April 2019 - Japan trip, 1 year in the house & Dylan

Following the hellish work month that was March, April was much, much calmer and in reality, we hardly did anything aside from our short Japan trip (which was nice in and of itself).

Purchases
DreamV (NewlyMe) cross strap pumps in lavender

So, I totally caved and purchased another pair of these. Actually two...I got another pair in black aside from the lavender because the pair I bought in February is actually a little pinchy at 24.0 and I've been wearing them a lot, so I know that it will be worth it to get another hair in 0.5cm up. Anyway, I just really love the style and I'm so happy they come in so many different colors. I can already anticipate another pair in the mail next month wtf.
Truthfully, this lavender pair has a cooler/bluer tone to them than the lavender that's typically in Liz Lisa's color schemes which is a bit warmer, so I don't know exactly how useful they'll be for the outfits I was imagining initially, but I have a few other oneegyaru brand items that they'll definitely worth with!

Japan trip Spring 2019
I got my nails done at Salon Cherie again. I chose a $55 gel monthly special set.

This is the first time I've really ever gotten an all solid color full nail design, but because of my nail length at my appointment, I decided it was the best choice for what would look good during the trip. I usually choose something with closer to a french or gradient tip so the grow out doesn't look so contrasty, but I'm glad to try something different for myself even though the design is not incredibly novel (I'm not complaining for $55 though).

Bf and I went on Japan trip Spring 2019 from April 8-April 14. Because of the time difference/flight length, we really only had 5 days in Tokyo, but I think we were still able to make the most of it.

Click here for the full blog post if you haven't seen it yet.

Highlights include seeing Ebony and Berri, sakura, Ueno Park, Yokohama Cup Noodle Museum, Nippori fabric town, strawberry picking, Ashikaga Flower Park and Amano Dry Goods Station.


Outfits
I listed these both as purchases from in my Japan trip post, but I didn't show any worn photos because I didn't have any yet. As I mentioned last month, no super special photos - just what I can take myself when I have time!

Liz Lisa mermaid sweets parlor OP in pink, Liz Lisa (sunflower 4-piece) bow clips, DreamV cross strap pumps in white

Liz Lisa fishtail dress (2019 version) in deep pink, Flag J sandals

Miscellaneous updates
Bf and I had lots of leisure time after the trip, just spending time together and concentrating on nothing in particular.

We went to eat at one of our favorite restaurants and was able to get calligraphy done by a visiting artist in celebration of their 5th anniversary~!

Truthfully, I don't remember the translation that well, but I was trying to listen and focus when the guy was translating it instead of hastily trying to write it down and now I'm paying for it lol. I remember I really liked the sentiment in the moment though :)

Also, the beginning of this month marked 1 year of living in the house!

The small talk with a lot of my older coworkers and relatives has been "how do you enjoy being a homeowner?" I still really don't have a good answer for that. It's definitely had it's share of ups and downs. The positives are pretty obvious, but just as a reminder for myself, I guess some of the small issues/work that came up in just the first year - large AC unit needed to be replaced, reinforcing the wall in the back so it wouldn't collapse, centipede nest (wtf) under one of the palm trees, like tons and tons and tons of spiders in the garage, putting in new flooring in the kitchen, garage door opener wires cracked. Oh and we just discovered some small cracks/holes/damage to the concrete on the backside of the house which I think were caused by termites? [still to be resolved]

April 21st of this year was not only Easter but also the 10-year anniversary of my friend Dylan's death.

^^ This is the same photo I end up sharing every year. Past years' Dayre posts [2017][2016][2015][2014] that are amazingly still live if you want a little more in depth history so I don't repeat myself too much. 
As more time passes, he seems more and more of a distant memory which scares me a little. It's also kind of hard to believe that that it's been this long. Where would he be now if he hadn't passed? What would he look like? What would he be doing? If there's anything I can take away from this, is the reminder to be the best support than I can be to those around me. Although it unfortunately didn't end up changing the outcome with Dylan, I know that reaching out to others can make small differences. April 21st will always make me think about the importance of kindness and friendship.

I don't have much to speak for for purchases or activities this month as I didn't buy much due to my trip. However, there are a few items and activities that I'm looking forward to in May (or early June) that I'm hoping will pan out! Some of them have a bit of a waiting period attached and I'm reluctant to share too early but I'll definitely update as they are received/happen! Meanwhile, April just includes some anticipation ❣