A delicate Yooper flower?

Hey everyone! This'll be my new Lolita based blog! I'll be posting information on purchases, sewing projects and my generally hilarious Lolita rampages through the great UP and beyond! And as most people should do, here's a little introduction of my Lolita self...

I've been interested in the Lolita fashion since about 2004-2005 the earliest I can remember. Although I've been dressed in crazy frills since I was a wee-little girl. I'm a natural born tom-boy but that doesn't stop my girly-side from coming out! I bought my first outfit while living in Japan during 2005-2006 for my sophomore year of University. My friends and I took a weekend trip to Tokyo and I bought an off-brand frilly 2-piece set for under $100 (with a free headdress thrown in for service!) at a lil shop hidden in Harajuku. I can probably take you to the exact shop since I remember seeing Body Line across the street through the 2nd story window!

That has been my only item up until recently in 2008, but I'll update with all those details in a separate post later. I came up with the name of this journal randomly while at work and thought it fit my personality pretty well. As much as I enjoy Lolita fashion and history, making fun of it every once and a while is always relaxing. Its fun to make jokes poked at yourself right? Not all the time, but we all need a good lil omake in our lives. So be sure to expect hilarious photos of me (and hopefully some locals as well) as we travel the great wilderness of the Upper Peninsula in frills and lace!


As a call out to possible future meet-ups, are there any Lolitas stationed in the UP, Michigan or local areas?

FEEDBACK

This is where people can post their feedback about me as a buyer/seller for future reference.

Feedback will mostly be directed from members of the LiveJournal EGL community and EGL Community Sales...

Current Order Statuses: #07

• Order #07: Namidaichigo

Finally received my Baby the Stars Shine Bright fairy print skirt from her in the mail today! I finally have my first authentic brand item! I was so worried it might've gotten lost and that I may have to open up a PayPal claim, but I don't have to worry about it anymore! The skirt is a little wrinkled from the long shipping but it can easily be fixed. Came in an small Emily Temple Cute bag inside the packaging which was nice. The timeline for this order went as follows:

Paid: May 4th
Shipped: May 6th (LJ reply), she later confirmed May 9th
Received: May 29th

All in all it was 20 days shipping and almost a month since payment was sent. She sent me the tracking number after I asked her several different times, but it didn't work on any websites. Although that was a bit of a bother there were no serious complications in the end. Even with the shipping being so ambiguous the order went relatively smoothly I guess. I wasn't too worried since she had nothing but positive feedback for much larger orders than my own. Sadly I wasn't able to receive it in time for Anime North that was this past weekend or the family parties the weekend before that. I guess I'll just have to wear it to the Mackinac Island Lolita Meet-Up I'm trying to organize. Except I'm a little low on funds with all the planning for Anime North and all.

Tried on the skirt after opening the package and noticed there was a small built-in petticoat! A cute little fluff for a casual look and still should be ok over one of my larger petticoats. The waistband has a small elastic section in the back, but its still a little tight. If I cut the elastic then it would fit better but who wants to maul such a gorgeous brand item just because of my womanly curves!? Guess its time for me to work out again, heh. Even with the small complications of this order, I do recommend purchasing from her. This definetlly won't stop me from buying from her again in the future!

Lolita in Public #03-04: Anime North 2008

I didn't dress up or attend the small meet-up that was planned for Anime North 2008 on Friday. I spent all day driving and the 5 hour drive ended up taking 7 hours in the end. And we know that is so no rori. All I really did at the con that day was stand in line for about an hour or more waiting to pick up our badges. Oh yeah, that was a blast. Except for the fact I nearly fell asleep standing in line. Luckily the guy and girl who came with their guitars and small amps helped the wait go by with a little bit of entertainment haha. So here's the run down for the outfits I wore on Saturday and Sunday (pictures will be added later, sorry):

• JSK - Fan+Friend Gingham Heart Pocket
  
• Headbow - Gingham fabric from In The Starlight
• Socks - white, EG ECO Comfort Top Knee High from Sock Dreams
• Sock Toppers - homemade
• Wrist Cuffs - homemade
  
• Shoes - black, Mary Janes by American Eagle from Payless
• Purse - offbrand small Panda face purse bought in Osaka
• Bloomers - white, Anna House
• Petticoat - black, In the Starlight
  

That's the outfit I wore at Anime North 2008 on Saturday. Wasn't really out in public too much wearing it. I temporarily changed out of it when my sister and I went to Boston Pizza to grab pizza takeout for lunch, because I didn't want to get it dirty. But later that night I wore it on the way back from the convention to the hotel, when we stopped at Boston Pizza again to get some pasta take out. We stood/sat in the waiting area for probably a little over 20 minutes like that, which wasn't nearly as awkward since there were a lot of Anime North cosplayers there too. Although my frills even got their attention when they came in too. I learned the joys of petticoats, they really take up some space when you're standing in a crowded area haha! And my shoes, I should really look into getting some nice gel inserts for them if I ever plan on walking about a mile from the hotel to the convention center next time. My little sister didn't dress up because she felt awkward (it was her first con after all) so I didn't stress it much. Except she did wear her Anna House blouse which got some people's attention. Even I had a number of people comment me on my dress while some asked to take my picture! That was really a surprise for me. The last thing I expected was someone to want to take a picture of me. I think I had 5 people ask to take my picture when I was at the con. Some even stopped me to ask where I got the JSK. It felt really nice to be complimented by strangers, although a little awkward at the same time. I had one artist in the Artists' Alley who asked to take my picture. He then showed me some of his artwork that was inspired by pictures of girls in "Lolita" he had taken. That was definetlly an interesting day for me haha!

1. SAMM

• Skirt - homemade, fabric from Cia's Palette
• Blouse - white, Anna House
  
• Socks - white, EG ECO Comfort Top Knee High from Sock Dreams
• Shoes - off white, offbrand flats from Meijer
  
• Headbow - same fabric as skirt from In The Starlight
• Purse - offbrand small tan satchel
  
• Bloomer - white, In the Starlight

1. MAE

• Sock Toppers - homemade
• Wrist Cuffs - homemade
  
• Skirt - homemade, fabric from Cia's Palette
• Blouse - white, offbrand from DEB
• Socks - white, EG ECO Comfort Top Knee High from Sock Dreams
• Shoes - black, Mary Janes by American Eagle from Payless
• Headbow - same fabric as skirt from In The Starlight
• Purse - offbrand small Panda face purse bought in Osaka
• Suitcase - offbrand from Michael's Craft Store
  
• Bloomer - white, Anna House

That's the rundown for what my sister and I wore to Anime North 2008 on Sunday. My sister and I wore the matching (but different color) skirts I had made that made us look like twins. The yellow and white pattern I chose for my sister really fit her well I think! She looked so cute! I put my headbow on my ponytail that pulled back a bit of my hair (like I always do) to give it a classic feeling and I did my sisters headbow much like a head-eating bow on a headband. She looked adorable! But I think it might be a while before she wears Lolita like I do hehe. I had my black bolero too but it was so warm out that I ended up taking it off and putting it in my small suitcase with my change of clothes for the drive home. Wore the outfits until we got my waist-up commission (of me in Lolita) done by Kaze-Hime and the chibis (of me and my sister in matching Lolita) from MayumeUchiha. And yes, I got my sister to finally wear the Lolita skirt me and my friend had been slaving over for like the past month now. She wore it long enough to walk to the con, have MayumeUchiha take our picture and then she went in the bathroom and changed. Oh well, she wore it none the less. I wore mine for a bit longer until I was starting to get a little warm as well. So I eventually changed too; that and my feet were killing me.

I think the trip went great though! Although I missed out on the small meet-up Friday, the Lolita Panel on Saturday and then the Tea Party on Sunday... I missed out on a lot of fun. But I had to keep my sister in mind as well. Her health wasn't great and she was tired out easily so we didn't do much other then walk around Artists' Alley and the Dealer's Room for a while. Never any longer then a few hours max. Next year I'll be sure to go with a lot more friends who want to go and do other things. I can already picture them struggling to drag me away from the Artists' Alley, but I'm sure its for the best haha! Can't wait to go back and I apologize for not being able to see a lot of the EGL Lolitas there! It was going to be my first meet-up too. Guess I should start with something a little smaller and more local next time like Mackinac Island eh?

Lolita in Public #02: Grandparents' 50th Anniversary

• JSK - Fan+Friend Gingham Heart Pocket
  
• Headbow - Gingham fabric from In The Starlight
• Socks - white, EG ECO Comfort Top Knee High from Sock Dreams
• Sock Toppers - homemade
• Bolero - black, offbrand from DEB
• Shoes - black, Mary Janes by American Eagle from Payless
• Purse - offbrand small Panda face purse bought in Osaka
• Bloomers - white, Anna House
  

Again the outfit rundown to get a general idea of what I was wearing. No petticoat this time either because I wanted to keep it casual and not flaunty, since I was going to be going to my Grandparents' Church as well as a Country Club.

The reception of my ensamble at their Church went pretty well. Very small congregation and generally older, so many elderly ladies commented that I looked "so cute!" It felt nice to hear that. Then we went out to a few stores afterwards to try and find a Memories book for the Anniversary Party. At one point I went into Michael's wearing Lolita to try and find something there (no luck I might add). But I don't think many people recognized it was Lolita since it was a Sunday morning after church and I was with my Dad who was dressed up as well (not in Lolita though haha). Then we went to Country Club and were, of course, fashionably late. But not by too much. I had a few comments I think here but I wasn't feeling too good with the anxiety of being somewhere I don't know for a party. That's a story for another time.

But my Lolita #02 was a great time! I got to wear both of my outfits in 2 days time, which was great practice before I go to Anime North that is coming up next weekend! Made a few comments to my parents' on the ride home asking if I looked silly. They were mostly "supportive" but at the same time they commented that they didn't really understand the fashion or anything (yet) so they couldn't judge it really. But they said it looked very nice. Don't worry though... I'll convert them yet. Muahaha~

Lolita in Public #01: Sammi's 16th Birthday party

• Sock Toppers - homemade, got garter fabric by the yard from JoAnn's
• Skirt - homemade, got fabric from Cia's Palette
• Blouse - white, offbrand from DEB
• Bolero - black, offbrand from DEB
• Socks - white knee-highs from Sock Dreams
• Shoes - black Mary Janes by American Eagle from Payless
• Headbow - same fabric as skirt from In The Starlight
• Purse - offbrand small Panda face purse bought in Osaka
• Bloomer - white, Anna House
  

First, outfit rundown so you can understand the comments and looks that are described next. Should be uploading a picture or two later if I can find good ones on my Dad's camera. If not, I'll just take a picture at a later date in the same outfit. All in all, it was a Classic Lolita look and not quite casual.

So today I wore my first real Lolita outfit out in public (and it's not Halloween either) and got some pretty good results! Family was very supportive and interested. I didn't talk much about it being Lolita because I really didn't want to discuss it at my little sister's 16th birthday party. And I don't think any of them really cared about the details. We went to Bavarian Inn in Frankenmuth, Michigan for the party. As soon as we entered the lobby the hostess commented that she liked my socks. I figured it would go fairly well if the lady dressed in traditional Bavarian clothing was commenting on my outfit. So I'm happy I found a good place to try out my first Lolita outfit comfortably.

Walking up to the room we reserved for dinner I got a few looks, but mostly from the staff (of which are all required to wear the Bavarian clothing). I figured they were a little surprised I stood out more than they did haha! My family didn't find it too extreme and said I looked very cute. And then I mentioned that me and my friend made the skirt and they were all pretty surprised at that. They said we did a good job. But my Grandmothers really got a kick when my Dad told them I was wearing bloomers underneath. The only reason he knew was because that morning I lifted my skirt to show him that I was wearing bloomers incase my crappy stitch work, from the night before, came undone randomly as a safety precaution. So he made sure everyone knew. Except it was just my Grandparents who realized what he meant. And of course they immediately asked to lift up my skirt (to see my bloomers). And with that remark everyone at the table went a little silent and looked over. So I was too shy to show them because my little sisters had her boyfriends and friends in attendance. And we all know showing bloomers to non-family is so not rori.

While walking around the restaurant and parking lot I still got a few looks but no one who looked really "OMG What is she wearing!?" but more of "Oh wow, what's that?" I think. Either way I'm really happy with the results! I feel happy and comfortable, even though I don't like standing out too much but maybe I'm just a style-contradictory kind of person haha! Tomorrow I'll be wearing my Fan+Friend gingham heart pocket JSK with the black bolero over it. The bolero is really going to tone down the frills and all but its still going to be a bit more extreme then my normal clothing.

Most of the outfit I wore today I got the stuff yesterday at the mall here at my parents' house! I had an Anna House white blouse (that I sold in the last post) but it didn't fit me right. And there were no good blouses to use up in the UP so I had to cross my heart and hope I could find something down state before the party. I've read a lot of good comments about H&M and Forever21 stores but they're all a little bit further from where my parents live. Luckily, DEB came to the rescue! And when I stopped by JoAnn's I nearly had a seizure when I got in the door! I found so much fabric and lace I wanted to buy~ I've been surviving on a very stingy and limited selection at the Ben Franklin up by me. We had a JoAnn where I was living but they went out of business a few years ago. JoAnn's is almost the main reason that I don't mind living downstate after the fall semester haha! Either way, I found exactly what I needed and I was up until 4am this morning finishing up my skirt with really crappy stitchwork. Mostly because I found my parents' sewing machine but not the electrical cord... Figures. So hand stitching had to be my means of production. Luckily the skirt has such a nice flair now that you can't see the crappy stitchwork unless you pull at the seam, which is hard to find. I love improvising!~

Let's see how tomorrow goes with me wearing my JSK to church and my Grandparents' 50th Wedding Anniversary party... Oh boy.

EGL for Direct Sale #02: Anna House (L) white blouse *SOLD*

*SOLD*
to Lolitahime

I've realized no matter how much I try on my blouse, it just doesn't seem to fit me right. I purchased it straight from Anna House online a few weeks ago (read the full description of the sales at my Lolita blog) and it was received quickly and in perfect working order! It just doesn't frame me right IMO. :\

I'll be attending ANIME NORTH 2008 this coming May 23-25 and could easily hand it over to anyone who's attending instead of shipping (specially if you're in Canada) it directly to you. And you could still be sure it have it in time for the con without any worries.

I currently don't have any personal photos of the blouse because I'm at my parents house visiting and I've had only 2 hours of sleep in the past 2 days XD;; But I can easily take and load one for anyone who's interested when I wake up in the morning (too tired to search for my camera's cords right now lol) So onto the details of the blouse!

ANNA HOUSE
* Product: #016-1107
* Color: White
- Website says cream-white, but I asked for white and it came in white! :D
* Style: Short-sleeve blouse with buttons up the front
* Size: L
- Bust: 36in-38in (website)
- Waist: 30in-32in (website)
- Length: 22in (flat amateur measurement, shoulder to bottom of lace)
* Condition: Brand new! Only gently tried on a few times in hopes of forcing myself to like it lol
* Other Notes: Its comes from a house with dogs. If you have any allergies please take this into consideration, but its not like I let him sleep on it or anything...
* Reason: Selling it because it just doesn't fit me right, sadly. ;_;

PRICE: $55USD + SHIPPING
If you have any questions about shipping please view the USPS website and put in Michigan as my shipping address.

Rules When Buying:
* I send via tracked priority mail, USA preferred for best service.
* Packaging will be done to protect the item to the fullest of my abilities. Any damaged received by the mail carriers or outside sources is NOT my fault.
* If you wish to offer a partial/full trade please ask first.
* Price in USD via PayPal only.
* PayPal payees using CC will receive an invoice with an additional 5% fee. Please notify me if using CC-PayPal.
* Insurance is optional beyond the basic insurance (if there is any).
* I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR LOST OR STOLEN PACKAGES.
* Any incorrect information (ex: shipping address) is your own problem. Be sure to double check all information to make sure its correct!
* Item will not be shipped until FULL payment has been received.
* If you need the item by a certain date, then take into consideration a faster shipping option. But it must be cleared and accepted by me. Any late packages is not my problem. Always have a backup plan.

Feedback:
* View my feedback here at my Journal, none on loligoth_dbs yet...
* Past Sales:
Sold to - little_dende
Bought from - sleepingapple, modernbombshell (currently waiting for item to arrive: namidaichigo)

Special ANIME NORTH 2008 Offer:
* You can purchase this from me at Anime North 2008 which is held in Toronto, Canada if you wish.
* You must notify me if you wish to do so and you must follow through with the sale, even if you should change your mind. Otherwise you WILL receive negative feedback.
* Cash can be accepted this way, but if you are a no-show you WILL receive negative feedback.
* You will save both on shipping and PayPal fees.
* I will be arriving Friday mid-morning (hopefully lol) so you will be able to have the item for the entire weekend of Anime North if you wanted.