Salem!!

You may or may not have noticed the severe lack of posts for the last whole month (I think that's a new record or something...), and that's because, wouldn't you know, right after I announced that I wanted this to be a personal blog, I started having no life. Seriously, I've never been so busy in my life, between school, college applications/visits, and work... BUT, this weekend, I finally got a break and had a chance to go to Salem with my good friends Mae and Matti! Salem is one of my favourite places to go, ESPECIALLY toward Halloween. I especially like the shopping... they have this amazing curiosity shop, a super-awesome nerd shop with plenty of Hello Kitty merch, and a consignment shop with plenty of awesome vintage clothes all five minutes away from each other!

Since it was so close to Halloween, I decided to dress up! I usually kind of dress up anyhow, but I decided to go the whole five miles this time with a unicorn horn and gratuitous amounts of glitter!! Here's what I wore:

My face looked really derpy all day, because despite it being the middle of October, it was SO hot! (over 80 degrees!). I had to sweep the wig bangs aside a couple of times, which looked quite derpy considering how dark my brows are >.>

I also tried to shop the pic to make it look more ~mystical~ but the cars in the background kind of ruined the effect xD

Here's Matti in her super-fab outfit! I think the shopping worked out more on this one due to the lack of cars xD

Mae, in a loopy thing. She had a very classy-looking on cardigan earlier but unfortunately she had to take it off due to the heat D: We still had a ton of fun though! I'd love to go when it's cooler, and closer to Halloween.

The buildings were all so pretty!! That's one of the things I love about more historical cities; the buildings are so gorgeous!!

Remember what I said about my wig looking derpy? Yeeeaaah I wasn't exaggerating. Either way, this book was adorable!! I didn't have enough money for it though, as I blew all my money on pullovers at F21 the day before D:

Obligatory "OMG look at what I ate you guys!" pic. It was actually Mae's but she generously shared some with us xD I know it doesn't look impressive, but it was REALLY good... but to be fair I was pretty hungry.

A giant ice cream at the place we bought ice cream from! I thought it was kind of cute.

This witch hat ended up looking more like a unicorn horn, so of course I forced Matti to try it on for pics :P These were kind of expensive, too, but the baskets selling them were completely full so apparently this tomfoolery isn't working.

I really wish I had more time to do things, but unfortunately my schedule for the next couple of weeks are pretty packed too >.> I WILL be going to NYC for college visits in a couple of weeks, so hopefully I'll get enough pics then. Other than that, consider this a semi-official hiatus announcement. I'll probably have more time to post around the end of November, though, since college applications will be done! Please look forward to that, and thanks for reading!!

Now here's a pointless Fluttershy gif because it's adorable:

Kawaii.i fashion coordination!!

So, I apologize for not posting like I promised. BUT, I actually have an excuse this time... I've actually been productive!! I've been looking at colleges and getting summer work done so I don't end up scrambling to finish it at the last second like I do every year!!
Also, I've been working on my outfits to enter this contest for Kawaii.i!!
Here are the outfits I entered:

The pictures didn't come out as they could have, and I apologize for that (my camera is awful and I didn't have anybody to take pictures for me), but I was pretty proud of the coordinates myself!! Unfortunately, all the outfits I came up with for this contest (there were more, but the pictures weren't that great on any of them) were winter outfits (because layers make everything better!), so while I was taking these pictures I was really sweaty and uncomfortable >.>
Anyhow, I'd REALLY appreciate it if you could vote for me!! I worked really hard on coming up with these outfits and would really like to win!!
http://apps.facebook.com/contestshq/contests/135667/voteable_entries/27363556?order=recency
Thank you!!

Style update and Mall of America haul!!

Hello! I just got back from vacation yesterday, so while I am happy to be back and blogging I'm a bit exhausted at the moment (17 days of trekking around the country with your family will do that to you) so please bear with me; it will take a bit to write up a full report >.>
However, I do have a couple of little somewhat vacation-related things I'd like to share with you!! :) First of all, one of my favorite things I did over vacation was go to Mall of America in Minnesota. It was awesome, I definitely recommend going if you ever get the chance (though that might be the mall-lover in me speaking :P ). So, here's my haul for that day:

(ignore the notebook in the background; that's old. I didn't notice that was there until I was uploading this pic :P )
From the Sanrio store: Sugar Minuet stickers, Charmmy Kitty backpack, bow pen, nail art supplies.
Forever 21/Love 21 (F21 accessory/beauty store): Sailor jacket, shimmer powder, eyeshadow palette, makeup puff, eyeliner, bow and cupcake earrings.
From Icing: Pink and lavender hair extensions (SO regretting not getting mint >.> )
From the Disney Store: Marie Plush (I love love LOVE it, so soft and cute!! :) )
From Journeys: Pink Converse
From Claire's: Pink OTK rose socks
From Wall Drug (not part of MoA obviously, but I wanted to include it in here): Black star necklace

I... may have gone a TEENY bit overboard :P Nonetheless, though, I was pretty proud of myself! I didn't have that much money to begin with, and I still had some money when I was done, so I thought I stretched my money pretty far. My favorite things I got would have to be either the Marie Plush (SUPER cute and cuddly :D ), the eyeshadow palette (the colours are gorgeous and it was like $6!), or the sailor jacket (it's a really nice weight and reminds me of Victorian boarding schools xD ).
However, when I got home, I found out that while we were gone I had received a package! As it turned out, it was my Sugary Carnival replica!! :D I ordered from Taobaospree, and I would definitely recommend ordering through them if you decide to order from Taobao! My agent was very polite and nice, and even though DoL was very slow to respond to HER (apparently this replica was VERY popular), she still responded quickly and politely to all my questions, and kept me updated on my order at all times :)

Here's a quick outfit shot showing off my order!
Dress/headbow: DoL
Tights: Forever 21
Cardigan: Marshalls (I didn't want to wear it, but I have REALLY bad sunburns on my shoulder and it looks like I was in a fire >.> )

I'm pretty happy with the dress itself, but there were a few flaws (most notably the lace; I was so looking forward to having pony-printed lace then they had the lace from their Milky Planet replica on it instead!! D: ), but overall I think it's a nice weight and it fits very well :)
I promise I'll try to write up the vacation post asap; I apologize for the delay!!

From an Ugly Duckling to a Princess

I was not an attractive kid. From first to most of eighth grade, I was such a tomboy it was ridiculous. I hated anything girly, played around in the mud, only ever played video games (because they were just oh-so-MANLY) and refused to wear a skirt except on VERY special occasions. I wasn't just a tomboy, though- I was just a dirty, nasty child (though that's perfectly acceptable for normal kids, this is 12-year-old me we're talking about here, and you haven't heard the worst of it). I showered as little as my parents would let me, ate terribly and never exercised and developed a weight problem, and had acne the size of mountains all over my face. At twelve years old.
Finally, when I was fourteen I discovered Lolita. Actually, as embarrassing as this may be, my first exposure to Lolita wasn't actually Lolita- it was one of those cheap black and white maid dresses attempting to pass as Lolita, and I found it on a cosplay site as I fancied myself an otaku at the time (something that FINALLY ended freshman year and I am, unfortunately, still living down to today... and yes, I was one of THOSE otaku who mixed Japanese words into English sentences and wanted nothing more than to move to motherland Japan someday where I could eat ramen and be a geisha-samurai-ninja >.>). Nonetheless, I do remember that the model for this dress was quite beautiful herself, and suddenly I was a little more inspired to take care of myself. I started washing more often, and for the first time since Kindergarten I wore a casual skirt to school!
When I discovered real Lolita through EGL upon attempting to get further information on this beautiful look, I was enamored. I wanted to be as beautiful as all these girls in frilly dresses, and for once in my life I wanted to wear frilly dresses and act like a goddamn lady! I'm sure my parents and everyone around me thought I was insane, as I started buying and wearing skirts and (gasp!) pink clothes and accessories! I actively sought out Hello Kitty and cute merchandise I would've scoffed at as "stupid girl stuff" not two years ago. But, for the first time in my life, I was REALLY happy.
I admit, I might have been just flat-out denying my femininity for that "tomboy" period of my life. I clearly remember watching girls at indoor recess doing each other's hair, and being jealous that I couldn't go over and ask them (because that would've just RUINED my reputation, of course!!). So, when Lolita came along and I realized I was at the age where it was socially acceptable to wear makeup and dress up whenever the hell I wanted to, it was like a revelation to me. Today I wonder, could Lolita have changed me like it did had I discovered it two years before? Or two years later?
Today, I am not the person I used to be (contrary to what many of the people who attended elementary school with me seem to think... remember that weeaboo thing I mentioned earlier? That reputation's stuck with me, unfortunately). I do what I want to do, without fear of what people have to say. I openly admit if I like something, even if it's not time "image" I want. As for physical appearance, I believe I've done well! In the past three years, I've cleared up my face considerably (though my complexions far from perfect, I'm working on clearing it up and I usually wear makeup to cover it up anyhow!), I shower daily now (thank god... it's SO embarrassing thinking back to how disgusting I must have been), I know how to coordinate a decent outfit, and since discovering Lolita I've lost around 40 pounds!
I admit, I'm still far from physically perfect. Now that my hair's growing out a bit, I'm JUST learning how to do things with it, I'm still a mite overweight (my overall goal weight that I hope to reach this summer is 120!), due to being a teenager I occasionally get zits and I would like to work on my public speaking skills a bit, but as for my emotions? I've never been happier.
Even if I'm not all the way there yet, I truly feel like I've grown from an Ugly Duckling to a Princess.
That's my Lolita "origin story!" Does anybody else have one? I love to hear stories of how people came to love certain fashions, so if you've got one, please do tell! :)

Anime Boston

Please forgive the very personal nature of this post if you're not into that, but I'm very excited and wanted to talk about it here!! :D
I've recently decided that this year I'll be going to my area's biggest anime convention, Anime Boston. I wasn't planning on going originally this year, as my interest in anime is moderate at best and I would like to save for more clothes, but then I remembered next year when the con rolls around I'll be in Florida and with any luck the year after I'll be in New York (which, granted, isn't too far away but I'll also be busy with college). So, I've decided to go this year!!
It's safe to say this is the most excited I've ever been about a convention (though I have only been to three previous years :P). At first I was like, "Oh yeah, I'll just go to the manga library and chill, and check out the dealer's room like I do every year. No biggie." Then I found out that not only is there a Lolita fashion panel this year, there is also going to be a meetup and a fashion show (which I sort of considered participating in, but then I realized that the outfit I plan to wear is going to break a lot of traditional rules, but more on that in a moment)!! Also, if that weren't exciting enough, one of my favorite bloggers (Ms. Caro of F Yeah Lolita!) is going to be running a table in the artist's alley!! I simply adore her bonnets and am definitely going to be purchasing one while I'm there if she has a simple style I like!
So... yes. My outfit. Honestly, cons are the best time to break the "rules" in my opinion. I know it sounds rather mean, but there are plenty of people at conventions "doing it wrong," so if you break a couple of traditional rules and it ends up looking not-so-hot, people are less likely to notice. Yeah, that's a terrible thing to say, but anyhow!!
I finally decided this year I'm brave enough to try some bastardized form of sweet punk Lolita!! I've also been thinking of trying some lighter gal makeup, but to be honest my eyes look really weird with traditional gal makeup due to the fact that I don't yet own circle lenses and my eyes aren't big enough on their own so probably not.
This outfit will include:
A bowtie
Black/white striped tights
Pink Doc Marten knock-offs
A wig (which wouldn't normally be rule-breaking obviously but I'm ordering it from Bodyline so God knows how the quality is).
I guess these aren't all INCREDIBLY bad, though I'm mostly worried about the stockings. Most outfits I've seen with striped stockings have been a bit... meh, so I guess I can just hope I don't end up looking like a hot mess!! I'll also be wearing my Merry Sweet Castle replica so... I just hope I don't run into anybody who hates replicas. :P
So, hopefully I don't end up looking like a hot mess! If I'm anywhere between "meh" and "sweeeet" I'll definitely post pictures when I can get my outfit together!! If you're going to AB, I hope to see you there!

LOTS AND LOTS OF OUTFIT POSTS

So, in case it isn't painfully obvious already, I've been slacking HARD on outfit posts. I've had all these pictures piling up on my camera, and I kept telling myself "I'll get them up there eventually..." and finally it got to the point where I told myself "I'll just do a mass post." So, two weeks after that decision, here is that post!! Unfortunately, since I'm terribly forgetful most of these outfits are undated, but please enjoy nonetheless!!

Rundown:

JSK: Bodyline

Muffler: BABY

Hoodie: Old Navy

Tights: Forever 21/We Love Colors

Boots: Bodyline

This was my Valentines Day outfit!! At the time I didn't have anything with hearts on it (besides my black cardigan with gold embroidery, but I REALLY wanted to wear pink!), so I decided to wear something with sweets instead! It was also very cold, so I wore my fleece hoodie (I know, it looks so frumpy but it was the only thing I had :( ) and my bunny muffler. I thought it looked good at the time, but now I realize that jsk doesn't really fit my body shape too well (my friend took a picture of me and I looked rather like a hunchback- and it wasn't entirely my poor posture's fault!). I'd like to get more jsks with longer torsos, as I believe those suit me much better. :)

Rundown:

Dress: TJ Maxx

Tights: Marshalls

Boots (again!): Bodyline

Those damn boots! I love them so much but I feel like such a loser for wearing them ALL THE TIME. :P

I wore this outfit to see Mary Poppin in Boston (it was such a good play!), so, once again, style was sacrificed for warmth. I didn't have any good heavier tights, so unfortunately I had to go with these less stylish black tights. I really wish I had red tights to match the bows, but unfortunately I don't and this would be the only thing I would wear them with so I doubt that would happen. :(

Rundown:

Sweater: H&M

Skirt: Marshalls

Tights: Express

Boots (not pictured): Borrowed

This outfit looks rather derpy and frumpy in the picture, but it looked much better irl when the sweater didn't puff out weirdly like that!! I don't have any pictures of it since I couldn't find any good lighting, but I had some kickass makeup on that day! I just recently learned to apply eyeliner (yes, I'm a giant loser when it comes to cosmetics :P) so I used some black eyeliner and it looked nice! Rather sexy, if I do say so myself. :P

Rundown:

Both shirts/shorts: Forever 21

Tights: Marshalls

Boots: JCPenney

I liked this outfit, if only for how comfortable it was. I hardly ever wear pants, and when I do I don't EVER wear denim, so when I found these pink denim shorts I was a bit skeptical, thinking they'd be uncomfortable like most denim tends to be for me, but these were wicked comfy! I'd like to get more pairs in different colors. :)

Rundown:

Blouse: Hot Topic

Skirt: Dream of Lolita

Tights: Marshalls

Boots: Bodyline

I love this skirt! I got it from Dream of Lolita for around $20- wicked cheap as far as Lolita goes!! It was rather low quality, though- the lace on the top of the corset part was cheap and scratchy, the ribbon in the corsetting was satin and already fraying, and there was a THIN satin slip with an awfully scratchy built-in petti. It was still worth the price, though, as most of these things can (and will!) be replaced! :)

Rundown:

Headband, cardigan: Forever 21

Bracelet, necklace: Charlotte Russe

T-shirt: Wal-Mart

Skirt: It was a gift, so I'm not sure :(

Tights: Marshalls

Even though it was freezing the day I wore this outfit (Oh, New England weather! Don't you know it's spring already??), I felt particularly "floral." :P You can't really see it, but the tights have little roses on them, and so does the skirt! The necklace, bracelet and headband all have flowers, and so does Minnie's hat on my t-shirt. Even though it was so cold, I felt a little more spring-y that day. :D

Rundown:

Jsk: Dream of Lolita

Blouse: Dream of Lolita

Headbow (not pictured), pearl bracelets: Forever 21

Muffler: BABY

Tights: We Love Colors and Forever 21

Boots, crown necklace (not pictured): Bodyline

Aaaand finally today's outfit!! This one was sort-of kind-of hime-ish, in that there was lots of lace, faux fur and bling to be found! (It's not in the picture, but I was wearing SO many rings! And they were all sparkly!)

I particularly like the blouse and the jsk- they were both cheap in price, but both have REALLY nice cotton lace! I was impressed with the quality. :)

That's it for this outfit post! I'm SO sorry about the lack of these, and I promise I'll try harder from now on to post more and on time!! <3

TRIPLE style update: 2/11, 2/12, 2/13

So I admit, I've been WICKED lazy lately and have been holding these pics hostage on my camera for a while now. I haven't even been that busy, just... lazy (and okay, there may have been a liiiittle bit of Kamikaze Girls and Hans Christian Anderson reading going on in there :P).
So without further ado, here's this weeks's style updates!
Monday, 2/11: Bordeaux Chandelier

Jumper skirt/blouse: HMHM (Taobao)
Hair corsage: Won from a giveaway at fyeahlolita.blogspot.com (GREAT blog! :) )
Boots: An*tai*na (also Taobao)
Tights: We Love Colors (you might not be able to tell from the pictures, but they're ivory, not white)
I got the dress, blouse and boots as late Christmas presents that Saturday, so of course I wore them all to school that Monday!! (I was originally going to wear them to the school's semi-formal dance, but that was cancelled due to all the snow- we've gotten a TON! :( )
I loved this outfit, and it was received pretty well at school. My favorite comment came from a girl who told me it reminded her of Beauty and the Beast- I just love the idea and now I didn't really see it before, but now I totally do! The chandelier embroideries are quite reminiscent of Belle's gown. :)
I can't wait to wear this dress again, but unfortunately since it's a bit formal I'm not sure if I want to wear it to school again. I may wear it around New York though, if I go this vacation. :)
Friday, 2/12: Black/white/pink LOVE

Jacket: Urban Outfitters
Top/skirt/headbow (not pictured): Forever 21
Tights: Marshalls
Boots: Bodyline
This outfit was a bit uninspired, I think, and I feel like I've been over-using my white boots and black jacket. They just go with everything, though!! But I have to say, I need a new jacket, as the one I have right now is a MAGNET for dog hair (one time, I lint-rolled it when it was particularly hairy, sat on the couch for a minute, got up and was all hairy again- how does that even happen?!). Either way, black/white/pink is coming to be my favorite "casual" color combination- it's not as light as white/pink and doesn't attract the eye as much (since black and brown are all New Englanders seem to wear around Winter time) but easier to coordinate (for me) than black and pink, since I own hardly any solid black and solid pink things. xD
I always wear these bloomers I got from Bodyline underneath this skirt, partially for flash-protection (yes, even with tights on- I'm paranoid), and partially because the effect is somewhat like a mini-petticoat. I just love voluminous skirts of all lengths. :)
Finally, this is from yesterday...
Saturday, 2/13- Mermaid silhouette

Cardigan/skirt: Forever 21
Top: TJ Maxx
Boots: JC Penney
Tights: Marshalls
Headbow (not pictured): Forever 21
This outfit was inspired after I read the Little Mermaid from the Hans Christian Anderson book I got from the library. Remembering this cardigan, I decided I wanted to do an outfit with a mermaid-like silhouette, and maybe even some mermaid-like motifs. I decided the cardigan was too short by itself, and put the skirt there. I loved the effect in the end, as it was somewhat reminiscent of a mermaid's tail.
You can't really tell from this picture, but the top has some chiffon trim (which might not be the most appropriate fabric for Winter, but whatever) that reminded me a bit of a frilly clam shell. I also didn't wear them for this picture (for some reason) but I worse a pearl necklace from Forever 21 and a couple of pearl bracelets. I definitely want to do a similar look like this for summer at some point!!
Well, that's it for this week. Sorry for my laziness, and I'll try not to disappear this week. xD
I got some BB Cream in the mail last week, and I did have a review ready, but the pictures mysteriously disappeared of my crappy camera, so I'll have to re-do those and post a review later this week!
Until then, happy early Valentine's Day! Everybody be sure to eat a lot of chocolate (or whatever overly-indulgent sweets tickle your fancy) and spend it with somebody you love/your friends if you're a lonely loser like me. :P

Style update- 2/4/2011 (Ballerina-inspired)

Again, sorry about the crappy picture, but I still haven't gotten around to getting batteries for the camera I inherited from my sister and I forgot to take a picture in the morning so that's why all the lighting's all artificial and nasty :(

But anyhow, this was my outfit today!! A quick rundown...

Jacket: Urban Outfitters

Shirt: Charlotte Russe

Skirt/head bow: Forever 21

Tights: Marshalls

Boots (as seen in last update): Bodyline

I wanted to wear these dusty rose-coloured ballet flats I got from F21 a while ago, but it ended up being too cold for flats and besides, the snow would've gotten all in my shoes!! (Here in New England there's been a TON of snow recently- we've had like five school cancellations since late January!!)

It may not be immediately apparent looking at this outfit (especially since the jacket is blocking my shirt- I was so cold!!) but it was supposed to be inspired by something you might see in a ballet costume. I had the tutu-like skirt, so I wanted to build an outfit around that. I tucked my shirt in (it's a scoop neck, black short-sleeved shirt) to the skirt so you could see the satin waist band. I'm not usually a fan of satin, but the skirt is gorgeous and the waistband actually really makes it!!

I wore this outfit to see the movie Tangled, which I thought was a great movie!! It made me literally laugh out loud a couple of times, which movies rarely make me do. The horse just killed me, too!! I loved it. :)

That's about all I have to say today. I realize this outfit isn't all that great (I didn't even have time to do my hair or anything before I had to leave!!) but as usual, constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!!

Style update- 1/24/2011 (Casual hime on a budget?)

Outfit rundown:

Sweater dress: H&M

Tights, bow, necklace and bracelets: Forever 21

Boots: Bodyline

Muffler (Fresa, I call her!!): Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

Hello!! It's me again!!

I apologize in advance for the crappy lighting, messy room, and all the crap on my mirror. Also, apologies for the blatant over-shopping, but you really couldn't see the outfit at all unless I shopped it (and let me tell you I'm awful with image editors xD).

Today, I wanted a sort-of casual style, but I didn't want something t-shirt and jeans casual. I also wanted to wear my white boots (which don't get nearly as much use as I like) and my new sweater dress (I got it from H&M for $15!!), and thus, this was born.

If you can't tell from the pics, I layered two tights- plain white tights and white lace tights. The effect looked much cooler irl, not to mention was a lot warmer than just one of them!! It's also not too clear in this pic, but I curled my hair using a low setting on the curling iron and didn't use any hairspray to see if the curls would look more natural. After I finger-combed my hair and all that, the curls looked lovely! Maybe still a bit too crisp for my liking, but I'll just bring the heat down one more notch next time.

I didn't bother taking a pic of it because the lighting was so bad, but my makeup was clean and simple, just some foundation, cover-up and a tiny amount of mascara. I considered wearing Du Wop lip venom for glassy-looking lips but decided I liked the more natural-lipped look. I kind of regretted it though, so I'll probably end up doing something with my lips next time.

I just love these boots! At first I was worried because they would squeak whenever I walked (people can already usually hear me jingle when I come, I don't need squeaking boots in addition to jingly jewelry!!), but they're more worn-in now and don't make nearly as much noise!!

I liked how comfortable this outfit was, and this is more of a fitting problem but next time I'm going to wear a cami that fits. The cami I was wearing under the dress (as it's rather see-though) kept bunching up around my stomach and, since the dress is so form-fitting, making this weird lump!!

Any comments and critique (so long as it's not straight up rude, of course) is welcomed and appreciated!!

Testing, and update!!

So, finally after being delayed by the snow day last Friday (ah, New England weather... why is it that when I want a snow day the weather becomes warmer and when I LEAST want a snow day THEN you unleash the wrath of mother nature?) I have finally finished my mid-year exams!! :D I believe I did rather well this time around (certainly better than freshman year... I believe I averaged my exams that year when I got them and it came out to a C!! ): ), but I'm not entirely sure about chemistry and algebra. I feel pretty good about English and history, and I already know I got A's on my chorus and Chinese exams (but since I go to public school grades in performing arts hardly count!!)

So anyhow, I've decided to completely change the direction of this blog around. Firstly, I'd like to change it from a feminism/Lolita fashion blog to a feminism (that's going to stick around no matter what!! LOL)/general fashion blog. Since most of the fashions I love come from Japan, there will obviously be a heavy slant toward J-Fashion but it will not JUST be Lolita for reasons that tie in with the next change.

The next major change I'll be doing is that this blog will take a MUCH more personal slant and become my sort-of style diary!! I don't think I'm going to do outfit posts everyday, since I go to high school and hardly ever have the energy to get dolled up at 6 AM (I envy those college kids who don't have to get up until 8 or 9!! That may be early to you but for me that's sleeping in!!), so I'll just do the outfits I actually try on. Going back to the change in fashion slant, part of the reason this blog is no longer going to focus strictly on lolita fashion is because my tastes in fashion are very fickle (One day I'm in LOVE with hime-gal, the next I SO want to try something mori-like, and so on), so I don't want to feel confined to one fashion, though most outfits will probably have a heavy Lolita slant (frills are always beautiful!!). Another reason the fashion focus will change is because, quite honestly, I can't afford Lolita. I have a couple of dresses and skirts, but I don't have nearly enough to wear full-blown "correct" Lolita everyday. Besides, I want a style diary of things I wear in everyday life so I can keep track of my style in general, not just for Lolita. I also usually only wear Lolita on the weekends, when I have time to style up, but for me part of a person's "style" is their consistency. Part of the challenge in keeping up one's style is being able to get up at early times and get ready, which I know I've been getting better at (today I had time to curl my hair!!). Of course, I will have "slob" days in which I won't want to get ready or only half-heartedly dawn some khakis and a blouse, and again I can't afford clothes so at times I am forced to recycle outfits (especially since I lost weight and can't fit into so many things I own!!).

If you don't enjoy personal blogs, I'm sorry, but there's a ton of other Lolita fashion blogs out there without the personal slant (another reason I'm changing the direction- there's only so much to be said about the fashion!! The whole "diary" aspect will definitely give me more things to post about), and I may still post some non-personal articles now and again.

For those of you who read all this, thank you!! I'll have my first style post up in a couple of minutes. :)

Snow

It snowed in my area for the first time this season yesterday! :)

I admit I was getting a little nervous for a while there, as I live in New England and my cousins from Virginia way down south were saying they were getting snow storms and we hadn't gotten ANY snow yet! I couldn't help but worry, were we going to have a green Christmas this year?

Luckily, yesterday during school, I was taking my chemistry quiz when suddenly one of the kids in my class shouted out "IT'S SNOWING!" (there always is that kid, isn't there? :P) So, I looked outside, and lo and behold, small flakes were floating down from the sky!

I was so excited about the snow! We only got a tiny amount (less than an inch! ): ) But it was enough for me for now. Besides, there's supposed to be a snow storm on Thursday (conveniently just one day after my school's concert I'm supposed to sing in! Lucky!) so hopefully that'll make at least enough snow to have a snow ball fight, because I'm super mature like that.

To keep this post from getting too personal and to relate this to lolita, I have to say winter time is my favorite time for lolita fashion. It all just seems to work so well together-- the warm coats, the layers upon layers of petticoats and bloomers that are far too hot for the summer, all with a dusty coat of snow for a backdrop... lovely!

I myself am hopefully getting my first lolita coat for Christmas this year. I had a certain pink coat with faux fur and bows on it from bodyline on my Christmas list, but even if I don't get it for Christmas I plan on buying one with any money I earn from shoveling walkways, allowance, etc. I also plan on buying some lolita boots. I know those aren't supposed to be the best things ever for snowy places like where I live, but I honestly don't romp around in the snow that much anyways, and I have specific water-proof winter boots for that. I have my eye on a lovely coffee-coloured pair from Taobao, so hopefully I can work up the money to afford my first full winter lolita outfit this season! :)

I also hope to follow Victoria Suzzanne's tip on lolita-charm.blogspot.com and sew up a pair of flannel bloomers at some point. I'm definitely not a great seamstress at all, but I think I can whip up a simple pair of bloomers, especially with all the super-easy patterns I've found online. I just think having a pair of bloomers that actually fit me well and are warm and good for winter unlike my more summer-oriented, ill-fitting bodyline bloomers would be so nice. I'd like to make a pair of simple white ones, if I can find that colour of fleece. :)

So anyhow, if any of you guys are in winter yet I hope you're enjoying the season thus far! Don't freeze to death, drive safely, and happy holidays! :)

CHRISTMAS!!

It's almost Christmas! Only eight more days! :)

Christmas is my favorite holiday, rivaled only by Valentines Day (because who doesn't love sweets and hearts and teddy bears?), but even then, Christmas is still my favorite. I've been told that my excitement is a meer product of media hype, that I'm just being manipulated by the mass market. Perhaps that is so, but if it is, I honestly don't care. I enjoy giving presents (and okay, receiving them is fun too :) ) and seeing the smile on the recipients face and knowing that I picked the right thing. I love the shiny Christmas lights set up everywhere (especially the ones in malls!), the specials on TV, the soft, classic carols on the radio, even the more religious themes like the nativity sets and the cute little cherubs that seem to pop up this time of year (and I'm not even that religious at all, even if I do celebrate Christmas!).

The one thing I don't like about Christmas is the financial stress! I don't have a job and I have a very small allowance, so around this time of year I always bug my poor parents and neighbors to see if they have any work I can do for money so I can get nice presents for everyone! But it's all worth it on Christmas day. :)

I received and gave my first present of the year today. A friend of mine and I agreed to swap gifts today, so we exchanged presents today! I got very shiny clip-in bows (what's better for winter than shiny things?), a Hello Kitty Pez, and very pretty ivory fuzzy earmuffs! I was so happy! I gave my friend a small stuffed hamster (since she has a hamster) and a pink pearl necklace that seemed like her style. She loved both presents and even said the hamster looked like her own (I didn't know what her hamster looked like so I was very excited about that!) and she had several outfits she could wear the necklace with! I was so happy she liked it and can't wait to give more gifts! :)

So, sorry about the more personal nature of this post, but Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays to you all! I hope whether you're with your family, your friends, or riding solo, you all enjoy yourselves and enjoy the season! :)