Monday, April 28, 2014

Tokyo Kawaii Life Order 2 - Liz Lisa Cropped cambric puff blouse and Floral jumper skirt

So even though I was supposed to be saving money, I couldn't pass up this deal!
Especially when I saw that this top was part one of the top options!
Cropped cambric puff top in white (141-1033-0)
キャンブリックパフブラウス
I really like the set pictured in the stock photos (the white top with the navy high-waisted skirt). I was crossing my fingers that the skirt would be an option as part of the set price, but unfortunately not. I decided to keep the top in my cart though because I figured the price wasn't going to get too much better, and I only wanted it in white which usually sells out first of all the colors for tops like this.
Instead of the navy skirt, I decided to get
Floral jumper skirt in purple (141-6028-0)
花柄ジャンスカ
I really had a hard time deciding between the pink and the purple because I think I might like the pink one more based on the stock photos, but I've been meaning to get my hands on at least one lavender item from spring...so I just kind of went for it. I was never extremely keen on this jumper skirt for myself and actually told myself "NO MORE JUMPER SKIRTS" because I rarely wear them out because I feel like an old person in a young person's clothing (it's just a personal thing) but I liked this best of the choices for the second half of the set.

The reason I decided to go through with this purchase (so soon after my last one lol) was because I wanted two of the most expensive item choices, therefore making the set price extra worth it imo. The top retails for 7452yen (wtf) and the jumper skirt retails for 8964yen. Neither have gone on sale in the past as far as I remember beyond being able to use a 20% off coupon code on them. Getting both at the set price of 10800yen (tax in) instead of 16416yen, I'm getting them at around 35% off and saving about $56! Some of these set prices truly are deals if you want the more expensive options. I would definitely be getting something at these set prices (running 4/25 - 5/12) if I hadn't just made this purchase!

The two pieces look absolutely lovely as a set but they would both also work with different pieces as well. I don't have anything else besides jumper skirts to wear with the cropped top right now, but hopefully I'll find/buy a skirt to go with it soon, so I can achieve that silhouette that Liz Lisa has been hyping for Spring '14 (although they're already rolling out summer stock wtf).

with Liz Lisa pink lace-up back pumps -



with Tralala pink bow wedges -

with Liz Lisa pink wedges -

I love all the details on the top from the collar to the sleeves, the material itself and the flower-shaped buttons! The length is going to be a little harder to work with than your average button down, but even if you don't want to wear it untucked (as shown in the stock photos), it works really well with pretty much all of the jumper skirts I have so there's definitely alternatives.
The jumper skirt is quite a nice color, and I don't think it looks super horrible, although I admit it's not the best color for me. Still, I didn't want LL's spring to pass without giving it a try, and I'm glad I did. The pink in the floral print allows me to match it with my pink shoes without much issue. I wear the same Liz Lisa shoes over and over again with pretty much all of my Liz Lisa clothes, but it's because they're actually quite versatile even though the colors would be considered odd for American standards imo! 


I've been having this issue with some of my photos uploading darker/lighter than others despite them looking the same in my editing program and in my folders. Like, it seems like something is happening to them as they upload. Or maybe it's my computer? I have no idea! Anyone have any ideas or tips?

As a small reminder (and I'm sure those of you who actually read my posts are tired of reading these blurbs, but I am constantly getting blamed for not warning people of this, so here I go again) - I am extremely uncomfortable with my personal photos being used for the profit of others especially without a simple source link. In general, I would prefer for my photos not to be reposted without my permission at all, but if you feel the extreme need to do so, I simply ask that you just include a simple link back to my original post. Regardless of whether I watermark every single photo, I do still own the copyright to these pictures and you finding them on Google Image does not mean I do not own them anymore?? (There has been some confusion on that front apparently. And to be clear, Google does even warn you when you click on a photo that the image may be subject to copyright, and Google does not sever the photos from their original pages, so it's easy to find their source if you choose.) I do not blog and post these photos so that others can sell their products that are not associated with me in the slightest. And the response I get when I just ask for my photos to be sourced really discourages me from sharing and continuing to blog. I mean this in the least aggressive way possible, but I'm not just going to throw 80 smiley emojis in this to "soften the tone" because I am serious, and I honestly feel like you should be able to read a paragraph like this without emoticons and not be offended by its message.
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NEW! How to order from Liz Lisa and Tokyo Kawaii Life video and photo tutorial here!

Friday, April 25, 2014

Tokyo Kawaii Life Order 1(!) - Liz Lisa Floral collar OP and Floral lace peek cardigan

As many of you already know, on April 1, VENT Online Store --> Tokyo Kawaii Life. All 4 VENT brands (Liz Lisa, Juge Etta, Tralala and Liz Lisa Doll) are still available, but the online store is operating under a new name, and the site has a new look!
http://www.tokyokawaiilife.jp/
(For me) It took a bit to get used to the new site because I was just so comfortable with the older one, but for a first time (English) user, this one might be easier to use! Tbh, I'm not super fond of how it's organized because of how I personally like to shop, but that's pretty irrelevant.

  I've been waiting and waiting to make a purchase with the new website, but since I'm saving money for a trip in the summer, I tried to limit myself to only buying items that were on sale. The sales weren't really to my liking on the items I wanted until the 20% off Member's Only Web Limited "Secret Sale". It's not a lot, but I noticed certain spring things were starting to sell out, and I only had one item from spring 2014 so far, so I jumped to buy a couple more before it's too late!

Floral collar (shoulder cut-outs) OP in white (141-6003-0)
襟付き花柄ワンピース

I've liked this dress since I first saw it listed in the online store and on the blogs because of the silhouette, but didn't want to pay full price for it. Also I couldn't really decide which colorway I liked best. Berri told me she bought it in blue and I was thinking I'd get that color as well, but last minute I changed my mind for some reason and got it in "white". As you can see, it's really more "yellow", but it's listed as white so that's what I'll call it lol. I don't have much of this color in my closet right now except a slightly deeper yellow floral dress from Forever21, but I also already have a lot of blue and pink so I decided to just go for it, even though if I was going to be buying an odd color for spring from Liz Lisa it should have been lavender :|

I didn't want to just buy this one item, (and tbqh I was interested to see if they changed the shopping bag that comes with your order since now you need to purchase a minimum 10000yen to get it,) so I looked for something else to match with the dress to punch up my total. I ended up with
Floral lace peek cardigan in white (141-3014-0)
花レースピタカーデ
I feel like it looks quite odd in the combination shown in these stock photos because there's so many things going on underneath it, but I saw two pictures of shop staff wearing the floral OP (in blue) with this cardigan so I decided to just try it.
Sorry these pictures are not very good quality or clear, but here are the shop staff photos that inspired me to buy this OP and knit combo! One photo from the Chiba Liz Lisa crooz blog and the other from Fukuoka Liz Lisa crooz blog.

Here it is on me with a few different Liz Lisa shoes! I had my typical lighting issues obviously.

with Liz Lisa beige ankle boots -
 

with Liz Lisa beige double-strap pumps

with Liz Lisa yellow wedges -
 

 With the cardigan!
 


Just for the record, the ordering process is pretty much the same. If you need to translate the page/are using Google Chrome, a lot more things are text and can be translated with the new site set up.
Another reason I wanted to get my first order with the new website over with is that I wanted to make a new how-to-order video since my current one (which some say helped them) is now somewhat obsolete. Even though the basic steps are the same, I want the video to be as detailed as possible so a first time user doesn't have to think too much to make their first purchase and won't feel so nervous about it. It's really the set up and entering your address that's the hard part anyway. After that, it's somewhat self-explanatory. However, I understand that it's not wise to take chances with your money so that's why I hope to make people feel as comfortable as possible when it comes to things like this.
Here is the blog post with the new how-to-order video tutorial as well as the same tutorial in picture/text form for those who prefer a different option!

Also I have another Liz Lisa order that just arrived! Wtf am I doing. Post coming up soon. Post here!

As a small reminder (and I'm sure those of you who actually read my posts are tired of reading these blurbs, but I am constantly getting blamed for not warning people of this, so here I go again) - I am extremely uncomfortable with my personal photos being used for the profit of others especially without a simple source link. In general, I would prefer for my photos not to be reposted without my permission at all, but if you feel the extreme need to do so, I simply ask that you just include a simple link back to my original post. Regardless of whether I watermark every single photo, I do still own the copyright to these pictures and you finding them on Google Image does not mean I do not own them anymore?? (There has been some confusion on that front apparently. And to be clear, Google does even warn you when you click on a photo that the image may be subject to copyright, and Google does not sever the photos from their original pages, so it's easy to find their source if you choose.) I do not blog and post these photos so that others can sell their products that are not associated with me in the slightest. And the response I get when I just ask for my photos to be sourced really discourages me from sharing and continuing to blog. I mean this in the least aggressive way possible, but I'm not just going to throw 80 smiley emojis in this to "soften the tone" because I am serious, and I honestly feel like you should be able to read a paragraph like this without emoticons and not be offended by its message.