ja 2011-12-18T15:00:25+09:00
Well, let's try this again;

So far, life has been pretty calm around here. The hubs is done with working this quarter, and he gets to spend all day reading at a coffee shop nearby. I've been sort of busy, baking things for my in-laws and friends. I've also put up the Christmas tree



And yes, he likes wearing the sweater XD

Granola and ginger snaps I made for my in-laws


I've also gone to a couple of Chrismas parties;

Outfit for the Christmas party at the hubs department at University. I love that shade of blue


Outfit for a recent Christmas party. I loooove the rose details on this piece


Some scenes from the party(the food was amazing!)

Now, onto my purchases...
The one I have been the most excited about was...





I was delirious when I got my confirmation e-mail for this dress! I know Juliette et Justine's painting prints are not everyone's cup of tea, but I really like them! And I especially love the painting this is based off(The Honeysuckle Bower)

This is going to be my New Year's outfit, I'm still trying to figure out how to properly accessorize it.


I also got a gift with purchase for renewing my subscription to Everyday Food and Martha Stewart Living(yes, I think she's brilliant and I do enjoy her ideas)


I also bought some needed stuff from Gmarket and Ebay.


A new desk calendar with handy built in sticky notes


travel bag set from Shinzi Katoh. I had been eyeing these for awhile at Yesstyle, but I found them to be overpriced there. Luckily, I was able to find them for a much more reasonable price at Gmarket.


also got a ton of cute stickers, and a new diary for 2012(I keep a written diary for the more personal stuff )


Ebay stuff: some things I needed to stock up on, and others are things I wanted to try out; like the Lovely Girl BB Cream. I've already started to use it, and I must say, it works wonders on my oily complexion. I did not have a need to blot until well after seven hours of having my make-up on


I also managed to get my hands on a Magie Deco Coffret My only complain is that the blush turns a little too orangey with my complexion, but other than that, I am very happy with my purchase, and will hopefully be able to purchase next year's offering!



I also did my yearly tradition of buying the Aube Couture Christmas palettes. I really like this year's case design, very elegant

I also appreciate the guide included so you know which brush to use, and where to put the color, very thoughtful of them!

I leave you with some gifts I got in the mail from my best friend in Florida. These will come in great since it is a little colder up north


Next week we're off to my in-laws, I hope everyone has a safe and happy Christmas!!!]]> 2011-12-18T15:00:25+09:00

This weather has kind of wrecked havoc on my sinuses{which are painfully dry right now} and I already see signs that my skin is not fairing any better. I don't know what to do about my sinus problem, but as far as my skin goes, I'm using much more intense moisturizers and using the heavy duty facial masks.

I was fortunate enough to be asked, along with four other girls, to be "Lolita Representatives" for Anime Conji's booth at PMX this year. From my understanding we where there to promote the Lolita events available at Anime Conji next year and promote the convention in general. We had to provide our own transportation and food costs, badges and hotel room where taken care of, which was a pretty sweet deal

PMX was held the second weekend of November, and the convention didn't officially start until Friday, but we all decided it would be best to get there the night before, on Thursday. Since it was five of us, we decided to split the group; J and I would go up there in a rental since our schedules where much more flexible, and the other three girls would come up later[a lot of them had classes that night and couldn't leave earlier in the day]


Both J and I got there at around 7ish, which is good timing considering we where driving up to Los Angeles somewhere between rush hour and rush hour{honestly, the times I have driven through L.A. it always seems to be rush hour}

We checked-in to our room, and scored to have a mini fridge rolled up to us. LAX Hilton does not have mini fridges in rooms as default, but you can ask(nicely) for one to be sent up to your room. It saved us on snacks, and food costs It also helped that the guy who checked us in was super nice




The stuffed hotel room closet, full of Lolita! I love these kinds of shots, they have such a whimsical air to them

The other girls got there close to midnight, and we all pretty much crashed right then and there(of course, we first had an impromptu meeting with the guy who put the entire thing together)


My outfit for Friday. I love this dress, it's quite summery and creates a very elegant silhouette. Now, the boots-I put a fur topper on them, but apparently it was too big for these shoes. I was walking around the convention with the fur boot toppers around my ankles

Not much was going on as far as events on Friday, and R was pretty laid back as far as how long we should be at the booth, so we all got to run around, get pictures taken, and check out the fashion boutique.


The rest of the girls checking out a room to take pictures in. BTW, everyone looked so pretty, and was dressed very well. The Lolitas we encountered where super nice, and more than willing to chat us up about our outfits

The fashion guest this year was Atelier Pierrot, and even though they're really not my style, I went along with the rest of the group to check out the boutique. I am sad to report that it was super small, and the selection of clothing there was minimal. It was kind of disappointing

Saturday is usually the big day at conventions, and it was no exception for this particular one either. The hotel lobby was packed I am surprised I managed to walk around without crashing into someone or their prop, it was pretty hectic.


Saturday outfit. Another one of my favorite dresses.

There where a few Lolita related events on Saturday, the first of them being a swap meet.

I was unaware of the fact that you could sell your wares too, otherwise I would have brought the dresses I've been meaning to put up for sale. Oh well.

There weren't as many sellers as I thought there would be, the selection was quite small. After the swap was over we where all supposed to meet at the booth to figure out who would take the first shift. And when we got there we saw that...the booth was not set up yet

About an hour later we found out that there was a lot of miscommunication, and hence why the setting up was so late. I did my shift, then went upstairs to our room to rest, have my lunch, and give the hubs a call.

The designer of Atelier Pierrot was doing a panel, so of course we all wanted to attend that

She seemed like a very interesting and fun person, the panel went by very quickly. Fun story, J and I needed to go up to our room to get something(I forget what it was exactly) and as we made our way to the elevator, guess who was there waiting for one? Yuko Ashizawa! Hahaha, she thought my outfit was cute

Erm, and now that I think more on it, I believe the panel with Yuko was on Friday, not Saturday. Whoops, this is what happens when I don't write everything down the day of-oh, the joys of growing older

There was also a scavenger hunt on Saturday night, which turned out to be a lot of fun for my teammates and I. Even if we didn't win

Afterwards, the roomies/acquaintances that where not interested in the other events and I decided to have a spur of the moment "get-together", complete with pizza and questionable booze.


C and my newly acquired Llama becoming fast friends

I remember laughing waaaay too much, and scaring the poor pizza delivery guy. The next morning I found out that I am very funny when drunk

Sunday morning was rough on me. I had to get up early to get our rental car, and I needed to be ready so that the rest of the girls could have free range of the bathroom

I managed to get all of that done without waking anybody up, not even when I walked back into our hotel room. The only event of interest to me Sunday was the fashion show, of which I dutifully stood in line for, but for only 20 minutes. My feet where loudly complaining, and I heeded their call. There was a lot of confusion with the fashion show, we where not sure if you needed tickets to get in, or tickets to get a seat to watch the show. Turns out the tickets where for seats, and the rule was strictly enforced, even if there where more than half of the seating available for attendees.

Not only that, but the fashion show itself lasted all of 15 minutes, according to my sources{and it was that short. I was at the booth not very long before the rest of our group showed up and I recall saying "Wow! That was fast!"}And there where only four models, each showing only one outfit. Sunday was a short day for us, J and I left early(around 3 o'clock) and managed to make it back to San Diego in record time, around 5-6 p.m.

Besides the fun times I had with our group, I found PMX to be a let-down. I read about all of the Lolita events from last year, and I sort of expected something similar for this year, but there really was none to be had. I read that some of the old-time patrons where not happy with how Lolita oriented it was last year, and that it might have been the reason why PMX scaled down on that this year. I also found the overall lack of organization irritating, fashion show included. I won't bother trying to make the trek up here next year. At least I got a cute llama, and a fun time with other Lolitas out of the whole thing-


Llama Thender the III, from where I sat at the booth]]> 2011-12-08T13:14:32+09:00
I honestly could not tell whether he absolutely hated the t-shirt+bandana combo, or not. He was moping around all morning, prior to me dressing him. And yeah, I know the Happy Halloween is barely legible

Anyone that knows me well, knows that I tend to act like a big, embarrassing nerd around Halloween. This is another American holiday that I have taken, and embraced into my life

I honestly cannot put my finger on why I enjoy it so much. It might have to do with the fact that October kind of marks the onset of the change of seasons, or the fact that my favorite time of year is the very short-lived but loved Autumn. Either way, I found myself stalking the local Target this year because they have, by far, the best Halloween decor out of all the other shops

I can't really do much outdoor decor, since we 1. don't have that much yard space(erm, we actually have none at all!) and 2. we belong to a homeowners association that is very strict with what can be placed outside of your condo. But I do dream of the day we have a house with a yard, oh yes, I will go all out for that


This was the extent of my outdoor decorations. Haha, kind of sad eh?

The overwhelming majority of the decorations took place indoors

Yes, everyone needs a glittery skull table centerpiece


Living room


Close-up of my bat wall


Coffee table, themed pillows on the couch, and the skull mantle. Haha, you can see in the back the diablo de yare mask, which fits very well with the theme. Diablos de Yare was my favorite of the Corpus Christi festivals when I still lived in Venezuela. I bugged my grandparents for a mask while they still lived there, but they could never get around to buying me one. We still have some family friends there, and I was able to obtain one through them


Decorations on the curtains. Why, yes, we seem to have a "large" spider problem


View of the whole thing from the staircase


Windowcling on our downstairs window. Funny story, our neighbor's chihuaha would constantly bark at the grim reaper whenever they where coming back to their home from a walk


Details of some of the items on the mantle. The glittery pumpkins where made by me, as well as the small pumpkin with bat wings. The chinese-style paper lanterns was something that I found while walking Sofa. I though they where very neat looking


I also bought, and prepared appropriately themed food. The deformed items on the left where supposed to be pumpkin-shaped chocolates, but they melted in transit Oh well, at least the pumpkin shaped cookies came intact, and they tasted fabulous!!


My breakfast that day~


And dinner. The recipes came from Martha Stewart. Her and her staff come up with the best ideas for nearly all holidays. While my curry did not turn out as green as the one on the photo, it was still a huge success, it was very, very yummy.


October is also my birthday month, so as my special birthday dish I asked the hubs to make me Shepard's pie. You just can't go wrong with mashed potatoes, and ground meat with a savory seasoning. This version had crumbled potato chips on top


I leave you with Sofa, shooting me the evil eye and then blissfully playing with his stuffed bat toy. Haha! you thought I wouldn't buy him themed toys?

]]> 2011-11-26T19:40:21+09:00
Oooh yeah... I specifically asked the hubs for pecan pie this year, I haven't had any since I left Florida and I was feeling nostalgic.

Oh yes, turkey day came and went here in the USA. I have actually come to really enjoy and adopt this holiday as part of my own. In spite of how anti-social I might seem I do enjoy getting together with either friends or family, around a table full of delicious food (food that I am willing to "forgo" my diet for)

We spent Thanksgiving at a friend's house, along with her partner, his kid, and a couple of other people that we knew.


There where actually not a lot of leftovers, everything was so delicious! We still got to take some home, but not nearly as much as years past.

I finally wore my Juliette and Justine JSK, although, I have no idea what the print is called

Blouse, hair accessory, and socks are from Innocent World, shoes are offbrand. The dress looks very light, but it's actually made of a corduroy material. It kept me warm enough while I was inside.

It was also chilly enough for me to wear my new "bambi" print jacket

It's sooo warm, soft, and comfy

We got back home early enough to rest from all the delicious eating, and take Sofa out on a walk{we needed the walk! we where both complaining in the car that we ate too much }

I also made some baked goods to send to my family for Christmas. This is a yearly thing with me, but I don't always send them the same things.


Hope everyone has a fun and safe weekend!]]> 2011-11-25T14:02:02+09:00 and I am deliriously happy about it! I know some people can't stand the cold(the hubs being one of them) but me, I embrace it! I love putting on layers of clothing, snuggling up on the couch with a cup of tea or hot chocolate and the overall feeling of coziness such things bring.

As I mentioned in my last entry, summer this year was remarkably mild, and because of that I managed to enjoyed doing quite a bit of cooking


Hahah, yes, I make our dog his biscuits. Helps me work on my dough rolling, and saves us money. I also enjoyed a wide variety of cold noodle dishes, and salads





The hubs made this one, and it was very yummy!


A classic combo, and one of my favorite ways of enjoying melon in the summer


A bit of baking was done as well, although I made this for the hubs since I know he loves these types of desserts.

I also got to go to Farm House Cafe the day after I arrived from my trip to Florida

I love this place, the food is phenomenal, and the place itself although small, has a very intimate atmosphere.

I also ordered a couple of items from the Taobao store Coconuts

Their items are remarkably well done. Sorry for the crappy pics


I also attended a Lolita meet-up at Lips, a drag queen restaurant.

I had sooo much fun, I don't think I have laughed that much in ages!

The pics did not come out that great since the restaurant was super dark All of the performers loved our outfits, we even got free dessert and at the end of the show we were asked to model our outfits for everyone in the audience, to the tune of RuPaul's "Supermodel". I seriously can't explain just how much fun the evening turned out to be

I leave you with some outfit shots from the past couple of months:

I really like the red accents in this coordinate








Coordinate to go see The Damned in concert






I also continued my obsession with the plethora of pumpkin products you can find in the states this time of year


I hope those who celebrate Thanksgiving have a happy and safe holiday!

]]> 2011-11-23T14:58:48+09:00

Since my mother in law was visiting the west coast due to her job, the hubs and I decided to take a week and a half trip to visit his family, and make a three day trip out to our old haunts in Santa Cruz

Now, even though the summer was quite mild in comparison to summer's past, I opted out of wearing Lolita since it would still be too hot for me. And it's a good thing I didn't, considering the fact that Sofa got fleas



You see him lounging in the sun there, right at the upper left hand corner? Unbeknownst to me, he was being covered in fleas

This was a horrible start to the week, since I am very allergic to flea bites, and fleas seem to love my blood. Sofa and I where the only two to get bitten during our stay in Gilroy. Once we left, the fleas moved on to other hosts *shivers*

Safe to say my ankles where covered in bites, and it took me weeks to heal I honestly don't know what went wrong, since I am very punctual when it comes to his flea and heartworm medicine. I had to make several runs to PetSmart to get yucky flea spray and shampoo.


In spite of the flea-gate incident, there are a couple of things that I enjoy very much about staying at my in-laws during the summer...


The awesome lighting and the way shadows play with the surroundings-it's both ethereal and a little nostalgic.






The amazing bounty of fresh produce I can't remember all that they grow on the property, but we had : green onions, green beans, japanese eggplant, bell peppers, squash(several varieties), cherry tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, red onions, and a plethora of other veggies I am completely forgetting about.

We spent about three days in Santa Cruz, and managed to find a quaint hotel that was a few blocks away from our old apartment.


It was pretty nice for the price we paid, two beds, small kitchenette, full fridge, and...

a bathroom that was reminiscent of our old one. I also wore shorts for the first time in over a decade


We all took morning and afternoon strolls with Sofa around our old neighborhood in Pleasure Point. Both the hubs and I got very melancholic and wished we could move back to that area as soon as possible

We also timed our visit so it would line up with the weekly farmer's market. The farmer's market in Santa Cruz is epic, to say the least. I have yet to taste such varied, and amazing produce. But you see, they sell more than just fruits and vegetables-there are booths that sell homemade pasta, honey, coffee, eggs, fish, oysters, lemonade, cheese, apple cider-you name it!




*nostalgic sigh*

We also visited The red Room another old haunt of ours. We ran into some of our old friends, and we could not have asked for more. I get a little teary-eyed thinking about this, I really miss those people. They are some of the most beautiful, genuine, funny, kind people I have ever known

A couple of other places we visited:

Hahaha, yes, the raspberries have nothing to do with Pizza My Heart, but you do see the fruit growing wild a lot along the roadside up there.


The Crow's Nest, another restaurant near our old home(yes, bottom pics are views of the bay from our table)

Chocolate, where the hubs and I had our "first" date:


And, the Gabriella Cafe(one of my favorite restaurants up there!)




And last, but not least

there is an actual Sock Shop in downtown Santa Cruz, and I went a little wild! So many varieties of socks, and so many cute ones!!! The bottom picture is of our last meal, which the hubs and I put together. Artichokes, Cuban styled black beans, beet and goat cheese salad, grilled meat, corn, and squash.

I had a ton of fun(yes, even with the damn fleas) and I can't wait until we are able to visit Santa Cruz again. We'll be making our yearly Gilroy/San Francisco trip pretty soon, and I will definitely be writing about that. Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday!
]]> 2011-11-22T14:00:10+09:00


Erm, it's been awhile! Not necessarily because I have been so busy, but more like laziness on my part. I have a ton of pictures and things to post about, but the fact that I have so many pictures to edit takes the wind out of my sail, so to speak.

About four months ago the local Lolita group decided to have a meet-up outside of where Comic Con was being held since not all of us had badges to get into the convention. We all decided to spend it hanging out at the Seaport Village since it was close to where Comic Con was being held.


A really horrible shot of my outfit. I was a nervous wreck, since it would be the first time I ventured so far away from home, on my own. Also, that half-wig I was wearing made me look gigantic compared to the other girls, the hair made me kind of tower over them

I was pretty much the first to get there, but I only had to wait about ten minutes before another girl showed up. Within about forty minutes all the girls had shown up:






Everyone looked adorable, and we garnered quite a bit of attention. The only issues I had with this was the fact that our group was turning into a fire hazard; it was our group plus all the people that either stopped to stare, or stopped to take a photo. We ended up blocking a good chunk of the entryway Maybe next year we'll come up with a better strategy.

We eventually managed to herd our group over to Seaport Village




Seaport Village is basically a touristy place near the harbor in downtown San Diego. There's a couple of restaurants, specialty shops, and a carousel. Oh yeah, a carousel! I think that was the selling point for me, and I don't care what anyone says, one is never too old for carousel rides, or trick or treatin'

It was pretty hot that day, and being next to the water helped cool us down a lot. Plus the view was kind of awe-inspiring


Our first stop was the carousel (haha, no doi!)




I wish I could have gotten better shots. The ride was lovely, although I got on a horse that was stationary. After the ride we took a bunch of group photos, and then we had...

Ice cream I only had a small sherbert since I was trying to stay within my diet. Not all of us had ice cream though, some of the other girls went off to have something more substantial to eat.


I totally creeped up on them with this pic XD

After that we all pretty much went our separate ways since the girls attending the con had panels they wanted to see, and I needed to get on the train back home. I had a lot of fun, and hope that we do this again next year.


Goofin' around ]]> 2011-11-17T11:15:56+09:00 !

I took only two pictures, and you guessed it, they where about the snacks we had The girl who put this together has a neat apartment in the middle of Hillcrest{this area has a large LGBT community within San Diego, and there are a lot of places to go and see there}

I decided to bring a couple of cakes from this little Japanese bakery that is near my house

The place is called Sage, and from the looks of it, it's run by the owner who is most of the time in the back baking! Lemme just say, that I deviated from my diet to try one of these and they are amazing!!!

I enjoy Japanese baked goods because I find that they are not as sweet, as what you would find in a regular dessert place. It's easier for me to enjoy the taste and texture of the dessert without getting sick from the overwhelming sweetness.


Snack spread

There was a lot of good food, and our hostess did an excellent job at making us feel welcome

After everyone had arrived, we decided to wander a bit around Hillcrest and maybe have lunch. We all went into Buffalo Exchange and I managed to find a top and skirt with the same patterns and colors I was trying to find about a week ago, so lucky me

After Buffalo Exchange our group split up, one went to Bread and Cie to get their lunch, and the other went to Whole Foods since there where a few vegans in the group. I ended up going to Bread and Cie, and had a really good cranberry, pecan salad with goat cheese. After lunch we all reunited and headed back to our hostesses apartment, but by then I had to get going since I had a few errands to run before we leave on Saturday. I had fun, and I'm kind of bummed I won't be able to go to the huge meet that is going on Saturday. Oh well, I know there will be more opportunities to hang out with these girls in the future ]]> 2011-08-11T21:00:29+09:00

About a month ago I joined my local Lolita's Facebook page, and didn't actually start going to meet-ups until about a couple of weeks ago(I'm very shy, and tend to be somewhat socially awkward)

Once a week we have a casual meet, and the second one I went to was a swap/sale meet. I only sold a few things, but it makes sense since most of the girls in the group are sweet Lolitas, while I am a full blown Classic Lolita.


My outfit for the day, everything except for the shoes is Innocent World


Some of the attendees


Another view of the people there


Another pile of clothing


My pile of stuff

Haha, you can see my purse and my price list notebook on the couch in the background. I also had an iced rose tea, but I didn't know that it came with sugar, and it was super sweet! I really did not like it, and ended up getting a little sick since my body has gotten used to not having that much sugar in one sitting. If it had not been for the sugar incident, then it would have been an excellent, and refreshing drink for this time of year.

Speaking of Summer, about a month ago I became intrigued by this entry over at Sushi-Cat on cooling bath salts. I love taking baths since they help me unwind and relax, but when it's 95+ degrees outside, it's downright impossible to muster up any enthusiasm for a bath. I have actually taken cold showers since we moved here to San Diego, something I have not done since I lived in Venezuela{and that was because the plumbing over there is terrible, and we often went without hot water}

I found it brilliant when I read that there are summer bath salts with a cooling effect, now I could finally take my bath, even during Summer


These are the ones that appealed to me the most, cool bath salts in rose geranium by Bathclin. The smell is lovely, and not overpowering. The salts turn your water into a blue shade that reminds me of Caribbean beaches, and yes, you feel refreshed and not suffocated when using these. It also does not dry out your skin, which is a plus in my book

I got these at my local Japanese grocery store, but I have seen them for sale online as well. Another item I received not too long ago in the mail was this purse


I got this purse through Gmarket, and I am so enamored with it I have been looking for a red purse for awhile, and this one was the perfect hue and shape.


I love all of the little heart shaped details throughout the purse gives it a very feminine feeling, and I have found that the purse goes well with a lot of outfits, which is a pleasant surprise since I thought that I would only use it a few times-]]> 2011-08-08T11:12:58+09:00
Duffy on the flight to San Francisco

I don't know how, or when, but my month-long visit to my family and friends soon came to an end. It was a bit surreal with a dash of not fair! for me since it still felt as though I had just gotten there.

One thing though, I came back home with a ton more stuff than what I had originally left with funny enough, I had told myself before leaving that I was not going to do that this year. I have a hard time keeping promises like that. Because of that, I had to ship a huge box back home to California so I could fit everything else in my suitcase. It cost me $85.00 to ship the box

I really need a better strategy plan when it comes to packing and clothe bringing for next year. I'm tempted to just bring a handful of items, in order to avoid the extra hassle.

My final week in Florida was somewhat low-key, lots of grilling, swimming in my mom's pool, and accompanying my grandmother for her oral surgery{she's fine, and recovered now, but I had to tend to her the day after}


I got the top at F21, and a couple of other billowy, and crochet tops. They're brilliant for the summer, especially here in California


I also got a perfume that I have been wearing all summer long, and I absolutely love the scent to pieces


It's Oh My Gorgeous Vibrant, a line of beauty and body care from Soma. I'd never heard of this store, and I fell in love the moment I walked in to the shop. They specialize in lingerie, but also carry the aforementioned beauty line, as well as sleepwear. I bought two pajamas as well, the fabric is super soft and it keeps you cool in the summer

Their items have elegant, and simple cut to them. I guess you could say it's like the older, sophisticated version of Victoria's Secret{not to say that you can't get sophisticated stuff from VS, but the last time I was there all I saw where sweat pants and hoodies-I remember a time when VS carried some very elegant stuff}

Anyways, the perfume has a bright floral scent, and some of the notes are lilac blossom and grapefruit. It's very pleasant and light, again, something that is perfect for summer and ideal for both night and day wear.


One of the meals I made the day my grandmother had her surgery. Nope, poor thing didn't get to try it until about a day later


Salad I made on my last day there. It's my favorite to make, and an excellent way to use summer produce I got the recipe from Martha Stewart, and I highly recommend it


My grandfather was very sweet and got me these yellow roses on that same day. Too bad I only got to enjoy them for one day

A couple of things I have been missing since I got back...


Afternoon thunderstorms. They are so ominous when approaching, and just beautiful once over you and pouring rain. Yes, my mom decided to clean the pool right before the storm got to us


Mangoes from my mom's house. The tree this year had a ton of fruit that we where going through as fast as we could


How it's that bright outside at seven o'clock at...night?



The amazing roll-cake I could get at the Venezuelan bakery that was near my mom's house. This was one of the few indulgences I allowed myself while there

My layover was in San Francisco, and it would be about four hours before I got to get on a plane back to San Diego. I thought it was going to be super boring, and had readied myself with a slew of Korean dramas to watch so I could pass the time. I had no idea there where so many shops and restaurants inside the airport. They even have a little spa where you can get your nails done, a facial, or even a massage

Some of the shops there are: Gucci, Ghirardelli, Coach, and even The Body Shop!

I had lunch at Lark Creek Grill

Yup, martini and a salad the salad was good, nothing to get super excited over though

I also stopped by Vino Volo for a bit of wine

I had their summer wine flight


And a cheese platter to go along with everything

I also indulged in some Pink Berry frozen yogurt

My toppings where strawberry and mochi. I am happy I got this because it was the best frozen yogurt I've ever had it wasn't overly sweet, and pleasantly tart. The mochi and strawberry gave it a nice extra layer of texture and flavor. I looooved it so much I have already been looking for a Pink Berry near my house!

Before I knew it, it was time to board the plane, and I was back home in San Diego about two hours later. I guess that's it as far as my trip to Florida it was quite a bit of fun, and I was a little bummed out that my time was up.

It looks like the hubs and I will be going on a road trip up to Gilroy in about a week and half. My mother in law will be in California and we're taking this opportunity to visit with the family, so I am looking forward to that. Especially since we might get to go to Santa Cruz

It's been three years since we last went there to visit, so I can't wait!]]> 2011-07-26T12:20:50+09:00 Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is a center for Japanese culture and arts, located about 30 minutes north of Broward County. I used to go there a lot, and I always made sure to not miss any of the festivals they hold throughout the year. The place is named after George Morikami, who donated the land to Palm Beach county in 1973, the museum opened about four years later.


Entrance to the museum

I had no idea there was a Japanese presence at any point of Florida's history when I still lived here, but it turns out that there was an attempt at creating a Japanese farming colony at the turn of the last century, in what is now Boca Raton. The recruits where mostly young unmarried men, and the colony did not grow very much. That, along with other setbacks, set forth the gradual decline of the colony, and it finally dispersed during WWII, when the government seized the land to create a training base for the Army Air Corps. The only trace of the Yamato Colony is through the naming of Yamato Road, one of the major roads in Boca Raton. The only person to stay behind after the dispersion of the colony was George Morikami, who bought land in Delray Beach and farmed it for nearly 30 years. And there you have the history of this place in kind of a nutshell!


Very pretty flowers on the other side of the museum entrance, I believe these are plumerias(I could be wrong, I don't know much about flowers )
The outing to this place was hatched up by myself and a very dear and old friend of mine, J. I've known that boy since I was 17!!

The museum gallery is in the first building you go in to, but I did not take any pics of this since it was kind of dim in there. They had some artifacts, kimonos, and illustrations. The gallery has always felt like it was lacking something to me, so we didn't stay here very long.

We got to the museum near their closing time, so we had to majorly cut down our stroll through the gardens, but the place is huge I would say it takes a good hour to explore most of it.


Some of the things you might run across during your stroll. My favorite was the Buddha statue with the trail of white mushrooms leading to him{or away? }


J, probably looking at the cat-sized koi


J, posing on the bridge that connects you to the Yamato-kan, which is on Yamato island{yes, there is a tiny "island"}

The Yamato-kan is a Japanese style house, and it has two permanent exhibits: "The Yamato Colony: Pioneering Japanese in Florida", and "Japan Through the Eyes of a Child". Since we were in a hurry to not stay too long, we skipped the first exhibit and decided to go with the second one.

There are four sections to the exhibit: Elementary School Classroom{children can explore what it is like to be a student in Japan}, Japanese House{children explore the average Japanese household: there are three rooms-kitchen, sitting room, and bathroom}


I only got a pic of the sitting room

Street of shops, where the exhibit replicates a neighborhood shopping street. There was a public phone that you could pick up and it would give you some information on this exhibit. I didn't pick up the receiver, J did...

I don't know what the recording was saying, poor thing looked mortified!


They also had a "store" that sold bentos

And last in the exhibit is the Train Station, which is kind of self-explanatory; it's all about Japan's public transportation. They had replicas of train seats, so of course...

we both sat down and took each other's photo while we sat there we tend to goof off a lot when in each other's presence


On our way towards the exit of the museum


we headed to a British pub after we left Morikami Museum, and hung out for a few hours over beer and wine

I had an excellent time, and hopefully next year we'll go a little bit earlier so we can explore the entire place and not just some sections of it.
]]> 2011-07-20T08:28:27+09:00 Gmarket, which is in essence, the Korean equivalent to Ebay. I know there are auctions, but I have never tried any of them. Gmarket works as the middle-man between Korean sellers and their buyers{whether in S. Korea or overseas}

I have to admit that I am hopelessly addicted to this website, and the products offered. So far I have purchased beauty products, hair accessories, stationary, and a purse. I have been extremely happy with my purchases, and the shopping experience . Gmarket was a little hard to navigate when I first signed up, but it seems the people running the website have begun to try and make it more international-buyer friendly

This time my huge haul was almost nothing but Etude House products, all purchased from Etudegmark.



the box where everything came in. I wanted to take a picture of the box unopened, but USPS managed to make the box look like they had played soccer with it. Thankfully, nothing was broken.


my purchases. I bought duplicates of a lot of the items, it was easier to just pull out one of each item to photograph though.

So, what did I get?


I got two of each of these Princess 3D masks. They had caught my attention the last time I was browsing Gmarket, and I decided to go ahead and give them a try this time around. I got: ginseng, red wine, cherry blossom, and lychee. These sheet masks have a unique 3d design that covers your entire face and neck. The material of the mask is stretchy, so it has a snugger fit than other sheet masks. I only tried the ginseng mask, and while I enjoyed the results{brighter and softer complexion} the neck part of the mask was kind of annoying, as it kept falling off. I found myself holding onto the neck portion for the entire time I had the mask on[20 mins.]


I also picked up these honey wash-off packs{great product btw!! leaves your skin glowing }


AC clinic acne patches[have been trying them out throughout the week, didn't notice much of a difference on the few bumps I developed -oh well, at least I only got one sheet]


more of the Sweetheart Beauty Capsule: Argan oil{I looooove this product, you put it on before going to bed and you wake up to lovely, baby-soft skin }


a bottle of It's Skin Power 10 Formula Effector with Vitamin C Derivatives[not Etude House, obviously!] I have read some great reviews on this product, so I decided to give it a try. It's a brightening serum with vitamin c and green tea ingredients that allegedly suppress the formation of freckles, and tightens pores. I have not seen the pore tightening, but it has definitely brightened my complexion[hahaha, I seem to have gotten a lot of skin brightening items ]


from the top: Rich Butter Hand Mask, Intensive Hair Mask, and Rich Butter Foot Mask. I love all these masks, and use them about once a month.


Sleeping Pack{moisture} for my mom, and Any Oil 21[ moisturizing oil that can be used in a number of places on your body, hence the 21 number in the name ]


Proof 10 Aqua Tint{really nice and durable lip tint-I got the darkest shade, which gives me a subtle blush on my lips that goes very well with my light-olive skin tone} and LuciDarling lipstick. I have been meaning to find a more affordable replacement for my Lavshuca Jewel Lips N lipstick, and this seemed like a close match. Now, the color I got is not nearly as mauve as I'd like it to be, but it worked well nonetheless and has made me interested in exploring this line further.


Last but not least, I got a bronzer powder for shading and contouring. There is only one shade of brown, and it is quite subtle. I can only see this working on lighter-skinned people.

I also got a ton of freebies!!!

A make-up case, two samples from the Petit Bijou and Collagen Moistful line{I'm keeping the Petit Bijou stuff, and giving the Collagen Moistful stuff to either my grandmother or mother, they love this line of products } and three Moistful Collagen masks, which will also go to my mother and grandmother. The seller was quite generous with the samples, and I am very thankful for them!

All in all a very pleasant experience, and I will need to make a separate post for the purse and clothing items I am currently waiting on from them!]]> 2011-07-15T20:29:12+09:00 need or just simply want an item. Which helps a lot since I really need to be more conscious on what and how much I purchase

Right before I left for Florida I received the Martine OP


The dress is an absolute dream, super soft and lightweight. This is going to be one of the few Loli dresses I can wear during the summer!

While I was in Florida I saw that Innocent World released a new angel print with their Angel Tiered OP. Not only did I fall in love with the cut of the dress, but with the print as well
so of course I got it!

The dress is even nicer in person, the hubs even commented that it was a nice dress when I pulled it out of the mail bag!


The next two items I buckled under and bought where the Malonica Rose JSK{long} in navy


and the rose garland

I got all of the colorways except black, since I already have a bunch of flower ornaments that are black. I also got a pair of their double lace short socks in black.

I've already eyed a couple of more items that I would really like, but it'll have to wait until I sell more items that I have hanging in my closet, and hopefully me finding a job ]]> 2011-07-10T15:41:11+09:00

Sure, some people might find me a bit old to want to go to Disney World and Epcot, but I am a believer in the whole young at heart idea, and see nothing wrong with it so long as you know and understand your limitations as an adult{yes, those swings at the kids park look mighty tempting, but at this point I am waaay too heavy and awkward to try them out }

This was one of my goals for this trip to Florida. I had not been to either park in over ten years, and I figured I might as well make the best of this vacation, and head on out there. The Disney parks are located in Orlando, about a 3 1/2 hour drive north from my parents house in Ft. Lauderdale. You can take either the turnpike, or I-95 North to get there. I-95 is free, but there are barely any rest stops, with only exits and unfamiliar towns to serve you as such. Turnpike is not free, with several tolls along the way(always make sure to have about $15.00 extra for tolls) but they have several rest stops with gas stations, and food.


My outfit for the trip up there. Plain, but super comfy!


The rest stops are pretty boring, and there is not much to them

Port St. Lucy rest stop


Told you there isn't much to them

The trip itself did not take us as long as we thought it would(I'm sure me speeding a bit helped *sheepish grin*) and fortunately our hotel room was ready when we arrived so we were able to check-in right away. I had decided that I would take the shuttle to Disney World since I wasn't as tired as I thought I would be. I also thought I would be doing this with just my brother, but it turns out that both my grandfather and mother wanted to tag along, so off we all went to Disney World!




Main Street USA I believe. The entire place reminded me of something out of the turn of the last century, it was very nostalgic !


Of course I had to take a pic of the famous Walt and Mickey statue


The day really lent itself for picture taking, it was bright, clear and supper sunny

The heat was not nearly as horrible as I'd imagined it would be, but the place was packed{of course!} and when we arrived they were all getting ready for the parade. I only had two goals in mind, to ride the Haunted Mansion, and Pirates of the Caribbean.


I always have fun at the Haunted Mansion, and it's become kind of a tradition for me. I did manage to make it to the Pirates ride, but no picture was taken. We were tired, and melting! After that we headed back to the hotel, and settled in to rest since we'd be spending all of the next day at Epcot Center.


Taking the trolley to Epcot. I loved how clear the skies where, and the clouds looked amazing and fluffy.


This, along with the strawberry tart I had in France, and a house at the entrance of Norway where the only pictures I managed to take during our time at Epcot. We did a lot though! I managed to get a Duffy of my own, we went on the Nemo ride, the Universe of Energy ride, had lunch in Germany, and my family rode on the Soarin' Over California ride. I stayed behind because I am way too chicken, and do not like roller coasters, not even the CGI kind. I also got some souvenirs for friends, and myself!


Interesting Scandinavian building{well, the architecture is to me at least}-


This was actually really well done, for being from Disney. My grandfather even bought me a small glass of wine, so I was pretty pleased

After coming back to our hotel room we rested for a bit, cleaned up, and went out to eat at a steak house nearby. I believe it was called Black Angus, and it was decent with excellent service. We were exhausted by the end of the entire day, and went to bed pretty early. The next day we checked out, had breakfast at Denny's, and made it home early enough that we were able to put together an impromptu outdoor cookout.

I had fun, although I would have liked to have more time to look at the little shops, and to take pictures. I wanted to take my picture with the Duffy bear, but I could tell that everyone in my group wanted to move on, so I let it pass

Maybe next time?

]]> 2011-07-09T10:23:17+09:00
Miami is a bustling, and confusing city that is somewhat of an odyssey to traverse through. I really do not like driving there, and tend to avoid any trip there since Miami is about a 45 minute drive from my parents house in Fort Lauderdale, and I'm usually the one that is chosen to drive

For this trip my uncle was the driver, so I got to enjoy myself a bit more. Our first stop is a little hole in the wall place called Happy Wine. This is a wine store and tapas bar in one! The place is super low-key, and has several little tables{made from wine barrels} and stools strewn about the store. The small parking lot and entrance is in the back of the small building, and is located next to a daycare. Yeah, a daycare center. I wanted to take a picture of this, but we got there during their recess, and the kids where being all cute, waving and saying "hi!! "
And I honestly am not comfortable taking pics of children I do not personally know. Just take my word for it


My outfit for the outing. The dress came out looking black, but it's actually a deep navy blue. I got it the day before at Target, I've been really impressed by the current selection of dresses there.


Front of the Happy Wine store. That's my uncle looking at the wine selection. It's pretty impressive, with most of the wines coming from Italy, Spain, Argentina, and Chile. They also have a California and France selection. As you can tell from this photo, the seating is pretty rustic XD


California selection of the store. I pretty much just had to do an about face to take this photo. The place is pretty small. And yes, those are people's handwriting on the wall. It's actually encouraged, so if you're ever there, bring a pen along!


Apparently my uncle and grandfather have a "favorite" spot in this place. We got there early enough, so we were able to snag it. If you ever come here, make sure to get there before noon, it gets packed for lunch. Lol, you can see part of my purse.


You pick your wine, open it up, and drink it. You can also order tapas to go along with your wine of choice, but we didn't order anything to eat since we were going somewhere else for that.

Now, for lunch we went to La Camaronera, which basically translates to "the shrimp place"

The place is in a tiny shopping plaza, and you must come here with patience. Both for the parking and finding a spot at the counter. There is no seating whatsoever, all of your dining is done standing.


Part of the view from our spot


The other part, which was the kitchen!

And what did we order? we got camarones fritos


and calamares fritos


We also got a plate of tostones{fried plantain} but they where nothing to write home about. My grandma's tostones are 10x better

Pretty much the majority of the plates here are fried, except for the soup of the day, and the arroz con mariscos{rice with seafood} The shrimp and calamari where excellent, super crispy and did not feel heavy or greasy at all. The squid was tender as well, perfectly cooked! We didn't order anything else, and left to go back home after we were done with our plates. My mom and I where still kind of hungry{the plates where not that big} so once we got home, we made ourselves some sandwiches

]]> 2011-07-06T10:08:57+09:00