Thanksgiving and the seasonal job

My blog-posting day and Thanksgiving happened to coincide this year. I thought I might show you what I've been up to since the 19th of this month.

My favorite grey dress

I've been working a seasonal job at a mall in central California, and it's been great to be back in the region that I used to live for about 3 years. I've missed the scenic nature in this area, and there's something unique about the people, too. I can't quite put it into words. 

Sunglasses from G-Stage, Ring from Forever 21

 This is my first managerial job, and it's nice to be the boss-lady. It's a lot of work, but I feel like I'm learning so much! Consequently, that's something that I'm grateful for this Thanksgiving.

 Yesterday before work (and putting on the uniform) I had a chance to walk around the mall- though not the whole mall- and take some photos for you all. This is my favorite grey dress. I found it in Target some years ago, and took it after I found they were out of it in black. But as it turns out, I'm kind of obsessed with the LBD, and have enough of them, anyway. I guess things worked out for the best, even when I didn't get my first wish. Better than I could have planned, actually.

But soft! What blogger through display window breaks?

Unlike years past, I won't be home with friends and family, cooking away for hours on end. As it turns out, I realize that this will likely be the most busy holiday season of my life. I guess I had better hold on and do my best! Hopefully, it will be another one of those better-than-I-could-have-planned-myself situations, too.

My little set before we open in the mornings! I'll be here 'til Christmas day.

 I wish every one of my readers a restful and wonderful [Thanksgiving] Day (even if you're in a different country and don't celebrate Thanksgiving! Yes! I still mean you, too!).

Hair (or Whaaaat?)

This week I straightened my hair so my sister could trim my hair. I noticed it was a little damaged at the ends, and because of this, I was always wearing my hair up. And I don't necessarily think of the same old bun as my only look.

Showing off my white streak. It started growing this way at 23.

 Then out of nowhere, my hair started behaving as it never had before: full, wavy, bouncy curls occurring naturally, sleekness to boot! Now, the practice of straightening, that I had shunned for years, is looking like really good deal. (It may be because I put small coconut oil in my hair before heating it up...)

Mmm, gurl! Look at this buffant!

Teacher knows best!

A friend of mine compared this to the birth of Venus!

Daring to rock a center part for the first time since I was 10!

Perhaps in the future you'll see me using this hair style again. I really think so!

(Also, I had my first reader from Vietnam this week! Thank you again to all my readers, near and far!)

The Brilliant Purple

When I was in high school, I discovered a Japanese vocal artist whose stage name was The Brilliant Green. I thought that was such a cool name for anyone or any thing, I ended up calling a blog of mine "The Brilliant Purple" (I think I had to shorten it to The Brilliant Purp, because it was too many letters for the title).

My mother tells me that purple has always been my favorite colour, and that before I could even speak, I pointed out a purple plaid shirt for my dad's birthday. My mom picked it up and lo and behold: It was the right size and everything. I don't know if my dad really loved it, really loved me or both, but he wore it until it was really sheer and I was in my late teens. :)

For a while I had absolutely nothing purple in my closet because I was afraid of getting into a colour funk and I was desperately/bravely trying to break out and try new things. But recently I've told people that purple is my favorite and they look surprised. I barely wear it, so there's little to show for this long, chromatic love affair of mine.

Luckily, my sister knows best more often than not, and purchased this cardigan as a gift for me. Much like the last cardigan she got me, I bet I'll be seen in this for a long time to come.

That morning I woke up and said to myself "I'm going to go really cray on the eye makeup!" :D

Sometimes you just get really excited about ideas...

Got my pink ear phones!

Belt shot! (Or something...) :p

Doing my Olan/Good Earth thing

And now, for your enjoyment, The Brilliant Green! (I had to, after that shout-out, right?) :p 

I remember hearing someone say "All good things must come to and end... but so must all bad things!"  

I feel like that's the message that this song is trying to convey. That languid positivity plus the chill guitar riff makes this one of my favorite songs of hers. :)

Tomoko Kawaze, keep doing your thing, Honey! You are one breezy babe!

My first Dia de los Muertos

Walking in the parade

 On November 2nd, I went to my first Dia de los Muertos event. I got a lot of good pictures and had a nice time. My sister, my buddy Nathaniel and I decided at the last second that we would rather go (even after staying up so late on Halloween night) than miss out on a cultural learning experience.

Mischief at its best

 Just to fill in some of the blanks, I'll share my limited knowledge of what Dia de los Muertos is all about. First, the name means The Day of the Dead. From what I understand, this is a day that people gather in graveyards and around specially made altars, to commemorate their deceased loved ones, and invite them back from the spirit world for a day.

 People will put out their dearly departeds' favorite foods, photographs-- I even saw favorite DVDs and bottles of perfume. Legend has it, I'm told, that the scent of the marigold flower leads the souls back to the land of the living. Hence people wear marigolds in their hair, place them on tombstones et c. My flowers (okay, it's pretty much just a sideways hat...) was modeled after the marigold.

Papel picado (y plastico picado... heehee!)

 People also make skulls out of sugar and decorate them with colourful frosting/food dyes.

I left mine plain.

 We found this girl, all dressed up with heels, tea-length dress, makeup and flowers, and found out she was a cover-girl for a cultural magazine!

An altar

I get the feeling that this holiday is really abundant in decoration and details. I loved how many candles, tea-lights, Christmas lights where all around; everything was reverently lit even after sunset. 

 The makeup reflects that beautiful busy quality, too. And when I said I might not wear any, my friend Nathaniel whipped out some eyeshadow and said "Yes, okay. But I'm going to ignore you a little bit... because you have to wear some at least." I'm glad he insisted.

You start by making your hair look like a little sea urchin that has perched on your head... :p

My sis

Nathaniel (The master-mind behind the makeup for that day)

Nathaniel making me laugh at dinner

 I wanted to show some pictures of other peoples' costumes, and I'm usually shy about publishing pictures of strangers, but I figure everyone is mostly in disguise, here.

Really detailed costumes

 I have two pictures that I got with my camera phone from Halloween. I went to a big street party (so new for me!), and found so many people from TV shows, movies et c. If I can find more (get them from friends), I will post them posthaste... wait... you know what I mean!

I found Krieger and Megumi-chan (finally in real life!) from Archer.

The couple from Beetlejuice and my friends, the Addams children. :)