🔖 Recent Reads: Full Metal Panic! | Collector's Edition 1 |

 My read this month was the Full Metal Panic! Collector's Edition 1 that I recieved as a birthday pressie back in June. Earlier this year, I read the FMP! Collector's Edition 3 that I'll link here cuz there I gave a little summary of what the story is about in case you wanna check it out. And yeah, I know jumping from the 3rd edition to the 1st is so out of order but, I've rewatched the anime so many times that, it doesn't really matter. 

In case I haven't mentioned it enough around here (hehe), Full Metal Panic! is one of my all-time favorite anime. It has a little bit of drama, action, comedy and... I love a guy in a uniform so, yeah.

The novel by Shoji Gatoh and illustrated by Shikidouji covers volumes 1 - 3 of the light novels and the first animated season of the anime, which I have to say, was not the one that introduced me to this show. Basically is the story of how the two main characters meet, how their relationship starts developing and all the military adventures they have to go through.

The cover is very similar to my previous book. Dark blue with silver deets and a pic if the Arbalest. I love how all the covers of these novels perfectly match. 

I'm including a pic of the back cover so you can see what the chapters are about.

I absolutely love the art in this book, and I feel like they incuded more color illustrations at the beginning of this one than in the other I have. 

I'm only including the covers of the novels but, there were other cool pics too.

I was fangirling all over again as I read it, so many memories and all the feels. Sousuke is a character I love so much but he can easily drive me crazy or make me angry, haha. Everytime there was something I started fangirling about, I knew he'd do something to ruin it and, I was right. I know my military freak~ 

Even tho I'm very familiar with the story, there were some things and characters I didn't remember much and I came to like and notice them more this time. There were some emotional moments and this super cute scene at the end but, nothing to make me cry this time. Surprise, surprise!

A part of me couldn't put it down but at the same time the idea of finishing it was a little bittersweet which is so silly cuz I can rewatch the anime anytime~ And I think I will at some point, hehe.

And that's that. Random book post. The idea is to continue collecting these babies, I think I need 2 or 3 more to have them all. I've been lucky to have them gifted but, I'll buy some of them too if I have to.

Please let me know if you've read or watched FMP! and, if you haven't, defo give it a chance. It's the best. Hehe.

See you next time~!💋🫡

House Upgrades & Changes

This month I set myself some house projects I wanted to slowly tackle to upgrade my apartment and organize things better. Plus, it gave me something fun to look forward to in a month that's still kinda bitersweet for me.

I was planning to share them in separate posts but, in the end I decided to put all of them together. It may end up being a long post tho. Sorry in advance but, I'm in a yappy mood so, yeah. 

Before I start, I have to say that my place is not an aesthetic one, that's not my intention. I like a lived-in place that feels good (to me) but that is also functional for me and my babies. Plus, I believe I have to make the most out of what I have until I have the budget or the chance to change some things. 

Not all the upgrades I'm gonna share here are big ones and some of them were only reorganizing things I already had but was too lazy to work on. 

Now, let's start with the thing I was the most excited about, my kitchen cabinet. I knew I wanted one for a while but, I took my sweet time deciding which one I liked the most. I have a white and grey kitchen, so I wanted it to match but also be a clean color. I'm thinking about painting the kitchen at some point cuz, even tho I like the white, it's way too dirty~ But that'll be a project for another day...

This is the one I ended up choosing. I liked it because it's very versatile, you can make it work in other rooms without looking like a kitchen cabinet thingy. I bought it online and it arrived sooner than expected, making the beginning of my month a very exciting one.

One thing about me is that, I love to assemble furniture and play with some tools. I am my father's daughter after all and I'm sure he would be proud. ♡
I wanted to take more pics of the process but I was so focused, I forgot to do it so, here are the ones I took. I spent a whole Friday afternoon working on it and it was so satisfying and so worth it.

I'm not proud of my mess but, I want to show you the real before and after, haha. I had been using a metallic shelf that was my dad's for a long time. And I mean, the shelf is sturdy and it did the job. It helped me for a while but, it was just too messy since I kept throwing random things at it. I wanted the kitchen to look more put together. You know, like a proper kitchen. It really made a big, big difference. 

I like it because I can still have easy access and see everything I have but, if someone comes over, they don't have to see it. I'm sure It'll get messy with time but, that's ok. Hehehe.

One of the things I liked the most were the round shelves it has on the side cuz I can actually use some of them for decor. Right now, I'm not too sure how I want to decorate it but I added a few things just to see how it'd look.

Closer look to some of the things I put as decor for now. The only shelf I think will stay like that is the one with the abundance jar I made, the candle and the frame that as an old, handwritten recipe from my grandma's recipe notebook. I love it so so much and I think it's a cute way to honor her. 

This change came with some reorganizing and decluttering but, I'm SO happy with the way it makes my kitchen look. Now, since I was not going to use the shelf in the kitchen anymore, my idea was to change it to my office to have more space to store my things. And that takes us to my next mini project...

My office space is a bit of everything; working space, closet, cat's relaxing room and my fangirl, otaku place haha. I'm still working on it cuz I want it to feel like a cozy space but, it's been a slow process since I don't focus on it too much. 

Before and after.
Before I was using a bathroom shelf I brought from my dad's house when I moved cuz I didn't have much furniture and, I kept moving it around until it made it to my office. It was a bit small and I always kept it super messy, throwing all types of things on it. Changing it for the metallic shelf gave me more space to organize things and even add some decor. Is is the prettiest? No. But it does the job for now and changing it isn't really a proirity atm.

Lastly we have the smallest change, but the one I kept postponing for whatever reason, drilling the 3 plates in one wall. It only took me like 20 mins and honestly, it made a good difference.

I don't have a good before pic, but at the top, you can kinda see what it looked like. Between the plates I used to have a frame but, it fell and I just decided to put it somewhere else. Then I started noticing how the plates were not centered or aligned with the other side. And that happened because I never measured anything properly when I first hung everything. It was starting to bother me so much, haha. So, I decided to hang the 3 plates on the same wall and get something else to decorate the other side of the window later. 
This time I made sure to measure things and even had paper circles on my wall for some time to make sure it looked good.
It's something super simple and small but, it made me so happy to finally see it finished. I still want to change the curtains but I still dunno what color I want for them. All I know is, I want them to be plain and neutral, because I usually have a lot going on in the house.

Closer peek at the plates. They were Sari's (my dad's gf). Her daughter brought them form a trip to China but she couldn't take them when she moved away so, I kept them. 

Last thing I want to share is my lamp! My mom gave me that floor lamp and I think it complements the space really well. I wanted one for whenever I read in the living room at night. Having a lamp on is cozier than having all the lights on so, yeah. I plan to change the light to a warmer one as soon as I remember to get a new bulb, hehe.

And, that's it for this upgrades and changes in the apartment. Setting these projects for the month really helped and motivated me to actually focus and make the time to work on them. Defo better than trying to tackle a million things at the same time without making any progress.

I think I'll continue doing it this way, keeping in mind it doesn's always have to be something big. 

So, if you read til the end, big thanks! This was a long one. But I hope you enjoyed, I really love sharing and working on these thingies. 

Maybe I'll save other changes for future posts.

See you next time~! 💋

Collective House Goodies Haul

Even tho I already decorated my house for Fall a little, I still have some non-Fall related things I want to show you in here. A few decor pieces & random things I've collected for some time now.

I'll also share how I've styled some of them so far, but I know things might change at some point since I'm constantly moving things around, hehe.

Ok, let's start in no particular order~

This lamp from Temu has to be one of my favorite things in this post. I got it a couple of months ago for my bedroom and it is just sooo pretty! It has a warm light and it's USB-powered.
I currently have it on my nightstand but I haven't finished decorating my room so, I guess I'll show you more in a future post, hehe.

This isn't exactly a decor item but, I decided to include it here anyway. It's a Scentworx Lemon Blueberry Muffin wax melt that smells so, so good. Last year I bought a cauldron wax melter but, I hadn't used it much since I didn't really like the sugar skull wax I got back then. The smell of this one is strong and it makes my apartment smell like freshly baked muffins. 

I really want to have a nice centerpiece on my dining room table but, one of my cats will bite every single flower I put in there, real or fake. I originally bought this one for that, but after a few days I had to find a new place for it. I really like the color of these flowers and, even tho they're fake, they are still really pretty. 

You know I'll always add a witchy something to my decor if I have the chance and this DW Home Witching Hour candle was something I knew I had to get. There were many others with fun, halloweeny names and it was difficult to choose just one cuz they all smelled really good. This one doesn't smell like Fall tho it's more on the fruity side with notes of plum, nectarine, wild blackberry and black cherry.

How I styled them~

So, in this house we love Stray Kids and, my sister printed and framed some paintings made by Hyunjin and share them with me and my mom. I only chose this one for now cuz it went well with the kind of decor I have. But there were many great options to choose from.

Last item is this small, macrame basket. I originally bought it because I thought it was so cute but, didn't have a purpose for it. I ended up using it to keep my bookmarks and I love how it looks!

And, that's it. I think. I feel like there are some things missing but, I can always share those in another post. I just love buying and receiving things for my house so, so much. Hehe.

See you next time~!💋

My Current Go-To #2

A few months ago I shared a Current Go-To post, I found it short but fun so I thought I'd share a second one. Some of the go-tos are similar and some things haven't changed for me but, let's do this!

My go-to comfort food: is still ramen! Especially now that the weather is getting colder.

My go-to drink: Coffee (hot or cold), beer and soju. Nothing has changed here from the last go-tos post, hehe.

My go-to outfit: Jeans and a blouse or tee. I want to be creative with outfits again and dress a lot cuter or just better but, I'm too lazy most of the time. LOL.

My go-to place to relax: I'd say my living room. Even tho it's still a work in progress atm cuz I'm still redecorating it a little. I love to spend some slow time there reading, drinking something and just relaxing with my babies.

My go-to snack: Chips, corn churritos and similar things haha. I've been enjoying some chicken popcorn or enchiladas potosinas as snacks sometimes too.

Churritos con ketchup are SO GOOD. Hehe.

My go-to song when I need motivation: Whoo by Rainbow. I know it is an older song but, it puts me in a good mood whenever I listen to it.

My go-to weekend activity: Other than going out (which I love), I'd say just catching up with shows or watching some movies. I don't watch much TVduring the week so, yeah.

My go-to way to start my morning: I love a slow morning and I'll make the most out of it whenever I have the chance but, that's not always the case. I'd say having a big, hot cup of coffee is my go-to way to do it.

My go-to movie or TV show to rewatch: Full Metal Panic! Is an anime I'm constantly rewatching. It is one of my favorite, comfort shows and now that I've been reading the novels, I feel the need to rewatch the seasons as soon as I finish the books. I never get tired of it.  

My go-to hobby: I guess blogging. It is something I really enjoy doing. I also try to spend some time scrapbooking / junk journaling, even tho I mostly do it like once or twice a month, depending on how many things I've collected for it.

And, that's it! Feel free to share some of your go-tos with me. I'd love to read! Especially now that the best and cozier part of the year is here! (In my heart, it's already Fall, ok? hehe)

See you next time~!💋

COSRX All About Snail Kit 4 In One

 

A few months ago I received this COSRX All ABout Snail Kit 4 In One, I haven't used all the products included because I'm still using others and want to finish them first but, I thought I would show you before I use them. Maybe I'll write an updated post later, sharing my thoughts and stuff.

It is a 4 step kit that includes mini size producs from the Advanced Snail line. I think it's a perfect kit to try products from this line, if you wanna start trying k-beauty for the first time and even for traveling. Honestly, I think COSRX is a really good brand. Their presentations are less cutesy than other brands but, quality is great!

Let me show you the products in this set~

☆ COSRX Advanced Snail Mucin Gel Cleanser (20ml). It's formulated with snail mucin. Removes impurities, nourishes and moisturizes the skin. 

☆ COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence (30ml). I'm a big fan of this product. Contains 96% of snail secretion filtrate. It mosturizes the skin leaving it with a healthy glow.

☆ COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream (5ml). I recently started using it, it's very lightweight and a little gel-like. Contains 5 types of peptides for a youthful glow.

☆ COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All In One Cream (20g) Naturally gives you a glowy and healthy skin. I'm really looking forward to using it.

The Snail Mucin Power Essence has been part of my skincare routine for a while now so, I'm defo excited to try the other products and, maybe buying hte full size products in the future. This is a brand I would totally recommend you, plus prices are pretty decent for good products.

And, that's that. A short post to show you this fun box! Let me konw if you've tried COSRX products and share your thoughts with me.

See you next time~!💋

🔖 Recent Reads: Sakura Hiden: Thoughts of Love, Riding Upon a Spring Breeze 🌸 (Plus, Newest Plushies!)

I read this book by Masashi Kishimoto and Tomohito Ohsaki years ago and, even tho I really liked the story, I read it in spanish and, didn't love the way it was written. On my previous post, I even mentioned I would have liked to find it and read it in English. And so, on my last birthday, I received the English version as a pressie.

It's the Sakura Hiden: Thoughts of Love, Riding Upon a Spring Breeze part of the Naruto Hiden novels.

I love this cover so much.

Honestly, I didn't remember much about the story so, it felt new. But reading my old post about it, I still feel the same about the story and the characters so, because I don't wanna be repetitive, I will link that post here, add a few thoughts and, we'll compare the two editions I have. 

First of all, and I know this is not a popular opinion, I just love Sakura's love for Sasuke SO MUCH. Yeah, I know it can be a little sad at times but, I could relate to her so much at some point in my life. I'm so happy, in the end, they got their happy ending. But, in this book, we don't get to see Sasuke that much, which is not bad, but there's always this hope that he will show up at some point. 

Defo enjoyed seeing the interactions between Ino and Sai this time. She's so cute when he's around her. Plus, my Kakashi Sensei is just the best.

And since, for some reason, I enjoy fighting scenes in general a lot more now, all the fights felt way more exciting this time. Team work was great and, I love the fact that Sakura showed she's strong and can take care of herself without having to be saved by others. Good way to remember why she's one of my favorite characters from the show.

Reading it in English made the experience a lot better. And idk how to explain it but, some of the expressions in the Spanish version felt kinda... weird.

Still think this is one of Sakura's prettiest pics.

It is a very thin and easy to read book, my initial goal was to read a chapter a day and finish it in a week but, I ended up finishing it in less than a week. I guess that shows I did enjoy it.

And, I think that'll be all when it comes to the story, now let's talk compare the books. I mean, it's not like they are way different but, still.

The one on the right is the first one I got. It was published by Panini Manga and it's slightly smaller than the new one. It came with a book sleeve and a matching bookmark which I thought was really nice. I actually used that same bookmark when I read the new one.
The newer one was published by Viz Media, and didn't have a sleeve or a book mark. You can also see that the title in Japanese is written in a glossy finish kinda way, which I think it's really pretty.
The few illustrations inside are the same in both, you can see some of those in the older post.
Both are really pretty.

I never thought I'd be the kind of person who has two different editions of the same book but, here I am, all happy with them.

And well, to finish this post, I want to show you my latest Sasusaku plushies. Especially because I randomly received them, from different people on the same weekend I decided to start reading the novel. It was just a funny coincidence but, it makes sense, they belong together.♡

I'll start with Sasuke cuz I received him first. My friends know how much I love him and got it for me. The pic doesn't really show it but, it is actually a plush keychain and I currently have him hanging from my bag. He is soooo cute!

And, the next day, my mom gave me this Sakura plush. She knows I like her but she doesn't know the characters that well. But she said she really liked her when she saw it and wanted to get her for me. I think in the end she did get a little help from my sister and decided to get her.
I don't have many Sakura goodies so, it made me happy.

I feel like this post was a little all over the place but, I really wanted to share these things. I still want to read the Kakashi Hiden and Sasuke's Story. Hopefully this year, hehe. I want to finish reading what I already have first so, yeah. We'll see what happens.

See you next time~💋