Meetup Report: Oh, the Horror!

Meetup Report: Oh, the Horror!

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Early in the month, I attended a horror movie night! I couldn’t stay very long–my work-week has been rearranged to that I work on Sundays. This means that if I stay up too late on Saturday I am a grumbly-grumpy puff and absolutely no fun to be with after work the next day. It’s not fair to my poor person, who has to endure my company whether he likes it or not, so I try to get enough sleep to function well at work. However, the idea of a horror movie night was too intriguing! I am not scared by horror movies, so I rather enjoy them.

This meetup was being held at the house of a girl I had not yet met, but she didn’t live too far from me. I finally had an opportunity to wear my Metamorphose special set! I love the design of the most recent special set–the matching skirt and top with wrist-cuffs, all in gingham or stripes. After I bought it and had it altered, I hadn’t had an opportunity to actually wear it. Since this event called for something lolita but not really busy or formal, it seemed perfect!

It was so nice seeing everyone who was able to come! There were only about six or so lolita, but that meant there was room for everyone to sit and we could all participate in the same conversations. I was able to see a lot of people that I hadn’t seen in a while. Miss Lindsey came, too, but she was injured from having been hit by a car a few days before when she was riding her bike! o_o I feel so bad for her! Being hit by a car is a really awful experience, and she was all bandaged up from it.

She brought a doll with her, and I ended up making a fool of myself being super-dorky about it. I’m very interested in ball-jointed dolls, although I’m not a collector, and Miss Lindsey always seems to have a different doll with her. She’s very nice and doesn’t mind if I touch or hold the doll, or move her around. I like seeing how each company does the engineering of the same concept a little bit differently. This little doll had a lovely wig that I couldn’t stop touching. I’m such a little kid sometimes!

It’s especially intriguing for me since I bought a doll and am waiting for her to arrive. It makes me really anxious! I’m sure some people will think it’s stupid, since I could have bought more lolita clothing, but I can’t resist really cute toys! (Although I wonder if my My Little Pony army will have an uprising…)

I was only able to stay for two movies, but I had a really good time. The girl who hosted the movie night was very sweet, and I was glad to meet her and another girl for the first time! I hope I see them again at something soon~

Outfit Snap: Special Set Pink Stripe

Outfit Snap: Special Set Pink Stripe

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PINK SWEATER OF DOOOOOM
Originally uploaded by sweetmilktea

I fell in love with the most recent Metamorphose special set as soon as I saw it. The promotional pictures of the skirt, blouse, wrist-cuffs, and hairbow looked unbelievably adorable no matter what fabric–gingham or stripes. The pink striped fabric is so cute that I really-really-really wanted it even though I don’t often fit in Metamorphose. When I found out that a local lolita was selling it, though, I couldn’t resist…even though it was too big.

I pleaded with my little sister to use her amazing sewing magic to take it in, although she hates altering Japanese brand clothing. (Especially for me–my measurements are really strange, so it’s hard to get things just right!) She did a really great job, though! I hope to wear it more often! The ruffles make it kind of overwhelming, but it’s so cute that I don’t really care. I just wish the hairbow wasn’t on a barrette. It can be hard to work into a hairstyle.

The weather has been really unpredictable lately, so I wore an unflattering sweatshirt. It seemed a little too warm for it when I went outside all zipped up under my coat, but I was glad I had it when I came home that night. I don’t have any nice lolita fashion cardigans or parkas, but maybe someday I’ll get some. I know that my sweatshirt isn’t pretty, but it’s soooo comfy and pink. ♥

This ended up being a good outfit choice for the movie night. It wasn’t the sort of thing I had to worry too much about, and I was mostly safe from dropping cookie crumbs or breadstick sauce on myself thanks to the sweatshirt. I also didn’t take up too much space on the sofa…but that’s okay, since I sat on the floor for most of it anyway.

Meetup Report: A Not-So-Spooky Tea

Meetup Report: A Not-So-Spooky Tea

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Gorilla Time
Originally uploaded by sweetmilktea

It’s been a while since I wrote a meetup review, but I don’t want to ignore some of the fun things I’ve had the opportunity to do!

On October 31, 2009 the Chicago-area lolita convened at Russian Tea Time for tea! The meetup was in honor of the holiday, so attendees were asked to dress for the theme–gothic, spooky, or otherwise Halloween-related. Everyone really went out of their way to wear their best; they all looked great!! I was such a stark contrast to our usual meetups, where brighter colors tend to dominate.

No-one really thought I would take the theme to heart, but I surprised everyone when I showed up in black and high heels! Miss Nena graciously lent me something from her closet, since everything I own is pink, white, or red. 😡 Well, except for my special blue floral one-piece, but that’s still not right for a Halloween theme! I had thought I’d have to coordinate some kind of lolita-esque costume from my clothing and other accessories in order to be appropriately dressed, but I really wanted to participate fully. It’s a lot of fun to step outside your normal boundaries and try something new!

The tea room provided a section of the restaurant just for our massive tea party… there were so many people I didn’t get a chance to talk to everyone. (I also spent a lot of time outside the doors, searching for stragglers! I am usually a bit of an Alice-beacon when it comes to meetups.) Several attendees weren’t lolita I’d seen before, and that makes me really excited. I like seeing new faces–it shows that lolita fashion is a growing trend, not a dying one.

The tea house served their house blend; it was a little spicy and had a mulled type of taste that was very heart-warming for a chilly day. The cups they used weren’t traditional teacups–instead, they were metal stein-shaped holders for thick glass insets into which the tea was poured. I could definitely understand the appeal–I didn’t burn my fingers by accidentally touching the bowl of the cup that is heated by the tea, as I sometimes do with china teacups. Servers constantly refilled empty cups, never leaving an empty glass empty for too long.

The trays of refreshments were really delightful. The top tier contained scones, two per person, and whipped cream and jam. Clotted cream may be the proper topping for scones, but it isn’t often served in Chicago. Traditional clotted cream requires unpastuerized cow’s milk, which isn’t readily available in the United States, and the jarred “clotted cream” sold at specialty shops is really gross if you’ve ever had actual clotted cream. The jam and whipped cream was delicious, although the cranberry-raisin scones didn’t really need toppings to taste wonderful!

The second tier held a vast assortment of finger sandwiches–smoked salmon, tiny rolled crepes filled with diced vegetables, roasted red pepper, mini Ruebens, and little quiches! The savory items were a very nice size–bigger than one bite, but smaller than four–allowing everyone to taste as many as they wanted. I enjoyed eating other people’s shunned smoked salmon sandwiches~

The bottom tier held a mind-boggling assortment of sweets! Cookies, pastries, and other sweets, all piled up together. There were so many that I didn’t even know what I was eating; I couldn’t keep up with the servers’ descriptions! They even brought out individual plates for everyone with two teeny-tiny cream puffs. It was very luxurious.

After the tea was over, we headed across the street to the sculpture gardens around the Art Institute. The lighting inside the tea house was much too dark to get any nice pictures, and everyone was dressed so lovely that it seemed like such a shame not to. (And many people wanted proof for daily_lolita, of course.) I brought my camera, so my person followed my little sister and me around, capturing our nonsense. I’m not very good at posing nicely for pictures–something is always off: mouth open, eyes askew, weird expressions, etc.–but I do like getting into trouble and having a record of it. My little sister and I are usually up to no good, especially when we’re dressed up.

After pictures outdoors (we moved over to Millennium Park, too) it became too cold and some people had to leave, so those who remained went to the Chicago Cultural Center. The Cultural Center is in a beautiful building, and there is no admission, and there is always somewhere to sit and chat. Once people thawed out a little, more pictures ensued in-between conversations. As more and more people headed out and the group dwindled further, I found myself in part of a group aimlessly browsing at the Marshall Field’s on State Street before heading home.

It was a really great time, and there are so many hilarious pictures to prove it! I only wish I could have talked to more people–I was right at the front end of the table, so I only interacted with maybe four or five people on that end. It was too crowded to be rustling around through the crowd. I had a lot of fun being a gothic Alice for one day, but I don’t think I’ll be changing my style anytime soon!

Outfit Snap: This Is Halloween

Outfit Snap: This Is Halloween

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Here She Lies
Originally uploaded by sweetmilktea

I didn’t wear a costume for Halloween, but I did do something out of the ordinary! There was a tea party on Halloween at a tearoom downtown, and the dress code was themed for the holiday. The recommendation was gothic lolita or guro-lolita, and I didn’t want to be the one person not in on the fun!

Since I don’t own anything suitable for gothic or anything I could muss up for guro, I asked a friend if she would mind dressing me up for the occasion. Miss Nena was very helpful–she didn’t just pick out an outfit for me, she brought a huuuuge selection of gothic-appropriate lolita dresses over to my apartment and let me try them on to select one to wear. There were quite a few that looked really cute, but in the end I chose an elegant black one-piece by BABY, the Stars Shine Bright.

We made a few jokes that I would be dressed up as her for Halloween, since she’s worn that dress many times (because it is so beautiful). Other people even recognized the dress at the tea party! (Although so many people were so shocked to see me wearing black that they didn’t even know what to say.)

I didn’t have a lot of things to coordinate with it, but I think I managed alright. I wore black tights with a very beloved pair of black high-heeled shoes. They’re made of a very soft leather that stretches slightly to fit one’s feet, with rounded toes and satin ribbons to tie around the ankle. I bought them when I was in junior high school, because they looked like high-heeled ballet shoes. Lots of people at the tea party thought I had just tied extra ribbon around my legs to mimic rocking-horse shoes, but really my shoes just came that way!

For my hair, I just added a black satin bow. I tried doing a Victorian-inspired style, but I’m not really satisfied with how it turned out. I also wore makeup with this outfit! I almost never wear makeup because I have numerous topical allergies and it’s itchy-itchy-itchy and sometimes leaves a rash. However, it just didn’t seem right without some blush and dark eyeliner. I hoped to channel a kind of darker, eerie beauty without going for a look that was too heavy. (Although by the end of the day I couldn’t WAIT to wash it off… ;_; Ouchies.)

Overall, I had a lot of fun being a gothic lolita for a day! Everyone was very surprised–I waited outside the tea house to make sure everyone was accounted for, and my friends did many double-takes trying to reconcile an Alice wearing something not pink and cute.

I hope everyone else had a great Halloween, lolita fashion-related or not!

On Being Lolita: Balancing “Real Life”

On Being Lolita: Balancing “Real Life”

by alice ♥ 2 Comments

Although I haven’t written in a while, I am certainly not going to stop making entries in this blog. I really do enjoy writing about lolita fashion and the things I like, even if I don’t necessarily go about it in a “normal” way for a blog. However, I just haven’t been able to really sit down and write something out, even if there are a million ideas tumbling around in my head!

Because, you see, as much as I love lolita fashion and being a lolita, it isn’t the only important thing in my life. I take graduate school courses, I work full time, and have other obligations to family and friends. Wearing lolita fashion is a lot of fun–going to meetups is one of my most favourite-est ways to see my friends and make new ones–but if I have to work or do homework, well…then that needs to be done instead. I know too well how it feels to fail at something only because I didn’t put enough effort forward, and I have resolved to not let myself waver and have to feel that way again.

In some ways, lolita fashion is a form of escapism for me. I am not a little girl any more, but wearing lolita fashion helps me feel that kind of blissful rapture again. In today’s world, innocence is not encouraged or held precious–there is so much pressure to grow up faster, take on responsibilities now, and immerse oneself completely in the cold, hard “real world.” So many times I have been chided for “not understanding how things work,” told to “get my head out of the clouds,” or lectured about how “adult women don’t act like that.” The kind of happiness that comes from just walking past someone’s front yard full of beautiful roses, seeing someone freely dancing to the music from their iPod that no-one else can hear, or standing out in the rain until you’re completely soaked and your eyelashes stick together is looked down on.

However, when I put up my hair in curled pigtails, step into a ribbon-bedecked one-piece, and adjust my petticoat, I feel electric. I don’t care what other people might have to say. I smile at everyone and wave at those who pretend they’re not staring in disbelief at my clothing. It’s like my heart is sparkling brightly with neon-pink glitter. It doesn’t matter what happened yesterday or what might happen tomorrow. Wearing lolita fashion gives me a confidence that I rarely feel otherwise–and the longer I have been a part of the fashion and the community, the more that kind of feeling bleeds into my life even when I’m dressed in my dirty jacket and faded jeans.

As wonderful as that feeling is, I can’t ignore other parts of my life just because lolita makes me feel so fantastic. There are still classes to be attended, work to be done, and chores to be completed. Staying late at the office and then heading off to night-school, riding the unimaginably crowded bus home at night knowing I need to be at work bright and early the next morning sometimes leaves me without the energy to put my thoughts to paper. I sometimes stay up too late, reading the lolita fashion communities or Angelic Pretty’s blog entries, but my mind just isn’t in the right place to pen anything coherent. I keep going because I know that my courses at school and my job enable me to wear lolita–otherwise I would not have the funds or as much of the appreciation.

Obsession is dangerous no matter what the focus might be. Some people can only think about lolita fashion–wanting to wear it to any occasion, no matter how appropriate; needing to own the newest item, regardless of whether they can afford it; and insisting on attending every meetup, even if there are other things they ought to be doing instead. It’s easy to get hooked on almost anything, but it’s very important to take a step back and map out some priorities to keep yourself on track. I know that if I buy that newest print now, I won’t have money for rent at the end of the month–and that’s unacceptable for me. Will it matter how many pretty dresses I own if I am evicted? Absolutely not.

There is obviously a little bit of lolita in every part of my life, from the teddy bear-bedecked teacup at my desk at work to the small bows that might be perched atop my perhaps slightly more “business-like” hairstyle. I still keep a close eye on the lolita communities, typically browsing posts as I eat my sandwich for lunch, and I can’t keep from daydreaming about wished-for coordinations when I’m supposed to be calculating the future value of an annuity. However, there are always consequences, and I’d like to avoid the most unpleasant of those if possible. Otherwise I’m sure I’ll have even less time and energy to devote to the style I adore so much!

Outfit Snap: I ♥ Shirololi!

Outfit Snap: I ♥ Shirololi!

by alice ♥ 1 Comment

Bright White
Originally uploaded by sweetmilktea

October has been a crazy month for me! I have really neglected this blog, but I haven’t forgotten about it! However, I’ve been working eight or more hours six days a week…and spending another six hours in class over the week…so I have had very little time to myself. I keep thinking of lolita-related topics I want to address here, but I can’t seem to pull my thoughts together by the time I get home from work.

However, I had this weekend off, so I decided to have as much fun as possible! At the end of last year I purchased a ball-jointed doll from Rosette Doll. Since her arrival, I’ve really wanted to attend a ball-jointed doll meetup with the Chicago community. They seemed like nice people. (And I wanted to see more dolls in person!) So I decided to attend a ball-jointed-doll meetup on Saturday.

I really wanted to wear lolita fashion over the weekend, but going to the meetup meant I had to head out to the suburbs. That is a trip involving several trains and an eventual pick-up from the station that’s about half and hour from my mother’s house. Also, it’s been raining like crazy. I decided to take a chance and wear lolita, so I stuffed my backpack until it looked ready to burst (frills and petticoats will do that to a bag…) and trekked out to the suburbs with my fiancé.

I don’t regret it at all! I LOVE getting dressed up, and this is one of my favourite dresses, so I can’t be in anything but a wonderful mood when I wear it! The doll meetup ended up taking place at the local Japanese market, and I ate lunch at the food court beforehand. I’ve been going to this market since I was a toddler, and I can never pass up the chance for cheap, decent sushi. It was nice to be back there when wearing lolita, because there are several employees who like to talk to me and get disappointed if I’m in “normal” clothes. :3 (Sometimes I wish I could dress them up! They’re such cuuuuuuute girls!! n_n)

I don’t like that my sweater doesn’t match, but I didn’t worry about it too much. It was much too cold outside to go without! I had to leave early to change before the evening, though. I work at an observatory, and lolita skirts plus being up inside the dome equals far too much opportunity for people to look up my skirt. :/ And it’s COLD out there!

Outfit Snap: Autumn's First Crafternoon

Outfit Snap: Autumn's First Crafternoon

by alice ♥ 3 Comments

Lookin’ Like a Dork
Originally uploaded by sweetmilktea

This past Sunday was a Crafternoon, as the first Sunday of the month! I really adore these meetups. Even though there is always an intention to partake in a craft, usually it just involves hanging out and enjoying each other’s company. We spent a good portion of the afternoon crammed onto the couches of our friends’ house, watching Ghostbusters and later Sleeping Beauty. Due to the general nature of the Crafternoon, I try not to be overdressed. It’s no fun to be left out due to worrying too much about your clothing.

I wore my favourite dress, but I didn’t necessarily coordinate it in the best manner I could have. Instead, I just wore this pink, bow-bedecked Angelic Pretty one-piece with white tights, pink shoes, and pink hairbows. I also had a pink sweater that I spent a good portion of the day in, but I took it off for picture since it’s fairly shapeless.

My petticoat is still in need of repairs. I really ought to replace it, but I keep thinking that mine can just be fixed. I suppose that’s my next mission… although I’m not sure what kind of petticoat I’d replace mine with, anyway. I have a custom extra-poof petticoat from In the Starlight, although I’ve been considering one of the Malco Modes petticioats (the models sold by Candy Violet). I do like poof, but I’m not so sure of my ability to adjust any necessary adjusting…

On Being Lolita: Lucky Pack Lessons

On Being Lolita: Lucky Pack Lessons

by alice ♥ 1 Comment

Lucky Pack Anticipation
Originally uploaded by sweetmilktea

Despite my historic lack of success with lucky packs, I couldn’t resist the recent lucky packs offered by BABY. I tried; I really did, but I thought my little sister was going to order one and I just had to get one for myself. We’re always trying to acquire matching items, although we’re not as successful as we’d like to be. I thought that with matching lucky packs we’d have at least some kind of chance for more matching items, but she didn’t end up ordering one.

And, as I actually did anticipate, I don’t care much for the contents of mine! Oh well~ It was still nice to get a package in the mail–especially one that contained something lolita fashion-related–after such a long period of having absolutely no spending money. (I love my job, even though I’ve been working a lot of overtime lately.)

I ordered the Snow Dot set, which was guaranteed to have either a Snow Dot jumperskirt or one-piece, then a random cutsew and random hair accessory.

I thought I would get a t-shirt, since that is the kind of cutsew that most people appear to have received, but that didn’t end up happening. (I was, stupidly, looking forward to a t-shirt to wear with my jeans…) Instead, my cutsew ended being a highly-shirred pink top with rows of lace. It’s cute, but anything with all-around shirring looks incredibly awkward and ill-fitting on me.

My hair accessory ended up being a really cute headband with a ruffle of black eyelet lace. On the right side there are two tiny bows of grosgrain ribbon~ It’s adorable, but I never wear black! I’ll probably pawn it off on my little sister, since she wears black and white almost exclusively.

The final piece was the Snow Dot jumperskirt, which is an absolutely lovely design, in their dark pink “cherry” colorway. I’m torn about this item. I really, really like the jumperskirt itself. The design of the Snow Dot series is why I ordered this lucky pack. However, the color is so dark that I don’t think I’ll really wear it very much. Unless I coordinated it entirely with white, I’d have to buy new items just to match it–and they wouldn’t match anything else I own. I like to keep my things in a general scheme so they coordinate with each other–it makes my wardrobe feel much bigger than it actually is. It’s disappointing to want to wear an outfit and think “Oh, darn–I need something to complete this…”

Maybe I’ve learned my lesson this time around with the lucky packs. …Or maybe I haven’t! I always think about the deals I might receive instead of the disappointments I’ve had in the past~

Sweet Treats: Macarons

Sweet Treats: Macarons

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Macaron Rainbow
Originally uploaded by sweetmilktea

There seems to hardly be a dessert more iconic in lolita fashion than the macaron. (A “macaroon” is an entirely different kind of cookie, and doesn’t feature in anything lolita fashion-related!) Once featured in the Angelic Pretty series “Dreaming Macaron,” the popularity of these tiny pastries REALLY took off! When not appearing tucked into prints on lolita garments, these puffy discs can be seen in a multitude of colors as sweets jewelry. They’re also a common motif for deco projects.

Personally, I love eating AND making macarons, although it isn’t an easy task! Macarons are very delicate, and it takes a lot of patience to prepare the ingredients, incorporate everything just right, and actually bake the halves that will form the sandwich. When I make macarons, I spend a lot of time sifting almond flour until no lumps remain, then carefully folding in the egg whites–which have to be given a few days to age, and MUST be used at room temperature. These are not the kinds of pastries to be made on last-minute notice.

Traditionally, the flavor of a macaron is dictated by the filling, although the pastry itself is colored appropriately. Personally, when I make mine I like to flavor the cookies just a bit with a few drops of extract. Some of my favourite flavor combinations are rose cookies with strawberry, raspberry, or lingonberry jam~ Jam isn’t a particularly traditional filling, but I don’t like most buttery, frosting-type creams; I feel like they overpower the actual pastry.

However, sometimes it’s less stressful to quell a macaron craving with a trip to the bakery~ These small desserts have become very popular in recent years. In Chicago I keep hearing about more and more bakeries trying their hand at these tiny cookies.

When I buy macarons, I go to Bittersweet Pastry Shop. They’re right in my neighborhood, and their macarons are quite good–crisp, not overfilled, and with the appropriately cute “foot.” (That’s the crinkled edge–all good macarons have a foot; it means that the top is crispier than the chewy inside. When the balance is right, it’s delicious!) They’re certainly not the BEST macarons I’ve ever had, but sometimes it’s worth it to spend a few dollars on something tasty instead of spending several days to make them myself. The chocolate macarons are much better deal than the larger, flavored macarons–$16 for one pound, as opposed to $3-$4 per cookie~

Macarons make a lovely addition to tea-time. They both look and taste fancy, and when made or purchased in pastel-colored flavors like rose or violet, it seems that no dessert could be more ladylike! There are few things prettier than a display of multi-colored macarons atop a china plate…although that’s always a fleeting moment for me; they’re too tempting!

Reading Corner: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Reading Corner: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

by alice ♥ 1 Comment

Snow Flower and Secret Fan
Originally uploaded by CharlesPAD

I will admit immediately that this book really doesn’t connect well to lolita fashion. It’s a modern novel, written in 2005, and it takes place in China during the 1800s. There’s nothing resembling lolita fashion in any stretch, and the only focus on beauty is that of bound feet.

The first time I read this book was several years ago. It had just been published, and my Nana had read it for her book club. She was so enthralled by the tale of friendship and the “secret” world of women that she insisted I read it as well. At first, I worried I wouldn’t like it, but it is truly an engaging tale that was very hard to put down–even for a moment! Recently I decided to re-read it, as I had found myself musing over vaguely remembered details.

The story itself is the tale of friendship between two girls who grow up together in a long-term “emotional marriage” of friendship. As a foolish daydreamer, I found the idea of having an “old same” fascinating, likening it to my relationship with my best friend (as we became friends even earlier than did Lily and Snow Flower). It makes me wish that we had a secret messages passed back and forth–we could read through them an reminisce as old women.

Additionally, I find the concept of nu shu a fascinating one. To think that these women, cooped up in their homes with reshaped feet unsuitable for activity, taught themselves to read and write is amazing! They all lived hard lives, with more sorrow than happiness, and this gave them a way to reach out to other women who could offer support and had endured the same hardships. Considering how isolated they were often kept from families and friends, it seems almost unimaginable how tough it must have been for those who were not high-class enough to be literate in nu shu–how could they tell their mothers and sisters about their lives?

After turning the final page, I am hardly envious of these women’s lives. I appreciate the stories they have to tell, which is so different from that which I am used to hearing of or thinking about, but I feel lucky that my own life lacks those or similar hardships. It is a wonderful thing to live in a world where I can make my own choices, own my own property, obtain an education, and have many opportunities open to me.