So the days are dwindling... there's only 4 more days left until the Harry Potter Exhibition is OVER. Thank GOD. It has been a long 5 months of working there and I'm having mixed feelings about it ending. But overall I'm relieved. Tourism is a weird industry and I don't know if I could ever do it for a living... people are too stressful. Tourists are usually twice as bad.

Unfortunately I set myself up for suicide... because today was the first day of a 7-8 day schedule. Straight. 7-8 hours. on my feet. for the next 7-8 days. If needed, it will be longer. I don't even. I'm hoping that my knees won't decide to just completely explode on one of my shifts... but knowing my weaknesses, I'm sure it will e__e

In any case I'll be toughing it out-- I just gotta keep thinking of the $$... and the hilariously epic drinking party with my co-workers that's going to happen on the last night. Pray for me that I'll be able to live through it...




Other than the inevitable end of my job, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's NYC concert is also in less than two weeks, and I'm anxious to get paid on Friday so I can finally get my outfit together!

I've planned my outfit months ago, and I'm pretty excited to finally get it all together. I'm just hoping that everything comes on time.



I created this when my friend Susan first told me she'd get my favorite Luna backpack for my birthday~ and now I'm bringing it to life for the Kyary concert. How did I figure to do a Sailor Moon-themed outfit for Kyary? No clue. But I felt this was colorful and cute and casual enough for it. LOL

So far I got the shorts and the tights so far... I'm assuming the backpack will be on it's way this week~ the galaxy top I actually found on Taobao for super cheap, and I'm trying to get that package to arrive in time e_e Mostly everything else I think I can pretty much get locally and/or handmake so it's only a matter of time...

I also considered tinting my hair purple as well~ but my sister is going out of town next week and I don't trust myself with bleach OR dye lolo... so we'll see what happens. Either way I'm going to do the cat-ears hairstyle.

Just... everything is going to be super cute and fun. I can't wait to see Kyary perform (even though I only really like her music because of Nakata Yasutaka... Kyary can't really sing imo) and to be with my friends having a really good time.

I'm just looking towards this entire month. Now that I'll be slipping into some downtime I'll be able to get a lot of my personal things out of the way... like my medical issues, my medical BILLING issues e___e (Downstate Hospital... sigh), seeing how much I'll be getting from unemployment while I'll be trying to relax the rest of the year, possibly getting surgery work done, etc... as well as getting back on track spiritually and preparing for my second Guyana trip and prayerfully my first trip to Tokyo (and possibly Taipei!).


Also a special shoutout to my recent subscribers ; w; Thank you for following~♥ I hope to get a new camera and once I hit 150 GFC subscribers (3 people away!) I'll finally host my first blog giveaway. Just got to get a couple more things :U

Coat: Yumetenbo
Top: Jesus Diamante
Skirt: Express
Boots: from Rainbow's
Accessories: Curvy's, dollar store
Bag: (not shown) Victoria's Secret

Work has been kicking my ass for the past week...
6 days in a row, from open to close.
My back hurts so much that whenever I breathe I feel it.. it's ridiculous.

It's almost been a month since I started working here, and I just never thought it'd be as hard as it is! Then again I went from lying around straight to working 35+ hours every week. It was bound to become really stressful.

I figured 'if Mei was able to do it, why not?' and surprisingly I've been doing pretty well, actually GETTING UP AND OUT THE HOUSE BY 9AM. I swear if it's anything that motivates me to leave on time it's a) money, and b) food. I'm terrible.

Guess I gotta get used to these aches and pains.. I'm trying to get back to doing yoga as well, so hopefully after a while I'll just build my endurance. I'm also a member on Lifebooker, and there are so many deals right now that I want that it's ridiculous~ including $20 gel mani and an hour's worth of deep tissue massage. SOUNDS SO GOOD RIGHT NOW. They also have a set of 5 salsa classes for $35, and a "Video Vixen workout" for $10. Even though I'm exhausted I want to try and bust my ass in these next few weeks, for both the Women's Council convention + New York Comic Con. I want to also control my weight throughout the winter, even though I tend to always gain pounds within the last half of the year.. I'll definitely see how long it will last LOL

In the meantime, I've also been trying to clear my face up. I'm sure someone's reading this and going "but you have flawless skin!" Well my face broke out when my last period came and I got some spots on my cheek that I'm gonna try to get rid of.

Sometime this month or next month I'm planning to meet with this one photographer guy who apparently does free photography and stuff. I contacted him back in July or so about portrait photos for my hopefully successful event planning/design career. I have so many jeans, and business wear on hold at my job that I still need to try on lolo. But I'm so busy at work that I never have time to properly try stuff out :c maybe on Thursday I'll make my own lunch and use most of that lunch time trying on stuff like I want to.

I really wanna put something nice together and look professional. Of course it'll look sweet, and have pink somewhere LOL, and overall I want a youthful, serene, sweet-girly but professional look. Since I get paid by the week that shouldn't be too hard to do, to get the outfit anyways. I really just need the skirt-up LOL. Some new jewelry would be nice too :3 Now if only my hair would cooperate the day of.. we'll see. I just want to look perfect.

At least the least of my worries is makeup LOL

Speaking of this event planning stuff, found out that my courses don't actually end until March next year c: I'm so happy about it, especially because I've had NO time to look into it, especially with my job. I really need to plan out a schedule on completing all the assignments... Pastor Michael pushed that idea onto me, and I know I need to take it. I really don't wanna finish at the last minute, but at the same time I wanna take my time, be able to actually concentrate on the work and be fully active into it rather than exhausted. Within the next month or two I'll concentrate on the work with the networking-- going out and meeting people and businesses and getting references and whatnot~

A part of me really wants to personally contact Preston Bailey as well * w* I want to meet him so bad, I want him to teach me. (And what a dream it would be if I ended up apprenticing under him~ *sigh*)

But. Yeah. A lot of plans, little energy and limited time.
Let me not even get started on this cosplay.

So since I got hired last week, I decided to do a bit of celebrating xD I decided that the summer festival at Mitsuwa in NJ would be (one of) the last outing I'd actually get dressed for... besides the AfroPunk Festival going on next week in Brooklyn lol.

Wore my yukata from last year, but apparently I have issues fitting it. Since my backside apparently gotten ~bigger~ (to other's satisfaction, than my own - w-) it wasn't fitting right. Plus I put the yukata a bit higher than normal... wish I had paid attention before I left my house, but I was in such a rush since I was beyond late LOL

Decided to do an oiran look, imo not my best compared to the photoshoot I did back in May, but it's whatever. Also stuffed my bra to have a DD's look but LOL dunno if I should've taken that route, especially with white. To top it off I wore my new wedges which made me look like a giant compared to my friends D':


There was sooo muchhhh fooooddddd. It's pretty much the main reason why I really go, other than the magazine sales they tend to have. 5 dollar okonomiyaki, yakisoba.. they had gyoza for 4pc for a DOLLAR which was amazing.. got myself a dozen of those LOL, they also had tofu cheesecake for A DOLLAR and it was surprisingly good for tofu. I personally don't like too much tofu but it kind of made me change my opinion about that

they had rice bowls.. noodle bowls... grilled seafood which is ALWAYS packed, shaved ice, cotton candy, etc, and my favorite soda, Ginseng Up. I could never find it for some reason, no matter what Japanese convenience stores I go to, kind of sucks a lot. Anyways other than the food, there are also taiko drumming and other performances, me and Chris and my other friend Paulette sat down and ate and watched and chatted. I bought myself the August and September issue of Ageha... I need to backtrack for July, since I was lazy and never got around to buying it... jacking up my whole collection LOL


I've been meaning to go to the purikura joint with my yukata, but I ended up putting it off until another time... I get so jealous seeing other people go to their local puri spots, but in NYC the good one is so far out of most people's way... I don't think I've been there since Ashley came back home in the winter...

More pix:






Anyways, so Monday was my first day of work ♥

In all my past sales experiences I only worked on the floor, helping customers, etc, so it was my first time actually working the register. I caught onto it pretty quick! Usually when you see a new employee at a clothing store they're always super slow and lost with the register system LOL but I''ve been working pretty fast. After the first day the manager told Susan that she really likes how I work, that I'm very focused and stuff.

I'm pretty much the only black girl who works there, everyone else is hispanic (except for those who work at the main office, who I think are mostly white/Jewish, as far as I saw), so there's obviously a language barrier at times. But I'm glad they know English as well, enough for me to be able to ask them things and talk to them. ESPECIALLY glad I work with Susan. With everyone I'm pretty casual co-worker with but its good to be able to have someone you've known and got along with for a good while, especially when you need to share those ranty and lulzy moments.

I haven't gotten any customers who were -unbearable- yet, so I guess that's a good thing.

By the third day though , I was pretty exhausted. Working three days straight for the first week was NOT fun whatsoever. Especially since that particular day not only was I super exhausted in the morning, the coffee decided to have a REVERSE effect on me, and THEN to top it off? Someone had apparently committed suicide at Atlantic Avenue station so ALL MANHATTAN BOUND TRAINS on the 2/3/4/5 were halted. You do not know how pissed I am.

It takes maybe a 1 1/2-2 hour commute to go AROUND, through Manhattan and into Queens, and this joker decided to off himself in the morning when people have places to go?

I was pretty evil about it too, for those who saw my facebook statuses, but seriously? If you're gonna kill yourself don't make yourself noticeable like that. Hang yourself or jump off a building, don't disrupt other people's daily routines :/

Anyways from then on I was feeling very sloppy, my mind was pretty much elsewhere before my lunch break, but after that I got back on track and was back to my old self.


I got off today and yesterday, and tomorrow and Sunday I work again. Though it's pretty hard for me on my first week, I'm glad I was able to get so many hours in, because the first thing I'm looking forward to is that first paycheck next week~♥ ♥ ♥

I've been trying so hard -not- to spend it ahead of time, because only God knows how much will be taken out for taxes and social security.. but I already have my first purchase ideas lined up.

1- Deposit for Women's Council convention weekend the first weekend of October
2- Purchasing the rest of my cosplay materials
3- New half-wig I've been eyeing for months
4- turning my new phone on
5- a cheap mp3 player like this so I can finally relax during train rides
6- Metamorphose Fruit Punch Soda jsk set

Not including whatever super-cheap purchases I'll be making at Victoria's Secret, though haha I will have a huge haul post at the end of the month from all the crap I got between June and now. ♥


Hoping to also have my circle lenses by October. The girl e-mailed me an update saying that she sent the order in on August 7th, because of people giving late payments... imho she should've just dropped them, I was a bit irritated that she was being nice about it when there was already a 2-week extension/delay because EOS was on holiday. Everyone should've been had their stuff together *sigh*

But hopefully I'll get my things soon... I just don't want to bother with last minute lens purchase :/ especially when these are in prescription compared to other stores that gives me no prescription options at all.


Also I will be posting cosplay progress, though probably closer to the con date so I can have everything almost done rather than having really choppy step-by-step posts all the time.




I guess that's it? Hopefully another post soon ♥

So since my return from Baltimore, life has pretty much went back to regular old... nothing. You know, just the regular sitting in room all day, internet surfing activities LOL

I entered a contest for Kawaii.i, which a Japanese Fashion page made by NHK. They had an outfit coordination contest that I decided to enter last minute. I entered one of my older lolita photos from this year, as well as a gyaru-style outfit that I put together~


Yup. Full of dat ass. The OP I believe is some random Japanese brand (nothing popular), with a mix of accessories from Gold's Infinity and from Yumetenbo. With my old Baby Phat bag xD

The items were from my package that came at the end of June, btw~ I forget if I posted them up yet but I'll be posting a huge haul post soon, I've been on a roll since June and been getting mad crap ♥ This month I'm getting a bunch of Victoria's Secret items (thanks to my boo Angel and her huge supply of coupons and stuff xD) and I want to post them all at once~

The contest winners will be decided this week~ it would be cool to win something but we will see, I didn't get enough votes for the grand prize (I honestly don't know why they left that prize to user votes, like really?) but there's still the other prizes to be chosen by the Japanese judges. If I ever do manage to win, I just don't want the Jelly magazines... no thxxxx



My sister, her fiance and my niece and nephew came over to visit that week too ♥ Ashanti's already a month old now!



Apparently whenever I see Ashanti, my reproductive system starts to click and tries to tell me it's time to make babies. I can't help but feel extremely nauseous and exhausted with headaches when I'm around her, even when she's not doing anything D: I clearly need to keep myself away from the opposite sex before this happens...


Then, I hung out with my bestest friend Muffy on the first Friday, stayed over, and the next day went Karaoke with a bunch of the girls and had a ridiculously fun time. It was pretty eventful, but afterwards I told myself not to go out and work on school... which I haven't been doing LOL

...that is also until my friend Susan popped up about a job opening. I knew her job was hiring for a full-time cashier, and she had told her boss about me and said she wanted to see me! So Tuesday I went over to the place and got HIRED ON THE SPOT.


I was just so. so appreciative. I love my friends that I DO rely on, I really do hold them dear to me. I'm forever grateful that Susan helped me get this, and I also thank GOD everything. So guess who has to wake up at 6am tomorrow? LOL

It's one of those simple discount women's clothing stores, so nothing special. Since it's a fulltime position I'll be working 26-33 hours a week, but I hope one day it'll be a max 40 a week. I'm getting paid minimum wage though (7.25 in NY), and apparently the bosses barely gives out raises... which is off to me because I'm used to getting 8.25 from Victoria's Secret e___e so I'm more or less doing it for the experience. Maybe I'll stay there for a year or so, and then try to find another place elsewhere that'll actually pay me pretty good.

Now that I got this job! You know I already got a mini "shopping to-do" list made LOL
which includes, but if definitely not limited to~

- paying for Women's convention in October
- Comic-con tickets
- Getting my new phone turned on
- buying a new PSP
- buying a pink ASUS netbook
- 1TB external harddrive
- a large TV screen 36-44ish inches
- new graphics card for PC
- bigger harddrive for my Xbox360, + whatever I need to play XboxLIVE
- pay the rest of my reservations for Assassin's Creed Revelations & FFXIII-2
- quality materials for my cosplay
- clothing (regular, gal, lolita) from various places
- buying every Ageha mag I'm missing, even all the way to the first issue (did I mention that my Ageha collection so far is probably past 3 feet now?)
- passport
- student membership for ASIS New York
- new makeup
- new extensions (28-30" long, hopefully!)
- getting my room redecorated
- trip overseas
- Final Fantasy concert in NYC
- lolita tea party

That's what I could think of... so far LOL

I mean it's not reckless, all-at-once spending, I'm definitely doing this bit by bit over time, and yeah, I'm planning to put stuff aside to save (only after being harassed by Nancy LOL). Hopefully I'll save maybe 2000 dollars at some point, put half of that in a CD account, keep the other one in savings, maybe have some in cash just in case, but the rest is absolutely MINE.

It really is a blessing to not have that much financial responsibility, I love it.

So hopefully when I start work this week, I'll be able to get my paycheck in order by next week and get paid, and from then on monaymonaymonaymonay

I am beyond excited, I hope I'm able to work a lot so I can prove myself and get that experience so my resume will look even better, so I'll be able to get paid even more LOL

I better get myself to bed now, if I expect to wake up 6-7am in the morning~ xD

♥♥♥

So before I had came home to the news about my grandmother, I was out in the city going to my job interview. I wore my 'typical' work/interview outfit, which is basically my black Jesus Diamante top + my ruffled pencil skirt. At first I was like "the heck am I thinking? All black in 85+ degree humid weather?" but then I forget the perks of having lolita parasols. LOL SAFE

I left my house EXTREMELY late. It was the worst. My hair wouldn't keep any curl because of the humidity, for a minute I couldn't zip up my skirt because apparently my ass got bigger (Jesus Christ), I didn't get in a dollar-cab until maybe 2:05-2:10. 55 minutes away from my interview. It usually take 1 1/2 hours to get into the city for me. I prayed so hard for God to slow down time, and He answered me LOL. Got there 5 minutes before my interview appointment. That was a miracle.

I met the co-owner of the store, she reminded me a lot of my old art teacher. She seemed very active, and someone you can probably get very close with. Filled out the application and stuff, went into the office with her. The interview was pretty good, I wasn't nervous despite me being tongue tied. The only thing that kind of surprised me was when she asked me why the hours I put down were as they were (11am-closing) and I had to think really quick like 'uh.. D: I didn't know what time your store closed so I just put that there lol'. She said they open at 9:30 and she asked if that was okay, and I was like yup! Then she was looking at me for a minute, like she was trying to read my face LOL. Looks like I gotta do some serious sleep schedule changing! She was also asking me about LWPI, which I'm glad she found that interesting, you never really hear about event planning/design certification.

She explained to me that they were opening a new store in Grand Central, and that's basically why they're hiring. The first two months will be part-time, where it would mainly be training and stuff, and that's a whole day shift, from open to close. Then once the new store opens, there will be a morning shift, and a afternoon shift.

So hopefully I'll get a callback next week! I'll be soglad if I get hired. SOGLAD

I feel extremely lucky already, for the simple fact that I made it to the 25 resumes they narrowed down from 700(?!), and not only that, but while she didn't have time to review resumes beforehand, she -did- happen to browse mine. Which was at the top of the pile in the folder. AND I believe I was the first person to be interviewed.

So, definitely praying on it!


~~~~~~


In other news, I -might- make a last-minute jump to Otakon. My friend asked if I could help sell at her booth for the weekend. At first I was like 'eh, maybe', but the more I think about my friends being there, some of the lolita girls who were REALLY hoping to meet me, the more excited I get! My final decision will pretty much be set when we get an update about Omi's condition, and if she's doing well then I'll go.

I'm pretty pumped at this point though-- even though I won't really be able to see anything or hang out with anyone during con hours except the lolita fashion show (which I applied as a back-up model for). But there's always the drinking after hours I guess LOL


I'm already planning outfits... I'll be wearing lolita the whole weekend, besides when I come/leave and whatever casual get-together there may be. I'm wondering if I can get some dresses ready if I take them to the dry cleaners now! I'm thinking my Marie-themed pinkxwhite outfit, maybe Little Bear's Cafe (though, it's probably gonna be REALLY hot for that x___x I'm still debating) and my Innocent World dress. Wait... I need 4... >w>;; then maybe my lavender outfit too. I think I need to get a whole new suitcase, because I know the one I have is filled with crap and I'm sure it's still building up mildew.. egh... so one of these days I'll probably try to get a cheap suitcase to last the weekend.

IN ANY CASE I won't be jumping the gun going I'MGOING! all over Facebook, then God forbid something happens and I end up flaking. But I'm guessing that it's sort of a 75% chance now, and I'll know by Monday or Tuesday the latest~ So I'm hoping to see some girls there and have a good time ♥ I'll probably won't have enough money to do any mindless shopping, but I'm hoping to get some good eats around Baltimore since it'll be my first time there!

A week or two ago I permed my hair and finally got my first haircut in a LONG while. I was never one to trim my hair, I was always really stubborn and wanted my hair long. Of course inevitably my hair got real damaged and I knew I couldn't keep having it the way I did. It surely wasn't as bad as say, really fried weeb hair or anything, but my split ends were getting really bad, especially from backcombing all the time.

My hair looks much fuller because of the layers I went for... my neck isn't sweating bullets, my scalp isn't sweating bullets, and my hair's been cooperating despite the humid days and whatnot.. PURE BLISS♥


For the past couple of months before I was always thinking of haircut + weave for the summer, but I've been enjoying the freedom so much that I haven't even thought of really touching my extensions or buying new ones xD Even at the first thought I was like "MMMM SUJIMORI WITH SHORT HAIR" but tbh I probably won't even touch my hair with an iron all that much, my main mission is for it to grow BACK. But in the meantime? I'm just loving the sexy Victoria's Secret bedhair, and the fact that I can go with this airy boyish look, or have these cute feminine curls if I wanted to.

At first I was here thinking that cutting my hair would limit whatever ideas I had in mind... but it's really the opposite now, knowing that I have -different- options because of the hair length and I could always get extensions if I wanted to go long again.




Anyways I didn't actually GO OUT until the next weekend, when it was Mema's birthday service. The flyers said to wear hats and whatnot, but that day I was honestly not in the mood. It was hot, I was feeling a bit under the weather, and irritated. But after doing myself up with a bit of makeup, curling my hair (it wasn't as good as it should've been, it really moisturized and weighed down because of fresh perm), wore some of my stuff from my new package (July's haul post coming up soon!), and once I got myself out the door I was feeling TOO GOOD. Especially once I got to the church and everyone noticing the change... it was a really good feeling, and I needed it. Especially from the person I'm feeling... ♥


After the service, there was supper and fellowship out in what was part of the church's parking lot... they cleared the area and put their tent up (I didn't even know they had a tent??? badass shit mang) Obviously acted like a fatty and going for seconds and thirds like some of the other youth LOL and just chilling, it was really nice. The weather turned out perfect in the evening, the mood was so chill and I really enjoyed it...♥



And, apparently, my bit of bellydancing and stuff is paying off. LOL. I was told I was getting thicker, though I honestly didn't see the change... until the jeans button popped off later that night. I just measured myself, and while my legs are more toned and thinner than they ever were, my ass is FATTER by another 1 1/2 inches, le fawk??? either that or it's shaped better than before... in any case = A= All I need to really concentrate now is on my gut area. Apparently I'm like 34-35 inches? Like when the heck did -that- happen? I haven't had a problem fitting into any of my things either... I don't get it.

ANYWAYS current goal is 29 inch waist so my hourglass can be even more epic. My best friend Muffy talked about herself doing 2,000+ situps a day-- I'm here like 2,000+???? I can barely do 50! Looks like I'm gonna have to upgrade a bit LOL


Also, in an earlier post I mentioned jobhunting and craigslisting again, I FINALLY got a callback from a craigslist ad! That site isn't complete crap after all! xDD So I got an interview tomorrow with this one toy store for a full-time position ♥ Praying so hard that I get it! I want to get hired on the spot... I need to make sure my questions and answers are on point. And my outfit too! Time to wash my hair~ xD

Hoping the weather will be nice too, so I can visit le Big Gay Ice Cream Truck later ♥ and tell Doug the newsss nom ♥ Thank the Lordddd