Bow-covered Bunnie

Outfit post: Glamour-Goth

noreply@blogger.com (Bunnie) — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Hello twinklebats!

Here's another pre-Japan outfit I was quite fond of.

I was all dolled up for a date night. c;

But I don't kiss and tell!

Dark is beautiful!

Love,

Bunnie

Outfit post: Candy-coated

noreply@blogger.com (Bunnie) — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Hello fairies!

I've been meaning to post these photos for ages!

My darling Belladonna wanted to play with my hair-fluff before the last of the mint color fell out, so she styled me up and did a little shoot at her place.

I absolutely adore the results! She's such a good stylist!

I hope you like them. <3

I'm tempted to filter and pastel-ify them to all hell and back, haha! :D

Ciao!

- Bunnie

Liz Lisa Lucky Pack unbagging!

noreply@blogger.com (Bunnie) — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:24:00 +0000

Hello unicorns!

These past few weeks have really flown by and left me breathless. Japan is so exciting and fast-paced, and everyone is always busy!

But I was able to go frolic in Harajuku last week, and just happened to stumble upon the Summer lucky packs at Liz Lisa! Even more exciting was that they were smaller bags going for about $50, so I could grab one without a second thought. :D

I bought two packs, one to ship off to a friend, and they both were packed into a ridiculously enormous shopping bag. I think I could have fit inside it!

In addition to the actual contents, you also came out with a cute summer tote and floral fabric bag, but on to the exciting part~!

I'm so ridiculously pleased! Each bag contained four pieces: a top, a bottom, a random, and an accessory.

I got a really sweet green plaid sailor top,

This amazing floral romper (that just BARELY fits, lucky!),

and this airy blue summer sweater with a lace cutout.

For the accessory I got a dusty pink leather bow headband, but I'm not sure how I feel about it on my monstrous fluff of hair. Hmm...

And an obligatory worn pic!

Well, sort of. This might be cheating. Are Polaroids cheating? Hahaha.

Expect many future outfits to contain these lovelies. <3

And I'll write again soon, I promise!

Love,

Bunnie

Don Quixote haul and Japanese beauty produtcts!

noreply@blogger.com (Bunnie) — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:26:00 +0000

Hello unicorns!

Shortly after arriving, I realized how much stuff I needed in order to live in a new place! I didn't even bring a towel!

So after a first shopping run, I came home with the most kawaii 'mundane things' I could have hoped for! C:

Pastel hangers
Pink towels
Lavender Rilakkuma house slippers
Mickey Mouse and Pooh film packs for my Instax camera.
Diane floral-scented lotion
Minnie Mouse Peach-scented deodorant spray
Sample packs of Diane bodywashes (I couldn't decide which scent to get!)
Sample packs of Glossy Pixie shampoo/conditioner
Heroine Make Liquid eyeliner pen
Charcoal and citrus 'peeling' face cleanser
Ione blowdry/styling tool

I am so ridiculously pleased with Japanese beauty products, I can't even... :D

If you'd like to see some of these products individually reviewed or know how to get them (through me or otherwise), please comment below! I'll be doing heaps of reviews in the coming weeks, as some of these are quite accessible outside Japan.

Shopping Service now open!

noreply@blogger.com (Bunnie) — Wed, 08 May 2013 06:44:00 +0000

Hello fashionable people!

(Sorry, this is still a work in progress until I can finish writing up full shop lists for different areas and confirming my travel costs, but feel free to contact me and order in the meantime. I won't charge you until you know exactly what to expect!)

I'm officially opening myself up as a Tokyo-area shopping service, and would love to help you make your fashion dreams come true!

I can take orders until July 25th.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss a potential order, please email me at courtneyjlee@gmail.com.
I'm more than happy to clarify things or help you find what you're looking for. C:

Process
1. Email me and confirm the order. When we've decided on the order, I request a 50% deposit on your item before I go pick it up. You can either wait for your Paypal deposit to clear (takes about 3 days), or for $10 extra I'll go and pick it up as soon as you pay.
2. Once I have the item in hand, I'll send you some proof photos (and if it was secondhand let you know the final price), and send you a second invoice for the remainder of the cost. When the entire payment has cleared, I'll ship out your package via your desired shipping method (see below).
3. I'll send you a tracking number and confirmation email, and you can expect your item in 5-21 days (depending on your shipping method!). And if you'd leave me feedback on my EGL page, that would be extra fantastic, but is not required. :)
Large orders ($300 or more) contain free gifts, and extra-large orders may get discounts or extra gifts from the shops themselves, so feel free to ask!

Fees

I charge a 10% flat rate commission, with a minimum $5 charge.

Also, travel costs will be added for any shops outside of my train pass route.

"Free" shops
Harajuku shops: add $4
Shibuya shops: add $4
Shinjuku shops: add $3

Also, my bank appears to be charging a 6% bank exchange fee. So that will be added to your total costs including shipping.

Calendar

Scroll to the bottom of the page to see my shop visiting itinerary!

You can access my calendar anytime, or import it into your own, using this link
.
Okay, so how this works:
if I receive a confirmed SS order or plan to go shopping on my own, I'll add the shops I'm visiting to my calendar. If I'm already going to a shop/area and you place an order, I'll divvy up travel fees between customers and drop the commission minimum.

Say for example you want a $40 ring from AP Harajuku. You see that someone else is sending me to buy a $300 dress that day. So if you let me know and I do both in one day, then instead of paying $5 commission and $ travel, you'll only pay the 10% $4 commission, and you'll only pay half the travel. Of course I also encourage group orders, so please tell your friends and split costs! :)

WTBs/Closet Child

If you've got a wishlist, let's clear it out! If you can commit to buying an item that's on your wishlist, I'll take a 50% deposit on the expected price (to make sure I have enough cash on-hand), and I'll buy it for you on-sight! No matter how many times I have to go back, you'll only pay one travel fee and one commission charge when I find it.
When setting up the deposit/order, I'll ask you for a deadline. You're welcome to make it unlimited (until I leave), or you can set it as short as you like (i.e. have me look for 2 weeks). If I don't find your item within the designated period, I'[ll return your full deposit, minus the one travel fee. At any time, if you find your item elsewhere or want to give up the search, you can let me know and I'll return your deposit as long as I haven't already bought the item.

Assuming I do find your item (!), I'll email you and let you know immediately. I'll ship it out to you as soon as payment clears for the entirety of the item and shipping.

Closet Child moves notoriously fast, so I want to help you find exactly what you're after and not miss out!

Shipping

I will try to ship Airmail, which takes about 1-2 weeks and is untracked It ranges from $4 - $10 for small, light items or $10 - $22 for heavier items. Large packages with many medium/large items (5+) can range upwards of $30 and are better sent via EMS.

I can add tracking to Airmail packages for $8.

For EMS shipping, even little things are around $20. So please ask first and I'll try to find out.

Also, if you really need something in a hurry, please let me know and I'll do whatever I can, but expect a significant cost jump for shipping.

__________________________________________________________

All of this info will also be made permanent in the form of a Page above, so feel free to refer back. Also, I'll be updating info and keeping you all updated on sales and specials as I run across them. Stay tuned!

Love,
Bunnie

A month's worth of lessons from Tokyo

noreply@blogger.com (Bunnie) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 05:42:00 +0000

Hello bunnies!

As I'm settling into my new existence here in Tokyo, I've been learning a lot about myself and what I really want out of life. Sometimes everything has to be turned upside down and shaken out before you really see your life how it is.

Here are some things that Japan has taught me so far.

1. Time is extremely valuable, and the less you have of it, the more you learn about how you'd like to spend it.

2. Long commutes are amazing for editing photos, getting to know someone, reading books/magazines, and taking a deep breath. Just try to go with the flow, and you'll always be happy when you get there. (And try not to elbow any businessmen in the face while you're at it.)

3. No matter how many people are around you, you can still be lonely.

4. Writing everyday will make you feel like a better person.

5. There will never be enough compliments to fill the void.

6. Everyone deserves to be fashionable.

7. You can see yourself as an not like those around you, or you can see yourself as the envy of those around you. It's really a choice.

8. There will always be more clothes, and more sales.

9. No matter where you go, your friends won't love you any less.

10. Document everything. You won't ever regret it.

11. False eyelashes can be kind of life-changing.

12. I want to make everyone happy. It seems to be working out.

13. I have unexplainable good luck, that I don't think I'll ever be able to deserve.

14. Girls can be catty and childish no matter where they hail from.

15. I'm not trashy, I'm American. Know the difference.

16. I'd still be memorable even if I wasn't albino.

17. You'll never be successful by someone else's definition. There's too many definitions. If you can figure out what you really want, you're so much more likely to get it. I think I'm pretty successful.

And lastly: It doesn't matter where I live, I could probably be happy anywhere.

This is kind of a ramble, and maybe it won't make sense to anyone else. But I feel like everyone I've met here so far, and even just some people I've seen on the streets, has had something to teach me. And I'm trying to appreciate it all.

Thoughtfully yours,
- Bunnie

Swimmer haul from LaForet Harajuku!

noreply@blogger.com (Bunnie) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:59:00 +0000

Hello bunnies!

Just a short post today, after school I'm exhausted!

I recently got to make my first pilgrimage to Harajuku, exploring some of the shops and seeing all of LaForet! The bottom floor was a dream come true; Angelic Pretty, Swimmer, Nile Perch, Listen Flavor, and Atelier Perot all packed into one place! I just about fainted. *u*

I came home with a heart full of glitter and a bag full of sweet things from Swimmer.

What I love about Swimmer is the variety of characters and cuteness, and it's all offered at very reasonable prices. They offer stationary, homewares, and general cute stuff.

And even their bags are darling!

I came home with two pairs of socks (at $1.50 each!), a little drawstring pouch, and some sweet printed masks to keep from spreading my cold around on the train.

My own outfit was quite simple. It was dreadfully windy, but still warm.

I love wearing the lavender dress I made.

And the way most people saw it that day. It was hard to take my sweater off for more than two seconds!

Also, keep in mind, if you're interested in buying anything you see here, or anything from the shops/areas I've mentioned, I am open as a shopping service for the greater Tokyo area, so please contact me! I'm also happy to give you a broader idea of what I have access to, and point you toward webs-stores or item links so you can know what's out there.

I hope your day was sparkly!
Love,
Bunnie

Shopping, Shibuya, and Sushi!

noreply@blogger.com (Bunnie) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:06:00 +0000

Hello bunnies!

Sorry it's taking me so long to get back into blogging. Uni here is really kicking my butt, but I'm having fun!

We made our first trip to Shibuya a few days after arrival.

First was a trip to the local greengrocer, and it's pretty amazing how much of a visible difference there is in quality between fresh fruits here and at home. Here, things are sold ripe, and you have to use them within a few days, but everything is sweet and amazing.

The cherry blossoms kissed us goodbye on our walk to the station, floating to the ground around us as we walked, but they were all gone just a few days later.

We went to the most famous part of Shibuya, emerging from the station at the Scramble.

One of the first things visible from the station was the all-men's mall looming over us.

In this part of town, you either spend a lot of time craning your neck up at signs and bumping into people, or missing out on all the best places, because you'll almost be guaranteed that the most interesting shops are above you.

Everywhere you look in Shibuya, the information overload is pretty astounding. I feel like I could come back every day for weeks and still not see everything.

We stopped into a convenience store for some quick snacks, because let's be honest, we're all living off these things,

and I ended up sampling an egg-filled onigiri, a salmon onigiri, and a cantaloupe filled bun with melon frosting. Which is about as questionable as it sounds.

Ryder and Jade were often busy being stupid-adorable, and I was busy being the same as I always am...

By which of course I mean HELLA FABULOUS.

Before the evening was out, I was even stopped by a fashion stylist to be in a street snap! However it was for some small tv-related thing, so there's no link I can point you to that I know of. :(

The evening resolved with us going out for the best eel I've ever had, and some other sushi experiments,

Some of which went down better than others...

So what did I come home with after all that boutique shopping?

Stationary of course!

But really, since our first trip was mostly reconnaissance (and everything at 109 is crazy expensive!), I sated my shopping cravings with some reading material, scrap-booking supplies to start documenting my adventures, and a lipgloss from Liz Lisa that absolutely blows me away! So much so that it is deserving of a separate review, so stay tuned.

Liz Lisa was particularly fabulous, giving you a reusable tote bag with every purchase that I just adore.

As for the books, I picked up Amoscream's new style book (she being one of the top pastelgoth models out there), which is full of fun photoshoots, style guides, and tutorials, the Angelic Pretty mook (I couldn't resist when I saw it for literally half the price it was going for at home!), an 'Oshare Note' from Liz Lisa, and a Kyary Pamyu Pamyu poster that a friend received for free with a cd she bought, and was kind enough to gift to me! ;u;

Now let's be honest, I mostly bought the AP book because I wanted the free gift: a black Sugary Carnival tote bag! But hey, $15 is an incredibly good price even for a tote bag from AP, let alone the magazine! Hahaha. It's a really lovely bag, too. Sturdy canvas, lined, with a flap pocket and a snap closure, and the straps are made of a comfortable pleather that doesn't fold easily, and are long enough to sling onto your shoulder.

The actual mook is also quite fun, with some really creative photoshoots using AP products, and a history of all their most famous items, as well as several print samples and coordinating tips.

Amoscream's book does several magazine-style articles in Amo's gorgeous pastelgoth/bubblegoth style,

from 'must-haves' to '7 items 7 days', and is a lot of fun to read and flip through. It's my new pastelgoth bible.

I'm sorry for the lack of shop photos, but they're very strict about not taking photos of their items here! I don't entirely understand it, but there are 'no photo' signs posted in almost every shop. If you'd like me to write up a more general article on Shibuya shops and 109, please leave me a comment!

Ta-ta for now, I have more studying to do!

Love,
Bunnie

Japan Adventure Magic Continuation Go! Day 2!

noreply@blogger.com (Bunnie) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:11:00 +0000

Hello sugarbunnies, C:

Day two of Magical Japan Adventure was significantly more eventful than the first! With significantly less grump, and significantly more delicious snacks!

Bright and early, we found ourselves scurrying through Saitama in torrential rains. We were all too happy to make our way to our new student orientations at the Sophia campus.

The first thing that struck me about Sophia University was the colors.
It was almost surreal the way so many things, on campus and off, seemed to separate into natural palettes,

from the concrete grays of inner-city buildings,

to the orderly layouts and decor of the buildings on campus,

to the naturally separating colors of the surrounding areas,

The rain gave everything a pale, misty hue,

including the cherry blossoms.

I suppose I fit the theme myself.

Today's Outfit

I wore my usual partner in crime, my DreamV jacket,

scarf and rose bands from Daiso,

my new Liz Lisa style bag from Taobao,

and the beret I made ages ago.

Of course, not having a decent mirror at home, you'll have to forgive the bathroom selfies.

And I wasn't able to get any decent pictures of the outfit without the jacket (not that I had a chance to take it off! Brr!)

Jayson, Mireille, and Naomi. Piisu!

Later on in the evening, we attended a reception for the newly incoming international students at Sophia University, where there was a strange array of Japanized 'international' food (shrimp and cheddar pizza, anyone? How about shrimp and mayo sandwiches?)

And I'll eat my hat if Mireille's hair isn't the cutest thing you've seen all day. But do keep in mind, I made that hat.

Another short-ish post, and I've got so much catching up to do, but I'm too busy having more adventures! I'll get you all caught up when things start to get boring, hahaha! C:

Sayounara!
- Bunnie

Greetings from Tokyo! First day in Japan!

noreply@blogger.com (Bunnie) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:03:00 +0000

Ohayou gozaimasu, bunnies!

I'm happily writing this from my laptop in my new dormitory in Saitama, Japan! C:

I have lots to share already, and have been dying to get this post out. :D

My first few days were somewhat boring, so we'll try to skip past all that and get to the good parts!

Day 1: April 1st

The only thing that got fooled on this day was my internal clock. Waking up at 7am in Seattle, getting on a plane at noon, being on said plane for ten hours, then arriving in Tokyo at 2:30pm the next day, then having a 3 hour commute to my new dormitory, and an even longer period before i could sleep while I filled out paperwork and waited for our manager to 'get around' to giving us a tour of the dorms. Total travel time: 22 hours. Grump level: 90%. 3:<

First impressions:

Riding the train from the countryside to the city was really beautiful. Seeing the endless sakura-blossoms transform into high-rise city was really fun. I wish I could have taken pictures, but it was just too much trouble to try and get my nikon out of my overstuffed carryon on a crowded train.

I was so excited to see my dormitory! It's tiny, and the bed is actually a futon on top of raised storage (kind of interesting), but it actually works for me really well. There's a ton of storage built in to everything, and I'm loving the way I can organize my accessories and decorate the shelving next to my desk. The only thing I really miss is a full-length mirror!

Yes, you're seeing this right. The bed is tiny/super-short (I barely fit into it at 5'3"!), and the little stair at the entrance is where we leave our house-slippers. That is a big thing here. No shoes anywhere inside the building! It takes some getting used to, for sure.

Ugly curtains, but I've got a cute little mini-fridge all to myself, and a hanging rod to store drying clothes, towels, and petticoats!

And now for some exhausted outfit shots:

Top: Liz Lisa

Skirt:Gift

Tights: Taobao

Necklace: Betsey Johnson

Pearl Bracelets: Forever 21

Not pictures: Boots from Taobao

-whump-

~_~

Temporary Hiatus :T

noreply@blogger.com (Bunnie) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 19:11:00 +0000

Hello gorgeous!

Maybe you've noticed, but I wasn't able to get a post out this weekend! ; 3;
As grumpy as I am about it, I've run out of pre-scheduled posts earlier than I would have liked.

These next two weeks for me involve:
-finals (eek!)
-getting packed up and moved out of my apartment
-actually packing my suitcase for Japan, and deciding which clothes to take with me (so hard!)
-doing lots of boring moving-related activities and signing lots of paperwork
-finishing up the last of my study abroad paperwork and talking to some school peeps (yes there's still more!)
-minimizing my closet and trying to sell off anything that would love a new home (please check my Storenvy if you like, it would mean the world to me to have some extra spending money in Tokyo! :D)
-spending some much-needed quality time with my darling Birdie and my amazing friends
-seeing all of my family in the area and catching up before I run off

So i'm hoping that this will be a short break, and I can at least write a few posts during my week off/packing week, but if not, you might not hear from me again until I'm in Tokyo!

In other exciting news, my darling (and very talented) little sister Razzy Lee, is helping me re-design my blog layout and banner! I'm so excited to see it all come together. I'm starting to think that cute is in our blood. ;D

There will be many exciting things happening here at BCB, so look forward to it!

Love,
Bunnie

How to edit iPhone photos: iPhone editing workflow

noreply@blogger.com (Bunnie) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Hello sugarplums!

I've just got a quick tutorial here, but I wanted to show you all what a dramatic difference that iPhone apps can make to your photos, with very little time input!

The steps are somewhat self-explanatory, but here's my workflow:

1. Snap a quick picture using either the built-in camera app, or one of the more precise camera apps. i'd recommend CameraAwesome, Camera+ or Pro HDR if you're in a high-contrast/backlit place. (High Dynamic Range means that your camera will even out really bright areas and really dark areas without turning everything gray).

2. Use Snapseed to even out contrast and brighten the photo without reducing quality.Snapseed is the best I've found by far for evening out brightness, white balance, and contrast.

3. Use a 'skin-smoothing' filter to pretty yourself up and even out the color! I'd recommend Beauty Booth or Camera 360 if you want to change the overall tone of the photo, or use MoreBeaute if you just want to smooth the skin!

4. Use Princess Cam or Rakuga-Cute to add decorations and fake makeup!After adding their most recent packs, Rakuga-Cute is my favorite. Their makeup pack was totally worth the money, and it has more functionality than any other purikura app.

5. If you like, crop/post your masterpiece to Snapeee, Instagram, or your choice of social network!

And my finished product (before cropping).

I'm really impressed how dramatically simple iPhone apps can sweeten up snapshots and outfit photos! (And I hope you like the outfit! <3 p="">
That's all for now!
Love,
Bunnie

Post Rewind: How to find and write to Kawaii Pen-pals!

noreply@blogger.com (Bunnie) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 18:00:00 +0000

Sweet stationary by A-Little-Kitty on Deviantart

I consider letter-writing to be one of those things that really makes my dreams of Victorian romance come alive. A lot of us sort of unwittingly pile up stationary items, their being so cheap and adorable, and then don't know what to do with them!

I'll agree that having a really sweet-looking shopping or to-do list makes life a little better, but weren't those lovely pieces intended for something better?

It's hard to find a pen-pal if you don't know where to look, and I feel silly asking friends I see every few days to write letters back and forth with me. Unless they are into Lolita or Victoriana themselves, a lot of people just don't get the appeal.
But in steps the internet and solves all our problems once again!

I've found two communities for finding a Lolita pen-pal specifically:

I currently keep up with two pen-pals myself, one in Georgia and one in Philly, and I hope to go visit them both someday!

Often, if all goes well, you'll find some cute paper, find a pen-pal, sit down at your desk with your quill pen (or other adorable writing apparatus), and realize...

" I don't have naything interesting to say!!"

Now, I can't tell you who you are, or what you know, or even what you might find in common with another girlie, but as far as general letter-writing goes, I've found some resources that at least helped me get off the ground. (I'm seriously addicted to articles. I really don't do anything these days without reading a how-to first! >u<)

General guide to Letter Writing
A little eHow blurb on Cute Letter Writing
The Art of Manliness is a deceptively-named blog all about retaining a gentlemanly demeanor in the modern age, and he gave an article on The Art of Letter Writing as well

All I really have to say on the matter is: don't feel like you have to limit yourself to the things you know you have in common. Venture forth, and share some of your favorite bands, artists, movies, hobbies, etc. Building a friendship is all about getting to know one another, and the best way to do that is by finding common ground and telling fun stories.

A suggestion though, it is always a good idea to introduce yourself to some extent when you start out. Throw out some 'defining characteristics' about yourself, and ask your friend about theirs. From there, it makes life much easier when you're putting little gifts into letters, or even buying each other Christmas presents!
It all depends on you two whether you ever decide to do handmade swaps, clothing trades, give gifrs, etc.
But generally speaking, I find making a new friend and sending them pretty letters to be very rewarding. Not to mention the surprise and glee that comes from finding regular treasures in your mailbox!

I think I'll do a future post about gifts that fit into standard letters, since what with the rising costs of shipping, it's getting harder and harder to share the fluffy love. I've found several things that work well without putting in too much extra money.

XOXO,

Bunnie <3 nbsp="">

How to: DIY cheap buttons into ribbon rosettes!

noreply@blogger.com (Bunnie) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 18:00:00 +0000

Hello my bedazzled cuties!

I just saw these cute rosette pins on a tumblr I follow here

I think these are really versatile, and making them seemed pretty easy, so I decided to have a go at it with stuff I had around the house!

The easiest way is to start with some pin-on buttons already made, but if you don't have any that fit the bill, you can also glue some fabric over a bottle cap and get equally cute results!

Materials

Pre-made cute plastic buttons with pins on the backs

OR alternatively: safety pins or brooch pins
Some cute fabric scraps
Large buttons/discs of any kind. You could even use bottle caps!

Ribbon
Lace, more ribbon, or thinner fabric that can be gathered
Hot glue gun

How to

1. Grab a button and some of your notions, and try out different color combinations until you're happy with it.

2. Break out the hot glue, and dab a little pearl onto your button. They key is to start small, and keep it from trailing strings by wiping the tip on the button before pulling away.

3. Quickly glue the lace/ribbon/fabric onto your button, and glue it on in 'pleats' as you go. Either that, or just scrunch it as you go for a less unicorn look.

Here's my button after one pass with the lace. Scrunching it a bit will let the lace lay flat, but it takes some serious pleating/scrunching to get it to ruffle.

After a second pass with the lace. I glued the second layer to the first to get the effect of different lengths of lace. I also scrunched it a lot more to get more ruffle/volume.

You could leave it off here, and have a super cute round button!

Or...

4. Cut length(s) of ribbon and glue them to the bottom to give it the 'award ribbon' feel.

When mixed with other buttons, they give a really nice variation!

But first, I'll show you another one I did.

A super-sweet melting bat pin from my darling Shellee!

With blue lace!

With a little bow made from bias tape!

And then with some polka dot ribbon and pearl trim!

All together now!

They make all your other buttons look a little bit fancier! I might trim another one or two just with lace so there's lots of variation, but I like this look much more.

Have fun, and if you make some, please let me know! I'd love to see!
ლ(＾ω＾ლ)

And if you have any requests for other tutorials, comment below!

Love,
Bunnie

Birthday Haul!

noreply@blogger.com (Bunnie) — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 18:00:00 +0000

Hello sweet peas!

I just turned 23! On 2/23/13 no less, so it was a particularly lucky Golden Birthday! :D
-confetti-

I still have yet to get the pictures back from my actual party, but I'm working on a video involving my outfit!

I had a lovely time, though. I got together with lots of other gorgeous Lolis and enjoyed some sushi and cocktails. C:

But boy did everyone spoil me rotten!

A Liz Lisa dress from Jackie, a Novi Star, matching eyeshadow palette, melting sunglasses and Alpacasso keychain from Shellee/Gothlita (the Novi Stars look like little uchuu kei models, and each doll does something unique!), Envelope phone case from Jenii (as seen in my Valentines post!), strawberry pencil case, diamond bottle-topper, and pink Betsey Johnson necklace from Rebecca, antique tin, mint/pink bracelets, tiara'd bunny ears, rose brooch and sparkly ring, and cat and bunny pochettes from Lynne, and sweet cards from Kelsey and Gina!

I'm so starstruck! *u* I can't believe everyone was so generous, and I have so many lovely things to take to Japan with me! I can't wait to wear everything. (Well, honestly, I've already worn the Liz Lisa dress since receiving it, and you'll have to pry the tiara/bunny ears off of my cold dead body)

I was so touched, and was so glad to get to see all of my friends before leaving. There should be at least one more meet in March before I go, but I really wanted to see everyone. <3 p="">
But before all that, I was spoiled rotted by my wonderful Birdie! I feel like his deserves its own picture, since he bought me a whole coordinate!

A Hellbunny dress, necklace, and Cuban-heeled stockings, all from my favorite local boutique, Trendy Wendy!

He also said that if the dress wasn't my favorite, I could take it back and trade it for another one. But it's so hard to choose! ; 3;

I do really like having a dress that Birdie picked for me himself. Not only does he really support my love of fashion, but he is even willing to give me opinions and advice, and put up with all sorts of frilly-babble. Having something that he loved makes it that much more special to me, and will make me think of him when I wear it. <3 p="">
Okay, I have to get back to writing papers and being boring, but you may have noticed the purikura bits on my photos! I'm learning how to decorate/edit photos in photoshop, so I'm excited to start decorating my own homemade purikura, and making my photos a little more sparkly! (I promise not to overdo it, though!)

Love and roses,
Bunnie <3 p="">

7 1/2 ways to find new frilly friends!

noreply@blogger.com (Bunnie) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:11:00 +0000

Photo from weheartit

Hello moonbeams!

I feel like the Lolita community here in Seattle has grown pretty exponentially since I started actually wearing Loli and going out myself. That being said, it's pretty hard to find a good community to go out and flounce with in most parts of the world. And as many Lolita friends as I have, I really wish I could go out with friends in other J-fashion styles as well!

So what is a pretty pastel pop princess to do?

Be proactive!
So no matter what your place, space, or face, I've got a few ideas to make some new friends that share your interests! C:

1. Search Facebook and Livejournal groups, and see if there isn't a group nearby already!

It took me quite a while going from EGL to realize that there was a local Washington Lolitas community, let alone one that is quite active! If it's Lolita you're after, EGL has a directory page for all the local communities out there (not sure how recent it is, though).

Sometimes you'll find dead/abandoned communities and web sites. Contact the group mods or site administrator and ask if you can take over or if they have moved. If you don't get a response in a week, it's probably best to just start fresh.

2. Find the facebook pages and livejournal communities for your favorite fashions, and ask around there if anyone lives in your area!

You might get really lucky and make some new friends right off the bat!

3. Make a facebook group for your favorite fashion, for your area/region, and tell people about it!

It's easier than it sounds, but the hard part will be finding people to join it! If you have any friends that might like to frolic with you, invite them first, and post on the page asking people to let others know about it! I also recommend leaving it open so that anyone can search and find it as your community starts to grow!

4. Comment on your favorite blogs, and try to get to know the bloggers better!

We bloggers REALLY love it when people respond; it makes us feel like we're not talking out into a big empty void of internet space. ~~(shwoOOOoooooOOO00ooo...) o_o;
For many of us, the whole point of blogging is to hopefully connect with some other people who are like us, and enjoy the same things! If you follow the same blog and continue responding to the same blogger, you'll be creating an ongoing conversation, and that will make it easier to take the plunge and get to know each other better! (Plus, what could be better than having blogger pen pals to send cute things to?!)

5. Introduce some of your local friends to the joy of J-fashion!

Post some pics on Facebook, connect your accounts together, ask if anyone would like to try on your cute clothes and go out! See if some of the people you already know and love might not like to be a 'princess for a day' or try out something fun and new!

6. Put the 'social' into your social networking!

Tumblr, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, Snapeee, Girls pic, etc... All of them are ways to see cute pictures, yes, but think about the people who MADE those cute pictures and articles and tweets, and show them some love! They'd love to hear some positive reinforcement, or how you're inspired to try out their tutorial! Connecting with your favorites is a sure way to make friends. And try tag searches too! Tell the other fairy-kei, hime-gyarus, Lolitas, pastelgoths, creepy cuties, or ulzzangs to keep it up!

7. Be open to talking to new people about your fashion statements!

I realize this one will sort of have to 'come to you'. It has definitely taken some time with me. But it seems like every so often, someone is genuinely curious and inspired by my cutesy, girly way of dress, and I've made some new friends through it! Be open to chatting with people that comment on your outfit if they seem genuine. I've been swept into boutiques, invited into a bar by the owner, taken photos with groups of friends, given directions to a million tourists, and have had impromptu umbrella/parasol duels! Life has a way of 'finding you' when you're unique, so roll with it!

Also, the friends you make through that process may not be frilly, or they may just not be frilly RIGHT NOW. I've made a few friends that turned out to be into deco, one that's excited to try out boystyle, and one that wants to try on my dresses and go out with me!

Hopefully all that will find you a few new buddies, in your area or out, with whom you can share your love of pastel/spikes/care bears.

And if all else fails, I'm always here, and i"d love to hear from you! Whether you're brand new, just an admirer of the fashions, or a daily 'lifestyle' wearer, I'd love to connect with you! Feel free to comment here, or send me an email! :D

<3 p="">Bunnie

Vancouver, B.C. Haul and Valentines!

noreply@blogger.com (Bunnie) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 05:33:00 +0000

Hello diamonds!

I've taken much too long to write this post, but it's been a crazy week!

Birdie and I went on a long weekend-getaway over the Valentines'/Presidents' Day weekend.
One last hurrah before I leave him for Japan. ;n;

I'd never been to Canada before, despite Seattle being so close!

I took a few photos, and wanted to show off my discoveries at the local shops!

I got to experience a Tim Horton's.

Boyfriend wouldn't stop laughing at me for insisting on it,

but I had to! How could anyone say no to a heart-shaped

Valentines' Day doughnut?!

It was strawberry filled, with strawberry candy on top,

and it was WONDERFUL.

So he can suck it. Yolo, and all that.

As for my haul!
I got to experience a Topshop for the first time, which was pretty exciting for me.
I've seen all the lovely things snagged by gorgeous UK bloggers.

I think this would actually have to be my favorite find. A leather laser-cut studded collar!
There is so much amazing going on here, I can't even...
I was really surprised to find it in a Western shop!
It's some pretty serious soft-grunge/creepy-cute chic!

These AMAZING tights came home with me too!
Spoiler alert: you'll be seeing them again very soon in my next outfit post!

I snagged this gorgeous fur set as well.
They had them in RGB colors! I think they were meant to be a sort of mix-and-match, but I can't imagine how one could work a blue cap with a green collar. :/

Not pictured are: plain brown thermal tights, white ankle socks with back-bows, purple sparkly socks with black lace trim (as a gift for my beloved Shell-Bell), and a pair of lavender '1969 skinny' jeans from Gap. I'd been thinking lately about getting a pair or two of pastel jeans for my Gyaru, creepy-cute, and soft-grunge experiments, and they jumped out at me on super-clearance!

More than anything, I can't believe how much weight I've lost since I last bought jeans!

I'm down from a US 10 to a US 4! Crazy!

But it's been a long, llooong time since I bought pants, I tell you what.

Also, talk about spoiled!

Having been short of time and space, I hadn't actually packed an outfit to wear on the train home.

I got to coordinate all my new shinies and wear them home! Very comfortably, no less. ;u;

Overall, it was fabulous to get in some R&R right in the thick of things.

We left right after midterms, and now I'm moving into working on my final projects, and moving out of my apartment.

Time to get srs bzns about those boxes!

Even better though was coming home to find this in my mailbox!

Eee! An enormous Valentines package from my darling pen-pal Jeni!

She sent me this crazy array of chocolate, stickers, and MAGIC.

Somehow she managed to read my mind, and my intense longing for an envelope purse, and sent me this amazing letter phone case!

I love the little crown! It looks like an invitation to a royal gala. Hmmyes.

I just don't understand how anyone can not collect stickers!

The boyfriend has tried to explain it to me. He really has.

I just can't.

So much candy!

And an adorable Transformers valentine. XD

Several photos, and a cute letter.

But upon closer inspection of the photo-holder....

Well then... :T

Umm... Hm.

Lol, I thought that was too weird/funny/morbid.

Anywho, if you'll excuse me, I have a pile of chocolates to attend to...

Homf nomf nomf,

Bunnie

Outfit post!

noreply@blogger.com (Bunnie) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:00:00 +0000

Hello my bubblegum alpaca queens!

(Hmm, that one needs work...)

Life is very crazy right now, but so exciting! My birthday is this Saturday the 23rd, and I'll be turning 23! Hooray! 23rd birthday on 2/23/13. I feel like that's significant, because of reasons. >:3

More reasons to PARTY! I'm probably already drinking by the time you're reading this! >:D

-cough- I mean...

I'm also counting days until Tokyo! I can't believe I'm really going! It just seems way too good to be true. But I'll be leaving March 31st, and coming back August 1st! If anyone is interested in using me as a shopping service, please click the pagey-link above!

But without further ado, let's get on with some serious outfit business!

This one is pretty old, I'm still making my way through some photo archives before I get caught up!

I feel like my gyaru eye-makeup has been improving a lot over time, but part of it is figuring out what liner styles go best with which lashes!

This was a gyaru coord I put together to 'apply' to this local gyaru-sa, or at least their webpage from several years ago. :S Needless to say, I never heard back, and I think they disbanded. u_u So I'm starting a new gyaru-sa! I made a facebook group and everything! I hope it grows from a little facebook-a-pillar into a beautiful Gyaru-fly!

This outfit will always be extra nostalgic for me, because this is what I wore out the first time I met my darling Birdie. n...n -blush-
We met on a dating site, and he sounded really interesting, so I took the plunge and contacted him first! Going out for drinks together was scary, but so exciting! Obviously, 11 months later, things worked out quite well. ;D

It seems like the shirt is a reflection of how quickly time has passed. The red bits were foiled when I first got it, but now I've worn it/washed it so many times all the foil wore off.

I never took real photos of this outfit (oops!), but I loved my deco glasses too much not to share! I literally just used some eyelash glue to temporarily glue some sprinkles to my glasses, as well as a sticky-back pearl.

I think this may have been one of my first inclinations toward a more creepy-cute/cult party style. How can you NOT love a Domo shirt?!

My outfits from Sakura-con! I decided to try and represent my three favorite styles over the three days: Sweet Lolita, Classic Lolita, and Hime-Gyaru. Obviously day 1 was Sweet-Lolita! Even better is that that was my natural hair! I dyed it purple right before the con, and fluffed the hell out of it to get those twin-puffs!

Another picture with my best friend Gothlita. I really loved her dress, and now her hair is that color!

I could NOT be bothered long enough to take an outfit shot!! There was SHOPPING to do!

This was my ""OMG OMG OMG REAL BRAND, IN REAL LIFE"-hyperventilates- picture. XD

"I'm too fluffy for this crap!"3:<
Can you tell that I went through two wigs that day? I bought a few wigs on clearance from one of the cosplay sellers, and had to WEAR IT RIGHT THEN OMG. I thought it was an improvement, though.

<3 hair="" much="" p="" red="" so="">

Lastly but not leastly, Himegyaru day! This is with my coat on, showing off them purty lashes.

The room was too dark to take photos, and it was hard to find a good mirror elsewhere in the hotel!

When I got home I stripped off the coat and took one last pic, I like this one the best.

BONUS PIC!

Sometimes, you find a mysterious spill of Froot Loops on the ground with no explanation of its origins.

Sometimes you're carrying around a complimentary 'puking rainbow' prop.

Sometimes you just have to start puking rainbows!

Things happen sometimes, ok?

-cough- Anyway...

I really liked this one. Cincher + flowing dress + fur-topped boots = love.

Another jump into 'goth-esque' style for me.

I think maybe pastelgoth suits me better, but I also love traditional styles of gothic!

A somewhat untraditional Classic Lolita coord.

I sure do love those boots/purse!

Makeup and wig.

I'm not so sure about the split tone wig on me.

Maybe I should sell it? It's great quality, but I don't feel like it's my style.

Technically just me being silly at Gothlita's house.

Simple outfit. I'm not even sure what style this would be!

I felt super cute nonetheless, and I got to try out my new fake teddy-bear buns!

They match my hair really well! <3 p="">

Whew, that's a lot of outfits! I'll get caught up eventually, I promise! XD

I still have a long way to go, but maybe that's a good thing? Hmm...

Ciao, honey bunnies!

Bunnie <3 p="">

Lolita 52: 5 movies for Lolitas

noreply@blogger.com (Bunnie) — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 17:00:00 +0000

Hello darlings!

Man, the Lolita 52 is already stretching my brain! Which is probably good for me, hahaha. n_n

But really, coming up with five movies that would be specifically enjoyed by Lolitas (without mentioning Mr Rococo or Kamikaze girls) is pretty difficult! But I've racked my brain for all the movies that made me feel the most princessey and elegant, and made me want to be a better doll-face!

Only one of the lovely leading ladies in these films is supposed to be an actual princess (Sailor Moon), however I feel that being a princess is more about a certain attitude, outlook, and maiden-like sweetness. Any girl can act like a princess, and be seen as one by those around her.

1. Breakfast at Tiffany's

Audrey Hepburn was undeniably beautiful, charming, and elegant. This movie is really much more romantic and real than I was expecting. Audrey is sort of a 'modern princess', using her beauty to lure men into taking care of her, without ever giving up her freedom or her dignity. She uses her diamonds and velvet to hide the chaos that is her life and her sense of self, and eventually meets a man who is in a very similar situation to her own. The rest will speak for itself, but overall, I think Audrey is still a very vivid representation of how one can be in a constant state of chaos and disorganization, and still pull it together when it counts.

2. The Seven-Year Itch

Bearing the most iconic image of her whole career, and thus the whole reason we say when your petticoats are getting away from you that you are 'pulling a Marilyn', is this lovely oldie.

Sharing a hair-color with Marilyn, I've been infatuated with her movies and her image for a long time.

This was the first movie of hers I"d watched, and I'd only heard about what a sex-bomb she was, so I didn't really know what to expect. But seeing her mild, sweet charm, contrasted with everyone else's assumptions about her, made me feel a whole new connection to this bombshell. Her sex appeal comes despite her sweetness, and her chasteness. She doesn't have to be aggressive or show skin to be thought of as an unparalleled beauty.

3. The Last Unicorn

I think the Unicorn from this film might be my favorite character of all time.

Wise, old, and kind, she wishes for no more than to see her kind in the world. Realizing that they are gone, she treks across her world, her heart breaking at the sadness that has become of the world outside her forest. Everywhere she turns there is corruption and cruelty, but she continues onward, untainted, to fulfill her goal of finding 'the others'. Even being forced into human form, she never turns to any form of deceit or aggression, but ends up getting her way through persuasiveness and cleverness.

4.Sailor Moon SuperS: Black Dream Hole

I believe there is an English dubbed version of this movie available, as well as a subbed, for those of you that preferred Miss Moon is English.

I have to admit, I haven't seen all of the Sailor Moon movies yet. I'm still working my way through the show, and I watch the movies after completing each respective series.

However, Black Dream Hole had several things about it that I loved. For one, Chibi Moon finally is taken out on her own, and gets a chance to grow up and develop, without the constant protection of her sister/mom and friend/dad (yeah, the reincarnation thing is still weird to me, lol).

And the flute melody stuck with me for weeks after seeing this movie.

But overall, it's just a wonderful representation of the magic and wonder that is Sailor Moon.

Sailor Moon never wants to kill/hurt another person. The monsters/daimons/demons are set apart in that they are golems created from objects, and only have a destructive goal in mind.

But the villains in Sailor Moon, time and time again, are always shown in many lights. They have their reasons for what they do, and Sailor Moon will always try to reach out to them and save them from their destructive goals or the evil that manipulates them, turning to violence only as a last resort. It's hard not to respect someone that is so loving even to those that won't appreciate it.

5. Kiki's Delivery Service

Kiki's Delivery Service is the best 'princess movie' of the Ghibli films, I think.

Kiki is cheerful and optimistic, and initially she is very clumsy and ignorant. But she learns quickly, and grows with everything that happens to her. She always wants to see the good in people, not because she is stupid, but because she is brave. In return, the world is kind to her. You get to watch her grow up very quickly, and I think she is such a wonderful example of what life is like when you are kind, friendly and open to everyone around you.

I can't imagine where my life would be right now if I had shot down a number of chance encounters.

They didn't seem all the extraordinary or important at the time, but looking back I can see so many ways that my life could have turned out very boring and terrible by now, if I hadn't jumped on all the chances offered to me. A princess is always ready for whatever is in front of her, simply because she chooses to be.

Okay, lovely girls, this turned into a long rambling post, but I hope you enjoyed it.

I'm a very dreamy, romantic girl myself, and I like to secretly think myself a maiden/princess/unicorn/mermaid at any given point in the day.

But you know what?

Feeling like everything is a strange and wonderful adventure has turned many things into strange and wonderful adventures. I don't regret my daydreams for a second.

Don't ever think of your life as boring, or it will be!

Now go chase some rainbows!

Love,

Bunnie <3 p="">

Post revamping + site maintenance

noreply@blogger.com (Bunnie) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 17:32:00 +0000

Hello dolly doves!

Maybe you've noticed that my archive has suddenly shrunk!

After pulling all my photos off of Picasa (where they were being publicly shared without my permission!), many of my photos disappeared from blog posts, and I hadn't gotten around to individually uploading photos and changing links on all my posts.

I think now is as good a time as any to start fresh! I feel like my writing has improved a lot over time, so I'm going to take the opportunity to redo many of these posts, uploading the original photos and adding some new ones where appropriate!

Hopefully some of my old things may prove useful to you! I'll be tagging all of these posts with the phrase "Post Rewind", so you'll know it's redone!

Wish me luck! <3 p="">
Love,
Bunnie <3 p="">

New meme! Lolita 52: 5 pieces that every Lolita wardrobe should have

noreply@blogger.com (Bunnie) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 18:12:00 +0000

Hello darlings!

I'm such a sucker for lists, I really am. I saw the Lolita 52 chalenge over on F Yeah Lolita and was immediately like:

SO LETS DO THIS!!

I just hate limiting things to Lolita though. As much as I love the fashion, lots of girls treat it like a be-all end-all. Either you are Lolita or not-Lolita. Hmph. :T

So I'm going to answer the questions, and also address them in terms of other fashions, when I deem so useful! :D

Question 1: 5 pieces that every Lolita wardrobe should have, regardless of style.

(Alternate title: Oh lawd, this bitch is getting all up in her photoshop....)

1. A dress/skirt in each of your main '3 colors'.

For sweets, this may be different pastels and/or white.

For classic, these may be white, cream, brown, florals, dusty rose, etc.

For gothic, this probably includes black, but also white and your favorite accent color. Whether that is gray, pink, or moitie blue, having a major piece in your favorite accent color makes it much easier to acquire and coordinate accessories to match. And a black overdress with a black underskirt just doesn't have the same 'pop', you know? :1 As tempting as it is to buy all black, having at least one dress in an 'off color' will really give you more creative options for gothic coords. You'll be glad you did it!

Now I say at least 3 colors because we all have a few 'favorites', right? Well, for me, I really love rainbows, and I really like pretty much color except bright greens and oranges, so it's hard for me to pick! However, having your 'favorites', and viewing what color things you buy most often, will make it much easier to make better coordinates with less pieces.

That was one of my beginner mistakes: grabbing things in every color as I found good deals, irregardless of whether they went with anything I already had! I've had to let go of many things for that reason.

2. An accessory that you love so much you're willing to coordinate around it

For me right now, it's this gorgeous choker made for me by a friend. <3 p="">

(And my Minnie Mouse ears. They go with everything!)

I think one of the best ways to stretch your creativity is to find something you want to wear so much that you're willing to try everything else around it so you can wear it all the time. It's a great way to try some new combinations.

3. A dress that is ridiculously simple

Now when I say simple, I don't mean it has to be plain, but I do generally mean print-less, or at least where the print is very low-key.

Why do I say this?

Well, I feel like a lot of OTT outfits end up looking not particularly well done. The problem is, especially if you're wearing brand, every piece tends to be an 'accent piece', with lots of eye-catching details, and when you start layering into a full outfit, lots of those details get lost or look cluttered!

The solution to this could be to buy plainer accessories for your intricate dresses, but what if your heart is set on the bunny purse, the embroidered capelet, the plastic bangle/necklace set AND the detail-printed socks? If you have a thing for accessories with detail (and who doesn't? Seriously!), then you should have at least one plainer dress/skirt that won't clash with your other details or fight for attention.

4. Something luxurious

Whether it's a velvet winter dress, a real gold bracelet, freshwater pearls, or a fur coat, you should have something for your 'formal' occasions that makes you feel the part.

Feeling elegant and dressed up can be important for some occasions, and even if you are normally inclined toward covering yourself in AP teddy bear and ice cream prints, the weddings, graduations, and other formal occasions will still come up.

You can often get away with wearing simpler Lolita coordinates to these kinds of events, but put away the treasure chest purse and eyepatch, and maybe opt for a pearl necklace and fur stole instead.

5. A good camera!

Yes, this is not an item of clothing.

Why am I telling you to wear a camera?

This shit just got bananas.

But seriously. You've just spent a ridiculous amount of time doing your makeup, getting your wig/hair all styled up, piling on the pettis and putting on your meticulously coordinated outfit, and now you're going to go out to a meet and HOPE that someone else will get a good picture of you?

NOT ON MY WATCH.

You're gorgeous, and you should want to remember that look! So get out your camera, enlist your boyfriend/sister/mom/self-timer, and make some memories!

We're quickly heading in the direction where a cell phone camera can actually fit the bill. If you've got an iPhone 4 or up, a nice Droid, etc, I'll leave you alone. But nothing has made me sadder than when I think back to some of the best coords I've ever made, and how I never bothered to take pictures of them!

I hate doing repeat performances, and try to never wear the same coord twice.

If you need a good, reasonably priced camera, the picture above is my best recommendation. I had one of these for quite some time, and the low-light photos (generally really terrible with point-and-shoots), were mind-blowing. I ended up losing mine somehow, and ended up just springing for a DSLR to replace it, but DSLRs do NOT come cheap. We're talking like $500-700 minimum investment.

But with this little fellow, I could take all the crisp, gorgeously colored photos I wanted, inside or out.

Bunnie Loves: Girly reads!

noreply@blogger.com (Bunnie) — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 20:00:00 +0000

Hello my fluffy fur-clad snow-bunnies!

It's still so cold outside! I always feel winter is a time to curl up next to the heat source of your choice (fireplace, puppy, boyfriend, etc) and get in some reading before the frosts melt. It's been a pretty wet and windy winter here in Seattle, but all the more reason to escape the rain and dry your socks off next to the heaters.

Sweet shoujo nostalgia!

Some afternoons I love nothing more than making my way through some old shoujo comics and indulging in some sparkly, frosting tipped girly romance.

Candy Candy manga:

One of the most iconic and starry-eyed of the shoujo comics, the story of a young orphan girl finding true love. Very Anne of Green Gables, in my opinion. n_n
I still haven't finished it, so no spoilers!

Read here

Kitchen Princess

Kitchen Princess is one of my favorite comics by far. It is very sweet and romantic, following the story of an orphan girl who loved cooking, and grew up to get a scholarship to a prestigious cooking academy. Her name is Najika, using the kanji for 'rainbow' and she uses her cooking and optimism to solve the problems of those around her! Even better, in the back of each manga is recipes for all the major dishes mentioned in the story! That is my favorite part! I've printed them all off into my own little 'Princess Cookbook'.

Read here

Traditional Classics

There are so many amazing books that you can read for free.

If you like the feel of a traditional book, you can go online to your local library's page and reserve a copy to go pick up, or if you're a modern princess, you can find many websites and apps that host books for free!

Right now I'm reading Anne of Green Gables.

I was digging through my parents' place and found a copy that I was given as a girl, but never got around to reading! Anne is a dreamy girl who tends to let her imagination run away with her. It's a story that follows her all through growing up and finding herself, and I really love it!

There are two more books in the series that I know of, and I might go chase them down after I finish this one!

Alice is Wonderland is of course an ever-present theme for us frillies, and it's a wonderful read.
But if you're tired of the book itself, or have read it and want more, it has led to a number of wonderful works over the years! I was gifted this lovely little coffee-table book called All things Alice.

It has a ton of artwork from different printings of the Alice books over the years, goes into the history of the books and Lewis Carroll himself, and even has recipes!

I also have a much more hands-on book of similar nature, Everything Alice.

It's a lovely craft book of projects, recipes and patterns, helping to turn your entire home into a Wonderland!
I saw it at a bookstore and couldn't live without it. ;u; I guess I'm becoming a bit of a collector...

Whew, hopefully that's enough to get you started.
What are you all reading these days? I'm about to finish some of these up, and I'd love more recommendations!

Lovelovelove,
Bunnie

JustFab.com review: Negative

noreply@blogger.com (Bunnie) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 20:08:00 +0000

Hello my rosy-cheeked maidens!

I've had a really dreadful, confusing, and dishonest experience with JustFab.com.

I saw them on another pic-recommending site, I think it might have been Tumblr, or maybe a Facebook ad. Hm... ._.

Anyway, I saw the most adorable pair of shoes, and then found out they were $20 with free shipping! How could I say no?

They felt very Liz Lisa to me, or maybe DreamV. I've been dying for a chunky/girly shoe to finish all of my hime and hime-kaji coords, so I jumped on it.

All of their shoes are $40, but your first purchase means you get half off, and then you can get half off a second pair too, if you like. So as far as that goes, they were a good deal.

They came fine in the mail a few days later.

Now, I've never walked in 6 inch heels before. I expected it to be hard, and I was ok with learning how to do it. But see how the front of the shoe curves upward like a rocking-horse? I has assumed that with your weight pressing down on them, they would lay more flush with the ground.

Well, that's not the case.

The curvature of the front makes it so that you can't lean forward AT ALL, like you normally would when you walk, or you topple right over. So obviously you're supposed to lean back onto your heels. I can deal with that.

But here's the thing, the wedges in the back are also extremely narrow, so leaning back and putting your weight on your heels is also very difficult! The shoe actually curves inward a bit on all sides, so the platform for your weight to rest is smaller than your foot itself!

In other words, these are really badly designed, and could only be worn indoors on very flat and forgiving ground, with practice. I could barely walk around the house with them, even after practicing for an hour or two.

I've actually decided to keep them anyway. I'm planning to sand down the bottoms until they are flat against the ground, and then I think they'll be doable with a bit more practice.

That, and who DOESN'T want to take a belt-sander to a pair of shoes now and then? >:D

However, afterwards is where this all got very sketchy.

Apparently by buying from them I was also 'subscribing' to a VIP account, wherein every month they would send me some more listings for shoes and handbags, and if I didn't log onto the site and 'opt out' between the 1st and 5th of every month, they'd charge me for a pair of shoes regardless of whether I wanted them or not!

They would charge you for a 'credit' which is completely non-refundable, and which your only choice is to use up in the store. What a scam! Furthermore, you can't cancel on the site, OH NO. You have to call their tech support and wait on hold for 15min before someone will walk you through cancellation and try to talk you out of it.

So here's what happened to me this month: I had called them back in January trying to cancel my membership. I really only wanted the one pair of shoes, and nothing else they had really seemed worth the $40. So I called in, and the phone quality was so bad on their end that it ended up dropping the call as I was finishing up my cancellation. I assumed that it had gone through, and didn't think much of it.

NOPE.

So this month, I was busy with some school projects right at the beginning of the month, and didn't check my email, I guess for a full 5 days -gasp!-. So sure enough, I see a charge pending on my account for a JustFab.com credit. And I was pissed! Of course I didn't want the stupid shoes! I was already DONE with your stupid site and it's terrible designs!

So I called in to tech support again. To cancel my account... again. And of course I told the girl on the line what happened, and asked for a refund along with closing my account.

So here's what happened:
1st: she told me that 'there are no records of you calling in before, for like, questions or anything, so there's no proof that you tried to cancel your account before. And the credits are no-refunds.'

Me: 'look, I called back in January, and I tried to cancel my account. The call just kind of ended, so I assumed she'd hung up on me, or dropped the call or something. So you're telling me now that you're charging me for something I didn't want, and requested to cancel, AND that you're not going to refund my money?'

2nd: 'Well we show here that you called back in January and then dropped the call, so yeah, I see that here, but obviously no one cancelled your account, so the credit is still non-refundable, and if you close your account, you won't be able to access it.'

Seriously? You just outright LIED about the records on my calling in before? And if I close my account, then they just get to eat my money and give me nothing? That was really not okay, and the girl on the line was obviously showing me some attitude, so I hung up and called my bank. They directed me to a form where I could file the fraudulent charge, since I cancelled and they still charged me, and try to get my money back. I filled out the form, and decided to cancel my account again once and for all.

So I called again, waited again, and this time got a different person with a completely different attitude! Suddenly I'm talking to a dude named Taylor, who I politely asked to cancel my account. He said that I 'still had a credit' and asked if I couldn't be talked out of it by some extra rewards points. I told him 'no, I really don't want to deal with turning down a pair of shoes I don't want every month. I really don't want to get charged again. I already got charged once for something I don't want.' So then he offered me a 'courtesy refund', because those suddenly exist, and refunded me immediately. I agreed to not cancel my account in exchange for the refund (to make sure they'd actually do it), and got off the phone. Sure enough, my refund processed immediately, and I even got an email from them about it.

How convenient that they have canned emails for policies that don't exist (according to their help lines).

I'm going to cancel my account (time #4!) as soon as the refund posts, and be done with this crap forever. Don't ever do business with www.justfab.com, there are so many other options for shoes with better designs, and none of the customer service nightmare. Not to mention, Amazon.com is never going to try to scam you out of $40 every month, that's for sure.

Sorry this was such a ramble, but I feel like others need to know how bad it was!

Well, all's well that ends well?

Tromping around in her monster shoes,
<3 bunnie="">

Trip to Tokyo + Tokyo Shopping service!

noreply@blogger.com (Bunnie) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 17:00:00 +0000

Hello my glittering diamantes!

I've got some really big news to announce!

For those of you that don't already know, I'll be leaving March 31st for Tokyo, and I'll be there for a four-month study abroad program as part of my degree! I'm really really excited for this, and I'm so glad I got in!

My grades were really borderline when I was applying. The program had a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA, and mine was a 2.9 by the deadline. So they told me I could have ONE more quarter to prove myself before they would cut me out. That was during the summer, and I ended up getting straight As! I literally cried when I saw my transcript, I was so relieved/overjoyed/overwhelmed!

The application process has been so long and bumpy that I was afraid to talk about it for a long time, thinking that something would go wrong somehow before I got in. :/

But now it's February, and I'll be getting on a plane in about 7 weeks! It's really happening!

But my rambling aside...

I'm opening up availability as a Tokyo shopping service!

My student visa is kind of squishy on whether or not I'l be able to get a part-time job while I'm over there.
So to try and make some spending money while I'm away, I'd love to do your shopping for you! Feel free to start contacting me anytime from now on at my email: courtneyjlee@gmail.com, or through a comment here.

There's no obligation to buy if you want to ask me questions! Let me know what you are looking for, and I'll look up the details of where I can find it, what the costs will be like, as well as my commission and travel fee, and I'll give you the best quotes I can ASAP. You won't have to commit to anything to have me look into it.

Also, payment plans are welcome! If you like, you can start payments now, set the last payment for when I first get to Tokyo, and have me buy your items once I get there! I'm very flexible, and I'm happy to help you get your dream wardrobe! <3 p="">
But basically I'm going to charge flat fees for smaller items, based on how far/difficult the travel, and then I'll charge a % fee for larger items.

Let me know if/what type of feedback you'd like to see, and I'll add more info to the page as time goes on, and I find out more specific details about my dorm and its relation to things.

Thank you darlings!
<3 bunnie="" nbsp="" p="">

My princess decor!

noreply@blogger.com (Bunnie) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 17:00:00 +0000

Hello lovely ladies and lasses!!

I know I've been wanting to make this post for aaaaaaaages, but it's taken a long time to decorate my apartment! It's finally to the point where I consider it fit for a princess. :D

The little space between my bathroom and closet is all that's been perfectly stripe-ified!

This is definitely a work in progress. I was originally planning to try the 'fabric wallpapering' methods that many other DIY-ers have raved about, but one of my friends talked me into trying stripes with ribbon instead! :D I adore it though. I really wanted stripes.

At this point it was becoming sort of a makeshift mood board, but I've since then upgraded it into a giant wall of cute! (You'll see it again soon in my next outfit post! But until then you wait! >:D)

I've got a whole bed full of fluffies to keep me company! This also traces gifts across three different boyfriends... o__o; -cough- That's awkward...

My doll shelf. Yes, I need a shelf just for the dolls (but who doesn't, right?).

My lovely Alice Pullip,

some ponies, and a china doll from when I was a girl. Behind Alice is actually her little wardrobe with other outfits!

Hiding above the dolls are my wish-box, where I write wishes and good things that have happened on slips of paper. I'm going to open it up at the end of the year and see what a great year I've had! And I kind of obsessively make lucky stars, so I filled up one jar, and then had to find another jar for the overflow. XD

Rather unsurprisingly, below the dolls are... more dolls! A custom white rabbit I had made for me, a tiny teddy belonging to a less-tiny fairy, and a lovely little Goth-loli doll. And hiding behind my radio/speaker is a little Blythe set that a lovely friend game me. ;u;

Lastly, my little wall of printouts. I need to buy more ink for my printer and make more, but I printed out some lovely things from the internet/Tumblr to give my blank wall some extra cute.

I really don't like blank spaces. Makes me feel like I'm in a hospital... >_>;