This girl, Alexandra Pereira, a fellow petite influencer, has the best summer fashion photos and videos on her instagram. She definitely portrays a life of never ending vacation resorts. Here are some of my favorite trends she is sporting this summer:
Puff sleeve midi dress with V-neckline - I had thought only tall girls like Kate Middleton could rock this midi dress look with so much fabric, but I'm thrilled that a petite girl like Alexandra showed me wrong!
Dainty small seashells jewelry - A glimpse of some seashells earrings on Forever 21 models piqued my interest last time, but now, this necklace has convinced me it is the rage for summer beach vibes.
Top with Wide Ruffle Straps: perfect style to wear for taking selfies and love the coverage (a win for us girls who don't like to show off too much skin) while leaving the arms open for the breeze on hot sticky weather.
I've been searching for a pretty xylophone or glockenspiel to decorate a corner of my family-turned-music room. Many people suggested that I get a piano, but I have too many cringing memories of my childhood being forced to practice the piano every weekend and never improving my skills (this is what happens when music does not come easy, having non-inspirational piano teachers, and the only sheet music available were classic pieces that no one listens to in this day and age.) So I figured a more fun alternative, is the xylophone or glockenspiel to grace a spot in my home instead.
So the search actually began a year ago before the COVID-19 pandemic, and I was bummed that none of my local music stores carries any professional xylophones. While looking through YouTube product reviews for online purchases, I came across this mesmerizing girl who plays the marimba (which is like a giant xylophone), who is now my new girl-crush: Yuni Marima
So cool, right? Very appealing, but I still cannot find a xylophone that fits my budget, space, and style. A marimba is definitely too big for my music room.
As YouTube marketing magic has the ability to lead me astray, I then came across an instrument that is totally new to me, the "kalimba" or thumb piano, performed by another YouTube girl-crush sensation: April Yang
It has a twinkling sound much like the glockenspiel but so much better! I love that it is compact and cute, and tons of YouTube videos for tutorials and product reviews. The best part is, the kalimba is marketed as a toy so they are quite affordable. Most ranges from $30-$60 on Amazon, so I did not hesitate to order a couple to try it out, I decided on getting one solid board style and one hollow box style.
1. Zaidenberg Kalimba($44.99): has a muted twinkling, music-box sound quality, arrived in-tune.
Best Part: I chose this for the detachable magnetic wooden stand, perfect for displaying on a desk (in my music room, yeah!) The mahogany wood piece feels substantial and of high quality.
The Bad: I think this kalimba might have been someone else's returned item, since it came with one bent key (or "tine") and the items inside the packaging (ie. thumb covers, stickers, etc.) was strewn all over.
2. HONHAND Kalimba($33.99): the hollow box style does provide a deeper, resonating sound, arrived in-tune.
Best Part: I chose this for the low price point and simple design without logos plastered on it. However, it does have the stamp "Designed in California" behind the hole opening, which is probably a marketing technique to lure "Made in USA" fans, when in actuality it is made in China. I actually felt this boxy style is more comfortable to play than the small curvy style of the Zaidenberg. Also love the louder tone.
The Bad: it smells of gasoline-like chemicals that I often find in cheap China-made goods sold on Amazon. I can't imagine how horrible the fumes must be in the factories that make these products...bless the people who have to work in those conditions :(
Verdict: I kept both since they were both affordable for my budget and provide good-enough aesthetics for my music room as well as delightful sound quality for a beginner. If I decide to purchase again, I would definitely go for the hollow box style, and hopefully find a company that has better quality control. I would definitely be willing to pay more for that! Please, no more toxic fumes for the makers and customers.
Any good xylophone or kalimba recommendations out there?
Here's a random hodgepodge of things on my mind lately...
1. I wish there is an app...for musicians, where if you take a picture of the whole sheet music, it can convert to any desired octave/key in a flash! This would be great for instrumentalists who need to adjust key on the spot for singers, or playing other parts (ie. a cellist wanting to play a violin part, but not familiar reading violin treble cleft, thus the app can automatically transcribe the entire sheet music into equivalent cello/bass notes. Also should have capability to plug the phone/tablet into a printer and print the transcribed music out on paper too). If this app already exists or in the works, let me know in the comments!
2. Girl crush...me growing up in the U.S., there were not a lot of Asian actors/actresses in the movies to relate to when I was a kid. Thus, when I see someone who "looks" like me in the movies, I'm ecstatic! I recently learned of Lana Condor, who plays Jubilee from X-Men: Apocalypse, and am smitten! Born in Can Tho, Vietnam area (where my mom is from) and is a fellow petite (5' 2"-ish?) Hope she gets more roles in Hollywood!
3. More ankle boots...I'm looking for black ones that have some height boost but comfortable enough to walk miles in.
4. Christmas/birthday wishlist...I don't know why people never think of gifting me something useful and life-saving! What I really need is a good household bug catcher/remover for a wimp. The longer the distance from me to the innocent bugs, the better, hah! ie. Hammacher Schlemmer Bug Vacuum ($69.95), My Critter Catcher ($19.95).
As mentioned in a prior post, I'm a huge supporter of X-Factor's Fifth Harmony, so posting a little free advertisement here. I'm so happy they're making their way up the charts! I'm such a little girl at heart...downloading all their songs! My favorite is "Better Together" and "Who Are You." The vocals (esp. my girl Dinah) reminds me of Leona Lewis, whom I miss since she sort of disappeared from the music radar.
