Prioritising What You Buy

I remember when I first got in to lolita- I wanted to buy everything, and I really DO mean everything. All I wanted was to rush out and spend all the money I had. Obviously that is not what I actually ended up doing. In fact, there have been times where my lolita purchasing has actually been quite slow. When I was starting out, I was confronted by this huge list of wishes and dream dresses. I learnt very early on how important it is to actually think out what to buy next. I had to ask myself if there any point me buying certain items when they don't match anything in my current wardrobe or whether that cheap item was really worth it if I couldn't see myself loving it that much. In the end, I resorted to my usual tactic of making lists.

I briefly mentioned a while ago about my "Want Vs. Need List" and this list was a huge help for me as I built my wardrobe up. Basically any essential wardrobe builders (for example, a black blouse) went on the 'Need' part of the list and items such as dream dresses and other items I liked, but were not important, went on the 'Want' side. If I ever wanted to buy something from the Want side, I had to buy at least one item from the Need side. This meant that although I was getting items I really wanted, I was at the same time building up the staples. So this worked very well.

As I write this post, I feel I may be at the stage where I no longer need the Want Vs. Need List. I am confident that if I were to buy a new dress I would be able to make at least one outfit with the wardrobe items I currently have (even if that outfit is very basic). So now I have a bit more freedom whenever I want to buy something. Now a new problem has arisen- I am very quickly running out of wardrobe space!

So my next task was to take a hard look at all of the dresses on my wishlist. Although it took me a very long time, I have managed to put all of the dresses on my list in order of how much I want them. I currently have about 30-something dresses on my wishlist, with about 10 of them being what I would consider "dream dresses". I have to admit it was a difficult task but I kept imagining circumstances where 2 of the dresses came up and which one would I be more devastated to lose out on.

This all sounds like a very difficult process but actually, it makes it very easy to work out what to buy next. If something from my list pops up I will have a look at its position on the list and if it is high up then I will be more likely to buy it.

Of course, there are other factors to consider.

The Price- If something comes up at a low price then it can be tempting to go ahead and buy it. But how much do you really like that item? Is there any point buying something that you will maybe wear once before selling it on?

Will it suit you- As much as I may love an item, there have been occasions where I have let stuff go simply because it wouldn't suit me. It could be that it didn't suit my body shape or I was too close to the maximum measurements for me to feel comfortable wearing it. I think it can be very disheartening when you buy a dream item and then you don't feel it looks right on you. I believe a dream dress should make you feel amazing when you wear it.

Availability- Obviously some dresses are more popular than others. Whilst some items are likely to pop up very frequently there may be some which only go on sale about once a year. Sometimes it is worth going for the rarer dress because you could regret it if you lose it.

But despite all these points, there are times where you need to follow your heart. This actually happened to me recently. I had been saving up really hard for a few months to buy a dream dress and I was close to reaching my final target. However, just as I was nearing my goal, another of my dream dresses popped up. The dress that suddenly popped up was ranked higher on my dress priority list and I ended up being torn between 2 dresses. When I asked friends they suggested that I got the dress that had just popped up. But I realised when I saw their answers that it made me feel sad. My reaction to their answers showed me which dress I truly wanted more. In the end, I purchased the dress I had been saving for and I don't regret it one bit. So it just goes to show that sometimes even lists don't work. At the end of the day, you need to choose the path that you feel is best for you.

Kitchen envy!

I am going to do a small post today because I have a headache. After a rubbish Summer, England is suddenly having a mini heatwave and I wilt at the first sign of warmer weather!

So on Saturday I went to Beau's birthday party, which was held at her mum's house. Not only was the food provided absolutely amazing (Beau's mum is indeed the queen of puddings!) but I was stunned by how much effort and detail was put in to the day. It was brilliant to see everybody, especially Sammi and Beau who I have both missed a lot.

And I now wish I could have a kitchen like Beau's mum's kitchen. I should have taken more photographs because I loved everything about that room!

Cupcake shelf! I loved the cupcake selection. There was an even bigger cupcake, which is not in shot.

Sorry Michelle, but this was the best photo I had of this part of the kitchen! I could have spent all night reading at the amusing fridge magnets on the fridge and I love the tins on top of the fridge. The kitchen was filled with Cath Kidston and Marks and Spencers pieces.

Someday, I will have a kitchen like this!

This was the best photo of what I was wearing. I know it is not a whole outfit shot, but you can probably tell I was wearing Wonder Cookie. I look a little dead because I was daft enough to wear lots of heavy clothing on a very hot day.

I had a really great day and I think Beau's mum is amazing!

Cute storage inspiration

I am in a very good mood today. Hopefully, I shall be getting a proper wardrobe soon! For ages I have been making do with a clothes rail which was fine before I got in to lolita, but it is now too impractical. The rail was not very secure and because of how open it is, there is always a risk that my clothes will be exposed to moisture. A few days ago my husband James and I moved a load of furniture around in an attempt to maximise the storage possibilities.

In anticipation of my new wardrobe, I have been looking in to the best way to make the most of the space both in and outside the wardrobe.

Underneath all of my hanging clothes, I currently have a large cardboard box which is mainly filled with my various bags. I only recently discovered that handbag storage, like in the picture above, existed. The picture shows a version which hangs over the door but you can get smaller ones that hang in wardrobes. You can get a simple one with hooks or you can get one with clear plastic pockets.

I also have tins like this jammy ring one I picked up on my birthday. I found this in Marks and Spencers (a posh food and clothes shop to those of you outside the UK who don't know what I am on about). I have been back to that store since in the hope of picking up another tin, but they were gone! Although I did enjoy the lovely biscuits inside, I was more excited about having some new biscuit shaped storage.

It is also a good idea to make sure my new storage is not too bulky. I like this hair accessory storage idea because it is flat. Although the storage is small, this person has managed to fit a lot of accessories on it. It also means that all the hair accessories are on display and it is easier to find the item you want.

I am including this picture simply because I think the smiley boxes are cute!

I like the idea of stacking some small cases on top of each other. These ones are by Chocomint but they are sold out. However, cases like these are fairly easy to find. It is worth having a look around whilst going shopping because you can find items like these in the strangest of places.

I was alerted to this cute storage by a friend of mine. I have forgotten the original source of this photo, so I am sorry for not crediting the owner! It appears that the person has taken a simple box and then decorated it with cute trims and beads. I like this box because the box matches the cute items inside. If I had a box like this, then I would probably know instantly what is inside.

This is a mini shelf from Swimmer. I believe it is about 25cm tall so I could easily place this somewhere. It is nice and simple, so you could store whatever small bits you like inside.

Finally, I feel it is worth mentioning Violet LeBeaux here (I adore her site!). Violet is simply amazing. I love how she takes simple items and makes loads of cute (and cheap) items. Her site has a tutorial section which happens to include homewares. Do check it out here- http://www.violetlebeaux.com/tutorials/

My absolute favourite Violet tutorial is this one- http://www.violetlebeaux.com/2009/12/day-1-tutorial-on-making-a-cute-headband-holding-thingy/

Bodyline small homewares and new look international website

After a quick browse on the Bodyline website, I was a little surprised by the latest items. It would appear that Bodyline no longer want to just give us cheap lolita and cosplay clothing, they also want to give us some cheap homewares. It is an interesting direction for Bodyline to take.

Here are a few of the new items on offer-

This carousel is apparently a music box. This is possibly the strangest of the new items because it is purely decorative and has absolutely nothing to do with fashion. I suppose at a push, you could drape some small bits of jewellery on it. I would love to know if the horses spin around when the music plays. It is not the prettiest music box out there but considering the low price, I guess this is to be expected.

There is also a lot of jewellery stands available. My personal favourite is this ring cushion in the shape of a very fancy couch. I could imagine having one of these around the house somewhere.

Slightly less surprising is the mirrors. Bodyline already made some cute pocket mirrors so I guess this idea was not that huge a leap for them. They appear to be very cheaply made but some of the designs are pretty. However, if you consider the way Bodyline usually packages their parcels, this could cause problems. Hopefully Bodyline will put mirrors such as this one in a box or at the very least, they will be shipped in bubble wrap. I have a horrible feeling that they wont do this, but I will keep an eye out for online reviews.

But that is not the most exciting Bodyline related news today. International customers have a brand new look website! As I looked at the new site and was pleasantly surprised to be greeted with a background featuring their latest cosmetic print and a picture of one of the models playing a piano! I had a quick browse and most of the pages appear to load reasonably quickly. FINALLY!!!! I have waited so long for this day to arrive!

In other news, the design and model contests are back. I am debating submitting something for the design contest again. Despite a few items seemingly taking inspiration from the design I submitted last time, I have decided that in my case, this was probably pure coincidence. So I have not been put off the design contest... yet. As for the modelling contest? As much as I would love to meet the infamous Mr Yan, I have decided to give it a miss!

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!

Men friendly house decorating

August 2008 will always be remembered as a momentous time of my life. I was 20, planning my wedding and after a few years of research, I was starting to think about making the jump between just admiring lolita to actually wearing it. But by far, the biggest event of that Summer was leaving home. Feeling a mixture of excitement and panic, I moved out of my mother's house and moved in with my fiance (now my husband!).

Although I had my own bedroom at my mum's house, I always felt that I never properly 'owned' that room. I chose the colour on the walls but usually, I had to ask permission to do anything and my mum did not always agree to my demands (I used to have these hideous floral curtains. My mum has no taste!). So all of a sudden, I had this entire house that I could decorate however I wanted.

If I had my own way and money was no issue, my house would probably look like the inside of an Angelic Pretty store.

I have never been overly keen on having lots of pink but I wanted loads of lace, flowers and it probably would have looked like this picture!

Back in the present, and somebody casually asks me online how James copes with "all that frilly stuff" I am in to. They go to say "But Luna, surely your lolita stuff takes over the entire house! Do you let James decide on your house decorating at all?". So I looked around my living room. Sure, a lot of my stuff was stuffed on the shelves but amongst my duck plushies and gothic lolita bibles, I could also see James' dragon lamp, his video games and the LARP dagger a friend gave him for his birthday.

You know what? I don't think James has ever argued with me about the decorating because we have always talked every decision through together. I don't have super kawaii decorations that make Angelic Pretty look bland but I still have my little girly bits here and there. The reason our living arrangement works, is because we are happy to compromise.

The walls- Most of the walls in our house have been kept fairly natural, which were the colours that were there when we moved in. We used to have this hideous pale yellow in the bedroom so we decided we would paint this room. In the end, we picked a pale lilac colour. Although lilac can look sugary and cute, James was happy with the colour. The only colour James refused to get was pink. Pink is a colour usually associated with girls and we thought purple was a bit more unisex. To help break up the delicate lilac, we also painted one wall a deep dark berry colour. The berry wall is strong and bold and therefore, does not look too feminine. We are both very happy with how the room looks.

Personal space- I think the most important thing is that we have our own little personal spaces. I consider my personal space to be my little corner by the sofa. I have my Kera magazines, notebooks, and personal bits right beside me within easy reach. It is crucial to have an area where you are comfortable and can relax and be yourself. I start feeling insecure when people sit on my spot on the sofa! Although we are a couple, we are also separate people and it is vital to respect this.

Storage- We have a very small place so space is always limited. We have attempted to utilise the space as best as we possibly can and use storage which saves space. I think part of the reason that James copes with my lolita, is because it is stored away so he is not tripping over my head bows in our house.

A few little pieces- Instead of decorating the place to look all princessy, I have a few smaller bits. So instead of completely covering the place with decoration, I have chosen a few choice bits. I chose all the fruit themed equipment in the kitchen because I love strawberries! It helps to liven up the kitchen but it does not look OTT at all.

Common interests- Instead of using lolita as a theme, we used our common interests to decorate. Both James and I love Japan so we got some Japanese themed art work for the living room!

Shopping- We always go shopping together so we can see each other's purchases. Every decision is shared, we assembled the furniture together and we decide together on the best way to divide the budget.

Our house may not look how I originally intended it to, but I still feel at home here. In fact, I am proud because the way our house looks shows that James and I have worked together and have not been selfish. In actual fact, our house probably looks better this way because I don't have to spend ages dusting thousands of ornaments and trinkets. Our house is a lot more practical and if we sell this place, it will sell better because it will appeal to a wider range of people.

If you want to move in with somebody who is not in to lolita, then meet each other halfway. You don't have to ditch the things you love. Everybody has their passions. One word- COMPROMISE!!!!