November 17th, 2025:

Weekly Wrap Up #1

Time: Early evening
Weather: Post-rain mistiness
Listening To: Youtube
Moon: Waning Crescent in Libra
Mood: Half-drained, half-fine
Gratitude: Muffins, lively conversations. warm lighting, soft blankets

After yapping all day at work, to the point my social battery is out of juice, I'm here to yap in my journal. Here comes the yappening! (*apparently that was an event in Halo Infinite lol???)

I know the title of this entry is Weekly Wrap Up, but that's clickbait--actually, this will cover November 1st-16th, a 2-in-1 deal! Anyway, the last two weeks have been quiet compared to October. Lots of cozy nights in and the like. Sincerely speaking, the time change has been a rough ride so far. Fortunately, over these last few days I feel more like myself at least! I'm embracing the short days and long nights, the gray gloom. There's a beauty to it, the shifting of the seasons and the special joys it offers. The days can sail on by if you don't stop to savor them, and I intend on doing just that!

November began with a bang--and a trip to a tropical island One of my best friends, S, got engaged recently, and to celebrate she threw a party at a very fanciful tiki bar! Located in San Francisco, the atmosphere was just amazing. When you first walk inside, the bar is narrow with wooden walls, resembling a ship's hull. As you go deeper, it opens up and transports you straight to the tropics, an erupting volcano included.

My pictures don't capture the magic. The decor, paired with the music and mood, draws you in out of the busy streets into somewhere else entirely. It felt like a true labor of love!

I had a magnificent Mai Tai and another drink that I don't remember the name of--but that's okay, because I remember the whipped cream, which is what matters! It was flavored with hibiscus.

I'm happy I made the trek out! It's a blessing to celebrate alongside such a close friend during significant life events like engagements. Everyone at the party was so kind too, lots of rollicking all around!!

Later that week, I picked up my hook and got crafting. This hat is actually my second ever crochet project! I was baptized by fire by jumping in with my sunflower blanket, because, well--I don't know why I did that, it was kinda an insane move tbh!! Even though I'm chuffed with the blanket's results, it's relaxing to work on something that's less involved.

The yarn was a birthday present! Super soft with a rich color. Bright reds aren't typically my forte, but it's super cute with the pattern I'm using. As of writing this, it's almost done! Just a few details left. Any guesses what the hat will resemble?

That Friday, I met up with my dear friend M. After her husband got home from work, she was kind enough to take me out to a bakery for some belated birthday treats! Giggling over a slice of black forest cake made for a night that was sweet in more ways than one. We've been friends for over twenty years now, and there's a distinct types of closeness with knowing someone for that long, since childhood. I'm really lucky to have that!!

My sewing machine had been collecting dust for well over a month, but that weekend I swept her off to make some bibs for my coworker. She's having a baby soon so I wanted to give her something before going on maternity leave. Ergo, bibs!

This really inspired me to hop back on the sewing train! For a while I was working on a Garnet FFIX cosplay since I adored the game so much, but I had lost steam and came to a complete stop. The sewing's so close to being finished, so I just need to grit my teeth and do it--or paw through my fabric hoard and see what else is there. The curse of unfinished projects (or UFOs), oops.

And speaking of cosplays...

Those who know will KNOW !!! And if you know click here for psychic damage.

Alright, no more psychic damage, I've suffered enough. I spent my Veteran's Day cleaning stuff out, including old cosplays in shortage. Even though it's hard because I can get so sentimental, I ended up clearing some out. Costumes that I knew I would never wear again, and there are some I have a stronger attachment towards anyway. Since making a number of these, I have lost weight, so they don't fit as they should without major sewing surgery--or they don't fit with my current interests. My skill level has increased over the years, too. It just makes sense to let go at this point. Some costumes I kept though, just for memory's sake.

I was going to include more pictures of my old costumes, but I'm going to create an archive on my cosplay page instead. That way, I can ramble as long as I want!

My dad's birthday was recently, so I took him out to dinner as a gift. We went out for Italian. Everything was scrumptious, but I still dream of that apple crisp, haha. Warm and rich with autunmnal spices, I wish I had the recipe!!

What else... well, expect some media reviews soon! I'm making use of my library card--books and movies hit different this time of year! And I'm trying to listen to lots of music, too! LUX by Rosalía is one of my favorite albums at the moment. Nothing inspires me more than my fellow artists. I haven't written as much this month compared to last, but immersing myself in the world of other creators is so reenergizing; it helps fill up my creative well.

Anddd I think that's it for now?? Maybe yes?? My brain's left the building, so talk to you soon, take care!

Love,
Sarah

November 7th, 2025:

October Wrap Up

Time: Late morning
Weather: Overcast, dreary
Listening To: Divinize by ROSALÍA
Moon: Waning Gibbous in Gemini
Mood: Relaxed, a little sleepy
Gratitude: Authentic artistry,

I am writing to you live from my comfy cozy bed. Outside my window, the sun dips below the horizon, shifting the sky into a misty grayish blue. The world's ready to hibernate, and so am I (but alas, I'm human and can't).

But before all that, let's talk about October! Busy month but a fun one, with a bunch of stuff I'm bursting to share!

I started the Halloween season off strong by getting a manicure--gels due to their longevity, in a glittery plum purple. Inspired by a photo I found online, my nail tech added some cute stars and swirls designs too! I wanted something festive that wasn't like. Slapping a pumpkin on top LOL and this fit the ticket! It was my first time wearing "5D" nail polish, and I'm in love with the effect. The depth and dimension they give the nails--and as of writing this, they're still in-tact!

Later that week, my friend L and I attended a Halloween witches market. It was hosted at a brewery stuffed to the brim with various vendors. Sweet incense wafted through the air, floating between booths selling spooky decor, tea, jewelry, crafts, and metaphysical supplies. We had so much fun prodding through the bits and bobs! I bought a ceramic wall plaque--white, scalloped and shaped like a crescent--that also functions as a candle holder. From the same seller, I also picked up a gold candle shaped like an owl. The way it nestles in the moon is soooo cuuuteeee. ; __ ; Also! An astrologer looked at my birth chart! It was a shorter reading since there wasn't enough time for her to truly tear it apart, but still fun!

After the market, L and I enjoyed some late night root beer slushies at the brewery, just hanging out and chatting and crying over Homestuck fic since that's par the course lately lmao!!

The next week, for the first time since the spring, I took another pottery class. The project was super seasonal, too: we were making our witch hat shaped luminaries! It went very okay LOL Due to struggling with the project itself, I felt perpetually behind everyone which made for a stressful experience. I don't have the finished project in my paws yet, but between the thin brim, and uneven star cutouts, I left feeling disappointed in myself. Oh well, progress isn't linear!!

That Friday night, I invited my friends K and R over for a spooky movie night. It's been forever since we hung out as a trio!! I made stovetop popcorn with rosemary butter and garlic salt, which made for a tasty catching up snack. After chatting for a few hours, we had a double featuring two classics: The Shining and Alien. I shared my brief thoughts about them in my media log, but both made for awesome Halloween watches.

Later on in the month, L and I were back at it again for another adventure, this time at a vintage clothing fair!! Ahhhh!! This is one of my favorite fairs/markets of the year, and it was absolutely fabulous!! Since I began attending, the organizers have outgrown their original space, now hosting it at a larger venue with more vendors. There were over 90 total, and when I say that the shopping was spectacular...!!

There were many eras of fashion represented--and styles too, ranging from vintage Dior to racks of band T-shirts that collectors circled around. One booth had a number of pieces from the 1920s, clothes that are almost a 100 years old. With enshittification being on everyone's mouths lately, and discussion about declining quality in products overall, I'm a broken record when I say that generally speaking, clothes were much better made decades earlier than they are now. This isn't the entry for it, but fast fashion has done a number on how we perceive the value of a garment.

And speaking of purchases... yeahhhh I spent out lmao, more than expected. My excuse is that my tax return came out at a most fortuitous time. But I treasure everything purchased, they'll be cherished for years to come!!

My most impractical purchase of the night was this peignoir set. For years I wanted one, starting around the time when cult party kei influences crept into lolita trends. They've gone out of style as layering pieces, but never in my mind! At one point I even made my own to incorporate into a cosplay. Safe to say, this was a long time coming. Even before trying it on I knew I was going to buy it. The buttercream yellow, the lily of the valley embroidery... it felt made for me! I'm forgetting how old it is exactly, but I think the seller said it's from the early 1960s.

From another seller, I picked up this skirt and purse, both from around the 1950s or so. Aren't they so adorable together?! The colors coordinate beautifully. The skirt pattern is so playful, AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ABOUT THIS BAG...

It's made out of wood, and the illustrations are so charming! What sold me, however, is the way that my big three next to each other--my Leo sun, Virgo moon, and Capricorn rising! It felt meant to be, haha

Now, for the most exciting purchase of the night!

A GUNNE SAX DRESS!! A GUNNE SAX DRESS AT A PRICE THAT DIDN'T MAKE MY HEAD COMBUST!! AHHHH!!!

I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE IT!! Out from the ether, just waiting for me!! It was love at first sight and every time I look at it I fall deeper and deeper. A platonic ideal of a Gunne Sax dress, it's too perfect: the voile sleeves, the rose and cornflower print, the pearl buttons at the sleeves, the lacing and ribbon and trims... the neckline! It fits like a glove! I own two other Gunne Sax dresses, bought before the prices on them surged in secondhand circles, but this one is my new favorite. Given what many of them cost nowadays I wasn't sure I would find one again for a reasonable amount, so I'm astounded by what a lucky find this is!!!

After the fair, we fought the revelers out for a bar crawl for the sake of late night eats, topping the night off with that, and (you guessed it) more Homestuck fanfiction. Shoutout to L for being my buddy during my 2nd Imperial Homestuck era, you rule

What else what else... well, it's been a second since I started this entry, and I'm getting a bit tired, so let's breeze through everything else. Here are some other highlights!:

My actual Halloween was pretty quiet. Come day of I didn't feel like doing much, mostly because of my PMDD symptoms flaring up throughout that week--and because one of my best friend's engagement party was the night after. The vibes felt weird!! So instead of going out, I opted for an audiobook of What Moves the Dead and to watch The Love Witch.

On a whim, I decided to do the Artist's Way after borrowing the book from the library. I'm debating whether or not I want to make a dedicated page cataloging my experiences--or if I want to talk much about at all, due to how personal it can feel. Opinions on the Artist's Way vary a lot, and while I certainly have my own, that's something I'll save for my media log. But the TL;DR is that while you have to take some things with a grain of salt and that it probably won't resonate with everyone anyway (and that's okay), there's gold to glean from it.

Writing wise, I was absurdly locked in throughout October. With fanfiction alone, I wrote... god, at least 20k words? Which is super crazy to think about!! My large output was due to putting a particular piece together for a fandom event, but towards the end, I went into a different direction altogether. That's okay though, just means more things to post and share down the line! This year I feel like I have grown tremendously as a writer, solidifying my voice and style, finding the topics that make my heart sing. Others have noticed this too, which is super gratifying. My love for the craft has been renewed several times over and I'm excited to see what's next!

WOW if you stuck around this long, you're a real one! Thank you so much for reading, I appreciate--wherever you are. please take care and do something that makes you happy!

Love,
Sarah

October 20th, 2025:
September Wrap Up

Time: Smack dab in the middle of the afternoon
Weather: Clear autumn skies
Listening To: Youtube
Moon: New Moon in Libra
Mood: A little tense
Gratitude: Journaling, wooden jewelry, live music, fleeting connections between strangers, daisies

Time for a speedy September wrap up! I want to get in the habit of doing weekly wrap ups, like Marina at notprincehamlet's, or at divergentrays! But before that I wanna get caught up, so here are some highlights from last month!

In September, a friend and I attended the Symphony of Seasons! For those not in the know, it's a concert series centered around live orchestral renditions of the music from Stardew Valley. This was my first time attending a concert dedicated to video game music (Final Fantasy Distant Worlds, I'm coming for you next), and it couldn't have been a more magical experience! These ultra charming animations were projected onto the screens, making the show so immersive. The setlist was spectacular, too. While the orchestra played the seasonal farm tunes you would expect, songs that play frequently in-game, but they also did some deeper cuts too. Some of my favorites include The Sun Can Bend An Orange Sky (my favorite farm track, luv the sitar), Dance of the Moonlight Jellies, the Night Market (sooo atmospheric!!), and way too many more.

Enthusiasm coursed through the concert venue, which made things electric. It was super cute the way was laughing and cheering at the in-jokes, just so happy to be there! Some people were dressed to the nines even, wearing suits--while others were in cosplay! I counted at least three Emilys, but I also saw a Mayor Lewis and others.

Another high point was actually the car rides to and from the venue! The friend who I went with is also in the throes of a Homestuck Renaissance, so I played audiobook reader and read aloud this particular fanfiction, introducing it to her for the first time. And When I Say We Were Losing Our Minds ......... I'll always treasure the memory of us cruising down the freeway going absolutely crazy lmao (if I do a Homestuck shrine, maybe I'll talk about this fic??).

Let's fly over everything else from September!:

I attended one of my best friend's birthday party! To protect her privacy I won't go into a ton of detail about where she hosted it, but it was held at a museum she volunteers! She's a wonderful host, the atmosphere was very lively and full of laughter. One of her guests actually works at the Internet Archive, and admittedly I was a little starstruck LOL.

One day I had lunch with a friend I hadn't seen since May. Nothing like catching up over a very pretty poke bowl.

I baked a coffee cake! Left out the walnuts on about a third of it since my dad doesn't care for them, boo! But that's okay. During autumn I crave cinnamon-y, nutmeg-y stuff like a fiend so this fit the bill.

AT LONG LAST! I FINALLY, FINALLY FINISHED MY SUNFLOWER BLANKET!! GOD!!!!! I started this bad boy back in 2022, and after Literal Years of on and off work, SHE LIVES!!!!!! I still need to clean to weave in all the yarn from where I sewed the rows together, but other than that!! This is something I'll share more of on my fiber arts page, but enjoy this sneak preview for now!!

Anddd because I'm tired of writing, that's it for now. Take care everyone, talk to you soon and thank you for reading!!

Love,
Sarah

October 15th, 2025:
Belated Birthday

Time: Sleepy o'clock
Weather: Soggy n' slick
Listening To: Image by Magdalena Bay
Moon: Waning Crescent in Leo
Mood: zzzzz
Gratitude: Golden age Homestuck fanfic, rainfall, warm lighting, being alive

In late July, I turned 30. In late August, in true Leo fashion, I threw myself a birthday party. And now, in mid-October, I share a diary entry about it! Better than never, right?

Take: when you turn 30, you're sanctified with a sense of whimsy, wonder, and awe wielded openly by small children. And what better way to celebrate this than by rejoicing these traits with the wisdom of getting older? Hence, a fairy-infused pizza party! A midsummer night dream of a soiree! Pure self-indulgence, down to the flowers!! It was a delight raiding my mom's china cabinet!! Shoutout to my family for helping me transform the backyard into this!![emoji]

A group of close friends came over for dinner, and even now I can't feel more fortunate. Love and laughter and spiked lemonade flowed freely, a night that still fills me with light. ;w;

Also let's be real, a pizza party is a stellar choice when you don't wanna fuss around a stove. The whole menu was designed with minimal babysitting in mind. I made a few different flavors, my favorite of the bunch being peach and proseciutto.

Besides the pizzas, I made a strawberry spinach salad with a tangy Dijon mustard dressing, and the fruit salad from the Stardew Valley cookbook! The recipe has you poach apricots (or nectarines, which is what I used) to make a white wine reduction that you drizzle on--definitely the most involved fruit salad I've made, but delicious!

Confession time: dessert was designed with my color scheme in mind (lots of lilac!), but hey, it turned out tasty as well! I made a devil's food chocolate cake with a blackberry buttercream frosting. Chocolate's my middle name, so of course it had to be that lmao--and I'm so proud of how it turned out! The recipe called for coffee to heighten the richness. Packed with a potent fudgey flavor, it didn't suffer from the problem that these cakes can have sometimes, where the chocolate in the chocolate cake tastes more like an afterthought. Despite all my fuss about the buttercream, it too was delicious! Initially I was worried that it was excessively sickly and saccharine, but doctoring it up with more berries and lemon zest tempered the sweetness. After frosting it, the flavors harmonized together--a huge relief come day of!

Here's a picture! This was my first time doing a "naked" cake, but I think the results are nice enough! Definitely something to keep practicing in the future, though.

And!! Since you can't have cake without ice cream, I churned my own ice cream!! Mom's ice cream maker from the 80s coming in clutch, yeah!! [cute image] I've made homemade ice cream before but it's been a second--churning some was on this year's summer bucketlist, so my birthday is as good of an excuse as any!

Homemade ice cream isn't challenging to make, but it does require patience. It's a two-day process, one for the custard and the other for churning it. I started with a french vanilla base and then after spinning it, I swirled in ribbons of blackberry puree. It was a huge hit!! [cute image] Sky's the limit with homemade ice cream, there's so much you can do with it. Next summer I want to further explore this frontier lol

At the risk of sounding cheesy (too late, we're already here), the sweetest part of the night was having so many friends there. It means more than I can say to be blessed with so many loved ones. Entering this new era surrounded by so much care and warmth... words aren't enough!! Adult friendships can have their share of challenges, whether that's with making or sustaining them, or finding a social circle you can thrive in. Having people in your corner, that you can trust, is worth beyond their weight in gold. As loneliness rates continue to climb, as our live becomes increasingly digitized, this sentiment is more timely than ever. If this is something you're struggling with, my heart is with you, truly! I hope you can find those connections, those friendships, that everybody deserves to have [emoticon]

There's more that I can say, but this entry has already taken me forever and a day to get published, so this will Simply Have To Do! Maybe in the future I'll go back and make edits, but for now, thank you so much for reading, and please take care!!

Love,
Sarah

September 7th 2025:
Mayhem Ball Musing

Time: Naptime-slash-snacktime
Weather: Late summer weatherless weather
Listening To: LoveDrug by Lady Gaga
Moon: Full Moon in Pisces
Mood: Could be better; nostalgic
Gratitude: Creative expression, memory making, cleand rinking water

On July 24th, 2025, a lifelong dream came true: I saw Lady Gaga perform live! This entry's all about my thoughts. Take my hand and come with to relive a night at the opera.

Some background first. In 2008, Lady Gaga was on the mind and mouths of millions, and often with a certain level of mockery, too. Much of the public did nawt know what to make of her. But this isn't the time nor place for a deep dive on the kaleidoscopic shifts surrounding Lady Gaga's image throughout the years––after all, we have a date at the opera house to attend!

Just know this. One fateful day, when I was 13 years old in every sense of the age and stuck in an orthodontist's chair, Poker Face warbled out from the office's crummy radio. And my first thought? "More music should sound like this." That impression always stayed with me, single after single, album after album. Music still should sound like this, and thanks to Gaga, it does. Her third imperial era is a wonder for ears to behold! With how much I have loved her latest record, MAYHEM, I knew it was time. 17 years is a long time to adore an artist. So with a close friend at my side, the two of us made the pilgrimage.

My wish is to bottle up my feelings about the concert and share it with you that way, to take a sip out of it yourselves. Or the opera, I should say. Even outside the set design, the show in many ways actually felt closer to a Theatrical Performance(tm) than a Typical Concert(tm). Much of this is due to the narrative created through the concert set. Of course, the song selection centered around MAYHEM's track list, but the order of performance, along with pieces from her previous albums, forms a story that's similar to a musical's structure. This direction is a wonderful compliment to MAYHEM's themes, and tbh themes present across her work. Lady Gaga has long been fascinated with duality, the darkness/ugliness/pain that's inherent in humanity, and how we must incorporate these qualities within ourselves for a more holistic sense of self.

Fame is also a theme that crops up frequently. Sometimes people can overlook that "fame" and "the celebrity" aren't always ideas meant to be taken literally in her music. Rather, they're concepts she abstracts into archetypes that everyone embodies at some point. Everyone has experienced notoriety to varying levels, even if it's at the level of high school cafeteria gossip. This is something explored in the concert, too.

You heard it hear first: Lady Gaga's discography will become a vital addition to philosophical discourse someday (kidding) (kinda) (trust).

Anyway, something else I admire about Lady Gaga is how she like. Fully gives herself over to her artistry. She never quits the bit. She's sooo committed to her performance, to the point where she's unafraid to be ugly or off-putting or unsettling. But it's because of this raw honesty that we as the audience are able to connect, but she doesn't sand off the rawness of being human!! Being unhinged in your art takes lots of bravery, but you're always rewarded for it by having something real. Life can be ugly, the world can be ugly! By expressing this, Gaga fosters an authentic connection with her audience despite the spectacle of the show.

Going back to the production, it took a lot of cues from rock and metal shows, and for the better tbh (Lady Gaga rock album when?). It gave haunted midnight mass, 300 year old red wine that may or may not be poisonous, paparazzi found at the scene of the crime, vestal virgin being buried alive in her cell because you're disallowed to kill her outright. It gave Pandemonium from Final Fantasy IX.

And all this hasn't even touched her talent yet! Obviously We Been Knew about her genius from recordings, but hearing it in-person is on another level. Actually god given. Her skill at modulating her voice with such ease is astounding; one second she's doing a death growl, and the next she's whipping out the classical chops. Highlights for me include the RELENTLESS first act, Perfect Celebrity, Disease, THE BAD ROMANCE FINALE!!! and so much more.

OH, and another dream come true: I wore lolita to see her!! Ahhhhh!! For the longest time I have been dead set on wearing old school lolita when I see her, and that happened! My coordinate was a variation of the Gobelin Dreams flatlay, with some tweaks and additions. I wanted to wear something high contrast to pay homage to the duality in MAYHEM's image, and this fit the bill! Also, let me say that sooo many people were dressed to the nines for the concert. Half the fun is seeing everyone's self-expression, creativity, and love. There's a lot of overlap in concerts and conventions in this way.

Just days after the concert, I turned 30. This was the perfect way to usher in this new decade of my life, by celebrating something that I loved as a child and continue to love into adulthood. It's like a culmination of sorts. Looking back over a month afterwards, it also excites me to image of what will be the next culmination--hopefully it's one surrounded by more love. Certainly, this is something to treasure forever!!

All in all, it's awesome to see Lady Gaga so back in her element, especially after the difficulties of this decade.

Here are some more pictures from the show, taken by my friend L. L has such an eye for photography--she knows how to get these stellar shots without being distracted from the actual performance! I'm so grateful she took these, haha. ;u; So we can relive it, and also for how potato-y my few pitiful attempts turned out.

WELL I'm not sure how to wrap up this entry other than saying THANK YOU for taking this trip back to the opera house. I hope it was as fun for you as it was for me! There's other things I want to catch you all up on, so talk to you soon!!

Love,
Sarah

August 21st, 2025: Catching up!

Time: Smack in the middle of the afternoon
Weather: Encroaching Heat
Listening To: The Night We Met by Lord Huron
Moon: Waxing Crescent in Leo
Mood: Alright! A bit fatigued...
Gratitude: Leading with love, the power of the human imagination, Lady Gaga's discography, Karkat/Terezi

Yikes, is it really the 21st of August? Long time, no write! I feel like I wrote a similar opener in my last diary entry, but alas, here we are.

Also like my previous entry, this won't be long either! It's mostly sake for of uploading this diary layout––which, as you can see, I'm doing a yearly one! While the seasonal ones are fun, they're going to be retired unless/until I feel like blogging more frequently about my life. Over the course of this year, I fell into a cycle where I wanted to write but it would be in-between seasons, so I felt like I had to wait to make a whole new layout, and by then the urge to journal would pass. So here we are! I wanted this diary to feel especially scrapbook-y and I think that comes across!

But anyway, I'm alive, yay! My summer turned out to be busier than expected. Not a bad thing by any means, but there's a lot to catch up on! Here are my current plans:

Look forward to it! I'm excited to start compiling these pieces, share them, and reconnect. But for now, I'll be back with another (more susbstantial) entry soon. Take care everyone!!

Love,
Sarah