2015 Lolita Goals Revisited + An End of Year Summary

At the start of 2015, I came up with some lolita goals, so I think it only makes sense that I revisit them now the year is finally over!

Get more old school items into my wardrobe.✔

I made a lot of progress in getting more old school clothing and accessories, and it's been pretty exciting for me as I feel like I'm truly indulging in what made me love lolita in the first place. I'm more excited about my new items than I used to be, and it's a great feeling.

Branch out with footwear.✘

I failed at this one miserably. I tried ordering a pair of cute, chunky lolita shoes online and ended up getting shoes which were too small even though I sized up a bit just in case! Better luck next time, I guess.

Buy a plain black bag! ✔

The plain black back came in the form of a super cute Angelic Pretty boston bag I got on the auctions early this year, and it's basically the bag I carry the majority of the time now.

Stop forgetting the wardrobe staples! ✔

I made sure to get some more basic items like blouses and knitwear, though I don't expect that aspect of my wardrobe will ever be truly complete! I am seriously looking forward to doing my wardrobe post for January 2016. Not a whole lot has changed, but the changes really round things off nicely.

Visit Baby, The Stars Shine Bright in Paris! ✔

I was so thrilled that I managed to see not only Paris, but the Baby shop located there! The emptiness of the shop was a little disappointing, but I had a pretty magical experience nonetheless.

Make my own "main pieces" of lolita clothing.✘

I made a ridiculous amount of bloomers this year, but made very little progress in the way of main pieces. I had a motivation slump in the summer, did a lot of procrastinating, and then ended up having neither the energy nor the necessary free time to figure out the projects I drew up for myself. Next year, for sure.

Have a stall at a lolita event.✘

This one is probably the biggest disappointment for me as I've applied to be a vendor at numerous lolita events at this point. All I can do is use it as fuel to work harder, be better, and know that I can make the best of the opportunity when the time comes. And I believe it will. I have a lot of faith in myself, even though that procrastinating side of me tries to kill it.

Well, 3/6 ain't bad.

I don't know if I'm going to bother setting any lolita goals for 2016. Making resolutions is a bit restricting, especially where something as open as your personal style and involvement in subculture goes. I don't think there's any specific things I want to achieve now. I just hope to have as much fun as I can. go on as many great adventures as possible, and wear great coordinates while doing it.

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2015 was a challenging year, but I feel positive about who I've become as a person as a result. I undoubtedly have a lot more confidence in myself than I did one year ago. I have faith in myself, and I think it is mainly down to the fact this year was so drastically different from any other year I've experienced before. It was my first year outside of education since I was a small child. More or less my entire life had been shaped by a strict regime of academia and forced interactions with people I'd rather forget-- people who tore me down and made me feel unworthy of love. 2015 was the first year I was able to let go of a great deal of the emotional baggage that had built up over the years to smother me everywhere I went.

I used to be the sort of person who was always terrified of change, but now I seem to embrace it with open arms. I want change. I find myself getting restless when it seems like things aren't moving forward quickly enough or transforming in some way. This restlessness inspired me to appreciate the beauty around me more, and go off in search of more of it. I went on lots of lovely solitary walks. I went out and took pictures of the nature. I tended to houseplants and bought a pot of my favourite flowers (daffodils). I was super observant of the gradual change of the seasons, and I appreciated them in a whole new way because they were no longer tied to terms or semesters or deadlines. I did a little travelling, and visited new places both at home and abroad. It was like I was really seeing all the gorgeous things in my life from a whole new perspective.

I think putting a lot of focus on my so-called "lolita lifestyle" was a very therapeutic thing for me. The various romantic additions to my day-to-day life proved so inspiring, and kept me going during the times when things felt hopeless, and the future looked overwhelmingly bleak. I think the most significant thing for me this year is that I haven't coped this well for an extended period of time since... goodness knows how long. My depression didn't have the stronghold it once did. I really kicked its arse this year to the extent that I sometimes forgot I even had it. I'm not going to get complacent and think it's gone for good, because I don't think it will ever fully disappear. But for now at least, I'm doing well, and while the future seems so uncertain, I also see that it's full of hope.

I would like to go back to blogging more in 2016, and putting together more topical posts and articles because I love doing those. Thank you so much to everyone who reads this blog and has been following my thoughts, ideas, and adventures up until this point! Your support and comments mean so much to me.

Happy New Year to you all, and I hope all of your wishes will come true. Here's to 2016! Let's make it a good one ❤