CURRENTLY - November 2020

こんにちは! Oi! Hello! I've been gone for a while. 😳 I've been spending a LOT of time on Age of Wushu, which I'll talk more about in a second, and talking to our friend Samantha. She was without a computer for a while so Koji, Ástrid and I couldn't talk to her but now she's BACK! I missed her. 😁 How are all of you? Tell me in the comments!

This is my first CURRENTLY post since I restarted my blog. I'm excited. I love writing these as a way to catch up with my friends. I hope you enjoy!

CURRENTLY... 

🎮 Playing: Age of Wushu, my absolute favorite MMO. Age of Wushu is an older Chinese MMO where, when you level up, you actually feel stronger. It's very rewarding and for an older game, it's very beautiful and quite popular. This is my character, Akayoru. 

Unlike most MMOs, there isn't a huge questing system and you don't level from experience. It's also very PvP heavy, which I LOVE. If you're a fan of wuxia and xianxia novels, I highly recommend giving Age of Wushu a try. I'll write a guide on the game later!

📺 Watching: Ástrid and I just started Super GALS! It's an anime about a gyaru living in Shibuya. It's really cute and it's very loved by most gals. 

I also plan on starting Tian Guan Ci Fu which is a wuxia anime with a danmei theme. Danmei is basically yaoi, which is basically "boy's love." But that isn't the main reason I watch that kind of genre, I actually really love wuxia if you couldn't tell and any anime based on that is GREAT. My favorite is Spirit Blade Mountain. 

📚 Reading: This AMAZING wuxia novel called Dual Cultivation. I'm trying to think of how to describe cultivation to non-wuxia readers... I guess the best way to describe is think of opening your chakras. I think most people know what that is and how to go about doing so. You meditate, you focus on them, you break through. That's SIMILAR to cultivation. There's also pills and herbs you can use to help you. In Dual Cultivation, the most popular way for people to cultivate is by having sex. It's a good sexy novel, and the main character reminds me so much of Koji so it's even better. 😁 

What is the point of wealth and status if there’s nobody to share it with? Dual Cultivation explores the sensual side of the Cultivation world that is often filled with solitude!

Su Yang was sentenced to life in prison within the Eternal Retribution Cliff, where only the universe’s most violent and evil criminals dwell.

His crime?

He seduced the Moon God’s wife, kidnapped the Dragon King’s sister, and even touched the Heavenly Emperor’s beloved daughter.

He later meets a mysterious old man who would help him escape prison by reincarnating him.

In his new life, Su Yang swears to reunite with his lovers and hold them in his embrace once again, all the while finding new ones along the way.

That's the summary. It's soooo good. I also have a few others waiting to be read, like My Vampire System and Birth of the Demonic Sword. Eeee!

💪 Working on: My Portuguese, of COURSE. I am FOREVER working on my Portuguese. I really wish I had a good Brazilian friend to help me. 😭 I'm also working on my makeup a lot, trying to get my own personal gyaru style down. I need to start working on exercising again too...

😊 Loving: Ástrid and Koji and our babies, friends who are more like sisters, anthro art, Coca-Cola, hand sanitizer, the fact that Christmas is coming and so much more!

Inspired By Gyaru and Putting Together My First Outfit

 こんにちは! Oi! Hello! Let's talk about Gyaru, because it's been on my mind a lot lately! I have loved J-fashion of many kinds for the last seventeen years. Some of my favorites include Mori / Hama / Yama Kei (Forest / Beach / Mountain Fashion respectively), Elegant Gothic Lolita, Fairy Kei, Spank! and now... Gyaru! When I first came across Gyaru many years ago, the only style I found embraced being tan... Something that I definitely am not and I actually love my pale skin, it's one of my favorite features. 😄 So I kind of skipped Gyaru completely, not knowing there were other styles until I found the wonderful blog Hello Lizzie Bee! (I totally typed Jello Lizzie Bee at first, which needs to become a special Lizzie Bee dessert. 😋)

Lizzie was sharing her latest blog post on a Twitter blog sharing thread, I clicked over because I love fashion and fell into the wonderful world of Gyaru. What is Gyaru? 

Here's a very detailed post from Lizzie, but in my own words (from what I've learned so far) it's a Japanese fashion and lifestyle that is about embracing your wild and sexy side. Definitely different from the other styles I love and something that I find soooo refreshing because I love sexy fashion and I rarely come across others who do. Especially in the blogging community!

I used to feel so out of place, because the bloggers I followed years ago preferred retro fashion from the 40s and 50s and while the dresses and such were very pretty, they covered too much and weren't in my kinds of cuts. 

Gyaru has MANY substyles, but my favorites are agejo, onee, rokku and himekaji. Let me show you some of my favorite outfits from each so you can get an idea of what I'm looking for for my new dream wardrobe!

1. Agejo, definitely my favorite Gyaru substyle! Agejo is often worn by hostesses in Japan, to give you an idea that it's sexy while also being classy. Here are a few of my favorite Agejo outfits!

Hello Lizzie Bee • Imgur • Pinterest

Agejo is what I am focusing on for my first Gyaru outfit! I found this white off-the-shoulder fuzzy sweater from Forever 21 and also bought some black shorts, subtle snow leopard tights, black boots (which don't fit 😭), hot pink nails, lashes and bottom lashes and more! Makeup is the MOST important part of Gyaru from what I've learned! 

2. Onee, meaning older sister in Japanese, is a mature and classy style of Gyaru. This is the kind of woman I want to be. Sexy, classy and also a little cute. 😄 Onee often has worldwide brand name clothing in their co-ords. Here are a few of my favorite Onee outfits!

Gyaru Amino • Emi&Lea • Hello Lizzie Bee

3. Rokku, a Gyaru substyle that blends Gyaru, Rock and Visual Kei elements together! Ahhhh, I love Rokku so much and I'm excited that my shorts and tights can be used in Rokku co-ords. Here are a few of my favorite Rokku outfits!

Rokku Style • Rokku Gyaru • wheretoget

4. Last but certainly not least, Himekaji! Himekaji is a Casual Princess style which is just soooo cute! I love everything Princess-y and I think this is such a classy, cute and cuddly substyle of Gyaru. Here are a few of my favorite Himekaji outfits!

Hello Lizzie Bee • auris-lothol (just realized this Tumblr is kink-shamey, ugh...) •  gyaru-109

So there you have some info on my new fav fashion and some of my inspiration! I hope you enjoyed this post! Are you into Gyaru and or other J-fashion? Lemme know!

A Very Hygge Weekly Love List

 

こんにちは! Oi! Hello! I love and live a hygge lifestyle all year long, but it's even better during this time of year. Lighting up a candle or delicious smelling wax melt while a chilly breeze causes the Autumn leaves to skitter across the ground... Making a cup of coffee or tea to enjoy while cozying up under a bunch of soft blankets and reading a good book... All well surrounded by those I love. It's perfect! Do you know what hygge is? If not, let me tell you!

Hygge, pronounced "hue-guh", is a Danish word that is used to describe a "warm and fuzzy" feeling. It's used when you're comfortable, relaxed and enjoying life whether alone or with those you love. I came across hygge years ago, but was worried I needed something special to start... But you don't! Even though I'm creating this Weekly Love List full of products that give me a warm and fuzzy feeling, even going outside for a walk and appreciating nature while wearing a big comfy sweater can be hygge. 

I hope you take a moment to slow down, get comfy and enjoy this Weekly Love List! 

1. This beautiful Cauldron Mug from Mesiree Ceramics Studio! I loooove cauldrons so much and I find this mug so charming. I love the little cauldron feet! Mesiree Ceramics Studio is one of my favorite Etsy stores, so please check them out! 

2. This magickal Black Base Colorful Mugs from Legacy Pottery Works! I love the blue and red especially, as they're my favorite colors. There's something so magickal about the mix of black and soft colors like this.

3. This Sanrio Hello Kitty Ceramic Yunomi Tea Cup - Mount Fuji Design from Japan Centre! This is one of the most beautiful tea cups I've ever seen! I love Hello Kitty so much. I reallyyyy need this and it's going to be my Yule gift to myself!

4. This yummy Tea from Around the World Set from Uncommon Goods! I love Uncommon Goods, they have such unique products and I think trying teas from around the World sounds so delightful. 

5. This 24 Days of Tea Advent Calendar from Uncommon Goods as well! I love nice little surprises and this just sounds so nice to open up a little door and get a new flavor of tea every day. 

6. This Butter Roasted Vietnamese Coffee from Vietstalgia! Mmmm, Vietnamese coffee is so good and you know I couldn't forget my fellow coffee lovers, so here's something yummy to try!

7. This Traditional Holiday Ground Coffee from Barnies Coffee & Tea Co! Cinnamon is one of my favorite flavors and I've loved cinnamon in coffee ever since Koji told me I could use that to replace creamer if I want a spicy sweet treat or I'll put cinnamon WITH my creamer and mmmm, it's just so good! So this Amaretto and Cinnamon blend sounds delicious. 

8. These amazingggg Signature & Chai Soy Wax Melts from & Chai! One of my favorite bloggers, Michelle from Daisybutter, started an Etsy shop with her sister and they sell delicious smelling candles and wax melts! I grabbed these precious clam shaped melts this morning. They smell of "green apple, white lilies, pear, tonka and vanilla"! Mmmm! I can't wait to get them.

9. These cozy, fluffy Plaid Crew Socks from Old Navy! While shopping for some tights, I came across these socks and grabbed Ástrid and I each a pair. I had to! They're cute and they look soooo comfy. I think one of the most hygge things for me is slathering on rich lotion and pulling on fluffy socks. 

10. The video game My Time at Portia! I bought this because it's on sale on the Nintendo Switch eShop! I already consider a hygge activity to be gaming in general but especially a game like Animal Crossing, so I wanted to try My Time at Portia after my friend Samantha told me about her playthrough! 

11. The Hygge Box! I'm a huge fan of subscription boxes, so I was so excited to see that there's a Hygge Box! It's definitely on my wishlist. I may order one for January! I want to do a review post on what I get. Would you be interested in reading that? 

12. Some little hygge lovelies! Cuddling with my little family ♥ reading a magazine while lounging in bed ♥ art journaling ♥ ambient sounds on YouTube ♥ thick ramen broth ♥ getting under the covers for a nap ♥ wrapping myself up in a hoodie that's nice and a bit too big ♥ cleaning and organizing so the house is clear of clutter ♥ and so much more!

Do you live a hygge lifestyle? Is this the first time you've ever heard of hygge? Tell me that and about what you're loving in the comments!

Brand New Brand and Blog Goals!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

こんにちは! Oi! Hello! I mentioned in my last post that I was switching over to a new name, new socials, etc. so I'm posting here to let everyone know that my new address is angelakawada.blogspot.com! I'm also updating all of my socials, Bloglovin', my e-mail and more. Come see my new design! It's still a work in progress butttt I LOVE IT. 😀

If there's anything you'd like to see, let me know! 

As for my goals, I'm keeping them simple and achievable! They are...

🌸 Reach 10 followers on Bloglovin' this month (November 2020)
🌸 Grab Jordanne's "The Bloggers Planner" from her blog

🌸 Post more often (I've fallen behind because of designing!)
🌸 Decide on a monthly subscription box to review... I've found MANY I want to try and am having a hard time deciding which one to get! I'd love if you told me your favorites!

🌸 Participate in more Twitter blog parties

🌸 Read Bloglovin' every day so I don't fall behind on my favorite bloggers' posts

🌸 Take more pictures for my Instagram!  

Do you have any blog goals for this month? I'd love to hear them! 

Welcome November!

11月ようこそ! Bem-vindo Novembro! Welcome November! It's time for preparing for the first snow for many of us (even though ours came early this year), donning our coats and warm cozy gloves, eating pie... lots of pie and planning for a joyful Yule. Are you excited, everyone?! I hope so! 

I haven't blogged much because I was planning something reallyyyy big and that kind of fell through. 😅 You see, I've been using Blogger since... 2009? I wanted to try something else, thinking my blog would be bigger and better if I did, but in the end, I realized it's not so much where you are as what you do... At least in my case! So I'll be sticking to blogger but I will have a new domain soon. My blog will be called "Angela Kawada" because even though I love everything Sukeban related, it's not my "niche" and my niche is my little family and I, our daily life, my hobbies, interests and beliefs. So I feel like my name is fitting!

I created an extremely cute header, too. 😄

How was everyone's Halloween?! We relaxed, had good food, played Conan (Koji even made Halloween kits for everyone!) and I designed a lot. I'm already preparing for next Halloween! 😋 We also honored our babies who've passed on. <3

Now I'm going to catch up on some blog reading before advertising our Conan server and working on my new design. I can't wait to show you! Take care, everyone!  

Weekly Love List

 

こんにちは! Oi! Hello! It's a time of week I loooove... Weekly Love List time! \o/ Today I have a lot to share, some come in, sit down, relax with a hot cup of coffee or tea and enjoy. 😀 

1. Our homemade feijoada! Koji taught Ástrid and I about feijoada and she and I decided to make some and it's absolutely DELICIOUS. Everyone who saw the pictures and tried a bowl full agreed. 

Feijoada is a Brazilian black bean stew, made with lots of pork! We used bacon, linguia, chorizo and pork stew meat. The meat came out soooo tender. I've been having leftovers all day! 

2. These T-shirts and Sweaters from DentzDenim on Etsy! I love wearing my Witchy heart on my sleeve and these are perfect for that. I also love the reading one, because I'm constantly reading something. 

Fortune Telling Shirt

Basic Witch Shirt

Village Witch Sweatshirt

Salem Apothecary Witch Sweatshirt

I Read Past My Bedtime Shirt

3. Speaking of reading... These Shirts from Out of Print! I've loved The Raven for so many years and The Odyssey is one of the first gifts Ástrid gave me! 

4. This kawaii and incredibly soft looking sweater from Harajuku Fashion on Storenvy! It's also available in purple and black, but the pink is just my favorite and I am reminded of Sailor Moon's kawaii bedroom whenever I see the design (even though her blankets were purple, pink and yellow.) 

5. This very bright Gudetama Face Shirt from ARTBOX! Ahhhh, it's so kawaii. I love Gudetama. I love everything eggy and I, too, am lazy. 

6. Finally, for clothes, these two beautiful coats! The first one is one Ástrid found me, it's the Women's Long Sleeve Fur Coat Dress Vintage Gothic Lolita Bowknot Dress (it's a coat dress) from Walmart and the other is the Marianne Coat from Angelic Pretty!  

7. Alice's kawaii Floofy Bat Plushie! Soooo kawaii and even apple butter scented! I want one so badly! 

8. Little Lovelies: Ástrid, Koji and our babies forever and ever ♥ Grace Eve's Mushroom pendants (Mushroom + crystal?! I LOVE IT!) ♥ Preparing to make Cuca de Banana and Pao de Queijo ♥ everything pumpkin related ♥ Halloween nails ♥ being inspired by Lizzie for gyaru fashion (more on that soon!) ♥ and much more. 

Want to read more? Consider visiting some of my favorite bloggers, like Michelle, (another fabulous) Michelle, Cate, Vanessa, Natalee, Jordanne, Sarah, Eleanor, Marissa, Angela Louise and Lizzie linked above! You'll definitely find something enjoyable by all of them!

What are you loving this week? Share in my comments below!

Monster and Mythology Monday - Ghosts

 

OoOoOo... Yūrei! Fantasma! Ghosts! This Monday Thursday (sorry), my Monster and Mythology Monday is all about ghosts, so I'll be scaring myself with this one. 😅  To give you an example of my fear of ghosts, I was playing Animal Crossing and Wisp was on my island...

I, in such a horrified voice, said "GHOST!" that Ástrid thought I saw a real one. That being said, I love ghost lore. Especially Japanese ghost lore. Japanese ghosts, depending on the type, can be called... Yūrei, Bōrei, Shiryō and Yōkai. And for each "type" of ghost, there are even more! Like Jibakurei, which are Yūrei that are Earth-bound spirits, Ayakashi which are Yōkai that appear above water surfaces and Onryō which are Yūrei that are vengeful spirits.

Let's talk about a few!

Some of my favorite legends as well as fictional ghosts... 

We'll start with my absolute favorite fictional ghost, Kayako Saeki. Kayako is from the Ju-On series! She's an Onryō:

In Japanese traditional beliefs and literature, onryō (怨霊, literally "vengeful spirit", sometimes rendered "wrathful spirit") refers to a ghost (yūrei) believed to be capable of causing harm in the world of the living, injuring or killing enemies, or even causing natural disasters to exact vengeance to "re-address" the wrongs it received while alive, then taking their spirits from their dying bodies. - Wikipedia

I've never read the novel but I reallyyyy want to. Kayako had a tough life growing up and an even worse life once she was married. The reason for her croaking sound is tragic and while most people have probably seen Ju-On, I won't ruin anything with spoilers! 

Next up is Yotsuya Kaidan, which is the story of Oiwa and Tamiya Iemon and is known as the most-adapted Japanese horror story. It's about a rōnin (a Samurai without a Lord or Master) named Tamiya and his wife, Oiwa. Oiwa is tricked into using a face cream that is poisonous, scarring her face and afterwards, Tamiya doesn't want to be with her anymore. After seeing her own reflection, Oiwa furiously goes to take a sword and I assume murder those who poisoned her, but as someone goes to stop her, she stumbles and pierces her own throat. She bleeds to death and curses Tamiya, before deciding to haunt him.

Yotsuya Kaidan was based on two different real life legends and was first made into a kabuki play. I really want to watch the 1959 movie "Ghost of Yotsuya" but I need to wait until November. Also, this is so interesting to me:

By tradition, production crews adapting the story for film or stage visit Oiwa's gravesite in Myogyoji Temple in Sugamo, Toshima-ku, Tokyo to pay their respects, as an urban legend states that injuries and fatalities will befall the cast if they do not. - Wikipedia

But I won't talk about just Japanese ghosts, as there are so so so so many more and I can't possibly talk about all of them right now and there are even more legends around the world! Such as...

The Grey Lady of The Willard Library staff in Evansville, Indiana! I was very little when I first heard about the Grey Lady. I remember reading about her before finding out that there was a webcam set up in the library that I could watch - and watch I did! She's been seen since 1937, way before the webcam was ever thought of. Some occurrences that let people know she is around is the smell of her perfume and cold spots.  

The Strigoi of Romania tie in with the vampirism I talked about last week, but they're actually ghosts. Ghosts of those who've died from suicide or have a reason to come back and haunt the living. Like a vampire, some Strigoi survive by drinking human blood. They're said to have red hair and bluish-purple eyes. There are also other kinds, such as the Strigoi who calls. If you hear your name called by a Strigoi and answer, you will die. But! They can only call once. So, wait before you answer the next time you hear someone randomly calling your name!

And finally for now, the Myling of Scandinavian legends are the ghosts of children who were left to die by their mothers. They are known for singing in the night. Even though they can fly into a rage, most Myling simply want to be found, given a name and given a proper burial. But in order to do that, they need to find a living human who can carry their weight (as it's said that Myling are quite large.) If the human who they jump on cannot bring them to a graveyard, they kill them. 

And now some spoOoOoky products! 

1. Nintendo Mario Boo Ghost T-shirt from Hot Topic

2. Super Mario Boo Ghost Earrings from Clay World on Etsy

3. Miniature World Little Ghost in Glass Bottle from StoltzKraft on Etsy

4. Kuchisake Nina yokai enamel pin from Yokai Parade on Etsy

5. Needle Felted Ghosties from windmilk on Etsy

6. Rokurokubi Yokai Enamel Pin from Geenie Jay on Etsy

7. Spiraphobia - Japanese Spirals Phobia (which I have because of Junji Ito) from Pigboom on Etsy

8. Kayako Saeki Enamel Pin from starsalts on Etsy

9. MIYUKI the YUREI yokai enamel pin from Yokai Parade on Etsy

10. NO FACE Ditto x Anime Movie Enamel Pin from magicalmaidens on Etsy

11. Spooky Ghost Amigurumi from SouthernParagon on Etsy 

12. Phasmophobia on Steam

Phasmophobia is a game that I really realllly want! I would love to get and review this game for Halloween. You're a ghost hunter and need to use all kinds of tools to figure out what kind of ghost you're dealing with in order to get paid. It's great! Koji, Ástrid and I have been watching a lot of streamers playing!

So that's my list! What do you think? Do you have a favorite ghost story?

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