September Favorites

I can't believe that tomorrow is the official start of October already. I guess the months really do go by quicker when you're older.

This month my favorites are pretty much all skincare related. The mash up of heat, cold, humidity and dryness we've been experiencing lately in Southern California has really done a number on my skin so my focus has been on combating everything the weather has thrown at it.

1. The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% serum ($5.90 for 30ml): First off, I'll admit that I haven't been using this long enough to see a drastic change in my skin but I have seen some good results in the few weeks that I've incorporated it into my routine. I have less redness and the closed comedones and pimples that do occasionally pop up are smaller and not as apparent. I really like what The Ordinary is doing: bare bones formulas at fantastic prices. The niacinamide serum I purchased is slightly viscous and dries fairly matte so don't expect a super hydrating serum. I also enjoy the minimalist packaging and the dropper gives out the perfect amount of product for my whole face. I plan on trying their retinol and vitamin c serums soon. 

2. Humphrey's lilac witch hazel skin softening toner (around $5.90 for 8oz): I was first attracted to this toner because of the label, it's gorgeous (thanks, aunt Jenny!). I recently ran out of my toner and when I saw the lilac version at Marshall's I snapped it up. The formula is great; it's alcohol free and has some great ingredients. Besides the witch hazel it also contains some of my favorite things: hyaluronic acid, all the teas and aloe. It's soothing but also takes off all the extra grime that my micellar water and foam cleanser leave behind. 

3. Etude House Sunprise Mild Airy Finish Sun Milk (about $11.50 for 1.85oz): I love Asian sunscreens. They're cosmetically elegant and wear great under makeup and they don't have that typical sunscreen smell to them. Out of the multitude that I've tried I think this Etude House one is my favorite so far. It's mattifying but doesn't dry out my skin like Biore's offerings do. It also sinks in quickly so I can be ready for makeup after only 10 minutes. The quicker my routine is in the AM, the better! This may be the first one since Shiseido's hada senka that I will actually repurchase. 

4. Anastasia Beverly Hills stick foundation ($25 for .32oz): I love the ease of use of stick foundations. A few swipes, blend and you're done. I've tried a few different offerings (Bobbi Brown, Hourglass and Revlon's though Revlon's is more for touch ups) and unfortunately they've been more geared towards normal to dry skin. They good great at first but after a few hours my oily skin shines through and it's not pretty. When ABH announced a stick foundation for us oily skinned guys and gals I knew that I had to try it, especially at that price point. So far it's been excellent. The formula is on the drier side so normal/dry skinned people will want to prep for that but the finish and wear time on me is fantastic. It's a natural matte finish and even though I still have to blot halfway through a work shift my skin looks natural and not like an oil slick. I can't attest to the full coverage claim but I really love how it looks applied with a Beauty Blender; I end up with a "my skin but better" look. 

More pillow designs

Here are two throw pillow cases I made this past week. The fronts are hand dyed cotton and the blacks are black cotton with an envelope closure. Both are currently in my shop with the ability to purchase an optional pillow insert.

I've been really enjoying this method of dyeing fabric but I will admit that I toss more than I keep. The method is very much centered around trial and error for me and if I'm not happy with the way a piece comes out there's no point in keeping it. Unfortunate since purchasing practice yardage eats quite a chunk out of my bi-weekly budget.

I really wish I was able to take better photos, colors in real life always look so much brighter. Unfortunately my almost but not quite a DSLR camera bit the dust recently so I'm relegated to using my phone for photos until I can save up for another camera.

Watercolor hand dyed throw pillow

 This hand dyed throw pillow was an experiment in color mixing. Using a handful of dyes I was able to achieve the colors you see above. I couldn't bear to cut this piece apart so I turned it into a square accent pillow. It's the perfect piece to add a pop of color to a bedroom or living room.

This piece measures approximately 15" by 15". The front is 100% hand dyed cotton and the back is a black 100% cotton. Hand finished with a polyester pillow insert. Now available in my shop.

Watercolor zippered clutch

This zippered clutch features two pieces of fabric hand dyed by myself. I mixed together two different dyes to achieve the dark purples and indigo blues you see above. The exterior fabric is 100% cotton twill and the interior is an easy to clean polyester lining.

Now available in my Etsy shop. The partner to this piece (cut from the same piece of dyed fabric) will be available, by the latest, at the start of next week.

Adventures in textile design

After taking a course in textile design last semester I've been enamored with creating my own wearable art pieces. I've done quite a bit of eco dyeing, started up my own indigo vat and dabbled in fabric painting with procion dyes mixed with a sodium alginate solution. I also did some screen printing and while I do love me some prints (especially novelty ones) I was more drawn to organic looking pieces and the fact that I can make each piece one of a kind. I was dyeing something almost every day and then I just...stopped. I can't tell you why I stopped (well, I could but it's a fairly long story that starts off with me being unhappy) I just did.

The past couple of weeks I've been slowly easing myself back into textile design. No boiling pots of vinegar water or letting indigo oxidize right now. The technique that I've been playing around with is fairly easy and non-labor intensive. I can get my projects started and then go and do some classwork. The hardest part about this dye process is letting the pieces cure for 24 hours. I'm an impatient person and I want to see my results now, damn it!

The pieces above were an experiment using some new procion (fiber reactive) dyes I ordered from Dharma. I wanted to see how they would react to both each other and the fabric. I'm pretty pleased with the results! I'm not exactly where I would like to be but that comes with more practice and learning to be more selective about dye placement. Less is more.

My favorite piece is the top one. For some reason I just adore the splotches of red mixed with black. I know for certain that that piece will end up as a throw pillow on my Etsy shop. The amethyst piece is also gorgeous. Blacks turned grey and they mingled with the amethyst I got a gorgeous deep purple. The amethyst piece will end up as two pillows, two zippered clutches and maybe a few organic lavender sachets. Stay tuned.

Here's to hoping that the project I started this morning turns out half as well. I have some pieces of various types of cotton going along with a white button down and a large cotton gauze scarf curing. Once I get this technique down I plan to dye at least 5 yards of fabric for my department's "Fashion Redux" competition. The San Diego History Center decided on the 1950s this year which, if you've seen my racks of vintage clothing, is my favorite era of fashion.

Rakiraki Ramen & Pokirrito Little Italy (soft opening)

 Rakiraki is probably one of my favorite restaurants. When they first opened I refused to go because it was just a little bit too "hipster" for me and I thought the ramen would be mediocre at best. Boy, was I wrong. I don't think I've ever had a bad meal here though sometimes the wait can border on insanity, especially on Saturday nights. One word of advice: if you want to get your food fast during a dinner rush I'd recommend sticking to non-ramen dishes. Their ramen is their most popular item so the wait for a bowl ends up being fairly long. 

I eat at Rakiraki almost every week or every other week, either for a late night Saturday meal or lunch with my aunt. I recently ate there this past Saturday and was given an invitation to their Little Italy location's soft opening. 

The new Little Italy location is in a great spot: up the block from Crack Shack, next door to Bottle Craft and down the street from James Coffee Co. The actual space is split up into two restaurants; Pokirrito on the left side and Rakiraki on the right. Tables are in the middle of the two and they have some outdoor seating. Both restaurants have their own ordering counter so if you want something from both you will need to order twice. Once you place an order you're given a number and then you find a spot to sit at. A food runner will bring your food to you. 

For a soft opening it seemed like everything was running fairly smooth. Soft openings can be hit or miss since restaurants are still figuring out the kinks but Rakiraki/Pokirrito had at least one veteran server helping out. The head chef from the Rakiraki side was also walking around checking up on customers which was nice since it showed that they cared about the food. And even though they were packed food came out fairly quickly. 

The Pokirrito side is exactly like their Convoy location. Same menu and concept. The Rakiraki side has changed the most. The Little Italy location has a paired down menu which works better for counter ordering. The menu features their most popular ramens, curry rice, yakitori/kushikatsu, appetizers and drinks. If you want to grab a ramen burger or a rice bowl it's best to stick to the Convoy location. 

We decided to stick to our favorites to see how different they were to the Convoy location. We chose the tsukune katsu curry and the black fermentation ramen (and a beer for me because I love a beer with ramen). The ramen was basically the same as Convoy: noodles had a great chew and the broth was just as savory although with a tad less garlic oil. The curry was the most different though still delicious. The included katsu sauce tasted more tomatoey and had sesame seeds in it and the boyfriend said that the curry seemed a bit spicier which isn't a bad thing for us. The tsukune tasted exactly the same as the Convoy location: crunchy on the outside, moist and flavorful on the inside. 

Overall it was a great meal and a good addition to Little Italy since the only other ramen place there is Underbelly which I'm not too fond of. I don't know if I would personally make the trip down to Little Italy to eat here (I live 5 minutes from the Convoy locations) but it's a must visit for Downtown/Little Italy natives. 

Rakiraki Ramen/Pokirrito (Little Italy)

2254 India Street, San Diego CA 92101

www.rakirakiramen.com

www.pokirritosd.com