Please note that this article was previously published at Schema Magazine...
Fashion today is a reflection of our global mindset. Take a walk down any urban street, and you can find influences varying from British punk, to Indian sequins, to even African tribal prints. Fashion has always been the way that people express their moods, emotions, and outlook to the world. Like any artist, fashion designers take inspiration from their personal lives. For jewellery designer Melissa Clemente, it is the influence of her Philippine roots that absorbs her creative focus.
Since the first time we featured Melissa, her design line, Melissa Clemente Designs, has grown in fame and creativity. Though past collections have wandered across the seas to India and Africa, with her latest collection Melissa returns to the Phillipines as a muse. Epoch, the latest line, is inspired by the contrast of indigenous pagan costumes and the Muslim aesthetic of the people of the north Phillipines—all with a modernized twist.
The pieces of Melissa' first full-length collection are exquisitely constructed and feature lush, gorgeous details in a variety of natural materials. Feathers contrast with heavy gold chains, and swirling bronze coils dangle heavily from the ears. Melissa describes Epoch as:
... homage and a rebirth. It is a step forward while looking to the past. It is a celebration of life, tradition, and a future waiting to be discovered.
Be sure to discover Epoch for yourself this season.
Floral dress: Topshop Pleated navy skirt: H&M Black booties: Spring
During a brief respite from the wet fall weather, I decided to bare my legs in the name of fashion. It's been interesting to take outfit shots and post them here as it's allowed me to watch the evolution of my style. These days, my main source for fashion inspiration is the streets and blogs. Blogs are amazing as it has really opened my eyes to fashion possibilities and just how stylish people around the world are. One such thing I've learned from blogs is how to rethink closet concepts. This outfit, for instance, is a perfect example of how I'm utilizing knowledge I've gained from blogs. This floral "top" is actually a dress, and I've layered a pleated schoolgirl skirt from H&M over top it. My legs were actually quite comfortable with this double layering, and it gave this Topshop dress a fresh, new look. Add some booties to toughen up the look a tad, and I was good to go! What style tips have you learned from blogs?
What with all the rain we've been having in Vancouver, a stylish umbrella is a tempting buy. I do enjoy the fact that this umbrella has a button release to open and close it. There was something more satisfying in user experience with an automatic umbrella, than a traditional manual one. This cheerful floral umbrella is fun, yet not overly punchy with its more grownup color scheme of white, black and brown. Any way to perk up a grey rainy day is a plus in my books!
Somewhere along the way 2009 zipped by me and now it's almost December!! 2009 was a big year of change for me. I wouldn't say that all the changes were good, but neither would I say bad since every bad experience is a learning experience right? Anyways, I'm a huge fan of the holiday season. My memories of Christmas always include my parents bickering over lugging the endless train of decoration boxes from our basement up after Remembrance Day (Nov. 11) and our house slowly transforming into a Christmas saturated oasis, which would last until Chinese New Year (sometime in February).
Another one of my favourite parts of this season, besides pumpkin pie and fresh powder on the mountains, is the exchanging of gifts! Christmas is the best excuse to just shop as much as you want and nobody minds! As my gift to you, my readers, I am featuring a series of giveaways from now until Christmas in what can only be called my
Holiday Giveaway Bonanza
For part 1 of HGB, I am partnering up with the luxury anti-aging magicians at Perricone MD to give away a free jar of Cold Plasma! Cold Plasma is a top of the line anti-aging moisturizer containing powerful ingredients such as DHA, Dimethylaminoethanol, and innovative Advanced Neuropeptide Technology. Basically, it guarantees you freeness from wrinkles, enlarged pores, dryness, redness, discoloration, uneven skin tone, impurities, loss of firmness, loss of smoothness, and loss of radiance - not bad for a 30 mL jar eh? Normally, this saviour in a jar will set you back $150, but here on BHMnB, you can get it for FREE by entering!!
Here are the usual rules on how to win:
US resident only :(
Leave a comment on what your favourite part of the holidays are; please note that this doesn't have to be Christmas related, it could be any holiday, including NYE!
To gain extra entries, do the following and mention each that you did in your comment:
Tweet this giveaway with the title "I just entered @mizzjblog Holiday Giveaway Bonanza to win Cold Plasma by Perricone MD!" with a link to this post
Blog about this giveaway and leave me a link in the comments
This contest will run until 12 am PST December 5, 2009! Good luck everyone! You can also gain more chances to win Cold Plasma by checking out Perricone MD Blog, your source for everything to do with Perricone MD products!
Finally, remember to keep tuned to Being High Maintenance, not Bitchy for more giveaways!
Dear MizzJ, Hey MizzJ! I saw your blog and find your blog really nice and helpful for some make-up tips and facial care products. After watching your video on the day and night make-up look, I decided to ask for your help on better skin care. My skin isn't really nice and clean like yours, besides I'm an Asian and a sportswomen. I find it had to take really good care of my skin in the afternoon as I play sports and often sweat and stuffs like that. So i can't really find products that suits my natural skin which is unlike of a Caucasian. So I do hope that you would help me by introducing good skin or facial product, toner or anything else. I do have problems like a little of Acne, black eye circles, blackheads and dull skins. I find your skin really well taken care of and I can't really see your pores from the videos, while mine is rather obvious. Please do give me some advice on these problems.
Thank you very much!
Yours Faithfully, Felynda
I had emailed Felynda back to ask her more specifics on her skin type, age, and climate, but unfortunately I never heard back :( This email slowly got buried as emails tend to, but I stumbled upon this one randomly today while cleaning up some messages and figured I would answer anyway since there are others out there with the same problem I'm sure!
I'm ashamed to admit I'm hardly an athlete by any means, although I do work out at the gym and have done hot yoga, so I'm no stranger to sweating! When choosing skin care products for Asian skins, one key thing to beware of is overly fragrant products as we have a higher tendency towards sensitivity. Plus, who wants to stink of artificial scents? It seems for your issue that you need something to soak up all the toxins released by your sweating. Believe it or not, but sweating is good for your skin as it's your body's way of trashing all the gunk we accumulate in our pores from daily living. Also oil is your skin's natural moisturizer, so there's no need to blast away. The key to having good skin is consistency and balance. There are 4 key steps that I follow in my routine: cleanse, tone, moisturize, and replenish/exfoliate:
OK, so this isn't in the steps at all, but since you play sports so much, having handy wipes is key. When you hit the change room, grab one of these babies and swipe it over your face, scrubbing off all that sweat and dirt. You'll instantly feel refreshed with this wipe's cooling sensation and the tea tree oil will kill off blemish causing bacteria.
Step 1: Cleanse. It's important to cleanse your face twice a day. Water alone just won't cut it. If you wash your body with soap, why not your face? This gel-based cleanser promises to remove excess oil, but not dry out your skin. Lemon and tea tree oils zap bacteria, while Tamanu oil soothes and moisturizes.
Step 2: Tone. I've never used this product myself, but I have complete faith in Face Shop products as they've never steered me wrong. As well, this Korean line is obviously used to formulating for Asian skins! Toning after cleansing removes any cleanser residue that you didn't rinse off; it also tightens pores and refreshes skin. Some would say this step isn't necessary if your cleanser does its job, but I'm a believer in its effects as a preparatory step in-between cleansing and moisturizing. Also, instead of using those wipes, you could use a toner too! This toner here will work to eliminate and prevent your blackheads with mix of zinc, olive extract, and Xylitol. I would recommend getting your blackheads professionally removed, then using this product to maintain. Removing your blackheads yourself is a bad idea as you can easily irritate it into a full on zit, or cause permanent scars.
Step 3: Moisturize. I know what you're thinking - my face is oily enough! The reason your face may be so oily is because you're not giving it the moisture it needs so it's going into hyper drivetrying to protect itself! Or, it could just be your hormones, in which case you could consult a dermatologist. Either way, get some control by moisturizing with a formula made for your skin type. This oil-free formula comes highly rated and is fragrance free! Moisturizing is key to getting soft, radiant skin so please please do it!
Step 4: Exfoliate. Lastly, I like to exfoliate twice weekly. This step will scrub off your accumulated layer of dead skin cells, revealing the fresh, smooth ones underneath. Exfoliating will also scrub out the ingrained dirt in your pores. Choose a scrub that has a finer grain, as one with a coarser texture may scratch your skin and do more damage than good. Also, as tempted you may be to use a scrub daily, I think that could be overkill - there can be too much of a good thing!
Well, I hope that helps you Felynda and whomever also has this issue! If you have any beauty or style questions, I'd love to hear from you - just email me and you could be featured here! Also, thanks to Makeup Alley for providing product reviews when I researched this article.
I cannot believe I got this dress for $10. Hells yes. Found it in this random place in Toronto along Queen St. The store was below street level and seemed kinda sketchy since everything was $10. For all I know it could have been "borrowed" goods! Well, a deal is a deal I guess!
If you had asked me a year ago, I would have said that short-waisted people should not wear high-waisted bottoms, but now I'll eat my words thank you. I love high-waisted skirts and dresses like this and I'm happy to say it doesn't make me look stunted. The key may be in having a scoop neck on the upper half to elongate the neck and draw the eye. Beware of empire waists though; those can still be tricky!
This season I've really been into loose, over sized silhouettes; however, they can be difficult to wear on smaller frames without looking like you're wearing a sack. This gorgeous top though by Elizabeth & James is absolute perfection when it comes to achieving that key loose look. Of course, this line is by the uber stylish Olsen twins, so no wonder it would look great on petite people like me! To keep this top sexy, rather than slouchy, it clings just enough to hint at curves and features an asymmetrical neckline. One shouldered tops are super sexy, as I truly feel that when it comes to being sexy, a peek is better than a peep show! As well, I am salivating at how the sleeves look primed for scrunching and finally, the cherry on top is that this top is made of 100% silk, making it just that teeny bit more fantastic. Seriously, could this item be any hotter?
The Fashionable Housewife is having a HUGE Sensa Weight Loss Twitter Party with over $4,000 worth of prizes! Join us tonight (Nov 18th) from 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST.
When initially writing this post, I tried to come up with some witty metaphor about how various wardrobe items were like pieces of a house and how basics were your foundation, but somewhere along the way I got distracted and started counting how many pairs of shoes I could fit on my shoe rack (12). The gist of it all was that you need basics. You can never have too many nice basics since they are the items of your wardrobe that you can wear a million different ways and never look like you're repeating anything.
This is not to say that you need to spend a ton investing in key basic pieces. Feel free to if you find a pricey basic that fulfills the exact criteria you are looking for, but if you can find a cheaper alternative, well that is even better isn't it! That's where America's Basics come in. Started out of Brooklyn by former industry insider Lauren Mishaan, America's Basics seeks to have "fashion meet simplicity." Creator Mishaan left work in couture design houses to bring a line of comfortable, affordable, basics that women of all ages and body types could enjoy and love. Following that philosophy of inclusion, all the clothes on the website are modeled by women with a variety of ethnic backgrounds and body types. If America's Basics reminds you of another basics-centric retailer *cough..AA..cough* then I doubt you're the first to think so, but trust me, the prices at AB are much, much better!
The team at America's Basics were so enthusiastic about their line that they offered to send me proof of their product and sent me my own shirt! I decided to go with the basic of all basics, a crew-neck tee:
The shirt does fit very snug with its mix of cotton and Lycra, but it's super comfortable and I love the bright turquoise color. Shipping was also pretty prompt, with my item arriving within a couple weeks. For only $6.90 it just can't be beat!
Everyone needs a button-down shirt in their closet; they are casual, versatile, and with a flick of a button, surprisingly sexy! This button-down has a cute military vibe with its button-front pockets on the chest, and button flap sleeves.
White tank: RW&Co Purple knit cardigan: Gap Multi-strand pearl & metal leaf necklace: Forever 21 Denim leggings: Aldo (I need more pairs!!) Gold metallic flip flops: from Singapore
And that is how you do it ladies and gentlemen, albeit with slightly farther apart legs.
On a more frustrating note, I want to thank you all for voting on which pair of Famous Footwear shoes I should purchase! The overwhelming vote was for the r2 violets, however when I tried to purchase said shoes online, I could not as apparently they only ship to the US, despite the contest being international!! I don't blame the blog running this contest though, as I'm sure she was just misinformed by some mistaken PR person. No biggie though right, as I could just ship it to a PO box since I live fairly close to the US border and then just drive over and pick it up. Wrong! Stupid Famous Footwear site has a form page for shipping address and then another for billing address, EXCEPT that the billing address (which must match the one on your form of payment, ie. credit card) also can only be in the US. Fail Famous Footwear. You are certainly pissing me off. So now I have a free gift card, but no idea how to redeem it. FML!!
Lately, I've been obsessed with Korean food. Blame it on the film festival I went to a couple months ago, but since then I cannot seem to get enough of Korean cuisine. Just thinking about its many spicy and pickled flavours makes my mouth water.
A few weeks ago I found myself sitting in a car being driven in the pouring Vancouver rain seeking out a non-descript plaza of Korean restaurants somewhere between SFU and Coquitlam. Please don't ask me for directions as I am a person who regularly gets lost in a parking lot. In any case, it was well worth the drive and the food was as delicious as the hype!
The star feature of this restaurant is their unique dish, Bool Chul Pan. I believe it is a very traditional Korean dish and this place is the only place in Vancouver to serve it! Basically you take a cookie pan and put it on a portable stove, then throw in a mix of meats and veggies all marinated in the yummiest spicy sauce imaginable. If you like kimchi, you'll love Bool Chul Pan.
There were various varieties of this dish at the restaurant, but we ordered chicken. Unfortunately I had forgotten my camera, but these photos are all courtesy of Chowtimes from whom I learned of this place. The above photo shows the squid variation they ordered.
Once you have eaten your fill of the main dish and the usual accompanying side dishes, your server will ask you if you wish to finish with fried rice or noodles. Whatever option you choose is then mixed into the remaining food and sauce on the plate and stir-fried in front of you. I swear, this part is even more delish than the first as all the juices soak into the rice!
Finally, you may cleanse your palate with this bland congee-esque soup. I prefer the Chinese version of this rice porridge, as the Korean one has zero flavour and is of a much more watery consistency.
The price for this meal of kings came to only around $13!! A massively good deal since we shared it among 5 people and left stuffed to the brim. If anyone wants to drive me out there again, I will gladly introduce you to this hidden gem!
There is just something so superbly cool about a unique winter coat. All too often we relegate ourselves to drab, boring, shades typical of winter. You know what I'm talking about, you monotonous slaves to black/grey/brown! I counted myself among the offenders, but am now actively trying to pursue color! Case in point: this gorgeous emerald wool coat. Nothing makes my heart quiver in winter more than a chic wool coat, and this one is definitely chic and spicy with its shiny buttons and cheeky ruffle trim. Throw in a retro tweed-ish pattern and punchy green color and you are set to blow the socks off the boring brigade!
What's Haute Magazine wants to know who looked hotter in Balmain Cut-Out Lace Dress: Selita Ebanks, Alessandra Ambrosio, LeToya Luckett or Kate Hudson?
Grey tee: Mexx Plaid shirt: Aritzia Denim leggings: Aldo Leather belt: Danier Boots: Aldo Wooden bead bracelet: gift from Paris
In this outfit I was going for comfort as you can see. Currently comfort for me equates to plaid and I've been wearing this plaid shirt to death ever since I bought it. If only I still had my magenta and green plaid shirt from the 90s - it was super soft and despite what you may think, the color combo was absolutely perfect. Well, I hope whichever girl cousin it was passed down to is fully appreciating it - it's vintage now baby!! The belt and boots are my concessions to style with this outfit. The belt was necessary to create proportions on my body and prevent my plaid shirt from swallowing me whole. The boots were necessary for that vital bad-ass factor. The bracelet was actually given to me by an ex. He was my first love, or what was my immature and naive impression of love at the time. Him and I had a very bland relationship, except when we were in full-tilt drama of the worst kind. Looking back, I can't hate him though he hurt me and changed a part of me forever. He was an immature boy and kinda dumb, and I was probably more in love with love than with him. Now, we are basically strangers who used to know each others thoughts. It's funny how you go from being each other's best friends, to nothing.
Got another makeup question for u... :P if u have the spare time of course. Someone I know is getting married next week and I bought this nice black cocktail dress, it's tight and ruched from under bust down going for a real sexy look lol. My bf wants me to wear it with red lipstick, I tried it and I admit it looks pretty cool, oh so bold! but it's so different to anything I've ever tried I can't really tell what goes with it like I've googled rules on red lip looks, but thought of you for a more Asian-specific advice because googling in English doesn't really return much dedicated advice for Asians i think :P So yeah [because] it all looks so [different] on me like I barely recognise myself I cant really tell what to do with it and i wouldn't want to look like a try hard or a clown! Wondering if you have any advice?
I'm also thinking of curling my hair into big waves, but not really good with it [and] my left and right side ends up totally different and can't get to the back, any tips on that?
All my close high school friends are [going to] be there, most are boys so really wanted to turn up stunning because usually I'm just "one of the boys" ha... and at least at a wedding event it won't be totally random dressing up to this degree, that's why even though bold, if I can pull off the look. I wanna go with red lips because I'm only 21 and there's not many formal events to dress up to!
Thanks!
Kath
Thanks for the great question Kath! It sounds like you are going for a very classic, sexy look. Red lipstick is an awesome choice as it's sure to make you look like a bombshell, especially against a classic LBD. Your boyfriend is one smart cookie! Red lipstick also looks amazing on Asian skin, after all red is our color! Below is a pic of the look you want to go for:
This look is actually deceptively simple to do, although it may seem here that it requires quite a few products and steps. Believe it or not, but I've tried to pare this down to the bare essentials! Since you are going to a wedding, you'll want a more "done" and long-lasting look and that takes time and precision.
Step 1: Your face Always prepare your canvas before you paint! This MAC foundation comes in a variety of tones, SPF 15, age-fighting antioxidants, and has a smooth satiny finish. Dot foundation where you need it: under eye circles, along nose and outwards along cheeks to even out skin tone. I've created a brief diagram to illustrate what I mean, above. Be sure to blend all edges and examine from all angles to ensure no lines.
Step 2: Eye shadow Next, create some depth and drama on the lids with a cocoa and taupe shadow palette like this one from Rimmel. Brush #1 on brow bones, #2 on the rest of the lid, and #3 from the lash line to just above where your eyelid creases, creating a gradient of colour. A gradient shade works well on Asian eyes since we usually don't have deep creases.
Then take the white MAC shadow and smear it in the inner corners of your eyes, to waken your peepers up; however avoid this step if you have wide-set eyes as it will make them look even further apart! Finally, with a stiff eyeshadow brush, brush more of the white shadow along your lower lash line, blending so it looks smudged into your lash line and not a stark white streak.
Step 3: Eye liner and mascara If you're new to eyeliner, then go for gel before liquid. Bobbi Brown long-wearing gel eyeliner is known throughout the industry for its wearability, pigment, and staying power. Most people say to start from the outside in, but I like to go inside and outwards with my liner. Pull the lid gently taut to create a smooth surface, and starting at the inner corner, draw a line following your lash line. Flick the line up a teeny bit at the outer corners for a flirtatious look.
To complete that full, sexy look, you need major lashes. Fake lashes will definitely give you that, but they can be tricky to apply. Instead, I recommend curling your eyelashes and applying a voluminizing mascara. LashBlast, by Covergirl is the most effective mascara I've found for its price. This magic orange tube seriously pumps up your lashes, so go for 2 coats! Also, they have a waterproof formula, so if you tear up you won't have to worry about raccoon eyes!
Step 4: Contouring Blush and bronzer can sculpt a round and/or flat face. Often Asian faces are smooth to the point of not having distinguishing features when compared to Europeans, so we need a little defining to bring out our bone structures. If opting for blush, definitely go for Nars Orgasm. It is truly a universally awesome shade and this stick can be used on cheeks, lips, and eyes! To slim the face, apply just behind the apples of cheeks and blend back towards your hairline. If bronzer sounds better, then suck in your lips and brush the darker shade where your cheeks hollow to sculpt your cheekbones. Brush the lighter shade along tops of cheekbones, temples, and down your nose to highlight. Bronzer can also create the illusion of a higher nose if you brush the sides of your nose carefully to create depth.
Step 5: Lipstick Finally load on the drama with a full, red pout! I myself use this shade of this lipstick and I love it for its full pigment and creamy texture. A little goes a long way with this one! It's a good idea to line your lips first, so use a lip pencil of the same shade, or clear, to prevent bleeding of color outside your lip line. Apply lip balm to smooth your lips. Take a lip brush, and use it to paint the lip color onto your lips. Blot lips onto a tissue paper. Apply more color if desired. Take a clear gloss and dot onto the center of your lips to create a full pout, or simply leave it matte for a more retro look. Personally I replace the gloss with a slick of lip balm for a creamy finish.
Step 6: Hair Since I'm rather hair-retarded myself, I can't really help you on this one, but I do recommend investing in a quality curling iron, and to apply a heat protectant to your hair before curling it to further prevent damage. I found this video super helpful on curling hair:
And there you go! 5 easy steps to glam, retro black lined eyes, and ruby lips. Hope this helps Kath, and I'd love to see a picture of your results!
If you have a beauty or fashion related question, I'd love to hear from you! Simply email me!
While I think this is a ridiculous amount to spend on a hat, I must admit that it is quite the topper! This sleek velour hat features a pretty ombre ribbon in perfect for fall brown and orange tones. Lately, I've been curious about hats, having never been a hat person myself, and I love the saucy tilt on this one. What is it able hats that make one look so saucy? Also, if hats are seen as so intriguing, why is that more men and women don't wear them? Historically, hats have been worn forever and in many guises, but it seems in modern time they are few and far between except in the form of baseball caps and toques (beanies to non Canadians). I say, bring back the head gear! Hats, I declare thee the new headband.
The Fashionable Gal is having a fabulous Alight.com Giveaway just for Plus Size gals! Enter by November 30th at 11:59PM EST!
The Fashionable Housewife is giving away a pair of Tall Boots from SuperShoes.com! Winner gets to pick from 5 pairs of beautiful boots! Enter before Nov 8th at midnight!
The FindBlog is giving away a $50 gift card from beauty superstore ULTA this week. Leave a comment on TheFind Blog here to enter!
What's Haute Magazine and Shopbop.com. hope you will view Marc Jacobs handbags. Who wants some?
Looking for an eye cream that is gentle, yet effective against fighting those first signs of aging? The Body Shop's Vitamin C Eye Reviver then may be just the product for you! This lightweight gel is light enough for daytime use, but is full of strong, skin protecting ingredients specially formulated for the delicate eye area.
The Guts
The main fighting agent in this eye gel is Vitamin C, which reacts to neutralize free radicals that are a major cause of fine lines and wrinkles. Vitamin C also encourages the production collagen and improves elasticity. The gel also contains Vitamin E, another anti-aging ingredient; glycerin and lanolin, both powerful moisturizers; and orange flower water to refresh and hydrate the skin, particularly mature skin.
Price & Packaging
The price for a 15 mL bottle is $22, which may seem a bit steep, but as far as eye creams go it's not bad. Also, you only need to use a drop or two per application, per eye, so it also lasts a long time. The product is encased in a punchy orange bottle to emphasize the association with Vitamin C (since the fruit orange is well known to be a major source of this vitamin). A pump dispenser dispenses just the right amount of product into your waiting fingertips.
Effectiveness
I've been using this product for a few months now and I am at best feeling slightly above average enthusiasm for this product. The dispenser is effective at giving out just the right amount to cover a single eye, however as my bottle reaches empty the pump becomes less effective and what product now comes out is more watery, than gel-like. The Eye Reviver is primarily supposed to brighten the eye area and give it a refreshed, youthful look and it does fulfill this purpose. Since using this product, I have noticed that my morning circles are less noticeable and my under eye area brighter. My under eye skin feels soft and smooth, although I haven't noticed any reduction in the very fine smile lines underneath.
Buy or Ditch
Sadly, I would have to say I would ditch this product. There just wasn't enough power packed into this eye gel for use as an eye cream. To be fair to the Vitamin C Eye Reviver, perhaps it isn't meant for night-time use, but is more of a daytime moisturizer for your eyes; however using a day moisturizer for your eyes would likely leave it too slick and clump your eye makeup, so this doesn't seem a valid reason to buy this product again.
Black turtleneck: can't remember Red dress: Flavour Booties: Spring
Not the best White Stripes album, but the title track was pretty cool you have to admit. This photo makes me miss my bangs. Don't bangs just look awesome when you pull your hair back? However, I have heard that girls love bangs, but men hate them. As one guy friend told me, only kawaii Japanese girls can get away with bangs. Dammit, why can't I be a kawaiiJapanese girl?!? Oh wait, because I already get made fun of for being a little perky munchkin. Life is hard if you're short sometimes. Nobody ever compares you to giant, statuesque goddesses, it's all cuteness and silliness for short chicks. Although I guess I don't help it with my secret love/obsession with all things kawaii! If I had my way and knew nobody would make fun of me, I would totally fob out my apartment and work desk with cute stuffed animals and gadgets of theSanrio ilk. Maybe I should move to Japan.
