Birthday Haul and a Valentines Thank you!

It was my birthday on Monday and I have lots of lovely new lolita-related things to review, but first things first, I need to write a thank you! I got a birthday valentine on Lolita Valentines on Sunday and I just wanted to say it was really appreciated. I have a strong feeling I know who made it, but whoever it was, thank you!

I am number 10- http://loli-valentines.livejournal.com/177693.html

So I had a really great time. I went on multiple adventures in both London and Oxford and got to see lots of lovely friends. I didn't dress up in lolita or anything because the UK is currently in the middle of a heatwave. Layering up in heavy frills is the last thing I feel like doing right now and I have been surviving on ice lollies.

But I thought people might like to see what I got and maybe do a bit of reviewing here and there.

First up, I got Gothic Lolita Punk from my friends Jo and Chris. I have not had a proper chance to read it yet, but after flicking through, it mainly seems to be a picture book which showcases well known lolita artists. There are familiar names such as Kira Imai, but some lesser known ones too. Although I may not follow the art tutorials, it is interesting finding out the process behind the art work. It is also quite fun to quickly flick through and admire the art. I think it is a shame that so few artists are represented in the book, but maybe that is because it is such a niche style that there are so few well-known artists.

I also got some Chocomint accessories and an Angelic Pretty ring from my husband James. I thought the kiss earrings would look cute with my Sugar Hearts skirt. They are the right sort of style and colour. The earrings are very heavy and maybe not for everyday wear. I have also decided to keep them wrapped up safely in bubble wrap because I fear I may break them! The design is very cute though. The felt stars have a 2 way clip on the back, just like their bigger 2 way clips. You can see the clip poking out very slightly, but it is only from certain angles. The felt has been cut well with no fluffy edges and the stitching is very neat. I have been looking to get an AP Sugar Hearts ring for ages, so I am ecstatic that James managed to get me one! The ring is typical of any AP jewellery. The ring is thick plastic and very firm.

I also got given this pink cardigan from James. I already reviewed the same cardigan in red before on this blog. The colour is a bit more salmon pink than pure pink but it will still match a lot of things in my wardrobe. I still think it is very cute.

James also got me these Bodyline chiffon blouses in black and pink. In recent times, my Bodyline items have arrived with small stains and stuff on them. This time around there were no such stains, but my black blouse was missing one of the sleeve bows. So in the end I took the other bow off to make it look even. That aside, the blouses were just fine and there was nothing wrong with the pink blouse at all. The pink blouse is again a bit more salmon pink than sugary pink, but in this case I actually prefer that.

The front ruffle is very generous. I found it made my bust area look a bit bigger! The ruffles really stick out and are full of volume. They have been generously gathered. I quite like the effect, but I think if they had been gathered any more then it would have been too OTT. There were a few loose threads, but otherwise the sewing is neat with no major issues. The buttons are a bit simple in design but are a reasonably good quality.

The sleeves are very stretchy. I found there was plenty of room in the sleeves and they felt very comfortable. The elastic isn't too tight. The pink bows are a slightly different colour but not too noticeable. I think the sleeves are perfect and they are super comfortable.

The back has a ribbon corset on the back, which will help make the blouse a bit smaller if need be. I worry the lace hoops holding the ribbon in place may fray or become damaged, but this seems to be quite a typical design for lots of brands.

Being chiffon, the material is a bit see-through. If I were intending to wear this blouse with a camisole underneath (instead of under a JSK) then I would need to cut these labels out. If you didn't know the labels were there, then maybe you wouldn't notice them, but I am still considering cutting them out.

And here is a very poor worn picture of the blouse with a camisole underneath! I apologise for the bad picture. I took it whilst my husband was at work, so I had to do a mirror shot. I think it looks really pretty when worn. I think the website's size listings were pretty accurate. The materials feel really soft too. It is just as comfortable as some of my other chiffon blouses and feels so light.

I would like to thank all of the people who sent me birthday messages on facebook and elsewhere. They were all very much appreciated. I had a really great long weekend and I feel so grateful to know so many wonderful people. Thank you all. And I hope my blouse review was helpful!

Lucienne Dream by Angelic Pretty

Today I will be taking a look at Lucienne Dream by Angelic Pretty. This series includes 2 dresses, a skirt, 2 hair accessories, socks and a pair of gloves.

This is the OP. The bodice is seemingly well fitted, although I find some of the bodice shapes a bit weird, as if they could have been done a bit better. The main part of the bodice is a bit too square and block-looking. The heart shaped neckline is cute though. I think the sleeves could do with being a slight bit shorter and with a bit more puff to them. The sleeve design is also very basic looking. There is a waist bow, which is a bit big. It looks okay, but I think if it had been a bit smaller it would have looked better. The bow shape is cute though and looks very perky. It sits brilliantly on the dress.

The bodice is made up of different panels. The main part of the bodice is solid coloured and it seems to work better on some colour ways than others. I feel the pink and black versions work a bit better than the other 2. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something about the solid colour just doesn't feel quite right with the other 2 colours. The main bodice part is finished off with a nice heart shaped neckline, which is topped off with a thin line of gold lace. The gold lace has been used neatly and it matches up well with the use of gold on the skirt. There are also solid coloured "straps" which give the illusion of this dress being a JSK. The straps are gathered and have a nice amount of texture, with a cute shape too. However, they do make the shoulder area look wider too. There is then a sheer tulle panel, which meets the solid coloured neck ruffle. I feel the bodice maybe has too many different materials going on here. The neck ruffle is very cute though. I think the pleats have been done very neatly and the lace blends in perfectly. The neck area is finished off with a cute small bow. Keeping everything the same colour here helps to keep it neat.

The back is kept plain and there is no shirring. The stock photos show that the skirt has plenty of volume and flares outwards beautifully. It has a wonderful full, rounded bell shape to it. It will hold plenty of petticoat underneath. Aside from the lace, which is paired with the print anyway, the skirt is kept simple in design. So the print design is displayed really well. The bottom hem is finished off with a neat line of pleats, which matches up well with the neck ruffle.

This is the JSK. The bodice looks a bit lumpy in some of the photos and the bodice shape is quite simple and maybe a bit boring. It looks very square, with lots of straight lines. The straps are a good width. AP maybe could have gotten away with making them a bit thinner. The strap design is very interesting though. They have a line of pleats, which gives it an interesting texture and also gives them a bit more depth. The lace used on the straps is of a good quality, but I don't think I would have bothered with it. The straps would have looked just fine with just the pleats. The waist bow is again a bit on the big side. It does have a good shape and sits nicely on the dress though. The bodice features a ribbon corset design. The ribbon is threaded using gold eyelets, which are generally well concealed by the ribbon anyway. I think the eyelets are a good, reliable way of attaching the ribbon without being too flimsy. The ribbon has been spaced out well and doesn't look too bunched together. The ribbon appears to be of a good quality too, and only has a slight sheen to it. Either side of the ribbon corset, there are multiple lines of lace running up the bodice. I like the design and I am glad AP used thin lace, as wider lace would not have suited this design. It does line up weirdly with the strap lace though and again, I do feel it would have been better if they hadn't used lace at all on the straps. The back has a panel of shirring which is concealed well by a ribbon corset. The stock photos show that the skirt is full and has plenty of volume. It flares out really well and creates a lovely bell shape. The skirt design is again kept simple, apart from the lace used as part of the print, so the print is displayed very well. The bottom hem is finished off with pretty crown themed lace. I do feel though, that a line of solid coloured pleats could have looked a bit better. 

And there isn't a print close up available for this series! This series is available in pink, blue, brown and black. I have found that for the OP I prefer the pink, but for the JSK I like the brown version the best. The black is a standard colour, although I feel it looks a bit harsh. I am not a fan of the blue at all, as I feel the shade of blue they used is far too dark. As I mentioned above, the skirts feature lace, which very cleverly make the chain for the bird cages. It is a really lovely idea and I think it works well. And as for the printed bird cages, they have been drawn so beautifully. I really love the cage designs. However, I am finding it difficult to really fall in love with these series. I think the reason for that is I think the bird cages in the print are placed too close together. They need to be spread out a bit more, or maybe the lace and bows used for the chains need to be thinner. Something about how they have been placed just feels a little odd. 

I also find this cage hair accessory a bit questionable. Something about the pearl bead design just feels a bit cheap. I also feel that the pearls do not match up that great with the print. Also, this headdress looks a bit messy and wonky. The bow at the top could also do with being a bit smaller. There is just something about the overall look of this piece that looks really off.

So overall, I think this series has some good ideas but I am not that impressed by the final result. It is a shame, because I do think the bird cages have been drawn so well. I don't think all the colours work together and some parts of the dress designs are a bit weak. So I wont be buying anything from this series. if I had to though, I would pick the JSK in brown. I think the print works best with the more muted colours. It is a shame, as I feel this series could have had a lot more potential.

My Latest Taobao Haul- Picture Heavy

Before I start today's post, I would like to warn people that there is a small possibility that my Monday post might be late. It is my birthday! But hopefully if all goes to plan, you wont notice anything different.

A few weeks back I did a big Taobao order and today I shall be reviewing it. I used Taobao Spree again to place my order. I don't think it is worth me reviewing Taobao Spree again as I am clearly happy with the service they offer. However, if you do want to see my Taobao Spree review the last one is here- http://luna-rain.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/taobao-order-review-january-2014.html 

I going to list the names of the stores and give a link to the shop front. 

Kira Kira- Store link

I am starting off today with Kira Kira, which is a Taobao store that is slowly increasing in popularity. They do loads of cute hair accessories in a wide variety of colours. I was told that the items from this store would take about 2 weeks to make. I would definitely recommend this store, especially if you are looking to expand your hair accessory collection. 

The first thing I ordered was this navy blue rose clip with dangling pearls and bow. The Taobao listing was set out clearly and it was easy to work out which colour code I needed to order. Instead of listing things by their colour, they use an alphabet letter system, so if you see two that are a similar colour but are not sure which to order, the letter system means you know exactly which colour you are getting. As you can see the fake rose is of a good quality. I spotted no fabric fraying at all. The ribbon is a bit shiny, but there were no loose threads at all. I do think the ribbon bow could have been tied a bit neater, but apart from that I think this item is lovely.

On the back, the clip is attached to a simple alligator clip, which I prefer anyway as barrette clips can be a bit fiddly. There is just the tiniest of glue marks on the back but it is not noticeable. In fact, looking back at this picture, I can't even see where the glue spot is!

I also got this pink and white bow clip. Again, the roses are of a decent quality. This time the ribbon used is grosgrain ribbon, which is matte. I am not too keen on the 2 random pearls attached to the ribbon on the outer edges, as I find the placement a bit odd.

The pearl chain and glass charms are spaced out evenly and dangle nicely. The lace used is very pretty too. I love the lace design.

And finally from Kira Kira, I got this beautiful white hair piece with side veil. The listing was a little confusing as it gave the option of either head band customisation or overall customisation. So I wasn't really sure what the difference between the two options was. I opted for overall customisation, which it turns out was the option I wanted anyway. The head band is a good size for an adult head and it feels very comfortable to wear.

The veil material is soft and the tiers are layered well. I love the way they hang down, but I think the veil could have done with being slightly longer. It still looks amazing when worn though. The top tier of the veil has small dotted pearls all over it (you can see one of the pearls in the photo above) which is a really lovely detail. The lace used is of a reasonably good quality. The flower design of the lace matches up well with the floral design.

The veil is topped with a small pearl chain with a bow and cross charm. The cross charm is so pretty. I actually think the bow is a bit too bulky for where it is though. 

The large clusters of fake roses is maybe a bit OTT for some but I think the end result is amazing. Again, there is no fraying fabric on the roses. I did notice that one of the petals had fallen out of place so I will probably have to sew that, but that was the only issue I had with this veil.

And if the roses and veil were not OTT enough, the base is like a lacy headdress too! This veil is not for the faint hearted! The lace used is of a same level of quality as the other items I ordered. The ribbon used is again a little shiny, but I don't think matte ribbon would have worked as well in this instance. 

So overall, I do feel that you get good value for money with Kira Kira. They have some very lovely OTT pieces, but also some more simple stuff. There is a good range of sweet and classic items. Some of the designs definitely remind me of Japanese brand items. I think I will be ordering again from Kira Kira, as their items make good wardrobe fillers.

Rococo Soul- Store Link 

Next up is the gloves I purchased from Rococo Soul. Unfortunately I got the last pair of gloves! But keep an eye out, because maybe Rococo Soul will release more gloves in the future. The lace used is of a fairly good quality. I have been searching for gloves for quite some time and out of all the ones I have seen, these gloves are some of the best I have seen. I love the frothy looking lace wrist parts too.

Although the ribbon is a little bent in this picture, that is easily fixed. I really love the crown bow brooch on these. The ribbon used is soft and has a lovely slight shimmer to it. The crown part is lovely too, with no missing rhinestones, although I have a feeling I have seen these crowns used elsewhere. I swear I have seen a crown necklace using the same crown. The rhinestones help perk up the ribbon bow too, without looking too OTT. The pearl chain is a nice finishing touch.

Then I tried the gloves on and they fitted perfectly. The material feels so soft against my skin. Sometimes lace gloves can feel a bit scratchy, but that is not a problem with these gloves at all. I could see myself wearing these gloves comfortably for a very long time. I am about a glove size 7, which I think is about perfect for these gloves. The material is a bit stretchy, but I wouldn't risk it if your hand is much bigger than a 7.

Lele- Store Link

These butterfly clips from Lele were a bit of an impulse buy, but they were so cheap and for the price I paid I was happy with what I received. The butterflies are on simple alligator clips. They are easy to use and seem to stay in place well. The colours are vibrant. The butterflies are quite realistic looking and the wings have plenty of detail to them. I even got given a free orange butterfly ring with my order. It was a shame that they didn't give me a ring in a matching colour, but it was still lovely to get a little something extra.

Infanta- Store Link

I also ordered a navy blue blouse from Infanta. This blouse is their Fairy Dance design. I have heard online that Infanta blouses run a bit small, so I deliberately went up a size. Although I get the impression I would have fitted my usual size, I am glad that I did go a size up. It certainly didn't look too big on me and it felt quite comfortable. The chiffon is very soft and feels like it is of a good quality. The buttons are a bit simple in design, but for the cheap price I am not complaining about it. 

The sleeves have an elasticated band, which helps it to fit better. I was a bit concerned the sleeves may not drape nicely because of it, but it actually doesn't look too bad (see below). The lace has a very pretty design, but I feel it is a little too wide.

The off-shoulder design will probably not suit everybody (especially those with a wide shoulder) but I still think it is a good design. The neck ruffles sit nicely. I couldn't see any loose threads anywhere and the construction was good.

There is a ribbon corset on the back, which gives a bit of size flexibility. Due to going a size up, I found I had to lace myself quite tightly. 

Here is one photo of how the arms drape.

And here is another, with my arm a bit further down. Out of all the photos, I think this last one is the closest to what the colour looks like in person. I do feel the blouse sleeves could have draped a bit better, but it looks better in person than it does in my photos. The sleeves are meant to be 3-quarter length, which can be a tricky length. I personally think it looks good and you can tell it is meant to be that length, instead of giving the illusion of the blouse being too short. But with the stretchy band I found I could push the sleeves up a bit and it had a nice effect. The blouse is a bit see-through (I am actually wearing a top underneath the blouse in these photos) so it will require a camisole or to be worn underneath a JSK.

Little Dipper- Store link

Finally, I ordered a navy blue underskirt from Little Dipper. I think that technically it is meant to be a skirt or petticoat? But a lot of lolitas have been using them as an underskirt. It is good to know I do have the option of wearing it as a normal skirt though. It is a very versatile piece. This underskirt works out at roughly £25 and for the quality I do feel this is worth it.

Little Dipper have 2 listings for this underskirt. One appears to just have one length and the other has a variety of different lengths. I told my Taobao agent my waist measurement, just in case, so that I knew for sure that it would fit. I ordered the navy blue underskirt with the 60cm length. This photograph shows the most accurate colour for the skirt in real life. I can't get over how full and full of volume the skirt is. But despite its weight, it still flared out well when I stuck petticoats underneath it and it created a really pretty shape. Sadly, I forgot to take worn photos of the skirt though. The materials are lovely and soft. The length was definitely accurate. I actually found this skirt a bit too bulky to wear underneath the dress I was planning to use it with, but I feel that is more down to my choice of dress, rather than a problem with the skirt. As this is my first underskirt, I think I need to learn how to layer it properly and experiment a bit with it.

The waist band is fully elasticated. When I put it on I found it very stretchy with plenty of room to spare. However, it is worth noting that the elastic is very strong and I found it clung to me quite tightly. If you are somebody who suffers from digestive problems or has a sensitive stomach, you might find this skirt digs in a little too much.

And here is a shot of the ruffles at the bottom of the skirt. The stitching has been done so neatly and there were no loose threads anywhere. The ruffles are neatly layered and have lots of shape and movement to them. It certainly creates a very dramatic effect. 

So overall, I think this was a very successful Taobao order. There isn't anything in the order that I am unhappy with and the quality is well worth the price paid. Taobao Spree and my favourite agent Cici were wonderful, as usual. Once again, my Taobao order didn't get hit by customs either. I was surprised by that, considering I got EMS shipping and my package was so big! This order has just encouraged me to place even more Taobao orders in the future. Once you get the hang of it, Taobao is definitely a good option for getting cheap lolita items.

Wonder Story Comes in the Rose Blooming Night by Baby the Stars Shine Bright

Today I am taking a look at Wonder Story Comes in the Rose Blooming Night by Baby the Stars Shine Bright (what is it with Baby and their long-winded print names...). This series includes 2 dresses, a skirt, a bag, 5 hair accessories, 2 blouses and tights. There is also an additional non-printed dress set.

This is the Heart JSK. The bodice seems fairly well fitted. The bodice shape is really interesting and I love the deep heart neckline. The neckline may not suit everybody though. The straps are a good width for the dress. They are lined with lace on the outside, but I'm not sure the lace used here is the best choice. It is pretty, but I think it is a little too wide and looks a little flat in comparison to the lace on the rest of the bodice. There is a waist bow, which is a good size and lined neatly with lace. However, the bow is a bit droopy looking and seems to sag a bit. The bodice design is very strong with plenty of detail, so I'm not sure the waist bow is really needed. As for the bodice, there is lace and gold braid used to create a heart shape on the bodice. The design is bold and interesting. The lace sits really well on the dress and has been done very neatly. The lace along the neckline help to emphasise the heart themed bodice well. I love the additional card suit lace along the neckline too, which matches the dress print well. Inside the lace heart, there is a line running up the front centre of the bodice, which is topped with alternating ribbon bows and buttons. Some may say the bow and button design is too clustered and OTT, but I think it looks good. The spacing has been done well. The only thing I would change is maybe to put an additional button underneath the third bow, just to fill in that empty bit of space at the bottom. The ribbon used for the bows is really pretty and I like the gold detailing. The bow shapes are cute too and a good size. The buttons used are very decorative, although I think it looks a bit strange having 2 pearly buttons and one clear button. I would have just had 3 pearly buttons. The back has a panel of shirring which is concealed neatly by a ribbon corset. The stock photos show the skirt has lots of volume and flares outwards well. It will accommodate plenty of petticoat. The overall skirt shape is okay, but I feel it could have been slightly more rounded. The skirt design is kept simple and the print is displayed beautifully. The bottom hem is then finished off with the standard lace Baby uses loads. Whilst this looks fine, I think it would have been cute to layer the card suit lace from the neckline over the other lace to make it more of a feature.

Here we have the Violetta JSK. The bodice is a nice shape and it seems to be well fitted. However, I do feel the neckline sits quite high. The straps are quite wide and could maybe do with being just the slightest bit narrower. They look a bit bulky. Luckily they are lined with very thin lace, which makes them more interesting but doesn't add too much bulk to the already wide straps. The neckline has pretty lace, although I feel it sits a bit awkwardly. The waist has an interesting pointed shape to it, which is lined very neatly with gold braid. The gold braid continues on the bodice and gives a panelled look to the bodice. I'm not too keen with the triangle shape on the bodice as I think it is a bit too narrow. The gold braid also crosses across the bust area. Hopefully the braid is not too tight, otherwise it may cut in to the bust area of a more bustier wearer. Some of the braid lines are lined neatly with pretty lace, which is a good thin width, so still looks tidy. Inside the triangle shape the gold braid is used to make a ribbon corset. The gold braid is spaced out well and doesn't look too crowded. However, I am a little concerned with the way the corset braid is held in place on the dress. It uses lace loops to attach, which look a bit flimsy and could easily get damaged. The top panel of the bodice is topped with a bow. The shape is okay and the size is good. I also like how neat the lace lining the bow looks. However, I am feeling undecided about where the bow has been placed. I'm just not sure it is the best location. It does look very perky and sits nicely though. The back has a panel of shirring which is concealed neatly with a ribbon corset. The stock photos show the skirt is very full and flares outwards loads. Overall, I like the slightly rounded shape of the skirt. But in some of the stock photos the skirt shape doesn't look as good and I wonder if it is because of the way the material attaches to the pointed waistline. The skirt design is kept simple, so the print is displayed really well. The bottom hem is then finished neatly with a line of gold braid and pretty lace. It is nice how the bottom hem matches up with the style of the bodice.

And finally, here is part of the print close up. This series is available in white, pink, sax blue and brown. As per usual, we have the standard Alice in Wonderland and sax blue combination. All 4 colours work with the print but I found myself most drawn to the pink because the pink colour way has such romantic, soft colours in it. I am also quite fond of the brown, which is unusual for me, but I still think I would have preferred black. As for the print itself, it is quite a standard Baby Alice in Wonderland print. I do feel this is one of their better Alice prints though. Playing cards and roses are maybe a bit overdone, but I think they have been drawn very well. The cards are layered nicely and the pictures on the cards feature pretty Alice pictures. I actually feel I would have liked normal playing cards instead of the Alice portrait ones though, so that the Alice theme was a bit more subtle. My favourite part of this print is the clusters of roses and sweets. I think they compliment the playing cards very well and are a good way to fill in any empty space at the bottom.

I have very mixed feelings about this series. There are aspects of the print that I like, but this print doesn't really do anything new with the overdone Alice in Wonderland theme. I would have been happy with a playing card and rose print without much Alice influence at all. However, I do think the Heart JSK is a very interesting design and if I had to buy this series I would get this dress in pink. The Violetta JSK is just a bit too average looking for me. As far as Alice series go, this one is pretty but nothing amazing.

Alice Day 2014!

 Alice Day seems to come around quicker every year! I decided to host another meet for the Oxfordshire Lolitas, even though Alice Day isn't as good as it used to be. I don't think we even really did anything remotely Alice-related, apart from the games I brought along with me.

I went as the White Rabbit again this year. I recycled the bunny ears from last year's outfit and stuck them on a completely different one. Luckily I purchased this dress at Frock On last year, so I had a nice bunny-themed dress to team the ears with. I have to admit, I did put this outfit together right at the last minute because I had been so distracted with the meet planning side of things and there are also lots of other exciting events coming up in the next few months. I was worried the pinks didn't match but because the dress has different shades of pinks in it, I don't think it looks too bad? The head bow may be slightly off, but otherwise I am pleased with the end result, considering how quickly I had to put this together. I went for strawberry themed jewellery to match the strawberries in the print. My Alice in Wonderland jewellery was sadly the wrong colour.

We were meant to be having a picnic but once again, the British weather was being annoying! We were meant to have rain and it did rain lots overnight, making the ground wet. Typically, it did get sunny during the day though! So we ended up in the Mitre for lunch. I made goody bags for everybody and we all voted to see who wore the favourite outfit. Blair won! I was very happy for her, as I did really love her outfit, especially her hair accessories. She won a handmade brooch, which was Alice themed. 

We considered going to the Botanical Gardens, as they were meant to be having Alice Day stuff going on, but when we peered over the hedges it looked pretty empty in there. So we decided against it in the end. It didn't stop me taking flower pictures outside the entrance though! Perhaps the rain meant they didn't have as much stuff out. There was also an exhibition going on at the Christ Church Library, but we got a bit lost. So in the end, we didn't really go to any of the events that were running, but there were still fun and games to come.

As the sun had decided to make an appearance, we went to G&D's to get ice cream. They had a special Alice in Wonderland flavour in honour of Alice Day so that is what I went for. This year's Alice theme was "Alice Underground" so the choice of chocolate ice cream was quite appropriate. It has white chocolate buttons in it too.

But of course we had to do something Alice related... So I brought my games along with me again! It is very hard to come up with new games every year, so I did an egg race in honour of Humpty Dumpty. In the end, Shalisa won!

There was also a hoop the rabbit game in honour of the White Rabbit. I thought I had set an easy distance and the idea was to keep moving backwards until only one person left could still hoop it. But in the end, only Blair was able to hoop the rabbit from the starting distance! So she won the chocolate rabbit and an additional prize.

And finally, a group photo! The sun was really strong at this point and it didn't help some random guy kept photo bombing us, so it was a struggle to find a decent group picture. I borrowed this one from Madeleine (sorry!). It felt very strange being the only one in pastel colours!

So whilst I do feel that the Alice Day events were a bit of a let-down, I think we were able to fit in a lot of fun things. I even managed to find brown sugar and cinnamon pop tarts at the sweet shop (that flavour is very difficult to find here). Despite not going exactly to plan, my guests did assure me that they had a good time. It was good to catch up with everybody, and we even bumped in to several familiar faces whilst we were walking around town too! Given how much everybody seemed to enjoy the event this year, I may host another one again next year. Hopefully next time we will be able to go to some of the actual Alice events!

Juicy Basket by Metamorphose

Today I am looking at the latest series from Metamorphose. It is called Juicy basket and the series includes 3 dresses, socks, 3 hair accessories and a handkerchief. I was a bit surprised there isn't a skirt, but maybe Meta will release one later on.

This is the Short Sleeve OP. The bodice is a bit hard to define but the shape looks pretty cute. Compared to some Angelic Pretty "sack dresses" this dress does have some obvious shape to it and you can actually see a waist line. The sleeves are a good length and have a nice amount of puff. I think a thin ruffle along the edges could have livened them up a little bit though, as they are quite plain. The square neckline could have also been a cuter shape. The bodice has a line of ribbon, which gives the illusion of the dress having a yoke. Quite honestly, I wouldn't have bothered with it as I feel it looks messy. It probably doesn't help that the ribbon line looks quite wonky in the stock photos! The ribbon line is topped with a ribbon bow and inside the "yoke" there is a further 3 bow ribbons. That is quite a few bows for such a small area, but I think Meta have gotten the sizing right. They are spaced out well and have a simple, but cute, shape. The lowest bow on the ribbon line is detachable but I would personally leave it attached to help conceal that awful line of ribbon. The neckline has a detachable chiffon ruffle running along it. Whilst I feel the ruffle is needed to soften the harsh neckline, I am unsure about the use of chiffon on this dress. If you look at the print it is very bold, and I don't feel that softer, floaty materials such as chiffon pair up well with it. I think the material needs to be a bit less sheer. The back has a panel of shirring which is topped with a bright ribbon corset. For a high-waisted dress, the skirt shape is quite pretty. It has lots of volume and flares outwards well. The A-line shape suits the dress well. The skirt is kept simple and the print is displayed beautifully. The bottom hem is finished off with a wide ruffle of chiffon. As I mentioned above, I don't feel chiffon is the best material to use here.

This is the Lace-up Pinafore JSK. The bodice is very well fitted and has a simple, but lovely shape. The straps have a good width to them and look very supportive. Both the straps and neckline are lined with cute thin lace, which helps to soften them. The waist area has a bow, which is a good size and shape. It also sits quite well on the dress and the listing suggests it is detachable if you don't like it. My main issue with the waist bow is the fact that the print makes it blend in to the background quite a lot. If you glance quickly you may not even notice it is there at all. The bodice has a ribbon corset design. The ribbon is attached with a button hole design, which isn't the most attractive looking of designs, but does look very strong and will hold the ribbon well. The ribbon is spaced out well and doesn't look too bunched up. However, I do feel the ribbon used is a bit too shiny and gaudy. The ribbon is very bright and really stands out. I think it would have been better if the ribbon was used elsewhere on the dress to help balance it out or a less bold ribbon should have been used. Both sides of the ribbon corset are lined with the same lace as the neckline, which fits in quite well. The back is fully shirred, although doesn't look too bad with the style of print. Also, if the ribbon on the front is anything to go by, I wouldn't want a ribbon corset on the back anyway. The stock photos show the skirt has a pretty bell shape to it. It is a very full skirt with the potential to get lots of volume. It flares out well. The skirt is kept simple in design, so the print is displayed quite well, although the amount of gathering used obscures it slightly in places. It needs a good petticoat to fully show if off I think. The bottom hem is then finished off with the same lace as the rest of the dress.

This is the High Waist Pinafore JSK. The bodice looks well fitted and the simple shape is quite cute. The straps have a decent width to them and look very supportive. If anything, they are verging on the bulky side. The straps are lined with lace, giving them a softer appearance, which I think looks cuter. The solid coloured waist bow on this dress is far too big. The shape is nice, but the size and the way the bow sits on the dress makes it stick out too much. Unfortunately, the site listing seems to suggest that you can't detach this bow. I think this is a real shame, because I believe the dress would look much better without that waist bow there at all. The majority of the bodice is kept simple, with just 2 lines of thin lace running up it. The detailed neckline more than makes up for this though. The neckline has 2 chiffon ruffles. The chiffon is gathered well and sits nicely on the dress. It is a good width and layered well. It helps to liven up what is otherwise a very simple, straight neckline. I actually don't think the chiffon looks too bad here. Maybe it isn't the use of chiffon I dislike about the OP after all, but the use of red chiffon on the cream colour way? I do feel this JSK uses the chiffon better than the OP does though. To one side, there is a detachable printed bow brooch. The bow is a good size with a simple, but cute shape. I adore the fake cherries hanging from the bow as well! It is nice to have a detachable clip that you can use any way that you want. The back is fully shirred, with nothing to help conceal the shirring. The main thing I dislike about the back though, is the way the chiffon from the neckline ends abruptly on either side of the shirring panel. I would have ended the chiffon at the arm pits instead so you couldn't see where it ended when worn. As it is, I think the chiffon ends a bit messily. The stock photos show the skirt has lots of volume and flares outwards loads. It has more than enough room to accommodate lots of petticoat. I think I would have liked the skirt to be slightly more rounded, but overall I think the wearer will be able to create a very cute shape. The majority of the skirt is kept simple in design. The print is displayed fairly well, although is slightly obscured by the amount of gathering. A good petticoat should help fix that though. The bottom hem is then finished off with 2 chiffon ruffles, which are layered well and gives the bottom a nice, floaty finish. I also like how the chiffon is topped with a line of ribbon to keep things looking neat, although it is a shame the ribbon is a bit too shiny. The ribbon line is topped with 2 small bows, which finish things off very cutely without being too much of a distraction.

And finally, here we have the the print close up. This series is available in white, black, pink and blue. The colour choices are very interesting, but I think the blue is probably my favourite as I like the contrast of blue with the cherries in the print. I am slightly put off the cream colour way, knowing it is teamed with that red chiffon. As for the print itself. I applaud Meta for doing a fruit print that actually looks quite different! And there is not a single strawberry in sight. The way the print is set out in boxes and the colours used reminds me vaguely of Emily Temple Cute. The fruit in the print is drawn well and looks fairly realistic. My favourite part is the way the lemon slices are shaped like hearts. I thought that was a very cute touch! The colours are so vibrant and eye catching. Meta have also managed to include their swan logo in some of the boxes too, without it being too dominant. I love the daisy chains and ribbons. They are such a cute way to frame some of the fruits.

I actually really like this series and I think Meta have done a good job. There are things I would change about every dress design, but I still think this is a strong effort. The print is vibrant and a bit different. It is a shame that Meta didn't bring out a skirt for this print though (or at least not at the time of writing this post) because I think a skirt would have looked great. Would I buy this series? Possibly. It wont be going on my wishlist, but I do admire the print a lot. If I did buy this series I would go for the High Waist Pinafore JSK in blue and then detach the waist bow. Waist bow aside, I think that dress is the cutest. Alternatively, I would choose the Lace-up JSK and just switch out the ribbon. 

Take a Theme- Nature

It's time for another Take a Theme post. Today's theme is nature. I specifically tried to make sure the post wasn't too mori-centric, but obviously mori girl fashion is a really good place to start. Here are some of my current favourite nature themed items.

Series of note- Theatre de L'erreur (Alice and the Pirates), Love Nadia (Bodyline), Lotta (Innocent World), Dear Friends (R Series)

Potential Sub-themes- Forest animals, insects, trees and branches, toadstools, berries, leaves, certain plants and florals

1. Chocomint Squirrel Necklace 2. Etsy Butterfly Crown 3. Old Gold Boutique Big Buck Necklace 4. Squirrel's Harvest Old Gold Boutique Necklace 5. Succulent Plants Brooch 6. Forest Symphony Tattoo Tights 7. Toadstool Brooch 8. Woodland Princess Floral Crown

Sadly, Old Gold Boutique seems to have disappeared offline, which is a shame because I really love their stuff! I would suggest trying to look online to see if anybody is selling their items second hand, but otherwise I hope it at least gives some sort of inspiration for what sort of items are out there. I really love the woody, more neutral take of the two hair crowns I have seen. Flower crowns are very popular in mainstream fashion at the moment but these ones have a much more natural feel. However, a crown like the one in number two could potentially be found on the high street. I think my personal favourite item is the toadstool brooch. I think it is cute and perfect for mori!

So in the future, I will try to cut down how much Old Gold Boutique I post, seeing as it may no longer be available. I do apologise for that. It is a shame, because I adore the Squirrel's Harvest necklace. Here is hoping it is just a bit of website trouble. But that is not to say lovely nature themed items are not available elsewhere. When you know where to look, you can find lots of pretty items. Here is hoping the next Take a Theme post has more available items!