Deco Lolita fashion!

***~~~~ Deco Lolita~~~***

 Click the picture to check out MintyMix's livejournal post that feature this outfit! X3

Deco Lolita is a new style of lolita that has formed in the last couple of years. It is like a combination of decora and sweet lolita styles, and all around cute! <3 I'm going to give a mild break-down of the style to help those interested in it!

Styles taken from decora:
1.  Lots of accessories! Mainly rings, hair clips, hats, and bows
2. Lots of colors!
3. Customization of accessories and other stuff you own!

Styles taken from sweet lolita:
1: Focus on more princess-like things! Stuff like cupcakes, ice cream, and other desserts, stuffed animals, and pearls
2: Pastel colors! Sort of the same palette fairy kei uses 
3: Basic coordination of a lolita outfit! Bell-shaped skirt, petticoats, mary jane shoes, stockings, and a cute hairstyle. X3

This is the cover for an issue of Alice Deco a la mode, a new magazine that focuses on deco lolita

***~~~ Links ~~~***

 Blogs:

http://macaron.mintroses.com/ - The blogger wears lots of different fashions, but still has many entries over deco lolita. Also sometimes includes tutorials and recipes! 

http://porcelainlolita.blogspot.com/ - Her blog is brand new,but has a lot of potential! Focuses on sweet and deco lolita styles!

http://lolita-charm.blogspot.com/ - This girl has TONS of cool info on lots of Japanese fashions mainly dealing with lolita, fairy kei, and general kawaii things!


Craft Tutorials:
Deco Cream Ring

Deco Cupcake Paperweight

http://www.youtube.com/user/kawaiisupply - She has lots of cute deco lolita craft videos! Check them out!

Hair Bow



Example of some cupcake rings:
http://shiawase-chan.deviantart.com/art/Deco-Lolita-Cupcake-Rings-134770554

You can also find lots more tutorials on Youtube and elsewhere by searching for a few basic terms like deco, deco lolita, and kawaii.

Stores:
http://www.jbox.com/category/402 - JBOX's listing for their paper clay products! They have molds, kits, tools, and pre-colored paper clay. I like paper clay because it air drys and you don't have to worry about baking it!
http://www.yukiumi.com/en/#; - A website that has many decoration (AKA deco) items for sale! Just click on the 'deco den' link on the left side. [I've noticed some confusion on Youtube about what 'deco den' stands for. To my knowledge it just means a den where you decorate stuff. XP This also applies to a store or part of a store that sells deco supplies. I'm not really sure why people call their crafts 'deco den'... -_-;;;]
http://www.sweetrococo.com/ - This website lets you design your own custom lolita outfit! They have lots of different fabrics and trimmings to help you create the perfect deco (or any other style) lolita outfit!
http://www.amphigory.com/wigs.html - Can't forget about your wig! XD The deco lolita style is a bit more free with the color of your hair, and I've seen many that use pastel pinks, blues, greens, and purples for their wig color!


FYI!!! Don't confuse deco lolita with hime gal fashion! Hime gal is a type of 'princess' fashion, and does (vaguely) resemble lolita so they are sometimes confused. Hime gal fashion and accessories often look like they have been 'blinged' up, and often have lots of pearls, crystals, diamonds, and other precious gems included in the look. Since the supplies for deco lolita and hime gal crafts are often included in the same store or website, many people just label them all as deco or deco den crafts.

Dress-up Games! X3

I love fashion. I love character creation. So, how can I combine these two into something awesome? The answer is simple: dress-up games~! XD


Now I know that most internet dress-up games are pretty terrible. They have many bugs with them including being totally based on the fashion of a celebrity, have bad artwork, and are hosted on sites that are a pain to navigate!  >.< So, I've saved you all the trouble of trying to hunt down some good games and sites, and uploaded my findings here! Aren't I just peachy? X3

The games are also either hosted on the creator's website or else have a link back to it. So, be sure to check out more of their artwork and games! XD

Click on the screen-caps to go directly to that game!

Manga Cover Maker by Rinmaru Games

   This game doesn't have an extremely large amount of customization, but I really like it none the less! X3 Rinmaru games also has TONS of games on their site! All of them are done by Rinmaru or Pichichama so you can expect good quality from them all!

Mega Decora Dress-up by Rinmaru Games

This game has soooo many options and accessories~! I love it! XD Perfect for creating a cute, extremely layered decora girl!

Vampires by Leaves in the Wind

Leaves in the Wind's games may not have the most customization out there, but the art is so beautiful. If you like this game, you should really check out the other ones!

Masa Dress-up by Gasara

I LOVE the clothes in this game! I want all of them! Mwahaha! >XD This game has quite a bit of customization and layering (which I really like!).

Hime  Gal MEGA Dress-up by Koruldia

While I'm not a huge fan of Hime Gal fashion, I still think this game is very adorable and fun! I also like the fact that you can put different patterns onto the clothes!


 If you want some other cool dress-up games, I highly recommend looking through DeviantArt. Try searching for 'dress up' or 'maker' because some artists list their games differently. Good luck!


Next time I'll upload some cool animal makers/dress-up games!

My Recent Readings

So, I love to read.

I especially love to read about things that deal with pop-culture, fashion, aliens, vampires, Japan, really bad B-movies (horror mainly), unicorns, cats, being a girl, being a rockstar, being GBLTQ, feminism, video games, bishounen, bishoujo, being a teenager, science, the unexplained, and, well, you get the picture. XD

So, here's a list of things that I have been reading lately~! XD

 

Everybody Hurts: An Essential Guide to Emo Culture: I just read this book over Fall Break, and I totally LOVE it! XD If you've ever wandered what emo is all about, it's history, what it's followers are like, or are just a scenster like myself, you will be pleasantly surprised by this book! It has lots of quirky facts and info on emo culture as well as nifty illustrations to help drive home some of the finer points. Plus some of the comments on Amazon about he book are epic. 

 

Japanese Schoolgirl Inferno: Tokyo Teen Fashion Subculture Handbook: If you ever wanted to know the difference between a Ko-gal and a Ganguro girl or what style influenced Decora and Lolita, you really need to check out this book. It's fully-illustrated and contains lots of photos! Styles are listed in chronological order, and a 'style map' really helps you figure out how the fashions relate to each other! XD

Debbie Harry Sings in French: A really cool book about a goth boy's journey into the world of New Wave and drag queens, but, yeah know, in more words. XD I really liked how this book dealt with it's subjects while still keeping it's teen audience in mind. If you like books about music, first crushes, wearing what you want to, and trying to deal with small town life, this book is for you.

The Big Rewind: A Memoir Brought to You by Pop Culture: So, this is a pretty hefty tome that rambles a whole lot, but it is still an amazing read. This book has so many cool insights (IE: cynical thoughts of an aging nerd) about life and pop-culture (IE: really insane and sometimes disturbing things that this man lived through). XD Has some of the best one liners I have ever read in a book! XD


Well, those are all that I can think of right now! XD Have fun~! X3

Cool blogs and other sites!

So, I've had a ton of people ask me where I find all of my cool/cute/scary things around the interwebs.


Usually, I first send them to my Delicious bookmarks account: http://www.delicious.com/YokaiAkito
Delicious is a pretty awesome account that allows me to bookmark any cool sites I find in Firefox (using the down-loadable add-on), and simultaneously upload them to my public account! I can also add a description for the site, and tag each site to make it easier to search for!

I also recommend just going through the 'links' section of any of the blogs you follow to find ones of similar tastes. Here's a few I like! XD

- My number one cute stuff blog! Features videos, tutorials, artwork, fashion tips, and lots of other cool stuff! XD

- Another cute stuff blog! I really like this one as well because it has lots of stuff about female issues as well as cute things!

 - http://www.madatoms.com/ - Mad Atoms is frikkin hilarious! It has lots of snarky charts about current politics and pop-culture as well as actual articles.

- Cracked is filled with so much awesome. I have literally spent several hours being lots in the amazing-ness of their "Recommended for Your Pleasure' link system.

 - http://www.marcandangel.com/ - This is a blog mainly dedicated to getting you to think deeply about different things. They also have helpful tips and tricks about life in general! (as well as a few about more specific things like the internets!)

 - http://www.lacarmina.com/ - La Carmina is so AWESOME! XD Her blog contains so much information about alternative Japanese and American culture that it's a bit overwhelming! She has also written three books and regularly is a writer for CNNgo's website! So, make sure to check her out!

 - http://www.the-clitoris.com/ - This might seem like a bit much for a blog about awesome stuff, but oh well! XD I personally think this website is one of the best female sexuality resources out there. It has seriously helped me out waaaaaaay more than my Freshaman year Personal Health class did... -_-;;;  Not only does it provide lots of info about vaginas and sex in general, it also provides many links to websites about birth control, breast health, puberty, and organizations that for women's health!




Well, these are just some general websites that I love a lot! I hope they help you guys out~! XD

Genderbend-ed and male version songs

I recently noticed a trend in the videos I keep adding to my fav list on Youtube. I have quite a few 'genderbend-ed' songs (IE: Where people have modified the original song itself using a program like Audacity) and male versions of songs (IE: Where a male singer covers a song originally done by a female.).

So, here's a few of my favs! XD

Don't say lazy - K-On! Ending:

My favorite K-On! edit of them all! This song sounds SO AWESOME! XD

Sakura Rock - Hitman Reborn Ending:

I really like this one because it sounds authentic! This could totally could have been sang by an Oshare-kei band! XD

I Kissed a Boy - Cobra Starship:

The lead singer changed up most of the lyrics to this song, but I still like it. Though, now it sounds really mean and aggressive ....


You Outta Know - The Killing Moon:

MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE MALE COVER EVER!!!! XD XD XD
Not a single lyric to this song was changed, and it sounds like the lead boy's boyfriend left him for another woman. Which is like a double kick to the crotch! XP

 Hope you guys enjoyed those songs~! XD

Prepping for NANOWRIMO~!

Okay, so truthfully, I am not actually participating in NANOWRIMO this year...or probably any year for that matter. While I do enjoy reading, my talents are more used to fan-fiction, really angsty poetry, and short stories that would be right at home in a Japanese Light-novel.

....but for all of you awesome people that are going to participate in it (or just enjoy writing), here are some cool links to help you out~! XD

http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/
The Young Writer's Program part of NANOWRIMO. I really like the "Dare Machine" it has on the front page.

http://creativewritingprompts.com/
Very cool website that has over 500 prompts! It also has lots of links to other writing websites.

http://writesparks.com/
Nifty writing program that has several generators and prompts already installed on it. You can download the 'lite' version for free, and it never expires! XD

http://languageisavirus.com/
I really LOVE this website! It has lots of articles on how to get through writer's block and get your stuff published, prompts, generators, word-based games, a forum, and even cool links to help distract you for a bit!

http://www.seventhsanctum.com/
BEST WEBSITE EVER! No joke, kids. Trust me on this one. XP Website completely dedicated to generators; from normal ones such as names and quick story ideas to Sentai team names and a 'Bishotron!' XD

Hope this helps you guys out a bit! And good luck writing~! ^_^// \\^_^

Fairy-kei Time~! X3

I am totally in LOVE with Fairy-kei! X3

It's kind of like Decora, but favors lighter, pastel colors than neons. There is also more of a retro feel with Fairy-kei with lots of inspiration taken from 80s cartoons and dolls.


Miobabylove's Youtube channel [where the above picture was taken:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY3l65JLpqQ

La Carmina's article about SPANK!'s fashion parties:
http://www.lacarmina.com/blog/2010/02/spank-fairy-kei-fashion-parties-cool-1980s-used-clothing-handmade-clothing-boutique-in-tokyo-bright-colored-hair-japanese-girls/

Totally clueless about cute girl toys and cartoons from the 80s?
Check out this database!

Ah! Addiction! Noes~!

http://www.rinmarugames.com/index.php





I am totally addicted to this game~! XD I've made so many dolls from this it isn't even funny. I love Rinmaru's style! X3 oh! And she also has a DeviantArt account! Go loves her! XD

Whoo!

Yay! New update! XD


1. Buy something from Etsy
5. Buy that awesome dress I always see in the bridal store

I finished these two goals in one fell swoop! XD
While I didn't exactly buy the dress I saw in the window at the bridal store,I found an even cooler one on Etsy! XD This is the shop that I bought it from.

http://www.etsy.com/people/Ritzyknits


60. Plant a sunflower

I bought a sunflower and planter at Hastings this weekend! I just hope it doesn't die...


62. Write a journal entry at least every 10 days

Whoo! Finally bought a new journal! XD Took me long enough! I just got a generic one form Wal-mart, but I stuck a ton of stuff on the covers and on the inside. So, it at least looks like it should belong to me now.


65. Keep "Hello, Cruel World" in circulation amongst my friends

I put this one as something I've completed, but I just now have given it to my first friend. Hopefully it will keep being passed around though!



Well, that's all for now! XD

Okay, so I kinda fell off the bandwagon as far as posting on here goes....

While I've been dead,

• my laptop mysteriously wouldn't turn on [which took the guy at Computer Frog's like 5 minutes to figure out the problem... -_-;;;]
• I was attacked by an ice/snow storm and was stuck at Steven's parents house for 4 days [without the internet!!!! T_T]
• I bought DJ Hero! [Best game ever!!! XD]
• Used DJ Hero to ward off insanity while I was without the internet
• Became painfully addicted to the game app "Bite Me" on Facebook [I'm a generic goth kid...what can I say! XP]

Now, on to my achievements!

7. Subscribe to a magazine

I went to Gamestop and signed up for their rewards program and I got a subscription to Game Informer! XD It's pretty much my favorite gaming mag, but no stores around here sell it...

13. Buy 1 new CD each month

I got the Arctic Monkey's CD "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not"! I first heard their single "I bet that you look good on the dance floor" a few years ago, but I never thought to buy their album. Then, I downloaded the CD on the school-related music program Ruckus. I really liked it, but soon forgot about the CD in the hubbub of daily life. When I was at Hastings this last weekend, I was randomly reminded of it, and snatched it up.

www.arcticmonkeys.com/

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_Monkeys

15. Buy a GameCube

Well, I didn't so much 'buy' a GameCube as I just took the old one from my parents home. XP Now, I just gotta find my memory cards...

34. Watch 26 movies I’ve never seen starting with each letter of the Alphabet

First up is "Penelope"! Ah! I love that movie! XD Everyone should watch it! It's amazing and cute and funny and wonderful! XD It's Cristina Ricci with a pig nose! XD

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penelope_(2008_film)

www.imdb.com/title/tt0472160/

Next is "The Brothers Bloom"! Another great almost-comedy about a piar of con-aretists brothers who travel the world well...conning people! XP

www.imdb.com/title/tt0844286/

www.brothersbloom.com/

39. Read 1 book per week

I finally finished my HTML + XHTML & CSS book! XD Now, I've almost got my website back up and running! XD

I also finished the book adaptation of "The Labyrinth"! XD Awesome book! Go read it!

50. Decorate journals to give to friends

So far, I've decorated a journal for my friend Zach and Steven's sister Nikki.

Zach's journal was ninja themed, and Nikki's was goth-y girl themed!

52. Leave a cool drawing/photograph in 101 separate library books

Okay, I'll confess....I totally forgot to keep track of all of these...So, I'm just going to have to guesstimate...

71. Eat 101 completely vegan meals

Mwahaha! I finally decided to pack my own lunch to school everyday! And guess what? They're completely vegan! XD

77. Find a job

I started back at the Campus Bookstore, and they said they would keep me on to clean-up and help out from time to time! XD

82. Read 10 books I wouldn't normally read

Well, I finally started on my 1st book I wouldn't normally read... It's called "Icy Sparks" and is about a girl in Tennessee with spasms...yeah, right now it's not too exciting, but I'm hoping it will pick up!

87. Donate all my unwanted books to friends or to the local book store

I did this today actually! XP

88. Buy hooks to hang-up art on the walls

Did this just last week! XD

90. Donate old Converse and buy new ones

Whoo! I finally retired my old pin-stripped Converse for some new plaid ones! XD They're so comfy! XP

92. Get a Christmas tree and decorate it

It was a very tiny Christmas tree, but it still counts! XP

96. Keep an up-to-date planner through next semester

This is going pretty well actually! It really helps!

98. Do my homework the day it's assigned next semester

I'm having a bit more trouble with this, but I'll work harder!