Of Sandwiches

Still Alive!

Just a quick note to say no, I am not dead.

However, Tallulah, my beloved laptop, is.

Woe!

She died a few weeks ago,

after a tragic run-in with a cup of tea,

straight to the motherboard.

I'll be back on the internet regularly

this week,

And will hopefully have a new machine

very soon.

Worry not, you will see a full entry very soon :)

Here's hoping I've not been forgotten, eek!

Til Next We Meet,

♥,

~ Amy

Hold This Thread As I Walk Away...

Sweaters And The Boob Tube

And thus, she was sans-romantic companion once more!
He'll be back shortly though, never fear!
Until then, I admit to filling (part of) my time with
some truly quality television.
Yes, between military-provided cable and the internet,
I've not missed much, entertainment-wise, from the States.
Though frankly, some I would be quite happy without.
(For goodness sake, can't I go one viewing of
What Not To Wear without seeing
Jon & Kate during the commercials?
Great, you had lots of kids,
big whoop, you're still both EPIC TOOLS.)

Ahem, anywhoo >.>

I'm a very picky person when it comes to my entertainment.
I like to be challenged to think, or enter another world,
not simply zone out for 45 minutes.
Here are a handful of my favorites,
current, canceled, and across the pond :D



~ Dollhouse ~
FOX, Fridays

Feminist, Creator of Buffy, and Downright Hilarious Guy, I love everything Joss Whedon does, ever. However, when I heard last year that his next project for tv was going to be about Programmable Humans, who can become whoever you need, for a price, I was a bit taken aback. But I stuck with it, and was not disappointed. Yes, it is a horrific prospect: That your mind can be erased, and replaced with the personality and memories of someone else, for the gain of another. It's supposed to be frightening, and we follow Eliza Dushku's character, Echo, as she lives this life and slowly attempts to discover who she really was before, and who's trying to reach out for that person.
Of course, your mind automatically goes to the obvious (escorts), and FOX's marketing isn't doing anything to dissuade that notion, along with the impression that it's all guns and explosions, in typical FOX style. But that's not it at all, this is a wonderfully introspective, funny, clever, and heartbreaking show. People need all kinds of other people: The perfect hostage negotiator, the perfect midwife, the perfect confidant, the perfect bodyguard, the perfect spy. The Dollhouse can provide you with all of these things, and Echo has been all of them. The first few episodes of season 1 are sub-par, but stick with it, and you'll find yourself deeply connected to these characters, and marveling at the ability of the cast to become someone new every week.

~Firefly~

While we're on the subject of how much FOX sucks, I give you another Joss Whedon masterpiece, one that got canceled after only one incomplete season. The episodes were aired out of order, the network had no idea how to market it, and it slipped away before we had a chance to love it fully. However, thanks to die-hard fans and the wonder of DVD, we at least got people's attention well enough to get a big budget studio film afterwards! It was recently brought to my attention that there are STILL people out there who've never experienced the wonder of Firefly, for shame!
Mal Reynolds is the captain of Serenity, Firefly-class spaceship, in a distant future in which humanity has been forced to find a new solar system to thrive in. The Allied Planets will try to strip you of your independence and make you another cog in the machine, while the Outer Planets are almost too untamed for civilized life. Serenity's crew flies along the raggedy edge, staying in the air on odd jobs of every sort. Things get a bit more complicated when they pick up two fugitive siblings, one of them holding in her mangled brain a deadly secret...hijinks ensue!! Terribly hilarious, another amazing cast, go buy the series DVDs and then watch the movie, and wonder how the world could have missed out on such a great show.

~The Big Bang Theory~
CBS Mondays

Yay another one still on the air! Husbot and I started watching this after I found out that Wil Wheaton was doing an episode this season (Hello, geek much?). And oh my goodness, not only is it hilarious, I actually feel smarter when I watch it. Try saying that about any other half-hour sitcom. The plot is fairly simple: Pretty Girl of Average Intelligence moves in across the hall from two massively smart yet socially inept scientists. One is madly in crush with her, while the other has the emotional range of Mr. Spock, if he were part-machine. Hilarity ensues! And, despite the Pilot episode making you wonder if the series was just going to play into stereotypes all the time, the jokes actually never get old! It helps that the writers are actual massive geeks themselves. Watch, laugh, and try to teach yourself to play Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock. (I've tried. Lives were nearly lost.)

~ Doctor Who ~
BBC

With a big break between seasons, now is the perfect time to get yourself caught up on the last four seasons of the 'new' series, before season five kicks off with the 11th Doctor. Buy the DVDs, download shamelessly, whatever you see fit to do, it's all worth it! Join the Last Time Lord of Gallifrey as he traipses through time and space, with only the very best of human companions. Fall in love with Rose, get your heart broken when she's gone (briefly), fight aliens, ghosts, werewolves, robots, and everything in between! Do I really have to explain why this goofy, fantastic show is worth watching?! For heaven's sake, it's been running since the 60's. Clearly, they're doing something right.

(omg DW + Tori Amos = :D)



However, a good plot and characters one connects with
aren't all I enjoy in my television, not at all.
I've found a fair few style muses whilst watching,
in fact!

Adele DeWitt
Dollhouse

She comes across as potentially evil, true.
Still, she rocks a pencil skirt and killer heels
like nobody's business. She's the reason I braved
the high-waisted skirt, and I'm ever so glad I did.
I wish I could have found more pictures,
some of her outfits are to die for.

Kat Von D

Okay, so she's hopelessly self-involved.
Or maybe TLC is portraying her in that light, idk.
Either way, she's still drop-dead gorgeous, with her own
distinct and amazing style.
Sure, not all of us can pull off bikini tops and
low-rise jeans at work, but she did inspire me
to become more daring with my makeup,
trying smokey eyes and bright colors, with success.

Sheldon Cooper
The Big Bang Theory

Statement t-shirts are a style don't for chicks,
across the board.
However, when lounging around the house,
I'd still like my statement tshirt to tell the world just how
clever and geeky I am!
So thank you, Sheldon, for making me revisit
ThinkGeek.com for all my nerdy-shirt needs!

Charlotte Charles,
Pushing Daisies

Chuck may have the most adorable wardrobe
in television history.
50's-cut dresses, bright colors, vibrant prints,
and candy-colored pumps that are to die for.
She got me embracing color this summer, happily so!


~~~~


Alas, summer is over, so I give you
Wardrobe Project
Sweater Edition!

I love me a good, snuggly,
form-fitting yet functional fuzzy sweater,
these are my most trusty:

I've pictured this one before,
pink shrug of cuteness!
TJ Max, ages ago.

Husbot's favorite!
I quite like it as well.
JC Penny's, two years ago.

Old Navy sweaters never fail me,
but this is hands-down my favorite.
So dowdy it's delightful!

Ahhh, my newest love,
from Victoria's Secret.
They don't get enough fashion props,
their sweaters this season are gorgeous!

So snuggly, and ridiculously soft!
Plus I'd never seen another sweater this style,
it makes me feel pretteh :D

Now I go to rest...this day has been weirdly
exhausting, I barely had the motivation to
finish this entry!
What has become of me?!
I blame all the running I've been doing.
My legs want a holiday.

I leave you with this lovely bit of love.



Awww :D
As always, links for images of not-me
can be found at My Heart


'Til Next We Meet,
♥,
~ Amy

Autumnal Lolitas

Not Dead Yet
(But This Flu Sure Is Trying)

I had such plans for the past weekend,
going to see the giant Buddha in Kamakura,
making deliciously New England-y deserts,
Lovely blog entries about personal style,
and all in the company of Husbot,
who had the weekend off.

Alas, the germs had other plans.
I haven't been this defeated by illness
since catching mono back in '07.

Husbot was grand though,
making me breakfast in bed and rushing out
for medicines and cough drops
and get-well-soon cards with robots on them.

I am infinitely better now,
though still a wee bit cough-y and unpleasant.
It's raining here in Japanland, the air is just
barely starting to smell like autumn and I find
myself missing the familiar crispness
of a cozy autumn in Vermont,
complete with cider, woodstove, and mum's beef stew.

Alas, I make my home here!
Today I'm trying my hand at my mother's
apple pie recipe for the first time, meh!
Also the chill does come here as well,
albeit much more slowly,
and I am beginning to dress accordingly!
I am much more suited to autumn,
putting together a summer wardrobe was confusing
and unfamiliar, I admit.
Now is the time of skirts and tights and sweaters
and dressing like a
Lo In The Library.
But more on that later!

People To Read!

~Mermaid In A Manhole~
Kim's posts are delightful, thoughtful,
and wonderfully inspired.

~Phoenix Rising~
Lorelle relaunched her blog some bit ago,
and I am finding it to be quite enjoyable!

~all this happiness~
I know, always promoting my friends ;)
but Kater is lovely, and so is her blawg :D
I do so envy your distinct personal style deary.

~Gala Darling~
As if you didn't read her already.
But truly, her blog brightens and colors my world!

~Fashiontoast~
I adore Rumi's style, even if I can't pull it off ;)
She's also my shoe-muse. I want ALL of her shoes.



And now for some actual
BOOKS
I think you should read ;)

Brought to my attention by Kim, this book is an absolute delight, one that I find myself reading in bits and pieces. While the title may sound elementary to most of you (indeed, Husbot saw the tome and proclaimed, perplexed, "But, you already are!"), this book is full of invaluable tips and tricks and style advice, all to guide you on your way to becoming a more eloquent, classy dame. If you aspire to have fun and enjoy your youth, while being a kind, courteous person who still says please, thank you, gets the good job and doesn't want her niece someday seeing her in a Girls Gone Wild ad, this is the lifestyle guide for you :D

While ill, I've beed rereading all of my Madeliene L'Engle books and oh my goodness, what a joyful thing that is. Her books transcend age, they really do, presenting the reader with complex concepts and theories, filtered through the minds and eyes of children and young adults. A Wind In The Door remains my all time favorite, and I prefer following the Murry/O'Keefe family, but they're all wonderful books. Grab A Wrinkle In Time during the next cold, rainy day, and find your heart transported.

Wardrobe Project!

As I said above, I'm a big fan of skirts, tights,
and thick socks in the chillier months.
And so I give you One Dress,
and a cornucopia of skirts!

Please forgive my disheveled tresses and half-dead
stare in most of these shots,
I was heavily medicated ;)

We start with
The Dress I Never Wear.
Bought for Christmas Eve two years ago,
it hangs in the closet, waiting, always slipping
my mind, alas!
I'm not sure why really.

It could be the length is just an iiiinch too long,
or because the overall cut is conservative,
yet the neckline plunges a bit too much
for more conservative settings,
and a cami just looks wrong under it.
Whatever the reason, having tried it on,
I've vowed to wear it more often, if only just shopping.

Print.

Color!
Socks & Skirt from Japanese mall,
Top: ...I forget.
Lace Cami: TJ Max
Flats: Payless
Necklace: Altered by moi.

This flannel kilt is ridiculously comfy.
I think it shall be my winter go-to, in fact.

Top: Old Navy
Skirt & Tights: Forever21

I'm still figuring out high waists!
Not sure this look works,
but it felt all kinds of prim and awesome!

Shirt: Japanese Mall
Skirt & Tights: Forever21
Shoes: Vintage, etsy.

How did I live without this pencil skirt?
I do not know.
I'm digging it, though.

Shirt: Maurice's, ages ago
Skirt & Tights: Forever21
Shoes: Gift from Kater :D

Tres' Mad Men, Non? :D


And finally, some sage advice:

That said, here I am in my halloween costume!

Alice Approves!

Images and their original links can be found
on my We Heart It account,
now that it's up and running again :)

Now I have an apartment to cleanse of tissues,
and a delicious pie to make.


'Til Next We Meet,
♥,
~ Amy

Summer Lovin' Happened So Fast...

Autumnal Frivolity

...Wait, there was no lovin' this summer!
Oh well, anyway...
This month has been a month of adventures!
To start it off, this thing came back in port...

Bringing along with it,
This fellow!
(and his iPod touch)
((note our new translucent bed curtains!))

Much love happened!
Along with yummy meals for Husbot,
D&D games, merry parties with friends,
rather sloshed Rock Band sessions,
and general lovetasticness,
as well as a couple shmultzy blog entries ;)

Happily, I shall bring us back to a
materialistic and somewhat shallow place!
BEHOLD!


Wardrobe Project!

Slowly, it becomes chillier in Japan.
Happily, I do not NEED any new jackets this year!
What with the return of the military jacket,
and the constant relevance of leather,
I am set for all occasions.
I will picture them all for you!

Brown Leather.
I scored this for 15$ at a Thrift Shop.
I still can't get over it.
The leather is like BUTTER.

Nothing trumps leather.

And for more demure days,
My dearly beloved cloak coat!
Old Navy two years ago,
still adorable, in my opinion.

Little Doom Riding Hood.

I call this my Chav Coat.
For days when I'm just in That Mood.
Tan corduroy, this jacket is actually
quite thick and deliriously warm.
But oh, so very Chav-tastic :D

Yes, it's lined with Pink Satin!
Don't worry, it was thrifted for only 5$!

FURRY!

A Favorite,
This Coat was bought from Delia's
two years ago, I believe as a Christmas Gift
from my awesome mother!
Wool, warm, but not bulky.

Side note, in case you were wondering!
Here I am in Lime Crime eyeshadow,
which I seem to have become a walking advert for.
I was asked three times today about it,
and that was just grocery shopping!
I'm wearing Pompadour here.

And finally, my trusty Black Leather.
I've had this baby since I was, wait for it, 14.
Which makes it nearly ten years old!
Still going strong, still supple,
still badass.
Why?
Because it's BLACK LEATHER.
Etc.

May it last ten years more!

Happily,
it's still not QUITE cool enough here
for Jacket Weather.
Summer is having a last hurrah,
with lovely cool breezes
and lingering, sweet-smelling flowers.

Ahhhhhhh.

Shall be getting back into regular
weekly blog entries of varied content,
Now that Husbot has returned to work,
and the creative brain cells have been stimulated.

'Til Next We Meet, My Loves,
♥,
~ Amy

June Makes These Excellent Sewing Machines...

Another Entry Of Love For You!

A lot has been going on here in Japanland.
The past two weeks have been about
Husbot returning home,
A family member passing away,
And strange delightful adventures.
A real entry of pictures and substance
shall follow this in the soontime,
but for now,
Some Love For You! :D

"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two."
-St. Augustine

"Think about your Dream all the time, no matter what else you're doing. Live your Dream in your imagination. Become obsessed by it. Love it. Be passionate about it."
~ Unknown

"Someone like you,
And all you know, And how you speak
Countless lovers under cover of the street
You know that I could use somebody
Someone like you..."
~ Kings Of Leon

"To Love is to receive a glimpse of Heaven."
~ Karen Sunde

Anyone can be passionate,
but it takes real lovers to be silly.
~Rose Franken
(always a favorite, I married a silly boy :D)

"Men always want to be a woman's first love,
That is their clumsy vanity.
We women have a more subtle instinct about things.
We want to be a man's last romance."
~ Oscar Wilde






'Til Next We Meet, My Loves,
♥,
~ Amy

"...As We All Are Part Of Each Other."

"With my intellect I see cause for nothing but pessimism and even despair. But I can't settle for what my intellect tells me. That's not all of it. There are still stars which move in ordered and beautiful rhythm. There are still people in this world who keep promises..."
~ A Wind In The Door,
by Madeleine L'Engle

Pardon me, whilst I meander.

It's a thing I've noticed lately, how far apart we all seem from each other. I do not mean physically, but in our souls, in our zeal for identity through defining ideals, in our desire to put our own convictions above anyone else's, we've all lost touch with our fellow man. It seems to me that society on the whole has been pushing harder and harder to make us not only disagree with anyone who's ideas are different than our own, but also to disdain them. It's not enough to dislike someone with right-wing ideals, they have to seem crazy. It's not enough to disagree with a tree-hugging hippy liberal, they must be demonized, else you will not feel safe. It's frankly quiet wearying, the whole lot of you.

Of course, we all fall victim to this thinking. But it is not how the world is supposed to be. Should you stand for something? Of course, everyone should, everyone should look in their heart, or to their God, and find who they are. Find what is important to them, what is worth standing up for, as it defines you yourself in the end. But ideas and convictions should never be more important than your fellow man. Your firm belief should never be one that gives you leave to dismiss a fellow human being. You can disagree with someone. You can have lively debate. But my Lord, the sea of hatred that boils back home in my own country...I get frustrated. And then I am just sad, really sad.

I will tell you a story.When I was a little girl, I attended a church that, from good intentions and innocent beginnings, became something Different. I won't go into the details, but suffice it to say, the change was slow and subtle, until it came to a point when, after some disagreements between Godly men, we were urged by our leader to "shun" a certain group who'd left the congregation. My parents of course had none of this drivel, and not too much later we left that community. But before they ever uttered a word in response to this "strong suggestion", my nine-year-old soul rebelled violently. They believed in the same Jesus I did. They believed in the same salvation I believed I had. I grew up believing in God. God is Love. God might tell me not to do certain things that may hurt me, but he'd never tell me to shun anyone, to harbor hate for anyone in my heart. I was only a child, but I KNEW then, and though I can be judgmental too, as all of us can be, I still know that it is poison straight to the heart.

Whether you believe in a deity, an afterlife, or you do not, we can all agree on one thing: When we go, we take only ourselves. Our material possessions will rot and decay, and all that will be left behind was how we treated our fellow man. Did you hide in a church all your life? Did you only surround yourself with people who thought and acted as you did? Did you disdain a church-goer, simply because you didn't believe in God and disliked what you believed religion did to society as a whole? Did you stop going to lunch with your co-worker when you found out she was a lesbian, because heaven forbid you be seen with THAT kind of person? Did you judge the girl who had an abortion? Did you curse out the protester outside the clinic?

All we have is each other. And while everyone should stand by their own convictions, to use your convictions as a license to hate, to avoid, to make snap judgments, is the surest way to aid in the decay of your own soul. Ideas will change and fall away. Countries will rise and fall and rise again. But the only way society will truly end, is when we are all too isolated to even speak to each other. Every single person, on their own little island, in their own little head telling themselves how right they are, and how wrong everyone else is.

Faith, Hope, & Love,
and of these,
The Greatest is Love.

I may be scarce in the days to come,
many loverly things will be going on here at home ;)

But I will try to keep things updated!
Expect a picture or five soon,
of my newly-blue hair.

Until then, I leave you in the good hands
of Heathcliff & Cathy :D




Til Next We Meet,
♥,
~ Amy

You Run With The Devil...

Before anything else,
THANK YOU
to everyone who left such nice comments
on my last (big) entry :D
You warm my strange little heart!
Also, you're all GORGEOUS ;)

Now, entry!

The Girl At The Rock Show

Am I a girly-girl? I suppose so, by some
standards, at least.
I love my fashions, I heart makeup,
I collect creepy, huge-eyed dollies!
But there is another side to me,
a side that meshes with the girly side flawlessly
in real life, though in clothing, it does not always
translate as well at all.
I speak, of course, of my inner-rocker-chick.

Music has always been fundamental to
understanding the Me.
And while my tastes morph and evolve,
at the end of the day I am still a sucker for
a guitar, a set of drums, and an earnest voice.
As a teenager, music was my translator.
Old school Goo Goo Dolls and The Smashing Pumpkins
and Joy Division and Weezer.
And while lately I have gotten ever so tragically
indie and cooler-than-thou,
the formula remains,
along with my fondness for Skin Art.

But again, how to translate this fashionably?
I've never had trouble altering band t's,
or looking like the proper rock star girlfriend
(I was one for a while, after all)
but 'classy' isn't a word one often prescribes
to such looks.
More often, one looks as if
Hot Topic threw up all over them

Then again, Debbie Harry and Patti Smith
have never been anything but class.
(And Courtney Love is her own form of classy)
I've already experimented, as you may have seen,
what with my Blondie and my Siouxsie t's.
This season, I try in earnest!

We start with some boots...

Are they not the best things EVER?! :D
Forever21, of course.

Harry & The Potters T-Shirt.
Oh yeah, I wanna wrock ;)

Faithful military jacket,
Maurice's, long ago.
Patches include The Wards, LZ, & Bowie.

Can't touch this.

Demure? Maybe.
I would also like to bring to your attention
Tiny Black Shorts:
just one of the many gifts Japan
has given the world.
For the girl who likes the fashion-aspect of short skirts,
but not the potential skank-aspect!

Top: JC Penny's, forever ago
Skirt & Studded Cinch: Japanese Mall

Studs came back in force this year,
as anyone who follows any blog anywhere knows.
This has been a boon to the confused rocker girl!
Easily give any outfit that much more edge.

Denim Mini: Potentially pushing it,
as far as the class-factor goes.
However, how can you deny SD?

Top: Banded Dress, chopped by me.
Necklace: Local shop, altered by me.
Skirt: Thrifted, chopped by me.
Belt: Local shop
Social Distortion Hoodie: Gift from galpal.

Also starring!
Guitar Earrings: Japanese mall
Lo Sunglasses: Hot Topic, ages ago

In creative news,
I've eased back into jewelry making,
starting with the altering of this darling
little charm.

This came with a blouse I purchased,
and I adored it,
however I cannot wear gold.
I am a winter through and through,
gold looks awful on me.
Thus!

We engage in a bit of jiggery-pokey...

Viola! Silver.

Accomplished: I is it.

And while we're at it,
Here's a dash of music for you!
Now, I have some sushi with my name on it.

Til Next We Meet,
♥,
~ Amy

Look How They Shine...

Real entry tomorrow.
For now, something strange, hilarious,
and also whimsical :D




I have always wanted to hug Beaker.


♥,
~ Amy

I'm Not Beautiful Like You (I'm Beautiful Like Me)

You Are Who You Are Who You Are

Girls we are, in general, very insecure creatures.
Even the most confidant and outspoken of us
can give each other shopping lists of what
we do not like about our physical appearance,
let alone our various quirks and neurosis.
We are told to accept and love our bodies as they are,
by the same society that tells us
we should be a certain size, a certain color, a certain body type.

Personally, I think we should all take
a more balanced approach.
Yes, you are beautiful just as God made you.
There's still nothing wrong with making yourself
into your very best YOU.
Not Sienna, Not Zooey, Not Mary-Kate, YOU.

I think we tend to let that shopping list hold us back.
Maybe one mean person in your past caused you
to look at yourself through warped glasses,
and stunted your desire to change,
or, worse, made you obsessive
in your need to change.

I will use myself as the example, gladly,
of how to have a balanced outlook
between loving who you are,
and making yourself look like your best YOU.

There Are Things That Can Change

My Skin: My face? OILY! I have combination on my face, both oily and easily dried-out. I've never had HORRID acne, but enough to cause me angst, believe me. Worst of all? I have yet to find a solution that works for longer than 3 months. My face builds up an immunity, I swear. But you know what? I DON'T GIVE UP. I keep up a cycle of three facial cleansers, and every now and then I'll try something new. Yes it's annoying, but it works. So I DO IT.

Tooth Color: I have very crooked, yellow teeth. I was picked on for them all my life, and for a while, I thought my only solution would be when I got them straightened, whenever that was. Why whiten them, if I was only going to have to put braces on them later, getting them stained all over again? So I dealt with it, until I got sick of it. I want to feel better NOW, so I'll make myself feel better NOW! Crest White Strips are amazing :D I got lazy there for a little while, but am now back on track. SOOOO worth it.

Feet: Probably my most embarrassing problem...I had warts! Horrible ones! After one incident with a public shower sans flip-flops, I became the budding beginnings of Tree Man. I rarely went barefoot, wore socks to bed with Husbot, it was awful. I thought, with such a profusion, that I would have to wait until I could have a doctor prescribe a cure. WRONG! In a bout of desperation, I purchased Dr. Scholls Freeze-Away. FOUR TREATMENTS LATER, and they were GONE! Poof! I have pretty feet!!! Now I work to keep them moisturized, as I've always had dry skin on my feet, but otherwise? I HAVE PRETTY FEET! I am still jubilant over this. Simple stuff from the pharmacy DOES work most of the time, girls.

Lips: Less of a problem than the previous two, but even so, I am allergic to most lip products. I've envied girls who can grab whatever from the store and wear it well. But I've hunkered down and done my homework, and know how to look for hypoallergenic products. I'm always looking for more, if anyone has suggestions! Almay, while wonderful, is only one option.

Eyebrows: Ugh, I've always had thick eyebrows. In highschool I was completely clueless as to how to work with them, as most of us were. When i got my first job, one of the first things I did with y paycheck was get them waxed, and the lady botched them horribly. I've only found one person who did them well, and she lived hours away from me! So what did I do? I taught myself how to pluck my own damn eyebrows the way I like 'em! And save myself 30$+ a month.

Staying In Shape: The easiest, and the hardest. I've always been weak. I've always been easily-winded, under-fed, and prone to getting sick. Since moving to Japan, I have started working out in earnest, hooping daily, and eating healthier (an easy thing to do in this country). The hardest parts are motivation, and resisting the urge to become obsessive, as I was in the past, starving myself in bouts. Having friends to help keep you accountable is invaluable!

The best part about all of these,
even if they do not fully solve a problem,
they lend you OODLES of confidence in yourself.
Find your solutions!

There Are Things You Must Accept

My Nose: I despise my big, slightly-bent nose. Some days I feel all enlightened, and know that it is who I am, and that if I have a daughter, she'll likely have it too. What kind of message will I send her, if I change it? Other days, I find myself pricing plastic surgeons and comparing that to our budget plans for the next ten years. Bottom line, though? It's not gonna change tomorrow. I won't be uber-at peace with my body, nor will I have a few grand to drop on some slicin'. IT IS WHAT IT IS, TODAY. I know it is one of those things that is most noticable to me, that other people don't really see it the way I do. This applies to many things about yourself, incidentally! There are plenty of things about my face others find enviable. So suck it up, self. Either way, I'm stuck with this nose for a good while.

My Curves: I know, right? For the record, I do like having a shape. I like having hips, and a chest, especially as the rest of my body gets toned. But we all want what we can't have, and I wish I could be the willowy, lithe girl swathed in whatever designer dress she wants, on whom all styles are flattering. I envy Sienna Miller, I envy Jessica Stam and Cintia Dicker. But I've learned to dress what I have. And I know plenty of girls would kill (or drop good money) to have my cup-size. And hey, I have a husbot who's QUITE happy with my digits. So I pass over the suspenders fad, and enjoy being a classic body type.

Skin Tone: For YEARS I wanted to be able to tan. And while I've learned how to get a little healthy color to my face, I will never be tan. It's just not in my set of genes, despite the bit of Native American in me. I'm far more French. And you know what? That's okay. I keep my skin healthy. Tattoo artists rave about my skin tone as they paint upon me like a perfect white canvas and tell me to never, EVER tan. I'm pale. I like it.

My Height: It's not as if I am all that tall, really. Still, at 5'7, I am already a giant in Japan. Most of my good friends here are very petite, short and tiny. I feel like a giraffe in comparison. And then when I want to put on sky-high heels? Forget it, I feel ten feet tall. But SO WHAT? Especially when I found out that Rumi is the same height I am, I stopped caring. I'll wear them high heels if I want, I'll tower above the masses if I want to! Being singular is nothing to be scared of.

Some Things To Do

List What You Love: I love my eyes, I love how big they are and that they are dark. I love my hair and I love my floaty arms. I love my lips! People have told me they envy my lips, and I am happy to have them, in all their plump allergic-to-everything-ness!

Stop Using The Word 'Hate' To Describe Yourself: Sounds fluffy, but it's true! Even when you're talking about the things you don't like, don't use the word hate. You're slowly, subtely killing your own self-esteem.

Think Of All The Other Things That Make You Fabulous & Fascinating: I am a creative person. I spin worlds and see things nobody else does. I'm a grand cook and a deviant lover and I can knit a scarf in a single evening, and so on and so on. Knowing and owning all these wonderful things about yourself adds a spring to your step, a secretive smile to your face, a confidance of the soul. Few things brighten a face like confidance.

Listen To Your Loved Ones: This one is still hard for me. But when someone compliments something about you? Accept it! Thank them! Don't protest. Don't make a face. Especially when it is someone dear to you. This is a person who loves you inside and out and sees every bit of beauty about you. They are TELLING YOU THE TRUTH, even if you don't believe it. And slowly, maybe, by not protesting, you might start to take their words to heart.

Compliment Others: Seeing the beauty in the people around you in your every day life will, I believe, help you see it in yourself. Also, it is just good for the soul, plain and simple. Don't always be looking for the faults in yourself, look for the things that are dazzling in others.

Again, I often fail at these things.
But it is good to have them written down,
committed to memory.
I challenge everyone to do so!
What are the things you've changed in yourself?
The things you've learned to accept?
Do you use different tools to build up your own
self esteem?
I won't tag any other bloggers, but I think that it
would be a wonderful thing to share :D





'Til Next We Meet,
♥,
~Amy

Beautifulness

Beautiful/Funny Words From Beautiful/Funny Women

Because that's always fun!

“Some of the most wonderful people
are the ones who don't fit into boxes.” ~ Tori Amos

“If you have no time for anything else, put on a little blush.
It gives you an easy glow.” ~ Estee Lauder

"It's a form of escapism, isn't it, to delve into your imagination? But it's also a divine kind of freedom: inside your mind is somewhere where you have total freedom, which no one can take away. If you go through painful events, or you find it hard to live, you have a greater desire to create something in your mind that's more beautiful."
~ Natasha Khan

“Oh my god, girls, wash your makeup brushes!”
~ Scarlett Johansson

“Maybe you don't like your job, maybe you didn't get enough sleep, well nobody likes their job, nobody got enough sleep. Maybe you just had the worst day of your life, but you know, there's no escape, there's no excuse, so just suck up and be nice.”
~ Ani DiFranco

"Just like any woman,...we weave our stories out of our bodies. Some of us through our children, or our art; some do it just by living. It's all the same."
~ Francesca Lia Block

“I am not interested in money. I just want to be wonderful.”
~ Marilyn Monroe



♥,
~ Amy

Pearl's Dream

There's a place I must go
There's a place I must go
It's not a place I have seen
But I’ll get there in a blue dream...

Down the ocean road
Past a sign that says 'Good Love Town'
Into a darkness where the stars do drown
But a star in me needs to be free...

So I'm a little under the weather.
I had a wonderful rock-themed entry
that I've been wanting to do for a while, alas,
the idea of running around putting on clothes
is currently as appealing to me as
walking outside in this humid,
earthquake-ridden summer heat.
But it shall be saved,
as I have been plotting an entry on
how to fashionably pull off
Rocker Chick Chic
for a good while now.
I will, after all, always be at heart,
The Girl At The Rock Show.

Anyways, a short little entry of substance!
I've gotten back into the swing of polyvore,
and I am ever so pleased that I have.
Autumn is coming soon,
(not soon enough for my boiling New Englander blood)
So here is a recap of the summer's
personal trends,
and those to come in the future!

Summer In The City by Leanan Sidhe featuring Forever21

I am not a summer-dresser.
Thus, there were a lot of new items in my closet.
Shorts returned after a long absense,
and more age-appropriate graphics.
(Star Wars, of course, knows no age)
Bright color is my friend now, huzzah!
Those studded Forever21 flipflops are of the gods.

Fall/Winter in Kyoto by Leanan Sidhe featuring Dorothy Perkins

Fall, of course, is another story entirely!
I shall not have to buy nearly as many new items,
as I keep the classic lines in my closet always.
Which is wise, I think, as trends come and go,
and thanks to Forever21 can suppliment cheaply.
Tweed skirts and denim are forever!
I can't wait for those boots to arrive in the mail,
squee!
My faithful black military jacket cannot
wait to leave the closet.

Makeup by Leanan Sidhe on Polyvore.com

Aaand my current face!

Lash Blast: Totally lives up to all the hype.
I have learned to not fear color on my eyes,
and have recently ordered some dazzling colors
from Lime Crime.
I do whatever Gala tells me too :D
I use clear mascara to set my eyebrows,
and have discovered the wonder that is
liquid eyeliner. Oh my gawd, use it!
Those aren't my brushes, but I have a similar set.
I cannot stress how much nicer shadows,
concealer, etc. go on when using a proper brush!
Just remember to shampoo them gently once a week!


All right, enough foofera!
I must go medicate myself and curl up on the couch
watching Project Runway.

Next Entry,
how to be the classy rocker chick :D

Until then, Trailer!
The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus!
For those unaware, Heath Ledger's last film.
After his death, Collin Farrel, Jude Law, and
Johnny Depp stepped in to complete his scenes,
and donated all of their salaries to Heath's daughter,
Mathilda.
It looks just as beautiful as it should.




'Til Next We Meet,
♥,
~ Amy

Build A Ladder To The Sky...

(from flickr)

Pastels & Beautifully Delusional Women

This week looks to be a nice one.
I'm working out harder,
I'm feeling creative again,
And I feel like I want to make things again,
which is always a goodly thing!
Hopefully I'll have some jewelry made soon.

For now, frillies!

This HBO film was brought to my attention as something I HAD to see in two ways! First, I read a rather fascinating article in Elle about the plot and the fabulous fashions contained within. Also, one of my closest friends here in Japan is the niece of Vivian Baker, who did all of Drew Barrymore’s makeup and prosthetics, and who happens to be up for two Emmy Awards thanks to this flick! So we had to have a viewing/pajama party when I bought the DVD, obviously.

Grey Gardens tells the story of Edith Bouvier Beale (Jessica Lange) and her daughter, also named Edith (Drew Barrymore)…Big Edie and Little Edie, respectively…the aunt and first cousin of Jackie Onassis. The film flashes back and forth between the days of Little Edie’s youth, when she was a stylish, wealthy debutante, and the late 70’s, when she and her mother are living in poverty in the crumbling remains of the family summer home, Grey Gardens. We see, over the course of the film, what brought them to this place, and what ultimately becomes of them.

After failing to make something of her art and the failure of her marriage, Big Edie retreats from society, hiding herself away in her house. After her first great heartbreak at the hands of a married man (when she knew she should have known better) and the return of her embarrassing alopecia (which causes ALL of Drew Barrymore’s hair to fall out), Little Edie allows herself to be dragged along into reclusion with her mother. The trust fund slowly runs out, the house begins to decay, the cats take over, and it isn’t until the Health Department raids the place that Jackie finds out exactly what has happened to her favorite cousin.

The themes of the film are, frankly, lovely. The complicated relationship between all mothers and daughters is illustrated in this drastic and unhealthy example, as well as what happens when we let fear and past failures get the better of us…again, in a very drastic way. Visually, it’s lovely as well! Even in their poverty, the Edies were known for being extremely stylish and avant-garde, and both actresses portray them brilliantly, as women who won’t admit that their lives have taken a downturn. And oh my lawd, Vivian definitely earned those Emmy nods. Drew looks drastically different, but not as if she even HAS a prosthetic on, which she does for the entire film. Later on, with her hair all having fallen out and her face covered in age spots, you catch yourself thinking she’s really let herself go. And the difference between young Jessica Lange and elderly Jessica Lange will take your breath away.

The film has a pleasantly happy ending, of a sort, with Little Edie finally overcoming her selfish fear of the world for the last few decades of her life, and you’re cheering for her. This film could be a downer for some, but overall, it speaks to the heart. We’ll be having another party Emmy Night, keep your fingers crossed for Vivian Baker!

~~~

Bat For Lashes released her newest video,
for one of my very favorite songs off of
Two Suns.
Oh Natasha Khan, you are so weird!
I love it! And because I do,
you all get to see it as well ;)




~~~

Wardrobe Project!

I give you the many faces of girly.

Super-Girly!
I'm rather enamored of these shoes.
The bow, while not suitable for
all occasions, makes my short hair happy.

Headband, Shoes, Top, Skirt: Japanese Mall
Necklace: Made By Moi
White Stockings: K-Mart :D
Belt: Old Navy

Many new clips!
I am prepping for when my hair
is once more blue.

Sunday Girly!

Top, Skirt: Forever21
Camisole: Maurice's
Stockings: K-Mart
Steve Madden Shoes: Payless

Is this red giraffe-print not DIVINE?!

Daily Girly!
Top, Skinny Jeans: Forever21
Shoes, AWESOME Red Bag: Japanese Mall
Hello Kitty Headband: Plato's Closet

Oh hai <.<


Next time, I hope to have some new
jewelry made to show off!
I've already started knitting again,
oh the domestic joys!

'Til Next We Meet,
♥,
~Amy

A Deplorable Lack of Natural Light

Of Cuttery & Skinnies & Surveys

Does it weird anyone else out, that we go about
with inches upon inches of dead STUFF hanging
off of the back of our heads?
I find it delightfully macabre, if I think about it
for too long :D

SO!
It's been a few days of returning to form.
The hair has been chopped off!
And I have once again braved the Skinny Jean.
But before you get to see those pictures,
here, have a survey I stole from
My new favorite Mermaid!

1. Who’s your favourite designer?
I have many! Betsy Johnson, Alexander McQueen, Tarina Tarantino, any of my friends who are good with a needle ;)

2. If you had to move out of the country you are living in now, where would you choose to live?
But…I like Japan! Oh fine, England I suppose. Or Australia.

3. Do any of your friends blog?
A few people I know IRL do. They are listed to your right.

4. What is the scariest thing you have ever done?
Hmm. See, I seek out things that will scare me, so I do not know. There are emotional scares, phobia scares, adrenaline scares…jumping off a cliff is pretty high up there, though, even if there was water at the bottom.

5. What hair products do you use?
Garnier Fructis shampoo & conditioner, followed by John Freda anti-frizz serum, and heat-guard if I flat-iron.

6. Would you rather be in a submarine by yourself for six months or in a rocket ship in space with your best friend for a year?
Oh god, I dunno. Probably rocket ship, because even if Dena and I kill each other after month 11, we’d get to float and I am WAY too claustrophobic for a sub.

7. Would you rather be a model in Paris or a musician in Barcelona?
Musician in Barcelona, even though I have very little musical talent. If I could be magically given some, than yes. If it were with the talents I currently possess, then model.

8. Would you rather be an artist in San Francisco or a dancer in New York?
Same criteria. Dancer if I suddenly have talent, artist otherwise…I love New York far more than California.

9. Would you go back and change anything in your life?
Not as many as people would assume, they made me who I am. There are a few moments that could have been avoided, though, mostly ones that greatly hurt other people.

10. Do you have a job? If so, where? And do you like it?
Not currently. Unless you count Being Fabulous, in which case, I LOVE it.

11. Are your friends fashionable?
A fair few of them are, I think! Dena, Kater and I are pretty damn hip and with it.

12. Why did you decide to start this blog?
In the current incarnation? Because I liked cataloguing my adventures, sans most of the personal life. Also for the purposes of Wardrobe Project.

13. When did you start this blog?
I originally started it in September of 2006, and kept it until early 2009, at which point I cleaned out all the emo crap and started anew, with new goals.

14. Did you or do you make any of your clothes yourself?
I am awesome at altering tshirts into something flattering. I’ve started venturing out into other avenues again lately too. I also knit a lot, and make most of my own jewelry.

15. If you could be anyone for a day who would it be?
Amanda Palmer, depending on the day ;)

16. What’s your favourite highstreet shop?
That’s a tough one, seeing as if I want to spend lots of money, I’ll go to an independently owned boutique.

17. If you could live anywhere in the whole world, where would it be?
After here, probably either NYC or the middle of nowhere, Ireland. I am only comfy in jam-packed cities, or the open country. The in-between places, without tall buildings or tall mountains, make me depressed.

18. What’s the one thing you regret not doing most?
Hmm. Happily, I do not have many of those. I regret not pushing myself further in school, in general.

19. Favourite colour?
Black.

20. What’s your perfect summer outfit?
Swishy skirt, fun/weird/band top, heels, shades.

21. Who’s your favourite radio DJ?
No radio in my life, happily.

22. Can you play any instruments?
Piano a little.

23. What colour is your toothbrush?
White and purple.

24. Best and worst thing about blogging?
Best: Having an outlet to express my more creative sides, fashion-minded sides, etc. By showing myself as I really am from those angles, I make connections with people from all over the place! A connection of souls, for a girl who had so few kindreds in the past, is welcome in any form.

I agree with Kim for the worst: The worst thing is trying to get your name out there and sometimes putting hours of work into writing and improving things for almost nothing in return, being frustrated about what to do and where to go with what you're doing, and having negative people try to bring you down.

25. Where do you see your blog in 5 years time?
No idea! Hopefully with more readers and thus, more interactive features.

26. Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
I shall be 28! And hmm. We’ll probably be ready to have kids by then, probably back in the States. Hopefully published, writing regularly, living somewhere extraordinary. Wherever the wind blows.

27. Who are your favorite bands/music artists?
The list is far too long. Topping the list, Tori Amos, Social Distortion, Bat For Lashes, The Magnetic Fields, New Order, The Smashing Pumpkins, Iron & Wine, Placebo, Amanda Palmer…

28. Do you have any brothers or sisters?
I have four brothers and one sister, living.

29. If you could only wear one color for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Black. It’s for all occasions.

30. Your favorite item in your wardrobe?
Black tights.

31. Your least favorite item in your wardrobe?
I don’t buy things unless I feel passionate about them.

32. If you could meet up and talk fashion/go shopping with anyone, who would you pick and why?
Zooey Deschanel! She’d be terribly fun and hilarious, and her personal style is divine, and close to my own. We could swap shoes :D

33. If your perfect day was patterned after a song, which song would it be?
Here Comes The Sun, The Beatles

34. Describe your capsule wardrobe:
Dresses, skirts, tights, denim shorts, killer heels, sweaters, flats, unique and pretty tops.

35. Where do you get inspiration from?
Mainly books, fashion magezines, and whimsical music. I cannot listen to Loreena McKennitt without being inspired, it is impossible.

36. What do you want to do with your life?
Leave the world more colorful and fantastic than how I found it. Be known for my stories.

37. Who is most important to you?
Rick, my sister, Cthulhu.

38. If you could host a dinner party and could invite anyone, who would you invite?
Oh my, the choices! Jesus, Rick, Dena, Kater, Amanda Palmer, Galileo, Billy Corgan, Neil Gaiman, Francesca Lia Block, Johnny Depp, Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Betsy Johnson, Zooey Deschanel, Harry Potter, Death, Alice Liddel, Natasha Khan, Brytnee, C. S. Lewis, Wil Wheaton, Alan Moore, Anderson Cooper, Mum, Buddha…

39. Do you have any style icons?
Sienna Miller (even if I am not built like her), Zooey Deschanel (I am built AND colored like her!), Kat Von D (her personality grates, but she herself looks like a goddess), Natasha Khan (Disco Indian Princess!), Gala Darling (FAB color + ink!), Jayne Mansfield (the girl can’t help it!), Rose McGowan (so 40’s PinUp!), the list goes on…

40. What is your favorite decade for vintage clothing?
30’s and 60’s :D

41. What’s on your birthday list this year?
Oh, no idea. Probably non-essentials, such as another Blythe, and more ink :D

42. Who is your favourite disney character?
I will always be a big fan of Belle.

43. What are your pet peeves?
Rudeness, willful ignorance, disrespect (esp. of another culture…I see this a lot, makes me want to hit someone), children who have clearly never been disciplined a day in their lives and act as such, people who put those lame “our family” stickers on their car…yes, you all look like stick figures…how much taste have you lost lately, hmm?

44. What is your favourite quote?
“It does not do to dwell on dreams, Harry, and forget to live.” ~ Albus Dumbledore




And now!
HAIR!

This is like, RIGHT afterwards.
I liked the cut, hated the way it was styled.

Mhmm.

I LOVE the back. So short!

Here it is today,
after washing all the soccer-mom out.
Daaaahling, I LOVE it.


And here I am with hair:

I wore this to a football game
last saturday.
Sometimes I look fifteen.

PINK!
AFI top from old workplace, altered by me.
Skirt: thrifted & chopped
Leggings & Shoes: Mall in Yokosuka

GASP!
SKINNIES!

I love that I can rock headbands again.
Jeans: Forever21
Blondie Top: KMart, altered by me.
Vest: PX in Yokota
Shoes: Payless, ages ago.
Headband: KMart, ages ago.
Teenie Tiny Pumpsocks: Mall in Yokosuka.

Blurry!

I love my natural wave again.

That is all for now.
I was going to review Grey Gardens,
but I think that requires another viewing.
So there's that to look forward to ;)

'Til Next We Meet,
♥,
~ Amy

You Come Out At Night...

Movies To Meditate To

A break in the regular blogging, for random.
Generally, I enjoy my escapism and immersion.
I'm the mean person who hates when people start
talking during the film ;)
And yet, there are times when I am home alone,
and need inspiration and an ambiance in which to
write, paint, create something, or just let
my many scattered thoughts settle.
Here are my very favorite films to think to.

Marie Antoinette

Of course, Sofia's films are all dream-like,
which is why two of them are on my list.
Not only is the imagery to die for,
the 80's shoegazer soundtrack is lovely.
I am in love with this film and it's soundtrack.
And I really feel for Antoine.
Good if one needs to feel especially girly.
Also fun to eat sweet things whilst watching.



~~

MirrorMask

A girl falls into another world, what could be better?!
This film is like walking through a sketchbook,
so beautiful and strange, a plot we've seen before
in a world that doesn't exist anywhere else.
My love for Neil notwithstanding,
this is an amazing and wonderfully magical film.
It always makes me want to draw, as well.



~~

RENT

The Broadway soundtrack, while dear to me,
does not come with moving pictures ;)
I put this movie on when I'm having writer's block,
or when I need a huge shot of optimism,
straight to my veins.
The music gets me dancing around the living room.
Forget regret, or life is yours to miss.
It also brings me happy memories of times with Dena.



~~

The New World

I have been known to drift for days through this film.
A gentle, long, meandering story, the images
take me to the woods behind my parents' house again.
The love story breaks your heart softly,
and then builds it up again, making me want
to write something romantic and epic and memorable.



~~

The Fellowship of The Ring

Perhaps it is because I've seen it so very many times,
and have read the book almost as many times.
I cannot drift during the other two, I get too caught up.
This first chapter, however, is a welcome companion
on long cold nights with a mug of cocoa, as I enter
Jo March-mode, and write for hours on end,
the lovely music in my ears and the world of Middle Earth
just on the edge of my vision as I do.
Beauty incarnate.


(my favorite extended scene)

~~

Casshern

Every since this film was shown to me,
it has been on my list of meditation companions.
A very long film to sit through and watch,
but it cannot be long enough when I am developing
new and interesting characters.
This film is ridiculously gorgeous, the closest
I've ever seen live action come to looking like an anime.
Go buy it. With subtitles, if you must ;)



~~

Lost In Translation

Where would I be without this film?
Oh wait, I'm living it, sans a neglectful husband!
This one makes me feel like I can curl up in it,
or wander the world like an invisible Scarlett.
As with all of Sofia's films, the soundtrack
comes across as an old friend, dear and comforting.
A good late-night-surfing-the-interwebz-movie.


What films do you like to meditate to?
:D



Til Next We Meet,
♥,
~ Amy

Let's Pretend We're Bunny Rabits...

Things & Stuff

So a little of this,
A little of that!
I've been up to a lot of little things,
and have seen/read some fun things too!
Thus,
the next few entries will be peppered with 'em.

Coraline
Henry Selick, 2008

Despite my great love for Neil Gaiman, I didn't see this film until the other night. Mostly due to the fact that when it was released, I was stuck in Norfolk, with few transportation options and NO friends. Sadface. But now it is on dvd, complete with fashionable 3d glasses! So I bought, and watched, and only mostly enjoyed, sadly.

Coraline Jones has recently moved into a new (old) house with her parents. Stressed with their latest project, her parent's are often high-strung and neglectful, leaving Coraline to her own devices. In her boredom, she discovers another world through a little hidden door in the sitting room, a world just like her own, only wonderfully improved. As such stories often go, however, the perfect world, seemingly made just for Coraline, is more treacherous than it seems.

As I said when reviewing Harry Potter, I try and take a reasonable approach with books-to-films. Even so, I was disappointed by how...mainstream the original story was made to be. To be sure, it was just as creepy as the novel, and all the important plot points and themes were there! But I don't know. Coraline is much more mature for her age in the novel, while still coming across as a kid, that is why it transcends ages. And while she does have some cute moments, and is certainly brave, the main character is just as much of an obnoxious bored kid as any other in any other kid's movie. It made me sad, as did the overall silliness-factor. I know, it was crafted to be more marketable...but why, asks the geek? :P

Even so, I enjoyed it overall. The music is beautiful, and the stop-motion animation is BRILLIANT and gorgeous, the 3d aspect really adding to the experience, as opposed to being a gimmick. It was just scary enough for a young audience, while keeping an adult entertained. Read the book first, though.

Skin Deep

Brought to my attention by the fabulous Gala Darling, who wrote the forward, Skin Deep is a beautiful collection of poetry pertaining to ink and those who love it. A cornucopia of authors each bring a unique perspective on the art of tattooing, the many, many reasons why people get tattoos, and the simple beauty a good tattoo can possess. I read the entire collection on a train ride to and from Yokosuka today, a truly ethereal experience. You can purchase Skin Deep for 6$ US here: Etsy Ahoy!

I am a ring person.
I recently found the Ace of <3's ring
at a shop in Yokosuka,
along with many fun little
Alice in Wonderland treats.
The green-stone ring was my Nana's.
And of course, the wedding rings :D

Random shots before going out,
in the pouring Japanese rain & humidity.
Yeah...I did not look this good
when I got back home.

ZEBRA!

T-shirt and tights: various shops in Yokosuka
Vest: Yokota
Wellies: Target
Shorts: Forever21


Next Entry,
Blog survey, Grey Gardens,
And looking like an Easter Egg :D


Til Next We Meet,
♥,
~ Amy

"You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be."

Potter Tales & Floppy Clothes

You guessed it!
Time for my Epic Half-Blood Prince Review!
It is very long.
Also, it is full of spoilers,
Especially if you haven't read the whole series.
You have been warned.
There will be pretty clothes at the end!

Mmmkay. It’s no secret that I am a massive Harry Potter fan. It took my best friend Dena a long time to wear me down, but at the age of 18, I finally broke down and read the first five books (the only ones present at the time). Two things finally pushed me over the edge: 1, I found out that Ralph Fiennes had been cast as Lord Voldemort in the upcoming 4th film, and I adore Ralph Fiennes, not only because he‘s a dishy Brit, but also because he is a fine actor indeed. I wanted to see him play yet another bad guy. And 2, I was told that the books got much darker, much more adult, and in turn, much more human, even in such a fantastical world. I wasn’t disappointed.

Those who’ve read the books know that, starting at around the end of Book 4, things stop being kid-friendly. The moment Cedric Diggory dies, your comfortable, dangerous-but-not-really-dangerous world shatters…delightfully. You’ve spent 3 books getting to know and love these kids, teachers, their families and friends, and then all of a sudden, The Enemy regenerates fully, the war starts, and you are deeply invested in what becomes of them. From Book 4 onward, things get progressively darker, more dangerous, more heart-breaking, but our character’s moral fiber only becomes stronger in contrast.

Which brings us to The Half-Blood Prince! Having enjoyed the book thoroughly, I was wary of the film. Then again, ever since Lord Of The Rings, I have taken a pragmatic view on Books-To-Films. Film is an ENTIRELY different medium than the written word, I think way too many fans of a certain series forget this. Visual story-telling requires a different approach, different ways of keeping the audience stimulated, not to mention the compressed time. With a book, you are able to digest the many emotional threads at your own pace. A movie has 2 and a half hours to get all the important information across. I believe, therefore, that it all depends on how much the filmmakers love the material they’re dealing with. They’ll get the spirit across. That said, I think this was a wonderful telling of the story! I’ve heard some people say it was slower than the others, I think because the drama of the last two stories is much more internal than the previous ones.

Harry Potter has just seen his godfather killed right in front of him, and the 6th film opens with those last few moments of Film 5, a numb 16 year old kid covered in blood, flashbulbs going off in his face as his beloved Headmaster wraps an arm around him, leading him away from the mob of reporters. I know a film is going to be good if I’m on the verge of tears 20 seconds in!

Over the course of the film, Harry & Dumbledore are searching through the memories Dumbledore has collected over the years pertaining to Tom Riddle, the boy/young man who would become Lord Voldemort. There is a gap in the information, however, and it could very well be the proof Dumbledore has been looking for, as to why their enemy has proven seemingly impossible to kill, why he continues to return. This memory resides in the head of Hogwarts’ newest teacher, and Harry is charged with charming it out of the old man.

Meanwhile, there’s humor a’plenty as hormones threaten the structure of our favorite trio, and it’s hilarious. Also, previously one-dimensional and a simple big-talker, Draco Malfoy suddenly finds himself charged with a task by The Dark Lord himself, after the imprisonment of Draco’s father. Draco has to prove himself, to clear the family name…or he will be killed. His mother pleads his case to Severus Snape, who promises to carry out the task if Draco cannot. Throughout the film, Harry witnesses Draco’s slow decay and unraveling.

All culminates with the discovery that Voldemort has split his soul into pieces…this is how he keeps coming back, and Harry and Dumbledore realize that, by finding and destroying all the pieces, they will at last be able to banish the enemy forever. But before this quest can go very far, Draco succeeds in letting Death Eaters into the heavily-guarded school. When faced with his ultimate task, however, Draco falters, unable to kill the man who has been his Headmaster for six years. As he promised, Snape steps in to finish the job.

As many reviewers have said, the acting in this chapter of the saga is beyond superb, each and every cast member brought their best to the party. Daniel Radcliffe has come so far, from being the dazzled little boy in the first film, to now being an older teenager who has seen and survived far more than any kid should have to, with his soul and good heart still in tact. Rupert and Emma are just as good, they know their characters through and through by now. Michael Gambon embodied fully the much more playful, good-humored Dubledore even in this, the darkest time for his character.

Most surprising of all, of course, was Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy. As I’ve said, in the books and the films, Draco has been a one-sided, stereotypical bully making up for a lack of confidence in himself, like any bully. In Half Blood Prince, he suddenly has to redeem his family in the eyes of The Dark Lord, or risk his own death, and possibly that of his mother, by killing one of the kindest and most powerful men in the world. The strain visibly wears on him, and Tom played him beautifully.

Now, everyone knows I have an unhealthy crush on Severus Snape, in no small part due to Alan Rickman’s portrayal. Even I was stunned, though, at his Snape in this film. We who’ve read the whole series know, where his loyalties truly lie, that he is Dumbledore’s man to the last, that he also promised Dumbledore that he would kill him, if only to keep an (essentially) innocent boy from having to. That Dumbledore was dying anyway. And you could SEE it! Even if you DIDN’T know the whole story, Severus’ face was an open book, if only for a few short moments. His moments of hesitation, the flashes of regret, his panic when Bellatrix almost killed Harry, it was all there. I overhead one of the Americans in the theater talking to his friend as he left, obviously not having read the books, saying, “But man, he looked like he didn’t WANT to kill him, even after he did it!” Alan Rickman, you are brilliant.

Dumbledore’s death scene on the ground was heart-breaking. I was a sobbing baby, when Harry brushed his mentor’s hair back from his face, while the rest of the school banished the Dark Mark overhead. Brilliant.

There were some things I disliked, of course. While I know ALL of the memories from the book couldn’t be fit in, I think the memories pertaining to Tom Riddle’s mother were essential to Harry’s understanding of his enemy, they should have been there.

The romantic comedy aspect, while really good and funny, could have been cut back a little. It wasn’t so much of a focus in the book, tough I suppose it does keep the hormonal teenagers in the audience happy. Still, a few of those scenes could have been cut, perhaps to make room for the memories of Merope Gaunt? But oh well.

I would have liked to see the Fleur/Bill storyline, and more of Tonks/Remus, but as I understand it such things will be saved for the last two films. As it was, I was pleased with what little, subtle bit we got of Tonks and Remus together. Yes, they were together, when in the book they don’t finally get together until the end (very dramatically). But the urgency of starting a relationship when they both have dangerous jobs and live in a dangerous world was still there. I look forward to the baby-drama.

Overall, I loved it. After two viewings, I’m still not done picking out all the little lovely details. I’ll go again this weekend! Way to go, team. I cannot wait until Deathly Hallows, Part 1.

And to cheer myself, my favorite scene
from the very first film
(Inexplicably with Spanish subtitles!)



Wardrobe Project!
I have recently acquired new things,
for almost nothing!

Dress from Forever21,
Boots vintage find.
I'm usually not a red person.
But I like this a lot.

It has paisley!

Worn to HBP:

Very Tonksy, I thought.

Shorts: Forever21
Shirt: Random find at Japanese mall
Tights: Old Navy, ages ago.
Boots: Hot Topic, years ago.

I was in bad need of a summery white blouse.
I found this on, you guessed it, Forever21!

Skirt from Japanese mall,
Shoes thrifted.

Now, this may not be the BEST color combo,
with my complexion.
However, I kinda love this outfit.

Top: Forever21
Skirt: Japanese mall
Shoes: Random shop in Hakone.

I am a floppy,
fluttery butterfly!
Every article of clothing was below
30 dollars, I believe.


And now, to go reread Deathly Hallows,
and perhaps write many stories.
The Muse, she has returned!

Til Next We Meet,
♥,
~ Amy

Bleeding The Orchids

Blockage

There are many reasons why Writer’s Block can be intensely depressing, the general sense of failure usually chief among them. Still, it leaves me puzzled sometimes, why a lapse in creativity can effect me badly enough to evoke a cold sweat every now and then, making me not want to rise from the couch, not go any further into a story than just skirting about the margins. So I gave it a good long analysis this afternoon. Why did I even want to be a writer in the first place?

I was born one. I composed my first story when I was seven, comprised entirely of pictures. I wrote my first full-length story down when I was eleven, after dreaming it in it’s entirety. Both of those stories are still tucked away in my super-secret box of projects, half-finished plots, imperfect, incomplete thoughts, and a very few completed ones. Stories, magic, romance, horror, it has all shone brighter for me than anything in this world ever has.

Fiction has been and always will be The Great Escape. When I was nothing more than the oddity in the corner with precious few friends, I had Diana, my warrior-mother, and her strange world to write in. When I wasn’t invited along to birthday parties or when I was laughed at as an awkward 12 year old, I could comfort myself with the knowledge that at least I could form a complete sentence. And when I got older and the boys kept on picking the shallow damsels in distress, who dreamed of college parties and a job behind a desk, I was writing my future. New York and Paris and Tokyo. A boy who wore scarves and scribbled in leather-bound journals. Rising above my old mistakes by writing about them, by turning my great tragedies and all the things I missed out on, wanted, didn’t understand. Ephemera and fashion and character sketches scattered across my desk along with drained cups of tea.

My identity has centered, in my own head, around one word: Author. A Vehicle for all the dreams, all the missed hopes. The thing you are best at, the thing nobody could pick on you for, because they were too busy being awed. Who is she? What did we miss in her? I admit, those moments are both satisfying and frightening as all hell. Expectation. Appreciation. Things I want, things that scare me to death.

So when it goes away, when the Muse goes to bed for a while, I realize that I become terrified. I wonder, for a few days, if they were right to laugh at the girl who listened to odd music, the girl with few dear friends, the girl who loudly proclaimed that she would never make her living in the mainstream, never walk to the beat of someone else’s drum. The Gift has failed me, now Who Am I?

But even writing it down, it makes me laugh. I still Am. It’s only a moment, it’s only a time to recharge. The stories are there, there characters are waiting in the wings, waiting for when my brain and my nerves finally put away the fear of both rejection and success. Waiting for that perfect moment when all of the ideas and plot threads and twists come together.

And I remind myself that I have written myself this far. I love a boy who fell in love first with my writing, and tells me so, in long letters and leather-bound journals he fills while he’s away. I am reminded by the few, though dear friends who still ask on a weekly basis, what will happen in such-&-such story next?! I curl up in the voice of a favorite author, or the music of a favorite muse, and relax, letting them do the work in my brain for a while. I have had New York. I am having Tokyo. I’ll have Paris next year.

I am still Author, just resting.

Til Next We Meet,
♥,
~ Amy

Nuthin Muffin!

Lazy Summer

Entries have been a bit sparse,
due to a lack of excitement,
and a break in the addition of new clothing items.
The 4th was a fashion delight,
I'll have pictures of that outfit hopefully soon.

Otherwise, summer is lazy!
Working out every day,
and then lazing about,
pool-side or sushi-bar-side.
Also, writing stories and taking pictures
of Blythes in fun places!

Still, I find some time to read good things,
and rent some delightful films.

Push
2009

Oh where to begin on this one? Well, let's just say, it was a good idea that went somewhat awry. In a world where there exist certain people with special powers, The Division hunt them down and try to turn the more talented into weapons, by boosting said powers, which has proven entirely unsuccessful. That is, until one girl, played by a very uninteresting Camilla Belle.

This movie had lots of potential. The characters are mostly interesting and likable (minus Camilla Belle), their powers are very cool, and portrayed in an interesting way, and the premise, while not original, has enough unique flavor to be exciting and stand on its own. Dakota Fanning and Chris Evans are both believable as their characters and have a great back-and-forth, and Dakota's normally nerve-grating maturity actually is endearing in this role. Also, the setting is great! Hong Kong doesn't get nearly enough screen time these days.

Okay that's enough of the good stuff. I usually enjoy Camilla Belle, but in this movie she's just really, really boring. The love story is contrived and isn't believable for a minute, the dialogue is more corny than is strictly required of an action film, and 90% of it is dubbed, which never sounds good. The plot was predictable, I had the whole thing figured out halfway through (and I'm usually surprised by the obvious, I am loathe to admit). And did I mention the corny, non-ironic dialogue?

Still, it's a fun flick...I liked it. I'm glad I didn't buy it, though.

Sabriel
Garth Nix

I have read these books oh, probably five times each since discovering them at the age of 18. I really don't want to write a review...so check them out ;) The perfect fantasy trilogy for the person who DOESN'T like the usual fantasy cliches. Wonderfully original series!

Okay so how about some typical blog fodder, hmm?
My skin has been acting great lately,
so I thought I'd participate in the
Polyvore Skincare Meme
that's been going around...

Skin Care by Leanan Sidhe featuring Fresh fashion

Shower: I usually buy a generic, moisture-rich, scent-free bodywash, and then mix it with my favorite Bath & Body Works shower gel. I love their scents, but their products dry out my skin! Thus the base bodywash. May not sound cost-efficient, however, I stock up on my favorite B&B scents (Japanese Cherry Blossom & Warm Vanilla Sugar) right after Christmas, during their massive sales. I have enough B&B products to last me a year.

Face: Neutrogena Deep Clean Facial Cleanser daily, and St. Ives Apricot Scrub twice/thrice a week. My pores, I cannot show you them! ("My pores are tiny, my pores are cute!!" ... I miss Daria)

Lotions: Skin milk all over, Pond's Dry Skin Cream on the face nightly, and I baby my tattoos with some pure Vitamin E lotion. Helps them stay bright, and fights any sun damage that may get through the sunscreen.

ETC. Coppertone, DAILY! I am very pale, I will never tan, I do not want to be tan. Living in sunny Japan, I must be especially careful. I wake up in the morning, and I put on sunscreen, every day. Also, I know it's become the cliche, but it really is true: More water in the body, better, healthier skin. I have noticed a big difference, since I started working out daily and thus drinking LOTS of water.

Next Entry,
Harry Potter Costumes
&
Hopefully More Stuff.

I leave you with this picture of me,
in my awesome new LOFNOTC shirt.

Altered by moi, of course.
Salute!

Til Next We Meet,
♥,
~ Amy

Baby, It's You

Adventures!

Death Proof has nothing to do with this post.
Except for the fact that I am
watching it right now.
Also, it's a freaking awesome film.
Hooray for girls in fast cars,
beating the ever-loving crap out of a psycho!


Yesterday, some friends and I went to
Yunessun in Hakone,
A spa/hot spring in the mountains of Japan.

The ride through the mountains was...interesting! Exceedingly beautiful, as the mountains are ridiculously green and it was a rainy, misty day. Scary, because: GIANT buss + tiny tiny roads. We arrive in one piece though. Yay buss drivers who know how to buss.

We arrived at the spa and got our most awesome wristbands, which open lockers and pay for food & drinks with a single wave of one's wrist! The spa had many indoor and outdoor hot tubs/springs, as well as kid-friendly areas, and nude areas! (we did not venture into the latter though) There were water slides and delightful robes and delicious, scented stone pools outside. The coffee-scented pool was rocky and bubbly, the wine-scented was deep purple, with a GIANT wine bottle fountain. The Green Tea spring was very large, and yes, bright green, with a very large teapot floating above in the trees! I was reminded of Katers :D

And these were all outside, and it was a perfect cold, rainy day too, which is great hot spring weather! Cool drops are falling on your head, while steam rises around you and up into the trees. Guh, the mountain was so beautiful.

Also, there was a special pool you could dip your feet into, FULL of tiny fishes!!! :D :D :D They nibble all the yucky bits off of you toes! Oh, how I squealed and giggled with ticklish glee!

Here are some lovely pictures,
taken by my friend Ingrid.

Buss ride.
Obligatory peace sign.
When in Japan...

Awesome Robes!
I am wearing a cover-up,
due to my tattoos.

Oh Engrish!

Kiddie Area!

Coffee-scented!

I died in the coffee.
Much like an insect.

Wine-flavored!

My new friend, the Yunesun Mascot.
I enjoy him.



And in clothing adventures,

The Story of Skirt

My husbot is very attentive,
especially when it comes to gifts.
In fact, he keeps a list on his computer,
of things I've mentioned I like.
(I know, you all hate me and are jealous.
I must use this power only for Good.)
A while back, I mentioned how much I like
pretty much EVERYTHING on Hunters & Gatherers.
However, most of their stuff remains in my,
"Want it, will never afford it" file.

And then, when I FINALLY had a date for
my move to Japan, Rick decided to celebrate by
picking out this Skin Graft skirt for me :O
All by himself!
I was quite, QUITE enthralled.

After a long wait,
Two postage mixups,
and a new address,
the skirt at long-last arrived in Japan!

It's an interesting piece.
Gorgeous, and I love it, and love styling it.
It will be even more fun in the winter,
with thick stockings and such!
(Right now I wear black booty short under,
to avoid any unnecessary flashing)

For now, here are some things I am trying out.

Girly, understated.

I LOVE THE RUFFLES.

Girly, costumed.

I need white gloves!

Steampunk, understated.

Think of it as Office-Goth!

Steampunk, costumed.

Am 19th Century strumpet!
I love this skirt, SO HARD.
Nice choice, Husbot :D

And in other weird-fashion news,
I has these cowboy boots :D

And I LOVE them!

Rather Faye Valentine-esque!
They make me happy.


That is all for now!
Til Next We Meet,
♥,
~ Amy

Sprout & The Bean

Raindrops & Denim & Accessories

This week was a venture in two things
I have never been all that good at,
fashion-wise:
Rain Gear and Good Jeans.


Now, it's the rainy season here in Japan.
Typhoons are not unheard of,
though here near Tokyo Bay, one is pretty safe.
Still.
Water, water everywhere.

After much searching,
I came across these lovely Wellies
from Target, via Amazon.
They has little red birdies!

I dig, I definitely dig.
I also enjoy this outfit, and wear it often.
Top from Delia's, YEARS ago.
Skirt a thrifted and chopped find.
Goldfish necklace via Paraphernalia

Wellies!

New Bag!
I love the NEX, I really do.
Hooray for tax-free shopping ;)
Mondani, faux snakeskin, on sale, etc.

Ah do declayah.

+ Funbrella!

All together now!
I love my yellow B.Moss raincoat.
It has been my friend for many years.

Okay so, I saw these tights
at The Mighty Soxor, and had to has.
Very Amanda Palmer Oasis Video.
UO Shorts (pyramid studs by me),
Shirt found in the kid's section at Goodwill.
Can't wait to wear this outfit
with the sky blue cowboy boots in the mail.

Favorite SD Shirt, bar none.

So, jeans and I have been having a
complicated relationship as of late.
Mostly due to the fact that I no longer belong
in the junior's department.
At least when it comes to pants.
Such pants are made for girls with no hips.
Or, girls who believe the best way to attract
is to wear things skin-tight to said curves.
Girls, no.
Even if you are skinny, this will make you
look not so.

Anyway.
Tired of looking like my bum was ten
feet wide in jeans,
I finally sucked it up and went to the Levi's
display in the missus section, and...

...it wasn't scary!
Yes, Mom-jeans live there.
But so do good jeans!
With many, many size options!
One pair of long, straight leg, size 2's later...

BEHOLD!
I look my proper size!

+ Candie's Boots :D


Substance in the near future!
Until then,
Here, enjoy some Social Distortion.

Til Next We Meet,
♥,
~ Amy

And You Are Starry Starry Starry...

Days Of Costume

Japan is an interesting study in personal style.
I suppose when you're in the States,
looking IN on J-fashion,
it may be kind of hard to "get".
But being here,
seeing a million men in suits,
and a billion kids in school uniform,
it makes PERFECT sense to see
the crazy shades of neon on the weekends.
Lives are so uniform, so compartmentalized.
Frankly, it's quite beautiful :D

Now, stuff!

The Life Before Her Eyes
2007, Vadim Perelman

Diana McFee is 33 years old, and leads an idyllic life with her husband and young daughter in a lovely home with a gorgeous, flowering garden. She has the job she always dreamed of, a good marriage, and her daughter is going to a good school. All this should be making her happy, but as the 15th anniversary of her own High School's shooting draws near, Diana finds her own sanity slipping with (what appears to be) survivor's guilt.

The movie flashes between Adult Diana (Uma Thurman) and Teenage Diana (Evan Rachel Wood), and we are shown her troubled teenage years in vivid detail, as well as her relationship with her best friend, eternal good girl Marueen (Eva Amurri). Marueen is a good student, with a crush on a good Christian boy, who wants to get married and have lots of babies and be a good mother to them. Young Diana was the trouble-making weed-smoker who had an abortion and whom no one thought would amount to anything, save for Maureen and one teacher. As the film goes on, one is reminded that as much as the choices we make as a kid still define us, our past is something that should make us stronger, smarter, and that we should not feel we have to pay for it for the rest of our lives.

The film leads up to a twist I totally wasn't expecting, that some people didn't like, but that I personally think makes the whole experience all the more poetic and heartbreaking. This was a great film, even if it's very sad. It was exactly the sort of film I needed to see too, as someone who often lets the past get the best of her, even though life is great right here and now. It's a powerful watch, I highly recommend! Also, I love Evan Rachel Wood, even if she does tend to stick to Sullen/Troubled-Girl roles. She's wonderful, and so is Uma, who is so gorgeous in this. Go watch it.

Starry Starry Starry!
Liquid Eyeliner Adventures for LOFNOTC.
(if you have to ask, you'll never know)


This past week I've been going through
the clothes that were in boxes in our shipment.
I realized I had some cute things!
Behold, The Forgotten Dresses!
One costumey,
One casual,
and One Snazzy.

This dress is a bit big on me,
but I love it!
Very apropros, I think.

Of course, me being me, I had to add
The Lightsaber.
Mara in Jabba's Palace, clearly.
(Geek.)

I bought this some time ago at Old Navy.
It makes an excellent bikini cover-up,
but also makes a really nice day dress!
Plus, it makes me feel as if I am wearing
The Van-Trapp family's drapes!
:D

So much PRINT!

At long last, here it is,
The Monthiversary Dress,
Picked out by Husbot at Macy's
for our ONE month wedding anniversary,
last year :D

Kinda va-va.
May also contain some voom.

Woe!
Not sure how that happened...

Fringed shawl from my sister,
I believe.
Where will I wear it again?
No idea!
But I will wear it again...
Perhaps for the two-year anniversary,
in New Zealand ;)


And then,
here's me,
Daily Outfit,
Cleaning the house on a Saturday!

No frills.
Well, a few frills.

FEETS!
Next entry, perhaps I will review True Blood.
Maybe.


Til Next We Meet,
♥,
~ Amy