The Instax Mini 7s Instant Review!

After weeks of waiting, I was finally able to get my hands on the Fujifilm Instax Mini 7s that I asked my mom to order online for me (no credit card and no work yet, so yeah). I saw an ad of it in one of the online deals websites my mom frequents, and after seeing a price drop of almost 50%, I knew I had to get it for my twin and I. I scrambled to get whatever amount I could to pay my mother off, and after brief negotiations, she succumbed and bought it for me.

I first saw the Mini 7s when one of my orgmates brought hers and took pictures with it. I really thought that instant cameras were long gone (pardon my ignorance), so after seeing one still being sold in the market, the FiMtwins decided that we must have one of those gadgets for our picture taking tirades. We tried searching for low-priced ones, but alas, it was still beyond what our budget can buy. That’s why I immediately grabbed the online deal, no questions asked.

On to the product itself. These are what you get out of the box of the Instax Mini 7s:

- the unit itself (our Instax Mini 7s is color blue. Yay!)

- 4 AA batteries (ours came with Panasonic ones)

- instruction manuals

- wrist strap

The online deal had the option of adding film to the package, which I got. Film for this camera is always sold in 10 pcs per pack, which can be had, depending on where you buy it, for about Php 380.00-480.00 (for plain films). There are also twin packs (10x2 packs) which can be had for a few pesos cheaper than when you buy two 10-pc packs. I mentioned plain films earlier because there are also films which have different designs on them. Hello Kitty, Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Garfield, Stitch, Cars, and Disney Princesses are just some of the many frame designs that can be bought to go along with your Instax cameras. (I want to try all of the film designs, if only they weren’t so expensive to buy. :)

Okay, so for the Instax Mini 7s, you put 4 AA batteries on the side of the camera (in our case, opening the blue part/battery cap of the cam using the latch). Be sure to follow the battery placements, as it can be a bit tricky the first time.

To place the film, simply open the back portion of the camera and place your film pack inside, making sure that the yellow strip at the top of the film pack is aligned with the yellow strip inside the film holder. Close the camera and you’re done! A yellow strip should be in the upper right portion of the film cover, meaning you placed your film right.

Finally, to power up your camera, simply pull the lens out. Wait for the light at the top of the camera to turn green; that means the flash is charged and ready to go. (Oh, a little note: the flash will ALWAYS fire. There’s no off option for it. I’m thinking of a way to try and soften and/or block the flash using whatever I can come up with. I’ll let you know what I can do.)

The camera is simple enough to operate. At the top, there are options to choose from depending on where you’re going to take your shot. There are four options to choose from: Sunny, Fine, Cloudy, and Indoor. I haven’t spent much time on the settings yet so I don’t really have advices to give you regarding the settings. A couple of experimentations are still needed. After choosing the setting you want, simply look into the viewfinder to compose your shot (tip: aim slightly lower than the center of your subject. That way, your subject is at the center of the image. Weird, I know, but trust me, after a few test shots, it’s a big help). Click away! Wait for the film to come out on top (oh wait, another tip: after putting on a new pack of film, take a shot first. That way, the cover of the film gets discarded. Then take your real shot.) Tada! You now have an instant image. :D Congratulations!

It’s a pretty simple camera, yet it provides a very enjoyable experience. Not knowing how your shot’s going to look, instant picture printing, pictures reminiscent of old cameras, I just enjoy all of it. :D

That’s it! That’s the Fujifilm Instax Mini 7s. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go take some more photos. :D

(The official Fujifilm Instax Mini 7s (along with other Instax cameras) website can be found here.)

(P.S. Thank you so much Instaxcular for providing the most affordable films for my Mini 7s. :D If any of you are planning on buying all sorts of Instax films, Instax units, and/or accessories to go with your Instax, you can give their online shop a look. Their website can be found here. They also have a Facebook page.)

Sancho Churrieria Manila (Part 1)

Welcome to yet another new series on tilfurthernotice! Food Trip Friday, where we’ll be featuring our food finds and favorites, from restaurants, fairs and recipes. Here’s our pilot episode, featuring our favorite dessert place in Maginhawa, Teacher’s Village.

Looking for a cozy food place to hang out in the afternoon for a quick snack or a rustic warm restaurant for dinner? Look no further. We’ve found the best place for you.

The first time we tried Sancho Churrieria Manila’s delectable goodies, we fell in love with the cozy restaurant every since! We kept passing by this resto whenever we hang out at nearby food places, and thus our curiosity grew and grew until finally we decided to give it a try.

The moment we stepped inside, we smelled the aroma of rich, hot chocolate which invited us even more. A very cordial maitre d’ greeted us and led us to our table and gave out the menu. M’s eyes were locked on the dessert display case so we decided to try out the desserts first. We tried out their cream puffs and churros.

The cream puff was baked excellently; the shell was perfectly crunchy, even with the thick caramel glaze. The custard filling was really sweet and scrumptious. We think we can eat a dozen (or more, haha) in just one sitting. The brazo de Mercedez  was also another delightful favorite; we love the fluffy texture and the balanced sweetness.

But who goes to Sancho without trying their famous churros? Of course we had to give them a try. And the golden brown goodness took out breath away. You can even eat them on their own, but the experience is made more complete and perfect with the decadent, rich hot chocolate dip. F thought we should get another dip because we got to finish ours in just a snap. See? We didn’t even have a picture because we gobbled ‘em up right after they were served. Oops.

Their desserts are also affordable. The cream puff costs Php 30.00, the brazo Php 35.00, and churros Php 80/85.00. They also have a selection of cakes with prices ranging from Php 70.00 – Php 110.00. See? Totally affordable, more reason to keep coming back for more.

Sancho Churrieria Manila is located at 122 Maginhawa Street Teacher’s Village, Diliman in Quezon City. Get connected with them at Facebook and their site.

Stay tuned for Part 2!

DIY Cat Headband

Welcome to the pilot episode of Fimfim’s Tutorial Tuesday (or Teach Me Tuesday, subject to change :D). We’ve done a lot of art projects every since we were younger, and we’ve grown to love exercising our creativity and quirky sides through the handmade stuff we create. We’re going to share with you some of our craft projects and DIY stuff, and hopefully we could learn from everyone, too :) Feel free to message us here or @ fimfim08@ymail.com, and you may also leave comments.

We’re sharing with you today how to make a Cat/Kitten Ears Headband!

We attended the 9th Anniversary Celebration of our organization, UP Sirkulo ng mga Kabataang Artista (UP SIKAT) weeks ago. The theme was inspired by cats, since you know, 9 years, 9 lives. Teehee. So we had to wear anything feline inspired. We came dressed up as The Cat in the Hat and Caith Sith. But you know what, there are a lot more creative and witty costumes, like, UPCAT and a PE class, basCATball. Here’s how we made our cat ears for the party:

Things you’ll need:

Glue gun x glue stick or white/clear-drying glue
Craft knife or cutter
Scissors
Pencil
Ruler
Thread and needle
Clear nail polish
Craft foam
Buttons
Headband

Optional:
Bobby pins/hair pins
Hair clips


I bought my craft foam at National Bookstore, they’re usually displayed right next to scrapbooking/hobby materials. Make sure that your craft foam is non-toxic!

Procedures:

1. Take the craft foam and draw the shape of the cat ears that you want. Be sure to use a ruler to keep your lines straight and clean and to have accurate dimensions. If you’re not confident enough to draw directly on the foam, you can draw it on scratch paper first then trace the design onto the foam. Be sure to add a flap/long rectangular shape at the base of the shape. This will put your ear in place on the headband.

Oops, somebody decided to drop by. Hi Mister Kitty :)

2. Using your craft knife or cutter, carefully cut the shapes. Or you may also use scissors, although you have to be extra careful because the cut is not usually precise. I use X-acto craft knives for my projects because they’re trustworthy, precision cutting guaranteed, and they’re also safe and easy to use. Again, do not forget to add the long rectangular flap at the base.

3. You must have something that looks like this. Heehee. You sew on the buttons and create a slit at the flap.

Be sure you’ve sewn the buttons properly. They will be responsible for holding your ears in place. Drop some clear nail polish on the thread and knots for extra hold.

4. Hot glue the other ear pieces onto the first ear pieces. As you can see here, I tried to create rounded edges for a cuter feel. Heehee.

5. Attach the ears onto the headband. Ta-daaah! You can easily attach and detach the ears so you can wear more designs or if you want to keep your headband plain.

You can also use bobby pins/hair pins and hair clips in place of the headband. They’re versatile like that!:)

Hope you enjoyed our simple tutorial. Share with us your works, too :)

UP NEXT:

Do you love bows? :) We sure do!

Favorite Accessories List :) #03

03. Butterfly Necklace

This is a really special piece in my collection. I could not help but feel nostalgic whenever I see and wear this necklace because it evokes very important memories in my life, particularly those when I was in the University. It is a gift from my mentor, someone who really believed in me and who helped me reach far beyond what I’ve expected of myself. My mentor is the inspiration behind my poem, Butterfly and Star. He knew how I love butterflies so much, and I am so lucky that he helped me grow my own lovely wings. 

Favorite Accessories List :) #04

04. Vintage Heart and Key Long Necklace

I bought this necklace when vintage long necklaces were the trendiest fashion pieces. Nope, I was not, and will never be, someone who simply jumps in the fashion bandwagon and follows everyone’s style. I love to create my own, but with a few bits of inspiration from my favorite bloggers and style icons. This was my first purchase from an online store :) I simply could not resist the wonderful design. The hearts and the key make a really poetic statement for me, and staring at it simply moves me. This is perhaps my most used necklace. I’m also glad that I haven’t found any duplicates of it (so far!), as I am really not comfortable sharing the same anything with anyone (haha another reason why I don’t jump in the bandwagon, I’d really find it awkward to be wearing the same anything with anyone!). 

Favorite Accessories List :) #05

05. Purple Flower Band

 This is a gift from my mom. See? She totally knows the things that I love. It’s like #06’s cousin, isn’t it? This one fits my thin wrist perfectly. I love how it does not irritate my exaggeratedly sensitive skin. It goes well with anything, from formal, casual to summer/beach outfits! I usually wear it on its own, but when I’m feeling playful, I do some bracelet layering and add on wraps, friendship bands and bangles.