Strawberry ♥ Clover

Twinning Meet-up

2012-09-03T22:21:00.004-07:00

A twinning meet-up was held at the beginning of August at the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Lolitas found each other by listing their wardrobes in a google spreadsheet that was accessible on facebook and meetup.com. I was getting nervous as the date approached because I hadn't found anyone to twin with, but one week before the meet-up several different girls contacted me and I ended up having to choose just one. I twinned Melty Mermaid with two other girls, Jeanine and Giovanna.

Picture by Jeanine Lewis

I wore the OP in black x purple, Giovanna wore the skirt in black x purple, and Jeanine wore the JSK in navy. We took one shot in front of the fountain because there are air bubbles and water in the mermaid print on our dresses. ^^

I accessorized with a canotier and purple roses in my hair, lace gloves, AP wrist cuffs, black tights with gold bubbles from BTSSB, and Steve Madden shoes.

Picture by Jeanine Lewis

Jeanine took some awesome photos of me standing next to the pillars adjacent to the stage area.

Photo by Jeanine Lewis

There was a huge turn-out, about 30 lolitas (tons of food!). Most were twins or triplets, but a few came solo just to be there. We took our group photo in a heart shape (above) and made hearts with our hands. ^^

Our event was so popular that we drew a crowd. Rowena and I took a picture posing like tourists in front of the crowd! Rowena wore Pony in Sweet Dreams from BTSSB with a bonnet. She coordinated with Converse for a more casual style.

And for some of the twinning coordinates...

AaTP - Trick Hat, Pricked Heart

AP - Honey Cake

AaTP - Poison de l'amour

These four coordinated together to make a super cute group! Wendy and Chen wore Poison de l'amour, and Bri and Shaf coordinated boy style with each other and the color with their partners.

Chen and Shaf

And what is a meet-up without a jumping photo?

I split off from the group after a few hours and went to Japantown for purikura with some friends, but a small group went to the Japanese Gardens. The theme was a hit and everyone is talking about doing another in the near future!

Click here for more photos.

Royal Chocolate Tea Party

2012-07-30T22:51:00.001-07:00

Angelic Pretty held a mini tea party at their San Francisco store on July 21, 2012. For the tea party, I wore the Decoration Dream bustle jumper skirt in yellow. My sister (right) wore the Rose Tiara OP (Angelic Pretty).

I wanted to coordinate with mint, but my recently purchased accessories didn't make it in time, so I mixed pink and mint accents. This was my first time wearing rhinestones. I picked them up in the scrapbook section of my local craft store; the stones come with stickers on the back, which stuck amazingly well.

Photo taken from Angelic Pretty Facebook

We lined up outside while we waited for the party to start. The tea party started with chocolate fondue. There were two tables, each with a fondue pot heated by a candle. We were given plates of treats to dip, including cute star-shaped marshmallows and strawberries. Yum!

Photo taken from Angelic Pretty Facebook

During the fondue, the girls at the store took photos of everyone's coordinates (which are posted on the facebook page).

Afterwards, we played an unusually long game of bingo. Posters with Little Birds Symphonia were given to the first 13 winners (more than half of the attendees won ^^). We also played True or False. I lost because I didn't know anything about the Dal Dolls... :S

Photo taken from Angelic Pretty Facebook

The first place prize, a polka-dot jumper skirt, went to Sophia for knowing how much Hello Kitty weighs, in apples (The answer is three).

Photo taken from Angelic Pretty Facebook

Finally, we had some shopping time. I didn't buy anything because I was saving for the new Chocolate Rosette series (which I love!!!).

For more photos of the tea party, click here.

Tea Time in Santana Row

2012-07-03T16:28:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I attended a tea party at Lisa's Tea Treasures in Santana Row followed by window shopping along the strip and at the Westfield Mall. This was probably one of the more enjoyable meet-ups I have been to. I met numerous fun and exciting girls and was able to meet up with a few that I already knew and really like. In addition, it was a reason to take a day off work. \(^o^)/

I wore my new BTSSB Twinkle Constellation and the Stars of Confeito JSK. I coordinated it with the matching OTKs and navy star bows from Angelic Pretty. One of my favorite accessories is the necklace- it's a spoon with silicone frosting, bunnies and cute stuff in the spoon. My sister is wearing an Angelic Pretty replica from Kidsyoyo (polka dot bunny JSK).

We started out at the tea house. Almost everyone was late (although I was early for once ^^;). It was my first time having tea at Lisa's Tea Treasures, although I've been in the gift shop lots of times. The girl on my left, Paisley, was lively and read our tea leaves. Unfortunately, I didn't get too many pictures at the tea house.

Afterwards, we lingered around Santana Row for a period of time. We took pictures at the larger than life chessboard.

Throwing coins into the well.

I love the coordinate of the girl next to me! Milky Planet! <3

We stopped at Maido (Japanese paper store) where I found a Nyanpaia keychain! I couldn't decide between the cat with bat wings or bat with cat ears, so I got one for my sister and one for me. ^^

Finally, we went in search of the Betsy Johnson store at the mall, but it's already closed. (T_T) We ended up shopping at Lush, where the shopkeepers were excited about our dresses and took lots of pictures.

Lush sells glittery lotions bars that can be rubbed directly onto the skin. It's not visible in the picture, but my sister's cheeks are covered!

Twinsies!

Lush Lolitas (^_^)

Fanime 2012 Photo Dump

2012-06-27T21:53:00.000-07:00

I went to Fanime Con 2012 over Memorial Day weekend. I opted to spend my cosplay budget on lolita, and subsequently wore lolita during the entire convention. Hehe.

Day 1 - Friday

We didn't get to the convention until after 4pm and the pre-registration line was out to the street! We waited in line for 3 hours to get our badges. (T_T) I was told that the general admittance line was actually shorter! For the first day, I wore BTSSB Pony in Sweet Dreams.

BTSSB - JSK (Pony in Sweet Dreams), head bow, socks, purse, parasol

Angelic Pretty - Blouse, ring, wrist cuffs

Everything else is off-brand

This hairstyle took me forever; it's a pain to pin up wigs with bobby pins because the top portion of the wig has a fake scalp and the pins can't penetrate it. I finally got lazy and left a portion of it down in style of Marie Antoinette.

Hamutaro endured the grueling line with me. I almost bought one of these suits in the dealer's hall. (^_^;)

What can I say? Boys can love Kiki too. ^^

Day 2 - Saturday

The lolita fashion show was scheduled for Saturday so I decided to wear my newest dress, Toy Parade from Angelic Pretty.

Photo taken by Jeanine Lewis

Angelic Pretty - JSK (Toy Parade), head bow, OTKs (sweethearts), purse, wrist cuffs

Offbrand- Everything else

Close-up so you can see the contacts.

I got pictures with Ashlyn and Jeanine, who are wearing dresses from the lolita fashion show. I see these girls regularly at local meet-ups. ^^

I think I was jumping up and down when I spotted Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. Her skirt is made out of real potato chip bags!

This is a shot with my sister and brother. I tried to get up on the wall to sit with them, but I only scuffed my shoes and, as you can see, I didn't make it onto the wall.

I ran into Erika, who I first met at the Angelic Pretty Anniversary last year. At that time she was reserving Decoration Dream, which she's wearing now. I also recently purchased the JSK in yellow and can't wait to wear it!

In the evening, my brother and I returned to the convention. I tried for gyaru, but I didn't get a picture of my outfit! (T_T) Oddly enough, I ended up at a rave dancing next to Flynn (Tron) and Domo.

Day 3 - Sunday

Sunday was a double-booked event, so we dropped by the lolita picnic for about 30 minutes before heading over the Cafe V. I didn't get any group pictures, but snapped a few with some friends.

AATP - OP (Melty Mermaid), head piece

Angelic Pretty - purse, wrist cuffs

Offbrand - everything else

Cafe V isn't part of Fanime, but it was scheduled at the same time for obvious reasons. For me, Cafe V was by far the best part of the convention. It was my first time and I'm excited for the next one!

Photo taken by Jeanine Lewis

Ryuusei and Nobu came over to the convention to escort us to the tea house. In a spur of courageousness I volunteered to be escorted by Ryuusei personally.

Photo taken by Jeanine Lewis

Tsukasa <3 served our end of the table.

Photo taken by Jeanine Lewis

My sister and I at the tea house. ^^ She's wearing Angel's Whisper in the Holy Night by Baby.

More photos here.

Twinkle Constellation and the Stars of Confeito

2012-06-17T00:05:00.000-07:00

I received the new Twinkle Constellation and the Stars of Confeito JSK in the mail this week! It was my first time reserving directly on the Japanese website. I was surprised to find that the English directions on the BTSSB website didn't explain everything clearly and there were a few boxes I only knew how to fill out because I read Japanese. I made the reservation just after midnight, since I waited too long for the last dress I wanted and it sold out! (T_T)

After much debate, I decided to order the JSK in navy and the head bow in pink (at my hubby's suggestion). The navy is perfect because it looks like stars in the night sky, but I really like pink and wanted to bring it out as much as possible. To offset the overwhelming pink in the head bow (which has no navy at all), I bought a pair of the Dreamy Star Ribbon combs from Angelic Pretty in navy.

Not all of the Twinkle Constellation accessories have become available yet. I ordered the navy socks (which haven't shipped yet), but missed out on the pink ones... Also, the San Francisco store hasn't received their shipment yet. Finally, I fell in love with the new Dreamy Unicorn Bag from AP. The JSK has various constellations in the pattern, including pegasus. I know that pegasus and unicorns aren't the same thing, but it's close enough. ^^

I put together a quick coordinate for some photos in the garden.

Love the unicorn purse... <3

Toy Parade Review

2012-06-10T21:53:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased the Toy Parade OP in lavender from the Angelic Pretty store in San Francisco. I had intended to buy the JSK, but the OP was so cute that I changed my mind. Plus all the girls in the store convinced me that this one looked perfect. ^^

I'm completely in love with the scalloped edge across the chest on the OP. It almost looks like a JSK with a blouse underneath.

The print has an assortment of stuffed bunnies, bears and elephants with candy and balloons. The print has a mix of pink, mint, yellow, and severals shades of purple. The lighting in my dining room isn't as nice as the professional photo above. XD

The scalloped edge continues around onto the back. The dress has a zipper and no shirring, so only smaller girls can wear it. I have a 33-inch bust and am just about maxing it out. The JSK is also super cute and the straps can be adjusted for additional length. The JSK has cute star lace on the straps which I absolutely love!

As usual, the lace is super cute. The sleeves have stars and the collar and skirt hem have teddy bears with balloons. The lace on the color is a lighter shade of lavender than the lace around the bottom of the skirt, which is a little pinker (not shown).

I met my twin at Fanime right after we both got our dresses. She's wearing the JSK and coordinated it with pink and white accessories.

I have the matching head bow, but wore the lavender sweetheart OTKs. The mint, yellow and pink colors on the socks match the dress perfectly!

Love it! This is my favorite dress and I'm inspired to buy more in lavender from now on. d=(*^_^*)=b

Happy Hollow Meet-Up

2012-06-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

For International Lolita Day, I met up with a group of local lolitas at Happy Hollow Park & Zoo in San Jose. Like usual I came late because I was working in the morning, so I missed the picnic but arrived after the walk in the Japanese Gardens had started.

I was eager to wear a BTSSB bonnet that I found at FanimeCon last weekend. It's a little off-white and doesn't match perfectly with anything I own, so I used the extra bow for my Miracle Candy skirt and attached it to the bonnet to balance the coordinate. This is my first bonnet, I love it!

Several of the girls were interested in how to make a good bodice for a dress, so Allegra gave a little tutorial at a picnic table. I didn't pay too much attention since I lack the patience for this amazing skill.

After entering Happy Hollow, we took a ride on the carousel (no photos ^^;) and then walked around the zoo. In these photos everyone is looking at the monkeys. They were just as curious about us as we were about them!

Next we took a ride on Danny the Dragon. This is part of our group waiting in line.

Our group took up more than the front half of the dragon.

Finally, we went to the petting zoo. Wendy was particularly excited about petting the animals! ^^

Afterwards, the majority of the group headed to Japantown for dinner. An even smaller group stayed for desert at Banana Crepe and drinks at Bamboo7.

For more photos, clicky clicky!

Nail Bling

2012-05-22T21:06:00.001-07:00

I went to a co-worker's wedding this past weekend, so I decided to decorate my nails (mostly because I just wanted a reason to). I was initially intending to glue on nail tips and then decorate with nail polish and acrylic decor, but after I finished painting my toe nails I realized that my nail tips were melted together! I'm guessing that the nail polish remover leaked in the basket and destroyed the tips. I would have gone to buy more, but my toe nails were wet and it seemed like a pain. So I improvised! I had a set of press-on nails that I bought at the drug store forever ago. I glued them on with Krazy Glue and then added a little personalized bling. Not bad?

I used Nail Artist 3D Charms from Kiss that I found at a local drug store. They can be purchased here. I bought out the entire selection since charms this cute don't usually appear in stores. My favorite is the white acrylic bow, but there's a donut and heart-shaped cake that are adorable! The charms come with crappy glue in a tube that can't be squeezed, so I usually use Krazy Glue instead.

The wedding was in Chinatown, San Francisco so I spend some time window shopping before the reception. I haven't been in Chinatown for several years and I was surprised by the large amounts of Japanese goods being sold (Hello Kitty mostly). I found a super cute teddy bear ring! ^^

I'm going to do a review of the Toy Parade re-release, but I feel too lazy to take photos right now. I'll take some this weekend during Fanime and post next week. Stay tuned!

Domo My ♥

2012-05-15T22:08:00.001-07:00

I'm devoting this post to my favorite mascot, Domo-kun. ^^ Domo has become increasingly popular over the last decade, with paraphernalia appearing all over the place. My favorite campaign was the Slurpee cups, which I bought in abundance for an entire summer until I had a substantial collection of large, plastic Domo cups (now looking extremely loved).

Watch Domo 7Eleven Slurpee Full Set Episode in Funny Videos | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

I'm celebrating an awesome find at Zumiez this week, a shirt I've nicknamed "Domo My Heart".

I don't know what I'd really do if I had Domo-kun instead of a heart, but I figure that he just makes things more lively. In my opinion, the meaning of this shirt is that Domo-kun sustains life.

Even my cat loves Domo. (=^_^=)

I don't really know much about Domo-kun's background. He reminds me of a square Kogepan, but was born from an egg? (O_O)

♥ Visit Domo-kun's Adventures for a cute photo album of Domo traveling (mostly in SF)! ♥

And just one more pic to remind us that all great things come in pink!

Daring to Lash Out at Work

2012-05-14T20:18:00.001-07:00

Women have it tough in the work place; we are expected to be well-groomed and attractive but also strong and competent. Unfortunately, these two characteristics seem to be at odds with one another and if you portray too much of one aspect it is likely that co-workers and/or clients automatically associate it with an insufficiency in the other. For example, long acrylic nails are the signature of a secretary and not a CEO.

In my profession, geology, there is little room for make-up and dresses. I frequently work outside in the dirt, sweating and being...well, manly. Every pair of jeans I own has dirt stains and I keep numerous cheap T-shirts that I can wear to work and get mud and sunblock on. Going home and putting on my face is one of my favorite ways to relax, even though I have to take it off only a few hours later so that I can go to bed. Recently I've been working my way up the ladder and now spend most of time in the office writing reports and managing others. Now that I'm spending more time in the office, I've been trying to add a feminine touch to my daily wear. Although I still can't wear dresses (in case I have to go out to the field unexpectedly) I first started wearing pink on a regular basis. No biggie, everyone knows I like pink. Then, I started wearing hair clips; I started with stars and small flowers, but gradually progressed to Hello Kitty clips and pink bows. This week I dared to do something I had never done before - wore false eyelashes to work. This was really terrifying for me and a huge step from my mud-stained jeans.

To make the transition less obvious, I bought the Natural Dolly eyelashes from Dolly Wink (#9) and wore only top lashes and no contacts. These eyelashes make your lashes look longer and thicker without looking unnatural. Of course, I couldn't leave the house without asking my sister what she thought, but she hadn't noticed that they were fake. At the office, only one person even commented - he asked, "do you usually wear mascara?" as if he knew I always had but couldn't understand why my lashes were so much darker. Success! No one else even looked like something was amiss but I spent most of the day avoiding eye contact with everyone. I was really filled with dread that my co-workers would change their opinion of me because I wear fake lashes, even though they've had five years to determine whether I'm competent or not. I'd love to hear about any experiences others have had trying to wear gyaru or lolita-style make-up to work.

And for a quick review of these lashes: Here's a picture of the top lashes (pretend the contacts and lower lashes aren't there...). I trimmed very little off these lashes because they look good extending across the entire eyelid. They don't have too much flare on the outer portion of the lid that makes some of the other lashes look fake. Also, the criss-crossed pattern seems to make them look more random, and therefore natural.

From afar they look dramatic but natural! ^^

Lolitas in the Rose Garden

2012-05-07T23:27:00.003-07:00

I attended a lolita picnic on Sunday at the Municipal Rose Garden in San Jose. My sister and I were about an hour late (my shift ended as the picnic was starting) but everyone was still nibbling. Everyone was asked to bring food to share and there were some delicious treats including petits fours and my favorite cookies, snicker doodles. \(^o^)/ I didn't post all of my photos, so follow this link for more! ^^

In this photo I'm wearing my new Pony in Sweet Dreams JSK from BTSSB (see my previous posts).

I had to cut Bouncy Brown from the close-up because her eyes were closed. (T_T) She wore Milky-chan the Fawn from AP.

< photo deleted at Bouncy Brown's request XD >

Bouncy Brown and Katie have matching heart-shaped sunglasses! ♥ It was super bright and we had a hard time keeping our eyes open for the photos. Katie (right) is wearing a red coordinate from BL.

Katie blends well with roses. ^^

Ashlyn is wearing My Favorite Things from BTSSB. The red is beautiful! She coordinated it with her new socks (pink bows at ankle).

My sister Erica (left) is wearing a JSK from BL. She's holding a cute pink x white parasol I found at a local English tea house.

Pony in Sweet Dreams

2012-05-03T20:47:00.000-07:00

My most recent purchase arrived in the mail the other day, the Pony in Sweet Dreams Babydoll JSK in white. I obtained the set (including head bow and socks) second hand from the EGL Comm Sales. The prior owner indicated that there is a light stain somewhere, but I haven't found it yet. ^^ This print is a 2009 release from Baby the Stars Shine Bright that came in black, white or pink.

This is a shot with the entire set. See my earlier post for the AP blouse with the pink jabot. I thought this JSK would make an excellent casual summer dress that I could wear without a blouse, but the dress is too low under the arms and exposes the top of my bra. It can be worn without a bra, but it doesn't seem conservative enough for lolita. (T_T)

My little brother isn't so little, 6'5" (O_O), so I had to crop this one so that I fit in the frame. He makes me feel small... ^^;

I love the look of the dress, though, and it can be worn without a petticoat for a more casual look. I've already coordinating it with my new pink AP blouse and cardigan, both which are super cute!

Here's the top of the dress. I really love the lace across the neckline, but I need to iron one side (it keeps folding down from being shipped that way). There's a detachable bow that I removed because it was too busy with the cardigan. It's in one of the shots above.

The JSK has pink bows and pink in the print, but there are also blue and purple accents in the print that will be fun to accessorize with. The fabric seems durable and feels like thin canvas; the lace is also thicker and less prone to wear.

Note the purple nails - I was excited for the dress to arrive and had them already decorated in matching colors when it came. Overall, this dress is very comfortable and cute without being OTT. It's something I could use as daily wear. I think this is my favorite dress yet!

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Shopping Spree!

2012-04-28T21:29:00.003-07:00

I was ready to drive up to the San Francisco BTSSB store to reserve the new Treasure Hunt in the Mystic Island aqua Alvida JSK from AATP, but when I got up in the morning the Japanese website had it already listed as sold out (T_T). One of the girls at the BTSSB store told me that she had the dress in the cart and just barely missed it because it sold out in under 8 minutes! For me, it has to be this style and color... the striped lace and ribbon makes this dress beautiful! Since I already had planned to go to the store I decided not to let the trip go to waste!

On my way to the City, I intended to go straight to BTSSB and then go to AP if I had time, but I accidentally took a wrong turn and was headed straight for AP! Not one to challenge the fates of frilly fortune, I took it as a sign. Fortunately, when I arrived at BTSSB later on they had just finished unpacking a new shipment!

In light of my failure to reserve the dress of my dreams, I splurged a little. I found a cute white blouse with a pink jabot and a cardigan in pink at Angelic Pretty. I wanted a white blouse with short sleeves, so I chose one with removable sleeves. Sometimes these sleeves won't fit around my arms (because I'm a rock climber), but this style had elastic around the short sleeves that stretches enough to fit comfortably. I think the pink jabot is hideous with the blouse, but fortunately it's removable. I'll probably find that it looks amazing with one of my dresses; the lace on the jabot is actually amazing! The lace on the blouse and jabot is soft and wide and has various designs with stars! In my opinion, lace can make an item worth the cost. I paid an extra $50 to get this blouse over another because the lace had better designs in it.

The Sugar Fairy Cake Knit Cardigan was super cute and came in lots of colors. I chose light pink, which comes with a mint and dark pink cupcake on the bottom. The other theme of this cardigan is butterflies! There is a gold embroidered butterfly with "AP" on the chest and the buttons are shaped like butterflies. ^^ The buttons are difficult to button and undo, but it might stretch a little as I continue to use it.

I also purchased a set of white and pink lacy wrist cuffs and a pink bow ring. Again, the wrist cuffs have a cupcake pattern (my favorite <3).

Afterwards, I went over to BTSSB where I purchased my first Usakumya purse! I always thought the neon dark pink eyes were creepy, but when I tried it on in the store, I realized that the eyes matched the lollipops in the Angelic Pretty Miracle Candy skirt I was wearing. ^^ I instantly fell in love and Usaku-chan and myself continued to peruse the store together.

I was surprised to find that the bunny head is a hood and it peels back to reveal a bear underneath! The zipper for the pouch is across the top of the bear's head (creepiness continues) and the entire body can be filled with personals. The neck is a little tight, so my big wallet doesn't fit into the Usakumya purse.

Finally I got a parasol. I was more concerned about the waterproof capabilities than the UV protection, but the employee assured me that the parasol was just as good as an umbrella. She told me that the print won't run, but the company logo (in gold) will come off and run if you store the umbrella wet. Just a little warning...

The pink with polka dots is simple enough while the frills give it a decadent look. Perfect contribution to my wardrobe!

Cherish My Juicy Cherry Socks

2012-04-24T21:29:00.000-07:00

I just received a pair of Cherish My Juicy Cherry socks from Baby the Stars Shine Bright. This was my first time reserving an item through the San Francisco store and it was an excellent experience! d=(*^_^*)=b I put the socks on reserve as soon as they were available and they arrived in the SF store last Thursday, about 28 days after I reserved and paid for them. Once they arrived, the store emailed me and gave me the option to pick them up at the store. I was traveling this weekend so I paid an additional $9 to have them shipped to my house.

The socks are white with big dark red cherries and dark pink flowers and bows down the outer and inner leg. I was surprised to find pale pink flowers in the pattern because they didn't show up well on the photo from BTSSB.

I intended for these socks to match with a cherry patterned skirt from In the Starlight, but the colors are a little different. The skirt has bright red cherries and the socks have dark red cherries. The pink accents also clash a little. (T_T) I really like the socks, but I am still trying to decide if I will wear them with the skirt or not...

Ramble Rori: Survey: Lolita Fashion & Internet Usage

2012-04-18T19:04:00.001-07:00

Ramble Rori: Survey: Lolita Fashion and Internet Usage: Take this 10-15 minute survey! ^^

Singebarrel Meet-up

2012-04-18T18:11:00.000-07:00

On Friday the 13th I met up at the Singlebarrel in San Jose with a group of local lolitas. I got held up at work and didn't make it to the bar until almost 8pm so I ended up waiting in line for about 15 to 20 minutes, which is relatively good for this spot. Members of our group who didn't show up until 9 had to wait in line for over an hour to get in.

The Singlebarrel is a prohibition themed bar (Speakeasy style). The entire building is lit with candles, except for the bar top which requires a little light for the bartenders to do their job, and a guy walks around and reminds everyone to keep their voices down. The best part is that the bartenders select your drink for you. They'll ask you a few questions first to find out what kind of drink you'd like and then pick one for you! ^^ My first drink was a Corpse Reviver II (a tart citrus drink) and I went back for a Coffee Foot (creamy coffee flavored drink made with raw egg!). Since it was so dark, we didn't get any pictures until after we left.

This is the five of us outside of the Singlebarrel. I'm wearing the Magic Whip JSK in light pink from Angelic Pretty. ^^ Afterwards we walked several blocks to La Victoria for some late dinner. For those not living in the area, La Vic is one of the most popular places in San Jose - it is across the street from the university and has the most amazing orange sauce! It was my first time eating burritos while wearing lolita; a little tricky but successful. Admittedly, most of my pictures were taken at La Vic. I'll get better shots next time, I promise!

The meet-up was a blast! I stayed out waaay past my bedtime. ^^ I highly recommend the Singlebarrel to anyone who hasn't been there before. I'd suggest getting there around 7pm if you want to avoid a long wait to get into the bar.

Melty Mermaid in the Garden

2012-04-17T22:15:00.000-07:00

Today my boss gave me a huge raise, so I decided to celebrate by getting dressed up and taking some photos in the garden! \(^o^)/ I have a new pair of circle lenses - the Princess Mimi Sesame Gray Lens from the Bambi Series. I have hazel eyes, so these don't alter the color too much but they do pop a little more. The lens definitely brings out the green in the center of my eyes.

Cuteness is definitely amplified!

I'm wearing the Melty Mermaid OP from Alice and the Pirates.

This dress has a beautiful pattern with circular panels around the bottom that seem to tell the story of the Little Mermaid. There's one panel where the humanoid mermaid dances with a prince. The dress is adorned with pearls and rose lace

I found these great hair falls by chance. I was absolutely in love with this dark brown wig that I found on eBay. I decided to order it along with some hair falls from the same manufacturer, hoping that the dark brown wig and dark brown hair falls would match. When the products arrived I was disappointed to find that the wig was not only cheap and thin, but it was black too! I honestly think they sent me the wrong wig, but it wasn't worth sending it back to China given the cost of the wig in the first place. However, the hair falls match my natural color! I probably wouldn't have tried hair falls with my natural hair if there hadn't been a mistake. I like this style, it's very Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. ^^

...and a few more shots

getting silly ^^

Savage Lilly Springtime Giveaway!

2012-04-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

The Savage Lilly Fashion Blog is having a Springtime Giveaway! Follow the link below for details!

Springtime Giveaway!

KERA May 2012

2012-04-16T22:50:00.000-07:00

The May issue of KERA was released! This issue has a spread featuring Mayu Watanabe, from the idol group AKB48, wearing Dolly-kei.

This is the season for fruit in the lolita world. Angelic Pretty, Innocent World and Baby the Stars Shine Bright all released fruit-themed dresses this month. Angelic Pretty's Strawberry Parlour gets my vote for cutest pattern, with ice cream-filled waffle cones and dessert glasses around the bottom of the skirt. Small strawberries, cherries, and bows are scattered across the print.

Innocent World has a spread showcasing its new Strawberry Gingham JSK and skirts. Overall, I like the look of this dress the best. The gingham pattern really ties the dress together. The pink gingham and the red strawberries compliment each other and make me feel that pink and red definitely go together. The balance of the entire piece is good and I like that the strawberries are big and identifiable from a distance.

BTSSB's Cherish My Juicy Cherry promo was republished from the previous issue. Part of me really likes this dress and part of me doesn't. The cherries around the bottom are too large and draw attention away from the rest of the dress. This is aesthetically disturbing because, in my opinion, the pink and red clash. Maybe I'm the only one that thinks that these two colors shouldn't be used together. Admittedly, IW's Gingham Strawberry pattern "does it right".

The new Poison de Lamour dress from Alice and the Pirates is beautiful. This dress has a Romeo and Juliet theme and the style of the dress matches the print perfectly! Overall a romantic ensemble!

Visit here for more scans from this issue of Kera! ^^

Kawaii and the Cuties Give Away!

2012-04-15T20:17:00.000-07:00

Kawaii and the Cuties is having a give away! Click the link below for details. ^^

http://www.facebook.com/notes/kawaii-and-the-cuties/welcome-giveaway-by-kawaii-and-the-cuties-/430106170339588

Handmade Hair Accessories

2012-04-15T08:06:00.001-07:00

I recently bought a couple of pink Angelic Pretty dresses, so I need to accessorize! Unfortunately, light pink bows have been somewhat hard to find recently, so I went to the craft store in search of supplies to make my own hair accessories and brought home a nice haul of tulle, pearl beads, buttons, bows, and more! I only made a few hair pieces so far, but I'm really looking forward to using the colored pearls.

I was pleased to find little bags of cupcake buttons! There's only one pink cupcake x white frosting per bag, so I had to buy two. ^^; There were larger, more detailed cupcake buttons, but someone had already bought out the pink. I'll be waiting for the next shipment...

I finally put together a tulle bow with sparkly fuzzy balls. I always see these online and at conventions, but never committed to sitting down and making one. I plan to make these in several color and size variations, and with pearls instead of the fuzz balls.

Here's the bow on my head for size comparison. It's a little washed out though...

First Circle Lenses & Strawberry Latte Wig

2012-04-14T20:23:00.003-07:00

I found a circle lens review that recommended the Seeshell Cosmo Hazel lenses for light colored eyes. It was my first time buying lenses and I have hazel eyes, so I was worried that they wouldn't look right on me. The review (which I can't find now... ^^;) claimed that the lenses have a seamless transition, look natural, and are very comfortable. The blogger also stated that these lenses are her new favorites. So, I decided to choose these as my very first pair! ^^

I took this picture at the end of the night, so I was super tired! (T_T) Note the lovely Dolly Wink lashes. The lenses make my eyes look bigger, but there's a natural look to them. I really like them! ♥ I've heard that Geo Nudy lenses are also good for light colored eyes, so I might try those next.

I also wore my new strawberry latte wig from GLB. There are subtle accents of light pink mixed in that tie the coordinate together. This wig automatically became my favorite! I was running late, so I didn't get to style the wig with the twin tails, but I have those too.

Lot of firsts in this post, including the post itself. ^^