A Few of My Favourite Things: Roses

I admit I am a bit slow with writing new posts (again). It’s the end of the school year and after an ‘in-between-year’ of ‘doing nothing’ I am suddenly right in the middle of studying for tests again! I’ll admit that I really had to get reused to studying, especially when I have to summarize over 170 pages of music history! But since I got accepted into the first year, I am not complaining. ^^

Anyway, back to business. As an in-between post I decided to do another Favourite Things again! This episode: roses.
Roses have always been very important to me. Not only because they’re gorgeous flowers and smell absolutely wonderfully, but I also like to call them my Name Flowers. My name, Rosalynn, means ‘as beautiful as a rose’ or simply ‘beautiful rose’ (or ‘tender horse’ in a different way of translating, but I am conveniently ignoring that). Now I am not saying I consider myself equally beautiful as a flower as perfect as a rose, but I do really love the meaning of my name. As a child, I used to make jokes about all the roses being my family, since my name was Rose too, but even back then I was very proud of my name.
When it comes to Lolita, I really like flower prints and of course especially the ones that contain roses. We might not have roses in our garden, but I am very happy to say that I at least have them in my closet! I own two of my favourite rose-printed Lolita dresses: Powder Rose and Lady Rose. I hope one day I can welcome Rose Toilette in my frilly wardrobe too!

Do you have a favourite flower that means something to you?
✿ I’d love to know! ✿

A Few of My Favourite Things: Music Notes

Last week I started my study at the Conservatory of Rotterdam! Music has always been a big part of my life, but from now on it will take up most of my time. I am very excited to see what will happen this year and sometimes when I walk through the school, I can’t help but smile. A couple of months ago I could only dream of walking through these halls and have classes in these classrooms. Now I have a schedule, my own teachers and soon I have my own private card to travel by train. I was nervous for my first singing lesson, but it was wonderful to finally sing off the music sheets while the music was being played by a pianist.

I’ve always had a fascination for music notes. As a child, I loved drawing them next to the girls in colourful dresses with fairy wings. I probably drew all kinds of music notes that didn’t exist, but I just loved them so much! Now that I can read music (not superfast or anything, but I can read it), music notes have become even more important to me.
I would love to show how important music is to me, but since I’m not really into tattoos (on myself), I would love to show it in my outfits. I really love music notes in jewelry and I’d love to own Angelic Pretty’s Recital Onepiece or Fancy Melody. Even owning Bodyline’s replica of this last print would be awesome, just to wear it to school! I hope I can find some music-themed accessories and clothing soon. I would really like that. ^^

A Few of my Favourite Things: Flower Headbands

In my last outfit post, I wore my new and very beloved flower headband from Claire’s. Last Saturday I wore it again for a singing performance and I’ve come to realise that I really love to wear flowers in my hair! Flowers are spring-like but also summery, fairy-ish and girly. I happen to love all those things too, so flowers are perfect.

Flower headbands come in different shapes and sizes. The one I have has wires you can shape in any way you like, but there also those that make a firm circle and are not moveable. I personally prefer mine, because it also has an elastic at the back so you can put it comfortably around your head. There’s only one downside: I like to put the band around my head and underneath my hair. The elastic band pushes up my hair in the back, but luckily this can easily be fixed with some clips. ^^

Flower headbands can definitely complete an outfit. They stand out, but are not too distracting. They can go easily with a casual shirt-and-jeans-look, but also with a fairy-like (Lolita)dress. 

If you think a headband might be too much, just adding one or two flowerclips will give a cute effect too. And you can always go OTT: flower headband + flower clips + headbow..? ^^

A Few of my Favourite Things: Soft Tulle

Today I went shopping with my mom in one of our favourite cities. We like to go shopping here, since there are so many original shops that you can’t really find anywhere else. Of course, there are always the big shops like Zara and H&M, but this city also has a lot of little shops we like to browse around in. Although I’ve been there only twice now, one of my favourites is ‘Noa Noa’, a Danish fashion label I have never seen in any city I’ve been. The first time I went there I bought a beautiful skirt that I absolutely adore. It has a white underskirt with embroidery-like print and a dark lavender soft tulle upper skirt. When I twirl around it just flutters so beautifully. One of the shopladies helped me wonderfully back then, by combining the skirt with a perfectly matching top. She was so sincere and nice!
Today I went back to Noa Noa and that same shoplady was there again. I discovered a new gorgeous skirt, in a sea green colour, made of soft tulle again. I doubted about buying it, but she helped me again by combining it with another pretty top that suited the skirt so well! Her and the other shoplady’s sincerity and service eventually persuaded me into buying the outfit (and my mom helped a lot too, haha)! They said that I’m such a pretty girl and that I shouldn’t feel insecure about myself!

I wanted to tell you this story, because it made me really happy. And I wanted to tell you about one of my many Favourite Things: soft tulle. I love the way it looks and its softness. I really have a weakness for clothes made out of soft tulle.
I’ll definitely return to Noa Noa again, hoping to find more pretty soft tulle clothing! They do have a lot of beautiful things, I really love this shop!

A Few of My Favourite Things: Cupcakes

Wow, I haven’t done this in a while! I missed writing about my Favourite Things! ^^

I am no kitchen princess. There, I said it. I once managed to ruin a Sacher Torte by misreading the recipe (I put in way too much water) and the batter turned into what ressembled a filmset for a movie that takes place in a rotting swamp. Yes, it looked that terrible! Since that incident I didn’t want to bake anymore, feeling so ashamed for misreading the instructions and especially the amount of water. But somehow, a little while ago, I turned a switch in my head. All the beautiful (cup)cake pictures that appeared in front of me on Tumblr convinced me to try it again!

I’m glad I did, since I discovered I love decorating cakes and cupcakes! For my birthday in December I made cupcakes for the first time and they turned out pretty good! I bought two boxes with pre-made batter for cupcakes and after they were done, I decorated them with self-made roses and flowers. Since then I’ve also decorated three cakes: one for Christmas (white with green and red stars and little white pearls around them), one for Spring (green with yellow and pink flowers and chocolate thingies) and one for fun (it had a water theme). They didn’t only look cute, they also tasted great! ^^

I would love to make more cupcakes in the future, like the one in the picture. I haven’t tried that yet, but I really want to! I also want to try more recipes from cookbooks. Maybe I’ll finally get better at cooking? ^^

A Few of My Favourite Things: Airplanes

When you look up to the sky during the day, you’ll probably see them. They´re especially very striking when the sky is forget-me-nots blue and the clouds have gone to rain down somewhere else: white stripes that cut through the sky. Airplane stripes. They slowly disappear as the flying object moves further. Going way faster than it seems.

I’ve always been fascinated by airplanes. As a little girl I used to wave at them as they flew by, hoping someone would see me and wave back. When my grandparents went on vacation, I imagined them sitting in every airplane I saw. I loved it when multiple airplane stripes crossed each other in the sky and I regretted it when they disappeared.

I still love airplanes. When I look at them, I try to think of where they’re going. Maybe Australia? The United States? Or maybe India? And why are the people flying? Are they going on vacation? Maybe they’re visiting family on the other side of the world? Or are they on a bussinesstrip?
At night, you only see the flickering lights moving through the sky. Maybe the people are sleeping, eating, laughing, weeping. Either way, they’re going somewhere.

Here in my country, we have a television program called ‘Hello, Goodbye’. In this show, the host (I don’t know what to call him otherwise) asks people at the airport who they’re waiting for or who they’re saying goodbye to. So many beautiful stories are being told. Happy reunions, heartbreaking partings… It’s a beautiful show and it always brings me to tears. It makes me realize how amazing airports are every time.

This Monday, I myself will be at the airport and will fly for the first time in many years with an airplane again. The last time was when I was just a little girl and I can’t remember anything of it, but I do know I liked it. I’m very nervous, but also super excited!

So if you see an airplane this Monday, think of me and wave. Don’t hesitate, just do it. Why not? Who will hold you back? I know I won’t. I’ll definitely wave back.

A Few of My Favourite Things: The Eiffeltower

I can’t help it: I’m still in the Paris mood. While writing my reports about my trip, I began to miss it again… Altough I have my new job to distract me, in the free hours I think of my absolute favourite thing of Paris: the Eiffeltower. I know it sounds cliché and maybe it is, but I can’t help it. After seeing it by night, I can’t deny it anymore: I have a crush on the Eiffeltower.

The thing is: you can’t describe it. The Eiffeltower looks beautiful on pictures, but in real life it’s ten times more beautiful! It’s unbelievably big and you feel so small when you stand underneath it. The fact that it just stands there, day and night, in sun and rain, is so amazing! When you look at it, facing it from Trocadéro, you can’t believe it’s there, being photographed every day by thousands of people. And when you stand on it, you realize just how big Paris is. It reaches beyond the horizon and the ground is so far away. You might not see the Tower standing from wherever you are, but it is a fact that you will see it very often, between houses in the distance.

The experience you have while looking at it differs with every person, but to me it’s magical. And it will always be. I will always be homesick for Paris. And for its Eiffeltower.

(I didn't get a chance to write a 'Favourite Things' last month, so this one counts for both July and August ^^).

A Few of My Favourite Things: Stars

The stars. They have always fascinated me so much. They have something really mysterious and magical. I would love to just lie down in the grass and count stars with somebody I care for, but unfortunately the sky here never looks like the picture of course.

Stars have many things about them that I like.
I like the word star. It just seems so right. A short word for something so unique.
I like the fact that famous people are called stars, or the fact that you can scream out: ‘I’m going to be a star some day!’
I like the fact that children all over the world draw stars the same way: with five points and a yellow colour.
I like the fact that everyone in my country looks up to the same sky. Maybe even the whole world does, I don’t know. The sky is so big.

I remember a chemistry lesson, about three years ago, that I actually enjoyed. Our teacher put something between two sticks and lit it on fire. The little thingy started to shine like a star, it was so incredibly beautiful. I think it was probably magnesium or something, but it was so pretty..! It was as if one of the stars came down to earth to show itself before it died forever…

I love it when Lolita brands add stars to their prints. I love Starry Night Theatre. I mean, seriously, that name! And those shooting star bags that came out with Milky Planet are to die for! I hope I’ll be able to get my hands on one of those one day.

A Few of My Favourite Things: Clouds

Now that my exams are over I feel completely empty. It’s like I’ve fallen into a hole, a deep, empty hole. I really don’t know what to do anymore. There is no schoolwork to do, nothing to study, nothing to finish. I’m simply done. I wake up in the morning and I can ask myself: ‘What will I do today?’

I haven’t had this amazing feeling in ages. Even during the summervacation of 2010 I had schoolwork to do. Not a lot, but I still had to do it. I haven’t had the feeling I was free for years and now I’m as free as a bird. I feel calm and relaxed, but at the same time there’s the undying feeling that there’s work lying somewhere to be done. But I think I’m getting used to the peace and calmness slowly… ^^

That’s why I chose clouds as this month’s Favourite Thing. In movies, people lie down in the grass and look at the clouds, searching for shapes, like animals. To me, lying down in the grass and staring at the clouds is the ultimate relaxation and I haven’t done it in ages. But I’ve put it on my ‘Want to do-list’ for this summervacation! Yes, I really do have such a list. ^^

A Few of My Favourite Things: Sunshine in Forests

Oh my God, April is almost over already and this is only my third post! I always tell myself to try to write at least five entries a month, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. I’m afraid next month is not going to happen either, because of my two weeks of exams. Well, at least I warned you!
However, I’m very loyal with my Favourite Things posts, as you can see. ^^ I really like to write short stories about things I appreciate in life.

The weather in the past week was incredibly pleasant! The sun was very warm and we could sit in the garden all day, while at night the temperatures dropped and we could sleep underneath soft blankets. I noticed that, since I lost weight, I appreciate warmth more. I can sit in the garden, the sun shining on me, without thinking: ‘Ok, now it’s really getting too hot!’
I actually wanted to write a post about sunscreen (if that’s the right word). I just love the smell of sunscreen… It reminds me of the beach and the ocean. But I couldn’t find a good picture of a bottle.
Instead, I chose the Favourite Thing that came closest (yes, I have a whole list ready): sunshine in forests.

You know: those pictures of a forest with sunrays beaming through the open spots between the leaves. Those pictures, that often clearly show what season it is. Pictures with snow, red and yellow leaves, falling leaves…
God, I love those pictures! I always wished to once, just once, walk through a forest while the sunrays are just like on one of those pictures. That never happened up until yet. I guess I just have bad luck.
I’ll add a sunshine-filled forest to my imaginary Fantasyland until then. ^^

A Few of My Favourite Things: Carrousels

In addition to recent events (the re-release of AP’s Sugary Carnival with I’m still super excited about!!!) I decided to make the Carrousel into this month’s Favourite Thing. Because what is a better Lolita-example for carrousels than AP's newest re-release?

Carrousels are such magnificent things! They come in different sizes, all look different and some even have two stories. I read the European carrousels turn clockwise, while American ones turn anti-clockwise.
You know what? Carrousels are actually really simple things! They're just... big round objects that turn and almost always include horses. But that's what makes them so amazing! Even though they only turn, you can still pretend you're riding a horse (or a pig) or sitting in a carriage. You can make up your own story in those few minutes you're taking the ride. From the moment you mount your horse, you're a princess taking a ride on a bright and sunny afternoon with your Prince Charming! Or you're the best horserider in the country and you have to defend that one so important object from thieves that have come to use it for no good!

Carrousels are like portals to your imagination, wether you are a child or not. That's why I find them so incredibly special. And that's why I'm extra thrilled about AP's re-release (I can't say that often enough)!
I read there are quite a few people that collect carrousels (the smaller versions, I hope). Such a wonderful thing to collect...

A Few of My Favourite Things: Curls

I love curls (duh, I made it into a Favourite Thing, of course I love it). Curls just always make me happy. I love the way they bounce when you walk and how they jump back when you let it go after you’ve pulled them. Curls just look so

In the Sweet Lolita world, it is very common to have curly hair/a curly wig. It seems to me that straight hair is more of a ‘classic’ thing somehow. There are, of course, always exceptions, but it is a fact that a lot of Sweet Lolitas wear curls.

‘You always crave for the things you don’t have!’ they say. I usually don’t agree with this sentence, but in this case I do. Being a girl with natural straight hair almost automatically makes me crave for curls. I don’t have a curling iron, but I really want one. I also love wigs and I definitely want some curly ones. ^^

What about you? Do you have curls and do you like them, or do you want to switch to straight? Or do you have straight hair and do you want curls?

A Few of My Favourite Things: Rainbowfood

Since I’m not very happy today, I decided to write a new ‘Favourite Things’ to cheer myself up. I thought of a thing that really brightens up a day and I immediately thought of a rainbow (I think it literally brightens up a day ^^)! I think rainbows are the most beautiful natural phenomenons of all: nature in all its pretty colours, sliding through the air after the rain when the sun starts to shine again.
I absolutely love colours (although I wear black so often, sigh…)! My room is a mixture of bright pink, lime green and turquoise blue, combined with objects in any colour imaginable.

When I started looking for good pictures of rainbows, I came across this gorgeous-looking rainbowcake, which made me realise what would cheer me up even more: a delicious cake and a rainbow, combined! I’d definitely eat something as colourful like this, being it cake or not!

Unfortunately, I don’t have any cake right now, so I’ll just have to dream of the one on the picture. I think it would be too difficult to make/bake anyway. ^^




‘The colours of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
are also on the faces of the people passing by’

A Few of My Favourite Things: Snowdrops

My last ‘Favourite Things’ of the year! I’ve only just started this little once-in-a-month-article, but I am not planning to stop yet! ^^ Now, since it’s the last one of the year, I could of course, totally cliché, talk about how much I love fireworks and their bright colours, but I won’t. Don’t think I dislike fireworks, I greatly like them, but I don’t want to be too predictable all the time (I probably am already, sigh).

To be honest: I’m quite sick of the winter already. I know it only just started, but it really annoys me. I used to like the winter, hoping for snow, looking at the decorations in the streets and drinking hot chocolate. I used to have no problems with the cold weather at all, but lately all I do is running around looking for something that will warm me. The heater in my room only seems to know two ways: extremely hot or no warmth at all. The snow that started a few weeks ago still hasn’t melted away, so every little part of the street is slippery and scares me. I love snow, but my love knows limits. The houses are barely decorated and the worst of all: I’ve barely drunk any hot chocolate and I don’t even know why.

I want spring! Cycling to school in the sun without a coat, not too hot and not too cold. Wearing cute and colourful clothes, instead of ‘wintercolours’ as everyone calls them, but to me, they’re just plain and boring. Spring always brings the pink, yellow and green out! The smell of freshly mowed grass, the wind that gently blows, the birds that start to make their nests.
Yes, I miss spring dearly. And that’s why I chose for snowdrops for this month’s ‘Favourite Things’! Snowdrops announce the coming of spring. They find their way through the hard snow or soil to take a first look at the wintery world, after which they hang their heads down to tell the people the snow will melt and the green colour will return. Snowdrops are called ‘little snowclocks’ in my language.

The most beautiful part of this flower? When they’re fulled opened, they remind me of Lolita skirts. Snowdrop Lolita, anyone?

A Few Of My Favourite Things: Snowflakes

Although it’s autumn, the weather here doesn’t seem to know it: the upcoming days are supposed to become really cold, even with snow and ice! These two get associated with a lot of negative things: slippery roads, accidents, busy roads, delays, etc. I, too, feel uncomfortable when thinking of this (I remember winter last year. I still fear the place I fell with my bicycle because of the ice).

But I just really, really love snowflakes! I just love the fact that each snowflake has a unique form, it's sounds so… I don’t know… romantic?
I remember that one day, a couple of years ago, it finally snowed. I stood outside and held up my hands to catch some snowflakes. Then, when I looked down to my hands, I was just in time to actually see the form of one of the snowflakes, right before it melted! To be honest, I have no idea if this was real or that I’ve dreamed it, but it was just so beautiful!

On EGL, Lolitas sometimes get called “a special, unique snowflake”. This is mostly associated with bad things. To be honest, I really like this phrase. It expresses how I feel about humans: we’re all unique and different, like those snowflakes.
Ok, that sounded totally Disney just now, but I do mean it in some way.

I really want a necklace or a hairaccessory with a snowflake on it, preferably sparkling! Or are there any Lolitaprints with snowflakes? I thought there weren’t any… I’d totally buy it if there was! ^^ ‘Sparkling Snowflakes’ would be a good name!


A bit off-topic, but I wanted to say this anyway: Thank you so much to Miss Lumpy, for mentioning me in your Underappreciated Blogs-post . I feel really flattered, thank you!

A Few Of My Favourite Things: Classical Keys

Everyone has those little things they really like. The song ‘My favourite things’ from the Sound of Music describes this in such a perfect way! ^^ I really like that song. Every time I hear it, I think I should make a version of my own, with the things I like.

There are so many little things I like, yet I’m not the kind of person who sees something good in everything. I am often very stressed, due to schoolassignments and tests and on those moments, nothing seems good to me and I forget the positive stuff. That’s why I start a little mini-series: A Few Of My Favourite Things, to talk about cute stuff I really like once in a while. This time: keys.

I’ve always had a thing for big, classical keys.
Keys are mysterious. What lock will they fit into? What secret lies behind the closed door? Will it be dangerous, or magical?
In one of my favourite books, the Secret Garden, a key is a very important object to the story. I highly recommend this book: it’s so beautiful!

I always wanted to hang a key around my neck with a necklace, but using the key of our storage wouldn’t really be a good idea (our bikes and stuff are in there). But yesterday, I was early for my musiclessons and I went into the accessoriesshop Six. And there, I found this beautiful, big key with a red, glittering stone on it! I instantly fell in love! The little flowers with the elegant design and the ribbon that’s wrapped around the chain are so pretty, I just had to buy it!

I would love to make a Lolitacoord with this necklace, but I think it’s more classical than sweet. But who cares? It’s so gorgeous!


So, are there any “peculiar” things you like? I would love to know about other people’s Favourite Things. ^^