Page On Arina Tanemura

 
                     Ms. Arina Tanemura was born on March 12, of 1978, in Aichi,Japan. Her
            official blog is here.She is best known for her manga Fullmoon wo Sagashite
           and Time Stranger Kyoko. She likes girl bands like Morning Musume or
           Berryz Koubou. She also has been known to be a big fan of the Lord of the
           Rings series as well.
                   ( What a tiny paragraph eh? Well it's more of an intro, and I'll add more later;
                         but if you want in depth info of someone I like, go check out the links. :p)



                    Interviews:
     Interview with Arina Tanemura in About.com By: Deb Aoki    Year- 2007
     Publisher's Weekly Interview With Arina Tanemura By:Kai-Ming Cha   Year- 2007
     Anime News Network Interview with Arina Tanemura By: Carlo Santos Year- 2007
     ShojoBeat Interview with Arina Tanemura By: Jenifer Morgan Year- 2006

A New Idea for Interviews

                 Hi, everyone! Do you remember this post ? I'm still going to do this of course, and
       will probably have new interviews up during the summer, but what I wanted to talk about here
      was my idea on specific creator pages. I have, like any person, preferences for some author or
       director works over others, and also, like any good fan, like to dig around for interviews.
                
               In the post I linked to, I  mentioned I'll rewrite interviews from the old magazines I own,
      but what I'm talking about here, is more of a universal idea for not only anime and manga,
      but on actors or book authors I really like. I thought, what I can do is, say I do a small biography
      page on a author I like;then I'll link to various sites that had interviews on that person,
      and put them on one page. Sometimes, contact pages are not available on all sites, but I won't
      rewrite another's interview here, (minus my magazines), just offer a link so you can read the
      interviews yourself. So, it's a big project, and I might need some help on it in the future, but for
      now, I'm going to keep it simple, and try doing a page after this post.

Some Flowers at UALR Campus

              
                        Hey everyone! I know some people who attend UALR, so I visited the campus a few
            times. During the late spring/early summer, they have some flowers blooming around a water
            fountain they installed. (I used one of those flower pics as the header of this blog.) I went
            recently and the flowers aren't there now. (The photos were taken a few weeks ago,sorry!)
            However, if you ever want to see them yourself, you can see them around late March, or
            early to mid April. The red flowers towards the end were around a Theatre Building.
            While we're on the topic, does anyone know what type of flowers these are? They look
            like a hybrid but I'm not a botanical expert so...~
              

                                                                               

                                                                                  

                                                                              

                                                                              

                                                                              

                                                                                

                                                                               

                                                                             

                                                                              

                                                                             

                                                                              

                                                                             

                                                                               

                                                                            

                                                                                 

                                                                               

                                                                             

                                                                               

                                                                                  

                                                                               

                                                                              

                                                                              

                                                                             

Little Rock, Arkansas : Cheddar's Casual Cafe'

                         Good afternoon, everyone.~ I went sometime last week to Cheddar's with a friend,
           which opened around town a few months ago. I wasn't sure what to expect from the place
          as I heard it was a bit fancy, but the prices of the food are between $6-$20, depending on
         what you buy. The place has some unique decorations as well, most notably their lotus shaped
          fans hanging around. (There was a huge fan in the center of the so called cafe'; it was more of
          a fancy diner or small restaurant than a stereotypical coffee cafe'. But I couldn't get a photo of
          it.) We had quick service here, and when we needed the receipt, the waiter gave out your
         change right at the table. As you come in, you're led to your seat by a waiter.The center of
          the building looked the most luxurious, with the side rooms having simpler decor. (We were
          in the side rooms, so it looks a bit simpler than the whole place put together.)
                         
                         They got flavored teas here so I had a fruity one, (I think it was peach), and
            ordered the Homemade Chicken Pot Pie. The pie was fairly large, and was soft and
           flavorful. I managed to eat it all, which surprised me, because I usually end up
           taking some food to go most of the time I go out. XD The pie came with a salad; I had it
           with ranch, and it came with a honeyed croissant. It all tasted very fresh, and made per order,
           so none of that multi-day old lettuce here! I wanted to try one of their shot desserts, and
           got the key lime pie one. The shot desserts are good for a light snack, and they're only
           a dollar, so I thought it was worth it. The key lime tasted like it was a yogurt concoction
           with crushed graham crackers inside; it was something like a parfait.This was my only time
           at Cheddar's, but I had a pleasant first time experience at the place.~

                                                                             

                                                                               

                                                                              

                                                                                

                                                                              

                                                                               

                                                                              

Little Rock, Arkansas : NYPD Pizza

                    Here we go with another food post!~ (Seriously, I think compared to everything else in
       my blog, my food section is the biggest. XD) Now I've been to many pizza places around Little
      Rock, and I must say NYPD Pizzeria had some of the tastiest pizza in town. Based on the logo
      used for the police in New York, (they asked permission obviously :p), NYPD pizza is decorated
      with photos and paintings of the city, and named each of their speciality pizzas from a place
      around the boroughs. It was like I was feeling a bit of the city in the deep south. ^^ Prices range
      around $12, and the pies are decently sized, you usually feel stuffed after two slices. ~
    
             
                        The owner of this place is an artist, and will showcase his artwork on a blackboard
       every week,(which my brother told me as he used to go there and eat almost every week.) The
       place is painted in black and blue, (going with the police theme), with pictures of the Brooklyn
       Bridge and other New York landmarks hanging around. The waiter will usually come and serve
       you a drink in a few seconds flat, but if you're starving and want a quick slice, this might be the
       wrong place for you. This pizzeria makes their pizza from scratch, (and I personally think it's
       worth it), so you will have to wait some 15-20 minutes for the pie. (I only went twice and both
        times ordered a full pie; I'm not sure if they sell individual slices.) You have three sizes to
        choose the pie from, and can make a pizza from scratch, or choose the specialty ones. For this
        trip, me and my brother got the Manhattan's Meat Lover's Pie, which was awesome!~ Drinks
        had free refills, which is always a plus in my book too.I think everyone has their favorite pizza 
        joints, and as for me, I can say this is one of them. ^^

                                                                                 

                                                                             

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                               

                                                                             

Arts n' Crafts - What is Deco and Some Creations

            
                Hey folks, today I'm going to talk about Deco! Deco, most popularly known as
   Sweets Deco, is a craft that became popular in Japan a few years back, and gained
   popularity overseas. The word Deco is the abbreviated form of Decorate, and usually
   consists of using fake cream, ( made out of polymer clay or similar materials), with people
   adding gems, small toys, and little cabochons or other little kitschy items. Items decorated are
    usually things like mirrors, jewelry, key chains, or even laptops, and bikes. XD

              You might see some people use the term Decoden interchangeably with Sweets Deco,but Decoden comes from the Japanese word for cell phone, (the den part), and a literal definition is decorations for the (cell) phone. Sometimes people would also call Sweets Deco ," Decotti", but Decotti is a specific Sweets Deco toy sold in Japan, (the company producing it like to aim it for older females, so it has a rating for 15 and older on the boxes.) Another popular Sweets Deco toy is called Whipple, which you can find in Toys R Us' or other toy stores if you're in the United States, and was actually a Deco Toy from Japan which was licensed for the U.S. ^^ Below are some little projects I made with leftover clay from some Whipple sets I bought, and I used Mod Podge over it as a sealer. ( The clay used in Whipple sets are strong, but it's not waterproof, and can dirty easily if left in a dusty area.) For some more information, check out the links below~ Also many deco kits are sold in places like Ebay, Etsy, or sometimes Amazon, among other sites. It's rather easy to get. The items I Decoed are a compact mirror, and a hole puncher. XD

                          Decoden Official Site (It's in Japanese; you need Google Translate.)
                          Original Japanese Whipple Site (The company making it is Epoch.)
                          Whipple Site The English version.
                          International Playthings - Official North American Licensee for Whipple.
                          Toys R Us  - Site is for the United States version.
                          A Japanese blog talking about Decotti - Tokyo Kawaii Etc. is run by a Japanese
                         lady known as Kirin, and her blog is written in English for foreign readers.
                          My pinterest board on Deco - Blatant self- advertising here. XD It's a picture
                          blog of photos of Deco stuff I found around the net.

                                                                              

                                                                                   

                                                                                

                                                                                 
                     
     

Etsy Shop Review: Two Penny Toast

                   A quick intro: (If you don't want to read this, the review is in the bottom):
                 
                   Good evening everyone! I'm going to try something a little new in my blog, which
           is reviewing online shops. ( My "Shops" section of my blog has been getting no love.~)
           I figured people would like to know about online shops as well as physical store fronts,
           so why not? Now, one online place I like to shop at is Etsy. Etsy is a handmade goods site
          where people can sell anything from clothes, home decor, or artwork, among many other
           things. It's also a good place to find antique/ vintage goods, as the site allows you to sell
           anything older than 20 years.

                        Now, I mentioned it before, but for those who would like to know, I'm a big fan
            of lolita fashion. Lolita takes inspiration from Victorian, retro, and rococo period clothes,
            though other inspirations from various eras can also be found, varying from brand to brand.
            As it's an alternate fashion, even in Japan, the clothes are produced in small quantities and
           sold in boutiques. If you know where to look, you can buy second hand brand for as low as
           $40 or $50 dollars, or indie sellers and off brand companies also produce this style of clothing
           with their own rates, ( but the risk here is that not all off-brand places will have good
            quality pieces; essentially you buy what you get. It's sad but it does happen.) The reason
            many girls like me look at indie/off brand sellers is the fact that if you bought lolita outfits
            at full retail price in any of the Japanese boutiques, prices will vary and range, but will
           usually be anywhere from about $100 to as far as $ 600 or $700 for different pieces.
               
                      Etsy has a good amount of indie/off brand sellers selling their items, but different
             people have different levels of skill, and some who don't know any better make odd looking
             items or poorly constructed costumes and try to sell it off as actual "lolita" clothes.I guess
             what I wanted to point out is, regardless what you're buying in places like Etsy, it's good to
             check reviews and inspect the items. If you're suspicious about a store look for reviews
             online and dig around before you waste money on something you regret.

                      TwoPennyToast's blog is here.
                 
                       The review starts here:

                      Now without further ado, I'm going to review a skirt I purchased from the shop
             TwoPennyToast. I first found this shop from someone who posted a cute photo with one
             of her items. Now when I went to her site, I got super giddy, because she has some cute
             skirts and dresses for cheap! After my excitement wore off a bit, I got worried that the
             price might reflect the quality of the clothing, (which isn't always true), but you never
             know these days. However, I decided if worst comes to worst, $20 is not that big of a
             loss, so I decided to give it a go.

                         After some looking around I decided to buy this skirt, mostly due to the shirred
              waist, which I felt made it comfier to wear. I purchased and paid on the same day, and
              after thanking me for a quick purchase, she shipped the package about two days after the
              transaction. I bought the skirt April 22nd, and the package arrived April 26, in less than
              a week. I appreciate it when the shipping is quick, (though even if it was delayed I
              wouldn't have minded too much. I know sometimes packages get lost in the mail or get
              delayed from the post office and it's not always the seller.) I also had some care questions
              to ask, which she responded to very swiftly. Overall the shipping, and communication
              is excellent with her.

                          The package was thoroughly taped all around and wasn't bent or damaged in any
              way. (Again, if there were dents, I wouldn't blame it on the seller, as that is usually caused
              by some rough handling in the post offices or transportation.) It was a little difficult to open,
             but I prefer a well bonded package than one with holes or items sticking out. In the package,
             I received a cute Hello Kitty thank you card and a small key chain, along with the skirt.~
             (Call me childish, but I always like small surprises like this. C:) The skirt itself was carefully
              wrapped in a few layers of tissue paper, and was stored nice and neatly folded in the
              package.

                         Now the skirt is adorable, and feels sturdy; I like that since I want to buy a piece
              that will last me a long time, not just a few weeks. The fabric is a cotton/polyester mix, so
              if you're allergic to polyester, you might want to ask about the fabric of whatever item you're
              eyeing before purchasing. I like the fact that the skirt is very stretchable at the waist; it can
              hold a variety of waist sizes, and it felt very comfortable when I tried it on. The band has
              something of two waist bands at the top, but it's meant to be folded in, and that didn't
              affect how it felt around my waist, or is visibly noticeable; it's just something I noticed as
              I was touching it. C: The lace trim on the bottom of the skirt is decent quality lace, it looks
              as it does on the stock photo, and gives the skirt a nice girlish touch.

                          Overall, I was very pleased with TwoPennyToast, and would like to purchase from
                her shop again in the future. If you're looking for some nice basics to add to your lolita
                wardrobe, or just want some cute outfits,go check her shop out.^^
                          

                                                                            

                                                                               

                                                                              

                                                                               

                                                                              

                                                                               
* I would like to note that on her shop, she mentions she is selling pieces she is using to practice her sewing skills, and I took that into consideration when I wrote this review. It's not the same level as high-end indie brands or brand, but for what it's worth, the skirt does its job and hasn't broken apart or anything like that!