Austen and the Abbey (Day One)

Hello dear readers! How are you?

I ahve had a tiring weekend, but I'm recovered now. Tomorrow is my birthday! I'm going for a picnic with my family, I'm really looking forward to it.

Well, I must tell you about Austen and the Abbey! I'll split the posts into two days.

This was the location for the first day, the Royal Pump Rooms in Leamington Spa. Leamington is a very pretty Georgian town and of course the pump rooms are to do with the famous baths there.

As I mentioned before, I wore boystyle on this day!

It was a very hot day so I discarded my waiscoat quite quickly....

I did get one picture with it! On the left is my lovely friend Violette Noir, looking perfect as usual. This picture was taken in the tea room. The tea parties with the guests (Alice Kobayashi, Yuko Ashizawa and Coco) took place here and the staff from Tea Prince were serving.

Lizzie's Tasty Teas were providing delicious tea in these amazing antique tea cups.

One of the guests was Coco from lolita unit Die Milch. She has a very friendly, sunny personality and I had a lot of fun chatting with her. I was sad because I had to be backstage getting ready for the fashion show during her live. However I will definitely go to see her and Jasmine perform when I go back to Japan!

Pretty stained glass window in the tea room.

The other room contained the stalls and the stage. The exhibitors included Rococo Daze,  Baroque, and Another Girl's Treasure. The designers of Japanese brands Atelier Pierrot and Fairy wish were there in person to sell their products!

Me with Alice Kobayashi of Fairy wish! I'm so happy I could meet her. I loved her street snaps and her brand for a long time, and now I know she is even cuter and even kinder than I could have imagined. I hope to meet her again soon! 

Cute accessories by 8th Sin Creations.

Amazing jumperskirt by Lusty'n Wonderland- the bodice looks like a chest of drawers!

Lovely dresses from Rocking Horse.

After chatting with lots of people and checking out the stalls, it was time to get ready for the fashion shows. It was pretty hectic!

I was in two shows- the Mori Girl show and the Fairy wish show. I was supposed to model for Victorian Maiden too but the outfits got stuck in customs.... It was disappointing but what can you do? 

Anyway, I really enjoyed both shows! My friend Shani asked me to fill in for one girl who could no longer model winter mori. I was very happy to oblige, and so Shani decked me out in her clothes and got togther this really cute outfit for me!

I really liked the fuzzy beret and the woolly shawl!

Two of the other mori models. I loved their outfits too!

Next up was the Fairy wish show! Lyci and Chelsea were modelling too- they look so cute! Everyone got really nice outfits and the tights were adorable- I'll show you some close-up photos in the next post.

This was my outfit for Fairy wish- a broiderie anglaise blouse and matching katyusha and a black pleated skirt with a white lace trim, along with the wonderful tights! I didn't want to take it off to be honest, haha. I got to wear it again for the show and photoshoot the following day though!

Although it was rather tiring and stressful with things running late and going wrong, I really did enjoy myself that day. I went alone which was a bit daunting but it was also good because I spent a lot of time talking to different people and getting to know them better, instead of sticking mostly with one friend. I think it was the fellow attendees and the wonderful guests that made it an especially good day for me. Some of what was planned was a bit ambitious considering that there was such a small team of organisers, but I think they all did their very best and worked very hard. I have to say thank you to them and everyone who I met there for making it such a nice and memorable occasion!

I hope you enjoyed this post and please look out for the next one, coming soon.

Sapphira

Triple Fortune Tea Party

Hello dear readers! How are you?

Today I'm sharing my pictures from the Triple Fortune Tea Party last weekend. It was an amazing experience, and I'm so glad I went. The guests at Triple Fortune's parties always wear the most amazing outfits, and I felt rather nervous because I just knew that I could never come up with anything to match  them. My prediction was quite true, but I had a gorgeous time nonetheless!

I went with Claudia, Tomo and Aviva, who did manage to look every bit as fabulous as the other guests. It's the first time I'd met Claudia, though I'd heard about her from mutual friends. She's lovely, I hope we can meet again someday!

The restaurant where the party was held was very nice, though rather dark. There were all sorts of interesting knick knacks and European decorations. Aviva and I were afraid we wouldn't be fed, but we had some nice little things like bruschetta (or a Japanese version thereof) and cheese and crackers, and tea and coffee and hot drinks. There were desserts but they ran out rather fast.

More pretty things....

After the free time for eating and chatting, the designer gave a talk. She was cool!

You can see lots of lovely hats in this picture! The designer is the black-haired lady speaking into the mic. She was quite androgynous and graceful with a marvellous Takarazuka-like voice! Kakkoi!

Sneaky photo! The talk was mostly about Victorian fashion and the designer's work for Arika Takarano. After the talk, we had a photo session. Midori was there, so we got to take a photo with her! She's so cute and cheerful and her smile is very sweet.

I'm at the back! I was pleased with my hat, which I had decorated with chestnuts and roses, though not the rest of my outfit....

Photo by Aviva

There were a lot of guests, so we went into groups to take photos. I think this was the "queens" group? I think there was an ojousama group, mens group etc.

Look at her flower eye and green wig! And the girl on the right had a tea party on the hip-shelf (I don't know quite how else to call it) of her dress, with tiny tea cups and cakes! 

Another group....

I'm happy I got a picture with this girl, I thought she looked amazing. Her blue dress is gorgeous and her whole outfit suits her perfectly. 

This girl was another of my favourites. I absolutely love her 18th century style outfit, and she made it by herself! You should have seen all the tiny ribbon roses. I think she looks like Marguerite St Just.

I got a photo with Aviva the marvellous musroom maiden too! She had fastened little mushrooms to her Triple Fortune bonnet, and made a necklace with a mushroom in a cage. Everyone got so excited when they saw the mushrooms! It's such a cute and original idea.

There were about six bonnets and a few stoles and opera hats for sale at the party, but the bonnets were being sold by lottery. There was one that caught my eye, dark brownish green with pale blue and green roses and champagne-coloured ribbons and lace that was just about the loveliest bonnet I've seen (they only seem to have pastel coloured 3F ones in Atelier Pierrot when I go, and I don't like to buy online). I had a funny feeling that if I entered, I would win that lottery. 

And I did! I suppose a Triple Fortune bonnet is one of the most hankered-after items for classical girls, and I'm no exception. I'm glad I held out for this one, it's just as perfect as can be! 

I love my bonnet!

Everyone who came to the tea party got a tote bag with a gold Triple Fortune logo, and my bonnet came in one with a navy logo.

I had a fantastic time, and I hope I can go to another Triple Fortune party someday! Next time I'll use all the wonderful inspiration I got from the marvellous guests I saw, and try my best to make a really great outfit. Improving and developing your style is one of the most fun things about wearing lolita!

I hope you enjoyed the photos. Who's outfit did you like?

A lovely weekend in Tokyo

Hello dear readers!

Can you believe it's been over three months that I've been living in Tokyo? Time has passed so quickly.  I've already done a lot of things that I've dreamed of for a long time, and last weekend many more dreams came true!

As you know, I live in Koenji, a very nice area full of all sorts of second-hand clothes shops and interesting cafes. My friend Aviva had been wanting to check it out for some time, so on Saturday she came to visit. We both wore retro outfits! I wore my Pink House onepiece.

We found a couple of suprise Lolita pieces, an ancient black velvet Baby onepiece with ladder lace and hardly any poof, and very cute eau de nil pumpkin pants from Metamorphose. I really wanted the pumpkin pants actually, it's been ages since I wore trousers or shorts and I miss them a bit. The colour was very pretty too. I was tempted by the Baby dress too, it was so cheap and so old. We said we might keep it for a Lolita museum!

I really enjoyed shopping with Aviva, she's open-minded to many different styles and has a great sense of taste in all of them. We went to a huge number of shops, and saw so many Gunne Sax dresses! About 90% of the world's Gunne Sax dresses must reside in Japan now. No wonder they were so hard to find in England....

It was pretty tiring, so we had a rest in Hattifnatt cafe, which I blogged about before. I got more sugar cubes! After that, we decided to go to the lolita boutique Seraphim, as it's on the same train line as Koenji. 

I have loved Seraphim for a long time! It's not one of those brands one hears a great deal about in the English-speaking community, but it really is lovely. Since I picked up the flyer in Sumire no Tenmado I was determined to go to the physical shop.

It's located in Kunitachi, and carries not only Seraphim but also various indies brands. I'm afraid it was dreadfully hard to find because though it's not far from the station it is tucked away down a little alley in between some houses.

When we did find it though, it was very charming. There is a little garden to walk through first, with a sign for Seraphim hanging on the gate. Inside it's very small but very pretty, with lots of lace draperies and the items displayed in off-white, antique style cabinets and tables. There are a couple of racks of clothes, mostly Seraphim. There are also some household goods (clocks etc) notebooks, and of course lots of corsages, brooches and other accessories. The shop staff kindly brought us tea while we browsed. There were such lovely things, the handmade accessories were particularly pretty. This tiny, delicate bracelet caught my eye:

I'm very fond of fine, dainty jewellery, and the little chain finished with a pearl where the clasp is is so charming! I think the brand is Bell de Poupee, but I'm not 100% sure.... It was with other Bell de Poupee items! I got a Seraphim members card, which I was very happy about. I love point cards and this one is so pretty, isn't it?

Of course it's a bit dangerous, because once you get one you can't help but feel like you need to fill it....

Please check Seraphim's homepage from here:

http://www.k-seraphim.com

*****

Sunday was the day of the Marui One KERA snap! You've probably seen these in KERA. I've always wanted to participate, and finally I did. This was my outfit:

My theme was "茶色ずきんちゃん" (Little Brown Riding Hood)

I'll tell you a little about the snap process, in case you'd like to participate someday!

It's held monthly at Marui One in Shinjuku, usually the on first Sunday of the month. The date of each snap will be announced in KERA, and you can check it on the blog too. On the day, get there a bit earlier than the snap start time so you can start lining up. It takes place on the 7th floor, by the stairwell next to the Girl's Room event space (behind Angelic Pretty and Metamorphose). 

When you line up, you'll be given a form to fill in with a number on the back. The form is all in Japanese, so be prepared. Of course they ask your name, where you're from, what you are wearing etc and on this occasion they asked what my plans are for Christmas (so I guess the photos from this will be published in the December edition). When it's your turn to have your photo taken, first they'll take a picture of you holding your form with your number on. Then hand the form to the staff, and they'll take a few snaps. After that, you'll be given a slip of paper so you can pick up your photo sometime from the top floor of Marui. Then, you're finished! All that remains is to see if your photo is picked to be published or not. I'm not especially hopeful, but I enjoyed taking part. I hope I can go to the November one!

After the snap I went to Harajuku to meet with a couple of friends and go to La Couronne du Fleur, a lolita indies market. It was a bit tricky to find, in the quiet part of Harajuku, but like Seraphim it was well worth the effort.

I'll list the brands that participated, in case you'd like to look them up. I always find it interesting to look at indies brands. 

・金田アツ子 　・ひかり
・Ange 　・dolce piu amabile
・Royal coffin 　・Jeune fille
・Bell de Poupee 　・Sacherie
・Loulou 　・K plusoi
・Radiostar 　・Bisque doll
・香莉 みあき　・かわい金魚
・lilga 　・Traumerei
・CHIRUBARA 　・NEW ATLANTIS
・孔雀洞雑貨舗 　・SERAPHIM
・遊星商會 　・水中標本
・トリッチ・トラッチ 　・鈴木亜章
・スパン社 　・Hug me,kiss me!!
・RE: 　・Nastro Rosso*
・あっちょんぷりけ 　・sha*lan*ra
・poppemonica

I was really happy to see Sachi of Kokusyoku Sumire there! She looked lovely and perfect and beautiful as always. She was selling the pretty handmade hats from her brand Sacherie. I loved the ones with cat faces! You can see them at her blog entry here. 

I wish so much that my Japanese was better so that I could have talked to her more, and also to the other girls there. They were all so nice! I will keep studying and practising, and maybe I'll get to talk to her again when I go to Sumire no Tenmado in November. I hope so!

Among the lovely things for sale, I found this big gorgeous ribbon! The design is very simple, just two shades of bordeaux velvet combined in stripes, but I find it so pleasing. I think you'll see me wearing it a lot over the next few months, now that the cooler weather has truly arrived!

The brand is Ange:

http://www5.ocn.ne.jp/~xxangexx/

Of course, we finished the day with tea and sweets and purikura!

So with the vintage shops, cafes, lolita boutique and indies market, meeting Sachi again, going to the KERA snap and enjoying time with friends, it was a wonderful, wonderful weekend. I hope you enjoyed reading about it!

See you next time,

Sapphira

xxxx

Casual Spring Coordinate

Hello readers! How are you? I hope that everyone is well and happy!

Today I'm going to show you the outfit I used to enter the Yuka Obara x Kawaii.i coordinate contest. I mentioned it before but I didn't post the outfit.

Yuka Obara, known as Yunkoro, is a super-popular gal blogger. Well, obviously I'm a lolita, but I do admire some aspects of gal style. Yunkoro is stylish and clever, with great make-up skills and morishame technique (taking self-shots with a phone camera). You can find her blog link at the end of this post!

The theme for the contest was "Spring Coordinate" I wanted to incorporate some pastel colours since that's the spring trend this year. I like it a lot, and I'm thinking of which new pastel items I want to add to my wardrobe.

I also used chiffon fabrics to give a light, airy look to my outfit. Both the headbow and blouse are chiffon. Ankle socks are popular again this season, and I really like them! At the moment I only have cream and white ones; I think transparent ones would be very cute.

~Rundown~

Chiffon scarf (used as headbow)- Vintage

Skirt- Fairy wish

Everything else- Offbrand 

Please check the Kawaii.i page for news on Japanese fashion:

http://www.facebook.com/KawaiiiOfficial

And please take a look at Yunkoro's blog

http://blog.crooz.jp/PARIS118/

Thank you for looking!

Sapphira

xxxx