Candy Coated Life

When Trips Go REALLY Wrong

2012-02-10T09:49:00.000-08:00

It all started back on Halloween when Husband and I totaled our car in a collision with a very large military vehicle. Since then we've been borrowing a co-workers car while we made arrangements to get a new vehicle. It was finally decided that my mother wanted to give us her current vehicle... the only hiccup being that it was still in Maryland.

After getting the run around from transportation companies we finally decided that it would be best if I just flew home and drove the car back across country. My dad was nice enough to go along with me so I wouldn't have to do it myself. The trip started out wonderfully with amazingly mild weather for January on the East Coast. We took the same route that Husband and I did when we made the trek out when we moved.

Then the blizzard hit. Dad and I got stuck in Kansas for at least a day while the interstate was closed due to bad weather conditions. When it finally did reopen it was still pretty disastrous and we managed to slide off the road once. No damage was done to either us or the car, just a bit shaken, and we got back on the road and headed forward. We were planning to drive through Denver, CO and up into Wyoming before stopping for the evening. Of course, my "new" car had other plans. We got just out of Cheyenne, Wyoming when we started hearing this terrible knocking from the engine. We pulled over and when Dad checked the oil... we had none. We called for service hoping that some fresh oil would be all we needed before we got back on our way... a long story short (too late!) was that new oil did not fix the problem, we needed a whole new engine.

That was last Saturday evening and since then Dad and I have been holed up in Cheyenne while they find a new engine to put into the car. The latest update is that the rebuilt engine should be arriving sometime this morning and they'll do their best to get us back on the road this weekend.

In the meantime we've been discovering Cheyenne in a rental car... which I suppose neither of us would have ever done had we not been stuck here. So far we've been to the Old West Museum, a railroad museum, and the museum on Warren Air Force Base. I also managed to turn a sweatshirt into a cardigan in our hotel room, and I'm currently in the middle of a cross stitch pattern.

I think the most fun I've had so far though was getting to photograph these antelope. They were about 10 feet away from us and were obviously very used to people. We didn't get out of the car to try and bother them, just drove very slowly up to them and got some great shots.

Hopefully we'll be on our way soon and I can get back to my regularly scheduled life in Yakima. Until then, I guess I'll just have to continue to look for the fun in our adventure.

Quick Update

2012-01-02T10:57:00.001-08:00

Today Husband and I were supposed to take Flat Alissa out to play in the snow, but my scratchy irritated throat from yesterday has now been upgraded to sore and even more annoying. I thought that a long drive into the mountains and playing in the snow wouldn't be the best idea. Instead I'm taking a bit of a sick day to watch mysteries and drink tea in my fuzzy giraffe kigurumi (a must have for not-feeling-well days).

I'm also going to try to do some updates to this blog, my tumblr, and other such things so if there are or were any hiccups, that's why.

Also on the agenda, helping Husband out with his new blog The Metal Philosopher. Obviously I'm quite biased (I did marry him after all), but Husband really is an intelligent open-minded guy who loves to write about interesting things. Of course these are the kinds of things that I get to talk about with him all the time, but if you too want to join in our discussions then please subscribe to him! He also loves comments, they make him do a little jig.

Posted from mobile Blogger

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T12:23:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how fast December has flown by and it's already a new year!
I spent most of the month helping a friend with a litany of crafts. First we made stockings for some of our troops overseas, and I had a blast making them. Next we started on some casserole covers for her friends and family members. She was a bit more ambitious with her sewing for the holidays than she could manage on her own so I was more than happy to help as needed. Of course the work took up most of the month and before I knew it, it was the week before Christmas! I managed to get all of my family's presents out on time for Christmas and all of my baking done for local gifts, but sadly I'm STILL behind and now waiting to finish all my friends' gifts. Of course that means I've been behind on everything else that I'd had planned, including blogging! I'll be so glad to be back to a more regular routine soon.

YumYums and Cake say Merry Holidays everyone!

I'm also really glad to be hosting a guest for the holidays! My niece is participating in a project based on the book "Flat Stanley", where she has sent me a paper doll of herself.

We are to take her around for about a week and then send back pictures, souvenirs, and a letter about her adventure. I'm so excited to do this and I'm in the process of making a small scrapbook to send back with her! I hope that with our unique guest here we'll be having some noteworthy adventures to write about. Hopefully no more long absences from writing, I really have missed it!!

At The Theater, in Yakima!

2011-11-12T09:22:00.000-08:00

This week Husband and I had the opportunity to go to two amazing shows in Yakima!

On Tuesday we joined a group to see Spamalot, the Monty Python musical based on the popular movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". This was the touring show from Broadway and they put on an amazing show in the very classy (and historic) Capital Theater in downtown Yakima. As far as the show goes, it's had mixed reviews from fans of the original movie but Husband and I thought it was a great adaptation that incorporated both classic bits from the movie as well as new material and songs. The Capital Theater has had an amazing run of Broadway touring shows like Spamalot including Shrek and coming this December, Young Frankenstein. Personally I was overjoyed that the Yakima Symphony Orchestra was going to be putting on the first full opera production in Yakima, The Marriage of Figaro, one of my absolute favorites! I look forward to supporting the opera in Yakima as it's one thing I have been missing.

Yesterday, Husband received a call from one of our friends who had tickets for the Blues Brothers Revue at The Seasons. I've never seen the movie, but I'm familiar with the characters and I'm always up for going out so we happily took them off their hands. The Seasons was a wonderful venue, another classic and historic building in downtown. I think it was the perfect venue for the show, just intimate enough and with amazing acoustics. The show was brilliant and fun, but what really made it an excellent evening out was the audience. It didn't take long for people to head up front and dance, and everyone was singing and clapping.

Sorry about the quality, only had my iPhone on hand to take pics!

These were the first performances we'd had a chance to see in Yakima and I was very surprised at the number of people at each show. Both venues were full for each performance and I found it very encouraging that the people here were enthusiastic about these shows that were coming to Yakima. It means that there were be plenty more great shows in the future! Just another thing I wouldn't have guessed about my little town.

Halloween Wrap Up!

2011-11-08T14:49:00.000-08:00

October really turned out to be a very tough month for me, right down to the very last day of the month where Husband and I got into an accident with a very large armored military vehicle. No one was hurt, but our car was totaled. With all of the commotion, I was completely sidetracked from writing, so it's a little late, but here is my Halloween wrap-up!

Husband and I hosted a murder mystery party on the Saturday before Halloween. We had friends from his work come and it was quite the success! I love having parties, and I think I love planning for them even more. The real highlight this year were my Save-The-Date cards! Some people may think it's odd, but for a popular holiday like Halloween when you know that everyone will be making plans, it's important to get the word out as soon as possible that you'll be hosting a party so that people can plan to attend!

I also have a great time decorating every year, and this was the first Halloween in our new home! I love decorating the mantle, and I also took the opportunity to decorate the glass on my tea cabinet. It was a two-fold project, looking great while also hiding some of the things I had quickly stashed inside for storage while other decorations were out!

Husband also got together with some ladies at his office, who are also friends of mine, to MAKE this beautiful Halloween countdown calendar for me!! It was filled with candy, small gifts like my skull keychain hanging there and on the last day, A SNAKE! He's so cute!! I was so blown away by the workmanship, time and effort that was put into making this, I cried when he gave it to me. It means so much to me that my friends would do something like this to me, and pay such close attention to every detail (like how every skull has a bow on it!).

I was so excited to make my Halloween costume this year, but sadly it was a bit too ambitious so I didn't end up finishing it in time for the party. Even so, it's still a very functional Lolita outfit and I'm so proud of the finished project! I'm glad that I didn't cut any corners in order to save time. I was going to be a Lolita Sherlock Holmes! I believe that you can mix Lolita and Halloween costumes, but it should be done with thought. I like to incorporate what I already have or what I can reasonably wear again and then I play up the costume aspects with lots of accessories. For this I have a pipe and was also going to add in a magnifying glass. At least I'm early for next year?

On the actual evening of Halloween, I wasn't in a mood to do anything but pout after what had happened so Husband and I stayed home and had a relaxing evening of passing out candy and playing cards. Every time the doorbell rang though we had to pause our game, and if the person at the door didn't say “Trick or Treat!”, Husband would just stand there and endlessly make small talk with them (much to my annoyance). So I decided to help them (and myself) out by writing them a message on our walkway in glow in the dark chalk.

Of course, then we had people who would just yell “Trick Or Treat!” and never ring the bell... I guess I can't win them all.

Halloween Favorites!

2011-10-21T02:25:00.000-07:00

I don't usually write "reviews" or things of that nature here, but I figured it was perfect timing to recommend the anime "Ghost Stories". I found this show on Tumblr when a friend had reblogged a YouTube video of clips from the show. At first I thought that these were outtakes from the recording of the dubbing, but this was actually the real dialogue of the show! Ghost Stories was originally a really terrible anime that was intended to be scary, but has been re-dubbed in English as a comedy. I think it's great for Halloween and is quickly becoming one of my favorite comedies for the holiday! You can watch it on Hulu (at least here in the US) for free right now, some of the anime is up on YouTube, and you can also get the entire show on DVD on Amazon!

Since I'm already on the subject, my all-time favorite Halloween movies has to be "Love At First Bite". I am well aware that it's a pretty terrible movie, but it's just so much fun!! Not to mention that George Hamilton makes an amazingly tan vampire. Here's the original trailer for the movie:

Can you tell that for as much as I love Halloween, I'm really not into scary horror movies? What are your Halloween favorites??

Showing Off Central Washington

2011-10-11T21:57:00.001-07:00

I've really been enjoying hosting my in-laws this week! Showing off your home (or new) town can be a real eye-opener as to what a great place to live it really is! As much as I tease Husband about his having plopped me out in the middle of no where to rusticate, I really do love it out here. For instance, today we took a day trip to Leavenworth, WA, a town that has been built to look like a Bavarian Village! We had a delicious German lunch, shopped at some of the quaintest shops and even stopped by the local tea "haus" for a cream tea dessert. I definitely want to go back again during winter to see all the cute buildings decorated for the holidays and covered in snow! I know that they have a wide range of winter activities to partake of as well!

We also have been just driving around our own little town, showing off the sites. I know that my in-laws are looking for retirement possibilities and it's been nice showing them the ins and outs of Yakima. On Sunday I took my mother-in-law to the local farmers market. I'd only been once before, but we were there a bit early that time so things hadn't really gotten started. Back in Baltimore if you didn't show up to the market before 8 am, you weren't going to get any shopping done! Here the market doesn't even really get started until after 10 am! We ended up getting some delicious and fresh green beans and baby potatoes for dinner that night, as well as a fresh loaf of bread, blended goat/sheep's milk cheese with herbs de Provence, and even some delicious local honey! I was really amazed at the wide variety of local products there were to buy as well as delicious food stands with fresh tacos, lemonade, and even lo mien!

Later we took a drive out to a dairy that sells raw (unpasturized), organic milk, as well as other products. The drive was beautiful and it was so neat to be able to buy something direct from the farm! Along with milk they also had organic beef and sometimes had fresh eggs available (but they were all gone the day we were there). I have to say that the best thing was that the store was unmanned and worked completely off of the honor system. They asked you to put your cash or check in a lock box on the wall and just sign their guest book with your name, phone number, and what you bought!

I feel really badly that I didn't have my camera with me these past few days, but playing hostess (especially to in-laws) has taken a bit out of me and I'm afraid that my head hasn't been on quite straight. Hopefully soon though, I'll be able to show everyone the fun things about Central Washington as I've discovered them!

Portland Weekend

2011-10-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

I finally get a chance to slow down a bit from preparing for my in-laws' visit this weekend to write up some things I've been putting off.

A few weekends ago (Sept 24th), Husband and I attended the Portland Retro Gaming Expo!

I was really jazzed to finally use the video feature on my camera and took tons of pictures and video.... only to come home and find out that Windows has decided to "upgrade" Movie Maker to make it less friendly and take away features that I had planned on using (like adding a voice over). I still haven't been able to find a free replacement that I actually like, or even a cheap one, so no awesome video for you guys; sorry. If anyone has any recommendations on software I could use, I would really really love to hear them!! In the meantime, you get my pictures.

The Expo was actually held over two days, Saturday and Sunday, but we decided to only attend on Saturday. I was actually really really excited to go to this event because Husband and I both really love retro gaming and I knew that he would be really excited to see everything. When we arrived though, it was so overwhelming! I wasn't expecting anything really big, but the room that they did have was absolutely stuffed to the gills! They had three main sections, the marketplace, free arcade, and a "theater" for speakers and guests.

The first thing you're hit with as you walk in though was the amazing marketplace! I don't think I've ever been anywhere that had that much amazing retro stuff! They had everything from the earliest Ataris up to PlayStation and all the games and accessories too!

Click the pictures to see any of the pictures larger!

We actually didn't end up getting the one thing we had specifically come looking for, but that didn't stop us from getting a ton of other cool stuff. Husband got a TurboDuo machine with a couple games to go with it, and I finally got a Genesis with Mortal Combat so that I can relive my memories of the first time I watched someone decapitate another person with their bare hands.

Shop Husband, shop! Buy buy buy!

The free play arcade was extremely well stocked and offered not only home console machines, some with a full catalog of games to play, but also arcade cabinets and pinball! Husband had a great time with some of the machines; he's actually a pinball nut so I know he had a great time with that. I didn't play any of the games because I'm no good at arcade machines and I'm very picky about my original Nintendo controller when I play Super Mario.

My favorite part of the whole expo was the retro living room complete with paneling, old tv with Atari, bad carpet, and retro couch!

We actually didn't end up spending a ton of time at the Expo, it was so overwhelming that we got burnt out relatively fast. We decided to have some lunch and Husband was sweet enough to take me to Sock Dreams, a store I've always wanted to visit in person! Sock Dreams is essentially a sock store and they're known to carry lots of knee socks perfect for Lolita. They also carry other lingerie-type items, but obviously the draw is socks.

I ended up stocking (ha ha, that's like a pun!) up on Halloween socks to match my different Halloween Lolita skirts (yes, plural, I LOVE Halloween). I also got some comfy pink socks and a set of suspenders to try out in some different looks (I was so inspired by Violet's post here!). My mom and my aunt are also fans of funny socks so I got them some gifts as well. I love the shark socks, they're actually 3D so when you put them on, the little fins fit over your ankle bone and stick out a bit like real fins! I'm sure my mom will think that's hilarious!

Afterwards we decided to just head home. I absolutely love going to Portland, it's always beautiful and I end up having a great time. We definitely plan on attending the Retro Gaming Expo again next year and we'll know what to expect and can arrive better prepared.

As I mentioned, Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday of the entire year! Look forward to tons of Halloween themed posts and if you follow me on Tumblr, I'm going to be filling the queue up with tons of fun Halloween stuff as well. For the next two weeks or so though it might be a bit quiet around here as my in-laws are coming to town this Saturday! We have so much fun stuff planned though so there will be plenty of pictures and things to write about once they depart!

An Open Letter To Lolitas

2011-10-04T16:32:00.000-07:00

This post is inspired by this post on Parfait Doll, and my own real life experiences.

Dear Lolitas everywhere,

Whether you live in a big city or a little town, I have a very special piece of advice for you. STOP TRYING TO HUG STRANGERS. I know it might be really exciting to meet someone else who shares something in common with you, but it's just not cool and you only turn the person off when you do it. Lolitas are like unicorns... exotic and rare, and if you can recognize one you will be changed forever by the experience... but you can't scare them, you can't just run up and touch one. You have to approach slowly, speak calmly and obtain their trust. Only then will you befriend the Lolita.

To demonstrate how hugging strangers is totally unacceptable, let's study two scenarios:

#1 Lolita meets Lolita
Girl One: *sees another girl wearing Lolita fashion*
Girl One: HI! Are you wearing Lolita??
Girl Two: Yes.
Girl One: That is so cool! We hug now!
Girl Two: T____T

#2 Dog owner meets dog owner
Girl One: *sees another girl with a dog*
Girl One: You have a dog!
Girl Two: Yes, this is sparky.
Girl One: OMG I have a dog at home! We hug now!
Girl Two: T____T

Now, see how in situation two, it feels awkward... because it always is. The proper way to interact with another Lolita would be as follows:

Girl One: *sees a girl wearing Lolita*
Girl One: Hi, I like your outfit, is it Lolita?
Girl Two: Thank you, yes it is.
Girl One: Wow, I'm really into Lolita. I love your shoes*, where did you get them?
Girl Two: Oh, they are from ________.
Girl One: Would it be okay if I got your email address? I've never met anyone else around town who's also into the fashion.
*you could say anything about her outfit that you like, maybe her skirt or a piece of jewelry. If you recognize the item and it's brand you could say "I love your skirt, is that one from Angelic Pretty?" and that would reassure the other Lolita of your legitimate knowledge of the fashion.

Today, I "met" a girl who was almost textbook first scenario, complete with hug. Not even an, "Is it okay if I hug you?" (which I will still never understand), but just an outright statement of "I'm going to hug you now..." (and there is nothing you can do about it). My husband put it best when he said that he wished we had a time machine so that we could go back and somehow prepare this girl for my walking into the store. Maybe we could have been friends, ~~but now I'm just forever creeped out by her and will probably never go back to that store.~~ I decided to write her a letter, and maybe we can start fresh. I feel bad about my immediate reaction, and I'd like to make amends. Maybe we'll hit it off, maybe we won't but at least I can say that I tried. This isn't the first time it's happened to me either. I'm still just a regular, very shy girl, who would love to chat and make friends, but not if you're going to make me uncomfortable.

So Lolitas everywhere, learn this lesson well especially if you want to build friendships with other Lolitas you may encounter.

♥Becky

Volunteering

2011-09-26T03:43:00.001-07:00

Since I've moved to the West coast I've been looking for opportunities to volunteer again. I might not always have extra funds to help out, but time is something that I definitely have available to give. Before we moved, I had a chance to volunteer with a horse rescue that worked with the state of Maryland to rescue and rehabilitate horses, as well as document the case for possible prosecution. I didn't get to help as much as I would have liked before we left, but it was still very gratifying work. As I was a competitive equestrian when I was younger, I loved getting the chance to work with horses again.

Looking for new opportunities here though has been a bit of a challenge. I'm more of an animal person than a people person, and even then I tend to be a bleeding heart so something like volunteering at the local shelter where we adopted Daisy and Ivanka would be very hard for me. I recently attended a volunteer orientation for a local group that offers therapeutic riding for disabled people of all ages. However, I was hoping to help out more on the equine side of things, and there just don't seem to be any opportunities in that vein. I have asked them to keep me in mind for other jobs that might be a better suit for me like office work (a secret favorite of mine actually), but I'd still like to keep my eyes out for something that would be a great fit.

I'd love to know if any of my readers volunteer! What sort of causes do you like to support and how?

Ooops, here's some cats.

2011-09-20T02:41:00.000-07:00

I was going to post something tonight, but for the life of me I can't find my memory card that has all my images on it! Hopefully it will turn up soon, but in the meantime here is a video of cats. Because what the internet needs is more cats.

Expanding Our Family!

2011-09-07T10:15:00.000-07:00

I have to say that having new pets really is very distracting. If you follow me on Twitter or on Tumblr you'll know that we added two new members to our little family: Ivanka and Daisy! After helping our little houseguest from this post find his home, Husband and I were feeling a bit empty without a feline friend. We decided to adopt from our local shelter and we found two beautiful girls to take home with us! We decided to adopt the two cats that we thought would have the toughest time getting adopted.

Daisy is already five years old and had to be given up by a family who had become allergic to her. Most adult cats don't get adopted quickly because people are usually looking for kittens. She's a real sweetheart though, and spends much of her time finding the most ingenious hiding places in our house. Her other hobbies include intimidating our Pomeranians (she's got a pound on them at least) and taking lots of naps. She loves snuggles though, and is a wonderful companion. As you can tell, directly in front of the keyboard is a favorite place of her's, along with my desk chair when I'm not sitting in it. She's not a fan of me doing much of anything productive on this computer.

No, I have NO IDEA how I got her to sit and stay like that.

Ivanka is only two months old and weighs less than two pounds! When we saw her at the shelter, she was in a crate with her two brothers who were all over the place while she just sat in the back. She was such a cute little ball of fluff and I knew that her shy personality and her almost all black color would not make her popular, especially when compared with her rambunctious brothers. Right now Ivanka is fighting a cold that she picked up from being in the shelter (Daisy has already recovered nicely). She's not as playful as most kittens, which might be more of the cold than really her personality. She actually is sitting on my shoulder as I write this, her favorite place. I actually don't look forward to her growing up and still loving to balance on my shoulder. >_< Even so, I really look forward to her getting big enough to show the two dogs what for just like her big sister Daisy!

They're both really chatty cats, which I love. Ivanka is still testing her boundaries when it comes to Daisy, but they get along better than I would have expected. Every now and then Daisy has to let Ivanka know that she's not her mom, but she's just as likely to groom her a bit, or let her snuggle with her in my chair. I think they're going to grow up to be good friends!

I'm going to try and tear myself away from their cuteness long enough to actually get something productive done this week! Don't count on it though... they really are that cute.

Adventures In Yakima

2011-08-23T02:55:00.000-07:00

This past year, Husband and I moved from Maryland on the East Coast to Washington on the West Coast because of a new job position for him. I'm always happy to travel, and followed him here with no hesitation, looking forward to the new experiences that would come. I never expected that this little town where we live would be so peculiar though.

Yakima, Washington is a relatively central location, being only about 3 hours or so to the large cities of Seattle, Spokane, and Portland, Oregon. It's a small town, and for as much as I tease Husband about my rusticating here, it's actually quite a nice place. It has taken some getting used to though. First of all, where we come from there is no limit to the amount of retail outlets. I could easily travel to four malls in less than twenty minutes back east. Here, there is one mall and I call it a “mall” generously. There are also only three craft stores in town, all woefully small in comparison to what I'm used to (especially when it comes to fabric). Secondly, there is no place in town where you can get Chinese food delivered, but there is an excellent and very authentic Korean restaurant and Kabob restaurant with homemade hummus and tzatziki (two of my favorites!). Today when I was looking for local screen printers, I found eight. How this small town can support eight different and competing businesses like that, I do not know. There must be more sports teams here than I ever could have imagined. The disparities of what you would expect from a small town (like basic Chinese food) and what you actually get (authentic ethnic food you'd be hard pressed to find elsewhere and a bevy of local niche businesses) is amazing.

My latest adventure in Yakima though, is especially unique. This weekend I went looking for some photography lighting so that I could take more, and better pictures for this blog and my up-and-coming Etsy store. (It's difficult being a budding photographer when you're a night person!) First I did a Google search looking for a local photography supply store. I prefer to buy in person and locally if I can, as that gives me a contact who would potentially be able to give advice and I enjoy supporting local, home grown businesses as opposed to ordering exclusively online. The only photography supply stores I found was a chain of three stores called the “Photo Haus”.

If you read my Twitter feed, you might recognize this image. The Photo Haus has always intrigued me as we passed by it. To see the sign, you think “Oh, photos and things,” but then there's the banner that actually says “Baked Potatoes and Hot Dogs!” I figured that today I would solve this mystery once and for all. I decided to go to the closest Photo Haus to my home to start with. I walked in and there was a bistro, a coffee bar, and a place to have your photos printed through a kiosk. I asked an employee if they had any actual photography supplies and she said that I should try one of their other two locations. I opted to head over to the location in the picture. I figured that if I didn't find what I was actually looking for, I could at least get some lunch.

At the second Photo Haus, they did have an expansive selection of frames, tons of tchotchkes, as well as the same photo kiosks where you could have photos printed from CD or memory cards, and the hot dog and potato lunch counter. I met a very nice lady who said that they used to carry “things like that”, but not since they put in the potato and hot dog restaurant. She said that I should try their third location for what I needed. I did end up having lunch there, a VERY delicious baked potato and they really do have 29 toppings to choose from. Highly recommended for a reasonably priced lunch, but not if you're actually looking for anything photography related.

Given my experience I didn't really have high hopes of finding anything more complicated at the the third Photo Haus than more kiosks, though I was excited to find out what kind of food they might have there. I was completely floored to find an actual, small photography shop. With actual photography supplies, helpful staff, and exactly what I had been looking for! No food though, which was a bit disappointing after having visited the other locations. I will definitely be visiting this location again though when I need supplies, and I'm actually looking forward to going back to the first location and trying out their bistro!

It's a very strange place where I live, but I've been totally charmed by the friendly people that I continue to meet and the bizarre adventures I go on as I find my way in this new place. Hopefully now that I have my new supplies I'll be able to update more often!

Craft Room Woes

2011-08-20T03:31:00.000-07:00

I'm having a serious dilemma in my craft room these days. I've been putting off getting the room into the finished stage since it's my personal room and I felt that the rest of the house came first. However, the time has finally come to get this room in order. Most of my supplies are relatively organized, but having them “organized” and strewn about the floor is not working for me at all. The room is always messy and it doesn't help my focus or my initiative to get anything done.

This is an older picture so it's better now, but not by much.
I decided that what I really needed was some kind of all purpose shelving unit to go underneath the existing shelf in the room. I went to look for some shelving solutions at various places and I was disgusted by the prices!! Michael's wanted $50 for two planks of laminated cheap wood that they were calling a desktop! I decided right then that for those prices I could buy tools and make what I needed myself.

Of course, now that I'm faced with having to design a solution for myself, I'm paralyzed with options. I have so many different needs that I need to fill and so many different things of different dimensions that I want to make room for. My other dilemma is that I don't just sew or just scrapbook, but I have a wide range of hobbies that I'm trying to keep separate and organized. Hopefully before next weekend I'll have made a decision and a solution for the room!

Backyard Camping & New Friends!

2011-08-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Husband and I decided that we would try some level one camping; ie: camping in the backyard. We bought a tent awhile ago and haven't had a chance to break it out yet. We wanted to try it at home first to make sure that it had all of the necessary bits (it came in an open box). We set up the tent successfully and everything that we needed was indeed in the box. We had a great time that evening lighting the bar-b-que, making hot dogs and smores and playing board games outside on the porch!

While we were playing outside though, we had an unexpected guest! A very loud kitty cat heard us talking and thought to introduce himself to us. He seemed very much like an “indoor cat” with no collar so we decided to give him a good dinner and a place to crash for the night. He stayed inside our bathroom while we slept in the tent.

I've actually never been tent camping before and I had a great time! I'm ready to do this almost every weekend! Of course, I would prefer if it was a bit cooler. The nights here in the desert are just right, but then waking up and having to break camp and find something to do in the extreme heat of the day just isn't my idea of fun.

When we woke up, Husband and I decided to let the cat go and see if it maybe has another home that he'd wander back to. Of course feeding this cat was probably the biggest mistake ever because now he won't leave us alone! I don't mind having him around, but I'd hate to think that he belongs to someone and they're missing him. Also, the cat knows how to use the dog door and I'm not too comfortable with having a strange cat (no matter how nice) wandering in and out of my house unsupervised.

For the time being, we've closed off the dog door and are trying our best to ignore the cat in the hopes that he'll make his way back to a home. Husband and I have also hung up fliers throughout the neighborhood and placed all the usual classified ads. We even got the cat a collar with a capsule tag that has a note inside asking for the owner to contact us in the event he does wander back home (because if he's an outdoor cat he'll probably be back). Hopefully we'll hear something soon! One way or another, it seems that for the time being we've been adopted!

Return from Otakon!

2011-08-04T09:04:00.000-07:00

I think I've finally recovered from my Otakon convention weekend. I had a great time sitting in on friends' Little Macaron and Roserie's Artist Alley table all weekend. I also had the opportunity to help with the “Ultimate Lolita Fashion Show” (which has really evolved into so much more than just Lolita fashion!). Unfortunately I was so busy helping that I didn't get a chance to take any pictures of the actual show with my own camera! I did, however, managed to get a ton of pictures of the Baby, The Stars Shine Bright fashion show. If anyone is interested in seeing all of them, please let me know! Otherwise, here's a shot of my favorite outfit of the show.

This wedding dress ensemble totally makes me want to get married all over again! I missed the h.Naoto/Six.h fashion show, but I did get to see their booth (and the members of Six.h!). Of course I was on strict orders to NOT buy anything so I had to resist all of the amazing things they had available. There was also a Baby, the Stars Shine Bright booth, but it was really unimpressive. They didn't seem to have very much stock and what they did have seemed random. They did have quite a few dresses available, but usually brands tend to bring more accessories and small items because they fit everyone.

Overall though, it was a great weekend and I'm so glad I was able to be there and see everyone! I'm definitely planning to make Otakon a regular stop on my convention schedule. Hopefully next year I'll be ready to have my own Artists Alley table!

Ready Set Otakon!

2011-07-25T16:30:00.000-07:00

I just recently decided to head back to Baltimore for Otakon! Since I hadn't planned on attending until recently I've had to get into gear and get crafting & sewing in order to prepare! I've had so many projects going on at once over the last two weeks, but this is my LAST day of crafting. I have a couple more projects to work on, but I was so proud that I finally finished these shoes!

These shoes were originally plain white sneakers, but I wanted to paint them to match one of my Angelic Pretty dresses for Otakon. I've really been enjoying matching short socks with casual shoes for comfort as well as a more playful look with Lolita. Between the recent heat wave and the amount of time I usually spend on my feet at conventions, I'm hoping this will be both a functional and stylish look! More pictures to come when I'm back home next week!

Packing Up, Shipping Out: Lessons Learned

2011-06-24T20:20:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been absent from blogging in order to join my best friend at her wedding on the opposite coast! As the matron of honor, I felt it was important to have a bit more time to spend to help her as she needed and so I ended up being back on the East Coast for over a month! While I was there though, I did make the best of it and saw many of my friends, and family and even got some extra travel in as well. I spent a sweltering weekend at Williamsburg, which continues to be one of my favorite places, and on my way back across the states stopped in Las Vegas to spend a couple days bonding with my sister.

With all of this traveling around, I've learned some important things about myself. I'm a terrible packer. I'm also an amazing shopper. Maybe it was my distraction of trying to get too much done before packing or the fact that this trip was going to last so long, but I still have no idea what I was thinking when I put things in my bags. I brought ELEVEN pairs of shoes with me. I might have worn two pairs out of all of those. I ended up buying at least another five pairs. I packed separates that didn't have their other halves, outfits I never ended up wearing, and almost everything was completely inappropriate for the weather where I was going.

Of course almost immediately when I got home I found my packing list that I usually never go anywhere without. If you do even a little bit of traveling in your life, it's worth the time to make yourself or find a packing list. I have a neat little notepad that lists just about everything and then some and even includes sections to write down the location's weather (that would have been helpful...). I never was able to find a free packing list online that I liked and never could wrap my head around making my own list. I'm a very “just pack everything” kind of girl anyway. If you do decide to make your own list, do it when you're not actually packing and look at it every now and again to make sure you didn't forget anything on your first draft.

Since I was so ridiculously unprepared for my trip, on arrival and throughout the entire time I was away I took the opportunity to go shopping! I shopped, and shopped, and then just when I thought I couldn't bear to walk into another store I shopped some more. As a result of my love of shopping-vacations, I'm often a victim to these hefty airline fees where they charge you per bag and additionally if your bag is too heavy. (If you ever plan on checking a bag, get a baggage scale. No one wants to be out in their driveway at four am with a bathroom scale trying to weigh a very large and heavy bag.) In light of these fees I've recently taken to shipping more things home, especially when traveling domestically, rather than hauling them through airports and paying for the privilege to do so. I've been receiving a steady stream of boxes each day this week; sent by my super sweet and accommodating in-laws. I guess that's where Husband gets it! (Though in my defense, many of those things were left there inadvertently by the packers when we moved.)

Usually though I do end up checking at least two bags when I travel and I do try to make them count. First I like to pack as efficiently as possible by using Space Bags and packing cubes. Remember that the best way to pack has always been to roll instead of fold. Keeps clothes compact and wrinkle free! I also always try to pack with me either a large duffel bag (no rollers so it packs flat on the way out) or large tote bag and often times I will cradle my suitcase inside a larger one on the way out so I have an empty suitcase ready to fill up for the way back.

These are from Eagle Creek and I've been LOVING them! Click for the larger image!
I've always thought about spending lots of money on really cute luggage and I've definitely been victim to a couple of VERY cute roller bags (Sanrio, Liz Lisa), but here are some things to remember when buying luggage. First of all, assume that when your bag leaves your hand it will be dragged through a zoo and be treated like a bug on the floor of a kitchen. These bags get tossed, thrown, dropped, and anything else imaginable. If you don't want your bag to get dirty or broken in some way, then leave it at home. Also do not assume that you'll be able to carry-on your cute bag. More often than not, flights are at full capacity and everyone else has had the same idea. Sometimes you're just not lucky enough to find a place to put your bag in the cabin... and then out the door it goes to be assaulted with all the other checked luggage. Pretty much the only real guarantee you have is that they'll let you keep your purse and your coat.

So dirty = Well loved and well traveled!
My luggage of choice has been everywhere with me for the last five years or so. It's a matching set that I bought at Target. I didn't spend a ton on it, but it's done the job and I'm never worried about keeping it pristine. I have found that the matching set is so much more convenient for many reasons. First of all, I store each bag inside the next larger one and therefor only have to find room for one bag instead of many miss-matched pieces. Of course I bought red luggage thinking I'd be able to find it easier in the airport.... of course everyone else did the same thing! Regardless of color though, it actually does make it easier to look for one kind of red bag instead of a red bag, that green one with the black stripe, the one I borrowed from my mom... you get the idea. Also a note on marking and identifying your luggage, I usually identify my luggage in three places. This isn't just so you can find your bag as it comes off the carousel, it's IMPERATIVE in case someone needs to contact you about your bag (like they've found it after it's been "misplaced"). Remember you DON'T want your bag and your things to end up here: Unclaimed Baggage Center (I totally need to plan a trip there sometime...) First line of defense is the luggage tag securely on the top handle of my luggage. It's a good idea to have your information clearly visible INSIDE your bag as well (like taped onto the top or side of your bag) in case your hanging luggage tag gets lost for whatever reason. My luggage set also has a pocket to tuck a business sized card in with all your information in on the outside of the bag on the back for that extra level of protection.

Even though I think of myself as a seasoned traveler, I learned so much on this trip and I hope it'll help all of you too. Happy travels!

Palty "Milk Tea Brown" Dye Review

2011-03-15T16:24:00.000-07:00

This weekend I decided that I'd had enough of my roots showing through my bleached blonde hair that I decided the dye the whole thing. I'd been interested in the ultimate gal palate of Palty hair colors so I thought I would give it a go. I choose the seemingly popular “Milk Tea Brown” color in the hopes that it would give me a light brown and possibly be easier to choose matching hair pieces.

Yea, this face totally captures my feelings about my roots.

I researched quite a bit online before purchasing the dye for advice and instructions. The dye is imported from Japan and does NOT come with English instructions; you have to look them up for yourself. I used these instructions (under the “Instructions” tab). I did not order through this site though because I bought my dye locally at an Uwajimaya store.

I have to say I was pretty nervous about dying my own hair at home, especially with a foreign brand dye because I haven't done so in a long time. I usually have a professional hair dresser dye or bleach my hair and it's only because I just moved that I'm starting to take matters into my own hands.

After doing my research, most people recommended buying two boxes of dye if you had especially thick or long hair. Here's what comes in each box: the dye comes in two parts which you're supposed to shake together. They also included a pair of plastic gloves, conditioner, comb top for the bottle of dye, and the instructions.

I mixed up the dye and attached the comb top to each of the bottle of dye. I have to say that this was the messiest thing I've ever done in my life. I highly recommend not using the comb top and instead separating your hair into sections and working the dye in with your hands. Using the comb attachment I managed to get dye all over myself, the floor, the counter, my shirt.... Maybe I'm just messy though.

After working the dye through my hair, it was already turning a darker color and it also had this weird purple tinting to it. I put it up with a chopstick and let it sit for twenty minutes. Some forums recommend leaving the dye in for more time, even up to forty minutes! Since I'd read that Palty can be damaging (since it's formulated for thicker Asian hair types) and my hair is not only fine, but also already bleached, I chose to leave it in for the recommended twenty minutes.

Once my twenty minutes were up I washed out my hair and used the included conditioner. I have to say that my hair was not damaged at all and actually felt really nice when I was done. I think that most of the complaints about the dye being damaging might be because some people are leaving the dye in for too long. The color though, was not really what I was expecting. The box shows more of a honey brown color and what I got was more of a brown/grey tone which was surprisingly like my own natural color. The roots, which were obviously already my natural color, did turn out a bit more like the box. The difference was very subtle though, so I think only I noticed it, and in the end my roots are effectively masked (which is what I really wanted after all!).

In the end, I would definitely recommend Palty hair dye. Although the colors were a bit off for me, I think it has to do with the fact that my hair was originally bleached. I'm hoping that maybe a second dying in the future will produce the color that I was initially looking for. I really liked the results though and will be using Palty again in the future.

EDIT: 4.12 ~ Just wanted to give a quick update on how the color has lasted. There's been a bit of color loss, but honestly I like that it gave me a more natural look as some of the lighter blonde came through. Other than that though, the color has stayed very well. No complaints here!

From Denver to Boise; That's A Long Drive

2011-03-09T22:15:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, for whatever reason, husband and I were so inspired by our triumphant arrival in Denver having come all the way from Missouri that we decided that the next day we would attempt to drive straight from Denver to Boise without stopping the night in Salt Lake City. Looking back on it, I think that was a mistake on our part. That was one long, long, loooooong drive. We didn't arrive in Boise until 1am and I know I'm definitely feeling it today. However, as a reward for our efforts, tonight we're in Portland, Oregon. We'll be spending all of tomorrow here doing some shopping before continuing on to Yakima.

Click to see the larger map!

At this juncture I'd like to take a moment and make a confession. I love fast food. I love it way too much and I'm going to definitely be abstaining for quite some time once we finally get off the road. Even so I want to take a moment and talk about the wonder and magic that is Sonic.

I'm sure that many of you have been to a Sonic or at least seen the advertisements so you know that it's a bit of a throw back where you can drive up in your car, place your order, and a car hop comes out and serves you (or you can opt for the quicker drive-thru option). The thing about Sonic, for me at least though, is that until very very recently THERE WERE NONE IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF MARYLAND. However, we were constantly bombarded with their commercials! Having spent many summers and some of my college time in Texas I was very familiar with Sonic (and my personal favorite the Cherry Limeaid) so I felt like I of all my friends was the only one who knew exactly what we were missing. On a trip to Baton Rouge I finally got to share my love of Sonic with husband and then he too knew what we were all missing. Being on the road though has been absolutely magical with Sonic restaurants all over the place! Cherry Limeaids for breakfast! Tater tots for afternoon snacks! Chicken strip dinners with amazing cream gravy! The happy ending to this story? There IS a Sonic in Yakima. Hopefully though, the novelty will soon wear off and I can stay away from Limeaids for at least a bit. Maybe if I get to travel to Texas soon, I'll be able to write my homage to Whataburger, the most awesome fast food place ever.

Just a short note, I will definitely be doing a full review on both the Denver aloft hotel which I've mentioned briefly and the Hotel Deluxe which we're staying in right now. I have to say that husband has been unbelievable by indulging me in some of the neatest hotels in the cities that we've been in. I think these reviews deserve their own posts so look forward to it!!

More Trip Updates: Kansas and aloft in Denver

2011-03-08T07:59:00.000-08:00

Well we actually decided to main line it into Denver, Colorado last night and made it here safely and with very little snow. We decided to check into the aloft Hotel, which had always interested us since it's a relatively new brand and had opened a location very close to our old home. It's eye-catching neon lighted exterior really is the promise of better things inside. I'll be doing a full wrap-up review when we're not on the road and have some steady internet so that I can upload some pictures of the hot hot hot interior.

I wish I could say something about yesterday's journey that was inspiring, but we literally drove in a straight line right through Kansas. I will say that it's much nicer than everyone seems to think. When I would tell people our route for our trip they'd always groan and say things like, "Oh no, you'll have to drive through Kansas" as if it was some kind of barren wasteland. I actually found it very beautiful and picturesque. The weather was gray which gave the landscape a real mysterious charm and when the fog rolled in it just got cooler and cooler. In comparison, having made the drive from Corpus Christi, Texas to Houston, Texas many many times, in Kansas there are at least things to look at like windmills (both old and new), hills, and charming farm houses in the distance. In Texas, at least on that route, you'll see maybe a mesquite tree and if you're really lucky a cow or two.

For those that are interested, here is the updated map of our trip so far (now with new and improved Pomeranian marker!):

Click to see the larger version!

The drive was actually improved that much more by romance novels on CD! We're currently in the middle of The Heir by Johanna Lindsey. I'm actually a complete sucker for historical romance novels and Husband also finds them entertaining. This particular reading of the novel is, I believe, abridged, but so far I'm loving it! Great story with very likable characters and I'm a real fan of Lindsey's writing style. The reading style takes a bit of time to get used to. If you're not familiar with these novels, often times a Scottish character will be quoted almost phonetically so as to really drive home the fact that HE'S SCOTTISH AND HAS AN ACCENT. It took a bit to get used to the woman attempting to act this out, ending in more of a speach impediment than a slight brogue, but that has to be my only complaint. We actually have two more novels in this series to go so I'm looking forward to the next few days of driving!

After such a long drive yesterday today's goal is Salt Lake City. At this point we're actually a day ahead of our plans so it should be slow and easy going from here on out.

So Busy, From Coast to Coast!

2011-03-06T21:50:00.000-08:00

This past month has been unbelievably hectic as my little family geared up for the big move from Maryland to Washington state and presented "One For You", my Etsy store, at Katsucon's Artist's Alley.

My Etsy store, "One For You" is an extention of my crafting hobbies as I tend to over-buy supplies. Because of this, I'm often able to make two (or sometimes more) of all of my crafts and offer them for sale. At Katsucon I debuted with only small accessories and jewelry items, but later on I'd like to be able to also offer up various clothing items as well. I learned so much at the convention as a first time seller, and had the chance to get the store name out as well. I had such a great time I'm definitely planning on doing more conventions in the future.

Right on the heels of returning from Katsucon, we immediately had to start preparing for our big trip. Our move was made a little less stressful because we had a professional company come in to pack and transport our things. Of course, that can be stressful in it's own right as you watch strangers put all your things into boxes. I chose to eliminate all of the stress and put Husband in charge for the day. While he directed workers, I watched a lovely program on television about the Biddulph Grange garden and took a lovely and relaxing nap. Ah, sometimes it is really is nice to have a man about the house.

Since we're traveling with dogs and wanted to transport our car we opted to drive the entire way, from one coast to the other. We left on Friday and today we're stopping for the night in Boonville, Missouri. It's a relatively small place, but it does have a casino! Most of our trip has been terribly boring, but tonight we got to get out a bit and waste some money in slot machines. We didn't actually win anything considering we went in with $55 and came out with $30, but I always think it's good to leave with money in your pocket regardless. We also chose to eat at the casino buffet tonight which was an excellent choice.

Here's our route so far:

(Click to see the larger version!)

Since the weather is about to turn ugly soon we're going to take it easy and just see how it goes. Our plan is to head out tomorrow and continue west. Hopefully the weather won't be TOO bad and we can continue our trip as planned. If you want to follow all the fun and frivolity that is being in a car all day, then be sure to follow me on Twitter! I was planning on doing a video update tonight, but I think I'll be saving that for tomorrow instead! Certainly lots of things to look forward to as our adventures continue!

Anne's Big Arrival!

2011-02-07T01:49:00.000-08:00

I never really considered myself a doll person, but they’d always intrigued me. Many times you see that a person’s interest in Lolita fashion either comes from or leads to a love of dolls, usually Asian ball-jointed dolls (named so because of their movable joints). They tend to be costly and then when you get into outfitting them with not only clothes, but wigs and endless other accessories the cost can be overwhelming. Considering that I’m still more interested in dressing myself as opposed to a doll, I always thought that when I was ready to retire my own petticoats I’d consider getting into dolls as a way to continue my love of various fashions.

That was until I saw the newest Pullip and Angelic Pretty collaboration! I was just so taken with them, and when I noticed that one of them had a tiny pony purse… I HAD to have her.

Byul Sucre won’t be out till March though so of course in the meantime I was browsing through the rest of the Pullip Style website where I ordered my first doll, I fell in love yet again.

Dal Clair was released in July 2010 as a collaboration between Pullip and Innocent World, a brand I’ve always admired. What really sold me though was her eternally grumpy face. Until I saw her expression I never realized how grumpy I can be when I’m all dressed up in my Lolita finest. Once I’m finally finished primping and preparing and look my best I only want to sit down and relax, chat with my friends and eat snacks. Somehow though I always end up walking too far, posing for way too many pictures, and never having snacks when I want them. I can be a very very cranky Lolita indeed.

The tiny buttons on her cuff!

I went ahead and purchased her and since this doll wasn’t a pre-order she was right on her way. She came a few days ago and to be honest I just love seeing her. She’s so beautiful and her dress and accessories are so beautifully detailed. In a bizarre way I just love having her here on my desk and seeing her grumpy face being so displeased! I decided her to name her “Anne” and took a couple of shots of her inside because the weather was so nasty outside. I think her face says it all, “All dressed up and no where to go!” Grump grump grump.

Of course having seen this beautiful doll in person, I’m so excited for the first doll that I pre-ordered! Even worse though, now that I’ve fallen so head over heals for the Dal face I want to order her in the Angelic Pretty series! Maybe I’ll convince my husband to let me have just one more… Of course a little while ago I didn’t have any intention to have any dolls and now look at me!!

Winter-Time Treat

2011-01-24T19:52:00.000-08:00

Back home today from our trip! Today I wanted to share one of my favorite winter-time drinks, a Hot Chocolate Float! It's not really a recipe or a difficult process, but I think still delicious anyway. You're going to need: hot chocolate, ice cream, whipped cream and your choice of toppings.

Mmm, delicious!

First off you start by making your favorite hot chocolate. My mother-in-law has a Keurig machine so that's what I use. Next you'll want to put a scoop of ice cream in. This cools down the drink to a perfect temperature and makes it super rich. I like vanilla ice cream, but you could use chocolate for an extra chocolate fix or even coffee ice cream! However, I wouldn't suggest anything with chunks to keep the drink smooth. Then you can top it off with whipped cream and chocolate or caramel topping!

I really love this on a cold winter night and I hope that you all enjoy it too! Let me know if you try it!

Day In Seattle

2011-01-21T22:41:00.000-08:00

As promised I have some pictures from today's adventure in Seattle. To start off our day we did indeed go to a Starbucks and have some tea. It was the first Starbucks that actually knew what kind of tea they had even. I hate their Tazo adjective tea. In Maryland I ask for mint tea and the reply is usually, “Uhhhh.... we have Refresh, Invigorate....” >_< It's black tea or green tea not weird vague words. Sorry, total pet peeve of mine! Our first official stop was Uwajimaya market and Kinokuniya bookstore in the International District. I was so excited that I completely forgot to take pictures! I got an amazing array of stuff though.

Three nail magazines, Gal's Beauty, Ranzuki, JELLY, Cath Kitson bento set, Q-Pot catalog, Gothic & Lolita Bible, ageha, KERA

Close Up: Two stationary sets and Rilakkuma deco parts

More Gets! DollyWink lashes, pa lashes, Hello Kitty stamp, luggage tag and mystery charms!

Inside the mystery bags! Last time I got one of these I got a melting lightbulb... WTF? Love these so much more.

Well after all that shopping I had to give Husband a break and drop my purchases off at the hotel room. While we were back in the neighborhood we decided to stop by some stores we'd seen yesterday and hadn't had a chance to visit. The first store we looked at was an amazing vintage and new store that focused entirely on retro fashions. I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside, but the shop girl was so sweet and said that I was free to take pictures of the window displays instead.

I LOVE that fur stole. I didn't even want to ask how much it was.

We also visited the Utilikilt store which was amazing! I love Husband in kilts and they had some great new colors to choose from. We will definitely be back for some serious shopping at both these places later! We also stopped by the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory for a gift and of course to take pictures with obese bears! I love them!

Our next stop was to the REI flagship store! I love REI back home so to see the huge store with it's giant rock climbing wall and test track for bicycles was amazing! For dinner we went to PF Chang's and there was no wait for a table. At 5 o'clock! At home we'd have a 30min wait minimum and that's if we're really lucky! I just can't believe how easy it is to get tables out here. Dinner was amazingly delicious and familiar which is always nice when you're away from home.

Afterward there was a mall close by so we decided to do a bit of window shopping. When we walked in the first store we saw was a Tiffany & Co., but we were too intimidated to walk in! By the time we had decided to go in and find something shiny for me to take home... THEY'D CLOSED! As my friend Angel always says, “Carpe burando!” and I did not today. So much regret.

Husband definitely owes me a gift from here soon!

All in all though, it's been an amazing day and an amazing trip to Seattle. Tomorrow we'll be back in Yakima for one last day of adventure in Washington before heading home!

Washington Impressions

2011-01-20T19:11:00.000-08:00

Since Husband and I have been in Washington since Friday we've been spending most of our time in what is going to be considered our new hometown, Yakima. Today though we decided to be adventurous and drive to Seattle for a taste of the city life. I have to say, I'm liking Yakima more and more in comparison. Being in such a relatively small town for almost a week meant that the city traffic was a bit of a shock even though we're more than used to the congestion back home. I will admit that driving in the city of Seattle proper however was no where near as bad as New York City. The weather though is much nicer in Yakima. We left a cold, but sunny high desert, drove through the mountain pass were it was snowing just to get to Seattle where it was overcast and sprinkling; all within a two and a half hour drive. I will say that there's no shortage of charm here in the city though. There are tons of homegrown eateries and more coffee places than you could shake a stick at. There are also many independent stores and I love feeling like when I shop I'm helping to keep a bit of individuality alive in a place. Husband was sweet enough to indulge me in one of my stranger hobbies, puppets, and bought me a brand new moose puppet to play with. We also spent our evening wandering around Pike Place Market taking in the sites and discovered a really great Chinese food eatery called Pike's Market Chinese Cuisine. Great food, but seating for no more than 30 people; it was intimate and had the most amazing fortune cookies (with actual fortunes! A real pet peeve of mine!).

Tomorrow we'll be spending a full day in the city, heading over to the “International District” so I can get my fill of Japanese magazines from Kinokuniya and possibly pick up some other goodies as well. I'm just looking forward to having a full day to look around and discover the neighborhood. Hopefully I'll have lots of great pictures to share to make up for the lack of pictures today.

Saturday it's back to Yakima where I've already been invited to a crafternoon with some of the ladies at Husband's work! I'm really looking forward to meeting some new people, especially since we seem to share many of the same hobbies. Sunday we'll be flying back to Maryland and back to the same old routine. I'll be kicking it into high gear to get things ready for an upcoming convention, Katsucon, where I'll be selling some handmade fashions and accessories. Afterward I hope to keep my Etsy store stocked more regularly so look for announcements here about that!

On the Move!

2011-01-16T20:01:00.000-08:00

Every time I promise to post more often, I feel like life hits me with full-on and I don't get to write! Right now I'm actually on the other side of the country in Washington state looking for a new place to live. Come mid-March I'll officially be a west coast girl! I'm still not sure how I feel about that being that I've lived on the East coast for almost my entire life, but I'm sure I'll get used to it. Where we're moving to is pretty much the middle of NO WHERE though. We're about two hours from Seattle or Portland, but in order to get to Seattle in the winter you have to make sure you can get through the pass. This is not something I am used to AT ALL. One plus is definitely that I'll be that much closer to shopping in San Francisco, but I am already desperately missing my New York City and Washington DC. You really can't beat the scenery out here though, everywhere you look there are beautiful mountains! I'm also really looking forward to getting into more outdoor activities like cross country skiing and more hiking than I was able to do in Maryland.

Since we're still in the middle of house hunting it's hard for me to get excited about living here though. Once we decide on a place then my little housewife self can get started on designing and decorating.

One thing that this trip does have me thinking about is tattoos! I don't usually wear my wedding ring since keeping it on constantly and washing my hands, etc tends to really irritate my skin. While I'm traveling though, I like to proudly display my marital status even though my skin ends up paying the price. My mother-in-law was the first person to suggest having a wedding ring tattooed on because she was shocked that I didn't constantly have my ring on. The more I think about it and the more of my friends get cool tattoos the more I want one and this would be the perfect application! Food for thought... definitely food for thought.

Being Sick SUCKS

2011-01-06T18:30:00.000-08:00

Most of the lifestye and fashion blogs I've read seem to think that you should make the best of being sick by putting on a frilly nightgown and waiting it out in the most glamorous of ways. I'm starting to wonder if these people have ever really been sick.

This last week I've been battling with the flu. My husband caught it somehow and while taking care of him, I came down with it too. I think the last thing I've been feeling this week is glamorous, more like a swamp monster. I suppose if you had something like a cold as opposed to the flu you could get away with that, but in this day and age who has that kind of time? Even I have responsibilities that prevent me from laying in bed all day like keeping up a house and making sure my husband has his head on right everyday. You take some pills that alliveate your symptoms and move on with life. Having the flu though is whole other ball of yarn.

Common symptoms of the flu include:
    * fever (usually high)
    * severe aches and pains in the joints and muscles and around the eyes
    * generalized weakness
    * ill appearance with warm, flushed skin and red, watery eyes *what about this is glamorous!?!*
    * headache
    * dry cough
    * sore throat and watery discharge from your nose

However, I did make a list of some Pros and Cons of being sick.

So in the end, being sick SUCKS! So take care of yourselves people!

#1 Get a flu shot! In the US this year, flu shots have been readily available so there's no excuse not get one.
#2 Eat healthy and keep up your immune system. Fresh fruits and juices in addition to a healthy diet, plenty of water, and daily exercise do so much for keeping you healthy and preventing diseases like flu.
#3 Get plenty of sleep. 8 hours every night!
#4 Keep It Clean Wash your hands often and get out of the habit of touching your face. When you sneeze or cough, make sure to cover with a kleenex or the inside of your elbow (instead of your hand that could continue the spread of those germs). This is still the number one way to prevent a cold or the flu!
#5 Start At Home Make sure to keep a clean home that isn't going to breed germs and viruses, especially your kitchen and bathroom.

I hope everyone else has started off 2011 healthy and are raring to go for the rest of the new year!

All facts were collected from the WebMD.com website! Please consult your doctor if you get sick!!!

A Very Historic Christmas!

2010-12-27T19:08:00.001-08:00

This Christmas, Husband and I decided to spend the holiday with my mother-in-law in historic Colonial Williamsburg. We had an amazing time, visiting not only the historic and shopping districts, but also getting to see Christmas Town at Busch Gardens. Our first day we spent wandering around the historic district, visiting the historic shops to learn about the different trades (and of course picking up some 18^th century essentials), and wandering the gardens which were still impressive even in the dead of winter. I have to say that my favorite stop was at the Milliner's shop where I met another girl who was just as crazy as I was about sewing and when she saw my enthusiasm for her work she was excited to show me more and more! I loved getting to peek at the collection of trims and the handiwork on the inside of all kinds of garments. I could have stayed there all day with her and occupied all her time!

That evening we spent Christmas Eve at Busch Gardens. They have different sections of the park that represent different parts of Europe and every section was decorated differently. It was unbelievably cold, but beautiful and totally enchanting. The park wasn't busy at all and the people who were there were all in the Christmas mood and were enjoying the sites as much as we were. We even got to see a Snow Owl and some penguins along with the obligatory Clydesdale horses (though we only got to see one).

Christmas morning we woke to another beautiful day. My mother-in-law and I went off by ourselves to tour the DeWitt Decorative Arts Museum and then tour the modern stables of Williamsburg. I'm always really interested in the workings of commercial stables because of my background in horseback riding. I really loved getting to see the unique crossbreeds that they had working as well, my favorite being a Percheron ~ American Quarter Horse cross. That night we had Christmas dinner at the Shield's Tavern. Dinner was served by candlelight in a small traditional room. We had costumed entertainers come to sing and perform for us and the food was amazing!

Sunday we awoke to what eventually turned into a blizzard! We decided to cut our visit short and just get on the road to head home. As we drove though the weather and roads got better and better and we made it home safely and in plenty of time. I would love to go back to Williamsburg soon though. It's no secret that I'm head over heels for the fashion and life of the 18^th century.

Of all the things I picked up this weekend I think I'm most enamored with the paper patterns for both a robe polonaise and a robe a la Francaise, and two new books about 18^th century clothing. Which brings me to a new feature on the blog! On the right side you can see what I'm currently reading (like the new books I just picked up) and check out links for each book on Amazon. I do get a bit for every book that's bought through the links, but really I just like to share what I'm reading with all of you (because I tend to read up a ton on whatever my current boom is!).

Movie Recommend! The Canterville Ghost

2010-12-12T21:26:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love fairy and fantasy stories (not like dragons and elves mind you) and have wanted to start recommending some on my blog here.

The Canterville Ghost

While looking for a movie to watch tonight, I noticed that Netflix had kindly added a movie I had been waiting FOREVER for on to my instant queue. The Canterville Ghost (1996) starring Patrick Stewart (yes, of Star Trek Next Generation, sexy Capt. Picard fame) in the lead. It was a movie that I had seen long ago on television and had really stuck with me over the years. After initially getting Netflix and having the opportunity to find all these long lost gems, I was disappointed to see that The Canterville Ghost was not yet available, but I was contended to wait. I was so happy that my patience was rewarded this evening!

It's a relatively simple story with some moderately scary ghost parts, but very much a family friendly movie. It does make the story it's own as opposed to the original story or early movie adaptations by having a girl transplanted from America along with her family to play opposite the ghost. In addition there's also love story involving her and a very handsome man on an even more handsome horse. I will say, that after all these years what stuck with me the most was really the polite English gentleman on his gorgeous chestnut riding through the countryside. I mean, who wouldn't be about that, honestly? Definitely check it out if you have Netflix, especially since it's now available streaming!

BLACK FRIDAY

2010-11-28T14:29:00.000-08:00

I love to shop. I love to shop so much. It usually doesn’t even matter what I’m buying or who it’s for, I just love the activity of going to stores and purchasing items. I love going to the grocery store, I love buying clothes, I love exchanging money for goods period (except for gas, I hate going to the gas station). For me, Black Friday is the Olympics of shopping. This is the day we put on our game faces and prepare to fight tooth and nail with other shoppers for things just because they’ve been discounted. It is the highlight of my year. I love the pushing and the competitiveness, I love the lines and I LOVE winning. You win at Black Friday Shopping Olympics by either A) getting awesome deals on stuff you never knew you needed and/or B) completing your goals for the evening by purchasing everything on your list. This year, I did both. It was mega-win. I was the shopping champion.

This is totally how I felt.

This year I only had one specific item that I NEEDED to get and there were other vague goals that I wanted to accomplish. Number one, Cricut cutting machines were on sale making them half off along with deep deep discounts on the required $90 cartridges that make the machine actually be awesome and functional. I also had an idea that I wanted to find some cute shoes of a pastel nature and pick up Christmas presents for my nine (yes, 9) nieces and nephews.

Our evening started out at midnight when the local mall flung open it’s doors and hordes of other insane people joined for maximum deal finding. They gave away scratch offs at the door for prizes and added coupons, they had singers, the place was a madhouse. I was enthralled. My sister and mother-in-law, who were first time Black Friday shoppers, joined me as we did a lazy loop around the mall, scouting stores and marveling at the crowds. At about four am we stopped at the food court, already heavily laden with purchases, and myself being nocturnal by nature was ready for lunch. It was so crazy realizing that it was FOUR AM and the food court wasn’t just open, it was crowded. At that point we were ready to convene with my other sister and my niece to hit up our next batch of retailers.

Can I just say at this point that I do not dislike my niece. However, at four am, having just woken up she was the most hyper, excited, over-joyed little girl I think I have ever seen. I don’t think, even today, that if you tried to wake me up at four am, even to give me a free pony, I could conjure up that kind of elation. As irritating as it was, it was also very cute and I guess that’s exactly how I was feeling on the inside, underneath a thick layer of adult mellowness.

We hit Target and the lines for the registers actually went to the back of the store and then were starting to wrap around the back main aisles. However, we were only purchasing a few things, and in the spirit of “All’s fair…” we picked a register that actually had only two people in line because the people who were slowly queuing didn’t seem to realize that every register was open and at the front of the line, there was no one directing people, it was simply every shopper for themselves. Lucky us!

My next stop was to JoAnn’s where people were already lining up, a half hour before they opened. The thing about lines like that is that you never know what the people in front of you are interested in. They could all be after the awesome deal that you also have your eye on. These people, once nice people in a polite line, will shortly become your enemy. Luckily though, I was one of the only people who was waiting for a Cricut, and when the doors opened I raced in with my cart and slammed one in. Then, I passed my cart off to my mother-in-law who had braved the line with me while I started weaving in and out of people to snatch Cricut cartridges out of the display. That’s when I saw it. The deal of a lifetime. The at-home screenprinter I’d been pining over just last week…. It was half off. It had to be mine. I still don’t know how I did it, but with in one great feat of strength I hoisted the box up into the cart and proudly marched off to check out. We were done in about ten minutes. As we were making our way out, I noticed loads of people with carts loaded with bolts of fabric and was so unbelievably glad that I didn’t have to wait at the cutting tables for once! After a short trip to meet up with my sisters, my mother-in-law decided it was time to head home for a nap. With our spoils of war, we went home and crashed into bed.

Spoils of war. (Excuse my insane craft room.)

I actually ended up going back out to JoAnn’s later in the day to pick up some yarn that was also on sale. I had been totally distracted by my other great buys that I had totally forgotten that I had wanted to pick some up! This year was definitely a success, but since then my sleeping schedule has been completely messed up! Hopefully by Monday I’ll be back on some kind of track, but until then I guess it’s lots of late night TV for me!

Gadgets & Gizmos: Clairsonic Skincare Brush Review

2010-11-10T16:40:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the first installment of Gadgets & Gizmos, where I talk about the nifty new things I've bought and have been trying out. This feature will mostly include reviews and short thoughts on the new interesting things that I buy.

Recently I decided to finally take the plunge and purchase a Clairsonic Skincare Brush. I've wanted this since I first saw them displayed in Sephora, but I was a bit turned off by the price of $195. Recently though my skin hasn't been doing as well as it should be and combined with a 10% off coupon from Sephora I figured I'd give it a go.

What really made me fall in love with the Clairsonic Skincare Brush was the fact that it works on the same premise as my Oral B SmartSeries toothbrush by dividing the face into zones and timing how long to clean each area. It takes all the guess work out of making sure your skin has been cleaned properly. Using the sonic technology the brush head doesn't actually rotate, but instead vibrates in order to clean. I love the fact that it does remove makeup better than just regular cleanser and washcloth. The biggest draw for me though is that I have very dry skin and this helps my skin to not only be gently exfoliated, but also better absorb the moisturizer that I use. You can use your regular favorite skin cleanser (as long as it doesn't have any jagged particles), but they did include a few that you can try in the package.

"It's a technology."

After charging over night the brush is ready to use. They recommend moistening it with water first, but it depends on your own cleanser. My usual cleanser (boscia soothing cleansing cream) was too messy to use with water and dribbled all over my face! The brush beeps as you start and times 20 seconds for your forehead, 20 seconds for your chin and nose, and 10 seconds for each cheek using an audible beep and short pause to let you know when to switch to the next section. The brush that I got has the option of different speed and timing settings. You can use both normal and low speed and can change between the default one minute setting to either a 2 minute setting with beeps or 2 minutes without beeps. The brush is also water resistant so you can use it in the shower or tub, and the brush heads can be changed off so if you want to share it with someone (like your significant other) you can with an additional brush head.

The three cleansers included are all from Clairsonic; “nourishing care cleanser” for normal to dry skin, “gentle hydro cleanser” for all or sensitive skin, and “refreshing gel cleanser” for normal to oily skin. Since I have dry skin I decided to try both the “nourishing care” and “gentle hydro” cleansers. First impressions of the “gentle hydro cleanser” was that it was very light and did have a certain smell to it which actually reminded me of some kind of sesame/ginger salad dressing if you can believe that. (Maybe I was just having a weird nose day.) Overall the only impression it left on me, besides the befuddling smell was that it was a bit more drying than I would have liked. Even after applying my normal moisturizer my skin still felt a bit tight and dry. However I do tend to have slightly sensitive skin and I didn’t feel any adverse reaction. Next I tried the “nourishing care” cleanser and it was definitely more moisturizing than the “gentle hydro cleanser”, but also had a strange citrus smell to it. It was also an effective cleanser, but I think overall I just didn’t care for them mostly because of the odd scents.

It's so awesome, it floats on water! (No, not really.)

I was warned by the shop girl who I bought the brush from that my skin might purge at first and be worse before it got better. I've been using it regularly though and I haven't had any problems since I've been using it. In fact my skin seems better than ever! The dry/red blotchy areas have definitely diminished and I’ve noticed that my pores have gotten smaller and I haven’t seen any black heads on my nose which is usually my problem area. I know that the price point is going to turn most people off, but I really love the fact that my skin is healthier and better looking and for me that's worth the cost. They do offer a new smaller and less expensive version of the brush that's also travel friendly called the "Mia" that seems to be the exact same product except smaller and with a different charger.

If you're interested in purchasing a Clairsonic Skincare Brush, they are available in stores at Sephora in both white and pink colors along with the new Mia Skincare Brush and replacement brush heads. They’re also available direct from the Clairsonic website where you can even get your brush engraved with a personal “Beauty Mark” message! They also offer the included cleansers in full sizes along with the replacement brush heads.

Election Day!

2010-11-02T11:38:00.000-07:00

Today is election day here in the US of A. I personally think that politics in this country and our way of going about these kinds of things is supremely messed up, but that doesn't keep me from the polls. I'm always amazed that most of my friends who are disillusioned with the way things work in our government are the same people who never even bother to vote! The first step to change is being involved in the process of government and as cliche as it sounds, it really does start with one vote. Here in Maryland, we receive in the mail a sample ballot that features each position that's up for election and every candidate that is running. We also get to see the different propositions that we're asked to vote on and it even comes with a separate sheet that explains what each question means! Armed with this super informative paper it takes about fifteen minutes to research the different candidates, make a note of them and then just wait for voting day (which also takes maybe 20 minutes of your time tops)! I still can't believe that there are people out there who just can't be bothered to even take the time to vote.

With the advent of the internet it's easier than ever to get involved with issues that you feel strongly about even when it's not reelection time. Sending a simple email to your representatives whether in the federal or local government is simple, fast, and can be very effective. My father loves to email his representatives when he sees or hears something that is of concern to him to ask them about it and he does follow up with them when he doesn't receive a response. He always signs his full name, address, and phone number and has even gotten a call back concerning one of his emails from our senator! Now that's really something, all because my father took a little time to jot him an email.

I really don't care what issues a person feels strongly about or what side of politics they subscribe to, I really just want to encourage everyone I know who has the opportunity to get out there and exercise their civic duty to really care about the future enough to take a stand and say "I voted".

All seriousness aside, there will be some fun posts coming up, I promise! Plenty of different reviews and some shopping rundowns! Look forward to it everyone!

Around the House: Roomwear!

2010-10-07T18:55:00.000-07:00

Finally I’ve gotten settled in to our temporary residence and I’m back online and ready to post again!

Since we’ve moved in to stay with my in-laws I thought it was perfect timing to invest in some roomwear. Roomwear are clothes that are just for hanging out in the house or sleeping in. Personally I would NEVER wear what I consider roomwear outside of the house like some people seem to do here in the US. Vice versa, I don’t necessarily feel the need to “get dressed” when I spend a majority of my time at home, doing the housewife thing. I want to be comfortable, but still cute and stylish.

Sorry, no cute pictures of me in my roomwear!

Personally I love jackets and cardigans so I love matching sets like those available from Juicy Couture for roomwear. I got a chance to do some outlet shopping at Juicy this weekend and picked up a great haul including a pair of matching pants and short sleeved jacket set as well as a white terry hoodie (which they left the sensor on!! I have to go back now!!). I was also really impressed by the sets that were available from the aerie by American Eagle. Much nicer and more snuggly than generic sweat sets, I purchased two pairs of short pants and a coordinating jacket, as well as a few tank tops. I love tank tops almost as much as I love jackets and have a ton in different styles and colors, mostly because either I’m really cold or desperately hot so layering is the key for me. I also have a few pairs of super short shorts for when it’s too hot in the summer for long pants and a few men’s white undershirts for basic coordinating. (And why don’t they sell packs of women’s shirts like they do men’s? Unfair.)

I’m also the proud owner of a kigurumi (kigu for short), which if you don’t know are like oversized one-piece hooded pajamas that are styled like animals or popular characters. Personally I have a hamster one and for as silly as it may seem, they are ridiculously comfortable and really do add a bit of spirit if you aren’t particularly feeling well. Usually if you find me at home in my kigu, it’s because I need a bit of coddling and sympathy. I’m always so tickled when I see the gorgeous models of ageha hanging out in a kigu when at home; so cute!!

What are your favorites for roomwear?

LUSH Pampering

2010-07-06T19:52:00.000-07:00

I recently picked up some goodies from my local LUSH store so I thought I would review them for you here. First off I was drawn into the store by their "Sole Revival" featuring 7 products for $20, all for pampering your feet. Being that it is summer and I personally love to be pampered I decided to try it. I started talking with the girls there and they also ended up recommending "Catatrophe Cosmetic" face mask for me. I picked up both and home I went!

I tried the "Sole Revival" foot care kit first. Everything was delightfully packaged and included small sample sizes of

♥ Volcano Foot Mask
♥ Little Feet Bath Bomb
♥ Running to the Embassy Body Butter
♥ Pied de Pepper Foot Lotion
♥ Fair Trade Foot Lotion
♥ Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter

There were directions included with the kit and they were very easy to follow. I'm lucky to have a very sweet husband who was on duty to pamper my feet for me. I started with the Volcano Foot Mask which was extremely ingivorating and warming. I let it sit on my feet for the recommended 10 minites in plastic bags. It was a little strange, but very fun. When it was washed off I scrubbed in the pumice for extra exfoliating.

Next up was the Little Feet Bath Bomb and it was very fizzy and relaxing. It felt amazing and smelt really nice as well. The packaging for these was so cute as they were shaped like a little foot and two were included in the package. I find foot soaks kind of boring and they didn't say for how long your feet are supposed to sit so I took out my feet when I finally got bored of sitting still. Afterwards my feetsies were scrubbed down with the Running to the Embassy Body Butter which comes as a bar. It had an amazing warming effect on my feet, but I wished that the solid particles were a bit larger so that it could be scrubbed a little more vigorously.

Last up were the lotions and butter. I chose to go with the Pied de Pepper Foot lotion which had a very soft warming effect and left my feet very soft. For good measure I also rubbed in the Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter on my toes and into my hands as well. The Lemony Flutter was overpowering scent-wise, but was defintely a great moisturizer. After all that pampering, I did owe my husband a candy treat, especially because all the tasty scents from my feet were making him crave Neco Wafers in a big way. There was certainly enough left of all the samples for another night of pampering and I'll be able to try the Fair Trade Foot Lotion too. Another nice feature was that all of the small pots advertised that if you turned the pots back in you'd recieve 15% off the full sized version. For as fun as the products were, I think for all the work that my husband put into my pampering, I'd rather spend my $20 on a professional pedicure and also get my nails painted.

Next up was the "Catastrophe Cosmetic" face mask which was recommended to me as I've developed combination skin, dry on most of my face but oily on my forehead under my bangs. The mask has to be kept refrigerated so when I put it on it was cool and refreshing. The pot seemed to have enough for another application, maybe two. I wish I could remember how much exactly I paid for the mask, but I seem to remember it being about $6. I can't find the product on the U.S. website no matter how I search in order to find an exact price. The product had chunky blueberry bits in it which was a bit odd, and the fragrance was pretty at first but as it dried it became more and more overpowering to the point of irritating my sinuses. Once it was dry and I washed it off, my face was clear instead of red and blotchy as it usually is after cleansing but it felt sticky and "not clean". The fragrance is still in my nose and bothering me and I don't think this is something that I'll be wanting to use again.

All in all I think that my venture into LUSH was fun, but I probably won't be experimenting with other products. I think I should have trusted my first instincts when I walked in the store and had my nose tickled by all of the strong mixed fragrances.

Putting on the Ritz

2010-07-04T23:39:00.000-07:00

This weekend was my best friend Angel's birthday, and it's become our tradition to go out to tea for the occasion. This year we did it up in style by going to tea at the Ritz-Carlton.
We were dressed in our Lolita finest and sat down to in a beautiful room with sumptuous decor. Their tea selection was small, but very adequate and I decided to play it safe with the English Breakfast. When we received our tea I was disappointed to see that they were using an older style tea strainer that is placed on your cup as your pour your tea out. Because of this, I knew that there were tea leaves floating about in our pots so by the time we were halfway through, the tea was so bitter it was undrinkable! The food however, was delicious and we were treated to a small selection of sandwiches and a bevy of desserts! Since it was Angel's birthday, they treated us to whipped cream with strawberries and a little candle on top! She was sweet enough to share with me as I have a weakness for strawberries and cream. By the end though we were so stuffed with desserts. It seemed like it wasn't much food, but it was very filling.

Afterward, we went shopping at stores where we couldn't afford things and I fell in love with too many things (including a pink Versace purse who's price I refused to look at). All in all the day inspired me to get dressed up more often and definitely spend more time with Angel who has moved much too far away. I hope to update more often, but having my camera gone missing has shorted all my inspirations! I will work harder to write more often!

E3: What I'm Into

2010-06-14T20:23:00.000-07:00

I feel really badly that I haven't posted in so long, but I've been so busy! (Not to mention that my camera has gone MIA...) I'll be updating on all that later though, but for now something more immediate.
I'm currently sucked into the G4 coverage of E3. This all started probably last year when I sat down to watch this same spectacle in an effort to get a jump on all the news for my gamer husband who was at work. It became clear though that I got much more out of the show than he ever did. I love the spectacle of the show and I love seeing what's new and coming up. I do play video games, but not like most people do and certainly not to the extent that my husband does. My tastes range from Hello Kitty games to the last "serious" game I played being Bayonetta. I love casual games, Mario - anything, and anything with a fun plot that I can button mash through.

This year, we started off the day with XBox360. Currently our 360 is away for repairs because of an error message we recieved (no red ring though!). However I'm already looking forward to the Kinect technology. First of all I was wowed by cute tiger cubs (the cuteness begins about 1:35) in Kinectimals and then an Ubisoft fitness game called Your Shape Fitness Evolved. Most of the Kinect products seemed like Wii ripoffs, but at the same time I especially liked the fitness interface that I've been complaining about with the Wii Fitness and Balance Board. I will definitely have to wait and see a price point for Kinect to see if it's something I'll be willing to try out for what is essentially a novelty.

Next up were developer presentations EA and Ubisoft. EA didn't really have much to offer me as I'm neither a sports fan or really into the big realistic shoot-em-ups. The one title that did perk my interest though was Need For Speed. I love racing games in all forms as long as they're relatively easy to pick up and play and when they pointed out that you could race as the police I was in.

Ubisoft definitely had the highlights of the day, but most of the things I'm truly excited about probably won't be out anytime soon. First off was Battle Tag which was described as laser tag meets a first person shooter. Nothing says fun like getting a laser gun and running after your husband with it. Next up on my list was Innergy which promised to teach me to relax and give me a happy brain. Two things I desperately need. Last up on my radar was Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. I've been wanting to get into Assassin's Creed since the beginning but have been wary of it being too complicated for my tastes. I think I'm just going to have to dive in, buy the first copy used and find out if there's a "toddler mode" just for me.

I think what really upsets me about this whole G4 TV coverage and media coverage of the "gaming industry" in general is that they just don't cover the things that I'm interested in and what they do mention of that ilk gets scoffed at which frustrats me. For instance the Innergy game that I'm oh so interested in has already stirred up some web chatter that it's a waste of time and totally not a game and... I don't care. This is something I would pay good money for and if someone else would rather put their money down to snipe zombies then good on ya, but don't talk smack about the happy brain breathing game or the cute tiger cub.

Tomorrow will be the big day with Sony and Nintendo so we'll see what will be on my need to buy list this holiday and coming year. Last year Nintendo announced Super Mario Brothers Wii and Super Mario Galaxy 2, and then the Sony presentation totally won us over by using a Queen song in order to get us to buy a PS3. (I shudder to think what they will get us to buy this year.)

Shopping Weekend

2010-05-05T13:36:00.001-07:00

This last weekend was really great for shopping. First I picked up two of my favorite magazines: Tea Time and Romantic Homes. Tea Time is a great magazine with recipes, and great articles about my favorite past time of Afternoon Tea. This issue actually featured tea houses from my home state so I picked it up and hope to visit the ones I had yet to discover. Romantic Homes is also a great inspiration to me as I love their casual, feminine aesthetic. June’s issue is all about summer and after today’s unexpected climbing temperatures, I think I need to start getting ready!

I also picked up a kit for cross-stitching at the bookstore. I had learned to cross-stitch in middle school as part of a required project, but I’ve been wanting to get back into it as an easy hobby to take out and keep my hands busy while I’m at home. Miss Woolly’s Mini Cross-Stitch Kit was just what I needed with enough supplies for six small projects. I’m already done with two and working on my third! I had forgotten how addictive it can be. I would love to get into different kinds of embroidery, but I think for now I’m going to stay within the comfortable grid of the “Aida” fabric.

Saturday, I went down to my favorite historic district, Ellicott City Main Street, for the grand re-opening of a very cute store: A Journey From Junk. The first person in at 10am with their email received a $50 gift certificate, which was the husband and I! We ended up spending the whole certificate on some wonderful finds: two sets of vintage pillow cases, a set of cuff-links and a tie bar (for the husband of course), a simple fan, a lolly-pop for my husband to round out the purchase, and for “spending” more than $30 they also let me pick out a free summer scarf! There were actually a couple stores doing grand re-openings this weekend, like All Time Toys which is a favorite stop for my husband and I. I certainly saw many more fun purchases I could have made, but I’m happy with what I came away with, and even more so that it was free!

First Sneaker Sunday: Smithsonian

2010-04-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday in honor of Sneaker Sunday, I decided to don my sneakers and putter around some museums while the husband watched a Korean movie at the Freer Gallery... or is that the Sackler? Whatever. I dressed a bit too warmly for the day, but I still had a good time and was definitely more comfortable than if I'd tried to bear it out in Lolita shoes. Great idea and I hope to participate in more Sneaker Sundays.

(click here to see my sneakers close up!)

I started off at the Natural History museum to see some diamonds and bones. First off, I'd like to say that I have to TOTALLY agree with Evalyn Walsh McLean in that the setting of the Hope Diamond is half the fun. (You know she used to let her DOG wear it?!!?) Currently the diamond is out of it's setting and on display with another large blue diamond of note. That place ALWAYS makes me want to go shopping for jewelry. Technically I'm not supposed to be in there because we always end up in a jewelry store later. XD Though I was really there to see the exhibit on forensic archeology and bodies from the 17th and 18th century Maryland and Virginia. So I saw tons of bones and many dead people and it just didn't really do it for me. I didn't spend very long there before I left for the National Gallery to enjoy some 18th Century French paintings. *sigh* I want to live in every Boucher painting. I also want to own EVERY dress he's painted. My current obsessions include:
Madame de Pompadour
Madame Bergeret

The one on the bottom being the painting I was lucky enough to plant myself in front of and sigh at for about half an hour. *sigh* Totally need this in my life. Especially that hat, SO CUTE! I figure the dress on the top for a night out and the dress on the bottom for a more casual look. Haha!

I did learn something important though yesterday (other than sneakers>loli shoes), for as much as I love museums, puttering around them by myself is not something I find enjoyable. I would much rather have some company to talk and discuss as we explore the exhibits. I think I can safely remove "museum hopping" from the list of things to do on my own during weekdays. However dressing up like a painting and wandering the halls of said museum is still a viable option.

Shopping: New York Style!

2010-04-12T21:19:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a fun-filled day in New York City with friends! Since I attended the Tokyo Fashion Festa this February I’ve been going to New York so much more. For me it’s only a four hour trip by bus or car and even quicker by train (but so much more expensive!) so it’s not necessarily convenient, but not prohibitive either. The main reason I’ve been going so much is for the shopping! I’ve always loved going to BookOff and Kinokuniya for Japanese magazines and CDs, but now there’s also Tokyo Rebel, which is a store that carries many Japanese punk, rock and Lolita brands! Not to mention every other store ever imaginable. My poor wallet! Ever since I went to Tokyo a few years ago I’ve become so spoiled and hate to shop online. I love the activity of shopping, seeing the products in person, feeling them, and the joy of physically buying the item and carrying it out immediately as opposed to clicking a button and then having to wait. I also like to be able to make an occasion out of shopping, get dressed up, go with friends, share a meal which is especially fun to do in New York City. Shopping at brick and mortar stores also supports local shop owners as opposed to large online chains which I definitely can get behind.

Tokyo Rebel is actually currently holding a photo contest that I entered so please wish me luck! I don’t think I’m quite what they are looking for, but it was so much fun to get dressed up and take the pictures for it. I still hope I do well! Here’s a sample of the pictures that were taken:

I’m so lucky to know such amazingly talented people like Stu who took these pictures for me. I have a feeling I will be calling on him to be my photographer in the future as well!

Since I’ve been so busy this week preparing for both the contest and my trip I haven’t had too much time to dedicate to the blog so my apologies! This week should calm down considerably so there will be plenty of time for work. Also, please keep an eye out for the opening of my new Etsy store!

Afternoon Tea

2010-04-02T12:30:00.000-07:00

From my last post you learned about things that I love, including tea. Hand in hand, I also love the tradition of afternoon tea as well. This week I was finally able to attend the annual Cherry Blossom Tea at the National Cathedral with the Northern Virginia Lolitas. It was my first time to visit the Cathedral and the tour was very educational. Tea afterward was very nice as well. Since this wasn’t actually a tea house, the service was a little different with somewhat smaller portions and only one variety of tea (Earl Grey if I remember correctly). Still, you couldn’t beat the location: the seventh floor observation gallery in a beautiful Gothic cathedral!

As much as I love going out to tea (it’s one of my favorite Sunday activities), it tends to become very expensive so I like to indulge myself with afternoon tea at home during the week. Afternoon tea can be as fancy or as casual as you would like it to be. You certainly don’t need any fancy plates, tea cups or food. Usually my husband comes home from work a bit later than my stomach is willing to wait for him so I enjoy an afternoon snack of maybe a half of a vegetable sandwich, scone or cookies along with a small pot of tea. Very simple and often consisting of just what I have around at hand. That’s actually how afternoon tea was started historically!

My favorite variety of tea for the afternoon is either Victorian Rose or Buckingham Palace Garden Party because I prefer floral flavors over fruit tastes. There are so many different varieties of tea though, it’s fun to experiment and try many! Tea and its many varieties will have to wait for another blog post in the future though!

If you’re interested in going out to tea, my favorite resource is TeaMap.com which has a listing of tearooms which also include reviews. It’s a great place to get started, but you can also call your local, often more high end hotels and ask if they offer an afternoon tea which are often not listed on their own as tearooms. Whether you choose to take tea at home or out with friends I hope you find it as enjoyable and relaxing as I do!

My Top Ten!

2010-03-25T09:46:00.000-07:00

Mitsu over at Universal Doll was nice enough to translate part of March's Ageha which was a top ten from some of their models. Since everyone is doing theirs I figured I would jump on the bandwagon! So here it is!:
♥1 I love my Ageha magazine (which is why I was so excited that Mitsu did this translation)! I've had a subscription for a while now and though I initially picked it up for the more hime aspects, I've really loved getting more into the gyaru side of Japanese Street fashion.
♥2 Tea has to be one of my biggest weaknesses. I start every morning with a cup of PG Tips and I love trying new varieties of tea, my favorites being florals like lavender and roses.
♥3 My iPhone! I don't go anywhere without it and I love the "freedom" of being able to be online anywhere I am. It's also my second deco project and I'm looking forward to doing more cases for it in the future.
♥4 I love to sew and craft and my newest boom is making my own clothing and jewelry for a super-customized look. I'm already looking forward to designs for summer!
♥5 I've been obsessed with pastel colors lately. Maybe it's all the Easter marketing that's been getting to me, but I love these candy inspired colors and I've been trying to incorporate them everywhere and as much as possible!
♥6 We♥It is my favorite photo sharing site. I know that most people use tumblr, but I prefer We♥It (even though it has a tendency to be slow!)
♥7 I think it's the rough winter we had, but I don't think I've ever looked forward to spring and flowers and sunny days more than this year. I want to have flowers in the house and in my hair and I was so excited to see my first flowers of the season last week!
♥8 This is my 3yr old Pomeranian, Bu. Since I'm at home all day he's my constant companion and diligent guard dog.
♥9 I've been on a real spicy foods kick lately. I love Tabasco sauce and have had a taste for the spicy mustard and salsas too. Last night I made Teriyaki Tabasco Chicken for dinner!
♥10 Even though I haven't been playing it, I've been watching the husband play Final Fantasy XXII since he got it this weekend. It's like playing it myself, but so much less work.

So that's that! I've loved reading all the other blogger's top tens as well; it really is a great way to get to know one another! I hope everyone will think about doing one!

STOMP-ing out Casual

2010-03-19T22:39:00.001-07:00

This week I was lucky enough to attend STOMP, which was amazing! I love going to the theater for musicals, opera, or ballet and try to go as often as possible. The one thing I’ve noticed through my years of attending though is how informally people have begun to dress. I enjoy using the occasion to dress up, usually in Lolita attire, but I do wish I could be one of many in a formal ball gown. There just aren’t enough occasions for black tie these days. Usually at the opera most people attempt to dress at least “business dress”, but I’ve seen anything from jeans and polo shirts all the way to prom dresses (which I thought was darling). At this particular production though the majority of people were dressed very informally, more appropriate for a night at the mall than at the theater. I suppose it being STOMP I wasn’t expecting ball gowns and tiaras, but a little more respect for the occasion could have been mustered up. It’s such a shame to think that prom and our own weddings are the only opportunity in our new modern lives to dress formally. If you’d like to see my outfit for the night, check it out on my weardrobe account!

Writing – The Old-Fashioned Way

2010-01-31T14:20:00.000-08:00

As a blogger I shouldn’t be anti-electronic communication, but I have a real soft spot for good old-fashioned pen and paper. For me, handwriting has always been very cathartic in so many ways. I’ve always loved to write notes and letters to my friends and many times I would write to myself just to clear my head or organize my thoughts. There’s often an organic connection there that I just don’t get out of typing on a computer. Right now I have two pen pals (Hi Joana and Olivia!) who I write to regularly, though admittedly not as often as I should. I tend to write many letters and notes in my everyday life to friends and family though. It’s a quickly fading art that I wish more people would take up and cherish as I do.

Starting to write letters certainly doesn’t mean you have to go out and get a pen pal; there are many ways to get started small! First off, stop buying over-priced greeting cards. Especially if you’re sending the card through the mail anyway, send a letter instead. I feel that rhyming insincere cards are never as cherished as a short note handwritten with care. A simple message in legible handwriting (no typing!) on plain printer paper will do fine and remember that no one expects grand poetry.

For example:
Dear Mom,
Happy Birthday! I’m so sorry I couldn’t be with you this year, but I will visit as soon as I’m able. I hope you enjoy the gift I’ve enclosed and I will be sure to call you on your special day.
Love, Becky

Once you get in the hang of writing letters it comes very easily as you’ll want to find more reasons to write letters and notes.

To get started with letter writing you really only need some paper, envelopes, and a pen. How refreshing! If you’d like something nicer, than feel free to pick out writing paper or note cards and matching envelopes that reflect you and your personal style. If you do decide to buy cards, just remember to NEVER buy cards that have “Thank You” or any other greeting printed on them, as it’s really such a waste. Plain cards are much more functional and versatile. For my personal corresponding needs, I have a drawer filled with stationery supplies (I’ve always had a secret obsession with paper). Here’s what I have currently:

click to see the larger size!
♥ Various writing papers
♥ Note cards
♥ Envelopes
♥ Stickers
♥ Stamps
♥ Confetti (to stuff in envelopes!)
♥ Mini-Note cards (I use these as gift enclosures or for love notes for my hubby)

Also these are two really great books that have inspired me that I highly recommend (available from Amazon):
♥ For The Love of Letters: A 21st-Century Guide to the Art of Letter Writing by Samara O’Shea
♥ Good Mail Day: A Primer for Making Eye-Popping Postal Art by Jennie Hinchcliff and Carolee Gilligan Wheeler

A Whiter Shade of Pale

2010-01-26T20:21:00.000-08:00

Whiter Shade of Pale Rose

I’ve always gotten comments on my extremely pale skin, both positive and negative. I’ve always been jealous of people who could tan because I could only ever burn, and I’d always been wary of using a faux tanner because of the horror stories I’d heard. This winter though I figured I would try one of the newer gradual tanning lotions and if it didn’t work out, well we’re still in long sleeves and pants weather around here so it’d be easy enough to hide.

After doing a little research online, I decided to go with the “Jergens® natural glow
Revitalizing Daily Moisturizer” and the “Jergens® natural glow
Healthy Complexion Daily Facial Moisturizer”. Right off I really liked the fact that there were two varieties for both fair and medium skin tones and that it was going to be a gradual color change over a week. Both products were inexpensive and easy to find at local stores. I used both products once a day for a week all over my body after a shower covering every inch of me for an all over tan, from the tops of my feet and up to my face (my hubby was nice enough to get my back). After the first week I decided to use it twice a day for a slightly darker color.

Having used it for about two weeks now I’m really pleased with the results! The smell was a bit over-powering, but I loved the subtle color it gave me and it was wonderfully moisturizing. The bottle of body lotion is almost empty now, but I still have plenty of the facial moisturizer. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants a bit of color without exposure to the sun. Through use I’ve come up with some tips that might help if you decide to try these products out:

♥ Any dry spots like elbows, knees, and ankles will soak the tanner up quicker than other parts of your skin so make sure to moisturize thoroughly before you begin using tanner.
♥ Make sure you blend well up to your hairline on the back of your neck and face, behind and on your ears so that you don’t have any light spots.
♥ Always wash your hands after application, and I like to use a mix of 1 part tanning lotion to 1 part regular lotion to color the tops of my hands to keep the color even and without getting orange palms.
♥ Remember that your new skin color is going to look differently under various lights so get a second opinion from a trusted friend on how your look is going.

If you’ve never used a tanner before, I highly recommend trying it out in the colder season. There’s so much less pressure when you can cover up than when you’re out all the time in short sleeves and flip-flops!

Valentine's Day

2010-01-22T21:03:00.000-08:00

Whether you love it or hate it, it’s hard not to notice that practically all stores are getting geared up for Valentine’s Day. I was never really a big fan of Valentine’s Day and even now that I’m married my husband and I don’t really celebrate. One thing I do love about this holiday is all the cute seasonal décor that comes out! This is the perfect time for stocking up on cute and romantic touches for the whole home (especially if you’re entire kitchen is decorated in baby pink)!

My favorite places to shop are Target, Home Goods, Williams Sonoma, and craft stores like Jo-Ann’s and Michael’s for seasonal-specific décor, kitchenware, and dining ware. Make sure to get to the craft stores early in the season for the best selections, as they tend to release products a bit ahead of traditional retail stores (sometimes immediately following Christmas).

This year I’ve been really light on purchases, but did pick up a few things from Target. First off, I had to pick up these cute plates for dinner with the husband. Nothing says, “I love you” like a homemade dinner on cute heart-shaped plates. Also, I was just too tempted by this small toss pillow. It actually completes a series of heart pillows I’ve already had so how could I pass it up?

There are certainly many more cute things that I could pick up this season, but I’m trying to pace myself. Just remember that if you really fall in love with something, make sure you won’t regret not picking it up as most of these items won’t be back the following year. Also make sure that you check the quality of these items to make sure they’re made to last longer than a month. For textiles like tablecloths, bedding, etc check the materials used and for any item you buy, check the washing instructions. Usually things that are dishwasher or washer/dryer safe are going to hold up better with daily use. Remember that you want to use these items past February 15th!

Hope you find your own pieces to love, and I would love to see them! Happy shopping everyone!