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Hello again,

I'm at work at the moment, it's the last work day before my vacation period and I'm so glad too because I am tired. There's so much work to be done though and when i come back my working life will have changed dramatically since I'm taking on new reponsibilities. Exciting, scary, overwhelming... i have very mixed feelings about this. I'm going into it with a 2 year experience promise because they are aware that me adapting will take time. Hopefully it won't and i'll be perfect in every way. One can dream right?

Anyway since life's so chaotic at the moment i can't seem to be able to place things in a timeline anymore so this post is going to be messy as well.

Sunday the 30th June
I visited my dad the other day, went to his place on a weekend to get those car race shots and videos to him. He lives by the sea and his living block has a swimming pool so its a fairly agreable place to be in.
He always cooks things he knows we like too and he is a fantastic cook so that's a plus.
We decided to go by train as opposed to using the car all the time which sounded like a good idea. We got our tickets and got in the train... and found out that the train didn't stop where dad lives so we had to get off somewhere else. The next train would only be there 45min later so I decided to call dad and ask him to come pick us up.

When we arrived my older brother was already there and soon lunch was served. Dad decided to make Rojões à moda do Minho which has tripes, meet, potatoes and lots of blood. It's the sort of typical dish some people might refuse to eat. My husband admited he wasn't a fan of the tripes because of the animal smell but he had to admit he liked it this time because of dad's cooking skills.

We went to a local café to eat some typical portuguese Bola de Berlim which is a version of the German Berlinger cake. They claim to have the best ones and they are good indeed. I hate half of it and drank an expresso.

We spent the rest of the afternoon chatting and having some familly quality time.
Dad's passions include cooking, cars (alfa romeo as you know) and also other things like music and cameras. I took a shot of some of his cameras for you guys.

 Every time i visit dad i want to snatch this for my Ball Jointed Doll, Aléxia. ;_;

We checked the train schedule and went to the station, this was the train that took us home. It was a great day and extremely relaxing!

Saturday the 6th
Our national community got an invitation from an event organizer to attend a japanese music related event (Audiofilia) and they asked so nicely we couldn't say no.
It was ridiculously hot like its been the last month and some of the girls complained about having to wear lolita but i managed to get them all to wear it anyway he. After all when would we get together again, not soon for sure!
When we arrived at the place it was cooler inside and the architecture and decoration was perfect! I hope you can tell from the photos.

Apparently its a bar at night but sometimes host cultural events during the day. What a lovely bar, it made me wanna go at night too!

I had a hard time picking something to wear i must say, i never know what to wear in the summer, lolita or not, i just hate it THAT much. So I just went with the obvious op + ankle sock combo for confort and i am happy I did, it wasn't as painful as it could have been.

Everyone wearing summer outfits. We were all dying a bit. hehe. I wore a MmM op, MmM bag, etc shoes and offbrand everything else.

We sat in the bar for a bit too, everyone behaved and drank water but i wanted to try the new Sagres Radler.

The bartender said "if you want a beer, this is not what you were expecting for sure" and he was right, it tastes like... an odd cocktail. It's not bad though.

We then said goodbye to everyone that was still upstairs and left. Some of us had arrangements, some others had to catch a bus or train... Me, my brother, Duarte and his friend and Vânia went back through the same route so I took this change to take a photo at one of my favorite tourist spots in Porto, Igreja do Carmo.

In the end me and my older brother were left and decided to go to the downtown Costa café. He fell in love... its all very tasty but a tad expensive so that's why I do not go more often. It is usually very crowded but it was actually slow that day which was nice for a change. And of course extra points for the air conditioner.

I am going to Vigo tonight, i'm going to catch a plane there.

It'll be:

Vigo - Madrid - Amesterdam - Osaka

It will also be Mari's first plane experience. 

I hope she'll be a quiet behaved baby as usual but one never knows.

I apologise if any of you is on one of these flights and a baby is crying non-stop in advance.

I will be there until the 27th of August so if you have any photo requests, just let me know and I'll try my best to comply!

Thank you so much for the constant support guys. A big hug to all of you,

Jo

Hi ^_^;

Hello everyone, how are you doing?

I've been quite busy, taking care of a baby and working is very time consuming and now that I have finally decided to get back to the gym its getting even worse. I have a lot of things that need to be done at my workplace which is making me a bit stressed at the moment too.

This week I got a surprise package. It was a birthday present from my mother in law! My birthday is only on the 9th of June but because she didn't know if it would arrive on time she sent it before and my husband told me to open it.
One of the items is pretty odd, its a pair of arm "warmers" but the intent for these is actually to prevent someone from getting tanned in the summer! We don't exactly use those in Portugal but its super funny to own something like that, its just so different!
The other item is a summer hat. My father used to use one like this but for rain and I never pictured myself wearing something like it but i'm sure i will at the beach and even in Japan.
The last piece is a golden wallet. It's huge and it holds a lot of things.
All of them are official Hello Kitty merchandise. I usually do not wear hk clothes but i like house stuff and kitty stationary etc a lot. It's just a mater of getting used to cutesey stuff on myself I guess. She was super super kind though, they are amazing, I am really lucky.

My first birthday present! So soon, I'm so happy  people remembered ;_;

I don't have time to socialize a lot especially since my husband needs time to finish his own projects and has asked me to take care of Mari the most I can during weekends.
So this sunday I was invited to a picnic birthday party and I asked if it would be ok to take her with me. Everyone seems to like her or not mind her so I'm very lucky I guess.

The gathering was at a small public park near kirarah's house and my husband (which i found a bit strange since he was supposed to be using that time working) took me and my older brother there. It's not very far away by car, only 10min away aprox. When we got there the birthday girl (the super sweet Geninha), kirarah and some friends were already there. Eventually lucy and nymia also came and it was a pretty relaxed and very pleasant afternoon.

Mari was rolling around having fun. I now want to do this more often, she loved it. 

I then got back home and had dinner with my husband. He asked me "aren't you coming up to sleep?" and I said "yes" and we turned off the lights and went up. I didn't think it was weird of him to ask because it wasn't the first time he did so but I could not believe my eyes when I entered the bedroom. It was the birthday present number 2. I love it so much! I had been talking about how i'd love to own a Vanity, somewhere to just store my makeup.. and there it was! A stunning antique vanity. I was in awe since I wasn't expecting it. He said he tried to keep it somewhere till my birthday but he couldn't find a place so I got another early gift. 

I put everything in it, all the makeup is already in the drawers and there's enough space for everything too. It is perfect.

The antique vanity and folding mirror. I'm placing it here because there's natural light.

My perfume bottles, etc. They finally have a place that makes sense for them. <3

It came with a small bench and it matches my bed duvet and the gold accents on the room. 

Café Au Lait is always where I am at, she's more like a puppy than a cat.

Well it doesn't really match the rest of the furniture but its so well taken care of that I
am not considering painting it at the moment. I don't think it looks that bad.
I need to change those paintings though.

Oh gosh I have to say I needed a little pampering so this arrived in perfect timing. I'm so happy with this man, he really his the love of my life for all reasons and he never stops amazing me. 

I also want to talk about what I'm craving for at the moment and I know its pretty obvious but I am in mad love with the new Moi-même-Moitié print, Holy Angel. Unfortunately it doesn't come in the colors I'd most love to own it in but I still really want it. I'm not sure I can afford it though, affording lolita lately has become a lot harder. 

Anyway this is it:

Moi-même-Moitié new Holy Angel print

The colorways it will be available in are: white x black; white x gold; black x blue; black x silver

It will be released in early July which is when I'm going to Japan so maybe if it doesn't sell out super fast I will fall even more in love when I see it in person and have to get it. One never knows what life will bring, right?

This is it for now, I hope you liked reading about a fantastic weekend for me. 

Love,

Jo

Latest Frill report

Hello everyone,

I have been a bit busy lately and end up not being able to post as much as i'd like here.

On the 4th of May there was a small event dedicated to Japanese culture in the nearby city of Vila Nova de Gaia. For the second year in a row, the Portuguese Lolita Community (egl portugal) has been present at the event with small contributions which match the size of the event. It's so a small event but at a fabulous place and it is always an honor for us to receive such invitations.
Last year there was a workshop, this year we set up an "introdution to lolita" room.

The gorgeous miss Ana and Claudia setting things up

Group photo. I love this photo because everyone's laughing and nobody is paying attention to the photographer

 I wore gothic lolita to match my friend kirarah who was in egl in the same colors.
Moitie dress, headdress, accessories, chantilly socks, juliette et justine bolero, etc

I love this shot first because my brother's in it but also because me and Ana are wearing the same sort of outfit without discussing what we'd wear.

 It was a fun day but I admit I was very tired when it ended. I hope people got to know a bit more about the style and that more people will join as a result. That's why we do this afterall. <3

I haven't been able to buy things regularly anymore. Portugal is going through rough times now. But I am still receiving things I got the previous months and that I forgot to share.
I ordered the newest Gothic and Lolita Bible of course and I algo got another Muchacha mook. This bag is even wackier than the previous one.

On the 17th of May the Portuguese Lolita Community celebrated its 7th birthday. It is really a pleasure to see that all my hard work ended in a community that still is able to survive. We arranged for an online and offline meetup on the 19th and me and some girl gathered at my place where we had an afternoon snack, chatted online via webcam with the rest of the comm and also celebrated the soccer championship victory of our town's soccer team. It was a lot of fun.

Part of our afternoon tea table.

 This is what I wore. It's the second time I wear this dress. I wish it was a bit longer but i think its adorable anyway. Dress and bag are from Innocent World, bolero is Mary Magdalene, boots are Queen Bee and the rest is offbrand.

As for last buys, well these are a bit old but i ended up getting a dress i already owned back and an offbrand winter top that i won't be able to wear for months because summer is coming soon.

 Btssb trianon chiffon op in white and offbrand velveteen red top with lace colar.

Lastly I was surprised with a package this last week. A former Portuguese lolita and friend sent me a couple of things she found in the back of her closet that fits the lolita look but doesn't quite fit her current style.
This is what the content had:

Shoe pink clip on bows, black clip on bows, a lovely letter, fake eyelashes, and some puffs.

She also sent a Fernando Pessoa postcard for my husband because he's the biggest Fernando Pessoa fan I have ever met. Actually he is the reason why he started learning Portuguese and why he ended up in Portugal hence the reason why we met. I owe him a lot. <3

And that's all that happened lolita-wise lately. I hope you enjoyed reading.
A big hug to all of you,
Jo

Japan trip - Day 15

Day 15 is a special day, one to be spent indoors usually. It is no other than new years eve day.

I woke up feeling a lot better and this only improved when mom brought us breakfast. It was something i had never eaten before, pre-made buns with my favorite sausages, lettuce, ketchup and wasabi.

Green tea cappuccino and the buns.

After cleaning the room very carefully, I usually clean the room before new year (regular and chinese as well), mom invited us to go food shopping.
We got in the car and I was very surprised to see most stores and businesses were completely closed. It felt like a ghost area.
Mom wanted to buy some special meat that is supposed to be ultra delicious. She had intended to shop at the most famous store in the region and kept saying how fabulous the meat was and how famous the store was so I was somewhat excited.
When we arrived there I could not believe my eyes! The place was completely packed! They had a parking service and the parking was a vacant lot in front of the building. I have to remind you all that this thing is in the middle of nowhere, not in the center of some amazingly famous and populated city.

Kawai meat. Look at the people waiting in line!

 They also had a side stall with different products for sale but people only wanted the meat. I was getting really curious at this point.

Outside stall.

After a while mom came back carrying a bag with some meat. I wanted to take a peak but i would get my chance in the car. They even had a vending machine so we all got something for the ride.

Vending machine.

And this is the parking lot, isn't this crazy? o.o

Kawai butcher parking lot.

So finally after much anticipation i could see what was bought. It looked delicious sure but also... normal japanese meat. I suppose i know nothing about japanese cuisine and meat in general (I don't cook very often at home because i'm not that good at it, my husband is much better than I am) but it did look like teir typical style of meat that can be bough at any supermarket.

Kawai bought beef.

We also went to the supermarket to get some other necessary items and also to my favorite chinese restaurant in Oji to get a special new years eve obento box. It was huge and made me curious. They also included some sake. <3

When we got home mom wanted to show me that it was delicious so she prepared a bit of meat. It was super tender but very fatty. I remember thinking that my brother would probably want to destroy its yummyness by cutting off all the fat as he always has been doing since we were kids. I think mom would be very sad. haha not only because in her eyes this is what delicious meat means but also because this meat costs a ton a kg. I am thinking 100 euros. I'll ask and then correct this info. But anyway ridiculously expensive!

Cooked Kawai meat treat.

We had not had lunch so we ate some delicious tempura soba and salad. Yummy yum yum!

My mother in law really is a great cook!

After lunch we always watch a bit of tv and play around with the fattest and one of the cutest cats ever to set foot on eart, Mi-chan. He wasn't very cooperative so we just pet him and took a shot. He is huge, he is so huge that when we came back out two cats (who are not tat small) looked tiny! They always look tiny when we return from Japan.

Mi-chan's size when compared to a pack of smokes.

In the afternoon my mother in law always takes a nap for health related reasons so we move to the other side of the house and just chill out a bit. We take naps, we browse the internet, i chat with some of you, i post on facebook etc... and we fold clothes and do all those very interesting daily life things.
Basically on new years eve it becomes even more ridiculous since all one does is literally wait for dinner time.
That time came and we went back to the living room.
Mom had already set the table and the tv was on. Someone checked the newspaper and we could clearly see who was performing this year. (every year there are several live shows where bands and singers perform; j-pop, j-rock, traditional music, etc)
I found out that (due to the tv series on NHK having an intro song by her) that shiina ringo was performing so i was waiting for that. Mom likes her too so we both waited.

Japanese beer. This one was a gift from my husband's friend, it is made by Kanagawa university. Interesting.

Finally, shiina was on. She appeared in a very 50's looking coat with baloon sleeves, completely in crimson red. She sounded like the angel she is.

Shiina ringo performing carnation

Under the coat was this ballerina looking tutu dress, she looked stunning and was very energetic as usual.

After a couple of performances and a bit of joking around in familly the time was finally there! People usually go to temples for good luck but due to my mother in laws health we can't go so we watch on tv instead.
After hitting the bells people are allowed in the temples and they are packed. It was very interesting to see that a foreign couple was among the ones that got to the temple first. Let me remind you that it was freezing cold.

People entering the temple for good luck.

It was finally time to dig in! I could finally see what was in the obento!

Chinese food obento for new year. A bit of everything

Level 2 of the obento

Level 3 - nobody ate the pidan eggs XD



New Year's Eve table view, very colorful a lot of fun!

And that was my day, after that we just went to bed and fell asleep once more. Not a very interesting day to read about but i really enjoyed myself.

Anyway because clearly that's what some people want to hear about, i'll leave you with photos of the things I got during my Tokyo trip. I got less prints than I wanted but that got to second plan when i found my all time dream bag. Expensive but i was happy and i actually used it there already. Haven't used it ever since which is sad, though. Anyway enjoy.

Impulse buy ( the first big thing you buy is usually an impulse buy)
BABY, the stars shine bright velveteen burgundy op

Moi-même-Moitié Scallop lace op



Moi-même-Moitié Velour lace op

Atelier Pierrot chiffon and velvet op. Never saw this before, anyone knows the name and year?

Victorian Maiden chiffon black underskirt

Innocent World antique book bag (first release)



Moi-même-Moitié Iron Gate bag (big)

Queen Bee brown multy strap shoes

Queen Bee burgundy classic books

Triple Fortune hair corsage with chains

If you happen to read please leave a courtesy comment. <3

Love,

Jo