Japan – Page 5 – Miseducated

Confessions of a Confection Obsession

10/20/2009

Everyone loves sweets right? But how long do those sweets last?

Well, I have stumbled upon a little secret to make them stylish, cute, and last forever; perfect for the sweet lover in all of us. Sprinkles, cupcakes, candies, and chocolates are so yummy, and look almost too good to eat. So now you can accessorize yourself with them and let the whole world know about your confection obsession. With all the colors, the textures, and the sugary goodness, who can resist? I know I cannot, so my inspiration is to make something that looks sweet enough to eat, and cute enough to wear.

My sweet goodies are kitschy art pieces of sweet eye candy. Mix together some sprinkles, glitter, crystals, and cast in clear or colored resin, and then you are good to go like the sweet diva you are! These yummy treats are made to be rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, pins, and everything, to make a scene.

These are the sweets that won’t go bad, won’t give us cavities, or even the calories. These are accessories we can put on to make us smile and feel happy. My goodies, can remind us of the fun times we had when we were just kiddies. Like the birthday parties we went to, the ice cream shops we visited, and the treats we’d get when we were good little boys and girls. These times are often forgotten in the fast paced life a lot of us live. These were the simpler times in our life, filled with childhood dreams, rainbows, and sweets along the way,

So you too can go back to that place and live out your childhood dreams, or just relive them and have fun. I hope my pieces can take you back to that place. One of my favorite childhood pastimes were playing with jewelry and dressing up, and here I am today living that dream. This is what keeps me going, I love what I do and have fun doing it. This is my chance, a chance to love and be with my family, while I live out my passion to create. It is all I ever wanted, and I going for it.

If you should take anything from this piece, I hope you take with you the love and inspiration to live out your dreams. This is the very thing that will keep you going and not want to stop. It makes living that much more worth living. It is wonderful when you love what you do, and get to share it with the world. It makes living that much more sweeter ;o) and soo miseducated!!!

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Self Decoration

Graphic Makeup

10/18/2009

Does makeup matter? It matters as much or as little as you want it to. It can be as lovely, nude and natural as you like.. or it can be as out loud exciting as an lighting bolt. I ~~like~~ love it when people take things to the next level when using graphics and design to decorate their faces and bodies. YES PLEASE. YESYESYES.

Be sure to check out the step-by-step makeup tutorials in the Japanese magazine scans as well as some artist photos and tutorials below~

Makeup is a magic mask of color just waiting for you to get creative and change the rules. Wear it to a rave or, if you like to march to the beat of your own drum like most of us do, wear it to get groceries whenever you feel the need!

Decadent Makeup Here & There

From all around the world, cartoon, model or artist.. we like our makeup loud and clear.

Merci to the wonderful Audrey Kitching for her own love of the Miseducated lifestyle. She makes us so proud we could burst.

80s-inspired Magic Makeup

Courtesy of the amazing Bethany.

Colorful & Creative Makeup

This last colorful and creative makeup tutorial is by the wonderful Rebecca. Living a Miseducated life to her means, “Be yourself, never stop learning & never hold back on your creativity.”

Perfect!

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Self Decoration

Let’s go to the Nail Salon!

10/17/2009

Imagine your fingernails sparkling when they are typing on the keyboard or flipping the pages of a book! Pretty fingernails really make one feel very happy! Think Sanrio, “Small gift, big smile.” In times like these it’s the sweet, inspired things that really go a long way.

So let’s go on a trip to the nail salon I frequent in Hong Kong! I’m planning to get some gel nails with 3D acrylic nail art and Swarovski crystals.

Amazingly the nail painter accomplished my rough sketches to wonderful gel nails!

I found the patterns in some Japanese nail art magazines which the nail salons provided.

But if those magazines can not satisfy your crazy thought about nail art, it is surely more fun to design your own cute nail tips! Miseducated girls are all about inspired lives and diy — I’m sure you have many ideas to use.

You can change your nails in honor of a holiday or occasion; how about a Christmas version with snowman and Christmas tree?

Just draw whatever you would like on your nails and simply write some descriptions about the colours and what kind of stone you prefer.

Use the ideas in magazines as an inspiration, but most importantly, have fun and create whatever you like!

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Crafts DIY

Create your own Nail Art

10/13/2009

Fingernails.. Toenails.. they’re like mini canvases waiting to be painted (or collaged!). I used to have such a love for nail art that I devoted an entire website to it, complete with fanlisting! The fanlist grew large, the discussion about Japanese fashion, makeup and nail art was booming.

Now thanks to the rad Japanese fashion magazines people scan and share and Gwen Stefani, Japan fashion is even more prevalent today. (yay!)

Japan has a hand up in life design.
Design is a process that we can take to every level.
Let’s not ignore our nails! 😉

So how will we get this decadent inspiration without scanning bookstores for Japanese fashion magazines and nail salon listings? Here of course!

Below are some cute nail tips and tutorials from Japan, I’m absolutely digging on the strawberries.

No matter what you decide~ enjoy life to the fullest while you design your world.

Nail art scans are from Japanese fashion magazines such as ecocolo, CUTiE, CUTiE Book, melon, egg, Kera, BLENDA, JILLE, ku:nel, Nail Up, etc and, my favorite nail salon, PinkyNail.

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Mew for Today Visual Splendor

Mew for Today: Where in the World?

10/03/2009

It’s been quite a terrible week! What better reason than that to go shopping in Japan? Another department store no less, this one, tailored for us online shoppers! It’s a big stop for Japanese and Americans alike~

I’m a little speechless today because all I want to discuss is the features coming up soon and I’m trying to wait.. 😉 You’re probably not as silly as I am, but if you love toys, cuties, and more you’ll be happy!

Speaking of toys, cuties and more… let’s get a load of the goodies I found while searching high and low in the wonderland of Japanese whimsy splashed product. I’m certainly feeling the urge to go back to my heartland soon… Where do you feel you belong in the world? I’ve been questioning this a lot recently as we’ve been prepared to move for quite awhile and yet we find ourselves unable to make a move.. or should I say ME. Until very soon.

So to relieve my worries I’ve always found happiness in being surrounded in cute, lovely, well-designed items.. I’d love to hear your ways of coping with stress and anxiety as well! Feel free to leave them below — much appreciated~

Did I mention How Magazine added us as one of the Top 10 Sites for Designers this month? It’s funny because I *love* that magazine, always looking hot on the shelves begging me to dive into jumpstartworkmode.

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Crafts DIY

Decadently Decorate your Camera

09/30/2009

Once I saw the milk chocolate camera on Fuji’s official website, I knew I had to decorate it with sweets and delicious desserts as much as I could! haha

Here I bought some very cute plastic sweets (cabochons) from shops at Yu Chau Street in Hong Kong. The street is very popular for its accessory shops. You can find a broad variety of components with different styles, which can be used in DIY (such as earrings, brooches, etc.) or to customize anything you like!

WOW… yummy!!!

This is my nude camera and the components.

Finally I squeezed all the sweets and cream on it! haha!!!! Love it so much! 😀

My boyfriend nearly cried after seeing the new look of the camera (that HE had bought me). He thinks it is to abnormal for one to carry such a cluttered, exaggerated camera to take photos. hehe.. but then I read the information about Miseducated, “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” – Dr. Seuss, hoho! That’s right! I know my boyfriend really doesn’t mind my crazy works. It’s really important for us to be who we are or else we will lose our own personalities and the ability to imagine and create new things! 😀

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Mew for Today Visual Splendor

Mew for Today in Kiddy Land

09/29/2009

Now it’s time to go to one of my absolute favorite shops to visit in Japan, Kiddy Land. I love going there with friends and wondering through the 7 floors of toys, color and fun. I can never get enough and I usually don’t leave until my basket is overflowing into my arms. Small weakness: cute and whimsical characters.

It’s a great girl date *and* a workout too, especially if you climb the stairs and oogle the gashapon (capsule machines) along the way. They capsule machines taunt you with miniature collectables, keychains, toys.. all of them are cuter than the next (if possible). All limited edition, once they’re gone they’re gone.. so if you happen to be a huge fan of a certain character you might purchase a number of capsules to get your favorite. Absolutely addictive. As are the arcades. Prizesprizesprizes. Collectcollectcollect. They’re trying a new thing in Japan (new in the USA) and it’s called offering high-quality prizes that people actually want. Haha.. to be fair I’ve noticed Japanese capsule machines popping up around our malls as well but the selection must have been tailored more for American kiddies.. no Sanrio!

As with any shop-a-long you get my gab to accompany you as well as the sometimes painfully-bright rainbow colors of Miseducated’s world.

Did I mention I recently seem to have become a fan of RUN-ON sentences? According to my writing the sentences. articles and explanations get longer and longer. I apologize for that. *bonk*

As we’re shopping remember to grab a cold drink so you don’t get too tired gazing at everything you want to play with! It’s easy to get fatigued here. Best to have a sugary drink or coffee for a more speedy trip (burst of energy). Or you could be healthier than I happen to be.

What was it you said you were looking for? Hot pink toenail clippers with your initials on them? 😉

I’m currently addicted to the girly-style boy briefs! The waist bands are adorable.. !! Check out the finds below and see what I mean.

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Design Your Life

Minimalism vs Hoarding and Decadent Interior

09/24/2009

If I could just… if this was.. it still doesn’t *feel* right!

I’m often finding myself stuck when designing new layouts for Miseducated — it started so collage heavy as I was using tons and tons of popular icons.. then I started seeing the collage thing EVERYWHERE and it was feeling cluttered so I obviously cut it down… :p I always feel that deconstructing and ridding of any excess is a positive thing.

Now why is this?

My room was very cluttered as a child and I hoped for a day when I would have my own modern, minimalist house.

As you can see my minimalism kind of lost the battle with whimsical nonsense and fantasy candylands. Obviously I find my *greatest* satisfaction in cuteness, well-designed, minimal yet colorful homes (Jeu de Paumes went RIGHT UP my alley, didn’t they yours? ^_~).

.. but is deleting and deconstructing making it better really? Is it just my fucked up sense of things?

I *know* hoarding isn’t healthy, it’s very hard to overcome like any addiction… so does that mean that minimalism is the goal? We simply *must* know! I’m very familiar with hoarding regarding my own life and have studied it extensively in my obsession with psychology and helping myself and those around me.

(… and while we’re at it, why do you *insist* on using asterisks *everywhere*?!

Because I often despise italics, use bold for other things and have a strange need to use the only flower on my keyboard over and over and over! As well as inserting random thoughts that have no relevance to the subject at hand –if anything this NEGATES minimalism–because of course, I am a crazy rambler. With all positives come negatives. ^_~)

Hoarding

Hoarding is the excessive collection of items, along with the inability to discard them.
Hoarding, also called compulsive hoarding and compulsive hoarding syndrome, can be a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
People who hoard often don’t see it as a problem, making treatment challenging.
– Mayo Clinic

Minimalism

A twentieth century art movement and style stressing the idea of reducing a work of art to the minimum number of colors, values, shapes, lines and textures. – ArtLex

Funny thing is.. minimalism is many times regarded as ‘rejective art’ and I think of it as ‘perfective’ art — it’s a very tough thing to master correctly — it can be done both very right and very wrong.

A minimal lifestyle… now that’s exactly what I admire. When applying the rules of minimalism to your life and home it helps a lot if you’re moving (I was) or organizing absolutely everything — it’s good to do yearly (*spring*cleaning)!

1. Evaluate your possessions that sit on shelves.
2. Find a place for everything.
3. Enjoy what you have.
– Christian PF

Zakka

Another design movement, but in Japan. Generally means improving your environment and seeing beauty in the mundane.

When I see zakka it reminds me almost of a minimalist cuteness and innocence, it is completed with the sweet kitschy illustrations and/or designs that are *just enough* to add color and sweetness into the room. It’s very natural and inspired by country lifestyle.

Which lifestyle do you lean towards? 😉

Gallery

Merci: Landscape Online, Momoy, Christopher Coleman, Elidur, Homepic, SoSuperSam, BKK Home, Zakka Candy

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Mew for Today Visual Splendor

Mew for Today: Japanese Lifestyle Goods

09/21/2009

Mmmmmm.. what’s that smell? Is it rice cakes? Deliciously sweet and fruity shaved ice? Perhaps Lollipop icecream from Baskin Robbins? Flavors stacked in neat little balls to the sky? We must be shopping in Japan.. I often spend as much of my money on the arcade, treats and nonsense junk than I do on anything that anyone else would appreciate.

.. but who cares! It’s my life right?

I know the love for adorably cute things doesn’t translate well to everyone.. I know I’m expected to finally grow out of pigtails at 24.. have I? No.. but I know what’s expected of me and I choose to be myself because I am miseducated and I am inspired by all sorts of funny, little things.

One of my favorite past times would have to be skipping around Japanese department stores alone when I lived in Tokyo.. I used to escape the busy chaos of living and find hours upon hours I could spend visiting each little section of the wonderland lifestyle playgrounds we’ll call, Japanese department stores.

The department stores in Tokyo tend to be an accumulation of colorful masses (selectively arranged, mind you) of little shops and stands in malls — in these shops you’ll find delicious interior accessories, diy inspirations, office supplies, health and beauty goods, it’s unending! A maze of wonder!

You generally have to check your purchases out in each shop/section and will receive a bag containing your purchases nicely taped shut so that you may take it on your continuing store journey.. when I say stands I mean exquisite stores, Vivienne Westwood scarves and Shisheido makeup, San-x, Sanrio, Daisy Lovers, the top products in Japan for display and sale. It’s like a museum of lifestyle inspiration.. it makes me feel invigorated and creative after a visit where many American stores leave me feeling drained and exhausted. I just had to pass on the favor to my wonderful readers and inspire their day in even the littlest way. 😉

Note that these, are Japanese wedding favors and absolutely adorable yet still aesthetically pleasing. Not to mention very easy to match with any chosen color palette!

My absolute favorite type of balloons ever! Reminds me of cute, kiddy, popadelic 80s Valentine’s parties; it just so happened my birthday was the day before Valentine’s day so I never had a shortage of cute heart decor to choose from!

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Mew for Today Visual Splendor

Mew for Today Café 1.0 and Fresh Cuteness

09/14/2009

Todays inspirations are as random as todays events are. I decided it was finally time to clean this little cave I’ve set up residence in.

Cave, you ask?

Well.. it’s an office room and as I work from home again I find it very hard to *remove* myself from the area thus clutter erupts around me consisting of candy-covered cuteness, sketches, notes, lighters, incense, photos, letters, everything a lady needs by her side, you know. :p *grabs a paper from the stack*

Ahhh yes, here it is! *blows powdered-sugar dust bunny dust off of the paper* Today WE (meaning myself and the cat on my shoulder) are going to give shouts to our sweetest friends online for the wonderfulness that they do.. and we’re going to dig up just the right inspiration to get us motivated to organize our junk!

BUT FIRST…

Window Shopping

Let’s go window shopping at our favorite store, Sanrio Japan!

THIS is a bouquet fit for CAT*E, add a happy (rainbow dyed) rose and you have the best bouquet evereverever in existence.

Now for those of you who DON’T understand the Hello Kitty thing… you might be getting a little overloaded with cute but I still would like to skip around the colorful, cuteness of fredflare. They *always* make me drool for something!

Have you seen these around here before?
That’s right! They were used the my snow icecream tutorial here at Miseducated, haha.

This should be great kitschy-cute inspiration for you diy-ers! <3

It’s always a good time for ice cream.. so why not let ice cream be your timer?

Cotton candy toothpicks? Perfect Idea!

This is something my best friends and I would die to find while shopping in the dental isle. When I say die what I really mean is, have an excited attack with rushes of happiness.

I’m planning much more window shopping but the sheer magnitude of my drool-list today is overwhelming.. since the rest is more furniture and interior items, I’ll save it for the next time! Want more? Let me know. .. and if you’ve found any kitschy cute deliciousness don’t forget to show us here! We love hearing about your great finds!

Free Love

Now for some shout outs to amazing dears in my life~
Kumako (my darling soul*sis in Japan), The Paris Apartment Blog, Creature Comforts, Pretty in Bleu, Dormia, A Little Stranger, Papercakes

Have a great blog or website you’d love to show us? You know the drill, plug it!

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