Photolog 2020: Day 99 of 366

So, I did some shoe shopping. Originally, I just wanted to buy a pair of ankle boots to replace my old ones. Those boots became my favourite and most worn shoes, ever. I can stand in them for eight hours a day and walk comfortably in them for at least five kilometres. They have the perfect amount of height to elongate the legs, and the right amount of arch to keep my posture straight. They're casual enough to wear with jeans and hoodies, but still appropriate to wear to work. Thus, I wear them almost everyday. Except there's rips on the "vegan leather" now, I've had to use super glue to fix the soles, and they're so scuffed up that they don't even look black anymore. Still, I couldn't bring myself to throw them out until I could find something as similar as possible. So I went on to Call It Spring to see what ankle boot styles they had available this season.

Call It Spring "Piperr" Ankle Boots
As it happens, I found these particular boots that are almost identical to my other ones, except in a canvas material and without a zipper. Not dealbreakers, since I mostly care about the style and the fit. But they were also $70, so I decided to wait until there was a sale, 'cause Call It Spring always has some sort of sale going on (I swear, they're like the Bath & Body Works of the shoe world). Lo and behold, they started their sale a week later and the boots went down to $32. I immediately added them to my cart.

Call It Spring "Tukums" Lace Pumps
Call It Spring "Emelya" Ankle-Strap Heels
Then I figured I should take advantage of the sale. 'Cause that's what any smart person would do. So I decided to look for some heels to wear to my friend's wedding (and thus any subsequent wedding I am invited to). My criteria for heels is that they're black, not too narrow, and with a heel that's 3 - 3.5 inches. Basically, high enough to look dressy, but also comfortable enough that my feet won't break or bleed after standing for five minutes. I couldn't decide between these two styles, so I just got them both. I mean, they're cheap, they're black, and I don't care about trends, so I figure I can wear these to whatever function that requires a dressier shoe. (Which is good, since my friend had to postpone her wedding until next year.)

Call It Spring "Northelle" Slip-On Sneakers
And then I also decided to get some slip-on sneakers. Just 'cause I like slip-ons. And they're cheaper than Vans. So, yeah, that's how I ended up getting four pairs of shoes for $125 (after tax!).

Photolog 2020: Day 98 of 366

Welcome to another episode of "Buying Random Shit While in Quarantine"! Today's package is from Amazon and features my brand new lightbox. I saw so many different lightboxes at BTS cafe events (like this one, and this one, and this one) and decided to get one for myself 'cause I thought it'd look cute in my room. I've decided to use mine for — what else? — BTS lyrics. I'll probably end up changing it every couple of weeks, but I'm starting with "Young Forever" because it's one of the most meaningful songs between BTS and ARMY (and this fancam of ARMY singing it to BTS at Wembley last year makes me emotional every single time).

Photolog 2020: Day 97 of 366

Excitement of the day: I got my latest Function of Beauty order! My last formula was a little too heavy for my hair (almost too moisturizing?), so I changed my "hair goals" to fix split ends, hydrate, control oil, soothe scalp, and volumize. I also changed up the colours (lavender for the shampoo and baby blue for the conditioner) and picked their new limited edition spring scent, "Strike a Rose," which is a mix of rose and black currant. (I thought it would smell more like Diptyque's Baies candle, which I adore, but this leans more rose-heavy.) I don't normally go for such floral fragrances, but I wanted to switch it up a bit to keep things interesting. I will say that I already like it more than the "Cherry Bl(awesome)" scent I got last time (it ended up being more cherry than blossom). Cross fingers that the formula is better, too.

Makeup and Beauty Blog: Monday Poll, Vol. 621

This week's Monday Poll:

1. Lipstick or lipgloss? These days, I've been wearing either lip balm or MAC Cremesheen Glass because I just want hydration with sheer to no colour. (Never thought I'd see the day when I'd pick gloss over lipstick.)
   
   
2. Mascara or brow pencil? Mascara. Honestly, if I could only wear one makeup product for the rest of my life, it would be mascara.
   
   
3. Blush or bronzer? Blush.
   
   
4. Foundation or BB cream? Powder foundation or tinted moisturizer, but I still tend to wear powder foundation more because it's a lot faster, and when you gotta wake up at 5:30AM every day, efficiency is all that matters.
   
   
5. Matte or dewy? I like a matte T-zone and dewier cheeks, but frankly, by mid-day, I look like an oil slick regardless of what I wear on my face.
   
   
6. A bright colour palette or a neutral palette? Neutral. Goes with everything and is appropriate for all occasions.
   
   
7. Glam or natural? Depends on the occasion, but these days, I go for natural all the time. When I feel like putting a bit more effort, I'll wear winged liner. That's pretty much as glam as I get these days. (Funny how I wore glam makeup almost everyday when I worked at MAC — for nine years! — and now I'm the complete opposite.)
   

Photolog 2020: Day 96 of 366

Nail day! Today's picks? Cirque Colors' NYFW with ILNP's Imagine That.

BTS EPISODE: 2019 MMA Behind

In case you needed a reminder that the BTS stage at the 2019 MMA was the most epic performance of the entire year (maybe of all time?), and that they won a record-breaking eight awards (including all four grand prizes) there, BigHit released the behind-the-scenes episode for it today. (They know we need such quality content during these trying times, and I appreciate that.)

Photolog 2020: Day 95 of 366

Got this warning from the Ontario Emergency Alert system today. Previously, these were used exclusively for Amber Alerts, so I guess people still aren't taking this pandemic seriously enough. I, on the other hand, took this as a reminder to deep-clean the house: scrubbing down the bathtub and toilet with bleach, wiping down all the counters and the sink with Lysol, dusting all the shelving units, Swiffer-ing all the hardwood floors, vacuuming the carpet, doing the laundry, etc. So I'm exhausted now. Gonna spend the rest of the night doing some online shopping and watching Crash Landing on You. Hope everyone is staying safe. (Also, yes, my phone wallpaper is of Jimin in the middle of dancing during the Love Yourself Tour with his hand hovering over his crotch.)

Saturday Nine: Could've Been (1987)

This week's Saturday Nine:

You can listen to the orchestra here.

1. This wistful song is about a love affair that ended. What song reminds you of a long-ago love? "Walking With a Ghost" by Tegan and Sara. Actually, the lyrical content of the song has nothing to do with why it reminds me of my first boyfriend. I just listened to their So Jealous album a lot during that period of time (around 2004 to 2006?). To the point where my ex and his friends (who all liked hip hop) ended up being able to sing along to the majority of these songs any time they were in my car (which was a lot). It was actually pretty funny seeing these "tough guys" wearing baggy clothes and chains singing along to Tegan and Sara.
   
   
   
2. It was written by Lois Blaisch, a singer-songwriter who performs at clubs around Los Angeles and has sung outdoors at Disneyland. Would you prefer to attend a concert indoors, or outside under the stars? I guess it depends on the weather... I'd say indoors for the most part, but after seeing BTS perform twice at MetLife Stadium last year, I'm gonna say a stadium with the roof open. Get the best of both worlds.
   
   
3. This week's featured artist, Tiffany, appeared on the TV talent show Star Search when she was just 14. She came in second. Though she was disappointed, she admits she learned from it. She studied the singer who won and says it made her a better performer. Can you recall a time when you weathered a tough time and came through stronger? When I moved out with my ex when I was 20. I was young and stupid and naive, and I had no help from my parents and had to work two jobs, but the experience made me more mature, more independent, and able to make better life decisions.
   
   
4. Early in her career, she toured Alaska, opening for country legend George Jones. Have you ever visited our 49th state? No. I don't have any real interest, either.
   
   
5. Tiffany provided the voice of Judy Jetson in 1990's Jetsons: The Movie. Which cartoon did you enjoy more: the space-age Jetsons or the pre-historic Flintstones? I enjoyed the Jetsons more, but I think I watched more episodes of the Flintstones.
   
   
6. In 2007, she appeared on VH1's Celebrity Fit Club and lost 28 lbs. Are you making an effort to stay fit during this stay-at-home period? Not particularly, though I probably should. Then again, I returned to work last week, so I am getting a bit more movement (and eating a lot less) than I did when I was in quarantine.
   
   
7. In 1987, when this song was popular, Aretha Franklin became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. What's your favourite Aretha song? "Respect," obviously. But my runner-ups are "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" and "I Say a Little Prayer for You."
   
   
8. Also in 1987, third-generation race car driver Marco Andretti was born. Are you a race fan? Not particularly, but you know who could get me to be one? BTS.
   
   
   
9. Random question: Do you find it easy to sit still, or are you fidgety? Depends on my mood and how much coffee I've had, but I generally find it easy to sit still.

Photolog 2020: Day 94 of 366

Sunrise, sunset. Another day, another dollar.

Friday Five: AKA March 73rd

This week's Friday Five:

1. What did you have too much of this week? Stress. I only went back to work on Wednesday and catching up has been extremely overwhelming because I missed out on two weeks of training. On top of that, the work environment is very tense right now because we have to work in a single department with dozens of other people during a pandemic. Even if we're sitting two metres apart and trying to sanitize as much as possible, the paranoia is still there. And a lot of people are absent, whether due to quarantine or worry. So with everything combined, it's been an incredibly stressful few days.
   
   
2. What did you have not enough of this week? Sleep. Because I was in quarantine for two weeks, I went back to my nocturnal ways, going to bed at 6:00AM and waking up at 2:00PM. But because I had to return to work on Wednesday, I had to switch back to trying to sleep before midnight and waking up at 5:30AM. As a result, I've had maybe three to four hours of sleep a night. So it feels like I've been jet lagged this week.
   
   
3. What did you have in just the right amount or number? Doritos. And hours of watching K-dramas.
   
   
4. What's better today than it was a week ago? My bank account.
   
   
5. When they make a movie about last month, what would be a good song for the soundtrack?
   
   

Photolog 2020: Day 93 of 366

Weird flex, but... I got Doritos today! (When you're out of quarantine, everything is exciting. And yes, I did spray Lysol on the bags when I got home. But the point is, I've been randomly craving them for two weeks and finally, VICTORY IS MINE.)

Photolog 2020: Day 92 of 366

I can't believe it's already April. (Well, to be fair, March was a total write-off.) And it was my first day back at work from being in quarantine. The first five days at a bank are always the busiest, and during a pandemic, it's absolute fucking chaos. So basically, the highlight of my day was changing the month on my BTS calendar.

Run BTS! 2020: Episode 98

Okay, but I would 100% subscribe to a BTS ASMR channel.

Photolog 2020: Day 91 of 366

Day #13 in quarantine: In between episodes of Crash Landing on You, I re-designed my BTS magnetic board and pin board. (Yes, my magnetic board is currently very Jimin-centric... until the GO for my Jungkook photobook sets arrives. Which will be someday. It's already been six months and now there's a pandemic, so what's another six months?) Anyway, I officially return to work tomorrow. Yes, work. Because I work for a major bank in a non-branch sector, my department is considered an "essential service," and thus is still open. So, wish me luck.

BTS on HomeFest: James Corden's Late Late Show Special

I was kind of surprised they picked "Boy With Luv" since Map of the Soul: 7 was just released, but it was probably because they wanted to perform a more cheerful, feel-good song with easier choreography for a livestream. (It was likely recorded live last week and then edited for today's release, 'cause the boys are wearing the same outfits from this day.) But I think this really what ARMYs needed in this time of isolation, and I really thank James Corden for putting this beautiful special together.

(But also, what is Jungkook looking so fucking fine for? Like, what the fuck?)