Sunday Social Vol. 2

This week's Sunday Social is all about beauty!

How old were you when you started wearing makeup?
Probably around 12 or 13? I only really wore black eyeliner (super smudged!) and lip color back then.


What are your top 3 favorite beauty products?
Obsessive Compulsive Lip Tars, TARTE Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blushes, and Urban Decay eyeshadows! (Products subject to vary.)


What is one makeup product you don’t leave home without?
Lip balm! Does that count?


What is your daily beauty routine?
I don't always wear makeup, so I would say that my daily routine is washing and moisturizing my face and wearing lip balm. Super exciting, I know.


What is your favorite hair/makeup product you’ve discovered in the last year?
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder! Sooooo goooood.


Feel free to leave your answers (or link to your Sunday Social post) in a comment!

Social Sunday Vol. 1

I've joined my first link up! Whaaat?! It's no surprise that I love surveys, so this was kind of a no-brainer. I was intruduced to it by Lena B, Actually.

This week's Social Sunday is things in three!
Top three favorite kinds of food: BLT (with turkey!), Terry's Dark Chocolate Oranges, chocolate frosted donuts with rainbow sprinkles (not "kinds," but actual favorites)


First three things you do in the morning: Pee, drink coffee, brush my teeth (sometimes I do my stretches or work out before my coffee)


Last three things you do at night: Put on lip balm, moisturize, tumblr (tumbl? Would that be the verb?)


Three TV shows you NEVER miss: Once Upon A Time, Parks and Recreation, Bob's Burgers (also Sherlock, Doctor Who, and Game of Thrones)



Three places you want to visit: Whitehaven Beach at Whitsunday Island in Australia, Antelope Canyon in Arizona, and Sea of Stars on Vaadhoo Island in the Maldives (omg, soooooo pretty!)


Three people you can always count on: Elena, Brandon, and Kyle (other than my family, of course and I'm counting Ryan as family!)


Feel free to leave your answers (or link to your Social Sunday post) in a comment!



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2013 in Review

The qt jellyfish the hubby picked up for me at the aquarium last year!

What did you do in 2013 that you'd never done before?
I did a whole lot this year that I'd never done before. Moved in with my husband & cats, moved to Japan (my first out of the country travelling), I got to hangout with capybaras, learned (very minimal) Japanese...

Did you keep your new years resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't make any resolutions last year. I still haven't decided if I have any for 2014.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes! One of my besties gave birth to a beautiful girl, Emmi, and another friend became a father to a beautiful boy!

Did anyone close to you die?
I suffered two very big losses in 2013. My childhood cat, Midnight, and my close friend, Danny.

What countries did you visit?
Does Japan count?

What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?
More social stuff. Make more friends and hang out with the ones I've already made out here.

What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
March 8, the day I quit smoking!

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Working with a brand for the first time and growing my blog!

What was your biggest failure?
Giving into my anxiety and letting it keep me from doing the things I wanted.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yeah, nothing too bad though!

What was the best thing you bought?
My blog layout. I love having it customized.

Where did most of your money go?
According to Quicken, savings/paying off debt and groceries.

What songs will always remind you of 2013?
Wrecking Ball (the Chester See version), Bad For My Body by Deap Vally, Money by Ivy Levan, My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light 'Em Up) by Fall Out Boy, I Love It by IconaPop, Dance Apocalyptic by Janelle Monae, Renaissance Girls by Oh Land, Upside Down by Paloma Faith...

What do you wish you'd done more of?
Everything. I wish that I had explored more of Kyushu, blogged more, wore makeup more, took more pictures, made more friends!

What do you wish you'd done less of?
Let anxiety slow me down.

How did you spend Christmas?
I hung out with my friends that live in the apartment below me. We watched Rudolph and played Spite and Malice and ate roast beast!

Did you fall in love in 2013?
Over and over again with my husband, Ryan.

What was your favourite TV program?
The Blacklist? Once Upon A Time? Buffy the Vampire Slayer?

What was the best book you read?
Lil BUB's Lil BOOK! I'm really enjoying the Mallory's Oracle series too!

What was your greatest musical discovery?
Oh Land, Deap Vally, and Natalia Kills!

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Ryan brought me donuts and I turned 24.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not having to switch so many medications since Medical out here doesn't supply the ones I took in the states.

What kept you sane?
My hubby, the gremlins, my friends out here, baking, and makeup.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Hannah Hart from My Drunk Kitchen!

Who did you miss?
I missed all of my friends back home, but I miss Danny the most.

What does 2014 hold for you?
Who knows?!

Hooray! Happy 2014 to everybody! If you fill this out, leave me the link to it in the comments!



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Countdown to Kitschmas: Holiday Cheer Tag

Ryan and I enjoying the holiday festivities at his extended family's house last Christmas! He was actually having fun, but isn't a really big fan of pictures (as you can probably tell). Also, do you totally love his "evil villain" brows?! We do.

What is your favorite holiday movie?
Currently it's Red/Red 2, I think. For my all-time favorites, click here.

Do you have any holiday traditions?
My parents and I had a few, but no traditions with my hubby just yet! (This is our first Christmas alone!)

What is your favorite holiday candy?
Terry's dark chocolate oranges! Ugh, so good, and I'm super bummed that I can't find them out here in Japan! Here's hoping my parents send me one (or four)!

What is your favorite winter candle scent?
I've just started burning candles, so Evergreen from Bath & Body Works is really the only "wintery" smell I've burned so far, but I'm really enjoying it.

Gloves or mittens?
Glittens, for sure. (Those gloves with the finger tops cut off and the fold-over mitten top thing!) If I had to pick one or the other, I would say gloves.

What is your favorite holiday memory?
I don't know if I have one favorite holiday memory. (Most of my holidays have been awesome cos my family is awesome. Just sayin.') I do specifically remember when my parents got me a Nintendo 64 for Christmas though!

Do you stay in your pajamas or get ready for Christmas morning?
Get ready? Psh. I'm in my PJs until I need to leave the house (or have company over).

What is your favorite holiday song?
December is for Cynics by The Matches!

Who is the most difficult person on your list to shop for?
My dad. He hates everything. Not really, but all he says every year is "long sleeve shirts" and I like getting people interesting, personal gifts so... yeah. I always get him a pooper though! (Ya know, those plastic animals that you fill with jelly beans and then they poop them out? We're a real classy family for sure. Just for the record, he doesn't like them, but it's kind of become a "thing" so I'll stop once I run out of animals or holiday characters to choose from.) If he does like the real present(s) I get him, it is really satisfying because you can never tell with my dad.

Eggnog or hot chocolate?
I'm more of a hot chocolate gal. If you have never tried Land O Lakes' Classic Raspberry Hot Cocoa mix you are totally missing out!

Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?
Yes! (I may or may not have just typed them all out and then deleted it, but I don't want anyone else cheating who does the tag, so you'll just have to take my word on this one. XD)

What's the funniest or weirdest gift you have ever received?
Err, I don't know? I wish I could think of something!

Any New Year's Resolutions? Do you actually stick to them?
I used to make them when I was younger, but I wouldn't ever really stick to them so now I do my monthly goal lists instead.

What is the number one thing on your Christmas/holiday wishlist?
For my hubby to have the day off. Ya know, cos since it's our first Christmas together in our own place, he's working from 0600 to 1800, which means he's gone from about 0500 to anywhere around 1930. COOL.

Do you have a real or fake tree?
This year is my first year with a fake tree.

Do you buy your presents in advance or wait until the last minute?
Both. Sometimes I'll buy someone something in July if I find the perfect present and it's at an awesome price. Other times I wait until the very last minute and only shopping online this year has made that a bit difficult.

Do you get a white Christmas where you live?
Not sure. It hasn't snowed here yet and I hear that where we are in Japan, it doesn't snow too much. Wompwomp! I'll just live vicariously through all of my family and friends' pictures of their white Christmases.

I tag all of you and as always, if you do this tag as well then post your answers or blog post in the comments!



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Countdown to Kitschmas: The 2013 Christmas Tag

Pretty sweet scanned in picture of my parents and I from the early 90s! P.S. Mom and I are wearing the same dress because we are the best and you should be jealous.

1. Do you prefer a real Christmas tree or synthetic?
This is actually the first year I've ever had a synthetic tree! I've always loved having a real tree because of the amazing smell, but who knows, I might love having a synthetic one (plus, I bought an Evergreen and a Balsam candle as well as a few other Christmas-y smelling ones).

2. You're in a coffee shop, it's December, what do you pick?
I'm an iced coffee lover all the way. People used to think I was nuts when I worked at the mall because I would buy an iced coffee at Dunkin Donuts and then go sit outside in the freezing cold and smoke (fun fact: I've been cigarette free since March 8th of this year!!). I also really like the chai lattes from a local coffee shop in Connecticut I used to frequent and the pumpkin spice lattes that Starbucks has. I just found out that the Starbucks in Japan don't have them though! Wompwomp.

3. What’s your favourite colour scheme for decorating the tree?
I've never had a colour scheme! My family loves really odd ornaments, so our trees have always been a mix of different colors. Ryan and I are keeping on with that, too.

4. Giving or receiving?
Well, I always love getting presents, (who doesn't?) but shopping for other people always makes me really happy! I love hunting for people-specific gifts that still have my kitschy flair and when someone loves something I've gotten them, it's one of the best feelings in the world, IMO.

5. To mince pie or not to?
Uhh, not to.

6. What's your traditional Christmas lunch?
Ham. Ham and sweet potatoes and corn and rolls and carrots. Pumpkin pie to follow. Mmmm...

7. Christmas day fashion?
PJs until I need to go out. Then I really like Christmas-y dresses and ugly sweaters.

8. What's your favourite Christmas song?
December is for Cynics by The Matches!

9. What's your favourite Christmas film?
This is a really difficult choice. As a kid, I would watch The Nightmare Before Christmas over and over and over throughout the fall up until Christmas. It's really the only favorite that I have that is actually a Christmas-y movie.

10. Open presents before or after lunch?
Before! Stockings during Breakfast time and then under-the-tree presents after that.

Makeup Pixi3 created this tag! I tag you all and remember that if you do, please link your post or comment with your answers down below!



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Happy Hallwoneen! So spoopy!

Halloween 2010 - Elendan Gardens

Favorite Halloween movie: Hocus Pocus. Though Beetlejuice and Clue come in pretty close, Hocus Pocus is number one!

1-10, how much do you enjoy Halloween?: 10, for sure.

Fondest Halloween memory: Halloween 2010 was probably my favorite. Ryan and I got engaged. He knew that I always wanted to get married on Halloween, but because of his military schedule he knew that it would be a long shot, so he proposed instead!

Have you always been a Halloween lover?: Absolutely. Even as a kid, I loved Halloween. Getting dressed up was a favorite, even back then. Oddly enough, I never really liked the "being scared" aspect of it though. I couldn't even watch scary movies until far into my teenage years, and don't ever try to get me into a Haunted House. Nooooo thank you! (I think it's the interacting that bothers me cos I totally dig gory makeup and spooky things.)

How do you get into the Halloween spirit?: I'm pretty much always in the Halloween spirit. I think that immediately after my birthday (27th of July), I'm ready for it to be the 31st of October.

Favorite Halloween decorations: Jack-o-lanterns! I really like seeing all of the different designs. Each jack-o-lantern is unique!

Favorite Halloween or fall scent?: Leaves and apple cider. Even though I never really loved drinking the warm apple cider at the pumpkin patch, I loved the smell.

Favorite candy: I'm a Snickers gal.

Vampires or zombies: Hm, I think that it really depends. Zombie makeup is more fun than vampire makeup, but I tend to like zombie movies more than vampire movies, but I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer. If I had to choose which I would rather be, it would have to be a vampire. If I could be friends with one, I would pick vampire again. I feel like zombies aren't really known for their conversational skills, ya know?

What is your weirdest fear?: I don't really think any of my fears are irrational. I have the basic insect/spider, small spaces, heights, crowds, and clown fears. I am terrified of my teeth falling out though. I guess that counts.

You all should fill this out and tell me about your Halloween festivities this year and share photos!



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Six Things You May Not Know About Me

This is my favorite picture that I took when visiting the Oregon Coast with my hubby and our two Sailor friends. This was in October of 2010.

I was tagged by Berlyn of The Myopic Squid to do the Six Things You May Not Know About Me tag. I'm a sucker for a tag, so here it is!

If you could see any artist/band live which would you choose?
I really want to say Veruca Salt, Regina Spektor, Billy Talent, or Andrew Jackson Jihad... If I could see any band who is no longer together, I'd want to see Jack Off Jill. Oh man, I haven't been to a live show in like two years.

Which blog are you in love with that you only found out about recently?
I feel like most blogs that I'm in love with, I found not so recently. Though just a few minutes ago, Becky posted about Tokyo Faces and I fell in love. Other than that, all of my loved blogs were found a bit ago.

What hobbies do you have that we don't know about?
I love to scrapbook. Unfortunately, it's been a long time since I've last done anything scrapbook-wise because all of my supplies are in the states. I don't know if any of it will make it over here or not because I have a lot of stuff and it would cost a small fortune to have everything shipped out. Wompwomp. I love to sing though, and all I need for that, I have with me! Haha.

If money wasn't a problem.. what would be your dream destination?
This one is difficult. I have a strong desire to travel back to the west coast to visit Elandan Gardens (where Ryan and I got engaged) and the Oregon Coast because it was freakin' amazingly beautiful. (See above!)
I've always wanted to visit Europe: France, Germany, London, Italy, Scotland... so I'll say Europe since that would cost the most and money isn't a problem! Haha.

If you could meet any blogger in person, who would you pick?
Crissy (Candypow), Becky (Becky Bedbug), Allison (Okay, Allison), Erin (Zero Style), Rachele (Nearsighted Owl), Midge (Modern Girl Blitz), Cazz (Nerd Burger), Berlyn (The Myopic Squid), Katie (Far From Uniform), Kristina (The Whimsical Days), and Sera (The Agoraphobic Fashionista). I'm sorry for how long that list was, and I'm sure I've forgotten a bunch of people, but I seriously think that I could be BFFs with any of these lovely ladies.

What's something we may not know about you?
I have anxiety - Really awful anxiety. To the point where I hardly leave the house anymore and I normally need someone to come with me when I do.

---

The end! I don't think I will tag anyone specific. Do the tag if you want to do it and I'd love to read your answers, so make sure to link to your post if you do one!

xox

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24 before 25

I feel like this is fitting since it's only almost a month since my 24th birthday and I've always wanted to do one of these!

Picture is unrelated. :3

24 Things I Want to Do Before I Turn 25:
1. Start my YouTube channel.
2. Be happy with my hair.
3. Get rid of unwanted clothing and accessories.
4. Wear orange lipstick.
5. Curl my hair.
6. Visit the aquarium.
7. Go shopping in Fukuoka.
8. Visit the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum.
9. Try Japanese cosmetics.
10. Bake something from scratch.
11. Get my couponing all sorted.
12. Get another tattoo/start Sailor Moon half-sleeve.
13. Go to a shrine.
14. Make something.
15. Set up a space for my shoes.
16. Do my nails more. At least once, come on, you're a beauty blogger - get it together!
17. Buy a YSL lipstick.
18. Marathon all of the Die Hard movies (again).
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.

Do you have a list of things you want to do before your next birthday?
xox

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I Heart Summer Tag

I feel like it's been ages since my last blog post because I've been under the weather recently (vertigo! what?!). I'm still not better, but I figured that I could do a tag blog post just to give you guys something! Feel free to answer these on your blog and link it below or tell me your answers in the comment section! Let's get to know each other. :)

1. Favorite bronzer for summer?

Honestly, the only reason I use bronzer is to contour. I'm pretty light skinned and personally I don't like being tan, but I do use Milani's Bronzer XL for my contouring.

2. Favorite summer drink?

I want to say Piña Colada, but let's be honest, I haven't had one in two years. I really like Snapple's Noni Berry juice!  I noticed it at the commissary because of its color (pink) and my husband said that he liked it, so we bought a few and I've been drinking it ever since.

3. Favorite summer lip product?

As much as I love me some lipsticks, recently I've been really loving Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey. I find the formula to be really lightweight and moisturizing, which is perfect for summer!

4. Pool or Beach?

I've never been one for the beach because I don't really enjoy hot sand or laying out in the sun. I feel like it's a messier, less fun version of a pool. So I'll have to say pool for this one. The chlorine smell reminds me of being a kid cos of the swimming lessons I took and when I hung out at the pool with my friends in high school.

5. What's your must-have styling product for summer?

A brush. No, seriously! I don't use anything in my hair other than shampoo and conditioner (and hair dye,) and a brush comes in handy when it's ridiculously windy out, which it is pretty regularly here in Sasebo.

6. Sun bathing or fake tan?

As mentioned in answer number one, I don't like being tan. Working at the kennel out here has made me the tannest I've ever been in my life! Being out in the sun makes me feel sick and there's been times where I break out into hives (gross, right?) if I'm in the sun for too long. If I had to choose, it would definitely be fake tan. The lotion/spray tan though, not the tanning booth.

7. Favorite summer nail polish?

I haven't painted my nails all summer! Man, this should be the I'm Bad At Summer tag. However, I am really excited to try out the Zoya nail polish from my May Ipsy Glam Bag.

8. Any summer traditions?

Does my birthday count? I feel like it does. Bonfires, maybe, depending on which friends I live near during the summer. (And The BBQ Club's BBQ!!)

9. Favorite summer scent?

Vanilla! I got a sample of LAVANILA's Healthy Fragrance in Pure Vanilla from my Little Black Bag order in June. I'm surprised how much my husband likes it as well! He said I smelled like cinnamon buns. Yum!

10. Favorite BBQ food?

Cheeseburgers. Give me all the cheeseburgers. Oh man, every year my extended family throws this awesomely amazing BBQ at one of their local parks. It always has a super creative theme and delicious food. I'm a big fan of the chocolate covered strawberries as well as the cheeseburgers. Just sayin'.

11. What's your favorite summer-proof product?

Paula's Choice's Shine Stopper, hands down. I have super oily skin and I use this product every time I wear makeup.

12. Any summer vacation plans this year?

Nah. Ryan is thinking about taking some time off for a staycation though! Maybe we'll explore the surrounding areas. I'd love to go back to Nagasaki.

So, that's my I Heart Summer Tag! I hope you all enjoyed it!

xox