Warning: The fact that I am inconsistent and mentally all over the place means that my journal will also be all over the place. I am just a person with endless hobbies while not being particularly great at most of them. I'm not fond of rage bait posts, however, I'm also not the type to write toxic-positive things as well. It is my web journal afterall,expect me to be truthful with my feelings. If I'm having an awful day--I will not lie about that. Generally, I'm an optimistic person and I look forward to just *creating* stuff each day. Cooking, crafting, and drawing are activities that stimulates me. Overall, you will find a bit of everything with this page: a bit of my family tea, mentions of fiance/ long-term partner (Bern), my artwork, pictures of food, the weather and a bunch of stuff that doesn't correlate with my site's aesthetics.

To those who've been following my blog post: You are awesome and if I could, *here's a cookie*.

11.15.2024- Windy Day!
Listening to Jazz Bar, Bossa Nova Music

Because I need to energize my mood, I started decorating my living room with holiday lights. I know it seems early to most, but I find it less overwhelming in the early weeks of November. I spent the whole day rearranging my items....and I'm not even near to being done. I hope to get most of my displays set up before this weekend (not counting the tree). Just like last year, my decorations will be a mish mash of random things-- nothing fashionable, just old items I accumulated over the years. Bern was quite happy to see some of our lights going up. We talked about how much we adore incandescent lights. It felt like our living room expanded when we switched them on.

Aside from my usual house tasks and errands, I finished my phantom and my succubus drawing, basically my prompts from my personal Drawtober. I'm not sure how long I'll last with my Drawtober prompts. It's not even that I don't want to draw them, I just don't want to draw spooky- prompts during the two last remaining months of the year.  This is just how I personally like to vibe with my seasons. No offense to anyone who doesn't feel the same way.


I intend the 'phantom' boy to be my OC character, loosely inspired by Erik from the Phantom of the Opera. So yes, he's part of my vampire boy/ witch girl/zombie bride gang. He's pretty much room mates with the Vampire character I drew last month, lives in a basement with sound proofed walls, a great synth player, and is selective with his people-interaction (for instance, he's only comfortable with his vampire friend)...he is trying his best to break out of his shell. OLuckily, he got his outgoing vampire friend to help him with that. Once you get to know him, he loves getting into deep conversations that will make you think about the universe. As for the succubus girl, I'm not sure if I want her to be part of my monster critters-gang universe.

Despite falling out of October's spookiness, I had fun drawing these last prompts.

11.2.2024- So Untrue: Trunk-Or-Treat Ruined Halloween
Listening to Jazz Cafe

On the actual Hallow's Eve night, our dad sent a text to us wishing us a Happy Halloween. He sent clips of his neighbors' decorations. My parents almost ran out of candies. There haven't been any trick-or-treaters in their neighborhood for seven years until this year. New affordable homes have been built, people my age with steady income started having children since the start of the pandemic. I guess our old neighborhood isn't aging out after all. According to Bern, people who complained about Trunk-Or-Treat ruining Halloween are just imagined scenarios...I giggled when he said that.   I literally grew up with non-neighborhood trick-or-treating in the 90s/ early 200s: theme parks, malls, & harvest fairs.


Just a note for next time, I need to make sure I spread my days apart. Sometimes I wish the sink can wash the dishes itself, the kitchen cooks its own food, or the floor self-mops itself....and unfortunately that will never happen. And no, I do not own a dishwasher. As for now, I am finally happy to have a bit of time for myself. I can now get back to catching up on my drawing prompts and work on my sketches.
For the weekend, Bern and I were able to catch some Halloween decorations displayed in a city part of LA County. The city had a decorating contest, so we did a scavenger hunt looking for some interesting homes to gawk at. I was quite impressed by this clown house. It's very thematic. I do wonder if the house owner does animatronic designs for a living? Would not be surprised if that happens to be case. Prior, to our neighborhood stroll, we ordered some delicious empanadas..the place wasn't too far from our destination.


While it was quiet, Bern and I managed to check out a bookstore with an interesting layout! So much plants in there, I love the feel of green things. It looks like a bookstore with combination of new & used books.

So did I enjoy this week? I certainly did. All it is, I just wish my plans were a little more spread out. See, and this is why I don't ever complain when my peers decides to put their festive decorations up early. Okay, I still like my spooky season but I don't mind hearing Bing Cosby on the radio. Sorry, I'm a weirdo.

10.22.2024- Halloween Decorations WIP
Listening to SeasideFM station

Good afternoon! It's 86 degrees Fahrenheit, not much of a fall-temperature today, but I'll take it over 106 degrees.  Just finished my clown girl drawing from last week! I have a feeling I may not get through all the drawing prompts all in one month, but that's fine, because it's not like I made any actual deadlines for my Spooktober (Drawtober) project. I haven't experienced any art blocks so far. In fact, I have been getting super stimulated: craft projects, housekeeping, & drawing. It also happens to be that I've been so preoccupied with tasks, and at times, I've been feeling off (health-wise). I hope this blog is a great reminder for myself to take breaks and not forget my extensive walks-- got to keep my bowels movin'!

Anyway, here's my most recent drawing:


I'm pretty content how my clown girl drawing turned out! I wanted to portray clowns in a delicate, graceful manner-- similar to Mira Fujita's artwork. I don't think I capture that mood a hundred percent, however, I enjoyed drawing this doll. Not sure what to name her, but she's a spunky character who likes to cheer people up. I think I should continue to draw more clown bunnies? I love drawing clowns!

Oh, and here are the rest of my Halloween decorations:

Just basically items that I've been DIYing and collecting for about eight years. I just incorporate them with my non-Halloween stuff. I might not repeat this exact set up for next year, so we shall see what I come up with next time. As for this year's mantle, I'm satisfied with it. This is apartment life after all-- just making the most with whatever I have.

10.12.2024- Halloween Decorations WIP
Listening to FakeGentle假斯文

Happy Saturday, to you all!

Right now, I'm still in a slow process of assembling my Halloween decors. I basically treat some of my pokemon dolls, an old Happy Meal toy, & autumn artwork as my spooky szn house decorations. I think so far, this is my favorite way of assembling my "table corner" (pic down below on the left). I know I will look back on my blog for next  year and repeat this set up.

10.11.2024- Drawtober & Some Fridge Malfunction
Listening to Music from 1983 Dance Party from Los Altos

So it turns out our freezer isn't working properly. Once again, we had to throw some of our frozen foods away: fruits and mixed vegetables. We did end up eating our melted non-dairy ice cream...or shall I say our 'non-dairy milkshake'?  While Bern and I prefer to eat our ice cream cold, it wasn't too bad. It was a little too chocolatey for our like liking, at least in its melty form. Anyway, Bern's uncle will head over this weekend to examine our fridge. He's suspecting that we're having a bit of a leak. We're very grateful to have a relative who repairs refrigerators for a living.

This week, I've been keeping up personal tasks: medical imaging appointments, scheduling, physical activities, house organizations, de-cluttering junk mails & Drawtober art project.

I finally completed my Zombie Bride drawing! I believe I officially created an OC from this character. So for one, she's not a flesh-eating zombie. I would say she's more on par with Dragon Quest type of zombies, the kind of petty monsters that exists randomly out of thin air or were born as monsters. Once in awhile with Dragon Quest monsters, especially with zombies, some of them are just non-threating NPCs living normal lives.  No tragic backstory, she's has been a 'zombie' her whole life. I was also inspired by romantic floral designs, so I wanted to incorporate that to her look. So here's her lore so far:

• Her name is Cora
• Loves the smell of petrichor
• Sometimes wears designers' fragrance, but usually likes to douse in an inexpensive body spray (a lovely scent) from a consignment store
• Works & models for a haunted bridal boutique...or bridal BOO-tique (okay, I'll shut up)
• Loves gardening & loves fabrics
• She's may appear to look like a corpse, but she's actually made out of fiber 
• Generally has a quiet demeanor, overall introvert but at the same time she enjoys good company from others

 

 

Also, I just learned that there's a drawing prompt called, "Peacetober" by (IG)coffeesforgaza. I don't have a lot for my personal Drawtober prompt, so I should be able to do some prompts from Peacetober drawings. If you are having an art block and you want to help amplify awareness, please check them out, and participate! 

10.2.2024- Brainstorming Halloween Costume Ideas
Listening to Infinity Song- Sinking Boat

1. Bridget Jones & Mark Darcy from Bridget Jones's Diary
To those who cosplay anime and video game characters: I would imagine owning a bunny suit would be a staple. I personally want a tailored kind. If I can get template designs made by the inventor of the bunny suit, Zelda Wynn Valdes, I would be ecstatic to sew a corseted leotard. However, I'm sure a cheap version would be more on brand with Bridget Jones's frazzled Englishwoman lewk. My hair is currently dark and I have a Barbie wig that isn't mousy enough. I feel like someone with naturally dark hair with grown-out bottle blonde roots could pull this look too! Bern got a couple of sweaters in his closet. Since, I have some felt materials, I would just construct a reindeer-shaped patch with some safety pins to build an ugly (I don't think they're ugly) Christmas sweater. Note: I don't condone smoking, hence my suggestion on the "fake puff cigarettes".



2. Pikachu & Ketchup Bottle
Usually when it comes to Pokemon costumes for Halloween, couple pairing tends to be Pikachu & Ash. I don't think I ever spotted Pikachu & Ketchup as a pairing. I think this idea is super fun because I can see myself constructing a bottle-shaped cap to signify a ketchup bottle. I don't own a banana colored Selkie dress, I do have a couple of 60s inspired pale yellow dresses. I think a gold-colored tulle skirt would work too. I want to avoid buying clothes I would wear once and utilize garments that I would wear on other days too. I feel with accessories like ears and tails are DIY-able, especially if you have some card boards and acrylic paints around. I would combine yellow & glittery gold paint for the accessories. OR you can find a beautiful yellow fabric with a nice gold sheen and sew them up! I imagine black sequins would be great for embroidering. 



3. Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet
I think the only thing I would have to add to this look is the angel wings. If I can DIY the wings with some found objects at home, this whole outfit set would be $0 for me. I don't think this set idea is in any way unique, I'm sure there will be plenty of people who are planning these outfits, however, they're iconic. Sometimes going for the most basic and iconic look is a perfect way to not trash your wardrobe.



4. Michiru & Haruka from Sailor Moon
I hope to see more couples sporting this look! Both Michiru and Haruka are super stylish! Well, technically all of the Sailor Scouts looked like they walked out of a fashion magazine from the 80s. I feel the hair style & hair color are the most important part of the set. I think having a wand as a prop would be a great way to indicate the character. 80s & 90s outfit shouldn't be too difficult to obtain(gosh, I hope not), otherwise, I would look for things that were manufactured in the 2010s. For instance, I still have a shoulder padded blazer from 4ever21. Depending on your social circle, keep in mind that not everyone outside a certain age group and outside of Asia is aware of Sailor Moon characters beyond their uniforms.


5. Vegeta & Bulma from Dragon Ball Z
I decided this set because the "Badman" lettering on Vegeta's shirt cracks me up. I'm also quite jealous of Bulma... her outfits are always fun, sporty and stylish.  She's not afraid of staying up to trend and doing new stuff with her hairstyles. I might not do pick this set for this year's Halloween. As soon as COVID is non-existent and if we attend to one of our friends' parties...I think a Dragon Ball costume would be fun to wear around friends. The majority of our friends are artists, particularly for the entertainment industry, so that means most of them are Toriyama fans!

Again, feel free to take these ideas, gender-bend them, and put your own spin to the characters however you like . No, I am not paid by a4mazon. I highly recommend second hand clothes, clothes from your closet, DIY props & local costume shops (if any in your town).

9.29.2024
Listening to Fake Gentle Live

I've been meaning to share some pics that were taken from a different week! Awhile back, after running some errands, Bern took me to an interesting soda shop(as seen on California Gold with Huell Howser & Watcher youtube channel). This place, as seen on tv, happens to be a complete gem! The soda shop consists of: a deli, 50s/60s music playlist, vintage soda brands, classic toys, international drinks and some rare candies that you're likely to not encounter at a regular store. They also have a soda-maker booth where you customize your own soda in a bottle, if you want, you can do a non-carbonated drink. And no, they're not like the fountain drink machines you would find at a Booger King. I ended up getting a strawberry-flavored milk because I wasn't too sure if my stomach can handle anything fizzy on that day. It was a perfect drink for my missed "breakfast". The store's atmosphere was very quiet. I also spotted the store owner of the place, doing inventory, physically stocking up food and drinks-- it's amazing how the shop isn't run by some faceless person. As a person who tends to feel uneasy in crowded indoor areas, it was a perfect place to get lost in..even if was for 10-15 minutes!
 

Keep in mind, As much as I find the vintage and graphic ads collection fascinating, I do have qualms with Kooka Koola* company (well, most companies in general). The last time I consumed their product was their Vanilla soda from the early 2000s, it was delicious but I stopped soda consumption a few years after their Vanilla release.

*Yes, I misspelled this company's name on purpose, because I do not need them to backtrack me atm.

9.22.2024
Listening to Pumpkin Waltz

Happy Fall Equinox to you all! This past week, we're now back to 70 degrees Fahrenheit! I think my body may have adjusted to the super hot weather that a temperature slightly below room temperature is starting to feel a bit cooler to me-- no complaints. We finally got our refrigerator fixed, and so far, it seems to be running smoothly! Bern's uncle & aunt were pretty helpful with getting our refrigerator to work & despite me not agreeing with some of their outlook on certain things, they were overall pretty pleasant to talk to. All I know is that they do like pies, so maybe I could bake up something for them? I know when the holiday hits, we will definitely send them some things for sure. I even told my mother about them.

Currently, I'm also looking forward to collect more kitchen essentials: a carbon steel wok and a sturdy toaster or stainless steel mini-toaster oven. I'm not exactly sure where to start looking for them because reading reviews and researching products feels like a heavy chore. I also need to replace some of my cooking sauces, as I mentioned in my last entry, I ended up throwing them away because I had no place to refrigerate them. Bern and I are currently on a tight budget, so it felt very wasteful.
 

I also kept myself busy by working on my drawing prompts, making up stories in my head with Halloween-themed characters. I just got done with my handsome Vampy Albino-bat person. Currently working on my zombie bride OC atm, I wanted to her to have a super frilly, Princess-like look. The lore behind the zombie bride is that she existed as a zombie her whole life since she was born and she's not really a bride, she models for a vintage bridal boutique and works part-time as a stylist. She loves the smell of air before the rain hits the ground, the feel of moist dirt, & wears floral scented perfume. A lot of my drawings are made for my personal amusement, so far, it prevented me from senseless doom-scrolling. While I do enjoy getting lost in my drawings, I do want to improve my movements and anatomy of my art. 

Also, this post is a self-reminder that I don't ever want to work for a company like this   So if you're reading this, please remember to take good care of yourself!
 

9.10.2024
Listening to Relaxing Jazz

I am hella done with the three digits degree temperature weather, I believe we broke the record of having the hottest day in history for this city. Most locals are used to mild temperature; having to experience abrupt heat can be dangerous. I'm usually a wuss when it comes to 85 days, but at this point, I'll take the 85 over the 112 degree Fahrenheit. Tomorrow should be our last super-hot day, by Wednesday, it will be 83 degrees.

This past week, our refrigerator broke .... we had to throw some of our groceries out T___T. Bern ended up getting a mini fridge (for  temporary use) to store some of our foods. His uncle, who repairs refrigerators for a living, came over to diagnose our fridge;  it turns out that we had a leakage. He was able to have it running for another day until the coolness  stopped  circulating once again and the freezer remained nonfunctional. Depending on Bern's uncle schedule, it will probably be a week or two until he comes over again to fully fix our refrigerator. It's a good thing that we have a mini refrigerator, because we are not paying for a week of takeouts-- they're way too costly. For now,  we will to avoid grocery shopping in bulk, we also have to avoid buying frozen foods.... otherwise they would not all fit in our mini fridge.

Also, I made a mistake of watching Incantation(2022) . Normally, I don't have strong reactions from watching most  horror films... but this one really got me (I have  to admit,  it was creatively well-done). I was raised by Buddhist grandparents (specifically Theravada), I know the film isn't even the same sect of Buddhism, a lot of things were fictional and bastardized,  but I think the familiarity of the imagery is probably what frightened me. Never again. I even warned my younger sister to never watch it but she was ahead of me and had already deterred away from checking out the film. She questioned why I even watched it in the first place, Bern asked the same thing. Let's just say that I am banned from ever watching something like that  again, just for my blood sugar's sake despite being a non-believer. I ended up watching one of Vinesauce's reactions with archived public tv vids and some 80s/90s Halloween commercial to cleanse the dark images from my mind. I'm okay with campy horror, John Carpenter, creature features, & gothic horror. But I'm a baby when it comes to paranormal folk-horror.

If you've been following my blog enough, for protective health reasons, I haven't been able to consistently interact with most of our friends in a physical form. With a combination of having Bern's relatives and one friend over really took my social battery out...that was expected, slept for hours this morning. I have no regrets because they were all pretty pleasant to interact with, especially with our friend(let's all him Dragon) who came over to play video games. We mostly talked about the weather, Nintendo games, Totaka Kozumi, card games, apartment prices, art/ animation industry & their (Bern's & Dragon's) other colleagues from their art college. I'm glad that Dragon came over to hang  out with us because I know Bern values his friendship and does his best to keep in touch with them. 

To get in the mood for Spooky Szn, I started my Spooktober drawings by using my own prompt. I'm in the slow process of writing characters in my head. Anyways, feel free to roam around in my cara app.