it's summertime and the living's easy

(dress: gift from friend; shawl:old from Rimo; clutch: Drezso;

wedges: needsupply.com)

Yesterday, my friend had a used clothing sale at her place, and I ended up snagging this cute floral-print dress for free :) I never have enough summer dresses, so it was the perfect addition to my wardrobe. 

My recent addition is the photo app called "Afterlight," which I used for these photos. I think the filters are better than Instagram's. I definitely recommend this app! So fun to use :)

It's getting quite humid over here in Tokyo these days, but I'm so excited to spend this summer in Japan. Bring on the heat! 

Have a great week everyone!

Love,

Samantha Mariko

skater

 (top: Topshop; skirt: H&M; beanie: Le Ciel Bleu; cap: Wego; shoes: Aldo)

Photos by Lisa (Paint with Stars)

Hair & Makeup by Chihiro Yoda

I feel like I say this every time I do a photo shoot, but this is seriously by far one of my favorite shoots. 

I shot with Lisa last autumn and we finally scheduled this little shoot in Harajuku. Her friend Chihiro did my hair and makeup in her studio and we ventured out in the quiet part of Harajuku for possible locations. And this is what we came up with. I don't think this shoot even lasted an hour, or even half an hour.. 

My favorite prop was probably the cones.. especially the "no trespassing" one ;)

Thank you Lisa and Chihiro for an amazing and fun shoot! Can't wait to work with these ladies again!

And one candid shot:

Good night <3

Love,

Samantha Mariko

by the seaside

(shirt: Warriors of Radness; skirt: Zara; beanie: Le Ciel Bleu; shoes: Underground;

clutch: Gap)

I spent a relaxing day in Yokohama today with family friends. Blue sky, an ocean breeze (well, more like wind)... it was a Sunday well spent. It was my first time visiting the Red Brick Warehouse, a sort of shopping mall now but originally a customs building. One of the perks of Yokohama is the historical buildings and landmarks that continue to exist. We also took a stroll through Yamashita Park before heading to Chinatown for dinner. The statue of the girl I'm sitting next to is from a fairy tale called "The Red Shoes" by Andersen. I read this story when I was a little girl, and I realized real fairy tales do not have happy endings...maybe. :)

Check back for my next blog post featuring a photo shoot I did this weekend in Harajuku!

Don't forget to follow me on Instagram, too! 

Have a great week! xx

Love,

Samantha Mariko

partners in crime

I don't think I've really mentioned anything about my music here, so this post may be a bit random. 

Today, I had a meeting of sorts with my music producer and his friend whom I will be collaborating with on a brand new track. Not too surprisingly, our meeting lasted a couple hours at two different cafes - Scopp Cafe and Cafe Aaliya, both in Shinjuku. It's really is an amazing feeling when you can talk about music with two great minds and have common ideas and interests. I'm so excited to write lyrics for our new demo and get into the recording studio! 

Good night world xx

Love,

Samantha Mariko

a taste of Jamaica

(shirt: Forever 21; cardigan: old from Rimo; pants: Le Ciel Bleu; shoes: Underground

sunnglasses: H&M)

I didn't think I'd go to two festivals this weekend, but I'm so glad I did! My good friend Marie told me about this Jamaican Festival at Yoyogi Park and I immediately told her I wanted to go. Apparently there are several international festivals at Yoyogi Park, and last week was the Thai Festival (totally missed that). There were so many people, so many food stands, so much to see. I was disappointed that the lines for the Jerk Chicken were ridiculously long, but I still had a taste of Jamaica nevertheless. The roses right outside the festival were beautiful. The last photo was randomly taken by a passerby who volunteered to take a picture of us.. turned out quite nice. Thank you old man.

Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend as well! Have a great week!

Love,

Samantha Mariko