Hyper Japan anticipation

This Saturday I shall be attending Hyper Japan http://www.hyperjapan.co.uk/ If you are also attending then I look forward to seeing you there! The weekend kicks off tomorrow. I am really excited about it. There are even people coming over from other countries to go to this event.

Hyper Japan is a big deal for English lolitas. Many American lolitas may be wondering why this is such an interesting event for us English lolitas. Well, for starters this will be the very first time that most of the brands attending will be in the UK. The featured brands will be selling items via the Kera shop and Baby will even have their own pop-up shop. Yes, we can buy stuff online but to be able to physically see these items and have a browse is incredible. If the event is a success then chances are these brands may choose to visit us again. It will give the brands the chance to see how popular they are in England.

Kera magazine will be holding a fashion show on the stage. There was a modelling competition and the lucky models get to keep their outfits afterwards. Lolita clothes are expensive so I think this is a great prize. Misako Aoki will also be there (she is a Japanese lolita who has modelled for various companies including Baby). I have seen videos of her and she comes across as polite, cute and somebody who has a passion for fashion. Also on stage will be a lolita who I am very keen to meet. Her user name online is pixie-late and I have been secretly admiring her from afar. On forums she gives the impression that she is easy to approach and friendly so I will be trying to have a chat with her.

But it is not just a lolita haven. There will be cosplaying, para para dancing, tourism information, food demonstrations, manga workshops and lots more. PLUS Square Enix are attending! Square Enix do the Final Fantasy games (my husband James loves Final Fantasy) and the Dragon Quest games (which in my opinion, deserve more love!).

I think this is the first time Hyper Japan have held an event like this. Here is hoping the weekend is a huge success!

My coat dilemma

For a while I was a lone lolita. I kept myself to myself and mainly wore lolita around the house. In fact, it is only recently that I decided to become more involved with the community and other lolitas. This has worked out really great but I find myself needing to weatherproof my lolita a lot more. This time last year I was mainly inside so this will be my first Winter where I may need to be out in the cold for meets and other stuff. I have already purchased some cardigans for the annoying transitional phase where it is hot one minute and cold the next. Now I need to focus on a coat.

This coat needs to meet the following criteria-

1. I have to like it (obviously)

2. It will have to be able to work with my wardrobe and I don't just mean with one or two dresses. The more items the coat matches, the better.

3. It would ideally need to look good with both sweet and classic lolita (I think the colour cream would possibly the best halfway mark between the two styles)

4. It has to be heavy endurance because I don't know if or when I will be able to by another coat

5. Sadly it needs to be off-brand because I simply can't afford a brand coat.

The sad thing is, I have already found a coat I really want. But it is from Innocent World an 44940 yen. A quick check on XE.com tells me this will set me back approx £340 and that is excluding shipping. Plus, I don't think Innocent World do international orders so I would have to use a shipping service and obviously that coasts extra. My budget is severely limited (about £100 but this is worst case scenario. A lot depends on how much I spend at Hyper Japan this weekend). And here is a picture of the coat-

What I like about this coat is that it is simple. There are no bunny ears, heart shaped pockets or overly cute features. It is just a plain and simple coat which would suit my current wardrobe and it is easy to wear it outside of my loli stuff. The site shows that this coat can be worn many different ways. Plus if you pay a bit extra you can get this matching cape-

It is times like these that I wish I could just spend a load of money and not have to worry one bit. I have seen other coats that are getting released this year and I have not been too impressed with the other brand ones. I have not checked Baby's coats yet but there is not much point when I can't afford one.

So I have been madly searching off-brand sites in the hope of discovering a good strong coat that fits my main ideals. After much fruitless searching I came up with 2 coats. There was a third coat but it wont be available until mid November (plus it is custom made which adds even more time) and I would prefer to have a coat before then.

The first coat is a Fanplusfriend one. Out of all the coats on this site I think this was my favourite-

The good thing is that the fur bits can be removed. The site says the material is heavy and the making estimate is 2 weeks (I predict it would probably be a bit longer than they say but I thought 2 weeks was quite a quick time). My only real issue is possibly the deep red colour. Out of the colour options deep red is my favourite but I am doubtful that it will go with some of my stuff. Currently my wardrobe is mainly baby pink and sax blue but I am starting to veer more towards classic lolita and this coat would suit classic. Would this coat go with sugary sweet colours? I don't know.

The second coat is from Quiteland and the design is called Celebi! Like the Pokemon! This coat has more details on it. I can't remember if the bows are detachable or not. I like the design of this coat. Plus, I like the cream colour the best which would suit both my sweet and classic items. I think I prefer this coat slightly more than the fanplusfriend one. But this coat will take longer to make.

I am still really clueless about what coat I am going to pick. I am open to other coat suggestions. I suppose I don't really need to rush it. I know it is not very lolita but for now I am making do with wearing a biker jacket and a coat I purchased from new look last year.

And whilst I am on the subject of Innocent World...

I REALLY want this bag.

I want to learn crochet!

When I was younger I attempted to learn crochet. The results were a disaster. It was so bad that I was unable to complete even the simplest of items. I had kits and everything. But I got over it and accepted that you can't be good at everything.

Fast forward a decade and a half- I have lolitas telling me about crochet items they have made. I think the items look cute but I am reminded of my dreadful past attempts. I bang my head on my desk as I slowly debate whether to try crochet once again or not.

I mainly want to do food crochet like cakes, fruit and sushi. If I could just make the cake on the front of this book, I could alter it slightly and make an interesting headpiece. Plus the 4th English Gothic and Lolita Bible had some crochet items as well which look really cool.

I also want to get this Crobots book. I know for a fact that some of my friends would go mad for these and they would make an interesting present. Plus I would feel better knowing that I put a lot of love into their present.

But I am unsure if I will take up crochet again or not. I don't want to be disappointed...

Hummingbird Bakery cookbook

About a year and a half ago, I was having a random browse in the cookery section of WHSmiths. I was looking for some interesting and different cake recipes. Out of all the books, the Hummingbird Bakery one stood out the most. I was very excited about making some of these cakes. If you don't feel like making your own, the Hummingbird Bakery has branches in Notting Hill and South Kensington in London. I must warn you though that buying from these bakeries is a lot more expensive. With this in mind, I went and purchased this book. Now I think I have made enough cakes to review the book.

To start with I decided to try a more simpler recipe. As nice as some of the recipes sounded, my cooking is not brilliant. So I started with the pecan pie. I actually cheated a little and used pre made pastry. I didn't have much time so I didn't really want to make my own. The resulting pie looked almost identical to this picture-

The one problem I had was that I had to substitute dark corn syrup for golden syrup. Although Hummingbird have stores in England, the people who started this bakery are actually American. Dark corn syrup is hard to find in the UK but if you have dark corn syrup it is meant to taste more authentic. I was a little worried when I first took the pie out because the pecans all floated to the top and the syrup bit resembled jelly. It turns out it is meant to turn out like this. This pie definitely tasted better hot and served with ice cream. This is winter comfort food. You can really taste the pecans. I want to make this again sometime when the weather gets colder.

For my next venture I decided to make marshmallow cupcakes like these-

To look at these you may be wondering what is so special about them. Hidden inside is a marshmallow filling. This recipe is fiddly but a lot of fun. The best bit was melting the marshmallows. I deliberately made too much so I had some warm marshmallow fluff to snack on (and it was totally worth it). The recipe was quite simple. It is a bit like making butterfly cakes but with marshmallows instead of butter icing. However, there was a problem with the frosting. The book has 3 frosting recipes at the front which are used throughout the book. For these cakes I made the vanilla frosting and I was very disappointed when it turned out runny. I kept adding more icing sugar but it was hopeless. So my cupcakes had runny frosting. I was a little disappointed. Also I would recommend not using extra marshmallows on top because these are sweet enough already. I added extra marshmallows and the cakes ended up making me feel a little sick afterwards.

Then I decided to make 2 batches of cupcakes. I used the vanilla and chocolate cupcake recipes. Sadly I had a lot of problems with the vanilla cupcakes. Some of the ingredient measures in this book are definitely not right. This problem seems to affect a few of the recipes whilst others work fine. A good example of ingredient unbalance would be the traditional brownie recipe. You expect brownies to be slightly runny but mine ended up being melt in the middle chocolate pudding. No matter what I did, the brownies would not set in the middle. It was very messy. Admittedly my husband enjoyed eating the failed brownie goop and I managed to rescue the edges which had set to an acceptable brownie standard. I also made a batch of Blondies which are a white chocolate version of brownies. Mine ended up looking like cake instead of brownies. I am not sure if this is how it is meant to turn out or not. The picture in the book suggests that I did get it right but I wouldn't call it a brownie. The white chocolate brownie/cake tasted amazing. This is a good recipe for those who like chocolate but don't want something over the top.

This book also features other recipes such as strawberry cheesecake cupcakes, lavender cupcakes, Brooklyn blackout cake (which is a bit like a death by chocolate cake recipe), sweet and savoury muffins and raspberry cheesecake brownies.

The pictures look amazing but don't expect yours to turn out as well as the pictured ones. Some recipes work and others may need adjusting. Although some of the recipes are simple, beginners may struggle with some of the recipes here. The books appearance is very appealing and some of the pictures will make your mouth water. If all of this sounds like too much hassle, then maybe visit the actual stores or try a different recipe book. Apparently celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow are Hummingbird fans. I am curious to visit the shop just to see what it is like.

Bodyline's cute accessories

After all the problems that Bodyline had with their sale, they have not been able to release new products for a few weeks. I thought I would have a look on the website yesterday and they finally have some new stuff in! I was kind of hoping for some new dresses (there were 2 new dresses) but this update mainly consisted of charm accessories and some very odd feather fans and feather boas. Luckily their new charms are really cute!

These charms cost around $4 each which is still very cheap but a bit more than previous Bodyline accessories. A majority of the new charms are cute rabbits. I love how this first one with the slanted eyes is blushing slightly. I am trying to work out if this face is meant to be deliberately wonky or not. It is very off-centre. A very simple but cute design.

As well as bunny heads, there are some with star shaped bodies. This one has crosses for eyes so it is looking a bit dead. I like how the ears have patterned fabric inside them. Again the design is very simple but cute. as you can see this one comes in pink. Most of the charms come in cream or pink options.

But this next charm is by far my favourite of the entire lot. The rabbit is blushing and has a huge sweat drop running down its face. It reminds me of an anime character.

These charms would have a very wide appeal. Hopefully the wonky one is not a sign that these are poorly made and it is a one-off. It would be very tempting to add these to a Bodyline order. I am already thinking about who I can give these to for birthdays and stuff. I can think of several friends who would go mad over these. I myself wouldn't mind getting the one in the last picture.

Finally, I have included a picture of one of the two new Bodyline dresses. I would post the other one but to be honest... it was not very special (sorry!). This dress is listed at $87 and when the new items page first loaded I was like "What!? $87 for such a plain looking Bodyline dress?". The problem is, that when you enlarge the photo it is still hard to see the details but I can see it has a bustle front and appears to have a rose print on it. This is very good news for me because it means a design I was working on could be accepted because it could match. It may be some time yet before I finish my design contest entry but I am very hopeful.

The one thing I will say about this dress is that I don't like the flimsy halterneck straps. I would rather see more material or maybe totally strapless. To be honest I think even with all the details this dress has, $87 is probably a little too steep. I think this is currently the most expensive dress in the dress section. Even when you take the dresses included in the half price sale and double the amount to get the original price, they are still a tiny bit cheaper than this dress. Maybe Bodyline are expecting this dress to be a hit or it was designed by a contest winner. Hmm...

Anyway, the straps are worth checking out and you could buy a few of these without breaking the bank. And here is hoping they are not wonky!

A meet-up in Oxford

A random Saturday in Oxford... perfect for meeting some other lolitas! I was really happy to meet new people who live in the area. Here we all are!

From left to right- me, Sammi, Nicola, Jenni and Rainy. Just out of sight was Sammi's gorgeous little boy Cameron (so cute!) and my long-suffering husband who ended up being the bag holder/photographer. Sammi and I are wearing Bodyline pieces, Nicola made her own skirt (and she is only 14! I wish I had her skills!), Jenni is in Moi Meme Moitie and Rainy is in Metamorphose.

After the group had assembled at the train station we went for a Chinese buffet. Oxford has quite a few little Chinese areas including supermarkets and many restaurants. Nicola and Sammi took us to one which I had never been to before. Sadly I don't remember the name! I have been past this place before but have never been inside. The low prices were a pleasant surprise (cheap stuff in Oxford is rare without resorting to Burger King) and the food was delicious. We could eat as much as we want so we piled our plates up. The restaurant was quiet which was perfect for talking and getting to know the group.

Afterwards we walked towards the Alice shop which I now seem to visit on a very regular basis. Word of warning- this shop is tiny so it is not wide petticoat friendly. Thankfully the shop was quieter than usual. Our photos were taken by curious people throughout the day but we were mostly photographed around this area. I think they mistook us for shop promoters. Here I am by the rabbit sign I always pose with.

The plan was to go inside Christ Church for photographs. I think we were a little put-off by the scaffolding on the outside. Someday I will do a proper photoshoot here. So we took a little detour and walked along the river instead, where we got confronted by hungry geese. Thankfully the river at Oxford is really pretty and you have the punters going by.

My favourite picture! See the guy on the punt? It turns out Nicola knows him. She got a little embarrassed. One of us shouted "We love you Louie!" really loudly. He said thank you in return. Thankfully I think Nicola saw the funny side.

Afterwards we walked into town again and visited Mr Simms' sweet shop. This sweet shop is definitely the best in the area. Although you can get a free sample of fudge if you pass the fudge kitchen. We didn't end up going in that direction so no free fudge for me! We bombarded our noses in smelly bath shop Lush. The staff were very interested in our clothes and kept recommending sweet products to match.

As the day ended we popped into Yo! Sushi for an afternoon snack. I ate some Dorayaki which are pancakes with custard filling. It had a really nice raspberry sauce with it too. At the risk of sounding a little bit mad, I am was highly amused watching the sushi whizzing by on the conveyor belt. It reminds me of this old game show where you had to remember items as they passed on a conveyor belt. I resisted the urge to shout "and here comes a cuddly toy!" in a silly game show voice.

And so we went home feeling very pleased with how the day went. All of the girls were very friendly and polite. No bitchiness to be found here! The group was about the right size for the location. In my opinion this is how all lolita meet-ups should be. It was a shame we missed out on the Christ Church visit but everybody said they had a good time. You can't really ask for any more than that.

Tarot Card by Alice and the Pirates

Coming soon to the reservations page is the latest from Alice and the Pirates featuring tarot cards. As soon as I saw the title I got really excited. There are so many different tarot cards (I wish somebody would make lolita ones!) with all sorts of art work on them. They can be very intricate and detailed. There is also a sense of mystery about them as with most items that try to predict the future. With this in mind, I feel tarot cards sort of suit lolita. I own tarot cards and I think it is really fun to predict the future. In the past some of my readings have come true. Spooky!

Anyway, to the collection! Let's have a look-

The photo above is the first version of the JSK. The sleeves are relatively simple and look as though they have a bit of stretch room. The problem I have with this dress is the black leather looking material. I have got nothing against ero loli but this leather material seems to stick out a lot. It almost looks cheap. If you see the lace close up it is rose lace and I love it. But I think on this dress the lace may get a little itchy.I also think that some more detail around the waist would be better because the pattern all of a sudden comes to an abrupt stop. I am very unsure about this version. I think that if you wore it in a certain way it may look like a costume rather than lolita.

Above is the 2nd version of the JSK. I definitely prefer this one. Sadly because it looks quite fitted, I think it may be harder to fit in. This does not look very bust friendly. The lace panel on the front would help to even out a bottom heavy girl. It gives the illusion of a bigger bust. The lace, although the same as the first JSK, looks like it would itch a lot less on this version. The skirt part on both dresses look relatively the same. The only difference is a line of lace breaking up the pattern. The 2nd version has a bow at the waist which I think looks better than having nothing there. I think the shape of the skirt looks slightly nicer here too.

The skirt is more or less the same. What I like about the skirt is that there are rose shaped buttons on the fastening. The skirt looks a little on the short side. You may have noticed the dummy is wearing the skirt slightly lower than where the waist is thinnest.

Here is a close-up of the print. From a distance you may not notice these are actually tarot cards. I recognise the names on the cards so at least Baby did a little research. The roses are a nice touch and then you have the brand name on there as well.

I really don't know what to make of this collection. I keep changing my mind about certain things. I think I was expecting something more from such a promising idea. That is not to say that this is in any way a bad collection. I would still wear it. I would love to do actual tarot readings whilst wearing this.

I have changed my mind about the Bodyline design contest.

It is a woman's prerogative to change her mind and that is exactly what I am doing! I will be submitting a design to Bodyline.

Some girls have complained that they submitted designs and they were not picked. However, a couple of months later a really similar design got released. I have got a few designs on the go but the one I am going to submit is a coat. The thing is, I don't think I have the skills to make a coat. I had a look around and there were no coats that I could find with this sort of design. So it is not as if I can go out and buy it. So my only other option is to get somebody else to make it for me. Yes, Bodyline may decide to nick my design without giving me any credit or reward BUT if I don't send them my idea then I may never get to wear this product.

I am busy designing the coat now. I want to draw it up and then get my husband to alter it in photoshop so it looks more professional. I thought the coat design was a really cool idea. Here is hoping they accept my design- I may get a free coat out of this venture! But there is one thing I stand firm on- there is no way Bodyline are going to get my skirt designs. I have a very strong vision on how I want these to look and don't want this vision compromised.

If my coat design is accepted or ripped off you can expect a hyperactive post from me some time in the future!

What to do...

When I was in Winchester recently I mentioned that I visited a craft shop. I purchased these little fabric roses. Sorry about the poor picture, I tried so many times to get this to come out better. The craft shop had a load of these roses in various different colours and I went totally mad for the red ones. But... now I don't know what to do with them! I think they would look good running along the bottom of a simple dress. I could possibly sew them onto a headdress but I wouldn't know how to arrange them best. If I was really clever I could find a way to fix them in my hair. I am not sure how many roses are included in the pack because I really don't have the time to sit there counting them.

I have a little craft box where I keep my finds. Usually they sit in my craft box for ages until I have a rummage and discover them again. One of my favourite things to do is to go in random shops and seeing what little bits I can discover. Sometimes I find things in places you would never expect them to appear.

Charity shops can be good. Sometimes you will find little items to place around the house. You have to look through a lot of trash (sometimes I wonder how people can leave the house wearing florescent yellow and orange cardigans) but I think that is part of the fun. Think about it- if you see a lacy top could you rip it up and use the lace on one of your projects? Could you use that crochet doily? When you visit these places you should try and get yourself in the lolita frame of mind. Don't automatically dismiss something because you think it may take a lot of work. Store it aside somewhere and maybe in a few years your craft skills may have improved or you may have a flash of inspiration.

Craft shops can be hard to come by these days. Usually if you live near a craft shop it is a big chain like Hobbycraft and they seem to stock the same old things. This is why I love independent retailers. Usually the best craft shops are those hidden away somewhere on a back street. I like visiting towns that have history and tourist potential because these places are more likely to have the best craft shops.

Ebay can also be a good place. I randomly typed in strawberries one day and I now own some strawberry mini cat bells which I am thinking of making into a bracelet and attaching one to a head bow too. They are so cute. I can't wait to use them! Sometimes I also type in "cute" on ebay and narrow it down to the craft and then the fabric sections. I have found some fabrics that have been imported from Japan on there. You could make some good lolita items with this stuff. Ebay sellers are usually really helpful so if you purchase more than one of a fabric lot, they will usually sell it to you as one single long bit of fabric instead of cutting it up.

I am still clueless about the fabric roses. Here is hoping an idea suddenly flashes into my head!

My latest Bodyline Haul

The Bodyline sale massacre is finally over! My package arrived today! I can now breathe a huge sigh of relief. I don't think I need to review the Bodyline sale. If you have read my previous entries you will know exactly what I think of Bodyline and their dodgy server. I think Bodyline is still advertising their sale so you too can still be part of the slowest, most annoying online experience ever! Yesterday I got hit with a very nasty customs charge for this item so I have been feeling incredibly stressed out. It is a good thing a sale was on because at least it was kind of worth the effort I put in. It is just a shame that some of my savings ended up going towards customs. So here are the items I got-

The 2 cardigans are the same LO62 ones just in two different colours. In the sale these will set you back $19 each. The shoes are SHOES184 which currently cost just $19. Just $19 dollars for cute shoes. That really is a bargain. The items fitted well (you can only buy the cardigans in a size medium) despite the lack of size choice. There is a little bit of stretch but if you have wide shoulders you will want to give these a miss. The cardigans were wrapped in the infamous Bodyline bags. I was a little disappointed that the shoes were so flimsily protected. They were wrapped in tissue paper with what looked like sturdy drinking straws stretching the inside so they did not get flattened. Thankfully the shoes were absolutely fine. Just be careful if you plan on ordering more than one pair. I fear they may bash against each other in the post.

The shoes are very cute and were in perfect condition. There were no scratches or scuff marks. I have fairly wide feet but my feet fitted into the shoes just fine. There is a little bit of room for my toes to wiggle but I didn't want to risk getting the next smallest size. I don't think they were available anyway. Bodyline fans seem to be targeting the shoe section whilst they are cheap. I believe that Bodyline shoes can be just as good as brand ones. In fact, they don't look a lot different. I bought these shoes in red to go with my pink dresses. I really hate struggling to match different shades of pink and red goes really well with pink. I think it made sense to get the red shoes and I am happy with my choice.

Here is a close-up of the sleeve lace on the cardigans. It is not the nicest of lace but I have seen worse. The cardigans themselves whilst thin, are actually quite warm. I got these cardigans for the in-between weather conditions. At the moment it is too hot for a coat, which is something else I will need to buy in the near future.

The plan for the black cardigan is to use it for some"bitter-sweet" co-ordinates. I know some people hate this term (it is basically sweet but with the use of black) but I don't know what else to call it! I am thinking of wearing this with the Metamorphose Old Emblem skirt I have with black shoes and possibly a black headbow too. I now have an Old Emblem hair comb coming but I have the black bow as a back-up just in case it doesn't arrive in time. The pink on my Old Emblem skirt is more a dusty pink so it wont go with the baby pink cardigan. I may try doing a post showing the possible full outfit so I may ask you to tell me what you think. The pink cardigan is mainly going to be used with my sax blue pieces but I will use it with pink stuff if I think it matches.

I am very pleased with my items. I just wish I didn't have to put up with the sales stress. I don't recommend using Bodyline during sales time. This must be how it feels when lolitas order lucky packs all at the same time. Seeing as Bodyline will probably not do anything to ease the site traffic I suggest that when the next sale is on some lolitas should wait a day or two. I bet they will be forced to extend the sale again. After all, it is just clothes so it is not worth getting upset over.

Victoria Princess by Metamorphose

Just a mini update on Bodyline- I have since had my tracking number given to me! It turns out the order is already here in England and Bodyline only sent it yesterday. I may get it this afternoon so I will post pictures when I can.

Metamorphose have released some images for their Winter Collection. This includes the new set Victoria Princess. Victoria Princess is a very classic looking set but the black version could make an interesting gothic co-ordinate. Here is a picture of a possible co-ordinate-

As you can see the print is very busy. I actually think this would look better if it was not worn head to toe. A block coloured cardigan or blouse would help to break it up a little. As you can see the model is also wearing plain white socks instead of the patterned socks that are part of the set. The skirt pictured has been constructed beautifully. I think it is stunning. I am undecided on the blouse though. I don't think this pattern looks good with long sleeves. However, there is also a bustier (see below) available which I think would be easier to wear. The picture also shows a bonnet. A more simple rose corsage is also available. The bonnet looks a bit floppy and limp. I would have liked to see something a little more sturdy.

At the moment not many pictures of the print are available. Above is the black version. And now I would like to bring an interesting part of the set to your attention-

Metamorphose have decided to include a mermaid style skirt. I really want to see how this is going to turn out. I am hoping this piece has white panels rather than completely covered in the pattern. I have not seen many mermaid skirts apart from with aristocrat styles. I really hope Metamorphose pulls this off. It is a bit of a risk. Metamorphose will also be releasing a velveteen set with block colours which I think would look better than with the Victoria Princess pattern. It may turn out to be really ugly but I am fascinated by Meta's choice.

And here is the bustier I mentioned. I also think this piece would suit the velveteen set better but I am going to give it a chance and wait for the photos. I think this a lot better than the blouse. It will be easier to pull off this look with a plain long sleeved blouse underneath.

I have been so focused on the mermaid skirt but I thought I should show what the JSK looks like. The One-piece is not as good as this. I prefer the JSK over the separate skirt and blouse combo. It looks stunning and I think this is the best colour. I hope classic lolitas pick this JSK.

Well, not all of the images have been released yet. Some bits could turn out to be epic fails. The mermaid skirt could definitely go wither way. The pieces seem to vary in prettiness. I recommend picking pieces from this set carefully. It could work well with block coloured items to break the pattern up but to wear it as a whole outfit may be too much.

An update on the Bodyline sale lunacy

So... after 24 hours I was finally able to pay for my goods. The next hurdle? Getting Bodyline to send me the tracking details. It is a very frustrating time. It could be that Bodyline have run out of my items and they need to cancel my order. Or they could just be getting held up. The trouble is, that whilst this is going on my money is tied to the order and I can't purchase other similar items just in case the order can be sent. I really don't know what to do. I can hardly complain to Bodyline- everybody will be having the same problem. Bodyline know about my order and it is up to them what happens next. I am so annoyed. There is a bag I want to buy on ebay which is probably gone now and I saw a cute red brand cardigan going cheap on the sales community page. Grr! It really puts me off placing further orders with them. I hope it arrives soon

Circle Lenses- yay or nay?

I have been having a massive debate with myself about whether I think circle lenses are cute or creepy. Circle lenses have become very popular amongst the lolita community because they open up the eyes and make them doll-like. Or maybe even like the eyes in Japanese animes. But it is not just lolitas that are picking up on this trend. I blame Lady Gaga's Bad Romance video...

I don't know what to make of Lady Gaga in this picture. She definitely looks like a cartoon but is this a good thing? This is probably a good example of circle lenses. There are worse images I could have chosen. EDIT- Okay, Lady Gaga's eyes were done with CGI but I am keeping the picture because it gives a similar wide eyed appearance. See! Even Lady Gaga doesn't damage her eyes with these lenses!

You need to be very careful with circle lenses. For starters they can really damage your eye sight. I am unsure if you can get circle lenses with spectacle prescriptions. I think it is a bit like trying on somebody else's glasses and if you wear these lenses for a long time then you will eventually damage the eye. Also there is a trend for getting the lenses with the biggest diameter possible. Wouldn't that make blinking and closing your eyes more difficult? Do these lenses tire out your eyes?

I am kind of curious to try circle lenses but only once just to see what they are like. The results vary from person to person. I have seen people wearing the exact same design in the past where some have looked cute and others have looked freaky. I wonder what I would look like.

There are so many designs to choose from. I have been hearing good things about a company called Geo. They seem to be one of the bigger suppliers. I am not going to go for anything crazy like flames or mecha inspired ones. I will probably just get ones that boost my natural eye colour. Super Nudy 2tone ones look like a simple option. If I ever decide to take the plunge I shall share my experiences here.

Bodyline, you and me are about to fall out big time!

To Bodyline and Mr Yan,

You have always been the mass lolita divider. Some people love your affordable prices, others believe your dresses are simply not good enough. Although I have criticised some of your pieces I still love you. I have even defended you. Please keep on bringing lolita to the wider community at affordable prices. But...

PLEASE do something about your dreadful website! I have seen some slow websites in my time but you take the prize for being the slowest. Yes, I appreciate that today is a sale day but my husband has just spent 4 hours ordering just 3 items for me and he has STILL not finished. The second the lolitas spot a sale that is it. Your website just stops functioning. So I am begging you to please sort out your server. There is clearly a lot of demand for your stuff and so you should be prepared for the masses of lolitas who only want to get some bargains.

I still love you. Well, at least I will if I get my order. I desperately need a cardigan before Hyper Japan next month. My cold shoulders will be on your conscience if I don't get that cardi! Sorry if I sound a little crazy. It has been a long and hectic afternoon.

Lots of Love (hopefully),

Luna-chan xxx