Sweet Treats: Doughnut Vault

August 19, 2011May 19, 2015 by alice ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Lately I’ve been obsessed with a dessert (or breakfast~) item that is a bit unusual for me–doughnuts. Until recently, I disliked doughnuts. I thought they were greasy, disliked the sticky, saccharine glaze that most doughnuts are drenched in, and didn’t care for the texture of the ring of dough itself. They were something I always passed up in the grocery stores, and doughnut shops didn’t interest me. The only exception to this was the St. Patrick’s Day special flavour at a small shop near my mother’s house–they produce a mint-chocolate doughnut only for part of March. I always liked that it didn’t remind me of a doughnut at all, but was instead more like a ring-shaped cupcake with sugar icing.

This all changed when a new shop opened up in the city: the Doughnut Vault.

When visited the third time, I brought a camera! The outside of the shop is really lovely.
I like to keep an eye on restaurants and food trends, and I started hearing rumors of this shop before they opened. They operate a Tumblr as their official website, posting entries with beautiful pictures of the doughnuts in all stages of creation. Before the shop was opened the site shared images of the construction-in-progress, with little hints about where the location might be. I was thrilled when they finally announced it would be located near the Merchandise Mart, which is fairly easy to get to. (I will travel far for delicious things, but if I don’t have to, that’s even better~)

It wasn’t easy to taste a doughnut from this shop. The Doughnut Vault opens at 8:30am (9:30am on Saturday) and closes when they run out of doughnuts. Even now that it’s been open for several months, there’s still a line that forms outside the small blue door before an employee finally opens it and starts letting small groups inside. If I’m going to go, I always aim to be there before the opening time, so that I can get a good spot in line and have full choice of the day’s menu. (Particularly because the doughnut I enjoy the most, the old-fashioned, sells out very quickly.)

Usually the wait in line isn’t terrible, although I have avoided the shop during the hottest days of the summer. Sweltering outside in line doesn’t sound quite worth it to me; I suppose I’m simply not hard-core enough. The shop itself is teeny-tiny. The “vault” in the shop’s name refers to the fact that it is built into an old bank vault. The portion that receives customers is what looks to have been a staging hallway for packages entering or leaving the vault before being loaded into awaiting vehicles outside. It’s a tiny, narrow space–you could barely fit two averagely-sized people shoulder-to-shoulder in the width, and less than 10 people can stand in the shop at one time. There are mirrors and windows to alleviate feels of claustrophobia, but it is not a place to hang out and relax–although there is a quaint patio area arranged on the sidewalk just outside the door.

The old-fashioned doughnuts are my favourite. They’re dense but still fluffy, with a nice balance of sweetness that isn’t overpowering.
The doughnuts are works of art. If all doughnuts tasted like this, I never would have disliked them in the first place. The shop offers cake doughnuts and yeast doughnuts. The old-fashioned and the gingerbread stack are cake doughnuts; these rings of dough are dense, crumbly, and textured. The old-fashioned have a slight tang of buttermilk, while the gingerbread are fragrant and spiced. The old-fashioned are coated in a glaze that is a nice accent to the crunchy exterior, but not overly sweet, while the gingerbread are rolled in cinnamon-sugar.

The yeast doughnuts are the glazed doughnuts. These giant treats are fluffy and light inside, with a slightly crispy exterior. The outside is then coated in a flavoured glaze. The shop opened with three flavours–chocolate, vanilla, and chestnut–and usually rotates a special flavour in and out of the selection at random. They’ve done pistachio, blueberry, and mocha, but I expect there will be even more new flavours as the shop continues. Special flavours and doughnut stock statuses are updated constantly on the shop’s Twitter, doughnutvault.

The glazed doughnuts are a bit larger than the old-fashioned doughnuts, but they’re all relatively huge if you’re comparing them to “standard” doughnuts.

Now on my days off, if my schedule allows it, I try to sneak over the Doughnut Vault to acquire an old-fashioned or two. Most people enjoy doughnuts with coffee, but I like mine with tea. The doughnuts’ sweetness pairs will with unsweetened teas–but if you really like sugary things, a fruity or sweeter tea would definitely amplify that. I tend to drink Earl Grey with mine–otherwise Ceylon, Assam, or Darjeeling–and like to dunk the doughnut into the tea.

Now that I’ve found a place with such delicious doughnuts, I want to try my hand at making them myself. I know that I don’t have the skills to make anything nearly as wonderful as the practiced and mysterious chef François at the Doughnut Vault, but homemade treats are always fun~ ♥ (Plus, it’s easy to forgive most flaws in the final product if you know you’ve put a lot of effort and heart into trying your best.) And, if it doesn’t turn out well, I can drown my sorrows in a well-made doughnut the next time I have a chance~ ♥

Update: Thank You

August 18, 2011May 19, 2015 by alice ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I’ve been reading through the comments that I received on yesterday’s post, and I have been absolutely floored and really touched by all of the kind words of encouragement and support. When I was writing the post I never imagined that there would be even one note from anyone–after all, I haven’t updated in a while, nor is this particularly widely-read. It’s so reassuring; I am very grateful.

Whether you just left a comment because you enjoy reading what I write, whether you know me on a daily basis, or whether you wanted to speak up because you know how I feel, every word is acknowledged and treasured. ♥ Thank you all so very much!

Victorian artwork used in image courtesy of The Graphics Fairy.

Meetup Report: Among the Stars

August 18, 2011May 19, 2015 by alice ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

At the end of July I was fortunate enough to attend a wonderfully-arranged meetup at the Adler Planetarium~ I really like space and astronomy, but I had actually never been to the planetarium before even though I’ve lived in this area my entire life. When a meetup was proposed I was very excited by the idea, and I was thrilled that the day not only lived up to, but exceeded my expectations and hopes~

Luckily, I knew about the event early enough in advance that I was able to take the day off. My husband already had that day available, so we headed out together. The original plans for the gathering requested that everyone wear something space-themed. I don’t really own anything that really fits that description, so I opted for one of my favourites–Jewelry Jelly, because there are a few star-shaped jellies. I wore star-shaped jewelry and a fuzzy star hair accessory to emphasize the star theme a bit more.

Most of my friends had really lovely coordinations. It was evident that a lot of care and planning had gone into outfits that fit the day’s theme. Three girls even had the same star-covered Angelic Pretty jumperskirt, each in a different colourway and coordinated for a different look. It’s always fun to see how the same dress can look with different accessories~ ♥ Another friend of mine sewed a dress from nebula-printed fabric–it looked great and was definitely space-tastic!

The lighting was very difficult–it’s a trend with museums, generally–but I still wanted to get some images that at least conveyed some of the impressions of being there with the group.
When we got to the planetarium I realized that I wasn’t sure where the group was meeting. It was easy to find out where, though–I simply asked the closest security guard if he had seen other people “dressed like this” and which way they had gone. I followed his instructions until I reached the next security guard, and continued from there. I suppose that’s one of the benefits of the fashion looking so unusual to others–group tracking! I spotted everyone else waiting in a classroom off one of the hallways. We sat and chatted for a while as we waited for other attendees to catch up; there had been particularly difficult traffic in certain areas, so quite a few people were running late.

When we had all assembled, we received our badges and started exploring the museum. I was fascinated, because it was all new to me, although most of the information wasn’t anything particularly shocking. There were a lot of neat interactive demonstrations or features, like a machine that made craters in a powdery surface that accompanied information about craters on the moon. Most of them were obviously geared towards children, but that didn’t make them less amusing.

While in an exhibit about historical astronomy and astronomical tools, I wandered away from the group a bit and discovered a representation of a medieval astronomy classroom, complete with robes for teachers and students. I quickly donned one and positioned myself in the professor’s chair, attempting to look like I was giving a lecture. When the rest of the group came around the corner they found the scene very amusing~ I love little things like that. There was also a display where you were an Assyrian king trying to make predictions about your potential for assassination based on the phases of the moon and positioning of Venus.

I was given instructions to “look stoic” and tried my best!
We wandered through nearly all of the exhibits before heading to the newly-rennovated Grainger Sky Theatre to see the show Deep Space Adventure. The show was at full capacity, so the staff seated our group first so that we’d be able to stay together. I appreciated that, as it might have otherwise been difficult to find everyone again afterward. The show was very beautiful, and the new theatre reminded me of seeing IMAX scientific shows on school field trips, something I always enjoyed.

When we regrouped after the show was over, it was time for tea. When the organizer had called about group information for the planetarium, she discovered that the location offered afternoon tea (mistakenly called “high tea” as nearly every place does…) for groups at a reasonable cost. When she asked the rest of the community about their interest in having tea at the planetarium, the majority of us said yes. As a whole, the lolita in my area seem to have a weakness for formal tea services. (I’m certainly not complaining, for I do, too!)

The tray of sandwiches and baked goods that began the tea service was very nicely arranged on the small tables. I think tea trays can make almost anything look more elegant.
The tea service at the planetarium was fairly nice~ It wasn’t anything mind-blowing, but it was still fun and quite tasty. It began with an assortment of sandwiches, scones, and muffins. When that course was finished they brought out small desserts–squares of layered cookie bars and cookies. The tea was bagged tea from a decent company, with coffee as an option for those who didn’t care for tea. I think most of us were just happy to having something to eat while sitting in a room with a gorgeous view of the skyline.

The cafeteria area, where the tea was served in a roped-off section, jutted out into Lake Michigan and faced the skyline. The walls were glass, with shades that filtered out some of the light without interfering too much with the view. The day was very clear, so the effect was really lovely. There were even large stationary binoculars that you could use to get a closer look at the sights beyond the windows.

Before sitting down to tea we took some group pictures outside. The sun was too bright for me, so as soon as someone suggested it I donned my sunglasses. Everyone soon opted to salute–if only because it shielded your eyes from the glare! (It seems like this is becoming a local trend. I wasn’t at the large meetup this past weekend, but the pictures I’ve seen show lots of saluting even though everyone is indoors.)

It was amazing to have such nice turnout for this! I love getting to see everyone~
I can’t wait to see everyone again at the next event~ I always love things like this. Museums are pricey, so we don’t often opt to go to them, but I think I enjoy exploring them more this way–with frilly friends! ♥

Update: Lolita Not Dead

August 17, 2011May 19, 2015 by alice ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

With much guiltiness I return to posting here; if I had a tail it would be between my legs like a scolded puppy, despite the fact that I haven’t actually been scolded. I’ve been really terrible about maintaining any kind of schedule of posts this year, despite the fact that I really like writing here. I was posting less frequently because my program was coming to a close, and I needed to focus on my schoolwork before May. When that term came to a close, though, I wasn’t particularly busy with anything, but I didn’t start posting again even though I thought about it a few times.

The truth is that I’ve been somewhat confused about how my relationship to lolita fashion may change; in some ways I’m concerned that I’m getting “too old” for it, although I’d prefer there to be no upper limit on age. I’ve been trying to focus on how it may have an impact on my career. Additionally, I’ve just been somewhat unlucky when it comes to the interactions of random strangers, to the point where I’ve been questioning whether I really want to wear that frilly dress or if it would be easier to just blend in.

I’d like to think that I have more self-confidence than that, but it’s hard to always be so visible. Although wearing lolita fashion gets easier with experience and frequency, there are still moments when you get reminded how difficult it can be to stand out. Rude or threatening comments are inexcusable regardless of what you are wearing, but if you know that you caught someone’s attention because of how you are dressed, you can start to think that if you looked “normal” it wouldn’t have happened.

I haven’t loved lolita fashion any less. It’s still my number one interest, something I hope I can always be a part of, and an important part of my life. I haven’t stopped going to meetups or seeing my friends, but I will admit that I’ve likely gone to fewer of them. I still have worn my favourite clothes…but not as frequently as before. I follow the communities that I’ve always followed, but I haven’t commented very much. I’ve been worried that, for a myriad of reasons, I should be less of a lolita.

Due to that, I’ve been putting off updating, which really wasn’t much of a solution. It certainly didn’t make me feel any better, and it absolutely wasn’t something that I wanted to do. I don’t want to wear lolita any less or have lolita relegated to a lesser position in my life.

So I’m not going to. ♥

For a while I’ll be making my way through a backlog of events, outfits, and other thoughts, so there will be activity in the near future as I do so.

I’m back, and I’ll try not to disappear again~ ♥

Outfit Snap: A Cupcake-ful Weekend

April 3, 2011May 19, 2015 by alice ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I’ve been really lazy about posting these, so I’m going to start with the most recent and slooooowly work my way backwards. Hopefully at some point I’ll catch up! ☆

Normally I’m the sort of person who doesn’t put too much thought into her outfit. I’m not saying that I just throw on anything that’s clean–although that is sometimes tempting–but I know a few girls who spend hours or even days agonizing over which blouse is better than the other blouse, and how many rings is too many rings, or whether or not to wear the beautiful but horribly uncomfortable shoes. I am not one of those girls. I tend to pull out a few garments that caught my eye that morning, and the first outfit to match is the winner. When I know I’ll be spending time with others, particularly people whose company I particularly enjoy, I’ll give some extra consideration. I intended to so on Friday, because I knew I’d be seeing some friends.

I didn’t remember to take a picture until it was quite late and totally dark outside! Argh!

However, that didn’t work out the way I had imagined, because I had an appointment that morning to get my hair trimmed (the last one before my favourite stylist graduates… ;_; ) and miscalculated the time it would take me to wash some dishes. I flew out of the house in a hurry; so much for adding some extra consideration! u_u

I wore my pink Angelic☆School jumperskirt with a white short-sleeved blouse and a pink cardigan. The fabric of this jumperskirt is actually a very vibrant pink. It doesn’t necessarily look like it at first glance due to the striping, but the pink is very bright. I happen to have a cardigan that is also unusually bright–and thus exactly the same shade of pink–so I wore them together. I tend to prefer pairing short-sleeved blouses and cardigans rather than wearing long-sleeved blouses when the weather is chilly but not very cold, because I always seem to be doing something stupid that puts my shirt cuffs in danger of being stained. It’s easier for me to push up the sleeves of a cardigan.

I try to adjust the colours of indoor pictures to compensate for the yellow cast, but it’s so intense that I can never seem to get the colours balanced properly.

I pulled my hair back into pigtails for a few reasons. It’s one of the quickest styles that I can manage. It’s also helpful for my hair to be pulled back when I have my fringe trimmed. When my hair dries it tends to permanently affix itself in whatever style it decided to be in, so trying to part my fringe away from the rest of my hair can be quite an ordeal! It’s so nice to be able to see without having rogue longer hairs poking me in the eyes~

During the day I wore my newest pair of shoes, which I am head-over-heels in love with~ ♥ I didn’t want to wear them on the carpeting, though–it was very drizzling rain on-and-off all day, so they were wet and dirty on the bottoms after walking around outside. (I wanted to wear the new shoes so intensely that I went without rainboots, even though that would have been much more practical.)

One of my friends took this picture when we were at the cupcake shop. I was so happy that it was a mostly sunny day, despite the rain. (This photo borrowed from a friend’s Flickr~ ♥)

I intended to paint my nails that morning, but ran out of time. I feel so embarrassed that the polish is so clearly on its last leg. I like to paint my nails regularly, since nail polish is one of the few cosmetics that I am not allergic to, but I often pick colours that don’t match my clothes at all! (It’s just too much fun to try something new~)

The wind was really intense! My hair was waving around like a banner, although thankfully it wasn’t being pushed in my face.

The next day I didn’t have any real plans, so I did some cleaning around the house, dressed up, and enjoyed tea sitting near the front window. The sunlight was very nice~ It was a cloudy day, so the light intensified or faded regularly with the movement of the clouds, but I’ve always been a fan of that sort of day. I have my fingers crossed that it will feel like spring soon! It’s still quite cold on most days, although the weather on Saturday was balmy by comparison.

My husband called later on in the afternoon to let me know that he’d be home an hour early, and I was very happy to spend the rest of the day with him. ♥ We went out for cupcakes. (The cupcake shop’s worker remembered me from the day before… It’s hard to be sneaky when you are very pink.)

I decided to wear this short-sleeved dress to take advantage of the warmth, although I still needed a coat. I didn’t realize until after I got home that polka dots are the April theme for EGL. I love polka dots! I feel like I’ve participated at least a little bit~

This time I stood in the shade, because the sunlight was pretty intense. The last time I stood in the full sunlight it really washed me out, and the shadow from my made my eyes seem like black pits! (It was scary.)

I contemplated wearing the choker in my hair as a very thin headdress, but I don’t think it’s quite long enough. Instead I settled for wearing the choker as a choker and putting a white bow in my hair. I have some polka dot hair accessories made of matching fabric, but my husband likes it when I leave my hair down.

It doesn’t show up very well in the pictures, but my tights are polka dotted as well! I was so happy when a friend told me where to find polka dot tights. They’re so cute! ♥ The shoes are my new beloved shoes. They look almost identical to another pair of shoes that I’ve owned forever, but I’m boring enough that having another pair of shoes that so closely matches other shoes that I love is awesome to me!

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful weekend~ ♥

Meetup Report: Formal Tea

April 2, 2011May 19, 2015 by alice ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Whoops! It’s been a while~ My school and my job appear to have been conspiring to keep me quite busy, and whenever I have some free time I cannot put down Pokémon White! (I’ve literally spent hours wandering around Route 6 trying to catch Emolga. I haven’t even seen one. My husband thought I was being overdramatic until he tried to help me. After fighting the tenth Audino, he exclaimed, “Alice, what have you done to piss off Emolga?!?!” I’ve logged seven more hours of gameplay than he has, most of those hunting for that flying electric squirrel.)

I’m sure it’s already very apparent that I looooooove tea. I don’t just like buying and drinking tea, but I also like going to other locations to partake of tea–particularly afternoon tea. (Afternoon tea is often called “high tea,” which is incorrect. High tea is an early dinner with meats, cheeses, and breads. Afternoon tea is an late snack with daintier fare and pastries.) I particularly enjoy afternoon tea at fancy hotels. They have such wonderful ambiance; I adore the beautiful settings and china. There are several hotels in the city that offer afternoon tea, all for roughly the same cost, and this time I opted for The Drake.

The enormous bouquet at the hotel’s entrance was so beautiful that I thought it had to be fake until I saw someone water it and trim off a few wilting blossoms!

The lolita community in my area tends to prefer long meetups–rarely does anyone really want to say goodbye. The reservation was made for the earliest available time; it wasn’t a very “authentic” time for afternoon tea, but it gave us the most time to sit around, chit-chat, and enjoy each other’s company. (We probably would have stayed even longer if the hotel hadn’t needed that area for another large party.)

Everyone assembled right on time~ Several girls came into the city from suburbs or other more distant areas, so they were early thanks to the train schedule. I was quite happy that no-one was lost on their way to the hotel! I tried to arrive early, but I was actually one of the later guests to arrive. I didn’t even realize it until someone came and told me, as I had been waiting by the door so I could spot people coming in from outside, while those who were already there were waiting in the lobby.

One of the things I particularly enjoy about the Drake is that they have a large complimentary coat check situated conveniently near their Palm Court, where the tea is served. It was so much nicer to have everyone’s heavy winter things and large bags checked rather than piled up at the table with us. (Especially for me–I move around too much and I’m always knocking my coat off the back of my chair and onto the floor! It’s safer when kept out of my way.)

I like the china at the Drake–the design is very classic.

Everyone ordered their tea individually, and thankfully the list of available teas was long enough to allow everyone a choice of something they’d prefer. I chose Pear Caramel, which I really enjoyed~ It had a strong pear taste with a smooth sweet note of the caramel, backed by a rich black tea blend. It thought it went quite nicely with scones and desserts, and it wasn’t overpowering with the savory sandwiches.

I think tea-trays are so pretty and elegant! If I had more kitchen storage I would own one for my own use.

The full service consisted of scones and banana bread on the bottom tier, a selection of tea sandwiches on the middle, and an assortment of miniature desserts on the top. The sandwiches were very good–I particularly enjoyed the pear and watercress with bleu cheese mousse even though I normally dislike bleu cheese. I also rather like that the Drake doesn’t only serve scones, but also fruit bread. The miniature desserts were adorable–there were miniature tarts, cheesecakes, cakes, and (my favourite) cream puff swans~ ♥

There was plenty of food, which I was thankful for. Afternoon tea is supposed to prevent that “sinking feeling,” not make you wish you had something else to snack on. (Aaaaaand I was able to sneak a few more abandoned desserts and scones after everyone left the table to take pictures. Waste not want not, right?) One member of the party arrived after we had already been served, and our waiter re-appeared shortly with another plate of offerings so that she would have the full menu of options. I thought that was very good service.

I wish this hadn’t been so blurry, but my camera doesn’t respond well to low light. It’s very old and quite finicky.

As the tea came to a conclusion, most of the group went into the lobby to take pictures. I didn’t get to take many pictures of everyone at this point–I stayed at the table because I was paying the bill; I didn’t want the hotel to think I had disappeared. I did hop over after settling, but I was too distracted talking to people I hadn’t sat near to really be that interested in pictures.

Soon it was time to part ways. Several girls headed out to catch their trains back home or hurry off to meet other obligations. I originally planned to head home, but I was having a nice time with everyone. A group decided to go to a vintage fair in a different part of the city, and I was easily persuaded when I realized it was near an ice-cream shop that I adore. (I’m unable to resist the siren’s song of sweets…even if I’ve just had some. u_u)

I thought this picture was very neat–it’s a reflection in the train’s window.

So we hopped onto the bus (after giving brief directions to others who would be meeting us via car) and headed over. It’s always amusing to travel on public transportation with several lolita. Everyone on the bus was very confused, and everyone on the L was very suspicious. No-one was brave enough to talk to us on that trip, not even to ask if we were in a play or crack a “Little Bo Peep” comment.

It was fun to browse through everything at the market, even though I don’t know much about vintage and wasn’t really looking for anything in particular.

The vintage fair was upstairs in a large area above a furniture store. It was filled with lots of different people selling clothing and accessories. One of my friends knows some of the sellers, so she had suggested that we stop by. Most of the sellers were in awe of seeing a bunch of girls all dressed up like we were, and lots of cameras were brandished and pictures snapped. It was fun~

I spent some time running up and down the stairs to try and find the others that were driving to the area. When I finally headed back upstairs with them and was looking around again, a stranger tapped me on the shoulder. She told me that she had seen me around and followed me “like the white rabbit” into the sale. I always think it is neat when random people comment that they have seen me elsewhere in the city. I’m sure it’s kinda confusing to see me once, but I wonder what they think when they notice that the girl in weird clothing wasn’t a one-time occurrence.

This is a shot of the mixers as they prepare the ice cream! The billowing fog is from the liquid nitrogen.

When we were done with the vintage sale, we headed over to iCream. It is an ice cream shop that makes your ice cream from scratch while you wait. When you order, you select the type of milk you want used, pick your flavour(s), colour, and any mix-ins or toppings. Then, the liquid mixture is added to a standing mixer that automatically dispenses a quantity of liquid nitrogen to insta-freeze the milk into ice cream. I like to call it “science ice cream,” and I think it is amazingly fun to watch!

Everyone who ordered chose a very interesting and personalized combination of flavours and colours. I’m predictable and unimaginative, so mine was pink cake ice cream topped with rainbow sprinkles~ ♥ It was wonderful. I’ve tried quite a few combinations at their shop, and I think some of the flavours are not very accurate,
but the cake flavour really does taste like cake. Mmm, cake~ ♥

The front of the shop was very full of lolita trying crazy ice cream. (There were other people behind the girl with my camera–there were maybe ten in our group, total.)

After that it was getting late and time to head home. I was really sleepy when I got back to my house, but I was also very happy to enjoy such a wonderful day. I’m hoping to organize another formal tea later in the year–maybe it will be even better!

Meetup Report: Hearts All Around

March 3, 2011May 19, 2015 by alice ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

The weekend after Valentine’s Day, I attended a themed party~ I was very excited about this, because I really love Valentine’s Day not just as a time for romance but as a reason to remind friends that you care. A friend of mine felt similarly, so she decided to host a meetup with that theme. I really wanted to attend, so I cleared my calendar and made travel plans.

Although generally I love being a city-dweller, this becomes an issue very quickly if I would like to actually leave my city. I don’t own a car or have one nearby to borrow. (And car-sharing services are not quite in my budget for meetups–most are $10 per hour on weekends or $80 for the entire day…a fee I’d rather avoid.) There are commuter trains that run to most suburbs, but the schedule is entirely dependent on which station you’re arriving at. I also have to travel to the downtown hub to take these trains, and that is sometimes a long trip in and of itself. Also, the stations are usually centered in the downtown area of the various suburbs, which are often not near where the meetup is actually going on–and it usually isn’t a walkable distance. This time it worked out well because my friend was kind enough to pick me up from the station.

The table in the living room was originally decorated very carefully with candy, but soon was overrun with sweets, ponies, and magazines.

I arrived early, planning to help set up, but everything was almost perfect when I arrived! It was clear that the hostess was very excited and enthusiastic about her party. Everything in her home was decorated with hearts, red, pink, and candies. It didn’t take long for guests to start arriving, and soon the house will filled with cheerful lolita and the myriad of dishes they brought with them. We started to get creative to figure out where to put everything!

In my area, we are big fans of potluck-type events. It’s just so convenient!

I had brought tea, but didn’t realize until I was at her house that she didn’t own a teapot bigger than a one-person serving, so the tea-making had to be done on a case-by-case basis. I was thankful that most people were in the mood for water or soda instead~

The hostess had invited a photographer to the event. He was interested in photographing lolita fashion and wanted to know more about it, so he arranged with my friend to take pictures for free to learn more. He set up his equipment outside, and during the course of the party guests had the opportunity to have their picture taken. It was kinda fun, but the reflector was blindingly bright! I make a terrible model–I never know how to pose and I blink constantly–but he took some really lovely photos of my friends.

Everyone tried to have at least a little bit of pink or red in her outfit, to keep with the theme!

I really love meetups of any kind where I have plenty of opportunity to talk to everyone~ I get very excited to see my friends, and I love to meet new girls as well! There always seems to be someone who has just gathered the courage to attend their first meetup or recently discovered the fashion and didn’t even know there was a local community until just now!

These two girls were very sweet! I enjoyed meeting so many new faces~

I cannot stress enough how much I love my local community. I know that not every lolita feels the same about the other lolita in her area, but I really enjoy spending time with everyone that I’ve met here. ♥ They’re all very sweet people.

Sometimes I think there must be something slightly irresistable about crayon fumes, because even people who start off saying, “Pssh, colouring? No way!” wind up taking a chance at proving their crayon-based artistry.

We mostly talked and got to know each other at the party. There were quite a few people who didn’t know each other. I felt particularly out of the loop because there were several girls who lived in the suburbs and only attend meetups in the suburbs, so I hadn’t met them before because I rarely get the chance to leave the city. I hope that I can make it to more meetups where I will see them again~ (And maybe they’ll come to the city once in a while!)

This is my half-crazed “OH MY GOODNESS IT’S A CUDDLY UNICORN” face.

Besides meeting other lolita, I also met the prince of my dreams–Bubbles the unicorn. He belongs to a friend, and ever since I saw the unicorn in pictures I knew that I wanted to love it and cuddle it and keep it forever. I can’t obviously do that, because it doesn’t belong to me, but she was kind enough to bring him to the party and let me carry her plush purse around. I could not get enough of that unicorn–probably pretty obvious, since I keep talking about it. Unicorn of awesomeness.

Eventually everyone started playing Rock Band and decided to order pizza, but I couldn’t stay quite that long–the trains back into the city only ran every two hours. (I worked the next day, so I didn’t want to be out very late.) Although I did miss out on some of the fun, I’m sure, I really enjoyed the time that I spent with everyone!

I love taking pictures of plush animals–they’re so cute~

In fact, my usakumya friend, Rose, had so much fun that she stayed at the party without me! Too bad she couldn’t catch the train home on her own!

Update: Tumblrin’

March 2, 2011May 19, 2015 by alice ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

EDIT: I’m still too out-of-touch to really understand Tumblr, at least in the extent that most people seem to be using it right now. I stopped using the Tumblr mentioned in this post, but I have found a use for it that suits me pretty well–I’m trying to take a picture every day this year, and so I’m collecting them on Tumbrl~

I just wanted to share that I’ve jointed Tumblr~

I tried it before, but my issue with the service itself has always been that promotes an atmosphere of uncredited sources. It seems to me that most people are posting and re-posting images and other content that is not their own and that they don’t link back to the source. I think that people have a right to their creative property, and when I see something that piques my interest I want to know who made it. Tumblr does provide a field for source, but it is inconsistently used–most people don’t really care. I know that if someone were re-posting my photos, writing, drawings, or anything else that I’ve made, I’d be flattered that they liked it so much, but also disappointed if they didn’t note somewhere that it wasn’t created by them. I try to extend the same courtesy.

One of the reasons I re-joined, however, was that I realized that this would be a suitable place to share pictures or sketches. I tend to doodle on any available paper, and although I don’t usually turn any of these drawings into “finished art,” it always makes me a little bit sad when I toss them away. My phone has a camera, but it isn’t a very good one, and while the pictures it takes aren’t something I want to add to Flickr, they aren’t completely terrible. Sometimes.

I haven’t really decided what I plan to share on, but I’ve been amusing myself using it as place to collect pictures and links related to lolita fashion, pokémon, knitting, and other things that catch my attention~ You can expect a lot of pokémon at the moment, because Pokémon Black and Pokémon White come out in only 4 days! I am so excited~ ♥ I’ve already fallen hopelessly in love with Minccino (Chillarmy). I can’t wait to add one to my team~ ♥

Do you use Tumblr? What do you use it for? How do you think it ought to be used? I’m very curious! ♥

Original image is from Shabby Blogs.

Outfit Snap: Be My Valentine

March 1, 2011May 19, 2015 by alice ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

The weekend after Valentine’s Day I attended a related meetup with my friends. It was scheduled so as not to conflict with the holiday, and was intended to be a fun and frilly time to spend with friends.

I wanted to wear something that was pink and red, but I didn’t want to wear my “token” red jumperskirt again so soon. My husband suggested Cherry Berry Bunny, and even though that has nothing to do with Valentine’s Day… I agreed. My love of pink and bunnies will always win out. At least some of the Valentine-y colours are present on this dress!

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This picture is one of Soy’s pictures from the event.

It was veeeeeeery cold that day, so I wore tights beneath my knee socks. It is a bit of a trip for me to head to my friend’s house where the party was being held, so I didn’t want to freeze to death en route! I wore a long-sleeved blouse so that I could layer a long-sleeved thermal top underneath it.

I originally wrapped my pigtails in buns so that they wouldn’t get in my way during my travels or be whipped around by the wind, but I never actually remembered to unpin them during the party. Whoops! I think they seem a bit dwarfed by the hairbow, but at least I have a substantial amount of hair to try and fight back.

I could not keep my hot little hands off that unicorn.

While wearing one of my favourite outfits, I met the prince of my dreams! Bubbles is another friend’s stuffed unicorn purse, made by Pink Macaroon. I love the design of the purse in general, and Bubbles is made of wonderfully soft and thick faux fur with a shimmery horn and shimmery hooves. (I’m not sure if my friend considers Bubbles a boy or a girl unicorn, but I tend to interpret most plush toys as boys.)

She was so very nice to let me pal around with her purse all day~ ♥ I’d love to have one of my own–a Bubbles clone, if you will.

Bubbles the unicorn, prince of my heart! (My husband was concerned to hear me speak this way until he saw a picture of his “rival.”)

I’ll share a bit more about the meetup itself very soon! ♥ It was lots of fun and I met so many lolita I hadn’t know before~

Meetup Report: Parade in Chinatown

February 26, 2011May 19, 2015 by alice ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I’ve made an effort to attend the Chinese New Year parade for several years now. It’s always bone-chillingly cold, most of the floats are sponsored by various political representatives, and the crowds can be overwhelming, but I still really like it. When another lolita posted about arranging a meetup for the parade, I was very excited! Plans were made to gather in Chinatown, watch the parade, head to a restaurant, and maybe do some shopping in the area.

We started gathering together about a half-hour or so before the parade. I arrived as early as I could manage, so that I could spot anyone who might be lost. On my way to the meeting spot, a car that was waiting in line to park in one of the lots rolled down the windows, and the passengers waved and called out to me. Normally that sort of behaviour is the sort of thing I ignore, but I noticed that although I didn’t recognize the occupants it seemed that at least one of them was wearing a headdress. I wound up meeting both of those girls later, when they finally found the group after parking their car.

I was glad that I asked the photographer to take a picture for me–he really got a nice and clear image, even though my camera isn’t the best.

I stood in the snow for a while, and found out that I can actually knit while wearing gloves if I am determined enough. I put that aside when the first attendees arrived. While we talked, a gentleman with an unusual camera came over and started to take pictures, sprawling himself into all sorts of crazy poses and making comments like, “Beautiful, girls–fantastic!” as if he were conducting a photoshoot. He was nice enough to take a picture using my camera, too. (I think that’s only fair, considering that we let him take pictures of us.)

Slowly more and more lolita arrived. The original organizer was unable to make it to the event, so I kept track of everyone on a checklist. A surprising number of people braved the cold to watch the parade! It made me very happy–sometimes I’ve been the only person willing to stick it out, while everyone else seeks shelter in a warmer shop or café.

I had to have someone take a picture of me with one of my favourite-est people ever! 😀

I tried to get pictures of everyone, but as the time for the parade to begin drew closer and closer the sidewalk became more and more crowded. It wasn’t worth it to lose our viewing space right at the front.

Two lovely ladies looking warm and stylish!

One of the things that I particularly enjoy about outdoor winter meetups is seeing how everyone has coordinated themselves. It’s one thing to put together a nice outfit, but another thing to then make that same outfit suitable for several hours standing in the snow. Not everyone owns a specifically “lolita” coat, but everyone still wants to look her best. It was clear that everyone attempted to match accessories, boots, and more without sacrificing utility. Being pretty can be lots of fun, but frostbite is not.

I tried to snap a few pictures of everyone in-between floats and marchers.

Even with all of the layers, coats, thick socks, scarves, boots, and hats, we were very chilly. After a while even the feet of those with the thickest socks and warmest boots were cold enough to be painful, and everyone joked about how what a relief it would be when our feet finally went numb and we wouldn’t notice anymore. Even though it was a joke, it was also very true.

The parasol actually came in handy, which we found very amusing. She was significantly less snow-covered and wet than the rest of us!

I took so many pictures of the parade itself that it would be overwhelming just to pick a few to share here. I have a whole set on Flickr featuring the parade. There were floats from local businesses, groups representing current politicians and political hopefuls, several groups of adorable small children from nearby schools, a few marching bands, and even the the Shannon Rovers, despite there being nothing Irish about the parade. (I’m not complaining, though–I love bagpipes!)

When the parade was ended, we slipped in behind the final group and headed towards the St. Alps Teahouse. Some onlookers believed that we were part of the parade! A few girls, unable to withstand the cold, had headed to the café ahead of the rest of us. They had already gotten a table for a large group, but more lolita had joined us during the course of the parade. It was a bit confusing to get a seat for everyone–particularly because more girls kept arriving once we had reached our destination. The teahouse was very accommodating, but I think that if we go back as a group, I’ll make a reservation. It took a little while to get everyone’s orders and figure out how the checks would be drawn up.

At first some of the members of our group thought the lion was going to use the restroom.

I was very excited when the restaurant was visited by a lion! After the parade, the lions visit the businesses in Chinatown. Each business feeds the lion oranges and lettuce, which it accepts and then throws the greens around the shop. (They’re supposed to be arranged in the shape of an auspicious character, but I haven’t really seen that level of detail.) This is supposed to bring good luck to the business for the upcoming year~ It’s lots of fun to watch–drummers signal the arrival of the lion, it dances around until it is led to the offerings, and then everyone cheers when it accepts them. I have called these beasts dragons, but I know it’s actually a lion–I just can’t shake the impression of it being a dragon!

When we finally parted ways after bubble teas, milk teas, and other fancy beverages were had. (I also ordered “classic toast,” which I love. It’s essentially a very thick piece of toast that is buttered and topped with condensed milk. They offer many types of this toast, but I prefer the condensed milk.) I stopped at a bakery to bring home some cake. My husband had to work and was unable to attend the parade with us, and I thought that delicious cake might be a nice gesture.

Everything looked so beautiful that evening. A fresh layer of snow makes everything prettier~

When I arrived at home the snow had stopped and the sun was setting. After having such a fun time with friends and new friends-to-be, everything seemed very peaceful and lovely~ ♥

Pink ♥ Milk ♥ Tea

May I interest you in one lump or two?