March 2019 - Liz Lisa sweet confiture, outfit photo introspection & hiking

This was a long, difficult month for me. I hardly have anything to post about, but I think it might just be as relevant to show that there wasn't much to report and just where my head was during this time.

Purchases
Liz Lisa sweet confiture jumperskirt in purple (191-6014-0), sweet confiture in pink (191-4006-0) & open shoulder sailor blouse in white (191-1010-0)
スウィートコンフィチュール柄ジャンス, スウィートコンフィチュール柄スカート& 肩あきセーラーブラウス

Although I'm not extremely in love with the print itself, I love the cut of the jumperskirt for this series and Berri had highly recommended it as well. Bf helped me pick the color since I was pretty on the fence. The top and skirt weren't initially high on my list, but I bought them as well after seeing some really convincing shop staff photos!

In person, the lavender is definitely more grey than I anticipated, but Berri was right - the cut/fit is great. The fit of the skirt I don't love as much as I expected and overall, it's kind of simple. I wish it had a little bit of hem detail like the jumperskirt does. The top is exactly as expected and I'm glad that I ordered it with these items although I don't personally love it paired with the jumperskirt just because of how the necklines (dont) match up.

Liz Lisa berry bouquet jumperskirt in pink

This has been a wishlist item for me for a while and I had seen it on Mercari before but wasn't sure how much I wanted to pay. With how much overtime I had been working, I decided to treat myself and just get it when the opportunity presented itself again. It's extremely similar to the strawberry bon bon OP I got last month, but I personally like a jumperskirt design a little bit more, so I thought it would be worthwhile to have both. I purchased this using Mintkismet Shopping Service again!

As it turns out, I don't love the fit of this on me at all. My torso is apparently too long for it and it makes me look really boxy so I'm reconsidering what I want to do with it. The print and color are lovely, but I have to admit, this isn't the right item for me.

Watermark knit cardigan in white (183-3030-0) & Lace wedge pumps in pink (181-9603-0)

 透かし編みカーディガン & レースウェッジパンプス

These are both outlet items that I got during the free shipping campaign for the TKL Overseas website's 1st anniversary. I was really apprehensive about it because I was wondering why these didn't sell well (the pumps in particular), but since I have an intended purpose for them, I decided to just give it a try.

When I received them, I didn't notice anything particularly weird (like being scratchy or super uncomfortable) and these items are pretty average for Liz Lisa, so I'm glad that I took a chance. The tone of the pink for the shoes was the thing I was most worried about since it's extremely variable from stock photos, but it's right around what I was expecting although it's not a 100% perfect match to anything I currently have. Closest color pair is the pink from the ice cream series, shown above. (Wearing the shoes without the bow but they were included in the box.)

DreamV (NewlyMe) cross strap pumps in white smooth

I bought another pair of these lol. Last month, I tried them out in red and black. There was a small price reduction, so I decided to treat myself to another pair since I really liked the black ones and was wearing them a lot! I plan to use this pair as a back up to my white Liz Lisa 3D flower pumps, but also I think they'll be useful for outfits where I want a more significant heel. I ordered these in 24.5cm instead of my typical 24.0 because the black pair was a little snug and I think that was a good choice! Worn with the sweet confiture series above.
If I get another pair, it'll be either the beige, lavender or the coral. Let me know which gets your vote! (Although in the best case scenario, I'll eventually end up with a pair in every color lol.)

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Outfits photos and social media

While I ended up wearing the items I purchased above during the month, I was feeling really overwhelmed from work. This caused me to re-evaluate taking the outfit photos as a whole. 

What's the point of taking these outfit photos? To "show off" on social media? 

The way that I used to take OOTD pictures (just on my own, by myself in my room during my own time) felt okay because I was strongly motivated to share what the items looked like on a customer/irl or just how I coordinated certain items. These weren't high quality photographs and had pretty much 0 artistic merit. It did take some time for me to edit and capture, etc, but that was just my own time I was wasting. 

The way that I feel like people have come to expect outfit photos has way more production and aesthetic value and has more to do with taking a pretty picture with a cute outfit rather than showing what the clothes look like. There's aboslutely nothing wrong with this, however, it's not something I currently want to do or ask others to help me do. 

Yes, it's entirely possible for me to drag around a tripod everywhere to get the perfect instragrammable shot in the A++ location. Yes, my bf has told me he is more than willing to help me take photos if I ask him. But I feel like...why? Why should we both use our time taking these photos just for social media? I went all of last year [My 2018] without taking any specific outfit pictures and I didn't enjoy wearing them any less. 

That's why, this month, even though I had a number of outfits I felt would be great to share and thought I looked great in, I chose to stop. I don't want to take another break from blogging - but I do want to take a break from going far out of my way to get a photo just to post on social media. If it just takes a couple seconds to arrange and shoot like the mirror pics, and I would do it regardless of it being shared, then of course I would still take it (and post it here), but no more pausing life (especially other people's lives) to take social media-specific pictures. At least for the time being anyway. I'll likely revisit this in a better head space. 

Lizzie coincidentally recently wrote a blog post "Why Did Blogging Become So Serious?" that I read after typing most of this out and while it's not 100% what I was thinking, it was great to read her perspective too. 

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Miscellaneous updates

I mentioned it several times in this post already, but I had a hard month at work. Although my department is constantly busy throughout the year, this March was particularly bad. We had a tasker that started in November and finally came to its conclusion at the end of March. There was a lot of different team members who contributed to the effort, but it somehow fell on me and one other coworker to collate, manage and QA/QC all the documents and data (in addition to just performing our regular, expected work). At the end of February, I had been consistently doing about 20 hours of overtime per week. In March, I was doing about 30 hours of overtime a week. During the week before the due date, I finally hit 40 hours of OT (83 hours worked total in 7 days). I was tired. The hardest part was that the group we were supporting for the effort didn't even seem to fully appreciate it. 

Bf and I did somehow make time for 2 short hikes this month though. His friends from college were visiting, so we went with a small group to hike at Hawaii Loa Ridge. Photo on the left when we started the ascent and photo on the right is us making our way back down. 

It was really overcast while we were hiking. The haze in the photos isn't some weird grey filter I added but actually the clouds! The view from the top was almost non-existent because it was just grey nothingness lol. (Wow my posture sucks.) We ended up getting a quick lunch and then going straight into work after this lol.

The second hike was more just like a fun activity with my ex-coworker and her boyfriend. We went to go explore Koko Crater Arch!

Not a great idea if you're super afraid of heights, but pretty easy to get to once you understand where to park. We hung around for a little while until another set of people arrived and then we made our way to the beach and a quick lunch after. (Bf and I went straight to work after that too fol.)

Work tasker was actually finalized on March 27, so I had 5 days to enjoy in the month that didn't involve overtime. And what did I want to do the first night? A 1000 piece puzzle lmao.

I really enjoyed all the bright colors in this one. It was nice to be able to work on each individual cupcake as a mini challenge. Some were way harder than I thought because the pieces were a bit smaller which meant many of them looked really similar within the cupcake.

And...that's it really! I wish I had more to share but I do think this is an accurate representation what what I did lol - majority work with just a few small breaks. I don't even have any lackluster photos to share this month because I really didn't take any aside from the hiking. 

We do have some slightly more exciting things to look forward to in April and I'm really happy to have the tasker done (for now). There's still a lot of follow up we have to take care of and the next effort to prepare for, but no more crazy OT hours for a while! I'm happy to have a little extra spending money from the additional hours, but it really isn't worth it for how much we had to sacrifice. I have my eye on a few things to buy next month, but we'll see if the "treat yourself" attitude will even continue. Hope your March was better than mine! ❣

February 2019 - Liz Lisa, Ank Rouge & DreamV buys + a busy work month

Somehow it seems like January passed really quickly! Before I knew it, February was here and even though it has the least amount of days, this month felt extra long to me :| I didn't even get to work on this post as much as I wanted to because I had a lot going on, but I want to try to keep the momentum moving forward for the year!

Purchases
Looking at this now, I bought a lot more stuff over the course of the month than I realized at the time of the individual buys. Although I don't have any regrets about the spending because I'm comfortable with the amount I paid, blogging might actually help keep me in check, lol.
Ank Rouge moon feather OP in navy (secondhand - Depop)

I've had half an eye on this dress/print since it was released and almost bought it several times, but was always stopped by the price since I wasn't sure about the fit. Finally found it secondhand for a price I was willing to pay in my first color choice - navy! Unfortunately, it really is a bit baggy on me as I kind of expected (Ank Rouge OPs never fit me just right but I was kind of hoping it would just magically work out) since I like things with a defined waist to actually hug my waist, but overall, it's not a bad dress and I really like the horoscope themed print.

Liz Lisa strawberry bonbon OP in pink (secondhand - Depop)

Bought this just on a whim when I saw it come up on Depop new with tags! I missed out on it from Tokyo Kawaii Life because I was unwilling to pay the retail price at the time, but made a jump at this opportunity. I still don't overly love the contrasting hem but I do really like the cut and fit of this OP. The pink colorway reminds me a lot of the rabbit ribbon jumperskirt (probably just because of the pink and red) which I sold a while ago, so I'm happy to have this.

DreamV (NewlyMe) cross strap pumps in red enamel [link]

I went on another clearing spree and ended up getting rid of my red Liz Lisa heart suede pumps...and then realizing I still wanted a red shoe lol. It was about time for a new pair anyway and I hadn't touched the Liz Lisa ones in awhile (which may have been a seasonally specific pause but, oops). I went to browse DreamV again after not finding something I wanted from Liz Lisa or Ank Rouge and was excited to find these!
I would have preferred a smooth (faux) leather rather than the "enamel" patent leather for a red shoe, but on a scale of things, I decided it didn't matter because I liked the style and design of the pump a lot otherwise.

DreamV (NewlyMe) cross strap pumps in black smooth [link]

Once the red pair arrived and I wore them out, I knew I liked these shoes enough to get another pair in black! I prefer this style more than the black pair I bought last month, and luckily I was able to find a new home for those. This cross strap design is a bit easier to wear and therefore more comfortable as well.

Liz Lisa 3 ribbon pumps in pink (secondhand - Depop)

I was in the market for a pair of neutral-ish pink pumps and was super happy to find these on Depop. The seller was super nice and shipped really quickly. I have a some specific outfits in mind for these and hopefully everything pans out later.

Using Mintkismet Shopping Service -
(I previously reviewed Mintkismet Shopping Service here and would certainly recommend her especially for Mercari purchases!)
Liz Lisa big ribbon beret in white (secondhand - Mercari)

This beret was released at the same time as the bear book series (AW16) and I had the opportunity to get it in red back when I was in Japan in January 2017, and I always kick myself for passing on it. My true WTB for this beret was the white color though. I have a white Liz Lisa beret but I was stupid and sent it through the wash without thinking so ofc it shrank! Although Liz Lisa releases a lot of white berets, this one with the big ribbon has been on my mind because it seems really versatile and not so seasonally specific! I was so happy I was able to find it on Mercari in new condition.

MocA Tokyo Open Heart Freesize Ring in yellow gold

Since I was already getting something shipped, I decided to ask Danielle to get this ring for me as well since I didn't think it would add to the package weight very much. I follow @mocatokyo on Instagram and I've really fallen in love with some of their rings and earrings! I've said many many times before that I'm not an accessories person and I firmly believe that's still true but they've really sold me with their styling and posts. I think I could probably order from their online shop myself and ship to Tenso, but with Tenso's fees and having to pay separate postage, I thought it would be simpler and cheaper for Danielle to just purchase it for me.

Ank Rouge key emboridery cardigan in black (secondhand - Mercari)

Last item I asked Danielle to get for me was this black cardigan! Since I got the black version of the gingham cafe skirt last month and am trying to up my black sweeter wardrobe, I realized I needed a suitable cardigan. As someone who wears a cardigan almost every day, I obviously own two black cardigans already, but nothing in the right cut/short length to go with high waisted skirts! It was a hard decision for which black cardigan to get because Ank Rouge has released so many that fit my exact need that are available on Mercari right now, but I ended up going with what I think is the safest choice since I already own this exact same cardigan in blue and the listing said this one was NWoT.

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Outfit photos
I don't have individual try-on photos this month, but I did try to get some quick examples of me wearing some of the items + just actual outfits I wore! Newly purchased items are marked with *
Ank Rouge blouse, Liz Lisa watermark cardigan, Liz Lisa ice cream skirt and Liz Lisa double ribbon clear heel sandals

This is just an outfit I wore to work! I asked my bf to take my picture when we got home so that I could have content lol. It's not super special but it was still fun to wear.

Ank Rouge moon feather OP*, Liz Lisa peplum cardigan, Coach mini Bennet satchel, Liz Lisa glitter pumps

We were having a bit of a cold front (aka low 60s at night and early morning) so I thought it would be good to wear this longer cardigan with the Ank dress to work. I chose a gold purse and gold detailed shoes to bring out the gold/yellow color in the print!

Liz Lisa sleepy bunny OP and Liz Lisa 3D flower pumps

I posted about this OP last month but I actually took the leap and wore it...pretty much exactly as I styled it in the try on photo, but my hair is nicer so I wanted to post these too. It was kind of a mistake because it was so hot this day (after being so chilly for the 4 days prior), but at least I wore it at all before the full year-round-Hawaii-summer heat comes back for good!

Liz Lisa strawberry bon bon OP*, Liz Lisa gingham ribbon cardigan, Liz Lisa strawberry ribbon barrette, DreamV cross strap pumps*

Wore this to work for Valentines Day! I'm so glad I received the pumps in time and the 3 days prior to Feb 14, I was totally itching to wear this outfit. A lot of people commented about how obviously "on theme" I was with the colors. We even had a really nice rainbow when we came back from work to feature in the photos :)

Liz Lisa sweet latte OP, Liz Lisa sweet latte cardigan, Liz Lisa 3-strap pumps, Kate Spade New York quilted clasp purse

I realized I hadn't worn this dress in a while, so I decided to throw it on and wore it to work. I love pairing it with the matching cardigan so that was an easy decision for me. If I didn't have the strawberry bon bon dress, I probably would have worn this OP for Valentines Day since it has pink and chocolates in the print!

Delyle Noir off shoulder lace top, Delyle Noir watercolor floral skirt, Delyle Noir bijou buckle belt, DreamV cross strap pumps*

I wore this outfit twice this month actually lol. Once for my bf's birthday dinner with his family (although with white pumps since the red ones hadn't come in yet) and once when we went out to dinner with his friends who were visiting from WA. Photos didn't come out as nicely as I was expecting - I think this outfit looks a lot better in person, but I was eager to just wear my new pumps again.

Liz Lisa ice cream OP, Liz Lisa cardigan, Liz Lisa 3 ribbon pumps*, Samantha Vega pass case purse

Wanted to see how comfortable these shoes were, so I put together a simple outfit for work. Although I don't do a lot of walking during my work day, I think I was still able to get an idea of the comfort level and look forward to wearing these a lot more.

Liz Lisa message ribbon sailor collar blouse, Ank Rouge key embroidery cardigan*, Liz Lisa gingham cafe skirt, Liz Lisa many ribbon boater hat, DreamV cross strap pumps*, Liz Lisa big ribbon woven bag

Threw this outfit together to show one example of how I imagined wearing the black cross strap pumps and why I wanted to buy this black cardigan. I'm really happy with both and am actively looking for more sweet style items in a black colorway now that I have some great accessories to pair with them.

Rojita floral romper*, Ank Rouge key embroirdery cardigan, Liz Lisa big ribbon beret*, Liz Lisa knot wedge sandals, Samantha Thavasa purse

I didn't post about this romper in the purchases section because I couldn't find a stock photo and it seemed a little insignificant, but this was another secondhand buy late in the month. I thought it would pair nicely with the beret. Also wearing the same Ank Rouge cardigan as above but in blue!

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Miscellaneous updates

Bf was playing Kingdom Hearts 3 a lot at the beginning of the month! This suited me just fine because I had a ton of work I needed to do that I ended up bringing home almost every day this month and even a lot on the weekend as well.

Made time for a little exercise and made the drive over to Koko Head to just do the stairs hike. There was a lot of rainy, dreary weather that weekend so there were very minimal crowds. Upside was that I was pretty much able to make it all the way up without having to stop for anyone (about 18 min!). Downside was that the tracks were wet and a bit slippery and since it was raining, I didn't want to take my phone with me lol. All I have is this photo from the parking lot.

Bf's parents got a little corgi puppy! His name is Benedict lol.

Chinese/Lunar New Year was on Feb 5 this year! My mom's side (the Chinese side lol) usually gathers for dinner, but it was delayed because of some illness and travel. We celebrated late by just going out to a Chinese restaurant and enjoying each others company.

My bf's birthday was near the beginning of the month and although we didn't have big plans coming into it, we went out to dinner with just the two of us and then dinner with his family the next night.

Valentine's Day! My bf asked me what I wanted to do and I told him that I wanted to repeat what we did last year - go to WalMart to get (not super expensive) ballooons and take them to my office and give them to people in my working group/cubicle aisle! (Building is way too big to buy balloons for every single person.)

Photo of me in lazy-after-work clothes on the night before

We bought the balloons and then went on the night of the 13th to distribute them so everyone would see them first thing in the morning on the 14th!

Photo from last year on Valentines Day at work  --> Photo from this year on Valentines Day at work

I got a new hydroflask because an Instagram ad actually worked on me lmao. My old one had some damage and no longer insulates, and the "lilac" color was enough to sell me on this. Idk if this is supposed to go in the purchases section, but to me it's more like a miscellaneous update lol.

My photo has a filter on it but I don't think the stock photo is super accurate for color either. It's definitely more of a greyish lavender imo. I still like it a lot though!

We did two puzzles! I know this doesn't sound fun but there's something about them that gives me a sense of productivity. I guess it's because you can see all your effort manifesting something immediately. Geometric puzzle is 500 pieces and we finished it in like 2-3 hours. I thought it was going to be a lot harder than it was. After doing that one, we bought the underwater puzzle which is 1500 and is wayyyy more difficult lmao. Finished it in within a 24 hour period though!

Overall, this was a very exhausting month for me with my job. I'm fortunate that I get paid for the overtime hours that I work, but with how the calculations pan out, I actually get paid a little bit less per hour for my OT hours than my regular work hours lmao. It doesn't always really seem worth it, BUT I'll still take that instead of not getting paid for my overtime at all. Did about 20 additional hours per week which really took a toll. Although I still had some free time, I was more irritable and short tempered with all the extra stuff I had to do and some of my regular non-work responsibilities definitely fell through the cracks. Unfortunately, March isn't looking any better work-wise (if anything, expecting it to be the same or worse with the deadline coming up), so I'm really looking forward to April!❣