Sunday, 20 December 2015

A Sweet Lolita's Letter to Santa

Hi all,

With Christmas coming up this week I'm going to take a couple of weeks break over the new year.

Before I leave you all for a break I'd like to share with you a little Christmas poem I've written about a Sweet Lolita writing a letter to Santa.

image


A Sweet Lolita's Letter to Santa


Dear Santa <3, I’ve been very good.
So, I was wondering if I should
write out a Christmas list for you
just little things and only a few
well, perhaps a couple of big ones too


I may as well start with the best
Royal Chocolate is my dream dress
I’d really love it to be mine
but it sells for twice it’s price online
Just the 2011 JSK in beige would be fine


Will there be an AP chocolate pattern?
Is there some way you could make it happen?
I even reserved a shopping service
but after October I got a bit nervous
If you could do that this letter'd be worth it


I’d like some lashes from Dolly Wink
and some lash glue, while I think
Could I also get some hair clips please?
You never can have enough accessories
and some pink, red, sax, and gold tea parties


I think that's about everything
Except for cool weather this summer and spring
From Me PS I didn't even forget
to pay off all my credit card debt
so please re-release the Cats Tea Party set

image

Ok that's all from me for 2015! Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone.

Until next time...





Saturday, 12 December 2015

My last purchase for 2015

Hi all,

Managing to get a Happy Pack from Baby the Stars Shine Bright was definitely the most nerve-wracking part of my week. Although I have bought a Lucky Pack before, I have never done so directly from the site and boy, was it an experience.


If you took part in the release you would already be aware of the ferocious click battle that it was. I was trying to access the site 20 minutes before hand and even then I had difficulty. I was desperately trying to access the site from the time of release and managed to get a text version and log-in. After than I couldn't get through at all, it was through the kindness of a friend that I was able to get Hello Dear Bunny's Little Enchanted Room JSK in sax and ivory. I am thinking of ways to thank my friend for the monumental favour they have done for me.

I'm going to make the Happy Pack my final purchase for 2015. My goal is not to buy anything Lolita fashion-related until I head to Japan in April 2016. Until then, I'm going to save my money and thoroughly plan the items I would like to buy when I'm there.


I am so excited about the rabbit clasp pouchette, which I plan to match up with my Alice in Wonderland print as soon as get it back from Japan. As for the dress itself, my absolute favourite part of the print is the too adorable pig popping out of the tea pot.



Do you get yourself a Happy Pack this year? Do you have a friend who has saved your frilly bacon? Let me know!

Until next time...




Sunday, 6 December 2015

My wardrobe at the end of 2015 (picture heavy)

Hi all,

With only a few weeks left at the end of the year, I'd like to take an objective look at my wardrobe and talk about what is good about my wardrobe and what could be improved about it.

First of all, here is an overview of my wardrobe. There may be an item or two missing and I'm deliberately not including my pink items purchased in 2012/13 but I've tried to get most of them in here.





Three positives about my wardrobe

1. My wardrobe has become a lot more cohesive and flexible.

2. Most of my purchases have been within the colour scheme I set up at the beginning of 2015.

3. I have a lot more accessories that I can coordinate with.

By setting up a colour scheme and buying more accessories and blouses this year I have begun to create a wardrobe where the pieces work with each other so the main pieces I have can be worn in more than one way. In fact, with the exception a pink bolero and a mint blouse, all the pieces I have bought this year have been within the "navy, brown and ivory" colour scheme I set up at the beginning of 2015. After my recent Innocent World order I also have a hair accessory in all three colours in my pallet, a dark pair of shoes and a bag in the same colour. This will be something that will really help when trying to finish off my coordinates. I have a white pair of shoes and a white bag as well but I think that working on a beige or sax blouse and shoe set might be my next step in 2016.



Three negatives about my wardrobe

4. Most of my purchases are "special occassion" wear.


5. I have purchased more dark coloured and or cold weather items.


6. Even though I bought within my colour scheme I did a lot of impulse buying.

If there's one issue I can put my finger on, it's that I purchase too many items that I would consider "special occasion wear". My fear of frumpy blouses that might make me look heavier also feeds into this as I tend to buy chiffon and silky type blouses instead. As a result I don't have enough items purely for meeting friends casually, which is the majority of my Lolita outings these days.

I feel I need to change the way I think about my colour scheme as well. Navy and brown are dark colours that are usually associated with winter and autumn so it doesn't quite match the weather in Australia, where it's usually 17 degrees Celsius by lunchtime in winter. If I buy prints with a lighter background with navy or brown as accent colours my outfits would look far more lighter and cooler than a completely dark coloured dress.

Best and Worst Purchase of 2015

I'd like to award my best and worst purchase award.

First of all - my worst purchase. This was a tough decision to make but in the end I went with the item that was impulse bought, didn't fall into the planned colour scheme and doesn't suit the weather in Australia.
Congratulations to Snow Crystal Bolero from Baby the Stars Shine Bright.




The best purchase goes to an item, which I thought carefully about buying, was within the colour scheme and works well in the hot Australian climate.
The best purchase of 2015 goes to Baby the Stars Shine Bright - Collection Douce Chocolate Praline JSK in Sax.





Three improvements I can make looking at the above

7. Make a more specific buying guide for 2016.

8. Purchase more warm-weather friendly items.

9. Think about how and when I can wear an item before purchasing rather than if it just "fits" into my colour scheme.

The temporary high of a stable income led to a few impulse buys over the year. The only thing that curbed it was the colour scheme I set up so I'd like to make a more specific buying guide for myself in 2016. This will include what style pieces I could consider buying, what sales to participate in and budgeting to further improve my wardrobe and reduce unnecessary or impulse purchases. 

I would also like to incorporate the following purchasing tip I got from a fashion book: before purchasing imagine three different coordinates using your current wardrobe - this is from "My Basic Note", a fashion book I bought in Japan by "Oggi" fashion magazine editor Naho Mihirogi. In the book the author recommends creating a smart casual coordinate, a coordinate using a different colour and a different coordinate but you could consider a casual coordinate, event coordinate and different colour coordinate just as easily. This way you have less pieces but a wardrobe that you can wear in different styles and situations.


I'd like to continue to post my progress on my buying guide, budget and ideas about making a cohesive wardrobe. This might not be the last you see on this topic. To finish off I'd like to share a couple of pictures from Saturday, which you may or may not know was International Lolita Day. I dressed up in a couple of outfits, my two most recent additions: Mystic Chiffon OP in Navy, which is so gorgeous and Kuma Kumya's Sweet Chocolate! Yes, I finally got it and in the colour way and style I wanted. I'm really looking forward to making some gorgeous coordinates with both these pieces.

Until next time.



Sunday, 29 November 2015

Sailor Melty Moon - the Sailor Soldiers in Angelic Pretty

Hi all, 

When I was about 12 years old a show called Sailor Moon started showing on the morning cartoon show on television. Without knowing much about the origins of the series I became very interested in the show and watched it every morning. 

I began drawing around the same age; Sailor Moon and fashion were two great inspirations for my art. I loved drawing the Sailor Moon characters and designing big poofy ball gowns with bustles and sashes. It really was no surprise that I was enchanted by Lolita fashion when I discovered it later in life. 

I came across Lolita while I was studying Japanese in University. It was my keen interest in the colourful and extroverted fashion that lead me to Lolita and of course it wasn't too long before I began trying to blend my two interests through art.

For me, the bright, poppy colours and prints of Angelic Pretty and the 90s vibe and exuberance of Sailor Moon go together well so this week I've put together some coordinates using items from Angelic Pretty that I think the main characters, Usagi, Ami, Rei, Makoto and Minako would wear. Now, I would just like to note here that art is my hobby, not my profession so while I enjoy drawing I am no expert and do not have professional equipment or skills. However, I've got a huge kick out of selecting the items and drawing the pictures and I'm very excited to share them with you and talk a little about what I chose and why.



Sailor Venus - Aino Minako in Drained Cherry OP


Aino Minako has an energetic though accident prone personality and as Sailor Venus, the soldier of love and beauty, she is the serious and dependable leader. With is in mind, I wanted something fun and romantic with lots of heart shaped accessories. Aino Minako also has a dream to be an idol in the anime and so I wanted something that was popular and a rather recent release. The soft flowing chiffon and modern design of Drained Cherry in Minako's favourite colours, yellow and red, seemed like a stand-out choice. I chose a heart bangle and heart shoes accessories in red to match with her dress and the red ribbon Minako always wears in her hair. 




Sailor Jupiter - Kino Makoto in Dreaming Macaron OP


Sailor Jupiter, or Kino Makoto, is the power house of the Sailor Soldier team, however her hobbies as a cook reveal her to be more feminine than first appearances. Remembering one of my favourite of her scenes in the manga where she wishes to be a good wife, good cook and to open her own florist shop led me to choose Dreaming Macaron in mint. As Makoto is very tall and muscular and doesn't usually fit into average sizes, I deliberately went for the one piece with full shirring and chose Antaina replica Tea Party shoes. I chose accessories in pink to mirror the contasting green and pink colours on Sailor Jupiter's sailor suit. Specifically, I chose the Wonder Cookie necklace because of the cute utensils on it and the Romantic Rose earrings in pink to match the rose coloured earrings Makoto wears in her civilian form and as a soldier of strength and courage.



Hino Rei -Sailor Mars in Recital JSK


I chose the Recital JSK in red for Hino Rei as it reminds me of one my favourite episodes featuring her character when she organises a show at her school. She comes up with the ideas, writes the music and stars in the show and passes this off to everyone as though it's easy although it takes a lot of her time, effort and heart. It spoke of her tendency to show a strong and even aggressive front, which covers her very vulnerable, emotional core. In keeping with this, I chose the bold, simple, structured Recital JSK and matched it with the blouse from the Starlight Theatre series, a series which I also thought would also match this performance theme. I chose Sailor Mars' signature colour and matched the Chelsea Ribbon shoes to the ribbons on the dress and also because of the high heels that the soldier of passion and flame, Sailor Mars wears. 



Mizuno Ami - Sailor Mercury in Drink Me JSK


I think Mizuno Ami is often overlooked as a character in the West; perhaps it's her studious and mild-mannered nature that doesn't match the common outgoing Western personality. Although some may disregard her as a mere geek, Ami often shocks people by keeping up with modern trends. As the Soldier of water and intelligence, she uses her ingenuity to make up for her lack of physical prowess, something I greatly admire. These two characteristics combined kept me away from obvious choices like Marine Sherbert or Dream Marine and steered me towards Drink Me, an individual design for Angelic Pretty, that is a very coveted release. If Aino Minako got up at 5am to make a made a mad dash to the flagship store in Tokyo, Ami would have hired three separate shopping services in the areas where the release was least likely to sell out and would spend the morning studying for an important exam. I love the "Drink Me" tag of the JSK and the bubbly, see-through sleeves of the blouse giving a nod to Sailor Mercury's element. I matched the glitter shoes in gold to showcase Ami's ability to catch those around her by surprise.




Usagi Tsukino - Sailor Moon in Nakayoshi Bunny JSK


I think Sailor Moon is my favourite character; her clumsiness, her hypocritical personality, which can be selfish and selfless, her all encompassing love and ability to be friends with all people has fascinated me for years. I initially considered a few princess-style dresses such as "Secret Princess", which tied in perfectly with her identity as the Princess Serenity. However, as her name literally means rabbit I wanted to include the animal in my choice. I considered a few different rabbit-themed prints like Marshmallow Bunny but in the end I chose an older print, which has a cute details including love heart lace and two furry rabbits but also a slightly clumsy design with lots of fabric bows with round edges and fluffy pom-poms. The name was also a huge factor as Nakayoshi means "close friend", which I think is the greatest thing that Usagi provides for her fellow Sailor Soldiers and it also happens to be the name of the magazine, which originally serialised the manga. As Usagi doesn't go half-measure with anything she loves, I picked the rabbit-ear head dress from the Marshmallow Bunny series, a Pom-Pom blouse and boots to finish off this girly, wintery coordinate. 


What did you think of my coordinates? Have you dressed any of your favourite fictional charters in Lolita? Do you have other dresses you see the sailor soldiers in? Feel free to comment below.

Until next time...

Monday, 23 November 2015

Past Sarah left Present Sarah...a present - Innocent World Unboxing

Hi all...

Well, I was very organised and got myself a birthday present super early this year. Actually, I just bought a whole bunch of stuff from Innocent World and thought it would be more fun to open it for my birthday. The package arrived around the beginning of October and I've been waiting patiently until my birthday on November 22nd to open it. I've been considering buying some accessories recently and my thought process was that getting accessories from one brand would be the best way to get colours and motifs that matched. Do you order accessories from the same brand or do you mix and match? Do you only buy accessories specific to the prints you have?


Ordering and Postage

The ordering system was very easy with clear instructions in English and a cut and paste order form that was easy to do as long as you could have two windows open on the computer at once. I received an "order confirmation" email immediately. I even added an extra item to the order and it was confirmed to be added to my initial order very quickly. I waited a few days and had to email the store for the all the items and shipping price to be confirmed but it was possibly because I didn't read the instructions thoroughly enough. Definitely read instructions thoroughly! That's my big tip for ordering anything from the Internet. Other than this, I was very happy to discover insurance included with my order because I ordered over a certain amount. 





Packaging

The parcel arrived in a box about a metre and a half long. It was a bit embarrassing but exciting to get something so big. There were no dents or damage on the box when it arrived, which was a huge relief. Opening the top flaps of the box, it appeared full to the brim with my order which included a lovely letter from an Innocent World staff member written on custom stationary. Upon opening the side flaps, it was revealed that one side was filled with stuffing and one side was empty, possibly squashed over the last month of storage. Everything was wrapped in bubble wrap, paper or in a box, which meant all the items arrived in perfect condition. Success!





Items

All together I got six items:
  • Striped Ribbon Head Bow in Navy
  • Striped Ribbon Head Bow in Brown
  • Organdy Bow Clip in Beige×Gold
  • Original Crown and Playing Cards Necklace in Gold
  • Braid Ribbon Shoes in Chocolat
  • Ladder Lace Ribbon Bag in Chocolat

I was particularly excited to find that the shoe and bag colour matched. Although next time I'm going to order the shoes a size up as the shoes only just fit me. The shoes and bag are well finished with clean edges and trimmings. 





The hair accessories are also finished cleanly, the parts seem attached securely at this stage. The necklace is gorgeous but I foresee some possible tarnishing. Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase from Innocent World and I hope I will have the opportunity to purchase something from them again in future.



So, how did you like my unboxing post? What are your experiences with Innocent World? I'd be very keen to know. 

Until next time...

Monday, 16 November 2015

Waiting for the Weekend

Hi all...

I apologise for not posting last week, I had some friends stay at the house. I went out this past weekend too so I'm afraid I didn't finish the post I had planned for this week either - just a picture of what's waiting in the back room...


It's my first Innocent World order. To be honest, I didn't expect the box to be this big...

I love the note on the EMS paper "think on behalf of Innocent World" as if I am a company representative. I've always wanted to work for a Lolita brand. -cough-

I'm waiting for my birthday on Sunday to open this package, so come back next week to see the lovely things past Sarah bought.

Until next time...

Monday, 2 November 2015

Tea for one...





Tea for one...


Hi all... 

Whilst I was in the city I was determined to make the most of the precious little time I had to meet with my friends including my frilly ones. I went out in Lolita twice; on Friday and Sunday. I blogged about the Friday meet last week and the second I didn't take any photos of whatsoever! So this week I decided that I would dress up in the same outfit and get some photos.




I was really glad how this outfit turned out.  The mint accents on the Wonder Party skirt matched well with the mint chiffon blouse bringing a light spring air to this coordinate.
Blouse, socks, wrist cuffs: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright
Skirt: Angelic Pretty

However, I thought it would be a shame to only do that so I decided to throw a tea party and invite some of my friends. 


The rapturous rabbit in bodyline is Abbigale and that handsome face wearing Krad Lanrete on the right is Big Ted. 

As the weather favoured it, we had a lovely outside tea party and I went all out and used my special tea set. 

Matching tea set: A pink rabbit for sweet Abbigale and a brown rabbit for the classic Big Ted.

This tea set was made especially for me by my Granny when I was a baby. It has the most gorgeous hand-painted rabbits on it in different colours, even a yellow-green one. I often used it as a kid with my friends and we would have tea parties inside the house. Mum would fill the tea pot full of Milo - I guess I didn't have very refined tastes as a child. I hadn't used the set for well over ten years so it was really special to get it out and have a bit of fun.

I haven't had a tea party like this in ages. It was a lot of fun to catch up with old friends.
Did you have tea parties like this when you were little?

Before my guests departed we took the time to get a few selfies together.



I really had a fantastic time and it made for a great day off. Hopefully the weather stays this nice for a while as I would love to dress up again in the near future. 

Until next time...




Sunday, 25 October 2015

Life's All Fun and Games...and Chocolate


Outing to San Churro in October

Hi all 

Did I just return from a holiday in Perth? I was so busy that I'm almost more exhausted than when I left but I really enjoyed seeing many of my beautiful friends and finally getting the chance to wear lolita fashion outside for the first time since I returned from my working holiday four months ago. 



Saturday, 17 October 2015

Flashback - Halloween Party 2014 at Baby the Stars Shine Bright Kyoto


 
Hi all,

Currently I'm in Perth meeting up with friends and having a relax so it's going to be a short post this week. It's already a year ago that I was getting very excited for the Kyoto Baby the Stars Shine Bright Halloween tea party at the end of October.  We had an evening party at Elk, a pancake franchise in Japan.


Without saying too much I would like to share a few photos from the day. It was lots of fun and great to meet some of the local lolitas including a few frillies from over seas. 







I hope you enjoyed the photos. I will post more about my Perth adventures next week. 

Until next time...
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