Curse you, Mercury retrograde!

Today is my birthday (!), and so the *original* plan was to have a lovely birthday tiara post up for you today. Because hey, birthday tiaras! Awesome!

Alas, my home laptop had other ideas. Ideas like the hard drive deciding that it no longer liked living.

So instead, I'm begging forgiveness for the lack of posting in general and now the extended delay in posting, as my Macbook will be sent off to Hard Drive Camp tomorrow and will hopefully return feeling fresh like a daisy. And, well, empty. It's like having a brand new laptop and yet... not.

Meanwhile, since my poor baby is already almost four years old, it could be time to start thinking about a new laptop, which is absolutely not in my budget at all...

In the mean time, go check out my recent post on BlogHer Style, where I tell you all about my spring wardrobe clearout. Or check out Karen's new flat iron review at Periodic Beauty Reviews!

How's this Mercury retrograde treating you so far? It's going on through May 11th, so we all just have to hang in there. And, if you have any laptop recommendations, I'd love to hear them, since it looks like I'll be back in that market soon. (Sigh!)

Keep your eye open for that birthday tiara post closer to Kati's birthday...!

Music to Run To

I'll admit that I'm totally not feeling inspired lately. My entire wardrobe has got me bored to tears, I've been limited in what I can eat the past week due to the stupid wisdom teeth coming out, and as much as I want to buy new clothes, nothing has been fitting right. I'm in a general January funk.

Part of the reason why I'm in this funk is that I'm not really being active -- I'm not working out, I'm not roller-skating, I'm just kind of tired all of the time.I need to take it easy and let myself heal, but it's boring and I'm getting antsy. But I'm getting ready to start up again at the end of January, and I think I want to start running. I've never liked running (true story: Karen and I became friends over a mutual hatred of running in middle school gym class), but I absolutely need to work on my endurance. And with my boyfriend being a runner (he ran the Kauai half-marathon last year), it seems like a good idea -- he can give me tips and help me out.

And so I've been looking into music -- particularly podcasts -- to help get me going. I've never really been a podcast subscriber -- I don't know why, but I never really got into it! Way to be two thousand and late, J. Still, I can appreciate a good mix of music, especially if it's already fully set and timed for you so you don't have to stop and flip through to the next song (which is always my problem).

Since I'm really just starting running, I knew that there was the training program Couch to 5K, where you ease into running and gradually add time and speed. To go with the program, there's a Couch to 5K podcast with high BPM techno-y workout-y music and Robert (the podcast creator) letting you know when it's time to walk, run, rest, or cool down.

While standard workout music is fine, I had a feeling I would want something a little more indie rock, and so I found the Jogtunes Indie podcast. And when I found it in iTunes, I followed the "You might like..." links and discovered Indie Soup Runner, which is really cool and has all of its playlists available for you to pick and see which ones you want to download. (I recommend "Angry Rock Chick", because YEAH.) If you find that their websites are a little hard to navigate, because, well, we do, I highly recommend subscribing to them in iTunes and pulling them directly from there.

And don't forget: Kati did a workout mix as her first Lab Accident (I MISS YOUR MIXES, KATI) -- You Know You Really Were The Bomb.

So now I've got some awesome new music on my iPod, but I have a complication in that I'm very picky about headphones. I have tiny ears and earbuds just do not stay in. I hate them so much that when I was asked "hey, can I borrow your iPhone earbuds", I said, "I honestly have no idea where they are." I have a pair of ladybug earbuds that I use reluctantly and with the child-size buds (!), and a pair of behind the neck headphones that hurt my ears after too long. It's not ideal.

However, I could make an exception for the rad and vibrant Urbanears at Moxsie.com. I don't plan on running outside much, so running in the gym with a big colorful pair of headphones would be fine with me. I'm also craving the Heartbeats designed by Lady GaGa and featured in the Bad Romance video. They're enough to make me reconsider the whole "gah I hate earbuds" thing. (And they come with three sizes of buds, for the tiny-eared like me.) Either way, I will have to think about it.

How are you feeling this January? Are you feeling listless like me, or are you revved up for the new year? What's your favorite way to work out, if you're into working out?

image from moxsie.com

Things I'm loving this summer

It's crazy-crunch time for me here, and while I'm fielding a bazillion emails and preparing to meet Tim Gunn (omg), here are some of the things that are making my life easier and prettier while I'm trying not to a. melt into a puddle or b. breathe fire.

- Band-Aid Friction Block stick. It's summer, it's hot, I'm walking three miles a day in sandals and my feet are tender. The Friction Block stick is definitely helping me out here.

- Urban Decay 24/7 pencil in "Bourbon". This came with the Get Baked set, and I love it. Normally you wouldn't think that I'd get excited over a brown eyeliner pencil, but it's really flipping pretty and lasts all day.

- Keeping a pitcher of iced tea in the fridge at home. I know I should have been doing this all along, but I finally got myself a cheap plastic pitcher and have been drinking it like crazy. Amazing! (I make unsweetened mugicha, but any iced tea would be delicious.)

- A nude American Apparel bra. I don't know why I didn't have one sooner, but it's great. I'm finally wearing summer shirts I'd previously banned for being too, shall we say, showy without a camisole underneath.

- Butter London nail polish in HRH. Really, I'm waiting for Mismas, but I'm still excited by the lovely purple HRH. (I think Karen will love it too!)

- Gel lip stains. You all know I love my Benetint, but lately I'm more interested in the gel lip stains like Stila's Cherry Crush Lip and Cheek Stain (I have Cherry and am waiting for Mango) or the MAC See Thru lip colors (I have the Ungaro one swatched there). Yes, they still get eaten off mid-day, because I do eat all day, but they're very pretty and, paired with a clear SPF balm like Softlips, boom -- tinted lips with SPF. Hooray!

- Speaking of tinted lips with SPF, I'm loving the Fresh Rose lip treatment balm. Like the classic Fresh Sugar balm, but with a rosy red tint. Fantastic, holy grail-worthy for someone like me who wants color and protection. The only problem is that it's so rich and so lovely that I'm terrified it's going to melt in my purse, so I've been leaving it at home on the scorcher days.

- The Flip Video! Yes, I've added a new gadget to my repertoire. I'm super-excited to have this tiny little video camera in my purse so that I can record my adventures (or misadventures) and share them with everyone. Yay!

- And now, anticipation for the Treasure Island Music Festival! Karen and I are both in, and I'd love to get Ms. Kati to come with us as well. It seriously looks like two days of awesome music. I've also never spent any time on Treasure Island, so it will be exciting!

What's rocking your summer?

Thoughts for the day

You'll have to forgive me for this quick'n'dirty post today, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on some of these topics!

- Has anyone ever finished a Philosophy 3-in-1? Because I never have. I just keep buying new ones and switching them around seasonally.

- If my boyfriend-cut jeans are so unflattering (because good gracious, they really are), then why do I keep wearing them?

- What are your favorite foods to make/eat when it's hot and the last thing you want to do is be in the kitchen? "Calling for pizza" is not an option. Links to recipes/hints are appreciated!

- I just got a Wii and a Wii Fit for my birthday, and I have already made a Mii of myself, Blair, Serena, and Chuck from Gossip Girl. (What? And yes, I can/will take pictures if you want.) What hilarious Miis have you made/would you make? Also, if you're a Wii owner, what are your favorite Wii games?

Any questions? Any thoughts? I'd love to hear 'em!

image from sephora.com

Outfits for Living Room Rock Stars

I used to be a professional video game tester. It sounds like a dream job, right? Except for the part where I rarely play video games. I get frustrated fairly easily, and I also get really stressed out by things trying to kill me. (I think that's understandable.)

What I do have, however, is a fairly good sense of rhythm and the ability to hit a note properly. Therefore, it's no surprise that some of the video games I love best are the music games. My all-time favorite is UmJammer Lammy, the sequel to Parappa the Rapper, where you hit your PSone (yeah, old school!) buttons in time to play the guitar.

Needless to say, there's been a lot of changing and improving since '99 (was it really that long ago??). Now we've got full-on plastic instrument peripherals for Guitar Hero, plug-in microphones for Karaoke Revolution... and, of course, Rock Band's full band kit, with guitar, microphone, and drum kit.

For more on Rock Band, check out this podcast on real musicians, including Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney, playing Rock Band and talking about how even though it's not the same as really getting up there on stage and playing true music, it's still a lot of fun for the casual gamer/music fan. (Which is me!)

So, since Rock Band is meant to be played in a group and there's nothing better than having a full performance, I poked around Polyvore and made up some outfits for the four parts of Rock Band -- drums, guitar, bass, and vocals.

Drums:



I picked flats for easier use of the bass pedal, decided a no-go on bracelets because you'll be busy with your drumsticks and don't need bangles crashing around, and a cute yellow watch to keep time for you. Plus a Blondie t-shirt because female rockers need to rep-re-sent! (Seriously, there are far too few female-vocal songs on Rock Band.)

Guitar:



The guitarist, on the other hand, gets the awesome bracelets and heeled slouchy boots. Also, sequins. And naturally, our favorite colored tights.

Bass:



Like drums, the bassist has a watch to keep the beat, but is also more laidback with jeans and a loose tunic top, plus a headband to keep hair out of her eyes. Again, sequins, but this time on the shoes.

Vocals:



But ah, vocals! This is usually what I wind up playing if I'm in a group, although lately I've been going for drums. I originally went for more of a diva gold glam look, but realized it wasn't really rocker enough. Even this is on the girly side, but the pyramid bangles are a lot of fun (seriously, I want some) and I love the feathered headband. Plus, since everyone's going to be watching your lips, the original Viva Glam is obviously the red lipstick of choice. And, once more with feeling, there are sequins.

Honestly, I'm much more likely to play Rock Band in my pajamas than anything else, but it's fun to have the rock star dream, isn't it?

images from polyvore.com

My newest distraction/obsession

You may have noticed the common thread between the three of us is our love of Japanese pop culture and fashion; we all studied Japanese throughout high school and college. I was the last one to go this September.

On what seems like an unrelated note, I love the outfit photos that pop up on blogs like Style Bubble and The Coveted, as well as the Face of the Days at Specktra, but I barely have any time to hone the perfect outfit and/or face more often than not, let alone set up my camera or snag someone to take a picture of me.

So it's no surprise that my newest, most favorite thing is Pupe.jp, the adorable Japanese fashion and beauty networking site. Here's how it works: you sign up and create your Poupeegirl -- a little avatar that looks like you. (That's me in today's outfit!) You earn "ribbons", the site's currency, by posting pictures of your own favorite clothes, shoes, accessories, beauty products -- anything that you can buy and wear. Then you cash in your ribbons for items for your Poupeegirl. You can also sell any items you don't want (anyone want a pair of camo leggings? I'm selling them for 10 ribbons!). In addition, you may receive shells that you can redeem for prizes at the shell fountain.

It's also a social network in that you can see everyone else's uploaded pictures and click the "suteki" button (the gold button underneath the photo) if you like it, and you can add them to your friends list. If you post or receive a comment, you get a ribbon!

It is a Japanese website, so there are some parts of it in Japanese, but it's not all that hard to navigate. The one that most people would be concerned about is the dress-up section, where the categories are all listed in Japanese. The list goes "hairstyles - outerwear - tops - bottoms - dresses - innerwear - bags - jewelry - shoes - accessories - make-up - events - etc.". To take a "snapshot" of your Poupeegirl's outfit, click the first of the buttons on the bottom of "dress-up" page -- the one with the camera icon, not the cell phone icon. (And, of course, if you need any extra help, you're always welcome to ask me!)

So check it out, and add me as your friend! If you want some extra ribbons to start with, you can email me or leave a comment to be invited, and I'll send you one!

image from pupe.jp

Gift Guide 1: Things we totally want but keep forgetting.

Sometimes there are things that are so expensive and yet so awesome that I have to remind myself, "Oh yeah, I want that someday." But then payday comes around and instead I'm buying more eyeshadow or yarn or something like that, and I still can't justify dropping $250 on something, even if I've been wanting it for a while. So here are some cool things that I would totally buy, and absolutely appreciate, if I could only remind myself when I have the money. And then justify it.

Also, I confirmed this with Kati: these are things we totally don't think about, but would be thrilled to receive. Well, except for maybe the last one. That may just be me.

The first is the no!no! hair removal device from Sephora. I hate shaving my legs. I just hate it. I griped about this a little in June when I reviewed two scrubs. So letting a little machine do it? Heck yeah. And if it comes in pink? You bet I want it! And with a charm point of "you know if it's working if you can smell burnt hair", how can you resist? It's smaller than my cell phone and kind of looks like an iPod had a baby with a spring and a comb. This has been on my wishlist since they announced it was coming out and I keep forgetting about it. $250 at Sephora.

Second is the Clarisonic Skin Care Brush. I've got a Sonicare toothbrush, which is the same sort of thing. But apparently this brush is supposed to be awesome for cleaning out your pores and exfoliating and it massages your face and I think you can probably take it into the shower with you if you're someone who washes your face in the shower. If you've got more sensitive skin, it also comes with a gentle brush attachment. I think that pairing this with Bliss' Clog-Dissolving Milk (which is excellent, by the way -- I know I'm fickle when it comes to face washes, as I've been like "BEST FACE WASH EVER" on this blog about four or five times now, but seriously now, it's really good, no lies) would be a good match. $195 at Sephora.

Third up are Bose Noise Cancelling headphones. I am not someone who walks around with my iPod earbuds in, hanging like the status symbol that they are. For one thing, I hate things that go in my ears. For another thing, I like to actually listen to what's going on around me, just in case something important happens. I take the train a lot; I like to be able to hear when the train is coming, what stations we're going by, and important things like "we're running late", "the train ahead of us is broken", and "we're now a rescue train!" (This has happened.) But when I go on an airplane, or on a long car trip, I do pull out the iPod and listen to it. And so noise-cancelling headphones, particularly high-quality ones from Bose, would be a great investment for someone who does a lot of traveling. These are the QuietComfort 2 and are $299 at Bose.com (siiiigh).

Finally, and this is totally random, TAIYAKI MAKER. If you haven't tried taiyaki, they are little fish-shaped pastries (tai being the Japanese name for snapper) that are filled with sweet bean paste, custard, chocolate, etc., and they are delicious, especially when they're fresh and hot. I have no idea how to use this pan, but I would assume it's like a waffle iron except you have to heat it up on the stove or something. Still, being able to have taiyaki at any time of the day would be awesome. It is always a good time for taiyaki. $26.40 at Amazon.com. This is probably just me. Don't buy this for someone who does not know what taiyaki is, because otherwise they will be very confused.

Now I really, really want to eat fresh taiyaki, and the closest fresh taiyaki is too far away. Curses.

images from sephora.com, bose.com, and amazon.com

My new pet!

Behold, dear readers, the Hasbro i-Dog!
How cute is that little guy? I was at Kohl's the other day trying to find work-ready clothing (an abysmal failure, a post for another day) and spotted him on a shelf with his buddies, the i-CY:
The i-Cat:

And the strangest member of the iPod accessory animal kingdom, the i-FISH:
It looks like some sort of X-Filesian deep ice-core dwelling space exoskeleton creature, by way of the Sanrio smile factory. I wonder does it bend its little tail to the music or just flash its creepy head-lights?

I'm not entirely sure about whether or not the i-Dog has different "modes" of rocking out to techno, punk, and classical, but it's already shown a pleasantly varied array of lights and movement to Broken Social Scene, Devotchka, the Most Serene Republic, the Andrews Sisters, and Feist. Aww, it just started waving its head back and forth to Rihanna. For a little plastic dog that can fit in the palm of your hand with a speaker the size of a postage stamp, the i-Dog puts out pretty good sound--not professional grade, and certainly not enough to provide ambiance for a loud party, but it'll do for little ol' me. The only complaint I have is that the motors that turn the i-Dog's head make a slightly annoying whirring sound, but it moves to the beat! So cute! That and I kind of wish the thing had eyes...eyeless dog = slightly creepy, flashing lights or no. It even whines like a real dog when your iPod DIES RANDOMLY after every few songs!

Still, I think I will keep him and call him Durango.

images from hasbro.com.