I try to make the best of what I have in my sour situations, and perceive better perspectives day-by-day. These are confessionals from a 23 y/o who sees the beauty in life and her city, and is willing to share her point-of-view on it.
Hello, lovely readers! I'm hopefully back from my long hiatus for as long as I can bring content to the table. School's out, and I've drawn-out some new plans for my virtual life:
THIS blog will strictly hold lifestyle posts. Everything from favorite makeup and snacks, to recipes I try, to treasures I find in my life and/or in my city.
THISblog is my newest blog. It'll house all my art and writings. I'll collect everything I can into one space, including haikus not posted to my Instagram. I'll even dig back into the archives of old Tumblr posts and the writings I've sprawled on the sides of notebooks, or on my phone's note app.
Coming soon will be a link to the website I built that houses all the links and "about me" content you'll ever need. It'll be the main hub to navigate all my sites.
Now I know it's been awhile since I've told you guys any type of basics about myself, so here's half of the TMI tag!
1: What are you wearing? PJs currently... Getting ish DONE. 2: Ever been in love? Yeah, I have in the past. 3: Ever had a terrible breakup? Hmm, nothing too dramatic. All exes except one has made some type of neutral contact with me. 4: How tall are you? 5'1 5: How much do you weigh? About 120 lbs 6: Any tattoos? Just one along my side, but I definitely am ready for more! 7: Any piercings? Yup! Eight currently: both lobes stretched to 9/16ths (14mm), secondary lobe piercing in my right ear, a helix and conch piercing in my left ear, navel piercing, tongue web piercing, septum hole (need to get jewelry to put in it again), and a nostril piercing. 8: OTP (One True Pairing): Ahaha... I dunno! 9: Favorite show: Regular Show, Parks and Recreation, Bob's Burgers, BoJack Horseman, Hey Arnold, Regular Show, Amazing World of Gumball, Rocket Power, Rugrats, and Breaking Bad. 10: Favorite bands: White Rabbits, Vampire Weekend, Modest Mouse, and Two Door Cinnema Club... off the top of my head. 11: Something you miss: Summer days. 12: Favorite song: Currently? Still Winner's I'm Him, and Exo's Overdose. Both kpop songs. 13: How old are you? 23 14: Zodiac sign: Leo 15: Quality you look for in a partner: humble 16: Favorite Quote: "The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings. It is a sad spectacle to see the weaklings bruised, exhausted, fluttering back to earth." - Kate Chopin, The Awakening (The first book I read that opened my eyes to the trials of being yourself and going against the grain of society) 17: Favorite actor: Um. Let's say Adrien Brody (I automatically thought of The Pianist) 18: Favorite color: black, charcoal grey, and oatmeal 19: Loud music or soft? Loud music, always. 20: Where do you go when you're sad? I'm usually confined to a notebook or keyboard when I'm sad. 21: How long does it take you to shower? About 15 minutes. 22: How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? I'd say two hours, because it takes me a good 45 minutes just to get my motor movement going at a normal pace. Haha! 23: Ever been in a physical fight? Nope! 24: Turn on: Attentiveness 25: Turn off: Boastfulness As I said, this is only half! The other half can be found on my newest blog, The Glass Noodle! It'll be the introduction to that blog's existence. Enjoy and please feel free to leave feedback! See you soon and Happy New Year!
I am so serious when I say that these two items have changed the makeup game for me immensely. They deserve to be held over Pride Rock. Screw Simba.
.... So serious.
After you've tried really hard to do something right and it only comes out subpar, you feel pretty defeated, right? Well, it's the same situation with makeup. Try and try and your makeup's only "good enough." I know it just made me feel like I had no control over my face. Can I not use brushes and paints? Apparently not.
But low-and-behold, I dropped by Sephora and latched on to the first worker to acknowledge me. She sat me down and put a full face of makeup on me. The techniques she showed me should've been very obvious, but were mind-blowing "do'h!" moments all the same.
The type of brush you use makes ALL the difference. Size, shape, texture, and all. She also showed me what color I needed to cancel-out dark blemishes. It was all so helpful, and refueled the artistic side of me.
So in the midst of choking on the prices I saw at Sephora, I took my rookie butt to Target and picked up two $3 E.L.F. brushes: a small stippling brush for that airbrush foundation effect, and a small concealer brush that tapered at its tip. It helps to have more control and a better airy effect for the concealer you apply.
All I needed was foundation.
Now, all my sistas out there will know what I'm talking about when I say that it is one of the biggest hunts to find a foundation that matches our shade exactly. It's one thing to have to mix a little for when our faces tan in the summer, but just finding that initial foundation that doesn't make you look chalky or orange? That's a feat.
So I got to a point where I was mixing three or four products and just hoping for the best. Trusty Walgreens let me play around with the few darker-hued foundations they sold with their swift and easy return policy, but to no avail. I soon realized that I might've had to take the plunge and try one of Queen Latifah's foundations at Walmart. I secretly pumped damaged bottles that looked about my shade, and looked at the results in a compact mirror. In a hurry, I chose what I thought would be best.
AND IT WAS PERFECT!
The foundation above is the perfect shade, texture, etc! I love it! Actually, the photos of me on my new website and art blog have no filter, and I'm wearing that foundation. I've found Cinderella's Slipper, y'all! My color is Classic Bronze, in case you feel you might match me.
The second and last product will have a shorter story, but don't let that fool you! Its greatness deserves a novel in all honesty.
The eyeliner I currently use had started to dry out, and the brush that came with the gel liner was too risky: there was a 50-50 percent chance that I'd butcher my eyeliner due to that brush. Annoying. So I looked on YouTube and everyone swore by Kat Von D's Tattoo Liner in Troop. Picked it up at Sephora for $18, and thought it was a bit pricey... Until I used it.
Oh. My. Gosh.
It was everything right! It's very opaque, the brush-like tip never loses its shape, it's long-lasting (both the lifetime of the product and its daily wear), and dries as soon as it touches your lid. No more worrying about keeping your eyes closed to let the liquid dry!
It's glorious, and I think every woman with eyeliner issues should invest in it! I've heard it lasted some people six months when used everyday! Doooo iiiit!
It's the last day of Asexual Awareness Week and it's been bothering me that I've been shouting it out everywhere and writing posts on all things social media... Except my blog!
Shame. On. Me.
Especially since I identify myself as a heteromantic asexual.
Now, thee most vaguest definition of an asexual, is lacking sexual attraction. Asexuality is on a spectrum, so there are all kinds and types. Some are sex-repulsed, others enjoy sex; some have a high libido, others don't; some experience romantic attraction, others don't... The list of "one and the other", and everything in-between is extremely great within the asexual community.
I'm honestly trying so hard to give at least some background for you to read, but I did some searching through other people's posts and found this WONDERFUL comic that covers practically every assumption that's made about asexuals.
Made by adriofthedead.tumblr.com
If I weren't at a quiet location on campus, I would've clapped for every panel in this comic; you can find it here!
But it was such a relief when I realized there was a name for what I was. I've been like this my entire life and felt out-of-the-loop. I didn't try to change, but I knew I wasn't apart of the majority. I brought it up on Tumblr, and so many people told me I was asexual.
I looked into it, and seeing a whole community of people who ALSO loved kissing and cuddling and being held... and had no interest in anything else, was so reassuring. Looking into it deeper, I related to all of these points brought up above.
We will not be erased, I want to help spread awareness so others can find comfort in who they are too.
If you have any questions about asexuality after reading the great comic linked above, please don't hesitate to leave a comment in the comment section. Or leave me anything on my other social media!!
Sorry for the delay! Better late than never, yeah?
I only have three things to mention for September: two things watchable, the other? Filipino Sausage.
BoJack Horseman (Netflix Original)
Diane, Mr. Peanutbutter, BoJack, Princess Carolyn, and Todd
Source: Google
Netflix's BoJack Horseman was intended to be background noise for me while I did homework, but by episode three I was hooked.
Source: Google
BoJack is a washed-up and forgotten celeb who starred in a hit 90s TV show called Horsin' Around. Now he wants to make a comeback, and uses a ghostwriter (Diane) to write a book about him. The whole situation is indeed not as easy as getting from point A to point B.
In fact, don't even expect this show to be a "whooooa what a crazy twist!" type show. It's real, and covers topics that we all can relate to in a serious and humorous manner. I think there's difference between hyperbole humor, and humor that is supposed to take over the plot. BoJack Horseman has the former.
One thing I always scream "genius!" in my head about when it comes to this show is how animalistic the animal characters are. In one episode a rooster rollerblades through a neighborhood early in the morning and yells "WAKE UP EVERYBODY IT'S MORNING!!". In another, a gerbil is running on a wheel at the gym. Love those subtle animal quirks throughout the series!
Source: Google
And I mean... Come on... You get to see Sextina Aquafina the singer in an episode, too! It's just hilarious because within the show, she's the newest hit in the music industry and her name/appearance is one that's definitely over-exaggerated but proves a point in context.
Other biases include: my love of the theme song because it reminds me of something off the game, Hotline Miami (and its production has a Black Keys lineage); the song in the credits is by Grouplove; and Aaron Paul plays Todd. Done deal.
Check it out! You're just one click away from a Netflix marathon.
Eat Your Kimchi I briefly remember watching one of their videos with a friend last year because we needed to find a video about a personal experience of Korea. Initially I thought they were a bit weird, because they were purring and meowing at each other?
Weird.
But look at me now! In two days I've voluntarily watched roughly 130 of their videos. My how the tides have turned.
Source: Google
Simon and Martina are a married couple who have lived in South Korea for 5+ years, and have been married just a smidge bit longer than that. They started making Youtube videos to show their family that they were safe in their new Korean home, and they blasted off into something fun, quirky, and informative!
Source: Google
They have all kinds of segments like WTF (Wonderful Treasure Finds), FAFAP (Food Adventures For Awesome People), TL;DR (Too Long; Don't Read for people who don't feel like reading the in-depth blog posts on their blog), and much more!
And I mean, they also have a dog named Spudgy with a blue mohawk and a cat named Mr. Meemers. Bonus points, seriously.
Longanisa (the BEST sausage!)
Source: Google
Breh. I made the worst mistake this month.
Okay so I went to the Chinese Autumn Festival downtown, and spied a Filipino food both. Aside from ube cupcakes, lychee jello snacks, and a few finger foods, I haven't been exposed to a lot of Filipino food. But HUZZAH! There's a Filipino place in Indy now: Eduardo's!
And oh. My. Gosh. Longanisa. Oh my gosh.
I saw in parentheses "sweet sausage" and just thought it was a fake sweet like sweet Italian sausages... But NOOOO. These were not only sweet, like they had been internally glazed in pineapple, but tender, smokey, and juicy too!
My HORRIBLE mistake? I spent $5 on two pork skewers and although good, they were NOT as amazing as the $1 longanisa!! I REALLY should've got an additional five longanisa. They were so good! Especially with the fried veggie rice! Ugggggh!
Just... Place a little halo around that picture above, because they deserve to be dubbed an angelic food source.
That's it, y'all. Three simple favorites for September.
Scrolling through Twitter a few weeks ago, my thumb stiffened over a photo of a Chobani cup with oats raining down it.
WITCHCRAFT!
Oats and yogurt aren't a new phenomenon (I can definitely attest to that), so I don't know why this was such a mind-blowing thing to see.
Oh yeah, because it's Chobani! I'm quite the loyal buyer; don't be surprised if you see me balancing them under my chin during 10 for 10 sales. I will fight you for the last one. All manners and civility goes out the window when it comes to my Chobani.
Last week was a trying one, so I decided to have something to look forward to one day and opened the banana maple one for breakfast.
Now, I'm not a fan of chewy granola, but this was more like a cold porridge where the oats soaked in a delicious, creamy, banana confection.
Seriously, it may look like baby food, but it's absolutely delicious! Since last week, I've also tried the blueberry one, and the banana maple trumps it for me. Good call, Chobani!
I do wonder where does the 17g of sugar in each cup comes from though?! Hoping it's natural sugar (denial or not, I don't care. I'd still eat Chobani by the tub). It's a little peculiar because the banana one has maple, and it's still the same amount of sugar as the blueberry oat yogurt. Hmmm.
Hello, all! This month has been a fantastic one. I turned 23 on the 7th, and I must say... The whole month was an absolute gift. I started writing this post at the beginning of August, but ended up getting into a lot of things by month's end; there's quite a bit I'm excited to share! Here's some of my favorite things I enjoyed this month:
Half-Price Books' Clearance Section
God bless my friend who led me to the cozy, clearance nooks within the bookstore. I've been going to this bookstore for years... TELL ME WHY I'VE NEVER BEEN IN THE CLEARANCE SECTION BEFORE UNTIL THEN?!I even saw the book, Little Bee, which I bought from them a few weeks prior for $2. I paid $7. Blah.
The last time I made a visit, I picked up a copy of Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore, which I've been wanting to read for over a year. And it was only onedollar! I was floored; I literally made a loud gasp when I spotted it. One of my best discoveries this summer. Seriously. I now have more book than I can selfishly read (in denial) at one time again.
I honestly thought Goodwill was the only place I could get a good, cheap book (paperbacks are $1 and hardcovers are $2). But some finds were as low as $.50 in there!! My friend and I spent twohours in clearance. Most of it was spent reminiscing over Boxcar Children and R.L. Stein, and muffling screams when we'd find gems like Superfudge for a dollar.
Mary and Max
Mary and Max is a movie available on Netflix that I started, and never finished. Mind you, I wanted to, but being constantly interrupted while watching a movie at home makes you lose quite a bit of morale. A friend of mine ended up watching it, and recommended it to me. She said the ending was so good that she cried; she knew I'd like it... And boy, was she right. This new motivation pushed me to finish the last two thirds of the movie and I'm so glad I did.
Max is a man with Aspergers who lives in New York. He lives alone, and indulges in his own hobbies while simultaneously getting through each confusing and frustrating day the rest of us live with a certain ease.
Mary is what most proclaimed as the typical, friendless, loner. An Australian with an alcoholic mother and thought quite lowly of herself.
Eventually, they both become pen pals and we watch their lives unfold with each others' influences. There's MAJOR ups and downs, hilarious scenes, and moving points. It all comes together and falls apart in the most beautiful way, and it ends up with you (or maybe a good lot of us... including me) in tears. Don't be fooled by the claymation; the plot is adult-themed and knowledgable.
Learning にほんご (Japanese)!
I've been teaching myself Japanese on and off all summer, and I've found some excellent resources that have refreshed me and taught me new things since my senior year of high school (the one and only time I was allowed to study Japanese before undergrad). It's been super fun for me, and I've got a whole notebook dedicated to my studies. Pages will be filled with color-coded pens and highlighters of course! Down below I'll just list all the resources I use, apps included:
** The ones with the "!!!" next to them are my favorite go-tos when I want to review quickly or learn something the best way I personally do.
Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon
Steal Like An Artist is a very quick, and enlightening read. The format of this coffee table book is humorous, but has that "fatherly advice" feel. A lot of the tips given, were ones I've either heard before, an epiphany, or ones I currently (and successfully) use. The point of this book being: YOU can be an artist, and incorporate an artist-like mindset into your life positively. Even a logical, mathematiciancould benefit from the lists and knowledge given. I'm almost sure of it.
Amy Winehouse and Animal Crossing It's been pretty easy to put both of these polar opposites on shuffle (or in YouTube's case, replay) all throughout the month. I miss having a reliable Jazz station, so all things the late Amy Winehouse has sung fulfills my yearnings. I'm glad I finally came across her work after hearing a friend play a few of her songs (that WEREN'T "Rehab"), because her singing truly is beautiful. Every aspect of her songs are sophisticated and internally-moving. I feel like I'm listening to a diary.
Going from brooding and deep, to cartoonish and silly, Animal Crossing for the Gamecube has lifted my nostalgic spirits! I love having it as filler music while I draw, or study, or... practically do anything, really.
I tend to listen to this full day cycle on YouTube, and repeat it once it's done. I haven't felt this type of nostalgia for Animal Crossing since I used to light these green, summer melon candles. I'd associate that smell with wintertime in Animal Crossing, because I'd always have it lit in my room while I played. There would be these little igloos your neighbors would make, and they'd have chowder in a big pot over a fire. Oh my gosh I'd always want to remove myself from my bed and into that igloo myself because the chowder would bubble and steam. Ahh... But I digress... Here's the video I use!
Disco Zoo
This cute, pixelated game is one I love because its addictiveness can be taken in controlled proportions. It's a simple game where the goal is to collect animals by catching them in the wild. How do you catch them? You pay to do a puzzle matching game. How do you get more money? By catching more animals!
Photo Source: Google
Some animals are common, like sheep and bunnies. Others are rare (and bring in more money), like unicorns and cows (I don't know why either). But a fun feature is when you spend your discobux (you either pay real money for them, find them when rescuing animals, or patrons at your zoo give them to you) to start a disco! The disco keeps your animals awake until it's over, and rakes in more cash for you.
Photo Source: Google
The longer you stay on the game, the better chance you have at collecting money and discobux. That's because little events happen while you're logged in: your animals can escape into other pens, someone may want to buy some of your animals from you, the mayor can declare it animal day and it will give you money, or you may find a lost hat on an animal you can return for money. Sometimes I'll just wake up all my animals to gain an imaginary profit and continue on with my day. So when I'm bored for just a short while, I can do some of the puzzles.
Oh! And there's a yellow bus in the parking lot on the far left of your zoo. Tap it nine times and you'll get to play a Flappybirdesque mini game! Nothing happens because of it, just a fun little feature. =)
Okami-san and Her Seven Companions
I've been on a Netflix kick this month, and started watching this anime. It's extremely short and I got done with it in less than two days. It's essentially an anime about this girl, Okami-san, who works with her friends at the school's bank. The bank does its customers favors of all kinds, and in return they're in debt to repay the bank when the time comes.
Photo Source: Google
What I really like about this series is the humorous narrator, and the fact that the characters sometimes break the 4th wall (like, actually acknowledging the narrator when usually shows aren't meant to notice them). The story also has its serious points, which I also love. Not ALL frilly bubblegum kisses. With the character development, I've grown to love most of the characters, but especially Okami-san.
Photo Source: Google
I'll just leave this figurine photo here... Cause I kinda need this figurine now.
Little Birds (2011)
This was a simple, almost cut-and-dry movie about two girls--Lily and Allison--who get sick of their life and home and runaway to California. Things I failed to mention in that first sentence is that there's one level-headed friend, and the other is the more... Sporadic and troubled one.
I have to admit, the final straw to make the move to California was convincing.
Photo Source: Google
It's all for a boy. That just spells trouble, right? This film covers peer pressure and the lot. This was like, the puppies and kittens sneak-peek version of Skins UK. The clothing (mind you, the frantically ran away) was what reminded me of Skins UK youngsters the most in this movie.
Photo Source: Google
It was somewhat predictable, but not everything was. I can tell you, if I ever talked to adults in my life like Lily did, I wouldn't be standing here, breathing today. I could kind of feel where both girls were coming from though, throughout the film. A cozy film to watch on a lazy sunday when you just can't figure out exactly what to watch on Netflix. I recommend it. Cinematography's great and raw (realistic and no censorship).
Photo Source: Google
Not a high recommendation, but a recommendation nonetheless.
Hope something piqued your interest in this August favorites post! Have a slammin' September!
Yoga is not meant for "keeping up with the Jones'" in a contortion contest. Believe it or not, it honestly is a mental and physical journey. Seeing what your body can do, learning patience, and keeping your mentality in the present makes the practice even more intriguing every time you step on the mat.
I took up yoga last summer, but haven't found the types of powerful resources and inspirations until this summer. Why not share what I look into for my specific practices, so hopefully readers can come across the same "ah-ha!" moments as I have?
Yoga with Adriene
I used to watch youtube videos here and there, but I decided to watch one of these yoga videos by Adriene and fell in love. She's a quirky, calming, and a vividly informative yogi. One of my favorite traits about her is the way she approaches each move like she's reading your mind, and solves any problems you could possibly have with a move by creating verbal visuals. I don't know how many times I've had her explain a move, resulting in me telling myself oh NOW I feel it! What a difference!
Good quality videos, a great yogi, excellent energy. Perfection, in my eyes.
Instagram: _kariooo
Her bright and vibrant photos, and captions create a lot of good vibes for me! She has wonderful tips on how to improve your practice and you can even email her if you need a list of resources to begin your yoga journey. Her email address is: k.champagnie@icloud.com.
Instagram: yoga_girl
Rachel Brathen is a woman that possesses a wonderful way with words. Her photos are beautiful, but I
love the words she speaks more than anything else. She has such meaningful captions and keeps her
emotions raw and real. Sadly, she has lost many dear ones to her heart this year, and she writes about all
of those events and just as a way to get through it. She also has ablog or two I'd read through, because her
posts-- although lengthy-- are captivating enough to read and feel uplifted and connected unlike any way I've
felt almost any other way by a collection of words before.
Get on your mat today-- especially with these motivational resources-- and start your yoga journey! Even if it's focusing on your breathing, or a gentle five-minute stretch. Just take that first step on that mat and run with it.
I regret the thousands of times I've passed this creamy ice cream treat in the frozen section of the store. I regret every time I didn't just go for it and try it. I shall kick myself for every time I've passed them up.
My dad had to be the one to cave-in (? not really... he just thought they looked like something I'd like so he got it). And whoo-WEE, they're so good!
Paletas (according to Wiki) essentially refers to the little stick that's in the frozen fruit/etc. This one is coconut-flavored, and so delicious! Super creamy, sweet, and pieces of coconut throughout. It's pretty much mind-blowinly good ice cream conveniently on a stick. They come in tons of other cream-based, and fruit-based flavors as well! Can't wait to try those, but I'm a huge sucker for coconut.
Calbee Shrimp Chips
I know I've seen these once or twice and decided to give them a try, and man I'm glad I did! I am OBSESSED with these!!
The Hot Garlic flavor was a glorified accident, I was in a rush and got them instead of two Originals. I'm a pansy when it comes to hot foods, but these are just tolerable enough for me. The flavor of them are delicious as well! And the garlicky tang doesn't linger the rest of the day like some garlic snacks and foods can.
They're baked, so they're remotely healthier than a bag of potato chips. 55 pieces are around 120 calories, 2 grams of protein, and 1 gram of sugar for the Hot Garlic ones (that stay by my side thankyouverymuch). The best way I can describe it is like a super crunchy, shrimp-tasting, cracker. Light but hearty with its crunch. My mom tried it and wasn't thrilled, but I'm to the point where I need to have at least one unopened bag at my disposal.
Celestial Seasonings: Honey Vanilla Chamomile and Green Tea (w White Tea)
I've loved, loved, loved these teas for months now. I've just been getting back into them more because the household likes keeping the house at a solid cold temperature. Can't decipher whether it's summer or winter in here due to the frigid cold. It may just be me, because I love the sweltering heat. But I digress...
I've been drinking a ton of the Honey Vanilla Chamomile tea lately. The reason this one is wrapped is because I just finished the old one. The green tea one is one of the only green teas I drink. I don't enjoy the taste of liquified and bitter dirt, and this one doesn't taste like that to me at all. It's pretty smooth and both smell super good. I've literally tried thinking of ways to capture the smell of the green tea into my clothes and things.
I could drink it hot, but I usually brew a big batch iced with honey. Both get honey, hot or cold. They're divine, smooth, sweet, mellow, tasty, and so complex and satisfying to me.
Mind you, I'm no tea snob. So please don't scoff at my delirium over $2 boxes of tea, haha.
Very few, but very great favorites in the food department for this month! Enjoy August! I know I will. (Leos for-the-win!!)
