tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53505596662794589282024-02-19T02:17:10.926-05:00/*-*/ - Lolita and MiscellanyMy lolita & miscellany blogUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350559666279458928.post-6646127045537667672011-05-26T20:20:00.002-04:002011-05-26T20:48:46.712-04:00Adventure in Dinner<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_llry53y8CX1qbtv98o1_500.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 667px;" src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_llry53y8CX1qbtv98o1_500.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />[Sweet potatoes sauteed in butter with ginger and salt]<br /><br />So, my housemate Julian who normally does the cooking, is gone for the summer! But Simon and I remain, as he's working a sales job and I'm interning at the Immunology lab at school.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_llt9whgrtb1qbtv98o1_500.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 667px;" src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_llt9whgrtb1qbtv98o1_500.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Do I look legit or what? Well, this is only in the case that I have to go to the mouse room, which is where guess what, the mice are kept. But yeah, it's an unpaid internship but I'm learning a lot and everyone at the lab is really friendly and helpful. <br /><br />So onto my main point, my summer blog will probably feature a lot of food and not so much in terms of lolita, which costs a lot of money, which I won't be earning, what with the aforementioned unpaid internship. But if something interesting crops up I'll probably post about it anyway. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lloapnqWpG1qbtv98o1_500.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lloapnqWpG1qbtv98o1_500.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />[Pad Thai with Sugar snap peas: delicious sugar snap peas, although I cheated and the pad thai sauce did come from a jar...]<br />So, while I prepare dinner anywhere from 5-7 days a week, I'll take some pictures and some disasters or successes and yammer on about them, because honestly I could talk about food forever.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_llmcnxcsDy1qbtv98o1_500.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 667px;" src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_llmcnxcsDy1qbtv98o1_500.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Curry! I love all forms of curry, including coconut milk base and other types, but my favorite is probably japanese curry, if only because that's what I grew up with and it's a comfort food. And easy! Although I wish I had yellow pickled radish to go with it...<br /><br />Anyway tune in next time for "dinner or disaster?" because I am entirely convinced one day my stove will just implode or something.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350559666279458928.post-67355273440490199092011-05-21T13:38:00.003-04:002011-05-21T13:42:25.891-04:00Farmer's Market Love<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lljts6Wwt11qbtv98o1_500.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lljts6Wwt11qbtv98o1_500.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />-Salad mix and sugar snap peas - 5$<br />-Pepperoni and Cheese bread loaf - 5.50$<br />-Peonies - 10$<br />-Sweet potatoes (3) - 3$<br />-Spearmint - 2$<br />Total: 25.50 plus my 4$ breakfast (vegetable and egg brioche... so good)<br /><br />A pretty good haul. The sugar snap peas are amazing. Didn't see / taste any good strawberries, which was a shame. I can't wait until the figs come in season!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What's your favorite flower?</span> Mine are Peonies, my mom had a beautiful peony in her garden at our old house, from 7 years ago.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350559666279458928.post-11307139968929166322011-05-13T17:32:00.003-04:002011-05-13T17:37:42.376-04:00Food, food, and more food<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkhgzg1y2x1qbtv98o1_500.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkhgzg1y2x1qbtv98o1_500.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Our 2nd placing entry in the student iron chef contest~! We were sooo close, but like last year, we lost to the group of asian girls. Curses. In addition to the spiral chicken we made cucumber salad (which failed because they gave us american cucumbers, not the seedless english cucumbers we needed) and ginger sweet potatoes (which looked delicious and I never got to taste any, sadly). The prize was santoku chef knives, which is pretty handy, if we didn't already have so many knives. But then again, you can never have too many.<br /><br />Also sorry for the lack of updates. I've been stupidly busy doing absolutely nothing since I started break. Well, not absolutely nothing... I am swiftly making my way through the books in the Song of Ice and Fire series as well as eating myself to death at my parent's, right before I have to return to my university to begin working in the lab as a slave / unpaid intern. Such is the life.<br /><br />Summer is upon us, in this particular hemisphere. <span style="font-weight:bold;">What are you summer plans?</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350559666279458928.post-21901652834212866102011-04-30T09:00:00.001-04:002011-04-30T09:00:09.381-04:00Spiral Chicken Recipe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lka9zqJfts1qbtv98o1_500.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lka9zqJfts1qbtv98o1_500.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />One of the dining halls at UVA hosts a student Iron Chef competition (well it's really just a cooking competition, nothing like my favorite cooking show of all time) but it's pretty fun and we get to use the sweet stuff in the industrial dining hall kitchen. Last year my team took second place with Mango Chicken Curry. This year we're going for broke, and came up with this ... thing.<br /><br />Spiral Chicken<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />skinned boneless chicken breast (big ones preferably, for roll-ability)<br />green (spring) onion*<br />eggs<br />fish sauce<br />soy sauce<br />hot sauce (of the Sriracha variety, preferably - something with chilis and garlic)<br />mirin*<br />sake (or rice cooking wine)*<br />corn starch<br />sugar<br />rice or corn chex cereal (for breading) or Panko if you aren't allergic to wheat like my housemate, haha<br />oil (for deep frying)<br /><br />1. Prepare the chicken by cutting it to ¼ inch thickness, and tenderize/flatten with a meat mallet to make rectangles about 3”x7”.<br />2. Prepare the filling by combining the spring onions, 1 egg, ¼ cup of chex mix and 1 tbsp of fish sauce in a blender until it becomes a thick paste. Add some hot sauce if you like things spicy. Add more chex mix if it isn’t thick enough to be spreadable.<br />3. Spread the filling along the surface of the chicken and then roll it, and secure with a toothpick.<br />4. Prepare the sauce by combining soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar in a 3:3:2:1 ratio in a pot. Heat until boiling on the stove, add about 1 tbsp at a time of corn starch (mixed with cold water to dilute) and stir until thick consistency is acquired. <br />5. Coat the chicken roll in beaten egg wash. Roll in finely crushed Chex cereal seasoned with a little salt and pepper. When oil has come up to temperature, cook for about five minutes. Cut in half so you can see the spiral and return to oil to finish cooking until just done through. Do not overcook.<br /><br />Dipping or serving it with the home made teriyaki sauce (or store bought is fine too) really does the trick :D The competition is today, so we'll see how the judges like it!<br /><br />Oh and y'all should check out Ada's giveaway <a href="http://adalessa.blogspot.com/2011/04/makeup-magic-blog-giveaway.html#comments">here</a>!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350559666279458928.post-55702725453376721372011-04-23T11:45:00.004-04:002011-04-23T11:53:41.127-04:00Turtle Bread and Flowers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TlwGE5dqfeiVSLwxWUMCGhhSIDW1cPQp4OMoySBF0Z4YKVRzoGnF44QlA5XuYRJRwcYRPWPU-7VTEWp0xIw7zGgErEkbvAubtPE6ibEUPa-hQENCtTe2WUep27mlTAFbh2q7tLcv_lYV/s1600/2011-04-23+08.51.11.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TlwGE5dqfeiVSLwxWUMCGhhSIDW1cPQp4OMoySBF0Z4YKVRzoGnF44QlA5XuYRJRwcYRPWPU-7VTEWp0xIw7zGgErEkbvAubtPE6ibEUPa-hQENCtTe2WUep27mlTAFbh2q7tLcv_lYV/s320/2011-04-23+08.51.11.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598806062604867522" /></a><br />Melon pan shaped like turtles! This Japanese Baker sells shoku-pan and curry and melon-pan<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7PIHhEjsLS1S0K9RdC9gLQKoGH8lKOx3egcuunxyBGpOuAtRzR10jR7hR0TmnwTfKkCzXcHEvqMLd0J8UjxUs_mlzwspu2DPZ4SgTq0lygUxfpaUU_FY5kcpBbSjQeFI_K9QppYq0Fk9/s1600/2011-04-23+09.07.12.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7PIHhEjsLS1S0K9RdC9gLQKoGH8lKOx3egcuunxyBGpOuAtRzR10jR7hR0TmnwTfKkCzXcHEvqMLd0J8UjxUs_mlzwspu2DPZ4SgTq0lygUxfpaUU_FY5kcpBbSjQeFI_K9QppYq0Fk9/s320/2011-04-23+09.07.12.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598806050323636754" /></a><br />Super gorgeous flowers. I wish I had a garden so I could plant them. Or a nice place to display them, but I'm actually not big on cut flowers.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZm20ecMwOhjUmxDglQbg6kpfkQ0fpno22NvR8gTqEcxsy8XN8ML4me_obNFbBOOGJzdKzTbe65yPU1Z-fwNxWNNJDUKQr3nPttUWA-2rt8DZ3-q7eGD-M9fGrxMCTsWS6-sz9fVH0rRy/s1600/sweethat.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZm20ecMwOhjUmxDglQbg6kpfkQ0fpno22NvR8gTqEcxsy8XN8ML4me_obNFbBOOGJzdKzTbe65yPU1Z-fwNxWNNJDUKQr3nPttUWA-2rt8DZ3-q7eGD-M9fGrxMCTsWS6-sz9fVH0rRy/s320/sweethat.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598806045126110354" /></a><br /><br />Sweet hat; Awkward face<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCpKMD5ld3JPneHI9Z8UN1VYJhAM4o_7oFHBS1mJ_MHQ6IBXjCzrWkPnvkbOBL1JhCkKPMVMsj1C2CZ1K7KVaSCVWRhA9bIG4uHciAVJogrktovhDFo3D1ZEidIaXCLg666-7QJDh1SWLK/s1600/2011-04-23+09.44.46.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCpKMD5ld3JPneHI9Z8UN1VYJhAM4o_7oFHBS1mJ_MHQ6IBXjCzrWkPnvkbOBL1JhCkKPMVMsj1C2CZ1K7KVaSCVWRhA9bIG4uHciAVJogrktovhDFo3D1ZEidIaXCLg666-7QJDh1SWLK/s320/2011-04-23+09.44.46.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598806563547647250" /></a><br /><br />My haul from today! Salad greens, wildflower honey, strawberry rhubarb jam and shoku pan! (I froze half because I'm the only one in my apartment who eats bread :| )Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350559666279458928.post-2390617466988390712011-04-16T20:45:00.002-04:002011-04-16T20:50:06.156-04:00Red Bean 'Brownie' Recipe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgdjY9xYT2x9ZN4e7u5GTpK2iodfojZNCXCZpdLAHXwDogMMo6tf_U1LyQmzaQ4zou3EbuaLmEBHBEAmWZaSlAoF9b9Btghi6FjYZ52t_HKCcOgFdTummpjV__zb66S80EhNTflaQFX6i/s1600/2011-04-16+20.38.37.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgdjY9xYT2x9ZN4e7u5GTpK2iodfojZNCXCZpdLAHXwDogMMo6tf_U1LyQmzaQ4zou3EbuaLmEBHBEAmWZaSlAoF9b9Btghi6FjYZ52t_HKCcOgFdTummpjV__zb66S80EhNTflaQFX6i/s320/2011-04-16+20.38.37.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596347528581022482" /></a><br /><br />Ingredients:<br />16 oz. sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour works too, its what I used)<br />1 can of Red Bean Paste<br />1 1/2 tsp. baking soda<br />1 1/2 tsp. baking powder<br />1 cup of sugar (to taste though)<br />2 cups of milk <br />Option: nuts<br /><br />Directions:<br />Mix all the dry ingredients first, and then add the can of red bean paste. Stir, and then gradually (by 1/2 cupfuls) add the milk until everything is wet. The batter should be very stiff though. Here's a semi helpful picture of the batter:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DRT2dlRlVATfF0T3kKUeYFEPbNAEpuQEdJIsOKQAeyWCba06IHST5aMQ4EqMybiANpXuF4pLU6R2YztEYoN-kg_DD89s-qFQxK5h9srjmm8r2GuV49tblwlXYoz5AxRVKBbDqpbbIvuF/s1600/2011-04-16+17.50.55.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DRT2dlRlVATfF0T3kKUeYFEPbNAEpuQEdJIsOKQAeyWCba06IHST5aMQ4EqMybiANpXuF4pLU6R2YztEYoN-kg_DD89s-qFQxK5h9srjmm8r2GuV49tblwlXYoz5AxRVKBbDqpbbIvuF/s320/2011-04-16+17.50.55.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596347519748647090" /></a><br /><br />You can add nuts, I added some crushed hazelnuts because they were on hand. Pour into a 9" square greased baking pan and bake at 375 for about 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool. Then cut up and eat!<br /><br />Credited to my mom ;D<br /><br />This isn't a real brownie / anything that remotely resembles a cake, as you can tell from the picture. It's closer to 'mochi' or dduk, in korean aka, sweet rice cake, mixed with sweet red beans. AND it's gluten free! Very chewy and delicious.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350559666279458928.post-85865101745305815362011-04-10T14:02:00.002-04:002011-04-10T14:07:36.957-04:00Five for five II: Return of the bento<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lj8g17YCJq1qbtv98o1_500.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 667px;" src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lj8g17YCJq1qbtv98o1_500.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I got a "perfect score" again this week :D So I thought I'd share them today (a little late)<br /><br />Monday: Duk Buk Gi (Korean spicy noodle dish I've mentioned here)<br />1 Boiled egg (it helps when my mouth hurts because its so spicy >w<)<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lj6l3v1w5l1qbtv98o1_500.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 667px;" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lj6l3v1w5l1qbtv98o1_500.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Tuesday: Baked chicken, rice, and blackberries<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ljaaq9B4YZ1qbtv98o1_500.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 667px;" src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ljaaq9B4YZ1qbtv98o1_500.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Wednesday: Spinach salad with blackberries, raising walnut bread and my go to source of protein: egg!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ljc5hbWlD21qbtv98o1_500.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ljc5hbWlD21qbtv98o1_500.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Thursday: Spinach crammed in the large compartment of my bento, rice and Indian Masala style chicken (this was so good!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lj4y8wdlnB1qbtv98o1_500.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lj4y8wdlnB1qbtv98o1_500.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Friday: a very Polish style lunch with kielbasa, vinegar onions and cabbage, with baked potatoes.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350559666279458928.post-35232039016198453612011-04-01T15:00:00.004-04:002011-04-01T15:14:00.301-04:00Five for five: A week's worth of bento<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lirrwpHj041qbtv98o1_500.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lirrwpHj041qbtv98o1_500.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Normally I pack lunch about 3 times a week, less if I don't have any time or more, if I do, like this week (and I don't go out to lunch).<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Monday</span><br />Leftover Steak<br />Fried Rice (My housemate made a HUGE quantity of fried rice that will be present all week... and the next)<br />Broccoli Florets and Japanese Mayo (which is very good, just a little more vinegar-y)<br /><br />To see Tues-Friday click the jump<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_litmmfc2dS1qbtv98o1_500.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_litmmfc2dS1qbtv98o1_500.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Tuesday</span><br />Meatballs (Made a big batch of these tuesday night)<br />Sauce is 1 part ketchup, 1 part Worcestershire, and 1/4 part soy sauce, tastes like A1<br />Broccoli again<br />Fried Rice again <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_livhitHUL51qbtv98o1_500.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 667px;" src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_livhitHUL51qbtv98o1_500.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Wednesday</span><br />Fried Rice + Meatballs<br />Frozen mandarin rolls that were very good microwaved. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lixjo8p4ks1qbtv98o1_500.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 667px;" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lixjo8p4ks1qbtv98o1_500.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Thursday</span><br />Spinach Salad (French dressing stolen from the campus cafe)<br />Mango Chobani Greek yogurt (AMAZING btw)<br />Boursin to spread on the bread ends I got for 50 cents at the sandwich shop (I didn't eat them all in one day... obviously)<br />Hardboiled egg (gotta get my protein!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_liz6m2KLby1qbtv98o1_500.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;curshttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 667px;" src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_liz6m2KLby1qbtv98o1_500.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Baby spinach salad with black currents and raspberry vinaigrette<br />Hardboiled egg (eek, it was actually only about 3/4ths boiled... I had to nuke it later)<br />Wheat bread end with spread<br /><br />Anyways, I love making bentos (or in some cases, just salads). There are a lot of great bento sites out there. I'm not sure if I'll regularly post my bentos here, but they are all posted under the #bento tag <a href="http://yukulele.tumblr.com/tagged/bento">at my Tumblr</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Do you bring or buy lunch?</span><br /><br />TGIFUnknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350559666279458928.post-63215120739610580532011-03-20T15:57:00.002-04:002011-03-20T16:05:31.647-04:00An Achievement, of sorts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9kGO4a3oj_vQkAl8-cmxOonItceY8AmMJHDNFSsb-IkfK1ttG7olkp9yo62-peH-5yJeUf7PmmMnRO0bhdXHcdImu3VoMLVOMaRTd-JHEUVTYdaap4Xd9_ke0En5eAfsVkLGwtXfmyIvX/s1600/IMGP8794.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 140px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9kGO4a3oj_vQkAl8-cmxOonItceY8AmMJHDNFSsb-IkfK1ttG7olkp9yo62-peH-5yJeUf7PmmMnRO0bhdXHcdImu3VoMLVOMaRTd-JHEUVTYdaap4Xd9_ke0En5eAfsVkLGwtXfmyIvX/s320/IMGP8794.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586254062375498674" /></a><br /><br />Sorry for the extra derpy / awk post expression... Normally I take a nice (relatively) picture before I go out, but today I had to leave the batteries charging in the camera to do so. Anyway! Sunday lolita, which was nice. Made extra nice by the fact I got to wear one of my dream dresses out. It was also my first 'dream dress', but strangely the last one to be acquired. I had three in total:<br /><br />x Baby's Little Red Riding Hood OP<br />x Mary Magdalene's St. Claire OP<br />x Innocent World's Violin JSK<br /><br />With a lot of patience and a bit of luck, I now have all three. It was pretty fortunate they were not incredibly rare or expensive, I do feel for people whose dream dresses are say, Moitie's Iron Gate or AP's Puppet Circus. But to each to their own, I say. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What is your dream dress(es)?</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350559666279458928.post-79503867707314455252011-03-18T20:26:00.003-04:002011-03-18T20:33:28.194-04:00Spring time<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2M51H1KAGPmUrv1AHt-tXCCjKwBtNtNUCXtmLmQp55j-d80fanrG7xICzp-pk-U1PZub3CUEY1DLb3ZnoXBIeIRMX5Zyuyc9kL-rOj9bD0GSRLMCtcKXwz15ol-NZoNem5kZCkq1vk1Xj/s1600/2011-03-18+20.21.26.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2M51H1KAGPmUrv1AHt-tXCCjKwBtNtNUCXtmLmQp55j-d80fanrG7xICzp-pk-U1PZub3CUEY1DLb3ZnoXBIeIRMX5Zyuyc9kL-rOj9bD0GSRLMCtcKXwz15ol-NZoNem5kZCkq1vk1Xj/s320/2011-03-18+20.21.26.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585581044332254754" /></a><br /><br />In honor of today hitting 80 degrees (well, 79 technically), I changed my blog a bit. Let me know if it's easy enough on the eyes. I'm excited for spring. I found a good allergy medication regimen that works, and even though the pollen index will hit the double digits soon, I should be mostly okay.<br /><br />My friends who were on spring break this week (I wasn't) visited the other day and brought me a plant! The flowers are really lovely. I love plants and flowers *_* And it sounds like it'll be nice out tomorrow, so I think I'll go out in the afternoon.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350559666279458928.post-74976104859326668492011-03-12T21:54:00.003-05:002011-03-12T21:58:26.802-05:00In light of recent eventsMinute by minute, many of the effects of the earthquake and tsunami the other day are still precarious. Thankfully, Japan is not a nation unprepared for those types of natural disasters, but its always good to give if you can to relief efforts. For simplicity's sake I donated to the Japan effort by the Red Cross, but there are many different groups raising money by now. Just remember to check that its reliable, of course. <br /><br />Luckily everyone I know and their family in Japan were uninjured.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350559666279458928.post-80297168931366987832011-03-05T15:35:00.003-05:002011-03-05T15:41:12.298-05:00No, I'm not technically supposed to do this<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jjZ8dhufyjbRumcY60fGlpu67IpmNA7JNgs6UOPfxHr4HPgUs6BowdNLJ5qy06CFxMV8oZhB3CYO-niXjffjwcY16y2fpGxF-esQxLyP0Oow6olJNZImHF_kKHeCyyWV_dAEaAq8HBlS/s1600/2011-03-03+17.35.22.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jjZ8dhufyjbRumcY60fGlpu67IpmNA7JNgs6UOPfxHr4HPgUs6BowdNLJ5qy06CFxMV8oZhB3CYO-niXjffjwcY16y2fpGxF-esQxLyP0Oow6olJNZImHF_kKHeCyyWV_dAEaAq8HBlS/s320/2011-03-03+17.35.22.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580697742552751538" /></a><br /><br />The other day I turned this^^^ <br />Into this:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ZbcaDlcTaKPv1UZnkQ1TbqJ4aB6_B8cf6cY_S7PyVvVBIkG1-3CVS14Kj-rYdN4IapblhnM_Y3WZZI44iMUNkNyasUrGL7AcHhMNXnF5VyFGcdD6e1js8CvFo0HjbWlT4K1TN-3WQG1o/s1600/2011-03-03+18.08.28.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ZbcaDlcTaKPv1UZnkQ1TbqJ4aB6_B8cf6cY_S7PyVvVBIkG1-3CVS14Kj-rYdN4IapblhnM_Y3WZZI44iMUNkNyasUrGL7AcHhMNXnF5VyFGcdD6e1js8CvFo0HjbWlT4K1TN-3WQG1o/s320/2011-03-03+18.08.28.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580697739622601826" /></a><br /><br />My phone strap charm collection is now less blobby and not actually connected to my cellphone (which doesn't have a hook for it anyway ;_;) and actually kind of an interesting wall installment. I actually started collecting them in 9th grade but then my cellphone was stolen... I was way more upset about losing all my cellphone charms ;__;<br /><br />Some I got myself, others (like the ponyo in a bubble and the rilakuma) were from friends who went to korea or japan ^^;<br /><br /><b>Do you own any phone straps? </b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350559666279458928.post-24634780181694449742011-02-27T13:31:00.006-05:002011-02-27T13:48:24.931-05:00A meeting of interests<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="500" height="311" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rUf9kDZp-ZM?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />**Turn down youtube's volume before listening!! Or else the audio quality will be worse than it already is!!<br /><br />Fractale is an anime airing this season and it's probably my favorite so far. It's based on an award winning light novel series by the same name. The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyhnnZTUhcM">ending song</a> is a traditional tune "Down by the Sally Gardens" by W.B. Yeats, sung in both English and Japanese. <br /><br />I really love this simple tune and I realized I have to start practicing violin again after about 3 years of absence. I also was out in lolita (Baby's Red Riding Hood) today, like usual except I forgot to get a pic (D:) But I was wearing it whilst playing to add a point of interest to a very short video.<br /><br />Notes: I did record it with a camera phone (I should buy a mic one day ;_;)<br />I also had the mute on, so that's not the true sound of my violin. When I played without the mute, the phone mic made it way too shrill. It's still a little shrill, so listening it at half volume would probably improve it or something. I should figure out how to do that to the video itself...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Do you play any instruments?</span><br /><br />Have a good week guys ~!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350559666279458928.post-61893018997855791972011-02-20T09:50:00.002-05:002011-02-20T09:55:39.114-05:00On a date, on a whim<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg50paBOvO_L6kb9jBnjJa3nXk7aJvAO4k86vXv_4rbM6IGidkKfXNcDhEzofBRCjH48eYw5lECgOimOs1_rxiYLnreVd1_VkGFkTCBh8PiUgYb4tBO4bA5TDTbtVexLJv-L9gI4M-EowCH/s1600/IMGP8772.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 182px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg50paBOvO_L6kb9jBnjJa3nXk7aJvAO4k86vXv_4rbM6IGidkKfXNcDhEzofBRCjH48eYw5lECgOimOs1_rxiYLnreVd1_VkGFkTCBh8PiUgYb4tBO4bA5TDTbtVexLJv-L9gI4M-EowCH/s320/IMGP8772.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575784513807618882" /></a><br />Saturday was the first weekend I wasn't completely whacked out about an exam (Though I still have plenty to study for today...) So I went out on a date / shopping errand / get outside and enjoy the 60 degree weather. Because really, this is the time where I could wear a velvet JSK, but no coat and still not freeze and/or burn.<br /><br />JSK: Lief<br />Bolero: HMHM<br />Socks: IW<br /><br />Please ignore the monkey slippers. I wore real shoes outside, obviously. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilmNAPM5U7HM-j6XbAcWGwj_USa5Jiq2GqtezkAU7pjceTAPdT-MPcQt2MgCNZQgIELBjM30TFM2KFsO5Zr-PgaBEt2Zg1ReIbRXMPLBJOhyphenhyphenHmylJMLyhdd5sn-7ZqAaRnF9AgEDlsizSw/s1600/IMGP8781.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 287px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilmNAPM5U7HM-j6XbAcWGwj_USa5Jiq2GqtezkAU7pjceTAPdT-MPcQt2MgCNZQgIELBjM30TFM2KFsO5Zr-PgaBEt2Zg1ReIbRXMPLBJOhyphenhyphenHmylJMLyhdd5sn-7ZqAaRnF9AgEDlsizSw/s320/IMGP8781.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575784509913376594" /></a><br /><br />This was suppose to be a make up shot, but it came out showing more the lackthereof. I was wearing UD's halfbaked, sidecar, and virgn eye shadows, with UD's Zero eyeliner. I typically don't bother with mascara anymore because I have reaaaallly short eyelashes and if mascara does anything, it really just smudges all over my eyes. Curse my hidden monolids! Whatever :P<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio0xUGL-To2NwAATfstft1x7y8M6WcWWc6FKLDZ5gQUP-HZxVfWCY1GiQh40vyoYC6AWzZBkrkDBydTxqjo9eTRGIoexbOpg3SSAGsGjUCz61oY2fY1UDu6tkDFaHquklgaBt3DjXSW-Qj/s1600/2011-02-19+12.52.28.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio0xUGL-To2NwAATfstft1x7y8M6WcWWc6FKLDZ5gQUP-HZxVfWCY1GiQh40vyoYC6AWzZBkrkDBydTxqjo9eTRGIoexbOpg3SSAGsGjUCz61oY2fY1UDu6tkDFaHquklgaBt3DjXSW-Qj/s320/2011-02-19+12.52.28.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575784510166961074" /></a><br />My faaaavorite place is called hotcakes, which is a bakery/lunch place with really excellent pumpkin muffins. I got to sit around, do my homework, drink some tea, and people watch. Afterwards I went to Barnes and Noble and bought a big book on memorizing Kanji T-T .... But it was a good date, over all.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350559666279458928.post-51574177893829408662011-02-19T08:50:00.003-05:002011-02-19T09:01:15.688-05:00Alice and thePirates; Scent of Rapunzel (Reserve)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmo-7WB3VXYowkAewGf-Jtu5F8razQqGOOrwPuBxvbGHMkrQtMpjz0g6_5UlagIatZA1aM4v5RkBUBjt-w2ppESat5MAxyD1Aar43Fzn3GtQW7youuld1ozrGdsUcmzp4qe4lKrj6MeBMm/s1600/image.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmo-7WB3VXYowkAewGf-Jtu5F8razQqGOOrwPuBxvbGHMkrQtMpjz0g6_5UlagIatZA1aM4v5RkBUBjt-w2ppESat5MAxyD1Aar43Fzn3GtQW7youuld1ozrGdsUcmzp4qe4lKrj6MeBMm/s320/image.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575398094149259442" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.babyssb.co.jp/reserve/scent-of-rapunzel/index.html">Scent of Rapunzel</a> reserve went up recently, slated to start on 2/25/2011 Which would be... probably just enough time for me to decide whether I want to go for it or not. Because... AatP is quickly becoming my favorite brand for prints (Mary Magdalene will remain forever stylistically, my favorite). I love fairy tales, and I love fairy tale inspired prints. I passed on Cinderella Jewelry because it was a little too sweet, Scent of Rapunzel, barring the slightly OT name is a nice balance.<br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgbRl1NndMPNFnXJbN4zY8Qpizi4tf511F5Uc6_1aa4cjYrIhMfDNsAy3HUChpTfVzVyTzaWsz9Mwc6dfqTv3ZEjxiOmh8UR68p7AUHqpzB_bXknr3GkwiJngqqdeeUrR6RP9aNOUAdFL/s1600/n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgbRl1NndMPNFnXJbN4zY8Qpizi4tf511F5Uc6_1aa4cjYrIhMfDNsAy3HUChpTfVzVyTzaWsz9Mwc6dfqTv3ZEjxiOmh8UR68p7AUHqpzB_bXknr3GkwiJngqqdeeUrR6RP9aNOUAdFL/s320/n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575398100868293122" /></a><br />It's definitely got it's roots in Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella Jewelry that was released last year. An interesting design twist is the braid running along the bottom, I think it's a really excellent detail.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapMdJFyaQjoLCHgYvD3M-HCjEgUSgCVq0QKe-4Fxk8r0SOxwCffk6tvBLHRMhoghq_523bRWcTGZNFhHDx3CePZ8cNnttXiroQr3Ljdv-VEy9OzIB9_1sQVxiSxyuxuw_k67M4Mb4dq1_/s1600/jsk.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapMdJFyaQjoLCHgYvD3M-HCjEgUSgCVq0QKe-4Fxk8r0SOxwCffk6tvBLHRMhoghq_523bRWcTGZNFhHDx3CePZ8cNnttXiroQr3Ljdv-VEy9OzIB9_1sQVxiSxyuxuw_k67M4Mb4dq1_/s320/jsk.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575398092278249906" /></a><br />I'm in love with this JSK design. The side lacing, the ribbons, the cut- it's gorgeous. The only thing that has me wavering about this is the colorway. My top picks would be ivory or black, but in general all the colorways are a little ehh. Something is just a tad off about them.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBx6-aURb_G4YuluaGU7zhNhLoawe3-UqCIyqMVHdAlxlHZNbx6zIHa-2ZZhFxPZUcsy9QSq5yx21dEBYH2rKfJcDVSU0PUTbwyVDzuKMd5SQ6qih8nYIdmceK37gED2iqUVAaieoTh6DH/s1600/charm.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBx6-aURb_G4YuluaGU7zhNhLoawe3-UqCIyqMVHdAlxlHZNbx6zIHa-2ZZhFxPZUcsy9QSq5yx21dEBYH2rKfJcDVSU0PUTbwyVDzuKMd5SQ6qih8nYIdmceK37gED2iqUVAaieoTh6DH/s320/charm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575398101525255058" /></a><br /><br />I do have to say though, the scissor accessories are gorgeous! If I pass on the print itself, I still might have to get the earrings.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350559666279458928.post-41020728453739441532011-02-14T16:59:00.003-05:002011-02-14T17:07:17.440-05:00Happy Birthday, to my Mom!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvS0wLiu1uCB8si1rK9OFaPs-ohTKtra7YieIleSyfnVsx9eo_st4QqxkVkIE0n-EPKO1OGGiA4mDF03lOze8qlFCvvyuE0xmm0i9mbBDg3BGQgxt18kc0u_vsEGR2AwzcWOf7t40o6WpL/s1600/2011-02-14+08.27.55.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvS0wLiu1uCB8si1rK9OFaPs-ohTKtra7YieIleSyfnVsx9eo_st4QqxkVkIE0n-EPKO1OGGiA4mDF03lOze8qlFCvvyuE0xmm0i9mbBDg3BGQgxt18kc0u_vsEGR2AwzcWOf7t40o6WpL/s320/2011-02-14+08.27.55.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573669441019049458" /></a><br /><br />Here's what the chocolates looked like as a mostly finished product. The toothpick was just so it was easy to coat them, I pulled them out when I packed them XD<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifLbqCd-A9tXIXWAUqYav6VKzgyc45ED2DyKde0KWobl7t39Ax-2mlvzc83-rZq7B_G78cKLW5qv8tJtBNUm5X9SVH1FvCaYMz-ttTSjcjLNKUHUvhWhtz7wU7NO_xrPzG93EEC_gZH9MW/s1600/2011-02-12+19.57.11.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifLbqCd-A9tXIXWAUqYav6VKzgyc45ED2DyKde0KWobl7t39Ax-2mlvzc83-rZq7B_G78cKLW5qv8tJtBNUm5X9SVH1FvCaYMz-ttTSjcjLNKUHUvhWhtz7wU7NO_xrPzG93EEC_gZH9MW/s320/2011-02-12+19.57.11.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573669437160783266" /></a><br /><br />Today, Feb 14th is also my Mom's birthday! I went home this weekend and we celebrated with korean birthday soup (Miyeok / Seaweed) and cupcakes! It was really delicious. I got her a real French Crepe Pan :) <br /><br />I wish I had a birthday on Valentine's, it'd mean regardless of whether I was single or not I could still celebrate, haha. Well, I guess I celebrated anyway what with the chocolate making and giving, but that's just because who doesn't like chocolate??<br /><br />ALSO, on a semi-whim / I always intended to do this, I got my ears repierced at the tattoo/piercing place pretty much a minute from where I live. The lady was really nice, and I hope that since I did it with a needle instead of a gun like last time, it'll heal without going all gross and not-healed. Wish me luck!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350559666279458928.post-46338476760851954782011-02-13T13:43:00.005-05:002011-02-13T13:51:02.360-05:00Valentine's Choco!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWZPO7AB_bOS88beOilm41NUgYVCsYqLqiqJGcyngbHB7WXAafSU6U1Qsyvdw6RNzWFMaqcVU4sQHfzyVgAl2u6dLqIpDRls9GvWacNRy-fxxoMbzxGmHs6kI4K8Y6DIL67YChpM6WSJd/s1600/2011-02-10+14.06.57.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWZPO7AB_bOS88beOilm41NUgYVCsYqLqiqJGcyngbHB7WXAafSU6U1Qsyvdw6RNzWFMaqcVU4sQHfzyVgAl2u6dLqIpDRls9GvWacNRy-fxxoMbzxGmHs6kI4K8Y6DIL67YChpM6WSJd/s320/2011-02-10+14.06.57.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573246865555842674" /></a><br />Doesn't that look awesome and unhealthy? I don't have real Valentine's day plans, but ever since HS I tried making small gifts or chocolates for my close friends, single or not. Last year I crocheted pink hearts and mailed them, for lack of a real kitchen to work in. This year, luckily with a stove, double boiler, and chocolate on sale at world market, I made Nutella Hazelnut truffles :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQiZbBloYKVjxCbwNzdrA5ODhqZBXZfbAor226akSzauUsYr4aYuiWmznmYY821KUeG9J86KVTJXVKMp6aZh8RovcHl04-73vX1RYqmp0bGauVGfrH1Tx4kf9MKu5LDYf-GLH-pJd1kjV/s1600/2011-02-10+13.59.14.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQiZbBloYKVjxCbwNzdrA5ODhqZBXZfbAor226akSzauUsYr4aYuiWmznmYY821KUeG9J86KVTJXVKMp6aZh8RovcHl04-73vX1RYqmp0bGauVGfrH1Tx4kf9MKu5LDYf-GLH-pJd1kjV/s320/2011-02-10+13.59.14.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573246863583704562" /></a><br /><br />The <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/hazelnut-chocolate-nutella-truffles-146443">recipe</a>:<br /> * 1/2 cup whipping cream (unwhipped)<br /> * 2 tablespoons butter<br /> * 1 teaspoon corn syrup (I sub'd butter flavor pancake syrup... which is the same thing essentially)<br /> * 9 ounces semisweet chocolate<br /> * 2 tablespoons nutella chocolate hazelnut spread<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF59fR6YXX6TOgafXFubyTBFCDtNvJ5Ne2d3FgAL74vKkNwrzChIJYD85aJo5wj02D9eQGg9lSDruWz2jvFbjChbTk8x9GwoCXUb5pTt2hyrrfayHLvPt1XYZR0dD0T0bG3RXLe4HjU-GB/s1600/2011-02-10+15.56.57.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF59fR6YXX6TOgafXFubyTBFCDtNvJ5Ne2d3FgAL74vKkNwrzChIJYD85aJo5wj02D9eQGg9lSDruWz2jvFbjChbTk8x9GwoCXUb5pTt2hyrrfayHLvPt1XYZR0dD0T0bG3RXLe4HjU-GB/s320/2011-02-10+15.56.57.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573246866871500930" /></a><br /><br />I wish I had a melon ball scooper, because I could have made much more... aesthetically pleasing truffles, haha. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDAeRv7LAvFi5J1N-80MW-1GSQkv_LJdHXVo8l01fXRKGTBG3Lzl1iiDU47VUUi0Ta7w1k-0dUlgVuAyuTb42yVeweDyJdJNGXYhennZhqk24pOeoeQN-lus1K-MDZYuVFtn6YeqWEUYN/s1600/2011-02-10+16.15.31.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDAeRv7LAvFi5J1N-80MW-1GSQkv_LJdHXVo8l01fXRKGTBG3Lzl1iiDU47VUUi0Ta7w1k-0dUlgVuAyuTb42yVeweDyJdJNGXYhennZhqk24pOeoeQN-lus1K-MDZYuVFtn6YeqWEUYN/s200/2011-02-10+16.15.31.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573247217049965426" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7Xhyphenhyphenz9ngkhEsVTfiW4fW-O1KqxbJqiUZTLCw3i3Y45gRwvRzvSROGO2enElA-0zJPHnfPUNkA-xhw0VMcV9M-K9SE9KfSxH_O_wXFS9Bj7Ai6scdUm43gHR5Fu_eoqgj04Tb7hTVIPmE/s1600/2011-02-10+16.15.36.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7Xhyphenhyphenz9ngkhEsVTfiW4fW-O1KqxbJqiUZTLCw3i3Y45gRwvRzvSROGO2enElA-0zJPHnfPUNkA-xhw0VMcV9M-K9SE9KfSxH_O_wXFS9Bj7Ai6scdUm43gHR5Fu_eoqgj04Tb7hTVIPmE/s200/2011-02-10+16.15.36.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573247211468349506" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPS5gVFlo2kxRnocEm03iEXZXHVEwybjR74N65W5w9pDiyqnVl1PnVnFTnfAqEuJYcN3kN0snYAY4fImX5dUa-9n64Jr76xzKS9eawWuwgdZH56LrvyYvblIYWEDdDoVNgE7xPYeYVpdmo/s1600/2011-02-10+17.07.57.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPS5gVFlo2kxRnocEm03iEXZXHVEwybjR74N65W5w9pDiyqnVl1PnVnFTnfAqEuJYcN3kN0snYAY4fImX5dUa-9n64Jr76xzKS9eawWuwgdZH56LrvyYvblIYWEDdDoVNgE7xPYeYVpdmo/s200/2011-02-10+17.07.57.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573247206585299186" /></a><br /><br />Here's the coating (dark chocolate!!) and the crushed hazelnuts (I used a hammer and several plastic bags... blanched hazelnuts are expensive by weight!) and the little pink boxes I packed the truffles in :) For the ones I had to mail anyway. Tomorrow I'll give my housemates truffles, will try to take a proper picture of them. Also I did taste one, and they came out all right! Which is surprising because I'm a bio major, not a chocolatier, haha.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What are you doing on Couples Awareness Day / Valentine's day?</span> Me? Homework.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350559666279458928.post-37446210466991705192011-02-08T21:39:00.001-05:002011-02-08T21:42:12.062-05:00You Jelly? Or just... Cake?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3vGWmjn43IiteZ-b91wlFxaWU9H12GtUXs35POOI0lJMcKV43fwjFe0et9XLZLNM2TDHadfhnCmBg2Io-DjpkyWN811ETc2K4MV-ktwTzHnLL_o9ez3tn70EXAylBz5i8GiIYFdn2Ko8/s1600/2011-02-05+21.45.10.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3vGWmjn43IiteZ-b91wlFxaWU9H12GtUXs35POOI0lJMcKV43fwjFe0et9XLZLNM2TDHadfhnCmBg2Io-DjpkyWN811ETc2K4MV-ktwTzHnLL_o9ez3tn70EXAylBz5i8GiIYFdn2Ko8/s320/2011-02-05+21.45.10.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571514060502199074" /></a><br /><br />I think the cake boxes from the korean bakery are HILARIOUS. Like, engrish is always good for a laugh, but there's something about the ultra cute and elegant designed cake boxes with random happy words slapped on it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSbQCSkQ32MvnZ8QUzFZ5y87TeuuvpJ0-cgY9k2xUcKNjTVzXmpExYYkeFiy2e7l29CoYeVvTaM6plKy2RfjmApaVtrCvtE0XZiIFMqS-fshL50arL_E_yK-W2Pqh7sURIwP-efOjNaGY/s1600/2011-02-05+21.45.47.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSbQCSkQ32MvnZ8QUzFZ5y87TeuuvpJ0-cgY9k2xUcKNjTVzXmpExYYkeFiy2e7l29CoYeVvTaM6plKy2RfjmApaVtrCvtE0XZiIFMqS-fshL50arL_E_yK-W2Pqh7sURIwP-efOjNaGY/s320/2011-02-05+21.45.47.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571514053003913122" /></a><br />But the cake was good so no other issues. The reason why I like this place's cake so much is that it's all fresh cream, instead of traditional buttercream. So it's like whipped cream instead of actual frosting. So delicious!<br /><br />Now I will go fail my cell biology exam tomorrow ;____;<br /><br />Shout out to Ada and her optical travails, I wish you the best!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350559666279458928.post-31383245565963259012011-02-07T09:26:00.001-05:002011-02-07T09:28:32.288-05:00Duk buk gi, spicy rendition<p><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBniP7eu8ItA_WMOSLwMRFW87RxARxtdjIbvkC8OmolTPD8u3Y99qYcp-s8x2JSbLEQ_SDikEpJjmZl_GudxsuIaqZ5uaOrXK7gjqHAFgoZZRgtzpuGl1ozwXbH-D99KqKCoQF-go3n0Jn/'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBniP7eu8ItA_WMOSLwMRFW87RxARxtdjIbvkC8OmolTPD8u3Y99qYcp-s8x2JSbLEQ_SDikEpJjmZl_GudxsuIaqZ5uaOrXK7gjqHAFgoZZRgtzpuGl1ozwXbH-D99KqKCoQF-go3n0Jn/s400/2011-02-03%2018.28.38.jpg' /></a></p>The other day it was my turn to make dinner. I tried something new, making Duk buk gi but the spicy version which is actually the norm. If you've ever had a spicy Korean dish, you know the spice burns for a while. That's why in lieu of meat I added hard boiled eggs because eating those helps mitigate the spicey. Unless you duncurr like my housemate hahaha. <br/> <br/> Do you like spicy food?<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350559666279458928.post-41113476513011035942011-02-01T17:11:00.012-05:002011-02-01T20:13:31.720-05:00R-Series and Dollypoddle (SS) Review<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9-RuBO4TLuaO-vaNayFdzKuP09y87PSPptLJVevdHytxFh3Is9wFexGV02xiI3UwVPdYsTPaxXWZpLpMJGifvlYrAYZNCCldaD0bBLsLUYBuxZCYmTqNLDW5Ik5c6ezUgYgjtfCz75sn/s1600/IMG_5562.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9-RuBO4TLuaO-vaNayFdzKuP09y87PSPptLJVevdHytxFh3Is9wFexGV02xiI3UwVPdYsTPaxXWZpLpMJGifvlYrAYZNCCldaD0bBLsLUYBuxZCYmTqNLDW5Ik5c6ezUgYgjtfCz75sn/s320/IMG_5562.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568847687718791778" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqJwjvv5_S6z8iv26fXtmqIQNJ3WNtp9Wf6LRC5nGAKudwociUztPHkPPMvjJV8jC6HyRdmQHYCr4KuRjIykurNLoxiy3fDiF2fcVEibJ6KPHuPeI-urUKTDxkAoKTnL-9tiigBATxBG7/s1600/DSC00136.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqJwjvv5_S6z8iv26fXtmqIQNJ3WNtp9Wf6LRC5nGAKudwociUztPHkPPMvjJV8jC6HyRdmQHYCr4KuRjIykurNLoxiy3fDiF2fcVEibJ6KPHuPeI-urUKTDxkAoKTnL-9tiigBATxBG7/s320/DSC00136.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568847683459055298" /></a><br />Ready for this? I know I am.<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><a href="http://r-series.taobao.com/view_page-35533493.htm">R-Series</a> is a taobao store that sells classic and gothic styles for the most part. I ordered 2 JSKs, as pictured above.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Der Name Der Rose</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQHpuZT_A0nkSLf6TExok1YsZt6p13XKGjdS5IGGe5MdrvstGOF-PsDKyy3jmzBYGXXkgsM2GGG0Zd6bCJZrhsvBb8D4njPG52PuN6gJd3nLc-cT7A413rIQfvXR78Qmo8fdKlLUpjapd/s1600/wholebrown.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQHpuZT_A0nkSLf6TExok1YsZt6p13XKGjdS5IGGe5MdrvstGOF-PsDKyy3jmzBYGXXkgsM2GGG0Zd6bCJZrhsvBb8D4njPG52PuN6gJd3nLc-cT7A413rIQfvXR78Qmo8fdKlLUpjapd/s320/wholebrown.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568890658531244770" /></a><br />This is an absolutely gorgeous JSK. The skirt is a like a light suede and the bodice features a rose print. The rose button detailing is my favorite part. Partially shirred in the back, lined inside and trimmed with black (non raschel) lace. The buttons are nonfunctional as it zips up the side.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70GtniE3u-MQzLFaMoQXllYzoL3db1BJtKvU88nM7-uFZEkdc4IXfL_G09q7e8MzYOWWYle4qD_I53ODDOuyYaDQQfJwGLaSlGldfevvr2vWSLf4SJme1qYo1prki075-_nKCuqTc1Z4I/s1600/frontfront.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70GtniE3u-MQzLFaMoQXllYzoL3db1BJtKvU88nM7-uFZEkdc4IXfL_G09q7e8MzYOWWYle4qD_I53ODDOuyYaDQQfJwGLaSlGldfevvr2vWSLf4SJme1qYo1prki075-_nKCuqTc1Z4I/s320/frontfront.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568890653776934930" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUlo9u5nwlmnGTzsNvwcEdGADK5CS-70LII2wXZb50F5l6mAfkP0RLyzIMkI-_CfNqm7m29AgtjERBpwk6RnafLCkmj5ni0kSXUiTsr_xaGhqJqKkvzB4Ub4aUSV_j65OjCRusjtdCdku/s1600/fronttop.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUlo9u5nwlmnGTzsNvwcEdGADK5CS-70LII2wXZb50F5l6mAfkP0RLyzIMkI-_CfNqm7m29AgtjERBpwk6RnafLCkmj5ni0kSXUiTsr_xaGhqJqKkvzB4Ub4aUSV_j65OjCRusjtdCdku/s320/fronttop.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568890561341460338" /></a><br />There are only a couple hiccups, being the typical loose threads that need to be trimmed, and I question the choice of ribbon (?) used for the back corset lacing. It's a much too heavy type of cord. At the very least, easily replaceable.<br /><br />* The construction of this JSK is really spot on, the only mistake I made when ordering it was ordering the wrong size. I should really double check cm to inches conversions. Dreadful, right? I was really looking forward to this JSK. Well, there's always the comm.<br /><br />Overall: 4.5/5<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Classic Floral JSK</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUhe5XKJHp1RHhPW_467QUcbQllrBUYo-UsctCgyvNjJU3n8dXc76gDRSZT5XJ8WUHH02bSa3oh_xvBJ9hw_SICInAV10ugqzR0MCg7fYN_YcnNiHki-ftwMs7nUW7yGNjFJzd8MPbrNp/s1600/back.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUhe5XKJHp1RHhPW_467QUcbQllrBUYo-UsctCgyvNjJU3n8dXc76gDRSZT5XJ8WUHH02bSa3oh_xvBJ9hw_SICInAV10ugqzR0MCg7fYN_YcnNiHki-ftwMs7nUW7yGNjFJzd8MPbrNp/s320/back.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568891954749980706" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBei3Zjy8GuH8S9CgK4EHAtxD_q_wpmS0tKOH4N_35D-bowpYpREThW8NJOskotM0MjKe06Dk81vTRn5gOGGO44X6_jofSEDOFaOdNLmpBdSPFDoYLTAHsPXi8MSgSRXgpVEIYDzIwdM3/s1600/front.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 290px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBei3Zjy8GuH8S9CgK4EHAtxD_q_wpmS0tKOH4N_35D-bowpYpREThW8NJOskotM0MjKe06Dk81vTRn5gOGGO44X6_jofSEDOFaOdNLmpBdSPFDoYLTAHsPXi8MSgSRXgpVEIYDzIwdM3/s320/front.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568891952591069586" /></a><br />I'm really fond of long style JSKs, I don't know why. There originally was only the red colorway previewed, but there was a sample of the yellow version and I"m glad I picked that over the red. It turned out to just have a much subtler effect. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5u_qHrB2JeTbIfaiGdGu3hzwIQHcMoMqwH9frEmWZdvp7OsJDvlWZI1xBtkzKsh7qtt359AG8Ml7_DqQSMHyN0_HTGb6JMSaRPkQkPYIeBob43QpGQyPEcsFyoF3yy5lWzGI3HQ2-Bqq/s1600/ruffles.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5u_qHrB2JeTbIfaiGdGu3hzwIQHcMoMqwH9frEmWZdvp7OsJDvlWZI1xBtkzKsh7qtt359AG8Ml7_DqQSMHyN0_HTGb6JMSaRPkQkPYIeBob43QpGQyPEcsFyoF3yy5lWzGI3HQ2-Bqq/s320/ruffles.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568892036189923602" /></a>Fully lined, the fabric is a fine corduroy, which means it'll fit spring, but still keep me warm because it doesn't really get warm here until May. The corset ribbon is also a much more sensible choice. <br /><br />Being listed as 'freesize' (except only within 82cm-90cm in the bust) I avoided the wrong size predicament.<br /><br />*It would have been nice if the front bow were detachable, but it was probably easier for them to just sew it on<br /><br />Overall: 4.75/5<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">DollyPoddle</span><br />I used lj user <a href="http://dollypoddle.livejournal.com/">Dollypoddle</a> as my SS and she was just really wonderful as far as customer service went. However, I did learn not to ever place a Taobao order pretty much after the month of October, because things get really slow all the way up to Feb, after Chinese New Year.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYz5XxHapJf7zWNIqo9ICuVN4y6jfUcfBYchly84r_npfVZQTzzNP2bVuAa6FakzRx0tSHHRTJcsL4BT08qQnx9EQggPxaG2-E9zu08p_mtUmfy8C7dOk1JXGgxsqBJzXkKHUsWMz7aEg4/s1600/bag.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYz5XxHapJf7zWNIqo9ICuVN4y6jfUcfBYchly84r_npfVZQTzzNP2bVuAa6FakzRx0tSHHRTJcsL4BT08qQnx9EQggPxaG2-E9zu08p_mtUmfy8C7dOk1JXGgxsqBJzXkKHUsWMz7aEg4/s320/bag.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568892888587832034" /></a><br />The packaging, as shown, could have been better. I'm used to getting boxes from taobaonow, but I also used to have pay about 2x the shipping dollypoddle charged. You get what you pay for, basically, but despite the slightly ghetto arrival, it was wrapped in a way that ensured it was waterproof. However, shipping costs aside, the service charges, etc would have come out to about the same for either service.<br /><br />Overall: 4/5, as it was a good experience, but I'll probably go back to TBNUnknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350559666279458928.post-72587148945497256592011-01-29T16:48:00.006-05:002011-01-29T17:25:41.561-05:00Sacred Night by Lief Review<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgxEDz1e7jIa8OpjwrvuDkWikQaVufNnLj35kQFnQ-wzkCirxAOr2a0CbUzCtx5g-r7jktDKrsALx3lV-3UoLIQJWogCcSL_ALlBVF7oRRuvKVl7mikHRElXuB9qKkvW38xqAAD4GlrEUR/s1600/headless.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 229px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgxEDz1e7jIa8OpjwrvuDkWikQaVufNnLj35kQFnQ-wzkCirxAOr2a0CbUzCtx5g-r7jktDKrsALx3lV-3UoLIQJWogCcSL_ALlBVF7oRRuvKVl7mikHRElXuB9qKkvW38xqAAD4GlrEUR/s320/headless.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567734180396740738" border="0" /></a>My first lolita arrival of 2011, Lief's Sacred Night in black, showed up today! (Meanwhile, my 2 other R series JSKs are on their way... but that's not what this is about)<br /><br />First off, I got the black JSK in S/M.<br />Construction:<br /><ul><li>The velvet is very soft</li><li>Lined about halfway down</li><li>Straps are spaced correctly</li><li>Includes waist tie and detachable bow with pin</li><li>The print is a very tasteful gold, not crazy glittery, but shows up crisp</li><li>The zipper is a little uncooperative going up.</li><li>I'm 5'5" (165cm) tall and it falls halfway between my knees and my ankle I'd say.</li><li>Official Measurements: <strong>bust: 86~96cm; I am only 84cm, but the shirring isn't bulky<br /></strong></li></ul>Customer Service:<br /><ul><li>Invoiced with no issues</li><li>No notice of shipping, albeit that is standard procedure for Lief (I ordered the Aster Cafe before).</li><li>English rep is very considerate, informative, and accommodating (I switched my colorway after they notified us the colors became solid)</li></ul>Detail Shots:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNafTIiRyFHYUwMkmGGlWT5O7oIG7cMuvbTShlUfmrtMJEblOMOJSu1nmHR_1G1vB51E5GQTIWvBGnP-Vu9yN7D9i_p3kw3IvLs2-6RgHDXkVIO-d73Bjq17q0_iSvCrk3m2YcfdYCmstt/s1600/IMGP8709.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 139px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNafTIiRyFHYUwMkmGGlWT5O7oIG7cMuvbTShlUfmrtMJEblOMOJSu1nmHR_1G1vB51E5GQTIWvBGnP-Vu9yN7D9i_p3kw3IvLs2-6RgHDXkVIO-d73Bjq17q0_iSvCrk3m2YcfdYCmstt/s320/IMGP8709.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567733575611470114" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXAJNK0sSK0EyGCd5_Or0VYrfioJlSSRow1Z8j5IBS70yAOA4wLFa7BPePzLk6GxwGbYISo2QRAt-loUAmDM9P_WJMk7AsuHbnwG0TYWn2ObBcUKPtwgark4BMZY0EWtY_ZHAnlQa8I977/s1600/IMGP8717.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXAJNK0sSK0EyGCd5_Or0VYrfioJlSSRow1Z8j5IBS70yAOA4wLFa7BPePzLk6GxwGbYISo2QRAt-loUAmDM9P_WJMk7AsuHbnwG0TYWn2ObBcUKPtwgark4BMZY0EWtY_ZHAnlQa8I977/s320/IMGP8717.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567733572191088498" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGIKn1dcbff7EtKYmwSpMTjHTyLL3cqvkxda58oWDXvmLMOKOP3mw5o3X0oYR_USJheSEDEWNy4InXkufDbw9yyuAhO_y66UixP7I2I3-y53uyiec-Tdf0fqCEugZO7Tnj5K72HY82qJoQ/s1600/IMGP8715.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGIKn1dcbff7EtKYmwSpMTjHTyLL3cqvkxda58oWDXvmLMOKOP3mw5o3X0oYR_USJheSEDEWNy4InXkufDbw9yyuAhO_y66UixP7I2I3-y53uyiec-Tdf0fqCEugZO7Tnj5K72HY82qJoQ/s320/IMGP8715.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567733568103031250" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQXDcBsXJyL8Oi2lZ6V4ecsxcLy_FiT_kJIDTziHaeRcAK6HwRP5yw_PZ2x3h2vbWkRqNeVJCSeMkdA1voWdUI2meSbpqRJzJDp5G5_Icn5WA11jXAgr2wcM_74n4Zs5SSlllU4hHuWDl/s1600/IMGP8722.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQXDcBsXJyL8Oi2lZ6V4ecsxcLy_FiT_kJIDTziHaeRcAK6HwRP5yw_PZ2x3h2vbWkRqNeVJCSeMkdA1voWdUI2meSbpqRJzJDp5G5_Icn5WA11jXAgr2wcM_74n4Zs5SSlllU4hHuWDl/s320/IMGP8722.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567733566235132226" border="0" /></a>Overall: Lief is my favorite indie brand and I'm pretty glad I passed up the Regimental series for Sacred night. It's really warm too, naturally as the whole thing is velvet.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350559666279458928.post-45927740558612697632011-01-22T16:15:00.000-05:002011-01-22T16:15:50.007-05:00PCOS Study<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmRV-mG01tO-gU1Rs3oo530EV0p591wlAkQ5Wz6XmjTiGxlOaNu7S8WfISEjWqCr7K3V5HXSTZ-zRvCxHKi5jMVCddHiUDq4hMECzC2TvcHYkqAPEat8wtRwOdlkC56l-CSamndaSrlym0/s1600/2011-01-20+19.44.49.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmRV-mG01tO-gU1Rs3oo530EV0p591wlAkQ5Wz6XmjTiGxlOaNu7S8WfISEjWqCr7K3V5HXSTZ-zRvCxHKi5jMVCddHiUDq4hMECzC2TvcHYkqAPEat8wtRwOdlkC56l-CSamndaSrlym0/s320/2011-01-20+19.44.49.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565120126204482594" /></a><br /><br />(look, my nails match!)<br /><br />I finished up the PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) study I participated in since last year. It was an extended study to test the effect of estrogen on women with PCOS and without. It was time consuming in the sense I had to complete 2 overnight admissions. For each admission, it went like this:<br /><br />4 days prior: Blood sample to check blood count, start estrogen patches<br />Evening of admission: Admitted, about 1cc of blood drawn every 10 minutes.<br />26 hours later: Released! <br /><a name='more'></a><br />Fun facts<br />* This was through the University hospital<br />* The nursing staff / my doctor were REALLY nice. <br />* It was a great opportunity to contribute to research studies that especially benefit women. <br />*They fed me very, VERY well, if only because I gave a lot of blood and I had to eat and drink a ton the whole time.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhqrqzrBHsy8h5nHKT7wkjRiZCWAv2papbLHBJFAT9qv8ZDrns6IFnIk6SCufVbWM5O_eJgVGP-kFPGU6G0r8m2WhFnT7tJhzz-3qHFW4mtzDvPq5EtBaJZPJXTfTH-86dsnraDgqvVtR/s1600/2011-01-21+16.56.53.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhqrqzrBHsy8h5nHKT7wkjRiZCWAv2papbLHBJFAT9qv8ZDrns6IFnIk6SCufVbWM5O_eJgVGP-kFPGU6G0r8m2WhFnT7tJhzz-3qHFW4mtzDvPq5EtBaJZPJXTfTH-86dsnraDgqvVtR/s320/2011-01-21+16.56.53.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565120131023907602" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8CtIOTTxgfwUa5WkmGbiNlhupVbkRqaBGG_Yu-A8A05um3Lg6iSGCGGUWwwZof0gpn51jn-dvlf8ATXR2XQShyphenhyphenfvy4o-dqqiUO0U5v9kOlmzLqk_bnALnJ5TIc1tX8CZ-0yzLv7ksyTpq/s1600/2011-01-20+18.06.07.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8CtIOTTxgfwUa5WkmGbiNlhupVbkRqaBGG_Yu-A8A05um3Lg6iSGCGGUWwwZof0gpn51jn-dvlf8ATXR2XQShyphenhyphenfvy4o-dqqiUO0U5v9kOlmzLqk_bnALnJ5TIc1tX8CZ-0yzLv7ksyTpq/s320/2011-01-20+18.06.07.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565120137768078002" /></a><br /><br /><br />Overall it was time consuming, but I'm glad I volunteered for the study. It was a good opportunity and as a bio major it was interesting to learn some stuff as I went along.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350559666279458928.post-34006643744736671962011-01-17T17:19:00.003-05:002011-01-17T17:23:36.696-05:00Conveyor Sushi<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy7eG4U6YY6QNjc7JgFd7Wrgp4gDd1RuWmifqF5Z-sU6qAyQBUwbSpWC-9iUJzgswn1l9SEU-dzYdCKd23O3Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />Sorry there's been a bit of a lull in posts. Between having guests, driving back and forth between my apartment and my parent's place, and getting ready for the new semester, I haven't had a lot of time for posts. Not to mention that my R Series order pretty much *just* shipped form my SS to me. But there will be a lengthy and detailed review post when that arrives, so that's what's coming on the lolita front.<br /><br />From a food perspective, when I was back in Norther Virginia (Nova for short) I went to the conveyor belt sushi place at the mall. It opened up last winter, if I recall. These places have been popular in japan and in big cities like new york, so I was surprised that they opened one here.<br /><br />The video is just a 13 sec shot of the dishes as they go by. You just pick whichever one you want as it goes. The edges are color coded by price. Besides sushi, sashimi, and maki, they have edamame, fresh fruit, and mousse, haha. It's a pretty cute place. The quality of the fish is somewhat lacking (but I've been spoiled by places with REALLY excellent sashimi) but the maki is decent and its more of the novelty factor.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Would you eat at a conveyor sushi place?</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350559666279458928.post-84430337227604300252011-01-07T14:29:00.003-05:002011-01-07T15:07:07.739-05:00The Cost of NothingI started devising an experiment last year, called "Could I make money off buying/selling lolita clothing". The premise was simple and fairly logical: buy low, sell high. On many auction sites like yahoo japan and mbok, brand is sold fairly cheap. On the comm sale, the same items can go for almost 2x the listed auction price. I decided even if I wouldn't go through with it, I could still design an experiment.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Concept:</span><br />- Start small. Start mid priced items that both fit my style, were in good condition, were exceptionally cheap, and were brand. If I followed these conditions, in the event I couldn't find a seller, I didn't mind keeping the pieces myself.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Process:</span><br />-Find auctions on mbok, which is a little cheaper than yahoo japan. Also, a shopping service.<br /><br />-Invest x amount of money and after getting the items, see if they can be sold for more than I bought them.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Projected Results</span><br />- While a nice concept in theory, due to the poor exchange rate, the need for a shopping service (which charges shipping+comission), one would be lucky to make a profit by this process.<br />- Living in Japan would make this more of a viable concept. In that case however, it would just be a small scale Closet Child because those stores must use the same idea to make a profit.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Have you ever sold anything online and made a profit?</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5350559666279458928.post-1682603745675572011-01-03T18:43:00.001-05:002011-01-03T18:43:37.313-05:00Yujacha<p><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32BQ7lJF3gomiLQ2fJdka67baNtTzsfOeUvxSsH0Gg56H2HvXxkB4KeM0BcZTIEGKP9KxkncbaVr4tL45AWFt2EbkNI8rrpW4YcthDxak892vcIAZHGSo9m1GFQ60Q-WcoAvpoonFYIF6/'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32BQ7lJF3gomiLQ2fJdka67baNtTzsfOeUvxSsH0Gg56H2HvXxkB4KeM0BcZTIEGKP9KxkncbaVr4tL45AWFt2EbkNI8rrpW4YcthDxak892vcIAZHGSo9m1GFQ60Q-WcoAvpoonFYIF6/s400/2011-01-03%2016.47.30.jpg' /></a></p>This post is being published from my new android phone. Hooray! Seriously I'm way in love with it. (samsung captivate). <br/> <br/> Anyhow, snap of the day is from my favorie korean bakery called le matin de paris. They have really tasty pastries and stuff. Plus, orange citron tea called yujacha. Just what one needs on a chilly january day right?<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7