Matcha & Magnolia Days

Sometimes you feel like a turtle with a load of rocks on its back

2010-08-02T05:35:00.000-07:00

Oh dear. It's been a long time since I last posted. I'm still here in Korea teaching and melting a bit in the humidity. You'd think that someone from SC would handle the humidity all right, but even K, being from south FL, says that there is something different about the humidity here. Generally I like hot weather, but I really wish there was a beach to go to.

People keep asking "How is Korea? How is Korea?" Well, like any country, there are many layers of course and I can't answer for all of it. The food is good, the historical sights are really neat, the students are pretty good, and I love seeing mountains in the distance. But I've also had many unpleasant and stressful experiences, both in everyday life and with my (and K's) jobs. I knew from the get-go that it would have a lot to do with the luck of the draw, but I thought I did my homework and we had some great offers. I guess I was mistaken on that, and only later did I realize that we never did an interview with these schools or the office that oversees them. But you know what? I've learned that when you take a job on the other side of the world, it doesn't matter how much research you think you've done, there are still variables upon variables and there's no way you can really know what you're in for.

We're going to explore more of this country to get out of this town. I've had better experiences in the bigger cities we've visited so I'm excited to go to Seoul, finally, in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, I'm sitting in the countryside and weighing my options. The universe always has a way of working things out, right?

By the way

2010-07-10T20:39:00.000-07:00

K and I are keeping a blog about our time here in South Korea. It's at http://sc2sk.blogspot.com/ if you're interested :)

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. I notice I've lost followers.. well, I suppose that's how it goes. It's super hot and humid here and my wardrobe is incredibly abbreviated here, so I felt like I haven't had any post-worthy material. Like I said, I will definitely return full force once I can indulge myself with a shopping trip, hehe. I'm definitely missing my sewing machine like crazy!

Anyway, I hope you are all well and enjoying the summer (or winter, if you're in the southern hemisphere!)

How to dress for humidity

2010-06-21T21:17:00.000-07:00

So I know central SC is hot and humid, but it doesn't compare with the humidity of being right on the Yellow Sea. There is something about the quality of the humidity here that makes it more difficult to tolerate. It's not even that hot out yet, but the humidity just puts a film on everything. I can't imagine what the humidity is like in Seoul where it's mixed with pollution. No, I'm pretty happy living in a small city.

So here's how I've been dressing to keep cool in this weather: gauzy shirts! I find that they are the best because they breathe so well and they also hide sweat well for those of us who need that particular quality in a fabric ;)

This is my favorite gauze top.

Great for getting ready to go..

Coming home..

Doing laundry..

And finally people-watching and enjoying the sunshine from the balcony! Sitting out here in the early afternoons is especially nice because a breeze comes through, and there is a piano studio in my apartment complex so I can hear the lessons. It's very soothing :)

What else have I been up to lately? Well, I decided to volunteer with Animal Rescue Korea since I have a little time on my hands until mid-July, and through them I've taken in a foster kitten. The shelters here are all terribly crowded (as with most countries I'm sure) and while they try to be no-kill, there also are no limits on the number of animals they take in. So they end up with dozens of animals in one cage. It's really heartbreaking, and I'm so happy that I can help even one animal. We named this little guy Tama, and he's quickly getting better. It's amazing to me that he's so much better after only three days of medication and proper food and water. And love, of course :)

If anyone out there reading this is in Korea and wants to volunteer but doesn't know how, please look up Animal Rescue Korea. They are amazing people and so easy to work with, and would love more volunteers.

How can you resist?

First transmission from the outpost

2010-06-15T23:08:00.000-07:00

From this:

To this:

We're actually here. And we've been here going on a week now. K is getting settled in to his job and I'm hanging out at our apartment until my contract starts in July. I'm typing this from one of our balconies and admiring the view. There's a tiny market near the entrance to our high-rise complex that plays relaxing music in the afternoons. It's wonderful :)

Allow me to share the view with you, as seen through a screen:

I think it's pretty neat, especially for a small city. There's also an elementary school right across the street from us, which you can see from another of our balconies (we have three!). I could hear the little kids singing in music class outside this morning.

We also live within walking distance of a big department store. The clothes are really reasonably priced and so cute, and with so much free time on my hands at the moment, this place is a danger zone for my shopping habit! Yikes!

Time to switch to super-duper-frugal mode. Sigh.

Only until I get my first paycheck though...

By the way, thanks so much for the kind & encouraging comments, you guys. This was a really tough decision to make and I'm sure it's not going to be a cake walk, but I'm determined to have fun while I'm here. Even if it means spending most of my paycheck at the markets. (err.... hope K isn't reading this...) Expect more pictures in the near future when I get a real internet connection and don't have to rely on whatever wifi network is unlocked in my building. Shhhh..... ;)

Over and out.

Visas and tickets and boxes, oh my!

2010-06-04T18:02:00.000-07:00

Oh dear! Well, it's official: this time next week, I will be on a plane to Tokyo. And then to Seoul. And then a cross-country bus to my city. Freaking out? Yeah, you could say that!

Today K and I traipsed all the way over to Atlanta today to drop off our visa applications and back. Since we're on such a tight schedule and I don't want to deal with exorbitant fares in booking tickets a day before we need to leave, we decided to do it this way and not leave the visas to chance with the postal service. Our mailman, in the last year, has lost several of my magazines, a few bills, and my new credit card. So, to say I have little faith in our passports getting back to us would be an understatement. It really takes a lot of time to go down there and back, but at least I'll have it in my hand on Monday.

K and I now have the names of our schools! K will be teaching at two schools, so that should be interesting for him. Our schools are on opposite sides of town, so that's kind of a bummer, but downtown is nearly right in between the two, and our coordinator is trying to get us an apartment there so we have equal commutes. Anyway we'd be closer to shopping and transportation, so that's fine with me.

It's funny now that I'm telling people about what we're doing, because all of a sudden so many people are coming out of the woodwork and saying things like "Oh I've been to Korea!" or "My friend/cousin/ex teaches English there!" In fact, an old friend of mine from high school suddenly sent me a message on Facebook and announced that she's been teaching there for the past 9 months! How weird is that? So we're going to get together soon after K and I arrive. I can't wait! How cool to have an "in" to my new country!

My last lesson with my ESL students was on Wednesday. I felt so bad to have to leave them so suddenly. Everything came together at the last minute and these jobs were either take-them-or-leave-them, and we had to take them. We had a little party, and the girls wrote me cards, and they gave me a beautiful framed picture of all of them in yukata and a cute little coin purse to take with me and use in Korea. So nice! I definitely had a little tear in my eye. One of my students e-mailed me last night after her middle school graduation to tell me how it went. She was chosen to give a speech, and I helped her put it together. Here's part of her message:

Thank you very much for your help.

maybe I couldn't make it without your help

You are a great tutor!!

and GOOD-LUCK in Korea!!

Honestly, how cute is that? I'm so glad I had the chance to work with them.

Public Service Announcement. And Niagara Falls.

2010-06-01T07:36:00.000-07:00

Look what I did for Memorial Day weekend!

Yup, definitely went to Niagara Falls. I wish we would have had more time to hang out at the park there and do the boat ride or trolley ride and go to the aquarium and stuff, but we were on a really tight schedule. We actually went to Rochester to check out a long-term boarding place for our cats where they don't use cages-- difficult to find! It was a really cool place, run by two of the neatest people we had ever met. Even though we're in SC, it's totally worth it to take the cats up there because we know they'll be well cared for.

No outfit post today, and probably none for quite a while. Why? Because most of my clothes are packed away! The evening we arrived in Rochester, we did four phone interviews. Let me tell you, I just wanted to tell them all to shut up and let me sleep... but in the end it paid off, because we were offered jobs with all four! We had been planning to go to Korea at the end of August during the big foreign teacher intake time for public schools, but our financial situation started demanding we do something sooner than that. So after poking around for a while and then doing lots of interviews, we were offered positions at public schools in a small city. My position starts in mid-July, but K's is an ASAP position and they ideally wanted him to start on June 11. June 11!! It doesn't look like we can be there by June 11 because we're waiting for our Notices of Approval to arrive in the mail and then we have to wait for the embassy in Atlanta to process our visas. But it looks like we'll probably end up getting there the 13th or 14th. That's less than two weeks. Good lord.

Our apartment went from tidy and quaint to a hurricane of boxes almost the minute we got back from Rochester. I'm really tired of packing up and moving, ugh. This will be the.... I don't even know.... 23rd time I've moved in my life? The longest I've ever lived in one place is five years, when I was a kid. I can't even imagine what that would feel like now. Our landlord is already trying to screw us over. I. Hate. Landlords. They are the scum of the earth. I've only rented with ONE that has not screwed me over.

There is something else I want to mention. I know this post is kind of a downer, but I don't care. I've been trying to look on the bright side and find the good in people for the last year and I've only gotten burned. There is no good in people, deep down. At least not in Americans.

When we were driving back from New York, we were on a multi-lane interstate in Pennsylvania around dinner time, with quite a bit of traffic around. Suddenly, K notices a deer at the edge of the road and intuitively knows the thing is going to try to cross. It does. K swerves off the road as the deer runs into the side of our car (yes, it hit us, we didn't hit it). We go over the gravel shoulder and into a ditch. This all happened at around 75 m.p.h. I was screaming my head off and bracing myself when we finally came to a stop in the ditch. We sat there, shell-shocked, for a minute, and then made sure our body parts were all still attached. Other than some cuts, we were fine. But here's the thing that gnaws at me:

Not one person stopped. No one called the police for us.

We could have been unconscious in that car, and not a single person who witnessed the accident (and trust me there were plenty) gave enough of a shit to see if we were all right. I fucking hate people. I hate the apathy of this pathetic country. No wonder it's on a downswing. I was beside myself about this when we finally were on the road again, and then K told me that when a work buddy of his had had a really nasty accident and flipped his car after hydroplaning on an interstate in SC, no one even stopped then. The man flipped his car and rolled it into the woods next to the road, and no one even stopped. He was trapped in the car upside down and had to somehow call the cops himself.

What the FUCK is wrong with Americans?

I am sick of moving and I am bitter as hell that I have to go to another country to find a job that pays enough to live on and has health benefits and that I can't even finish my Master's degree even though I only need two more classes. But you know what? If it means that I can be away from a country full of such apathetic, self-centered assholes, I'm getting the better deal.

You want to help your country? Try looking at what's going on around you and actually help someone once in a while. I know I would, and in fact I have before, but I'm being forced to leave this land of selfish bastards. Whoever is out there reading this, if you see someone crash their car, for god's sake STOP and see if they're all right and see if you need to call a fucking ambulance for them. It's not that hard. It's really not.

The Secret Garden

2010-05-25T14:50:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, I loved The Secret Garden. My class read it in the second grade, and I loved the air of mystery of the garden and characters. Maybe it was that movie that partially inspired my love of nature. I always wanted a garden full of lush greenery and flowers, with high ivy-covered walls. This picture makes it look like I'm halfway there!

Did you ever read that book?

Yes, this is really my yard. Or, these days, jungle. It's nothing like the manicured 100% Kentucky bluegrass lawns that are prized in the North, but I love the various little ground cover plants that grow here. I love spending time in my little nature sanctuary. As long as I have, you know, bug spray :D

And it's also better when it doesn't start raining every five minutes! Yikes!

Jacket: $20
Dress: $13
Sandals: $16
Necklace: $10

TOTAL: $59
Woo-hoo!

dress - Target / jacket - Steve & Barry's / sandals - Payless / necklace - JC Penney

Makin' Stuff

2010-05-21T15:25:00.000-07:00

I'm nearly finished with altering a dress I snagged a few weeks ago. I ended up hating it after I took it home, but I really liked the fabric so I decided to change the shape of it. I was putting the finishing touches on, including a drawstring waistband, only to discover the cord I bought for it is too wide for the drawstring tube! Arrghh! So I'll have to wait to post pictures until I can get more suitable cording. In the meantime, I thought I'd post pictures of more stuff I made.

I whipped up this tea cozy a little while ago. The bottom green polka-dot fabric was a scrap from another project (a coffee press cozy), and the rest of it I cut from a linen shirt salvaged from the $1.00 section of Goodwill. That stuff is great for practicing embroidery on! I don't know why I'm crazy about tea cozies (and coffee cozies) lately. Probably because they're simple and quick to put together and they can look like anything you like.

Look at my tomatoes!! Not bad for a patio garden, huh? There are about 8 on that plant right now, and the biggest one is almost the same size as my fist. OK, I have small hands, but still, I think it's pretty decent for a patio tomato plant! I'm trying to wait for them to turn, but looking at these pictures has me fantasizing about fried green tomatoes...mmm.....

These aren't really my project, but I thought I'd share them with you guys anyway. This is K's bonsai collection, not including the larger one he keeps indoors. We found a great bonsai nursery at a plant festival in April, run by the nicest older couple. The husband shapes all the trees and experiments with soils and things, and the wife creates the little landscapes around them and chooses the pots. I swear, it was like looking into a mirror of the future of us, haha.

I think this one is so neat. Bonsai trees that produce flowers and fruit just blow my mind. Can you see the little green fruits? We have no idea what kind of tree this is, and neither did the couple from the nursery unfortunately. I still love the look of it.

This little guy is cute, too. K is wanting to start experimenting with different tree shapes, so he got the two little juniper starters to play around with. In the background is one of the pots he bought at a flea market in Osaka. It's not the most beautiful pot in the world, but it has such a neat story behind it because it's from our first trip abroad together and K actually haggled in Japanese (which he does not speak hardly at all) with the owner of the stall for it. Haha! I was proud of him :P He was too shy to order food in Japanese that whole trip, but he didn't let language get in the way of a good bonsai pot!

Have a good weekend~

The cost of day-to-day fashion

2010-05-18T18:49:00.000-07:00

I felt like it was time for a change in decor around here. The picture I used for the header is one of my favorites that I snapped from the plane to Miyakojima last December. What luck the shadow was so clear! What do you think?

We are one step closer to Korea. Gosh, it feels like we've been in this waiting game for ages now. Well, we kind of have. We started thinking about this over a year ago and submitted our very first applications back in November. Maybe at the end of this, I'll have enough information to publish "Moving to Korea for Dummies"!

Late next week, K and I will be going to New York state to check out a long-term boarding facility for our cats. It breaks my heart that we can't bring them with us, but with any luck we'll be able to find a pet-friendly place and have them flown over to us. Anyway, we're making the best of this road trip and checking out Rochester and Niagara Falls while we're in the area. Money is tight right now since we need to save until our departure, so sadly I can't use the trip as an excuse to go shopping. I can, however, play with Polyvore and still get a fashion fix! Here are some of the outfits I came up with for this trip that I would love to buy, if, you know, my wallet was bottomless!

Something else I wanted to bring up today was an article I read earlier (from MSNBC I think) about the average cost of an American woman's daily outfit with accessories. The total was just over $1,500. That seems absolutely crazy to me! I would definitely be above and beyond this number if you counted my wedding ring, but the article didn't count wedding/engagement rings. I did a quick tally of my outfit, generously including my bag and everything in it as the article did, and still came under $240. Am I just incredibly cheap? I wonder where the women polled were from (the Upper East Side?!) and what the average would be for women my age. I'm really curious. Including underwear, clothes, jewelry (except wedding/engagement rings), accessories, bag and contents, is the article's number or my number closer to your daily ensembles?

The calm before the storm....literally

2010-05-16T11:36:00.000-07:00

Just under the wire! We snapped these just before a huge thunderstorm rolled in. With the clouds thickening above us, the light was a little tricky, but I think these came out all right.

Other than today's storm, it's been a really nice weekend. It was warm enough on Friday night to go out to the drive-in! I love doing that. We saw the new Robin Hood movie. <3 Russell Crowe! Do you like going to drive-in theaters?

This is one of my favorite dresses. I styled it back in January with a ruffly cardigan, belt, and beige heels. I think it switched to warm weather fairly easily. And I love the deep neck in front and back, it feels very 50s glam!

Sometimes I think I like taking all these pictures because there are very few pictures of me between the ages of about 10 and 15. I had some major self-esteem issues in those days because my skin was, well, let's just say less than perfect! I remember intentionally avoiding cameras and tended to wear baggier clothing so I wouldn't call attention to myself. I think I'm trying to catch up now for all the photo years I missed out on. I wonder if there are any other fashion bloggers who are like this?

And anyway, it's a good excuse to go to pretty parts of the city.

(Yes, I do all my own stunts! :P)

dress - Urban Outfitters / necklace - JC Penney / sandals - Payless / belt - NY & Co.

Rosey-Posey

2010-05-13T17:30:00.000-07:00

This is possibly my best thrift-store find ever. EVER. Do you feel the gravity of that sentence? I consider myself a pro at thrifting, but I think I've outdone myself here if I do say so myself. Behold, a floral Betsey Johnson sundress, which cost me a whopping...

$3.

Like most girly-girls, I love love love Betsey Johnson designs and cheerful prints, but as a girl who is on a pretty tight budget, I could only drool over them in magazines, fancy blogs, and when they popped up on Modcloth once in a while. So imagine my surprise and delight in finding this one at such a low price... and then in my size!! I got it at a new "boutique" thrift shop. Hey, I'm sold on the place.

This makes the grand total of this spring/summer outfit $35. My kind of style!

I kind of feel like this dress was the universe giving me a little break. The day I got it, I was on my way to get an oil change, and was in a really, really bad mood because it was the day the M.A. graduation ceremony was being held. I couldn't get the thought that I should be walking across the stage with my colleagues out of my head, and I was so upset I started crying in the car. Well, I couldn't go to a mechanic like that (I already feel like they try to fleece me even when the prices are posted, maybe 'cause I'm female), so I drove around a little and stumbled upon this thrift store, which had opened only two weeks earlier.

Needless to say, my mood improved greatly after leaving. I also found a great linen dress which I'll share later on.

Hm. Although come to think of it, I still need to get that oil change.

I love going to the local coffee shop, getting iced coffee, and strolling around the historical part of campus. Now that the semester is over, it's especially nice because it's not crowded at all. It's funny, this campus is so different from most other campuses I've been on because it somehow commands respect and quietude. I rarely see trash or anything out of place here, and even when there are dozens of students sitting outside studying, playing frisbee, and walking dogs, it's still remarkably quiet. It's kind of surreal.

dress - Betsey Johnson / hat - Target / sandals - Target

久々！

2010-05-06T14:03:00.000-07:00

Oh dear, it's been so long since I last posted. I'm still here, I'm OK, really! The past few weeks have just been super busy, finishing up the semester and fussing with visa documents and whatnot. I've also been a little down, really coming to terms with this being my last semester of school for a while. I'm hoping to take my last two M.A. courses online somehow next spring. I want to finish the Ph.D. as well, but the M.A. is my priority right now because I'm *this* close. It's really been bittersweet finishing this semester. Of course there's the rush of turning in final papers and doing presentations, but also that realization... I've been trying to enjoy it as much as I can since it may well be the last time I have this experience. Even so, it was hard to enjoy having to do a 25-minute presentation on experimental methods of vocabulary retention in the second language, haha! The neat thing is that I got to draft a research proposal as part of the presentation, so if I do go on for the Ph.D., I'll already have the layout of a study to conduct for a conference presentation paper. Someday. きっとできる。

K and I also went to a beautiful beach that we'd never been to before. South Carolina is so amazing in that regard-- there are so many amazing beaches just waiting to be discovered, but there are also great mountain hiking trails in the opposite direction. When we come back from Korea eventually, I really hope we can come back to SC. Anyway, we had a wonderful time, and the water was even warm enough to swim in already! The only unfortunate thing was that we didn't wait long enough for the sunscreen to soak in, so both of us got a little sunburnt on our backs. Ouch! But there are lots of outlet shops in the area, so we indulged in a tiny bit of retail therapy to ease the pain..hehe...

I love the beach!

It's my goal to enjoy my country as much as possible before I leave this summer. We don't have tons of extra money to spend, but I can at least share pictures of some of my favorite places around here on my blog. I know I gush about SC a lot, but it's just so nice! Ok ok, so we have a really high unemployment rate, and a relatively high poverty rate, and most SC drivers seem to have gotten their licenses in Happy Meals, but if you overlook the negatives--just like with any place-- there are plenty of things to love. Like, a month ago the city seemed to be covered in wisteria, which has since disappeared, but now honeysuckle has taken its place. It's already hotter than Hades down here, but it's so nice to step outside and smell honeysuckle in the day, and night-blooming jasmine at night. There is nothing like the scent of summer in South Carolina.

For today I'm enjoying a cup of dark-roast coffee with honey. It's my new favorite treat!! It's especially fun to sip it from our new antique cups and saucers. We've built up quite a hodge-podge of mismatched antique English china now, I just love the effect. Someday I want to decorate part of my house in old English cottage style. What do you think? Do you like coffee with honey?

I'll just keep it to myself in the sun

2010-04-15T15:28:00.000-07:00

I LOVE this shirt! I know there are boyfriend jeans, so since this is oversized and soft just like boyfriend jeans, could it be a boyfriend shirt? Well, with the crochet detail, maybe not. Still... super comfy and perfect for these warm spring days.

I also love wearing my hair like this when I'm busy and I don't want my hair getting all sweaty on my neck. TMI? Sorry. Hey, it's hot down here. In fact, my city's slogan is "Famously Hot." Yes, I'm serious. And yes, I think it's incredibly corny.

I'm so excited about this weekend because it's K's birthday and to celebrate we're going to the beach! Of course the water is still probably too cold to swim, but hanging out at the beach is so nice anyway. Plus, we're gonna be super hip and go to Medieval Times. What, that's corny too? I guess this place has rubbed off on me. Personally I'm totally looking forward to eating chicken without a fork and watching jousting, and you cannot convince me that there's a better way to de-stress before finals.

I hope you all will enjoy your weekend too!

top - Belk / jeans - dunno, old / sandals - Payless

Purple Kinda Day

2010-04-13T13:25:00.000-07:00

Here's my latest handmade dress! I used an airy linen blend for it. I thought it would be a nice contrast with the retro-inspired shape of it.

Let me just tell you, this pattern was NOT the easiest thing I've ever worked with. I can't believe the dress even came out, I thought the stupid pattern was cursed. The first time I bought it, I took it home only to find that someone had already cut out the skirt pieces and taken them! (?!) Honestly, who DOES that? Then, when I tried to return it, I got Customer Service Lady from Hell who literally, I kid you not, got right in my face and yelled at me for trying to return it and told me she wouldn't do an exchange, but would only give me a gift card worth 50% of the lowest price they've ever had for that pattern. I think there's just something about my face that says "Be mean to me! I'm a wimp!" cause K was with me and he said he'd never seen such nasty people who are supposedly in customer service. Unfortunately it happens to me all the time. That's OK, I found out the name of the store manager and reported her, and then took the pattern to another store of the same chain which happily (and politely) gave me an even exchange.

Then, it seemed like every time I wanted to start cutting the pattern out, something stupid happened and I had to take care of that instead. Once everything was cut out, I started doing well, and then got confused and accidentally sewed the back to the front backwards. So I'm shocked that it even turned out looking like a dress at all, even if it is rather large in the chest area. Although, truth be told, I have that issue with a lot of clothes -_-***

The cats kept creeping into the shots today. How come when I want to take a picture of them they run away or look stupid, but when I don't, they're suddenly all photo-happy??

Then K got creative and started playing with some filters on my camera, hahaha.

The other night, K made some of his yummy pizza from scratch! Hand-made pizza crust just beats the pants off of any frozen or restaurant pizza that I've ever had. We topped them with leftover summer squash and eggplant, and K put some cottage cheese on his. Doesn't it look tasty?

Right now I'm finishing up coursework for the semester, ugh. That last rush and flurry of activity before exams is getting more and more annoying. In the meantime, we're gathering our visa documents for the move to Korea. I had forgotten what a hassle applying for visas is, oy. I think we're on track, though. Mine are mostly together and K's are getting there too. One step closer!

And now, I leave you with a picture of Boscoe, debuting his lovely new tie from Target. Very chic, no?

dress - me! / tights - Steinmart sale $6 / shoes - Target

Stripes and fences

2010-04-08T13:49:00.000-07:00

I haven't gotten my hair thinned in almost a year now, and it's really starting to show! I've been letting it dry naturally lately so it's super wavy. I used to hate it like this, but I've learned to embrace it.

It's much cooler outside today, but dark clouds are rolling in and K just told me there's a tornado watch. Hurrah! At least I won't be tempted to blow off my work to go outside, right?

I love love LOVE this oversized top. I have a feeling I'll be getting a lot of use out of it this summer.

My total cost for this outfit is around $70 including shoes and accessories. It's a little higher than I like to go, but the jeans were only $20 and I've had them since 2006. Not a bad buy, huh?

By the way, thanks again for all the kind comments and e-mails. Even though I've never met most of you personally, it's still nice to know that people are kind enough to drop a little note. I am truly excited about the move to Korea. I'm starting to prepare mentally and make all the necessary arrangements. I'd much rather do all of that with plenty of time to spare. I am soooo not a last-minute person when it comes to things like this. As part of my mental preparation, I think I should visit my favorite local Korean restaurant more often. Which means lots and lots of bibimbap in the coming months. Hey, it's a sacrifice I guess I'll just have to make ;)

top: JC Penney / necklace: JC Penney / jeans: Filene's / sandals: Target

Endings and Beginnings

2010-04-04T16:56:00.000-07:00

Today is Easter, which is of course a Christian holiday, but also falls around the same time as many non-Christian spring and fertility celebrations. This time of year is all about new beginnings and hope. That makes it just slightly easier to deal with all of the changes that I've been dealt.

I don't like to put too many personal details on this blog, but it's going to become obvious that something is different over the summer. No, I'm not pregnant, thank goodness.

The story started over winter break when I was in Okinawa for a research field trip to gather information for my thesis, which was mostly written at that point. My thesis director informed me, out of the blue, that I hadn't gotten approval from some board that was necessary for working with humans subjects, even though all I wanted to do was interview them and I had already asked many people who had agreed to participate-- most of whom, I might add, were very enthusiastic about my project. She told me that since this wasn't done, that I was not to conduct any interviews because even if I did, the board wouldn't- and she wouldn't- let me use them to finish my thesis. No matter that I had funded the whole thing on my own dime since I could not get funding from the school because of budget cuts. She said I would go back the following year, and there was plenty of time since I am now a Ph.D. candidate anyway.

I was set to graduate with my M.A. and TESOL certificate this May until that point, which was the track my director had put me on. I had been doing my program for the past year and a half with a part-time assistantship, no tuition waiver, and working an additional part-time job to make ends meet while taking a full schedule. Even when I was admitted as a Ph.D. candidate in the fall, I was not offered additional funding. And since I've already taken out the maximum amount of student loans that my university approves for graduate students (which is much lower than the government has approved me to borrow, but that's beside the point), after this semester school is not an option for me. Especially in light of K's hours getting cut at work due to the lovely economy.

Since winter break, I've been grappling with the fact that I will not be graduating this year or possibly ever since grad school credits are only good for a few years, even though my GPA is 3.85 and I graduated from undergrad with a 3.88 and from high school with a 3.9. Not to mention volunteer work, clubs, and working part-time and summers during those times. Sorry, but it's hard not to be bitter about it.

K and I have thought long and hard about what we can possibly do since his job seems to be little more than a sinking ship and I can't find any full-time positions that pay more than minimum wage in our area, and forget about benefits. Gardening is really therapeutic in times like this.

Well, we came to a decision about what we should try to do. We've been working on it for the past couple of months, and now it seems that the wheels are definitely in motion. Here it is.

This summer, K and I are moving to South Korea.

The best jobs that we can find are in Korea. Pretty amazing, huh? Well, at least it will be a great adventure. I'm excited and nervous and scared and happy all at once. This is the second time in my life that I'll have moved abroad. I'm so happy that this time I won't be alone. It'll be so much fun to explore a new place with K.

I'm hoping that in a couple of years I can save up enough money to come back and finish the last 6 credit hours of my M.A., or even try to do it from a distance while still in Korea. It's not an ideal situation, I know. But this is the best financial move that we can make right now. And I'm trying to make the best of it. I mean, I love Korean food, Japan is just a stone's throw from Korea, and I get to learn a new language! (Yes, that's a positive for a linguistics nerd like me :) )

This week we're starting the process of gathering visa documents. Just about four months to go at this point. So if you've ever been to Korea or know much about it, I'm open to any and all advice!

In the meantime, check out some of the steals I found at Easter weekend sales. Were the sales not amazing this year?!

Definitely minimal hair, makeup, and even clothing today-- 91 on Easter, good lord! Sorry if my pasty skin offends you :)

Total cost of this outfit: $40. Love it!!

By the way, my city is covered in wisteria these days. It's so beautiful! I've never lived anywhere else where it grows wild everywhere. It smells like heaven in the evening. Is your city or town in full bloom too?

romper - New York & Co. / sandals - Payless / necklace - JC Penney

Hitchin' a ride

2010-04-02T17:02:00.000-07:00

Except for the time I accidentally hitch-hiked, this is the closest I've come to nabbing a ride with a stranger. What, you don't believe you can hitch-hike on accident? Trust me, it can be done.

Just kidding! About trying to hitch today, I mean. I really did accidentally hitch-hike once. True story.

How amazing is this mural? One of the things I love about this city is the random murals around town. This one has a special paint so that in the evening it looks like the sunset in it is glowing!

Another hot day today- 91! Summer really has come all at once. I was really happy I decided to buy this lightweight top last summer. It made it a little easier to deal with having to wear pants to cover the last of the bites...yucky.

Happy Friday everyone! Enjoy the weekend and Easter~

top - Forever21 / pants - New York & Company / bag - Target

shoes - Ito Yokado (Japan) / sunglasses - Filene's Basement

Ants in my pants

2010-03-31T19:39:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts this week. Yes, the weather has been gorgeous, and spring is really and truly here. Maybe even summer, since it's supposed to be 88 tomorrow. I've been slightly incapacitated for most of this week. You see, last weekend was also really nice, and I decided to go out in the yard and sit on the grass. Of course there are a lot of dead leaves and old grass under the new growth, and I was getting a little itchy sitting there, so I got up and walked around instead. After a few moments, though, I realized I couldn't stop scratching my legs. I thought that there must have been some unusually scratchy plant remains there. When I looked down, I saw that my legs were covered in big bright pink welts. Let me tell you, not a pretty color on me. I figured I must have sat in some poison-ivy-like plant or something, put some Calamine lotion on it, and try to go about my day. I didn't get too far, because soon after that it turned into blisters. Some swelling, pain, and a trip to urgent care later, I found myself taking 9 pills' worth of antibiotics per day for an infection caused by fire ant bites.

Yippy skippy!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, one of the biggest hazards of living in my beloved South Carolina is fire ants. I thought I was an old pro at avoiding them, but the sneaky bastards were under the dead growth. Evidently, they didn't like my thighs crushing them on their scouting missions. So, I've been kinda out of commission this week. It's getting better, but having to wake up at 2:00 and 6:00 to take pills is getting old really quick!

I felt bad that I had to cancel my lessons on Monday, but today my students gave me "o-mimai"-- a get-well gift!

In this case, the o-mimai is this adorable box of bunny cookies! I was so touched! (And the cookies are mighty tasty to boot!)

I also received an Easter-basket-by-mail from my mom. She loves Easter, and we always went all out when we were kids. We even had an Easter tree. K looked confused when I said this. Was my family the only one to do such a thing?

Look at all that loot! She even put some flower bulbs in there for our little patio garden. I'll make sure to wear pants and rubber boots when I go out to plant them.....

Better updates to come soon, I promise!

The lady in white

2010-03-27T10:46:00.000-07:00

Time for some sunshiney pictures! I'm in love with my new floppy hat. Such a great springtime accessory!

I don't think I could ask more of the weather on a Saturday. I just want to sit in the back yard all day.

A new friend decided to join us outside as well...

And, I really want to thank Orchid Style for my first ever blog award! I'm so flattered to be chosen for an award. Thanks so much!!

So here are what the rules state:

1. Put the logo on your blog of within your post.

2. Pass the award on to 12 bloggers.

3. Link to the nominees within your post.

4. Let them know they received this award by commenting on their blog.

5. Share the love and the link to the person from whom you received this award.

Here are my 12 picks to pass it on to:

1. Quintessentially Quirky - She has a fun style and always brightens my day with her comments!

2. African Tea Party - This girl has a wild and fun style! I'm new to her blog but I love it already!

3. Fancy Pants - She always looks so happy! Love her!

4. Finders Keepers - Such a sweet girl with a lovely vintage style.

5. Girl from the North Country - Fabulous style, and just such a great girl! Can I hang out with you sometime? :)

6. Transient Withdrawal - So cute, so down-to-earth, so friendly. Great blog!

7. The Joy of Fashion - I think she might have already gotten this award, but I have to give it to her anyway. Anyone who always looks that cheerful and radiant deserves it!

8. The Bargain Hunter Extraordinaire - I LOVE the deals she finds! If we ever went shopping together I bet we would make out like bandits.

9. Wardrobes and Whimsy - So cute and unique! Plus, she's a fellow southern blogger. Gotta love her!

10. Untangling Knots - Great style and amazingly talented at creating things. I'm slightly jealous :)

11. From Wonderland with Love - Some of the most beautiful photos in the blog world, and absolutely lovely style.

12. Butterfly Cupcakes and Daffodils - I'm a huge fan of her colorful outfits. Plus every now and then she does food and art posts. What's not to love?

OK, I don't have time right now, but soon I will visit all your blogs to let you all know in case you don't see it here.

Enjoy this beautiful weekend, my friends!!

hat - Target / dress - Calvin Klein on sale for $10 / sandals - Payless

Little Magnolia on the Prairie. With Squirrel.

2010-03-22T16:11:00.000-07:00

First of all, I want to say thank you thank you for all the nice comments and new follows lately! You guys totally make my day :D I'm surprised I have any followers at all, let alone 40 now. So, when I hit 50, I will be doing my first-ever giveaway! I'm not gonna tell you what it is exactly, but I will tell you it will be hand-made by me. Hopefully that doesn't scare everyone off.

All right. As promised, here is the debut of my newest dress, with photos compliments of K. What do you think? I felt it looked kind of church-lady, but that's OK since Easter is coming up. And it's super-comfty. AND it has pockets! This was the first time I've attempted pockets. I felt like I had witnessed a miracle when I put it on and the pockets worked. Simple minds and all that.

It was overcast today, but for some reason I look like I have the light of God touching my head. Not sure what's going on there. My hair does get lighter in the summer, but somehow I think it's just my camera here.

And not that you can tell it much from the relaxed silhouette of this dress, but look who's getting her skinny on! Little by little...

I love these shoes!! I've been craving a pair of T-straps for a while, so I was psyched to find these for $16.

Since I'm a girl who is true to my word, here's the squirrel cozy, too! It's made for a small-ish teapot, but we keep our teapots on a high shelf and K was busy making dinner, so here's the cozy modeled on a bag of coffee. I love him!

Forcing cats to be cute, gardening, and other things

2010-03-20T16:54:00.000-07:00

This is my kind of Saturday! Fruit salad, toast, and bacon for breakfast, followed by a couple hours of jump-starting our spring veggie and flower garden, then a 2-hour walk along the river downtown.

I finally got dressed in somewhat normal clothes after our long walk, but since I still had some dirt on my arms (and probably in my hair) and I had just walked so much, I just went with a casual spring outfit. I am loving this pink gingham scarf!

While I was taking pictures, Dexter decided to come outside. I let him out on the condition that he pose with me.

But then he reminded me not-so-politely that he does NOT like to be held! Hence the weird headlock-esque pose below. He's enormous now, even though he's not even a year old yet!

I've also found some time lately to do some more crafty things, including this coffee press cozy. In my next post I'll be debuting my latest dress, and soon after a tea pot cozy. Stay tuned, kids :)

And last but not least, I just had to include this picture of the strangest creamer ever that I unearthed in an antique market in Savannah. Seriously, how could I pass it up? Plus, the brand of china is "Jennifer" so of course it had to come home with me. Isn't it ridiculously cute? (Or cutely ridiculous? Hmm....)

shirt - old / shorts - Shimamura only Y300! / scarf - Target /

shoes - Urban Outfitters

Grey Day Blue

2010-03-18T14:59:00.000-07:00

I had coffee this morning with a friend, and I wore one of my favorite early-spring outfits. Not too fancy, but still fun and un-drab, which I needed. The weather this week has started out every single day sunny and then gotten cloudy and cool. What's up with that?

OK, OK, I know that most fashion circles frown on the "Jesus sandal," but I haven't been able to get cute spring sandals yet! Plus, these are comfy enough to schlep around campus in. And heels just felt too formal for a campus coffee date.

Bright grey clouds make me so squinty and sleepy, which explains my face in these pictures....

But these blue roses always cheer me up!

By the way, I had lunch at my favorite Korean restaurant (which you MUST visit if you ever find yourself in central South Carolina)--yum!-- and then we went to the Asian grocery to re-stock some supplies. Now that it's getting warm, I'm totally ready for some cool yuzucha soda. It comes in a jar and looks just like marmalade, but instead of putting it on toast, you stir a spoonful into a glass of soda water, yummeh! I also had to stop by the ice cream chest since my mouth was still a little spicy from the kimchi, and this caught my eye:

Do not adjust your monitor. Yes, those are pieces of corn in the ice cream. I swear. See?

"Sweet corn ice bar." I've had sweet corn ice cream with a blackberry swirl at a gourmet ice creap shop before, and I loved it, so I thought, "How bad could this be?" And, well, the ice cream itself was pretty tasty, but I took a good look at the bar and realized that it looked exactly like frozen mashed potatoes with corn mixed in, and after that.. well, I ended up spitting bits of corn out the car window until K took it away from me. The texture of corn just doesn't mesh well with ice cream, at least to my American palate. Next time I'll just stick with a melon pop. What's the weirdest dessert you've ever had?

skirt - Banana Republic (thrifted) / top - H&M / jacket - Bitten by SJP

sandals - old, don't remember

Sprintime in Savannah

2010-03-14T08:47:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the long hiatus! This past week was spring break for me. Although, I've discovered that as I go further with school, breaks aren't really as break-like as they once were. I still taught this week and I had some presentations to prepare for, so most of the week was like any other. However, K and I decided to take a long weekend at the end of break and finally go down and explore Savannah! I take pride in my southern heritage, so honestly it's a teensy bit embarrassing that I'd never been to Savannah before. It was pouring rain the whole first day we were there, as you can see from the above photo, but after that it cleared up a bit and we got to really enjoy the city.

We sought refuge from the rain at Paula Deen's restaurant, The Lady and Sons. All I can say about this is that I better be on a diet for the next two weeks...wow....

Savannah is such a beautiful city to walk around, even after dark.

And even though it's one of the traditional "Old South" cities, it's still pretty eclectic. No idea what this picture on a wall was about, but I like it.

Can I just say that the selection of antiques shops in this city ROCKS!! We had such a fun time browsing the markets and goofing off. I thought this trapper hat was awesome, but K gave me a funny look. Oh well, not that I'd get much use out of it anyway *tear*

There are so many beautiful cemeteries in Savannah, and people just stroll around them as if they were normal parks. It's really interesting. Even in broad daylight, the cemeteries still have a spooky feeling because of all the Spanish moss and the sheer age of the headstones. It was even creepier after we found out that much of the city was built on top of super-old cemeteries that were not completely moved out of the way. No wonder it's the most haunted city in America. Next time I go, I've got to do one of the ghost tours.

Do you think the residents of this house would mind if I moved in? I'm sure there's plenty of room in there.

What a great mini-vacation! I'm so happy that Savannah is only about 30 minutes farther away from us than Charleston. Two beautiful cities within day-trip distance. Love it!

Book Nookish

2010-03-06T16:20:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't been around much this week! It was the week before Spring Break, which is always crazy. Between my usual research and a research proposal presentation, I was pretty busy and a little stressed. And then I ended up not even having to give the presentation, arrgghhh. Instead I'm doing it the week after break. I guess that just goes to show that you shouldn't be too serious about any one thing.

K and I went to the library today and he took some spur-of-the-moment pictures there. I think they turned out pretty neat, especially since it was such a sunny day! It kinda brightened our moods because we had been apartment-hunting most of the day, and it was so frustrating and fruitless that we were getting down.

Spring has finally FINALLY come! The city is full of flowering trees right now, I need to go take some pictures! Also, you know it's spring once everyone starts celebrating St. Patrick's Day. That's right, my fair city began the St. Pat's celebrations yesterday afternoon. Getting hammered like a frat boy really isn't my scene, but I do get a kick out of the city dying the water in the big fountain a lovely shade of green for the week.

I'm so excited to break out these shoes again! They're so fun and they make me feel so tall! I know people either love or hate espadrille-type shoes-- I'm definitely an espadrille lover. Plus the platforms take me back to my Spice Girl fan days. Ah, memories.

Has anyone else checked out the Jean Paul Gaultier stuff at Target yet? I love the little red and white flowery eyelet dress. I can't decide if I like this collection or the Rodarte collection better. What's your vote?

dress - Target / belt - Charlotte Russe / shoes - old, dunno /

necklace - World Market

A Flower, a Skirt and a Mug Mat. Yes, a Mug Mat.

2010-03-01T21:14:00.000-08:00

Here's Flower, the dachshund I helped transport, as promised!! Isn't she adorable? She's the sweetest little dog, so friendly and didn't make a sound the whole car trip. She just wanted a comfortable lap and some people to pet her, which we were more than happy to provide.

How can anyone resist that face? Her new family must be so happy! They sent an e-mail to everyone who helped get her to her new home-- there were 9 legs altogether, each about an hour and a half long, what a trooper!!-- and she seems to be settling in fine.

We had fun playing with her and letting her run around for a little while at the hand-off point before the next ride arrived. And when they did, Flower was in for a great surprise-- they brought their two dachshunds to keep her company. I've got to say, whenever we get a place big enough to have a dog, I want a dachshund! I was neutral about them before, but after spending time with some different ones on these rescue transports, I think I'm sold. I can't wait till another one comes through my area!

The transport route went south instead of north like they usually do, which put us close to Charleston. So, we just kept going and made a day out of it! It was a little chilly and breezy, but overall a lovely day in a lovely city.

By the way, the skirt I'm wearing in these pictures is my latest creation. I just did a simple circle skirt out of this neat flock of birds print chiffon and lining. Chiffon is DEFINITELY not my favorite fabric to work with (snag city!) but I just had to get this fabric. I have enough left over to make some other goodies that I might tackle over spring break, which is next week!! Hurrah!!

Above is the library society, one of the many historical buildings in Charleston. This building doesn't have any particularly special importance to me, I just thought it looked beautiful in the afternoon light with the Spanish moss hanging from the trees.

And finally, something else I made over the weekend. It's a coaster for tea or coffee, with a little pouch for your stirring spoon behind the little cottage door. That's a dessert spoon in the picture, by the way. The whole thing is probably only 7 or 8 inches long. I think it's the perfect size for a spoon and mug, and less breakable than a saucer! I'm especially proud of the materials I used- it's made of 100% linen, which I cut from an XL shirt I got off the 50-cent rack at Goodwill. So the materials cost for the pair of them was less than a dollar. Pretty sweet, huh? I'm also proud of the blanket stitching I did around the two little windows. I've never done any embroidery before, so don't look too closely!! Anyway, I think the slight unevenness of the stitches makes it more folksy. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I love having a working sewing machine!!

jacket - thrifted / top - H&M / skirt - ME! / tights - Target / shoes - Target

I stole your boyfriend's pants

2010-02-25T12:19:00.000-08:00

I know what you're thinking: "OMG she's wearing the SAME SHOES AS YESTERDAY GASP!" Yes, yes I am, 'cause I love them so much! Plus I like them with boyfriend jeans, they make me feel less stumpy in them.

No, these are not K's jeans, nor do they belong do a secret boyfriend. I don't have a secret boyfriend. I mean, unless John Krasinski is interested.... ahem. These are jeans that are thankfully big on me now- they used to fit me properly a few years ago and then I lost a bit of weight. I'm hoping that the jeans that fit me properly now will one day be this baggy in the thighs on me.

It's a little breezy out here today, but as long as it's still sunny I'll take it over the rain. I wish it was warm enough to sit outside because my hair is in serious need of some sun bleaching!

cardigan - unknown / top - JCP (on sale $6) / jeans - Lucky, thrifted / shoes- Target

She's back!

2010-02-24T11:49:00.000-08:00

I'm more or less back to normal life now, hurray!

I went with a Joan Holloway-inspired silhouette and neckline today, with this super comfy cardigan. The pink stripes and dark red cardi combo make me feel a little like a valentine, but it's still February, so no problem! The full skirt makes me want to prance around outside, but alas, it's raining. And when it's raining, there is absolutely no point in trying to wear my hair down because it will inevitably get damp and then turn into a frizz ball. Hence the side braid, which I love, but sometimes doesn't want to work with layered hair.

How fun are these shoes? I feel so retro-glamorous when I wear them. Too bad I need to swap them for my rain boots when I go out later.

I can't wait for Saturday! I don't know whether or not I've mentioned it before, but I do animal rescue transports from time to time when they come through this area. I haven't done one since before I went to Okinawa in December, but this Saturday I'm helping transport a miniature dachshund who is going to her new home in Florida! I loooove dachsunds! I think I'd like to have a dog someday, but with three cats and a tiny apartment, it's not an option now. But doing the transports lets me at least play with a dog on my own for a little while. I'll show you all pictures afterwards :)

cardigan - Forever21 / top - Kohl's / skirt - thrifted / belt - thrifted /

shoes - Target / necklaces - New York & Company & my grandmother

Signs of Spring

2010-02-23T12:44:00.000-08:00

Good lord, can you believe I'm still sick? Luckily I think it's the tail end of this cold, but jeeeeez it sure knows how to overstay its welcome. And of course I have to give a presentation this evening with my stuffy man-voice! I feel bad for the people in my class. Here's hoping to no coughing fits during the thing. Or better yet, if someone asks me a difficult question that I have no idea how to answer, THEN I'll go into a coughing fit. Perfect!

On the bright side, spring is creeping into South Carolina. No outfit post today since I still feel like garbage, but please enjoy a few scenes from my back yard.

My yard was full of birds today, it was really nice to hear them while I worked this afternoon. I wish I had fabric with a print like the above pictures!

Most places in the coastal south don't have *real* grass-- my house falls into this category. But instead, lately these little white flowers have been popping up all over the yard. Aren't they cute? I like it better than grass anyway :)

And finally the potted miniature rose K got me for Valentine's Day, soaking up some sun.

I still find it hard to believe we had 7 inches of snow so recently. Here's hoping for signs of spring in your part of the country, too!

Inspired Times

2010-02-19T15:42:00.000-08:00

The sore throat I had earlier in the week has turned into full-blown nastiness. Yuck! Most of it has settled in my throat and chest, but I can't take decongestents because they dry my throat out too much and that's worse than the original ickiness. I guess I'll just have to wait this one out. I hope I feel better tomorrow, because this is supposed to be the nicest, warmest weekend we've had yet this year. So tonight, I'm relaxing under a blanket and watching Harry Potter movies. I loved the books, but I haven't seen most of the movies. It seems like a good time to catch up!

This being the case, I'm doing an inspiration post rather than an outfit post today. I really love period films, both for the stories and for the costumes! When I was in high school, I did a lot of acting with the drama club. My senior year, I got to play Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and I absolutely adored wearing the costumes. I still have my dresses from it! Of course, some of the dresses from way-back-when look downright uncomfortable. But the fashions of those times have so much intricate detail work, and amounts of fabric seem to be no object.

Here are some favorites:

I think Renee Zellweger's costumes from Miss Potter could easily be adapted into modern outfits. I love the mix of masculine and feminine in this one.

This character from the series Cranford was ahead of her time with the belted scarf trend!

OK, I love Zoe Deschanel and Kirsten Dunst, both of whom are incredibly popular in the world of fashion blogging, but Kate Winslet is also near the top in my book. She's so classy, and she has a body type that I can relate to-- she's not teeny-tiny in weight or frame, and she's on the the taller side. Her styles in film and real life are classy and sophisticated. Definitely a role model of mine.

It's difficult to see this costume from the movie Amadeus in this photo, but it's such a great design! This is one of those movies that you have to see for the costume and set design, even if you don't care for classical music.

And how can you talk about period films without mentioning the brilliant Marie Antoinette? I wish women still used beautiful fans like this. I think part of my love for florals comes from this movie.

Vanity Fair is another great one to watch for the costumes and set. Also, Reese Witherspoon is excellent as Becky Sharp.

Sure, the Tudor-era clothing borders on the uncomfortable, but you can't deny the spare-no-expense luxuriousness of the designs. (Is "luxuriousness" a word? Maybe my cold medicine is messing with me...)

What about you? Do you love period film costumes as well? What eras do you take inspiration from?

films & series, in order: Miss Potter, Cranford, Sense & Sensibility,

Amadeus, Marie Antoinette, Vanity Fair, The Tudors

Bumblebee floral

2010-02-16T12:17:00.000-08:00

Ugh, it needs to warm up enough to spend time outside! I looove being outside, but anything under 60 is too chilly to just relax outdoors. I'll go jogging or walking as long as it's above 45 or so, but I really love doing my research outside on the back porch (pictured here!).

I was feeling less than chipper when I woke up because I had a sore throat. Still do, actually :( I don't know if I'm getting a cold, or if my throat is just "gari gari" because I burnt some squash gratin last night and the whole downstairs was smoky. Ick! "Gari gari" is one of my favorite words in Japanese, because I feel like it conveys a feeling better than English can. My throat is "gari gari" if I'm around people smoking too long, or if K cooks bacon without opening a window in our tiny apartment. You know what I mean? That kinda raspy, hoarse, ickiness.... gari gari!

Anyway, the colors in this outfit brightened my mood! And yes, I'm still in love with this mustard cardigan :)

Something else that brightened my mood today is listening to Okinawan music, particularly 島唄　("Island song") by The Boom. Have any of you heard it? It's become, like, THE song of Okinawa, and is ubiquitous at Okinawan karaoke boxes. It's such a great song and it makes me a little nostalgic for the summers I spent in Japan when I was younger. Ahhh...

By the way, thanks for the sweet comments on my last post! You guys made my day :)

Now time for some leftover strawberry pie! I opted to make strawberry pie for Valentine's Day instead of chocolate cake or something in the interest of health this year. It's really refreshing in this cool weather, and makes me hopeful for spring.

top - Forever21 / dress - Elle / tights - Urban Outfitters /

cardigan - thrifted / belt - Charlotte Russe

Blue Rose

2010-02-15T18:34:00.000-08:00

Remember the fabrics I bought a couple of weeks ago? Here's what I made out of the one with the blue rose print!

I finished it on Saturday night, just in time to wear on Valentine's Day :) That's when I took these pictures. OK, I know I look sunburned or something in these, but I'm not, really! It was super bright outside, but when I tried to darken the pictures it got a little wonky. Well, I've never claimed to be a great photographer. I just wanted to show you all the dress I'm so proud of!

This was my first time doing real gathering, at the bust and on the tops of the sleeves. I think it turned out pretty nice, if I do say so myself!

When I finished it and put it on for the first time, I held my breath as I zipped it up, and when it went all the way up without a hitch, I started dancing around the room. I didn't make it too tight (which was my biggest fear), the zipper didn't fall off when I tried to zip it up, I didn't rip a huge hole in the back or anything! It's a fully functional dress!

Small miracles, eh?

I can't wait to start on my next one. I have some other patterns waiting for me, so it's decision time!

I'll be accessorizing this one in the future, but I wanted it to really shine on its own today :)

Note to Mother Nature

2010-02-13T09:12:00.000-08:00

Dear Mother Nature,

I believe it now, OK?!!

The snow came, and it started out fun...

Then things got a little more serious later in the evening...

And then just crazy!
It's all melting away this morning, but I got to snap a few pictures while it's still here.

I forgot how blinding snow can be!

South Carolina, I know you're under there somewhere!!

scarf - Target / top, jacket - old, dunno / skirt - Free People /

tights - Target / boots - Shoe Carnival

Can it be spring yet?

2010-02-12T10:27:00.000-08:00

I got this great cardigan at a thrift store for $4, can you believe it? I was eyeing one at the mall for nearly 10 times the price of this one. Score!

Sorry for the stiff-looking pose. The truth is, I feel pretty stiff today because I pulled a muscle in my neck yesterday somehow, and I'm having trouble moving around. I can't turn my head to the right at all, and I can't look up very well, which makes me too nervous to drive. So, I'm taking the day off and doing as much work on the dictionary as I can from home.

I was wearing pearls with the cardigan and lace top earlier, but it looked a little too Stepford, so I ditched them.

I decided to make it a three-pattern outfit: floral, lace, and stripes. I lovelovelove these shoes. I know it's pretty early in the season to wear them, but I'm ready to wear sleeveless dresses and open-toed shoes already! Last year during spring break, which is the second week of March for me, it was sunny and mid-80s. And this morning when I checked the forecast, I found out that central South Carolina is under a winter storm warning until 6:00 am tomorrow morning! What?! They're calling for 3-4 inches here in the capital. Well, the last time they called for snow here--January 2009, the day of Obama's inauguration in fact--they predicted 5 inches overnight and a wintry mix the following day. The whole city shut down, and they interviewed kids on the news about how excited they were to experience their first real snow. But when we woke up the next morning, there was nothing on the ground. There were some flurries during Obama's speech, then it was sunny and clear for the rest of the day. So I'll believe it when I see it.

These guys are called shiisaa. I got them in Miyako, and they're supposed to protect the house and family. I love how every house in Okinawa has a pair of these guarding the entrance. I'm hoping today these guys do their job and keep the snow away!

Bijou wants to be a shiisaa, too! She's sitting on the chair that K reupholstered in about 20 minutes. I love the material. He's going to make a backing for the chair as well when he has time. I love my handyman :)

cardigan - Liz Claiborne, thrifted / top - old, dunno / jeans - old / shoes - thrifted

Something a little more nautical

2010-02-08T06:54:00.000-08:00

Some people have wondered about the name of my blog. Not about the "magnolia" part, of course, but about the "matcha" part. Matcha is a strong powdered form of green tea which is used at Japanese tea ceremonies. It's supposed to be really healthy for you. Sadly it's really expensive, too, so I use mine sparingly. Yesterday I used a little bit to flavor a batch of waffles, pictured above. No, the color settings on your monitor do not need to be adjusted, those waffles are actually green! K likes his with syrup, like normal waffles, but I prefer my matcha waffles with powdered sugar. Yummy!

I finally mustered up the courage to wear the red tights that I mentioned a few weeks ago! I was going for a modern nautical look here, but I'm afraid it borders on 4th-of-July. I guess that's one of the big risks of red tights. What do you think?

I got a haircut last week, finally! They took off more than I expected, but I still like it. There are lots of layers, and I like how much it's angled around my face.

dress - Forever 21 / jacket - Kohl's / tights - Urban Outfitters / belt - thrifted / shoes - Payless

Construction

2010-02-06T18:56:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of updates this week! The weather here, like most of the country, has been pretty gross all week, so I haven't had much inspiration or opportunities for more photos. Instead, I've taken to the indoors and have decided to revel in my inheritance.

As some of you might know, my grandmother passed away suddenly early last fall. It was quite a shock, and we're still going through many of her things. She grew up during the Great Depression, and like many people from that generation, she had boxes upon boxes of just, stuff, packed away in her house. As you can imagine, it takes a while to sort all of it. My parents even found some tin type photos from the late 1800s in her basement! Pretty amazing, huh? Anyway, my grandfather generously passed on all of her sewing supplies to my mother, who then passed them on to me (since my old room is full of her own sewing supplies!!).

When I was little, my mom used to sew a lot. In fact, she made a living sewing dresses for entire wedding parties, including the bride's gown. She even made mine! Naturally, when I was a kid, I helped her a lot...mostly by staying out of her way and not sticking myself with the pins, I suspect, but I know the basics of sewing from those years. It's been quite a while since I last had my hands on a machine (awhile = 9-10 years! eek!), but I'm hoping it's like riding a bicycle.

So, I borrowed some patterns from my mom and bought some fabric and sat down to sew. Now, my apartment is teeny tiny, so I don't have room for a sewing table. Above is my current setup-- all my crafty supplies on a low table with folding legs, straight from my undergraduate days. It's not bad so far, but it's a bit tricky to use the foot pedal this way!

When I bought the fabric, I also invested in a pair of left-handed scissors. I'm not sure if I've ever had a proper pair of lefty scissors. I've always had a huge problem using scissors, and my teachers in elementary school didn't really know what to do and of course didn't have lefty scissors, so they would usually just do any necessary cutting for me. It was the same way at home. So, I was really excited the other day when I found some lefty scissors made just for sewing! I came home and started cutting out a pattern, and realized.....

...I can't really use scissors. Talk about embarrassing. I guess all those scissor skill development years were lost on me! It took soooo long to cut out the darn thing, but it was really pretty funny. I'll just have to practice, I guess!

This thread was the bulk of the inheritance. Some of these guys are tiny wooden spools from the 1950s (in the right side of the picture).

Here are some of the fabrics I bought. Aren't they gorgeous? Prints have really come a long way from the cheesy ones I remember from the early 1990s. I'm planning to turn these into dresses and skirts. Providing I can maneuver the scissors well enough, that is! Do any of you make your own clothes? Any tips or tricks for a novice?

Lastly, I'd like to send a huge thank-you to Tieka of Selective Potential, who recently included me & K in her "Guy Behind the Camera" series. I'm flattered to be in such good company! I'm sure you've all seen her blog, but if for some reason you haven't, go pay her a visit! She is so sweet and stylish. Thanks, lady!! :)

February showers bring floral skirts

2010-02-02T12:57:00.000-08:00

Time for an outfit post, 'cause it's been a little while now. (Have you ever noticed how southerners like to attach "now" to the end of sentences? Why do we do that??)

Ironic that it was sunny the whole time I was in Ohio, and the day I get back to South Carolina, it's rainy and overcast! I felt that this was a perfect reason to break out my new floral skirt. It's just so cheerful, isn't it? This outfit is also part of my attempt to accept my legs as they are. My attitude is that, since I have no aspirations of becoming a model, I might as well have fun with what I wear and not worry so much. If I'm comfortable and confident in what I wear, then what else matters?

I don't think there's such a thing as a perfect body, anyway. Do you have any insecurities about your body? If so, does it affect the clothes you choose?

This top actually has tiny black and white stripes. I guess they're just too tiny to turn out in the photo! I need some bigger stripes. It is awfully comfty though. Always a bonus of thrifting!

I might have to trade these boots in for my galoshes when I head out to my second language acquisition class later this afternoon. Don't wanna get my pretty purple tights all splotchy from the puddles! I suspect that I will be tearing my way to the parking lot after class because it ends at 8:00-- which, as you know, is when the season premiere of LOST starts! Why oh why did they move it an hour earlier?! I only have one real class that I attend each week, and it has to interfere with my beloved LOST. I guess this is why they invented VCRs. Yep, that's right, I said VCRs. Not Tivo or DVR. We kick it old school 'round these parts :)

top - Banana Republic (thrifted) / skirt - Forever 21 / tights - Urban Outfitters

boots - thrifted

Hitting "reset"

2010-02-01T18:15:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, when it feels like the floor is crumbling beneath your feet, it becomes necessary to temporarily get away.

No outfit or fashion to post today, though I do have some new finds that will be up shortly.

I've spent the past five days mulling some things over and searching for some new perspective. It had been a very long time since I had made the pilgrimage north to my parents' house, and I had forgotten how beautiful the Appalachian Mountains are. The middle and lower Appalachians got a surprise snow storm while I was huddled by the fireplace up in Ohio, and the drive back gave me some spectacular and rare views.

For a while, it seemed like the further south I went, the more snow there was.

One of the things that I find most inspiring about this region is the perseverance of the people. The landscape is unforgiving, the area is one of the poorest in the whole country, the weather is unpredictable (as you can see), but the people have such a strong spirit and pride in their roots.

Many Americans have mistaken ideas about the people here, and some don't even like to acknowledge the existence of the place. But I really think that there is so much beauty to be found here, and so many rich stories.

I spent a lot of time on these roads when I was younger. My grandfather lived out in rural Appalachia (even more rural than this pictures, if you can imagine that!) and we would often visit him on school breaks. My ancestors were among the first to live past the foothills in the 1700s, but I didn't really appreciate it until recently. They must have been made of stronger stuff than me. I was very grateful for the heater in my car as I zipped through! It's hard to imagine what it would have been like for those people, coming through on foot or horseback, with no roads or landmarks.

I can honestly say that I feel refreshed after this trip. Hopefully this will give me the energy I need to push through the next couple of months. A lot of changes will take place in my life before summer is here, and I'm trying to find a more zen way of approaching them. A "go with the flow" attitude and all that. But sometimes, you just have to step back from things to be able to think more clearly. It's like they say, "don't get mad, just get away."

Er, wait, maybe that's not quite right...

The dangers of jewelry

2010-01-25T15:31:00.000-08:00

How fun is this ring? As a former pianist, I've always had to keep my fingernails very short and rings were always forbidden. Even though I gave up piano professionally several years ago now, it still feels very unnatural for me to wear rings. It was really an adjustment to wear my wedding ring every day! Now that I've finally gotten used to that, I'm trying to branch out more and play around with rings. The size of this one is pretty extreme for someone who isn't used to wearing rings, but it's so colorful and perky, I was drawn to it right away. (The price was right, too-- only $6!)

I thought I looked pretty rad with it on yesterday. Until, that is, I found the best parallel parking space in the world right in front of the library, and I had to make a sudden turn to back into it before anyone else spotted it, and scraped the heck out of my thigh with the ring in the process. OUUUCH!! I now have three lovely red scratches on top of a purple-blue bruise the size of a half-dollar.

They weren't joking when they said beauty is pain, people.

It was also deceptively cold outside today! Bright and sunny, but that wind is a killer.

I was kind of in a bad mood when I took this outfit picture. Does anyone else find that their pictures don't come out well when they're in a bad mood?

I felt a little better after working out today. I did my two miles, but I had to walk for almost half of it because my knee started to hurt again. Annoying, but I didn't want to push it and make it worse. I thought about switching to swimming again like I did during undergrad. But then I thought some more, and remembered that my hair was short when I used to swim a lot, and then thought about how I would spend as much time blow-drying my hair as I would actually exercising. Or maybe that's just my laziness coming up with excuses, hahaha. If nothing else, I'll switch to Wii Fit or yoga to give my knee a rest for the next few days. Oh, the sacrifices I make :)

Well, off to the library again!

cardigan, tights - Target / top - Macy's / shoes - Dillards / shorts - JC Penney

earrings - Forever 21 / ring - Belk's

Happy Saturday!

2010-01-23T11:09:00.000-08:00

1:45 on a Saturday and I've already been to the library to work on my microfilm projects. Now, time to take a break and... go on a picnic?

Oh wait. Occupied :(

Guess I'll have to make other plans for lunch...

On my way to campus this morning, I noticed a tree that is already covered in pale pink flowers! It seems like a pretty early sign of spring, even here. But it made me so happy to see it! Spring always seemed to be fairly nonexistent when I lived up north, but here it's one of my favorite seasons. I can't wait till the magnolias and paperwhites start blooming. It won't be long!

In hopes of early spring, I've really been into the florals lately.

dress - Kimchi & Blue / tights - Target / shoes - Target / shoes - Target

This is what I wore yesterday. I switched to my black tights when I went to the Shakespeare production with my students because they're warmer. Sorry for the weird lighting, I took these when it was already dark outside.

Can I just say I love these shoes? They make me four inches taller! I'm almost as tall as the Mr. when I wear them.

I'm also a fan of this hairstyle. Perfect for Fridays, when I feel too lazy to try very hard.

The production of A Midsummer Night's Dream was pretty solid. It's a play that is very near and dear to my heart because I played the role of Hermia in a production of it when I was a senior in high school. The actors in this production were quite good, but they went for a 1940s theme with the costumes of the mortals. The fairies were wearing a hodgepodge of costumes, including track pants, leather vests, and jersey skirts. The fairies also performed this weird butt-shaking hip-hop dance in the second act. I'm all for creative reinterpretations, but in spite of these updates to the play, they still used the original Shakespearean lines. I thought it would have been more effective if they would have updates the script with more modern English if they were going to update everything else about it. K said it would be neat to reinterpret Athens in the play to Athens, Georgia, and do an Old South-style production of it, script and all. Hm.

"Lysander, I do declare..."

It would certainly be interesting.

Mango Passionfruit...

2010-01-21T20:50:00.000-08:00

...is the flavor of tea I'm drinking! It's an herbal blend from Stash. Generally I prefer loose teas, but as far as grocery store brands go, Stash is pretty solid. I feel I need a sunny, tropical taste tonight because Mother Nature has decided to punish me for gloating about the nice weather by making it rain all day today.

I took these yesterday on campus. Come back soon, sunny weather!

In the meantime, I've had to modify my wardrobe a bit. Nothing too special today since I had to traipse around in the puddles. In fact, most of the day I didn't even wear these boots you see here, I had my purple plaid rain boots on! Wearing them makes me want to jump into every puddle I see. Yes, deep down I am five years old.

These jeans are not one of my favorites. I really don't care for those faded sections on the front. But really, it was so icky today, why would I want to wear one of my favorite pairs of jeans?

By the way, I am really loving this warm chocolate-colored nail polish this winter. It has just enough sparkle to make me feel glam. I haven't tried the matte craze yet, but I'm kicking it around. Any tips for a first-time matte nail polish wearer?

As you may or may not know, early last spring I had a slew of frequent flier miles set to expire. I didn't have enough to use for my summer trip to Japan, and I wasn't really planning on going anywhere else, so I decided to take advantage of a "VERY SPECIAL OFFER" that the airline offered-- to cash them all in on magazine subscriptions instead! See the humongous stack of them next to me? That's not all of them. There are more scattered on those shelves, and on my desk, and in the magazine rack by our couch. And the 12 months of subscriptions aren't up yet. I get a magazine usually every three days, and occasionally I get two or three at once. Once the 12 months end, I plan to take them to a used book store and make a little cash. If they give me enough for even a halfway decent dinner, I'll be happy. My thrifty spirit can't pass up something free!

Or maybe I'll give some of the profit to my mailman as a tip, since I'm sure he loathes me by now.

sweater - too old to remember / jeans - American Rag

scarf - old / boots - thrifted

Golden like the sunshine

2010-01-19T12:48:00.000-08:00

cardigan - Target / dress - thrifted / belt - thrifted / shoes - Target

The grand total for this outfit- including shoes, but not including underwear :P - was $16. I'm in love with this retro lace overlay dress, and even more in love with the price: $5.00! Oh thrift stores, how I love you. Sometimes I really wish I lived in a bigger city with lots of great thrift stores, but as you can see here, it's possible to find some treasures even here in South Carolina. Still, if I ever find myself in New York, you can bet I'll hit up every thrift store I can find....

This week, I have some exciting things coming up. Too bad not all of them are exciting in the good way :( I've hinted before that I've been having some issues with my thesis/dissertation committee, and none of that has gone away as I had hoped. So tomorrow, my director has requested a meeting with me to discuss "options." Somehow that sounds really scary to me. I also have a meeting with the professor I work for in my research assistantship. Right now, I'm going through hundreds of transcripts of interviews that are part of the Appalachian Oral History Project. It's a huge series of interviews that were recorded in eastern Tennessee with locals who were mostly elderly at the time. There's really some incredible material in them, I wish I had time to sit down and really read through each one. It's so strange to read interviews with people who start out by saying they were born in 1890. It's amazing to me that I'm able to read the exact words of people who grew up so long ago, sharing their personal histories.

I also get to take one of my ESL students to a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream this Friday. I'm super excited about it! She is such a good student, and it was her choice to start reading Shakespeare plays last fall. She has to be one of the most ambitious students I've ever met-- to tackle Shakespeare as a non-native speaker takes some guts. We've started reading and discussing our third Shakespeare play together, and I'm very impressed with her. It really is rewarding to work with young teens and watch them grow into the people they will be as adults.

As much as I'm enjoying the work I'm doing right now, and the classes I'm taking (Second Language Acquisition and Advanced Topics in Japanese Sociolinguistics- taught in Japanese! eek!), I'm already making plans for spring break. K and I have decided to take a few days and go down to Savannah. I can't believe I've lived this close to Savannah for almost two years now and I've still never been there! So, we're going to go down and do it properly and see all the sights, and hopefully eat at Paula Deen's restaurant!! Have any of you ever been to Savannah? I'd love to hear tips and must-sees if you have.

P.S.~ Thank you so much for all the comments and follows lately :) I really appreciate it. You guys are so sweet!

Rosy tea party

2010-01-17T12:57:00.000-08:00

dress - Urban Outfitters / cardigan - JC Penney / shoes - Target

I found this beautiful dress on the clearance rack at Urban Outfitters, and it just screamed "tea party" to me. I also discovered my new favorite place to take pictures in my apartment. Finally, a place that looks halfway decent. It can be a tricky thing to find when you live in an apartment this small!

Even though it's been really warm today, I just had to have tea. A friend and I had a study date earlier in the day, and I treated her to some of my new jasmine tea I brought back from Okinawa. It's nice, but it's pretty strong compared to most mainland Japan teas. I wonder if they drink something similar in Taiwan? Anyhow, I'd love to make a tea latte out of it and sweeten it up a bit.

In a stroke of luck today, it's beautifully sunny outside right now! The forecast called for rain, and it was pouring earlier, but now it's lovely. I think I might go for a jog later. By the way, I can jog two miles now without stopping! Not bad, huh? Of course, it's not the quickest two miles on record, but I'm super proud that I can even do it. It's good progress towards the St. Patrick's Day 5k that I'd like to try to do.

Technicolor gams

2010-01-16T21:46:00.000-08:00

dress - Target / cardigan - Charlotte Russe / belt - Charlotte Russe / tights - Target / shoes - Shi / scarf - Filene's Basement

I decided to try the colored tights trend tonight! I really wasn't sure about this one because I'm kind of insecure about my legs, but I couldn't resist trying these bright purple ones. I didn't want to go too crazy with the color so I kept everything else kind of muted (except the scarf). I have a stack of fun scarves like this in my closet, left over from my teaching in Japan days. The dress code was really strict, so I wore scarves to have a little bit of personality. Even though the skirt suit + silk scarf combo led a lot of people to ask me if I was a flight attendant....

Sorry for posting only one picture. We spent the day in Charleston, and unfortunately it rained the whole time, so it was kind of tough to get some good shots. I also bought a pair of red tights, and I'm trying to think of ways to wear them without looking too Mrs. Claus. We'll see!

First week down

2010-01-16T07:58:00.000-08:00

cardigan - Forever21 / halter top - Forever21 / skirt - Filene's Basement / boots - Macy's / earrings - New York & Company

Sorry for the brief hiatus! This was the first week of classes for spring semester, so it's been pretty busy chez moi. Plus, the outfit you see above is what I wore to buy a new car.

Yep. After K's car dramatically killed itself, we had to go car shopping again. I had a serious case of deja-vu-- oh wait, I just did this five months ago, that's why! Funny, I bought my other car the first week of fall semester. So we ended up getting a 2006 Kia Spectra5. Right, it's not new, but it's new to us! I think it's really cute. I had been eyeing an Aveo hatchback, but I actually like the Kia better after test driving it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that having a 2006 and a 2007 means that we won't have to deal with car repair issues for a long long time.

If you aren't familiar with the Spectra5, here's a glamour shot of one. Mine is black!

Farmer's Daughter

2010-01-09T19:25:00.000-08:00

Hamming it up with self-timer mode while the Mr. was at work today.

Wow, I've really been wearing a lot of plaid lately, haven't I? I'll make it a point to wear something entirely non-plaid tomorrow, then. Whatever I wear, it'll have to keep me warm, because I will be outside for much of the day. At car lots.

Snippet of conversation yesterday which took place in the lobby of our local Midas:

K: So what do I owe you for the diagnostic?

Mechanic: [laughs] Don't worry about it. I have a heart, man.

When you hear a mechanic say this, you know you're screwed.

45 minutes prior to this, K and I pushed his car from his office parking lot over to Midas for a diagnostic. It broke down on him while he was driving down to Charleston for work the other day. Thank goodness he wasn't hurt, but the car is so dead that the mechanic didn't even put it on the lift to announce the diagnosis. It's currently sitting in the Midas parking lot until we make an appointment for the car donation people to tow it off.

Which means we now have one car between us, and my classes start next week. My tutoring job was supposed to start next week, too, but I haven't set anything up yet because I don't know if I'll be able to go anywhere. It's really not a good time financially for this to happen. Sigh. Especially since neither of our parents are in a position to help us out right now. So we are stuck with the choice of either A) paying a little bit, mostly up front, for a piece of junk that may or may not last through the summer, or B) trying our luck to get financed for something newer and more reliable and having to deal with the monthly payments on top of everything else. I don't even know if we could get a reasonable financing plan since I just took out a car loan last August when my car died. Needless to say, stress levels are super high right now. Which I think has contributed to K coming down with a cold today. Things could definitely be worse, I know, I know. But sheesh, couldn't they be a little bit better? At this rate I won't be able to afford school in the fall, which will leave me two courses short of an M.A. -_-

What's a girl to do?

Rad Plaid

2010-01-07T12:12:00.000-08:00

I love love love this plaid coat! Got it at Dillard's about a year ago hot off the clearance rack. What's that? Me? Shopping from the clearance rack? Shocking, I know. The boots are from my mom for Christmas. I love them! I've been craving some high black boots for a while, but they can be so pricey. The broach is my latest favorite accessory, purchased (on sale) at San-A in Miyako. I love the blend of traditional and modern in it-- it's very similar to flower ornaments that geisha apprentices put in their hair, but the colors and the rhinestones and pearls are completely modern. I've never worn a broach before, but I just had to have this one. Here I am showing it off in Ginza!

It feels so posh to say "Here I am in Ginza!" but the truth is that I can't even afford to walk into most of the stores there XD Still, it's fun to pretend. Also, it's nice to show that I don't spend my entire life in the backwoods of South Carolina, haha!

Classes begin next week. I only have one class that I actually have to attend (Second Language Acquisition), and then one independent study (Advanced Topics in Japanese Sociolinguistics), and tutoring my students for credit. This should give me plenty of time to catch up on my hours for my research assistantship. I can't wait to get back into it. Part of what I do is scour letters written during the Civil War, from soldiers missing their families or in desperate need of help because they are deserters. It's fascinating stuff, but admittedly very difficult to read at times. Some of the words they use are also very interesting, and many are terms that were very relevant to the culture at the time, but that hardly anyone today would understand. Luckily my professor seems to know absolutely everything about everything, so he can answer my questions.

I've also been working on figuring out my program of study. I haven't been freaking out about it, only thinking about it. Progress! I think I've come to a conclusion that will work best for me at this point in my life, and still leave plenty of academic doors open. I'll share more on this once it's finalized.

Too cold for flappers

2010-01-04T15:46:00.000-08:00

New dress, straight from the clearance racks at $9.99! I love this flapper style, and it's lined chiffon, which will be great come spring and summer. I don't think you can see it in these pictures, but the dress actually has a teeny-tiny multicolor floral print. I can't wait to try it with a bright, shorter cardigan when it gets warmer.

These pictures were taken on my beautiful campus (honestly, that's one of the things that drew me to this school). The last picture was taken near the entrance to the university rose garden. Look at the fountain! It's very rare that you see such a thing in South Carolina, so I just had to snap a picture with it.

Here's another picture I just had to take-- look at how comfortable Dexter is on his chair! I think this is his favorite spot in the whole house. We have this chair sitting in the dormer, so it gets lots of sunlight, which of course kittles like. I can't believe how big he is! To think that when he showed up last summer he was only about 3 weeks old. Sometimes I wish he was still the size of a 3-week-old, particularly when he decides to tear around the place like a psychopath.

Psycho kitty, qu'est-ce que c'est?

Yeah. Really bad. I know.

Scarf Love

2010-01-02T09:43:00.000-08:00

I am in love with this new scarf! I got it on sale in Japan last week. Around New Year's, just like here, the sales in Japan are incredible. This gem was only 400 yen (around $4.25). Can you believe it? I love the Burberry-esque look for Goodwill prices. I got K one in a charcoal and red plaid.

As it's Saturday, we're just hanging out until K has to go to work later today, and doing a little thrifting. While we were out, we took advantage of the clear (although COLD) weather and K took some fun shots of me.

It's supposed to be pretty frigid the next few days, but still sunny. It always seems like a trick when you look outside and the sun is bright, but then you step out and it's F-R-E-E-Z-I-N-G! Well, I'm just grateful that we don't get snow down here XD

Preppy New Year

2010-01-01T15:35:00.001-08:00

I love this new cropped blazer! I found it on mega-sale yesterday for only $12. Score! The purple tank is from New York & Co. on sale last summer, shoes from Shi $40 a couple years back, and skinny jeans unknown... got 'em almost 3 years ago now. Pretty reasonable cost-wise.

My hair is a little outrageous here, and to me it indicates two possibilities: it's time to either
a) get a trim
OR
b) sign a modeling contract with Urban Outfitters

I think (a) is more doable, and frankly more appealing. Must work on completing that next week.

I made my New Year's resolutions last night. Here they are:
1. Lose 15 pounds. I've decided to start using the Weight Watchers system to get serious about it. I say "Weight Watchers system" because I don't have the money to join the actual program right now, so I've done a little internet research and downloaded some guides so I can follow the rules without paying membership fees. I'm going to also try to do some serious exercise to speed the weight loss along. In fact, I'm registering for a St. Patrick's Day 5k in my city so I have a deadline for getting fit enough to complete it. I'm really excited about setting this goal!
2. Stop freaking out about school. Yesterday I had a meltdown about the stress my professors on my committee have been putting me through. I'm officially a doctoral candidate now, but I have several reservations about going through with it at this point in my life, especially in light of some things that happened last summer and last fall around the time of my thesis proposal defense. I've decided that it's not worth it to kill myself over getting a Ph.D. and even if I don't do it now, I've proven that I am capable of getting into a very reputable program (my university's linguistics program is in the top 10 in the country!) and I can do it at a later point if I choose to. This resolution is really about enjoying life more and worrying less. Because it's just not worth it.
3. Take a fun 1-week vacation, even if it's just camping. I want to take a real vacation with K this year. Last year we went to Japan, but the reason we went was because my field research trip got botched. This year I want to take a fun vacation for the sake of taking a vacation, and planning it that way instead of a back-up to something else. We really want to go to Disney World for a week, but if that's not in the budget this year, then I'm cool with exploring Savannah or St. Augustine for a week, or even just camping. I'm not high-maintenance at all about this stuff. Just as long as we have some quality couple's relaxation time and do something new.
4. Keep track of household finances in my new book.
Last week, I bought a 2010 household finances book that has columns and schedules where you record every purchase you make daily. It looks kind of like a school planner, but it's only for finances. They had a ton of them at all the bookstores I went to in Japan. I can't recall ever having seen something like this in the U.S., although I'm sure somebody makes them. I think it's a really good idea, and they had them in so many different cute designs. I chose a super-cute Hello Kitty one that came with stickers to mark important dates, a receipt holder, and filing envelopes. I figure that looking at finances might not be so painful if it's incredibly cute. Here's hoping.

~Happy New Year 2010~

2009-12-31T21:18:00.001-08:00

Jet lag recovery in style

2009-12-30T07:35:00.000-08:00

Yup, I'm back from the islands, after three solid days of traveling. It really takes quite a bit of work to get to a Pacific island.

Jet lag affected me almost as soon as I got back home, since for some reason I can never sleep on planes, even if the flight is 12 hours long...but at least I was comfortable, because somehow they seated me in business class, woohoo!! I was able to stretch out and I think that's what kept me from getting a Charlie Horse last night. It seems like every time I do a long-haul flight, the first night back I get a nasty Charlie Horse that wakes me up in the middle of the night. Long legs + teensy coach seats with next to no leg room = ouch!

I feel a little stiff today, but I think that's from a combination of traipsing through three airports and two train stations with an overweight suitcase and three other bags, and then sleeping on an American bed last night after 3 weeks of sleeping on a futon in Japan. Er, that's a Japanese futon, not futon in the American sense of the word. Quite different. Actually I'm thinking of trying to get a platform bed and switch to a futon mattress rather than a traditional mattress because I think the futon reduces back pain. Plus, easier cleaning and airing out! But then, there is the slightly complicated matter of finding such furniture here in South Carolina and then of course affording it. Hm.

Anyhow, I decided to wear something comfortable and stylish today, and it's such a relief to wear something that isn't wrinkled and musty from being in a suitcase. Plus this sweater is super soft and comfy. Plus, the entire outfit, including necklace and shoes, cost me less than $100.00. Not bad, huh?

More fun from the island

2009-12-29T10:13:00.000-08:00

That last one is my new desktop wallpaper :) I still can't get over how clear the water is. Have you ever seen anything like this?

A belated Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T23:10:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas (yesterdat) everyone!

Today in Miyako, the wind is unbelievably strong. And I have a cold :( Yuck. So, I decided I needed a hairstyle that would stay put all day and not get blown around, so I put it into the mass of braids here. It reminds me of how we used to wear our hair for football games during marching band. Ah, memories.

So, even though I'm self-conscious about looking fat, especially in the legs, when I'm in Japan, I am loving wearing leggings here. Super comfortable and convenient for all the sitting on the floor that you are always required to do here. I don't have many pairs right now, but I'm really tempted to buy more to go with some of the new dresses and skirts I have (well, new to me-- some of them are "new" from Goodwill!). The tunic I have on in this picture is actually going on three years old now, wow. It doesn't seem like it was that long ago when I bought it, but I guess it was. I would looooove to stock up on cute clothes here, but alas, my suitcase is only so big, and it's already threatening to not close properly with all of my newly accumulated stuff.

Also, I've been living in cardigans like this one. Soooo comfy. Stuff like this actually makes me like winter a little bit.

Ahem.

Miyakojima and South Carolina-style winters, that is. Anything north of the Mason-Dixon latitude would not be nearly as pleasant.

沖縄でのんびり～

2009-12-18T23:46:00.000-08:00

Greetings all from Okinawa! It's not quite as warm as I had expected it to be, but it seems it's far warmer than back home in good ol' SC. Evidently the forecast was calling for flurries in SC. Flurries...SC....those two things just do not seem to go together. Even though it's chilly here, it's still in the mid-60s, and it's supposed to warm up more by next week. Which means, with any luck, I can go snorkeling again!!

Yes, that's right, the first day I arrived here, I went snorkeling at a beautiful beach with crystal clear water. I could see all the way to the bottom when I was in water that was probably 15-20 feet deep. I saw so many types of colorful fish swimming in and out of the coral reef! I think I can only name one of them, and I'm not even sure I'm correct with that one. Luckily I found an island guide that includes pictures and names of all the fish you are likely to see snorkeling, so I'll have to check the ones I've seen and then translate them at some point.

There is so much that I've done and seen so far, it would take a very long time to type it up, which I don't have right now because I'm getting ready to go out to see a local music show! But here are some snippets of my adventure so far:

*I walked about 30 miles in one day, at first because I was exploring and then because I got lost.
*I accidentally hitchhiked.
*I drank apricot-flavored sake. And today, peach-flavored sparkling sake.
*I have no idea what 50% of what I've eaten is. And it's going to stay that way.
*I've made several new friends who are fellow travelers here at the same guesthouse.
*I've watched local songs performed on sanshin. And I'm going to again tonight!
*I found a sesame snack that might be even better than my beloved Chinese restaurant sesame balls- beni imo dango (picture here: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3168/3114554075_31a78be169.jpg). It's a type of purple sweet potato mashed and fried with sesame seeds. Yummmm~~

Color on a grey day

2009-12-07T18:39:00.001-08:00

Another fashion post!
Since it was grey and gloomy outside today, I decided to play around with photos inside. My apartment is tiny, so I'm looking for creative places to take photos. I'd like to have a fancy-schmancy camera, but I kind of like how this one turned out.
I went thrifting on Sunday and found this awesome skirt for only $4. Love it! I got two other skirts as well, which were also $4. I love this one because it has a cute pseudo-kimono print, which I think suits this week perfectly.
Also, you probably can't see it very well, but I'm wearing this amazing purple nail polish. I love purple nails! It cheers me up when the weather is less than stellar...and when I'm working on another paper >_<

My last paper is due on Wednesday at 3:00. I guess that means it's time to get cracking, huh?

Where does she do her shopping...?

2009-12-06T18:30:00.000-08:00

Yes, her bag says "JENNY THONG."

I was emptying the memory card for my camera (which I'm really bad about doing btw) and found this picture from my last trip to Japan. I'm dying to know where she got such a bag!

Lace & denim

2009-12-06T15:36:00.000-08:00

Today I feel kind of blah. I don't know if I'm sick, stressed, or my body is just adjusting to my new diet + exercise plan, but I don't feel like doing anything today. So I tried to make myself feel a bit better by wearing something pretty. And what's prettier than lace? I got this cream lace dress on clearance, and not only is it comfty, but it's not a one-season dress. Here's my winter version with brown leggings, fuzzy clogs, and a denim jacket. I think the jacket gives it more of an edge and makes it casual. I'll have to try creative ways to dress it up in the future when the situation calls for it.

I also went thrifting today and found some great steals, although I found the best steal of all for K-- near-new Merrell shoes for $4.50!! Why couldn't they have had some for women, or at least some very small men's ones?! They look so comfty. Here's a link to a pic of them: http://www.zappos.com/product/7463200/color/72 Nice, huh?

By the way, see how the trees still have all their leaves in the second picture? That's South Carolina's version of winter. And no, I didn't wear a coat today. I love it here :D

Lighter days

2009-12-05T14:19:00.000-08:00

Too much stress has been going on in my life lately, so it's time to lighten up a little. I decided to go shopping with K today to update my wardrobe a little. Allow me to model a new find paired with some older pieces. Dress is new, the rest is not:

Also featured here is my lovely backyard.

Here are some other pictures from my life here in South Carolina~

Fabulous shrimp cockail at @116

Sightseeing at local plantations

Dexter at 6 months. I want him to be tiny again!

Boscoe loves that South Carolina is almost always sunny!

This is a fellow resident of our neighborhood. He guards the little plant nursery near us after hours, even if his version of "guarding" consists of walking up to the fence and wagging when anyone walks by. Isn't he gorgeous?

I haven't been taking very many pictures in the past several months, which is inexcusable in this age of digital cameras. So I'm going to make an effort to take more pictures. I'm sure I'll take tons starting next weekend anyway :D

あと七日

2009-12-04T18:26:00.000-08:00

来週の土曜日２１：３０に、東京行きの飛行機にいる。
キャーー！
もう緊張したｗ

This time next week, I will be sitting on a plane, about 30 minutes from landing in Tokyo. I feel like it's coming up so quickly, even though I've been planning it for several months. There are so many things to be nervous about... but instead, I'm trying to focus on the things to be excited about!

So, I didn't ditch my professor. My director decided to have me proceed with my defense, which I did. And at the meeting, the two of them asked me if I would like to pursue a concurrent M.A./Ph.D. instead of only the M.A., which is my current plan of study. They said to really go in-depth with what I want to do, it would be best to extend my thesis and do two field trips instead of one short one, then take a semester and try to get published.

Which is great.

But.

My director neglected to tell me all semester that I have to get board approval to work with human subjects, and now since there are four business days left until I leave, there is not enough time to get the certification pushed through. Which means, I cannot conduct any official research on this trip. So a lot of questions are going through my mind, like, should I try to do a Ph.D. even though I don't feel ready for it? What happens if I can't get funding to do a second research trip next summer? There is no way I can fund it myself *again* and if I only go to part-time status next fall, I will lose my assistantship. Also, I can't take out any more student loans. I was so excited about the prospect of going to Korea, and I'm just not feeling excited about this. It wasn't part of the plan. I'm not good at my theoretical classes, and I have to be able to ace those to even keep my head above water in the Ph.D. program. And if I can't even do a second trip next year, what will happen to my plan for my thesis? Is there even a point in going over winter break? I'm missing Christmas and New Year with my husband and family because I thought I was going to be doing some valuable research for my thesis. But now it looks like I will just be sitting on a tiny island in the Pacific.

The silver lining is that I get to mull all of this over while strolling some of the most amazing beaches in the world. And that seems like a pretty decent silver lining to me.

Busy as a bee

2009-11-08T14:43:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite pictures I've taken. No Photoshop used here, just the beautiful colors of the natural world.

I'm working on my thesis like crazy, even though I have yet to do any actual field work. So far it's twenty pages long, and when all is said and done, including appendices and references, I think it's going to be between 80 and 100 pages. It'll be pretty amazing to have a 100-page paper sitting around, just to look at it and say "Hey, I wrote that!" Hopefully it will be worth it, 'cause I haven't had a real weekend in... I don't even want to know how long. The first partial draft will be sent to my director by Tuesday, and then I will BREATHE! At least, until the 24th, which is when I have to do my oral defense of the research proposal. It's very intimidating, but right now all my worrying energy is reserved for getting as much of the actual thesis done as possible before Tuesday.

I'm also getting geared up to head to Okinawa in only 34 days~~woohoo! This will be the most unique trip I've ever taken. I'm excited but also slightly nervous to stay with strangers the whole time and speak only Japanese for a month. But the way I see it, my life is an adventure, and I want to seize every opportunity I can. It turns out that my friend won't be able to travel with me after all, which is too bad. But at the same time, speaking only Japanese for that long will probably make me pretty ペラペラ when I get back. (Note to self: don't forget to bring a dictionary!)

Time to go back to the salt mines and chip away at the thesis, then plan three English lessons, then put together a presentation. Zoom!

Jazzed

2009-10-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

Well, it's definitely autumn in South Carolina, which means it's pouring rain and the forecast shows no signs of it letting up. While walking from class to my parking space this morning, I got completely soaked, even though I was using an umbrella! I really need to invest in a proper pair of rain boots before all my jeans get destroyed.

In more cheerful news, K and I have already applied for jobs together for after I graduate. It took only about 24 hours after submitting all the application paperwork before we both received the news that we have interviews! I am really excited because although the positions don't begin until next August, they are in....

Korea!

No, I've never been there, and no, I don't speak the language (not more than "hello," "I love you," "I'm so sorry," and "tell me right now!!"--all learned from melodramatic TV series, I might mention), BUTTTTT I'm really feeling ready for a new adventure. Plus, the money is excellent and we would be able to travel to other part of Asia. I've heard that the interview is pretty darn easy and that it's mostly to make sure that you're not lying about being a native English speaker (p.s. I am.).

Stay tuned.

秋になったね

2009-10-04T17:20:00.000-07:00

Here in South Carolina, the growing season is all year long, so we don't have much of a change in seasons. The flowers that are in bloom change periodically, and right now, one of my favorites are in bloom-- azaleas. It seems to be a tie between what the most favored flower is here, azaleas or magnolias. Luckily, they seem to bloom at alternate intervals, so I don't have to choose. I miss the scent of night-blooming jasmine that seems ever-present during the summer months, but now the university campus is covered in colorful blossoms. It's really nice.

Well, a couple of weeks ago, I got a phone call that my grandmother, who was diagnosed with cancer in early August, had passed away. I was in the car two hours later, drove all night, and arrived at my parents' house just after dawn. It all happened so suddenly, and everyone was in such a state of shock, that a lot of planning and errands fell to me. It was stressful and I didn't get much sleep at all while I was there, but I wanted to put a lot of time and care into it because my grandma had always put such time and care into helping me. I can't really say much more without upsetting myself. It has really been a transitional time in my life. It's very difficult to not be able to talk with someone you usually talk to 2-3 times per week.

On top of that, I've started my thesis research and my travel plans for my research trip in December are pretty much hashed out. One of my friends will be joining me as a travel buddy/research assistant, and I'm really excited about that. She hasn't been to Japan in a long time and I think we'll have a blast. I've even made some internet friends who are willing to help me with research once I arrive in Japan. I can't believe it's only two months away now! Staying focused on that project is helping to keep my mind off of other things. The scary part is that I will be doing my research proposal oral defense next month. Yikes! It'll be a relief next semester when I only have to attend one class and I can officially devote 3 whole credit hours to thesis work instead of the measly 1 I'm enrolled for now, on top of my full course load.

I have a feeling the rest of the semester is going to fly by.

Country Living

2009-09-01T19:28:00.001-07:00

No, that's not a description of my life recently, that's the title of a magazine that's stalking me. For some reason, I've started receiving issues of Country Living magazine, which is pretty much irrelevant to my life. Today, they apparently took it up a notch because when I came home, I found a package on my front porch with a Country Living tote bag. The magazine says I've paid for a subscription. Even weirder, this magazine comes to my correct address. My address is not that complicated, but 85% of the mail I receive has some sort of error.
Here's the thing. I get something like 15 or 16 magazines a month. The reason for this is that I had about a zillion frequent flier miles but I wasn't planning any trips at the time they were coming up on their expiration date. Luckily (?) said airline offers other rewards, and I used up all my miles on magazines about either fashion, health, wine, or food. The funny part (to me, at least) is that the airline still had my parents' address as my default address, so my parents get shitloads of magazines every month for me. As they come in, they tell me the title of the magazine so I can go to the magazine's website and change the address so future issues will be sent here. I plan to take a huuuuuge stack of these babies to a used book store around Christmas.
Country Living, however, remains a mystery, because it never arrived at my parents' house before coming here. There was no yellow forwarding label or anything. And now, the mysterious tote bags. I even interrogated my mom, thinking that maybe she signed me up as a joke, but no dice. Maybe the publishing company saw that I'm getting every single other magazine they print and assumed that I had a subscription for that one, too. Whatever.

You came in with the breeze...

2009-08-16T07:45:00.000-07:00

...on Sunday morning, you sure have changed since yesterday.
Anyone else remember that song? Ah, it takes me back.
For the past week, my beloved sunny South Carolina has been anything but sunny. It's been switching between stormy, drizzly, and gloomy. I know we could use the rain, and I remember that last August it was like this for a few weeks too, but it sure is depressing. Somehow it seems to match certain events in my life lately.
My classes are starting soon, and I found out yesterday that the financial aid department has screwed up my awards. My husband says they'll be able to fix it easily on Monday, but I'm not so sure. I always seem to have the worst luck with things like this. I haven't even bought my textbooks yet, so I need my financial aid awards ASAP. I'm worried that, due to the nature of the office's error, I'm going to have to start the whole process over and re-apply for what I was already awarded and it will be several weeks before I see a dime of it. I know it's pointless to sit here and worry about it, but unfortunately that's one of the things I'm best at.
My car had been acting up, getting progressively worse over the summer. After I dropped a few hundred bucks on it during our vacation fiasco in May, I thought everything would be all right with it. No such luck. It started shuddering and making noises, and then on Friday it had one heck of a time even getting over 15 mph. I began toying with the idea of trading it in for something more reliable, because I had a feeling the transmission's days were numbered. So yesterday, we spent the day browsing used car lots. Long story short, the last place we went to took a look at my car to get an idea of how much I would get for a trade-in, and they ran a quick test to come up with a number. The number they gave me was half of the Kelly Blue Book value, because the "tranny" as the salesman called it (interestingly I've only heard that term associated with transvestites before this), was ready to fall out- in addition to everything else that was wrong with it. Sigh. Two hours later, I waved good-bye to the car I had driven since junior year of high school and rode off into the sunset in a shiny green car that's only a couple of years old. I hate the idea of having to deal with a monthly car payment, but it's better that than my old car keel over on the highway and have to pay for a tow and thousands of dollars' worth of repairs on the spot. The new one isn't nearly as sporty as my old one, sadly. It's an actual "grown-up" car, with four doors and everything. Weird. But even weirder than that, last night after I got home, I was cleaning out my purse and I found a fortune from a fortune cookie I got a couple weeks ago. The fortune reads, "Something on four wheels will soon be a good investment for you." There are lucky numbers on the back, and I'm really tempted to play them in the lottery!
The other big news that I haven't felt much like talking about is that my grandma, who I'm very close to, has been having health problems for the past year and a half, and was officially diagnosed with cancer about two weeks ago. She's been hospitalized since then at one of the top cancer centers in the country, but the symptoms of her particular cancer are making it next to impossible for her to eat anything. The prognosis they gave her was not very bright, but also not terribly dire; however, with her caloric intake hovering around 500 per day, her condition is not improving. I had already planned to drive up for a few days this coming Thanksgiving, but yesterday my parents called to say that they were flying me up next weekend to see her. I need to visit her, but I'm also terrified of it. I don't think I can eloborate any more about it right now, I'm finding that it's even difficult to type about this.
Meanwhile, it's really been helping to play with my cats. It's comforting that no matter what is happening in the outside world, cats still need attention every morning at 5:00 am and kittens still cause mayhem in surprising ways.

Long See No Time?

2009-08-11T17:34:00.000-07:00

Where have I been? Around.
But I've been doing lots of things this summer. I can't believe it's August already and classes begin *gulp* next week. I'm a little reluctant to go back because I'm nervous about starting my thesis for real. I already have a fat stack of library books on my desk waiting to be skimmed for potential interest to my project. I found a professor who is willing to direct my thesis, and my adviser says it sounds promising. Let me tell you, it gets a whole lot scarier once you tell people your ideas and commit to following through with it. I've also signed on to do part-time environmental volunteer work in exchange for room and board on the island where I will do research.
In addition to getting that set up, I've been tutoring several students multiple times a week in ESL, reading, grammar, writing- anything you can imagine that has to do with the English language. It's actually a lot of fun, and I'll continue to work with three of my students throughout the school year. I'm glad I get to keep working with them, but I don't doubt it will be a full schedule what with taking classes full time, not to mention my assistantship, which I've already started. My professor e-mailed me early in the summer to see if I'd be interested in helping him with one of his many projects over the break. No assistantship was available for the summer, so he's been giving me as many hours as I want on his own dime. I really like working with him, I just hope he's not putting any kind of financial burden on himself to keep this going. I'll be happy once the department is handing out my paychecks again in a couple of weeks. Right now, my work with him consists of proof-reading typed transcripts of letters written by Civil War veterans with the original handwritten manuscripts. It's incredibly interesting, but every now and then I give myself a bit of a headache trying to figure out what a certain word is.
I got my back-to-school haircut this morning, hurrah! I realized I hadn't been to get a trim since March... wow. Slightly embarrassing when my hair stylist pointed this out to me. But she's great and understands how scatter-brained us grad students can be. I just need to do a bit of back-to-school shopping and I'll be set. I got myself a couple of spiffy new lunch boxes-- well, bento boxes-- in Osaka, so that base is covered.

Things I want to do before summer vacation ends:
1. Go to the beach. The ocean beach, not the lake beach.
2. Finish the novel I'm reading.
3. Go for a walk by the river.
4. Get Korean ice cream one more time (melon flavor of course).
5. Sip a pina colada in my back yard.

New home, new friends

2009-06-21T21:11:00.000-07:00

(water bottle shown for size comparison, not for kitten food or bedding!)
As you know, or maybe you don't know, I love animals and will feed any creature that shows up at my front door looking hungry. For the past 8 months or so, I've been feeding a stray cat that I call Butternut, as well as her grown-up kitten Sprinkles, and a male cat. They have gotten so friendly and tame that they will just walk right in the front door and into the kitchen to get a snack, and sometimes jump up on the couch afterward to be petted for a little while. Well, a few months ago, Sprinkles had some kittens of her own. I was hoping to pet them, but they're pretty skittish and we still haven't been able to get close to them. We figured that Butternut wasn't able to have kittens anymore because her hips are kinda messed up and her tail just kind of dangles there, she can't lift or move it.
And then one night last week it stormed. While it was raining, we heard a strange little sound, like a bird. Husband got up to look out the window on the front door and didn't see anything. So he opened the door and said "OH. MY. GOD." So of course I ran over there. There on the doorstep, taking shelter from the rain, was Butternut. Next to her was the tiniest black and white kitten I've ever seen, mewing pathetically. We scooped them up and dried them off and put the kitten in a box with a towel. Butternut was pacing and acting weird, so we let her out after a while. She didn't come back, so I decided to sleep on the couch with the kitten box next to me so our other cats didn't interfere with it (earlier Bijou gave it a good bop on the head...). Husband had an early shift and left around 4:00 in the morning. Butternut still wasn't back. But around 7:00, I was awakened by a familiar sound... I opened the door to find a tiny, shaking orange kitten all by herself, crying. I sighed and picked her up, dried her off, and put her in the box next to the other one. Obviously they were siblings, as they curled up next to each other and went to sleep right away. Sure enough, a couple of hours later, Butternut returned and came in to feed them. And now, almost a week later, they are still in the apartment.
It was all adorable and I love kittens, but we already have two cats. Plus, Butternut decided to bring them the week before we give up that apartment for our new one. The selfish part of me wants to keep all three of them, but that doesn't seem very practical. It's like a cat soap opera around here, honestly.
Well, I'm glad I can enjoy playing with kittens at least for a few days :)

Sweet Summer Nectar

2009-06-13T12:39:00.000-07:00

ATTENTION: If you are lucky enough to find this jar in your local grocery or specialty store, get it!!

This is a jar of yuzu tea mix. It looks a little like runny marmalade, but you don't spread it on toast. No, you mix a few teaspoonfuls into a glass of ice water, or soda water, or hot water, and make iced yuzu tea, yuzu soda, or hot yuzu tea, respectively. It's that easy. My favorite way to have it is in iced tea form. During these hot summer days, this stuff is heaven.

I first had iced yuzu tea at a Korean restaurant in Japan on a hot day. I had never even heard of it before, even on previous trips to Japan, and I was sad when I finished because I didn't know where to get it. But then I did a little internet research recently, and discovered it comes in huge jars like that. And lo and behold, one of the Asian markets in my city carries it!

I'm trying to not use the entire jar today. But, no guaruntees.

Postcarding

2009-06-09T16:13:00.000-07:00

Well, to follow up on my last entry, all is well in the household world. Well, my household, at least. Husband was not mad at me and later told me that I was right and he was sorry (!!). Can I get that in writing, please? Haha, just kidding. He really is a good guy when you get down to it. And right now, he's at work! His new job, despite the unsavory schedule, seems to be something he likes and the pay is decent. "Decent" is about all you can hope for here in South Carolina. He gets to travel all over the state and sometimes across state lines, which is really neat, but it also means that often he will be out until 3:00 a.m. or later. So, although I feel a little lonely, I much prefer this to the alternative.

To try to fend off this loneliness, I've decided to take up some new hobbies. One of these is Postcrossing.com. It's a site that lets you send a postcard to a random person who could be anywhere in the world, and then you in turn receive a postcard from another random person anywhere in the world. Today I sent one to the Netherlands! It's really cool, and it blows my mind that someone, somewhere, is preparing a postcard to send to me.

When it rains...

2009-06-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

Well, you know how the saying goes.

We managed to make it back home on Saturday, after having to get a tow to a garage in the nearest town. Luckily, my FIL snuck his AAA membership card to my husband before MIL demanded they leave (without saying good-bye...or anything else, for that matter). So, the tow didn't cost us anything. The repairs were a different story, unfortunately, because it wasn't just the absent belt that was the problem, it was a part that holds the belt in place. After spending half of Friday in the smoky waiting area, we were able to drive back to the beach house, our wallets considerably lighter. We thought we would be able to relax then, but of course we discovered that in her haste to leave us, MIL hadn't cleaned a single thing in the beach house, leaving us to scrub down the entire thing. The way the rentals work is you either clean everything yourself before you leave, or you pay an extra $100 for maid service after you check out, which, at that point, we obviously did not have. So, instead of relaxing on the beach or the dock, our Friday evening was spent cleaning and packing. By the way, I found out that the reason she ended up hating me did not start out as my fault. She became irate that the brake pads on her car needed to be replaced (which she demanded be done the minute they started squeaking a little, on the first day we were at the beach house) and she didn't want to spend that amount of money. So, stewing about this, according to FIL, I became the easiest target because I began avoiding her when she was in such a mood- and when I say "mood," think of the way a sulky four-year-old child acts immediately after throwing a tantrum. She bitched about every single thing FIL did, and most things husband did, so I wasn't about to get in her path. Apparently this angered her to no end. I also didn't jump up right after every single meal and offer to do the dishes while she was slamming things around in the kitchen, which pretty much sealed my fate. And then, each morning when she emerged from her bedroom cursing and stomping and husband and I were safely watching TV out of her way, I neglected to say a cheerful "good morning, how did you sleep?" to her, the final nail in my coffin. My husband won't speak to her because he's so angry about the whole thing. Not that she has deigned to apologize, though.

I felt relieved, although still smarting from MIL's treatment on the ride home. Just when we thought we could finally relax and get back into our normal routine, we found out that husband had lost his job. This was not a total surprise, but it still didn't help matters considering what we spent the day before on the car. Then, I checked my e-mail, only to find that my summer teaching position at the university had been canceled. Newly unemployed, we looked over the pieces of mail that had arrived in our absence. Among them was a curious certified letter from the court system of the county where we lived a year ago. Lo and behold, it was an order to appear in court as a result of a claim our former landlord made- that we hadn't paid the final utility bills. Last summer, I thought all of this had been resolved when they sent us a letter demanding a ridiculous amount of money for it, and we sent them photocopies of the cancelled checks with the proper amount and "Utilities for [address]" written very clearly in the memo. They never responded to that letter, so we considered the matter closed. And now, here we are an entire year later, receiving this bullshit.

And lastly, we are moving to a new place, which should be a joyous occasion. The new place is smaller, but it has a tiny yard, plus a washer, dryer, and a dishwasher! Hallelujah! Also, it's $50 cheaper per month that what we've been paying. The not-so-joyous part is that we had to fork over the first month's rent yesterday when we picked up the keys. We also had to pay the final month's rent on our present apartment, which left us stretched a little thin. Then, we found out that the water company wants to charge us a whopping $75 to start service at the new place.

My husband turned to me and said, "Well, at least we can't say our lives are boring."
I looked at him for a moment, then replied, "Have I ever, in the six years you've known me, complained that my life has ever for a single minute been boring?"
"No," he said. "No, you haven't."

"Well, at least it can't get any worse than this..."

2009-05-29T05:48:00.000-07:00

...is what I was thinking yesterday as I dashed for shelter from a downpour, the sudden storm cutting our visit to the botanical gardens short.

Rewind a little.

Woke up yesterday morning, MIL still not talking to me (or husband for that matter) but has decided we will all go to the gardens, a 50-minute drive away. Decide to head out immediately as storms are in the forecast for late afternoon. The cursing and muttering under the breath begins even before we settle into the car, followed by railing about needing to stop for gas, despite the fact that the needle read well over a quarter of a tank. We stop for gas about halfway there. During the stop, Her Highness decides she also needs a snack, and, apparently forgetting her speech 3 days earlier about never eating fried foods, demands we stop at the Golden Arches. The car now filled with the scent of burgers and fries, we continue the final 25 minutes to our destination.

The man at the desk is friendly and politely pretends not to notice the bickering. We set out for the gardens, which, predictably, are a Huge Disappointment to MIL (although I quite like the honeysuckle, magnolias, and decorative fountains). The clouds begin thickening overhead right as she finds something she likes (and I use "like" in a lukewarm sense)- Canadian geese. She sets off across a clearing to chase them with her camera, shooting looks and insults as the rest of us warn that geese are not friendly. I mention that we should hurry; the sky is growing increasingly dark. No acknowledgment. Finally she returns from her goose photo safari and I mention again that we should hurry, to which MIL irritably announces "If we get wet, we get wet. Who cares."

All right. She has complained about every single thing so far this week, including how dirty the ocean water is, how hot it is, the swarms of flies that are seemingly invisible to everyone else, the air conditioning being too cold, the air conditioning being too hot, the Southern accents of everyone here, FIL "burning" dinner.... the list goes on. And on and on and on.

But if she is OK with getting drenched, which looks inevitable, then I decide to leave her to it and make a mad dash back to the visitors' center with husband following. The bottom falls out of the skies about a hundred feet from shelter, and we are pretty wet when we arrive. After we have wiped down with paper towels from the bathroom and refreshed the Band-Aid for the ripe blister on my foot, they arrive at the visitors' center. I simply stand aside and make way, and bite my tongue to stop myself from saying anything, even as the cursing grows louder from the direction of the bathroom. The nice man at the front desk from before tries to make light-hearted conversation about the storm sneaking up, and husband obliges. Fifteen minutes later I find myself in the front seat of the car, MIL in back while FIL and husband arrange umbrella and towels in the trunk.

"Well, this has been one HELL of a vacation," she says, her voice dripping with contempt.

I bite my tongue again.

Fast forward four hours after we get back to the beach house. Husband and I have just returned from generously buying take-out for everyone, and notice the car is a little hard to steer. The battery light also comes on. As the car is going on ten years old, we assume that the battery needs to be replaced, and it needs more power steering fluid. Back at the house, husband decides to check the levels, only to find that the serpentine belt has been completely shredded.

FIL allows us to take his car the fifteen miles into town to the auto parts store to get a replacement belt and a tool with which to do the replacing. We buy it, get home, and realize they gave us the wrong belt. Go all the way back into town to exchange for the proper belt, then stop by my uncle's house and ask him what he knows about this kind of thing. He offers to come over and do it. By 11:00 pm, the car still has no belt. We are in need of either a different tool, or a tow to the nearest garage. FIL offers to take us the following morning to a different auto supply store for the tool.

Fast forward to this morning. MIL refuses to let FIL take husband into town because she wants to leave.

Fast forward to now. Being stranded on this island is looking increasingly likely as I listen to MIL slam things around downstairs. I am staying up here until she is gone, having a breakfast of Cheet-os which are left over from last night.

After all of the things I have been thinking this week, right now I am at a loss for words.

ただいま

2009-05-27T07:23:00.000-07:00

大阪へ行って来ました。

I'm curled up on a wicker loveseat in a beach house that sits about a hundred yards from the ocean. I can hear the waves as I type this. I'm back from Japan, after a wonderful vacation. This is supposed to be Vacation Part II, but as I am spending it with my constantly bickering in-laws, I am somewhat less than relaxed. The tactic I am choosing to implement is ignorance of the situation, which shows on the surface but certainly not underneath. It also backfires because my MIL is constantly sulking and pouting and cursing under her breath when she is not sniping at her husband, and in this way pleads for someone [read: me] to notice and ask whatever could be the matter and sympathize. Unlike my brother-in-law's girlfriend, I refuse to play this game. I can't help feeling that she deems me a dud as a daughter-in-law, but I am who I am. Drama games are not a part of that.

I had expected to relax on this loveseat for several hours, listening to the sound of the waves. In the interval between my opening this new post and writing this sentence, a lawn service van has appeared at the neighbors', and I find myself now listening to the clatter of lawn mowers instead of the ocean.

I can't help feeling that it mimics this week at the beach in its disappointment.

Three more days.

Leaving tomorrow

2009-05-13T13:03:00.000-07:00

明日は出発です。
怖いよ～

Even though I've done a lot of traveling, and I love seeing new places, I am still afraid of flying. I know that I can't let fear rule my life and hold me back from the things I want to do- I gave up too much when I was younger because of my insecurities. Taking this trip with my husband is something we've wanted to do for years, and I can't let my fear stand in the way of that. I just feel like when I'm up there that I'm in an impenetrable vortex. I imagine that a lot of this comes from all the solo flying I've done in the last several years. This time will be different, this time I'll have someone there with me. When I flew to Paris a couple of years ago, it was a very bumpy flight, and the landing really scared me because it was still bumpy and it was dark outside. Plus, no one was with me or waiting for me at the airport. When I went to Vancouver, I felt OK knowing that my best friend was going to meet me at the airport. So this time, I'm bound to feel a little better, right? This is our belated honeymoon, so I want to enjoy as much of it as possible

Starting tomorrow at 8:30 am, I have a 2-hour flight, then a 12 1/2 hour flight, then a 1 1/2 hour flight. Goodness... Well, after that I can order a dozen magazine subscriptions with my frequent flyer miles again, hahaha!

Right outside the window, I can see a birdnest in the tall tree over the driveway. A robin just landed on the side of it with a prize in its mouth. And then-- several tiny mouths reached up to get their share! What a great thing to see. I didn't know any eggs had hatched until now. This time of year is absolutely beautiful in this part of the country.
Soon I will see what it's like on the other side of the world :)
Hopefully we will make friends there, like we did with this little guy here!

出発は近い！

2009-05-10T19:30:00.000-07:00

木曜日、夫と一緒に日本へ行く！　
飛行機で行くのがまだ怖いですけど。
でも夫が居れば大丈夫と思う。　
そうだと良いですが…

Today I ate the first strawberry from my strawberry plant!!
Juicy & sweet ♪
The peas and beans look great, and the squash plants are all in blossom. Not bad for our first attempt at veggie gardening. The plants like the weather; it's already hot and humid here. This makes the cats verrry lazy!

　
Boscoe is probably up to no good, as usual...

時に

2009-04-27T20:43:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's hard to know what to hope for. These plants have it easy. All they hope for is sunlight and water. It's very simple. While there is an appeal in that, the plants also don't experience the joy that people do when everything goes right.

It is night-time now. The hot day has come to rest under a dark sky and cool breeze. My fan is still running, the constant hum my only company this evening. The large tree outside my window has its full summer foliage now, so I cannot see the stars. But I know they are there.

April Tanka 1

2009-04-16T19:38:00.000-07:00

Flitting through the leaves
Cardinals flutter with song
The scent of new life
On the wings of the season
A new nest in the branches

Springtime

2009-04-13T21:46:00.000-07:00

Aren't they beautiful?

These are growing in a lovely walled rose garden in my city. Roses bloom so early here, it's wonderful. The entire city smells like flowers: azaleas, roses, violets, wisteria, so many different types.

It's been so warm for the past few weeks that we've left the windows open even at night. This must be the most beautiful time of the year for South Carolina, before deep summer sets in.

Everyone seems to be enjoying spring!

はじめ

2009-04-11T16:41:00.000-07:00

A snapshot of my Now:

It is warm outside, with a soothing spring breeze that makes the new leaves of the tree outside my window clatter softly every so often. The air is filled with the chatter of many birds as the night draws closer. My cat relaxes half-asleep on the rug in the living room, ignoring them. I admire the blooming greenery visible from my kitchen table over a cup of tea, but my nose is teasing me with the smell of a juicy steak wafting over from my neighbor's yard on the breeze. I love this time between daylight and turning the lamp on.

Welcome to my days.