Waiting on the Mail

Today's OOTD~

Dress & Bolero: WalMart

Bag: Loris

Jewelry: Forever21, Hot Topic

Shoes (not pictured): UNIF

I have a spending problem. This is not a secret. If I have even five dollars, I feel like I instantly have to go out and spend it on something. Usually this something is something I don't really need. The past week I've been spending a little more then I should where I should be saving; mostly online but also some in store things such as the dress and bolero above.

So I guess this is a two part thing, where this is the entry I post what I'm waiting for in the mail, and later I do the actual haul post. I'm hoping that if I make a post like this I won't buy anything until after the local anime convention this weekend, haha. Like all hauls/similar posts, this is in no way bragging, just sharing. With that disclaimer out of the way, let's get started!!

Firstly is something from Amazon, and it's something I'm slightly familiar with as well: Wreck This Journal Everywhere! On Amazon, this book is usually about $10, but it's on sale for $6. I actually have one of the normal-sized Wreck This Journal books, but I got it and started filling it in a few years ago, when I was in a kind of bad time in my life. I don't know, I just feel weird continuing in it. So instead of getting a new full-sized one, I got the smaller one. This one has some different prompts as well! I'm probably going to do a vlog series where I show what I've done in it (you know, like everyone else)!

Secondly is this adorable pair of earrings from the Etsy shop, DoomStuff! Even though I only have one piercing open right now, I love, love ridiculous, big earrings. This pair of earrings combines a lot of things I love: aliens, the 90s, bright colors, etc.! I just heard about this shop from my bestie, but I'm sure I'll be buying from them again, as all of their items are similarly amazing, including jwelry made from computer keyboard keys! This pair of earrings cost $11.

Next is another Etsy item, from the shop AWRecycled Journals! I actually featured this store in an older entry! This journal isn't for me, however, is for my fiance, as he loves Miss Marple. This cost $8.

Second to last is from my very first Aliexpress order! Aliexpress is like an English Taobao, so you don't need a shopping service. The pros of this site are low prices and huge variety, as well as not needing a shopping service like with Taobao. The cons are that many items are knock-offs and the quality of these items are a gamble, and unlike with a shopping service that will wait for all your items from various shops to arrive, the items will arrive separately if you order from different stores. I only ordered two relatively cheap items for my first order. I actually saw this dress first on Taobao, so I was excited to see it on Aliexpress! I love the dotted pattern, it's so happy! This cost only $13.

Lastly is the item I'm probably most excited about - this 90s-esque smiley purse/backpack!! I've been looking for a new happy-colored purse as mine is old and the fake leather is flaking a bit. This is absolutely perfect for my life! This was almost $30, so a little pricey considering it's more then likely a knock-off, but it's so cute I couldn't resist. 

So that's what I'm waiting on, and I'll do an actual haul/first impressions when I receive the items! 

What items are you waiting on?

March 2015 Favorites!!

I haven't done a favorites post in a while! I actually filmed this as a vlog as well and I'll be uploading it later tomorrow, so head over to my YouTube channel if you want to check that out! Let's get started~

Priceless.

My first favorite isn't an item at all - it's happiness! As I've mentioned before, I suffer with depression and anxiety as well as a few other mental funtime issues. But lately I've just been like, "No. No more of that." Of course, my issues haven't gone away, but lately I've just been really, really happy and getting a lot of things done and overall just feeling better about things. I still have a long way to go, but I feel like I'm starting to actually move again.

Pro Longwear Foundation: $32 // Pro Longwear Powder: ~$30??

I really only have two makeup favorites this month, and they're both from MAC! I've never had a high-end foundation, only drugstore ones, and I decided since foundation really was a base for everything I should try a high-end one. I believe my shade is NW15? Or NC...? NW sounds right, but it definitely is 15 (one of the lightest shades). It goes on so smooth and light and I fee it really does look so much better and offers great coverage without being heavy. I highly recommend it, even though it is pricy. I do feel that you don't use as much, as well.

bunny necklace: $12

This next favorite is actually a present from my best friend in the UK, Ashley! Along with a bunny patch and some heart earrings, she sent me this "bunny" necklace in pink! It obviously perfect for me since I am Bunny. It's pretty big and reflective and just overall wonderful.

Daisy Choker: $10?

I'm not sure of the prices of the last three jewelry items because they were gifts from bestie Miraiina, so I'm going to have to estimate. Also, this isn't even a picture of the choker I have because I couldn't find a picture of it on Claire's' website, so picture the black wiring as clear and the colored flowers as white daisies. I love the 90s so I love these chokers that everyone now has again. But this one has my third favorite flower on in!

Cherry Earrings: $8?

Even though I only have one hole open right now, I love earrings, especially dangling ones. I also really love cherries!! Not eating them, of course, I hate the taste. But I love the way cherries look, they're adorable! These earrings from Claire's aren't too big but big and pink enough to be noticeable.

Fake Septum: $14?

Hey look, not only is it a fake septum, but a hint of the daisy choker, bunny necklace, and cherry earrings! Either way, this fake septum ring from Claire's is also surprisingly comfortable and sturdy. It does take a bit to get used to the feeling of something dangling out of your nose, but I think it looks very cute. Also, I don't think I would ever get my septum pierced for real, so this fake jewelry is perfect!

Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millenium Girl: $40

Next are three games for the Nintendo 3DS! Firstly is a very cute RPG that I actually got half off while Atlus was doing their half-off sale (or are they still doing it?). It's honestly a bit difficult and very time consuming, but it's a very reasonable difficulty that makes the game more realistic. If you've never played an Etrian Odyssey game, I highly recommend this one!

Fairune: $3

Fairune is a retro-not-retro RPG avaliable on the eshop for a very reasonable price. This game mimics an older RPG, and as such, at times there may not really be clear objectives. But you have never played an older, harder RPG this one is a good jump into the genre. Fairune is also very cute! Actually, all the games that are on my favorites this month are cute.

Legend of Dark Witch: $4

Also available on the Nintendo eshop is Legend of Dark Witch, a cute (see?) platformer that reminds me a lot of Megaman. I don't have much to say about this one as it is really just a basic platformer, but I recommend it as well!

Go! Princess Precure is the newest in the Precure series and is currently coming out in Japan. I've watched a few episodes of the original Precure, but just never got around to finishing it. I've been wanting to jump back in with one of the newest series, and to be honest it was the "princess" in the title of this anime that drew me in! The theme of this series is not only princesses, but dreams and happiness, which is something I can obviously get behind. It's very adorable and the fighting sequences are surprisingly well choreographed! 

Priceless as well (Or, $15)

Last favorite is a gift from my fiance, a Birdo plushie! We got this from a local video game store, so I can't really say where you could get one for sure local to you. They also had a lot of the Koopalings and some other enemies. This plushie isn't very big, but I love Birdo, so I don't care and love to cuddle with it.

That's it for this month! (And if you were wondering, an UNfavorite for this month would happen to be Starbuck's Smores Frappucinno Iced Drink Bottle thing! So gross!)

I actually uploaded my favorites vlog ahead of time, so go ahead and watch if you want to actually see these items~!

10 Favorite Etsy Shops Part One!!

The holidays are near and it’s time to stock up on gifts and stocking stuffers for your family, friends, or yourself! What better then to give to two people at once - the gift recipient and the gift maker? This is why I love Etsy.

Etsy is like an Amazon or Taobao for homemade and vintage goods as well as crafting materials. It’s most known for having lots and lots of stores by artists on it. You can find anything there, from zines, to wedding rings, to artwork, to clothing…pretty much anything you could think of. 

I am probably going to buy most if not all of my friends’ gifts on Etsy this year. As an artist, I want to do everything I can to support other artists. So I’m going to recommend my favorite Etsy shops, ten at a time. Note that I may or may not have ordered from each of these shops so I cannot always speak for quality and timeliness and such. Also, I’m going to provide a link HERE to my general Etsy favorites list, which is very diverse, and not everything in that list is from a shop I’ll be mentioning.

Kawaii Power Up

Kawaii Power Up is actually the first Etsy store I ever made a purchase from, and a favorite with me and my friend. My review can be found HERE. This shop specialized in cute and nerdy accessories. My favorite items from this shop are the dust plugs! I feel like they are the most reasonably priced - although her shop is very well priced for what you get - and the most unique. The shop includes free goodies with every purchase as well! 

Nerdy Little Secrets

Much like the previous store, Nerdy Little Secrets specializes in kawaii and sometimes nerdy accessories perfect for all cute fashions. However, this store’s accessories are much more softer in appearance. I feel like this shop is a little more diverse then Kawaii Power Up, and has also been open for longer. Their prices are very fair, although wait time for certain items is a little bit long. 

Starlight Deco Dream

Starlight Deco Dream is a wonderful shop. It’s main draw is jewelry and accessories based on anime series, such as Madoka and Sailor Moon. Again, the prices are very fair. My favorite item from the shop right now is the giant “mahou shoujo” necklaces! This shop is a must for fans of magical girl anime!

Miss Alphabet

“Your one-stop shop for all things Barbie, Fairy Kei, and pastel goth!” Miss Alphabet is mostly a clothing store that caters all shapes and sizes. With sparkling fabrics and bows and lace everywhere, this store is great if you want clothing to catch the eyes of others. The prices are a bit high, but everything is custom made and very high quality. 

Bity Kity

Bity Kity is another accessory store, and everything is very pastel pink and purple! I don’t have much to say about this shop that hasn’t been said about the others, but this shop also offers very fair prices. They also have custom and pre made decoden phone cases!

Beagle Cakes Art & Illustration

This shop focuses on very cute and stylized stickers, prints, and cards. Most of the art is original, but there are also sets of Sailor Moon stickers. The shop also offers custom chibi prints! For what you get, the prices are extremely reasonable.

Mayshallwin

Mayshallwin is another store that offers cute stickers, though this one focuses on characters from anime and the like, especially Pokemon. The art is very cute and stylized. The only qualm I have is that the prices are a bit high. For example, for one dollar, you can get…one sticker. However, the owners seem to be students, so it’s a bit understandable.

AW Recycled Journals

I’m a little hesitant to list this shop, because there are so many one-of-a-kind journals in this shop that I don’t want bought up, hahaha! This store features recycled journals, as in, journals that are made from VHS covers, record sleeves, and there are even a few made from board game boxes and cereal boxes! For something this cool, the prices are great. As a journal/sketchbookphile, this store is heaven. 

Ready to Stare

This shop features plus size clothing and statement jewelry, and wants for others to rock the way they look, no matter how that may be. My favorite item of theirs are earrings made from giant dinosaur toys. The prices are great and their models and stock photos are beautiful. This store has a very street fashion/soft ghetto feel.

Thanks for reading!! See you later!!

24 Years Old! Birthday Haul!

I'm only more then a week late! Haha. I've been busy with cleaning and hanging out ._. Anyways. This is my birthday overview and a haul of what I got. As with all my hauls, I'm not bragging, I just like sharing what I got, and I like watching and reading other people's hauls!

So on my actual birthday, the 28th, I was off work! So I got to sleep in. I got all dressed up and waited...and waited..and eventually headed a few towns over with the fiance to the Cheesecake Factory to meet my parents for dinner! It was really nice, and I always enjoy seeing them, since I get homesick so easily, haha. And, cheesecake. Yum.

After that, my friend Chelsea picked me up and took me to Nashville, to Dave&Busters! For those of you who don't know what it is, it's like an arcade place, where you pay to play all sorts of games, and most of them give out tickets which you can exchange for prizes! Eventually our friend Megan joined us and we played for hours! It was great because I hadn't seen Megan in YEARS.

When it came time to exchange our tickets for prizes, I had quite a few, so I was able to get some nice things...

A cute Domo keychain which I attatched to my purse...

A Pikachu plushie which is GREAT for late night cuddles...

And then this journal! Which has not been written in at all yet.

And, of course, candy!! I got a lot of candy so the fiance could have some, too. Then my friends surprised me by using their tickets to buy me presents!

This cute purple, spiky bracelet and Hello Kitty earbuds!! Thank you~!

After that, Chelsea took me home, where my fiance and presents from my parents were waiting! My big present for the year is...

A red Keurig! Um, ignore the dirty pan x_x As you can see by the empty K-Cups, I've already used it quite a lot. They got me three different kinds of coffee and tea, and the Keurig came with samples...so I have lots of varieties. My favorites so far have been the iced coffees and teas! It's been very useful. Maybe a little too useful, haha.

There was also a plethora of hair and makeup goodies!! Yay! My favorite of these has been the Tarte lip color!

They got me this book, How to Be Like Walt, which is so far very interesting!!

They also got me my favorite peanut butter, because I have an addiction problem...heh.

I feel like I'm leaving something out, but...I don't know what...

And then on Saturday, I had another little party with friends! Two of my friends couldn't make it, but my good friends Erik and Ashley did, and they brought cake and chips and soda and etc! We went out for lunch, coffee, came back and watched the Power Rangers movie, talked lolita with Ashley (I can play dress up with her! I am in a happy place!) and then we just talked and watched other things.

Ashley gave me a really nice gift...

A Hello Kitty tin, four little Hello Kitties, a wallet, some tissues, and a bracelet I wear often! Oh, and CANDY!

All and all, I've had a great birthday and a great couple of days. As I said at the beginning, I'm doing some heavy duty cleaning...in order to renew our lease at the apartment, we have to do a walkthrough, and while I know our level of cleanliness and how much clothes are strewn on the floor probably isn't what they care about, the apartment does need a serious cleaning. Hopefully we can get that done before tomorrow. I just purchased Tomodachi Life, also, so hopefully I won't get too distracted...

And tomorrow is International Lolita day! I'm trying to get together with a few friends, but it may be just me dressing up alone, haha.

Pre-Birthday Fun! Forever 21/Forever 21 + Haul!!

I had such a very fun day today~! It's officially one week until my 24th birthday! I'm not shy about reminding people, haha. I don't care about if I receive gifts (but I appreciate them, of course) but I like to celebrate. I already know what I'm doing on the actual day of my birthday - going out to dinner with my parents and the fiance and then going to Dave & Busters with my two longest friends! But for the past few years, it's been tradition that one of my best friends, Erik, gets a cake for me and has people over at his place and we just generally watch stuff and catch up. That's going to happen next weekend!

I got to hang out with Erik today, as well as his super awesome girlfriend Ashley, and the fiance! We first went out to Dairy Queen and had some food. I've lost about seven or eight pounds since I started my job, so I figured a little treat was okay. Then we got coffee! My weakness! And then we were a little stuck for what to do, but didn't want to part ways yet, so Erik suggested we go to Opry Mills, which is the big mall in Nashville. So we made a trip of it!

Since the flood of 2010 and the re-opening of Opry Mills, there have been less "interesting" stores like a bookstore, a boba tea shop, a media store, etc, and more high-end clothing stores. Of course this gave the boys a lot to complain about, but me and Ashley loved it! It was so good to have someone to fawn over clothing with! I really only have one other friend I can do that with.

So we went many places, but in the end, we spent about an hour in the giant Forever 21. Forever 21 is one of my favorite stores, even if most of their clothes doesn't fit my body type. This one, however, also had a plus size section! I also have to say that my experience this time was very nice. Usually, especially at the one at the mall in my city, the shop people can be a little rude. But this time, people asked how we were doing, and the cashier was very nice.

Erik bought me three pieces of clothing and one jewelry item as my birthday present! So I figured a haul and review was in order!! I got from both the plus size section and their regular clothing selection. I'm going to be listing the size I have it in as well as the price of these items in case you would like to check them out as well. I'm so thankful to have such kind friends!! Also...I took these pictures on my phone, so they are kind of poor quality, especially the first one! I'm sorry! But, onto the haul~

Aaaah, blurry picture! There's a worn picture below, however. Anyways, I've never had a romper before, but I think they're so darling. This romper has a mesh top (covered up by the text ^^;) and two straps on either side holding it up. The back has a little tie area that holds together the top and opens up so you can put it on with ease. The waistband is super stretchy and comfortable! Great for just relaxing around the house. My one issue with it is that it's just a bit short when you sit down but...that's the style, so, what can you do? It's not that big of an issue.

Here's a picture of it worn! Trying to be okay showing my body! >_< And yes, the bedroom is a little messy, what are you going to do about it. As you can see, a 1X is not super form-fitting, but still not super baggy. Perfect! Actually, Ashley got the exact same one so we can twin!! I love this thing! The only thing that could make it better - pockets!

Next is another item from the plus size section. This picture does not do it justice at all, it's such a wonderfully light peach color with gorgeous lace detailing. As you can see, the back is a little open with the knot at the neck. The thing I love about shirts like these are that they're so versatile. You can dress them up or just wear them with some jeans and sandals! I can't wait to see what sort of coordinates I put together with this shirt! And look at that price!

This is the last clothing item I got, and not from the plus size section. It was also on sale!! It's no secret that I fell hard for the whole spikes and studs trend. And sheer? And high-low? Perfect. And the back is even open a little. Another small detail I like is that the buttons are covered by a flap of fabric so they aren't seen. Included with this was a little bag of spikes to replace any that fall off. I'm probably going to wear this mostly open as I don't think it can close over my bust, haha.

The final item I received was jewelry. I love F21's jewelry with a burning passion. Mostly because it's all at such a wonderful price. But I fell in love with this because it's clear (a huge trend right now) and iridescent (I just realized I spelled it wrong on the picture...)! It's a little clunky and gaudy and I think that's another reason why I snatched it up. This was the last of its kind there, but I also saw similar bracelets in an oil slick-type color, yellow, and black and gold.

As usual, I'm very satisfied with my purchases at Forever 21/Forever 21 +. Their clothes are affordable, comfortable, and on point with current trends. I saw a few other things there I might pick up when I go shopping at my local one next (like a floppy hat? can I pull off a hat?) I also want to thank F21 for even having a plus size section at some of their stores. I hope that they can integrate F21+ into all of their stores in the future, so girls and guys of every size and shape can wear cute clothing~!

Until tomorrow, please be happy and love your body!