Mamaki Plant

My mamaki plant died, but the weeds are doing great.

On Da Desk

Trying to copy Demizu Posuka again, but not even close. Her artwork is so awesome.



Trying to duplicate the colors in these peacock feathers, but failed here also. Nature too is so awesome.

Shiseido at Ross

Remember the Shiseido eye cream thing that I saw at Ross last week and didn't get?  Well, yesterday it was reduced by $5 to $12.99, plus it was senior-discount day. 

I held on to it while I walked around the store.


And then I bought it. The applicator tip is so cool . . . very fancy.


The color and consistency surprised me. It's pinkish in color and thicker than I expected. Not sure if it reduced my dark circles, fine lines, puffiness and dullness, but for $12.99 I liked it.


As a side note, I also got this. It was $3.99. It sells for $15 on Amazon. I'm such a sucker for good deals and scissors. 

One Pound Musubi

I saw this at Don Q yesterday!

Pipeline Malasadas

Whenever I go to Kaimuki Crack Seed Store to pick up my Li Hing Ginger I make sure to also go across the street to Pipeline Bakeshop & Creamery to get some malasadas for Wendell.



Lately, I haven't been too much into malasadas so usually half a piece is good enough for me.


The last time that I was there, the gal mentioned that their ice cream desserts are popular in the evenings. I wouldn't mind trying the Malamode. It's a made-to-order "hot and crispy outside with cold and creamy inside" malasada with an ice cream filling that sells for $6.50.  Only thing, it's only served from 2 to 9 p.m., and I'm never out and about at that time. But we'll see. Maybe someday.

Shiseido Product at Ross

Yesterday I saw another Shiseido product at Ross. It normally sells for $42 and was only $17.99.

It says it reduces dark circles, fine lines, puffiness and dullness. I held it in my hands for quite awhile, but eventually put it back, mostly because I already have quite of bit of similar creams in my supply.

I keep thinking about it though, 'cause you know me and good deals. It's so hard for me to resist.

Coronavirus

Here is a clear and simple explanation of the coronavirus. Thanks for sharing, Steven!

Urban Sketchers Oahu

This past Saturday Erick, Cleta and I joined some of the members of  Urban Sketchers Oahu at Re-Use Hawaii for some sketching fun. I'm so glad that Erick suggested going. I really enjoyed myself. 

Re-Use Hawaii is at the end of Keawe Street in Kaakako. We met at 10:00 a.m. We were free to roam the place to sketch. Then at 11:30 we gathered to share our drawings. 


It was a bit overwhelming for me at first because I just couldn't decide on a suitable (easy) subject. With the clock ticking down, I chose these sinks. It was too hot outside so I took a photo, went back indoors and settled down near Cleta. 


This is what I did. If you click on the "Urban Sketchers Oahu" link that I provided above, you can view a slideshow of photos from the day that member Sebastian put together. 

Palace Saimin

I mentioned to Wendell that I wouldn't mind eating at Palace Saimin and so . . . we went! Wendell is cool like that sometimes.



Cute yah. Parking sucks, but Wendell reversed his huge truck into the last remaining stall pretty easily.


It was noon on a weekday, and we had to wait for a seat. I actually had to race a girl so that I could beat her to the door. I came in first, the girl second and Wendell third. 

And it kept filling up . . . people left . . . and people came.


I ordered a large won ton min. Yup . . . a LARGE. It turned out to be way larger than Sekiya's Large so I wasn't able to finish it, but I did do some damage. The famous BBQ stick was ono but too chunky for my liking.


All in all, it was well worth visiting Palace Saimin at least for the nostalgia. There was a sign saying that they've been around for 70 years!  But given the parking situation and the slight distance from my house, I'm sticking to Sekiya's. 

Sumo Orange at Whole Foods

I bought a bunch of sumo oranges from Whole Foods the other day. They were juicy, but small-kine sow-wah.



I wanted to get strawberries too, but . . . 

Stamps at the Post Office

I really didn't need more stamps when I was at the post office yesterday, but when I saw this design displayed along with other samples, I just had to get it. ❤️❤️❤️

Beware of Counterfeit Products on Amazon

Ever since one of my sisters ordered a Cindy Crawford beauty product from Amazon that turned out to be an obvious knock-off, I've tried to be careful when ordering. 

Recently photographer Gary Fong, creater of the Lightsphere flash diffuser, posted a YouTube video warning of such.

He says this on his website:  

I purchased some Gary Fong Lightspheres on Amazon to see which ones were counterfeit. We gave Amazon the transaction numbers of the counterfeit items, and they quickly removed the content and closed the stores.

Here's his video:

Daiso Easy Sealer

This was one of my Daiso purchases.  Mostly I was curious about how it worked, especially for only $1.50.



Here are the instructions.


It needs two AA batteries. 


Here's the heating element. It only heats up when you press down on it. I know 'cause that's how I burned my thumb.


You slide it along where you want to seal. It didn't work on a thicker package that I first tried it on. 


But it did work on this one. 


Here's the protective cover that you flip over when not in use. 


Not sure how often I'll be using this gadget, but I think it's pretty cool. We'll see.

Daiso

I went to Daiso the other day and spent 1 1/2 hours in there!

This is what I got (not the keyboard).


Here are random shots that I took while in the store. 

7 Eleven's Beef Pho

Here's the Beef Pho from 7 Eleven. I haven't tried it yet, but my friend Cleta did. 



She enhanced it with her own Thai leaves.  She said that it was good.

On Da Desk

I saw a YouTube video where a gal made a Valentine's card using a rubber stamp filled with hearts. I thought it was so cute.

I decided to copy it by drawing out the hearts. (I'm retired. I have the time.) 


Here's the video.

Sumo Tangerine at Nijiya

These were at Nijiya the other day.



I couldn't resist.  But looking at this photo now, I'm thinking why did I pick the ugliest-looking one. I shoulda got a less green one with a bigger knob. Sometimes I don't know what I'm thinking.


It was good. Not the best I've ever had. But good.

7 Eleven's Local Style Saimin

What intrigued me the most about this saimin at 7 Eleven was the "DO NOT ADD WATER" part. The container did seem a bit heavy, but for the most part looked liquid-less. 

It was only $3.79 so I got it.


I confess. The "120 seconds" confused me. I pressed 1 - 2 - 0 on the microwave, but it didn't seem quite right. I stood there. 60 seconds plus 60 seconds equals 120 seconds. 2 minutes! Why didn't they just say 2 minutes? Hmph.


Aaaaaaanyway, this is what it looked like before the 120 seconds.


This is what it looked like after. How in the world, yah?


And the verdict? It was delicious! I would totally buy it again. And again.