Vancouver or Bust: A hypothetical, yet Strategically Planned Vacation

Hi all! I know summer is nearing its end, but that doesn't mean that planning out an ultimate vacation has to! Can you imagine if you had a budget of $10,000 to plan your dream trip? Think of all you could do and where you could go with that kind of money. While that seems like a lot compared to the lesser amount that I usually spend on a five day vacation or trip to a research conference, I decided that this will be a challenge accepted, courtesy of Earnest!

I decided I would base my hypothetical vacation off of a real trip that I have planned out for November. In November, I'll be flying to Vancouver, BC for a research conference. I might have mentioned in a previous blog that I do Psycho-linguistic research and enjoy presenting my research at conferences when I can. Anyhoo, let me see if I can make an itinerary that can get my to that $10,000 budget, or close to it. I feel like with the excessive amount of thriftiness in me, the princess of bargain hunting, I won't make it anywhere near that budget. If I am lucky, I will get to $5,000 with some cheating😉, but I feel it is worth a try.

Well the first decision I would make would be whether to fly or take the train. Flying would be the faster option, but if I have a good amount of free time before hand, I would also consider taking the train. Everything else follows after I decide how to get to Vancouver.

To and From Transportation:

Flight -

Date: During the middle of the second week of November 2017

Price: $267 round trip from SNA (John Wayne Airport - Santa Ana) to YVR (Vancouver).
This particular flight is also the fastest way to Vancouver from Orange County. However, the flight happens to have multiple connections as seen with cheap flights. In order to avoid connections, LAX is the closest option. I don't personally mind connecting flights as it gives me a chance to stretch my legs, so I will keep it for this hypothetical itinerary.


Train -

Date: During the end of the first week of November 2017

Price: Utilizing my AAA discount, I would have to take the train straight out of Los Angeles to Vancouver, BC, as no connecting train from anywhere in Orange County to LA Union Station would work for this particular mode of travel. The stressful part about this train is that it only leaves two times per day, 10:10 am and 3:10 pm and it is reserved travel. So if you miss your train, you might risk paying extra to catch another one. The cheapest train is $112 one way for a coach seat, but since I have "money" to spend, I would go for the sleeper car. My train riding goal is to go on a long trip in a sleeping car, but they are expensive that I haven't been lucky enough to do so yet. That sleeping car will set me back $361 one way. Taking the train requires a 34 hour one way ride too, so this is only useful if I had free time to leave earlier and return later.

Transportation During Stay:


Walking:

Vancouver is considered to be Canada's most walk-able city with a score of one, so I would probably just walk everywhere like I mostly do in San Francisco.


Housing:

Hotel:

Fairmount Waterfront Hotel

If I am really going "all out", I would have to pick this hotel because it boasts amazing views of the city and the harbor. It is also only $189 CAD/ $151 USD per night. This is actually far cheaper than any of the hotels I have stayed at during any of the research conferences. Based off of a five night stay, this would be $945 CAD +tax/ $755 USD +tax.


Activities:


The most exciting part of this hypothetical itinerary, because there is actually one thing I am definitely doing in real life while in Vancouver.

Conventions:

Fan Expo Vancouver: I was extremely excited when I learned that my research conference and this comic/pop culture convention were in the same location during essentially the same time. While, I am only intending to go one day in real life, for the sake of hypothetically spending money, I will go all three days and get the deluxe package. The price of this would be:$229 CAD/$183 USD. Now, if I was able to purchase comic books that I need to add to my collection, this price would jump up about $500-$1000 extra.

Other Activities:
Realistically, I would probably do primarily free events and activities like I do during most of my vacations. However, since I HAVE to spend money, I would go on to Vancouver's primer tourism website and sample from paid activities that pique my interests. My estimate is that I could try to spend about $1000 on activities in 5 days (that's if I picked mostly expensive activities and did them multiple times)

Food:

I have a funny feeling that my largest expense would be food, and that I would be able to eat somewhat extravagantly. I would push for trying the priciest meals on the menu at swanky restaurants and hope that can get me to spend at least $100-200 per meal . So if I ate 3 meals per day, that's $300-$600 per day, just by eating. That's another $1,500-$3,000 down the drain.

Stock photo of Vancouver from Patrick King

That's all for now, my friends! I knew I would fail this miserably, being as thrifty as I am, but it was still a fun thing to plan out. Ultimately, by train with sleeper car, the most I would have spent: $6,495 and by plane, the most I would have spent: $3,505. If you’re interested in planning a similar trip, budgeting and travel research is the way to go. It is definitely possible to make due on less if you have good money management skills. Let me know in the comments below where you would go and three main things you would do on vacation with $10,000. Hopefully, you guys are better at this than I am. 😅



Till Next Time!

-Hachi

You can't Make-up this Makeup Review!

Hi all! As promised, I am doing a product review of the new makeup I bought. Two products are face/skin centric and two are geared toward the eyebrow region.  I hope you enjoy my product review!

Fashion Fair: Cream to Powder (Java)

Fashion Fair: Creme to Powder (Java)

You can actually get this product in a tube, as well. The tube has far better coverage than the compact, and I would get the tube, next time. The consistency inside the compact feels thick, and you have to really rub your brush or sponge to get product on it. However, when you apply it to your face, it doesn't feel as heavy as it initially appears. My main issue with the product is that you need a decent amount of good quality setting spray, otherwise it feels like it will rub off on everything. Maybe that's the "powder" effect, I'm not entirely sure. The plus side about this brand is that it's made for people of color in mind. Unlike other brands that have an odd selection of darker colors, this one works for people with yellowish, reddish, or neutral tones and higher amounts of melanin. It cost 28$, And a few places in California do sell it, such as Fresno, or Culver City. I actually purchased it while I was in Chicago and had never heard about the brand before then. I am not sure what else to say about it, but be sure to apply oil free moisturizer as well. It has sunscreen in it as well.

My rating: 8/10
It covers my hyper pigmentation pretty decently, but the tube did a far better job at it. Also, the fact that it rubs off sort of easily is annoying. I would buy it again though as the quality for the price is worthwhile. I would also get the tube, next time if it's available for better coverage.


Clinique: Even Better (31-Spice)

Clinique: Even Better (31-Spice)

Originally, I had purchased this one first while home in Northern California. I had used my mother's a few times and liked it enough to buy it myself. If I remember correctly, this was also $28. I think the bottle is actually extremely small for that price, but make up, in general, is pricey as it is. It felt a bit more oily to me than I would have liked, but it did help cover my hyper pigmentation a bit. That was the primary reason I bought it, to make it less noticeable. This was probably the closest I could get to my color in this brand, so I would often add a little powder on top to even me out better than Even Better could.  I also like that it had sun screen in it. My face is extremely sensitive, so I have to be cautious about the products I buy, or risk irritation. I am glad that this brand did not irritate my face.

My rating: 6.5/10

I did not think the small amount of product that you get was worth $28. I thought that it made my face oilier than usual. I think they could add more color choices for people with darker complexions. However, I did like that it had sunscreen in it. I like that it's more readily available. I also like that it can make my hyper pigmentation a little less noticeable. Unfortunately, it needs help with the coverage. Would I buy it again? Possibly, if I couldn't obtain my color in Fashion Fair.


Sephora: Brow Gel (clear) & Sephora: Brow Illuminator (05- Matte Spice)

Sephora: Brow Gel (clear) & Sephora: Brow Illuminator (05- Matte Spice)

I haven't had these very long (just about three days), but I feel like I can give a decent review on simple products such as these. The Brow Illuminator works really well for darker skinned individuals. It gives the nice highlight on the brows without making the person look "ashy". Also, it was extremely cheap. Possibly around $12, if I remember correctly. The Brow Gel is decent because it's cheap (~$12) in comparison to other brow gels, it helps tame my curly hairs on my eyebrows, and it doesn't make the brows feel overly stiff.

My rating: Brow Gel - 8/10
I like the price of it, but wish that it had more product in it. I also wish that the tinted gels had better color options that weren't so glittery. I had tried the "darkest" tinted gel they had in this line, and it felt reminiscent of the frosted boy band tips on the hair of the early 2000s. Would I buy it again? Sure, why not. However, I would only buy it in clear coloring.

Brow Illuminator - 9.5/10
This has honestly got to be the best brow highlight I have ever used! It looks good with my skin color, doesn't make me look ashy, and doesn't cost all that much. I just wish that it was a twist tube, rather than a pencil that you have to sharpen.




That's all for my product reviews on these makeups! I'll let you guys tell me in the comments below which brand you think worked out better for me by posting a side by side photo of it. I personally think Fashion Fair was the better option. You can also see the above eyebrow products used on my face in these photos.

Fashion Fair side

Clinique side

Till Next Time!

-Hachi

Make-up or Make Believe: What's in My Make-up Bag?

Hi all! I have taken a new liking to make-up as of recent, and have been on a buying frenzy. I figured that a "what's in my make-up bag" style blog would be a fun one to do, so here goes nothing! I will show the contents of my make-up bag and discuss my most used and least used items and why.
I purchase a majority of my make-up from Sephora at JCP because I can earn rewards at JC Penney for buying items.

My original make-up bag was actually a gift with purchase from the Glendale Galleria, there is an ELF store. I am told it is one of three stores in California. I like ELF for some of their items in order to do a cheaper dupe of a more expensive item. Primarily, I use ELF for their make-up prepping items, rather than actual make-up. However, now I have a new bag that I purchased from Charlotte Russe, so that will begin the basis of this blog.

I purchased this bag for 1.99$ at Charlotte Russe from the clearance rack. I was so excited for it because I am a Sagittarius and I loved that it had the constellations on it. Without further ado, here's what's in my makeup bag! (Some things have changed since the photos were originally taken, so I will clarify that in the captions.

Is it true? ;)

These were my original highlight and concealers. I have ran out of the two toned Sephora contouring kit, so I just use the Nars and Sephora concealer in Toffee.

I have added a new foundation brush to my arsenal now. 

My powder form of contouring.

I never saw a real reason to buy expensive mascara, personally.

My favorite brand for the brows. <3

I have become partial to under the eye liner again, so that All Nighter Eyeliner is a godsend.

I would have to say my biggest obsession right now is lipsticks. I am not even sure why that is, but I have more than this now.

I hope everyone follows their arrows ---->

Well that's all for now, my friends! I will be updating this post with the newest editions to my makeup bag in the next few days, so stay tuned for that!.

Till Next Time!

-Hachi

Cosplay Mashups: Zelda Quinn

Hi all! Sorry for the random hiatus! I've been in the midst of a "con crunch " for San Diego Comic Con and spent a while working on my cosplay. A con crunch is when you try and finish a cosplay close to the start of a convention. I made the whole outfit on one week and two days. I would probably never do that again, it was extremely stressful considering that I had never used a pattern before. The pattern is by Simplicity #8113, R5. It's their version of Princess Zelda from the Twilight Princess game in the Legend of Zelda series. My pet peeve about patterns is that they are extremely expensive for being on flimsy tissue paper. I recommend waiting until Joanns has their 1.99$/pattern sales. Save your self some money! That's what I did and that's also the reason why I had such limited time to make it. The reason I call her Zelda Quinn is because it is a mashup between Princess Zelda and Harley Quinn.  Every year that I volunteer for SDCC, I go to Harleypalooza. That would be the Harley Quinn cosplay gathering. I always have to be different, so instead of making her classic or canon outfits for the gathering, I always do some sort of mashup. It's become a bit of a tradition for me now. I made the whole thing in under 65$, with my goal being under 75$. I think I did pretty well for myself. The only downside is that by the end of the day,  after being "peace bonded", which means that they attached my "weapon, or prop to my costume", the security ripped my overlay. Sadly, I will have to repair it for the next gathering or convention I go to. Otherwise, I am glad I got some great shots before that happened and that my post-ripped overlay shots were modified to hide the rip, but those are not processed yet.  Without further ado, I will show you guys some of my SDCC photoshoot photos. I really hope that you like them! Below is also a quick review of SDCC 2017.

Photography courtesy of Ron Z. Photography

Photography Courtesy of Michael Greening

Photography courtesy of Snapshot 360 Photography

Photography courtesy of Snapshot 360 Photography 

SDCC Review:
As usual, I attended San Diego Comic Con as a volunteer. I have been volunteering with Comic-Con International for five years now. It still is an enjoyable opportunity for me. For many people, volunteering is the only way to actual get into the convention as it has grown exponentially over the years. It was another humid day in San Diego, as it has been every year I've volunteered. It felt like there were more people at the convention, this year, as opposed to last year. The staff were not as helpful as I would have liked them to be, but they were for the most part very kind. The officers on duty were extremely kind, courteous and easy to approach. There were plenty of panels going on and the usual mad rush to Hall H. I actually decided to do outdoor activities for the first time since I started going and had a blast at the FXhibition. I hope that they bring that back for next year. I also enjoyed playing the video games, but I did feel like there were less video game exhibits offered this year. Or quite possibly, they were spread out more than usual. Another favorite of mine is the walking dead section where the zombies come after you. One of them actually managed to scare me this time, it was pretty funny. I also FINALLY found out how to get to the back of the convention center to do the cosplay gathering stair shoots. Only took five years to find that out hehe. I unfortunately didn't get the volunteer shirt this year due to miss communication in the volunteer room, and that was extremely unfortunate. Other than the staff ripping my costume while peace bonding me, not getting the volunteer t-shirt this year were the two downsides of the con this year. The rest of it, and being able to reconnect with friends was great. I will always enjoy volunteering for this convention.


That's all I have for now, but I'll continue to add more as I get more photos back! Let me know in the comments below if you have any cosplay suggestions for me. :)

Till Next Time !

-Hachi

These Peepers are Hep!

Hi all! I went home for the holiday and was able to pick up my new glasses! Although I take many photos without my glasses, I am practically a full time glasses wearer. My style of choice varies between large squares, small squares, and a simplistic vintage cat's eye. However, I am also a big fan of sunglasses, especially ones that encompass the vintage styles of the 40s and 50s. I am a huge history buff of the World War Two, and early post war era - (1945-1950s).  I really enjoy the styles because I am very interested in Pin Up. Occasionally, I will do pin up photography with my friends that are also hobbyists. Anyhoo, I came across this eye-wear company, Warby Parker, that specializes in vintage-inspired eyewear and unique sunglasses and fell in love!

You'll be a total cat wearing these binoculars! They start at $145, and that's a really good price for an American specialty brand, especially for being vintage inspired. Also, if you have an eye prescription, you can fill in the information and you'll be seeing 20/20 in no time! I'll clue you in on the newest sunglasses collection that Warby Parker has.

Photo from Warby Parker's Newest Collection

This collection just launched on June 13th. It's inspired by the 1955's look of bold brow-lines and mixed materials. The particular materials used in this collection are acetate and stainless steel. This means that the glasses will be rather durable and shouldn't break easily on you.

The style also looks good with no tint as well. I could see myself wearing these particular frames for a summer-esque pin up shoot. For instance, a high waisted pair of shorts or jeans and then paired with a Gretta top.

Photo from Warby Parker's Newest Collection

My favorite style of the collection, however, is the Addie. I am a bit of an odd ball and I feel like the style accentuates my eccentricities. It's very similar to a cat's eye, which was extremely in style with women in the 1950's and is currently making a comeback today, much to my excitement! Each of the styles come with two color options, but for the Addie, I would choose the Lapis crystal with Midnight Gradient Lenses. Blue is my favorite color, so I am a sucker for any thing blue. The threads I could pair with those are almost limitless. I live for A-line skirts, so that would be my go to for those. Either way, this whole collection sure is swell.

Photo from Warby Parker's Newest Collection

Here's glossary of all the 1950's terms I've used throughout the blog. Check out more terms here :

Peepers = Glasses
Hep = With it, or cool
Cat = Hip person
Binoculars = Glasses
Dolly = Cute girl
Flatter Bum = Good looking guy
"I'll Clue You" = "I'll fill you in"
Odd Ball = Someone a bit off the norm
Threads = Clothes
Swell = Great, good, or wonderful

I hope you've enjoyed today's blog and let me know in the comments below what styles of eye wear you like!

Till Next Time!

-Hachi

Worried About Dormitory Decor? Well I Say, No More!

Hi all! Apologies for the delay in posting. I was on a brief three week hiatus for personal reasons, but am back now! I hope my fellow Americans enjoyed their 4th of July, this past Tuesday!

So it has been almost two years since I left the Inland Empire and moved to Orange County. This is my second time making a big city move since I first started college down in Southern California.  Something about living alone with your pets and having a new slate to work with seems magical in a way. However, it can occasionally be stressful when you have to think about how to decorate your new home. I have lived in over four different apartments and the college dormitories over the past nine years. So I have learned how to decorate for both limited space and seemingly unlimited space. Keeping up with the school theme, I would like to help you out with figuring out how to decorate your dormitory with the help of Aura Frames.

Dorm Living:

Dorms, they're pretty small. Typically, you share them with one other person, but sometime you might have two, or even three other people per dorm. A lot of big box stores will give you check lists full of the most unnecessary things ever to buy just to get you to spend extra money at their stores. My list of essentials would have to be the most basic and the most realistic from my own personal experiences.

Bed: Twin XL - Bed set (for most dormitories, the best are Twin XL -some times you can find bed-sets that fit both regular Twin and Twin XL). They are fairly cheap so feel free to buy more than one, you'll be in that dorm for at least one year.

Pillows - You can usually find some good pillows on deal from Macy's or J.C. Penny.

Under the Bed Organizers - Remember that you are sharing a very small space with other people. If you have two or three roommates, you might also be sharing a closet. Under the bed organizers helped me out so much as a Freshman in the dorms.

Full body Mirror - Not all dorms will come fully furnished aside from the bed and desk (I bought mine at Target for under 4$.)

Bundles of Hangers for Clothes - most dorms have closets and dresser-drawers

Laundry Essentials - Baskets, Pods/Detergents, Fabric Softener, Iron/ Iron Board- Look for coupon deals on laundry items, believe me, you can find so many.

Bath Supplies - Flip-flops, Shower Caddy, Towels, and the basic shower essentials (body wash, soap, shampoo, conditioner. (The reason that I recommend the flip-flops is because you will be sharing those showers with several other men or women and can risk getting foot fungus.)

Frames for Photos - You can be low tech and get very simple frames to put up photos to combat homesickness, or you can be high tech and get some pretty neat digital frames like the ones that Aura Frames has.

Posters - Posters can be a cheap way to decorate your apartment as well, and it's also a good way to really personalize your space with posters displaying your interests.

Stuffed Animals or other comfort items - If you were like me and moved to a college far from home, then bringing moments with you can help combat homesickness as well. For me, it was old stuffed animals, but it could be something different for you. 

If you are artsy, I recommend that you draw some pictures or make some little decorations for your dorm side. Even have your friends help you!

*Desks are typically included and lamps/lighting as well. If I think of anything else to add, I'll let you know! Highly recommend a trip to Walmart and Target for some cheap dorm supplies. Good luck with your first year at the dorms!

A picture from my freshman year in my dormitory at UC Riverside - East Lothian ( Nine years ago).

If you guys have any comments on the items you brought with you to the dorms, feel free to let me know in the comments below!

Till Next Time!

-Hachi

TIBOS: Orange Toast

Hi all! Today's the first day I am doing a "Taking It Back Old School" recipe post. I was supposed to have two posts, this week, but my computer seems to hate me and keeps blue screening. While that is annoying, I wanted to get at least one of the posts up. The first recipe I decided to recreate is considered to be an appetizer rather than a breakfast item. It's called Orange Toast, and as the pictures below will show, it's really orange-y.

These are the basic ingredients needed for Orange toast:
Sugar
Orange Juice
Orange Extract (I just took it from a real orange)
Orange Zest
Bread
Butter

 

 First, I toasted my bread. I used French Toast bread by Kroger (which, if there are any vegans viewers reading, is also vegan friendly). I am somewhat low tech and cheap, so I do not have all of the fancy kitchen appliances as of yet. As a result, I toasted my bread in the oven at 350 degrees for 8 mins.

  

I let my butter soften, and added 1/2 teaspoon of orange juice. *There are no exact measurements in this recipe, so feel free to mess around with amounts - I also added more butter later.*

 

I squeezed a few drops of fresh orange juice (not the concentrated one on the top) into my butter.

 

Afterwards, I mixed it all together or as they called it in the book - "I creamed my butter and orange juices together"

 

I originally forgot that I had sugar packets, so I used about half a packet of sugar on my toast after removing the edges as stated in the recipe. This is also where the orange zest gets applied as well, after buttering your toast.

 

I then cut the pieces into ribbon-esque strips and they are best served hot.

 

I gave everything a taste to see how it is. I will do this at the end of every food post because it's not authentic otherwise. ;) 

 That's it for today's post! Overall, I would rate this a 6/10. I think the orange taste was a bit overpowering, and the sugar seemed a bit unnecessary to me. However, you guys might like it, so give it a try and let me know what you think of it!

Till Next Time!

-Hachi