Loli-fying a Small Town

So I've been asking around and it turns out that I'm really the only Lolita in Buffalo, Minnesota. Unless of course there's some ruffle-butt here storing her frills so far back in the closet they've got moth-eaten holes in them....but I find that rather unlikely.

There's a plethora of a scene kids running around in neon Hot Topic tutus though. That's just sad.

But it hasn't deterred me. I've been wearing Lolita out pretty much everyday since I've been here. Granted, I still don't have batteries for my camera so I've been letting my mom use her cellphone to snap some outfit shots. They don't turn out particularly well, but at the very least I can take some photos of daily coordinates.

This was last Friday's lovely Gothic-Punk coordinate. I ended up not wearing the mini top hat and traded it in for a small velvet hair bow.

I wore my black RHS and got quite a few comments on them. Which I found silly...I could easily wear my giant platform boots around town last year and no one batted an eye. I traipse around on these cute little Westwood knock-offs and everyone sees them. Crazy.

See? Hair bow. I didn't have the right settings on my phone, so the stupid pics came out blue tinted. I don't get why they do that...

My legs look so thin in this photo. It makes me giggle, because I don't normally think of myself as thin, even though I really am.

I probably should have done something with my hair. It's curled right now, but as I don't even plan on getting dressed today it's kind of pointless. ^_^

This is the simple coordinate I put together on Saturday when my cousin came over to help us bake holiday cookies.

It was my handmade beige dress (and new bow embellishment) with a black blouse underneath, black otk socks, hair bow, and some simple jewelry.

I had purchased some foundation the day before and so I used that with my regular "au naturel" makeup routine. ^_^

Hard to tell I'm even wearing makeup, since again my phone sucks with photos, but I had foundation, pressed powder, some shimmery cream eyeshadow with a bit of black eyeliner and mascara.

In addition, I'd put my hair up into a high ponytail and then curled it. It was very cute, but hard to see in this photo.

Totally crap-tastic angle, but at least you can see the full coordinate. It was very comfortable and just right for baking cookies!






It's snowing again today and it looks so pretty outside. I hope the rest of you are enjoying the winter weather!

Minne-snow-ta: It's great to be back...

...kind of.

My trip was delayed a bit due to bad weather in Minneapolis, so I had to bum it out in the Chicago terminal for two days. That was a nightmare. But I finally made it safely to the cities and then my mother's nice and cozy home in Buffalo, MN. Whew.

I copped out and did not wear anything remotely related to Lolita during my trip and thank goodness for that. Can you imagine sleeping on a cold bus station floor in a nice skirt? Me either, hence my ironic foresight.

But I took photos along the way!

Quebec was nice and sunny when I departed early Friday morning....

And they had plenty of snow...!

Upstate New York, however, really didn't.

But mountains are nice to look at so it's all good.

In a little town just before Albany, we stopped at a Pizzeria/Diner that also served as a bus stop for Greyhound. On this side of the bus, I was able to take a photo of the old warehouses. They look like they were built in the 1800s.

Early Saturday morning, just outside of Toledo.

At a rest stop in Ohio, I was able to get myself a nice Chai Latte. Damn, I missed that stuff.

Illinois had snow! Weird how it seems to skip some places hmm?

Well, when I arrived at the Chicago terminal, I was dismayed to discover that my bus had been canceled because of a severe snowstorm in Minnesota. So I camped out here with my luggage and took a photo of the inside of the Chicago Greyhound Station.

And this was the line-up. Outgoing buses to Milwaukee were door 13. Minneapolis was 14...our line didn't move. At all.

On Sunday, the wind started whipping the little bit of snow everywhere and we were convinced the snowstorm was gonna hit here too.  But it didn't.

When I got a coffee early on Monday, I noticed that the cap not only had English and Spanish, but it also says "hot" in French! Yay!

Finally, leaving Chicago. You have no idea how relieved I was.

The city skyline. Good riddance.

In Wisconsin, we started to see more snow.










  And then finally....a lot more snow.


But I DID make it here in one piece, so all is well that ends well. And since I brought a ton of Lolita gear with me (and I'm sure there's a full length mirror here somewhere...) expect some frequent outfit snaps!

I hope you're all enjoy the winter weather as much as I am (har har) and that you have a great holiday season. I don't know how much actual posting I'll do, but I will keep up with all your blogs. Ja ne~

Hermes, lend me your wings..

How would one wear Lolita on the Greyhound Bus, I wonder? 

It's cramped and unclean....

does one merely skip the petticoat and wear shoes you don't mind scuffing?

Or do we forgo it altogether?

See this is my current dilemma. I managed to find a way to fit 'most' of my Lolita clothing into my giant duffel bag, so that's no longer an issue. But this does mean that I need to actually wear some of it on the bus. And since I'm going to be traveling for 36 hours, I need to be comfortable.

Now I'm not saying Lolita can't be comfortable...but nothing feels awesome after you've been wearing it for two days. So what's the game plan, you ask?

Well my plan is, obviously, to dress warmly but not in a bulky fashion. So yeah, that means tights and bloomers with a skirt. No petticoat or subsequent equivalent though. Then I'll have a comfy blouse under my punky and warm sweater. Add a cute scarf and a pair of boots...call it quits.

There's no sense in hair accessories since I'll probably lose them in between seats while I'm dozing off anyways. Same with makeup and or any unnecessary jewelry. 

Gods I truly hate traveling. Especially alone. And most especially on that cramped and brutal bus! Ahem. My apologies. I'm nervous and a little bit on edge. It's been snowing a lot and I'm worried there might be delays in my schedule. Not that I'm not a pro at these kinds of things by now but it's still ridiculously annoying.

I'm really looking forward to seeing my family and high school friends. That'll be great. I miss them all so much sometimes. I'm also wondering if I can get my cousin to dress up in Lolita with me. That would be so funny since she's your typical trendy teenager you know?

And my mom is pretty down with this whole Lolita thing. She finds it cute so I'm sure she'll be more than happy to get a few photos of me out in the snow or whatever showing off my outfits. Yay me!

Well. Now I have to go stuff more dresses into my bag and pray I can still zip it afterward! >_< Wish me luck!

Premier Loliday

So this was my first Loliday ever. I knew about it, I'd just never observed it before because, well frankly, I didn't have a whole lot to dress up in. Admittedly, I still don't. Lolita is expensive when you're broke and you can only weasel pretty gifts out of your boyfriend on your birthday or Christmas.

But yesterday I decided that I would, in fact, dress up nicely. So I dug out my h.Naoto replica JSK, my Punk Rave blouse that I love so much, some socks, bloomers, shoes, hair bow, etc. I put it all on and felt very spooky and gothic. It was nice, for all of about ten minutes.

The fact is, wearing Lolita just in the apartment isn't very practical. It's not entirely clean here since it's pretty much a bachelor pad with a few small feminine touches. It's quite spartan actually. The place does nothing to make one feel like a princess and any cute decor I've ever tried to put up was either tossed out by the roommate or viciously destroyed by the cats.

But while I was dressed up, I did manage to snap a few crappy photos. And I have officially decided that the relationship between me and my camera is simply not working out. It's quality is just not worth it anymore and without a tripod I can't get very decent angles at all. I can't even consider a full outfit snap without that damn thing blurring out because I'm "too far away" or something.

I look like garbage in these photos. Don't even try to deny it. I know it and I don't appreciate lies. I don't know if it's just the camera though....maybe it's me. I know I'm awkward in photos, especially with posing. I prefer to be behind the lens where I can see what's happening, where I know what's on the view finder. I'm so worried about whether my head's gonna get cropped off when the camera snaps that I just sort of stand there and look awkward.

It really wasn't a problem when I had my friend Val take photos of me, but she doesn't have a camera anymore and she's too busy to hang out with loser little me.

So I'm stuck with this, photos I'm too embarrassed to ever put up on Daily_Lolita even if I thought the coordinate itself was rad.

Yeah, I'm being a bit self-pitying. But I can't help it when I stop and actually look at photos of myself. Just not pretty. It's not the same thing I see when I look in the mirror. Because in the right mirror, I look damn hot. No joke. I know I'm not really an ugly girl. I know a lot of people think I'm very cute....in the right light. From the right angle. Without all these frilly and lacy accoutrements. Maybe I'm not just meant for Lolita.

I really and sincerely hope you had a much more fulfilling Lolita Day than I did. Truly.

Winter Lolita Ideas

Now that winter has settled firmly into place for most of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the world is awash with fluffy white snow and delicate icicles. But its so cold outside, how on earth are we supposed to enjoy ourselves? I'm glad you asked!

1. It begins with tracking down a lovely coat or cloak and matching accessories. If you don't already have these items, now is a great time to shop for them since every brand and off-brand Lolita shop is fully stocked up. Alternatively, if you don't have the money on hand for a proper Lolita coat, check out your local department store for a nice trenchcoat that can accomodate your petticoats. Peacoats are also nice, provided they aren't too long since you don't want them squishing your skirts down too much.

2. Learn a new craft, like knitting or crochet. These are activities that can be done from the comfort of your own home and on a budget, as yarn can be extremely cheap. Watch some online tutorials and play with different stitches and then make yourself or a loved one a nice scarf or hat. You could even embellish it with lace or bows afterward.

3. Make hot chocolate! AmberLee at Giverslog has a very awesome recipe for hot chocolate sticks here - but if you don't feel up to coaxing chocolate to melt properly you can always buy the premade packages. They work just as well. For an extra festive feel, add a candy cane or cinnamon stick!

4. Go ice skating! You might as well enjoy the pretty outdoors a little bit and ice skating is a lovely and fun way to do so without getting your nice Lolita clothing full of snow! So grab some friends and a pair of ice skate, and off you go.

5. If you prefer to brave the snow a bit more, make a Lolita snowman. Add a bow-tie to his neck or a bow headband for her and perhaps even stick in some decorative lace. You can be as creative as you want.

6. If you in Canada or on the East Coast, why not venture up to Quebec to see the Quebec Ice Hotel. Just outside of Quebec City this cathedral styled hotel is carved completely out of ice. Not only can you spend the night, but it'd be a great place for photoshoots!

7. Brush up on your baking skills. There's nothing more homey than a warm and wonderful smelling kitchen. If you're new to this or uncertain buy a box mix of brownies and give it a go. For the more experienced baker, aim higher and try to create one of those darling Japanese Christmas cakes.

8. Take a drive or walk through your town or city's winter lights display. Most towns usually decorate a portion of the city and it's a great idea for a date or even a group of friends. Make sure to dress warmly in your best Winter Lolita.

9. Settle in with a good book and a cup of your favorite tea. Winter is a great time to get a lot of reading done. So dig into your newest Victorian romance and prepare to be whisked away on a grand Lolita adventure.

10. Visit the local community theater. Often there is a holiday related play going on that you can get into cheaply. Go with your significant other or a group of friends!

Things I Love Thursday

♥ Hot Chocolate is Love!♥  

Hey girls, I know this is a day late now, by like 20 minutes. Sorry.

♥ Montreal Holiday Lights ♥

♥ Christmas tunes on the radio. ♥

♥ Snow. ♥

♥ Knee-high Lolita Boots. ♥

♥ Tights. ♥

♥ Scarves in pretty colors. ♥

♥ Thinking about what to wear during my holiday trip. ♥

♥ International Lolita Day! ♥

♥ Sleeping. ♥

Happy December 1st!

Happy December First, Lolitas! We're now counting down to Christmas (or in my case, Yule) and the holiday season makes everything seem more magical. It also makes it a lot more fun to wear Lolita.

Well it WOULD be fun if it were snowing and pretty instead of raining and gross. But I digress. I like wearing Lolita in the colder months simply because I like layering. I can wear bloomers and tights, knee socks and skirts, blouses and cardigans, etc. And head gear! A cute pair of ear muffs (which are on my shopping list this month) make for a great wintery hair accessory.

I'll even find some to prove it to you!

allthingscupcake has these up:

Cute little cupcakes make for great Sweet Lolita ear muffs!

These are really festive, Santa Muffs:

They might only work during Christmas though, they're a bit OTT for anything else.

Animal ear muffs coordinating with your favorite animal print dress or JSK is always fun:

(Although I don't know where you'll find panda JSK. o.O)

There are a lot of Etsy sites that sell Lolita-inspired ear muffs, so check them out! I don't know if any of the major brands do ear muffs or not, but I'm sure most of you ladies know more about that anyways so good luck!

You know, I like hats. I really do. But hats (or winter hats) tend to interfere with these blunt bangs I have laying across my face. And the perfect way to preserve a cute hairstyle AND keep your delicate ears warm are with muffs. So, like I said - they're definitely on my shopping list.