Reminders of Summer

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As much as I adore winter, it is still cheering to see the bright colors of summer in pictures. I took these photos while wandering the farmer's market in August, and they certainly capture the feel of summer in Madison for me.

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Happy New Year 2016!

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To my wonderful subscribers and supporters:

Thank you so much for a great year! I hope I can continue to bring you all happiness through my music and dancing in the coming year. May 2016 be wonderful and full of joy. Happy New Year!

With Love

From: Kyttyee (and Flopper)

"Start in My Life" 

Original by: Kuraki Mai (Detective Conan)

~ COVER ~

Vocals: Kyttyee (http://www.youtube.com/KyttyeeChii)

Artwork/Animation: Kyttyee

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Merry Christmas 2015!

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Another year, another Christmas already!

Thank you so much to all my subscribers, and to everyone who has watched my videos, whether just this year or for a long time! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and an amazing year in 2016!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

"Happy Merry Christmas"
Original music and lyrics: kuibel (https://twitter.com/kuibel)

~ COVER ~
Vocals: Kyttyee (http://www.youtube.com/KyttyeeChii)
Artwork/Animation: Kyttyee // Papillon de Nuit (http://www.papillondenuit.net/)

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Moonrise

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Sunset is beautiful to watch over the lake, but I think I actually like seeing the moonrise even more. It's especially lovely when the moon is full (or nearly full) because it's more prominent in the sky.  When photographing the moon, I am always surprised by how small it actually is. The moon illusion is an amazing thing indeed.

The child's wonder
At the old moon
Comes back nightly.
She points her finger
To the far silent yellow thing
Shining through the branches
Filtering on the leaves a golden sand,
Crying with her little tongue, “See the moon!”
And in her bed fading to sleep
With babblings of the moon on her little mouth. 


"Child Moon" ~ Carl Sandburg

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A Loony Lake

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During the autumn as birds start migrating south, many flocks of loons and geese make pit stops in the various lakes near Madison. The one near my apartment particularly tends to fill with loons from early autumn even into winter when it's partially frozen.

A+ and I took a short jaunt to go loon-watching, when the first little flocks started to arrive. They look a bit more sparse in the photo somehow than they did in real life, but there's still quite a high density of loons!

My favorite part about them is the hilarious sounds they make. If you've never heard a loon, at least these particular ones, they sound to me kind of like plugged ducks. It sounds like are trying to quack, but they get stuffed up halfway, so it comes out as a super short, high-pitched, slightly quacky peep. "Peep peep peep." And they constantly make sounds, so it's just a chorus of hilarious peeping anytime you get close to a bunch of loons.

Unlike ducks, the loons are definitely not accustomed to people approaching, so as soon as you walk near the waterline, they all turn around and frantically paddle away. Come back loons, I just want to get a picture!

These ducks, though, are definitely ruling the roost. That branch is theirs and they're not moving for anybody. I actually didn't notice the female duck when I was taking the photos. It was only afterwards when A+ said something about two ducks that I realized there was a second one. I guess camouflage works on me ^_^

We also encountered a woolly bear caterpillar on the walking path next to the lake. This one had made its way mostly across the path by the time we saw it, but there were a lot of other ones trying to cross the road. They look so cuddly and cute!

On the way back, I noticed this beautiful tree that had turned completely red. It's such a lovely symbol of autumn! On a follow-up note, this same tree was completely bald the next time I saw it (about a week later). I found that surprising and a bit hilarious, but so it goes.

The view of autumn trees from across the lake makes such a nice landscape. It's almost like being inside a Bob Ross painting.

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Holiday LUSH Haul

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I went into LUSH recently intending to get a block of the "Figs and Leaves" soap, as I mentioned in my previous haul/review. When I got to their soap display, however, I realized that they already had all of their special holiday items in, and ended up getting distracted by those. I figured "Figs and Leaves" could wait while I explored the holiday soaps.

I had noticed from browsing their website that a large proportion of their holiday soaps don't contain SLS, which I was really pleased about. I'm hoping that means they might be willing to make more year-round soaps that are also SLS-free. If not, at least I get to try a lot of their yummy-smelling holiday ones.

I ended up walking out with bits of "Baked Alaska," "Yog Nog," and "Icing on the Cake." I spotted two other soaps there that I didn't end up getting because they do contain SLS - "Reindeer Rock" and "Snowcake." I was actually quite sad about "Snowcake" because it looks so very pretty with gold glitter on white, and it smells lightly of vanilla/white cake batter.

I'm still finishing up my Sultana soap, so I probably won't be getting to any of these too soon, but here are my first visual and scent impressions for those who might not be able to get to a store but are curious.

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Baked Alaska

This one is extremely eye-catching on display. The whole shape from the outside is supposed to be a snowball, hence the white outer rind. Much like the eponymous dessert! Then the inside is like an explosion of greens, blues, yellows, and oranges. It reminds me of what an aurora might look like contained inside a ball. The piece I got is mostly green and blue, but there were definitely bits with bright orange and yellow in them on display.

Scent-wise, it's exactly as advertised. It smells like a generic citrus scent. To me it leans more towards lemon, and less orange, if that is a distinction you make in your citrus scents. It smells quite strong if you hold it up to your nose, but the scent doesn't linger long or have a wide radius of dispersion, so it probably won't make your entire bathroom smell like citrus.

I think this one will be a really refreshing soap to use, because it doesn't seem overly creamy or melty, and the citrus gives it a wake-up type of scent.


Yog Nog

This soap was the one I really wanted to try when I saw it go up online. The giant block looks like a caramel flan with light brown powder dusting on top. It's molded with little stars and other holiday-ish shapes on the top, but that's not really apparent in individual pieces unless you get really lucky and/or get a really large chunk. The powder does sort of go everywhere when you unwrap it, so I wonder how it will look after dousing in the shower for the first time.

The smell is exactly like spiced eggnog. It's got a primarily vanilla flavor, with hint of cinnamon or clove. It's quite a strong scent, and this one definitely does linger and expand to fill the room. It's sitting on my bathroom shelf and about a 1.5-foot spherical radius around it smells like eggnog.

The texture of the soap feels a bit more creamy in the hands than "Baked Alaska," so I think this one is perfect for something a bit more luxurious and getting in the Christmas spirit.


Icing on the Cake

This one was designed to trap me. It is pink, glittery, and just beautiful. The large-form shape of it is like a big pink roll cake or Buch de Noel, with a dusting of gold glitter across the top. Inside, you can see the spiral of pinks and golds. So so pretty, I almost don't want to use it!

This one actually has quite a light scent. I have to hold it up against my nose and really inhale deeply (coating my lungs with glitter, of course), to actually smell it. I can't really identify what it smells like beyond a generic "sweet" scent. Because it's so light, it doesn't have a sickly or cloying feel to it, but based on the name I guess they wanted it to be a cakey sort of sweetness. To me, it just smells slightly sweet, a bit powdery, and almost a floral type of sweetness. Maybe it will be more clear once it comes into contact with water, but I actually quite appreciate that it's a light scent.

The soap itself feels extremely melty, just holding onto it with my hands. It is advertised as being softening, so that does make sense. I think this one will be really lovely on days when my skin is super dry and irritated. And anyone who likes pretty pink things will probably get a kick out of it too!


In addition to the two soaps I decided not to try, they also have special holiday bath bombs and bubble bar things, but because I'm not a big bath person, I didn't get any of those. There are some shower jellies and body washes as well, but all of those are high in SLS, so no go for me either. But many people love those, so definitely give them a try if you're interested!

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Studio Tiara "SEAHOLLY"

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I'm a huge fan of Tiara's compositions, and will probably be making more covers of her songs in the future.

Continuing in the trend of trying to make all original images for my cover videos now, I again did all the artwork for this video. I originally had much more ambitious ideas for animation, but lacking actual specialized software put that on the back burner. Hopefully in the future!

"SEAHOLLY" 

Original by: Studio Tiara (http://lovetrue-emotion.net/studiotiara/)

~ COVER ~

Vocals: Kyttyee (http://www.youtube.com/KyttyeeChii)

Artwork/Animation: Kyttyee // Papillon de Nuit

Feel free to use these lyrics/mp3 if you enjoyed them! Just please make sure to credit properly and include a link back to this video ^_^

~ MP3: http://www.mediafire.com/listen/t8hcfwksz1g720a/SEAHOLLY_%5BKyttyee%5D.mp3

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Outfit: Grey Princess

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Sweater: Urban Outfitters

Shirt: Gap

Skirt: Bodyline

Leggings: BonTon

Shoes: Converse

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Ballet and Pointe Shoe Update

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It's been a little while since the last time I talked about ballet, and it's not because I've been doing it less. In fact, I've been very busy with dance, and even tried a few auditions in the spring. I got to perform in the Ruth Page spring show with the other girls in the Waltz of the Hours from Coppelia, which was both terrifying and wonderful! Terrifying because it's a lot more pressure and expectation than UBallet shows, but wonderful because I've always wanted to have a chance to perform with the girls there. I'm happy I got to do it once before I moved away.

After coming to Madison, I've been finding various studios and groups that I feel comfortable with. I even auditioned for a couple of Nutcracker productions, and eventually chose to do the Verona Youth Ballet production. I'll be dancing in their version of Snow (set to the Snow Pas de Deux music rather than the Snow Waltz due to their being so few people in it), as well as dancing the lead role in the Marzipan divertissement!

I don't tend to take many photos in the studio, but I did a couple of quick snaps before one of my Nutcracker auditions. My motto is "Less is more" for audition settings, and usually just aim to have simple but very neat dress, hair, and makeup. I do like to add a bit of sparkle to my bun though, just as an eyecatching focal point.

Going into the audition venue, I try to wear something to keep me warm during waiting periods and while I'm warming myself up. Whoever thought ballerinas were chic is probably somewhat mistaken...

I've also found my current holy grail pointe shoe since my last ballet musings post. I went in for a fitting at Allegro in Evanston, IL, and was fitted with Russian Pointe Almaz. I never realized until I did this fitting that my problem with pointe shoes wasn't necessarily that they were too wide or too untapered, but that the crown of the box was too high for my foot. While I do have a fairly tapered toe are, the crucial point is that I need a low crown for the shoe to actually fit along my foot so I don't keep sliding into the front of the box. I've been loving my Almaz since I switched to them back in February or March, and hoping my feet won't change too much anytime soon!

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Mini LUSH Haul and Review

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LUSH opened a store in Madison fairly recently (just this past summer), and I was pretty excited to take a wander through it, because I've always enjoyed shopping there. I've enjoyed some of their solid  shampoo and conditioner bars, and especially their massage bars for travel, because of the liquid restrictions for carry-on luggage.

I had found the remnants of an old massage bar, but I think it was so old that the fragrance had completely degraded. Unfortunately it smelled exactly like varnish, so I decided it was time to get something new.

I ended up walking out with a bar of the "Organic Therapy" massage bar, a small block of "Honey I Washed the Kids" soap, and a "Ceridwen's Cauldron" bath melt.

I've written up some thoughts regarding these items (and another soap) below, for those who haven't tried them and may be curious. I tend to have sensitive dry skin, so a lot of my focus in choosing body products is geared towards making sure they won't cause too much irritation or excessive dryness.

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Organic Therapy Massage Bar  == Excellent!

"Organic Therapy" has a nice scent that's slightly spicy, slightly herbal, and not too sickly sweet. I usually enjoy sweet and floral scents, but in the form of massage bars, most of them make me feel a bit ill because they're too cloying. This one is nice because it smells good but isn't overly strong. The moisturizing power of the bar is just as I expected from their previous bars. It melts nicely after a few seconds of rubbing either between the hands or directly wherever you're trying to put it, and at least for me, the moisturizing effect lasts much longer than most regular lotions. I do prefer to use it before bed, so that it can sit overnight, because it does initially leave a film of old on the skin. If you're not a fan of that feeling, then these probably won't be the thing for you.

Honey I Washed the Kids Soap == Okay

I bought this soap because people mentioned that they liked how it worked on their sensitive skin. I often have issues (especially in colder, dryer seasons) with my skin getting extremely dry and irritated. The smell of this soap is delicious, it's like inhaling a caramel flan. I do appreciate that it has a sweet caramel smell, but it is not artificial and cloying like some "candy" scents can be. As for the soap itself, it is quite nice and worked fine for middle of summer, but I think it's still too stripping for my skin in autumn and winter. I hadn't read the ingredients carefully enough the first time, because I was just going off recommendations, but this soap *does* contain SLS, which is the main stripping ingredient. While it is lower on the list than some of LUSH's other soaps, it is still pretty prominent. As much as I love the scent, I probably wouldn't buy this soap again for regular bathing use.

Ceridwen's Cauldron == TBD

I also bought "Ceridwen's Cauldron" because it was mentioned as being really good for moisturizing and soothing sensitive skin. I'm not generally a big bath person, as I don't generally have time and just never really grew up with that sort of habit. However, I thought this one might be a nice one to try this winter if I want a bath to warm up or something. The ingredients in this look promising, particularly the oatmeal, which I have found to be a good skin soother, so I look forward to trying this out.

Sultana of Soap == Very Good

After I finished "Honey I Washed the Kids," I returned to LUSH to try another of their soaps. I did pay more attention to my research this time, and concluded that the only two of their regular soaps that do *NOT* contain SLS are "Sultana of Soap" and "Figs and Leaves." After sniffing both soaps, I went with "Sultana" because I liked the scent a little more. It's supposed to look like a fruit nougat, which it sort of does. The scent to me smells like sweetened baby powder, which can be good or bad depending on your preferences. I don't mind it, and the soap really is very moisturizing and cleansing without leaving my skin with that squeaky stripped feeling like most other soaps do. I forgot to take a photo of the raw block, but it basically looks like the way it does now but with sharp edges.

The one thing I'm not liking so much about "Sultana" as I'm nearing the end of the block is that the little fruit and nut bits in it are actually fruits and nuts embedded in the soap. So now I end up leaving some soap detritus in the bathtub that I need to clean up after I shower. I think when I finally run out, I'll give the "Figs and Leaves" soap a try.

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