Updates, Updates!: Moving Tomorrow to a New Apartment!

Hi everybody! I've been gone awhile due to preparing to move to a new apartment in another state. I'm physically moving tomorrow, and I'm just about every emotional state one could think of! While I'm excited, I unfortunately don't have any financial security coming in to this, so the first couple of months will be job searching. My classes are in the evenings, so I have all day to dedicate to the search for employment. Broke lolitas do not buy brand, and broke graduate students can't pay rent XD

All the trials and tribulations aside, I'm rather stoked about finally having my own apartment. I live in a rented room unit in an older home with other tenants before, but now I'll have my own kitchen and bath and living room--all for me, no others to encroach on the space (except for my kitten, who is presently wondering where all his things are). I live right next to a lovely little gourmet tea shop too, which for a tea addict like me is a dream come true!

I'm working right now on an advice post about getting decor and furniture items secondhand. Since beginning this whole process, I have picked up a lot of tips and tricks for snagging cheap and free (yes, free) items for the home. Can't wait to share with all of you! ♥

tata,
beatrixx

Brief Hiatus this Week, Bonus: Cool Japanese Home Design Magazines

Hi everybody, I'm taking a break from posting this week to start the process of relocating to a different state. There will be posts on and off probably until late April while I'm going through this transition, but probably not a Monday Movie every week or long editorials. I'm excited about moving into my own apartment and starting graduate studies, but it's also a big (necessary) change--new location, new people, new work (on and off-campus I hope), and it's all a lot to take in. But all seriousness aside, I finally get to decorate my own home--not a room in my parent's house or half a dorm room, but my own home. I only ever had summer apartments before, so a more permanent locale will--I hope--lift my morale and support my career ambition.

Love the rose garlands, the colors and the drapery (I'm making my own, they are super easy to sew, being rectangles and all lol).

I'm looking at a lot of the home design Japanese girl's magazines right now for decorating inspiration. These girls for the most part live in tiny, tiny apartments (like I'll probably have to), but they really make the most of the space with drapery, lighting, and little touches here and there. I promise when all is said and decorated, there will be photos and tutorials! ♥

tata,
beatrixx

Fun Meme on EGL and Fighting off the Neighborhood Bug

Hey, everyone--sorry I missed Monday at the Movies (I have the movie post all ready to go for next Monday though--hint: It's a little bit Disney, and a little bit "Pricey") this week. We've had an awful bug going around my apartment complex and my immune system went all to heck yesterday and much of today. I got a lot of good sleep though, and it would appear I didn't catch the worst of it.

Speaking of catching what's going around, I wanted to share this adorable image meme going around the egl comm. It was created by lemontree11 in this post on egl, so if you use it, be sure to credit. The theme is what you're wearing and what's in your purse today. I did my Sunday outfit with the accessories I took to the park:

So cute! Hope to post a cool craft for you all by the end of the week.

tata,
beatrixx

I'm back and Self-Challenge for Spring

Hi, everyone! I'm finally back from the mayhem of not having a computer (I know it's pathetic, but I'm not John Clayton II, Lord Greystoke or something and I need my modern technology to survive). I got an Asus Eee PC netbook that came with Windows 7 Starter, but being geeky as I am I was able to personalize my netbook's background, screensaver, etc. using a program called Starter Background Changer (site in French, translated to English a bit wonky). I wouldn't recommend doing anything like this to 7 Starter unless you're good with computers or have someone nearby who is. My new netbook also comes with a Webcam, so maybe I can make some cool tutorial vids (or at least show some thrift store hauls from time to time).

I do have a fun video coming up hopefully that will be a look at how I transformed an old Build-a-Bear Cub Condo Box into a Neo-Victorian/Edwardian Cottage for my Pullip Doll (it would probably work for Barbie, Blythe, and the Mini-sized BJDS too). The interior is already basically done at this point, so I'll post photos soon.

Anyway, I won a contest over at Dolly's Misadventures, so when I get the contest package I will do a little spot on her blog♥ I'm very excited because I never win these things, lol. She sews (which I'm not terribly good at, read: I kinda suck) quite well, so I'm already very impressed with her blog, which features lolita fashion discussions, sewing posts and very soon tutorials. So look forward to that coming up :-)

Also, inspired by a lot of these challenges to see how far one can stretch a wardrobe, I have a new challenge for Spring (which according to Monsieur Groundhog is now, unless he's wrong in which case I say let's make him into a hat >D ). I call it my "Wardrobe Sort" project. Basically, I'm going to try on every single item in my closet and place each item in one of four categories:
1. Items to Keep (i.e., it fits, good condition)
2. Items to Tailor or Repair (i.e., almost fit, pretty good condition or easily mendable)
3. Items to Goodwill or the Trash (i.e., don't fit anymore, not that great condition--faded, etc)
4. Items to Sell (i.e., don't fit but good condition and know you can sell--for instance, lightly used lolita fashion items or vintage clothing)

I'm hoping this project will help me organize my wardrobe for the move and transition me into a closet that fits. I have a lot of stuff still from when I was larger (freshman year, size 16ish), and now I'm a size 6/8 and anyone who has had a major body type change will tell you that not having clothes that fit you in your closet is a huge self-esteem damper. I also have some pieces that are just not meshing with a mature wardrobe, such as old Juniors t-shirts and the ilk. I think going through one's closet can be a really cleansing experience, not to mention help you feel more organized. My goal is to be able to coordinate a lot with what I already have, then determine what I want/need to add based on this.

Monday at the Movies back next week with a Valentines' Day feature!

tata,
beatrixx

Good News, But Bad News Too

Good news first: I'm moving to Lexington! I will officially begin earning my Masters Degree in Library Science at the Graduate School of the University of Kentucky this fall! I just got the acceptance letter. This has been my dream for some time (becoming a research librarian or archivist), so I'm pretty elated! :-D

Bad news: my laptop officially died. A lot. It was going going gone though. I am in the process of getting a new one in the next week or so, but until then updates will be scarcer. I'm currently at a PC hub at my local library. It's not so bad--I 've been wanting an Acer plus Marmie is donating her old Dell desktop to me and my techie friends so they can remake it and install Linux.

How cute is that?

You will hear from me soon, sorry for this impromptu hiatus!

tata,
beatrixx

Update: New Layout!

Sorry to anyone whose been accessing the blog the past ten minutes or so--I've been tinkering with the layout and I just now am happy with it. I use Paint Shop Pro 5 to make my graphics, an oldie but a good one. The layout code is from Pyzam of course, hence my leaving the big ole credit link.

The green-eyed, red-headed young lady wearing the straw hat in the layout banner is indeed yours truly. That's what I look like! It's a little weird seeing my face since I'm terribly camera shy normally--Hello face! XD

Anyway, I hope you all like the new layout since it's more personalized and features all my favorite things (pink, green, gingham and roses and a bit of Victoriana thrown in).

I'm not sure what's going to be tomorrow's movie feature--I've actually been reading Tarzan of the Apes and watching the Baden-Baden Festspielhaus' production of Wagner's Lohengrin, so I'm short on film ideas at present, lol. Someone posted a wardrobe post on egl with an image of their Felicity AG doll, so perhaps I'll talk about Felicity: An American Girl Adventure? American colonial backdrop, a feisty redhead and a horse with a copper-penny coat--I think it could be fun! Anyway, I'm off to things in the real world---

tata,
beatrixx

EDIT: I'm not sure why, but Blogger is screwing up my post date/times every time I post O_o
Sorry for the confusion if you saw/see an obviously later post placed before an earlier one, although I do think I've straightened it out. I think it's because I back-posted a couple entries back and Blogger is all "waahahaaaah--time warp!"

Yuletide Greetings and an Update

Sorry for the delays in updates, everyone! I am finally done with the GRE and the holidays et al and should hopefully be back to blogging more often. I do have a tumblr account now for those of you also sucked into the tumblr world, lol. My tumblr blog is called Maiden in the Fire. It's just a little something for pictures/vid/quotes.

I'm working on a review of Disney's Tangled for Monday, Jan 3 (Happy New Year for those on the Jan-Dec calendar), since I was fortunate enough to have a get-together with one of my dear fellow Disney Princess addicts from college (she's actually Women's Studies too, not just English/Art Hist/Hist like me, so we're all types lol). We saw the movie and even had a little Disney Princess themed brunch. It was the one break I got from the craziness of the GRE XD

Clean Hoooouuuuse

Today was my apartment complex's big yard sale. I managed to make some money toward my GRE fee and sell off my old dorm stuff and unfitting clothes. The rain waited for us, thankfully, to finish before pouring!
After the yard sale was done, I donated all the items that didn't sell to charity. I enjoyed the whole process (I'm sore from carrying all the furniture and heavy items), and I think sometimes you have to part with one stage of your life and move into another. Selling/donating/repurposing items from one's past is an almost ritual way of enacting changes in your life on a material level. I know people who have serious hoarding problems caused by inabilities to progress from that past stage of their life to the next--literally, carrying "baggage" from their past. I feel rejuvenated after ridding myself of the vestiges of past. Cocoon to butterfly, here I go.

BTW-Last week I grievously omitted Monday at the Movies during my hectic yard sale/grad app prep! This Monday I'll be posting an illustrated review of the ABC Family original movie, Princess starring Nora Zehetner. I really love this movie's princess mythology--it's focused a lot on women's POVs and is pretty empowering even (not your common fairytale). I can't wait to share, see you Monday!

Update, Thurs 9/16

Sorry for the lack of posts as of late, I've been planning a big yard sale and working on grad school stuff. To make up for the lag, I give you cuteness: