Convention 101

Tomorrow is the first day of my local anime convention! As always, I'm excited to see old friends, dress up, and just be in such an exciting environment. This will be my ninth consecutive year of attending this convention, and almost every year has been unique and great! This year I'm only helping my fiance with his panels and only wearing a lolita coordinate one day - as opposed to past year where I've helped run panels or performed or such - so it's exciting to not be too stressed about things.

I loved the very first convention I attended, it was so exciting and magical! But thinking back, there were some things I wish I had known ahead of time, or even things I wished other people would have known. So I decided to write up a basic intro to conventions panel that might help some convention newbies out! I even drew some quick doodles because I couldn't find good images to use! Of course, don't follow my advice precisely - go off and be unprepared, it can be fun sometimes!

Before The Convention

• Buy your badge/pass ahead of time! I've never been at a convention where this wasn't cheaper then buying it at the door. Some bigger conventions even run out of badges and you're not able to just come the day of and pay to get in! Some conventions will actually mail your preordered admission to you so you don't have to stand in a line when you arrive to the convention. If this is not the case, the pre-reg line is usually shorter then the general admission line anyway, as well as quicker to get through.
• Buy a room and, if applicable, plan your roommates. This bullet point isn't going to be for everyone, and that's fine. Some people feel you absolutely need a hotel room to enjoy a con and that's just not true. I think a hotel room is good, however, if you don't live in the area, or you're changing outfits often, or if transportation back and forth would be a hassle. Also, it's a good idea not to let everyone in creation stay in your room, no matter how cheap it would make costs. Think about space, hygiene, and if all your proposed roommates would even get along. Stuck wanting a room? The convention forums usually have some posts from people needing roommates!
• Plan your cosplays/special outfits ahead of time! This applies moreso for cosplays, but always assume if you're ordering costume pieces or wigs or such that they'll arrive later then they should, so you're not stuck panicking at the mailbox the day before the convention. Also assume that life or something might get in the way and don't plan to finish your cosplays the day before! 
• Look at the schedule, guests, vendors, etc. before arriving, if you're able to. It's not good to make a concrete, wiggle room-free schedule, but it is a good idea to have a rough plan of what you might like to do and see, if there are any guests you need to get an autograph from, if there are any artists or vendors you just have to buy from, etc. A good idea might be to make a loose schedule, noting panels or events you just have to go to, some you really want to go to but won't be too upset if you miss, and so on. Some conventions have begun putting out apps that do this very thing!
• Save more then you think, especially if this is your first convention and everything is new and amazing. If you only bring a bit of money when you could have brought more, inevitably someone will just have that one item that's been sold out online at a good price and you're left wanting.
• Plan what you're going to be eating! Look around the area for food options, or think about bringing your own food (check to see if your hotel room has a microwave, fridge). Keep in mind if there's food to be purchased at the convention site it's more then likely going to be quite expensive. 
• Make a list of every little thing you need to bring, from cosplay parts to device chargers. This may sound like a no-brainer, but the one year I forgot to do this, I left my cash at home. Yeah. Don't be me.

In the Hotel Room

• Make room rules. Obviously don't be overly strict, but guidelines such as not having boys or girls in the room overnight, not playing loud music past x at night, and so forth might save you or your roommates from getting into disagreements.
• Think about who is best suited to have the room keys. Who is not only most responsible, but would always answer their phone in case someone needs in at a moment's notice. 
• Have a rough idea of who is sleeping where so someone who can't fall asleep anywhere but a bed is stuck on the floor with no blankets. 
• Don't feel shy about asking who is doing what! If you want to join up with a group, tag along with others. They might be going to panels or events you might normally not, so you might do something new and really fun!
• Unless you're setting someone's stuff gently aside because it's in your way, don't mess with anyone else's stuff. Just, don't.
• Unless you and your roommates are the closest of friends, not everyone is okay with you walking around naked after a shower or seeing a pile of hair clinging to the shower walls. Don't be gross. And do not, unless it's explicitly okay with all your roommates, bring someone back into the room to be dirty with. 
• Do not bring illegal substances into your hotel room, or drink when there are minors. Not only is the former illegal, but in both cases, if the police show up, they can find everyone in the room guilty because there is no way of proving only one person was the culprit. Not only could you get kicked out of the hotel, but kicked out of the convention, fined, or arrested.

At the Convention!

• Before you purchase that figure, think if you could maybe find the item cheaper online. Not saying you shouldn't purchase things from the dealer room in general, but a lot of dealers do mark up items that can be considered pretty common at conventions. Personally, I find buying things from artist alley is a better use for my money, as these items are more unique and the person selling may not even have an online store. Keep in mind that some artists and dealers may give special deals on the last day of the convention so they don't have to haul bak as much product.
• Don't be rude and block the hallways. There are usually people walking right behind you who would not appreciate if you suddenly stopped. If you want to take a picture of someone's cosplay, move aside to a less congested area. Many conventions have areas just for taking pictures.
• Don't be a creep and touch people. Even if you don't think it's a creepy thing and you're just admiring someone's costume, it's creepy to touch their wig or dress or what have you. The person may also have issues with being touched. Also, that intricate costume or prop you want to inspect might be very delicate. Always, always ask!!
• Don't ruin someone else's enjoyment just for your own amusement. Don't just run into a panel room shouting something stupid and interrupting the panel host or jump in front of a photo shoot. I've even heard of people knocking food or drink out of peoples' hands or even hitting others for the sake of "being funny" or because it was "in their character."
• Don't be stressed!! All this information I'm throwing out may make conventions not seem as fun as they are, but they really are a great time. Don't worry so much about not making this panel or getting to buy everything you wanted. Just relax and have fun!

That's it for conventions 101! If I missed anything, feel free to tell me what you would have liked to have known when you first went to a convention! Also, keep in mind every convention is different, in location, size, and events.

I might do maybe a "Conventions 201" post at some point where I talk about things like running panels or volunteering. I might also do a con experiences post? I know at least I'll be posting about this weekend's convention. See you Monday~!

MeltyBunny's Guide to Plus Size Lolita Fashion

EDIT (7/716) - This is absolutely my most popular post on both my blog and tumblr, and is still passed around, so I've updated a few minor things (mostly links)! I don't even wear lolita anymore and I don't even like those coordinated in the header anymore, lol...but, this post seems to really help people, so I'm glad.

The topic of today's blog is very self explanatory - plus size lolita fashion! How to find pieces that fit, pieces that are affordable, where to avoid, etc., etc.. I got inspired to write this because one of my besties is getting into lolita! I'm still pretty basic at the fashion, but, you know, I try. I'm going to be focusing more on the "plus size" aspect of lolita rather then other aspects such as where to find accessories or coord building. However, if you have questions about anything that I didn't cover, you're more then welcome to ask!! I'm going to try to organize this the best I can...I hope this is helpful to some of you!!

GETTING STARTED

Okay, so you've ogled the fashion for a while, and you finally want to jump in. Great! But to be honest, being a plus size guy or gal gives you some limitations. That's okay, it doesn't mean you can't wear lolita! Everyone can wear lolita and feel like a princess!

Firstly, you're going to have to know your measurements. Each piece has different measurements! What I do is put on the underwear I would be wearing when wearing lolita - any shapewear, sports bra (it helps reduce bust size but may cause boob loaf) or other bra that makes your breasts smaller. I also take my measurements in both centimeters and inches. Most lolita websites have their measurements listed in centimeters, but a few are in inches. Bust and waist measurements are essential, but sometimes shoulder width, arm width, and even thigh and hip width if you're buying pants can be necessary. It's good to just take all of them!

Now that you know what size you are, you can start looking for clothing! But what should you get for your first coord? You have a choice between an OP (one piece), a JSK (jumperskirt) and blouse, or a blouse and skirt. Personally, skirts don't look too good on me because right now my waist isn't very defined. You'll also need shoes, socks or tights, bloomers or shorts, a petticoat, and accessories! It can be a little daunting at first, but it will be worth it! And once you have your first full coord, you can slowly add other pieces to your wardrobe!

BRANDS

One of the biggest myths about plus size lolita is that there are no brand pieces that will fit. That is absolutely WRONG. There are loads of brand dresses, blouses, and skirts that fit a variety of sizes!

My favorite resource for finding brand pieces is a website called GorgeousPlusLolita. The link will bring you to a page of plus size friendly brand and their individual measurements. Wow! Look at all of that! 

And of course, take note of shirring in pieces. Usually if a piece has shirring, it can stretch an extra few centimeters then the max measurements given. But of course, sometimes this extra stretch might make the piece look bad or give you the dreaded "boob loaf," so estimate with caution! 

But GPL doesn't have every single piece on their website, and they don't have any blouses at all. There are two libraries where you can browse and search practically any piece of lolita, Lolibrary and HelloLace. I prefer Lolibrary over HelloLace, but they both essentially serve the same function. Almost every piece has measurements listed! 

And if you really want a piece but can't find the max measurements or think it can stretch a bit further then what the internet says - do your research! Look for reviews! A good resource for this is the EGL community on LiveJournal for older pieces; I'm honestly not so sure how active it is nowadays. They are a great resource or lots of things, but people often post reviews of what they bought, and measurements and reviews can be requested as well! Another good resource is the Plus Size Lolita community on FaceBook.

Now, you can find some of these pieces on their brand's website. But many are no longer for sale there, or you may not want to pay full price. In that case, there are five great resources I have for finding and seeking pieces. The first is egl_comm_sales on LiveJournal (eta: again, not sure how active this is anymore). They even have a plus size tag! Second is LaceMarket, an auction site which also has a plus size tag, and is generally just a good resource for cheaper lolita items. Then there is Plus Size Lolita Sales on FaceBook. There's the regular Lolita Sales Community on FaceBook, but they do not have a specific place for plus size items. Finally, there's the used item shop Closet Child. A guide to ordering from them can be found here.

OFFBRAND

Next I'm going to talk about indie brands, off brands, handmade items, and replicas. 

There are many indie brands available, such as Chess Story, Dear Celine, Rose Melody, etc. Many of these brands have custom sizing options on their pieces for very reasonable prices! These brands can be found on the Chinese shopping site Taobao...unfortunately, I've never shopped directly from there, so I cannot offer much help. You do need a shopping service, like Taobao Spree, to buy for you. But, if that seems too daunting, there are websites that are essentially shopping services, like Qutieland* and Clobba. I prefer the layout of Qutieland over Clobba. If you do order from Taobao, whether you get it through a shopping service or one of these websites, it is going to take a while, so please don't order anything from here if you need it for a convention the following month!

*eta: It seems like this year, people have had problems with Qutieland taking their money and not following through and items not reaching their destination after months and months. I haven't heard an update about this recently, so please be cautious.

There are three main offbrands, the most popular being Bodyline. Bodyline used to have pretty poor quality clothing and was seen as "ita," but many of the pieces they have now are really good and high quality compared to what they used to have. There still are a few not-so-good pieces, but as long as you look carefully at the pictures and do your research, you'll be fine. Bodyline has many pieces in bigger sizes, and recently implemented a new search function where you can look only at those bigger pieces! One thing I've noticed about Bodyline pieces is that if they have shirring, they do seem to stretch further then what their max measurements say. For example, Cinderella Bunny has a listed max measurement of 100cm in the bust, but fits me at around 110cm. I can't guarantee that every piece is like that, but every piece I have bought seems to be like that. Bodyline is great for getting some cute dresses, socks, and blouses from, but I'd stay away from their petticoats, they tend to be not so good. The other two main offbrands are Fan+Friend and Anna House. Fan+Friend is great for staples such as blouses; they have larger and custom sizes in many of their pieces. Anna House does have a few lace monsters hiding on the website, but also some really cute pieces in custom and larger sizes.

Don't ever knock a handmade item! Even if you can't sew, there are some really talented seamstresses out there, and of curse they can make items to your specific measurements! ...that's really all I have to say on that subject.

Finally, there's replicas. A replica is what it sounds like, a cheaper and not always correct copy of another piece. Replicas are a big deal in the lolita community, as they are technically theft. But the two biggest names in replica makers, Dream of Lolita which can be found on Qutieland and Clobba, and Oo Jia, who can be found on her FaceBook or website, do make custom sizes, which is great in the case of a dress which might not originally come in your size. Most lolitas I've come across who do not approve of replicas won't be mean or anything if they find out you're wearing a replica. It's really your choice whether you decide to wear replicas or not. 

ET CETERA

"But I want to fit X!" Being plus size, there are just going to be some pieces that you probably cannot fit into. That doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you. It's just one of those things that you're going to have to accept. However, if you want to/are able to lose weight, I have a beginner's guide to weight loss here.

"I have wide hips, do I need a petticoat?" Yes. It's not really lolita if it doesn't have that silhouette. Classical Puppets on Taobao is famous for their poofy petticoats. eBay is also a good source for petticoats. And if one doesn't give you enough poof? Layer two!

"So I found this website called Milanoo-" No.

"Will other lolitas laugh at me for being bigger?" If they're decent people, no. There are cruel people in every community and lolita is no exception, so if you go to the places where people like these congregate, certain websites for instance, then you may find yourself becoming upset. But these people don't know you. They live on mocking others for no reason. They don't deserve to make you unhappy or make you doubt wearing lolita. If anyone ever makes fun of you because of your size, just ignore them and get them out of your life. 

I truly hope this helped some of you and like I said, if you need help with anything, I'm more then happy to respond! 

Learn to Love Yourself

Isabelle wears what makes her happy no matter what anyone thinks!

Self love is something that I struggle with often. I focus more on my flaws then I do on the positives. A lot of times when I look in the mirror, I do not see a girl, but a monster. I see fatness and ugliness, a weird voice and messed up thoughts. I don't see creative and pretty. Sometimes I hate going out because the thought of people looking at me makes me want to cry. But who cares what they think!!

Yet I preach often that everyone, no matter what, is beautiful and everyone should love themselves. So why do I exclude myself??

I keep thinking once I lose X amount of weight, I'll be happy with myself. But if I'm not happy with myself now, will I really be happy then? Won't I just keep focusing on the flaws, still?

I am trying. I am trying to love myself the way I am. I don't know where this self hatred stems from, but I want to CRUSH it. So, I wrote down some self love thoughts and quotes that I am trying to live by; hopefully some of them will help you as well!

Take care of yourself. Eat something healthy, hydrate yourself, take a bubble bath.

Do more of what makes you happy - gaming, drawing, etc.

Would you say the same things you're saying about yourself to another person? No? Then why is it okay to say these things to yourself?

Every day is a new opportunity.

You say "Everyone is beautiful," this means YOU are beautiful!

Life is NOT a competition.

Chill out.

Celebrate every victory, big or small.

Forgive yourself.

It's OKAY to like - even love - yourself!

Face your inner and outer obstacles.

The past is the past for a reason.

Accept where you are right now.

Practice the love you aspire to receive

"The lies you believe are what keep you from embracing the beauty you've beheld this whole time"

"There is this nagging voice in my head that tells me I can't but I think I'll hold on a little longer and prove it wrong."

You are not your mistakes or faults.

You have nothing to prove.

Start TODAY. Not when you lose weight, not when you acquire X, NOW.

Focus on what you have, not what you lack.

Believe you are the best you. It's true!

Dress, act, and do what you like (as long as it's not hurting others!) no matter what anyone thinks.

I hope some of these, you take to heart and write them down somewhere, keep it, and read it often. I have mine in my journal, bookmarked so I can turn to it every morning and read these things. The journey to loving yourself does not happen overnight and I'm sure I'll be making another post on this subject at a later time as I face my own self loathing. But bit by bit, I hope both you and I can learn to love ourselves no matter what size we are and no matter where we are in life and be happy every day.

Selfie from a few days ago. I give you all hugs and kisses! 

~Bunny

Weight Loss for the Beginner

This is me in 12th grade. This is the weight I wish to return to!!

As I said in my last entry, I am on a journey to lose some weight. I'm not going to say how much I weigh or how much I want to lose, but I want to do so in a healthy way. So here's a list of tips for getting started/staying on track, some workouts that I enjoy doing, and some useful apps!

I think one of the biggest things that has helped me keep fitness and weight loss in my mind no matter what state I'm in is tumblr. Tumblr has a huge community of bloggers called "fitblrs" who are kind, post resources, and encourage one another. I follow quite a few, so whenever I'm on tumblr, I always see motivational posts, healthy foods, and so on. But why stop there - make a fitblr of your own! I have one which can be found here. Like many others, I post my progress, whether it be my daily workouts, my intake, progress pictures, or sometimes I just reblog motivational content from others! It's also a great way to have others keep you in check. 

Another great way to have others keep you in check is to tell people about your workout and weight loss plans. You're more likely to follow through with something if you tell others. It's also great to have a workout buddy! Someone who may be feeling the same things you feel, who you can motivate and can motivate you. While working out alone can be nice, it's always fun to have someone to talk to!

As for actually motivating yourself, it can be hard. Sometimes I want nothing more then to just skip the workout and lay in bed until noon…but that's not good for you, is it? Put on those workout clothes. Get yourself pumped up with your favorite high energy music. And just…do it! Trust me, the feeling you get afterwards is phenomenal. You'll have much more energy throughout the day as well!

They say that working out is only thirty percent of the weight loss equation - and the other seventy percent is your diet. Don't expect to just throw away all your junk food and sweets and you'll never eat unhealthy again. It's okay to have a treat every now in then, but like everything, moderation. And of course if you have a craving, go ahead and feed it. It is good, however, to really look at what you're eating and drinking, and cut out constant Starbucks trips, full-calorie soda, and boredom eating. I like to keep a food diary to really see what I'm eating and when. And of course - water!! Drinking loads of water every day can help you shed excess weight really quickly.

Counting calories is something that some people swear by, and others swear off. I think counting calories can be good in the beginning, when you're taking a hard look at how much or little you eat. But getting obsessive over it can be dangerous and make you miserable! I think once you know what your body needs and how to eat in a healthier way then you currently do, you can ease up or cut out the calorie counting.

Along with counting the calories I consume, I also count the calories I burn! Later on when I talk about apps I use, I'l talk about an app that can try and estimate how much you've burned doing what depending on what information you give it. But an estimate can be way off. The solution - a heart rate monitor! I have the Polar TF4 (in pink, of course) and I love it! It's important to know how many calories you burn so you can eat enough during the day!

I also want to talk about scales. Do not weight yourself every day. Do not weight yourself more then once a day. Got that? Only weigh yourself in the morning, once a week at most. Why? Your weight will fluctuate from day to day, from hour to hour, and it's really easy to get down on yourself if that number suddenly goes up. Your weight also doesn't determine your size, anyways, so if you want to keep a more accurate track of loss and gains, measure your neck, bust, waist, hips, etc. Also, that number on the scale? It's just a number. It does not define you. It doesn't measure your self worth, your awesomeness, or anything else. Please, please, please do not get obsessed with a worthless number and hurt your body by restricting your food.

Weight loss is a winding, twisty journey and you might not always see the results you want when you want. But keep going, maybe change a few things here and there, and eventually you'll see progress. But if at any time, your progress is making you feel depressed and worthless, or you find yourself doing harmful things such as skipping meals, restricting or purging, or even constantly binge eating, please get help. Eating disorders are serious.

I don't have a gym membership (yet!) nor does my apartment complex have a gym that I can use. So, I have to do workouts at home, which is perfectly fine! My workout buddy, however, has a gym at his apartment, so I'll talk about beginner gym experiences/exercises last in this section. 

Firstly, I recommend the tumblr fitblr community again. They have many resource posts full of workouts to do at home for all skill levels, all focuses…and some even say you can find some posts floating around with links to watch or download popular workout DVDs, but you didn't hear that from me. 

There are many YouTubers who have channels wholes devoted to fitness, whether it be showing you how to do the basics, full routines, or even dance exercises! I wholly recommend a website/YouTube channel called "Blogilates." Cassey Ho, creator of pop pilates, has hundreds of videos that are all upbeat and fun as well as  good for any skill level. On her website, she has monthly workout calendars, a beginner calendar, recipes, and more! The calendars have different videos to do almost every day, which is perfect for people like me who get bored easily. 

If you have a bit of money to spend on workout DVDs, I highly recommend Zumba! Zumba is great for people of all workout levels and all sizes. Zumba is, essentially, dancing. The dance moves are made to target specific areas of the body and burn calories, all while having fun! There are tons of Zumba videos so you can have a variety of dances to choose from. There are also Zumba games on Playstation, XBox, and Wii! 

Now, if you do have access to a gym - great! Do not be intimidated of the gym. Everyone there is there (or they should be) because they want to lose weight, get fit, or maintain. Only jerks judge others at the gym, and jerks are no one to pay attention to. When you go to the gym for the first time, you're probably going to be a little confused by all the machinery! Don't ever be afraid to ask what something does or how to use it. It's always good to put cardio in your routine when you're going for weight loss, be it a walk (or run!) on the treadmill, using the elliptical, or even just using the stationary bike. But don't completely neglect strength training as well! While it shouldn't be your main focus until later in your weight loss journey, you should start building up a bit of strength and start toning and shaping. 

Of course, this is all just what I like to do, or what I can do. I'd love to start running, but when I'm off from work it's starting to get dark, as well as the fact that I also have asthma so running is hard for me now (but I'll talk more about this in a moment). But if you can or like running? Do it! Like swimming? Do it! No two people lose weight the same, so why should they work out in exactly the same way either? Find what works for you and what makes you happy.

Finally, I'd like to talk about a few apps for smart phones that can be really useful (no, I won't mention tumblr again, haha).

Myfitnesspal (free on Apple and Android) is a very popular calorie and weight tracker, and has a community that can be very helpful and encouraging. You input your stats, your daily calorie input and output and weight, etc. There are a few problems with this application, however. As I said before, calorie counting can become addictive and dangerous and as such this app might not be for everyone. The app also has a tendency to tell people they need to eat fewer calories for their body type and lifestyle then the really do. But I love this app as a food diary on the go.

Carbodroid (free on android) is a very simple app that reminds you to drink enough water daily by filling a cute robot with every glass you drink! It also gives you reminders to drink water. This app is unfortunately not on Apple phones, but I've recently found an equally cute substitute. Plant Nanny (free on Apple) is essentially the same thing with a few tweaks. You choose a plant to grow, and with each glass of water, you water your plant. This app also gives you reminders. 

C25K (free and paid on Apple and Android) or Couch to 5K is a great way for anyone, no matter their skill level to start running! Unfortunately I haven't been able to use this app yet, but I've heard great things about it, and I can't wait to be able to try it out. 

Well, that was my workout post! I hope you enjoyed it and it was at least a little useful to someone!