PINK ♥ MILK ♥ TEA

Outfit Snap: Three-Frill Weekend

2012-01-23T11:32:00.000-06:00

I feel like I've let too many days slip by in the autumn and early winter where I didn't dress up (for no good reason) and very much wished that I had! I want to prevent that this year, so I'm making an effort. I keep forgetting that I have to keep making an effort, I can't just stop at some point and expect momentum to keep me going.

The lighting in my place just doesn't seem to get any better, even if I try different lightbulbs!
I spent Friday with some friends, and I decided that I wanted to wear a knit shirt of some kind rather than a blouse. I remembered that I have some cutsews that I bought from TaoBao that I've actually never worn, so I pulled one out. It's a pale lemon yellow with a really detailed collar. There are ruffles of lace, a few ribbons, and even rhinestones arranged in a way that looks like a necklace. I paired it with one of my favourite jumperskirts; I love the light and fluffy layers of the skirt.

When the weather is chilly and snowy, I like to keep my hair away from my face. I've always liked the look of pinned up braids, ever since I owned a Kirsten doll as a child. It's something I'd like to master, as my hair can be pretty heavy and tends to un-pin itself, plus tucking in the ends of the braids isn't something I've quite gotten down. I feel silly with little spikes of flipped-up tails peeking out somewhere behind my ears or at the back of my head! I wore my new favourite bow as the hair accessory of the day~ I'm really smitten with it!

The yellow sweater just happened to match my usakumya slippers! ♥ They're the same shade of yellow~

I didn't notice that my collar was flipped up--oops!
The next day I headed off to a Pullip meetup~ I have two Pullips at the moment, and I think the Pullip hobbyists in my area are really fun people. ♥

I really wanted to wear the blouse that I had received for Christmas, so I flipped through my closet to see what might go well. The blouse has really wide lace that gives it a very bold and old-fashioned look. I wanted to pick a jumperskirt with lace of a similar impact, so the blouse wouldn't seem too overwhelming. I was aiming for balance. I chose this jumperskirt because the hem features some wide lace and there is very large lace on the bodice. The jumperskirt and the blouse are from the same company, and the laces used on both pieces are very much alike, although not identical.

I wore pink socks with a rose pattern and white lace at the top, but you can't exactly see them when they're tucked into my boots! In this kind of weather, however, the boots are a must. There's so much slush and ice out there; I'd rather have surer footing than ruin my pretty shoes!

A friend of mine took this picture at the swap meet; I'm so glad she shared it with me! My camera was having issues again.
I didn't really wear anything spectacularly unique to the swap meet--just one of the pink and white outfits I favour so much! I really adore this dress; I'm so happy to have finally acquired it! This very same dress was the second "brand" dress that I owned...but in black. It was a lucky pack item several years back. It's a very comfortable and cute dress, but because it was black I didn't wear it all that frequently. I eventually traded it with my little sister, who loves black, thinking I could find it in white or pink--but it never seemed to turn up. When I spotted it in autumn of last year, I was thrilled! ♥ I wore it over the blouse from the recent Angelic Pretty set. We noted at the swap meet that there were three (or four?) of us all wearing the same blouse...and another friend of mine just received one, too!

I styled my hair in these curls because I was lucky enough to get a ride to the swap meet and didn't have to worry about wind and rain or snow adding any more frizz than I already have. This dry and often damp chilly weather is not exactly friends with my evil hair~ I almost wore that same pink bow again, but opted for a different one to add some variety.

It was a lot of fun to dress up three days in a row~ ♥ I want to take advantage of it when I can!

Meetup Report: New Year's Swap

2012-01-20T13:20:00.001-06:00

I really love my local community. I've said it before and I could say it again and again until I am blue in the face and desperately in need of a glass of water. I mean it, wholeheartedly. I love my local community. I was thrilled when someone suggested having a beginning-of-the-year swap meet. During the years that I've been involved, there haven't been any swap meets other than at the yearly anime convention, which I don't attend. I thought it sounded like fun--everyone brings one or two things they're hoping to trade or sell, and everyone has fun chatting and browsing through what we've all brought.

When I arrived, the swap meet looked a little bit like this:

An entire pool table covered in books, dresses, accessories, wigs, cutsews, and bags.
It was amazing. There were so many people, so many items available, and so much to do! Girls traveled in from nearby states just to join us. Every available surface was covered in sales items--couches, counters, pool tables, benches, tables... Eventually we spread out a few clean sheets on the floor to provide more place for display. There was even a clothing rack to hang things on.

Some of the items I brought had been recently dry-cleaned, so I left them on the hangers. I wasn't the only one! Having a rack avoided wrinkles more than laying these things out.
Soon a laptop was unpacked and set up, allowing us to use PayPal if we didn't happen to have enough cash. I think we all underestimated the scale of the swap meet, so that was really handy! I honestly didn't think there would be so many people and so many items, so I didn't bring nearly enough money with me to make change or purchases.

The meetup was graciously hosted in a beautiful and spacious house, so the setup kept goods for sale arranged in the immaculately-finished and gigantic basement, while the kitchen, dining room, and living room were set up with drinks, food, and tables. Nearly everyone brought something tasty to share; the selection was amazing. Savories and sweets abounded. I was particularly taken by someone's homemade cake pops (one of the girls works at a bakery and usually arrives with sweets of immense tastiness), some made with chocolate cake and others with strawberry cake~ ♥

This hallway shows just a glimpse of how many people were in attendance and how intensely we all enjoyed looking over everyone's offerings.
There weren't, to my knowledge, and specific rules regarding what could or could not be bought or sold, so there was a wide variety of offerings--but no one brought anything too far off-tangent to see ridiculous. There was obviously a wide selection of shirts, dresses, shoes, socks, and other clothing items representing both lolita and Japanese punk styles. Jewelry and accessories were also very popular. There were some books and magazines, as well, and a few people brought CDs. (I was probably the most unrelated; I showed up with some My Little Pony figures.)

She was organized enough to bring her items in a suitcase that could double as a display, and tagged most of her items with prices. The rest of us spent a lot of time running around and trying to figure out who's item we were interested in and how much it cost, hee hee.
I was really happy to find new homes for a few clothing items I just don't wear and swap a Pullip for a dress. ♥ I also couldn't resist a pair of knit gloves with usakumya on the back of one hand!

Overall it was lots of fun, and I hope we do something like this again. It would be really neat as an annual or bi-annual event. It was much easier to organize an event like this at someone's house rather than at a convention. No-one worried about theft or vandalism. It was nice knowing that you could leave your things unattended downstairs while enjoying a snack upstairs without the risk of something "wandering off." You can't possibly do that at a busy convention. We were so lucky that the hostess organized such a fun meetup! It was really great, and I'm sure that if we did it again it could be even better now that the community knows what it's like. It was absolutely worth taking a Sunday off of work for~!

Outfit Snap: Girly Ribbon

2012-01-18T11:47:00.000-06:00

I couldn't wait to wear the entire outfit from the Girly Ribbon set...so I wore it! (Isn't it nice how easy that sort of thing is? ♥) I was lucky enough to have a Saturday to spend with my husband, so I dressed up. We went out to breakfast, ran errands, played video games (I'm working on Ribbon farm now in Harvest Moon: Tale of Two Towns DS~), and enjoyed a leisurely dinner. It was a particularly interesting type of day because I received two comments about my outfit that were more than simply "cute!" or "It's not Halloween!" It makes me feel like there honestly is more information about lolita fashion reaching the general public, albeit very slowly.

Our waitress engaged me in a fairly long discussion about my outfit. She had been staring at me for a while, and finally ventured to say that she didn't want to be rude, but I was wearing gothic lolita--right? I did my best to explain that I was wearing lolita fashion, but not particularly gothic. She was very intrigued and kept coming back with more questions. She really wanted to know more, and the questions she chose to ask were those I'm not quite accustomed to being asked randomly; I thought it was neat to see how seriously she wanted to learn about the style.

After dinner we stopped for hot chocolate, where we were briefly interrupted by a young man. He had been sitting at a nearby table, and my husband and I were chatting and waiting for our hot chocolate to cool off, when he turned around and caught our attention. "Is your outfit inspired by Japanese lolita fashion?" he asked. I replied that it wasn't inspired--it was Japanese lolita fashion. He commented that he liked that my outfit wasn't as overwhelming as some coordinates he had seen, and left soon after. I am still very curious as to where he normally viewed lolita fashion; perhaps he was a reader of Kera or followed some other aspect of Japanese culture where lolita fashion occasionally made an appearance.

I really love all of the items in this set! I'm so glad I managed to get one!
I didn't choose to do anything particularly creative or unusual; for the most part I'm wearing the entire set as it was packaged. I really like the way the items look when coordinated together, after all, so I wanted to enjoy it that way. I like the blouse's long sleeves, particularly because the weather is a bit chilly, and I adore the scalloped edge and white ruffle of the jumperskirt. This hairbow is probably one of my new favourite things; I want to wear it constantly.

Just another picture--I was lucky to remember to take these before the sun had set, so we could take advantage of the natural light.
I did not wear the over-the-knee socks that came with the set, however; I chose to wear the white socks with pink hearts and the BABY the Star Shine Bright "B" that I received for Christmas. I know they're not popular, but I really like knee socks~ ♥ I chose to wear these boots to keep my feet warm. I prefer warm feet to pretty feet if I'm going to be walking around all day. It really came in handy, because I forgot my bus pass in my other coat so we had to walk everywhere even though we had planned to take a bus home from one of our errands. Whoops!

I'm sure I'll wear this outfit again; I really adore it! ♥

On Being Lolita: The Luckiest Lucky Pack

2012-01-17T15:11:00.000-06:00

My relationship with lucky packs hasn't been a good one. I love the concept of lucky packs, because I can always appreciate the opportunity to save. Lucky packs can be a fantastic way to add pieces to your wardrobe without paying full price. If you don't get things that work with your clothing, sometimes you can still break even by selling the pieces you've received. I've never been very good at this. All of the lucky packs that I've purchased have contained garments that don't match my style or don't fit my size, and usually it has taken me quite a while to sell what I couldn't use. I've never gotten anything particularly desired by others! In fact, I've had items that I simply could not sell and then passed along to friends.

This hasn't stopped me from buying lucky packs. I like the surprise, I like the deal, and I like the potential. As they say, hope springs eternal! When lucky pack season rolls around at the beginning of the year and the brands are clearing out their old stock, I try to rationalize with myself and avoid temptation. I remind myself of the failed lucky packs of purchases past. I calculate the odds of getting a really great lucky pack--for me, very, very unlikely. I estimate how much money I won't be able to get back when I then turn around and sell the things I cannot wear. This year I went through the ritual; I was pretty sure that I was safe from lucky packs.

On January 1st, I was sitting in my office and the Angelic Pretty lucky packs went up for sale on the US website, and I bought one without a second thought. When the confirmation email hit my inbox I felt guilt--not for actually purchasing the lucky pack, but for the eventual explanation to my husband that yes, I had bought another lucky pack, and yes, I knew that I was really unlucky about them, and yes, I didn't really expect all that much from this one either...but I had to do it.

When the parcel arrived the next week, I was ready for it to be a disappointment. I opened it with excitement, but also with acceptance. Instead of what I expected, I loved every item! I was so happy! It was so perfect!! Finally, I was lucky!!!

I didn't realize until the next day that I hadn't actually purchased a lucky pack, but instead a special set!

A lucky pack is a random assortment of overstock at a reduced price. A special set is an assortment of specific items at a reduced price. I received a perfectly-coordinated outfit that fit into my wardrobe seamlessly, because it wasn't a random collection of things that were being cleared out, but instead an outfit designed to be sold at a special price. It was a very lucky "lucky pack" for me!

The Girly Ribbon set contained a hairbow, socks, and a totebag~ I really love the designs of all of these items!
All of the items that I received were a perfect match to the promotional photo used for the sets, even down to the colour, as I bought a pink set. It contained a pink hairbow, pink and white striped socks with a pattern of bows, a dark pink totebag, a white blouse, and a pink jumperskirt. The hairbow and jumperskirt were made from the same fabric and involved the same trims; they're a perfect match for each other! The shade of pink is the pink that Angelic Pretty typically uses, so the bow and jumperskirt also match my other jumperskirts and accessories featuring that same pink. The socks are adorable; even though I'm not usually a fan of over-the-knee socks, I know I'll be wearing them--I can't resist socks with bows on them!

I particularly love the shape of the hairbow! The "ribbon" that the bow is formed from is narrower than most bows. It makes the overall bow take up less depth across one's head. I also appreciate the positioning; the bow isn't standing upright on the headband, but instead laying flat against the head. The wider bows that stand upright seem to me to require more volume of hair behind them to avoid a look that is particularly overwhelming. They're commonly depicted on teased wigs with clip-in pigtails. Although my hair is certainly capable of volume, it tends toward "glam rock"--not a look I want when I'm wearing lolita. I appreciate bows that sit against the head like this. This hairbow is my new best hairbow friend~ ♥

I absolutely adore this blouse and jumperskirt! They're such perfect items to add to my closet!
The blouse was a long-sleeved blouse with a Peter Pan collar. I really prefer rounded collars to stand-up collars or most other shapes. There are little satin bows on the collar, as well. The lace has the image of tiny strawberry layer cakes woven into the design; so cute! ♥ The material is thinner than my other blouses; it would need an undershirt of some kind if it weren't worn beneath a jumperskirt, as it is fairly sheer. I'm fairly certain that this material was used to save on costs for the special set to sell at the reduced price it was offered at.

The jumperskirt is really wonderful! A friend of mine purchased this same set from the physical store in San Francisco. She commented to me that the dress was very "me," and when I opened my own pack I understood what she meant. It fits right in with the type of sweet lolita that I love most of all--solid colour fabric, white lace of several types, bows in ribbons, scallops, and ruffles! The back is shirred, so I can slip it on without getting myself (or my hair! ;_;) caught in the zipper. The best feature, in my opinion, are the hidden pockets--one on each side! I love it when dresses have pockets~

I am so glad that I purchased this "lucky pack." It was certainly worthwhile! I added five adorable things to my closet, all of which I plan to wear again and again~! ♥

Sweet Treats: Hot Cocoa

2012-01-16T14:42:00.000-06:00

When the weather turns so chilly, I start dreaming about hot cocoa. I consider it a quintessential wintertime treat~! ♥ When it's snowy outside and the wind is blowing fiercely, coming home and curling up with a mug of something warm is cozy and comforting. I drink tea on a regular basis--it's my beverage of choice--but while I regard tea as a regular beverage, I think of hot cocoa as a treat! Tea involves water and tea leaves. Hot cocoa involves chocolate and milk, ingredients that I associate with desserts. This is a particularly strong association for me because I really can't drink milk anymore due to a mild lactose-intolerance, so I only have it on rare occasions when it's an ingredient in with something else.

Most hot cocoa around here is the instant powdered kind, and there's nothing wrong with that! It's certainly not the best around, but it does the trick. It's also really convenient, since there is no actual cooking involved. You only need moderately-warm water to mix up most instant hot chocolate powder--it doesn't even require water of a particular temperature the way teas do. My husband really enjoys any instant hot cocoa with those tiny dehydrated marbits marshmallows. I'll sometimes have a mug of it, too, even though the marshmallows are more for show than for taste. They always seem to melt before it's even cool enough to drink!

What I really enjoy, though, is hot cocoa made the old-fashioned way, by sloooooowly melting chocolate into milk in a pan on the stove top. My siblings and I actually share ownership of a hot chocolate pot thanks to a Christmas present several years ago from our grandparents. It's made of cast-iron--which ensures even heating of the milk, coated for easy cleaning, has a wooden handle that resists heat, and includes a spout for even pouring. None of that is necessary, but it does come in handy! The spout is what I miss most when I make hot chocolate in a sauce pot; I'm not very good at pouring it out accurately.

This works best if you use low heat, so you don't scald the milk, and break the chocolate up very fine. One of the reasons I like making hot cocoa this way is that I have full control over the milk and the chocolate used. If you can't have (or don't want to have) sugar, you could opt for sugar-free chocolate. I can use rice, soy, or almond "milk" instead of dairy milk, and get different variations of flavor by starting with differently-flavoured chocolate bars! (You can't really use most filled chocolates, though; the filling gets kind of goopy and weird most of the time.) I have a crazy soft-spot for the very expensive chocolate bars sold by Vosges. By breaking up a Naga bar with curry and coconut I can get a much different flavor than a simpler chocolate-only bar. You certainly don't have to use a flavoured chocolate to have flavoured hot cocoa, though; you can add spices and extracts, too, for something really customizable. It's best to add spices to the milk before the chocolate and extracts after the chocolate.

Making hot cocoa on the stove is easy and pretty quick. Low heat is important--scalded or burned milk can be very unpleasant. Add milk (I usually measure it by using the mugs we'll be drinking out of as measuring cups) to a pan, turn the heat on low, stir the milk constantly to avoid any hot-spots on the pan where the milk could burn, and when the milk is hot (try not to let it boil) slowly mix in the crushed chocolate, little by little. Sometimes I turn the heat off at that point and let the chocolate melt as the milk cools down, so it reaches a drinkable temperature more quickly and the milk doesn't risk burning.

I also love this recipe for Earl Grey hot chocolate! You could very easily modify it to use any tea that suits your fancy--no reason it must be Earl Grey~!

Toppings are another fun thing~ I'd love to have a hot chocolate party, with blankets and cozy attire, hot chocolate and sugar cookies, and lots of toppings! Whipped cream and marshmallows are pretty classic options to start with. However, recently I had hot chocolate from "Froth," the hot chocolate bar at Forever Yogurt locations. The toppings included normal marshmallows and fancier marshmallows, such as coconut-coated. There were crushed candies to sprinkle on top, caramel and chocolate syrups to drizzle, and sugars and sea salt to dust with. The sea salt was a really great addition to my Nutella hot cocoa. *_* So delicious~ ♥

On Being Lolita: Surprises from Santa

2012-01-15T13:39:00.000-06:00

For the past few years my stepfather has been living part-time in Paris. He has always traveled frequently for work, but his current project is based in Paris. Due to my influence, both he and my mother are well-acquainted with the BABY the Stars Shine Bright boutique in Paris. (They have also visited the shop that sells Angelic Pretty, but I can tell they have a preference for BtSSB.) Since introducing my parents to the shop, their attitudes towards my hobby have changed dramatically. My mother used to remind me with a sigh that frilly clothes were not something that grown women spend their money on. Now she has her own BABY point card.

As they are both familiar with the shop, I've stopped asking for particular gifts for holidays. If I say nothing, they'll select their own choice from the BtSSB shop. For me, lolita clothing or accessories is always the perfect present! Receiving lolita gifts is the sort of thing I didn't think would ever be really possible; my mother is unlikely to shop online for something expensive from overseas. She has no problem stepping into a shop, however; particularly a shop that she can easily travel to on her own while visiting my stepfather, or one that she can send him to if necessary.

Shopping at the BABY the Stars Shine Bright Paris shop isn't exactly budget-friendly. Lolita garments have always been expensive to start with, but the exchange rate between the yen and euro impact the shop's prices--and then my mother also has to consider the exchange rate between the dollar the euro. French import taxes also play a role in the pricing of items in the shop. A pair of socks might not look like an impressive present to the untrained eye, but I know how expensive they can be! For this reason, I never expect to get certain items. There are things I would never dream of hinting about. I don't want to take advantage of my mother's kindness by bleeding her wallet dry. That's why I have my own job and my own budget--so that I can buy my own luxuries. I take pride in that.

So on Christmas morning, when I sat in the living room of my mother's house with my family and we unwrapped the presents that Santa* had left, I got quite a shock! I must have been very good this year. When I opened my first gift and found socks from BtSSB, I was thrilled! ♥ Then I opened another box and found a blouse! And then another box with a cardigan! And another with a tricot petticoat! At that point, I almost thought I was hallucinating. Every gift I unwrapped was from the BtSSB shop!

I couldn't believe it when I unwrapped all these beautiful things! It was very touching. I nearly cried, but my family would never believe that.
Mentally, I couldn't help totaling up the cost of everything I unwrapped, feeling increasingly spoiled and potentially undeserving. Previous holidays had featured one blouse or one cardigan or one pair of socks...having all of them together seemed like too much. I appreciated being lucky enough have all of these things loving picked out and purchased for me, but I worried about how much it must have cost. When I opened the final box with my name on it I wasn't sure what to expect.

Usakumya slippers are probably the cutest little slippers I have ever seen! I like slippers, and I have some adorable slippers already, but these take the cake!
The last gift was these adorable usakumya slippers~ ♥ They're soft, they're a really nice shade of yellow, they have cute little embroidered eyes, and little pink bows above their ears. Since these are slippers, they don't have actual teddy bear ears under their bunny ears; that would be too fiddly. As I admired them, my mother explained that she had seen them in the Paris shop and had to have them. However, the slippers were part of a promotion that required you to spend a certain value of euros to qualify to receive them, so she painstakingly picked out every other item to hit that target. I love the image this conjures up for me of my mother and one of the shop girls, wandering around the store and trying to find items that she wanted to buy AND that would accumulate to the required purchase to bring home the slippers. We then spent a few minutes on the computer where she tried to show me some shoes she had really liked that they didn't have in my size, which she had then contemplated buying for herself.

I feel so lucky to have received so many wonderful things from my family. Not just because I love lolita fashion, but because it really shows how much love and effort they are willing to put into the holidays. It would be a lot easier to buy something else, something that isn't "weird" and something that doesn't require being in another country. It makes me feel very loved to know that my mother accepts and encourages my hobby. I wish that everyone could have that same kind of acceptance~ ♥

*Santa visits my mother's house, and probably will always visit her house. The only presents under the tree until Christmas morning are those from my siblings and the ones my husband and I bring with us. The stockings are empty. It's a tradition that I really value, even though I'm an adult!

Reading Corner: Nineteen Eighty-Four

2012-01-14T14:09:00.001-06:00

Nineteen Eighty-Four or 1984 by George Orwell was a book that I always intended to read. Generally speaking, I enjoy "classic" literature. Most of the books that fit that type of category are there for a reason, and I enjoy and appreciate creative writing of a higher quality. I also have a bit of a taste for dystopian futures, possibly in part because I am lucky enough to not live in a world of that kind. There always seems to be potential for that sort of thing lurking just around every corner.

One of the reasons that I wanted to read this novel was because it is the origin of the concept of "Big Brother" and the phrase "Big Brother is watching you." There are so many cultural references that we assimilate and use without knowing the source, and I think it's kind of fun to go looking around and find out why that phrase gets used a certain way to mean a certain thing. It gives it a new significance. I definitely feel differently about my own personal use of the phrase "Big Brother" than I did before I read the novel~

Obviously, the book has no direct or even indirect connection to lolita fashion in the slightest. However, just for the sake of it because I can, I'm going to briefly attempt a few very slight connections, threadbare though they may be. I found that there were some parallels that I drew, namely in terms of comparisons and analysis.

The novel's setting is a uniform, standardized world in which luxury is heavily rationed and highly illegal. Despite this, some people still long for beauty and indulgence. I think that's just a part of human nature, but it's stronger in some people than it is in others. Lolita fashion is an indulgent luxury, and similarly it appeals to some more strongly than it does to others. (Personal taste plays a role in this sort of thing, of course, as we don't universally enjoy the same luxuries.) Although it's easier to buy lolita fashion items outside of Japan than it was, say, five years ago, it's still not terribly easy. There's a lot of work in tracking the exchange rates, factoring in customs, checking sizes, making reservations for collections, and saving up. Usually, lolita live in areas that are rather hostile towards our clothing, rather than accepting. From the people they live with to the strangers they pass on the street, there are many remarks and reactions that can be very disheartening and off-putting. Thankfully the fashion isn't illegal (although it certainly would have been in Oceania!), but there can definitely be a stigma and some girls (and boys) do feel it's the sort of thing they have to hide and enjoy privately--while it lasts, if it can last, until they can get to a better situation.

That is really a very general thing, but what I found personally more interesting was the book's Newspeak. Newspeak is a modified, simplified language designed to control by removing capabilities of expression. The sinister purpose of Newspeak isn't related to what I found amusing--instead, I was interested by the fact that the shortened and combined words that make up most of the vocabulary for Newspeak are somewhat similar to the casual terms used by the English-speaking lolita community. Newspeak words like "crimethink" and "plusgood" make me feel like they'd fit in with "colorway" or "brolita." The community uses abbreviations far more than combined words, but I found it amusing. It made me wonder what would be included or removed from a language dedicated to discussions about the fashion.

These things that I've mentioned here are very general and have no impact on Orwell's work, which really is fantastic. Lolita fashion completely aside, since it's not relevant to the novel in the first place, I enjoyed reading it, no matter how much I cringed or how many times I shuddered. I wish I had taken the time to read it earlier! I feel like this is a really great book to read to encourage us to think for ourselves, rather than letting others do it for us or limit our ability to do so. I certainly don't want to live in a world ruled by "the Party!" Despite the time that has passed, this book is still relevant. I can't help think that perhaps it will always be relevant; there will always be the same fears of the same type of rule that removes so many of our basic freedoms and rights.

I'd rather fear it than see it realized.

(Don't worry, something happier next time! But I really do like writing about what I read, even if it has nothing to do with cute sparkly fun-times. ♥)

Photo Set: Beautiful Butterflies

2012-01-13T11:08:00.000-06:00

This is old, but I still wanted to share it! ♥ When I was borrowing a friend's camera, I went to the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. My husband really enjoys visiting museums, and it was one that neither of us had been to. I was excited at the prospect of taking more pictures, so we brought the camera. The museum has a butterfly haven--for me, that was a big draw! It's a large room with more than 75 species of butterflies. (There are also a few quails running around in the planters! They were so cute~)

The quails were usually moving just a bit too quickly for me to get more pictures of. I wanted to try and record a video of them, but I never seemed to be in the right place at the right time.
It was a magical place to be in. The butterflies are absolutely everywhere. They cling to the walls, the flowers, the rocks, and any other structure in the haven. You can get very close as long as you are patient and move slowly. You're not supposed to touch the butterflies, so I tried to be very careful. I did have one land on my hair, though, and it really startled me! I had to stop myself from reflexively brushing it off.

I brought the borrowed camera, armed with the macro lens. It was perfect for getting very close-up shots of the butterflies, most of whom were very small.

I enjoyed it very, very much. I hope that someday I can go back. I'd particularly love to go back with another camera and macro lens, to take more pictures! I'd be perfectly content to sit in the haven for several hours just to wait for the right moments.

Outfit Snap: Starting Off the Year

2012-01-12T14:01:00.000-06:00

As Thanksgiving and Christmas flew by and the end of the year approached, I started to think about how I wanted to start off the upcoming year. I'm not really a superstitious person, but I like the reliability of rituals and traditions. I try to make some kind of effort to begin each year in the spirit of the way I want to enjoy the rest of it. I don't want to think back and wish I had done anything any differently. This particularly matters to me because I usually see my immediate family on New Year's Day. Sometimes we can't all be together for the other holidays due to various obligations, so we try to get together on the 1st. I love my brothers and sister very dearly, and now that we don't live in the same home I don't want to miss the chance to enjoy their company!

My husband and I both had to work on the 1st, however, so we had to get everything planned out in advance! The only picture I managed to get of what I wore is pretty low-quality--it wasn't taken until after we made it to my mother's house for dinner.

Quick snapshot taken in the dining room. It was the best we could do at the time!
I knew I'd be at work all day and then having dinner with my family, so I wanted something more casual than formal. I also wasn't sure what the weather would be like. It hasn't gotten particularly wintry here yet, which makes me very concerned about how the weather might turn around February. That said, it isn't exactly warm most of the time--and it is definitely not always warm at my office. I chose to wear this jumperskirt because it is one my little sister (although not the little sister I saw for dinner) made for me. ♥ It's lovely in its own right, but the fact that it was made for me means it fits perfectly, doesn't have any of the details I dislike, and has pockets. Dresses with pockets always make me happy.

I paired it with a cream-coloured lace turtleneck and knit tights of a similar shade. There's a pink ribbon in my hair, but you can't exactly see it in pictures~ I didn't wear my lolita coat but instead my daily coat, and when I do that I rarely wear actual hair accessories due to the hat or earmuffs that I wear with my coat. The brown boots are a staple of my cooler-weather outfits, whether they match or not. They protect my socks in the event of inclement weather, and they also let me wear extra layered socks to keep my toes cozy~ If I'm going to be doing a fair amount of walking, like on my way to work, it really comes in handy~

Another late-night indoor and totally awkward picture! This is an unfortunate theme lately.
I packed more frills to wear the next day. I was unbelievably lucky and received several lovely lolita pieces for Christmas from my mother, so I wanted to show my appreciation by wearing something while I was at her house. One of my gifts was this beautiful cardigan. It's a beautiful shade of pink with a metallic thread that gives it a definite glimmer and shimmer, and I love the little bows between the buttons, at the wrists, and on the back! They're so cute!

I've never been able to coordinate this skirt in a way that I'm happy with, so I thought I'd give it another try. Nope, still not satisfied. The print is cute and I love the glitter, but somehow it manages to match absolutely nothing that I own on a very regular basis. It seemed to match the sweater at first, at least to some degree, but it's still a bit off. I had to bring everything with me, as we stayed overnight at my mother's house, so there wasn't time to revise my decision in the morning. I thought I had pink socks to match the sweater, but I actually forgot to pack them. ;_; More off-white tights, instead.

With this outfit, I didn't really feel like I was wearing lolita as much as just something girly, but I'm still much happier having worn it than wearing something totally casual. Lolita (and girly things) makes me feel much happier than anything else. It's still something I really adore~ ♥

Update: You Can Say That Again

2012-01-11T23:01:00.000-06:00

I haven't forgotten about this place, not in the slightest. In fact, I think guiltily of the fact that I haven't posted in months on a very, very regular basis. Usually when I'm very close to a keyboard. I chide myself and think, "Bad, bad Alice! You haven't written anything in so long. You should do that soon!" and immediately procrastinate it away. More than writer's block, I feel like I've had "creative block" since November.

I tried my hand at participating in NaNoWriMo this past November. I've always enjoyed writing, and I've often entertained the thought of writing some kind of work. Not necessarily a novel, but something complete. I've started many stories and other writing projects, but other than assignments from school I've only ever finished one story. It's embarrassing to think of how many times I've failed at something that is merely a personal goal. I don't want to be published in any way; I would just like to have a finished product. My husband writes much more seriously than I ever have, with dreams of being a writer. He's finished entire epics. I thought that maybe if we both participated, some of that determination would rub off on me and keep me on track. I think I fail because I actually get scared of succeeding. Isn't that silly?

We were actually both doing pretty well when we tried. I plotted the daily targets necessary to hit the 50,000 word goal and worked diligently towards them. I aimed to write a certain amount per day to allow myself a cushion for a few days off if necessary, and it worked. For several days I was well above track, then a few days of no input. I had even managed to make up the "days off" and get back to a word count as if I had worked through all of the passed days at my intended pace. On day 16 I was right on target.

Unfortunately, November turned out to be a month with quite a few unexpected things happening with my extended family. I stopped paying attention to the writing goal when I tried to focus on everything else. Honestly, I don't really regret this--the other things were much more important. I do wish I could have kept up with both NaNoWriMo and the other important things, but I picked the one that was much dearer to me. When I stopped, I knew that I wouldn't make the goal at the end of the month. However, I didn't quite expect to entirely stop most of the creative things I had been doing. I never seemed to catch up after that.

Admittedly, I hadn't exactly been writing here before November, either! If I'm going to blame something--and I am--it would be my camera. I like having pictures to accompany my posts unless I'm going to write some kind of essay. Photos are fun, particularly for something as visual as lolita fashion~ ♥ In the late summer I finally upgraded my camera to something new; I'd been using the same camera since 2006. I'd been borrowing a DSLR from a friend, but as much as I loved it I wasn't able to upgrade to one of my own. Instead, I was lucky enough to receive a new point-and-shoot camera as a present. Unfortunately, the camera and I just don't get along. It isn't a terrible camera, and many other people are using it without experiencing the intensely frustrating ordeal that I do every time I turn the darn thing on, but the fact that I am makes me never want to use it. I've had months to get used to its little quirks (my previous camera wasn't exactly devoid of odd little "requirements"), and I just can't handle it. I can't exactly replace it, because I'm still holding out to get my very own DSLR. (Still saving, little by little!) At the same time, I can't really live with it. I'm trying, but every time I turn it on I feel like I'm being taunted. I've tried going back to the old camera, but I'm reminded that the new camera sometimes behaves and has better focus. So I go back and try again, only to be irritated when every picture I've taken is so out of focus, blurred, and awkward that everything on the memory card is trash.

No pictures, coupled with little inspiration, equals no updating. The worst part is that the longer I haven't updated here, the less and less inclined I am to do so. It doesn't seem so bad to wait "a little bit longer" when it's already been so long! It's really terrible behavior. x_x I'm trying to procrastinate less. I've got a new planner and I'm trying to jot things down and check them off. (I do so love checking things off~!)

Oooh, look, an actual picture. This was from a brief moment of collaboration between the camera and I. I've become a huge fan of Shinzi Katoh's design work.

I have so much that I really do want to write about. I haven't taken a heck of a lot of outfit snaps lately or even in the past few months, but I've still been wearing, thinking, watching, enjoying, and purchasing. I wore lolita on the first day of the new year to start it off right. I bought a lucky pack that wasn't terribly unlucky--usually lucky packs and me are nearly enemies. I've encountered many more strangers who actually know in some vague way that what I'm wearing is a fashion, not a costume. I've been thinking about the friends I have who have moved on to other styles and how that impacts our friendship when it started in our local lolita community. Those are only a few things that I've been meaning to sit down and sort through.

Rather than thinking about doing it or dreaming about doing it, I'm going to actually do it. Starting now. Not really as any kind of resolution for the new year, but because I don't want to waste any more time. ★

I hope that everyone has had a really wonderful 2011, and that 2012 is even better! ♥

Outfit Snap: It's Been a While

2011-09-05T11:19:00.000-05:00

About two weeks ago I had a shared day off with my husband, so we enjoyed a leisurely day together. He's one of my favourite people to spend time with, after all~ ♥ I wanted to enjoy the day to the utmost, so I dressed up.

I've been a bit hesitant to dress up lately, as I've mentioned before, due to some of the negative attention I've gotten more frequently in the past few months. I've been much more likely to wear a skirt with a cardigan than a one-piece or blouse, because I find that it's easier for me to "blend in." I don't really enjoy dressing up when I go about in this manner, however. It makes me feel much less like myself; I feel more like I'm pretending to be someone that I'm not. Even if it causes comments and jeers, I like resembling a cupcake.

At the café for breakfast; I had a slice of raspberry coffee cake and spiced hot chocolate.
We ate breakfast at my favourite café. ♥ I absolutely adore going there for absolutely any reason. The morning was slightly chilly, although soon the sun came out and beamed brightly enough to raise the temperature quite a bit. The chilliness of the morning made it the perfect excuse for me to order spiced hot chocolate, however. After enjoying breakfast we ran a few errands and then visited the zoo. The polar bear was out and about, swimming around in the cool water. Both my husband and I wished we could have joined the bear--the water looked so refreshing!

The sunlight was very bright, and thus my incredibly awkward facial expression. Oh well~
This jumperskirt is a piece I'm quite fond of. It has a very simple design; BtSSB has been using and re-using this general design for several years. I haven't been able to wear it for a while, however; it needed some repairs. The shoulder straps are gathered with elastic, and the elastic on both sides had slackened. The result was that when I tried to wear it the bodice sagged unevenly and awkwardly. I tried to fold and pin the straps as a temporary fix, but it looked unseemly. It should have been a fairly "simple" repair, except for the fact that the ends of one of the elastic channels was beneath the grommets for the ribbon at the neckline. I took it to a tailor instead of getting involved in something I might not be able to follow through with. It wasn't terribly expensive to have repaired, and it looks like no work was ever done to it.

When I was looking through my things to decide what to wear, the jumperskirt that I hadn't been able to wear for a few months was an obvious choice. To keep from overwhelming the understated design, I paired it with a white blouse and white knee-high socks. (I know that over-the-knee socks and tights are much more current, but I adore knee-highs! Sometimes I feel like the only one, hee hee~) I chose pink shoes to contrast with the white socks; I don't care for wearing the same colour socks and shoes unless my entire outfit is one hue.

I actually brought a parasol with me while we were out, and I was very glad to have it. It's so pretty that I'm almost afraid to use it regularly.
I wish I had a headdress that would have matched this, but in lieu of that a giant hairbow was fairly satisfactory. This bow is gigantic and a but unwieldy, but I have a soft spot for it. I like very large hairbows almost as much as I like headdresses~ My hair was pulled back into two half-pigtails twisted into buns around the hair elastic. It looks a bit like I've had a very extreme haircut, but that's just due to the way the buns shorten the pigtails.

I rarely carry a parasol, but this time I did--and it really came in handy! I've been out and about a few days since where I've really wished that I had a parasol with me.

It felt really nice to dress up again~ I need to start getting back into a better schedule. I've been going back and forth visiting family on the weekends lately, and it can be too cumbersome to pack my frills. I don't like lugging a large bag or suitcase if I'm only going to be gone for one evening!

Photo Set: Flowers, Flowers, Flowers

2011-08-30T09:58:00.001-05:00

I don't usually like to follow a photo set with another photo set, but I have many flower pictures that I've really wanted to share. I wish I had shared them several months earlier when I took them!

The camera that I've been borrowing isn't just a basic camera body with the usually-included lens, it's a camera owned by a friend who takes photography semi-seriously and has all sorts of gadgets and lenses. One of the lenses is a macro lens. To me, "macro lens" was like a magic word. Most of the things that I regularly like to take pictures of, like dolls, toys, and food, are well suited to macro lenses. My friend had told me that flowers were good practice as well, so I tried my best to take many, many flower pictures to try.

I'm not a fancy-schmancy photographer, but I had a lot of fun and wound up with a few pictures that I am very proud of~

I took so many pictures of flowers that I created an entire set on my Flickr: Botanic Garden Floral. I tried to weed out any that were particularly bad or unskilled, but I'm not yet at the point where I can critique my own attempts very accurately. I can only hope-hope-hope that I'll get better with more practice!

Photo Set: Garden Lolita

2011-08-29T11:51:00.014-05:00

During the meetup at the Chicago Botanic Garden I took many, many pictures using the borrowed DSLR. The sky was very overcast, but I wanted to make use of the gorgeous setting and lovely attendees as best I could. I took a lot of really terrible pictures that day, but I also took some that turned out fairly well~

I really like to take pictures of people in settings with lots of flowers or water features. Flowers and trees often provide a nice frame or general setting. They come in all sorts of colours, and greenery on its own often contrasts well with lolita outfits. Water features, like fountains and pools, seem soothing and relaxing. It's so tranquil.

I hope that I have the opportunity to take more pictures like this on some other day--maybe before the approaching fall gets too chilly! (Although I do really want to take pictures in the snow, too. There are so many things I can take pictures of in any season!)

Meetup Report: Botanic Garden

2011-08-28T13:17:00.044-05:00

On a Saturday in mid-May, I went with a group to the Chicago Botanic Garden. I have always loved the gardens there--it's a very large property with many beautiful flowers and plants. I've been there several times with my family, but not too frequently in recent years. When I saw that there would be a meetup at the garden I jumped at the chance to go even though it was difficult for me to get there. The garden is not terribly accessible by public transportation, unfortunately, but I was lucky enough to convince my mother to pick me up from the train station and drive me to the garden to meet my friends.

The day was very chilly and wet, but that didn't dissuade me at all. I simply picked a dress that I thought would be less-likely to suffer any damage if I were caught in the rain (no prints that might bleed or fabric that might be water-stained) and wore my ugly black coat over it. My family hates my infamous ugly black coat, but it is decently warm and extremely waterproof, so I rely on it when the weather seems liable to downpour. As the day went on I was very glad to be wearing it, as I would have otherwise been fairly soaked from the constant mist.

The walled gardens are so lovely. They feel like they belong in a fairy tale!
After assembling in the entrance to the garden we headed out to look at the flowers. It was a nice time of year to go--most everything was blooming, but most flowers didn't seem too wilted. We were too early for the rose garden, though~ I hope I'll still get a chance to see it this year. ♥ Despite the chilliness, everyone was willing to soldier on and explore.

We investigated the indoor greenhouses first, because they were warmer. There were some really lovely cacti in the desert area. I always forget how pretty cacti can be. After that we looked at the beautiful bonsai displays, which are arranged in the courtyards outside of the greenhouse building. The bonsai at the garden are on rotating display, so I always see something new every time I visit.

The Japanese gardens have this little house which provides a view of the rock garden, which you are not allowed to enter.
The garden is arranged on islands, with most of the gardens on the large main island, but several surrounding islands with other gardens. We visited the Japanese garden, which was very picturesque even with the somewhat-gloomy weather. I love seeing some of the architectural elements in that garden--there are several small houses and many statues. There's one house that overlooks the water, and it seems to be a place where demonstrations are sometimes held, but I've never seen any. I always hope that one of the times I go there I'll see something happening in that house.

We wandered through the waterfall garden, another one of my favourites. Waterfalls are so interesting. It is connected to the dwarf conifer garden, which we continued through as we kept looking in the different gardens. Then we went to the walled gardens, which are my ultimate favourite~ I love the arrangement of the plants and walkways, and the use of walls and gates seems to make things more private and beautiful. I had lots of fun taking pictures of lolita in the beautiful setting. I brought the fancy DSLR that I have been borrowing, so they turned out much nicer than my point and shoot could have managed, particularly on such an overcast day.

I know that some people are unfortunately missing from this group picture, but it's still a good representation.
I did cause a bit of trouble at one point. There was a break for lunch, which I didn't bring or plan for, so instead I snuck off to explore a bit away from the group. I probably should have told someone, because instead it was thought that I was missing or lost~ I am sometimes too good at causing mischief...

The carillon is one of my favourite parts of the garden. Somday I'd like to see one of the concerts~
I ought to have waited and then I would have had plenty of time to explore on my own! After everyone was done looking at the beautiful plants that the garden had to offer, they decided to head to a market for dinner. I didn't have my own car, and I had made plans to be picked up at a certain time, so I couldn't really try to stow away with anyone else or I would have inconvenienced my mother--and it was very nice of her to agree to ferry me back and forth in the first place.

Instead, I wandered around through the vegetable garden and orchard. There wasn't a lot of produce to see at the time, but there were a few sprouts and some beautiful lettuces. It started to rain more intensely at that time--so much that I had to put the camera away so that I wouldn't risk it getting soaked--but that was just in the nick of time~ My chariot arrived just when it was getting too inclement to stay outside. ♥

I hope that we'll go back to the botanic garden again. When the seasons change, everything changes there! It's almost like an entirely new place the next time you visit.

Photo Set: Russian Tea Service

2011-08-26T11:36:00.014-05:00

Over the past few months I've been lucky enough to borrow a friend's DSLR and experiment with it. I've always liked taking pictures, but I haven't really had a flair for photography, and I had been too frightened by the settings and dials on SLR cameras to want to give one a try. However, now that I've used one, I love it! ♥ I'm saving up for my own, but thankfully I've been allowed a lot of opportunities to use the borrowed camera.

I brought it with me on International Lolita Day, the first Saturday in June, and took pictures of the tea service at Russian Tea Time. I know that there are several flaws in my pictures, but I've really been trying. I have a habit of making everything underexposed that I really need to get better about! It was really rainy that day, but we were seated near the front window of the restaurant, so the natural light was very nice.

Darn, now I want to go to tea again~ Every time I see these pictures it reminds me how much I love scones, tiny sandwiches, and bite-sized desserts accompanied by hot tea. Maybe I'll bake some scones at home on my next day off~ ♥

Meetup Report: International Lolita Day

2011-08-25T13:45:00.021-05:00

I really enjoy celebrating International Lolita Day, both the summer and the winter versions. The concept of the day was actually created by a friend of mine, but several years before I knew her well. The summer date is the first Saturday of June, and the winter date is the first Saturday of December. The reason it occurs twice a year was to provide opportunities for both warm- and cold-weather coordinates. ♥ For a hobby based around clothing, I think that is quite fitting! It also allows for people in different hemispheres to enjoy it both ways, as well~

This year the International Lolita Day celebration was relatively small. It was on June 4, and another meetup had already been planned for June 5. I know there were also other girls who had other obligations, so in the end it wasn't a giant and crazy celebration. I like smaller meetups so that I can talk to everyone, so it all worked out~ I brought the borrowed DSLR with me, so I had a great time taking pictures. It rained while we were in the restaurant, but magically brightened up by the time we got outside!

There were only four lolita in attendance, but we still had a great time~
Near the Art Institute there are some really beautiful gardens, one on each side. The Gardens to the South are my favourite, and the sky was providing really lovely light, so I asked if the lolita present wouldn't mind posing for me so that I could practice taking pictures of people. I was so happy that they were all brave enough to not mind the any dampness or puddles from the storms that had raged while we enjoyed tea inside.

I think I like being behind the camera much more than I like being in front of it! I had so much fun taking pictures of everyone~ I definitely have a ways to go, in terms of photography skills, but I'm trying my best. The level of control with a DSLR really enthralls me. It takes some getting used to, but now that I have a teeny-tiny bit of an idea of what I'm doing I want to learn and practice more! I feel very lucky that my friend was willing to let me borrow such a nice camera.

I am also very happy to celebrate International Lolita Day with friends! ♥ I hope that the December date is one where I can spend time with even more lolita. It's fun to have another excuse to get together and do something frilly. I hope that everyone else had a wonderful International Lolita Day, regardless of how you were able to celebrate it~ ♥ I wish I had been keeping up with my posts so that I could have said such a thing on a date much closer to the actual event... Maybe I'll be more prepared next year! (Or in December!)

Meetup Report: Cutie Mark Cookies

2011-08-24T12:41:00.000-05:00

Due to my interest in My Little Pony, particularly the new series My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, I got it into my head one day that I wanted to make sugar cookies decorated with Cutie Marks. ("Cutie Mark" is the term used by the brand for the symbol on a pony's flank.) I had seen all sorts of adorable My Little Pony-related crafts, either from one of the message boards I frequent or featured on Equestria Daily, and it made me want to participate as well. I'm not a very craft-oriented person, generally, but I realized that decorated cookies--while certainly not something that would look professional--would be well within my capabilities. Decorating cookies is always more fun to do with a friend, so I invited a friend who likes the series as much as I do for a pony-tastic day in mid-June.

Before decorating cookies, we had lunch at one of my favourite cafés. I'll take any excuse as a reason to go there, after all~ We enjoyed soup and a few tiny pastries, as usual. When the weather is warmer out, however, one of my favourite things to order at this café is Italian soda or flavoured iced tea. I doubt their soda fountain concoction is really Italian, but it is basically your choice of flavoured syrup combined with sparkling water. I usually opt for cherry, which is my favourite~ ♥

My friend ordered citrus green tea, while I opted for a cherry soda~
We soon headed back and got to work. I had been up baking sugar cookies all morning, to ensure that they'd be cool enough to decorate and to try and let some of the heat dissipate from my home after using the oven. The weather hadn't yet turned too warm, but things had been warming up. I was concerned that the heat from the oven would make things uncomfortable.

I also ran a few errands to gather decorating supplies. I wanted to keep things fairly simple--I bought tubes of decorating glitter gel. Icing or frosting would have been nice, too, but the gel was easier to use and required less cleanup. (I also really enjoy that it sparkles, obviously.) I had so much fun making these cookies that I'd definitely like to try again sometime, maybe for a party~ The one problem with decorating the cookies was that there were so many that even split between the two of us there were too many. In the days that followed I was eating sugar cookies until they were quite stale, haha~

I set up the table with plates of cooled sugar cookies, the tubes of glitter gel, and we lined up ponies for reference and added cuteness!
We both took the decorating process very seriously, constantly referencing the right shape or placement from one of the ponies on the table, or contemplating the designs on pins. We tried to pay close attention so that we wouldn't have to try to selectively "erase" icing from the cookies.

Honestly, though, we didn't try to erase any of them. It worked out alright even if they weren't perfect. I think I have made an error or two, but I'm pretty sure I just ate the offending cookie and thus removed the evidence entirely.

Even though they're not perfect, we were both quite proud of the finished cookies!
We chose to do Cutie Marks for each of the six "mane cast" ponies, plus the princesses and a character who only appeared in one episode. The top row contains cookies based on Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, and Trixie. The second row has cookies decorated with the Cutie Marks of Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity. The bottom row cookies were made in the image of Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight Sparkle.

I enjoyed this so much that now I'd like to do something similar with another theme. Decorating sugar cookies with popular lolita prints, perhaps? Or brand logos and emblems? There are so many themes that would be perfect for this sort of thing. And maybe next time I won't over-bake some of the cookies, whoops~

Meetup Report: Birthday Tea Time

2011-08-22T13:42:00.003-05:00

This isn't really a true "meetup" report as much as a recap of an event that I attended where I wore lolita fashion with friends, but I've been known to use my "meetup" category loosely in the past and will continue to do so~ In late June I attended a friend's birthday party at Russian Tea Time. We enjoyed tea in the restaurant before heading out to take some pictures in one of the gardens near the Art Institute.

There were quite a few lolita in attendance. Not too surprising, considering that the birthday girl is part of the community. However, it really wasn't a lolita-only party even though it started at a tea house and involved many frilly people. I didn't get many pictures of the non-frilly guests, however~ They seemed to, on the whole, prefer not to be part of the picture-taking ruckus.

The picture-taking ruckus in action. This is inevitable.
The weather that day was very nice, particularly for pictures, so I tried to take as many as possible. I think it might have rained a bit off-and-on, but I can't quite recall because there was so much rain during June. It got to the point where I just expected that all days had at least a bit of rain involved. I think I'm also getting confused because the time that I was at the same tea house just before the party it was raining. The weather was sill bright but slightly overcast, and that's the sort of thing I hope for when I'm going to be spending time outside with a camera.

Two lovely ladies sitting near the fountain. I think that fountains are usually a beautiful setting for pictures.
I really enjoyed getting to wander around and chat with the other guests, both in the restaurant and later on. Overall, it was very pleasant and relaxing.

After mingling outdoors, some people had to say their farewells and start heading home. The rest of the group continued to a lounge downtown with a fantastic view of the city. It was a place that I had never been to before, so it was interesting to take a look at something new.

One of the less-animated party attendees. I just love taking pictures of usakumya~
I couldn't stay much longer after that, so I said my goodbyes and headed home. It was lots of fun, though, and I hope the birthday girl and the other guests had as much of a fun time as I did~

Charming Activities: Friendship is Magic

2011-08-21T11:45:00.000-05:00

Lately, my interest in My Little Pony has been rekindled. I had somewhat fallen out of collecting and the communities after the G3 ponies became Core 7 and then G3.5. The reduction of characters for Core 7 meant there were less interesting pony toys to collect, although my favourite, Pinkie Pie, was still featured. When the designs changed to the large-headed G3.5 style, I stopped paying attention. It just didn't quite appeal to me. I enjoyed the collection that I had, but without the thrill of the hunt for new ponies I stopped keeping up with news and other information.

That changed with the redesign of the toys and release of the new cartoon series, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
I was apprehensive at first. When I saw sketches of the new artwork style, designed by Lauren Faust, the only thing I noticed was how different it looked from the older artwork. It was angular and modern, not soft and dreamlike as the 80s artwork had been. In general, the My Little Pony community disliked it because it was so far from the vintage pony designs, but I couldn't quite share their outrage. Although it lacked the charm of the old cartoon, it looked much more professional than the style of art used for the more recent My Little Pony packaging and films. My Little Pony: the Movie was one of my favourite childhood films and something I still watch, but the newer My Little Pony movies decreased in quality until the final "new" movie, Twinkle Wish Adventure, which was nearly unwatchable.

I also didn't know what they were going to do to modernize the series. As much as I have nostalgic attachment to the My Little Pony cartoon, not every episode is great--some of them are filled with low-quality, glitchy animation, random unimpressive songs inserted in, and confusing or nonsense storylines. Even the less-impressive episodes have interesting moments, but the quality of writing had gotten substantially worse for the modern episodes and movies. More than wanting the new show to preserve the feeling of the vintage ponies, I wanted it to succeed. My Little Pony was getting dangerously close to dying out as brand altogether, and if they couldn't revitalize it for this third recent attempt it was unlikely to continue.

So far, I've been thrilled with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I've gotten used to the new designs and don't dislike them anymore--they have charm in their own way, even if it's nothing like the vintage designs. The "slice of life" setup works well to keep the episodes connected. The season's 2-part opening is amazing--very dramatic, with magic and a battle and all kinds of craziness. The rest of the show hasn't followed that same direction, which is slightly unfortunate...but not too much, because the show as it stands is great. The writers are funny and the episode plots are interesting. The ponies have a refreshing depth of character--although they're all good-natured and pure-hearted (they are, after all, little ponies), each have their own flaws or issues that they need to work through. They make a really cute little group of friends!

Just a few of the new toys--the smaller ponies are the "normal" size and the larger pony is a "fashion style" pony that came with clothes and accessories. I style their hair.
Enjoying the new show has caused me to also enjoy the new toys. They're much tinier than the ponies I used to collect, and their big ears are kinda silly, but they're still quite cute. I remember fondly that most of the toys I loved as a child were very small--if I could have several of them in one small bag or fit them in my pocket, that was very appealing. Once I got over the shock of "wow, these are tiny ponies," I started to feel more like, "wow, I like these tiny ponies."

I'm looking forward to seeing what new things they'll come out with as season 2 starts up. It's fun to have something that I can actively collect again...although I'm definitely going to start running out of room to keep all these ponies. I feel like I need a separate house just for them to live in, haha~

Meetup Report: Dolls and Flowers

2011-08-20T14:37:00.001-05:00

I own a few ball-jointed dolls, but as much as I enjoy them I'm not necessarily as involved as some other doll owners. I've only been to a handful of doll-related meetups, and oftentimes when I've contemplating attending one I discover that it conflicts with a lolita meetup--and that's something I'd much rather attend. I don't often talk about my dolls, but sometimes dolls come up as topics of conversation at lolita events and then I realize that my friends also own dolls.

The last time this happened someone suggested we should have a combination doll and lolita fashion meetup, so at the beginning of July those interested arranged a meetup. The original plans involved the Garfield Park Conservatory, because it's a wonderful place for a leisurely and beautiful meetup. The greenhouses are filled with lovely plants, and there's a hall with tables where you can sit and chat or enjoy a snack. The conservatory is very easily accessible via public transportation.

I didn't take many flower pictures, but this was a view out onto the Monet Garden. It was lovely to see so much in bloom.
And then, on June 30th, a catastrophic hailstorm destroyed most of the greenhouses. Nearly half of the glass panes in the conservatory were shattered. Trying to cope with the damage, the greenhouse was closed with no announced reopening date. I thought we'd have to reschedule to another location, but just before the meetup the conservatory announced that it would be open again--to a limited degree. Repairing the damage is a very time-consuming process. Shattered glass has to be carefully removed from the plants, hoping to salvage as many of them as possible. The conservatory contained some very important and old plants, and some perished during the storm, so keeping those that can be saved is taken very seriously.

The Fern Room, Show House, Desert House, and Aroid House were closed when we visited, and they still don't have an announced reopen date. We met in the Horticulture Hall, which was open, but it was only accessible from the outside through the outdoor gardens, as it is connected to the closed Show House. Areas of the Bluestone Terrace and City Garden are also closed. We didn't stray far from the Monet Garden and Horticulture Hall.

Hearing about the damage to the conservatory was shocking, but seeing it was even more heart-wrenching. The Garfield Park Conservatory is one of those things that I count on to be there. It provides a beautiful service to the city--a free place for people to experience lovely plants. I've tried to help out by donating what I can, and I'm hoping that others donate their time and money to restore the conservatory. It will take a long time, but hopefully not too long if people really care.

Obviously I'm not in this picture because I was the one taking it, but I love this beautiful tiled fountain.
The meetup itself was fun and relaxing~ The Horticulture Hall was nearly empty, so there was plenty of table space and chairs for everyone. I really enjoyed getting to see my friends' dolls and discussing related interests. There were quite a few ball-jointed dolls in attendance, but also several Blythes, which I find fascinating~ I think it's so much fun to pull the cord and change her eye colours. Her overall design doesn't quite appeal to me, but I still think she's a neat type of doll.

All of these are one girl's Blythes! And this is only a teeny-tiny piece of her total doll empire.
Even though there were only a few of us who brought ball-jointed dolls, there was quite a bit of variety. I brought my two, a Volks SD and Volks MSD. Another friend brought a tiny Pipos cat and two Rosette Doll girls. A tiny Leekeworld girl in an adorable dress joined soon, as well as a Dikadoll elf girl.

I was really thrilled to see Rosette Doll girls again~ I remember my first doll, a Violet, very fondly. ♥ Sometimes I've even pondered the possibility of someday owning another Violet; I truly think she's a lovely doll. Seeing a friend's Armeria and Camellia was lots of fun~ They're both so sweet. I still adore the crazy proportions of the über-lanky Rosette bodies.

A pile of dolls dominated one of the tables. I thought they all looked very cute together, even with differences in sizes and styles.
I really enjoyed getting together with my friends and their dolls, and I know there were other interested lolita who couldn't join us on that day. I hope that we have more events like this so that everyone can have an opportunity to come. It's always fun to see what hobbies and interests I share with my friends~

Sweet Treats: Doughnut Vault

2011-08-19T11:12:00.000-05:00

Lately I've been obsessed with a dessert (or breakfast~) item that is a bit unusual for me--doughnuts. Until recently, I disliked doughnuts. I thought they were greasy, disliked the sticky, saccharine glaze that most doughnuts are drenched in, and didn't care for the texture of the ring of dough itself. They were something I always passed up in the grocery stores, and doughnut shops didn't interest me. The only exception to this was the St. Patrick's Day special flavour at a small shop near my mother's house--they produce a mint-chocolate doughnut only for part of March. I always liked that it didn't remind me of a doughnut at all, but was instead more like a ring-shaped cupcake with sugar icing.

This all changed when a new shop opened up in the city: the Doughnut Vault.

When visited the third time, I brought a camera! The outside of the shop is really lovely.
I like to keep an eye on restaurants and food trends, and I started hearing rumors of this shop before they opened. They operate a Tumblr as their official website, posting entries with beautiful pictures of the doughnuts in all stages of creation. Before the shop was opened the site shared images of the construction-in-progress, with little hints about where the location might be. I was thrilled when they finally announced it would be located near the Merchandise Mart, which is fairly easy to get to. (I will travel far for delicious things, but if I don't have to, that's even better~)

It wasn't easy to taste a doughnut from this shop. The Doughnut Vault opens at 8:30am (9:30am on Saturday) and closes when they run out of doughnuts. Even now that it's been open for several months, there's still a line that forms outside the small blue door before an employee finally opens it and starts letting small groups inside. If I'm going to go, I always aim to be there before the opening time, so that I can get a good spot in line and have full choice of the day's menu. (Particularly because the doughnut I enjoy the most, the old-fashioned, sells out very quickly.)

Usually the wait in line isn't terrible, although I have avoided the shop during the hottest days of the summer. Sweltering outside in line doesn't sound quite worth it to me; I suppose I'm simply not hard-core enough. The shop itself is teeny-tiny. The "vault" in the shop's name refers to the fact that it is built into an old bank vault. The portion that receives customers is what looks to have been a staging hallway for packages entering or leaving the vault before being loaded into awaiting vehicles outside. It's a tiny, narrow space--you could barely fit two averagely-sized people shoulder-to-shoulder in the width, and less than 10 people can stand in the shop at one time. There are mirrors and windows to alleviate feels of claustrophobia, but it is not a place to hang out and relax--although there is a quaint patio area arranged on the sidewalk just outside the door.

The old-fashioned doughnuts are my favourite. They're dense but still fluffy, with a nice balance of sweetness that isn't overpowering.
The doughnuts are works of art. If all doughnuts tasted like this, I never would have disliked them in the first place. The shop offers cake doughnuts and yeast doughnuts. The old-fashioned and the gingerbread stack are cake doughnuts; these rings of dough are dense, crumbly, and textured. The old-fashioned have a slight tang of buttermilk, while the gingerbread are fragrant and spiced. The old-fashioned are coated in a glaze that is a nice accent to the crunchy exterior, but not overly sweet, while the gingerbread are rolled in cinnamon-sugar.

The yeast doughnuts are the glazed doughnuts. These giant treats are fluffy and light inside, with a slightly crispy exterior. The outside is then coated in a flavoured glaze. The shop opened with three flavours--chocolate, vanilla, and chestnut--and usually rotates a special flavour in and out of the selection at random. They've done pistachio, blueberry, and mocha, but I expect there will be even more new flavours as the shop continues. Special flavours and doughnut stock statuses are updated constantly on the shop's Twitter, doughnutvault.

The glazed doughnuts are a bit larger than the old-fashioned doughnuts, but they're all relatively huge if you're comparing them to "standard" doughnuts.

Now on my days off, if my schedule allows it, I try to sneak over the Doughnut Vault to acquire an old-fashioned or two. Most people enjoy doughnuts with coffee, but I like mine with tea. The doughnuts' sweetness pairs will with unsweetened teas--but if you really like sugary things, a fruity or sweeter tea would definitely amplify that. I tend to drink Earl Grey with mine--otherwise Ceylon, Assam, or Darjeeling--and like to dunk the doughnut into the tea.

Now that I've found a place with such delicious doughnuts, I want to try my hand at making them myself. I know that I don't have the skills to make anything nearly as wonderful as the practiced and mysterious chef François at the Doughnut Vault, but homemade treats are always fun~ ♥ (Plus, it's easy to forgive most flaws in the final product if you know you've put a lot of effort and heart into trying your best.) And, if it doesn't turn out well, I can drown my sorrows in a well-made doughnut the next time I have a chance~ ♥

Update: Thank You

2011-08-18T13:00:00.000-05:00

I've been reading through the comments that I received on yesterday's post, and I have been absolutely floored and really touched by all of the kind words of encouragement and support. When I was writing the post I never imagined that there would be even one note from anyone--after all, I haven't updated in a while, nor is this particularly widely-read. It's so reassuring; I am very grateful.

Whether you just left a comment because you enjoy reading what I write, whether you know me on a daily basis, or whether you wanted to speak up because you know how I feel, every word is acknowledged and treasured. ♥ Thank you all so very much!

Victorian artwork used in image courtesy of The Graphics Fairy.

Meetup Report: Among the Stars

2011-08-18T09:50:00.001-05:00

At the end of July I was fortunate enough to attend a wonderfully-arranged meetup at the Adler Planetarium~ I really like space and astronomy, but I had actually never been to the planetarium before even though I've lived in this area my entire life. When a meetup was proposed I was very excited by the idea, and I was thrilled that the day not only lived up to, but exceeded my expectations and hopes~

Luckily, I knew about the event early enough in advance that I was able to take the day off. My husband already had that day available, so we headed out together. The original plans for the gathering requested that everyone wear something space-themed. I don't really own anything that really fits that description, so I opted for one of my favourites--Jewelry Jelly, because there are a few star-shaped jellies. I wore star-shaped jewelry and a fuzzy star hair accessory to emphasize the star theme a bit more.

Most of my friends had really lovely coordinations. It was evident that a lot of care and planning had gone into outfits that fit the day's theme. Three girls even had the same star-covered Angelic Pretty jumperskirt, each in a different colourway and coordinated for a different look. It's always fun to see how the same dress can look with different accessories~ ♥ Another friend of mine sewed a dress from nebula-printed fabric--it looked great and was definitely space-tastic!

The lighting was very difficult--it's a trend with museums, generally--but I still wanted to get some images that at least conveyed some of the impressions of being there with the group.
When we got to the planetarium I realized that I wasn't sure where the group was meeting. It was easy to find out where, though--I simply asked the closest security guard if he had seen other people "dressed like this" and which way they had gone. I followed his instructions until I reached the next security guard, and continued from there. I suppose that's one of the benefits of the fashion looking so unusual to others--group tracking! I spotted everyone else waiting in a classroom off one of the hallways. We sat and chatted for a while as we waited for other attendees to catch up; there had been particularly difficult traffic in certain areas, so quite a few people were running late.

When we had all assembled, we received our badges and started exploring the museum. I was fascinated, because it was all new to me, although most of the information wasn't anything particularly shocking. There were a lot of neat interactive demonstrations or features, like a machine that made craters in a powdery surface that accompanied information about craters on the moon. Most of them were obviously geared towards children, but that didn't make them less amusing.

While in an exhibit about historical astronomy and astronomical tools, I wandered away from the group a bit and discovered a representation of a medieval astronomy classroom, complete with robes for teachers and students. I quickly donned one and positioned myself in the professor's chair, attempting to look like I was giving a lecture. When the rest of the group came around the corner they found the scene very amusing~ I love little things like that. There was also a display where you were an Assyrian king trying to make predictions about your potential for assassination based on the phases of the moon and positioning of Venus.

I was given instructions to "look stoic" and tried my best!
We wandered through nearly all of the exhibits before heading to the newly-rennovated Grainger Sky Theatre to see the show Deep Space Adventure. The show was at full capacity, so the staff seated our group first so that we'd be able to stay together. I appreciated that, as it might have otherwise been difficult to find everyone again afterward. The show was very beautiful, and the new theatre reminded me of seeing IMAX scientific shows on school field trips, something I always enjoyed.

When we regrouped after the show was over, it was time for tea. When the organizer had called about group information for the planetarium, she discovered that the location offered afternoon tea (mistakenly called "high tea" as nearly every place does...) for groups at a reasonable cost. When she asked the rest of the community about their interest in having tea at the planetarium, the majority of us said yes. As a whole, the lolita in my area seem to have a weakness for formal tea services. (I'm certainly not complaining, for I do, too!)

The tray of sandwiches and baked goods that began the tea service was very nicely arranged on the small tables. I think tea trays can make almost anything look more elegant.
The tea service at the planetarium was fairly nice~ It wasn't anything mind-blowing, but it was still fun and quite tasty. It began with an assortment of sandwiches, scones, and muffins. When that course was finished they brought out small desserts--squares of layered cookie bars and cookies. The tea was bagged tea from a decent company, with coffee as an option for those who didn't care for tea. I think most of us were just happy to having something to eat while sitting in a room with a gorgeous view of the skyline.

The cafeteria area, where the tea was served in a roped-off section, jutted out into Lake Michigan and faced the skyline. The walls were glass, with shades that filtered out some of the light without interfering too much with the view. The day was very clear, so the effect was really lovely. There were even large stationary binoculars that you could use to get a closer look at the sights beyond the windows.

Before sitting down to tea we took some group pictures outside. The sun was too bright for me, so as soon as someone suggested it I donned my sunglasses. Everyone soon opted to salute--if only because it shielded your eyes from the glare! (It seems like this is becoming a local trend. I wasn't at the large meetup this past weekend, but the pictures I've seen show lots of saluting even though everyone is indoors.)

It was amazing to have such nice turnout for this! I love getting to see everyone~
I can't wait to see everyone again at the next event~ I always love things like this. Museums are pricey, so we don't often opt to go to them, but I think I enjoy exploring them more this way--with frilly friends! ♥

Update: Lolita Not Dead

2011-08-17T15:16:00.000-05:00

With much guiltiness I return to posting here; if I had a tail it would be between my legs like a scolded puppy, despite the fact that I haven't actually been scolded. I've been really terrible about maintaining any kind of schedule of posts this year, despite the fact that I really like writing here. I was posting less frequently because my program was coming to a close, and I needed to focus on my schoolwork before May. When that term came to a close, though, I wasn't particularly busy with anything, but I didn't start posting again even though I thought about it a few times.

The truth is that I've been somewhat confused about how my relationship to lolita fashion may change; in some ways I'm concerned that I'm getting "too old" for it, although I'd prefer there to be no upper limit on age. I've been trying to focus on how it may have an impact on my career. Additionally, I've just been somewhat unlucky when it comes to the interactions of random strangers, to the point where I've been questioning whether I really want to wear that frilly dress or if it would be easier to just blend in.

I'd like to think that I have more self-confidence than that, but it's hard to always be so visible. Although wearing lolita fashion gets easier with experience and frequency, there are still moments when you get reminded how difficult it can be to stand out. Rude or threatening comments are inexcusable regardless of what you are wearing, but if you know that you caught someone's attention because of how you are dressed, you can start to think that if you looked "normal" it wouldn't have happened.

I haven't loved lolita fashion any less. It's still my number one interest, something I hope I can always be a part of, and an important part of my life. I haven't stopped going to meetups or seeing my friends, but I will admit that I've likely gone to fewer of them. I still have worn my favourite clothes...but not as frequently as before. I follow the communities that I've always followed, but I haven't commented very much. I've been worried that, for a myriad of reasons, I should be less of a lolita.

Due to that, I've been putting off updating, which really wasn't much of a solution. It certainly didn't make me feel any better, and it absolutely wasn't something that I wanted to do. I don't want to wear lolita any less or have lolita relegated to a lesser position in my life.

So I'm not going to. ♥

For a while I'll be making my way through a backlog of events, outfits, and other thoughts, so there will be activity in the near future as I do so.

I'm back, and I'll try not to disappear again~ ♥

Outfit Snap: A Cupcake-ful Weekend

2011-04-03T12:38:00.000-05:00

I've been really lazy about posting these, so I'm going to start with the most recent and slooooowly work my way backwards. Hopefully at some point I'll catch up! ☆

Normally I'm the sort of person who doesn't put too much thought into her outfit. I'm not saying that I just throw on anything that's clean--although that is sometimes tempting--but I know a few girls who spend hours or even days agonizing over which blouse is better than the other blouse, and how many rings is too many rings, or whether or not to wear the beautiful but horribly uncomfortable shoes. I am not one of those girls. I tend to pull out a few garments that caught my eye that morning, and the first outfit to match is the winner. When I know I'll be spending time with others, particularly people whose company I particularly enjoy, I'll give some extra consideration. I intended to so on Friday, because I knew I'd be seeing some friends.

I didn't remember to take a picture until it was quite late and totally dark outside! Argh!

However, that didn't work out the way I had imagined, because I had an appointment that morning to get my hair trimmed (the last one before my favourite stylist graduates... ;_; ) and miscalculated the time it would take me to wash some dishes. I flew out of the house in a hurry; so much for adding some extra consideration! u_u

I wore my pink Angelic☆School jumperskirt with a white short-sleeved blouse and a pink cardigan. The fabric of this jumperskirt is actually a very vibrant pink. It doesn't necessarily look like it at first glance due to the striping, but the pink is very bright. I happen to have a cardigan that is also unusually bright--and thus exactly the same shade of pink--so I wore them together. I tend to prefer pairing short-sleeved blouses and cardigans rather than wearing long-sleeved blouses when the weather is chilly but not very cold, because I always seem to be doing something stupid that puts my shirt cuffs in danger of being stained. It's easier for me to push up the sleeves of a cardigan.

I try to adjust the colours of indoor pictures to compensate for the yellow cast, but it's so intense that I can never seem to get the colours balanced properly.

I pulled my hair back into pigtails for a few reasons. It's one of the quickest styles that I can manage. It's also helpful for my hair to be pulled back when I have my fringe trimmed. When my hair dries it tends to permanently affix itself in whatever style it decided to be in, so trying to part my fringe away from the rest of my hair can be quite an ordeal! It's so nice to be able to see without having rogue longer hairs poking me in the eyes~

During the day I wore my newest pair of shoes, which I am head-over-heels in love with~ ♥ I didn't want to wear them on the carpeting, though--it was very drizzling rain on-and-off all day, so they were wet and dirty on the bottoms after walking around outside. (I wanted to wear the new shoes so intensely that I went without rainboots, even though that would have been much more practical.)

One of my friends took this picture when we were at the cupcake shop. I was so happy that it was a mostly sunny day, despite the rain. (This photo borrowed from a friend's Flickr~ ♥)

I intended to paint my nails that morning, but ran out of time. I feel so embarrassed that the polish is so clearly on its last leg. I like to paint my nails regularly, since nail polish is one of the few cosmetics that I am not allergic to, but I often pick colours that don't match my clothes at all! (It's just too much fun to try something new~)

The wind was really intense! My hair was waving around like a banner, although thankfully it wasn't being pushed in my face.

The next day I didn't have any real plans, so I did some cleaning around the house, dressed up, and enjoyed tea sitting near the front window. The sunlight was very nice~ It was a cloudy day, so the light intensified or faded regularly with the movement of the clouds, but I've always been a fan of that sort of day. I have my fingers crossed that it will feel like spring soon! It's still quite cold on most days, although the weather on Saturday was balmy by comparison.

My husband called later on in the afternoon to let me know that he'd be home an hour early, and I was very happy to spend the rest of the day with him. ♥ We went out for cupcakes. (The cupcake shop's worker remembered me from the day before... It's hard to be sneaky when you are very pink.)

I decided to wear this short-sleeved dress to take advantage of the warmth, although I still needed a coat. I didn't realize until after I got home that polka dots are the April theme for EGL. I love polka dots! I feel like I've participated at least a little bit~

This time I stood in the shade, because the sunlight was pretty intense. The last time I stood in the full sunlight it really washed me out, and the shadow from my made my eyes seem like black pits! (It was scary.)

I contemplated wearing the choker in my hair as a very thin headdress, but I don't think it's quite long enough. Instead I settled for wearing the choker as a choker and putting a white bow in my hair. I have some polka dot hair accessories made of matching fabric, but my husband likes it when I leave my hair down.

It doesn't show up very well in the pictures, but my tights are polka dotted as well! I was so happy when a friend told me where to find polka dot tights. They're so cute! ♥ The shoes are my new beloved shoes. They look almost identical to another pair of shoes that I've owned forever, but I'm boring enough that having another pair of shoes that so closely matches other shoes that I love is awesome to me!

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful weekend~ ♥

Meetup Report: Formal Tea

2011-04-02T13:07:00.000-05:00

Whoops! It's been a while~ My school and my job appear to have been conspiring to keep me quite busy, and whenever I have some free time I cannot put down Pokémon White! (I've literally spent hours wandering around Route 6 trying to catch Emolga. I haven't even seen one. My husband thought I was being overdramatic until he tried to help me. After fighting the tenth Audino, he exclaimed, "Alice, what have you done to piss off Emolga?!?!" I've logged seven more hours of gameplay than he has, most of those hunting for that flying electric squirrel.)

I'm sure it's already very apparent that I looooooove tea. I don't just like buying and drinking tea, but I also like going to other locations to partake of tea--particularly afternoon tea. (Afternoon tea is often called "high tea," which is incorrect. High tea is an early dinner with meats, cheeses, and breads. Afternoon tea is an late snack with daintier fare and pastries.) I particularly enjoy afternoon tea at fancy hotels. They have such wonderful ambiance; I adore the beautiful settings and china. There are several hotels in the city that offer afternoon tea, all for roughly the same cost, and this time I opted for The Drake.

The enormous bouquet at the hotel's entrance was so beautiful that I thought it had to be fake until I saw someone water it and trim off a few wilting blossoms!

The lolita community in my area tends to prefer long meetups--rarely does anyone really want to say goodbye. The reservation was made for the earliest available time; it wasn't a very "authentic" time for afternoon tea, but it gave us the most time to sit around, chit-chat, and enjoy each other's company. (We probably would have stayed even longer if the hotel hadn't needed that area for another large party.)

Everyone assembled right on time~ Several girls came into the city from suburbs or other more distant areas, so they were early thanks to the train schedule. I was quite happy that no-one was lost on their way to the hotel! I tried to arrive early, but I was actually one of the later guests to arrive. I didn't even realize it until someone came and told me, as I had been waiting by the door so I could spot people coming in from outside, while those who were already there were waiting in the lobby.

One of the things I particularly enjoy about the Drake is that they have a large complimentary coat check situated conveniently near their Palm Court, where the tea is served. It was so much nicer to have everyone's heavy winter things and large bags checked rather than piled up at the table with us. (Especially for me--I move around too much and I'm always knocking my coat off the back of my chair and onto the floor! It's safer when kept out of my way.)

I like the china at the Drake--the design is very classic.

Everyone ordered their tea individually, and thankfully the list of available teas was long enough to allow everyone a choice of something they'd prefer. I chose Pear Caramel, which I really enjoyed~ It had a strong pear taste with a smooth sweet note of the caramel, backed by a rich black tea blend. It thought it went quite nicely with scones and desserts, and it wasn't overpowering with the savory sandwiches.

I think tea-trays are so pretty and elegant! If I had more kitchen storage I would own one for my own use.

The full service consisted of scones and banana bread on the bottom tier, a selection of tea sandwiches on the middle, and an assortment of miniature desserts on the top. The sandwiches were very good--I particularly enjoyed the pear and watercress with bleu cheese mousse even though I normally dislike bleu cheese. I also rather like that the Drake doesn't only serve scones, but also fruit bread. The miniature desserts were adorable--there were miniature tarts, cheesecakes, cakes, and (my favourite) cream puff swans~ ♥

There was plenty of food, which I was thankful for. Afternoon tea is supposed to prevent that "sinking feeling," not make you wish you had something else to snack on. (Aaaaaand I was able to sneak a few more abandoned desserts and scones after everyone left the table to take pictures. Waste not want not, right?) One member of the party arrived after we had already been served, and our waiter re-appeared shortly with another plate of offerings so that she would have the full menu of options. I thought that was very good service.

I wish this hadn't been so blurry, but my camera doesn't respond well to low light. It's very old and quite finicky.

As the tea came to a conclusion, most of the group went into the lobby to take pictures. I didn't get to take many pictures of everyone at this point--I stayed at the table because I was paying the bill; I didn't want the hotel to think I had disappeared. I did hop over after settling, but I was too distracted talking to people I hadn't sat near to really be that interested in pictures.

Soon it was time to part ways. Several girls headed out to catch their trains back home or hurry off to meet other obligations. I originally planned to head home, but I was having a nice time with everyone. A group decided to go to a vintage fair in a different part of the city, and I was easily persuaded when I realized it was near an ice-cream shop that I adore. (I'm unable to resist the siren's song of sweets...even if I've just had some. u_u)

I thought this picture was very neat--it's a reflection in the train's window.

So we hopped onto the bus (after giving brief directions to others who would be meeting us via car) and headed over. It's always amusing to travel on public transportation with several lolita. Everyone on the bus was very confused, and everyone on the L was very suspicious. No-one was brave enough to talk to us on that trip, not even to ask if we were in a play or crack a "Little Bo Peep" comment.

It was fun to browse through everything at the market, even though I don't know much about vintage and wasn't really looking for anything in particular.

The vintage fair was upstairs in a large area above a furniture store. It was filled with lots of different people selling clothing and accessories. One of my friends knows some of the sellers, so she had suggested that we stop by. Most of the sellers were in awe of seeing a bunch of girls all dressed up like we were, and lots of cameras were brandished and pictures snapped. It was fun~

I spent some time running up and down the stairs to try and find the others that were driving to the area. When I finally headed back upstairs with them and was looking around again, a stranger tapped me on the shoulder. She told me that she had seen me around and followed me "like the white rabbit" into the sale. I always think it is neat when random people comment that they have seen me elsewhere in the city. I'm sure it's kinda confusing to see me once, but I wonder what they think when they notice that the girl in weird clothing wasn't a one-time occurrence.

This is a shot of the mixers as they prepare the ice cream! The billowing fog is from the liquid nitrogen.

When we were done with the vintage sale, we headed over to iCream. It is an ice cream shop that makes your ice cream from scratch while you wait. When you order, you select the type of milk you want used, pick your flavour(s), colour, and any mix-ins or toppings. Then, the liquid mixture is added to a standing mixer that automatically dispenses a quantity of liquid nitrogen to insta-freeze the milk into ice cream. I like to call it "science ice cream," and I think it is amazingly fun to watch!

Everyone who ordered chose a very interesting and personalized combination of flavours and colours. I'm predictable and unimaginative, so mine was pink cake ice cream topped with rainbow sprinkles~ ♥ It was wonderful. I've tried quite a few combinations at their shop, and I think some of the flavours are not very accurate,
but the cake flavour really does taste like cake. Mmm, cake~ ♥

The front of the shop was very full of lolita trying crazy ice cream. (There were other people behind the girl with my camera--there were maybe ten in our group, total.)

After that it was getting late and time to head home. I was really sleepy when I got back to my house, but I was also very happy to enjoy such a wonderful day. I'm hoping to organize another formal tea later in the year--maybe it will be even better!

Meetup Report: Hearts All Around

2011-03-03T10:04:00.000-06:00

The weekend after Valentine's Day, I attended a themed party~ I was very excited about this, because I really love Valentine's Day not just as a time for romance but as a reason to remind friends that you care. A friend of mine felt similarly, so she decided to host a meetup with that theme. I really wanted to attend, so I cleared my calendar and made travel plans.

Although generally I love being a city-dweller, this becomes an issue very quickly if I would like to actually leave my city. I don't own a car or have one nearby to borrow. (And car-sharing services are not quite in my budget for meetups--most are $10 per hour on weekends or $80 for the entire day...a fee I'd rather avoid.) There are commuter trains that run to most suburbs, but the schedule is entirely dependent on which station you're arriving at. I also have to travel to the downtown hub to take these trains, and that is sometimes a long trip in and of itself. Also, the stations are usually centered in the downtown area of the various suburbs, which are often not near where the meetup is actually going on--and it usually isn't a walkable distance. This time it worked out well because my friend was kind enough to pick me up from the station.

The table in the living room was originally decorated very carefully with candy, but soon was overrun with sweets, ponies, and magazines.

I arrived early, planning to help set up, but everything was almost perfect when I arrived! It was clear that the hostess was very excited and enthusiastic about her party. Everything in her home was decorated with hearts, red, pink, and candies. It didn't take long for guests to start arriving, and soon the house will filled with cheerful lolita and the myriad of dishes they brought with them. We started to get creative to figure out where to put everything!

In my area, we are big fans of potluck-type events. It's just so convenient!

I had brought tea, but didn't realize until I was at her house that she didn't own a teapot bigger than a one-person serving, so the tea-making had to be done on a case-by-case basis. I was thankful that most people were in the mood for water or soda instead~

The hostess had invited a photographer to the event. He was interested in photographing lolita fashion and wanted to know more about it, so he arranged with my friend to take pictures for free to learn more. He set up his equipment outside, and during the course of the party guests had the opportunity to have their picture taken. It was kinda fun, but the reflector was blindingly bright! I make a terrible model--I never know how to pose and I blink constantly--but he took some really lovely photos of my friends.

Everyone tried to have at least a little bit of pink or red in her outfit, to keep with the theme!

I really love meetups of any kind where I have plenty of opportunity to talk to everyone~ I get very excited to see my friends, and I love to meet new girls as well! There always seems to be someone who has just gathered the courage to attend their first meetup or recently discovered the fashion and didn't even know there was a local community until just now!

These two girls were very sweet! I enjoyed meeting so many new faces~

I cannot stress enough how much I love my local community. I know that not every lolita feels the same about the other lolita in her area, but I really enjoy spending time with everyone that I've met here. ♥ They're all very sweet people.

Sometimes I think there must be something slightly irresistable about crayon fumes, because even people who start off saying, "Pssh, colouring? No way!" wind up taking a chance at proving their crayon-based artistry.

We mostly talked and got to know each other at the party. There were quite a few people who didn't know each other. I felt particularly out of the loop because there were several girls who lived in the suburbs and only attend meetups in the suburbs, so I hadn't met them before because I rarely get the chance to leave the city. I hope that I can make it to more meetups where I will see them again~ (And maybe they'll come to the city once in a while!)

This is my half-crazed "OH MY GOODNESS IT'S A CUDDLY UNICORN" face.

Besides meeting other lolita, I also met the prince of my dreams--Bubbles the unicorn. He belongs to a friend, and ever since I saw the unicorn in pictures I knew that I wanted to love it and cuddle it and keep it forever. I can't obviously do that, because it doesn't belong to me, but she was kind enough to bring him to the party and let me carry her plush purse around. I could not get enough of that unicorn--probably pretty obvious, since I keep talking about it. Unicorn of awesomeness.

Eventually everyone started playing Rock Band and decided to order pizza, but I couldn't stay quite that long--the trains back into the city only ran every two hours. (I worked the next day, so I didn't want to be out very late.) Although I did miss out on some of the fun, I'm sure, I really enjoyed the time that I spent with everyone!

I love taking pictures of plush animals--they're so cute~

In fact, my usakumya friend, Rose, had so much fun that she stayed at the party without me! Too bad she couldn't catch the train home on her own!

Update: Tumblrin'

2011-03-02T13:53:00.001-06:00

I just wanted to share that I've jointed Tumblr~

I tried it before, but my issue with the service itself has always been that promotes an atmosphere of uncredited sources. It seems to me that most people are posting and re-posting images and other content that is not their own and that they don't link back to the source. I think that people have a right to their creative property, and when I see something that piques my interest I want to know who made it. Tumblr does provide a field for source, but it is inconsistently used--most people don't really care. I know that if someone were re-posting my photos, writing, drawings, or anything else that I've made, I'd be flattered that they liked it so much, but also disappointed if they didn't note somewhere that it wasn't created by them. I try to extend the same courtesy.

One of the reasons I re-joined, however, was that I realized that this would be a suitable place to share pictures or sketches. I tend to doodle on any available paper, and although I don't usually turn any of these drawings into "finished art," it always makes me a little bit sad when I toss them away. My phone has a camera, but it isn't a very good one, and while the pictures it takes aren't something I want to add to Flickr, they aren't completely terrible. Sometimes.

I haven't really decided what I plan to share on, but I've been amusing myself using it as place to collect pictures and links related to lolita fashion, pokémon, knitting, and other things that catch my attention~ You can expect a lot of pokémon at the moment, because Pokémon Black and Pokémon White come out in only 4 days! I am so excited~ ♥ I've already fallen hopelessly in love with Minccino (Chillarmy). I can't wait to add one to my team~ ♥

Do you use Tumblr? What do you use it for? How do you think it ought to be used? I'm very curious! ♥

Original image is from Shabby Blogs.

Outfit Snap: Be My Valentine

2011-03-01T12:17:00.000-06:00

The weekend after Valentine's Day I attended a related meetup with my friends. It was scheduled so as not to conflict with the holiday, and was intended to be a fun and frilly time to spend with friends.

I wanted to wear something that was pink and red, but I didn't want to wear my "token" red jumperskirt again so soon. My husband suggested Cherry Berry Bunny, and even though that has nothing to do with Valentine's Day... I agreed. My love of pink and bunnies will always win out. At least some of the Valentine-y colours are present on this dress!

This picture is one of Soy's pictures from the event.

It was veeeeeeery cold that day, so I wore tights beneath my knee socks. It is a bit of a trip for me to head to my friend's house where the party was being held, so I didn't want to freeze to death en route! I wore a long-sleeved blouse so that I could layer a long-sleeved thermal top underneath it.

I originally wrapped my pigtails in buns so that they wouldn't get in my way during my travels or be whipped around by the wind, but I never actually remembered to unpin them during the party. Whoops! I think they seem a bit dwarfed by the hairbow, but at least I have a substantial amount of hair to try and fight back.

I could not keep my hot little hands off that unicorn.

While wearing one of my favourite outfits, I met the prince of my dreams! Bubbles is another friend's stuffed unicorn purse, made by Pink Macaroon. I love the design of the purse in general, and Bubbles is made of wonderfully soft and thick faux fur with a shimmery horn and shimmery hooves. (I'm not sure if my friend considers Bubbles a boy or a girl unicorn, but I tend to interpret most plush toys as boys.)

She was so very nice to let me pal around with her purse all day~ ♥ I'd love to have one of my own--a Bubbles clone, if you will.

Bubbles the unicorn, prince of my heart! (My husband was concerned to hear me speak this way until he saw a picture of his "rival.")

I'll share a bit more about the meetup itself very soon! ♥ It was lots of fun and I met so many lolita I hadn't know before~

Meetup Report: Parade in Chinatown

2011-02-26T11:19:00.002-06:00

I've made an effort to attend the Chinese New Year parade for several years now. It's always bone-chillingly cold, most of the floats are sponsored by various political representatives, and the crowds can be overwhelming, but I still really like it. When another lolita posted about arranging a meetup for the parade, I was very excited! Plans were made to gather in Chinatown, watch the parade, head to a restaurant, and maybe do some shopping in the area.

We started gathering together about a half-hour or so before the parade. I arrived as early as I could manage, so that I could spot anyone who might be lost. On my way to the meeting spot, a car that was waiting in line to park in one of the lots rolled down the windows, and the passengers waved and called out to me. Normally that sort of behaviour is the sort of thing I ignore, but I noticed that although I didn't recognize the occupants it seemed that at least one of them was wearing a headdress. I wound up meeting both of those girls later, when they finally found the group after parking their car.

I was glad that I asked the photographer to take a picture for me--he really got a nice and clear image, even though my camera isn't the best.

I stood in the snow for a while, and found out that I can actually knit while wearing gloves if I am determined enough. I put that aside when the first attendees arrived. While we talked, a gentleman with an unusual camera came over and started to take pictures, sprawling himself into all sorts of crazy poses and making comments like, "Beautiful, girls--fantastic!" as if he were conducting a photoshoot. He was nice enough to take a picture using my camera, too. (I think that's only fair, considering that we let him take pictures of us.)

Slowly more and more lolita arrived. The original organizer was unable to make it to the event, so I kept track of everyone on a checklist. A surprising number of people braved the cold to watch the parade! It made me very happy--sometimes I've been the only person willing to stick it out, while everyone else seeks shelter in a warmer shop or café.

I had to have someone take a picture of me with one of my favourite-est people ever! :D

I tried to get pictures of everyone, but as the time for the parade to begin drew closer and closer the sidewalk became more and more crowded. It wasn't worth it to lose our viewing space right at the front.

Two lovely ladies looking warm and stylish!

One of the things that I particularly enjoy about outdoor winter meetups is seeing how everyone has coordinated themselves. It's one thing to put together a nice outfit, but another thing to then make that same outfit suitable for several hours standing in the snow. Not everyone owns a specifically "lolita" coat, but everyone still wants to look her best. It was clear that everyone attempted to match accessories, boots, and more without sacrificing utility. Being pretty can be lots of fun, but frostbite is not.

I tried to snap a few pictures of everyone in-between floats and marchers.

Even with all of the layers, coats, thick socks, scarves, boots, and hats, we were very chilly. After a while even the feet of those with the thickest socks and warmest boots were cold enough to be painful, and everyone joked about how what a relief it would be when our feet finally went numb and we wouldn't notice anymore. Even though it was a joke, it was also very true.

The parasol actually came in handy, which we found very amusing. She was significantly less snow-covered and wet than the rest of us!

I took so many pictures of the parade itself that it would be overwhelming just to pick a few to share here. I have a whole set on Flickr featuring the parade. There were floats from local businesses, groups representing current politicians and political hopefuls, several groups of adorable small children from nearby schools, a few marching bands, and even the the Shannon Rovers, despite there being nothing Irish about the parade. (I'm not complaining, though--I love bagpipes!)

When the parade was ended, we slipped in behind the final group and headed towards the St. Alps Teahouse. Some onlookers believed that we were part of the parade! A few girls, unable to withstand the cold, had headed to the café ahead of the rest of us. They had already gotten a table for a large group, but more lolita had joined us during the course of the parade. It was a bit confusing to get a seat for everyone--particularly because more girls kept arriving once we had reached our destination. The teahouse was very accommodating, but I think that if we go back as a group, I'll make a reservation. It took a little while to get everyone's orders and figure out how the checks would be drawn up.

At first some of the members of our group thought the lion was going to use the restroom.

I was very excited when the restaurant was visited by a lion! After the parade, the lions visit the businesses in Chinatown. Each business feeds the lion oranges and lettuce, which it accepts and then throws the greens around the shop. (They're supposed to be arranged in the shape of an auspicious character, but I haven't really seen that level of detail.) This is supposed to bring good luck to the business for the upcoming year~ It's lots of fun to watch--drummers signal the arrival of the lion, it dances around until it is led to the offerings, and then everyone cheers when it accepts them. I have called these beasts dragons, but I know it's actually a lion--I just can't shake the impression of it being a dragon!

When we finally parted ways after bubble teas, milk teas, and other fancy beverages were had. (I also ordered "classic toast," which I love. It's essentially a very thick piece of toast that is buttered and topped with condensed milk. They offer many types of this toast, but I prefer the condensed milk.) I stopped at a bakery to bring home some cake. My husband had to work and was unable to attend the parade with us, and I thought that delicious cake might be a nice gesture.

Everything looked so beautiful that evening. A fresh layer of snow makes everything prettier~

When I arrived at home the snow had stopped and the sun was setting. After having such a fun time with friends and new friends-to-be, everything seemed very peaceful and lovely~ ♥

Outfit Snap: Chinese New Year

2011-02-25T09:58:00.000-06:00

I am so behind when it comes to sharing pictures and generally posting anything interesting--whoops! My winter semester just came to a close, and lately when I come home from work the last thing I want to do is type anything meaningful on my computer. I curl up with my knitting, some tea, and chat with my husband. ♥ I've been working on knitting through all of the yarn that I've collected, so my main focus is on turning that yarn into items! (So that I can buy... more yarn. It's probably clear how this goes.)

I still make time for lolita fashion, of course~ I've been wearing it as much as I can, although we've had a few frigidly cold days where I just couldn't bear the thought of any outfit that didn't involve a snowsuit over it. (Yes, I own a snowsuit. It's not beribboned or frilled, but it's awesome when the snow is up to your thighs and the temperature is icy.) In early February I met some friends, and several new acquaintances, in Chinatown to watch the New Year's parade for this year of the rabbit!

It was so snowy and chilly that I didn't dare take off my coat for any pictures outside.

I like to wear red for the Chinese New Year, because it symbolizes good fortune! This is my token red dress that I always wear for occasions where red would be nice, so of course it shows up here. I could have worn even more red, because I do have a red cutsew, but I paired it with a long-sleeved white blouse so that I could wear a thermal top underneath. That proved to be a very good idea, because the weather was so cold that we all stood around waiting for our feet to freeze so our toes wouldn't hurt!

I wore thermal leggings, as well, along with tights, knee-high socks, and another pair of shorter socks. I still wasn't exactly "warm" or even "comfortable," but it was much better than if I hadn't bundled up so thoroughly. Just before the event, my winter boots and my rain boots both developed serious holes and tears that ended their functional lives. I had to wear another pair of significantly-less-snow-ready boots, which contributed to my chilly feet.

My beloved bunny pochette went through a phase of little use, but he came in handy to hold my camera during the parade.

I brought my bunny pochette as a nod towards the sign for 2011--the rabbit. It had been at least a few weeks, if not a few months, since I last used this purse, although it is my favourite. I don't like to carry a purse if I don't have to, and the pockets in my jumperskirts and one-pieces are usually able to carry everything that I need. If I have my coat on, that adds a few more pockets. I planned on actually taking pictures during this parade, and having a separate space to keep my camera made things easier than digging around for it.

Mallow needed a little bit of attention, since it's his species' year.

I wore my hair up in two braided buns due to the weather. It was quite windy and there was a chance of snow--and in fact, that "chance" provided copious snow during the entire length of the parade. Having my hair up from the back of my head makes it easier for me to tie and adjust my earmuff headdress, which is a necessary layer of defense against frozen ears. Braiding pigtails and coiling them into buns made my hair wind-proof; I didn't have to brush strands away from my eyes or lips, and it didn't get tangled or unmanageably frizzy after standing outside in all that snow.

I had a really wonderful time at the parade--I'll share more about that very soon!

Update: Hearts Abound

2011-02-14T09:24:00.000-06:00

I really love Valentine's Day~ ♥ Even before I met my husband, it was a holiday I enjoyed. I like leaving notes for the people I care about--just a little extra something to let them know that they're on my mind and in my heart. It's something that I enjoy preparing for, and I hope that it brightens the days of my recipients~

I'm at work today and I have class this evening, so my ability to really go over the top for this year is somewhat dampened. I exchanged gifts and cooked a fancy dinner with my husband last night, and I'll be attending a Valentine-themed party over the weekend, though~ I'm going to get in as much fluff and love and hearts and ribbons and bows and happiness and cheer as I can manage for this year!

I hope that everyone has a wonderful day today~ (Even if you don't do anything "Valentine-y.") I'm sending my love and best wishes out to everyone~ ♥

Old-fashioned artwork used in image courtesy of The Graphics Fairy.

Photo Set: Year of the Rabbit (...Dragon)

2011-02-13T09:32:00.001-06:00

The weekend before last I attended the Chinese New Year parade in Chinatown. I keep intending to write about the meetup, but in the meantime I thought I'd at least share some of the pictures that I took~ I love the parade--the bright colours and festivity keep me coming back every year, even though it's always freeeeezing cold. It was snowing very heavily this year, but I took pictures anyway.

Out of everything in the parade, the dragons are my favourite part. I love the sequins, glitter, and fur! The dazzling, often neon, colours add lots of pop to an otherwise dreary winter day. The frills or scales billow in the wind. When the dragon dancers are having fun being a part of a dragon, it's even better! They shake the head, open and close the mouth, and make the dragon seem to dance down the street. I love it~! ♥

That said, here are some pictures of dragons from this year's parade!

The entire set of photos can be viewed on Flickr. (Warning: it is not 100% dragons.)

Ruffle Review: LittleMacaron Hairbow

2011-02-08T15:08:00.001-06:00

When my little sister last visited Japan, she bought a lot of fabric--most of it with the intention to sew various lolita garments. One of the fabrics that she bought was an "Alice in Wonderland" print with ribbons and flowers. She was sweet enough to sew me a jumperskirt of this print. I was surprised to see the same fabric weeks later in a sewing project on EGL. Then there were more photos of the jumperskirt, a photoshoot, and then a post about hairbows~ I decided to buy a hairbow to wear with the jumperskirt my little sister made for me. ♥

The hairbow was made by Little Macaron. (The designer has a blog, Little Macaron Fashion.) I purchased this hairbow as a ready-made piece, not a commission, so I didn't have to discuss aspects of the order or wait for it to be sewn. It is a part of the "Alice and the White Rabbit" collection.

The shop is located on Etsy, so check-out was simple and secure. I purchased the bow on Sunday, January 30, and received a message from the seller that it had shipped on Monday, January 31, along with the tracking number. It was delivered on Friday, February 4.

The hairbow atop the tissue paper, plastic bag, and padded bubble mailer that it arrived in~

The hairbow arrived in a new padded envelope. Inside, it was wrapped in pink tissue paper and sealed in a plastic bag. Overall, it was very well-packaged and protected. The bow was accompanied by a fabric swatch in its own small plastic bag and a small note.

A close-up of the beaded chain and rose charm.

One of the highlights of this accessory is the small decorated chain that dangles across the bow. The pink pearl beads are smooth and unscratched, the small pink crystals are very sparkly, and the gold findings are neatly wound. There are no sharp or rough edges that might catch on hair or skin. The chain is removable--it hooks on to small loops behind the bow at either end with a lobster-claw clasp. I really appreciate that it can be removed--not only does it provide a slightly different "look," to the bow, it is also easier to clean.

It took some effort to get my camera to focus well on the edges of the bow.

The bow is well-shaped and firmly sewn. The edges are neatly pressed, with crisp corners. The lace trim is well-secured inside of the seams, with no unraveling bits sneaking out.

The back seam of the center portion was hand-stitched.

The small piece of fabric that wraps around the center of the bow is hand-stitched in the back. This work is also done neatly, although the stitches are slightly larger on one side. It is well-stitched--I'm not worried about it coming undone.

Another detail shot to show the back of the bow.

The bow is nicely-gathered and very even. The back of the bow is pleated well; it doesn't look lumpy or awkward.

The bow is attached to a fabric-covered headband.

I really like how the headband is covered. The seam is neat, and the stitching is even. The extra fold of fabric at the end of the casing prevents the headband from poking; it provides a bit of extra cushioning.

I love the gold-edged floral pattern on the front of the card!

The hairbow arrived with a cute hand-written note on very pretty stationery. That's always a lovely touch~ ♥

(On a scale of ♥ to ♥♥♥♥♥...)
Communication: ♥♥♥♥♥
Shipping: ♥♥♥♥♥
Construction: ♥♥♥♥♥
Materials: ♥♥♥♥♥
Overall Quality: ♥♥♥♥♥

I am very, very satisfied with my purchase~ Now I'm curious to see what Little Macaron will come out with next!

Rose-Tinted Living: Marron Cream

2011-01-30T10:44:00.000-06:00

I sometimes forget that Sanrio has created more than the handful of characters that I see most frequently. This shouldn't really be something that surprises me, considering that my all-time favourite character is obscure. (I love Shinkansen--he's my man! ...Or maybe they're my men?)

I was very recently at the Sanrio store looking for a new wallet. I love character goods for their cuteness, particularly if they're useful items rather than merely decorative. While looking around, a particular pattern caught my eye--pink flowers on a sky blue background. I am quite fond of floral designs, but the wallet in question was very large--a checkbook-style wallet--and thus didn't meet my "fitting in the coat pocket" criteria. It caught my best friend's attention, too. She doesn't necessarily share my love of pink and flowers, but she adores almost anything blue--particularly pastel shades of it.

The company describes this little brown bunny as "a bright and cheerful girl with good fashion sense."

This item that caught our attention was not a Hello Kitty product, but actually a design for a lesser-known character called "Marron Cream." According to the company's description of her, she's a girlish French bunny with a penchant for crafting who wears a signature red polka-dot dress. Marron is French for "chestnut," and she is a chestnut colour~ I think her name might also be a nod to the Mont Blanc dessert--puréed and sweetened chestnuts topped with whipped cream.

All of the "50th Anniversary" Maroon Cream items have this pattern. I particularly like that it's coated fabric, so it doesn't get soaked from snow or rain.

Marron Cream's character goods are delightfully floral and sweet~ I feel like they have an "idyllic countryside" feeling. She's often featured on stationery, lunch accessories, handkerchiefs, and tote bags. I wish she was more popular--there's a certain style to her products that I don't often see from Hello Kitty or the other prominent characters.

Now that I have the totebag, which has quickly become my new favourite, I find myself wanting other cute Marron Cream goods~ The totebag is perfect for carrying my knitting. It has one small pocket on the inside, which I use to keep lip balm or other small items from falling into the bottom. The lining is a matching blue with cute little white ribbon bows printed onto it~ I like the depth of the bag--I don't have to worry about balls of yarn flying across the L car if I give them a sharp tug while working on a project. (I seem to do most of my knitting on the bus or on the L, so this is very important~)

I did also manage to find a new wallet~ (Along with a number of other items I wasn't necessarily looking for... that's just how Sanrio gets me.) The new wallet is much larger than my old one, but still fits into my pocket.

These little cutouts of Shirousa and Kurousa are perfect for my desk~

The store that I frequent usually attaches little "extras" to the outside of the shopping bag, secured with a sticker. This time the extras were stand-ups of Shirousa and Kurousa, the Sugarbunnies~ ♥ I didn't know what to do with them when I first assembled them, but I realized they'd be perfect decorations for my desk at work. They sit ontop of my tower and make me smile even when it hasn't been the best day~

The illustration of Marron Cream was taken from the Sanrio character website.

Reading Corner: The Mystery of the Yellow Room

2011-01-27T11:09:00.000-06:00

As a child, one of my favourite stories was The Phantom of the Opera, but I only knew it from the musical and a 1990 television miniseries that my mother taped on VHS. I adored the miniseries and would watch it whenever I was home sick from school. I always wondered about the plot differences between the musical and the miniseries, so one day I set out to find the novel and see which was closer to the author's original intentions. The version that I purchased contained notes about the author, and the one that I always remembered was a sentence mentioning that Gaston Leroux had also written The Mystery of the Yellow Room, considered to be one of the best locked-room mysteries of all time.

Normally, I do not tend towards mysteries, but I enjoyed Leroux's writing so much that I always intended to find a copy of The Mystery of the Yellow Room. When searching through my local library's catalog, I typed in the title and was very excited to see that they had it!

This was truly the kind of book best described as "can't put it down." It was very suspenseful!

A locked-room mystery is one in which a crime occurs under seemingly impossible circumstances--such as a location where no perpetrator could have entered or exited (like a locked room). The Mystery of the Yellow Room was one of the first, featuring Leroux's young but incredibly talented reporter-turned-investigator, Joseph Rouletabille. He is prominently featured in several of Leroux's later novels. (The sequel to this novel is The Perfume of the Lady in Black, which I am very interested in!)

This book was originally released as a serial, and new selections included diagrams and maps to assist the reader in trying to unravel the crime. I was happy to see that my edition included these same notes~ (Although I was very much unable to discover the criminal! The ending really surprised me~)

The story centers around an isolated forest estate where a young lady has been brutally attacked--despite the room having been locked from the inside, with a door that opened only to the laboratory her father was still performing research after she had gone to sleep. A young journalist, who has come seeking the full story, gradually unravels the truth. I don't want to spoil any of the story, so I will just say that Leroux's writing style is fast-paced--providing full explanations while still moving forward. I found it very enjoyable!

I think that if more mysteries were this intriguing and detailed, I would read them more often~

Sweet Treats: Wintery Teas

2011-01-02T14:45:00.000-06:00

In preparation for my holiday gingerbread party, I bought more tea. I love drinking tea, but more than simply drinking tea I like to drink the right tea.

What is the right tea?

It's a tea that seems perfect for the occasion at hand! Tea that compliments the flavor of any food being served alongside it, tea that appeals to the palette of those partaking of it, and tea that provides a nice aroma and atmosphere. In the wintertime, I particularly like spicy dark teas that smell like the holidays. When I went to my favourite tea shop, Tea Gschwendner, and I picked out a few teas that I hoped would satisfy my hopes of "winter" coziness.

A warm cup of tea is even better when the weather is chilly and wintry--or at least, I think so!

No. 908 Gwendalina's Baked Apple Tea
Apple Flavoured Black and Green Tea

This is a truly fantastic fall and winter tea. I buy this in fairly large quantities as soon as the weather starts to cool. This is like having apple pie in a cup, but is most certainly a tea and not a cider.

The use of both black and green teas in the blend creates a rich tea that has somewhat sharper notes (from the green tea) and a full body. Pieces of dried apple add a distinct apple flavour. You can smell the apple very strongly when the tea is brewing or sitting in the cup, and the apple hint is very distinguishable as an aftertaste with each sip. Almonds add a pleasant nuttiness, and cinnamon accents the apples superbly. This tea is good served black, but becomes even more dessert-like when served with sugar and cream.

White tea is much less dense and less heavy than black or green tea, so the same weight of white tea fills a much larger package!

No. 998 White Christmas
Vanilla-Almond Flavoured White Tea

This white tea has a fresh hint of lemon, paired with vanilla and almond. The package states that it is reminiscent of sugar cookies, and I agree. As this is a white tea, the much less intense flavours of lemon, vanilla, and almond can really stand out. The tea itself lends a pleasant backdrop to the other flavours. It's a very nice tea for when you want something that isn't very heavy~

I originally wanted to brew each of the teas, to show them in the cup, but that's a much more time-consuming project~

No. 1320 Winter Magic
Cinnamon and Cardamom Flavoured Rooibos

This tea has an intense blend of spices that seems to be amplified by the rooibos. Although rooibos is not technically a tea, I still very much enjoy it. It has a rich, earthy flavor that is already fragrant and aromatic. I always think of this red "tea" as spicy. When cinnamon, cardamom, and sandalwood are added, it becomes a blend that is filled with spices without having any of the "heat" traditionally associated with spicy things. I think it feels very warming~ The sandalwood is one of the more interesting tastes in the tea, because it's very woodsy and smooth.

No. 1588 Banana Chocolate Crêpe
Choco-Banana Flavoured Black and Green Tea

This tea isn't really holiday-ish, but it's pretty amazing--so I wanted to mention it anyway. I bought this tea because it sounded like a neat concept; I do very much like the banana and chocolate flavour combination. The tea contains dried banana--not "banana flavouring"--and bits of actual cocoa, so the smell is heavenly. It doesn't have any of those odd smells that tend to accompany artificial flavourings. (I think that most of the time those don't taste anything like the real thing, anyway.) The blend of black and green teas is a very enjoyable one--not so strong as to overwhelm the banana, but strong enough to support the cocoa.

With a little bit of sugar added, this becomes even more amazing. Everyone who tried it at the party was very surprised to find that it did really taste as good as it sounded like it would taste. I consider that a success!

When loose leaf tea isn't practical, for whatever reason, there are a few inexpensive bagged teas that I've really been enjoying--those sold by Trader Joe's. I normally drink their Duchess Earl Grey, a lemon-accented Earl Grey, as my bagged tea of choice, so I was interested in trying their new winter teas when I spotted them in the store. At an incredibly affordable price--roughly $2 per box--I'm not heartbroken if they don't meet my expectations.

I think these have some of the cutest box designs that I've ever seen. I particularly adore the polar bear~ ♥

Vanilla and Cinnamon Black Tea
This is a warm, spicy black tea with a hint of sweetness. The "sweetness" is actually vanilla, and thus it isn't truly sweet, but it adds a nice high note to the tea. The black tea is laced very heavily with cinnamon; it leaves a "warming" sensation with each sip, but the tea itself is strong enough to avoid being overwhelmed by the spice. The combination of flavours is exactly the sort of thing I hope for in a winter tea.

Candy Cane Green Tea
When I first went to the store to pick up new teas, I passed up this one. The flavour combination seemed strange and perhaps unpalatable. The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized I wanted to try it. Green tea, when brewed correctly at a lower temperature than boiling point, has a very refreshing taste that sometimes seems to have notes that remind me of freshly-cut grass. Peppermint is also refreshing. Thus the two would have that in common. Additionally, green tea doesn't have the same tendency towards astringency that black teas can have, so there would be less chance for a sourness to compete with the peppermint.

I went back and bought a box, and I'm very glad that I did. This a very cooling, soothing tea. It's the sort of thing I want to drink when I have a headache or an upset stomach. The peppermint is strong, but not too much so. It blends nicely with the leafiness of the green tea.

I do so love tea! ♥

On the Needles: Thermal Mittens and a Cowl

2011-01-01T11:12:00.000-06:00

I've decided to add a knitting-related category~ (I contemplated starting a different blog, but that seems both excessive and something I'm unlikely to keep up with.) I'm so excited to have found a craft that I'm passably decent at. Plus, it's so simple to bring my projects with me. (I suppose I would feel differently if I were knitting giant sweaters or blankets, but the projects I've been choosing are quite portable.) I carry my knitting in a totebag and knit when I'm commuting, waiting in line, or any time that I have a few minutes with nothing else to do.

For this year's Christmas I knit several gifts--wrist warmers for my two sisters-in-law, a scarf for my mother-in-law, a scarf for my mother, a scarf for my Nana, wrist warmers for my stepmother, and mittens for my stepsister. That looks like a lot of scarves, but each one used very different yarns and patterns, so it wasn't boring in the least. The mittens were a major challenge for me, and I'm quite proud of how they turned out~ ♥ I had never knit using a circular needle before. (And honestly, my only previous experience knitting in the round was for a bonnet that I didn't really follow a pattern for. I plan on sharing pictures and notes about the bonnet--it felt like a very "lolita fashion-ish" project!)

Cabled mittens, knit for my stepsister in beautiful "tart" Tosh Vintage from Madelinetosh.

A lot of time and heartache went into these mittens. I must have unraveled and restarted them at least five times; I kept making small mistakes that I didn't notice at first but that would have been unbearably obvious on the finished item. The bought the yarn on a whim, because the colour was pretty. (I tried asking my stepsister for her favourite colour. She sent me a list that included virtually every colour in existence, so I just picked one.)

I am ~so~ happy that I decided to try this yarn. It is possibly my favourite yarn ever. The colours are gorgeous, the yarn is soooooooooo soft, the stitch definition is very clean, and it was a dream to knit with. Even though I kept pulling it out and restarting, the yarn survived and wasn't much worse for the wear. The twist started to look a bit odd, but when it was knit again there was no difference. I could wax poetic about this yarn. It's taking a lot of self-control to not spend the little Christmas money I have on yarn.

I didn't trust the amount of yarn needled that was written on the mitten pattern (a free pattern inspired by mittens worn in the movie Twilight), so I bought much more yarn that I would up using. I've decided to use the rest to make my stepsister a matching cowl with the honey cowl pattern.

One of my Christmas presents from my father was a trip to the local bookstore and any book that I wanted. I decided that I wanted a book of knitting patterns. Free patterns are very nice, and there are so many available online, but there are some really lovely patterns that need to be purchased, and I don't mind paying people for their time and effort. After all, I don't think I have what it takes to be a designer~ A few days later my mother and I went to the craft store, and she bought me some yarn (taking advantage of the after-Christmas sale). I chose some yarn in unusual hues to try out one of the new patterns.

Thermal-patterned mittens, destined for some mysterious recipient, knit in "gold" Wool-Ease by Lion Brand Yarn.

This kind of mustard yellow isn't a colour I normally like, but I thought it was interesting enough to try out. I've seen some really nice examples of other people's knitting in this kind of hue. Even though it seems very "retro" to me, I'm sure there must be someone I know who likes this colour~ I also have a soft spot for Wool-Ease, mostly because it's easy to find, not terribly expensive, and comes in many colours.

These mittens are a great "take everywhere" project. It's very easy to tuck everything into a bag, and the pattern doesn't need a lot of consulting. (This means I don't have to try to read patterns on the bus.) I was actually able to count the rows by counting the "bumps," because they formed every two rows.

I like that knitting enables me to make things I wouldn't normally wear but might find interesting, at least in some passing degree, because I can give the finished object to someone else who will appreciate it. I do plan to make a few things for me, but it's so much fun to knit for others~ ♥

Is anyone else working on anything interesting~? I hope this type of post isn't too boring!

On Being Lolita: Sweet Resolutions 2011

2010-12-31T11:25:00.000-06:00

I wanted to start a tradition of setting new year's resolutions for myself. I enjoyed doing so during this year--I think there is a lot of value in giving some serious thought to what I might like to do to encourage personal growth. I've mainly been setting goals related to my interest in lolita fashion, but I think I might jot down a few unrelated goals, too, and see how that works out this year! Those types of goals are usually the ones that I change my mind about or entirely avoid, but I want to continue to try to be a better me. ♥

★ Organize a tea party at one of the hotels downtown!

I love meetups of all types, because I love spending time with other lolita~ Most of the girls I've met through the fashion have become cherished close friends of mine, and I'm always hoping for the potential for more! Although I did host a few meetups during 2010, they were all fairly casual events. That's my preferred type of meetup, but I miss the opulence and elegance of the formal events I've attended in the past.

That's why I want to arrange an afternoon tea meetup at one of the hotels. It can be pricey, but the atmosphere is so luxurious and dazzling~ Plus, it's such a wonderful setting for pictures! I want to do this while the weather is still chilly, but thankfully this city is good at being cold and snowy--I should have plenty of time~

★ Knit the Chocola-chan scarf!

The Chocola-chan scarf, a pattern featured in the Gothic & Lolita Bible, is one of my knitting-related ☆holy grails☆ because I own the "Going Out with Chocola-chan" coat. I avoided this project in the past because it was something I thought was "too hard." I've been doing a lot of knitting, and I've already tried most, if not all, of the few techniques used for the scarf. I think that I should be well set to try my hand at making one. After all, nothing terrible will happen if I fail--I'll just have to try again~

I'm starting off 2011 by going "cold sheep," however, so I'll have to work on this scarf as a reward. I've gathered up quite a bit of yarn over the holidays--I'm planning to get some headway into using up that which I've accumulated before any new yarn comes home with me. (This will be very, very hard. I am determined to use my stubborn streak to my advantage!)

★ Strategic wardrobe enhancement!

After wearing lolita fashion for a few years, my closet isn't really what could be considered "small." Although I rarely buy, I even more rarely ever sell, so the quantity of garments in my possession has continued to increase. Despite this, I tend to purchase things that I consider to be "good deals" instead of things I've been wanting for various coordinations. I own very few cutsews, most of which are very specific, when I know I could get much more use out of a white cutsew with no design. I own no boleros. There are also a few hair accessories that I'm sadly lacking.

I want to carefully plan my purchases for the new year. I don't want to thing, "Oh fluffbunnies, if only I owned item x--it would be so perfect for this," and then buy another one-piece. I get so much enjoyment from wearing lolita fashion--I want to be able to wear it more frequently and arranged in new outfits!

★ Take better pictures at meetups!

When it comes to meetups, I never seem to remember that I have a camera with me! Afterward, as I reminisce about how much fun I've had and eagerly sort through ideas for meetups to come, it dawns on me that I should have taken pictures. Usually I'll have only one or two quick snaps saved on my camera--pictures that are out of focus, blurry, streaky, and taken in bad lighting. The subjects are typically unprepared, resulting in a picture that is overall unflattering and just plain bad.

I want to work harder on taking good pictures of meetups. Pictures of attendees, pictures of activities, and pictures of interesting things. I want to have something I can share with others or just look at on my own. I've always thought it would be fun to scrapbook, but it's hard to do that without pictures. A lolita-themed photo album would provide an easy way for me to review at all the memories that I treasure~

BONUS: ★ Make a video post!

This isn't something I want to run myself ragged trying to do, but I've thought it would be a lot of fun to add at least one video post~ I just don't know what would be something best talked about, rather than written about.

Has anyone else set resolutions for 2011~? Are you excited about the beginning of a new year?

Happy New Year, to absolutely everyone! ♥ I hope this coming year is more marvelous than the last~

On Being Lolita: Year-End Wrap Up

2010-12-30T09:53:00.000-06:00

At the end of the year I decided to set a few resolutions for 2010. Looking back on what I wanted to do, I think I can consider 3 of 4 to be accomplished~

2010's Goals in Review

★ Host more meetups! Check!
Although I haven't hosted a million meetups, I've done my best to host meetups whenever I could come up with a decent-enough idea. It's been lots of fun; I love any excuse to see my friends.)

★ Work harder on loli_bookclub! Fail.
I just haven't kept up. I feel pretty guilty about this one...

★ Hold still for more pictures! Check!
If I did anything in 2010, it was record more outfits! I like being able to look back and have proof of my frilliness. My husband has gotten much better at taking pictures, too~ ♥

★ Post entries more often! Check!
I wrote entries fairly regularly for most of 2010. I slacked off quite a bit in December, but sometimes other things get in the way. Overall, I'm satisfied with the frequency of new content.

Now I just need to decide what to do for 2011! It's almost upon us!

Outfit Snap: Pink and Plaid

2010-12-29T10:44:00.001-06:00

December was a great month for wearing frills and feeling fluffily cheerful! I started bright and early, and really made an effort to dress up. Sometimes this was a little bit difficult to do, because it's been really cold. I'm not usually any chillier in lolita clothing than in normal clothing, but I never remember that when I'm staring into my closet and shivering--when that happens I always want to hide in oversized sweaters with several pairs of long underwear beneath my jeans!

This is one of my favourite casual outfits. I think this cutsew compliments the otherwise really-busy print of the skirt.

I had planned on going to a meetup on a Thursday after work, so this was what I wore into the office. Whenever I wear anything to work other than the most casual of clothing, I get a lot of confused stares, particularly from others outside my department. Sometimes it's a bit frustrating, but mostly I'm amused~

I always have a hard time coordinating this skirt, although I do try. This cutsew is one of my easiest and most effortless pairings. The colours match up fairly well, which is unusual. This skirt has some orange-tinted shades of pink that are more salmon than straight pink, and the difference is really obvious when it is worn with something that is strictly pink. There are lots of colours in the print, as well, but they're hard to tie in without me feeling that I look like a fruit salad.

I know this sweater is bulky and ugly, but it's sooooo warm. I can't resist.

I wore black tights to balance the black cutsew. The pink heart-buckle shoes were chosen for their relative comfort and darker shade of pink. It matched up decently with darker shades on the cutsew and skirt. I clipped small pink bows in my hair for some kind of accent.

I spent a good portion of the day wearing my sloppy hooded sweatshirt. It's not very pretty, but it is very warm. It wasn't quite freezing cold at that point, but it wasn't really a comfortable temperature anymore.

Unfortunately I never made it to the intended meetup, due to work-related things, but I did get to go on a date with my husband. He surprised me after work, when I was grumpy and tired, took me out to dinner and even for dessert afterward. I'm so lucky~ ♥

Ugly sweater strikes again! It's a shade of pink very commonly used for lolita clothing, so it "matches" even though it doesn't compliment.

I wore pink again the next day~ This jumperskirt is quickly becoming one of my most-worn items. I love the simplicity and elegance of the design. It matches almost everything else I own, and it's very comfortable. I'm very happy to have it in my wardrobe!

I chose to wear it very classically and simply, with a white blouse, white lace-topped socks, and a pink bow. My giant sweater of doom snuck in there a bit, too. It was very cold.

I basically lived in this Santa hat during December! I never wanted to take it off.

The cold was also the reason for my absolutely not-matching black fuzzy slippers. I wore pink shoes when I left the house, but my mega-slippers were necessary to keep from having icicle feet.

And nothing says Christmas like a Santa hat! I love mine and wear it around the house constantly after Thanksgiving has passed.

I was soooooo sleepy when this picture was taken. I was just about ready to snuggle up with the tree.

The next day I held my gingerbread cookie party, and I chose my green tartan outfit for festiveness. In hindsight I should have worn a short-sleeved blouse--I spent all day pulling and rolling my sleeves up to keep them out of the dough and frosting! Whoops~ I wasn't think about that when I selected it--I was just thinking about keeping my arms warm~ (Plus, I love the lace on the cuffs of this blouse~ ♥)

This is one of my go-to wintery outfits. The darker colours and the tartan give me that sort of feeling. I think it's green enough to be Christmas-ish, too, particularly with red accents. (And I did wear a red apron and my Santa hat for a good portion of the party~) I'm sure it's boring that I like to wear the same jumperskirt as many times as possible once the weather hits below a certain point, but I don't really care--it's fun!

Meetup Report: Gingerbread Time

2010-12-28T10:49:00.000-06:00

In early December I hosted a meetup at my house--a gingerbread cookie party! I did this last year and had so much fun that I couldn't wait to do it again! I'm hoping to make this a yearly tradition~ I really adore Christmastime--the coloured lights, the carols, the snow, all the decorations. Most of all, I like spending quality time with my friends and family. Decorating together, baking together, watching holiday movies--these holiday activities seem more fulfilling than things I normally do with loved ones. (I suspect that maybe everyone makes more of an effort during this time of year.) A gingerbread party is a nice way to enjoy the holiday cheer with my friends.

To prepare for the party I mixed up two batches of gingerbread dough. My recipe is from Baking Illustrated. (I LOVE America's Test Kitchen, in general, so I jumped on the chance to buy their baking cookbook when I spotted it at a local bookstore a few years ago. Every recipe is accompanied by a small essay that warns of common mistakes and details the process of writing the recipe. I love the way it's set up!)

As people arrived we filled the kitchen table with cookie cutters and decorating supplies. I provided the gingerbread and tea, as outlined in my original event invitation, but I asked guests to bring frosting, sprinkles, or other treats to use for the cookies. It worked out wonderfully--we had such an amazing variety, just because we all live near different stores. A few friends even ran a quick errand to buy more when they remembered something they had hoped to bring. (It's a good thing I live near a craft store and several grocery stores~)

For decorating, I lifted the parchment paper off the cookie sheet and laid it on the kitchen table. There wasn't much space, but we all made the best of it!

I was very amused to see that we all brought aerosol frosting. I purchased some because I think it's easier to use the cans of decorating frosting with the screw-on fancy tips than it is to manage several pastry bags of frosting. They stand upright, they don't drip, and changing the tip is fairly simple. The flavor is also pretty good--not the best frosting ever but still quite good.

I started some tea (as that's a staple of anything I organize) and we got to work cutting out the first few batches of dough. There were lots of shapes to choose from, and we all worked carefully to fit as many cookies on each sheet as we possibly could. The only gingerbread man cookie cutter that I have is unfortunately large, so we made mostly other holiday shapes like snowflakes or rocking horses. As the day went on, however, we started making more and more gingerbread men--they use up more dough! It was a good move when everyone started winding down and there weren't as many people vying for a spot to decorate.

We had lots and lots of frosting and sprinkles! There was so much to choose from! I liked seeing everyone's designs~ (And making a few of my own, of course.)

When the party started, most guests expressed concerns about their decorating ability...but one of the nicest parts of a party like this is that it isn't a contest. It doesn't matter who has "the best cookie" or "the best skills." No one pokes fun at another person's cookie design. When you're no longer a small child, there can be lots of pressures to have "the best one" or assumptions that getting older magically makes you better at activities you don't do often. Cookie decorating is something that only gets better with practice. If you don't do it well, the only way to improve is to keep trying!

Besides, even cookies with frosting that might have looked lopsided or lumpy tasted just as delicious as the most perfectly-decorated treat~

Finished cookies were lined up to be eaten by others. At first people were afraid to eat others' designs, but after a while it became clear that the decorators didn't mind.

Anyone who wasn't in the kitchen around the table sat in the other room near the tree. I tried to keep a constant supply of tea, but sometimes it was a bit too crowded from cookie-ing for me to start up a new pot the moment we ran out. The morning of the party I paid a stop to one of my favourite tea shops and bought some new varieties to serve. We tried a warm cinnamon-almond blend of rooibos, a blend of black and green teas that smells like apple pie, an elderflower white tea, and tea that both promised to taste like a banana-chocolate crêpe and actually tasted like one! It gave me a wonderful excuse to purchase all sorts of new teas that don't fit into my poor tea drawer and have to live on in a bag on the counter until I can make more space.

My husband kept taking pictures of individual cookies, to better highlight the talents of our friends, so I tried to combine them into a collage. Everything was very colourful!

By the time the sun was setting only a few undecorated cookies remained. We relaxed in the other room, talking about the holidays under the very, very bright glow of my LED-lit Christmas tree. I've been doing quite a bit of knitting lately, so I had suggested to my friends that they could bring knitting projects as well. It's fun to knit with others when there's plenty of tea and good conversation. When I originally started knitting I never could have imagined that I'd make friends who would also knit--it's hard to shake the thoughts of knitting being "for old ladies." (Then again, most of the things I like are "for old ladies." I must be getting lots of practice in for when I'm honestly old.)

It was a lovely way to spend the day~ I was sad to see everyone go even though it was quite late when we finally saw everyone off. I didn't even mind that I had gingerbread to eat for a week afterward, despite sending everyone home with some cookies! I'm very excited to do this again next year~ ♥

Update: Christmas Wishes

2010-12-26T08:39:00.001-06:00

I'm a little bit behind on posting and adding new content, but that's something I rather expect during this time of the year. It's busy at work, my courses are wrapping up for the break, and there's simply so much-so much-soooooo much to do for the holidays! I've been knitting constantly; during the commute to work, while waiting in line at the post office, as I wait for cookies to bake in the oven, and during Christmas movies. It worked out just in time--everything was ready for its recipient on Christmas day.

I had a wonderful Christmas with all of my loved ones, and I hope that everyone else was as lucky or much luckier. I know that my holiday wishes are a bit belated, but I tend to side with "better late than never" rather than "too late." Even though it's over now, I'm still full of cheer and good spirits--probably enough to last me for a while~

I hope that everyone else is having a lovely holiday season, regardless of what or how you celebrate! I'd like to think that it's the season to be merry no matter what~

And a new year is quickly approaching! I wonder what it will bring? ♥

Victorian artwork used in image courtesy of The Graphics Fairy.

Outfit Snap: Whee, a Tree!

2010-12-05T21:40:00.001-06:00

Now that the year is coming to a close, I've been trying to fit in as much lolita fashion-wearing as absolutely possible~ I'm very excited for December and the holiday season, because I absolutely-positively-utterly-completely-totally-thoroughly love Christmas! ♥ On the day after Thanksgiving I was determined to avoid Black Friday shopping...but after arriving back at home I took one look around and could not resist going out briefly to get a few holiday decorations. I've spent the time since then fancying-up my home for the holidays~ I'm almost done, but there's still a few projects I have in mind. When it's all complete I can't wait to share pictures~!

I decided I wanted a real tree this year. We used to have a fake tinsel tree that I was very sentimentally attached to, but it had developed a crooked lean that got worse and worse as time went on. It's time had come when it was no longer able to stand up without being propped against the wall. My husband had arranged to be assisted in tree-acquiring by a friend of ours who owns an automobile, as we rely on public transportation. Unfortunately, he chanced to take me out to run a few errands and we passed a lot selling trees...and I wouldn't leave without one.

I love-love-love-love-love-love our little tree! It makes me so happy~

I had been running errands and decorating the whole day, so I picked an outfit that was both casual and festive. I find that wearing lolita fashion around the holiday season is extra-fun for me because it adds another layer of cheer and bounciness to my Christmas spirit~ I paired this red jumperskirt with a white thermal shirt. It kept me toasty-warm despite spending quite a bit of time waiting on train platforms, but I didn't have to worry about getting lace caught on things when putting up decorations. I chose to cover my legs completely, instead of wearing knee-socks, so that I'd be better protected against the cold while out and about.

One of the things I really like about this tree is that it and I are exactly the same height. I think it's a fun size for a tree~.

I pulled my hair back just a bit and added red bows for decoration. It made me wish that I had jingle bells or glitter pom-pons, though! I feel like I don't own enough in the way of festive accessories~ (Although I do have a Santa hat that I am incredibly attached to.)

The fuzzy boots aren't really part of what I'm wearing--they're just my extra-fluffy slippers~ I don't like having icicle feet in the wintertime!

Daily Life: Thankfulness

2010-11-25T12:55:00.001-06:00

On Thanksgiving, I try to focus on what I have to be grateful for. I know that I'm very lucky, and at least once I year I want to actively remind myself about not taking things for granted.

I am thankful for...

My loving, wonderful, uberamazing, fanfskingtastic husband
Being related to a rockin’ family
Tea time
An electric kettle in my kitchen
An electric water heater (and sanitizer???) in my office
Wearing lolita fashion
Having the budget to purchase lolita garments from Japanese companies
EOS mint lip balm in the weird round containers
Numerous sushi restaurants (some of them quite good) in walking distance
Living in the city
Smith’s rosebud salve
Steven Smith Teamaker’s wonderful selections
Saving money by buying from the second-hand market for lolita clothing
Owning two ball-jointed dolls...one of which is my “dream doll”
Argo Tea (mmm, Earl Grey Vanilla Crème ♥)
Giant stuffed shark
Moon jellyfish
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic...and watching it online
Vintage cook books
Bright and varied colours of my My Little Pony collection
Availability of pink electronics...and owning several of them
Hello Kitty appliances
A positive balance in my bank account
Student loan debt that seems at least possible to pay off before I’m 65
Having earned a bachelor’s degree
Working a steady job in a friendly environment
Gainful employment for my husband that he excels at and enjoys
Spending time with my grandparents
A yarn shop near a red line station
A yarn shop near a brown line station
Wooden (specifically birch) knitting needles
Finally understanding a proper purl stitch, even after years of doing it wrong
Acceptance into graduate school
Impending graduation from graduate school
Economic recovery, even though more would be better
Living in a generally safe neighborhood
The upcoming extended-family Christmas party
DESSERT AND SUGAR
Milk tea--bonus if tapioca is involved
A contact lens prescription that hasn’t changed significantly in the past 2 years
Knowing there is food in the pantry and money to replenish it
Little sisters that I have and those that I’ve accumulated
Going to see the Moscow ballet in December
Christkindlmarket traditions with my best friend
Looking forward to nearly 20 years of being best friends with the same wonderful person
Tea mugs with Rilakkuma on them
A few English china tea cups in my collection
Tying a ribbon into a bow
Not ever having broken a bone despite doing stupid things
Being lucky enough to avoid requiring major surgery
Attending the inauguration in 2009
Graduating from high school...despite recurring nightmares about being sent back
Sitting next to a coworker who sometimes brings me a strawberry cream puff at 7:00 AM
Knowing that my two bunny bags were presents from my parents
Slippers shaped like Pikachu
Relatively few cavities considering the quantities of sugars I’ve historically consumed
Public transportation (even when there are crazies on the train)
Pens with pink ink
A good recipe for crumpets
No major family disasters in 2010, which I would like to see as a continuing trend
A loving, silly, generous, fun-loving, cheerful, hardworking, and strong mother
A focused, accomplished, guiding, caring, and encouraging father
Being close enough to my brother that we’re nearly telepathic
The chance that maybe I can enroll in a recreational ballet class in 2011
Crème Puff’s successful recovery from surgery
Getting 45 lbs. of bluegrass hay delivered to my front door (so convenient!)
Having a cupcake fairy on my desk at work
Decent typing ability, a result of the computer courses I hated so much
Jellied cranberry sauce in a can, particularly when it’s on sale
Obtaining the financial assistance to attend university
Having a phone that allows text messaging
Library books from other branches delivered to the branch around the corner
A decent DVD selection from the library
Seeing my great aunt during the holidays
Twinkling Christmas lights on every tree downtown
The promise of snow and potential for sledding or snowball fights
Working heat in my apartment, unlike last winter
Not having to worry about basic necessities or even little luxuries
Lacking allergies to nail polish
Being part of a welcoming local lolita fashion community
Attending meetups and spending time with friends
Picnics in the park during warmer weather
Playgrounds with swing sets tall enough that I can still swing
Having so many wonderful, reliable, and caring friends
The conveniences of living in a modern era
Lolita fashion companies that make the clothing I always wanted to wear
Attending concerts
Enjoying evenings at home with my husband while he plays guitar
Being able to go on dates once in a while
The occasional day off together ♥
Pain au chocolat and strong tea on weekend mornings
Bows ontop of bows ontop of more bows (I’m looking at you, Angelic Pretty~)
Healing completely from the accident a few years ago
Cheerful text messages from friends conveniently during the most stressful times at work
Being pink and fluffy most of the time
Old books with worn covers and gold-edged pages
My Little Pony toys with magnet feet
Always having someone to turn to
Hope for the future
Not having credit card debt
Being lucky enough to be loved by so many wonderful people just for being me ♥

I hope everyone who is celebrating the holiday has a lovely Thanksgiving, spending it with people you love~

Outfit Snap: Polka Dotted Autumn

2010-11-24T11:45:00.019-06:00

My husband often works on the weekends and has his days off at different times during the week. I am always thankful that he's able to work at a job he truly loves, but sometimes I miss him when our days off don't coincide. I recently took a day off in the middle of the week to match up with his time off, so we declared that day a date. ♥ Of course, I dressed up~

The weather was chilly, but hadn't yet gotten cold. (Unlike this afternoon, when my I could feel the inside of my nose freeze just from breathing the outside air!) I chose to wear my polka-dot one-piece, because I enjoy it and hadn't worn it in a little while. This time I decided to pair it with a white hairbow, because although the dress itself is pink, several prominent bows on the dress are white.

I tried to make sure we took the picture earlier in the day, but it was still quite dark.

I styled my hair very simply, pulled back from my face and braided at the back. Although I am always wishing for magically-non-frizzy *magic* to sparkle its way towards my hair, my husband thinks it is prettiest whenever I feel like I have a wild lion's mane. He prefers it when I wear it down, and since I do love and have married him I like to do things in a way that I know he appreciates. (If I am going to try and catch someone's attention, it may as well be the person I married. n_~) The wind was very intense, however, and I knew that if I didn't pull it back somewhat I'd be pulling it away from my mouth and eyes all day.

I wore my brown boots with everything. I think that other footwear would have been more desirable, but I don't really feel that the boots are an unforgivable choice. It had rained the day before, and I worried about puddles. I'm also so thrilled to finally have just-about-knee-high boots in my size that I want to wear them all the time. I picked pink socks with white eyelet lace to follow the colour and material theme of the one-piece.

Just looking at this picture makes me wish I was wearing lolita fashion right now~ I'll have to take advantage of the upcoming holiday weekend!

Charming Activities: Tea Party Planning

2010-11-23T21:45:00.000-06:00

Rather or not the activity itself is suitable to lolita fashion, I adore tea. Through the adoration of tea, I also love tea parties! Everything from casual intimate tea parties with snacks for a few friends to formal afternoon tea served by white-gloved waiters at fine establishments. I often invite people over "for tea," which usually means hot tea and some snacks. For other occasions, I've planned more elaborate tea-focused, events.

The true beauty of a tea party shines in the highly customizable nature. It is very easy to adjust different aspects of a tea party to suit many different types of events!

You Are Cordially Invited

When planning a tea party, the simplest place to start is your guest list. The people that you are inviting to your party should provide a guideline for how you shape the rest of the party. (This is much easier than planning a party to suit your tastes and then figuring out who you'll ask to attend. That's like putting a square peg through a round hole.

The number of attendees will often dictate your budget. With a guest list of only four, it wouldn't be troublesome or terribly expensive to have a shopping list full of new teas and exotic sweets or savories. If your guest list has twenty or more guests, it will cost a pretty penny to focus on luxuries for everyone.

While it is possible to host a large and elaborate tea party by charging guests a fee for attending, I find that it can be difficult to ask for money to attend a private party--and friends that you may be longing to see might not find the cost within their budget. The situation is different if you are arranging a public event, but if the party is to be personal, attaching a ticket price is not usually a grand idea.

Beyond the budget, guests lists are important so that you have an idea of your guests tastes. If your guests are friends, and everyone (or nearly everyone) wears lolita fashion, the dress code is rather obvious. If several names on your list are vegetarians, you know you'll want to provide options within their dietary constraints. If the guests are of legal drinking age, you may consider hosting a champagne tea.

What's This All About

Some tea parties are themed. Other tea parties are formal. Still more tea parties are casual. Afternoon teas typically consist of three courses--scones, savories, and sweets. High tea (often improperly used interchangeably with afternoon tea) is an early dinner, providing a meal rather than light snacks.

You may have decided to host a tea party to celebrate a birthday or other special event. In that case, the "theme" of the party is probably related to that celebration. A tea party thrown just for fun has many options. If you think your guests would appreciate the elegance and refinement of a formal afternoon tea, you could craft an event with fine china, flower vases, and tiers of treats. If your friends have other interests, you could add a less often considered element--such as a buffet-style tea while watching a favourite movie... or participating in a video game tournament.

I believe that it's essential to consider the preferences of your friends during the planning of a party. This ensures that everyone has a much better time--and parties are most enjoyable when everyone is sincerely cheerful and no one is forcing a smile. A theme that suits the natures of the attendees will be warmly received and more successful on the whole.

On Tonight's Menu

When a theme is decided on, the menu may simply fall into place. For example, a formal afternoon tea traditionally consists of scones (served with clotted cream, lemon curd, and jam), savories (bite-sized sandwiches or tarts), and sweets (cookies, petit fours, and other miniature desserts). A summer garden tea may call for lemonade to be served alongside the tea and a tossed salad with fruit to accompany light sandwiches.

If the general setting of the party doesn't bring specific edibles to mind, following the general guideline of afternoon tea is generally useful: a non-dessert baked good, something savory, and something sweet. Unless the tea is served as a meal, sitting at a table as different courses are brought in and removed, it's best to choose items that do not require the use of utensils--particularly if some guests may be balancing their plates and teacups on laps as they sit on armchairs or sofas.

Consider any dietary restrictions of your attendees. If you know there will be a few vegetarians, make sure that at least one savory option is meat-free. It is also helpful to inquire about friends' allergies in advance. (I often ask people to let me know of any allergies when they R.S.V.P.) Very severe allergies can sometimes be triggered merely by being in the same room as an allergen, while others could become life-threatening if the person doesn't realize that the must-be-avoided ingredient is unseen in a baked good or a sandwich's filling.

Those are some of the most basic hints and suggestions for hosting a tea party. There's no strictly "right" or "wrong" way--after all, as long as tea is provided in some capacity and a party is going on, it's technically a "tea party." No one will bang down your door if your pinky is raised too high or your scones were swapped out for muffins~

Regardless of the type, I really do love tea parties. I think they're a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the company of good friends. And after all--there's nothing like a cup of hot tea~ ♥

Outfit Snap: It's Sugar Time

2010-11-16T18:16:00.000-06:00

I was thrilled to have a day to dress up over the weekend. The weekend immediately after Halloween is one I always avoid. As much as I love wearing lolita fashion, the time just after Halloween is a delicate one because unruly people love to scream (and sometimes, even threaten) in regards to the fact that Halloween is over. I dislike this; it makes me very uncomfortable and--for some reason--more upset than I might usually be, so that time is one when I avoid wearing lolita style. That delicate "too close to the holiday" time has passed, thus I jumped on the chance to be dressed up.

Particularly because I recently received a jumperskirt that I purchased from Closet Child's online shop, Angelic Pretty's "Sugar Time" jumperskirt. I love this design because it reminds me of a ballet costume--something elaborate that might be worn for a performance.

These pictures turned out pretty dark--the sunlight is less and less available!

I thought I would be spending the day with friends, but that didn't quite work out. When my husband got home from work, he surprised me by taking me out to dinner~ ♥ It was so sweet! He walked into the door and told me that he suspected I would be dressed up, so he didn't bring something home, he was going to take me out.

I wore my new jumperskirt over a short-sleeved blouse. The weather is getting to be too chilly for short sleeves, but I prefer the look of short-sleeved blouses, so I'll wear them as long as I can manage.

I pulled back some of my hair into a high ponytail and tried to get plenty of volume without disturbing too many curls. That was a lot easier than I had thought it would be. I spend so much time trying to keep my hair under control that I forget that it really wants to be BIG HAIR and jumps at the chance to do so. Thankfully it can't get too out of control when it's long; the length weighs it down just enough. I topped it with a hair bow. I love hair bows~ ♥

This little window has a perfectly-sized sitting place, but my petticoat doesn't really fit in there. It made my skirts look extra-poofy!

I wore my sparkly socks with this, mostly because I could. I adore those socks, even though they're a bit rough, and would like to wear them with everything even though I usually dislike over-the-knee socks.

The rose scarf that I'm wearing was made my a friend of mine. She's fabulous when it comes to crafts; this was a gift for my birthday. ♥ I don't wear it nearly enough, so I've been trying to remedy that.

The part of my outfit that seems most out of place are my brown boots. The weather that day was very wet. It kept raining on-and-off, and every time I stepped outside there were puddles. My footwear that is specifically lolita-related is not good for days like that. They're all flat shoes that are more than willing to let rain in to soak my feet. I recently found a pair of boots in my size. They aren't rain boots, but they're sufficiently water-resistant that my feet stay dry. Sometimes that's more important. I'm sure they'll be a part of many of my fall/winter coordinations, because they're comfortable and not too casual. They have a little scalloped edge on the side accented with tiny gold brads, so I think they seem just fancy enough to hold their own.

It was a lovely outfit for a lovely evening~ As much as I enjoy writing and discussing the fashion, the best part is wearing it, after all! ♥

Update: Dot Com

2010-11-15T11:42:00.016-06:00

Just a brief update to announce that you can now access the Pink ♥ Milk ♥ Tea from either:

pinkmilktea.blogspot.com

pinkmilktea.com

It's really a very minor change and won't effect anything in regards to functionality, but it makes me feel excited thinking about it. It makes it feel ~fancier~ now that it has its own domain. (Plus, I find the ability to have an email address be at "pinkmilktea.com" kind of fun!)

I was considering exporting things over and switching to a different platform, but I don't think I'll be doing that right away. I like the way things are at the moment; I'm not exactly itching to change everything.

I also added a little icon that will show up on your favourites. Please keep in mind that I'm really not a pixel artist--it's a little wonky, but it should at least be decently recognizable.

Outfit Snap: Pink Strawberry Sugarbunny

2010-11-14T13:58:00.004-06:00

Despite my internal debate about Halloween, I did dress up for the holiday. There's a Halloween party at my office with a costume contest, so I always use that as an excuse to wear something unusual during the work day. I like that extra degree of freedom and whimsy. Most of my coworkers change into their costumes immediately before the party, but I don't mind wandering around in something silly. I do so on a regular basis, after all!

This year my costume, lacking in real concept or execution as usual, was a "pink strawberry sugarbunny." I own a pair of BABY, the Stars Shine Bright bunny ears that I've never had an opportunity to wear, so I paired them with my Cherry Berry Bunny jumperskirt and added more strawberry accessories.

This is a low-quality picture that I took at work. I didn't remember to bring my camera, so I used my phone.

Since Cherry Berry Bunny is one of my favourite outfits to wear, I didn't need too much of an excuse to wear it again. I decided that if I were going to wear rabbit ears I didn't really want to be "the white rabbit" or a "bunny-girl." There are bunnies in the print, and that was enough of a connection for me. I also brought Mallow to accompany me. I considered bringing Monsieur Lait, but he's so large that I worried he'd get dirty during the commute.

I thought this would be a cute pose, but I just look ridiculous. I should have known!

Instead of "proper" shoes, I wore my pink sparkly sneakers. They do not add any elegance, but they do match at least in terms of colour. I wanted to add a more whimsical and casual touch than I usually have. After all, it was Halloween!

Several of my coworkers tried to guess who I was. My favourite suggestion was "Little Bunny Foo-Foo!" I have really fond memories of that nursery rhyme, but I wouldn't want to be little bunny Foo-Foo because I don't have the heard to bop field mice on the head. n_~

I didn't intend to enter the costume contest, especially since I had no way of justifying or really explaining what I was. The costume contest at my office is a very serious event. My coworkers often spend a lot of time and effort on their costumes; sometimes they even rehearse small skits to perform before the judging! It's something I really can't compete with. However, I was pushed into it with the insistence that I represent my department, as no-one else had dressed up this year. I'm afraid I didn't make a very strong representation, though--everyone else was much more creative! I lost spectacularly to a Garth & Wayne duo, a California roll, and Superman's father. They all deserved it!

On Being Lolita: The Halloween Dilemma

2010-11-13T14:58:00.000-06:00

Every year when October rolls around, I find myself pondering the same question: "What should I be for Halloween?"

In recent years, there's been a second question: "Should I wear lolita fashion?"

For me, this is a hard decision. On the one hand, I love wearing lolita fashion. It brightens up any day, and fills my heart with sparkles and happiness. On the other hand, Halloween is a time for costumes. Lolita fashion is not a costume. Additionally, I think of Halloween as a time to be something unusual, unique, and absolutely out of the ordinary. For me, lolita fashion is none of those things.

When I wear lolita fashion, strangers are constantly asking what my costume is or who I am trying to be. They see something they don't recognize and presume that it must be a costume--that I am trying to be something else. There's no way that they can be expected to know that I'm trying to be myself. When I respond that I'm not dressed up as anything, this is just the way I like to dress, there's a lot of resistance. Some people absolutely refuse to believe me; others nod as though they understand completely, despite their bewildered expressions.

Since I spend so much time championing the "lolita is not a costume" assertion, why would I want to wear lolita fashion during Halloween--a time known for costumes? Simply because I enjoy wearing the style so much. Despite this, I worry about reinforcing lolita fashion as a costume...by wearing it as a costume. Even if I know that I'm wearing lolita fashion simply because I can, doing so at a time when I'll be less-questioned because costumes are expected makes it seem to be a costume.

This is counter-productive to my actual intent. I even avoid wearing lolita fashion the week immediately after Halloween (and sometimes even the second week), specifically to avoid jeering passers-by yelling, "Halloween is over!" (Often with more distasteful terms added on.)

Yet, when I'm pressed to choose a costume I often assemble something from my lolita fashion wardrobe. This is not because I'm feeling particularly hypocritical around the Halloween holiday, but instead because I want to avoid spending money on a Halloween costume. I cannot sew and do not have other garments at my disposable to fashion into a costume. When I'm pressed to need a costume for some event, I will rifle through my frilly dresses and lavish accessories, and cobble something somewhat passable together. "Princess" is always a very easy one, although I don't own a crown or tiara. "Alice in Wonderland" was simple before I parted with my solid blue dress. "Little Bo Peep" would be instant if I had a stuffed sheep. (And, really, I'm the only one who notices that kind of thing. People suspect I'm dressed as the wayward sheep-herder no matter which dress I choose and despite being sans sheep.)

I'd rather be something more interesting, but I find that most commercial costumes are low-quality, and most high-quality costumes are very pricey. I don't want to spend so much money on something I'll only wear once. (And, because I am a lolita, I don't want to spend so much money on something that isn't a lolita garment! Predictable, but very true.) I ought to invest in one costume that I can wear year after year, but I don't attend Halloween parties or go trick-or-treating; I only dress up for work events.

I always tell myself that I won't get dressed up for Halloween, because I don't want people to think that the style I love so dearly is a costume, but when it's October 30th and I can't decide what to wear for the function at my office, I pull out something from my closet. It's a habit that I know I ought to break, but I don't think about it until there's just not enough time left. Sometimes I have difficult reconciling my philosophy with my actions.

Do you like to wear lolita fashion as part of your Halloween costume? Do you prefer to wear something else entirely? Do you have absolutely no problem with lolita fashion being perceived as a costume?

Charming Activities: Knit & Purl

2010-11-07T13:04:00.000-06:00

My jaunts of writing-related disappearance have been primarily the result of 3 things:

Schoolwork
Family obligations
Knitting

My coursework is coming to a close for the fall semester, providing a brief respite before picking up again for the winter, and I've been keeping myself occupied with knitting. I learned to knit several years ago, while on vacation with my grandmother, and I've knit off-and-on since then. I'm not very dedicated in my approach to knitting; I have a tendency to knit intensely for a few months, take on a project beyond my capabilities, become incredibly frustrated, vow to never knit again, and hide my yarn and needles for an unspecified length of time. Then, when I've completely forgotten about my previous failure, I chance upon my yarn and needles and decide to try again.

I enjoy knitting primarily because it gives my hands something to do; I like to be occupied rather than idle. I can knit while riding public transportation. There's not much else that I can really do on a bus--reading gives me a headache. My current project can be tucked into a totebag when not being worked on and pulled out for a few stitches or rows while standing on the train platform. I can knit while watching movies (or television shows, such as the current three episodes of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic over and over and over and over and over and over again...my poor, poor husband...) or having intimate conversations with friends over a pot of tea. Even better than merely being able to do the activity is that after a certain amount of work I have something to show for it~ I absolutely cannot sew, although I've always wanted to and regularly attempt to be taught yet another time, so creating knit objects, however simple they might be, makes me feel quite proud of myself!

Although I ~can~ knit on the bus, that's not the only place I knit. Sometimes it's nice to cozy up with my stuffed shark, some tea, and a good movie.

The concept of "hand knit" can sometimes conjure up terrifying images of multi-coloured itchy sweaters, but that's only a teeny-tiny portion of what can be made. There are so many options for yarn and so many beautiful patterns that there's something for everyone's taste. I'm working on knitting accessories for Christmas presents, and I've found perfect projects for everyone from my "I don't want anything for Christmas" mother to my teenaged-and-way-too-cool-for-the-likes-of-a-silly-Alice stepsister. I am absolutely enthralled with the yarn shops of my city--I can find everything from expensive-expensive "do I dare breathe on this" beaded silk to inexpensive superwash wool.

Since my discovery of the needles and yarn, I've knit several scarves and am now moving on to wrist warmers. I have sparkly-eyed dreams of mittens and socks--all in due time. My goal--which I dream of as my pièce de résistance of knitting--is to make the Chocola-chan scarf patterned in the Gothic & Lolita Bible.

Chocola-chan is a white cat with a round face and jeweled accessories~

I own the Chocola-chan coat, and thus envision it perfectly accessorized with the Chocola-chan scarf. The pattern is available in English in the Gothic & Lolita Bible English edition volume 4. (I'm not sure which volume the original Japanese pattern is in.) The pattern itself is not excessively difficult, but it is a bit more vague that I would prefer. I want to make the scarf from a very nice yarn and avoid any inconsistencies due to mistakes, so I've been avoiding making one until I feel more confident about my abilities. Chocola-chan is too cute to be made to suffer from my lack of skill.

The English instructions for the scarf were clearly edited from the original Japanese, but I don't think I could attempt this based on the Japanese instructions.

There are some other knitting patterns from the Gothic & Lolita Bible that I'd like to try, such as a lacy hairbow and scallop-edged mittens. It would be nice to make them in a colour to coordinate with my winter coat~ The mittens that I usually wear are not very warm at all.

I think these mittens are adorable, particularly because of the pom-pons~

As knitting is my current fascination, I've been spending a lot of time on Ravelry. (My username is MilkyTea.) Ravelry is a community for knitters, crocheters, and (to some extent, at least) spinners. It is also a marvelous database, providing a quick and easy way to search through thousands of patterns--whether they're from books, from blogs, or from magazines. You can type in the name of a yarn and find important information even if you've misplaced the label. Projects can be registered and detailed on the site, you can keep track of your yarn and needles, and you can take notes of patterns you like that you might want to try in the future. I love how everything can be kept so organized.

I'm also fascinated by the sheer number of instructional knitting videos on the internet. When I learned to knit, that sort of thing didn't exist. When I forgot an important step I had to spend quite a while bent over my "how to knit" book, feeling very confused, until I had a chance to see my grandmother again and have her show me what I was doing wrong. (For almost a year my purl stitches were actually knit stitches...just...amazingly convoluted. When I finally realized how to actually purl I thought, "...No wonder all of my 'patterns' have looked exactly the same." It was a sad time. A few minutes on YouTube or Knitting Help could have prevented that.)

This is how the inside of my totebag typically looks...although the bear is no longer wrapped in plastic.

Rose, my adored BABY, the Stars Shine Bright "usakumya friend" teddy bear, has become my knitting companion. She's usually hiding in a totebag along with a skein of yarn, needles, and a sheet of notes. (Sometimes I tuck the notes under her arm so they're easier to find.)

Maybe someday, when I finally conquer the Chocola-chan scarf, I'll move on to making cardigans or boleros like those that Angelic Pretty and BABY, the Stars Shine Bright release in the cooler months. I think they're beautiful, and I'd love to have a nice layering piece that I had actually made. I'd be able to pick whatever colour would best match my wardrobe and make any other adjustments. It could be fun~

Does anyone else knit? (Or crochet? I find crochet fascinating but haven't managed to figure out anything other than making long loopy chains.) Have you tried any of the Gothic & Lolita Bible patterns?

Outfit Snap: Catching Up in Pink

2010-10-28T11:22:00.000-05:00

One of the things that always keeps me from updating regularly are pictures. I love having pictures to go with each entry, and I am really picky about where the pictures come from. I don't like uses images without proper credit--I prefer to take the pictures myself, borrow some from a friend (with permission), or take them from an official company website (with a note of the fact). Unfortunately, I don't carry my camera around with me on a regular basis, thus if I want pictures to illustrate something I need to specifically plan time to take them--and there needs to be decent sunlight.

So, as much as I want to write about something else, here's a few outfit snaps that I've forgotten. Over the weekend I'll definitely have something else to write about--if only because I'll also have the time to take some accompanying pictures~!

My husband was sweet enough to take these pictures after he got home. I'm absolutely useless with a self-timer, and my friend and I were having too much fun to remember pictures~

I spent the day with a friend, and I wanted to wear this jumperskirt. This time, I tried to emphasize the "school" aspect of the design by pairing it with bulky shoes, a cardigan, and a low-key hairbow. I wore the dress's brooch on my cardigan, covering the BtSSB logo, to tie things together. I really love the award ribbon-shaped brooch that the jumperskirt came with, but I don't often wear it pinned to the shoulder strap because the side of the medallion pokes me in the arm; it can be uncomfortable.

I liked wearing these shoes with this outfit. I appreciate their chunkiness in this coordination.

I really wanted to wear over-the-knee socks, so I picked my ribbon-wrapped pair. Looking back, I don't think I'd wear those socks again. Plain white knee highs with just a bit of lace or white stockings would have been a better choice. I'd also like to do my hair differently--maybe braids pinned up in loops! (I've always wanted to wear my hair like that, ever since I received the American Girl doll Kirsten when I was little, but my hair tends to spike up funny at the ends when I try, or the weight drags the loops out.)

It was very warm and humid that day, so my hair fluffed up like a big poof of floof!

I spent the next day with my husband, enjoying our time together. I work on Sundays, and with his job he works alternating weekends, so it isn't all that often anymore that we have a Saturday to share and enjoy together. We had a lazy day--woke up late, made sweet potato pancakes, played Pokémon, ate lunch at a café, did some shopping, watched a movie at home, and went out for dinner. ♥ It was fun and relaxing, something we both needed.

I let him select my outfit, and he chose this dress. I'm not surprised at all, because this is the dress he purchased for me. I paired it simply, with pink socks, pink shoes, and a pink hairbow. I left my hair down at my husband's request. I hate leaving it alone to do its crazy fluffing-frizzing-poofing-staticy nonsense, but he thinks it is very pretty. It makes me happy that he thinks of me that way even when I'm feeling absolutely opposite. ♥

My quest for more interesting ways to pose in pictures continues! I'm still failing at coming up with anything good~

I'm fairly satisfied with this outfit. It's not fancy or incredibly unique, but I feel comfortable wearing it. Actually, I feel more than comfortable--I feel great! I love wearing lolita fashion, and simpler outfits like this are my favourite~

Next post, I promise, will not be an outfit post! XD

Daily Life: Work, School, and Writing

2010-10-26T15:14:00.000-05:00

I'm entering the "busy season" at work, and the fall semester is coming to a close before winter semester starts. (My graduate school uses a quarter system.) I keep thinking about all of the things I'd like to write about--cozy fall activities, planning for the upcoming winter, more about tea, lolita fashion and general appropriate, and a myriad of other topics that always pop into my mind when I'm sitting in a lecture or frantically trying to complete something for a deadline! I've worn more outfits since my last post, but I don't like having too many outfit posts in a row; I don't really consider it content. I haven't been able to make it to many meetups, either, due to my schedule with work and school. Working on Sundays always seems to exclude me from activities~

Rose was trying to help me out at work by answering the phone. I think it was a little bit difficult for her.

I haven't been any less active and I'm not losing interest--I'm just busier than I'd like to be~ I'm hoping to have more time to write this weekend. There are so many things on my mind!

I've been thinking about trying my hand again at NaNoWriMo--National Novel Writing Month. I've attempted to complete the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel from scratch in one month, starting November 1 and ending November 30, but I've never gotten anywhere close! I've always had fun trying, though, so I just might try again. I want to write about lolita fashion, but I'm not sure exactly what. Some kind of modern, fairy tale-esque fantasy, perhaps~ Not quite the life of a girl living on Milky Planet, but... hmm... something. I'm sure it won't amount to much!

Within the past week or so I've taken up a hobby that I haven't done in a while--knitting! I'm having a lot of fun trying new projects. There are so many yarn stores in my area; it's astounding! Best of all, I can knit on the train or bus to and from work or other errands, and I've managed to make quite a bit of progress. My goal is to eventually make the Chocola-chan scarf that was available in the Gothic & Lolita Bible. I want to be sure that my skills are up to par before I purchase nice yarn and start on it, so I'm trying to get a lot of practice in!

I'll be very happy when Thanksgiving is over and things have calmed down a bit~ I'm very glad that I've at least avoided getting sick so far. I feel like so many people I come into contact with daily are ill~ It's just that time of year.

Outfit Snap: Pink or Black

2010-10-09T12:33:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I was able to wear lolita fashion both days, even though it rained on Saturday. (Rain is not enough to stop me, unless it is torrential.) ...Although, I did choose a less-intense outfit on Saturday to compensate for the rainy-ness.

I spent Friday with a friend--we had ordered some doll items together, to save on shipping, so she came over so we could open the package and spend time together. I wanted to wear something pink and bright and cheerful. Despite it being a not-terribly-popular print and my general apathy towards prints, the artwork has really grown on me. I think I like that it has so many other colours to accent it with...not that I do much accenting. But the possibility is there!

This is a summery-seeming dress, at least in my opinion, but I'm not willing to stop wearing it just because cooler weather is here!

The weather's been chillier, so I wore a parka for part of the day. It's so comfy~ ♥

This time my hair accessories were quite non-standard. I wore the matching wrist cuffs as hair scrunchies. I've always thought that wrist cuffs look like scrunchies, since I grew up when scrunchies were incredibly popular and I had one to match almost any outfit. I've wanted to wear them in my hair, but I kept deciding against it. I finally decided to, and I'm glad I did. I think they were pretty cute, and no-one even guessed that they weren't originally intended for hair.

I'd love to get an actually matching hair item to wear with Jewelry Jelly, but this was satisfying until that day finally comes~

It's too bad that the glittery-shimmery-awesome-ness of the socks didn't show up in the picture. They're really lovely in person~

The socks made me particularly excited. These socks were a recently purchase, and I just had to wear them! They are incredibly glittery! There are iridescent sparkly threads woven in the socks, so they shimmer beautifully~ I adore glittery things! They also have little crowns and bows on them. So cute!

It was raining on Saturday and I had some errands to run, so I wore a toned-down casual outfit. I didn't want anything the rain might ruin. It didn't rain very hard for most of the day, but it alternated between mildly rainy, sprinkling gently, and raining slightly harder. I had to wear my waterproof coat, which is very ugly, so most of my outfit would be covered up anyway!

Black outfits are hard to take pictures of. All of the different elements just seem to blend together into a blob of dark.

This was just something simple--a black Alice & the Pirates cutsew under a cardigan, a skirt with parasols (they look like umbrellas, so I thought it was fitting), and black tights and flats. This was the outfit that I was wearing when I had the conversation about lolita fashion on the train! It was really perfect for running about and getting things done, but I still felt frilly and in good spirits.

Amusingly enough, my mother really loved this outfit. So much that she called me to tell me that she had seen this picture and she really loved that outfit! I was quite surprised~

Outfit Snap: White & Black (& Green)

2010-10-08T12:43:00.000-05:00

I'm slowly working my way through a backlog of outfits~ Even though I'm sure these are the very least-interesting of anything I could write about, I like to log it--at least for posterity. Someday, when I'm an old woman, I can look back on whatever media this is someday archived as, and remember how much fun I had wearing silly clothes. n_n That's my goal!

A few weekends ago I had a friend over, and unintentionally we fell into kuro/shiro duality! I had dressed in all white with the intention to wear a pair of socks that I hadn't had the change to coordinate with anything. The socks are white and feature pink ribbons and bows spotted with white polka-dots in a wrap-around design. I had avoided wearing the socks with a similarly polka-dotted dress thinking it might be overkill, so I decided to wear it with white.

It's not quite twinning, but it was still a fun when we greeted each other and realized we were almost-kind-of opposites!

I wore a white one-piece with the ribbon socks and white shoes. I added a white parka when we ran a few errands. My trusty cardigan is too cream for this dress. I'd love to have a white bolero to wear with it (and other one-pieces and jumperskirts, as well) but that wasn't an option at the moment. The white parka has lining that is pink with white polka dots. The same fabric is used on the cuffs, so it mimicked the socks just a bit.

It really frustrates me that my petticoat is visible with this dress. Thankfully it at least somewhat blends in, being white, but it makes me feel like the hem is uneven.

I tried to do my hair in a more elaborate style, although nothing too amazing. I was inspired by one of the ball-jointed dolls made in a collaboration between Volks and BABY, the Stars Shine Bright: Charlotte. Her long hair is mostly loose, but the top is pulled back in two braided buns.

Looking back, I wish I hadn't decided to add the hairbows. I thought that I needed some kind of accessory and that those would be most simple, but they look a bit too large. It's difficult to see that I've styled my hair at all~

The next week it was officially fall, so I decided to celebrate a bit by wearing something that felt autumnal to me. Of course, I picked my plaid jumperskirt. The material and the tartan pattern always make me think of chillier weather, as does the darker colour.

Every time I wear this, it makes me wish I owned brown boots! Those would be my "dream shoes" for this jumperskirt~

I wore navy blue stockings so they would contrast with my white shoes. My white Tea Party shoes are much more comfortable than my brown shoes, and since I planned on doing a fair amount of walking around on that day I wanted to be comfortable. I prefer not to wear white shoes with white socks unless I'm wearing an all-white or mostly-white coordination, so I opted for dark stockings instead of white socks. I don't have a pair of knee socks that specifically matches the dark navy or hunter green of this jumperskirt~

I didn't want the white shoes to the be only white accent, so I also wore a white hairbow. The hairbow was a recently purchase, and I really like it~ I love hairbows, particularly enormous "head-eating" bows, but I don't like it when they stand up. I'm finding that more and more of the larger bows being sold now stand up instead of being tilted on the hairband so they lay on the head. This bow is certainly not large, but it is positioned at a nice angle. I was pleased to see it had the same rose lace as the jumperskirt~

I like adding hints of white, but I think that a navy blue cardigan would be even better than the cream one. I guess that's something else for the future!

I wore my cardigan--which I wear so frequently that it is probably approaching infamy--because it was a bit too chilly to wear short sleeves but I didn't quite want to wear a long sleeved blouse. It kept my arms warm, but I think I would have preferred to wear this with a navy cardigan...although if I did own a navy cardigan, it would only match this one outfit.

Maybe that means I need to start collecting other garments in navy blue tartan!

On Being Lolita: Winter Coats

2010-10-07T12:42:00.000-05:00

Autumn is here, and the chill in the air makes me think of winter coats!

BABY, the Stars Shine Bright has posted their 2010 Coat Collection in the reservation section. Angelic Pretty has added a few short jackets and capes to their jacket/coat section of the webshop. Metamorphose has their winter coats on reserve. Elegant coats and capes are on the reservation page at Victorian Maiden, as well as Mary Magdalene.

I really like the Dolly Long Cape from Angelic Pretty~ I think the design is cute in its simplicity, and the houndstooth pattern adds a nice touch.

This is my "dream coat." (If such a thing exists~) I believe it's called the Lovely Rabbit-Ear Coat and may be from 2005 or 2006.

There's something about a lolita fashion winter coat that is more than just a very expensive jacket. Although they're often not made for extremely cold winters, the shape is perfect for wearing over a lolita silhouette, and the designs are adorable. Although it is possible to wear other winter coats with a lolita outfit, oftentimes they don't fit the silhouette very well. A few buttons have to remain unbuttoned, or the skirt is squashed and twisted at an odd angle, or the jacket is large and baggy enough to be almost shapeless.

Most of all, I adore the designs of lolita fashion coats. They often have rows of ruffles, fur trim, and lace adornment. The designs can range from simple-yet-luxurious to ornate-and-eye-catching, but they all tend to make me think of an old-fashioned dress coat that has been updated and modified to suit the tastes of lolita. It makes me feel like it's slightly less of a shame to cover up my frilly clothing if my coat is frilled to accent it~

My coat is from 2007--"Going Out Chocola-chan." It's not new, rare, or sought-after, but I really love it~

This coat always gets plenty of use in the colder months, and the colder months here feel like they last quite a while~

I love the pink houndstooth, which is woven in tones of baby pink and pale cream. The small cape is such a perfect accent that I almost never unbutton it and wear the coat without it, even though that is an option. The white fake-fur adds a wintry touch to the cheerful colours, and I love that it seems even more decadent because it is dotted with imitation pearls. The buttons are pink, heart-shaped, and have a bow molded into the design. The applique of Chocola-chan, the white cat, is plush and accented with added details.

It's not quite cold enough to start wearing my coat yet, but autumn has reminded me to take it to be cleaned before the upcoming winter season. ♥ I keep entertaining the thought of buying another coat, since there are so many lovely designs, but I don't think I can really justify the purchase. I use my coat enough that I feel as though I have gotten a good value for it, but it would be difficult to do that all over again with a second coat. (Although, even knowing that, I still sort-of want another one~)

How do you feel about lolita winter coats? Do you have a favourite design? Do you own more than one? Or, perhaps--do you think they're unnecessary? I'm sure that not everyone shares my warm and fuzzy feelings about them--although I'd like to image it is so~ ☆

Outfit Snap: Casual Weekends

2010-10-06T13:40:00.000-05:00

In mid-September I opted for a few casual outfits. I absolutely love wearing frothy, pink, frilly, sparkly lolita outfits, even though I'm not much for very over-the-top variants of sweet lolita. Despite this, sometimes I want to wear something more subdued. Something that will get slightly less hollered comments from random passers-by. For those kinds of outfits, I usually don't wear a petticoat (for shame!) and opt for a main garment that seems toned down. Often I wear skirts and a sweater or cardigan, but these times I wore jumperskirts instead.

Eventually I'll wear this jumperskirt in a different way than just with this cardigan, but they match so well that it's hard for me to picture it any other way.

For this particular Friday I wanted something feminine and sweet. It honestly doesn't look very "lolita" to me, but that's mostly due to the lack of petticoat. I like wearing this jumperskirt with these tights--they're cream-coloured and have a textured design in the weave. They matched well with the off-white cardigan, as well.

I was surprised to notice that these flats, which I bought several months ago, are the same shade of pink as the ribbons on the jumperskirt. I originally planned to wear brown shoes, but since these match so closely I opted for them instead. I'm glad that I did, because I rarely have an excuse to wear these shoes. I think they're adorable, but I worry about ruining them so I don't wear them frequently. I usually don't prefer flats with lolita outfits, but in this case I was satisfied.

I tried to stand just a little bit differently than usual, or at least that's what I was thinking when the picture was taken. Despite my intentions, I look just about the same as always~

I chose to braid my hair because it was giving me a hard time. I wanted to fashion a more creative and slightly "romantic" hairstyle, like a braided hairband or something similar. I've been seeing a lot of really interesting ideas, particularly in suggestions for mori girl styles. I think they would be well-adapted to lolita fashion outfits that seem sweet but also classic, but I'll have to try some other day~

I had fun posing with the coffin case. It's been wandering around my house, so I decided to stand next to it instead of temporarily shoving it out of the way.

Same cardigan and tights, different weekend and jumperskirt. I wore this to spend a day with a friend~ The weather was somewhat undecided on whether it would be decently warm or slightly chilly, so I chose to wear a cardigan. (Plus, I really love this cardigan. Ridiculously love this cardigan. I need to stop wearing it so often, but I love it so~ ♥)

I had to take the pictures inside because it was rather late by the time I finally remembered that I hadn't taken any! It was much too dark outside to go there for better light. I did my best to adjust the yellow cast off the pictures.

I wore this red jumperskirt because it is comfortable and casual. I knew that my day would be a mix of chores, sitting around with my friend, and possibly some kind of adventure. I love the details on this dress, particularly the white polka dots and red lace and ribbons, and I thought that those elements could stand out against the off-white and relatively understated cardigan and tights. I chose brown shoes simply because they were the only pair that seemed to match.

Overall, it was a very "lazy" outfit, but it suited me well for the day and I enjoyed wearing it. I wish I could wear more dresses with cardigans--I think that's what I'd buy for all of my "normal" clothes if I had a larger budget.

The best part of the day was... finding pikachu slippers in Chinatown!!

Pikachuuuuuuuuuu! I love these slippers! I haven't worn them much, because I'm afraid of getting them dirty, but I keep them sitting around because I love their cheerful smiles!

They were so ridiculously cute that I couldn't pass them up! My husband and I have been playing Pokémon, so I was more drawn to them than I would have otherwise been. I've been treating these adorable slippers more like plush toys than actual slippers. I don't want them to get dirty! When I opened the package I realized that one of them had a smear and spent quite a while cleaning its face so they'd both be cute and tidy. I love how cheerful they look~

There were a few other pair at the shops, but some of the slippers had mis-placed eyes. It gave the pikachu a less-than-gleeful expression, and more of a "totally drunk" look. When my friend and I realized it we were nearly in tears with giggles!

On Being Lolita: Unexpected Encounters

2010-10-05T17:28:00.000-05:00

This weekend I had a day all to myself. My husband was at work, and I hadn't made any plans, so I decided to be productive. I made a list of chores and errands and started working on them right away, slowly checking things off my list. It was drizzling rain outside, but I didn't want to lose an opportunity to wear lolita fashion, so I dressed in something subdued but still good-mood-inducing. (Oftentimes I forget just how much I love wearing lolita, only to be reminded when I put on a pretty dress or add a bow to my hair. I always seem to remember it as slightly less-intensely enjoyable, and sometimes I slack off and don't put forth the effort because I don't think it will be "worth it." It is always "worth it!")

I headed out to pick up some groceries, and decided to head to a particular store that I don't usually frequent. I'm within walking distance of a selection of stores, but there are a few other places nearby that just require a train or bus ride. In this case, I took the train.

The rain was on-and-off all day. It didn't quite reach the level of a downpour, but it did get past a drizzle at several points. Sometimes it let up so that it almost seemed like the rain had stopped, but still there was a drop here or there. The temperature was also chilly; autumn is announcing proudly that it is here! I still don't have a lolita rain coat (I wish!), so I bundled up in my (hideous) black windbreaker and headed out.

After purchasing my groceries I walked back to the train station and waited for the train. It wasn't terribly crowded, but the only available seats were beside other passengers. I sat down next to a young man with white earbuds, oblivious to everything but his music, and read the advertisements near the ceiling of the train car to pass the short trip back to my stop.

I was surprised when I heard a mild voice address me from the direction of the young man. "I wish more people dressed like that," he said with a smile, holding his removed headphones in one hand.

Although my coat covered up most of my outfit (which was very simple save the lolita skirt), he had noticed the white print of parasols and logos along the bottom hem of my skirt. Apparently the words "BABY, the stars shine bright" meant something to him. He commented on how the style was anachronistic and yet still modern, and asked if I'd had a chance to visit one of the stores--either in Japan or San Francisco. I was really happy to be asked such detailed questions about the style from a stranger.

Most of the time, if a stranger wants to talk to me while I'm wearing lolita fashion, they ask the same questions:
"Why are you dressed like that?"
"Are you in a play?"
"Who are you supposed to be?"
"Do you like working at the American Girl store?"
"Is that purse a bunny?"

Those are the questions I've come to expect. I expect pokes on the shoulder, an exchange of confused glanced, curious whispers between friends, and raised eyebrows when people ask what's been on their mind while they've been staring. I certainly don't imagine that anyone knows what I'm wearing, although I do occasionally hear excited shouts of, "Hey! A lolita!" Even as I was talking to the friendly young man seated beside me, I could hardly comprehend that he not only knew that I was wearing a particular fashion style, but knew where the stores were located.

I know that some people worry about lolita fashion becoming mainstream or widely-accepted, but I really appreciated the change. I can honestly say that I wouldn't mind if the fashion were recognized by more people--if instead of shouting, "Little Bo Peep, where are your sheep?" they could just mutter and think, "One of those weird lolita girls." (Or, even better, smile and start a good-natured conversation!) I can't help but think that this one guy's recognition is related to the growth of lolita fashion in the United States. It isn't quite mainstream, but there's a lot more information available in English to anyone able to use Google.

Several years ago, that wouldn't have been the case. There wasn't a BABY, the Stars Shine Bright store in San Francisco. There weren't numerous (if misinformed) online articles. There weren't so many blogs, so many girls sharing photos, or so many companies offering overseas shipping and thus having that one page on their website, often awkwardly-phrased, with translated instructions for English-speaking customers. Now that Tokyo Rebel exists in New York City and Angelic Pretty will join BtSSB in having a San Francisco store, I can't help hoping that more information will spread.

There was something nice about being known. It made me feel like a person with an unusual clothing choice instead of a strange frilly alien to be feared. ♥

Outfit Snap: Pups in Cups

2010-10-01T11:54:00.000-05:00

In late August my husband and I spent a relaxing Saturday together, so I decided to dress up. His new job requires him to work on alternative weekends; we try to make the most of the days when neither of us is working. As my job considers Friday and Saturday to be a weekend, and his job considers Saturday and Sunday to be a weekend, Saturday was the day with overlap. We went out to breakfast and ran a few errands, then watched movies and played our new Pokémon games together.

This is my favourite sort of casual lolita. It was an outfit perfectly suited to a lazy weekend day~

I wanted to wear something I hadn't worn yet, and this skirt definitely fit that description! It's one of the things my little sister picked up for me in Japan. Since I don't usually wear skirts, preferring jumperskirts and one-pieces, so this has been in my closet for a bit. The print is very cute--the pattern definitely grew on me over time. The puppies hiding in those teacups are so tiny!

The weather was mild, but I didn't think I would be quite warm enough in a short-sleeved blouse, so I wore a camisole with a button-down cardigan. I think that in the future I'd choose a different cardigan, as this one doesn't really match as well as I had hoped, but I like this cardigan so much that it's becoming my go-to. I think the polka dots seemed somewhat out of place, as there are none on the skirt nor any elsewhere in my outfit.

Too keep the outfit less formal, I wore pearl hairbands instead of a larger hairbow. I have wanted hairbands this like since an accessory in this style was released on Poupée Girl, but I didn't find them until fairly recently. These are inexpensive because they were purchased at Forever 21, but they're also not the best quality. The ends can be sharp, something I plan to fix with mine.

I don't wear skirts very often. I wish I owned more cutsews, cardigans, or parkas to pair them with.

I opted for plain white socks and heart buckle shoes. I like the style of these shoes, but the fit isn't great even though my pair has a few layers of insoles. They were still comfortable to wear during the time we were out, though.

The next time I wear this skirt, I'll try to do something more interesting. Maybe by that point I'll have a pretty cutsew to pair it with~ Now that fall is here I've been eying some of the brands' embellished turtleneck sweaters. I think some of them are so cute~ Perhaps a sweater like that in white or pink would be a good match for this skirt.

Meetup Report: Pony Overload

2010-09-30T11:22:00.000-05:00

In mid-August, I arranged for a friend who was developing an interest in My Little Pony to visit my mother's house and see my collection. I have many ponies--it isn't an exaggeration. However, I know there are collectors with collections even more vast--particularly because there were hundreds, if not thousands, of unique ponies produced in the first generation of toys. I only collect the third generation, which is much more condensed. She also focuses on that generation, so I was very excited to be able to share my madness with someone who didn't think it was quite so crazy.

We planned for having tea, baking something sweet, watching My Little Pony: the Movie and perhaps some of the more recent films, picking up lunch, working on some pony-related craft projects, and shuffling through my collection. We didn't quite get as much done as we originally expected because we had to run an important errand--picking up the guinea pig from the vet post-operation. The receptionist and other owners certainly didn't know what to make of the two fluffy pink girls in their waiting room!

I already used this picture, but nothing better expresses his disagreement with whatever happened to him in the unfamiliar place. He was very glad to be at home with hay, pellets, basil, and treats instead of force-fed critical care.

After we collected our disgruntled charge and set him up to relax at home, we headed out for lunch. We stopped at the Japanese market and selected some sushi to take home. I really love sushi of all varieties, and growing up near a Japanese market with relatively inexpensive sushi really spoiled me! Now that I live in the city and can't go to that market on a regular basis, I buy sushi elsewhere (usually for much higher prices) and expect it to be as good. I'm usually disappointed--so whenever I'm in town I always want to stop in.

We also peeked around in the bookstore. When I attended Bon festival in early August, the bookstore had just gotten a Rilakkuma-themed scratchcard game. Each scratchcard was $5, and every card was guaranteed a prize--at least a set of wash
cloths. Two giant plush were the grand prizes--one Rilakkuma and one Korilakkuma. I won a set of wash cloths and a pink mug that first day. When I visited with my friend, she bought us each scratch tickets--and I won another mug, this time in green! I've had to keep away from the bookstore since then because the scratch game is addicting. I'm not even hoping for the grand prize, but I do like mugs~

I keep the ponies on two bookcases side-by-side, and a narrow bookcase between the closet doors. This isn't enough room for every pony--there are more tucked away in storage bins.

Back from our adventure, we set up a picnic on the floor of the living room (the only room with a VHS player) and watched My Little Pony: the Movie. This was one of my favorite movies when I was a child, and the VHS I own is the one I always watched! The story is as can be expected from the My Little Pony brand--Ponyland is threatened by something and various ponies (plus Megan, Danny, and Molly) have to try and save it. The animation isn't fantastic, but it's very nostalgic! (Besides, I really like the little songs, even the terrible ones!)

Some of my favourite ponies are the very large "Styling" ponies. They're mega-sized ponies, which I find fascinating! I wish they'd release more of these huge ponies~

After the movie, which thankfully isn't very long, we headed upstairs. I'm sure my family would prefer to put the room to better use now that I no longer live at home, but currently the bedroom that was mine is still a shrine to all things pink, cheerful, glittery, and frilly. Until I am able to bring my pony collection to where I currently live I don't really have any other option! It's not necessarily the easiest thing to store.

It was a lot of fun to look through the different ponies on display. We even started sorting through the closets, which contain even more ponies--some in storage bins and some still in the original packaging. I rarely do anything halfway--if I'm passionate about something, I'm completely devoted to the cause. These piles of brightly-coloured vinyl horses are a testament to that! (And, in a similar way, so is my closet filled with ruffles and lace!)

Regardless of generation, I collect Pinkie Pie. I try to keep those ponies clustered together, partially because I like seeing that much pink all in one space and partially because otherwise I tend to forget which ones I don't have yet and buy duplicates!

By the end of the day we were going through negotiations--the room was like a stock exchange, if stocks were instead small toys. Loose ponies, boxed ponies, multi-packaged ponies--everywhere! It was absolutely ridiculous, but also so much fun~ ★ I'm really glad to know someone I can share my excitement with. I have many friends that share my interest in lolita fashion, some that enjoy the same sort of music that I do, others who are also fond of baking, yet more who like ball-jointed dolls, and still more who enjoy other little things that I'm fascinated with--but until very recently, I didn't have a friend who was also interested in My Little Pony. I'm thrilled that I do now!

I had so much fun posing for this picture. I love my mother's SMART. Whenever I'm visiting I drive it as much as possible.

When we finally parted ways it was quite late, but I think we were both in high spirits. I'm looking forward to having more fun in the future--particularly with the new television show debuting on October 10th! We've been joking about having a season premiere party, and maybe we will. If only the 10th wasn't a Sunday!

On Being Lolita: More Questions

2010-09-29T12:53:00.000-05:00

I've been neglecting my poor blog~ These past few weeks I have been feeling a bit less fluffy than usual, so I haven't been writing. I'm trying to get back on track, particularly because the coming of autumn brings such a nice season for wearing lolita and attending meetups.

Since starting up an account at Formspring and incorporating it onto my blog, I've been getting quite a few questions. I've already posted previously with a compilation of questions and answers, but I think now is as good a time as any to do so again. Please remember that these answers are my opinions. I'm just me--feel free to agree or disagree.

1. Do you wear lolita to work?
Sometimes. Lolita outfits are not against my company's dress code, and I don't interact with clients. However, I don't like wearing lolita fashion to work because it's distracting to my coworkers; I want to be remembered for the work I do, not what I wear.

2. How did you come up with your blog name 'Pink Mlik Tea'?
I LOVE milk tea, and I like pink! Besides, some of my other choices were already taken! :3

3. Would you say you dress like your doll or that your doll dresses like you?
Neither, actually! My doll (now dolls) has a lot of school uniforms and dresses in dark colours. Her one pink outfit has shorts, so I would NEVER wear it. I don't dress her in lolita fashion. My "casual" clothes are jeans and t-shirts, something I won't purchase for my doll.

4. You say you wear bloomers. Where did you buy them?
I have a few pair that were made by a friend (bloomers are not difficult to make) and a few pair from Metamorphose--although, since I prefer the longer length, Meta uses the term "drawers." Their "bloomers" are much shorter. Meta bloomers/drawers are quite expensive, but mine were part of lucky packs.

5. What challenges will a boy face coming to a Chicago lolita meetup? I would like to make friends, but am worried about acceptance of single males in the group. Could you offer honest and frank advice?
The biggest challenge in being a male attending a meetup, particularly alone, is making it clear by your behavior and in conversation that you a) don't think lolita fashion is a sexual fetish and b) aren't attending in an attempt to hit on community members. The biggest barrier that a boy will face is suspicions about his intentions. Most of the girls are used to being mocked, propositioned, or any number of other extremely uncomfortable things when wearing the style.
If you're truly interested in the fashion and joining the community, you shouldn't have to work very hard to "prove" yourself at all--it will be immediately evident.
It helps to come dressed in your best attire and have a good attitude. Everyone is very friendly, but you'll need to be friendly as well. Sometimes there are so many people in one place that it's impossible to focus on every shy newcomer and coax them into conversation, and thus people can feel neglected or ignored. It's best to avoid this from the start--introduce yourself and join in conversations. If "jumping right in" is overwhelming, try to talk to a few people one at a time during the event. And, most importantly, continue to attend! It's hard to get to know people based on one impression.
If you have any other questions I'll do my best to answer them, as well.

6. I saw that you have Secret Shop Shoes. Do you think they fall large, small or are they just right?
Secret Shop shoes are fairly true to size, and in my experience they run -just slightly- larger than the original shoes. (For example, my Secret Shop replicas are slightly larger than my Angelic Pretty tea party shoes.)

7. How do you know what kind of petticoat you need? A-line, fluffy, A-shape, it's so confusing!
The type of petticoat you need is determined by the fullness of the skirts you're wearing. :3 "Fluffy" is usually the very full, traditional bell-shaped petticoat. A-line/A-shape/princess are less full--they give you a more trapezoidal shape (like an uppercase "A"--fluffy petticoats are more like an upside-down "U"). Circle skirts and full trapezoid skirts benefit from a fuller petticoat. If you try to put a full petticoat beneath a skirt with less yardage, it will be squashed and not fit properly.
I usually determine which kind of pannier is required by following the line of the skirt on stock images or estimating the gathers at the waist. Looking at a stock image, if the skirt curves up and out from the waist, I'll want a full petticoat. If the skirt slopes down from the waist, A-line will be better. Skirts that need full petticoats also tend to have more gathers at the waist, because there is more fabric.
If you prefer a less-full silhouette, you can usually wear an A-line petticoat beneath just about anything without creating a look that is awkward.

8. Do you buy your lolita clothes in a shop (like Tokyo Rebel), online or secondhand?
I buy most of my clothes secondhand, either from friends or online. I don't live near a shop, and I've never been to Japan. I have made a few direct online purchases, but usually I look for good prices on lightly-used garments on Yahoo!Japan or egl_comm_sales.

9. Did you see that on Qcute they have almost exact replicas of Angelic Pretty's Wonder Cookie? What do you think of that?
I don't support replicas out of respect to the artists and designers of the original garments, particularly when artwork is involved.
(I'm still trying to sort out my feelings about replica shoes. I don't support that practice either, but I do own a pair that I love to wear--which is hypocritical.)

10. Where do you buy your lolita socks?
I buy my socks from Angelic Pretty, BABY the Stars Shine Bright, and Metamorphose, sometimes directly from the companies, sometimes on egl_comm_sales, and sometimes from auctions on Yahoo!Japan.

11. Do you buy from AP's English site or Japanese? In the case of Japanese: isn't that hard?
I usually buy from their Japanese site via shopping service. The English site avoids most fees, but the communication is not very good and the selection of items is worse.
It's not very hard to order from the Japanese site; I can read enough lolita fashion-specific Japanese (measurements, fabric type, etc.) since I've been interested in the style for several years. It's even easier to see if something is in stock--I just try and add it to the cart and see if I get an error message. They won't ship overseas from the Japanese website, though; a shopping service is necessary.

12. Do you know a good shopping service?
I've heard good things about Japonica Market, but I've never used them.
I like to use Crescent-Shop, because I like their system. However, they do not have a low fee structure.

I think there are even more questions, but those will have to be for another day~ I'm glad that there's been some use of the "ask questions" feature, and I hope it's been useful to someone.

Please remember--if you'd like me to get back to you instead of answering the question publicly, just include your email address in your question. I'll send you an email instead~ ♥

Outfit Snap: Ponies and Dolls

2010-09-08T11:04:00.000-05:00

When I discovered that a friend of mine was becoming interested in My Little Pony, something I've been obsessed with to different degrees for several years, I could think of only one thing: "Oh my goodness--she needs to see my collection!" I made plans with her to do just such a thing as soon as possible. When I relayed this to my husband, wondering what to wear, he immediately suggested Cherry Berry Bunny.

My mother was kind enough to take this picture of us together. I was blinking in almost every shot!

I've worn this jumperskirt many times, and I haven't purchased anything new and exciting in a few months, so this isn't exactly a brand new and utterly original coordination. Despite that, I always enjoy wearing this jumperskirt~ ☆

A short-sleeved white blouse was a good choice for the warm day we chose to get together. I thought we'd spend most of the day in the air-conditioned house, but instead we ran several errands--including picking up my guinea pig from the vet post-surgery and grabbing lunch. I selected pink socks without lace to contrast better with my white shoes without being too fussy. The print on the jumperskirt is already very eye-catching.

I left my hair down an added a small bow with a pom-pon, because it makes me think of a bunny's tail. ♥

This was a grumpy, distrustful, partially-shaved piggie. We quickly appeased him with basil.

The next day I attended a doll meetup at a local zoo. My husband suggested this dress, which I think is one of his favourites. It might be the old-fashioned styling, with the bell sleeves, high waist, and thin waist ties.

I put my hair up in pigtails to keep it off of my neck and accented them with the bow-clips I am fond of wearing. The socks I chose have a white rose pattern and white lace at the top. I feel like it mimics the print and trim of the dress itself, although the lace is not the same kind used on the one-piece.

I almost forgot to get an outfit picture, but thankfully we remembered just in time. It would have been much too dark by the time we got home that evening!

It was a nice, simple outfit. Although the weather was warm, I was glad to have the long sleeves to cover my arms. I carried the parasol for most of the event, but I can't very easily carry a doll and a parasol so sometimes I went without.

I realized during the meetup that my newer doll is very, very heavy. My poor husband wound up lugging her around in the bag for part of the trip. I don't think she'll be coming with me again unless I start lifting weights or magically gain better upper-body strength! (That seems unlikely...)

I haven't had an opportunity to dress up since these occasions in mid-August, so I had been putting off writing about it. I'm hoping that this upcoming weekend doesn't get complicated; I'll be quite upset if I'll miss another opportunity. The weather is cool, but not too chilly, so it's the perfect temperature for the layers of lolita outfits!

Charming Activities: My Little Pony

2010-09-01T12:53:00.000-05:00

My Little Pony was my first love. Before I started wearing lolita fashion, that was where my money went. The newest generation of the collectible plastic horses was released while I was in high school, and for years any spending money would be promptly converted into ponies at the nearest Target, Toys R Us, or Wal-Mart. Even when I wasn't collecting, I still measured money in terms of the quantity of $5 ponies it will buy; this habit even rubbed off on my husband!

Several ponies from the first generation; the ponies with white bodies belonged to me when I was a little girl. I'm not very fond of this style of pony, but I love the So Softs because they're fuzzy.

For a while, My Little Pony was my only hobby. My bedroom was like a shrine to the plastic toys, which peeked out of every nook and cranny. I collected related paraphernalia, as well, so my walls were occupied by My Little Pony posters, my desk filled with My Little Pony pens and notebooks, and my bed topped with My Little Pony plush toys. It really overwhelmed most visitors, but it made me very gleeful to see the brightness and glitter of so many things that I enjoyed.

The first release of My Little Pony occurred in the 1980s before I was born. The focus was on brightly-coloured toy horses released in sets that little girls would want to collect. As was the custom at the time, the toys were promoted with a cartoon. For years, Hasbro came up with new "types" of ponies to enchant little girls--from the rainbow-haired, glitter-symboled Rainbow Ponies to the jewel-eyed Twinkle Ponies to the scented, three-dimensional-symboled Sundae Best Ponies to the slender, iridescent-winged Flutter Ponies. Every year there was something new and special! Despite the updates, the production ended after 1992.

In 1997, the concept was redesigned and brought back into production. These ponies were smaller, slimmer, and came with lots of accessories. The line didn't last long in the US, as these ponies were discontinued after 1999, but they continued to be sold in Europe for many years after.

In 2003, My Little Pony was redesigned yet again. These were the ponies that caught my eye. Although larger and less delicate than the second generation of ponies, they bear only slight resemblance to the first generation of My Little Pony toys from the 80s. Their releases, however, followed the protocol of the first generation--the ponies were released in sets, with few accessories, based on themes. As the years progressed, more ponies were introduced and playsets became more common. Although there were many duplicates, re-releases, or somewhat unimaginative ponies, I still loved them all and sought to find them.

My ponies aren't terribly organized--I ran out of shelf space very quickly! Even when they're in disarray, the cheerful colours make me smile~

My interest never waned, but my collecting died down when the toy line underwent more changes. In 2008, Hasbro stopped releasing new ponies and instead began "Core 7." Focusing on seven ponies, in an attempt to form characters that children would recognize and identify with, these ponies were released and re-released in different sets with slight changes. At this point, I stopped paying too much attention. Although one of these ponies was my favourite pony, Pinkie Pie, the others didn't interest me.

I focused instead on second-hand purchases of other ponies I had missed out on over the years, but as the gaps in my collection narrowed it became more and more difficult. At this time I my interest in lolita fashion was quite strong, so I was more willing to purchase a new jumperskirt than pay $50+ for one particularly hard-to-fine toy horse. I also didn't have much spending money. Additionally, I was living away from home due to university, and I couldn't bring my collection with me to the places I stayed. I no longer focused on my pony collection and constantly contemplated selling it off.

Despite my thoughts of exiting the hobby I had invested so much time and effort in, I couldn't do it. As much as wearing lolita fashion made me very happy, seeing and fussing my collection made me happy, too. ♥ I started bringing a few ponies with me to the places I was living, and it reminded me why I had started collecting them in the first place: they were cute, small, inexpensive, and made me smile. ♥

Pinkie Pie is my favourite pony--even in the "new" style, which I'm not terribly fond of. I collect all of her variations.

My heart even warmed to the newest redesign of the ponies, although their large heads and small bodies had initially confused and dismayed me. Another redesign looms on the horizon, to correspond with the upcoming My Little Pony cartoon "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic." The new artwork and toys don't look much at all like the ponies from my childhood, but I'm curious to see how the line continues to evolve. Best of all, I've found a friend who shares my pony-related passion; so I have someone to express my excitement (or outrage) with!

I'm hoping that I'll soon be able to set up my collection in my home--at least partially. I need to find space for the bookcases so that I can get the ponies into order. It's fun to visit my mother's house and walk into the pony-topia that is my former bedroom, but it would be even better to have that sort of atmosphere on a day-to-day basis. (Plus all of those colours make a really fun, vibrant background for lolita fashion!)

All of the things I like represent me in some way. I used to be worried about that kind of thing. "What will people think if they see my room is full of these toys?" "What will she say if she sees my closet is full of frills?" "What might he tell others if he sees my kitchen is full of teacups?" Those kinds of worries only make me unhappy with being myself. Rather than focus on something so negative, I want to enjoy being who I am. Even if collecting toys is childish, I should be allowed to make that choice for myself. I don't want someone else to dictate how much fun I'm allowed to have! ♥

Outfit Snap: Casual Saturday

2010-08-26T11:58:00.017-05:00

This past month hasn't been one full of dressing up. With all of the guinea pigs' vet appointments I've been dashing back and forth on the days I'm not at work, and most of the time I haven't felt up to putting on fancy clothes. This past weekend, however, I was able to stay at home and relax (until Crème Puff's hopefully final appointment next weekend). My husband and I decided to go on a date on Saturday, a day we both have off of work, and that was an opportunity I didn't want to pass up.

I forgot to take pictures until the very last minute, when we returned home. I was having too much fun!

I wanted to wear something that was slightly more casual. I have a few things that I acquired a little while ago but haven't actually worn yet, so I picked one of those for our date. I don't often wear skirts, since I prefer jumperskirts and one-pieces, but while my little sister was in Japan she picked me up a very cute skirt. I like to call this print "Pups in Cups," as I can never remember what it's actually called and there are puppies in teacups featured prominently along the border. When we stopped at a shop, the cashier noticed all of the strawberries on my skirt. She was even more excited when I pointed out the puppies~ ♥

I paired the skirt with a white parka with pink polka-dot accents on the cuffs and the hood. I think in the future I'd prefer to wear this skirt with a cardigan or pretty cutsew, but I didn't want something so formal. I wore plain white knee socks to keep things toned down, and pink shoes.

The skirt has some interesting shades of pink in it. I'd like to wear it with shoes in the darkest pink, but I'm not sure they'd match anything else. I'm never really sure how to coordinate skirts. I don't have many tops that are pretty enough to seem suitable on their own. My wardrobe always seems to have gaps of missing items, regardless of how full my closet looks!

Charming Activities: Pokémon HeartGold

2010-08-25T11:15:00.000-05:00

I have been very entranced for the past few days because my husband bought Pokémon HeartGold for me! ♥

Having a new game has given me a reason to actually use my poor DS! I'm not a very devoted game player.

It has been almost ten years since I've owned a Pokémon game--the last one I had was Pokémon Yellow! One of the reasons I'm enjoying Pokémon HeartGold so much is that it reminds me very much of Pokémon Yellow. My favourite part of that game was that Pikachu followed your character around and you could talk to it. I like the idea of pokémon--cute wild animals that have special abilities suited to fighting--but I don't like that the games (unlike the television show) doesn't allow you to actually interact with the ones you've captured. (I have this dream of a game I like to jokingly call "Pokémon Pink" where you can interact using the touchscreen to groom, feed, and talk to your pokémon.)

It's actually because of Pokémon Yellow that we wound up getting the new games. I gave my GameBoy Color and all of the games to a younger cousin several years ago, so I found an emulator for our computer. (I'm still very tempted to buy a used system and the game, even with a new game to play!) I only played it a bit, but it made my husband really nostalgic. Nostalgic enough that when we passed by a video game store he wanted to browse the used games, intending to pick up a copy of one of the GameBoy Advance Pokémon titles. I planted a few choice hints (I can be very persuasive...), and moved his attention to the new games.

The updated graphics and game play are so much different from what I remember! I love the level of detail.

The Sentret is my favourite pokémon so far. I love having it follow me around because it looks like a bunny with a raccoon tail! So cute~ ♥

It's been particularly fun to use some of the connectivity abilities with the game, since my husband bought himself a copy of Pokémon SoulSilver. We used the Union Room to trade (my Caterpie for his Weedle), then played with some of the other features. When we started to use the "DRAW" feature I sketched a quick scribble of his Bayleef...and at first he didn't believe I was actually drawing it! We also battled--I lost spectacularly. I used my strongest pokémon and he used his weakest, but the level difference was just too much. Someday we'll have a rematch!

I wish I had more friends with DS Pokémon games so we could interact, too! (Although it seems that at least two of my friends also own HeartGold, but they bought probably got the game in March when it was new and thus aren't as enthralled at the moment as I am.) Despite the assured lack of interest, I like to picture a Pokémon meetup where we could sit around, drink tea, and play the game together--wearing lolita fashion, of course. n_~

I really like the touch-screen capabilities. It makes it easy to navigate the various options and sub-screens, but it's so nicely designed that it's not a hassle to use the buttons instead if you so choose.

The gameplay maintains true to the original Pokémon premise of "Gotta Catch 'em All!" but it has new features and is very organized. I like the updated graphics and animations the most--the cuteness is even more overwhelming when the creatures are shown larger and in colour~ I really like that the bottom screen of the DS displays the menu at all times. It's easy access to viewing the statistics of my current team, checking to see what I still haven't caught in the Pokédex, reviewing the information on my ID, going through the items that I've picked up, altering game options, and saving the game. (Plus I get a lot of use from the equippable running shoes, easily tapped on and off so I don't have to hold down the B-button!)

Of course, I haven't played a Pokémon game in nearly a decade (I feel...so old...), so some of the features that really dazzle me might not be impressive to someone who has played more recent editions of Pokémon. One of the other things I like, although it's very trivial, is the divided portions of the bag the player carries. I like thinking that the Poké Balls aren't knocking around in one pouch with the Potions and Apricorns, liable to cause breaking or damage. (It's also easier to review what I'm carrying, since I look at different "pockets" at a time.)

I especially like the ability to choose a girl character. When I showed the game to a friend of mine, he thought I had designed the character's appearance because she has brown pigtails and a large bow on her head. Honestly, though, I like to picture that the player actually looks like me--even though you can't represent that kind of detail in the game. I'd want to be wearing lolita fashion, of course, but something simplified to fit in with the general art style of the game.

I was being silly, so I came up with this very messy sketch! I tried to make it look vaguely authentic, but I'm not very good at drawing. There are lots and lots of mistakes!

I came up with a sketch on a whim, but I'm stumped on what to do with the jumperskirt. Maybe if I figure it out, I'll draw a real picture. I want something that won't be too elaborate, but also won't seem underwhelming. I would also like to include pockets, as I imagine they'd be useful for Potions or Poké Balls, but they tend to seem out of place due to the shape of the skirt. I haven't drawn in a while, but I started feeling inspired since I'm having so much fun with the game and my husband and I have been watching the cartoon. (It just seems like an appropriate thing to have on in the background while playing the game.)

Does anyone else play Pokémon? Do you have a favourite game or favourite character?

Meetup Report: Mega-Meetup

2010-08-18T11:17:00.000-05:00

On July 24th, I attended had a massive picnic meetup in the heart of the city. It was heavily advertised in the Chicago-area communities and those of Wisconsin, so the turnout was really amazing! So many people were there; it was astounding! I saw lots of friends, including some I hadn't seen in quite a while, and saw a few new faces, too~ ♥ I spent quite a bit of time fending off public park officials who seemed certain that we were some kind of group likely to start performing or somehow otherwise disobeying park rules just because there were so many girls dressed oddly gathered in one place.

We met at Millennium Park, near the Cloud Gate sculpture (aka: the bean), where we briefly introduced each other with our names and locations. After assessing that most of the group had arrived, we then headed across the street to a more secluded area for the actual picnic. It was nice to be out of the sun, as that weekend was one of the hottest weekends of the summer, and even nicer to be away from prying eyes. Everyone spread out their picnic blankets on the grass like a giant quilt, then started to arrange everyone's dishes.

There were so many people, it was like looking at a see of fluff and colour!

I had a lot of fun wandering around and trying to talk to everyone. There were brief introductions before heading to the picnic area, but I didn't really managed to remember most of it. I'm really terrible with names, so I knew I'd never learn over thirty people's names just from hearing it once. It was almost overwhelming to see so many people, though! I couldn't keep track! I know there are at least a few people that I didn't talk to for at least a few minutes, but I tried.

I was really surprised to talk to a very sweet young lady who recognized me from my blog! XD That was incredibly amusing--I never expect anyone to actually read this, particularly not those I don't know personally. It was a very pleasant surprise! (And I hope to see her again at more meetups, too! ♥)

Near the picnic blankets some girls stood and talked, enjoying the shade of the trees.

I was very excited to reconnect with some lolita I hadn't seen in a while. Meetup times and locations don't always work for absolutely everyone in the area (and I think this meetup showed that there are really quite a lot of people interested in the fashion in the area!), so sometimes it will be months at a time before schedules mesh correctly again. (It also doesn't help that I miss all of the Sunday events! Le sigh...)

However, there were also a few girls from Wisconsin, Michigan, and I think even Indiana who took the time to travel. Having an opportunity to spend some time with long-distance friends is always exciting. I don't ever get the chance to do much traveling myself, so I have to wait for people to maybe-perhaps head towards me and hope they have some time to spare.

Helena (of 黒ピンク) is always the most elaborately-dressed person I know. Everyone wanted to "ooh" and "aah" over her beautiful Milky★Planet jumperskirt.

The only unpleasant part of the picnic involved some rude photographers. A large group of them came upon our picnic and began taking pictures without speaking to anyone or asking anyone's permission. I only noticed one picture-taker at first, and initially thought that he was invited by someone at the meetup, but soon there was a swarm. It made everyone very uncomfortable. It felt very dehumanizing. It isn't legally necessary for photographers to ask for permission when in public places, but honestly it's simply rude. I wish I knew what group it was, because I'd certainly like to chide their behavior.

Beyond the uninvited camera-toting group, there was an "officially sanctioned" videographer at the event. I spent some time talking to the camera crew that attended the meetup. I had thought at first that they might be from a local newspaper, but I thought one of the girls looked very familiar. It turns out that she worked on a documentary on lolita for a school assignment ("Lolita in Translation") that I helped out with a little over a year ago. They're working on a follow-up and/or expanded documentary, this time not on the tight schedule and requirements of an assignment. It was neat to see them again and talk about what they're working on now. They're very talented, and I love the way they shape their projects. None of the people who worked on and produced the documentary had any interest in lolita fashion other than "what is this anyway?" and I think their views as outsiders helped create something that is very accessible and not heavily biased. I'm looking forward to future projects, lolita-related or not!

Afterwards, we briefly enjoyed the air conditioning in the cultural center.

After a few rounds of lolita-themed bingo, the sky started to look a bit stormy. There had been reports that the weather might get inclement, so we headed towards shelter. The cultural center is always a nice place to take a group, as there is no admission or other fees. It's a quiet, beautiful building...and it has air conditioning! When you've spent so much time in the heat and humidity, air conditioning is a beautiful, glorious thing.

At that point the group started to splinter. Some people needed to get home soon; others were making plans for dinner or other activities after the meetup. When the cultural center started to close, we headed outside and started to go separate ways. I wound up at the Melting Pot (the only place downtown that could seat a large quantity of frilly girls on a very short notice) after an ill-fated attempt to visit the Rainbow Room.

I could not resist climbing up on this large cow statue! I was not the only one who felt that way.

By the time I finally got home, I was utterly exhausted--but it was so much fun! I still prefer smaller meetups, as this one was a bit overwhelming at times, but there's something amazing about witnessing proof that so many people so close to you have the same hobby and interest. Hopefully I'll see many of these girls, particularly those I met for the first time, at meetups that have yet to be! Otherwise, maybe they'll come next year! The goal is to make this "mega-meetup" an annual event.

Special thanks to Jordana of Qylaar for the use of some of her pictures!

Outfit Snap: Jewelry Jelly

2010-08-17T13:37:00.000-05:00

At the end of July there was a very large meetup (which I kept affectionately referring to as the "megameet") downtown in the city. There was a lot of fussing among everyone in the area about what to wear for this meetup, and I wasn't sure what to pick, either. In the end, I wore my Jewelry Jelly jumperskirt because several of my friends also owned it, so we thought it would be fun to dress up similarly. It was almost an attempt to twin, but there were four of us and we didn't try to match very closely.

I didn't stand still long enough for any separate pictures, but I tried to take a few with friends. This lovely young lady had such a beautiful dress! The print is adorable!

Since I have the jumperskirt in pink, I wore it with a white short-sleeved blouse and pink and white striped socks. The socks have darker pink bows up the back, and although I had worn them with other outfits in the past I kept thinking about how they'd probably match Jewelry Jelly. The print has a lot of colours--mint green, robin's egg blue, pale lavender, and darker candy pink. The darker pinks match the colour of the bows on the back of the socks, and the pink of the rest of the fabric matches the striping on the socks. I was really pleased with it--I'm sure that I'll wear these socks with this jumperskirt again!

Although the jumperskirt looks very nice without a blouse, I don't feel comfortable wearing it as a sundress when I'll be spending most of my time out in public. I chose a blouse with eyelet lace instead of crocheted lace, but I think that in the future I ought to get a blouse with tulle lace. The jumperskirt has tulle lace, so I think it will be a better match.

It's easier to see my wrist cuffs, hair ties, ring, and nail polish in this picture. I spent a lot of time painting my nails for this outfit!

I wore a bit of makeup that day--blush and mascara. I think makeup can be a lot of fun, but I'm very allergic to it so I can only use it very sparingly. By the end of the day my cheeks were very itchy and the mascara (because it wasn't waterproof--I haven't found a makeup removers for waterproof mascara that wasn't too harsh) had smudged under my eyes. XD There's still something about makeup I can't resist, though--it makes me feel extra girly! ♥

I painted my nails to match the colours of the dress's print! I realized that I owned most of the colours already (just no light blue...). I alternated Essie's mint candy apple, flawless, and St. Lucia lilac. When that was dry, I added two coats of main squeeze for an iridescent, violet-tinted sparkle. My little sister let me borrow a turquoise Jewelry Jelly ring (which is one of the cutest accessories I've ever seen). It's so cute that I haven't returned it yet. :x

We wound up with Jewelry Jelly quadruplets! And I didn't get any pictures other than this quick one that is very shadowy. Darn!

I don't have the matching hairbow for this series, and it doesn't look quite right with any of the non-patterned hairbows and headdresses that I owned. I put my hair in pigtails but shook them out so they wouldn't be one ringlet, and added a bauble of a crystalline heart. It makes me think of the gelatin featured on the print! I'd love to find the hairbow someday, or maybe get something else gelatin-themed. I'm not partial to the mini-hat that was released, but a hairband or barrette of jellies might be nice.

I was absolutely the least creative of my three other Jelly-fied friends. Oh well! ☆

Update: Back from Surgery

2010-08-16T12:37:00.001-05:00

Creme Puff had his surgery on Thursday, August 12. He's been doing pretty good--it seems like he'll pull through fine, barring any unpleasant downturns. He came back right on schedule, the day after the procedure. He really hates being force-fed, so he was a bit grumpy when we picked him up. It took a little while to convince him I wasn't going to stick a big syringe in his mouth as long as he ate food on his own, but we convinced him with basil. My mother and stepfather have been growing basil, and the guinea pigs really love it. (Plus, they smell really nice when they eat it!)

He took some time to relax once we got him home. I'm sure being at the vet for the operation was pretty stressful.

He's just as energetic and boistrous as ever. (As soon as I got him back into the city, he went, "A-HA! THERE's the guy that feeds me!" and put up a big fuss until my husband provided lettuce.) He doesn't seem to notice that he has a huge stitched-up incision, except when he tries to streeeeeeeeeetch to peek over the top of the cage like he usually does and then suddenly realizes it kinda hurts. Poor thing. His pain medication seems to be doing a good job, though, because otherwise he is just as active as he was before.

He has a check-up in two weeks, and hopefully it will be all good news! I've got my fingers crossed hoping for the best!

Charming Activities: Calico Critters

2010-08-15T09:40:00.000-05:00

I have a soft spot for toys. Before I started wearing lolita fashion, I spent quite a bit of time and money collecting toys. I didn't necessarily go after things that were collectible or high-value, just anything I thought was cute. When I went away to university and moved out of my mother's house, I donated the bulk of my collections due to space restraints. Since I now live in an even smaller place, I hadn't given those collections-of-the-past even a passing thought.

Then, in mid-June, I attended a meetup where we visited a cute toy store...and spotted Calico Critters! My husband was sweet enough to buy me a family of bunny figures while I stared at the shelves and displays with dreamy-eyed nostalgia. ♥ I didn't have many Calico Critters when I was a child, only a few, but I loved anything pocket-sized that involved animals. I would make little homes for them in tucked-away spaces, furnished with all sorts of re-used tidbits to form furniture and accessories.

I adore the details of these little figures! Whenever I spot them, I feel a bit more cheerful.

Calico Critters are the US-versions of Sylvanian Families. They're small animal figures, usually under 3 inches tall, with jointed arms and legs. Their hands lack fingers, but have a separated thumb that allows certain playset accessories to be "held" when they're eased into place. The figures are hard plastic, but they're covered in flocking to make the animals fuzzy. The figures are anthropomorphic, so sometimes they don't look much like actual animals, as the focus is on cute humanoid-types living a quaint life and wearing clothing. They're marketed as both collectibles for adults and toys for children. (Although there are many small pieces, so they're not for very young children.)

I had lots of fun taking these pictures--this playset is just adorable!

What has always fascinated me about these toys is the level of detail put into the playsets and accessories. When we spotted Calico Critters at My Favorite Toy Store in Downers Grove, my husband was amazed at how realistic the furniture looked. Most doll furniture that I grew up with was made of thin neon pink plastic with little detail. These accessories use a slightly marbled dense brown plastic for "wood" furniture, with other colours as necessary.

The smaller accessories are carefully sculpted and painted with detail. Perfume bottles in a dress shop have a coloured translucent "bottle" to resemble glass, with gold metallic paint on the "cap." Small swatches of muted floral fabric are used to upholster couches and chairs. Everything is carefully in scale with the figures, who often have very short legs compared to similar-sized dollhouse dolls. It's very charming! ♥

It was slightly difficult to make sure the critters stayed upright on the carpeting, but usually luck was on our side.

A friend of mine bought a set of gray bunnies and a "hook-a-duck" carnival attraction, so a few days later she came over and we had fun setting up little scenes. If I had more space, I'd probably want something ridiculously large, like one of the houses, and try keep it set up as a display. (Particularly because my family of bunnies is the "Chocolate" family, who run the "Courtyard Restaurant" on the patio of their home. It's a very quaint building!) I also had a chance to find my set of guinea pigs, which were a gift from another friend when she went to Ireland. They don't bear much of a resemblance to guinea pigs, but they fit right in with the families of brown-eared bunnies and gray bunnies.

Since acquiring my bunnies, I've seen Calico Critters in other retail stores! I've spotted them in Toys R Us, and there was a very large display in FAO Schwartz when I visited New York in June! I wonder if they'll catch on with children--they haven't been updated to be "more modern" or "hip," but they're certainly cute. I certainly hope they have some appeal, so that someday I can stare at the large playsets in an actual store and try very hard not to bring home a cottage or manor. ...But those manors are very tempting.

Outfit Snap: Birthday Cake Ruffles

2010-08-14T13:59:00.000-05:00

My birthday this year was in the middle of the second-to-last week in July! I had wanted to do something for my birthday, like throw a small party, but when that time of year rolled around I realized that it wouldn't fit in well with most of my friends' schedules and there were already events planned for the surrounding weekends. So instead I dressed up, went to work, and then spent the evening with my husband.

The night before I had actually been moping around the house about not being able to do anything fun on my birthday, and my husband was the one to encourage me to make my own fun. He suggested that I wear lolita even though it wasn't a weekend, reminding me that it wasn't actually "outlawed" at work. I wavered on the decision for quite a while, flip-flopping between the options, but the next morning I decided to make the most of my day--so I wore it. I don't regret the decision!

I kept giggling when this picture was being taken. There were so many bad pictures with my mouth open!

Since it was supposed to be a day of celebration, I picked a dress that is very important to me--the dress my husband bought me when Angelic Pretty opened up their international online shipping. The details on the hem of the skirt make me think of the icing on a fancy birthday cake! (So what could be more suitable?)

The coordination itself is very low-key, because that's what I like to wear. I paired the dress with matching hairbows tucked into low pigtails, white knee socks, and pink shoes. White knee socks and pink shoes is probably my favourite combination; that's why I wear it all the time! I particularly like how it looks with a non-patterned pink and white dress.

My hairbows look very silly peeking out from behind my head! They're like strange pink antenna~

I didn't have anything to worry about at work, and afterwards my husband met me at my office. It was a lovely way to spend my birthday. I certainly could imagine a "more perfect" celebration, but I guess I'm getting too old for that kind of thing anyway. Instead, I want to be thankful for getting to spend it with my favourite person. ♥

Reading Corner: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

2010-08-13T13:24:00.029-05:00

I had so much fun reading Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters that I absolutely had to read Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. It isn't by the same author, but it uses the same concept.

I love the bloody smears around the somewhat-smirking figure of Mr. Lincoln. The back cover is even better! If you see the book, turn it over!

This book particularly interested me because my grandfather is very interested in Abraham Lincoln. He's read numerous biographies and is always sharing little tidbits of information. Lincoln was always stressed when I was in school--we even had several Lincoln-themed field trips. The idea of Abraham Lincoln as a vampire hunter seemed both far-fetched and completely plausible; I was very curious to read it.

I was even more curious about the book because it was not (as Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies are) a parody of another novel. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but I enjoyed what I found! The book weaves vampires (and thus, vampire hunting) into the story of Abraham Lincoln's life and times. As the addition of sea monsters into Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters was made plausible and seamless, so were the bloodsucking creatures of the night added equally well to Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. It certainly put a new twist on how I think of the stoic former president!

The writing is fast-paced and intriguing. Narrative sections are interspersed with diary excerpts, adding some variety. I particularly liked the use of detail--just enough to set the scene, not enough to be overwhelming or boring. The author does a very good job of propelling the story forward, so that it doesn't stagnate or cause the reader to lose interest. It's not Pulitzer Prize-winning composition, but overall it was well-written for being a "fun read" type of novel.

I enjoyed the book so much that I read it within two days of having picked it up from the library, and immediately insisted that my husband read it as well. He was skeptical at first, offering some criticism on the story; he claimed that certain happenings seemed completely unrealistic or character names were ill-planned. When we did a bit of research, his criticism was completely unfounded--because those details were straight from Lincoln's history! (One can't really argue about how the author ought to have named someone differently if that was a person's genuine name.)

When I first finished it, I wanted to get a copy for my grandfather. He doesn't tend to read fiction--particularly popular novels--but I thought he would appreciate the historical accuracy of the book. (Or be able to tell me specifically if something was incorrect and thus displeasing to him.) I didn't buy it for him right away, because I didn't want to waste the money and effort if he wouldn't actually read it, but when I extorted a promise to read it that sealed the deal. I'm very curious to hear if he enjoyed it! It's a really amusing book.

On Being Lolita: Flying the Frilly Skies

2010-08-12T11:03:00.000-05:00

When I went to New York City for the doll event in June, I had only a vague idea of what it would be like to travel wearing lolita fashion. I've gone on a few overnight trips where I've worn lolita, but for those occasions I had my suitcase in the trunk of a car I was driving. I ride public transportation while wearing lolita fashion on a regular basis. I've also packed a lolita outfit or two for a few trips where I flew. Overall, I thought it was a pretty good starting point for my very quick overnight trip, and for the most part, I was right.

Traveling while wearing lolita fashion and having luggage packed with more outfits is not extremely different from traveling otherwise. You want to be comfortable, you don't want to have luggage that is too heavy, you don't want to over- or under-pack, and you want to get through security as fast as possible.

Plan Your Outfits
This is helpful for any trip, so that you can maximize the space in your luggage, but it's particularly important for a fashion with garments and accessories that can take up a lot of space! It's better to have assessed your options few nights before packing your bags, rather than standing in the hotel room trying to find another way to coordinate a certain skirt or jumperskirt. Otherwise, you'll find yourself wishing you'd brought that cutsew you didn't pack or the brooch you forgot about.

The current size and weight restrictions on luggage make getting the most of your clothing extra-important. You can't always fit a week's worth of dresses into a carry-on suitcase, and what if you plan on doing souvenir shopping at your destination? Prevent these problems by laying out your outfits in advance. Pick a few "key" items--such as jumperskirts, one-pieces, or skirts--and try to think of as many varied coordinations with that item as you can. (When selecting the "key" items, make sure to pick those that don't require very gentle care. Sturdier garments that can be worn for more than a day without looking dirty or very wrinkled are better options--although most hotel rooms do have an iron that will do in a pinch.) Pick blouses, cutsews, socks, and accessories that make each outfit distinct--you don't want to look like you're always wearing the same skirt, even if you are! During the trip, space out these outfits--wear dress A on day 1, skirt B on day 2, jumperskirt C on day 3, then skirt B on day 4, etc.

Once you've settled on what you'll wear during your trip, make a packing list! You don't want to fly 800 miles and suddenly realize that you needed your blue shoes, but they're sitting in your front hallway. It also helps prevent the horror of boarding your plane, buckling the seat belt...and realizing that your brand new parasol is still in the closet of your former hotel room! Make a packing list, keep it updated (if you buy something new on the trip, pencil it in at the end of your list), and use it when packing for departure and arrival.

Travel is also a good time to leave unnecessarily bulky items at home. The dress with the mega-ton of built-in petticoat and yards upon yards of lace on the skirt might be gorgeous, but if it takes up an entire suitcase it is wasting space. Structured bonnets are also difficult to travel with, unless you plan on wearing it the entire time. Extremely delicate items should also be avoided, unless a specific occasion makes the garment necessary. If your bag is selected for a random search, the employees may be very rough with the contents!

Was That Expensive?
Consider insuring your luggage. Airlines lose or damage bags on a fairly frequent basis. If you have hundreds or thousands of dollars in clothing that is going out of your sight for several hours, it might be worth the additional expense. When buying insurance for anything lolita-related, always make sure you can get replacement cost if the item is lost or stolen. If your Milky Planet jumperskirt is in the suitcase that goes missing, you'd rather get the $500 it will cost to buy a new one rather than $100 or less on the basis that it's "used clothes."

Prepare for Takeoff!
Wearing lolita fashion in the airport definitely attracts attention. With the knowledge that travelers might be spending ten hours or maybe more in one airport or another, it isn't often a place where elaborately-dressed people are seen. Make sure you are mentally prepared for the questions (and snickers) while waiting in line for the checkpoint or while seated at the gate. I found that most people gawked or whispered about my attire--no one simply pretended I was wearing "regular" clothes.

Ditch the Petticoat
If you're going to be pushing your way through crowds, marching through a metal detector, and spending hours in a narrow seat, wearing a petticoat is not a good idea. (Particularly if you worry about it "deflating.") For practicality's sake, I packed my petticoat near the top of my carry-on bag and put it on at my destination!

Buckles, Straps, and Snaps
No matter how cute your shoes are, you'll have to take them off at the security check point. This is a bad time to wear the boots that have to be laced-up just so or the shoes with thirteen buckles. You don't want to hold up the people in line behind you, so wear shoes that aren't difficult to take off. It's also convenient to be able to take off your shoes without a fuss once you're in the airplane, if the change in pressure makes them squeeze your feet a bit too much. Most Japanese shoes fasten with snaps under decorative buckles, so they're easy to take off.

Also, don't wear socks that you can't wash easily! Airport flooring is usually not very clean--and there's nothing you can do about it! Don't ruin your favourite socks--pick a pair that won't leave you in tears if you step in a puddle of muddy water from someone else's shoes.

Be careful when taking off your shoes, too! It's easy to be unladylike when you're in a rush, but bend at the wrong angle and you risk showing the people behind you right up your skirt.

A Time and Place for Accessories
When you enter the airport and are preparing to go through security, don't wear too many accessories. Those are best packed in an easy-to-reach spot in your carry-on, so you can put the finishing touches on your outfit when you reach your destination. The goal is to avoid setting off the metal detector and being further wanded or searched. However, you also have to worry less about losing items when you're in a rush. There's also a risk that some items, particularly jewelry, might catch on bags or seats.

Keeping Cool or Staying Warm
Airports and airplanes are notorious for having unpredictable temperatures. You might be shivering in one terminal only to melt in the next. Pack a sweater or parka in an easy-to-reach place in your bag or purse, so you can be prepared. Wear it if you're chilly, shun it if you aren't. It will be easy enough to take on and off, and can help you stay comfortable during you trip.

Overall, I had a lot of fun taking my trip while wearing lolita fashion! At the core, the traveling portion itself hadn't changed, but I was able to wear the clothes I feel most comfortable in. I would certainly do it again--I'm just not sure when I'll have an opportunity to do so! The stares and commentary weren't enough of a deterrent, and I didn't find it was too much more difficult than packing "normally."

I breezed through security, although the other passengers waiting in line were really curious about what on Earth I might be doing while dressed like that, and managed to be relatively undisturbed while sitting at the gate waiting for my plane to board. Boarding was simple, as I'm a pro at hoisting my suitcase into the overhead bins. XD The gentleman next to me on my outbound flight was not very talkative. (I appreciate that a bit more than the type of person who wants to be your best friend for the flight.) When the flight landed and I zipped off the plane, I took a moment to put on my petticoat, hairbow, and jewelry and re-attach my waist ties. That was the only part that really felt "different," and it didn't even take 5 minutes!

Has anyone else traveled in lolita? What was your experience like? Do you have any tips?

Please note: I only have experience traveling from major airports in the United States. My tips might not be useful if you live in another country or choose to fly in smaller planes!

Outfit Snap: Polka-Dot Weekend

2010-08-11T12:32:00.009-05:00

In mid-July, I was doing pretty well with my resolution to wear lolita on the weekends! I decided it was my "master plan" to wear all pink polka-dots, as I now have two polka-dot one-pieces. The only problem with this plan is that one of the dresses is very short, but I finally found a workable solution!

The extra ruffles really make up for the otherwise-lacking length! I'm so glad to have found a way to wear this dress.

I've tried everything with this dress--underskirts (most of which just don't match, due to the fabric and lace used), wearing tights, wearing over-the-knee socks, contemplating adding another ruffle to the bottom--but still it is very short. It's the shortest dress that I own, and I can't understand why it was made at such a length! At some point I started thinking about some of the layering on the outfits in Alice Deco À La Mode, so I browsed through my wardrobe.

I remembered that I own this Bodyline skirt, which has a look to it as if there is an overskirt and then a ruffled underskirt. On a whim, I put it on under my dress...and it looked really nice!

This picture better shows the cute design on the sides of the skirt! The lace is very interesting.

For the rest of the outfit I kept things very simple; I would have done more with polka-dots if I owned more polka-dotted items--I think I need some socks! I have a polka-dot parasol, which I carried with me. I had fun wearing my hair in braided pigtails--it keeps it off my neck, which was really nice on a warm day...particularly when you're wearing two skirts.

I decided to wear the dress without the choker, but this time I wore the hairbows my little sister gave me! They're a perfect match!

The next day I wore my other polka-dot dress, which is quickly becoming one of my favourites. I love everything about the design--the ruffles of lace at the bottom, the gathered section on the bodice, the many bows--some lace and some fabric. It has a very "casual" feeling to it, as well. I don't mean that the design is less-than-detailed or unsuited for formal occasions. There's just something about the dress's design that makes it comfortable and easy to wear.

I paired it with matching hairbows that were a gift from my little sister. I also tried to style my hair nicely and in a way suitable for the warm weather, so I pinned it up in braided buns. I think it looked very nice, but it took some work to get the coils pinned just so...and the next morning in the shower I was still combing out more hairpins! I don't think it effectively highlighted the hairbows, though--that's something I'll work on in the future.

My husband was having fun taking pictures of my "dancing." I'm sure this makes it obvious that I am very, very bad at dancing. I always look absurd!

Just wanted to end with a silly picture. Sometimes I hate standing still! (Even though I look really awkward when in motion!)