Unboxing: Accessories from Closet Child!

I've had a bit of packages arriving in the mail as of late...

Oops!

I actually have one more package on its way from Japan 

and that one will be the last one I'm waiting for.

It's safe to say that there are no other things I have my eye on AS OF YET. 

Well, when it comes to lolita, there are no other items that I need to buy at the moment.

There are a few eye shadow palettes that I've been wanting to buy from certain brands. 

Aside that, here's a video of my Closet Child accessories haul. 

Just like how I've mentioned before in a previous post and in this video, 

Closet Child is really great to buy from.  

You don't need a shopping service, items are priced at a really good value, 

they always have nice stuff in stock (if you're on the lookout), and they process

your order really quick. They ship out your stuff really quick too. I highly recommend 

Closet Child if you want affordable brand, but without the hassle of a shopping service fee. 

Especially, if you're rather new to lolita, the staff at Closet Child are very friendly and are willing

to answer any of your questions or attend to any concerns. Pretty much check out Closet Child if you haven't already! 

You won't be sorry!

✿

Unboxing: I've been buying a lot of crap lately.

Nothing new, am I right?? 

I have nothing better to contribute to the lolita 

community than showing off what I've bought.

Well, here I am with a video of my latest lolita haul. 

The whole thing was recordered through a webcam. 

So, in advance I apologize for the crappy quality. 

✿

Unboxing: Lolita Stuff From Taobao!

I've decided to make an unboxing video for the simple fact that I am too lazy to create an actual post.  It is sort of easier to film a video, and edit the video than it is to have to deal with taking pictures and writing out an actual post.  Well, a video takes up less space on a post than pictures do! 

That's always a plus. 

The video above is from two years ago? 

It was also featured on my old blog, bowsandmacarons.blogspot.com.

I'm feeling a little strange about that ... 

Time has gone by so quickly.

 It does not feel like that much time has passed by!

I apologize for my awkwardness and blank facial expressions

My mind goes blank whenever I'm in the "spotlight". 

I forget what to say and even HOW to say it!

Also, yes, I have a deep voice. 

People who have met me first through the internet

and then get to meet me in person are always surprised!

Most people do not expect a tiny girl to have such a ... husky voice. 

Anyways, thanks for watching both videos if you did! 

੭̸*✧⁺˚ Christmas Themed Headband ੭̸*✧⁺˚

I have received so many compliments for this headband that I still can't believe it. 

I really did not think much of this headband after I was done putting it together. All of the materials were bought at a Micheal's Arts & Crafts and it took about an hour. I sincerely believed that my headband was going to come off as mediocre in the eyes of most. To my surprise, the reaction was the exact opposite. Everyone at the International Lolita Day meet up were at awe with the headband. A few girls had asked me what I used and if I did commissions? I was incredibly honored to have had   so much praise for something I thought little of. I suppose, I might be to harsh on myself!

When I had crafted the headband, I loved it and in the same time I felt that it probably was not as good. There I go, modest in nature and pessimistic in perspective. I'm not sure if I could ever create such a thing again, but if I do hopefully it will come out just as good! 

I should of documented the entire process with details and actually REMEMBER the proper names for the materials that were utilized. 

So far, I only have these webcam photos to somewhat portray the process: 

I remember spending almost two and half hours at Micheal's with a cart full of junk. I was so indecisive that I kept putting things in the shopping cart, taking them back out and placing them back to their designated areas, and then I would change my mind again and go back to said area to put the same item back in my cart. It was a really tough process on envisioning how my headband would turn out without even having any detailed imagery of it in my mind.

The initial ideas behind the headband were the driven factors for the overall project. I wanted to somewhat model my headband after a christmas tree and a wreath. Of course, what do both have in common? All of that green! The headband mainly gives off a christmas tree feel due to the star and the type of garland I chose. The only wreath inspired items was the red ribbon wrapped around the headband and the berries randomly placed throughout it. I pretty much took my favorite parts from christmas trees (Star on top, presents, and toys) and christmas wreaths (Red ribbon, red berries,  and bows) and combined them all together to go as close as possible to what I wanted to accomplish. My main goal and desire was to make sure that everything would revolve around that star on top. Like most lolitas, I LOVE STAR MOTIFS. The idea of utilizing a star-on-top idea had me feeling ecstatic.   I was really happy at how beautiful it looks with the headband. 

In short, when creating something original, you want to have a few core materials or a core theme to revolve your project around. You have to stay organized with your thoughts to be able to remain consistent because it is very easy to stray off from your original ideas. Especially, when you feel like giving up. 

It is also very important to remain patient and cautious. Take your time while browsing the internet or  your local craft store for materials. TAKE YOUR TIME. Do not just settle for less! I wish I could of been more patient enough to absorb this type of advice a while ago. Impulsivity will result in problems. This advice can go towards when creating a lolita outfit as well. Be critical, be observant, open your eyes, place your personal values in front of you, use common sense to understand your limits, balance out a modest yet determined perspective and most importantly ... 

Be yourself, and breathe.

If you did a good job, than you did a good job. If you felt that you did terrible, at least you've enjoyed yourself! Everyone fails at plenty of things. 

It is your determination to push forward that shines through.  

I wore my headband out of pure enjoyment and it was absolutely worth it. 

I had my doubts, and I had my insecurities.

Regardless, it was worth the effort. 

✿

Lolita Photo Dump: International Lolita Day Disney Weekend Getaway

As I have stated on my last entry, last weekend I had the privilege of attending an event called:

International Lolita Day Disney Weekend Getaway.

The event was such a success, that moderators from my community decided to plan this again for 2016!

Click here to view Facebook event for International Lolita Day Disney Weekend Getaway 2016!

The event was hosted from Friday through Sunday. I had only attended Saturday and Sunday. I thought I was only going to go on Saturday, but there was a last minute change in plans! I was having too much fun on Saturday that I felt a mighty need to return back on Sunday! During those two days, I accompanied my newfound and lovely frilly gal named Kianni!

On Saturday, we had spent the entire day at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom and then we had transitioned over to WDW's Grand Floridian Resort for an afternoon tea session. There, I had a chance to meet out of state lolitas who had came to Florida for the event. I also had a chance to socialize with a few lolitas from my community that I rarely get to see. We then, proceeded to take lots of photos and ended the night with returning back to Magic Kingdom. On Sunday, we went to WDW's Hollywood Studios and we were casually lounging around. 

I have been to WDW in full blown lolita numerous amount of times. Though, it feels more fulfilling when you visit the parks in a group of lolitas! It is a lot of fun except for all of the wandering tourists who literally stop us to ask why we are in "costume". I have no problem with explaining to people repeatedly about what lolita fashion is. The only tedious part about it is that most people will always stop you to ask an array of questions regarding to your outfit. From my experience of wearing lolita alone versus wearing lolita in a group of lolitas ...  Strangers are more curious and are keen on asking an entire group as to why they are dressed in a certain way. "What's the occasion??" Is the question we have received the most during our time at WDW. 

I can see why my lolita community at one point wanted to create business cards! 

Thankfully, most people are not inherently rude or ill-mannered. 

Kianni did most of the explanation for the day and she did it so gracefully. 

She even explains to people about our community and where to join.

Speaking of which, the moderators from my community are going to be hosting a lolita conference at around December of 2015! The moderators from the community have hosted and are about to host events through their organization called, Dream Fantasy Theatre. They are all working very hard to make these events possible and I commend them for their effort. 

Click here to view the lolita conference, formally known as A Royal Weekend!

Click here to view the frilly ladies behind Dream Fantasy Theatre!

Phew, finally time for photos right?

I would of taken more photos, though we had a couple of lolitas bring their own cameras. There was one in particular whose boyfriend was a photographer. To keep it short, there were so many photos taken by everyone else that at a certain points I would tuck my camera away. I find it relieving when people are just as enthusiastic about taking pictures as I am! 

✿

˚ஐ₊✧ Closet Child Review [2014] ⁺˳ஐ༚

Hello everyone! 

I am feeling pretty hyped about this upcoming Saturday!

My lolita community will be hosting a three day meet up at Walt Disney World. 

It's called, 'International Lolita Day Disney Weekend Gateway'.

http://lolidaydisney.wordpress.com

Unfortunately, I'll only be able to attend on Saturday due to dealing with finals and having other arrangements. Regardless, I'm still pretty excited! I have an outfit that I might wear specifically for this event. I'm contemplating it since its the same outfit I would like to wear for another event coming up, but we'll see. 

A while back, I had spoke of three dresses I would love to own. Around a week and half ago, I had posted on my tumblr about how much I really wanted to own Sweetie Violet in navy. I had a follower reblog that post and then there was another tumblr user who reblogged that post right after. This sweet girl was kind of enough to provide a link to Angelic Pretty's  Sweetie Violet on Closet Child. Why have I not been checking up on Closet Child every day for dream dress purposes is beyond me. I am not sure when Sweetie Violet was in stock, but I did remember checking Closet Child earlier in November. I saw that they had the matching head bow to my Candy Treat JSK. At that time I decided against buying it since I could not find anything else I was interested in. Thankfully, I waited until later within that month until Sweetie Violet appeared on the shop. 

♡✧November 24th ⇰ Purchase was made for the Sweetie Violet JSK in navy and for the Candy Treat head bow. Closet Child had sent me an email confirmation about my order. After purchasing my items, I had a bit of doubt about whether or not my address was correct. You see, Closet Child's webshop is entirely in Japanese except for certain sections. When buying my stuff, I had to follow a guide provided by CC on how to input all of my information onto the shipping section from the checking-out-process. I had felt easily confused when it came to choosing a country. It was mainly because all of the country names were all in kana. 

I was a little worried ... I decided to google translate 'The United States of America" into Japanese to see what I got. 

I started comparing the kana with all of the names on the drop-down menu list and thankfully, I found it quickly.

I decided to send CC an email asking to confirm with me if my address was correct. 

♡✧November 25th ⇰ Closet Child's staff replies back to my email and confirmed with me about my address. It was correct and I was paranoid for no reason. 

♡✧November 26th ⇰ Package was shipped out!

♡✧November 29th ⇰ Package arrives around the early morning.

Communication: ❤❤❤❤❤

(5/5)

Shipping: ❤❤❤❤❤

(5/5)

Product(s): ❤❤❤❤❤

(5/5)

Overall, Closet Child were very quick, and organized with my order. They were also very cautious with the packaging. This was my first time buying from them and I will definitely order from them again in the future. The only confusing part of the whole process of ordering from CC is when you have to figure out your country's name in Japanese. Google translate does not always work effectively  so I was expecting myself to choose the wrong country from the drop-down menu. CC expects you to know your country's name in kana which can feel nerve wrecking. In terms of quality, both head bow and dress were both rated as 3/5 on CC's listings. Despite the so-so rating, these items were in better conditions than I thought! The dress looks absolutely lovely in person and does not feel worn out. The head bow does show signs of wear, though the head bow looks in good shape. I'm really happy that I was able to obtain this dress. I'd like to consider the dress as an early birthday gift to myself. Actually, I have multiple gifts that I bought for myself as 'birthday' gifts. 

My wallet definitely took some hits for the team.

✿

✧˖°Running Out of Space and Wardrobe Collection.°˖✧

After three to four years of somewhat being a 'dedicated' lolita, I have finally reached the point

of limited space in my closet. My lolita clothes were stored in my main closet along side with my normal clothes. At the beginning of 2014, I had declared this year to be: "THE YEAR OF LOLITA". This was the year I would buy more dresses, and it was the year I would actually force myself to attend my first meet up. Yes, I needed to force myself to attend a meet up from my local lolita community. That, I have been aware of for years. I did lack the confidence in my socializing skills to be able to partake in frilly related conversations. It did stop me from reaching out to my community until I had entered a mindset of pushing aside any lolita related insecurities. 

I am grateful that I actually started to interact and attend meet ups because the members in our community are incredibly nice and easygoing. 

Although, I'll never forget the first two people who approached me at my first meet up. The first person was a girl who was only living in Orlando because she was a participant in the Disney's College Program. The second girl was visiting from Canada and the meet up was dedicated to having a chance to meet her. If you can guess it, I was dying of excitement from within as the girl from Canada approached me. I'd like to believe that she most likely felt the anxiety manifesting from me and decided to somehow comfort me with a conversation. It worked, I felt more comfortable and less nervous. The girl who was a CP (that's what we call the college program participants) was also engaging in a lot of conversations with me. I'll never forget how relieved I felt the moment I had a chance to feel at ease. From then on, the meet up ended up being very lovely.

Whoops, I went a bit off topic. 

Going back to the "THE YEAR OF LOLITA" spiel, I have bought more lolita items within 2014 than from within any years prior. Lolita was quickly accumulating in my closet to the point where I was starting to run out of room. It was stressing me out to look over at my closet and see ALL of my clothes crammed together. 

It was also more difficult to find a particular shirt or blouse when all of my clothes were jammed together. 

Around a week and a half ago, I decided to invest in a portable wardrobe.

While transferring my lolita stuff to the new wardrobe, I decided to take photos of my dress collection and post them on here.

 This will also act as a good way for me to keep track of print names and such. 

❤⃛

(from left to right)

｡ Angelic Pretty's Miracle Candy OP in Sax ｡ (2009)

｡ Angelic Pretty's Magical Etoile OP in Red ｡  (2014)

｡ Angelic Pretty's Holy Night Story OP in Ivory ｡ (2010)

(from left to right)

｡ Angelic Pretty's Dream Sky JSK in Navy ｡ (2013)

｡ Angelic Pretty's Cameo Window JSK in Brown ｡ (2014)

｡ Angelic Pretty's Cat Tea Party JSK set in Pink ｡ (2012)

｡ Angelic Pretty's Lyrical Party JSK in Pink ｡ (2011)

(from left to right)

｡ Angelic Pretty's Candy Treat JSK in Black ｡ (2010)

｡ Angelic Pretty's Whimsical Vanilla-chan Skirt in Lavender ｡ (2010)

(from left to right)

｡ Alice and the Pirates Merry Making in the Ghost Town JSK II in Red ｡ (2013)

｡ Baby the Stars Shine Bright's Merry Sweet Castle JSK in White ｡ (2009)

｡ Alice and the Pirates Holiday of the Hulim Hulum Brass Band JSK in Black ｡ (2014)

(from left to right)

｡ Innocent World's Arabesque Rose JSK in Ivory ｡ (2011)

｡ Metamorphose's Vintage Poodle Double Frill Skirt in White ｡ (2007) 

(from left to right)

｡ Bodyline's Soft Cream (L252) Skirt in Mint (or Green) ｡ (2011)

｡ Infanta's Black Sugary Tea Vintage Vest JSK in Beige x Brown ｡ (2013)

｡ Infanta's Golden Circus JSK in Black ｡ (2013) 

(˘͈ ᵕ ˘͈  )~

Buying a portable wardrobe for lolita was truly a life saver. 

It certainly isn't as cute as other ones I've seen, but I still love it.

My closest looks a tad bit better.

Also, I never knew the name of the Innocent World dress until this post.

I spent quite some time trying to find the name of that specific JSK. 

I'm glad now I know it's name!

✿