Catch Up Post 4: Lolita Hallows Eve

This has taken me an awful long amount of time to write but I'm very glad it's done. This is a very long post full of my deepest emotions regarding this event. I can safely say that I am very happy with the achievement. Dont feel like reading all the text then have a look at the pictures below.

Preparation:

On the 26th of October my Lolita Halloween event took place. I had been organising this event for the past year and worked really hard to get a schedule together full of fun activities, cool shows, helpful people, awesome gifts and so much more. I was super excited as this was my first ever Halloween Lolita event and I was very curious to know how it would turn out. Luckily everything turned out just fine and we all had a blast.

You may ask yourself why on earth I needed a whole year to organise this event. Well the answer is quite simple. I’m a perfectionist. Everything had to be perfectly worked out into all details, whilst  being realistic with my experience thus far and the budget I was given of course. You cant organise something with nothing. Well maybe some things can but not most things. Not the things I want to do at least. I had to be quite clear to myself that some things I wanted to do this year just weren’t possible. Which wasn’t a bad thing. You guys can still look forward to some really great ideas in the future.

If I go back a few years, to when I first started organising parties, the soul reason I did start doing them was because I wasn’t satisfied with other peoples parties. I always found that they were missing something and that it was all about the booze. I blamed myself for years, at first, for being too shy and boring to fit in at those parties. Until I came to realize that every one of these parties, I was attending, was just the same. Boring. And I don’t easily call something boring. This was a big epiphany moment for me. It frustrated me that people just couldn’t get it right. So I showed them how I would do it and I came to find that all my friends loved my parties because they were so fun. Especially my Halloween Parties. Here in the Netherlands Halloween isn’t such a big deal, which I found a big shame when I came to live here a few years ago. I couldn’t go trick or treating any more which upset me very much. So I started having Halloween parties instead and hoped to bring Halloween to the Netherlands, in my own kind of way. Luckily my friends were very enthusiastic and every year my parties returned. They especially loved that fact how I captured detail in my themes. For instance in decoration or in the food.
Because I love Lolita fashion too I thought it would be a great idea to combine both. Luckily there were no such events in the local Lolita community yet, so I squeezed my event into the October month and hoped for the best.

The first thing that I needed to do, and which was the longest and hardest to do, was to find a good location. I needed to keep a few things in mind. Like; was the location central enough for everyone? Was it easy to find? Was the location the right size? Did they have the right facilities etc.
Because the budget wasn’t that big made it especially hard. Everything nowadays is so expensive. I looked for possibilities in free rent but was always stood up by their rules. For instance that you had to have a minimum turnover in drinks and food of at least a 1000 Euro. That was impossible. I knew damn right that no one would eat or drink that much. I came across many of those crazy suggestions from locations.
Luckily, with a tip from a friend, I found a little place that was just right. It wasn’t my favourite location but it fit the job for a first time event. Its better starting out small so you can gradually and surely grow.

Once the location was found I could concentrate on building up a programme and time schedule. I thought of a lot of fun acts. Some of which were eventually chosen and some I have saved for later.
The acts that I decided on were singing, dance, theatre, music, fashion show, panel, sales and contest.
Now that the programme was done I needed to somehow find the right people to help me with this. Of course I thought of Jessica and Natascha straight away. We used to be class mates from theatre school and I knew for sure that they could help me out. Artistic minds always do think a like. They became my crew later on at the event. I also asked Rosalynn if she wanted to sing at my event because she had the voice of an angel. Rosalynn agreed even though the song I chose was a bit challenging in her mind. But I knew she could do it. I chose a song from the Phantom of the Opera. Who doesn’t love that film? It was perfect for Halloween and it still somehow had that elegance that fit well to Lolita. So once Rosalynn was found I still needed a male singer. Luckily, during summer, I found the right guy. Together we all met up once in a while to practice.

Once that was sorted I needed to look for dancers for my intro act. I can tell you that this was one hell of a task. Dancers are expensive. Fact! Even the amateur ones asked for a lot of money for the hours they needed to practise and perform. Luckily I knew someone who was a great inspirational dancer. Romario. He performs every year at Halloween Fright Nights in Walibi. We used to go to the same school together too and worked together on a play from the Nightmare before Christmas. He did the choreography and me and the rest danced. I was looking for something new age and experimental and he had it.
Because we couldn’t find more dancers who wanted to help for free we ended up going back to our old school and asked all the dancers there. Keep in mind that we only had 6 weeks left before the event took place. Luckily there were lots of people interested so we had an audition and the best 6 were chosen. I was super happy that everything was finally going well. To my dismay three already called off a week later. I was in tears. But we kept practising with the rest of the group hoping that everything was going to be okay.
Later on two more called off a day before the event. One of them being Romario. I never knew I could spit fire until that moment, but the show had to go on. I was aware that things could go wrong and they always do. That´s part of being an organiser and it keeps you on the edge. Not sure if this will have benefits for me later on in my life though. Luckily everything turned out fine on the day. I was super glad and proud of the dancers and also of Romario for teaching them the moves in such a short amount of time. Respect!

Because I love a bit of edge and creepiness I asked my sister and her friends, who worked at the Amsterdam Dungeon, to help me out with some scare acts. As I recall Walibi has something very similar and I always get creeped out when I’m there. But somehow I always find myself going back for more. I’m pretty weird I guess. I just love the adrenaline it builds up in me. Of course I needed creepy monsters to creep the freak out of my guests. Who wouldn’t want that. Everything freaky, creepy and spooky was on my list for Hallows Eve. This was seen through out the whole event as well as in decoration and food.

Every party needs music. That's a fact. It keeps everyone in a good mood and if you add a metal jazz band you get the same effect only a 100 times better. I was originally looked for something Lolita related but was unsuccessful in finding one close to the Netherlands at the time. I still wanted something edgy and dark though. So my first thought was a metal band. But I knew that not everyone liked this kind of music. So I looked for something in between and there I found the band Fortune Cookie Dough. And also to my pleasure we were practically neighbours, so travel was no issue. Lucky me. The band leader was Lucas and he was very enthusiastic about playing at Hallows Eve and wants to come back next time.

I still wanted another music act. I happened to be chatting to my friend, Natasje, a few months before about the event and she gladly wanted to help me but wasn't sure how. She did tell me that she was in a band before but they had broke up. So I asked if she would like to play her guitar and sing at the event and she gladly agreed. She sent me a audio draft from her song Autumn Leaves and till this day its still stuck in my head. I sometimes find myself humming it or even singing it.

Some of the looks Kimmy created

Like every Lolita event I needed to have a Fashion Show of my own. But not just any old fashion show. I wanted a horror fashion show walked by the living dead and monsters whilst wearing pretty clothes.
Me and my mum started a Lolita fashion line together called Christeline and wanted to promote it on the fashion show. Together we began collecting beautiful materials for the outfits at markets and material shops in Amsterdam, Maastricht and Almere. We had a few designs in mind and went for a cute, classy look. We wanted to make the clothing for mostly bigger sizes because there are a lot of Lolitas out there that don’t fit brand dresses. Of course we also made them in smaller sizes to indicate that these can be made too.
We needed 10 models to model the outfits we made one of which was a kondona outfit for a male.
I scouted for models online and soon found a group of girls and a guy that wanted to help me out. I was really happy. Thank you again everyone for your dedication. You all looked amazing.
But I wasn’t done yet. After haven found all the models I puzzled over the looks of the monsters I wanted to portray. I needed a make-up artist but I didn't know anyone who could help.
Whilst browsing the internet one day I came across a Facebook page from a girl promoting her new make-up business. I was rather curious about her work so I sent her a mail asking if she could help me with these particular looks. Luckily this was her speciality and she was very eager to help. I gladly welcomed Kimmy to the crew. Kimmy needed to know who was modelling and which look was meant for who so that she could make a face chart and buy the right make-up. I was really happy she was helping me out. I chose a few interesting looks among which a werewolf, a vampire, Frankenstein´s Bride, a broken doll and many more. Kimmy really has amazing talent and if any of you are interested in her work do check out her Facebook page here or contact her via a message.

I remember asking Katie, from Fly Away Fashion, if she could help me out in some way too. We agreed that she would give a panel about Lolita fashion. She had done this kind of thing before at conventions and knew what to talk about. Only this time she wanted to make the panel more interactive and added a discussion so that people could share their opinion about the particular subject.

Katie also bought her Fly Away Fashion stall to Hallows Eve so that all the lovely participants could buy lovely items. But not only Fly Away Fashion was present. Daniela from Cute Lou Couture was also promoting her lovely accessories and apparel. I remember Daniela contacting me out the blue asking to have a stall at Hallows Eve. I was over joyed because she was willing to come all the way from Germany to be at the event along with her friends. She was also very popular on the day. I was very happy to have met Daniela. She really is a kind person and very cute. My mother got on very well with her too and enjoyed the fact that they could speak German together. My mother built up her stall, Gothic Elfen Fantasy, too. She mainly specialized in lovely jewellery and accessories that day. She was very excited to be there.
I hoped that by inviting these shops that this would promote them more. This is one of the main goals of my events. To help one another out. Every stall also gave gifts for the lottery and outfit contest so people had a chance to win something unique.
People not only had the chance to win gifts from Cute Lou Couture, Fly Away Fashion and Gothic Elfen Fantasy but also from many a Etsy seller like; Cute and Candy Clouds by Shelby Cloud, StarChild by Saffron, Princess Dreaming, KreepyKawaii, Peacock Alorum, Black Tulip Shop, Kawaii Deluxe and Hysteria Machine.
I remember being very excited once I had received everything in the post. I already knew people would love these. 

The Day!

The day was nearly upon us when I received an unexpected call from the hall I was renting for the event. I had rented two days for the event so that I could decorate everything a day in advance in order to avoid stress. To my horror the hall called off my first day for another, bigger party. I was furious and demanded to keep the day but no such luck. I was in tears once again. Everything I hoped not to go wrong was actually going wrong and I knew the day later would be a stressful day. We would only have three hours to decorate everything, set up all the food, build up all sound equipment and have numerous sound checks with all acts, practise all acts, handle any questions from the people I was renting the hall from and get dressed, which I nearly forgot.
I knew that I would not be renting from the same hall again in the future. It was just too much trouble.
I could have flipped tables, smashed dishes or made an elephant stomp all over these silly hall owners.
Luckily a group of friends offered to come along earlier along with me, my mum and my boyfriend (Stefan) to help with everything. If it wasn’t for them I don’t think I would have had everything set up in time. I thank you all heartedly for your awesome help and friendship.
The day of the event arrived and once we arrived in Amsterdam we stormed the hall in the cellar. I gave instructions to how everything needed to look decoration wise, while Stefan and his friend set up all sound equipment and helped the band set up their instruments.
Luckily the hall wasn't that big and decorating was done in no time. In between setting everything up many volunteers and friends entered who were helping with the event. Kimmy was the first, as she would be making up the models. After haven made a time schedule, prior to the event, the models came in one by one to get ready. All outfits were neatly hung in the back (back stage area) for them to put on later.
Next came the dancers. They were very excited to be performing later that day. To my horror, once again, Romario forgot to send the music file the day before. So no dance if there is no music to dance to. Luckily one of the dancers, Christel, put together a quick mix. I was overjoyed as I hugged her tight. I was so glad she did that. After haven experienced many horrific moments I seriously asked myself if I wasn’t going to have a heart attack from all these last minute surprises. I just shut myself off and concentrated on what was important and what my back up plans were, should something not work out.

The next people to arrive were the actors. I gladly welcomed Dorry, my sister, Anwar and Roxanne. They merely asked for a quiet corner to get ready and informed me that I will be able to enjoy a bloodbath later on. This was a hint to Dorry and Roxanne’s bloody act. They were two brides to be married to the same man. Together out of sorrow and revenge they killed off their future husband and thus appear at Hallows Eve after their killing.
My sisters act was a mad widow/cleaner suffering from schizophrenia or MPD (multiple personality disorder). Its always fun to play a medieval mad person.
Anwar played the character of the demon pumpkin king. He once ruled these lands when he was alive. He was a cruel king that never showed mercy upon any living soul.
I was very excited to see their acts later on and I knew that the guests were in for a surprise.
Bit by bit everything was coming together nicely. Nearly everyone had arrived and we were finishing last minute things. Daniela from Cute Lou arrived nicely on time as she, and her friends, were staying at a hotel across the road. She had already acquainted herself with my mum. She was very surprised that I could speak German too and was glad just in case she didn’t know what to say in English. Katie was a little late to arrive but had everything set up nicely on time. As the events opening time drew nearer I became more and more nervous. I was worried that not everything would be done in time or that everything would go wrong.
Luckily I was reassured by everyone around me. This gave me courage and made me strong throughout the day.

We had another half hour before the opening would take place when the magazine press came to see me. A few months before I was contacted by Gato magazine, Mari and Rei. They had found out about my event via a post on the Kawaii Deluxe website about the event. They were very much interested in a interview and to make a report of the event in their magazine. Next to that they offered me a sponsorship partnership with Gato magazine. I of course accepted. We had a quick little interview while being asked about why I was organising the event. They also stayed and took pictures of everyone.

Soon it was time to start so I ushered everyone, from the acts, behind the curtain to the back stage area to wait until it was their turn to go on stage. All acts were a surprise of course, especially the fashion show.
I made one last minute check and gave the thumbs up to Jessica and Natascha who were my crew. The had been keeping everyone upstairs while we were applying last minute touches to everything.
I then also hid behind the curtain and waited until everyone had taken a seat. Once everyone was down stairs Jessica made the introduction announcement and called on the first act. The dancers.

The music started and before I knew what was happening the dance came to an end and everyone applauded. It was then my turn to go on stage to give my introduction speech. I had one of my many nearly crying moments when I beheld everyone starting up at me. I was just so happy to see that so many people had come to the event. I saw many friends but also many new faces. It really meant the world to me. I welcomed everyone and informed them of the days schedule and what they could expect. I also let them know what that general safety rules were and where to find drinks, food and rest rooms. When I was finished everyone applauded once more. I really couldn’t help but smile very broadly.

Soon after the acts fell into place without many issues. The first act was Katie's panel. I didn’t get to hear much of it as I was very busy back stage helping the models out and being a support to everyone that needed it.
Apparently it took a while before the guests were warmed up but once the first question was asked everyone joined into the discussion. Katie did a great job!
A short break followed after Katie's panel and very soon after the horror fashion show took place. I was most anxious about this act. For me this was one of the highlights of the day, next to the Phantom act by Rosalynn and Daniele. I had planned it out into every detail from outfits, to make-up to the way the model's walked. They were monsters after all.

Jessica gave the announcement and Stefan started the music. I had chosen a very good piece to walk to in my mind. It was a house/industrial mix which sounded creepy all the way through the act. Perfect for the model's. Alexandra was the first to walk. She was a zombie and I heard from people afterwards that her walk was one of the best. She really did look amazing. One by one each model walked up and down the catwalk with me and Rosalynn in the rear. We walked one more time together while everyone applauded. We took out bow and after a dozen photo's the act was complete. I couldn't have been more proud of everyone and I could see from the audience's face's that it was very much enjoyed.
All models who didn’t have another act got redressed and took part of the event for the rest of the day. Rosalynn and Natasje on the other hand got ready for their acts later that day.

In between the acts there were little breaks to give everyone the chance to chat, eat gruesome food, take pictures at the photo booth and be freaked out by one of the actor's. They were very popular. I saw many people taking picture's together with them. I also made sure to ask if they had fun and if they needed anything. Nearing the end of the event they left earlier in order to walk in the zombie apocalypse that evening, which was a great success. All of Amsterdam was in the Halloween spirit that day.
 I didn’t get much time to interact with friends but I did make sure to ask everyone a 100 times if they were having fun or if they needed anything. I wanted to be sure everyone was comfortable and at ease. I also encouraged them to snoop around at the sales stands to see if they found anything nice. To my luck the sales were a great success and Katie, Daniela and my mum will definitely be returning next year among many others.
As every event there was a group picture. How would anybody know that it actually took place if there was no group picture?

It was time for the next act. The other favorite of mine. The Phantom of the Opera. The lights were dimmed down and a soundtrack of Big Ben chimming was heard throughout the whole hall. Slowly, as Big Ben struck to 12, Rosalynn walked onto stage wearing a wonderful black gown with a candle in hand. When the striking of the bell tower ceced Rosalynn began to sing the first part of angel of music. Rosalynn sounded wonderful singing this song and I could see the audience enjoying it too. Not long after a new song begun and Rosalynn sung anew. This song really gave me the chills backstage. Then it was Daniele's turn. He walked from behind the curtain and joined in with the song. When the song came to an end there was a great applause. A very well deserved applause. Rosalynn and Daniele did so well. I really couldn't have been happier.

Later on it was time for the outfit contest and the table with gifts was bought to the front. One by one numbers were chosen from the box. Nearly everyone received a prize. Then it was time for the outfit winners.
I called Daniela and Katie to the front to announce the winners. They and my mum were the judges and made sure to study everyone in order to find three winners. There were three prizes to be won. Everyone pinned their ears and the third prize went to....Jen from Germany! She wore a wonderful Gothic outfit and she was super happy with her prize. She won a lovely plush toy by Princess Dreaming, cute wrist cuff’s and a gift card to spend at Black Tulip Shop. The second prize went to...Eveline! Eveline made her own JSK covered in bats. You could see that she had put a lot of effort into her outfit and she really deserved her prize. She had won a bat scarf by Cute and Candy Clouds, a pair of wrist cuffs and a gift card to spend at Black Tulip Shop. And the first prize went to........ROWAN! The judges had decided that she was the best dressed. She received a fawn flower headpiece by Hysteria Machine. By the look on her face she didn’t expect to win. She was over joyed when she received her prize.
It was a lot of fun to see everyone win a little something and even if you didn't win anything there was a goody bag handed out to everyone at the end of the day. Nobody left empty handed.

It was time for a music act. Stefan helped Natasje set up her amplifier's and microphone while she tuned her guitare. I knew this was going to be a fun act. Things had become less stressful for me so I took a seat in the audience to watch her performance. She sung some really wonderful songs among which Autumn Leaves. I also liked her sweet Lolita song. In the song she mentioned all the cute and sweet things that a sweet Lolita is made out of. She mentioned some very tastey treats. I would love to sing this together with her some day. It would be a lot of fun.
The big finally had arrived and it was time to announce Fortune Cookie Dough. By the looks on their faces you could see that they were ready to rock. And my they did. We had been having a lot of trouble with the hall owners, who were at the bar upstairs, that day so the band played as hard as they could. Unfortunately they could only play three songs which definitely calls for an encore for next year. Their music was awesome and people even got up to dance. It was so cool to see. Sadly their act ended too soon and also the event. As soon as the last person left everything needed to be cleaned up as quickly as possible. Luckily it's easier to clean up than build up.

I remember when I was finally home I couldn't shake the feeling that it was finally over. Everything I had been working so hard for had been successfully executed. I felt very proud of myself and everyone who helped me out. I want to thank everyone who helped make this event possible. Please know that none of this would have been possible if none of you helped. I'm also so thankful that my mum and Stefan supported me so much before the event. I also want to thank all the people that came! I hope you had a blast and hope to see you again next year! I'm sorry if you helped and I haven’t mentioned you but do know that I am grateful for your help nevertheless. Thank you everyone for making Hallow's Eve possible. Thank you for making one of my dreams come true!

Bonus will follow soon. A video of the Horror Fashion Show! Dont miss it!

Catch Up Post 3: Gift giving, A Mad Tea Pary and a cute Lolita Anniversaire!

 I’m sorry for not haven posted earlier as I had planned. I’ve been so busy moving and I don’t have internet yet either. I would like to wish you all a belated Happy New Year! I hope you had a blast and hope it was filled with lots of wonderful fireworks, bubbly champagne and much luck for the new year. I have another post about the new year coming a little later. First I want to finish some posts from last year. I hope you enjoy.

 Gift swap meet:

Every year around Christmas Danchelle organises her annual gift swap meet so this year was no different. I attended last year and it was a lot of fun so I decided to go again. For the ones that don't know what a gift swap meet is let me explain. It's basically a kind of secret Santa. Everyone that participates sends in a little information about themselves and the things they like and don't like. As soon as everyone has sent in their info the host will give everyone a random name of a person to give a gift to. You can then check their list in order to find/make the perfect gift.

Gift unwrapping!

This year I had someone really easy. It was my friend Dieuwke and I knew exactly what she liked. She's crazy about tea, bunnies, books, England and photography. So I bought a cute little penguin tea box and filled it with Autumn flavoured tea, a hand made glitter band with her name and cute bunny charms and lovely English soap. Because it was also Movember I made sure to include cute moustache wrapping paper.
I also had a special gift made for Tamara. She showed me a picture of her grandmother a while before and to my astonishment she looked so much like her. She told me that she had a special bond with her but she had passed away. So I made her a resin pendant with a picture of her grandmother. I thought that this would be a lovely memory for her.

The meet took place in Houten at Fly Away Fashion which was really practical and gave me another nice chance to take a whiff in the shop too.
I decided to wear a Gothic outfit this time as I was in the mood for darker colours. I hadn't worn Gothic Lolita to a meet up before so I was curious about reaction's I could possibly get. I decided to wear my new skirt and matched it with my FAF bonnet. I thought it looked really cute. I was ready an hour in advance which is rare for me so I made sure to leave a little earlier in order not to be late. Unfortunately the train was late and I ended up running to the train leaving towards Houten. I made it just in time and found the Lolita group too.
Once in Houten we all got out and waited for the rest of the girls wanting to walk together towards FAF. This was a great chance to give Tamara my gift. She really loved it and wore it straight away. I was super happy.
Once at FAF I went upstairs and beheld a table full of lovely colourful and glittery gifts. I was very curious which was mine. I neatly added my gift to the collection and tried to find a place to sit as all chair's were nearly taken. I quickly added my home-made onigiri to the table of delicious looking treats. There was even cake roll which was very popular.

Amazing bubbles, food, and photo time!

 Soon everyone was seated and Danchelle explained how the swap worked. As soon as it was clear the swap began. One by one everyone opened their wonderful gifts. Some were even hand made which is always a nice touch. You tend to appreciate it more because it's made with love. My friend Kimmy received the cutest little gifts from a girl. I burst out in auw. Kimmy, being talented herself, also made a beautiful headband for a girl called Ella. What a lucky girl she was.
I received a lot of stickers, Disney colour in and cover in glitter (oh I loves glitter) things and Disney princess boubles from my friend Mairin. Unfortunately she couldn’t be there herself so she sent a friend to bring the gift which included a little letter promising that I will still receive one other gift later. She wanted to give me this personally. I have yet to receive it and I'm very curious to know what it could be.

More photo time!

 Because we were such a big group we had a little break in between to drink and eat. Everyone jumped for the cake roll which was soon all gone. Renske really outdid herself. Hopefully more cake rolls in the future? To my surprise my onigiri's were gone in no time too. They were delicious if I may say so myself.
Once everyone's bellies were filled and everyone was refreshed we continued the swap. Many more interesting gifts followed and soon the swap came to an end.
I took one last peak at the shop down stairs and was once again in auw by all the cute stuff which I couldn’t buy.
Together with Tamara and Rosalynn I travelled back home. This would be one of the last times that I would see Tamara as she wouldn't be attending any future meets the rest of the year. I was going to miss her.

A Mad Carnival Tea Party:

Group picture!

The month November was filled with lots of meets which I really loved and of course I couldn't miss out on Fly Away Fashion's tea party. I had missed the summer edition earlier this year which I really regretted.
This year's theme was very interesting and the darkest and creepiest yet. The mad carnival and Alice in wonderland theme was really to my liking. The decoration matched so well as did the food. They even had cute bunny cookies and bloody punch. Which were very yummy.

To match the theme I decided to create a Gothic look in red and black. My outfit theme was the queen of hearts. Red and black is such a wonderful colour combination. I decided to wear my bonnet again and match it with red and black roses. "We're painting the roses red, we're painting the roses red!" Get it?!
Luckily I was picked up by Rowan and her friends Lisa and Emily so I didn’t need to rush as much to catch a train.
We drove to Rosalynn's house to pick her up too. It was a tight squeeze but we all managed to fit in. It was tight but cosy but I got wagon sick very soon after we took off. I was glad when we arrived at Fly Away Fashion so I could breathe in fresh air.
We were a little early so we waited outside until the rest arrived from the train station. Some Belgian Lolita's joined us again and every one of them looked amazing. Saltje was one of them and I was very eager to see her outfit. She had told me that she would keep it a secret until the meet. Her inspiration was the white queen. I really loved her dark make-up in combination with her white dress (hand made) and wig. Once everyone had arrived Katie welcomed us to come in. She looked amazing in her handmade red and black JSK. Her outfit inspiration was the white rabbit from Alice in wonderland. She really looked stunning with her bunny ears and pompom tail.

Chatting, food and cutie pie Katie!

We all entered the shop and after paying headed upstairs to find a seat. I sat together with Rosalynn and the Belgian girls. It was very snug and fun. As soon as everyone had settled down Katie welcomed us and told us a little about the days plans. She also told us she had good and bad news. The bad news was that Fly Away Fashion was going to stop. I was in shock. No more tea parties?? But the good news was that the shop will continue under another name, Summer Tales Boutique. She explained that that name fit better to her future plans and that everyone could look forward to many new exciting changes. I cant wait to see what the new shop will bring in the future.
We were then allowed to eat, chat, visit the shop, take photo's until the lottery and outfit contest later that day.
There was so much delicious looking food so I took a bit of everything. I loved that there were so many vegetarian options. My favourite’s were the bunny cookies and punch. I love cloves in drinks. It tasted really christmasy.
I spent most of my time upstairs chatting with Deborah, Liselotte, Natasje and Sanniya. It was so fun we almost forgot to check out the shop and have photo's taken of our outfits. Apparently Rosalynn had been quite busy taking pictures of everyone's outfit outside. So we also joined in. It was cold though and it wasn't long before I ran back inside for warmth.

A great day full of wonderful things!

Katie had restocked so many lovely things in her shop that I felt sad that I couldn't buy anything. They had a huge new collection of Alpacaso's. I really want... no I really need another one. Manila needs a friend to keep him company.
It was soon time for the outfit contest and so I headed back upstairs. The contest was very interesting as everyone looked amazing especially Sanniya who made her dress herself. Saltje was also participating along with the two other Belgian girls Joke and Annso. Anne and Yvette were also contest participants. It was very hard to choose just one winner because everyone looked absolutely wonderful.
Annso was the ultimate winner and she as very surprised she had won. She wore the same outfit as Rosalynn but only in a different colour way.

One of the cute Alpacasos!

The meet came to an end so we all headed outside for the last group picture. The signature picture to prove the tea party actually took place.

A Cute Lolita Anniversaire:

Every cute girl needs a cute Lolita party if she wants one. Rosalynn really wanted a Lolita birthday party after haven attended mine and I was very glad she did. Lolita birthday's are the best.

I was really happy when I received my invite for Rosalynn's birthday. I was also excited because she kept all her plans secret until later. The only thing she revealed was that it would be a Paris themed party, which is one of her favourite things.
Unfortunately I didn’t have any Paris or French themed outfits or accessories so I went for a simple cute look. I hadn't worn my Candy House JSK by Meta in a while so I decided to wear that. I really love its colour. I'm not one for baby pink but this was a deeper more mature pink which suits me really well. I had received my new wig from Lock Shop just a few days before. Again I chose a milk coloured wig but in medium length. I really like this colour and I've heard from a lot of people that the colour suits me well. I also ordered a gift for Rosalynn from Kawaii Deluxe. After haven read her Japan travel's I knew she loved Pocky. So I bought her strawberry flavoured ones. I also bought some cute little necklaces, sakura blossom earrings and two little iron on butterflies. The cool thing about them is that you can iron them onto a cute simple cardigan to decorate it.

The beautiful cake, Rosalynn and the rest!

Once I was ready I headed towards the bus stop. Unfortunately I had missed the bus again. I really hate buses in my town. They are always either too early or too late. It's so frustrating. Luckily I was only late by 5 minutes so I quickly joined the waiting group of frills. Rosalynn had curled her hair which looked really cute. Emilie was there too. It was so nice to see that she had come all the way from Switzerland to attend Rosalynn's birthday. It's true friendship.
Together we all walked to Rosalynn's house where her mum took some lovely group pictures outside the house. Once inside I took off my big coat and admired the decoration. It matched Rosalynn's outfit so well. Everything was decorated in pastel pinks and mints, even the balloons and even the cake.
We all sat down in a circle, with Rosalynn sitting on her birthday chair, while eating some of the lovely cake. It was absolutely delicious. She had it made at the same bakery I have my cakes done. They really make the best cakes in all of town.

Beautifully dressed girls!

After the cake it was time for presents! One by one everyone handed their gift to Rosalynn and watched anxiously how she opened them. The sweetest moment was when Emilie handed Rosalynn her hand made photo album of their adventures. Rosalynn nearly cried of happiness. It was so cute to see. It reminded me of my birthday gift from Naomie a year earlier. I just couldn't believe what I was receiving at the time.
We spent the rest of the day taking lots of fun photo's. Some of the group pictures turned out quite funny. Dieuwke also took pictures with her cute polaroid camera. I really love how its a cute souvenir at the same time.
Rosalynn also prepared a quiz about Lolita fashion and Paris. She told us that these would be the most useless questions ever so that we didn't need to think that hard about their answers. Luckily all question's were multiple choice. In the end there were two winners, Naomie and Kim. They both received cute gifts from Schwimmer and Claire's.
Unfortunately I had to leave early in order to help with the move to my new home. So I quickly said my goodbye's and hugged everyone.
It was such a lovely day and I had a lot of fun. I really hope Rosalynn has another party next year. Way to go you!

Everyone looked so wonderful!

All photos used in this post are either property of Rosalynn, Kathleen or Emilie. I do not take credit for photos that aren’t mine.

Catch up post 2: A Mermaid Party!

My Under the Sea Birthday Party

My mermaid inspired outfit.

Luckily birthdays come every year and so my birthday took place once again. Ever since I started Lolita I loved making them super fun with theme and all. This year was no different. I chose a theme of one of my favourite things, Mermaids. Therefore making it a "Under the Sea" Lolita party.

I was super excited and made sure to let my friends know in advance so that every one of them could attend.
I started making decorations a month in advance among which fishes (which I made in 3D from multicoloured paper), octopi (I collected old toilet rolls and cut the bottom part to make the separate tentacles, I drew on little eyes and stuck glitter gems on the bottom of the tentacles to make the sticky nubs), 4 big jelly fish (which I made from rice lanterns. I simply spray painted them in neon colour's and attached cute lace and coloured string to the bottom to make the testicles) helium balloons in white and turquoise (to indicate bubbles) and lots of crepe paper in blue to make water and waves. All of this hung above the table to give the feel that we sat at a mermaid banquette under the sea. I was immensely happy about the end results and was curious about the reactions from my friends.
And to a great theme party belongs a great outfit. I based my outfit of that of a mermaid. I wore my mint coloured JSK by FAF and combined this with crème colours. I added a net shawl around my dress as an overlay and attached a sea enemy flower on the front. I wore my Lock Shop Mermaid wig and added a huge shell in my hair. Unfortunately it was too heavy and fell off later that day.

All the little fishes!

My boyfriend bought me to the train station where I met up with all the other girls. He then drove back home to organize the beamer for later. I remember telling my friends not to be late but instead everyone was right on time accept for me. Shame on me.
Our first goal was to visit the annual fun fair which is held every year on my birthday. The funfair wasn't that big but it was super colourful. We took some lovely pictures in front of the candy stall. Because the Dutch cake stand, opposite to the candy stall, felt left out we were allowed to take pictures whilst standing inside the stall. It was really funny.
Some of us went onto the haunted house. I was really scared and screamed at everything inside. I remember Naomie laughed because the attraction was so not scary.
After walking around for a while we eventually headed towards my house for the tea party. Everyone loved the decoration and we soon got to drinking tea and eating little cupcakes. Of course all in under the sea theme.
Then it was time for a photo shoot outside. Rosalynn took some lovely pictures of our outfits and a few group pictures. She always makes the best photo's.
After a while we all headed back inside to have birthday cake, which was also in the under the sea theme. I really loved how it turned out. Every year I go to the same place to have them made and every time they amaze me with their talent. I recommend them to anyone.
Everyone was amazed at it's design and also very much by it's flavour. It had a minty flavour which isn't a common flavour for cake, but I love everything that isn't common.

At the fun fair!

In between eating cake I unwrapped some of my gifts and cards. All gifts were wonderful! I received enough funds to start my Japanese course too. I'm always very difficult with presents but this was something I really wanted. I really love how my friends and family supported me with this.  A little while later my boyfriend came to join us and turned the beamer system on. It was on this particular weekend that Kawaii International aired the Kawaii Weekend episode. We were all very eager to watch and it was very fun to see the episode for first time. It was also fun to talk about our great day to some of the people, who didn't attend. They definitely want to attend next year should another opportunity arise.

At the party!

Sadly the party was coming to an end and everyone needed to leave. I hugged everyone goodbye and wished them a good journey home. Once everyone had left I and my boyfriend cleaned everything up as quickly as possible because we went to a restaurant afterwards. Our evening was really lovely but we were both tired and nearly fell asleep whilst eating.

All the birthday cards and gifts I received!

 I can't wait till next year because I already have big plans. So look forward to that in the future.

Catch up Post 1: A Fashion show, a pick-nick and meeting German Lolita's

This last half year has been pretty busy for me. It being filled with meets, work, move to a new house and day trips out. I didn't really had the time to write about them. So my backlog grew and grew until I had about 8 topics to write about. Plus I still have to catch up on posts for Kawaii Deluxe. I should be ashamed for procrastinating this long. Well because the year is ending very soon I decided to sum most of them up in one or two posts so that I can concentrate on other new posts in the coming year. So without further ado let me begin.

Summer darkness:

Back in July the annual event Summer Darkness took place again. I went last year with my cousin and we had a blast. This year was a little different but fun nevertheless.

Every year Leyla scouts for girls that would like to model in her fashion show at Summer Darkness. Ever since I started Lolita, I've tried to take part but to my dismay was never chosen. Accept this year me and Rosalynn took an afternoon to take pictures of our outfits to make sure we would be picked. To our delight both of us were chosen among several of my friends, which was super nice.

On the day of the show I travelled together with my mum, boyfriend and cousin's to Utrecht. They all came to watch and support me which was really nice of them. I dressed my little cousin up too and she looked super cute. Because she has chocolate skin the pastel pinks suited her very nicely. She felt a little awkward at first but really loved it later on.
Once in Utrecht my family set off to go eat somewhere and promised to see me later as I still needed to practise.
I was supposed to meet a group of girls at the station but there was no one there. I started to panic because I didn't know the way to the Dom and didn't want to be late. Luckily I found Natasje and together we followed a Gothic couple also heading towards Domplein.

 It was really fun to practise our walks without a stage. We were laughing most of the time as we pretended to walk the invisible catwalk. Apparently most people fell off the invisible stage. Luckily no person's were harmed during practise.
Soon after we were ushered behind stage to wait while other acts took place. Everyone was super excited while last touches were made for make-up and hair. Linda Friesen was also part of the show and her models (wearing her wonderful designs) looked A-ma-zing! Their hair was huge and their make-up was dolly like. Anne's hair was the biggest of them all. Everyone glared at her in auw as she walked past every time. Apparently this look was created by wearing two wigs at the same time. I have no idea how but I totally want to try it out.
I wore a classic outfit for the show. This was also my first ever classic coord and I was super proud of it. The funny thing about the dress was that I had sold it right after I had taken photos for the sign up. I had a feeling that I wouldn't make is as in previous years but luckily I sold it to a friend so I could lend it from her. Such a sweetheart!

Leyla walked around backstage to have everyone listen to their walking music. I was super happy when I got to hear that I would be walking to Misako's Lolitina song. I was in my element.
It was time for the fashion show and everyone got into line. Luckily I wasn't the first as I was super nervous as were many others.
One by one everyone walked up the stage steps as their music came on. Then it was finally my turn. I was super nervous. Breathing became harder, my hands were sweaty, I felt like crying at any moment (of happiness of course), my head was spinning and my heart nearly bounced out of my chest. When I reached the top of the stairs I beheld a HUGE crowd of people waiting for the next model. Even more than last year. Most of them were photographers. I put on my biggest smile as my music came on and off I went...

Click ¨HERE¨ for little video.

 It felt like I walked on air and my head was in the clouds. On the left side of the stage I saw my family and boyfriend standing right in front cheering me on. I saw a lot of other familiar faces too. I was in such ecstasy that I walked and posed a little too fast. I was having so much fun that I didn't realise at all.
Once off the stage my nerves declined and I was super proud of myself as well as all the other participants. But before I knew it it was time for our last walk together. This time less nervous I walked behind Janneke and closely followed by Deborah. We lined up on stage and bowed. There was applause and it was done.
After the show we were asked to hand out some flyers for Mfashion and Linda's 4 O'clock shop. Soon after I was reunited with my family and friends. Everyone was so proud and loved the show. After that we had a group picture taken and then walked into a little garden (the same one as last year) to take more photo's together with friends and my cousin).
Soon after me, my family, Rebecca, and Tamara went to sit on a terrace by one of the canals. It was super nice. The inside of the café/restaurant was beautiful too. It would have been great for a Halloween related meet. Soon after we said our goodbyes to my friends and me and my family headed home.

 It was a great experience and I really want to do more of this. Who knows maybe there will be more opportunities in the future. I'm definitely signing up again next year.

Summer meet:

In August it was time for the annual summer pick-nick in the Dutch Lolita community. I hadn't attended the previous one but was glad to have gone this year. There were so many people that attended even some Belgian girl's came. I've been meaning to meet more Lolita's outside the Netherlands and it's been a ever growing possibility this year. The Belgian girls were ever so nice and looked so elegant. Each dressed in classic Lolita. They were amazed how big our community was in comparison to the Belgian one.

We were quite lucky weather wise. It was nice and warm and stayed dry though everyone took an umbrella just in case. Me and Tamara travelled together as she spent the weekend at my house and we had a blast. We stayed up late the night before sitting around a camp fire with friends whilst roasting marshmallows and talking about silly things. So we were a little tired the next day but we didn't care.
Tamara rocked a beautiful classic outfit and matched it with a hand-made Victorian hat. She really looked stunning. Classic Lolita really suits her well. I wore my princess dress in lavender and matched it with my lavender shoes and cardigan. I really love lavender, it's such a pretty colour. I also wore my Lock Shop Mermaid wig in milk. I really love that wig to pieces. It's so soft and the colour is so natural. I might make some reviews in the future. My friend Natasje wore the same wig that day and my did she look dazzling.  Everyone looked wonderful and soon it was picture time and of course a group picture followed.
I'm lactose intolerant and cant eat too many cakes containing milk and such but I already knew that I would be leaving the pick-nick with a stomach ache. Everyone bought such delicious treats and snacks. I just couldn't resist. One girl even made onigiri, which was gone within seconds. Luckily I received one just in time. My friend Rowan also wanted one so I shared mine with her.
The pick-nick came to an end and we all headed back to the station and went on our merry ways. Before leaving me, Tamara and Dieuwke stopped at Julia's to eat some delicious pasta. Soon after we embraced and said our goodbye's as everyone set off home.

It was a good day and I couldn't wait until the next meet would take place which wasn't that long after luckily.

Mini Zwolle meet:

My friend Tamara organized her own little meet for her Lolita friends, Meri, Andrea and Civa from Germany. As I had mentioned before I love meeting Lolita's from other countries so I had to go. Especially meeting German ones (I'm half German you see).
I didn't feel that well that day so I chose a light simple outfit which wasn't too tight. I also kept my accessories simple. But when I arrived in Zwolle and saw the rest of the group I felt a little under dressed. Everyone looked so wonderful. Tamara was also a little shocked by my simple coord.
I stayed the night so I had my suitcase with me. Luckily Tamara's dad took it with him so I didn't need to carry it along all day.
Once we were complete (we waited for Rebecca and Yvette) we headed towards the park were we picnicked together. Everyone bought a little something and I made onigiri. They were very popular among the group.
Tamara bought a whole bag of small sweets and among which were little watermelon coloured ones. They looked really interesting so I ate one. They turned out to be super sour so I took another and another and another (I love sour sweets). Picnicking was a lot of fun by trying out each others treats. While eating we chatted and it was really nice to get to know Yvette better. I had seen her on two previous meets but we never really talked which was a shame because she has such a lovely personality.
After a while of picnicking Tamara, who was ever so nervous about the progress of her meet, suggested to visit a traditional sweets house in Zwolle called "Het Bolletjes Huis." Here they still made the traditional sweets Zwolle is famous for. The shop was decorated very vintage like with all the sweets in jars. It all looked so colourful. Some people bought some sweets as a souvenir and we all got to try some for free. I had a caramel flavoured one. Not my favourite flavour in the world.

We were all very hungry so it was time to go eat. Tamara had made reservations at a pancake house in the area which was popular for it's delicious pancakes. Tamara made sure that everything was as Dutch as possible in order to give the German Lolita's a good impression of our culture.
The pancake house was small but very cosy. We all sat at one big table by the window which was nice.
Everyone ordered a different kind of pancake. You could choose between a sweet or savoury one. This is something I also found very strange when I first came to live in The Netherlands. I was only used to sweet ones. Andrea and Meri chose savoury ones with cheese and bacon I believe and loved them. I chose a sweet one with banana's. But the pancake was so huge I just couldn't eat it all regardless of how delicious it was.
Once all stomachs were filled it was time to head back to the station. We hugged Yvette and Rebecca goodbye and with Tamara in the lead me and the girls took the bus to her house.

 Once at Tamara's house it was relaxing time. Off went the Loli dresses and on went the jogging trousers and PJ's.
In the evening we played a few games about guessing the print of brand dresses and Meri knew most of the questions. There for making her the Lolita lifestyle expert!
Because I still wasn't feeling that well I decided to to go sleep in the other room. Civa didn't feel that well either so she went to sleep in Tamara's bed while the rest went upstairs. So in the night Tamara came to chat because she couldn’t sleep. We talked for hours and we were later on joined by Civa who still wasn't feeling well. So we went to have a midnight cup of tea together. It was a lot of fun. We then headed to bed and luckily we fell asleep in no time.

The next day we had a lovely breakfast filled with Dutch specialities such as "ontbijt koek" which is a kind of gingerbread, "hagelslag" these are chocolate hundreds of thousands, and "pindakaas" which is peanut butter. The Dutch really love this stuff.
After getting dressed we headed into town to do some last minute shopping because the girls would be leaving later that day. Unfortunately Zwolle decided to keep it's shops closed because of the fun fair which was in town. Tamara was very disappointed but we made her feel better after buying some delicious ice cream.
Later that day the girl's had to leave and it was all very emotional for Tamara. She looked forward to them coming all that time that she just couldn't believe it was time for them to leave again. To make her feel better I took her back to my place so she didn't have to be all alone.

And all of us in our casual wear.  Accept for Tamara who sucks at dressing casual xD

It was such a lovely weekend and it was wonderful to meet the German Lolita's and hopefully I can see them again soon. I got to know Tamara even more and I'm really lucky to have such a special friend. Tamara was a great host and I hope she organises more meets in the future.

That was it for now. Look forward to more catch up posts soon!

Kawaii Weekend- A day I will never forget- Part 2

The sun was shining as I and a group of friends walked though Utrecht city to find a decent bubble tea shop. I could not have been happier as we continued travelling towards Eline's house slurping up my tea. Her house was right next to the city so we were there in no time. Once inside it was unwrapping time. Off went the petticoats, shoes and socks. I wont include any of pic's as these might be too inappropriate for the younger one's among us :-p

We all had a good time goofing around, eating pizza, talking about what had happened earlier that day and what would happen later. In all our excitement we nearly forgot the time. So I quickly changed into my new outfit. I was going for a cute country look and I think it worked out nicely. I didn’t have time to make a picture because we had to rush. I’m always so bad with taking outfit pictures.

Once in the city we headed towards Tivoli which is a concert hall where the event took place. When at the doors my heart started to race. I took a few moments to clear my head to remember the dance moves to Misako's new song. I wanted to impress her even though I’m a really bad dancer.
Everyone had already entered and we were the last ones to go in. One by one we headed up the stairs to the top floor. I was so warm but I didn't care. I was way too excited.
Once on the top floor I was stopped by Danchelle, who wanted to take a picture of my outfit for the outfit contest later that evening. I stoke a cute pose and smiled. Then I entered the hall and beheld a huge merchandise stand covered in cute stuff. I grabbed my purse and to my dismay I found it empty. I had totally forgotten to bring cash. I wanted to quickly get some money from the cash machine but I was too late. Leyla had already  announced that the event had started and asked us all to gather at the stage.
In dismally I slowly walked towards the stage thinking how silly I was for not having checked it before. But I could still get money later.

Everyone gathered at the stage while excitedly chatting amongst themselves. Leyla came on stage and explained the evening programme. It would start with performances by Misako and Rin Rin, following with the outfit contest, a fashion show by Linda Friesen's 4 o’clock collection, a performance by Scarlet Penta and at the end of the evening the winners of the outfit contest would be announced.
It all sounded too good to be true and I couldn’t wait for Misako's performance. After all we had all practised her dance in advance.
Misako walked onto stage and not long after did the music to her song start and everyone began to sway.
Her performance was so wonderful and I really enjoyed myself. It was so much fun to move and clap to her music and of course do the moves. I didn't really succeed in dancing. I really was terrible even though I practised. But I had a good time and that was what it was all about.

Misako only performed one song and then it was Rin Rin's turn. I didn't know that RinRin had released a song too and I could find nothing of it online either. I think everyone was just as curious to know what she would be singing.
We were all very much surprised. Rin Rin really was the performer during her songs. Yes she sung a few. Three to be exact. Her first song was her original depute song Kira Kira Dreamy (which I think means sparkly sparkly dreamy). I liked this song best of all. It had such a catchy tune. The other two songs were cover songs from two anime series. They were super cute. Rin Rin was quite the dancer during her performance. It was all so wonderful. Later I looked up Rin Rin's biography and apparently her hobby just so happens to be dancing.
Sadly the act ended even though I had so much fun dancing along to the music. But there were many more surprises awaiting us. If you are curious about Misako's and Rin Rin's song do take a look at the video below.

We had a little break before the next act started so I took to chatting and laughing with friends. I also took the time to check out the decoration. The were disco balls and lamps hanging from the ceiling. It really looked lovely.
Then it was time for the outfit contest. People could sign up for this when purchasing a ticket. I also signed up but there was a little issue which resulted me not being on the list. Luckily it was quickly solved and I could take my place riiight at the back of the line. I believe I was number 30.
The idea was to walk on the catwalk and pose at the end in order to convience the judges, Misako and Rinin. But before we could stroll the catwalk Misako and RinRin showed us an example. It was really nice to watch because both had a different style. RinRin walked like a model whilst Misako walked like a doll. They explained that we should find the point of our outfit. So to say to find the most important aspect of our outfit. Mine was my rocking horse shoes. They also reminded us all to smile our best and to have fun because that was most important.

Soon after the music started and one by one everyone did their thing. Because I was the last I could watch everyone to get a good idea of how I wanted to walk myself. Everyone looked ever so beautiful and a lot of girls were so nervous and unsure if their walk was all right or not. I thought everyone did well.
It was nearly my turn. I was nervous and I started to worry that I would fall because of my rocking horse shoes. Then it was my turn to climb the stairs of the stage (luckily not that high). I totally forgot about my point of outfit. I was so concentrated on walking right and smiling as much as I could. I think my smile must of have been huge. I always purse my lips very tightly together which results in a BIG smile when I get nervous, otherwise I break into tears (I don't know why. I guess I'm so happy I could cry?). I slowly walked down the  runway as elegantly as I could. My mind went wild. I was so super happy. I made a little twirl at the end of the stage, stopped to pose and slowly walked back again. Luckily everything went well and as soon as I walked off stage everyone clapped. The fashion walk was over and soon after everyone started chatting about it while others checked photo's on their camera's. I felt really proud of myself. Then it was a waiting game to see who won.

We had some time before the next performance would start and so me and Rowie went to browse the merchandise table. I then remembered that I was penniless so me and Rowie went on a quest to find a cash machine. We were told that the ticket reception lets you take out cash. So down we ran but to out dismay it was closed that day. Luckily the ticket sales girl told us where to find the nearest one. She said we should make it back in time if we hurried. So off we went down the street around several corners. We almost got lost and we were afraid we'd be too late but then we finally found it but there was a line. When it was finally my turn I quickly inserted my card and followed the instructions on the screen. So then I waited for my money but nothing came out. I panicked that something had gone wrong and that my money was gone. I had to leave the line as there were more people waiting behind us and I was taking so long. Rowie convinced me to try again and that it may have been a mistake. So when it was finally my turn, again, I tried again and this time it worked. Apparently I tried to pin an amount I didn’t even have on my card. Silly me.
We only had little time left so we ran back. Running in rocking horse shoes isn't very easy by the way but we managed to get back just in time.
As we entered the hall a line of Lolita's, with Rosalynn in the lead, hockey cockied past. Apparently we had missed quite some action.
I quickly headed towards the merchandise stall and browsed all the lovely things they had. The stand was made up of MFashion's shop and things Misako and RinRin bought with them. MFashion had a lot of cute clothes, socks and accessories with them. It was basically a little sample collection of their actual shop. Misako had a little diary book about herself (which was really cute and really popular too), there where little pink glitter bow rings, postcards, big posters and some other little things. I cant remember exactly what any more. RinRin also had postcards and a CD of her debute song. Apparently she made this CD just for us. Which was really cute.
Before I could make a purchase another announcement was made and we were all asked to come to the stage again.

It was time for Linda Friessen's 4 o'clock fashion show. Linda Friessen is a Dutch Lolita and fashion designer and makes the most unique Lolita and high fashion pieces. I was really looking forward to seeing her collection.
I made sure to stand at the front in order to have a good view. I'm quite blind without my glasses you see. The music started. I really loved it. It was really eery and dark and suited the fashion show very well.
The fashion show wasn't all that long but the dresses I saw were absolutely amazing. One by one the models came onto stage in their scary high healed Lady Gaga shoes each portraying dresses prettier than the other. They were all elegant and Gothic. Each was beautifully made with such detail. I wanted them all. My favourite one was the see-through aqua coloured dress. It reminded me so much of mermaids. Even though I could never see myself wearing this dress it was nevertheless the most enchanting of them all. Apart from the dresses I was amazed by the make-up and hair. Everyone looked similar but it really made the picture. Everyone wore tall back combed or curly wigs and their make-up was simple but elegant and made them look like porcelain dolls. Each model walked twice and at the end they all came back onto stage together with Linda to take a final bow. I remember that everyone was very impressed and there was a big round of applause at the end. I found it all very enchanting. You can find a video of the fashion show online.

Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzkyGp48NAc

Credits go to Damien7002

There was another little break so I hurried towards the merchandise stall once more. There already was a merry gathering of friends browsing too. I ended up buying cute little black lace ankle socks from MFashion, a big Misako poster, RinRin's CD and some cute postcards from RinRin. I wanted to buy more because I wanted to be reminded of this day forever but I didn't have enough money. While standing at the stall I saw that a friend had her poster signed by Misako and RinRin and was giggling all over it. I wanted it too but then another announcement was made for the performance from Scarlet Penta. I didn't want to stand at the stage so decided to stay in the back instead. Surprisingly quite a few of my friends stayed at the back too. Even Misako was wondering about. So we circled around her to chat a little. She looked really tired but was still ever so cute and nice. At that point I realized that I hadn't drunk anything that evening so I sat at the bar and had some water. Rosalynn came over too. She looked tired too.

After Scarlett's performance the long wait was finally over. It was time to announce the winners of the outfit contest. Everyone was excited and secretly everybody hoped to win first prize. All prizes to win were sponsored by Baby the Stars Shine Bright. So exciting! Third place went to...*drum roll*... Miriam from Germany. She wore a lovely pink, flower coord with the Lady Rose print from Angelic Pretty. She won a lovely Baby umbrella. She looked like a real lady with her "huge" hat. Second prize went to...*drum roll*... Josine from my local Lolita community. She wore a Snow White inspired outfit. She really looked too cute. Misako and RinRin chose her not only for her outfit but because of her lovely smile. Her character really came out on the catwalk. She won a lovely bonnet and wrist cuffs. And first prize went to....*druuuummmm Rooolll*...Renske! She was absolutely shocked and surprised she had won. She really deserved to win because she really looked like a princess and moved like a fairy on the catwalk. She won a limited edition Baby heart bag which matched her outfit very well. As a special prize there was one other winner. RinRin and Misako had a really hard time choosing so there had to be another winner. Everyone's ears and eyes were pinned on them. The special prize winner was....*drum roll*...Marina from Germany. Misako and RinRin found her outfit very unique and colourful. She received a bag of candy from RinRin's favourite candy shop in Tokyo.
All winner's were filmed by the Kawaii International crew. Everyone went through a outfit run down and were asked how they felt about winning.

 The evening was sadly coming to a close and the last announcements were made to indicate that RinRin and Misako would sign everyone’s posters, postcards etc. at the door.
I grabbed all my things and stood in line to have my poster and autograph cards (made them myself) signed.
When it was my turn, and had everything signed, I made a last picture and thanked them for the lovely day and hoped they also had a lovely day. I really wanted to talk more but there were more people behind me and Deborah was already waiting at the door. Luckily her parent's picked us up and bought me home. Once in the car I came to realize how tired and exhausted I actually was. I couldn't believe that the day was over. I didn't want it to end it was such a wonderful day. Because I had hardly eaten and drunk I became very nauseous in the car. Once home I stripped to bloomers and tank top and collapsed on the floor for an hour. I had such muscle ache and was so dehydrated that I could barely function. But I didn’t care, it was all worth it.
I was glad that I wasn't attending the pick nick the next day because I wasn’t sure if I would have had the energy.
I really hope that an event like this will be held again next year. It was one of the best Lolita related events I've attended thus far. I was ever so happy to have met so many new people and I hope to treasure all these memories forever in my heart.

It took me a while to finally write this post but I'm glad I've finally done it.

Help me out! It's for a good course!

The Red Queen of Harlequins

Wig: LockShopWigs

Bonnet: Fly Away fashion by Katie Zomer

Hair accessories: Offbrand

Stoler: H&M

Blouse: Bodyline

Corset: Queen of Darkness

Skirt: Off brand (thrift store)

Leg-wear: Offbrand and AATP

Shoes: Bodyline

I have very exciting news. I've done something I never really do but thought I'd give it a try because it just sounded too good not to try.

I signed myself up for the Gothic Lolita Wigs Be a Muse for a Weekend At Anime Matsuri contest. The great thing about this contest is that you can win a trip to Housten, Texas to Anime Matsuri and hang out with the Muses of GLW. Not only that but you get to participate in their fashion show, you get to choose two wigs of your choice from the entire GLW collection, you can win the entire Dolluxe collection and you get to do a photoshoot and keep 5 photo's for yourself.  All in all a terrific weekend filled with wonderful new memories and experiences. And of course a blog post to tell you all about it!

I'm never one to win anything but I really wanted to try this and I'd be over the moon if I did make it through the 1st round.
I know that I will not make it as 1st place in the 1st round but as long as I'm one of the first 25 then I'm through.

Therefore I am asking the people who read my blog to vote for me if you'd like to of course. You'd make me ever so happy if you did though. Also share with your friends in order to give me more votes too.

Please see the link below to get to the contest voting page. Be aware that you need to like the GLW page first in order to give your vote. Should you have any qusetions do let me know so that I can assist you the best way I can.

Link:
https://toptabapp.com/e/3450

I'd like to thank you for reading and see you in the next chapter.