July Lifestyle Ideas

I apologize for such late ideas u_u

• Add a bit of summer flair to an outfit with an over-sized handmade sea shell necklace
• Try a tropical new flavor of tea like lychee nut or hibiscus mint 
• On the subject of tea, check out this adorable strawberry tea leaf strainer!
• Turn your favorite bakery item into an accessory! Etsy carries oodles of yummy cabochons suitable for pins, brooches, necklaces, earrings, rings and more!
• Try a new style of make-up - blush near the corners of one's eyes is a popular trend in japan among many different styles ♥
• One of my favorite places to shop for (super cheap) is Ebay! Most companies ship internationally and you can find mori-esque or even gift items from Japanese magazines ♪
• Like air mail/par avion motifs? This Etsy seller creates wearable paper bows
• One of my favorite ice cream flavors in Japan was local sea salt - while I can't find a recipe try experimenting with your own unusual flavors of ice cream, try different nuts or exotic fruits
• Give yourself a honey facial ♥ It may be a sticky and a bit itchy but after 10-15 minutes your skin will feel baby soft. Honey also has wonderful antibacterial properties
• If you are a fan of both Mori girl and Lolita fashion, consider checking out Midori's style book. I didn't know she liked "natural" fashion also ^_^ it's full of great style and beauty tips as well as cute tidbits from Midori

GIANT SAFTEY PIN

I found it....

I finally found it.......

A giant safety pin! :D

I wanted one ever since I saw this girl's outfit from a Grimoire Anniversary party. The bumper sticker is from the local antique shop where I got it (for $5) and the lens cap is for size reference.

 

 Although mine isn't quite as big or thin as her's, which makes it only suitable for thick knit sweaters and things so it doesn't leave a giant hole...it's not very sharp. I'm still quite happy with it, I can't wait to tack it on my sweaters this winter ♫

June Lifestyle Ideas

• It's summer, and that means watermelon! Not only is it delicious and hydrating, it's great for your skin
• Try unusual summer drink flavor combinations, like cantaloupe and basil, strawberry and rosemary or watermelon and grapefruit
• Time to break our your sailor collars, I particularly love this TaoBao find (about $8 USD)
• Send a letter to a friend or spruce up your usual correspondence with cute (and cheap) stationary
• Sun is essential to healthy skin and overall health so try to spend 10-15 minutes outside everyday (remember your sun screen)
• Sunflowers are my favorite summer flower - try adding sunflower seeds to a yummy summer salad
• Stuck inside? Take time a browse these lovely photography tumblrs (here and here) Oh, and here is my summer-themed tumblr
• Here's a simple and quick hair bow tutorial
• Enjoy looking through Japanese street fashion snaps? Try RID SNAP
• You can find many Japanese embroidery and craft mooks on Etsy

Infinity Fawn Scarf Review

As you may of seen on my last post, I recently got this lovely faux fawn fur infinity scarf! When my parents asked what I wanted as a graduation gift, I knew immediately ^o^ I'd had my eye on this scarf for quite a few months, but was unable to buy it (and not feel guilty for spending so much) because of the price tag of ¥6,800 (about $90). I guess graduation high school is a good enough excuse for my parents! Plus Cleveland is going to be chilly and blah blah blah I really wanted it :)

The scarf is made by Miho of the Etsy store Tokyo Forest Design. She was very kind and messaged me often to inform me of updates on my scarf. It took he about a week to make it and about two weeks to make it to my door.

The scarf is an "infinity scarf" meaning that it is one giant loop and can easily be wrapped around your head twice. It is also reversible, featuring a lovely grey-green plaid on the other side. Very Mori-girl! Actually I think it would look great on mori guys as well :)

The item(s) arrived all nicely packaged in a sturdy little box with tissue paper wrapped around the items.

 The construction of the item is beautiful and the materials are of high quality. Although I don't have a worn photo (yet) I tried it on and easily wrapped it around my neck with room to spare. Not too tight at all, I like the slightly "loose" and oversized feel of it.

Ms. Miho also included some extra goodies! A cute sweets pouch with an unusual closure (strips of snappy metal...hard to describe), her business card, a paper crane and test patches of the fabric (for washing I assume). She also included washing details about the item. and the paper bear bag she included everything is is just too cute!

Overall I am very satisfied with my purchases and can't wait to use my scarf this fall1 There are a few other items in her shop I have my eye on too ;)

Early Summer Updates

Hello everyone! I'm happy that with finals, AP tests and graduation over now I finally have the time to update. The monthly posts will be up shortly as well ♥ I'll start off with a quick recap of what has been going on in my life, mostly in photos.

Quick notes:

• I graduated high school and enrolled in college! Whoo!
• I got a job with two of my friends to paint a mural for a business this summer ($$$)
• I took photos for our student charity fashion show 
• I painted a commission for one of my teachers of Ronald Reagan. That was fun.
• I designed a lot of the art for and was featured (a lot) in my school's literary/art magazine/book
• After about a week of decent skin, i had a horrible breakout and I'm yet again on my crusade for decent/better skin (more in another post to come) 
• I did a lot of online shopping (Ebay) hehe :)
• My boyfriend is back from college and was accepted as a transfer student to the college he really wants to go to! ♥ I also get to spend a lot of time with him now ♥♥♥
• I went to IKEA for the first time *A*

Now onto the pictures!

A letter from my friend in Japan ♥ (and my sunglasses)

A yummy swan I got with my boyfriend ♥

The mighty Ronald Reagan (my commission)

I made an accessory holder out of lace and an embroidery hoop

My new planner for school!

Cute lamp from IKEA

My tan gingham sheets for college :D (IKEA)

A book from my art teacher. I won my school's art dept. award ;A;

The latest issue of my favorite magazine, with Junko Mizuno!

The art I made for my school's literary magazine

All of the line art is mine (not the purple)

Inside

Graduation flowers! Sunflowers are my favorite :3

All done!!

Instax photos from Thread Fair (the fashion show)

Graduation goodies (the butterfly thing is a book-shaped box)

The scarf I've wanted for so long *A* happy graduation to me! (review later)

More goodies from the scarf lady ♥

Silly grad gifts

cute ♥ necklace and flower crown

A necklace from my Grandmother

Every grad gets a pen set

The good stuff :D saving this for school!

 That's it for now! I'll soon be posting reviews on my planner, scarf and skin care info. Thanks for reading!

May Lifestyle Ideas

• Swap butter and sweeteners for honey - it's good for your skin, antibacterial, never expires and tastes great on toast!
• Try a different color scheme than you are used to for your outfits. Consider soft plumbs, light teals and faded oranges
• Relax with a nice Ghibli movie - one of my personal favorites is Kiki's Delivery Service ♫
• Go for an early morning bike ride - pack a picnic breakfast and relax in the shade
• Find your inner Heidi and crown your head in braids. Looped braids with a beret also look cute ♪
• Ever tried milk tea? Here's an easy recipe ♥
• Experiment with unusual mori silhouettes - such as baby-doll style dresses or loose, saggy pants
• I'm thinking about trying yoga this summer - it's said to be a great stress reliever and tones your core, which helps you loose weight!
• Escape the early summer head with an afternoon at the Library. 
• Save table tops from cool drinks with these cute fabric house coasters!

Challenge: Sea Life

As the weather warms up my feet begin itching to get to the water. Unfortunately, living in the middle of Texas means that my water-front options are limited. While there is a reasonable selection of lakes and rivers, nothing beats the beach. Not just for swimming, but shell collecting and animal watching. Aquariums are another favorite spot of mine because I get to experience all of the sea life I want without pink cheeks and sandy tones. If you haven't guessed yet, this month's theme is sea life! I suggest cute critters like sea horses, jellyfish and sea gulls. Draw inspiration from any critters you would normally find at the beach. Include nautical stripes and color pallets for an extra beachy feel ♥

Theme: Sea Life