OCTOBER FAVORITES ♥

Hello everyone!  How are you all doing?  I hope that you are enjoying autumn as much as I am. 

Siiiigh.  October is the most beautiful color ever, isn’t it?

So!  I’ve decided that I want to try new things for my blog…instead of just posting boring updates and event coverage.  I’ve got some fun posts lined up for the next few months.  First on my list of new ideas: monthly favorites!  Because I know you all are just dying to know what I’ve been eating (or in this month’s case, drinking), reading, watching, listening to, and putting on my face.  Right?  Ha ha ha.

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Let us begin with the food/drink category, shall we?  This month it is a tea; my absolute favorite tea for fall.  TAZO’s Baked Cinnamon Apple.

I’ve tried many, many apple teas.  A few were good, and some were just NOPE.  They either were too mild, had too much spice and not enough apple flavor and/or an overwhelming orange peel taste.  This one from Starbucks’ brand TAZO is cinnamon apple perfection.  It’s like autumn packed into a teabag.  I’m on my second box already!

 

A few months ago I talked about my efforts to read more.  Ahem.  Well.  I haven’t been reading much else besides my textbooks, BUT, I did finish one awesome book a few weeks ago.  Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.

 

Just asdfghjklk.  This book was so ridiculously entertaining and addicting.  Hilarious.  Real.  Fantastically nerdy.  Instead of gushing about it all over again…if any of you are interested, you can read my review of Fangirl here.

 

 

 

On to a TV series.  Nope, it’s not Once Upon a Time, surprisingly!  And it’s not Walking Dead, either!  (Uuuugh.  WHY is this a thing? ಠ_ಠ)  It is, undoubtedly, Lark Rise to Candleford.

What can I say?  Good period dramas are my one weakness!

 

Fans of the show will get that reference.  Bang.  I’m so hilarious.

 

 

 

 

Now then…the moment you all have been waiting for.  Those of you who know me well know what’s coming.  Music.  What I have been listening to non-stop for the past four weeks.  My latest obsession.

K-pop.

 

You just thought of Gangnam Style, didn’t you?  Get that out of your head!  No.  No no no.  I mean SHINee (Taemin is such a cutie patootie! *fangirl*).  I mean Super Junior (I would marry Kyuhyun's voice if I could! ≧◡≦ Good gracious).  Now, I’ve listened to a toooon of k-pop, but those two are still on top of the list for me.  SM Entertainment is doing something right, that’s all I have to say.  It all started with SHINee’s epic Lucifer video, and from there my interest in k-pop exploded like hanabi.  Years ago, when I started watching Anime, I really got into j-pop, and one of my favorite artists was BoA Kwon.  I’ve been listening to her a lot lately as well.

 

K-pop is more than just the glitzy style that might be perceived by a new/casual listener.  Speaking in particular of the aforementioned groups, these guys have REAL TALENT.  They have beautiful, well-trained voices, and they all can dance like bosses.  And, the lyrics and dances aren’t overly sexualized.  I’m really getting quite sick of our mainstream music over here in the U.S.  I rarely listen to the radio anymore.  An awesome new song will pop up every few months maybe.  (*cough* Castle of Glass *cough*)  But still, the song more than likely has smutty lyrics and/or music video despite having a catchy tune. (Just Give Me a Reason, anyone?)

ANY-WAY.  I could probably write a dissertation on this topic, BUT, I’m not going there!

 

Instead, here's some SHINee "A-yo" to brighten up your day.

 

 

 

 

I’ll end my October favorites with a makeup product.  I’ve tried a few new things here and there, including Milani liquid eyeliners and Sleek (UK) eye shadows.  I really love both of those, but my pick for this past month would have to be Revlon Colorstay liquid foundation.  This.  Stuff.  Is.  Awesome.  I don’t know why I had never bought it before, especially since many of my friends love it, and I’ve read/watched so many reviews praising the product.  I’m so glad that I’ve finally gotten around to trying it, because it is without a doubt the best liquid foundation that I’ve used so far.  It is a little pricier than most drugstore foundations, but I think that it’s well worth it.

 

I might write up a review for this product.  Let me know if any of you are interested in that. :-)  And just for your reference: the foundation shade in the crappy photo is Medium Beige.

 

 

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And that concludes my first-ever monthly favorites blog entry!  Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any comments or suggestions for future posts, or if you have questions about any of the things which I have discussed here.  Thanks for reading! ^_^ Happy November, and God bless! ♪ ♫

 

Random Randomness 4/9/2013

Hey there!  Long time no see!  Um…AHEM, yes, I do realize that I promised that I would be blogging weekly despite it being Lent, and…I failed miserably.  Not one post for the month of March.  To be quite honest, the blog was the last thing on my mind.  Schoolwork piled up, I resumed working as a teacher’s assistant, and I had an extra choir practice every week…etc.

That aside, I am BACK!  Today I’m going to keep it simple and share some of my latest randomness.

To start off, Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph.  I freaking adore this movie.  I saw it twice in theaters, and have seen it several times since buying the DVD.  I just can’t get bored of it.  As I said in my latest deviantART (which is sorely lacking updates as well…) journal, it warms my gamer’s heart!

Here’s the trailer if you haven’t seen it yet:

[Wreck-It Ralph Theatrical Trailer]

 

 

Secondly, I’d like to share some music that I’ve been enjoying as of late.  Music was one of the things that I gave up for Lent, and since Easter I’ve been buying song after song after song.  I’ve developed an interest for “songmatching”, that is, trying to find songs that remind me of favorite characters or ships.  Namely ZeLink and SasuSaku (speaking of Naruto…what the HECKENSTEIN is going on around here?!?! …But this is a topic for another day...)  Here is my top twenty for the week (not in any particular order!):

 

 

My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark – Fall Out Boy

Never Be the Same – Red

May I – Trading Yesterday

Alive – Adelitas Way

Bright Lights (Fly) – Alex Goot

You Are – Colton Dixon

Anywhere But Here - SafetySuit

My Home – Thousand Foot Krutch

Just Give Me a Reason – P!nk ft. Nate Ruess

Be Your Everything – Boys Like Girls

Your Heart is a Muscle – Carly Rae Jepsen

Start Again – Red

Time After Time – Quietdrive

Leave Out All the Rest ­­- Linkin Park

Misty Mountains Cold – Peter Hollens ft. Jun Sung Ahn (Peter lives in my city--check him out...he is AMAZING!)

Caravanserai – Loreena McKennitt

Song of the Caged Bird – Lindsey Stirling

When Can I See You Again – Owl City

Your Guardian Angel – The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Collide – Howie Day


Finally, let me say that I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE SUMMER.  I was considering taking classes during the summer, but my interest in that idea quickly dissipated.  I don’t need a break, but I sure do want one.  My art has suffered enough due to me devoting so much time to school.  Don’t get me wrong, I love school!  Really!  I’m one of those academic weirdos who looks forward to new discussion topics and truly believes that there is nothing more fun that writing an essay.  What can I say?  I’m a nerd in every respect.

I have so many ideas for art and stories that I can’t wait to get to working on.  As I've said, my deviantART and Figment have been especially quiet as of late, and I miss interacting with my artist and author buddies.  Plus, I’ll have time to apply for scholarships and save up money so that going back to school in the fall won’t be a pain in the neck like last year.  I’ve also been asked to be a counselor at a local girls’ camp again, so that will be a lot of fun.  And!  I’m going to Cali this summer.  So excited to visit family and go to Disneyland again!

I also have a lot of cool things coming up in regards to my humble little blog here, including photo reviews for some things that I am SUPER EXCITED about.  If you’ve been keeping up with me on Twitter you might know what I’m talking about!  Also, with summer coming around, I’m trying to get back to my Etsy shop, which I have not abandoned!


If you like what you’ve read here, be sure to follow me! Aianarie @Twitter


‘Til the next post!

Random Randomness 6/28/12

First off I would like to thank everyone who sent me e-mails, messages, etc. wishing me Happy Birthday.  I had a wonderful day, the celebration going on into the weekend.  Thank you for thinking of me!

Among the gifts I receive was this gorgeous piece of technology…

…my brand-new Nintendo 3DS in “Midnight Purple”! *swoon* I love this system to bits. Everything runs so smoothly and the 3D is incredible. With it I received The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D.  It certainly made me quite happy to play OoT again, this time with stunning new gameplay and beautiful graphics.

I can’t wait to expand my library of DS titles. Next on my list? I’m thinking Mario Kart 7, or maybe Harvest Moon: A Tale of Two Towns.  Those games are always so darn addicting.

Let’s move on with some updates.  I finished two important pieces of writing last week, Chapter Seven of Felicity, and Part One of my brand-new short story, Eighteen.  I’m quite proud of both of them! Please read them and let me know what you think.  They are available for you to read at both Writers' Cafe and Figment. Enjoy!

I may have my PayPal account fixed soon. Yes.

Still working on art projects, slowly but surely. Many birthday gifts and a load of fanart. We musn’t lose hope that new art will come forth from me. Always hope.

Ah! One more thing! Adam Young (Owl City) released his new single Good Time ft. Carly Rae Jepsen this past week. I have dubbed this song my official song for Summer 2012. Listen!

I'm super excited for Adam's new album, The Midsummer Station, which releases on August 21st.

‘Til my next post. Ciao!

Random Randomness 5/15/12

Just a couple of things today.  This past week, I've started three new short stories, all very different in substance and style.  I will be submitting each of these stories for publication to various magazines, websites, and compilations.  I will keep you all updated with my Facebook Page, so check back often.  Oh, I just realized that I haven’t announced my Facebook page here on my blog.  Ahem.  Well, yes, I have a fan page now.  Please do me a HUGE favor and “Like” it!

Back to the short stories, number #1 is about a charismatic young woman with some interesting stories to tell; #2 is doused with faerie dust; and #3 concerns a beautiful but dangerous romance between a girl from a troubled family and a seasoned fighter with a score to settle.

#3 is not something I would usually write, but, last week I had a lengthy conversation with a writer friend, and it went something like this:

Friend: Have you ever considered writing a story about a girl who falls in love with a guy twice her age or older?
 Me: Romance isn’t really my thing.
 Friend: BS.  You write good romance.  And you can throw your fantasy-action-drama-whatever it is you write stuff in there too.
 Me: I’ve never considered it, but eh, I could probably do it.
 Friend: EWWWW, Ash!! lol
 Me: I don’t see what’s wrong with it! XD If you’re in love, you’re in love, and you can’t fight your feelings.
 Friend: I suppose now you have to write this story now.
 Me: I suppose so.
 Me: (after the conversation) Crap.

So yeah.  That’s how that story came to be.  I’m actually quite pleased with how it’s coming along.  And I’ve modeled the guy in it after actor Jeremy Renner, who happens to be forty years old but still totally drool-worthy.

Speaking of Jeremy, he stars as Clint Barton/Hawkeye (*random fangirl moment*) in the EPIC superhero movie The Avengers, which came out this past Friday.  I got to see it on opening day with a few girlfriends, and let me tell you, The Avengers was one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time.  It’s fun, exciting, hilarious (good, clean humor!), and full to the brim with great acting talent and deep character.  A few days ago I watched the movie again in IMAX 3D.  I don’t care for 3D or IMAX (I think it’s too loud, lol), but hey, it’s Avengers.

If you haven’t seen this movie, shame on you.  But here’s the trailer, just to wet your appetite a little.

 And, if you like—here is the second trailer, which has different music and shows different scenes from the movie: Avengers trailer #2

And that’s it for today.  I hope to put up some artwork on my Tumblr tonight, but we’ll see how that goes.

Random Randomness 4/9/12

First off, the opening date of my online store has been pushed a week later to Saturday, April 21st.  The reason for this is that I haven’t had much time to work on my jewelry (or much else, might I add…).  And because of Lent, I had been trying to stick to the fasting, spiritual reading, etc.  And the lack of time and energy had definitely caught up to me artistically.  I have been writing (Chapters 1-5 of Felicity [prequel to The Otherkind] and several new poems are now available for you to read @Writers' Cafe), but other than that not much else.

I have been sketching and drawing a bit as well, but it goes without saying that my WIPs are still indeed WIPs.  I have not given up though, oh no, quite the opposite.  I really do try to get as much done as I possibly can in the time that I have.  And writing is my priority, so art tends to be set aside all too often.

But anyway, that’s an update.  Now for the randomness.

So, I did happen to see The Hunger Games movie this weekend (and again a few days later).  I very much enjoyed it, so I went and saw it again.  I was pleased to find that it did follow the book very closely, and was impressed at how the directors fit as much as they did into the two-hour movie and seamlessly, as well.  Bravo.  Now only four-hundred something days until Catching Fire releases.  Sigh.  On that note, I think that Catching Fire was my favorite book of the trilogy.  I’m not exactly sure why, but I just remember enjoying it immensely.

Also on the Hunger Games topic, I listened to Taylor Swift’s song Eyes Open off of the soundtrack and it’s my current favorite song.  I find it to be very poetic, with deep meaning.  The music is calm, but the lyrics deliver a solemn, powerful message.   It’s a song with a purpose.

Listen to it for yourself.

I just love when I find songs like this.

Since Facebook was one of the things I gave up for Lent, I’ve had to find other ways to waste my internet time.  I think I’m addicted to Pinterest.  I’ve been a member for about three weeks and I already have five hundred something pins.  I think it’s a great idea, though, to get and share inspiration.  So it’s not a total waste of time.  And, I have a cool board called “Visualizing My Books”, in which I share pictures of actors, places, scenes, costumes, and more, inspired by things in my books.

If you would like to visit me at Pinterest, here’s the link: Aianarie @Pinterest

Last thing for today, Hyrule Historia.  The Japanese-published Official The Legend of Zelda artbook.  Two hundred and seventy-six pages of beautiful Zelda artwork.  I NEED this book.  I’m saving up in order to buy it.  Anyone care to donate? Hehehe.

Next week I'll be posting about my store.  Until then!

P.S. Have any ideas or requests for me to talk about in my next post? Send me an e-mail!

EDIT: HAPPY EASTER, EVERYONE!

Random Randomness 11/19/11

Yeah I’m notorious for it, so why not some randomness?  First on the list today is that I would like to introduce my personal YouTube account, LyricLuminosa.  As my screen name suggests, I will be uploading mostly lyric videos that I have made.  Here is my first-ever lyric video, O Sanctissima by the boys’ choir that I’ve been rambling about so often lately, Libera.

Such a relaxing, absolutely beautiful song.  It was the first one I heard of Libera, so it has a very special place in my heart!

Alrighty then, enough about that.  Honestly, I could go on forever about them London boys.  (Oh, wait! They have a new video for a song I absolutely LOVE, Eternal Light: [link] Btw, I’m currently at work on an Exsultate lyric vid!) Anyhow, next, THE HUNGER GAMES TRAILER!  It made its debut on Good Morning America this past Monday.  I watched it with lingering weight in the pit of my stomach, telling me that it wasn’t going to be as awesome as I have been hoping.

I liked it.  Um, yeah.  I really, really want to see this movie.

Finally, I pre-ordered the Skyward Sword Remote/CD bundle.  I got an e-mail earlier this week saying it had been shipped.  INDESCRIBABLE HAPPINESS.   I AM SO UTTERLY EXCITED FOR THIS GAME IT’S NOT EVEN FUNNY.  Oops, sorry, caps lock.  Yes.  Link and Zelda love each other in this game!  OMG LOVE LOVE LOVE—darn that caps lock!—JUST WATCH THIS VIDEO.

DEAR NINTENDO, PLEASE STOP TEASING US.

LOVE,
ASHLEY


(P.S. Like the font + color change? Let me know what you think!)

The very resonant music of London's LIBERA

Hello all, I know I said that I would post at least once a week—and believe me, I’m trying—but I have, in all honesty, been ridiculously busy as of late. I will make it up to you, I promise!

Today I would like to share my thoughts on LIBERA, a recent musical discovery of mine. Here is a very good bio/history.

Let me tell you, the sound that these boys produce is simply astounding. Truly God-given gifts! I was in choir for two years and it isn’t easy. Hymns have to be sung perfectly or they just don’t sound right at all. And there isn’t just one tune, either. There are several layers in unison: soprano, alto/harmonies, tenor, bass—there’s a whole lot of work put into each and every song.

Since listening to Libera for the first time (it’s been about two weeks and I’m already a huge fan), I’ve been singing choral music again, exercising my voice to its maximum range. All I can say is wow, these boys can really hit some freakin’ HIGH notes. Also, it’s kind of funny, other music just hasn’t sounded the same to me. Ha ha ha. I love rock music, well actually, my personal music collection tends to be a bit random but yeah, since listening to Libera…I don’t know how to explain it. Anything else just doesn’t seem as interesting! But I’m sure I’ll snap out of it…eventually.

So, what is it about this group that is so amazing? Well…just see for yourself. The video will say what I am incapable of.

See? They’re indescribable. I absolutely adore Benedict Philipp (the higher solo in the video); he’s such a charming boy and his voice is incredible. Joshua Madine (the first solo in the video) is another of my favorites. Oh yes, I also love Ralph Skan's voice. Here’s a solo of his:

Beautiful. Just beautiful. And Ben, WHY YOU HAVE TO BE SO GOSH DARN CUTE.

For your listening pleasure, here are a few more of my favorite Libera songs:

O Sanctissima
Adoramus
Lullabye
Far Away  (although I like Ben’s solo of the song more, this video is better quality)
Exultate

You know you love it! Sure, it’s very different from most modern music, but there’s no denying that these boys have extraordinary talent.

Visit them at their Official Website.

I hope that you love them and their music as much as I do. They’ve been around for many years, and it’s such a shame that I haven’t heard of them until now!

…My, what a treasure that I have found.

God bless.

Just something that I found.....

Lately I have tapped back into my inner Zelda-nerd.  Fanart and other Farore's Melody (remember this?? :P) may very well be a reality in the near future.  Keep checking my deviantART. :]

I am not a frequent YouTuber, I just go there to look up lyric videos occasionally.  But last week I was watching some Zelda-related vids and found a full-length fan-film called The Legend of Zelda: The Triforce Prophecy.  A dude by the name of Scotty Whitehurst heads the project as director, writer, and also stars as Link.  And yes, he is a lot hotter than the guy from IGN.com’s 2008 EPICLY FAKE movie trailer (*deep, agonizingly slow breath*…AUGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!! …Ahem.  Ok.  Frustration out.)

So, is this fan movie worth watching?  I watched all thirteen parts (each is roughly 8 minutes; the entire movie is about 120 minutes long) plus the blooper reel and “making of” vids.  And yeah, I think it’s pretty good.  It has a lot of humor, a developing relationship between Link and Zelda (here you can see some inspiration from the old cartoon—Well excuuuuuuse me, Princess!  I laughed so hard.), and the music selection is spot-on.  The special effects are great, considering that’s it IS a fan film.  The acting is good; I wasn’t expecting to be impressed there.

Yeah, I think it’s worth watching.  You’ll at least get a laugh out of it, I promise you that.  Go check it out.

Here’s the link (HA I almost capitalized “link” there XD) to the videos at Scotty’s YouTube channel: “The Legend of Zelda: The Triforce Prophecy” on YouTube

…Aaaaaand, if you’re really that lazy: here, just click the play button below to watch Part One.  You’re welcome.