Overdue Haul Post

I want to post about my last month's haul.

It was after I started digitizing my wardrobe (aka saving images of my items off of Lolibrary) that I realized that I wanted to make a change. I mentioned this already in my Ponders and Pictures post a few weeks ago. I realized I want to move my wardrobe more towards classic sweet lolita. People disagree about what is and isn't a substyle often. I am not claiming this to be a substyle, but for me it is a style/aesthetic that I want to achieve. Maybe I will write more about what classic-sweet lolita means to me later on, but there are already some blog posts describing this.

On to da haul~

From left to right: Charlotte Ribbon Straw Hat (BTSSB), Pintuck Blouse (IW), Lotta Necklace (IW), Musicians of the Forest skirt (IW), Bambi Underbust JSK (IW), Delft Lotta JSK long version (IW), Delft Lotta head bow (IW), Wonder Memories OP (AP), Wonder Memories head bow (AP), Wonder Memories tights (AP)

This is kind of a massive haul... XD  Since moving I have a bigger closet but I've also begun to sell off some things! Hooray!

Charlotte Ribbon Straw Hat by Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

Another straw hat to add to my somewhat growing collection. I adore this hat. The ribbons are so long. The words whimsical, classic and romantic describe this hat. I must find a way to make this hat fit me better, it is too large and would easily fall off. I think I will get some sort of foam and line the inner rim with it.

Musicians of the Forest by Innocent World

I've also heard this print referred to as Band of Forest Animals. This skirt seems really old but it was released in 2009. It is very tight (I struggled to get it onto my dressform) and in addition, does not have much room for a petticoat. Funfact: there is currently no entry for this skirt on Lolibrary!

Look at how cute these illustrations are! I really love the art on this skirt.

Animals featured on the print include a bear conducting the musicians, a squirrel playing the violin, a rabbit playing piano and what I think is a raccoon playing the drums. There are also birds and butterflies.  

The cut itself, in addition to not fitting much underneath is kind of strange. That's another thing I like about it though. It's different from a regular skirt by having this odd overskirt with scalloped edges. Also the bow is detachable. Online, there are pictures of it on an angle on the side of the skirt (as shown in my photo) and pictures of it on the back of the skirt where the scallops of the overskirt meet. Both look like good options.

The cute animals and bows in addition to the scalloped overskirt lend a sweetness to this skirt. The muted colours and simplicity lend a classic vibe.

I am kicking myself because I saw the matching headbow for sale and I slept on it and missed out. 

Lotta Necklace by Innocent World

Ahh another thing I slept on! I feel really lucky to have found it again for sale. Actually, this was originally a phone strap that was turned into a necklace. The person I bought it from had wanted the necklace, but it was sold out. Super cool that they were able to turn it into a necklace! As far as I can tell, it looks nearly identical to the necklace. 

Pintuck Blouse by Innocent World

I own the Victorian Maiden Beth blouse in the pink colourway and I liked having it so much in my wardrobe that I wanted to find something similar but suited to the summer weather. I found this Innocent World blouse which I am pretty sure is their pintuck blouse. Unfortunately, it is more of a faded pink than my other blouse. I still have yet to try to coordinate it with anything so we shall see how it works. The blouse itself is really nice. Here are some detail shots

From these details, all this crocheted lace, it looks like this blouse could be suited to an old school sweet lolita style. However, the very muted colour makes it appropriate for classic.

Bambi Underbust JSK by Innocent World

I've seen this underbust JSK popping up everywhere lately and usually for less than 10,000 yen. What gives? You could argue that this dress is inferior to the regular JSK however, having a piece like the underbust JSK adds some variety to one's wardrobe. The border print of this dress features the forest critters with MUSHROOMS. I want to find a nice brooch to go along with this dress to bring out the red and green from the print to the top half of the dress. As for why I chose this colourway, I am trying to bring out the beige of my Forest Harvest Festival JSK in my wardrobe. 

Some shades of beige.

I also want to comment on the material of this dress. It is definitely different than any others that I own. 

It has this weird diamond texture?

Delft Lotta by Innocent World

The dress is absolutely gorgeous as I mentioned in my previous post Restoring a Coaster + Delft Lotta. I also obtained the matching head bow. It was one of those situations where I thought "there's no way I will find this, but let me look for it anyway". It took a bit of searching but I was pleasantly surprised! :3 This dress is adorned with forest critters, butterflies and cameos of Lotta. 

Wonder Memories by Angelic Pretty

I had never even heard of Wonder Memories before I saw a listing for it on LaceMarket. The pink and blue card suit on the collar, the detachable ribbon at the collar and the shape of the sleeves are all features I love about this dress. The print itself reminds me of the unicorn tapestries, this is what really won me over. Wonder Memories might stand out from the rest of the order. The watermelon pink colour of this dress combined with this cameo motif and gold accents tones down the sweetness of this dress. It becomes more subtle. I purchased the set which came with matching head bow and tights. A weird thing with this dress is that all the lace on this dress is different.

Here are the matching head bows to Delft Lotta and Wonder Memories. They are the perfect size for my head. ^^

Okay, that's the end of this. It was way too long. I shant want to create such a long post again! :<

Kansha: Celebrating Japan's Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions: A Cookbook REVIEW

Since cooking is one of my hobbies, I've decided to include some cookbook reviews on my blog. I am especially interested in the cuisines of different cultures. One food culture that I have spent an excessive amount of time learning is Japanese (surprise). I believe I was originally inspired by anime since many of them include scenes of people eating. Another appeal is that it is such a different food culture than the European-based one I am used to. Okay, I am diverging from the topic at hand!

According to the author, Kansha means something along the lines of thankfulness or gratitude.

This book is really for someone that enjoys cooking as a hobby. The recipes are more difficult because there are a significant number of detailed steps. I find that when I cook these recipes, I must refer back to the book often. It is ironic, because I think my palette is really not refined, so if I were to mess up steps (as I have done many times) I am not sure I could even tell the difference.

I have yet to tackle every single recipe in the book, but below are some of my favourite ones I have made so far:

• Skillet-Seared Daikon with Yuzu
• Heaven and Earth Tempura Pancakes
• Gingery Enoki Mushrooms with Carrots
• Crispy and Creamy Kabocha Croquettes
• Peppery Kelp Squares

I've found some recipes are also difficult to follow because the cooking times do not always work out. For example, it might say to cook something for x minutes but then it does not end up cooked enough.

Unfortunately, I'm not spectacular at documenting everything I've made. So I don't have much in they way of pictures.

Winter pancakes from the Heaven and Earth tempura pancakes recipe

Peppery kelp squares, which we refer to as rice friends (as they are mentioned in the book) is a recipe that I have revisited so many times. They are an excellent addition to plain rice and also with yuba. It is not a main recipe, but a garnish.

I have a new Japanese cookbook on its way to me. It is Japanese Cooking: Contemporary & Traditional [Simple, Delicious, and Vegan]! I have been wanting this book since 2012. Now that I'm done university and have more time to dedicate towards cooking, I am excited to add this book to my collection.