Happy Halloween Art Post

 Art by me :)

Have a happy and safe night!

Halloween Costume! ~Lion Tamer~

Today many students and teachers at my school dressed up for Halloween, myself included! This year my costume was a vintage-style lion tamer. Many people though that it was adorable and I received many flattering compliments. Actually, I think my costume was one of/the best in the school. I put a lot of effort into it and I think the fact that most of my pieces were actual clothing pieces made the look seem more put together. I also had a lot of fun with my make up (though my attempt at false eyelashes didn't go so smoothly - one practical popped off while I was talking to a teacher). Also the tights were originally not long enough for my legs so I cut them into ankle tights. Overall I was really happy with my costume and I'm excited to wear it again on Halloween and help pass out candy to little ghosts and ghouls.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Meet Hello Kitty!

Attention all Sanrio fans! Here is your opportunity to meet the head kitty herself!

Small Gift: Celebrating 50 Years of Sanrio is launching a nationwide celebration that will include a cross-country mobile pop-up shop tour and special anchor events in Los Angeles and Miami.
The special events will include nostalgic surprises, such as game booths and prizes and food trucks. An art show including installations from several of the 50 participating artists will also be displaying their own personal interpretations of Sanrio characters.

The Sanrio pop-up truck will be also be visiting:

Oct 23-24: San Francisco, CA	Nov 7: Orange County, CA	Nov 21: New Orleans, LA
Oct 28: Portland, OR	Nov 13-14: Las Vegas, NV	Nov 26-28: Atlanta, GA
Oct 30-31: Seattle, WA	Nov 16: Tempe, AZ	Dec 2-5: Miami, FL
Nov 4: Sacramento, CA	Nov 19: Austin, TX	Dec 10-11: New York City, NY
Nov 6: San Diego, CA

In honor of the festivities, Sanrio has also release "50 must have" anniversary products. Some of the products can also be purchased online. Some of what your can expect to see is:

• 50th Anniversary Collector's Book
• Special 50th GIRL Skateboard Deck
• Multi-Character Vinyl Figure Set
• 50th Anniversary Tote Bags & Wallets
• 90-Piece Multi-Character Mini Figure Set
• Multi-Character Bobbleheads
• 50th Anniversary Laptop Case
• iPhone 3G/4G Cases
• Tokidoki 50th Anniversary Tee
• Aerial 7 Headphones
• 50th Anniversary Mimobots

A "menu" of the truck's special products can be found here.

More information about the events can be found here!


I know I'm not missing a chance to meet Hello Kitty and I hope that you will make it too!

Unusual Brand Item #2

Today's unusual brand item comes from Metamorphose. This bandanna is the head wear component to the "Gardening Teddy" print series.

Although I do applaud their attempts to venture beyond the head bow or rectangular headdress, I don't think I would feel comfortable wearing this. Judging by the fact that I automatically thought "babushka" (or "бабушка") in my head, my guess is that this item is bringing me back too much to my Polish ancestry. Maybe the babushka style would work for a country inspired outfit, but not for classic coordinate in my opinion. I'll give meta an A for effort, but I do not this this piece suited the rest of their coordinate.

New Boots!

Hooray! This even is worth sharing! No, the lovely boots above are unfortunately not mine (yet?). For months, I have been drooling over these lovely mid-calf lace up boots that seem to be ubiquitous in both the Eastern and Western fashion scenes. The boots are perfect for classic Lolita and Mori/natural kei, my two biggest style influences. On top of that, that are light enough for year round use! The only obstacle between my feet and a pair of these lovely boots was my shoe size; a cringing US women's 11. Notice my use of past tense there. Well, I guess there wouldn't be a post if it wasn't... Anyways, I found them! My wonderful Grandmother decided that she wanted to take me shoe shopping (yipee)! Doing a little bit of research before we left, I discovered that our destination (DSW) had my desired style of boots, in my size! Once we arrived, I discovered though that the initial color I wanted (tan) did not have my size in the store. Next to these were the exact same style of boot in black in my size. Still just as giddy as before I happily scooped up the shoes and practically skipped out the door! Aren't they beautiful? Simple, black faux leather boots with a modest heel and without the lazy zipper on the side. I can't wait to wear them to school tomorrow <3

If you are currently searching for boots like these, here are a few tips that may aid in your search

MIA Benito boot at DSW

  Free People Acme boot

Prague boot by Wanted

Suedutte Midcalf Workman boots by Forever 21

Happy boot hunting!  

Pumpkin Picking

Halloween is right around the corner, so now is the appropriate time for pumpkin picking! Besides picking out the perfect gourd, a trip to the pumpkin patch can provide a number of amusements! for added autumn fun, try these ideas.

• Selecting a pumpkin in an usual color, such as white 
• Adopt "baby" pumpkins and display them in your home or room 
• Carve dainty lace or merry-go-round patterns as opposed to a ghoulish face
• Make a festive fairy house with twigs, moss and stones
• Skip the knives altogether and outfit your pumpkin with lace or glitter
• Wear your very best Halloween or autumn themed outfit to the patch for an impromptu photo-shoot  
• Use the photos to send old fashion-styled greeting cards
• Experiment with different recipes using the fruit and seeds of your carved pumpkin
• See if your patch has a traditional corn maize and give it a try
• Martha Stuart's Halloween magazine is always full of classy decorating ideas 

 Happy Haunting!

P.S. Here is a sneak peak of my costume!

The Little Things that Keep Me Sane - Brand on a Budget

As a Lolita with a teeny tiny pocket book, usually the only way I can indulge on brand items is through small purchases, meaning under $25 max (but usually less than that). Recently I purchases the fall 2008 volume of G&LB, particularly because it contained Innocent World's 10th Anniversary stickers. For a total price of about $15, I was able to satisfy my appetite without emptying my pocket book. Tiny purchases such as brand postcards, small pouches, novelty mirrors and other treats can help keep your appetite for brand at bay. These items could also potentially be frequently uses (such as pouches and mirrors), making the purchase worthwhile and adding a bit of brand perfection to your daily routine.

Here are a few ideas for tiny brand splurges:

• Model or art postcards
• Pouches in your favorite print
• Small mirrors
• Letter sets and stickers 
• A small ring or pair of earrings
• A key chain or phone strap

Usually the best deals for small items can be found on EGL's Community Sales thread. Happy hunting!

Lolita Video Games

Ever found yourself searching for the perfect game to put you into the Lolita spirit after a long day on the bus or at school? To help fix this problem, I researched for video games that may satisfy the gamer Lolita! I stuck to DS games because they are portable, easily accessorize and seem to have the most relevant games. I have not tried all of these games, so I cannot swear to all of them. If worst comes to worst, sell it back or trade it for another!

 My World My Way - A cute JRPG of a headstrong princess who cuts off all of her hair and sets to make it on her own fighting her way through various monsters and challenges (in cute outfits)! Cute graphics make the game whimsical and enjoyable to play. I haven't had the time to play too far into this one yet, but it looks promising!

 Castlevania Series - I have no particular game in mind from this series, but all of the games incorporate a lot of Gothic imagery and romantic mystery - great for any Gothic Lolita! Some characters even resemble Gothic Lolitas themselves

 Cookie Shop - To the extent of my knowledge, this game is only available in the UK (maybe not with the power of the interwebs)! This game allows you to live the dream of opening and running you own cute bakery! There are a wide variety of sweets to choose from as well as interactive cooking segments. 

 Hello Kitty: Big City Dreams - Though this game is probably not targeted for my age group, I found it very enjoyable! The games are just hard enough to keep you entertained in between decorating Kitty's clothing and apartment. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a low stress game. I only wish it took longer to beat!

 Princess Debut - Another one of my favorites! This JRPG style game includes a mix of loosely DDR-styled games including classic music and dances and a bit of dating sim. The graphics are beautiful (ok, the 3D graphics during the dancing sequences do look a little silly), and the "events" within the game are just as entertaining!

A Witch's Tale - I have been on the hunt for this game most recently. From the previews, your character fights as a JRPG-style magical girl that fights evil villains and collects ghoulish dolls. A lot of the costumes resemble the Lolita style as well as a bit of Gothic aesthetic.

Once you have acquired a respectable arsenal of game cartridges, now it's time to outfit your machine...your DS that is! Accessory time~

My Goodies!

• Handmade Bunny DS Case
• Meta pouch for cartridges and Pokewalker
• DS Lite in Metallic Rose with HK stickers/gems/straps

DS Cases - A few options

Nintendo DS Lite Hello Kitty Game Traveler Case from Amazon

 

Hello Kitty Glitter Nintendo DS/DSi case from Amazon 

 

Gothic Lolita Soft & Hard Cases

Mosquito Velour Case from Amazon

Handmade Deco-den Cases from Deco Hime

More Accessory Ideas:

• DS's have a hole on the back for cellphone straps
• Try a fun colored stylus, Game Stop sells rainbow packs
• Add a few (or many) rhinestones to add sparkle
• Try a cute brand pouch to store your games

Hope this helped a bit and happy gaming! 

Outfit Post: Nicholas Fruits

I finally managed to get a good shot of my Nickolas Fruits by IW outfit! Though I regret taking off my watch before the photo, oh well. It's the only brand piece of clothing I currently own (my IW puppy jsk should be arriving this week from the com)! Open to c&c~

Outfit Run-down

Bow: Innocent World

Cardigan: Offbrand

Skirt: Innocent World

Tights: Offbrand

Outfitting your Winter Wardrobe

A hot trend this winter is the faux fur collar. This warm little addition to your wardrobe adds instant class to your outfit. Several brands have released their own interpretations of this peice, my holy grail being Innocent World's Lotta Collar. Unfortunately, it has been hopelessly sold out since it was released.

To augment my troubles, I recently purchased this furry number from Forever 21 for the cool price of $10.80. It has the capability of hidden magnets to fasten the two sides, but I sewed on two pieces of ribbon for the capability of fastening it with a bow. I experimented with a bleach pen to try to re-create the fawn spots like the one above, but alas it did not work. My next option is buying pieces of brown and white faux fur to make my own collar. 

Some brands have released full length winter coats with detachable fur collars, but here are a few less pricey faux fur options:

Hot Topic is hardly Lolita (though they do suggest this item for Gothic Lolitas in the item description), but I did find an acceptable (and cheap) possibility

Good luck hunting!

Print Review: Innocent World's "Night Bear"

Innocent World is not a brand that heavily relies on explosions of sugary treats and ponies for their prints. Dresses and skirts tend to incorporate more subtle colors and details, such as petite crowns or roses. Because of this, it's nice to see an original print done right. Not only is the print unique of other brands (a la other Vampire Requiem and Sugary Carnival-esque patterns). Though other brands such as Metamorphose have released teddy bear prints, Innocent World's portray is quite unique in my opinion. I think it's a really cute idea to have teddy bears running around trying on hats and playing with mice. This also gives the design a sense of movement that directs your eyes around the border of the jsk or skirt. Also, it appears that a great amount of attention is payed to the actual colors used in the print. The available colorways are pink, chocolate and black, which all draw accent colors from the print itself. From the dark pink in the ribbon, to the black eyes of the bears, each colorway compliments the design.

 

 Because the case for most of us involves only drooling over brand items like jsks and ops, we must satisfy ourselves with smaller brand splurges. That's why I really appreciate when brands also include smaller, less pricey items made from the same print. Here, IW has included the standard head bow and socks, but also a screen-printed tote, drawstring pouch and key chain to choose from.

So overall, things I like:

1. Interesting take on print,  interesting interrations 
2. Pleasing color combination, also unique

More questionable things: what is going on with this key chain? Talk about a (cute) amoeba!

 Overall I feel this print is very successful and would be a classic addition to any Lolita's wardrobe.

Unusual Brand Item #1

Welcome to the first installment of a little feature where I will share usual or silly brand findings, and perhaps the link if you desired to purchase it!

This time I would like to share something unusual from Innocent World, a bunny blanket! This blanket is not simply the product of a surplus of print and lace, but an adorable blanket based of their mascot Fredrick the bunny rabbit. Looks pretty cozy to me! The "mini" blanket is available on Innocent World's website for a nifty 3,990 yen. A nice stocking stuffer perhaps?

It even has a little pompom tail!

Nostalgic Train Adventure

This weekend my boyfriend and I skipped out on homecoming to ride a steam train from the 1920's. The train car was very beautiful and nostalgic. I felt like such a little lady~ The original wood, metal and even the seat cushions had been wonderfully preserved. The ride was a pleasant 2 and a half hours through the scenic hill country. The weather permitted us to open the windows in the air conditioning-less cart and enjoy a gentle cool breeze. I packed a picnic lunch for us to snack on aboard. During our layover, we explored a tiny town. We shopped antique stores and ate slices of Boston cream and French silk pie with lemonade and peach tea, respectively. One curious event occurred at an antique shop I have visited several years ago with my family. The elderly woman attending her store greeted me with a "welcome back". it was a little eerie that she recognized me so quickly. At a different store my boyfriend treated me to a few antique treasures. I really love my figurines! They feel so feminine and classic. After shopping and exploring we rode back to town and were also greeted by several horses running along side the tracks. It made for a wonderful day! I highly recommend riding a old-fashioned steam train. Riding through the forests and hills gave the experience a very classic Lolita feel.

Silly outfit post!

My treasures
 

I hope to ride the train again some day!