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Saturday 22 September 2012

Shopping






It's been a while since went shopping for Lolita-related items, especially in the stores here since they seldom have anything cute that isn't meant for children. When I do shop, it's usually just online. However, a new store has opened in town, with loads of import from China - everything from clothes and bags to make up and Vocaloid-figurines. :) I've been meaning to go there for a while, but I haven't had time. Today, before going to the Go club, I did take a quick peek inside.

As you can see, I went on a pink spree... As there wasn't a lot of time, I didn't get to explore the place further, but I did buy some things. Most of them something you'd never find here, so I'm really happy! <3 Did you ever see cuter panties? <3 And the tiny butterfly hair clips are adorable. <3

Some day - hopefully not in a too distant future - I hope to have time to go there again and buy a new coat, as they had one that was just too CUTE! <3 And not expensive at all!

Sunday 2 September 2012

Pomegrenade candy and Snuggle Bunny

 
This weekend have been back to lolita, since I've lately been so wound up over a lot of things that I haven't been able to indulge myself in cute things. I started back on track with a new dress, and now it's been rolling on like it should - back to the regular afternoon tea, sewing, beading, making cookies and listening to relaxing classic music or utter cuteness. I feel so much better when I can wrap myself up in lolita, because it's where I feel the most at home. Nothing is quite the same as sitting in an all too big armchair in a lovely dress, draped in a shawl and reading a good book with a cup of tea and bisquits, listening to Royal Strings. It's at times like this I remember just how at odds I am with the stressful modern society, and how ill it fits me and my personality. So I sit back wrapped in ribbons and cotton, eating sweet pomegrenade candies shaped like hearts. <3 I'll have to buy more of those next time I'm in town.

One of these days I'm going to take my beloved and the camera out to take some snaps in the lovely early autumns weather, but today I'm afraid there is a drizzle outside and quite cloudy.  It's lovely weather for a walk, but not for taking pictures.

I'm making progress with the doll I'm going to cast in resin as well, but she's not finished enough for that yet. I think October-November is a realistic schedule, as I expect I will be kept very busy by school very soon.

And with that, I'm rounding up with a very cute playlist:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AyXc7s8l3A&feature=BFa&list=PL8CD807167EB9331A

Tuesday 14 August 2012

The doll is nearly done!

I'm almost there now! :D Shin'ya is almost, almost done. He just lacks one foot, and then I have to do some very minor adjustments to his knee joint because he's kicking a little bit. :) One month, that's how long he took to make! I'm getting faster! :D






Isn't he pretty? I'm very pleased with the sculpt of this doll... He looks so sweet and innocent even without his hair (Which I'm expecting to receive in the beginning of September.).

I also had a request for a pattern on a cape, and here it is. :)


Friday 3 August 2012

Doll project

Now it's been a while again, I'm sorry. :( I just get so absorbed in whatever I'm doing that I completely forget things like posting on my blog. ^.^;; I'm happy I have so much faithful readers that keep coming back. Thank you! *bows*

The doll I'm working on right now is coming along well. :) Here he is:





He's going to have yellow eyes and lilac hair - I found the perfect wig for him as well! This is the one, but with lavender instead of pink:

It's a pre-order, limited edition wig and it's going to look perfekt on him! :D I had lots of problems finding a good wig - not that the wigs I did find wasn't pretty, they were! But they were too short. :-/ This one will reach his butt, so it's just the right length. I have yellow glass eyes for him as well, they're not fitted yet, but here is a picture before I completed his facial features and fitted the eyes:






And his face after I did the last sculping of it (I hope):

(Picture was taken late, so he's not quite that bright.)

Monday 9 July 2012

Glitter and glamour

There is really no secret that I love things that sparkle, and of course, that also means that I love the theatre. I love shows with sparkling dresses, glamour and beauty. Among all the glamorous things I like, is of course the most beautiful woman in the world - who so happens to be a man. No, I'm not talking about Mana, though he is close behind. The problem with Mana is that he is too serious. No, the most beautiful man in the world is, of course, Christer Lindarw. <3

If you've never seen Christer, google him and/or watch some of his shows on youtube. <3 He's part of a group called 'After Dark', and he absolutely gorgeous. <3 He's got legs most women would kill for, but that's not what makes me love him so much. He always smiles. He seems so happy on stage, and it's a delight to see! Along with his marvellous dresses (like Mana, he also designs his clothes himself), big, happy smile and lyrics and beat that just make you want to party with him, he is amazing. <3

Yeah, Christer Lindarw is beautiful and happy and kind, and I adore him. :D I hope he stays in show business until it's given him everything he wants from it! <3



Wednesday 4 July 2012

It's finished!

Finally, my doll is finished. :) It took a long time to make her, but looking at her now I'm proud I managed to go through with it. She's still nameless, but at the moment people are voting between the names Azalea and Cassidy. What do you think she should be named? :)


Wednesday 27 June 2012

A matter of socks

I don't think I'd be lying if I said that every Lolita's wardrobe should include knee-high and/or over-the-knee socks. It's one of those items that we all have, of varying designs. They all have one thing in common though - they tend to slide down. That used to be a real problem for me back in my first Lolita years, but thankfully - there was an answer in Japan.

One of the things I love about Japan, is that they have so much practical knicknacks that solve everyday annoyances - something we don't have here. I imagine that this is one of the reason the friction between people living so close to each other is minimized. If you don't go around getting annoyed at the little things, you ought to have a more positive outlook on things. One of those small things, of course, being socks that slide down. To solve that little problem, there is sock glue.

Sock glue really makes life with socks so much easier. <3 I think you could probably use a regular glue stick, too, but those are dry and at least my sock glue is liquid so it's much easier to apply. I love sock glue. <3 If you are a Lolita, you should probably add this to your 'must have' items. Especially if you wear knee socks often.

Tuesday 26 June 2012

Summer and dolls

It's been ages since I updated! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I've not died or anything as dramatic as that! ^.^;; I've just had a lot of other things on my mind, and since summer holidays started I haven't gotten out much. Right now it's another rainy day, which will surely be dedicated to Go studies and my doll project. Yes, my sweets, the doll is near completion! Yesterday I strung her and tested if she could stand - and she could! First time standing is really special for the doll maker! *giggles*

It's taken me a long time, but considering I've been studying full time and was a complete novis at sculpting I think taking lots of time was rather inevitable. Since the project started I've gotten much, much better at sculpting, although I have to confess that hands are incredibly difficult to make.



It's been so much fun working on her that I'm already having loose plans for what the next doll should be. It will probably be a smaller doll than this one - she did turn out to be 60 cm tall after all! I'm unsure whether than one should be male or female though. If female she will probably not have any breasts, so I suppose it'll be 'neither'...? Anyway. There's only a tiny bit of work left on this doll. One of her hands need to get drilled out, and I need to shape her left shoulder joint (on the inside). Besides that, it's sanding and painting left - and she's done! Then there's face up, attaching eyelashes and sewing clothes for her. :D

Wednesday 9 May 2012

Defending Touya Akira's fashion sense

Much has been made fun of Touya Akira's fashion sense on the net, and I feel I have to defend him, even if he is just a manga character (from the manga Hikaru no Go). A lot of people in the fandom call him colour blind and says that his fashion sense is very old-fashioned, but I don't agree with this.

Firstly, Hikaru no Go was a manga, and as such, I feel that the manga-view is more important. When Hikaru no Go was made into and anime, it suffered from a fairly poor budget, so the quality of the anime is very far from the manga. Touya Akira was also the character who suffered the most changes - they switched his clothing around in scenes, and his hair was turned into a rather alarming shade of green rather than black with steel-blue highlights.

In the manga, and in all coloured pictures drawn by the artist Obata-sensei, there is not a single one where Touya is wearing ugly clothes. Quite the opposite, in fact - his clothes are classy, and they are for a reason. Obata-sensei and Hotta Yumi put down quite a great deal of effort into making this series feel real, and by doing so they also put a lot of thought into the characters. The clothes they wear reflect their personalities:

Shindou is an energetic boy, with a mother that is constantly worrying about him getting friends. He is also very good at sports. Most of his clothes are brands you'd connect with sports - we see quite a lot of the logotypes, Nike for example, on his clothes. He doesn't wear suits until he needs to. As he matures, he starts dropping the sport clothes and change into a t-shirt and shirt-ensemble that is casual but still classy. He runs, so his shoes are the kind you can just slip on and run in.

Touya is a very rich boy, (as is stated when his father retires, he earned about a hundred million yen a year) and as such he wears clothes that are very expensive. Most of his clothes are obviously designer clothes, and he has a quite large variety. He isn't an active person, and he is rather vain, so him wearing casual jeans or baggy clothes wouldn't fit his personality. He usually wears dress pants combined with a shirt and a pullover, or a turtle neck. He wears very classical black shoes, also something very expensive. He's a well bred boy, and it's not difficult to believe that his mother's taste reflects his choices - but he is also very feminine, which is only emphasized in this.

Waya is a bit sloppy and casual, so he wears his clothes more or less just hanging off of him, with lose sweaters or jeans. Waya loves jeans. Considering how messy he is, it's not difficult to believe that his clothes usually end up in a heap rather than neatly folded. How he's wearing his clothes is just as important as what he's wearing.

Ogata is almost always seen wearing a suit, sometimes without the jacket. He takes himself very seriously and is fighting to be taken seriously by others as well, so the formality (along with his very expensive car - a Corvette) suits him. He also wears expensive designer clothes, there are no brand tags to be seen anywhere.

Touya Koyo is seen wearing hakama most of the series, which is very suitable for a man of his stature and personality. He is calm and speaks very formally, and to my ears he sounds like a samurai - what more fitting than samurai clothing, then?


Touya's argyle sweaters and cardigans has been made most fun of, and this is hardly fair - it just shows that the fandom know very little of what rich people wear. Argyle is a quite popular pattern especially by golfer and it's quite common in equestrian sports as well. The colour choices, however, is another thing entirely:

As you can see, Touya is wearing another cardigan entirely in the manga. The jacket on his arm is also most likely not purple. From my knowledge of argyle, I'd say his cardigan should have been white, with a black and bright blue argyle pattern. The jacket on his arm seems to be a trenchcoat rather than a purple jacket. In real life, it would look quite stylish and matched.

Another thing that a lot of people is bearing down on is Touya's violet suit. This is another example of something that is undeserving of such critisism, since the real issue isn't the suit - it's his hair in the anime. Look how horrible the green clashes with the rest, compared to the right most picture which is from the manga:


First of all - I don't think he's wearing his violet suit at the Young Lion's Tournament, for one very obvious reason: his violet suit seems to be of silk or a silk-mix (another very expensive designer set), and that suit isn't shiny enough. Of course, this fact is ignored in the anime. Also, his tie has been changed. Black, violet and mustard yellow does actually look good together and the pink doesn't disturbe the image at all - pink and violet work well together. I can agree that is is a rather feminine mix of colours, but as stated before Touya is feminine. The violet and pink are also gay colours, and since so much emphasis is laid on how their clothes change when they grow up and mature and get to know themselves better, I hardly think that is a coincidence.
Touya's suit looks good on him when his hair is black with steel blue to purple highlights, while it looks awful on him in the anime. Something that is also worth noting is that the times Touya wears this set in the manga, his shirt changes frequently, while in the anime he is always wearing that pink one. 

In conclusion: there is nothing wrong with Touya's fashion sense, whatsoever. The problem lies with the people who made the anime and picked the colours there, and the budget the anime got. Also, I think that they wanted to really make Touya's disposition even more obvious in the anime, which I personally don't think was needed at all. In my opinion they should have received a bigger budget, made a better quality anime and actually used Touya's variety of reactions - that was, sadly, only available in the manga - instead of just changing his clothes.

Tuesday 1 May 2012

Early summer

It's been quite a while now since I updated this blog, and I'm sorry about that. I've been really busy, so I've been focusing on school and updating my Go blog (here: http://mylifewithgo.blogspot.se/). It's been taking up most of my time, so I haven't been sewing or pretty much anything these last few months. Even the Rainbow Dash plushie is still headless. x.x
On the bright side, I've been working a little now and then on the doll, so it's starting to come along now.


There's not a whole lot left to do now, but lack of time is making progress slow. Her elbows need drilling, she still has no ears and her hands and feet need a haul over. Other than that, it's pretty much just fine tuning. I'm basic her with acrylic paint right now to harden her and make her more durable, before I test to see if she can balance well. I've strung her once and it looked okay, but that was without her feet. I'm especially pleased with how her knees turned out. :) Those joints are really pretty if I may say so myself.

Early summer is already here, and the weather is absolutely gorgeous. Perfect for taking a stroll in the forest, which I did early this morning. I even saw a few deer when I did, so it was definitely worth going out before breakfast! I think it's fascinating how you can see wildlife if you are just early enough. They got scared when I made a sound though and ran off, but still! Beautiful. :)

Thursday 5 April 2012

The Rat and the World

Do you know what your Chinese Zodiac is? I'm fairly sure that I have stated so before, but considering how long I have kept this blog running I'm not expecting anyone to keep track, really...
For me, I'm a Rat, and except for the fact that I dislike parties, I'm afraid it fits me rather well. The good and the bad. There is really no reason to pretend we live our lives without flaws - everyone, and I mean everyone, have flaws. Whether they want to acknowledge them or not, this is the truth.

I was reminded of this yesterday, when I stumbled over the anime 'No. 6', where one of the two main characters call himself 'Nezumi', which can mean either Rat or Mouse. In his case, though, it is the former. He reminded me so much of myself that it scared me, and I very seldom get scared.
I have a character in one of my stories that I've written - a nameless man called 'Bastard' - and they are so similar as well, all the way down to the burn scar (although Bastard's cover most of his body). It's just so very, very typical me.

The lone wolf. The person who reveals nothing, holds all emotions bottled up inside, doesn't wince from pain and doesn't show anything except a bitter contempt for human beings. And then...that one person...innocent and completely oblivious to hardships...that changes everything. When being alone is no longer an option, when you stop paying less attention. Falling into yourself, desperately trying not to care because caring makes you vulnerable - and still...
Frustrated and completely powerless to stop it. And fiercely loyal and honest to those dear. The rest... Doesn't matter. Harsh truths without candy coating, even if they hurt. Never go into fights, just walk away. But when it's impossible, when you're cornered...that's when you get dangerous.

I know how you feel, Nezumi. I really do.

(Official art work. Nezumi on the right.)

Tuesday 27 March 2012

Busy weekend and progress picture

This weekend has been pretty much all about Go, so much that I'm considering making a third blog (my second being the programmer blog) where I post all my Go posts, since Lolita and Go isn't really related to each other. I'll link my other blogs at the bottom om this blog for easy access.

I've picked up my doll project again, and been working the inividual parts over with sanding paper, and I've also begun applying a base coat to protect the doll. I realised that it was easily dented, so it needs a hard finish. Acrylic paint seemed like a good candidate for the job, and it was. :) Now she has a nice, smooth porcelain finish. Compare the two legs on this picture - one sanded and based, one just briefly sanded and unbased.

Tuesday 20 March 2012

Wakeshima Kanon

I suppose I'm a bit late discovering the existence of Lolitwork Libretto, but then again I seldom listen to this style of music anymore. I listened to it the most just before Malice Mizer disbanded and Gackt went solo (and the following few years), and then fluttered off toward more classical music. (Of course, that didn't stop me from going to the Moi dix Mois concert when they came here!)

Either way, I heard Still Doll with Wakeshima Kanon, and I went - hold on, this is a Malice Mizer song! Why is there a girl singing it? Turns out Mana is behind the scene (for you unfamiliar with Mana, he is a musician most famous for coining the expression 'Elegent Gothic Lolita' - and also for wearing his own dresses on stage: Mana on Wikipedia) which explained a lot. The songs are typical Malice Mizer-songs, some - I assume - new productions and some pieces of old works blended in with some covers.
For some reason though, the music videos seem a bit...bland...for being Mana. Like he wasn't fully involved in the production, which could very well be true. He ought to be busy considering he has not only Midi:Nette (a music label) and his Lolita fashion brand Moi-même-moité, besides his own music career.

Well. I don't have much to say about it so far, besides that the sound is like Malice Mizer was, and that the music videos are lacking in quality. Let's see if it's of interest. :)
I'll end this with one of the most recent pictures of Mana I could find. He's hardly changed at all... (Yes, that is a man.)

Saturday 17 March 2012

How to be a lolita

I think that this may be one of the big questions all aspiring lolitas ask, and one that is a bit difficult to find an answer for. Most places just give you rules on clothes, what style is called what, how long the skirt must be etcetera. I know I've written about those too.
But the clothes isn't all there is to lolita, so where to move from there? There are of course guides (like my favourite one Essence of an angel, which I very much recommend you to read), but it may be a bit difficult to comprehend everything and for a beginner to pick out the essential bits.

That's why I have decided to give you a few pointers to the most important things, and let you start from there instead of remembering everything at once. They are numbered in way of importance. (Again, note that not all lolitas may agree with my ordering, but considering I have been a lolita for more than ten years, I think that I'm allowed to have an opinion with weight.)

1. Posture

This may seem like an odd place to start, but your posture says a lot of who you are and how you feel about yourself. Lolita is beautiful, lolita is proud, lolita is confidence. Therefore, it is very important that you do not 'sag' - not even when sitting down. This is two-fold; for one, it makes you gain respect, since people will see that you are confident, and confident people carry themselves royally, and two it will help you when you get older. A bad posture when you are young nearly equals a crooked posture when you grow old.
Take a look at this picture - the leftmost one shows the ideal posture. Straight backed and proud. You are a lolita - and you know that you are beautiful, what others believe isn't important. 



2. Kindness

This may be tricky, and it may also be very hard to see what kindness is. Kindness is not telling people what you really think, if it may hurt their feelings - unless they may hurt themselves if they don't know. A lot of people out there are self-destructive, and it's a lot kinder to be honest (and maybe even harsh) to them if need be.
Besides this, kindness is the woman who stays behind to help, who speaks mildly and says kind things to cheer people up. I very much advice you to find a book on kindness at the local library, and read it. Kindness can be a two-edged sword, and not all deeds that seem kind at the moment really is so. Therefore, it is a subject to be studied.


3. Self-control

Another very difficult thing to do, is self-control. Self control is when you really, really want to argue with someone - but restrain yourself since it would not only hurt the person you want to argue with (for example, drop a mean comment on a blog - hurting a complete stranger you just simply did not agree with in the process) - it will also spoil your mood and break rule nr 2. It's very seldom necessary to retort when there is the possibility of an argument. You don't need to answer all provocations or questions. You don't need to have your say in every matter.
To practice self-control, it is advisable to meet with people you always get angry with for one reason or another, and force yourself not to argue with them. The harder the challenge, the greater the reward. For self-control, I advice you to read "Her Ladyship's Guide to Modern Manners", an excellent book on how to handle the modern society's tensions, provocations and stress.


4. Be a Lady

Maybe the most common advice when it comes to lolita, is to read up on Victorian ettiquette, and in many cases this is true. Most lolitas indulge themselves in things that Victorian ladies did - like write letters, embroidering, hold tea parties, crochet, ball room dance and croquet (a game). New lolitas are therefore suggested to pick something up that Victorian ladies did (there are more than the pastimes mentioned above, of course.).
To be a Lady also, of course, includes proper manners, ettiquette and - maybe most important - to not use foul language unless the situation calls for you to drop all things lolita (like if there is an accident). A lady also doesn't run, but walks with a level head, enjoying her walk. A Lady is also always prepared, so no weather will sway her.


I think those four will do for now. The fourth one is plenty enough to remember on it's own, and the previous three are great challenges. Good luck!

Monday 12 March 2012

What is a lolita?

"Look, mommy, a princess!"

I don't think there are many - at least female - lolitas that haven't had this happen to them sometime. :) A small child pointing with awe at this skirts and bows. And at the curious question about the clothes, answer: 'I am a Lolita'. But what does that really mean? What is a Lolita?

The definition is, I suppose, a bit divided. But I think most of us that have been there for a while, know this: It's not just about the clothes. Even if there are some rules to what needs to be there for it to count as 'Lolita clothes', just getting a dress and accessories and dressing the part does not make a Lolita.
I can even go so far as to say that you can be a Lolita without the clothes.

Maybe a few of you will go 'no way!' hearing this. Is it really possible to be Lolita without wearing Lolita clothes? I think it is. Now, before you jump to any conclusions, I must say that for me, the clothes are a passion. I love them, just as any Lolita do, and for me it's the perfect fashion because it reflects who I am. But the clothes are not needed if Lolita is who you are.
It becomes clear if you see a Lolita, who usually wears the clothes, wear 'normal' clothes. That's when you see who's Lolita, and who is playing dress up. A Lolita has an air about her - and that, my friends, is why a Lolita can be a princess. The Lolita has a way of moving, an air of being kind, and very astethic. Now, you may say this is rather generalizing, but imagine a Lolita - in a dress nontheless - with a bad posture. My inner princess gringes at the thought.

So, yes. A Lolita isn't just the clothes or things we have. A Lolita is a personality, an air, a way of being. It's more than just a fashion statement, and I think that most Lolitas - most real Lolitas - agree with me there. ;)

 (Picture from Vogue Girl.)

Friday 9 March 2012

First exam cleared!

Got my results from the exam I had at Christmas, and it was a passing grade! <3 I'm so happy over it, that I decided to treat myself to some new underwear! <3 (That is: I bought the fabric for them...) The plan is to make a chemise that's a little bit longer than I usually do them, with new drawers. Also, I promised myself that next exam I clear, I'll buy one of these:

(From Anna House)

They're well worth their low price considering what wonderful reviews they've had. :) And I think this one would suit the rest of my wardrobe perfectly. The plan is to buy one with short sleeves, too, but I'll start here.

Onto something different entirely. A while back when browsing the net for nice Japanese recipes, I stumbled on something fascinating: Shirataki noodles. Apparently, it's noodles that are - I suppose - meant for dieting, because they are made of something called 'Devil's Jam'. The result is noodles with pretty much no calories at all. Of course, me being a curious gormet, I had to try them when I stumbled upon them in a store.
I bought the "wet" variation (pretty suitable, considering 'Shirataki' means 'White waterfall'), and since I'd seen on the net that you need to run them through water first and clean the liquid they came in off, I did so before cooking.
I have to say, I liked them a lot more than regular noodles! They are light, slightly chewy and picks up the taste of what you cooked them in, so they are really tasty! :) As for if you lose weight from eating them... I wouldn't know. I think that if you want to do that, you can't add too much "extra" to your meal (like cream and fried food - which isn't very tasty to begin with) and also avoid eating between meals.

I don't really need to lose weight - maybe just a couple of pounds - but I'll keep you updated. :) I've so far noticed no drawbacks. I half expected my tummy to go 'nuuuh, dun feed me this!' but it didn't. ^.^

Tuesday 6 March 2012

Feminine beauty at its finest

Sometimes, you come across things on the internet that you just have to share, and I did that today. This time, it's a commerical - no, what! - it's not just any commercial, I promise. :) It's a short movie that must have been very, very expensive to make, and it is absolutely gorgeous. Just watching it, it took my breath away. It's so beautiful, so epic, so inspiring that it deserves sharing. Look at it, and see for yourself. :) It's symbolic and beautiful, and in my mind it tries to capture the feminine beauty of women and nature at its' finest.



(Remember that I do not support this company in any way, nor urge you to buy their products, I just loved this movie.)

On a small sidenote, the test today didn't go well. I was devestated afterwards... Feeling better now after studying for the one of Thursday, and the promise of a study group for the re-take of the exam.

Friday 2 March 2012

Wish me luck on the mock exam!

Today we have a semi mock exam (semi because if you do well enough you can pass or get bonus points for the real one depending on the teacher)! It's in the programming language Ruby, and it's going to be...well. Difficult isn't exactly the right word, but tricky maybe? Ruby is a pretty playful language - I like that about it - but we're currently working on things that I don't fully understand yet. I'm not going to bore you with details. ;)

I hope that I will get time to sew or play around a bit after the exams, but there is a big possibility that I will be too swamped in work to do that! I have some labs to finish up that can't wait, and then I have to start looking at the math material as I expect that course to be difficult as well. Good heavens, it's all difficult!
But I have to do this, I have to make it and I will struggle tooth and nail to do... Worst case scenario is that I don't get enough points first year and have to struggle financially, but if you consider the profit of the work I'd say it's worth it.

Today I'm also going to be a stand-in for a third year student on a meeting. He's the chairman for the programming students, and apparently he believes I could make it as his successor. I must admit I'm flattered, but I'm also worried. Considering that I've had to struggle this first year to catch up with my classmates (granted, not all of them had programmed before either) I feel uncertain that I will have time to be a chairwoman. I'll just have to wait and see. If I don't have time, then I don't have time, but it's an opportunity for me to be able to actually influence the education while I'm studying. I like to have a bit of control, since just being tossed out at the mercy of the teachers make me uncomfortable. Also, I know not everyone is able to stand up and say 'this isn't right!' to authorities, and those people need their voices too.

Oh I don't know. It's better to focus on here and now, and pass the exams. I can think about that later.

Wednesday 29 February 2012

Sunny morning and Go

This morning I woke up from a ray of sunshine falling in on my pillow. <3 After a long, dark winter that's got to be one of the best ways to wake up! Early morning sunshine through the window, it even got past the blinds just to wake me up. *giggles*

As it is a lovely day, I'm a bit sad to be working inside most of the day, but it can't be helped. At least I'll be able to wear my dresses. <3 I hope the weekend will be as lovely, if so we can play Go outside. :) Lately, my Go has been changing a lot... The games before my break was pretty haphazard, since I didn't know much about whole board strategy back then. Now, however... I don't know, but it feels like I've gotten several stones stronger by just taking a break and coming back. I'm reviewing pro games at a daily basis, and although I do confess that they're far beyond my level I do learn interesting things from them.
When I was younger, my only goal with a game was to win it, but right now I feel that I have a bigger goal - to be strong. First goal is 1 dan, I can't slack of if I want to reach that goal, and I can't back down because of losses. Also...trying new things, new strategies, new moves is part of growing stronger.

We've started recording games as the go club, which is a great opportunity for me to review my own games and learn from the mistakes I make. I've been playing my beloved, and by doing so I also realise I need to learn how to count points now... I've crushed her with more than double of her points even with her having four handicap stones. I don't think I'm strong enough to give her more than two more stones, but somehow I feel that what it's not so much that I need to add handicap stones, but learning to get a balance in power and territory - and count points. I'm terrible at judging how big the difference is.

Here is a game that I came across when I was reviewing, that really stumped me considering how it starts. I have never seen a first move at 6-4 before, it's a first for me. Of course, that move pretty much affected how the entire game went on... If you have a little Go-knowledge, feel free to have a look. :) It's an exciting game, even if you don't understand the motive behind every move.

Ko Reibun vs Ohashi Hirofumi

Tuesday 28 February 2012

Warm day

I love sunshine, I do, but today has been quite a lovely day despite the cloudy skies. The wind is calm and not cold, and the air is warm. It's perfect weather for dresses, and I'm so happy. <3
I've decided to treat myself a little... My sister is going to Japan again at the end of March, and I thought I'd give her some money to buy something for me when she does. Of course, there isn't much money to spare, but I feel that it's worth it since... Well. It might be another three years until she goes again (or I've finished my studies and got a job) and all work and no fun won't keep me going for long.

So. Treats. <3 I thought about it a long time, and then I remembered the pictures I've seen of Japanese fabric stores. With rows and rows of adorable buttons and berlocks in all shapes and colours. So... That's the plan. :) I think that should she find such a place and get some for me, they'll last quite a long time. Ah! I really hope she does! <3 There is so much cuteness out there that I'm disappointed in how uninspired Swedish fashion is... :( I mean, there is so much - why stick to blah designs? Most people don't even try to find classy clothes, they just go with the dreadfully boring everyday fashion... >.<

Come on people, it's not hard!

Er, anyway! ^.^;; Cuteness! <3

Sunday 26 February 2012

Spring - and exams

Phew! It's been a while now! I'm sorry, I've just been so busy. ^.^; The last few days have been really lovely. <3 Sunny and beautiful, and the snow and ice have started melting away. Spring flowers are starting to come up, and birds are returning. It's early - much earlier than usual - but spring is on its' way. :)
Of course, spring and warmer weathers mean one thing: begone pants, welcome back skirt! <3 It's been a little chilly in the evenings, but oh, I'm so happy to be able to wear my dresses again! <3 Now I just need time... Exams are coming up - I have one mock exam on Friday and two real ones next week, so I really don't have time to slack off and play. Or sew. I do confess, though, that I have set off Saturday afternoons for playing Go...

Maybe I should say something about Go here for you who never heard of it. It's a strategy board game that is one of the oldest board games around. It's played with black and white "stones" on a large board with 19x19 lines - and you play on the intersections. Think of it as a battlefield, or a map. Your stones are soldiers and they need to put down the enemy... Or at least make him flee. ;) Simply put: the idea with it is to surround territory (empty intersections) and make sure your territory is larger than your opponent's territory. Go is, however, a way too complex game to simplify like that, and it would take much too long for me to try. It's a game you can play for a life time and still not master...
A blogger (here) said it beautifully: The Goban (Go board): a battlefield on which players have danced an intricate dance for thousands of years, continually expanding human understanding of a game of unparallelled complexity.  A game that is considered a martial art (rather than a game) in some cultures.

And now, it's back to studies again. :) I'll try to not take so long before my next post.

Sunday 19 February 2012

Melon Bread

It's been such a stressful week, that this weekend just ran away from me. x.x Tomorrow it's school again, and I was at a total loss what to have for my lunchbox. I thought about making pancakes, but we didn't have enough eggs, and I didn't feel like eating anything with rice...which excludes a whole lot of the regular lunch box repertoir.

And then it struck me. While it's not exactly lunch material...I thought I'd make Melon Pan (also known as Melon Bread). I've never made Melon pan but... I thought I'd try. :)



Here's the recipe I used if you want to try yourself: http://hidehide.net/melon-english.shtml

Tuesday 14 February 2012

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm well aware that not everyone celebrates Valentine - some even hate it - but I think that even if you are not currently in a relationship, Valentines day doesn't necessarily have to be about showing you love someone. It could be anything you want it to be. The Chocolate Day, the Lolita Day or the Spoil Myself Day. I constantly hear people say they hate it, but I wonder what it is they really hate. Is it so bad not to be in a relationship? I mean, loads and loads of people out there are in relationships with people they don't love. Not really. Many never knew real love and mistook it for lust. Or the need for attention.

Either way, I don't think there are any valid reasons to hate Valentine's Day because of what it stands for. (Of course, this excludes if you have something truly sad to connect to the 14th of February. Not getting roses doesn't count.) But I'm straying from my point. I love Valentine's Day. :) And not because of gifts or flowers - no I love it because this time of the year so many cute things appear in the stores! <3 Everything from soft toys to cute underwear. <3 The perfect time to stock up on cute Lolita-things. :) And a lot of delicious cookie-recipes pop up. Yum! <3 And they sell adorable pastries in the cafés and bakeries. <3

I was also listening to Morning Musume (Morning Girl/s) this morning, it's been a while. I love this conceot. No, I really do. Western pop idols are not very good role models in my opinion. Anybody that sexualises themselves, do plastic surgery, drink, smoke, use drugs and or cover their whole faces in make up are hardly approriate role models for young girls. I just find it so sad when children look up to people like Britney Spears or Amy Winehouse, bless her soul. They just seem like such sad, unhappy people.

I'm not saying that Japanese pop artists are not exploited - of course anyone in such a position show up everywhere, on posters and concerts and lunch boxes... - it's part of the whole thing. But let's look at the concept instead. What do the children see? For idol groups such as Morning Musume, a lot of the western behaviour is not accepted. If any of the girls are caught smoking or drinking - or even visiting inappropriate places - they'd get replaced because they would not be good role models anymore. I think that's very important, and I find it sad that us westerners always try to spoil talent. I cry when I see parents sexualising their young daughters in children's fashion contests. I'm sad when I see people who used to be children's idols end up dying in the most grotesque way because of drugs or alcohol or both. I just want to close my eyes and ears and don't have to listen when I hear scandal upon scandal and I know - that sooner or later the children that loved the music will grow up and realise just what kind of role model their idol was.

No. That's why I think this is so much better. Morning Musume just being an example, of course. An example of healthy, happy young women that sing of happy things, that tell children that smoking and drinking is bad, and that you should be kind to everyone. I think that's so much better.

Friday 10 February 2012

Cold days

For a few weeks now it's gradually gone colder and colder, and I'm getting weary of it. I want spring now and warmer weather, because I'm tired of wearing pants. :( It's so unattractive and uncomfortable. I've done what I can to pimp my outfits without going too far...but "normal" clothes are so dreadfully boring. *sighs*

And I want a new dress, but there's not enough time for one as it is. Especially not now, since there's a test today, but maybe...maybe in a few weeks. My birthday is coming up, and you really know you're an adult when you make plans to work that day. ^.^;; I'm holding a lot of lectures during spring break (at least students below 19 have one, not us), which is going to be fun. :) I'm also planning on keeping a workshop at Ichigo Café. That's going to be fun. <3

But right now...I want spriiiiiiiiing! *pouts*


Fawn was finished last week, now I have a currently headless Rainbow Dash on my ironing board...

Sunday 29 January 2012

A soft little fawn

Some of you may remember that I have - at repeated occassions - tried to make soft toys, but the results have been quite varied I'm afraid. So far I've had ridiculous problems just drafting the patterns, which has been both silly and frustrating.

Well, now I'm having another go at it, and unless I really mess up somewhere, this project is looking quite good. :) I decided to make a fawn, since I don't think the fawn toys out there look very pretty. They look too...manufactured, which makes them lose quite a lot of charm along the way.

Well...here she is. Full of pins at the moment since I haven't sewn everything together yet but...you'll get an idea what she will look like when finished.The body turned out great, but I'm not entirely convinced that her head is fine. I will probably tilt her nose down slightly more.

Friday 27 January 2012

Valentine approaching and webshop overhaul

I've been so up and about, thinking about school that I'd completely forgotten that Valentine's Day is getting closer! Also, I haven't updated my webshop in months! It's really high time for some change, something new. Maybe I should dedicate this weekend to the webshop, what do you think? :)

So after I've finished today's school work, I'm going to give the webshop a haul over and a new header. And then I'll sit down and start making new things for it... I really have neglected it, haven't I? I'm such a bad mother. ^.^; I even noticed they added some new features I didn't know about... *hides*

Well, right now it has a new background (albeit temporary. I'm going to make my own eventually.) and I've expanded the menu as I've noticed some people thought it was empty. ^.^; I'm considering making a wall paper with the logotype caméo, don't you think that would look lovely? <3 I'm going to make a new header too, it's had that one for too long now.

Yesterday a friend heard me wrong and asked what I'm going to bake...I've been thinking about it. :) Maybe mini cutie pies?

(Picture and idea from this blog. <3 )

Tuesday 24 January 2012

Cold weather and spring

It seems like winter arrived late, though I had hoped after it's no-show over Christmas that it wouldn't show at all, it arrived a few days ago. With it, a little bit of snow - and icy winds. Granted, the temperature isn't so bad, it's barely freezing, but the wind is absolutely dreadful.

I must admit that I don't have any good ideas when it comes to countering wind, short of wearing a wind breaker or a raincoat - the former lacks quite a lot of charm, and the latter is too cold. Wearing layers and layers of clothes usually won't do, since the wind passes right through it anyway... Anyone got any good ideas?! I hate (such a strong word...) freezing and I hate sweating... If I could decide we'd have temperatures ranging between 10-25 degrees celsius. That'd be just perfect... <3

Spring looks quite distant at the moment, but it's not far away at all. We cleared our apartment of Christmas decorations the other day, and took out all our spring decorations. So now our apartment is lively with pastel rainbow colours, porcelain bunnies and lots of decorative cakes and pastries. You know them? They're usually porcelain or felt and look both adorable and tasty. <3
So that's pretty much the theme right now, and it's so cute! <3 I also filled one of the pretty glass bowls with candy (dangerous, I know! XD) and it fits perfectly with the brightcoloured flowers and glass cupcakes on the tv table. :)

I must admit I'm really tired today...I've been up since five because I had an early lecture. x.x

Monday 23 January 2012

A requested symbol guide - how to read Japanese crochet patterns

The following guide is from a book called "Asashi Baby", which has an excellent guide on how to read the symbols in Japanese crochet patterns. The symbols here might differ slightly from pattern to pattern, but they generally look the same. :) Each symbol on the pattern represent one of these, so you can actually count the numbers on the diagrams.
These work well with the beret pattern in my previous post, and may work as instructions for it. You get a little bonus too - a tiny pattern on how to make a flower. :)

Of course, this goes without saying: these pictures are not mine, and I encourage you to buy the book if you want a book with lots of gorgeous crochet patterns for babies. :) It's a real treasure for baby clothing.

Sunday 22 January 2012

Winter wardrobe and freebie beret pattern

Being a lolita in winter when it's very troublesome - especially if you need to move in and out from the cold a lot. This is especially true  if you're in school, and even more so if you need to wait for a bus or a train or travel short distances. When it's too tedious to remove all the warm clothing just for being on a bus for ten minutes, and you end up sweaty instead... It's a real hassle, mind you!
So, unfortunately, this winter it's been hard for me to dress the way I want, at least on school days. I mean...I can't very well change my leggings and bloomers once I get to school and change back when I'm going home! So I've ended up in pants. *cries*

That little bit of complaining aside, let's focus on the best part: When you can dress up. <3 I know I've spoken of it before, but I simply must press matters a little bit. There are, after all, a few pieces of clothing that a lolita really ought to have in her winter wardrobe.
Of course, the most obvious thing is a nice, warm coat. Wearing a jacket is a bit so-so, but it can work on warmer days. Secondly, a warm pair of drawers is a must! The usual kind won't do - especially not if you plan on sitting down, because without warm drawers you will risk unpleasant ailments such as urinary tract infection...and that's not recommended.
Thirdly, leggings, of course. Warm ones to keep that pesky wind under control.

And lastsly, a purely cosmetic must: the beret. The beret has been around for roughly four hundred years, and it never gets old. Having a cute knitted or crochetted beret with a pom pom, or a factory made of wool, perfects any Lolita outfit splendidly. <3 The designs are similar - but the decorations doesn't need to! The latest beret I've made (and am still working on) will have small beads sewn in, and a bow at the front. <3 They're SO easy to make! I thought I'd share the pattern for this one with you, I found it for free myself.


The pattern below is from a Japanese magazine, and follow the Japanese crochet symbol standard. If you have troubles deciphering the symbols, poke me and I will help you. :)

Thursday 19 January 2012

Cupcake day!

We all know them, the adorable pastry that all Lolita's adore: the cupcake. Even more so with frosting and decoration, such as sugar paste and sprinkles. <3 I did a batch of these lovely Vanilla Cupcakes from Joy of Baking. (Which is, I may add, one of the perfect places to find adorable recipes for tea parties and picnics!)
Of all the recipes I've tried on cupcakes and muffins, this was the one with the best, tastiest result. The cupcakes are light, fluffy and not too sweet but not too bland. I think you could easily combine these with any other flavours. 

I used to think there was no distinct difference between cupcakes and muffins, but apparently that's not true. Cupcakes are pastries while muffins count as bread (even if they often have fruit or berries). Cupcakes in turn are also more often decorated with frosting and filled with goodies - doesn't the thought of vanilla custard filled cupcakes just make you go yum? <3

I actually did buy some sugar paste a while back (pink, what else?) so I thought...why not decorate these sweeties with pink butterflies and heart shaped sprinkles? The only problem with doing that, though, is transportation... I can't possibly bring such cupcakes to school, so during this morning's lecture (computer networks and distribution systems) I had to make do without frosting.
It was maybe not the healthiest breakfast, but it was good anyway!

Thursday 12 January 2012

What is existence?

I think that's a very hard question to answer. If you live, but don't do anything meaningful with your life, do you still exist? If nobody sees you, do you exist? If you don't ackomplish anything, do you exist? If you don't marry and have children, do you exist?

I think that a lot of people fear this without ever having put it into words. The fear of sticking out, the fear of not being 'the perfect mom' or not having the lastest fashion. It's a fear that puts pressure on people unconsciously. I do believe, though, that this fear is unnecessary. Most people fear needlessly.
The fear of not existing has become something twisted today. What matter does it make if you don't have children? You're still you! And what does it matter if you don't have the newest fashion? If not having, not owning makes you get pushed out of the group you count yourself to, then I say it's a very shallow group that's not worth the trouble.

Fear of not existing gets truly frightening the moment you have no one. And I mean truly no one. Not just 'no one sees me right now', such as many teenagers or people who crave a lot of attention to fill their void do. I mean truly, bitterly alone. When there isn't anyone you can call or talk to, when all you see are people's backs, when your best friend is yourself and nobody ever tries to get to know you. When there's nothing in your life that has a value, nothing you want to hold on to. That's when the fear gets truly frightening.
As long as you have something, anything, then you exist and you do not need to worry about what people think at all, if you do, then you ought to sit down and ask yourself why.

I think that the Invisible People can benefit greatly from internet. It is a place where you can find others just like you, not like it was when I was a kid and internet was still far from what it is today. The longer you belong to the Invisible People...the more it will hurt. But even though nobody sees...you exist. Because sooner or later your time will come too. I know, because it happened to me. Sooner or later, you'll meet that chance encounter that lasts a lifetime, and that's when things turn around. :)

I promise. <3

So let's let go of all these fears of not being good enough, and look for the people who live in this fear - and help them out. Don't become a victim. Nobody benefits from that. Become strong.

Wednesday 11 January 2012

School starts again

Soon, vacation is over and school will start again on monday. I wonder what it will be like now? It can hardly get more stressful than the autumn was. *touches wood* So what are we doing now? :) Well, we'll constructing our own programming languages with Ruby as a base (is it just me, or does that seem like a weird choice...?), then we'll study networking and finally math.
I really, really don't look forward to the last bit. It's not that I'm bad at math, I've always found it easy. But whenever I was supposed to do a test on it in college, I panicked and couldn't even read the tests. So that's what I'm really worried about. ^.^;; I can't afford flunking the math exam.

Worries aside...five days left. What am I going to spend them doing? o.o; It's rainy and gray weather so taking a stroll is out of the question... I've been reading loads of manga. XD I just couldn't help myself. I picked up HxH and InuYasha again...and anyone who likes shounen manga knows that those are addicting - and loooooooong.

Also...did you know that Nine-Tails that is inside of Naruto is named "Kurama"? Much like the demon from Yu Yu Hakusho. Coincidence? I think not...

Saturday 7 January 2012

A big disappointment

I'm warning you beforehand - this is indeed a rantpost, about the "remake" of HunterxHunter.

When I heard that there would be a remake of the HxH anime - a series I love very much, both manga and anime-wise - I was thinking 'oh? This late? Why? There was nothing wrong with the anime'. That it also coincides with the latest hiatus being lifted rose my suspicions... You see, the biggest problem with HxH has been the repeated hiatuses, and the last one...I don't think I'm exaggerating if it lasted two-three years. Until now, that is. 19 new chapters have been released as I write this, and the new aime.

I wondered why they'd make a remake of the anime, and saw that the official reason was that they wanted it to be closer to the manga. I thought that smelled like a fishy reason given the timing, it sounds more like they want to find a new audience since the old one has been declining due to the hiatus.
So I decided to watch it and see, and the first thing that struck me is that it's very badly drawn compared to the first version, suggesting the budget was smaller. Also, pretty much all the cast have been changed to less known voice actors, which further speaks for a smaller budget. That they would not be able to afford the stars they had in the first anime - like Junko Takeuchi (most famous for voicing Naruto).
That in itself was a put off for me, but I decided to give it a chance. They have tried (except for the first episode) to be faitful to the manga designwise. Most of the time. They did however make two big, BIG mistakes with the anime, that makes in unwatchable for me.

First mistake
They've ruined Killua and Hisoka.
Killua is supposed to be a complicated character with darkness within, who is the brain behind the Gon/Killua team. He's supposed to be Gon't backup, to make difficult choices and protects Gon, while trying to cope with his painful past and dangerous family. They've gone and reduced him to a child, made his appearance more childish and also - which ticks me off more - made him stupid. They have also chosen to try to make Gon appear cooler to appeal to a younger audience so as to make Gon the favourite character right away (apparently Killua was too popular), which I think is a very big mistake since Gon is supposed to start from very little and grow.
Hisoka has been turned into a nice uncle, who only attack when provoced instead of the lunatic pedo-clown he really is. His voice actor also doesn't suit him at all, he sounds way too nice. He also treats Gon like a son, which seems really bizarre if you've read the manga or watched the old anime.

Second mistake
One word: censorship. The entire thing has been heavily censored to make the anime available to a younger audience. All the blood, gore and death that was in the manga has been removed. Even gross scenes such as when Killua pulls out a living heart from a villain's body has been censored to the point that you can't tell what's going on unless you know already. I was getting suspicious from the start, when they'd changed the scene where Hisoka cuts a mans arms off - they changed it into an illusion with flowers, so as to make they audience think the man only thought his arms were gone and that it was a trick. What?
I find it hugely disappointing that they chose to censor away all of this since HxH is a very brutal manga and as such not at all suitable for children. If they're going to keep censoring away all blood, all gore and all deaths then I would hardly call it 'following the manga'.

I believe, that this is nothing but a vain try to collect a younger audience and make money from something that once drew in millions. HxH alone once sold in 55 000 000 copies, but I'm afraid that if they expected a renaissance they will be sorely disappointed. I don't think anyone who loved the old anime or read the manga will ever approve of this butchery, that's why their audience isn't the old readers - but new ones.

That isn't older than ten, and think that Beyblade is the best thing ever.

Rant out. Now for a picture from the original to make you cheer up again. <3 Killua and Gon.

Sunday 1 January 2012

Happy New Year world!

This year passed by so fast, I can hardly wrap my head around that it's already 2012! 2011 was such a tumultous year, so very much happened. I wonder what 2012 will bring, besides my - gasp! - 28th birthday. That's another thing that's hard to wrap your head around... :s I hope it will be long yet before I look the part. The day I don't look young anymore will be a very sad day, as I'll have to lay aside the sweet Lolita look...

But! :) That's not a problem yet. I hope you had a great New Years with friends, and that you didn't drink too much alcohol, and that the fireworks were pretty. :) I'm not a bit fan of the sound from most fireworks, but I do love the wheels and "waterfalls". They're very pretty. <3

I'll probably post more during the day, as it's a very lovely day today. :) I'm going to be stubborn and try take photos! *laugh*