Friday 15 November 2013

Lolita Post Carnival: Book inspired coordinations

This week's Lolita Blog Carnival subject is book inspired coordinations. I had about million outfit ideas for this post. I was thinking about Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and other really popular books, but I figured that everybody would do the same so I tried to think a bit outside of the box. 
So for this time my book inspired coordinations are completely from a Finnish book!

Kalevala



Kalevala is the national epic of Finland. It was compiled by Elias Lönnrot, from Finnish and Karelian folklore and mythology, in the 19th century. The Kalevala begins with the traditional Finnish creation myth, leading into stories of the creation of the earth, plants, creatures and the sky. The Kalevala is telling a story of the people of Kalevala and Pohjola (The north). The story is filled with quarrels, revenge, love and lust. 

Aino


JSK & Blouse: Alice and the Pirates
Socks:  Baby the Stars Shine Bright
Headdress: Innocent World
Shoes: Modcloth
Necklace and earrings: Kalevala jewelry

Aino was a beautiful sister of Joukahainen. When Joukahainen lost a singing contest to Väinämöinen, who's a great shaman and influential man, he promised Aino's hand in marriage to Väinämöinen. Aino's mother was pleased that Aino would be able to marry such an great man. Aino however despised the idea of marrying an old man by force, so she ended up drowning herself. 

The Daughters of the North

OP: Alice and the Pirates
Shoes: Minna Parikka
Ring, necklace and earrings: Kalevala jewelry

The daughters of the North (or maidens of the North) were high born beauties, who were highly desirable among men. They were also very hard to get as a wife, since they often ordered the suitors to accomplish difficult tasks, such as killing monsters and in one case to plow a field filled with vipers and rocks. They were almost like deities, since they had magical powers and they lived in the sky. It is told that the daughters of the North were so pale that you could almost see through their clothes,skin and bones.

Sampo
OP: Victorian Maiden
Jewelry: Kalevala jewelry
Tights: Galstern
Headdress: Boring Sidney
Shoes: Dolce & Gabbana

Sampo is a magical machine, which smith Ilmarinen made for the Mistress of the North so he could marry one of her daughters. In Kalevala Sampo is one kind of a mill, which makes salt, flour and gold out of thin air. The holder of Sampo will be obviously the richest person in the world. Later on Ilmarinen and Väinämöinen hear that the people in the North are rolling in riches so they decide to rob it back. They go to the North and Väinämöinen tries to bargain with the Mistress of the North, so they both could use Sampo. The Mistress doesn't accept this, so Väinämöinen starts to play his kantele (finnish "harp") and all of the people of the North fall asleep. Meanwhile they're sleeping Väinämöinen, Lemminkäinen and Ilmarinen rob the Sampo. When the Mistress of the North wakes up she gets furious and sends a mighty beast, Iku Turso, after the robbers. Väinämöinen however manages to crabs Iku Turso from the ear and commands him to go back to the sea. And so the robbers return to Kalevala with Sampo.




So this is it! Let me know if you liked this post and what book inspires you. I think that this was really fun to make, because I was able to mix my own culture to a thread. I think I'll do Finland related lolita later on too.







Friday 1 November 2013

Tips for Staying Warm in the Fall

This weeks Lolita Blog Carnival-post is how to stay warm during fall. Since here in Finland fall starts to reach it's end and the winter is creeping in, I found that this topic really useful. Autumn and winter can be really cold in Finland, so if you want to keep wearing lolita during the icy months, I've found some of these following tips to be more than necessary. 


Socks


Socks really are the essential part of your fall/winter outfits. The cold breeze under your hem isn't as bothering, when you're wearing a thick pair of tights. I especially recommend fleece-lined tights, which you can find from almost every department store. They can be a bit boring, so if you want to perk up the look of your legs, wear a pair of lacy tights over them!

Thigh high wool stockings are also a great way to keep your legs warm. There are many kind of stockings available in various online stores. For example many eBay sellers and American Apparel is selling thigh high stockings, suitable for fall and winter. However if you're living in a really cold country, as I am ( the temperature can be -30° C during the winter), you'll need a thicker pair of woolen socks. You can either make your own pair or buy a handmade one. There are couple of stores in etsy, which are selling handmaid woolen stockings in various colors. Don't forget to wear your garter belt to hold up the stockings!



Warm bloomers


Regular bloomers can be quite thin, so wearing a thicker pair of warming shorts underneath, may come handy. You can either buy those kind of boring-looking warming pants or you can lolify the warming of your butt with cute shorts like these!



And last, but not least:
Drink lots and lots of tea, coffee and hot chocolate!



Hot drinks not only keep you warm, they really can make you feel a bit better, if you're feeling down because of the darkness and cold. They also help you if you're suffering from seasonal cold, like I was a week ago. 



That's about it! Have a great weekend everybody, and stay warm !!