iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Went to the city clerk to drop off my ballot today, and they gave me ALL THE STICKERS

all the stickers from the MI I Voted sticker contest on a strip of paper, including the MI license plate, the Edmund Fitzgerald, a construction pylon, a cat saying "I voted now let me sleep," and my personal favorite, the irreverent frog fairy.

Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

last night's dinner: pasta con le sarde with 2 tins of sardines and whole wheat linguine. used the olive oil from the tins to cut down on waste. trying to get more seafood in diet per dietitian advice.

a bowl of pasta con le sarde, which has linguine and sardines, onions, golden raisins, garlic, and fennel, topped with toasted breadcrumbs.

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Good afternoon except to the fucker who thought it was cute to butt into a conversation between myself and a mutual about getting 80% sweetness in our bubble tea and call us "crazy":

"Damn yall crazy. I always get either zero or the first level up from zero, with artificial sweetener if possible, because I'm diabetic

But if it's like fruit tea or similar the flavouring and/or the fruit puree does a lot of the sweetening already so it works out nicely"

Me: I don't appreciate you calling me crazy for the amount of sweetness I get in my tea. That's really inappropriate and uncalled for, especially since you don't know how frequently I get them or anything else about my dietary habits.

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Here's an oatmeal pancake I made with leftover overripe blueberries over the weekend. Hopefully it'll be a sign for how the upcoming month goes:

a heart-shaped blueberry oatmeal pancake

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

today's dinner: fried green tomatoes with okonomi sauce and Japanese corn rice with soy sauce and a touch of butter. made with whole wheat panko and brown rice due to Genetic Curse.

a bowl of Japanese corn rice and four slices of fried green tomatoes with okonomi sauce

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Timeline cleanse: adventures in mending. I've had this shirt for nearly 7 years, but it was getting a bit worn under one arm. Darning didn't work too well (showed *more* wear and tear), so I tried to patch it with one of the fabric samples I received with the shirt.

A pink linen T-shirt on a blanket, with a patch under the arm.

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Civic interlude: oolong milk tea that I picked up when dropping off my absentee ballot a day or two ago. Michiganders, please vote this summer!

Oolong milk tea with a Michigan I VOTED sticker on it

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

show me a picture (of yourself) that captures your essence

me in 3rd grade, with large glasses, braids, and a round-as-hell face in a red Chinese school T-shirt

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

Sunday's parking lot roses and teeny tiny mushrooms found this morning

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

Seen today while downtown: LESSONS IN MAGIC AND DISASTER by @charliejane.bsky.social in the Crazy Wisdom Bookstore window!

Charlie Jane Anders' LESSONS IN MAGIC AND DISASTER in a window display (Crazy Wisdom Bookstore in AA).

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

lunch today was danbing with swiss cheese and mango chutney, yum! not shown: burmese tea leaf salad

close up of homemade danbing with cheese and topped with mango chutney

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

late-night FO post: two pairs of toe-up socks. Northbright by Anne-Michelle Phelan and Fiadhta by Liz Corke.

Northbright socks: navy blue socks with colorwork on the toes and legs to emulate northern lights

Fiadhta socks: turquoise blue socks with a lace pattern going up the side of the leg

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

CELEBRATORY BEEF NOODLES (note: you will find many amazing Taiwanese dishes in TAIWAN TRAVELOGUE, but the novel predates beef noodles. anyway.)

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

Other spring blooms: a magnolia, a hidden forget-me-not, and the lilies of the valley planted nearby my place.

A lone magnolia on a branch surrounded by foliage

A forget-me-not plant growing along a garage wall

a hidden lily of the valley surrounded by foliage

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

God knows we all know a timeline cleanse, so since this year is treating me a little better with the migraines, here are some lilac photos I took today:

A bunch of lilacs on a branch, some still in bud, surrounded by blurry greenery

a lone lilac blossom on a branch, hanging from a giant lilac bush

Two bluish lilac blooms from a giant lilac bush, close-up.

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

timeline cleanse: these bottles from @grimsweetness.bsky.social are sparking joy lately. Pixie Dust and Aqua Tofana (does not contain actual poison, just cute skull beads and non-toxic glitter)

My hand holding a bottle of Grim Sweetness Apothecary's Pixie Dust, which has swirling gold glitter and is topped with green wax, a sky blue velvet ribbon, and bells

My hand holding a Grim Sweetness Apothecary bottle of Aqua Tofana (DOES NOT CONTAIN POISON), with swirling dark purple glitter, topped with red wax, a grass green velvet ribbon, and a cute skull charm

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Completed objects: the amulets from the Chinese embroidery kit I got a couple years ago. Ordered them from "abomination" to "would hang on my tote bag" from left to right.

Blue octagonal amulet with embroidered vase, red four-rounded-corners with a ruyi shape, yellow ingot with a fish, and green gourd with a deer.

Four amulets: blue octagonal one reads "peace," red four-cornered round one reads "all one wishes," yellow ingot reads "abundance" and green gourd reads "blessings."

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

got around to finishing my first Musselburgh! pattern by Ysolda Teague, yarn Uncommon Thread Tough Sock in Naval Officer, and pin by @zetallis.com. it's a bit tight but still comfy, good for grocery runs.

A simple beanie knitted in dark blue yarn, with a gold physalis alkekengi pin bearing a red core.

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

timeline cleanse: completed Aquinnah scarf. no blocking wires because it took too damn long and because the edges started to look weird. also, wet knitted worsted fabric is *heavy*.

Full length Aquinnah scarf with a central honeycomb panel knitted in deep red yarn on blocking mats

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

saw @ricksteves.bsky.social Sicily episode a few weeks back and decided I had to try my hand at making pasta con le sarde. Delish!

Pasta con le sarde topped with breadcrumbs in a blue pasta bowl.

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

Timeline break: this week's nail polish, which is Emotional Support Pinecone from Alchemy Lacquers.

my left hand, with Emotional Support Pinecone: a violet jelly with blue flash.

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

Knitting a scarf (and also having some baking planned):

a cabled scarf knitted in deep red yarn (work in progress)

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

Timeline cleanse: Aquinnah scarf, week 4. About three feet long now, a little more than halfway done.

Aquinnah scarf--a scarf knitted in deep red yarn with lots of complex cables, lying on three feet of blocking mats.

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 03/01/2026

Late WIP Wednesday update: the Aquinnah scarf, which is growing longer and longer. Need to pace myself because there's tons of cables, ofc.

A very cabled scarf in progress knitted in deep red yarn that's about 2 feet long.

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 25/12/2025

Scarf progress: amazing how far 1-2 repeats a day will get you. Yarn was dyed by Wildewood Fibers, who is sadly retired. The colorway is called Dragon's Blood.

A cabled scarf in progress, knitted in deep red yarn.

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

WIP Wednesday since it's still Wednesday in some parts of my country: the beginning of a scarf. Pattern is Aquinnah, designed by Kerry Robb. One repeat down, 50 more to go. Yarn is Wildewood Fibers worsted in Dragon's Blood.

The beginning of a scarf with cables, knitted in deep red yarn, on a blocking mat.

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

New finished object: An Arrow to the Moon Socks, designed by Aimee Sher for @exrpan.bsky.social's AN ARROW TO THE MOON, aka the best retelling of Hou Yi/Chang'E that I've ever read. Knitted in SweetGeorgia's Mermaid and Snowfall.

A pair of socks knitted in variegated blue and green yarn, with grayish white moon, star, and arrow designs on the legs.

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

Woke up this morning to find outside like a shaken snowglobe, and I had to drive in it, even if only for five minutes. Took out some beef from the freezer and made Japanese curry rice, since the snow's not over yet.

A photo of Japanese beef curry with some brown rice barely peeking out.

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

They're all available for preorder now wherever books are sold! Check out book 1: awfulagent.com/ebooks/the-h...

All three books of the DOMINION OF THE FALLEN trilogy, with the header READ THE COMPLETE TRILOGY!! and AVAILABLE IN EBOOK AND TRADE PAPERBACK March 10, 2026

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

These new editions of the award-winning trilogy feature bonus stories in the world of the Fallen and introductions by Kate Elliott and Adrian Tchaikovsky. Whether you're a longtime fan or a new reader, you'll love 'em.

Cover of THE HOUSE OF SUNDERING FLAMES with the header AND DRAGONS OF THE DEPTHS with the date MARCH 10, 2026

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

With a deliciously gothic atmosphere, queer characters from across the world, and high intrigue as the various Houses strive for control of the shattered city, the DOMINION OF THE FALLEN trilogy asks: 'what is the price of power and what is the price of peace?'

Cover of THE HOUSE OF BINDING THORNS, with the header RULED BY FALLEN ANGELS and the release date of MARCH 10, 2026

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

Hey! New editions of the DOMINION OF THE FALLEN trilogy by @aliettedebodard.com are coming out on 3/10/2026! Enter a Paris wrecked by magical cataclysm and the mysterious Houses ruling the city in this beloved series of fallen angels, devious alchemists, & Vietnamese dragons:

The cover of THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS, with the words ENTER A RUINED PARIS and the date MARCH 10, 2026

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

A little extra from the PNW adventures last week: SIL was kind enough to snap some photos of me wearing the Lorelei pullover. Natural cloudy light = the best for showing off the color. (Also, if it looks good on me, it'll probably look good on you too.)

A woman standing against the railing of a pier with the Columbia River in the background. She is wearing a sweater knitted in deep teal yarn with a lace pattern resembling scales across the neckline. Her face has been blacked out for privacy.

A woman leaning against a pier with a backdrop of the Columbia River and a ship floating across. She is wearing a teal sweater with a lace pattern resembling scales across the neckline, and her face has been blacked out for privacy reasons.

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

Last of the PNW adventures: hiking in Fort Clatsop, and taking in the local flora (do fungi count as flora? oh well):

some sort of white fungi resembling coral that was growing out of the ground

some white mushrooms also growing out of the ground

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

bonus Portland photos: went to Powell's and recommended some titles to SIL. @aijiang.bsky.social @kerstinhall.bsky.social

ASUNDER by Kerstin Hall on display with a staff pick label

TAIWAN TRAVELOGUE by Yang Shuang-zi, on the Award Winners shelf

LINGHUN by Ai Jiang, also found on the award winners shelf.

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

Portland part 3: Hoyt Arboretum and Lan Su Chinese Garden.

a dirt path cutting through a redwood forest

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

Portland part 2: Portland Japanese Garden.

a bridge over a pond with tons of landscaping in late autumn

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Mina Li (she/her) @codenameminali.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

Today's Portland adventures, part 1: the International Rose Test Garden, which had some lingering roses despite it being mid-November in the Northern Hemisphere.

close-up of a red and white striped rose

two bright pink roses nestled next to each other

White rose with pink-edged petals, covered in morning dew

White rose with pink edges in somewhat moodier lighting.

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