How to-Popin' Cookin-Gummy Candy Kit kit!

Hi! Today, I stared at my white shelf full of Popin' Cookin' sets in true dismay. I wanted to do a Set today-Finally. I have to build up the courage to use a set. I just can't handle it-Because, poof-After I'm done, I'M DONE. I can't spare the candy, keep the set, or the bags. Those deadly troopers called Ants will get to it. I COULDN'T use my NEW Popin' Cookin' Waffle Set! IT CAME OUT LAST MONTH! Or my Sushi Kit, STRAIGHT from my Japnaese Friends. My Bento Set? Ugh...I was trying to save that...But then I saw it. The Popin' Cookin' Gummyland Candy Kit! PERFECT! I snatched it and brought it to the stairwell. This is where it all begins...With my Candy Assistant, Preston Steven Murphey.

 The first packet is the green one, it's the substance of the candy. Like the Gummy Base or like....I think. Then, we take the 3 Primary colors and put them into the rounded rectangles. Doesn't matter what order. But, with those colors, we will make different colors.

 There goes Pres putting them in!

 The first color were making is green--Blue and Yellow. After you put both in, stir.

Pres is going first! He decided to make a fish. It is SO simple to make one-Take the color in the Water-Picker-Upper, and put it on the fish/etc. It INSTANTLY makes it turn gummy. It's pretty cool.

 Preston tries his creation! I say 'thumbs up if you like it, down if you don't'. He puts his thumb up. Cool! After I take the picture of that, he instantly put TWO thumbs up.

 Now, it's my try at the game. Pres and I have made several more colors, carefully selecting the hue and contrast. We had a real sit-down talk with what colors to add-and what to avoid. It went like this-"Pres, we need some more colors." He nods. "Purple?" I say. "YEA! Oh, and what about a mix of ALL?!" "Genius!" I say. Anyway, I decided to do a giraffe! A several colored giraffe-A several colored light and cheery giraffe.

 Preston was correct-It is quite good. But instead of gulfing it down, I've taken my Mom's technique. I ate it slowww....With the mini fork the kit came with! Carefully cutting off sections and slowly eating them. It made it seem like I had just eaten a cake! So, it tastes like Sour-Patch Kids, with a little gummy bear. but a big percentage of gummy is there-along with sour.

Pres made some more, I made some more-More colors, more candies. Frankly, it was like a little factory! If you have seen any Haribos commercials, you'll see it's a factory with a group of kids running it. It was like that.

 We call this one-

  Lime&Peach Hearts

We call this one-

Fail Flower! Because I tried to center the center, but it ended up one of the petals being yellow...

The last one we made took a LOT of patience-Because it was polka-dotted! Pres was beside me chanting "don't mix the colors! don't mix the colors!" So, obviously, I didn't mix the colors.

 I took the Fail Flower and Polka-Heart (that's what we call the one above) And put them on my plate. I used American Girl Doll plates for this-I use it for a lot of Popin Cookin mainly because, well, Popin Cookin is SMALL. I could make a platter of gummy candy and put it on the plate, but it was too tempting to eat the others. But I forced myself.

 As I saw this picture, I noticed one thing- THE FORK LOOKS HUGE. It looks so huge, it makes the plate look regular sized and the gummies look big, too.

That's all for today!!

~MaRsHmAlLoW pAnDa PuFfS~

Cute Pin-Cusion!

Cute Pin Cushion I made with my Mom! Tutorial coming soon!!

'Living Wall'

 Hi! Recently, I walked past this Coffee Shop, and saw THAT! I couldn't resist it. I couldn't walk by...So I didn't! It's called the 'Living Wall'. 5 levels of mosses, cacti, and just nature.

 I wonder how they stay alive. Maybe a built in watering system? No, then there would be gears on the wall. My guess is, the employees put in the water through the top of the wall, and the 'filters' (gaps in the wall) let the water run down into the units. I bet that's how it works. As you mat see, there are a few types of mosses. The background, the separator, and some other I can spot, just frolicking there...

OBVIOUSLY, this is my favorite cactus. I HONESTLY didn't know there was a type of pink cacti! Also, I know this was a mutant thing, but, if you look at the outside, can't you see the balls are small, big, small big? It's almost like that's what that type does, but I doubt it. I just think it's really COOL!

 There was also this plant next to it, I thought it was pretty. If you look on the bottom, you can see little cacti! Also, the shape of the leaves look like stars-and the biggest one is yellow! I also love the stem. It twists, and deforms into several sections.

That's all fo 2day~

Nijiya Market!

 Ello! Recently, I went to Nijiya market! (A Japanese market.) As I was walking around, I saw these ADORABLE candies with this cute pink, well....Blob on them! It comes in four flavors: strawberry, lemon, grape and orange. I'd buy one, but last time I came here I wanted to buy a little hard dough ball pack because it looked good, but it was attached to others. Why does this matter? Why can't you pull it off? Well, apparently, it comes like that, and you can't take one. I'm starting to think Nijiya is a wholesale market? Almost everything comes in packs of 4.

 Finally, Japan isn't using 100% hard candy! The inside is like a kit kat, but strawberry.

Cute! Rilakkuma Pocky! Pocky is a popular Japanese snack that moved over to America. Pocky are bread sticks, basically, but with sprinkles, cherry frosting, all this stuff. The Rilakkuma version is twisted. Nothing on it, just a twist. Basic, but cute! I love how Rilakkuma is actually holding a stuffy of herself! It's funny and cute.

Japan does it again, even on a food catalog, they make everything look cute. If I just saw those fish cakes, I'd think 'umm...maybe that's good...Kinda...' but, seeing this, I was about to ask my Dad to buy it! I don't know how they do it, but Japan makes everything appear better. I mean, look at those fish cakes, then at the sea creatures, then at the fish cakes again. Do they look better?!

That's all for now. Bye!

Sanrio!

Hi!! A few days ago I went to the Sanrio shop in L.A! It was WAY bigger than the one in Irvine, and I came on JUST the write (see what I did there) time, because, there was an event going on! For about 15 minutes Hello Kitty was actually out there, giving out stickers that said 'I met Hello Kitty today' And, to my knowledge, giving out autographs. Unfortunately, she was there for such a short period of time I didn't get to take pictures. But, let's start!

First, outside of the shop, there was a little stand with a few cute games that could win you prizes depending on you're ranking.

My brother, Preston, played the Pinwheel game and scored second place. He got a cute little notebook with a black penguin with spiky hair on it, I forget his name, but he's a Sanrio character. As you may see, this event is going on in honor of spring in Japan. What does that mean? Well, I am an expert in Japanese tradition (Kind of) So, let me explain. In Japan, there are Cherryblossom trees everywhere; they bud in the mid-April. (Hey! That's now!) They are absolutely EVERYWHERE! The Japanese celebrate this; Cherryblossom Festivals, Feasts, and-as you can see-events.

Now, moving onto the inside--Oh, It's Sanrio. Too much cute stuff. TOO MUCH I TELL YOU! Of course; the walls were filled with Hello Kitty stuffies and other Sanrio characters. Walls border every inch of the room, so you can imagine how much Hello Kitty there is.

 Yes, now that capture in your mind is in depth. Am I correct?

Ok, now, I have to ADMIT....Japanese candy isn't the BEST. They usually have rice things....I like rice, but they ferment it and stuff. But, they don't do that for Sanrio! It's still adorable-and it tastes good.

 LOOK!! I mean, I'm not a fan of gum...At all...but I'd buy this, just to play with it! What would be even MORE awesome is if they made SUPER mini and thin chocolate coins and put a coin insert-er on that. You'd put the chocolate in and it would come out of a secret compartment on the back! Wow, I should really send that idea to Sanrio Head Quarters...

 AAH! Again, NOT a fan of gum but, again, I'd buy it, but this time, to just look at it, and probably redraw the Keroppi (the frog you see on the package. It is a Sanrio character) on the front! And, Sanrio is using REALLY tempting packaging. They are putting a ADORABLE star backround, and on top of that, a cute frog holding bananas, and in color letters, 'BUBBLE GUM'. You know, I could be REALLY good at that job!

 Must I say anything? A singular marshmallow with a chocolate middle. 3 dollars a package. Buy one. Eat it. Tempted to buy another. Buy it. Eat it. Repeat.

These pencils are so cute, you get a crowd around you when you write. Experience. They SERIOUSLY went over-the-top, to the extends of putting a STUFFED ANIMAL on the tip of the pen. Say 'Lady Gaga Was Here' in your head if you spot it! Because, I bet if that was part of a collection, it'd be labeled 'JAPAN: GAGA COUTURE'.

When you walk into the Sanrio shop, you are greeted with a claw machine, filled with 'cute lute' (Cute Loot) and pink exterior. It's hard not to spot it, and harder not to try it. Thankfully, I was too distracted taking picture OF it to USE it. Thank you, blogging!

If you notice the walls of the claw machine (back wall) You'll see cute Sanrio characters! Even more tempting! Another big thanks to blogging!

I've noticed Sanrio does this a TON. Packages with cute candies, supplies, and characters for celebrations. They must be clever, if it was my birthday (Which it will be in like 2 months) Then I'd buy these as take home gifts! (Which I hopefully will) My only question is this; as you can see, this is a set to use at school. Pencils, notepads, stickers...But, gum? I don't know about you, but my school district doesn't allow chewing gum in the class. Maybe Japan is different? I'll look into it.

 There is also this cute -of course pink- cart! If you have ever been to The Grove in L.A, there are booths everywhere, that are selling bracelets, stuffies, latop cases, everything! This is one of those, but in a shop. It contains Hello Kitty stuffy outfits and dolls, and cards and posters. The way they set it up was cute, and the dolls and care-basket being behind glass makes it look special.

The clothes are CUTE, a little over-the-top. But, if you look at the ones to the nearest left and right, you might tell they are Japanese Street Style. That is a  popular trend in japan. Girls have pink hair curled in ponytails with fairy-tale like dresses, and boys have blue spiky hair with blue jackets and bright pink shirts. It's kinda cool when you get used to it, like I have, but you might think some of the people are mentally-ill if you randomly see someone wearing that style.

 Last but not least, there was a Wild-Animal set-up! I think it's really cute! Including Hello Kitty dressed up as a giraffe, there is a wallet (right corner) Bento Box (top right) and different-colored pens (bottom middle).

 And, on the bottom, there are MORE Hello Kitties dressed up as pink cheetas, monkeys, and A PANDA! (Read the blog name, please.) They do this a lot with Hello Kitty. They dress her up as things. I've seen apples, popcorn, elephant, (these), and like, a lot of others.

 Next to those is a pencil case with Hello Kitty peeking out with different outfits on. But I don't get why the Elephant Hello Kitty wants an apple...?

That's all for today! Stay tuned for more....

Bento Box Tools!

Hi! For Easter, (I didn't post on Easter because I was the one collecting eggs) I got TONS of awesome Japanese stuff from the Easter Bunny! They were all Bento related. What's a Bento? It's a Japanese lunch box, with food in the form of cute animals! All edible. I made a bento box once, and brought it to school and the kids went crazy! Here are some pictures from websites with Bento Boxes. (NOT MY CONTENT)

My Modern Met



Tumblr

Get it now? Originally, though, Bento Boxes are Japanese Cuisine arranged in separate sections in a box, but a popular version is above. This is a traditionally Bento.

Examiner

Ok, enough talk about Bento Box history, let's see what I got!

So, one of the things I got is a 'bento flower stack'. I don't know it's real name, but that's what I call it. This is what it looks like.

It's little cutters that cut out ham, cheese, salami, and anything else for your bento! For example, you choose the face/design and put ham up to it and cute it. Bento makers use these for faces (the penguin face) bodies (Yoshi's body) and emotions (Kirby's expression)! So, let's un-box it!

Oh my gosh! I didn't know it was three layers! Seriously, I though it was one. I gues that means triple the Bento awesomeness...

The three layers are: Orange,  (on top) Soft Yellow, (middle) and Red (bottom).

I think it's awesome that, on TOP of it being cute Bento material, they put it into flower shapes and cute colors! That was definitely a sales pitch I hit.

It ALSO came with a book for some How-To Bento faces!

That's the content of the book! So, today, I will be making this!

Since it's my first time doing this, I'm not sure it will turn out well...But everything is worth a try!

So, I got meat, basil, salami, and cheeses. I'm READY! So, first, I'm going to take my white cheese. Thats the face. The face figure is on the top flower. All you do is push down onto the cheese and it cuts out the face!

Wow! That works REALLY well. I definitely give the accuracy  of the cut a perfect score.

It's not much, but it's a start. Now, let's do the hair! I used Cheddar cheese for this, but you are rightfully supposed to use boiled carrots. It's both red hair, so who cares? So, for the hair, I also used the top flower. I need to parts; a cloud and bangs. The cloud betrays a tuft of hair, and the bangs, well... they're bangs.

So, so far, I have a head with hair, but no face. Like the headless horseman, but faceless.

Now the mouth and eyes. The mouth is made out of salami, the eyes, basil. We are using the face from the bottom flower. The salami mouth was WAY to big, so I cut it smaller. It's nor HARD, they should know the mouth shouldn't be bigger that the face!

The basil eyes were pretty hard to cut out. it had only made in imprint on the basil,so I had to use scissors to cut out the shape. But for the second eye I realized to just JAM that flower into the basil. I still had to lightly cut, but I found the second technique worked better. 

I'M DONE!! Wow, that took a long time, but a cute time, too. It's a fun experience, cutting out the cheese, arranging the hair. I might do a tutorial on how to make one without a pattern from the book guiding you. Without the book, it takes lots of creativity. I'm thinking making dents in the cheese hair so it looks like a braid. Anyways, this is the finished face!

 Do you think it matches to the pattern? Comment!