Karine's 4th Birthday Party

Finally posting my daughter's party from last, last saturday!

I was a bit lazy blogging since I accidentally (yes, stupidly) deleted all my blog photos, and was seriously thinking if I should just start a new blog from scratch, but my cousin stopped me, thankfully. Hehe.

So here it is.

This birthday wall is made with tin foil and lace papers. I love the outcome of this one. :) 

Then this is the dining area. The hanging stuff, whatever you'd call these are also made with lace papers. I intentionally was supposed to make them into pompoms, but didn't know how to make them so I just figured it out how to while doing it. It looked nicer when in person, you know. (LOL, that sounded so much like an excuse. :p) 

The garland was made with sequin ribbons I bought at the 100yen shop, and the pink snowflakes on the curtains are made with origami papers which I saw how to do online. 

And these are some of the food that I made. Thats crouquette balls, seafood pilaf, brocolli cream pasta, carrot and egg salad, and chicken rolls. My favorite was the chicken and I was proud how it turned out, well, because I am used to doing this (just not in rolls) but I wasn't happy how the pasta turned out, because the husband overcooked boiling and it tasted a bit bland than I expected it to be. I had the husband taste test it before serving but still didn't like it much.. Hmmm, but it was okay overall. :p 

Maybe I'd post a recipe of one of these next time. :)

I bought a small, two-layered butter cream cake, then just put a candle on top. ;)

Yet I also made an oreo cheesecake, which was the most hit. Haha.

After more than year of hiatus, I even made a flower arrangement that includes sweet pea, for the sweet daughter! 

I am very glad the most important thing, my baby girl was looking very pretty in her all white attire, and enjoyed her very special day interacting with everyone! 

Thank you God for giving me a very perfect daughter. In my eyes, she is the most perfect thing in this world. Please help and guide me to raise her so that she'd grow up to be her best self. 

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Photo-less!

OMG.
I am not sure how, but I think I accidentally deleted all my blog photos.

So now, all my blog posts are photo-less! Even my Sho-chan post! Argh.

I don't know if I could recover them all so, I guess all blog posts before this day are all going to be without photos. :((


---

trying to be positive now, my next blog post will be my daughters 4th birthday party so stay tuned.

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Kyocera Dome Experience

So I went to the final day of Arashi's 3 days LOVE concert at Kyocera Dome yesterday, and by went, I just meant went, as in just went, and that does not include being at the concert. Haha. As some you may know, Arashi's concert tickets are called "platinum tickets" here in Japan, and it is reaaalllyyy so hard to get them even if you're a fan club member and obviously, we didn't got a ticket. 

So yes, I went there yesterday from 10am (the concert starts at 4pm). I just strolled the area and felt the Arashi wind. LOL. I thought about buying concert goods, but nah, that is a waste of money. I was surprised I set my priorities straight even if I'm obsessed fangirl-ing. :p

It was my first time going to a Johnny's concert, I knew it would be crowded, but I never thought it would look like Halloween! I think most high school students went there in their costumes! Hahaha. it was really funny yet enjoying. :)

I just listened to the sound leak from one of the entrance when it started, along with some people... Some closing their eyes, some tapping their feet to the rhythm, some just looking straight to the door, and some chit-chatting with their friends like it was a background music at a cafe. As for me, I was tapping my fingers inside my pocket, then I almost smiled when I heard Sho-chan's voice screaming "ue no ho~~~!!". Hahahaha! 

I was already getting really tired since it was my 2nd (girl's) day and I have no more pain reliever brought with me, so after about 30 minutes, I stopped by at Aeon that was just right next to Kyocera dome, where I also ate lunch btw, shopped for some winter clothes for me and the daughter, then went home. 

Over all, it was actually a feeling of mixed emotions. It made me a bit sad that I couldn't get to go inside and see Sho when he was just there inside! Hehehe.

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Rice Quiche

I wanted to have this kind of square plate since I saw my friend's, and I just bought one on the internet last week. It just arrived the other day, and was thinking how I should use it for the first time.. I though about making dessert, savoury pie, etc., and I ended up making a rice quiche for the main reason that all the ingredients are already inside my fridge, AND it is easier. Hehe!

So here's how you make it. :)

Mix left over rice with butter and salt then spread it thinly to the dish like this. I am planning to add pepper and garlic powder next time, so you can also try it too. 

Sautee all the ingredients that you want in butter and salt then add milk and broth in pan. I used shrimp, shimeji mushrooms, tomatoes, broccoli, and onion this time, but you can put any ingredient that you like. Just put some greens and/or reds for a nice visual. Haha 

Beat eggs in bowl and mix in the sautéed mixture from the pan.

Pour in the mixture into the rice, preheat oven in 200℃ and bake for 40 minutes, put on grill setting and grill for 10-15 minutes.

Ta-dah! :)))

Note:

Notice I did not put any detailed ingredient measurements since I realise I usually do not follow most of them especially when it is an easy recipe like this, and the measurements depends on the container you are using but I've put the oven temperature for reference as this is where I always have a hard time. ;p

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Halloween Dishes

Here goes the dishes that my friends and I prepared at the party. 

To start with, here is a Ham Head! I molded newspapers into the shape of a skull, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Make sure to NOT choose lean ham like us. It would stick better if it's greasy, or use bacon instead. My friends had a hard time doing this because it won't stick! Thus the toothpick. Oh well. It still looks good.

 That's olives for the eyes and nose, plus apples and marshmallows for the mouth. Use a peanut butter to stick the marshmallows on the apple. 

Now that is a Paprika Jack o' Lantern. Easier than pumpkins. You can put anything you like inside. I decided to just make a salad for something healthier. :)

Then a Snake Sandwich! Cut the hotdog buns into bite size and fill it with whatever you like. Here I made chicken sandwich since we already had pork and beef dishes. I think it would be more colorful and enticing if you add other veggies like tomatoes, which I actually forgot to put. Again, olives for the eyes, and leftover paprika for the snake tongue.

And here is our Mummy Meat Loaf! We are not used to mixing this much ground meat all our life so it sucked most of our energy before the party even started, but it is worth all your time and energy because it was a big hit! I would recommend making the ground meat mixture the night before though, if you don't have anyone to help you. ;)

And this, are the yummy brownies that my friend made. Her brownies are really perfect, I love it. She also printed those... what do you call that? Anyways, yeah.. We added lots of marshmallows this time on her original recipe, and it became a gooey goodness. You might want to add the marshmallows minutes before you take it off the oven if you still want to see it, because if you don't know, it WILL melt. Haha.

Lastly, Pumpkin Stew. onions, potatoes, carrots, sausages, halloween pasta leftover paprika, and lots of pumpkins, milk and stew mix makes this yummy stew that is perfect for the cold weather. I think I had about 4 bowls of this the next day! Haha!

So there! I might post the Mummy Meat Loaf recipe if I feel like it. But generally, it is just your ordinary meat loaf shaped into a mummy and topped with sauce and cheese. 

Until next post! ;)

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Early Halloween Party

We just moved to a new house, and so I've decided to invite a few friends and do a Halloween Party.

I wanted to not use money as much as possible, so the materials I've used to decorate the house are the ones that we already had. :)

The first photo, "BOO" was made with old cardboard and washi paper roll from daiso. 

Just cut the cardboard into letters, and roll it with washi paper! :)

I was supposed to do something to hang on our front door, but I realized that there wasn't anything to hang it to, so I just sticked it to the wall that you first see when you open our front door. I recommend you put something with impact as it's the first thing that the guests will see. I also recommend to use softer cardboard so it'll be easier to cut, if you can find any.

So the second was just a free printable I saw on the internet. I wanted to add a bit of spookiness and I found this design. Sorry for the poor photo, that says "BEWARE" by the way. I lost the link but I'd post it as soon as I find them. You just need to click on the letter and print, so you can print out any words or phrase that you want. You can stick it like what I did, or make it into a garland too. 

The garland I made was just cut colored paper on nylon strings, and white trash bags cut into a long strip. I was too lazy to cut them into moon, bats, and pumpkins, like what I first thought of, so I just cut them into circle, square and triangles. If you're feeling crafty and have the time, I definitely suggest you do it and not let laziness win! Haha.

I cut a few bats and tied them to add a more halloween touch, but maybe you won't need them if you made the garland properly, unlike me. :p 

Lastly, that one was just newspaper. Thank God I found sample english newspapers in this house or that would have been in Japanese! Lol. Nah, I might have printed out something on the internet and wasted printer ink, instead.

I am posting the food that we cooked for this party, next! :)

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Busy all the way.

I am sooo busy with living life (uh-huh) right now, with my daughter who started going to school again, and if you have read, my daughter attends a special school for special kids, so I have to attend with her for a whole week. I also started doing a home-based translating job which also started at the same time my daughter started school so I've got too little time there's a need to rush! 

What I really want to blog right now, is how are we doing in this new house we just moved in to, and I'm having a halloween party next weekend that I am really excited about. 

Whew. Good luck to me! 

Obviously, I am rushing writing this too! Ta-tah! ;p

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Melvita Argan Oil Review

A couple of weeks ago, I had itchy rashes and redness on my cheeks just below my under-eye and also in between my eyebrows for some reason I don't know. I felt my skin was dry a few days before that, and it was a bit prickly so I decided not to use any moisturizers since. But as I said, my skin was dry so I tried spraying face mists, no special results, and then I remembered I had this.

Melvita Argan Oil 50ml

Our store manager gave me this months ago, but I forgot I even had it just until that moment. I think she just got it from a friend, but never liked beauty oils and she can't use much too since she has lash extensions. 

So yes, I used it and voila! The redness and rashes gradually disappeared, my skin is softer and smoother, and I think it looks healthier too! Ha! Look what Vitamin E can do for you. It really protects and regenerates your skin. I'm never really an organic believer, but I think I am going to repeat using this. The only con I may have for this product is the distinct scent of argan, which I don't really mind.

It is not cheap, but not that expensive, can be used for all skin types, and I think it is really worth your money for 3,360yen. I use half a push? squirt? on my palm after bath while my face is still wet and massage to penetrate then wipe the excess with tissue afterwards. 

Oh, and I'm sure you know you can use it on your hair too. ;)

Check their website: www.melvita.com

They have a Japanese Online Store: www.melvita.co.jp

Melvita is a French brand, an Organic line of L'occitane.

In Japan, they have a branch in Umeda Hankyu and Takashimaya Namba.

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Logo

I found this app that makes cool round logos and made this one for this blog. 

Cute, eh?

The app is called "Logologo". Search for it and try it too! 

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Distrust

I am thinking of just deactivating my facebook account since I think it's the main reason why I am going through this phase in my life. :p

I wasn't really a friendly person to start with, I am a bit shy, and snobbish at first, but I get along with people once we get to know each other. Now I almost could dislike a person with just one judgemental word they say. Yes, I have a thing for judgemental people. Is this called a pet-peeve? I hate people who judges others with just something so petty, like a meaningless status post, or those who always have a negative reaction to a certain status post they know nothing about! They're everywhere on fb! Why don't they just live and let live? But that also makes me think if that makes me a judgemental person too. Should I think that may be they're just going through hard times that makes them want to release their stress on social networking sites? Hormones? I actually try to think about it that way, but it is still hurtful. 

So in the real world, a dubious look, a simple side comment,  affects me now too... I know I am being sensitive but I can't help but get hurt even if I am not sure whether the comment was not meant to be hurtful on purpose. May be the reason why I can't make myself be more active again on posting here or on anywhere on the internet, just like what I said on my Lose Yourself post. I just can't get myself to say something knowing that they'd judge you unfairly.

You see, I was typing this post late last night. I couldn't sleep thinking so I decided to just type it away. I got sleepy halfway, then just this morning, I saw someone commenting something disgusting on my last blog post. I deleted the content as it was somewhat obscene...
Gahd! How would I get over this "issues" I have when people are like this??

I know there's a quote that says, "Fake it till you make it." but then, I 'm tired of fake people too.
You thought they're your pretty close friends, you have conversations on those social networking sites, but came the instance when you realized they actually don't really care.  They smile and say nice things in front of you, but they just judge you behind your back. So I stopped trying to make or keep in touch with friends. (I could count the people I talk to on a regular basis on just one hand!) It's hard to see which are those who see you just as important, so I might as well just stop trying. They just might find you befriending or getting in touch annoying, anyways.

Whew. That was emotional, alright.
I don't know, maybe I'm like this because I've experienced all the downsides and negativities of people.
Haha, I hate myself being like this.
I am just hoping that I get through this phase soon, then I'd come to accept human nature and see all the good in people again.

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Teddyfish Tote

My husband and I went out yesterday to settle something, then decided to eat out for lunch and stroll around for a while. We bought the daughter presents and window shopped for some furnitures. All the stores are on summer sale so there were too many temptations, and yes... I met the one I wasn't able to resist! Haha.

I'm used to buying at least two nice bags a year, but wasn't able to buy anything as I was on a tight budget. I was secretly hoping I'd find a bag that was perfectly for me, then there it was! A cute raw canvas tote bag that was on 70% off! I was first attracted by its ombre color and I was actually looking for a natural canvas tote. I had a short second thought because it looked maybe too summer-y for me, but hell, it was just one reason while it passed all the points I was searching for. Not to mention the sales talk that it could also work well on autumn clothes, I bought it. 

Cute, right?! I am too happy. Hihi. 

The brand is called "Teddyfish", from France. It is a young brand that makes  handmade canvas leather bags. I checked their site and I find their bags stylish. I was also impressed that their concept is to make bags that are not only durable, but also ready to get old well. 

Check their site here: http://www.teddyfish.fr/

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Lose Yourself?

Hi, Everyone!

It's been almost a year since I stopped posting on this blog. I stopped being active on all of those social networking sites too. 

I don't really understand myself as to why I just suddenly got 'uninspired' updating, but I think I just got tired. I got tired of the realities of the (internet) world, to make it short. Haha. 

I am real to all those that I consider my friends, I try not to judge my acquaintances that hadn't done me anything wrong so I expect them to be the same. But now, I am slowly learning that what matters is the real friends you surround yourself to. The people that really cares and those that are really interested in you as a person. I need to stop taking the negativity too seriously and just go on with living my life being my self as I usually do. 

So I am hoping I'd be actively blogging again starting today. Please drop by whenever you got time! 

Thanks! :)

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