So, I have a Pink Nintendo Switch

With Pokemon Go Pikachu and Go Eevee announced, I decided now was the best time to justify purchasing a Nintendo Switch. Though, if I wanted a Switch, I knew I would only find it worth it if it was one I actually liked the look of. I mean, the initial investment is pretty high, especially coming from me who isn't used to buying games or consoles. 

After some googling and review searching, I decided to purchase my Switch though ColorWare Inc.

ColorWare Inc. is a website that sells different gaming consoles, mobile accessories, and other bits of miscellaneous technology~ but with the option to customize the colourway it can come in. With a lot of positive reviews and photos of their handiwork, I happily and confidently decided to order my own pink edition of the Switch from them.

The colours I decided on were an arrangement of the metallic shades, diamond and glamour, but in a matte finish (I read multiple opinions online of people recommending and pushing matte finishes for hand gaming accessories because apparently they're easier to keep looking clean/finger print free).

I ordered my switch on June 26, and it arrived July 18th~ which was just within the 2 month estimation given to me upon ordering. 

The Switch arrived in it's original packaging and nicely put back together. I was happily surprised with the extremely professional way it was presented, and doubly surprised at the high quality work my Switch had upon opening it!

Dun dadun dun~ Let me officially show off my pink Switch!

I have to admit that it looks prettier than anything I could have ever imagined (especially from my assumption that it may be a deeper pink, from the product colour generator and that there weren't many examples of what glamour pink looked like).

ColorWare Inc.'s work is absolutely superb. The colours are clean, with no blemishes or imperfections. Every line is crisp, and every surface completely opaque. Especially with my tough handling of my console, there are no external signs of ware that would belie that pink wasn't it's original colour.

Some of the first accessories I purchased for my console were thumb grips. Since I play Splatoon 2 quite often, I figured it would give me a bit more traction and control on the joysticks. Also, with all my game hours, the pads of my thumbs were starting to turn red and a bit raw from unnecessary friction. So far, it's been a decent aid in saving my thumbs, well, in addition to newfound moderation. I also have a Vanfit screen protector to keep my screen scratch free, extremely handy when my Switch is tossed into my bag and finds it's way next to my keys...

With other games, like Mario Kart, Mario Party, and Smash out and coming out, I figured that getting some extra Joycons might be a good idea. Plus, it would bring forth more enjoyment from those games, as I could include more friends into the game. So, I went back to ColorWare Inc. to order a complimentary pair to my Switch console. 

My Joycons arrived just 2 weeks after placing my order and they were just as beautiful as my main system. I ordered an opposite set to my original Joycons, so I can switch out the colours if I ever wish too play around with the look of my system.

With new Joycons, I started looking for some Joycon grips to have for myself and a +1. With my own Joycons, I haven't really liked the standard grip that came with my system, so I wanted to find a set that had a smaller profile (since I have small hands) and that matched my Joycons. I found the perfect set from Dream3DPrinting on etsy. 

The grips arrived in roughly 3 weeks from the date I ordered them. The grips are 3D printed, and very smooth to the touch. They have a slot where the Joycon slides in smoothly and fits very securely. In addition, something I absolutely adored was there was an additional slot in the back to also hold the Joycon straps, which makes storage very convenient. 

To account for my extra Joycons, I needed a way to charge them when apart from the main system. So, I found the PowerA Nintendo Switch Charging Dock, which conveniently charges all 4 of my Joycons.

When docked, a LED light showcases the status of my Joycons and when they're fully charged. Plus, it serves as convenient storage for when my system isn't in use.

Though it may not look it, I have done a small additional add on to my Switch dock. With all the research I did, I've found people have had issues with the front section of the dock scratching the glass of the Switch. Viable popular options to negate this issue seem to all be types of dock sleeves, but since a sleeve would cover up my pink dock, I wanted to find another option in prevention.

I then came across SwitchSafetyStrips on etsy, who sells pre-cut felt strips that apply to the inside of the Switch and cover up the area that has been said to scratch the screen of the hand held console. I like that it's subtle, effective and it keeps my Switch firmly in place within the dock. I ended up only applying the strips for the front segment, as having felt strips on both sides felt too tight on my switch as it had the extra bulk of the screen protector.

As I'm on the subject of the dock, I want to move into talking about how I connect my Switch to my television.

My TV only has one HDMI port, and originally I used it for my Chromecast. So, I needed an option to have both hooked up, and convenient to access (since my port is behind my TV and accessing it requires me fully dismantling my television stand). Thus, I was forced to figure out my own way to solve this issue. 

My solution was the Sewell IBIS 4k HDMI Switch Box and Rose Gold Male to Male HDMI Cable. The HDMI Switch Box connects to the HDMI port, and gives it an accessible dual extension. Though, it only connects one device at a time, but switching back and forth between devices is as easy as pressing a button, pictured above. 

Also, the Sewell IBIS is extremely small, and is easily hidden from view.

My newest accessory addition, is a casing for my Switch. I still haven't found the perfect case, but as of right now, I have settled on a clear bumper for my console.

The clear casing works just fine, but it doesn't protect the front of my system and my joysticks do get a bit jostled about in my purse. Though, I do enjoy that the case is segmented in 3 parts, so when I go to disassemble of the Switch or go to place it into the dock, it's very convenient. Still, it would be great if there were better cute storage options available for the Switch console.

At the end of the day, I'm so happy with my Switch, and that I've finally joined the new Nintendo bandwagon! If only Nintendo released an official pink system initially~ but at least attaining one was possible. Regardless, I'm so satisfied with just how well it all turned out!

I know that there was a lot of curiosity about my Switch and my accessories, so I hope I was able to answer any questions that were initially sent my way. Though, I wish I could properly answer this question, but I can't say I have many game recommendations~ As of now,I only have Mario Kart, Splatoon2, and Breakforcist Battle (which is a cute block busting game). Besides, Pokemon and the upcoming group game releases, the only title I'm eagerly awaiting is Katamari. Outside of those, I actually have no idea what type of games I would like;; I'm still very much a newbie outside of MMORPG's..

So, any games for the Switch you love/recommend!? I'm actually very curious to what other people enjoy!

<3CarisseIris

Capeandcrown13~ Cape Review

I was going to wait a bit till I compiled more photos but I've gotten more inquiries about my cape so here is my review on my cape from the etsy shop capeandcrown13

So, to leave off from my previous blog entry, I was in the market for a cape for my Halloween costume of this year~ After a lot of searching and looking at the different option in regards to purchasing a cape I decided to look towards smaller business' for my purchase. 

The most convenient place for me to search is etsy. For those who may not know, etsy is basically like an online market for small business or crafters to sell their wares. It's a reputable site that not only makes finding items and browsing goods easy, but makes the purchasing process a breeze and provides a way of communicating with the seller that makes asking questions to the maker extremely convenient. 

By the time I found capeandcrown13's shop, I knew immediately that that was the place I wanted to order my cape from. 

To be sure I had enough time to order a custom cape, I reached out to The Cape Maker, who owns capeandcrown13, inquiring weather it was possible to create and ship the cape I had in mind within a month, and immediately I was given and answer and told that she was booked with orders and that if I wanted my cape by my date I needed it, I would need to go though with a RUSH fee, which was very affordable and I had no issue with.

The cape maker answered all my questions when ever I asked and had all her information for me to help assist her in what exactly I was looking for in a cape. She had swatches of every colour available for me to look though, examples of cape lengths on mannequins of different heights and the process was extremely easy and fun with her guiding me.

So, very quickly, by the following day she had a custom order on her page for me to purchase and get the transaction started. 

Roughly 3 weeks later, I received notification that my order was shipped! Which happily surprised me since it was actually a week earlier than I expected.

My cape came in a large box, so not to wrinkle the cape and it was nice and neatly packaged. [I'm quite annoyed at myself that I didn't think ahead and take a photo, so sorry I don't have that to share~]

So, onto the cape it's self~
The cape I ordered is a 27" powder blue satin cape with ivory satin lining inside and with a faux fur trim.
I am just under 5'4", and the cap sits perfectly past bum, and covers just to my fingertips. So, my top half of my body is nice and covered. The cape has a nice weight to it so it does a good job of keeping me warm in the oh so chilly California weather, which is at the low to mid 50's recently and dipping down to the 40's in the evening~ I'm measuring in Fahrenheit, so I believe it would equate to roughly 10 Celsius.

The cape's fit is nice and loose, I like to think it's universally flattering, especially since it has this beautiful flare to it, and moves so wonderfully around the wearer. It's also the first time I find a hood sits nicely on my head+hair~ it has a lot of room for movement in the hood so my hair isn't trapped and made to go flat, which I hate and why I don't wear hoodies..

The seams and ties are well attached and invisible, so the cape is very professionally crafted and for such a delicate look, is quite sturdy and strong.

I'm not to well equipped with satin fabric but I notice it is hard to wrinkle so the cape stays nice and crisp looking when I wear it or when I have it hanging in my closet.

Visually, the cape in STUNNING, it's just like I envisioned it, and exactly like The Cape Maker showcases in her shop. Like, even though I questioned if spending a bit more on a coat would be worth it, California weather and all, I was just so happy with the outcome that I have zero regrets in my decision.
Like, from the easy communication, to the product it's self, it was a joy.

I definitely would recommend capeandcrown13 if you're in the market for a cape for winter wear, or for a costume, even for wedding wear.
I rarely rave about one item, yet alone a piece of clothing enough for me to just post it's own blog post, but I'm just so happy with my purchase, that I had to share!

Also, it looks so nice in photos~ Like, I feel like a princess just putting it on.

Have a few candid shots, since the cape still makes the feel of the photos so magical, haha.

Also, I'm going to try getting back to normal blogging.
I'll probably start getting more personal on my blog again, so probably expect a few blips about my life, rants maybe? Then I'll post some misc selfie sets for the heck of it.
I feel really bad that I'm on? I've been? on hiatus for so long.

Mixed with studying for my exam, weight gain and life in general, I've felt so uninspired, so I'm trying to just get back into the swing of getting back on my laptop.

<3CarisseIris

Second Start to the Right, and Straight on to Disneyland

So, once again, I'm starting with apologies, but I'm still neck deep into my studies. I'm currently studying for an entrance exam to the school I want to go to, so that's my main focus right now. So, I haven't abandoned my blog. Just a short hiatus of sorts while I focus on my schooling.

On to happier and much more fun topics!

Like, every year, Halloween is my favorite holiday and one I throw myself into with a gusto!
This year, my friends and I were too busy, collectively, to focus on a cohesive group costume. So, we all did our own thing. For myself, I chose to do my own version of Wendy Darling, from Peter Pan.

My idea, was very simple~ I really wanted a Wendy inspired outfit in a similar styling as Secret Honey's Disney fashion items. With that in mind, I sketched out a rough idea of how I wanted my costume/coord to look.

From the above sketch, I knew I would need to reach out to alternate sources for items, so I went to etsy to look for small business owners that had or could create what I envisioned.

My dress was created by BbeautyDesigns

I purchased their Wendy Darling dress and requested for a shorter hemline to modernize the look, and to create a cuter silhouette like I envisioned.
They owner was extremely efficient and my dress came out perfect! It was surprisingly comfortable too.

My cape was created by Capeandcrown13
I ordered a custom cape, which is just gorgeous! I'll have a separate blog post on my cape because I ended up wearing it a few times and have some pretty photos I want to share.

My ears were made by CaleighsCrowns
I ordered the perfectly fitting Wendy Darling inspired Mouse Ears Flower Crown 
The ears are extremely sturdy, and withstood 3 coaster rides and a long day of wear and tear. It's full of adorable details which adds to it's charm.

My outfit came together just as I envisioned, which, I absolutely adore!

I topped off my outfit with pearl and star accessories that I bought for cheap off eBay~

Of course no Peter Pan related outfit would be complete without Pixie dust, and seriously, I was slathered in my MAC Reflects Pearl!

Relatively, my outfit was pretty simple and easy and I could have fun with it, which I was definitely glad for.

This was the first year all of us could just go with the flow, ride whatever ride we wanted, and not feel pressured to take a perfect group photo and worry over costume details, wigs or props. So, it was a nice break!

It was also a nice break from studying, and a good excuse to see my girls and forget about life for a few hours!

I don't know if  I'll do any Halloween night look, but I have plenty of past tutorials and looks.
So, if this ends up being the last Halloween post for me this year~
I want to wish you all a happy and safe Halloween!!

<3CarisseIris