Essie theme

I really wasn't in the mood to do any really festive nail art for Thanksgiving, so I went with something easy on the eyes and simple in color. And what's more conservative than a Essie color? I picked up Essie's Playa del Platinum at a Ulta a couple of months ago. (I love finding nail polish on their little hidden discount racks, though it can be a hit or miss.) It's such a pretty neutral color and one I've actually gotten compliments for! However, after applying three coats, I realized that it was a bit too plain for my holiday idea, so I added Essie's Shine of the Times.

 I can't believe I didn't hear about flakies until earlier this summer. They are just the most amazing top coat polishes ever!! I really wanted the Finger Paints Special Effects collection, but sadly it's like they've disappeared. On the other hand I did find Shine of the Times online and immediately ordered it without regrets. I mean look at that bottle! It's just full of amazing awesomeness!! I applied it over Revlon's Top Speed Royal earlier and wow! Just wow! (sadly I didn't take pictures of that one) Anyways I applied Shine of the Times over Playa del Platinum and....

well, you can't see it at this particular angle, but if you alter the lighting and angle...

WOW! I was so pleased with the combination I couldn't stop staring for awhile. And funny enough the night I did this, my housemate didn't even notice the shimmer. It was only when I drove her home the next day for Thanksgiving and my hand was in the sunlight that she noticed. As she put it, "it's subtle, but in the sunlight...wow. You really notice the sparkle."

Overall, I loved this combination, but I think this it's better suited for spring than it is for Thanksgiving.

Autumn

Autumn is usually my favorite time of year since I love the different array of colors, it's just a colorful season! The weather is usually beautiful too, but this year has been very strange. I'm not sure if anyone has been pleased with the fluctuating temperature this autumn and certainly all the people who've gotten sick aren't... However there are some beautiful days that have occurred and still are, so I took the opportunity to take pictures  :)

(The first four are taken on campus.)

 (I love it during the spring when the flowers are in bloom, but this place is a beauty during autumn!)

(I always associate Thanksgiving with Autumn, so here's a little showcase of the main course!)

(A lovely flower display my mom put together)

(The stray cat who's like an acquaintance these days)

(Yes, I did miss Halloween. But cats are cats, black or not.)

(Although the past few years my family has been associated with black cats. Hmmm.)

(Last but not least, the black cat my housemate got recently!)

(Adorable isn't he? We call him Sneezy :)

Half Moon Bay

There's nothing really nicer in the summer than going to north California's coast side and enjoying the chilly breeze, the smell of the briny ocean on a clear summer day. I can't express how beautiful and serene it can be in contrast to a beach in southern California or the waterfalls and lakes in the mountain areas such as Yosemite. I'd take the north coast over walking through the downtown of places such as Carmel or Sausalito anytime the weather is this amazing!

 It's quite breathtaking!

Natsu Contemporary Events

Natsu is Japanese for summer.

One of the small things in life I enjoy is taking pictures. Being able to capture the small moments in life and looking back on those memories is a small happiness, but nevertheless a happiness.

(All pictures were taken by me!)

Humanity

Batman lives by one moral that I found rather captivating. Not to kill. He brings people to justice, brings them down to their knees, brings them do the police so that they can be locked away. Of course this sort of system can prove to be faulty, but he instilled fear in the heart and minds of criminals everywhere. It's an admirable act.

I bring this up not to talk about the psychology of Batman though. I bring this up because of what happened opening night for Batman: The Dark Knight Rises, in Aurora, Colorado. It hasn't even been one day yet since the perpetrator entered the theater and induced a mass shooting, but the wounds have been made and lives have been forever scarred, ruined and destroyed by one man's doing. Twelve people died and many more were left injured. Among the grief, disgust, shock, sorrow and horror, questions remained unanswered. Why did this man do it? What was his reasoning? What pushed him to do it? What are the underlying factors? Many people have theories, many people don't care, they just want to see him dead, they want to see him brought to justice for his actions...and many are searching for the truth.

When I heard the news this morning, I was in shock. I wondered how this could've happened and was reminded just how fragile our idea that we are safe and secure is. But as I continued to watch on, I was disgusted and horrified. What kind of person would do this? I'm sure that question is asked everyday by a victim's loved one. And I realized, no matter who you were, who you love, no one deserves to be killed by another person. Murder just becomes a never ending cycle, a curse we can't undo. The hard fact of truth is that this happens whether or not we wish it to and that we don't have a superhero like Batman to protect us. My heart goes out to all those families and friends who have lost a loved one today. In this time of uncontrollable grief and sorrow, there are many others whose hearts and sympathies wish to console these people. Though there is evil in this world and it disguises itself as another human being, there is a definite goodness in people as well. This goodness I wish to be a guiding light, a comfort, and a shield to people who have lost someone that was murdered.

A:TLA and LOK nail art

I was a fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender throughout high school and then late last year I heard the creators of A:TLA decided to come out with a sequel called Legend of Korra. I got really excited about this and even managed to get my sister hooked onto Legend of Korra when it aired earlier this year. We saw the season finale on Saturday and spazzed over it until this obsession of ours led to a suggestion for Avatar nail art. Me being currently obsessed with nail polish and my sister being artistic, we decided one hand be dedicated to A:TLA and the other to LOK. For A:TLA we decided to use the elemental symbol designs and Aang's airbending tattoo. For LOK we used the national emblems and the Chinese character for peace since the Avatar is suppose to maintain balance and peace in the world and we couldn't think of a design for Korra. All designs were done using Migi Nail Art pens. 

(Left hand)

Base coat: Spoiled[Pick Your Poison] for pinky. White polish from Migi Nail Art pen for ring finger. Essence[Just in Case] for middle finger. China Glaze[Sea Spray] for index finger. (Not seen) Spoiled[Show Me Some Skin] for thumb.

(Right hand)

Base coat: China Glaze[Sea Spray] for index and ring finger. Essence[Just in Case] for middle finger. Spoiled[Pick Your Poison] for pinky finger.

Right hand nail art designs inspired by A:TLA
Reference: http://favim.com/orig/201105/14/art-avatar-boho-interesting-nails-patterns-Favim.com-43730.jpg

Left to right: Fire, Air, Earth,Water, Aang's tattoo (thumb)

Left hand nail art inspired by LOK (Legend of Korra)
Reference: National Emblems from  http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Avatar_Wiki
Left to Right: Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom, Air Nomad, Fire Nation. (thumb) Chinese character for peace.

The Obligated Introductory Post

Hello,
I started this blog to keep the little things in life updated such as photography, nail art, jewelry making, music, and etc. I have another blog for reviewing mostly Asian movies and dramas (which I admit is sort of cringe worthy), but I wanted to make one dedicated to another part of my life so here goes nothing!