Sweetie Violet by Angelic Pretty

Today I am taking a look at Sweetie Violet by Angelic Pretty. This series includes 2 dresses, a skirt, socks and a hair accessory.

This is the OP. The bodice is a bit slouchy looking, but you can still clearly see where the waist line is. I just wish it was just a little bit more well fitted, but without being overly well fitting, because I think it looks better being just slightly baggy. The sleeves are gorgeous though. I like the amount of material used to give just that right amount of puff and the way the cuffs are gathered really gives a nice shape. The lace used for the cuffs is pretty and fits well with the dress. There is a big ribbon bow on the waist line. Although the design of the bow is simple, it still manages to make an impact and a fussier bow would not suit the dress. The ribbon used is only slightly shiny too. The bodice is kept simple with 4 lines of lace, which do blend in to the background quite a bit. However, the blending is not necessarily a bad thing because this dress works better with simpler details and the lace stops the bodice from looking too plain, but without grabbing too much attention. The bodice is then finished off with 3 very pretty flower shaped buttons. The buttons are spaced out well and the design matches up brilliantly with the print. The dress also has a collar. The collar is a really good size and shape, and I think it looks very cute. The design is again kept simple; just being lined with lace and then a thin ribbon bow in the centre. The back is quite plain, with no shirring, which means there isn't much size flexibility. The stock photos show the skirt is very full with plenty of volume. It has a very pretty shape to it, which I think goes well teamed with the bodice. The skirt design is kept simple, so the print is displayed beautifully. The bottom hem is then finished off with 2 lines of layered lace. The lace used is very pretty and is layered well. I think the bottom hem design matches up well with the sleeve cuffs too.

Here we have the JSK. The bodice looks a bit baggy in some of the photos but again, I don't feel this dress would look right if the material was skin tight. The bodice shape is simple, but really suits the overall style of the dress. It looks light and breezy, which is just prefect for a pastel spring time look. The ribbon straps are very thin and look a bit flimsy, but I don't feel bulky straps would suit this style of dress anyway. The straps are lined with lace, which makes them a bit more interesting and gives them a softer appearance. The waist area has a ribbon belt, which helps to give the waist a bit more definition. The ribbon used is again slightly shiny and the belt design is kept simple, but it really seems to work well. I personally feel the bow tails could have been a little bit shorter but overall, I think it looks great. The bodice features a mixture of pleats and thin lines of lace. It helps to give the bodice extra texture, depth and makes it slightly more interesting. Again, the details are kept simple and seem to blend in to the background quite a bit, but it does stop the area looking too flat and dull. I really like the 2 lines of lace on the neckline. The lace used has a pretty design. I feel the lace is also layered quite well. The end result is quite fluffy and cute looking. This lace is then topped off with a small ribbon bow, which sits well on the lace and is a nice way to finish things off. The back is fully shirred. Whilst I don't think full shirring looks very appealing, in this case the back is quite short and the belt helps to disguise some of it, so I'm not as against it on this particular dress. The stock photos show the skirt has the potential to flare out well, with plenty of volume. I like the rounded shape a lot. The skirt is again kept simple, so the print is displayed brilliantly. The bottom hem is then finished off with a line of pretty custom lace.

And finally, here is the print close-up. As we can see the print comes in pink, mint (it is a very blue looking mint on my monitor), lavender and con. I think all 4 colours are fantastic choices for this print. I was a little unsure about the con colour at first, but I can see its appeal now. For me, this series is all about the pink or lavender colours though! As for the print itself, I absolutely love it. I really love it when brands release prints that feature flowers which aren't roses, and AP have done it with their usual flare. The violets are drawn beautifully and the colours used are wonderful. Despite including cutesy things such as cupcakes, the eyes are still drawn to the flowers. The flowers are bold and make quite an impact. I also like how the background features a polka dot design, but it is very subtle and not too distracting.

So overall, I am very impressed with this series. I think both dress designs are very pretty and the print is fantastic. I saved this series to my wishlist the very second I saw the Kera scans! I would really like to get the OP in pink, but I wouldn't be disappointed by the JSK as a back-up choice. I can fully understand why this series sold out as quickly as it did. I am just praying the second hand price isn't too high!

My First Amazon Japan Order!

I have been so distracted by Enchanted that I haven't had the chance to blog about my experiences with Amazon Japan... So I thought I would do that today!

It was only very recently that I discovered that people can order from Amazon Japan even if they live outside of Japan. Had I known sooner, I would definitely have placed more orders! So with the latest Angelic Pretty "mook" coming out, I decided it was about time I set up a account and placed my first Amazon Japan order.

This is the guide I used to help me place my order- http://cdn.halcyonrealms.com/japan/how-to-order-from-amazon-japan-a-detailed-buying-guide/

Whilst this guide says about ordering things already in stock, I found I was also able to place a pre-order using the same guidelines. I found the instructions so easy. It is essentially the same as setting up an account with your own country's Amazon. I would definitely recommend giving Amazon Japan a go.

I was sent an email on the day that my mook was dispatched. I was a bit surprised when DHL sent me a text as well. They sent me quite a few text updates and also kept the tracking page up to date. It was so detailed that I knew every country my parcel travelled through. I even got a text to let me know I was getting my parcel that day and to keep an eye out for the DHL delivery guy. I have missed DHL so much... I used to always use them for my Bodyline orders when you could still use them there!

And here we have my Angelic Pretty mook! Well, I say mook... the mook part was more like a mini booklet! But I ordered this for the umbrella anyway and I knew not to expect a long book, so I was hardly disappointed.

Even the packaging was really cute!

The A4 sized booklet contained a few snaps of the recent Angelic Pretty fashion show. It has photos of their Fantasy Theatre, Melody Toys and Romantic Rose Letter prints. The back then has a store list. The whole thing is only 8 pages, but it is nice to have some decent sized photos of the model's outfits.

The umbrella comes in a handy carry case.

And this is what the umbrella looks like opened. Yes, I know it is bad luck to open an umbrella inside... I decided to risk it! The size is fairly small but enough to keep you dry. The frame feels very sturdy. I wouldn't recommend it for gale-force winds but it should hold its own during your average rain shower.

The print is quite crisp for an umbrella. With the cheap price, I wasn't expecting the quality to be as good as it was. This umbrella is making me want to get the Cinema Doll JSK!

So to anybody who is curious about Amazon Japan, I would say give it a go. It is so simple to use. The entire experience was positive from start to finish. And I absolutely adore my new Cinema Doll umbrella!

Usakumya chan is Petit Artisan by Baby the Stars Shine Bright

Today I am looking at Usakumya chan is Petit Artisan by BABY. This series includes 3 dresses (one non-printed), a skirt, 2 blouses, 4 hair accessories, socks, wrist cuffs, a bag, a pochette, 3 bear straps and a little cape for Usakumya.

This is the Judy JSK. The bodice is a pretty shape and reasonably well fitted. The straps are a decent width and look very secure. I'm not personally a fan of the scalloped folded collar, but I admit it does compliment the print very well. The scallops are shaped well. The scallops are topped with heart shaped lace, which looks very cute and sort of reminds me of icing. The solid colour of the collar is quite bold.

The waist area is topped with a ribbon bow. Whilst the size is good, I'm not sure I would have picked that ribbon. It seems to clash with the rest of the dress design and looks a bit out of place. I think it would have been better to have a solid coloured waist bow, probably not made of ribbon and in the same colour as the collar. The bodice also has a gathered line of lace topped with buttons. I do like the lace, but I wonder if the design really needs it. The buttons could have worked just by themselves. As for the buttons, they are so cute! The design reminds me of macaron shells, which matches up with the print. They are spaced out well too, although I would maybe move the very top one down slightly. The buttons were a really good choice!

The back has a panel of shirring which is concealed nicely by a ribbon corset. The stock photos show the skirt is very full with the potential to flare out very well. It has a pretty, full rounded shape to it. The skirt is quite simple, so the print is displayed very well. The bottom has a scalloped edge, which has been done neatly. The scallops have a good shape to them. The scallops are then finished with a line of lace underneath. Whilst the lace is pretty, I don't think it is the best or cutest choice.

This is the Sophie JSK. The bodice shape is simple, but cute. The bodice material may look just slightly loose in places but seems a reasonably good fit. The straps are a bit thin, but I think they match the style of dress well. They are line with lace on the outside, which stops them looking boring. The lace is quite cute too. The waist area has a ribbon belt. The ribbon used is quite shiny but the belt does nip in the waist area very well. The belt is then topped with a bow and Baby have again used the same ribbon as the other JSK. I just don't feel the ribbon matches up that well. However, the bow is a good size and the shape is interesting. it sits well on the dress too. The neckline is topped with 2 layers of lace. I like how the lace is layered and it sits brilliantly on top of the dress. I think the really wide lace could have been a bit narrower, but overall it is a pretty design. The bases of the straps are topped with 2 ribbon bows. The bows look very cute and the shape is good. I would have maybe made them just a tiny bit smaller though. Some may argue that there is a lot of plain space on the bodice, but I think the neckline is interesting enough. The back has a panel of shirring which is concealed neatly by a ribbon corset. The skirt again, has plenty of volume and flares out beautifully. It is very full and has a lovely rounded shape to it. The skirt is kept simple and so the print is very visible. The bottom hem is then finished off with simple, but pretty lace.

And here we have a part of the print close up. This series is available in off-white/lavender, ivory/mint, yellow/sax blue, pink/pink and brown/milk tea. All 5 colours look really cute. I am a little worried the lighter colours may look a little washed out though, because BABY use a lot of soft colours in their prints and the details don't show up as well. As for the print itself, it has that usual cuteness that one would expect from an Usakumya themed print! I really like the macaron tower. It reminds me of the Laduree shop's window display! The print is drawn in a very soft, dreamy style. The white background is a bit plain though. But the rest of the print is filled with lots of cute details. I love the way Usakumya and friends are playing in the print. The brown bear holding up the star shaped cookie is especially cute! Overall this is a very pretty print.

I think this is yet another cute Usakumya series. It is nice to see that the dress designs and print really compliment each other. It shows a lot of thought has gone in to the whole process. The dress designs are quite strong and I think this series does deserve to do well. Would I buy this series? I would consider it, but it wont be going on my wishlist. But I do think this is a great series. If I did buy this series I would choose the Judy JSK in pink/pink. Overall, this is a very cute release.

Take a Theme- Bunnies

It feels like ages since I last did a Take a Theme post... I thought that seeing as it is nearly Easter (I am preparing this post early and hoping I remember to publish it in time. If you are reading this after Easter, I hope you still enjoy the cute bunnies!) I would today have a look at my favourite bunny themed items. Bunnies and rabbits are a very popular theme in lolita, so there are many different lolita-able items out there. When I was searching, I found LOADS of stuff and it was very difficult to narrow them all down!

Prints of note- Cherry Berry Bunny (Angelic Pretty), Happy Garden (Angelic Pretty), Bunny Milk and Snow Strawberry (BTSSB), Candy Star Rabbit (Meta), Fancy Bunny (Meta), Le Carde Du Lapin (Juliette et Justine)

Possible sub-themes- pom poms, fake fur, ears, Alice in Wonderland

1. Chocomint 2 Way Rabbit Brooch 2. 6%dokidoki Bunny Frill Tiara 3. Now Voyager Sitting Pretty White Bunny Clip 4. R Series Dear Rabbit Tights 5. OldGoldBoutique Bunny Safekeeper 6. DreamV Pastel Cardigan 7. Cateaclysmic Bunny Scarf 8. ImYourPresent Bouncing Bunny Acrylic Necklace

I hope you all like my rabbit picks! I deliberately tried to choose items that were not from lolita-specific brands because I wanted to show what else was out there. Rabbits is a very popular theme and I have barely scratched the surface today.

Provided I have managed to publish this post at the right time, I hope everybody has a lovely Easter!

AatP Print Double!

Today I am taking a look at 2 recent print releases from Alice and the Pirates. Scroll down to see what I think of Last Note Faint Spring Song.

But first up I am taking a look at La Traviata. This series includes 2 dresses, a skirt, 2 hair accessories and a necklace. There are also further solid coloured items as part of this series, including 2 dresses, a blouse, a petticoat, socks, wrist cuffs, gloves, a choker and a headband.

This is JSK I. The bodice looks well fitted and the shape is simple, but pretty. The straps are a bit on the thin side and are a bit plain looking. They don't look very supportive.

Here we can see a close up of the bodice and all that lace. I love the use of wide lace along the waist line. The lace used is of a very good quality and it is pretty looking. It sits well on the dress too. There is 2 ribbon corsets on either side of the bodice. The ribbon used is very pretty and it is spaced out well. The ribbon corsets are lined with lace, which helps conceal the edges and gives a tidier appearance. I also think the ribbon corsets are interestingly placed, with their slight curve. I like how they come closer together nearer the waist area. The one thing I am not keen on is the large rose shaped lace. For some reason, I just feel the dress doesn't need it, especially the line right down the centre of the bodice. The rose lace is not so bad on the neckline bow, but the bit down the middle just seems a bit too OTT. As for the bow, I think it is really beautifully shaped. I love the way the tails of the bows are folded in such a decorative way. I do think the lace along the neckline spoils it a little though. The lace just doesn't seem to match up with the dress as well as the other styles of lace.

The back has a panel of shirring which is concealed well by a ribbon corset. The stock photos show the skirt has the potential to flare out wide. It looks very plump and full. I love the rounded bell shape. The skirt is kept quite simple, so the print is displayed beautifully. However, I feel in this case the skirt could do with a bit of livening up. It looks a bit plain in comparison to the bodice. An OTT dress could have worked reasonably well with the print. Maybe the bottom hem could have been more detailed? The lace used on the bottom hem is very pretty, but it seems a little simple in comparison to the rest of the dress. On the product page, Baby has a photo of this dress worn with an underskirt, which I think looks a lot more interesting.

This is JSK II. The bodice shape is cute, although the material looks quite baggy in some of the photos. The straps are a decent width and are covered with layered lace. The lace used is of a good quality and it has been layered well. It gives a fluffy feminine appearance. There is a waist bow, which is a bit on the large side. The shape is cute though, and it sits well on the dress. The front has a ruffle of lace, which is topped with 2 bows and a line of pearls. The bows are very cute looking, although I wish they were slightly smaller. The lace used is pretty and matches with the lace on the straps. However, I really dislike the line of pearls as the line is very wonky looking. It makes it look very messy and gives the illusion of being cluttered. The top part of the bodice is gathered and either end of this panel has a line of ribbon. Hopefully the line of ribbon going across the chest area wont be too tight or sit awkwardly on the wearer. The back has a panel of shirring which is concealed very neatly by a ribbon corset. The stock photos show the skirt has plenty of volume and flares out brilliantly. It will accommodate plenty of petticoat and has a lovely full bell shape to it. The skirt is kept simple and the print is displayed brilliantly. The bottom is finished off with a line of ribbon, topped with small bows. This adds a bit of interest without being too distracting. The bottom hem is then finished off with a ruffle.

And here we can see part of the print close up. This series is available in ivory, mint, navy and black. All 4 colours work very well with the print, but I think the sax blue is my favourite. The light blue looks great combined with the gold in the print. As for the print itself, I love the golden theatre boxes and drapes, although they are quite dominating in comparison to the rest of the print. They are however, drawn very beautifully. I adore the rose borders drawn around the circular pictures. The roses are so pretty! The pictures inside the circles are also drawn well and there are lots of interesting things going on in the print. However, I am not a fan of the stars in the background of the print. I think they look a bit too cartoon-like. If they had been drawn differently then they would go much better with the classic looking print.

So overall, I think this is a reasonably interesting series. I don't think it is anything special though. The dress designs are nice enough, but I would make a few changes here and there. The print is lovely, but there may be comparisons made to Masquerade Theatre. Would I buy this series? Probably not. If I did, I would probably choose JSK II in sax blue.

Next up we have Last Note Faint Spring Song. This series includes 2 dresses, a skirt, a pullover, 3 hair accessories, socks, a choker, hair pin and necklace.

This is JSK I. The bodice is a pretty shape. There isn't a defined waist area, but the overall silhouette is very interesting. However, in a lot of the stock photos the waist area looks wonky. Here is hoping it is just Baby's poor photo taking! The short sleeves are puffy and I think they are very cute. The sleeves could work with or without a blouse, which gives them a bit of versatility. They are simply styled, but I really like them and they match the bottom of the dress well. They are lined with thin lace, which finished them off nicely. The wide lace used on the neckline is very pretty too. It is gathered slightly and it sits well on the dress. The bodice is lightly gathered at the top and there is a line of ribbon sitting underneath the chest area. This dress maybe wont fit well on everybody, but I think it looks quite pretty. The ribbon used is very pretty. The bow in the middle is a good small size and is a cute shape. The back has a panel of shirring which is concealed very well with a ribbon corset. The stock photos show the skirt is very full. It has a lovely, strong A-line shape to it. It flares outwards beautifully. The skirt design is kept fairly simple and the print is brilliantly displayed. The bottom hem is then finished off with an over-stitched ruffle. I am not usually a fan of over-stitching but it doesn't look too bad here and it is not enough to put me off the dress overall. The ruffle is finished off with simple looking thin lace.

This is JSK II. The bodice looks fairly well fitted. However, I do think the scoop neck scoops down too low. If the scoop ended just a bit higher I would probably like it a lot more. The straps are a decent width. The straps and neckline are covered with very pretty lace. The lace is quite striking and stands out. The neckline is also finished with a line of ribbon inside some ladder lace. The ribbon meets to one side and is tied in to a bow. I think I would have preferred the bow to be in the centre though. But maybe this wouldn't be too difficult to alter. The waist area has a ribbon belt. It helps to nip in the waist area reasonably well. I also love the ribbon they used. It is very pretty, with a soft and floaty appearance. It has a dainty appearance which is a good match for the print. The back has a panel of shirring which is concealed by a ribbon corset. The skirt appears to flare outwards fairly well with a decent amount of volume. It has a nice, subtle shape to it. The skirt is mainly quite simple, so the print is displayed well. I adore the bottom of this skirt. I love the multiple layers of tulle. It is layered beautifully and gives the bottom such a floaty look. The small ribbon bows top things off nicely. I think it is very pretty!

And finally, the print close up. This series comes in ivory, pink, sax blue and navy. Whilst I think the navy is pretty, it is the 3 paler colours that most interest me here. I think the paler colours give the print a very light, Spring-time feel which goes well with the print and especially with the style of the JSK I dress. I am having a hard time deciding if I like pink or sax blue the most though! As for the print itself, I really love the perfume bottles. They look beautiful and I like how AatP have made the glass look fairly realistic. The detailing is also lovely, especially the heart shaped bottle with the roses on it. I also like the lace doilies and think it is interesting the way some have been turned in to clocks. It is a bit unusual, but I think it works quite well! The pearls and gold chains help to fill in the empty spaces between the bottles, but at the same time it doesn't look too overcrowded. 

So I think that this series is very pretty! The print has a very whimsical nostalgic feel, which I feel is beautiful. The only downside I have is I like the bodice of JSK I, but prefer the skirt on JSK II! If those 2 had been teamed together somehow, I would have liked this series even more. Would I buy this series? Yes, I would. I just need to settle on a dress and a colour first! Here is hoping I can make my mind up...

Enchanted Part 2!

I didn't feel as though one post on Enchanted was enough, so I am doing a second one today! I thought that maybe I would take a look at some of my personal favourite outfits from the Saturday. I didn't get the chance to photograph a lot of people and some of my photos came out too poor, so please don't take it personally if you are not featured! Also, I have a request- if anybody happens to spot any photos of me at Enchanted, then please could you link me? Quite a few people asked for my photo but I haven't been able to locate many of them.

I met these lovely ladies in the queue. I found a fellow unicorn! 

I adore the chiffon overskirt with the fake roses! What an interesting idea to team with Daydream Carnival. Daydream Carnival was actually the dress I was going to use for my back-up outfit! I saw quite a few different people wearing DDC and it gave me plenty of inspiration for future outfits.

Pretty veil! I thought this was a very cute pink outfit. I like the gloves too.

Pirate lolita was quite a popular style at the event. There were loads of tricorn hats wondering around! I really liked this Night Ship Alice outfit.

A very cute Melody Toys outfit! I like the print a bit more now that I have seen it in person. It is a shame I didn't get a shot of the shoes because they looked adorable with the attached pom poms.

Octave Kitten and Mini Mo were looking as fabulous as ever!

I love the veil and hair flowers. 

Shalisa was looking fabulous in Meta. I definitely think the red shoes worked better than the other pair! It added a nice further pop of red to the outfit. It's a shame I didn't get the chance to take a photo of Michelle or the Berkshire lolitas, but there were so many people that it was hard to keep track of everybody!

Sammi and Nicola got their photo taken with Chokelate. Sammi's Fantastic Dolly outfit was so well put together. Everything was really well balanced. Nicola looked very cute for her very first big London meet. Chokelate looked as beautiful as ever! I am so glad we struck up the courage to ask for a photo and had the chance to talk a little. 

And so this ends my Enchanted coverage. As I write this, I am really suffering from the post-event blues. I really miss everybody already! I cannot wait for the next big meet. I vow that by the next big meet I will have learnt more about my newer camera, I will talk to people more (although to be fair, I have been making some progress here already) and I will just generally mingle more. I really hope to see everybody again then!

Enchanted!

On Saturday I attended the Enchanted event in London! This event was by Street Fashion Europe and for their first event, the Tea Party Club were the hosts. I have been getting excited about this for months so I am feeling a little empty now it is all over... But today I am going to share some of what happened! I decided I may split this event in to 2 posts, so do keep an eye out on Thursday for a another post. I will be posting some of my favourite outfits!

So this is a sneaky picture I took of the queue whilst we were waiting! The venue was Gibson Hall, near Bank station. I don't feel like my pictures really do the venue justice. But let's just say I was very impressed by the main hall we were in. I was given a glass of champagne as part of my VIP ticket. I felt very sophisticated walking around with a glass of bubbly in such a grand setting.

There was a welcome on stage from all the different Street Fashion Europe team members. You can't see very much in this photo but I think it gives you an idea of what the room looked like. Overall, I was very impressed with the set-up. All the stalls were very cute. However, my only complaint would be the Bring and Buy area. It was given such a small space and so many lolitas were trying to cram themselves in by these clothing rails. It made it quite hard to browse. I think I was quite successful with my purchases though (see below).

After the fashion show, 2 of Minori's outfits were auctioned off. I had to resist the urge to put a bid in! I really loved the black and white outfit. When you looked up close there were so many details to the outfits. Minori is a very talented lady.

After the auction the dessert buffet opened up and there was a mass stampede! I missed the Q&A section with the guests because I got trapped behind the buffet table. The cakes looked very cute. As for the taste, I felt some were better than others. I loved the marshmallows and the little cupcake I had (back right in picture) but I wasn't a fan of the coffee cheesecake type dessert I also picked up (front right). I kept going back for more of the marshmallows. I thought there was meant to be some sort of limit on how many cakes you could have, but many of us were able to go back for more and everybody seemed very content with the quantity. 

I even got to have a picture taken with Minori! After she did her 1 hour make-up tutorial on stage, we decided to pounce and get a photo. I had to crouch down a bit to get in the shot. Minori is so tiny! She looked absolutely beautiful and I am ecstatic that I got the chance to meet her. Although I probably wouldn't try shironuri myself, I have a lot of admiration for it. Minori's usual make-up takes about 2 hours to do! I do hope she comes to more events in the future.

Afterwards, there was a raffle and a group photo. My ticket number was called really late so I won another of the free mirrors we got in the VIP goody bags. Sammi got some Lockshop tights. I was so jealous!

I have purposely been saving wearing my first Twinkle Journey outfit for Enchanted. I saw that BABY restocked the chiffon princess sleeved blouse and I knew I had to get it to wear with TJ. I wanted a sort of unicorn princess look, just without a unicorn horn! I wasn't happy with the photos I took of my outfit, so I have decided I am going to re-stage some of them at a later date. Out of all the outfits I have ever done, this has got to be one of the ones that I have enjoyed wearing the most. 

The biggest challenge was putting on all the hair accessories and making sure they stayed in place all day. This photo was taken at the end of the event and as you may be able to see, my white hair clip was starting to fall out! The feathers were from a doll making website I stumbled across by accident. The rose clips are the ones from Claire's that I am always raving about. It's a shame you can't really see the crown that well in these pictures though.

The shoes were heavily inspired by Cardcaptor Sakura! I don't usually take inspiration from anime, but on this occasion I felt like this particular detail fitted in with the rest of the outfit.

When I got home the following day I decided to take a more detailed look at my VIP goody bag contents. There were loads of flyers with money off coupons. I think my teeth are going to fall out from all the free sweets we got given! There was also a mirror from Atelier Pierrot and a special Enchanted logo badge. We also got given what looked suspiciously like flower bulbs, but I found out after that they are actually meant to make tea with.

I felt like I brought a lot less this time around. I only got a skirt and a dress from the bring and buy stall. But look at the dress!!!! I got Krad Lanrete's Jellyfish print JSK in the darker blue. I am so happy! I saw somebody else put it down and then I knew I had to get it. It is my very first long length JSK. I am already thinking of outfit ideas for it. I know some people have had trouble co-ordinating it or felt it didn't look right on them, but to be honest, I am more worried about coming up with something for my new Candy Star Rabbit skirt! Candy Star Rabbit has a strange shade of blue, but I am determined to come up with something! If anybody sees the matching hair combs for sale anywhere then please let me know.

I didn't have a ticket for the Tea Party on the Sunday, so I just hung around with Sammi and Nicola in Chinatown for a while. I picked up some peach and grape flavoured Oreos (very peculiar!) and a bottle of Ramune soda. I also got the latest issue of Kera from the recently relocated Japan Centre.

So now I am feeling very worn out and in need of a good, long sleep! But it was worth it just to see everybody. I was a bit sad that I missed some people. I kept getting stuck in crowds, so I apologise if I didn't get around to talking to you. There were loads of impressive outfits and I have to admit that at some points I felt under-dressed! I am really looking forward to the next big London event. Who knows, maybe one day I will make it to one of the abroad Street Fashion Europe events... For now, I am just glad that I got the chance to be a part of a really incredible day. Thank you so much to everybody who made it possible!

Cutify Your Picnic!

At the time of writing this, the UK was finally starting to see some decent weather! It is weird to think of all the flooding that affected the UK not that long ago. So, with the better weather, maybe it is time to consider doing a lolita meet outside again. Picnic season is upon us, so I thought today I would look at some ideas on how to make your picnic a bit cuter.

Seek out unusual containers

I think that picnics can look a lot cuter if you put an effort in to choosing pretty containers, instead of just serving food and drinks out of their usual packaging. Take this cocktail jug-

Last year during the Summer, a local pub near me started serving Teapot Cocktails. The cocktails were served in these plastic tea pots. I immediately wanted a plastic tea pot! It makes a change from a standard cocktail jug. Did you see the recent Secret Life of the Lolita videos? There was an adorable duck shaped water dispenser in the 2nd video. An unusual container can make an interesting centre piece.

Also think of containers and crockery in different ways

Who says that a tea cup should only ever serve tea? You could easily fill a tea cup with a cupcake or sweets, or other treats. This is just one example I thought of off the top of my head. I am sure with a bit more time you could come up with loads of ideas.

Use cooking tools in different ways

For example, you could use a cookie cutter to shape your sandwiches. You can get lots of different food molds that you can use for a wide range of food, not just its intended purpose.

Take inspiration from bento boxes

There are some good bento box books on Amazon. Some of the creations are very inspiring. I like to flick through and look at the pictures, but some books also include interesting recipes, which show you how to make some of the bento parts. One of my favourites is making hot dog sausages in to squids or an octopus!

Not everything has to match

Having a matching set can be pretty, but sometimes having mis-matched items can give a picnic a quirky feel. I know of cafes where they deliberately mis-match their crockery. As long as everything compliments each other, you can create an interesting look. Also, not having a matching set means that is is easier to keep track on who has used each cup or plate!

Fill all the spaces on your picnic area

A scattering of confetti is a cheap way to decorate a picnic blanket. Just remember that you will have to clear it up afterwards! But sometimes doing a extra bit of tidying can be worth it.

Play around with sweet and savoury

For example, some savoury foods could be disguised as cupcakes. Maybe you can get creative and make some kind of savoury cupcake icing! I have also heard that in Japan you can get sweet sandwiches. It can be fun to trick the eye and mess with your senses.

And finally, here are just a few links to help inspire-

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Yum-Yum-Bento-Box-Recipes-Adorable/dp/1594744475/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1394472137&sr=8-11&keywords=bento+ideas

http://www.jbox.com/category/819

http://alexxstuart.com/bumper-picnic-inspiration-post-100-ideas-and-recipes

http://bentolunch.livejournal.com/

http://www.japancentre.com/

I feel like I have only really started to scratch the surface with this post. If you have any ideas of your own then do feel free to comment and share!