Dear HeyLadySpring

Hee! I made it to 1 year without moving, giving up, or abandoning this blog. ヾ(*'-'*)ヾ(*'-'*) *pats back*

Music Monday: Rain

Rain by Priscilla Ahn

BC Bloggers Meme: Things that make me happy

I found my old journal while I was cleaning my bedroom the other day. It's amazing how a couple of years can mean. (1) The things I used to love...the plans I used to have...has become a thing of the past. Reading through I was reminded of my old self that I forgot whether by choice or due to time. Some parts need to be brought back..the others...I feel are no longer important.

"Letters are just pieces of paper," I said. "Burn them, and what stays in your heart will stay; keep them, and what vanishes will vanish."

― Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood

Still...under all those self-imagery some things stay the same. Right?



I still love the big blue sky...



the smell of paper & books...

Decorating diary #3: My mori bedroom

2012 Eiga Sai

*yey* Just got the update. How time flies~ and it's time for another Eiga Sai!

For those not familiar with Eiga Sai, it's an annual film festival organized by Japan Foundation Manila. This year they will be showing 10 films for free at Shang Cineplex Cinema 4 (July 5 to 15), Gaisano South Citimall, Davao City (July 20 to 22), Ayala Center Cinema 4, Cebu City (August 7 to 12) and UP Film Institute, Quezon City (August 15 to 21).

All movies have English subtitles.

You can see a detailed screening schedule on JFM website. Check it check it!

I thought I was going to sit through another set of film I didn't like. I gave up halfway last year (although that's also because I hated the long commute towards the venue).

Life recently... #21

Sunshine fills my room today
The morrow brings a mellow haze
Never know if I should stay
I’ll leave it in the arms of another day ♫

10a Alabama Handmade Arts + Crafts Fair

Remember the craft fair I said I'm attending this July?
They finally released the date and official poster.

I always find these kind of events only when it's over. This time I shamelessly stalked 10a Alabama's facebook page. *mwahaha |๑￣ლ￣๑|* There is something about handmade items that's endearing to me. They have a different kind of life, don't you think?

10a Alabama Handmade Arts and Crafts fair on July 7-8, from 12nn-7pm.

Here is the map to 10a Alabama.

Music Monday: The Staves

I found my love for music quite late. Radio and MTV influenced my early music favorites — music from the late 90's — boy bands, girl bands, punk rock & pop music. Luckily, I met two incredible people on the internet (Maan & Rozeh) and they introduced me to new sounds.

Don't worry, you will not read any reviews coming from me. I listen to music without exercising any neurons. *haha*

I am incredibly passive though when it comes to updating my music library. I often discover a new artist while blundering around the internet. Which is why I plan to proactively search at least 1 artist to obsess follow each month. So you see despite my great love for BIGBANG, I do listen to other genre's other than jpop & kpop. *shout out to people asking me if I listen to other songs! ~waves~*

The third genre populating my playlist is contemporary folk music. It uses various acoustic instruments and melodic, melancholic, ethereal vocals. Perhaps it's also a happy coincidence that the lyrics are often poetic. That's also why I have only been sharing one song per post for Music Monday. I felt it necessary to also highlight the beautifully written lyrics.

Folk music is a broad genre (there's folk rock, folk pop, etc.,) so I often describe it as "music you to listen to on a warm Sunday afternoon or on a calm rainy day". *lol yes I forced that to rhyme*

I was going to feature my all-time favorites first but I decided to start with my current obsession: The Staves, a sister trio from Watford England.

2012 June Goals

My productivity levels have not been very good so its time to change gears. I decided to organize my activities & projects on a monthly basis. I need to teach myself patience...to follow through and finish a task before moving to a new one. And so I start with June:


Create

• Plan bedroom interior
• Frame Marimo artwork
• Sew curtains
• Print botanical illustrations, typography artwork
• Print personal photos, etc.,
• Create trailing window lights

Live

• Remember to take vitamins (I got sick again *sadface*)
• Learn 2 recipes 
• Finish organizing the mini library shelf
• Clean bedroom *mwahaha*

Inspire

• Watch 1 foreign film
• Add 1 new artist to my music library
• Read 4 books

You can also check out my 2012 New year goals.

Pretty things: Postcard Love

one.two. Valerie Chua postcards. Me & my Cat + Blush Hagaki
three.four. Salon De Tokyo c/o fikafikafika

I'm still eternally planning my mori inspired bedroom. It might take a few more months. I have no clear plan yet , also budget problems (meaning this whole project is super low priority that's why they're squeezed in only when I can't help but impulsively buy something *hul!*). I finished my Mori inspired bedroom!

I'm saving up on a LOT of future projects like my plant mini greenhouse, window raindrop lights (this is a surprise!), gallery wall w/c means more artwork, and a Craft fair I'm planning to visit this July. Then there's Alive tour in Manila this October, concert goods and BIGBANG new album & photobook *cries* .

Yep! I plan to be bankrupt till the end of the year! （￣へ￣）

BIGBANG Monster MV

After their Alive album, BIGBANG released Still Alive Special edition. Is this going to be the trend now YG huh?! I friggin bought 2 versions of Alive! (屮ﾟДﾟ)屮⌒┻━┻ Now you're releasing another album with a few new songs?!!

What is a Mori Girl

I used to live by the mantra "Life too loud you can't hear it anymore" it was a quote from KC Concepcion's old magazine interview. I admired her because she was out there living her life to the fullest. (she still is!!!) She inspired me to live an active lifestyle. Always seeking adventures, always trying to learn new things.

I still have the same state of mind but I have gone more mellow. My interpretation of that phrase changed as well. A loud life need not be crazy or flashy. It can be a calm sort of sound that echoes forever and ever. /end cheese!

It seems, I was already a Mori girl at heart even before I learned of the concept. Though I won't label myself a mori girl (yet) because I respect the culture for what it is. Its a totality. Its a way of life. On the other hand, its really not necessary to label yourself with anything. You can just be you. ^-^; Anyway, I am sticking with "fascinated with the mori lifestyle" phrase because its less burdening this way.

Mori girls (森ガール) belong to a fashion subculture which began in Japan. 'Mori' means forest in Japanese (...) they are girls who look like they live in the forest.

(...)Mori girls choose to live their lives on their own terms, stopping to appreciate the little things that others overlook amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life(...)

Mori girls are also characterized by certain attitudes to life. While most mori girls really live in the city, they maintain a pace of life that may be considered slow by others, preferring to stop and savor the tiny delights that many deem insignificant. Mori girls like to explore old neighborhoods, discover hole-in-the-wall shops and read in cafes. Many mori girls enjoy expressing their creativity, never mind if nobody will see or applaud their efforts, for instance through photography or writing journals(...)

In her own quiet way, the mori girl is an individualist. She does not care that the world may live differently from her. She lives consciously and chooses her own lifestyle. The mori girl often looks whimsical or quirky (...) While she may enjoy the company of others, the mori girl loves her own company and indeed has embarked on many of her most memorable adventures alone.

—source: morigirl