Looking back at 2024~

Hello 2025!⭐

Last time I wrote an "end of the year" post was back in 2021 and, even tho I went through so many changes at that time, no one prepared me for what was coming. I haven't really talked about some things here but, these past few years had been hard. I won't go into details but when my dad got sick in 2022, everything I was worried about or feared back then felt small. Losing my dad has to be the worst thing that has happend to me so far. Yes, I've lost other loved ones before but, losing a parent definitely hits differently. Especially when everything happens too fast. I felt kinda lost without him, my life as I knew it changed 100% and, even tho I was not going around talking about it, things just didn't feel the same even if I tried. Of course I had amazing people there for me, supporting me and never leaving me alone but also respecting when I needed my space. I'm so thankful life gave me such an amazing dad but, I miss him everyday and it has been hard living a life without him and realizing how much things have changed in just a couple of years. 

By now, we all now I'm not good with changes...

Somehow things felt a little better in 2024, of course I do have regrets and wish I could've done things differently before but, there's not much to do about that. Last year I definitely tried to take better control of my life and make smarter decisions even if they were scary or not easy. I really tried to let go of the things and people that were not contributing anything to my life anymore or just didn't feel good. 

One of those things was quitting my teaching job at school. Some people didn't know but, I've had 2 teaching jobs for the longest time (one at a school and one at a language center) and, it was exhausting. Of course, that was not the reason why I decided to quit, I wasn't happy with some of the things that were happening there and, it just didn't make me happy, I wasn't motivated and honestly? I don't loooove working with young kids anymore. I just knew I needed a change. My friend was right, I was putting up with all that because I wanted to, not because I had to, I had a choice. I was stressed and running all the time. So yeah, I quit. Which was terrifying because my biggest income came from there and I always need my stability. I finished the school year and, during the Summer, everything fell into place. I kept my job at the language center, more hours opened which made it easier for me to work in one place only, commit 100% to it and being able to pay my bills, hehe. Yes, I was scared at the beginning but, I don't regret it. I'm much happier now, less stressed, I enjoy working where I am, I'm still motivated and love my students.

Another thing I started doing this year was setting limits and boundries on toxic people. Especially those who don't really meant anything to me or didn't have a close relationship with. In the past, I didn't use to do it because I'd feel bad or cuz it wasn't that bad because they were not close to me. Truth is, I'm tired of being a people pleaser, I was like that for such a long time and I just got sick of it. Having to be a "good girl" just to make others happy doesn't resonate with me anymore. I have to put my feelings first and if they are not ok with that, they can just leave. I definitely distanced myself from some people and even blocked others, I hate drama, haha. In a way, I realized saying no is not such a difficult thing anymore and it's more than needed sometimes. 

Same as for everyone, the year was full of ups & downs, some bigger than others but I think those two would be my highlights because I wouldn't have done those things before. Let's be honest, it would've been easier to stay in my comfort zone for another year. 

Not everything was challenging or scary tho, I feel like I also started genuinely enjoying things again. It's not like I didn't enjoy anything before but, it just didn't feel the same. In 2024 I got my first tattoo, reconnected with old friends and met new fun people, my sister and I are close again, she became my fav drinking buddy, I shared great moments with my best friends and I love how we're still part of each others' stories, I've seen my mom grow so much in just one year, my grandpa turned 94, I became more responsible when it comes to my car, learned how to do and fix new things in my house, my apartment feels like my home and I love it so so much, I cooked more and actually improved, I regained my love for sharing with others, became a better plant mom, felt more creative, romanticized my -ber months, had the happiest Christmas in years and basically found a reason to celebrate even the smallest things again.

I learned to pat myself on the back for the good things I do, I realized I don't have to be running and be productive all the time (not that I loved it but sometimes life felt like that) cuz, there's something sooooo good about slow mornings and lazy days are just magical.

I'm thankful for all the experiences and memories but also for the lessons. I do believe everything I've experienced in the past couple of years had made me a stronger person and have helped me to be way more comfortable in my own skin, and with who I am. There are so many things I still want to work on and imrpove but I know that some things just take time and I'm in no rush. Life is all about learning, anyway~

In a way, I didn't want last year to end. Was it perfect? Not at all! But, it felt good. I'm so ready for 2025 and whatever it brings. Who knows? Maybe I'll be more open to new things~ you never know. 🤭

How was your 2024?

☾ Sailor Moon Cosmos The Movie

Sailor Moon Cosmos was finally released outside Japan! I waited for over a year to watch it since it came out back in June 2023 and all we could see were movie trailers. I was especially excited because it was supposed to cover the Sailor Moon Sailor Stars season, which is one of my all time favorites.

You all know I've been a Sailor Moon fan for pretty much all my life so, it was defo a must watch for me. 

So yeah, I watched the 2 part movies on the release date (Aug. 22nd) and I thought I should come here to share my thoughts on the movies as someone who loves this story and its characters, just as I did with the Sailor Moon Eternal Movie. Not much has changed since the SM Eternal movie tho, I still haven't finished watching Sailor Moon Crystal and, haven't read the manga. From what I know, these movies are also the last chapter of SM Crystal and, are more loyal to the manga. Still, it's easy to understand if you watched the 90's anime but, you do have to watch SM Eternal first cuz it is a continuation in a way.

This won't be a movie review and it might be a little over the place, hehe. Hope not to spoil anything.

I really suck at writing synopsis so I'll just include the one from the Netflix website to give you a general idea:

"Sailor Moon must stand up and fight once again when a new enemy called Shadow Galactica, an organization bent on destroying everything and ruling the universe, begins eliminating her friends one by one. Her task requires her to persevere when solitude threatens to overwhelm her. Will she be able to protect those she loves? What awaits her beyond the battle? Sailor Moon fights on despite the pressure of her self-imposed mission as the final chapter of the beautiful and strong Sailor Guardians begins."—Netflix

I watched the spanish dub because they had some of the original voice actors back in this movie and, you know, the nostalgia. It was weird to get used to some of the new voices they had tho, they changed some of my favorites!! But I want to watch the original Japanese version too. It was funny to hear them using the "chan" and "san" along with the spanish dialogs again. Plus, they used too much spanglish in my opinion in all the attacks and transformations. (Says someone who uses spanglish in her daily life, hehe). The character design and animation is pretty good and beautiful, I'd say I liked it more than the one of the previous movies. 

These movies are a lot darker and dramatic, we don't get to see many funny moments in the slice of life scenes. But as always it has a strong "power of love and frienship" message that I always like about the show. 

There were so many changes that caught my attention cuz I wasn't expecting them. But hey, this is me only comparing it to the 90's anime.

First was, Usagi's engagement ring, it was pretty but kinda different from the original design I always loved.

New engagement ring~ ♡

For some reason, Haruka & Michiru went to the same school as the other Senshi this time, nothing wrong with that but I liked their old uniform so much!

One thing I didn't really like was how much the relationship between the Sailor Senshi and the Star Lights changed in these movies. Even how it developed and stuff. I get it's a movie and things are supposed to go faster but, still. They even changed the Three Lights personalities a lot, I felt something was missing! Seiya's relationship with Usagi wasn't the same, it wasn't fun and super cute as it was in the anime. 

Sadly, I didn't see these two as much. I love them SO MUCH!

Three Lights!

Oh well~ I did have a fangirl moment when I heard the new version of "Nagareboshi He".

But in general, I don't think they were super relevant in the story and they didn't give them an ending(?), they just disappeared! Princess Kakyuu seemed a little more relevant at the beginning but she only had a senshi transformation and got killed almost right away, she wasn't of much help really.

Three Lights performing "Nagareboshi He"

Sailor Star Lights

When I was younger, I always thought Princess Kakyuu would be way more powerful than she actually is~

I feel like Chibi Chibi had a more important role now, and she even speaks this time and we can see her transformations to Sailor Cosmos.

Chibiusa had her moment and it was kinda cool to see her with her Senshi (if you saw SM Eternal you'll know what I'm talking about) but, they were not that skilled either.

Sailor Cosmos

I wonder if there could be a continuation featuring the new generation of Senshi...

We see a lot of different enemies, including the Sailor Senshi and Mamo-chan at some point. You know, they all "die" and become evil, and only Sailor Moon can end this fight. I don't usually like the villians in this anime but I do have to admit, Sailor Galaxia is super beautiful when she's not wearing her typical outfit.

As usual, dear Mamo-chan is kinda useless, not even his evil form fights! He only stands there giving orders and dies easily. Sad, but true.

After the big fight on the second movie we see everyone going back to life and to their normal lives, then we have the big moment, Usagi and Mamo-chan's wedding, that was one of my favorite things when I was a young girl. I'm not sure about this but, it looks like Usagi is pregnant in the end? I'm not sure, that's how I saw it.

All in all, and to finish this random and unplanned post; I did enjoy these movies, they were just not my favorites. I didn't have expectations but they changed so many things I loved from the Sailor Stars season and didn't give closure to some things and characters. Still, I think it's worth watching if you're a Sailor Moon fan. My inner girl is always happy whenever she sees something new that is Sailor Moon related.

See you next time~! ♡

20 things I love about my home

I feel like I don't share things about my apartment in here as much as I wanted to, guess it's just easier and faster to share some pics on Instagram but, as I was planning to write about some of the things I loved to have in my home, I came across this list of "20 things I love about my home"and just loved the idea.

My apartment is still a work in progress, there are still so many things I want to buy, change and do. I'm constantly moving things around but, it defo feels like a home now. 

When I first moved, I thought I had a very clear idea of how I wanted the style to be, the colors I wanted and the type of furniture I was going to buy. And even tho I kept the pastel colors I originally wanted, the style is a mix of cute and girly with some Japanese touches here and there. I have neutral or modern pieces but, also very vintage hand-me-downs I love and I don't even care if it matches "my style" or not. 

I love my home but I think making this post will make me think of the smallest details that make this place, a special one so, let's get into it. This list has no particular order.

1. Receiving this apartment as a present from my dad. I do realize how lucky I am, it'd have taken me years and years to save enough money to buy my own place. Not paying a rent is also big help. It is something I'll be forever thankful for. 

2. It is my first home as an adult. I don't know if it makes sense. Other than my family home, this is my first own place. A place that also helped me adult for real and become a lot more independent (even tho I'm still learning so many things). I love making my own decisions and doing things my way.

3. The things my dad helped me put and install. Dad and I wanted to do many things around the house together. He was a very handy man and helped me with a lot of things around my place like: hanging curtain rods, shelves, supervising the installation of my floor tiles and much more. I also learned while watching and helping him with these things. ♡

4. Having things made by people I love. I am surrounded by super talented people and I'm super proud of them, that's why I really like having things made by family and friends displayed here in the apartment.

5. How easily I can see fireworks from my living room.🎆 This might be random but, I looooove fireworks. I live near a town dedicated to make them so, I see them often from the comfort of my living room and honestly, it's not as noisy as it is in other places. It makes me happy!

6. My open kitchen - dining - living area. Just because it makes the space look bigger and it's easy to talk to others when you have people over while you work in the kitchen and stuff. 

7. My tiny bathroom. I think this was the first room I "finished decorating". It's super small so, it was an easy task, hehe. I especially love the shower, the water pressure of it is sooo good!

8. Having random spaces for my fur babies. My cats are very important to me so, I'm happy to be able to have their things around the place to help them feel more comfortable and happy. In the end, it is their home too.

9. My personality is everywhere! And I just love that! When I look at old photos, I used to do the same with my bedroom when I lived at my parents', you could really see my personality cramped in one room, it was too much tho. Now I'm able to add small touches here and there all around the place. Plus, I don't have to please anyone with the way I decorate my house, I put what I want, where I want.

10. I became a handy girl. Yeah, I didn't used to do much before moving and now I discovered I love to work with tools, put things together, paint and fix things when I can. Sometimes I try before asking for help, in the past, it would've been the other way around.

11. My small kitchen. Even tho I'm not a big fan of cooking, it has to be one of my favorite places! It has pushed me to cook more often so, I do make an effort sometimes. Plus, there are so many cute kitchen stuff! I find myself buying lots of things for it.

12. My plants. I have never been good with plants and I don't have a garden but, I do have a couple of plants that, surprisingly, have survived living with me. I'm really trying and I'm proud of them, hehe.

13. I finally have a walk-in closet! Which is still in progress but, it is something I wanted since I was a little girl. It's not the most organized space ever but, I'm very happy with it.

14. Cleaning is faster. Cleaning is another thing I don't enjoy doing but having a small place makes it faster and easier. I don't complain.

15. My floor tiles. Mainly because, I got to choose them! When I first moved, I didn't know much about floor tiles, I never even thought about them, all I knew was I wanted something nice and neutral. Many people told me getting white-ish tiles wouldn't be a good idea but, I don't regret my decision. I love my floor tiles!

16. The time I spend working on it. And by working I mean, decorating, painting, DIYing some things, etc. It's been a slow process but I have enjoyed every part of it! There's still a long way to go before I finish everything I want to do but, I'm really looking forward to doing it.

17. I can go all the way out decorating for my favorite holidays. Especially Halloween! We all know how much I love this holiday. Back at my parents' house, I could only decorate my room. I think I decorated the house only once so, being able to do it every year now, is exciting. Of course I aso decorate for Christmas and, as time goes by, I kinda want to start doing it for other holidays / seasons too.

18. I can have random anime stuff around the house and no one can say anything about it. It's not like I have a lot around, my house doesn't scream "otaku house" (I think 😂), but I can display a couple of things here and there if I want to. And not just anime, things like Darth Vader or We Bare Bears plushies in the living room whithout having people say they shouldn't be there cuz it's "too childish" or whatever.

19. Sharing my home with people I love. And by that I mean I only let people I love into my house. Whether it's family or friends, I get to be a little more selective than when I lived with my parents. And I don't say it in a bad way, but it is my personal space and I like deciding who I share it with. 

20. The memories I'm making here. I don't know if this is going to make sense but, you know how sometimes you go to a house or any place and it kinda tells a story with all the things it has? I kinda like to think my house is writing its own story with the memories I make here, people I share it with, things I buy, recieve and even those hand-me-downs that already had a story.

There you go, 20 random things I love about my house. Having my own place has changed my shopping game a little too. Now I buy more things for the apartment than for myself, hehe. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this post, I'll try to share more house-related stuff more often. Let me know if there's something in specific you'd like me to write about.

See you nect time~! ♡

Playboy Docuseries + Story Time~!

 

This is going to be one of those recommendations /story time kind of post so it might be a little all over the place. Thing is, as I was planning this blog post, some memories came back and I just felt like sharing them in here because of the nostalgia.

Where to begin? I think I've randomly mentioned it a couple of times but, back in the early 2000's I was obsessed with Playboy. And that was thanks to my cousin who introduced us (me & my sister) to E's reality show The Girls Next Door, which showed Hugh Hefner's life at the Playboy Mansion with his 3 girlfriends at the time, Holly, Bridget and Kendra. It was cool cuz each of us could relate to one of them so, it was perfect! We all choose our favorite and obsessed over the way they lived. Reality TV was super entertaining back then. I remember we even used to call my uncle "Hef" cuz, in our minds, he looked a little like him.

We would try to find Playboy merch everywhere and buy as much as we could, we even got some of our friends to watch the show so we could have a "bigger" Playboy world, haha. I'm gonna be sharing some of the pics I found from that Playboy era, it's crazy to think this was SO long ago!

I do have to say I was hesitant to share some pics and didn't include many because most of the people in those pics are no longer part of my life and it'd be a little weird~ The ones I'm sharing with other people are because there was no other way to show you certain things. 

Very bad quality photos but, I did wear a bunny costume once, and I was more than happy! I wore it to a small anime event. I actually made the costume when I was studying fashion design. It wasn't perfect but, it worked. Sadly, I no longer have it but I know I would gladly wear it again if I had the chance!

Bunny ears beacause, there was nothing more Playboy than that, haha. 
Extra note: My cousin & I aka Holly and Bridget, haha.

Playboy clothes! They were kinda hard to find tho. I wore the grey one on the left A LOT!

I even had my nails done with a small, cute PB bunny on both thumbs.

Left: My uncle had this painting of him and he thought that was so Hef!
Right: Wearing my sister's bunny necklace.

Even TinkerBell wore a bunny tee ♡
It makes me so happy to see these pics, I miss her so much.

I had 2 or 3 bunny necklaces, including a playboy club key, but I couldn't find a decent pic of them and I don't have them anymore. I still have some PB related things tho, like this necklace that, I know was a gift, I just don't remember from whom.

Pic 1: Our family van had a playboy sticker! I'm sure my dad wasn't the happiest about it.
Pic 2: Of course we went to watch The House Bunny. I think my outfit wasn't the best choice for it, hehe.
Pic 3: I totally forgot about this but, when I turned 21, my friend decorated the classroom with playboy bunnies. I only have that pic but he randomly put bunnies around the place.
Pic 4: Mys sister & I decided to make a small graveyard on halloween because they did something like that on the PB mansion. My tombstone says: "Playmate of every year... Died sexy and beautiful" Love it, hahaha.

Left: Pic of bunny Mon & Kenny, South Park style by my sister.
Right: Random pic of me at this car event. I saved this pic as "A little piece of home, everywhere we go" 😂

When each of the girlfriends left the mansion I stopped watching the show. I think I watched until season 5, it was just not the same without them. And even tho my obsession wasn't as big anymore, I always kept this love for the Playboy world I saw on that reality show. I never stopped follwing Bridget Marquardt tho, she was my favorite and I had so much in common with her that I always liked the things she did after Playboy. I especially enjoy her Ghost Magnet and Girls Next Level podcast with Holly Madison.

Back then I saw Playboy as a magazine that showed how beautiful and sexy women were, never thought of it as a bad thing, and even tho I never owned an actual magazine, I loved the covers and always felt happy to see some in stores. I know that now, and especially after Hef's passing, the whole Playboy life wasn't as glam as it looked. And that leads us to my recommendations, hehe.

Some of you already know but, I'm into morbid stuff so, when I found out about these 2 shows, I was super excited. I was not planning to talk about the first one cuz it's not that new and I briefly mentioned it in a show recommendation post but I will include it because it's still related. 

So, the first show is Secrets of Playboy, which is an A&E 2 season documentary that exposes everything that happened "behind the scenes" in the playboy world. It features former playmates, bunnies, ex girlfriends and even staff memmbers who share their not-so-good experiences with Hugh Hefner and other people involved with him throughout the years. It also shares how the brand ruined many women's lives by just being associated with it. This docuseries is defo dark and eye opening. 

Season 1 has 12 episodes, while season 2 only has 8. Honestly, I liked the first season a lot more but both are worth watching.

And now, being the true crime fan that I am, I couldn't miss this next show, The Playboy Murders. It is another 2 season docuseries that covers murder cases involving people from Playboy, especially models and bunnies. This show is hosted by Holly Madison and also features people who knew the victims. It's pretty good. ---------------------------------

Both seasons are 6 episodes long.

After watching both shows, I do see things differently but, the love I have for the "Playboy" I knew is still there in way. Is it weird? I rewatched the GND 5 seasons not long ago and I enjoyed it as much as I did years ago. It's just funny to see how much has changed since then. Hehe.

That was a fun blast from the past! Let me know if you like this kind of posts where I share some obsessions I had in a story time kind of style cuz, I do have many and I love remembering and finding things to share in here! LOL.

Here are other walks down memory lane if you feel like reading more:

Blast from the past! My old "Skins" inspired look + podcast recommendation

Once upon a time, I was a Shinigami...

I'll see you next time~! ♡

xx Bunny Mon 🐰

Apartment 07 | My coffee station! |

 I can't remember the last time I wrote an apartment update. A lot has changed around my house but it's been a very slow process, not only because of the money, but also because I don't focus 100% on my projects because of all the million work related things I always have to do. 

Something I really wanted to do was to beautify and pretty much put together a decent coffee station. And since I recently finished it (finaaally!) I wanted to share with you guys. And I know, I've shared it in other SNS already but, not here. So, we're doing this, hehe.

Sadly I didn't take good before and after pics to share but, there is a video on my youtube channel with the whole process, I'll link it here in case you wanna check it out.

Let's go back to when I first moved into the apartment, back then I used a small bookshelf thingy as my coffee station but, it wasn't big enough to fit my coffee machines and we didn't really have space to prepare anything. It didn't look bad but, it was just not working.

So, I decided to move it to my old desk. Since I don't really have an office or specific working space yet, my desk was just working as a table to throw random things, books and other materials and, since it was in my living-dining area, it always looked super messy! Thing was, the desk was already old, it was black and had this (now) dirty and washed off sakura sticky paper. It wasn't my favorite thing to look at.

Screenshot of how my coffee station looked at the beginning. As you can see, it doesn't look nice. Plus, I didn't really like how the black base looked.

I started by painting the base of the desk white. It took me a while because it's metal and I used random white paint. It needed lots of coats to get an even color but, it was worth it.

After painting it, I bought a new sticky paper. This time I chose a wood-like one so it could match a wooden shelf I wanted to put above to display some of the many mugs I have and change them according to the season.

This is the desk/table after painting it and putting the sticky paper. I do think it changed a lot. (P.S. my walls were not painted yet!!)

After painting it and stuff, I took the longest break ever. Mostly because I needed help with the shelf I wanted to put, I didn't have the drill to do it. But, not long ago, I received one of my dad's drills and I decided to go ahead and do it! It was not my first time using a drill but, I always did it with my dad's help. Even tho my wall was a bit damaged and I had to try different plug sizes, I think it looked pretty decent.

Current state of my Coffee Station ♡

In the end, I'm really happy with how it looks. of course, I will change it in the future cuz I'd love to buy another shelf or table to use instead of the desk. But I did put a lot of love and time into it, especially because I used the experience and information I got from my dad when we used to do this things together. I think he'd be proud. ♡ I am proud.

I'll show you some close ups to talk about the things I decided to put in there.

The table and the shelf are the parts that have more decoration and things in general.

On the table, I keep my coffee machines: The black one is an Oster espresso machine my bestie gave me before moving and, the red one is a Necafé Dolce Gusto coffee maker my mom gave me years ago. It's not the newest version but, it works pretty well. I also decided to put a cup holder with some plastic mugs I don't really use. I thought they looked cute.

Next to the espresso machine I have a basket that came with a Christmas pressie I received a couple of years ago. There I keep some coffee. Below it, there's some sugar.

Between the table and the shelf, I put some decoration. From left to right, we have a wooden sign that says "coffee is my cardio", next to it is a wall sticker (that I'm sure will ruin the paint if I ever remove it) I bought right when I moved and saved it until now. They are both from Prichos. On the right, I framed a cute print I bought a couple of years ago at an anime convention. I don't really know the artist tho. Next to it, it's my Starbucks Halloween bearista that came out last year.

Close up to the print so you can see the cute deets. I loved it as soon as I saw it and knew I wanted to use it for my coffee station. I believe I bought it before moving.

Moving on to the shelf. Here I have some cute cups, reusable cups tea and decoration. I'm planning to change its decoration as the seasons change.

I wanted to display my Bleach cup cuz i love it way too much, the sakura mug is from Miniso and was a birthday pressie from the bestie. The container on the back is part of a set by Haus. It was also a bday pressie from my sister. In this one, I keep tea bags. Lastly, I keep my mug lids here too. One's mom's and the other one's mine. They are both from Ale Hop.

Moving on to the center of the shelf, I have a small, plastic tray from JOI with some British tea cans on it. These cans were a souvenir from my besties. I also keep my Sailor Moon Magic Block because she's in a mug, it's perfect! Behind her is my old, pink french press from Mumuso. And you can see more reusable cups, I have many~~~~

And, on the right I have a sakura mug from Dokkoi that was also a pressie from the bestie and a cute tea pot from the same set I mentioned earlier. Lastly, I framed a napkin I saved from a café back in Spain. Some cafés had this type of napkins with different quotes and I just loved them!

Close up to the napkin that says "Low battery, I need caffeine" hehe.

Lastly we have the lower part. There not much going here. It has two divisions where I keep napkins, another french press, a whisk, paper cups and plates and a cute cat tea set.

And next to it, there's this gong that has been in my life since forever. It was part of my parents' house decoration and I took it with me this year. I couldn't really find a good place for it but I don't want to let go of it so, I put it here for now.

I think that is it for my coffee station guys, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. I hope I can share more of these projects with you all. I'll remember to take some pics next time tho, hehe.

See you next time~! ♡