Shopping Spree!

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

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

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

Singebarrel Meet-up

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

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!

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

Springtime Giveaway!

KERA May 2012

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!

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

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

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. ^^