Christmas Wishlist

Okay, so this is a late-late Christmas wishlist (now that everyone and their dog has done it...) - but let's face it, I am only starting to buy Christmas gifts today. You know, university and all.
Or as all the bloggers are doing these (in my opinion largely useless) Christmas shopping guides - a gift guide for your loved ones who have the exact same taste as me. There must be people like that, right?

Black pens

A quick post about my undying, unconditional love for black pens, featuring my 5 different ones which I usually use (not including the Uni-ball Signo DX 0.38 which I also like very much, especially for writing, but do not have at the very moment). Kind of a review/recommendation.

Soilwork

So I missed Monday, I had a test to study crazily cram for, but anyway. I did that In Flames toplist, and ever since I've been listening to In Flames/Soilwork almost exclusively. Moreover, there's a Soilwork concert this Thursday which I won't be going to, because a) I'm too chicken to go alone to a metal concert and I have all the wrong friends who are all similarly unwilling to come with me and b) because I just spent about 45k (in forints) on a new pair of glasses:(
To lessen my grief, here is a 20 toplist of Soilwork songs. None of which I'll hear live.
There's a lot from the current album, simply because that's the newest so recently I listened to that the most (but I do LOVE the new album) and a lot from Stabbing the Drama because that's my favourite album. (Or has been, until this new one.)

Dream Theater: Dream Theater

I'm not always in the mood for Dream Theater, but I diligently listened to the whole album. They are far from being my favourite band, but everytime I listen to them I feel like 'damn, they are fantastic, why don't I like them more?'. I think I'm actually not educated enough - musically, I mean.

Children of Bodom: Halo of Blood

This album came out back in May (in which time I obviously didn't listen to it properly, what with finals and final projects and all that), but later (already during summer) I downloaded the whole thing  - and wow, it's seriously addictive! I'd like to think that now I can form a proper opinion on it (probably not, I'm seriously biased) but anyway, a short review of the album. (This is a Music Monday post, and yes I have been stocking up all the ideas in my head.)

Wishlist Sketch

DIY spiked shorts

I think I've mentioned just how overwhelming black is in my closet (and I'm fine with it). I really am ready to admit that I'm fashion-conscious - had I been born a boy, I'm sure I'd be a total metal-head, outfit-wise: all black and a few band T-shirts.
As it is, there are a few non-black pieces in my closet, and especially in cases of 'bottom wear' I'm really picky about it. I've had a pair of high-waisted denim shorts which my mother bought me about 4(!) years ago. I've never worn them, because they are plain and boring (and not black). But since a year high waist is in, and unlike many such shorts I've tried in shops they actually fit me around the waist as well.
So how can one improve those boring, plain shorts? Well, here's a (really simple) way.

Spicing up plain black clothes

I guess black head-to-toe is my go-to outfit, just as jeans-and-a-tee is for most people. When I'm in a hurry, or just simply not inspired in the least to put together a decent outfit (this doesn't happen that often, but it does) I pull on my black jeans (I don't have trousers in any other colour) and put on a black T-shirt. Usually by noon I regret I didn't put more thought into my outfit, but if even my black garments were more varied, perhaps it would never turn out boring. (And no hurry should prevent you from accessorizing.)
So here are three small DIYs (and an extra) which I did recently.

7 Seeds

I've never written one, but this is going to be a manga review, and what's more, it's an unfinished series - but it's so amazing I really can't help but write about it. It is a survival-themed josei manga in a post-apocalyptic setting, with a driving plotline and careful, thorough character-building, written and illustrated by Tamura Yumi.
This was the first time I thought a manga would be similarly engaging in a novel format, but this definitely would be, not because the art is awful, far from it, but because it has been ingeniously written, it's incredibly gripping and the characters definitely grow on you more and more - and I think this says a lot.