August Favorites!

Hello again everyone!

August has come and gone, which means it's time for a favorites post!

I have quite a lot of beauty products this month, but as always I have music, anime, and other things as well!

Let's go!

Beauty/Fashion:

Benefit's Coralista Blush

I bought this when I went and picked up Benetint at Sephora, but I didn't use it immediately so I couldn't review it at all.  Now that I've used it, I've fallen in love with it!  The only blush I had before I bought this was a bright candy pink, and that doesn't always work with every look.  This color on the other hand, works for just about any look you can pull together.  This blush is a lovely peach-y coral color with just a hint of gold shimmer.  Just putting a bit of this on your face makes you look wide-awake and glowy!

This product comes with a magnetic close box, and a small brush with a wooden handle.  Usually I'm not a fan of the brushes that come with blush, but I'm actually fond of this one.  This also has the lovely rose scent that the Benetint does, so I'm going to take a guess and say that most of their products smell like roses.  It's pretty awesome!

Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Concealer

I've had this product for quite some time now, but I just started to use it regularly since I prefer not to wear a full face of foundation during the Summertime.  The Texas heat can melt make-up pretty quickly.  This concealer provides just enough coverage under my eyes and on my acne scars to give me a little confidence boost while letting my skin breathe and letting its natural glow shine through.  

This product has a liquid consistency with a sponge applicator.  You twist the red top, then the product will come out of the sponge when you apply it to your face.  It's very convenient to have the applicator attached to the product, so you can carry it in your backpack or your purse for touch ups if you need them.  

In the Winter season, you can wear this without setting it with anything, but in the Summertime, you'll need to set it with some powder so it doesn't melt off because of the liquid consistency.

OGX's Renewing Argan Oil of Morocco

I didn't really have to do much in the way of hair care before I bleached the ends and did the ombre pink style, but afterwards, I was trying different things to keep my hair healthy and soft, and nothing seemed to work.  Just about every YouTuber out there was talking about argan oil, so I decided to give it a try--and it worked!  I was a bit skeptical about putting oil in my hair, since I didn't want my hair to look greasy, but this product doesn't make my hair greasy at all.  After using this argan oil, my hair is much softer, I have less split ends, and it's much easier to brush through.  Anyone who has bleached their hair should definitely use this.  

I was worried that argan oil would be expensive, but I found these at my local supermarket for under $10 each.  I use the oil (on the left) after I wash my hair.  I put a few drops into my hands, then work it through my hair.  Afterwards, I take a comb and comb it through so it'll get even coverage.  I use the spray formula (on the right) before I put any heat on my hair, usually my straightener to do my bangs.  I hold the bottle away from my head, spray this on my hair, then style as normal.  The spray formula protects my hair from heat, and keeps it soft even after styling.  I also use this formula on dry hair every couple of days when it looks like it needs some extra moisture.

Garnier's Nourishing Cleansing Oil

I used up the last of my make up remover wipes, and needed another make up remover.  I was just going to buy the wipes again, but I decided to try something different--cleansing oil to be exact.  I've read plenty of articles about the benefits of oil cleansing, and how easily cleansing oils remove make up, so I went to look for one to try.  A lot of the cleansing oils mentioned by various YouTubers were very expensive, but I was able to find this Garnier cleansing oil for six dollars at Target.  Just as a warning, this product does contain mineral oil.  That doesn't bother me at all, but some people don't like using products with mineral oil in them, or it irritates their skin.  Make sure to read the ingredients on your products before using them!  Though like I said, the mineral oil in this product doesn't bother me at all.  Actually, this product has done great things for my skin!  Just one or two pumps of this removes all of my make up easily without too much scrubbing or pulling, and my skin feels incredibly soft.  After I use the oil, I use some water to emulsify it, then I use my Aveeno foaming cleanser for a good double cleansing.  If you want to try a cleansing oil for an affordable price, I definitely recommend this one!  One last thing--this cleansing oil has a strong fruity scent, so if you don't like scented products, you may not like this one.  But for people like me who like their products to smell great, you'll love it too!

Maybelline Eye Studio Enticing Emerald

I picked up this eye shadow palette on a whim because I liked the champagne highlight color in it, but I actually really like all of the colors in this palette.  All of the colors are so pigmented and have a lovely shimmer to them.  Most of the shadows I have are matte, and I wanted more shimmer shadows to play with, so I was glad that I could find this palette and pick it up.  The champagne and gold colors are great for everyday use, while the green shades are good to add a pop of color or go all out for a fully blended emerald look!  This palette could be fun to do an Emerald City Wizard of Oz look in the future. ;)

White Sunhat with Sequins

I've always wanted a sunhat with a wide brim, and I finally found one!  I took a friend to Wal Mart to pick up a few things, and while we were walking around I saw this hat and knew it would be perfect for some pool time at the end of the Summer!  I used it the other day when I went to swim, and it provided some good shade and great style as I read a book while lounging by the pool.  I love the silver sequins that are woven into the hat, as I think they give it a bit of fun.  You may see this hat in a few more outfit posts before the Autumn season fully kicks in.

Pinkly Ever After's Princess Crystal Ribbon

If you've been reading this blog for a while, I know you've seen these!  Pinkly Ever After's Princess Crystal Ribbons will always be one of my favorite things, but I decided to feature them in this favorites post because I wore them quite a lot in August.  They're big, whimsical, and they make people smile whenever I wear them.  You can wear just one or both, and they're sure to please!  As well as mint green, they also come in red, pink, and lilac.  

 Treat:

Almonds and chocolate are one of my favorite combinations.  While I was in Germany, there was a chocolate bar that I liked to eat called Ritter Sport, and they came in all sorts of flavors.  One of my favorites was the Alpine milk chocolate with almonds.  While you can find some flavors of Ritter Sport in the US, you can only find them in certain places.  Since the town I go to school in is a very small town, you can't find Ritter Sport anywhere, but I saw these at the grocery store and decided to give them a try.  They aren't exactly like the Ritter Sport, but they're still super tasty!  Sweet with a bit of a crunch in the middle from the almonds.  If you're in the mood for something sweet and have a taste for nuts, give these a try!

Anime:

AKB0048

I was a bit hesitant to watch this anime at first, since AKB48 is a bit of a controversial group because of its management.  I love the girls, but I don't like the way their management treats them and runs things.  A lot of my friends had watched this anime and fell in love with it, so one night I made some snacks and sat down to watch it--and I marathon-ed the whole first season in two days.  This anime is such a huge reminder of why I love to perform.  Here's a plot synopsis from Anime News Network:

"At the start of the 21st century, an interplanetary war broke out. Earth's ecosystem was damaged, and humanity was forced to flee the planet. In this new society, things that "disturb the heart" like music and art are forbidden. 48 years later, a legendary idol group is resurrected as AKB0048. Labeled as terrorists, they must take up arms to defend their careers and their fans."

This plot synopsis gives a good background of the world the anime takes place in, but not much about the characters.  The anime is centered around Nagisa and her friends Yuka, Orine, and Chieri who are inspired by an AKB0048 concert they saw as children, so they audition themselves, and become a part of the new generation of 0048 trainees.  The story follows them and the AKB0048 members as they perform concerts even against the anti-entertainment government agency, DESU.  

The journey that the girls go on is so much fun to watch.  You watch them work hard in lessons, get to know each other in the dorms, and go through various challenges that are involved in the idol industry, as well as the challenge of being entertainers against the law, even if some of their family members are against it.  The story is one that touches my heart as a performer, and it honestly makes me want to listen to AKB48 again...which was probably one of the goals of this anime being created anyway.  The music in the anime are AKB48 songs that I'm familiar with like Aitakatta, RIVER, Beginner, Shonichi, Heavy Rotation, and more.  

This series also inspired me to cosplay!  My favorite 0048 member is Nyan-Nyan, or 8th generation Kojima Haruna.  Her character is like a magical girl, and she carries a magical heart wand with her onstage while she sings to knock out those government issued robots and protect her fans!

She's so stinkin' cute!  She's whimsical, fun, but also cares a lot about her friends and trainees.  She has some very relatable moments throughout the series, but I can't tell you about them without spoilers, so you'll just have to watch the series for yourself!

Another one of my favorite members is AKB0048's manager, but if I show you a picture of her and talk about her, you'll immediately know her character twist and it'll ruin the surprise!  If you're an AKB48 fan, or a previous fan, you'll definitely enjoy this show.  Even if you're not a fan, you'll love the girls and the catchy music, and you'll learn some of the ins and outs of the idol industry.

Music:

Katy Perry's Prismatic Concert

My last favorite for this month is the Katy Perry Concert I went to see with my friend Kelly!  Katy has been an inspiration of mine since she came on the scene, and her albums are always in circulation on my iPod.  Her show was so much fun...almost indescribable!  She had the ability to connect with her audience even though there were thousands of people in the stadium--it was amazing!  She sounds great live, and her costumes were fabulous of course.  Seeing everything gave me so much inspiration for concerts that I want to put on with my music, and with my girls in Kira Kira Entertainment!

If you want to see some pictures from Katy's tour, check this out!

Click me!

I hope you liked this favorites post, and if you've tried any of these products, let me know how you like them!

Thank you so much for reading, and if you like what you read, please make sure to follow me here on google, or on bloglovin!

See you next time!

xoxo

Martha

Outfit: First Day Of School!

Hello lovelies!

I'm back with another outfit post!  Now that I'm all settled into my apartment in Illinois, you'll be seeing photos taken in a different environment.  The lighting in this apartment is slightly orange in some places, so I'll do my best to keep it as bright as possible!

On Monday I started my final year in University, so it was my last first day of school!

Crazy, huh?

It's strange to think about.  Once I finish up and graduate, I'll have been in school for 17 years of my life.  It's going to be quite a change going from school and joining the workforce, but I have until May to get as much as I can out of my last year of school, and I'm ready to learn a lot and then bust out of the gates, guns blazing!

Anyway, all the sentimental stuff aside, I knew I wanted to wear at least part of my seifuku on Monday since it's a school uniform, and I thought it would be a nice way to start the year.  Unfortunately, it was incredibly hot that day, and that seifuku is all synthetic so it doesn't breathe.  I couldn't wear the entire uniform, but I did wear the top!

Without further ado, let's get on to the photos, shall we?

Details from the top down:

Hello Kitty Headband: Target

Rose Hair Clips: H&M

Sailor Moon Earrings: hobbit.town Jewelry

Seifuku Top: Bodyline

Starfish Ring: Chicago Toy Fair

High Waist Shorts: Savers

I'm sorry for these photos being mirror shots, but I took these before I went out the door for my 8am class!  It's not bad at all really if you get some sleep and a nice cup of tea or coffee after you wake up.

Anyway, I thought this outfit was nice and simple, but still a lot of fun and kind of quirky.  If you've been reading for a while, you'll probably recognize the Hello Kitty headband that I got in the dollar section of Target.  I almost didn't wear it, but I didn't think the rose clips were quite enough on their own.  Speaking of the rose clips, aren't they darling?  I haven't worn them too often, and the last time I did was when I put my hair up while wearing my Ko-Furisode Kimono over a year ago, so I'm glad I found another way to coordinate them!  

The seifuku top from Bodyline should also be familiar if you've been reading my blog for a while, since it's a versatile piece that I like to pair with various things.  I think it's perfect to wear with high waist shorts since it has a short length, and shows just a peek of tummy.  The shorts are another DIY project.  I bought some high waist jeans from Savers for a few bucks, measured and cut off the legs, rolled them up, and voila!  Cheap, cute, high waist shorts!  I like the dark wash of these shorts, and I think it gives a nice balance with all of the pastel colors (read: PINK) in the rest of the outfit.  

The last main pieces of this coordinate are my favorite hobbit.town Jewelry Sailor Moon earrings, and my starfish ring!  The Sailor Moon earrings have been in most of my coordinates since I bought them in June.  If you'd like to read about them and the awesome shop they came from, check out my review here!

The starfish ring was a gift from a friend's mother when we took an adventure to the Chicago Toy Fair a couple years back.  It was unexpected and so kind!  Thank you so much Mama L!  She bought her daughter (my friend Micki) a panda ring, and the pink starfish for me since black is Micki's favorite color and pink is mine.  I'm not even sure if Micki still has her ring, but I like to put this with casual coordinates because it's fun and a nice conversation starter.

In the spirit of keeping it simple, that's it for my back to school outfit!

I hope you enjoyed this post and keep on the lookout for more outfit posts and fun stuff ahead!

The next post will be my August favorites in a few days, and I have a lot of awesome recommendations for y'all!

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

xoxo

Martha

Fashion Loves: Fig&Viper

Hello lovelies!

I'm back with another fashion loves post since it's been a while since my last time.

This time, we're talking Fig&Viper! 

Fig&Viper is a brand based out of Tokyo, Japan, and was created by model and DJ Alisa Ueno.

A little background on the designer, she started out as a model for magazines like Ranzuki and Popteen in 2007.  In 2011 she created Fig&Viper, which she says is inspired by the things she sees around her in her travels around the world.  

This may be a bit different than the sweet stuff I usually post, but I'm beginning to enjoy mixing sweet styles with edgy pieces and street fashion.  I remembered watching a segment on Kawaii International about Fig&Viper a few months back, and thought this brand was the perfect inspiration for incorporating more street style into my wardrobe.

I love the 90s inspired looks that have been in Fig&Viper's recent collections, and the slouchy silhouette of their sweatshirts and tees combined with tight short shorts creates a good balance of shape.  That's one of those unwritten fashion guidelines, right?  Always pair something tight with something loose.  I like this type of look because it brings attention to your legs while still being very comfortable because of the loose top.

Check out some of the pieces for sale from Fig&Viper!

My favorite pieces include the translucent floral sweatshirt (above), the spiked denim shorts, the over-sized purple sweater, and the comic print crop top.  Let me know what your favorite pieces are in a comment down below!  I'd love to hear more about the style of my readers. ^^

As you can see, as well as hiring other models, Alisa also models in the official product photos, and I think that's a great thing to see.  A lot of designers don't model their own products, so when they do, it shows that they design clothes that they love to wear, and that they strongly believe in what they put out for their consumers.  

How about we do some online window shopping?

These three pieces in particular caught my eye, and those shoes are the perfect example of what I've been into lately.  Mixing pastel colors with black, sweet with an edge.  They're actually sold out on their online shop, and I can definitely see why.  

If you'd like to see more cool things from Fig&Viper and learn a little more about the brand, please check out their website here!

I also recommend you follow Alisa on Instagram, because she posts a lot of her own outfits and style, updates about the brand's new releases, and lots of other fun stuff!

I hope you enjoyed reading up on this amazing brand!

Just a quick announcement, I made an account on bloglovin, so if you like what you read here, I would greatly appreciate it if you followed me there, so you can always stay updated on my new posts! ^^  There's a pink button on the top left sidebar for you to click on if you wish.

Thank you so much for reading.  It truly means a lot to me.

I'll see you in my next post!

xoxo

Martha

Outfit: Dreamy Casual

Hello lovely readers!

I'm back with another outfit post, but it's much different than the last one, much more like my usual pastel-colored fare.  I went out with my mom to try a Berlin style kepap (that's how it's spelled auf Deutsch) place here in Austin called Verts, and I wanted to wear something comfortable, but still bright and fun.  

Let's get to it!

Details from the top down:

Sailor Moon Cap: Bought from an Anime Convention

Sailor Moon Earrings: hobbit.town Jewelry

Necklace: Thrift Shop

Tank Top: Forever 21

Shorts: Forever 21

Floral Sneakers: Target

Cute, casual, and comfortable was the name of the game for this outfit!  First off, I know I've featured my Sailor Moon cap on here a lot, but I don't think I've ever given y'all a good close up of it!  That problem was fixed today!  In that close up shot, you can see Sailor Moon and her brooch surrounded by pink stars.  I've had this cap for two years now, and it's stayed in great condition!  Next are the earrings from hobbit.town jewelry that I've been wearing non-stop, they go with just about everything in my closet!  The necklace is new to the blog, as I found it while thrift shopping with my grandmother recently.  I'm a sucker for chunky, plastic jewelry, and anything resembling crystals!  

Fun fact, the tank top here is actually a nightgown!  A trick I like to use while shopping is finding cute tops in the pajama section!  You can buy nightgowns in smaller sizes and use them as tank tops or tunics, or you can just wear pajama shirts without their matching bottoms!  If it's basic cotton with a fun design, people can't tell the difference unless you're wearing the matching set.  The good thing about finding cute things in the pajama section is that they're usually cheaper than the printed T-shirts in the regular sections!  Take a trip into the pajama section of your favorite store and see what you can find!  I was attracted to the pastel colors and the ethereal design of the top, so I snatched it up fast!

The shorts are your basic denim, but they're incredibly stretchy and soft, making them great for days when you feel like you need a little extra comfort.  I bought these shorts about two or three years ago I think.  I haven't been able to find any more shorts at Forever 21 in this type of fabric recently, which is a shame, because things that are cute and comfortable are the best!

Last but not least are my favorite floral sneakers from Target.  When it's warm out, I wear them constantly.  They're incredibly comfortable, yet super sweet because of the delicate pink floral pattern on them.  They have the look of Keds but were a lot cheaper, and they fit my feet better too.  Keds are made for people with long, narrow feet, and since my feet are wide, they don't fit me well.  I was pleased that I could find a similar style without having awkward gaps at the sides.

That's it for today, y'all!

I hope you enjoyed this post, and please look forward to more in the future!

Thanks for reading, and I'll see you in my next post!

xoxo

Martha

Outfit: Black Dress for Burlesque

Hello dahlings!

It's been a long time since I've done an outfit post, but I'm excited to announce that my outfit posts will now be in higher quality from now on!

I recently acquired a new camera and tripod, so I'll be able to take full outfit photos in much better quality than on my cell phone!  You can see some examples of how the photos look on this camera in my July Favorites post since I took some product photos to test it out.  It's a Nikon Coolpix L830 if you're curious.

I'm trying to find a good way to adjust lighting, cropping, and adding text without compromising the quality of the photos, so please bear with me as I play with some different editing tools!

Anyway, let's get on to the outfit, shall we?

Details:

Dress:  Thrift Shop 

Pearls:  Gift from my Grandmother

Heels:  Thrift Shop (originally Forever 21)

Hair Flower:  Urban Outfitters

So last Saturday I went to the Hotter than Hell Burlesque show at the Stateside Theatre at the Paramount, and I wanted a classy yet sexy look to wear while in attendance.  The day before the show, I went over to my Grandmother's house for a visit, and she had picked up this black dress at a thrift shop and wanted me to try it on.  Luckily, the dress fit perfectly!  I was so excited, because the last time I wore a little black dress was in high school!  This is a bit more grown up than the dress I had back then, and I couldn't be more pleased.  The backless cut makes it playful and sexy, while it being almost knee length in the front keeps it from showing too much.  Needless to say I felt pretty hot when I was walking into the theatre!

I bought the leopard print heels from Savers a few months ago, but I hadn't had a chance to wear them anywhere, but I thought a burlesque show was a perfect time to wear animal print!  The heels aren't sky-high, but they have just enough to emphasize the build of my legs and to make me feel confident.  Since the dress is a simple black, playing with fun accessories is key to making this outfit!  Speaking of which, the flower in my hair is actually a headband.  I found it in a set in Urban Outfitters a few years back on sale, and hadn't worn it recently because as a headband it just didn't sit right on my head.  While I was digging though my accessory box I saw it and decided to use it again.  I put my hair up in a bun, wrapped the band around it, secured the flower with a couple of bobby pins and boom!  Instant new hair accessory.  Nothing better than shopping in your own closet, right?  It's free!  To top off the outfit, I put on my favorite pearl necklace.  Black dresses and pearls are a timeless combination that you can wear anywhere!

For make-up, I decided to use the burlesque dancers as inspiration and did a black cat eye with false lashes and a red lip!  It had been a long time since I'd worn falsies, so some more practice with eyeliner application over them is needed.  But I was pleased with how it turned out.  And I do believe this is the first proper photo set on my blog of my new hair cut!  I quite like it!  I feel confident enough now to play with different up-dos and hairstyles since I have the bangs and front layers to control my face shape.  Hopefully I can get more creative with my hair!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this outfit post, and I'll be back with more soon!

Thanks for reading, and I'll see you in my next post!

xoxo

Martha

July Favorites!

Wow!  Where did July go?

Time is flying by fast, so it's time for another monthly favorites post!

July also has a wide variety of products, so let's jump into it!

Fashion/Beauty:

Crop Tops and High Waist-ed Shorts

This combination is something I've been wearing a lot this month.  I took a trip to Savers and bought some cheap jeans and cut them off into shorts, and I've been wearing them non-stop with some cute crop tops that I had in my closet.  The above outfit is just one example.  I love that I can show just a peek of stomach and still pull off the crop top look.  There are days where I just don't want to show off my whole midriff, and high waist-ed shorts are perfect for the occasion.  I can make one pair of high waist-ed shorts look different by pairing it with a different top.  A tie top like the one shown here, a loose crop top, a tight one, tank top style, even my seifuku tops look adorable with them!  I was worried that because I have a thicker middle I wouldn't be able to wear them, but I've been pretty satisfied with how I look in them so far.  Thick girls, don't be afraid to try out this cute style!

Benetint

So I took a trip to Sephora this month, and I do believe it's been over a year since I last went, so I went around and played with different products to figure out which few I would buy (because money adds up at Sephora really fast)!  After trying this lip tint, it was an instant favorite!  I had been researching lip tints for a while since they seem to be trendy right now, and I was looking for a color that looked natural, but still made a noticeable difference if I layered it.  This color looks dark in the bottle, but it comes out as a nice pale rose shade on the first application.  My lips have a pink/red tint to them naturally, so just applying one coat of this plays up my natural color nicely.  Put on two or three coats and it looks like you had a red Popsicle, and I always liked that look.  Put on more, and you've got an in your face red lip that lasts for hours!  Another awesome point about this product is that you can put lip balm over it, and it won't mess up the color!  Dry lips are so annoying, but that's not a problem with this product since it stains your lips, so putting lip balm over it throughout the day is A-Okay!

Music:

"If You Do, Do"

Lately I've been on a Vocaloid binge, so I've had this song on repeat for a while:

This song is also called "Pomp and Circumstance" as well as "If You Do, Do" so you may know it as one of these two names if you're a Vocaloid fan.  This song is performed by Miku, Luka, Gumi, IA, and Rin.  To me, this song is different from any other Vocaloid song I've heard so far.  It has a dark, sexy feel to it and the chorus picks up to a dance tempo so you can really get down!  It's a bit strange to think that an automated voice program can sound sexy, but it definitely can!  I love how the range of this song goes from a smoky alto to a clear mezzo, then there's the rapping in the midsection that adds a fun twist.  Make sure you click the video and give this a listen!

Heyne's "Red Lie"

This is another song that I've had on repeat for a while.  It just came out on July 23rd, but I've been hooked ever since I saw this on tumblr!  I hadn't heard of Heyne before this, but she's very good and kind of quirky, which I like.  The song is super catchy and upbeat, but it's about a girl who's been lied to in her relationship and she's had enough!  The video is fun to watch, and the editing is done well.  There are points in the video where there are multiples of her onscreen but only one is moving, then that one moving figure will take the position of the frozen figures and move on.  Does that make sense?  I thought it was very clever, so make sure you watch the video so you understand what I'm blabbering on about!  Heyne is signed to Crescendo Music, and I do believe she's their only artist, so this particular company is in the clear for now.  I don't know much about the label, but if I find out more information I can make a post about it if you like.

Anime:

Princess Tutu



When I went into Savers to buy some old jeans to cut into shorts, I was by the check out line and noticed they had some DVDs for sale.  Immediately I saw that they had the complete collection of Princess Tutu, squealed, then picked it up and bought it.  It was only four dollars!!  Anyway, Princess Tutu was one of my favorite anime back in high school, and I hadn't watched it in a very long time.  Before I get to deep into my ramblings, let's look at the plot synopsis from Anime News Network, shall we?

"13-year-old ballet student Ahiru is clumsy, good-hearted and sweet... and has a big secret. The mysterious Drosselmayer morphed a young duck into a girl to give her a mission: help a Prince to get the parts of his heart back. With that in mind, she morphs into Princess Tutu, whose magical dances ease the pain and purifies the bad feelings."

This synopsis fleshes out the plot very nicely, but it leaves out one very exciting part:  the love triangle between Ahiru, the Prince, and Princess Tutu's enemy, Princess Kraehe!  The story line of this anime is dramatic, exciting, and gets you thinking about your own feelings as Princess Tutu returns the pieces of the Prince's heart.  

One of the things I love most about this anime is the ballet.  Ballet is obviously a pivotal part of this anime as you can tell from the title, and the animation of the dance scenes is executed beautifully.  Each episode is titled after a famous ballet, and uses music from that ballet in the episode, and the episode reflects the story of that ballet with the characters that the writers have created.  If you are a big fan of ballet like myself, you'll have a lot of fun pointing out the references in each episode and listening to the music you love.  If you don't know much about ballet at all, this anime can get you started and point you in the direction of some of the most famous ballets to go watch and listen to.  As a dancer, I appreciate all of the hard work that the production team put into this work to make it as accurate and emotionally raw as it could possibly be.  I cannot recommend this anime enough.

Books/Comics:

Turbulence

I bought this comic back at Texas Comicon, but didn't get around to reading it until last month.  It's seriously AMAZING.  Once I started reading this, I couldn't put it down!  Turbulence is about a boy named Jacob, and how he chooses to fight for the forces of good because of his unexplained super powers.  Unlike other super hero comics, Jacob isn't perfect from the start.  He makes a lot of mistakes, has to ask for help, gets into trouble, a lot like a normal teenager would.  He is spotted by a group of people with super powers who has joined together to fight, and he starts his training with them, trying to earn their trust and respect by fighting his hardest, even though it doesn't always work.  I do believe that this is the fastest I have ever read through a comic, and it left off at a cliff hanger so I actually groaned when I finished it because I was already wanting more!  I had a conversation with the author, Chris Garrett, and his wife at Texas Comicon when I bought it, and I could tell how passionate he was about his work.  His company, Overtime Comics is based out of Austin Texas, and I was so happy to find an awesome local company to support.  I'm definitely glad I bought this comic instead of the newest Captain America volume.  The action-packed story and relate-able, endearingly flawed characters make this a great read!  You can go to Overtime Comics's Website here and check it out!

Misc:

Belly Dance

As some of you may or may not know, I started taking Belly dance last October and joined the Eesabella Belly Dance dance company.  I performed in my first belly dance concert in April (where the above photo is from, I'm the farthest to the right with the sword), and I had an amazing time.  Since this Summer has been incredibly busy, I didn't have the time to take class like I wanted to.  Last month I started taking classes again and I was reminded of how much I love belly dance!  After my first class here in Austin, I was invited to take the advanced class offered by my instructor, and the dance studio I went to did a short interview with me about why I love belly dance!  Needless to say it was an amazing way to get back into belly dance, and I feel so confident and empowered after I leave each class session.  I miss my Eesabella sisters so much, and I can't wait to dance with them again once I'm back in Illinois later this month!

I hope you enjoyed this July favorites post!  It's a little later than I had hoped, but it's out!

Please look forward to some new, exciting things from me this month, and I'll keep you updated with my creative projects as they come.  I'm starting my senior year in University this month, so I'll be pretty busy, but my goal is to have one post a week for you!

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

xoxo

Martha