ItsAMonkey
Member Since: September 17, 2006Reviews
Nestlé Noir Cherry
This bar disappointed me. I adore dried cherries, and really wanted to like the Noir Cherry. I came away from the bar wishing that the cherries had been much, much bigger then they were. The size of the cherry pieces, and the ratio of cherry to... +
This bar disappointed me. I adore dried cherries, and really wanted to like the Noir Cherry. I came away from the bar wishing that the cherries had been much, much bigger then they were. The size of the cherry pieces, and the ratio of cherry to bar made their presence more irritating then anything else - kind of like when you get a seed from a strawberry stuck between your teeth.
Just not worth it.
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Nestlé Noir Eclat Noir
Like the other mix-in bars in the line, I felt the chocolate base was quite nice. I enjoyed the crunchy texture of the cacao nibs. I just wish that there would have been a detectable difference in taste between the chocolate and the nibs. I... +
Like the other mix-in bars in the line, I felt the chocolate base was quite nice. I enjoyed the crunchy texture of the cacao nibs. I just wish that there would have been a detectable difference in taste between the chocolate and the nibs.
I wanted this to be a much more complex and deep tasting bar then it is. I almost feel like Nestle looked at it's demographic and decided that its probable buyers might be afraid of the bar and the whole idea of cacao nibs, and completely backed off from committing to the idea.
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Nestlé Noir Eclat Caramel
While I can't say that I'd ever purchase this bar, I will admit that it was my favourite of the line. But then, I tend to be a bit of a chocolate snob. I will say that if I were to recommend a bar to someone who was looking for a less pricey... +
While I can't say that I'd ever purchase this bar, I will admit that it was my favourite of the line. But then, I tend to be a bit of a chocolate snob. I will say that if I were to recommend a bar to someone who was looking for a less pricey alternative (at least, I assume the price point would be lower) to a Dagoba, Green and Black's, or, better yet, a bar turned out by an artisanal chocolatier who makes their products by hand, this would be the one.
I was surprised by the quality of the chocolate base. Coming from a mass market confection company, I was expecting something much more waxy and chemical tasting. The chocolate used in this bar, and the other mix-in bars in the line, was a pleasant surprise.
I feel like the caramel bits were of an excellent size, and liked that they weren't dumped into the bar in a quantity that would overwhelm the taste of the chocolate.
I've had better, but I've also had much, much, much worse.
This bar is pretty okay.
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Nestlé Noir Intense
It's funny - out of all of the Noir bars, I expected to like this one the best. I was a bit shocked to see that it was my second least favourite from the line. While tasting the four bars, I had purposely left this to the end of the line to taste... +
It's funny - out of all of the Noir bars, I expected to like this one the best. I was a bit shocked to see that it was my second least favourite from the line.
While tasting the four bars, I had purposely left this to the end of the line to taste. Having sampled a pretty good dark chocolate base in the other bars, I expected to encounter the same flavour in the straight-up, chocolate only bar. I was disappointed to say that I didn't. I feel like the chocolate in the chocolate-only bar was less complex and less flavourful then the bases used in the mix-in bars. That made me sad.
Chocolate shouldn't make a girl sad.
Damn you, Noir Intense. You deserve a fist shaking for your inability to live up to expectation.
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Bonspiel Creation Leather Bag
Oh man. OH MAN. Just look at that beautiful thing that's now mine, all mine. Bonspiel Creation is an artisan named Ellen, based out of Victoria, BC. She creates a mess of leather goods, softies and has recently ventured into clothing... +
Oh man. OH MAN. Just look at that beautiful thing that's now mine, all mine.
Bonspiel Creation is an artisan named Ellen, based out of Victoria, BC. She creates a mess of leather goods, softies and has recently ventured into clothing. Everything is hand made, from print design to leather dying, and screenprinting to actual construction. All of her work has an amazing sense of humour and intellegence that I can't even tell you how much I appreciate.
The bag that I bought from Bonspiel is her largest purse available. It's a great size, and is made of amazingly pliable and soft leather. It's insanely well made, and I love it to bits. Ellen also threw in a surprise gift - one of her sweet little change purses. Price points on her work range from $8.50 US to $254 US.
Super-quick shipping and excellent communication. I'll definitely be purchasing from Bonspiel again.
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Band-Aid Blister Block Stick
LOVELOVELOVE. I am in love with this product. I might just have to marry it. Right, so it's summer. And I want to wear pumps and flats and sandals. I want to wear them with freaking bare feet. Unfortunately, I am a delicate flower and have a... +
LOVELOVELOVE.
I am in love with this product.
I might just have to marry it.
Right, so it's summer. And I want to wear pumps and flats and sandals. I want to wear them with freaking bare feet. Unfortunately, I am a delicate flower and have a tendency to rip the shit out of the skin on my feet. But not anymore!
The Band-Aid Blister Block Stick is a godsend. It looks like a wee little deodorant, and is made of a semi-hard vegetable oil. To use, you apply a thin later of the product to the areas on your feet that rub against your shoes, like your heel, or other places that develop blisters, like the balls of your feet. The vegetable oil prevents chafing in the most delightful manner. So much so that I've been blister-free all spring!
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Puma Vitta
I have a habit of getting to know the cities that I visit by walking them. Walking them for hours. For ages and ages, I've been looking for a pair of cute shoes that I could walk in for those hours that weren't running shoes, that I could wear... +
I have a habit of getting to know the cities that I visit by walking them. Walking them for hours. For ages and ages, I've been looking for a pair of cute shoes that I could walk in for those hours that weren't running shoes, that I could wear with both skirts and dresses and pants, and that are goddamn adorable.
I spied these Puma Vitta's in one of the shopping newsletters that I subscribe to, and fell in love. Not being able to find them in a store close to me, and being to flat-out lazy to make the drive into downtown Toronto, I ordered them from the Puma website - who excellently ships to Canada!
I've worn them for two days straight, and they're all that I wished for - cute, comfortable, and absolutely walkable. And also, SILVER.
Pumas, length-wise, fit much like New Balance shoes; they're the only other brand that I take a 5.5 in. So I'm saying this - order a half size bigger then you usually would. I'm also saying this: I have midget feet that are insanely difficult to find shoes for.
The Puma site has versions of the shoe in silver, bronze, and non-metallic black and cream.
Like Sephora and a number of other online retailers, Puma makes use of Canada Border Free, and calculates all duties and taxes and rolls them into your payment for your product, so they can just be delivered to your door without thoughts of mysterious duties and tariffs hanging over your head.
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Steamed
Oh, Miss Chickie, I hate to do this, but I really have to disagree. I thought that "Steamed" pretty much stunk. And that makes me very, very sad. See, I was prepared to like this book a lot. I was ready for something fun and cleaver, and I... +
Oh, Miss Chickie, I hate to do this, but I really have to disagree. I thought that "Steamed" pretty much stunk. And that makes me very, very sad. See, I was prepared to like this book a lot. I was ready for something fun and cleaver, and I thought this book sounded like it was made for me. A main character that loves awesome restaurants! A witty murder mystery set in one of my favourite cities! Why, I love awesome restaurants, AND murder mysteries. Dude!
First and foremost, I really, really disliked Chloe, the main character. I thought that there was nothing at all to like about her. I thought that she came across as a complainer, and as one of those people who claim that things just happen to her, and never takes responsibility for the part that she plays in her own life. And even worse, I found her to be very, very shallow. And that's just completely unforgivable.
The thing is, it's not just Chloe that's shallow - because I really don't think that was either of the authors' intent. I think the main problem is that the writing itself being shallow. There is nothing at all compelling about how the story is fleshed out. The plotting and pacing feel rushed and surface-y, and the supporting cast of characters? Completely unmemorable.
There was a time when chick-lit was cleaver and funny and, though light, didn't make you feel dumber after having read it. The flaws and foibles of the main characters were both laughable and endearing. These were the kind of books that were written by actual storytellers, who knew about funny, and knew about precious, and knew the fine line between awesome and pathetic. This is not one of those books.
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Bytewize Computers - Kingston, ON
Today, I realized that I've never published a negative review about anything to Chickadvisor. And I realized it's pretty much because I've lucked out with all of my shopping and service experiences lately. That is, of course, until now. So here's... +
Today, I realized that I've never published a negative review about anything to Chickadvisor. And I realized it's pretty much because I've lucked out with all of my shopping and service experiences lately. That is, of course, until now.
So here's the warning: DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM BYTEWIZE COMPUTERS.
I ordered a Marware Sportsuit Sensor+ from Bytewize on March 13. I was notified by Canada Post's Event Notification System that shipping details had been submitted to them on March 16, that it was set to be sent via Expedited Parcel, and that delivery would be made on March 20.
Nothing arrived on March 20. Nothing arrived on March 21. Looking at the tracking information, it seems that the item never made it's way to Canada Post. So I called and left a viocemail at their Customer Service line. It was never returned. The next day, I sent an email, including a link to the tracking information. They never responded. Two more voicemails, three more emails and eight days later, I have still not heard from anyone at Bytewize, and my item still has not made its way outside of their doors and into Canada Post's hands, let alone mine.
Needless to say, I've opened up a dispute report with Visa.
If they treat a $25 order in such a manner, just how would they treat a purchase of a full-on computer system?
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Retrodelic Ellie Essential Bag
Oh, I got me a new bag. A new bag that is so lovely, sometimes I just put it on a table in front of me and stare at it. The Retrodelic Ellie Essential is the perfect bag. Size-wise, at 16" x 9" x 6", it is big enough to tote about all my stuff... +
Oh, I got me a new bag. A new bag that is so lovely, sometimes I just put it on a table in front of me and stare at it.
The Retrodelic Ellie Essential is the perfect bag. Size-wise, at 16" x 9" x 6", it is big enough to tote about all my stuff, and not so big that you'd throw your back out carrying it around. The leather is all soft and supple and durable at the same time. Whoever is fabricating these bags knows exactly what they're doing - the stitching is lovely AND serious enough to ensure that it will keep everything where its supposed to be, no matter what kind of beating you give it (but why would you ever do something so mean to something so lovely?), and the hardware is an excellent brushed steel that will still look fabulous and fashionable decades from now. The handles are substantial and feel so good to hold, and they're the exact right size to allow you to wear it over your shoulder, should you be so inclined.
Available in a multitude of colours, both demure and eye-popping, I had to go with the blue that you see pictured on over to the right. Seriously, it's my absolutely favourite shade of the colour, and until this year, it's been near impossible to find, fashion-wise, for at least a decade.
Toronto-based designer Ken Williams is the brain behind Retrodelic, and he seems to be the one handling all incoming orders, via their website, as well. The line is currently on the low-end price point for designer bags, but I expect to change shortly - especially after coverage in internationally distributed magazines like Lucky and In Style, and appearing on shows like Laguna Beach.
Please, feel free to coo along with me.
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