Friday, July 29, 2011

15 Followers! Thank you, everyone!

When I found out I had 15 followers today, I knew the first post I was going to write was a thank you post.
The 10 follower milestone was surpassed around two months ago (or maybe less?) but I decided instead to wait to see if I would reach 15, then send out a thanks post.

My blog started out as something I thought nobody would read. It was really for me to write for myself, in the beginning. Gaining followers was definitely a shock.

I am filled with joy to know that my number of supporters is increasing.

Thank you for your support. It always encourages me to continue writing for others to read.

I am also working more on languages. My goal is to be able to write my posts in as many languages possible to cater to the vastly diverse world we live in.

Yo apprendo espagnol for you!
Je vais étudier trés fort!
ありがとうございます!!!

Monday, July 25, 2011

A Sweet Lolita Dream: A Lolita and Fairy Kei Store At the Mall


It's been a while since I had dreams about Lolita and Fairy Kei fashion, and just a few nights ago, I had another!

I remember first being in H&M in a mall, and finding cute pastel headbows, thinking, aww, maybe I can incorporate these into a Fairy Kei outfit! Looking up, I saw two cute Fairy Kei girls passing me by. I smiled, thinking, so cute!!! A few seconds later, I was curious as to see where they would go next, so I ran to the entrance of the store, but they had disappeared!

Down the hall, I saw a girl wearing some sort of Harajuku fashion, passing, and walking into a store (which I had never previously seen!) that held Japanese fashion! I ran to the store, finding two girls who worked there, greeting me in Japanese. One was caucasian, and the other Japanese. They led me into a room full of Lolita clothes, all of them being in the sweet style. I knew that even though this wasn't an Angelic Pretty boutique, I should still buy at least one, since I would probably wouldn't be able to access a store that had all these pretty clothes I was looking for! The last thing I remember before ending my dream was trying on a yellow dress.

It definitely will be a while until I have access to a store with them physically there. As I have stated in earlier posts, I might be going to Fan Expo. Anime conventions are known for carrying brand names from time to time, so I really hope I'll find something there if I go!






Photo rights belong to Angelic Pretty.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Summer Boredom


There have been a lack of posts lately, and the cause of this is lack of things to do. I've been knitting almost everyday and haven't come up with anything interesting or different. I've knitted bows too, but they were just different colours. They're all the same sizes too. I tried making a headband with a bow, but I didn't succeed in getting the perfection I wanted.

On the bus  yesterday, I saw a lady who seemed to be in her twenties knitting! I was really happy, since it was rare for me to find people randomly knitting, and because I forgot my ipod and had nothing to do. This joy lasted until she decided to put her knitting away to read. -.-''

Aside from knitting, I've been working on my Japanese! My Nihongo is still very, very limited, minna. I should be working on my French, though. I'm beginning to forget a lot of things now.

I see a possible road trip in the near future, and a very small possible trip to Fan Expo 2011. I hope I'll find something interesting to put up next time! I really do.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

The Daily Life of an Otaku: Vampire Knight volume 12


I've been trying to upload this for a while, but for some reason, it wouldn't. Well, it's up here now. Finally! I've been waiting for its release for a while. Too long, that I completely forgot about it until I saw it in the bookstore recently. I was ecstatic to get my hands on a copy!

A while back, I expected the series to end at volume 10. I was wrong! My next guess is volume 15. If not, 20, but I don't think Matsuri Hino would go that far. Then again, maybe she will.

Monday, July 4, 2011

New Blue Bow!



This summer vacation, making things has occupied my time. I made this blue bow a week ago, but wasn't able to upload it for some reason. I also have another picture I want to upload, but it's not uploading either. I'm looking forward this summer to making more things. The thing is, amigurumi (crocheted or knitted toys) are difficult to make, and there aren't many patterns I can find that fit in with the cute subcultures of Japan. For now, I'll have to rely on my brain to come up with things, just like I did with this bow!

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Just Finished My First Decoden Project!

I just finished my first decoden project! I think I should've used a fan to blow the toxic silicone fumes away, but at the very least, I used a mask.

My overall experience with it in three words: It. Was. Terrible.

I have experience with piping, and why it was terrible today? A few things:
- I'm used to piping with easy to move solutions. What I used today (caulking) was just too sloppy.
- I wasn't able to get to some pictures for inspiration. (The computer was being blocked when I needed it the most!)

It was so...ew, that I won't put a picture of it up. It just shows how gross the first time can be. I didn't even put any cabochon on it, because that's how terrible it was.

At the very least, I can say I've tried, and I now have experience with it. There's always room for improvement. This experience only motivates me to work harder at making better decoden in the future.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Getting Closer to Starting Decoden

My biggest obstacle keeping me from starting sweets deco is finding whipped cream. A friend of mine who also does deco den tells me she uses caulking, and told me about a specific type that doesn't chip off. I'm willing to give this a try, since from her pictures of her projects, they don't seem easily broken. This is the last thing on my 2011 resolutions list that I still need to complete. Once I do complete mine (or even start!) I'll post the pictures up. Her advice has given me lots of hope!

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Today's Kawaii Item(s)! Day 19

Our kawaii item today is...


... my blue Domo cell phone charm!


About the item:
I got this cell phone charm from a gachapon yet again, from an Asian supermarket.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Crafts and Knitting Inspiration


My interest in knitting was sparked up again after being inspired by fairy kei fashion!

I've been knitting for a few years now, and have been crocheting for a few days.

My interest in crafts faded over a span of almost ten years, but I'm back at it again! The crafts I mostly do are scrapbooking, and knitting. I'm beginning an interest in sewing, embroidery, and crocheting.

I've been thinking for a while about putting what I've knitted up (of course, inspired by Japanese fashion!) It all begins with that bow in the above picture. That was my first Japanese fashion-inspired creation, with many more along the way! The bow still seems a little plain to me, if it were to be coordinated into fairy kei, but I am still a beginner venturing into that fashion.

I've become so inspired from those who are selling what they made. It makes me want to open my own business. That thought is still not too serious yet, so I'll have to keep thinking about it.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Today's Kawaii Item(s)! Day 18

Our kawaii item today is...
Notre chose kawaii aujourd'hui est...




... my cinnamoroll keychain!!!!
...ma chaîne de clé cinnamoroll!!!!

About the item:
Again, I bought this from a gachapon in an Asian Supermarket!!

Information de la chose:
Encore, j'ai acheté cette chose d'un gachapon au un magasin asiatique!!!

Friday, June 17, 2011

Today's Kawaii Item(s)! Day 17

Our kawaii item today is...
Notre chose kawaii aujourd'hui est...



... my pink Hello Kitty marker!
...mon marqeur rose Hello Kitty!

More information on the item:
I bought it at Wonderland, last year. There was a store with a lot of Hello Kitty things! There were purses, t-shirts, and a lot more!  All of which were Hello Kitty. There were kanji on the pen, and I could read yume, and ai (dream and love). I was very happy when I bought this and I am sure that I will return there when I go to Wonderland this year.

Plus information sur le chose:
Je l'ai acheté à Wonderland, l'anneé dernier. Il y avait un magasin qui a beaucoup des choses Hello Kitty! Il y avait des sac à mains, des tee-shirts, et beaucoup plus! Touts qui sont de Hello Kitty. Il y a des kanji sur le marqeur, et je peux lire yume, et ai, (rêve et amour). J'étais trés contente quand je l'ai acheté, et je suis sûr que j'y retourner quand je vais à Wonderland cette anneé.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Today's Kawaii Item(s)! Day 16

Our kawaii item today is...
Notre chose kawaii aujourd'hui est...


...my Hello Kitty Pez!
... ma Pez Hello Kitty!

I bought this at Walmart, so these are easy to find!
Je l'ai acheté à Walmart, alors ils sont faciles à trouver!  

Saturday, June 11, 2011

A Small Nuigurumi Collection Expands!

Ever since I got my first nuigurumi, I wanted to build a collection of them. After getting Yuki Cross, my sister added Ran to the collection. Our latest addition arrived with Anime North!

Something new I learned about nuigurumi is that there's another name for them - UFO catchers. This name is much more referred to.

I did a "photoshoot" today for these three nuigurumi (with my poor quality phone camera T^T) and more items for my Today's Kawaii Item(s)! posts, since I'm usually to lazy to upload them. Watch out for more of those posts, coming soon!



Our latest addition to our Nuigurumi family!


That's my Japanese bristol board school project behind them.  Please continue to show your support for our Japanese friends!  



Tuesday, June 7, 2011

A Week Since Anime North

I just noticed - the Sailor Moon here from last year at Pacific Mall is the same nuigurumi I bought at Anime North!
It's been a week since all that fun at Anime North! It still hasn't sunk in that it'll be another full year until it comes around again, and that means saving up money, and planning much more carefully on spending. No, not spending less, spending more. I was supposed to buy much more, but my Asian instincts got to me. (-.-) I do regret it, very much, especially when I tried hard saving up ahead of time. It's time to look forward from it now (although I know I'll still be blabbing on about it) and see what other events to look forward to.

The next anime convention coming up, according to animecons.com in Canada in the GTA is FanExpo, which not only centers upon anime, but also includes a comic convention, sci-fi, and others. My friends have been to this one and tell me it's huge, but remember! This is a mixed convention. It's set to take place from August 25 to 28. I'm hoping to attend this convention this year, and if I do, it'll be my first time at FanExpo.

There's another convention in Montreal called Otakuthon, taking place starting on August 12 to 14. I have a very low chance of attending this, but given the chance to visit friends in that area, during that time, I'm hoping to go.

For a complete list of upcoming anime conventions, I suggest the site animecons.com.

Also according to this site, Anime North was listed in the top anime conventions 2010 chart, with around 16 000 paid attendees, and is the only Canadian convention to make the list. All the other conventions are American. Taking first place is - you guessed it - Anime Expo. Good job, Canada, for making the top 10!

Anime North marked the end of an extremely busy week for me, and now, I feel much more relaxed. I'm happy to be able to have less to worry about on my mind!

We were assigned myths in class today, and among the choices were a Japanese legend, and a Chinese legend. Knowing me, you'd have probably guessed that I wanted the Japanese one. You're right! It was too late, though. Another Asian shot her hand up before me and got the Japanese legend instead. T^T  We settled for the Chinese one, so I was a little satisfied. The thing is, part of the presentation is dressing up as one of the characters! If my group were able to have the Japanese one, I would be ordering my kimono or yukata right now! Well, there'll be other times.




Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Back From Anime North 2011!

(Pictures are at the bottom. Many are blurry, so I'm sorry. If you see a picture of yourself and would like to use it, please feel free to do so.)  


I had lots of fun ! (Which is of course to be expected!) I saw so many cosplayers this year. While it had its ups, it also had its downs.


The downside? Just a few things. My sister crushed a new manga by accident and totally damaged it (it's fine though. we can always buy a new one) and my phone almost lost my pictures. No idea how. I actually asked people for their pictures this year, including two very cute fairy kei girls, a girl from Pretty Cure, and a Su from Shugo Chara. Now for my exciting trip!


My sister and I arrived before 9:00, and there was already a line. It wasn't too long, so we were relieved. We expected much more people there, but it was Sunday, the day with the least number of attendees. from what I can recall, there was a Yuki Cross, a girl with half of her hair shaved and the other half purple (amazing, the dedication people put into this!), a girl with a Yoshi shirt, and several girls in mini skirts. While waiting in line, a few cars drove up behind us to drop off other con-goers. Among one of them was a lolita wearing an Angelic Pretty dress! I think it was the Jewelry Jelly Print. Later, we saw a girl in a fairy kei outfit, and immediately, I knew who it was! One of the members of Pinkly Ever After! They have a blogspot where I'm one of their followers, so that's the reason why I know who they are. There was a man with a troll mask carrying  sign with some of the "Friday" lyrics on it, and people said, "Not that song!"


9:30 rolled around, and eventually we went inside to register for the day. We got the Weekend Otaku passes instead, of the usual Sunday passes, so I guess they decided to save time this year and go with one type of pass. We had wait in line for the dealer's room and other events until 10 because there weren't any events that would start until then. One minute before 10, the line started a countdown, and we were let in.


To get to the Dealer's Room, you have to go through the Crafter's Corner. For those who don't know, the Crafter's Corner is an area where people sell their 2D fan or original artwork, in the form of 2D keychains, posters, bookmarks, buttons, well, anything 2D. It was here were I bought my friend a Vocaloid bookmark (since she 's such a huge fan of her!) from the Artist, Eranthe, who has a deviantart account. I love this artist, and definitely will continue to support them if they decide to continue to venture into the next years, which, undoubtedly, they will. I bought a Yuki Cross bookmark and button from them last year. Here's the Yuki Cross bookmark:   

My sister also bought a Vocaloid bookmark from them, and two other buttons. After walking down more aisles, my sister bought a pokemon water type button from another seller. We walked down almost all the aisles, until we decided to go to the dealer's room. Heading towards the entrance, we saw a very fairytale - like area, which turned out to be Pinkly Ever After's table. We knew that later, we would return to look at their items.

In the dealer's room, we made sure to walk through all four corners, and walked around the room without buying anything until 10 minutes before the beginning of the Lolita Fashion for Beginners Panel. We didn't stay for too long, because my sister decided we were going to eat. (I was disappointed, since I was learning a bit about lace that I didn't know before!) We went out and crossed the street to the Congress Centre, where we ate and walked. By the time we got to the Dealer's Room entrance, we had finished our lunch and went to shop around some more. I forgot to add: as we walked, I asked a Cure Black from the anime, Pretty Cure for a picture! That was the first time I asked someone for their picture, so I was somewhat proud of myself. In the dealer's room, I focused on getting Anna's mangas. Armed with her list of mangas and her $200, I hunted for the tables that sold mangas at $5 each. Oddly enough, none of the books there were on her list, so I turned to the tables that sold mangas 10% off of the US price. Throughout this second trip to the dealer's room, I heard a sales person to the side say, "Look at this shopper, a list, and everything." I smiled and said, "A friend sent me here with her list." Another sales lady at the side pointing to the mangas said, "This is all in alphabetical order so..." I replied, "I think we have a long way to go." We bought some manga, and headed towards other sellers and bought everything we could find from her list. We left the dealer's room for a bit so we could count of all the manga we got. We ended up with 19.

We returned, and finally bought our own things. I bought an Onigiri hat from Fruits Basket, and a Sailor Moon nuigurumi. My sister bought a Domo "green" bag, and Shugo Chara Volume 10, which seems to be unavailable in Chapters at the moment. We walked around, and found several places that sold Lolita things. I saw the Gothic Lolita Bibles, and wanted to buy it, but was turned off by the price ($35!). I also saw a Bodyline skirt for $45, but didn't buy it, for some unknown reason. I regret it so much now. T^T

We went out and sat to rest for a bit, until V-chan texted me to tell me she was in the Sheraton Hotel doing DDR. We went there and spent the rest of the time there until 3, and went home.

Now for the pictures!!!



pre registration line

































Our bags of things we bought!



Today marks the last day of Asian Heritage Month. To end this post off, for the last time this year, happy asian heritage month!!!

Friday, May 27, 2011

Anime North Begins Today!

Today marks the beginning of Anime North 2011! I'm sure that there'll be a lot of pictures posted up of today's events by the end of the day. My friend, V-chan went today and is going today and tomorrow, so she'll have plenty to tell me about and what to expect when we see each other on Saturday. I have a super busy schedule ahead of me, so my posts until sunday (or even after!) will be relatively short. I might not even be able to blog until the weekend's done, so I'll see you soon with lots of pictures!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Anime North Starts Tomorrow!

That's right! I'm super, super, super excited! Oh my gash. (I spelled gosh like that on purpose.) I haven't gotten my things together yet, and some arrangements in place either, but I expect them to be in place tonight. I have yet to prepare my bags and "supplies", but I will get right to that tomorrow.

I'm praying that everything will go alright for Sunday! I really want to be able to get into all the lolita fashion - related events.

Last year, I brought my Chococat bag, but this year, my Domo will be tagging along!

Get ready for a load of pictures!!!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Anime North Lolita Fashion Excitement

In less than a week, I'll be on my way to my second anime convention! (Still hoping that nothing will get in its way!) I browsed through the site for events I might want to attend, and I really hope I'll be able to attend all the lolita - related events! So far, I've seen three: Beginners in Lolita Fashion, the Lolita Swap Meet, and the Lolita Tea Party.

Beginners In Lolita Fashion speaks for itself. It's a self-explanatory panel.

The Lolita Swap Meet is where Lolitas get together and buy or sell items. You need to RSVP, but you can still join if there is enough room left. I'm really excited for this one, but now that I've found out this event exists, I feel terrible for spending all that money on food and other stuff. T^T I could've bought an Angelic Pretty JSK with the combined total of spending in the past three months. Still, I'm satisfied that I have the amount of money that I do. This event is perfect for me, since I don't like buying online. I can try things on myself instead of having a guessing game. Things I'm hoping to buy (if I can't afford a dress or a JSK) are the huge hairbows, maybe a petti, socks, and any other accessories I can buy. Another thing I forgot to add: you an bargain!

The Lolita Tea Party also speaks for itself. The cost is $15 if you wear cosplay or lolita to this event, and $20 if you don't wear those. I'm trying to find something my sister can wear to this so she'll pay less, even if I don't. Save a little money, right?

I'm super, super excited!

Countdown to Anime North: 3 days!

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Asian Word Of the Day

(Post #7 of the Asian Heritage Month series)

Today, our Asian word is...
Aujourd'hui, notre mot asiatique est...

Usagi

...rabbit, in Japanese.
...un lapin, au japonaise. 

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Asian Phrase of the Day

(Post #6 of the Asian Heritage Month Series)

Our Asian phrase today is...
Notre phrase asiatique aujourd'hui est...

Chúc mừng năm mới

...Happy new year, in Vietnamese
... Bonne année, au vietnamien.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Anime North Doubts

    I'm not too sure if I will be able to make it to Anime North this year, but I'm praying that I will have nothing that will keep me from having at least a few hours there. I'm not going the full weekend, but I'm still debating over saturday or sunday. On saturday I have commitments in the morning and in the later afternoon, which would leave me with a few hours, just like last time (it was still worth it!) and I also might have to go to a party. On sunday is another morning commitment, but I would have the rest of the day for fun. If I were to go sunday, I would only make it at around one o'clock, leaving me just about 5 or 6 hours to fun with other otakus.

    Another change this year is that my friend, V-chan won't be going with us, and will be going with her school's anime club (they are so lucky they have one!). I was really hoping I could go with her again this year, but things happen. I might bump into her there, so who knows? I bumped into a lot of other school friends there last year!

    I'm hoping with all my might! My countdown would be a waste if I don't go. I really hope I will!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Asian Word of the Day

(Post #5 of the Asian Heritage Month Series)


Today, our Asian word is...
Aujourd'hui, notre mot asiatique est..
Tsukue

...desk, in Japanese. 
...pupitre, au japonaise.

Countdown to Anime North: 8 days
Compte à rebours à Anime North: 8 jours

Monday, May 16, 2011

My Favourite Asian Food!

(Post #4 of the Asian Heritage Month Series)

I grew up in a country renowned for its cultural diversity, but I still prefer European and American food over asian food. Nevertheless, in throughout the journey of my life (so far!) I've come across Asian food that have become favourites of mine. 

Japanese
Tonkatsu  -  is probably my favourite so far. I haven't had much experience with Japanese cuisine, since my first time eating it was earlier this year. (I did have some Japanese earlier than that, but never had a full meal to myself!) This was the first dish I ate on my first time at a Japanese restarurant. Tonkatsu is fatless breaded pork, so it's much healthier than our regular meat. I've only ever had this twice, but I'm dying for some more!

Filipino
Puto   -  is definetly my favourite Filipino food. It's a rice cake, but you can add food colouring to add to its aestheic appeal. I've heard that there are different flavours, but I've never come acoss one of those in my life. My friend's aunt makes the best ones, that even my mom can't duplicate.

Vietnamese
Pho  -  was the first Vietnamese food I tried, and I fell in love with it the first time I tried it at a Vietnamese restarant with family, a few years back. I love the beef. I can't exactly describe it, but I can say for sure that most of the beef don't have too much fat in them. It's my sister's favourite too.

Chinese
I don't have a favourite Chinese food. I've eaten a lot of them, but I don't know what their names are. I've never come across something so good that I had to remember its name. I guess all I can say right now are their noodles.

I've never had a taste of Korean food, aside from the snacks at the supermarket, but I'm sure I'll find a favourite soon.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Asian Word of The Day

(Post #3 of the Asian Heritage Month Series)

Today, our Asian word is...
Aujourd'hui, notre mot asiatique est...

Kanin


Rice, in Tagalog.
le riz, en tagalog.


I had a week's hiatus, and I'm here now!
J'ai un hiatus pour une semaine, et maintenant, je suis ici!

Countdown to Anime North: 14 days
Compte à rebours à Anime North: 14 jours

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Asian Word of The Day

(Post # 2 of the Asian Heritage Month Series)

As part of my Asian Heritage Month Series, I'll be putting posts up of words in different Asian languages.

Today, our Asian word is...

Kodomo

meaning child in Japanese.




Countdown to Anime North: 23 days



Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Today's Kawaii Item(s)! Day 15

Today's kawaii item is...
Le chose kawaii d'aujourd'hui est...


...My Hello Kitty Year of the Tiger Keychain!
...Ma chaîne de clé anneé du tigre!

About the item:
L'information de la chose:

I bought this item from a gachapon, again! Heheh. As always, it's from an Asian Supermarket.
J'ai acheté cette chose d'un gachapon, encore! Heheh. Comme toujours, c'est d'un magasin asiatique.



Countdown to Anime North 2011: 24 days
Compte à rebours à Anime North: 24 jours

Monday, May 2, 2011

Happy Asian Heritage Month! & Today's Kawaii Item(s)! Day 14


Happy Asian Heritage Month! Well, I'm a bit late on that one, but better late that never! Today's post won't have translated French for the reason of not having time. Sorry! To start off my string of posts to celebrate Asian Heritage Month, we celebrate with the arrival of today's kawaii item:

... my pink Love Bunnies cell phone charm!

About the item:
I got this cell phone charm in a gachapon at an asian supermarket. This is my first Love Bunnies Item, so it's something I treasure a lot. I chose to buy from the gachapon this is from because, well, I find that it's a bit close to loli fashion. Okay, not really, but it had a bow, and was pink! If it has those elements, you'll find me stuck to it as a child is stuck to a toy. That's right. My childish side is showing.

I'm sorry for today's post being very short. I will put much more time into tomorrow's post for sure. I will try to expand more on Asian Heritage tomorrow.

For now, it's back to studying!

Countdown to Anime North 2011: 25 days