Black as Midnight, Black as Pitch, Blacker than the Foulest Witch

For the past month Venus, my planet, has been in retrograde which as far as I know supposed to make life a little more complicated. I could concur that assertion but I'm I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. Since last fall, around this time actually, Saturn has been in my chart. For the first time since I was a baby. I noticed a huge astrological impact from Saturn before I even read up on it. Despite Venus representing art and beauty I've found more inspiration during this Saturn period than ever before. All of my classic paintings came from Saturn and all of my complicated jewelry.

I've felt so strange since last month. I assumed it was the move but now I'm thinking that in reality, Saturn is a big part of the reason I made the decision and was able to press forth through the painstaking process. With Venus being out I've felt almost completely ruled by Saturn which I've decided I absolutely love. Some Librans have issues with Saturn but I feel energized by it's strange cosmic energy. My interpretation of certain things are different and I find myself inspired by things I'd never given any thought. This past month having so much Saturn while living in a completely new place has been an adventure. I feel different in Southern California. I realized today that I feel much more at home being near mountains than I ever did being near the beach. Every day on my way to work I drive through a hilly area with an abundance of oriental plants and old buildings, in the distance I have a photographic view of a gorgeous mountain scape. I'm sure it's taken for granted by the locals, the way I grew tired of hearing tourists rave about white sand and sunsets.

As I mentioned, my taste has changed, but not really "changed" it's just become more defined. Lately I've felt very romantic, not just with my husband but also with myself. An abundance of positivity and imagination. I feel my inner craftress coming out. I feel inspired by colors, aromas and simplicity in a completely new way. I've made several jewelry racks recently out of scraps I've found in the back yard. Upon completion I've decided that I despise jewelry boxes. Some are nice decorative items but really, who even came up with the idea of storing your fineries in a dusty old box like they were meant to be hidden. Not only do I feel more inclined to wear them when they're in plain sight but it also seems to brighten the room up quite a bit having reflective metals and crystal prisms catching the light (which is very little since our window is blocked by a big tree).

My latest obsession is Mystic Topaz. Can you think of anything more amazing? A true rainbow crystal. A unicorn's talisman. I never really knew what they were called but every I'd seen one in the past I gasped at it's stunning beauty. I seem to recall the ones I'd seen in the past being somewhat pricey and only now have I been able to put the name to the stone. It is MY stone. My birthstone is opal, which I love, but it's so it's own thing. It's pearlescent and it's also extremely soft. My first engagement ring was an opal by my request and in less than 6 months, wearing it day in/day out, I cracked it opening a box of wine. Can you think of anything more tragic and tacky? It was quickly replaced by a diamond heirloom...but still.  White diamonds may be relatively indestructible but there's no magic there. How could they be? Liz Taylor named her stank ass old lady perfume after them. ANYWAY... the mystic topaz is like the opal of the crystal world. I realized that I don't have many nice rings. Mostly costume jewelry and a few nice gifts from my mom. But I don't recall ever buying a nice ring for myself. So I just got over it and bought myself this...

..oh mah gawsh..

Is it not superb? It's a little big. About half a size up from my ring finger but coming in right under two inches it's probably meant for my middle finger. This ring will complete my journey of becoming Queen of the Unicorn Wizards.

But back to stinky perfume. I can't standz nastay cheap stuff. As I've mentioned before, I'm a connoisseur of fine colognes. I usually gravitate towards light florals with subtle hints of vanilla and citrus. Lately, with this change of cosmic energy I've been wanting something different so I decided to finally order some things from For Strange Women on Etsy. Since her fine oils and solid perfumes are somewhat pricey (although I'm sure totally worth it) I decided to start with some samples to get a feel for what I can and can't live without. So I ordered the following...

Mix and Match three samples. I chose:

*Winter Kitty
*Moss and Ivy
*Astral Projection

I greatly anticipate trying these lovely handmade oils. Better yet, I ordered a sample of a solid perfume that sounded so lovely from the description, how could I resist?? Antique Settee...

"This blend reveals the past with hints of roses, violets, and everlastings lingering on velvet upholstery from perfumed guests that have come and gone. Freshly polished wood trim is woven throughout, finished with a deep base of Earl Grey tea (spilled on the cushions over the years). The essence of black tea leaves soaked in bergamot improves with age while lending a comforting character. This aromatic interpretation offers you the opportunity to embody this classic heirloom’s history."

Oh.My....must have. I got a "pine cone" lip balm as well. Which leads to to my current favorite lip wear.

Lately I've been wearing this black YSL lip gloss. It is BLACK. But don't fret, I don't wear it like that. Just a little bit goes a long way. Blended evenly it casts a smokey shadow on my lips that I love. With a layer of translucent purple Anna Sui lipstick is absolutely gorgeous. Just thought I'd mention it...

I'm not sure what the story is here but I can't help but be a little worried by it.

I was just informed that Rasputina put out a new album a few months ago. Where the heck have I been? This discovery couldn't have come at a better time.

Until next time my Unicorn Minions...

Candy Time

One of the best things about living in a culturally diverse area is the variety of things I shouldn't be eating. Every time I walk into a grocery store I'm tempted by something I've never seen before. I especially love Japanese chocolate, but really anything is better than American chocolate. So then I started thinking about all of these different things I've tried and how much I love talking about stuff. It makes to combine the two and start doing candy reviews. Not just candy but beverages, snacks and anything else that might stand out at these awesome Oriental grocery stores. So for today I'm going to start with the three most recent entries to my confectious conquisition.



Meiji Apollo Chocolate Lolipos

You've probably seen these or something like them. Usually they're small, like the size of a chocolate chip, and come in a box. They're rich and creamy but are also pretty mild. The bottom half is milk chocolate and the top half is a soft strawberry. This is the Lolipop version (or "Lolipo" according to other sites I've found it on). It's the same concept only larger and on a plastic stick. Maybe I should have started with the original. Apollo chocolates have been a long time favorite of mine. But I just tried this one so I figured it was a good place to start. Over all, I like them slightly less than the small version. It seemed a little chalkier than the original which is perfectly smooth. Although I did look at the back and realize that the expiration date is this month so it's probably been sitting on the shelf for the better part of the year. They still run circles around any American chocolate treat. Verdict? Cute concept, but I think I'll stick to the original. I think you get more chocolate for around the same price anyway.

I bought them at the Tozai Japanese Market,  Monterey Park, CA.

Price: $1.69

Rating: 6/10



Meiji Chelsea Yogurt Scotch

Yogurt flavored things seem to be really popular in Japan. I saw these sitting next to the same brand's regular butterscotch candies so I assumed it was some butterscotch/yogurt hybrid. I also assumed they were soft chews, which was totally wrong. They're hard candies. I'm usually not crazy about hard candies. I tend to get bored with them and end up spitting them out. These were different though. It did have a slightly creamy/tangy taste like yogurt does. The texture was like a butterscotch candy, but nothing else was similar. It was really smooth and disolved pretty fast, which is good for me.I probably wouldn't buy them again but I by no means regret getting them. They'll be a nice treat while I'm at work when I need a little pick me up. Maybe next time I'll try the regular butterscotch flavor. I love the packaging too. So pretty!

Tozai Japanese Market, Monterey Park, CA

$1.69

7/10


Calpico (original flavor)

Something about this milky white drink looked so refreshing to me. According to the website it's non-carbonated soft drink made from milk and lactobacilli. Apparently lactobacilli is a natural acid found in yogurt. It's hard to describe the taste. Definitely tangy but also smooth. It's also very much yogurt flavored, but not at all thick. It's watery like any juice beverages would be. The tartness has a bite, almost like citrus but the aftertaste is really smooth and creamy. It's very pleasant and enjoyable, but the tangy sweetness is a bit much for me. Like a kids drink. I also don't know how I feel about the flavor being so unidentifiable. It's kind of it's own thing. Next time I think I'll try the strawberry or mango.

bought at Tokyo Japanese Lifestyle in Monterey Park, CA


$2.25

6/10

Invoking the Spirit

A while back I mentioned the possibility of reviewing movies I feel aren't Atomic Caravan worthy on this blog. It's hard to explain what exactly a movie like that entails since I obviously have no problem reviewing complete garbage but today I think I'm going to explore one such film. The epic, the life changing, The Craft.

Ok, so it's 1996, I'm 10 years old. It's been a good decade for teen movies which isn't helping to prevent my wanting to grow up too fast. I remember wanting to see this in the theater SO bad! My mom, being the concerned parent of a pre-teen wouldn't let me. Hummph. Thankfully, around the time of it's video release, I was now 11 and she herself had become curious about it so she decided to let me see it. How can I describe how this movie effected that small, under developed version of me? In a way it validated Mom's reason for originally not wanting me to see it. I had no interest in Robin Tunney's boring good witchery. I was all about some Fairuza. I wanted to BE her! I had just begun wearing make-up and made sure I applied far too much black eyeliner any chance I could get away with it. The clothes in that movie really effected my taste, even still today. White button up shirts with long tapered collars, black vests or suspenders and of course the signature plaid skirt with knee to thigh-high stockings. I remember thinking Nancy's cross earrings were so cool. I still have the onyx and marcasite cross necklace I bought a few years later which I viewed as the "perfect Craft inspired cross necklace".

Years passed, I had my fair share of slumber parties featuring "light as a feather, stiff as a board", at least three gothic phases between middle school and early college and still to this day endless quoting and fond memories of watching it with friends. It's not even a movie I'd say I'm proud to be a fan of, it's beyond that. Like many girls (and some very special boyz) my age, it's just apart of us! Anyway, this isn't exactly a review. I just had my annual viewing so I thought I'd emblazon my undying love for this movie on my public blog. I watched it with some first-timers, both were somewhat freaked out by it. Or taken aback at least, which completely confused me. COMPLETELY. Maybe I'm desensitized but the Craft, to me, is a semi-juvenile fashion oriented fun fest. Forget that whole suicide and murder sub-plot. There's ... um ... magic and cool clothes. Whaddya' want??? Besides, I can't take any movie seriously with Jewel on the soundtrack. C'mon!

"HE'S-SAWRY-HE'S-SAWRY-HE'S-SAWRY-SAWRY-MY-ASSSSSS!!!"

Feliz Dia De Los Muertos

I celebrated my first day of the dead this year. I can easily say it's one of my favorite holidays of all time. It's so festive and colorful. I always hated that Halloween decor tends to be limited to black, purple and orange. Colors I like, but not necessarily together. We went to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery for the celebration and had a blast. Not going to go too picture crazy but here are a few high lights...

This might be the most hideous painting on the planet.

My three favorite things right now...

Aloe Vera juice is the SHITTTTT!! It's incredibly healthy and very lightly sweet. It tastes like a mild grape. I especially love the pulp. This is my beverage of choice now.

This is not a beverage. This is my current moisturizer. It's very mild and refreshing. I love the way it smells and how bright my face looks after wearing it for a few hours. Kose's regular Sekkisei moisturizer is a little too high in alcohol for my taste. I attribute this to my present state of well being.

Liquid royal jelly has been apart of my regular consumption lately. It gives you energy and is supposed to help the blood flow to your brain. It also tastes pretty good. I love the little glass bottle and little straw.


YAY!

Now I'm going to go make a snack dinner!

I LUV SGV

It's been way too long! As I mentioned before I had a HUGE move to deal with. I now live in Los Angeles County, more specifically Monterey Park. We'd been planning a move back for a long time and it's still kind of surreal seeing it all flesh out. I don't really want to get into the whole job/apartment thing right now. It's been tedious but steady going. Things are coming along but really slowly for some reason. I really like the San Gabriel Valley. Since the last time we were here I didn't have my car, I couldn't do the exploring I wanted to. I've really enjoyed my time driving around looking at all the little Chinese shops. You know what an Asiaholic I am. I like Alhambra a lot as well. There are so many nooks and crannies you kind of have to know what you're looking for. My big obsession right now is Japanese cosmetics and skin care products. I read that they're both a decade ahead of Western products. After trying some things I've bought recently I'm pretty much convinced. My favorite store so far is Takashimaya...

It's really crowded and colorful. If you don't know anything about Japanese make-up it would be impossible to know what to get. I don't know much but I have been wanting to try Majolica Majorca (owned by Shiseido), Lavshuca and Kate (both owned by Kanebo), rather than blind buying some over priced import, it made sense to track down this shop that's in my own freaking neighborhood and take a look. I was so overwhelmed that I just ended up only getting an issue of Voce.

One of Japan's leading beauty magazines. Sure, I can't read it but the pictures are large and clear. They also do a variety of tests on products using numbers to identify them so it's still very enjoyable and informative. On top of that it came with a free sample of RMK firming cream and a terry cloth head band for facials. Still feeling a little overwhelmed by this amazing store and getting vibes from my bored husband I decided to move on tothe next store. Across the street was a smaller more conservative make-up store that carries the make-up I've really REALLY been wanting. Paul & Joe.

Did I drop $25 on this without hesitation? Hell yes I did! And I'm still not sure if I'll ever be able to bring myself to use it.















I also got this lovely nail polish since it was on sale for $9...

I've been wanting a nice corally orange for a while. This one's really soft and lady like.

While I was there, the girl who helped me showed me a product that is CHANGING MY FREAKING LIFE! Possibly the most incredible skin product of all time...

It makes your dead skin fall off! It just falls right off! As you rub it into your skin you start to feel clumps of what resembles rubber eraser shavings. Afterward you're skin feels SUPER soft and there is a noticable difference. When I drove over here from Florida I got somewhat of an unsightly farmer's tan from the window. I could litterally see my tan fading as I used it. it's meant for the face but I'll rarely use it for that. Every once in a while when I give myself an intense facial. What I love about this product is what it's doing for my arms. I'm one of those people who has bumps on my arms. You've seen them I'm sure, a lot of people have them, most people grow out of them...some dont. I've tried everything to make them go away. Scrubbing with exfoliant really dilligently in every shower, I've tried salicylic acid. My mom used to think it was some sort of acne (it's not) so we tried body products for acne, they obviously didnt work. I'd all but given up. I tried this and I could immediately notice a big difference. After just 3 days of using it you can barely see them. At this rate they'll be completely gone in the next couple of weeks. And there aren't any dagnerous ingredients in it either. Lots of "root extracts"...it's a miracle product! I'm in love!

Ok...so what else? We went to Knott's Scary Farm for my birthday. The whole park was like a giant haunted house. It was a lot of fun! I can't think of a better way to have spent my 25th birthday. We haven't been watching as many movies lately. Our set-up is kind of sucky right now, I wrote about all of that on Atomic Caravan. I'm only about 10 minutes from Little Tokyo so I've spent a few afternoons there. There's a great grocery store I've been frequenting as well as a place called the Japanese Cosmetics Company where I've been buying my Kose products. Their white powder wash has helped restore my natural bright fairness and their Junkisui moisturizer is perfect for my sensitive-ass skin.

Ok, that's all for now. I have a second job interview today. That's all I'm sayin' because I'm a firm believer in jinxing things. I need to go have my royal jelly and start getting ready!

Until next time! <3

I wanna have a tea party!

It's true.

I used to pretend to be sick in middle school so my Grandma would come and pick me up. Whenever this happened she took me to have a High Tea at Willows, the local tea shoppe. Can you think of a better way of encouraging class skipping?

I've been addicted to vintage make-up adds lately...

GAH! I would use all of these! Cosmetic packaging has really taken a nose dive since the 70's.

I've been wanting to post this pink peacock for weeks but I haven't been able to think of a good reason. I'm just gonna go for it...

annnnnnd......Ann-Margret.

Introducing: Unicorn Wizard's Mixtape Club!!!

I've been wanting to do something like this for a long time. When I started my other blog (Atomic Caravan) a little over a year ago I had originally intended for it to be an all-purpose blog. I was still mourning the downfall of Myspace where I had been blogging since high school. I also had a separate Myspace (Endless Fall) for movie reviews. Slowly after starting Atomic Caravan it turned more and more into a replacement for Endless Fall. Before I made the conscious decision to let the movies take over, I posted several music downloads. One being Mulatu Asatke's "Mulatu of Ethiopia" , hip African jazz with a Latin flair. Another being the rare Frank Zappa album "Trick or Treat" as a Halloween special. My favorite though, was an incredible mix I made called Frankenstein Radio Controls Volume 1. I was so very proud of this mix I made for house cleaning that I combined drawings and clippings to make an awesome cover and posted it on the blog for download. I even made a bonus disc to double the fun! I enjoyed posting my mix so much more than posting regular albums. I understand people want whole albums of artists they like, but that kind of sharing isn't for me. Where's the fun in that? Besides, I think it's less illegal to share compiled music.

As time passed I wanted an everything else blog, so I started this one. There you have it! Now I can start making mixes again.

My mixes are world famous... Ok, that's not true at all. But my friends and family have always enjoyed receiving them to the point where's expected. It makes sense to start posting mixes regularly since I'm moving very soon and probably won't be handing out tangible copies to my loved ones as frequently. This way EVERYONE can get them and I can conserve my blank stash.

What to know:

Technically they aren't mixtapes at all. they're actually tailored to be mixed cds (duh) since they're around 80 minutes and I'm assuming most of you don't have a cassette adapter for your computer (we do, but it's a pain in the ass). Since I'm not handing it out in any particular format, Mixtape works, Mixtape Club it shall be. Although I guess it's also not really a "club" since it's available to everyone, but whatevs. Don't get all semantic-y on me.

I have no idea how frequently or infrequently I'm going to do this. Basically, I know nothing, so there's really not much for you to know either.

Like any person who posts something they made, I'd like to know if it was (or will be) enjoyed. Friendly comments are encouraging but I don't expect them. I've done my fair share of blogspot downloading and I know that it's not always convenient to say anything. Just throwin' it out there ;-D



To start with I'm going to post the wedding mix we made for our guests. Don't wince just yet. We're not a conventional couple and we didn't play conventional music at the wedding. Have I mentioned that my husband is a bonified music historian? I thought I had a lot of records when we met having but a measly 400 or so. Pah! He trumped my collection with a towering 20,000 records, most of those being 78's. There's music constantly playing in our house from the dawn of recorded sound to present day. You can see why we make so many mixes! Although I will admit that  the wedding comp was more challenging since there was such a large variety of personal taste to take into consideration. Everyone from my Grandparents to my weirdo friends. We did try and play it somewhat safe. We started out with some lesser known b-sides by famous classic artists we like and slowly made it a little more quirky to appease our taste. All the while sticking to "essentials" for us over the years. Shared favorites such as Chuck Miller's "Lookout Mountain", La Lupe's "Fever" (which is, in both our our opinions, the best and wildest version of that song. she sounds like a demented chipmunk) and of course Spike Jones' "Cocktails for Two" which was one of the first mutual musical loves we discovered upon meeting, and appropriately ends the disc.

Also personal favorites, Arthur has a particular obsession with Italian bad ass Adriano Celantano and his Elvis-style way of singing. Mose Allison's "Seventh Son" and LOVE's "!Que Vida!" are also among his favorites. A few of mine include Nina Simone's rendition of "Work Song", Kayoko Moriyama's "Melon No Kimochi" but more than any other George Baker Selection's "Little Green Bag" which has long been one of my all time favorite songs (way before I saw Reservoir Dogs). We weren't sure if it was appropriate to put songs about chain gangs, lost bags of marijuana, religious prophets, and being haunted by the ghost of your dead husband on your wedding mix, but sticking exclusively to a "love" theme was just lame and boring.

So without further adieu...

The Marriage of Like Minded Unicorns

1. Chuck Berry - You Never Can Tell
2. Bobby Darin - Lovin' You
3. Elvis Presley -Surrender
4. Adriano Celantano - Svalulation
5. John Barry - Beat Girl
6. George Baker Selection - Little Green Bag
7. Nina Simone - Work Song
8. Serge Gainsbourg - Chatterton
9. R. Crumb and His Keep On Truckin' Orchestra - Wisconsin Wiggles
10. Chuck Miller - Lookout Mountain
11. Sam Cooke - Good News
12. the Kinks - Everybody's Gonna Be Happy
13. Mose Allison - Seventh Son
14. LOVE - !Que Vida!
15. Gary McFarland - Fried Bananas
16. Nat King Cole - El Bodeguero
17. Kayoko Moriyama - Melon No Kimochi
18. the Troggs - With a Girl Like You
19. Os Mutantes - Hey Boy
20. France Gall - Jazz A GoGo
21. the Shirelles - Love is a Swingin' Thing
22. La Lupe - Fever
23. Rita Pavone - Viva La Pappa Col Pomodoro
24. the Newbeats - Bread and Butter
25. Huey "Piano" Smith and the Clowns - Don't You Just Know It
26. the Coasters - Down Home Girl
27. Dengue Fever - Clipped Wings
28. Chicha Libre - Indian Summer
29. Spike Jones - Cocktail for Two


As I was panicking less than two hours before the reception to organize our playlist, my cousin wisely told me not to worry. He said that you won't even remember what you played afterwards since everything will be so hectic. He was right! Everyone was talking and having fun, no one really noticed the music. Or if they did, I haven't heard anything about it. This is after weeks of meticulously going through 600 gigabytes of music to put together three separate playlists. An upbeat but mellow pre-dinner playlist, one specifically for dinner which would be mostly pleasant samba and jazz, then the last playlist which would be fun dance-y music for those of us who'd be drinking the night away. As it were, the playlists got scrambled leaving me a semi-nervous wreck. But it was all good music and no had any idea, so OH WELL! There were so many great songs we wanted to put on the wedding mix, but couldn't fit. 80 minutes is not enough! We easily had enough for another mix. So after the wedding when everything calmed down I went through the playlist and picked some of our other favorites to compile a ....

BONUS DISC!

1. Lawrence Welk - Bubbles in Wine
2. Frank Zappa - Why Don'tcha Do Me Right
3. Baby Huey - Messin' with the Kid
4. Mickey & Sylvia - No Good Lover
5. the John Buzon Trio - Caravan
6. Perry Como - Magic Moments
7. the Cowsills - the Rain, the Park and Other Things
8. Pizzicato Five - Nata Di Marzo
9. Wanda De Sah - So Danco Samba (Jazz 'N' Samba)
10. Van Dyke Parks - Riverboat
11. Thurston Harris - Little Bitty Pretty One
12. the Four Seasons - C'mon Marriane
13. Boney M. - Ma Baker
14. Ray Sharpe - Hey, Little Girl
15. the SG Sound - Jump the Shark
16. the Four Seasons - C'mon Marianne
17. Roger and the Gypsies - Pass the Hatches
18. Ronnie Foster - Mystic Brew
19. Ann-Margret - Someday Soon
20. Jacques Dutronc - Le Responsable
21. Oh! Penelope - Lait Au Miel
22. the Vogues - Five O'Clock World
23. Mel Torme - the Games People Play
24. Link Wray - the Swag
25. Tom Waits - Jockey Full of Burbon
26. Dick Dale - Misirlou
27. Julius La Rosa - Eh Cumpari
28. the Coasters - Brazil
29. Um...*bonus track*

There you have it folks, the first (and second I guess) entry to the Unicorn Wizard Mixtape Club. Although I love classic old stand by's, there will probably be less "safe" songs on my regular mixes.

Until next time!...

Trousseau

Today was one of the final shopping hoorahs for me and my Mom before the move. She had bought me pair of leather boots from J Crew to go with this gold and black Anthropologie cocktail dress I was going to wear to the wedding party. The dress ended up being WAY too big, twice we ordered it and both times I felt like I was wearing a burlap bag. The boots ended up being too small. It was just a big last minute disaster and the aftermath is having all of this nice stuff to return. Not that I mind having a $200 shopping spree at J Crew! I ended up with two outfits my favorite being a bright plum corduroy pencil skirt with a chartreuse cardigan. All I need is an ascot and my Cesar Romero Joker look will be complete.

ps... I also got a purple velvet jacket that would be way too matchy to wear with this outfit, but I could if I wanted. I feel a Halloween costume idea coming on.

Other than what mi Madre graciously bestowed upon me I wasn't having much luck finding anything I wanted to buy myself. We wined and dined (lunched, rather), and when I thought all hope was lost she reminded me that Belk has a MAC counter. Oh shiz. I forgot. And so the make-up buying frenzy continues...

I'm such a huge fan of MAC.  I always have been. It's built to last and just LOOK at those colors! I always wanted to buy more MAC but I couldn't afford it in high school (when bright colors are the most exciting), not to mention it's a pain in the ass getting anything out of the ordinary around here in the way of make-up. I always wanted to try their pigments. I ended up picking "neo-orange" on the top right which doesn't look nearly as vibrant in the picture. When I put it on it shocked my Mom. First she advised against buying such a garish color, but after I toned it down with some basic pink and white she agreed it was very "fun and youthful". I haven't had much of a chance to play around with it but I can tell that it could be really versatile and will last FOREVER. Can't wait to try those other colors later on! I also ended up with their pro longwear lip creme in "good to go" which is an orange-y coral. So NOT a color I would normally get. I'm trying to mix up my make-up routine. For years it was either smokey black/grey or thick liquid eyeliner with red or burgundy lipstick. I thought of those as "classic" and I can't knock the basics, but I'm soooo over that. Get it off ma' face! I also got MAC's superslick liquid eyeliner in "pure show" which is a bronzey- gold. And finally since I normally would wear intensely bright nail polish I went in the other direction with that too getting their nail lacquer "earthly harmony" which is an irridescent taupe. When I saw it next to the bright green and orange I would normally gravitate to it made me picture a sepia toned photograph of a mermaid. Naturally such imagery would lead one to the conclusion that it must be purchased at once!

I think I may have been partially inclined to invest in such out of the ordinary colors for me because I've been listening to Nina Hagen a lot lately.

I've always liked her but only in the past year have I grown a true appreciation for her music and style. Hearing her speak in interviews is great! She's hilarious! Adorable, quirky and almost alien in her demeanor. She's like a cartoon character. In Ekstasy is my favorite album of hers and the cover makes me miss having pink hair. Oh to be a teenager again! Although Nina Hagen is living proof that some people can pull off outrageous hair colors well into their 30's.

Things I Like About Today...

I'm making Indian food for dinner. It's going to be a feast of sorts with saag paneer, mataar paneer and jal frezzie with chicken, potato, carrots and whatever other vegetable I can come up with. I'm not supposed to be eating dairy, but I still have some lactaid leftover from the wedding and paneer is basically my favorite food in the world. I've been fiending for some curry since we stopped our DJing gig at the Indian restaraunt.

Along with getting the necessary ingredients from World Market and the Indo-Pak Market I did some light shopping which was fun and I didn't go too overboard. I finally found a rice paper sketch book. I've been looking for one since 2006 when I filled my last one. Rice paper is great for markers. With some cheap crayola washable markers you can make a drawing look like a water color painting. Especially if you add a few drops of water when you're finished. This one is extra awesome, it's quilted with Indian fabric on the cover. I also got some Chowards Violet mints. I always loved these. They taste so strange and lovely. I like the taste of sweet flowers.

I plan on watching The Taste of Tea tonight. I've been really excited about this one!

When I was driving today I put in and old mix and two songs by the Vanishing were on it. I haven't thought about them in a few years. They were really great. Not sure if they're still together but I know Jessie Evans does solo stuff now. I saw them with Glass Candy the summer I graduated high school. There were less than 10 people there. It was sad in a way that so many lamies didn't show but also awesome because it's like the performance was for us. I think I might have to bust out my Vanishing record on translucent purple vinyl! I always loved that record.

I found this mascara at the Vietnamese dollar store today that is in the exact same bottle as Anna Sui's "Full Mascara". Pretty black curvy tube with a rose on top. I've had it before too, there's no doubt in my mind that it's the same bottle. The brand is "Role Rose", they must be a knock off. It's even in the same purple lettering. For a buck I decided to to give it a go. Either way, the tube is totally pretty and reminds be of the 30's.

I wonder if this stuff works...

I'm really fair and lately I'm all about preserving my skin. They still make this stuff. I'm gonna have to track it down in Little India.

For the record I REEEEALLY like Dumpling/Darling Dynasty.

Who is your favorite Gremlin?

I rewatched Gremlins 2 for like the umptillionth time last night. It's a timeless classic. It's far superior to the first which is nowhere near as colorful and fun. Not only do we have a cascade of cameos but also so many strange varieties of Gremlins. There's the Gargoyle, the Electric Gremlin, the smart Tony Randall Gremlin,  "Daffy" the goofy cross eyed Gremlin, There's the one with lips like Edward G. Robinson, there's Mohawk of course which I think is the one who turns into a spider, "Lenny" who has buck teeth and long rabbit ears,  and the Phantom of the Opera one. SO many! I always thought they were so cute, even even as their slimy scaly selves. I'm a sucker for small creatures with big eyes and ears. Who isn't?? But I think it's safe to say that the coolest Gremlin is the fairest of them all...

Greta ♥

For a species that is asexual "Greta" (whose name I had to google since they never say it in the movie) sure knows how to work that hot reptilian babeness. I always thought she was so gorgeous! I wish I had green hair like that! She's glamorous, sexy and completely weird. Does she count as a magical girl? She's not exactly a "girl" but she's female and most definitely magical! I always wished there were more scenes with her. Naturally, she is my favorite Gremlin.

Another I was always fond of is Vegetable.

One brief cameo of him bursting out of the salad bar isn't enough! His lumpy enliven plant face always creeped me out easily making him the winner of Weirdest Gremlin award (which only exists in my mind). Strange carrot beard and cabbage pecs still make me shiver a bit when I see him.

I'll always have a soft spot for the classic Mohawk too. Mostly because he reminds me so much of my cat Egbert...

I used to compare Egbert to Gizmo but it was clear right away that something was amiss. He's a very mischievous boy. He eats garbage, makes messes, poops on the floor when his box is perfectly clean, has a gruff scratchy voice (dead ringer for Mohawk's raspy way of saying "gizzzzzmoooooo") and in all of his ridiculously adorable fluffiness he has the gaze of a trouble maker. Shifty eyes, much like the grimacing bastion known as Mohawk. He acts so radically different than our prince Charming tabby cat Giuseppe that there is no doubt in my mind Egbert is part Mogwai. Look at that! He's chewing on my Unicorn!

Obviously Gizmo is the fan favorite, and Christ, he's most definitely cute, but sort of boring in a way. I always wondered what he'd be like if he made the transformation from Mogwai to Gremlin. I think Joe Dante should make another sequel with Greta being the first to actually give BIRTH to a part Gremlin part human (since she marries Forster). Maybe it grows up like normal (although I can't imagine a human baby coming out of Greta) and starting to go through changes when he hits a certain age. Or whatever, I'm not a screenwriter but I think Gremlins 2 totally left room for another sequel. Then they could explore the idea of Gizmo turning into a real Gremlin! It would be SO cool!!

If only...

So the question remains, who is YOUR favorite Gremlin?