I've never been one to wear plaid button-up shirts, which seem to crop up every where during the fall/winter seasons. Dresses or skirts? Yes, please! I also haven't ever come across anyone who refers to them as "tartan" prints either. I don't know about you, but it just doesn't roll off the tongue the way "plaid shirts" do. On the other hand, I'm perfectly fine saying "tartan dress or skirt". Why is that? Aren't plaid and tartan used interchangeably? I'd love to hear your opinions!

 These photos were shot while I was still in California. I should already be traveling quite some ways on the road toward Seattle, Washington by now. I've never driven that far north before. The furthest would have to be San Francisco, which is going to be one our stops along the way. I've got my eye on you too, Portland. Alas, I won't be back until after the new year so...!

Happy New Year!

***

What I wore:

Dress: Forever 21

Sweater: JOA (gifted)

Oxfords: Miz Mooz

Photos: John (& me!)

Since today is a holiday, I won't bore you all with all my blabbering. But I'll admit I cheated a little. These were actually taken on Christmas Eve. I later wore the same outfit but different coat to attend mass that evening. Christmas isn't the same if I don't wear something red at least!

This plaza next to an old mission was so fun to waltz through. The original chapel itself is beautiful, but is quite small. A newer, bigger one had been constructed long ago right next to it to accommodate the mass of people who attend each week. The area nearby is often used to take wedding photos. I'm not surprised. The area is gorgeous and much of the original architecture is still preserved. We were smitten by this corridor with its row of wide open arches. The light filtering in was so lovely.

 And so we come to the end of my adventures in Japan. This visual diary meant a lot to me. I had always meant to document my stay there while I was actually there, but I never did get around to it. I wish I had done it then, but it's better late than never. In that time, I made many friends and came to know the beautiful country of Japan. Those four months flew by so fast. I still wanted to see my newfound friends and be weird and silly with them. I still wanted to visit my favorite ramen and sushi restaurants. I still wanted to travel. I could have easily stayed a year. It was not enough.

We chased after this train intending to capture it as part of the backdrop for this photo set.  We have yet found a way to cross this fence barrier to actually take pictures on the train tracks. I advise all caution when attempting these kinds of things. You never know what can happen. Anyway, we hurriedly snapped some photos, but many of them turned out unusable! What a pity. Either I'm in the midst of blinking or mid-turn where it all looks so awkward. The train passed us by and disappeared as quickly as it came.

 Inside this beautiful multi-story mall with its lovely white Christmas tree was a most delicious restaurant that serves a very interesting dish called ochazuke, which quickly became my favorite dish to eat. To this day I still crave it but there is nothing like it here in So Cal - at least as far as I know.

 Ochazuke is typically a meal consisting of a bowl of rice with whatever toppings that are part of that set and a hot pot of tea which you pour over the rice. It's almost like a soup and quite filling. And it's so yummy! I could eat it all day and never tire of it. It was especially nice during the cold winter season. My buddies took me here because they knew how much I love to eat it. They were always so sweet and thoughtful.

Wafting under my nose is the warm, comforting aroma of cinnamon scented pine cones. As I am sitting here typing, I can't help but feel a little giddy at the thought of Christmas approaching faster than I can breathe. I've already begin my gift shopping, but I'm not quite finished yet. Thanksgiving was gone in the blink of an eye. And before I know it, everyone's got their tree up and nicely decorated. I feel time is running out and the shopping malls are only going to become ever more crowded with people doing the same thing I am. Jolly music play loudly over the speakers and in the center of it all is a two-story tree with Santa in his chair. I'm caught up in the holiday spirit, and I love it!

 After all this time, I forgot to mention that each of us EAP students were assigned to a group of buddies based on compatibility. We all loved this buddy system because it helped integrate us into the Japanese society. We became good friends with our buddies, who would take us to places we wanted to visit or eat. Pretty much they were like friends we would have back at home with whom we would simply hang out with. Understandably, most were juggling part-time jobs while attending college, and could not always join us on all our excursions. Here you see me with two of my buddies at Nogeyama Zoo.

-Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility (1811)

 Thanksgiving is not a traditional holiday for the Japanese, but they are aware that we Americans celebrate it. Many of us during our stay experienced bouts of homesickness as the holiday season drew near. We began to miss our family and friends back home and the special foods that are cooked and served during that time. My Japanese language sensei invited us over to her house to bring a piece of home to us. I thought that was such a nice gesture. As you can see, there was even an oven roasted turkey!

 When I think of the holidays coming up, I immediately think of lush velvet dresses or skirts. I scored this beauty at my local thrift store a couple of years ago. It's the most beautiful velvet, wintry green skirt I've ever laid eyes on. Oh, a most beloved treasure. And it was only about $6! It was in lovely condition - barely worn at all. Those front pockets are real and it's got two tiny slits at back of the skirt, which I thought were quite charming. I've worn it every holiday season since I've had it and I love it more and more each time. The blazer I wore with the outfit was also purchased at the same time for $4, which I thought was a rather amazing. I adore anything with elbow patches. It's supposed to be a little boy's tweed blazer but I think it fit me pretty well. You can be the judge of that...!

 We had a birthday celebration last Sunday for my mother, baby niece, and baby nephew. We managed to find time before the party to snap a few quick photos - we were supposed to be picking up the cakes and heading straight back to the house. I always thought the print of this dress reminded me of the prints on Japanese traditional kimonos. Something about all those multi-colored foliage printed repeatedly all over the dress, I suppose. I don't know if I'm right, but until someone tells me otherwise, I'm convinced I'm not entirely wrong either. Anyhow, one of the best things about it is that it's got pockets. You know how I feel about pockets!

 These mary janes from LaRedoute are the sweetest heels I ever laid eyes on. They're only about 2 inches high so they're super comfortable. I can run around all day in them. I love that they've got glitter all over the heel itself. And right now, they're on sale. There's also a promotion going on where you can get 10% off your entire order with promo code 1651. In case you're wondering, I'm not getting paid for this endorsement. Just thought I'd share from one fellow style blogger to another.

***

What I wore:

Dress: Ross

Heels: LaRedoute

 Last week's #tbt post featured Miyajima Island, which we all dubbed the "deer island". This week, I'll be talking about our visit to Okunoshima, which we accordingly dubbed the "bunny island". It houses a large population of bunny rabbits, who also do not shy away from people and will approach you. We toured the island in the midst of a sweltering summer day. It was quite grueling to listen for long periods of time with the sun shining ruthlessly down on us. We learned that during WWII, poison gas was produced in a factory built on the island, which had been chosen because it was so isolated and was not even on the map. The poison gas were tested on the bunnies that populated the island. So sad!

 We were given the choice of attending a baseball game and I, along with a majority of our study abroad group, opted to attend. I had always heard the Japanese were very enthusiastic about it. I never cared too much for baseball (and I still don't), but I wanted to experience it anyway. Unfortunately, I did not understand the game itself. The crowd, however, was what made it really enjoyable. The Japanese were so coordinated in their chanting and dancing that I couldn't help but get carried along with the fever of their excitement. And in the end, everyone threw up these pink balloons. This was probably the best part. I had to wonder where they got them because I had not seen a stand that sold balloons.