→ 25 Before 26

I took this during Sasebo's Cherry Blossom festival in March!

This year I really want to focus on getting out there, exploring Japan, and experiencing more, as well as self-care and practicing more self-love. It's been a very difficult several months and I'd like to push myself and try to enjoy things whether or not I'm anxious or depressed.

1. Make at least one video for my YouTube channel.
I totally failed on this one last year. I think I'm just afraid (and a bit unmotivated) and I've been putting this off, but it's something that I really want to do!
2. Get rid of unwanted clothing and accessories.
I partially accomplished this, but not enough to make me happy. I'm still hoarding clothing from before gaining 60lbs (thanks to birth control when I moved out here) and I shouldn't be, but it's so difficult to do so because I feel like I'm throwing away hundreds of dollars! Ugh.
3. Wear orange lipstick.
4. Go shopping in Fukuoka.
There's a ton of shopping in Fukuoka: MAC, Ikea, Forever 21, etc... This one is only hard because Fukuoka is over an hour away and traveling makes me nervous.
5. Visit the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum.
6. Try Japanese cosmetics.
7. Visit a shrine.
There are a handful of shrines near base housing and I'd be really bummed when I leave Japan if I never got to visit a shrine.
8. Start the How to Be a Fat Bitch E-Course.
9. Try a cream blusher.
10. Perfect the art of glitter brows.
11. Perfect the art of colored brows.
12. Play a drinking game.
13. Finish a puzzle.
14. Watch at least 40 movies I've never seen before.
I'm really good at watching television. I love being able to multitask, but 99% of the time, I'm watching a TV show vs a movie. I normally only watch movies at a friend's house or I have a friend over to my house. I don't know why, but it is what it is. I have hundreds of movies in my netflix queue as well as in our movie collection.
Current progress: 6 - Groundhog Day, Spaceballs, The Emperor's New Groove, Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor: The Dark World, & Captain America: The Winter Soldier
15. Start up my in-house bakery.
I finally decided on a name, all I need to do now is bake!
16. Enroll in college.
I'm twenty-five and I am so bad at making decisions! Plus I just feel so flustered when I'm looking at college websites. On top of all of that, I have to go through another party to enroll. It's just all so overwhelming.
17. Visit Hirado.
18. Read at least 20 books.
I'm halfway through Find Me by Carol O'Connell, the ninth book in the Mallory's Oracle series.
19. Read at least 10 comics/graphic novels.
I just purchased a few trade paperbacks: Catwoman Volume 1, Saga Volume 1, Chew Volume 1, and Ghost World. Hooray!
20. Try out cosmetics from 5 new indie brands.
21. Buy a Givenchy lipstick.
22. Go to Milky Way Farms.
23. Go bowling.
24. Do some crafting.
25. Do a spending ban.

What are some of your goals right now? Also, what are your favorite books/comics/movies (so I can add them to my list if I haven't read or seen them before)?


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→ Style Inspo: Keke Palmer in Rubin Singer

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Keke looked divine at this year's Emmys! What do you guys think? There were so many awesome outfits... which ones were your favorites? (Stay tuned for a few more of mine!)


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→ Giveaway: Urban Decay, e.l.f., Cailyn, & pop beauty (CLOSED)

Hooray! I've been collecting things over several months for a bunch of giveaways. The last time I hosted my own giveaway was over a year ago so I'm really excited to finally host another one!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

I hope you guys like this bunch of products! I really want to thank you all for sticking with me. I appreciate each and every one of you!

Stay tuned for more giveaways in the distant future!


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→ New Product: BareMinerals Acne-Clearing Foundation

This post contains affiliate links.

What it is:
A breakthrough foundation and skin-clearing treatment in one.

What it does:
This lightweight foundation treats blemishes, reduces the appearance of redness and pores, and helps to prevent new blemishes from forming. Formulated with Salicylic Acid, this lightweight and non-drying makeup blends seamlessly for buildable, natural-looking coverage that you can feel comfortable wearing all day long.

What else you need to know:
This product is dermatologist-tested and noncomedogenic.

Research results:
After six weeks of product use:
- Clinically proven to reduce acne breakouts
- 100% of women experienced significant reduction in sebum (skin oil)
- 92% of women experienced significant reduction in pore size appearance
- 83% of women experienced significant reduction in acne lesions
[source]

You can pick up the bareMinerals Blemish Remedy Acne-Clearing Foundation right now from Sephora for $27.00! Will you be trying this out?


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→ Indie Crowdfunding: Tiny Hobo Apparel & Accessories

This is not a sponsored post! (Either way, all opinions are my own.)

The amazing and talented Val from The Tiny Hobo has launched a Kickstarter campaign! As you (should) know, I'm a huge fan of Val's. I love her designs not only because they are adorable, but they're also body-positive! In the past I've featured her work in a wishlist, a Kitsch's Caboodles, and my Small Business Saturday post, so if you've missed those, go check them out!

Anyways, I'd like to share The Tiny Hobo's Kickstarter with you all!



Hi there! My name is Valerie, and many of you may know me as The Tiny Hobo. I'm an illustrator, jewelry maker, Etsy seller, day dreamer, and an advocate for happiness. I started my business in 2010, and it's been a life changing journey every step of the way.

As many of you may know, I've worked with tshirt companies in the past, making cute, girly, body positive designs for plus size clothing, and some of you may even own some of these shirts (thanks!)! I am so incredibly grateful for the companies I've had the opportunity to work with, as they've given me a platform to stand on and introduced me to a whole new field to explore.

I made a personal decision to part ways with the companies I was working with, and since then I've received an incredible amount of emails asking where my designs have gone. I was really touched and inspired by the amount of positive feedback I received, and because of this, I've decided to start my own line of apparel, created completely in-house by yours truly!

Why do I want to do ALL OF THIS WORK by myself when other people could do it for me?! Am I crazy? Maybe! But I am also incredibly passionate about overseeing every single step of the process when creating my art, so creating apparel independently is the best way for me to do that. Since I am essentially sharing a piece of my soul with the world and having it printed on shirts for you to wear all over the world, I want to make sure that every single product with my name on it is something that I am 100% satisfied with and can proudly stand behind.

I am envisioning this project growing huge with your help. I plan on launching the apparel line starting with tshirts, featuring old designs you've grown to love, as well as new designs you've yet to see. As this project grows, I want to branch into other clothing items and accessories: long sleeve shirts, tank tops, sweatshirts, bags and pocket books, wallets, hair bows, hats--as I see it, the sky is the limit!

One of the most important aspects of this project is making sure that I am size inclusive. Being that I am a passionate advocate for the self-love and body positive movements, I want to make sure that I can offer the most extensive spectrum of sizes possible while keeping the apparel comfortable, stylish--and most importantly, affordable. And, being that I am a chunky chick myself and hover between a 2X-3X, I sure as hell want to make clothing that I can wear and love!

I hope to start off this project with offering women's sizes from XSmall up to at least 4XLarge, but even as you're reading this I will be on the hunt for distributors who can offer me larger sizes at affordable prices. I will NEVER charge extra for extended sizes, because I believe that everybody has the right to wear cute, stylish clothing at a price that won't destroy their wallets. I intend on making this line as inclusive as possible, so I'm not labeling it as a plus-size brand or a straight-size brand. It's a brand for anyone who wants to wear some freakin' cute stuff on their bodies!

I also want to make sure the garments and printing techniques I use are of the utmost quality, so if you donate to this project or buy an item from me in the future, I want you to rest assured that it will be downright awesome. I will only be purchasing professional-grade materials and ordering from companies that are trusted, honest, and ethical.

In short: I just want to make cute things that everyone can wear, and I would love your help to make this dream a reality!

There are a large handful of different tiers and some awesome incentives! I personally got this one: A colorful, original sketch illustrated by yours truly, and a thank you card also illustrated by me! A Tiny Hobo sampler pack, which will include an assortment of buttons, art prints, and jewelry made by me! I cannot wait!

I'm really big on supporting local and small businesses, so I'd like to make "Indie Crowdfunding" a regular-ish installation if you guys like it and share with you some interesting Kickstarters, Indiegogos, etc! Whatcha think?


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→ Sale: Modcloth New Arrivals

This post contains affiliate links.

Starting today, dozens of awesome new arrivals are 40% off on Modcloth! The sale lasts until this Thursday, the 21st. Go forth and check it out!

Meadow Magic Dress | Grazioso Long, Farewell Dress | Down to a Wine Art Dress

Day Off the Grid Dress in Architecture - Plus Size | Snack Nap Duvet Cover in Full/Queen | Patio La La Dress

Admirable Angles Necklace | Camp Director Tote in Day Camp | Mariner Character Flat

This is an amazing sale and I definitely suggest you take advantage of it! What's on your wishlist?


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→ Life Update & 24 Before 25 Outcome

My birthday presents from the hubby! I'm a 25 year old child.

I'm twenty-five now and I didn't do a great job with my 24 before 25 list. This past year my mental health has been the worst it has ever been. Well, to be fair, it wasn't the whole year, but it was the majority. I'm mostly blaming my (now crippling) anxiety on my quitting smoking. I relied on cigarettes much more than I ever thought I did. This past month I left my apartment twice. I'd really like to work on doing more things and trying to get out of my comfort zone. Anyway, with that said, here's the outcome of my 24 before 25.

1. Start my YouTube channel.
2. Be happy with my hair.
I loved my half/half hair the second and third time around!
3. Get rid of unwanted clothing and accessories.
4. Wear orange lipstick.
5. Curl my hair.
6. Visit the aquarium.
It was awesome. I really want to go again though since I was feeling awful when I went in June.
7. Go shopping in Fukuoka.
8. Visit the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum.
9. Try Japanese cosmetics.
10. Bake something from scratch.
I did this a whole lot!
11. Get my couponing all sorted.
I'll probably need to go through them again soon, but that's the nature of couponing.
12. Get another tattoo/start Sailor Moon half-sleeve.
13. Visit a shrine.
14. Make something.
I put together my makeup storage... I think that's why I crossed this off. I'm sure I made something else, but I can't remember! Wompwomp.
15. Set up a space for my shoes.
It's not perfect, but I don't have all of my shoes out here. We bought a little cupboard and I stashed my shoes inside (and on top) of it in our living room closet.
16. Do my nails more. At least once, come on, you're a beauty blogger - get it together!
I did my nails several times! Unfortunately now that I have a baking business, I can't really have nail polish on if I don't want to wear gloves, but that's okay. I can still buff and file them.
17. Buy a YSL lipstick.
I got this done pretty close to when I made the list. I think I'll be treating myself to more luxury makeup.
18. Marathon all of the Die Hard movies (again).
I think the hubby and I did this around Christmas time? Die Hard is definitely a Christmas movie! (Don't ask my husband though cos he doesn't agree...)
19. Start the How to Be a Fat Bitch E-Course.
20. Do the Japanese Rosetta Stone.
21. Try a cream blusher.
22. Perfect the art of glitter brows.
23. Play a drinking game.
24. Make funfetti brownies.
I finally made a batch that cooked through! Hooray!

All in all, I'm happy with what I achieved under the circumstances.

On a different note, I've also been sick for the past month or so and my insomnia is going strong, so I apologize for my lack of posts. I'm currently being treated for my lack of sleep and my doctor and I are going to work on a few other things for my handful of health issues. Hooray!

In light of that, I'm looking forward to doing a ton of new things this year and I'll be doing my best to getting back into the makeup and blogging swing of things.

What have you accomplished lately?


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