starting over

So Misa is still working on my blog layout and I really haven't wanted to post any blogs in here until I actually had my layout done and practied taking pictures. But I really havent done anything since to better my apartment. 

I finished painting my room almost. I mean I would like to go over my lines and make my stripes better and put up my border. But my full size bed is up, Misa and Nou helped me put up my bedroom furniture, I got a couch, and tables in my living room and the Kitchen is painted for the most part. 

Slowly but surely. But I'm going to push myself to get my house in order. 

I'm bagging bags as I speak because I have a lot of outdated clothing and items that I can stand to get rid of to have more space and be more stylish. 

This weekend I spent like $200.00 on new clothes. money doesn't go very far but I'm really happy. I've lost track of my diet because my cyst came back and I've been on edge for a week and before that we had been getting ready for our mahou showtime performance and con stuff. 

My life is pretty much a mess right now..literally. so I'm trying to get my gyaru style in order and my house. 

I recently have been starting to do gyaru more often. I've got a few more attempts to put into my collage of attempts.  pictures go from most recent (November 1st. to Oldest October 17th). 

So here i am trying new styles and getting a better idea of make up. I would love to to know a time line of gyaru make up styles. because my newest attempt i know seems more modern where as my middle attempt going to purikura by myself seems to be older style? Either way I'm having alot of fun trying to find my make up style and fashion style.

Life Update: 8/6/14

I guess to you, my reader, seems like I haven't done much.
Maybe I havent but it feels like I have.

I've kept taking my japanese lessons, now say if I've grown much in my japanese and I will say I'm very awkward and its really difficult, even though I love it.

I'm still working on my house and my health right now. Trying to down size and start over has been difficult for me to actually get going. My motivation has been super low lately.

I started with my friend Misa doing traditional japanese dance in the dance group Sensei Yonsei Kai what is 3rd and 4th generation in japanese. The group does performances around the twin cities and puts on some events to bring awareness to japanese culture and is an outlet for japanese people living in the twin cities to particpate in their own culture and heritage while living in minnesota, usa.
we did 1 lesson so far but the biggest performance, Obon festival is coming up quickly! Next year we can particpate in the adult class and can even work on our own solo performances. I look forward to it. and we are also learning yosokoi dancing!! What should be exciting!!

Mahou Showtime is also going very well. we are still working on building our audience and completing songs but we have a few conventions lined up here in the fall that I'm really nervous about but I think we just need to get out there and do our best. <3

lastly is fashion been on my mind.

Alot of the posts I see in the japanese gaijin gyaru community lately has been about being a "real gyaru". By the standards of not caring what others think of you, drinking, partying, and being roudy. I by those standards, can not call myself gyaru. I did love gyaru fashion and really admired the work I put into my look and practicing, growing in a new fashion. But I dont think I can be a gyaru all the time, every day. Much like when I was lolita, the make up isn't very practical (like lolita dress isn't practical) for my every day life. It could work if i worked retail or in a fashion job. But I dont, and when I have nothing to do (what isn't often) like staying home, putting on make up is the last thing I think of. So maybe I'm not gyaru, I'm not quite lolita. I like kawaii fashion. I like nerdy things, I cosplay. I kinda like wearing what I want, when I want.
my excuse for not jumping into fashion lately is money. I also want to loose weight and feel confident and have more energy (loosing weight for good reason right?) I can't focus on fashion right now when I got this going on, as well adjusting and moving. Though its a dream to make purchases, its just not the right time for that.

So I'll update with my life event posts. that should be fun right?!? until then ~

Tawnya

Moving Into my new apartment, design concept and want list

The moving process is going SUPER SLOWLY on my half.

The upstairs apartment in my house is now free of my brother!! So that means the past few weeks I've been slowly packing and trying to move  things upstairs. Last weekend we had the carpet cleaners out to clean the stairs, my bedroom, and the living room. so i have 1 more room left to have cleaned.

So my mom is letting me rent the upstairs with utilities and stuff for $400.00 a month.  I get 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 1 kitchen, and a living room. I guess Its still a good deal. I'm only upset that I have no friends who want to live with me. So I'll have to try to get used to living with me and my cat, Though my family will be downstairs and I'll have my horses in the back yard.

So far I'm turning the 2nd bedroom into a sewing/craft room. ^_^

bedroom:
and my bedroom will be bubble gum pink and sexy pink. ^_^ stripes.

 like this but much darker pinks! 

new 2014 victoria's secret PINK bedset in a bag

kitchen: 

romapuri.jp 

living room: 

romapuri.jp 

off of craigslist. i hope it fits through my door way, if not i'll find something cuter!! this one is only $75.00 for the set and is very close to me!! 

these ones also on craigslist is further and is $100.00 for the set!!! i think i like the cute back XD very princessey!

Sewing Room: 

okay thats enough house inspo for now!!! 

Thank you <3 Koko 

A fresh breeze on a warm spring day

Hello Dear Reader,

Welcome to my first blog post!
I just felt like writing something here that would beable to let me segway into the more interesting things I want to talk about in this blog, thus creating something entirely something out of random space on the internet. Funny how when we were younger we understood so much about how html worked, how to do all these fun things with games, and codes, etc.
Now its all foreign to me. ^^;
Though I reached out to my friend, Misa who is opening up her own artist career to help me make a blog page. and She is designing this page for me. <3 so all the graphics you will see will be done by her! I take no credit except for paying her. so please check out her link in the side bar >>> and look at her art, commissions and please inquire with any questions you may have for her <3 she loves what she does and she's very good at it!!!

A little bit about me:

I'm 22 years old, fashion design student who has fallen in love with all things cute. since 2nd grade I've declared my favorite color as pink. My first anime was Sailor Moon and will always be my favorite. I learned that anime came from Japan and became interested in watching and reading manga. I found gyaru style in 2008 at an anime convention when the bulaklak tribe came to an anime convention I attended, I practiced my mamba make up before then and I was excited to make my manba debut and to dance para para with the group but they didn't do any of the routines I practiced. I then at the same convention, learned about Lolita fashion in a lolita fashion 101 pannel. I didn't remember what they talked about but "baby the stars shine bright" stuck in my head. Though I fell in love for Angelic Pretty. I started lolita that summer and went to my first meet up in december for a holiday gift exchange. I then started gyaru again in feb of 2014, but more seriously. I was accepted in the gaijin gyaru online magazine "GAL VIP" as baby gal/gal baby to my amazing mentor, Lolo. <<blog here>>. I really look up to many gyaru in the gaijin community as well as my friends I've kept from the lolita community. <3

Then in 2008>>>

Feb of 2014 >>>>

now June 2014>>

(still learning!!!)

my hobbies include : horseback riding, photography, dancing, watching anime, cosplaying, drawing, shopping, learning Japanese, exercising (little), cooking (alittle), interior decorating, DIY, hanging out with my friends, and obviously sewing and fashion design.

I'm mixed. basically "black and white". Though my mom is part Native American (Ojibwe), Irish, Dutch, and French Canadian the other half my dad, is African American.

I currently am moving into my own space in the apartment upstairs from the house I currently Live in. I have 2 horses, 1 cat and 1 dog (formally owned by me, though we have more than that in our family of 4 legged friends).

About This Blog:

This blog is for me to share my love and passion about my interest in Japanese culture and share with you how I incorporate this in my daily life as well as my personal goals, and triumphs, and setbacks I experiences I encounter in life. I would also like to share any knowledge and tips along the way from gyaru style to sewing hints and make up tutorials and product reviews :) Overall this blog is to allow me to connect with others who share similar interests as me. :) and a place for me to reflect. Please understand that I love all Japanese fashions, though I'd like to touch on things here and there (as I may) but I truely only know about Lolita fashion (though practicing for 5 years) and can talk about my journey as a gyaru, I am not an expert, but only make observations, these observations may be incorrect. ^^;

Project Pretty is named because Its my goal in life is to find beauty in every situation and to focus on making myself happy with pretty things and people. >>its kinda hard to explain<<


Coming up next as my entry: a haul post from Juicy Coutoure Closing sales <3 I'm so sad to see a brand I just recently fell in love with go. :( but the items I got I'm happy with! :) :)

Thanks For Reading!