Hi guys! I know it's been a minute since a proper blog post. I've spent a lot of time in the recent months planning the 4th Annual Rilakkuma Picnic here in Los Angeles. It is truly a labor of love putting the event together, as I spent lots of timing making decorations, promoting the event and of course prepping the iconic paletas for everyone. This was the biggest turn out we've has so far and luckily we were at a bigger location that was able to accommodate the bigger crowd. You can find all pictures taken from the event on this Google Drive. 

Photo by @yellemarie_

I saw lots of news faces and also lots of returning Rilakkuma fans, many that are now friends. This year I was so happy to get lots of help from Ko.kumas. Her and I met at last year's picnic after being longtime mutuals online. She took it upon herself to make and bring the most adorable Rilakkuma piñata that was filled with Mexican candy and cute hairclips. It was such a hit and we made sure everyone who wanted to got a picture with it before it got whacked. It really made the day extra special. 

Photo by @yellemarie_

We had a few vendors selling cute goodies including Shopsherlin's adorable crochet creations, a huge pile of trinkets Ko.kuma brought and some of my sticker sheets and Kawaii y Latina merch. Also want to give a shout out to attendees who gave out freebies. It really made me happy to see people come and then leave with new friends and connections. 

Photo by @yellemarie_

My personal favorite thing about the event every year is seeing everyone's outfits. It is so fun to see the looks people put together whether it be a DIY outfit or licensed kuma merch. I grew up scrolling streetstyle blogs on Tumblr in middle school, so taking pictures of everyone's outfits and sharing them on here feels nostalgic in a way and brings me so much joy. 

I've gotten so many comments online from people all over that they have major FOMO from the event, and I hope this blog post recapping the day can somewhat fill the void. I feel so lucky to have created a community with people that are as passionate about their interests as me. I am also super grateful for the overlap between this event and Kawaii y Latina. Going forward the event with be properly presented by Kawaii y Latina. I am also workshopping the idea of some sort of similar Kawaii y Latina event we could have on a more regular basis. Let me know what you think in the comments! 

Thank you for all the love and support<3

A couple months ago I got to visit Maidreamin, a popular maid cafe chain in Japan. I was so excited to try one of their iconic animal ice cream parfaits. It was not only super cute but also really delicious. When I got back from my trip, I was determined to recreate a maid ice cream parfait at home.

me trying a maid cafe parfait for the first time in Tokyo 

I thought it would be so cute to be able to casually make them for friends when they came over or when I wanted a sweet treat. I switched it up a bit and decided to make a Rilakkuma version, but then an even better idea popped into my mind. I wanted to tweak the recipe a bit so that I could turn this idea into something for the blog. That is when I got the idea to make some inspired by some of my favorite Mexican sweet treats. The final result was Gansito, Paleta de Payaso, and Sponch ice cream parfaits inspired by the ones you see at maid cafes. 

My first attempt at making one of these

The first step was finding the glasses. I wanted to find the classic vintage ice cream parfait glasses that would perfectly display the ice cream and all its toppings. After lots of searching I found the vintage perfect set of four on Mercari. There were also lots of options on Ebay and also various restaurant supply stores. Your best bet is checking out these sites and searching and using keywords such as "Retro Vintage Ice Cream Sundae Parfait Glasses."

I made the diagram above which breaks down everything you'll want to pick up before you get started. Castella cake is what is traditionally used for these but angel food cake or even pound cake is an accessible substitute. But if you are going to be making a Mexican snack version, this is where you are going to use the snack cake or cookie you've chosen. Some options are Gansito, Sponch, Paleta de Payaso, or Bubu Lubu. You can find these at your local Mexican grocery store and they'll have even more options than the ones I've listed. You'll use those same treats as toppings as well, along with sprinkles, marshmallows, pocky sticks and anything else your heart desires. I used wafer rolls and Sanrio chocolate I found at Mitsuwa, which is one of the Japanese grocery stores that is closest to me. If you visit your local Asian grocery store you'll be able to find an array of candy that will be perfect to use as toppings. .✦ ݁˖

After making a few of these I've nailed down a few tips that will help you make the dessert of your dreams. For the ice cream (I used Neapolitan for all of these btw) scoop your ice cream and freeze it on some parchment paper ahead of assembly. Having a prepared frozen scoop will make assembly easier and slow down melting so that you have more time to take cute pictures of you creation! Also the assembly is just layering the ingredients one at a time and it's best to go slow to keep the whole thing looking neat. I can't wait to see the parfaits you end of making and be sure to tag @kawaiiylatina in any pictures of your parfaits. (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶) ₊˚⊹ ᰔ

Last week we officially hit 1,000 followers on Instagram! I am forever grateful that so many of you have an interest in my blog and have decided to follow along with what I've been working on. As I'm typing this I realized it is actually a year on the dot since I first announced the blog. So crazy to think that just a year ago this blog was just an idea I decided to pursue. Since them I have met so many other talented Latina artists and creators. I feel like I've created my own bubble online of all things Kawaii y Latina which has been comforting especially after such a insanely rough time it has been for the Latino community in the United States right now. I hope that this blog can continue to serve as a safe space for those of us that need of a reset from some of the heavier things that get pushed to our feeds online.

₊‧°𐐪♡𐑂°‧₊

Right now I am currently working on updating our online shop to new platform that will make the shopping experience 100% times better. There is also a few different blog posts I am working on centered on some DIY craft and recipes. I did a poll a while back and I had a handful of people express they wanted to see some DIY craft posts so I'm excited to get those out there soon. If you have submitted to the blog in the past but have not heard back please do not be discouraged. I am saving everyone's submissions for when I start working on the print version of Kawaii y Latina that is coming in the future. I've got so many ideas but sadly my main gig doesn't leave me much time to put into this blog as I would like. It is a one woman operation behind the scenes here at Kawaii y Latina so I an eternally grateful for everyone's interest despite how slow things tend to move sometimes.

⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹

Thanks for your continued support!<3

xoxo

- Nathalie 

₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎ ₊˚⊹♡

One of my favorite things about running Kawaii y Latina is getting to make cute merch to go along with the blog. Admittedly, sometimes my ideas exceed my current skill set. One of these ideas I had was to make a bumper sticker and the perfect solution to this was to reach out to an artist to collaborate with on this to bring this idea to life. I had to reach out to none other than Jessica Esperanza aka @Babylipgloss1995. I've featured her on our Instagram before and her Esty shop is listed on our shopping master list so I'm happy to have a proper blog post dedicated to her art. I was happy that she was totally down for collaboration. I pretty much gave her free range on the design because I knew anything she came up with was going to be amazing.

A picture of artist Jessica Esperanza included in one of her journal spreads

I've been following Jessica on Instagram for many years at this point and seeing her art always brings me so much joy! I love the combination of nostalgic Latino themes in her art and the super cute art style that is so unique to her work. I first met Jessica at one of my Rilakkuma fan meet ups a few years ago and we've kept in touch since. I also have a bunch of her stickers all over my journals. I did a little photo shoot for the stickers and sprinkled some Mexican candy charms I had on hand to go with the theme. So insanely happy with how these turned out and I'm excited to see how you guys use them.

Below is the final product of the bumper sticker and a limited quantity is now up on our shop. Here is a description of the design straight from Jessica herself. "My name is Jessica Esperanza (aka @babylipgloss1995) and when Nathalie commissioned me to make a ‘Kawaii y Latina’ bumper sticker my mind was immediately flowing with cute ideas ☆ !!! I knew I for sure wanted to draw my trinkets and favorite Mexican + Japanese snacks scattered around, like on a picnic blanket then it hit me…serape. A serape is a Mexican bright stripped woven blanket so I knew that would make the perfect background and of course I had to change the traditional colors to fit my style more <3 !"

I also included some of my other favorite art pieces of Jessica's that also give very much Kawaii y Latina for you guys to admire <3 You can shop the new bumper sticker now here! 

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending Tamakid's second decoden workshop at Pinku Studios in Little Tokyo. Evelyn Gonzalez (also known as Tamakid online) is a digital artist, toy collector, youtuber and multimedia artist. She is a Mexican artist with work that is influenced by many different things including Japanese kawaii culture. I first came across Evelyn's work a year ago before the inception of this blog. I was telling one of my close friends, Tanji (who runs a super cute scanned stationary account btw) about my idea for Kawaii y Latina and she immediately told me that I needed to reach out to Tamakid about being featured on the blog. I instantly fell in love with her work and how it feels like it comes from a totally different dimension of all things cute. Things have felt like they've come full circle now that I had the opportunity to cover her workshop for the blog. 

Flyer for the event

When I arrived to the workshop there was a line outside of the shop. By total chance I got in line behind another Latina youtuber, Chiaverse! We chatted about how excited we were for the workshop and ended up at the same table inside, joined by another mutual and reader of the blog whom I finally got to meet. Before the workshop had even started, it already felt like such a special gathering of the sweetest people. Meeting new friends and then getting to craft together felt like the icing (or decoden cream) on the cake. 

@Chiaverse and @Tama_kid

After we walked in, we picked our two deco cream colors and the type of case we were going to decorate. (I brought a clear case for my pink Nintendo DS that I bought specifically for this event). We got settled at our table where we were served the cutest heart shaped flan to snack on while we flipped through some Japanese deco magazines for inspiration. Everyone took turns going up to the charm bar to pick out our share from both Evelyn's handmade charms as well as charms provided by the studio. This was I think one of the funnest parts. The charm bar literally looks like a mini bakery and it was so hard to choose between all of the choices. I went back and forth between all the options before I settled on the charms that would best compliment the chocolate brown and pink theme I was going for.

It got a lot more quiet once everyone got their charms because we were so locked in on getting the charm placement just right. Because of that I was able to hear the music that was playing in the store, which were cute songs I recognize hearing in some Tamakid videos. Not sure if that was intentional but I thought it was a cute detail and really added to the feeling that we were all in an alternate Tamakid universe for the afternoon.

Another highlight was the Tamakid merch booth set up inside of the workshop. There was a line forming before the workshop even started and to no one's surprise, newer items of hers like the photo holder parfaits and chocolate pencil cases sold out right away. I was able to score one of her iconic chocolate deco pocket mirrors, sticker sheets, and a matcha girl themed memo pad. In all the craziness I totally forgot to get one of her posters I've been eyeing so like I'll have to keep an eye out for her next shop update. It was really to sweet how Evelyn has such a supportive group of people around her to help her run the merch booth, passing out supplies, and making sure the whole event ran smoothly. I know from experience how overwhelming event organizing can be, and how much work goes into making everything look effortless. Being on the other side this time was a real treat, and I truly appreciated getting to fully experience the care and thought the Evelyn and her team put into creating something special for everyone who attended.

@_ajmart_ helping out at the merch stand

After we finished our cases, the final step was having them lovingly boxed up by the Pinku staff in special dessert-style boxes, where they would safely dry once we headed out. So many of us stuck around for a bit to take pictures together and exchange Instagram handles to stay in touch before leaving. Since the studio is located in Little Tokyo, my favorite neighborhood in LA, I took the opportunity to shop around and pick up some snacks before heading back home. I could not think of a better way that I could have spent my Saturday! Huge thanks to Evelyn for inviting me and for generously sharing photos for the blog. Be sure to check out her Instagram to keep up with her art and future workshops, and visit her website to shop her work and support her creations.

At the end of last year I visited Japan for the second time and I wanted to make it a point to visit the Candy Candy Museum. Candy Candy is a Japanese anime, centering around a young girl named Candy as she navigates growing up as an orphan. Like many people around my age, I would see old reruns on tv and I knew that my mom was a huge fan as well. She has told me before that she grew up watching the show when she was a young girl in Mexico and that she was obsessed with it. I have also come across videos on tik tok of girls surprising their moms with Candy Candy merch or throwing them Candy Candy themed birthday parties. This peaked my curiosity and I wanted to do my research as to why an anime seemed to be so popular in a completely different country.

Turns out the broadcasting rights for the show were low, making it affordable entertainment for Mexican television networks to broadcast. Additionally, the show had the same format as telenovelas, which hooked young audiences. The show had themes that young girls could relate to like friendship, jealousy, and love. It became a staple for young girls in the 70's and 80's, gaining cultural relevance all over the world.

Sepia Cafe in Katsushika City, where the museum is located, was an hour train ride from Tokyo city. We made the mistake of going on a Saturday because it was packed but still worth, especially once we got inside. It is a quaint cafe that feels frozen in time with retro decor and vintage toys filling the walls. The food was not only insanely cute but delicious and there was a page in the menu dedicated to different flavored melon sodas. What I was mainly there for though was the Candy Candy Museum that lives upstairs above the cafe. If I remember correctly I think I paid around 5 USD for admission to the museum.

 I was so insanely impressed with the collection of merchandise that is in the Museum. There was literally everything you could think of from manga, toys, clothing, bags, glasses, and even framed original artwork from the show. One that that stood out to me was that a lot of the stuff was unopened and its original packaging, making it so much more rare and impressive considering how old a lot of the items were. As someone who is a collector and gets very passionate about my interests, I could recognize how much love and attention went into curating this collection. Because of a lawsuit between the manga artist and writer of Candy Candy, the manga is out of print and to my knowledge there is no new officially licensed merch in production anymore. The show lives on with it's dedicated fanbase, and this museum is proof of its cultural impact.

Turns out there is one person we have to thank for the existence of this museum. Candy H Milky, who sadly passed last year, was a Candy Candy superfan. They were always dressed in a Candy inspired red outfit. They took matters into their own hands to preserve the history of the show and created the Candy Candy Preservation Society, where they acted as the chairman, the director of the museum, and pretty much the only active member. Their dedication and passion about a show most people don't think much about is so inspiring to me as someone who runs a blog for a niche part of the internet. There is an amazing mini documentary on YouTube if you'd like to hear more about Candy H Milky. They will forever be immortalized in the museum and also their face is imprinted right next to Candy's if you order the pancakes from Sepia Cafe. I definitely recommend visiting both the cafe and the Museum if you are visiting Japan. It was a highlight of my trip and I was so happy I got the chance to document it and share it with you all here on the blog. Would love to hear in the comments if you grew up watching the show! 

Meet Viviana Flores! She is an artist creating accessories that have been making waves all over the internet. Her handmade sailor hats have worn by many including the pop duo The Two Lips, Julia Wolf, and featured in Blondita campaign shoots. With her skill and attention to detail, she is able to create pieces tailored to perfectly match each person's unique style.

Viviana grew up in SoCal, and is heavily inspired by growing up surrounded by Latino culture in Santa Ana. "My fathers side is from Jalisco while my mom was born in Michoacan. I was raised listening to Morrissey (who oddly also has ties to Latino culture) while having family cookouts at mile square park in Santa Ana. That being said, being born in SoCal has impacted me tremendously, leading me to connect to Chicano culture."

Viviana started focusing on her art heavily during covid times when so many of us had a lot of downtime. She started out, and still does, make tote bags with a kawaii touch. A personal favorite of mine is one of her Nana inspired designs. "I'm a very busy body so if I'm not creating I tend to feel stuck. Before I started, Chikas Arsenal, I probably tried just about every art form there is. Even tattooing. I started doing markets with Chikas Arsenal as a way to make money off of my art. This included making tote bags at the beginning as an easy way for people to get adjusted but now it has transformed into a space where I'm allowed to post my creations."

Her relationship to kawaii culture started long before the inception of Chikas Arsenal. "I was raised with an “Interior designer” mom who grew up with peak Sanrio, so cute things were always placed around me. At a certain point my parents were resistant to buying me a $40 plushy as a Child, so when I finally got my first paycheck. Sanrio did not know what to see coming. I have toned down my obsession with plushies, but still continue to collect rare monchichi’s." Viviana, I think you need to make a monchichi sized sailor hat...

I love seeing creative Latinas get the recognition they deserve and Vivian's work is so refreshing to see in a time when fast fashion is so prevalent. "The quality I put into my work never fails to impress. Everything is made by hand and with love. I've been inspired by photography and styling from Mexico city that plays a large part in the aesthetics of Chikas Arsenal." You can shop Chikas Arsenal on her site here and keep up with her on social media here.

Just in time for the holiday shopping season, I put together a master list of artists and businesses that inspire me and have that Kawaii y Latina vibe. I created different categories to hopefully make it a bit easier to navigate. I hope to continue working on growing this list even after the holidays to create a resource to help support small businesses all year round. Earlier this year when the blog blew up a bit on TikTok, I got so many submissions. It’s been hard to feature everyone one by one, so this master list is another way for me to share all the amazing people with you all. You can find the link to the list here! Happy shopping and Happy Holidays! 

Shopping Master List

One of the first stops I made was in Osaka. I hadn’t visited before but like many people, I had seen the coverage online about Chicano culture embraced by the youth living in Osaka. Being a Mexican American living in Southern California, where Chicano culture got its origins, I was super intrigued about seeing it for myself. After something internet sleuthing, I found where those that participate in the cultural exchange tend to hang out. Amerikamura is a small district in the city where there are plenty of stores selling clothes influenced by western culture. Just a few feet a way in a building on the eighth floor is the clothing store La Puerta. They exclusively sell typical Chicano style clothing, think dickies, FB County, flannels, and LA football and baseball jerseys. Their Instagram also is updated with events they host including lowrider meet ups. Sadly I was missing the next one by just a few days but I did get to see some cool cars parked outside the store.

The next spot was back in Tokyo. Tacos 3 Hermanos is a taco chain in Japan with multiple locations serving street style tacos. It is notably difficult to find ingredients to make authentic Mexican food in Japan, but this place does a great job of bringing a taste of Mexico to Tokyo. Harajuku is the most popular location with a line forming before it even opens in the evenings. On this trip I was staying closest to the Ebisu location, which was conveniently open earlier too. This location was a lot more quiet with no wait and more tables. Something I found especially cute about this location were some Mexican mascot plushies they had sitting along with their merch. Dr Simi of Farmacia Similares (a Mexican pharmacy) and Cruzazulito of Cruz Azul ( a Mexican cement company) were plopped on a shelf which was a cute detail of Mexican culture added to the taco shop. Seeing the Mexican mascots on display was a clear cultural parallel to Japan's Yura-chara, which are character's designed to promote businesses, events and even singular cities.

Experiences like these highlight the fascinating ways cultural identities travel and evolve. Latino culture is really everywhere and I have so much fun documenting and sharing my observations. I also teased on an Instagram story that during this trip I visited somewhere special that I'll have a whole blog post dedicated too coming soon so keep an eye out for that!  

I'm super excited about today's spotlight! We are talking to Candy aka @xxCandyCouturexx. She is a fashion designer, stylist and a Gyaru enthusiast. If you haven't heard of Gyaru it is a fashion subculture that emerged in Japan in the 90s. It includes dramatic makeup, big hair and colorful clothes. There is also different substyles of Gyaru so there is so much inspiration to delve into.

Childhood photo of Candy

What I love most about Candy's take on Gyaru is how she mixes her indigenous style along with it. "My family is de pueblos originarios in Tehuantepec & Huajuapan de León, Oaxaca. After living with family in Mexico in my teens, I developed an intense passion for my roots. Being able to live in my family’s pueblo surrounded by loved ones, community, and connecting with the culture had inspired me."

I was super curious to hear about how she got into Gyaru style and it turns out she has always been into alternative fashion. "One of my favorite scene queens on Instagram at the time had mentioned Gyaru which led me down the rabbit hole and to this day, I’ve never found a style that completes me more." I totally picked up on the scene vibes with her style, especially with Candy's colorful hairstyles. I also asked Candy what Gyaru brands she likes to shop for she suggested brands like Skinny Lip, D.I.A, Lip Service, and Alba Rosa. I'm hyped to do a deep dive on those later. 

"Showing pride for my Oaxacan heritage while also still being true to my self expression was what had me blending the two. What I love about Gyaru is that it rebels against colonial beauty standards and embraces dark skin. It’s the perfect subculture for those who are unapologetically themselves despite living in a time where people like us are made to feel inferior."

Candy between two models wearing her designs

Do you have other Latinas in your life who share your love for Gyaru or kawaii style? It often feels like we’re a bit scattered around the world.

Where I grew up, it was definitely hard finding others and it wasn’t until I started stepping into the underground rave scene that I continue finding other Latines who love kawaii styles. It really is challenging when you don’t know where to start but once you find them, it’s heart warming for sure.

What else has inspired your style?

My older siblings were my biggest inspiration growing up in the early 2000s. I was 13 when my oldest brother took me to my first warped tour. He was emo and loved anime which influenced my own interest. I was binge watching anime back to back while also pirating my favorite band’s music on my tablet. My 2nd older brother and I were also into cosplay at this time, always finding inspo on tumblr which introduced us to harajuku fashion and I think that’s how my spark for my style really came to be.

What has your experience been like being a part of the online gyaru community?

It has been so sweet connecting with others online especially fellow brown gals! Building that community and supporting each other is extremely meaningful to me. I think it’s important that we show love and kindness to one another. I know a lot of drama can go down in some parts but I think that just further proves the significance of finding others who understand the importance of community.

Huge thanks to Candy for letting me pick your brain. Your unapologetic self expression is so inspiring! <3 You can keep up with Candy on Instagram & TikTok for future brand updates as well as Depop @CandyCouturee for pre-loved kawaii fashion pieces. You can also reach out to her to book styling services.

Merch and after party flyer from her show at the Echoplex 10/18

This past weekend I saw Isabella Lovestory, a Honduran pop star that is one of the most Kawaii y Latina - coded artists I know of. This was the second time I've been able to see her live as she is currently on tour performing her newest album Vanity that she released earlier this year. To me it is totally a no skip album. If you haven't heard of her already some great tracks to start with are her most popular song Mariposa as well Latina, which is absolute pop banger and ode to Latinas. 

Credit: Isabella Lovestory official website

Apart from being a talented musical artist, she also is a fashion icon - and with a song called Fashion Freak, she knows it. Her music videos are full of iconic looks and even just by scrolling on her Instagram you can see how much time she puts into style. At her show this past weekend her outfit was pink and sparkly with Y2k inspired hair. The crowd was pumped and the best way to describe her stage presence is like if  Kpop Idol was Latina. She really puts on such an amazing show.

Credit: Isabella Lovestory official website

Below are some pictures I got on my phone at the concert! If you guys have any suggestions other Kawaii y Latina Icons in music you'd like to to spotlight leave them down below in the comments!

xoxo

-Nathalie 

Latina performed live at the Echoplex 10/18

We've got our first poet on the blog today! Jenny Sandoval (They/them) is first generation a poet, film photography enthusiast, and passionate educator. Jenny has a background in elementary education and believes deeply in encouraging creativity in the classroom. Their family roots trace back to Tijuana, Nayarit and Michoacán. Their poetry explores powerful themes like identity, mental health, and the immigrant experience- often drawing form their own life. They've self-published two poetry books and are currently working on a new collection. When they're not writing you'll fund them taking dreamy film photos with their hello kitty camera.

I was so happy open my inbox to Jenny's submission with their poetry. Their words are beautifully relatable and the imagery created to go along with it is so captivating and eye-catching. It is cool to see the kawaii influence that can be seen through Jenny's work which came from an introduction of anime from their uncle and childhood trips to the Sanrio store with their mother. I also got Jenny's opinion on why so many Latino's end up interested in kawaii culture, "I believe this is because Latino channels have a lot of anime options. I vividly remember when I was a kid and I would spend my school break with my aunt in Tijuana and her having “Candy Candy” on the TV. I also believe because many immigrants and first generation had to grow up fast and not really have a childhood or a childhood they could enjoy, kawaii things are a safe space to bring back a way to connect with your inner child"

"I write my poetry in English and Spanish, being a first generation, eldest daughter from a single mother, and Tijuana. I write politically about the Mexican experience living in the USA and right now during these extremely difficult times that ICE is at high rate. We have to protect our communities! Art is political use your voice, your writing, your painting, your photograph to make a point!"

"No matter how much you think your art is not reaching people or don’t feel you aren't doing your best, remember there is someone in this world that will connect with your art! I took over a year break from poetry and didn’t know if I would share my poetry again due to these feelings and what got me back was knowing my words are important and I can keep some poetry for myself and also share some poetry to the world. Imposter syndrome is real and especially for people like me that don’t have any writing connections and are self taught. I am truly proud of everything I have put out as a poet and understanding the process of always learning how to write and graphic design better."

Huge thanks for Jenny for this submission and being so vulnerable in your writing! It is truly inspiring. You can check out Jenny's work on their website here.

Today on the blog we have Michelle of Mooeyandfriends.com Apart from being an OG  kawaii lifestyle blogger (she's been running her blog for over 10 years) she is an amazing crochet artist! She is a first generation Mexican-American, with familial roots to Morelia, Michoacán. Her work that especially caught my eye were her crochet piñatas. 

So many of people that I feature on this blog inspire me in so many different way's, what admire about Michelle is how varied all her work is. "I blog about topics such as  astrology, beauty reviews, books, crochet, crystals, curly haircare, dolls, gaming, journaling, kawaii culture, lifestyle, tarot, reading, skincare, and more! There is no niche  here!" Like I mentioned she is also a crochet artist and has a substack dedicated to Blythe dolls.  

"I feel like it’s always been part of my life since I was a child. I loved Hello Kitty, Sanrio,  and cute things for my entire life. However, I got really into Japanese Harajuku fashion in  the mid-2000s, and I feel like that really amplified my love for kawaii culture as both go  hand-in-hand." The mixture of her kawaii interests and Latino culture make for the cutest content on her blog too. "For my blog, I've published some photo diary posts when I visited Mexico since I visit  family pretty regularly. Because of these posts, I also started sharing more of my travel  photo diary posts on my blog."

My favorite thing about this interview was hearing about how Michelle got the inspiration for her Latino inspired crochet works. "In one of my previous jobs, I used to frequent Latin /Hispanic grocery stores. The bright colors of the store and the fun illustrations on the packaging inspired me to crochet some crochet patterns for my blog (the candy skull garland and papel picado garland). I  also crocheted some skull keychains and plushies, and a series of piñatas, which were  inspired by the piñatas I would see at these stores. I loved piñatas as a kid! I mean, who  doesn't want to get their anger out by hitting their favorite cartoons and be rewarded with candy? lol!" 

Hope you enjoy discovering Michelle's work as much as I did. Her work perfectly embodies kawaii culture with a pastel twist that is so eye catching! You can follow along with Michelle's content on her Instagram here and if you'd like to purchase of her crochet art or some of her crocheting services you can check that out on her Depop! 

We now have merch available to rep Kawaii y Latina! I hand made pennant flags inspired by the university one you've probably seen before. As you can see they make insanely cute wall decor and I'm super excited to see pictures of how you guys add them to your space. I also got jumbo sparkly logo stickers made that also double as bumper stickers ͙͛ ˚₊⋆ They are weather proof so they are super durable :3 I stuck mine on my iPad case but I would love to see one on a skateboard. If there are any skaters reading this let me know and I will send you one in exchange for a pic of it on your board!! Last item in the merch drop are some acrylic logo keychains to add some cuteness to your keys. Profits of the merch go to the costs of running the blog ͙͛ ˚₊⋆ Don't forget to tag us on Instagram if you decide to get any goodies! <3

First of all, happy Hispanic Heritage Month! This month is a time to celebrate all the beautiful things about our culture and I'm so grateful for all of you who tune in to the blog and help create our Kawaii y Latina community! <3 I'm hoping to squeeze in some extra blog posts this month to celebrate.

In this week's post we are highlighting the Mexican artist Amaryllis Monzon, a 20 year old artist, creating original characters along with stories to go along with them. She is a college student who will soon be attending Otis college of art and design to continue studying illustration. 

Her introduction into kawaii culture as a kid included shoujo animes and mangas, which also impacted her art style as well. Amaryllis blends this inspiration with her own life experiences growing up Latina, creating characters that many people can relate or see themselves in. "If it wasn’t obvious enough with my work, I love illustrating character concepts and designs or comics and colorful pieces! I use a lot of brighter colors with my work especially pink, I feel no matter what I’m drawing there is always some bit of pink hue somewhere in the piece. If the subject matter of my pieces aren’t a character of mine it’s usually my artist persona as I also use my art a lot to feel good about myself as a form of self love!"

Amaryllis also made a great point about how a lot of us being into kawaii culture really challenges the usual stereotypes that we are usually labeled with, "I think it’s great for more Latinas to get into kawaii culture and express themselves more in such a sweet and cute way, I feel sometimes at least in my experience we can be told we have sharp attitude or we’re always placed in that “spicy Latina” stereotype and I feel kawaii culture is just such a expressive and l enjoyable way to embrace our femininity more and step away from that stereotype that some try to stick us in."

As you may know, one question I love asking my interviewees is their opinion on why Latino's may gravitate towards kawaii culture. This is what Amaryllis had to say: 

"I feel they gravitate a lot towards kawaii things or cute culture because it has a very

childlike whimsy and innocence to it, and i feel with the way some of us are raised and

tend to be in a lively extroverted household we sometimes find enjoyment in loud and

positive aesthetics such as kawaii culture! Not only that I find that lots of latinos are

raised on mixed media and find themselves in things they are shown and since not a lot

of popular children’s characters are latino aside from dora you tend to project that onto

racially ambiguous characters like hello kitty in a way as there’s numerous edits on

social media of hello kitty repping different Latino flags or even sailor moon characters

edited by amazing artists to have them look more Latina!"

Some of Amaryllis's upcoming projects include a story called Late Night Party of Five, centered around one of her original characters. She also recently became an affiliate for the makeup brand, Flower Knows. You can keep up with her projects and art by following her on Instagram here. <3

Hi guys! 𖹭.ᐟ After doing a poll on Instagram, a lot of you were interested in a Kawaii y Latina Discord server. So I had to give the people what they want. ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧ It will be a fun place to chat about all things kawaii with like minded people. Super excited to interact more with all of you <3 You can join by clicking here. Link is also on the home page of this site in case you ever need it again under "Quick Links"

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Today's Kawaii y Latina feature comes from Texas! Nathalie Sánchez is the artist creating one of a kind kawaii inspired creations for her brand Bratty Natty Couture. She is a first generation Latina with roots that trace back to Ecatepec, Mexico and Celaya, Guanajuato. Although she started her brand back in 2021, the inspiration for it came from her childhood.

"I was a quiet and shy kid who loved getting lost in my own little projects. Drawing was my favorite thing, and I was always finding fun ways to make something out of whatever I had—cutting up magazines, saving candy wrappers, or using gift bags for collages. I even used nail polish as glue or paint sometimes! Being creative was how I expressed myself back then, and still is to this day. Bratty Natty Couture started in 2021 and is very much inspired by my personal obsessions, childhood nostalgia, sweet deco and a commitment to always having something pink -whether it’s a statement accessory or a full-blown pastel fantasy. My pieces are made for the dolls who like to stand out, and wear clothing that feels like a mood board come to life. I specialize in making 1 of 1 pieces -whether it’s making Decoden cream lighters junked out in charms , big hair bow or sewing dreamy silhouettes from scratch or reworking vintage finds into something entirely new. Every look and products is an extension of my world: kawaii, pink, expressive , and unapologetically bratty." 

From doing a good amount of these interviews, I've noticed a similar experience of how a lot of us got introduced to kawaii culture and that is the internet in our middle school years. So many of us watched those iconic makeup tutorials during those early youtube days. Nathalie really describes her personal experience with that so perfectly. "I first started getting into kawaii culture around middle school, but my love for all things cute started way earlier. I grew up completely obsessed with Hello Kitty, anything pink, hair bows, sparkly, princessy, or covered in unicorns—it was always my vibe. In middle school, I started exploring makeup and would spend hours watching dolly and kawaii makeup tutorials online. By high school, I had discovered Harajuku fashion / Hime Gyaru and instantly fell in love. I was so inspired by the bold makeup and creative styling, big lacy hair bows and I started finding ways to blend that influence into my style."

I really admire Nathalie's work and how expressive it is. Looking at her art feels like entering a whole new kawaii-fied universe. But her work doesn't end with Bratty Natty. She also recently started co-hosting Deco Dolls Market with @lovelyfresas—a fun, safe and creative space in Dallas to showcase small businesses and artists. "Our first market in July featured was Little twin Star themed where we had giveaways, DIY Decoden clips, photo ops, and support for families impacted by recent ice raids. Our next one’s in December! Can’t wait to keep building community and what’s in store for the upcoming year. 💝" From the pictures I've seen, the market looks amazing and it is always inspiring to see other Latinas work to create something bigger than themselves while also giving back to their Latino community.

Nathalie's next project includes a new clothing collection coming soon and her first fashion show as a designer later this year! We'll be keeping on tabs for that for sure following up for a follow up interview. (∩^o^)⊃━☆ In the meantime make sure to follow Nathalie on Instagram and if you are in the Dallas area, check out Deco Dolls Market!

If you frequent pop ups or vendor markets in the SoCal area you have probably come across Giselle. She is the artist behind Violetsarentbluue and a regular vendor at the Little Tokyo Flea Market. I found myself relating to so much of what she said, specifically when she mentions how many different mediums she has tried out. And how her visits to the swamp meet while growing up introduced her to so many new characters. (I remember buying my first hello kitty items at the swamp meet and santee alley way before I ever set foot in a Sanrio store.) The interests Giselle grew up with have stayed with her and how inspire the work she creates. 

Tell us about yourself and your work! (✿◡‿◡)

I've always been a very creative individual and I pick up more hobbies than I can count. I love to draw, play bass guitar, and make keychains. I always feel the need to make or do something which is why I offer a variety of products such as keychains, button pins, hair clips, stickers and clay items. I started off my account doing ramos, my business name is a play on words inspired by a poem and my weenie dog Violet. I attended my first ever market last year as a customer and was amazed at all the talented vendors and didn't know it was something you could do, so I decided to test my luck and make the switch. Since then, I have had the opportunity to sell at so many different events from Orange County to LA & SD, meet likeminded people, and make this my full time job. I love what I do and I mean it when I say that everything is handmade with love! 

When did you first get into kawaii culture? (´･ω･`)?

 A lot of my items are inspired by childhood toys, retro magazines, music and youtube. Back when youtube was really popular, I remember watching videos of people doing dolly makeup, trying japanese snacks, and making decoden items. Music videos like Avril Lavigne's “Hello Kitty”, PonPonPon, and Hatsune Miku changed my life. Early internet days have influenced my aesthetic and who I am today.

Why do you think so many Latinos gravitate towards kawaii things and cute culture? ☆*: o(≧▽≦)o*☆

I think Latinos gravitate towards kawaii things because we were surrounded by it from a young age. I visited swapmeets a lot when I was little so i am used to the cross of cultures and items. A lot of latinos also grew up owning Hello Kitty items or watching DBZ. I was one of the kids who had to get rid of her Hello Kitty items when the whole thing about her not having a mouth came out. And I think not being allowed to own those items or even allowed to fully express myself has made me gravitate towards it a lot more now. 

How does your Latina culture impact your work? o((>ω< ))o

Trips to the swapmeet every weekend and seeing the many toys, colors, different characters and influx of different types of products is what has inspired what i make. Especially for future projects, i am going to be incorporating a lot more of my personal art which is influenced by the chicano style. 

Giselle is currently fully booked for events in August so I encourage all our SoCal cuties to check out her account for those upcoming events. She also let me know that she is going to start selling prints as well. You can follow her on Instagram here. <3 

Back in July, I made my a tik tok video about Kawaii y Latina that reached close to twenty thousand people. I got a bunch of people interested in the project and interested in being featured on here. Crystal was one of the first people to reach out to me with such an interesting topic, a Folklórico dance group based in Tokyo!

Crystal Yamada-Arevalo is a proud Mexican-American with roots from Mexquitic de Carmona, SLP. When she was living in Japan a few years ago, she found herself losing her Spanish and missing the Mexican culture she's grown up with. She started attended events held by the Mexican Embassy set up to share Mexican culture with Japanese citizens. "I attended them and was scouted by one of my dance teacher’s friends. I’ve never danced folklórico before but I was excited for the opportunity to learn and be part of the vision to share Mexican culture in Japan. I started dancing in 2023 and I’m so thankful to be a part of the ‘Mexico en la piel’ dance group. The experience has been amazing and it’s so heartwarming to see the Japanese community try to learn the dance steps alongside us. Everyone loves dancing to El Caballo Dorado."

Both the dance group and the Latino community in Japan was included people of different backgrounds including Japanese, Latinos and others interested in exploring different cultures. "We’re a very tight-knit, diverse, and supportive community. We all kinda know each other and support one another at events. I learned so much about Mexican history and the gastronomy of different Mexican regions thanks to the community. We really look after one another. I mentioned it’s diverse because it’s not just Mexicans but other nationalities as well."

It is so heartwarming to hear that Crystal was able to find connection and Mexican while being so far from home. I was super excited to hear about what Mexico en la Piel's performances were like. "We've gotten to perform in various places like at baseball games, Latin-American events, Disney’s Coco premiere, the Mexican Embassy, we even had the opportunity to be featured on Fuji Television during their morning broadcast. Last year, we got to perform alongside Banda El Recodo. It was amazing! I think that was my favorite performance because I had grown up listening to them on radio and I could have never imagine that one day I would dancing with them in Tokyo. It was so surreal and I feel very blessed." Apart from dance, some of Crystal's other hobbies include exploring shops and cafes in her neighborhood by the Meguro river, visit Shonan beach, and unwinding at the onsen. 

Experiencing two rich cultures simultaneously is such a unique and special experience. Because of this I felt Crystal was the person to ask the following question. Are there any similarities you’ve noticed between Mexican and Japanese culture? "I think the biggest similarity that I see is that both cultures are family-oriented. Oh and we both love our rice!" 

If any of you happen to be in Tokyo this September, you can check out the folklórico dance team Mexico en la Piel perform live at Fiesta Mexican. It is a three day Mexican Independence Day festival held every year in Tokyo. More Details here. O(∩_∩)O You can also keep up with the dance team on Instagram here. <3

If you have been following me for a minute you may know that I for the past two years I have been collaborating with the Blue Hour tea truck to host cute character fan events. My dear friend, Maria Fernanda, is the owner of the Blue Hour Goods and also runs Natural Hour Wellness Bar located in Sherman Oaks. She is originally from Guanajuato, MX but has been a lifelong LA Native. Her mission with the Blue Hour truck, or ApoTeacary, is to serve herbal teas & natural treats, host plant-dye workshops, and bring a bit of nature into the urban sprawl that is Los Angeles.

Maria has been a huge personal inspiration to me and has always been so supportive when I come to her with my creative ideas. We met as teens through our creative endeavors and have since then collaborated a bunch, bringing our creative minds together to create so many fun things. Our most recent collaboration happened this past weekend with a bunny themed event to celebrate the 2 year anniversary of her mobile tea truck. We worked together to create super cute decorations, a themed menu and curated vendors to make the event extra special.

Piñata by @Lugubrez

Artist @Lugubrez graced us with the most unbelievable handmade miffy Piñata to use as decoration and a photo op. Sherlin of @ShopSherlin  (who also vended at our Rilakkuma fan event) came through with more of her adorable crochet creations and made the most adorable journal spread that can be seen on this posts collage. We also had coolest air brushed tees made by @Alfalfapup. I've been eyeing her shirts for the longest time and I was so hyped to get to shop them IRL. 

Shirts by @Alfalfapup

You already know I live for a themed snack so my contribution to the menu for this event was miffy inspired rice Krispie treats! I hand dipped them in chocolate and drew the face on with chocolate on each one. It was a labor of love but so absolutely worth it and they looked so cute on display in the truck.

My absolute favorite thing about these events is seeing the people who come go all out with the theme. I went around with my camera capturing all the cute moments and outfits I came across. Huge thank you that everyone who came through to support it means so much! (●'◡'●) Here is the link to all the photos taken at the event.

@shesmisery