Tiana's Kitchen~Heart Print Pancakes

Now for something new! My very first video!

I actually filmed this a few weeks ago but couldn't figure out how to upload it onto YouTube I am a little bit technologically challenged...

Without further ado, I present a very simple way to make your breakfast (or lunch, or dessert, or whenever you feel like having pancakes) cute!




I edited the video with Windows Live Movie Maker. It was terribly hard to film and cook at the same time but I hope the video is understandable!

When They Don't Avert Their Eyes

Sorry for the lack of updates recently. I have been feeling a bit discouraged, but decided to blog about it now rather than continue the internet silence.

Let me start by saying I wear Lolita every day I don't have to work. I have been doing so for a couple years. I wear Lolita whether I am sitting at home all day or going out. Never have I ever encountered negative feedback in Minnesota. I went to the Mall of America every week. Outside of the weekly trips, I went grocery shopping, fabric shopping, took walks, got coffee, etc. Sometimes curious strangers would ask if I was from another country, or simply tell me that I dressed very adorably. Most of the time, I am confused at first because I don't feel any different in Lolita or out of it, and my friends and family are so accepting of it that nobody comments or looks at me any differently.

So it came as a shock to me, the different reactions I have gotten in Taiwan


Being that Asia is more fashionable than America in general, I had thought I would stand out far less. I see girls wearing dresses, short skirts, short shorts, layered looks, high boots, and a lot of heels. Very stylish from hair to shoes and everything in between. Unfortunately, everybody mostly dresses in the same style. It is fashionable, yes, but not diverse. Therefore, even my most casual of casual Lolita outfits stands out like crazy!

The other thing is that in Taiwan, people have no qualms about openly staring. Or "whispering" loudly enough for others to hear, even on the noisy MRT. I have encountered my first "ninja snap" where a girl whipped out her cell phone to take a photo of me on my way to a Lolita meetup. As a group, we walked through the MRT station and a girl very openly took photos of us, pointing, shouting, and telling her friends to look Most of us actually thought she was friends with one of the girls in our group because she was being so familiar. When one of the older Lolitas asked her to stop, she flat-out said "No" and carried on treating us like a display.

While traveling alone this past Wednesday, two girls in the same MRT compartment openly discussed whether I was a coser or not. Rather than either just asking me or keeping it to themselves, they held a conversation throughout the journey, making it highly awkward as everybody pretended to not be able to hear them or see me

Now, I am not going to stop wearing Lolita just because of a few obnoxious incidents, of course. I have noticed that people tend to look at me whether I am wearing Lolita or not, most likely because despite being 100% Chinese, I look mixed. So if they are going to stare anyway, I would much rather they look at my pretty clothes than at me.

Sorry for such a long, personal post. It has taken my spirit for the past few days, but I plan on continuing to live with the fiery passion for all things elegant, beautiful, and cute in life! Never shall it die!

And now I can relate much better to the girls who post asking about what to do in negative situations. Keep your chin up, your head high, and smile! You are beautiful Let's face it - you will probably never see those people ever again, anyway. And if you do, you'll still be rockin' life in your own style~

My question to you:
How have you dealt with this type of negativity in your life?

Tiana's Kitchen~Steamed Banana Cake

Asian cakes are often steamed because most homes do not own a large oven like Western homes. It is possible to bake cakes in the toaster oven, but steaming is quicker and fluffier!

There are many methods of steaming, and all work equally well. I usually use an electric steamer, but bamboo steamers are also popular. It is also possible to ghetto-rig a steamer by heating a wok of boiling water, putting a rack in the bottom to keep the cake pan out of the water, and steaming your cake suspended over the water. Make sure your wok cover fits over the pan or bowl you are using!

Bananas are naturally sweet, and the riper they are, the sweeter they get, so adjust your sugar levels accordingly!

This recipe can be made and steamed all in one bowl. It is quick, easy, and has minimal clean-up work. Very good for a quick snack and has only about 115 calories per serving! Calories were calculated using My Fitness Pal's Recipe Calculator


Ingredients:
2/3 cup All-Purpose Flour (I only have spoon measures, so I did 10 Tbs and 1tsp)
1 ripe Banana
1 tsp Baking Soda
3 Tbsp packed Brown Sugar (adjust according to taste)
1 Egg
2 tsp water
1 tsp oil

Directions:
1) Assemble Ingredients and Preheat your steamer by boiling the water in your wok or the base of your steamer

The silver pan I mixed in turned out to be too big because I am a poor judge of volume... a big bowl should suffice

2) Put everything in your bowl and mash it all together with a fork!


3) Try to make your batter smooth with few lumps. My batter turned brown because of the brown sugar. Using refined sugar will keep your cake yellow from the banana, but I prefer brown sugar ;)


4) Place into your hot steamer and steam for 15 minutes. Do NOT open the lid before it is done!


5) Allow to cool in the bowl. The water vapor makes it separate from the bowl easily


6)Loosen the edges and turn out into a plate. My cake had some unmixed lumps of brown sugar because I was in a hurry, making this cake at 10PM ^^; They settled to the bottom and now you can see them when the cake is flipped!


7) Cut into 6 pieces and serve!


I hope you enjoy this simple recipe. Feel free to change up the flavors! Try different fruits or flavors! Chocolate cake?

Carousel Cafe Back in Action!

I am happy to announce that Carousel Cafe (also available in the Links section of my sidebar) is back up and running!

The current listings are all located in MN, USA and my mom will help ship them out. They are from my Spring/Summer collection 2010, so the prices are very low right now (30-50% off) to help clear out the old merchandise!

Soon, I will add the new products, starting with bloomers and bloomer packs, so bookmark the page for updates!

Any suggestions or ideas for what you would like to see are much appreciated

Inspiration vs. Imitation in Lolita Fashion

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"
How many times have we heard that quote before? While this may be true of superficial aspects such as coordinates, styling, makeup, hairdos, etc. when we are talking about design or selling, imitation suddenly become theft. Artists are quick to claim ideas as their original work, and point fingers at similar pieces as being stolen.

In a world as small as Lolita, ideas seem to overlap and spread quickly. How many versions of Paris Window, Alice in Wonderland, Swan Lake, Trump Suits, Mermaids, etc. are there? It is true that all these big brands still manage to sell out their prints and everybody has their favorite version of each motif as seen in this fun poll here and here. Brand replicas are widely bought, with the argument that the Brands are not suffering financially from the replicas anyway.

What about the small, indie brands and Western brands? When somebody is trying to make a living with their own two hands designing, drafting, sewing, redrafting, and sewing some more, is it still OK to copy their designs? What about being inspired by another designer? Obviously, everybody gets inspiration from SOMEWHERE, but when does inspiration cross the line into imitation?


Inspiration
a) a divine influence directly and immediately exerted upon the mind or soul.
b) the divine quality of the writings or words of a person so influenced.
(from dictionary.com)

Oftentimes, a piece of art, a beautiful dress, a swatch of fabric, a fancy trim, or a certain photograph captures a feeling that inspires you to create something of your own. Your mind races and you catch your breath - you want to make SOMETHING from this, though you are not quite sure what yet. Jot some quick notes about what's racing through your mind before you lose the ideas!

Inspiration gives you ideas. It gives you creativity, and lets you run with it!

Imitation
a counterfeit; copy
(from dictionary.com)

Do you find yourself flipping back and forth between looking at your own design and somebody else's? When you place them side by side, do they look like they were done by the same designer? Is there anything distinctly different between your design and the original? Are you looking only at one image from one designer for ideas? If many of these apply to you, be careful, you might be making a copy!

My advice when you find this happening, is to leave that design alone for a while. Work on something else or look at some other pictures for inspiration.

What if you are on the other end of the Imitation Trap? See one of your designs being sold elsewhere? Before you get all up in arms and message the thief, first look at the design. Is it a general, common design? Could it be coincidence? Many cuts and designs are commonly found, especially in a fashion with as many rules as Lolita.

If it is a unique design and obviously copied, try contacting the seller politely to ask them not to use your design. Many times people are willing to comply if you simply ask because they don't realize the damage it can do to an independent designer when their designs are ripped off. If they are NOT willing to take down their imitation, try to get the word out about your original in a calm and organized fashion. Throwing a hissy fit is not going to win you any more fans and will only make you seem petty and desperate. Hopefully consumers will be willing to support you as an independent designer and seamstress :)