My Assistant Natto and Some Blog Stuff

Punk Gothic outfit shot from a couple days ago was aided by my kitty Natto.  I have been trying to wear real clothes every day instead of just lounging in pajamas as I work remotely.

Sadly, Natto's condition (he has heart problems and a heart murmur) seems to be deteriorating.  He's only 7 years old, approximately (he's a rescue) so I hope he can live much longer!  He's been having bouts of drooling and panting, indicating fluid in his chest.  It's only lasting a few seconds each time, but has increased in frequency.  I'm so scared to think about him not being here to nuzzle and cuddle me and follow me around, asking for attention and belly rubs frequently.

Outfit details on my Instagram

I also tried a new way of making odango hair to make it more fluffy and less ballerina-sleek as I am used to (was a requirement in dance class.)

Bonus raw picture
Looks like King Boo is licking my face ^^

 On another note, I have not been posting the type of content I originally planned to post on this blog.  In addition to lifestyle posts, I want to do more tutorials and news like I used to.  Though Lolita news is now rather unnecessary as there are so many places to read about it and brands have their own blogs and social media, I'd like to do some of the hair tutorials I had been planning.

Being that I have dark hair it is a bit difficult to photograph, but I will try it out.

Another idea I'd (sort of) started was beauty product reviews, such as makeup, skincare, etc.  Though I tend to use things for absolute ages before coming to a final conclusion, so I'm not sure anything would be relevant and many skincare and makeup items are reformulated, discontinued, limited edition, etc.  Would this be of interest?

Natto LOVES attention

If I am able to find employment and stay in the USA, I will set up the sewing machine and start with sewing tutorials as well.  That was actually the original reason I even started a blog!

Thanks for reading and commenting!  Please do let me know what type of things you'd like to see more of!  Hopefully future content will be more informative in addition to the regular lifestyle posts!

2016 Lolita Journey

The year is just about at an end! I saw this questionnaire over on Puppenschloss and the lovely blog owner Princess Miuko said I could use the questions as well.

If any of you would like the answer the questions, either in the comments or on your own blog post, definitely do so! I'd love to see your answers! 

Questions:

1. Favorite look
After looking through my Daily Lolita album, I have to say that my Disney Christmas coordinate was my favorite this year. I simply felt the most beautiful in it!
Though there are some details you cannot see well, such as the BABY biscuit brooch and the White Rabbit on my wrist stop, those little details made me feel good about this coordinate.  Also my hair. I love my hair in this

Top: Little Dipper
JSK: BABY THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT
Wrist Stoppers: handmade by me
Petticoats: Classical Puppets
Socks: Secret Shop
Shoes: An*Tai*Na

2. Favorite purchase
This one is so difficult! This year has been my largest purchase year in Lolita fashion. However, I think I will say that this Kumachan and Friends JSK set is my favorite because of many reasons:
1) It is by my favorite brand!
2) It has bear characters, my favorite motifs after Usakumyachan!
3) It is a new color for me: yellow
4) It was a discount price (around 9,800JPY for the set, if I remember correctly)
5) It has a switching chest piece! I did not realize this at the time of purchase, but I have never worn any deep scoop-style necklines so I can give that a try. Even if I don't like it, I can just keep the lace-covered chestpiece on to wear as a regular JSK!

Here, there be facts

Wow and thank you to Kieli of Rainbow Star Candy for nominating me to do this blog award 

I've officially withdrawn from uni and have been trying to figure out my life (scary!) for the past week, taking commissions, sewing samples, still keeping up with translation work, etc.

This is a nice break from all that 

The Rules~

1. Link back to the person who nominated you.
2. Answer the same 11 questions your nominator answered above.
3. Post 11 random facts about yourself.
4. Pick 11 nominees to answer your 11 questions.
5. You can’t nominate the person who nominated you!
6. Tell your 11 nominees you have nominated them.

Question Time~

1. What made you want to start blogging?
I don't really remember why I wanted to blog.  It was more of an experiment and a place to put some tutorials I wanted to make, though I later found out I'm pretty bad at formatting and photos and pretty much everything a tutorial needs :P

2. What is your biggest dream?
My biggest dream is to make a living off of sewing things for others.  I have a shop though I hope to have my own website at some point.  Currently I am supporting myself on translation work, but I really get tired of it sometimes!  In an ideal world I'd also be able to open a boutique/cafe combo with quaint decor and adorable uniforms 

I personally love theme cafes and cute uniforms (I MAY or may not have a VIP card to a maid cafe here...) and they're quite popular in Taiwan, so hopefully it happens!

3. If money were no object, what would you do all day?
If money were limitless I'd sew, travel, go to Western conventions (sorry Asia, but your conventions are all extremely boring and crowded with no personal interaction!), and buy all the video games I want!!!  Maybe I'd give styling a go as well.  I've done styling for my classmates and for MVs before, but cannot afford to buy more cosmetics and such.  I think it'd be really fun, though!  Recently I spend a good chunk of money on hair to have a wig for my boyfriend for when he does interviews or exhibits, and that was really fun as well 

4. What is your favorite country or place to visit and why?
Assuming this is referring to places I've been, there is really only Minnesota, USA, Taiwan, and Mumbai, India to compare!  Mumbai was SO much fun to visit!  A big part of that was because it was a big group of graffiti artists though.  Minnesota and Taiwan are both really lovely too.  I'd like to go to southern Taiwan again for a bit.
Other places I'd like to visit are:
Pokemon Center in Japan
Hong Kong
Singapore
Paris, France
Europe in general
Disney World and Disney Land anywhere they exist
Other parts of India
Actually I'm pretty open to visiting anywhere that isn't dangerous
Have you ever been to a place that your heart calls out to and you feel like it's your real home? 
Not really.  I've only really been to three places in my life and settled in two of them?

5. Oops, you’re stranded on an island (with plenty of water & food). What three things would you want with you?
Internet access on my computer
My boyfriend or other companion
Functioning bathtub and toilet

Technically I'm on an island right now :D  Maybe the island in question is a developed nation island.

6. Name a movie and/or book that you recently watched/read and can highly recommend.
Oh gosh this is a difficult one!  I haven't enjoyed any movies for quite some time, and haven't read any books at all!
Movie: The Lego Movie So this is from last year but I think it was a funny, touching, and memorable film.  There are so many jokes and just cartoonish evil and adventure!  Though it is just a movie about Legos, I found it much more entertaining and meaningful than any of the live-action movies that have come out recently.  Of course, if you have any recommended movies for me, that would be great, too!
Book: I haven't read a book in about five years 

7. What do you collect?
I'm not actively working on a collection, but I have a shelf of Pokemon goods and a lot more cute stickers than I'm willing to admit to.  I'm more of a hoarder than a collector, to be honest.

8. What do you do to get “zen”?
Sewing is my zen when I am in the zone.  If I'm not, it is a huge, frustrating disaster, but when I get into the mode I can just go and go and go!

9. What is the wisest thing someone ever told you?
I don't remember quotes well.  Sometimes thing will pop up in my head, but I can't recall any at the moment, sorry!

10. What song do you like to sing out loud?
I make up my own songs and just sing them, making it up as I go.  I have a truly devastating singing voice so I don't sing anything recognizable.

11. If you could learn something super fast (Matrix-style), what skill would you pick?
I would learn all the languages, ever.  This is an underestimated superpower!!  Plus, then I'd be able to do that world travel thing and also do translation work between any languages.

Random Facts~
1. I adore guinea pigs and rabbits, having owned both before in America
2. I'm proud that I've been able to support myself since 20 (school/rent/life) but it is quite a strain
3. Pokemon is my favorite
4. I have exceedingly poor memory, which is the root of many frustrations and affects daily life
5. My extremities get cold easily
6. I drink a lot of coffee, but don't like sweetened coffee
7. I sew clothes for my teddy bear, who has her own fanpage
8. I prefer G+ to facebook because it's easier to filter your audience and hope more people begin to use it
9. Gloomy Bear is adorable, but I don't like the other characters
10. I want to try so many different crafts, but cannot afford the materials to do them all!
11. This list is hard.  OK if that doesn't count, I like dinosaurs

Nominations:
1. Milk Bubble Tea
2. Chocolate-Covered Katie
3. Bloomzy
4. Moments Like Diamonds
5. Klaire de lys
6. Dollhouse Diaries

There aren't many active blogs on my feed :(

Lolita 100 Meme #91-100

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!

Lolita 100 Meme #81-90

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!

Lolita 100 Meme #71-80

I almost forgot that I still have some of this meme to finish! Originally I filled out the whole thing and saved it, but now I am changing some answers as my views and experiences change...

(71) ロリィタは何歳から何歳まで許されますか?(What age should you stop Lolita?)
I do not believe there is an arbitrary age to stop wearing Lolita. As people grow and evolve, they will dress to fit their personality :) When one no longer feels the Lolita Spirit, Lolita fashion will not feel right any more

(72) どういう状態になったら、ロリィタは卒業すべきと考えますか?（ずっと続けて良いも､アリです）(When do you think you should graduate from Lolita? And why?)
Similar to the previous question, and I have a similar answer: When it doesn't feel right any more. Maybe you will graduate from one style to another before eventually leaving it all together, but it depends on the individual!

(73) コレだけは止めてくれ! というロリィタファッション上の注意はありますか?("You should stop that!!!>_<;" What must you not do when dressing lolita?
I do not think that Lolitas should be unpleasant, but I think that applies to all people in general ;) I would hope that Lolitas in general would have more patience for people who do not understand the fashion. One should make a good impression, because it is likely that people will judge ALL Lolitas based on one person's attitude simply because we are a subculture fashion

(74) ロリィタとはこうあるべき! というような考えはありますか?(A lolita should be 'this'! What do you think that should be?)
Confident and polite!

(75) 73以外で、ロリィタさんにコレはして欲しくない! ということがあったら、どうぞ。(Excluding #73, is there anything you should deffinately not do in lolita?)
Um... be a prostitute? That just sort of ruins the already tainted image for the rest of us XD

(76) 男の方のロリィタファッションについてどう思いますか?(What do you think of men in Lolita?)
If you can rock it, go for it!

(77) ロリィタをして、それ以前から何か変わりました?(Did you change yourself for dressing lolita?)
Not really :) I am more confident now though! I used to be a complete wallflower and only wore long skirts and big, baggy hoodies (with a t-shirt underneath!) in dark colors. Now I am more sure of who I am and am working on being more assertive, standing up for myself, and being more confident!

(78) 周囲の人はアナタがロリィタをすることについて何と言っていますか? 受け入れてくれてますか?(What does your family and surrounding people think of you dressing lolita? And do you accept it?)
I don't think anyone minds :3 My mom likes it and last time I brought her to a meetup (the Art in Bloom meetup in April) she had fun explaining it to other people :) Of course, my family is Chinese and have never heard of the novel "Lolita" or "Lolita Complex"

(79) 真夏の暑い祭にアナタはどんなロリィタファッションをしますか?(How do you dress Lolita in the boiling mid-summer?)
Very lightly! In MN I would still wear a blouse and skirt combo or wear a blouse under my JSK, but here in Taiwan I usually go without a blouse! Not only do I only have 1 blouse here (and it is cream... which only matches one of my skirts), it is really much too hot!

(80) 学校・職場などにロリィタで行っていますか?(have you gone to School or Work in lolita?)
I wore Lolita to school for about 3 years, but at work the dress code was pretty strict! I am trying to be an English teacher here in Taiwan now, and I am pretty sure there is a uniform (school T-shirt and black pants) so I will be unable to wear Lolita if I get the job

Lolita 100 Meme #61-70

(61) ココだけの話、あそこはボッタクリやろ! と思う店はありますか?("Man, what a rip-off!!" Have you ever thought that about a store?)
Yes! But I love walking into Hot Topic anyway :D

(62) ネットショップは利用したことがありますか? ある方はその良い点・悪い点など、これからの方への助言をお願いします。(Do you shop online? If so, put the good & bad points here to advise others.)
Yes! Because there is no other choice...
Good point is that you do not need to travel to the store to see all the inventory!
Bad point is that you cannot try anything on and cannot see the quality or detail in person... Also, the shipping cost is killer!

(63) ちょっと秘密にしときたいけれど、私だけにコッソリな個人製作サイトさんを教えて下さい。(You can say if you want, but is there a Secret person/shop that you have ordered a dress solely for you from? [I guess commissioned/replicated])
no

(64) 絶対に手が届かない〜! でも、滅茶苦茶欲しい! あのブランドのあの商品ありますか?("I can never have that/see that happening!! But I will always want it!!" Is there a brand you think this of?)
Atelier Boz~

(65) 飽きちゃったお洋服はどうしますか?(What do you do with the clothes you don't want anymore?)
donate them :)
or sell them

(66) 一番最近に買ったアイテムは?（ロリィタ以外でも）(What is your most recent purchase? [Even non-lolita])
fabric... XD

(67) もう二度と手に入らないだろうけれど､忘れられないものはありますか?(Is there an item which you love that you can't buy/seem to find?)
My big list of Dream Prints! I have obtained one of my Dream Prints (it was my very first Dream Print too!) but of course the list can go on forever...

(68) ライヴなどの時だけロリィタの格好をすることをどう思いますか?(What do you think of people who only wear lolita to concerts?)
eh... seems a strange place to only wear lolita O.o

(69) すっぴんロリィタさんをどう思いますか?(what do you think of lolitas without makeup?)
awesome if they're clean

(70) アナタとまるっきり同じ格好のロリィタさんが! どうします?(Another lolita is wearing the same coordinate/clothes as you!! What do you do?)
YAY WE'RE TWINNING!

Lolita 100 Meme #51-60

(51) 駅のトイレでコッソリ着替えたことありますか?(Have you ever changed in a train station bathroom?)
Nope! There are very few train stations where I live (actually, there is mostly only bus station!) and I just wear my clothes out of the house :)

(52) 双子ロリ、三つ子ロリしたことありますか? 感想は?(What do you think of 'twinning' and 'triplet' lolitas?)
I think it is cute! Especially if it is done in "opposites"

(53) 体型をキープ（もしくはダイエット）するためにどんなことをしていますか? お勧めは?(How do you keep in shape for lolita? Reccommend us something.)
I don't... I should though! Can anyone recommend to me??
I have a weakness for sweets, though recently I have started exercising more! There are many free workouts on this website and also workout plans. I am doing the 30 Day Makeover workout plan. I am not very good at following the schedule though... ^^;

(54) 独りでロリィタは平気ですか?(Do you keep calm when by yourself in Lolita?)
Yes. Why not?

(55) 月々にかかるお洋服・小物代はどれくらいですか?(How much do you spend per month on clothes/accessories?)
Not sure... I don't keep track! And it is sporadic anyway :) Mostly I make my own clothes!

(56) ロリィタファッションを知ってから、実際にするまでのタイムラグ・抵抗はありましたか?(Was there a time lag between you knowing about Lolita and dressing?)
Yes! It takes time to get a new wardrobe :)

(57) 今まで買った中で一番高い物は?（ロリィタ関係で）(What is your most expensive Lolita item?)
The BABY OPs I have probably (original price is JPY29,000)... unless you mean the most expensive I actually paid, not its worth, then the ribbon lace-up ring cost most (USD115)!

(58) ロリィタって本当にお金かかりますよね。ロリィタ費用をどうやって捻出していますか?(It takes a lot of money to do Lolita. How do you save?)
I save up a lot and don't spend on small things, and then buy one big lolita purchase a year :) I portion out my paychecks so a percentage is for savings (for school and other necessities) and a smaller percentage is in checking for spending (for going out, conventions, meetups, etc.)

(59) ココだけでコッソリ。今までかけた総費用は大体いくら?(Just a little secret here...How much have you spent so far on Lolita, roughly?)
It is hard to know the actual fabric costs of the clothes I have made, but for Brand clothes I have spent around $330 (two lucky packs, one skirt, and one ring). The clothes I made all together are probably around $200?

(60) 近くに出来て欲しいお店はありますか?(Is there a Brand you want near where you live?)
There are no Brands anywhere near here! I would love to have BABY the STARS SHINE BRIGHT store here though... that is my favorite Brand! Though there seems to be a lot of seamstress and designers here in MN... myself included! I hope to be able to become an indie brand!

Lolita 100 Meme #41-50

(41) レースはどんな種類が好きですか?(What types of lace do you like?)
I like the cotton venise best probably, because it can make beautiful shapes...
But I also really like crocheted cotton lace a lot :) Embroidered netting lace is also really beautiful, but I am only so-so for it

(42) お人形さんを所有していますか? 持っている方はその子に対する思いを熱くどうぞ!(Do you own a doll? Does it give you fun, childish feelings?)
I own teddy bears!! and YES! So many fun feelings :3

(43) ロリィタ時の鞄の中身は?(What is in your lolita bag?)
anti-stain pen, a touch-up lipgloss or lipstick (I recently started to wear nude lipstick :) I like it!), a Hello Kitty small mirror, oil absorbing paper, Hello Kitty band-aid, and a small notepad and pen

(44) 好きな花は何ですか?(What is your favourite flower?)
bleeding hearts or lily of the valley or water lily probably :)

(45) 今、一番のお気に入りアクセサリーはどんなもの?(Right now, what is your favourite accessory?)
My BTSSB ribbon lace-up ring!

(46) お気に入り・お勧めの化粧品を教えて下さい。(Please reccommend us some cosmetics.)
I like natural look with no cosmetics... ;) But I love Diorshow Blackout mascara!

(47) パッチリお目目はお人形さんの証! ということでつけまつ毛は使っていますか?(With Eye-tape your eyes look like a Doll's! What eyelashes will you wear?)
Diorshow Blackout Mascara! Haha
I want to start trying out false eyelashes though. It looks like fun!

(48) アイメイクの拘りをどうぞ。(Your eyemakeup for these eyelashes?)
bright eyeshadow!!

(49) 口紅は赤? 青? 黒? ピンク?(Red Lipstick? Blue? Black? Pink?)
pink or nude color!

(50) マニキュアは何色を使うことが多いですか? (Or which nail polish do you choose normally?)
light pink colors. I like the nail polish that enhances the natural nail color!

Lolita 100 meme #31-40

(31) あなたのモットーは?(What is your motto?)
Do whatever makes you happiest, as long as you are hurting nobody (including yourself)

(31) 将来の夢は?(Your dreams of the Future?)
Launch my Carousel Cafe line in earnest! It is actually a lot of work!

(33) この人は絶対ロリィタ似合う! と思う有名人の方はいますか?("This person is so perfect for lolita!" - Do you ever think that about certain celebraties?)
No... ^^; I am not really up to date with celebrities!

(34) 一番思い出の詰まったお品とその思い出を教えて下さい。(Any products/items you have with a fond memory?)
Everything has memories with it....
Right now I suppose my BABY Ribbon Lace Up Ring is a good one because my sister bought it for me (though I paid her $50 when she came back) when she went to California! How lovely!

Most of my clothes are handmade, so they have good (or bad) memories about the making process!

(35) 一番最初に手に入れたお品は?(What was your first item?)
Well it was the handmade ita skirt... but eventually I got some better handmade items :) My first Brand item was two BABY the STARS SHINE BRIGHT lucky packs!

(36) 写真を撮る時の決めポーズはありますか?(Have you got a pose for photos?)
make as crazy of a face as possible!!!!

(37) アナタの心のバイブルを教えて下さい。（本・雑誌・CDなど何でも）(What is your heart's bible? [book/magazine/CD/etc])
my lolita spirit! Well, actually I like to reread Kamikaze Girls sometimes because I like Momoko's attitude~

(38) 一番高い踵の靴は何cmありますか?(what is the best cm for heels?)
hm... probably around 5 cm

(39) ティアラはつけたことがありますか?(Do you wear tiaras?)
no, but I wish!

(40) たまには王子をやってみたいと思いますか? また、どんな王子? 暗黒系? 白馬系?(Do you think you want to try prince style? What kind of prince? Ankoku-kei [Gothic/dark prince]? Or "prince on a white horse" style?)
I think it would be sort of fun to be a Gothic prince! Very spooky~

Lolita Meme 21-30

(21) 趣味は何ですか?(What are your hobbies?)
sewing, crochet (though I hardly do that any more...), clay, daydreaming, blogging!
I actually really love art too, and like to draw and paint though I am honestly no good at either!

(22) 愛用の香水があれば、教えて下さい。(If you have any favourite perfumes, please tell us.)
I love sweet smells! My total favorite is Pretty Nina by Nina Ricci!
But I also really love Miss Dior Cherie, Dior Addict Shine, D&G Light Blue, J'adore, and some others :3
I work at Duty Free, and we sell perfumes, so I keep getting old testers and change smell all the time! Currently my obsession is DKNY. I love the Candy Apple series! The Sweet Caramel smells like caramel, but not in a "I SMELL LIKE CANDY!" way, in a soft, subtle way. PureDKNY is a "drop of vanilla" and also light and subtle. Love them! The entire Be Delicious line smells like apples and is awesome too!

(23) ロリィタする上での「コレだけは気をつけている」ということはありますか?(Is there anything you are careful of in lolita?)
I do my best not to get into other people's way with my fluff :3

(24) 主によく出没する所は何処ですか?(Do you have any favourite haunts to go to in lolita?)
not really... I go wherever I usually go :D

(25) 週に何回くらいロリィタですか?(how many times a week do you dress lolita?)
eh... a lot ^^; I rarely take daily outfit shots though!

(26) ロリィタ初心者時に仕出かした恥ずかしいエピソードを教えて下さい。(Please tell us an embarrassing story when you were a beginner in lolita.)
my first skirt. End of story. XD

(27) アナタの今の髪型と色は?(Your current hairstyle and colour.)
all natural :3
straight and brown with red and sometimes gold highlights. Mostly just brown though :D And darker on top than at the ends
I sort of want to get a feathered hime cut... not sure if it will look good though, so I am scared to do it!

(28) ロリィタ歴はどのくらい?(What is your lolita history?)
eh... I don't know... I actually got into the style in 2006, and started wearing in 07 I think

(29) 専用の衣装収納場所がありますか?(Do you store your clothes in a special place?)
My closet :D

(30) 今までロリィタを止めようと思ったことはありますか? また、その理由は?(Did you ever think about stopping Lolita? What was the reason?)
No... Sometimes when it is not appropriate to wear lolita fashion, I will dress down and wear just skirt-pants and t-shirts. I am thinking of getting into gyaru style because it does not stand out as much and there are no big big skirts that get in the way of other people!

Lolita 100 Meme 11-20

Part two of the Lolita 100 Meme!

(11) 逆に一番一番嫌なことは?(What do you hate about it? Pet peeves??)
When my petticoat gets ruffled up. Or is not poofy enough :(
Also my lack of accessorizing and hair skills!
This year I have decided to try and do better at those points

(12) 愛読雑誌は?(Magazine you read?)
EGLB. That's it :D I do get scans online of the Japanese GLB and some Kera though

(13) ヘッドドレス派? ボンネット派? リボン派?(Headdresses, bonnets or ribbons/katsushya?)
Alice bows! I actually really love Alice bows, but don't wear them... I like small ribbons too, like for pigtails or something :3 and I love tiaras! Though maybe not for everyday wear...

(14) ドロワーズは穿いていますか?(Yes to Drawers/Bloomers?)
um, YES! poofy skirts are more likely to get pulled up indecently XD

(15) ヘッドドレスは前で結ぶ派? 後ろで結ぶ派?(do you tie headdresses at the front or at the back?)
back

(16) 好きな音楽のジャンル・バンドなどはありますか?(Who is your favourite band/type of music?)
rock! Actually I like almost all music. I like Evanescence, Disturbed, Taylor Swift (sometimes), Three Days Grace, Coldplay, Creed, Shinedown, Godsmack, Metallica, Nirvana, Puddle of Mudd, Flyleaf, Black Eyed Peas, Jay Chou, Nana Kitade, S.H.E., Da Mouth, t.A.T.u., PINK, Nightwish, Breaking Benjamin, Nine Inch Nails, and a lot more!

(17) 携帯の着メロは何ですか?(What is your phone ring tone~?)
King and Queen by Da Mouth


(18) ライヴにはロリィタで行きますか?(Do you go to concerts in lolita?)
never been to a concert

(19) ライヴに行く方はライヴ中にヘドバンしますか?(For people who attend concerts: Do you headbang there?)

(20) 何色が好きですか?(What colours do you like?)
milk pink, sky blue, pale lavender, mint green, bright yellow, white, silver, black, and lots of others!

Lolita 100

I thought that the Lolita 100 meme would make a good first post!
It is rather long, so I will break it up into sections!

(1) HNと生年月日、出身を教えて下さい。(Screen-name and DOB, please tell me these~.)
Sparklewolfie, May 30

This is the oldest photo of me I could find! The quality of the things I made were pretty bad ^^; I would like to say that I have improved a lot since then! This is when I was 17 years old, I believe :)

(2) 身長・体重・服のサイズ・靴のサイズは? (height, weight, clothing size and shoe size)
5'6" 135lbs. M 8

(3) ロリィタファッションをするようになったキッカケは? (why did you start to dress lolita?)
Because it looked so beautiful~

(4) 好きなロリィタのジャンルは? (which style of lolita do you like)
Sweet!! Though Classic is more easy for getting around without strange stares... but I wear sweet anyway :)

This is my number 1 dream dress - the BABY Parfait skirt in pink!

(5) 上記に対する拘りや､自分なりの定義などあれば、教えて下さい。("If you have your own definition of the above style or some strong opinion of it etc. please state it here.)I like sweet best because it feels like the energy is more HIGH and sweet, bubbly, and fun! That matches my personality too ;)

(6) ピアスは開けていますか? また、いくつあいてますか? (Do you have piercings? Where?)
Yes! One in each ear

(7) 好きなブランドは?(Which brands do you like?)
BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT will be my favorite always and forever!! I want to quote Momoko here and say something sappy, but I will not to save your sanity ;)
Also, I actually really love Innocent World... it feels like a good blend of Classic and Sweet lolita to me :)

(8) アナタの一番お気に入りのお洋服はどんな服ですか?(Which are your favourite clothes you wear?)
It is always changing because I am always making new clothes... of course right now it is the Rococo JSK which is my newest creation!

(9) ロリィタ友達は何人くらい居ますか?(how many lolita friends do you have?)
eh... a lot? :3 I like everybody! Even though there's quite an age gap in our group, I think everybody gets along pretty nicely :3 I kinda feel closer to the girls around my age though... more like we could have hung out in high school or something XD but I think we have a really good group!

This is from the most recent meetup. It was small, but a lot of fun!

(10) ロリィタをした上での一番良かったことは?(What do you love most about lolita?)
Creative expression! Or something. Actually, I just like being able to take time for myself to make myself look good. I have never done that before :D

Hello! Please allow me to introduce myself~

Hello and thank you for visiting ABC Lolita!

First off, what is ABC Lolita?
ABC Lolita is a blog I have decided to start to post about lolita fashion and perhaps life in general from my point of view~

Why the blog title of ABC Lolita?
I am a lolita, I was born in America, but raised in a very traditional Chinese fashion because my parents moved here from Taiwan.  So I thought that it would be fun to create a blog depicting my views of the world, neither fitting into American or Chinese standards, but at the same time belonging to both!

Who are you?
 I am Grace, an entrepreneurial girl with big dreams, a (sometimes overly) idealistic view of the world, and a pair of scissors.  I hope to start my own lolita clothing line someday (is that not the dream of many other lolitas nowadays?)  You can follow my LiveJournal blog for my Brand, Carousel Cafe .  My plan is to launch officially Spring 2010!
I was born in America, bilingual (English and Mandarin), and interest in French and Taiwanese (yes, we have our own dialect!  But my understanding of it is poor), a seamstress and designer, and may be moving back to Taiwan for school fall of 2010!  This year will be a big year~
I have been a lolita since 2007
My favorite Brand is BABY, the STARS SHINE BRIGHT and my first Brand item was two lucky packs from BABY!  Actually, I only meant to buy one, but it was the mad rush of 2008 where they accidentally opened the ordering window about 20 minutes too early.  I was one of the girls who ordered early (^u^);;

Have more questions?  You can ask me on Form Spring:
Ask me anything! http://formspring.me/Sparklewolfie