Happy Easter!

Custom Pony by colorscapesart on DA

Happy Easter lovelies! I dearly hope everyone has a warm and happy day with lots of fun memories with family and friends and an abundance of pretty pastels to brighten everything up! And just in case the Easter bunny hopped past your basket this year, have a deliciously adorable chocolate pony on me!

BJDs: A New Addition

Exciting news on the dolly front lovelies! I fully admit, with my growing intensity to grow my Lolita wardrobe, I certainly didn’t have the funds to pour into two expensive hobbies, and my poor dollies were the first ones to be shoved into that infamous metaphorical back-burner. However, after writing about some particular dream dolls of mine, it renewed that wee little flame of love in my heart that had begun to grow frighteningly faint. And although three of the four dolls I had mentioned are of standard edition, able to be purchased at any time I darn well please, there was one sculpt in particular who did not deliver such ease in finding. That would be the lovely DiM Robel, a gorgeous boy who hasn’t been made by DiM in years with absolutely no hope of his ever being produced again (known for a fact, as I shamelessly asked the company itself). And through my post in comparing Robel to his direct rival, Musedoll Re-Che, it occurred to me how little interest I actually had in Re-Che, that I was simply clinging to him because he had been on my wish list for so long and that I had attempted to shun Robel simply because of his exclusivity.

Alas, I came to my senses. Robel was the one for me and I knew no other replacement would do. I knew he would be difficult to find, but fortunately for me I was in no big hurry as I still had plenty of other things to occupy my time and money. Fancy that, when browsing half-heartedly through the sales threads on Den of Angels who should pop up…but this lovely gentleman:

DiM Robel photo by siruveru

Needless to say, I jumped on him faster than I care to admit, and now this gorgeous Robel is heading my way! His previous owner, a lovely girl from Spain, shall be shipping him to me tomorrow and you can bet I can’t wait to get my greedy fingers on him. True, he is only a head and will certainly need a body in the future, but this beautiful head is more than enough to occupy me for the time being for although he comes with his stunning face-up, the dear still requires a wig and eyes (of which I may be able to acquire at the Doll and Teddy Bear show I’ll be attending in a week, hopeful updates for that as well!), not to mention a new name as his previous moniker of Sethos is in dire need of retiring.

So there we have it, just a short little update for today, but a wonderful one nonetheless ;) I can’t wait to officially include a new floating head to the family-he do believe he is the spark I needed to ignite my passion for BJDs into full flame!

Lolita: Needs More Ponies!

Image found on Weheartit.com

I began this article in my feeble attempts at tackling that oh-so overdone theme of “prints you would like to see”. A pretty simplistic and fun little topic in which to cover, correct? That’s what my sad little brain was at least utterly convinced of as well my dear lovelies, until I realized that I am in such a state of absolute and complete tunnel vision at the moment that I could really only focus on one print (aside from florals, which absolutely deserve their own separate article devoted unto their gorgeous splendor)  I wanted to actually wear. So, to save a little bit of grief in wracking my entirely uncreative brain I decided to simply go with the flow and stop fighting the lure these dazzling creatures have over my heart (and money).

And never fear lovelies, this is not another article entirely devoted to My Little Pony. I simply couldn’t resist the urge to use another one of their adorable pictures ;)

Image from Disney's 1940s Fantasia

Unicorns

Probably the most elegant and mystical of all fantasy creatures, the unicorn never ceases to capture my frill-loving heart. From Baby’s adorable, wee little fillies, to Meta’s regal and majestic beasts of grace, I yearn to see unicorns depicted in every shape and form. Their ageless charm and beauty lends well to just about every type of style, from a sugary, playful foal trotting through a candy land to a powerful and ghostly creature, demanding respect in a Renaissance painting. I’m fairly certain even if a brand came out with a unicorn print that went against every fiber of my wardrobe tastes, I would still strive to obtain it one way or another. I’m only thankful I don’t need multiple prints in separate color ways, although lately Unico in Bloomland in black has been looking extremely tempting…

Image from Disney's 1940s Fantasia

Pegasus

How many Pegasus can I think of when it comes to Lolita brands? Ah yes. One. Twinkle Journey. By the way, have I mentioned how much I LOVE Twinkle Journey? ;) From my entirely unbiased point of view however, I have to say, one Pegasus print out in the world just simply isn’t enough. I’m honestly surprised they’re not an animal tackled by a company such as Angelic Pretty, and even if they’re not my pet brand, I’m still crossing my fingers and holding my breathe for the day they do. With the added potential for other winged animals, clouds and stars to be included with them, I’m positive it is only a matter of time before one brand or another decided to pick up on their many possible depictions, and I'll be waiting with bells on when they finally do.

Image from Hasbro's G1 My Little Pony

Ol' Trusty

As enchanting and breathe-taking as their fantastical counterparts are, I truly think regular earthen ponies are not given enough credit. These loveable animals can be just as gorgeous and ethereal, especially if depicted in a classical, or even a gothic-type print. To my knowledge (not that I’m the end all source when it comes to the vast array of Lolita prints out there and I could simply be grossly misinformed), there has yet to be a print featuring the humble earth pony. And that, my dear lovelies, is simply a tragedy. I’m sure brands will pick up on their potential soon enough however, as the regular earth pony can be anything from a dolled up circus horse to a wild and free stallion of the west-the possibilities are endless!

Artwork by Brittany Winter

Carousels and Merry-Go-Rounds

Perhaps the most commonly seen type of horse of all in the world of Lolita prints, but dagnabit, I want more! And I’m not just talking about OTT super sweet carousels and merry-go-round ponies either ala Sugary Carnival (which is, ironically, perhaps the only carousel print I actually have no desire to ever own), despite the example shown here. Yes, they’re adorable and I certainly won’t discount them altogether, but I’d love to see more classical renditions, such as the carousel print by Innocent World or even a bit more of a fancy shamncy take on them, such as AP’s Twinkle Carnival.

Rocking Horses

This picture in itself proves my point. After searching high an low through the scary dredges of the interwebs, this is the cutest sketch of a rocking horse I could find. THIS. Alright, in it’s defense, it’s really not gauge-your-eyes-out terrible or anything, but it certainly is plain, no? The only print I’m aware of that has a rocking horse on it is AP’s Holy Night, and that’s really such a shame. While I want to tear away from the age play misconception of Lolita as much as the next lady, I feel that rocking horses are so different from the average toy that, if presented correctly, they don’t have to look like the wallpaper cartoon of a 3 year olds nursery.

Artwork by KiomyNightmare

Baby Cows

Cows isn’t ponies! Yes, you caught me, I’m sneaking this one in. But simply put, I’m absolutely aching to see an adorable baby cow done up in Lolita. I think they would lend themselves to the most heartwarming classic print ever (I imagine Innocent World could render them just beautifully), and in my silly little cow-obsessed brain I also think they would look utterly delightful prancing around in a Milky Planet type world filled with milk bottles and cookies. *le sigh*

So there you have it lovelies! All written out, in black and white, exactly why Lolita is in dire need of more ponies in its prints. Agree with me? Disagree? Know of a pony-themed print I have somehow overlooked? Lend me your thoughts!

Lolita: Danger in Dreaming

Well lovelies, some time ago you may remember my writing up a few articles describing and listing my Dream BJD Dolls and Dream Lolita Dresses. Well, if you don’t, I’ll be discussing my Dream Dress List. Yes. This one right here.

Now, I had lightly mentioned in this post that I had been apprehensive about doing this for various reasons but had finally succumbed to the lure of pretty dresses and skirts and thought since I was so certain about my dream dolls that I may as well go ahead and write up my own little list of dream dresses as well. A trip to San Francisco with my younger sister a couple weekends ago proved exactly why my hesitance had been in the right and why I really should trust my instincts.

Back to what passed a few weekends ago. I had saved for weeks before this trip as I had intended on attending a swap meet taking place that day. Yet, as luck would have it, by the time my younger sister was able to get off work and we headed on our way to the city, the meet was over halfway over and I felt too embarrassed to arrive so tardy, especially as I have not being feeling quite up to my usual wonderful and perky self and was not even dressed up. But why let a good visit to San Francisco go to waste may I ask? Exactly! And as my younger sister had not visited Japantown in quite a bit of time it seemed the perfect opportunity for us to drop on by.

As I may not have stated enough times during my last visit to Japantown with my older sister, I truly have some amazing siblings. For you see, I had quite a bit of extra saved cash in hand, as I more than anything wanted to buy some brand, sparkly new Lolita from either the BtssB or AP boutiques, and just as with my last visit, my younger sister was more than enthusiastic in allowing me to browse to my hearts content in both stores. And wouldn’t you know it? The BtssB shop had one of my dream dresses in stock! The Twilight Circus OP in black! I instantly had to try it on (btw, I should mention that the girls who work at BtssB are SO sweet and helpful! I was admittedly nervous as I was not dressed nicely and, yes, a bit sloppy, but they certainly made me feel welcome), along with a couple others just for curiosities sake.

It was horrible. Yes, the print is undeniably gorgeous, but the second I slipped that dress on I knew it was not the dress for me. The sheer top showed my bra straps (and I can't wear strapless bras), the waist and bust were too big and looked frumpy when I tied it and the sleeves felt too extravagant and floppy. I won’t say I was devastated, but it was certainly a disappointment to realize that one of the few dresses that had muscled out all the rest to be placed upon my Dream Dress list just simply wasn’t going to work for me. And the more I realized this, the more I stared at the print and realized I could live without it. Does that mean I’d give up the opportunity to own it should the occasion arrive and the garment was a skirt or perhaps a JSK that fit me better? Probably not, as it’s still quite a lovely print. I simply don’t think it’s really up to Dream Dress status anymore and no longer an item I can say I will be actively seeking out.

This experience really made me want to reconsider the ten dresses I had listed on my Dream Dress list, and to go back, take a hard look at them and their designs (both print as well as construction of the dress), and how I honestly felt it would mesh with my personal style, body and wardrobe. And it made me realize that while my list may not be as hugely extensive as some other Lolitas, there was still some definite room for paring down. Now, I don’t want to continue to create Dream Dress list after list after list every time I decide to change one little thing, so I have decided to wait a bit longer in order to really mull this over and decide what it is I find truly worthy of the time, money and dedication it takes to obtain (though there are a couple I know without a doubt will never leave the list ala Twinkle Journey).

Yes, I am disappointed that I may have jumped the gun in creating a list of things I don’t really want as much as I thought I did, but at the same time, it is refreshing to realize the potential to crop down that list is there, to turn it into something that could actually be manageable and the dream to make the list a reality is not so really far-fetched. So for now, Twilight Circus, I bid thee adieu , perhaps we shall meet again someday.

Twilight Circus from BtssB

Oh! And in case of any final curiosities, I did wind up purchasing a dress later that day at the Angelic Pretty boutique-keep your eyes watching for an update on that (hopefully) soon!