clean + zara

When it's as hot as it is today, going out of your way to break a sweat just doesn't cross one's mind. This is why my apartment has been piling up on the dust and stray hairs and other such things. Not necessarily because of neglect to clean, but more like the result of one trying to NOT dehydrate and melt into a puddle because of too much energy spent scrubbing and wiping. 

But there is a limit to how much filth and mess I can tolerate, and I decided to not wait until I reach that limit as it's quite a forgiving one. After a sweaty work out (Tipness is closed due to Obon) I pulled out the rags and the cleaners and spent the rest of my morning scrubbing and cleaning away! Yes, it was a big operation, and thanks to the heat, I had sweat pouring down my face. But after all was said and done, I feel great and I'm glad I did it. Nothing beats a tidy, clean house. 

Anyhow, check out this awesome tunic I bought at Zara!! Wooohooo!

obon

I've been counting the days for my Obon Holiday, and now that it's finally here I am in complete bliss! I painted my nails, I sorted and picked out holiday clothes, and I've been paying my respects to the bars I love! So far, I must say that I've been having a lovely start to Obon, and I can see that things will be picking up fast! I'll make sure it does.

The only two things that I think are less than perfect are that Boris has work during my days off, and that I'm a little short on cash. Oh, and also that I feel like I'm stepping into some kind of torture-by-heat-and-humidity-machine each time I step out the door! Really, this heat has got to give us a breather soon! What is it trying to do, kill everyone? Ugh!

Anyway, check out my awesome new 'thing' from Zara!! LOVE IT!

my drug

Eiko....

We all have our drugs, our obsessions, our addictions.
For some, it's the need to read the paper in the morning. For others, it's their cup (or x amount of cups) of coffee. It may be an ice cream in the evening, or a cigarette during a lunch break. It could be an episode of a TV series they are going through, or a certain band, singer or song. It could easily be a certain 'someone'. Without a dose of these things, we tend to become edgy, easily annoyed and fidgety. Our moods are greatly affected when we find out we won't have time or can't afford to engage in our addictions, and we simply can't get our minds off of thinking about the next time we'll be getting our 'fix'.

I've got a few.

*a beer after work
*cup noodles after a night out drinking/clubbing
*cigarettes when I'm drinking
*a coffee at least once a day
*facebook (ouch!!)

and the list goes on.

My most recent drug though is shopping. I think some call this being a shopaholic. But it's not just any random shopping. When it comes to clothes, it has to be at Zara! This sucks for me, because I pass by Zara everyday on my way to work! Seeing their latest selections through the display window and NOT buying anything requires a great deal of self-control, and I don't have a lot of the stuff.

I also don't have a lot of money! I must do something about this...

Here's the latest!

A casual T.



and a loose throw over shirt

working again

Eiko says...

There's nothing like your first day at work after summer holiday. The transition from play mode to work mode isn't always the easiest thing, especially if you're a bit of an idiot like me, and drank the night before. I think I had one drink too many of whiskey, ensuring that my first day of work would be accompanied by an annoying hang over.

Finding myself at work feeling quite gross and tired, I made an impromptu decision to help myself through the rest of the week with a shopping spree. I just got paid, and Zara had their latest assortment on display. I'm thinking wicked pumps and black, classy pants to match. Also, a new bag.

perfect sunday

Eiko says...

I was in very high spirits ever since last night after exerting myself with a mid-night workout, that I decided to treat myself to a hair cut. I'm actually trying to grow my hair out, but I've got hair enough for 3, and it was getting to be far too heavy for this year's summer. So I asked my barber to just layer and thin my hair out for me without changing the length. She did a decent enough job, and I was generally happy with her work.
I ended my day with a bit of shopping at my all-time-favorite shopping place--Nishiarai Ario. I think I made some pretty good purchases today that I'm flipping over as of now. All around, today was nothing short of perfect!

The new hair.
My barber curled my hair a little at the end, so the length of my hair is actually around 10cm or so longer than shoulder length.
I briefly considered bangs, but that thought was almost instantly disposed of by me. It's just way too hot for bangs and they also require far too much work to keep them looking decent.


The shopping.
I LOVE Randa! When it comes to shoes, the first place that comes to mind for shopping is this shoe store. They've got awesome shoes that are trendy, but also original and they offer excellent quality. Their foot wear is generally comfortable as well--a huge plus in my books. You have no idea how excited I was when I found out that they were doing a massive clearance sale! The majority of the shoes were over 50% off! Made my day!



And I saw this tunic and fell in love... so I bought it.




Tadaaimaaa~!
Man! I'm so proud of myself for walking in 'this heat' in heals with all of that stuff for 4 hours without collapsing somewhere and passing out! I mean, just breathing normally without sweating buckets is next to impossible these days.


Dinner.
I made a sea-food salad after a long day out, and washed it all down with beer! Best way EVER to end a day.

need new shades

Eiko says...

Looking forward to...

-autumn
-going to Disney Sea for summer vaca with Boris and friends
-drinking cold beer when I get home from work
-pay day
-Friday night


I love earthy colors and simple cuts. The green dress--an early spring purchase-- is from Uniqlo and the fact that it's just so simple and no-nonsense appeals to me.


And I need a new pair of sunglasses. These ones have the tendency to slip off my nose, defeating the whole purpose of shading my eyes from the piercing rays of the sun, not to mention shielding everyone's eyes from how my face can look when I'm too lazy to wear make-up. New shades that 'stick' are at the top of my shopping list.


Yep. Shades are an absolute must-have! Keeps you from looking like a squinting dork too--a regular sight these bright sunny days! FTW!

Zara tunic

Eiko says...

It's fucking hot! In this kind of hot, muggy weather the only thing I am capable of doing properly is to spread myself flat on my bed, legs and arms sprawled in all directions, and just focus on breathing. Everything else I do is being accomplished with 20% less energy and effort because simply staying alive in this freakish weather takes so much more of everything out of me.

One of the few joys of summer for me, other than eating ice-cream and drinking cold beer at the end of a work day, is shopping. I was actually going to post these pictures in my last post, but I was running short on time and decided to just spread the photos out in several posts.

This tunic is once again from Zara. Love the breezy, summery look. The material is very light and comfortable. The cut is great for when let's say you're invited to a drinking party or a barbecue and you're planning on doing a bit of binging. People won't be able to notice your growing tummy. It's just awesome!!

more Zara shopping

Eiko says...

I did more shopping at Zara!! I couldn't help myself. I just knew I'd be regretting it if I hadn't bought these items before the sales were out, and I've been told by multiple people, multiple times to not do things one may regret in the future.

I LOVE summer sales!!

This blue, ...thing has had me fixed on buying it for the longest time, and now it's mine!! The material is amazingly comfortable and I love the fact that it's loose. Perfect for the freakish temperatures these days.



The short white vest I'm wearing over everything is not Zara, but the summer sales has caught up with all the clothes stores around, and when I splurge, I really splurge!
I've got an unspoken 'no-lace' rule, but I guess this would be the exception to that. It worked well with the blue thingie, and when something works, you're allowed to fuck the rules.

Zara

Eiko says...

Right next to Starbucks to the left of the station is the awesome, way-too-expensive Zara that I frequent for wishful window shopping. Rows of clothing too expensive to randomly buy simultaneously temp and depress me whenever I take the time to drop by and lust. The beauty temps me. The prices depress me. I lust in vain.

To be honest, Zara can be a bit too vibrant and loud with their colors, and tend to have a very distinct, loose-fitting 'look' and cut that can become a bit cliche after a while. But I love their class and the quality they offer. Zara's style is also a welcomed change from this summer's look in Japan which is starting to become an eye-sore for me.

Anyway, I was heading for my daily Starbucks before work when I noticed that Zara was quite crowded for a week day. I decided to drop by and see what everyone was gathering for. And that's when I noticed that the black, anorexic manikins that faithfully greet everyone at the entrance were clad in white T's with a single word in black italic that would make any girl's heart race--'sale'!

I was ecstatic! I could hardly believe all those goodies were actually within arms reach--literally! I made an on-the-spot decision to splurge. A fantastic decision, really. You'll NEVER get Zara at these amazing prices! Most of the items were 50% off. A perfect opportunity to get my wardrobe together for 2011's cool-bizzing! Wee-hoo!

The Kinshicho Zara

The creepy, face-less, black, Zara manikins wearing the 'sale' T's.


Check out the shirt I got! Love the 'I miss you' going on with the picture of the red phones.


And I got these super aaawesome pants that I wanted for the longest time!
Love the fact that you can adjust the length of the pants, their loose, the material is very comfortable and totally ventilation-savy!
Also, check out the cream-colored pumps I bought a while back. I think they look pretty good and summery. They also hurt my feet like ****!! The longest I'm willing to stand in them are 2 hours! Stupid pumps.


I'm wrapping all that together with a leather-y, light jacket I got at Uniqlo. Way too hot for now, but if it's ever cool in the evenings, it's my first choice to throw on.