Adventures of Sakura Bunny

*tap tap, tap tap* is this thing on?

Hello interwebs! My name is Sakura Bunny. I'm miss Ania's newest Build-a-Bear. Mama hasn't been feeling well lately, so I decided to post about an adventure I had a couple weekends ago! You know, just to help Mama out since she's been so down lately. :)

A couple weekends ago Mama's Aunty Em was visiting. Now they haven't seen each other in a REALLY long time, so Mama had planned an adventure for the 3 of us in Seattle! So we got up super early and got ready for our adventure. Mama want to get up to the city while it was still waking up. So we packed and got ready for the day.

I got to hang out in Mama's All Things Lavender bag.

 Again it was really early!!! Mama tried to get Korick to come too, but he did not want to leave the bed! He's such an old man sometimes!!! XD

 We where dropped off in Tukwilla at the light rail station. Mama said it was her favorite way to travel to the city and Aunty Em hadn't ridden on it ever!

I got to sit on Aunty Em's lap the whole way to Seattle. ^_^ It was really exciting!!! The train moves so fast and in some places is up over the freeway! We where up above the cars!

When we got to the city, it was so quite and everything was so tall! So I took pictures of the buildings as we wandered down to the market.

This is Pike Place Market. Mama said that later in the day, it would be packed with people! But while we where there, it was quite and there where a lot of yummy smells coming from all over. It was so cool!

This is the famous throwing fish stand.  When we came back later in the day, it was so busy we couldn't get close. I wanted to get my picture taken with the guys (they where cute!!!) but I was to shy.

This is the very first Starbucks ever in the world. Mama told us that she had something way better planned for breakfast then coffee. It's 8am and the line was already out the door!

While I didn't get a picture of the sign, this place is called Piroshki Piroshki! It had a line too, but it was moving quickly and note down the block like Starbucks. It smelled SO GOOD in here! Mama also said that her hero Anthony Bourdain had been here a few years back. So she had to stop to drool over his pictures there.

Don't they look yummy!!! We got once that had raisins and cinnomin and a little orange pill in it. It was amazing!!! All made by hand right in front of us! Aunty Em got one that was stuffed with mushrooms and cheese and onion. Also yummy! Mama loves good food made fresh like this so she was all giggley. I can understand why!

We stopped for a moment to eat and watched the cheese place make cheese Aunty Em said that her dad worked for a cheese company so she had learned a lot about cheese from him. Mama only remembers a little of him, but she did remember how much he loved good cheese.

We started wondering through the market again. We found this giant squid! I wanted to climb on top of him, but Mama said I couldn't make a scene. Plus he was super high up in the air.

 So I settled for getting my picture taken with Big Foot. He was a very gentle giant. :)

 We where in Seattle so early, many places in the market where still closed. This is one of Mama's favorite stores. It smelled so good and the doors weren't even open yet. She promised to come back later.

We then started to walk back up towards the mall where we got off the light rail. Mama told us she had booked a special tour for us to take. We where going to ride a duck!!!

Well... not a real duck. It was this boat that was also a vehicle. This was just the ticket booth. We where still early for our tour, but we picked up our tickets anyway. People where lining up early and buying tickets. Mama had ordered ours online a couple nights before.

We got quakers!!! It's a whistle that makes duck noises!!! Mama quickly took it back after this because Aunty Em and I where running around and making noise. Mama said she needed coffee before that kind of merriment. We'd been up forever so we both agreed with her.

So I got a passion sweet tea lemonaid. It was very good. It really helped perked me up.

Just then the boat pulled up! We got super excited and ran to the front of the line to board.

 The stairs where very narrow. It was really scary because the whole boat moved too when you took a step on those stairs. I ducked into mama's bag. She could do the scary walking up the stairs. I was not coming out until we where safely seated!!!

 This is our captain. He's name was Captain Jacked Up. He was super cute!!! SUPER SUPER CUTE!!! Aunty Em and Mama where to busy making eyes at him.

We where off!!! To the Star Wars theme!!! The other boats we'd seen take off had lame songs that where way old, but we got Star Wars!!! STAR WARS!!! Captain Jack's hat was sparkley too. Did I mention he was super cute?

This is one of those weird things that's photographed all the time. It's a car wash though and the sign spins. Mama said that she use to drive by it every day on her way to work back when she took the bus.

This was on the Aurora Bridge. Way way way in the distance, Mama said you could see Bellevue, another big city. Mama said that her and Daddy use to live over there. Mama gave Aunty Em her version of the tour, but she wouldn't let me listen because she said it wasn't G rated.

So I pouted and looked out the side of the boat.

This was a land and sea tour. This is the boat ramp to lake Union. I'd never been in a boat on water before!!! I was worried we where going to squish the car that was getting their boat into the water!

Charging forward into the lake! Captain Jack loved to switch hats!

OMGOMGOMG!!! The water was so close!!!

 So so close!!!

 It was SeaFair weekend. A lot of people where on boats in the water. Mama said SeaFair was happening on a different lake on the other side of the city. We where going to avoid that side because of the crowds.

 We could see a lot of the skyline of the city! We could even see the Space Needle!

This is Gas Works Park. It's an old factory that they kept part of as an art piece. A lot of people where out there to enjoy the sunshine. We have had a summer this year which Mama said was really rare for Washington state.

The Aurora Bridge. We'd drive over this!

There where a lot of house boats around the lake. This one I liked because it had such a cute little porch.

This was the Sculpture Park. The silver tree in the picture is made of metal! Captain Jack said to not stand by it during a lightening storm.

Once we got back into the city, the tour went pretty fast so I wasn't able to get many pictures. Aunty Em was to busy playing on her whistle and Mama was to busy laughing at her. Mama about passed out from laughing. It was really kind of funny.

When we got off the boat, I promised myself I'd get this picture! Isn't he cute!!! He was so nice to take this with me! He even gave me a hug after! Mama was super excited too. She was a little upset he wasn't in his Indiana Jones hat though... but she did threaten to steal it from him... >_>

After the tour, we wandered back around the city and to Pike Place. It was really busy now, so I hid in the bag. Mama bought a lot of stuff! The bag I was in is from Grandma's favorite lavender shop. So we had to stop by to restock Grandma's stash. She was going on a trip with Aunty Em and Mama wanted to make sure she had travel sized versions of her favorite products.

We even stopped at the International District to pick up some treats for Daddy. We bought so many things! I've never shopped so much before!!! We... except for at Build a Bear

Once we'd finished all our shopping, we got back on the light rail train. I was really tired. Mama let me sit by the window again. We where up over part of the city here. It was really cool.

Daddy picked us up and took us home. It was a super fun day, but really long. There was lots of yummy food and cute boys! So many cool things to see! I'm hoping we go on another adventure soon. Though it won't be as much fun without Aunty Em.

No words

BEHOLD!!! THE CENTER OF THE CUTE UNIVERSE AND SHE IS MINE!!!! MIIIIIIINNNNEEEE!!!

This was an occasion for Oswald ears. Bear with me peeps

You are beholding with your eyeballs Fashion Music Wonderland Hello Kitty, shipped straight from San Diego Comic Con by my totally awesome cousin. Who toted her around for a day... and met his idol while carrying her. Guys, she's so cute, you don't even know. YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW!!!

I'm still shocked at how much in love with this thing I am. She's a play on Alice in Wonderland and her hair makes me think of Chibi Usa. I can't get over she was in that box.

But the main thing I had wanted my cousin to pick up, was Funko's Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.

I love Epic Mickey. I really love Oswald once I discovered him. He was in an article for the game years before it came out. I hunted down what I could on him. So when I saw this announced for Comic Con and my cousin made the offer to be a shopping service, I pounced. He's sitting next to Toothless now. I'm still hoping I come across the figure that matches the Mickey they released with the first game.

Crappy pic but the lighting in my room sucks and I was to excited.

The cuteness guys!!! THE CUTENESS!!!!

Find more then Snow Bite

I went to Target today with the goal of buying Snow Bite if I found her. I got to the Monster High section of the doll aisle and found a little girl and her grandma. I always get nervous when I go to raid a toy section when other people are present, but as I stood trying to keep my cool I overheard the little girl comment on all the details of the dolls she had lined up to choose from. I saw 2 on my list in her line up and I asked her if she collected. Grandma kind of looked stunned while I carried on a 10 minute conversation with this girl about her collection.

Snow Bite from Amazon

She asked who I was looking for and I told her Snow Bite and she was kind enough to tell me she already dug through the shelves and hadn't found any other then one of the ones I had. I looked again at the 2 she had in her line up on my list. I looked her in the eyes and told her that if I were to walk out of the store with one of them, it would be Jennifire because she's a really hot doll right now, but the Clawdeen would be a close second. Her face lit up when I said that. And while I didn't walk away with a doll and resisted the urge to run back to the aisle to see who she picked, I felt really good about that chat with that little girl. I saw myself in her when I was that little and she just spoke to my heart.

I don’t always talk to kids out of fear their parents will freak out, but grandma didn’t seem to mind.

Belated Merry Christmas

Despite the usual family drama that comes with the holidays, I had a very good Christmas. I got 5 dolls in total. 4 Monster High and 1 Pullip doll I'd been wanting, but always talked myself out of.

Black Diamond

Out of everyone this year it was Daddy that surprised me most. For one, he's had a rough year. I wasn't expecting much at all from him and had prepared myself for that. I was surprised to not only get a gifty but a couple and nothing video game related!!! Ok... maybe there was one thing, but even that was meant to appeal to my little side because there where instructions to get little appropriate gamies for my 3DS! :D I knew for sure I had a Monster High doll, what one was anyone's guess, but I opened a create a monster pack that had 2 dollies i have not had yet! So I have an art project now. Miss Diamond was different because I had taken the doll off of my Amazon wishlist about a week or so ago because I'd talked myself out of her. And yet, she's coming and it's only because she isn't a froofroo girly pink doll!

This Christmas was a bit of a milestone as it was the first I felt comfortable enough with myself to be little. This went from singing Christmas music when in little head space (which thankfully only one person witnessed!) to staying up tracking Santa on Christmas Eve. I was open about this and heck! I even wore my sleeper I made! I even didn't pay much attention when a family member, who'd I'd not seen in several months, poked fun at the fact I spent a day in my sleeper, with my teddy and a sippy cup watching cartoons. Well, at least I didn't show it outwardly.

There where things however, that brought me down. Christmas is general a hard time for me mentally, even with this year being as fun as it was. There where still those dark moments of doubt and fear and shame. While I know why they are there and what triggered them, for the most part I've tried to not focus on those things. I know that I will need to sort them out. Right now I'm just proud of the fact I didn't let them drain the fun out of the holiday.

I hope you and yours had a magical holiday season and have a bright new year. :)

My Guilty Pleasure

Sunday morning has become the day to snuggle on the couch with a sippy cup of juice, my teddy and a blanky to watch cartoons. It’s my recovery time from the week so to speak. Heehee. 

I’ve been feeling more like myself again finally. Which has been bad for my bank account. Ania boo likes to buy toys and there is one collection of mine that, big or little, I have to pick up when I find a new doll.

I’ve been collecting Monster High dolls now for over a year I think. My first was, of course, the first run of Draculaura. She is my favorite of the group to where I have a few others of her dolls. But the first run of her (this means she was made before they switched them to being jointed at the hips. First runs where put together with elastic in their hips which often broke when trying to change their shoes) was the very very first for me. She’s pink, has piggy tails and is a vampire. What isn’t there to love! Well… her voice in the cartoons bothered me at first, but that’s even grown on me.

From left to right, standing, Abby, Cupid, Lagoona, Ghoulia, Draculaura. Sitting, Rochelle, Frankie.

Ghoulia was next and it wasn’t long before I found Lagoona and Frankie. Lagoona was my first to customize. Out of the box, her hair felt horrid. She ended up getting a boil perm to get the curls back that she needed. I still toy with giving her another one and trimming the ends of her hair. It’s still a tad frizzy.

After that, I was on a quest for Cupid. Abby was always in the back of my mind and then Rochelle. Cupid was the first I found. I love her even more once she was out of the box. The details on her where amazing. Officially, I’d been hunting for her for about 6 months from the time she was released. After getting her, I set my sites on finding Rochelle. I had people looking for them at this point.

At Wal-Mart yesterday, and on a whim, my mom and I were searching the toy aisles. After finding her first one for me a few weeks ago, she’d gotten a bit hooked on finding them. So as we’ve hunted, I’ve told/shown what dolls I’m looking for and what style exactly. When we stumbled upon the Monster High section yesterday, we were met by many dolls I haven’t even seen yet. Robecca and Venus were the only ones we spotted out of the regular dolls. I saw the new Ghouls Rule Draculaura and had her in hand. Then I found Abby and I snatched her up (I had never seen this doll until yesterday. I had given up hope of ever finding her in her everyday clothes. Yesterday, I found 4 between 2 stores.) As I dug through the display, hoping against home I’d find a Rochelle, I settled I’d be leaving with Ula D and Abby. Mom was still lobbying for me to take Robecca and part of me thinks I should have said to hell with it and grabber her too. I happened to look down and there was Rochelle, just sitting there in plain sight on top of the Create a Monster packs. There was squealing and jumping. I put back Ula D (Draculuara) and snatched up Rochelle, hid her and Abby under cat food in my cat and ran. It was the best high ever having my prize. Then the panic attack set in I was in Wal-Mart on the weekend before school and it was chaos.

My catch. Rochelle (pink box) and Abby (blue box)

Why dedicate a post to Monster High dolls on my little blog you ask? For one, I adore them and the message they give to little girls. They teach tolerance. This is a series based in the girls’ high school. They are all different, ranging from sea monsters, vampires, werewolves and even robots. They’ve even been in a campaign in real life to encourage others to not bully and be tolerant of others. How do you not love that?

I grew up in a period where all we had was Barbie. If I had had these, maybe I would have felt better about being different. Maybe the self-hating and the eating disorder wouldn’t have taken hold of me at a young age.

While these have been a bit of a money suck, it’s more about the adventure of finding them for me. There are rules. I don’t order them online. For one, they cost more often times. Also, I’ve heard horror stories about ordering from places like Wal-Mart or K-Mart (where they are often found cheapest) that the dolls will be thrashed or they won’t even send the right doll. I love the hunt of this. I love proudly tell the people at the register to bag the doll separate and to not squish her. I love claiming that they are mine and not for a niece.

Out of all the ones I have, the one I love most, I didn’t buy. She was bought for me for my birthday last year. She doesn’t live on her stand or even on the shelf with the other girls. She often will come along in my purse. She doesn’t wear her stock clothes even and she often will join me in the tub to play with bubbles. She is a Dead Tired Draculaura that my Daddy bought for me last year for my birthday. While I play with all my dolls a little, this Ula D speaks to me the most. I see her as a little like me. Maybe it’s those piggy tails or her jumper dress, but I look at her and see me and it makes me feel better on those rough days of being big too long.

My sweet little Dread Tired Ula D. She sleeps with me, travels with me and on this occasion, came to work with me for a friends last day. She's hiding from the sun here.

What makes you feel like a Little Girl?

A question I’ve notice come up time and again with littles is what things area a comfort when you’re in a little state. Many times they are similar, while others they are completely different. I’ve been home alone for almost a week now and Thursday when I got home from work, the first things I did where to get into my favorite pair of pink Tinker Bell jammies, grab my bear, blanky and sippy cup and was curled up on the couch until late that evening. I got up Friday and gathered my favorite things, this time with my sippy cup of juice and curled up on the couch to watch cartoons. It’s Sunday night and I’ve realized that this much needed ‘little time’ has helped me so much recoup from a lot of stress I’ve had recently.

                                                 Korick and my Tinker Bell fleecey blanky

                                                 My single serving tea set and favorite tea

Now, I try to have little things on my person during the work week. These are things that for one is expected for a woman to carry and two, they tend to be good conversation starters!

                                             HaraJuku Lovers purse with plush fox, Hope.

In this lovely purse I carry a pair of pink Skullcandy headphones that match the purse. They also match my Rapunzel 3DS case. This might be overkill, but they make me happy. I get a lot of complements and the little foxy that sits in the pocket usually sinks down into hiding when I'm running around downtown.