A Late Turkey Day

I know, I fail at posting things exactly on the day it happens . . . well, just imagine you're traveling back in time with me and all will seem more magical and lala-licious.


So I hope everyone had oodles of fun on Thanksgiving! As for me, I did the usual i.e. watch the parade on television because I could never find a good seat if I went, and then spaced out.

Lunch came rolling along . . .

I know, typically Asian. But it warmed me up quite well!

Then, as if that wasn't enough, my dad was all "Let's eat some cake!" And boy, was it big . . .

Sorry, it got crushed a bit.

It's a cheesecake from Fairway. I've had this before. Not the biggest fan because it's REALLY thick, and they don't use the fruits when its ripe (for example, the kiwi is pretty hard and sour). I discovered (after having to eat it a few days later), it's best to scrape off the fruits, rinse off all that custard, scrape off the top of the cheesecake and take off more custard, and then eat it. That makes it less sweet which for me is perfect.

Well, anywho, the rest of the day I rolled on the ground.

Dinner was low key. Actually no turkey this year! I had pork that we had in the freezer. There was also lotus root (I think that's what it is in English? Maybe not?), potato, and spinach and bean sprout mix. Everything was lightly seasoned (I may have preferred more flavors but thus is the Asian way . . . )

Everything is quite brown. But not to complain, I thought it was still good! And who doesn't love a nice home cooked meal?


Black Friday was probably the most exciting~! I hung out with ultra cool people and bumped into some ultra cool peeps as well~

I think the highlight of that day was UTRECT'S FREEAAKING BEFORE NOON ART SALE 40% OFF. Oops, sorry, my grammar sucks from all the excitement. But yeah, I got some coveted oil painting supplies while studying all the stereotypes that work at that store (of which I LOVE NO JOKE this is not an insult)

Mmmmmmmmm . . . art supplies . . .

Then I headed to Uniqlo where I got this awesome bag~ (pictures later), that came with an awesome magazine that looked a little something like this:

The second one is my fav outfit outta the mag, but alas, that dress isn't from Uniqlo . . .

After all of that, I wandered into one of my other favorite stores . . .

LUSH!!!

Two bath bombs . . . I should remember the name because I get their newsletter things in the mail and I read it meticulously, but I don't . . . I just know they smell REALLY GOOD.


FINALLY THE BEST FOR LAST. On the way to going to the MOMA (of which my friend and I left after finding out Tim Burton was sold out for the night but it was okay because we went to the MET and saw Vermeer instead), I stopped by Magnolias.

AND I TOLD YOU I WOULD GET THIS EVENTUALLY:

Yes, the blurred picture does it no justice. But that my friends is heaven in a cup, formerly known as Magnolia's Banana pudding. It's a size small, but boy is it filling. This is one with cinnamon on top (yum!)
It totaled to $4.50. I say it's worth it for a once-in-a-while treat. Besides, the recipe is also online so pretty much after the first time, you can make it yourself at home.

In big batches.

To share.

Or not.

Your call.

Now I'm out.

That Cute Little Japanese Store in Soho

I personally think that Soho has just about everything I could ask for in a neighborhood: really cute shops (both big and small), trendy people, good eateries or near neighborhoods with good eateries, and an artsy vibe. That being said, I visit every store with enthusiasm and high expectations.

Now, if any of you remember that little Tokyo Joe incident I had way back when, then you'll know that a store could be carrying nice things but be run by terrible people. And I can't tell you enough how much of a turn off that is. But isn't it most refreshing when the store carries adorable things, is run by adorable people, and is in a neighborhood you really like?


This is when Kiteya comes in.


Kiteya Soho, at 464 Broome St between Greene and Mercer St., is a Japanese boutique filled with things from Kyoto in Japan. Kyoto is a city that is known for the old traditions of Japan, ranging from food to architecture to clothing. Kiteya takes these traditional elements and uses them in their merchandise. They have things such as flower hair accessories, Japanese rice paper, handbags accentuating Japan's "simple yet elegant" philosophy, kimono add ons, incense, and even children's clothing with cute prints and words.







Cute and colorful, no?

I also mentioned the people working there being really fantastic. Well, I don't lie. They greet you with a smile, they don't push things on you, and they're energetic. The boss also has some snazzy glasses, which is always a plus.

Right now it seems they have some new items:





Headbands~

I managed to grab myself this one:



Yes, I did go for the pink one (predictable Aya is predictable).

But what you didn't predict is this super offer~!

For the first five to email me about this offer (email on my profile), I will reply back with a promotion code to get 20% off a headband either on display or in the case at the register!

Have fun picking out cute things guys~

Layout Update!

I decided to change the layout! It's much more simple than it was before . . .

and now there are even more peas!!!!

Truthfully, I don't really eat too many peas. But it's green and cute and in my world, they multiply . . .


. . .


So there we go.

I gave myself more space in the main posting area so I could put bigger pictures. The font is also bigger because I realized that it would overall be easier to read if the letters weren't sticking together. Other than that, I think everything will remain the same . . .

Anyway, thanks again to those readers who keep coming back for more! Any new readers out there, hope y'all like what you see!

Monday and Tuesday

My Monday was a total bore but I managed to be productive and finish an overdue skirt (although I STILL have to go in to school today to do more work for the same class . . . )


However, highlights!

1. Getting an A on my Bodice with Yoke (although I added a midriff too) + Dirndl (which I had to fix a bunch of times to get the side seam to line up). So I love the boob gathering . . . and so did the teacher.

2. Snacking on these pretzels from the Organic Market (near FIT). I usually get Chunks of Energy there (and I did), but decided I would probably have another snack attack, so I got a few pretzels: Peanut Butter, Chocolate, and Yogurt covered.
The Peanut Butter was my favorite. It was salty but not overpowering. And I love peanut butter.
The Chocolate was kind of standard.
The Yogurt was also kind of standard, but not overbearingly sweet like some other places.

Conclusion: I will go back for some more. Especially the peanut butter ones.

3. This is pretty INSANELY embarrassing (shows how much I love you guys), but upon being productive during my free time, I needed to use the bathroom. So I went in to what I thought was the women's restroom, only to find out I WAS TOTALLY WRONG. And it would have been okay if no one was there, but no, someone was. And out of all the guys that could possibly be in there, a classmate. No, he was just looking in the mirror (in case you were worried about things other than my embarrassment).


Then Tuesday, I did more sewing and some World Affair-ing, of which I did not go crazy and start ranting at the teacher again.

My friend bought a cute little endangered cookie from Starbucks.

D'awwwwwwww.

And after starving myself most of the day (lack of time), my friends and I headed to Rainbow Deli yet again for dinner.

I love having multiple colors on my plate.
Mainly greens, some pasta salad, piece of grilled and general tso's chicken, some mac and cheese, a little veggie sushi, potatoes, and fruit. My friend also gave me half of a black and white cookie! But I being me choked on it from laughing too hard.


I'm too special, guys . . .

Politics borderline Fashion

Lets take a step back from my usual daily happenings and talk about some things I really really enjoy.

I really enjoy fashion, food, brushing my teeth, eating blueberry bagels, reading up on useless facts, singing into a bottle of lotion (not a brush mind you), making bad jokes, oh, and uhhhh, politics.

I REALLY enjoy politics. I enjoy talking about politics. And I love to fangirl about politicians. It's just one of those things.

But lets take a gander at a possible reason why. Well, apart from the fact that we as people should to some extent know what's going on around us, a part of me thinks that learning politics is like observing human nature in some of it's purest form (that being said by observing both the politicians and the people's reactions). And I'm not going to lie when I say I like reading up on the cattiness and the superficiality along with the wonders and splendors of those people.

But hey, sound familiar? Fashion's not that far off when you discuss the words "superficial" and "catty". Obviously there are many other words that come into play when describing the two, but listing everything would require a much clearer head, one of which I do not have due to late night texting. Point is, both involve people, an ideal world and the real world, and blunders. What is not to like about both?


Lets go back to politics however. So we've been honing in on Michelle Obama. We've been obsessing over what she's been wearing every time she steps out the door. And what's wrong with that? She looks FABULOUS and she's not wearing power suits on every occassion. But we really do forget some other fabulous women closely linked to the white house . . .

How about Jill Biden?

Seriously, ever since this get-up (with what my friend calls kinky boots), I decided she is just one hott mama. Not to mention her husband Joe pretty much tickles my funny bone half the time.

Seriously, stop.

I said stop . . .

Okay, don't.

As far as styling herself goes, she used to be a small time model if I remember correctly (apparently Biden saw her face somewhere and developed a crush). So I'd say she's not completely outta the loop.


Anyway, that seems to be all for now. Now to plan my Thanksgiving weekend . . .

The Calling

"I'll go wherever you will go"


Good nostalgic stuff.


And now Lovefool by The Cardigans (another nostalgic favorite!) is playing because yeah, I spent that whole last song staring into space and deciding what to eat tomorrow. I think I'll go with my usual staple of yogurt and mix in some pumpkin puree I restocked with a few days ago. Yum.


For lunch, my friend lost a CERTAIN bet, so she'll be buying. Life rocks.


That's all folks.

So sleepy I could just drop right now

My hands are hot. Ever happen to you? Well, I don't know the science behind it, but its basically a common occurrence when you're sleepy. At least from what I've noticed and what my mum has told me . . .


Friday's outfit:

-My short straight wig (from my growing wig collection . . . which people seem to be loving in my class woot!)
-Glasses from St. Marks
-Geoffrey Beene Scarf
-Jean Jacket print t-shirt (off-shoulder and slight crop = cold anemic Asian)
- Sister's hand-me-down shorts I cut off
-Random jean jacket
-Black tights
-Broken Double Decker boots

Sorry guys this was my favorite picture and it came at a weird angle. Brownie points to people who cock their head for a better view!


So on Friday I did two things during lunch:

1. Ate at Rainbow Deli, a recent favorite. After 5, they lower the prices on their food, but during lunch, it's $6.49 per pound. Good stuff.


I loaded my container with food because I had nothing but a card and they needed a $7 minimum. I got some cold pasta, cucumber, tomatoes, feta (love!), lots-o-greens, avocado slice, potatoes, chicken pieces, 1 sausage piece, green beans, and some random fruit. It held me over pretty much the whole rest of the day, so I didn't need a big dinner!

I also had some of this:

Red Bull. I gotta say, it tastes like a cup of beer and if you took about 10 wet licks of a cherry tootsie pop and swirled the beer with it. Nasty, I know. Not my cup of tea. But I could drink it and it was also free (otherwise, energy drinks are not my favorite) . . .
To make it better, my friend said to mix in cranberry juice. Conveniently we had some, so we mixed it in.

Yeah, so this is the friend that had the picnic = gay theory, so I'm thinking of not listening to her anymore because this didn't make it taste that much better . . .


2. Forgot I had a 2, didn't ya?
Well, two was basically me embarrassing myself in an FIT elevator because I was rummaging for my phone to get my friend's number, and then I started freaking out loud because they were getting off soon. So I followed them off and proceeded to drop my phone. And because I'm technologically retarded, I couldn't even put my battery back in so I had my friend do it.

Even this chimp is embarrassed . . . jeez, I need to transfer.

Now let me start on my art history report, one of the few classes I'm too tired to do that much damage at.

Teen Vogue Event @ Burton Snowboards

Please don't disregard the RIP message in the post before this one just because I'm posting more than once today. I just need to post this now before forgetting to later.


Today I attended a Teen Vogue event at Burton Snowboard on Spring & Mercer St., Soho. A line was to be had and some encounters with curly headed people was had as well, but alas, good times ensued before going in.

My look:
-Random hairtie
-Random red glasses from St. Marks (of which a man complimented me on the street today and yelled "You go girl!" to which I nodded enthusiastically with my mouth open)
-Blue and white striped shirt from American Rag
-TWO SCARVES BECAUSE TWO SCARVES ARE BETTER THAN ONE ----> One is random and colored, the other is black and Geoffrey Beene
-Black pants I rolled up from H&M
-Anna Sui Socks
-Payless Boots
-Awkward pose and stuff thrown on floor



The line.
Sadly not the first 100 people to go in so no new treats were given to us, but the bash was fun!


There were A LOT of people and A LOT more snow gear. I think this event has made me really want some sicko goggles and knit hats. OH, and those crazy green leggings (cough Lesley cough).

There was also a photo booth where they took pictures of us to commemorate the event!


Not me or my friends but they are the curly headed people we met in line earlier!


And then I saw these yellow shoes and well, I really want me some yellow shoes.


Finally I snatched up a Teen Vogue while drinking my calories via a Lemon flavored Pelligrino (which tasted pretty good but I imagine would be horrible if not ice cold). I shall have to take a further gander at it (instead of what I should be doing which is my Chanel project . . . )

I then headed home with my friend who introduced me to a band called the Empires! I shall have to check them out further since I liked what I heard . . . and saw. cough

Daul Kim

I don't care how many people said this already and whether I'm late or not. It's never late to wish someone well even after their soul leaves this earth.

Daul Kim, please rest in peace. And I wish the best for her family and friends.

Quote #2

"If he takes you out on a picnic for lunch, he's definitely gay."
"WHAT? So if your boyfriend invited you to a picnic, it's his way of coming out?"

- During a conversation with my friend about how to tell when guys are gay

Greek yogurt and waiting for the post

I'm sitting here in my living room right now, headphones on, itunes a-blasting, waiting for the postman whose supposed to come with my mom's skin care products. Except if I leave this house (which I will have to do to go to the post office for my own agendas), I may miss the call. Oh, irony.


Hey guys, watch me look so happy that I'm almost eating my scarf! Mmmmmm, scarf . . .

Deets:
-Leopard print hair accessory from November issue of Cutie magazine
-Ralph Lauren knit scarf
-Random pink turtleneck
-Thrifted pink polka dot dress via Buffalo Exchange
-Mittens from Swedish penpal! (Christmas present last year)
-Random pink leggings
-Pink thigh highs from H&M
-Payless boots
-Victoria's Secret tote bag

As you can see, I donned on the layers because well, it wasn't too cold out yesterday and I wore no jacket.


So on Monday, my friend and I made art with my Guy & Gallard paper cups.


Yes, we're that cool.
I personally like the "I'm Sassy" cup with doodle Bob on the other side of the crazy rocker man. Oh, and we concluded that the reason why the rocker man's clothes don't fit him is because he stole them from Spongebob. Hence why he is a-naked.

I then proceeded to fall asleep through demo 2 of Draping because it was a. review, and b. there were no more cups to draw on. But I'm a bad bad example, so all the good children of the world, pay attention!


On Tuesday, I did more lolly-gagging via dancing the mashed potato in the hallways and renting out 3 out of 5 dvds of the complete second season of "I Love Lucy." THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Boy, do I love Lucy.

I then proceeded to go to my Intro to World Affairs class and got into this heated argument (more like me ranting while my teacher responded) about how we always overlook the emotional side, i.e. the moral ethical issues in class. This consisted of me forgetting some English and accidentally speaking Japanese, and then flailing my arms around. Then my professor started twisting my words because I was saying how countries should have a choice when choosing what kind of government to have, and he said that I must love George Bush because he wanted to force democracy upon people. Thanks I never said that.
But besides the point, we both agreed we weren't disagreeing with each other, so WHAT EXACTLY WAS THAT LAST 10 MINUTES FOR? I ask . . .


Oh, but the point is, that whole day I didn't eat yogurt and because that felt odd and Oikos was on sale at Whole Foods, I got some.

The verdict: DELICIOUS! Well, I'm biased because I love yogurt and greek yogurt is my favorite kind, but it was creamy and good. And honey never disappoints . . . it's also a good portion size and fills you up pretty fast because it's so thick.

Anyway, happy days guys, happy days~

Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket

Never let it fade away . . .


The chorus scene in The Princess Diaries is cute. That movie is just cute in general. But the lyrics are from that chorus scene hence this reference (I AM SO RANDOM)


I haven't been that hungry as of late. I've also been reading a lot. Currently I am reading about 3 books simultaneously:


1. Otome Trivia by Novala Takemoto
I think that's what it's called (I can't remember at the moment). It's a book pretty much MADE for me. Why? Okay, reasons:
-It's a trivia book and I love random facts! But it's written in essay form.
-It's about fashion
-It's about high fashion AND some of my favorite Japanese brands. Not to mention random tibbits about rings and cupids and Rococo things . . .

Yeah, so I'm enjoying every minute of this.

2. Soleilnuit: For Becoming a Proper Young Lady by Novala Takemoto
I love Novala, and I must read Missin sometime. But this I bought because . . . well, I love things like this too.

3. Caravaggio a novel by Christopher Peachment
Okay, so it's written in first person. Meaning the author is pretending to be Caravaggio. It's SO AMUSING. The downside is that I didn't expect Caravaggio to be so super cocky and hateful of everyone but, you know, I just started. It's fun learning about him through fact and fiction though.

My friend also lent me The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon so I shall have to get on that. I need to lend her In Cold Blood by Truman Capote because THAT BOOK IS PURE GOLD. Seriously, I highly recommend it to all who have not read it.


GO, yeah, get that book. The one that looks like this ----->>>
AND BUY IT. AND READ!

Rodarte for Target and Independent Retail Week

I personally think the Target collaborations are getting better. The McQueen was probably the most disappointing but the Anna Sui one was pretty cute (although recycled from her previous collections). But taking a gander at some sneak peeks of the Rodarte collection, I'm really liking the punky feminity in the clothes. There's some flirty dresses and then some more simpler edgier casual pieces . . . I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the collection.

Hope I'm not disappointed! I also hope there's another pop-up event in Manhattan . . .



Here's also a heads up for those fashionistas who don't know what to do next week.

From November 14th to the 20th, Nolcha's having an Independent Retail Week to bring attention to local and independent designers/shops. Apparently over 70 retailers are participating with demos, makeovers, and fashion shows. Oh, and sales of course.

Click HERE for the website and details.

I think I'm going to try to wriggle some time out from FIT to go check it out! Now to find some people to go with me . . .

Random foodlings and happy packages

Hey guys! I took a leave of absence from the internet for a few days again. I'm really just too exhausted these days.

Then again, I'm not too exhausted to do FUSION (DBZ reference) in the hallways. And yeah, I drew myself a new face for today.

Rundown:
J crew sweater (I borrowed from my mom)
Forever 21 shirt dress
Denim shorts
Gap leggings
Payless boots

So a few days ago, I got pretty much the BEST FREAKING PACKAGE IN THE WORLD. Oh, wait, no, I didn't . . . I GOT TWO BEST PACKAGES IN THE WORLD. Here they are!



1. A package from my sweet sweet friend in Sweden:


Yay, a belated birthday gift~! She even drew a dolly face (Anna sui) on my card! God, I wish I could give her a hug!
In the package: Hair bow, earrings, chocolate bars!
I don't have pierced ears but those earrings are so snazztastic that I'm converting them to clip ons so I can wear them. I'm also excited for the Swedish candy . . . I can't even read the labels it's great!
Thank you so much honey!

2. The Upwelling goods!!!!

So here's the story:
I got into this band The Upwelling a month or so ago via a blog and their music on myspace. A week or so after getting into them, they were holding a contest to give out their new album and original artwork from the cover artist to 5 winners. I sent them an email saying I just became a fan and how radical it would be to win and listen to their new album. And lo and behold, I was one of the winners!!!! It even came with a signed poster! You guys gotta check 'em out!

Oh, and they win for being part of For the Win media.

So you can imagine I was a happy camper for the past few days.

Oh, and while we're still on the topic of packages, I did get one small something yesterday as well:


I ordered a free sample of Honey Nut Cheerios maybe a month and a half ago, and it came yesterday! It's a mini box! The cuteness blows my mind!

And if Cheerios didn't do it, my mother came home today with a loaf of some Holiday Pumpkin Bread!


I tried it and it's really good. Just a slight hint of sweet so I think I can play up with the sweet and savory on this one. It says spices in the ingredient list so you don't know exactly which one, but cloves are the most prominent judging by my taste buds. I might make some kind of French toast with this on Monday if I get some eggs.
The bread is on sale currently at Gourmet Garage for $2.49.


I'm also thinking of getting some agave nectar soon. I've never tried it but besides seeing it on the ingredient list on some raw treats, I got it recommended for trying it with the pumpkin puree I get at Trader Joes. If there's a specific variety anyone knows of, please let me know!