HOLIDAY!!!

I am just letting you all know that as of today, Luna is in vacation mode!

It is my birthday tomorrow (I will be 23! Scary!) and the following day, I am off to Centre Parcs for a week with my husband James, my mum, James' mum and my sister. Centre Parcs is not exactly known for its brilliant internet connection so it is highly unlikely that you will see any posts until I get back right at the end of July. I was intending to set up some posts and set them to automatically post whilst I was gone, but I ran out of time. Sorry!

So I am going to miss Hyper Japan this weekend which I am absolutely DEVASTATED about. I would have loved to meet Kanon Wakeshima and go to the swap meet and tea party. I hope you all have a good time without me! I am also slightly sad that my Meta pre-order is likely to come in stock whilst I am away. At least I get up to a week to pay the invoice so that should not be a problem. I am hoping to get my Fairy Tale order before my wedding anniversary on the 6th of August. I am not sure how likely it is and I am bound to be hit by customs again. Curse you, evil UK customs! Hopefully stuffing my face at the Pancake House and going on a zip wire over a lake will help to make up for the stuff I am missing. Plus, tomorrow I will finally know what was in that Bodyline parcel I had to sign for whilst James was at work!

Anyway, I hope you all have a good week and I promise I will be back soon. My next post is likely to be between Sat the 30th of July and Monday the 1st of August. Bye for now!

Angelic Pretty's Chess Chocolate

It is has been a while since I have discussed an Angelic Pretty print so I decided to do one today. Today I will be talking about Chess Chocolate. I have seen a lot of discussions about this print online, calling it a cross between Bodyline's Antique Clock and AP's Melty Chocolate print. I can totally see where this idea has come from (although I prefer this print to Antique Clock!). Also, as a huge fan of Metamorphose's Nostalgic Chess/Chess Party print, I am happy to see another chess print!

This is AP's advert for this series. I apologise for the pictures used. I had to use what is available right now. As we can see, there are 4 different dresses including one which doesn't have the border print. I am no expert in Steampunk, but I think the border print free dress in brown would look lovely with Steampunk Lolita! I absolutely love the gold details on the front which help to give the dress some extra interest. With the chess and chocolate, it is nice to have a slight military theme as well. Instead of looking crowded, I think the gold details work very well.

This is one of the JSKs. The overall bodice shape looks shapely but in this particular photo, it looks slightly baggy. Here is hoping that it is just a bad photo! There is a ruffle on the front with multiple layers of the lace which I think looks pretty. The stripy bow is cute, but looks a little awkwardly placed on top of the ruffle. The waist bow is a bit large but considering how crowded AP's dresses usually are, the waist bow doesn't too much. The straps have been kept simple and are a nice width. The skirt part has been kept simple and I think this dress benefits hugely from this. The skirt has a good round shape to it and looks like it will accommodate a lot of petticoat. The gathering does not affect the print too much so the print is easy to view. The bottom hem is finished with some pretty lace. Lovely and simple! The print grabs the attention, which I happen to think is good.

This is the strapless JSK. Choosing a strapless design was an interesting choice because it is not seen as much in lolita. To be honest, I think this is a dull design. I usually celebrate simpler dresses but I think this dress is a little dull in comparison to the other dresses. The bodice is a nice shape but is a little long. In my opinion, the waist could do with being a tinier bit higher. The heart shape neckline is very pretty and the small ruffle along the edge is not too distracting. It will look very flattering on a feminine frame. The bodice has some corset style ribbon detailing on the front. It looks well spaced out. I think it looks a little odd having a random patch of brown ribbon on the front but maybe a different colour would have looked too plain. I think this dress would look good with a nice belt to cinch in the waist and add some interest. If you like basic dresses you can add on to, this dress could be useful. The skirt on this dress is slightly less rounded than on the dress above, but still has a fairly good shape to it. Again, it looks like the skirt is very spacious. The ruffles once again, don't affect the print too much and the bottom hem is finished with pretty lace again.

This is the OP. The bodice on this dress looks a little baggier and spacious. Hopefully there wont be baggy gaps with the fabric hanging off the body. I couldn't help but notice that the waist looks a little uneven. The waist looks a bit higher up on the left side of the picture. The short sleeves look a little deflated and the longer sleeves look like bland paper. It looks a bit cheap and dull. The square neckline edge of the printed part looks pretty and nicely shaped. The neck ruffle is similar to the first JSK but this time the stripy bow looks a bit better placed. I imagine it might be a little itchy around the neck area though! With the uneven waist, the skirt shape is slightly wonky. It also appears to be shorter in length. The skirt is finished in the same way as the other dresses.

One of my favourite items from this series is the socks. I love how the top part folds over and makes the socks a lot more interesting. The gold colour looks very regal. I love the little crowns on them too.

The print is gorgeous. I like the hints of gold a lot because it makes the print look more special and doesn't cheapen the overall look. I love all the chocolate chess pieces. I don't think it rivals Melty Chocolate but it is still beautiful. My only dislike about this print is the use of the fork and spoon. I like the chocolate but seeing lots of food prints being released gets a little tedious after a while.

So overall, I think the print is pretty but the dress designs let the series down a little bit. Occasionally there are parts of the dresses which let the rest of the design down. I think the briwn and mint colourways look the prettiest. Would I buy from this series? Possibly, but I would prefer to save up for Melty chocolate instead of this series. And since AP have changed their reservation rules this time, it looks like it will be harder to guarantee getting anything now. I have already seen people feeling upset because their shopping services could not get what they wanted. I can see this series being popular but it if you have been unlucky with the new rules, it might take a little more time to get the items you desire. It is up to you to decide if the extra effort is worth it!

5 Valentines!!!

All I can say is... WOW. I got 5 Lolita Valentines today! Those are a mix of solo valentines and some directed at the Oxfordshire Lolitas group.

http://loli-valentines.livejournal.com/99476.html?view=2917524#t2917524

I am in 5, 12, 13, 19 and 25! And I am hovering in the back of Sophie's valentine too (sorry Sophie!).

A massive thank you to all my wonderful friends. I am sorry I didn't have time to make some for you too. I will try to make some next time!

Why why why...

So I pre-order Meta's new Fairy Tale series, my mum books a family holiday (and as a result, I can't go to Hyper Japan this year!) and I generally have a very busy Summer ahead of me. In other words, I don't have a great deal of money at the moment and probably wont again until September. I saw the Meta Summer Lucky packs go up and I wasn't too bothered about missing these, despite the fact that the bags were really cute. I saw some people got Perfume Bottle in their packs, but I was still happy.

And then the sale started...

One of my beloved Meta prints of last year is a part of this sale. I have been incredibly stupid because I knew Meta would have a sale. I have to watch on as the dress I have wanted ever since its release keeps getting lower and lower in price. And every time it is reduced further it gets even more painful. There is no way I can purchase it at the moment but I know for a fact that I will never see this dress at such a low price again. I keep asking myself why I had to go spending all my money. I need a firm kick up the backside to get myself sorted! Surely, I am not the only person this has happened to...

I cannot stress this enough- I would recommend to any lolita reading this to always keep a little money aside just in case your dream piece makes a sudden appearance. If you have multiple dream items, make a list of which items would take top priority.

Sorry if this post sounds whiny. The reason I posted this is because I want to highlight my stupidity so I will hopefully learn my lesson!

Chinatown in London

As promised, I am going to try to do a guide about Chinatown in London! Chinatown is a very small area but it still still worth a quick visit if you are in the area. I have tried to include details which I think will be interesting for lolitas who are visiting here. I was ill when I went to London so I am sorry if this guide is not that detailed! I will do my best with the information I have gathered.

Warning!- I should point out that Chinatown is usually packed with tourists. If you are in a big group of people wearing lolita you WILL get mobbed. When the Oxfordshire Lolitas went to Chinatown in June, every single group of tourists asked us for photos and it took us ages to get anywhere. If this is something that concerns you, try to avoid the busiest times. Chinatown is especially busy during meal times so about 1-2pm and 5-8pm would be the times to avoid. If you don't mind being photographed you should be fine but the early evening is especially hectic! The tourists here tend to pounce on sweet lolitas the most but you might get asked for photos regardless of what style you are wearing.

One of the first things you will notice about Chinatown is that there is a lot of highly decorative archways (the one pictured is on the main road Gerrard St). In fact, you may notice that there are little Chinese influences on most of the buildings. So my advice is to keep your eye out for good places to take some photographs. You should even look upwards because some of the buildings have statues crawling down the buildings and little lanterns.

And now, for my map! These are the places which I think are note-worthy. I am sorry if the numbers are not that visible. The numbers basically go from left to right.

1. Oriental Delight- best for Asian snacks and sweets

Oriental Delight is on the Macclesfield St/Gerrard St corner. There are some UFO Catcher machines outside (as you can see my friend Matt gave them a go). They mainly have Nintendo and Hello Kitty toys in the machines. Inside the shop, you will find a lot of popular sweets from Asia. These are not specifically Chinese and most of the sweets were actually Japanese. Chinatown is the cheapest place in London to buy popular snacks such as Pocky, Pretz and Hi Chew. They also had some flavours which I had not seen before. I got some Cotton Candy flavoured Hi Chew sweets which were very yummy. Oriental Delight also had a small selection of pre-packaged mochi and traditional sweets.

2. Loon Fung supermarket- best Asian supermarket

I had to get Matt to stand in the way so the staff didn't see me taking this picture! I thought the picture on the wall looked very pretty.

Chinatown has a couple of Asian supermarkets but my favourite Loon Fung. There were lots of specialist ingredients which you would not be able to find in mainstream supermarkets. Want an authentic Asian ingredient? Come here! There were lots of items I had never heard of before, the selection appeared very wide and there was even a cookware section at the back.

3. Crispy Duck- best restaurant

If you want cheaper food, it is better to look around the outskirts of Chinatown. A majority of Chinatown is restaurants. As far as the Chinese restaurants go, I have been told many times that the Crispy Duck is the best! The prices are reasonable providing you are not on a budget. For other restaurant ideas, see further down this post.

4. Wonderful Patisserie- best cakes!!!!

The picture shows some of the cakes in the Wonderful Patisserie window. I had my eye on the cakes on the bottom row! If I wasn't rushing about so much, I would have bought one.

This place is AMAZING. I had a custard bun from here and it was yummy. This shop definitely lives up to its name! If you want to grab a quick snack, this would be the first place I would recommend. This is just a shop so the only issue is you need to find somewhere else to sit down. This shop also has a selection of sweets such as Pocky.

5. Chinatown Market- best for Chinese souvenirs

This is the pagoda just outside Chinatown Market. The shop I am talking about is the one with the orange canopy. It is packed full of every Chinese souvenir you could ever wish for. this is the place to come if you one of those lucky cat ornaments, paper umbrellas or little trinkets. There is also a traditional Chinese clothing at the back. You wont find any lolita here but the clothes are still very pretty! They also sell individual fortune cookies. According to my cookie, exciting times lay ahead for me!

6. The bit everybody wanted to know about!

A couple of people have been asking me about the shop in Chinatown that sells Chocomint accessories and this is it! (thanks to Beau and Sammi who showed me this place in June) As far as loli-able items go, Charring Cross road is an absolute gold-mine. I would suggest having a good look all along this stretch of road.

The shop in the picture is 55-57 Charring Cross road. As soon as you step in, you will be right inside Qu'tse which is the place which has Chocomint stuff. If you are looking specifically for Chocomint stuff, it is kept in a locked display case near the till and you have to ask the cashier to open the case for you if you want something. The selection is small and you should expect high prices, but being able to buy Chocomint in person is a huge bonus in my opinion! I would recommend having a look around the rest of Qu'tse. They have a lot of very cute stuff in there.

This is the Chocomint necklace I got this time-

I have recently developed a taste for fluffy Chocomint stuff. I am looking forward to wearing this.

Further inside the same building, there is another shop which I believe is called Hello Panda. You carry straight on through Qu'tse and then it is just to the right.

Purikura machines- This building also has Purikura machines. Whilst in Qu'tse you may notice a door to the right of where the till is. Go through there and then go up the escalator. Upstairs you will find the machines.

Other places and items of interest-

Bubble Tea- There are loads of places in Chinatown which sell bubble tea. A lot of the shops will have an advert in the window with a picture of bubble tea on it. It is worth giving it a try!

Waxy O'Connors- This is a pub which is located at 14-16 Rupert Street. Rupert Street is very close to Chinatown and it is likely you will go past here if you are visiting Chinatown. So what is so special about this pub? It is incredibly beautiful and there is a tree growing in the middle of it! It is a great place to go for an alcoholic drink. Waxy O'Connors is a brilliant pub to relax in but it is also very popular and may be busy at popular times. I would suggest going earlier on in the day. http://www.waxyoconnors.co.uk/index.php/welcome-to-waxys-london

Cheaper restaurants-

To be honest, if you are short on cash it might be better to go outside of Chinatown.

Noodle Stop (44-46 Cranbourn St)- this is located very close to Leicester Square. You start with either generic rice or noodles and then you choose what you want on top from a variety of dishes. I will be honest- it is not exactly the best food and it is run like a fast food place, but for £5 you get a huge amount of food. There is a decent sized seating area too. I would not recommend this for a lolita meet but if you are on a very small food budget, I would recommend this place. The satay chicken with noodles I had tasted good.

Misato's (11 Wardour St)- This Japanese restaurant is located in Soho. There is likely to be a queue to eat here because it is popular. The food is cheap and the portions are generous. The staff are rumoured to be a little rude and the general atmosphere is not brilliant but for cheap and cheerful food, this place is great. I have not yet experienced Misato but from what I have heard, the food is very good. I definitely want to come here sometime!

I hope my guide was useful. Chinatown is such a small area but if you know it well enough, you will find some hidden gems worth visiting.

July Ox Loli meet- Luna hosts a meet at Alice Day!

I would have updated earlier today but I have been very tired. It has been a long hectic weekend. I have hosted a lolita meet for the very first time! It took a lot of planning but thankfully, everything came together. Earlier this year, it was decided I would host the July Oxfordshire Lolita meet. Originally, I was going to hold a scavenger hunt but I realised that the day we were going was the same day as Alice Day. If you were reading my blog around this time last year, you may remember I attended Alice Day last year with my husband. I thought I should make the most of the date clash and so, the meet became an Alice Day meet!

We spent the day at Oxford Castle eating my picnic and getting in to all sorts of immature japes. We even made it in to the local paper! I will hopefully get a scan of the paper at some point. It was a very interesting day. People kept mistaking us for performers which was funny!

I took full advantage of the fact that I already had an Alice inspired outfit in my wardrobe. I have always loved the imagery from the book.

Skirt and cutsew and waist bow (worn on head)- Bodyline

Shoes- Unknown (from Minky Shop)

Socks- offbrand (stall in Camden)

Accessories- various off-brand

I had various playing cards stuck all over me. I had all 4 Aces on my leg and the Queen of Hearts was attached to my chest. My shoes are so OTT. I need to wear them more often. They remind me of Cardcaptor Sakura! The heels are made of foam which is very soft to walk on.

I cut up some playing cards to make some nail art. If they look rushed, it is because they were!

For the picnic I provided loads of food such as cupcakes, sandwiches, various salad bits, crisps, tarts and lots more. I got some plain blue cups and added Drink Me on one side and an Alice sticker on the other side.

The plates had Alice printed on them and I also had some Eat Me tags. Originally, the tags were meant for the cupcakes but that idea didn't work well so I tied them to lollipops instead.

There was a croquet set laid out on the garden. Nicola and Naomi (dressed as Alice and the Red Queen) decided to do their own version of croquet instead! Oxford Castle even remembered to include some lawn flamingos (bottom left!).

We got to hold some cute little bunnies. Some were really tiny. I was a little scared I was going to drop the one I held. We held our picnic very close to the bunnies so we got to see them whilst we ate.

There was also a giant chess board! We decided to make it look as though Nicola had just fallen down on to the chessboard, which is why she looks a little dead here. Sadly, I forgot where some people got their clothes from so I have just included information I remembered.

From left to right we have-

Raine (as the Mad Hatter in Meta's Romantica Train), Louise (awesome waistcoat! I think she was doing the Mad Hatter too but I am not sure!), Jenni (as the white rabbit in Moitie), Sammi (as the Cheshire Cat in another cute salopette), Me (as Alice/Card Sentry hybrid, see outfit rundown above), Beau (as Alice in Angelic Pretty's Wonder Cookie), Sophie (wearing Alice and the Pirate's Scent of Rapunzel), Olwen (in Bodyline).

And on the chess board we have Nicola as Alice (handmade items).

We were joined by 2 newbies- Sophie and Olwen. Both of you were absolutely lovely and I hope you attend more meets in the future! You both looked lovely!

I also made a game- Pin the tail on the Cheshire Cat! It took me a couple of hours to paint this by hand. Louise won some Colin the Caterpillar sweeties and a teacup necklace (to continue the Alice theme).

Despite feeling a little tired, I had a great day and the others have told me they enjoyed it too. I will definitely hold more meets in the future. Now I really want to attend Alice Day again next year. Next year it will be the 150th Anniversary of the day Lewis Caroll originally told the story of Alice in Wonderland to the real life Alice- Alice Lidell. I believe next year it will be held on the exact same day of the anniversary too. I can't wait!

Bodyline has new shipping services.

Sadly, DHL is still not available but Bodyline are now offering some more shipping services! You have the option of SAL, AIR or SEA (and EMS is probably still available). I have never used any of these new shipping services before so if anybody has any more information, that would be brilliant!

Sorry, for the short update. My picnic meet is tomorrow so I am a little busy. I will have photos etc next week. Plus, I am off to London on Sunday so I might be making a Chinatown guide. Somebody suggested I should make one so I am considering give it a go. I am not going to make any definite promises about the guide so we will have to wait and see what happens. I will try my very best. I really hope it doesn't rain this weekend!

Victorian Trading Co.

I was browsing the EGL Sale community when I came across a company I had never heard of. Feeling a little curious, I did a little google searching and found the Victorian Trading Company!

The website is here- http://www.victoriantradingco.com/index.html

The Victorian Trading Co. is stuffed full of Victorian inspired items and if you are a fan of classic lolita or just like Victorian imagery, this website is definitely worth a visit. As well as clothing and accessories, there are lots of home wares, gifts and some crafts too.

The prices may be a little steep for some but I was not that surprised by the price range. However, having a browse could give you some inspiration and I have a few ideas simply by looking. They also have a free catalogue which would be good for cutting up and making some DIY art work. Plus, you can send free E-Cards to friends!

Here are a couple of the items I have been lusting over-

This is the Pastel Tea Party hat. I liked the shape of the hat and the way the lace has been draped. The dusky colours remind me of Innocent World and Victorian Maiden.

This is a Fairy Door necklace. A lot of the jewellery on the site looks very similar to a lot of other shops but I thought this necklace was a bit different. I can already think of several dresses and prints this would work with!

These boots may not be to everybody's tastes but I like the use of lace. The boots look like they are a nice shape too. It would be interesting to see some reviews of these.

I remember playing with paper dolls when I was younger but they never looked as pretty as this! I am curious to see what outfits are inside this book.

Mirrors with roses seem to appear quite a lot! I have seen this idea in lots of places before but the one in the picture is still lovely.

There is no way I am EVER going to be able to afford this bed but it is so beautiful! Anybody who has ever slept in a bed this gorgeous is very lucky. This is called their Rococo Bed. It will set you back $4995. Ouch!

The Victorian Trading Co. is a very interesting and beautiful shop. The website has definitely been a lovely distraction from all the current chaos in my life. I would recommend having a quick look. I wanted to make an Item of Desire post, but I was unable to pick out a single item!

My blog is 1 today!

Technically, my blog turned 1 a few days ago but I am going on the date of the very first post I did. I still can't believe a year has passed already!

I have had so many eye opening experiences and adventures. Above is one of the photos that Fleur Challis took of me for the documentary I am participating in (Fleur is absolutely amazing!). I decided this photo best described how I currently feel about lolita and where I am today. Maybe next year I will have taken a completely new direction!

Here are a couple of things I have learnt during the past year as a result of writing this blog-

1. You don't have to be alone!- I felt that to write a better blog, it would be a good idea to take part in the online community a bit more. As a result, I have made loads of friends including my wonderful local group the Oxfordshire Lolitas. I couldn't ask for a better group to be a part of and I have made some great friends. I also feel like attending more meets and events has really helped my anxiety problem. I still have a way to go, but I am slowly making some progress!

2. You shouldn't take drama to heart- I think I have been incredibly lucky regarding drama. I have been mentioned a few times but there has not been anything worth getting upset about. I try not to respond to drama unless I feel there is a real need to. Also, the amount of Lolita Valentines I have received far outweigh the negatives. The thing about drama is, the way you respond is highly important. If you react too much then you will keep getting posted. What we all need to remember is that everybody has different opinions and you can't please everybody.

3. The most popular posts on here are the print discussions- When I started discussing the latest brand prints on this blog, I just wanted to express my opinion. Then I started getting comments and emails from people saying they liked my print discussions. So now they have become a big part of my blog! I always try to be honest and if I don't like something I will say so! All opinions on here are 100% Luna!

4. I have developed a Bodyline habit- Sometimes I do proper reviews on the items I have purchased. Looking back, it appears I have ordered a lot from Bodyline! In all fairness, I believe Bodyline has improved a lot in recent years. They still release some absolutely dreadful pieces but it feels like they make more of an effort now. However, my favourite purchase since starting this blog has been my beloved Meta March of the Duck skirt.

5. Metamorphose is my favourite brand!- I will never forget the day I finally got my dream print. I love my cute little Meta duckies! Another nice surprise addition to my wardrobe was Meta's Old Emblem. Old Emblem is my most worn print. However, I still love my AP Wonder Cookie dress too! One of the most surprising things about my wardrobe is that I don't own any Baby or AatP dresses (I just have a Baby parasol which I got in a competition). I hope that by next year I will own a Baby dress.

6. I have made some mistakes- I have posted some things on here which I have re-read a few months later and thought "Oh no! I can't believe I said/wore that!". Instead of removing the posts, I have kept them up. I am by no means perfect and therefore, I don't want to hide my mistakes. I think it is good to show progress (well, hopefully I have made progress!) and there is nothing wrong with changing your mind. If you think I have made a huge fashion error, feel free to say so. I promise I wont bite!

7. Fimo clay is EVIL- I am not a deco nail expert but if my experiences have taught me anything, it is that you shouldn't use Fimo clay! It is fiddly, awkward and takes up far too much time. Learn how to use acrylics. It may take a little time to get used to acrylics but I think the results are a lot better. Acrylics are easy enough to pick up. You can even find them on Ebay. And when using acrylics, always keep the room airy and well ventilated!

And so, I would like to thank all my readers and followers. I would also like to thank all the people who have organised any events I have attended, the Oxfordshire Lolitas, Saija for sending me all that lovely jewellery, my long-suffering husband James, all my other lovely friends and anybody else who I have forgotten to mention. Let's make this next year even better!

The return of the carousel print

All of today's pictures are from the Japanese Bodyline website. At the time of posting, these were under the Stock section and are not yet available.

Bodyline are bringing back the popular carousel print! I think this is the 2nd time this print has been restocked. So far it looks like just the dress will be restocked but I reckon the skirt will be re-released as well. But hold on, it is not just coming back...

... there is also a new colour! Purple! At the moment you can't really see what the purple will look like because the picture is very tiny. You may recall I recently sold my blue version of the skirt and I was going to try to get the pink instead. Well, I am now glad I waited because I think the purple will look really pretty!

Also, I am wondering why my head bow never looks like how the model is wearing it. I have the same head bow and I can NEVER get it to look like this! Then again, her head is titled so perhaps it still looks odd.

There is also a new squirrel print out. You can tell it is Bodyline but it has a really huge AP influence to it. I can't help thinking the squirrels look a bit like the Pokemon Pachirisu! Very cute indeed. I recommend having a closer look http://item.rakuten.co.jp/bodyline/l391/

I also felt this solid colour skirt was very pretty (don't get confused by the model, it is just a skirt and not a dress). I thought the construction was decent and hopefully the fabric wont be too shiny. It is lovely and simple. The white version is my favourite.