First Brand Event

While I was in Japan, I attended my first brand event, which was Angelic Pretty's Princess Dreamy Carnival. For the event, I wore my first piece of brand clothing, which is Angelic Pretty's Cream Cookie Collection JSK.


Above: Princess Dreamy Carnival Coord. JSK and necklace are from Angelic Pretty, hair clip is from me% (a store in La Foret), shoes are from An*tai*na and everything else is offbrand. This was taken after the event. 

Given that I wore a JSK that I bought less than a week before this event and as a result, had limited time in which to create a coord, I thought I did a pretty decent job with some new purchases as well as some items which I packed for a back up coord.

The event consisted of a five course dinner (I skipped one course as it had beef), a fashion show, free time for taking photos (was not fully aware of this but if I ever attend a brand event again, I will take advantage of this time), a raffle and prizes for the best dressers. However, I did not take pictures of the best dressed winners and of the fashion show.

The entree

The soup

The fish course

The custom dessert, which was based off Sugar Dream Dome.

The Christmas cake. Interesting how the Japanese celebrate Christmas despite being Buddhist/Shinto.

The dinner consisted of an entrée, soup, fish course, meat course (which I did not eat) and a dessert. After dessert, there was a Japanese style Christmas cake, which is a sponge cake decorated with cream and strawberries. The drinks I had were iced oolong tea and normal tea.

In between the meat course and the dessert was the fashion show, which showed the upcoming prints from the 2015 Spring/Summer collection. There were some prints that I loved and would consider buying if I had the money. After the fashion show, there was an opportunity to have a picture of yourself with the guest models. It was a very long line as everyone seemed to have wanted a photo.

A short while later, the raffle prizes were drawn and I won a Dramatic Rose skirt. I would not buy AP skirts because they seem to be too small for me and I was right as it was too small when I tried it on. But I do want to wear it some day.

Above: Stock photo of the Dramatic Rose skirt. This was the colour of the skirt which I won. Photo from Lolibrary.

Overall, this was a nice event to go to and I would like to attend a brand event in Australia (If it does happen) or in Japan, if I do go there at the right time.

All photos were from my camera except for the photo of the Dramatic Rose skirt.

International Lolita Day December 2014

Sorry for not blogging for a while but I have been busy. Today was International Lolita Day and while I did not do anything special, I will talk about the goals I set on the previous Loliday.

Lose weight and wear Lolita again

I did lose weight by watching how much I ate and by exercising more often. Before this, I would normally exercise for 1-2 days a week but I exercise almost every day as a result of aiming to lose weight. As a result of this, I have become more toned and was able to fit into my Bodyline JSK better than I have before, in my opinion. However, I will try to lose more weight. I have also worn Lolita once since the previous International Lolita Day.

Attend another meet up

I did attend a small meet up a few months ago but not any more due to a variety of reasons but am hoping to continue attending meet ups and one day I may attend a brand event.

Build my Lolita wardrobe

Unfortunately this did not happen but am aiming to buy more Lolita items, perhaps even buying brand. One thing that will help with this is going to Japan before June.

One other thing I hope for by the next International Lolita Day is that my Lolita life does improve and that I can blog more often (no guarantees though).

Angelic Pretty's Cream Cookie Collection

It's been a long time since I have done a print review. This one will be about Angelic Pretty's newest print: Cream Cookie Collection.

 

First is the ribbon JSK, which only has the print on the skirt, which is unusual for AP but it does make the JSK more elegant. What makes the JSK well suited to different body shapes is the bodice of the JSK, which uses princess seams and has ample shirring. The simple bodice design, with a bow at the waist and lace at the top ensures that even if you have a bust, it is not going to affect the look of the JSK dramatically. Personally, I think it is a nice JSK to wear if you have reservations about wearing a print or are more of a Classic Lolita but do want to wear something Sweet.

 

 

 



Next is the OP, which is long sleeved and does not have shirring. While I think it is a nice OP with a Sweet feel that seems old fashioned due to the print, it is not very versatile due to the sleeves and lack of shirring. While a replica of this OP would be nice for those who would not be able to fit into the OP, I do not think replicas are good because they copy the creative property of the brands and limit the creativity of indie brands. While I understand that it is autumn in Japan, I would prefer if the OP had detachable sleeves so it could be either long or short sleeved in order to make it something that could be worn year round.

Overall, the Cream Cookie Collection print is Sweet but has an old fashioned feeling which is unique in using a motif that is something that could be made at home or bought. The use packaging in the print is unusual but does have biscuit containers that could be used as a collector's edition today in order to celebrate the anniversary of a type of biscuit. The "mini bear cookie" squares remind me of Tiny Teddies, which are a well known Australian biscuit that has been around since the 1990s. The grid pattern used in the print is effective because of the resemblance to a biscuit or chocolate gift box. I would buy Cream Cookie collection in any of the colours except for  brown because I think the other three colours work well with the biscuit motifs and create a Sweet feel.

First Shiny Pokemon

Yesterday, I got my first shiny in Pokémon X, after a few days and 424 eggs, I hatched a shiny Skitty via the Masuda method. At first, I thought that it would be something that could be done in 2-3 hours, but I was wrong even while carrying a Pokémon with Flame Body. Around two thirds to three quarters through the constant egg hatching, I just wanted to give up but the shiny at the end was worth it.



Above: Akane, my shiny Skitty. This is the best I could do since Miiverse does not allow Pokémon XY screenshots :(.
 

 I named my shiny Skitty　あかね　(Akane), which means "red child" in Japanese (I set my Pokémon X game to Japanese, which is why she has a Japanese name). She is female, has an Impish nature and Normalize as her ability. I would have preferred Cute Charm but a shiny is too rare to worry about it's ability.

Furthermore, thanks to her English Quilava father (her mother came from my game, which makes her Japanese), she has a perfect attack IV according to the stat checker in Kiloude city. I now have plans for her and it will relate to my Lolita life in some remote way. Feel free to guess what it is.

 

 

 

3 Whip Show Case coords

Angelic Pretty's Whip Show Case is a print that I would like to own one day. Because of this, I will be looking a three different coords that feature Whip Show Case.

Above: Coord number 1. Source: ten4ward.

 

 

First is a coord by ten4ward. This one seems to be suitable for Autumn/Spring due to the tights and long sleeved blouse. The blouse has lovely bell shaped sleeves and the use of white and pink items to coordinate with the JSK helps bring focus to the JSK while leaving the rest of the outfit relatively simple. This is a nice Sweet coord that is fairly simple.

 

Above: Coord number 2. Source: Hina Collection.


The second coord is from a Japanese Lolita. It is also suitable for Autumn/Spring (this coord was worn in Spring). The blouse and shoes are both blue and are both simple for Lolita. Also, the hands seem to be fairly heavily accessorised. One unusual aspect to this coord is that the JSK is pink but the other parts (except for the head bow) are not, which creates a contrast between the JSK and the rest of the outfit. However, the outfit as a whole is still harmonious due to each item matching a colour that is featured on the JSK. Overall, this outfit is simple but still eye catching.

 

Above: Coord number 3. Source: Satominyon.

 

The third coord is also from a Japanese Lolita. Unlike the other two coords, this one is suitable for Summer (It was worn in that season). It uses a white blouse and is very simple. This coord would be suitable for an occasion where you would want to wear a simple coord. While there are no shoes in this photo, a pair of Tea Parties or ballet flats would work well with this coord. This could also be used when you have limited time to dress into Lolita.

 

While these three outfits are quite different, they are all nice examples of how to wear Whip Show Case. From these three, one coord that I would try if I got the print is to use a simple pair of socks/tights and a pair of Tea Parties. The coord would also contain a headbow (either a basic one or the matching one) and would consider using a blouse in order to avoid covering up the bodice of the JSK. However, I am not too sure on how to coordinate the accessories. Out of the three coords, my favourite would be coord number 2 due to the use of different colours for each item.

 

 



Lolita Blog Carnival: Create A Coord And A Menu For A Lolita Picnic

If I had to plan a Lolita picnic, what would my outfit be and what menu would I choose?

First, my ideal outfit would consist of Angelic Pretty's Berry Garden shirring OP, which I think would suit the season I would be thinking of hosting a picnic in, which is spring. The combination of daisies and strawberries definitely suit the season. I would coordinate it with a pair of OTKs or ankle socks, depending on the weather and would wear my replica tea parties with them. I would also think about wearing strawberry and/or flower accessories with the OP. Depending on the weather, I would consider wearing a cardigan over the dress or just layer a blouse underneath. Another thing to note about AP's Berry Garden OP is that it is one of the few Angelic Pretty OPs that have full shirring.

As for the menu, I would be doing a two course menu consisting of  Paleo Inside-Out Bread, a green salad and a pasta/rice salad. I first found Inside Out Bread on Sarah Wilson's blog and I would like to make it one day with a few substitutions, even though I am not Paleo (but I am a Pescetarian). This is because it sounds like an instant sandwich. For the picnic, I would do a vegetarian version as well as the original recipe. As a drink, I would serve one or two types of iced tea and water.

Above: A picture of Paleo Inside Out Bread sliced.
Below: The same loaf unsliced. (Both pictures from One Hand in The Cookie Jar).

For dessert, I would make chocolate chip biscuits because they would be easy to carry and make as well as being something that would be well liked even if the Inside Out Bread is barely touched. If I wanted to, I would also consider another biscuit to make.



Above: Chocolate chip biscuits. Just because they are simple and well liked, it does not mean that I can't change the basic concept around to make something more unique for the picnic. Source: Wikipedia.

 

I know the menu sounds simple but for a picnic, you don't want to carry a lot and I feel that this would be sufficient.

 



 Lolita Blog Carnival Facebook page

 

Other blogs participating

 

A Heart's Sound

Bits and Pieces of a Lolita

Classical Doll
Whimsical Adventures of Me
The Electric Carousel
 

 

 

 

 

 

 



A Very Belated International Lolita Day June 2014

Sorry for posting this more than a week after Loliday, but I was in the middle of exams. Now that I have some free time, I will go over the goals that I have set at New Year's Day.

Lose weight and Wear Lolita again

I am combining these two goals together because they relate to each other as you will see. I have managed to be able to wear Creamy Cat for my 21st. There would have been a post on the outfit if I had the time to do it though. But this will happen in a future post as that was the first time I have ever worn a dream dress. Unfortunately, I have still not lost as much as I would want to but that will happen over time. I have worn Lolita again this year as I have achieved the goal I thought was the least likely to happen, which was to attend a meet up.

Attend a meet up

I have attended a couple of meet ups within my local Lolita community and would like to attend more in the future. I first felt nervous especially seeing the first part of "The Secret Life of the Lolita" by Deerstalker Pictures not long before my first meet up. While the first part did not cover the Lolita community, it did hint a bit at a hierarchy in the preview for the second part. It probably made me more nervous than what I was. However, there was nothing to worry about. I will attend more meet ups in the future but I will not post about them in this blog.

Build my Lolita wardrobe

Unfortunately, I have not added a lot to my Lolita wardrobe due to a lack of time for sewing and not feeling read to buy more things online but I did but a few items for my Creamy Cat coord. Because of something that has happened recently, I do not have any plans to buy anything Lolita online. However, I will attempt to make another skirt and finish off a headbow that I have started.

While I have mentioned some goals above, my last goal for Lolita is to blog more often. As doing a series (the 30 Day Random Challenge) did help me write on this blog more often but I unfortunately did not finish it, I am considering doing another series. So, watch this space.

30 Day Random Challenge Day 25: Increase difficulty of a previous challenge

Yesterday, my challenge was to increase the difficulty of a previous challenge, which ended up being the challenge from Day 1. In order to change things around, I decided to find two coords that featured two of the ice cream prints featured.

 

Above: A coord featuring Baby's Creamy Soda Pop JSK. Source: LiveJournal (coord by artemiscangee).

The first coordinate features Baby's Creamy Soda Pop JSK and uses black and pink for the other items. Mixing Baby with AP is a nice idea and the pink does bring out the pink elements of the print. Also, the AP socks were from a different print series, adding to the creativity of the outfit. However, I do feel that the coord does use the cliché idea of a matching headbow and JSK and there is not a lot of accessories. Overall, the outfit is fairly basic and does draw attention to the print on the JSK but as the stylist was intending for it to be used for a Lolita fashion presentation, it is a good way to introduce Lolita.

Above: A coord featuring AP's Milky Planet OP. Source: daily_lolita (coord by La Lapine Noir).

The second coordinate features AP's original Milky Planet OP with some offbrand items. The combination of accessories with the OP is very creative and plays around with the variety of colours on the Milky Planet print. Even the use of a Disney character bag is cute. Overall, this outfit does make good use of the Milky Planet OP and would be nice for a meet up or changed a bit to make it suitable for a tea party.

30 Day Random Challenge Days 23 & 24: Find a New Blog

On Sunday, my challenge was to find another blog to start following. It took me two days to find one but I eventually found it. The blog I ended up finding was Lace a la mode. It's by Shannie Bee and is about J-fashion and Kawaii in general. The most recent post as of now is about her starting monthly challenges and her first one is about completing unfinished projects. That would be interesting to see especially as she has invited her readers to participate as well.

Her second most recent post was about a DIY mini party held by Angelic Pretty in San Francisco. The DIY projects were deco-ing items. Sounds interesting and I would like to go to a deco party one day. Shannie even posted the outfit she was wearing that day which I thought was creative and quite suitable for the occasion. Also, the box AP provided for deco was a pink heart shaped box, which does suit AP's style well.

I enjoyed reading those posts and can't wait to see what else comes from Lace a la mode.

Above: Pictures from the AP DIY mini party. Source: Lace a la mode.



30 Day Random Challenge Day 22: Find 3 Good things that have happened since starting the Challenge

Today, my challenge is to find three good things that have happened since starting this challenge. I took this one off the 30 Day Lolita Challenge but instead of doing it on Day 30, I decided that it would happen on any day. The three good things are below.

1. Chia pudding

A week into the challenge, I tried making chia pudding for the first time. The texture of the pudding was nice but it was bland. That was probably due to the fact that I wasn't able to add as much stevia as I would have liked to and using lite milk. However, I will make chia pudding again but next time I might consider using a nut milk and adding more sweetener.

2. Being able to fit into Creamy Cat

Just recently, I was able to fit into Creamy Cat but it was too tight. At least I was able to zip it up fully and I just have a little bit to go before I can wear it.

3. This Challenge

I'll count the 30 Day Random Challenge as a good thing because it has pushed me out of my comfort zone and most of the challenges have been enjoyable. I hope I enjoy the last eight days as much as the previous ones.

 

Above: A chia pudding. Mine was not in a glass with berries on top. More like in Tupperware containers with the berries mixed in. Source: More Fun With An Apron.

30 Day Random Challenge Day 21: Read a Story from LaLa

On Friday, my challenge was to read a story from LaLa. The manga I read was Toshokan Sensou Love and War. For more information, click here. It was interesting to read and I want to buy it as a volume. The chapter I read was about the Task Force protecting the author of a book about nuclear machinery, someone whom one of the Task Force members was a fan of. It was funny reading about what they did to him. I wish manga magazines placed in more than one chapter at a time though.

Above: The front cover of Toshokan Sensou Love and War volume 3 of the English version.

30 Day Random Challenge Day 20: Spend 2 Hours finding a Shiny Pokemon

Sorry about the delay but things were really busy and I decided to put a hiatus on this challenge. When it restarted on Thursday, my challenge was to spend two hours finding a Shiny Pokémon on Pokémon X. Even after two hours, I couldn't find a shiny and my best Pokéradar chain was seven on Gulpin, which is not a Pokémon I am too keen on. However, my best Pokéradar chain of all time is chaining 27 Zoroark. That may make a nice shiny as well as it's pre-evolution, Zorua. Even though on all of my games on Pokémon Platinum, I have found at least one shiny, I don't seem to be having any luck finding one on X. I wonder if I'll have better luck on breeding two Pokémon like rabbits in order to get a shiny.

Above: A baby Shiny Zorua. Source: colorslive.com (Picture by luffy 33).

30 Day Random Challenge Day 19: Do a Simple Braid

Yesterday, my challenge was to do a simple braid. I was able to do a good one quickly, so I wore the braid I made to Uni yesterday. It was nice to wear a different hairstyle out. Because I enjoyed wearing it and it was simple, I think I'll wear a simple braid again in the future. Unfortunately, yesterday's weather was not hair friendly, which made the braid messy but it still had structure and was decent. I guess I should have done this braid before attempting the Dutch and French braids. Maybe I'll do the simple braid a few times before attempting those two again.

Above: The simple braid I did. Sorry about the messiness of it but I will do it again in nicer weather. I think it does look good on me though.

30 Day Random Challenge Day 18: Read a Manga from Ciao

Yesterday, my challenge was to read one of the manga series from the issue of Ciao I have had for a while but have not got around to read. Ciao is one of the most popular Shoujo Manga magazines in Japan. The series I read was Nijiiro Prism Girl by An Nakahara. The blurb to the series and one chapter (as of now) is found here.  The chapter I read was about Nijika rehearsing a dance for a contest and performing when she had an injury that was caused during the rehearsal. It wasn't something I would have chosen as a manga book but I did enjoy reading it and I liked Nijika's helpful and determined personality as well as her cute pet Kapitama-kun. It would be nice to find Nijiiro Prism Girl as a manga book (ideally in Japanese).

Above: The cover of Nijiiro Prism Girl Volume 1. Source: MangaFox

30 Day Random Challenge Day 17: Repeat a Failed Challenge

Today, my challenge is to repeat a challenge I have failed. The failed challenge was to spend at least 20 minutes doing handstands. Even though I did not succeed in doing a handstand, I improved by first doing the entire 20 minutes in four five minute blocks. I also felt that my handstands were vertical even though I could not hold them though. Maybe it was practice or the fact that I changed my technique and I felt so energised while doing them. Because of that, it was nice repeating this challenge again and in the future, I would like to do handstands at least once in a while.

Above: A picture of a handstand on the beach. I wish I can get my handstand to look this good and be able to manage this variation. Source: The Undeniable Ruth.

 

30 Day Random Challenge Day 16: Eat Hot Chips with a Can of Soft Drink for Lunch

Today, my challenge is to eat hot chips with a can of full sugar soft drink. Normally, I would have diet soft drink and I rarely eat chips. Because of that, one of my challenges was to eat chips with soft drink, which I decided would be creaming soda. I thought I would have enjoyed this challenge but it was hard eating them as I started to feel full less than half way through. Also, I do enjoy drinking creaming soda but the flavour was taken away by the chips and I could not help but think of something better to eat than just chips (and most deep fried things). Interesting how things don't always go as planned and I think I'm just fine only having chips rarely.

Above: A picture of hot chips. I don't know why but I think I'm starting to find them too fatty for my taste. I used to enjoy them though. Source: The Sydney Morning Herald.

30 Day Random Challenge Day 15: Wear a Bracelet and a New Pair of Earrings

Yesterday, my challenge was to wear a bracelet and a pair of earrings I have not worn. I decided to go with a bracelet that has rock like beads and a pair of dangling earrings. Usually, I only wear dangling earrings on special occasions but I chose those earrings because they seemed to somehow match the bracelet. One good thing that happened yesterday with wearing the earrings was that I got a compliment! I hope the challenges later on result in something positive as well.

Above: The bracelet I wore. I forgot I had this bracelet but I think it's nice.

Above: One of the earrings. Not something that I would have chosen (It was a gift) but it's something I like.

30 Day Random Challenge Day 14: Do a French Braid

Today, my challenge is to practice doing French braids. I was only able to do two today. My first one was a big mess but my second one had a structure but was really loose and somewhat messy. Maybe the second one was somewhat neat because I have done the Dutch braid fairly recently and both the French and the Dutch braids are similar. I guess I'll be practicing more and when I do a decent Dutch/French braid, I'll show it.

I can't believe it's been two weeks since I started doing my 30 Day Random Challenge. Here's to the next 16 days.

Above: A French braid. I hope to get mine that nice one day. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

30 Day Random Challenge Day 13: Draw a Pokemon

Today, my challenge is to draw a Pokémon. For this one, I chose one of my favourite Pokémon, Plusle. I love the electric rodents because they are cute but somewhat powerful (they're not the strongest but they make up for it with their charm). While struggling to find a Pokémon that was easy to draw, my eyes turned to the Minun soft toy I have. I then thought of drawing Minun's "cousin", Plusle. Using the instructions from Drago Art,  I drew a Plusle.

It was fun drawing Plusle and maybe I'll draw Minun in the future. Maybe in the future, there could be an electric rodent that is an Australian rodent (e.g. antechinus, bilby etc.).


Above: My drawing of Plusle. I know it's not perfect but I rarely use Paint and not everyone can be a talented artist, despite what you think when you see fanart.

 





 



30 Day Random Challenge Day 12: Spend at least 20 minutes Doing Handstands

Today, my challenge is to spend at least 20 minutes doing handstands. At first, I decided to split the 20 minutes into four five minute blocks but I was only able to manage three of those (15 minutes) unfortunately. I did attempt doing handstands a lot but I wasn't able to do a proper one. Because it was something I haven't done in a while and the point of this 30 Day Challenge is to do things I would not usually do, I thought this would be a good challenge, which it was. Maybe tomorrow's challenge will be something that I can do.

Above: A handstand. I wish I can do this one day. Source: Maria's Farm Country Kitchen

30 Day Random Challenge Day 11: Wear a Random Pair of Earrrings

Today, my challenge is to wear a random pair of earrings. Usually, I wear the same pair of earrings day after day or I don't wear any earrings. So, I chose to wear a different pair of earrings as a challenge. I ended up choosing my diamante flower studs. I first thought they were too formal for going to Uni in but I ended up being more comfortable in them as the day went on. I guess that was because I'm not used to wearing accessories normally. Maybe by the end of this challenge, I'll decide to wear accessories more often.

Above: A close up of one of the diamante flower studs.

30 Day Random Challenge Day 10: Find a Youtube Video related to a Lolita Brand

Yesterday, my challenge was to find a Youtube video related to a Lolita brand. I found a video of Angelic Pretty at AniRevo 2013 in Canada. It was about it's Canadian debut. I found the clip interesting and it made me think about how AP should come to Australia. It would be hard to organise an Australia wide event due to the size of this country. However, if AP can do it in America and Canada as well as China, I don't see how size can be an issue. The fashion show at the beginning was nice. I would like to be in a Lolita fashion show one day but I feel that I don't have the right body shape to do it now. A brand Tea Party in Australia would be nice as well and I hope I can pick up brand at short notice if I don't have any at that time (I do have one brand piece but it's a tote bag though).

Oh well, who knows what could happen in the future. Even later this year is a mystery.

The video is here.

Above: A shot from the AniRevo Angelic Pretty video. Source: Youtube

30 Day Random Challenge Day 9: Find a Youtube Video of Son Yeon Jae

Today, my challenge is to find a Youtube video of Son Yeon Jae. She is my favourite Rhythmic Gymnast because her routines are full of character and she is a joy to watch. However, in Australia, sports such as Rhythmic Gymnastics aren't very popular. Instead, most Australians prefer sports such as rugby, AFL and cricket. However, I don't like those sports.

I watched all of Son Yeon Jae's routines for 2014 and my favourite one is the hoop routine because she emphasises the character in the music and the elements in the routine are very effective. Even the ending is amazing (not giving any spoilers). Unfortunately, the only way I can watch Rhythmic Gymnastics on TV is during the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, which will be on later this year. Because South Korea isn't part of the Commonwealth, I won't be able to see Son Yeon Jae compete though :(.

Her hoop routine is here.



Above: Son Yeon Jae at the London Olympics. Source: The Korea Herald

30 Day Random Challenge Day 8: Download a Song From a J-Pop Group I Have not Listened to

Yesterday, my challenge was to download a song from a J-Pop Group I have never listened to. I decided to download a recent song from Morning Musume. I have heard of them before but I have never listened to one of their songs. I ended up downloading "ウルフボーイ (Wolf Boy)", which wasn't what I expected from an idol group. It was funky but was more Electro-Pop. It even changed tone but it was subtle, which is nice and I did enjoy listening to it. No wonder why they have been able to last over a decade if they can be this creative. Because of this, I would recommend listening to Wolf Boy at least.




Above: Current line up of Morning Musume. Source: Hello! Project Wiki

30 Day Random Challenge Day 7: Do a Dutch Braid

Today, my challenge is to do a Dutch Braid. I first attempted the braid in the morning but it turned out really messy and affected the ponytail I had to do just before I left home. Later on at night, I practiced doing a Dutch Braid a few times and I still couldn't do it well. I have done a Dutch Braid a few times but it has never been perfect. I guess I need to practice it a bit more before I wear it in public.

After today, I will have to do some minor changes to a few of the challenges in order to be realistic.

Above: A Dutch Braid. I hope one day I can do one. Source: Land of Hair Styles.

 

30 Day Random Challenge Day 6: Find a Youtube Video of the "Lolita Best Friends Challenge"

Yesterday, my challenge was to find a Youtube video of the "Lolita Best Friends Challenge". It was quite hard as the challenge was first done in September last year. However, I think there will be a lot more of that challenge by the end of this year.

The video I found was the original one by Kat from Hello Batty with her Lolita best friend, Davina. The video can be found here. They were entertaining to watch and it was interesting seeing their beginnings as Lolitas as well as what their opinions of each other were. Also, their Lolita dreams were quite interesting as well as the prints they made up (watch the video if you want to see them).

The reason why I found out about the Lolita Best Friends Challenge was because Rosalynn from Lolita Wonderland did it but as far as I know, her video has not been posted yet. Maybe one day I'll have a Lolita Best Friend.

30 Day Random Challenge Day 5: Spend 30 Minutes doing Yoga

Yesterday, my challenge was to spend 30 minutes doing yoga. As I haven't done yoga for a long time and don't exercise as much as I should, I thought this would be a good challenge. I was right as yesterday was a pretty bad day for me and I didn't feel like exercising. At first, I thought about doing this in three 10 minute sessions but I ended up doing the 30 minutes in one go.

It was interesting seeing how even something as simple as sitting cross legged was hard. I guess that was because I haven't done it for a long time. Overall, doing yoga was invigorating and I will try to do yoga at least once a week from now on. During the 30 minutes the hardest pose for me was warrior III, which is where you stand on one foot with the other leg being at a ninety degree angle behind and the rest of your body being in line with the non supporting leg. It was hard keeping myself still in that pose. Here's hoping I can hold the Warrior III pose for at least 10 seconds in time. Another pose which I found hard was the Shoulderstand. I have never been able to even achieve that pose but if I practice, I should be able to improve.

The easiest pose for that session was doing a straddle pose called the Seated wide legged pose. It was easy to do but still a stretch. At the end of the session, I decided to do the splits to finish the session.

Above: Warrior III pose. (Source: Yoga Life Journey)

30 Day Random Challenge Day 4: Wear a Scrunchie

On Thursday, my challenge was to wear a scrunchie. I have several scrunchies from Japan but I have never worn them until yesterday when I wore one. I can't believe how well a scrunchie can hold a ponytail even though it's a gathered tube of fabric. No wonder why female gymnasts seem to wear them quite often.

When I was a teenager, I thought that only children wore scrunchies until I saw some young mothers wearing them in Japan. From now on, I think I'll wear the scrunchies I have every now and then.

Above: A photo of me wearing the scrunchie. As this is my first time doing a selfie of a hairstyle, please forgive the quality. If anyone has any tips on how to take good selfies, please share.

30 Day Random Challenge Day 3: Wear a Hello Kitty Accessory

Today, my challenge is to wear one of my Hello Kitty Accessories. Even though I have a few of them, I don't wear them that often. Because of that, I chose that as one of the mini challenges.

I decided to wear my Hello Kitty studs because they were easy to put on and different from my usual choice of earrings, sleepers. Even though it was nice having a change from what I usually wear, not much changed today. I guess some challenges will not be as interesting as others will be. I hope tomorrow's challenge will be something that will be more challenging.

Above: One of the Hello Kitty studs. I haven't worn these a lot but I do want to wear them more often. Sorry about the quality of the photo, mainly the earring.

30 Day Random Challenge Day 2: Search For Something in Japanese

Today, my challenge is to search for something online in Japanese.

I thought of looking for kombucha in Japanese. In English, kombucha refers to fermented tea. For an explanation of it, please look at http://www.foodrenegade.com/kombucha-health-benefits/. It explains kombucha and provides a link on how to make it but keep in mind the health benefits are anecdotal. At first, I thought kombucha (こんぶちゃ) was the same thing in Japanese as in English. However, it refers to seaweed tea. With the help of Wikipedia, I soon realised the correct term is (紅茶キノコ), which literally means "Black tea mushroom". It does make sense because the microbial culture that grows looks like a mushroom.

Above: A jar of kombucha with a glass of it. From the website featured below.

Before I introduce the website that I found, I would like to talk about why I decided to use kombucha as my topic to search for. Ever since I heard about kombucha and its reported health benefits, I wanted to try making a batch but finding a SCOBY (the starter or "mother" culture) is difficult because I don't know anyone who makes kombucha and I haven't been able to find any bottled kombucha for sale.

The Japanese website I found from a search of 紅茶キノコ is here. It first talks about the benefits of fermented food and gives yoghurt as an example. However, it talks about how dairy is full of hormones and other things that are supposedly bad for your health (personally, unless you are lactose intolerant/allergic to dairy etc. I don't see any problems with dairy). It also goes on about how dairy can taste good but it isn't that good for your health. It talks about how kombucha offers similar benefits to yoghurt and gives instructions on how to make kombucha.

It was interesting to see how similar Japanese health food lovers are to Western health food lovers. Nevertheless, it was quite a provoking blog post and made me think about how lucky I am to live in Australia, where the use of hormones in livestock is more or less illegal. It was also interesting to see that it was published in 2011, before kombucha became popular among health food lovers in Australia.

30 Day Random Challenge Day 1: Find 5 Lolita prints featuring Ice Cream

To push me out of my comfort zone, I have designed a 30 day challenge of various challenges that I have placed into a box and will pick a different one to do each day.

Today my challenge is to find 5 Lolita prints featuring ice cream.

 

First is Meta's Crown Label's Sweets Parade Apron Pinafore Dress, which was released in 2012. Adding an apron to Lolita would be difficult to pull off because it could end up looking a bit like Maid Cosplay in my opinion. I do like the various types of ice cream on the print with some lollies and coffee/tea. Having back shirring on the JSK does make it fit a variety of body shapes.

 



Next is AP's Milky Planet OP, released in 2010. It is one of my Dream Prints. The reason why I love it is because the print is a world full of ice cream and I have such a big sweet tooth. Unlike most prints, the print is all over the OP as there is smaller motifs above the main print part. Because it is very colourful, Milky Planet can be coordinated with many colours.

 

 



The next piece is Baby's Creamy Soda Pop Skirt, released in 2010. It has ice cream sundaes in a tall glass as well as milkshakes. One thing that is nice about this skirt is that three of the four colour ways (mint, offwhite and pink) are similar to the colours associated with ice cream flavours. The tulle and bows near the hem of the skirt also add to the ice cream effect, which is making me crave a sundae right now.

 

 

 The next dress is AP's Strawberry Parlour Tiered JSK. The background of the print partly resembles a French Café exterior. I like how instead of multiple ice cream flavours of the other prints, this one focuses on strawberries and strawberry flavoured ice cream. Instead of using tulle lace at the hem, this JSK uses eyelet lace, which is different for AP JSKs.

 

 The last piece for this post is Baby's Ice Cream OP, released in 2007. Compared to the other pieces in this post, you can see features that are rarely, if ever included in current OPs. They are the sleeves and the front corset lacing on the bodice. The print is also different as it has smaller motifs all around the fabric and there is stripes and polka dots at the same time on the OP.

 

From this post, it's interesting to see how different prints portray one theme in a different way from each other. I wonder what's next for ice cream prints: maybe chocolate and ice cream will be combined just like that found in AP's Strawberry Parlour? 



 

Lolita Blog Carnival: Romantic Coordinate Ideas

For Valentine's Day, I decided to base my coordinate ideas around three JSKs containing motifs common to Valentine's Day: flowers, chocolate and candles. Each of the following coordinates are based on three types of romantic outfits: dreamy romantic, elegant romantic and vintage romantic.

First, APs Sugar Pansy is an elegant print that could be paired with lace tights, a flower hair accessory and some pearls to make an elegant coordinate. To cover up bare arms, a shawl or a delicate bolero could be used with a pair of simple Lolita shoes that are in a pastel colour to finish the outfit. The hair would be done in a curly style that is simple and innocent.

 Next, AP's Radiant Candlelight could be used to create a coordinate that could be worn to a nice restaurant even though it would be eye catching. For this, the arms would not be covered and there would be no necklace due to the pearls. Gold/faux gold jewellery would go well with this JSK as well as a pair of flesh coloured/dark tights with a pair of elegant shoes. For the hair, I would choose an elegant updo with a small but classy hairclip if needed.

For the last JSK, Excentrique's Chocolate Box, I would create an outfit based on its vintage feel. First, I would place an off white vintage or vintage inspired blouse under it, then find some vintage accessories including an old fashioned hat that would go well with a bun. For the lower part of the body, I would find some lace tights and choose a pair of Classic Lolita shoes.

Note: All pictures are from Hello Lace and Lolibrary.

 

Lolita Blog Carnival

 

Other Blogs Participating

 

Under the Parasol

New Vogue Children

Pretty Little Habits

Northern Star

Sweet and Simple

Beyond Kawaii

Whimsical Adventures of Me
Breidholt
Lolita Glamour
Daily Fuckery
 Vanillas Traumfabrik
Her Lumpiness
Hello Batty
Lady Atropa