Happy Birthday to Me!

Hello lovelies!

So today is my birthday!

Well, there's only about half an hour of my birthday left as I'm writing this, but I'm gonna celebrate until the end! x3

(This ended up being posted after midnight so it says November 3rd...woops. xD)

I'm honestly a little overwhelmed...

First by all of the love I received today!

I didn't expect such an out pour of heartfelt text messages, Facebook posts, and phone calls...knowing that I can make you all happy makes me so happy too.  I'm so grateful to have you all in my life, and thinking about it just brings me to tears.  

Don't worry, they're good tears!  I haven't cried tears of joy in a long time, so it's actually a good feeling, even if it is a little overwhelming.  

Anyway, today was a lot of fun!

Let's go through the day with some photos, shall we? :D

I invited a few close friends over for a tea party, and I tried out a new make up style.  I like it a lot!  It's very natural and fresh!  I wore a simple black dress from Topshop, a wide-brimmed black hat from H&M, a pearl necklace from my grandmother, and white gloves from my great aunt Jeannie.  I was channeling Audrey Hepburn. ;)

Big birthday smile!

And a big birthday cake!  This thing is HUGE!  And it's snickerdoodle flavored!  It was so tasty, but we could each only eat one thin slice because it was super rich.  I'll be giving out cake all this week! xD  It made me very happy though.  Isn't it pretty?

Good cake and good friends!  I love these girls. <3

Seriously, this is after cutting four slices. xD

Meet Merlin!  He's my new magical unicorn friend! 8D  Bethany and Becca put their monies together to get him for me.  I went away to wash my hands for a moment, and the next thing I know they pull this out of nowhere!  I was completely in shock! xD  Needless to say, this guy is gonna be my snuggle buddy all winter long.

I did have choir rehearsal tonight.  We started our rehearsals for Vespers, our big Christmas concert in December.  I decided to wear the birthday sash and my birthday tiara from last year because I like the attention.  I'm just being honest. xD  I sat with a group of very nice Freshman in the alto section, and they said they'd be calling me 'birthday girl' until they remembered my name.

Back at home, I switched into full pink wear!  Merlin and I match! xD

Now I'm all settled in under the covers with some hot tea.  My birthday this year may not have been big or flashy, but it made me very happy.  A few good friends to make you smile is all you need, right?

I'll leave you with my new favorite birthday song that my Mom's friend sent me.

A little back story on her: Suzu, as she goes on Facebook, is the person who introduced me to Japanese music, even though I didn't know it at the time.  When I was an infant, she played me "Blue Oyster" by Japanese rock band Shounen Knife. My mom blames her for my affinity for Japanese music. xD

Today she shared with me another song by Shounen Knife, simply titled "Birthday."

I was expecting something wacky and strange, which is what Shounen Knife is known for, but when I pressed play, I started to cry.  The song is so simple, but it's so sweet that you can't help but be happy when you listen to it, and the organ adds a nostalgic touch.  I'll be listening to this every year on my birthday from now on, and hopefully I can sing it for someone else on their birthday too.  Maybe I'll sing it for Suzu. ;)

Thank you to everyone who helped make my birthday special!

Thank you so much for reading, and I'll see you next time!

xoxo

Martha

Theatre Minor

Good Evening, lovelies!

It's been a long, busy week.

Midterms started on Tuesday, I got my piano exam out of the way, and I did pretty well I think!

I always get nervous when playing the piano.  It's so different than singing in front of people! x3

Anyway, the main reason for this post is...

I've completed a Theatre Minor and have added it to my degree!

Those of you who have been reading for a while know that I major in Music Business, and I switched to my current major after two years in the theatre department at my University.  A few weeks ago, I found out that I had enough credits to add a theatre minor to my degree, and I finished the paperwork this week!

That bright orange though...

I'm so happy that I have something to show for the two years of work that I put into the theatre department, and I got to see some of my professors who I haven't seen in a long time.  I was especially happy to see Sara, who taught the theatre administration classes I took, and Barbara, who taught design classes and mentored me while I was working as the Assistant Props Master for Cinderella.  

I'm also pleased that I can add this to my resume, as it shows potential employers that I have a wide variety of skills to offer in the work force.

That's something I've been thinking about a lot...getting a job once I graduate. 

I know it's still in the Fall semester, but mid terms are happening, people!!!  The semester is going by fast!

Come Spring Break, I'll be starting the job application process, and I'll be leaving part of my future in other people's hands...it's kind of scary.

But exciting too.  As my acting professor Denise said on Tuesday, it's time for me to spread my wings.

My future is uncertain, but I have some tools to get through it.  I'm sure other seniors are starting to feel the pressure of graduation right about now too...

But enough with all the serious stuff!  Tomorrow is Friday and there's fun stuff to do on the weekend!

Good night everyone, and Happy Friday Eve!

xoxo

Martha

Morticia-Inspired Black

Hello everyone!

It's been a while since I've done an outfit post, but I'm back with a new style to try!

Since it is October, I want to experiment with darker colors, and how to make them interesting, since most of my Fall/Winter fashion in past years has been quite boring with darker colors, or obnoxiously pastel.

I'm going to try and make simple outfits with dark colors into my own style.

Let's check out my first attempt, shall we?

Details from the top down:

Necklace: Betsey Johnson

Top: Thrifted

Dress: Topshop

Ring: Local artisan from Dallas

I watched The Addams Family recently, and I was inspired by Morticia's wardrobe.  She makes wearing all black look so fashionable and simple!  My problem with black in the past has been that I just look like a shapeless blob of boring.  In looking at Morticia and through my own closet, I've noticed that playing with textures is necessary when wearing all black, or mostly dark colors.  Using the top with lace sleeves, I created a point of interest in my outfit, even though it's only one color.  The A-line hem of the dress makes for a flattering shape as well, complimenting the tightness of the sleeves and the top of the dress.  

In the interest of keeping this outfit classy with a bit of edge, I kept the jewelry minimal.  The necklace brings a pop of color to the outfit, and since it's red, it fits in with the Morticia inspired theme, since the only color she wears is the red on her nails and lips.  The combination of black and red always makes me think of vampires, which is fun for October, since all I can really think about is Halloween.

xD

The ring is something I've been wearing often lately, since it goes with almost every outfit I put together.  I felt that with the lace on my arms, my hand needed some embellishment as well.  

And as you can see, I now have blue hair!

I had some leftover purple dye from when I had lilac pieces in my hair over the Summer, but without diluting it with conditioner at all, the color turns out a cobalt blue!  It's not what I expected, but I like it a lot, and I think it'll help me experiment more with darker colors.  It goes well with my pink clothes too. ^^

I hope you enjoyed this outfit post, and I have some more fun stuff for you coming up soon!

Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time!

xoxo

Martha

Weekend!!!

I only have two classes on Fridays, so I usually count Thursday night as the start of my weekend

xD

It might sound a bit frivolous, but it makes me feel great!

It's been a long week, so this weekend is much needed.

But it won't be all sleeping and doing nothing, since I still have some work to do!

I'll be recording for Gamer Girls this weekend, as well as practicing my repertoire for voice lessons.

The piece I'm working on right now is "Porgi, Amor" from The Marriage of Figaro.

I love singing Italian arias...the language is beautiful and I think it lends itself to the dramatic.

Take a listen to the fabulous Mirella Freni singing it:

Isn't it wonderful?

I always seem to love the dramatic, depressing arias best.

Is that sadistic...?

XD

I just think they're so much fun to sing...and the music for them is much meatier than the happier arias.

Once I've polished it some more and gotten it up on its feet, I'll upload myself singing it during my voice lesson to YouTube.

I hope you'll look forward to it!

Anyway...

I'll be taking some time this weekend to catch up on some anime and cartoons.

I'm still watching AKB0048: Next Stage, and I need to watch the newest episode of Sailor Moon Crystal.  I'll probably finish up Justice League as well.  I can't believe I'm almost finished with it! T__T

I've really gotten into the DC Universe recently, especially the Justice League.  But at least there's still Justice League Unlimited, right?

I've turned into a superhero addict.

And I'm still on my quest to find Season 2 of Young Justice since Netflix doesn't have it.

Anyway, I'll be productive this weekend, but I'll have plenty of time to relax too.

Have a good night everyone, and Happy Weekend!

xoxo

Martha

"Gamer Girls"

Hello and good evening lovelies!

I apologize for missing my Monday outfit post, but I have a fantastic announcement!

Over the weekend, I auditioned for a Web Series called "Gamer Girls" and I got cast!

I'm so excited to be working on this production!

Here's a little back story:

"D&D isn’t just for guys. Join the Gamer Girls of UICC (University of Chicago) as they hack and slash their way through dungeons and get hyper on Mountain Dew until they pass out or lose all their health. However, having the double X chromosome isn’t always as pleasant as people think, especially when you roll dice for damage…"

And check out the trailer!

This Web Series is produced by Michaela Laws, who created "Seduce Me," a popular new visual novel that will be fully released to the public in just over 90 days!  She writes and produces for Seraphim Entertainment, and is a voice actor and producer for Voiceiyuu.  

She's also one of my best friends. xD  We met our Freshman year in college and we've been friends ever since.  I'm grateful that she's given me the opportunity to voice act again, since the last acting gig I had was two years ago before I changed major to Music Business.  It feels great to stretch my acting muscles again, and dust the cobwebs off of my condenser mic.

The content of this series is near and dear to my heart, since as a gamer myself, I have experienced some discrimination because of my gender.  I play the character Veronica, who is a bit of a tomboy and plays as a Rogue.  Outside of her gaming life, she has an older brother named Todd who doesn't like the fact that she prefers to game than study.

I can't wait to get started on this series, and I get to work with some fantastic voice actors, artists, and musicians!

I'll make sure to keep y'all updated on the production as it goes along.

I hope you're just as excited about it as I am!

Thanks so much for reading, and I'll see you next time!

xoxo

Martha

Outfit: Pastel Batty Girl

Hello again lovelies!

Another outfit post for you!

I think Mondays are pretty good days for postings, right?  I prep 'em on the weekend, then post 'em Monday morning!

Hopefully Monday postings will make your day a little brighter. ^^

Anyway, this outfit was inspired by all of the pastel spooky pixels I've seen on tumblr lately.  I love spooky-cute stuff!

Let's go!

Details from the top down:

Skull Ribbon Clips: Target

Sailor Moon Earrings: hobbit.town Jewelry

Jacket: Pinkly Ever After

Seifuku Top: Bodyline

Bow Ring: Love Culture

Shorts: Savers

Bat Tights: Holley Tea Time

Shoes: Bodyline

First off, I'd like to apologize for the lighting.  I have plenty of space in this area of my apartment to take full body outfit shots, but the lighting is definitely not the best.  I'm playing around with my tripod in different areas of my humble abode to make sure I get the best lighting possible, so don't be alarmed if the location for these shots changes in the next few posts!

So for this coordinate, I wanted to look like one of the bats on my tights.  A bit silly, but lots of fun!  The bat itself is lavender, so my lavender seifuku top worked perfectly!  The fact that it's also white fits in with the melty moons, eyeballs, bones, and such on my tights.  The pink jacket fits with the background of the tights, so I had a good color balance on top and bottom.  There was a bit of black in the outlines of the designs on the tights, so I paired everything with my favorite black high waist shorts.  The dark color and cut of the shorts also created a nice body shape and contrast to the light colors in my outfit.  For shoes, I went with my Bodyline ribbon shoes.  These are one of my favorite pairs of shoes because they're so comfortable.  Seriously, they're my most comfortable pair of stylish shoes that I own.  I think I'll have to get them in black as well. xD

As far as accessories go, I just wanted to use things that fit in with the color scheme of the outfit, so the pink bow ring and my pink and purple sailor moon earrings did the job.  The entire outfit itself is pretty loud, so I didn't want to pile on the jewelry.  

To top it all off, I tried to style my hair to look like bat wings.  I tied it up in twin tails and teased it to give it more shape.  Unfortunately, a big rainstorm hit after class that day, so by the time I took these photos, my hair had fallen considerably.  But all was not lost, as I had my super cute skull ribbons in!  I bought them in the dollar section at Target during the Halloween season, but I haven't worn them much in the past couple of years since they didn't seem to go with anything in my closet.  I was digging through my hair accessory bin (yes, bin) right before I had to run out the door, and at the bottom I saw these and knew they would work wonders with this coordinate.  

The many layers in this outfit kept me warm on a chilly Autumn day, and I was a little drop of color in the otherwise gray, gloomy day.  I had great fun sporting this look around campus, and the receptionist at the Student Service Center said I looked like a pink, fuzzy bunny!  Not exactly what I was going for, but pink fuzzy bunnies are super cute so it's still an awesome compliment!

I hope you enjoyed this post, and I'll have plenty more outfit posts to show you in the coming weeks!

If you like what you read, please consider following me here on Google or on Bloglovin!  I definitely appreciate your support.

Thank you so much for reading, and I'll see you next time!

xoxo

Martha

Fashion Loves: Glitters for Dinner

Happy Monday lovelies!

It's time for another Fashion Loves post!

This time, I'm talking about a shop called Glitters for Dinner!

I happened upon this brand while I was on Instagram.  I saw someone in my feed wearing one of their items and I had to check them out!

Glitters for Dinner is a handmade clothing label that is based in Melbourne, Australia, and ships its products from Bangkok, Thailand.  On their website it says "Unique and Affordable Clothing."  There isn't much available information on the brand other than that, and I don't know who the designer is because of the lack of information.  On their blog it states that Glitters for Dinner is run by "two lovers," and they only use one model for all of their products.  I guess it's a part of the marketing tactic, and it does make them a bit mysterious and interesting.  It also makes me think that the model may be one of the designers herself, which is pretty cool.

GFD takes a lot of inspiration from the 90's, and have clothing sets inspired by popular characters from the time, including Cher from Clueless and Sailor Moon. Their clothing reflects images of school girls, cheerleaders, and 90's era pop stars. The majority of their clothing is in matching sets so you can have a fully coordinated outfit very easily.  Of course, you can buy some pieces separately to mix and match, but they are also sold in their full set form.  GFD also uses interesting fabrics like faux fur, holographic fabric, PVC, and more, all in bright neon colors, with some black colorways as well.  

I've always enjoyed matching sets since I was young, since you have a full look that makes a statement whenever you wear one.  I was attracted to the fun, whimsical look of these clothes since they make you look like you popped out of another world.

Let's take a look at what they have to offer, shall we?

One of their most popular designs is the cheer set.  These are just a few that they have to offer, but they have so many more in lots of colors!

Out of the cheer sets, of course my favorite is the 'kawaii' set. xD  But I'd be happy with any of them!

If you'd like to do some shopping, check out the Glitters for Dinner store here!

If you want some super cute pictures and updates, you can also check out their Facebook and Instagram!

Just a note when shopping with GFD, they do not accept returns or refunds due to issues of size.  If it doesn't fit when it gets to you, you're stuck with it.  I'm not a fan of this policy, but it exists so I thought I would give you a heads up before you're stuck with something totally adorable that doesn't fit you.  Make sure to measure yourself accurately and compare your measurements to those in their shop before you make any purchases!

I hope you enjoyed reading about Glitters For Dinner, and I hope you look forward to the next Fashion Loves post!  If you know of any brands you'd like me to make a post on, recommend them to me in the comments below!

If you like what you read, I would appreciate it if you followed me here on Google, or on Bloglovin!

Thank you so much for reading, and I'll see you next time!

xoxo

Martha