I decided recently that I wanted to write an article about defining your own Princess Style. Fashion is a great form of self expression, and lets face it, nothing makes us feel more like a Princess than wearing beautiful clothes. However there are so many interesting styles that I love, I realised I’d never be able to fit them all in to one entry.

So, over the next few weeks I’m going to talk about a few different fashions that have a ‘Princess Aesthetic.’ They are all unique, but share some common features; they are girly, feminine, cute, elegant , romantic and a little bit decadent. I don’t claim to be an expert on any of these styles. I don’t like to restrict myself to any one fashion either so I encourage you to experiment, and yes, *gasp*, mix them up a little to find a style that suits you and compliments your tastes and lifestyles.

Casual Princess style is really just a term I use for what I like to wear when I’m not in lolita. Its cute, light and girly and although its casual, it tends to still be refined and polished.

Colours: Pink, white, light blue, cream, black, jewel tones (rich red, green, blue), silver, gold.
Materials: Floral prints, bows, ruffles, lace, knit, silk flowers, cherubs, ribbon, satin, chiffon, brocade, velvet, silk, embroidery, cotton, pearls, diamantes, faux fur
Motifs: Crowns, heraldry, roses, fleur de lys, hearts, bows, french scrolls, monograms,

Casual Princess is taking inspiration from beautiful, royal gowns and toning it down a bit, making it comfortable for daily wear. Skirts and dresses are a must, knee length still looks elegant and modest but is easy to move around in. Tops might be light, with wide loose sleeves or little cap sleeves. Chiffon and crepe satin are good choices, both being very romantic and a little more dressy. In colder months, velvet and brocade are equally luxurious with a trim of faux fur. Stockings can be flattering to your legs and make them appear longer. Pretty heels give an elegance and poise but cute flats can work well too. Hair can be worn up or down, with flowers and jewel clips. Pearls are a must, but sparkly crystals and charms can add a nice touch.

This collage features a pretty floral dress by GUESS, a cute Juicy Couture wristlet clutch and accessories by Michal Negrin and Monsoon. You can find all the links here as well as view my other sets on Polyvore and make your own. What do you like to wear on your casual princess days?

I think it takes a lot of confidence to be a Princess, even more so if you dress in lolita or another minority fashion. Unfortunately I know a lot of girls struggle with this, and I did for a long time myself. It was only when I finished school and started to discover who I was, and think about who I wanted to be that I learnt to have faith in myself, in going after what I wanted I learnt a few lessons about confidence, and found the more I believed in myself the more I could achieve!

Self confidence is not something you can aquire overnight, it takes more than a new hair cut to change the way we feel about ourselves. I think the idea that some people are just shy and others are talkative and outgoing is a myth. I believe that we choose how introverted or extroverted we wish to be, although one may come more naturally and the other take more effort. Being confident doesn’t have to mean you’re loud though, I have met people who speak very little but when they do everyone listens, and I think they’re probably more secure than some who feel the need to talk all the time. There is a definite balance when it comes to confidence, its important to have a high sense of self worth, but also to maintain humilty.

Learn to accept compliments. You probably don’t realise how many people out there think you’re a great person and want you to be more confident. Genuine compliments are like gifts, they should be appreciated and not refused. It always upsets me when I go out of my way to compliment someone, whether it be on their style, talent or kind nature only to be refuted with “Oh, I’m not good really. I’m stupid/ugly/boring..” This is a false modesty, denying compliments says to the other person that you don’t appreciate their kind words. If you deny a compliment when you obviously believe it’s true it can also come off as conceited. There is nothing wrong with accepting compliments graciously, a simple “Thank you so much for noticing!” will make you both feel good and show that you really appreciate their interest. It doesn’t hurt to return compliments either, much like gift giving, it goes both ways. Learn to accept criticism gracefully too, this is much harder, but try not to let it affect you personally. Thank the person for their help (even if its phrased in an unhelpful way) and respond to it logically, not emotionally.

Admit to your mistakes and learn from them. People with low self confidence usually react to mistakes they make in one of two ways, they cover it up as fast as possible, hoping noone will notice - or - they use it as an excuse to criticise and put themselves down, to reaffirm their belief that they can’t achieve anything. Accepting your mistakes can be tough, but its the only way to make them in to a positive experience. Everything that goes wrong in our lives can teach us a lesson, look for the lesson and find a way to avoid making the same mistake again. When you realise where you went wrong, you will find the confidence to try again!

Take chances! Confident Princesses go after their dreams, even when doing so means leaving the safety of their comfort zones. Throughout our lives, opportunities are presented to us that can bring big changes, and changes are scary, but sometimes its better to take that leap and chase after happiness than to stay on our current paths and miss out. One of my favourite lines from Shimotsuma Monogatari is this “Humans are cowards in the face of happiness. It takes courage to hold on to happiness.”

Do what you believe is right. Too often we let other’s thoughts and opinions decide how we behave. This is the hardest, but most important lesson to learn - stop letting your concern for what others think of you control you. Notice that I didn’t say ‘don’t care what others think’ ? I don’t think its really possible to completely stop caring about other’s opinions, for example the opinions of our friends and family are very important to us, sometimes we do need to listen to their advice. In the end though we make our own choices in life, and making the choices that feel right to you is far more important than pleasing others or fitting a social norm. Whether its the colour you want to dye your hair or your career choice, have the confidence to follow your heart. Some of the greatest minds in history were once thought to be mad, but they believed in themselves and their ideas even when noone else did.

When I first decided to wear lolita out, it was only a small trip, a walk to the library and shops about thirty minutes away. None the less, I was scared! I was afraid of what others would think or say. I went to the door to leave three times before I actually got out of it! I’m really glad I did though, because now I enjoy wearing lolita out and about and feel far more confident in my style. Sometimes being confident is just a matter of finding courage, you still feel the fear but then you say to yourself “Right, I’m just going to do this!” and its usually not as bad as you expected ^_~

Amigurumi are adorable little crocheted dolls that are a popular craft in Japan. They can be any shape or size, but the standard style are about 12cm tall, with large round heads and small cylindrical bodies. They are usually animals, cats, dogs, bears and rabbits are the most common. Both Milky and Fleur are of this type, which seem to be very popular with Zakka stores and on japanese auctions.

Amigurumi are usually worked in spirals, and are different from the type of crochet where the rounds are joined. It is hard to find good information on Amigurumi in english, because the craft is often mistaken as ‘any crochetted toy/doll’ where as there is a definite japanese styling to Amigurumi. I have collected a few of my favourite links together here.

Amigurumi Kingdom
In my opinion, the cutest non-japanese Amigurumi out there! They are quite famous for their cupcake bears, that is little Amigurumi heads in cupcake wrappers. I think her photography is beautiful too, she always has pretty paper back drops. Good luck trying to buy any of her work though, it sells out so fast!

Avocadolite Farm
Hasn’t been updated in a while, but they make the cutest mini-amigurumi. Great inspiration for anyone wanting to get started in the craft. Have a look at the gallery of Ex-farm members who have already found new homes.

Anapaulaoli Patterns
If you want to start making Amigurumi, Anapaulaoli have some adorable patterns to get you started! There are so many cute creatures to choose from, someday I would like to learn crochet and make one of these designs!

Crochet Pattern Central - Animals
A great listing of free crochet animal patterns, there are a few amigurumi in here amoungst lots of cute designs for beginners and advanced!

Pompadour24’s Craft Cafe
One of many etsy stores exporting japanese craft and pattern books including some great Amigurumi books! If you search for ‘amigurumi book’ in etsy you should turn up some more results. I’d love to hear about anyone’s experimentation using the patterns in these books and how hard they are to understand.

My Favourite Japanese Amigurumi sites: *milky*, おまめ note, mickie, COPAI*N, Pousse, Colorful*K&K, Sunny Place, niko*niko Japanese text only.

This is a really beautiful little book. It is lovingly designed, with an old fashioned spine, pretty illustrations and parchment like paper with torn (or mouse eaten) edges. It was so interesting to look at that I had to take it home.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo is the story of a Mouse who is a Knight, a Princess called Pea, a Rat with a broken heart and a poor little peasant girl who want’s nothing more than to be a Princess. It is labelled as a children’s book, but I think would be equally interesting to any one who enjoys a good story with a sweet, heartfelt meaning behind it. It is especially dear to me as I have a fondness for mice, I used to have a pet mouse named Teasle. She was black with a little white star on her nose.

Despereaux is a mouse made a little bit different, he sees beauty in everything, is inspired by the romance of courtly love and is so innocent you can’t help but love him. Roscuro is a Rat born in a world of darkness, who wants nothing more than a bit of light but in seeking it causes a great tragedy which leaves his heart twisted and torn. Princess Pea is clever and kind natured, capable of both empathy and forgiveness, understanding even those who wrong her. Miggery Sow is a little girl who has never had much choice in life, noone seems to care what she wants, especially when she decides she wants to be a Princess.

It’s a quirky little story with a lot of soup and adorable illustrations by Timothy Basil Ering. I heartily reccomend it.

Valentine’s Day can be less than joyful for single Princesses, sometimes it can be hard to get excited about such an event when you don’t have anyone in particular to spend it with. I don’t think you should have to miss out on the fun though! Love comes in all different shapes and sizes, and its certainly worth celebrating in any form Here are a few ideas for enjoying valentines without Prince Charming (because lets face it, you don’t need him to have fun)

Celebrate your friends. Friendship is very precious and Valentines is a great chance to show your friends how much you care about them. Write them letters, make cards, bake chocolate cookies and go visit your best pals. Or you could invite all your single friends over for a Valentine’s party. Bake a cake, play silly games, make a night of it!

Celebrate Love. Love itself is such a beautiful thing, we don’t have to be in love to appreciate it. Get yourself day dreaming about romance by watching your favourite romantic movies, reading tales of love or poetry and eating lots of yummy chocolate! Fill your home with the scent of roses, fall in love with Love itself.

Love Thyself. Part of being a Princess is learning to love and respect yourself as a beautiful person. Perhaps this Valentine’s you could set some time aside for a little self-pampering. Make yourself a delicious meal and dessert, have a hot bubble bath, listen to your favourite music and write in your diary. Spoil yourself with a bunch of your favourite flowers, there’s no shame in buying flowers and gifts for yourself, and noone else knows what you like better!

Wishing all of you a magical Saint Valentine’s Day, however you choose to spend it!

Last night Mirai and I headed in to town to meet some friends and celebrate Clara’s Birthday! We arrived a little early so we could meet Steph after work and take some purikura with her. We made a cute birthday photo as a present for Clara. I think the arcade needs to get some new machines though, we’re getting bored of the frames and stamps they have.

For dinner we had japanese and I had canned jasmine tea, which is a favourite drink of mine. Clara came carrying her birthday cake which was so pretty! It had the words ‘Happy Birthday Clara’ in pink and white letters and it was surrounded by adorable little strawberry and chocolate cupcakes. After dinner we headed over to the game arcade for a bit, I liked playing the basketball game because its the only one I can beat people at! Mirai says I should come play netball with her team.

We ended the night at Karaoke, and I have to say I had more fun than I usually do, it was such a great group of people I felt a little more comfortable and less embarrased singing. I tried singing ‘Over the Rainbow’ which is one of my favourite songs, but they had a strange jazz version and the timing was all different

It was a fun night out, Happy Birthday Clara!

Patent red hair bow
Off brand puff sleeve top
Innocent world tartan skirt
Red heart bag
Victorian style boots
Enamel red fruit necklace

I bought this headband today and it reminded me of Snow White so that was the original inspiration for this outfit, though its very casual because it was so hot today and we were going out to Clara’s party I usually prefer to wear more toned down lolita at night, I think pink is very much a day time colour for me. Mirai took this photo and we were joking about my bag, so I’m trying to look like a heart thief! I wore BPAL Poison Apple perfume.

I’ve had a few people write asking me about how to spoil their special Prince or Princess on February 14th, so I thought it would be fun to talk about some ways to make this holiday a little more special

We all have a pretty clear idea of the typical St Valentine’s Day fare. Chocolates, Roses, Dinner at a nice restaurant, Jewelery, Champagne. They can be lovely with a touch of sincerity, but they aren’t very exciting and tend to lack personality. In fact romance is something sadly lacking in many relationships these days. Girls have given up expecting it, and boys never have. I think being a little romantic now and then is a lovely way to show someone how much they mean to you, and it doesn’t have to cost money either. Princesses should learn to be romantic sometimes, as well as enjoying the attentions of their suitors, because everyone deserves to know they are loved.

Being romantic is not difficult, there are three things to keep in mind. The first is spontaneity. Creating a surprise for your loved one, something they would not expect. Whether its coming home to a house full of pink and red balloons or being stolen away for a little vacation you planned without their knowing. If you go to a restaurant or the beach every year, try and think of something new and different that your Prince or Princess would not expect. Tuck a love note into his shoe or lunch bag, slip a little bracelet around her wrist while she’s sleeping or plan a treasure hunt! The look of unexpected happiness on their face will be worth all your planning.

The second is sincerity. A lot of people have difficulty expressing their emotions, and although they may love someone very much it can be hard for them to show it. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, but sometimes it can leave your partner feeling a little unappreciated, because sadly most human beings can’t read minds! Find a way to show your loved one just how much you care, maybe you could write them a letter or a poem, create a hand made card or learn the lyrics of their favourite song and sing it out loud! If you’re unsure where to begin, try writing down all the things you love about them, from the colour of their hair to the way they sing in the shower. They will be really touched by how much you actually notice and appreciate.

The last, and most important part is your personal touch. This is where roses and chocolates often fail, however well meant. Ponder carefully on what makes your beloved happy, what would really make them feel understood and cherished. If you’ve known eachother a while you should have a pretty good idea to begin with, what is their favourite colour, favourite food, favourite band, author, show etc. If you’ve only just met, time to do some investigating! Perhaps you could cook them their favourite dish or find a signed copy of their favourite book or CD. If you’ve been together for a while, you might be able to include something that is special to both of you. Blindfold them and take them on a mystery trip to the place you first kissed, rent the movie you watched on your first date (even if its awful! Laugh together) Do something that is unique to them, unique to you as a couple and it will become another treasured memory.

Here’s a few different ideas for ways to spend your Valentine’s; have a picnic, at a nice park or indoors if the weather doesn’t permit. Go to see a romantic play, Opera or Ballet, if there is a performing arts school near you they often have great performances for cheaper tickets. Go to a gaming arcade, play silly games and win prizes and take purikura, race eachother and shoot zombies! Find a hill and go sledding, if you don’t have snow grab a cardboard box and go grass sledding (if you’ve never tried this you’re missing out.) Go Ice skating or Rollerskating, this is best if at least one of you can’t skate! Spend the day at a museum or art gallery holding hands. Go in to a bookstore, split up and find something funny or sweet for eachother, buy it and then exchange. Bake a valentines day cake and eat it together, strawberries are a must. Play board games, make up new rules. Fly a kite! Rent a Karaoke room and sing love songs to eachother. Watch a sunrise together, instead of a sunset, I think they’re far more beautiful.

I hope you all have a lovely Saint Valentines Day and spend it with your friends or beloveds. I’ll be writing more about how to enjoy Valentines day as a single Princess later on!

Usually when I write about literary inspirations I write about a book, or possibly a series. However I don’t believe it would be fair to do that for the works of Robin McKinley because then I would have to choose a favourite, which seems too difficult a task.

I first discovered her works through her first retelling of my favourite fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast - titled Beauty. I have already mentioned her second retelling - Rose Daughter on this blog. I think most of Robin McKinley’s stories read like fairy tales actually, even if they are original, but they are fairy tales with another dimension.

The only way I can describe it is thus, if you can imagine yourself reading a very old book of tales. Folk stories and epics, bound in a great leather tome with gilt edges and illuminated letters. The words are old fashioned and heavy, the story seems a little predictable (not because it isn’t good, but because you’ve heard similar ones before) then, suddenly, you find yourself inside the story, experiencing everything as the hero or heroine does, and you find its really not as simple a tale as you thought, but a story about real people who feel pain and love and joy and loss just as we do. They’re the stories behind the tales.

I was lucky enough to find two collections of her short stories at the library recently. I have finished ‘Water’ a collection of tales about spirits of the ocean, it also includes some stories by Peter Dickinson. I loved every one of them, but then I’m still on my Mermaid fascination I think. Now I am reading ‘A Knot in the Grain’ which is a very warm little book, I find it really grounding and wonderfully sweet in some parts with just a bit of wildness. She has also retold many other traditional tales including Donkeyskin and Sleeping Beauty.

I think any lover of fairy tales or fantasy should have a look at her works, each is a little treasure and I look forward to finding more!

Today the Perth lolitas went to AQWA, which is the local aquarium. It was a really hot day and so it was nice to be inside with the fish. We were actually a bit late due to having to find parking, but everyone was really nice and waited for us before heading in. We bought our tickets and went through, one of the first things we saw were the leafy sea dragons! They are the most amazing beautiful creatures and I’ve actually been lucky enough to see them in the wild, the way they move is so graceful and mesmerising.

After a few exhibits we went down in to the tunnel, which has a revolving floor you stand on and a clear roof so you can see all the fish as you go around. There were really big sharks and rays and a gorgeous Sea turtle We went around a few times and then went on to see the rest of the exhibits. The great thing about the Perth aquarium is that most of the sea life is local, so you actually get to see whats on our own coastline. We had a lot of fun at the touch pool, a little artificial rock pool where you can touch the fish and starfish and little rays. The rays even seemed to enjoy the attention!

We saw the seals in their pool, they seemed very relaxed and then went to the cafe for lunch. It was nice to sit and chat with everyone for a while before heading down the the waterside for some photos. We had to go around the tunnel a few times more before we left, it was just so beautiful and I found it quite peaceful watching the fish glide by. The whole atmosphere of the aquarium is lovely really, its all lit up with blue lights so its a little like being underwater yourself.

The shop had a lot of cute plushies including some strange ones like octopi. I bought a little turtle (I turtles) and Claire bought a HUGE seal plushie! After the aquarium a few of us walked down to the docks and bought icecream, by then a nice breeze had set in and it was a relaxing way to end the day.

Thank you to everyone who joined us today, I had so much fun! Thanks also to Claire for the lovely fruit salad and to Eugene and Mirai for taking the photos. I hope everyone had a great day out