Where My Inspiration Comes From

I was reading another lolita's blog post recently about where they got their inspiration from. It seemed like a really cool idea for a blog post, so I decided to have a go at the topic myself. I struggled with this post to begin with. Personally, I don't really see any one individual lolita as 'inspiration'. That is not to say that I don't find other lolitas inspirational, because I do. I am always saving pictures of accessories and ideas that I think are cool. If I have ever reblogged your photo online (via Tumblr or whatever) then it is because I really liked what I saw! It is just that when I am trying to come up with my own outfit ideas, I usually find my inspiration coming from the strangest of places or completely out of the blue. So I thought I would share specific examples of where my previous outfit ideas have come from.

Anime

I am not as big an anime fan as I once was, but I do still enjoy it. My weakness is any series done by CLAMP, especially Cardcaptor Sakura. I have always liked their art style and the imagery they conjure through their shows. My winged shoes from my Enchanted event outfit were inspired by the Jump Card from Cardcaptor Sakura, which when released would manifest by way of a pair of wings emerging from Sakura's shoes.

Japanese Illustrators

If you have any of the English Gothic Lolita Bibles, then you are probably familiar with the artist above! One of my most controversial outfits came about because of Looks Like a Teaspoon by Nakamura Asumiko. You can just about see a hint of pearly leg in the illustration above. I am also a big admirer of illustrators such as Sakizou. Sadly this particular idea did not translate so well in to real life and my execution could have been a whole lot better (I cringe when I see my full outfit now!). I think this is something to bear in mind. Just because something looks beautiful in a picture, it does not mean that it is going to work for an actual outfit.

British Comedy Characters

No, I am being deadly serious here! My love of my bowler hats stems from Hyacinth Bucket! Keeping up Appearances has always been one of my favourite shows, ever since I was little. But watching the series again since becoming a lolita, I have picked up on certain little details that I missed previously. Hyacinth's personality may be vile, but she sure does love a matching hat! She likes wearing statement jewellery and gloves too. There are also older comedy series which have some interesting fashions from the time. There is an episode of Fawlty Towers where Sybil wears a beautiful chiffon bed jacket which wouldn't look too out of place in Japanese fashion today. But Hyacinth remains my main inspiration. I can binge watch that show for days.

Royal Family and Royal Family Portraits

When attending an event called Regalia, the most natural place to look for inspiration is my country's very own royal family! I especially paid attention to the family portraits, as they tend to include a lot of fancy details which the royal family may not wear usually on a typical royal engagement. It was looking through these sort of pictures which encouraged me to have a go at making my own sash. I decided against the cape though. That was a bit too OTT for me! During the event I even had one of the photographers ask to take my photo in front of a picture because he said I matched it perfectly. I saw that as a huge compliment as I had achieved what I had set out to.

Cafe Workers and Shop Assistants

I have chosen a maid cafe uniform to demonstrate my point here as it seemed like the most obvious example. The maid cafe influence is pretty apparent in my outfit. But other work places can have cute uniforms as well. It is really inspiring seeing shop staff wearing the stock, especially with Japanese fashion brands. Seeing the clothing actually worn as opposed to on a computer screen can make a whole lot of difference. A piece you previously dismissed can suddenly become a lot more appealing when seen on an actual person.

Shop Displays

While we are on the subject of shops, I also happen to be a great admirer of a well thought out shop display. Years ago I made a giant lollipop after getting the idea from a sweet shop which had massive fake sweets displayed in their window. A good window display can entice you in. It is especially a good idea to look at ship displays in touristy places and also around certain holidays where you see a lot of effort put in to having a fancy display. I especially like walking around central London around Christmas time (provided it is not overly crowded!).

Nature

I don't have an example of my own to show here, but I wanted to add a final note about nature. I have had a couple of outfit ideas which I never got around to doing which were heavily inspired by nature. Just going for a walk can be very inspiring. You can get unusual colour combinations in nature which you wouldn't typically consider putting together. Nature also has a way of defying us humans sometimes. If left on its own, you will find all sorts of plants and trees growing wherever it can. It can take on unusual shapes. If you are going for a less polished look, maybe something forest inspired, where better to take inspiration from actual Mother Nature? Also, from owning birds I have learned a lot about their little quirks and movements. Seeing an animal move naturally up close has altered my opinions of a few animal themed lolita prints. It is interesting to see animals in movement rather than just standing around. 

So that list may give you all some clarity on how my mind ticks when I come up with my more crazy outfit ideas! I had a lot of fun doing the picture research for this post. It brought back a lot of memories. I suppose sometimes inspiration can come from just about anywhere. Next time an idea randomly pops in your head, write it down, no matter how crazy it seems. You never know, you may end up using it.

Dark Inspiration- Salem

So here is a little random fact about me- I am a fan of the TV series Charmed. Well, mostly the first few series, as it got incredibly silly towards the end. James and I had only seen up to the end of series 5 previously and earlier this year, we decided to go through the entire 8 series. Sadly, the last few series has ruined it a bit for me, but I will always have a place in my hearts for the first few series. As we were looking for a Charmed replacement to fill our desire for 'witchy' TV shows, we got searching online and came across another series called Salem.

Far from being a cheesy but lovable monster-of-the-week format, Salem is based on the 17th century witch trials and how the witches remain hidden in their small puritan town. I am not going to lie- there are things about Salem which definitely could have been done better and there are times when the script makes me cringe a bit. But after watching the first few episodes, I found enough that I liked about Salem to keep me going. The plot is a lot darker and the scenery is very atmospheric. 

Although the characters are not always that likable, I loved how the series has a lot of strong female characters. In a time when a man's word holds far more power than a female's word ever could, the witches are ruthless and able to get their own way far more than you would expect. Initially the character of Mary Sibley seems weak, and she ends up marrying the head councilor of the selectmen board, after her true love John fails to return when promised. However, it quickly becomes apparent that Mary is well and truly calling the shots, and without giving away any spoilers she soon finds herself in a position of power within the town.

But another thing I love about Salem is the costumes. As Mary takes on the role of head councilor's wife, she is dressed in a way you would not expect somebody from a puritan town to dress. To reflect her new wealth and power, her clothing becomes more extravagant. We start to see her in more luxurious fabrics, such as furs. Although Mary favours dark colours, as do most of the residents, there is a lot of gold and jewels. As a lover of all 3 of the main lolita sub-styles, the gothic and dark classic lolita in me can't help but admire Mary's beautiful outfits. In fact, a lot of the wealthier characters in the show have very inspirational wardrobes. I do know that the costume department for Salem has been receiving a great deal of praise. There are so many ornate and delicate little details. 

With this is mind, and with Halloween fast approaching, I decided to come up with a Salem and Mary inspired lolita mood board. I think Mary would be very enamored with the indie brand VooDoooDolly and would also be a fan of a lot of the darker Alice and the Pirates pieces. Making this collage threw up a lot of interesting thoughts about 'witch lolita' and how they almost always feature a pointy witch hat. But what if you are unable to reveal your witch identity? So I wanted my mood board to focus on a more 'luxurious' dark lolita look rather than a specific witch lolita look. I made sure to include gold details, as well as some fur trim and a hat similar to the one in the screen shot Mary is wearing above. I also wanted to include a corset (as they feature heavily in the show) but unfortunately I could not find one which didn't look cheap or fitted the image I was going for. I settled on a corset style choker instead.

Series 3 of Salem starts early November and I am hoping I will be able to find a way to watch it. I am a bit lover of all these witchy dramas and movies. I love Hocus Pocus and The Craft. It always feels like this is a good time of the year to curl up on the sofa and enjoy these classics and I hope I am able to do so over the Halloween weekend. Do you know of any good witch themed or gothic style shows and movies? Feel free to comment with your favourites. And I hope you all have a Happy Halloween!

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!

Happy Valentines Day For Tomorrow!

Although I think every single day of the year should be a celebration of love, I still enjoy Valentine's Day. In celebration of this day, I have picked a few love inspired items that I really like right now. Unfortunately, some of these items are out of stock. Although with a bit of digging I am hopeful of being able to locate them.

1. Nail Rock Love Hearts Nail Wraps 2. Heart Macaron Ring (other colours available) 3. Cute Can kill Love Necklace 4. Chocomint Hug Me Star Ring 5. Milk Metallic Pink Heart Bag 6. Cute Can Kill Sweetheart Lollipop necklace 7. DreamV Love Heart Cardigan

As you can probably see, I tend to favour sweet, pastel themes when it comes to love themed items. However, I do believe that gothic and classic outfits can be very romantic as well. Maybe in the future I could do Valentines inspiration for these styles too or maybe even put a few outfit ideas together.

Whether you choose to celebrate Valentine's Day or not, I hope everybody has a lovely day tomorrow!

Take a Theme- Mermaids

Today's Take a Theme is mermaids! If you didn't see my first Take a Theme post on birds it is available here- http://luna-rain.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/take-theme-birds.html

Potential sub themes for mermaids- pearls, shells, billowing hair, sea creatures, treasure chests

Brand prints of note- Twinkle Mermaid, Aqua Princess and Mermaid Symphony (Angelic Pretty), Melty Mermaid Princess and Mermaid Jewellery Box (Alice and the Pirates), Emily Temple Cute Mermaid Print

1. Shell earrings 2. Mermaid and Octopus necklace 3. Mermaid Shell Tiara 4. Antique Style Mermaid Ring 5. Treasure Chest Necklace 6. Gold Shell necklace 7. MUA Constellation Nail Beads in Pisces 8. Gold Shell Box By Topshop (past season) 9. Lockshop Mermaid Faerie Wig 10. Little Mermaid Necklace 11. Mermaid and Pearl Necklace

I decided to mainly focus on jewellery this time with items from Etsy and Taobao. I think that despite the MUA nail kit being inspired by constellations, the colours of the beads for Pisces and the general look of the finished nails could fit in with a mermaid theme too. Sadly, the Topshop bag is no longer available but with a bit of searching you could probably find something similar or hope that it comes up for auction!

Creepy Jewellery Picks!

This post was meant to be published before Halloween, but it got pushed back. But I say better late than never!

I thought I would get in the spirit of all things spooky and pick out some of my favourite bits of creepy themed jewellery. I have nothing against cutesy bats or those eyeball clips, but I do feel like they get worn quite a lot. This may seem like a strange post from somebody who mainly wears sweet or classic, but here are my favourite pieces of dark jewellery that I have found recently.

I do love a bit of Stephen King. I have only read a few of his books so far, but The Shining is my favourite! I do like the movie version as well, which is where this necklace gets its inspiration from (in the book, Danny gets chased with a mallet and not an axe). One of the most iconic moments of the movie is when Jack takes an axe to the door and pokes his head through, shouting "Heeeeeere's Johnny!". For me this REDRUM necklace sums up the movie quite well. And although it is based on a movie, it is the sort of necklace that you can still wear with a normal creepy outfit.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/76043019/redrum-text-necklace-with-axe-inspired

If I were to add a bit of cuteness to Halloween, I would pick something like these Candy Corn earrings. As much as I love ghost, bat and spider themed jewellery, these are the sorts of themes that we see pretty frequently. I thought candy corn was a little bit different, but still hints at a Trick or Treat theme. Suitable for those who normally dress cute!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/109587645/halloween-candy-earrings-candy-corn?ref=sr_gallery_7&ga_search_query=candy+corn&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=GB&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade%2Fjewelrycandy+corn

This time I am going a bit more gory. What I love about this necklace is the contrast between the pretty frame and the creepy looking heart. It is also interesting how the blood drips continue on to the silver frame. It looks like a heart being served on a beautiful dinner platter. I appreciate this wont be to everybody's tastes, but there is something a little bit dark and twisted about this necklace, and that is why I like it.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/69312449/anatomical-heart-necklace?ref=sr_gallery_12&ga_search_query=gore&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=GB&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade%2Fjewelrygore

This is another nod to famous horror stories. This time I have chosen a raven themed cameo. It reminds me a lot of The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe. I think it is good just seeing the silhouette of the raven and the cameo frame is a nice touch. It is more of a subtle hint of horror rather than full-on creepiness. I think this is the sort of thing I would wear if I just wanted to try a bit of horror, but didn't want to go all out. This necklace is also probably a bit more versatile and wearable than the other items featured on this post.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/57424354/perched-raven-cameo-silhouette-necklace

And finally, I couldn't do this post without including a bit of Suppurate System! Whilst I am not a fan of the barbed wire style chord here (I think in this instance it cheapens the design a bit) I do love the test tube idea. Scientists are something we sometimes see in horror- just look at Frankenstein- and so it felt appropriate to include some scientist themed jewellery in this post. I like the roses trapped inside. Of course, they also have the typical horror colours of red and black as well. I think that when it comes to Japanese brands, Suppurate System does horror the best. If this is your sort of thing, then do look up the official website, but be prepared to part with quite a bit of money.

http://ssnet.ocnk.net/product/125

And so, those are my picks for adding a touch of gore. If anybody else has any good links to share, then feel free to comment. 

My Dream Painting Dresses

Okay, so I am feeling very excited about the Tea Party Club's Juliette et Justine event this weekend! Ahead of this massive event, I thought I would further my excitement by doing a JetJ inspired post.

Juliette et Justine are probably best known for their painting dresses, such as Amour d'amants. Whilst they have also released a lot of other beautiful pieces, it seems the painting dresses have become very popular. However, JetJ have to use paintings that are part of the public domain. This is due to public domain pictures not being subjected to copyright.

But let's just say for a moment that JetJ could use any painting they wanted? Which paintings would you like to see them use? Here are my choices.

Ballet Rehearsal On Stage- Edgar Degas

Degas is my favourite artist, so he was always going to be on my list! JetJ could use any Degas painting and I would snap it up! But the reason Degas is on this list is because of the way he captured dancers in some of his most well-known works. I always picture ballerinas as being elegant, graceful and beautiful; qualities that could be appealing to lolitas as well. And when it comes to pictures of ballerinas, it has to be Degas! I feel his paintings captured the movement and grace of ballerinas the best. I could have chosen a number of Degas paintings, but I selected this one because I felt it would be the most suited for JetJ. It really feels as though you are standing at the side of the stage, watching the ballerinas rehearse.

Starry Night Over the Rhone- Vincent van Gogh

It is not as famous as the shorter named Starry Night, but I personally feel this one is more beautiful. The scene is so romantic with the glowing stars, the reflection of light off buildings in the water... I wish I could go to Arles and see this scene for myself. Night scenes are also very appealing with the deep colours. However, I admit that this painting would probably not transfer well to fabric. It is still gorgeous though.

The White Water Lillies- Claude Monet

A bit blurry, but I think it adds to its charm. I just think it is such a beautiful and peaceful scene, and that is why it got included on my list. It is the kind of scene where I could imagine seeing a lolita walking across the bridge. I love the use of colour too.

Sistine Madonna Two Angels- Raphael

It is an image I have already seen on multiple items of clothing! Angels are a popular theme in lolita and when I think of angel paintings, this is the first one that comes to my mind. The image is romantic and I can really see it fitting JetJ. 

Birth of Venus- Botticelli

A very famous image! Out of all the paintings in this post, this is one of the ones which I would most love to see JetJ do. It is not too hard to imagine how the finished dress would look. It is very classic and beautiful, the sort of thing I could imagine lolitas snapping up instantly. In fact, it would probably appeal to an even wider audience. 

Salisbury Cathedreal, From the Meadows- John Constable

I blame my mum for this one! I grew up seeing Constable paintings on a frequent basis. My mum owned coasters, table mats and pictures of Constable's paintings. In fact, I think I even saw a painting of his on a biscuit tin once. His paintings have so much detail to them and again, I wonder if this would come out well on fabric. Cathedrals or religious buildings are something we are used to seeing in lolita, usually with gothic lolita.  I feel this painting is a slightly different take on cathedrals than what we usually see. It is also framed well by the trees and river in the foreground and the rainbow in the sky.

Ophelia- Millais

I have been championing Shakespeare themed prints for a very long time and this is the scene I most want to see make it on to a dress! It depicts Ophelia singing in the water, just before she drowns. Yes, it is a bit grim, but for me it is one of the most iconic Shakespeare moments. And the painting depicts the scene in such a beautiful way. The foliage is so life-like and Millais put a lot of effort in to using the "language of flowers" and also putting Shakespeare's description of the scene to good use.

To be honest, there is a load of painting out there which could work with JetJ. As you can probably tell, I like impressionism and also scenes which I feel have a romantic, beautiful look to them. Some of my choices are probably more obvious than others, but I made this post based on my own opinions. I would be very interested to hear what other paintings people think would make a good JetJ dress. The possibilities are endless.

Milk's 5 Strap Sandals and My New Pastel Inspiration

You know, during the entire time I have written this blog I don't think I have ever mentioned Milk. I guess I always assumed that this brand was not my style. I think I have also resigned myself to the fact that Milk's prices are so steep that my chances of ever buying something from them is slim. But... I have gone and fallen in love with a pair of shoes by them!

This situation came about because I was looking up alternatives to the usual footwear you see with lolita. I am not saying that I dislike lolita shoes (in fact, I still find them as adorable as ever) but I just wanted to see what else was out there and possibly work these shoes in to an outfit. I did find some lovely shoes but then during a random search, I stumbled across these beauties-

With their wedge heels and open toes, they are very different to the shoes I am used to wearing, but I was drawn in by the pastel bows! Suddenly, I found myself googling Angelic Pretty dresses to wear with these and I did think of a couple that have the potential to work really well in an outfit. But sadly, it wasn't meant to be. These shoes cost 30,240yen! So I quickly had to give up on this dream. Then I wondered, could I possibly re-create this look? If I could just find a pair of suitable shoes, I could easily attach some pastel bows on to the front. And so, I am now on the lookout for some suitable shoes to give a Milk makeover!

Whilst I was visiting the Milk online store ( http://shop.milk-inc.com/ ) I had a bit of a look around and I also saw this cardigan-

This is their Honey Puffs cardigan. I would really like to make an outfit using this cardigan and Angelic Pretty's Sugar Hearts series. But again, I believe this cardigan could be replicated. Admittedly this may not look as good as the original, but it is worth a try.

So despite feeling a little miserable that I am not earning massive amounts of money, it is not all bad news. If nothing else, I think looking at the Milk website has at least given me some inspiration. There are some really cute pastel items on there. It has made me think 'outside the box' a little because I am looking at items I would have previously dismissed. I might not be getting those Milk shoes any time soon, but I have gained some new ideas.

Operation Beautiful

I found this blog through somebody I know online, and I had to share it! The message is so upbeat and positive. So, I present to you... Operation Beautiful!

http://operationbeautiful.com/

The idea is to post anonymous post-it notes in public places for other people to find. Imagine how amazing it would be to randomly find this note saying you are beautiful... It is such a simple idea, but it is so effective. If nothing else, hopefully it will raise a smile.

I am very tempted to make some post-it notes of my own. So if anybody reading this happens to live near me, do keep your eyes open!

More peach please!

I saw that somebody was asking about 'Orange Lolita' online today. It is a colour which seems to be rare for lolita. We are bombarded with yellow, blue, pink, mint pastel shades and deep gothic colours and for some reason, orange does not fit in as well. I personally am not a fan of bright shades of orange. I have nothing against the colour, it has just never appealed to me and I worry it wont suit me. However, for a long time now I have wanted there to be more peach coloured items. Peach is a lot less harsh than full blown orange and I think it will suit more people.

Pretty roses! I have always thought that certain classic outfits would benefit from some peach. The easiest way to do this would be with a simple corsage made from a fake or real flower. I chose roses because I think peach coloured roses have this delicate romantic feel. My mother used to have loads of peach coloured roses in her garden and they smelled amazing.

In the first rose picture the roses have a very orange hue but this second rose shows that peach can be pink and even yellow tones can be present. The colours blend in well together. I think this rose demonstrates how good peach can look with yellow and pink. I have been thinking of other colours peach could go with. Creamy colours would probably go well and certain shades of green could contrast nicely. I think pink and peach would work best.

So, after randomly googling images what peach lolita items did I find? Not a lot.

This dress looks very delicate and pretty. It is more pink than peach but the colour has a peach undertone to it. I don't remember who made this dress so I have no idea how good it is in real life.

I also found this skirt which was commissioned by an Etsy shop. If you want to get peach lolita items, then getting pieces specially made might be the best route. At least then you can specify what you want. I thought this skirt was very floaty and light. It makes me think of Spring time but I would use it during the Summer too.

After searching for dresses and skirts, I tried to find a peach blouse (please be careful when searching because for some reason, 'peach blouse' brought up a load of naked women!). I think I want a peach blouse most of all and then I would like to thread matching flowers in my hair. I was unable to find a blouse I liked but this bolero. It was from a cosplay shop but I would not let that put me off buying it.

Peach is a popular wedding colour and wedding websites appear to have a lot of peach items. I found this rose bag on a wedding site. A bag like this would make a huge impact to an outfit.

The same website also brought up this wrist corsage. Personally, I would remove the bright pink gems.

I recently purchased this flower headband from Primark. In real life, the roses are more peach than pink. I want to find a way to add this to a lolita co-ordinate. I am thinking of doing something '60's hippy' with my hair and possibly adding more flowers. As for the dress, I am thinking of using my Meta lucky pack dress which has yellow roses in the print. I want a long sleeve peach blouse to finish off the outfit!

So I definitely think that there needs to be more peach lolita! I am surprised that peach and orange are not more popular. Peach would look gorgeous with classic but would also suit sweet. Orange is a bit more difficult but maybe it would look great on certain skin tones. I hope that lolita brands take more notice of these underused colours in the future!

Lolita Secret Santas

Sadly I have left it a bit late for me to take part in any Secret Santas, but I know other girls are doing these. I have been a bit busy lately! If you would like to take part in a lolita secret santa, I know www.myasianfashion.com members are holding one (the deadline for gift sending is the 12th of December. You will need to check if they are still letting people join so be quick). There may be others around that you can join or maybe there is a Secret Santa going on in your workplace.

I don't really know any lolitas well enough to swap presents with. I hope that by next year, this will have changed. However, I have been thinking about the sort of presents I would like to give others so I decided to make a wish list.

Please note that I live in the UK so these items may not be available in your country. I have tried to include international friendly items too. Remember you will need to add shipping costs if you can't visit the actual store. Pictures have been taken from shop websites.

£0-£5 price range-

1. Cinders Bath Ballistic £1.95 www.lush.com

2. Humming Cat Letter Set £4.20 www.artbox.co.uk

3. Jelly Belly Toasted Marshmallow Scented Candle £4.99 http://www.jellybelly-uk.com/jelly-belly-candles

4. Bodyline keychains (range from $1-6. The one in the picture costs $2) http://www.bodyline.co.jp/bodyline/frame01.asp?type=gacc&subType=keyring Add some to your regular order or do a group order so you are not hit by huge shipping charges.

Other ideas-

-Claire's Accessories Gift Voucher (any amount starting from £5, foreign countries should check minimum amount in store)

-Mini jewels or stickers for deco nails

- Hair accessories

£5.01-£10 range-

1. False Eyelashes- the ones in the picture cost about £6 by Eylure. Not suitable for sensitive eyes.

2. Cute Plush Pirate Bunny Plush Doll $15 http://www.cute-plush.com/products/pirate-bunny-plush-doll

3.Cute Plush Kira Kira Rainbow Bunny Necklace $12 http://www.cute-plush.com/products/kira-kira-rainbow-bunny-necklace

4. 6%DokiDoki Marshmallow Hair Clips 945yen http://6dokidoki.shop-pro.jp/?pid=19753259

5. Kera Magazine Back Issues (around £10)- try Ebay, Egl Sales Community and other auction sites. In England you can visit the Japan Centre or order here http://japancentre.com/items/284

6. Swimmer storage box 788yen http://www.swimmer.co.jp/SHOPPING/detail.php?code=094799

7. Cupcake Amigurumi $15 http://shanalogic.com/item.php?item_id=2844

Other Ideas-

Secret Shop Socks (try Egl Sales Community)

£10.01-£15 range-

1. Bodyline skirt (one pictured costs $19) Many styles start from $19, some punk styles start from even less http://www.bodyline.co.jp/bodyline/frame01.asp?type=gothic&subType=skirt

2. Imogen Rose perfume www.lush.com prices start at £10 for a solid perfume

3. Lollipop Earrings $22 http://shanalogic.com/item.php?item_id=1773

4. Giant Gummi Bear £14.99 http://www.firebox.com/product/2560/Giant-Gummi-Bears?via=ser

Most Secret Santas have a low price limit but here are some more expensive items I found randomly whilst searching for inspiration-

1. Elizabethan Ring £19.99 www.blackrose.co.uk

2. Toxic Candies Designer Toy $50 www.3dretro.com

3. H Naoto keychain 2800yen http://ses.s-inc.com/e-shop/app or the American shop http://www.hnaotousa.com/

4. Fuwa Fuwa Mousse Chan paper clay kits (around $32) from various locations (try etsy.com)

5. Ghostlove Screaming Violins Choker $35 http://www.ghostlove.com/item.php?id=gl000389

I always get a great buzz when I know somebody really loves the present I gave them. I hope my nearest and dearest will get a nice surprise at Christmas. I have finally finished my Christmas shopping. Sorry, if this post is a little too late for you!