Lolitas in the Rose Garden

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.

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! 

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.