Geek Menina

Outfit of the Month: October, November, and December 2011 Winners

2012-01-30T13:47:00.000-05:00

The last three months of 2011 have been voted on for the best outfits from the Frills Friday series, and the winners are in! View the winners below!

Next up in terms of Frills Friday - Outfit of the Year! The winner will receive the title of 2011's Outfit of the Year, as well as an image to place wherever they like to show off their amazing coordination skills!

Want to get involved and strut your stuff for 2012's Frills Friday series? Click here for more information on how to submit your coordination, and if picked, you will get featured on an upcoming Friday for your outfit. The readers then decide who goes on as winner of their month for Outfit of the Month, and as well for Outfit of the Year.

The winner of October 2011 is October 7th!

October 7th

The winner of November 2011 is November 4th!

November 4th

The winner of December 2011 is December 9th!

December 9th

Congratulations again to all the winners!

Frills Friday: Dark Aristocrat

2012-01-27T21:00:00.000-05:00

In the sea of light pastels and Classic muted tones, seeing a well done aristocrat coordinate is a breath of fresh air. I wish corsets were used more often in Lolita fashion outfits, because sometimes I see a coordinate with a lot of potential, but on the person, it does not look good because their body silhouette gets lost in the fabric. The ruffled look on her sleeves is replicated in the parasol. Enjoy this Frills Friday addition!

From daily_lolita

Frills Friday: Pink Elegance

2012-01-20T20:44:00.000-05:00

For a picture perfect example of the Sweet style in Lolita fashion, this outfit and photo is it. This has the over-the-top feel without the more modern template that Sweet has taken in the last few years. The pinks are well balanced, and the hair is a gorgeous color off the pastel palette. Enjoy this Frills Friday addition!

From daily_lolita

Outfit rundown:
JSK, Socks, Wristcuffs: Angelic Pretty
Shoes: SS

Frills Friday: Black and White Stripes

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

This outfit on the Gothic side features a wonderful striped skirt. The blouse has some cute velvet accents, which give it more of a wintry feel with its long sleeves as well. The boots help this look as well. Enjoy this Frills Friday addition!

From Bloody Fashionista

Outfit Rundown:

Blouse: Moi meme Moitie
Skirt: Atelier Pierrot
Headband: Handmade
Jewellery: Bijou Brigitte
Everything Else: random places

December 2011 Voting: Outfit of the Month

2012-01-11T18:00:00.000-05:00

**I need to catch up on the Outfits of the Month, so the next few days will have voting posts up. As other voting months, these will have a week for voting, but instead of one voting post up, there's going to be three - October, November, and December.

To get involved and submit your outfit for a chance to get featured on a Frills Friday post, read more about the rules here! Here are December's Frills Friday posts.

November 2011 Voting: Outfit of the Month

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

November 4th

November 11th

November 18th

October 2011 Voting: Outfit of the Month

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

Being Badass: Revving Up Your Personal Style

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

First and foremost, when deciding to change or updatesomething about yourself, do it for you. Do not go around changing your haircolor, your clothing, your personality, etc. because of some hot guy down thestreet. You have not even talked to the hot guy down the street, and I ampretty sure his girlfriend would mind. Not to mention - you should always dothings like this for yourself because you are the one that has to go to sleepwith yourself every night, and wake up to yourself every morning.

So now that all that compassionate "love yourself"stuff is out of the way, let's discuss your wardrobe. Do you love your clothes?I mean, would you put your clothing on a stage and gush over how awesome everypiece you have is, down to the smallest basic? (I know I would with myundergarment collection - everything matches so nicely)

From Vintage Revival

If your answer is no, you most likely have a wardrobe thatis not exciting to you. It covers your body, and that is enough in your mind.

But think of how many things you say when you put on a neongreen shirt! First, "You can see me clearly in the dark!", second,"I am exciting and explosive and out there!", and third, "I donot give a damn if you hate neon green, because this neon green shirt is allkinds of fantastic for me."

At the same time, you do not want to look frumpy, and youwant to wear things that flatter your figure. Again, not because you give adamn about what others think, but tell me if I am wrong - when you look like amillion bucks, do you not feel like a million bucks? I know when I am wearingthis thrift store dress I found that hugs me in all the right ways, I feelpretty awesome about myself.

"Here I am world! I am fierce in this dress, and evenif you do not like it, you better recognize." Yes, I just said that (and Isay "you better recognize" quite often in public).

So you read halfway through this post, and it made you lookat your closet. Thrilled? Not so thrilled?

Check out these tips to see what youcan do to make your closet as badass as you are.

Find your color.This is corny as all hell, but there are colors that look fantastic on certainskin tones, eye colors, and body shapes that look just OK on other types. Forexample, I have olive skin, so anything with a yellow tone in it makes me lookdrained and worn. But any kind of royal, darker color, like crimson red, royalpurple, or navy - it just looks like it was meant for my skin. I can also pulloff a dark pink pretty well. I find pastels make me look pastey, but my friendwho has a much darker skin tone than me looks beautiful in bright and lightcolors like yellows, lime greens, sky blues, etc. I found this nifty little colorchart to help you find your colors (and if you do not agree, that is fine - youknow your body better than I do or this chart does).

Find your cut.LOLITAS ESPECIALLY - PLEASE UNDERSTAND THIS CONCEPT. Cut will make or break anoutfit. You could be wearing brand from head to toe, but if the dress cut doesnot flatter, you might as well put on a paper bag and call it a day. I have anhourglass figure (and no, you do not have to be thin or in shape to have anhourglass figure - watch "Say Yes to the Dress: Big Bliss" and seewhat I mean), and anything that has a skirt cut under my waistline looks awfulon me. It is trying to define a waist on me when I already have one clearlydefined on my own body, so I tend to look lumpy. Because of my large bust, ahigh empire waist that ends at the bust line will make me look like a top heavytent. Also, there are several different kinds of body shapes - not just thetypical three or four you hear about all the time. Check out this chart thatdefines the majority of them:

The Apple – average bust, big tummy, flat bottom and good legs.

The Bell – broad shoulders, small bust, small waist, big thighs and big bottom.

The Brick – broad shoulders, no waist, flat bottom, big thighs and calves.

The Cello – big bust, short waist, big hips, big bottom, big thighs and slim calves.

The Column – shoulder width the same as hip width, slight waist and long legs.

The Cornet – broad shoulders, small bust, no waist, slim hips and long legs.

The Goblet – broad shoulders, big bust, no waist, narrow hips and long legs.

The Hourglass – big bust, small waist, big hips and generous thighs.

The Lollipop – large bust, slight waist, slim hips and long legs.

The Pear – small bust, long waist, flat tummy and heavy legs.

The Skittle – average bust, slim waist, big thighs and calves.

The Vase – big bust, hips the same size, long waist, slim legs and thighs.

--from PinkVox

Find your sense. Notstyle - your sense - because your personality should emanate from yourclothing. Are you dreamy, going-with-the-flow type of person? Chiffons, softsilks, light lace, and other flowing materials are your best friend. Lovefeeling sexy and showing off your figure? Try polyesters, curve-hugging piecesof clothing like pencil skirts, or leather.

But realize this - my definition of what materials I finddreamy or sexy could be completely different from yours. Maybe you feel dreamysome days and sexy others. Maybe you want to wear sporty clothing all day. Thisis now you developing your own personal taste, and therefore your own style.

Find quality. Ido not agree with the concept of the show "What Not to Wear", but onething that I do agree with is that they believe in small quantity, hugequality. So rather than 100 items of cheap, shabby clothing, they feel 20 itemsof amazing quality and altered-to-fit clothing is much better. If you are on abudget (who is not?), try to find higher quality items in your price range. Ican spend $30 on a skirt from a higher-end store on their clearance rack, andit will last me much longer (and look better) than a $15 skirt I bought from alow-end store. Also, thrift stores in expensive areas are a low-budget person'sdream. Find a richer area near you, and shop at their thrift stores. You wouldbe amazed at the stuff rich people will donate to a Goodwill or thrift store. Ifound a real designer bag (Louis Vutton) at a thrift store for only $60, barelyused. Considering the bags go for $300 - $600 or more, it was a steal.

Have you ever since a friend and thought, "Everythingthey are wearing is so them." It is because they have gone through thesesteps (consciously or sub-consciously) and have developed their own aura. Theyare wearing the same items of clothing that everyone else is wearing, but theycoordinate their outfit in a way that makes it their own, with their own colorscheme, cuts that are flattering, and have their sense in mind.

You do not need a lot of money to look amazing. You also donot need to throw out your entire closet and start completely anew. Go throughyour closet, and replace items with better fitting, better quality, or bettercolored items, and you'll find that a couple changes will make a bigdifference.

Obviously, this is starting to go down into coordination territory.No worries - I have a large post about how to coordinate (your quadrants,balancing colors, etc.) coming up very soon.

Frills Friday: Royal Blue Rococo Luxury

2012-01-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

After seeing this coordinate, it screamed I Do Declare, and come to find it was! It oozes luxury and opulence. The color is very bold and beautiful, and the bustle in the back is adorable. It fits her like a glove. This coordinate is particularly great because the accessories with this dress and the hairstyle are just as fancy, adding to the feel of the outfit. Enjoy this Frills Friday addition!

From StarryLightBox Tumblr

Outfit Rundown:

Dress: I Do Declare
Shoes: Bordello
Hat: FanplusFriend

Thrills Thursday: Limited Releases from Brands, BtSSB, Meta; Angelic Pretty Lucky Packs

2012-01-05T08:48:00.003-05:00

Because of the holidays, Japanese brand releases are going to be minimal for the next few weeks, so you will not see much from them. If you have an indie brand or an overseas brand you have releases for, let me know about them and I can post about them here.

Baby, the Stars Shine Bright had a small release this week of one item, their very recognizable heart purse with metal handles. Unfortunately, the colors are limited to white, pink, and red, so other than maybe the red purse, Lolitas such as myself who typically wear darker colors are out of luck.

From Baby, the Star Shine Bright

Metamorphose has not had a new release since last week, but since I missed last week, they released this set of lacework cardigans in various colors. If you like this, I would not buy it directly from brand. I have a cardigan that is just like this from a local department store; this type of style is popular right now, at least in the United States.

From Metamorphose

Innocent World has not released anything new since 2011.

Angelic Pretty 's international site had a lucky pack sale on New Year's Eve (December 31st, 2011). Unfortunately, they are all sold out, but you can still see the content of the packs on their website. Also, if you do want-to-buy posts on the sales community, you could the pictures as reference to see if anyone got those items and do not want them.

All From Angelic Pretty International

Frills Friday: Classic Short Bob and Straw Hat

2011-12-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

Although we are in the winter season here in the Northern hemisphere, let's look at a more summery look to brighten up the darker, snowy days. I love shorter hair with Lolita because it is so different from the longer wigs and hairstyles you see more often. Although the dress is fancy, the outfit comes off as comfortable and easy to wear. I love the little lace on the cutsew sleeves as well. Enjoy this Frills Friday addition!

From daily_lolita

Outfit Rundown:
Dress, cutsew, underskirt - IW
Straw Hat - ebay
Wig - ebay
Shoes - Yosuke
Tights - vintage
Accessories - Lady Collection, etsy, Claire's, custom
Book ring - a free gift from a sales comm seller

Frills Friday: Happy Holidays!

2011-12-23T20:16:00.000-05:00

As always, I like to feature a more festive outfit close to Christmas, and this outfit is great because it does not necessarily scream a particular holiday - just festive. The bolero is really pretty and flowing, while the same feeling is in the stockings. Enjoy this Frills Friday addition!

From daily_lolita

Outfit Rundown:
OP: Mary Magdalene
Bolero: American Rag
Tights: Target

Thrills Thursday: AaTP Antique Prima Shoes & Blouse, IW Original Chocolate Additions

2011-12-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Alice and the Pirates released a pair of really cute shoes perfect for a more mature look. These do not seem to be too complex, so you can easily pair these with non-Lolita outfits. I feel like these exact pair or something very similar was released last year, but I cannot remember exactly.

From Alice and the Pirates

They also released a decadent blouse that would look fantastic under a jumper skirt or one-piece. I love blouses like this because I feel like you can make an outfit that much fancier just by wearing a fancy blouse. At the fashion show I saw this past weekend, I saw the same trend that this blouse is also taking on, which includes a light chiffon material over the chest (allowing for a cleavage line for the larger chested ladies).

From Alice and the Pirates

The Original Chocolate series was released by Innocent World earlier this month, but they added a couple more items to go with the series. One of the items was a cute, small item bag to put in your makeup, small shopping items, or extra accessories. It could also hold your smaller supplies like a calculator, pens, erasers, etc. It is small enough and cheap enough to add to any similarly colored outfit.

From Innocent World

Here are a couple of the larger items part of the series. There is also socks and other small accessories with the same print. Personally, I find this more appealing than Angelic Pretty's Chess Chocolate. It does not come off as costume-y. What do you think?

From Innocent World

Frills Friday: Crimson, Black, and Gold

2011-12-16T23:24:00.000-05:00

This is a great mix of a small palette using one major color and the other two as small accents. Because of the darker tone of the outfit, the red brings a little vibrancy to the coordinate. The gold gives just enough sparkle without being gaudy. I do appreciate the addition of black in the collar of the blouse. Enjoy this Frills Friday addition!

From Bloody Fashionista

Outfit Rundown:
JSK & Headband: Alice and the Pirates
Blouse: INGNI
Bags: MOHITO & Innocent World
Shoes: Bodyline

Thrills Thursday: Meta Leopard Corset and Kimono Print, IW Blouse Sale, Oregon Trail on 3DS

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

Metamorphose released not only a ton of animal print items (I just love animal print - obviously the faux kind, not real), but they also released a corset! Hooray! I think corsets look fantastic in Lolita fashion and it is nice to see a corset release in brand. I know other corsets, bustiers, and similar items have been released, but this seems like a fuller corset without the strapped bustier look.

From Metamorphose

They also released a bunch of leopard print items, from dresses to skirts to bows. Hopefully the front bow on the jumper skirt is detachable because I feel like it would look a lot cleaner and more put together without the large front bow.

From Metamorphose

Metamorphose also released some more Kimono print items, and the skirts seem full and especially cute. I actually really like the peachy colorway the most.

From Metamorphose

A little late (this came out on Friday after last week's Thrills Thursday), Innocent World is having a huge blouse sale, so if you have been eyeing any of their blouses and you are looking to buy brand new, now would be a good time to do it. I picked out a couple of my favorites from the set they displayed for the sale.

From Innocent World

Oregon Trail came out for the 3DS, and I am probably the only person in the world excited about that. Oregon Trail was a pinnacle point in my childhood, teaching me about mauling bears, what "scurvy" meant, and how to ford a river with a pair of oxen.

From Gamestop

Frills Friday: Flowing Flowery Sweet in White

2011-12-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

This outfit stuck out to me because it does not seem like a typical outfit to me, yet it holds all the elements a typical Lolita outfit would have. I especially like the bolero for its wispy feel, and the bag's unstructured look adds to that effect. The dress itself is gorgeous - I would never wear pink personally, but this dress would be a very close exception if I did need to wear pink. Enjoy this Frills Friday addition!

From Strawberry Skies

Outfit rundown:

JSK: Strawberry Skies/ Handmade by her (sew-loli entry here)
Blouse, stockings, bolero: Off Brand
Shoes: Secret Shop

Thrills Thursday: BtSSB Angel's Whisper, IW Gloria Jumper, Meta Bolero

2011-12-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

Brands have been releasing holiday-friendly prints to wear during the festive season. For those newer to the Lolita fashion scene, holiday-themed dresses tend to have a low return, so if you do not absolutely love the print and dress, think twice before buying the dress. You will have a harder time selling it second hand compared to other prints and dresses.

Baby, the Stars Shine Bright released a cute themed print featuring angels, horns, harps, crosses, and musical notes. The other colors are nice, but I find the black one in particular to be very nice.

From Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

Baby, the Stars Shine Bright also is starting reservations for possibly the most hideous thing I have ever seen in my life - the Magical Dress series (that is my opinion though, some people may like this). I understand that this is brand, but without the brand tag, I really feel like this looks like nothing more than a really bad beginning sewing project. The fabrics, the cuts, just everything seems very heaped together and just really bad quality craftsmanship. I am really disappointed by this new release.

From Baby, the Stars Shine Bright San Francisco Blog

Innocent World has a lovely dress they released, something that I could see someone wearing to a holiday party. The collar is very different and very beautiful. Because of the muted tone, the dress can be easily worn throughout the year.

From Innocent World

This bolero from Metamorphose I wanted to point out because it is a great basic, and its price is a little less than the other brand's boleros that look similar. Personally, I like Metamorphose's quality more than Angelic Pretty, but find it equal to Baby, the Stars Shine Bright. This bolero would be great to pair with any of the dresses shown above (even the Magical Dress series if someone dares to take the plunge with that crazy thing).

From Metamorphose

Frills Friday: Plaid Casual in Black

2011-12-02T06:00:00.001-05:00

Anything that looks wearable to work or other every day functions is an A+ for me when it comes to Lolita fashion, because so many times it is seen as a costume or as being overly dressed up. This outfit is simple, elegant, and practical (and it has plaid/tartan, which I adore). Enjoy this great Frills Friday addition!

From daily_lolita

Outfit Rundown:
Blouse: offbrand
Jewelry: offbrand
Skirt: Megan Maude
Shoes: Charlotte Russe

Frills Friday: Floral Angelic Pretty

2011-11-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

In this piece, ruffles, bows, and florals encompass the outfit. The feathers give it a unique touch without overwhelming the outfit. Everything is well coordinated. Note how every color in the dress is pulled in on every main quadrant (head, torso, legs). Enjoy this Frills Friday addition!

From New Vogue Children
Photography by Sanni

Halloween 2011 Coordinate Contest Winner

2011-11-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

After a tough battle between the entries, the Halloween Coordinate Contest winner of 2011 is ....

Entry #3!

From Ruffles and Steam

The winner has received an e-mail regarding how to retrieve their prize!

This contest was a lot of fun; I may do another one for the holiday season, so prepare your winter holiday coordinates for another fun contest!

The Elder Scroll V: Skyrim Collector's Edition

2011-11-12T05:19:00.001-05:00

The collector's edition for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is quite large, but considering I paid $150 USD for it, I was hoping for either a lot of stuff or some really awesome huge stuff. I think I got the bang for my buck.

At the local video game store, I picked up this monstrous box. There was a line of people trying to buy things, and they were all like, "Holy crap that is a huge box!" when I picked up my pre-order and practically sprinted out of the store.

This thing barely fit on my coffee table at home! I had to charge my camera, so this was sitting here for at least a half hour before I tore through it. I was amazed at my restraint considering I have been waiting for this game for months.

The first thing you see in the box as you open it is a huge art book. I enjoy looking at the "making of" the game, as well as just pretty pictures, but this will most likely sit on my shelf and do absolutely nothing. The bind has no reference to the fact that it is for Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, which I would have liked so I can easily see the difference between this art book, other ones I have, and my photo albums (because binding wise, they all look the same).

The artwork inside is very pretty. I particularly liked this section that talked about the different statues they placed around the game. There is no way I could ever draw or render something like that. It was a cool sneak peek into what I was about to get into it. It also included landscapes, towns, caverns and dungeons, people, etc. It was pretty thorough. Another cool part was in the beginning was a picture of some of the staff that worked on the game, which was nice to see the faces behind the working of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Of course, the game! It is in the book-like format with two discs, one is a bonus DVD while the other is the game disc. Like every one of these games, there is also a map included of the world. It was printed on a textured paper, which I thought was a nice added touch.

So underneath all of these small things was this giant box that was taking up the majority of the room in the large, overall box. I knew the figurine was going to be large, but this is crazy large!

Literally, I went, "HOLY CRAP THIS IS HUGE." I wanted to bring the figurine to work to sit on my desk, but looking at it, I am wondering if it is going to take up my entire desk with how wide it is. The dragon itself is extremely awesome, and the detail in the figurine is really exceptional.

The only thing that disappointed me was the stand for the dragon. It is a piece of plastic crap, and can break easily. Considering the money I paid, I expected a little more in terms of the quality of the stand. In comparison, the quality of the stand is like that of a toy, which this clearly is not, at least to me and other gamers that bought the collector's edition of this "mature" rated game. The figurine itself is fairly good quality in terms of construction materials, far better than the stand.

So that's it! What did you guys think of the collector's set?

Frills Friday: Punk Tartan

2011-11-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

Tartan, punk, and heels come together for this outfit. The hat is a bit different in the pill box style, and the asymmetrical pockets give dimension to the outfit. I especially love the merge of the black and white print with the tartan, and the socks are more of a solid to help balance out the outfit (although with the Punk style, you can get away with this more). Enjoy this Frills Friday addition!

E-mail Submission from Justine Chantelle

Thrills Thursday: ELDER SCROLLS SKYRIM, IW Holiday Lucky Packs, Metamorphose Autumn Lucky Packs

2011-11-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

More important than anything else in the world right now - ELDER SCROLLS SKYRIM IS RELEASING TOMORROW (fangasm). I pre-ordered the collector's edition, so I will be sure to take photos and show off the fancy 12" figurine it is supposed to come with. I might also dive into the game and tell you guys a bit about the beginning. Unfortunately, due to having a "big girl" job, I have to wait until I get out of work Friday night to pick it up, so the update will most likely be late Friday night or Saturday.

From Elder Scrolls Official Website

So it begins - the holiday lucky packs are starting to roll in. Innocent World took the lead this time, and are releasing the following set for 21,000 Yen. It comes with a jumperskirt, two blouses, and a pair of socks. You are basically getting the two blouses and the socks for free. It looks like with this particular set you are allowed to pick the jumperskirt color and the size of the blouses.

From Innocent World

Although these are now sold out (they were released last Thursday after I updated, so sorry about that!), I figured I would let you guys see what the lucky packs look like. This is not their winter lucky pack set, so we still need to keep an eye out for that set. It looks like it will come with a dress, bag, socks, either a blouse, cardigan, or bolero, and some sort of headpiece or accessory. I always see Metamorphose lucky packs as great closet fillers to add to more expensive or intricate pieces you might have.

From Metamorphose

Halloween 2011 Coordinate Voting

2011-11-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

Below are the submissions entered for the Halloween Coordinate contest. Please vote on your favorite coordinate to win a special gift pack! To view a larger image, simply click on the image itself.

Entry #1

Entry #2

Entry #3

Entry #4

Frills Friday: Steampunk in Brown

2011-11-04T06:00:00.000-04:00

I love a good mix of Steampunk and Lolita fashion, and this outfit showcases both styles well. The layering is great for fall weather and the accessories make the outfit turn more to the Steampunk side. Her boots are a bit more Victorian-looking (rather than the typical sweet, rounded cut you see normally with Lolita boots) and her hairpiece gives her top half a bit more dimension. Enjoy this Frills Friday addition!

E-mail Submission from Ruffles and Steam

Thrills Thursday: Poll Results, BtSSB Magic Box Gift, IW Boots, NCIS PC Game

2011-11-03T10:00:00.000-04:00

Good to hear on the Lolita fashion updates! The poll results are in, and yes, the updates will continue. Again, it is not the complete every-single-item-ever-released-this-week update like EGL is now doing, but it will pick out the unique items that stand out to me personally.

Also, I try to answer every e-mail and listen to everything people have to say about this blog, good, bad, or indifferent, so if you want something, hate something, love something, let me know! The more I know the better. Otherwise, I will just start randomly posting images of delicious baked goods, pictures of hot guys, and you will throw your arms up going, "WHAT HAPPENED?!"

All right, I am done being ridiculous. Back to the updates!

Baby, the Stars Shine Bright is releasing a fairy magic box. I am not kidding! They said it was magical! Basically, if you buy more than 15000 Yen of goods from them starting November 3rd (oh, today!), they will give you the magical box.

From Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

Can someone please confirm the validity of its magical claims? Does a fairy come with it? Is there cookies inside? Do the cookies inside magically re-populate as soon as they are all eaten? (I am definitely in a hunger mode right now... )

This is slightly old news, but look at these boots from Innocent World! I completely missed them from their update page last week. I can see so many cute wintry coordinates with these. Nutcracker Lolita?

From Innocent World

And they come in a bright blue! What a different shoe color! You hardly ever see this shade of blue used on shoes (let alone a darker blue at all used on shoes). It is always that powder blue color.

From Innocent World

Am I the only one geeking out that they have a NCIS game for your computer? It is probably just me, but it was just released yesterday. I love the whole cast, and it is one of the few television shows my fiance and I watch together regularly.

From Bolt

Survey Update Results: Lolitas and Internet Usage

2011-11-02T19:59:00.001-04:00

Lolitas and Family

In total, 313 people were polled. The official closing of the poll was at 12:00 AM EST on Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011 to generate results.

What gender do you identify with?

Male

1.60%

Female

295

94.55%

Other

3.85%

What is your age?

13 years old or younger

0.32%

14 - 17 years old

24.04%

18 - 21 years old

126

40.38%

22 - 25 years old

27.56%

26 - 30 years old

5.45%

31 years old or older

2.24%

How long have you been interested in Lolita fashion?
(not necessarily participated, but looked at photos, read blogs, etc.; this includes years you also participated)

I have never been interested in Lolita fashion

0.00%

Less than 6 months

1.60%

7 months to 1 year

6.73%

1 - 2 years

21.15%

3 - 5 years

133

42.63%

6 - 8 years

21.47%

9 - 10 years

4.81%

More than 10 years

1.60%

How long have you considered yourself a participant in Lolita fashion?

I have never particpated in Lolita fashion

6.73%

Less than 6 months

11.22%

7 months to 1 year

15.06%

1 - 2 years

31.73%

3 - 5 years

26.28%

6 - 8 years

8.01%

9 - 10 years

0.32%

More than 10 years

0.64%

Which style(s) of Lolita fashion do you associate yourself with?

I have never been a Lolita

0.81%

Gothic

161

11.81%

Sweet

182

13.35%

Casual

162

11.89%

Classic

219

16.07%

Hime

3.08%

Shiro

2.27%

Kuro

5.14%

Country

4.62%

Sailor

3.45%

Guro

1.61%

Punk

3.60%

Ero

2.27%

Pirate

2.93%

Steampunk

3.30%

Fairy

2.13%

Deco

2.05%

Kodona/Ouji/Dandy/Boystyle

2.86%

Aristocrat/Elegant Gothic Aristocrat

4.62%

Other

1.98%

None of the Above

0.15%

What continent do you live on?

Africa

0.32%

Asia

3.53%

Europe

107

34.29%

North America

161

51.60%

Oceania

6.41%

South America

3.85%

On an average day, how many hours a day do you spend on the internet?
(work, school, and personal time included)

Less than an hour

0.32%

1 - 2 hours

2.27%

2 - 3 hours

11.36%

3 - 4 hours

8.12%

4 - 5 hours

20.13%

5 - 6 hours

7.47%

6 - 7 hours

15.91%

7 - 8 hours

6.82%

8 - 9 hours

8.44%

9 - 10 hours

7.14%

More than 10 hours

12.01%

Does not apply

0.00%

Of that total time in a day, how many hours are spent on Lolita related websites?
(LiveJournal communities, blogs, news websites, research websites, online Lolita-esque games, etc.)

Less than an hour

18.18%

1 - 2 hours

102

33.12%

2 - 3 hours

24.68%

3 - 4 hours

7.47%

4 - 5 hours

8.44%

5 - 6 hours

2.60%

6 - 7 hours

2.60%

7 - 8 hours

1.62%

8 - 9 hours

0.32%

9 - 10 hours

0.65%

More than 10 hours

0.32%

Does not apply

0.00%

Of that total time in a day, how many hours are spent on social networking websites?
(Facebook, MySpace, Friendster, IMVU, etc.)

Less than an hour

106

34.42%

1 - 2 hours

18.18%

2 - 3 hours

18.51%

3 - 4 hours

6.17%

4 - 5 hours

8.44%

5 - 6 hours

3.57%

6 - 7 hours

3.57%

7 - 8 hours

0.97%

8 - 9 hours

0.65%

9 - 10 hours

0.97%

More than 10 hours

1.30%

Does not apply

3.25%

Do you have a LiveJournal account?

Yes

286

92.86%

6.82%

I have never heard of LiveJournal

0.00%

Does not apply

0.32%

Do you have a MySpace or Facebook profile?

Neither

12.66%

MySpace only

0.32%

Facebook only

222

72.08%

Both

14.61%

I have never heard of MySpace or Facebook

0.32%

Does not apply

0.00%

How significant is the internet in your life as a whole?

Very Significant

184

60.33%

Significant

107

35.08%

Neutral

3.93%

Insignificant

0.66%

Very Insignificant

0.00%

Does not apply

0.00%

Has the internet made you more or less informed about Lolita fashion?

Much More Informed

281

92.13%

More Informed

7.54%

Neutral

0.00%

Less Informed

0.00%

Much Less Informed

0.33%

Does not apply

0.00%

Do you agree or disagree that your internet usage is the main way you communicate with other Lolitas, even local ones?

Strongly Agree

194

63.61%

Agree

25.57%

Neutral

4.59%

Disagree

1.31%

Strongly Disagree

0.98%

Does not apply

3.93%

If the internet was destroyed tomorrow and all information stored on the internet was lost, how much would it affect you personally?

Greatly Affected

206

67.54%

Somewhat Affected

26.23%

Neutral

4.59%

Somewhat Not Affected

0.98%

Not Greatly Affected

0.66%

Does not apply

0.00%

If the internet did not exist, how likely is it that Lolita fashion would have spread outside of Japan?

Very Likely

0.98%

Likely

5.90%

Neutral

13.44%

Unlikely

136

44.59%

Very Unlikely

107

35.08%

Does not apply

0.00%

Do you feel the internet is the sole source of information about Lolita fashion in your area?

Strongly Agree

141

46.84%

Agree

100

33.22%

Neutral

8.31%

Disagree

9.63%

Strongly Disagree

1.99%

Does not apply

0.00%

Do you use a form of instant messaging, such as AIM, Skype, Yahoo! Messenger, MSN, etc.?

AIM

10.13%

Skype

126

27.75%

MSN

122

26.87%

Yahoo! Messenger

5.07%

Other Online Instant Messaging Program

13.44%

None of these

16.74%

Have you ever used online video chat with other Lolitas?

Yes frequently

1.00%

Yes sometimes

2.66%

Yes once in a while

11.63%

254

84.39%

Does not apply

0.33%

Do you use YouTube or another similar video uploading service?

Yes YouTube

223

74.09%

Yes another video uploading service

0.66%

24.25%

I have never heard of YouTube

0.33%

Does not apply

0.66%

Have you ever created a video in regards to Lolita fashion to post online?
(either you wearing Lolita fashion or talking about Lolita fashion - a video blog, music video, etc.)

Yes frequently

1.33%

Yes sometimes

1.99%

Yes once in a while

7.31%

268

89.04%

Does not apply

0.33%

Do you feel this survey was accomodating to all options and opinions?

Strongly Agree

21.33%

Agree

163

54.33%

Neutral

22.67%

Disagree

1.33%

Strongly Disagree

0.33%

Frills Friday: Submit Your Halloween Coordinate!

2011-10-28T06:00:00.000-04:00

Unlike other Frills Fridays where I post an exceptional outfit, I encourage you all to submit your Halloween-inspired coordinates. I will post all theme-appropriate coordinates submitted in a poll for the readers to decide what is the best Halloween-inspired coordinate!

From Tumblr

Your photo must be a complete body shot from head to toe, with little to no obstruction.
Your photo must be of above average to exceptional quality (please refer to the photo quality of previous Frills Friday entries).
Your coordinate must be Halloween-inspired. This means an outfit that maintains the Lolita silhouette, but can be a costume type of coordinate or just more Gothic themed.
You can submit multiple coordinates.
Submit your entry to tbeanax@yahoo.com

Winner will receive a Halloween gift pack with treats and Lolita accessories. Good luck! <3

Thrills Thursday: Should Lolita Updates Continue, BtSSB Skirt with Cat Tail Attachment, Meta Combat Boots

2011-10-27T06:00:00.000-04:00

The EGL community has now gone on to include a large overview of what's going on in the Lolita community called the Petticoat Press, and I feel when I pick out the few items from brands or larger announcements from the community, it is now well covered with their new feature.

Does Lolita fashion updates seem redundant to you guys now? Here is a small poll just to see how you feel.

I will continue Thrills Thursday, but I will be doing non-Lolita fashion related items only if this poll shows that you are not interested in Lolita fashion updates from this blog anymore.

Alice and the Pirates released a skirt with a fur trim and a cat silhouette. I was impartial to the release, as it was not really my taste, and seemed like it was more on the shorter side. To be honest, it looked like something a novice seamstress made, and not something a well-known brand would release.

Then, I realized on the back view, something was hanging off the back, something ... furry.

It was ... A CAT TAIL.

From Alice and the Pirates

I have nothing against cat tails, except Lolita fashion is constantly trying to break away from the "costume" idea. I understand that this may be an idea for a Halloween type of outfit, since it is being released near Halloween, but I cannot help but see those pictures of girls with sparkly cat ears in every Lolita 101 panel I have ever been to with the header "What is Not Lolita Fashion". Maybe it will grow on me with a great coordinate done with this piece; otherwise, I really cannot see this in a positive light.

Metamorphose released combat boots that I desperately wished came in larger sizes (I have large calves - damn you cute boots!). I like pieces that can easily be used between outfits, and I feel like the Angelic Pretty version of combat boots limit you to the Sweet style. These, however, are a bit more adaptable in my opinion.

From Metamorphose

Survey Update: Lolitas & Internet Usage

2011-10-26T14:00:00.000-04:00

If you have a topic you would like to be officially polled, or have a certain question you want people who enjoy Lolita fashion to answer, please e-mail me, tweet me, or submit your idea anonymously.

This survey has had the questions updated according to last year's response, and now needs to be updated with new submissions for 2011. To see the results from 2010, click here.

This survey will take you 10 - 20 minutes to complete.

Please click here to take the survey.

If you would like to continue to be notified about the surveys and be involved, follow this blog! Each survey will be up for exactly one week after deployment. Surveys may be reissued for more responses if the information ends up being inconclusive.

Thank you for your continued participation and support!

Blogging Block: How to (Really) Come Up with Blog Posts

2011-10-25T21:06:00.002-04:00

I think I am criminal of this, but have you seen the blog posts that try to give you advice on how to write a blog post? They typically go into the "inspiration" route - put up pictures and pretty s**t on your walls, if something comes up that you feel passionate about, write about it, blah blah blah.

Now, all of that is fine and dandy, but sometimes, you sit there and you are like, "What the heck am I going to write about?" Especially if you have been writing for a few years, you find topics have been rehashed and only so many opinions can come out of a single topic.

From the SEO Site

For me, I usually save my post writing for the weekends, only because I typically have 3 - 4 hours I can sit down and crank out posts. I check frequent search terms to my website (hello analytics - completely necessary for success), check out the polls to see what people want to hear about, theme posts, write about stuff in my every day, and scheduling (Which if you are not doing - do you really think I wake up at 6:00 AM every day and put up my posts? HECK NO. I probably wrote it weeks ago.),

I just threw a lot of different subjects of dicussion at you. Here is them broken down a bit for explanation mode:

Check frequent search terms to my blog. I use two separate analytic tools - the public one I use is Google analytics. One thing they do very well is showing search terms that led to your site, down to the page the search term took them to. More often than not, I get a lot of search terms for a certain subject. I will see things like "when do lucky packs go on sale", "lolita fashion guidelines", or "facebook code". If one search term comes up frequently, I will decide to either write about the topic or expand on the topic further. Not only will this bring more people to your blog, but it helps those people on the search engines find the answers or information they are looking for.
Downfalls to writing posts based off of search terms:

Not every search term is a good subject, even if you get a lot of hits from it. Those looking for things that have nothing to do with anything like "puppies" will be out of luck, since I like to write about pets, but not all the time as that is not the focus of the blog.
Although it is keywords that people are looking for, it may not be something your readers are interested in. To avoid this issue, pair this solution with the next one...

Check the polls to see what people want more. I dabbled into video blogs, but the interest was not high. I did not think I needed to get into Lolita 101 questions, but come to find out, that is exactly what people wanted to read about. How do I know this? Every so often, I put up a poll with varying subjects that readers have shown interest in, or just subjects I thought about getting into. The three to four highest voted subjects I write down, and try to write at least four different post ideas for each subject. If I think of more, I will put it down, but I do at least four. Now, I have new posts, and the posts are something I know for a fact the majority of my readers want to read about.
Downfalls to writing posts based off of polls:

Your blog focus turning too much into the majority and not expanding enough. There is a very popular blog that I check every so often, and I get bored with it because it is the same, exact post every single day. There is nothing wrong with theme posts (going into more after this), but you should diversify. Experimenting is the beauty of blogging, and can create great results!

Theme posts. This is a great filler for your topics, and keep your blog fresh. Sometimes, I am simply not inspired to write about anything, or my week has been difficult and the last thing I want to do is blog, but luckily I have theme posts that will always go up and my readers will have something to read while I struggle with my writer's block. Also, it creates consistency, and especially if it is something people enjoy learning or reading about. People will come back on your theme post days just to read that post.

Downfalls to writing theme posts:

Only writing theme posts (and I am guilty of this occasionally) is boring (unless that is what your blog is about).
Theme posts that are not interesting do not help.

Write about stuff in my every day. The perfect example of me doing this would be the new Being Badass series I have been doing. I was feeling pretty low about myself because of several different things that occurred in my life all at once. I just needed to say positive things to myself, and suddenly that turned into the first Being Badass post. You can easily do the same with anything going on in your life - just do not turn it into a personal journal entry (unless that is what your blog is, then go for it). I try to write posts like this as general as possible so people can relate. Otherwise, everyone will just be like, "OH NOES YOUR LIFE." and nobody wants that (unless you are attention-seeking, then go for it).
Downfalls to writing about stuff in your every day:

Sounding like a whiny, annoying person who cannot handle every day activities
Coming off as an attention-seeker
Turning an informative blog into a personal journal - which may not be a bad thing, but it is bad if you do not want to make your blog too personal

Scheduling. A blogger's best friend, and a reader's belief that bloggers sit down and manually post every single day (or multiple times a day), the scheduling feature every good blogging platform has allows you to write tons of posts in one sitting, and spread them out over a time period. I do this with Frills Friday all the time. I will get multiple submissions at once, and spread them out on Fridays throughout the year. It is nice because I can tell someone who is having their outfit posted exactly what day it will appear. Also, no one has to know you are on vacation, or that you do not feel like blogging for three weeks, because your posts will constantly go up so long as you schedule them.

How does this help you come up with blog posts? It doesn't, but it will help spread out posts on a day you have a ton of ideas to post.
Downfalls to scheduled posting:

Scheduling a post that is not ready to be posted (do not do this, you will have crappy stuff going up you do not want to be seen yet).
Overscheduling; if five posts go up at once, not only will readers be annoyed, but they probably will not read the first four posts.

Got any more ideas? Throw them out there in the comments!

Frills Friday: Straw Hat Classic

2011-10-21T06:00:00.000-04:00

Elegant, classic, and with a light color palette, this coordinate is wonderful from head to toe. Her straw hat makes it a little less formal, whereas the rest of the outfit makes it a bit more formal. The flowers in the hat also goes well with the print on the dress. The stockings make this a bit more classic as well. Enjoy this Frills Friday addition!

E-mail Submission from Justine Chantelle

Thrills Thursday: Meta Gobelin Print, BtSSB Cardigan Fever, Angelic Pretty Biscuit Bag

2011-10-20T12:00:00.000-04:00

Metamorphose released a Halloween-friendly print for the upcoming spooky holiday. The gold and fall colors mix together with a slight orange glow. Very festive and ready to go. The two options give a formal and a less formal option. I personally like the jumperskirt the best only because I have owned dresses with the removable frilly pieces from the chest, and it make the outfit versatile by just removing or adding those pieces. Overall, I love the color scheme and the print as a whole. I would love it for my fall wardrobe.

From Metamorphose

It's CARDIGAN FEVER at Baby, the Stars Shine Bright! No seriously, they released a ton of cardigans for the upcoming fall and winter weather for the Northern hemisphere.

From Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

From Baby, the Stars Shine Bright
and my personal favorite :)

From Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

And do not forget their addition to the Halloween fun - a cute witch's hat to add to any dark outfit for the creepy holiday.

From Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

Angelic Pretty restocked their famous biscuit bag online for sale for those who love to collect.

From Angelic Pretty

Please select your favorite outfit from December 2011!
	December 2nd
	December 9th
	December 16th
	December 23rd
	December 30th

Please vote for the best Halloween coordinate for 2011!
	Entry #1
	Entry #2
	Entry #3
	Entry #4

Should Lolita fashion updates continue to be included in Thrills Thursday?
	Yes
	No