OO Jia Review

I know there are a lot of Lolitas that are against replicas, especially ones done by Oo Jia...but as much as I love buying Brand items, I also understand that a lot of people can't afford the more expensive brands, but Love the prints :D

Anyways, my first Replica purchase was through the facebook lolita sales & after checking measurements & a lot of debating...I decided to give in & purchase someone's Oo Jia replica of AP's Chess Chocolate in Faded Ivory ^_^

The sizing isn't perfect, but I couldn't be happier with the print & workmanship ^^  I also really like the faded ivory b/c it looks more like a light lavender/pink than ivory & brown ;)

I got it a while ago, but I just wore it out for the first time to go see the Nutcracker Ballet:

Then, while checking Oo Jia's latest facebook posts...she posted a new bag design...& I HAD to have it!!! 

Transaction details:

Oct 17: placed order (through email only)

Oct 18: invoiced & paid

Oct 21: shipped out

Nov 13: received package (took about 3 weeks, but totally worth it XD )

 a plain white backpack?

 or something more?

 I couldn't resist getting other colors of wings as well: yellow & mint ^^
And 2 straps ;)  Although...one of the white ones is missing the piece to hook onto the bag...other than that, everything arrived in perfect condition!

Lots of room inside ^_^

BIG HINT!!  

Figured it out? or give up? it's...SAKURA'S BACKPACK FROM CARD CAPTOR SAKURA!! XDD

& that's the main reason I HAD to get it...CCS is my all time fave series, so OF COURSE i recognized it as soon as i saw it ^_^

Here's some reference pics:

& now mine:

Needless to say, i'm SUPER HAPPY WITH MY PURCHASE XDDD

& Now I just might cosplay Sakura one day ^^

CREATING MY "DREAM CLOSET" ^^

One thing I recently got into is Buying & Selling Lolita items ;)
At first, it was only old prints that I wore a bunch of times, but didn't think matched me well :/

But lately, I've been selling items that I haven't even worn :(  & the main reason is:
IMPULSE BUYS O_O  

Also, a few problems have come up recently...

Problem 1: I became full time & could actually afford Brand items...So, what did i do? I perused the egl comm sales every day & bought tons of items that I haven't even worn out...

Problem 2: My new full time job has a "bad" benefit...Food is waaay too accessible XP  I was eating a lot more & sitting on my butt most of the day, so...i sadly gained weight...which is another reason I had to start selling items...

But, mainly, I began to really think about what style I like best & now i'm trying to  create a sort of "Dream Closet" ^_^  This, will probably change as the brands come out with more & more new prints...But, I think, after my latest purchases, I should be pretty satisfied with my collection ;D

Following my last wardrobe post I did in Feb, there have been A LOT of changes: 
-I've sold A LOT of my Bodyline items, keeping only a select few as favorites or for future photoshoots ;)  I've also kept all my Bodyline blouses b/c they're really good for making coords ^^

-My BTSSB/AATP collection has GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY!! 
Including Bonnets, blouses & boleros... 

 AATP Victorian Card Print

 BTSSB Alice in Funfair

AATP Hymn Skirt...this is a super dream item, so I was happy to get it XD

-I have upped some other brand items, adding another Teddy bear IW jsk...& my very first AP print, which is a salopette...an ETC skirt AND since Atelier Pierrot came to our local convention...I ended up getting an OP and a blouse...it's so much more tempting when you can touch the dresses & look at all the details...you REALLY see the quality XD  I also purchased a Replica print jsk & even though there's some conflict about that, I really like my replica jsk...i also think the quality is really good XD

IW Museum Bear Long jsk

 AP Ala Carte Tea Party Salopette

ETC Cream Logo skirt

Atelier Pierrot OP w/ detachable collar...the Designer was there to help sell & she instantly persuaded me when she said the collar was detachable ;)  It's such a unique design also, so I snagged it before anyone else saw it XD Definitely gonna be one of my faves ^_^

-My Lolita bag collection has grown as well...ESPECIALLY...odd-shaped bags ^_^
I aquired a Book shaped bag(finally), a tent bag, coffin purse, bow bag & even some printed totes XD

-I have an OVER ABUNDANCE of Lolita socks & tights now...including a pair of Verum ones & some offbrand Cherub printed & tattoo tights ;)

And LASTLY, i'm ALWAYS collecting more & more h.Naoto items...it's just perfect for casual wear & the prints are sooo pretty ^^

 The funny story with this dress is it originally belonged to my friend...& then she sold it to someone else...& then i bought it from that person ;)  And the thing was she always thought i'd match the dress...so in the end, it went to it's rightful owner...perhaps ;D

Anyways, NOW! I've been concentrating on adding some color & more classic prints into my collection...I've been rather drawn to various Religious prints lately & I'm waiting for a JetJ dress as well as an MMM one...which will both be firsts for me...brand-wise...they're the more expensive ones, but totally worth it, so I'm splurging a bit to get them XP

 JetJ L'anonciation

And, I'm always looking for additional items to help complete a coord...shoes, jewelry, hair accessories, i even got my first pair of bloomers, so i'm excited to try them out ^^

Plus, I'm STILL selling a bunch of items to help make space, so hopefully when everything's complete...i shall do another wardrobe post ;D

BTSSB SF Online Order review ^^

Due to the AMAZING coords & items that BTSSB SF post on their FB page...& their incredibly good customer service...I finally decided to try ordering their items online ^^ There's a rather long story to this, so bear with me...these crazy coincidences happen to me a bit...especially with Lolita ;)

It all started with BABY SF posting their Sale items on facebook & I fell in love with one particular item: Fragrant Rose Memories ring in matte silver ^_^ Seeing that it was on sale for an amazing price made it even more tempting to see if there were other items I could order...

Then, I came upon a beautiful coord with a burgundy dress & bonnet, which in my mind, I thought would match my most favorite brand skirt: Masquerade Theater in Red ^^

So, on fb, i commented asking how much the bonnet was...& luckily, it was on sale as well XD

Then, after thinking about it...probably for only a day...I emailed them using their order form here:
http://baby-aatp.blogspot.com/p/orders.html
I inquired about the availability of my items...& just to see if they could help me, I asked if the bonnet would match the MT print in red ;)

They replies RIGHT AWAY &...as luck would have it...one of their sales girls was wearing the MT print...in RED O_O  They then continued to say that the bonnet I had in mind was a more purple color compared to MT...AND...that they went around the store looking for a bonnet that WOULD match....& then, they found it XD

Unfortunately, the bonnet they found was a newer item, so it was full price, but they sent me a link & it was sooo pretty ^_^  I replied saying that it was a beautiful bonnet & I always like their coords, so I trust their judgement...but...it would be great if I could see it WITH the print...just to see how well it matched....& they emailed me back...with a pic attached of the sales girl in her MT JSK in red, an ivory long-sleeve blouse & ivory bolero...WEARING the bonnet ^_^ (she was hiding her face though ;P ) But it looked PERFECT XD

And then, i had no more doubts...I HAD TO HAVE IT!! Especially after all that effort they went through to find something to match ;)  I even showed my mom the picture & she agreed that I should get it b/c it matches perfecftly ^^

So, the next step was to order the items. Now, were are a bunch of my friends who were interested in the sale items, so I decided to open a GO!  I still wanted to order everything quickly before the sale items sold out, but I managed to get one other friend to order with me, so we could split the shipping ^^

I inquired about the items my friend wanted & once we finalized our order, I emailed the store to have them invoice me.  They invoiced me on the 25th(Tues), I paid the same day & then they SHIPPED IT OUT the same day!!! They emailed me back saying they invoiced me & gave me the tracking.  

And...Today (28th), OUR ORDER ARRIVED!!!  
Here are the pics...FINALLY ;D

 Sent it a big sturdy box ^^

 AATP bag ^^ I forgot my items were also Alice ;)

 Inside was another plastic bag w/ a tissue paper wrapped bundle

 And...after trying to be careful, but ripping up the tissue, i saw my bonnet...w/ a complimentary sticker inside ^_^

 I had a minor panic when I couldn't find my ring, but after shaking the other items, i saw this small package...phew XD

 And here they are: Spindel bonnet in Ivory

Lock the Pandora's Memories Vest in Red(my friend's one ^^) & Frgrant rose memories ring in matte silver ;D  

 A close-up of the ring, which is small, but extremely dainty & elegant ;)

Here's a quick timeline of the ordering process:

Sept 22: Started emailing & inquiring about items.

Sept 25: Finalized order, paid invoice, items shipped out.

Sept 28: Received items!!

Overall, I am SUPER SATISFIED with EVERYTHING about this order from the Excellent customer service (even on facebook) to the super fast shipping!  I've ordered from the Japanese online store as well & really, it's one of the best Lolita services I have come across & I think I shall be ordering from the SF store even more now ^_^

Ah, last but not least...the whole reason for doing the order:

 I'll take worn pics eventually, but here's some pictures to show how well it matches ^^

I'd also really love to do a post about all the coords I've made with this skirt since receiving it...It really is my absolute favorite print XD

Verum Tights/short socks & Shopping Service Review ^_^

I absolutely LOVE the Dolly Kei fashions, so every so often I check out the Grimoire blog & online store...just to get outfit ideas & see what they have XD  

http://yaplog.jp/grimoire-blog/
http://www.grimoire-onlineshop.com/

One of the most popular items has been the introduction of Verum tights & just this summer they came out w/ Short socks...in a variety of beautiful designs ;)

The tights were featured as a wonderful addition to Lolita outfits & appeared all throughout vol 44 of the Gothic Lolita Bible!  So, naturally, I figured these would be unattainable for me...or i'd have to buy 2nd hand from someone & pay a lot more than the retail price... :/

So, I put this thought on the side & instead, I checked out reviews for the tights & checked out outfit ideas...& then...one day I was checking out the Grimoire online store to see if the short socks were in stock yet...& i saw that the SOCKS & TIGHTS were IN STOCK ^_^  

Then, after I had asked a fellow Lolita/Dolly Kei girl about the shopping service she went through to get her pair of tights...I contacted the SS to see if she could order some items for me...& she replied RIGHT AWAY XD

This is the SS: chibi_tenshi's post w/ links to policies, order form, etc:
http://chibi-tenshi.livejournal.com/163340.html

& It was so easy going through this SS ^^
Mon: Sept 3: SS placed order for me through Grimoire site.
Sat: Sept 8: SS received items & then invoiced me w/ total including shipping. 
The breakdown is: 
Total cost of item(s) (& this includes shipping from site)
+ Shipping from SS to me
+ shopping fees
It was pricey, but the breakdown made a lot of sense to me, so i was ok w/ it.
& then:
Mon or Tues: 10 or 11: SS shipped out items to me & gave me tracking info ^^
Fri: Sept 14: Package arrived in perfect condition XD

& now...some pics ;)

 After I destroyed the super secure packaging...I pulled out the plastic bag w/ my goodies...& found a nice note from my SS

 I bought the Un ange dans le dreamland short socks & the Un ange tights XD

 These are the softest, most comfortable socks i have ever worn...& it's sooo much more beautiful in person XD  The quality of the socks are really good too...probably won't tear or run unless i really snag it on something ;)

 It's the perfect length on me hitting right @ my calf...which is how i've been liking my socks for summer to be ^^

 I just tried them on w/ the peach dress I was wearing & then i added the awesome red flats i found @ goodwill the other day & everything matches PERFECTLY XD  

 & now the tights ^_^  These are soo soft as well & extra durable...i have big calves, but b/c i'm short I still managed to get the tights on...& they're so comfortable too ;)

 This might be showing a big too much of my leg, but the design on this is soo beautiful...plus, it shows how non-see-thru these tights are ^^

 Again, it matched pretty well w/ the dress i was wearing ;)

And FINALLY, a coord ^_^  @ first I was just going to wear one of my vintage finds...but then, i thought about the GLB & wanted to try the tights on w/ a Lolita print...& Lo & Behold! It matches PERFECTLY w/ my new Victorian Card Print dress XD  

Overall, I'm Extremely happy w/ my purchase & even though it was a bit of a splurge, i'm really glad I ordered these & I can't wait to start wearing them...I think i'll use my Victorian Card print coord for a future photoshoot ;D

My Very First Yukata ^^

 I am a Yonsei(read more here) or 4th Generation Japanese, which could be why i know or own so little of my culture :/  One of the main items is a Kimono(formal wear)...or Yukata(light summer wear) & I actually went through most of my childhood never owning my own Japanese clothing until all us girls got to choose a kimono & obi from my Uncle's mother's collection ^_^  And so I did...but...it's real silk(or vintage) & white/cream, so I really don't want to wear it out...which means it just sits there in my closet & collects dust :/

Then, a bunch of years later, I got into Anime/Cosplaying & i had to sew my own Kimono outfit for my char, Lukia from Godchild:

 

 But it had to have a victorian/european look...& I still feel like I wouldn't be able to wear it out much, especially to bon dances... :/

THEN FINALLY, earlier this month...I found myself @ Shirokiya, a store that carries japanese goods...&...there was a SALE on YUKATA ^_^  So, naturally, with what little money I had, I scoured the racks & picked out a print that didn't have too much pink, but still matched my style ;)

*side note: we went to Shirokiya after seeing Septime Webre's Alice in Wonderland ballet, so I was dressed in Lolita at the time...which is not the best thing to wear when picking out yukata ;P *

I got the cheapest cotton Yukata, which was about $70 & the sale was for 30% off, so adding in the tie I needed, I paid about $55 for everything XD  It was such a good deal & luckily, I found a print that matches the Obi I already own, so now I'm all ready for the many Bon Festivals around the island ^_^ It's just too bad that the season is ending soon, but I'll definitely be able to wear it to at least one @ the end of the month ^^  

All I need to decide on now is how to style it ;)  I'm definitely wearing a camisole & skirt underneath (per my friend's suggestion) but I don't know if I should go traditional style or try something a little different...here's some ideas I had:

This was in the Gothic Lolita Bible vol 44 & I've been so in love with Juliette et Justine prints lately!  I really love the classic feel to it & even though I don't have the same amazing print, I like the idea of wearing lace gloves & putting a giant corsage on my obi...Then again, I'm also a huge fan of Dolly-Kei, so I thought of hanging a tassel  from the Obi instead & keeping the accessories vintage looking ;D

here's an example with a tassel, but it's a somewhat "Sweet Wa-Loli" look, which I actually like as well XD

So many choices...but either way i'm happy I finally got a Yukata & I can't WAIT to wear it out ^_^

Also...It looks like there's a site for Shirokiya...I had no idea ;)

http://www.shirokiya.com/

My First Innocent World order ^_^

I've ordered from BTSSB online before...& did Meta and Closetchild, but I've always wanted to order from Innocent World @ least ONCE...just to see how it went...& unfortunately, because of the timing, I have to say i'm half/half on my ordering experience :/

Here's how the transaction went...& keep in mind I did mine during their Summer Sale...which could be why things went wrong...sigh...

July 10: Start of sale, items posted on site

July 11: Placed order.

and then...they were "on holiday" so no confirmation would be sent until after...but almost a week later, STILL nothing :/

July 19: I sent an email inquiring about my order.

They IMMEDIATELY replied saying that they were swamped (understandable) & that one of my items was sold out...sigh...shucks... Then, after they sent me an invoice for the in-stock items, they asked if I wanted to replace the one i couldn't get with the same print, but different color, so I said YES & replied right away to the email.

July 23: Sent new email asking if they got my reply email/added on item...

July 24: Decided to pay first invoice without extra item (couldn't wait any longer since i like to keep track of my purchases)

July 31: I get an email saying that their servers crashed around the 26th & they lost some invoices...asked if i STILL wanted to add on my item & they'll send a new invoice with the difference for shipping...which i decided yes...since i did STILL really want the item even if it wasn't the color i originally wanted ;)....but...i spent all my spending money on my bus pass, other stuff...so i waited until the deadline to pay...

Aug 7: (after payday), FINALLY paid the rest of the IW order ^_^

Aug 9: Order shipped out

Aug 14: (Today): Received package & now i'm sooooo glad i bought through them...even though at first it was such a pain...sigh...

 Yay!Another IW bag ^_^ I think i'll give this to my GO buddy since I already have one XD

 SOOOO glad I ordered...this stuff is BEAUTIFUL ^_^

 The colors on the socks are way different, but still workable ;)

 And this FABRIC is not plain cotton...it's super thin & delicate...maybe polyester? & there's a brocade design within in the print ;D

 THIS was the item that was sold out in the color i originally wanted, Sax...but the Beige is super pretty too...now i'm glad i re-added it...totally worth it XD

And the socks are super stretchy (even over my big calves) & they fit me like how they do the Lolita models...over the knee & almost thigh high...but they won't roll down...perfect XD

 

BUT! the main reason for buying the JSK was to have something to match my new Blue VM~like shoes that i HAD to have ;P  Which it does perfectly ^_^  &...most importantly, the JSK FITS XD  I debated forever about getting the long version & now i'm glad i did...it has such a grown-up feel to it...even though there are Teddy Bears on the print XD

Overall, the beginning was rough, but i'm SUPER HAPPY with my purchases & maybe i'll order from them again....just not during a sale ;P 

Also, I just found a lovely note thanking me for my order...i always love the small notes...& extra stuff...like the free hanger i got for my jsk ^^