Three: Sneaky, Camouflage-y, Persistent

These past few weeks have been a little bit busy with school stuff & starting up a little business but it's also good! Chadsen started grad school last week, & I actually began to revamp writing in my personal journal. Journal writing really helps me appreciate the things that happen throughout the day and the things I have. If anybody has been feeling that they're lacking appreciation, give it a try! 

In regards to my tomato plant, one thing I've noticed over the past month is that our newly-growing tomato flowers have been dying or disappearing. For a long time I concluded that it was due to the little flying bugs that refuse to leave them alone. Although this suspicion is still high on the list, yesterday we found another possible predator to my poor tomato-to-bes: three big caterpillars! Since it was my first time encountering a big caterpillar, it's design and ability to camouflage astonished me quite a lot... so I ended up taking a few pictures before asking Chadsen to relocate them. 

These are photos of only the first one. While getting the first one off, Chadsen found a BIGGER one, and then later in the day I found yet another one (but more the size of the first one). Total: three.

P.S. Chadsen told me that he found one of them this morning in the front yard, where he placed them.

Have a good one!

Masumi

A Little Chin-bite of Sunshine

Summer is soon ending, and with it new beginnings are blooming for Chadsen & I. My husband starts grad school next week, so he ended his job just a few days ago. Although I grew accustom to living with his full-time work schedule (not saying it came quickly), it has been so nice to have a few days during the week to spend time with him. During this summer I found a new found passion, which my friends know is photography. I learned a LOT about it this summer and look forward to trying many more new things :) 

Today Chadsen & I started our day playing one of our favorite Ipad games - Plants vs. Zombies 2 and taking silly photos of the chins :) (Photos taken via Ipad). 

Please laugh with me ;)

It's so funny how ridiculous Boba looks here X)

My fav out of the three pics.

Masumi

Honestly Excited: GRE

Today marks the first day of my GRE studying. Speaking with all honesty, this is so exciting for me! Since the program that I studied at for my B.A. degree did not leave me feeling terribly smart, studying for the GRE serves as a great opportunity to gain a little more intellect. This may sound crazy but I look forward to learning new things and feeling a little bit smarter. :) Who knows though, within a week or two the elation might fizzle out and then I may begin the days of opening the book with much dread. Let's hope not though.

The GRE studying was originally planned to begin in the beginning of August but it got held up for a few weeks, but as people say better late than never. :)

Goal: Study every weekday for at least one hour. Let's hope that it goes well. 

Masumi

Bridal Shower for one of my bests, Keleny

Yesterday one my very best friends Keleny had her bridal shower.

Best friend?

Yes I just said best friend, and I say it with both caution and confidence because the topic of "best friends" can be very emotionally touchy. I do want to discuss this because I feel that other girls may have similar ideas as me when it comes to having "best friends" (I already feel oh so girly). Personally I choose not to throw the word "best friend" around often because sometimes I feel that it discourages somebody to think that a good, special friendship is out of reach with a person who already has a publicly declared best friend. Perhaps that is only how I feel, or think that is how people feel. There are an extremely few people who I can call a best friend (and they know who they are), and how lucky am I to have cultivated such a close bond of friendship with these select few over the years.  As I openly exclaim "Here's one of my best friends!", my intention is not to close the circle. I'm blessed to have friends who I can hold dear as best friends. I also look forward to developing so many more close friendships in the future, don't you? While I am confident that the close bond will never fade with those who I put in my mental treasured list of "best friends", I don't hold back the thought that there are encounters awaiting later in life with people who I either have known in the past or will meet later who I will get to be very close friends with to the point where they too become one of my bests of friends.

So let me tell you a little bit about Keleny.

Keleny has been on my oh so tiny list since I was young in years, and I have no doubt that she will forever be there. She is the sweetest, kindest person I know. She has been there for me far too many times more than I even deserved. You can literally feel her sincere love and kindness that she expresses to you, and this has been the case for me all throughout my life :). She has been such a light to me growing up and she still continues to shine as an example for me to follow. Basically, if you meet her you'll love her.

I cannot express the happiness that I felt for her as I truly realized that night that she is getting married! I have seen her literally bloom into a beautiful woman, now preparing to start a new path with the man that she loves so much.

World, I'm so excited for her. If you knew her you would be excited too. :)

The bridal shower was camping theme, as they met at a campsite & both love camping. ;))

One of my tiny decors.

My makeshift nature crown for Kel to wear at the shower.

We had many generous ladies who baked & made goodies for this occasion.
Thank you!

The future bride's mother!

I didn't even ask how much time she spent prepping her delicious goodies for the night because I knew she wouldn't say.
She is an amazing goody maker. Thank you so much!

She so willingly wore that little amateur-made crown. Too nice sista.

Happy mom :)

Describing her first dates.

Personalized embroidered towels. WHAT?

Her bow-quet ;)

These two were the lovely lady who helped prep that lovely evening.

Love you Kel :) Can't wait for her big day.

Masumi

I've been waiting forever to get this new...

Do!

Yes!! I have been eagerly waiting to get my hair chopped off for at least four months, because my current hairstyle has not been quite "me." When I came to this realization that my hair was not reflecting my personality, I was determined to schedule a haircut appointment ASAP, but this got delayed due to keeping my hair long for my friend's wedding. She wanted her bridesmaids' hair long if possible, and since keeping my hair long for a little while longer was the least I could do to help make her big day special I decided to wait it out until after she got married. Somehow the hold-up lasted an extra two months because her wedding was back in May. 

Nonetheless, today I am feeling extra happy because the day had officially arrived to get a new do! Or as you would say in Japanese, I finally got an "イメチェン” (E-meh'chen). Can you hear "image change" in that phrase, because that's what it means.

Here it is. I have probably never been so ecstatic about a haircut as I am today. Hopefully it doesn't horrify anyone, because I absolutely love it!!

  

Here's a side view. 

Semi-side view. 

Thank you to my hair stylist, who I've gone to for my hair for possible about 10 years. She's amazing! 

Masumi

Red Bell Pepper Side-Delish

A few weeks ago I tried another side dish from my favorite easy cooking book, and it was a big success.

This side dish was so simple: It only used four ingredients: Red Bell Peppers, Japanese mayo, panko & peppers. It tasted so savory and the flavor, rich! Chadsen & I loved it. 

The simplicity in making this side dish makes it a must try. 

Ingredients: 

1 Red bell pepper (or you can do yellow, or do 1/2 of each)

(Japanese) mayo - I may have put about a little smaller than quarter size on each bell pepper piece.

Panko - 1 Tbsp

Pepper - one-two shakes per piece.

Instructions:

1. Remove stem & the seeds from the bell pepper. 

2. Cut the bell pepper vertically in half & slice the bell peppers into horizontal slices (You may have to compromise & try to make the best rectangle pieces that you can).

3. Put the bell peppers onto a pan that will fit in the toaster oven, then add the mayo and panko on top.

4. In the toaster oven, bake the bell peppers for 10-15 minutes, then broil for the last few minutes (about three mins).

5. After the bell peppers look a little crispy on top remove from the oven and add a shake of pepper or two on the bell peppers.

Enjoy!

Masumi

Lately

It's been a while! For some reason I thought that Blogger was closing down, and at around the same time I had been thinking of making a new blog, which you can see hasn't yet been created since I'm posting here.

So far this summer has been both great and rocky. Job hunting is still in full throttle ever since I graduated last month but so far nothing yet. It's funny how graduates tend to struggle finding a job, I had a much easier time finding a job before graduating. The best part about this summer so far is that I have time to play with my camera and practice taking more photos. :)

A few things that has been going on lately:

July 4th - Independence Day. Chadsen & I got to do a few together thanks to our city permitting fireworks!
We had quite a good free show all around us thanks to our neighbors firing up their huge fireworks. Thank you :).

Last weekend, after getting my ring rhodium plated again Chadsen and I spent some time at a park, where we found two duckies with a side-do. This one, and...

This one. So, are these two related? 

These two were two peas in a pod the entire time we were there. They just hung out (until a big duck would come at them). Observe how the one on the left simply looks as if it is in bliss? Just look at how it smiles, so cute!

My sweet friend Ashley let me photograph her pretty much all day a few weeks back to help me practice photography!

Is she not a beaut? 

See you soon.

Masumi