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!
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
Meetup Report~Le Petit Fruit Cafe (And Mr. Poison)
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!
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!
Sunday, December 18, 2011
It Smells Like Holiday Season
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!!!!
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!!!!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
The Gloom
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!
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!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Cyber Monday Sale!
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!
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!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Meetup Report~ Handicraft Meetup! Making Berets
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^
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^
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Sparkle Stitches~Drawstring Pouch
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!
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!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Mid-Term Hiatus
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?
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?
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Happy Halloween!
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?
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?
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