Alli Simpson. If you are looking for a workout app, I would definitely recommend this. BTW, it's free!

That's all for today. Not much, but it was a chance to get the creative mind working and running :) Have a good day/night!

What are you up to? Leave a comment down below and don't forget to follow Love From Icy on Bloglovin!

Monthly Music Favourites: January 2014

Hey guys :)

To start off, let me clarify: I love music. Always have, always will. I dance and play the piano and guitar, which might be where my passion for music comes from. I thought I would do a music favourites so I can share what I've been loving every month. The list will include artists, particular songs, or both. You may know that I am an avid user of 8tracks, and it has presented to me amazing music!

This will be for January and I know it's already February, but we can use our imagination together to time travel back :)

1. Jake Bugg
What a revelation! I vaguely remember listening to him a year ago and I was like, meh. However, I have fallen for his singing style. Songs I love are 'Two Fingers', 'Slumville Sunrise', and 'Lightning Bolt'. He definitely reminds me of the Beatles, only he's more street-y to me. Makes total sense ;) If you like the Beatles, check him out!

2. San Cisco
GAHHHHHHHH. 'Fred Aistaire' is just the best song. It's a mix of indie pop and swing, which is the perfect combo. San Cisco's songs are so happy and dance-y, and they will definitely pick you up when you're down. Mad at someone? Sing along to 'Awkward' or 'No Friends', and you will feel a lot better!

3. The 1975
'Girls' is my favourite song from this band. Enough said. I don't particularly like the music video, but the song itself is great!

I'm not the best at describing my thoughts on these bands/songs. All I can really say I highly recommend all of them. Even if you're not into the indie pop/rock, give it a try. An 8tracks user said, "Once you go indie, you can never go back," or something like that, and I have to say it's true!

That's all for today. Have a great day/night!



What music are you loving this month? Leave a comment down below and don't forget to follow Love From Icy on Bloglovin!

DIY: Daisy Print Pen Holder Mug

Hey guys :)

I have yet ANOTHER DIY for you guys today! As I mentioned in my last post, it is the Chinese New Year period. The other day, my family and I went out to Mong Kok to buy some flowers for the living room and such. Personally, I like flowers. They look gorgeous but they wilt and die within a week, which is kind of sad :(

I was inspired by the flowers to do something floral-printed. At home, I found an empty white mug from a DIY present I did a while back. The mug was big enough to fit all the pens from my old pen holder, so I decided to jazz it up.

This is probably another one of the jazz-up-my-desk-area DIYs that I've been doing... :)

You will need:
1. A plain mug - I bought mine for $5 from Ikea; the least expensive the better because cheaper mugs have a  lower quality glaze finish which will help the paint adhere better
2. black and yellow (song reference!) oil-based paint markers - I found them in Popular for around $12. You can also find them in Commercial Press or any stationary store
3. optional stencils or pictures for reference

1. To start off, I used my black paint marker to draw on a daisy print. For this, I didn't use a stencil and just free-handed the daisies. Of course, I had to practice on a sheet of paper to be eeeextra careful

*extra tip: if you mess up any lines, simply scratch the area with a cotton pad soaked in rubbing alcohol 

2. Fill in the middle of the flower with a yellow paint marker

3. Wait a few minutes for everything to dry and you are done!

I like how the main colours are black and white (big trend for Spring 2014), but then the yellow adds a pop of colour that instantly brightens up the mug. The designs are endless: striped, dots, tribal, whatever you can think of! You could also use permanent markers instead of paint markers, but I found that the colours of paint markers appear brighter on the mug. 

That's it for today Have a good day/night!

Show me your recreations on Instagram by tagging my username @icygirl79! Leave a comment down below and don't forget to follow Love From Icy on Bloglovin!

DIY: 'Always Losing Bobby Pins' Wall Art

Hey guys :)

My lateness for this post can be totally justified... it's Chinese New Year!

Chinese New Year is an Asian festival which happens around the end of January to the beginning of February, depending on the calendar. There are countless traditions, such as hanging up red pieces of paper with four-word sayings in calligraphy called fai chun, or setting out a 全盒, a box filled with candy, melon seeds and dried foods, each symbolizing a different meaning. Few dos and a lot of don'ts apply to CNY, most of them originating from superstitions. For example, we can't sweep the floor during the CNY period because we will "sweep the luck away". Other things we can't do is cut our hair, wash our hair, or buy shoes. Weird, right?

We get about a week off from school, and I've been visiting relatives, friends, friends of relatives, the annual routine. It's not just about the lai see or food (which BTW, are added bonuses!), but about spending quality time with family and friends.

Yep, so cheesy but it's true!

So today, I have another jazz-up-my-desk DIY for you guys. This DIY is even easier than the silver star jar, and easy is always a good thing :D I was browsing around WeHeartIt for 'overlays' and 'transparents' to draw. If these two terms are completely new to you, they are basically tumblr-esque pictures or graphics that people layer onto their [Instagram] pictures when editing. I occasionally use them for my own pics and you can check them out on my Instagram @icygirl79. Anyways, I like to draw overlays and transparents because they are easy to draw and I can practice my questionable drawing skills.

Pics from WeHeartIt

The objects are not meant to look lifelike, which is why I tend to draw them instead of real objects. I came across this:

My mind was immediately like, um YES. Honestly, where do bobby pins and hair ties go? There aren't many places where they can hide and yet I buy a pack of 50 one day, I end up with 5 the next! MADNESS. 

I relate so much to this picture so I decided to put it on a canvas to hang up on my extremely blank wall.

My desk is messy :(

You will need:

1. a canvas size of your choice - my one is 10" x 12" and I purchased it from the New Town Plaza Phase 3 Commercial Press for $29

2. a black paint marker (or black acrylic paint and a paint brush - if you are able to handle these, I applaud you :) )

3. a pencil 

1. To start off, I used a pencil to outline the bobby pins and text. This is to ensure I don't mess up the final work. If you don't need to outline, skip ahead! If you are like me and want to be extra cautious, practice on a piece of paper. For this step, you don't have to follow the picture exactly. Be creative! 

2.  Draw on the design using your medium of paint

*extra tip: of you have visible pencil lines, you can easily remove them by rubbing the area with a cotton tip dipped in rubbing alcohol

3. You. Are. DONE :)

☆Starring Always Losing Bobby Pins, featuring Mr Silver Star Jar☆

I know, it's so easy you don't even need a tutorial. I just love this picture so much and I'm sure many girls can relate to this problem/issue/curse. 

That's all for today. Have a good day/night!

If you ever recreate this, show me on Instagram by tagging my username; I would love to see it! Leave a comment down below and don't forget to follow Love From Icy on Bloglovin!