January 2019 - Liz Lisa gingham cafe, sleepy bunny, New Years & the Return to Blogging

It's a new year, so I'm going to try something new! I had a lot of fun keeping up with my year with the "My 2018" post but don't want to have to wait all year to post it and have it be a massive post no one wants to read. Instead, I plan to do small monthly life updates in a similar, casual style with more off-the-cuff photos and writing.

Liz Lisa / other shopping purchases
Since this blog was originally for shopping/purchase related mini-reviews, I want to continue to do a small section of that - but much, much abbreviated. I won't be doing a full variety coordinates, but I do want to share with you things that I purchased and have the opportunity to chat with people about them if interested! (This is also just a good opportunity to store stock photos and item names.)

Order 1 - Liz Lisa gingham cafe skirt in black (191-4001-0), Liz Lisa many ribbon boater hat in black (181-9501-0), Liz Lisa collar ribbon cutsew in white (183-2028-0)

My first time trying out black Liz Lisa items! Actually, I wasn't really smitten with the black colorway of the gingham cafe skirt when it was released, but my bf seemed to like it and the more I thought about it, the more it grew on me. I also wanted to get a top and accessory to match with it, so I scoured the outlet and was happy to find a simple blouse and hat that fit my needs.

Order 1a - DreamV Back laceup pumps in black [Rakuten shop]
I knew that I also didn't have the right kind of shoe to go with a sweeter black outfit, so I looked through a few different brand webstores, comtemplated my budget and ended up with this pair from DreamV/Yumetenbo (Diablo Baiser is the sub brand).

I haven't ordered from DreamV in a while, but the global Rakuten is fairly straightfoward although the shipping isn't the cheapest. Still, not too bad for a pair of shoes considering I don't need a forwarding service. The quality and comfort of the pumps are on par with the pricing, which is to say they're not A++, but I can live with it. (I personally find Liz Lisa shoes more comfortable even at the same height due to the design considerations.)

Like I mentioned, I can't commit to any coordinate photos for these posts, but I did make it a point to wear this combo to work just to have a quick try on pic! Wore all the items together as intended but I know there will definitely be other uses for these separately as well. I like the gingham cafe skirt more in person that I anticipated and am happy with the fit and design. The top I feel is a little weird because the ribbon is just stuck on there and seems too low compared to the collar but I was too lazy to resew it before wearing. The hat is exactly as expected and I look forward to wearing it more this summer!

Order 2 - Liz Lisa sleepy bunny sukapan in white (187-5010-0), Liz Lisa smokey color pom pom beret in pink (185-9503-0), Liz Lisa wrapping print iPhone case in lavender (181-9702-0)

I really liked the sleepy bunny print when it was first released, so when the webstore restocked the white sukapan and the pom pom beret magically restocked in pink as well, I figured that was the time. I threw the phone case in because the one I'm currently using has a crack on it that keeps getting stuck on fabrics.

Wore the sukapan with the Liz Lisa ribbon sailor collar blouse, Ank Rouge key embroidery cardigan, Liz Lisa clear heel sandals and Samantha Vega pass case purse. Luckily the Ank Rouge cardigan blue matches perfectly with the blue in the print so I can add some color to the outfit! Although I didn't wear the beret out yet, it's pretty purpley IRL - even deeper of a "pink" than many other autumn pinks imo. I still have items to wear it with, but just not the ones I was expecting to.

Order 3 - [Re-release] Liz Lisa sleepy bunny OP in navy (191-6024-0)

Ngl I was initially excited when Liz Lisa announced a re-release of the sleepy bunny OP in navy and pink. I didn't buy right away though because I had convinced myself that I really didn't need a long sleeve OP (actually purged all of them from my closet just at the end of last year). And yet here it is. I loved the navy version of this print and had settled for the sukapan in white but was happy to have the opportunity for OP in navy which was my original WTB for this series. (Not sure why they re-released it with a spring item number, although my guess is just so it doesn't qualify for the AW sales.)

I received this dress very close to the end of the month, so I haven't had a chance to actually wear it out yet, but the day it arrived, I ran to try it on and ask my bf to take a photo for me lol. Weather is actually pretty warm for us already, so I don't know if this will just sit in my closet for a while. I got the freesize version and it's actually finally a recognizable freesize for me. Waist isn't too tight but still close to fitted and the length is not unusually long. There's lots of room in the sleeves as well! I just adore the print on the navy background and I'm very happy to have this despite anticipating very few opportunities to wear it.

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New Years Celebrations
The big event in January is the new year of course! I eluded to this at the end of my "My 2018" post, but I went to celebrate the New Year with my bf's family on the Big Island this year for 5 days.

His mother's side of the family typically all gathers at his grandmother's house to celebrate, but we also did a quick overnight trip to Kona in a rented Airbnb as well. There was about 18 people in the house which someone easily fit all of us!

The Big Island is the only island in the state where you can still pretty much go ham with the fireworks (although you still need a permit for the firecrackers). I haven't experienced a NYE like this in a long time thanks to the ban, so it was really nogstalic for me even though I was in a totally new situation!

We also did things like temple visits, pound mochi and his uncle even made an imu which had a pig, frozen turkey and some fruit in it.

I missed being with my family a lot since New Years is largely thought of a family holiday/occasion in Hawaii, but I think it was certainly worthwhile to spend it with my bf and their family at least for this year.

#10yearchallenge / #howharddidiage 
This was trending in early January but I didn't feel like making a real post about it. A quick share here seems more appropriate for me!

There didnt seem to be a lot of consistency between posting 2008 or 2009 and 2018 or 2019 as far as I could tell, but I found a photo from early in 2009 and one from late in 2018 that I feel should count! I've posted older photos of me before ("My fashion look back"), so I'm sure this won't be that surprising for some of you, but it is kind of interesting to see them side by side!
One big change, if you can even call it that, is that I typically go with shorter bangs now and enjoy a my natural hair color a lot more lol. I also spend a bit less time in the sun/try to keep my skin more protected these days than before when I used to run cross country.

Miscellaneous updates
Had to go to Kauai again for a day trip for work. The weather was super nice and clear that day. The concept of jumping on a plane almost essentially as a means of commute is such a crazy idea to me, but it really worked out for what we had to do that day (just a handful of hours but time sensitive). 

My Fitbit Alta HR battery life was pretty terrible (lasting 2-3 days at the most), so I contacted the customer service and after running a quick test, I was sent a new "pebble". When I mentioned that the band was also cracking, they sent me a replacement for that as well. Both were still under warranty so it was at no cost to me, but hopefully these last more than a year because I really like a lot of the features!

Saw an article on Facebook for these Pokemon themed Pillsbury shape cookies and set a mental reminder to look for them since bf loves these cookies. Surprisingly found them just a week or so later at a local grocery store (we usually get stuff last in HI) and bought and made them immediately!

Celebrated our relationship anniversary! We went to eat dinner at Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin in Waikiki. And my coworkers got me some balloons because they're corny like that lmao.

I did some reorganizing over the MLK Jr. long weekend! Bf went on a trip to Washington with his college friends and I had the house to myself. The Konmari craze was pretty big at this time with the Netflix show premiering and even though I'd bought the book for my mom and bf had the manga version, I've never fully gotten into it. Truthfully, I watched 1 episode just because I knew it would make me get my ass in gear, and it did!

I'm not really following the process at all really, but just using it as inspiration to just...do stuff which I think is still pretty good. I went through the master bathroom sink cabinets and drawers first since that was the worst. That took a good 90 minutes which was longer than I expected lol. The next day I made my way over to my clothes (Liz Lisa stuff, other closet, drawers), sorting and getting rid of things along the way and listing items on Depop. Following day included just reorganizing my bfs clothes since I couldn't make any spark joy decisions for him. Just made hangers nicer, sorted by type and folded better for his drawers and closet. Last was the kitchen pantry which was a huge mess since we moved in and just threw whatever would fit in there. I now have an entirely empty shelf (which is not pictured, but it's there now I swear)!
I still have quite a few more rooms to do, but I think I made pretty good progress for just one weekend. Planning to tackle the other bathroom, linen closet, spare bedroom and storage closet next.

I went hiking with my coworker and her bf during the long weekend as well!

I haven't seen her in a while so it was good to just do some exercise and catch up at the same time. The hike wasn't too strenuous so it was easy to have a conversation while we were walking. I look like a giant next to her sometimes I s2g.

We went to 53 by the Sea to celebrate my bf's brother-in-law's birthday. It was a small gathering with just the family. This is a super popular restaurant for birthdays and anniversaries lately it seems. There's a great view of Diamond Head and an iconic staircase where most people take pictures for IG lol.

Spent a lot of the weekends this month at the soccer field! Bf was playing in an adult AYSO league and also in a more competitive men's league, so there were games on both Saturdays and Sundays. Even though I used to play when I was younger, I'm happy to sit on the sidelines (in the shade!) and just watch these days.

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The Return to Blogging
The end of 2018 and the start of 2019 marked my return to blogging after what was essentially a year of silence on social media. I was a bit nervous but had a feeling that the worst thing that could happen would be 0 views. And even at that, I'm still trying hard to write mostly for myself, so I should (in theory) be happy with what I've written even if no one sees it.

I was pleasantly surprised with how the "Why I stopped blogging" post did on its own (no boosting on my part) and how many people were able to find it. I felt like all of the comments I received were very heartwarming and made me miss blogging a lot. When I posted the "My 2018" post, tbh I expected to receive similar feedback or maybe even more? but I think the length of it really discourages people from actually reading and maybe the title is not that intriguing? That being said, that was the post I was most excited to publish and share and had literally been working on it all year.

So that's why I wanted to call attention to it by posting on my IG story. I really do truly feed on attention. But all-in-all, I can't complain after being dormant for a year.

I also did a quick Q&A on my IG story for the first time. I always felt like I'd be disappointed with getting 0 replies, so I've never done one before. But one day I was bored and figured it was a good time to give it a shot.

Thank you to everyone who sent in a response! I had a lot of fun trying to find the right photo or video when I was answering. I really hope to be interacting with people more on social media when I use it (instead of just lurking) and even though this was a bit one sided

I still don't feel like I can fully commit to the type of posting and how I was using social media before. I've just mostly been lurking more, actually staying signed into my account, liking a few things here and there, but haven't wanted to do a "regular" post. I guess I'm afraid of getting sucked back in and checking how much interaction the posts get and that mattering way too much to me. I even backpeddled on posting just this because it felt like too much and I was feeling a bit exposed for some reason, but I need to just calm TF down and try it out and see where it takes me.

Please leave me your feedback! It truly helps ❣