Super Fashionable Weekend!

Anime Midwest was just last weekend, marking the time left that participants and planners have for the Super Gyaru weekend and the upcoming Harajuku Fashion Walk. 

Acen 2015

Wowzers! Another Acen  has passed by!

Machii, Neesie, Tomo, Jade and I at my Gyaru Panel

I had my panel about gyaru fashion on Friday! I let people check out what was in my bag, answered questions about hair, make up and accessories, and had some guest speakers as well! It was a chill atmosphere, and I was glad people were able to come through.

Though I wish I danced the night away at Soap Bubble, I danced, shimmied, and bebopped along throughout the Dealer Hall's floor. 

Hold That Pose For Me/might be a galvip article

2014? (date was deleted off)
So, as many of you probably know, I have dabbled in some modeling escapades over the past few years.
I had wanted to do so, and decided to take that chance in diving in, helping a few Columbia students, to working with some Chicago photographers in their studios.
It was definitely a learning experience, from going from:

Photo Cred DollySO STIFF!!

I am no pro at this, but I feel like it has helped me at least drop a little awkwardness for photographs after someone saying something on the lines of "LEARN HOW TO POSE!" 

To learning how to pose and capture an expression.

I still get a lil weird with poses, but glad I was able to push myself further with some great pointers from people who knew best!

As they say, and it is true, we are our own WORST critics. 

I had to get used to angling my legs the right way and all that, and also not angling the face too up or down.

Harajuku Fashion Walk

Fashion Walk-Harajuku Version

I attended the Harajuku Fashion walk on Saturday. I got to strut my stuff with the other very fashionable people all decked out in our gear in Downtown Chicago! From cool to kawaii, we took lots of pictures and chatted with each other. 

PuriKura For Illinois!

Why Illinois and not Chicago? Because I am from the City,not Bloomingdale. That is all. ;p

So, from this source, it looks like there will finally be some purikura, or photo booths for people not in the loop, for taking super cute photo stickers to share with friends. Hallelu!

For the people who were and still are friends of purikura machines and the cute lil stickers in Chicago, this is and can be great news and a major update. We had a print club booth that was regularly out of order and one could not even use custom backgrounds with their pictures that was customary with these types of photos. Then there was the photo booth that was in Chinatown.... I am not sure which one was even better at that point. The pictures were usually a touch too dark compared to the dated photo booth that was located at one of the arcades near Mitsuwa.

I am looking forward to checking out these booths when it opens up! Just need to find a way to get out there....

You can check out more information here:

http://japc.kisekinohana.net/roundoneop/

Floating Through the City

I sit at my new fave coffee shop, Argo Tea for a quick snack of Macarons with a lovely touch of Hibiscus tea on the side. When I feel like I have the time, I take a stroll in my city. I tend to wander mostly in the downtown area, taking in the sights and sounds of various parts that are still yet hidden to me.

I decided to walk through Old Town and make my way over to the Magnificent Mile. The luxury stores seemed most spectacular on a sleek, moonstone grey rainy day.

I like to pop in and out of stores in the Water Tower. There is a Henry Bendel store that opened up several years ago and also a super cute and brainy Marble Store.

Henri Bendel is one of the stores that Gossip Girl's Blair shopped from. It originated from New York in 1895, their iconic print is a vertical white and brown stripes, and Henri also assisted Coco Chanel in bringing some of her items to America from Paris. How romantic!! <3

Giving the store a look see, I fell in love with some of the purses and accessories. I am also a sucker for the cute little charms they had there too! They also had cute doggy goods too! So adorable!
Though I couldn't get pix inside, I saw that stacking lots of bracelets were totally in in the store. Yippu! >:D


Though I am not a big Gossip Girl fan, I know that my sister and also Ms. Ariell are! Maybe Ariell will come to Chicago one day and check out the store...

Pic courtesy of The Brain Store

I also was highly interested in The Marble store, a place filled with games and books to exercise your brain! I got to play a bit of Anomia, a card game whose name means "not to know". It is a phenomenon when you stall and can't think of an answer, something I do at times. Playing the game a lot is said to help lower the time you stall when you are thinking with a lot of pressure put on you.

I also got to play with these little things called Brain Drops. They expand in water and you can pop them at people! A few of them were popped at me and totally caught me by surprise! XD

Edmund, one of the Marble Store people,  showed me a few various games, and also suggested a trivia book for me to read called The Book of General Ignorance which busts myths throughout history! Weird title >___> but it dispels a lotta stuff in it. SOOOOO, I am glad I got a new book for my collection.

Chicago Alternative Fashion Walk

New Banner!

Whew! Not only did I update the banner for my Youtube channel...

I also got to redo my banner for my blog too! 

Old

New

 Yippu!

The old one wasn't working for the new background I had. Too black and white and the size was just not ready too. For some minor changes, also changed some of the fonts too so its not too busy.

I feel like I should have thrown something fall-esque in there... like some pumpkins or leaves. Maybe I will pop something in there one of these days. hahaha 

~~Updates~~

So, I have been trying to find a second job or freelance these days. Having another month of no work is not really fun. I applied to a few retail shops and firms. I am trying to stay calm, but I feel like a tea kettle almost at boiling point. :/

Plus, my skills still need refining for normal life/career. *sigh* 

I feel super lost in this post college life. Some days feel really good and I get hopeful, some days seem bleak. I just want to wake up and have it be like a script... wake up from a play or something. lol 

I also don't really get Linkedin either. I was told several times I needed one, but it feels like another Facebook to me...just more boring! I know it is for work, but geez... (-__-;

Other updates... I have been working out and meditating off and on again. Sucks my diet is horrid at the moment. I miss my veggies! 

I have been doing more Youtube vids again! It feels kinda good. I am glad people are enjoying them! 

I am amped for the Alternative Fashion Walk hosted by myself and two of my ColumAlum, Brit and Krisi! I hope you stay tuned for pictures! 

Nascar + Sprint Event!

Before I went to my meeting with my Colum Alumni and former classmates on the 11th, I strolled from the Water Tower to the South Loop, snapping pictures and loving the grey weather. It was a bit chilly, and I knew it was fall already. Summer came and left too quickly! Oh well...

As I was walking towards the South Loop where my school is, I noticed a giant screen right before you hit the Chicago River! Sprint Vision? Big screen? Huge crowd? What the hell was goin on?!

Are they all going to the event too?! 

 I had to wander over here for a nice moment to see what was going on!

Even the Red M&M came out for the event too, ahahah!

Let me be your driver!

 I had to...

Crop it like its odd!

I don't think this particular racecar model was available to be sat in like the yellow one. Blue's one of my fave colours but oh well...

Saw this painted horse dedicated to the police of Chicago.

I liked the metal gears on his butt, but no Solid Snake here!

Random, but these cute lil birds stopped by the event too!

I wanted to be in this booth so bad! Or on stage talking as one of the hosts so bad! Maybe one day....?

Toyota Camry car model for 2015. Sleek, burgandy red, and not mine! :(

Cute lil doggy with booties! Too adorable for words, and very friendly too!

Eastern European guy who took my pic near the Chicago River.
 We chatted a bit before parting. 

When I was leaving the event after chatting with some fellas, (I actually got an age guestimation of 20 this time! I AM NO LONGER A HIGH SCHOOLER NOW! YIPPU) I got asked for my picture by this guy up here ^.  We chatted for a bit. He was here in Chicago til September for vacation. He seemed to like Chicago and might even come back! We parted near the edge of Millenium park where Cloud Gate sits.

For anyone attending the Nascar racing event, tell me how it was!! :D

Wicker Park Block Party

Some of my old crew from my high school days and I went out to Wicker Park on Saturday to show some support to one of their friends from Columbia. I haven't been to the Silver Room since sometime last year for an art show.

Maybe its just me, but I noticed that they tend to carry a lot of Afrocentric goods there 

 along with jewelry and art pieces. 

Though there were various other "stages" at the back of the Silver Room, I stayed over here chillin with friends. 

"But did you do it for the Homies?"

The Crew! Aerin (dreads) looks very mischievous here. lol

After grabbing a slice of pizza and chatting it up with friends, we rode to Second City to watch two of my classmates do some sets. While waiting for them to go up, I wanted to see if I could do something like that one day. But then I remembered I am not a comedian, LOL. 

This place has birthed and helped sculpt a lot of todays popular and well known comedians.Some of them are Tina Fey, Joan Rivers, and Steve Carrell just to name a few.  If you want to laugh or make others laugh, defo swing by here with friends! 

No lens cuz I ran out of cleaner.

Coord. Denim Casual

 Silver Room 

1442 N Milwaukee Ave, 

Chicago IL 60622

Second City

1616 N Wells St. 

Chicago, IL 60614

Breaking the Habit: No More Workoholic, More Beach

Besides the Watertower, I really like this building.

After reading a few article about Workaholics, I had to take a step back to evaluate my naughty habit of trying to keep busy almost all of the time. Yes, the first time I tried to relax during a month break from work and being officially done with school I had a panic attack. Lame, right?

Even an old teacher had asked why I wasn't taking a year off to do practically nothing after college. And all I could think of  was 'that is bizarre... why would I do that?' You do that before you graduate, then you bust your ass to try to pay off everything. 

But...did I miss a memo or something?

Fall lip colour test

So, on Wednesday, I decided to just chill in downtown Chicago. I checked out the WaterTower mall first after a quick lunch. Katie wanted me to try a purple/lilac lip shade from Smashbox. After trying various purple shades, I settled on a natural shade, "Sugar Cane".  I might also see what the fuss is about non drugstore make ups! 

A doorman/security guard wanted me to come into the jewelry

shoppe that was near Oak Street Beach. 

Some of the pieces were beautiful, and their main motif is the quatrefoil for good luck, prosperity, health, and love. I favored the pieces with black onyx. 

Glass art and timepieces.

Bountiful clovers.

 I grabbed their catalog to check out their pieces while I am at home.

I really liked their bag. I am a sucker for nice shopping bag design. 

Rather be doing some sort of work. LOL

Human Gazing

 As I buried my feet in the cool sand, I gazed off into the sky or watch kids play catch with a football. 

I could get used to this... I think.

Stopped here for a little Italian treat.

Choco + Hazelnut gelato

Being busy (or "busy") all the time isn't a good thing. You are most likely wasting energy and maybe just doing filler if you can't stand doing-nothing-at-all time. I know from experience. Its nice to take a break every once in a while and recharge and cool down.

Ciao Ciao❤