macarons!

In recent times, French macarons have risen in popularity, among sweet lolitas and the rest of the world.  I really like baking and I think that macarons are really fun to make because they're a bit of a challenge!  When my French class was having a food day, I decided to try a new recipe and it turned out really well!  Here's the recipe that I used and here are some pictures from my test run!

the finished product + massive photoshop!

the filling!  my mom said it tasted like scrambled eggs, but I thought it was pretty tasty.

finished!

As you can see, the color didn't turn out too well!  They were supposed to be purple but they turned out a kind of disgusting grey color.  The filling was mixed berry which is why I wanted them purple, but it's no big deal!  Even if they looked gross, I think they tasted good.  I think this was the best recipe I've found.

japan needs your help (as do other places)

interrupting my usual lolita ramblings to bring you something important~

I'm sure you've seen this everywhere you frequent and by now you probably know what's going on with Japan.  Hundreds of thousands of people have lost their jobs, homes, and the death toll for the recent earthquake and following tsunami keeps rising every day.  There are many ways for everyone to help, mostly through donations; any amount of money can help.  This post on egl has many tips and resources for those wishing to help out with relief efforts in Japan.

However, during this disaster, you can't forget about the other atrocities happening in the world at this time.  Libya is in the midst of a serious civil war and thousands of men, women, and children are being raped, tortured, and slaughtered every day.  This New York Times article gives a good timeline of what's been going on in Libya currently; in fact, the newspaper is reporting issues a little too well, as four Times journalists have gone missing in Libya.  While there are definitely not as many opportunities to help those in need here, just being knowledgeable and spreading the word can help.

Everyone should know about the issues going on in their own country as well.  I live in the United States and there are many charities here that need help too.  Everyone has been hit by the global recession and charities are not excluded.  Approximately 3.5 million people in the United States experience homelessness every year, and 1.4 million of those people are under 18.  Homeless shelters and food banks are having serious problems keeping up with the growing demand of the increasing homeless population, and every single one of them would be grateful for any donations.

While the earthquake in Japan is definitely a big issue, you shouldn't forget about the other problems plaguing the world at the same time.  Definitely donate to Japanese relief charities if you are financially able to do so.  However, don't forget that other nations and even people in your own country are struggling and there are so many things that everybody can do to help.

bow from waist-ties tutorial!

Hey everybody!  Sorry again for not posting for a while, but my life has been really stressful as of late.  Today I was home sick so I caught up on a lot of stuff I needed to, like drawings that I've wanted to do and studying for the ACT, which I am taking soon!  Also today I wrote this tutorial for making a headbow from waist-ties!

One thing I really hate about lolita dresses is the waist-ties.  They are so pointless, and even if you can figure out how to tie them into a decent looking bow, they hurt your spine when you sit with your back against a chair!  Another thing I hate is how expensive matching headbows are; I can justify spending $300+ on a dress, maybe $30 for matching socks (although I feel that often times, the matching print socks are usually not worth it . . . ) but I absolutely cannot bring myself to shell out $40+ for a headbow when I know how easy they are to make. So I feel like it's a good thing that I hate wearing the waist-ties because I can just take them off and make a matching headbow from them!  Honestly, this was the first time that I've made a bow this way, but it was really easy so I'm definitely going to do it again.

You'll need a few things to start with:

• waist-ties
• a sewing machine
• a thread and needle
• a headband
• an iron

I'm going to be using my Merry Making Party JSK's waist-ties for this!