In 2023, the amount of good releases felt like a never-ceasing wave of music. It was an epic ride, and I’m sad to know the year is almost up. But hopefully, Year of the Dragon will be as generous as Year of the Rabbit was. Here are a few of my favorite b-sides (not title tracks) that made this year melodious and fun.
Also, congrats to 3RACHA for winning Best Creator at the 2023 Asia Artist Awards last night! They deserve it ❤
The clearance section of a fabric store may be my biggest design inspiration. It is in the bolts of discounted fabrics from seasons past that you can find some real gems in my opinion. My brain gets a break from the items deemed trendy or seasonal for a moment to look for something new and at a reasonable price to justify taking a chance on something new. That is how I took a chance on this two-sided scuba fabric that is hot pink and light pink. Not really my cup of tea! But it was 2 USD per yard and honestly a fascinating texture and weight. It was worth the leap to try something new, so I did!
Now, do I always have a garment idea in mind when I pick out these cuts? Nope. Should I? Probably. But some magic can happen as they hang out in my fabric stash like inspiration finding its way to me, which is quite fun.
For this cut, in particular, I was a scuba newbie. The weight was hefty with a bit of stretch, so it needed to be a garment that could handle the heavier textile. The two-sided nature provided two color palettes in one. I considered a jacket, a coat dress maybe? The thing that was working against my creative brain was the Barbie movie. I did not want to make a Barbie cosplay, simply because Barbie was not my favorite toy. I was an American Girl Doll and a Fashion Polly girl through and through. Making a Barbie-inspired garment would not be authentically me nor would it be something I would wear because, did I mention I don’t really wear pink? Yeah, I don’t love pink, especially hot pink, so why did I buy hot pink fabric fabric? I think I like pushing myself to a place of adventure with the clothes I make. I don’t want to make boring clothes if my skills will allow me to do so. No matter what I did with this fabric it was not going to be boring.
One day I saw this photo of Hyunjin on Instagram and it hit me, why does this pink scuba fabric half to be made into a feminine Barbie cosplay? Hot pink looks fantastic in a masculine silhouette. Making a neutral garment, like a pair of pants could be just the thing I need to make this fabric feel accessible to me and my own personal style. A pink dress felt too on the nose for me to get any wear out of and that is a big thing for me. I don’t want to make things I am not going to wear just for the heck of it. Maybe one day if I have a way to sell things that aren’t my personal style but right now that would be a poor use of resources and excess clutter my closet doesn’t need.
I knew I wouldn’t be able to make a hot pink pair of jeans like Hyunjin is wearing, I simply don’t have a jeans pattern in my stash, but I do have a menswear trouser pattern. I chose to use that instead of free-handing a jeans pattern so this garment would have the best chance of success. Jeans have an incredible amount of details that make them distinct and classic. The pants I drafted were going to be far more simple as these would be my first attempt at sewing my own trousers. It was a big moment!
I altered the menswear trouser pattern I had for a better fit by raising the rise for a higher-waisted fit. I did this to fit my waist better and to give more room to my hips. I was nervous these were not going to fit me right because I was grading the pattern to my own design so I cut a generous seam allowance around each piece. (A little too generous I will find out later.) This fabric cut like butter and did not make a mess, which was a huge victory after my Jack Sparrow Inspired Coat corduroy left a layer of fluff on my floor that I still find remnants of today.
To match the crotch lines better, I tried something new from my previous shorts projects and sewed the front and back seams first and then I worked the inseams, working my way out the outside leg seams last. I don’t know if this is the proper technique for sewing trousers but it worked well for this project. I tried them on and the pants fit well, a little wonky at the front because I left too much seam allowance, but they looked like actual pants that an actual person would wear. It was around this point that I realized I needed to do more than just sew two leg tubes together, these trousers would need pockets, fastening, and belt loops to be a properly finished garment.
I recently learned how to make button holes which I shared in My First Buttondown Shirt and with this newfound knowledge I decided to go in a Spicy direction, literally like the Aespa Spicy M/V, I was going y2k! What was cooler than popstar fashion when I was a kid? Nothing. I wanted these to feel like Destiny’s Child or a backup dancer for Proto Zoa would wear.
I decided the best way to accomplish this would be to make cargo pockets for a funky twist and place them higher like you would normal pockets, to hide the weird fit around the front of the pants. These pockets I designed to be usable, big enough for my phone, and secure, with proper button closures. This was my first attempt at cargo pockets and belt loops and I have to say, they were not as scary to make as I thought, especially with the use of my heavy-duty sewing machine.
Final Thoughts
So as far as my first pair of proper pants, not just lounge pants, I am supremely pleased with how they fit. I can see the flare leg starting at the knee. I like how they fall around my hips. I like the length and the rise of the waistline. The pockets were stronger than I anticipated and the belt loops were functional, which came in handy because these pants were a bit big and continued to stretch as I wore them. Styling them was a bit of a challenge, as I realized I didn’t own much in my existing wardrobe that paired well in color and proportion to the silhouette of these pants. Shoes were also a challenge, I opted for a pair of Converse high tops since I believe they go with almost anything.
This is where things got interesting. I wanted to show my mom and my excitement bested my judgment. I unwisely decided to wear these pants out and about for a day of running errands in Wexford. This was my first mistake. My second mistake came from my unwise decision to cut the pieces with an extra seam allowance that made the front of the pants fit weird. The waistband was a bit big which I thought I could remedy with a belt. It did work for a bit until the fabric began to stretch, and stretch it did! The belt stopped working which was awkward, as every few minutes I had to adjust the belt.
My third mistake was not inserting a zipper to take the waistband in, which I should have planned for. I got excited and sewed the seams before I remembered the zipper. This scuba fabric showed every hole, whether pin or needle, therefore seam ripping and inserting the zipper worried me because the fabric was weaker in those spots. I was concerned the pants would rip (foreshadowing) so I left the pants as is to depend on that belt for structure. The side was the only place to put the zipper because the front was fitting so weirdly I did not want a zipper shining a big spotlight on that error.
Herein lies my final boss of mistakes, the fabric versus my thread tension. It was a mele. With thick fabric, I raise the thread tension because it helps the needle sew through the thicker fabric. Being unfamiliar with scuba I didn’t know how the scuba would respond. The scuba did not like the high tension nor did it like being sewn. I was able to get the pants, the pockets, the waistband, buttons, and belt loops on, but there were times I could barely get a needle through. The tension came back to bite me in the butt as my wear test went on. By the end of the day, I was incredibly thankful we headed home early. The thread on structural seams, like the main ones in the front, back, and sides had begun to rip through the fabric. The seams were on their last leg.
I’ve never had this happen with a project before! I was incredibly frustrated as this project took days to sew. My fingers were scratched up from the pins and the needle accidentally stabbed me as I hand sewed the buttons. There was no way to fix them, they were toast.
And so ends the journey of the pink pants. They had a good day out. A one-time adventure. They were good pants that deserved better. In my short time with them, they taught me a lot. Thank you pink pants and random scuba fabric. I will never purchase scuba again!
What do you do when you feel out of control? I used to just blast music in my headphones until I could push the emotions down. For the sake of my poor eardrums, I’ve been trying something new.
I am a Tornado
If you knew me in real life, you would know that I am not a great housekeeper. I am more of a tornado of creative chaos, whether it be in the kitchen or in my workspace, there will be messes and clutter. As a creative person, sometimes I honestly don’t notice the chaos or clutter around me, I just see what I’m working on and if I have completed my project according to my vision.
It’s not a good way necessarily to go through life, but it is my authentic self. As a kid, this led to a lot of nagging me to pick up and friction with my mom and grandparents because I was not organized or faithful in straightening up my room. The same with vacuuming, dusting, or remembering to do the dishes before my mom got home from work. Now as an adult, it’s an internal battle I wage with myself between the chaos tornado and the desire to keep things tidy.
Over the years of working from home, I’ve learned that a chaotic space is not a productive space, as they said many times before, and yet I’m still a bit slow to do something about it. It wasn’t until watching Business Proposal that I began to connect the dots.
Kang Tae Mu
While watching Business Proposal earlier this year, a now beloved classic in my house, I related to a lot of the main characters. The one I did not expect to feel a kinship with was Kang Tae Mu. He is a young president of a company, he is rich, polished, and in control. The opposite of me. It wasn’t until the mask of perfection cracked and I saw the vulnerable moments of his character, the heartbreak and stress of his childhood, and his perfectionism as a coping tool that I realized we are not so different.
There is this moment, that truly endeared me to his character and opened my eyes to my own poor coping skills. Tae Mu and his friend Mr. Cha go to Mr. Cha’s apartment after work (Mr. Cha is his assistant) and Tae Mu cleans everything. Mr. Cha just steps back and out of his way, while Tae Mu works out all the emotions rattling around his mind in chaotic fractures by cleaning, and later cooking. His character decompresses by putting things back into order when he feels out of order and out of control. I never thought of cleaning that way before.
Gellers and Gilmores
I had seen it portrayed less healthily in the show Friends through Monica’s character. Monica’s character does this in a more unhinged and controlling way. But Tae Mu’s cleaning is so much more relatable. I mean it makes so much sense that tidying things can be a productive way to release the frantic energy of big emotions. In the show Gilmore Girls, emotional outbursts are normal. The characters rant, they yell, they express their emotions with big displays and that is usually how my feelings come out. In big messy paintbrush strokes over my relationships and my little house. I don’t like that anymore. I want to be kinder, gentler, a positive person to those around me.
I know I’ll still have those moments, but I’d like to minimize them and cope in better ways. Like not pushing the emotion into a box and tossing it to the back of my mind or feeling stressed and tense. So I’ve been trying to clean, when I really feel like I’m stuck.
Cleaning to the Beat of Wonderland & Item
I was feeling down in the dumps today, it was just an amalgam of bad communication with my husband, a cold, some other not feeling good things and discouragement. A lot of little things kept going wrong and my highly sensitive personality was feeling overstimulated. I was messing with my ability to focus on my current mitten project, my NaMo WriMo start, and planning blog posts.
I realized the only thing I could authentically change to set my day on a better path was to do some cleaning that had fallen by the wayside while I had been sick. With my earbuds in place and a playlist of Stray Kids’ 5-Star and Ateez hits I set to work on a kitchen deep clean. It is incredible how the first five songs of 5-Star changed my mood. The pacing of the music woke the dopamine centers of my brain back up and I was jamming through my stovetop scrubbing. By the time I switched to Ateez, I felt this weight lifted off. The stovetop was shining, the kitchen floor was lemony-fresh, the dishes were sorted into the drying rack, and the laundry was done with its spin cycle.
My environment was different even if my problems and little irritations from the day still existed, I was less stressed because I was able to do something to release my tension. Something active and productive. I felt like I was running my day, not my day running me over.
This past fashion month (September) I actually was paying attention, something I haven’t done since college. I even watched clips from the shows, something I used to stream between classes at the library. So what made take a break? And what brought me back?
Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, W, ANTM, and Project Runway
There’s no denying that in the 2000s fashion magazines were king. There was no TikTok, nor were there social media influencers or Instagram baddies. It was a time of slower trend cycles, compared to the cycle we have seen so far in the 2020s. (I’m talking about you, micro trends.) At the time, as a kid and then a teenager who dreamed of being in the fashion world one day there were a few ways to get acquainted – America’s Next Top Model, Project Runway, and fashion magazines.
America’s Next Top Model was my first foray into this world, with the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth seasons being particularly formative. In the third season, they went to Tokyo and introduced my mind to Japanese street fashion. The sixth season featured a finalist from my hometown. I practiced the poses, the smize, and my model walk with dreams of getting to Bryant Park either as a model or a designer. It wasn’t until I realized you needed to be 5’8″ or taller to be a runway model that I began to pivot to designing as my full-time dream, like Melanie in Sweet Home Alabama. I had been sketching since I was 10 when my friends and I decided to make our own fashion magazine. I was in charge of sketching collections and I’ve never stopped since. 🙂
In middle school I found Project Runway and was hooked on the design aspect of the fashion world, that’s when I knew I wanted to become a designer, and I wouldn’t be happy until I found a way to do it. With this newfound fascination with becoming a fashion designer instead of a high fashion model, I learned from Tim Gunn how important it is to understand the history of fashion, and from Michael Kors and Nina Garcia, I took note that I should understand the industry at large to plan how to make my mark in this world. That’s when I began seeking fashion magazines. My aunt gifted me a subscription to W magazine for Christmas and my mom gifted me subscriptions to Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. She even took me to Barnes and Noble to track down French and Italian Vogue. Together my Mom and I became students of fashion. It was a blast.
Fashion in the 2010s
Social media and politics have taken fashion magazines on a weird bender, in my opinion, and by the mid-to-late 2010s, I was on a much tighter budget, with underwhelmed expectations for these once beacons of fashion. Social media through the platforms of Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest were far more fashion-forward in my opinion by this point, and the best part was they were free. And so I swapped my magazines for social media pins, posts, and clips. From 2015 to 2019, I found fashion quite dull and overrun by minimalism and athleisure. With thrifting gaining popularity, searching through clothes that already existed to create fashion called to me more than the glossy pages of Vogue. It was such a weird swap, that at times made me feel confused. I always loved fashion, but the high fashion runways became boring to me during this time period, and I began to question the point of it all. And so I opted out.
I still learned about fashion through deep dives into fashion history but this was far from the runways I used to fawn over. At this time, Vogue seemed far behind the trends, but they still do, to be honest. Social media opened a world that wasn’t curated by fashion people, instead, it is the fashion of people.
Global Ambassadors and Kpop
Then I met K-pop which was a new way into fashion, an electric explosion of ideas fresher than my fashion magazines of old. With each comeback, performance, and music video slaying with a lot more fun than the Met Gala in my opinion. But there was this old ghost hanging in the background. Global Ambassadorships. When I began to listen to Blackpink it was quite evident that they were connected to the fashion world. With Jennie Kim working with Chanel, Rose with Saint Laurent, Lisa with Celine, and Jisoo with Dior. It was in the lyrics, the music videos, the posts. Everywhere. I paid attention a little, but not much.
Then I noticed Hong Joong from Ateez attending Balmain shows. Okay, my interest was piqued.
But the ultimate tipping point came this summer when Hyunjin was named an ambassador for Versace, a few weeks later Felix was given the same honor by Louis Vuitton. It was hinted that Lee Know was going to be at Milan Fashion Week for the Gucci show, unfortunately, a car accident occurred days before the show and both he and Hyunjin were unable to attend. Thankfully they are okay.
The ultimate tipping point for me to give in and watch Paris Fashion Week again was when I.N. was invited to attend Alexander McQueen’s show – and sit in the front row. Is this the dream collab for me? YES! Alexander McQueen is my all-time favorite designer. And so like me ten years ago, I watched the runway. I watched the McQueen show and clips of the Louis Vuitton show, of which Felix was front row. Who knew K-pop boy band ambassador appointments would reunite me with the world of high fashion. Life is a funny thing.
So what do I think of the runway since taking a 10-year break? I think my love of luxury fashion and fashion week has become refined. Instead of wanting to consume all of it, I now find myself enjoying specific designs and aesthetics. Maybe it’s maturity or maybe it is because I am working on my sewing and design sensibilities for myself. The clothing really has to speak to me for me to see them as high fashion now. Luxury no longer equates high fashion to me. Street style has just as much impact to me and I would rather consult Steal the Spotlight and Pinterest’s offerings than the runways exclusively. I can’t stop seeing the business side of fashion magazines and runways now. Some of these items, are blah and played out yet they get their face time simply because they have a label attached and that is stuffy to me now.
Will I check out the shows next year? Yes. Surprisingly, it still has a magic feeling about it. I love the spectacle. And maybe one day, I will be closer to the dream of showing my own collection.
This is a project purely inspired by Stray Kids and their Los Angeles shows from their 2023 Maniac Tour. I was fangirling hard for these hats, and so are a lot of people because even with a high price tag the hats have been sold out. I really wanted one that would emulate the joy that these hats create in my heart and so I decided to try making one. Now, I’m recreating what I can see in the image and because I am not using a pattern, I have no idea if my dimensions are correct at all. That part actually makes me feel better about recreating the Loverboy Bunny hat because I will have to put my own spin on it!
The Inspiration
Adorable, right? Their stylist killed it. I love how cartoonish the hat is yet at the same time it feels wearable and is warm. A casual staple for a maximalist. The middle photo is from the Maniac M/V which I forgot Seungmin wore this hat in the video. I probably have been wanting this hat for a year and a half without realizing it because I was obsessed with the fashion of the Maniac video in 2022.
The Process
This was not an easy thing to figure out. I referenced photos of Stray Kids members on stage and the actual photos on Loverboy’s site. I made the mistake of including the Amazon knockoff as a reference because the ears are far skinnier. I used the knockoff ears as a guide for my first attempt and finished two ears before realizing they were too narrow. Therefore I cut the knot and frogged my way back to a ball of yarn. Three attempts later I determined the correct ear width. Yes, four attempts. At times this project felt cursed!
I decided to rib knit the ears for two reasons, it was accurate to the original and I would not have to double layer the ears because the tension of the knit would help the ears to lay flat instead of rolling and losing the bunny ear effect. I wanted the ears to have a lightness to them so that they would move with me and even blow in the wind behind me like Lee Know. I have wanted to be a Leebit through this project, maybe that’s why this project was so chaotic.
The hat itself was a different story! This was the easiest process I’ve ever had with the hat and it by far took the least amount of time and fits me quite well. I made note of how wide the pattern was to be able to replicate this style of the hat again in future projects. Possibly another Loverboy hat.
Wrap Up
Overall I’m thrilled with how this turned out! It’s exactly what I was imagining and I am so happy when I wear it. Bunnies are a favorite animal of mine, especially lop-eared rabbits. I like the chaos of the ears and how they drape from the hat crown. I think I will get a lot of wear out of this. I’m looking forward to the cool weather to continue to style this into a look. Because of the reference, it also feels like a piece of merch from the band. I still regret not finding a way to see the Maniac world tour but it just wasn’t the time to go. The Oddinary comeback was my first experience and it remains a favorite for me.
If you have a crazy idea, go for it. You may just make something or make a memory that you will absolutely love. Now I’m going to try to make a mooncake for the first time. Until we meet again.
K-Pop. Boy bands, girl bands, flashy music videos, and complex choreography. BTS. Blackpink. PSY. It’s a genre growing in popularity in the West and you’ve probably heard of it. From the outside, it might not make a lot of sense. So where did this cultural wave of music and fashion originate? Well, we gotta go back a few decades. (Note: I became a fan in early 2022 so I am limited in my knowledge – I’m sorry if I don’t mention a band you stan <3)
Brief History of K-Pop
Western musical influences entered Korean culture in 1885 and continued throughout the 20th century after Korea’s liberation from Japanese occupation in 1945, due to the US military presence and the Korean War. USO tours brought artists such as Nat King Cole and Louis Armstrong to Korea, sparking interest in Western culture and music. This continued into the 1990s as Korean artists experimented with musical styles from other cultures and developed their own sounds. These included folk and rock ballads, with Korean musical groups, like the Kim Sisters performing in Las Vegas and on American television shows in the mid-20th century. J-Rock had an influence in the later 20th century.
The modern K-pop era began on April 11, 1992, when the band Teo Saiji and Boys debuted their first song “I Know” on Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation’s talent show. Their song showcased new jack swing inspirations from R&B and hip-hop which kicked off a wave of Korean hip-hop artists of the 1990s, such as Drunken Tiger. In June 2023, Stray Kids released the song Topline with Tiger JK of Drunken Tiger. Until 2012, K-pop was a success in Asia but hadn’t reached worldwide reach until PSY’s “Gangnam Style” followed by EXO’s debut in 2012, the debut of BTS in 2013, and finally, the debut of Blackpink in 2016. Blackpink would become the first K-pop group to headline at Coachella.
Record Labels, Trainees & Survival Shows
So where do all these bands come from? After the success of Teo Saiji and Boys, first album, and a new appetite for the hip-hop and R&B musical style of these emerging 1990s K-Pop artists, three labels were started that continue to be some of the biggest labels today – SM Entertainment in 1995, YG Entertainment in 1996 (formed by a member of Teo Saiji and Boys), and JYP Entertainment in 1997. This shifted the K-pop industry’s focus to teen-centered music and idol bands that would capture the attention of teen boys and girls – the structure we still see today of boy groups and girl groups. The business was modeled after J-pop in Japan.
Trainees who want to debut as idols undergo rigorous auditions and training to learn singing and dancing skills, but also how to navigate the media by their etiquette and attitude, as well as knowledge, of the Korean language because not all K-pop idols are native Korean speakers. Current examples of this are Lisa of Blackpink, Johnny of NCT 127, and Felix of Stray Kids, who all became fluent in Korean through their idol training.
Another element of the debut process for some groups can involve reality tv style survival shows. The Mnet Survival Show became very popular in the 2010s and led to the formation of many groups including TWICE, Seventeen, ENYPHEN, Kep1er, Momoland, and Stray Kids. The trainees compete against each other while gradually being eliminated. The top seven of Twice’s survival show “Sixteen” were selected to debut along with an audience favorite and J.Y.P.’s selection for eight in total with members added later. The contestants went on to other projects, some debuting with other groups.
Maknaes, Leaders, and Visuals
Something that I found hard to follow at first was the term “maknae” meaning the youngest person in a group, but I’ve learned through time and research that it is a part of Korean culture to recognize who is oldest and youngest within a group. Each group has a recognized maknae, Jong-ho in Ateez, Yuna in ITZY, NingNing in Aespa, and our Maknae on Top – I.N. of Stray Kids.
The oldest or an older member of a group is usually the leader usually each group has a leader, except for some groups like Blackpink, K.A.R.D., New Jeans, etc. The leaders write music and contribute to the group’s concept alongside the producers but they are also the spokesperson for the group and keep the group in order. Some current K-pop group leaders are Taeyong of NCT 127, Mark Lee of NCT Dream, Hongjoong of Ateez, Chaewon of Le Sserafim, and Jihyo of Twice.
Another thing that threw me off was the designation of the visual in a group. There are many roles within these groups – leader, maknae, lead vocals, lead rapper, main vocalist, main rapper, main dancer, sub-vocalist, and the visual. Basically, the visual is the member who best represents Korean beauty standards within the group and has been a part of K-pop from the beginning. Jisoo is the visual of Blackpink, Hyunjin is the visual of Stray Kids, Yeosang is the visual of Ateez, and Miyeon is the visual of (G)-IDLE. There can be a lot of debate between fans on who is the visual and being the visual doesn’t keep you from serving in other roles.
Fandom Names, Lightsticks, Sub-units & Bias
Each group has a fan name with BTS’ fandom name probably being the most famous – ARMY. Blackpink fans call themselves Blinks. Stray Kids have STAY, Ateez stans are Atiny, and NCT fans call themselves NCTzens or NCTizens (pronounced N-citizens) as they are citizens of NCT City (Neo Culture Technology). Twice fans are called Once which I think is cute. EXO fans as a group are called EXO-L and fans individually are referred to as Stars. Itzy has MIDZY and TXT has MOA which stands for moments of alwaysness. Moments of Alwaysness as a name is quite poetic and dreamy. Fans are also referred to as stans, as you stan the group you are a fan of.
I thought lightsticks were pretty gimmicky until I saw videos of them at concerts and close-up videos of the lightstick designs – they are actually pretty cool and unique. I personally love Ateez’s lightstick concept the most, both version one and version two because they feature pirate motifs. I also love the cute and slightly menacing Blackpink double-sided heart hammer light stick as well as Cherry Bullet’s squirt gun light stick.
Some groups have sub-units with the actual K-pop group concept and they will release albums within these sub-units while still being a part of the original group. These albums have different concepts than the original group. Notable Sub-units are NCT U, NCT 127, and NCT Dream all within the group NCT. The fandom name NCTzen or NCTizen can be applied to all. Girls Generation has a sub-unit called TTS or TaeTiSeo, Seventeen has BBS or BooSeokSoon, along with many, many other sub-units across K-pop.
Your bias, or selecting a bias is just selecting your favorite member for each group. Your bias wrecker is a member within that group that makes you want to switch your favorite member. At the moment, in Stray Kids, I’d say Felix is my bias and Changbin is my current bias wrecker. In Ateez, Hongjoong is my bias but Wooyoung is turning into a bias wrecker.
Comebacks, Music Videos, and Discography
I first got into the music by watching music videos while I rode my exercise bike, through this I learned to not sleep on K-pop music videos – they are integral to the concept as K-pop is quite visual from dancing to fashion, it is a part of the experience. My early favorites were Kick It by NCT 127, Kill This Love by Blackpink, Don’t Stop by Ateez, Maniac by Stray Kids, and That That by PSY & Suga. I love the aesthetics at play and how the members are styled for these videos. It is in my opinion more inspiring than reading Vogue or watching fashion week anymore.
Comebacks and discography were the most confusing to navigate, to be honest. Comebacks refer to the new release by a band, that includes the promotional material for the concept, photo cards, choreography sneak peeks and dance challenges, performances, the music video, and the single/ep/album being released. There is a lot involved! And to make it more confusing bands release full Japanese albums, compilation albums, and mixtapes that are all different. If you are going to buy a K-pop album I highly recommend doing research first.
I made that mistake with my first album purchase – I bought a BTS album second-hand and bought the wrong version. The store had three different versions of the Love Yourself album. I wanted the version that contained the track DNA, and out of the three versions I purchased the only version not to have DNA. Yep, I bought ‘Tear’ but it was a great learning experience and helped me explore their discography more.
Wrap Up
I hope this little guide is helpful to you if you have been curious about K-pop or have a loved one or friend who is a K-pop fan. It’s a fun world to escape into. There is so much more I could dive into but this post would just be endless so thanks for coming along on this journey with me.
Some say she doesn’t use patterns. And that she’s never heard of a measuring spoon. But we all know is she’s called a maniac.
I’ve always aspired to the words of Miss Frizzle, that in life it’s time to take chances, make mistakes, and get messy. That is my creative approach whether with thread, paint, or in the kitchen. It is my ethos. I am not organized, but I have flair! I enjoy a good adventure in learning, even if that takes me to a destination unexpected. It was the journey that mattered most. That is why my creative personality has gravitated toward hands-on jobs – campus mail carrier, paint crew, library assistant, switchboard operator, or Appalachian culture site manager. The list goes on and on. There was more freedom to be me, and less pressure to conform.
I do not translate to an office job. Although I tried my hardest to be what they wanted me to be. I stuck it out for 3.5 years in a corporate marketing department, my creative style was highly reigned in. I made my deadlines and was as focused as possible, but it just wasn’t a good fit. Not like cooking, baking, sewing, knitting, writing, painting – making things is such a joy. I think because the process is messy. It is a flurry of creation. And that suites me.
I’ve learned that choosing not to follow the exact directions and recipes for creativity’s sake, can seem odd to a type-A, organized person. This has been particularly evident in marriage as Kyle and I can be complete opposites sometimes. But it works because teamwork has ebbs and flows. In time, our differences have become endearing to one another. I think that one of the coolest think the most extraordinary thing about relationships is that you grow to appreciate each other, including your differences.
In my maniac fashion, I’ve discovered new recipes I’d not tried without experimenting. I’ve also learned how march to the beat of my own drum, even if that is weird for people. I’ve also accepted the fact, that even when I am trying so hard to be precise, my creative nature and clumsiness will inevitably take over and that’s okay. I can make messes without feeling like a failure. I don’t have to compare myself to the Pinterest-worthy images that wallpapers the internet into an aesthetic monotony. Sometimes a little spice of imperfection is good for the creative soul. And thanks to Stray Kids’ Oddinary comeback, I have an anthem!
A little disclaimer: this post is written in good fun. As an Top Gear fan, the word maniac is beloved (and a term of endearment between Kyle and me). It’s not being used offensively. Please don’t take this out of context. Thanks ♥️
The sweetest package arrived early Thursday morning! I saw pure bliss for my tired and angry eyes – new glasses with fresh blue light blockers. My eyes were fried. Had been frying for weeks without me noticing. It happened slowly, building, draining, and then bam my eyes let me know, yes indeed, it was time to get new lenses. If not I think they would have gone on strike. Those headaches are such a nuisance. The aching of tired muscles around my eyes, and how heavy my blue frames, were the perfect combo for a week of migraine woes. But alas, it’s in the past and I am thrilled. For a few reasons! The new spectacles are super light. They are a fun style I wanted to try out after seeing Changbin wear this look for a stage performance, and I got the cutest dust cloth of a bun wearing glasses and a tie.
With the eye fry though, getting worse with time on my computer or phone, I took last week to give my eyes a break from screens until the new frames came. And it turned into a tremendous creative recharge time. I knocked out my open sewing projects, finishing my backlog of stretch-knit fabric items floating on their own island of procrastination. This was a problem because I had real projects for friends to work on and their procrastination island was taking up valuable real estate on my worktable. So it was time, and without the prompt of my lens wearing it may have been another month before I finished the stretch knit pieces. It was a good thing. I also used the time to sketch out potential maps for a novel idea I have. Well, two novel ideas, actually. I developed two plots and worlds, flushed out in my notebook with the settings, names, and timelines of the plot I want to write. Once I decide on which project I should move forward on, I’m excited to share it with you.
I’ve noticed taking a break, even just for several days in a row of not writing, my brain feels rusty and I feel clunky with my words. This skill of writing is so much more like a discipline of exercise than an art form sometimes.
To recharge my mind, and get those creative writing juices flowing hopefully better than before, I realized I should get back into reading to be immersed in fiction in order to learn from others what it takes to write a good original story. Someone I admire, without finishing the book yet, is the work of Judy I. Lin. I started her novel, A Magic Steeped in Poison back in September 2022. With my Autumn/Winter Collection sewing schedule I put it aside to keep my deadlines – it seriously pulled me in and plan to write a bigger appreciation post for her work. I jumped back into the story this weekend and dang – being fully immersed in a fantastical story with such layered culture and characters – it is just pure joy. I forgot how wonderful reading can be. With the final act of the book before me, I hunger for more of the story. I can’t wait to jump back in this week and carry onward into the sequel of the Book of Tea Series – A Venom Dark and Sweet.
The cherry on top of this weekend though was the S-Class M/V from Stray Kids along with 9 new songs! I absolutely adore the 5-Star comeback, from the style choices to the music. It really showed their range. The bonus content of the band reacting to the S-Class music video and unboxing their album together was the wholesome coziness I needed before today. Seriously, if I.N. is smiling, how can anyone frown? I needed that going into today, especially. It’s a day I remember a lot of pain and loss, but although how small it may be, the joy of a favorite band releasing a new album with their unique charm has been a wonderful distraction from the gloom that usually takes hold on this day.
As we begin this new week, I wish you love and hope that it is a good one for you.
I woke up this morning and was scrolling Instagram to wake up, I was feeling pretty groggy from a mediocre night’s sleep. Acid reflux got me again! Anyways, I saw a post from the Stray Kids official account with a dark square. I immediately had a sinking feeling. After the tragic loss of Moonbin, I knew that Bang Chan was struggling. I hoped everyone was okay. I scrolled down to see the English caption and found a puzzling series of paragraphs. I like many other Stays found this morning, an apology from Chan for his comments during his most recent live on Youtube, Chan’s Room. To be honest, even though I had seen the clip he was apologizing for, it took me a few minutes to register what he was talking about. That is the reason I am writing this, I think some things on social media are getting out of hand, especially for those of us with a gentle soul like Bang Chan. Since this drama was created by K-pop fans, I think as a K-pop fan I should do my part to counteract all the negativity being thrown around and show some love, Stray Kids fam style.
What do I mean by Stray Kids’ fam style? Well, it’s a bit of a tangent, but if you are not familiar with Stray Kids and their band culture – they are one big supportive family. They love “Stay” the fandom name for Stray Kids enthusiasts. They also love each other, showing up in the joyful moments and the hard ones. For example, when I.N., the youngest member, sang off-key at a K-pop competition called “Kingdom” he was so disappointed in himself that he was overcome with emotion that he cried back at the band’s apartment. When the other members, who were in the living room saw I.N. crying in the kitchen they went to him and enveloped him in a group hug, wanting to know what was wrong and how they could help. They are a really sweet group of guys. They are also quite passionate about their work, being one of the hardest-working bands at JYP Entertainment. Bang Chan who is the leader of the group, along with Han and Changbin write and produce the band’s music. He also hosts a weekly live stream on Youtube called Chan’s Room where he interacts with the fans through live chat.
As a fan, not knowing him personally, he comes across as a very dear person, truly caring for the fans. His responses to questions are so thoughtful. He genuinely does not seem affected by their fame, it is one of the reasons why Stray Kids is so popular. That is why this whole controversy is so bizarre to me. Okay with context established, so a fan on the live asked about an event called Music Bank Paris that happened in April, I believe. There were a lot of bands at the event, and at these events, the bands have some interaction. They at least greet each other and are generally friendly. I mean for them it’s literally a work event, being friendly just seems natural. Chan mentioned that it was frustrating to see some younger bands not greet the older bands, which he claimed he may sound like a “boomer” for admitting. He never mentioned names, he did not call out anyone in particular and he was respectful in how he shared his thoughts.
That’s pretty typical of Chan, he is professional and respectful when he shares his opinions. He is not aggressive in his delivery, this is why I was caught off guard by his apology. I’m not the only one! Most of the comments below the apology expressed confusion and disappointment in the pot-stirring fans who created rumors about who Chan was referring to, creating the drama. The fans also expressed frustration at JYP Entertainment for their role in the apology and called JYP out for not doing a better job at handling this when K-pop idols are pushed to do these live-stream shows by the company. I have to agree, this was all blown out of proportion by social media. Just like a rumor mill in a small town, a few gossipy viewers decided to assume which bands Chan was referring to and ran with those ideas, inventing the entire thing. That’s poor behavior. They are the ones that should be apologizing, in my opinion.
Because Chan is such a sensitive person, he conveyed in the apology how much he was grieved by this situation and never meant to hurt anyone. I love that about him, but I don’t think he hurt anyone. I think the random commenters who decided to figure out the band Chan was referring to did the hurting. And to be honest, respecting your elders in many cultures, especially Korean culture is a big deal. So greeting the older bands at events like Music Bank Paris seems like a no-brainer to me just like being respectful and kind. The fact that none of the drama-crafting fans stopped to consider the cultural side baffles me.
This whole situation points to a deeper problem for me, as a fellow sensitive person, with a few sensitive and gentle friends – why does it seem like the people who are genuinely nice seem to be ripped apart on social media more than the aggressors? Do you know why? Cause I see it all the time. It’s why I don’t have Twitter or TikTok. There is a growing culture of nastiness on these platforms that is trickling into the culture. And it concerns me. Why does our social media society seem to reward rudeness and hearsay? I don’t think we should have to respect the mob mentality that dictates that might is right. Social media clout lacks wisdom and generosity of spirit, which are key ingredients that make communities function in a healthy state. Take a look at what happened to the girls in the viral “Baseball Mean Girls” TikTok video, they were doxxed because the cloud of social media outrage descended into their personal lives, although the girls made it right with the woman they flipped off in the video outside of TikTok, none of this seems to matter to those carrying forth the social media justice. And I digress, my point is that Chan’s apology is a symptom of a bigger problem of the heart we are seeing in the people within our societies, and if we don’t address the heart and start acting in kindness and grace toward others when you think someone has made a mistake, we are in for a lot of strife.
Thank you Chan for being Stray Kids’ best leader! The music you create with 3racha and the rest of Skz has truly made such a positive impact on my life. Even if you make mistakes, this Stay will show you grace and love.
One Rabbit Riot 