Of fun questions and tidbits about me

While browsing blogs, I ran across one of those challenge/meme things, and I rather liked two of the question sets (Amy's and Phoenix's, from Stripy Tights and Dark Delights and The Cemetery Dreamer, respectively), so I'm just mooching off of their question ideas, haha. It's all for you, my dear Ballroom guests, so I hope you'll enjoy reading. (Well, actually it's because I thought it seemed fun, but we can just pretend.)

So, these questions are from Amy, who I believe started the challenge. (I could be mistaken.)

1. Who is your biggest inspiration?
Kamijo from the band Versailles (who narrowly wins over Jillian Venters). Drama, romanticisim, idealism and an amazing voice all in one! My inner bishounen (what, you didn't know I had one?) is basically Kamijo with a blacker wardrobe. Which leads us to:

2. Describe your style in ten words or less.

Ethereal, monochrome, detailed, darkly dripping decadence, romantic, Faerie, black roses

3.What was your worst ever style disaster?
Well, up until the end of my first year of college (!) I was wearing a ponytail, t-shirt & jeans/some other boring type of pants and CROCS. To be fair, they helped with my feet which had developed plantar fascitis (= the soles get really sore) at that point. I was totally a goth inside, I just hadn't decided to "come out" yet.

4. Where in the world would you most like to visit?
Tokyo. And Ireland. Oddly enough, one of my goth protagonists (in my series in progress) is from Ireland, and the other one just moved to Tokyo.

5. Have you ever been in love?
Please. I've been in love with fictional and real people. Sometimes both at once.

6. What are you currently coveting?
I want a pair of decent boots! Lace up and tall, or maybe platform. Or those adorable yet fierce goth loli boots. *broods over lack of favorite footwear*

7. What is your funniest childhood memory?
I'm told that when my parents and I were in the backyard one time, I was heard to say (to no-one in particular) "Go round front!" As in, I went round to the front yard. My dad said, "Well at least we never have to wonder what her plans are."


Despite being more secretive now, I still think out loud a lot. Some things are too important not to be said! Listeners are optional (and sometimes not preferable, actually). Anyway, I'm an extrovert (totally ENFP yeah!) and both my parents are introverts, which seems to have generated a lot of amusement before they (sort of) got used to me.

8. What is your guiltiest musical pleasure?
Well. Hmm. I sorta like Lady GaGa. One of my best friends loves her, so that's my excuse. ;)

9. What is your favourite way to unwind?


Documentaries about SPACE!! Seriously. I'm such an astronomy nerd...


10. What was your most recent embarrassing moment?
It's more like, when have I recently overcome my sometimes debilitating anxiety about this kind of thing? Which, I suppose, would have been last night when I was talking with a friend, about...*stuff.*


11. What is your favourite movie?









Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away, I'd have to say. I love epic fantasy-based live action movies too though, and have recently expanded my love of fantasy to include sci-fi (preferably both at once! Space is too wondrous not to be a valid setting for fantasy... with or without science).

Okay, now for the questions posed by Phoenix at The Cemetery Dreamer!

1. If you could be any fictional/historical character, who would you be? 
Ooh, that's hard. Probably my character Umeko, because I really admire her inner strength. She's a gothic lolita with the type of sure calm idealism that lets her take the world (or Faerie) by storm, and also her symbol is black roses, the same as me.  :)


2. What is your favorite animal and why?
Ravens maybe. And bats.
...I think the reasons are obvious. But besides those, I love cats, and I always liked dolphins as a kid. There's something mystical about the ocean.

Oh! That reminds me, I also had a childhood fondness for snakes (they feel so awesome to pet!) which has been finally...uh, affirmed or vindicated or something, because my goth big brother has a sweet little python. She's adorable!


3. If you could time travel, what would you do?
Travel with The Doctor, naturally! Most definitely the Ninth Doctor. I love him.

4. Which band/musician do you most want to see live?
Versailles! *Oh, Kamijo-sama...*

5. What body mods do you have/want to get?
None so far (except earlobes) but I'd love to get an eyebrow piercing sometime, and maybe an upper ear piercing. If I got a tattoo it might be some sort of wings on my shoulderblades (probably raven wings, or butterfly or moth), incorporated with black roses and my beloved thorny vines.

6. If you had to pick one outfit from your wardrobe to describe your style best, what would it be?
That's easy--the dress I just finished! Yes yes, I shall post pictures of it at my earliest opportunity. My Black Rose Faerie dress. ^-^

7. What is your dream job?
Being a Japanese interpreter for Lolita fashion models and Visual Kei musicians and other such wonderfully alternative people. I want to help them break the language barrier with their fans.

8. What is the best holiday you've ever been on?
This is hard, since I travel so much but only to visit family, not really to take a holiday in the usual sense. Well, this past winter I got held up in Phoenix due to a snowstorm, and had a chance to spend the day visiting the Grand Canyon and Lowell's Observatory. It was fantastic.

9. What's the worst haircut you've ever had?
I don't cut my hair that often. Hmm well I did cut my hair once as a kid. It didn't turn out too bad though, amazingly.

10. If you won the lottery, what would you spend the money on?
Crafting supplies, boots, travel, and plenty of savings.

11.  What is your favorite quote?

I don't have one in particular, but there's this:

Resignedly beneath the sky
The melancholy waters lie
So blend the turrets and shadows there
That all seem pendulous in air
While from a proud tower in the town
Death looks gigantically down.

Poe, of course. About a city I'd love to visit. Alas, it's fictional.

Of a blog considered lovely, with many thanks ^-^

I've been nominated for a blog ward! Oops, make that blog *award. I could have just gone back and fixed that typo, but I was reluctant to lose the connotations of "ward," since if there were one for dark mad delightful bloggers, I would certainly be in it. Admit it, dears, you know I would.

Anyway~

List seven things about yourself and then tag 15 other bloggers.


Also, before I forget, I was nominated by akumaxkami of Les Fleurs Noires and by Miss Eva of Early Autopsy and White Scissors

So, things about me? Hmmm.

1. I love embroidery the way some people love knitting or crochet or other kinds of crafting. It's "my" craft. I think what I love is that you can create worlds with embroidery, like with drawing. And it's a very rich-feeling way to make a "print"!

2. I have a stuffed sheep named Annabelle Lee after Poe's poem, but she's usually known as Sheepie. Oddly enough I only got her recently--this past summer in fact. Sort of like how I didn't have an imaginary friend until college. (I credit Prince Ozai of the Fire Nation with the survival of my shy freshman self. He just started following me around campus in the young-biker-form I'd dreamed up for my modern AU fanwritings. Eventually some of his ferocity or at least lack of fear rubbed off.)

3. One of my favorite poems is The City in the Sea by Poe. Some of my favorite lines are "light from out the lurid sea / streams up the turrets silently ... Up shadowy long forgotten bowers / of sculptured ivy and stone flowers" and "So blend the turrets and shadows there / that all seem pendulous in air / while from a proud tower in the town / Death looks gigantically down." Seriously, I want to GO there! It sounds weird and lovely. Well the next best thing is having my characters go there, which I have done. That city became the inspiration for an important place in my current novel-in-progress.

4. I was recently given my first proper kiss. I can't elaborate very much, but I'm sure you'll agree that sentence really speaks for itself.

5. I hope to make and sell clothing and accessories, many of which will draw inspiration from my characters (like maybe Fennore, the spider-fae princess who grows black roses in her garden, or Rivarwe Doom-Raven, a perkygoth goddess who embodies Mystery and Shadow).

6. I have memorized the words to both the opening and closing songs of the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Don't get me wrong, there are things about the darkness of this series that I hate, but at times I really love the atmosphere, and it has influenced my own magical girl characters a lot. With much less bashing of optimism and idealism, of course.

7. The first other goth I met is like an older brother to me, which is neat because I'm the oldest of five girls (no boys). He took me to a goth club for the first time. And is just generally one of those impossibly amazing people. <3

So, that's it for the 'about me' section of this award...I don't know who's already been tagged, so if you've been tagged, only do this again if you want to.

Princessly Living
Oh Velveteena
The Elegant Wardrobe
Make Lovely
Pink Milk Tea
Her Curious Elegance
Sophistique Noir
The Dark Victorian
Stripy Tights and Dark Delights

That's not fifteen but I've run out of steam (though not awesome blogs to post, as there are so many out there! Even some that I've just discovered through browsing in the last five minutes).
So, may your night be lovely and mysterious, my Ballroom guests.

Of being well met by moonlight

I had forgotten that my polyvore automatically updates to Blogger, but even so I hope some of you enjoyed the recent deluge of polyvore sets. I wanted to try the same lolita + zodiac idea that Aly employed on her blog Miss Lumpy, except that I was going for a more gothic aesthetic (as I'm sure you gathered). I'm better at creating art sets than the strictly fashion ones, so they aren't literally lolita, but I'm quite proud of them, even so.

Other recent news...I went to Fresno to visit my prince, last weekend. I will try to obtain a picture or two from our date at a goth club event. It turns out I'm better at dancing than I thought, which is rather helpful in confidence-building (aka it provides yet more evidence that I should not be as painfully shy as I am, which I am trying very hard to overcome).

Yesterday I attached another(!) ruffle to the skirt of my dress, but didn't manage to get a picture quite yet. Will do so, soon. That reminds me! I also need to photograph my recent for-Etsy crafting. Let's just say I suspect my trademark will be (ribbon-made and all other sorts of) roses. But you knew that. And chandeliers, of course.

On Sundays I have a Japanese study group that meets at Starbucks, and yesterday I happened to meet a lovely gothic lolita (making three of us in all in that group, plus another one who wasn't dressed in goth loli that day) with whom I am now planning to revolutionize our local community. Translation: we need tea meetups every week. Also, we think there should be more gothic (in addition to sweet loli) vendors at various events, and accordingly will combine our crafting powers. Watch for more news on the subject! Seriously, it was like one of those wonderful chance encounters I would write for my characters--except it happened to me, in real life! Remarkable, no?

Of short updates

This weekend I meant to take some in-progress pictures of of my new dress, but spent that time sewing it instead...which makes sense I suppose. Anyway, I don't have the lovely exciting frills and flourishes on the dress yet, so hopefully next weekend, when I'm closer to that point, I can post more interesting pictures.

Also, I just discovered a blogger Valentine's Day event, which seems very gothy and darkly romantic, as it involves vampires. You can bet I'll be joining in.

Oh dear, it's 3 AM and I have classes at 11 tomorrow, so I suppose I should sleep now. But I didn't want to leave you update-less much longer, even if I don't have pretty pictures quite yet. Anyway, have a merry Wednesday!

Of being picture-less (sadly), accessory plans, and late Autumn's grey charm

Lovelies, once again my computer is broken, so let me see what I can post for you in the mean time.  I really meant to take pictures of what I could, crafting-wise,  this weekend--but I promise to catch up on that next weekend.

I've become known around campus as "that girl who knits"--since kneehigh socks take so long for me to finish, I've decided to start making legwarmers. Now, mine are the kind that lace up (since I don't have boots that do that, yet) and have lace patterns of chandeliers, windows and rose vines, and whatever else I can figure out how to 'draw' with my knitting. So 'legwarmers' might be a bit misleading, but anyway I think they'll be great for the cold season ahead, with kneelength skirts presenting their usual chilly problem.

I'm finally read to start making accessories to sell, probably just at swapmeets and so forth at first. But I'll be posting pictures here, so if you'd like to buy one, do let me know.

Well, since I'm boringly pictureless, let's hear from you, dear Ballroom dancers! What are your favorite things about Autumn, or favorite ways to enjoy it? When I was in Kentucky, I loved the look of the black almost-bare branches against the soft grey sky. In fact I have an entire faerie clan based on that image, in my books (the crow fae). Another fun thing is, of course, all the new varieties of coffee and tea and whatnot that come out around this time of year!

So. Do tell. *stirs tea and waits*

Of much crafting and one goth loli who's all grown up

Ah my lovely roses, it's so very good to be back. Did you know it was my birthday yesterday? I'm officially allowed in goth clubs now (21 years old, that is), although I'm not sure when I'll have the opportunity to visit them, just yet. Anyway, somewhat by chance I chatted for several hours at Starbucks with a couple of my Japanophile friends, one of them a fellow lolita. Thanks again, if you two are reading this--you made it a wonderful birthday.

So, as to recent craftiness--
Rather than give up on making Wonderful Things for three weeks, this trip I decided to bring my crafting supplies in a box and keep it with me in the car (we had a few 12 hour driving days and many more partial days). I will be doing that on (car)trips from now on.

I've been dying for a choker or five. Here's my first so far, which I love. (Also, I'm obsessed with beading lace, which is what I think you call that lace with ribbon threaded through).













I bought that charm in January. I'm happy I can finally wear it!

Another of my oldschool loves is wristcuffs. These turned out with...slightly uneven lengths, but they'll do. They'll do quite nicely, in fact.

No worn pics yet, because I haven't created an attaching method for them... Probably I'll go the loop-and-button route, 'cause you can do that with one hand.

Also I finished a headdress that's been sitting in my crochet bag for a while now. Behold, more beading lace~

I've decided to give ankle socks a go, as they take less time and potentially wasted effort. I love the idea of socks lacing up like boots (plus it makes them a bit more adjustable) and so I experimented with it here.

I started to add a crochet panel because the gap on top of the foot turned out way too wide for me to lace up in the way I'd planned. But I made several other mistakes on this one (I was figuring out the stitch pattern as I went) so I think I'll start afresh and let this sock be a prototype.

You know what's really exciting? I made little knit roses on this sock, along with thorny vines. The roses are a modified "popcorn" stitch. I'll tell you how if you like. (I heightened the contrast to make it show up better.)

But this sock's main purpose was that I wanted to figure out a way to make a chandelier design with the stitches (I'll do some two-color versions too), so this is my first try at that.

The chandeliers are made of yarnovers (the holes) and purl stitches, so they don't show up very vividly. I have an idea for a more visible pattern for next time, though.

Ah yes, the coffin purse.

This has been relegated to crafting/jewelry box duty, because I need something much stiffer for the walls of a purse. But I love it anyway.

Did I show you the lace for my red x black dress before? Anyway, here it is... I'll get around to sewing it on the dress soon, I promise.

And this is an outfit snap from yesterday~

Although I'm repeating myself, your Ballroom host is quite glad to be back among all the lovely dark dancers who visit her. Do have some more tea before you go--it's my rose chocolate blend. (I wish it would materialize in real life as well as cyberspace!)

Of Day the Eleventh and some art

You'll have to excuse your Ballroom host--I was distracted for a few days by a rather wonderful anime series called Wedding Peach, wherein a young girl transforms into a Love Angel in order to save the Angel World. I adore the magical girl genre. I suppose a similar reason drew me to lolita, which lets me transform into my "magical true self," to put it in terms of the genre.

Anyway, a day in the life of DuskRose.

First, an outfit snap. It's not lolita (obviously) but I decided to put a bit more effort into it than usual. I've been wanting to experiment more with accessories and things. I like how this outfit turned out.

(This was inside, so no shoes to show you.)

But you can't really see my earrings--this is significant because I don't wear them that often--so I tried my hand at mirror shots.

This is the red x black JSK I'm working on, which I hope to finish in time for Red x Black Week. Princess seams are difficult! But worth it.

It's my first time using lining. You may recognize the black x white lining fabric I also used in that one skirt a while back.

And randomly, a shot of the window and outside.

Tea time! I usually drink tea and or coffee several times in a day. I really have a weakness for hot drinks. <3

I don't have a picture for this, but I spent part of the day revising a pivotal scene in my novel. It takes place in an enchanted ballroom, which gave this blog its name. You know, actually I do have a picture.

Behold Lorcan and Taralyn, my protagonists. I'd like to make their silhouettes into a background for this blog, perhaps.

A while later I attached the skirt to my JSK. (It was only pinned before.) The top layer is a light crinkly embroidered, er, cotton (?) and the lower layer is iridescent red bats on a black background. It's one of those shiny Halloween fabrics, which I could not resist.

I figure the cotton will tone down the underlayer, and the red bats will keep it more gothy than country. Country lolita is adorable, but I'm not well suited to it.

I leave you with a farewell from the bats.

Of Day the Eighth and Muchly More Musics!

After a brief interlude (and a brief bout of Blogger being down), I'm happy to resume with another very musical post, full of clicky links.

Day 8~
10 songs that inspire you for lolita.

1. Let's start with the obvious one: Lolitawork Libretto by Kanon Wakeshima. When I listen to this song, I get a sense of...completion, or maybe of an exciting, ongoing journey. This song really seems to express what lolita means to me, or what my world as a lolita is. It's not just on an individual level, though. Lolitawork libretto gives me a sense of being part of a massive global community of lolitas, all with our unique version of a fairytale world.

2. The Little Fugue in G Minor for the organ is my favorite classical piece ever. It sounds so haunting and unearthly. It reminds me more of my characters' world than of my own 'lolita bubble,' but the world of my stories is in many ways a part of my own internal dreamscape, as is lolita. (And on the occasions when breaking of the fourth wall is had, my characters and I all live together in a lovely gothic mansion, dancing in the ballroom or taking tea at midnight.)

3. Futatsu no Kodou to Akai Tsumi (or, Two Beats and Red Sins) is the opening song of Vampire Knight, my favorite anime series. Like the above-mentioned fugue, for me this is one of those songs that makes a perfect soundtrack to my idea of a gothic dreamworld (if that made sense). I love the sense of forward movement in this song, juxtaposed with the nostalgic haunting loss that fills the lyrics and melody.

4. Seishoujo Ryouiki, the second opening of the Rozen Maiden anime, is one of the few songs in this list that reminds me specifically of lolita. For those who don't know, Rozen Maiden follows the story of several Victorian style dolls who have been magically brought to life.

I love the way the words and melody express the thoughts of a doll (or maybe a maiden that dresses to look like a doll). To me part of the message is that a yearning for beauty and wonder can coexist with more down-to-earth fears and worries, and even petty jealousies. It's a fascinating juxtaposition. And a beautiful song besides.

5. Let me introduce you to my favorite vocaloid song, Trick and Treat ("Reborn!" version). This song fits perfectly my idea of spooky whimsy. It's mysterious, lighthearted, and a bit melancholy all at once. The two characters in the video remind me very much of my fae characters--it seems like the sort of thing my faeries would do.

6. Lacrimosa by Kalefina, better known as the second ending of the anime Kuroshitsji, is so beautiful and haunting it gives me chills. I love it when songs or stories--or...just anything, really--do that. This song has a very eerie beauty--it's filled with sorrow and some amount of internal conflict, and yet very serene and untroubled. This was my "themesong" for my NaNoWriMo novel, last November.

7. Versailles (whom I had to include sooner or later in this list) helped me "find myself" again, when their music first came into my life. They made me remember my love for the roses and the moon--in short, the internal dreamscape I've been wittering on about. By doing so, they paved the way for my entry into lolita fashion.

So I almost feel as though Aristocrat's Symphony is "our song," referring to my own experience with the band and their music, because it was the first song I listened to over and over when falling in love with Versailles. It tells a story of bringing someone into "the world of roses"--which is what they did for me. So by watching this music video I'm reminded strongly of my own story of coming into Versailles' world.

8. Versailles has another song and video I absolutely fell in love with (more than usual I mean). The passion, drama and yearning of Ascendead Master resonates with me in a way I can't really explain. The storyline, a combination of antique and modern worlds, is one I find quite fascinating. And the music is not only gorgeous, but pretty exciting too!

9. Last time I didn't get to show you the song that might be my favorite of Nana Mizuki's, Dancing in the Velvet Moon. (There's no live action music video to showcase her style, so sadly it didn't fit with the style post.)  The ending song of Rosario + Vampire, this song centers on my favorite character, Inner Moka--the title vampire.

For those confused by my referring to "inner" Moka--Moka has two selves, courtesy of a magical seal (the "rosario") that keeps her true powers (and ferocity) bound. I like her "outer" self pretty well--she's cheerful, sweet and idealistic--but I'm practically in love with the fierce, aloof, and downright cool vampire princess she becomes when the seal is removed. I don't know what this has to do with lolita, except that while in my dark frills I'd like to have the same confidence and mysteriousness as she does. Plus she grew up in a gothic castle. Which is totally cool.

10. Time for more vocaloid. Another of my favorites is Cendrillon, which has a few references to Cinderella. In addition to the fairytale references (which are always nice), I love how this song is filled with idealism yet also with a haunting poignance.

Well now, it seems almost all of my songs are in Japanese. I suppose it's no surprise, knowing me! A lot of symphonic metal can be found on my lolita soundtrack, as well as many pieces from the gothic instrumental band Nox Arcana (which I highly recommend). But that's a post for another night.

Of Day the Seventh and Music

I  have a sneaking fear I'd start to repeat myself if I listed ten things I can't do without in lolita (headdresses, corset lacing...you get the idea!) so perhaps I'll move on to:

Day 7~
Ten people who inspire your lolita style.

1. Kamijo (-sama) of the band Versailles. He usually dresses with a different color scheme than I do (in blue, gold and white for example) but I admire his love for archaic opulence, and his quest for beauty. Also, although I had already decided that roses were my favorite flower, Kamijo...shall we say greatly encouraged my obsession with roses.  The music video for Aristocrat's Symphony, one of my favorite Versailles songs, will illustrate why.

2. Jillian Venters, also known as The Lady of the Manners at Gothic Charm School. I believe she identifies as more goth than lolita, but her charming Neo-Victorian style has the lolita silhouette, and I admire the spooky whimsy in her wardrobe.

3. Kanon Wakeshima (big surprise, right?) is my idol for shiro. The video for Suna no Oshiro (Castles of Sand) will illustrate why. Beyond that, I admire that she wears such lovely coordinates while making beautiful music (and playing the cello!), especially since becoming a lolita-wearing musician is a dream of mine as well.

4. Speaking of female Jrockers, let me introduce you to the first Japanese musician whose music (and style) I fell in love with, before Kamijo and Kanon. I discovered Nana Mizuki through her work voicing anime characters, particularly as Moka in Rosario + Vampire, and Hoshina Utau in Shugo Chara. She has several beautiful songs in each series.

 Now, as to being influenced by her style: I would link you to the PV for Eternal Blaze, but it doesn't really showcase what I love about her style (it's a gorgeous video though). What I've always admired is that some of Nana Mizuki's videos showcase two of my favorite, very different looks. Her ethereal white costumes, in 深愛 ("Deep Love" I think?) for example, remind me of the way I wanted to dress before goth--sort of in an Elven medieval style done all in white and silver and crystal. But at the same time, Nana Mizuki has a few edgier, slightly more gothy-looking costumes, such as in Wild Eyes.

These aren't her only two looks, but these two in particular reminded me, when I first discovered her, of the strange divide I felt in continuing to love the otherworldly white I'd preferred before, but realizing that I was moving primarily to a new, gothic style. And yes, she deserved three paragraphs.

5. Asagi, from the Visual Kei band D. Simply put, I think his outfits are gorgeous. I'll keep this one short, and let the quite lolita-friendly Yami no Kuni no Alice ("Alice in a Dark Country") speak for itself.

6. Anime and manga have definitely influenced my style, particularly in the form of Suigintou from Rozen Maiden. Being a living doll herself, she perfectly embodies the spooky, stylized doll look that I love in lolita. I espeically love the way her overskirt laces up across the white underskirt.
The whole series is full of beautiful style inspiration, if you want to take a look at the opening song (of the second season, but it's my favorite of the openings).

I've run out of ideas to complete the list at present, so maybe I'll just leave it there. For those who have joined in this challenge, I look forward to seeing your style inspirations.

Of Day the Fifth and a Secret Vice

Hello again lovelies--and dear M, if you're reading this. (M is a non-lolita friend of mine who had expressed interest in my blog.)

Despite my love for DIY and handmade loli, there are quite a few brand items that have caught my eye...so let me show you ten items from my "just for fun" wishlist. No pictures, I'm afraid, but the links lead to Lolibrary, the lolita stock pictures Flickr pool, or the Tokyo Rebel blog.

Day 5~
Ten items from your wishlist.

1&2. Atelier Pierrot's Bustle Corset onepiece, in black. If you scroll down to the second dress (the Cup Bustle one-piece), I'd love to have that one too. This is my favorite brand, so really I'd like to have all their dresses.

3. Vampire Requiem. I don't guess we need a clicky link for this one. *wink* The black is gorgeous, but I also like the lighter colorways. I love the way Baby/AatP pictures winding thorny rose-vines.

4. Just for fun (and because I love it so much), here's my favorite Atelier Pierrot dress again in some different colors, and with new trim! 

5. She Is Sleeping (aka the Sleeping Beauty print). I would choose the onepiece in black. I adore this print, not least because Sleeping Beauty is my favorite fairytale. And again, the rose-vines!  I think they surpass Vampire Requiem for sheer stunningness.
(Note: According to Lolibrary, there seems to be another She Is Sleeping print? Odd... Anyway I mean the one that looks more Alice and the Pirates-y.)

6. Baby's Chocolate Fascinate Fairytale (with corset lacing!). This might seem odd, but I love the delicate whimsy of the print. Baby in general gives a very light dreamy feeling to sweet lolita, which makes them my favorite non-gothic brand.

7. Continuing the Baby trend, Cinderella Jewelry. I'm not usually one to wear blue, but the blue colorway seems especially luminous. I guess I really do love fairytale references, especially when they have the ornately dreamy quality this one does.

8. I don't usually swoon over Angelic Pretty (except for my so-called "secret vice" print that I will reveal in a moment), but I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks the black colorway (and probably the red, too) of Marionnette Girl has a marvelously "gothy circus" feel.

9.  I may not be a Moitie girl, but I have to include one of Mana's beautiful prints. So here's lovely Iron Gate for you to oggle over. You know, it looks a lot like the wrought iron gates (except, not twined with roses) that surround the mansions of my faerie characters.

10. And now, my secret vice. I have a huge weakness for AP's Melty Chocolate, particularly in the new mint x chocolate x pink colorway. It looks so much like a dainty tea cookie. <3 I think what drew me is the balance between dramatic and delicate, which this print achieves very well (see, I analyze and learn from my weaknesses, or...something). Not to mention the candy stripes on the skirt.

Well. That was quite a fun post to write. (Not surprising, I suppose!) Thanks for sticking with me through this challenge so far!

(By the way, I believe "secret vice" is a reference to something Tolkien said. Referring to his love for making languages. Of course it's hardly a secret, and I wouldn't say it's a vice, since my saying so would be hypocritical...)

Of Day the Fourth

I feel so fancy, posting so often. (Don't worry, you didn't miss Day 3--I skipped it out of personal preference. Dear me, how whimsical and flighty that DuskRose is...) Anyway:

Day 4~
Ten foods you love. (What? I have to narrow it down to ten?)

1. Anything Japanese or Chinese

2. Chocolate fudge! For several years this has been my "official" favorite food.

3. Blueberries, peaches, strawberries...I suppose  I should just say "fruit."

4. Ice cream. Especially Moose Tracks and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough... *sighs happily*

5. Instant coffee (this totally counts as a food! No, really). I like all the interesting flavors you can get, like double mocha, English toffee or peppermint.

6. Baked goods, including bread. And muffins, cookies, scones...

7. Cheese, both "raw" and cooked into things. Right now I'm thinking of cheese danishes. And getting hungry.

(How creepy is it that when I left just now to look at Google Reader--to brainstorm for three more foods--a recipe for a cream cheese danish appeared on my blogroll?)

8. Little sandwiches that seem like they'd belong at a tea.

9. Tea itself (i've listed coffee, so...)

10. Hmmm I'll go with the beverage theme and say: juice. Especially the canned juice that comes in flavors like "orange mango" and "tropical punch."

Seeing how much I love food, it's surprisingly difficult to think of ten different foods that I particularly love. Anyway, tell me--are there any delicacies you're particularly fond of?

Of Day the Second and the things I sigh over

Hello again, lovelies~
I thought I'd make today a two-post day. Or night. If you're interested, Meagan of Dreaming in Lolita is also doing the 30 day meme--I knew I'd seen someone else start it too, but I couldn't remember who for the life of me.

For Day 2, I wanted to just copy and paste Sammy's entire list, but instead I made my #1 the thing to which I said ZOMG YES when she mentioned it.

...Knowing me, you'll see why.

Day 2~
Ten things that you love in lolita.

1. Roses. Black, red, white; lace roses, ribbon roses, embroidered roses--I make no distinctions. <3 (I suppose Kamijo sama would be very proud of me.)

2. Winding thorny vines, like the ones (I think) in some of AatP's prints.

3. Headdresses (a thousand times yes). I love the really elaborate ones best--they have that stylized doll look.

4. Beaded/beading lace. I'm fuzzy on the exact name, but it's that lace that has a ribbon threaded through the openings. So pretty!

5. Chandeliers. They go well with my Ballroom decor, after all. *nods mysteriously*

6. Arching windows, particularly of the kind that tapers to a point at the top. The houses of my characters (and by houses I mean mansions, manors and gothic castles) are choc full of these windows.

7. Utter opulence, by which I think I mean OTT gothic. I love a look that's delicate and ethereal, but also stylized, ornate and a bit wild. Fay/fey in every sense, I suppose.

8. Lace-up boots, particularly with rounded toes (again for that doll look). I want closets filled with them!

9. Corset-style lacing. My default image for designing blouses/bodices involves corset lacing across a center panel.  I think I've seen this most often in AatP, another reason they rank among my favorite brands. <3

10. Wristcuffs/gauntlets/fingerless gloves. I plan to knit/crochet a lot of these. Soon.

That wraps up Day 2. These answers came to me much quicker than in the last post, oddly enough. What are some of your favorite things in lolita?

Of a meme and a lolita bubble

Sammy of The Random Lolita has embarked on a most exciting-looking 30 day meme in which one shares tidbits about oneself and lolita fashion, and I have decided to join her.  If you'd like to join in too, please do so! Here is Sammy's post with the 30 days' topics.

Day 1~
10 things about your lolita bubble.

1. I fill lolita cliches without even realizing it. At this moment I am sipping tea while working on some handsewing for my onepiece, and browsing lolita blogs. Oh, and this morning I baked a coffee cake. (It was a new-to-me recipe but it turned out pretty nicely!)

2. I love the idea of people choosing a symbol or motif to "represent" them, or to incorporate into their wardrobe/surroundings. I love black roses, so they've become the dominant motif in my wardrobe--though not the only one, certainly.

An interesting aside: in the world of my stories, "dusk rose" is another name for a black rose, so I suppose I named myself (online anyway) after my favorite flower.

3. Speaking of which, I'm slightly strange perhaps in that I've named different sides of my personality as they relate to a specific fandom or subculture/alternative fashion. I think of "Dusk Rose" as my lolita and goth girl self. But I also love boystyle, so my Aristo self is "Rainshadow." (I love the rain. Overcast days are my favorite.)

4. Blogs have always been a huge part of my connection with the lolita world. Victoria Suzanne of Lolita Charm (the first blog I discovered) was a major influence on my decision to become a lolita (Thank you, Victoria! <3). During the months last spring when I didn't have the resources to begin sewing my loli clothing yet (I was at college across the country), lolita blogs gave me a window into the lives of other lolitas, and a connection to the lifestyle I longed for.

I've always hoped this blog would do the same for other aspiring or solitary lolitas. I'd like to be a lighthouse, if you will, so my fellow rufflebutts know they're not alone in their struggles to bring beauty and frills (spooky or otherwise) into their lives.

5. This blog is officially one year old! I thought its birthday was later this month, but apparently I first posted April 30th. Well I suppose this 30 day meme will be a sort of birthday gala, in that case. Thanks for making this an amazing first year, my dear Ballroom dancers! <3

6. Two of my characters wear styles similar to myself (well lots more do too, but that's beside the point). Umeko is a gothic lolita who loves black roses, and Etsu dresses in boystyle Aristo; she was first inspired to do so by the aristocratic attire of a (fictional) Visual Kei artist whom she admires.

7. It's strange, I can picture my dream wardrobe very clearly in my head (well, reasonably clearly), and so sometimes I think of it or refer to it as though it already exists, although I still have to pull my dream dresses out of my imagination with a needle and thread. Do any of my fellow wardrobe builders have this experience sometimes?

8. Despite having a somewhat unusual style (or so I've gathered), I've seen a lot of gorgeous lolita clothing that would fit right into my dream wardrobe, and I wouldn't mind purchasing some items when I have the funds. But for now I most enjoy wearing things that I made myself.

9. Eventually I hope to take on some leadership roles in my local loli community, partly, I think, because I'd like to extend the "lighthouse" concept beyond cyberspace.

10. I dream of taking commissions someday, and of having my own lolita brand. Some of the designs will be inspired by my characters, so I'm looking forward to creating them.

That's all for Day 1 (although I should warn you that Day 2 will be coming along shortly). I hope you enjoyed reading these, and again, feel free to jump in on this meme at any point of you'd like.

Of oddments that delight me

Or, Things I Love Thursday, minus the Thursday bit. I'm a bit tired of feeling like I've run out of energy and ideas to blog, so I'm going to experiment with posting more often on potentially random-seeming (but still lolita/goth related) subjects, just so I can figure out how to broaden my posting options.

The above-mentioned Delightful Oddments~

~Finally getting started on my first lolita dress

~Working towards a readable second draft of my work in progress novel

~On that note, I've discovered that my protagonist gets to interact with the faerie folk / the magical world a lot sooner than I'd realized, because she's a seer (unknowingly) and goes to Faerie in her dreams.

~The cosplay picnic tomorrow, at which I get to meet other cosplay fans in my area for the first time

~Getting called "the lady in black" at the Ren Faire (we went today, and I'll post about it in more depth soon)

~Learning a bit about how to bellydance at the Faire, after an absolutely gorgeous performance by the dancers. (I've been wanting to learn some form of eastern / middle eastern dance for a while now, but now I'm convinced: I must learn to bellydance! And ballroom dance. And maybe flamenco...)

~The music of Kalafina, one of my favorite Japanese groups. Anime fans might recognize their song Lacrimosa, the second ending song for Kuroshitsuji. The music is poignant, beautiful, and makes you shiver.(Interestingly, this was also the themesong I chose for my NaNoWriMo novel, because I love it and the song fit so well.)