Just Arrived #28

Hello Everyone,

After selling off MOST of my sale stuff at the Japan Fest in Atlanta, I was able to buy me some things that I would actually wear. I have a LOT to show you! I'm pretty excited about all these things, even if I'm not quite feeling up to wearing kimono as often as I used to right this moment.

First up are chuya obi I got. Chuya obi are my weakness, I absolutely love them and simply can't pass them up.

I also got more haori. This one is a gorgeous dark emerald green color, almost the same in shade as the obiage you will see in a moment. In the photo it doesn't look that great, but in person... it's OH MY! The other haori is gorgeous too, even if I can't quite figure out the seasonality.

And here is the obiage and obijime I was just talking about. It's such a deep green color!

I got more nagoya obi too, but I'm only going to keep two of them. Unfortunately they are not in a great condition, but fortunately if I make them into tsuke obi, they will be wearable again.

I'm always on lookout for a ship obi, except I don't particularly care for shusu silk and painted obi. When I saw this obi, I knew I had to have it! It's a gorgeous lavender color with a woven ship pattern! I'm not keeping the other obi.

When I first got this obi, I wasn't sure if I'm going to keep it. I'm simply not a fan of birds, plus I thought this obi is going to be very bright yellows. Well, it turned out to be a gorgeous yellow-green-olive color, plus pretty long for a vintage obi! It was love from first (in person) sight for me! So now this obi is added to my collection and it's not leaving it!

Before coming to the US I sold my favorite black and white kimono to help off set the costs of shipping my cats to the USA, so now I'm hoping to replace it with something similar. This kimono is in no way similar, but

it is black and white, and synthetic. It fits me beautifully! Sometimes I forget how it feels to have a properly fit kimono LOL!

Finally, here is another striped kimono I got! I already worn it to a photo shoot last week.

Told you I got a lot of stuff to show you! :D

~ Lyuba

Just Arrived #27

Sorry everyone for being quiet on my end. May turned out way busier than I expected, with APAH stuff and our vacation. To top everything off, the weather had decided that it's November and not May, so it's cold and rainy. Any time I think of wearing kimono (like today), I look outside and change my mind. The rain wouldn't have scared me back in FL, as there are lots of places to go that are inside, but where I live here, I don't have that many inside places to hang out. 

After coming back from our vacation I went to check the mail and there were two packages from Japan waiting for me! I actually won these things back in February, but it took me forever to pay and then combined with the shipping times, forever to get. My own fault, really, but since I'm a pretty patient person, I was ok with that. 

First comes the set of haori. I mainly wanted it for that green one with what looks like daisies to me. In real life it's more olive colored and not this bright in-your-face green as in the photos. I'm not afraid of in-your-face green, but I prefer olive, so I'm extra happy. 

I immediately knew that this haori would be one of those understated but absolutely gorgeous in real life ones. I love the watercolor effect.

 I'm still on the fence about this haori. I'll have to take it out and look at it again before I decide if I'm going to keep it, because it's just too busy looking for me. I'm not showing the forth haori because I'm definitely not keeping it.

I also got a set of obiage, and looking at this photos there are nothing THAT special. Until I saw the close up (next photo) and I KNEW I had to have it. Oh yeah! Please sign me up for a striped obiage! I already know which kimono I'm going to wear it with ;P

Just Arrived #26

Hello Everyone,

I finally opened up the package that I received few weeks ago. I know, I know, you're all wondering how could I do that? Well because I have a patience of a saint! ;P

This time I got two haori to add to my ever growing haori collection. I'm not really sure what kind of designs are on them, so if you have any ideas, please let me know!

Just Arrived #25

Hello Everyone, 

With all the Akira style photos I've  been posting, I completely forgot to post about two new items I've received in the mail just before KJD last Saturday. 

I'm a sucker for pretty juban, and my *slight* obsession got much worse after I started wearing vintage kimono almost exclusively. I always feel like I don't have enough, so I'm always looking to get more. When I saw this one, initially I was amazed that it wasn't bought! Then I looked though photos and discovered why. Well, there is hole on the right panel, and at first I was also put off by it, but then I decided that it is easily fixable, and no one going to see it anyway, so I got the juban. 

 This is the terrible hole. When this juban arrived, it turned out not as bad. Now I just need to get off my lazy behind and actually fix it.

 This kimono is seriously bright! I absolutely love it :)

Have you got anything good in the mail? :)

~ Lyuba

Just Arrived #24

Yesterday I got two new items to add to my collection. 

First is another addition to my haori obsession. I love the clouds and the grey! 

 I actually realized that I don't have any non-plain juban with shorter sleeves, to fit some of my kimono. Incidentally, this one came along and I couldn't pass it by. I need to wear this juban sometimes soon!

Just Arrived #23

IT ARRIVED!!!!!!

I just ordered it on January 28th I think? Regardless, I expected at least  2 weeks wait, so imagine my surprise and excitement when went to check the mail and the post office person brought back this huge box! I knew immediately what it was, and couldn't wait to get home to open it.

I haven't got chance to dress her up yet because I have a lot of reading to do for school this week, so for now she is holding my new bag and wearing one of my hats. Good enough for me at the moment :)

The base is sturdy and pretty heavy, so I imagine I won't have much problem with the form tipping over like my old one used to do. I had an option of 4 different bases, and I choose the wheels (step below the most expensive option). I'm really happy with them because I can now just wheel her around instead of having to carry her from place to place.

Just Arrived #22

After my last week's news I really needed something to cheer myself up. That "something" came in the form of two packages from Japan, because let's face it, kimono always makes the world better!

This kimono is a prime example that even I like floral patterns. I was drawn to the color first (it's a gorgeous teal), and the striking white and yellow peonies second. It's a pretty thin kimono, so I'll have to wait to wear it.

I've been on a hunt for grape patterned kimono for I-don't-know-how-long. I've managed to get a grape obi a while back, but kimono would elude me every time! Imagine my surprise when I saw it listed and NOT sold. I don't think I've bought anything that fast before. In person it's even more striking.

 I could pass up this michiyuki either. This is the only one I own that has vintage length sleeves, so it will fit majority of my vintage kimono.

Finally, I got some more obiage. I'm a sucker for pretty obiage and can never get enough of them!

STRAWBERRIES!!!!

What were your first purchases of 2013?

~ Lyuba