2011

1. Friendliest stray cat ever.
2. Nearly full moon over Mt. Fuji.
3. Murder scene I walked in on at a public restroom (don't worry, I'm pretty sure it was ketchup).
4. First sunrise of 2010 from Enoshima.
5. Mt. Fuji and enjoying the sun making things a little warmer after a freezing night on an island.*

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM TOKYO!!!
It's already 2011 here, but I think I'll be celebrating all day (except for some downtime when I go see Tron finally). New Years is the biggest/most important holiday here, so there's plenty going on all day long.

I hope you all had an amazing year, and I hope 2011 brings even better things for everyone. It is what you make of it, so start the year out with a smile.

*The photos are from last year actually...sorry! I finally opted for a quieter night with some close friends this year, and in a heated place! We're waiting for the sun to come up and then maybe getting a couple hours of sleep. Again, Happy New Year!

NOT an Outfit Post

1. Cupcakes and Cashmere window display at Harajuku's Forever 21.

2. New bike.

3. Typical moving day dinner = pizza and champagne (I made two pizzas, I promise the second wasn't as ugly).

4. My favorite alleycat Oliver at our old apartment. He waits outside my door for me every morning...is it sad that I still go to visit him whenever I'm in the area?

5. Mitsukoshi at Christmas ♥

This was supposed to be an outfit post, but I've come to the awful realization that I have absolutely no idea where any of my camera's memory cards are. Sad times. So until I find at least one of them, we'll have to deal with cell phone/webcam pictures. Ok? Ok.

Currently: Sitting next to a halogen heater in pajama pants, a hoodie, and a throw blanket (it's still 15C, I obviously can't handle cold), drinking water, attempting to make the perfect playlist so that I can update my iPod for the first time since 2007. Ridiculous.

Wanting: A Vienna beef hot dog or Chicago deep dish, autumn to come back, a fluffy cat and/or dog to cuddle with, and my laundry to magically do itself.

Wishing: I could go home for Christmas, that I had $10,000 to buy Net-a-Porter's Ultimate Shoe Subscription, and that I was better at Blogger.

Ahhhh I'm enjoying my last day off for awhile; things are going to get pretty hectic from tomorrow until after New Year's.

What's everyone doing for the holidays?

Let the madness begin.

Powdered snow always passes us by...

Du Juan in Vogue China December 2010

This editorial really reminds me that it's nearing the end of November and I have yet to buy any clothes that are even somewhat warm. Oops.
Du Juan is so gorgeous in this, as is the snow. I'd like to spend a day playing in this wardrobe and set...but just a day, I can't handle snow for too long.

We All Fall Down.

All I feel like doing lately is staying snuggled in my warm bed and sleeping the day away. The holidays are coming up fast and I'm feeling extremely homesick thinking about how another holiday season is going to pass without my family around. It definitely doesn't help that there's no Thanksgiving in Japan, and Christmas isn't an actual holiday here either so almost everyone I know is at work all day. Last year I literally sat in my apartment alone for the entire day stuffing myself with chocolate and champagne and watching Christmas movies from my childhood.

I'm hoping to make things a little more festive this year, hah. I even upgraded to a new, bigger, prettier Christmas tree! We'll see how it goes.

I know I've said this about a million times by now, but I promise I'll get some new stuff up here soon. I have a 4-day weekend coming up so I definitely have enough time to do it.

Hope anyone who reads this is doing well!

Back in Black

Well, who knew it would be so hard to connect my laptop to the internet? After almost a month, I'm back! Apparently my new internet company isn't very fond of foreign computers? Who knows.
Although I have to admit, being without internet for awhile did give me some time to do more important things, like finding a grocery store, unpacking, and eating way too much apple pie.

I'll be back soon to post something more substantial!

Monstrocity

(Vlada Roslyakova in Marie Claire Italy, October 2010)

With mid-October and proper fall weather finally here, the only thing on my mind is Halloween, vampy reds and blacks, and dark sultry spaces. I want to wear every single thing in this editorial and hide out in my own lair.

I'm moving to a new apartment this weekend (boyfriend and I have completely outgrown our current) and I'm so stressed out. Especially when it comes to shopping for the new place; who knew it was so hard to find a black chandelier? I am, however, looking forward to an easier commute, more space, and redecorating. I won't have internet for about 2 weeks after this Sunday, so in case I don't make another post before then, I'll be back!

Is anyone doing anything special for Halloween? I'm thinking a small dinner party (costumes required of course) with some close friends, followed by a crazy night out.

Caught in a Whirlwind

Ahh, finally back to the blog.

Guam was absolutely amazing. Four days of drinking, jetskiing, sleeping in, lazing on the beach, parasailing, stuffing my face, shopping, being in airports at odd hours, and skydiving (scariest thing I've ever done in my life, easily). I'm already wishing I could go back. I went right back to work the day after coming back to Tokyo and have barely had time to breathe ever since. Meaning I've unfortunately missed anything and everything to do with all the fashion weeks...I'll have to catch myself up this weekend. I did however see some of the stills from the Burberry Prorsum show and my my Mr. Bailey, I'm enamored with all that outerwear.

Tokyo is freezing all of a sudden, and it's been raining crazy amounts. I haven't done any fall/winter shopping whatsoever (except for some amazing boots I bought this weekend) so I'm sadly becoming accustomed to shivering all day. I'll have to take care of that soon.

R 'n R

Heading to Guam for a long weekend getaway! It's definitely a much-needed vacation, and perfect timing too; just when I'm about to explode from all the stress building up in me.

I'll be back on Tuesday; I promise to stop being lazy and post something somewhat interesting!

$$$

If you're in Tokyo, be sure to get over to Omotesando Hills tonight from 5:30! Stores close at 11, but there are plenty of afterparties.

Oops...

Not that anyone actually reads this, but I sincerely apologize for my 2 month hiatus.
I've been ridiculously busy with work since I came back from America (which was a great trip by the way).

BUT I think things are calming down for a bit so I'll have time to post something more than boring words soon. If anyone does peek at this, I hope you'll look forward to it. I have some exciting things coming up.

Again, sorry!

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

(Neutrogena Ageless Essentials Continuous Eye Cream, Boscia Clear Complexion Tonic Face Refresher, Alexander McQueen scarf, All Saints cardigan, Bassike organic cotton t-shirt, Ruby & Ed sleep mask*, Helmut Lang denim leggings, Oscar Blandi dry shampoo spray, Sony PSP Go, YSL lamb leather bowler bag, Elle Japan, Jean Yu silk-satin bra, MAC lipstick in Crosswires, Maybelline Volume Express mascara, Philosophy blush compact, Natalia Brilli bracelet, Valentino sandals)

*I never wear a sleep mask on a plane, but I like the idea and this one is cute.

Tomorrow I'm leaving for Chicago, which is normally a 12-hour flight, but I was late and couldn't get a seat on the direct flight so I have to transfer in San Francisco, turning 12 hours to 17. 12 hours is rough enough.

Regardless, being comfortable on such a long flight is my main priority and I've naturally put a lot of thought into it. Denim leggings (I will never say the j-word) are perfect in maintaining a casual chic look while still being completely comfortable. A loose t-shirt and barely there bra are also key in this. Planes have a tendency of being ice cold, so I always bring a cardigan and/or big scarf along onboard (which can also easily turn into an extra pillow if needed). As for shoes, I usually opt for flats as long as they're cute, make me look good, and are easy to take on and off.

The bag, of course, needs to be big enough for all my personal entertainment and in-flight necessities, while still being awesome. I always bring a magazine, book, and some sort of handheld gaming device...though I've unfortunately lost my DS somewhere in my apartment. The air in planes is very dry, so on long flights I make sure to bring along some undereye cream as well as some kind of skin refresher (sprays work best for quick, mess-free application) to keep my skin moisturized. I always seem to break out a bit on planes, so one that promises a clear complexion doesn't hurt.
If you want to look fresh when you step off the jumbo jet, bring along some dry shampoo for a quick touch-up. Although an aerosol can admittedly wouldn't be ideal to try and bring through security.

I don't like wearing makeup for long periods of time whether I'm on a plane or not, so I take it easy. A swipe of mascara and lipstick, and a bit of blush (I'm so pale that I look like a corpse without a little color), and I'm good to go.

What are your must-haves when you have a long flight ahead of you?

It's Getting Hot in the Cityyy...

(Photo from the G-Staff Blog )

The sweltering summer heat and humidity is in full effect and here to stay until sometime in October...this calls for eating salted watermelon with friends, daytrips to the beach, guzzling cold mugi-cha (barley tea), and spending lazy afternoons in cafes with a book and a tall glass of iced coffee.

I love summer. ♥

Next week I'm headed to Chicago for two weeks...I'm sure I'll get homesick for Tokyo, but I'm looking forward to escaping the humidity for awhile. It's pretty brutal and I'm sure my fan could use a break, too.

Rain Keeps Falling on my Head...

(Clockwise: Hunter x Jimmy Choo, KORS by Michael Kors, Chooka, Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, Kate Spade, Givenchy, Vivienne Westwood, YSL)

With the rainy season upon us, it's time for me to temporarily put away my favorite suede, silk, and cloth shoes and bring out the rubbers. Of course, this time of year is the perfect excuse to stay at home sleeping in or curl up on the couch, slowly making your way through your entire book collection, going to the movies, sitting in cafes for hours, and department store shopping (the rainy season is devastating on your wallet, you see).

But sometimes you do need to go outside, and when the time comes, rubber shoes can be your best friends while maneuvering through the thousands of puddles on crowded sidewalks.

The obvious choice for any rainy day are rain boots, of course. Luckily more and more designers have started rolling them out, so they're not the boring fishermen variety of years past. A lot of them even have heels now, which I absolutely love.

However, it IS summer and it's insanely humid, so sometimes I just don't want to stick my feet into muggy boots all day, you know? This is where the wonderful world of rubber sandals comes in. And there are a lot of good ones. I'm seriously lusting after the KORS, Dolce & Gabbana, and Givenchy rubbers above.

My only dilemma is that I hate the squeakiness that comes along with rubber shoes when you go inside...

Rainy Day

(Sorry, I can't remember where I got all these photos; just digging through my interiors folder)

With the warm weather finally here to stay, I'm getting a little stir-crazy in my shoebox of an apartment and dreaming of one that's higher up with more sunshine, more of a breeze (not much of either on the 2nd floor when your building is surrounded by huge office buildings), and more room.
I really can't stand too much clutter so usually opt for a sleeker, cleaner space. Maybe that's just the OCD in me. I also arrange my books by size, my closet by item, have a fridge that looks like a game of Tetris, and tap my toothbrush twelve times after brushing. But hey, that's just who I am. Bless the people in my life for putting up with me, hah.

1) Loving the open kitchen (mine's almost literally a closet in the hallway) and the zebra accents...my apartment needs some zebra.

2) I may kill for the bookshelf wallpaper and hot pink table. Since seeing this picture, I've really been on the hunt for a pink table. I'd love a bookcase but there's barely room for a garbage can in here so I think bookcase wallpaper would be perfect.

3) Plain and simple, I want a lace blanket.

4) Longing for a vanity.

5) Dark floors + light walls + lots of light = my home interior weakness.

6) It kind of reminds me of an old hospital, but that's cool.

Mindless May

I have been in suchhh a fashion rut the last month. I literally lounge in my pajamas until the last second, then throw on the nearest dress that I can find and a cardigan if necessary, and head out.

At the very least I can say that I've reached the point where heels are more comfortable than flats. That's nice.

Uhhhh so Golden Week was spent hanging around Tokyo, going to boat races crowded with old men and gangsters (I was almost literally the only female there), cat cafes, and hitting up Costco for unnecessary amounts of cheese and chocolate-covered pretzels. Then we roadtripped to Tsurumi to pick up two of our friends and drove to Atami for two days of that fresh mountain-meets-sea air, stopping in Hakone and Odawara on the way. Good times. But I have to say that I love having a 7-11 across the street versus having to literally walk 20 minutes down a mountain. The hike back up was killer, but the chu-his we bought got us through it just fine.

There was a private onsen set into the mountainside, overlooking Atami city and the ocean. It was absolutely gorgeous and the alotted 30 minutes went much too quickly. I hope we can go back sometime. I love Atami.

I got a new job soooooo I've been super busy juggling everything. Pretty much starting a whole new life. It's about time, I need to get myself together.

OH. And heading to Chicago for two weeks in July. I'm beyond excited for that, it's been over a year already.

I promise that my next post will be soon, and much more interesting. Sorry for my rambling! I'll leave you with some random pictures. iPhone dumping.

(Hanging out on top of the Mori Building in Roppongi)

(Nighttime hangouts at Odaiba Park with gorgeous views of the Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo Tower)

(Thai and Burberry for White Day ♥ )


(I took a cooking class at ABC Studios and was full for like...two days. Never again.)



(My favorite cat at the cafe...I seriously contemplated kidnapping him.)