Thursday, December 7, 2006

   Good Times
The rest of my birthday turned out wonderful! My friends threw a party for me that night and we played Friends Scene It. My team won! Though it was only because M, the almighty Friends guru was on it. Anywho, I got Vol.2 of Trinity Blood and RENT, which was amazing. I rented the movie forever ago and never got to finish it, so yay! Now I get to see it!

In other news, I got on Netflix. Now I can rent lots of anime for only $10 a month! I'm currently working through Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. I've been wanting to rewatch the series for a long time now, especially since I missed a bunch of episodes. I'd rather just buy the series, but the cheapest box set I found was $100 at Best Buy, so until I can save up, I'll settle for renting...

Yay, it's almost Christmas! That means its time for my yearly Christmas card distribution. PM or email me your mailing address so I can send you Christmas love! I love sending out Christmas cards...

And finally, a moment of fun. My friends and I got together to bake Christmas cookies last night. It was insane. Flour and icing everywhere and tons of laughter and good times. We had an incident with Dual spilling red icing and declaring that the gingerbread men where actually gingerbread "women". Oh, and then there was the de-flouring comment...oh fun times...Here's a video clip to give you a taste of the craziness. We all decided to take a break from baking for dancing...

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Monday, December 4, 2006

   A Delightful Day
So, it's my birthday. Here's how I've spent it so far...

-Took Christmas cookies to work and spread Christmas joy.
-Read through newspapers and had fun conversations with my boss at work. Oh, and then I wrote up the dean's list and president's list press releases.
-Went to my Western Civ class and prayed that the prof wouldn't call on me to read since I didn't have a book.
-Handed out the leftover cookies on my way to Essentials.
-Opened up a few Birthday cards from my family.
-Gave an group presentation in Essentials that I didn't know I was giving until about five minutes after class started.
-Missed a couple calls during class.
-Listened to the voicemails that made me giggle. One was my gramma, papa, aunt and uncle singing Happy Birthday to me and the other was all my wonderful friends (that I get to see this weekend!) from UCA reminding me that it's my birthday. I think there were even a couple guys on there that I didn't know...
-Went to lunch and hung out with Becca and Tim for a bit.
-Got Becca some lunch since she had been sitting at the Speech and Debate table.
-Was abandoned and had my hat stolen by the friends I came with because I took too long.
-Talked cons with Matt, Kyle and Don David and had fun times.
-Received a package from an unknown person that contained a beautifully designed name card for my birthday. I want to know who sent it so I can thank them. It's amazing!

And that's how I've spent my day so far. It's been quite delightful, and I hope the rest of the day is just as enjoyable. Well, then. I'm off to work! Ciao!
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Wednesday, November 29, 2006

   Cosplay Update
So, I've been working a little on my cosplays this week. Hooray!

Prom Dress Rock Lee is probably about 50-60% done. I got the first layer of tulle attached to the waistband and moved on to piecing together the top when the sewing machine started acting wonky. So I've got the two main sections of the shirt (front and back) together. I think I left a little too much for seam allowance. It kind of falls off me and needs to be taken in a couple inches. I'm hoping to make it where I don't have to put in a zipper, because zippers and me, we don't get along. Granted it wouldn't be too hard to take out one of the side seams and put it there...

And there ends my sewing ramble...sorry... Hopefully I can get some in progress shots up in my gallery soon. The ones I took the other night didn't turn out so well. That and Dual and co. pretty much died laughing when I put it on the other night... Of course I did have it on over my clothes and it was pinned to my shirt...and the whole point is for it to look ridiculous...

In other cosplay news, I discovered that I already have half of what I need for my Rip Van Winkle cosplay. All I need to get is the red tie, black (double breasted) suit jacket, white gloves and wire rim glasses. Oh, and it would probably do to finish reading Hellsing...shhh...that's between you and me... ;)

Well, that's about all from me! I need to go eat before tonight's festivities start. I've got Dual's ensemble concert at 7:30 pm, swing dancing lessons at 8 pm and then Avenly is coming over to work on her dress for the swing dance. Yay!
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Sunday, November 26, 2006

Back...And Distracted by Trinity Blood
So, I'm back at school from Thanksgiving Break...ugh... But no worries. Only three more weeks until Christmas Break and then I'll be escaping from the harsh winter into the land of eternal summer AKA home in sunny Florida. Everytime I talk to mom she is more and more excited about my coming home. Though, I can't blame her, I'm really excited about going home too. Sitting on the beach, getting a tan, working at the Alehouse, shopping with my sister. It'll be great...And I get three whole weeks this year instead of two like last year...And mom said that we're throwing a huge New Year's party too...

And of course I've got some fun events coming up to help break up the mundane of school before break. Next week is the swing dance, which will be fun. And then a week from Monday is my birthday. (yay). And then we're going to go visit our ACTF friends the weekend after that. And then it's finals week and home! Hurrah! Not to mention that it's officially Christmas season, which is my favorite time of year. Gramma sent me home with a whole box of Christmas decorations for the townhouse. I could have put them up today when I got back, but I was feeling a tad bit lazy. Especially after I spent an hour unpacking and reorganizing my side of the room...

Now on to my obsession of the moment...
I've spent the better part of the afternoon getting caught up on Trinity Blood since I haven't been watching it the last few weeks. I fear I would scare the crap out of Gramma and Papa if I watched it at their house :). Anywho, it's wonderful! I only got through episode 10 and I had to stop myself or I probably would have watched it all night. And I don't even know how many episodes there are in the series...Anyway, I highly recommend it, in Japanese or English. The dub on Cartoon Network is pretty good, of course I'm a little biased since I met one of the VAs at Otakon, but still, it is one of the better dubs out there. Though beware, it is addicting! Heh, I'm just happy I got to see more of Sister Katie in these episodes. She's so cool! And I can't wait to finally get started on the outfit. I've got to go get the material sometime soon...

Well, I suppose that's all from me. I need to see if there is anything I need to get done tonight before giving into my current addiction and watching more Trinity Blood...
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Tuesday, November 21, 2006

   To Grandmother's House We Go....
Yay for Thanksgiving Break! I'm at Gramma's house for the next few days. Finally, a break from everything. Though, I'm kind of sad because I had to leave the fun poofiness of Rock Lee at school. I suppose I could have worked on it over break, but I'm not really a big fan of sewing by hand and there's no sewing machine here. Plus, I wasn't about to ask my roomie if I could take hers home with me. I wouldn't trust me alone with a sewing machine...

Anywho, sorry about my previous angry note. I'm over it, I suppose. Or at least, Avenly and I have decided to drop it. It would be trivial to keep arguing. We've come to the agreement that Avenly and I have different views on cosplay than he does, and that's fine. Agree to disagree. It's not worth the time and energy to keep arguing...Oh well, you can't win them all...

Back to the happy news...

I've got another date to the Swing Dance. I was really sad because one of my best friends from back home was going to come over and go with me, but alas, law school won out. He has a final on Dec. 3 and is unable to come over for the dance. So, I had resolved to go stag. More than anything, I think I was too lazy to look for another one. Besides, isn't the guy suppose to ask the girl? But anyway, a friend of mine decided that she was going to set me up with a friend of hers. So, now I have another date. The whole thing was a little awkward, but I'm sure it'll be fun and I'm looking forward to it. I love swing dancing, and he's a pretty nice guy, so what more could I want?

Apparently, the Naruto Prom idea has taken flight at Otakon. It started with just me, Avenly and our friend Ruroni, but now it's grown. There is going to be a Kisane, Itachi, Naruto, Sasuke, Neji and Hinata as well as my Rock Lee in a dress, Ruroni's Gaara in a tattered tux and Avenly's Sakura in a pink tux. It's amazing. And Ruroni said that she would be my "prom date". Wow, Gaara and Rock Lee...who would have thought...I hope people get excited about it at Ikkicon... Which I'm starting to get really excited about. Our little caravan from school is growing and I think we're going to be able to fill both of the rooms I reserved. I can't wait until Avenly and I start on our Trinity Blood cosplays. More than anything that's what I'm looking forward to wearing... Nuns with guns...gotta love it...

Well, I suppose that's all for this update. I'm off to go out to eat with Gramma and Papa, yay!
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Sunday, November 19, 2006

   I'm a little angry
Normally, I'm quite a happy go lucky sort of person. But when someone makes a post, pretty much insulting most of the cosplayers in the world...I get a little angry. Of course, the fact that he made a complete ass out of himself takes a little bit of the sting out of it, but still, I'm sorely pissed.

For those of you who wondering what I am talking about, please feel free to read the latest post by my dear friend Caeser1280 entitled "The 8 Unwritten Rules of Cosplay." Yes, I know we are all entitled to our opinions of cosplay, but I feel that this article completely undermines cosplay and falls under the category of cosplay elitism. It takes all of the joy out of cosplay. And if there is no joy in cosplay, than why bother? And seriously, no one likes a cosplay elitist. Their sole purpose in life is to cut down other cosplayers and create drama.

Now, I know that I'm just adding fuel to the fire with this post, but bear with me, I have to get it out of my system.

Since I've begun my cosplay hobby, there have been people who have discouraged me from cosplaying certain characters simply because I either didn't look anything like them, or because I didn't have the same personality as them. That's bull shit. Though it may help if you look somewhat like them or if you even act a little bit like them, those should not be the sole reasons for choosing a cosplay. You should cosplay a character because it is a character that you love. There is certainly nothing wrong with cosplaying someone because you think you look like them, but don't go telling others that they can't cosplay characters because they don't look like them or act like them.

Cosplay is a hobby. Something someone does because they enjoy it. There are no rules for cosplay, other than the simple commonsense rules like take a bath or use deoderant. Oh, and maybe the whole indecent exposure thing... So, don't bash people for the way they do it, because they are doing something they love. We all can't afford to spend thousands of dollars on amazing cosplay. And not all of us know how to sew amazingly well. Should those things keep someone from cosplaying? No.

And yes, there maybe a hundred Sakuras and Inuyashas at every con, but if those people are cosplaying a character they love, who are we to tell not to cosplay it? If you want to see a under-cosplayed character, cosplay it yourself. Don't tell others to.

And it shouldn't matter what others think about your cosplay. Getting attention for a cosplay, while nice, is not and should not be the sole purpose for cosplay. The point of cosplay is to have fun. And I personally, have fun with all my ghetto, closet, thift store cosplays.

And with that, I shall end my rant. Thank you for bearing with me.
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Wednesday, November 15, 2006

   Rock Lee and Other Randomness
So, I've made a decision on Rock Lee. I am now making a prom dress Rock Lee. Laugh all you want, but it's going to be quite wonderful. I have the design all sketched out and I'm picking up the material this weekend. I'm a little nervous, seeing as this is the first time I'm making something completely out of my head with made-from-scratch patterns. And Avenly, I'm probably going to need your help deciding if I should do zippers and whatnot...But other than those concerns, I'm quite excited about it. If it turns out like I'm imagining it in my head, it's going to be really cute. And, I've never seen anyone do prom dress Naruto characters. I've seen SNJ versions, and fem versions, and kimono versions, but not prom dress. I was hoping that maybe I could get some sort of group started, but I don't think it will catch on for Ikkicon. Oh well! There is always Otakon.

In other news, I'm engaged...not really. I had the funniest most random conversation with a friend of mine recently, and he said that it would be a fun idea if we got married. So far, we're planning to elope the second week of December when me and a bunch of my friends go to visit (the weekend after my birthday, actually) and honeymoon in a tent in his yard. Oh, and we're getting bunk beds and having hot children with big noses. Though, I question how we are suppose to have children if we have bunk beds...Anywho, I expect we'll announce the engagement sometime soon on Facebook. Be on the lookout for that, for those who are my Facebook friends as well...I can only imagine the reaction we'll get. I love getting Facebook engaged!

I suppose that's all from me. Sorry if I rambled incoherantly. I had two cups of coffee this morning and I'm still on a caffiene high...
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Sunday, November 12, 2006

   More Pictures
Ok, so I just uploaded a bunch of Skypirate pictures to my galleries. (Misa, Elena, Matsumoto.) Check them out if you have time!

So, we're pretty much officially going to Ikkicon and I've finalized my cosplay plans. I'm taking Sister Kate, Matsumoto and Fem Rock Lee. I've started pre-lim sketching on the Rock Lee outfit. I'm so excited about it! One sketch has a turtleneck halter with a poofy, tutu-like skirt along with black fishnets and the legwarmers. Not sure if I'll go with that particular design, but I've had fun brainstorming what I want to do. The main thing is, I want a fem Rock Lee design that I haven't seen done before. So, I'll keep designing and looking around until I have the right design. I found out about a cosplay swimsuit contest that I'm tempted to make something for, but I'm not sure what I would do. Swimsuit Matsumoto? Misa? Rock Lee? a completely different character from all the cosplays I have? Eh, maybe I won't make one...

In other news, I just got back from ACTF. So much fun!! I worked Honor Crew all week and helped all the universities set up for their performances. I didn't really get to hang out with my own cast and crew, but I got to know a lot of other people from other schools. One university did a show called "Corrigenda". It was an original concept that was very similar to Cirque du Solei. Amazing for a two year university. They had a trapeze and aerial acrobatics and dancing, and yea. I sat there in awe. The colors, music and costumes were amazing. But they still needed a lot of work. The transitioning between songs and movements was pretty rough still. And they had some story line issues. But other than that...amazing.

Anywho, I'm off. I've got a five page paper to write before tomorrow morning...
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Monday, November 6, 2006

   Cos-Con III
Yup, so Cos-con III was a blast. Definitely itty-bitty compared to Ota, but still fun. Avenly and I had a blast running around as Renji and Matsumoto. Oh and there was a Gin there (Asmaria)! And Gin took fun Matsumoto/Gin pictures with me! It made my day! Later on in the evening, Asmaria changed into Kira and we had a fun Matsumoto/Kira get drunk photoshoot. Granted, we weren't really drinking or drunk, but it was fun nonetheless.

Avenly and I won our first ever award for cosplay. We entered the hall cosplay contest as a group and won for Matsumoto and Renji. We were quite happy and estatic. Our commissioner is going to love us! (Sam at Taelic Studios, if anyone is interested. She is amazing!)

Let see, what else happened...Oh, I got lots of love as Misa, especially from a Raito that was there. I wasn't sure if anyone would know who I was, but the second I walked, about 5 people were like "Misa!!" and stopped me for pictures. It was a lot of fun! And then I hung out with Raito and L and took some fun pictures with them. They were on staff, and while Avenly and I were modelling Matsumoto and Renji, Raito yelled out "I love you Misa!" as I was walking away, so I blew her a kiss and said I loved her too. We ended up hanging out with them at the dance that night as well. Skypirate got some really good pictures of me in Misa, so that made me really happy. I've only seen one so far, but it's cute and happy!

Um, oh! Our Vash that came with us was quite popular. He got chased around the atrium of the hotel as soon as we stepped in. And then people kept asking for pictures and hugs and whatnot. I think some preteen girl even asked to sit in his lap, but thankfully, he declined. (I think it would have been illegal...) And our Kiba (Naruto) got glomped so many times I think I lost count. It was cute!

All in all, a really fun time! There was a decent sized Bleach group, and we got some fun pictures. Oh, and there was a really good Sand group from Naruto. I was quite impressed. Sailor Moon was there, and she looked cute and amazing as usual. Next year they are having a brand-spanking new 3-day con in Oklahoma City, which I'm excited about and yet sad because I won't be able to attend. I'm graduating in May, so I'll probably be in Florida. Which is okay, because Avenly said she would come visit me and we'll hit up some of the Florida cons. Who knows, maybe I'll make some friends on Cosplay.com in Florida that I can hang out with so I won't feel all lonely and such. I'm planning on flying up for Otakon in July and I think our group is going to hit up Ikkicon in Austin, Texas next semester, as well as the Tatsucon kick-off in January. Yup, yup fun times ahead. I just hope Avenly and I can get all our Trinity Blood stuff done in time....

Links to my Cosplay.com galleries....I'm too lazy to upload all 100+ anywhere else at the moment...Please check them out, ok?
Misa Gallery
Kira and Matsumoto get Drunk Gallery
Cos-Conn III Gallery
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Thursday, November 2, 2006

On the Mend
Thanks guys! I'm feeling a little better. My voice came back last night, but it's still pretty weak. At least people can understand what I'm saying now. And I'm still coughing pretty bad. But I think I'll be able to work phonathon tonight, maybe...

But I definitely think I'll be good to go by this weekend. Other than still being pretty tired and worn haggard from coughing, I'm good. Bleh, at least I got my voice back...
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