Today, it is my birthday.

7:30 PM

I'm going to be seventeen in thirty minutes.

Or will I have just completed my seventeenth year?

In twenty nine I hear the ticking,

but I can't hear the minuet.

At twenty five I feel my feet,

they tap as I begin to hum.

In twenty minutes I'll be older,

and the orchestra directs the time.

In his hand the baton is ticking,

and now the tenth minute arrives.

Dressed in black tie, the busybody.

The crescendo begins to rise!

I took to long to look at him,

and as I write the man yells "five!".

In 60 seconds the piece is ending,

but the next concert shall begin.

"Eighteen's too soon!" says the third second,

The second one has not yet arrived,

the first second tells me now to focus,

and the bell shall quiet all my grime!

Happy birthday.

Leur Lapine

8:01 PM

Tenshi Auction Service Review

It has been quite some time, but for you I bring this interlude post. I am an avid online-buyer, being a Lolita, of course. However, I have never had the experience to review any of the stores I have bought from. This is due to me being both shy and not very relevant in any online community, as well as having bought from stores that have previously been reviewed, and thus it seemed unnecessary.

The description I have just given will probably make you think, "¿Then why are you reviewing Tenshi, who has been immensely reviewed?". Well, firstly I am very, very excited about what I have gotten, and wish to share it with whomever I may. Secondly, I wanted to. Thirdly, I already did it.

Now, without further ado, the review. (Mind yourselves, it is filled with lots of text.)

Designs 14 and 15 (End!) – 15 Lolita Designs in April Challenge

Somewhere in the world, it is still April 30th!

And that means it is... ehm...  time to post the very last two designs! 

For the last designs I wanted to make a king and a queen. But I wasn't quite enjoying the queen's look, so I archived her for later, and in her stead are a pair of shoes. (Poor queen!)

The layout for this is somewhat catalogue-ish, which I am very much enjoying. The Robe du Roy JSK has a faux ermine collar and trim, along with golden tassels for a belt. The King's Blouse is not too elaborate, with three tiers of sheer lace on the sleeves, and four-button cuffs.

The Crown & Käfig shoes have golden gothic buttresses at the heel, as well as a sheer, shimmery golden ribbon. The front is shaped like a bird cage, with a door-lock buckle.

I can't believe the challenge has come to an end! I have made more completed (albeit simple) drawings this month than any other. I also developed an addiction to cotton lace (and drawing it). I'm very glad I took part in it, and hope to take part in other possible future challenges as well! Thank you very much for keeping (or putting) up with me this month!

Design 13 – Lolita 15 Designs in April Challenge

Wake up and smell the...!

Smell the procrastination. Today has been a slow day, especially considering the fact that my brain keeps believing it is Saturday, instead of Friday. It does not help that I had no classes today. The month's last Friday is always a slow day. But no matter how slow a day, it is still a day until midnight hits! What does that mean? It means I am not late! So, without further ado...

Today's design is inspired by Tikki, of Miraculous Ladybug. 

Taking into account that she is a floating, red chibi insect, I had quite a large amount of creative space. I wanted to do a subtle ladybug representation on her dress. My first draft for this design involved an embroidered "Miraculeuse" with a heart ladybug appliqué. Needless to say, it was a little too straightforward, and I could not figure out where to place it. So, instead, I used the waist ties to mimic her strange tail, and made the shape of the collar and skirt opening to be like a ladybug's wings. The spots on her head became black bow clips, and her tights have red and black circles with "LB" drawn in them, in white. 

It would have been more bug-like for her bustle/tail to be black, but I felt like I had used the red-black duo combination too much (for Antibug and Marinette). The dress is velvet, and the lace for this design is hand-drawn. Her necklace has a ladybug pattern.

Design 12 – Lolita 15 Designs in April Challenge

Buona notte!

These last challenge days feel like a drum's beat. You know that one, at the chorus or end of a song, the one that gives an exciting and rushing feeling! Like I'm posting a design with every beat.

One thing that this challenge has really given me, is the pleasure (and addiction) of hand-drawing lace. I used to only make that simple scallop eyelet lace that you see in most cartoons, because it was fast and easy. For this design, I really wanted to go all out.

Well, actually, I wasn't planning on going all out, but once I started I just thought "It needs more lace! More lace!" –and here we are. The proportions are a little awkward, since I made this with a hurried mind. The lace, though, I am proud of!

The overall design and layout for this one are actually very simple. It is a black overdress with a simple white cotton underskirt.With summer just around the corner, I have been seeing many coords that break quite a few of Lolita's staple rules (non-cutsew t-shirt, no socks, open shoes, no head accessories, etc.) So I wanted to hop on and draw a rule-breaker, better even a rule-bender.

It was originally to be a white underdress with a blue overskirt with sea/wave patterns, and it would be called Umika. Since the way I drew the lace made it look grey from far away, I went and matched with black. Now you can absorb both all the compliments, and all of the sun's rays!

Design 11 – 15 Lolita Designs in April Challenge

Bonjour, mes filles et fils!

Today's design is a mix of a quickly out together illustration, and just as quickly put together poem. The poem was actually drafted in French, since I was inspired during French class by the word baladeur. It was not quite beautiful, since my French is sort of childishly limited, so I took quite a lot of liberties when translating.

I will repeat myself: I am nor a writer, nor a poet (I, hopefully, am a "painter"). I still do hope you can enjoy this just as I do. Think of cornflower, rain, and Paris mornings.

Le Problème des Promeneurs

The problem of passerby's:
I know not,
I know you know.

Lie down the lies:
Foot on leg, tie a knot,
Brain burnout, in a row.

Hands, hearts, brains, 
won't last.

Pass-by the remains
of the past.

They walk too fast,
They think too strong,

Feet, brains, aghast.
When was it wrong?

To know, I wish not.
You know I know.

A wanderer's problem
To remain alone.

Designs 9 and 10 - 15 Lolita Designs in April Challenge

I'm just fashionably late!

Well, as you may have noticed, I have not posted the designs I should have during the last week. That is due to...well... I actually have no excuse. 

So, to make up for this I bring to you...yet another set! It is a well known fact that I very much enjoy the Miraculous Ladybug cartoon. If you are not able to guess on your own, I will tell you: these designs are inspired by Antibug and Reflekta.

The designs are inspired by the villains and how I perceive them, not by the person who used to be the villain. In that case, Juleka would be the gothic one and Chloé would be the sweet Lolita.

I wanted Antibug's design to be opposite to the Ladybug design I made (Marinette Polkadot). Since Ladybug's was simple and sweet, Antibug's was to be ostentatious and impractical (much like her sword). I also gave it a touch of a Flamenco dancer, but that is really just incidental, and for aesthetics. She has a (sadly hard to see) venetian mask on her headdress). The wrist cuffs, choker and collar of the dress have black pearl details.

Reflekta's design is clownish and eye-catching. It's odd and cute and a little awkward looking. I wanted the hem ruffles to resemble the lifting of her plastic skirt. The pattern is made of chains of ellipse/eye shapes, and is a glitter print. Her shoes are those old-school gigantic Mana-like platforms (which are actually surprisingly easy to walk in). All the lace is cotton bobbin. Her purse's eyelashes are frays (I do not know the correct term...).