September

It's been a long time since I last put in a post. It's pretty terrible considering summer is the time that I wanted to "create". Summer is nearing and end, and to be honest it feels like it when so fast that I really can't remember what I did for the last 2 months! My life was consumed with work, having traveled to New York for four days last month for work, and then Seattle for another five. But now I'm back, and I really need to focus!

I actually had to drop out of the Dalicious contest that took place at Dolly Market. I had the last minute business trip mentioned above, so I didn't have enough time to put effort into my last entry for the final round. I was a bit bummed I couldn't complete the challenge, but in the end I was still glad that I did enter overall. I learned a lot from this round. I challenged myself to try to do more action shots with scenery rather than just plain backgrounds and face shots. I might enter next season's Dalicious, which apparently won't happen until Spring 2011.

Earlier this month, I organized the second San Francisco Bay Area Pullip meet of 2010, and it went pretty well. Three people came that also attended last year, which was nice because now we have some regulars. I'm going to try to plan another meet for December in San Jose, and hopefully that will be just as successful, drawing more members. Looking back, I did a whole lot of planning in the last few months! I've been cross-promoting and trying to reach out to other collectors I've met through the years. There are other pullip collectors in the area, and if they are willing, I'd love to meet them as well.

But that's what's been inspiring me. After meeting with other pullip collectors, it helped inspire me to be more creative with my own collection. I eventually want to own a nice camera, but for now, I've decided I should focus on my photography and photo-shopping skills. This past weekend, I took a few of my dolls out to the park near my home and did a few practice shots. I don't normally take my dolls out in public (especially on my own), and I feel I need to overcome that fear. I think that a few came out pretty well considering I'm still new to shooting dolls in public. Hopefully, over time I'll have better compositions and take more interesting photos. I'll first take small steps within the park, then perhaps over time, work on going to other public places.

With anything, practice makes perfect, and I keep having to tell myself that. Although the weather has been strange lately, I won't let it discourage me from trying to get out and take photos. I'm finding that the more I spend 'studying' my subjects, the more interested I am about creating their personality and back story. I've been using the notebook on my desk to sketch them and copy down their traits. I don't draw enough as it is, so I am extremely rusty. But I figure, once you get the juices flowing, it should come easier. Nothing is natural, I just need a little more practice. :)

Decole, Little Red Riding Hood

Thanks to my obsession with Shinzi Katoh, I've noticed some adorable Decole items as well. Normally I don't pay attention to most Decole items but the Fairy Tale ones really caught my attention.

My recent purchase consisted of a few of these Decole Little Red Riding Hood products. Included was this single serving tea pot.



I haven't used it yet since it's still rather warm. But come winter I can picture myself using this in the morning when I arrive at work. :)

I'm still yearning for this cup and saucer but I haven't brought myself to actually purchase it yet because of the price. I need to ask myself: Do I really need this?



The answer is probably no, but it's too darn cute.

Karel Capek Tea Tin Collection

My Karel Capek teas came in the last few months and they are very adorable. After getting my mini collection I wanted to buy more, especially since they just released new fall flavors on their website. Despite the fact that the dollar is so weak right now, I decided to to purchase additional cans.

Here is my tiny, but growing collection:



Aren't they just adorable? I haven't tried any of the flavors yet, but I can confirm that they smell sweet and delicious. I'm actually not a fan of sweet and fruity teas, but my fascination with these teas stems more from the design than flavor.

This time I am using a different deputy service to shop for my teas for me. It's already been two weeks since I've placed my order and I'm already giddy to find out when they'll come. :)

Tea Tins that make my heart melt...

My Shinzi Katoh cup really did arrive, and it makes me extremely happy to have it in my possession. The problem is, once I start, I get addicted.

When visiting sites that are filled with cute household items, it's hard for me to resist. In the last few months I've purchashed three onigiri boxes, a pitcher, deux mugs, soup cups, stacking cups and a 2009 schedule book. All designed by Shinzi Katoh. Perhaps I've been hit by the bug. I'm trying to prevent myself from purchasing any more of these items. It's too addicting since almost everything created from this artist is cute.

But I've moved on to another cute discovery. Teas made by Karel Capek, (not to be confused with the Czech writer). Karel Capek is a Japanese tea company, who I suppose specializes in super cute tea tins such as this one:



I don't know what it tastes like, but the tin makes it all worth it. I ordered 5 tins, and I hope they come in sometimes this week or next. I'm eager to taste them as soon as they arrive. If all goes well, I might make a bigger order next time. :)

Creation of Blog #3

This is quite interesting. How many blogs does one person need?

In addition to my personal (LiveJournal) account, and my hobby account, I'm not sure what to use this for. So I'm sitting here, sipping my Hyphy Juice, trying to figure it out.

The internet is filled with journal options. My deviantArt has a journal, as does facebook. But I don't want to x-post my thoughts on all 3-4 journals. That wouldn't be fun, would it? I'm thinking of making this blog a wish list blog to show case the things I'm interested in, or the newest purchases I've made. It might be kind of fun to see how my tastes change over the time. :)

So recently I've committed myself to purchase something designed by Shinzi Katoh. The items on that website are addictive. If there was a store that sold his items, I swear my checking account would be empty. Just browsing the online shop made me weak. I just bought the [wood] mug-cup set online and can't wait to use it in person.


I love the idea that it's a cup and bowl for your snacks or tea bag and I've always wanted a cup that was unique to use at home. You know, I can totally see myself using this cup on a weekend morning with tea and cookies to start my day. :)