Happiness Boutique [Review + Giveaway]

So remember that Rocksbox post I wrote a while back?  Well, since then, I've been on the hunt for cute, AFFORDABLE, quality pieces to spice up my everyday wardrobe.  Lucky for me, I was contacted by Happiness Boutique to review a product of my choice from their website and after the Rocksbox fail, I was already in the market for a brand new statement necklace that I didn't have to return.

Trying to pick just ONE piece to review was tough.  They have over 300 items in the necklace section alone!  It literally took me days to finally narrow it down to a few choices and then another few days to actually commit to one.  After about a week of serious deliberation, I finally chose this one.

If it isn't obvious from the photos, this necklace has quickly become one of my faves and I've worn it on several occasions.  It's so easy to style that I can wear it with shorts and a tank top on the weekend, with a v-neck and flare jeans to work, or with a simple bodycon dress to go out.  The details on this are absolutely stunning and while it looks like a high-end piece, it's actually really light and doesn't make me feel like I'm carrying an anchor around my neck.

The people over at Happiness Boutique are so true to their name that they also offer free shipping!  As in, no minimum purchase required.  As in, you don't have to pay anything other than your items.  As in, AWESOME.  Oh, and did I mention that they also have a reward program?  Yup.  You get points for purchasing, points for reviewing, points for sharing, points for tagging, and points for signing up for their newsletter.  That's a shit ton of points that you can redeem for FREE STUFF.  If you're not happy with free shipping and free stuff, then something must be terribly wrong with you.

Oh, and because I love my necklace so much, I've decided to spread a little happiness and give you a chance to win one of your own!  You know the drill, enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#TheOnlyWayIsLove

Some of you may have heard about #TheOnlyWayIsLove party which was recently held in Essex, UK.  It was a fashion show held by my friends over at In Love With Fashion, where they showcased their newest LOVE garments and designs.  I wasn't lucky enough to attend, but those who did (including many celebrities) have raved about it, saying that it was the "party of the year" which makes me want to save up to attend one of the LOVE events coming up next year!

Lucky for us, LOVE is giving one person a chance to win one of the goody bags they gave out during #TheOnlyWayIsLove party AND £500 cash money, baby!  How awesome is that??!!  Uh, pretty DAMN awesome if you ask me!

All you have to do is fill out a form, and that's it!  You're entered.  BOOM!  No long list of bloggers to follow, no Facebook pages to like (though you could like ILWF anyway), and no hoops to jump through just to get a chance at winning.  Easy, peasy.  Lemon squeezy.

Click here to enter the competition!

Good luck!  And don't forget to stop by

Wishing for LOVE...

It's no secret that I'm in LOVE with In LOVE With Fashion.  They have amazing items at great prices and even celebrities can't get enough!  Now that Christmas is coming up, I thought I'd show you some of my favorite pieces from ILWF.  You know, just in case you wanna get me something...or add it to your own wishlist!

Frikken Duckie's ILWF Wishlist! by frikkenduckie featuring a vintage black skirt

And because you guys are all so awesome, ILWF is offering all my readers 25%* off my wishlist items!  Use code: MERRYLFA to get your 25% discount now!  C'mon, you know you can't pass up a deal like that...  *code can only be applied towards LOVE full priced items*

Happy shopping, readers!

Oh, and if you were wondering how the DIY body wrap thing I mentioned last post went, it was kind of a #fail since I totally ate a meal while I had it on - which pretty much defeated the purpose of it.  Oops.  I also tried it last night after dinner and wore it overnight and supposedly lost 3" - but then again, I was pretty full from dinner so my measurement this morning was basically the measurements I am normally...??  I'll try it again tonight and we'll see if there is a difference or not.  I'll try not to eat so much this time.

A Sweet Surprise [just for you!]

It's almost that time of the year where we open our hearts and our wallets to share our love and gratitude with others.  But before we start scouring the newspaper ads and begin mapping out our Black Friday strategy plan, let's just be selfish for just a little longer.

I've teamed up with In LOVE With Fashion to give my wonderful readers [that means you] an exclusive offer so you can be a little selfish without feeling too guilty about it.  Click the image below to get your offer now!  Trust me, you won't want to miss out on it!

And a HUGE thank you to everyone who has shown me so much love and support throughout my blogging journey.  I have been busy with work and family, but I will respond to each and every comment I've received and I promise to start popping up more on your blogs!

Olive Your Life

Hooray it's Monday!  Not.  Nobody says "hooray" on Mondays.  Not even those of us who don't have to work. (cough...me...cough)

 Oh, and that reminds me, I do have a job now.  (I guess that could deserve a hooray?)  It's just a part-time/seasonal job for the holidays working in retail but I'm happy with it because, let's be real, I'm only working there for the discount.  I had my orientation last Tuesday (which was when I got my discount card) and my first actual work day was yesterday but I already spent about $300 since getting that card.  20% off is not to be passed up - I might as well take advantage of it before my seasonal time is up, right?  Right.

So now that I'll be earning a little bit of money, you can bet that I've already got an idea of what to spend it on.  (And I haven't even gotten my first paycheck yet!)

Olive Edge ft. Aupie by frikkenduckie featuring knit tops

One of my most favorite trends for this season is leather!  I know, it's EXTREMELY hot on Guam, but I just can't help myself!  I think the leather look is okay in small doses, right?  And since everyone here on Guam has played out the mint and coral colors, I've found a new love for olive.  I mean, how could you go wrong with olive, right?

That olive sweater with leather shoulders is my FAVORITE coveted item right now.  Don't you love it?  And guess what?  It's only $28!  An OLIVE sweater with LEATHER details for under $30?  Yes, please!

 All of these items are under $30 - say, what!? - and from Aupie, an online retailer with amazing items and great prices.  They also offer free shipping worldwide, with no minimum purchase so you don't have to worry about those extra charges.

Aupie also has tons of different items to fit your personal style.  You know, in case you don't like olive or leather.  But you do, right?  And when you sign up on their website, they'll send you a coupon code for 15% off!  You better take advantage of that while you can - you know I will!

 

DIY Shoe Display

Remember my closet project that I started a few months back?  And how my shoe organization consisted of a dusty old cabinet?

Looks horrible, doesn't it?  I couldn't even fit all my shoes in there so whenever I took a pair out to wear, it ended up on the floor instead of back inside this mess of a shoe cabinet.

But thanks to a little creativity and inspiration from my niece, Kiana, AND an old bed frame I had lying around, I was able to transform that hot wooden mess up there into a spectacular shoe-stravaganza!

 

 Welcome to my shoe corner!  A lovely little place in my closet where my shoes can hang out without the worry of being cramped and neglected.  And you want to know how I did it?  I took the metal frame from a futon bed and stood it up in the corner.  Easy?  Yes.  Genius?  HELL YES!

 The bottom is where I keep my boots, flats, and sneakers.  I even hung some of my boots on pants hangers to reduce the clutter on the floor and to keep the shape of the boots nice and straight.  And you see those brown boots in the bottom right?  I got those for $5.00 (yes, $5!!) on Poshmark from @kskloset.  She is absolutely amazing and she's got a whole bunch of brand new boots that I highly suggest you check out!

All my sandals were originally on the floor but I had another genius idea to use the extra pants hangers to hang them on an extra curtain rod.  Eventually I'll get some wire hangers to do this idea and make it look a little prettier, but for now I'm fine with it.

In between is where the heels and wedges are kept.  I love how I can just hang my heels up and not have to worry about them scuffing or getting lost under each other since they're spaced out and able to fit neatly.  What a difference it makes when trying to get ready!

Isn't it awesome what you can do with old furniture?  I'm sure you have (or know someone who has) an old bed frame you can use to do this yourself.  Go get it and make your cluttered, dusty, shoe pile transform into a super chic shoe display.  You know, because display sounds much more fancy.

I've Got This New Addiction...

It has been the reason for my blogging less these past few weeks.  Its not really a new thing, just kinda new to me.

I know most of you have already heard of Poshmark and/or already use it.  But for those of you who don't know what it is, it's basically an app for iPhone/iPad/iEtc where you buy and sell items you no longer have use for.  It's great for those of us who buy things and never use (like that dress that's been hanging in your closet for the past 3 years) or things that we can't fit anymore (hello pre-pregnancy jeans!).

I've just recently started my Poshmark account and within the first couple days of listing items, I made my very first sale!  After that I was HOOKED.  If you follow me on Instagram, you'd have seen the gigantic mess in my closet due to putting together outfits and listing them.

Here's a peek at my Poshmark closet listings:

 J.Crew Dress

Seafoam Green Blouse and F21 Gold Sequined Skirt

Coach Snow Boots

Fox Print Blouse

I'm literally open to selling EVERYTHING I have.  Seriously.  If there's an outfit I posted on the blog that you liked, I'll sell it to you.  I'm basically trying to sell anything just to make a little money to buy more stuff on Poshmark.

So, if you want, check out my closet (@frikkenduckie) by downloading the Poshmark app and use my code: HLVDF to get $5 credit to your Poshmark account!  For those with Android devices, you can still shop my closet at Poshmark.com/closet/frikkenduckie.

I've got a huge closet and a LOT of stuff so I'll be posting new items weekly!  And if you do have Poshmark, let me know and I'll follow you!!!

DIY Costume: Midnight Ninja

Yep, I'm back with another DIY Halloween costume idea for you!  Are you excited?  Well, I am.

So while browsing Halloween costumes online, I came across a few that I really liked but the prices for them were pretty ridiculous.  The average price for the costumes I wanted were $30 - $60.  That's a little too much for my budget, especially since it's only for a few hours on one night.  And with three kids and Halloween being on a school night this year, I'm only going around the neighborhood - not to a super fab Halloween party.

One of the costumes I liked was this "Deadly Ninja" costume.  I like how its a little sexy, but still appropriate for a wild night of trick-or-treating.

Isn't it cute?  I thought so.  But for $50, I'm sure we can come up with something a little cheaper, right?  RIGHT.

Midnight Ninja by frikkenduckie featuring stiletto heel boots

See, basically the same thing.  I'm sure we all have a basic black tank top and black leggings laying around our closets somewhere.  The fingerless gloves can be made using a pair of old black socks.  Use red ribbon or yarn (or cut an old red tshirt into strips) to wrap around your legs and forearms and cover your head and face using a black scarf.  The black knee-high boots can be substituted for any black shoe and just do a basic smokey eye for your makeup and that's about it - instant ninja!

So what do you guys think?  Do you think you'll be a ninja this year?  What costumes have you had your eye on?

DIY Costume: Miley Cyrus

You had to know this was coming.

With all the controversy surrounding the former Hannah Montana over her new "bad ass" image, I figured it was only right to put together a costume in her honor.  And because the first one I put together took so little effort (because she wears so little clothes) I decided to give you not one, but TWO Miley Cyrus costumes this Halloween.  Just try not to catch a cold when you go out in them.

We Can't Stop Miley Cyrus by frikkenduckie featuring a bangle bracelet set

Miley Cyrus is a WRECKing Ball by frikkenduckie featuring a chanel lipstick

Her "outfits" in both the "We Can't Stop" and "Wrecking Ball" videos were very minimal and basically all white.  Instead of just the plain white crop top and leggings that she wears through the majority of the "We Can't Stop" video, I decided to add a black beanie (which she wears towards the end) and a teddy bear for you to strap to your back - plus a naked Miley tee will pull the whole look together.

The "Wrecking Ball" costume is basically a white tank, white undies or boyshorts, brown boots, red lipstick and a sledgehammer.  I do not recommend you go trick-or-treating in this outfit - you may get pneumonia.  Don't say I didn't warn you.

DIY Fabric Panel Shorts

So remember those shorts I showed you in my last post?  If you don't, here's another look at them:

Well, as promised, I'll be showing you how I made these bad boys so you can make a pair too!  They're actually very easy to make, all you need is a pair of shorts, some fabric, scissors, pins, and a needle and thread.

So the first thing you need to do is measure and cut your fabric.  What I did was place the fabric over one side of the shorts and cut around the area, using it as a guideline.  Be sure to cut your fabric a little bigger so you can fold the raw edges under to get a cleaner line.

The next step is to fold and pin the edges of the fabric to the shorts.  This will keep your fabric in place as you sew.

Now we're sewing!  I'm still a beginner at this sewing biz so I just used a basic stitch - nothing fancy.  So, using your needle and thread, sew your fabric to your shorts, taking the pins out as you go along.

And, that's it!  You've got some fancy new shorts to rock this summer!  Oh, and don't forget to add a little flair to the back too!  (Use the same method for the back pocket).

 Well I hope you liked this tutorial as much as I enjoyed making it!  It is really so easy to do - I finished the pair I wore in about an hour while I was waiting for the parade to start.  I really love the fact that you can use different colors, washes, and fabric to create unique looks.

So whaddaya waiting for?  Get that fabric and start creating!

Guam's 69th Liberation Day

Here on Guam, one of the biggest local holidays is Liberation Day, which we celebrate every year on July 21st.  It was on this date in 1944 that the U.S. armed forces arrived on Guam to liberate the local people from the control of the Japanese during World War II.

We celebrate and remember this day in our history with a parade, carnival, and fiestas (or parties) with family.  The Liberation Day Parade is the main highlight of the day.  Villages throughout the island create and showcase floats to represent their village and to pay tribute to the people who lived through and lost their lives during the war.

It is our family tradition to reserve a spot along the parade route and watch the parade live.  We set up a canopy, bring food and a barbecue grill, rent a portable toilet, and spend our whole day down on Marine Corps Drive.  The parade really is a wonderful cultural experience for tourists and locals alike.

 The Guam Liberation Day Parade is something that I think everyone should experience at least once in their lives.  Despite the heat and humidity, it is truly an event worth seeing.  The sense of community and family is strongest on this day and should you be in town around July 21st, I invite you to join my family and I as we celebrate this proud day in Guam's history.

Chambray Top:  Ross Stores  //  Stars & Stripes contrasted shorts: DIY by me  //  Shoes:  Airwalk from Payless Shoes  //  Accessories:  H&M

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for a DIY tutorial on how I made those shorts!