Today is a good day to spend with friends and family, reflecting on the past year and making plans for the new one. So go outside, call up a buddy, have some tea and a chat. I, meanwhile, am going to an alt club to dance the night away.
Happy New Year everyone~!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
The 12 Days of Christmas (Christmas pt 2)
Everyone has heard the Twelve Days of Christmas song, and I must admit it's one of my favorites (mostly because few people know the song past number 7 or so). There are a few good parodies out there and they got me thinking--what would a lolita Twelve Days look like?
So here's what I though up. I own none of these items or pictures (but you can if you follow the links below them!). If you can find/make a better one, post it in the comments below~
So here's what I though up. I own none of these items or pictures (but you can if you follow the links below them!). If you can find/make a better one, post it in the comments below~
A Lolita's 12 Days of Christmas
On the first day of Christmas, Mana-sama gave to me...
On the second day of Christmas, Mana-sama gave to me...
And that JSK from BSSB
On the third day of Christmas, Mana-sama gave to me...
Two pairs of those gloves
And that JSK from BSSB
On the fourth day of Christmas, Mana-sama gave to me...
Three tea sets from Victorian Maiden
Two pairs of those gloves
And that JSK from BSSB
On the fifth day of Christmas, Mana-sama gave to me...
Four blouses from Innocent World
Three tea sets from Victorian Maiden
Two pairs of those gloves
and that JSK from BSSB
On the sixth day of Christmas, Mana-sama gave to me...
Five delicious looking chocolate rings!
Four blouses from Innocent World
Three tea sets from Victorian Maiden
Two pairs of those gloves
and that JSK from BSSB
On the seventh day of Christmas, Mana-sama gave to me...
Six panniers a-swaying
Five delicious looking chocolate rings!
Four blouses from Innocent World
Three tea sets from Victorian Maiden
Two pairs of those gloves
and that JSK from BSSB
On the eighth day of Christmas, Mana-sama gave to me...
Seven socks that are o so pretty
Six panniers a-swaying
Five delicious looking chocolate rings!
Four blouses from Innocent World
Three tea sets from Victorian Maiden
Two pairs of those gloves
and that JSK from BSSB
On the ninth day of Christmas, Mana-sama gave to me...
Eight hair bows, nice and lacey~!
Seven socks that are o so pretty
Six panniers a-swaying
Five delicious looking chocolate rings!
Four blouses from Innocent World
Three tea sets from Victorian Maiden
Two pairs of those gloves
and that JSK from BSSB
On the tenth day of Christmas, Mana-sama gave to me...
Nine shoes perfect for prancing!
Eight hair bows, nice and lacey~!
Seven socks that are o so pretty
Six panniers a-swaying
Five delicious looking chocolate rings!
Four blouses from Innocent World
Three tea sets from Victorian Maiden
Two pairs of those gloves
and that JSK from BSSB
On the eleventh day of Christmas, Mana-sama gave to me...
Ten Cute bags for safekeeping
Nine Shoes perfect for prancing!
Eight hair bows, nice and lacey~!
Seven socks that are o so pretty
Six panniers a-swaying
Five delicious looking chocolate rings!
Four blouses from Innocent World
Three tea sets from Victorian Maiden
Two pairs of those gloves
and that JSK from BSSB
(~And the home stretch. Are you ready?~)
On the twelfth day of Christmas, Mana-sama gave to me...
Eleven handkerchiefs for wiping
Ten cute bags for safekeeping
Nine shoes perfect for prancing
Eight hair bows, nice and lacey
Seven socks that are o so pretty
Six panniers a-swaying
Five delicious looking chocolate rings!
Four blouses from Innocent World
Three tea sets from Victorian Maiden
Two pairs of those gloves
and that JSK from BSSB!!
~*~Happy Holidays Everyone~*~
Monday, December 20, 2010
Christmas pt 1
Loyal readers and newcomers to the blog,
You've come at just the right time, as Loliclause has just paid me a visit to leave me a MixPod thingy. Yes, I've gotten in the Christmas spirit and recently added a MixPod to the bottom of my page full of music I feel to capture the Christmas spirit, music I loved as a kid around Christmas time, and music I feel to be quite lolita as well as Christmassy.
If you want to turn it off, just scroll all the way down to the bottom of the front page and press the pause button under the video.
So everyone, what is your favorite Christmas Carol? Mine is Carol of the Bells.
~Y. MacLeod
You've come at just the right time, as Loliclause has just paid me a visit to leave me a MixPod thingy. Yes, I've gotten in the Christmas spirit and recently added a MixPod to the bottom of my page full of music I feel to capture the Christmas spirit, music I loved as a kid around Christmas time, and music I feel to be quite lolita as well as Christmassy.
If you want to turn it off, just scroll all the way down to the bottom of the front page and press the pause button under the video.
So everyone, what is your favorite Christmas Carol? Mine is Carol of the Bells.
~Y. MacLeod
Sunday, December 19, 2010
I'm tagging things now...
Loyal readers,
Perhaps it is because I'm freer here to generally choose what I want to study here than at my home university, or perhaps it is because I study psychology at my home uni and I have studied sociology here, but I once again have been inspired by my schoolwork to be the best lolita I can be.
Yesterday, I finished my last paper of term and I was writing on if lolita should be considered a modern or postmodern subculture. I won't bore you on the details, but in my research I ran across many blogs and groups where lolitas of all stripes were discussing this most beautiful of subcultures. One part of me couldn't stand it: 'It's not fair,' I thought. 'Why do they have more hits than I do? How did THEY get so popular? What do they have that I don't?'.
Nothing really. Maybe a better layout, but my layout is pretty awesome anyway. Everyone starts out at the same place though--with just a few followers and simply giving their opinions. Perhaps it's because they have the money to go and review things like Angelic Pretty and Innocent World, but so what?
Yes, another part of me rose up to overcome those nagging doubts. I'm making a commitment, here and now. A vow before gods and lolitas alike to think at least once a day about how I can be a better lolita. I'll never loose my path again. I'm devoting myself to something more beautiful.
Soon, perhaps later today, I'll post an update about my love/hate relationship with sweet lolita. And I haven't forgotten about the long aricle I promised you in the summer my darlings. You'll have to stay tuned for that one.
I should have some money soon as well, so I'll get on that USB...
Perhaps it is because I'm freer here to generally choose what I want to study here than at my home university, or perhaps it is because I study psychology at my home uni and I have studied sociology here, but I once again have been inspired by my schoolwork to be the best lolita I can be.
Yesterday, I finished my last paper of term and I was writing on if lolita should be considered a modern or postmodern subculture. I won't bore you on the details, but in my research I ran across many blogs and groups where lolitas of all stripes were discussing this most beautiful of subcultures. One part of me couldn't stand it: 'It's not fair,' I thought. 'Why do they have more hits than I do? How did THEY get so popular? What do they have that I don't?'.
Nothing really. Maybe a better layout, but my layout is pretty awesome anyway. Everyone starts out at the same place though--with just a few followers and simply giving their opinions. Perhaps it's because they have the money to go and review things like Angelic Pretty and Innocent World, but so what?
Yes, another part of me rose up to overcome those nagging doubts. I'm making a commitment, here and now. A vow before gods and lolitas alike to think at least once a day about how I can be a better lolita. I'll never loose my path again. I'm devoting myself to something more beautiful.
Soon, perhaps later today, I'll post an update about my love/hate relationship with sweet lolita. And I haven't forgotten about the long aricle I promised you in the summer my darlings. You'll have to stay tuned for that one.
I should have some money soon as well, so I'll get on that USB...
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Too Quick to Jump
Loyal Readers,
Schoolwork often does nothing for me. It is simply a means to an end...I'll do these essays and take these tests so I can be a psychologist when I grow up. This morning though, I finished up an all too brief project on Visual Kei for a sociology course. Oh my goodness, it was just the boost I needed! I forgot how much I loved the genre...and how much I wanted to go to goth clubs, talk to people about music and about my passion and my love: EGL. And for that, I apologize. I was too quick to jump to a hiatus, too quick to think about what I haven't been able to do as opposed to what I could do.
As you may know, my dearest darlings, the gothic lolita subculture was born, in part, from Visual Kei itself so naturally they go hand in gloved hand. It follows, then, that VK should be included in this blog. And so it will be. I plan to review bands, both old and new, and their albums. I will also take suggestions if you feel that my reviews are worthwhile. I will also gladly review bands that are not necessarily VK, but may have elegant, punk or gothic influences (such as Mr B's new album, which by the way is available for pre-order here).
Though I will not call this brief respite over as of yet (as I need to acquire an external hard drive to put all this new music on...) I will say that you should check back periodically for updates.
And anyway, if La Carmina can keep up a blog on VK and EGL and have millions of followers (perhaps not millions, but you get the idea) why can't I?
Love always my Loyal Readers, and lace and chains,
~Y. MacLeod
Schoolwork often does nothing for me. It is simply a means to an end...I'll do these essays and take these tests so I can be a psychologist when I grow up. This morning though, I finished up an all too brief project on Visual Kei for a sociology course. Oh my goodness, it was just the boost I needed! I forgot how much I loved the genre...and how much I wanted to go to goth clubs, talk to people about music and about my passion and my love: EGL. And for that, I apologize. I was too quick to jump to a hiatus, too quick to think about what I haven't been able to do as opposed to what I could do.
As you may know, my dearest darlings, the gothic lolita subculture was born, in part, from Visual Kei itself so naturally they go hand in gloved hand. It follows, then, that VK should be included in this blog. And so it will be. I plan to review bands, both old and new, and their albums. I will also take suggestions if you feel that my reviews are worthwhile. I will also gladly review bands that are not necessarily VK, but may have elegant, punk or gothic influences (such as Mr B's new album, which by the way is available for pre-order here).
Though I will not call this brief respite over as of yet (as I need to acquire an external hard drive to put all this new music on...) I will say that you should check back periodically for updates.
And anyway, if La Carmina can keep up a blog on VK and EGL and have millions of followers (perhaps not millions, but you get the idea) why can't I?
Love always my Loyal Readers, and lace and chains,
~Y. MacLeod
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Hiatus pt III
Oh my sweet blog, my dear loyal readers...
It has been quite some time since last I updated, and I'll be honest, it's because I haven't been doing anything or feeling particularly lolita lately. I didn't even know Angelic Pretty was going to be opening in SF on the 20th until a few days ago. As your source for lolita information, I have failed you my dears and for that I am sorry.
Yet again, until further notice, I'm shutting this blog down. Until I can get to my sewing machine, until I can get more lolita clothes and maybe travel some and take pretty pictures, until I have more music or recipes or anything...
Au revoir,
~<3
It has been quite some time since last I updated, and I'll be honest, it's because I haven't been doing anything or feeling particularly lolita lately. I didn't even know Angelic Pretty was going to be opening in SF on the 20th until a few days ago. As your source for lolita information, I have failed you my dears and for that I am sorry.
Yet again, until further notice, I'm shutting this blog down. Until I can get to my sewing machine, until I can get more lolita clothes and maybe travel some and take pretty pictures, until I have more music or recipes or anything...
Au revoir,
~<3
Thursday, July 29, 2010
What summer is really all about...
Dear Loyal Readers,
I'm sorry to have missed yet more posts but I'm recovering from surgery and haven't really had much to post about. What's that? Oh, no I'm fine. I just had my gallbladder removed. It's really no big deal, and I'm fine now. But I have been thinking about you all and recently have been invited by a friend to help her start a lolita boutique after we're all done with school and travel.
What you may not know about me is that I love to design clothes and I actually have a lot of designs already. Fan Plus Friend (my favorite bargan lolita website) is having a design contest which can be found here. The submission date is almost done, but the voting period will be starting soon. I urge you to vote for my submissions and participate in the next contests as it is a great way to get your very own designed clothes (if you win of course). I'm submitting two designs:
Again, please vote for my submissions! You have to register with their site in order to do so, but that only takes a second and it's free.
~Y. McLeod.
I'm sorry to have missed yet more posts but I'm recovering from surgery and haven't really had much to post about. What's that? Oh, no I'm fine. I just had my gallbladder removed. It's really no big deal, and I'm fine now. But I have been thinking about you all and recently have been invited by a friend to help her start a lolita boutique after we're all done with school and travel.
What you may not know about me is that I love to design clothes and I actually have a lot of designs already. Fan Plus Friend (my favorite bargan lolita website) is having a design contest which can be found here. The submission date is almost done, but the voting period will be starting soon. I urge you to vote for my submissions and participate in the next contests as it is a great way to get your very own designed clothes (if you win of course). I'm submitting two designs:
Again, please vote for my submissions! You have to register with their site in order to do so, but that only takes a second and it's free.
~Y. McLeod.
Friday, July 9, 2010
A letter to Mana-sama
Loyal readers:
I'm working on a long article about what is and isn't lolita. It's sort of a guide for newcomers to the fashion, and something that I hope will spark a debate among the veterans of the culture. Unfortunately, it's taking longer than expected, and in an attempt to let you all know that I haven't forgotten you, I've decided to post a light hearted break up letter to Mana-sama. I of course do not know Mana-sama personally, and we were never dating but...you'll see why I had to write this letter.
Dearest Mana-sama,
As the ambassador of lolita to the world, it was only natural that I love you. You were a god to me, and the Gothic Lolita Bible was your holy word. Alas, it is foolish for a mere mortal such as myself to love a god. Knowing our love to be ill-fated, I could not help but stray and (though it pains me to say this) I have found another. His name is Mr. B the Gentleman Rhymer, and he has made music everything that I have wanted it to be by bringing the Queen’s English to hip-hop. Though he has not changed my entire life as you have, I find it unfair to you to split my affections like this. I will always remember the times we had…blasting your music in my bathroom as I prepared for Gaskells, swooning over how beautiful of a woman you often are, and being secretly jealous of your delicious androgyny. And I will always, always hold lolita dear to my heart. Please don’t be angry, and I hope we can still be friends.
Sincerely,
~Y. McLeod
Some of you may have absolutely no idea who I’m talking about in this letter so allow me to clear things up. Mana-sama is most known for his amazing cross-dressing abilities, vow of silence, and his involvement with the band Malice Mizer and his own band Moi-Dix-Moi. He is also the man who popularized the gothic lolita subculture by appearing as a gothic lolita in Malice Mizer and an aristocrat in Moi-Dix-Moi. EGL (Elegant Gothic Lolita) and EGA (Elegant Gothic Aristocrat) are his terms. He is also known for his brand Moi-Meme Moitie, and for founding the Gothic Lolita Bible (his holy word) along with another musician named Kana. Not much is know about Mana-sama...things like his age, if he's married, and even where he was born are known to only a few. We don't even know his real name. But honestly, that doesn't matter. He has contributed a whole lot to the lolita subculture, and for that we thank him. Did I mention he signed Kanon Wakeshima? He did. Both pictures are of Mana-sama. He's deliciously androgynous, as previously stated. 
The second person mentioned is Mr. B the Gentleman Rhymer and unfortunately, not much is know about him as far as private life goes either. But again, this really doesn't matter. He has, quite simply, revolutionized music. Because of Mr B, we now have a genre of music called Chap-Hop which is absolutely perfect for lolita. He brought proper English to hip-hop, along with his banjolele (which is one of the coolest instruments on earth). I was introduced to his music through an ex (a real one) who saw him in an interview from about 2008 at the Steampunk Con in England (the interview can be found here) and I was stunned. After doing a bunch of research, and listening to his music on myspace over and over, I finally got his CD and have been in love ever since. You really must listen to his music and watch a music video or two, they're funny and musically great. I plan on going to see him as soon as I can when I get to England. I'll be honest for a moment here loyal readers. That picture of Mr B is my desktop background...and how could he not be with a mustache like that?
~Y. McLeod
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Lolinspiration
Oh Loyal Readers,
I have had a busy, busy week this week full of working long days in the hot, hot sun. But I haven't forgotten you, and to be honest I feel a bit of a twinge of guilt when I don't write here for a long time. So here I am with a new entry (that hopefully I can finish before my ride to work shows up..).
It's a new month and with new months come new beginnings. As of this month, I will officially abandon my old set up of updates every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with set topics...It was a set up that was more tailored to me being home and having time to sew, cook, and what not. Though I did make a delicious, healthy dinner last night...
...But I digress. I will update as much as I can, and try to keep my posts varied. If I don't respond to your comments in a timely manner, forgive me. I'm a bit of an absent minded lady and I forgot to set an email address for notifications of comments. But now I have, and I will be alerted as soon as I get your comments and try to respond at once.
~*~
Sometimes in the daily hustle and bustle of life, I loose sight of my own elegance and my duty as a lady of lace and beauty. I get caught up in all the things I have to do, get grumpy, and my posture goes by the wayside. I forget to expholiate, I forget that I have this beautiful, elegant, educated, flowery, refined lady inside of me and it seems as though my life looses meaning.
To prevent this, I've collected lolita/classy insipred artwork in an easy to access folder on my computer. There is, of course, the mandatory Kira Imai who did a lot of art for Angelic Pretty. Her work is as versatile as lolita itself--she has a lot of sweet inspired pictures as well as darker, more gothic ones. She also has more classic works and some that are just quirky. Her work looks simple, and usually features one or two lolitas in fantastic dresses doing something like eating cake or carrying a doll, but at the same time you can see the amazing passion behind her paintings.
I also have Alphonse Mucha whose work is stunningly beautiful. He was a Czech painter who died in the late 1930s. There is something about his work, and the way he paints women in general that is both original and classical. It almost harkens back to stained glass windows, but he still brings a freshness to his paintings. Perhaps it is his themes? Perhaps the colors he uses? Perhaps the general looks of ease on the faces of his subjects? In any event, there is something about Kira Imai's paintings that made the link between the two artists almost flawless. Take a look at the above picture and this one, focusing on the linework and the simplicity of the backgrounds. Both Imai and Mucha have very little going on in their works, but at the same time there is still a lot there.
Lastly, of course, I have random paintings of Victorian women from artists who I do not recognize. They're all in the classical style of painting that makes the Victorian era look like it was covered in gossamer.
Whenever I feel like I've wandered of the ribbon lined path, I open my folder, turn on some music and set the pictures to slideshow. It works for me like an energy drink--a sudden burst of lolita energy that makes me want to drink tea and put on my best dress. I implore you to go on the internet and find pieces of art, or even items and people who inspire you to be the best lolita you can be. Add a bit of elegance to your everyday, even if you can't dress lolita at all times you can still be lolita at all times. If you have little reminders, little lolinspirations to help you remember, it will make constant elegance second nature.
~Y. McLeod
I have had a busy, busy week this week full of working long days in the hot, hot sun. But I haven't forgotten you, and to be honest I feel a bit of a twinge of guilt when I don't write here for a long time. So here I am with a new entry (that hopefully I can finish before my ride to work shows up..).
It's a new month and with new months come new beginnings. As of this month, I will officially abandon my old set up of updates every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with set topics...It was a set up that was more tailored to me being home and having time to sew, cook, and what not. Though I did make a delicious, healthy dinner last night...
...But I digress. I will update as much as I can, and try to keep my posts varied. If I don't respond to your comments in a timely manner, forgive me. I'm a bit of an absent minded lady and I forgot to set an email address for notifications of comments. But now I have, and I will be alerted as soon as I get your comments and try to respond at once.
~*~
Sometimes in the daily hustle and bustle of life, I loose sight of my own elegance and my duty as a lady of lace and beauty. I get caught up in all the things I have to do, get grumpy, and my posture goes by the wayside. I forget to expholiate, I forget that I have this beautiful, elegant, educated, flowery, refined lady inside of me and it seems as though my life looses meaning.
I also have Alphonse Mucha whose work is stunningly beautiful. He was a Czech painter who died in the late 1930s. There is something about his work, and the way he paints women in general that is both original and classical. It almost harkens back to stained glass windows, but he still brings a freshness to his paintings. Perhaps it is his themes? Perhaps the colors he uses? Perhaps the general looks of ease on the faces of his subjects? In any event, there is something about Kira Imai's paintings that made the link between the two artists almost flawless. Take a look at the above picture and this one, focusing on the linework and the simplicity of the backgrounds. Both Imai and Mucha have very little going on in their works, but at the same time there is still a lot there.Lastly, of course, I have random paintings of Victorian women from artists who I do not recognize. They're all in the classical style of painting that makes the Victorian era look like it was covered in gossamer.
Whenever I feel like I've wandered of the ribbon lined path, I open my folder, turn on some music and set the pictures to slideshow. It works for me like an energy drink--a sudden burst of lolita energy that makes me want to drink tea and put on my best dress. I implore you to go on the internet and find pieces of art, or even items and people who inspire you to be the best lolita you can be. Add a bit of elegance to your everyday, even if you can't dress lolita at all times you can still be lolita at all times. If you have little reminders, little lolinspirations to help you remember, it will make constant elegance second nature.
~Y. McLeod
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Dear Loyal Readers,
I apologize for (again) missing a post, but I've been sick this week and I haven't had the energy to think about something intelligent to say about clothing. Suffice it to say that lolita clothes are beautiful, and everyone should wear them.
Now it's Wednesday, and you're expecting a post on lifestyling and whatnot. I'll be honest though, I haven't had the time or ability to lifestyle this summer at all. I have a job (hurrah!) but for work, I clean houses. When cleaning, one must never EVER wear lolita. This isn't so much because it is unbecoming for a lady to clean, but because when you're making something less messy you don't want to scuff your 100 dollar mary janes, get bleach on your 400 dollar JSK from Angelic Pretty, or sweat out your curls.
And you will if you're cleaning properly.
But lets continue in this vein and discuss jobs and lolita. At some point in your journey down the ribbon lined path of lolita, you will find the thing that bothers me most about the subculture: it's very, very expensive. There are ways to skirt around this with crafty thrift-store shopping, altering of clothes and (if you can) sewing some but for all those great finds and handmade items, it takes time and effort that sometimes you just do not have. So in order to, well, order your items you'll need the duckets. More importantly though, as we get older we find that we need to provide for ourselves and our family and we need jobs to do so.
Before we get started with a list I'd like to say something of high importance: lolita NEVER comes before food, shelter, (cheaper) clothes or getting a job. First and foremost, lolita is a hobby and comes after all the necessities are taken care of.
A lot of these jobs have to do with classic lolita likes and interests such as clothes, sweets and yummy drinks. If your job or the area that you would be interested in working in doesn't match up with where a stereotypical lolita would work, don't fret! You don't have to change who you are just to fit the lolita mold.
Now then, ideally a lolita would have a job at a store like BSSB or BPN or AP or something along those lines, but not all of us live in the Bay Area, New York, Japan, Paris...et cetera, and among the lolita community, these jobs are highly coveted. Fear not though! There are many lolitas of the past who have opened their own stores on the internet. Say you have a friend, or know how to sew yourself. You can go to Etsy.com and open your own store (for free I'm fairly certain). They even have a handy dandy help page located here:. If you sell your wares for somewhat cheaper that your competition, you can eventually make more money. You can also follow the ways of In the Starlight (now closed) or Sweet Roccoco and make your own website to sell your wares, but that requires a lot more work. So you don't want/have the ability to sell clothes? No worries, you can sell just about anything hand made on Etsy...hair clips, jewelry, stationary...shoes even.
If being crafty isn't your thing, try finding your local tea or coffee shop. Having afternoon tea is an extremely lolita notion, and having afternoon tea or coffee stirs up images of ladies in a flower garden on a spring afternoon, or writers sitting in their bay windows when suddenly a stroke of inspiration comes. You probably won't be able to wear lolita at a lot of tea or coffee shops because you must wear long pants and closed toed shoes. Also, there is a chance of spillage and we don't want to ruin our dresses do we?
A bakery, sweets shop, or ice cream parlor would be a good place to search for jobs as well. Candies, ice cream cones, cookies and cakes are classic lolita motifs and associating yourself with sweet things is a lot of what lolita is about. Again, there is a serious stain risk here, so wearing your lolita here wouldn't be a great idea. A lot of places frown upon eccentric dress among their workers anyway, but along with having your own store or working in a lolita shop, some places that might allow you to wear your favorite JSK and have a minimal damage risk could be stores like Hot Topic and various thrift stores. There is a store in the Bay Area called Buffalo Exchange where a lot of alternative young adults work, and I am fairly sure that it is a requirement to wear scene/punk/emo/goth clothing when working at Hot Topic.
If none of those appeal to you, and though this is not strictly lolita, historical reenactment might be more up your alley. You still get to wear pretty dresses, and learn a bit more about the past. If you're lucky enough to go into Victorian reenactment, you might even be able to learn a little bit more about how to be a lady (which is highly important in being a proper lolita).
In this tough economy, I hope this helped give you a few ideas on where to find a job suitable for a lady such as yourself.
Yours truly,
~Yana
I apologize for (again) missing a post, but I've been sick this week and I haven't had the energy to think about something intelligent to say about clothing. Suffice it to say that lolita clothes are beautiful, and everyone should wear them.
Now it's Wednesday, and you're expecting a post on lifestyling and whatnot. I'll be honest though, I haven't had the time or ability to lifestyle this summer at all. I have a job (hurrah!) but for work, I clean houses. When cleaning, one must never EVER wear lolita. This isn't so much because it is unbecoming for a lady to clean, but because when you're making something less messy you don't want to scuff your 100 dollar mary janes, get bleach on your 400 dollar JSK from Angelic Pretty, or sweat out your curls.
And you will if you're cleaning properly.
But lets continue in this vein and discuss jobs and lolita. At some point in your journey down the ribbon lined path of lolita, you will find the thing that bothers me most about the subculture: it's very, very expensive. There are ways to skirt around this with crafty thrift-store shopping, altering of clothes and (if you can) sewing some but for all those great finds and handmade items, it takes time and effort that sometimes you just do not have. So in order to, well, order your items you'll need the duckets. More importantly though, as we get older we find that we need to provide for ourselves and our family and we need jobs to do so.
Before we get started with a list I'd like to say something of high importance: lolita NEVER comes before food, shelter, (cheaper) clothes or getting a job. First and foremost, lolita is a hobby and comes after all the necessities are taken care of.
A lot of these jobs have to do with classic lolita likes and interests such as clothes, sweets and yummy drinks. If your job or the area that you would be interested in working in doesn't match up with where a stereotypical lolita would work, don't fret! You don't have to change who you are just to fit the lolita mold.
Now then, ideally a lolita would have a job at a store like BSSB or BPN or AP or something along those lines, but not all of us live in the Bay Area, New York, Japan, Paris...et cetera, and among the lolita community, these jobs are highly coveted. Fear not though! There are many lolitas of the past who have opened their own stores on the internet. Say you have a friend, or know how to sew yourself. You can go to Etsy.com and open your own store (for free I'm fairly certain). They even have a handy dandy help page located here:. If you sell your wares for somewhat cheaper that your competition, you can eventually make more money. You can also follow the ways of In the Starlight (now closed) or Sweet Roccoco and make your own website to sell your wares, but that requires a lot more work. So you don't want/have the ability to sell clothes? No worries, you can sell just about anything hand made on Etsy...hair clips, jewelry, stationary...shoes even.
If being crafty isn't your thing, try finding your local tea or coffee shop. Having afternoon tea is an extremely lolita notion, and having afternoon tea or coffee stirs up images of ladies in a flower garden on a spring afternoon, or writers sitting in their bay windows when suddenly a stroke of inspiration comes. You probably won't be able to wear lolita at a lot of tea or coffee shops because you must wear long pants and closed toed shoes. Also, there is a chance of spillage and we don't want to ruin our dresses do we?
A bakery, sweets shop, or ice cream parlor would be a good place to search for jobs as well. Candies, ice cream cones, cookies and cakes are classic lolita motifs and associating yourself with sweet things is a lot of what lolita is about. Again, there is a serious stain risk here, so wearing your lolita here wouldn't be a great idea. A lot of places frown upon eccentric dress among their workers anyway, but along with having your own store or working in a lolita shop, some places that might allow you to wear your favorite JSK and have a minimal damage risk could be stores like Hot Topic and various thrift stores. There is a store in the Bay Area called Buffalo Exchange where a lot of alternative young adults work, and I am fairly sure that it is a requirement to wear scene/punk/emo/goth clothing when working at Hot Topic.
If none of those appeal to you, and though this is not strictly lolita, historical reenactment might be more up your alley. You still get to wear pretty dresses, and learn a bit more about the past. If you're lucky enough to go into Victorian reenactment, you might even be able to learn a little bit more about how to be a lady (which is highly important in being a proper lolita).
In this tough economy, I hope this helped give you a few ideas on where to find a job suitable for a lady such as yourself.
Yours truly,
~Yana
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Hiatus Over
Hello my lovelies,
It's been a while, but college will do that to you...Now that summer is successfully underway, and I have some more things to say about lolita fashion and lifestyling, I'll be able to update more regularly. Also, while abroad this semester I hope to keep up with this more so it isn't just a summer and winter break blog. Plus, I'll be adding a European flavor with insights into the EGL scene in the UK and Europe.
That's right ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to study abroad in the UK next semester! But enough about me...wait, not enough about me? Well in that case, you can follow my vlog here: http://www.youtube.com/user/MaVieEnVlog. It's more of a personal version of this blog.
But seriously, enough about me for now, that's not why you're here. You're here for my input on gothic lolita and that you shall receive. Today is Saturday...and I apologize for being a day late with an update on food and drink, but I hope you enjoy the entry.
Recently, I went to a tea shoppe, and I was in awe. In honor of that visit, lets talk about tea and scones.
The type of tea I had was a green tea called Kyoto Cherry Rose. It's amazing and available on the internet for purchase here: http://www.englishteastore.com/sekychrofegr.html. With a touch of milk (never cream because it is too heavy for tea) and sugar, this tea is perfect for a warm afternoon--the hint of "greenness" at the end of a sip is refreshing and almost gives a cooling sensation.
We also had scones with clotted cream and raspberry jam. Did you know that when eating a scone, it is proper to cut it in half then apply jam and a touch of clotted cream? I didn't...so I cut mine into slices and added the cream first. How embarrassing! In any event, it was still delicious, and it is something that should be experienced. So go out there! Get some jam and some cream and eat that scone with tea, you'll love it!
Ooh, I seem to be a bit rusty with blogging, I apologize for the shortness of the entry. Once I get back into the swing of things though, I'll post better entries.
It's been a while, but college will do that to you...Now that summer is successfully underway, and I have some more things to say about lolita fashion and lifestyling, I'll be able to update more regularly. Also, while abroad this semester I hope to keep up with this more so it isn't just a summer and winter break blog. Plus, I'll be adding a European flavor with insights into the EGL scene in the UK and Europe.
That's right ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to study abroad in the UK next semester! But enough about me...wait, not enough about me? Well in that case, you can follow my vlog here: http://www.youtube.com/user/MaVieEnVlog. It's more of a personal version of this blog.
But seriously, enough about me for now, that's not why you're here. You're here for my input on gothic lolita and that you shall receive. Today is Saturday...and I apologize for being a day late with an update on food and drink, but I hope you enjoy the entry.
Recently, I went to a tea shoppe, and I was in awe. In honor of that visit, lets talk about tea and scones.
The type of tea I had was a green tea called Kyoto Cherry Rose. It's amazing and available on the internet for purchase here: http://www.englishteastore.com/sekychrofegr.html. With a touch of milk (never cream because it is too heavy for tea) and sugar, this tea is perfect for a warm afternoon--the hint of "greenness" at the end of a sip is refreshing and almost gives a cooling sensation.
We also had scones with clotted cream and raspberry jam. Did you know that when eating a scone, it is proper to cut it in half then apply jam and a touch of clotted cream? I didn't...so I cut mine into slices and added the cream first. How embarrassing! In any event, it was still delicious, and it is something that should be experienced. So go out there! Get some jam and some cream and eat that scone with tea, you'll love it!
Ooh, I seem to be a bit rusty with blogging, I apologize for the shortness of the entry. Once I get back into the swing of things though, I'll post better entries.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Hiatus pt II
Loyal Readers,
I realize that I haven't updated in a while. I've been going through a fair amount of personal stuff, and I'm preparing to go back to school. Thus, until I get settled and on track with my routine, I'm putting this blog back on hiatus.
~Y. McLeod
I realize that I haven't updated in a while. I've been going through a fair amount of personal stuff, and I'm preparing to go back to school. Thus, until I get settled and on track with my routine, I'm putting this blog back on hiatus.
~Y. McLeod
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Dress Form
Loyal Readers,
Good afternoon. Lets pretend it's Monday and that I'm totally caught up with my blog...
...So, the dress I'm making I had to put a halt on. It's far too big, and sizing it on myself is really difficult. I could ask my mom for help, but I'm too proud and she'd critique. Also I really want/need to learn to make dresses on my own. How do I size on myself without going outside of my body, or trying to use a mirror?
Ladies and gents, I need a dress form.
But lets face it, I don't have the money for BSSB which is considerably less money than a dress form (they're upwards of 300-400 dollars for a good one). Am I doomed to never be able to make dresses that look good on me? Whatever shall I do?
And that my dears is where duct tape comes in. Why spend 400 dollars on a dress form when you can make one for 20 dollars? And that's exactly what I'm going to do. Apparently, all I need is a buddy, 2-3 rolls of 60 yrd duct tape, a long tee-shirt/dress/shorts and a top, cardboard, news paper, and a stand of some sort (which could be a lamp stand, a PVC pole and some wood, a mic stand...et cetera. This should make dress making and even designing much, much easier.
I'll be getting on that tomorrow. And more than likely, I'll take pictures. I might even post them...
Good afternoon. Lets pretend it's Monday and that I'm totally caught up with my blog...
...So, the dress I'm making I had to put a halt on. It's far too big, and sizing it on myself is really difficult. I could ask my mom for help, but I'm too proud and she'd critique. Also I really want/need to learn to make dresses on my own. How do I size on myself without going outside of my body, or trying to use a mirror?
Ladies and gents, I need a dress form.
But lets face it, I don't have the money for BSSB which is considerably less money than a dress form (they're upwards of 300-400 dollars for a good one). Am I doomed to never be able to make dresses that look good on me? Whatever shall I do?
And that my dears is where duct tape comes in. Why spend 400 dollars on a dress form when you can make one for 20 dollars? And that's exactly what I'm going to do. Apparently, all I need is a buddy, 2-3 rolls of 60 yrd duct tape, a long tee-shirt/dress/shorts and a top, cardboard, news paper, and a stand of some sort (which could be a lamp stand, a PVC pole and some wood, a mic stand...et cetera. This should make dress making and even designing much, much easier.
I'll be getting on that tomorrow. And more than likely, I'll take pictures. I might even post them...
Monday, January 11, 2010
A Two for One~
Hello loyal readers,
I come to you humbly asking for your forgiveness. I promised you a post for Wednesday and for Friday...now it is Sunday, and my last actual post was on Monday. Ack! Here, as promised though is Wednesday's post and as a special added bonus, Friday's post!
First I suppose I should answer this question : what in the world is a lifestyle lolita anyway? She is a lolita that lives her life as a proper lady. By no means is every lolita a lifestyle lolita and by no means is it a requirement to be so. Some people, myself included, feel a particular calling to a more beautiful and elegant (if not idealized) life. I've wanted to lifestyle ever since I learned about what it was, but old habits (such as swearing and slouching) are hard to break. On the other hand, there's no time like the present to try and start. I suppose the first step (and where I'll start) is research. The goal here is to act like a lady of stature, a high class woman who, if dropped into the Victorian era would fit right into high society. Start by brushing up on your history of the Victorian era, and specifically women in history. Here are a few websites that give a legitamite synopsis of women in the Victorian era, but don't forget to visit your local library as well:
A breif history of the Victorian woman in country and urban settings
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/trail/victorian_britain/women_out/urban_life_01.shtml
A complete (if not nearly complete) history of her royal hignness, Queen Victoria
http://www.victoriana.com/queenvictoria/
Et cetera.
The afore mentioned links are by no means complete histories. It is up to you do to some research on your own. You also don't have to act exactly like the ladies of the Victorian era, and in fact in some instances it might not be appropriate to do so. As you already know, or will know once you venture more into the lolita fashion and life style, the idea is to follow some basic guide lines but pick and choose as you go along. Just as one day you might wear a sailor lolita skirt with a gothic lolita blouse, it is perfectly ok to mix the ideas of a Victorian lady with a modern one.
In our next lifestyle instalment, I plan to discuss ettiqute and manners. Stay tuned!
Now, for the food portion of our post:
What should a lolita eat? There is a sort of myth surrounding the fashion that all lolitas are obsessed with sweets. This could not be farther from true. Sure, you might very well see sweets as a common motif in lolita clothing, but this usually goes along with the Sweet lolita style of clothing. By no means does that translate into "all lolitas eat nothing but cupcakes and sunshine". Lolitas do not eat Japanese or Chinese food all the time either. Unless, of course, they want to or live in Japan or China.
So what should a lolita eat? A lolita, like every other person out there should eat a healthy dose of fruits and veggies along with grain, dairy, and protein. Sweets should be eaten sparingly. Most everyone enjoys sweets though, and they're great to bring to a meet up or tea party. That being said, the first recipe we'll cover will be chocolate tofu parfaits. "Chocolate tofu parfaits? That sounds terrible!" So you would think. Tofu is a magical food though that provides, among other things, protein and is a great absorber of flavor. We'll also be using dark chocolate for flavor which is a brilliant source of antioxidants. The recipe is as follows:
You will need--
A blender or a food processor.
16 oz of silk tofu. This is key as it blends well and won't be chunky in your parfait.
½ cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup dark coco powder
1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
¼ cup dark chocolate, melted. You can do this over a double boiler (or two pots, one with a little bit of water in the bottom and the other on top), or in the microwave. If you do it in the microwave, be careful! Chocolate has a bad habit of burning when you microwave it for too long so be sure to watch your chocolate when you're warming it up.
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix all the ingredients \ in the blender or food processor and blend until smooth. If you want, mix in some nuts or dried fruit or even angel food cake. Let it set in the fridge for about 1 hour and serve.
Next time, I think I'll tackle a delicious goat cheese and apple salad. Mmm~
I come to you humbly asking for your forgiveness. I promised you a post for Wednesday and for Friday...now it is Sunday, and my last actual post was on Monday. Ack! Here, as promised though is Wednesday's post and as a special added bonus, Friday's post!
First I suppose I should answer this question : what in the world is a lifestyle lolita anyway? She is a lolita that lives her life as a proper lady. By no means is every lolita a lifestyle lolita and by no means is it a requirement to be so. Some people, myself included, feel a particular calling to a more beautiful and elegant (if not idealized) life. I've wanted to lifestyle ever since I learned about what it was, but old habits (such as swearing and slouching) are hard to break. On the other hand, there's no time like the present to try and start. I suppose the first step (and where I'll start) is research. The goal here is to act like a lady of stature, a high class woman who, if dropped into the Victorian era would fit right into high society. Start by brushing up on your history of the Victorian era, and specifically women in history. Here are a few websites that give a legitamite synopsis of women in the Victorian era, but don't forget to visit your local library as well:
A breif history of the Victorian woman in country and urban settings
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/trail/victorian_britain/women_out/urban_life_01.shtml
A complete (if not nearly complete) history of her royal hignness, Queen Victoria
http://www.victoriana.com/queenvictoria/
Et cetera.
The afore mentioned links are by no means complete histories. It is up to you do to some research on your own. You also don't have to act exactly like the ladies of the Victorian era, and in fact in some instances it might not be appropriate to do so. As you already know, or will know once you venture more into the lolita fashion and life style, the idea is to follow some basic guide lines but pick and choose as you go along. Just as one day you might wear a sailor lolita skirt with a gothic lolita blouse, it is perfectly ok to mix the ideas of a Victorian lady with a modern one.
In our next lifestyle instalment, I plan to discuss ettiqute and manners. Stay tuned!
Now, for the food portion of our post:
What should a lolita eat? There is a sort of myth surrounding the fashion that all lolitas are obsessed with sweets. This could not be farther from true. Sure, you might very well see sweets as a common motif in lolita clothing, but this usually goes along with the Sweet lolita style of clothing. By no means does that translate into "all lolitas eat nothing but cupcakes and sunshine". Lolitas do not eat Japanese or Chinese food all the time either. Unless, of course, they want to or live in Japan or China.
So what should a lolita eat? A lolita, like every other person out there should eat a healthy dose of fruits and veggies along with grain, dairy, and protein. Sweets should be eaten sparingly. Most everyone enjoys sweets though, and they're great to bring to a meet up or tea party. That being said, the first recipe we'll cover will be chocolate tofu parfaits. "Chocolate tofu parfaits? That sounds terrible!" So you would think. Tofu is a magical food though that provides, among other things, protein and is a great absorber of flavor. We'll also be using dark chocolate for flavor which is a brilliant source of antioxidants. The recipe is as follows:
You will need--
A blender or a food processor.
16 oz of silk tofu. This is key as it blends well and won't be chunky in your parfait.
½ cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup dark coco powder
1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
¼ cup dark chocolate, melted. You can do this over a double boiler (or two pots, one with a little bit of water in the bottom and the other on top), or in the microwave. If you do it in the microwave, be careful! Chocolate has a bad habit of burning when you microwave it for too long so be sure to watch your chocolate when you're warming it up.
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix all the ingredients \ in the blender or food processor and blend until smooth. If you want, mix in some nuts or dried fruit or even angel food cake. Let it set in the fridge for about 1 hour and serve.
Next time, I think I'll tackle a delicious goat cheese and apple salad. Mmm~
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Sleep
Hello loyal readers~
I've managed to screw up my sleep schedule, so the post for Wednesday will have to wait till next week.
~Y. McLeod
I've managed to screw up my sleep schedule, so the post for Wednesday will have to wait till next week.
~Y. McLeod
Monday, January 4, 2010
Dresses and Makeovers
Good afternoon everyone.
As you may or may not have noticed, I gave my old layout the old "heave-ho" and brought in a shiny new layout specially designed for my gothic lolita needs. That's right everyone, I mastered the basics of HTML just enough to make a few updates to my site. You'll notice that the banner has changed, and so has the background. Originally, I was going to go with a red theme, but the background was funky...In any event, you'll also notice there are new and improved buttons for your website! You can add them to your signature on a message board, you can add them to your blog, or wherever else takes HTML (or even BBCode, if you convert it first), so go forth and add!
Now, on to the reason why you're here: It's Monday which, according to my last post means it's time I tell you about some dresses, fabric, skirts, tutorials, or something of the sort. As you know, I'm working on a dress from an Alice in Wonderland pattern. So far, the sizing is perfect but that can be credited to me because I had to mush two sizes together. I've already altered the skirt so it's longer and more lolita appropriate (which didn't take too much effort at all), but in the future I think I would add width to the sleeves so that it had more gather as opposed to a sort of odd cap sleeve type thing. I think either way it will look good though. The dress itself is green and black (it sort of looks like the purple background on this very blog!), and lined with a thick silky black material. The cotton lace trim is black and eyelet lace. It's really cute, if I do say so myself. I keep saying that I'll post pictures (I know, I know) but this time I think I will.
The only thing is, this dress is taking forEVER to do! Unlike the last time I had a mass sewing spree, I'm actually taking my time and hemming properly...hence lots of frustration. I just have to keep thinking: two lolita dresses for under 50 dollars...two lolita dresses for under 50 dollars...!
As you may or may not have noticed, I gave my old layout the old "heave-ho" and brought in a shiny new layout specially designed for my gothic lolita needs. That's right everyone, I mastered the basics of HTML just enough to make a few updates to my site. You'll notice that the banner has changed, and so has the background. Originally, I was going to go with a red theme, but the background was funky...In any event, you'll also notice there are new and improved buttons for your website! You can add them to your signature on a message board, you can add them to your blog, or wherever else takes HTML (or even BBCode, if you convert it first), so go forth and add!
Now, on to the reason why you're here: It's Monday which, according to my last post means it's time I tell you about some dresses, fabric, skirts, tutorials, or something of the sort. As you know, I'm working on a dress from an Alice in Wonderland pattern. So far, the sizing is perfect but that can be credited to me because I had to mush two sizes together. I've already altered the skirt so it's longer and more lolita appropriate (which didn't take too much effort at all), but in the future I think I would add width to the sleeves so that it had more gather as opposed to a sort of odd cap sleeve type thing. I think either way it will look good though. The dress itself is green and black (it sort of looks like the purple background on this very blog!), and lined with a thick silky black material. The cotton lace trim is black and eyelet lace. It's really cute, if I do say so myself. I keep saying that I'll post pictures (I know, I know) but this time I think I will.
The only thing is, this dress is taking forEVER to do! Unlike the last time I had a mass sewing spree, I'm actually taking my time and hemming properly...hence lots of frustration. I just have to keep thinking: two lolita dresses for under 50 dollars...two lolita dresses for under 50 dollars...!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Hiatus over
Hello again my lovelies. I'm sorry to have abandoned you for so long but I've had my reasons...mostly getting caught up in college and homework and stuff.
For now though, I'm home, and comfortably rested enough to start working on a dress. First though, I suppose I should recount to you my break up to now:
My flight was delayed 3 times due to the winter storms on the east coast. After having a tough semester, this only added to the crap that seemed to be piling on my shoulders. So, after cleaning my room from floor to ceiling, and waiting around for a flight to finally open up, I boarded the plane and landed in SF. I was going to go to Gaskles, and then to Dickens Fair, but I missed both of those events due to a delayed flight *grumble*.
Anyway, break so far has been uneventful. Christmas was nice, I gave my mom a tea pot, and she gave me a nice journal. I visited BSSB with Petra, Tae, Jeremy, Zeke and Dylan and nearly died (and I have to say, if I worked there I might just have to die twice! I asked if they had any openings and they said to submit a resume...I have to get on that) and I've started up a profile on Gaia (again, part of the reason I'm updating). The New Year has brought not much exciting news, but it's only been going on for 3 days.
Anyway, off to the exciting news: I have in my possession the pattern to end all patterns. Yes, ladies and gents, I've gotten my hands on an Alice in Wonderland pattern (which translates to a sweet one piece once I lengthen the skirt!). I'm super excited! I'll post pictures once I'm done. I also have a buttload of fabric that I'm hoping to turn into a sweet new wardrobe...
Also, I'm taking suggestions for a new layout and tips on how to reformat my blog. I'm also hoping to get more folowers, and I'm looking for suggestions on what to write on my blog...so post comments and tell your friends!
I'm pretty sure that's it for updates, my updates will also be more coherent once I decide to post more. Should I have update days (like every Monday or Wednesday?) or perhaps if I update Tutorials/a review of clothes and whatnot every Monday, Lifestyle and whatnot on Wednesday and Friday could be food and drink (with recipes and whatnot). Sounds like a good idea to me, but I'd like input. Lemme know!
~Y
For now though, I'm home, and comfortably rested enough to start working on a dress. First though, I suppose I should recount to you my break up to now:
My flight was delayed 3 times due to the winter storms on the east coast. After having a tough semester, this only added to the crap that seemed to be piling on my shoulders. So, after cleaning my room from floor to ceiling, and waiting around for a flight to finally open up, I boarded the plane and landed in SF. I was going to go to Gaskles, and then to Dickens Fair, but I missed both of those events due to a delayed flight *grumble*.
Anyway, break so far has been uneventful. Christmas was nice, I gave my mom a tea pot, and she gave me a nice journal. I visited BSSB with Petra, Tae, Jeremy, Zeke and Dylan and nearly died (and I have to say, if I worked there I might just have to die twice! I asked if they had any openings and they said to submit a resume...I have to get on that) and I've started up a profile on Gaia (again, part of the reason I'm updating). The New Year has brought not much exciting news, but it's only been going on for 3 days.
Anyway, off to the exciting news: I have in my possession the pattern to end all patterns. Yes, ladies and gents, I've gotten my hands on an Alice in Wonderland pattern (which translates to a sweet one piece once I lengthen the skirt!). I'm super excited! I'll post pictures once I'm done. I also have a buttload of fabric that I'm hoping to turn into a sweet new wardrobe...
Also, I'm taking suggestions for a new layout and tips on how to reformat my blog. I'm also hoping to get more folowers, and I'm looking for suggestions on what to write on my blog...so post comments and tell your friends!
I'm pretty sure that's it for updates, my updates will also be more coherent once I decide to post more. Should I have update days (like every Monday or Wednesday?) or perhaps if I update Tutorials/a review of clothes and whatnot every Monday, Lifestyle and whatnot on Wednesday and Friday could be food and drink (with recipes and whatnot). Sounds like a good idea to me, but I'd like input. Lemme know!
~Y
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