Sarah Addison Allen: The Girl Who Chased the Moon

Hi everyone. I'm really excited about this post, because the book I'll be talking about is one by an author that I've never read before, but whose writing I've fallen in love with. It's the kind of excitement I usually experience when I discover new music artists that I want to follow. With books, the feeling is much rarer.

The book is The Girl Who Chased the Moon, and the author is Sarah Addison Allen. I actually came across this book while browsing the Barnes and Noble sometime last year. What caught my eye was the book's title, since I adore the moon, and its cover, which you see above and will see again below in just a bit. But I ended up not getting it for reasons I can't even remember - and didn't get it until I stumbled across it in person during my trip to San Diego.

And I'm so glad I did. I'm normally a mystery/horror reader, so I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. But the book's synopsis captivated me - more on that later - by presenting a world both realistic and fantastical, and the story was one I enjoyed thoroughly. I finished the book yesterday and was eager to review it as soon as possible so that I could begin reading a second novel by Allen that I just purchased on Friday!

Sakamoto Maaya, Part 2 of 2: Countdown Live 2012-2013 - Tour "Mitsubachi" Final (DVD) Commentary

From the Mitsubachi Diary.

To view Part 1, where I go over the packaging and first press bonus details, click here.

Hi all. Ten billion years (3 months) ago I wrote about Sakamoto Maaya's latest concert DVD release, Countdown Live 2012-2013 - Tour "Mitsubachi" Final. A link to that post is above.

Today I am here to finally share my thoughts on the performances with you.

As much time has passed, I contemplated whether or not there was a purpose to following through with this post. I wrote notes on the performances as I watched the DVD. It seemed appropriate to share what I thought about each performance. But then a month passed, then two and three, and I was stuck wondering what the point was. Who cares what I thought about the performances? The songs are songs we know already, there's nothing new, so why?

Well a friend convinced me to do it anyway (shout out to you dear Maxi) so here it is. But this will be briefer than originally planned because, again, why?

EOTD: September 7, 2013 - Beginner

Hi all. I thought I'd do a quick 'Eye of the Day' kind of post using fairly new products (new in general as well as to my collection). I would call it a 'Face of the Day' if I actually finished my entire face and...well...I guess missing blush shouldn't determine that, but for now I'm going to call this an EOTD regardless.

For upcoming EOTD/FOTD posts, I'll aim to include pictures of the actual products used. But, for this one, there will only be pictures of the look itself and a description of what product is used and how/where.

The IceBlock [16]: A Gift

Hi everyone :) I got home later than usual today, and was really stumped about what review to write, so I thought I'd do an IceBlock post instead. To be honest, since this post is going to be all about what's photographed up there, I don't really think labeling it as an IceBlock post is very appropriate, but...well, if I happen to make more of these things, then I might do a 'crafts' section or something, but for now it seems excessive to give it its own tab on my blog.

Anyway, my boyfriend's birthday is coming up, and I really wanted to do something special for him. I think it's funny that I always gravitate towards more artsy activities, whether I'm good at them or not. When my brother and I were younger, he was the one into art, and I was the science nerd. He's still ridiculously talented when it comes to art, but it seems that my multitude of interests have shifted to the arts over the past few years - interests I'm both good and bad at. I find writing to be my strength, with music performance coming second, but when it comes to drawing, painting, sculpting...pretty much creating something out of nothing, I fail.

So I choose to do those very things when I want to do something special for someone.

Lips: MAC's Lipstick in "Pink Pearl Pop" (Cremesheen)

The product being reviewed in this post was purchased by me with my own money. The opinions stated further are my own opinions. I am not affiliated with the brand featured in this post.

Hi everyone. :) Today's post is on a lipstick that I've owned for almost a year now: MAC's lipstick in "Pink Pearl Pop." It feels appropriate to start my reviews of MAC lipsticks with "Pink Pearl Pop" since it is the lipstick that acted as a first impression of the brand for me. And its first impression was successful: I've since purchased a few other colors/finishes from the MAC line of lipsticks.

MAC is popular for its lipsticks. In fact, in the lipstick description box on their official site, MAC writes that their lipsticks are "what made MAC famous." When I first got into makeup years ago and glosses were my thing, I did venture into the MAC brand with some lipglasses and lustreglasses. But I never tried any of their lipsticks until my first visit to California last year, when I finally decided to see why their lipsticks were so popular. It was kind of inevitable, really, considering my soft spot for lipsticks ever since I started with makeup again.

While "Pink Pearl Pop" was never a standout favorite color for me, it introduced me not only to a new line of lipsticks, but to a finish that has since remained my favorite: cremesheen.