The Way of the Lolita

Lifestyle Lolitas Unite!

2008-01-29T07:21:27Z

As many of you are probably aware, there are two lolita lifestyle communities currently existing on livejournal, egl_beyond and lifestyle_lolis. Both communities have the same general purpose and are populated by lovely people. After speaking with vivcore I have decided to close down egl_beyond and encourage all of you to join lifestyle_lolis. It doesn't make any sense for there to be two competing lifestyle communities and lifestyle_lolis has a more recognizable name and a more impressive layout.

I want to thank everyone for making this community such a lovely place and I sincerely hope to see you on the other side!
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If you have any questions or concerns, please leave me a comment!

Introducing My Tea Set

2008-01-25T14:57:56Z

For a few years now I've been collecting pieces to make a large, and interesting tea set, for lolita and non lolita tea parties.

Over Christmas with money from my family and some lovely gifts, I now have a tea set to be proud of!!!!!

The cabinet that holds my treasures!

These are a few of my cups

Tea strainer

Some of my silver spoons

Sugar bowl and creamer set

A special teapot!

I'm so excited to finally have a full usable set! (though I'm still collection some pieces) I hope to have a big tea party soon so all my friends can enjoy it too!

I also did a small guide to Lolita teacup hunting. Does any one else here collect tea sets?

X-posted to lifestyle_lolis

Tea Drinking Etiquette

2008-01-08T14:23:52Z

1. If standing, you must lift the saucer with the teacup when drinking.
If seated, you can simply pick up the cup.

2. Pinkies should not be extended (despite what everyone wants to
believe.)

3. A teacup is not held with both hands. Rather you slip your index
finger through the handle and placing your thumb on the top of
the handle.

4. Do not lift a tea cup while wearing gloves.

5. No making music! Gently swish your spoon back and forth in the
middle of the cup.

6. Do not leave your spoon in the cup, but place it on the saucer
behind the cup, preferably with the handle of the spoon facing the
same direction as the hand of the cup.

7. Do not swirl the tea in your cup.

8. A cup of tea is not meant to be a thirst quencher or a means to
wash down bites of food; it is to be sipped. (This can prove difficult
if you've been served a very dry scone!)

9. No looking at others over your teacup. Look into the cup as you
drink.

10. Fill teacups only 3/4 full.

11. If you've been given a tea bag and not a small plate or saucer to
put your used tea bag upon, it is appropriate to ask for one.
Putting wet tea bag on your saucer will only cause you troublesome
dripping a few moments down the road.

12. Regarding the milk or tea first controversy - according to current
American etiquette - it's the tea.

13. Use milk sparingly at the tea table, or as Victorian mothers
were said to admonish their daughters, "You might be taken for
the daughter of a dairy maid."

And lastly! When toasting, one does not actually clink the teacups (or any glasses for that matter). This was done in the Middle Ages to spill a bit of what had been poured into your cup into another's so you could be sure you were not being poisoned. Unless you find yourself at a surreal Agatha Christie murder mystery/tea, no clinking of cups!

Introduction

2007-12-29T21:33:44Z

Greetings ladies and gents,
My name is Angie, though my internet handles are The Lady Angus and unique_perspective.
I having been watching this community for some time now but have not gotten around to indroducing myself until now.
I am 19 and currently attend San Francisco State University, where I am majoring in English, as I hope to teach someday. When not at school I spend my time at our family's house which is located on 10 acres about and hour and a half from SF. We have 6 horses, two cats, and a rabbit.
I have been interested in lolita for 2-3 years now, and though I only own two jumpers and this time, I dream of the day when it is the only thing I wear. I just feel so completly comfortable in the clothing, like that is how everything ought to be.
I have always been interested in Victorian, and Elizabethan England as well as the regin of Marie Antionette. And I simply long for the days when people actually dressed up to go out, which until the late 60's was the common practice. I feel people should take pride in their appearence and surroundings, whatever that means to you.
Some of my favorite books inclue The Little prince, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and through the Looking Glass, anything by Novala that I can get my hands on, and the writings of Neil Gaimen, and J.R.R. Tolkien. An I love all types of film, from Amelie, to the Bourne series XP

Portriat

Have a lovely day,
Angie

For the Holidays?

2007-11-28T18:37:04Z

It's creeping up on the most magnificent time of the year, isn't it? December and Christmas are just around the corner. Whichever religion you celebrate, the Winter holidays celebrate peace, fellowship and are generally accompanied by sparkly things. I don't know about you, but I love sparkly things!

On that note, Holiday decorations are probably the prettiest all year, and there are cards, gifts, and food to get creative with!

This year, unfortunately, will be spent trying to decorate a college dorm room. I'm not sure how many of you have spent time in these cells, but they are difficult to decorate while remaining functional on a college student's budget.

Nonetheless, what sort of holiday preparations is everyone else making? Any holiday decorating/baking/craft ideas to share?

Also, since it's already snowing here, what of Lolita Winter fashions? Anything to share?

egl_beyond @ 2007-11-21T00:38:00

2007-11-21T06:08:29Z

Recently, I received a copy of As A Lady Would Say: Responses to Life's Important (and Sometimes Awkward) Situations. I was drawn to it because it specifically deals with uncomfortable situations, something most other etiquette books tend to gloss over.

I have to say, much of this could be lumped into common sense. But there are some unique situations that I found myself thinking, "Say x!" when actually, x is something you ought not say. The format of the book makes it very easy to read: it starts with "61 Things Every Well-Spoken Lady Knows" - things like Unless she is teaching an English class, a lady does not correct another person's grammar or A lady never begins a statement with "I don't mean to embarrass you but..." It then moves on to a Situation, What Not to Say, What to Say, and Explanation format:

When an acquaintance asks a lady how much she has paid for an item of clothing or some other personal property...

She does not say:
"Why are you asking?"
"I can't believe you'd ask that."
"Probably more than you could afford."

But she does say:
"Gee, I'm not sure I remember."

Whether this response is accurate or simply a means of escaping an awkward situation, it may short-circuit any further probing. If the nosy acquaintance continues to push, saying, "Oh, come now, that dress must have cost $750," a lady may simply close the discussion by saying, "I'm sorry, but I'd rather not talk about that."

Sometimes the "do not says" are totally outlandish and rude - something anyone with even a tiny bit of tact or grace, or with a bare minimal etiquette knowledge, would know not to say. But there are genuinely good and interesting examples in there (When a loved one of a lady's friend or coworker has committed suicide; when a friend asks to borrow an item that a lady does not wish to lend; when a lady must ask the lady in the next stall in a public restroom for some toilet paper... XD).

I didn't agree 100% with everything, and some of her responses seem a bit stiff, but they give you the general jist, and she always provides an explanation of why something should be said. I was also happy to see that apologizing needlessly or being pushed over was very much a no-no according to this book; no apologizing for the rude actions of a guest you bring to a party, no apologizing if your date doesn't like the movie you chose for the two of you to watch, no responding to inflammatory comments someone might make about your significant other. Instead, just acknowledge that the person behaved badly to the host and promise not to bring them again, or next time you want to see a movie you know your date will hate ask a friend, or direct the maker of ill comments about your S.O. to go take it up with your S.O. and not bother you with such talk.

So, if you're like me and find yourself with ungracious habits and drawing a blank sometimes at life's more uncomfortable moments, I would recommend giving this a read.

Framing prints?

2007-11-15T19:02:40Z

I am a Macoto fan, I really love his works and his drawings enchant me. I also love rococo period art. However I'm not much a fan of posters because of the damages it makes to the wall, and the picture itself when you try and tear it down. So I was wondering if It would be possible for me to frame the prints some way? I don't own any art books with Rococo paintings, or any of Macoto's books, sadly. So I would most likely be taking the scans and having them blown up some where (Like Kinkos?) And then taking those blown up prints to be framed.
I want to know if this is possible? Has anyone else done this? How did it turn out? Thanks so much!
x posted to: lifestyle_lolis

Pictures~

2007-11-06T18:25:51Z

I believe that I haven't yet posted any pictures of myself to the community. In light of the fact that I have some pictures from Halloween, I shall post them here. Some of the images might not fit directly into "Lolita Fashion" specifically, but I feel that they have the spirit of it intact, and will post them anyway.

The first two are, of course, the pictures I took on Halloween. Being the creative young lady I am, I hung a sheet off of my loft bed for a nice backdrop...

I took both of these myself, using the most amazing "continuous shooting" mode on my camera, let me take up to ten shots in a row without having to get up and reset the camera. I got a lot of bad ones, but a few good ones, too! Those were probably the best, though.

The next two are from earlier this year:

I took this one under my loft at home, and edited it just a little in GIMP so it looked prettier.

This one turned out to go in the yearbook for my senior ad. We had gotten a bunch of senior pictures done at a studio, but we didn't like how they turned out, so this was taken by my dad in our living room. Now, though, I wish I had properly curled my hair, worn a skirt, and taken a picture while playing. It's the same "photo shoot" that my icon comes from, though. ^_^

In any case, that's me ^_^ I hope you like the pictures!

egl_beyond @ 2007-11-06T00:04:00

2007-11-06T05:20:07Z

Since the holiday season is getting into swing, I was wondering if anyone had any especially neat ideas for their foods?

For example, pie. Pies are usually 10-12", in a crust, eaten by the slice. Well... Instead of serving the pie as such, why not pour the pie batter into oven safe cups or dishes and bake? Basically, bake it like a crème brûlée. Perhaps put a tiny layer of graham cracker crust on the bottom, or sprinkle some crushed graham crust on top (with lots of whipped cream!) before service. I've done this before with Key Lime pie, and don't see why it wouldn't work with other pie batter. There's a similar dessert concept, called pots de creme, which I think would be a nice change from regular ol' pie as well.

And cake! Instead of baking one large cake, why not makes lots of little ones? Bake the batter in a cookie sheet and after it cools cut it with a circle cutter. Then frost the tops and stack them two or three layers high. Top with fresh berries and powdered sugar. Or shaved chocolate!

Haha, I know I said "food" and posted about desserts... Hm, I suppose if you felt very extravagant instead of turkey for Thanksgiving, you could serve your guests their own quail.

egl_beyond @ 2007-10-31T10:26:00

2007-10-31T14:40:26Z

Happy Halloween, ladies!

Does anyone have any special plans for the holiday? I for one would love to attend a haunted tea party, or a good old fashioned masquerade.

Unfortunately I won't be doing anything this year. However, I think either for my birthday or for next Halloween, I'd like to incorporate The Enchanted Pumpkin and Apple Fortune Telling.

Geisha Girl

2007-10-30T03:45:29Z

Hi my name is Olivia. My favorite lolita style is wa lolita. I have always loved to dress up and have tea parties ever since i was little. Being a lolita made that dream a reality for me. I think the reason i like wa lolita's so much is that they make me fantasize about being a Geisha in Japan. And you can ask my friends when everyone saying "i'm a pirate" or "i'm a ninja" i always say "i'm a Geisha"

Book Recommendation

2007-10-29T18:45:48Z

Greetings all.

I've just begun reading a book I think others may be interested in, The Death of the Grown-Up, and thought of this community. From what I can tell, we have similar feelings about popular culture today, and the state of society. To an extent, it seems like a lot of us mourn the loss of decorum, etiquette, and other bygone ways.

I find the book to be illuminating as to what happened. I haven't finished it yet, but wanted to share anyway. The gist of it, I think, is that after World War II society was more affluent; and adolescents, instead of using money earned to help out the family, kept it to themselves, making them an attractive demographic. This placed an importance on the adolescent stage of childhood never seen before; it was elevated to "teenage" and the new teenagers began to shape culture instead of adults. And, as these teenagers grew in age, they felt less and less inclined to grow socially; society became more permissive of immature behaviors.

While I don't agree with everything the author has said, I think she has really brought to light a big problem with our society; namely, that adults are marginalized by society and everyone aspires to act childishly.

Tea

2007-10-28T17:41:19Z

Hello, I'm Emmy. I adore the lolita fashion and the lifesyle that goes along with it. I have a particular fondness for tea, especially loose teas from Teavana (Teavana.com). What about you? What is your favorite tea?

Cuteness ahead!

2007-10-28T16:49:02Z

Hi dolls!

I thought that, now as a hopefully more active member on here, I could contribute something nice, so here we go.

What do young ladies like to do besides drinking tea and sewing? They play!

If there's world peace somewhere, it's on this game page.

I hope you come to love it as much as I do.

Love and liquorice,
~*Kjesta*~

~Introduction~

2007-10-27T19:58:42Z

I've been lurking on this comm for several months now and I love it dearly - I just didn't post because I didn't think I could concur something really interesting or such. My life isn't so extremely lolita now, but I really, really want to change that, so I figured I could just as well choose now to introduce myself on here.

I'm from Germany, 16 years old. I love lolita fashion deeply. After having been a very untidy little kid (I didn't understand my mom when she told me I couldn't go out when not having combed my hair for four days!) I now love coordinating and dressing elegantly - what hinders me is the dreaded money. I get new clothes maybe four times a year, and then it's always a t-shirt and a pullover or something similar because they're practical. I'm not picky because I know I can't demand more from my parents.

Anyway, I'm just cleaning up my room again thoroughly, throwing old stuff out and such, and I'm going to change stuff about it - pictures on the wall, more fancy little decorations, some nice curtains, stuff like that.

What you could call loli about my lifestyle is that I play the violin, I love to read, to write, to draw and sew. I adore children's books! I have a faible for English books. I read Alice in Wonderland and The Secret Garden - I also started Sense and Sensibility, but I never manage more than four pages in a row because I get confused with the looong sentences ;_;"

Whenever I drink milk or tea, I try to choose the frail, beautiful porcelain cups with the teddy bears or roses on them ^-^

I have a thing for old-fashioned stuff and if I had the money, I'd rent the castle Schloss Benrath closeby and live there. Roccoco for the win!

I feel like I'm talking mostly nonsense here because I just don't know what to write, so I just stop here ^^"

Love and liquorice,
~*Kjesta*~

My beloved bedroom

2007-10-27T13:50:57Z

As fatalfille gave the idea of showing our bedrooms, here I am! ^_^v! After doing some Friday cleaning and changing the places of the ornaments, I took some photos. Enjoy! ^.~

This was taken from the mirror

And I'm also planning to do this ^^:

I hope you have enjoyed! ♥

Loves for you all~ ♥

Introduction

2007-10-27T12:54:47Z

Hello, beauties! I joined and watched egl_beyond long ago but I didn't do a little introduction about me ^^. First I want to congratulate moderators and members for the so comfortable and lovely community you made; I hope it will still being like this for a long time and, of course, forever!

My nickname is Sora, but people (mostly friends) use to call me Jeune Fleur, Flower, Princess (my grandmother calls me like that <3!), Poupeè (again my grandmother~), Piffle Princess, Mary Ann, Marshmallow, Sora & its derivates... although Sora (Sorairo) has become almost a real name in my daily life as most people calls me like that.
I'm currently doing my 1st Polimodal in Humanities modality (I only miss two years to be graduated from school! *jumps*) that is like a "senior high school" as I use to call it in English (which probably wouldn't be the correct way to call it, but as English isn't my main language..). My favourite subjects are History and Physics and want to study Fashio Design at the university, to move to Japan (to Tokyo or Osaka) in five years. I also study Japanese at CCJAP with the most funny teacher ever.
I love drawing, designing, playing dress-up games (it's addictive!), writing stories, read, listen to my favourite music, smell flowers, being surrounded by nature... lots of things! And of course Lolita!

Lolita was and stills being the thing I was searching for in life. Between other things I of course needed to live, Lolita has been one of the most important. It is almost impossible to describe it for me... For the first time, I loved it by the sense of elegance and beauty it radiates, for the mystery I could found in each dress, each blouse, each girl dressed in it... Lolita is one of my most beloved passions accompanied with personality.
For me, you doesn't need to leave your own I to be Lolita. Lolita is the external way in which you depict your innermost, your beauty, your elegance, the delicate and feminine girl who is inside of you, of your mind, of your own world. Lolita is present and fulls my entires life, always, and will never leave me...

You should forgive me, this time. It's kind of hard to talk about something you love with passion sometimes... I would talk about it for hours and hours!

Kisses and hugs for you all, sweeaties! ^_^ ♥!

An introduction from a lurker.

2007-10-17T02:57:35Z

Why, Hello there!

Since I feel I have been way to silent, I felt it was about time to make a introduction. My very first lolita-Introduction, mind you!
Not that I have not been in the scene for long, i've seen myself as a lolita since I was fourteen and enjoyed every minute of it. I have simply not had the correct "spark" to write one, but seeing how things have changed regarding this, it was about time to break the line from lurker to member.

Seeing I now hit eighteen in the end of October, I have been a Lolita for about five years now.
But I do not own a single brand item (If not In The Starlight can be counted as one, which I don't).
Why? Well, I got drawn to the Lolita-scene for other things. The thought of never growing up and live day by day in a world where only beauty really mattered, that was what attracted me. I do really admire those "true" lolita's thought, which dress in those beatiful cloths and throws tea parties.

I don't know any Lolita's personally, I don't have any friends whom are Lolita's, So i'm pretty alone with this where I live. Thus I live quite peacfully, I must say my closest friend is a short man clad in a tuxedo, also known as Miyavi, my adorable cat.

Style wise, I can't really label myself fully under any of the Lolita-Terms, but the closest would be EGA and EGL. "Aristocratic bohemian pirate" explains it quite well, in my opinion.
I prefer the long skirts over the short ones, and layers over the petticoats. And mostly black, this is a bit sad thought, I would love to dress in more colours.
I do enjoy cute, pink things as well, but I would never -wear- it for other than special occasions. But seeing how "Cute" is usually beauty, I do enjoy having it around me.

Also, despise glasses and "true" Lolita- make-up manner, I like to wear a-lot of make-up. Most would say to much. But it has , over the years, become a sort of habit and trademark.
This one don't really justify the colours, but you'll get the basic outline.

I'll finish this off before it gets to long to be read!
Basically I'm a filthy-lolita which enjoys the lifestyle and idea more than actually gather as much brand items as possible.
Lolita with a personal twist, that is how I like!

Oh! And my most "lolita" item, I never take this necklace of <3

Effy, Aristocratic pirate.
(Oh, and I'm currently working on my very first website, drop by my journal and give me your opinion, please. Would be very much appriciated!)

Etiquette

2007-10-15T21:25:04Z

I apologize if I'm stepping on toes here and if I am, please feel free to let me know how to modify my post so that I'm not.

It seems that there's recently been some discussion of more traditional Victorian lifestyles and subjects such as calling cards and monograms. I’ve recently started a bit of a side project that I hope to eventually be a Lolita lifestyle blog from a classic/gothic/EGA approach. I thought that some others here might find my most recent of ventures interesting, so I'd like to share it here. Starting today, I’ll be posting some bits from an etiquette guide published in 1881. I’ve been reading through it the past few weeks and I found it intriguing. I'm not incredibly busy right now, so hopefully I'll be able to post almost daily. I’m syndicating the blog via livejournal and it can be found at darkdeca. Please feel free to join, comment, and enjoy!

Thank you!

Lolita Monograms

2007-10-03T14:58:31Z

I was thinking a while back about how Marie Antoinette had her own beautiful monogram that decorated so many of her beautiful things, and came to the conclusion that every Lolita deserves to have her own equally regal monogram to use on items made especially for or by her!

This is one I designed for myself intertwining the V and H of my name to create a somewhat over the top monogram, which has since started to appear on various fancy items I've made for myself.

I'd love to see some of the monograms people here come up with for their own Lolita households?

Lolita Decorating Tips

2007-09-25T04:08:52Z

After posting photos of my room, a couple of people requested this, so here you are!

Lolita Inspired Bedroom Decor

For many Lolitas decorating their rooms is a chance to express their personal taste and aesthetic on a new canvas. Your room, like your clothes, says a lot about who you are, but in an even more private way. A bedroom can be a place to sleep and store your things, or it can be a little sanctuary to escape to after a long day of work or school. Decorating your room does not have to be expensive, in fact if you are creative and make some things yourself it can be fairly cheap to create a new look.

Choosing your theme
You might say "Lolita is my theme" but really, there are so many different styles in Lolita alone that it helps to narrow it down a little. You can also pick a theme that isn't exactly Lolita, but draws from a similar source of inspiration like victorian, alice in wonderland, fairy tales or kawaii. When choosing your theme, think about the style of Lolita you wear, your favourite book/bands/movies and other things that inspire you in your day-to-day life. Chances are if you pick something that incorporates your interests you will be more comfortable with it for a longer time. A "mermaid" theme might seem fun for a few weeks, but unless you feel you can stick with it, you might be better to choose something less novel and more personal. My theme is french rococo and hime lolita.

Choosing your colours
To create a unified look, it’s a good idea to select a colour scheme for your room. Pick two to three colours that look nice together and correspond with your theme. For example, if you are going for a gothic theme you might choose black, purple and silver. For a victorian theme you might choose rose, ivory and bottle green. My colour theme is white, pink and gold (though I want to mix in a little baby blue.) Now, you don't have to throw out everything in your room that isn't one of these colours, but keep them in mind when choosing new items for your decor. Think about the atmosphere you want to create, using a lot of dark colours will make the room feel moodier and possibly a bit oppressive, bright vibrant colours will give you energy but might be a bit harsh on tired eyes and pale pastels are soft and comforting, but can be hard to keep clean. Try and strike a balance that you will feel comfortable with at any time of the day.

TIP: Look in your wardrobe, what are the main colours you seem to wear? Coordinating a room is much like coordinating an outfit!

The Walls, Floor and Ceiling
The first place to start is your walls and ceiling. If you have permission from the owner of your house, or are lucky enough to own it yourself, you can bring a lot of personality to the room by decorating your walls. You have two options, paint or wallpaper. Paint is a nice way to give a simple colour wash to a room, and tends to be very durable. Choose colours from your scheme, and remember you don't have to paint all the walls the same, you can have feature walls, a border or stripes if you wish! Wallpaper is great because you have so many patterns to choose from, and as it is coming back in to fashion it’s easier to find. I would suggest getting some expert help with this stage as painting or papering your room is a big project. Walls can look a bit blank without anything hanging on them, look around and find the best places to put hooks. One trick is to cut pieces of newspaper to the size of your pictures and blue tack them to the wall, then stand back and see if you like the placement.

When choosing what to hang on your walls you have a lot of options, paintings, photos, art, posters, mirrors and tapestries all work well. Try and pick frames that match your theme and colours and aren't too dominating over the picture. Mirrors can make a room feel bigger than it is, if you can't afford a big mirror then get some little ones, put them in picture frames and arrange them in an artistic grouping on one wall, it has a very whimsical mosaic-like effect. Feel free to frame posters and images from your favourite artists, if you can't afford or find prints then print them out on your own printer. Use high quality paper and have your settings on maximum, behind a glass frame you will hardly know the difference. Avoid blue tacking images to your walls, this can look messy and actually damage both the wall and the paper. Unless you are going for a punk look, frames are so much neater.

TIP: Too many frames can box a room in, try a different shaped wall hanging like a mask or clock to break it up.

Often there is very little that can be done about your floor, unless you can afford to rip up the carpet and put down floorboards or vice versa, there aren't many options. You can however try and work with what you have, get your carpets cleaned or vacuumed to bring them back to their original colour, keep floorboards swept and polished and possibly add a matching rug.

It’s easy to overlook the ceiling when decorating your room, but there are so many things you can do here! Change the light fitting to a pretty shade or chandelier; add some moldings painted in the same colour as the ceiling. Hang things from it, stars or flowers or ribbon. If you are a talented painter you can even paint a mural on it, like the churches and palaces of Europe. Ceilings don't have to be boring.

Furniture
This is probably going to be the most costly part of your decor, however, take a look at the furniture you already have, perhaps you can spruce it up a bit rather than replacing it? It helps to create a unified look if your furniture matches, pick items in a similar style or paint the ones you have to match. Antique furniture is lovely but costly, so look for replicas, which can be just as beautiful, and in far better condition.

Your bed will probably be the centrepiece of your room, so give it lots of attention! If you can, a four-poster or day bed style suite is lovely, otherwise disguise your existing bed with a valance and maybe a new bed head. You can create a four-poster look with a four-point canopy that attaches to your roof, or hang a round frame canopy for a simpler look. There is being surrounded on all sides by netting or tulle, it makes your bed a little world of its own, safe and private and very romantic (in the old meaning of the word.)

Other furniture you may like to include are; a bedside table, vanity and stool, full-length mirror, bookshelves, dresser, japanese style low table and a wardrobe. If you are working with existing items there are many ways to decorate these, paint or stain the wood, use stencils or moldings, glue on silk flowers and jewels, change the handles on drawers and add little curtains to shelves and enclaves.

TIP: Add a feature piece of furniture, something that really catches the eye. Maybe a full length cheval mirror, a dress form clothed in your favourite gown or a hat stand, these things take up very little space but make your room more interesting.

Practicality and function is just important as prettiness when it comes to furniture. When arranging your room make sure all doors have room to open, nothing is going to trip you up or catch on your clothes and you can actually get to your bed! This may sound silly, but when trying to fit in a lot of furniture and have it look appealing as well these are easy mistakes to make.

Soft Furnishings

This is your curtains, bedclothes and other linens. These will make all the difference in your room and can give it a quick dose of luxury, just by choosing nice fabric and tasteful prints. Most lolitas already have a great understanding about fabric and trim so put this to work when choosing your manchester! Keep your colour scheme in mind and think about which fabrics suit your theme. Heavy velvets will look nice with a gothic style, lots of lace and florals for victorian, cute fruity prints and bows for sweet lolita and pale gauzes and silk work for rococo.

Having curtains made can be very costly, but provide beautiful results. For a simpler approach check your craft and haberdashery stores for premade curtains, you might find something perfect already there! Other wise you can make your own curtains from any fabric you like. Simple putting up loose curtains can look a bit plain, experiment with having layered curtains (a heavy layer over a fin lace or gauze curtain to let the light in) maybe you could add an ornamental festoon to the top of the window or tie your curtains back with pretty ribbons.

Your bed sheets are also very important. Use one of your colour scheme colours for the sheets, pillowcases and valance and then find a quilt cover that adds interest, textured fabrics, embroidery and nice prints all work well with plain sheets. Go nuts with pillows! Have as many as you like in different sizes and shapes as long as they match your bed. You may like to find a nice warm throw rug in soft chenille or faux fur to snuggle under, they look very pretty draped over the end of them bed and add another texture to your linens.

TIP: You don't have to limit yourself to one quilt set! You can have two or more and rotate them for a different look as the mood fits. They will last much longer this way too!

The Details

This, I believe, is the most important part of your decor. Fortunately it is also the most fun! Start collecting little things, ornaments, pillows, plush toys, vases, bottles and things that fit your theme. You might like to visit a vintage or curio store and pick up some pieces with a bit of history. The only limit is your own creativity, but here are some suggestions to get you started.

Tea cups or miniature tea sets, pretty candles in elegant holders, jewelry boxes, bowls of potpourri, faberge eggs, painted plates, fake flowers, feathers, covered tissue boxes, fans, hat boxes, pearls, porcelain figurines, old toys, dolls, plushies, little boxes and trinkets, shaped soaps, plush cupcakes, wall scrolls, lamps, antique books, baskets, carriage clocks, piggy banks, cake platters, perfume bottles, sea shells, mobiles, bowls of candy, fruit or trinkets, bird cages, powder puffs, hand mirrors and brushes.

The most important thing with these details is to bring a personal touch to the room, adding some childhood dolls or toys will bring back happy memories, your favourite perfume in a pretty bottle, a photo of your family in a beautiful frame. It also gives you a chance to incorporate your theme in quirky little ways, figurines from the era of your choice, matching flowers, symbols and other little touches.

Decorating your room can be a slow process, but it is very rewarding. Every time you bring home a new treasure you are perfecting your own little space. Feel free to change or rotate things to freshen the look as you go. I would say the three most important things are texture, light and colour. Texture means having different shapes and materials that make you want to run your fingers over everything. Have a mixture of soft and hard, rough and smooth. Light comes from your windows, and can be muted or filtered by curtains. Lamps and light fittings give an atmospheric glow and candles can be romantic or somber. Colour is everything, it brings your room to life and instantly evokes your theme. Play with these three concepts and the little tips in this article and create a space that is beautiful, interesting and uniquely you!

Thank you for reading ^_^ I would love to see pictures of your rooms or hear any suggestions you have to add to this!

Lolita Decor

2007-09-23T02:16:39Z

I spent some time yesterday tidying and rearranging my room, and decided to take some photos too since it was a beautiful day and the light was so good. I thought I might share them here for other lolitas with an interest in decor. My theme is pink, white and gold. Rococo with a little victorian romance. I am planning on changing the light fitting to a small chandelier and I need to get some frames for my walls, as I have some pictures to put up but don't like using blue tack. I also plan to get rid of my desk (which is huge) and the bed side table and instead have a chest of drawers, vanity and small table to sit at. Lots of work to do! I hope you enjoy the pictures, maybe they might give you some ideas or you can suggest things to me! I would love to see photos of everyone else's rooms ^_^

Thank you for looking!

Introduction

2007-09-15T01:05:59Z

I was a member of egl_beyond back when kittyhot was moderator and I remember there being some great posts and discussions. I miss having somewhere to chat about the lolita lifestyle so now that the lovely baracilla has taken the helm (in true pirate-loli style!) I'm really excited to be back!

My real name is Skye, and I often go by Princess Skye or fatalfille online. I have been interested in and wearing lolita for just over two years now, I mark the time from my first tea party which was in september 05. It was actually the first lolita tea party in my city, and I'm lucky enough to have become good friends with some of the girls I met that day, and also to have met many more lolitas since then as our little group is steadily growing.

I have been involved in the online lolita community in a few different ways. I ran a penpal exhange at one point, and now monitor lolitaletters the penpal community. I love writing and think sharing snail mail with friends from around the world is a fun way to learn about how lolita is percieved and enjoyed by others and a good way to make new friends. I also moderated Spilt Milk, which was a very active lolita rpg set in a victorian era finishing school where all the students wore lolita. It was a fun project and allowed me to meet a lot of the lolita community, but it was also very time consuming and eventually I had to give it up. Now I run Princess Portal which is my own little photoblog and hosts a few of my writings and pictures.

Some real facts about me; I work for a living and support myself completely. I am not particularly wealthy and my lolita closet has taken me a long time to collect. I don't wear lolita as much as I would like, because I can't wear it to work in my current job. I am turning 21 this year, so that makes me OLD by lolita standards ^_~ I love handmade clothing, its so original and unique, unfortunately I'm not a talented seamstress. My dream at the moment is to run my own business so I can work from home and wear lolita every day!

~ * ~ * ~

My thoughts on the Lolita Lifestyle

I will admit that this has changed a lot since I was first introduced to the fashion, my views have been influenced by many other girls I have met and also my own experiences living as a lolita. I used to have a much narrower view, lolita lifestyle was about victoriana, romance, royalty and tea. Now I see it can be about many things, and those are only some of the options.

The Lolita Lifestyle is not abandoning everything in your life you consider "un-lolita" and taking up new interests and likes just because they fit with your fashion, that is fooling yourself. The Lolita Lifestyle is not living off your parents/spouses income, never working and strictly following old aristocratic practices like arranged marriages.

The Lolita Lifestyle is expressing yourself through and enjoying activities that make you feel Lolita. Whatever that may be! If it’s being playful and childish and going to amusement parks and eating lots of candy, than that is your lolita lifestyle. If its sitting in your garden drinking tea and reading Jane Austen than that is your lolita lifestyle. If it’s going to clubs and seeing the latest bands and fangirling over Mana than that is your lolita lifestyle. Even if its just dressing up and hanging out in the mall with your friends and drinking bubble tea and taking purikura than that is still Lolita Lifestyle.

There is nothing forced or fake about it. I think most lolitas will agree that the fashion allows them to express a part of themselves, even if it’s just the urge to be girly and pretty. Lolita Lifestyle is the same thing, it’s our expression of the things we love and there is no rules defining how to do that.

The reason there seems to be such a focus on the "classic" ideas of lolita lifestyle is because a lot of people who are attracted to the fashion already have romantic ideals of the past, already daydream about being princesses or ladies and all the manners and pastimes that follow. However there are plenty of other girls who were drawn to the fashion through other interests, perhaps through music, japanese pop-culture, cosplay or a simple love of all things cute and feminine. They each have their own take on the lifestyle, and as long as it is natural, enjoyable and comfortable to them then it is a real and valid way to live.

Lolita Lifestyle is not a set of rules that anyone is trying to enforce, its an individual thing that makes each of us happy and tends to fit with our own unique ideas of what lolita means.

Thank you for taking the time to read my introduction, I look forward to joining in with more community discussions soon!

Visiting Cards

2007-09-14T12:54:34Z

A while ago I posted about the idea of introducing visiting cards into the Lolita community lifestyle_lolis. They were such a large part of social interaction in the 18th and 19th centuries, and so beautiful, perfect for todays Lolita!

(Here are the first two I have made, I used combination embosser and punch on one, and decorated them with crystals and ribbon to add to their charm)

I myself have 2 levels of Visiting card, one with just my name (standard) and one which also has me email address for those who wish to keep in touch.
I thought it might be interesting also to build a code of etiquette relating to visiting cards that would fit todays Lolita lifestyle? For Example...

Always bringing a Visiting card to a friends house when ever you visit in formal Lolita clothing.
At large meet ups Visiting cards are to be handed to the host/organizer.
At smaller more intimate meet ups it fosters good spirit to give a card to each member attending.
On such occasions, though most cards are printed, a small note of the date written neatly on the back in pencil can be a pleasant reminder of a wonderful day.
A small try or other such vessel for receiving cards is most elegant kept by the entry way for home visits. (when receiving cards out of the house, keep them safe and place them in the tray upon arrival home) .

Does any one else have any ideas?

School Kills

2007-09-10T22:37:55Z

*subject* Communities
at least I'm assuming that's why this comm has died down

anyway, I'm wondering if there is still gonna be activities going on?
is the Roses Contest voting gonna start?
is there to be new contests?
melodies of the week?
um... stuff?

I think I'm mainly posting just so this comm is not too far behind in the times...

The Way of the Lolita

Lifestyle Lolitas Unite!

Introducing My Tea Set

Tea Drinking Etiquette

Introduction

For the Holidays?

egl_beyond @ 2007-11-21T00:38:00

Framing prints?

Pictures~

egl_beyond @ 2007-11-06T00:04:00

egl_beyond @ 2007-10-31T10:26:00

Geisha Girl

Book Recommendation

Tea

Cuteness ahead!

~*Introduction*~

My beloved bedroom

Introduction

An introduction from a lurker.

Etiquette

Lolita Monograms

Lolita Decorating Tips

Lolita Decor

Introduction

Visiting Cards

School Kills

~Introduction~