Tuesday, September 29, 2015

My Last Weekend in California: A Trip to Napa and Enjoying the SuperBloodMoon Eclipse

This past weekend was my last in California before I move, so my dad asked me what I wanted to do - and I really wanted to head to Napa one last time. My father, his girlfriend Irina, her youngest son Noah, and I piled in the car and took off.


First, we went to S. Vittui winery. They're quite famous for their outdoor barbeque and for their wonderful Italian style meat & cheese marketplace - even more so than for their wines, haha. 

The Italian marketplace. Photo via S. Vittui website.

The outdoor barbecue.

In front of the main building...

After we ate a very nutritious meal consisting of solely bread and cheese, we went to the downtown Napa area to poke around.

Wandering on the street.
 We then visited Woodhouse Chocolates! Noah and I loved the name, because Woodhouse is the name of a character from a show we watch called Archer (I recommend watching this show while sleepy. The more tired you are, the funnier it is).


An array of Woodhouse chocolates.


The Dulce de Leche and Milk Fleur de Sel chocolates that I had!

They had cute chocolate skulls out for Halloween, too. I was very tempted to buy one.

Festive AF.


After we finished looking around downtown, we went to Sterling Vineyards (which Noah and I laughed at yet again, since Sterling is *also* the name of a character on Archer) where we went on their famous air tram. 

We waited in a decently long line for this three minute ride...
The view from the tram (feat. my dad's shoulder).

When we arrived at the top, we decided to walk around. The American drinking age is 21, so neither Noah (age 13) and I were able to drink - but we were given these fantastic consolation boxes...

Fun for all ages, right?

After we drove home, we ate a quick dinner before Irina and Noah left, as Noah had school the following day. 

My dad and I wanted to see the Supermoon Eclipse - a rare "once in a generation" phenomenon that I'm sure you've already heard of. 

We spent a long time driving around looking for the moon, but sadly no one in the Bay Area could see it, as it was shrouded by clouds. We got stuck in concert traffic and had very little luck, but my dad wanted to stop at Shoreline anyway, just in case. As we stood near the marshy shore, a young child cried out in excitement, and at once everyone there began to cry out in joy - we all watched as the red moon slowly rose above the clouds. It was a truly magical moment! I attempted to take photos, but sadly, none of them turned out too well! So, enjoy my favorite photo of the event, by photographer Tim Durkan.

The Super Blood Moon over the Seattle Space Needle. Photo by Tim Durkan.

Anyway, I'm off to England tomorrow. Packing has been a real chore, but it's almost done.

I can't wait to begin this adventure!




Saturday, September 19, 2015

LBC: "Your Signature Look"

This week's Lolita Blog Carnival theme is "Your Signature Look". I decided to throw an outfit together that really shows my personal style (buuut I was too lazy to put it on...so have a floordinate). Here it is!

Jumperskirt and red ribbon pin: Emily Temple Cute
Blazer: Ann Taylor
Headbow: Angelic Pretty
Sunglasses: Tory Burch
Socks: Kate Spade
Necklace: H&M
Lemon clip: Taobao
Shoes: Vintage

My signature look is a toned-down and otome inspired, often with some kind of coat or jacket. I like pulling multiple colors into my outfits to make them more interesting and fun.

Check out the other Lolita Blog Carnival members who also posted about their signature looks:
Alice in Lolitaland



Thursday, September 17, 2015

Tutorial: How to Make a Pillbox Hat

Hey everyone!

I made my own pillbox hat out of an old jewelry box for the San Francisco J-fashion community's first annual OTTea Party! Here is how I did it.

I started with this jewelry box that I received with a purchase many years ago.



Here are the materials I used to create my hat!

In photo: stretchy cotton fabric, netting, ribbon, alligator clips, fake flowers, glue gun and glue, sequins, feathers, and a pen. Not pictured: scissors.

I cut a square of stretchy cotton fabric to a shape that could cover the top and sides of the bottom of the jewelry box (I did not use the lid in this project).


I placed glue along the inside of the box, and pressed the fabric down over the sides, trimming it as necessary.



After gluing around the rim, I added a bit of hot glue to the foam insert and placed it back inside the jewelry box. This piece of foam is necessary for keeping the hat on the head, so if you are planning on making this and the box you are using did not come with one, I highly recommend buying foam separately and cutting it to the proper dimensions to fit in your box.



You will need to attach the alligator clips at this point. I recommend using to, gluing them on opposite sides of the foam base. This will keep the hat firmly on your head.

I then began decorating! I cut a piece of netting to my desired size and shape, gathered it a bit at the top, and glued it down. I recommend wearing gloves for this; I did not and ended up regretting it, for my fingers got a bit burnt. 


I then continued decorating! I added a small, gathered piece of netting to the back for some volume.


I then continued to decorate the hat as I pleased. This is where I really personalized it to my own taste, and to match my outfit! Here is how it came out!




I hope this was tutorial was helpful, or at least an enjoyable read. :)

Tourist in my Own City - San Francisco with ChRi

After PMX, ChRi came up to San Francisco for a few days! We'd made plans to spend the day together on Thursday, the 10th.

I picked her up at her hostel and we headed toward the Golden Gate Bridge for breakfast. We ate at a wonderfully priced cafe called The Art Bistro. I highly recommend it!

We then drove across the Golden Gate Bridge. Fog hung lightly in the air. We stopped at Vista Point to enjoy a breathtaking view of the Bay Area. We then drove to Fort Point, a location featured in Alfred Hitchcock's movie Vertigo, which is a movie that I personally have yet to see but ChRi adores.  It was directly underneath the Golden Gate Bridge. We explored the fort, taking photos inside and out, even when we climbed to the very, very windy top.

Right after we got out of the car, we were greeted by the splash of waves.

The view from the bottom of the fort.

The view from the top of the fort.

ChRi looks out a window.

Alcatraz in the distance.

The underside of the Golden Gate bridge, as viewable from a high window inside the fort.

The Golden Gate Bridge from a different window.

My dear car stares at the bridge.

Afterwards, we went to the Palace of Fine Arts, which was very close nearby. We walked around the grounds, admiring the birds, wildlife, and magnificent architecture.

A panorama of the Palace of Fine Arts.

Inside the Palace.

A close-up.

An exit of the palace.

The surrounding pillars.
We even saw a swan bathing!



We then noticed a modern-looking building beside the Palace. It was a new museum called the Innovation Hangar, just recently opened in 2014. We learned about 3D printing, looked at incredible pieces of modern artwork, and enjoyed an "art station", where construction paper tablecloths were laid out for visitors to doodle on.

My doodle...
...and Chri's! 

We then made one final stop in Japantown, where we visited the New People building that houses Baby, the Stars Shine Bright and MaruQ. We ate dinner at Mifune, shopped at Daiso, then I dropped her off and drove home.

It was such a fun-filled, adventurous day!










Labor Day Weekend: Fun Travels and Pacific Media Expo 2015

On Friday, September 4th, I flew to Los Angeles, California, accompanied by my stepfather (who had told me he had a business meeting there, but actually ended up to be lying -  he just wanted to spend the day with me!). The reason I was down in LA was for Pacific Media Expo - an anime and fashion convention at the Pasadena Convention Center.

Friday was a fun day. Michael and I walked around the 3rd Street Promenade, shopped, ate delicious burgers and shakes at Johnny Rocket's, then walked down to the giant beach, where we strolled in the sand and relaxed as the sun set lower in the sky.




After that, we ate a delicious meal consisting of ramen and hot sake. We picked up some flowers at a local store, a thank-you gift to my friend Lauren (and her husband) for allowing me to stay at their house and carpool to the convention the following morning. He dropped me off and flew back to the Bay Area.

That night I met Lauren and another good friend of mine, ChRi, in person for the first time! We'd only conversed online before that night. We stayed up late talking and packing for the convention.

The next morning, it was time to head over to PMX! Lauren, ChRi, and I welcomed Aini (a local Lolita) to our traveling crew and we all set off to Pasadena. Our hotel room wasn't quite ready, so we shopped around to get food for the convention, and ran into some pretty hilarious looking cupcakes at Whole Foods.


Soon after, ChRi and I waited in line at the convention center to be the first ones inside the fashion boutique. We hadn't changed into our outfits yet, and were still in T-shirts and sweat pants from the previous night. I felt a bit intimidated at the fact that many others were already dressed up! Regardless, we were the first two through the door, granting us access to see (and buy!) anything we wanted from the brands that were attending the convention, which were Baby, the Stars Shine Bright, Alice and the Pirates, Bling Up, Lorina Liddell, and R-series! I bought a few small things. 

Later on, I finally changed into my convention outfit! I wore Innocent World's Astronomical Clock JSK.

Jumperskirt: Innocent World
Headbow, purse, socks: Angelic Pretty
Shoes: Emily Temple Cute
Blouse: Amavel


ChRi taught Senda, one of the owners of Lorina Liddell, how to pose Jojo-style, and I'm thankful that I snapped this hilarious photo in time!



The Japanese fashion swap meet was that evening. I met some wonderful new friends while waiting in line! I bought a new top and cardigan at the meet. Some of my friends had great luck with their sales! That night we went to bed fairly early after an exhausting day. 

Sunday was the Chou no Enraku Tea Party, in downtown Pasadena, and I was very excited to attend! It was my first event tea party. Kira Imai, a famous Japanese artist that designed the popular Angelic Pretty dresses Cat's Tea Party, Perfume of Wonderland, and La Princesse Sucre was there. She looked so adorable! At the tea, many of our waiters were quite handsome, so the guests at my table (five of which happened to be members of my own SF community that I just hadn't met yet) decided to make up a wild dating sim game and decide what stereotypes our waiters would fall under. Towards the end of the party, always bold ChRi took a photo with all the waiters, asking them to do poses that reflected their stereotype.


There was a Bingo game at the tea party, and I won second place, which was a gorgeous Excentrique corset! I wore it for the rest of the day (after picking it up at the boutique later on).

As a few friends and I were on our way out of the tea party, waiting for a car to pick us up, some rude strangers harassed us due to our clothing, and after one particularly foul-mouthed man threatened ChRi, a new friend Alyssa and I instantly stood up - but Alyssa was more prepared, for she had pepper spray. After Alyssa made it clear that she wasn't afraid to use it, a security guard came over and the man finally left us alone. Shaking but feeling angry and invigorated, we all laughed the whole ride back to the convention center about the crazy thing that had just transpired. When we got back, we asked the valet to take an epic squad photo. Don't mess with us! We're tougher than we look.

From left: Alyssa, me, Ruby, ChRi, Lauren, Aini

We all returned to the convention center for a private photo session with Imai Kira!



We had a fun afternoon and evening, walking around the convention center and attending the Lolita 201 panel. After that, we relaxed in our room for a bit, freshened up, and then Lauren and Aini took me to the convention's speed dating event! Lauren and Aini are both married, and I'm moving in two week so none of us were looking for anything at all but a good time. There were some very interesting characters there! All the women sat in a large U-shape at desks, while the men were told to walk past us and make quick attempts at impressing us with dances, silly walks, catch phrases, and more. Some of them seemed to just want to have fun, but some were quite awkward indeed! It was a "ladies' choice" event, so each man had a number on his arm, and at the end of each round the women would write down the numbers of the top five men she wished to speak with. I met many kinds of men, and had a lot of fun. 

Upon returning to the room, ChRi and Sabien (a friend we'd met earlier at the tea party) welcomed us back. We all talked for a long time, and then ChRi and I walked Sabien back to her car. On the way back, we noticed Senda in the lobby, and decided to quickly say hello. He asked us if we liked the music he was planning on using for the fashion show the following day (or, by that point it was really later on *that* day, since it was past midnight) - and that seemingly quick request turned into two hours of talking! He wanted to find a new song to use for the fashion show as well, so I showed him a few of my favorites, including one of my favorite songs of all time, Verloren by Ninth Parallel. He was a huge fan! ChRi and I returned to the room to find Lauren and Aini fast asleep.

The next day was the final day of the convention. I wandered around the halls with Aini while ChRi and Lauren prepared for the fashion show (they were both models). Finally, the time for the fashion show came, and it was wonderful! And when Lorina Liddell's section came on, my heart soared as I heard Verloren play. Senda had chosen to use it! I was overjoyed.

After the fashion show, I went to the boutique one last time to see if there was any new merchandise. Sadly there was not, so I went out to dinner with some new friends, Tina, James, and Cody. It was my first real meal since breakfast on Saturday. It had been a very busy weekend.

Later on that evening, after we'd helped clean up the boutique, we headed back to Lauren's house for the night. I couldn't believe the convention was over - it had all flown by so quickly. The next morning, I bid a bittersweet farewell to my friends and flew back to San Francisco.

I can't wait until my next convention!






Wednesday, August 26, 2015

A Trip To The City

Hey! It's been quite a while since I've posted. I've been pretty busy with family trips, surgery recovery, and my summer internship. Not necessarily in that order, haha.

Anyway, my identical twin sister is moving to Boston on Sunday so that she can begin her college journey at Northeastern University, my father's alma mater! I'm really excited for her, but I will miss her a lot.

Today she wanted to go to San Francisco to visit the Angelic Pretty and Baby, the Stars Shine Bright stores one last time before she moves. We had a wonderful day, and even ran into a few friends while out.

I decided to wear a casual, stripe-y outfit for the occasion. It was a great opportunity to wear my new Emily Temple Cute ballet flats, which were very comfortable for a day filled with walking.

Skirt: Angelic Pretty
Purse: MILK
Socks: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright
Shoes: Emily Temple Cute
Sunglasses: Tory Burch
Top and choker: Offbrand

Friday, June 19, 2015

"Design a Coordinate Based on your Favorite Meal"

Image via Week of Menus.

Hey everyone! I recently was accepted to join the Lolita Blog Carnival, a group for bloggers about lolita fashion. Each week, a new topic is chosen for the members to post, and this week's was to design a coordinate based on your favorite meal!

My favorite meal has been the same for years - orzo salad. It's a pasta dish that I've always loved, ever since the first time my mother made it for me when I was quite young. The flavors work so well together to create a savory dish that's easy to make and extremely enjoyable!

I knew immediately that it would be hard to create an outfit based off this meal since the colors might look obscure together in an outfit. I decided to use clothes from my own wardrobe for this challenge.

Here is what I came up with!

JSK: Handmade by my sister!
Bag: MILK
Tights: Triple Fortune (borrowed from my sister, haha)
Shoes, blouse, hat: Offbrand

I used a dress that my talented sister made for me, in a beige/ivory color to represent the pasta, red tie, shoes, and roses to represent the tomatoes and cranberries, and a green blouse along with tights accented with green to represent the arugula, basil, and scallions. I added a gold bag and belt to represent the finishing touch of the dish: pine nuts!

Here's the recipe if anyone's interested!

Check out the posts from other members of the Lolita Blog Carnival on this subject here!