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.

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.)

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!

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.)

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. ^.^

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.

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.