Monthly Theme: Spot the Lace

Koncha, minna. Well, this is a little better, mmm~? Perhaps it will still only be a one time thing, despite my best efforts [che sigh]. But nevermind the details~ it's finally become October~! Surely, October is probably my second or third favorite month ever. Good things happen. The weather--like today, oh yes--becomes cooler, Halloween looms, there's inevitably another show, and, oh yes... If you are the lovely Victorian Kitty-tan of Sophistique Noir, you have the first-day-of-the-month theme. For this October, behold....! Lace~!



As far as my trifecta of styles go [Aristo, V-kei, cosplay], the sharp dressed lady of the Aristocrat may find the touch of lace on blouse sleeves, or the top-layer of a fine blouse, along with lace gloves for the warmer weather. However, since on a whole, the three mostly do without, I seem to have sublty reflected that in my own wardrobe. In fact, I nearly forgot the lone piece of lace something or other that I do have until I just looked around the room and spotted it hanging on the doorknob. You've seen it before. It continues to serve me well, even into it's slightly 'broken' state. I'm of course talking about the ever fashionable rose lace zip-tie.

As aforementioned, it was delightfully cool today, as I threw myself out of the house to run to the bank again. The new long jacket--that when buttoned reminds me of a Japanese delinquent, hence the armband [which reads 'gang leader']--is one of two given to me over the summer by Nobu because they're too long to look right. It makes me favor windy days, too, for the billowing effect [who doesn't love that~? ^_^]. The hair is a mess and got rained on while coming home, aaaaaaand... hooray for my diligent tie, it didn't slip too much.

I'm still sick; the ear infection I had earlier this week transformed into a regular cold and cough. By transformed I mean that I didn't get any sort of lapse in between them, one turned into the other. But I can crack my neck again, at least, so that's good. Usually, since I don't like being a pain and getting up to leave class when I have a cough, I'll don the mask. Same for everyday happenings, since the mask is a staple of Visual kei fashion. This one also serves me well, it needs a new protege though. It's mostly little kids who will stare. I've yet to have anyone call me out on it or say a rude comment, and of course, when it is needed [like at my bank for example], I remove it, no problem. I have a feeling it's because I leer a lot when I'm out and about by myself [default expression].

I swear it seems way bigger in proportion to my chest. The picture in the linked post above shows it better than this one, the seeming difference in size... All in all, the tie itself would be great, to me, even without the rose or lace [or just one or the other], because of the material, and that it's neither a regular tie or a clip on, it's affixed via a zipper. Easy to adjust, no worries for length, and fits under even the smallest of collars like the long jacket has.

The mother-person has more lace things than I do... I have considered making a pillbox hat and adding a nice half veil to the front; it's good to remember that fashion goes from head to toe.

Do you prefer whole lace pieces, or lace accessories? Colored lace, or tradional black and white? Do you make your own lace? [if so I bow to your immense prowess~!]

Stay well everyone, and have a wonderful October all around.

Eternally yours,

Il Ruinante Isaak

The Fabled Tea-time with the Marquis

Good afternoon, minna~. How positively coincidental of me to say that I'll get a post in on Saturdays, and then forget the upcoming Saturday will consume my soul [shadow casting of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, with my favorite fandom, ahem... 'prodding' people in line]. And then I got sick. But I'm getting better, and thus I was inspired to do the tea-time post, since that is helping me feel better [also, hot apple juice with a bit of honey; it's really amazing]. So let us journery to that quiant cozy little corner of the world that's all yours, where the weather is exceptional, and nothing would be better than a spot of tea.

So a while back [...yeah, June-ish], gallavanting about, the parent-persons and I stopped at a Teavana. I swear I would buy a tea set from them if it wasn't so expensive... [well, not entirely overpriced, per se] The sample brews were delicious as always, and the mother-person bought some this time around. But it was caffeinated, and it didn't sit well with her stomach, so I ended up drinking most of it. On a calm Saturday morning that I planned to do a lot of work, I made a pot with a touch of honey. Generally, I will let tea steep for however long there is water in the pot; it makes each cup stronger. However, I do know that can impart the taste and make it overly bitter. Teavana brews will come with suggested steep times on the back of the bag.

The tea set came from my cousin Jo from when she was moving. Oh, the mother-person also made bread [with a breadmaker borrowed from a friend], and I do love my starches with every meal. I had honey and or butter with the French bread. The house was empty, so my little tea-time was very~ calming [and, since no one was around, and it was early in the morning, I hadn't dressed to match the part either, oops]. Even with the caffeine running through the veins.

Sebastian likes bread of all types, and thought he would help himself to some. [I would've had let him had he not also climbed up on the tabletop itself and almost spilled scalding tea on himself and I.]

Oh, the serving plate for the bread is a lovely number made by my awesome godmother. It actually comes off more a sushi plate to me, given the long rectangular shape, but like most dishes, it's versatile. We now have quite the small collection of various pieces from her. [I wonder if she's started to sell online, too...]

What's your favorite type of tea? Cold, hot, sweet, bitter, decaff, caffeinated? How do you enjoy your perfect cup of tea? If you're not one to brew your own, are there any good cafes around where you live that serve great tea?

And with that, I'm going to make some more chai and probably go back to sleep. *Sniff.* Take care of yourself, everyone~

Eternally yours,
Il Ruinante Isaak

Revive Kills Zombie!

Hello, hello, minna~! This is a 'Sorry-I've-been-away-apology-assurance-I'm-not-dead' post. All of those things, I am not [hence the zombie joke; from Final Fantasy X, I believe], and I am very very sorry for not following the slightest of blogger ettiquite to post something, anything, for the past three months or so [really, it's been three months...? Ah!]. Summer was really productive, in lots of ways. It was blistering hot. Sooooooo hot. I hear it's still warm in some parts. Anyway.


Since so much has been happening, there's a lot I can post now. I'm saying to myself to try and post at least on Saturdays. I'll do my best. Today is a good day though, so here's a mini-post because I love you all.


During the last week of summer before classes, I had the week off pretty much, so I was made to run errands and things. All well and good. Bought lots of stuff [notably a PS2, his name is Thunder Silhouette]. Among the outings, a few trips to Hot Topic; now I have more nailpolish and Dir-En-Grey [perhaps I'll do a CD review]. Since my nails were to be shortened with the resumed rehersals of the Gamer Symphony Orchestra, I did an alternate color scheme French manicure while I still had them long.

The purple was the new color; I now have five or so shades of purple [if I had remembered I just bought another shade of purple from Target, I would've gotten red instead, I think]. The blue is the same brand, and it's getting thick, unfortunately... Since I don't have clear nailpolish, but since it starts out clear, I used a Del Sol Change-Color-in-the-Sun nailpolish as a topcoat, as it were, just for the sake of preserving the manicure for a little longer. So extra sparkles. I got used to it. This will probably last for a month, and not look too bad [although, when I paint layers of this brand, they seem to chip off in chunks; all layers at once].

Do you have a steady hand? Do you prefer simple, or more complex nail designs? Are you an acrylic nail person, or like all natural growing them out? Favorite colors for nails that you find don't work for anything else?

Ohh, I am compelled to change the page music as well. I'm open to suggestions~
I'm ready for Fall, oh yay~ cooler weather. ^_^

Eternally yours,
Il Ruinante Isaak

Summery Treats

Good evening everyone~ I hope you all are keeping cool where you are. It's getting dastardly hot outside, and I don't even like to think about it [though I am fortunate enough to not really feel it]. I apologize for being away, I'm being a bad-at-everything person lately, and I feel terrible for it. As I predicted, I've become consumed with Dissidia 012. What's worse, in the time I do have to do something constructive, like post, I find I've come up with nothing worthwhile, to me. But I've come to the conclusion I just simply need to mix things up. And so, please enjoy something a bit... delicious~!


Lately, with the non-existent free time I have, the mother person firmly encourages--read, forces--me to make dinner two or three nights a week, as opposed to just one. This is all well and good, but if you recall, I am indecisive. So coming up with ideas even with a fridge full of food takes all day, if not... all night, too. Occasionally, I will take the easy way out, with something like a frozen pizza.


I'll skip the joke; it is DiGornio.

We'll usually get the plain cheese, and then whoever is cooking it will take topping preferences from the rest of the house and add them on. Clockwise is the mother person's third with broccoli and bacon bits, the father person's half with mushrooms, sliced baby bell peppers and bacon bits, and this one's third with broccoli and octopi hotdogs. Awesome moms and amazing girlfriends will add them to a loved one's lunch box, and are a snap to make with Nathan's hot dogs and a George Foreman's Grill. Cut each dog up into fourths, then cut a crosshair about halfway into each mini weiner. Stick em on the grill and they curl up beautifully. I don't know if I really have the hang of cooking broccoli yet. I just... boil until not frozen. It works. Mostly.


Now, where would your great pizza [or burgers~? It is grilling this time~] be without a delicious cool drink to go with it? The father person goes out at random to pick up soda cans from wherever is having a discount [be it Safeway or Giant], so usually we have that. But I took the leisure of buying a mini watermelon when the mother person highly encouraged--...yeah--me to go out shopping again [see the previous post for that outfit]. My parent people failed to mention to me before that they weren't fond of watermelon, leaving me to eat it all. Not that I couldn't, but something about seeing the 3/4 of it left just made me... unsure if I would be able to over time. Thus, I threw it in the blender.

Yes, we have the same blender Starbuck's uses, if that means anything to anyone. It can make anything from hot soup to pancake batter to ice cream, legit frozen.

Along with the watermelon, I added some milk, fruit punch and apple juice [in juice box portions], a bit of yogurt, and some ice. I was intent on making a smoothie, but it seems that it wouldn't thicken; the blender is a hella loud when crushing ice, so I didn't want to keep adding to it... it was already dangerously high from the watermelon meat. The portions I all eye-balled, so if want to recreate it, add more or less as you like, and swap out the added juices if you prefer with other juices or frozen fruit.


Everyone's got to eat, even Aristocratic vampires and Visual-Kei incubi [say what...?]. What are you favorite summer time meals and treats? Any homemade recipies?


I recently checked out an interesting book dealing with Japanese fashion, so hopefully that with scans of some pictures, along with a Red and Black post for Victorian Kitty's newly made week long theme, and a Polyvore playtime will be up soon. Just to keep things going.


Now, pardon me while I escape back into Dissidia for the night... Please remember to take precautions in 90+ degree weather, and enjoy your summery days~


Eternally yours,
Il Ruinante Isaak

Osaka -- Visual Kei Summer

Good evening, minna-sama~ and I apologize for the long gap since we last spoke, as it were. The title takes inspiration from 'Osaka -- Tiger Summer', a location level in Sengoku Basara 3; this is part of the reason I've not been allotting myself time to post. That, and the weather has finally taken a definitive turn into the hot, with a side of humid with all the off and on rain we've been having, so I've been going to my old stand-by, graphic t-shirts and whatever pants I feel like [I don't wear shorts].


But, as luck would have it, today, I had the day off from work. And the mother person suggested [read, forced me to] that I go to SAM's Club along with the bank to take care of some transferring of funds. What the hell, I might as well have more of a reason to get dressed than running up less than a mile or so to cut a check. But since it is still ungodly humid, today was definitely a day for some light Visual-Kei wear.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night shirt: Hot Topic
Black and white suspenders: Hot Topic
Wallet chain: Hot Topic [damn... what the hell...?]
Platforms: Demonia via Otakon

A long time ago~ in a world where I cared even less about things than I do now [odd. very odd, considering], I wore T-shirts at naseum. Then along came my sense of humor, and fanaticism with video games and anime. Thus, my T-shirt collection expanded into the graphic T land. Now anytime I can't wear the things I would prefer, including enladen Visual Kei things, I will wear a graphic T. Because everyone needs to know I'm a Jenova's Witness, from the Church of the One-Winged Angel of the Latter Day Summons. So, along with the magnificent makes-me-want-to-touch-myself Castlevania shirt, I paired it with my stand by V-Kei pants which I modified from a regular pair of black pants.



Just to mix things up, I also added two boot straps from my Undertaker cosplay to the bottom of the pant legs. Up close they look great in my opinion, but they are probably very subtle from afar. So in the future I might add more, and wear different shoes, or, instead of decking out my "leg" half, when it gets to be that season again, I may instead put them around my arms. I had meant to wear my 'gang leader' arm band, but I didn't think about it until after I had already gotten back; besides, I would've had to pin it to the t-shirt sleeve, since it's too loose to stay up on my arm, unless I perpetually flex. My hair is univentful because of the humidity; left to it's own devices, it would've been a flyaway mess from all the windows-down, sunroof open driving I did.


Alternately, as I've been going along, I've been thinking how the bootstraps around the leg might look with the Aeon pants [the eyelet heavy ones]. Definitely, I think I need both more wallet chains [or chain link belts in general] and some other colored suspenders. Fingerless gloves would be fun, HT has some in silver that look great.


I got some new musics--notably some songs by Lisa Komine--to keep me preoccupied between... everything, nghh... oh well. It'll be eventful from here on out, everyone~ I hope I can help keep your summers entertaining. Coming up, hopefully along with some more V-kei, will be the adventures of handmade cosplay. If you are a veteran homemade cosplayer, I welcome all wisdom~


"Lonliness fighting back again, seems to be like it never ends. Give us hope through the love of peaceful shine on me~"


Eternally yours,
Il Ruinante Isaak
p.s. While I was out, I bought Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy. If I don't post for another month, even with my best intentions not to have that happen, Dissidia 012 is the reason why.