Blog: Pittsburgh Double Date: Food

Sorry, I've been so behind and I have so much to post! With school going on, I'm doing more fun bloggable things, but I'm also busy with school and work DX

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First we ate ramen! Pretty much every time I go to Pittsburgh, this is always a stop on my list. The Ramen Bar! It's not really Japanese ramen, but it's still really good

And I'd been having an extreme craving for macarons for a while and couldn't find any in Morgantown (which I now have found at Naticakes!) so we found some at a bakery called Gaby et Jules right down the street from the Ramen Bar

Flavors are: strawberry, rose, and poppy!

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Blog: Birthday Adventures!

I was feeling kind of meh about my birthday because every year my friends are always busy or out of town, or I'm moving or getting ready to move, or something is going on that I never see anyone or really do anything fun, and it's been really getting to me.  I mean, I totally understand there are important things that people need to do, but sometimes I wish I was always the most important thing on my birthday X( I never really have a big party or anything. Last year I sort of had a party thrown for me by my friend Chris and we went swimming, but most of my friends couldn't come, so it was only me and two others. It was still fun though!

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At little after midnight when it officially became my birthday, Takeru ordered me pizza from Papa John's! Good start to my birthday <3

I spent the first part of my birthday with Takeru, pizza, and cuddling, but he had a final exam to study for and work, so he couldn't spend the whole day with me. Later, Ashley came over with her bird, Callie, and gave me a present (I'll talk about presents later XD) and we went Pokehunting around town. Callie became my model (and tried to destroy things) when I found pretty flowers

 After that, we went to Olive Garden with two more friends and I got free cake for dessert! I took pictures of it cuz food porn XD Lasagna, chocolate mousse cake, and caramel lasagna

Then the next day, I had a few drinks at the Brew Pub with Katie, and we went Pokehunting for a while

Ok, now for presents! =D From my mom, I got the EOS Candy Brown contacts from Pinky Paradise, from Ashley, I got ILNP nail polish in Champagne Blush, and from Takeru Lush bath bombs (which haven't come in the mail yet) and I'll do reviews of everything I got eventually =D

Not a bad birthday this year =)

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Food: Phoenix Bakery, Morgantown WV

I think I'm going to start doing separate food posts and add a tag for restaurants, kind of like reviews! I'll still post about food in my more broad blog posts about my day or week or when I travel, but for some restaurants that I really like, I think I'll do this.  Hopefully it will help people find the good places I like to eat at and bring them more business XD Plus, it'll be my little place to keep track of these restaurants, no matter where I go. This is my last chance to hit up all of my favorite places in Morgantown! When I live in Japan, I can go to my favorite places I ate at before, and find new ones and share them with you guys too. I'll include links and pictures of my food, and possibly the other people I go with's food, a picture of the place, and whatever else.

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So I'll start with this one! It used to be called the New Day Bakery, and now it's called the Phoenix Bakery in South Park in Morgantown, WV.  They have amazing pizza, but you can only get it on weekends. Every day they have different stuffed ciabatta. 

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I got the mozzarella and pepperoni stuffed ciabatta! Basically a giant pepperoni roll

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Blog: Because I'm really missing Japan today...one of my trips to Tokyo that I didn't post about yet!

It seems like every single J-fashion blogger that I follow is in, went, or going to Japan right now, and all of their posts make me wanna go back =[  Like, I'm seriously considering a fashion grad program in Tokyo after I graduate.

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I went to up to Saitama for Jer's friend's birthday party, then explored Tokyo a bit the next day.

This part of Saitama is out in the countryside, so lots of farmland and rice fields! You can hear the frogs in the water at night.

These last 2 pictures were the train ride to Tokyo from 2 hours north.

We of course went to Harajuku and went to my favorite ramen restaurant (so far) Ichiran, which is actually a really famous one that we discovered by accident the first week we were in Japan!

Super cute bus! XD <3 Only in Japan....

Nothing beats the feeling of leaving the train station and seeing this before you...all of my favorite things in the world!

I ate at the Wolfgang Puck here and the food was so good!

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Yes, CONDOMania is exactly what you think it is....

And here's Ichiran!

You pay for your food and get a ticket outside.

And then inside you customize your ramen!

Neko Man! Still not sure if this guy's cats were real, fake, or taxidermy....

This store is Laline in Harajuku, which is my favorite lotion brand!

I miss Harajuku so much!! I remember one time I went wearing Lolita, and so many people stopped to take my picture! I really want to have more of a chance to absorb and explore Tokyo! I love Nagoya, and got to find so many of it's hidden jewels and secrets, but there's so much more I could do and see in Tokyo. 

We of course also went to Akihabara =] This sign is on an escalator, and I've tried to get a picture of it before, but it was too blurry...this time I got it! This is the only place I've seen this sign.

I love these machines! So many cute things! They have バナナインコ (Banana Parrot)! Now they've come out with a mushroom version and I want them sooo bad!!

Maid cafe! They have like 50 of them all over the place here XD This is the same one I went to the first time I went to a maid cafe in Nagoya.

Akiba at night!

That's all I have for now! There's still a lot I haven't posted from Tokyo yet though, so keep watching =]

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Aichi Industry Tour

On the 24th, we took a bus tour to the Shinano Ceramic Art Center, the Toyota factory, and the Kariya Highway Oasis. Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to take pictures in the Toyota factory, but we went to the museum after!

I made this!! =D

And this! (With some help)

(Almost) Everyone!

Added some more lines...I wish I could paint it =[ We got to choose a color and they'll paint it for us

Singing, dancing, and instrument playing robot at the Toyota Museum!

This is what it would look like if I could drive....in a Japanese car on the opposite side of the road.

Used to be the uniforms for Toyota workers! So cute!

BEDAZZLED CAR, SO MUCH WANT

ME IN THE BEDAZZLED CAR

I'm just gonna drive this right out of the museum if that's ok....

Giant ferris wheel!! Too scared to ride it without my Jer though...next time!

I finally found pumpkin pie!! It was a bit expensive and far from where I live though =[ *UPDATE* I've found another one of this restaurant in Sakae! =D

The pumpkin pie suppliers!

400 yen for just a slice...

This water is pumped up from hot springs! Here you pay 100 yen to soak your feet in the hot water. It's quite relaxing, and your feet still feel tingly and warm for like an hour after =]

I GOT TO SOAK MY FEET IN HOT VOLCANIC WATER

This kid has a crotch flap. I just had to share this

Quite a few more posts coming up about this awesome weekend, and also the Halloween party later this week! Ahhhh this was such a great week! =D I love Japan <3