I'm back! With new digs.

Hello darlings!
I'm sorry for the extended leave, but things are finally settling down again it seems. I don't have anything elaborate to post today, but for now, here are some photos of my new place.

I moved into a townhouse with two lolita friends of mine, Kelley and Casie (and Kelly's fiance). I have a nice little basement room and now that I'm settled, it's been pretty cozy. My boyfriend has also been staying with me for the past month :>
For more regular little updates and photos of pretty things, you can follow me on tumblr. I'll finally be doing a detailed wardrobe post soon, so stay tuned!

Apartment of Darkness 2.0

So, I moved last month (I have uncanny timing for moving during the hottest weeks of the year) from the apartment my roommate and I shared, to a studio with just myself and my cats. It's only a couple blocks away (so I can still walk to college) and in a historic townhouse, like my last place. Though, sadly, Emily Post did not live in this building as well. I'm adjusting to the downsize, but so far, I've found it quite cozy. I even have a claw-foot bathtub! I've decorated it in a predictably "lifestyle gothic" way, let me show you...

Ophelia and Byron being kitty bookends.

I don't have room in my closet to hang all my dresses, so I moved my favorite pieces into the corner of the main room.

To better use the space, I divided it with my bookshelves to make a hallway of sorts

I also have a bathroom and a kitchen, obviously, but neither of them are terribly glamorous at the moment. I still need to acquire more wall shelves and such before I can get them properly organized.

I'm in love the with "cloud" of frames going on above my bed, I've actually added more to it since taking these photos. Many of the pictures are actually invites to gallery shows my artwork has been in.

Framed

What's the most popular accessory in lolita? A head-eating bow? A purse? Tea party shoes?
In my opinion, it's this frame from the Swedish home superstore Ikea. It really shows up everywhere; lolitas' homes/bedrooms, brand photoshoots, vendor's booths at conventions, even this month's issue of Gothic Beauty Magazine! It's one of those things, that as soon as you think about it, you start noticing it 10x more.
I actually own two myself. One has been converted to a mirror, the other is filled with pretty black/gold wallpaper. It's really a wonderful, elegant piece of decor. It can be sweet, classic, or gothic. It looks great hung empty, painted different colors, filled with pretty paper or artwork, anything really. And it's price, $29, is not entirely unreasonable either. Just writing this makes me want to go buy another and fill it with pretty silhouettes!

Here it is looking lovely in various colors and arrangements...

My bedroom

Lolify Your Holiday

For most retailers, it seems as though the official start of the holiday season is the day after Halloween. For myself (and I hope most people....), it is the day after Thanksgiving. Let each holiday have it's place without jumping the gun., is my opinion. But now that Thanksgiving has, technically, passed I can begin merry making guilt-free.

If in everyday life you refuse to settle for boring clothing, cellphone cases, laptop skins, nail art, et cetera....why settle for reindeer sweaters once Christmas rolls around? I find everything more enjoyable with a personal touch, and holidays are no exception.
So, your tree is boring? It's easier to have your own tree when living by yourself, but if your parents object, just move it into your bedroom and opt for a smaller plastic pine.
I went to Walmart the other day and picked up a 3.5 ft black pre-lit tree for $18 (there was also white, pink, and green for the same price). If money is tight, go to a thrift store, pick up a pre-owned green one, and have at it with the spray paint. You can make it pink, white, black, purple, any color! I recommend Quik Color for about $.99 cents a can, and please, go outside when you spray.
For lights, I bought purple and orange string lights back at Halloween and saved them. If you don't want the usual gold or multicolor at your local store, get thee to the internet. Just type in the color your want to google shopping and voila! For a topper, it was actually my boyfriend's idea to take one of my many detachable bows and pin it on top.

For ornaments, I bought a 12 pack of purple bulbs at Walmart for $5, they had a whole variety of colors.  I opted for plastic instead of glass because I have cats that like to destroy things.
The etsy store Pocket Full of Posiez is selling adorable ornaments, most of which are of the gothic persuasion but all of them are cute!

Who doesn't want a bat with a candy cane?

Or a pile of cupcakes?

In clothing, if you want to avoid the dreaded holiday sweaters and cheesy socks, try adding wintery fabrics to your wardrobe like velvet and corduroy. Try a beautiful hunter green or burgundy! Fanplusfriend makes this JSK and this JSK, both which I own and can tell you look beautiful in person. The first is the most lovely dark red velvet, much prettier IRL than in their stock photo. If a main piece like a JSK or OP is too much color for your taste, accessories are a perfect way to completely change the feel of a coordinate. Opt for warm jewel tone gloves and detachable bows, or perhaps pin a bit of holly to your collar. Even better, how about a velvet corset? Timeless Trends offers this burgundy corset in overbust and underbust.

A nostalgic accessory I particularly love is the hand muff! A timeless substitute for gloves or mittens, I find they they look elegant and adorable at the same time. Very easy to make on your own, it is essentially a wide tube with a warm liner fabric like fur or fleece (sometimes on both sides, though some people prefer wool as the outer layer). It is important to remember a loop to hang it from your neck or arm when you need your hands free.

For those of you who dislike holiday music, like myself ("Cool Yule" or "Santa, Baby" is more than enough to make me strongly desire to jump out a window),  there are a few alternatives, though not particularly lolita.

Based on my personal taste which leans towards goth rock and its ilk, I mostly listen to The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack (the original and the deluxe album with remakes by popular musicians), the Trans Siberian Orchestra (metal-y covers of classic Christmas music), and Vampires from Hell (dirge-like organ versions of holiday songs, traditional but very gloomy and haunting).

No matter what you celebrate, I hope you all have wonderful holidays! 

Sincerely, 

Jayne, Peter, and Christmas Hello Kitty

Paint It Black

Want to know how to make cheap, darkly elegant decorations for your frilly abode in two easy steps?
1. Go to a thrift store or dig through your storage and find something with potential to be awesome, even if it is a tacky color.
2. Apply black lacquer spray paint.
and Voila!

Here I have an old candelabra. $4 at Goodwill. The middle candle holder was broken, but I fixed it with some glue. Remember, it doesn't matter if the glue doesn't match, it will be all one color eventually! Goodwill is my preferred thrift store, for some reason they always seem to have better stuff. If you live in the middle of nowhere, don't be discouraged, sometimes out of the way places have the best junk! I once spent $50 in an Indiana Goodwill.



So, remember color doesn't count. A lot of items that look cheesy originally turn out very sophisticated once in a flat color. Intricate details and texture look very cool when blackened. If you're artistically inclined, you can "draw" with hot glue to create texture and patterns before applying the spraypaint.
The result:



Other things I've spraypainted:


With the additional help of this easy makeover, an awesome interior is not as difficult or expensive as you might think.
Here's my living room.




Velvet couch- Free, it was curbed near my boyfriend's place.
Black velvet couch- $100 Ikea
Red brocade chsir- Hand-me-down I had reupholstered.
Shelves- $50 Ikea
Ornate frame- $30 Ikea. Inside is wrapping paper.
Coffee table- $30 Salvation army.
Carpet- $20 Ollie's Discount Outlet.
Globe- $4 Goodwill.
Fan- $30 Costco

The other odds and ends you see are from discount stores like TJ Maxx, more thrift stores, and the basements and attics of family members.
I also like to decorate with my own artwork, like the painting behind the couch. Apply spraypaint to cheap but well decorated frames, stick in a picture from a magazine, or one of your own drawings and it's ready to go!