May 2017 ~ Vanilla Bear

A couple times a month, I publish a blog post on a Friday morning. These themed posts are part of the Lolita Blog Carnival. Keep reading to find out what the LBC is exactly, how you can join, and why I think you really should!

What is a blog carnival? How does this work?

A blog carnival is a group of bloggers who all write on the same topic and publish it on the same day. Members vote on a topic from a poll, and the winning topic is the next week's theme. The LBC posts on Fridays, but you should take advantage of scheduling tools if you can't manually publish your post Friday mornings.

Here's how it works: vote on a theme, write a blog post about it, paste your permalink to the event page for that week's theme, and link the other participants' blog posts at the end of yours as they post their links to the event page.

What's in it for me? Why should I join?

From the perspective of someone who has been part of the LBC for a few years, we could definitely use more members! We have over a hundred members on the Facebook group, but only a handful of bloggers actually contribute each week. Sometimes we have zero!

The point of joining a blog carnival is three-fold.

The first advantage is that you force yourself to make content for your blog. Having pre-set weekly themes makes it easy to sit down and just write. Definitely helps break writer's block. The more you write content (even if the topic is given to you) and read other blogs, the more creativity is sparked. If you enjoy blogging, joining a blog carnival will definitely help you with consistent, fun posts.

The second reason to join is networking. Commenting on each others' blog posts isn't required, but I find the regular contributors do anyways. I've met a dear friend of mine through the LBC, and it is really cool to connect with other bloggers who share the same passion. You get to read different perspectives on the same topics that you never would have thought of otherwise.

The third advantage is free promotion. By linking to everybody's posts, we share promotion equally. If someone reads a blog and is interested in the topic, it's likely they'll click on the other participants listed at the end of the post. The more you post to the LBC, the more regularly readers will see your blog's name. Repetition is a proven marketing technique for attracting attention.

How can I join?

Here are the only requirements for membership. If your blog follows these, then just apply! If you don't hear back from a mod in a couple of weeks, shoot them a message. They're people too and have busy lives.

You must be primarily a lolita blogger.
Your blog must be in English. It would be unfair to ask people to link to blogs they may not be able to read.
Your blog must be a minimum of 3 months old and have a minimum of 9 posts.
No Tumblr blogs please! Tumblr blogs tend to move at a much faster rate and are generally focused on reblogs rather than original content.

I really hope you consider joining. Even if your blog doesn't yet meet the requirements, keep blogging and apply later. Hope to write with you soon!

Thank you for reading my blog, it really means a lot.

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For anyone who has been in this fashion for over twelve years (or is at least obsessive about scrolling through Livejournal archives) you've probably seen the infamous list of lolita lifestyle ideas.

I'd like to revisit this antiquated idea of being a lifestyle lolita for a minute and the aspiration of being a ~true lolita~ that was so common back then.

I personally enjoy traditionally feminine hobbies, and I think lolitas of any gender might get something motivating, or at the very least relaxing, from these activities. So I present to you a list of 101 new lolita lifestyle ideas.

Please keep two things in mind: some of these ideas may overlap with the original list because I did not cross-check every single thing, and this list is purely for fun and should not be taken in any way as a directive of how lolitas should behave or do on their free time.

Start a lolita blog or Youtube channel. You don't have to be an experienced veteran chalk full of tutorials and sage advice - just write about your experiences and outfits.
Keep a physical journal of diary. Writing your thoughts, feelings, problems, and daily activities will give you an outlet and will provide you with a time capsule of memories.
Learn calligraphy - or maybe start out with refining your cursive.
Learn to embroider, whether just to pass the time or to create something beautiful.
Get into sewing. Not only will it come in handy when waist-ties pop off, but there are many patterns online for making your own lolita pieces.
Find local wine, tea, or chocolate tastings in your area and refine your palette.
Visit local museums and historical sites.
Study etiquette. Knowing what to do in formal situations is a good idea in general, but reading vintage homemaking or etiquette books embedded with funny customs and sexist expectations is also quite entertaining.
Become better at baking, bonus if you find a cute apron.
Take ballroom dancing or ballet lessons.
Bring a good book, a thermos of your favorite beverage, and a thick blanket to the park and have a picnic by yourself.
Invite a local lolita to a coffee shop to catch up - my best friends and I will sometimes bring our embroidery to work on together.
Find a penpal and write physical letters to each other. In the age of the internet, receiving a letter in the mail is a small treasure.
Take a long bath with oils, candles, and bubbles. Just relax and pamper yourself.
Incorporate lolita elements into your everyday or work wardrobe, headbows and jewelry can look normal enough.
Host a tea party in your home, backyard, or some other beautiful venue. Try making some of the food yourself, and serve your friends your favorite teas.
Decorate your living space like a princess, even if you share space with others.
Take a watercolor or oil painting class.
Experiment with creating your own latte art.
Go for long, slow strolls. Not only is it good for your health, but you can spend some time to yourself to think about life.
Learn the language of the fan, of flowers, and of hair bow placement. This knowledge is no longer really useful, but it is a fun conversation starter and can be a secret code between you and a friend at meets.
Place flowers on someone's gravestone. Find someone who has been deceased for a long time, who has probably been long forgotten and show respect and appreciation for whatever they accomplished in life. Historical cemeteries are also beautiful places to reflect on yourself.
Take up a classical instrument. If you have no musical talent, attend a symphony or opera instead.
Play croquet, cricket, or other old-fashioned lawn games.
Wear a lace nightgown or airy peignoir to sleep. If you don't like dresses, find cute patterned pajamas and sew lace to the hems.

Photo credit to Ouji Photography
Watch lolita-esque movies or tv shows.
Apply to model in a local fashion show or for an indie designer. Even if you don't think you fit the "ideal" look, try anyways!
Create a playlist of songs that put you in a fancy mood.
Take a train ride on an old-fashioned train.
Use antique luggage - but be careful not to take fragile suitcases on long-haul flights. I learned this the hard way...
Visit the ballet or the opera and get truly dolled up in your most elegant frills and elbow-length gloves. Who cares if some people show up in jeans?
Learn a foreign language. Latin and French used to be standards for accomplished young ladies of the upper crust, but knowing another language is just useful and impressive today.
Take a cake decorating class or wing it with online tutorials. I've impressed a lot of people when I bring hand-decorated cakes to events (an easy and pretty idea is to sugar flowers).
Find a little corner in your home or backyard and start a garden, even if you only have room and time to grow rosemary.
Host a quilting party. Cut plain colored squares and have your friends decorate squares with fabric pens. This was my favorite activity when my mother used to host baby showers. You'll have fond memories for years to come!
Try your hand at making molded chocolates, candies, candles, or soaps. They make great, thoughtful gifts!
Wear cute underwear. Even if nobody sees it, you will always feel a little bit more fancy and pampered.
Dry flowers in between pages of heavy books.
Make a lolita scrapbook. Print out beautiful coordinates, and glue in lace, stickers, dried flowers, and other things that inspire you.
Get into aromatherapy by spritzing relaxing scents in your home, keeping a bag of potpourri under your pillow, or burning scented candles to create atmosphere.
Use a handkerchief. You can find dainty ones with embroidery or lace trim in antique stores.
Establish a skincare routine. Whether you follow intricate Korean beauty steps or strange Victorian concoctions, taking care of your skin will make you feel refreshed and refined.
Attend a local derby. Incorporate a big floppy sun hat, a strand of pearls, or white wrist gloves into your coordinate and feel like a southern belle (sans racism).
Go for a ride in a horse-drawn carriage.
Work on your posture. It's good for your health and will help you look and feel more confident in your frills.
Create your own calling cards. This Victorian custom is dead, but maybe lolitas can revive it. Whether you DIY them or order some from an online service, calling cards are a handy way to keep in contact with lolitas you meet and want to contact later.
Decorate your office or workspace with a touch of elegance. Frame your photos in fancy frames, arrange some fake flowers in vases, upgrade your mugs to tea cups, and just generally make the space fit your taste. If you can make/buy it cute, why leave it boring?
Display your lolita as decoration. My personal favorite is hanging hats on the walls, but there are many ways to use your expensive pieces as decoration. Don't let them hide in the closet.
If you have the time, join a historical society and defend local sites and traditions.
Collect antique books. Old books have the best covers and make for beautiful coffee table decorations if you can't stand to actually read them.

Photo credit to Ann Nakamura
Brush your hair 100 times before bed. Obviously this only works if your hair won't frizz up after brushing, but otherwise this old practice is relaxing and will help you unwind like an aristocrat.
Make a parody video or song lyrics with lolita-related phrases that will make you giggle.
Start a dream diary. Record your dreams as soon as you wake up and see if you can interpret what they mean. My favorite pagan belief is that if you look at a window or open doorway when you awake, your dreams will fly out of your memory on the wings of mischievous fairies.
Attend a seance. Go with an open mind and see what it's like.
Look up your astrological star sign. And moon sign. And sun sign. It may not be scientific, but it's fun and mysterious!
Wear your brand with regular clothes. If you don't already do this, it might be a fun experiment. Wear our lolita accessories, socks, cutsews, skirts, or purses with normal clothing for a new way to get use out of your lolita and wear it every day.
Take a fun, "ladylike" class. Learn how to crochet, make lace, ride side-saddle, etc.
Read lolita blogs. You're already starting by reading this one!
Attend a vintage auto show. If you don't like cars, look for plane restorations, fleet weeks, etc.
Read poetry. Find a good anthology of poems and cozy up with a cup of tea.
Experiment with old-fashioned cocktails or interesting non-alcoholic recipes.
Host a formal dinner party. You don't have to make it for lolitas, but just getting out the good dinnerware and taking the time to host something nice for your friends is fun.
Participate in the 365 Lolita Lifestyle Challenge.
Have fancy desserts for dinner. Momoko isn't the only one who can spoil herself every once in a while.
Walk around your town and photograph interesting and beautiful things. Too often we focus on the ugly, negative aspects of life. Spend a couple of hours really focusing on beauty and splendor in the world around you.
Write encouraging notes to yourself and tack them around your mirror. Write down the things you like about yourself, your strengths, what strangers have complimented you on, your accomplishments, anything that will bring a smile to your face.
Swap out old ballpoints and pencils for cute stationary. Fountain pens are popular again, and you can find colorful pencils with cute patterns on the internet.
Plan your dream lolita vacation, even if you can't actually go.
Make homemade ice cream. Whether you have an ice cream maker or are just going old-school with some plastic bags and muscle power, experiment with unique flavors like strawberry basil or merlot chocolate chip.
Play a lolita themed game - such as custom Cards Against Humanity, print name bingo, or "pin the bow on the lolita."
Get a fancy manicure. Acrylics or gel nails are a big investment, but even getting your nails painted to match a fun coordinate can be really satisfying.
Join the Lolita Blog Carnival and force yourself to blog the weekly themes. It's really fun!
Buy a dress form to experiment with different coordinate ideas without the hassle of trying everything on. It's also a nice decoration when you're not actually wearing what you put on it.
Paint your own tea cup. Find a place near you that offers DIY ceramic painting. Wear something you don't mind getting dirty...
Get a book on birds or flowers and go for a long nature walk, trying to identify what you see.

Photo credit to Ana Akaosugi
Dress up a non-lolita friend who is interested in trying out the style.
Grow your own tea plant and make your own teas. Experiment with other herbs and flowers from your garden. If you don't have the room, see if you can plant one in a neighborhood garden space.
Learn Victorian curse words. If you're going to dress like a lady, you should swear like one too!
Take the Lolita Level-Up Quiz, and tell me in the comments how you scored.
Buy a frilly bathing suit and take your parasol, sunscreen, and G&LBs to the beach. My favorite beach snack is an egg salad and salted bagel sandwich. If you don't have a coast, find a lake.
Take a flower arranging class and decorate your home and the homes of your friends with fresh bouquets of flowers.
Decorate your lolita underthings. Sew lace or little bows onto your bloomers, petticoats, and slips. Feel pretty inside and out.
Bling your phone or wallet with cute key chains and cases.
Make an ita-bag.
Attend Disneyland Lolita Day and say hello to me! I try to go every year.
Wear lolita somewhere you would never normally wear it. To the grocery store, to fill up your gas tank, to the doctor's office. You'll get strange looks of course, but being adventurous is half the fun.
Go horseback riding. I don't recommend actually wearing lolita though, unless you don't mind the possibility of it getting dirty.
Go to a cafe, sit by the window, and people watch. Make up stories about their lives - who they are and where they are going.
Get your makeup professionally done. Whether you know a friend who is really good at doing other people's make up or you go to a professional, you'll feel like a VIP getting your face made by someone else.
Host a themed meet up. If you've never hosted a meet before, research how and get to it! You'll make a lot of friends this way and foster a more active community. Get creative with the themes and just have fun creating a coordinate to match.
Make something for a friend for no reason. Everyone loves presents and hand-written cards. Express your appreciation for those who always have your back.
Go through your wardrobe and deep clean. Pull out everything that isn't sentimental, you haven't worn in two years, and you wouldn't mind having the money for. List them on Lacemarket. You'll free up space and freshen up your style.
Sign up to read books to children in a library. They'll love hearing a real-life princess tell them all about magical kingdoms, dragons, and grand adventures.
Find a box of colored chalk and go to the park. This one is more fun with a friend, and I recommend a cute apron and ankle socks to avoid a mess.
Learn how to mend your clothes. Shopping is fun and all, but you could save a lot of money on new clothes if you learned how to fix rips and tears.
Make daisy chains and crown your friends!
Hand write thank you letters and event invitations. This is a long-lost tradition, but people still love receiving mail. Don't let snail mail be reserved only for weddings and family portraits.
Get into dollhouses. It's another expensive hobby if you do it right, but who is to say that dolls and tiny furniture should only be for children?
Buy prints from your favorite lolita artists and frame them for your walls. If you have extra cash, get a commission of you in your favorite coordinate.
Have a lolita sleepover with lacy pajamas, sweets, and face masks. Maybe you have time to craft together while you watch Kamikaze Girls.
Comment down below which ones you enjoy!