Sunday I went to Georgetown to return some jeans and ended up buying this gingham skirt instead. I also bought some teas from Dean & Deluca. Kusmi’s BB Detox tastes so refreshing. I don’t usually like herbal type teas but this one is just so good! I also picked up TWG’s earl grey with bergamot and rose petals. I’m on such a bergamot kick right now. I’ve used half a bottle of my bergamot essential oil in my diffuser already plus bought a bergamot candle and have been trying to buy only bergamot infused teas. BERGAMOT.

1) Black Gingham skirt from Madewell, I’ve been feeling a little bored with my clothes lately and am excited to add some pattern into my black, navy, burgundy, gray sweater rotation
2) Finally bought Oceane from Anthropologie because mermaid reasons,
3) L’Occitane 25% shea body butter because my skin is screaming & used up everything else at this point,
4) Kusmi Tea BB Detox,
5) Earl Grey Gentleman Tea from TWG (there was a special White House blend that used roses too because of the rose garden but this tea is such a splurge that I just got this one,)
6) rose and champagne flavored macarons,
7) water from Dean and Deluca (my USB humidifier has me obsessed with buying different water bottles now because I have to stare at it on my desk all day.)

Saturday I hit up Max Brenner again and then ShopHouse. I feel like I should really hate ShopHouse. The first time I tried it I thought, “Well that was nice. Probably won’t get it again though.” But then I found myself craving the stuff nonstop! Now I want it all the stupid time.

Saturday night I had the house to myself so I just continued to read a little more The Breath of All Things and fell asleep with the aroma diffuser aimed directly at my face. Honestly my face has had a great winter season using this thing. It’s rarely dry, while no matter how many times a day I moisturize, my body it’s covered in dry patches. Winter is just too intense this year.

I thought I’d recommend some music for February. First is Bitter:Sweet – The Mating Game. Been listening to em since April. The second is a random album I bought the other night! Haute Couture – French Lounge Session. I ended up on it while downloading some Lemongrass. I love it as background music for work or relaxing at home.

Tokyo Skytree on the Japan Post bag. They’ve always had a little cityscape but now it has the new addition :)
Also I really like these bags Japan Post offers. The US doesn’t have an equivalent to this unfortunately.

• owl print eco bag
• rose scented hand wash and sanitizer
• rose scented bath ball

From a friend, there’s a “bag tax” here and I always need good, sturdy eco bags. The cloth ones don’t hold up for very long actually, maybe a year? So I want to invest in more like this. Durable, washable, etc.

• Moomin tea
• jam
• marimekko bag
• biscuits

From Anna at hotpotcat!! Marimekko prints are so full of energy, this is my first marimekko item actually! It’s such a great size to use as a regular purse + shopper. I also already enjoyed the biscuits (biscotti) with coffee and the Moomin teas which are really good and have names like “Sweetheart” and “Moomin Mama’s Magic Potion.”

• “tea” spoon
• GREAT BRITISH TEA
• Too Faced Boudoir Eyes

From Anupa! [tiny pill message, how even possible!?] I haven’t had the teas yet (likely tomorrow morning!) but I wore the Too Faced palette today and it’s so nice. All the colors are gorgeous and work for both day and night. Plus I love when major base shades are larger than accent colors. :) I really want to play with the black shade. I’m actually… getting back… into black liner/mascara… just a little bit like half the week I wear black again & not brown. WHO AM I ANYMORE, I KNOW!

Drinking this amazing maple blueberry tea I got while in Canada. I regret not getting the other versions of it such as strawberry and regular. It has a very sweet aroma but not flavor.

I also picked up this rose and raspberry spread in Canada. I can’t stress enough how often I look for “rose jam.” I went in looking for rose flavors where I got this and was shocked to actually finally find some. It’s incredibly sweet and has a subtle floral taste to it. I would have liked a pure rose spread but raspberry happens to be my usual pick for jams at home anyway.

Planted a few flowers and a small container garden species of tomato this week. I would have liked to have invested more time into my container garden this year but the spring was so erratic I could never pinpoint a good time to start seedlings. But I’m happy with what I picked up for the remainder of summer. A bit of color; a bit of flavor. The tomatoes are a very tangy variety.

It’s been hot this week. Heat Index reaching in the low 100°F. I experienced a little heat fatigue the other day. The first time I ever suffered heat fatigue or exhaustion was while in Tokyo a few summers ago. During that time I began eating a lot of cold soba multiple times a day because it was the only thing that settled my stomach. So now when I get it at home it’s become a comfort food that I make. It’s cold, simple, and easy to make. Perfect for the situation.

Thankfully the heat is starting to ramp down. I’ll never know how I survived summers in the south while wearing jeans. I’ve become so acclimated to colder temperatures now.

Had the amazing luck to pass by the Kusmi Tea store while in Montreal. I can sometimes find Kusmi Tea at Dean and Deluca’s but it pales in comparison to the actual store. They carry every single tea blend they make. I even learned about their new Løv Organic teas while there.

picked up -

• BB Detox
• Earl Grey
• Løv Organic (full set)
• Detox

It was really hard not to buy every single blend but the main reason I nearly tripped myself running towards the store was I wanted to get my hands on their new BB Detox. I already love their original Detox and the BB Detox has been sold out forever. Supposedly its ingredients are good for your skin.

While I was browsing the staff brought over a chilled tea sample that happened to be St. Petersburg. When she began telling me how great the tea was I had to restrain myself from putting up a hand and breaking into a loud, “grrrl you don’t gotta tell me I ALREADY KNOS!” [[I was feeling extremely hyper]] but instead I just mentioned having this tea at home already.

After checking out I was offered any samples of any tea of theirs. First I went for the Violet because I’m always really close to buying it but unsure and back out every time.

Next I chose the Boston just out of curiosity because I had never seen it before. It smelled bold like coffee grounds. She warned me that if I do like it there is no way I can purchase it. Not even in store, because it’s only sold wholesale to restaurants. SO OF COURSE I HAD TO TRY IT AFTER HEARING THAT.

I haven’t sampled it yet. It’s too precious you see. I need the perfect moment.

A little update. Today I received two packages.
One of which was from Anna! We did a tea exchange! Everything arrived so perfectly pretty in the package I almost didn’t want to remove the tea to sit them into the cupboard.

The other package I received today I’ll try to post soon too :)

This weekend I splurged on some new cosmetics. Karme got me obsessed with a Dior lip gloss by the name of “No Angel.” I tried it on at Nordstrom’s and really loved it. It’s mostly clear with a hint of pale pink sheen and tons of sparkle. Mike said it added a healthy summer look so I got it. While checking out though I spotted the new YSL Rose Baby Doll nail color.

Last week I was moaning I needed a new shade of red. Just something warmer! AND THERE IT WAS. This is my first YSL polish. I quickly slapped it on today and like the formula and flat brush. It goes on in 1 coat a dries decently enough. Not quickly but quick enough that it’s not an issue for my usual nail routine.

The color is SO hard to capture in a pic but it’s so perfect. I mean seriously I feel connected to this shade on a spiritual level I looooooove it. It’s a warm coral red but not too pink but not too rich in red. I think “ruby red grapefruit” when I look at it.
Very happy :)

The weather this weekend has been so back and forth. It’s either gorgeous or stormy. Spent Friday night in a downpour at a pub but now about to go see The Great Gatsby. Read in HS like everyone else, didn’t care for it, but 3D Baz Luhrmann project I WANNA SEE! Could you imagine his Romeo + Juliet in 3D?? I want that tooooo.

Oh I have to go get ready now. Here are a few things I picked up this weekend to restock the snacks section of my pantry…

The tea bags are extremely practical as well as quite charming.

Her favorite color is green & I mentioned that I’ve been buying a lot of green lately & that it reminded me of her. So she sent these. :deco7: I wore them today. The posts are hypoallergenic. I love love love that they are mix & match.

After work snack of whole wheat toast,
sugar-free Smucker’s red raspberry preserves,
and rose petal hot tea.
Maybe toast is considered only a morning food? I eat toast day and night.

Easy lunch on a day I worked from home. Tyson’s Dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets
with ketchup and agave drizzle,
Trader Joe’s Skinny Fries potato sticks,
and barley cold tea.

Dinner last night. I cooked (the husband usually cooks) and since I can’t cook very well I keep it simple. Pumpkin stuffed agnelotti
with Giada Savory Tomato sauce,
homemade whole wheat Italian bread,
water.
It doesn’t look like much but the agnelotti are extremely filling and heavy, so is the sauce. I do wish I had some lettuce for salad though.

A new bouquet of sunflowers from earlier this week and then my outfit from work today that I just snapped before sitting down. :deco3: :deco13:

I feel like this week is a do-over week. :deco13: On Sunday the sample of Dior Hydra cream broke me out pretty badly. :mad: I started using Benefit’s Hello Flawless the next day. Unfortunately, even with the lightest shade, it was too dark. Plus I think it kept my acne from clearing up as quickly as usual. :cry: I returned it and Sephora was super nice about it. Also the soak-off gel nails I got Saturday are already peeling off after only a few days. I was told it would last 3 weeks. So I’m going back to the salon tonight to see if there’s something they can do/offer me. Oh joy~ *sarcasm.*

Tomorrow is St. Patty’s Day. WEARING GREEN! :deco7: :deco7: :deco7:

I received two surprise Christmas gifts today! L’Occitane Rose & Violette hand cream from Cin, and T2 Black Rose tea from Hayley! BOTH of these items I have wanted to try for so long but never splurged on them so thank you guys so much! Christmas is coming up fast and it’s been a bittersweet one and these really made me smile. ^_^

And thanks everyone for your comments on the previous entry. Lately I’ve been open to more request-ish type posts since I’m sorta frazzled and drained creatively.I posted my makeup collection and “closet key items” a little while ago. And now the hair tutorial. Is there anything else maybe? I know a few of you asked for “makeup” tutorials but specific ones like “fresh, simple” makeup helps give me better ideas. XD Usually I just post what I feel that day but lately my feelings are… hmmm, all over the place. :angry: So request posts can be fun distractions. :P

I got tagged by Mei for this 11 Questions +more thing~
I usually don’t have time to ever do these but I’m bored lately :)

Rules :

You must post these rules.
Each person must post 11 things about themselves on their blog.
Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
You have to choose 11 people to tag and link them on the post.
Go to their page and tell them you have linked him or her.
No tag backs.
No stuff in the tagging section about ‘you are tagged if you are reading this.’ You legitimately have to tag 11 people.

:deco5: 11 things about me:

1. I eat at least 1 apple a day, sometimes 2 and I’ve been doing this since 2008.
2. I’m 5′1″ I mention that a lot but people are always surprised still, dunno why.
3. I love the idea of pudding, jello, and yogurt but the texture makes me want to barf; though you can catch me eating them once in a blue moon.
4. I’m sorta a hardcore tea snob if you engage me in a conversation about tea.
5. I actually love coffee but it, along with many foods, is too harsh on my digestive tract so I can’t enjoy it very often (well, pain free at least)
6. I only love owls because my grandmother collected them and they remind me of her so now I horde them. She passed down her entire collection to me this year.
7. I only own 1 pair of jeans.
8. But I own 35 pairs of uniquely different tights.
9. I only enjoy reading non-fiction books.
10. I only see my family once a year for a few days by choice (mostly.)
11. I came very very very close to majoring in foreign language but went into Software Engineering instead because the only thing I liked doing was making websites. I I almost didn’t choose it because I thought no way could I earn a living “making websites.” lolol

And now the questions asked by Mei! :deco14:

1. Do you love blogging ? Why ?
I do, it’s stress release and inspiration all in one. My blog is like my scrapbook and I look back at my archives often. Sometimes I think I’m tired of it, but then my brain goes nuts and I just have to get stuff OUT. In recent years it’s more of a happy place where I share trivial things. It used to be more personal where I confided in my feelings. But, I also used to be more of a really unhappy person (in college.)

2. What is one thing you want the most in your life ?
To be happy living a fulfilling and simple life. It sounds cliche but it’s truly all I’ve ever wanted.

3. Tell me your favorite food :)
Probably Oreo cookies I suppose…

4. Are you addicted to social media (twitter , facebook , etc) ?
Probably, though sometimes I feel I must make an effort to update. But then I find myself on my iPhone “x-ing” out of Twitter only to relaunch it immediately again like some ADHD twitterphile.

5. Are you a K-poper ? If yes , who is your favorite singer/girlband/boyband ?
Nope~

6. Things that you can’t leave home without .
Oh this is easy b/c I have a single pouch devoted to these items! It’s my “musts” items pouch -
My wallet
Tsumori Chisato for Shu Uemura compact mirror
Re-wetting drops for contacts (currently Blink brand and a Rohto Lycee’ )
Hand sanitizer (currently Victoria’s Secret brand)
Hair Tie
Nail file
Carmex lip balm and a gloss or lipstick (currently Revlon Lip Butter)
Oil Blotting Tissues
Palty solid fragrance
Mini hair comb
A few “lady items”
A mini pouch with medicines such as Lactaid, Tums, Anti-Nausea ginger gum, band-aids, etc.

7. Your 5 favorite blogs .
Matsu – You
8tokyo
Like a Fashion Blogger
Kastane Staff Blog Shinjuku
Quiet Girl

…there really are so many more!

8. Describe your personal style :)
Sometimes I think describing styles is trite because a word means different things to different people but here we go… :deco3:

I feel I have two modes. Simple classic and casual mix. Lately I’ve been leaning more towards simple classic – pleats, sweaters, black tights with black flats, oxfords, blazers, etc. Often mixing in casual elements like a denim blouse. Really I think these more classic looks with dark, rich or solid natural colors plus the layering of everything works better for the cold winter months and matches my mood on most days.
And then sometimes I’ll choose a more complete “used mix inspired” casual look with natural styling like a colorful maxi dress with natural moccasins, pastel patterns in light shades of blue or pink, embroidery or lace items, hair up in a lose bun. This works better in summer (or warmer weather in general) for me though. Basically a mixture of Madewell & Kastane styles. It all depends on what I feel like wearing that day to match my mood.

9. What will you do to face some annoying people/things ?
Suck it up and remove myself from the situation emotional to get shit done.

10. Your favorite quotes .

“I have wasted more of my life worrying about events that never came to be than just living in the moment.”

11. Have you visited Indonesia ?
Nope~

OK, this is where I become a jerk. :deco6: I’m not going to tag anybody b/c, those these are fun, I usually feel so much pressure to do them when people tag me but I don’t have time blah blah :deco13: but I wanted to at least respond to this one because it seemed fun! I’m sorry :drops: :;_;: :?:

The clerk at the Macy’s Clinique counter really made my day! :ok: I was just so exhausted and defeated but managed to drag my ass to Macy’s for an emergency refill purchase of Clinique Emergency Gel Lotion. She was beyond helpful :deco3: and when I asked if they ever got in their Pore Refining Solutions Correcting Serum in sample form she made up a sample for me to take home! SO EXCITED! I’ve been wanting to try it for a few months now but

1: it’s not cheap.
2: I was paranoid of buying it only to discover it breaks me out.

Now I can try it for a few days to see if it gives me and skin trouble and maybe see some early results?! Anyway, I was delighted. :deco8:

Below is some Earl Grey Rose tea :deco1: I brewed for relaxing with when I got home today. Now I’m off to take some more Oscillo and try to sleep early :deco16:

I tried 2 seasonal teas recently. :upheart: Both from Bigelow and can be found in most grocery stores and Targets. I’m not usually a fan of Bigelow teas for various reasons. Or tea bagged teas for that matter (loose leaf tea just tastes better than dust filled tea bags) BUT! But! I don’t mind buying seasonal flavored tea bags :twinkle: because they’re more common & easier to come by on a typical grocery store run than loose leaf (end tea snobbery, lol.) :blushingcute:

Pumpkin Spice Tea

OK, OK so this stuff is pretty good! :kissyfaceheart: It’s a black tea (yay my favorites :star: ) and is flavored with pumpkin, cinnamon, licorice, clove, ginger, etc.

Tastes mostly like spice tea with a hint of pumpkin. :) A lot like orange spice tea I think. But definitely tastes festive and is great unsweetened which is a huge plus because I don’t like to sweeten my teas AT ALL.

Apple Cider

This is an herbal tea. Fair warning, I rarely like herbal teas. :facepalmcry: I just find them bitter & unenjoyable most of the time. And like I said, I don’t like to sweeten my teas. But! I’m always open to trying new things and second chances, so I picked this up. :heartheartheart: You just never know~~ hehe

Flavored with apple, hibiscus, cinnamon, orange peel, rose hip, licorice root, clove, natural apple cider flavor.

The taste resembles more of a bitter green apple more than a spiced cider-like flavor. I mildly enjoyed this flavor. :eep: I did have to add a packet of splenda in order to actually “enjoy” it. However I’m not going to re-buy it. :down: I was underwhelmed. Also, it doesn’t really “agree” with my tummy :snot: I’ll probably be pawning the remaining bags I have off on coworkers. :smallcry:

I actually already bought a new box of the Pumpkin Spice teas! :P

And on the topic of “seasonal” things. I picked up these two バスロマン (Bath Roman) bath salts a few weeks ago from the Japanese market “Maruichi.”

(L) バスロマン ヒノキ浴
(R) バスロマン　森林温浴

They had these the past few winters. :updiamond: I had them last year and used them all up! :blushingcute: I think these make GREAT “winter-time” salts! Especially the hinoki cypress bath one on the left! :star2: The scent is so, so fragrant! :kissyfaceheart: It brings to mind Japanese ofuro, the wooden ceder hot tubs. :good: The bath water becomes a milky orange color.

The other, Shinrin, is a forest scented type. :sqxmastree: It has a strong, earthy pine scent and the bath water becomes a clear deep forest green. Both sort of remind me of Christmas Trees in a way :D! :sqxmastree: That evergreen scent wafting through your bathroom is really calming and gives you a sense of such warmth~ I rarely use these tree/forest types in the summer because it feels so out of place. :blushingcute: :lol: :gigglewakuface: These salts aren’t just for relieving mental stress through relaxation and aromatherapy, oh no no (lol,) but also skin ailments such as dry chapped skin, acne, frostbite (lol,) back pain, heat rash, poor circulation… well, they list a lot of things, are supposedly soothed by these. But really it’s just great for anytime you want to relax in the tub~~ :starburst:

Here’s the Bath Roman commercial showing the two types in action! LOOOOOOL I can’t believe this exists, I love the internet! :D

Blooming Tea

They’re so pretty and delicate

I wish the weekend wasn’t ending. The coming week is probably going to be the most stressful of weeks. But only work-wise I think. The past week I’ve had both work & non-work stress; like my Mom waiting to hear whether or not she has cancer. She doesn’t, thank god. That has been weighing on my mind for a week & 1/2 now. But all is well with her. I’m trying to plan on visiting my family this summer. I just need to look at how many vacation days I have. I’d really prefer to stay longer than the typical 3 short days. But if I stay much longer there’s a higher possibility Mike couldn’t come. ~sigh~

I’m glad I’ve stayed in all day. It’s been mostly quiet and relaxing~ Last night we went out for a nice dinner after an insane trip to overly-crowded IKEA. I’m having to replace my main magazine bookcase… current one just couldn’t handle the weight! Also looked around for some spring boots. Saw some I liked at Zara for $98.00 but they were black~ plus I’d rather not pay that much. Might as well buy Free People boots for that price
Saw these online though… cute & cheap so just thinking about getting one of them

Saw this in Vivi. It’s Rinka’s favorite Alba Rosa items. I really liked the sandals and want to find some similar!

That’s it. I’m pretty fatigued. I think I may have caught Mike’s headcold but hopefully not :dizzy:
Thanks everyone who commented on my private entry. And to anyone who requests the password and may not receive a reply please don’t distress. I don’t mind anyone requesting but I do tend to only give it out to those who regularly comment. It’s nothing personal :rejected: It’s just that I feel I actually KNOW who that person is and that it’s not someone from my offline life prying into things I’d rather them not.