Review on cutelittlepanda1 (Little Star Land) - Etsy Shop

           I had an urge to buy squishy toys some two months ago; you know, those handheld, sweet smelling things, with food or dessert shaped designs- they get sold a lot in Chinatown. Well, I could very well have gotten some in real life, instead of shopping online, but the prices online are pretty cheap, from most sellers, and you can buy in bulk online, while a lot of shops in Chinatown tend to overprice sometimes. I wanted a macaron shaped squishy, and thought I could make jewelry or something out of it. So I ended up buying from cutelittlepanda1. However she has since closed this shop and reopened another one called Littlestarland, which sells the same items as the original shop. I placed my order on 3/28/2013, and the item got shipped on the 29th. I received the package around April 2nd, which is some really fast shipping; I'm happy about it. She doesn't do tracking, but she responds very quickly to messages, so you can ask before placing an order. Now the squishy was not exactly what I expected. It looked just like the images, but the material was some soft gauze like material, with silicone type cream in it. I sorta was expecting it to be more of the type of the material the round bread squishies are made from; more like the stretchy material in stress balls. This squishy is also not the scented type; it has a chemical odor that goes away after a while, but I know a lot of people expect squishies to have some sweet scent, which isn't always true. I do appreciate the fast shipping and quick responses, and I plan on buying something more in the future.

                                                                       

The Pantry - Little Rock, Arkansas

        On a friend's recommendation a few nights ago, I went with my brother and a group of friends to The Pantry. The restaurant is run by a man originally from Czechoslovakia, and the menu items are a nice mixture of American, and Eastern European food. The restaurant, first of all, is a cozy place, which I give props for. It's a place you can sit down and relax for a while in, and you don't have the feeling you're getting pushed out or anything, since they had a lot of room. They had a lounge area with sofas, and an outside area with seating, but we got some booth seats around the bar area, since it was cooler inside.
     
           I really like how they decorated the place; it was classy, but not fussy and the dim lights made it a very romantic place. The decor reminded me of an Art Deco style, and also, the lights when lit, had designs it formed from the shadows that reflected off the ceilings; all in all it was not a bland looking place at all! I did not have a lot of money that night, so I ordered some small items, since my brother was paying for me.
       
       I wanted to try something a little different, so I got a Bratwurst sausage styled like a hotdog, and the waiter was king enough to come and give multiple refills while we waited for the orders. Even though it was from the "Fun Fair" section of the menu, that was a rather filling Bratwurst, and I felt pretty full after just that item. (It was very tasty.) After that I wanted to try one of their dessert items, and got the Nutella Creme Brulee. The Nutella was a custard mix, and didn't taste like how it normally does, but the dessert tasted great, and I have zero complaints on it, so it doesn't matter.~ I really, really liked this place; the atmosphere, the food, and the great service, and I hope to get the chance to stop by again!

                                                                           

Review on Isimaya - Etsy Shop

      I took on a new hobby recently, collecting vintage/antique postcards! I started when I went to this huge flea marketplace in Hot Springs. It was a rather huge place and I saw a cute Easter postcard I fell in love with and purchased it that day. A little after I realized a lot of sellers online are selling vintage/antique postcards for rather affordable prices, and I decided to give Isimaya a try. I actually made two purchases, at different times, but will do both reviews here. I made the first purchase on 4/23/2013, and the postcard shipped on 4/25/2013. Isimaya ships from Belgium, and the package took about a week to reach the US; I got it on 5/2/2013. I only took photos of my first purchase, but this was the postcard from the first purchase, and this was what I bought the second time. The second purchase was just as efficient as the first, and I forgot to mention this, but for each single postcard you buy, Isimaya is usually kind enough to throw in two or three more, as well as antique photos, in both purchases. (I really appreciated that!) In the second purchase, I placed my order on 5/2/2013, and it was shipped on 5/4/2013. I got the package on 5/13/2013. For vintage/antique postcards or photos, I really recommend this seller! One thing to note, they do not do tracked shipping, but if you inbox them in advance before you buy, I'm sure they can arrange something, as they are very quick in replying to messages too. Also,the listed postcards look exactly as the actual item, no tinting or any lies about the quality or condition.

                                                                       

Lemon Meringue Pie- Kroger Brand

      A few weeks ago, I was in the mood for some lemon meringue pie, and got the version sold from Kroger. Lemon Meringue Pie is a bit of an obscurity history wise; some sites say precursor recipes were around from the Medieval era, some say the main inspiration for meringue was Switzerland, and some say a Quaker chef, known as  Elizabeth Coane Goodfellow, made modern day lemon custard, which helped make today's lemon meringue pie. Anyways, I had meringue pie a few times in the past, and loved it, so even though the Kroger one might not be the highest quality, it was cheap, and I had a craving so I bought it. The Kroger pie, for the price, wasn't bad at all. Instead of a lemon cream, or custard, they used a lemon jam of some sort, and the meringue is lightly toasted, but the sweet taste came more from the lemon part of the pie, but it wasn't a bad snack. I think in the future I might try some meringue pies from pastry shops and compare the differences.

                                                                         

Marukawa Chewing Gum

           So on the list of snacks I tried recently is Marukawa's chewing gum. This was another Asian confectionery I saw for many years, only I never bothered to try it before. I bought the multiple gum package with different flavors, and they were all quite tasty; I regretted that they were gum, as I wanted to eat it! The flavors are pretty accurate to the packaging- melon tasted like melon, the strawberry tasted like strawberry,etc. The gum came in two different shapes as well, as little balls, or some strange "square" shapes that were more like stools or chairs. (I only took a photo of the chair shaped gum cause it was unique looking to me.) I really liked how the gum tasted, but the reason I'm reviewing it as chewing gum is because it doesn't make good bubble gum. Even if you chewed several together, you can't make the huge bubbles other brands are known for, but that's alright by me. Another thing to note is this gum is the type to remain quite sticky after a long time of chewing, so make sure you have a tissue on hand to dispose of it, or else it'll get stuck in your hand. I do recommend people who are fans of sweet flavored gum to try it out.

                                                                             

                                                                                 

Yan Yan Snack by Meiji

         Yan Yan is a cookie/biscuit dip snack that one can find virtually at most Asian convenience shops, or in supermarkets in the United States. Although there are several companies today with their own varieties, Yan Yan is a longer running brand, and I remember seeing it at shops since I was a little kid several years ago. I've tasted the chocolate and strawberry, and I know a vanilla one is out, but I never seem to find it. I do like the dips; they're both very sweet, but not sickeningly sweet. However, it does taste like artificial flavoring too, which doesn't bother me; sometimes I prefer it for some candy and confections. I can't seem to decide on a favorite flavor, haha! Meiji, a Japanese pharmaceutical/ confectionery corporation has a website, but they don't list their confections in it in detail. :p

                                                                       

                                                                             

Coast Cantina - Little Rock, Arkansas

        I'm going to try to get as many posts done as possible tonight, so we'll see how many I can do.
 Another place I went to downtown is called Coast Cantina in the market hall. Coast Cantina has one of the bigger shops inside, and I went there too many times to count. They have very affordable items, and I prefer getting my drinks here, since you can get a large size for a dollar or so. I bought great sandwiches and other items here in the past, but recently I purchased a large shaved ice, which tasted like the ones I got in the stalls, but a little crunchier. A few days after, I purchased an authentic corn dog and chips for about $5, which is fairly affordable and cheap for a quick lunch bite. They have an assortment of flavors that you can add to sodas, Italian sodas, or shaved ices. The corn dogs are never stale, and the sandwiches I had a few times always looked and tasted fresh. Prices aren't bad either; a meal with a sandwich and chips, or other side item is about $6 - $10 depending on what you get. Great quality place!