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For the longest time ever, I have never sought to buy anything pretty for myself because somehow my upbringing taught me to be practical. Or maybe because we were never rich to begin with, so beautiful gifts were a big thing to me.
As I grew up and had friends who made a big fuss about birthdays and giving presents did I realise that it's okay to pamper yourself once in awhile. Before I learnt how to treat myself to beautiful things, every beautiful thing that I owned were gifts from family & friends.
Like this simple but sweet butterfly anklet.
Little did I realise that this would turn into a collection of its own. There's no way one can live in Japan and not buy beautiful things. Everything is just so cute or charming or classy.
One of my first non-grocery purchase was this bronze butterfly cowboy belt at the boutique just down the apartment where we lived. I reasoned to myself, there was no way I'd buy this in Malaysia. Merely because it would have cost more than what I could afford, and I wouldn't have anything to wear it with.
But in Japan, where everything goes, you can get away with anything and nobody would think you're weird. Not that this belt is weird!
Then I went to look for earrings. I've never had ear holes in my life until I got the scholarship to go to Japan. Well, I figured if I was going to enjoy all that Japan and its beautiful things have to offer, I must pierce my ears.
IreneQ was there with me while I grimaced as the jeweller shot the piercing gun at my ear lobes. She was also the one who gave me my first bunch of earrings to start my own set.
I got both of these while on holidays in Yokohama and Kobe (my compact cam is not doing justice to them!). I could have bought a whole lot more earrings there if my practical self wasn't saying why do I need more earrings of the butterfly sort. (^.^)
Actually I'm more willing to spend on pretty things in Japan because I am assured of its quality rather than paying for overpriced things here which do no last.
So since I have been wearing butterflies in Japan, naturally people thought I loved butterflies. So for my last birthday Yuri gave me these - butterfly mirror and magnet.
And when she visited me last Christmas, she bought along more butterflies for me! Like this embroidered coin purse and ...
butterfly note pad with a whimsical theme...
and these lovely butterfly-shaped chirimen* stickers...
which I used for the garden I drew on my journal.
As if that wasn't enough already, she gave me another present which I was told under in no circumstances should I open them till my birthday. Then, she held that thought for awhile, before asking me to open it in front of her. She was so excited about it that she wanted to see my expression when I opened my early birthday gift!
It was a pink sequinned butterfly bag, which held... a butterfly ceramic holder! No wonder she couldn't let me wait till my birthday.
I have lots more beautiful butterflies I'd like to share, but I have to get ready for a birthday treat tonight - Showstoppers at the MPO!
縮緬 【ちりめん】 (n) (silk) crepe
5 comments:
Sarah-san, I didn't know you liked butterflies. Hope to see you model in one of these some day.:)
o-tanjoubi omedetou!
Aruden : Guess I didn't get to show you the butterfly belt back in Niigata then :D I'll try to remember the next time we meet!
Thomas : arigatou gozaimasu :)
Whalao! So many flutterby. Nice.
HL : :) got more to come! btw, when are you going to update your blog??
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