New Years Resolutions 2016

As the years comes so very close to rolling over into 2016 I decided to go back and visit my 2015 New Years Resolution post to see just how much I was actually able to do. Generally I will write a post, write down my list to hang on the wall, and walk away from the post with my goals in mind. I find it a lot of fun to go back and read what all I wrote and to see if I was able to fulfill what I wanted or if I utterly crashed and burned haha

Needless to say I'm not successful even 50% of the time with my goals. But to me that's still good! I set a lot of goals for myself on New Years, some that are rather "unrealistic" or "lofty", but I like having a lot of things I want to get done and outlining a plan :)

So without further ado, I shall review over my previous years list as well as set some new ones!
(I'll of course go over the cosplay and lolita ones in their own respective posts and link them down below~)

A bit Upsetting...

Been working rather diligently to go through all my old pictures to add watermarking. I'm sorry for how ugly this is going to end up being and I'll do my best to make it as non-obtrusive as possible. But at this point I have found multiple other places re-posting my images without credit and a few people even using them to sell things on LaceMarket :\

I usually don't have much of a problem with others using my photos for things so long as they let me know! ASK ME if you want to use anything for a background or icons or ANYTHING and I can send you the HUGE non-edited and non-resized photos! All I really ask is that you credit me for taking the picture and send  a link back, ya' know?

I work pretty hard to take decent pictures and write up things here. I started it in hopes that it would help people make decisions about things to buy or not to buy and maybe someone might fall in love with a dress or two along the way :)
But it's really disheartening and upsetting to me when my photos get taken.
Yeah yeah I know, it's a fact of the internet. I really should know better considering how long I've been on it and all that ;\ but still.

So watermarking on everything will now be the norm.

I have at least 20 queued up posts at this point that I just need to finish writing up and adding photos to. I bought a LOT of things during the Bodyline birthday sale back in October? (September?) and it's taking me a lot of time to compile everything.

Winter always seems so busy for me... Stay tuned :)

[Bodyline Review] Short Sleeve Ruffle Blouse in Pink & Lavender (L364)

Short Sleeve Ruffle Blouse [link]
L364
("Pik" = Pink)
("Pul" = Lavender)
[Review of White]

Size Medium
Length (52cm)
Bust (94cm)
Waist (80cm)
Shoulder length (36cm)
Sleeve length (22cm)


Shortly after Bodyline released a new series of items blouse L364 caught my eye. It seemed like a simple and cute enough blouse to be worn with a variety of dresses, skirts, and styles. I decided I'd give it a shot and order two of these blouses before many other reviews were out about them. The wide variety of colors was also a plus, as well as making it a bit difficult to choose what colors to order. What would be most versatile? What would look best with the wardrobe I have and want to build?

*Angelic Pretty* Holy Lantern 2015 re-release Black and White high-waisted JSK [HD photos]

[ Lolibrary Link | Special Set Link ]

Holy Lantern has, over the years, become one of the most sought-after dresses in the lolita community. The all-over design is flocked on a chiffon fabric which has made Holy Lantern a unique dress in it's own right; one that, if rumors had it, was incredibly difficult for Angelic Pretty to produce.

So when it was announced that Angelic Pretty would be re-releasing the series the community was in an uproar of excitement! Shopping services filled up at lightning speed and online communities were abuzz with talk on which dresses might be the most difficult or easiest to get. The 2015 release not only saw two new colorways, navy and black x white, but also the "high waist" cut which had previously been used as the first release's special set. I had personally always loved the style of the special set and decided to try my best to buy that style, but what color? I loved the ivory x black but that color wasn't being produced this time around, so I decided to try for the black x white! I really wished they had made the black x black again and wonder why they hadn't... but I really fell in love with the new black color combo!

It should also be mentioned that the zipper style JSK wasn't being released again! So many people were upset considering that was THEE most popular cut of the series!
But that was all fixed less than a week later when Angelic Pretty announced they would be doing a made-to-order! And with ANOTHER new colorway: pink! Sadly though they decided to leave out navy- though I wish they hadn't because after seeing worn photos it was really pretty! However the ivory is again up for grabs as well as the new black x white colorway being made into the zipper style JSK!

I hem-and-haw'ed a lot if I wanted to buy another dress during the MTO. I sawa chance to get the ivory high-waist JSK but.. I already had the black in that style. Or I could get this new black colorway in the zipper style! But I always had the black in another style. I literally spent until a few hours before the cut-off date to decide if I wanted anything at all. I ended up ordering the zipper JSK in ivory and decided if I didn't like it I might be able to trade with another girl ^^;; here's to hoping!


Jumper skirt stats:

Bust: 33.5 ~ 41in (85～105cm)
Waist: 31.8 ~ 39in (81～100cm)
Length: 35in (89cm includes lace)

Product Number:  152PJ09-020017
Colors:  Black, Lavender, Navy, Wine/Bordeaux (Pink and Ivory added for the made-to-order)

WARNING: EXTREMELY IMAGE HEAVY POST

Full review to come later~

[Bodyline Review] White Cotton Knit Bolero (L237)

Cotton Knit Bolero [link]
L237
("Pik" = Pink)
("Owh" = Off White)

(Size Medium)
Length: 14in (37cm)
Bust: 33in (84cm)
Shoulder Width: 13in (34cm)
Sleeve length: 23in (60cm)


As I was first starting out and growing my lolita wardrobe it was fall in the Pacific Northwest and thus it was cold, rainy, and just all those good things that make it sweater weather! Most of my normal cardigans were much too long to wear with any lolita dresses or skirts so I figured buying some more suitable ones would be a good idea if I wanted to dress up during such a season. I was still very new and to me brands such as "Angelic Pretty" or "Baby the Stars Shine Bright" seemed expensive for a hobby I wasn't 100% sure I was going to stick with. And thus I bought these boleros from Bodyline.

That totally sounds like the beginning of a horror story!
(Note: I decided to only take pictures of the white bolero as the fabric I use as a backdrop is pink)

[Bodyline Review] Sax Blue "Pussy Bow" Blouse (L373)

Short Sleeve Ruffle Blouse [link]
L373
("Sax" = Saxon Blue)


Length: 52cm (20.5in)
Bust: 88cm (34.6in)
Waist: 78cm (30.7in)
Shoulder length: 34cm (13in)
Sleeve length: 18cm (7in)


I honestly wasn't sure what I thought of this blouse when I first saw the stock photo; the neck tie is so encompassing that it was a bit hard to see passed it to the actual blouse. While Bodyline has been "upping their game" with their stock photos every now and again I find them falling short. While this one does do a good job at showing how the blouse looks with the tie it also doesn't let you see all that much detail on, ya know, the actual blouse.

After scouring the internet a bit for some other photos from girls either wearing it or trying to sell it I decided to give it a shot and bought it in the saxon blue. I'm a bit weird when it comes to lolita as I'm honestly not a fan of huge Peter Pan style collars as I get the notion they end up eating your neck- so the fact that this is was a high collar blouse really interested me! It could be cute without too much going on like L364.

Mid-August Update

Have you ever felt like you've been immensely busy while simultaneously getting nothing done?
That's so me right now.
It's a really crappy feeling and place to be in. I've been constantly cleaning, typing, taking pictures, etc and yet don't really have much to show for it? I had taken a bunch of photos of lolita items and, like a stupid, forgot to check my settings on my camera and thus the photos came out really grainy. I'm not sure if I want to try and salvage them or just retake them altogether.

Newcon Mini - Last Minute Event

His eyes were red from swimming :P I swear!

I honestly had no intention of attending Newcon's mini event in Portland at all. That is until I had told my friend Ryan about it and he decided it would be his last "hoorah" before moving back to Texas for a bit (he does promise to come back anyway.)

I basically went to work, came home super early (around 4am) and just crashed ASAP in an attempt to get as much rest as I could. The event started at 10am but I knew in my heart of hearts I would not be able to be up, ready, and out the door in time. Especially since I had no idea what I even wanted to wear yet! The weather seemed super iffy and was drizzling a bit all morning so cosplay was a bit, well, out of the question really. I had nothing suited for the cold yet mild atmosphere- only things that would leave me sweating or painfully cold.
So lolita it was.
But what dress? I have no idea!!

KumoriCon "Lite" (long post)

We're cool kids.

Mini convention events seem to be really popular this year with a lot of local cons holding such events. As it turns out KumoriCon is no different! The convention decided to hold a one day event on Saturday June 27th at the Double Tree in Portland.

I had agreed to attend a wedding later in the day so I had to make sure that whatever I chose to wore could either A) be easy to change out of or B) work for both events. I honestly DID want to cosplay but with the weather in Portland hovering around the 100s for far too long I knew it would be in my best interest to dress a bit more comfortably.

Mayhaps in hindsight lolita wasn't the best option but it was certainly far more comfortable than any cosplay I was interested in wearing. I know I keep telling myself I need to have more of a presence in the local cosplay scene ~_~ but at the same time I feel weird leaving my apartment in full cosplay to go somewhere, you know? Lolita, oddly enough, feels a lot less strange for me to walk around the general public in.

First week back after vacation - Let's rant about change!

My cat understands how I feel.

That first week of work after a vacation really does feel like murder; I can't think of any other way to describe it! Just murder ~_~;; I slept too much and didn't eat very well this whole week. And from what I understand the first day I was on vacation one of the machines went down! And was acting up terribly this whole last week I was back. So needless to say I lost a lot of work hours (6 total all week?) So now my check is going to be short and I'm just going to fret terribly about it like I always do. I'm thinking more and more that at my review this month I'm going to ask- no, DEMAND. I get a raise at work. I know this sounds pushy but I have not gotten one for nearly 2 years now and prices and rent keep going up.

Though realistically I just need a new job. I told myself I wouldn't post negative stuff here or anything about my job ^^;; but it's also important for me I ramble a bit about this (but at the same time I talk a lot about it but never DO anything...) I've got a possible opportunity at a really great place to work! So I just need to make sure my resume looks pretty and send it in. Honestly though? I'm scared of the change. I've been where I'm at so long that quitting really is a huge thing! If I had a kid for as long as I've been at my job it'd already be in 4th grade at this point! (I started in March of 2006.)

But change isn't bad. I often times remind myself this as I do not face change well- or the enacting of change for myself. Even if for the better. I freeze up in fear really bad and choose inaction as a safer route than action (and thus the unknown of what that change would bring). I'm really terrible at this.
But it's time.
And it's long overdue.

[Bodyline Review] Triple Bow lolita shoes (shoe259)

Triple Bow lolita shoes [link]
Shoe259
("dpink" aka Dark Pink)

Heel height: in (5.8cm)
Front platform: in (1.3cm)


I'll be completely honest outright. I've always thought these shoes were ugly. TOO sweet for my taste. I like cute things and bows as much as the next sweet lolita but my personal style falls on a weird line between sweet and classic. So these shoes with their giant clown-esque round toes and large bows all over were never something I thought I would be buying.

And then cosplays I want to do start getting planned for and I go in search of shoes. And these ended up being the closest in style without breaking my bank for what I needed. The cosplay is of Ranka Lee from the second Macross Frontier movie "Sayonara no Tsubasa"- namely her "Niji Iro Kuma Kuma" outfit. Aside from heavily altering some heels or finding other shoes I opted for an option I seemed less likely to hurt myself trying to walk in ^^;; (I'll talk more about these shoes for cosplay use once I make posts and progress on that.)

Prepping for Fanime: One cosplay at a time...

For as certain I was about getting Sailor Mercury done for SakuraCon I am THAT unsure I will get ANYTHING done in time for Fanime  u_u  I -believe- we're heading down Thursday (driving) and coming back Sunday so I honestly have very few days to get all my things done... and I haven't even started on the main cosplay I want to bring!

Saki!!~~ Stole this photo from OtakuDepot [LINK]

So far the only things I can think of that I already have nearly donw would be comfortable wearing in the California heat are Weresheep (Monster Girls) and maybe a Lum costume. For the one I really am worrying about though I know I'm going to die wearing LOL. But my friend (Mewchi Cosplay) and I were talking about things we wanted to make and I mentioned wanting to remake Ritsuko from Kujibiki Unbalanced- to which she got mega excited and I found out she really liked Genshiken! I was super excited and we ended up agreeing to doing the outfit of where Saki is cosplaying as Ritsuko in her "battle outfit" and the matching one Ohno wears for it~

She's so perfect as Ohno! And I hope I make an okay Saki/Ritsuko ^^;; I'm mostly basing my cosplay off of one figure I like the color scheme on. Otherwise her cosplay is vastly different between each iteration. I can make the fabric bits no problem but the helmet is giving me grief. It always does. It did my first time around! And now with how beat up my old one has become over the years I need to remake it ~_~;; I've already been working at it for several hours today and only took this short break to eat something...

So as of now I have no cosplay plans outside of Saki. I figure I'll focus on her and then just bring whatever else I manage to finish? Ugh. I'm so unprepared ;_;

*Angelic Pretty* Royal Creamy Chocolate [HD photos]

[ Lolibrary Link ]

Angelic Pretty is the supreme creator of chocolate themed prints; they never seem to run out of ideas and while certain motifs get reused they can still feel fresh! Despite Royal Creamy Chocolate having a lot of Angelic Pretty's signature designs (chocolate blocks, carousel ponies, etc) it still is a uniquely cute dress! The low neck design and simplicity of trims and laces help offset the large dress consuming print.
Despite being monochromatic the print is extremely detailed with many fine details that are lovely up close. The dress is eye catching yet simple and can be dressed up sweet or with a classic twist.

JSK stats:

Bust: 34.6~39in (88~100cm)
Waist: 26.7~30.7in  (68~78cm)
Length: 33in + 1in of lace  (84cm + 3cm of lace)

WARNING: EXTREMELY IMAGE HEAVY POST
Full review to come later~

[Bodyline Review] Cut-out Lolita Boots (S506)

Cut-out Lolita Boots [link]
S506
("dbrw" aka dark brown)

Heel height: 2.3in (6cm)
Total height from heel: 11in (28cm)
Front platform: 0.6in (1.5cm)


When Bodyline first released photos into their "new" section on their Rakuten site these were instantly popular. The style was cute, unique, and very detailed for a pair of Bodyline shoes. I knew that I wanted to try them out as soon as I could buy them. They were super cute! I had been wanting to purchase a pair of lolita boots that were no the usually knee-high-with-a-couple-of-bows style many "lolita" boots tend to be, I was even pondering ordering some of the wedge-heeled ones (though I wasn't totally in love with them) so these dropped at the perfect time for me!

I ordered these on the 9th of February via AIR mail through Bodyline and received them on the 26th. The tracking actually said the package was still in customs on the 27th lol. So I'm starting to wonder just how accurate tracking can be. So long as my stuff even makes it into US customs I'm pretty happy ^^;;

Now onto the actual boots!
(*Note* I had to leave the tissue and foam supports in these boots to take photos of them due to how soft the material is.)

[Taobao Review] MichikoCat Magic Book Purse (red/blue/natural)

(Upon checking MichikoCat no longer carries these purses so I have removed the direct link this specific item. However I have been able to find them on My-Lolita-Dress.)

I have been wanting a cute "book" bag for a while! I always really liked the look of them but actually could not find one I liked enough to buy. A lot had to do with Alice in Wonderland motifs or something fairy-tale like that wasn't subtle enough for my personal tastes as I was hoping to find something I could not only wear with lolita fashion but also in normal clothes. Although I did want one in a more neutral color I instantly LOVED these magic books bags I spotted when I came across the shop MichikoCat on Taobao!
The bags were on preorder so I had to wait some time in order for everything to be processed. I was kind of over zealous with my purchases and, being unable to choose which one to buy, I bought all three colors they were available in with the idea I could easily be rid of whichever one I didn't want in the end. I love the blue one most of all due to the color scheme of blue and silver- a combination I have always been attracted to. I mostly bought the red one to use as a functional prop when I cosplay Jibril from "No Game No Life" as her character art has her holding a red-toned book ( I also really love functional costume pieces like this ^.^;) but I knew it could easily function as a statement piece of sorts since the gold and red combo is really eye-catching!