Rouge Aerie Movin' On Up!

So I have good news and awesome news today. The good news is that I recently finished a new prototype dress for Rouge Aerie Designs.

The awesome news is that R.A.D. now has a manufacturer! The details of the arrangements and the secret print that will be used for this dress are currently under wraps.

Photo of the Day: Prized Prize!

I went out with my lolita friends this past weekend and something happened that never happens: I won a prize out of one of the crane games.

I've only ever won one prize, from a crane game in a seedy bar. It was a sad, limp-eyed frog. This, though. This was much more difficult.

In Sydney, near Chinatown, there's an arcade that has a giant cache of purikura machines and skill tester games. While the other girls were going to do purikura (I was feeling frumpy and underdressed), I decided to play the cranes. The small machine that had Totoro plushes last time we went had been changed out and refilled with Domo-kun plushies in bunny suits, so I wandered around until I found the MASSIVE Totoro machine. I decided to give it a go, even though I never have luck with such things and it was one of the really hard, two-prong-claw ones.

Imagine my surprise when I actually dumped this guy onto the top of the chute in the first go!

I had to nudge him in with a second grab, but the girls were there to cheer me on!

It was really quite intense!

Product Review: Kuma Crafts' Sailor Moon Line

Kuma Crafts is a jewellery store on Etsy, focusing mostly on hand-assembled, laser cut acrylic pieces that appeal to the geek chic and 'kawaii' trend markets. The owner and operator, Amanda, has recently added t-shirts and enamel pendants to her lines.

While I have purchased other pieces of hers, I want to focus today on her Sailor Moon inspired pieces!

Stay with me, now. This is going to be extremely photo heavy.

Photo of the Day: Lazy Fairy

Happy Belated Halloween!

This year, I was a fairy herder. In Celtic myth, deer are referred to as "fairy cattle". In every herd, they have a fairy guardian who can transform into a stag to lead and protect them. So that was my costume this year!

I was mistaken for a jackalope by two different people, but that's okay.

The best part was the coin sash I wore under all the layers of fluttery black. Every step I took, I jingled, and everyone kept asking me where I had the bells hidden!

Did you have a happy Halloween? What did you wear this year?

Photo of the Day: Tender Shade

One of the few photos I took at Animania this year. I didn't go into the convention, I only hung around outside with some friends before going to lunch.

Alana was kind enough to pose for me under the trees near some antique trains.

... we got into trouble with those trains a bit later on, but that's a story for another day.

A Brief Comparison of Corsets

Hey! Long time no see! I recently took some photos for a contest on Corsets UK's Facebook page, which has inspired me to write a brief little comparison of the different corsets I own. Take a look and I hope you enjoy!

Rouge Aerie Designs are underway with underbusts!

The first of the finished Carouskel underbust JSKs for my new design label! Just click the thumbnails behind the cut for larger views of the dress!

Gothygaze

Long time no see! I'm editing some photos that a friend gave me tonight and this is the first one I've finished.

It's my really awesome friend Valerie, from my "going away present" shoot in September. As a final good-bye before I moved to Australia, a group of my friends came down to Texas for a gothic shoot in the woods. Courtney (click for her DA!) was kind enough to give me the photos on disc in January and I'm just now getting around to editing them for online posting!

I thought that this shot of Val was particularly nice and wanted to share it here.

Of Ears and Shells

Shall I Compare Thine Ear to a Shell by ~ironcageskirt on deviantART

Things have been busy in Sydney (surprise!) but I took some time today to clean up some photos I took ages ago while on a break from other things. Mostly, housewarming invitations, job-hunting and blogging about living in Australia. haha

Hope everyone's doing well!

Intense

Intense, a photo by kate.ruggeri on Flickr.

I made it to Australia in one piece! At the moment, I'm writing a public blog for my family to follow, so there really hasn't been much content to upload here. I'll put up posts about lolita events as I attend them (so far, I haven't been able to make it to one), but otherwise, most of my content has moved over to the Rouge Aerie for the time being.

For now, enjoy this photo I took at the Taronga Zoo on Thursday!

Two Week (Plus Some?) Hiatus

As of tomorrow, I'm going into the End Game of moving. It will be two weeks of packing, cleaning, repacking, cleaning, storing, stowing and moving with people coming to and from the airport on a regular basis.

It'll probably be at least two weeks before I get back into a regular blogging schedule (and possibly longer). I'll still be reading and commenting on other blogs, though. I just won't have much time to put together posts for a bit (which, considering my camera has croaked, is unsurprising anyway).

See you in October!

30 Day Lolita Challenge: Day Thirty

The last, ultimate, final day of the meme I started. One Day Late.

I got through it and only flubbed twice. It's kind of remarkable, really. I figured I'd probably give up at some point or another.

Last night, I was too fucking exhausted to actually finish the post.

Day 30: A photo of yourself taken today and 3 good things that’s happened over the last 30 days.

Hi, readers. Real bedhead, not so cute. Plus the "tattoo" on my palm.
God, I'm still tired.

And here you have me, the morning after an exhausting day at work. I slept nearly ten hours, but I still have bags under my eyes from exhaustion. Why? I'll tell you why.

I've worked the last seven days, for at least six hours per day, up to ten hours (several times). Sadly, I still have at least two (possibly six) more in a row to finish. Suffice to say, I don't look so fresh or pretty right now. I've yet to shower, eat, or start my toilette for the day and it's nearly eleven AM.

I'm. Fucking. Bushed.

Now for my three good things:

1. Gave notice at my horrendous job, paving the way for me to leave the country.
2. Sewed a really cute pair of bloomers for a pirate outfit to wear to see Alestorm.
3. Found out from my boyfriend that my favorite brand of yogurt is available in Australia under a different name.

30 Day Lolita Challenge: Day Twenty-eight and Twenty-nine

Apparently, my scheduling for this yesterday's post failed (thank you, stressful job situation). Now, you'll get two days in one.

Day 28: A picture of the perfect lolita location.
Day 29: A picture of a lolita you would love to meet for real.


So first, we have Day 28:

View more photos on the New York Times.

I would love to have a cute cottage escape, where I could go to sew or read by myself. This remade hunting cabin is absolutely precious and perfectly decorated inside.

Next, we have Day 29:

This photo is more representative than literal, as I'm not sure the girls in question would appreciate my stalking them and posting their photos without permission.

I'm moving soon to Sydney in less than twenty days (ohmygodohmygod) and I'm naturally looking forward to meeting the lolitas there!

30 Day Lolita Challenge: Day Twenty-six

Too tired for witless banter. Blaaaargh.

Day 26: Your Facebook profile picture.

Since I've already used my Facebook profile picture in one of the photo of the day posts, I'll post my last one from before the present one.

30 Day Lolita Challenge: Day Twenty-five

This is the point where I start chugging "I think I can", I believe. 

Day 25: Your favorite lolita themed artwork.

I don't have a particular, single favorite I'm afraid. So, instead, enjoy a few images from artists that always inspire me.

by sakizo

30 Day Lolita Challenge: Day Twenty-four

So close! I'm almost there! Can I make it?! Are you still with me? Or do you skip these posts in your reader by default now?

Day 24: A picture of you from a meet.

Sources of Inspiration: Blogging

On a daily basis, I read quite a few blogs. Quite a few are lolita blogs. Some of these are personal blogs run by people I encountered one way or another on the internet. Others are professional blogs, pertaining to graphic design job markets and ways to market yourself. Yet more are creative outlets for artists I admire.

Here are three blogs that I read on a nearly daily basis and the reasons I read them:

Doodle Everyday
http://ilovedoodle.tumblr.com/
This is a blog all about getting that creative gush out and onto the paper as fast and as often as you can. Every day, Lim Heng Swee posts a drawing, print or doodle to the blog. That sort of dedication to regular, continued creative output is rather impressive (especially considering how often I know I run into an artblock, myself).

Visual News
http://www.visualnews.com/
This blog presents articles about up and coming artists, new exhibits and interesting techniques or movements. It covers pretty much every kind of art you could imagine, from graphic design to infographics to exhibits through experimental techniques and art theory. If it's visual, it fits and it's likely to show up sooner or later.

Flickr Blog
http://blog.flickr.net/
Just what it sounds like, the flickr blog is a blog consisting of photos posted on flickr by its users. Sometimes they highlight a particular photographer, but more often they choose photos that pertain to a particular theme or subject matter.

30 Day Lolita Challenge: Day Twenty-three

I'm not going to type all that much today. Since you get to see:

Day 23: A picture of your handwriting.

Enjoy!

Click to enlarge (somewhat)

30 Day Lolita Challenge: Day Twenty-two

We're drawing in on the end of things. Ohme, ohmy.

Can I make it?! Or will I falter before I reach the finish-line?!

Day 22: A picture of your room.



Oh.


Shit. Uhm.

Well. I'm in the middle of moving, so I think that you'll just have to make do with this (awful, fisheye) photo of my living room, complete with knitting mother. I'm in the middle of moving and all, so things are a huge mess with clothes everywhere, boxes stacked on boxes, piles of paper everywhere and a lot of random shit.

I promise to make up for this before I leave the country. Just like I promise to make up for the Day in Your Lolita Life post, too.

Suck the Life Right Outta Ya

One of the first things I did when I started packing for my trip this coming month was buy Space Bags.

What are Space Bags?

Why, these are Space Bags.

Space Bags are these awesome, giant plastic zip-lock bags. You fill them up with clothing, zip them shut with the industrial-grade zip-device, then vacuum the air out of them.