Home from my Holiday, Greeted by a Ball of Fluff

Hello everyone! I'm happily back from my trip home to Britain. It was lovely to go back but I'm glad to be back in America too! 

My first order of business will be to get right onto replying to all of the comments left on the entries that posted when I was away, my second order of business is to write about my visit to the Baby the Stars Shine Bright shop in Paris! <3

Also, I want to introduce you to my new kitten! Her name is Stella and she is just 8 weeks old. My roommate and I have nicknamed her Princess Stella because we totally spoil her! She knows that she can get pretty much anything out of us because she's so adorable. However she frequently gets up to mischief which causes us to yell at her Marlon Brando style!

Please look forward to more updates!

Spend Summer With Friends

 Picture from this My Yellow Beauty

Walk through the flowers,

Soak up the sun,

Laugh with your friends,

The summer's for fun.

Wear your best dress,

Forget all your cares,

Dance through the day,

Smile at those who stare.

Feel your most pretty,

Drink cold lemonade,

Settle down for a picnic,

Under the shade.

Frills Center Stage

Sometimes when I go out with a group of my loli friends people come up to us and ask if we are participating in a play. It makes me giggle to imagine that the people around us are just waiting for our group to break out into song or start reciting Shakespeare. But when I go out in loli on my own often I feel that the play comment isn't that far fetched, the reaction people give me makes me feel like I'm a one woman show.

Some girls would be very upset by this kind of attention, but since I am a theatre major I have the personality that can take these things in stride. Perhaps the fact that I worked at Disney influences me, but here are some things I do when approached by "my audience".

• I make eye contact and smile at the people who are looking at me. I often greet them or ask how their day was. Most people have good intentions and are just curious.

• If someone asks me questions about my outfit and I have time to answer I will gladly inform them all about our fashion.

• Sometimes I catch people trying to take pictures of me on the sly. If they are trying to be sneaky I often call them out which embarrasses them a little (hopefully discouraging them from doing so again), but then I offer to pose for a picture for them so that they don't feel too bad.

• If somebody is polite and asks to take a picture of me I offer to let them be in the picture too.

• Little girls like to wave at me, I always wave back!

Of course there are days when I just don't want to be bothered, in that case I just put on a giant pair of sunglasses and walk with purpose. To most people this conveys the message that I'm not free to talk. It can be kind of fun too, wearing big shades make me feel like I'm an incognito celebrity!

A Salute to Handmade Princesses

Springbells, in her beautiful handmade jumperskirt

There are many girls in the world who would love to dress in loli but are so put off by the hefty brand price tags that they never fulfill their dream. If you feel like this describes your situation then you should consider making a dress for yourself, some of the most beautiful pieces are handmade!

In the early 2000's when many brands refused to ship overseas, the western loli world was a rainbow of handmade pieces. Girls taught each other how to improve their sewing and meet ups were filled with happy girls complimenting each others outfits. It took a lot of effort to make your outfit look beautiful but the result filled you with so much joy.

Now that brand is so easily accessible it seems that the handmade loli is a dying breed. The attitude of many modern day loli's is that handmade clothing is somehow not as valid as expensive brand clothing, but it fact it can be even more magical!

 And_otherness wearing her gorgeous handmade dress and bow.

Handmade loli clothing can be stunning, and the great thing about it is that you can make your dress look however you please! Generally making your clothing costs a whole lot less than buying expensive brand dresses, and since you make it to your own measurements it will fit better too.

Making your own clothing is a good option for girls who are too young to shop online or for those without the budget to make brand purchases. And making handmade pieces doesn't mean that you can't save up and buy your clothing sometimes, it can be really great to have a wardrobe mixed with your dream brand dresses and your treasured handmade clothing.

This year I've found that making accessories can be extremely rewarding, so when I come back from Scotland I'm going to try to make my very first skirt. I'll make sure to post pictures of the result, wish me luck!

A Brolita Experience

This post is part of my "Guest Lolita's" series. It was not written by me.

My name is James Chiong, a gothic and sweet Lolita who currently hails from Charleston, SC. I have been a cross-dresser for about 12 years but I have been a Lolita for a little over a year and half now.
It all started one summer day in 2009. I was going through another one of my cross-dressing inspiring picture searches on google images, maybe something that involved turning my beloved broom skirts into something more flattering. What I found instead was one of the most inspiring things I have ever found in my life. This was the day I came across Mana.

I was astounded! I had never seen anything like this. But it wasn’t his female silhouette that captured me. It was his dress that, at the time, was the most gorgeous dress I had ever seen. Everything he had on, from the petticoats to the wig to the makeup, amazed me. This fashion, which I came to find out was called Lolita, was EVERYTHING I had ever wanted as a cross-dresser.

As a guy Lolita, aka a ‘bro’lita, dressing up in frills and lace is an exhilarating experience. I love being able to coordinate an entire outfit that can be mine. Everything, from the dress and the blouse all the way down to my shoes and even the wig I wear, is something that excites me and makes me just feel pretty. Even the little subtle things such as makeup, bloomers, and petticoats help add to the overall experience of it all.

But Lolita is more than just a fashion. It’s a lifestyle. And even now, when I cannot wear it as often I would like, it continues to inspire me. It has become the catalyst that allowed me to open up in ways I never could have imagined. Through lolita I've met dozens of people I would normally have little to no interaction with and have learned to take pride in my outfits despite what others may think. Lolita has helped me to find the strength to carry on, and to live my life as the person I dream of.

My Birthday!

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!

I just felt like saying that! I always get super excited on my birthdays no matter how old I get. Today I am 23 and there is no end in sight to my frilly behavior! Yaaaaaay birthday!!!! 

Leaving on a Jetplane

Hello everybody! By the time you read this I will already be back home in Scotland. I'm really happy to be visiting my family, perhaps I'll even be able to take a trip over to Paris to check out Baby the Stars Shine Bright and Angelic Pretty! If I do I'll make sure to take plenty of pictures!

I don't any internet access so the updates for this month are all pre-scheduled, if something goes wrong and they don't post then I'm sorry! Some of my friends will be participating in my Guest Lolita series, they have written some really great stuff! Anyway, I will be unable to reply to comments until some time in June. 

I hope that you all have a fabulous May (my favorite month) and enjoy the summer!

Love,

Raegan 

xoxoxoxoxoxo

100 Question Lolita Baton- Part Two

Here is the second part of my 100 Question Lolita Baton. To see Part One click here!

26. Please tell us an embarrassing story from when you were a lolita beginner.
Luckily I never had an embarrassing beginning because I had done a lot of research before buying anything, but I went to my first meet up with a flat petti because the petticoat I had at the time was way too massive for the skirt. I felt really self conscious about it the whole time.

27. What is your current hairstyle and colour?
Long hair and I'm currently growing out my fringe. When I got the style cut I really loved it, but now I am tired of it.

28. What is your lolita history?
It's hazy even to me (I have a notoriously bad memory), but I think I became aware of the fashion in the early 2000's, and I started wearing it in 2008.

29. Do you store your clothes in a special place?
I hang all of my loli clothing up, but that's about it. When I one day get my own home I'd love to have a special dressing room!

30. Did you ever think about quitting lolita? What was the reason?
Not really, although I'm sure that I won't be wearing loli when I'm middle aged! Now and again I get burnt out from wearing it every day, or just want to dress casually so I will take a week off. I usually find that I am desperate to get back to my frills!

31. What is your motto?
Haters Gonna Hate.

32. What are your dreams of the future?
I want to have a steady job related to theatre or the arts. I'd love to continue with my piano and voice lessons after I graduate and record music for an indie label. One day I'd like to get married and have children.

33. "This person is so perfect for lolita!" - Do you ever think that about certain celebrities?
Not really celebrities, but I often think that about my friends.

34. Are there any products/items of which you have with a fond memory?
My lovely friend Alex bought me a Metamorphose cutsew for Christmas which I absolutely adore. It was so, so sweet of her!

35. What was your first item?
A cream Anna House blouse. As dramatic as this sounds I actually cried a little when I first touched it.

36. Do you have a signature pose for photos?
No, but I really have to get better at posing. I feel that I'm always awkward!

37. What is your heart's bible? [book/magazine/CD/etc...]
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde! If I could only read that for the rest of my life I'd still be entertained.

38. What is the best height (cm) for heels?
I often prefer the ones that are so tall I have trouble walking, but those aren't practical for the area I live in.

39. Do you wear tiaras?
I have one which I always wear on my birthday. It was given to me on my 18th birthday, which was also my senior prom, by a nice young man who swept in to save the day after my not-so-nice boyfriend broke up with me the night before!

40. Do you think you want to try prince style? What kind of prince? Gothic/dark prince? Or "prince on a white horse" style?
I think about wearing prince style every time I am on the technical crew for a show. We have to wear all black, and often skirts and dresses aren't appropriate for the work involved. I usually end up fantasizing about an all black prince style wardrobe, but I never actually buy anything like that.

41. What types of lace do you like?
Crocheted!

42. Do you own a doll?
I would love a ball jointed doll, and I've always longed for Disney Princess dolls but I don't own any. I do have many cherished cuddly toys though.

43. What is in your lolita bag?
Debit card, identification, cell phone (with Bunny Bear key chain), keys, hair brush and chapstick!

44. What is your favourite flower?
Daffodils because they remind me of Aberdeen, my hometown. Sunflowers are a close runner up though!

45. Right now, what is your favourite accessory?
My skeleton cameo necklace, it's very dramatic

46. Please recommend some cosmetics.
I kind of just buy whatever I can afford from the drug store, but if I had the money I would shop at Sephora.

47. With eye-tape your eyes look like a doll's! What eyelashes will you wear?
I have never heard of eye tape but it sounds scary! And I only wear false lashes on very special occasions.

48. What is your eye makeup for these eyelashes?
Eye shadow I suppose.

49. Red Lipstick? Blue? Black? Pink?
I love light pink, my current favorite is called Dusty Rose.

50. Which nail polish do you normally choose?
Although I claim to like pastels the best I usually end up with darker colours like royal blue or turquoise.