I finally got a blog of myself and MisterEducated in the car and asked him about our upcoming puppy. I still need to work a lot of kinks out for instance our in-car station doesn’t fit our new phones so I had to hold it awkwardly. Boo! Next time the video will be less jumpy.
I’ve been vlogging. That’s right. I said it. My vlogs are also pretty chill and probably not to entertaining.. for now.. but I’m learning. I’m pretty much forcing myself to do it regardless of whether I have a purpose or not because I feel like it’s useful in my personal life (get used to talking to strangers!) and I feel it removes the ‘behind-the-screen’ illusion that stands between you and I (no hiding that awkward laugh anymore!). So bear with my while I learn the INS and OUTS of vlogging, the YouTube community and how to communicate with you in all sorts of exciting ways.
I figured adding some useful vlog research I scrounged up could be beneficial if you’d like to 1. join me on this adventure; 2. make a response video so I can get to know you more dearly or 3. consider vlogging at least in the future.
As I am a YouNEWB and I have little to no views, subscribers or fellow vloggers to frolic with in the land of unforeseen videos… please comment or subscribe to my channel (MiseducatedTV) and I’ll do the same so we can bask in the glory of having an ally.
1. Be Vocal in The YouTube Vlogging Community
Find other vloggers, leave comments, be friendly. You see on some of your favorite YouTubers videos the same people leaving comments and communicating with other viewers? Do that. Those people make friends in the community. It’s a lot like blogging.. to get new friends and comments you have to be friendly and give comments. NOTE: Do not shamelessly self-promote in comments, post genuine comments related to their videos.
2. Collaboration
YouTube even pushes collaboration in their Playbook. Why? 1. You get exposed to an audience who may never have seen you before and 2. By being associated with a YouTuber others’ watch you are given credibility in the eyes of their audience.
Ready to collaborate? Just ask someone. I was once told as a young designer if I wanted something (like an opportunity, a project or a job) to ask for it. Sometimes it fails but more often than not it works. Don’t hold yourself back, just ask! Hell, you can even ask me. I might just say yes.
3. Join an Online Forum/Group
There are several. I joined YTalk because it’s a pretty large one. Forums don’t get the same attention they once did due to social media (Google+ YouTube Group) but they are still prime places for certain topics and YouTube is one of those topics.
4. Make Trend-Friendly Content
Find bloggers you like with popular videos and reply with video responses using similar keywords so they can find you, use trendy tags in your vlogs (I recently noticed the ‘Boyfriend’ tag as well as the ‘Draw my Life’ tag) and stay on top of news, current events/trends and pop culture that could land you a top video when people are searching for information about said topics.
5. Be Optimized for Traffic
Similar to blogging again but quite unique as well. Always be optimized for search-engine traffic just in case your video is meant to go viral.
I got nominated for the Liebster Award by Natasja at Kao-ani.com. The idea of the Liebster Award is to introduce blogs to a wider audience, build community and give the bloggers a chance to share something personal about themselves.
1. What made you want to start blogging?
I had originally started my website in the late 90s because I had gotten a computer as a 10 year old and became very interested in learning HTML and graphic design. I’ve always been into creating things so it seemed the next logical step!
2. What is your biggest dream?
My biggest dream would have to be to spend a life filled with love, fun, travels, animals, parties, good food and art with my soul mate and our children (including the furry ones!). I would love to go back to Japan with my entire family one day (all 4 kids!) and continue to enjoy making art alongside my honey.
3. If money were no object, what would you do all day?
I like to think I would still be doing what I am doing! I would definitely still create art and blog, write and create. I’m sure I would travel and shop quite a bit more and probably renovate my house more extravagantly but otherwise most things would be the same. That’s when you know you’re doing what you love!
4. What is your favorite country or place to visit and why?
My favorite places to visit are Tokyo, Japan and Paris, France. I love to travel and experience new sights, smells, foods and art. I believe traveling and meeting new friends is one of the real gems of life.
5. Oops, you’re stranded on an island (with plenty of water & food). What three things would you want with you?
Things? Hmm.. that makes it tough.. I would definitely want my family with me but if I can only bring things I believe they would be 1. a HUGE notebook; 2. a bag of pencils and 3. lots of rope (to make a home).
6. Name a movie and/or book that you recently watched/read and can highly recommend.
I recently have been watching a television show called “My Ghost Story” on Amazon (free with Prime!) — there are many seasons and some of the stories are quite spooky and interesting. I recommend if you are interested in learning about the afterlife.
7. What do you collect?
I collect a few things such as Blythe dolls, dollhouse miniatures, baby yarn, kitschy vinyl records, mugs and dishes and craft supplies of course. I have a LOT of craft supplies in my studio.
8. What do you do to get “zen”?
I like to rest on my couch with my kitty (Calvin) and knit something for someone I love. If I really am wanting a zen feeling I light a candle or incense, play some records and create something cute.
9. What is the wisest thing someone ever told you?
“Keep doing what you’re doing and never give up on what you believe is right and just.”
10. What song do you like to sing out loud?
I love to sing Ave Maria out loud when I’m alone, I belt it out and it reminds me of choir practice as a teen and fills my home with happy energy.
11. If you could learn something super fast (Matrix-style), what skill would you pick?
I’ve studied Japanese in Japan and I have a childs vocabulary. I would love to instantly know all Japanese and Kanji.
1. I love to cook Japanese food.
2. I have 4 children.
3. I believe in ghosts.
4. I am a MEGA animal lover and used to live on a farm but preferred the city to settle down in.
5. I lived with a host family in Japan for several months (plus visits) in college and am still close to them as though I’m there adopted daughter.
6. My soul mate was at one time my art professor and friend before we started dating many years later.
7. I always knew I would have a daughter at 25 years old and was told by a psychic she would be very special to the world. Alas at 25 after trying for over a year I got pregnant with my daughter (now 4 years old).
8. Knitting for me is meditative.
9. I live in a 3 story (plus full basement) four-square home that is 100 years old and features a mural of a castle in the dining room.
10. I love pen palling and mail art!
11. I have been writing a horror fairy tale for many years and have never released it or tried to have it published.
1. Link back to the person who nominated you.
2. Answer the same 11 questions your nominator answered above.
3. Post 11 random facts about yourself.
4. Pick 11 nominees to answer your 11 questions.
5. You can’t nominate the person who nominated you!
6. Tell your 11 nominees you have nominated them.
1. Jamie from Kawaii or Die
2. Zambi from Studio Cutecake
3. Holly from A Little Stranger
4. Isabelle from Bohemian Musings
5. Lauren from Calico Skies
6. Sophie from Dark Vice
7. Erika from Erika Lee XO
8. Rachel from Glass of Win
9. Jessica from Jessica Borutski
10. Angela from This Muse is Taken
11. Victoria from Parfait Doll
First off let me say I do not condone the use of vanity contacts unless you have extensively read about how to wear, care for and use them safely. If you’re in any doubt please see an eye doctor and take the lenses to learn more about them. These lenses are a one size fits all so if you have a different eye shape it can cause complications.
Next, I finally uploaded a little review of the contacts from a NON-SEASONED contact wearer. In other words.. this was my first time wearing contacts. It wasn’t too tough or painful so I would have to say for a quick photo shoot these will do wonders! They are lovely, easy to wear and come in tons of colors and designs. If you’re looking for a good selection of lenses at an exceptional price check out Pinky Paradise. I know I’ll be getting a few more colors for fun next time!
I’m pretty new to VLOGGING on YouTube so if you’d like to be friends or collab in any way please let me know. I’m enjoying the ease these days of having a new phone to shoot and edit video on the go. The above video is one of the older tries! Beware the audio is a little slow! Ooops. Bad import.
Accessories by Sanrio and Sugar Junkie!
Well… although I had just had a major surgery I felt that it was important for me to push myself out of the nest aka laying in bed in pain because, hey, it had been long enough. It’s time to force myself to be myself again and stop wasting away on the occasional apple slice. So I figured I’d heal with a bang and off I went to LA!
I must say the airport customer service was amazing to wheel me to the plane, THANKS DELTA. I would have been extremely slow moving and in considerable pain but would still have made myself walk had they not offered to wheel me around. I was so shocked at the amount of customer service I received just because my stomach was stapled!
So I arrived in LAX and felt a bit sad my best friend Kimi would not be waiting for me as she is every other flight (it was a super quick business day week trip and I couldn’t stay through the weekend) but I was still extremely happy to be back in the California sun and air and meet up with my Indy friend who arrived a couple days earlier.
I slept decently in a lovely home overlooking LA being watched over by the Hollywood sign and the next day we were off to the beach and to explore areas we hadn’t explored before. I never get to go to LA for tourist attractions so we went to Venice, Little Tokyo and other assorted neighborhoods. Her brother Danny Detox lives there and is in the band The Ex-Gentlemen so we also ended up a few other places to meet him.
The last evening there was the HELLO KITTY CON 2014 aka the first Hello Kitty Convention ever in the United States. Miseducated was invited to the Press Event and VIP Opening Party so off I went to snap a huge stack of photos and gather goodies to feature!
I must say I filled up my SLR as well as my phone camera with many more photos to take! I did get tired early due to my surgery but I met some new and old friends (was very impressed with Stephiee’s work on the fashion installation, it made my eyes bleed holographic glitter and several of the outfits glittered back begging to come home in my suitcase), filled up all of my cameras, got media packs and enjoyed connecting with Christina of California Focus Magazine.
As I said above, Lovely Kitty Wonder: A Hello Kitty Fashion Installation, was a very-impressive eye-candy-filled feature curated by Stephiee Nguyen of JapanLA Clothing. With shockingly sweet creations carbonated with cute couture by 13 designers including Ophelia Overdose, Abigail Greydanus, a-morir, Fiori Couture and Doll Eyes, it was a no-miss.
Did you know there was even a FREE tattoo parlor? Not enough to inspire this non-tattoo kind of girl to get a tattoo but such a wonderful idea! I genuinely thought about getting a Kitty holding Colette’s name. Sadly I was not able to take advantage of the amazing, free ink artists due to my indecisive and tattoo-less nature.
I couldn’t help but take quite a lot of photos of these amazing paintings (and ceramics not pictured!) by Dabs Myla because my Mister is a contemporary realism artist that paints still lifes and creates ceramics so I felt it would be the utmost importance for him to see a Hello Kitty still life and tea set in all of their glory.
I must also say the place that gave me the biggest heart throbs was the vintage shop with actual vintage items for sale and a lot of old Sanrio photos. I also almost gagged on glory as I tried on the Hello Kitty x Chan Luu Kitty Con limited rainbow crystal jewelry finding myself unable to leave without them. As when I went to Puroland, a few tears came out for my childhood superstar. They even had my 80s Kitty TV! Sadly I did not get a chance to look at the price. I was trying to get a good collection of photos and explore everything before everyone else showed up and started crowding in. So please enjoy! I can’t very well explain it well enough to do justice, this was all for the photographs baby! It was just the event to push me out of my pain induced coma to go into a happy induced daze that reminds me what I’m doing and why.
Near the end of the VIP party (and after my backpack was filled to the brim with Kitty White goodies) off I went to have dinner in Little Tokyo with my dear friend Emma.
Did you get to go and what was your favorite part if so?? Maybe next time we can meet for a rainbow donut and a cup of blooming tea!
So a thing happened. Many things happened. Most of all I survived them. Even the one that was out of my hands. The universe must have some more plans for me, what can I say.
Upon doing yoga with a friend (Emma) I must have twisted a unknowingly deformed small intestine in my inner scar tissue from my cesarian. I didn’t feel it. We went to work and eat from the comfort of my dining room. I ate a delicious burger that Mister Educated made for me. Then.. pain. Immense pain. Is this food poisoning? It doesn’t feel that way. I’ll lay down and take a nap. No, no I won’t. I begin breaking out in sweats and chills, losing consciousness. Is this for real? I have a high pain tolerance but this is insanity. Emma? She takes me to the dr. My blood pressure is so low they think the machine is broken. Emma rushes me to the ER. They think I’m lying. I must be some sort of person wanting pain medicine because there is no visible injury. No, please no. No pain medicine. I won’t take it. Just right the wrong in my body.
The nurses, they tell me to put on a mask. They assume I just have a stomach bug. Ebola perhaps. But no. No this is not a virus. This is my body shutting down.
This is probably appendicitis. Your gallbladder is probably acting up. You must have food poisoning. This will clear up tonight. Tomorrow you’ll be fine. Really? Thank you! This will all go away! But it feels so much worse already? *violent retching*
The next morning. The surgeon. This could clear up on it’s own. The tests seem like it’s hopeful. Or we can take a look surgically. WHAT? It hurts.. but I want to go with Mister.. What do you think? It’s up to me? I feel like something could be very wrong. I think you should take a look. I will then.
Stomach sick, in a daze, can’t stop vomiting on the operating table. Everyone is telling me it’s going to be ok. My husband is here and I will see him soon. It will all be ok. Everything is probably just fine. It will just be a small incision for our camera. Breathe in the anesthesia. Relax. Go to sleep…
Yes, we removed a foot of her small intestine. It had died. It was caught in scar tissue. She had a cyst. If we had’t operated she’d have died. She’s very lucky. Yes, here’s your husband. He’s here.
Tears of joy. Then. The pain. A new pain. Three stab wounds? A large cut along my midsection? Staples? It’s ok, you have a man that loves you. No one will even notice in a few years. You would have died if you’d have waited. You were very sick.
I know. I know I should trust my intuition more strongly. Thank you for saving my life, dr. Thank you for being the one surgeon who believed me.
Life is limited, treat it with love.
Yesterday (Oct 8th) was my best friend and soul mate David’s 40th birthday so guess what I decided to do? Use the frozen carrot mush we had leftover from juicing earlier and make him some birthday cupcakes! He told me I had hoarded way too much carrot mush and would never use it and so VIOLA I’m going to make it delicious. Our family name means land of the rabbits so what better way to celebrate his life than with CARROTS!? I know.. there really isn’t one. This recipe is catered to him but you could substitute all sorts of things such as adding crushed walnuts, raisins, etc.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LOVE!
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix. I like to use my clean hands so that I permeate my heart into whatever I’m making and I can feel that everything is adequately mixes. This is how I make all baked goods, bread, desserts, etc. Love it or leave it.
Evenly fill the greased muffin cups or muffin liners and bake at 350 degrees for around 18-22 minutes. Check around 18 minutes depending on how quickly your oven bakes, your tins etc. I like to check early as opposed to cooking things too dry. If a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean then remove the muffin tins and let cool before frosting.
In a bowl use your mixer to beat the butter and cream cheese until very smooth and creamy while slowly adding the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Pipe the frosting on the top of the tops of the cupcakes. For quick piping I like to add the icing to a ziplock with the corner cut off and pipe on top of the cupcakes.
Miseducated was invited to a media preview and opening party of the 2014 Hello Kitty Convention for Hello Kitty’s 40th Anniversary located at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA (The Museum of Contemporary Art) in Downtown Los Angeles on October 30th – November 2nd. I was a little hush hush about this because I wasn’t sure if I would be able to make it but it ended up being right time, right place, free flight. So alas we are very excited to feature this event because, as you know, Kitty is my absolute favorite character! I can hardly read the below information without going into a whirlwind of heart-pounding glee. See you there?
This milestone event will place Hello Kitty fans at the center of the ultimate interactive experience, inviting them to immerse themselves in a never-before-seen environment where the world of Hello Kitty is celebrated, explored and experienced. Tickets for the highly anticipated Hello Kitty Con 2014 are available to purchase now at Sanrio.com.
Designed for enthusiasts from around the world to come together and celebrate all things Hello Kitty, Hello Kitty Con 2014 will present a full lineup of activations ranging from integrated workshops, lectures and panel discussions; special appearances and signings with Hello Kitty head designer from Tokyo Yuko Yamaguchi and more special guests from Japan; to interactive art installations and daily artist signings; the Hello Kitty Friendship Station Pop-up Shop offering convention exclusives; the Hello Kitty Super Supermarket featuring a curated selection of vendors offering products and experiences available only at the convention; a Hello Kitty retrospective and vintage shop selling rare collectibles from the past; product and collaboration previews; a tattoo shop; photo opportunities, and much more. Hello Kitty will be on hand for special appearances and to hug fans as part of her global Share a Hug with Hello Kitty! campaign throughout the four day extravaganza. The Hello Kitty Con ticket also includes free same-day admission ($20 value) to Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty, the Hello Kitty exhibition at the Japanese American National Museum, as well as many more free activities and goodies. “Hello Kitty Con 2014 is a testament to Hello Kitty’s remarkable ability to connect with people of all ages and backgrounds in many ways, on many levels,” said Janet Hsu, President and COO of Sanrio, Inc. “It is a celebration of community and a labor of love for Sanrio, and we are thrilled to share this experience with fans.” Celebrating more than 15 years of partnership, Target is teaming up with Sanrio to offer fun, interactive and immersive activations at Hello Kitty Con 2014. To kick-off the convention, Target will co-host the VIP preview event on October 29th, where attendees can take photos with Bullseye and have exclusive access to game stations and prizes. Passionate Hello Kitty fans can visit “Hello Kitty & Bullseye Adventures presented by Target” during the convention to experience a visual and physical narrative that follows Hello Kitty and Bullseye through a series of fun activation areas.
Sanrio and Target will offer limited-edition, co-branded product available only at the convention. A further offering of exclusive Hello Kitty 40th Anniversary product – from apparel and cosmetics, to accessories and toys – will be available beginning September 14th at Target stores nationwide and at Target.com. Hello Kitty Con 2014 will also offer fans the following:
DISCOVERY: Hello Kitty-fy your life by participating in workshops on Hello Kitty scrapbooking, flower arranging, nail art, DIY jewelry making and more; panel discussions on topics ranging from Hello Kitty super fans, Japanese pop culture, Lolita culture, Hello Kitty as muse and more; and lectures featuring a first time Q&A with Hello Kitty head designer from Tokyo Yuko Yamaguchi, Simone Legno, artist and creator of the tokidoki brand; and Dr. Christine Yano, co-curator of Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty; among others. Tickets for workshops are on sale now at Sanrio.com. Panels, lectures and signings will be handled on a first come, first served basis.
EXPLORATION: Stroll down memory lane in the Hello Kitty Product Retrospective showcasing classic vintage products — including the first Hello Kitty product ever created, the original Hello Kitty coin purse (on display for the first time in the U.S.)! Stroll through Hello Kitty’s Friendship Village and visit the Hello Kitty House to discover a life-size home decorated in Hello Kitty inside & out and wander through various Hello Kitty photo opps.
SHOPPING: Pick up limited edition Hello Kitty Con exclusives, special items from around the world and collaboration products in the Hello Kitty Friendship Station Pop-Up Shop; sift through authentic, rare, collectible Hello Kitty products in the Sanrio Vintage Shoppe and visit the Super Supermarket for exclusives, limited edition products, gifts and goodies from special Sanrio partners & collaborators including SEPHORA, JapanLA, Loungefly, Dylan’s Candy Bar, SPAM® Brand, Major League Baseball, Chan Luu, Perfect Square/VIZ Media, Upper Deck, and many more.
ART: Enjoy interactive art installations and photo ops created by artists POSE and Dabs Myla; and instruction from artists Camilla d’Errico, Esther Kim, Dabs Myla, and Martin Hsu, who will be on hand throughout the four days to lecture & teach Hello Kitty Art Classes. Five leading tattoo artists have created custom flash artwork & will offer FREE (real!) tattoos at the Hello
Kitty Tattoo Shop – throughout the convention, on a first come, first served basis. Sanrio Tokyo’s resident nail artist and Hello Kitty Nail Art book author Masako Kojima will be on hand giving fans a chance to Hello Kitty-fy their nails. The JapanLA Art + Fashion Shop will feature super limited art prints, figures and artist tees from favorite artists including 64 Colors, Buff Monster, Crowded Teeth, Joe Ledbetter, Miss Kika, and more.
FASHION: Check out super fantastical Hello Kitty fashion on display at Lovely Kitty Wonder: A Hello Kitty Fashion Installation curated by Stephiee Nguyen of JapanLA Clothing. See one-of-a-kind creations by 13 designers from all over the globe including Ophelia Overdose, Abigail Greydanus, amorir, Fiori Couture and dolleyes.
FOOD: From Hello Kitty sweet treats to L.A.’s yummiest food trucks, there is no need to leave Hello Kitty Con when your stomach is rumbling.
FUN: Ticket holders can enjoy free activities including crafts, games, giveaways, a Hello Kitty pumpkin patch, photo booths, special sneak peeks at upcoming Hello Kitty projects, and many more superfun surprises throughout.
SOCIAL (#HelloKittyCon): Fans can stay connected with all things Hello Kitty Con through a variety of social elements aimed at both convention goers and those not attending the event. Hello Kitty’s millions of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram friends can share photos and access contests and behind-the-scenes footage to connect with their Hello Kitty fan community.
Sanrio will also host a contest giving fans a chance to win a VIP trip to Hello Kitty Con 2014. Hello Kitty Con 2014 will run concurrently with Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty, the first ever Hello Kitty museum exhibition in North America, taking place across the street at the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) from October 11th through April 2015. Hello Kitty Con ticket holders will have access to the museum exhibition, where they can explore a retrospective of rare and unique pieces from Sanrio’s archives and an art exhibit featuring 40 mixed-media works by contemporary artists, throughout the duration of Hello Kitty Con.
Tickets for Hello Kitty Con 2014 are available for purchase now on Sanrio.com. Further details and updates on Hello Kitty’s 40th Anniversary celebration can be found here, where fans can visit throughout the year to stay connected and informed about Hello Kitty Con 2014, Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty at JANM, exclusive products and more.
Update: DOLLS KILL apparently steals designs from artists for their original items but they are good at finding cute brands~ just use their website to find what you like and buy it somewhere else.
I’m feeling like a kitten lost in a carnival of catnip tea and door mice on parade so today I’d like to just enjoy gazing things that would appear to make my closet happier. If you’ve ever visited DOLLS KILL you know just what I mean.
I am really into the MADE WITH CODE project. It’s gorgeous and positive. As a once very young coder (11 years old) I would have exploded confetti to see such a movement on or offline. Have you heard? Shapeways (D printing marketplace and community) and Google (you know.. Google) have teamed up to promote the successful design and innovations (AND CODING!) of girls and women around the globe.
Not only is this a gorgeous project but you can also make a 3D bracelet on your computer that Shapeways will print (FOR FREE) with their 3D printer (if you live in the US).
“Today, less than 1% of girls are majoring in CS. Tomorrow, we can make that number go up.” – Made With Code
Maybe your daughter will be the next big designer? Let her try these adorable projects and have fun together being creative.
Made with Code is an initiative to champion creativity, girls, and code, all at once. The movement is designed to do three things: To inspire girls by celebrating women and girls who are using code to do great things; to engage girls to try coding through introductory projects and resources; and to sustain their interest by creating alliances and community around girls and coding.
Join the movement and have fun. We sure are.