ABC Lolita

Quantity Over Quality: The Culture of Throwaway Fashion

2012-02-08T11:55:00.000+08:00

I would like to make this a discussion-type post because I just spent three days writing a post and didn't like it because it sounded like I was either preaching or complaining, so I'd like to open this up to everybody. I'm not very good at putting thoughts into words and didn't want to come across the wrong way ;) Hopefully this method will work better!

The commenting system on my blog allows you to opt-in for email notification when somebody replies to your comment specifically, much like the commenting system on LiveJournal :)

Anyway, the topic I was trying to write about is, as the title implies, how the focus of fashion, Lolita or otherwise, has shifted from having well-made, long-lasting articles of clothing to having the latest style for the cheapest price.

I first got into Lolita fashion around 2004-2005 so I'm not super old school either, but even back then there was heavy emphasis on quality and saving up to buy good, long-lasting clothes that you can keep forever. Of course, if it turns out the dress you buy doesn't fit or you just don't like it, the resale value insures you don't lose much money anyway.

There was a nice balance between prints coming out 1-2 a season and other non-print dresses made of stripes, solids, tartan, etc. with lots of detailing in lace, ruffles, pintucks, combination of fabrics, cuts, and layering.

Using solid and tartan fabric together

Solid with lace

Does anybody remember the great ric-rac debate? Ric-rac used to be considered a "craft quality" item, much like the stiff, plastic-y lace we all loathe so much. When Angelic Pretty came out with ric-rac on a dress (was Magical Etoile the first?) many people felt that it cheapened the look of Lolita.

Similarly, I personally feel that the standard of faux flora is quite low compared to the standards we hold for lace or fabric! Sure, it is cheaper to buy craft flowers as opposed to millinery flowers, but is that not the same logic behind buying ugly lace?

In recent years with the improvement of cheap alternative brands like Bodyline and Fan plus Friend Garden along with the explosion of taobao.com shops, it seems like we can all just buy, buy, buy, throw away, buy some more. Now quite obviously Lolitas are still buying Brand and quality clothing, but the ratio of quality:quantity has certainly been watered down.

I think a rambled a bit again ^^; Anyway, I would love to hear all your thoughts on this topic! Do you feel like Lolita fashion as a whole has shifted focus? Is it better or worse for us all? And just out of curiosity, if you don't mind I'd love to know when you first actively started participating in Lolita fashion. This doesn't mean wearing it, specifically, but when did you start following discussions, keeping up with Brand releases, etc.?

End of Festivities

2012-02-06T20:38:00.001+08:00

Chinese New Year has come to an end ^0^ Today is the fifteenth day, also known as Lantern Festival!

Traditionally this would be the day to light lanterns and carry them throughout the streets either to guide ghosts back home or to make it look like the city is on fire, depending on what legends you believe ;)

My mother used to tell us about her brothers used to make lanterns from bamboo when they were young. At the end of the festivities the lanterns would be thrown to the ground so the candle would burn up the lantern. Nowadays, of course we're all a bunch of lazy slobs and pretty much only enjoy the last and most delicious aspect of Lantern Festival, tangyuan (湯圓)

Terrible photo :( Sesame tangyuan in fermented glutinous rice. Everything is just storebought. In America we actually used to make this ourselves!

I hope you have all had a fantastic New Year :) I am going to interview for a third job tomorrow morning. Even though 3 jobs may sound a lot, my two current jobs have very few hours and I spend a lot of time bumming around at home.

So I want to do more tutorials! If there are any requests please let me know and I will see what I can do :P Clothing, Lolita, accessories, room-use things like organizers, etc.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000+08:00

Happy Chinese New Year! This year is the Year of the Dragon!

(source)

Wishing a prosperous and enjoyable year for all my wonderful readers!

I realized that I never posted the legend of New Year on my blog, so I will tell it to you now! Of course, this is only the version that I grew up with. There are many, many more variations!

I do realized that I am not a stellar novelist by any means, so please bear with my attempt to make the legend more story-like and less "Hey, listen!"

The Legend of New Year

In ancient times, there lived a horrific beast by the name of 年 (Nian, meaning "year").

(source)Artist depiction of 年獸 (Year Beast)

(source) Here's a cuter one in case the first is too scary

Every year on the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, 年 would come down from the mountains of China and terrorize all the villagers. It ate livestock, destroyed property, and would even eat children!

Villagers left offerings of food outside to keep the beast away from their homes where they hid, but it was still a fearful time for everybody.

One year, as the first day of the first month was approaching once more and the villagers were despondently preparing for the worst, a wise old lady came up with a new idea.

"Let us all light firecrackers outside our homes to scare 年 away," she said. "We will hang magical red papers around our doorways so it cannot come inside. Make a lot of noise with drums and cymbals to scare and confuse the monster."

The villagers were tired of living is fear and desperate enough to try her plan, so instead of preparing food, they prepared the magic papers and firecrackers. When 年 came down from the mountains, they lit the red firecrackers and ran inside their homes sealed with papers around the door frame.

The loud explosions from the firecrackers and instruments successfully scared 年 away! In its dazed and confused state all it saw was red pieces of the explosives and red papers on all the doors, so red became a color it feared. Today, we wear red for good luck and to keep the bad monsters away.

(source) Decorative firecrackers. We used to have something similar to this in our MN house!

Everybody was so happy that they danced and played their drums and cymbals all night long.

The magic papers hung about our doors are called 春聯 (Chuen Lian) and generally come in a set of 3 - one for each side of the door and one that goes over the top. We also have square/diamond papers with a single word written on them, most commonly "wealth" 福 and "spring" 春. These are hung upside down as the word for "upside down" 倒 is pronounced the same (and actually written quite similarly) to the word for "arrived" 到, meaning wealth and spring have arrived!

Other common symbols include bats (pronounced the same as "prosperity"), fish (pronounced the same as "surplus"), and four-word "lucky sayings." One of my favorites is "招財進寶" (Acquire wealth and treasure will follow) because it can be written as one character:

Can you find all 4 characters in it?

Of course, one cannot forget about red envelopes! Red envelopes are given from older to younger generations in "lucky number" quantities, most commonly numbers starting with 6 or 8 because they sound like the words for "smooth" and "prosper." Once you have a stable job/income, however, you should repay your parents by giving them red envelopes instead of the other way around. I am currently still a broke college student ^0^ Ahaha!

Alighty I hope this wasn't too long or poorly worded XD But I do hope it was interesting to read!

Happy New Year and may your wishes come through!

Sharing a Sewing Project~ Lolita Corset

2012-01-18T11:47:00.001+08:00

The Sew_Loli community on LiveJournal has a New Year's Resolution contest going on so I'm taking this opportunity to try and make my first corset :)

I thought I would have a ton of time over Winter Break, but really I'm just working more ^^; Still, I hope I can get it done!

Progress thus far~

It is 3 layers, has waist tape, and will have a busk front opening and lace-up in the back.

I like the look of Lolita fashion with corsets, so I want to add this to my coordinates if it turns out all right ^0^v Sometimes I wear a corset under my clothes, but my current ivory corset doesn't really match anything in my wardrobe...

More interesting posts coming soon ;)

Don't forget about the New Year Sale on my Etsy shop!

Misako Aoki x Kawaii.i Lolita Contest!

2012-01-14T20:32:00.001+08:00

Lolita idol Misako Aoki has collaborated with Kawaii.i to host a Lolita Fashion Contest!

This is the video explaining it:

There are 3 prizes from Misako's personal collection!
Will you be entering the contest?
I am considering entering, but I don't know if my coords are very special or unique enough ^^; Especially with how popular Deco Lolita is, other styles might seem too "plain" in comparison... Though Misako doesn't do Deco Lolita, so it may still be worth a try!

Enter the Dragon

2012-01-13T11:36:00.001+08:00

Exciting news! I am running a sale on my Etsy shop! Get FREE SHIPPING on everything from now until the end of the month by entering coupon code "CNYDragon"

It stands for Chinese New Year Dragon ;) This year is going to be the Year of the Dragon! Even though the 12 animals of the Zodiac are supposed to be equal, Year of the Dragon always feels a little more special ^^; It's not even my own year (Year of the Horse)!

Jan. 23 is Chinese New Year this year. Will you be celebrating? Treat yourself to something fancy and support independent designers while you are at it ;D I will have more time to do custom orders for about a month until school starts again, so this is a good time to order! I really need to make some sales in order to keep my Etsy shop open ^u^ If you have any questions or comments, please let me know!

Sparkle Stitches~ Magic Wallet

2012-01-12T23:41:00.004+08:00

Hooray this post took a few days to edit and write! But it is done now (hopefully)!
This post is already ridiculously long so I won't say much here ^0^ but if there are any steps that are unclear or if you have any questions, please comment below and I will do my best to explain!

這篇寫了好幾天! 終於寫完了! (倒
有哪裡不清楚的話請直接問我會盡量解釋(sorry中文有點寫的不是很順)

Wallet!

First decide on your finished wallet dimensions.
Width=W+1/2" (for quarter-inch binding)
Length=L+1/2" (for quarter-inch binding)

皮夾的尺寸要先決定好，再用來畫版型。
寬度=W+半吋(包2分寬布邊)
長度=L+半吋 (包2分寬布邊)

1)
First piece is Fashion Fabric (FF). Width:2W Right Length:L Left Length:2L
Next is the Lining 1 (L1). Same dimensions as FF,flipped.
Third is the Reverse Lining (RL). Same dimensions as FF.
Last is Lining 2 (L2). Width:2W Length:L

第一塊布是表面布Fashion Fabric (FF)。寬度:2W 右邊長度:L 左邊長度:2L
旁邊是裡布Lining 1(L1)。尺寸和FF一樣，反過來
接下來是反面裡布Reverse Lining(RL)。尺寸和FF一樣
最後一塊是裡布2(L2)。寬度:2W 長度:L

Pocket 1(P1) Width:2W Length:2(L-1/2")
Pocket 2(P2) Width:2W Length:P1Length-1"
Pocket 3(P3) Width:2W Left Length:P2Length-1" Right Length:Left Length+L

口袋一 Pocket 1(P1) 寬度:2W 長度:2(L-半吋)
口袋二 Pocket 2(P2) 寬度:2W 長度:P1長度-1吋
口袋三 Pocket 3(P3) 寬度:2W 左邊長度: P2-1吋右邊長度: 左邊長度+L

2)
Fold each pocket piece in half lengthwise, press, and stitch 1/8" from folded edge
In the photo P3 has been flipped to show the backside

口袋布料折一半，燙平，離折邊一分縫一條線
圖裡的P3翻過來讓各位看後面該長什麼樣~

3)
Align the bottom edges of P1 and L2 (P1 is slightly shorter than L2)
Measure 2" down from the top of P1 and stitch
把P1和L2下擺對好(P1比L2短一點)
從P1的開口網下量兩英吋，縫一條直線

4)
Align the bottom edges of P2 and P1, measure 2" down from P2, and stitch
P2和P1下擺對好，從P2開口往下量兩英吋縫死

Flip up the raw edge of P2 and trim the seam allowance from P1 to reduce bulk
把P2的下半部網上折，將P1多出來的縫分剪掉

(I accidentally attached RL already so disregard that...)
(我不小心把RL先縫上去了。。。)

5)
Same thing with P3, align, measure 2", stitch, trim P2 seam allowance
P3一樣對好，量2英吋，縫完把P2的縫分剪掉

6)
Stitch a straight line down the center to split the pockets into two halves
在中間縫一條直線把口袋分成兩半

7)
Align top edges of L2 with RL right sides together, stitch, flip to right side, and topstitch
L2和RL面對面，上方縫死，翻到對面再縫一次

8)
Line up FF with L1 and pin. On the little rectangle at the bottom, draw a rectangle measuring the length and width of your zipper. At each end, draw a little triangle (like the photo)
FF和L1裡面對裡面用大頭針固定。在下面的小方形上畫出拉鏈的長度和寬度。頭尾畫個小三角型(如圖)

9)
Cut along the inner lines and press seam allowances to the inside
沿著中間的線剪開，把縫分網裡邊燙扁

Outside/正面

Inside/裡面

10)
Sandwich the zipper between FF and L1 and stitch all around
拉鍊夾在FF和L1中間縫

11)
Align FF/L1 with the pocket piece(RL/L2/P1-3)and pin
FF/L1和口袋(RL/L2/P1-3)對好用大頭真固定。

Outer/正面

Inner/裡面

12)
Bind all around with bias tape (The one I used was a bit too narrow; I suggest using bias tape that is at least a quarter inch wide when folded)
Create a small snap button tab to keep the wallet secured when folded
用斜邊布把外邊全包起來(我用的斜邊布有點太宰，折起來最少2分寬的比較好)
做個小扣子讓皮夾能合起來扣注

Outside/正面

Inside/裡面

How to Use/使用方法:

Stick your bills and coins into the inner pocket and fold as shown. The coins will fall into the change pocket at the bottom and can be retrieved via the outside zipper
將鈔票和銅板丟進皮夾後折起來。銅板會自動掉進靈前口袋裡，能用外面的拉鏈來拿錢

Pockets for your cards!口袋!

I hope this was helpful (or at the very least, interesting)
It took me a long time to figure out the schematics of this design and also to write this tutorial ^^; For extra strength, you can interface the layers.

If there is interest, I can also custom-make these wallets for you!

Tutorial Forthcoming, Seriously!!

2012-01-11T22:36:00.000+08:00

I made another magical wallet! This time is for myself :) I changed the dimensions of the wallet and took photos of the process, but it is taking very long to edit them all.

There will be a tutorial for this soon ^u^v Just thought I would update very quickly~

Finals week is also almost over ^0^

Fashion Bringing Friends Together

2012-01-09T17:29:00.002+08:00

Woohoo I'm pretty much done with the bulk of my Final tests and projects! Just sitting at school waiting for class now, and I figured now is a good time to write a serious, albeit perhaps a bit sappy and sentimental, personal post.

This may be a bit long with many photos, which have taken a very long time to edit and censor, but I really do feel like it is a worthy thing to talk about. As you may have guessed from the title, it is about how Lolita Fashion has brought strangers together as friends.

At first it seems like a cliche, overdone topic. Of course meetups bring us all together to bond over Lolita fashion and then move on to other topics and make new friends. This happened in MN of course, too. But the main difference is that almost 100% of Lolitas already have a group of friends, Lolita or non. When I went to my first meetup in MN I wasn't afraid of being ostracized and being forever alone in this world. If everybody hated me, fine. I have other, non-Lolita friends I can hang out with and they were all totally cool with Lolita fashion. Luckily, that didn't happen and I met a ton of cool people through Lolita meetups ;)

When I came to Taiwan, however, I didn't know anybody. I was not in school, which is usually how people make friends. I did not have any cousins or relatives to introduce me to friends since I was living with my grandparents. For the my first year in Taiwan, all my friends were exclusively Lolitas whom I met through the Internet and via meetups. This has made me realize just how big a part of my life Lolita fashion is. If I were not a Lolita and moved here, I would have been utterly alone for the first year. Yes, I did go out on my own, but it is exceedingly rare for strangers to strike up conversation here. Everybody tends to keep to themselves.

So I thought that I would create a sort of documentary of my first year here and how Lolita fashion actually affected almost every aspect of my social life up to and including my school and classes! I feel like I owe a lot to the lovely ladies who went out of their way to help me with things I didn't understand, and things I didn't even know I didn't understand!

My very first meetup here was not exactly smooth, to say the least ;) but it was here that I first met DORO喵 (pronounced doh-roh miao, like a cat saying meow) who found the location for me and was generally very nice to me. Since this was my first meet, I really don't have many photos :P You can click the post link to see the ones I did take!

There were no more meetups until February when 小芙 (xiao fu) hosted a meetup at Madam Rose. So I saw DORO喵 again, and also met 琪琪 (qiqi in Chinese, said like "chi-chi" or kiki in Japanese), both of whom later did make an impact on my life, so it is important!

After this meetup DORO喵 invited me to another private meetup where I met and got to know a bunch of other Lolitas better including NiYa and Hako, the queen of Group Orders!
After this meetup I made a Plurk account because Plurk:Taiwan Lolitas::EGL:Western Lolitas

More meetups and things were had, I became better friends with everybody, tested into school, etc.

Then, at the Rabbit Rabbit meetup in July I met LOI(luo-yi) represented by the coffee cup below:

She is a graduate of Shi Chien University (my school) though she ended up going through the business side of fashion rather than the developmental side.

After I transferred my school credits so I wouldn't have to retake classes i have taken already, DORO喵 arranged a meetup for me, LOI, DORO喵 and another Lolita named Pigi胖 (hereby shortened to Pigi) who has been taking classes at Shi Chien to help me choose my classes *u* it was IMMENSELY helpful because the required classes and elective classes were separated into "Fashion Program exclusive" and "Whole School" sections and is just quite confusing, overall. Pigi helped me choose my first semester classes and explained some of the more complex class types, which ones should be taken first, what teachers to avoid, which classes would be redundant if take alongside another class, etc. Yea, complex stuff!

In September at the Yukata meetup, I met another schoolmate who is currently in Third Year of the Fashion Program!

L to R:
LOI, Pigi, KAMIKO, Me

KAMIKO has become one of my good friends :D She's really sweet, though quiet, like me ^^;

Throughout the school year there have been a handful more meetups, which is always a lovely break from the stress of school!

Occasionally I would get very down because to be honest, I have very little self-confidence and probably rely too much on outside approval ^^; Sometimes I vent on my Plurk, and once when I was feeling especially down because my group for Western Fashion History had done the group project completely without me, 琪琪(QiQi/KiKi) told me that I seem to look negatively at myself often and I should try to love myself more. Though that may seem like a really simple, cliche statement, coming from somebody who is as confident and unafraid to speak out as she is, it really made me want to be more like her. While I find it hard to believe, 琪琪said she used to feel the same way about herself (what??) so that gives me more hope that I can become more confident. Though I am optimistic about most everything, I am pretty negative when it comes to myself XD;;

I am truly grateful for all the help and positiveness all these lovely ladies have brought into my life. Time has been flying by, but the photos and memories I will cherish forever ♥♥♥

Congrats if you read all that ;D
Also, thanks for reading and following my blog! I love reading your comments and feedback. Lolita has brought together people who may have never otherwise met online or in real life.

Actually, as I was finishing up this post KAMIKO came and gave me a bracelet she made:

She has one too, so we're matchy-matchy!

I am in emotional turmoil at the moment due to both feeling touched by all the fantastic friends I've made and also my own sense of accomplishment for finishing the project due today.

I realize this post is probably too long to be a "good blog post." It is probably too personal or sentimental to be "reader-worthy." But I feel really awesome right now. So I'm gonna post it.

Please, please share in the comments how Lolita has affected your life! Though it may seem like some trivial vanity thing, Lolita is more than just fashion. It is a community, a lifestyle (which doesn't mean tea and cookies all the time), and a fantastic bonding opportunity.

Belle's Library~Princess Syndrome

2012-01-03T10:07:00.001+08:00

Lolitas are often compared to princesses most likely due to the extravagance and expense of our wardrobes. Even though we know that we are not royalty, passersby occasionally make the assumption that a Lolita has Princess Syndrome (and may even voice their opinions in exaggerated whispers.) I tell myself that it's sort of like people who think all Goths are Satanists. And then laugh, because it's ridiculous.

That was sort of a tangent, but the real reason I'm putting off my homework to make a quick post today is because of some Lolita in Mass Media!

One of my favorite singers, Jay Chou, recently released an MV for his new song 公主病 (Princess Syndrome) where the girls wear real Lolita from real Lolita Brands!

The outfits have already been identified to their respective brands, so if you are curious just follow the jump!

The first girl is wearing Angelic Pretty
Country of Sweets JSK

The second girl is wearing Chatilly
Chantillic One Piece

in blue

The third girl is wearing Atelier Pierrot
I won't even pretend to know its name

Anyway, that's it for my quick break :P Back to homework!

Let me know what you think of the song/title/MV! I like to know what other people think of Lolita in Mass Media ^u^

Meetup Report~ RinRin Dolly in Taipei

2012-01-01T20:06:00.000+08:00

Happy New Year to my lovely readers!! How did you spend your new year? I spent mine curled up on the floor all alone painting my homework for Creative Basic class and didn't notice the clock tick past midnight XD

Anyway, I finally got some time to edit and put together a quick post about the RinRin Dolly tea party!

On Dec. 26 there was a Lolita meetup for Angelic Pretty model, RinRin Dolly! When RinRin first posted on Facebook about wanting to come to Taipei, a Singaporean lolita I'm friends with on FB tagged me in the comments so I contacted RinRin about having a tea party. At the Le Petit Fruit meetup Kitsune offered to help organize the meet, which was fantastically helpful because she knows more cafes and locations than I do :P

After we got final details we had only 2 days to put this whole even together, but with a lot of rushing, teamwork, and extra effort on Kitsune's part, it was completed successfully! The guest list filled up extremely quickly since there were only 15 seats available.

Our lovely guest of honor:

RinRin Dolly!

The lighting at Rose House is incredibly dim, but luckily Kitsune knew a cosplay photographer who was able to attend on such short notice and with his magical lighting equipment we got some nice shots!

After everybody was settled, we first introduced ourselves, how we got into Lolita, and how we know of Angelic Pretty. There was a lot of interesting translations going on since RinRin only speaks English and Japanese :P But it went quite smoothly and was a lot of fun!

Me doing my intro :P I just did mine in English and Miss Cat translated into Chinese for the other Lolitas

Sneaky photo (that's my hair on the side haha!)

Then we all had food! In order to help things run smoothly, we'd all looked at the menu online and put our orders on the Facebook event page. Then, Pigi copied down all our orders and ordered for us so we wouldn't have to take forever waiting for people who arrived a bit late or had to look through the menu. Pure brilliance, in my opinion!

I got the Rose House Afternoon Tea with Rose Latte!

After eating we had free time to take photos and play paper, scissors, stone against RinRin for prizes! It was really fun though I don't know when to throw out the sign in the Japanese version (we played in Japanese) so I messed up both times haha! Doesn't matter though, because RinRin threw scissors both times and I always throw paper first. I'm not sure why D:

Then we had free time to talk and take photos!

Group photo with my schoolmates!
Left to Right:
LOI, Pigi, RinRin, Me, Kamiko

Mass group photo!

琪琪had brought her Polaroid camera so we all took Polaroids! I am halfway blinking in mine and look bad, so no scans for you!

RinRin signed them all for us *u*

Afterwards, Kamiko and I went back to Pigi's house along with 琪琪 to get changed out since we actually both cut class to go to this meetup.... ^^;

It was a lot of fun, RinRin was very sweet and elegant in real life, and I hope Angelic Pretty will host an official event here in the future!

The Upcoming

2011-12-27T01:00:00.001+08:00

Working two jobs during finals is stupid. Just so you all know. Hope everybody had a lovely Christmas! I will post some Secret Santa photos and also a last minute tea party for Angelic Pretty model RinRin Dolly in Taipei! I JUST got home from the tea party and it was quite fantastic!

I do apologize for the lack of posts :P Hope everybody not in Asia is enjoying their winter break!

Meetup Report~Le Petit Fruit Cafe (And Mr. Poison)

2011-12-19T23:00:00.000+08:00

Yesterday (12/18) The Taipei Lolitas got together for a little meetup!
I ended up being an hour late because I got off at the wrong stop, and then waited 45 minutes for another Lolita. And then we got in a taxi who couldn't find the cafe...

Photo of our backs!

And as promised, here is photos of the skirt to pants salopette I made:

The cafe was super cute! The mascot is an adorable rabbit with sharp teeth. They also sell some merchandise with this mascot on it. Very cute!

Me!

Cookies Milk. Not as good as I thought it would be haha!

After the meetup I went out with KAMIKO to another shopping district and went to eat at Mr. Poison (strange name, I know...)

I discovered the magic that is ice cream + coffee!! SO good. Try it sometimes!

I ended up not being able to finish this... I just left some rice behind!

It Smells Like Holiday Season

2011-12-18T23:56:00.000+08:00

Having grown up in America for 20 years, I am sad to say that my family never actually did the whole eggnog an gingerbread house thing for Christmas. Sure, we had a Christmas tree and I'm pretty sure we did a popcorn string... once... when we were very young...

My friends in Taiwan like to ask me about life in America and I feel like a pretty fail American ^^; But this year my sister and her husband and I got together and made some proper eggnog and a real gingerbread house with real gingerbread!!

It was very fun, even though our gingerbread house looks like a kindergarten craft project, I want to share it!!!

This is the mini tool-shed I made to go with our house as a teaser photo. You know you want to see everything else!

First up: My first eggnog!

I made this by hand! It was quite easy. I reduced the rum from 500ml to 100ml because... my sister and I have terrible alcohol tolerance ^^;

Being very precise about our gingerbread house

My cookies~

Decorations

My sister and her husband. Working hard. Lots of focus.

All put together!

The fantastic chimney blows my mind!!!

The heads of gummy bears. We may have had a bit too much eggnog at this point

Front

Back

Other Side

I brought this home and our house smells fantastically like gingerbread now, and it has made me excited for Christmas!

How do you celebrate the holiday season? Any family traditions or fun crafts/recipes? Fun memories? I want to know!!!!

The Gloom

2011-12-10T23:45:00.001+08:00

There has been an unfortunate invasion of The Gloom. It attacks during periods of stress, insomnia, and rainy weather.

The Gloom is the reason for a lack of posts recently. That, plus I actually am not too sure what to post about! I should probably take more outfit shots, but tend to forget because Lolita is quite the norm for me so I don't even think about it!

Recently I have been doing quite a bit of sewing, so there will probably be a sewing post soon :) I made a skirt-to-pants salopette based on the Putumayo transforming dress:

I am not a fan of the JSK style or full-shirring, so I made it a salopette instead. I plan to wear it to the Lolita meetup on the 20th, so photos will come then!

In addition to that, I have also successfully made a MAGICAL WALLET that separates bills from coins when you throw them all in.

I made it as a Secret Santa gift based on a design I saw at the Design Expo I went to in mid-October. Unfortunately, everything was behind glass and it was quite difficult to tell how the wallet was made, so I had to make everything up. After a failed attempt (it was still a functional wallet, so I gave it to my sister) I finally figured out how to layer the fabrics to make it MAGICAL!

While not strictly Lolita, this wallet is a good way to use up excess scraps from previous sewing projects (all those bloomers and JSKs leave quite a bit of random scraps!) so if there is any interest, I can write a tutorial for the wallet. It is not difficult, and makes a nice gift! I have already made another one to send to a Lolita girlfriend back in MN. Having a cute wallet to match your outfit is pretty important, right?

If I do more sewing tutorials, would you prefer video format or photo format as I have been doing previously?
I have been considering doing video tutorials because sometimes it is easier to show on video than in photos, but I don't have a good video editor so it may not end up being better. Maybe MS Paint + photos is actually better XD

Let me know if you have a preference (or should I do both??) or any tutorial requests!

Sparkle Stitches~Fancy Lolita Canotier Tutorial!

2011-11-27T12:18:00.001+08:00

Hair accessories can really bring an outfit from casual to fancy! Recently I have become quite enthusiastic about hand-stitching some ribbon projects. This one is originally for my class, but I rewrote the instructions in English for my readers, too!

This canotier can be made in any color with many different types of material for different styles. Try it out yourself! No machine required :)

材料/Materials:
*寬緞帶 (50mm寬左右)/ Wide Ribbon (an inch or two wide)
*細緞帶 (5mm寬左右) / Narrow Ribbon (just a few mm wide)
*雷絲 / Lace
*珍珠 / Pearl Beads
*吊飾 / Charm
*針線 / Needle and Thread
*鐵梳子 / Wire Comb

做法/Directions:
NOTE: I did a previous tutorial on making ribbon roses here where there are more detailed instructions!
1) 將寬緞帶從右邊開始捲。捲2-3圈用針線固定住。
Starting from the right side of the ribbon, roll it 2-3 times and stitch.

2) 左邊多出來的緞帶往後折45度角，在繼續從右邊捲。用針線固定
Fold the ribbon on the left side away from you and continue rolling from the right side, stitching as you go.

3) 繼續邊折邊捲直到花朵到你想要的大小。
Continue folding, rolling, and stitching until the rose is the size you want.

4) 花朵縫完再用細緞帶做葉子。
Using thin ribbon, create loops and stitch for the leaves.

5) 把花花的根往旁邊壓扁縫死。
Fold over the stem and stitch it flat.

6) 用兩條細緞帶縫到10cm長的寬緞帶上。
Sew two lines of thin ribbon onto a length of thick ribbon (about twice as long as you want your final ribbon to be).

7) 把寬緞帶縫成圈，再把中間折成蝴蝶結用線固定。
Sew the wide ribbon into a loop and gather the center into a ribbon-shape.

8) 用一小段寬緞帶折一半縫在蝴蝶結中央。
Take a short section of wide ribbon, fold in half width-wise, and secure around the center of the main body.

9) 剪一段雷絲邊抽細折，縫成圈。可以多加幾成雷絲比較華麗。
Cut a length of lace and gather it into a circle. The length depends on the thickness of your lace and the fullness of your circle. Add more layers for more elegance!

10) 把花朵和蝴蝶結縫在雷絲圈上。再把珍珠和吊飾串成一串縫上去。
Arrange your flowers and ribbon on the lace and stitch them down. Thread your pearls and charm onto a string and stitch them in place.

11) 將頭飾縫到一段寬緞帶上，下方能縫梳子幫忙固定就完成了!
Attach the finished canotier onto a long length of wide ribbon (long enough to tie into a big bow under your chin) and secure a wire comb on the underside for extra security. You are finished!

POINT! Using a wide ribbon for the tying-on ribbon prevents a double-chin and makes a more beautiful bow. If you really want to use thinner ribbon, you can try tying it under your hair behind your head instead. You may need more bobby pins to secure it to your head in this case!

I hope this tutorial was helpful to some of you! This canotier and others are available for sale on my Etsy Shop!

Cyber Monday Sale!

2011-11-26T11:32:00.001+08:00

Wow, I almost forgot about Thanksgiving! It is only an American holiday, so it pretty much went unnoticed ^^;

However, Black Friday is always very exciting in a dreadful sort of way. While I have not heard of anybody dying this year, apparently there was some pepper spray being used???? Stateside readers, how did you fare on Black Friday? Any hauls? Fights? Lock yourself in the basement and play video games to avoid the masses? Or did you have to... WORK RETAIL? (If you did, I truly feel sorry for you!)

Black Friday is no longer an in-store only thing. There is also Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday! And on that note, I present to you a coupon code to use in my Etsy shop for FREE SHIPPING! Just enter the code CYBERMON11 when checking out :) The coupon is valid now through Monday (though just for my blog readers, I'll let you know that I'll probably let it run through noon on Tuesday so it goes until Monday night in the US)

I hope you have a lovely and safe weekend!

P.S. I plan to add some more accessories (hair corsages/canotiers, specifically) to my shop. I'd love to hear what colors, themes, ideas, etc. you would like to see!

Meetup Report~ Handicraft Meetup! Making Berets

2011-11-21T08:35:00.001+08:00

Generally, Lolita meetups consist of afternoon tea or a fun luncheon. In the US we also sometimes had meetups based on events such as a movie or going to a festival together.

Here in Taiwan, we almost always have afternoon tea and then photoshooting before being ushered out of the restaurant due to time restraints. Handicraft meetups are fun, but much more difficult to execute due to lack of space and time.

Luckily, this month we were able to get a room and bring our own cake/drinks/snacks and sit for several hours to decorate some berets!!

With wintertime just around the corner, berets are a fun and stylish way to keep your head nice and toasty warm~

Much thanks to the organizers! We group ordered the berets from TaoBao last month and the organizers handed them out and collected the money at the meetup. They also bought cakes for everybody!

CAKES

I got to wear my altered Little Bear Cafe skirt and it was my first time wearing a bonnet of any sort! I made a half-bonnet from the layer I cut off of the skirt (it is a Dream of Lolita replica)

Hairstyle

Bonnet!

Nail Art

Doing Self-Introductions~

My finished beret! I just made it up as I went ^^; I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, though!

After I got home and took down my hair I tried on my beret :) This is my very first beret, so I hope it looks nice!

See my altered skirt!!

Back view

Some tips I learned for wearing a beret from other Lolitas:
*After putting the beret on, pull it toward the back a little to show the decoration in front and prevent it from sagging forward
*Use a comb sewn to the front inside to prevent it from sliding off (esp. if wearing a wig!)
*OR use two wide ribbons sewn to the sides to tie it on
*Try wearing it to the left or right for a different look

It was a super fun meetup and I got to try 2 new headwear accessories!! ^u^v
What is your favorite headwear accessory? I think I have fallen in love with the beret! I might want to get more ^u^

Sparkle Stitches~Drawstring Pouch

2011-11-15T12:24:00.001+08:00

Yay I'm back! Midterms were pretty terrifying and I ran out of time to finish :( I am a little sad and disappointed, but I really tried my best so it is best not to let it get me down!

Homework is getting more intense, but I will still try to update regularly :)

Today I am posting a tutorial for a little handheld drawstring bag/pouch. It can be made entirely by hand for those of you who lack a machine :D I made this in my "Hand Crafts" class. The fabric I used was plain, but this would be quite cute made out of a handkerchief!

Ugly Photo

A bag like this is a cute alternative to gift wrap or if you happen to wear kimono or Wa-Lolita and cannot carry anything on your arms/shoulders.

材料/Materials:
*40-50公分長X寬的四方型布料/40-50cm square fabric
*手縫針/Needle
*線/Thread
*緞帶/Ribbon

做法/Directions:
1)將布邊考克或用Z字型剪刀剪。這樣能避免布邊虛掉的情況。
Hem the edges of your fabric unless you are using a handkerchief.

2)正面對正面將四方形的對角對其折一半，再折成三等份
Fold your fabric in half right-sides together

Fold into thirds

3)把第2步驟的形狀打開，在剛剛折好的兩條線直縫。開口的那頭要留1-2公分的空間。
Open up the folded thirds. Sew along the creases you just made, leaving 1-2cm at the top unsewn:

Red: stitching line
Blue: un-stitched space
4)縫完後將小三角型往外翻。前後都要看到布的正面喔!
Flip one of the triangles you just sewed right-side out. You should be able to see the right side of the fabric on the front and back!

5)另一個角也一樣往外翻，重疊到第4步驟的三角型。
Repeat on the other side, overlapping the triangle from step 4

6)在兩個三角形重疊過的部分縫直線。只要縫到兩成布料。縫好應該成為雙面信封口袋的狀況。
Stitch the overlapping portions together. ONLY sew through the top TWO layers of fabric or you will sew your bag shut! This step is best sewn by hand. Repeat on the other side.

7)在來把上方的三角形往下折。之前流下的1-2公分要一起折下來。
Fold the top down on both sides, including the 1-2cm you left un-stitched previously.

Stitch across the top to create the case for the cord

8)用一段比袋子的關渡關兩倍的緞帶從一變的縫穿過第7步驟縫的小空間，繞一圈從同一個縫出去。頭尾留個5公分左右。(圖是由上往下看)
Take a section of ribbon/cord more than twice the width of your bag and thread it in a circle through the channel made in step 7 (use a safety pin on the end to help thread it through!)

Bird's X-Ray Eye view (looking down from the top)
9) 緞帶尾巴打結後再從另一邊重複同樣的動作。再打個結就完成袋子囉!
Tie the ends of the ribbon/cord in a knot and repeat on the other side.

You're finished!

Please let me know if there are any steps that are not clear! I've been using my bag to carry the supplies for my Hand Crafts class :) It is quite handy!

Mid-Term Hiatus

2011-11-06T11:20:00.001+08:00

Hooray! It's that wonderful time of year known as "Week of Stress and Messed Up Sleep Schedules Due to Upcoming Mid Term Tests"!

In other words, I will be quite busy and unable to update for at least a week T^T Mid-Terms were never really a big deal to me until now because I need to write essay answers.... in CHINESE O___Q

I am terrible at essay questions. I only passed my U.S. History and Political Science classes because my teachers were pretty nice about how terrible I am at expressing thoughts. And that was while writing in English. Luckily, my teachers for my Art History class and Aesthetics of Fashion class have both announced the general gist of their essay questions so I will be spending this week practice-writing my answers and learning how to write the characters I need to know/use.

To be very honest and realistic, it is HIGHLY LIKELY I will fail both of them anyway, but I still need to try my best :)

Just for fun, here's a couple of photos of stuff we learned about:

This is a Chinese painting from forever ago (can't you tell I know my stuff?) by some guy. This is actually only a small portion of the whole painting because it is reeeeeeeeeeeally long!!

This is a different painting by a different artist. Photobucket refuses to upload the remainder of the paintings and sculptures, so this is all for now :P

The poetry + paintings thing was all the rage for a while. Sometimes a painter would paint something and have a poet interpret the painting and write a short poem on it. Sometimes a rich guy would take a poem or a line from a poem and have an artist interpret it and do a painting. Teamwork makes awesome art ;)

Are you in Mid-Term Week right now? Got any crazy tests coming up? Or are you out of school already and this post just reminded you of how awesome it is to not have tests any more?

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T13:30:00.000+08:00

How was your Halloween? Did you go trick-or-treating, to any parties, host a party, or hand out candy?

I got all dressed up to go to class and brought Swedish Fish (mailed from MN because it is not available in Taiwan!) but class was canceled :( So I went to my sister's house and ate Bailey's brownie cupcakes and geeked out with my brother-in-law about Pokemon.

This was my makeup from yesterday! Full costume photos under the cut~

I am a DINOSAUR! RAR!

While on the MRT, a couple people asked of they could take a photo of/with me XD I was the only person that I saw in costume :( How sad! But it was still fun :)

Do the Dino Walk!

Since there was no trick-or-treating, I had Bailey's brownie cupcake layered with cookie dough and a cookie on top!

YUM!

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday!! Did you eat a lot of candy and/or sweets?

Halloween Treats (Plus My Trick)

2011-10-28T22:54:00.000+08:00

Halloween is one of the most fun holidays to me!! So here are some fun and easy food links for you all! I also included a devilish little trick at the end :P But I only suggest you try it on people you know won't mind!

Treats

Melted Witches
(Slight side story: I agree completely with her mini-rant on Halloween costumes in the USA! Halloween shouldn't be a time to see who can wear the least amount of fabric. I am super glad that costumes in Taiwan are still the regular "Disney Princess" or "Fairy" or "Minnie Mouse" type!)

Poisonous Parfaits
These are super easy but look awesome!

Twig Mini Caramel Apples a cute twist on a classic treat!

Brain in a Jar Cupcakes
It looks like that's a lot of frosting for the brain, but there is actually cake inside that too! ;)

Spiderweb Cake in a Jar

Sweet Acorns
Ultra fast and easy! Could be re-used for Thanksgiving and all other Autumn-theme parties too ;)

Pumpkin Pudding Ghosts
Super cute!!! Vegetarians remember to sub agar agar for the gelatin~

Ghost Cake for the slightly more culinary-ly talented! (I am pretty sure it uses the same technique as the heart cake)

Something Savory this way comes!

Coffin Spinach Dip

Tricks
When I was in grade school we got these National Geography-like "magazines" which were usually around 4 pages long. There was always a small section of "fun facts" like how fast a sneeze travels or how much blood our hearts pump. One of the facts that stuck with me was that "Apples, Onions, and Potatoes all taste the same. It is the smell that makes them taste different to us!"

OH REALLY? I have yet to test this theory (plus, I'm sure the textures would give them away) but this gave me a little idea called "Trick or Treat Apples"

Ingredients
*1 bag of apples
*1 big bag of caramels
*1 bag of potatoes
*1 bag of onions
*Something for sticks (popscicle sticks or twigs, etc.)
*Chocolate, sprinkles, nuts, etc. (optional)

Directions
1) Wash all your produce and peel the onions
POINT! You may want to trim your onions and potatoes into a rounder, more apple-y shape to be more convincing! Though if you use a lot of toppings, the shapes will be disguised

2) Melt your caramels in a stovetop pot or in the microwave. While they are melting, put your sticks into your apples and potatoes and onions

3) Coat all your produce with a nice layer of caramel, covering all the way up to the very top! Set down on some wax paper to cool and harden. You can repeat with a second layer of caramel if you wish

4) Time for toppings! Roll in nuts while the caramel is still warm, or drizzle chocolate and sprinkles on top! Crushed cookies also make for a great topping. Actually, it makes it incredibly sweet, but some people like it like that ;)

5) Mix up all your caramel "apples" so it is impossible to tell which is an apple, onion, or potato. TIME TO SERVE YOUR PARTY GUESTS!!!!

**Please Note** As with everything you find on the internet, trying this is at your own risk. You may or may not lose some friends over it ;D (but then those are lousy friends anyway). I do not suggest trying this on your neighborhood children. Their parents may be upset.

Originally I wanted to propose this idea to my manager at the cram school I teach at (I was drunk and on Facebook at the time) in order to teach the children the REAL MEANING of "trick or treat" but luckily I didn't ;D

In all seriousness, if you do try this, LET ME KNOW HOW IT WORKS!!! Do they really taste similar??

In This Town We Call Home, Everybody's Singing the Pumpkin Song~

2011-10-22T21:46:00.000+08:00

How has school been going for everybody? ^________________^

That was my sneaky way of saying "Oh man I don't have anything interesting going on other than school and work in my life and that is not interesting at all!"

While I do try to keep my blog Lolita-orientated, sometimes I just want to post about other things. Like Pokemon. I just bought Pokemon Black and am addicted. I play it on the MRT (subway) all the time! The starter I chose is 水水獺/Oshawatt! And I have decided that I cannot let him evolve D: He is just too cute!

Which brings me to today's topic.... HALLOWEEN COSTUMES!!!

Image from Alice and the Pirates

Trick Cat by Alice and the Pirates

I actually think this skirt is pretty cute, but I wouldn't really associate it with Lolita if I had just seen it in a store.
The pants version looks like it would be a cute punk-ish outfit just to wear around, though!

Image from Alice and the Pirates

Angelic Pretty also whipped up a more Lolita-esque witch outfit:

Images from Angelic Pretty

Individually, it would be easy to work the pieces into other coordinates, so you can get more use out of them! The little witch hat (which is adorable!) is the only one that looks more costume-y (and possibly the arm warmers) but pointed hats were totally in style in the 15-16 century with the ladies~ (Haha I am taking Western Fashion History...)

Additionally Angelic Pretty is having a Halloween Fair! I can't read that blog post, but it looks cute anyway :P

Last year for Halloween I simply went as Hime Lolita and told people I was a princess. Halloween is definitely not a big thing here in Taiwan :( Only nightclubs (the ones popular with foreigners, anyway) seem to host events. This year I decided to actually make a costume!

I will be... NOT A LOLITA!

Because sadly I cannot attend the Lolita Halloween mask-themed meetup on the 30th - instead, I get to take a test at 9:30AM!! And then go on a class field trip! ^_________^
O_Q

Instead, I will be... A DINOSAUR!

And if I have time, I want to make Oshawatt, too :P
The cram school I teach at is hosting Halloween events on Thursday and Friday and I think it'd be cool to dress up as 2 different things :) I hope the zippers I ordered get here in time!

I have also been trying to convince my classmates at college to wear costumes on the 31st, which falls on a Monday this year. So far, everybody thinks it would be fun, but is afraid to be the only one who does it ;_;

What are you going to be for Halloween? Does your country even celebrate it??

Here's a very attractive photo of me to help you get into the spirit of spooky!

Photo from a mini-meet with one other Lolita for 10/10, Taiwan's birthday (happy 100th!)

And on another note, would random "daily life" type posts be a plus or minus to this blog? I mean things like posting about Pokemon or interesting things I learned in school (since I am studying fashion) etc. A lot of idols post just FOOD PHOTOS and I still like to see it, but I know not everybody wants a billion updates all the time :P

Sample Sale! Ribbon and Lace Wonderland

2011-10-13T13:14:00.001+08:00

Quick shameless self-post to let you all know that I am having a sample sale!

I'm selling the items from my line for SGMS2011.
Please note that they are in MN right now so will be shipped by a friend (cheaper shipping in the U.S. yay!). Also, because it's a SAMPLE SALE so everything is 1/3 off!

Bloomer Salopette: Normally $90 now $60
Photo by Nic Abrego
The rest are under the cut!

Ruffle Skirt Salopette: Normally $120 now $80 Photo by Nic Abrego
Blazer: Normally $60 now $40 Photo by Nic Abrego
One-Piece Dress: Normally $140 now $95 Photo by Nic Abrego
Tiara: $20
JSK: Normally $100 now $65 Photo by Nic Abrego
Blouses (2 white 1 black): $30 each

All clothes fit Bust: 34-36" Waist: 28-30" and are free hip size

Regular items are available on my Etsy Shop!

Thanks for looking!

SGMS 2011 Fashion Show Review

2011-10-09T12:27:00.000+08:00

School Girls and Mobile Suits fashion show happened on the last day of September, but I haven't gotten the official photos yet, which is why I have not posted about it :P There ARE runway photos, but I was hoping to get the individual outfit shots to post!

EDIT: The article has since been edited (though with no formal redaction or apology for the misinformation) and she actually changed the wording on her critique of my line after I left a comment on her blog. While it is marginally better, it still comes off as an un-researched and rather unprofessional piece, in my honest opinion.

Today Blasphemina, who ran the show, linked to this write-up on L'Etoile Magazine about the show. I was not present at the show so I am not sure if she actually asked any of the designers anything about their lines. She got a bunch of information wrong, is quite harsh in her judgement of everybody except Blasphemina's line, and wrongly accuses KMK of using ready-made patterns. FOR YOUR INFORMATION, Kaitlyn and her MOM, Sheridyn, make all their patterns by hand, as should all designers.

The critique on my line (well only two looks) was sort of half-ok half-trying-to-be-condescending I think... but I shall let you be the judge of that~ I am including the remaining two photos from my line under the cut!

This was the look she deemed "showed some style"

Ruffle Skirt Salopette

Hime OP

Photos of all the lines from SGMS 2011 can be seen on Nic Abrego's Flicker set here

While I am disappointed in the lack of petticoats for my looks (it would have cost far to much for me to purchase and mail 3 petticoats) I am generally quite happy with my line.

Oh, and the JSK look that L'Etoile said looked like something "a frumpy Lolita-lover would wear to her office job" was indeed my "work-appropriate Lolita look" for Lolitas who had a bit of a more lax dress code (probably office work) who wanted to wear Lolita, but couldn't go all decked out in layers of ruffles. So despite the "put-down" I would actually call that a huge success!!

This is the first time I have actually gotten public critique, and I am disappointed that the writer appears to have not done any research and just spewed whatever she thought (plus some misinformation) as fact.

Do I like every single line that was shown at SGMS 2011? No. I don't. My favorite was probably [damn]aged. There were choice pieces from almost every line that I liked, and of course some that I didn't.

My Personal Opinion on the Lines (based only on photos I saw)
Laura Peyton~
She tried to do a Lolita line, but went too short on the skirts and had some bad lace choices (deja vu! We've all been there!) Overall, it's not terrible and the "baby bonnet" looks fine from what I can tell :P L'Etoile should do some more research on Lolita before deciding bonnets are "infantile"

Theresa Winge~
I have no idea what style this is, so I guess I can't really give much of a critique :P The Hello Kitty fabric does seem to remind me of pajama pants, though :o But since I was not there in person, I cannot quite tell what the fabrics used actually were

Irregular Pearl~
Kyri's Goth-y style is pretty cool and I usually like what she makes :) This line was a little hit-or-miss, but there are a few really cute/cool pieces in her collection!

Carousel Cafe~ That's me!
FML LACK OF PETTICOATS is my first thought. I love the blazer and salopettes the most! I'm biased because this is my line, no lie D: It's my style!

Deborah Block~
Judging based just on the photos, I don't think her line totally "fell short" as L'Etoile Magazine put it. While her line doesn't look quite as cohesive, it isn't some train wreck of horror either!

KMK Designs~
" construction and fabric can make all the difference from taking subculture fashions out of the realm of costume and into fashion" is what L'Etoile said, implying that all previous lines looked like costumes...? Hm. KMK is not quite my style, but they do make lovely dresses for Halloween, weddings, formal events, etc. As for L'Etoile saying " Some pieces were so 1940s Vogue that I suspect they were made from vintage patterns" my only reply is, "confirm your suspicions by ASKING the designers before publicly posting." Who woulda thunk? :o

Hitomi K of [damn]aged~
She is NOT from the U of M. She graduated from St. Kate's. RESEARCH, PEOPLE! Anyway, as I said before, I pretty much love her line :D She's my favorite!

Samantha Rei of Blasphemina's Closet~
This line is a hugely different style! As always, I pretty much love all the fabrics and stuff she used XD
The long-pants romper is my favorite look. It's clean and I like the color pairing! The little white dress I think could also be nice for daily wear~
The other two looks I personally don't like as much. The Star Wars-looking top in silver with the armor-ish skirt feels a little off, but perhaps if the two were not paired together it would look better?
Lastly, the han-bok looking dress has THE MOST GORGEOUS FABRIC ever! And actually, I think that dress would look lovely if it was worn by a model with smaller breasts as an empire-waist dress. I am not sure if this was a last-minute model-switch or something, but with the waistline above her breasts, the model ends up looking larger than she actually is. I still like that dress ^^;

The same article is also posted here. I did post a comment on the L'Etoile Magazine blog, but it needs to be approved before it shows up =__=

Sorry for such a HUGE post!!

I have also updated my Etsy shop to include some of the things from my new line! They can be ordered in any colorway :)

How do you feel about all the lines after reading L'Etoile Magazine's article? Which ones did you like? Which ones don't you like (and why?)
I'm curious to see what all my readers think!!

Mulan's Bootcamp ~ An Update!

2011-09-26T23:26:00.000+08:00

It has been quite a while since I first posted all the links and tools for leading a healthier lifestyle! The post is here for those of you who may have joined me here on my blog later ;)

My original goals were:
*Bring my weight from 64kg to about 55-57kg (final goal will depend on how I feel)
*Flatten my abdomen (visceral fat is the most unhealthy)
*Be able to do a push-up. Very sad, but I am completely unable to do even 1

I moved out of my grandparents' house in March and quickly gained another 4kg because of unhealthy eating habits. I am living with my mom now, and am back to eating more whole foods!

At the beginning of July the Loli_Weightloss community on LiveJournal started a weightloss challenge (which has since died, unfortunately) which really kick started me on my own journey. I started at 65.2kg. It has been 12 weeks, and I am at around 60.3-60.5kg now! Though it may not seem like much weight to lose over the course of 2 and a half months, it has been fairly consistent and hasn't bounced back up much.

If you are interested, I will share my methods and some other stuff under the cut~

First of all, I have stopped using MyFitnessPal. While it was great at first, I fell into the same trap as my sophomore year in high school when I was counting calories. I over-restricted my intake, obsessed over every calorie, and effectively, became "mildly anorexic." Towards the end, I was trying to stay around 300 calories a day, which is VERY unhealthy. I am never going to count calories again. Though it is a GREAT method for MANY people and is quite effective, for me personally, it is just a terrible cycle of beating myself up and harming my body. That is all I have to say about it ;D

Secondly, my workout of choice is now primarily Blogilates! I follow her website on Tumblr, all three YouTube channels, and her FaceBook. The reasons I have stuck to POP Pilates are simple:
*No Equipment Required I am not about to spend any money on anything more than a yoga mat! There is only one or two videos that require an exercise ball, but everything else can be done with just YOU! With such limited space in Taiwan housing, this is GREAT
*Varying Video Lengths Got 10 minutes or less? There's a video for that. Got half an hour? There's a video for that. Got more time? Combine videos and target different muscle groups! I sound like an advertisement, don't I? ^^;
*Core Strength OK this one is just personal preference, but I have a very weak core so Pilates is very effective for that! While I may not be able to do all (or most) of the moves, I push myself to try the modifications for beginners and only take a quick 5 second break if I really cannot keep up!
*Yay Cassey! I just like Cassey Ho :P She's upbeat, energetic, tells distracting stories during the workouts to take your mind off the PAIN, and plays fun music!
*Food Bites Blogilates also has some healthy, wholesome recipes! Cassey recently went vegetarian, so there will be more and more vegetarian recipes to follow, too ^u^v

Foodwise, I have been aiming to eat whole, natural foods, and to eat in a certain "order" to control portion sizes. I have a VERY difficult time figuring out how much food I eat, as I am sure many people do, so I aim to fill up on nutritious foods without too many calories first.

1) Veggies - steamed vegetables are best! Fill up on these first so you are not ravenously trying to eat whatever you can!
2) Clear Soup - this does NOT mean cream-based chowders!! A clear soup will also help to fill you up without too many calories. Usually the soup at our house has some vegetables and maybe some protein in it. Seaweed brings lots of flavor!
3) Lean Protein - I normally eat (wild-caught) fish or (handmade) tofu. Sometimes we have a veggie/protein mix dish, so it can come before or after the clear soup :)
4) Carbs - aim for whole wheat, brown rice, and other whole grains. Eating carbs after everything else enables you to control the portion better because you are already mostly full.
5) Fruit - this is dessert! The sugar in the fruit can help to curb sweets cravings!

Most importantly, drink plenty of water! I start my day off with a cup of warm water to wake up the system, and then a cup of warm lime and honey water for cleansing. Throughout the day, if my mouth feels like craving something, I try to drink some warm water or hot tea first. When I am at school, I bring a tumbler and a teabag so I can make my own tea instead of being tempted by the many (many, many, many) beverage shops around the school. Taiwan is very beverage-shop heavy ^^; And the low prices (500cc of bubble milk tea for about US$1) are quite tempting!! Bringing my own drinks helps save my wallet and waistline ;D

In the past 12 weeks, I have lost weight and gotten just a tiny bit stronger! I am able to do more of the Pilates moves in the workout videos now, so that of course makes me feel good ;) My current short-term goal is to get under 60kg by the end of September. I really feel like I can do it!

Sorry for such a text-intensive post! With all the pointless fatty-chan hate/drama on LiveJournal recently, I just felt more inspired to make a post about being healthy for your own body type. I know I will never be the 40-50kg most of the other girls here are simply because that would be unhealthy for me. But I would like to be the best me that I can be!

Here's a photo of some tomato + basil + tofu noodles (yay low carb!) I made:

Thoughts? Questions? Let me know in the comments below!

Rapunzel's LookBook

2011-09-24T18:11:00.001+08:00

Recently I received a comment about the fact that I don't style my hair or wear makeup enough. While that may be somewhat true, a part of the reason is because I simply don't take photos of my experimental hair styles :P

So I am going to start a collection series of what I do with my hair. Even if it ends up not looking good XD Maybe it will end up inspiring some of you to try something that DOES look good! When I am bored I like to scour the Internet looking for new things to do with my hair. It is difficult to style my hair for a variety of reasons:
1) I don't use heat stylers. At all. No curling irons, straighteners, crimpers, etc. When you see my hair curled, it's because I used sponge curlers and slept in them overnight ;D
2) I don't use hair styling products. I could count the number of times I've used hairspray on one hand! My current idea of "using product in my hair" is using leave-in conditioner to make my hair soft and smooth :D
3) I prefer not to backcomb. Backcombing hair is quite damaging. It does give a lovely amount of volume, but I only backcomb my hair for special occassions and meetups. In this series, I plan on doing DAILY looks, so probably no backcombing in sight!

As you can see, that eliminates the vast majority of Lolita hair tutorials D: What can I say? I am too picky! Perhaps I am too stuck on the idea of "natural" beauty, but that is simply my style :P Braids will most likely be featured prominently in the future~

I hope this series can become useful in the future! And hopefully help me track some progress and ideas :D

Follow me!

Click on photos to make them bigger!

Double French Braid Pigtails. Very simple if you know how to French braid. I am terrible at it, but practicing! Dress it up with cute hair ties ♥ I am using Strawberry hair ties here because I was wearing a strawberry skirt.
Point! A good variation on this style is to loop the pigtails back up if your hair is long enough!

This is a similar style, but on the side. French braid one side to the ear, then braid the other side in a wraparound style to meet with the first braid and braid them together. It takes a bit of practice to learn how to wrap the braid around your head. A mirror will be very helpful!!

This one is super simple. Make a low side ponytail, create a hole above the ponytail holder, and flip the ponytail through. Decorate with hair corsages or ribbons of your choice. The flower clips pictured here are from Surface Spell on taobao.com! I got 10 of them and they are so handy!

So these first three are quite simple, but in the future I want to post more of my hair "experiments" here ^0^v
If there are any questions, suggestions, tutorial requests, etc. please let me know in the comments!
Most of the natural long hair styles I have seen are historic reenactment styles which would work nicely for Classical Lolita, but I am hoping to find more cute or sweet styles, so if you have any pictures, links, ideas, please send them my way!

A Taste of Darkness

2011-09-20T00:35:00.002+08:00

Ever since I had to get rid of my photo-editing programs (they were causing my netbook to slow down tremendously and spontaneously freeze), I have been much more reluctant to take photos and/or post them :( And I apologize for that!

Today I want to share a bit of an off-beat post. Last night I was visited by the Insomniasaur. Instead of sleeping, I tossed and turned and finally decided to just get up and do something crazy!

I am a Daily Lolita. I wear Lolita whenever I don't have work. Out of Lolita, my style is still sweet, girly, and covered with lace and ribbons! Sometimes, it is fun to try out a new style, though. Just to see how it would look, I put together a Gothic/Visual Kei style outfit. Hence, A Taste of Darkness.

Oh, and because the photos are a bit too dark ^^; SEE HOW CLEVER I AM IN MY SUBJECT? :o

A little preview:

It all started with the hair. I just wanted to mess around with my hair. It has never been dyed, only every touched heat-stylers 3 times (once for modeling, twice at a salon), and is very rarely backcombed. The length and style has pretty much stayed the same my entire life. I used to be a dancer in Chinese dance, and we needed our hair to be long and preferably one-length (no layers!) in order to be able to put all the huge hair pieces in!

But after styling my hair, I just got carried away with makeup. After makeup, it seemed to make sense to just go the whole way and put together an outfit!

I hope you enjoy this bit of randomness! ^u^v

Look at my rage-y face!

Two seated shots. I was actually adjusting the straps on my bodice in the second photo, but I think the "pose" looks all right :D

And a full-body shot! There are pearls sewn all over the tulle skirt, but it is quite difficult to see here.

Well, that was my little foray into Darkness fashion and style!

What style would you like to try? Do you like to stick to one style all the time, or do you change it up frequently? I know that there are a lot of Lolita/Gyaru mixes, and some Gothic Lolita/Western Goth mixes. How about your styles?? I am curious to know!!

Secretly I sort of want to shave my head into a mohawk and style it into a deathhawk, dye it with streaks of neon pink, get facial piercings, and sleeve tattoos (in UV ink!) but because I work as a teacher, I cannot do any of that.... :(

Large Meetup Tips (And a Meetup Report)

2011-09-12T00:24:00.000+08:00

Yesterday there was a yukata-themed meetup! It was for both yukata and Lolita, so I went with the happy medium and wore Wa-Lolita :P

It was a larger than usual crowd and consisted of both new and not-new Lolitas. Since even the organizer didn't know everybody, she developed a really handy system to make sure everybody who came was actually invited, everybody paid, and everybody got to know each other a little bit. I thought it was pretty rad so I am going to share!

This was my outfit :)
Open Invitation
The meetup was organized on Plurk, open to all. The theme was clearly stated (yukata and Lolita) and an updated guest-list was kept.

Reservation/Deposit

After a final headcount, the hotel restaurant was called and our space reserved for 30. Each attendee then had to pay a NT$100 deposit. Those who missed the deadline got their names put on a list which was reposted every day as a reminder. Not only is it embarrassing to have your name on the "Did Not Pay" list, it actually was helpful because one Lolita hadn't been online in a few days and one of the other Lolitas saw her name on the list and texted her to let her know there was a mandatory deposit. If anybody hadn't paid by the day before the meet, their spot would be canceled. Luckily, that didn't happen to anybody!

Reminder
2 days before the meet, the organizer sent out a notice to all attendees that there would be a checklist and name tags for everybody to avoid any uninviteds mixing their way in or any no-shows since we would have to cover the cost of their absence if anybody didn't show.

Checking In
As each guest arrived, she checked in on a list of guests and received a name tag with her name on it to make it easier to meet and remember new people. Due to the large number of people, we were split into 3 tables but throughout the meet migrated between tables to chat. A few girls arrived late but called ahead to let the organizer know that they were still coming!

Eating and Introductions
As food was served, we all got to know our tablemates better. Some people were familiar with each other already, and some were at their very first meetup, so it was fun to get to know everybody!

Our food was a 3-tier Japanese thing!

It was really fancy and surprisingly filling! I had to take a break after the second tier and chat before moving on to the third tier

Yes, the entire third tier is dessert!

After most people were finished eating, we started self-introductions. The organizer went first, of course and then we just went around in circles around each table. For those who were shyer they went up in pairs to introduce themselves. Many photos were taken and everybody was warmly welcomed~

Paying
After several hours of chatting and photography, it was time to pay! Each table had a "cash collector" who collected the money from everybody. Those who did not have exact change would get their change from the "collector." After each person paid, they could hand their name tag back in. This way, there wouldn't be a mystery amount of leftover unpaid bill which, unfortunately, has happened at a meetup I attended back in Minnesota. After all name tags were checked in, we paid the restaurant and went outside for MORE PHOTOGRAPHY!

I hope these ideas are somewhat helpful to those of you thinking of organizing your own meetups either with large groups, people you haven't met before, or both!

To finish off this post, have a group photo!!

I'm all hidden in the back ;)

Ribbon and Lace Wonderland Finish!

2011-09-05T23:23:00.002+08:00

Woohoo I finally finished and mailed out my Ribbon and Lace Wonderland clothing line!! It was ridiculously expensive to mail (over US$40) but I really hope it is going to turn out well!!See my previously finished pieces in this post. I am currently setting up a website on weebly.com but will probably be selling on Etsy at first. There is nothing on my shop yet, but I will be updating it as I get further along!Now, without further ado, a sneak peek at my Fall/Winter 2011 collection!

A knitwear jacket with a faux-tailored look and beautiful buttons. It is a sweatshirt-like material for warmth and comfort, but fits like a tailored jacket. Wonderful for chilly autumn days!

Shorts Salopette

Layers of ruffles on the chest and a hand-covered button!
This outfit is my first foray into a more boyish-yet-girly look, if that makes any sense!

Ruffle Skirt Salopette! The ruffles are all pattern-matched so the same pattern appears all the way around. It was quite time-consuming to do so, but it looks so much better than mismatched ruffles would have!

More hand-covered button~

One Piece!

I love these ribbons on the chest

Sorry for any bad lighting, but since I no longer have any photo-editing programs I cannot change the photos from when they were taken. These are also all sample items and may differ from the final product I will be selling.

For example, I know for sure I am going to add one more layer of ruffle to the One Piece!

I hope you enjoyed the photos and stay tuned for updates! Any comments, questions, etc. are welcome!

On Anonymity Online

2011-08-30T21:55:00.000+08:00

Hiding one's identity online is a little more serious here than in America. Generally, we post our meetup photos, daily outfits, friends, etc. onto communities and blogs without censoring our faces. Here however, everybody always photoshops an image over everybody's face to conceal their identity. In fact, at meetups everybody still goes by their online handle rather than their real names! I am the only Lolita who goes by her real name because my online handle (Sparklewolfie) was too long for anybody to remember ^^;

One of the images used was a brown paper bag with two black eyes. It was a funny image to see a hobo-esque face with frilly clothing and fluffy hair exploding out from underneath it! Then one day, a couple of the Lolitas actually went and made physical bags and put them on their heads before taking photos at the next meetup!

Remember this image?

So how does a group of bag-headed Lolitas look?

Pretty rad, I think!

Not only does this project help protect our identity, it is fun and silly, and still shows off the gorgeous dresses everybody is wearing!

Just an interesting little tidbit about Taiwanese Lolitas :)

How do you feel about protecting your identity online? How much of your personal information are you willing to share?
I think it would be interesting if Lolitas from other countries started making these paper bags ;) We could start a revolution of Paper Bag Head Lolitas! They're quite fun and vision is actually quite good while wearing a Paper Bag so awesome poses and group shots can be arranged :P

Meetup Report at Alice Cafe

2011-08-29T21:55:00.001+08:00

On Sunday, Aug. 28, Taipei Lolitas had a meetup at a cute cafe called Alice Cafe! I made a new skirt to wear because I felt like I'd worn all my Lolita outfits to previous meetups already... Perhaps it is time for a Closet Cleanout sale/trade post soon!

Anyway, I chose to use a more unusual color combination - Yellow and Orange. Yellow has slowly been making its way into Lolita over the years, but orange is still sadly lacking. There isn't even a tag for the color Orange on Daily Lolita! The fabric I had found at a fabric shop I visit fairly often. It was also available in more common colors such as blue and red, but I decided to try the yellow and bring out the orange accents instead!

The resulting outfit I am pretty satisfied with, despite it being a bit of a rush job made just the night before!

Alice Cafe was quite cute and had lovely lighting due to large glass walls. Due to the typhoon, we couldn't sit outside but our seating area was right next to the floor-to-ceiling windows and got some lovely photos anyway.

Coffee with Latte Art!

Print Shot

Shoe Shot

Hand Shot

Censor Shot!

One-Legged Lolita Shot!

What is up with the bag head? I will explain in a later post! For now, I hope you enjoy the photos!

Pose! Accessory Time~

2011-08-25T02:09:00.035+08:00

Common Lolita accessories such as purses and parasols are very useful and pretty. However, sometimes when it comes to photo time, it is difficult to figure out whether to stow them out of sight, make them a focal point, or just hold them casually if there is no clean place to set them down!

In this post I am going to cover bonnets, parasols, and purses for if you want to keep them in your photos.

Bonnets
Bonnets are quite eye-catching due to their large size and the fact that pretty much nobody other that historical re-enactors and Lolitas wear them! The easiest way to make them a focal point of your photo is to bring one or two hands to touch the brim.

Lolita idol Misako Aoki shows us how it's done:

Here is another example of a full-body shot and one hand touching:

As you can see, it is quite easy and effective! Just make sure you are not covering any part of your face :)

Parasols
Parasols are another accessory that stands out in the Western world because not many people carry them. Here in Asia, EVERYBODY has an umbrellasol, so it's really not so odd!

The simplest way to have your parasol in the photo is to close it and hold it to your side so it is visible, but not taking up a ton of room and/or blocking other people.

If you are in a photo with very few people or doing a photoshoot with an open parasol, the best angle to show off the details is at a slight angle. Generally, the prints and ruffle detailing is on the outside of the parasol (though recently I have seen umbrellasols with designs on the insides - maybe Lolita Brands will catch that trend too!) so that is the main portion to show off. One or both hands on the handle both look elegant. Make sure not to slouch at all, or it will look like your parasol is weighing you down!

Purses
Pretty much everybody has a purse. Always. When I first started documenting my Lolita outfits I would just stash my purse out of sight, but after getting cuter purses I wanted them to be in the photo with me! Here are some ways of holding your purse without looking awkward:

Crook of the arm:

This works very well for short-handled purses. It brings the purse up to waist height and gives you something to do with one arm so it is not hanging limply, being dragged down by a purse full of bricks ;)

Coy Pose/Backpack Pose

Holding your purse with both hands in front is a super cute look! It seems a little shy, but sweet.
If your purse is a backpack style such as AP's bunny bag, hang one strap on your shoulder and stand at an angle so the bag peeks out from behind your arm. Practicing the angle can help you get the perfect balance between showing your outfit and your backpack-style purse.

Wow, this post is quite image-heavy!

I hope this helped some of you out a little :)
Let's end with another image of accessories in photos!

Pose! Number 6!

2011-08-21T01:43:00.000+08:00

It lives! The Poses series is coming back! The remaining number poses tend to be more "PuriKura" appropriate and less useful for daily Lolita type of photos, but I figured I would just finish the set anyway :)

Coming up I will also be posting poses with accessories (bonnets, purses, etc.), another standing pose, and sitting poses!

"Telephone"
Pretty much the only pose for the "6" hand sign is to make a mock call ^_^;;

This is my best attempt at making it elegant! While it may be cute for PuriKura or photoshoots, this probably won't show up very often at all :P

Don't worry, future posts will contain more interesting information!! m(_ _)m

Photo Post! Sorry for Such a Delay!

2011-08-14T15:23:00.000+08:00

Dear Readers,

Hi! I am still alive! It has been over a week since my last post, which translates to approximately FOREVER in Internet Time.

The reason for my absence was due to a maddening experience called "registering for school." Unlike the system I am used to in MN, USA, it did not consist of:
1) Congrats, you are accepted!
2) Register and pay for classes, usually online.
3) New student orientation (registration may or may not be combined with this step)
4) Wait for new school year to start

Instead, the process was more like this:
1) Congrats, you are accepted!
2) Pay tuition. The bill is the same regardless of whether you will take 9 or 25 credits
3) Bring several forms and a photo to school, stand in line for hours, get 10 seconds of attention and then ordered out of the way
4) Cannot actually choose your classes for 3 weeks
5) Choose classes day before Orientation
6) Orientation
7) School starts

Currently, I am on step 4 of this process :( It has taken up quite a bit of my time, and I apologize for it.

I am now working to finish the final touches on Ribbon and Lace Wonderland, so expect a sneak preview here!

Under the cut are some photos from QiXi when I went to the Metro Mall and happened upon a yukata event that was happening! Lots of yukata everywhere!

I got a photo with some strangers wearing yukata :)

A cute dog wearing a doggie yukata!! It loved all the attention XD

QiXi, A Story of Love

2011-08-05T10:10:00.000+08:00

Tomorrow (8/6) is QiXi (pronounced "chii-shii"), the seventh day of the seventh month on the lunar calendar. It is a Chinese holiday similar to Valentine's Day in the west and is therefore sometimes called "Chinese Valentine's Day."

Image Source

Originally, on this day girls would show off their domestic skills and pray for a good husband, but now it is quite similar to the commercialized Valentine's Day with sales on couples' goods such as matching T-shirts and high-end chocolates. There are many variations on the legend of Qixi, but I would like to share the version I heard as a child!

NiuLang (Cow Herder) was a hard-working boy. One day he happened upon seven fairies who had come down from Heaven to bathe and play in a lake. He secretly stole one set of clothes because without the clothes, the fairy would be unable to return to Heaven. When the fairies were done playing, they left one by one until the seventh sister was left searching for her clothes. At this time, NiuLang came out of hiding and asked her to marry him.

At first, the fairy ZhiNu (Weaving Girl) was frightened. But NiuLang was very kind and gentle and eventually she agreed. They were happily married and lived together for a long time and had two children. One day while cleaning, ZhiNu happened upon a trunk and looked inside and found her fairy clothes. She had to return to Heaven and resume her fairy duties now that she had found them, so she put them on and flew back up to Heaven.

NiuLang was heartbroken but was unable to follow his wife. At this time, his ox spoke to him and told NiuLang to kill him and put on his skin. It would give him the power to follow ZhiNu up to Heaven. NiuLang was very sad that he had to kill his ox, but the ox insisted so NiuLang did as he asked, took each of his children in a basket on either side of a pole he carried across his shoulders, and put on the skin.

Image Source
He flew up after ZhiNu and was almost going to catch up! But the Heavenly Mother saw this and was upset because NiuLang and ZhiNu's love was interfering with their duties. She cut a huge river/chasm across the sky so they would be unable to be reunited. Both of them were so sad that in the end Heavenly Mother took pity on them and decreed that on the seventh day of the seventh month all the magpies of the world would join together to form a bridge across the chasm and NiuLang and ZhiNu would be together for a day.

So from that day on, NiuLang stays on his side of the galaxy with his children and ZhiNu stays on her side, then on QiXi they get to reunite as a family for a day.

Image Source: Google - the original post seems to be broken :o
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are many more variations if you would care to Google for them :) This is just the one I grew up hearing. In celebration of NOT commercializing this holiday, here are some "domestic arts" to try!

*Fruit carving - making food look as good as it tastes!
*Embroidery (I have also heard that throwing a needle into a body of water on this day to see if it floats is an indication of whether you will be good at embroidery or not!)
*Weaving
*Cooking (presentation is key!)
*Flower Arrangements
*Handmade arts such as painting, drawing, cards, calligraphy, etc.
*Deco! Completely not traditional in any way, but I think it should count as a domestic art because it makes normal things much cuter!

Do you have any ideas for QiXi or how you would celebrate? Even if you don't have a sweetheart to celebrate with (join the club!) it can be a good time to pray for good husband in the future!

Meetup Report! Rabbit Rabbit III and Maiden Diner

2011-07-26T00:52:00.001+08:00

Yesterday I had a double meetup! The first was a meetup with local Lolitas at an adorable restaurant called Rabbit Rabbit III (because it is the third branch) and shortly afterward I met a Lolita from the USA who is visiting in Taiwan and we went to a Maid Cafe.

Though the day was quite hot, I was wearing a corset under my outfit too @__@ Finally got to wear my BABY Parfait skirt out though!! First time it is seeing the sunshine after its color run disaster!

Group shot in front of Rabbit Rabbit III:

image courtesy of Loi蘿伊, on the far right

Crazy colored walls everywhere!

Adorable Menu!

It was incredibly crowded, but the area we were seated in was on a slightly raised platform and towards the back, hidden from view so we didn't have any issues with phantom photographers :D

Afterwards I met up with Heather and we window-shopped a bunch before heading to a cute little Maid Cafe called Maiden Diner. We weren't allowed to take photos of the decor or the maids, but we did take photos of our food!

My honey waffles! The drawings are done in chocolate syrup and super cute! Unfortunately, in the process of eating, the maid's face is inevitably wiped off :(

Heather's strawberry waffles.

Compared to the last maid cafe I went to, this one was so much better! It is MUCH smaller, seating only about 8 tables, but very cute and sweet. It had a "bus" or "train" theme for some reason, but all in pink and with little plushies sitting in the dangling handholds.

On our way out, we saw an elegant-looking butler cafe! I'm interested in trying that out too...

Hope the Maid Cafe report wasn't too off topic :P Honestly, I just really like the idea of theme cafes!!

Review/Tutorial~Dylon Dye Run Colour Remover

2011-07-17T03:44:00.001+08:00

A few weeks ago I posted about my dream dress print running because it got wet. I asked 3 different dry cleaners and none were able to offer any insight or advice on how to fix it (AKA, they told me "too bad! It's ruined forever!"). So I posted to EGL asking what I should reconstruct the skirt into. Instead, I got many recommendations for products to use to get the dye out. One that was mentioned many times was "Dylon Dye Run Colour Remover." Unfortunately, none of the shops I checked (I checked 4!) sold this, so I ended up buying it online. Once it arrived, I eagerly tried it out! I took some photos so you can see how it works!

1) Product:

2) Use enough water to cover your clothing completely/水量要能完全蓋住一服讓她好好泡個澡

3) Skirt:

4) Add Dylon to water/將DYLON加入水裡:

POINT! It is advisable to do a spot test on the seam allowance to make sure your clothes can handle this product! No, I didn't spot test since my skirt was ruined already anyway /建議要先在衣服的縫分試試看用了會不會更糟。我自己是沒試試看哈哈想反正已經退色了!

5) Submerge skirt/把衣服泡到水裡:

6) Soak for 1+ hours, stirring regularly/要泡一個多鐘頭而且要偶爾去攪動一下:

POINT! It is recommended to wear protective gloves when working with chemicals like this! 建議要戴手套! 者種化學藥品很有可能傷皮膚喔!

7) Dye in the water/顏色被吸出來了:

Results:

Before/使用前:

After/使用後:

Before/使用前:

After/使用後:

Conclusion:
Dylon Dye Run Colour Remover removed all the excess red dye without fading the original print at all! I am very satisfied with it and so glad that my skirt looks like new now!

Tiana's Kitchen~Easy "Ice Cream" 簡單DIY冰淇淋

2011-07-13T21:13:00.000+08:00

熱熱的夏天令人很想吃冰食來降低體溫。但好吃的冰淇淋通常高熱量高脂肪而且加了很多防腐劑和其它人工塑料。想吃健康又天然的冰淇淋也不難! 只需要一種材料就行了!
In the high heat of summer, there is nothing quite as satisfying as cooling down with a scoop or two of delicious ice cream. Unfortunately, regular ice cream tends to be high in fat and calories and/or filled with preservatives or artificial chemicals. Today I will show you how to make a healthy and delicious "ice cream" with only one ingredient!

Ice cream??

Ingredients/材料:
1-2 bananas/香蕉

Directions/做法:

1) 將香蕉剝皮切丁。Peel and cut the banana into slices

POINT! 香蕉越熟越甜。稍微過熟的香蕉不必加糖會健康一點。 The riper the banana, the sweeter it is. Slightly overripe bananas will make the ice cream sweet enough without the need for extra sugar, which is healthier!

2) 把切好的香蕉冰到凍箱裡。 Freeze the banana slices.

3) 想吃冰淇淋時就把凍好的香蕉丟到大杯子裡用料理棒打成泥。When you want to eat ice cream, take out the frozen banana and blend it with a food processor or a hand held blender.

4) 挖出來就能吃了! Scoop it out and enjoy!

POINT! 試試其它水果來換別的口味! 芒果，火龍果，等都能試看看喔! Try different types of fruit for different flavors! Try mangoes, dragonfruit, etc.

Ribbon and Lace Wonderland Update

2011-07-11T01:15:00.000+08:00

Since I'm halfway done with my line, I figured I would share some photos :)

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First, I made the blouses. The two white ones are the same - one just has detachable sleeves so I only took one photo:

Click to make larger!
It has puff sleeves, cotton lace ruffles (with ribbons embroidered on them), and one has detachable sleeves with wide crochet cotton lace and pintucks

Chest Up

Sleeve Detail

Collar

Next is a "work appropriate" blouse so the sleeves are a little less puffy and it has no huge ruffles, but it is still cute and wearable with smaller lace on the sleeve and collar:

Collar

Sleeve

Today I completed the "work appropriate" JSK which is more toned down with a full, pleated skirt, black top, and white lace. Nothing too fancy, but still dress-up-able for more formal events!

I have no idea if you can actually wear this to work, but that's the thought behind it!

So that's half my line! I've been sewing in all my free time and become quite the hermit ^^;

Any feedback is quite welcome!

Under the Weather

2011-07-04T11:55:00.002+08:00

Yay it's typhoon season here in Taiwan! And by "yay!" I really mean "aw, man!"

Sudden rainstorms can hit randomly and the temperature is really crazy! Yesterday I went out to buy some fabric and wore Lolita. Though it was a bit hot, I still wore a blouse, my full petticoat, and glass socks, which are cooler than cotton socks. Then on my way home it suddenly started pouring rain while thunder and lightening lit up the sky. Luckily, I carry an umbrellasol (sunny and rainy use umbrella+parasol combo!) at all times so I didn't get TOO wet

And thus, today's topic is on choosing the appropriate Lolita outfit for the weather

Rainy
If you would like to wear an outfit that cannot get wet, such as Brand clothing, check the weather forecast first! Even if you bring an umbrella, splashing water, angled rain, and brushing against other people can still get your skirt and socks wet!

If your country or region has a rainy season, keep a foldable umbrella with you at all times. Even better, get a foldable umbrellasol so you can use it whether it is rainy or sunny!

A BABY umbrellasol

Sunny
Wear sunblock! If you don't like sunblock, try to get a moisturizer with SPF or foundation with SPF if you wear makeup.

Carry an umbrellasol to protect your skin from UV rays. Here in Taiwan, it is quite cheap and common to be able to buy an umbrellasol on the streets. Make sure it has UV filtering for maximum effect!

EDIT: Thanks to Connie for this tip:
A straw hat or bonnet is another pretty way to keep the sun off of your face.

Keep a pretty, foldable fan in your purse to help cool off.

An example of a Victorian folding fan

Oil-blotting papers are a lifesaver!

EDIT: Thanks to Connie for reminding me about fabrics!
Fabrics to consider:
*cotton* breathable and hydrophilic; wicks sweat away from skin
*chiffon* sheer material like chiffon keeps you covered but not as hot. Brands often put out chiffon blouses for Spring and Summer

Tips from Sabayon:
Wear plain tights in the summer to prevent chub rub without needing bloomers

Soak tights in ice water for portable air-conditioning!

Snowy
When it is snowy, chances are you won't be outside the whole time, so dress in layers! For MN winters I would layer wool tights, flannel bloomers, and socks to keep my feet warm in my boots. I wore a blouse under my dresses (and sometimes a cami under the blouse if it was paired with a skirt) and a cardigan on top. Cover it all with a warm coat, double-layered gloves, a cute scarf, and very importantly, a hat! Dressing in layers allows you to add or remove to adapt to the temperature changes.

Moisturize a lot in snowy weather to prevent windburn.

If there is a lot of snow on the ground, you may want to wear sunglasses during the day because the snow reflects light and that can hurt your eyes!

EDIT: Thanks to Connie for reminding me about fabrics!
Fabrics to consider:
*cotton* it won't get cold like synthetic materials, so your coat won't be cold on the inside when you first put it on! This is a personal preference, as some people prefer the slide-y quality of polyester linings, but for me, cotton is the way to go!
*wool/cashmere* Pricey but warm! Investing is some good wool undergarments or socks will really make a difference in the cold weather!
*fur* Real or fake fur traps body heat between the hairs and keeps you warmer

Windy
When there is a lot of wind, try avoiding skirts/dresses with a wide hemline such as tiered skirts, which are easily caught by the wind

A Meta tiered skirt - each tier is wider than the previous one

Carry a sidealong purse to help hold down your skirt. If a gust of wind does sweep under the hem, you only need to worry about holding down one side.

"Weigh down" the hemline with layers of ruffles or heavier material. Try pinning charms or fishing weights to the inside of the hem if you are really worried about accidental bloomer-flash! The weights shouldn't be so heavy they alter the shape of your skirt, but they do offer some protection against the wind

Have you got any tips for choosing an outfit to suit the weather? Please share in the comments below if you do!

Completely Off Topic Posts are OK If There are Cute Animals Involved

2011-07-02T01:17:00.000+08:00

Today was spent sewing and going to work. Oh, and squeeing over the new pets that my mom bought - baby mini chickens!
今天是平凡的一天。做做衣服，上上班。對了，還有看到媽媽買的小雞時的興奮!

Yes, this is totally off topic, but you do want to see photos of the two baby chickens we have now, right?
雖然這件事和Lolita世界完全無關，但還是想看看可愛的相片吧?

They need to be kept warm for the first 8 days and I'm super scared they'll die! My first rabbit was a baby and it died after a couple of days. Well, it had been attacked by a cat when I first got it, so maybe it was from internal injuries, but still. I think babies are fragile!
賣家說前八天要保持溫暖的狀態。我是超怕牠們兩個忽然死掉! 第一次養小兔子時牠過了幾天就過世了。也許是因為來到我家的前幾天被貓攻擊啦，但給我的映像還是覺得小動物很弱!

Why I Am Busy and Stuff!

2011-06-30T19:14:00.000+08:00

Sorry for lack of timely updates! I will continue to be quite busy for the next month because I am creating 4 full looks for a fashion show!

There are some new things that I am excited to try, so I hope this is a good learning process. Fashion sketches after the jump~

Look 1:

Jacket
Jsk
BLACK short sleeve blouse (I changed my mind about the coloring after I finished this picture)

Look 2 and 3:

Black Shorts Salopette
White Blouse with Detachable Sleeves

White Skirt Salopette
White Short Sleeve Blouse

Look 4:

Fabric Swatches:

I am using the pale pink with black print for the JSK
Black with Blue print for the shorts
White with Pink print for the skirt
White with Black print for the OP

So I am going to be very busy! But I will update with progress photos :)
Hime OP

Lolita 100 Meme #91-100

2011-06-30T07:14:00.001+08:00

The final part of this meme!

(91) 1日大好きなあの人とデートが出来ることになりました。相手も自分の好きな格好をして来てくれます。(One day I will go on a date with that person. What would you like to wear for him?)
Whatever I feel like :) He has to accept me for me. I will not change for him, so he must accept my style!

(92) アナタが将来お店を開くとしたら、どんなお店を持ちたいですか?(If you want one, what type of store would you open in the future?)
A cafe/boutique combination, either side by side or upper and lower levels. It is a very far off and unlikely dream, but it would be awesome!

(93) ついついコレに目が行っちゃうのよね〜。というモチーフはありますか?(Your eyes get attracted inadvertantly to something. What is this motif?)
Sweets and cute animals!

(94) 自分の子供もロリィタにしたいと思いますか?(Would you dress your child in Lolita?)
Yes! If she liked it anyway

(95) 一着のロリ服にいくらまでかけられますか?(How much do you spend on one outfit?)
I am not sure - if it is handmade maybe around US$20-30 just on material for the dress... If it has accessories and Lolita-style purse, probably around US$50

(96) これぞロリィタ! という仕種があれば､教えて下さい。("This is Lolita!!" Please say what you would say this about.)
I am not sure, just something beautiful and elegant! Very classy, for sure!

(97) 一度でいいから着てみたい! ロリィタ以外でそんな格好ありますか?("If I could just wear it once I would try it!!! Aside from Lolita, what would you like to try wearing?)
A dark, aristocratic, spooky, elegant outfit. So I can look like a Gothic QUEEN!!

(98) 自分のロリィタを見て、一言で表すとしたらどんな言葉だと思いますか?(Look at you in Lolita. In one word/phrase, how would you express your style/image?)
Elegant Innocence (is my goal, anyway! I am a far distance from it, but I will improve more!)

(99) アナタの理想のロリィタ像とは?(What is your ideal of Lolita?)
Beautiful, Elegant, and Confident

(100) 大変お疲れ様でした! 100答えてみての感想をどうぞ! (Thank you for taking this Baton!! Please state your thoughts on it!)
It is so long!!! But had some very good questions

To my readers, if you would like to answer these questions in the comments, I would love to see your answers!

Review~Classical Puppets Petticoat (bell-shape) Plus a Bit of Background on Pettis in General

2011-06-23T22:46:00.001+08:00

Petticoats are essential to any Lolita outfit. They create the proper silhouette that Lolita is so known for. When I first got into Lolita, the emphasis on petticoat construction and quality was on the stiffness of material. Tulle and netting were the preferred poof-providers despite their itchiness. Later, lined petticoats became the standard to help combat the itchiness. Questions and tips on reviving flattened petticoats popped up on EGL often. The fact is, stiff materials will lose their stiffness over time. We can steam, starch, hang upside down, and fluff all we want, but in the end you will end up needing to layer 2-4 petticoats (hello there, fat waistline!) or buy a new petticoat.

I have also made several tulle petticoats for fashion shows and personal wear. While they were wonderfully fluffy to begin with, eventually they all died and became good only for a casual outfit that required minimal poof.

Eventually, softer organdy, organza, cotton, and chiffon petticoats became more popular since they didn't itch nearly as badly, though their softness was cause for great concern at first! Would such soft, drape-y fabric create the fullness we so desired? Well, the short answer is: yes. The longer answer is: yes, but you will need EVEN MORE material than was required for stiff netting/tulle pettis! The cost of buying so much fabric deterred me from ever trying to make a soft petti. That, plus the gathering. So I made do with my tulle petticoats for a few years.

Last year, TaoBao became popular for cheap Lolita clothing, and Dear Celine and Classical Puppets both got quite a bit of publicity for their petticoats. I wavered between the two until I moved to Taiwan and most of the local Lolitas had Classical Puppet petticoats, so I joined a Group Order for one :)

I prefer to own and use something for a while before writing a review so that any easily damaged or broken bits become apparent. I have had this petticoat for over a month and used it frequently.

The bell shape

Classical Puppet tag is on a soft ribbon and not uncomfortable or scratchy at all

Top layer gathered softly for a smooth silhouette

Finished with good, crochet cotton lace

Inner layer gathered extremely fully - so fully that the sheerness becomes opaque!

Inner layer and lining finished with overlock

Now to show the with and without petticoat photos!

Shown here with a plain, bell-shaped skirt. It is easiest to see the difference here!

And shown here with BABY's Parfait print skirt! It has a built in petti, but definitely looks better with a real petti underneath!

And on a side note, this is the last, beautiful photo of this BABY skirt. I spot-cleaned it but the water spread throughout the fabric while it was drying and the colors ran

Goodbye, my first Lolita love

Snapshot!

2011-06-19T18:56:00.000+08:00

Homemade food is good. It is delicious and the making process is fun. You also don't need to worry about cancer-causing chemicals in your food. By the way, that post was just the first one I found :3 It has spread past drinks and has been found in breads and other foods too :o

Anyway, baking is fun, but requires lots of equipment and space to keep said equipment. Taiwan is rather short on space. And thus, we avoid buying single-purpose goods. Like waffle-makers, which only make.... waffles. Well guess what? I LOVE WAFFLES SO I GOT A WAFFLE MAKER.

Look at my waffle maker all making waffles and stuff!

Except, it's not making waffles in that photo. Oh no, it's a multi-functional machine! It's busy making pizza pockets.

This was a fun experiment fueled by my lack of oven and recent craving for pizza! It is quite easy to make. Simply make or purchase some pizza crust dough (we made our own) and roll it out quite thin. Then layer crust, toppings, crust on the iron and gently close the lid. Remove excess dough and allow to cook for 5-15 minutes (depending on your iron)

I suggest NOT using liquid-y fillings such as pizza sauce. Use fresh tomatoes instead! Also, the crust may seem too much in a crust to filling ratio, so I would recommend using stronger flavors for the filling. Garlic, basil, and other spices can brighten the flavor intensely!

This would be sort of fun to bring to a picnic or just as a surprise food (like cupfakes!) where it looks like a sweet but is savory!

If you find that your iron is not very accommodating of the amount of filling you would like, you can also put a small wad of dough into the iron to bake (remember, dough expands, so don't overfill!) and then top with toppings and put in an oven or under a broiler for a few minutes to warm up/melt your toppings. Have fun with this!

Cinderella Solutinns~Affording Fancy Meetups

2011-06-16T09:35:00.001+08:00

Despite the large, online community, Lolitas are still few and far between in real life. How often do you bump into another Lolita on the street? Not very, I assume. Thus whenever there is a Lolita Meetup happening, most of us tend to get very excited to meet new friends, share interests, and maybe do something fancy!

While it is obviously not required to go to a tea house or something similarly "stereotypical" of the Lolita lifestyle, oftentimes it is fun to take afternoon tea with cute cakes and sandwiches or go somewhere for a photoshoot. We don't get all dolled up just to watch a movie and then go home, you know!

However, fancy places usually come with a fancy price tag too. And many of us are still students trying to pay for school, food, rent, gas or public transportation, and of course, our Lolita dresses! How is one poor Lolita supposed to afford such fancy things?

Oh you gorgeous towering tea tray, GET IN MY BELLY!

The first few meetups I went to here cost from NT$300-600 for afternoon tea. While it was very fancy, gorgeous, and enjoyable, it simply wasn't realistic for me to do this every month!

Recently our local group has begun to have cheaper meetups in new locations found via the magic of... Groupon!

Click on the link to learn about Groupon and how it works! Basically, it offers local coupons that you can purchase and then use at the advertised location. It is a great way to discover new cafes and eateries nearby while saving money! After you select your location it will give you daily coupon offers with huge discounts (around 50-90% savings). What a wonderful way to try new places without spending too much!

There are other, similar sites such as Living Social, though Groupon is the only one I have had experience with. After we started Grouponing, the meetup cost averaged out to about NT$150, or about US$5 for a meal. Now that, I can do!

I hope this little tip helped some of you out :) Do you know of any other couponing sites like this? Please share in the comments if you do!

Aurora's Chambers~Jewelry Organization Tutorial!

2011-06-15T18:00:00.002+08:00

A looooong time ago I said I would do some "household" type tutorials and here is the first post! Finally!
好久好久以前說會PO些關於家庭整理教學，終於發第一篇文章了!

I have quite a few necklaces and bracelets which were kept in a box and become tangles constantly, so I finally decided to create a cheap little organizer that looks pretty and keeps my necklaces from becoming one huge knot!
我有許多項鍊和手還可是放在盒子裡常常會打結。有一天忽然想到個好辦法來把他們整理好!

There have been many jewelry organization tutorials on the internet that I found. Most of them consisted of an empty frame with netting stretched behind it or a corkboard you can hang up. Since we are renting cannot hang things on the wall, I had to make a free-standing organizer!
在網路上搜索了好多配件整理教學可是都是用相框加沙布掛在牆上的那種。目前租的房子不能掛東西，所以只好自己創照新的方法吧!

Tada! A Wire Tree!
完成的鐵樹架!

Materials材料:
*Wire in varying thicknesses 鐵絲
*Wire cutter 剪鐵疵的夾子
*Pliers 小夾子

Directions做法:
1) Cut your wire into several lengths that are LONGER than your necklaces.
將鐵絲剪成許多比項鍊要長的一段一段

2) Curl one end of the wire into a little spiral, and the other end into a hook.
用小夾子把一邊捲起來，另一邊彎個鉤

The bigger the spiral, the more stable your tree will be. Vary the sizes of the spirals to make your tree more interesting!
卷卷那頭越大樹站的越穩。每隻的大小都會有點不一樣

3) After all your wires are bent, bend the spiral end at a 90 degree angle to make the roots of the tree and your tree will stand up. Gather all your branches together and begin to wrap the trunk with more wire. I found that using a thinner wire for this part was easier
接下來把樹根彎成90度，讓書站起來。再把所有的樹枝用細一點的鐵絲綁起來

You can also add more branches at this point. Just make a V with a wire and bend BOTH ends into hooks, then wrap around the trunk of the tree. Secure it all with the thinner wire as a final wrapping
現在像多加些樹枝也可以。把鐵絲灣個V形，兩頭彎鉤鉤，在把它繞道樹上用細鐵絲蓋住

4) This is what it should look like when done:
最後的成果:

5) Hang your necklaces on! If you find that your tree is not balanced (some pendants on necklaces can be quite heavy!) you can bend the tree branch to let the heavier necklaces just barely touch the surface of the table or wherever your tree is standing. This way, the table will help support some of the weight of the necklace, but the tree still holds the chain portion up so it doesn't tangle!
把項鍊掛上吧! 如果有些項鍊比較重讓樹站不穩可以把樹枝網下彎，讓像練輕輕碰到桌面。這樣桌面會幫忙撐住重量，樹枝把常常的鏈條拉高就不會糾結囉!

Doesn't that look so much nicer?
看起來舒服多了!

May the Power of Lolita Compel You! (A Diary Post)

2011-06-11T20:07:00.000+08:00

I have run out of scheduled posts! Time to make real-life update ;D As I mentioned before, this month I am a bit more busy because I'm working 2 jobs and getting ready to test my way into University. Well, the day is here! Tomorrow is my test/analysis/careful scrutiny of every aspect of my person to try and set the course for the next 2-4 years of my life!
今天來篇人生報告文!之前提過這個月會比較忙。除了上兩個班還要準備實踐的徵審入學考。明天就要考了!! 好緊張! 明天過後就知道未來的兩到四年要如何過下去。。。

Wow, that sounds very dramatic :x
講的好誇張喔^^;

Anyway, we were supposed to come up with a portfolio of our past works. I spent hours upon hours finding old photos, taking new ones, editing them on my computer, and spent NT$1000 getting them printed. Then I did fashion sketches for the basic styles. After putting it all together, I realized.... Everything is Lolita. Except for the 4 kigurumi I did as a collaboration with my sister. I don't know if this lack of variety is going to get me auto-disqualified or not....
徵審要把作品整理成文件。我花了好幾天找相片，拍新相片，修相片，還花了一千多塊把它們因出來。最後還畫了好幾張服裝畫。全不整理完後才發現。。。除了四件kigurumi(日本可愛動物角色睡衣)，所有的作品都是蘿莉塔服。希望這麼沒花樣不會害了我!

In more Lolita-related news, next week I am going to meet another Lolita to pick up some things I bought as part of a Group Order. Would anybody be interested in reviews of some of my purchases?

Thus far I have/will be getting:
Classical Puppets petticoat
AnTaiNa shoes
Secret Shop Socks
Surface Spell flowers (for hair or pin)

And I already did a review of the DoL Strawberry Purse here

Let me know in the comments below! (P.S. click on the post title if you cannot see the comment section!)

Pose! Full Body Photos~ Cross Step

2011-06-09T19:04:00.000+08:00

Another simple leg pose for full body shots is the Cross Step. It is pretty easy and the only thing you need to watch out for is to make sure you don't look like you need to use the restroom!

Literally, you just cross your legs. You weight can be on your back leg or evenly distributed on both feet. Normally, I point my front leg to avoid the "I need to go to the bathroom NOW!" look

Other variations include:
*Slightly twisting your front foot in a coquettish way so you're standing on the edge of your foot (keep weight on back leg)
*Pointing both feet outward and standing evenly on both feet in a ballet-like pose

The Gothic Lolita in the middle shows a beautiful ballet-style variation of the Cross Step

This pose looks quite elegant. Try it out sometime!

On Leveling Up

2011-06-07T23:05:00.001+08:00

Back in the Stone Age (or somewhere around there), there was a Big Bang of Lolita bloggers that exploded out of the darkest abyss which was the Internet. A new blog popped up and was advertised on EGL every couple days. For every advertised blog, there was probably 3-5 blogs that weren't advertised. As one of these ninja blogs, ABC Lolita emerged as a single-cell organism and floated around in the endless void of blogs. Eventually, it evolved into a sort of organized blog with a few followers, which meant the content needed to actually have more meaning.

Over time (from Stone Age to now is just over a year, I believe) ABC Lolita attracted more followers and started getting comments. Good thing I had a good commenting system than allows for reply subscriptions :D

And now, ABC Lolita has leveled up from single-cell to plankton or something similar. Still less than 100 followers, but apparently quality enough to have gotten... an award.... O_O *play music from LoZ when Link opens a treasure chest!*

Blogger Award

First of all, I'd like to thank Lemonberry Lulu for giving me a blogger award! I would never have thought that I'd get one when I first started this blog!

So now I am going to share 9 wonderful blogs with you all :)

Here are the blogger award rules:

Make a post containing:

1)Say thank you to the person who gave you the award
2)Write about someone that gave you the award
3)Write about yourself
4)Award and banner code
5)Give this banner to 9 of your friends
6)Don't forget to leave a message in their chatbox
7)Use the image on your sidebar without changing the code

Lemonberry Lulu is probably the top commenter on this blog, thanks very much for that! Getting feedback always feels really good :D Don't worry, everybody else, there are definitely a handful of you that I remember the usernames of because you guys comment a lot, too!

Something about myself... Well I originally started this blog because I wanted to share something with the world, but was actually too scared to promote my blog at all because I am not a good writer and don't really like to do Brand updates, write intelligent articles (actually, I am just incapable I think?), etc. I DO like to post tutorials because free Internet tutorials is what got me started on my fashion design and construction path, and I'd like to give something back!

This post is already getting long, so here are my 9 blogs in no order:
1)F Yeah Lolita writes the type if intelligent articles about Lolita fashion that I wish I could :P

2) Moments Like Diamonds has an awesome title and writes Gyaru style and daily life posts. She hails from MN (yay!) and I enjoy her One Item 7 Ways posts a lot! Also the Japan posts :)

3)Tokyo Kawaii Etc. is a blog about Japan by a Japanese woman (in English). It is quite interesting!

4) Viva Woman blogs about beauty and the safety of products. She has a lot of nice reviews and natural home DIY projects. Based in Singapore

5) Doe Deere is an entrepreneur who created the cosmetics line of Lime Crime. I like to follow her blog for the photoshoots :P Back when she just did makeup tutorials, I started following and then she launched her own line!

6) Anna the Red is a plush and bento designer. She also does a lot of non-bento food art. I LOVE food art!! Pretty much everything she does is awesome. My computer couldn't access her site for the longest time D: But I followed her Flickr. Then I changed my IP address and now I can stalk her blog all I want!

7)Japanese Snack Reviews is a really niche blog, but I figured it'd be interesting to some of you :) I think it's quite nice!

8)Hyperbole and a Half is a random, quirky blog made of MS Paint drawings and hilarity. My favorite post that actually made me laugh out loud while home alone is called "Texas". You should definitely check out her blog! It'll cheer you up :)

9)Gothic Charm School is quite famous and popular already, but I thought I'd share anyway! It teacher etiquette and how to handle tough situations with grace and manners. Definitely something we can all learn, especially in a subculture fashion!

P.S. I'm terrible at science :(

Belle's Library~ Alice: Madness Returns

2011-06-05T14:38:00.002+08:00

Alice in Wonderland is a timeless classic. Many artists have created their own spinoffs in movies, storybooks, video games, and more! As one of the biggest influences in Lolita fashion, Alice is a popular motif and one of my favorite characters. The quirky world of Wonderland leaves itself open to interpretation and many interesting theories!

This month, a new release of another Alice interpretation is coming... a sequel to my favorite video game, American McGee's Alice!

The first video game was released in 2000 for PC. It was an extremely popular game, though it did freak me out because I played it late at night ^^; In case you couldn't tell from the poster for the sequel, American McGee's Alice and Alice: Madness Returns are Gothic Horror games.

The story behind American McGee's Alice is that a fire destroyed Alice's home and killed her parents. Unable to live with the horrifying reality, she is admitted into an asylum. She is living in her imaginary world of Wonderland, but her insanity has caused Wonderland to also become twisted and dark. The Red Queen (for Alice fans, this game also treats the Red Queen and the Queen of Hearts as the same character) has taken over and Alice must fight her way through Wonderland to save it.

Be warned that it is quite gore-y! The characters bleed and the sound of the Vorpal Blade slicing into their bodies is a little scary! I only got through the first 3 levels/chapters because honestly, the game is a little difficult, so save often!! There aren't a ton of checkpoints, but you can save at any time in the game and choose which point to go back to. For example, if you end up going to wrong way and have already saved, it won't delete your previous saves, so you can choose to return to an earlier checkpoint and go a different direction.

In Alice: Madness Returns 11 years have passed (corresponding with real time between the games) Alice is released from the asylum and sent to a London psychiatrist. Her nightmares and the new environment prove too much for her and she tries to return to Wonderland, but finds that in the time she has been absent, it has once again become a dark world...

The website has a lot of cool images, wallpapers, and an interactive storybook you can play with to get a summary of Alice's adventures. The facebook group also has new information and media updates. The new game is available for more platforms than just PC!

Also, if you pre-order you can get the OST *u*

This makes me wish I had the Xbox here... ;_; It's still in America!!

Readers, what are your favorite Alice movies, stories, games, etc.?
My personal list:

Movie: Alice in Wonderland (2010 Tim Burton version)
Story: The Looking Glass Wars really interesting take on Wonderland!
Game: American McGee's Alice :P

Is anybody else excited for this??

On All the Good Things

2011-06-04T00:35:00.004+08:00

Wow, I know that I said June would be a month of few posts because I would be busy (and I am - today was exhausting!!) but today I found that I need to make 4 posts, 3 of which are time-sensitive!! So to save your sanity, I am going to combine the time-sensitive ones into one post of tremendous joy ♥♥♥ and schedule-post the fourth!

P.S. Also going to start blogging bilingually sometimes :P I know I said that before, but this time, I mean it! Wow, this post is just full of positive energy! :D

International Lolita Day Summer 2011!
Tomorrow (or today, depending on time zone and how late you are staying up) is International Lolita day!
明天(今天嗎? 已經過了午夜!)就是國際蘿莉節!
Check out my previous posts:
之前寫的文章:
Summer 2010
Winter 2010

This year I will be in class all day
今年我剛好卡到課，要在教室坐一整天。。。

So I will wear something comfortable, but pretty! I wish I had had the time to put my hair in rollers today, but I was so exhausted I actually fell asleep for a bit when I got home (hence writing this post at 12AM...)
結論是: 穿一套又舒服又可愛的蘿莉服! 本來想捲髮，可是回到家實在太累了(不用電棒的壞處就是前一天晚上要用海綿球!)

What is one to do when LoliDay seems so... not fancy? I, for one, plan on having a one-person party and treating myself to a cafe near the school during lunch break! Last Winter Loliday I also had a one-person party and went to a cafe :P I love cafes!
蘿莉節沒聚會要怎麼辦呢? 我個人是打算單人形成! 在學校附近找家可愛又不太貴的咖啡廳吃午簪~ 超愛cafe的!

Another idea is to scrapbook! I have a Lolita scrapbook and just bought more double-stick tape so I can finish the last few meetups I went to! Maybe I will share some photos here :)

Dragon Boat Festival

Monday, June 6 is the Dragon Boat Festival (In case you're curious, I grew up with the Qu Yuan legend version of the festival)! On Saturday my mom taught me how to make rice dumplings called zongzi (pronounced more like dzong dzi). I am not good enough to make a tutorial on it, but I did compile some footage into a video to share the experience! Youtube is being strange and saying it will take over 600 minutes to upload my video O_Q I may have to edit the video into this post tomorrow...
星期一是端午節! 媽媽有教我包粽子，可是我包的不太好。。。有錄下來，可是YOUTUBE發作ING，說要600+分鐘才完成上傳 O_Q 明天在編輯文章加影片吧?

EDIT: Fixed! I uploaded it with Chrome instead of Firefox :P

Giveaway Winner!
The winners are:
1) Kathleen!
2) Ziertin!

Congrats ^u^v Please email me your addresses at theabclolita @ gmail * com!

Pose! Number 5!

2011-06-02T18:49:00.000+08:00

Accessories are important in Lolita fashion, so show them off with a stylish pose on your photos!

A closeup of your face/chest with a hand by your face catches all the earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, and any nail art or deco you have on, as well as your makeup/hair details. It addition to portrait shots, Pose Number 5 is good for full body photos as well!

"Bashful Doll"

Combined with the False Step from last week, this photo looks sweet and innocent. Softly touching your face/mouth with your hand looks a bit shy, giving a dolly feel overall.

"Surprise!"

Using different facial expressions, you can change from bashful to surprised! This pose/expression seems quite popular, as if the model was caught unaware

"Heya!"

The model here isn't wearing Lolita, but I see this pose a lot too. Basically, act like you're calling out to a friend across the room. It adds more "action" feel and interest to the photo

I hope you enjoy the series so far :) Let's add more variety to our outfit snaps!

Tiana's Kitchen~NiYa Toast

2011-05-31T20:58:00.000+08:00

I would like to start this post off by telling everybody that I am terrible at editing videos. Seriously. It took me 3 days to edit less than 15 minutes of footage! But I felt that this recipe would be more fun with a video!!

Remember the Mini Garden Meetup I blogged about after Mother's Day? And remember I said, "We were joking about how it was too sweet and decided we are going to invent our own version, but savory instead of sweet"

I actually did it :D I named it after NiYa, who joked about needing to drink soy sauce. NiYa Toast sounds a bit like Honey Toast (MiTang Toast). The subtitles are actually in Chinese, but I wanted to share my hard work! I am planning on getting an English version up too, but the video itself should actually be pretty self explanatory ;D

This is Seafood Flavored NiYa Toast! I plan on trying Curry next :D

Ingredients:
Uncut Toast
Basil
Garlic
Butter
Parmesan Cheese (or any white cheese)
Tri-color veggie mix
Seafood mix
Broccoli, Asparagus, etc. for decoration

Directions:
1) Chop garlic finely and mix with melted butter
2) Cut loaf of bread in half
3) Cut four sides of a square in the center of your half-loaf. Leave about 1cm border and base (don't cut through the bottom!)
4) Cut the bottom free from the side
5) Pull out the center and cut into long rectangles
6) Cover with garlic butter and toast lightly
7) Stir fry veggies and seafood mix in a pan. Season and thicken with cornstarch.
8) Chop basil, garlic, and cheese together to make handmade pesto
9) Place bread rectangles back into the hollow toast center
10) Top with seafood mix and a scoop of handmade pesto (to replace ice cream on Honey Toast)
11) Add small broccoli florets in place of whip and use asparagus in place of wafers
12) Transfer to a pretty plate and decorate the plate
13) You are done!

I think the video should explain everything OK, but if you have questions please feel free to ask in the comments below!

Glass Slippers Are So Last Century

2011-05-28T21:48:00.000+08:00

As summer approaches, Lolitas everywhere are starting to shed their cardigans and boleros in favor of chiffon blouses under thinner cotton jumperskirts, or no blouse at all! It's time to break out the parasols, straw hats, and sandals~

While some Lolitas may still insist it is improper to go blouse-less or sockless, I personally feel that avoiding heatstroke is the most important thing, especially if you live in a particularly hot or humid place.

Knee-socks are something I almost never go without, simply because my legs don't get too hot easily, and I don't have any Lolita sandals ;) Short ankle socks are a cute alternative to knee-highs if you prefer, but what I want to talk about is the new trend this summer: Glass Socks

Image from Romantic Sweet

OK, they're not REALLY glass, but that is the direct translation of "玻璃襪" which is what they are called in Chinese. The point of these socks is that they are virtually clear with some sort of pattern on top. The look and feel very summery and cool (temperature-wise). I've seen them everywhere for sale, from market stalls to department stores. The average price seems to be NT$99/pair, but they are cheaper on Taobao.com!

The point of glass socks is their versatility. They look nice with sandals (socks with sandals? Oh my!) because they are sheer, and can be layered without looking too thick. Being that they're see-through, you can wear a solid-colored pair of thin socks underneath for a different look, or over colored tights. Even BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT has jumped on the glass socks trend.

Glass socks come in many different styles, with the most popular being polka-dotted ankle socks. I have also seen roses, faux lace-up (ballerina style), lace, and stripes.

This example by BABY is an ankle-length with small dots and lace topper.

Available in many colors!

What I love the most, however, is knee-high glass socks! They are much harder to find, but I think they would be a lovely addition to any Lolita's wardrobe! A cooler version of knee-high socks perfect for summer.

These are by BABY!

If you are interested in purchasing some, you can try to get a group order for TaoBao socks :)
Here are some links that may be of interest:
Polka Dot Glass Socks 8.2-8.5RMB
Lace Stripe Glass Socks
Floral Glass Socks
Glass Socks with only design around the ankle
Classical Lolita Floral Glass Socks in more muted shades
Ribbon Lace Up Glass Socks

I hope to see more Lolita brands jump on the glass socks trend! I want to see more knee-high versions!!

Pose! Full Body Photos~False Step

2011-05-27T18:39:00.000+08:00

I almost forgot about the posing series I was doing! I decided to break up the numerical order by sticking some full body poses in between :) Since you are going to be wanting to show your whole outfit, having something to do with your legs in important too! Combine with any hand poses to add variety to your photos~

The first pose I'm going to introduce is what I call the False Step. It looks sort of like you're walking, except not :P

Click to make the photo larger

This one is very simple. Just take a step forward from your normal standing position and freeze!

Here is a side-angle photo, which also looks great!

Some tips to keep in mind:
*Don't let your legs be too far apart! Try to keep your knees together so you are stepping straight forward. Having a gap between your legs will look a bit awkward
*Keep your step small! Remember, you're just posing, not trying to catch the last train ;D

This pose works in virtually any style, but does give a slight feeling of coy. It might look a bit out of place in a very regal and elegant outfit like Aristocratic style. For most other styles though, it is cute and a bit "street snap" feeling, which I really like!

Niconico Japan Cool

2011-05-26T09:07:00.000+08:00

Hello, all!
This is just a quick mini-post to share a video series I found about Japanese fashion/lifestyle. It covers Gothic, Lolita, Visual, and more...

The videos load too slowly for my computer/Internet connection to comprehend (or perhaps I am impatient?) but here's the link so you can browse for yourself!
Watch Here!
Misako Aoki is a regular on the show with a live broadcast every Thursday. See if you can catch her show today! She is on from 21:00-22:00 Japan-time.

Let me know if the videos work for you :) Maybe it's just technical problems on me end (read: operator error. Problem Exists Between Chair and Keyboard)

Tiana's Kitchen~Swan Lake

2011-05-24T23:32:00.001+08:00

A part of the lure of Lolita fashion is the attention to detail and bringing magic to everyday things. I especially like edible food art because it makes an everyday "blah" event into something more special!

Fancy events always seem to have beautifully presented food displays that look good, smell good, and taste good. I am no expert at food art, but something quick and simple that I CAN do, is make apple swans :) It's not too difficult! I just practiced a couple times and can make one fairly quickly now.

Ingredients:
An apple
Lemon Juice (optional)

Click photos to expand

Directions:
1) Wash your apple. If you will not be eating or displaying it right away, prepare some lemon juice to prevent it from browning after being cut.

2) Cut a thick slice of apple to the side of the core.
POINT! The thicker the slice is, the easier it will be to make the following slices

3) Make a shallow, angled cut in the apple. Turn the apple around and repeat to make a small V-shaped incision shape.

The piece should be removable now

POINT! The shallower you make the cut, the more layers you will be able to make.

4) Repeat this procedure, making deeper and deeper cuts but don't cut through to the bottom.

When you've made all your layers, you should be able to slide them into layers like so:

5) For the wings, first make a cut parallel to the cutting board, then another cut parallel to the last V-shaped cut you made like this:

6) Repeat on the other side

7) One apple can make two swans, so cut another slice of apple and save the core piece. This will make your swan's head and neck!

8) It is difficult to explain how to do the cuts, so I will let the picture show you. the black dot represents the eye of the swan :)

Make sure you pull out the stem!

9) The head should be able to balance itself on the body. Adjust the angle of the base of the neck so your swan isn't leaning its head too far forward. That may make it fall over!

POINT! If needed, you can cut an angle at the base of the neck to help it sit in the V of the body

Lolita 100 Meme #81-90

2011-05-22T20:06:00.001+08:00

Previously I have been posting 10 question from the ever famous Lolita 100 Baton, but stopped because at the time I actually had probably less than 10 followers ^^;

Now that I have 70 (following on Google, anyway. Sometimes I follow blogs with RSS readers and I don't think that shows up under the Google follower count), I guess it would be good to let you all know a little more about me! You can read previous entries by clicking on the "Intro" tag. I'm sure I've changed since I started posting, so it will be quite interesting!

(81) 普段の服装の系統は?(How do you dress normally?)
uh... in lolita, I suppose! Sometimes I like to wear street fashion too though! Or kigurumi :3
Since moving to Taiwan I've been trying to fund both my Lolita wardrobe and my "Earthling" wardrobe. Totally off topic, but what do you guys call non-Lolita fashion? "Earthling" is a direct translation from Chinese "地球人" but sounds weird in English....
Sometimes "normie" clothes are necessary for work! It is quite expensive though :o

(82) 中古品に対する抵抗はありますか?(Do you think twice about buying second-hand clothes?)
Yes... I hesitate a little. I have only purchased one second-hand item, my "dream dress" that got me into Lolita fashion in the first place. It is BABY's Parfait print skirt in pink!

(83) 彼（or 夫）はいますか? また、理解はありますか? (Do you have a boyfriend? [or husband?] Does he understand Lolita?)
I don't have a significant other! But when I did date briefly, he never commented on it. Later, he did tell me that his friend thought I was a coser which seems to be the most common thought in Taiwan. It's OK though, they didn't judge me ^u^

(84) 理想の男性像を教えて下さい。(Please tell us your ideal man.)
Someone who will make me feel "When I am with him, I am at my happiest. When I am away from him, I am at my saddest." Even when the worst thing has happened, being with him will make me a little happier. Even when I am very happy, I will want to share it with him. I think this is what true love will feel like
(Hey, was that too cheesy for you all? I promise I won't do that very often!)

(85) 今まであった中で一番印象に残ってるロリィタさんはどんな人?(What Lolita has left a big, shiny impression on you so far?)
I'm guessing this question means who has left a great impression or influence ;D
Currently I am most inspired by real Lolitas I have met. Namely, Kay (kayz0rbeam on LiveJournal) has been my biggest inspiration recently. Also all the Lolitas here in the Taipei area are really good! They make me want to strive to be the best Lolita I can be! And as silly as it sounds, I was definitely inspired by Momoko in the beginning
When I first joined LiveJournal there were a few "efamous" Lolitas who were very active, and very beautiful! The ones that left an impression on me the most are:
Shibahime, Faunkegin, Maetel9, Deedlelu, Amanikitti, and Swdpunk

(86) 自分で服を作ったことがありますか? それはどんな服?(Have you made your own clothes? What are they like?)
Yes! I would like to think that they look good... ;D Check my deviantART to see some things I have made!

(87) 自分で小物を作ったことがありますか? 何を作りましたか?(Have you made your own accessories? What did you make?)
I have made an Alice bow, a wired bow (still experimental), purses, and a pair of earrings

(88) 今まででの自作アイテムでコレは大成功! というものはありますか?(The best item you have made! What is it?)
I would like to think that I improve with each project :)

(89) 理想のロリィタ服やコーディネートがあれば、語って下さい。(Please say your most perfect Lolita coordination you wear.)
I am not 100% satisfied with any coordinate yet, so none yet! I need to rebuild my wardrobe and add more to it!

(90) 憧れの方はいますか? どんな人ですか?(Do you admire someone? What are they like?)
In terms of Lolita, I admire:
Novala Takemoto because his writing is quite inspirational
Kay because she makes really intricate coordinates and is my style inspiration (I wish she'd post to daily_lolita so everybody could see them!)
Samm, Heather, and Megan because they are making a living creating beautiful things (Blashpemina's Closet, Scoundrelle's Keep, and Apatico)
The designers of BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT and Innocent World (and maybe Meta) because their clothing is (usually) timelessly elegant and beautiful. Meta pushes the line of fashion, which I think is great! BABY is my original and eternal love because they encompass all the cuteness and elegance Lolita should be without becoming too tacky (most of the time). Innocent World is classy and sweet without being as mature or matronly as other Classic Lolita brands.

Thanks for reading and following my blog! If you like you can fill out your answers to these 10 questions in the comments :) I'd love to get to know my followers better too! Even if you are not a Lolita, I want to hear what you have to say!

And feel free to post your answers to previous Lolita 100 Meme posts too ;) There are some great questions!

The Incentive to Buy (Plus Giveaway!)

2011-05-22T03:47:00.002+08:00

Companies often come up with crafty plans to make us consumers buy more. Apart from promotions and sales (percentage off or buy one get one percentage off), they also give us "free" things! And who doesn't like "free" things?

One of the most ingenious ways retailers have come up with to draw buyers in is the point system. Be it virtual or physical points on a card, it feels rewarding to fill up a card and exchange it for gifts! Very common in Asia, this practice has spread worldwide (proof that it works!!). Right before I moved to Taiwan, even Hot Topic had implemented a points system to reward shoppers!

How does the point system work? Each store is different, but basically for every X amount of dollars you spend, you get 1 point. When you reach N amount of points, you can get gifts, discounts, or exclusive merchandise not available elsewhere. I remember struggling to fill up my Sanrio point card and pooling purchases with friends to meet the dollar criteria, just for one more stamp!

Metamorphose has a points system, though you must be a registered member of the website in order to accumulate points. Juliette and Justine also has a points system, though the translation is a bit difficult for me to understand - I believe you get a discount when you rack up enough points though. More physical Brand shops may offer point systems, but as far as I know their online shops don't. Sometimes I think that may be a good thing. I might go crazy if BABY ever offered point incentives on their online shop...

"All your money are belong to us!"

Anyway, recently the 7-11 in Taiwan point incentive gift was a mystery Hello Kitty charm. Usually 7-11 offers plastic toys that light up or appeal to small children, but this time it was a metal charm! If you could accumulate 24 points, you could exchange for one charm. Each point sticker could be earned by spending NT$66 at a 7-11. This doesn't sound like much money (less than US$4) but the number is odd enough that in order to make NT$66 you either needed to buy some cheap, candy/useless objects in addition to food/coffee, or you had to go over the NT$66, yet it wouldn't be enough to get 2 stickers. Quite annoying. Even so, by collecting point stickers from friends and family, I managed to get 5 full cards

Unfortunately, the event was so popular that there was a charm shortage so I was only able to exchange for 3 mystery charms, and then get 2 pick-up tickets for later dates. The event ended on 4/29. I picked up one charm on 5/11. The second pick-up ticket needs to wait until 6/17. More proof that people will fall for this point-collecting scheme!!!

I'm sure some of you are curious about the giveaway, so I'll get to that part now! I'm giving away 2 metal Hello Kitty charms! I have no idea what they are because that's a part of the game. You don't know what you get until you get it (oh so clever). More details on how to enter after the jump!

Rules of the Game
1. If you win, you must take a photo of your charm and post it, OK? I'm curious!! There are about 30 variations on the Hello Kitty charm ;)
2. Tell me how you found my blog!
3. Which Brand would you like to offer buying incentives? Do you like the point system with free gifts, discounts, or something else entirely?

Personally, I'd like exclusive merchandise by BABY if they ever did a point card. Discounts are nice, of course, but with the amount of secondhand sales that go on, I think exclusive merchandise would feel more special to me!

Here are the photos of the 2 charms I have now:

This is from the first batch where the color was applied on top of the metal, so the colors chipped a bit

This one is from the second batch where the colors are more protected, so it will not be damaged!

This giveaway will close on May 31st at midnight (Taiwan time) Good luck!

Daily Snap

2011-05-19T17:00:00.000+08:00

Yesterday I went to a mini-meetup at a small cafe! I had to leave early to celebrate my Grandma's Lunar birthday, so I didn't get a chance to take photos of anybody :( There were only 4 of us, but it was fun!

This morning I went to a job interview for a kindergarten. I got the job, which starts in June and then July is summer break :P So during the month of June there may be less updates because I will be busy working 2 jobs and taking 1 class!

Anyway, enough talk, time for photos!

Here you can see my makeup on half my face :P The sunlight washed out the other half T^T

Sparkle Stitches~Simple Scrunchie

2011-05-16T19:40:00.001+08:00

Flashback to the 90s! Remember scrunchies? Useful like a regular ponytail, but so much fancier~

Scrunchies are quite simple to make, but after a disaster involving me and my first scrunchie-making endeavor in 8th grade, I have been too intimidated to attempt a rematch. Until now.

VICTORY

Brands occasionally make scrunchies (called chou-chou) but they are quite pricey! You can make your own scrunchie with some scrap fabric, spare lace, and leftover elastic! This project is also suitable for hand-sewing because it is small and quick.

Click on photos for a larger image
Materials:
Fabric
Elastic
Lace (optional)

Directions:

1) Cut out your pieces. The scrunchie fabric should be around 18" long at least, depending on how "scrunchy" you want it to be. The elastic is around 6-7". I make mine a bit bigger so I can wear it on my wrist too (just like in grade school!) The width is completely up to you! Don't forget your seam allowance

2) If you want to add lace trim, sew them to one piece on the right (fashion) side facing towards the middle (they will be turned out later) along the stitching line.

3) Pin the other piece on top right sides together. You will want to leave both short ends with a bit of seam allowance unsewn. In the photo, the red pins are the start and stop point.

4) Stitch, turn, and press.

5) Pin and stitch the short ends together on ONE layer only! I outlined the edges of both layers in the photo to show what I mean

When it is stitched, you should still have an opening:

6) This step is optional, but makes better ruffles, which I think is cute! Sew a channel in the middle of your tube wide enough for your elastic.

7) Thread your elastic through the center channel.

POINT! Elastic is easier to thread when you put a safety pin on the end!

8) Stitch the ends of the elastic together, and close the opening either by hand, or by turning in the raw edges and stitching on a machine.

FIN!

Questions or Comments? Let me know in the comments below!

Meetup Report! Mini Garden

2011-05-11T22:55:00.000+08:00

I have been sick for the past three days (way to spend Mother's Day! All passed out and feverish!) and spent a lot of time sleeping, eating ice cream, and floating around like a ghost.

Today I finally felt well enough to get up at a decent hour and actually be able to swallow food.I was extra excited to get dolled up and go out to eat with 2 other Lolitas! I think you will all really like the type of food we got today

I haven't been to a meetup since March because I had class during the April meetup. So Doro喵 invited me out to a cafe close to my house and NiYa was able to make it too!

All of us got "Honey Toast," which is a popular type of dessert made of toast, ice cream, honey, and toppings. At the original cafes where it was invented, you often have to wait 4 hours or more to get one!! Luckily, here we did not have to wait at all and stayed in our booth for about 3 and a half hours just chatting :P

This is my fruit topping honey toast. It has ice cream, apple, grapes, whip, wafers, mint, and banana! It was drizzled with strawberry sauce and sweetened condensed milk. NiYa got this too, but hers was drizzled with chocolate.

This is DORO喵's Chocolate honey toast!

Yes, they were incredibly sweet and none of us managed to finish our despite the long walk we took from our meeting point to the cafe. This dessert is actually quite filling and should be split between 2-3 people! I saw tutorials on how to make this too, so I hope to try it one day!

We were joking about how it was too sweet and decided we are going to invent our own version, but savory instead of sweet with cheese, tomatoes, meat/fish, basil, etc. I actually want to try it because I think it would be good!!

There was also a little car inside the cafe so we took photos by it! You could actually order and eat inside the car!

NiYa and I being car models:

Doro喵 and I being car models!

Mini-meets are really fun because you get a chance to talk to everybody and everybody gets a chance to talk! Sometimes I feel that when a group is too large, we just break up into smaller conversations and ignore the other members. Large meets are fun for getting to know new people, but smaller meets seem to be more fun and casual :) Also, easier to plan!!

Which type of meetup do you prefer?

Perfect Beauty

2011-05-10T16:49:00.000+08:00

Fashion is more than just the clothes. It's the whole look; hair, accessories, jewelry, and makeup. Everybody has their "ideal look" that they strive to achieve when putting on the layers of ruffles and lace. There's a "perfect me" image in our heads that we try to create on ourselves with perfect hair, balanced features, flawless skin, elegant poise, or whatever it is you want!

However, this "perfect me" image is not always attainable without the help of falsies such as false lashes, nails, wigs, and makeup. Gone are the days of rubbing olive oil into lashes and nails to help them grow, or of hours spent on perfect curls and teasing. We can slap on false everything, contour and highlight our faces with makeup, and be good to go in a fraction of the time!

Even with all these wonderful new additions to our arsenal of beauty, there's only so much you can change about your appearance with makeup. Photoshop may help your online presence, but in real life, there's no such magic!

In the quest for my own ideal image of myself, I have come across a rather controversial grey area of what is going too far to achieve your personal perfection. Namely, what qualifies as cosmetic surgery, and what qualifies as just skin-care?

Image from Fallen Princesses

In Asia, getting cosmetic surgery is a lot more common than in the West. However, when I say "cosmetic surgery" I'm not talking about your usual boob jobs, face lifts, liposuction, etc. There are MANY cosmetic surgery places here, about as common as a regular clinic in MN. Most of them do procedures such as freckle/age spot lightening, acne reduction, skin-firming, wrinkle laser treatments, etc. Such minor procedures are considered "skin care," much like buying anti-wrinkle cream or acne cleanser foam.

As such, my line between cosmetic surgery, re-constructive surgery, and skin care has become blurred

Currently, this is where I stand (I think) and would love to hear others' input about this!

Re-Constructive Surgery
This is usually the "necessary" surgeries to correct medical conditions, dis-figurations from accidents, and other health-related issues (breast reduction, etc.)
One would never say that anybody getting re-constructive surgery is being plastic or superficial.

Cosmetic Surgery
Plainly altering your born appearance would fall into this category.
Chin implants, cheek implants, breast implants, nose job, Botox lips, etc.
This is generally the type of procedure than people say is shallow, caused by the media, and fake. I am not interested in doing anything of this sort :P

Another part of this category is tattooed makeup. Many Asian women get their eyebrows and/or eyeliner tattooed on. You can save time on applying makeup now!
While it doesn't change your appearance any more than actually applying makeup, it is still a cosmetic procedure. Readers, how do you feel about this? What about eyelash implants? Are they any different than wearing falsies?

Skin Care/Maintenance Sort of Surgery
This is the grayest category for me. I personally want to get my freckles lightened/removed. I wasn't born with them, and they don't fade in the winter like most people's do. It requires a laser treatment, which I am seriously contemplating. I used to like my freckles but they just keep growing and growing and having too many looks sort of gross to me
One would think that the most popular candidates for skin care treatments are usually aging/middle-aged people who would like to get their skin tightened or wrinkles reduced. When I went with my mom to one of the cosmetic treatment places here, there were many many young people (think in their 20s) there too. Guys and girls alike.

Skin care is important to maintain a youthful, healthy appearance (flip through any GLB and you will see that all the models look quite young!) which is perhaps more important in Lolita fashion than others because the Lolita style encompasses youth, childhood, and innocence. Even Classic Lolita is still young-looking, though perhaps not quite as childish.

Readers, where do you draw the line for achieving your personal "perfect me" or "perfect Lolita"? Assuming money is no question, would you ever opt for skin care treatments, cosmetic surgery, or just invest in pricier creams and serums? Let me know in the comments below! This is a really intriguing topic for me!

Shop Update!

2011-04-29T22:58:00.000+08:00

I have just reduced the prices on several items in my shop! The link to my shop is on the sidebar. I haven't made a sales post to egl_comm_sales yet because I want to give my readers first pick :3

The designs are customizable (different fabrics, details, adding bows and ruffles and lace, etc.) Want to see what is available?

Mother Goose Skirt
WAS $85
NOW $70

Mermaid Tales JSK
WAS $180
NOW $160

Jewelry Butterfly Bustle Skirt
WAS $60
NOW $50

And all bloomers have been reduced from $15 to $12!
If you would like to buy the bloomers as a pack (buy 7 get the 8th free!) I can create a custom listing for you. Just message me and let me know! Thanks!

Sparkle Stitches~Structured Purse Tutorial

2011-04-27T22:58:00.000+08:00

After a couple tries at making structured purses (and consulting with professionals) I have put together this little tutorial to show how to make a structured purse.

Front View. I didn't fully push out all the corners and edges when I took this photo - sorry for the sloppiness! I was a little bit braindead from sewing for hours on end

The shape I am making is a piano, but it can also be done with any other motif you want! Strawberries, Carriages, Crowns, etc. It is best not to have too many sharp turns or too many small curves though!

All photos are clickable to make larger. I used crazy prints for my lining so you can see the difference easily.

Materials:
Fashion Fabric
Interfacing
Lining
Bag Strap
Bag Strap Length Adjuster Pieces (optional)
Bag Binding Strips (this is thicker and sturdier than regular bias strips)

Directions:
1) Cut out all your pieces and fuse the interfacing to the pieces.

POINT! Interfacing should NOT have the seam allowance added! It will create too much bulk in your seams

2) Sew the zipper pieces to the zipper tape. Sew the fashion fabric side fist like this (right side of fabric to right side of zipper):

Then fold it over and iron to expose the zipper teeth. You will topstitch it in the next step.

3) Pin your lining piece right side UP to the wrong side of the zipper tape like the picture below:

Topstitch 1/4" from the fold, catching the lining fabric with your stitching line as you do so

4) Iron both the fashion fabric and lining pieces to the side to expose the zipper teeth. Sewing the lining separately from the fashion fabric ensures that it will never get caught in the zipper teeth:

Repeat on the other side.

5) Iron down your seam allowance at the top of your side pieces (fashion fabric AND lining) and sandwich the ends of the zipper piece between the fashion fabric and lining. Instead of stitching and then topstitching, I just topstitched to hold everything in place.

If you are going to add straps, now is a good time to sew them on to the fashion fabric side. This way, the stitching will not show on the inside! I forgot and added mine after I already had one Face attached.... it was REALLY difficult!!

6) Sew the fashion fabric base to the fashion fabric sides, and the lining base to the lining sides. Remember to keep RIGHT SIDES together

Fashion Fabric base attached

Both attached and flipped right side out

You have essentially made a big loop out of the zip, sides, and base pieces

7) Now turn your loop inside out and pin to your Face pieces (both Fashion Fabric and lining, which will be treated as ONE piece). Make sure the Fashion Fabric is facing to the inside. Your purse will end up being inside out at first!

All the piano-y goodness on the inside

8) Stitch around

9) Trim the seam allowance to allow your binding to fit around it and stitch the binding down (just like a Hong Kong seam finish)

10) Repeat on the other side
POINT! Unzip your zipper first to allow more flexibility while sewing. Also, you will need to turn your purse right side out through the zipper

11) Turn your purse right side out through the open zipper on top, push out all the corners and edges, and you are done!

Front View

Back View

I hope this helps some of you out. I am not an expert in making purses (this is only my 3rd one) but I haven't found any tutorials for standalone purses, so I thought I would share what I have learned!

If you have any questions, ideas, comments, want to buy a purse (this fabric is out of print though!), etc. please leave me a comment below!
Thank you!

We Love Japan! U-Stream Program

2011-04-22T11:30:00.001+08:00

Today I discovered an online streaming program which will start streaming this Sunday (the 24th). It is called We Love Japan! The first theme will be Lolita fashion, with Mr. Sakurai Takamasa as the MC and featuring Lolita idol Misako Aoki.
今天發現了一個網路撥放節目叫做We Love Japan! 週日開始撥! 第一個題目是蘿莉塔服。美沙子會上節目喔!

Using the fantastic Google translate, I THINK the "admission reception" application allows 10 foreign Lolitas to be a part of the show using u-stream. The application details are here. Hopefully somebody with actual Japanese-reading skills will do a better job of translating ;)
我雖然看不懂日文，用GOOGLE翻譯多多少少看懂一點點。這有一頁聲請加入節目的說明。

I'm excited to see this and hope it will have English subtitles.... Be sure to tune in and check it out!
很期待這節目! 希望會有英文字幕。。。

Crafty Crafting!

2011-04-22T01:11:00.000+08:00

Been busy lately trying to make a structured purse. This type of purse is difficult to make because it has to hold its shape while freestanding. My first attempt turned out only OK, but I went and asked some purse-makers today and should be able to make it successfully now!

After the cut are some photos of my first attempt. I am also willing to record the process/write a sort of tutorial on making a structured purse if anybody is interested :)

All photos are click-able to view in full size

Front

3/4 view

Back with a zippered insert pocket

Other side

I have barely enough material for one more try (I cut out the pieces today), so here's to hoping it turns out perfectly!

Flora Expo Lolita Outing!

2011-04-16T21:35:00.000+08:00

Taiwan opened an amazing, awesome Flora Expo last year and it is ongoing until April 24 this year. On Wednesday I went to see it with my mom and my old Chinese School teacher. The Expo is HUGE! So we only got to see a little bit of it, but it was fun!

I wore a simple Lolita outfit and carried a parasol because it was quite hot. My camera ran out of batteries partway through the day, but I have a couple pictures to share!

Me in front of a wall of flowers!

I love this type of rose. The colors are so beautiful!

As we all know, everything in Asia requires a mascot

Or two

Or three.... Actually, there are 6 mascots in total, but I only got these photos :(

This 3D picture is made with REAL dried flowers!

Something wonderful I noticed while at the Flora Expo, is that food prices are not hiked up.
In Minnesota, we have a State Fair, a Valley Fair amusement park, and Renaissance Festival. In ALL of them, food prices are RIDICULOUS. Think US$8 for roasted corn. I can buy corn 10 for $10!! (Side note: corn is expensive here in Taiwan :( Sad face!) The food prices at the Flora Expo were comparable with regular street food prices. Cue guilt-free eating at Expo! My family rarely if ever bought food at fairs and festivals due to the high prices (stereotypical frugal Chinese parents...) so this was an extra fun experience!

Which makes me curious, Readers, do you usually buy festival/fair food? Do you save up specifically for the event or just try not to buy too much? I know some people save up hundreds of dollars JUST FOR FOOD at State Fair!

Also, Do you like to wear Lolita to festivals/fairs? I won't go into too much detail about rude ninja photographers I encountered (let's just say there is now an album on my FaceBook called "Pictures of People Taking Pictures of Me"), but 4 parkfuls of flowers seemed the perfect place to get Lolita photos taken! I have never encountered ninja photographers while in MN. They always asked. Either that, or they were so ninja that I didn't notice

Hope you had a fun week! Let me know your answers!

Pose! Number 4!

2011-04-11T21:34:00.001+08:00

Sorry for the long gap between #3 and #4! There are less popular poses using 4 fingers (unless you count a double victory sign, but I put that under #2!)

"Aye Aye!"

A casual salute is cute for Sailor Lolita, Pirate Lolita, and Military Lolita.

(Photos Googled)

"Angry Cat"
This one is really goofy and fun!

I like to include silly poses and facial expressions because hey, we don't have to take ourselves too seriously all the time!

Do you have any ideas for more poses? I'm all out of ideas for this one ;D Only 2, sorry!

Tiana's Kitchen~Perfect Parfait

2011-04-05T20:30:00.001+08:00

Need a quick snack? Want an easy-yet-pretty dessert? Why not try making a parfait?

BABY Parfait Print!! Haha this photo is over a year old :o Anyway, moving on....

A versatile, adaptable dessert, parfaits work for just about any setting. They can be transportable in the right containers. They can be a simple combination of 2 flavors or a complex and elegant display of culinary art. Adjust according to your own tastes, event themes, and layering skill level!

Directions:

Start by putting your cookies in a plastic bag and smashing them:

You can combine 2 or more types of cookies to make unique flavors

*POINT* Try using granola, Oreos, corn flakes, Chex Mix, nuts, or anything else in small, crunchy sizes!

Next, whip up some whipped cream! Adding flavoring or sugar is optional

*POINT* If your cookie layer is quite sweet, don't make the whip layer too sweet or it will become overpowering!

*POINT* Try using yogurt instead! Yogurt is a bit sour and contrasts nicely with a sweet or lightly salty crunchy layer.

Now, for the fun part: layering!

Start with your container. I am using a take-along container that would be nice for a picnic meetup or potluck-style meetup where the parfait needs to travel. Plastic container is resistant to breaking and the lid helps keep everything neat!

Put a crunchy layer about 7mm-10mm thick on the bottom:

Add an equally thick layer of whip:

*POINT* Try not to touch the sides of the container with your spoon in order to keep it neat. Use a smaller spoon if you need to. Touching the sides of the container will leave white streaks that will be seen in the final product :o

Repeat your layers until you reach the top, finishing with the crumbly layer. Add garnishes such as fruit, cookies, chocolate, etc. if you wish. Then put in the refrigerator to chill for a couple of hours

And that's it! This "recipe" is simple enough for children to help out in the kitchen:

If you are having a meetup or party at your home or if you don't need to travel too much with the parfaits, try using wineglasses, shotglasses, crystal goblets, etc. for an extra touch of elegance. If your container is tall enough, you can do layers with three different ingredients such as a cookie-fruit-whip combo. Have fun!

Gothic and Lolita Bible Trend for Spring!

2011-04-01T23:20:00.001+08:00

Spring is here! I downloaded the latest Gothic and Lolita Bible, and as I was flipping through the pages, the one thing that stood out to me most was: braids.

Half the models had a braided hairstyle! I love it! Braids keep your hair up without needing much product, heat stylers, or too many bobby pins (depending on the style). It doesn't damage your hair like teasing or heat curling/straightening, but has lots of visual interest. Braids can be fancy or casual, Classic, Sweet, or Gothic, and can work with many lengths and textures of hair.

Braided Pigtails
I like to wear braided pigtails because it is quick and simple. You can make "puffy" braids by pulling on the finished braid to make it looser and wider. I like to wear mini-bows on the ends of my braids in a coordinating color. Braided pigtails with all or some of your hair keeps it out of your face and looks very Country or Classic Lolita!
If your hair is shorter, you can try half-up pigtails by using only the hair from the top half of your hair. The braids will be thinner and longer than using all your hair

Looped Braids
From braided pigtails, you can make looped braids. Bring the ends of the braids up towards either the starting point of the braids, or to to top of your head and secure with a couple of bobby pins. Misako Aoki often wears her hair this way with a beret or a big headbow. It looks very cute and is fairly simple. Experiment with different loop sizes to see what looks best on you!

Braid Buns
Another way variation on the braided pigtails is to wrap them into little buns. This is super cute and would look lovely with Sweet or Classic Lolita

Crown Braid
This style is a little more difficult to do, but still pretty easy. Just braid one or more locks of hair from the base of your neck and wrap it over your head to the other side. Keep in place with a few bobby pins.
Another way to do a crown braid is to French or Dutch braid across your head from one ear to the other. This is a bit more difficult, but with some practice, you can do it!
Vary the thickness of the braid(s) to change up the look. Accessorize with roses, pins, clips, or bows. Or even make a "braid rose" for a unique look! Take a braid and roll it up on itself to create a layered spiral, which is your rose.
Here is a tutorial for making a Dutch braid type crown braid, and shows the braided hair corsage too!

Side Braid
A big side braid looks elegant and romantic. Make it neat or messy. Add some texture by braiding smaller braids into the large main braid, or combine it with a crown braid! This is also very quick to do (unless you are adding many many small braids, of course!)

That's it for the quick write-up on braid styles from the GLB39! Take some time to practice these styles at home :) To finish this off, have a cool hairstyle made of rope braids:

Pretty and PUNK!

Sparkle Stitches~Half-Elastic Waistband

2011-03-30T14:57:00.000+08:00

One of my favorite types of waistband is the half-elastic waistband. It allows for some wearing ease and is also very convenient for when the skirt design doesn't allow for a zip opening, but a full-elastic waistband would be too bulky.

In this skirt, there are 2 side pockets so a zip option is out. The skirt has 3 layers of frills so a nice, flat waistband would look more flattering than a gathered one in my opinion.

I hope you enjoy this tutorial!

The hardest part of a half-elastic waistband is the math. You need the skirt to stretch MORE than your hip measure so you can get it on and off, but when relaxed is slightly smaller than your waist measure so it stays on.

I made this skirt a standard size M, so the finished waist will fit 28.5"
Ungathered, the skirt currently measures 70"

Half the finished waist is: 28.5"/2=14.25" Since it is elastic, I will make it a little shorter than that at about 12-13"
Cut the elastic to this length.

The portion of the skirt that will be elasticized is: 70"/2=35"

Make your elastic waistband however long it needs to be (mine is 35"). Iron the raw edges in:

Stitch to the back of your skirt:

Fold over, topstitch, and begin to thread your elastic through. Remember, using a safety pin at the beginning of your elastic makes it much easier! When the end of your elastic is flush with the first end of your waistband, stitch it down to keep it in place:

Thread the elastic all the way through and stitch down the other end:

Now make the fitted portion of your waistband by cutting it to your finished size plus seam allowance (14.25"+Seam Allowance in my example)
Fuse some interfacing (NO seam allowance on the interfacing!) to your fitted waistband to make it lie flat. Iron in all the seam allowances, and pin one end over the open end of your elasticized waistband:

Gather your skirt to your waistband and stitch. Then fold over and topstitch, remembering to stitch over the join from fitted to elasticized waistband!

And you are done! The front of the skirt should look like this:

And the back should look like this:

As always, feel free to leave any questions or comments!

Sparkle Stitches~In Seam Pockets

2011-03-26T06:47:00.000+08:00

Hello everybody! I have been quite busy these past few days and apologize for the lack of updates ^^; Apart from school and work, I have also been baking up a storm with my mom's friend twice a week :D Maybe I will share photos from those episodes sometime....

But for now, here is a very simple tutorial on in-seam pockets! I have been meaning to add pockets to my skirts for a long time, but always end up forgetting ^_^;; My Little Bear's Cafe skirt replica has an in-seam pocket, and that reminded me to put this together!

First, you will need to cut out a front and a back for each pocket. I made the fronts of my pockets with the print upside down so you can tell the difference :P In my friends AP Sugary Carnival JSK, the front piece of the pocket (front refers to the piece that is closer to the front of the dress, and the back is the piece the palm of your hand touches when you put your hand in the pocket) is made with plain white fabric and the back only has a strip of printed fabric right at the opening rather than being made entirely with printed fabric. This is done to save on fabric costs, but I find it quite unnecessary!

Click on the photo to make it larger
Make sure it is large enough to get your hand in and out of! And add seam allowance around the edges.

Next, pin and sew the sides of your skirt together, leaving the opening of the pocket unsewn.

Now pin the pocket pieces to the opening RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER. Stitch the seam allowances together

Pull the pocket pieces to the inside like so:

Stitch the two pocket pieces together. It really is not necessary to overlock the edges because the shape of the pocket means that most of the edge is cut on the bias and will not unravel. You can overlock it if you wish, but that may create unnecessary bulk and/or a line when pressing

This next part is optional (and a bit difficult to explain) but I decided to stitch the front of my pocket to the seam allowance to prevent it from flipping out or to the back. If you are using your fashion fabric for both the front and back of the pocket, it really won't be too noticeable if the pocket turns out a little. I you aren't, you may want to consider stitching the pocket front to the seam allowance.

This is what the inside of the pocket looks like with the stitching

This is the inside view of the pocket. The solid line is the side seam, and the dotted line is the extra stitching that will keep the pocket from flipping out.

If there are any other questions or comments, please leave a comment below and I will do my best to explain more!

I hope this was helpful to some of you and hope to see more pockets in Lolita!!

Review~Dream of Lolita IW Strawberry Purse

2011-03-19T03:26:00.001+08:00

Here is the review I promised of the Dream of Lolita IW Strawberry Purse replica! I got it as a part of a GO, so I cannot comment on the shop itself, only the product.

Disclaimer:
I do not want to start a debate on replicas here! Discussion is OK, but please keep it civil.
For those who must know, I generally don't support replicas EXCEPT in the case of shoes and bags because they get more wear and tear. Replicas DO take away from the Brand image, so I prefer not to buy clothing replicas of Brands I support (namely BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT and Innocent World). That may be seen as a double-standard because I bought a replica of an AP print, but Angelic Pretty just doesn't "speak" to me like BABY and IW do!
I don't judge others who buy replicas, and would appreciate you don't judge me :) It is a personal decision and as long as there is a market, replicas will exist. It happens in the real world, and so it has happened in the Lolita world.

First, here is a link to the product I bought on TaoBao (red colorway):
IW Strawberry Purse
And here is a link to the original:
Original Strawberry Purse

Just based on the photos, it looks like a pretty stellar replica. According to the local Lolitas, Dream of Lolita purchased the original to base their copies off of. Clever. I have included many photos under the cut!

All photos are clickable thumbnails!

Front
The seeds are embroidered on and the pleather is good quality-feeling. The purse is sturdy and free-standing.

Strawberry top is a clasp!

Flower zip pulls. The opening is wide enough that you don't need to open the clasp to reach the inside, which is useful!

Back with zipped pocket

This is as deep as the triangular pocket goes. My hand is in as far as it can go! It can hold a lipgloss and a few keys - that's about it ^^;

The clasps for the straps (both long and short) are the rotating kind; meaning you will not have the issue of a twisted strap! This is awesome news :D

This photo is trying to show that the edge of the green portion is finished with a colored paste (I forgot the technical term - I swear I learned it in Fur and Leather class!) to seal the edges, but the red portion is not. I wonder if the edges had been left raw because the sharp angles in the leaves would have made it hard to turn the edges under like the red portion of the strawberry is finished?

Trying to show the inside ^^; No inner pockets. It is fully lined in black lining fabric. This purse actually holds quite a bit for a shaped purse! Everything does get sort of mixed up and banged around because there are no separators though, so keep fragile cameras or phones in their cases!

Length of the short strap

The heart shape is not quite as clean as the original Innocent World purse, but it is still definitely a heart!

Other notes:
After shipping I paid NT$500/~US$17 for this purse (remember, it was a part of a GO!)
The shape and angle of the bag makes it most flattering carried on the right side of the body as shown in the TaoBao product pictures, but two of the local Lolitas had this purse in pink and it looked fine carried on the left side, too. The back pocket will just be angled funny!
The colors are vibrant in real life - not sure if that really shows in the photos ^^:
The long strap has 4 holes in it for adjusting length, but is soft enough that you can punch your own holes in it.
Overall, I am very happy with this purchase and get giddy just looking at it!

I hope that this was helpful to some of you :) If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!

Fully Alive! A Meetup Photopost and Misako in China (NanJing)

2011-03-15T01:00:00.002+08:00

Hello! Sorry for the brief hiatus - I have not been on the Internet much lately! Taiwan has been mostly unaffected by the earthquake in Japan and resulting tsunami (we were previously on tsunami watch). I hope that Japan will be able to rebuild and recover quickly! Brightest Blessings to them in their time of need ♥

Today I went to the hospital to see my grandpa who had his heart operation today. It went fairly smoothly, but he needs to be in observation for a couple days *cross fingers*

On Sunday I went to a Lolita meetup! The weather was lovely and we went to a cafe and then walked around a huge park. I met a new Lolita (she knew everybody else already) and it was really fun! A couple photos after the cut:

The cafe we went to was a pet-friendly one called Elephant Garden:

Group Shot:

Shoe Shot:

Print Shot:

Finger Star:

There were lots of dogs there! It was really fun :)
I also received a strawberry purse (IW replica) and Little Bear Cafe skirt in mint so I will be doing a review on those :)

Last but not least, a video of Misako in NanJing! It is only in Japanese and Chinese though ;D Enjoy looking at the clothes though!

Flash Link

The F Word

2011-03-08T00:09:00.000+08:00

Image from Loli_Secret

"Have you lost weight?"
If one of your co-workers said this to you, it would probably make you feel good about yourself. After all, looking thinner than you used to (whether you actually lost weight or not) is a good thing, right? Thin is in!

Recently however, I was asked "Have you gotten fatter? You look like you have!"
And yes, it was said by one of my co-workers. While this may seem like an unreasonably rude thing to say, it actually is not uncommon to be much more direct about weight issues in Asia. Being called "fat" is not even an actual insult - it is merely stating the facts.

This secret has spurred a minor debate in the comments section on whether "fat" and "fatty" is offensive or accepting, rude or cute, etc. Personally, I feel that the TONE has much more to do with it than the actual words. Do you need to be fat in order to use terms like "fatty-chan"? Who determines who is fat and who isn't? What about "skinny fat" people?

Right now, I am considered "fat" or at least several kg overweight in Taiwan. In America, I was average or "skinny fat" (skinny fat meaning thin, but could use some toning up). Would fatter girls be offended if I used the term fatty-chan?

In America, weight, or being overweight, is a rather taboo subject. We beat around the bush and always say "You aren't fat!" to any of our friends who complain about feeling fat, needing to watch what they eat, etc. It doesn't actually matter whether the complainer is fat or not, the standard answer is still to deny it. And heavens forbid if you should ever bring up the subject of anybody's weight-gain!

Contrariwise, in Chinese "fat" (胖) has been used as nicknames and general terminology. The top search for 小胖 or "Little Fatty" on YouTube turns up this video from the Taiwanese version of singing contest American Idol, where the singer's nickname is Little Fatty:

(Side note: Isn't his singing awesome?)

I have also seen people go on television with the nickname of 胖胖 (Fatty)，阿胖 (Fatty or Fatso) and fat girls are referred to as 胖妹 (Fat Chick) even on the news. In my opinion, being much more open and straightforward about weight issues actually helps prevent obesity. If being chubby gets you labeled as fat, you will be more likely to watch your weight. Of course, getting TOO extreme will have negative consequences (eating disorders, magic diet pills, etc.) but in my experience, being babied about my weight with the constant "Oh, but you're not fat!" "You're too skinny!" has led me to become careless with health and fitness. It's not just the numbers on the scale; the numbers on the tape measure are just as, if not more, important!

What is your opinion on the F word? Should fat, fatty, and fatty-chan be accepted terms? Should they be replaced with chubby, plus-sized, lovely-sized, queen-sized, large, curvy, etc.? Does avoiding the topic of weight gain help or hinder our society as a whole? Let me know your thoughts!

French Cafe En Anglais

2011-03-04T23:30:00.000+08:00

Personally I am not a fan of Angelic Pretty's constant print-mania, but I found this cute clip from the San Fransisco branch about French Cafe series and thought I would share it :)

To me, the colors are a little too clashing and the print itself doesn't speak to me, but many Lolitas are interested in this series so I thought you might enjoy this :D

The Necessity of Technology

2011-03-04T10:59:00.001+08:00

I LIVE!

Erm, maybe not quite so dramatically...

So I have been unplugged for the past few days while moving in and setting up the Internet. I logged on and checked my social networking sites to find that I had missed a couple hundred posts on my LJ friendslist, over 100 on Plurk, and had a ton of new notifications on Facebook. Not to mention the pile of blogs I follow!

In the age of the Internet, technology keeps us all interconnected and allows friendships that would not have been possible before! LiveJournal has brought thousands of Lolitas together on the EGL community. I met the Taiwanese Lolitas through Taiwan BBS but we plan events and GOs on Plurk. We can share the details of our lives through photos or webchats (EGLchat, anyone?) and can find pretty much anything online. Since starting this blog, I have found how much fun it is to make tutorials and chat with people in the comments section. Thank you all for being here!

Anyway, I am excited to have my own space and much more freedom now! Still in the process of unloading my clothes (you don't realize how much clothing you have until you need to buy hangers for them all...) and setting up my sewing room. I think I could have gotten away with only 2 suitcases rather than 3 if my closet wasn't composed mainly of frilly dresses and skirts. Lolita takes up a LOT of room! Rest assured, after the machines are up and running more sewing tutorials will be forthcoming when I pick up some more fabric!

And after I buy a camera. The one I had previously been using was actually my grandma's, and I returned it to her when I moved out :) As with all electronics, I am ridiculously clueless about specs and functions, and only know that I want it in a milky pink color. I will show you all a snap of my electronics when I get the camera. It is pretty... pink...

If anybody has a recommendation for a camera that fits my needs, please comment below!
All I want is:
1) Milky Pink color
2) Digital camera that takes SD memory card (COUGHsonyCOUGH)
3) Automatic as much as possible so I don't have to mess with settings I don't understand!
4) Around NT$3000-$5000/US$100-150

Otherwise I might end up with something like this:

ISN'T IT CUTE?
It is a "toy digital camera" the size of a name card though. I still sort of want to get one XD The listing is here if you are interested in the photo quality or more specs :)

You see, I am totally useless v_v

Last but not least, what TYPES of sewing tutorial are you interested in? I was planning on doing a half-elastic waist skirt next. Slowly moving up in the scale of difficulty ;)

Are you more interested in accessories, headwear, more skirts, furniture covers (haha), etc.? In order to teach JSKs and OPs I think I would have to do some patterning tutorials first, which I find harder to teach via Internet, but I think it could be done if there is enough interest :) ORＩcan show you all the easier types of JSK or OP which involves elastic for most of the fitting (plus, it is comfy!). Roomwear type of dresses? Let me know!

Belle's Library~Alice's Adventures in Insomnia

2011-02-27T21:53:00.001+08:00

An interesting find to hold you all over while I get moved in to my new home! This is an interesting little story based on Alice and rhymes. It is written mostly in Japanese with some English thrown in, but mostly it is fun to browse for the artwork and the music!

P.S. This is a scheduled post :P I didn't really want to abandon you all for a week!

It may take a bit for the storybook to load, depending on your internet speed, because it is a "flippable" book where each flip is actually animated. The little record players available with each chapter will play a suitable song and is quite enjoyable, really!

The link to Alice's Adventures in Insomnia! Enjoy! And let me know what you think in the comments :)

Review~My Beauty Diary Pearl Powder Mask

2011-02-26T10:39:00.002+08:00

Doll-like porcelain skin; such is the goal for many a Lolita. Whether it is achieved through skincare, makeup, or even photoshop (for those pimples that come the morning of a meetup!) flawless skin is an unmistakable sign of beauty and good health. Personally, I am no good at photoshop or makeup, so skincare it is! Not to mention the fact that it is healthier and the longest-lasting ;D Today I am going to share a product I tried and how it worked for me!

Masking is super popular in Asia. Masks are available in so many type to solve any skin condition you can think of! There are moisturizing, whitening, brightening, anti-wrinkle, lifting, firming, radiance-boosting, etc. masks.

In Taiwan, there is a brand called 我的美麗日記 or My Beauty Diary which is very famous and popular. They even recently teamed up with Hello Kitty to make a strawberry mask! I bought a 10-pc. box of Pearl Powder Mask to try it out for myself!

Basic Stats:
* Pearl Powder Mask

* Purpose: Whitening and hydrating

* Skin Type: All skin types

* Pack Size - 10 pcs

Description:
A pre-soaked and pre-cut facial mask drenched with amino acids and trace elements that effortlessly penetrate the skin’s layers to create a fairer and more luminous complexion. Vitamin B and seaweed nourish the skin, making it velvety smooth with improved elasticity. Regular use whitens, hydrates and restores skin’s youthful radiance. Recommended for dull and damaged skin. By My Beauty Diary.

I usually use masks after showering and washing my face with cleanser because the pores are more open after a hot shower and my face is clean! So please excuse the wet hair in the following photos ;)

First problem I encountered was the mask shape. I circled the problem areas in this photo. As you can see, it does not rest fully on the nose bridge area. The portion of the mask between the bottom of the nose and the upper lip is also far too wide! It actually covers my upper lip O_o

My solution? Cut the mask! By making a small snip in the eye circle, extending the nose area cut, and trimming off a portion of the mouth area, the mask now covers fully where it should, and not where it shouldn't.

Clickable thumbnail to show the sides of the mask.

Clickable thumbnail of the mask post-usage to show its shape. The original mask only has the two bottom cuts at the outer edge of the mask, and the bottom portion of the nose cut.

Overall Impression:
I liked this mask because it really felt hydrating and moisturizing! I would use it at night and in the morning my face still felt really soft and elastic. I can't really say if the whitening worked for me because I am already fairer than average Asian skin.
This mask needs to sit for 20-30 minutes, which is longer than the usual 10 minutes by most other masks. It doesn't bother me though, because I do it at night and I like it!

Essence: ♥♥♥♥♥ A lot of essence in this mask! Use the leftover essence on your neck, arms, and legs.
Mask Shape:♥♥♥ Requires a bit of trimming for each use. The upper lip part bothers me the most!
Results: ♥♥♥♥ Wonderfully hydrating, but no results for the whitening promise, though it may be more obvious on darker skin.
Price: ♥♥♥♥ About average price. I bought my box on sale so it was cheaper :)

Pause

2011-02-24T13:53:00.000+08:00

I will be most likely unable to update for a week or so... because I am moving!!! Hopefully it will all go smoothly and I will be able to start a new series on home decor (or at least room decor) and start with sewing tutorials again as soon as I get set up.

So look forward to Aurora's Chateau series about house and home styling (hey, if you're going to be in the same room for 100 years in enchanted sleep, it better be a really awesome room!)

I'll finish this off with the results of my February Challenge. It is 4 days early, but as I start packing I don't think I will be able to do any new coords... only three were completed! 囧rz

The themes I was going for were:
1) A more "mature" but cute look with a blazer and makeup
2) A casual schoolgirl look with black as the contrasting color
3) My first try at something Ero! This is taken with a webcam, so sorry for the poor quality! I created bustles with safety pins and removable bows which were pinned to D-rings on the corset from Scoundrelle's Keep (this is a Charlotte Cincher)

Not a very successful challenge, but it was still fun, especially the Ero coord :) I didn't wear it out of the house, but I liked trying something new!

Sparkle Stitches~Ruffle Skirt with Zip

2011-02-22T12:55:00.000+08:00

Today I am going to show you how to make a basic zip-closure skirt. The tab with hook-and-eye closure is optional and can be substituted with a button-and-buttonhole, snaps, velcro, whatever.

It is a bit image-heavy so I have reduced all the photos to clickable thumbnails. Click on them for full-size detail if you need to!

Materials:
~2yd fabric
Fusible interfacing for waistband
1 invisible zipper
1 set of skirt hook and eye

Directions:
Step One:
Cut out your pieces. The skirt body should be 2x your hip or so. The ruffle should be 2x the hem of your skirt. Pin and sew your ruffle pieces into a big loop

Step Two:
Press open all your seam allowances

Step Three:
Overlock the hem, press up, and sew

Step Four:
Sew your skirt panels into a tube, leaving the zip opening unsewn. Gather your ruffle to the hem of your skirt and stitch.

Step Five:
Finish the inside edge with an overlock

Step Six (optional):
Topstitch the ruffle to help it lay flatter

Now for the zip!

Step Seven:
Iron the coils of your zipper flat. You should be able to see the two rows of stitching when it is ironed flat

Two rows of stitching:

Step Eight:
Align with the seam allowance at your skirt opening, pin, and sew

Invisible zippers from most craft stores in the U.S. actually come with instructions :P I don't have an invisible zipper foot (they are pretty nifty!) so I can't show you the proper way to do it ^^;
Here is me using a regular zipper foot though:

You just have to be careful not to stitch too close to the coils, or the zip will be difficult to close!

When you are done, it should look like this:

Now comes the waistband!

Step Nine:
Cut your waistband WxL from fashion fabric where W=2x finished width +seam allowance and L=finished length (your waist size)+ tab (about 1") + seam allowance
Cut your waistband interfacing WxL where W = 2x finished width and L=finished length (waist size + tab). Do NOT add seam allowance to the interfacing!

Step Ten:
Fuse your interfacing to the waistband

Step Eleven:
Press up your seam allowances

Step Twelve:
Gather your skirt to ONE seam allowance of your waistband and stitch

Step Thirteen:
Now comes finishing the ends of the waistband. I did one end of mine before gathering because it is easier to show what is going on, but it is better to do it after gathering for a neater finish.
First, turn the waistband right sides facing together and stitch

Trim the corners and seam allowance if necessary

And turn right side out

Here is it being shown after gathering:

Haha I was watching Dead or Alive (the movie) on my lappy... SUCH an awful interpretation of the video game, but I still like to watch it on occasion. Moving on...

After trimming and turning to the right side (and topstitching):

Step Fourteen:
Topstitch the waistband to finish it off. Now just sew on your hook and eye closure to the tab and you are finished!!

Any questions or comments are of course welcome in the comment section! I hope this was clear and helpful to everybody :)

Sparkle Stitches~Gathering

2011-02-22T12:40:00.000+08:00

Gathering is an essential skill in Lolita fashion, and is also required for the next sewing tutorial so I am double-posting ;D Two tutorials in a row!
LO娘想做衣服一定要學會抽細折!

If you are already familiar with gathering, just skip to the next post for the skirt tutorial.

Gathering is very simple, albeit a little time-consuming.
抽細折很簡單，但蠻費時間的。

Step One:
Lengthen the stitch length on your machine to the longest stitch
將縫衣機的針跡長度調到最長

Step Two:
Stitch WITHIN your seam allowance, and do NOT backtack at either end. Usually 1/4" from the raw edge is a good distance. Do two rows of stitching for smoother gathers. High-end clothiers will even do 3 rows of gathering stitches; one in the seam allowance, one on the stitching line, and one even lower than the stitching line which then has to be ripped out. No wonder high-end clothes cost so much...
在縫分內縫一條線。頭尾不要打結。離布邊1/4"(2分)就夠。縫兩條線能抽的比較潠。

Step Three:
Separate out your top thread and bobbin thread. Here, I have used black for my bobbin thread to show the difference
上下線分開。我的下線用了黑色。

Step Four:
Pull on the bobbin thread only and slide the fabric along the thread. It will bunch up and form gathers. Gather it to your desired length and pin in place
卿卿的一邊拉下線一邊將布料網下滑。抽到想要的長度後用針固定住

It may take some practice, but after a few tries it becomes pretty easy. Just be careful not to pull to hard or fast because it is very frustrating to have a thread break in the middle of gathering! Which is another reason 2 rows of stitching is nice ;) If all else fails, make elastic-waist skirts just like the Ribbon Bustle Skirt ;D
多練習後會比較簡單! 小心別拉太快或太用力。抽到一半緞線會很想抓狂喔!

Belle's Library~Dokuhime, Poison Princess

2011-02-21T09:23:00.000+08:00

"It starts with poisonous herbs under the cradle. Then under the sheets. And inside the clothes. Even mixed in the milk that they feed the newborn. This way the child gradually gets used to poisons and becomes the perfect assassination tool - the “Poison Princess” whose every kiss, tear and even touch bring death. Her only chance of survival is to fulfill her duty as an assassin and find a way to live on in the enemy land she is sent to… if her heart is strong enough."
~Dokuhime

Previously I recommended Deka Wanko as a Lolita manga series. It is silly, sweet, and cute. Today I have a completely different type of Lolita manga to recommend. Dokuhime, also known as La Princesse de Poison or Poison Princess, is dark, slightly twisted, and quite Gothic. The Poison Princesses wear beautiful frilly dresses, but are actually assassins meant to kill with the poison in their bodies.

Scan of the front cover of Vol.1
Shikka, the servant, and Lycoris, the second Poison Princess we meet. Her story goes much more in depth than the first Poison Princess, which I think was just an introduction to how the Poison Princess assassination is supposed to work.

Artwork of Lycoris and Belladonna, the first Poison Princess

I don't want to give away any plotlines or too much of the stories, but the setting is in a medieval-ish world (so no hi-tech stuff) with different kingdoms and rulers. One such kingdom raises orphans as Poison Princesses (described in the quote above) to use as assassins against opposing kingdoms. It is really quite interesting. Lycoris fails to assassinate her victim and instead finds some really strange deceptions going on in that kingdom while she is being held prisoner. There are also little side stories that tell the background of other characters such as the 3 princes in the kingdom Lycoris was sent to destroy. OK, I think I said enough already ;)

Read scanlations here! It is only done through Chapter 13 right now, and I can't wait for the next chapter!!

I am pretty sure that the concept of Poison Princesses would not work in real life. It might make them build up a tolerance to many poisons, but I don't think that the girls would actually become poisonous. In the manga, their touch, their blood, their tears, etc. are all toxic. That is stretching it a bit far!

If you read this series, let me know what you think!

Working Hard? Or Hardly Working?

2011-02-20T22:00:00.000+08:00

Maybe a bit of both for me this weekend ;) The gloomy weather tends to make me so lazy! It has been raining all weekend and Rick finally responded to the message I sent him on the 15th. So, I am now single ^///^ but we are still friends :D The long distance thing and the fact that he is too busy to pay me much attention just did not work out :(

After a bit of moping around, I got around to doing some sewing. Do you know what that means? There will be a sewing tutorial coming up next week! Yay!

First, I finished this mermaid JSK I am going to post for sale:

This lace was quite expensive, but really gorgeous! The print of the fabric is also very lovely :D

Today I made a simple Cinderella-print skirt, which I will make a tutorial on.

I am thinking of making accessories to go with this. It is very simple so can be dressed up or down. Some black detachable bows would be nice I think...

For a whole weekend, this is very little work done, but I suppose I am just a lazy type of girl...

What do you usually do on the weekends or in your spare time? Ever since I moved to Taiwan, I have had a lot of free time and don't really know what to do with myself @__@ In MN I used to go on really wacky adventures with my best friends, but here I don't really know what to do any more :P I've already visited pretty much all the shopping areas, and can't afford to eat out too much (which is what I want to do every time I pass a cute cafe!) I suppose I should take this time to really work on my sewing, right?

Sparkle Stitches~ Rose Hair Corsage

2011-02-19T09:42:00.001+08:00

After wearing Lolita for almost 4 years, I am still disappointingly inept at accessorizing. I usually forget about my hair/headwear, but headwear can really make or break an outfit. After I made this rose hair corsage on a whim, I wore it with my BABY OP to the last meetup and I really feel like it made the whole outfit look better.

This rose is not too difficult to make, though a bit time-consuming if you are finicky about petal placement, like I was ^^; It is all hand-sewn, so you can do this while watching TV or a movie or sitting on the bus, in the car, etc.

Materials:
1 Long strip of fabric. I used a 4"X40" piece and just cut off the extra when I decided the rose was big enough
Needle
Thread

Directions:
1) Iron your strip of fabric like a bias strip binding by ironing it in half lengthwise, then bringing the raw edges in to the center fold and ironing again. Anchor your thread at one end.

2) Start rolling the end like a jellyroll to create the center of your rose. Stitch as you go to hold it in place

3) Twist the long strip in the direction shown in the photo. Keep rolling and stitching. After a couple twist-and-rolls, the rose will start to take shape (in the beginning it just sort of looks like a roll)

4) As your rose gets bigger, make sure the petals don't all line up exactly, or it will look like a strange blob instead of a rose. Try to line the twists up in between the previous circle. Stitch along the bottom to keep them in place as the rose layers gets thicker.

5) When you decide your rose is big enough, tuck the end of the strip on the bottom and stitch in place. Trim the bottom of the rose flat if you need to (the center of mine was sticking out). Cut a circle of felt and use it to cover the bottom of the rose. Attach to your headwear of choice such as a comb, a ribbon, a headband, a brooch pin, alligator clips etc.

6) OPTIONAL: To make leaves, cut two leaf shapes from scrap fabric and stitch together, leaving the base open. Turn it right-side out. Stitch the center vein with either a running stitch or a fancy embroidering stitch if you happen to know any ;) Tuck the base of the leaf under your rose before attaching it to the felt base

It was quite difficult to take photos and hold the rose with both hands at the same time, so I hope this tutorial is relatively understand-able :) Feel free to ask for any clarification in the comments! And let me know if you make a rose, too :) They are useful for spicing up and outfit whether you attach it to your hair, on your clothes, on your bag, or even on your shoes!

Other variation ideas to try:
*Instead of folding over the raw edges, leave them showing for a distressed look
*Sew pearls onto your finished rose like dewdrops
*Glue rhinestones onto your rose like bling-bling dewdrops
*Try different types of material like velvet, leather (use glue instead of sewing), etc.

Pose! Number 3

2011-02-18T22:49:00.000+08:00

There are fewer poses for number 3 - only 2. It is still nice for changing up the usual poses, though!

If you have any of your own variations for number 3, please comment below so I can add it to the post :)

"I Spy"

Making a circle with the thumb and forefinger, put it over your eye to make a playful "I see you!" pose. This pose works well for face shots or just for fun :P

"OK!"

Another popular pose, simply make an OK sign by your face. It is sweet and casual, so try it out!

Happy Lantern Festival! Plus some fangirl ramblings

2011-02-17T09:28:00.000+08:00

Today is the last day of Lunar New Year, also know as the Lantern Festival (not to be confused with the Mid-Autumn Festival in August which is sometimes called Lantern Festival in other countries). In Chinese, it is written as 元宵節.

Traditionally, today is a day for lighting lanterns and firecrackers and eating glutinous rice dumplings(湯圓), a sweet dessert. My favorite type has black sesame filling!

Last year I posted a recipe for making glutinous rice dumplings at home, but I did not have many followers back then, so here is a link to my Tang Yuan Recipe on this blog. My photography skills were quite lacking, too...

The ingredients list is here:
OUTER
1.5 16-oz. bags of glutinous rice flour
water
food coloring (optional)

INNER
4 pk. Instant Black Sesame Dessert
2 TBS Vegetable Shortening

If you try making this at home, post photos in the comments and let me know how they turned out! I am going to go watch The Green Hornet with my mom today and eat 湯圓 at night.

And this is totally off-topic, but have you watched The Green Hornet? Chinese celebrity Jay Chou stars in the movie as the awesome sidekick! I am a big fan of his music, though his acting in Chinese movies has been quite... not so great... but he is popular and does what he likes, which I think is good!

He acted and directed in a superhero series called Pandamen (the outfit is cute!!) but it was not successful. Now he hosts a variety TV show, but honestly, his best skill is writing, composing, and singing. His songs are always positive despite his "cool bad boy" outer appearance.

One last fun fact: on the news Jay Chou was interviewed about his role in The Green Hornet where he apparently learned and delivered all his lines phonetically. He did not actually bother to learn English at all ^^; That is the type of guy he is - doing what he wants and just rolling with it!

To conclude this random post, here's a daily snap:

I will be showing you how to make the rose hair corsage I am wearing :) It is a hand-sewn project, so those of you without sewing machines can make one, too!

Idol Interviews, Lifestyles, and Misako Aoki's Makeup

2011-02-16T06:14:00.002+08:00

Models are often our Lolita idols because they can portray the perfect dolly look Lolitas strive to achieve. It is fun to hear something about their personal thoughts and lives.

Here are two videos to share. One video is for Sweet and one is for Gothic!

Interview with Midori, Misako, and Akira about how they became models. It also shows a makeup tutorial from the makeup artist who does their make for photoshoots!

Misako is so cute when she is talking about her life as just nursing and clothes!

Next is an interview of some Gothic and some Sweet Lolitas along with Kokusyoku Sumire. It shows the inside of Moi-Meme-Moitie shop and has a brief interview with Mana-sama. Or at least as much of an interview as he ever gives, seeing as how he does not speak in public...

These girls really bring Gothic and Lolita style into their lives completely. I think that it is wonderful to be surrounded by things you love at all times!

Meetup Report and Giveaway Winner!

2011-02-15T12:27:00.001+08:00

On Sunday some local got together and we went to a different Rose House than the one we went to in October. This one is better because it is owned by the original owner so the food tasted better :P

Rose House Front and insides

Inside, where the food comes out; Our seating area; two menu shots; a photo of roses from a TaoBao shop that we are planning on making a group order for. Taiwanese Lolitas are pro at organizing group orders!! It as pretty insane! They get large orders for the same item and then get discounts on the item, have everything sent to a warehouse in Shanghai, and then get everything shipped together to save on shipping. I need to learn this magical skill

My salad with rose dressing; My rose milk tea; My fruity dessert!
Rose is my new favorite flavor *u*

Shoe shot! I took my shoes off because they are too ugly... I need to buy new shoes!; Print shot!

My face of the day~ I just wore my BABY Gingham Ribbon Rose OP and the hair corsage I made

Now, the real reason you are all reading this post is to see the winner, right?
According to Random.org, the winner is comment number 2!
So congratulations to Heather! I have emailed you and will mail out your prize as soon as I receive your address :)

Thank you to ALL my readers for reading and commenting. I love to meet new people with common interests :D