June Fashion!

Hello all you lovely people!

It's been a while since I've done a proper outfit post on here, but I have been keeping up with my favorite outfits this month!  So, I've decided to do a post on my favorite fashion in June.  This includes the colorful fashion I usually wear, and some new things I decided to try.

Let's go!

I wore the above outfit to an album release party at Spider House.  Pojo the Idealist (who I went to high school with and acted in plays with) released his second album, Love, this month, and it's great!  I'm so glad I was able to go and support his newest release.  Anyway, my theme for the above outfit was Space Babe! XD  Nothing says space babe like a galaxy unicorn top, right?  Here's the rundown:

Top:  Wal Mart

Ring:  A gift--from a local artisan in Austin I believe

Ribbon:  Holley Tea Time

Eye Jewels:  JoAnn's

I liked playing with the make up for this look.  I went for sharp, dark eyebrows, thick black eyeliner, and of course the jewels!  I also tried something new with my hair.  I took the shorter layers, twisted them, and pinned them to the side.  That alone gave me the poof I wanted on top, but it looked unfinished, so I braided it and added a ribbon.  I thought it was fun and whimsical, so I kept it!  I also like how the pink in my hair goes with the purple and blue of the galaxy print.

Side note, I don't shop at Wal Mart anymore because I don't support the way they treat their employees.  It's awful. T__T

This next outfit was just for a day running errands...but I wanted to look cute anyway.  XD  Here's the details:

Top:  Target

Shorts:  Macy's

Shoes:  Dr. Martens via Zappos

Bunny Ring:  Kira Kira Entertainment Shop

Bracelets:  Dollar Store

I like the combination of black and pink, so that's what I went for in this look.  I'm so incredibly excited about those Dr. Martens sneakers, they're so in-your-face and fashionable, but still super comfortable.  I also like that this top has a bit of a high-low effect so I can show off just a bit of tummy without it being a full crop top.  For make up, I played with the pink and black theme by putting pink eye shadow on the outer half of my eyes, and a grey shimmer on the inner half, blending well.  I then put my thick black liner on top of it, and did the dark arched brows as well.  This time, instead of leaving the lips neutral, I put on a magenta color using my Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Lovesick.  

 

This next outfit is one I wore at Texas Comicon once our Kira Kira Maids concert was over on Saturday!  We went back to the hotel room quickly to change, then worked our booth and took turns wandering around.  I didn't want to wear a cosplay because it was HOT, but I wanted to be wacky, cute, and have some character swag at the same time.  So, here's the rundown!

Domo-kun Crop Top:  H&M

Shorts:  Target

Ribbon:  Pinkly Ever After

Kitty Pin:  Sweet Spirits

Bangle:  Dear by Amanda Bynes

Sailor Moon Earrings:  Hobbit Town Jewelry

Glasses:  Rue21

While I was packing for this trip, I thought domo-kun would be perfect to bring along, and because it was so hot that weekend, the fact that it was a crop top was a plus!  I'm still trying to figure out how to pose in crop tops because they're not something I'm used to wearing quite yet.  Ah well, practice makes perfect!  Anyway, the top is super comfy and soft, as well as super cute!  Looking at the photos now, I'm not sure the shorts go too well with the pink on domo-kun, but there are worse things that could happen.  Anyway, I was happy to make use of my Sweet Spirits Suzy Cat brooch again, and wear it with my Sailor Moon Earrings that I got at the convention!  I'll be doing a review of Hobbit Town Jewelry in another post, so stay tuned for details!

My make up here is the make up I had on for the show:  Black eyeliner, super fluffy lashes, and BRIGHT WHITE highlight under the eyes, as well as purple eye jewels.  I could've gone without the glasses, but I put on so much highlight that at a close range I was afraid it would scare people, so the glasses balanced it out a bit. XD  And they're just super cute, right?  As far as hair goes, it had flattened out considerably after the show because of all of the dancing, so I threw it into a side ponytail and put on my Pinkly Ever After Princess Crystal Ribbon!  Perfect! Those ribbons served me well that weekend, since I wore one every day of the convention!

I apologize for the lighting in the close up pictures being so orange!  I'm still figuring out how to take good photos in hotel bathrooms...

 

This last outfit is by far the simplest, but sometimes you need to have those simple days.  Here's the details:

Dress:  Forever 21

Necklace and Earrings:  Thrifted

That's it! XD  Besides the sneakers which you can't see.  I'll be working on taking good full body photos soon so these fashion posts can improve!  Anyway, I wore this to see Silence the Musical, presented by Doctuh Mistuh productions at the Salvage Vanguard Theatre here in Austin.  I wanted to go with something comfortable and classy for the theatre.  This dress from Forever 21 has been one of my standbys for the past few years since it's comfortable, cute, and can be dressed up or down for any occasion.  

I also went for simpler make up here, using a brownish black eyeliner and a gold/beige shimmery highlight under the eyes (which will be featured in my June Favorites post)!  I did a gradient lip using my Covergirl Hot Passion lipstick on the inside of my lips.  

As you can see in the last two outfits, I added purple to my hair!  I wanted to try something a little different, and I've always loved the combination of lavender and pink!  I think I'll keep this color combination for a while since I like it a lot.  For the purple I used N Rage's Purple Plum and diluted it with a whole lot of conditioner!  It's more of a blue based purple than a red based purple, but it works for me!

Whew!  I hope y'all enjoyed my fashion rundown for June, and are looking forward to more fashion posts in July!  I still have my June Favorites to post, a review on Hobbit Town Jewelry like I mentioned above, and a a haul with a discussion on sizes at one of my favorite stores. ;)

Thanks so much for reading, and I'll see you in my next post!

xoxo

Martha

Kira Kira Transformation at Texas Comicon

So this past weekend, the Kira Kira Maids and I went down to San Antonio for Texas Comicon, and the most amazing thing happened! 

There was a lot of negative energy going around on Friday, and a lot of venting going on behind each other's backs, and it made for a tense day.  When the pattern continued on Saturday and impacted our performance somewhat, I desperately wanted to leave.  I just wanted to go to bed, do the show the next day, and drive home in peace.

Though when we all got back to the hotel that night we all sat down in a circle in the little living area of our room, and we all started to talk.  The conversation started out as some silly things, then we all just started to air our grievances with each other.  That conversation then turned into something different when we started talking about the company as a family.

Many entertainment companies like to market their idol groups as this one large family, and it's a fantastic marketing tactic.  Unfortunately, a lot of the times, that's where it ends--as a marketing tactic.  As I was talking, I started to tear up, because Kira Kira Entertainment (and the Kira Kira Maids) are really a family.  I don't really hold auditions for the company, and all of my members came to me of their own volition.  I wanted to keep that family feeling genuine, not only for the benefit of our audiences, but for our own benefit as well.  

I started to tell my members about my disappointments with the company, as well as my hopes and dreams for the future, all through tears and snot and jumbled words.  Miraculously, the other members started to cry too.  We were all finally on the same page.  We went around the circle and each member told me why they initially joined the group, and then why they decided to stay even after other members chose to leave.  Hearing each of their stories brought even more tears to my eyes, and touched my heart so deeply that I felt that we had something truly amazing going on.

Many of my members told me that Kira Kira is their home, their family of choice, and the one place they feel that they can be themselves.  Through being in Kira Kira, the members found their confidence, their drive, their dreams, and their passions...what started out as something so small has turned into a safe haven for so many people.  Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my own ambitions for the company that I forget that my members love it just as much as I do.  Being open with them that night helped me connect with them on an even deeper level, and I'm so proud of each and every one of them.

After that part of our talk, each member then said the thing they love most about me.  Strangely enough, my eyes were dry through the whole thing.  I had run out of tears to cry, and I felt so warm hearing their words, and knowing that my members--my sisters (and brothers)--look up to me so much made me feel that all of my efforts weren't in vain, and that all of my mistakes weren't as bad as I thought they were.  I then told each member what I thought was wonderful about them, and my first impressions as well, and how amazing it felt to have each of them with me on this journey.

That night, my members told me that they wanted to show me that they would live up to my expectations.  And that night, I realized that by working together, we could all make a bright future for our company and for ourselves.  I feel so lucky that I have such an amazing team that supports me and all of my huge dreams.

Sunday's performance went over better than the previous one.  We had so much positive energy to give out to our audience, and I think they loved it!  We had a lot of children in the audience, so I think our positivity attracted the most positive people in the world!

The maids are preparing for our next big convention, Delta H Con, in August, and they are being so proactive!  Schedules are being made, panels are being planned, a concert set list is up with two original choreography pieces, and love is being shared!  There are still some who are sore on the issue of certain Kpop companies, but they have all decided to respect my decision and not use music from those companies while working within Kira Kira Entertainment.  We are all working to cultivate an environment where we can all express our opinions and create art in a healthy, respectful, and ethical environment.

It's a beautiful thing.

It's definitely a process getting used to all of this change, but after this past weekend, there is no doubt in my mind that my members and I can handle it.

My Exhaustion with Idols and a New Creative Start

I don't even know how I feel about idols anymore y'all.

I feel like the more I look into idols, whether Kpop or Jpop, I just find more problems.

Not only the unethical working conditions, but things like shadeism, racism, misogyny, sexism...the list goes on.

I just feel like recently liking idols has made me mentally exhausted.  I can't ignore the issues going on anymore, and when I try to just enjoy the music, there's still this heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach that I can't shake.  

I know there are also Western artists with the issues mentioned above.  I don't support them.  I don't buy their music.  I don't look into them.  I'm beginning to think that's what I should do with idols now.  I may stop in every now and again to look at a new song or two, see what's going on with the fandom...but it's time for me to step back.  I think being a casual listener is the best option for me at this point.

This doesn't mean I'll stop listening to music from other countries, it just means I'll be on the lookout for music that isn't idol music.  More artists and bands instead of idols.  There will still be music reviews on this blog, but if you're looking for idols, I suggest you look somewhere else.

It's tough for me, because idols have been a huge part of my life for about six years now.  There's a part of me that feels like a piece of my identity is gone, because I completely immersed myself into idol culture.  I'm trying to keep a positive attitude about it, and it leaves space to fill with something new, something that's more suited to the current Martha.

As far as Kira Kira Entertainment goes, I'll have to brainstorm some new ideas.  Of course I can still use songs from popular anime series (including idol anime like Idolm@ster and Love Live, because those are characters and not real people), and other Jpop and Kpop music, but the other maids are still so immersed in idol culture that I can't take them out of it alone.  There will probably still be maid performances from KKE that involve idol songs, I just won't be dancing or singing in them personally after the Summer is over.

I'm trying to find the best creative mix for myself and for my Entertainment group, and that may involve me losing a few members...I already lost one this month.  It sucks, but different people have different creative outlets, and I'm not going to keep someone against their will.  I'm hoping I can continue to find new people who share my creative ideas and beliefs.

There's going to be a lot of change over the next few months for me and for Kira Kira Entertainment, and hopefully this new found freedom from my idol obsession will lead me to some great new adventures.

See you in my next post

xoxo

Martha

Outfit: Hello Kitty and Glasses Girl

Hey there honey bears!  I've got another outfit post for ya, full of cute and pink!

I put this together because I got some fun floral glasses at Rue21, and I wanted a quirky outfit to go with them.  Let's go!

Details:

Hello Kitty Shirt:  Target

Floral Glasses:  Rue21

Hello Kitty X Tsuji Nozomi Necklace:  Kittywood Designs

Floral Hair Tie:  Scünci 

Hello Kitty Cupcake Ring:  Sam Moon

Bunny Ring:  Kira Kira Entertainment Shop (link coming soon!)

When I saw these glasses at the mall I thought of all of the nerdy Hello Kitty merchandise and knew I wanted to put together a coordinate with them.  Usually all of the merchandise is red and white...but knowing me I had to do it in pink! xP  I like how the glasses are big and squarish, so it gives a rather quirky look, and I added the floral hair bit on the top for extra spunk.  I also love the rings together, isn't the bunny ring just the cutest!?  It's a new favorite of mine.  It was a rainy day when I wore this so I just wore jeans and pink sneakers on the bottom, so I didn't bother to include those in the photos.  The top half is way more fun!

For make up, I did the same look as I did in my First of Spring outfit post:  foundation, pink blush, gold eye shadow with a brown blended at the edges, and some mascara.  Instead of wearing lipstick this time though, I just chose to wear a lip balm.  It's a Minnie Mouse lip balm from Lipsmackers if you'd like to know.  I always love their stuff, cute and practical, with just a little bit of shine!

I thought this outfit was a fun one, and I hope you think so too!  I think glasses are a fun way to accessorize, even if you don't have a prescription!  I'm near sighted though, so I had to wear my contacts under these. XD

That's all for today, but I'm afraid there won't be any new posts over the weekend since I'm going on Choir Tour with my University.  But once I get back, frequent posting will continue as usual, and I promise, it won't be an outfit post next time!  I know I have a few MusiCutes to write up!

Have a good weekend, and I'll see you in my next post!

xoxo

Martha

Maid Cafe Adventures: All-Con 2014

Hey there honey bears!

As promised, here's the skinny on all things ALL-CON!

Well, all things MAID at All-Con.

As some of you know, my maid cafe dance group, the Kira Kira Maids, performs at All-Con Dallas every year, and this year was All-Con's 10th anniversary!  It was very exciting to be back again this year for our fourth All-Con!  At this four day convention, we had three concerts and had a merch table full of lovely decoden stuff!

Maid Kaya reporting for duty!  Ready to seize the day in PINK!

Before the first concert on Thursday, we got to the hotel, checked in, and set up our merch table!

These lovely deco goodies were all made by maid Ponnchi!  She's so incredibly talented, and we had some good sales during the convention!  There's an online shop in the works, so stay tuned!

The concert on Thursday was at 2, so after set up, the ladies performing in the show did some rehearsing, then ran onstage!

Credit for this photo goes to Daniel Brennan.

We even had our magical girl wands with us!  I always have a lot of fun singing and dancing with the maids, and this time I felt supercharged!  Each concert was better than the last, and I must say we ended our shows at the con with a bang on Saturday night!  If you'd like to see a little of what our show was like, check out this concert digest I put together for the maids' YouTube Channel!

After the show on Thursday, we stayed at the merch table for a while then went out for dinner...after that we pretty much crashed since it was a very busy day and a long drive up to Dallas!

Saturday we didn't have a concert until 9pm, so I ran around to do some networking and go to a few panels after my shift at the table.  But first--

I found Scooby Doo and Daphne!  I see a lot of Mystery Inc. cosplayers, but rarely Scooby!  He was too cute!  And as you can see, I wore my seifuku during the day!  It's super comfy, and Hazel wore her seifuku with me.

TIME FOR SEIFUKU SELFIES!

I will probably snag more seifukus in the future...I have an addiction since I wear it all the time!

But what's that on my bow?

                                       

A KIRA KIRA ENTERTAINMENT BUTTON!

Featuring the Kira Kira Maids on the front!!

For their 10th anniversary, All-Con made buttons of the convention themes over the years, along with various acts and vendors who have come to the con over the years--and the maids were picked to be one of them!  I didn't even know this until Todd (the wonderful con chair) came over and handed me one.  He told me that there were 200 of these babies circulating around the con for trading and collecting!!!  I was seriously speechless, and so grateful!

I had so much fun going to panels and making new friends that I didn't get too much shopping done (which is probably a good thing for my wallet), but I did pick up a few things!  Here's what I bought:

So this lovely little brooch was made by the folks at Punk'dWorks!  They make jewelry out of clock gears!  It's all got a steampunk theme, but this caught my eye because of the pastel cameo...of a skeleton lady!  Cool, huh?  I've always admired steampunk from afar but I didn't think I could pull it off.  Starting in small doses with pieces like this is good, and I've already worn this a few times since buying it!  

The man at the booth was nice (and very stylish in his Steampunk garb), although he did make some stereotypical comments about girls which made Natsume and I roll our eyes...but that's why Kira Kira Entertainment and the maids go to cons!  To educate and promote cute and feminine culture!  If I see him again, I'll be sure to have a chat with him.  I'd also like to meet his wife next time around, as she does the actual piecing together of the jewelry while he finds and gathers up all of the clock gears.  

My next purchase was this manhwa!  I thought it was a manga at first, but by looking closer I saw that it was drawn and written in Korea, therefore it is classified as a manhwa!  I fell in love with the art style on the cover, and that was the only reason I bought it really.  It's just so beautiful!  Look at those big, sparkly eyes!  And luckily, it was half off!  ...so I bought the first four volumes.  XD  I finished reading the first volume, and it's super interesting!  I'll do a review of it in my next post!

The last piece at All-Con was actually bought for me by Natsume!  She's such a sweetheart, and a good friend of mine as well as a maid in the group.  She knew I loved rose quartz, and so she found a booth selling necklaces made with various crystals and bought me one with rose quartz in it!  It's tied on a simple black cord, and I'm actually wearing it right now!  It's good for those simple days, and it gives off good energy!  I'll make sure to include it in an outfit post in the future. 

A huge highlight from this All-Con, and one of the most important for me, was making new friends and reconnecting with old ones!  The ladies of the Disney Princess panel came to two of our shows and rocked out with us, and we had a lot of fun at their panel too!  We had a whole bunch of shenanigans later Saturday night with them, but y'all wouldn't want to read about those, right? ;)  But here's a photo of us at dinner before things got too crazy:

As you can see (kind of), I'm wearing my Pinkly Ever After dress!  Maid Rose has on a red maid uniform, Maid Hazel is in pink sweet lolita, Butler Akakiba in casual wear with a fedora, and Rosebud the Maid as Sailor Jupiter!  You can also see Artemis (she was Ursula in the Disney panel!) but she had her back to the camera...I don't think she likes cameras much. x3

I hope this post was enjoyable, and hopefully those of y'all in the area can come to All-Con next year!  It's the maids' favorite con of the year, and we'd love to see you there!

If you want to see more photos of our concerts, you can go to our Facebook Page!

Thanks for reading, and see you next time!

xoxo

Maid Kaya ;)