Gomen nasai!

Hello all!  I'm still alive, just waiting to get a new ISP at home again so I can continue blogging.  I'm so sorry for the lack of updates lately but life has gotten in the way a bit.
I spent Easter with my family and had a lot of good food and fellowship.  I hope you all had a lovely Easter and are enjoying this early spring.  I've just been going to school, studying Japanese, working, and playing a little Skyrim here and there :)  I've started working out and eating healthier and I feel much better already.  Looking forward to the future and reconnecting with old friends.
I can't wait to get back to my blog but, in the meantime, take care and enjoy all that's kawaii! :)

~~Rachel <3

Test Shots From My New Canon Camera



My sweet Mario Kart bedspread in Vivid Color mode

Also Vivid Color mode



Sleepy Jake

Miniature mode

Color Select mode (pic is in black & white, but the pillow is in color)

I finally have a camera!!  My blog is back in business :D  I recently picked up a Canon PowerShot ELPH 100 HS and I'm trying out all the different shooting modes. 
These are just a few of the pics I've been taking to try out the different features.  So far I really like it.  I wish it had in-camera photo editing options like the Nikon I tried first, but overall, the Canon has way more features and takes far better pictures. 
Stay tuned for more fun posts! :)

Happy 2012!

I hope you all had a wonderful, safe New Year.  I spent the holiday with my family this year and had a really nice time. 
I seriously can't believe how fast 2011 went!  It wasn't my best year, and unfortunately had more downs than ups, but I'm staying positive and confident that this year will be better.

My resolutions for 2012 are:
1) Take better care of myself (eat and sleep better, and get in better shape)
2) Get back into blogging frequently like I used to
3) Get back in touch with long lost friends and relatives
4) Find a good, local church and read the Bible more often
5) Learn to better let go of old hurts and disappointments

I have other goals and plans, but those are the big ones.  Here's wishing you all a bright and prosperous New Year!  And because I can't post without a pic, here's a bunch of cute kitties crammed in a sink! lol

Gonna need some major drain cleaner after this!

Where Have I Been? Here...

...in Skyrim.  And I'm never coming back! ;)
Played it yet? How bout any of the Elder Scrolls series? Do tell.

Swarovski's New Hello Kitty Collection

Sorry about the lack of posts lately.  I got a lot going on at home and with work and school, so I've just been honestly too exhausted and distracted to even get online lately.  I promise I'll try to be better though!
Now, look at these beautiful Hello Kitty sparklies I spied at the Swarovski store in Akron.  Sorry for the blurry camera-phone pics.  I hope to get a new camera soon.

This was my fave. 3D crystal HK head!

These earrings were completely covered in
crystals and sooo pretty!

As you may recall, back in July (man has it been that long??), I blogged about Swarovski's House of Hello Kitty Event in Japan.  Now Swarovski's bringing some of their gorgeous HK baubles stateside so you can check them out at your nearest Swarovski store, or click here to shop the full collection!

Today's Random Kawaii - Autumn is Here

This cute Corgy looks so happy playing in the fall leaves.  I remember autumns in Kentucky, raking up huge piles of leaves under the big sycamore tree and jumping in them for hours.  Ahh the innocence of being a child, or a puppy.  Now fall just feels like a precursor to yucky winter :P

I Got a New Car!!

...well new to me anyway lol.
Sorry for the lack of posts lately! I've been really sick for a week and swamped with school and trying to find a new vehicle.  But...thankfully I finally found and bought a great car a couple days ago! 
I officially apologize for the crappy dumbphone pics but it's the only camera I have right now :P

Check out that bada** hood scoop y'all!

Lolz Took this pic for my brother

Pioneer Stereo System!

For those of you who don't know, my Neon died about a month ago (transmission issues again), so I've been desperately looking for something else.  I bought Pikachu (that's it's name cuz it's bright yellow lol) brand new and paid it off myself, so I've had a really hard time admitting that it's time to stop putting money into it and look for a different ride.  It's hard to say goodbye.
But I finally found this great 2001 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport at Towpath Motors and fell in love all over again!  The guys there were super helpful and friendly, I would totally buy another vehicle from them. 
I've only had the Subaru for a couple days but I love it!  It runs like a champ, is super peppy, turns on a dime, and has all-wheel drive which will be perfect for our crappy Ohio winters,.  The after-market stereo is awesome, and the car just looks really unique and cool.  So far, I'm very happy with my purchase and I hope it lasts me a long time!

Now I just need to find a name for it...Any suggestions?

Today's Random Kawaii - Maaa, Ryan's on my side again!

Aah, this pic brings back memories from my childhood of long car trips down to Kentucky to see family.  Riding for 8-12 hours in the backseat with my brother Ryan meant lots of "Mom he's touching me again," "Mom, she's on MY side!" "Tell him to stop looking at me!" etc...
This pic perfectly illustrates those feelings.  Check out the absolute innocence of the pup on the right!  "What are you talking about, I didn't do anything." lol  So cute :)

Baby's Got Blue Eyes & Brief Life Update

This is just a quick look I did featuring the blue contacts I got as a sample months back when I had my last eye exam.  They're plano (non-prescription) so I can't really wear them out and about unfortunately or I'd be blind, but they're so pretty! 
Heavy black eyeliner really brings out the blue and I did a fun pink/red lip and pink cheeks to round out the look.  After seeing how these pics turned out, I really want to get some blue prescription circle lenses!  It looks so different and dramatic, but I really like it.

Also, in life news, I started back to school this week.  I'm taking College Writing II and Japanese I.  Obvy I was TOO excited to get the last available slot in the Japanese class!  I've been trying to learn for years now and am really enjoying the class so far.  I feel like with the instructor feedback and opportunity to speak Japanese several times a week, I'll finally learn it! Wish me luck :)

My car broke down a couple weeks ago and I'm on the market for new (or new to me) wheels.  Thanks to everyone who's been driving me around or letting me borrow their car!  Totally can't wait to have my own ride again though.

It's a three-day weekend, so everyone have a good one!  I've got a couple cosmetic reviews coming up, so stay tuned!

My First Haul! Ulta and Sephora, Part 1

I live in a pretty big town, but unfortunately it has nothing fun and is close to nothing fun for a makeup junkie like myself.  The two closest Sephoras are both over an hour away, and up until a couple months ago, I didn't even know there was an Ulta in my state (also an hour away).  Around here, if you need the kind of makeup you can't find in the drugstore or mall, you order it online.  Lame.

So when my bf offered to take me shopping this weekend, I jumped at the excuse for a makeup roadtrip!  I love browsing in Sephora, and I had never even seen an Ulta before, so I was super excited!  Keep reading if you want to see what I picked up and hear some of my initial impressions of the products :)

Ulta Wild Side Collection

Flirty Pink

I could have looked around in Ulta for hours!  They were doing this great promotion where you received a $75 makeup kit in one of three color varieties and wristlet with any Ulta purchase of $17.50 or more.  So basically I bought a couple eyeshadows and an eyebrow pencil and got all the stuff in the pic above for free! :D O happy day!

Top row: Smoke and Black Ink
Bottom row: Truffle and Polished

Top row: Flutter and Chianti
Bottom row: Iceland and Cherry Bomb

Girlie Cheek Color

Swatches of the Ulta Dual Ended Lip & Eye Liner
Left: Bloom, Right: Raisin

Swatches of the Ulta Dual Ended Eye Liner
Left: Plum, Right: Black

Swatches of Ulta Dual Ended Lip Gloss
Left: Starlet, Right: Siren

I got a couple other things (like NYX white eye base. Looove it!), but Blogger's been so tempermental lately and this post is already picture-heavy.  I've wanted to post this for two days now! 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

So far, I'm really liking the Ulta eyeshadows that I've tried from the neutral palette, and the lipglosses are pretty great.  They're not at all sticky and last a pretty long time. 

The mascara has a super strange wand which has taken some time learning to use, but I like the effect it gives my lashes.  Just can't use it on the bottom lashes as it's not waterproof and tends to give me raccoon eyes half-way through the day.

The blush is a pretty, universally flattering shade of pink which, while not making a big impression, does give my cheeks a subtle blushed look.  I love the packaging which feels sturdy and is the perfect size and shape for a fluffy blush brush.

The eyeliners are decent.  I've read many reviews saying they're too hard or dry, which is luckily not a problem I'm having.  They're smooth and creamy, but don't seem to last overly long.

Next time, I'll post on the rest of the stuff I picked up at Ulta and the cute little Benefit set I got at Sephora, so stay tuned!  If you have any questions about anything I mentioned here or my experience in general, don't hesitate to ask :)



Purikura Fun with My New Hello Kitty Plushie!

If you follow me on Facebook (please do! Click that link to go to my page), then you know that I got an adorable new Hello Kitty plushie yesterday and posted a couple pics I spruced up with an awesome new photo-editing app I got called Pixlromatic. 

This is my fave! Notice the amazing starburst light behind
and on the sides of Houdini.

Although this app is not a true purikura app (i.e. no stamps or girly borders, etc), it allows you to add some amazing filters, lighting effects, and unique borders to your pics and I love it!  Almost as much as I love my new Hello Kitty! lol

A Walk in the Park

As promised, here are some pics of my lovely day at the park when my best friend Doug came to visit Sunday.  He, Matt, and I grilled hot dogs and hamburgers (yum!), then fed the ducks, splashed in the water, and visited the McKinley Memorial. 

The picnic table you can see there across the water is where we hung out and ate.

I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day for our little outting.  So far, summer here in Ohio has been blazzingly hot and humid or rainy and humid (did I mention it's humid?), so to have a day that was warm and breezy was amazing!

Gillions of ducks patiently awaited our leftover bread.

Canadian geese, mallards, and adorable little wood ducks loitered on the bank and in the water around us while we ate.  I couldn't resist feeding them some hamburger buns.  One brave mallard stayed very close to me the whole time and even took bread right from my hand!  Wish I'd gotten a pic of him.

Left: Matt, right: Doug.

After we fed ourselves and the ducks, we walked along the river and enjoyed the beautiful weather and scenery.

The spillways we passed along our stroll looked so cool and inviting, I just couldn't resist kicking off my sandals and getting my feet wet!

After playing in the water and taking some more pics, we walked up the hill to the massive McKinley Memorial.  There's like a million stairs (108 to be exact.  Only feels like a million) to the top and I kinda wanted to hum the "Rocky" theme while going up them lol.

Doug stops for a quick pic

The McKinley Memorial was built between 1905-1907 as a final resting place for President McKinley and his wife.  It stands 7 stories tall and has a beautiful white dome inside decorated with a stained glass skylight. 

The acoustics inside were so amazing I could hardly resist singing.  "The hills are alive...with the sound of music..."
All in all, it was a wonderful day made even more wonderful by getting to spend it with two of my favorite guys.  Hopefully it won't be another five years before I get to see Doug again!

Today's Random Kawaii & My Busy Sunday

First, let's make with the cuteness.

There just never seems to be enough tasty sticks to go around right?  And that poor lil guy on the end doesn't even have a chance.  I feel your pain buddy :P

Next, I had an action-packed Sunday.  My best friend Doug came to visit from California while he was on this side of the country visiting his folks.  We had a fun but all too brief visit.  I'll do a post on that soon, but here's a pretty pic of the park we went to and cooked out at to tide you over:

Finally, after Doug left, I went to a girls' night get-together at my friend Cystal's house this evening.  We watched a movie, ate yummy food, and played games.  It was really fun.  She's posting a video of one of our games on her Facebook soon, so I'll link it when it's uploaded.
Ok, I've been running all day and want to relax now, so this is a very tired TokyoChel signing off for now.  Till next time! :)