Photoshoots

(Picture property of KaYa. <3 Subject is...well...me and my wardrobe. ;D)

A lot of things have been going on lately, and I've never been busier. Just trying to fit my jigsaw of a schedule together has been very tricky, and among those things there have been a few photoshoots. Tomorrow there will be a short interview in a Swedish newspaper, and some pictures from one of those shoots. I admit I am a bit nervous, I haven't been allowed to see those pictures yet... I've only been told they turned out great, but I don't know, and I won't know until tomorrow. ^.^;

It's not the first time I end up in a newspaper - I've been in several, but not one as big as this one. I do admit I'm a little bit worried. I don't care much about what people think, and I don't dress up in lolita for attention - but some things just simply ring to deaf ears. I'm sure there will be plenty who think I'm just in it for attention, that I'm too old for this, that I just want to be 'special' and so on. It's a bit sad, really. I just want to say something to any of you who find my blog through the news article: I'm simply me, no one else, nor am I trying to be. I don't dress up like this for attention - I do so because I love lolita, very much, and I don't feel comfortable in any other fashion. And no, I don't do that make up every day. I usually try not to molest my skin with makeup, because that's not very good for it.

I also want to take the opportunity to thank KaYa for coming by, all the way here. It's amazing how you can find a friend in the oddest fashion! I'm happy you've been following my blog, and I'm even happier that you decided to contact me and meet me. It was great to meet you, the pictures you took were great, and the cookies tasted de~licisious! <3

Learning kana

I'm sure most people who've found themselves interested in Japan has thought it: I wish I could learn Japanese... This isn't so much a matter of learning it to be able to talk it, as a matter of learning how to read it. Even with a basic Japanese vocabulary, actually reading it takes a bit of an effort to learn. Why? I think this is probably common knowledge, but I'll say it anyway: Japan uses so called 'hieroglyphs' (no, that word doesn't only apply to old Egyptian writing, but all pictorial alphabets) called Kanji - but that's not all, they use 'kana' as well. While you need to know about 2000 kanji to read a newspaper, there are also the kana 'Hiragana' and 'Katakana', which are simplified 'alphabets' that are easier to learn than kanji (and you can build all words using only kana). Hiragana is used for Japanese words, while Katakana is used for foreign words and names.

I say that you 'can' build all words using kana - you can - but that doesn't necessarily mean that's how the word is most commonly writen. You can get by using it though - children learn kana before they dig into kanji, and often kanji is explained using kana, since a kanji can be pronounced several ways while the kana only has one meaning per sign. Uncommon kanji often get explanatory kana in tiny letters, so it's good to know kana.

But how to learn it? It's, after all, 96 signs if you add them up. It's individual of course, but as for me, I realised that the best way for me was to first learn to read before I write. That is, learn to recognise the kana and what sound they represent. The best way for me is repetition, over and over again, and I found that this site: www.kanagrams.com, was an excellent tool for repetition, and learn to quickly read a sign. After only using it for a little while, I begun being able to read the Japanese comments on, let's say, youtube. The feeling when those signs finally makes sense is so great! <3

YOHIO

(Picture credit goes to YOHIO alone.)

Media has been practically buzzing lately, and everyone is talking about the 17 year old YOHIO - musician, visual kei artist and very pretty boy. Note the order of those. It seems to me that people first look at YOHIO from the aestethical point of view: he's very pretty. Yes, he is. And next, they see him as a visual kei artist (for those unfamilar with the word, it is a sort of visual style adopted by mainly Japanese rock bands within a certain genre). Fanservice, crossdressing and all that jazz. And last, they look at him as a musician. As a talented young boy making great music.

Is it only me that is saddened by this? Nowhere in that list is a person. A human being. When I first heard of YOHIO, I thought 'he must have been so lonely growing up...'. The bitterness behind the attitude feels like a stab through the heart for such a young person. He talks to birds and squirrels, and doesn't care about what people say about him. No. That's not true. I know from personal experience that children can be extremely unforgiving when it comes to someone being different, and there's not a single person alive who can go completely unfazed from spiteful words.

There is one difference though. The independent one can rationalize it and push it aside as childish, although it's not entirely without pain. You don't get that kind of independance if everyone is kind to you. YOHIO is blessed with a wonderful family and amazing friends, and I'm glad. Most of the bitterness is in the past, and that's good.

So. YOHIO, if you ever come across this blog post, and read this: I think you are a great and strong PERSON, who is very TALENTED and have great TASTE in clothing. I like your STYLE. I think you are a very good MUSICIAN, and the music you write and play is great. I love visual kei, and have done so for a very long time (back in the days when Malice Mizer was still active), and it got stuck here, too. ^.~ So I think it's great that you like visual kei as well. And finally, I think you have a beautiful soul. Yes, the outer shell is pretty as well, but I think it is the soul within that glows so brightly it makes all the difference in the world.

So keep on going and don't stop - I'm eager to see what awaits you in the bright future ahead.

A little creativity...

...goes a long way. ^.~

I may not have been complaining much here, since that's not what this blog is about, but I get a bit frustrated at winter since I can't always wear Lolita. Especially not since I'm still at University, and the days are so very long. One of the downsides with the fashion is that it trades pretty for comfort (unless you are wearing Casual), and while that's okay if you are wearing it just over the day or a few hours, being in a full get up from six in the morning to eight in the evening just doesn't work.

So during long days and days when the weather is terrible, I wear pants and regular clothes (which in my case means dress pants and classy combinations), something I'm not comfortable in and don't like. It just isn't me. So in order to make those clothes a bit more fun, I've been a) looking around for some more punk'ish clothes and b) perk up clothes I do have. I did a bit of a test today, taking one of my white turtle neck jumpers (one that is a bit too big - well, not a bit...it's medium and I wear extra-small in those...) and made it a bit more fun with pink lace ruff and some felt hearts and satin bows. <3 I have to say, it turned out pretty cute, and I'll be able to wear it for casual outfits. I'll probably adjust the jumper and start on the others once I think up a nice design. I usually wear the white turtle necks as a substitute for blouses in school, as they are easier to wash often. It's practical. They'll be a bit more fun with some lace on them though. ^.~

Do you try to perk up 'regular' clothes sometimes? Or think about it? Here's a trick for you: if you are sewing in a stretch fabric, like most tops are these days, put a piece of paper beneath the fabric. That way, it doesn't stretch out and get pulled out of shape as you sew. Happy creativity! <3

Odd one out

(From SuperLovers)

There's been quite a lot interviews lately, for several different reasons, but some of them on the subject of Lolita. I've had questions through the years about my style, but most of them along the line where I buy my clothes. When I say that I sew most of them, people are surprised, and I'm a bit curious why.

Sweden is one of those countries where fashion is pretty main stream. Nothing really sticks out, and if it does, everyone has it so it's still main stream. (That said, just because many wears it doesn't mean I think it looks good... *thinks of a lot of leggings*) But if you can walk through store upon store and think 'there's nothing here for me', then there isn't many choices left. Either you sew or import, or find that obscure little shop nobody knows about. I'd say I do all of those three.

There is so much interesting fashion out there (especially from Japan, and sometimes Korea) that you just don't find here, because they'd not have enough customers to get by. Of course, finding things this way means you have to sift through a lot of things to pick out the items that suits your style, I've to this day not found any brand where I like everything. Most of my things follow a certain...hm...feeling, I suppose. I don't buy clothes to fit in, I buy clothes and accessories because they appeal to me, sometimes because they will match something.

I think it's a mistake to not buy clothes with your heart, since I feel they reflect the You quite poorly if you do. That said - of course 'regular' clothes have their time and place as well, but even then, I don't dress up in just about anything. You'd never catch me in jeans, for example. I just think that it's a shame so many people are terrified of dressing in something that sticks out. People like me and others who dress differently shouldn't have to be thought of as 'brave' or some such nonsense. It's not a matter of being brave at all. I'm not afraid to go out dressed in clothes I like because I'm not ashamed of the person I have become, and I'm not afraid what people will think about me, because if I walked around worrying about such nonsense, I'd not be able to take a single step forward as the person I am today.

I'd be walking around as someone else.

A pink story

It's been sort of a running gag lately among my class mates at University, but I really do love pink. I just gravitate toward pink things, the latest addition to the collection: a pink kettle. It doesn't really matter what it is - if I plan on buying one, and it comes in pink, then why not? *giggles* I do have a feeling a certain somebody will draw a line at a pink car, though... But quite honestly, I'd probably buy a white one and decorate it with pink stickers. There's no such thing as 'too much pink' in my book, but pink certainly comes out better in combination with white.

To be honest, I hadn't really reflected over how much pink things I have, and that my Emacs (sort of a programming tool) had pink background was to begin with just funny things, as I'm now the only girl in my class (I'm studying to become a programmer). But when I was setting up for a lecture a little while back, I took off my pink earmuffs and pink mittens, hoisted up my pink backpack, pushed my pink bento box (with pink chopsticks in a bag with a pink snap bow on it...) aside, took out my pink pencil case, and from it I retrieved my pink pencil with the pink ruler and pink markers... It's a small wonder my notebook and cellphone isn't pink as well!

The funny thing is that for some reason most of the pink shades settle in two nuances - the one on the kettle, and a lighter, pastel colour which work well together. Now, don't look so shocked. I may love pink, but I don't overdo it to the point where it gets tasteless. ^.~ But I suppose that depends on your own personal view of pink.

But I just love pink! <3

Rose jam recipe and dolls

(Here's an excellent recipe for Rose Jam. <3 It's really sweet.)

This morning, when I ate my toast with rose jam, it struck me that I haven't updated this blog in ages. One would think I'm no longer lolita, and that I moved onto greener pastures, but fear not - I'm still here. <3 I'm still studying, though, and much of my spare time the last few months has gone into my dolls.

Not only do I still sculpt dolls (and have one in the last stages of completion, you can follow the progress here.), but I also got a Crobidoll Lance home in December (12/12/12 to be exact), which is now named Aria and is a very spoiled boy. <3 Aria is on the receiving end of my whims lately, which has earned him not only clothes but other things - like jointed hands, a laptop... *sigh* I told myself long ago that I'd never buy a bjd - they were so expensive, and then I go and fall in love with Lance, who cost as much as a brand new computer, and the rest is history. Unlike most doll owners, I don't have any long wish lists and difficulty to decide between dolls, but I have a wish. I want to get Zoltan - the prince that Aria is following around. I haven't decided what sculpt he will be yet, though... I'm having troubles finding a sculpt that looks...royal enough. I will most likely get him a Spirit Doll body, but I'm not sure about the head... I liked the look of Souldoll Chiron (human, normal skin), but I'd need to mod it to fit on the Spirit Doll body.

The second option is, of course, that I get a Spirit Doll body and make the head myself... *sigh* We'll see where we end up. ^.~

School starts again tomorrow after the winter holidays, and to be perfectly frank, I don't feel ready for the new semester. I'd have needed a week or two longer before I can go full throttle, but that's not an option unless I very suddenly and unexpectedly turn a millionaire...