This weekend I got the opportunity to interview my good friend Kelsey, designer, production team, &general mastermind behind American lolita brand I Do Declare (also, she is officially custom-making my party dress for my birthday extravaganza - if that doesn't prove my trust in her skills what does?!)

Heraldry skirt and buckle-back lace blouse

Lumpy: Tell me a little about yourself. What's your name? Where are your from? What styles of lolita do you prefer to wear?

Kelsey: My name is Kelsey and i grew up in Florida... perhaps no the best state for lolita because of the climate. My favorite style is classic lolita... though for this coming spring I'm starting to want classic lolita cuts and styles in sweet colors!

Lumpy: How did you get into fashion design, &what made you want to start designing lolita clothing?

Kelsey: Well, I started sewing costumes for myself and friends in my freshman year of highschool and discovered that I had a talent for it! Ever since then I've been designing and sewing. I started making lolita clothes for a few reasons but the most prominent was that I couldn't afford to buy any! haha and now I still love to make lolita clothes because it's hard to find a flattering fit for westerners in japanese lolita clothing... and I think that above all else your clothes should flatter you!

Lumpy: What inspired the name and the initial behind your brand?

Kelsey: My roomate actually came up with the name I Do Declare. I wanted something that evoked royalty without being pretty pretty princess about it. And I think that applies to the clothes also. I prefer simple lines and flattering cuts in my designs but in higher quality fabric.

Lumpy: What are some themes that you like to draw upon in your designs? Are there any recurring motifs that crop up in your lines?

Kelsey: Like I said, I like simple lines in my clothing but I also adore the Rococo period. I like to incorperate some of that wonderful 18th century style. Also I like to incorporate some prints... Recently I've been obsessed with heraldic imagery so I've been incorporating that into my clothing with things like the Heraldry print and the Antique Unicorn print! I'm working on something with a Lion next. I've used a few prints in the past like the Welcome to Wonderland print and the Dinosaur Mode Girl. . . both of them are a little more humorous than what I'm working on now but that doesn't mean I'm abandoning that quirkiness.

Lumpy: If you could use three words to I Do Declare, what would they be?

Kelsey: Haha This kind of question is always so hard! Classical, quirky and historically inspired. Although I suppose the last one is two words...

Lumpy: Where do you get your inspiration from?

Kelsey: I have to say first and foremost from history. I'm a giant nerd for the 18th century! Also my friends... I get a lot of great feedback from them.

Lumpy: What are you working on right now?

Kelsey: Right now I'm working on a line of showpieces for the upcoming Dances of Vice in March. The theme for the event is Spring in Wonderland so I'm doing rococo interpretations of some of the characters. I'm really excited about the whole thing.

Lumpy: What can you tell me about your current line?

Kelsey: The line for winter is the Antique Unicorn line. It's a print in silver or gold available on skirts, bags and shirts. Every item is hand printed so each one is a little different!

Lumpy: I know you've been participating in some alternative fashion shows in and around New York City. Tell me about that – how did you get involved? What's it like planning your own fashion show?

Kelsey: For the past year I've been doing shows at conventions along the east coast, I'd like to think I got started doing shows because my reputation as a designer got out though really it seems to have been a series of fortunate accidents! Planning a show is really a lot of fun! I like to recruit all my models first then dress them in something that I think will flatter then specifically. I think the audience will enjoy it more if they can tell the models like the clothes they are wearing!

Lumpy: I've heard that your going to be participating in a Dances of Vice Etsy store. What are you going to be doing with them?

Kelsey: I am! I was really flattered to be asked to participate. I've done a custom print for them and right now it's available on tote bags. I think I may do a few custom outfits for them as well.

I Do Declare exclusive print for DoV

Lumpy: What are your future plans for expansion?

Kelsey: I'm hoping to get some items started in production. As it is right now I make ever item by hand. . and I'd like to have some items produced like my favorite skirt pattern (pleated at the waist with pockets). Then I'll be able to add whatever print I like by hand. I'm hoping to be able to get that started by the end of this year.

Thank you so much for talking to me, Kelsey, and best of luck on your plans for the future!

Miss Lumpy for I Do Declare

For more from Kelsey:

I Do Declare blog

I Do Declare on Etsy

Before cutting my hair, I did a demonstration of some of my favorite styles. Now that I'm getting used to my new coif, I think I'll talk a bit about working with short hair for my fellow cropped cuties!

First of all, short hair itself is often regarded as more of a style than long, so it requires less effort. That doesn't mean you get to slack off, though! If anything, it means you need to take better care of your hair. Short hair shows greasiness and frizziness much more than long in my experience, so get a few good products or procedures you swear by - for example, I wash my hair with baking soda &vinegar right before I go to bed, then sleep on it, scrunching it to form curls periodically while I'm trying to fall asleep. Keeping your hair clean, shiny, &healthy is important no matter the length, &it is especially so for us shorties because we'll have less going on with the way we style it. Have a few stand-bys for bad hair day protection - longer hair can just be put into a bun or braid, but for us, not so much! Almost all of my friends swear by snoods, but other hats or claw clips if your hair is long enough will work well too. And for prevention, invest in a good dry shampoo, which will clean your hair without being washed out if you're in a rush, or keep some baking soda or baby powder on hand &lightly run it through your hair from roots to tip. It'll dry up the grease &ickiness, but don't do this for more than one day in a row or it'll be noticeable.

When I had long hair, I used it to accessorize itself - tiny braids or loose loops were staples for lazy days because they could hang with my waves or be pinned back for extra cute. Now, however, I find myself relying much more on outside implements like clips, headbands, and hairbows. I got a pack of glittery, bright-colored clips from Hot Topic on super-sale recently that I adore, which I really recommend - keep a few hair clips or bobbypins in your purse in case you find yourself wanting to snazz up a bit in a pinch. It's very important to invest in accessories if you have short hair - cute little star-shaped hair gems, flower bobbypins, and feathered headbands are all some of my favorites for daily wear. For lolita, I wear... well, all of those of course, but also mini-hats, hair bows on elastics or bobby pins, and of course, headbows. The latter presents its own unique challenges - long hair will be able to hold its own with a huge, head-eating bow, but short hair needs to be highly teased or otherwise styled HUEG so it doesn't just look flat &dead in comparison to your big, perky bow. However, a side bow looks very sweet with short hair of almost any type - curly, straight, boy-short, etc - and depending on your type of hair you can vary the size &style. For example, a long, flattish sidebow looks nice when my hair is curly, but when it's straight I prefer a double-sidebow headband. Do your own experimentation, though - head to your local Claire's or Icing store &try on their selection to see what works best for you.

So, what can you do? Here's a brainstorm of some of my favorites:

• Pull the front sides back &secure with a barrette or bobby pins and a bow comb. Bonus points if you braid them!
• Similarly, starting at your part, twist the hair tightly in on itself all the way across your hairline, behind your bangs if you have them. Secure behind your ear with a bobby pin. Cover the pin with a rose corsage.
• Gather all of your hair across the crown by inserting your thumbs behind your ears and pulling back. Secure with a ponytail, then curl the shit out of it. Top with a tiara.
• Too short for full pigtails? Using a similar method as above, gather the hair from your crown into two small ponytails above and slightly behind your ears. Use small bows or hair clips in these so the accessory doesn't overwhelm the style.
• If your hair is at least chin-length, you can probably do french braids if not regular ones. Try two small ones, it's easier on short hair than one because the hair doesn't have to reach as far to join the braid.
• Put your hair in pin curls before bed. Wake up &take them out. Instant pseudo-curl-fro - tease to enhance! Wear a small sidebow with it.
• In the end, if you miss long hair, you can always buy a wig or clip-in extensions - they're easier to wear with short hair sometimes, too!

Masquerade! Paper faces on display-

Masquerade

Hide your face so the world will never find you

I always say to keep your eyes open, because you never know when inspiration will strike you. On a blizzardy day last week, I was watching the Jim Carrey movie Yes-Man on TV with my boyfriend. While it was a cute, cheeky, enjoyable movie, there was one scene that actually really struck me, despite the obvious facetiousness of it. The premise of the movie is that the main character, Carl, attends a seminar and makes a commitment to turn his life around by accepting any opportunity that comes his way. The scene in question is one where, during a night of heavy drinking with his friends, he accidentally puts the moves on a beautiful girl with a huge, testosterone-rich boyfriend. Obviously, the boyfriend challenges Carl to a fight, who has to accept because of his "secret covenant," on one condition: that if he wins, he gets to take the man's pretty girlfriend to a ball - " 'cause she deserves that. Every pretty girl deserves to go to a ball," he slurs. After losing horribly and taking a few bystanders with him, his reaction is a tearful pout towards the camera and the realization that the pretty girl in question would never go to a ball.
This, oddly, got me thinking. At first, it was, "I'm so happy I've been to a ball!" thinking, among other things, of Dances of Vice. Then I realized, there really ARE a lot of girls in the world who'll never go to a ball. Is that a bad thing? Well, no, not necessarily. However, what is it that a ball really is? Is it just a place to drink punch and wear a fancy dress and sit around staring at the dance floor, waiting for someone to ask you to dance? If so, no - there is nothing wrong with not attending those balls. I'm thinking of course of the high school proms and homecoming dances and cotillions of my native twentieth-century Americana in this case - in fact, one might think it's better to avoid these cesspools of upper-middle-class adolescent debauchery. However, maybe this is skewed. We're lolitas, after all - nine times out of ten, don't we yearn for an era (bygone or non-existant) in which princesses are forever donning breathtaking gowns, staying out til midnight (but no later!), and being swept off their feet by the handsome, exquisitely-dressed gentleman in grand ballrooms with marble pillars and candelabra? The ideal ball is an ideal of escapism and beauty - a place of beauty and fantasy that any girl can escape to in her mind when the real world becomes too harsh. Like a lilting piece of music. Like a beautiful book of poetry. Like looking in the mirror and seeing a living doll stare back at you.
And what about these girls who never go to the ball? All of those girls, the ones who are content to live their lives the way they're "supposed" to, who go to class, go to work, party with their friends, and never think twice about what else life could hold for them - do they know what they're missing? Are they really missing it at all, or has it simply taken on a different manifestation in their lives? I don't dismiss the possibility. However, while my hippie idealization of the world is one where everyone appreciates &seeks out beauty, I know that this is vastly untrue in the world I have found myself. Therefore, I find it safe to assume and be disheartened by the idea that there are people in this world who will never truly find themselves captivated by the beauty the world can hold. Even worse are the people who, when surrounded by utter ugliness, cannot create a source of beauty to lose themselves in.
There are little girls who stare at me, eyes wide, as I walk through the supermarket or board a subway. This is to be expected of children, but even more interesting are those my own age, who see me in the cafeteria or walking to and from class, who get that same glassy, wide-mouthed look to them. Bewildered, they turn to their friends, who are already scoffing at the sheer immaturity of my dress, and fake a smile to save face, when in reality they are mystified - they have fallen under the same spell the dresses first cast upon my fellow lolitas and I. Will they ever be able to shake this enchantment? Can they ignore what just happened, can they decide it doesn't matter and forget the shattering of their universe, or reason it away? Probably. The human mind is capable of much, and as a lolita I constantly overestimate how groundbreaking &earth-shattering this fashion is to the rest of the world anyway. My school seems to have a good amount of artsy, "alternative" kids anyway, so it's possible that I've just been written off as one of them, which is fitting and doesn't bother me. But for the people who can't do that,who experience beauty and can't get it out of their heads, what recompense can they hope for? Only the one dancing in their minds.

Just imagine – you've spent hours getting ready, perfecting your outfit and hair and make-up. You arrive at the ball, give your hair a little fluff in a window's reflection, and then, horrified, you see it. Whatever it is, you are mortified- how could you let this happen?! It was a horrible slight of judgment - how could you have forgotten _____?! Don't panic– you have your Lolita Survival Kit!

Level 1 – things to throw in the bottom of your purse before you leave:

• Bobby pins and/or hair things
• Tide-to-go pen
• Lipgloss and mascara (both are make-up secret weapons, the two things that can most refresh your look)

Level 2 – keep in a little pouch, grab it on the way out the door:

• A travel-sized bottle of perfume
• Needle and thread and a few safety pins
• Make-up remover, for smeared mascara or eye liner
• Wisp toothbrush
  
• Extra cash
• Extra batteries for your camera
• Tweezers

Level 3 – keep in the back seat of your car

• A pair of pajamas for surprise slumber parties
• Toiletries like deodorant and a toothbrush, also for surprise slumber parties
• A change of shoes in case you step in mud or your shoes are somehow inappropriate – a picnic with friends is rained out and your heels aren't appropriate for clomping through the mall instead
• Emergency weather clothes – gloves, hat, and scarf in the winter; tanktop and sandals in the summer
• Extra cash, just in case – mentioned above but it bears repeating! You never know when you'll get lost and encounter a toll bridge
• Rations – some candy, a granola bar – something not likely to spoil, just in case you go to a meet-up to find nothing you can eat. Don't pass out driving home after wards – just nibble your rations!
• A book, in case you need to wait for someone.
• A comfy cutsew dress, in case you spill something on your skirt and need to change
• A cellphone charger, to reduce the risk of being stranded communicationless

Your lolita survival kit will make any situation manageable. Never fear make-up mistakes, follicle follies, or other awful alliterations again. Build your own today!

I've been interested in tea very seriously for years. Ever since I started this blog, I've been meaning to do an informational tea post, but I've kept putting it off or for forgetting about it. Carolyn of F* Yeah Lolita's recent post about exquisite teas got my blood pumping again, and, doki-doki-ing away, I didn't have any choice but to write up my own article!

So, why drink tea? Of course it is ~so lolita~, but why? Well, if you consider its fabled health benefits, it may not be a surprise; while being incredibly beneficial to one's heart and immune system, it is also said to be good for the nails and hair, while boosting the metabolism and fighting diabetes (both important when nomming away on cakes at a tea party!). Green tea especially also employs a unique combination of chemicals: EGCG, L-theanine, and caffeine. These chemicals combine in an interesting way- the caffeine affects your body in a similar way as it does in coffee or soda, but the L-theanine and EGCG put your brain into alpha, relaxed brain waves instead of beta brain waves (which is considered the unhealthy "fight-or-flight" reaction) as is usual with caffeine consumption. What this means is that your metabolism is boosted and you feel more alert, but the uncomfortable anxiousness and nervousness are assuaged. There is also much less caffeine in tea (around 15 - 60 mg) than in other caffeinated substances, with soda at 80 -140 mg and coffee at 60 - 200 mg. This is why people trying to wean off the substance are recommended to switch a few cups of coffee to a few cups of tea a day.

So, what different types of tea are there? Technically, the three main types are black, white, and green. These all come from the same plant (Camellia Sinensis) and use the leaves; however, the difference in them is the fermentation, which affects each type profoundly. Black tea, the most common, is fermented longest; it's considered "fully-fermented," though technically the term "fermentation" is a bit of a misnomer in and of itself, because the process we give this name to is actually just allowing the tea to oxidize during the drying process- black tea is allowed to dry longest, and thus loses a lot of properties that less-fermented green and white teas keep in tact. The next level of fermentation is green tea, which, as stated above, keeps chemicals such as EGCG that black tea looses. White tea is considered the most healthful and luxurious, as it undergoes much more careful handling and a shorter drying period, keeping the most chemicals and health benefits. White tea drying methods are also used in Silver Tips tea, which is usually the most expensive type: this tea uses only first-flush young leaves (the newest, youngest, most tender leaves from the first harvest of the season) - if you can get your hands on this I really recommend it! Beyond those, anything else is considered an "herbal" tea, or tisane (pronounced "tee-zahn") - the only "true" teas are those using leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant.
Now you know what type of tea you want to go for. Your next question is, loose leaf or bag tea? There are pros and cons for each choice. For example, bag teas are cheaper and more convenient, but you have to be more careful - a lot of tea bags are mostly filings, which are very low-quality "fillers." You have a much better chance of quality control if you go with loose leaf, as well as superior taste and more blending capabilities - obviously, I recommend loose leaf, but it's a bit pricier (look to pay $3 - 15 per ounce, with 3 - 4 servings per ounce) and harder to get a hold of. Try your local health food store, or online - my personal favorite sites are Rishi Tea and DiviniTea. They're also both Fair Trade, organic, and kosher, all of which are important to me personally. What that means is that the teas were produced by workers in fair, safe conditions without the use of harmful chemicals, using only the best ingredients - I recommend checking packages and looking for certification for all three when buying teas. For a loose leaf tea, you'll need an infuser of some sort - this can be an individual teacup, a whole teapot, or even a french press (my favorite is this one from Rishi Tea). You can even steep the leaves in a normal teapot, then strain it when you pour it into the individual cup. If you want more tips on the best way to brew Western tea, check out Victoria Suzanne's post here.

I have a deep personal love of tea. I spent six month working in an organic hippie tearoom, and it was by far the best six months of my life. I learned so much more about tea than I ever thought was possible, and from this I learned more than I could have ever expected about myself, inner peace, and balance. There so are many reasons people drink tea- love of the taste, its possible health benefits, or for the pure aesthetic value of taking tea with friends. What's your reason?