I am so behind when it comes to sharing pictures and generally posting anything interesting–whoops! My winter semester just came to a close, and lately when I come home from work the last thing I want to do is type anything meaningful on my computer. I curl up with my knitting, some tea, and chat with my husband. ♥ I’ve been working on knitting through all of the yarn that I’ve collected, so my main focus is on turning that yarn into items! (So that I can buy… more yarn. It’s probably clear how this goes.)

I still make time for lolita fashion, of course~ I’ve been wearing it as much as I can, although we’ve had a few frigidly cold days where I just couldn’t bear the thought of any outfit that didn’t involve a snowsuit over it. (Yes, I own a snowsuit. It’s not beribboned or frilled, but it’s awesome when the snow is up to your thighs and the temperature is icy.) In early February I met some friends, and several new acquaintances, in Chinatown to watch the New Year’s parade for this year of the rabbit!

I like to wear red for the Chinese New Year, because it symbolizes good fortune! This is my token red dress that I always wear for occasions where red would be nice, so of course it shows up here. I could have worn even more red, because I do have a red cutsew, but I paired it with a long-sleeved white blouse so that I could wear a thermal top underneath. That proved to be a very good idea, because the weather was so cold that we all stood around waiting for our feet to freeze so our toes wouldn’t hurt!

I wore thermal leggings, as well, along with tights, knee-high socks, and another pair of shorter socks. I still wasn’t exactly “warm” or even “comfortable,” but it was much better than if I hadn’t bundled up so thoroughly. Just before the event, my winter boots and my rain boots both developed serious holes and tears that ended their functional lives. I had to wear another pair of significantly-less-snow-ready boots, which contributed to my chilly feet.

I brought my bunny pochette as a nod towards the sign for 2011–the rabbit. It had been at least a few weeks, if not a few months, since I last used this purse, although it is my favourite. I don’t like to carry a purse if I don’t have to, and the pockets in my jumperskirts and one-pieces are usually able to carry everything that I need. If I have my coat on, that adds a few more pockets. I planned on actually taking pictures during this parade, and having a separate space to keep my camera made things easier than digging around for it.

I wore my hair up in two braided buns due to the weather. It was quite windy and there was a chance of snow–and in fact, that “chance” provided copious snow during the entire length of the parade. Having my hair up from the back of my head makes it easier for me to tie and adjust my earmuff headdress, which is a necessary layer of defense against frozen ears. Braiding pigtails and coiling them into buns made my hair wind-proof; I didn’t have to brush strands away from my eyes or lips, and it didn’t get tangled or unmanageably frizzy after standing outside in all that snow.

I had a really wonderful time at the parade–I’ll share more about that very soon!