Unboxing: Birthday 2024 Gifts

So, as it turns out, my friends know me really well and gifted me some AMAZING things for my birthday this year:

Harry Potter: MinaLima Edition Boxed Set

Harry Potter: MinaLima Edition Boxed Set
(Left to right: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone — MinaLima Edition(Left: Cover, Right: Interactive element)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets — MinaLima Edition(Left: Cover, Right: Interactive element)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban — MinaLima Edition(Left: Cover, Right: Interactive element)

Easily the most beautiful books I have ever seen in my life. They are designed by MinaLima (the studio behind the visual graphic style of the Harry Potter films), featuring stunning covers with elaborate gold foil, full-colour illustrations on every page, and eight interactive elements in each book. I had actually saw these MinaLima editions at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando last month and really wanted to get them, but they are really heavy and I knew my luggage would go over the weight limit, so I left them and promised myself I would order them when I got back. As it turns out, I didn't have to because Minji ended up getting me the box set. Only the first three books have been released by the MinaLima Studio so far, but I will absolutely be buying the other four once they come out. This collection is a must-have for every Potterhead.

Harry Potter: 15th Anniversary Special Edition Box Set — Cover Art by Kazu Kibuishi

Harry Potter: 15th Anniversary Special Edition Box Set — Cover Art by Kazu Kibuishi

Harry Potter: 15th Anniversary Special Edition Box Set — Cover Art by Kazu Kibuishi
(Left to right: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)

Harry Potter: 15th Anniversary Special Edition Box Set — Cover Art by Kazu Kibuishi
(Left to right: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)

Harry Potter: 15th Anniversary Special Edition Box Set — Cover Art by Kazu Kibuishi
(Left to right: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)

I re-read the Harry Potter series every year, and as I was tucking into my hardcover copy of The Philosopher's Stone last month, the first page FELL RIGHT OUT OF THE SPINE. (Okay, mind you, it's from 1997, BUT STILL.) I was complaining about this to my friend and colleague, Samuel, and I said, "I guess I need to get a paperback set just for re-reading purposes." But then he beat me to it and got me the 15th Anniversary Special Edition Box Set, which is the complete series in paperback featuring cover art by Kazu Kibuishi, and they are GORGEOUS. (It's definitely because I have had my Harry Potter books from their original years of publication — yes, starting with The Philosopher's Stone in 1997 — but I never realized there were so many beautiful editions of these books out there. I mean, comparatively, the UK first editions that I have are actually quite hideous so it's really no wonder they went out of print...)

LEGO x Harry Potter 76414 Expecto Patronum

Knowing my love for LEGO as well, he also got me the LEGO x Harry Potter Expecto Patronum set, which coincidentally, is my favourite of all the sets released so far. I had, admittedly, been avoiding the LEGO x Harry Potter collection because I know once I start, I can't stop, and between BTS merch, Harry Potter merch, and Lego, I HAVE NO ROOM (OR MONEY) LEFT. But now I can't help it and I'm eyeing this one as my next set. Damn it.

Harry Potter Wand Chopsticks Set

My colleague, Seema, who quite literally started at the company right when Minji and I came back from Orlando (and therefore were talking about Harry Potter ad nauseam), bought Minji a Harry Potter onesie for her maternity leave gift and got me a set of Harry Potter wand chopsticks for my birthday, which was just freaking adorable of her. I will obviously not use these chopsticks for their intended purpose — they will join my Harry Potter display, right by my Collector's Edition wand.

BTS Wootteo x RJ Cushion Doll

BTS Wootteo x RJ Plush Mini Pouch and Plush Keyring

BTS Wootteo x RJ Pajama Pants

Okay, so I love Wootteo (the character Jin designed for The Astronaut) and I love RJ (the character Jin designed for BT21), so obviously, I was obsessed with the Wootteo x RJ collaboration collection (basically, it's Wootteo dressed in an RJ costume, and IT IS SO CUTE, I DIE). My friend and fellow ARMY, Iris, knowing how obsessed I was with this collaboration, got me pretty much the entire collection, including the cushion doll, the plush keyring, the plush mini pouch, and the pajama pants. This collection was on pre-order in JULY and was delivered in September, so this was planned FOUR MONTHS IN ADVANCE. BLESS HER.

Homemade matcha macarons with anko filling

Finally, my friend Daniel, who got really into baking during the pandemic and was particularly good at making macarons, made me a massive box of matcha-flavoured macarons with anko filling. I had asked him last year if he would make me macarons for my birthday and I would pay him for it, but he had to undergo surgery during that time so he couldn't. And thus, he made up for it this year with these macarons, and I gotta say, the texture of the meringue cookies are on par with some of the best macarons I've had from Ladurée, Daan Go Cake Lab, or The Social Blend. The matcha flavour wasn't overpowering, and the anko wasn't too sweet — just perfection.

Oh, man, turning 28 for the 10th time was really quite awesome. 

Unboxing: Line Friends Square — BT21 Spring/Summer 2024 Haul

It's been a while since I've bought BT21 stuff from Line Friends (which has been re-branded to Line Friends Square, and I'm not sure what the main difference is, but I do know that they have a lot more shipping options so that you don't have to pay extra duties upon delivery— a big win for us international customers), but over the course of the past few months, I somehow ended up ordering the most random assortment of stuff:

BT21 Cooky On the Cloud Slippers

BT21 Mang On the Cloud Slippers

BT21 Mang Spa Headband (New Basic Edition)

BT21 Cooky Purple of Wish Edition Tumbler

BT21 Hope in Love Tumbler

BT21 Minini Tumbler in Beige

BT21 Minini Handheld Vacuum

BT21 Minini Car Seat Belt Covers

BT21 x Jade Purple Brown Oversized Tote

I also bought the BT21 Home All Day MOCO Blanket and the BT21 x FRAGMENT Large Reusable Eco Bag which, along with the Jade Purple Brown Tote, were on sale for 40% off. But you'll notice that my main focus continues to be cute drinkware. To the point where I actually have no more room in any of my kitchen cupboards and need to re-organize my entire storage system... but that's a future me problem...

Unboxing: Fall/Winter 2023 Haul

(Warning: This post is extremely long and photo-heavy.)

So, between my birthday, Black Friday, and the holiday sales in general, I bought a lot of stuff. Like, A LOT OF STUFF.

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max in White Titanium
Casetify MagSafe Clear Cases for iPhone 15 Pro Max by The Little Red House
(Left to right: Moon Bear with Boba, Red Panda with Leaf, and Happy Octopus with Takoyaki)
Casetify Impact Cases for iPhone 15 Pro Max by The Little Red House(Left to right: Taiyaki with Bunny, Mice with Egg Tart, and Spring Time Bunnies)
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)
Elago AirPods Pro 2 Strawberry Ice Cream Case Cover
I traded in my old iPhone 13 Pro Max and got a new iPhone 15 Pro Max for my birthday. So obviously, I had to get cases for it. Coincidentally, Casetify was having a 30% off discount for Black Friday, so I bought not one, not two, but six phone cases. (Variety is the spice of life?) Then my colleague wanted to take advantage of a 20% off promotion at Costco on Apple products, but he needed to spend a minimum of $1,000 and all he wanted was an iPad. I figured since I would have to get USB-C adaptors for all my Lightning connectors because of the iPhone 15, it would be easier to just switch all my iPhone accessories to wireless, so I got a pair of AirPods Pro to take advantage of the discount. I actually wasn't going to get a case for it initially, but then I saw this one shaped like an ice cream bar, and that was that. 

Tiffany & Co. Return to Tiffany Silver Mini Heart Tag Stud Earrings
Also as a birthday present to myself this year (and to celebrate my work bonus), I got a pair of new Tiffany Return to Tiffany heart tag earrings to replace my really old ones from 15 years ago. There was no sale or anything. I just thought they were cute.

Fresh Sugar Lychee Eau de Parfum 100ml x 2 and Sugar Lemon Eau de Parfum 30ml
Fresh Sugar Lychee Eau de Parfum 100ml x 2 and Sugar Lemon Eau de Parfum 30ml
Fresh Sugar Lychee Body & Hand Wash and Body Lotion
Fresh Hesperides Grapefruit Body & Hand Wash and Body Lotion
Fresh Milk Bodycare Set: Milk Body Cleanser, Body Lotion, and Hand Cream
Fresh Tea Elixir Skin Resilience Activating Serum, Lotus Youth preserve Dream Face Cream, and Lotus Youth Preserve Eye Cream
Fresh Holiday Gift: Kombucha Facial Treatment Essence, Black Tea Advanced Age Renewal Cream, Tea Elixir Skin Resilience Activating Serum, Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment, and Soy Face Cleanser
Fresh was having a 30% off sale for Black Friday, so I decided to stock up on my favourite Sugar Lychee Eau de Parfum (I've been using this for a decade so I don't mind splurging regularly, but when it's on sale, I get 2 bottles), a smaller size of the Sugar Lemon Eau de Parfum, plus some of the body products that I would never have considered buying at full price. I also took the opportunity to get some new skincare from them because again, I find their products to be way too expensive to purchase on a regular basis, but I don't feel so guilty when they're on sale. I've used the Lotus Youth Preserve Dream Face Cream before and really liked it, but have wanted to try the Tea Elixir Resilience Activating Serum and the Lotus Youth Preserve Eye Cream for a while, so I got those, too. Because now that I'm 37, I have to PRESERVE MY YOUTH.

Shingmulnara Jeju Sparkling Water Pore Deep Cleansing Foam x 2 and Jeju Sparkling Water Power Whip Cleansing Foam x 2
Klavuu Phytoncide Mild Cleansing Foam and Ariul Apple Cider Fresh Puree Scrub Mask
Numbuzin No. 3 Skin Softening Serum, No. 4 Collagen 73% Pudding Serum, and No. 6 Deep Sleep Mask Serum

Innisfree Black Tea Youth Enhancing Ampoule and Black Tea Youth Enhancing Cream
Which is why I also bought a ton of skincare from Olive Young, because they were having a 25% off sale for Black Friday as well, and I'm basically treating this like Sephora VIB sale. (And since I don't shop at Sephora anymore, I obviously have to take advantage of their sales.) All I'm saying is, with all the money I spend on skincare, I better look like I'm 25 when I'm 40. 

LEGO Botanical Collection Wildflower Bouquet
LEGO Tranquil Garden
LEGO Vincent van Gogh - The Starry Night
LEGO Hokusai - The Great Wave
Knowing my affinity for building LEGO, my friend Ronsee told me that Indigo was selling all LEGO sets at 20% off for Black Friday. I didn't even know Indigo carried LEGO sets, let alone have a sale for them, but I ended up getting four of the ones I'd been eyeing. Crazy that I could get them at Indigo on sale but LEGO itself didn't offer any discounts on these sets at all. (In fact, their Black Friday deals were absolute shit. Bless Ronsee for always looking out for me!) Anyway, at this rate, my apartment will basically become a hybrid BTS-LEGO exhibition soon.

Smoko Souffle Pancake Ambient Light
Smoko Tayto Potato Ramen Vinyl Figurine Blind Boxes
Smoko Tayto Potato Ramen Vinyl Figurine Blind Boxes(Tayto Ramen and Tayto Deluxe Ramen)
Smoko Tayto Potato Ramen Vinyl Figurine Blind Boxes(Tayto Udon and Tayto Cup Ramen)
Smoko Dim Sum Plush Keychain Blind Boxes
Smoko Dim Sum Plush Keychain Blind Boxes(Shrimp dumpling and baked bun)
Smoko Dim Sum Plush Keychain Blind Boxes(Siu mai and molten egg custard buns)
Smoko Dim Sum Plush Keychain Blind Boxes(Xiao long bao and egg tart)
Okay, so those who have been following this blog for the past few years will know that collecting figures has become one of my hobbies. (Perhaps this makes up for all the dolls and shit that I didn't play with when I was a kid because they scared the shit out of me.) Some people spend extra money on travel, some spend it on designer bags or shoes, and I spend it on figurines. (I'm basically living out my childhood dreams.) It started with BT21, but has apparently moved on to whatever the fuck is too cute to resist. Case in point, my shopping spree at Smoko because they were having a 25% off sale for Black Friday and I quite literally bought a total of 27 blind boxes. Potatoes in ramen? Dim sum plushes? HECK. YES. (Except I do feel like those blind boxes are somewhat rigged. Those potato ramen figures? I actually bought a total of 15 of them. I figured that would be enough to collect all 5 versions. Umm, I got 7 OF ONE TYPE. This is how they get you. It's like getting lottery tickets. You always buy more in hopes of winning. But at least I managed to get all 6 of those dim sum plushes.)

BT21 Mang "Hope in Love" Humidifier
BT21 Minini Monitor Figurines(Left to right: Tata, Koya, RJ, and Shooky)
BT21 Minini Monitor Figurines(Left to right: Mang, Chimmy, and Cooky)
BT21 x FRAGMENT Chimmy Graphic Hoodie(Front + Back)
BT21 x FRAGMENT Cube Keyring
Of course, I can't leave out my BT21 items. These were not on sale. They were just cute and I wanted them. (Err... Holiday presents to myself?) I was especially excited about the BT21 x FRAGMENT collection because there hasn't been a streetwear collab with BT21 since the one with Anti Social Social Club in 2018. I only really wanted the hoodies and was set to buy both Cooky and Chimmy, but the Cooky one was sold out almost immediately so I only ended up with the one. At least I got a cute keychain as a gift with it.

SUGA | Agust Tour D-Day The Final Guitar Pick Set
Jungkook GOLDEN Accessory Tray
Jungkook GOLDEN Keyring

That finally leads me to some BTS merch that I had pre-ordered and finally arrived. No sale or anything, just my standard BTS merch ordering. (They're all enlisted in the military now but that does not mean the merch stops.) And with that, my end-of-year shopping haul is complete! WHAT GOODIES WILL 2024 BRING? (Actually, I've already got a few BTS things coming for next year since I pre-ordered some stuff over the last two months... but I digress.) 

I hope everyone has a safe, healthy, and happy new year!