frillish

Friday

• daily
• fashion
• reads

Wow, hello It has been quite a while since I last wrote on my blog! I don’t know why, but I guess it’s just been some time. I did start journalling in my physical journal again after another break, so since I had a “journalling” outlet there, the blog got neglected!

Sometimes I also feel super indulgent, just writing about myself here But I guess that’s just what a casual blog can be like! So like, since I feel more awake today, I’ll share a handful of recent-ishes.

A while back, we had “Casino Night” themed party for one of our friends moving away to Las Vegas. It was so rowdy lol but the friend group is really sweet! We got to meet a few new (to me) people, too

I decided to wear this pink outfit I kind of prefer to wear outfits that aren’t as pricey to parties because there’s a lot of loose food and drink.

I got some items from Honey Mew, michellmacaron’s new sub-brand I really love their brand aesthetic; it reminds me of a bit sweeter pium

To be honest, I was so unsure about their sizing because a lot of their pieces come in only XS and F (freesize), and their measurements are done flat (so, useless LOL). I normally wear Japanese size S, and sometimes “freesize” can be too big for me. I noticed almost all their models on their IG wear XS, so I measured my existing closet garments and matched them up to the size chart, which corresponds to XS - so that’s what I ordered. Thankfully… they actually fit! And I think the onepiece fits a bit better than my freesize pium, which is a bit too long on me

That said, the tiered pink skirt is SCANDALOUSLY short. I cannot recommend this for anyone over 5 feet. It’s basically a “my bf will have to pick up anything I drop on the floor” outfit

In the second pic, I got some summer items from Bobon21 Their new collection was so cute! I feel like cfashion is really nice for summer

Picked up this Rosé Muse white dress NWT secondhand since I had wanted it since it came out, but didn’t want to pay full price. I was so happy to see it available in my size! Unfortunately it’s a bit loose in the waist but the design is pinnable thankfully

It’s super comfy and the small details are so pretty

Lastly in clothes, I managed to finally snag this old Liz Lisa dress for a good price I’ve always wanted this design, so I’m really happy I found it! I think it will be versatile and suitable for multiple seasons due to the cut and the slightly longer length

Got a little shirokuma pouch after eyeing it for months

Finally, I was so surprised that I managed to snag the idang club x milkyhearts diary ring binder. I had about given up that anyone would ever part with it since Korean indie brands are really sparse in secondhand markets… but I found it at a great price too! Rejoice!!!

I’m planning to keep notes on my yearly goals and reflections in this tiny binder

I did these nails in June for our girls’ norcal trip. I can’t believe they’re actually still on today (though they’re pretty nastily grown out and the jewels are faded LOL)

I’ve never had my self-done nails stay on for so long before!

I forgot what I wore this outfit for, but it was probably a daily outing. I liked it a lot since it’s simple - nothing better than an old school liz lisa sukapan for casual wear

As part of my birthday celebrations, my dangie, bro, and manz celebrated with me at Seabirds Kitchen - a vegan restaurant that I like quite a lot! I was so happy they were willing to indulge in vegan food with me, but I think Seabirds is very versatile!

Afterwards, we walked over to Stella Jean’s Ice Cream and I got their yuzu + poppyseed cake ice cream. I was a little nervous trying it bc it’s one of their vegan options and my manz didn’t really liked their vg ice cream last time he tried it, but it turned out to be so delicious! I was so happy! (Though I was really eyeing their blueberry cornbread flavour… I love corn ice cream.)

I was so surprised when the staff lit a candle on my ice cream and the strangers in line started singing happy birthday haha, it was a bit embarrassing but in a sweet way

Picked a comfy and easy outfit I like to wear - knit top with my pium/bubbles combo.

My dangie gifted me the polaroid 2x3 photo printer that was on my wishlist, and I immediately used it to journal with!!! And… I didn’t put a picture here coz I forgot to transfer it from my phone LOL but my brother gave me an Albedo mousepad To match the coaster I already have hehe!

On the weekend bday celebration with my family, I wore this overly girly dress that’s rather hard to wear normally

On the way to my parents’ house, I wanted to take some cute couple photos together so we stopped at Life4Cuts and took this silly pictures I was really happy he was open to indulging me since he’s not much of a photo person

Lastly, we visited Chicha San Chen - the “legendary” (according to A’s boba enthusiast friend) Taiwanese tea place that’s trending in the states now. We’ve been on a search for STRONG tea-flavoured milk tea places to replace Orobae after that closed, and my manz really liked this place - not as much as Orobae - but he was so happy he kept praising it as he inhaled his drink!!

I got a peach fruit tea because I forgot I wanted to try milk tea Though, at 50% it was the perfect sweetness! I really enjoyed the real fruit bits. I wish we had one closer to us!

Never Flinch (Holly Gibney #4)

Stephen King

Goodreads

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐★

Genre: Thriller, Horror

Summary A killer's warning: 13 innocents and 1 guilty on the list to avenge the death of an innocent man. Holly Gibney aims to unravel this villain's plot before he finishes his mission - but the mixed-in stories of several others, including police detective Jaynes, women's rights activist Kate McKay, gospel singer Sista Bessie, Holly's closest friends Barbara & Jerome, and secret freaky people bring chaos among the search for justice and vengeance.

Opening Line March, and the weather's miserable.

The setup of this is very much classic King - so many storylines, and when they line up, they sure line up I couldn’t put this down, even though the build-up is pretty slow in the beginning, and some of the characters were - well - not so enjoyable to read (to be fair, I don’t think we’re supposed to like some of them!)

In terms of a Holly novel - I think this one was solid, though not as unsettling as the previous in series Holly, which was… pretty disturbing LOL. I think Holly herself has gotten so established that she feels like she’s missing a few of her quirks that we’ve grown to love about her, though it doesn’t so much weaken her character as make it more streamlined and a little less unique.

That said, I adore Barbara & Jerome and seeing more of them is always fun! The villain in this novel did freak me out a bit, and I can’t say much more without potentially spoiling, but I really like how Stephen King paced the villain in this. Such a great read!

Ararat

Christopher Golden

Goodreads

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐★★

Genre: Horror

Summary Ghostly mountain Ararat threatens a curious exploration team with more than they asked for. I mean, why not start poking at the ancient artifact found inside?

Opening Line Just past eight o'clock on the last morning of November, the mountain began to shake.

Okay, so I kind of liked the premise of this - freaky mountain does freaky mountain things - but the characters were SO unlikeable and didn’t stand out very much besides being… there. In fact, I don’t even remember a single one of them I liked LOL. The book was very long, so I think it would’ve worked better as short story.

I finished reading it since it was on audiobook so it wasn’t so bad - but it was just alright. I do love a spooky archaelogical theme, though!

The Piper's Graveyard

Ben Farthing

Goodreads

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐★

Genre: Horror

Summary Small town horror with big buried scary. Cessy ventures back to her hometown Hamlin in search of her missing sister, only to find it taken over by those who hate vermin: as taught by the talk radio in town that never sleeps. Something unusual is brewing under town and it just might snap soon...

Opening Line A rusty storm door creaked loose on its hinges.

I was really wavering on this book throughout reading it - I think it goes between 3 & 4 rating for me. The premise was interesting and the horror could be pretty unsettling (omg one of the type of “monstrous” effects it had REALLY sends a chill even when I think about it now lol), but the characters were often flat and annoying. The small town setting was done pretty well as its own character I think.

The joyous-sounding yet hate-spewing radio show really echoes politically when the host vows to Make Hamlin Great Again. Reading about her parents really reminded me of my own parents… heh. There’s a mixture of human nature’s horror and supernatural horror in this story, which was the first longer novel I’ve read from this author!

Overall, worth a read, but quite a slow buildup and a bit dampening enthusiasm due to dislikeable characters. The horror itself I’m split on - the Big Bad was not really my thing, but the visual horror of some parts… whew. One of the most unsettling effects I’ve read in horror, which is quite the statement.

Monday

• daily
• beauty
• reads

Hello, happy Monday

I went to the dentist today, which is one of my favourite activities I can’t explain it, but I always feel so nicely taken care of at the dentist’s, so I’m really happy whenever I go. I told them I love coming to my appointments and they were so happy

Recently, I bought a bunch of treats from Trader Joe’s

I got a bunch of the frozen kimbap (repacking them so they don’t get mixed up with my housemates’ purchases) and the seasonal lemon sheet cake I cut it up to freeze, but tried a slice and it’s SO sweet! Definitely a treat

With fresh produce, I’ve been making goji berry kale smoothies I really only eat goji berries around summertime since I always associate them with smoothies, so it’s really nice to have a sweet treat!

Our friends invited us to enjoy Honda-ya I haven’t had it in a long time, so it was fun to go! This was part of the bigger friend circle, so they wanted to share a super tall “beer tower”. It was my first time seeing one

The boys wanted more so they got a second tower, but then… they struggled to finish it

Tried their poke salad, and the cucumber appetizer Both were really delicious! I need to learn how to make the cucumber salad myself…

On Saturday, I wanted to try a cute date brekkie at BAUM Tea & Coffee since I saw they have cute souffle pancakes and tasty coffees! But OMG, I didn’t expect the prices to raise by around 50% compared with what was shown 2 months ago according to menu photos in reviews once I got there in person. So like, the custard bear rose a whole $5 in just a few months The drinks rose a bit too.

I guess it’s average price around here but it’s tough to order a $9 latte pre-tax.

I felt bad about it but the manz said he knew I’d like the custard bear pancake so I should order it anyway, so I figured we can enjoy it once and maybe not come back for a while lol

So we got the custard bear to share I also ordered their ube espresso latte, and the manz got a cafe latte. Their espresso is so strong! This was another day my manz said I was “tweaking”

The bear isn’t as jiggly as the cat pudding, but I loved seeing how soft the bear was! The taste was really eggy and airy as well - and not too sweet at all!

After the breakfast, we went to try to find some delicious hummus. The manz thought the mediterranean market would be good to try, so we went to visit & he got a super big bread

We ended up getting their fresh made hummus, but… it honestly just was okay. Also, it was pretty expensive! Just around the same cost per lb as my current favourite hummus, Little Sesame.

After this, we were thinking we should just try to make our own hummus.

For dinner, we went to Habuya Okinawan Dining

Yes… it was in the same day as our brekkie! I usually don’t like to go out twice in the same day, especially if it wasn’t a special occasion, but the manz was busy on Sunday so he suggested just enjoying them fully on the same day.

After I went last time with my dangie and my bro, I thought my manz would love this place so much, and he was absolutely charmed! We spent some time thinking about the various decor

We got the peanut tofu appetizer, which was small, but extremely delicious!

It’s similar to a sesame tofu dish we tried somewhere else before that I forgot lol… but I think it’s homemade tofu. I really enjoyed it

This time, I ordered the garlic miso salmon special dish that I saw last time and OMG it did not disappoint. I’ve never had a salmon dish that tasted like this… It definitely would’ve been nice to eat it with something like rice, but the taste was phenomenal

The arrangement was so pretty as well… I didn’t know where to dig in

Since Habuya is next to a grocery store, after enjoying dinner, I finally got to satisfy my ice cream craving that I’ve been having for weeks!

Recently, Holo has been super cute on her walks

With the leftover ube latte, I made a strawberry ube second serving of it the next day. The espresso was so strong it still overpowered the new additions I put in hehe

At Tokyo Central last time, I saw this cute seasonal variant of &honey’s pixie hair oil… which was SO cute I almost checked it out right away. Like, look at that cat top!

However, I decided to wait on the thought of it for a bit, and decided to order it from Yamibuy where it’s a little cheaper. I like this oil a lot more than the melty moist version - I think pixie is meant for fine/lightweight hair like mine, so it’s really nice

I think I can continue to use melty moist for when I blow dry my hair, and pixie for finishing

I Found Puppets Living In My Apartment Walls

Ben Farthing

Goodreads

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐★

Genre: Horror

TW: Puppets (lol), gore, vore?

Summary Johnny chases the possibility of his beloved late Grandpa's puppeteering body being alive again, but he ends up heading deeper, and deeper, and deeper. How did this apartment get so big?

Opening Line The first night I slept in my missing grandpa's apartment, a puppet came out of the wall and stood over my bed.

I haven’t reviewed them yet, but I’ve also read this author’s previous books: I Found a Circus Tent in the Woods Behind My House and I Found a Lost Hallway in a Dying Mall. Apparently, these are books kind of in a similar style but are standalone and don’t need to be read in any order! This one is probably my favourite of the ones I’ve read!

A bit House of Leaves-like at a point, this story is fairly strange and needs a bit of suspension to enjoy fully, but what fun tale doesn’t? In general, the story of this kind of reminded me of the many indie horror game playthroughs I like to watch in that its gore horror can be pretty upfront and then there are… unexpected moments.

A quick read so I blasted through it, but really, most of that was because I just wanted to keep knowing more and couldn’t put it down! I had a few laughing moments too as the writer has a clever way of putting together some phrases that make it entertaining to read

The author typically includes an afterword at the end which includes his reason for writing that story, which I really enjoy! I’ll try to review the other books some time as well, but I really like this series something horror-lite, like a ‘beach read’

Nowhere

Allison Gunn

Goodreads

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐★

Genre: Horror

TW: Child loss, freaky children

Summary Tragedy-struck couple Finn and Rachel try working through their dissolving marriage and grief, surrounded by guilt over the loss of their son in an accident. However, as disturbing crimes and disappearances of children in their town start to pile up mysteriously similar to local folklore, they find they need to see how to repair what they can to survive.

Opening Line 'Uh, guess again, Charlie.' Rachel glanced at her two girls, the keys in the ignition swung two and fro. Her dark aviator sunglasses hid her disapproval. Nevertheless, she was sure Charlie knew exactly how Rachel felt about her going out to Roanoke with Gemma Thopmson while Alex, her brother, served as the sole chaperone for the outing.

To start this review, I’ll mention that I don’t typically like these themes: violence targetting children (even if by horror) and toxic marriages. I just don’t really like those tropes that much, but I thought I’d try reading this as it’s popular with a “small town horror” theme.

The premise of this book feeling rather “folklore-y” in a small town is always a fun read! I was surprised to see that this is the author’s debut novel as I thought overall it was a pretty sooth read - I couldn’t stop reading it, even though I kind of dreaded it.

To be honest, I really disliked all characters in this book and especially one of the protagonists particularly - and I’m not sure if we’re supposed to dislike this character. They made a lot of decisions that felt more annoying to read rather than a realistic portrayal. I rather like flawed character depictions, but this was more like… I couldn’t care about their issues because they were so unlikeable (LOL).

Overall, I think the story was fun if not quite bleak/disturbing and I kept wanting to know more, but the execution ended up a bit messy. I would read another book by this author, but this specific story was just okay to me!