It's Party Time! (Picture Heavy)

Hello Lovelies~

 Yesterday I went to a 'Disney Villains' party with a friend. We didn't stay long, but we had fun and I hope to attend more parties thrown by our hosts because the attention to detail was AMAZING! I swear, it was all the little things that really made this party memorable, not just the people, though they were a blast as well.


 Before I get into the costumes, check out this message on the fridge! This really set the tone of the party for me. I saw it and my first thought was, 'Oh how FUN!'.

 And now the costumes I got pictures of! Sadly, I didn't get pictures of everyone there and I wish I had. The costumes, while not SERIOUS costumes were fun, well thought out, and I don't think anyone spent a fortune trying to out do one another. Which was really nice.

 Cruella DeVille was the first costume I saw. I wish I had thought to get closer pictures of her jewelry. Her outfit was amazing.

Above is Scar, played by my friend Linda. The make up is light, but it was really cool to see in person.

One of the Hosts, he wasn't in costume, but look at that margarita glass!

 

And here we have Hades! ...ish. He was only half done and still putting his costume on. Paint takes awhile to dry after all.

And me! I went as the Queen of Hearts! (This picture was taken in McDonalds after the party)

 Before we left, there were more costumes that didn't get photographed. Another Queen of Hearts, she looked so cool in her fedora and black jacket!. Sid from Toy Story, complete with Buzz strapped to a rocket. And The Three Fates from Hercules!

 There were others that arrived after we'd left, such as The Hunter from Bambi and Captain Hook, or so I was told.

And now for all the other awesome things that made this party so much fun.

 Poison Apples! (Carmel Apples dipped in green colored White Chocolate)

 Note the silver box in the corner, I was so excited to see it, my first thought was, 'That's the box from Snow White!'. Turns out I was totally right!

Complete with heart shaped strawberries. They were very yummy. ^_^

Random decoration created for the Captain Hook attending later in the evening.

                                             Yummy melted chocolate for dipping!

                                                    And pound cake to dip in it.

                                          Dinner is served!  (No Dingle Hoppers needed.)

And there we go! It was a very very fun party full of laughter and new friends.

 Bonus Picture!!!

My Makeup for the night. It's hard to see, but I actually painted a heart on my lips. This picture is from my Instagram and you can follow me under 'Rosesandcream' or catch up with me on Facebook for all of my Instagram postings.

 Thanks for reading!

Getting Organized : Deco Storage

 Hello Lovelies~

     Now that it's spring, it's time for me to do some spring cleaning. I'm generally a 'Put it somewhere and that's where it goes, Don't move it.' Type. And that tends to lead to a very messy life, even if I know where everything is.

So today I have separated laundry and then decided to finally reorganize my Deco Box.

 Here it is before~

As you can see it is very full and below is what I needed to fit in there.

Usually, I keep all of my Nail Art supplies in the bottom section of my box, but why let all of this space go to waste?

I divided my acrylic pieces into separate bags and put them into the bottom section. There just wasn't room for them on the top.

Then I was able to put all of my new pieces and parts into their new compartments ^_^  I even have a free spot up at the top to keep specific parts together while I'm working on projects!

I have a lot more things to organize and clean, but one step at a time, or so they say. I think my next project will be my jewelry...

 Thanks for reading!!

Kat

Brand Spotlight ~ Alice and the Pirates

Hello Lovelies~

 As of yesterday, it is officially Spring!

I love this time of year. Watching the world come back to life after a long winter is always inspiring, even if I do hate the mud and what it does to my shoes, I love a good rain shower and the sound of it tap tap taping against a window as I read Poe and dream of freshly picked strawberries...

 Today I thought I'd share with you my favorite collection of the season. Having looked through all of the upcoming reserves and found most to be nice and pretty, but typical, I was sad to find no one really venturing forth and capturing my attention, until Alice and the Pirates came out with a print that swept me away and has me all a flutter for a new year of fashion.

I present to you 'Last Note ~ Faint Spring Song' from Alice and the Pirates.

                                                                       Ivory

                                                                        Navy

 
                                                                        Pink

                                                                  Sax Blue
                                                     (My favorite of the colors offered)

My favorite part of these colors is that even though they are 'Spring', they aren't the pastel explosion I'm used to seeing this time of year. That may be due to the recent up swing of the Classic influence that cools the color pallet, but I've always loves the Classic Sweet style, so I'm just fine with that. ^_^

 This print has a beautiful mix of floral bouquets, chains, perfume bottles, clocks, lace doilies, and pearls. All set on a pin prick polka dot back ground. It's kind of like the designers looked around and asked, 'How much can we put in here before it's "To Much"?'. But I think it came together nicely, so yay for them. 

The designers at AatP really did a good job with the Dresses, keeping them straight forward and elegant, allowing the wearer and the viewer to focus on the beauty of the print.

The Under bust dress (Above) and the Lace printed cut sew (Below), Make a lovely match. There is also a skirt with the collection, but I don't think it pairs well with this shirt.

I love this OP. From the tiny cap sleeves to the ribbon under the bust, this dress screams 'Regency Inspired' to me. It's a clean silhouette and reminds me of Victorian Maiden's designs from 2008.

 The only downside with the design is that even way back when, it wasn't designed with well endowed ladies in mind.

The skirt below is bet is lovely in person, or actually being worn, but this picture does it no justice. It's an odd shape, not quite a cupcake...not quite an A-line. The ribbon on top is cute, but the small scalloped lace along the bottom is...bland in my opinion.

 It's almost like this piece was an after thought. A...because it's required piece. It shows no love or imagination like the ones above.

 On to the Accessories! Starting with Hair Accessories.

  Seems that with the raise of Classic Lolita, no collection is complete with out a Half Bonnet. The bonnet below has detachable roses on the front that can either be used as an independent hair accessory or a broach.

Like two accessories for the price of one.

While I wouldn't wear the bow below as a side bow, I would wear it in the back with a half up half down look.

This is my FAVORITE part of the whole collection. I love it to pieces and really want to add it to my wardrobe.

I really love how it's on a head band rather than ribbons and a hair comb.

Easy simple bobby pin. ...Not much else to say. But it is cute.

Next, Jewelry!

 This is the second time Baby/Alice has done a pearl and lace woven necklace. I'll be honest, for the $50 they want for this necklace, I could make 10 of them just like it. But it's beautiful. And does complete the collection.

If I were to get a necklace, I'd go with the one below. I love perfume bottles. I have a mini collection of them and am always on the look out for pretty antique or antique looking bottles like this one.

If you look close, the ribbon design on the bottle is either an pastel colored enamel or....something else. But I want to say it's enamel. I really like that extra splash of color.

Last, but not least, the socks.

 For me, It's like to see the worn before I make my call. They are nice. But the print is very big and there are no chains or pearls, just the clock doilies and the flower bouquets. It may all tie in very nicely, but I'm reserving judgment.

Though if not worn with the rest of the print, but on their own to enhance another outfit, I say yes. I do like them.

 In fact, I'm almost sad these weren't made into tights.
 

So there you have it! Alice and the Pirates 'Last Note ~ Faint Spring Song' collection. My favorite print this season.

 What do you think? Are there any pieces you'd like to have in your wardrobe? Which is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below, or on facebook! (I'm more likely to comment back on facebook.)

 Thanks for reading!

Manga I Love ~ V.B.Rose

Hello Lovelies~

  It's been awhile since I showed of my manga collection and this time, I thought I'd share with you one of the rarer sets I have.

While nothing is quite as "Rare" as it once was what with the ability to order anything online now, I never see this manga is shops anymore and that's very sad because this story is SO cute and the art is amazing.

  That manga is called 'V.B.Rose' and it's all about our heroine, Ageha, a brilliant high school aged accessory designer, who finds out her sister is getting married and takes it poorly. She gets upset about the wedding while with her sister at the bridal shop and after injuring one of the dress makers, Mitsuya, she is thrown out of the shop by the surly hero of the story, Yukari.

Ageha feels terrible about her behavior and insists upon helping at the shop until Yukari's hand is better and even though she has a few reservations about it, she gets onboard with her sister's wedding and makes it special in the way only Shoujo manga knows how to do.

 Thus begins the start of a wonderful series full of beautiful wedding dresses, Fanciful hair designs, cute outfits, and a love story that at times is both awkward and makes you breathless.

V.B.Rose, which is not only the name of the manga, but also the name of the Bridal Shop, stands for Velvet Blue Rose. The name is explained in the books in a flash back of Yukari and his father, which is a very touching scene. (As you'll find out when you go read it ^_~)

 Of course there are more characters than just Dressmaker Yukari, Patternmaker/Dressmaker Mitsuya, Accessory Diva Ageha.

There is a Bead Artist named Tsuyu, Who has a thing for girls with large chests, Kimonos, and Mitsuya.

 A Corsage Maker named Kana, Who has a surly personality, is described as a tiny fairy, and once dated Yukari.

A set of siblings with a 'more than friends' love of Ageha.

 And many others crazy characters that all come together to create a wonderful ensemble cast!

 To my knowledge, the series is complete with 14 volumes released in Japan and 13 released in America. Volume 14 was never in the US and it saddens me because until the day I have that volume in my hands, I'll never really know what happens with Ageha and Yukari! (To a certain point. I have a wonderful imagination after all.)

As you can see, my set is incomplete, but of all of my manga, this series is my favorite. Below, I've included so official art and a few pages from the manga.


                                                              Ageha

                                                 Ageha and Yukari

                                                           Ageha

                                                               Tsuya

                                                        Ageha is a wedding dress!

                                                           Kana

                            
                                                      Ageha and Yukari

What I really love most about this series is that it shows the passaged of time and the characters change clothes often. So it's a nice way to get new cute ideas to inspire my own outfit choices ^_^

 I hope ya'll check out this Manga. It's really very beautiful in both story and art and it gets better every read through. If ya'll read this manga, or have read it and loved it as much as I did, let me know!

 Thanks for reading!

Design an Outfit ~ Inspired by Ruby Gloom!

Hello Lovelies~

 A few years ago, various Brands got together and each designed a 'Emily the Strange' dress and then styled it accordingly. Personally, I think they all looked the same, but Emily is very cute and simple, so there isn't much that can be designed without taking away her essence.

Emily was very cool with her matching set of cats, Mystery, Miles, Sabbath, and Neechee. Her long dark hair and brooding disposition. But I never really connected with her in more than a, 'I like Emily the Strange', kind of way. I never HAD to have her merchandise in my life, though I do have one of her DS games which is rather fun.

 The Gothic Cartoon icon I connected with, Other than Lydia from Beetlejuice, was Ruby Gloom! From her red hair to her adorable bubbly personality, I just loved her! And now that her show is back on Netflix, I am marathoning them and falling in love all over again!

 Go Canada for making this highly cute and extremely detailed show!

I looked around online to see if any Brands had done a Ruby Gloom Collaboration, like they did with Emily the Strange and Gloomy Bear, but I didn't find any. That's not to say I didn't find an official Brand coordinated outfit though.

From what I have found, the model is Nana Kitade. But I can't find what magazine it came from or when sadly.

** Thanks to a wonderful reader, Muiko, it has come to my attention that the above shot is actually a CD cover! With a bit of looking around, I found that Nana Kitade apparently did the CD under the name 'Ruby Gloom'.

 The title of the CD is called 'Siren', which is also the title track. It was made for the Japanese release of Ruby Gloom and used as the opening theme song.

There is also a corresponding music video on Youtube. The link is below. I'll admit, it has a cute look. But as a Ruby Gloom fan, you could tell this was a concept rather than a work of love.

 I mean....there was lightening and Misery didn't even get hit! o.o

Nana Kitade 'Siren' Music Video HERE!!  

Thanks Muiko!!! **


 So I thought it would be fun to design my own Ruby Gloom inspired outfit!

Originally, I wanted to use a black version of the 2006 Metamorphose Lucky Pack Dress I own, but I couldn't find any pictures of either version of the dress, so I changed my vision up a bit.

 Below is the ' Mon ange bien-aime ' OP from Alice and the Pirates. I chose this dress for a few different reasons. Mainly, I like the shape. All you'd need is a light A-line petticoat to help hold the given shape and that's it. It's a wonderful casual dress, while at the same time it looks very dressy and elegant.

The elegance of this dress really steals my breathe. I also like that the long sleeves are detachable, so it's multi-seasonal.

 Below is the same dress with the sleeves removed. They didn't show the black version without the sleeves.

It so cute and is perfect for Ruby. And I have been assured that the black version is fully black, with different black dyes rather than Black and Dark Green.

Next is the most important part of the outfit! The socks! Any A-line, puffy sleeved dress will do for Ruby Gloom, but to capture her whimsy, the socks are key.

 I found these socks on Sockdreams.com and they are the Over the Knee Rugby Socks. The red and gold is currently sold out, but they are perfect for Ruby. I chose these over other red/orange and yellow socks because of how vibrant they are.

These socks add a touch of 'Cartoon' to the outfit that adds charm to the final product.

For Shoes, I turned to Secret Shop. While not normally my Go To shop, they do have cute shoes perfect for multi outfit wear.

These have a slight heel for posture, but are relatively low to the ground in keeping with Ruby's flat Mary Janes.

 And there we have it! Her outfit is rather simple with little extra to wiggle about or change to drastically.

For a little cheeky fun for a Mega Ruby Fan, you can add a heart and cross bones shaped headdress with a skull wearing an interchangeable hat in the middle, with a few hearts hanging from the Heart and crossbones, to play on Ruby's crush on her friend Skull boy. And one bat and one ghost earring to represent Scaredy Bat and Booboo the ghost. You could even carry a purse that looked like an eyeball for Ruby's friend Iris!

The less obvious touches are what would make this outfit the most fun for me! But they aren't needed to have a Ruby Gloom Inspired Outfit!

 I hope you liked it!

Thanks for reading!!!