30 Day Lolita Challenge, Day 21: My Favorite Fictional Lolita

Though her typical dress in the series isn't like this, I loved seeing Amu from Shugo Chara in a lolita outfit.

Also, I love how Chii dresses during the course of Chobits. Most of her outfits could be made somewhat less revealing then fit in as wonderful lolita coordinates.

30 Day Lolita Challenge, Day 20: A Picture of a Lolita Friend

This is one of the harder challenges for me to do. My local lolita community tends to be pretty shy, and the group sets most of the group meet photos to private, so I can't say that I would be comfortable posting their pictures here. :(

30 Day Lolita Challenge, Day 19: What's In My Makeup Bag

To be honest, one of the things that really attracted me to lolita in the first place was the emphasis on a clean faced looked. Also, since I was such a tomboy before, I've never worn considerable amounts of makeup before, usually only maybe applying lipstick.

So now, I'll just have to confess: My make up bag is empty as of now. Perhaps one day in the future I'll get more into the makeup. I've looked up a few tutorials on Youtube on basic things. I just haven't taken the leap yet.

30 Day Lolita Challenge Day 18: A Picture of My Favorite Lolita Substyle

I really love sweet lolita, and I would say that this photo from Gothic and Lolita Bible 42 sums up a lot of what I love about the style:

The model here looks, like the photo is implying, deliciously sweet and lovely here. I love her stuffed animal handbags along with the pastel pretty of the outfit. The vibrant pink wig is another part of her outfit that I love. 

My Outfit for the Day

To help put myself in a better mood, I decided to try putting together a different outfit with the Bodyline skirt I got in the mail recently. Not pastel enough to be what I would consider exactly fairy kei and not decorated enough to be decora, I'm can't saying definitively where this falls into the J-fashion spectrum. What I can say is that I really enjoyed wearing this outfit, and that getting to take some photos in my boyfriend's family's backyard was a nice change of pace from our apartment. 

A run down of the outfit components:
Skirt: Bodyline PAN034
Shirt: Hello Kitty t-shirt from Rue 21
Tights: Target
Hair bows: Ross
Shoes: Forever 21

30 Day Lolita Challenge, Day 17: What Do I Want More Than Anything Right Now

I tend to try to keep the content on my blog lighthearted and fun, but I just don't feel that today.

This past Thursday, my grandmother passed away. She and my grandfather raised me, sent me to private school and in general tried to ensure that I had a good future. Though we had our fair share of arguments and disagreements with how to live our lives, we still loved each other.

She was also one of my major fashion influences. I remember watching her go to balls as a child in beautiful gowns, leaving a trail of lovely smelling perfume in the wake of each step. She was the influence behind the elegance I admire so much in lolita.

So, if I had the say the thing I want the most right now, it would be to see her once more and hold her in my arms, telling her that I love her and that I appreciate what she's done for me. Just one moment.

30 Day Lolita Challenge, Day 16: My Outfit for the Day

I didn't feel like wearing anything particularly fancy for today, so I just wore my Bob-omb Mario t-shirt with a jean skirt and some dark blue tights along with my patent leather ballet flats.

30 Day Lolita Challenge, Day 15: My Latest Lolita Purchase

My latest purchase is a black Bodyline cutsew which I bought off of a listing on egl-comm-sales. I've been seriously lacking on blouses and other tops to use for more casual of wear and to use beneath jsk's, so I figure that this is a step in building up my collection.

The cutsew itself is an item I can't find on Bodyline's website, and the seller unfortunately took down the picture on their listing. Looking on Lolilibrary also yielded no results. Below is a very similar cutsew, though, which the exception that the sleeves look completely black on the one I bought. The text is the same, however.

When I actually get the blouse in the mail, I'll take pictures on show what it exactly looks like here.

Cherry Blossom Viewing Festival

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending a cherry blossom viewing festival locally, and I also got to meet up with some local lolitas. We enjoyed the botanical gardens first then enjoyed a local nearby restaurant. 

A picture of me below a cherry blossom tree

The outfit I chose to wear consisted of:

Bodyline squirrel OP

Bodyline Squirrel Bag

Earrings and necklace from Claire's

Socks from Sock Dreams

Parasol from a review I did

30 Day Lolita Challenge, Day 14: Picture of Your Dream Item

During the course of this challenge, I feel like my most used image has been Angelic Pretty's Wonder Party. I love both the the JSK and the OP of this dress.

Why then, is this such a dream item for me? The dress seems to embody what I really love about lolita. The pattern on the bottom is all about a fanciful lovely tea party which makes me happy. The first lolita meetup I went to was a tea party meet and, since then, the wonderfully delicious frivolity of sitting around and leisurely sipping tea has been one of my biggest associations with lolita. Also, the detailing on this particular piece looks amazing. Though not shown, the lace has a delightful tea cup pattern.

30 Day Lolita Challenge, Day 13: Picture of My Favorite Sweets

I absolutely love strawberry flavored things. If I had to pick one, I'd say strawberry ice cream. I love sitting down with a huge bowl of the stuff though I don't buy it very often just for that reason!

30 Day Lolita Challenge, Day 12: Photo of Me Before Lolita Came Into My Life

I feel like the below picture describes my general look before lolita came into my life:

My sort of general look was always a pair of jeans coupled by random nerdy accessories such a t-shirts, my "Game Over" beanie hat, an R2-D2 hemp necklace.

I wouldn't say that my look about is necessarily better or worse... Just a different side of my style.

30 Day Lolita Challenge, Day 11: One Day of Your Lolita Life in Pictures

I typically just take pictures of myself in my lolita outfit then go about the rest of my day forgetting to take pictures. However, I do have on particular day better documented: my 22nd birthday this past November!

I had literally got my Bodyline macaron jsk in the mail that day, and I was eager to wear it out. Sadly looking back on these pics, I lament the lack of a properly poofy petticoat for them.

After doing some general posing for pictures on my big day as my boyfriend took them, we decided to sit around and play some Banjo Kazooie for a while. I never had a Nintendo 64 as a kid, so getting to play the games for the first time on the Xbox 360 was fun.

The next thing we did was go to my boyfriend's parents house where he had secretly stored a surprise Kirby cake for me!

I then got present from him which made me happy. 

A pink rose was also growing in the family garden which was given to me.

Overall, the afternoon was a very fun experience, and I was happy to be able to wear my new dress on my birthday. 

30 Day Lolita Challenge, Day 10: What's In Your Bag

My purse has a number of standard items in it like keys and a non-spectacular cell phone, but I'll call attention to a few items that I really like from it.

First off, my purse is a Harajuku Lovers purse that I snagged at Ross. I love the Parisian fashion motif on the bag couple with random snippets of French!

Next, I have my two wallets. The main one I use is Domo on the right which came from Spencer's. The other wallet is much smaller, and I acquired the cute little owl from Rue 21.

The final item of interest I tend to carry around with me is a sushi pen I got from my local book store. I love it even though the pen cap decided to go missing on me one day after class. 

30 Day Lolita Challenge, Day 9: 10 Things I Would Never Do In Lolita

1. Exercise is definitely off the table. I can't imagine wanting to get especially sweaty in my nice clothes, and all of the layering would make it near impossible to exercise well.
2. Going to sleep for the night is another thing I would not do. If I happened to nod off during the day that would be a different matter but deliberately sleeping in clothes like that would just be uncomfortable. 
3. Going swimming is a pretty obvious no-no. I can already barely paddle around in a swimsuit. I can just imagine myself sinking to a fast death in lolita.
4. Giving a pet a bath seems like it would also be a terrible idea. Even with perfect execution and avoiding getting wet while giving the bath, the animal would still shake at the end and thwart my efforts.
5. Washing a car seems like a similarly bad idea. I wouldn't do the task in any piece of clothing I valued because of all the dirt and wetness rolling off of the car.
6. Painting, which would likely end up with the paint on my outfit is another thing I would not do. Even though the idea of a painting, artistic lolita appeals to me, I just wouldn't take the risk.
7. Cooking food without at least an apron on is something I wouldn't do. I've baked simple sweets with an apron on in my lolita but still managed to spill slight amounts on the apron. 
8. Getting my hair done in lolita with all the shampooing and other chemicals is something I wouldn't do just for fear of the fabric getting ruined.
9. Going fishing and a lot of activities in the great outdoors just seems unpleasant.
10. Cleaning the household bathroom in lolita seems like a recipe composed of lace and Comet. While the same color, they don't go together.

Parasol Review From Ebay User Rhombusk

Stock photo of the Item

About a week ago, I mentioned that I had purchased a parasol from the ebay. The seller's username is rhombusk with the actual store being called World Import Co. I got the parasol today, so I'd like to go ahead and do my review.

Price: The item wasn't expensive at all, only costing $13.50 with free shipping.

Shipping: The item was sent the day after I ordered it as priority mail which result in a fast arrival to my doorstep, so I have to say that I am very happy with that aspect.

Packaging: The box was long, the exact right shape to hold the item. Additionally, the parasol was well wrapped in a thick layer of bubble wrap.

Bubble wrap galore

Item Quality: The item itself seemed to be of nice quality and able to wishstand rain or shine. The pink handle grip was very smooth and easy on the hand to hold. The ruffles also looked very cute. Finally, the parasol itself deployed very smoothly with me not having to struggle to make it go up.

Picture of the parasol closed

Underside of the item

Top side of the item

Item Fit: Since the item was labeled as a children's item, I was worried the it would look ridiculously small while being held by an adult. However, I was pleased to see how the item looked decently proportioned next to me while I was trying it out outside. Though I would have liked a bit more length and breadth to the item, I think can manage with the size its at. The main problem I do have with the item is the way the strap which velcros the thing together when closed just sort of lays around, not looking as cute as the rest of the parasol. 

Able to rest comfortably on my shoulder

Item held above my head for size comparison

30 Day Lolita Challenge, Day 8: 10 Songs That Inspire Your Lolita

I really enjoyed thinking about this particular post. I don't listen to music nearly as much as I used to so putting on my headphones and listening to some of my favorite tunes was a nice change of pace. The post was also once which took me much longer to compose as I looked into which songs I felt to be really suitable for the list.

1) Wolf Parade's "I'll Believe in Anything" mostly makes it onto the list because of the awesome 18th century inspired video. Watching the proper video while listening to the music escalate in tenseness is awesome.

2) Kyary's "Tsukema Tsukeru" is just really fun and playful. I really enjoy how at the beginning of the video Kyary is sitting on a throne adorned like a regal queen. I also in general like Kyary's fashion sense.

3) "Headlock" by Imogen Heap is the next song that inspires my lolita. I love the softness and whimsical nature of the song. The artist's vintage inspired clothing look also really lovely. 

4) Katy Perry's "California Gurls" is such a sugary sweet song that I love! The video is so amazing too. I love Katy's purple wig and white sugary sweet covered outfit. Like, seriously, I wants it. 

5) PogoMix's "Alice (Disney Remix)" is such a calming but quirky song to hear. I love the way that Alice's voice is taken and remixed over a beat. The video itself is very whimsical and trippy too. 

6) I discovered Kalafina's song "Magia" through watching Puella Magi Madoka Magica (an amazing anime which I recommend if you haven't seen it). The sad but passionate song makes me feel elegant and grand when I listen to it.

7) Gwen Stefani's "Luxurious" helps to describe how I feel about the the luxury that lolita has. While I feel depressed about the price tags of lolita often, I do love the quality and luxurious feeling of the clothing.

8) Benny Goodman's "Sing, Sing, Sing" is a song which reminds me of the 1950's style influences which helped to get me into liking the look of lolita fashion. The fact Benny Goodman was also an amazing artist and the king of clarinet only help to make me love this song more.

9) The slow pacing of Arty Shaw's "Nightmare" helps to make it another 1950's song that I love. 

10) To round off the list, I just have to include one of my general favorites Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance". Though she goes too extreme, I like Lady Gaga's fashion sense in this video and just the song overall. 

30 Day Lolita Challenge, Day 7: People Who Inspire My Lolita Style

I thought long and hard about this particular day of the lolita challenge, and I found myself having deep trouble coming up with specific lolitas that inspire my style let alone ten of them. Don't get me wrong, I get lots of inspiration from outfits which I see on my tumblr. However, those are often posted without the names of the girls wearing them so that I don't know who exactly to give credit to.

So I'd like to take this chance to say thank you to people who have helped me along so far. Miss Caro-chan of F Yeah Lolita has been so incredibly useful and helpful with all of her guides for newly starting lolitas. I don't know what I would have done without such a cohesive well-written source for advice.

Next, I want to thank so many of the helpful posters and guides on EGL. Seeing such a large community of lolita girls (and boys ^_^) gathered online in one place is so awe inspiring and makes me feel less alone in the fashion. 

The blogger Averie at the tumblr blog lolita-tips has also been a major help on various issues. Knowing that I can contact someone with an astute fashion sense if I get seriously stumped is a source of comfort, and I love what she does for the community. 

Finally, I'd like to thank my lolita mentor Robin. She is an incredibly sweet girl in my local community who has been giving me help and advice since I joined the community and has helped me as I slowly refine and find my style. 

Baking Today

I love integrating small elements of lolita lifestyle into my daily routine. I've often seen guides suggest to reclaim the art of baking. In our increasing fast-food, prepared food culture, the art of being able to cook seems to be slowly being lost.

So today I decided to make something cute and delicious to eat while taking a step in the right direction of learning how to bake more of my own food through making strawberry muffins. To help make their outside cuter, I decided on getting one of the Easter baking cup sets I saw while I was at the store today.

Overall, I'm pleased with the results:

The set also had toppers which are shaped like flowers but I decided that the motif of butterflies hovering over the flowers along the edge of the cupcake papers would be better.

30 Day Lolita Challenge, Day 6: 10 Things I Can't Live Without In Lolita

1. A decent petticoat is awesome to have. It gives your outfit a complete look that helps with transforming you from a girl in a frilly skirt into a full lolita in my mind. 
2. Tights are an absolute must have for me. I love that they cover up my legs helping add to the modesty part of my look while also being easy to integrate in with my wardrobe while I'm not wearing lolita clothes. Also, should a pair of my tights suddenly become damaged, I know that I can easily and relatively cheaply replace them more so than a pair of nice socks which I have to order in the mail rather than find at a local store. 
3. Lacking a pair of tea parties so far, I find that a pair of ballet flats often gets me by on long days when I don't feel like wearing my Bodyline heels. I understand that ballet flats often get a lot of flack and hate in the lolita community for being too casual but I can't help but see how a cute lacy pair of them can be a great compliment to an outfit you plan on wearing all day and don't want to wear with more uncomfortable shoes. 
4. The huge amount of adorable accessories available on etsy through small sellers and even in mainstream stores like Claire's. Even with a limited wardrobe, a little accessorizing can spruce up your outfit and make it feel new again. 
5. Bodyline has been a really helpful brand for helping me build up my wardrobe. They have prices that I can afford and in more sizes that I can wear. 
6. All of the wonderful guides online and guidance on coordinating is so helpful. I can't see myself having gotten involved in lolita fashion without the internet being there to help me. 
7. Being apart of my local community and getting to see other lolitas on occasion during meet-ups helps to make me feel like I'm less alone and part of some bigger movement. 
8. Having non-lolita friends who are fine with my fashion makes wearing the clothes easier. Though some have argued with me that the name "lolita" for a fashion is perverted, they love the modest classy look of the clothing itself. ^_^
9. A hopeful mindset helps me to feel better about wearing my outfits out into public and with presenting myself to the lolita community without fretting and smothering myself in shame. As long as I'm having fun in the fashion, that's the main thing that matters the most to me. 
10. My wonderful boyfriend has been a godsend in supporting me as I explore this fashion. He gives me the encouragement to keep going day by day as I build my wardrobe and makes me feel great by always complimenting on my outfits. <3

30 Day Lolita Challenge, Day 5: My Lolita Wishlist

Compiling an actual wish list was harder than I expected. I found that there were so many pieces that I felt a general like for but not many that I felt a complete passionate need for in my wardrobe. I also noted how much I do love the work that Angelic Pretty does by my digging into Hello Lace a little deeper.

1) The Alice and the Pirates JSK for Black Cat, the Witch and the Apple Tree is one of my favorites. The text on the dress makes me think about fairy tales with the line "If he ate the charm apple, your LOVE is sure to be fulfilled."

2) A print I've already mentioned that I love is Angelic Pretty's Wonder Party in black. The print manages to embody both the sweet whimsical element I like in lolita with the pastries raining between the print while also having the elegance I admire embodied in the tea set. 

3) A print I have seen more often in the replica version than the actual one is Angelic Pretty's Milky Planet. I really like the black colorway on this one also for the way it makes the pastels stand out more. 

4) Yet another common replica print is Angelic Pretty's Sugary Carnival. I just love carousels in particular and the childlike whimsy associated with them.

5) Angelic Pretty Candy Fairy skirt I first encountered in a random post on tumblr, and I haven't seen it very often. I really love the soft delicate look of it.

6) Angelic Pretty's Jewelry Jelly frill skirt is a print which I oddly enough don't really like the black colorway though I'm not sure why.

7) Minty Mix's black and pink split wig looks lovely. Again, I noticed that I really liked contrast of a piece. 

8) I am in severe need of a pair of tea party shoes. I would prefer to buy a black or a pink pair. 

9) I would also love to get a pair of rocking horse shoes eventually. I really like the way that platform shoes look, and I like the way that the shoes look to me like a combination of ballet flat and heel. 

10) My final item I want for the moment is a pair of Sweetie Cakes Confetti Party tights in white. I don't know how well the tights go with the rest of my lolita style, but I do think I could at least make them work with some of the fairy kei wardrobe I'm wanting to build. 

30 Day Lolita Challenge, Day 4: 10 Kinds of Food I Like

I don't entirely know how the above question pertains to lolita, but I'll share some of my food favorites. ^_^ Sadly, some of them may not be my favorites much longer if I finally make the leap to being vegetarian!

1) Sushi is so delicious. I tend to love the vegetable sushi or the more Westernized ones which put smoked tuna into the mix.

2) Vegetable dumplings are another one of my favorites especially when they're steamed and from P. F. Chang's.

3) Amy's brand organic burritos are one of my favorites for when I'm on the go and don't have much time. The convenience, good taste and healthier eating are all pluses in my book.

4) Chicken lo mein is another one of my Chinese food favorites. The last time I actually got to eat them was on New Year's Eve for good luck. Long noodles, long life!

5) Cream cheese filled wontons combined cream cheese and a crispy outer shell for a flavor I love. I also feel nostalgia for when my grandma would cook these for me when I was a kid. 

6) Pineapple pizza is what I'm always clamoring to order when I get takeout. The way the sweet of the fruit and the slight tart of the cheese interact is one of my favorite taste combinations.

7) Strawberry pocky is what I turn to when I have a craving for sweets. The flavored biscuit sticks not only provide a decently filling snack, but at only 210 calories per box they're a much better option than grabbing a candy bar.

8) Just directly eating cubes of cheese or slices of the stuff is always really nice. I love to add cheese to so many dishes, but just cheese on its own is nice. My favorite flavor tends to be cheddar though the little pieces of Babybel cheese are also good.

9) Taco Bell cheese roll-ups are another one of my faves. Looking over this list, my love of cheese in general is becoming more obvious making cheese roll-ups an obvious fit for my palate. 

10) Turkey hot dogs on wheat buns are my final favorite. They're another food which provides a convenient snack for when I don't feel like cooking that's healthier and tastier to me than regular franks.