Q+A (plus give away winner)

During the past two months and a half, I´ve been receiving questions from my readers.

I want to thank you for all the surprising interest about this blog and its author.

Of course it took me some time to tidy and answer the questions, but it is done now.

I hope you enjoy as much as I did it by reading them. ♥

 

Is Violette your real name?
  
No, it´s not. 

Loving tales as much as I do, my alias had to come from a collection of children´s novels by Lemony Snicket called A Series of Unfortunate Events. In fact, the original spelling for the character´s name is Violete, but I decided that Violette sounded much more glamourous (and French) to me.

Do you have siblings?

I have two lovely sisters.

One of them is just thirteen years old. If you speak Spanish, you can follow the Japanese adventures of my other sister here.

From which comunity/city/town are you? 

I am Galician, and very proud of it. That´s the West-Northern part of Spain.

 

What are you hobbies?

Writing (but is more like me true vocational path, not just a hobby), reading, the study of fine arts, alternative fashion and photography.

 When I travel abroad I always take the chance to make portraits of old fashioned places, so my photo albums are full of castles, mansions and palaces.

♥ Basildon Park´s octogonal tearoom (a.k.a. Netherfield Park on Pride and Prejudice).

Taken on July 2010, during my stay in the UK.

What is your most unrealistic and most realistic dream in life?

My most unrealistic dream is living in a nineteenth century mannor house. As I mentioned above, I love old buildings so much, that I spend a good portion of my spare time taking pictures of them. Most of my trips pictures are just a bunch of architectural pictures. And for most realisitc dream in life, well, I would like to become a proffesional fiction writer in my mother language if I had the chance.

 Nevertheless, dreams are dreams, so it´s dangerous qualify them as realistic.

   Do you like travelling?

Of course I do! I am the happiest person in the world when it comes to discovering new places.

 What places have you visited abroad?

Apart from Spanish cities, mostly the UK (Berkshire, Stratford-upon-Thames, Canterbury, London) and Germany (Berlin).

Besides, I am currently living in Bucharest (Romania).

 ♥ Stratford-upon-Avon. Taken on 2010.

 If you know that in after life you will become - reincarnate - into something or someone what / who will be? And why?  

It can sound a bit egocentric but answering honestly, I think I´d choose to live my life again, just to have the chance to repeat all the wonderful moments I´ve lived with my beloved ones.

Even the difficult times have been worthy at the moment and the make they shinny ones to look brighter.

What´s your passion? 

  

Life! I try to take advantage of every single day.

You never know how much time is left.

 What's your job?

I am a foreign languages teacher, both in Spanish and English.

Do you have lots of friends with common interests or do you feel a bit odd in your social life?

I am not the kind of person who makes tons of friends but a few loyal ones instead.

However, my friends are so cheerful and noisy that you can easily take them by an army.

And in relation to interests, I like to think we all have a lot in common!

 ♥ The Gentle One at Dorotheenstädtischen Friedhof (Berlin) in 2006.

 

 How much time have you been dating your boyfriend and how much have you been living together?

We started dating in 2004 (so nine years now) and in relation to coexistence, we moved to our own flat a year after that.

I want to know if you have any kind of idol inspirational person, dead or alive, fictional or real.

There are many individuals I admire, specially people linked to art and literature. 

Virginia Woolf, Henry James, Scott Fitzgerald, Edith Warthon, Louisa May Alcott or The Pre-raphaelite Brotherhood are some examples.

I'd like to know which historical period you'd choose to live in if you had the choice!  

  

Any time between 1750 and 1930 would be ok with me.

At least on an idyllic level (considering my health issues, I don´t think I could live a long time without penicillin, haha).

Are you a coffee or a tea person? 

I drink tons of tea everyday. Indeed, I have to confess that, as times goes by, it has become kind of a chronic addictive habit: if I don´t have a certain number of teacups a day, I go totally unsatisfied and even a bit techy. On the other hand, tea provides welfare and drinking it at home or at any other relaxing place helps me to reduce stress.

What´s your favourite tea/coffe brand?

I am not a big coffee fan and I normally just have a cup in the morning if I am really tired, so I can´t really make any reccomendations.
As for tea (and hot chocolate) I would suggest Whittard of Chelsea.
 

I may be traveling to Bucharest soon, so do you know any good cafés for pastries and such? 

I´ve been living here for just two months, but I already have my own preferences.

Chocolat is great for bakery (their style and cake design is pretty similar to Ladurée, unfortunately their prices too). Madame Lucie has great macarons as well and their prices are more popular. As for good quality patisserie and tea, I love the international chain Paul. But if you really want great tea, try Tea House. Their chart is a delight.

I am still trying new places all the time, but this is my list of suggestions for now. 

♥ Paul shop in Bucharest.


Did you go to university?

Sure! I chose English Literature as my degree subject purely because I saw it as an excuse to read even MOAR books, while calling it “work”.

Do you have any addiction?

As a matter of fact, I am addicted to three things: books, tea and (on a lighter level) clothing.
  

  Where do you usually buy and where your clothes and where do you draw inspiration from to form your outfit?

Well, inspiration can be everywhere, so I buy my clothes in the most diverse places:

goth and underground shops, internet, Japanese brands, second hand shops and even mainstream stores. 

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?

Generally, between 20 and 30 minutes, but for more ellaborated outfits on the weekends I usually need about 45 minutes or even one hour.

Do you have a signature style?

I don´t really think so. I am keen on trying new things all the time.
My only general signature look is a vague vampire vibe (and maybe eyeliner catseye).

 Do you mind if I ask where you got those tights in your outfits? They're lovely, but I can't find anything like them anywhere!

I mainly buy all my stocking at Pamela Mann and Calzedonia.

 ♥ Summer holiday, 2012.

I was wondering, do you have any words of advice for someone who may not feel very confident in their looks or style?

I think everybody feels a bit insecure sometimes. My advice for you would be investing some time to realize what type of clothes, colours and shapes suit you. Everybody needs some experience to figure it out. So be patient and don´t be afraid of aesthetic experimentation.

What do your parents think about your fashion sense?

When I was a teenager I started searching for my own style and tried pretty crazy and agressive looks, so obviously my parents were a little concerned about me. Nonetheless, I easily found my path on gothic culture. As a child, I used to be a little princess and somehow my love for silk dresses and corsets is a resumption of it. 

Consequently, my parents say my neo-romantic tendences were just the natural progress for me. 

 May I ask how do you afford all those amazing pieces? All your items and backgrounds seem to be quite expensive. I hope this is not rude, I just wonder how could I get to have such a dreamy wardrobe as you.

Well, as everybody else I simply have a "real life job" that pays the bills.

Besides, my wardrobe is the result of many years collecting clothing and skip throwing anything away (which is why good quality is good, as it lasts longer) . And of course priorizing is also important (for example, I do not drive, I do not buy take away coffee each morning, I make my own lunches, etc.).
Honestly, it just takes time, effort and patience!

Skirts or dresses?

It depends on the ocassion. I generally prefer dresses, but for some reason, most of the times I wear skirts at job.

I noticed you wear Japanese clothes sometimes, do you like Lolita style?

I do! I discovered Lolita as a teenager in the late nineties but it was not a very sophisticated style by then, so I never really tried wearing it myself. However, with the pass of the years, Japanese brands started showing more interesting alternatives, so I became more and more attracted to it.
Of course, I consider Sweet Lolita is not my cup of tea, but I have a deep crush on Gothic and Classic Lolita styles. In fact, I mixture toned-down regular gothic with Classic Lolita for job purpouses, as people perceive it as less agressive than just regular Western gothic style and I frequently work with children.

Another interesting point might be that the general Lolita subculture has lots in common with Romantic Gothic (which I secretly consider my true style at heart): Tea parties, reading, grand masquerades, autumn picnics, art and antiques searching are so deeply linked to my own personality that I inmediately connect with most Lolita ladies.

In other life I am sure I would make a perfectly upstanding Lolita!

 
How do you stay so pale? Not only your face, but your entire body?

I use a high protection sunscreen under my makeup (+50) all year, plus a parasol on the summer time.
I also try to avoid proplonged sun exposition during the warm season.

 I was wondering, what you do to keep your skin so lovely and clear?

Some time ago I made a post explaining my skincare regime.

You can still reading it  here.  

   ♥ Galician wild landscapes, April 2011.

 How do you get split ends do not go? How do you look after your hair?

 

I just use some serum on them, and for the rest, cutting twice a year is enough to look after for my hair.

 How long did it took you to grow your hair so long? 

Pretty much a decade! I haven´t cut it for ten years.

I would like to know what do you do to have such a great figure? 

 These are not really tips, but this is what I do:

-I drink A LOT of water and tea. In general, I drink about 2-3 L a day. Tea is also great because it taste great (if you like tea, of course).

-I eat what I want. Sure, it helps that I am not a big fan of fried food… In general, I eat about 1500 calories a day. I also eat lots of fruits and veggies.
However, in my case is all about genetics.

-I try to sleep 8 hours every night.

-I walk a lot.

Well I was wondering what your hair cut is. Meaning do you have any layers and what kind? Also I'm not sure if you have actual bangs or not, but how long are your font bits? I have very long hair as well.

I don´t have  proper cut, no layers or bangs. I just leave grow as it pleases.
And for the font bits, I would say about a metre or so.

  Since your hair seem to be a mix of straight and curly/wavy, how do you usually sleep in order to keep it controlled?

I just brush my hair every night and after that I braid it. For me is the best way to stop making a total mess of it while sleeping.

How do you perceive something as worthy of blogging about?

I think almost everything can constitute an acceptable post topic. All you need is a bit of imagination to take pictures and tell a story. However, I always try to separate my personal life from the blogosphere. After all, you never know who is reading out there!

Do you read many blogs? What kind of blogs do you prefer?

Of course I do! Apart from the great ladies in my blogroll list (you can see it in my profile), I also like to track the net in search of new interesting bloggers. Although many of them are gothic-related, many others are people who has something interesting to offer beyond the scene. 

These are the blogs that have conquered me lately:

Wednesday Mourning, Aletheia Nocturne.  

 

 ♥ Proffesional photoshoot, 2011. 

How long have you been in the Gothic subculture?

I started feeling attracted by dark aesthetics when I was a teen, but I didn´t truly embrace it until I was nineteen, so it was about eleven years ago.  

What kind of music do you listen to and who is your favorite artist?

I mainly listen to Gothic Rock and Dark Ambients bands (Ritual, Medieval and Dark Folk genres are my number one options).    

Ashram, Corde Oblique,  Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio, Dead Can Dance, Ataraxia, Persephone, Arcana, Faith and the Muse, Clan of Xymox, The Moon Lay Hidden Beneath a Cloud, Camerata Mediolanense, In my Rosary, Lacrimosa, Ikon, Killar,   Sopor Aeternus, The Chameleons, Camouflage, Flowers for Agatha, The Snake Corps, Anne Clark, Annie Lennox, The Eden House, Nennia Calladhan...

I also like classic music very much, maybe because I studied piano as a child. In that case I prefer Schubert, Schuman, Rameau, Monteverdi, Couperain, Verdi, Bach and Satie.

 Are You feeling lonesome being a goth in Spain? Are there many of them?

There used to be many goths in Spain, but somehow the number decreased spectacularly. I think it was a mixture of bad feelings created inside the secene by gossip, and the progressive coalescense to real working life for many of them. In my humble opinion, you must have a very strong personality ans tastes in order to skip giving up in the gothic scene. It is probably one of the most socially persecuted underground cultures. 

In the top of all it, unfortunately there aren´t lots of clubs in Spain right now, which can make very difficult to meet new people with the same tastes.

I want to know some of your favourite books and why.

For books I have a very wide taste, but it´s all about classics for me.

I appreciate English and Russian literature.

The Brönte Sisters, Henry James, Virginia Woolf, William Shakespeare, Edith Warthon, Jane Austen, Leo Tolstoi, Chéjov and Pushkin are my favourites. 

What I want from a book is mainly a memorable story, but also a good dose of literary quality, as I am very fussy about the Western canon.

What tv series do you watch the most?

I am very fond of period drama series (Downton Abbey, Pride and Prejudice, Desperate Romantics, Lost in Austen), fantasy and horror thematics (Game of Thrones, American Horror Story). 

Well, I think that´s all! 

Thank you so much for reading!

And Finally, I am able to announce the winner of the second blog anniversary Give Away as well as the surpise prize! 

 ♥ A vintage fortuneteller teacup ♥

It took me some time to find the perfect one, but I think it was worthy.

And the winner is (drums roll):

Which according to the list is

Adela

Congratulation, darling. Please, contact me on my mail again to provide your postal address. Hopefully, you will receive your prize before Christmas.

And for the rest of you, thank you SO much for participating.

Good luck next time!