aoi_no_neko

It really looks like we are going to Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab Will Call this Saturday.

So I thought I would note here that they are going to offer some of their Limited Oils and Prototypes...

community.livejournal.com/bpal_excathedra/96986.html 

Click on the link if you want to see the list.  Eh, Beth forgot to put the price but if I remember correctly they were $20 each at the Trunk Shows.  Don't know if they will charge tax, my first time at a Will Call but they don't at the trunk shows or on-line.

So....if anyone would like anything...comment or pm or e-mail okay?

eta:  No word on price.  Trunk show price was $20 but TKO General Catalog goes for $25 so if BPAL gets back to me or posts a price I will edit this for that. 

Yet I have to share this



What is that you ask?  Well...it's a photo from a Doll Show 27 from Groove.  Seems like the show was 1/24.
And why am I posting this?  Well...because Groove handled Pullips now and from the looks of this photo which they want to keep the dolls secret, I'm guessing Steampunk Pullip and friends!

Anyway, just wanted to share this with the people who do read my blog.  Since Livejournal is getting pretty bad with their format and all (see my prior post if you are wondering what that's about), I'm going to be posting more here blukats.blogspot.com/ and etherealspirits.blogspot.com/

enough of the blacked out screen and the obnoxious audio (that doesn't shut off even after clicking the close button) and video that automatically starts playing when I look at the friends page here.

Livejournal, you fail.  Your new search fails and making people pay so they can put ads on their journals to make a few pennies fails and now this stupid darkened screen with annoying ads that eat up my memory and cause my mouse not to work right, fails

Seriously, why does anyone spend their time making interesting posts so Livejournal can use that to make themselves money?  And they have the nerve to charge people for it?  When there are free blogs without ads that lots of people use?

LiveJournal, you fail.

I live in a secure apartment complex.  Yet someone was in here around midnight, why, I don't know.

I was at my computer about midnight when I heard voices right outside my door.  Next thing I hear is someone saying "DOWN ON YOUR KNEES".  More voices and more repeating of the command.  At this point I'm seeing through the cracks in the blinds a cop standing right at my window.

Dang, I had no idea what was going on or if the person they were trying to arrest was armed or crazy.  I went into the bathroom, which is furthest from the window.

When I looked again they had moved to a patio table and benches and it appeared they had the man sitting.  There were four cops.  After a bit they left and I'm guessing they took the guy with them. 

I have no idea what the guy was doing.  No one can get in here unless they have a key, are let in by someone or follow someone in.  For all I know the guy lives here.  No one was out after the cops left.  I'm just a little rattled by all this.

It's too bad because I would like to get something nice, you know a little retail therapy.  Want to get Metal Tiger and Needlework from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab.  But wouldn't you know it, their DSL lines are down and will be for a few days until either they start working on their own or they get repaired (I'm guessing Verizon since they are the DSL people around here).  So no e-mailing in orders right now, boo.  I could but they can't read anything and I'm guessing that means they will have a lot to deal with once their DSL works again.

There is always more but I think this is enough to post.  Hope everyone here on the West Coast hasn't had too many problems with the rain.  Definitely need a break.  At least for a couple of days.

eta:  I was going to go out to my car since my cats are out of cat food.  There's a bag in the trunk.  Now I'm glad I didn't.  Ended up giving them canned food and now they won't leave me alone.  Sigh.

only follow a couple of people, friends and then a few that I check for news for new work or products or events.  But reading Mr. Gaiman's posts right now is getting to me.

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2010/01/zoe.html

I wish all the best to him and those around him that loved this kitty.  I've been through this.  My cat Blues had the same thing.  I am remembering Blues today and giving mega attention to my two boys.  It's sad to know when someone or something you love isn't going to make it and you want them to stay as long as possible but you don't want them to suffer.  All we can do is the best for them and try and do the best for everyone we care about and the rest of the world.

Well one suggestion is hot tea and pastries.



Because a cup of hot tea at Chantilly Bakery in Lomita, Calif. is always nice.



Especially with a chocolate cream puff and macarons.  I can't believe I've never had a macaron, what have I been missing!  Well for starters, raspberry and mint chocolate.



And green tea and chocolate.  Delicious!

First sighting of the year!  I had to check the date, can't believe these are for sale already.
Hey guys, is Easter early this year?

is ramble around the internet looking for stuff that I'm curious about.  So tonight with the rain coming down and not feeling up to going anywhere, I asked myself "just when are they going to film that "Dark Shadows" movie?"

Because ya know, I just want to see Mr. Depp made-up as Barnabas.  Sorry, no photos just yet.  But this is a Warner Bros. pic and with Tim Burton directing and getting so little press, and part of this film should have some lovely historical costuming and sets, I'm hoping that maybe this might just be something a bit more than expected.  Given the commitment of those involved and hopefully not the pressure that "Alice" has.

It's funny to read what is out there.  It's almost as people don't believe it will happen, that Depp is too busy, ect.  Being one who also grew-up watching that show, living in similar suburbs as Mr. Burton (also Southern California), I can get the reasoning behind their wanting to do this movie.  To me, as badly as it was filmed, "Dark Shadows" was a forerunner to "Twin Peaks" and "X-Files".  It was that odd little show that covered so much ground that wasn't a regular part of mainstream media except for "Twilight Zone" and "Outer Limits".  It was a horror soap opera long before there was ever a "Twilight".  (actually before Stephenie Meyers was born, amusingly)

So when I read that Johnny Depp feels he was born to play Barnabas Collins, and his cohart Mr. Burton also is a fan, I know this movie will be made.  Happy to say that filming is set for September/October of this year.  Would be sooner but it seems Mr. Depp has to fit in some other little project called "Pirates of the Caribbean IV"?  I've no idea what this is about (and if you believe that I have a bridge for sale), but it's possible I might be seeing the Black Pearl off the coast here this April or May.  Since each time they keep filming that darn ship not far from where I live.

Okay, back to wandering.

I get to try Beard Papa's!  I didn't even know they were around here.  Once I did it took only one day till I got over there.
So, what's in the bag?



Now if this doesn't qualify as food porn I don't know what does.  So good, chocolate eclair cream puff.
I have to get over there early one day to try some of the other goodies.

Hum, since it's now the trend for certain stores to "drop in" little collections by famous designers, it's curious to see how high fashion gets translated down to what the general public can afford.  While the Rodarte for Target had fun pieces that can work with other things and was snatched up quickly, whether collections like Zac Posen's will do the same remains to be seen. 

But one other is hitting the Target racks on March 7th...



Why hello there, it's Jean Paul Gaultier for Target.



With a bit more variety than the Zac Posen collection



Pieces that seem to feel a bit more like the designer's.  (I want to see this jacket in person)



A bit of fun pieces that look like they can go with other things besides this collection. Like the Rodarte black lace cardigan with that t-shirt yes?



Even better, there is a trench coat! 

Ah, so anything look good to you?

The very cool artist kiriko_moth has made it onto Threadless with her great work!

And this is it here, just click on the picture below to see him in all his glory.



And hopefully we will be able to buy this crazy creature soon!

And if you feel up for it, please share this voting with your friends!

(and now for me to make a Threadless account so I can go vote 'cuz I've loved Kiriko Moth's work for a while now and this makes me feel pretty darn good)

wondering what I could do for those poor people in Haiti.  The scenes remind me of what I personally saw after the Northridge earthquake in 1994, buildings destroyed, people sleeping in parks.  Except Haiti is a thousand times worse.

Well, one thing I can do is let people know that Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab is donating all proceeds from their January sales of the following Orisha scents to the Red Cross

Elegba
Obatala
Ochosi
Ogun
Olokun
Osun
Oya
Shango
Yemaya
BPAL Excolo Scents
and of course Port-Au-Prince in the Wanderlust section.

That being said, I am super majorly going to do whatever I can to get to their Will-Call on the 30th.  If anyone is interested in anything, leave me a comment.  I have been wanting to go and this time, crossing my fingers and all that stuff.

If you are in Los Angeles tomorrow night, TiGeorge's Chicken Restaurant is hosting a fund raiser.  Owner George Leguerre has become a central point for people looking for information and trying to contact others in Haiti.  Which is extremely difficult right now so he is hosting a fund raiser at his restaurant starting at 5 pm January 14. 
TiGeorge's Fundraiser

Thank you for reading my post.

eta:  The International Red Cross website for those trying to contact people in Haiti 
www.icrc.org/familylinks  Pass this on if you can.

A couple weeks ago I read somewhere that there are aproximately 66 forms of miso soup.  There was a list included.  Now I'm thinking after looking at that list and looking up miso soup recipes that there are probably more.  But it got me thinking.  I've been wanting to have more fresh food in my diet, work on learning to cook what is known as  shōjin ryōri or Japanese Temple Food.  So now I'm tempted to try to cook as many versions of miso soup as I can.  Hopefully all this year. 

Now I'm not going to make all that were on that list, since a few included pork which isn't something I normally eat.  But what is going to be interesting to me is not just learning more about Japanese ingredients, but really getting to know different types of miso and learning the tastes of it.  I can't think of too many things that aren't more basic to Japanese cooking.

So, here is the first one of the year.  Yes, I decided to try one which is probably a bit more difficult.  Nothing like starting off in the deep end.  With Kyoto-style Ozoni, a traditional miso soup for New Years.  To begin with, here is pretty much what I put in the soup.



From the top clockwise, saikyo shiro miso, mochi, daikon, carrot and taro root.  It was interesting going to the market and trying to figure out what a few things were.  Learning as I go.

So these are cut up and the taro root is cooked first in water with a bit of uncooked rice.  The mochi is also cooked in water to soften it, but it dissolved a bit so I think I would just soften it in the soup next time.  No dashi is used in this dish.  The miso is mixed into water and heated, making a very rich and creamy tasting soup.  I would definitely use this as a milk substitute in the future.  The rest of the vegetables and some spinch were cooked in the miso soup and the mochi and taro are also added.



And here is the end result.  While a lot of times miso soup is served as part of a meal, this was pretty filling by itself.  I served this with some pickles just to give a contrasting taste.  Sometimes chicken is part of this dish but I wanted it to be vegetarian.  I guess also in Kyoto some places make this with only white ingredients, thus the name.  I found different versions of this on the internet, but the main thing was using a very fine white miso which has less salt and a sweeter taste than other miso.  So, there is miso soup number one completed!  Will see how far I get with this.

eta:  Oh, I forgot to note here that besides this being a vegetarian version, I wanted to try it because it has less salt than the standard miso soup. 

In memory of family and friends who have lost the battle with cancer; and in support of the ones who continue to conquer it! Post this on your LJ if you know someone who has or had cancer. 93% won't copy and paste this. Will you?

I guess I am in that 7%
while not a person but close enough and very close to my heart, my cat Blues
my ex
and my mother

Sadly the last two were preventable.  So I am going to add that cigarette smoking does kill and lung cancer is pretty darn horrible and not very curable.  I just hope my exposure to my mother's smoking while I was growing-up doesn't end up the same way for me.  My mother knew yet she never stopped.

Yes I saw it, I enjoyed it, it was interesting and very creative.

Although I could swear one of the Russian bad guys had more than a passing resemblance to one Orlando Bloom.   Interesting...

It's funny what one finds during late night rummages through the internet.  I was drawn to the designer Kansai Yamamoto and his 1970's Noh inspired fashion.  Entertained to find he was the man responsible for a few of David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust creations.



While the guy makes great music, it's hard to say that David Bowie would not have been so famous so quickly if not for his inspired fashion tastes.  He was ahead of his time.  Considering that early 1970's he was using Kabuki techniques and wearing the latest in Japanese fashion, something that the rest of the world is still catching up on.



Although the majority of both his stage and off-stage clothing really was the responsibility of Freddie Burretti.  They met in the late 1960's and worked together for years.  Freddie came along when Bowie had long blond hair and designed for him all the way throught Diamond Dogs and Philly Soul.  Bowie was glam rock, a forerunner to Visual Kei, classic style and more.  I don't know if we realize how much he influences others especially at that time.

The haircut definitely made waves.  Shaped up by Suzi Fussey, adapted by many.  Cheri Currie of the Runaways had to get it, said it took her to glam queen overnight.  Really, this was a bridge from the long unstyled hair of the 1970's to the layered looks of the 1980's.



What I find interesting is that so many of Mr. Bowie's looks still work today.  So not only is he a music icon but a style icon too.  Not just one to have an image onstage but off also.  So happy belated birthday to a guy who gets me wandering through the internet to find all kinds of interesting things.  Missed it by a day but better late than never.

(just sharing what I found, hope someone finds this interesting)

I just cut up what credit cards I have except for the one with the lowest interest rate.

Ever since I moved last month I have spent countless hours trying to get services established, addresses changed and so on.  It have been a total nightmare.

Even now I'm still trying to get addresses changed.  It took a week and several phone calls just to get basic phone service established.  With a phone number that turns out to have belonged to a person who has flaked on all their bills including their electric service so now I get calls every day for this person.  Thank you AT&T.

Verizon makes it impossible to cancel their service and to pay that final bill.  I still have not received it, can't pay on line any more so I tried over the phone, hoping it went through.  Now I have to spend a lot more time again on the phone checking that next week.  Thank you Verizon.

I have a really great credit rating, I pay my bills on time, yet when I tried to buy something today, it was all messed up.  I don't know why, one I keep giving them my new address and they won't change it.  Spent more time today on the phone trying to get it changed.  The other card has money available and should be fine, yet the seller was being told the card was invalid.  Thank you B of A.

I don't know how many years I have had these credit cards, longer than I care to remember.  The amount of time I've had to spend dealing with all of this because these businesses refuse to have customer service any more and refuse to do things correctly, I can't get back.  My time is more precious than having the ability to charge for stuff.  So I cut-up all but one card tonight, the one with the lowest interest rate.

I'm tired of doing things right and still being treated like I'm the bad person.  I'm not a bad person, these companies have failed.

Seems everyone is having stuff go wrong from little to big.  Feels like pedalling a bicycle uphill.

On that note, yesterday I made Tataki Gobi.  What's that?  The long name is Smashed Burdock tossed in Crushed White Sesame. 

I wasn't going to do the Washoku Warrior Challenge for January but decided to try this the other day.  A lot of work but turned out decently.  Still, I'm not a big burdock fan so this isn't something I will be making again. 



Washoku Warriors New Years