Buys & Reviews: Moroccan Oil

I have been very curious about this product for some time. I have seen Moroccan Oil on many blogs and decided to try it! Now I usually would not buy something just because of hype but because I have tried everything under the sun on my hair with less then satisfying results I decided to see if it actually did work like everyone said.......and it did!
My hair felt instantly soft and Moroccan Oil gave it a beautiful healthy shine, I was so pleased!!!
I have to say this is sooooo worth the price, it does what it says it does and it is not greasy.
I bought mine for about $40.00, its not cheap but its really worth the price and I will definitely be a repeat buyer of this product.
Moroccan Oil has many different types of hair care products including shampoo, conditioner, styling products and of course the original oil.
There are many ways you can use Moroccan Oil. I use mine after I shower and you will only need about a dime size drop. Trust me a little goes a long way and make sure you get your ends first and work your way up. Whether you blow dry or not it will leave your hair beautiful!

I give Moroccan Oil ☆☆☆☆ out of ☆☆☆☆

❋ Pros:
✭Non-greasy on hair and hands
✭Gives hair a smooth, healthy look
✭Adds shine
✭Smells divine!
✭Helps with frizz and fly aways
✭Dries hair much faster

❋Cons
✭ Expensive
✭Glass Bottle (not good for clumsy hands)

Hope you found this helpful! I highly recomment Moroccan Oil!

♥Happy 5th Birthday To My Darling Son♥

3:52 pm September 5, 2006 is when my life changed for ever in the most wonderful way ....my angel was born. Kai is the light and love of my life and I dont know what I would do without him. I still remember the excitement I felt when I found out I was pregnant and the immense amount of joy and love I felt when he was born..now my boy is turning into a child and no longer a baby. I cherish every minute with him...he is my heart. Happy Birthday my darling boy♥

New City, New Home, New Life, and New Layout

Please excuse me for my long absence on this blog. I have had an extremely busy two months and things are finally settling down.
I honestly never thought that we would move back to Tokyo let alone move at all. About four years ago we bought and built a house, our mini dream home. It was a very expensive and very much thought over investment. We bought a plot of land in a gorgeous neighborhood and proceeded to plan and build our dream.So on March 18 2008 my husband, my son and I moved into our new dream and started a new life.
I still remember the first time walking into my newly built home, I remember all the details that we had so excitedly put into our home, the smell of fresh pain, freshly polished wooden floors, and the overall brand newness ....with excitement I was ready to start making new memories and of course start decorating and buying brand new furniture for our new dream, that was five years ago.
About two years ago my husband and his partner started their own online business, needless to say their business has become very successful and he was constantly going back and forth to Tokyo. His constant traveling and not seeing us became a conflicting problem and we sat down one night and talked....after a very long discussion and much thinking and weighing our options for a few days we decided to sell the house and move to Tokyo. My husband is a very, very realistic and future conscious thinker and knew that moving would not only help his business but as a family we would be able to be together much more.
So with careful consideration and much thought we sold our house. It was a sad and sentimental but I can happily say that the house will still stay in the family, for my husbands sister and her husband bought it. I am reassured and happy knowing our use to be house is in great hands.
Well we are back! back to Tokyo and now living in another very wonderful place. We now have a new home, new life, and back to the city I longed to come back to.
Its strange and exciting on how in life you very know how or what your future will be or hold and every place, people that you meet, and experiences help your grow to the next phase in your life.
I think of these experiences like a snake shedding its skin in that with every shed you can start new and make new experiences that will help your grow and get ready for your next phase of life.
You many notice that my blog looks different, I wanted to totally change it and give it a more chic and simple look. As I said, how I look at my life like a snake shedding its skin, I look at my blog like that as well and wanted something that reflected the "new" phase in my life: Simplistic, organized, and more gorwn up....for I have grown so much over a few years and now at a different place in my life....an organized and simplistic( clean and minimal) place.

Recipe: Truffle French Fries with Sea Salt

I was feeling very nostalgic the other day. I was sitting on my couch and looking at old pictures and was remembering the days of being a carefree child, then very two delectable words came to mind, French fries. French fries stir up all sorts of memories and senses. I know thats an odd thing to think about but french fries kept creeping into my mind. I guess it reminds me of the smells of ball games, county fairs, and the days of going to McDonalds to buy a Happy meal.
French fries are comforting, they are comfort foods. The way they smell and the taste of popping a warm fresh french fry in your mouth makes even the oldest young at heart.
Now you can probably guess what I did next...yep..I proceeded to make french fries but wanted to make something a little different, a little grown up I guess you can say. So I tried a new french fry recipe that I concocted with my Truffle oil, needless to say my husband and boy gobbled these up fast!
*Here is my little piece of heaven for you to try, I hope you like^^

♡ Truffle French Fries with Sea Salt

*Prep Time:
10-15 minutes from start to finish with frozen french fries
1 hour and 30 minutes with whole potatoes


❋Ingredients

✔ 2- 4 cups of oil for frying (depending on how much you are going to make)
✔ 4 large potatoes or a bag of frozen french fries
✔  Truffle oil (white or black) to drizzle
✔ Sea Salt


Bring the oil to a boil at 375 degrees Fahrenheit or 190 degrees Celcius. Slowly with a draining spoon lower the french fries into the hot oil, be careful not to burn yourself and beware of oil splattering out of pot. Fry the potatoes for about 5- 10 minutes or until a golden light brown.
With the draining spoon slowly scoop up all the fries from the oil and place on paper towel. while still warm with oil sprinkle the desired amount of Truffle oil an sea salt on your fries and toss.


* If you want to make homemade french fries, peel and wash 4 large potatoes.
Slice potatoes into 1/2 X 1/2 inch strips. Let potatoes soak in water for about 1 hour. Let potatoes dry on paper towel or rack for about 5 minutes. Proceed with above steps . Enjoy :)

Small Japanese Homes and being American

This is a subject that always comes up with my American friends. It always makes me laugh because they cant get over how small and compact Japanese houses and apartments are. I must say I have lived in Japan for about 10 years now and have come to be quit use to the fact that any house or apartment I will have will be like a sardine can, lol. Many people say "oh, don't you want a big house?". or " don't you miss having a huge kitchen?". well no, I never in my life had a big house nor a big kitchen therefore I miss neither. I guess thats one reason why I fit in well with Japanese culture. I like to have a small, quant space that is easy to keep clean and a kitchen that is big enough for me to cook in...after all I am not a chef so why do I need a huge space?
Now my husband is Japanese and even though he was born and raised in Japan he likes the idea of a big house...well he doesn't have to clean. We had been looking for a house for sometime before my son was conceived and then just sort a forgot about it and lived happily in our apartment. That was until I had found out I was pregnant and we needed more space, so we proceeded again to look for a house. We never found one that we liked so we decided to have one built and now have a very lovely, larger then average Japanese house, that I love but is a pain in the ass to keep clean. Did I mention I had two men who are very messy?
Now people who are not from Japan might ask "why are japanese houses and apartments so small?". Simple! Lack of space and land in Japan is very expensive! I mean very, unless you want to live in way back the boondocks which I don't, I will take the city anytime!
Land in Japan is expensive and many people can usually only afford a small piece of land. I currently live in Iwakuni which is very country and there is plenty of land but still very costly. To some people that cant even proceed the notion of living in cramped home or apartment but in Japan its the norm and everyone just accepts it. When I first started dating my husband he lived in one of the smallest apartments I have ever seen! I mean it was one small room with a small narrow hallway about less then 8 feet with a tiny  stove and a tiny shower room and toilet. People who are claustrophobic would not do well here, lol.
I have to say I kind of giggled when I seen his apartment, it was too cute.
Now there is somethings about America I truly miss and that is a oven!!!!!! My current home has a oven that I had bought when I worked on the military base. I was never so happy in my life^^ I missed making cakes (big cakes, not tiny sponge cakes) and big turkeys.  I could now have a huge Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner with ease. But alas it wouldn't last, for we are now moving because of my husbands job and will be selling the house to his sister...so no more oven for me:(
I also miss American washer and dryers!! ALOT! The Japanese ones are so small and honestly I think don't work as well. I like to get most of my cleaning done before the week but cant wash big or medium loads of laundry, can only wash small loads so that can sometimes be troublesome with two men.

Buys & Reviews: Shoes

Summer is here! and so is the excuse..err... oh.. I mean need to buy some new shoes ^^.

Now I was looking in my closet and found I was missing an important color.  Why it took me so long to buy this particular color I don't know..I guess I am not as " In with Trends" as I thought, lol. but the color I am talking about is Nude! Lets face it nude colored shoes are everywhere and have been for some time.

Nude goes with virtually every color and did I mention they elongate the leg? What woman doesn't want a little more leg? So I had to have a pair of nude shoes, flats preferably and proceeded to find a nice pair online. Now with a lot of looking and debating I found my lovelies on Piperlime which has a pair of nude flats that look almost identical to the ones I have been drooling over by Lanvin, but with a more affordable price tag. 

These shoes stole my heart and of course being the logical shopper that I am, lol I decided to get another  pair of flats so I found the cutest pair ever by Calvin Klein! So with some internal dialogue I proceeded to click the Purchase button. Click! they were mine! 

Now I would like to talk about another purchase that I had made about three months ago.

I have never in my whole life ever..I mean ever been in love with a pair of shoes as much as these!

I have been like a vulture hovering over online stores until I saw 8 1/2 become available. I have been on stores from Bergdorf Goodman to Saks trying to find these >< and to much frustration and no luck my size was sold out ..and then they came back..... and they were mine. The shoes I am talking about are a pair of grey stunning Christian Louboutins and I finally got them from Net-a-porter! 

Now let me weigh in my two cents about my recent shoe purchases.

♥ Steve Madden Koool Blush Patent Flats

I love these they are so chic and go with everything in my closet! 

These flats are said to be the color Blush although they are a camel color. I was very happy with the color and if you are looking for a pair of camel colored flats these are it! I must say beware though they are not comfortable and that is the only downside of these. They fit tight so I highly recommend getting these flats in a size up then your normal shoe size. Trust me your feet will thank you! 

The back of these flats scrunch together giving it a pretty and chic look but it is uncomfortable on your heels. These are again not the most comfortable but they make up for it by being very chic, beautiful, and affordable.  You will get your money worth out of these because of the fact that they can go with pretty much every color and can go with stuff from shorts to dresses! Though I must say the reason I gave these 3 stars out of 4 is because of the numerous uses you can get out of them and the chicness of them. 

  

❋Pros

 *Beautiful Camel color

 *affordable at $70.00

 *Look more expensive then they are

 * Goes with everything

❋Cons

* Not comfortable (order one whole size up)

* Gets dirty very easy

* Synthetic material (insole and outsole)

☆☆☆ out of ☆☆☆☆

( you can buy these at piperlime.com / stevemadden.com)

♥ Calvin Klein Cheryl Studded Flats

These flats by Calvin Klein are literally fit and feel like a dream! These are by far the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn. They are a deep black with little silver studs that decorate the heel and the toe area. These shoes give a little bit of an edge to any outfit and are not too loud, so if your looking for a little something, something to add to your outfits then these are perfect! These shoes fit true to size so no need to worry about ordering a half or whole size up. FYI though if your feet swell in heat like mine these shoes will not expand due to the fact that they are real leather.

❋Pros

* Stunning color

* Gives subtle edge to any outfit

* Leather (insole) rubber (outsole)

*can wear these all day and still feel like a cloud

*Fits True to size

*Affordable at $79.99

❋Cons

*People who have feet that swell the shoes will not expand

☆☆☆☆ out of ☆☆☆☆

( you can buy these at piperlime.com / calvinklein.com /  bloomingdales.com / dillards.com)

♥Christian Louboutin Grey Patent Leather Pumps

One brand every woman should have in her closet is a pair of Christian Louboutins! I know these are not the most affordable shoes but they are stunning and fit like a glove^^. These beauties give a little sexiness and luxury to any outfit and there is something about wearing a pair of CL shoes. They make you feel glamorous and are worth the hefty price tag 100%! I must warn you though if you wear size 61/2-10 it will be hard to purchase online due to the fact that these shoe sizes are pretty much always sold out >< I have been wanting a pair of black ones but I guess I have the most common shoe size so it is a bit frustrating. Now CL are notorious for fitting small so you have to order one whole size up for them to fit, they are made with 100% real leather so they swell and are not for women with wide feet (like me...grrrr) so unless you are like me and think hey why not beauty is pain then they will definitely be one of the most stunning and treasured pair of shoes you will own :)

Now I really suggest that if you are not super rich but can afford to buy a pair of designer shoes then always go Neutral, cause then you can atleast where them with everything and will not feel guilty about the big cost of these. I bought these from Net-a-porter and they are 3 1/2 inches with a 1 inch covered platform have a almond shaped toe. These heels are very comfortable. I love them!!!!

❋Pros

* Extremely well made

*Replaceable Red sole

*Fits the foot like a glove

*Beautiful and classic

*Shape and color go with everything

*Easy to walk in (for women who are not use to wearing heels)

*These will most definitely be the most complimented shoes you will own

*100% real leather (insole and outsole) 

❋Cons

* Expensive 

*Have to order one size up

*Not for wide feet

☆☆☆☆ out of ☆☆☆☆

(unfortunately my grey pumps are unavailable online)
( You can buy other Christian Louboutin shoes at net-a-porter.com / Saks.com / BergdorfGoodman.com / Neimanmarcus.com ) 

Buys & Reviews: TokyoMilk Bon Bon Lip Balm

I have been very curious about these lip balms for a while and I couldn't resist buying these when I laid my eyes on them in a store in Ebisu! I was hypnotized by the gorgeous little boxes and the intoxicating smell of these pretty lip balms! If you can get your hands on one they are definitely worth the money.
I first went on to purchase Let Them Eat Cake then couldn't resist getting Opera Mint and was like why the heck not get another, Petit Fours...after all they smelled to good to pass up and did I mention the packaging?
Now I am not much of a sucker for things I really don't need (well..depending ) and I am after all a huge lip balm fan. I tend to gravitate towards balms and glosses rather then lipsticks. Yeah I know I am an adult and weird but I cant help it!
I must say they are quite a steal, very affordable and goes on so smooth. I love these because they do not leave a sticky film on your lips. It goes on creamy and literally tastes pretty good, no kidding..I would eat them if I could lol. The smell of the balms is not overwhelming  and it just gives enough of a slight sweet smell that it will not give you a headache (I am very sensitive to smells...migraine suffers know what i am talking about) . ok now on to the reviews!



♥ Let Them Eat Cake

This was the first of the three TokyoMilk lip balms that I had purchased that had caught my eye. This balm has a sweet smell of French Vanilla, Shredded Coconut and Cocoa. The taste and smell of the vanilla are first present then as the balm settles on your lips you get the taste of cocoa with a hint of coconut. You can really smell the vanilla and the undertones of cocoa on this balm, very sweet and pleasant smell.

♥ Opera Mint

This balm has the smell and taste of Peppermint, Tahitian Vanilla, and cocoa. The peppermint is intense and if you are not a mint fan then this balm is not for you. There is subtle undertones of vanilla and cocoa which give this balm such a delightful smell. This balm leaves your lips feeling very smooth. I found as this balm settles the vanilla undertones really come out, this gives the balm a balance with the mint. Mint lovers this is definitely for you!

♥ Petit Fours

I love this balm! Its like a dessert on your lips, very decadent, This balm consists of the smell and taste of  Fresh Buttery Pastries, Caramelized Pear, and Candied Lavender. The Pear is the first smell and taste that hits me when I use this then a slight delicate note of Lavender creeps up, very lovely.

 ❋ All these Lip balms have no tint or color

 ❋Affordable at $ 10.00 and you can purchase at  www. Tokyo-milk.com as well as many other stores.

  Rating: ☆☆☆☆ out of ☆☆☆☆

(Please excuse my hand in this picture, I had to use my cell phone due to my camera being currently broken:( .....)

Japanese Word of the Month & Did You Know?

Tsuyu ( or Baiyu) - Plum Rain/ Rainy Season in Japan


 Tsuyu or Baiyu  literally translates to Plum Rain, Rainy season in Japan is called this because it coincides with the season of plums ripening.
Tsuyu starts from the beginning of June and lasts until mid July.
After Tsuyu it gets so mushiatsui ( humid) and shoki (hot weather) in Japan, so not a good time to visit, lol.

Back from Tokyo

I am back ^^ It has been quite a while since I have last posted. I have been visiting my parents in Tokyo and wow it was so nice! I haven't seen them in a while so I was very happy and I also haven't been back to Tokyo for a long time...about 6 years :(  So it was a wonderland for me, all the familiar places, sights, and oh the shops (seriously if I had a credit card that was endless I could do some damage)

I am happy to announce I will be moving back to Tokyo in July due to my husbands job! So exciting and so much to do till then >< but a wonderful change ^^.

I of course did my share of shopping and will post some of the Items I had bought and add my two cents in reviews about them.
I also had the luck to see a Sumo wrestler standing near the huge Louis Vuitton store and he was very kind enough to let me take a picture with him don't know his name but will see if I can find out who he was My husband who is Japanese didn't know who he was so he was no help, lol ..it actually was not intentional, he seen me looking at him in awe..I think I must have looked like a child in a candy store, lol...but it was just to cool.

tomorrow I will post reviews on TokyoMilk Bon Bon Lip Balm in:
*Let Them Eat Cake
*Petit Fours
* Opera Mint
The packaging is just stunning!

Thank you for reading and I will post more tomorrow and will keep up regularly on my blog, I have been so bad about this:(
Happy Posting and please come by my post tomorrow to read the reviews for the TokyoMilk products!

Japanese Word of the Month and Did You Know?

Natsu- Summer

Natsu is a very popular season in Japan and many Japanese people have barbeques in which they cook Yakiniku (beef) ,Yakitori (chicken), and yasai (vegetables)! You will see many people having BBQs at the beach and parks. They are a little different then the "American" BBQ on which rather then big grills they use a little clay box with metal wires and rather then the hamburger or hotdog they grill fish, various meats and pumpkins and many other vegetables popular in the season.
When Natsu comes near an end,In  August it is celebrated with the Bon festival which is an important Japanese tradition to honor ancestors. Most Japanese people take summer vacation during this time.

Anyone who has ever wanted to visit Japan should definitely come during Natsu and if you want to see a traditional Japanese festival then the Bon (Obon) Festival is a must! It goes from August 13-16.

Buys & Reviews: The Milly Amia Top

....What can I say about the Milly Amia top? .......

Stunning, chic, vibrant, well you get the picture. I can go on and on about this top but I really think the first three descriptions pretty much sum it up. I love this top, I had ordered this beauty from Piperlime because it was virtually sold out everywhere else..grrrr...I was sooo soo lucky when this top came back on Piperlime with my size^^so of course to my delight I rushed and bought this before it sold out again!
Yes it is pricey but I have to honestly say: Very much worth the hefty price tag.

Rating: ☆☆☆ out of ☆☆☆☆
Price: $295.00 (not cheap....but its worth it I swear)

Fit:
Honestly this top flatters smaller bust women, Sorry my big busted sisters out there. It really flatters girls like me with a more broader shoulder.I would suggest one size up, even though it  does fit true to size it will cling and I like my tops a little billowy and it does fit a little snug at the chest, hence why I say not a top for big busted gals...this top definitely looks  better if  fitted a little loose. It is sheer so I would suggest a tank . Over all It is a gorgeous top and I do not regret splurging on this beauty. Oh! and the cute buttons on the shoulder and along the side are a pretty touch!

Stores that still have this top in stock:

http://www.piperlime/ (size 10)

Look for Less

* Lace Dress

Juicy Couture Lace Shift Dress 
$298 (Neiman Marcus)

Darling Lace Dress

$39 (LuLus.com)

* Leather Bags

The Mulberry Alexa Bag

$1,150 (Net-a-porter)

Fossil Vintage Re-Issue Bag

$208 (piperlime.com)

*Shoes

Miu Miu Perforated Patent Peep Toe

$650 (Net-a-Porter)

Enzo Angiolini Scarla Peep Toe

$99 (piperlime.com)

The Passing of a True Goddess

                                         Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor
                                            (2-27-1932-3-23-2011)


One of the most glamorous and most beautiful actresses to grace the movie screen has died. I wanted to write a post about this because I have always found many of the actresses of the past to be so regal and classy. Sadly you dont see many today that can even compare to these Icons..actually really none can.
There will only be one "Elizabeth Taylor" and she was a "True Goddess". Elizabeth Taylor also was one of the first celebrities and public personalities to acknowledge  Aids during a time when so many few did. She organized and hosted the first AIDS fundraiser in 1984, to benefit AIDS Project Los Angeles. Elizabeth Taylor was not only a beautiful face but a powerful voice for those who didnt have one at a time when so few understood the disease. Elizabeth Taylor was truly a beautiful woman, inside and out!

                                        R.I.P. Elizabeth Taylor
                    You were the first and last of your kind in Hollywood.

Posting Again.....

Its been awhile since I have last posted. Its been a very sad and surreal time for Japan over the last few weeks and I have not really been in the mood to post anything. Luckily everyone I know is doing well and my family and myself are all ok too. My heart goes out to all those poor people who have lost everything, it makes me appreciate what I have more.
One of the many things that I admire about the poeple of Japan is their ability to work together and keep their grace during such a horrible time, They are prime examples on how to act when in such a bad situation.
No looting, no violence, just helping eachother..that is truly beautiful.
Please keep the people so horribly affected by this in your thoughts.

A Very Sad Time For Japan

As you know Japan has been hit by a 8.9 quake. As a resident of Japan this is in an extremely sad and very emotional time for me as well as many of my friends.
All my thought and prayers go out to these poor people during this extemely hard time. The people so greatly affected my this have shown great dignity and strenght. My heart aches for the people who have lost so much in the last 48 hours. Please keep the people of Japan in your thoughts and prayers and if you would like to help here is some information on how to do so.

AMERICAN RED CROSS: Emergency Operation Centers are opened in the affected areas and staffed by the chapters. This disaster is on a scale larger than the Japanese Red Cross can typically manage. Donations to the American Red Cross can be allocated for the International Disaster Relief Fund, which then deploys to the region to help. Donate here.
GLOBALGIVING: Established a fund to disburse donations to organizations providing relief and emergency services to victims of the earthquake and tsunami. Donate here.
SAVE THE CHILDREN: Mobilizing to provide immediate humanitarian relief in the shape of emergency health care and provision of non-food items and shelter. Donate here.
SALVATION ARMY: The Salvation Army has been in Japan since 1895 and is currently providing emergency assistance to those in need. Donate here.
AMERICARES: Emergency team is on full alert, mobilizing resources and dispatching an emergency response manager to the region. Donate here.
CONVOY OF HOPE: Disaster Response team established connection with in-country partners who have been impacted by the damage and are identifying the needs and areas where Convoy of Hope may be of the greatest assistance. Donate here.

INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CORPS: Putting together relief teams, as well as supplies, and are in contact with partners in Japan and other affected countries to assess needs and coordinate our activities. Donate here.
SHELTER BOX: The first team is mobilizing to head to Japan and begin the response effort. Donate here.

Wants: Orange Crush

Tory Burch Suzi Straw Clutch (my latest obsession)

I've Got The Blues

Nothing says BOLD like Blue!

All these dresses  can be found on Anthropologie. Im loving the maxie dress, so feminine!

Do You Have Flare?

It looks like flares are back! I remember when they were at their peak, i was in high school when flares became extremely popular. I actually like flare jeans, they are very figure flattering  for any body shape.....not the extreme bell bottom though (ughhh I never got into those)
Well I am happy cause I can finally break those babies back out and rock them again! Yahaha:)

Do you like Flare? what about the big bell bottoms?

What do you think?

Momotaro or "Peach Boy"

I love to read and one book in particular stands out as one of the cutest children stories ever!
My son Kai loves this story, Momotaro is a story about a childless older couple who find a large peach and a baby boy pops out, the little boys name is Momotaro. The story goes  on to say years later  a group of "Oni" or demons plunder their village. Momotaro makes friends with the animals of the forest when he goes to get help. Momotaro and his animal friends fight and eventually get the "oni" to surrender and takes their treasure and returns to his village where he and his family live rich and happy.
It's a cute Japanese fairytale, and when I was a child I loved reading everything including fairytales.
This is definitely a book to read if you have small children, they will love it!

Thinking in Spring

When I have a bad day I go to my closet and look at my clothes, putting together an outfit always lifts my mood so you can imagine how excited I was when I came across a site called Polyvore. Which I know many of you already know of this site. I have so much fun putting together outfits on there, its a stress releaser. Putting together an outfit from the top to the shoes is so much fun! Here are some outfits I made based on the things in my closet, I hope you enjoy!

I wanted to incorporate 'Yellow" since I was talking about this color earlier in my blog.
These are my Spring inspired outfits.
what are your favorite Spring colors?

Anthropologie: The Store That Stole My Heart

I was first introduced to this store a few years back by my ever so chic and fashionable sister Ally.
I have to say it was love at first sight! Literally....this is one of the few stores that I never feel guilty about over spending  (oops...)! The clothes are so beautiful, quirky, and well different from most stores.
I have so many clothes from that store is not even funny. I just cant help buying from Anthro, the clothes just always seem to be calling my name.....which is not so good on my wallet.
I have been browsing  many blogs over the last few weeks about ladies like me, who have an absolute love affair with this particular store and I was inspired to write my own blog and share my outfits too.
I hope to connect with ladies like me over time who love clothes and of course all things Anthropologie.

Japanese Word of the Month & Did You Know?

Haru -Spring



In Japan during Haru (Spring) the Sakura trees bloom thus producing beautiful Cherry Blossoms that only last for  a short period of time (about a week). The Japanese love to have picnics under the Sakura Tree and take pictures of these beautiful flowers. Haru is one of the most popular seasons in Japan because of the blooming of the Sakura. Also in Haru there is the Doll's Festival (hina matsuri): Also called girl's festival.  During this festival young girls have their Hina Dolls set out on platforms that can have up to seven rows! These dolls are placed out around the end of February and taken down on March 3, it is believed that if the Hina dolls are taken down after March 3 the girl will get married late in life. The festival  is held on March 3 and the families pray for their daughters health and happiness.

My Kazoku (famliy)

As you may or may not know I am a American girl living in Japan.

I have been living in Japan for about 10 years now and it has been very interesting!

I came to Japan as a teenager, I was a military brat lol and fell in love with the country and a boy and stayed.

I know many people who want to come and live in Japan, while it is a very wonderful country there is defintitely "Culture Shock" and thats what I experienced when my parents left. I was 19 when my mom and dad went back to the state so that was very hard for me but I also was living in one of the most amazing places anyone could ever visit or live! I was living in Tokyo at the time and it is a very very large city so it was like a huge adventure for me. I have pretty much lived in a small town all my life so yes this was very exciting! I was in one of the greatest cities in the world with the boy that I loved (and still do...7 years of marriage later(^^)! ) Japanese culture is very different from American culture, Their culture is based highly on respect and consideration of others and I have never experienced so much hospitality and kindness as much  as I have in Japan. While I must say just like any other country you have A-holes,lol and sometimes I get frusrated and feel alone but i try not to let that change my view on Japan. When I married my husband  it entered me into a world alittle different then people who just come and visit, I married a japanese man therefore I had to learn the customes. I must admit sometimes its hard but I am very lucky for I have been able to see things and learn things that are very different from my own views (I love it!) I am very lucky that my husbands parents were very accepting and generous people! I still have days where I really miss living in my own country but then I think and feel like how lucky am I to be able to experience another culture so deeply and different from my own...I wouldnt trade it for anything.

My boys

(kaz & kai)

Spring = Yellow

Yellow is the ultimate Spring color! It is happy, bright, and definitely a mood booster,.
I know when I have a bad day or feel down I try to wear bright colors to boost my mood and yellow always makes me happy.
Here are some "Yellow" items that are my favorite and defiinitely a Spring staple in my wardrobe.

Flowering Pastures Blouse (Anthroplogie)
I love this blouse and there are so many fun ways to wear this. I am so happy I bought this when I had seen it because it is a very versatile and can be paired many ways! I paired mine with Grey skinny cords,  a white leather bag and my grey patent pumps!
How would you pair this?

Wouldn't this just be darling  to take this beauty on vacations! Beautiful Luggage should be a must for any woman :) Jcrew has a stunning Luggage collection.

The Little " Yellow" Dress

I have a few yellow dresses in my closet and every woman should have atleast one.

Spring Is Just Around The Corner!!

I dont know about you but I am so ready for warmer weather! Spring is my favorite season of the year for many reasons. One is warmer weather, it's not to hot yet and you can still wear layers. Two is because I seem to feel like I have more energy and I feel happier in the Spring. The final reason I love Spring is because I find clothing worn during this time to be very beautiful. You can still layer and wear Blazers and Jackets because it is not to warm and you dont have to wear tights cause its not cold. Clothing to seems to be at its most beautiful during Spring and Fall (of course)!  I am a huge fan of JCrew and Anthroplogie and boy do they have some beautiful stuff out for Spring! I love to shop..heehee..and i am head over heels for many of the finds I have come across while browsing on these two sites.
Spring colors are so bright, playful, and so vibrant!
Here are some blouses that scream Spring is Here!!

The Top Picks Tank (Anthropologie)

Camara Shell (Anthroplogie)

Radler Blouse (Anthroplogie)

These gorgeous blouses just scream Spring dont they! I can picture these beauties paired with Skinny jeans and Pencil skirts! I have so many outfit ideas in my head, lol!
What is your favorite season?

My first attempt at the wonderful and crazy world of blogging

My name is Missy and this is my first ever blog!!
I live in beautiful Japan and love everything Japanese.
I am a girly girl and of course my favorite color is pink!!!
well I will write more later when I atleast maybe get 1 reader;)