End of 2011

1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
I got my first brand new brand, tried my hand at programming and went to my first convention and music festival! I also started going 'out out'. Oh and started my pony collection ♥

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Didn't make any from what I can remember. For next year I intend to exercise more and try to eat less rubbish, with a view to lose 5lbs or so and lose my jiggly bottom (I want to fit into my purple jeans again!).

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My cousin did, but we aren't close since she started popping out sprogs.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Both of my cats and my Momo-ham.

5. What countries did you visit?
...England. Oh and Wales last month.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
A sense of purpose. I just feel like my life is going nowhere at the moment, and I'm clinging onto things I ought to have let go of a long time ago.

7. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
None spring to mind.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Not failing my Biology module! I thought it was a sure thing, but I scraped a passing grade. I also got my original dream print, Swan Lake!

9. What was your biggest failure?
Oh just about everything else haha.

10. Were you seriously ill during 2011?
Nope. I did have a two-week sore throat though which was pretty darned annoying.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
That's a hard one! Errrr probably Wonder Story.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
*shrug*

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
I'd rather not go into that, thanks.

14. Where did most of your money go?
LOLITAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

15. What did you get excited about?
Hyper Japan, Reading Festival, seeing Frank Turner.

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
Nothing in particular, but I guess that Life Goes On song by Noah and the Whale since everyone kept singing it all the time.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? A bit happier I suppose, I HAVE SOME FRIENDS *boogie*
ii. thinner or fatter? Fatter
iii. richer or poorer? Poorer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Studying. Even though I did tons, but it didn't bloody pay off and all the lazy sods got better grades than me.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Procrastinating.

20. How will you be spending/did you spend Christmas?
Same as usual, roast for lunch with Dad's family and over Nan's in the evening. Came home earlier though this year and didn't get drunk, just had a couple glasses of bucks fizz and a jagerbomb.

21. How many one night stands?
HAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAAH no. I would never have one coz I think it's gross =P And yeah, suffice to say that's not really my area.

22. Did you fall in love in 2011?
A little *shoots self*

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Um not really, but my contempt has grown.

24. What was your favourite TV programme?
Sherlock! Finally get season 2 tomorrow *me gusta*

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Frank Turner.

26. What was the best book you read?
I haven't read anything new that I can think of...Missin' maybe? Yeah I think I got that this year. It's by Novala Takemoto

27. Are you happy with your lot?
No. But I know I should be.

28. What did you want and get?
Clothes.

29. What did you want and NOT get?
Happiness. Respect.

30. What was your favourite film of this year?
Tangled.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I did sod all like every other year. I turned 20.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
To feel like I fit in. I love my friends, but I just feel like I don't belong there, as if I'm annoying them. I know it's just paranoia, but I can't shake it yet.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Swinging between pink frills and casual clothes in teal, although I've moved towards richer colours now.

34. What kept you sane?
Food, probably!

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Frank Turner. He isn't the most handsome, but he has such a cute smile and crinkly eyes and just seems like a genuinely nice bloke.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The whole AV thing. It should have been passed, and only wasn't because the public are too stupid to bother trying to understand it. And whenever the Americans killed people and bragged about it...such poor taste.

37. Who did you miss?
My friends from school. Even though we stopped being friends like 5 years ago =[

38. Who were the best new people you met?
All the lolita-chans! I wouldn't want to list at risk of missing someone out, but you all know who you are. And Loulou, of course.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:
To stand up for myself. I won't be walked over any more because I'm so fucking disgusted at what I've allowed people to do to me without my consent.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
So why are you sat at home?
You're not designed to be alone
You just got used to saying "no"
So get up and get down and get outside
Cos it's a lovely sunny day
But you hide yourself away
You've only got yourself to blame
Get up and get down and get outside

Reading Festival, 2011

(I wrote a lot. Feel free to ignore my writing and just look at the pictures, that's what I often do with blogs!)

I can't believe it's all over!

I'm soooooo glad I went as I was really starting to wuss out before going. Attending a festival for the first time with a bunch of people you don't know is a pretty daunting prospect afterall. But as soon as I arrived, I knew I'd made the right decision!

I arrived on the Wednesday afternoon and found Camp Loner pretty easily. I was half-dead upon arrival as my bags were so ridiculously heavy (had to carry clothes, food, drink, tent, camping chair, sleeping bag, sleeping mat). My tent ended up wonky, but I'm still pretty proud of it! It's the one with the yellow Minnie Mouse on (I added it so I could tell which tent was mine).


I didn't take my camera as the battery is too rubbish, so I just had the camera on the Viewty phone I borrowed from my cousin. It was useless when lights were shining on it so everything came out blurry, so I won't share many band photos. I did have fun which the glitchy panorama function though! And I still managed to add too many photos to this post and ramble too much, sorry!

The weather was very mixed, switching from raining very hard to being warm and sunny. I got so muddy on the first few days and so I was smelly and dirty all weekend!

Had great fun getting to know people and getting a little tipsy on the first two nights, although I spent much of the festival alone as I didn't want to go in the pit and my music taste differed a little. After the music stopped I just went straight to bed despite it being too noisy to sleep...it was just warmer and I had no intention of drinking.

On the Friday, during the second band, my glasses got knocked off. And jumped on. I was lucky to be able to retrieve them as they were instantly smothered in mud. I cleaned them off on the Saturday morning, but they were pretty much unwearable.


And I can't see a damn thing without them. So that kinda put a dampener on the whole weekend as I couldn't see! It was a struggle to even find the toilets, despite the massive signs =[ I could wear them a little when I was at the middle barrier as I couldn't get knocked about too much, so I had to hook the remaining arm in my hair and balance them on my nose, but any sweat or rain and they'd just slide off. Only wore them for a few bands.

On the FRIDAY I saw Architects, The Blackout, New Found Glory, part of Bring Me The Horizon, Rise Against, Deftones, The Offspring, Thirty Seconds To Mars and My Chemical Romance.

The Offspring were SO GOOD! I haven't really listened to them much before but I'll make a point to now.

MCR have definitely improved as a live act since I last saw them (about 6 years ago now, I think), although I didn't enjoy it as much as before. I felt like a fossil really, everyone was singing along and I was just stood there not knowing the words as I haven't heard the new album. Someone behind me said they liked 'old MCR stuff more'...referring to the song 'Teenagers'. Which was off 'Black Parade'. Which is FREAKING NEW. My gen of MCR was '...Bullets...' and 'Three Cheers...'. They played 2 songs off 'Three Cheers...' and nothing off '...Bullets...' D= They were still good though, but yeah I just felt old. It's the band's 10th anniversary this year, and I've been with them for at least 7 of those years which is just kinda scary to me!

On SATURDAY I saw The Joy Formidable, Seasick Steve (missed most of the set, but no great loss as it was pretty boring), Two Door Cinema Club, Madness, Jimmy Eat World, The National, Pulp and The Strokes. I only stayed for The Strokes as I couldn't escape the crowds after Pulp! I wore my glasses for Jimmy Eat World and Pulp as I knew I love both bands.

Jim Adkins still has the same dorky hairstyle he's always had, but the wind blew his fringe to the side for most of the set *me gusta*. They were brilliant as ever (this was my third time seeing them live), and they played a good mix of new and old songs. Still miffed they don't play 'Kill' live as I love that song.


As for Pulp, I swear Jarvis Cocker hasn't aged at all. I have a fondness for the band as the song 'Disco 2000' was on the only 'Now!' album I ever owned...on cassette tape! They put on a really good show too, if you get a chance to see them, do it.


SUNDAY was more hectic as it was the only day I went from stage to stage. I saw We Are The Ocean, Taking Back Sunday (Adam Lazzara is so irritating I wanted to punch him), Frank Turner, Jarred Christmas, Tim Minchin, Panic! At The Disco, Face To Face, Frank Turner and Muse.

So many clashes on this day which was sad, had to miss Flogging Molly for Muse and only caught the last few seconds of Elbow (who are epic live) because I went to see Frank Turner's second set instead.

It was well worth it to see Frank twice though, as his music is my absolute favourite right now and his performance was just incredible! And he's a tad gorgeous *bit of a bonus*. I got so overemotional when he started playing 'I Am Disappeared' as it is my favourite song ever. Both sets were very different experiences, the first being on Main Stage where I was far away and surrounded by thousands of people and the second in the Lock Up tent where I was really close and squished in the pit.




Muse was the reason I went in the first place, and they didn't disappoint (although I couldn't wear my glasses as the woman next to me was too bionic - she elbowed me in the eye ffs - so I couldn't see at all). Hearing Origin Of Symmetry in full was a unique opportunity and 'Space Dementia' is one of my favourite Muse songs so I loved singing along to it! Kinda got second-hand stoned during their set too so I may have danced like a total weirdo ¬_¬ but it was fun! I just have total resentment for everyone who has decent eye sight. I even had a relatively clear view, which is surpising as most people were around a foot taller than me (seriously I have no idea where all these tall people came from or why they usually feel the need to stand in front of me...even with my hands stretched straight up I couldn't reach over people's heads).



See what I mean about the lights messing with the camera? xP

Now for some glitchy panoramic photos! A beautiful rainbow over the Main Stage, and my Camp Loner brethren.





I had a great time, though I was glad to get back to wash and rest and eat and drink tea! I also now have 15 cans I salvaged from the wreck that was the abandoned Camp Loner, although my arms almost fell off carrying them and the rest of my stuff back! I will pack much less next time, and I really hope I can go again. If the line-up is good next year then I'll definitely go again and camp with the loners again.

Hyper Japan, 2011 ~ Day Three

There was a lolita fashion show again on the final day! Only this one was for more classical styles. Couldn't get as good a seat, but the pace was slower so we got longer to admire everyone's outfits. Everyone looked stunning once again!


...and yeah, they made all the lolitas go up again!


Yay no hair-fail today! Well, apart from before leaving when I'd tried to curl my hair, but as you can see by its obstinate straightness I was unsuccessful. I was wearing Baby, The Stars Shine Bright's Circus Tutu with BTSSB headbow and bag, Bodyline blouse, offbrand tights, handmade wristcuffs, Antaina rocking horse shoes and necklace and bracelet by BTSSBxCharmmy Kitty. I didn't get any good photos of my outfit which is a shame. My clunky shoes turned some heads, I even had one woman ask to take a photo of my feet!

We watched a little of the Square Enix cosplay battle (well, we were stood at the back so I couldn't see a damned thing even with my massive platforms). Some of the costumes were really epic! I don't know many Square Enix characters though, so I don't know how accurate they were. After it finished we had to rush to snatch a seat for Kanon Wakeshima's second Charity Live! I had a seat a few rows from the front, so a much better view than before (although people's heads still blocked my flash). She was amazing again! Rob stuck around for it this time and even he had to admit that she was good.



I'd wanted to watch the Kawaii Star of the Year show, but we didn't in the end. We just took a last look around and played video games again. I can't believe I forgot to mention them before! We played Kirby on the Wii, Dragon Ball on PS2 and Xbox and a few other things...so much fun! And for some reason some guy wanted to film me in front of some of the games. I hope that footage never surfaces 8| We then went to the Sake Cocktail Seminar for a sit down as we were so exhausted from the weekend. Even got to try a cocktail (even though apparently I'm not old enough to drink sake...though I don't understand that one at all).

Then it was pretty much over! Headed back to the Lolita Bring & Buy stall to pick up money and unsold items to find that only one my items was left unsold (after I'd lowered prices on everything earlier that day). I sold £280 worth of lolita! I was amazed. Really sad that my Angelic Pretty shoes are gone, but they were too small for me anyway...and all the other things I sold were either too big or just not my style, so I suppose it's all good.

Here are the goodies I picked up on the last day!


The bird clip is by Now Voyager, they had so many awesome items so it was hard to pick one. I thought this one was the most subtle haha. Rob bought me the Chocobo =3 I was also very tempted by the BTSSB stall, but the accessory pack was £45 and only had a tote, some socks, a headbow practically identical to the one I was wearing and a phone charm so I didn't get one. Kinda regret that now though...I've never had any brand new BTSSB before =[


Here's some pretty Pixiv pictures that I wanted to buy...I didn't have any money when the stall was still open for them so I just took a photo. I wish I could do art like that! I really need to start trying again.

Back at the hotel was odd as Kai and Rai had already left. The rest of us stayed up until midnight and then went for a drink as it was Vicki's birthday! The bar played pretty naff music...was expecting better since it was decked out in rock and punk posters. And then much needed sleep!

Hyper Japan, 2011 ~ Day Two

Finally got the photos for this and just back from Reading, so I'll try to get these last few Hyper Japan posts up asap! Also our table photo with Kanon has been added to the Day One post.


On the second day we had another early start! The venue (Olympia 2 in Kensington) opened to the public at 10am, which was also when the Sweet Lolita fashion show was scheduled! We were pretty lucky to know about it as it wasn't on the programme. Plus by turning up that early, we beat the worst of the queues! Loads of people were unable to get in that day, or had to queue for hours because somehow more tickets were sold than the venue could cope with.

The fashion show was great fun! I managed to get a seat right at the front with Vicki, although the show was pretty fast moving so I didn't manage to get photos of all of the models...it was great seeing everyone's coords though.


The group shot!


My outfit for the day! Angelic Pretty's Sugary Carnival JSK, Bodyline blouse, BTSSB headbow and bag, offbrand socks, Antaina shoes, handmade bracelet and wristcuffs (not by me), and necklace by BTSSBxCharmmy Kitty.

At the end of the show all the lolitas in the audience were told to go up on stage! It wasn't very scary though (but my hair was hooked over my headbow and no one pointed it out to me until the afternoon...AFTER all of the photos! *embarrassed*)


Afterwards I met back up with Rob for wanderings. We went to the Maid Café for a drink, but it wasn't a very pleasant experience! It was really uncomfortable being called 'Lord and Lady', plus our maid disappeared after our first drink so we had a cup of tea and coffee for £10 when it was supposed to be unlimited for half an hour.

Had super-delicious yaki-udon for lunch...SO YUMMY! I was a little paranoid about getting grease on my dress. A lady told me I was sitting wrong on the floor too...apparently sitting cross-legged isn't ladylike. I'd figured as much already, but sitting sideways hurts my back so much and doesn't look elegant either! I also bumped into Hayley which was nice, and I got to meet Georgie irl, which was super exciting for me since I've known her online for a while now. She thought we looked like Ichiko and Momoko from Kamikaze Girls when together:


Then it was time to head back to the Main Stage for Kanon Wakeshima's Charity Live! We went quite early but it was already packed. Had to pick a spot on the floor right at the side with a bunch of other lolitas. Thankfully I could just about see! However the heads of the people in front blocked my flash so I had to turn it off, resulting in my photos coming out all fuzzy! Her performance was incredible though - beautiful singing, perfect cello-playing and a cute little act too. She's definitely one of my idols now.



More stall-browsing afterwards. I went back to the Lolita Bring & Buy to buy an Innocent World OP I'd wanted the whole time, but it was gone! Typical that when I managed to get money someone else had bought it D= so jealous of that person! However a jacket I'd had my eye on had been reduced by £5 and had a headbow attached to it, so I bought that instead. There were plenty of cute dresses still there too, but all the bargains had been had already and I didn't want to spend over £50 on one item. I also picked up a Kera magazine, Kanon's CDs and her art book (Flower Sound Orchestra)...and also some yummy candy! I didn't want to spend too much money but couldn't resist getting some Marshmallow Fluff as it sounded delicious!


At 4pm there was a signing with Kanon! Luckily when I bought her merchandise I was put on the list for the signing...they couldn't see everyone I guess as there were so many people. The queue was all the way to the stage but we didn't have to wait too long. It was a shame the BTSSB stall wasn't open that day as it would have been a good opportunity to look closer at the merchandise.

We didn't win anything in the raffle so we made our way back to the hotel. We went out to a Japanese restaurant for tea, but the place was pretty rubbish. They had NOTHING vegetarian on the menu! My meal came with some kind of fish sauce =/ there was nothing on the menu to say that it would but I kinda knew since there were no 'V' signs by anything. My vegetable tempura had obviously been cooked in the same flour, batter and oil as the prawns, but it was either eat it or be very hungry. Had to pinch Rob's soy sauce so my rice wasn't as dry...he'd been dipping fish in there, but it was more vegetarian than actual fish sauce!


So that was my second day. Woah these posts are so long! Only one or two Hyper Japan posts left to go though, and then I won't have any ideas of what to write.

International Lolita Day, 2011

So today was International Lolita Day! It was my first time celebrating it. The weather was good luckily, pretty hot but not too much so, and not too sunny. Rained a little but not much.

Was a pretty stressful day though...was running late in the morning and ended up not having time to sort my hair out (I’d tied it up to get curls but it failed. Add in the wind and a sprinkling of rain and you have me looking like a hot mess). Got to the bus stop just after the bus was due so decided to walk, but turns out the bus was just late. Beat it to the station anyway, but feet were already hurting at this point after a 20min walk (shoes a tad big despite being a size S...I don't even). Then I discovered that loads of the trains had been cancelled and had to wait around for at least half an hour with nowhere to sit...just stood there reading ‘Why does e=mc²?’. Had to stand on the train when it arrived with nothing to hold on to and my petticoat being crushed from all sides...and then a 20min walk to the green. So my feet are not my friends right now! Luckily the ticket I'd bought for Cheltenham was fine for my journey, so I only lost out on £7 in the end.

The picnic was great though! Really nice to meet some more lolitas and everyone looked fabulous. Lots of fun with lolita paparazzi-catching, cupcake eating and chatting about stuff. Most had to skedaddle after a few hours, leaving Hayley, Leah and myself to peruse a few shops and have pots of tea (or hot chocolate in my case). Was sad to have to leave, but I am so tired now!

And now for picture spam! (Mostly stolen from Facebook)

My outfit for the day! Think I overdid the polkadots...but was worth trying =P All Angelic Pretty except the jewellery (Metamorphose and Accessorize), headbow (Baby, The Stars Shine Bright), wristcuffs (handmade, not by me) and tights (Asiajam).

Detail shot! Tried to match my nails with the print on my dress =]

Group shot! Antonia, me, Leah, Katherine, Hayley and Amy.

Obligatory shoe shot!

Obligatory dress shot too, woop.

The food!...Looks like I talk with my hands like my mum does O_o

OMNOMNOM!

Sorry for the delay in posting, my laptop charger broke and my laptop ran out in the middle of writing this, tried to finish it on my mum's laptop but my write-up got deleted...so I tried my charger in desperation and now it is working again. What is this. Lucky!