Make a wig stand out of stuff you already have!

I have one wig, and I just ordered another one (for cosplay, not lolita) And I have come the the realization that i really need to put it (soon to be them! *squee*) on wig stand(s). Of course, I am far too resourceful to just go and buy one (read: I'm too lazy and cheap to buy one) so I had a revelation last night as to how I could make one! It is made up of stuff I already had at home and that was quickly found, and it is surprisingly effective!
So, I figured I would show you how to make one!
First: Your materials! 

 You'll need (in case you are incapable of identifying objects in pictures) a garbage bag, newspaper, scissors, duct tape, and a paper bowl. You could probably use a piece of cardboard or a wide paper cup if you don't have one on hand.
Step One:

Open up the garbage bag end really wide. You want to work with one of the corners of the bag.
Step Two:

Crunch the newspaper really really tight. Then start to stuff it into the corner of the garbage bag.
Step Three:

Start shaping the newspaper balls inside of the bag into what seems to resemble a head. This is up to as little or as much interpretation as you like.
Step Four: 

Stuff and feneggle your newspaper so that is has enough tugor pressure tension to be pretty stable so you can poke/smoosh it gently and it won't effect the shape. The good thing about the newspaper is that even if you're unhappy with it when you're all finished, you can still reshape it.
Step Five (optional):

I didn't really like the corner being all pointy and ruining my head shape, so I cut it and put a piece of duct tape over it XD
Step Six:

Twist the long end of the garbage bag until it's pretty small. While you hold the twisty end, put pieces of duct tape around the perimeter of the end.
Step Seven:

Then just cut away the rest of the garbage bag and put another piece of duct tape over it!
Step Eight:

 Now it's time to construct the base! I cut around the edge of the bowl to get rid of the rim.

Just for a little visual, this is how you want to tape the stand to the newspaper ball (head? whatever you want to call it).
Step Nine:

 Tape the stand and head together a few times around and you're done, unless you're crazy like me:

And I covered the base in tape too because it's shiny (or something..)
Now you're done! Use your new wig stand to store/display!

My brunette wig is very happy now that it is not being stored on the corner of one of my butterfly chairs!
Up Next: Cosplay Wigs USA Review! 
As always, thank you for reading~!

Lolita Meetups: My experience and a crash-course

My first Meetup.
So, as you might know, I attended my first lolita meetup yesterday. Here is my general experience with it.
Manda's parents were nice enough to drive us down to the museum, and when we got there, the lady was just asking me why I was wearing a costume when I saw the people I was meeting walk down the stairs. Those three or four seconds that I took to process it was some of the best three seconds in my entire life. It was amazing! It was true, out there proof that lolita didn't just exist in my head, or on the internet. There are real people that like to dress up in frilly and poofy clothes just like me and Manda!
When everyone got together, we did introductions, (our name and lj username XD) and ages. I was the youngest one there, which seemed to be a shock to everyone, haha. Everyone was incredibly nice, much nicer and fun to be with than I thought. We were so silly, especially when we pretended to be dinosaurs (surprisingly often). Everyone looked very nice, and it was much, much more fun than I even expected!
We walked down to the "Star of India" restaurant and ate there after the museum closed. And then we both climbed back into the car and almost fell asleep on the ride home.
Tips.
1. Prepare, prepare, prepare.
Make sure you're ready. Bring all of the necessary items: money, cell phone, camera, but I also suggest bringing a few extra things: extra batteries, and a sewing kit to fix outfit mishaps. If you're planning on going up steps or sitting on the ground, wear bloomers, or the modern alternative, boxers (yes, the kind that boys wear). Also, prepare for people to ask you questions. You might want to go as far as to practice what you're going to say in the mirror. Most of all, get ready for pictures! Put on makeup, fix your hair to your liking, and wear your favorite outfit!
2. Stay calm with strangers.
If you've ever been to a meetup, you know how curious other people can be upon seeing such a large group of such "different" people. If you don't, stay calm. People are naturally curious. People will stare. People WILL pretend to be looking for a cell phone signal and pretend to take pictures. My only advice is to explain yourself calmly and happily, and to ignore those how secretly take pictures. Don't worry! There will be people that will even know what you're wearing! One girl actually asked to take a picture with us! It made me feel really fuzzy inside.
3. Have fun!!