Books for Lolitas: Forest of Hands and Teeth

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

The last in our spooky story theme deals with nothing less than zombies. This is a book set in a post-apocalyptic world where civilization has been reduced to a village surrounded by a fence to keep out the forest and the things that live in it. This village is ruled by the Sisterhood - who always know best. Always. Only, Mary is starting to learn things aren't the way she always thought they were and finding out secrets she didn't want to know. And when the fence breaks she must take a chance at finding the world she dreams is out there.

This is a great book for those who are interested in the idea of zombies but doesn't actually want to read a zombie book. They are never named in this story, which I felt was a perfect way to set this tale apart from others. It's also more a story of the society that came out of the fall, or zombie apocalypse if you like. And it's a story about things that are remembered and passed down to children and the dream of finding those things again, even at the risk of finding they aren't real. It's a very human story but very action based at the same time.

The first few pages were a little slow, but the writing picks up quickly and it turns into a book that's hard to put down. I will say that there are some difficult and emotional moments, and yes zombies will never be pretty, so that's something to keep in mind before picking this one up. However, it's very well written and I liked a good many of the characters quite a lot.

I hope you've enjoyed some of these darker stories, even if horror isn't your cup of tea. We will be taking a break until November 1st while I'm out of town, so I hope you all have a fun, safe Halloween!

Reveiw: Cock Robin's Songs, Chess Story, Fox Cherry

I order a few dresses a while back, and decided that I would get some bows to match, I found these with the help of Doris from Taobaospree. She definitely gets and A+ for this order. Not only did she direct me to great shops, but the items arrived on my birthday!

First up is Cock Robin's Songs. I got two headbands, both of which I really like.

They're both pretty simple, but I normally prefer simple bows I can add to rather than fancier bows.

This was my favorite. The lace is nice and thick and the color is perfect give it an antique sort of feel.

Lots of texture.

The headband itself has thinner lace on it. It's not really visible when worn, but I love the that they added that detail anyways.

I still need to fix this one from shipping. It turned out darker than expected, but the dress I'm wanting to match has many shades of red, so it still matches the intended dress. It also works with one I already had because it's darker, so my disappointment was very short lived. It's a nice thick velvet ribbon and very firm. Once I iron it out it should hold it's shape really well.

The headband is very plain on this one, but is nice enough - especially since it was such a good price.

Next is Chess Story. Another one Doris directed me to.

I got only the one over-sized bow. It's not exactly my style, but I've been wanting a one to try out and if I didn't care for it I had things to go with my blue dress, so it was a good chance to experiment.

The color and lace are nice, as is the fabric.

The key charm is a nice touch, but is also removable so it can fit different styles.

The back. Everything is finished very neatly and the headband is wrapped in matching fabric. It did shift around just a bit when I tried it on, but I didn't have the problem when adding it over my wig.

Fox Cherry is last. I know I post about this shop often, but with good reason. This time I ordered on of their basket bags, because I just love baskets but mostly buy vintage ones that don't always hold up well to everyday use.

It really is that pretty. It's also sturdy and nicely put together.

The flowers.

The bow has a little bird cage charm dangling off it.

It's really big, as Alyss demonstrates. It's a little large for everyday I think, but perfect for events when you'll be out all day. Also great for craft fairs and the like, as it will hold everything you need as well as small purchases.

My only complaint is that the handles are rather small and there is no shoulder strap, so I can't carry this bag and a parasol at the same time.

I've always gotten a little bonus when I order from Fox Cherry. Normally a small clip or key chain. This time, however, I got a really nice surprise - the polka-dot headband I'd posted about before! I'd been planning on ordering it, but now I have a free one. It really made my day!

Pretty of the Week: Already gone?

I didn't have a lot of luck with the items I picked for this week and both are already sold out - seemingly as soon as they went up. Being that I had no back-up to my back-up I've decided to show them off anyways.

First was this dress by Dear Celine. I love the toned down blue and the soft pink/red of the roses. It's just so elegant and fancy. At the same time it isn't aggressively demanding attention. It's just waiting patiently and being beautiful so that you can admire it when you have time. It's a very polite dress.

This was the one I was really excited about. I was really disappointed when it sold out later the same day, because I was hoping to buy it after my trip when a new paycheck came in. I really love book shaped bags, but brand purses are so expensive and seem small. This one was more in-budget, large enough for pretty much everyone, and with all that elegant scroll design it was really the perfect book purse. But hopefully the record time sell-out will same something possitive and we'll see more book purses in taobao shops. One can hope, at least.

Books Movies for Lolitas: Halloween Edition

I've never been a fan of scary films at all, but my husband is a far different story. In the spirit of compromise and bribed by shoes, I've seen more than I would have chosen to without adorable shoe involvement. And I've surprisingly found a small handful that I've actually liked on at least one level. For those looking for something for a halloween lolita meet idea, here are two of the very small handful that would be good viewing material for a movie night.

Pan's Labyrinth

I want to start off saying that this film very much earns it's rating and that there are a few hard scenes to watch, so before offering it up at a party I'd recommend watching it alone and then taking into account the guests attending. That said, this is a brilliantly done film with a dark Alice in Wonderland vibe to it, though not directly an Alice related story. It also has a number of Grimm fairy tales elements and will leave you wondering. It's also a beautifully filmed story with really interesting sets and unique monster designs.

You may be sleeping with the lights on for a while.

And speaking of sleeping with the lights on...

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

Probably both the most beautiful and most terrifying house I've ever seen. The beginning of the film felt very much like a tense, modern version of Secret Garden but then descends into utter terror. My future (far far away future) children will never be allowed to leave teeth for the tooth fairy. And when they ask why I will show them this film and they will thank me for being so loving and protective.

I will say that I love the girl in this film who deals with her personal emotional troubles, the terrifying monsters and the adults' disbelief in said monsters in a very believable way. The script was very well written and well performed to pull it off so well. And again, the setting is utterly gorgeous.

And utterly terrifying. 

They're hungry.

Pretty of the week: Fox Cherry's new items

Fox Cherry is one of my favorite places to go for accessories. They're affordable, adorable and a little bit different. It doesn't hurt that their hats have a billion different detachable bows and flowers that make it super easy to fit to any sort of coordinate. And now that I received my last order I can vouch for their quality - not quite Brand quality, but more than amazing for what you pay. While checking earlier this week I notice that they'd had a major update with tons of new items. Most of these were mini hats or autumn/winter accessories, but they also included a ton of bows and even some jewelry, which is exciting because I adore the chokers I got.

Possibly my favorite new item are these adorable earmuffs. I really like the detailing - the lace, the pearls, the crystal with it's tiny little bow. They look so soft and dreamy, and the little wing charm makes them seem angelic, even. These are totally on my wish list.

 Some of the new bows that I really like. They're simple but each has something small to make it a little bit special. I'm really loving the polka-dot bow with the flowers.

 Mini hat! I've been thinking of finding a really cute mini hat now that I'm a bit happier with my hair length but admit it's not long enough to look just right with my larger hats yet. I'm leaning towards this, which makes me think of walks in palace gardens and fancy tea parties.

More autumn/winter hats that I can't resist. The top one just looks so classic and perfect, and the second just looks cool. And has a rabbit in the lace. I find it very hard to say no to rabbits.

A couple of the necklaces, though certainly not the only jewelry added. They had things for practically every style, and even had some adorable earrings. I just really like the ballerina and fairy themes in these two and how it's incorporated through the whole piece. From the crystal drops and lace to the bows and branches. It really makes them feel unique.

Rose headbands seem to be a trend right now, and these are really great ones. 

The pirate hats were the most fun of the updates. The brown and red one is just too pretty.

Books for Lolitas: Coraline

Getting further into the season of pumpkin flavored baked goods and things that go bump, I selected one of my favorite creepy books.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Coraline's a fairly typical girl with workaholic parents and little to entertain her on a rainy day. She amuses herself by counting things in her flat, and when she counts the doors she encounters a mysterious mirror world. It's all too good to be true at first. The mirror neighbors are interesting, the food is great and her other mother and other father pay attention to her. It seems like the perfect world, but things are not what they seem.

This book draws up older stories of children lured away by dark things. It's not too creepy, but it's just creepy enough. It's also a fast read, and was hard to put down.  It's length and age of targeted audience with the addition of the great writing style makes it a great books to share if you're looking for a book for All Hallow's Read.

And after you've enjoyed the book (and possibly the film) I recommend enjoying the company of a Lalaloopsy doll.

Oh, look. It even has a circus mouse...

Sweet dreams.

Introducing Alyss

A while ago I'd made a post about wanting dolls. While I've yet to get the Madame Alexander doll I've decided on, I did decide to get a pullip to practice photography with. And the immediately borrowed the fancy camera and set up a little wonderland for Alyss - named for a truly fantastic book series.

She's really very detailed, her dress is very lovely and has an apron, train, and collar that can be removed or added for different effects. My only complaint is that the stand was rather flimsy when adjusted so it was tall enough for her to stand. She's too thin for any of my other doll stands so I'll make or buy her a chair at some point.

I also made her a little white rabbit as a prop. He came out looking a bit like the velveteen rabbit, so I'm pretty happy with him. Perhaps I'll make another to make a tutorial.

 Reading Looking Glass Wars.

Goodnight, everyone.

Pretty of the week: Pink

In addition to containing my favorite holiday, October is also breast cancer awareness month. In keeping with this I thought to showcase some of my favorite dresses in pink this week.

Also, for those of you looking for an adorable fund raising opportunity, Tasty Peach Studios is doing a pony charm sale until the 20th to raise money for a donation.