Spa Night!

Last night was so refreshing! Nik booked us a whirlpool suite at the Courtyard by Marriott in Mankato! 

The whirlpool itself was in the bedroom part which is always super relaxing since you can watch movies at the same time! 

I wanted to get bath bombs from Lush, but I didn't have time to make the drive over there. Instead, I picked up a couple from TJ Maxx! I don't remember the brand, but one was Buttercream and the other was Hawaiian Lei. The Hawaiian Lei was much more fragrant while the Buttercream just made a pink ring around the tub. 

We decided to watch a few episodes of Series of Unfortunate Events on Netflix! This was extremely well made and Neil Patrick Harris is really amazing as Count Olaf! There are several jokes that had us rolling. 

After the bath, it was spa/hydration time! 

At Ulta, I picked up some sheet masks for face and feet. I did the hydrating koala mask and Nik did the soothing dragon mask! 

Sheet masks always look so funny! 

The foot mask almost smelled like a detox kind, however it was for exfoliation! And it totally worked! When we took them off, dead skin just rolled off our feet (Really gross, but really satisfying!) 

After our spa-relaxation, we ordered Insomnia Cookies and continued watching Series of Unfortunate Events! Insomnia Cookies delivers, and I'm always surprised at how warm they are then they show up! Although they're a little expensive, I think they're still worth it!

Overall, we had a wonderful stay at the Marriott, and will most-likely return in the future!!

Sing Review (Spoilers, Maybe?)

Today I went to see the animated film, Sing! It is about a failing theatre that's owner (Buster Moon) puts on a last resort show to save the theatre. He makes a cash prize of $1000, but because of a clearly avoidable clerical error, the one printed on the flyer was a prize of $100,000. Many contestants swarm the theatre (and why you wouldn't charge a small audition fee is beyond me for such a failing business) and Buster picks an absurdly small amount of contestants to put on a one night show and then makes each of the acts his own. One gets injured, a group breaks up, this leaves only 5 performers and a groveling girl who can't get a grip on her stage-fright and becomes the stagehand.

Now, although I have several critiques for many of the characters, I still enjoyed this movie. I was extremely surprised to see Seth MacFarlane cast in a kids movie, but he pulled off a sleazy, Sinatra-esque mouse. I was a bit disappointed to see how incredibly white-washed this cast was, however. Yes, Reese Witherspoon as Rosita was great, as were the other performers, but for a movie that is about all different people from different walks of life, having a nearly completely white cast is a bit deceiving, don't you think? On one thought though: Did you not see Shrek 2? Clearly Jennifer Saunders needed more time on screen or at least a song (Not that Jennifer Hudson didn't do a good job for her 30 seconds of time).

I'd like to now talk about Buster Moon as a boss. He is absolutely terrible and made me irrationally angry at a children's movie. At the very beginning, the staff is nearly busting down his door because they were not paid. To me, personally, if you cannot afford your staff, you do not deserve to be in business. If I were Judith from the bank, I would have shut him down before he even had the notion of putting on an unprofitable show. He would be arrested for several kinds of fraud and the fact that Buster Moon is a simple, unreliable mooch makes him a terrible role model for being a person in charge. Also, don't buildings like the theatre have to be insured? Wouldn't he get insurance money from the "freak" flood he caused by making unreliable glass floors (Seriously you make poor Meena take LITERALLY all of the thin glass panes out of windows to make a whole floor and wall out of? You obviously needed Rosita's tact for something that crazy)?

Then there was the whole section of film for the J-pop group that ended in Buster accidentally insulting them and acts like he's the problem when trying to kick them out the whole time. They could have been great and adorable with their Kira Kira song! (And yes Kyary songs are cute, but I think a better choice would have been from actual idol groups like Morning Musume or PASSPO☆ or anything like that!) They were like a Japanese version of Crayon Pop!

On the topic of music, I liked the (kind of) variety and the execution. Having Johnny perform "I'm Still Standing" at the end was nostalgic, and I liked that Ashe got to perform her own song ((Though only a little sad she didn't reference Becky with the good hair) This is all I know from that Beyonce album) I did not like Rosita and Gunter's song choice "Shake it Off." It felt forced and meaningless for these characters. It was merely to pull a popular Taylor Swift song into the mix to entertain the kids. Rosita's outfit at the end was great though, very unexpected!

Animation-wise, this big budget film was a little..inconsistent? I understand that different hair-types are difficult to animate, but the texturing seemed to change throughout the movie for several of the characters.

Over-all I would give this movie a 2.5/5! It was enjoyable the music was fun, but I won't go out of my way to see it again. The morals were all over the place for a kids movie and that was really off-putting (Great hits like: It's okay to be a cheat if your girlfriend is there to support you! Or your dad might be in jail, but it's only worth a performance if he breaks out of jail to tell you how proud he is! How about get the nervousness bullied out of you by strangers? Boyfriend cheat on you? Don't worry he totally misses you now that your successful! Let the old lady buy your debt from you because she felt pity on your situation! The list goes on..)

Gosh, I didn't mean for this to be such a negative post! I'll try to do better for next time!

Why is Dental Hygiene Important to Me?

Hello!

Today, I went to the dentist for the first time since my wisdom teeth removal two years ago!

For me, I used to be religious about going to the dentist every six months for a cleaning, Because of various insurance problems (MNCare, I'm looking at you) this became hard to do in high school. 

It has become my lifelong mission to instill the importance of daily dental hygiene for everyone near and far.

It is something that collectively takes less than 5 minutes every day. 

Nora doesn't joke about teeth.

If I didn't get queasy with decay in other peoples' mouths, I would have been the queen of dentistry. 

So why is oral hygiene so important?

1. If you don't keep up with your teeth, they can decay.

   1a. Decay can cause pain that just doesn't leave.

   1b. Decay can make it hard to eat your favorite things.

   1c. Decay is ever lasting and very visual. Unlike with your skin, you can't cover up your teeth with makeup.

2. Plaque just feels gross.

3. When you don't brush regularly, you're more vulnerable for staining/yellowing which is really hard to get rid of.

    3a. If you realize "shit, my teeth are yellow, I'm going to use a quick whitener," you'll probably hurt your teeth more by making them sensitive with chemicals. 

4. Sensitivity is a real pain and can worsen when your mouth is filled with fillings. 

5. Your gums are the homes of your teeth and if you're not brushing (or brushing too hard!!) your gums can erode and cause decay, pain, and disease.

6. HAVE YOU SEEN ALL THE PICTURES ABOUT GUM DISEASE AND TOOTH DECAY?

   6a. DO YOU WANT YOUR TEETH TO LOOK LIKE THAT?

7. How many things can cause tooth decay? Answer: PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING YOU KNOW AND LOVE (example: sugars from pretty much anything, acids from beverages like soda, fruit juice, and coffee, THE LIST GOES ON)

Now a big thing that I've heard before is "Well my teeth are crooked so it doesn't matter." or "I can't afford to go to the dentist or get braces."

THERE IS SO MUCH YOU CAN DO TO HELP YOUR TEETH THRIVE IF YOU CANNOT GO TO THE DENTIST FOR CLEANINGS!!!

Stemming off of that, I have a confession:

My teeth are healthy, but they are MESSED UP

A big part of this is due to thumb-sucking as a small child that reshaped my hard palette (the roof of your mouth) and caused a gaping hole called an "open-bite." To fix this issue, I would have to go through surgical reshaping and heavy-duty braces for at least 2 years. In middle school and high school, this gap really bothered me and discouraged me from showing my smile. Financially, I haven't been able to undergo these processes to correct my open bite and other minor issues. At this point, I wouldn't want to follow through with these massive changes. Despite not changing these cosmetic issues, there is an important topic to cover:

They are healthy teeth.

They are not painful teeth.  

Even if they don't look perfect, your teeth are extremely important to your health and self-esteem. Keeping up with at least brushing (Flossing and mouth wash are a plus!) goes such a long way in oral hygiene. 

Tip: Even if you don't go to the dentist for regular cleanings, if you suspect something wrong with your teeth, SEE YOUR DENTIST RIGHT AWAY! (A small problem can become a big, expensive problem if not addressed!!!) 

Tip: Even if you're tired, BRUSH YOUR TEETH AT NIGHT BEFORE GOING TO SLEEP!! You don't want those sugars/acids/plaque stewing in your mouth all night long! You're just setting yourself up for cavities and tooth decay!

Tip: Even if you're running late in the morning, BRUSH YOUR TEETH OR AT LEAST USE MOUTH WASH! You would be surprised at how bad breath can have an effect on your attitude and those who can smell it! 

Tip: When brushing your teeth, remember that your teeth are three dimensional; they have fronts, backs, sides, and bottoms/tops! If you're only brushing your visible teeth, you are missing the non-visible parts which can decay and cause pain and eventually affect the visible sides! 

Tip: Stay hydrated and try to avoid dry mouth. The dry barren wasteland that can be your mouth can become a haven for bacteria!

Please take care of yourself including your oral hygiene!

My Top 5 Anime of 2016

Hello!
I'm going to try to make this list without any spoilers for these titles. These are also my personal opinions on various anime titles that I have watched in the past year and I would love to hear your feedback on them!
Here we go!

5. Assassination Classroom
Now this one actually came out in 2015, but I watched the dubbed version which I believe came out at the beginning of 2016.
I thought this was creative for that "slice of life school anime" genre because it completely turns it on its head and becomes an action and comedy and a bit of drama all in one. Koro-Sensei is a really lovable character despite all of the students wanting to kill him. His individualized approach to students is awe-inspiring, though nearly impossible for any real teacher of a class that size.

I didn't really enjoy the Kaede spin where she turned into this complete other character for an episode or two and then pretty much reverts back to how she was. They tried to make her more rounded like Nagisa, but she just wasn't developed enough, in my opinion.
I loved Karma and Irina as just the two bitchiest/snarkiest characters that really pull the humor in this show together.

4. Seraph of the End
This also came out in 2015, but I did not learn about it/see it till Spring 2016.
WOW DOES THIS PLAY WITH YOUR EMOTIONS! I am always down for vampire stories and you throw in a post-apocalyptic setting? On top of that you have demon weaponry and other strange creatures like the Four Horsement of John? OH MY GOD! This was one that I binge watched and was so upset when it was over. Yes, it has a very solid ending, but it still makes you wonder what's next? The relationship between Yuichiro and Mikaela is just so special and sweet despite growing up in two very different atmospheres. Nik is firmly against this but my coworkers and I agree Yuichiro x Mikaela OTP!

3.Yuri on Ice!
Speaking of OTPs... Yuri and Victor!! AHH!!! As someone who only watches the winter Olympics for the figure skating, this was right up my ally. The animation was beautiful, the music as really well designed, and the relationships between the characters LITERALLY HAD ME ROLLING ON THE FLOOR.
I really appreciated this approach to subtle yaoi titles because it does not sexualize the relationship between Yuri and Victor and it doesn't ostracize it or make it feel unnatural. Everyone is committed and consenting! HOW EXCITING.
I can't help but love JJ's character as well since he is so over the top, it seriously made me laugh every time he came on screen.
I won't spoil anything but for anyone who has seen Yuri on Ice!, The party scene. I don't think I need to say anything other than: Incredible.

Re:Zero
Okay, wow. This was a popular one this year. I began to watch it after Reina Scully on YouTube talked about it and I was not disappointed. Subaru is an extremely stubborn character who will not stop until he gets the outcome he wants. The whole story line with Betelguese and the Cult was just twisted and hard to follow at first but then it just hits hard! Then there's the whole underlying evil of Satella which is just crazy. And then there's the plot for who becomes the next ruler! (If it's not Emilia, my vote goes to Anastasia Hoshin) Nik is a strong Subaru x Rem fan but I'm OP Subaru x Emilia all the way.

Magical Girl Raising Project
This was one that I am extremely surprised not a lot of people were talking about. If you liked Puella Magi Madoka Magica, THIS IS GOING TO BE YOUR NEW FAVORITE. I'll say beyond the general mood of the show, magical girls, and a non-human character you want to smother, MGRP is completely different than PMMM. This is about essentially a contest between magical girls to become a better magical girl or you DIE. This turns into a war-zone pretty fast with everybody going after everyone, it's crazy! The relationship between Sister Nana and Winterprison was so pure, same with the relationship between Snow White and La Pucelle, and Top Speed and Ripple! Top Speed was definitely my favorite and her ending absolutely crushed me.
I absolutely loved the animation in this show. I was also a big fan of the voice acting (16 girls that don't go "Kyah!!! <3" every time they get injured was great).
At this point, I don't know if they'll do another season. It could honestly stay the way it is and maybe just do an OVA like PMMM did.
This was the show of 2016 that probably affected me the most. After episode 2, I was logging onto Crunchyroll every week to watch the new episode.


So that's my Top 5 Anime of 2016! I genuinely enjoyed all of these shows and cannot wait to see what 2017 holds!

Make-up Fun

Hello!

Today I decided to dive into cosplay make-up. My only problem was that I did not have any specific character in mind. So I caked on everything! (haha) 

I started out by putting in my circle lenses. I admit, I don't remember which kind these are, but they are definitely from Pinky Paradise.

 I could tell you that my skin is crap because of the weather, but that's simply a lie. My skin is crap because it's crap and I probably don't do all that I can to save it. ALAS!

From there, I used a barrage of different products which included:

Ben Nye cream colors in white and silver

Ulta press powder eye shadows in Ice Queen, Gunmetal, and  Galaxy

Voluminous Butterfly Sculpt Mascara (L'Oreal)  

(Originally I was going to use my platinum blonde wig to go for an "Ice Queen" look but I like the look of the dark brown one so so much more)

Ben Nye Snow White Hair Color (Immediately covered up by Ulta eye shadow: Mink, and Sephora eyebrow pencil in rich chestnut.)

Face is: Urban Decay Naked Shade .5, bareMinerals concealer in (I think) Porcelain 

Blush: Ulta Afterglow

Lip Color: 

Marc Jacobs Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Lipstick (Top Picture)

Sephora 14 Lip Stain (Bottom Picture)

I think I could actually go outside and not look completely crazy with this look.

As long as I don't have on a fake-blood-stained corset, that is!

Just for the hell of it, try on the Rei Ayanami wig! If my eyebrows were different, this could really work!

I'm starting to get hyped for Anime Detour in April! I have no idea what to cosplay as yet!

AHH!

Let's Try This Again

Hello!
Wow, my last post was early July of 2015... That's a long time! I think this year I'm going to try to get back into blogging and taking pictures. I have definitely lacked in 2016...

So let's recap what has happened in the last year and a half!

1. August of 2015
 I became a full-time coordinator at my job! Nik and I visited my mother in Indianapolis. Then I turned 21 and started my final year of university at a new school (Metropolitan State University).

2. September 2015- May 2016
Since I had a full-time job, all of my classes were one day a week, 4 hour sessions. That was really difficult to get through, but I did take some really interesting courses! My favorites by far were Medieval History and ..wow I am completely blanking on the other class..! It was history related with literature and taught by the same teacher. I also took a linguistics course about the beginnings of the English language and that class was surprisingly super difficult, but extremely interesting (The class started with only 15 students and by the time it was finals, there were 6 of us).

3. April 2016
I became a key-carrier at my job!

4. May 2016
I graduated! I was very close to graduating with honors, but didn't quite make it for this school's standards. I received my Bachelors of Arts in English.

5. Late June 2016
I was offered a salaried position as a manager with my company. The open position was two hours away from where I lived. I accepted the offer!!

6. Late July-August 2016
I bought my first car! I had told my father that my goal when getting promoted was to have a brand new car, and he helped me achieve that goal!

I began my 5-week training at another store for my management position! I learned a lot about different practices from an older store, but it went very smoothly.

7. September 2016
I moved! Now I live south of the Twin Cities so I can be closer to my new store. I live in my very own two bedroom apartment. I began working at the new store the weekend after I moved in. Everyone was super nice and welcoming! I even have several associates who like anime, too! So it's a really great environment.

8. Late September 2016
I adopted a bunny from the pet store! He is adorable and precious! His name is Pretzel!

9. October 2016
It's Halloween! Since I will always be an Anokan by heart, this was my season! I was happy at how many of my associates dressed up for Halloween and some of them didn't even recognize me in my Morticia Addams get-up!

10. November 2016
Thanksgiving! Nik's family brought Thanksgiving lunch to my father's house where we enjoyed a nice meal before Nik had to go to work. After lunch, my friend Andrea and I decided to hit the stores for a little Black Friday shopping!


11. December 2016
CHRISTMAS! Who doesn't love Christmas? My father and I celebrated at Nik's family's house and it was wonderful other than the fact that there was a thunder storm going on outside! It was EXTREMELY weird for Minnesota! I had to leave a bit early than I had hoped due to the weather, but I got home safely!

12. January 2016
New Years! I had a wonderful New Years Eve lunch with some of my squad (Missing Ivan) at Texas Roadhouse. After that, Andrea and I went grocery shopping and then headed back to Nik's house while he was at work! We made this gingerbread cheesecake dip that was AMAZING! We also attempted White Russians and Moscato Champagne with raspberries to ring in the new year. The champagne was good, our White Russians need a bit more tweaking (We like more sugar than we do alcohol). We made it to midnight playing games and almost immediately went to bed like old people!

Currently, just before the weekend we had inventory at work. I would argue this is even more stressful than Christmas because everything needs to be so accurate and time-efficient. Plus, since it's right after Christmas, you're already worn out from the whole season!

Our key-carrier is so kind! She made us a "get-through-inventory basket of goodies"!!


My goals for the new year are to blog on a more consistent basis, try to write more, and try to cosplay more! I would really like to start sewing and crafting more so I intend to start making my own cosplays instead of buying them like I have in the past.