Liz Lisa and SF Japantown Hauls

Hooray for regular posting again! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ ﾀﾀﾞｲﾏｧ

In the case you all forgot what my face looked like ;D

 Last week, I flew back to LA to surprise my mother since her birthday was coming up. With my strange work schedule, it is difficult to coordinate something that would work for the family and myself. Along with other things, it really makes me wish I was still in LA.

And so I got my mother a mille fueille from my favorite bakery in Little Tokyo, Frances. I seriously need to stop advertising them like they sponsor me or something. Hahaha.

     

As usual, it was perfection! The many layers were crispy and flaky, the custard had the perfect amount of sweetness (not overloaded like many bakeries), and the whipped cream was soft and fluffy. Fruit was, as usual, fresh and sweet. I sometimes wonder if they get their fruit imported directly to them since no local grocery stores carry such ripe fruit during the winter season. Seriously, where do they get these fruits?

As you all know, I was raving about the box coat from MANGO in my previous post. Well the good news is that I got it, and it was freakin' gorgeous. The bad news is that it was too big! I ordered an XS and the shoulder width and sleeve length was too big! I checked for XXS online and in store, but no luck, it's all gone -sad-. And so when I went home for my mom's birthday, I rummaged through her vintage goods (she keeps all her clothes from the '80s in pristine condition), and found this:

Of course this is slightly oversized for me, but it is so warm. I will make this work. Wool exterior with faux fur inside. I swear I feel nothing from the outside when I wear this.

Another thing that happened recently in SoCal..

A NEW DAISO STORE IN MY HOMETOWN.

Okay, everyone is probably thinking of Daiso as some random 99cent store equivalent (which is true) and could only mean splurging on unnecessary things. Plus, they have hundred/thousands of stores around already, so I shouldn't be so excited every time there is one open.

In all honesty, I was not too impressed with this Daiso :(. This is mostly because this one was tiny! However, I still managed to find a few things I needed/wanted.

I can't believe there is still a line for this store when I got there. In NorCal, there is never a line like this.

My haul:

Hooks for Obiwon's frames

Falsies, bobby pins, and fly-away pins

 I honestly got the falsies because I forgot to withdraw cash and the minimum purchase with a credit card was $10. I haven't worn falsies in a while anyways, and these had a nice natural look, so I decided to give these a go. Just like any other girl, I am constantly losing my bobby pins, ESPECIALLY the small ones. This came in a box so this will help me organize whatever pins I have left. Also, WHY DID NO ONE THINK OF THIS SOONER? Fly-away pins? I was so excited when I got this.

Wire holders

I did not realize what a mess wires could cause until I vacuumed. It was horrendous. These saved me!

And finally..

Angora socks

W T F . When I saw these socks, I though they would cost $4 or so since they had angora fur, and some Daiso items are marked a bit higher for quality. Strangely enough, they were $1.50 EACH! Ridiculous! No wonder that whole section was practically clear when I got there.

Flight back to NorCal

And just like that, my weekend home was gone. Back to NorCal I went.

Then I heard exciting news. I panicked..a little. Okay, it was more like hyperventilating.

A new shop recently opened selling Liz Lisa. In the U.S. In San Francisco.


And they are pre-ordering Lucky Packs.

My heart started beating fast when I found the store online. And my palms got sweaty. I swear it was as though I am about to meet Nakashima Mika (as you know, she is my idol *Q*). And so I placed two LP pre-orders.

MARUQ

Strangely enough, when I first saw the name, I thought of MURUA (I have no idea why since their spelling is completely different =_=;), and so I started looking right away.

My style has always been "darker", more mode-gyaru than what Liz Lisa provides me. However, I realized that during this winter/fall, I have been following softer neutrals than my usual dark shades. If anything, I am closer to Cecil McBee than Liz Lisa. Regardless, I wanted some softer-looking tops to neutralize my dark/masculine looks. So here is what I pre-ordered from MARUQ:

1. Parade Tote Bag Set, $150

As described on MARUQ: "Tote typically contains 5 pieces, including a coat, knit cardigan, dress, top, and inner wear."

2. Dolly Set Tote Bag - Tops and Bottoms Style, $75

"Tote includes 3 coordinating separates (typically a skirt, cardigan, and blouse) that can be mixed & matched or used together to create a full-coordinate."

For those unfamiliar with LP's, they are essentially grab-bags. What this means is that they have a selection of coordinates, sometimes exactly as listed on the images, in a bag, usually at a discounted price. A variety of brands do LP's, however, it's usually a gamble as you may not always get the items you want/expected. However, if you are a loyal fan of a certain brand, you will probably enjoy the surprises.

I really wished MARUQ carried the other brands I liked, but since they opened in December, it will probably take some time before they are able to get more varieties. I am super excited for the items to come though. Crossing fingers!

I also finally got to visit a Koreatown equivalent (sort of?) in Santa Clara recently. Obiwon and I went to Lawrence Plaza for lunch and did some small shopping.

My OOTD

FOTD. I only have brown eyeshadow (Wet 'n Wild) and black gel eyeliner (Tony Moly) on. 

A view of the food court.

BFOTD - me on left, Obiwon on right

Dishes for lunch!

     

Paris Baguette cream bread and fruit pastry

My main reason for going to the area was to go to The Face Shop as I needed something to prevent my hair from becoming a static mess when I go out. Unfortunately, they were sold out of the hair masks, but the lovely saleslady recommended this. This contains olive oil and collagen to prevent the shine and moisture in the hair from escaping. I also received some samples on hydrating moisturizer. It sounds so refreshing right now...mmm...

     

As usual.. I had to stop by the nearby Daiso. Talon (my pet beardie) does not have a feeding tray since he eats crickets, but lately he has been eating cilantro (wow what? so cute right?!), so I needed something for his food. I found this bamboo coaster that was perfect for him! And then I saw this nifty tool to keep a neat bun on, and so I indulged a bit again.

Talon would keep slipping when his hands are on this dish (sauce dish). Sometimes he wouldn't expect it and suddenly get surprised when he slides (due to the wet cilantro water around dish).

Look how happy he is now that there is grip on the side! He is ready to feast. ﾜｰｲε=ヾ(*・∀・)/ 

I think I am on a roll. After getting our Korean fix, this week we went to Japantown. I have never been to Japantown, and wondered if it was anything like Little Tokyo (LA), and since I had to return my coat from MANGO in Union Square, we figured we could walk around Japantown afterwards.

OOTD

Okay, this was my first OOTD, but after I looked at this picture, I felt like I was going to work at an office or something. I love the preppy look, but it felt too ready-for-work for me... especially for a weekend. So I changed.

OOTD, take 2. It makes such a difference when I change pants (and added a vintage belt), don't you think? I also changed into my thrifted blazer to tone down the outfit a bit. Still preppy, but less office-like.

Lunch at Mifune Don. 

 We had lunch in Peace Plaza at a restaurant called Mifune Don. I was not hungry at all, but I know if I did not eat at that time, I would starve later. Ordered the lunch special!

I returned my box coat. I WAS SO SAD! I scoured the place for a smaller size but they did not even carry it anymore! And so I returned it and bought a pair of pants instead:

For some reason, MANGO pants fit me very very well! If be sure to measure yourself before buying online as they fit accordingly. I am a ~25-26 in waist and a size 4 fits perfectly.

Daifuku

 We needed to take a break as we walked through the whole mall (east and west) non-stop. So I bought daifuku for us to snack on at a bench before we headed to our final destinations.

Ichi Ban Kan and Kinokuniya Bookstore purchases:

Probably one of the weirder things (?) to purchase at Ichi Ban Kan. I have a pair of black penny loafers that I purchased but was half a size too big, and so it would always slip when I walked in them. I hope this works for me.

 When we separated at Kinokuniya Bookstore, I immediately went to the female fashion magazines. I have always loved the contents of the magazines from Japan as they always carried so much detail on outfits and makeup ideas (even though I cannot read any of it) that I wanted to indulge a bit. I ended up buying a nuts magazine, which came with an EMODA pouch. I did not care for the pouch as the magazine carried everything I was interested in (such as super easy makeup ideas and outfits), but the pouch was still super cute!

One of the things I have always loved about clothes is the way you can mix and match one or two items to make a variety of outfits. This one page in the magazine gives some great examples:

By the end of the day, we were exhausted. Obiwon and I went back with a lot of traffic waiting for us... and a Talon.

My homemade chocolate chip crumble for the workdays ahead

     

How was your weekend?