Little Red Riding Hood

My baby got me a sewing machine for my birthday this year. I have no real experience with sewing machines other than playing with my grandma's old school one when I was a little girl. So I really had no clue how to use the sewing machine... at all. I had to find youtube videos to learn how to set everything up and how to sew basics of the basics.

my new toy :)

Anyways, so I was planning to sew something very basic as my first sewing project. But with Halloween around the corner, I decided to sew part of my Halloween costume: Little Red Riding Hood's cape (thanks to Sarah for the idea). I got the pattern from fleecefun.com. It is a pretty simple pattern. All there is to do is just follow the instructions... (which I apparently sucks at... haha).

The pattern takes 30 pages. The gray border overlaps from one sheet to the next, so cut off the excess white border and put it together.

The pattern consists of 3 parts, 1 for the hood, 1 for back of the cape, and 1 for front/side of the cape. There are three choices for the length of the cape. I picked the middle length.
Now cut the outline from the assembled pattern and we have this:

Now use cloth pins and pin the paper to the cloth. Cut out two of the hood and front/side cape. For the back piece, fold the cloth in half and line the pattern against the fold according to the instruction. So I ended up with 2 hoods, 2 sides, and 1 big back piece.

So you see the little black triangles in the pattern in the picture above? Well, the instructions clearly says to cut little wedges OUT, as in away from the pattern, as in so there will be little triangles pointing OUT of the pattern. Well, yeah, I completely did not do that. I forgot all about it and just went straight through. HAHA. Those little wedges are meant to help me put the hood to the cape later on, but i managed to figure it out without them. So I guess it wasnt too bad lol.

Sewing the hood:
Line the two pieces of hood and pin the curved side. Sew with .5 inches seam allowance... says the instruction. Did I mention I am a sewing noob? Did I?? Well, my seam came out to be like... 2 inches... HAHA. But no worries, I just cut off the excess seam afterwards.

Fold the straight edge just a little bit and hem it using zig zag stitch. I had a bit of trouble at first because its such a narrow space to sew, but once I got it down it went pretty smoothly.

Now sew the cape:

Basically just line the two side pieces next to the main back piece and sew together. Then we get this:

Now just line the hood up with the cape. Pin down, sew together, add a cute button and its all done!

front

back

I am very pleased with how well it turned out, especially for my very first sewing project. I love the over sided hood and the big button that holds it all together. I used fleece like the instruction suggested, which will hopefully keep me warm when I am out walking around on Halloween night! Now I just need to find a dress to go with it (no I will not sew my own dress...)

Special thanks to qristie who helped me cut out my pattern <3 br="br" nbsp="nbsp"> || [ 雪子 ] ||

How can I tell you everything?

This is from when we first started dating, about 5 years ago. its been on my facebook favorite quotes section for a very long time, i had forgotten its there until someone pointed it out. haha. i'm moving it here because... its more appropriate here..? maybe?

Here it goes, from my sweetheart to me:

どうしたら君にすべてが伝えられる？

僕にとっての君の存在感、
君と過ごす毎日の幸せ、
僕にとっての君の輝き、
君を見つめる毎日。。。

恥ずかしくて伝えられない、
くさすぎて伝えられない、
傷つきそうで伝えられない。。。

時間が止まれば、
君が横にいれば、
そして僕を見てくれてれば、
どんなに幸せか。。。

自分勝手なのは知ってるけど、
君の全てを知り、
僕の全てを捧げたい、
君の全てになり、
一緒に全てを過ごしたい。

今なら分かる、
今なら書ける、
今なら言える、
何も恥ずかしくなく、
今まで伝えられなかった
君への愛。


|| [ 雪子 ] ||

Growing Green Onions

I recently discovered that green onion stalk (the white part with roots attached) will grow in just water. That. Is. Amazing. I use green onion irregularly in cooking. Sometimes I need it but I am out, but other times its just rotting in my fridge. Now imagine, always have fresh green onions and never have buy it again! 

Growing it is so simple:

1. Cut and use the green part, leave 3 inches of white stalk with root. 

2. Stick it in a cup of water

3. Watch it grow!

Growth in two days

4 days of growth! Amazing!

Never buy green onions again! Happy cooking!

|| [ 雪子 ] ||

Nails: Sunrise Sunset

I am still working with limited number of polishes (three colors to be exact). I came up with this simple gradient nails. The colors remind me of the color of the sky during dusk or dawn; I can't decide which.

Essie All in One Base Coat
OPI - Pink-ing of You
Essie - Illacism
Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat

Base coat, then OPI Pink-ing of You all over. Wait for it to dry (if you have the patience). Generously apply Essie Illacism to a beauty sponge and dab onto the nails, starting at the free edge. Finish with top coat.

|| [ 雪子 ] ||

Nails: pink and coral

Not sure if it is coral or orange... or a little bit of both. Love the color none the less.

Not too crazy, just alternating pink and coral orange.

Essie - All in One Base Coat
China Glaze - Peachy Keen
OPI - Pink-ing of You
Seche Vite - Dry Fast Top Coat

I am currently away from home and have limited number of polishes, so I came up with the simple nail-do. Since I have so little colors to work with, I was thinking the same color combo with gradient effect next time... not sure what else to do.

My nails keep peeling and breaking recently and I have to keep them short. Short isn't bad, but it really limits the things I can do with them. I wonder if I am lacking some essential nutrient/vitamin or something. Hmm..

|| [ 雪子 ] ||

i am on pinterest!

Thanks to my friend Sarah, I am now on pinterest!

I went a bit crazy pinning after I got it. But I will probably slow down a bit after my rush fades... haha.

Follow me if you like to stalk me, I don't mind.


|| [ 雪子 ] ||

P.S. Haul posts coming up...

Book Review: The Night Circus

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: ★★★★★

 

This book took me a while to read, not because it's not good, but because I've been too distracted by Diablo 3 lately. Dragging a book over a extended period of time might be okay with certain books, but not so much this one because the story is so interwove and time frames are of utter importance. Time loops and laps back on itself as the story unfolds. I couldn't remember what year something had happened in the book and had to constantly go back to check. Good thing in the end everything came together, a very good read.

The story starts by introducing a circus, opening at dusk and closing at dawn, arriving in town. No character or time frame introduced. Then it goes back to a time before the circus, the start of a competition of magic and endurance that will be the beginning of a big rolling snow ball. The circus is the stage for the competition between a girl, Celia Bowen and a boy, Marco Alisdair, set up by their instructors, to see who the better magician is. There are little rules for the playing field, little do the competitors know that only one victor can be left standing by the end of the game. The competition goes on for years, involving more and more people. The competitors themselves becomes more entwined with each other than they or their instructors had planned. But the competition is bound by magic; it must go on until there is a victor.

I loved the style of the writing as much as I loved the story. It is whimsical and descriptive, never rushed. It fits the story perfectly and I wouldn't want it to be told any other way. Because there are so many people involved, each character is like a piece of the puzzle, making you wonder how they will fit in the grand scheme of things. The timeline jumps from year to year. One chapter might take you back a year, then the next will take you forward a decade. This is why reading this while extremely distracted by Diablo 3 confused me a bit. I would read a chapter, put down the book for almost a week before picking it back up again, and be completely confused because I don't remember what happened before or when it had happened. Towards the end of the book I would go back to the chapter before to compare the year the events took place (each chapter starts with a title and a date) since it started to go back and forth between 2 years quite frequently. It is not really a bad thing. The blurred timeline created almost a dreamlike effect, which I believe is exactly what the author was going for.

I loved the ending. I loved the way the Celia resolved the competition; I love the role the twins and Bailey played in the future of the circus; I pitied Hector even though he brought that fate upon himself; I especially loved it when all the pieces of the puzzle rested in their rightful places. The book is like a dream, charming and magical, just like the circus itself.

|| [ 雪子 ] ||

That tetanus shot

I had to get a TB skin test and tetanus vaccine today for upcoming work. I am pretty darn sure I have had tetanus shot before, but it wasn't on my vaccine history so I had to get another one. Well, not a big deal, they can just give it to me right there at no charge to me. Easy breezy. Right? Not so much.

The nurse told me I might feel muscle pain at injection site and have flu like symptoms. I am not particularly afraid of shots and have never had bad reactions to vaccines, so I wasn't scared or anything like that. It was over fairly quickly and painlessly.

As soon as the vaccine was done I started to feel a little lightheaded. I thought maybe I was just tired and need something to eat since I haven't had lunch yet. So I head out and started walking to the elevators. I started to feel more and more lightheaded within that 1 minute walk to the elevator and by the time I was in the elevator full of people, my vision started to blackout and I couldn't stand up straight. I managed to say "I don't feel well" before crouching over, then completely face down laying on the floor. At this point, I couldn't focus my eyes or keep my balance. I felt nauseated and just overall sick. I remember distinctly as soon as I went down, the elevator went completely silent, which made me very nervous because I couldn't see anything. For a second I thought these people were going to leave me laying there. Then, a man asked me if I was lightheaded or something else. A women asked me if I have eaten anything, which I said no. I hope I didn't make them think I'm anorexic or something. I told them I just had a tetanus shot and I now I don't feel well. They took me back to the clinic and explained the situation to the nurses there.

The nurse lay me down on a bed, gave me some water, and just let me rest there for a bit. I have no clue what happened to me, but whatever it was went away as fast as it came. Within minutes I was fine again, felt a little weak but fine. The nurse told me to go get something to eat, which I did, and that was it.

Even though it turned out to be nothing serious, I was really scared at the moment. I didn't know what was happening or why I was feeling so sick. Almost passing out in public really is an... interesting experience.

|| [ 雪子 ] ||

Nails: gradient green

This one is inspired by nice plush lawn, the kind I will have when I have a house.

The color is a bit washed out, it's more dark green in real life

What I used:

OPI Natural Nail Base Coat
OPI Thanks A Windmillion
Sally Hansen Mint Sorbet
Seche Vite Fast Drying Top Coat
CVS beauty sponge

Apply OPI Thanks A Windmillion as a base color after base coat. Brush some Mint Sorbet on the top of a beauty sponge, use the sponge to apply color from the top of the nails towards the cuticles to create a gradient affect. Splash on some top coat. Done!

|| [ 雪子 ] ||

Diablo 3: Evil really is back

I have a confession: I started Diablo3 and now I can't stop.

I haven't touched my books or anything else. The first thing in my mind after I wake up in the morning is Diablo3. I am not level 60 yet, but I am getting there fast: after playing for less than a week my wizard is in the 40s, approaching level 50 fast with a vengeance.

Most people don't pay attention to the storyline, but I like to follow the story when I play games (even a game like League of Legends, in which the storyline has no effect on the game, I know most of the lores). SPOILER ALERT! I really like Leah, WHY DOES SHE HAVE TO BE EVIL AND DIE?! I was so sad! haha.

Anyways, feel free to add me Yukiko#1667 if you play. We can go kill some big bad bosses and save the world.

Here's my beautiful wizard with a ridiculous looking helm

|| [ 雪子 ] ||

Tag: This or That

I am bored. Here is a tag post. Enjoy.

MAKEUP:
blush or bronzer

blush
lip gloss or lipstick

lipstick, lip gloss doesn't last and most have too little pigmentation
eye liner or mascara

eyeliner because I have uneven eyes
foundation or concealer

foundation
neutral or color eye shadow

neutral
pressed or loose eye shadows

pressed. Loose shadow is too messy!
brushes or sponges

brushes

NAILS:
OPI or china glaze

OPI
Long or short

I like the look of long nails, but it's hard to grow out my nails since they peel and break
Acrylic or natural

natural
Brights or darks 

both! I can't pick!
Flower or no flower 

Not so much flower, maybe other designs
BODY:
perfume or body splash

perfume
lotion or body butter 

lotion
body wash or soap

body wash, but I would like to try Lush soaps since they look so adorable
lush or other bath company 

Ha! speaking of the devil. Not sure since I don't use Lush
FASHION:
jeans or sweat pants

jeans
long sleeve of short

short sleeve for Texas weather
dresses or skirts

skirts.. no, dresses... no, skirts... skirts, I think
stripes or plaid 

stripe
flip flops or sandals 

sandals
scarves or hats

scarves
studs or dangly earrings 

dangly
necklaces or bracelets 

necklaces, because most bracelets are too big for my wrist
heels or flats 

love the look of heels but have to go with comfy flats most days
cowboy boots or riding boots

riding boots
jacket or hoodie 

jacket
forever 21 or charlotte russe 

forever21
abercombie or Hollister

neither
saks 5th or nordstrom

saks 5th

HAIR:
curly or straight

straight because I am too lazy to curl my hair
bun or ponytail

ponytail
bobby pins or butterfly clips

bobby pins
hair spray or gel 

hair spray
long or short 

long
light or dark 

dark
side sweep bangs or full bangs

side sweep because I can't pull off full bangs :<
up or down 

down

RANDOM:
Rain or shine

shine, unless I am at home laying in bed
Summer or winter

winter, because Texas summer is hell on earth
Fall or spring 

spring, I have fall allergies :<
Chocolate or vanilla 

chocolate

East coast or west coast
west coast. 


Tag! You are it. Do it, or not. Whatever flows your boat.



|| [ 雪子 ] ||

Book Review: A Dog's Purpose/Journey

A Dog's Purpose and its sequel, A Dog's Journey, by W. Bruce Cameron 
  ★★★★★ for both books!

 

I've been just chewing through books this past month, but these two are probably the best books of the year. I highly recommend them to dog/animal lovers. I laughed out loud, by myself, like an idiot; I cried, real tears rolling down my cheeks. I was smiling and crying at the end of the second book, feeling so satisfied and happy. Best ending I can imagine for the story.

The story is told from a dog's perspective and follows him through several lifetimes. He finds a distinct purpose in each life, using the skills he learned in the previous life. He believes that he kept coming back because he has yet to fulfill his purpose as a dog, and in his last life of the first book, he believes that he has realized and fulfilled his purpose as the story comes to full circle.

The second book picks up where the first book left off, and introduces a new story arch. The dog, named Molly and Max in these lifetimes, follows a girl throughout her lifetime, and takes care of her. Yes, the dog takes care of her girl. This book will make you think twice: are you taking care of your dog, or is your dog taking care of you?

I love how the story's point of view. It offers insights to why dogs behave a certain way, do curtain things (such as chew up your favorite pair of shoes, which make me literally laugh out loud). I wanted to hold my dog the entire time I was reading this book; it makes me appreciate my dog so much more. Doesn't matter if you like the story or not, you will look at your dog differently after you finish the story.

Easy, fast, fun read. Pick up your copy NOW.

|| [ 雪子 ] ||

Book Review: Delirium, Pandemonium

Delirium Trilogy by Lauren Oliver

 - Delirium              ★★★★★

 - Pandemonium  ★★★

 - Requiem           expected publication: Feb 2013

Another young adult dystopia trilogy. I believe I have another YA dystopia trilogy in my to read list (The Chemical Garden). Seems like this is the "it" YA genre at the moment. 

Delirium takes place in future America. The government has decided that love is a disease, amor deliria nervosa, and have developed a cure for it. Every citizen will receive the cure when they turn 18, since having the procedure early can have dangerous side effects. The procedure does not just cure romantic love, it cures love for your family, friends, pets, everything. Each citizen takes an evaluation exam and is matched with their future spouse, job, and approved number of children based on income. 

There are those who don't believe in the disease, never cured, live on the outskirts of the cities, the Invalids. There are also people who are not cured by the procedure for whatever reason. They are the Resistance, the Sympathizers.

Lena is turning 18 soon and is looking forward to the cure because she is afraid of the disease. Like everyone else in the society, she has been brainwashed to believe love is dangerous and will make you go crazy, and eventually kill you. But of course, she falls in love before the procedure and begins to question her believes. 

When I first started reading the book, I kept thinking about what a society without love would be like. What motivates people, what keeps things in order, and how could people possibly believe that love is a disease. As the story progresses, I began to wonder what the world must have been like right before they proclaimed love as a disease, how much pain and despair the world must have felt for it to give up love. I am sure everyone has had bad break ups and heartaches, but I have never been hurt to the point where I want to give up on love. To think this whole society has been through something so traumatizing that they want to get rid of love once and for all, I started to pity them. 

SPOILER ALERT - highlight to read 

The first book is great all around. Writing, characters, plot, setting, all flawless. I was so drawn to Lena and Alex's romance. When Lena made the decision to go to the Wilds with Alex, my heart almost leaped out of my chest, you go girl! So, needless to say, the ending... torn me to pieces. I kind of knew Alex wouldn't be dead, but I didn't know what to expect either. It became clear in Pandemonium that Alex definitely wasn't dead, thanks to very obvious foreshadowing. My guess what that they gave Alex the Cure, Lena finds Alex and is heartbroken, and the stories goes on blah blah blah. But NOPE! It turns out to be a freaking Twilight wannabe typical YA love triangle. Why Lauren Oliver, why? The trilogy has so much potential, why must you go down that route? Although shocking, the ending of the the second book is extremely disappointing (reason for only 3 stars). Now we know the last book will be a very obvious will Lena pick Alex or Julian scenario. It takes away from the theme of the book, cheapens the book. 

Going back to the love triangle, I do hope Lena ends up with Alex. I feel so bad for Alex at the end of Pandemonium because, well, how awkward! He came back from prison after risking his life just to see the girl he loves in another boy's arms. I think I died a little inside... Yes, Lena believed Alex was dead and she is not at fault for falling for another boy, but poor Alex! Poor Lena! Poor Julian! Alex said "don't believe her" when Lena promised Julian they will be together forever. Did he say that out of desperation? As in, don't believe her because she said the same thing to me once and now she has left me? Or did he mean don't believe her because she really loves me and will stay with me forever? I wish Lena would stay with Alex and Alex would take her back. I think of Julian as a rebound. The moments Lena spent with Julian were tinted with Alex's presence. Like the morning she woke up with Julian, thinking she was in Alex's arms, and the moments Julian's face mergds with Alex's. I feel bad for Julian, but he never had a future in Zombieland to begin with. Not like he was going to get cured and matched and have a boring but good life. At least he has opened his eyes to love and know what freedom feels like.

Overall, I like the books. Disappointed in the ending of Pandemonium but will pick up the third one next year. I recommend it to all the dytopia trilogy lovers. Good story, good concept, but I am prepared to be disappointed in the last book.

|| [ 雪子 ] ||

Summer Fragrances

Most of my current perfumes are pretty heavy, night time perfumes. So for this summer, I got a couple of light, day time scents. Found some good deals at the Estee Lauder outlet store a couple of weeks ago and picked up Peace, Love, & Juicy Couture and Shi by Alfred Sung. 

Peace, Love, & Juicy Couture (0.5 oz) 

This is a tiny bottle, but I usually pick up small bottles because I've never finished a bottle of perfume. I got a sample of it a while back from Sephora so I knew I love this scent. So I was extremely happy to pick up a bottle. It is light, floral and fruity.  Based on basenote.net, the notes are:

• Top Notes
• Meyer lemon blossom, Hyacinth, Apple, Blackcurrant 
• 
  Middle Notes
• Sambac jasmine, Star magnolia, Malibu poppy, Honeysuckle, Linden blossom 
• 
  Base Notes
• Iris, Patchouli, Musk

I can pick up a little bit of apple and jasmine, but I cant tell what the rest of it is. I love the base notes, definitely can smell the musk and iris. It lasts all day on me.

Shi by Alfred Sung (1.7 oz)

This is a watery scent, very much like the once super popular Cool Water.

• Top Notes
• Water Lily, Fig Leaves 
• 
  Middle Notes
• Orange Blossom, Fragipani 
• 
  Base Notes
• Water Musks, Silver Birch

I liked it at first and I thought this would be a very good everyday scent. But I was wrong... This one does not agree with my body chemistry. It turns to a very baby powder scent after a couple hours of wear, and I do not like baby powder scent. Fades away to nothing around the 4 hour mark. I think I will only wear this on days I am just out doing short errand runs or something. Pretty disappointed in it.

My boyfriend got the male version of Shi: Hei by Alfred Sung (haha get it? Shi and Hei?). Hei smells great on him and lasts all day. I don't know if Hei is just better quality or if Shi just doesn't agree with me. Oh well!

|| [ 雪子 ] ||

Diablo 3

The WHORE who steals our boyfriends has finally arrived!

Is your sweetheart playing D3? Are you playing D3?

I would play a wizard... if I were to play...

|| [ 雪子 ] ||

First Little Black Bag

Little Black Bag is my first monthly subscription beauty box. There have been so many different monthly subscription boxes popping up everywhere, but I never found any of them alluring enough, until LBB.

LBB is on the pricey side of beauty boxes, $50 monthly or $60 one time only. They have tons of stuff and over 100 brands on the website, ranging from bags to accessories to home deco. When you sign up, you take a style quiz. Then every month you pick the first item for your bag, the stylist picks 2 - 3 more items based on your style quiz so the total retail worth of your bag is between $100 - $150~. The random picks are revealed after you have checked out. If you don't like what they put in your bag, you have 7 days to trade it with items in other user's open bags.

I signed up at the end of April, so I just received my first bag not long ago. The item I picked is Mint Jelly Satchel in turquoise by Danielle Nicole (retail $48).

Comes with a long detachable strap that I am not currently using. This will no doubt be my go-to bag for this summer. I love this color and the style, super cute. But I wish it has pockets or compartments inside because I am weird about having my keys next to my phone. I feel like my phone will get scratched up even though it has a protective cover on it.

My random picks were a big gold bangle (not my style at all, makes me question the style quiz) and a pair of turquoise stone earrings. I traded both of them and ended up with XELA aroma White Queen's Crown candle (retail $36) and  Roommates Cherry Blossom Tree wall decal (retail $21) because I didn't want any of the beauty/jewelry items.

Fragrance notes: geranium, jasmine, lavender, and rosewood. 14 oz jar

I have no clue what geranium smells like. But I know I like jasmine, lavender, and rosewood. The candle burns pretty well, gives a fresh, floral yet woody scent. My boyfriend likes it a lot.

I don't have a picture of the next item. My boyfriend took it to his place so I cant put it up in my room. I have the urge to open and use everything right away, and since we are moving in a couple of months, we should wait and put this up at our new place. Here is a picture from the website:

I just shipped my May LBB. I traded everything except one thing in my bag, again. This time I was very torn when it comes to trading because I received a lot of good trades and couldn't decide what to keep. I am looking forward to getting my items, hopefully I kept the right items.

|| [ 雪子 ] ||

Book Review: Fifty Shades Trilogy

Fifty Shades Trilogy by E.L. James
 - Fifty Shades of Grey ★★★★
 - Fifty Shades Darker  ★★★★
 - Fifty Shades Freed    ★★

I am not sure if there have been a best seller from the erotica genre, let alone BDSM erotica. So no matter what I think of this book, James must be doing something right, rubbing the audience in all the right places (pun intended).  So, props to you, E.L. James.

The story is about a 22 year old virgin recent college grad, Anastasia Steele, meeting the multibillionaire CEO of his own company at the age of 27, Christian Grey, and their love story. Anastasia learns Christian's lifestyle and his need to dominate his partners (who he fucks, not make love to), and decides if she wants to submit to Christian and become his "Submissive". She struggles to please Christian while trying to hold on to her own ideals, values, and self-image while Christian struggles with his own issues from the past.

First, Fifty Shades of Grey. I think the story is crap. I think it lacks plot, and the pace is very strange. Okay now the bad things are out there, lets talk about the good things. The story, although terrible, is addictive to me. I suppose it appeals the the hopelessly romantic in me. I love Christian Grey despite the fact that he likes to beat the shit out of women. Well okay maybe I didn't love him in the first book, but he's an attractive character and I definitely fell in love with his character in the second book. But lets be honest, who the heck read the book for the story? It is a EROTIC book, nicknamed "Mommy Porn". Yes, we read it for pages and pages of hot, steamy, mind blowing, butt cheeks aching, wrists bound sex scenes. Man, no wonder moms everywhere are drooling over this book. At one point I thought I was reading the script of a porno movie: the scenes are so... unrealistic. The way they converse is so... unrealistic (who the heck talks like that? Find me a 22 year old who talks the way Ana talks and I will willing give up 100 bucks). I really should give this book 2 or 3 stars, but I can't. I honestly, thoroughly enjoyed reading the book I couldn't even put it down at night. So 4 stars.

Fifty Shades Darker really picks up and wraps up the first book well. The ending of the first book is so tragic that I HAD to read the second book right away. Many answers were offered in the second book. Many more hot, steamy, mind blowing, butt cheeks aching, wrists bound, eyes blindfolded, toys vibrating sex scenes too. Lonely horny moms everywhere will approve. However, the same flaws in the first book applies in the second book. Strange pace, lack of plot and odd choice of vocab (get a dictionary handy if you are not reading it on e-book). But again, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and learning more about Christian's dark secrets. So again, I should give this book 2 or 3 stars if I am rational. But I am not. I am irrationally attached to the story and the characters. So 4 stars again.

The story should have ended with Fifty Shades Darker. James could have edited the book in a way that Fifty Shades Freed is part of Fifty Shades Darker. The last book is so forgettable. The pace is even more odd, if that's possible. The first half of the book tells no tale, serves only to please the lonely horny moms. The second half of the book finally reveals the actual plot of the story, but it is predictable, boring. Save the $10 and buy an actual BDSM book/movie, this book is not worth it. 2 stars for the entertaining sex scenes. forget about the story.

I heard that movie rights for the book has been fought and won. I will be extremely disappointed if it's not a X-rated movie. On the other hand, I will be the first in the theater if they do make it X-rated. Christian's cast better be hot.

|| [ 雪子 ] ||

Book review: The Maze Runner Trilogy

The Maze Runner Trilogy by James Dashner
 - The Maze Runner    ★★★★★
 - The Scorch Trials    ★★★★★
 - The Death Cure       ★★★★

Finished this trilogy last week. Now I want everyone else to read it.

The Maze Runner starts with our main character, Thomas, in a box elevator. Memories wiped. He remember his name and general knowledge of the world, but no specifics about the world. For example, he remembers what the ocean looks like, but no memories associated with the ocean. He quickly finds out that he is in a place called the Glade, there are many other boys in the Glade, all teenagers around his age, all without memory. The Glade is surrounded by the Maze. Every day, Runners go out to explore the Maze in hope to find a way out; every night they come back to the Glade and the walls of the Glade closes, locking them in. Grievers come out in the Maze at night. These are manmade killing machines with blades and needles as appendages.

This book is definitely a page turner. Although I doubted if I liked the book after reading the first few chapters, I couldn't put the book down after chapter 7 or so. It is a very good first book of the trilogy. It is suspenseful and action packed. Towards the end of the book, it steers the stories and hints at the bigger issues in the their world; life beyond the Maze may not be what the Gladers envision it would be.

I can't go into the synopsis of the second and third book without giving spoilers. So no synopsis!

The second book is also very action packed and suspenseful, in a different way from the first book. In the first book I kept reading because I want to know what the Maze is about. In the second and third book I've already found out what the Maze is about, I kept reading because I want to know what happens to the characters. All of the characters develop and grow greatly as the story unfolds. But I have to say, I really, really, really, REALLY, was annoyed at Thomas in the third book. SERIOUSLY. He passed up on SO many opportunities to find out the truth. Even if he doesn't want to know, I WANT TO KNOW!! It almost felt like James Dashner cheated by not giving us the truth so he doesn't have to write that part of the stories. Cheated on some serious character development. There is a prequel coming out. It is possible that James Dashner withheld some information to write the prequel. But I feel like he has sacrificed the third book to do that. I was expecting so much more answers in the third book that I didn't get. It was mildly irritating and disappointing.

Overall, I would recommend this trilogy to anyone who likes action, suspense, dystopia, sci-fi books. It is categorized as children/young adult literature, so it is an easy and fun read. I think I will pick up the prequel after it comes out. Hopefully it will explain the holes left in the Death Cure.

|| [ 雪子 ] ||

(almost) work place appropriate nails

I've been job hunting so I thought I would prep my nails ready for interviews. I opted for a nice-girl-pink color from OPI. But after I finished with the pink it looks too bland, so I added some simple flowers... Here is the result.

Now it looks very childish and definitely does not say that I am ready to join the work force...

OPI Natutral Nail Base Coat
OPI - Pinking of You
OPI - Alpine Snow
Essie - Lacquered Up
Seche Vite Top Coat

Maybe I will stick with French tip next time...

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happily pink glittery nails

Like I said before, I've never been a big fan of pink/hot pink color. But I decided to do glittery pink nails... because I can. Haha. Anyways, I actually love how it turned out! The glitter I used has these green specks in it that reflects so beautifully off the pink polish. I love looking at my nails, the color and glitter makes me happy and I just want to stare at them all day :)

Sally Hansen - Maga Shine Top Coat
Essie - All in One Base Coat
Zoya - Lindsay
FantaSea Nail Glitter - Pink

Such pretty glitter! Camera doesn't do it justice

Kinda blurry, but you can see the pretty green specks 

Let me know what my next nails should be!

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it's one of those days...

It's one of those days... the bed is just too comfortable, the light outside is too harsh, the AC is perhaps just a bit too chilly, making the comforter even more inviting.

Yes... it's definitely one of those days... says my pets:

hey there mommy, join me?

lets have a closer look. dog park is definitely not on lumi's mind today

even the kitties are feeling extra cuddly today

Nori telling me not to bother her. I can see it in her eyes

|| [ 雪子 ] ||

It's a PUPPY!!

Weather was bad in Houston Sunday night and Monday the whole day because of a tornado front that came down from Oklahoma. We were on severe weather watch and flood warning.

I am a night person, so not surprisingly I was still up at 3am Sunday night. It had started drizzling on and off since around midnight. I was in my room reading, but I keep hearing whining from outside. Sounds like a puppy  or maybe a kitty. But there are so may strays in my dad's neighborhood I didn't pay much attention to it.

I let my dog Lumi out in the backyard to do his business before I went to bed, around 3:30. But he would not come back when I call him. Something's got his all of his attention. I hear whining again outside. So I decided to go check it out. And MY GOD am I glad I did! I found Lumi standing facing the corner of the fence, and in front of him, a poor little puppy! Whining, shivering, wet. There was no way I can just leave the poor thing there in the rain! I picked up her shivering body and went back to the house.

The puppy scratched and scratched, cried and whined. My dad is asleep. I cant wake him up since he has work early in the morning. My stepbrother is a sleep. He has class early in the morning and he can probably hear the puppy whine from his room since the bathroom we share is close to our bedrooms. The puppy definitely has something that's making her itch A LOT. So I have to separate Lumi from her. I had no dog supplies with me since I was only visiting my dad for the weekend. What do I do??? I pretty much panicked and posted on Facebook to ask for help.

Thankfully I have night owl friends who did research for me. They told me to bathe the puppy with dishsoap, which will kill off any adult fleas on the pup. So I did. But after I bathed her she still whines and bites at herself. I can't keep her in the house because I don't have any pee pads and I can't leave either one of the dogs alone. They will whine and cry. WHAT DO I DO?! The weather outside is only getting more and more nasty.

Puppy in the bathtub

My boyfriend had just taken Lumi's dog crate to Austin the week prior. I really wish I had the crate there. But I don't. I had no choice but to leave the puppy in my backyard for the night. I used the old cat litter box (its clean, haven't used it for a year) as a makeshift shelter against the sliding doors to the backyard. Put the puppy between the sliding glass door and the metal gate, with the old litterbox standing against the gate to shield off the wind and rain. I closed the door after situating the puppy, and lied down against the glass door. Lumi lied down next to me. And there we stayed, awake and alert, until the morning.

While we waited for dawn to come I did some research. I found a cheap vet that is similar to Animal Trustees of Austin, where we take Lumi for his checkups and vaccines. I planned to take the puppy there when they open at 10am. My stepbrother left around 7. I took the puppy back in the house around 730, bathed again to warm her up and blew dry her. My dad got up around 7:30 and saw the pup. He said the whining and crying kept him up all night, but he was so taken by how cute this little thing is. He told me he has our old bunny cage in the garage and I can use that to transport the puppy.

Anyways, in the end I decided to go back to Austin before taking them to the vet now I have a carrier for the puppy. I drove back, picked up my boyfriend, and went to Animal Trustees. There we found out the puppy is a 6 weeks old German Shepherd mix (we knew shes a German Shepherd, but not sure what shes mixed with), has mange (YIKES!) and both the dogs needs to be treated. The puppy has to be isolated until the she stops itching. We started her on her first round of vaccines, deworm for both of them, and heartworm prevention.

There is no way I can keep the pup with Lumi and 2 cats already. My boyfriend suggested we take the pup to the shelter so we dont risk spreading mange to our cats and worse yet, us. I drove to the shelter and cried while driving. I cried and cried after I parked in front of the shelter. I cried so much my boyfriend said we should just take the puppy home... I am glad we did. We had one full day of playing time with her. She is such a sweetheart, wants nothing more than to follow you everywhere and play. She doesn't need a leash to go out (not that we had an extra for her), she will follow you where ever you go.

But like I said, we cant keep her. So I posted on facebook and asked for a good home. The social network and my wonderful friends did not let me down. After a long day of asking and sharing pictures/videos and tagging different people, A friend of a friend of a friend's roommate adopted her. I gave her all the information and the vet record, food and toy we got the puppy. Now we have a new proud pup mommy!

I have to say I am a little sad to let her go, but I know she is in better hands and I can finally sleep is also a great feeling. The little thing is a handful since she itches and scratches and cries while she does it. Also because I had to keep her in the cage when she's indoors, but the little thing just wants to play! The new owner is taking her to the vet again (before the appointed revisit time) to hopefully get something to relief the itching. I hope Lumi can go visit and play when she's all better :)

playing with puppy in the grass

|| [ 雪子 ] ||

glittery blue

Playing around with loose glitter again. Sky blue/midnight blue with blue glitter. Love how it turned out

Application is pretty easy:

 - Apply base coat

 - Apply one coat of color

 - Get loose glitter ready

 - Apply another coat of color, dip a eye shadow or smudge brush into the glitter, tap onto wet polish.

 - Apply 2 coats of top coat

Zoya - Indigo
Zoya - Yummy
Sally Hansen - Megan Shine Top Coat
Essie - All in One Base Coat
FantaSea Nail Glitter - Sky Blue

The good thing about loose glitter is that you can control how glittery you would like your finish look to be. You can also mix and match polish color and glitter color to create some cool effects. But of course, loose glitter can get kinda messy! I work on top of a piece of tissue paper to make clean up easier.

Next time I want to try HOT PINK glittery nails. OBNOXIOUSLY PINK nails. I dont particularly like hot pink, but the set of loose glitters I got includes a really bright hot pink glitter. So I am going to try it! I'm sure it will be fun :)


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