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Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Korea Adventures!!!

Hi everyone!!! It's my 6th day in Korea! I can't believe it's already been almost a week! Yesterday my uncle came over which was very exciting. His daughter is in 2nd grade and I am 12 years older than her omg. His son is 6, I think. We had Korean barbecue and it was so good! We had a lot of fun playing together :) I love little kids!! Sorry for the lack of detail.. I'm a bit tired at this point. I saw him two days ago!

Here are the photos from the last time I went major shopping (hair and boutique shopping on day 2, shopping mall on day 3, Daiso day 4, no shopping day 5, Hongdae day 6). I'll take a picture of all the shoes later.








Then I went to eat waffles yesterday! Yesterday was a slow, lazy day.

Today I just got back from Hongdae!!! Hongdae is a coffee/beer/club district and I had a lot of fun shopping. I bought two pairs of shoes and who can resist shoes? I've bought 4 pairs now... My friend N and I realized that the Eat Your Kimchi studio is located in Hongdae so we went to go see it. There were so many obstacles in our way. I'm so tired of it and I don't want to talk about it. But if any of you are ever in Korea and want to see it, make sure to email for an appointment before. I walked around for 5 hours in the baking heat so I'm really exhausted.


The darned studio. 


A really cool store!!



Coffees :D

I'm seriously so tired right now. Sorry for the short posts. I've been really busy/tired. I'm leaving Seoul for a short while and won't have much internet access. I promise to post post post post when I get back home though. :) byebye!

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Liebster Blog Award!

I am finally getting around to this!! Thank you so much to Ridx and Rileysmilesify! I know this is quite late but better late than never! I love doing this award because it gives you guys (the readers..) a better sense about who I am. I'm really sorry if the layout on this is strange. My grandma's computer is ancient.

The rules that come with this award are:
  1. Answer 11 questions asked by your nominator, and tell your readers 11 facts about yourself.
  2. Choose 3-5 other bloggers with less than 200 subscribers to pass the award onto.
  3. Make 11 questions for them to answer, and then go on their blogs and tell them about your nomination.
11 Facts About Me:
1. I read novels really fast. My parents get upset about that because they have to buy me new books often. BUT I also scrimp and save by buying books at used book stores. I don't understand why you have to spend $14 bucks on a book you could be buying for $2. Used book stores are the best!!
2. I think I've come to terms about makeup. Hehe and my mom is letting me wear eyemakeup. It still takes me forever to apply mascara though... I forget not to blink and then there's this huge black smudge.
3. One time when I was little, my toe got stuck in an escalator. Another time my pinky toe got stuck in a running machine. It's a miracle that I have 10 toes.
4. I watch lots of Korean dramas for fun. (I Hear Your Voice, my new love). I also watch Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, The Office, and occasionally New Girl.
5. I buy cameras in hope that I'll use them but I don't.. sighs.
6. My favorite flowers are poppies, roses, and pansies.
7. I can't put contacts in my eyes. :/ It was such a disappointment. I am getting Lasik though! Just counting down the days.
8. I like Safari over Firefox and Chrome. It's just convenience mainly.
9. I am really stubborn and cannot compromise most of the time. If I want something, I NEED to have it. I'm trying to change that.
10. I love biology! and English. I hate math though! I'm all done with calculus, hopefully forever. YAY!
11. I write really long letters and emails and cards.

And here are 11 questions for these great individuals! from Rileysmilesify
What is a topic that you can talk about for hours?
Hmm, I don't know if there's a specific topic really. I can talk hours about myself... and my life hehe. It really depends on the person I'm talking to and not really the topic.
 What is your favorite movie?
I have so many! A King of Hearts, The Proposal, He's Just Not That into You, Howl's Moving Castle, Up, 10 Things I Hate about You. If you've been a constant reader, you will recognize these names right away. Sorry these don't change for me.
 If you could go anywhere in the world and with anyone, where would you go and with whom?
Hehe. If I had the choice, I'd go to New York or Korea with S. Lately, I've been going off to really cool places and it's sort of been unbearable not to see him. But in reality (I don't know how possible the above options are...), I'd be totally happy going to an amusement park with him. Why do you blog?
This is one of the questions that always comes up on the Liebster Blog Award. I blog because I need an outlet and I like sharing about my life. I always try to keep a diary but it never works out because I have no motivation to write every day. I love reading back on these things so a blog is so perfect. 
If you only had five sentences left to say before losing the ability to speak, what would you say?
Oh my goodness. I talk SO SO SO SO SO SO SO much. Probably "I'm so upset that I can't talk anymore and I don't even know why this happened to me. This is the worst thing ever and now I have to write everything down or learn sign language. Why? Why is the world so cruel? Goodbye talking!"
 Who is your favorite character in fiction?
Ooh. I have quite a few. I love Becky Bloomwood in The Confession's of a Shopaholic. I love Sasha in A Visit from the Goon Squad, Esther Greenwood in The Bell Jar. All the characters in Harry Potter series. Bernadette in Where'd You Go, Bernadette? and so many more. These people all showcase a side and personality I wish I had. 
What is a song you could listen to on replay for hours?
This changes a lot because I get tired of songs pretty fast. Currently my obsessions are 22 by Taylor Swift and Officially Missing You by Geeks. I think I've mentioned these before. I also listen to the I Hear Your Voice drama OST music on reply right now. 
Describe yourself in 3 words!
Cheerful! Optimistic! Energetic!
 There is a snow day and school was cancelled--what do you do?
Well I used to live in Colorado and we did have quite a few snow days every winter. I don't really like the cold so I'd stay inside, with some hot cocoa and curled up with a book. It's the perfect way to spend a rainy day or a snow day.
 What is your favorite book, and why?
Um I sort of answered this in the past question but I also have a whole page about this! Check it out! What is your favorite quotation?
"Three seconds are beautiful" from King of Hearts. Hehe, I love this quote. 

Thank you.. Miss.Ridx. 

Have you ever made a prank phone call? 
I have of course!! This is a tradition at any sleep over. 
Do you believe in karma?
Yes I do. Mostly because if you're mean to people, they'll be mean to you too. For one example: you decide not to help out a struggling business. One day you're jobless and oh the irony, the business is super huge and denies you a job.
What is your perfect pizza? 
I love margarita pizza? Is that how you spell it? It's the one with huge slices of tomato and basic. There's also a pizza place that I love that makes the best zucchini pizza. 
What is your first thought when waking up in the morning? 
My hair is a mess. What is that on my face? and rarely: oh yay it's morning! 
What is your first thought before you go to bed? 
Oh my gosh. It's so late. I'm so tired. zzz
Do you get along with your family?
I get along with my family most of the time!! My family is so nice to me. They have never pushed me to be a doctor or lawyer or engineer like most other Asian parents. Of course we fight sometimes but on a whole, my family and I get along very well. 
Do you make wishes on shooting stars? 
I haven't actually seen very many shooting stars so no. But maybe I will if I see one in the future. If you could go back and change one day, what would it be? 
HMM. You know I don't think I would change any day. Cliche as it is, the mistakes have really molded me into the person I am today. Even the little mistakes.Do you remember your dreams? 
YES. I have such vivid dreams. They're really long and descriptive. I include them in posts sometimes. Are you a morning person or a night person?
Both!!! I love waking up really early by accident. I love getting things done before noon. Even if I'm doing the same thing at one pm, it makes me unhappy. I also stay up almost every night.. it's especially bad during the summer where I haven't slept before 3am. During the school year I stay up till like 1am, but that's not my fault.  
Do you have any phobias?  
I hate bugs. I guess that's a phobia. 
If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature what new animal would you create?
Ooh, a sheep and a rabbit haha. I'd love to see that. 
What's the most unusual conversation you've ever had?
Unusual? Every single conversation I have with everyone, ever. I'm the epitome of unusual. Usually I whip up some bio knowledge and people quickly go away. 
If your parents hated your partner you currently loved would you ditch him or carry on with him despite the protests?
My parents don't really like my current sort of boyfriend. They're okay with the fact that I spend days in the library with him sometimes though. It's not fair for your parents to decide who you marry or love. Sometimes their advice is valid (see any chick flick) but racial bias and things like that are not good reasons not to be with someone.
Have you ever been professionally photographed?
Do senior portraits count? If not, then no. 
Do you prefer blue or black inked pens?
Black! I only use black G2 pens.
Have you ever baked your own cake?
Yes I love to bake!! I don't normally bake cakes though. Maybe I will next time with S, and probably get yelled at by my parents.
What's your favorite smell/scent?
hehe I love the smell of gasoline... and candles and Daisy by Marc Jacobs. 
Can you blow bubbles with bubblegum?
That was my childhood right there. I haven't chewed gum in a long time though. Thank you invisalign. What was your favorite birthday?
I went to an amusement park with friends in 8th grade. I also had a really fun scavenger hunt sophomore year and junior year. Birthdays are just fun in general.
Can you curl your tongue?
Nope!! I cannot curl my tongue. 
If you could learn any language fluently what would it be?
Hmm, probably mandarin or Japanese!! Or French. All these languages are so cool. 
What historical Figure would you love to see in 21st century life?
WHY ARE THERE SO MANY CHOICES.....? Martin Luther? Castiglione? Mary Wollstonecraft? Betty Friedan? ooh I don't know. 
As a kid were you ever frightened of a monster under the bed or in the cupboard?
Neither... one time I thought the shadow of my backpack was a cat. I eagerly got out of bed and was clearly disappointed.
Do you like clowns?
No, I don't like clowns or anything to do with circuses. Animal rights, yo. 
Are you a clean or messy person?
I'm both at times.. I like to be a clean person but end up too lazy to be clean.
Can you play chess?
Very badly, yes! 
What's your favorite Movie quote?
Look above at the other set of questions. 
What's your favorite type of tree?
Hmm, I like aspen trees! 
If you could bankrupt one person or company who would it be?
I don't know... I don't think anyone deserves to be bankrupt..
If you could steal one thing without consequence what would it be?
Probably some picasso painting worth millions. hehe. 
Do you prefer shopping on the high street or online?
Online shopping is much easier but I do enjoy going through boutiques and checking out pretty clothes. I sort of went crazy yesterday in all these Korean boutiques. I still haven't bought half of what I want yet.... oh my. 
Would you ever want to learn to fly?
That would be wonderful. If I could, I definitely would learn to fly. 
Do you often read your horoscope?
I used to but I don't anymore. I used to get fashion magazines but now I don't and so . . . no. 
Have you ever had a proper Tarot reading?
My friend hired a fortune teller for her birthday and she gave me a proper Tarot reading. One and only time! 
What's your favorite brand of newspaper?
NEW YORK TIMES. Oh my goodness. I love the Times. 
What's the cleverest word you know?
I've been studying SAT words with S hehe. My vocabulary has somewhat increased. I would never use this words in real life. Dappled! Just kidding I love that word though. How about olfactory? Hehe I love that word. Erm this is quite embarrassing. Ignominious! Thank you Hawthorne! 
Do you do your utmost for the environment?Honestly, no. I recycle and take reusable bags to the grocery store but I could be doing much more. 
Do you ever make your own greetings cards?
I love making cards so yes! I always make birthday cards for friends and thank you cards for teachers. 

Phew!! All done with that. I'm sorry if my responses are pretty short. There were a lot of questions. Now for my questions, I'll only ask 11 to be nice.

1. What do you wear for pajamas? 
2. What is your favorite snack food? 
3. Favorite thing to order at a coffee shop? 
4. PC or Mac? Why? 
5. What is your favorite time of day?
6. Do you have an outfit that you love? If so, what is it?   
7. Have you ever accidentally thrown something important away? 
8. What is the worst moment when your phone failed on you? 
9. If you could be a character in any book, who would it be? 
10. Do you have any role models? 
11. What is your dream career?

nominees!!!
Rissi
Forever Amber
Smo
Marian
Adeena

I think I've nominated everyone else!!! Feel free to answer these questions in the comments though!
PS: would it be bad if I want to buy another pair of rainboots ..?? and another pair of faux heels (heels but like 2 inches) and strappy sandals? That's so many pairs of shoes..okay bye!

Welcome to Korea!

Hi everyone! Long time no see. I'm not in California anymore!!! I flew 11 hours across the Pacific Ocean to get to South Korea! It was my first real day and surprisingly I'm not jetlagged. Of course the first thing I do is shop and get my hair done. My grandma's internet connection is really slow and she doesn't have wifi so I can't connect my laptop. I'll make a shopping haul post later... maybe at the end of this trip. The weather is hot and humid but it's supposed to rain this whole week which is very good! Although I don't love the rain, rain gets rid of some of the stickiness. I'm not sure what else to say. It's been a very long day. I promise all my posts won't be like this... it's so nice seeing my grandparents and eating my grandma's really good food! I'm seeing my uncle and my little cousins on Monday and a close friend on Wednesday. In the meanwhile, I'll be watching dramas, reading, and doing test prep meh. It feels too weird to take pictures here because I'm not really a tourist. I'll try though just for you guys. Hope you're doing well! xx

Monday, July 22, 2013

Los Angeles Reflection!

Hello everyone!!!! It's been a while since I last posted and I am really sorry about that. I didn't quite have the time to be posting during my very short trip. My phone hates me and regresses to 25% battery at like 3 pm (on a good day). The good news is that I'm getting an upgrade soon! I'm really debating between the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S4. My friend has the Note 2 (which I wanted for the longest time) but it's just too big for me. She doesn't even use the stylus (which will become me) and that was the whole reason I even wanted the Note 2. First world problems, sorry. As you might know I was in Los Angeles for 1 day (the other 2 days were spent driving there...). I just thought about a lot of things while there haha. I never know where exactly to put the jump break... so it's going to be here. Keep reading because first ever shopping haul post!

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Pish Posh!!

Hello everyone! I'm blogging live from the library right now. I realize I've been really lazy with all the cool little sections that I created during the school year. So this post stays true to its name and will be a hodgepodge of a couple different labels: Wednesday Advice, Cynical Book Review, App Reviews! Leggo! I also uploaded my first extensive tutorial so check it out :)

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Gifting: It's a Passion

Hi guys!!! I haven't slept before 2 AM this whole week. I don't even know what I've been doing. I just enjoy being a night owl lol. I'm leaving for Los Angeles soon and tomorrow I have SENIOR PORTRAITS! Oh my goodness. Anyways, today I have another post about a really cool and versatile gift! For the first time ever, I'm going to go step by step! Gift giving for me has always been a way to show people that I really care about and love them. I love taking the time to sit down and really think about creative ways to make them happy. Yes, buying a gift card is UBER easy, but it doesn't have the unique factor that handmade gifts have. People think that handmade gifts are really difficult, but they're not. Just give it a try. Maybe this can be your very first gifting experience. Today we are making paper heart coupons! These are a cute little gift for ANY occasion for ANYbody.

Saturday, July 13, 2013

The End of Scarf Boy

Hi everyone! I have finally finished Scarf Boy! It took a more time than I suspected and probably a lot of patience on your part. If you can't remember what exactly happened in Parts 1, 2, 3, click the little label Scarf Boy and it'll lead you to the very beginning. This is the end of that chapter. I honestly don't know how to end Coffee Shop. I thought I did but it's still an unfinished mess towering at 202 pages. I will eventually figure that out but until then, I shall start a new project and hopefully be able to release chapters WEEKLY! Wouldn't that be awesome... I don't know how I feel about the other story I was working on. I think that'll just remain unfinished for the time being. Heads up, I'm going to be sort of busy (OMG right? I'm ... busy? whaaat?) for the next few weeks hehe. I'm heading down to Los Angeles next Friday to see some old family friends that I haven't seen FOREVER (2.5 years). I'm only staying until Monday so I don't think that'll be too big of an issue. I'm going to South Korea for 2 weeks right after that so that'll be a little tough. One of my grandma's doesn't have internet (wifi) so I don't know how often I'll be able to post which is unfortunate. I'll be sure to take pictures (even though it feels so weird taking pictures in Korea because I don't feel like a tourist and I don't do touristy things..) to fill the void.

I have another state of union! I haven't done one in a really long time. I think I'm going to make this a monthly thing so maybe I should've posted this at the end of July but whatevs.

In:
The Bravest Warriors* 
The Big Bang Theory 
Chocolate sprinkles
Animal Crossing New Leaf 
Jean shorts! 
Summer diet
Jennifer Egan
Waffles with nutella and ice cream and fruit 
Kate Spade
New York
Boutiques 
Getting ready for SENIOR photos! 

Out:
Pretty Little Liars 
Strawberry topping 
Pokemon Diamond 
Jeans
Eating 2000 calories 
Sophie Kinsella 
Crepes with nutella and ice cream and fruit 
Lovcat 
San Francisco 
Shopping mall
Passport photos 

Music that I like: 
22 by Taylor Swift
Come and Get It by Selena Gomez
Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke 
The Wicked Playlist (yes the musical)

*The Bravest Warriors is a show on YouTube made by the same guy who created Adventure Time! Some of the episodes are really stupid and crude humor but some of them are really endearing and sweet. Definitely worth checking out! 

Friday, July 12, 2013

I Want a New Family

Hehehe..no Pam.. 
 Hi guys! I started this blog post yesterday and as suspected. . . it did not get done. I was extraordinarily busy yesterday which might sound weird for me. In the morning I got my passport picture taken. I hate pictures in general especially passport pictures... Did you know how many rules and regulations there are for those photos? You can't open your mouth. You can't wear a white shirt. You can't have a shadow on half your face. Sort of ridiculous, I thought. I can't believe I have to stare at my horrible passport photo for the next 10 years...

the frosting was all me xD 
I picked up my wonderful new bag in San Francisco after getting all the passport stuff done. It was so cold and windy there!! I came home around 5:30pm and went to S's house to bake cupcakes :) I like baking stuff! We bought cake mix and frosting and made exactly 24 cupcakes. With the first batch we made the mistake of not spraying pam and the cupcakes stuck to the silicon mold. Hehe they were fun to eat though. I came home around 10.... because the cupcakes took a ridiculous time to bake and cool. My parents were annoyed at me, which I suppose makes sense. My mom interrogated me about S and assumed (by herself) that his mom wasn't home. EVEN THOUGH HIS MOM WAS THERE THE WHOLE TIME HELPING US BAKE.

I dunno. All this frustration my parents feel for me continued to day 2. My dad just takes all his anger out on me. He was asking me about the questions I got wrong and already his tone was anger. I just feel like it's a huge waste of time when my dad tries to help me. It's never instructive and more just "why did you get this wrong?" And then it became a whole argument of "why do you want to go to a good college if you can't even do well?" I'm just so frustrated with my dad. I really want to be an independent person but he's not letting me. I just wanna run off and live my own life and never see my family again.  I know I'm just being bitter and an annoying whiny teenager but there's this little satisfaction I get with this whole idea. I'm sorry. I just need to breathe and close my eyes and not be so angry and frustrated. Okay... I think I can get the last chapter of Scarf Boy up BY TOMORROW!!!  Okay bye!

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

I'm Not Meant to Be a Housewife

Happy Monday everybody! I've sort of lost all track of time since it is the summer time. I have been writing both Scarf Boy and Coffee Shop so expect those in the near future. I feel really upset that I've lost that rhythmic schedule of my blog, pretty much ever since the week after I post a rigorous schedule. The hard thing about blogging during the summer is that not much happens in my life. There's no rants about school or teachers or tests or prom. I've basically been studying, writing my essay, playing Animal Crossing, and hanging out.

Ooh! I have a short note about playing Animal Crossing and other DS games on your computer! There's these awesome things called emulators!! I downloaded one called Desmume! It makes my computer sort of crazy but definitely worth it! Check it out!

Anyways onto the main point! I am not meant to be a housewife. I realized this a long time ago but it's reinforced a lot. I could never be that stay at home mom. Maybe when I'm older I'll feel different but as of now I would probably go crazy. I am terrible at cooking which I learned once again on Monday. Hehe. I tried making S breakfast . . . and yep it became a "you're doing everything wrong" time lol. Nah, he's not like that but he is way more technically trained than I am. Neither of us were really hungry in the morning so that didn't quite work out either. It was quite cute though. While I was trying to sauté bell peppers and potatoes, he suddenly wrapped his arms around his waist for a back hug. Yup, we're going to be an absolutely sickeningly sweet (unofficial) couple. He also witnessed me yelling at the egg to fold.... I talk to everything and that includes food.

Difference between official and unofficial: erm at this point none?

Here's some more stuff I can't do: I cannot sew. I cannot throw house parties. I hate vacuuming. I do not like babies up close. I'm okay with babies at a far distance. They're just so high maintenance and drool everywhere. I don't enjoy gardening. I would be bored out of my mind. I need constant adventure! (this may just be a I'm-a-teenager-slash-twenties-girl syndrome).

I wanna be in New York! I've already talked about this before so I won't go to bore you. I was made for the city!

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Condolences

Hi everyone! First of all I'd like to give all my condolences to the people on the Asiana flight that crashed today at SFO. It really scares me how something like that could happen at this day and age. I have been on that same flight so many times and every time, and every time I tune out the safety instructions. I distinctly remember rolling my eyes when the flight attendants were trying to teach me about oxygen gas masks and procedures for a water landing. It really is the right thing to put safety first.  

I went out shopping today! I know that's a really abrupt transition. I haven't bought a new going out bag in such a long time! I did buy a red Longchamp bag this year but it's too big to be used for movies and errands. Pics will be up later! My mom did this really weird sale promotion thing and we're picking up the bags on Thursday. I also need to pick up my pot on Tuesday! I can't wait to see how that turned out. I also bought a pink Kate Spade wallet that was on sale and am completely in love with. It's a really classy, no fuss wallet that called out to me. It's nice to have a couple wallets for different occasions. 

I made flan yesterday for the first time ever! I got the recipe from Kitchen Princess and it actually tasted pretty good. Flan is a lot like egg custard for those of you who have no idea what flan is. This method requires no baking in an oven so it was quite the perfect recipe. It's really easy too and a great sweet treat for all of us novice bakers. The recipe says to use plastic tea cups but I used these little ceramic ramekins I got at Crate and Barrel and it turned out fine. 

Flan recipe 
4 cups of flan
1 3/4 cups milk
5 tablespoons sugar
3 eggs
a little bit of vanilla (I put in 2 teaspoons, but that's up to you)

caramel sauce: 
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon water 

  1. put milk on low heat and add sugar. stir well and when the sugar melts, stop the heat and cool for a minute. Make sure you don't let the milk boil. 
  2. Break the eggs in a bowl and stir well
  3. Slowly pour the milk from step 1 into the bowl from step 2 and stir. Add some vanilla
  4. pour the mix from step 3 through a strainer. this makes the flan smoother.
  5. Make the caramel sauce in a small pot. put the water and sugar in a pot and stir quickly over high heat. when it becomes brown, remove from heat and put it into four cups
  6. pour the mix from step 4 into the cups over the caramel sauce. 
  7. Fill a pot with water and put a steamer above it. when the water starts steaming, stop the heat and put the cups int the steamer. after 2-3 mins on high heat, lower the heat and steam for another 13 to 15 minutes. when you put it on low heat, move the lid a little so some of the steam will escape. If you put a towel under the lid, water won't get into the flan. 
  8. poke a hole in the flan with a toothpick, and if juice doesn't come out, it's done. after it cools put it in the refrigerator 

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Happy 4th of July!

 Hello everyone! Today is 4th of July in the United States which is Independence Day. I didn't go to the library but stayed at home and wrote up a second draft of my college essay. At around 10:30 am, I left the house and went to watch a movie with S. It was our very first date (official). We watched Despicable Me 2 surrounded by lots and lots of little children. The movie was pretty funny and definitely worth watching. I pretty much screwed my diet over T.T by eating guacamole egg-rolls (it tasted good, surprisingly!), pizza, and upside down pineapple cheesecake (also really good). It feels like Saturday. There are a ton of good sales going on (Urban Outfitters, Madewell, Express, Uniqlo, etc) so it's a great time to shop. I dragged him into Crate and Barrel (my favorite store) and I bought two mini casserole dishes and a porcelain spoon. I just wanna buy everything! Haha and he also broke this glass container thing but the people of Crate and Barrel didn't make him pay for it. I wanted to buy a dress from Urban on sale but the really nice guy giving us a ride home was already there. I think I really misjudged him. He's the type of person to give two neighbors a ride just because. He didn't even have time to eat food or watch a movie with us. To be honest, I probably wouldn't do that for anyone. It was extremely touching and I definitely owe him a favor.

I didn't think I'd be able to go see the fireworks with S because my parents currently have guests over (it's 11 pm and they're still here...). But it all worked out and I was able too, lols. I brought a mini green blanket because I didn't think it'd be cold.. but it was SUPER COLD. I think I just got cold easily. I was also wearing my new romper and it's really short. My mom told me to wear long pants but I didn't think it'd be cold. So he made a run back to his house for an actual picnic blanket (so we could use the green blanket just as a blanket). It was a short show which was disappointing. At the grand finale, they shot like 15 fireworks in the air spontaneously. I would've been happier if they had done one by one for  at least another thirty minutes hehe. We spent the next half hour stargazing outside his house. I think I'm getting better at giving hugs, lols. Well that was my fourth of July! I hope you guys had a great day regardless of where you are.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

12 Sides of Fun

Hi everyone!! Today I had the pleasure of going to Color Me Mine. You might have been to Color Me Mine or one of those places where they have pottery and you can paint them. I think I'm giving this to my mom. It's her birthday really soon! Painting on pottery is a lot harder than painting on paper. It's harder to undo your mistakes. I was at the studio for 3 hours and one of the first to come and last to leave. I was there so long because I did mess up a lot and had paint all the base coats again. I'm a bit worried at how it'll turn out though because some of the paint was starting to crack..
It's really hard to control how much paint you squeeze out of the smaller tubes. I had a lot of issues with too much paint which causes the cracking.
I sort of see that maybe she was better without a face, whatever. 
If you look on this one, really up close, there's this odd clump of red paint that I'm quite worried about. 
I have a couple tips for successful pottery painting:
1. Before you paint, wet your pot (jar, teapot, plate) with a sponge slightly soaked. It just helps get the dust off and prepares your pot to be painted. (For the sake of these tips, I'm just going to refer to the object you're painting as a pot. I technically painted a vase today.)
2. If you're painting your pot in one solid color, sometimes a sponge is actually the best way to go. I painted my pot white (the lady working there was telling me how that was completely unnecessary but I like just painting in over in white to make sure it'll be sparkly and wonderful) and the little blue sides with a sponge. If you mess up and I certainly did, it sometimes hard to paint the surface over again. What helps, especially with light colors, is to press the sponge and dab paint rather than traditional strokes. You create some cool texture by dabbing the sponge to the pot and it builds the color nicely.  
3. When using puffy paint (all the characters and trees and such are done with puffy paint), be careful! I messed up so many times because of this stupid puffy paint. It's really hard to control as I said before. I was definitely having trouble with the excess paint. What I eventually ended up doing was getting a paintbrush and taking the excess off. I did this for the blue cloud and that's why it looks better from picture 1 (in picture 2). Gravity also plays a huge role! In my short absence (I would get more paint or something), the paint would droop and it was unfortunate. Red Riding Hood's mouth was so hard! I would also pre-draw whatever on the paper covering the table before I did it on the pot. You can also pencil in what you're drawing but I didn't like doing that. 
4. Have some patience. I was there for 3 hours and it looks okay because I did have some patience to repaint and think of new ideas. 
Overall, I had a really fun experience and I can't wait to see it next week when I go to pick it up! I hope you guys will try going to a pottery painting place. It's more fun with your friends but I don't know if I could go with friends who don't take as long as me. It might be incredibly boring for them. If you want to see this stuff in real action, here's a video from Wong Fu Productions (one of my dear favorite Youtube groups). 

I think they were at Color Me Mine too! It's an international business so check check check it out! 
What if I started vlogs? LOL funny idea! Kay bye!
PS: Google Reader is biting the dust after today! So if you want updates, please follow me on bloglovin :) 

Monday, July 1, 2013

Happy July 1st!

Hi guys! As you may have noticed, the layout is all new! What do you guys think? I had a very successful negotiation with my parents. I'm allowed to hang out with S now. My dad isn't so happy about that but whatever. I don't care. Not seeing friends is killing me. Today in the library, I was very productive! I finished draft 1 of my college personal essay. Since my life is really boring, here's part 3 of the little series I've been doing on the side. I haven't had the heart to finish Scarf Boy but I have been typing away at Coffee Shop!!!! Enjoy!