Lolita Blog Carnival : Design an Outfit for Under $100

Hello Lovelies~

 I recently joined a fun new blogging circle called 'Lolita Blog Carnival' and each week we will be creating a fun and interesting post about a voted upon subject, then on a certain day, we will all post around the same time.

This weeks challenge was to create an outfit you could shop/buy right now, for under a hundred dollars. It was fun and interesting! I loved getting to show off some of the clothes I am always dreaming about, but the hardest part was keeping it under $100. I'll be honest, I didn't make it, my cord is over, but not by much, so lets jump right in and take a look at it ^_^ 

With the holiday season upon up, I thought I'd go with a dress that is both Lolita and good for fancy parties or family gatherings. I went with this beautiful black velvet dress from Infanta. It has all the elegance of a Hime Lolita outfit with all of the wow factor of a well done party dress. Even my unsupportive family can't find fault with it, thus, this is my recommendation to anyone trying to ease their family into accepting they fashion choices.

 PRICE: $81

Shop this dress HERE

I debated whether or not to do tights with this dress. It is fine when on it's own, but I figured it is going to be a cold winter and I wouldn't want my legs exposed to the elements, so tights it is!

 I chose these tights for their rose pattern and no other reason. I think the rose design will look really good with the embroidery on the dress and compliment the lace around the bottom well.

PRICE: $10

 Shop these tights HERE

Next let's talk shoes.

 In the winter flats and low heels aren't good. They keep you to close to the ground and practically invite water to soak your socks, or tights, or what have you. Most would just wear boots to circumvent this from happening, but  my solution to this is a higher chunk heel or a wedge.

The platform keeps you away from the cold and wet, while the open format still displays your whole leg.

 Leather is better in cold weather. ...Yes. I just did that.

When choosing shoes for snow or wet conditions, always go with a shoe that can be easily whipped down. Suede or velvet shoes are dazzling and fantastic, but Suede will ruin when water is applied and Velvet won't dry forever!

PRICE: $24

 Shop these shoes HERE



Ok! The basic outfit's final price tag is...........$115!

 Not terrible, but not under $100 either. So while I'm already over, let's add a last touch.


 This one is a bit different. I found it on Etsy and fell in love with the idea. I currently have her doing a statement piece for me for my own holiday outfits.

For a low price of $30 'Sweetmildred' will make you a custom floral hair accessory. Just send her a picture of the dress you'd like her to match.

 Below are a few examples of her work. Please note, these are her examples, not mine.

PRICE: $30 + shipping

 Shop for this HERE

I hope you liked my Cord. Make sure you check out all of the other wonderful outfits created by our participating members!


Her Lumpiness

F-Yeah Lolita

Parfaitdoll

Darkly Darling

Ramble Rori

Starry Dreams

A-Lace-Jail

Magic A la Mode

Puppenschloss

Makeup Monday

Hello Lovelies~

    Summer has ended and Fall is here! Luckily there won't be to many more days of high temps to melt our carefully applies make up, but that doesn't mean we're safe from makeup melt downs. In the fall the weather cools and it is important to keep your EMK handy.

What is an EMK you ask? Well an EMK is an Emergency Makeup Kit. This is a small makeup bag containing a dry powder compress, mascara, hydrating lipstick or gloss, blotting sheets, and a small bottle of hand lotion.

  Don't worry about adding eyeshadow or blush to your EMK, this is not a substitute for a full makeup bag or doing your makeup at home. This is a small kit that can fit in any purse and is for quick fixes or touch ups.

But if an EMK is to big for your date night, here is an even smaller kit  that will fit in even the smallest of purses. I call this my Last Resort.

 Lip gloss, Mascara, Blotting Sheets.

I always have these things in my purse, but I was surprised to find that a lot of people don't. These three things should be on your 'Never Leave Home Without' checklist, but if you don't carry anything else carry your Lip gloss or Lipstick with you.

 This is the one beauty tip I will swear buy. In fact, I never leave the house without my lip gloss. I have it with me on the floor at work for quick touch ups and once my clear gloss even fixed a badly broken nail. It was just sticky enough to hold the nail in place while I dried it under a hand drier and it stayed all the way until I got home and could fix it properly.

Lip gloss is your friend.

 Next Monday I'll show you pictures of my EMK, but I have to find my camera first ^_^;

Thanks for Reading!  

My First Book!

Hello Lovelies~

  As a few of you know, I've been really busy since my birthday with various projects of this and that. I small deco tutorial, a few beauty reviews, and I wrote a book.

o.o...

 What was that? Could it be? Why yes!!! Lol It could be! ^_^ I wrote my first book and published it on my birthday. I purchased two sample copies and am so pleased with how they turned out!!

As you can see, the book is called, 'Beginning Your Lolita Journey'. It's 34 pages long and consists of the 10 steps I feel are most important when starting out in Lolita. I have been in this fashion for a long time and I've seen things come and go. But these steps are simple, cut and dry. 10 steps to Lolita. It does not cover where to buy clothes or the breakdown of clothing pieces. There are plenty of sites that have talked about all of that into the ground.

 This is a book for girls just getting into the fashion who don't know where to start. Who feel a bit over whelmed and want a bit of guidance.

It may not be for everyone, these are my opinions on how to go about finding your footing in the large world of Loli, but if you look at it, This book could be titled, 'Beginning Your ( Insert any fashion style here) Journey', and the rules would still apply.

 Whether you're Lolita, Mori, Gal, Hime, Gyaru, or Otome, and still haven't found your way, this book is for you.

I even made it plain black and white on the cover so you can personalize it, because fashion is personal. No two people will wear the same outfit exactly the same way, unless it's planned that way, so what should everyone on different paths read read from a book that's all the same.

 A Pink and deco'd book wouldn't suit a Gothic girl, and a book with Black lace and red crosses wouldn't suit a Classic girl. We are all different, so celebrate it!

You can buy a copy of my book here ----->  http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/3510018

 Thanks for reading for so long you guys. This wouldn't be possible without all of you.


 

A Tasty Experiment in the Kitchen!

Hello Lovelies~

   I know when I normally do food posts I do them on Fridays, but this post just couldn't wait a few extra days, it had to be shared now.  

 So!!!

 I was sitting around, reading and watching T.V. last night when my mom came into the living room and said, 'Hey! You know what would be a yummy idea? An Earl Grey Cake.'

My immediate reaction was something along the lines of , O.O.....yes please.

 So we tossed a few ideas back and forth and looked around the kitchen to see what we had and if we could possibly pull this amazing idea off and low and behold, we happened to have everything we needed!

We used a simple white cake and rather than water, we used hot tea. I would recommend cooling you tea before hand, but this was an experiment and we didn't, so it was only after we added the hot tea that the idea of the tea cooking the eggs hit us, so we put the batter in the freezer to cool for a bit.

The tea turned the batter a beautiful soft almond color. It was so pretty to see, but it also thickened a bit in the freezer so if you try this at home, be warned.

 After it baked and we let it cool I frosted it with pink lemonade frosting and large chocolate flowers on top. It was rather fun to do.

My flowers look so wonky ^_^; Lol I'll have to bake more to practice more!

The cake ended up being soft and very light. The taste and just enough tea flavor to pair well with the sweetness of the frosting, but I think that next time I make it, I'll use whipped cream with lemon zest as the frosting to let the cake be the start of the desert like it should be.

  For my next adventure, I think I'll try to infuse a Chocolate cake with Earl Grey and create a lavender frosting.

Happy Baking Everyone~~~!!!!

Goodbye Summer. Hello Fall!

Hello Lovelies~

 It's that time of year again. Time to bid a fond farewell to the balmy and often scorching months of summer and welcome Autumn with open arms. Time to stop going to pools and go apple picking instead. Time to bake pies and start making hot chocolate mix for those cold evenings of star gazing.

I am so excited for fall! It's my favorite season. I love watching the leaves turn different colors. I love warm apple cider that seems to magically appear on menus everywhere by the second week of September. And most of all, I love the Fashion that fall brings!

 In fall we get to break out our cute capes for a bit of extra warmth, cute scarves and mittens begin to appear on shelves and who doesn't love a good knee high boot?  This is the season where the layered look is in, plaid or tartan prints dominate, and adding a bit of fur trim to a coat or purse is just what the doctor ordered!

Classic Lolitas should rejoice because Autumn is the season when designers turn towards more refined colors such as Dusty Rose or Sage Green. Creams, Chocolate and Blues the color of the sky just before a gentle rain shower can also be seen making their presence known and occasionally, one will see a shy muted lavender color creep it's way into a collection.
 
 September is a time for change. Just like the leaves on the trees, we two should start to evolve and change. This is the season to try a new style like Classic or even Gothic!

I think I may try a Gothic look this year. I saw a girl at work the other day in a beautiful floor length black lace bustle dress with a veil and roses in her hair and everything. She made me want to wear something like that, so even if it's just for one or two outfits, I'm going to try it out ^_^

  Can't you just see it? An elegant black dress, long black veil, one pure white rose cupped in smooth red dipped nails, surrounded by white snow....

 What will you try? Have you always wanted to give Decora a try? Or what about Pirate? Fall is a great time for Pirate Lolita's to unite!

But hold on!

 If you want to try a new style, it doesn't have to be regulated to Lolita. How about giving Mori Girl a try?

'Mori' means Forest in Japanese, so to be a Mori girl would mean being a girl of the forest. layers are key for this look, as well as muted colors and different textures.

 Here are some pictures to show you what I'm talking about....

How romantic is this style? If I liked being outside for long stretches of time, I would so be into aspects of this fashion. But as it is, I just love to look at it.

 What are you looking forward to this year? Is it apple picking with friends? Pumpkin picking with family? Making a pair of DIY bunny slippers to roam around the house in?

Well, whatever it is, Happy Fall!