Designing me: a re-introduction.

I'd like you to re-meet Michi, a designer in the making. She searches for inspiration and makes drawings on a daily basis. Even when she's sleeping she's dreaming up new designs. In a nutshell: she's a person who's world is always filled with clothing.

Semi-good endings: the NaNo WriMo eddition

Starting things and bringing them to a semi-good and satisfying ending is really difficult. But I'm managing better and better with the knowledge of old age. And with the healing scars of falling flat on my face but managing to stand up and go on again.

Back into fashion, it is!

Happy news!

I've ordered my sewing machine and it's coming to my house, very soon! We're going to have long sessions that involve a lot of different clothing and other accessories. 

(source: http://karenbarlow.blogspot.nl/)

You weren't thinking I meant something else, right?

Back again

Hello there!

My messages are far and few in between, as always.

Actually, I just wanted to let you know that I'm back in my home country. Yay~
Japan was a really great experience for me, but I do have to admit it is good to be back.

I haven't given up the idea of somehow turning this blog into a popular place, so I'm going to continue trying from this point onward. You will support me, right?

Wish me lots of luck and~ I'll keep on trying.

Chibi

Tokyo, here I come!!

Hi there,

In January, I am going to Tokyo! Yes, finally!

When I heard I was going to Japan, I had planned to first stay a week in Tokyo before going to Sendai, the city I currently life in. But when I had actually booked my flight and such, I became afraid and chose to go straight to Sendai instead.

Though I don't necessarily regret going straight to Sendai, I do regret not being able to experience Tokyo. But I will soon! The hostel had been booked and the night-bus to Tokyo is booked as well! All I have to do now is plan where I wanna go, including Tokyo Disneyland, and I'm completely set for my mini vacation. I really want to see Shinjuku and Harajuku so there is no change I'm not going there. My hostel is near Akihabara and the Tokyo sky tree, so those are on my list as well.

Before I'm going back to The Netherlands I'm going to spend an other few days in Tokyo, so I'll still have time to see a lot more, and I'm pretty sure this isn't going to be the last time I'm in Japan, so I don't want to rush everything in one go, but take enough time to carve it all into my memory.

Booking everything took a great deal of energy out of me but I'm really glad I did it: I feel so much better now!
Have you had that as well? Where you're really afraid to do something, but once you've actually done it you feel so much more powerful and happy?

I'm going to share all my pictures and stories of my visit in Tokyo with you, so please look forward to them!

Life in Japan

Hello there again.

Tonight I felt like sharing a bit about my life in Japan with you. I thought you might be interested in it, so here goes.

I've been living in Japan since the end of August, 2012. In order to graduate from my current university, I need to attend a university or language school in the country of the language of my course, which for me means I got to go to Japan. Sadly, I was at first told I wasn't able to go to the university and only after I decided on which language school I wanted to go to the teacher told me I had actually been able to go to a university after all. But by then I had already settled on going to a language school. Some may call me crazy, but it has its advantages.

Think, plan and action!

Hello there,

While trying to change I've been over thinking a lot of things. Yes, again. Because the most important things for me now, are trying to figure out exactly what I want to change about myself and my surrounding. Because just starting something without a goal is about as pointless as starting to make a pie without a recipe. Of course you'll be able to make something, but there is no guaranteeing it will actually be anything good. And because this is a huge deal, trying to go forward without a plan is not something I plan on doing.

So I'm planning a lot of things. I haven't thought it all out yet but I'm working my hardest on trying to feel good about what I'm doing and going to do.

Time for Change

Yes, it is that time of the year again.

Hello everybody, welcome and welcome back.

It has been ages since I wrote anything and today isn't going to be a major post, either. Just as the title of the post says it is Time for Change. I felt it was time for change, time to move forward again, so I changed the name of my blog and the layout. Every year I have a period in time where I realize that I need to change something, usually about myself or my surrounding. I guess this time the change in me already passed and I noticed it's time to change my surrounding to fit me. I'm not going to stay the same person my whole life, I'm changing so it is only normal that the things around me change with me when I do, don't you agree?

Scarf bow loving

Hello there *happy waving*

I know, I have been very inactive here, but I have been very active at school. And I am going to Japan soon, so I think you will forgive me, right?

Today I just wanted to share with you a little something. Something that I started liking a lot in these last few days. Call it my own personal fashion trend if you will: The scarf bow.

It most likely has been done a 100 times before me, but I still wanted to share it:

I have completely fallen in love with it.

What do you think?

Lots of Love,

Chibi Ohimesama

My love for Fashion and Japan combined

I know, I know, it has been ages since I last updated this blog. I can't really be blamed though, I put almost all my focus on my studies. Okay, I'll admit, I also tried to finding new Japanese magazine scans, wasting my time on Tumblr and Facebook, watched Japanese drama's, and spending time with my friends. With other words, everything that didn't have to do with my studies... or so I thought...

Today I just suddenly felt the urge to write again. I'll have to disappointed you though, thats this post is probably not going to be a news trending bomb. Today I'm just going to talk about my love for fashion and Japan, and how its tangled and entwined together, sometimes separated, only to be entwined again.

Happy new year

Hello my dears,

First of all, I want to wish you all a Happy New Year and I hope it brings us all lots of love, friendship, joy, chances to learn and overall I hope it just becomes a better year then last year for all of us.

In this new year I hope to become a bit more active with my blog again. I have a lot of learning to do and I'm just going to add whatever I feel like on this blog. Hopefully the things I share will be of some interest to some of you. But we'll see when that time comes, no?

For now, I leave you with my best wishes to all those who read this.

Lots of love,

Your chibi ohimesama

We are what We wear...

Hello my dears,

Today I want to talk with you about something that’s been on my mind for a long time already. I’ve actually had stickies on my closet with reminders and notes for this subject. 

As you might have notices already, Fashion is a really big deal for me. No matter which route I take I always go back to fashion one way or another. Just like fashion my dreams of fashion are constantly changing, as do my wishes and goals for the future. But some time ago I started wondering: what does fashion actually mean to me?

Hello Kitty at the Sieboldhuis Leiden

Hello my dears,

Last Sunday, 9 oktober 2011, I went to the Hello Kitty exhibition at the Sieboldhuis in Leiden. Yay.

Something which was really strange for me was going to a museum alone. I've always been with somebody, a friend, my mom, just somebody, but never alone. But this weekend, I went alone. It took me a 8 hour train trip (to and back) and I walked toward the museum itself (which happened to be farther away then I though it would be, oeps?) but I got to see Hello Kitty! Though it was visible that the exhibition was for little kids, it was fun to see all the stuff gathered together. Being a semi big fan of Hello Kitty and a Huge fan of Japan I had a super day.

I took some pictures with my phone. They're not the best but they'll have to do.
Enjoy

Searching for: something to write about...

Hello my dears,

Before this and the last 2 posts I had a really long period I didn't write that much, as you might have noticed. I simply didn't know what to write about. And actually I still don't.
I'd like to write about my dreams but I'm not quite sure what they are. I'd like to write about something interesting but for some weird reason that always turns out to be a horrible post, haha. I'd want to write about something but I seriously don't know what that something has to be.

Writers block much?

10 day challenge day 2

My second entry of my 10 day challenge.

As you can see this one is completely different. I have no real experience with how it works in a magazine world, so this is pretty much just how I image how one of my days might look like, without the stress of the job and other things. I know it would be a lot harder though but, it's my fantasy after all ;)

I wake up to my alarm and get out of bed to start my day. I shower, eat breakfast, dress myself in my normal attire for work (which for today contains a dressed pants, blouse with ribbon around the collar, a matching blazer and low heel dress shoes).

When I’m all done dressing and packing my bag I go to work. I work as an editor at a fashion magazine. I love my job. I work with people who are fun to work with, but aren’t afraid they think what you’re doing isn’t good (enough) and instead of letting you hanging after they told you they think it sucks they help you improve it. We aim to challenge each other to get better at what we’re doing. Today we have a meeting with lunch to discuss each other’s work in the latest issue of the magazine. Everybody who works in our team is attending.

After lunch I have a meeting with our own team to discuss what kind of subjects we will be writing on for the upcoming volume. Though the start of the meeting is slow, in the end we gather a lot of idea’s to work on. I love how dedicated everybody is to this job.

After the day finished I go to get dinner with a group of friends. It is a monthly thing we do to keep in contact with each other. We don’t skip it unless we’re home with a serious illness, someone died or something else that is too important to let it pass. Once again dinner is fun. We discuss our work, our projects, our boyfriends and girlfriends and just everything we feel like talking about.

At the end of the night I have a nice little buzz in my head (might have something to do with the 2 glasses of wine I had) and I got to bed with a content feeling.

10 Day Challenge: Day 1

First entry of my 10 day challenge.
(note: this is fiction. This is not what my day really looks like)

Day 1

My alarm is going off. It’s 7 am and time to wake up. I curl myself up in my blanket only to stretch myself out fully after that. I climb out of bed and check my agenda. Today will be a busy day but at least I will be able to go home on time and make dinner.

I hop into the shower and get dressed in a black skirt, white ruffle blouse and a fashionable black blazer. Once I’m happy with the way I am dressed I make myself some breakfast ( 2 toasts with jam) and a cup of old fashion coffee. Once I finished my toast I do my hair (a simple but fashionable bun) and make-up (foundation and mascara and maybe a bit of rouge). While finishing my second cup of coffee I pack my bag and get ready to go.

I have to be at the office at 9.00 A.M. Luckily I live close by so this only takes me about 30 minutes (walking, public transport, walking some more, or a cab) Once I arrived at the office I check my mail and edit my agenda. My day is filled with writing, calling, arranging and 2 appointments with some of our clients. During lunch break me and some colleges go to a lunchroom close by to discuss the progress of some projects and other things.

By 6.00 I will be done with work and go home. I already did groceries the day before, when I got of early. I’m making something easy, with a side salad. After dinner I put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and change into a more comfortable outfit and take of my make-up. I cuddle myself in the chair before the television and watch my favorite programs. When they ended I shut of the television, check my mail and edit my agenda for the last time today. I put up a cd and get a magazine and a notepad. I want to be able to write down my ideas right away. Once I get bored with my magazine I get my book and get in bed. Before going to sleep I read a chapter or 2, check if my alarm is set on the right time and turn of the light. Time to sleep.

Chibi ohimesama

10 Day Challenge: Progress

Hello my dears,

It has been some time since I last posted, I know. Lets just say a lot of things have been going on in my live, like work, love, hate, confusion and just plain chaos. There are a lot of things I'm looking forward to (positive things) and an equal lot of things I do not look forward to (negative things). For one, I'm going to meet a person again, whom I'm afraid of, in the very near future. Not something to look forward to.

But! School is also starting soon. And as weird as it might sound to some of you, I'm really looking forward to it! I can't wait to get started again and learn new things, get to know new people! And to show myself (and others) I can actually do it!

After some fighting with myself I finally started the 10 day challenge. It has turned out to be a lot harder then I thought. To think up all the details I want my "perfect day" to have. Not to mention, my "perfect day" sometimes changes from day to day. But at least I started. I'm working on my "perfect days" and I already learned a thing or to about myself.

I have changed my mind about posting them though. I AM still going to post them, just not on my blog. The 10 day challenge posts will be posted on my Live journal (yes, very oldschool, but you got to love it) and I will posts the links to them in a combined post about the end result! How does that sound?

An other thing I changed: There are going to be 10 days, but not 10 days right after each other. Sometimes I'm so confused about things that I can hardly write about them. So I'm just working on things until I finished an other "perfect day". I'm just doing it the way I think will help me best , so... None will blame me for it, right?

I'm just going to do it the way I think is the best. I think thats the best way to go, don't you?

There are a lot of things I want to write, and want to do right now. But I think the best thing for me to do, is to try to study a little, and after that to maybe write about my perfect day again.

Love you,

Chibi Ohimesama

My new room

Hello my Dears,

It took me a while, but I finally took the time (had the time) to make some pictures of my new room.

Please enjoy~

Love you,

Until next time

Things that annoy me...

(disclaimer: I do not mean to insult anybody with what I write here today.)

Hello my Dears,

Did you know? When your on holiday somewhere, there are ways to recognize Dutch people.
I have noticed this many many times before, both in my own country as well as in the countries I have been to spend my holiday in. When there is a person who is crossing the road next to a zebra crossing -say, 10 meters besides it- you can be almost certain that person is a Dutch person!

(translation: typically Dutch)

Now of course there are Dutch people who do use a zebra crossing to cross a road, and there are none-Dutch people who do not use a zebra crossing to cross a road. But when I was visiting Antwerp someone actually told me its a very common thing for Dutch people to do!

When I heard this I started looking for fellow Dutch people who do this, and guess what? Jep, indeed! A lot of Dutch people actually do this! My own family and friends do it as well! I was amazed by it when I noticed it was actually a true thing which the man told me. That was about 7 years ago. Now, I can't help but be annoyed by these "typical Dutch things".

An other typically Dutch thing: Asking for a discount (note: of course this happens in other countries too, but we are known for it). We have a special sayings for it, amongst them: "Af dingen" and "Pingelen". Now of course, when you can get a discount, why not ask for it? Or if something on the market is really expensive, getting something off the price can be really helpful, and asking never hurt a man, right? But what if it gets annoying? What if people don't stop asking for a discount, until its almost for free? Or when they start getting forceful, angry and rude? Asking for a discount in places where you really can't get one! And getting mad when they don't get it! Thus, a lot of people get mad. And to some people, yes I sometimes make myself guilty of this as well, I'm no saint, but so do you!

Dutch people are known as "People who like to have things for as little money as possible". There are even the sayings like "Going Dutch" or "Having a Dutch party" (which we actually call an "American party"). And of course, who wouldn't want things cheap? When I find a cheap cute dress, I feel really lucky! But I really dislike it when I'm walking in a store and I hear people complain about the price. Sometimes I hear people complain about something that is already really cheap, but they still think it's to expensive! As if they're not happy until it's for free! But they don't understand that when something is cheap, someone is not getting his or her money! And then when people get fired to because the company has to cut down on they're expenses, they complain even more!!

I think Dutch people complain to much. Everything is always someone els his/her fault, but never our own. "I" has to get everything "I" wants to have, "I" lives only to serve "I" but "he/she" must keep in mind that the world is all about "I" and should do everything to please "I". If "he/she" does not do what "I" wants, "I" gets mad.

Traffic is a perfect example of this. Holland is quite small, but we have a lot of roads and cars. It's uncommon to have a rush hour without a traffic jam. When on the road, we are driving with a lot of other cars on the same road as us. Sometimes someone does something stupid or rude. Some people's first reaction is to shout and give them the finger. They become angry and try to "get back" at the driver. Thus they start annoying other drivers, which usually makes things worse. But they themselves have done nothing wrong! They themselves can drive perfectly! All the other drivers should have they're drivers licence taken away, but not them, ooh no, because they are perfect.

A few years back we went to Paris by car. We are used to the Dutch style of driving so when we entered France, suddenly things started to get far more relaxed! I can't really explain it, I guess it is something you have to see for yourself. The traffic in France has it's own pace, or something. After a week in Paris we went back again. We were driving on the road, the easy "lalallalala" way, when suddenly some kind of idiot drives past up pulling stunts and driving a few Km/h to fast. Guess what kind of licence plate the idiot had? Jep, it was a Dutch one. The closer we got to Holland, the more idiots we encountered, until we were surrounded by idiots, and got used to the Dutch way of driving again. I have had some Germans who also said that Dutch people are idiots on the road.

You know, I used to be really proud of being a Dutch girl. The Netherlands were my pride! But so many things are changing. People are getting rude and only care about themselves. We are starting to lose our morals and values. Of course this is something that happens everywhere, but these are the things that bother me most. And of course I do know that not every Dutch person is like this but, these are the "typical Dutch things" that bother me.

I hope I will give the people who read this something to think about. And please share your thoughts.
And for those who feel insulted by this: I'm really sorry if I insulted you, I did not mean to do so, but hate comments will be deleted and I will not delete this post.


Love,

Chibi Ohimesama

(ps: Pictures of my room will follow, but I wanted to get this off my chest first, because it had been annoying me for ages)
(source picture: http://www.goeievraag.nl/vraag/typisch-nederlands.33894)

Moving is a hassle...2

hello my dears,

Theres not a lot to share today, sadly.

But I did want to share something fun: my first experience with painting! I'm finally growing up.

This is what my hands look like right now, haha. Yes, I am typing with those painty hands <3

Love ya <3