30 Day Lolita Challenge - Day 10

Day 10's prompt is simply "what's in your purse?" I don't take too much along with me to meet-ups or out when I wear lolita, so instead, I think I'll write about what I take with me to cons where I'll be wearing lolita, doing panels, and having fun with friends!

I pretty much always drive to cons. I flew once, and it just wasn't worth it. So first thing is that I don't wear lolita in the car, if I can help it. It's uncomfortable and when driving it can get in the way. I'll just change when I get there. For a three day convention, I usually take at least one skirt, and either one or two jumpers. This is where having continuity in your wardrobe pays off. I can take a blouse and a cutsew, one dress, and one skirt, and I'll have three different outfits. One pair of shoes should work for both, one purse, and my undergarments. Packing lightly is very important, as you'll want to leave plenty of space for souvenirs! For a really big convention, I might take two dresses so that I can make more outfits. For example, I will be attending Otakon for the very first time this year! I'm planning on taking two dresses and perhaps a skirt outfit. I may take three dresses and be done with it, but that's an awful lot to pack.

I always take my comfiest pair of shoes for waiting in lines and walking around the convention. As much as I love my rocking horse shoes, I save those for local meets. If I'm doing a fashion show or a really big panel, then I might wear them, but I change right back after. Parasols are cute, but remember, it's just one more thing to carry around, one more thing to look after, and one more thing to pack back up at the end of the con. You won't need a coat unless you're planning to be outside a lot. The convention hall should be heated. Try to take as few things with you to the actual convention floor as possible, leave the rest in your hotel room or car.

For my make-up I have one set that I take with me. I keep it in my purse so I can touch it up even if I'm not in the hotel room. I keep everything together in a make-up bag. This makes it easy to find and you won't get it mixed up with your roommate's stuff. Nothing is worse than looking for your make-up and finding eyebrow paint for cosplay instead!

Wigs. Ugh, I hate traveling with wigs. I used to be a cosplayer. I quit for many reasons, one of which was that I hate wearing, storing, traveling with, styling, maintaining, and generally caring for wigs. So what did I do? I purchased the brown mix color wig from Gothic and Lolita wigs. It's really cute, but wigs are such a pain. Make sure you take a way of storing it for when you aren't wearing it, a wig head is ideal but they do take up a lot of space in your suitcase. Also make sure to take anything you may need to fix or re-style it. A wig brush, de-tangler, and setting spray are must haves. I didn't take them to my last convention, and it was a bit of a nightmare.

Finally, when you get to the con, make sure to hang up your dresses, skirts, blouses, pants, and/or whatever else you've brought. This prevents wrinkling, and will allow your clothing to air out from the suitcase. Use an iron if you need to, but make sure to check if that will harm your print or lace before hand! Low settings should be fine, but just be careful. It would be terrible to get to the convention, iron your dress, and have it be ruined. Get dressed up and go to the convention!

I've been having really terrible writer's block recently, but I feel like I can write lots more about lolita and conventions. Will anyone reading be at Otakon too? I'm really excited to go, especially now that designers from BABY and Alice and the Pirates will be there! But more on that later. Bye bye for now!

30 Day Lolita Challenge - Day 9

Today is day 9 and the prompt is 10 things you will never do in lolita. I can come up with a huge list, but I'll limit them to the 10 that I like best. The ten weirdest, (hopefully) funniest, and out of the box things I can think of!

1. Eating Ribs

So I was born in Alabama, and my parents are from the south. I spent my summers in the south, two or three weeks at a time. I love ribs, green tomatoes, hushpuppies, anything that isn't an organ meat really. But ribs are really messy and I'd never eat them in lolita!

2. Sledding

When I go sledding I get really cold and wet and I just feel gross. No lolita when I go sledding. Ever.

3. Getting injured

This is more of a hopeful thing! I've fallen off my rocking horse shoes a few times, but that's the extent of my injuries while wearing lolita. Hopefully it stays that way.

4. Cleaning

I know some lifestyle lolitas pull their frilly aprons out and get to work, but nope not me. I put on PJs to clean, it's so much easier. Even at work I go light on the cleaning when I wear lolita. It's too hard and I end up knocking things over with my petticoat when I turn around.

5. Road-tripping

When I went to Ohayocon, I drove the whole way there in casual style and the whole way back in full-blown kuro. There was nothing to be done, our lolita panel was late in the day and we had to leave to go home right after. On the way there, I wanted to take this one skirt with me but it wouldn't fit in my suitcase. So I just wore it. Never again. It was uncomfortable, the skirt made it hard to drive for hours and hours, and overall it just sucked. Avoid it if you can, I know I will be.

6. Working out

Since I swim laps for this, it's a no brainer. But if I did something else, I still wouldn't wear lolita. Eww.

7. Rock climbing

I like to go rock climbing! But not in lolita! Can you imagine wearing lolita and a climbing harness? It wouldn't work at all!

8. Sleeping

It's so uncomfy! And if you have a tulle or net based petticoat you'll end up with net marks from it on your legs. I've fallen asleep in lolita, but I don't make a habit of it. Maybe if it was like a lolita inspired pajama set, but not in a dress. Nope.

9. Cooking or baking

Some people do cook in their lolita! And more power to them. But I make a mess when I cook or bake, and that mess transfers onto my clothes. So I'd rather those clothes be replaceable or washable at least.

10. Walking my dog

If I had a cute little dog, then I'd totally walk it in my lolita. But my dog is a massive 90-lb. Labrador Retriever. You don't walk her, she walks you and you try to keep up! So that's not an activity I want to do in lolita. I love my dog, but she's just too big to walk in lolita.

Some of these are weaker than others, but I stand by them all. Some had good stories, some didn't. I think I'll be posting a coordinate next time, I miss doing those.

30 Day Lolita Challenge - Day 8

Today should be for Day 7, 10 People that Inspire Your Style. But I don't actually have an article for that. There just isn't anyone who inspires my style. I wear what I like, and while sometimes I'll see another lolita who inspires me, but no one person does on a regular basis. So I decided to skip to day 8. Day 8's prompt is 10 songs that inspire you for lolita. Oh no! I don't listen to a lot of music!

1. Sakura Kiss (String Version)

Believe it or not, I played the violin for almost 10 years. I wasn't very good, and by the end I resented the instrument, the teachers, the other players, and pretty much everything. But I still have an appreciation for the sound of an orchestra, and it reminds me of a lot of things, both good memories and bad ones. This version of the Ouran High School Host Club theme is my favorite because it sounds so elegant and refined.

2. Vivace from Piano Concerto in D Major Hob. 18/11 (Haydn)

Another classical piece. One that not many people are familiar with. I'm not sure where I heard this piece. But it's lovely and again elegant and refined. I can imagine sipping tea in a garden in my lolita finest while this piece plays.

3. Chocolat by Kaya

I asked my friend Guy to find me some music for the very first fashion show I ran. The show was a bit of a mess, but this song was perfect. It's upbeat, sweet, and sung by Kaya, who is a visual kei band? singer? This is the only song that I have of his, so I don't really know much about him. Listen to it!

4. The Garden/In the Golden Afternoon from Alice in Wonderland

I would be remiss if I didn't have something from Alice on here. This is my favorite piece from the whole movie. It's so dreamy at first, but then it's broken up when the flowers start singing. However, that's lovely in its own way. I like the way it sounds like the '50s, if that makes any sense. It just sounds vintage and I love that! Plus, I mean, it's Alice. She could be like the mascot for the style.

5. Bad Romance by Lady Gaga

This doesn't inspire my personal style, but it has inspired a coordinate or two. My boyfriend said to me one day "you should make a coordinate and call it Plaid Romance." It was so funny, I couldn't pass it up. So I made it, and it was a blast! This coordinate is also inspired by this song. Funny thing is, I can't stand Lady Gaga. If I had like a sweet-punk style, I think this could fit really nicely.

6. Shy Boy by Secret

Oh do I love this song! I'm not a HUGE K-pop fan but I love this group. This video is so funny and their 50's style outfits are adorable. Their hairstyles are completely OTT (over the top) too! But my favorite part about this video has to be the Korean greasers.

7. The Town With an Ocean View from Kiki's Delivery Service

This is one of my top Miyazaki movies, and I love this theme in it! It sounds like walking down a cobblestone street to go shopping. I like all sorts of songs with this feel to them, maybe it's whatever instrument is used, but I love the sound that it makes. It sounds like a town on the ocean, if that makes any sense whatsoever.

8. A Few of My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music

This movie isn't one of my favorites, but this song is! My mom used to sing it to me when I was little, I think maybe that's why I like it so much. If you remember, Julie Andrews is my Lolita Idol and this is one of my favorite Julie Andrews songs. It could be completely personalized to my favorite things, maybe I'll do that someday.

9. Masquerade from The Phantom of the Opera

I don't have this version, but I couldn't find the one I do have on YouTube. This is my favorite musical, yet I've never seen it live. This scene I believe is the inspiration behind Masquerade Theater! I think it would be fun to have a masked ball for lolitas, maybe that's just me.

And I don't have a tenth song. But still, I did a lot better than I expected. I hope you liked all the youtube videos!

30 Day Lolita Challenge - Day 6

Today's topic is 10 things I can't live without in Lolita. I'm going to try my best to have 10, but I'm not sure I'll be able to get to that many.

1. Concealer and foundation

I consider them essential to daily life, let alone Lolita. Nothing is worse than having your picture taken and your face looks shiny and weird. If you don't want to wear make-up, I get it. But at least the foundation! It has sunscreen in it and a little bit goes a long way. You can't even begin to achieve the doll look without foundation. It comes in powder and in liquid forms, I use liquid. It blends very nicely into the skin making for a very natural look. I also have an under-eye concealer. It has caffeine in it to attempt to correct the dark circles under my eyes. But mostly it covers them up and makes them less noticeable.

2. Bloomers

Many Lolitas these days choose not to wear bloomers. Blasphemy! What would you do if a breeze swept your skirt up and you were exposed? Or if you're at a high up place where people can see you from below? I feel naked without them, I hate to go out without them. I have two pairs, both from In the Starlight.

3. A little pad of cute paper

Huh? What? Why? Having a pad of paper is extremely helpful when someone asks for your email. Or when you meet a particularly interested stranger that wants to know more about the style. Or when someone recommends a great book/movie/blog and you have to write it down. I never take mine out of my purse.

4. Cutsews
I love to wear casual styles to work and school. But I hate wearing blouses! So cutsews are a great alternative.They're comfy and available from lots of stores! I think that as long as it's an appropriate top for lolita (puff sleeves, ruffles, some sort of detailing or print) then it's great for a casual coordinate. I get them from Forever 21 and sometimes even Target. I'm not too picky about people's cutsews having to look a certain way. If it goes with the outfit, it's fine by me.

5. Lolita shoes
I've often expressed my love for lolita specific shoes here. But let me express it again. They are my favorite part of being a lolita. I'll be online for hours putting shoes into virtual shopping carts and dreaming of one day owning them all. The next pair I want to buy is a pair of lavender tea party replicas to match a new skirt that I commissioned from a friend.

6. My Innocent World Parasol
This is by far the best accessory I own. It's my top favorite item in my closet, and I take it to almost every meet-up I go to. It's the Heart Scallop Umbrella in black. The Innocent World name is on there in silver writing. It's beautiful in person and it matches almost everything I own. I was fortunate enough to be able to go to New York City about a year ago and I got to go to the Tokyo Rebel store! But I didn't have enough money for anything super amazing like a dress, this parasol was the top of my budget. I don't regret it even a little, I love this parasol with all my heart.

That's all I can think of. I'm pretty bad at this actually. Prints are great, but I like plain dresses too. I prefer tights, but I'm open to socks. I don't do the whole wig, fake nail, fake eyelash, circle lens thing. I'm pretty easy going about the whole thing I guess. Hopefully the next day post will be better.

30 Day Lolita Challenge - Day 5

I skipped a few days, oops! My sister graduated this past weekend, and I seem to have adopted a kitten, so my life has been really crazy recently. But here I am with day 5 of the 30 Day Lolita Challenge: 10 items from your wish list. Now I have the wish list page here up at the top. So those are my top 5. But I'll put 10 other pieces I want for this post. Again, these aren't in any specific order.

1. Kidsyoyo Fairy Doll JSK

I've loved this dress for ages and ages. It has ruching on the sides that allow the dress to change into something completely different. I adore the grey color too. I think I'd coordinate this with black as the secondary color, but it would also look good with pink I think! It's airy and just gorgeous! It's sold by a taboao company called Kidsyoyo, so it's also affordable. Someday, I'll be able to get it.

2. Infanta Spring Whisper Alice

We've had this discussion before. About how I love this dress and this print better than the original. I love this! It would fit very nicely into my wardrobe. It's so beautiful, and it's sort of a classic/sweet style. This one is also sold by a taobao shop, this time it's Infanta. I plan on ordering this dress as soon as I can, preferably at the same time as I order the one above to save on the shipping.

3. Dear Celine Autumn Poodle

Again, Taobao is my favorite thing. This dress! I want it so much! The fabric has a check pattern and poodles scattered all over it. The grey and black and white is pretty much what I already have here. This is more white/grey than I usually go for, but that's okay. It would look great with either a white or black blouse. I especially love the scalloping and black under layer at the bottom. So sweet! I think this is probably a more bittersweet dress than classic. Ugh, I need this.

4. Bodyline Antique Clock OP

More black, white, and grey! The clock print and the argyle print combined makes the dress so classic and perfect. It's listed under dresses (one pieces), but it's more like a jumper with wide straps. Again, a white or black blouse would be fine here. Too bad this is sold out, or else I would have bought it already! I wish there was a matching bow! I also wish it came in brown and brown, it would be perfect for a steampunk-lolita hybrid. I see this dress happening in my near future.

5. AATP Night Fairy Fantasia

When I saw this dress I fell instantly in love. The pirate ship is such a great motif, yet Alice and the Pirates doesn't use it nearly enough. I can't decide on the color I want, either the navy or the black. I haven't seen the full dress in either color, so I'll have to wait to see. It'll be in stock soon at Tokyo Rebel, I'm thinking I may order it in preparation for Otakon. I also want the bag that they make to go with it, but I may have to wait on that until afterwards.

6. School Bag (any brand or off-brand)

The main problem preventing me from wearing lolita to class as often as I'd like to is that I have to take my books and laptop with me. And my backpack isn't exactly the most adorable thing. So I really want one of these bags made for school books! Most brands make them, and now there are even a few replicas on the market. The problem is the cost. For one of these leather bags, it costs almost $200 USD! I can't spend that on one bag! And the used prices aren't much better, between $150 and $175. Durability is also an issue. I definitely don't want to get this gorgeous bag for an insane price and have it get scuffed and scratched on the bus and in my classes. So I'll probably go replica, off-brand, or get a canvas-type.

7. Angelic Pretty Melty Chocolate

Ah Melty Chocolate. Ever since the replica, you've gone down to a somewhat reasonable price. I contemplated purchasing the replica, but in the end, I think I want the real thing. I have nothing against this replica or many others, but this dress was one of the first I loved when I got back into the fashion. I don't know if I'll ever own it, but it sure is nice to dream. It wouldn't fit into my wardrobe at all, and that's okay. I'd make a whole coordinate around it.

8. Angelic Pretty Whimsical Vanilla-Chan

Vanilla-chan is so cute! It's this little white cat with blue eyes. I like this JSK in the purple and the mint, but purple is really something else. I have a Vanilla-chan look alike ring that I got at Ohayocon. But I haven't had any concrete plans to actually purchase it. Even though it's still available on AP's online shop, I don't think I'll get it anytime soon. Why? Again, I'm primarily a kuro/bittersweet lolita and this is very much not in that area of the spectrum. But maybe someday.

I think that's it. I can't think of anything else I want that isn't on my wish list page. They all ended up being jumper skirts, something I wasn't really expecting. But over half this list is made up of off-brand items, making it a rather affordable wish list! Do you want any of these items? Better yet, do you own any of them? Thanks for reading!

30 Day Lolita Challenge - Day 4

Alright, challenge day 4. I know it's been a few days since the last one, but my goal is just to complete the list, not necessarily in 30 consecutive days. Today's challenge, 10 foods I like. I'm not sure what this has to do with lolita really, but sure, we'll go with this. These are in no particular order.

1. Berries of all kinds

I love berries! They're one of my favorite things about summer! My favorites are blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries. My mom actually planted me some berry bushes in the back yard a couple years ago. We get so many tasty berries all summer long. We make pies, jam, and just eat them plain. I especially like blueberries and granola in vanilla yogurt for breakfast.

2. Mussels + Fries

Whaaat? Mussels and french fries?? You must be crazy! WRONG! This is absolutely delicious. It's a popular dish in Belgium. The mussels are really fresh and surprisingly meaty tasting. The fries are twice fried and served with basil mayo. The mussels are available in three different sauces, classic white wine (my favorite), red curry (my sister's favorite), and tomato fennel (it was okay). Then there's plenty of crusty french bread to get all the yummy white wine broth up. YUM.

3. Sushi

Aww yeah, sushi! In addition to running lolita events and panels at cons, my boyfriend and I do

a popular Japanese food panel at our local cons. Sushi is one of my top comfort foods. Whenever I feel sad, I want to eat it and it cheers me up. Not typical, yes. But very tasty. My favorite is salmon, I don't like tuna, eel, or octopus. I actually don't eat anything with a tentacle period. Funny story: when I was in Japan, my host family took my house mate and I out for sushi the first full day we were there. They didn't speak any English, and my house mate didn't know the names of fishes in Japanese. I made sure to learn the good ones before I left, but I was so exhausted, all I could remember was "kappa maki" (cucumber roll). My host family made fun of me the whole time I was there for ordering that.

4. Ice Cream

Ice cream has to be one of my favorite desserts. Nothing beats an ice cream cone on a hot day. Recently, a new ice cream shop opened up near my apartment. They make the absolute best nutella gelato. It's my current favorite. I also like gold metal ribbon (from Baskin Robbins), banana, cake batter, and plain old vanilla.

5. Mille Crepe

This dessert is so cool! It's made by layering thin, buttery crepes with cream and strawberries. You stack and stack and stack and then it turns into this cake thing. You think "ha! I can do that" but it's hard to make 20 crepes the same size, cooked to the same done-ness. If they aren't, the texture of the cake will be all wrong. I found out about this dessert from an anime, Yumeiro Patissere. I wanted one, but I couldn't find one in my town. Then, I went to NYC last summer. You can find pretty much anything there, and sure enough, I got to try it. So so yummy! You can actually mail order them from Lady M Confections in NYC.

6. Crab Burger

Another weird one! It's like an extra thick crab cake that's cooked and then put on a bun. I like to get avocado, arugula, and garlic mayo on mine. It's a really different burger to get. I don't like meat too much, so this is a great alternative. I do eat regular burgers from time to time, but I love me some crab burger. The crab is creamy and, well, crabby. The outside is crispy. The avocado is creamy and fresh, and the arugula is peppery and earthy. If you can get one in your area, you have to try it!

7. My mom's mac & cheese

So my mom is pretty awesome. Not only is she fun, plays video games, and is really nice to everybody (unless you make her mad, like the lady in the grocery store), but she's also a crazy good cook. She made pasta from scratch the other night!! She can bake, cook, make bread, she's made ice cream, but my favorite thing she makes is mac and cheese. She uses three or four different types of cheese, and some smokey paprika. Then she puts bread crumbs on it and bakes it. It's melty and cheesy and smokey, oh so tasty!

8. Curry

My mom also makes curry. Curry is the best thing to eat when you're sick. It's spicy and warm, which soothes a sore throat. The spicy clears your sinuses. At least that's me. Chicken curry is my favorite. Curry comes in all sorts of forms, Indian, Japanese, Thai, Pakistani, the list goes on. I love Japanese curry with potatoes over rice, but I also love Indian curry with cauliflower and potatoes. I also love Thai curry with chicken and pineapples. I'm so torn between them all, they're all so tasty. The picture is of Japanese curry rice. I know it looks sort of... off, but trust me, it's delicious.

9. Pulled Pork BBQ

Ah, my southern roots show. I was born in Alabama, and both my parents grew up in the south. As a result, their families live down there and my childhood summers were spent road tripping from PA to Florida. On the way, we'd stop at this place, Sonny's BBQ, without fail. I love pulled pork, ribs, cole slaw, hush puppies, fried green tomatoes, the whole shabang. Now, we stop sometimes at Sonny's, and now there's Rib Country in my life. Oh how I miss it.

10. Meat Pizza

This is not your average meat pizza. This pizza has prosciutto on it, the king of all meat. It's covered in this salty prosciutto, with shaved parmesan which is creamy and salty. Then it's topped with fresh arugula. It's a white pizza, so it's not got any tomato sauce on it. It is so so good! The crust is thin and crispy, and there's good olive oil and garlic on there too. Best. Pizza. Ever.

I'm not sure what this really had to do with lolita, but it's sure been fun writing about my favorite foods. I'm quite passionate about cooking and quality foods. In fact, I almost decided to write a food blog. I'd love to go to pastry school and learn to make all the most amazing cakes and baked goods. Writing this made me so hungry though. What's your favorite food? Does it have anything to do with lolita fashion? I hope to get lots of comments about your favorite foods!

30 Day Lolita Challenge - Day 3

WARNING! This post contains my honest opinions! If you are someone that takes offense to things easily, this is not the post for you!

I should have combined days two and three together. That would have made for a much longer post. But I didn't and so now they'll have to be separate. Do you like the new banner? If you want to make a 30 Day challenge banner and see it here, you can email me the file at theelegantwardrobe@gmail.com and I'll use it!

10 Things I Hate About Lolita

1. The word "burando." - All I can think of is Marlin Brando (the actor). This was captured perfectly in an image I saw once. I think the word is kind of stupid, just call it brand.

2. Angelic Pretty "Clones." - I think hate is a pretty strong word for this one. It's not that I hate that they exist, I just would like to see them have more variety in their outfits! They are lovely girls, they should show that off instead of trying to all look exactly the same.

3. Wigs - They're itchy, even the good ones. I own one wig, and I don't plan to ever buy another one.

4. Poorly maintained wigs - More and more I see girls with what must have been expensive wigs and they're tangled, sliding off their heads, and generally disheveled. This to me is equivalent to not wearing a petticoat or showing up with wet hair.

5. The term "fatty-chan" and any other term like it - How would you like to be called something like that? I don't care what you look like, it's exceedingly immature. Leave the name calling to the grade schoolers.

6. People that bash Bodyline, F+F, homemade, off-brand, etc. -

These are all viable options for obtaining lolita outfits. Just because they aren't made by the most popular companies or may be flawed doesn't mean they aren't beautiful.

7. Vice versa. People that bash others for wearing only brand or mostly brand - Why can't we all just get along? So what if some people prefer to buy the expensive brand clothes. It's their money and their preference. It's only affecting their life, not yours.

8. Saying that so and so can't be a lolita because of the color of their skin or their religious beliefs and practices. Come on guys, really.

9. The price. Ugh, it sucks! I have zero sewing skills when it comes to human-sized clothing. And now with shipping costs rising, even shops like Bodyline aren't as affordable as they used to be. I've bought pretty much every piece in my wardrobe second hand. I work two jobs, but I

use most of the money I make on things such as rent and food and gas.

10. How most of the community is LJ based - I'm not so great with Livejournal. I've been usingit a year and a half now and I'm just starting to get the hang of it. Maybe because I'd never used a site like that one, but it has been hard to pick it up. I wish it was more of a traditional forum. But it would have to be massive.

There you have it! 10 things that I dislike about lolita fashion. I could probably come up with more. For a fashion full of love and lovely things, there sure is a lot of hate in the community and between members of it. I'm no exception, I just think that if we all followed the golden rule, then the community would be a slightly better place.

30 Day Lolita Challenge - Day 2

Alright, day 2. Two days in a row! 10 things I love about lolita, go!

1. Colors! Whether they're in prints, solid dresses, just in the accessories, I love seeing so many colors! Which is odd since I'm a kuro lolita.

2. I love how everyone has their own spin on their coordinates. There aren't two people that look quite exactly the same ever. At least around here that doesn't happen. I have seen Angelic Pretty clones in pictures only, never in real life.

3. Twirling around in a skirt or dress. It never ever gets old and isn't fun anymore. Never ever.

4. Having tea. I hadn't been to a tea party before about a year and a half ago and now I'maddicted! We have tea every four months or so here. It's really broadened my horizons as far as types of tea and sandwiches. Plus it's quite a lovely activity to participate in.

5. Bloomers! I sleep in mine. They're so comfy!

6. The friends I've made through the fashion. Not only have I made a lot of friends locally, but I made some when I was in Japan two years ago and in NYC a year ago.

7. SHOES! I love lolita shoes. I know I've mentioned this a few times before.

8. The cute jewelry! I love it! Even though I only own one kitty ring.

9. Dressing my doll(s) in the fashion too! I find so many doll dresses that I want to have in my size! Some day, I will get matching outfits and we will twin and it will be adorable.

10. When I wear lolita, I feel really beautiful. Which is not an everyday sort of feeling for me. And it's really a nice one.

So are you enjoying the 30 Day Lolita Challenge? I think I am. Today ended up being kind of short though... which is disappointing. I hope I can keep it up!

30 Days Lolita Challenge! Day 1

Since I've been stuck in a blogging rut recently, I decided to try this 30 days meme that's been circulating around the community recently. I believe it was Kris at Sweet Lolita On-the-Go that started this meme, at least that's where I saw it. So I'm going to try it out and see how far I get. I probably won't post one every day, but it'll be great inspiration for new posts.

Day 1 - 10 things about your lolita bubble

I'm not all too sure what this actually means. Does it mean my local group, my personal lolita experiences, or what?

1. For me, lolita has been a on again off again thing. I first got into the fashion when I was in 7th grade, got my first proper pieces in 9th, and then I sort of dropped out of the style. After I graduated high school, I went to study abroad in Japan and fell in love with the style again. Ever since I've been a proper lolita going to meet-ups and stuff.

2. I love the rules. A lot of lolitas these days are all like "screw the rules and be creative." I think that that can be one approach to lolita and some of my polyvore coordinates take that a bit more to heart. But for what I actually wear, I go traditional all the way. It can be boiling outside and I'll show up in a blouse and bloomers.

3. Mana. Eh. I'm not a Mana fan girl. So many people are, I don't really get his whole draw. I like his brand, I like his music, I'm just not a big Mana fan.

4. My local community is pretty darn awesome. We've had our share of problems. But I think we've been heading in a positive direction now. I've been a moderator there for about six months, and so far it's been crazy fun.

5. I love running lolita fashion shows! I've done two now, each one has been an extremely stressful experience. Somehow I manage to be extremely stressed and having the time of my life. It's a good 50 hours of pre-con work, and this past con I was so stressed I threw up. But that's probably my favorite part of being a lolita and I wouldn't give it up for the world. I'll probably be writing a whole article about my experiences with this at some point.

6. I think I'm a kuro lolita with a color problem. It's so strange because I really love colors and my apartment is just covered in scraps of colorful fabric. But I wear kuro lolita. It's quite odd to me.

7. I LOVE SHOES. I never really was a shoe girl until I got into lolita. Now, I've picked out like 15 new pairs of shoes that I'll be slowly obtaining pair by pair. My favorites are rocking horse shoes and anything with laces.

8. I never wear OTK socks. If my knees are showing, I feel cold and naked. So I always wear tights.

9. My room doesn't have a trace of lolita in it at all. Except for the pile of dresses for sale in a chair and the G&LBs on the book shelf. So I won't be taking pictures of my room for day 22.

10. I desperately want an elegant wardrobe of my own. My closet is just a normal one, but it doesn't even have a bar in it to hang stuff on, only hooks. It's a pain! Someday I'll have a vintage armoire or something glorious for my clothes. But not anytime soon.

Day one done! Let's see if I keep it up! I already can pick out days that I won't be doing, namely the ones that require pictures of myself. I try not to post too many of those to the internet, so I'll be changing those ones a bit. If you've got any ideas, feel free to email me at my new email, theelegantwardrobe@gmail.com! Bye bye for now!