I'm about two weeks from being done with summer quarter at school, and I'm already buzzing with ideas and excitement over all the things I'm going to do with my month-long summer vacation before fall quarter! OuO
1. PRINT ALL THE THINGS!!
 |
| XD I love Macrolita |
Now is the time to suck dry all of those folders you've been filling with shiny things, or go through all of your tumblr/instagram likes, and print out some inspiration to stick all over your walls, or even better, a scrapbook! I love covering my room in pretty things.
2. Redecorate!
 |
| Source: F Yeah Lolita Decor! |
On the note of decorating, I like to add some things to my room every chance I get. Right now, my next projects are
- Tablecloths for my two tables using some cute gingham fabrics
- Curtains and curtain-ties from lace and scrap
- Possibly a bed-skirt and canopy if I can't find some cheaply for sale in pink
- Spraypainting more of my small organizers and room pieces to increase my pink to not-pink ratio.
- Either an ice-cream mobile or Sailor Moon themed mobile. I can't decide yet.
3. Cook something summery!
There are so, so many fun summer recipes that I find it hard to pick which ones to do first. I'll upload some of my favorite recipes here very soon, and you can try them out! I'm very fond of the sweetly illustrated recipes that come from the Kitchen Princess manga. It's a cute shoujo manga I am very fond of, and you can read the whole thing here.
I would recommend trying a cold beverage, like a punch or flavored tea/lemonade, or a homemade jam. Jams are surprisingly easy to make, and always super tasty!
4. Make a new penpal, and write each other all summer!
I hold my penpals near and dear. I love writing letters. And if you're anything like me, you probably tend to acquire more kawaii stationary than you can use just in everyday life. XD I think I have an addiction.
Aaaaanyway, if Lolita is your bag, there's already a Lolita pen pal community set up here. Just post up a little how-to-do about yourself and your interests, and/or respond to a few that came before you. I've sort of 'gone through' multiple pen pals over the years... many of them just stop responding to my letters after a period of time. ;n; Oh well, I've still made a few new friends through the experience, and that's what its all about!
5. Read a book (or magazine!)
Yes yes, summer vacation cliches, but if you're busy during most of the year, now is a great time to go back and get caught up on all the fashion magazines you didn't have time for before! I also keep a To Be Read list in my day-planner at all times, and add to it whenever something sounds interesting. Then I'll have some things to do when I do find myself with time off! (I keep a To Be Watched and To Be Gamed list in the same manner XD I'm a chronic list-maker)
6. Take some of your boring clothes, and brainstorm how to make them lovable again!
I've got a few things that have either remained pathetically unfinished, or have been slowly shifting their way further and further into the back of my closet because they are too plain or I'm just bored with them. Sometimes all it can take is a few strands of extra lace, some matching bows, or a homemade matching accessory to make something seem fun again! If something feels like it's beyond salvaging though, it's time to move on to #7...
7. Go through your wardrobe, and do a belated spring cleaning!
Dig through some of your old things and look at each one closely. Sometimes it'll feel like Christmas morning, "I've been looking for this! ^u^', and other times, you'll get that sort of squishy ambivalent feeling, like 'well, this scarf looks good with that one coat, but is that a good enough reason to keep it? :S'
I'm trying to make myself obey one rule "If I don't LOVE it, don't keep it." It's okay to think of things in combos in that respect. I can't say I love a camisole, but i love the way it looks under a sheer sweater. But try to drag some of the unused things to the front, and force yourself to wear them. If they just don't work with anything, or they make you feel like you 'could be doing better', then it needs to go. Either spice it up with a DIY upgrade, or start looking for the next step up, so it can be replaced with something you cherish. There's nothing worse than a closet full of 'meh'. :/
8. If you've got anything j-fashion related that is on the outs, post a DS or a DT on one of the j-fashion sales communities!
Turn the old into some spending money for new, or if you're lucky, a trade you both will love! Lolita and cutesy Lolita-esque are the easiest for this, and the EGL_sales is always high-traffic, and things go fast. If you're pushing to one of the under-utilized communities, you could even offer them up for free, if someone is willing to pay you for shipping. You might make a new friend out of a deal like that. :3
9. Make yourself something completely new!
I love crafts of all sorts, and I definitely love new clothes. Right now, I'm doing a lot of clothing-surgery, embroidering tired old pieces, and hopefully making myself some hime-gyaru dresses from scratch. I'm excited to get off the ground with figuring out hime dresses! I haven't been able to find a single tutorial on the nets, so I'm taking it upon myself to put some out there! I'll be documenting all my crafting adventures over the summer and making tutorials, so wish me luck! :D
10. Start a new good habit
It sounds silly, but sometimes it can be hard to implement a new habit into an already busy life. Whether it's remembering to brush your teeth EVERY day, drinking at least two glasses of water a day, taking your daily vitamins, eating more vegetables or less sweets, using beauty products daily, or exercising a few times a week. If you have a big chunk of time that's not going to be as busy as you're used to, it will help you remember to do your new goal whenever you need to. You won't be stressed out and forgetful, and by the time you get back to a 'normal' fall schedule, the habit will be ingrained enough in your new routine that you are less likely to fall off the wagon. For me, it's drinking more water, and using my beauty products daily. I'm starting now, but hopefully I'll be a very well-hydrated girlie by the fall. :D
Ok, that's all for now bunnies! I still have to finish finals before I'll be getting started on this list~ D:
Til then,
Bunnie <3
