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Katsucon 2019

19/2/2019

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It was my sixth year at Katsu and it had it different vibe than usual. It felt less crowded, probably thanks to the new badge policy. It also gave me a nostalgic con vibe thanks to hanging out with friends and meeting many new people. As always, I didn't run into many of the people I knew were there over the weekend, a fact of life for modern cons. Luckily I was able to have quite a few good chats with some old friends that live far away and I miss them already.

​​Another observation, Katsu always had a party vibe to it, but I feel as if it is becoming Dragoncon north with the partying (congregation of drunk people) in the lobby of the Gaylord which is leading to many memorable moments. See the DVD X It crossover, Mothman, or the Danny Devito shrine.

I took it relatively easy over the weekend. I managed to finish all of my costume in time with minimal hotel finishing touches (adding a handful of rhinestones to my dress and sewing down some buttons). I kept it to 3 costumes for the weekend, 1 per day and I was maybe in them for maximum 4 hours each. I find this give me more time to enjoy the con, see the sights, and relax. I'm technically there on vacation so it should feel like it by the end of each day.

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Some highlights of the weekend:
  • My fastest experiences of going through airport security, both there and back
  • Staring at amazing costumes
  • Offering apples to Snow Whites when dressed Evil Queen Regina
  • Quality friend time
  • Warm reception for my new costumes - thank you for your kind words
  • Cosplayhipster's makeshift photoshoot set on a bed
  • Exploring the MGM and it's cool photoshoot locations
  • The nice weather, yet spending the bulk of my time shooting outside on one of the colder days
  • Forgetting my Atalanta ears at home and managing to find a near perfect substitute in the Artist Alley. Thanks Cabbits!

What were your highlights this year? Any memorable costumes?
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Katsucon 2018

20/2/2018

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With Jayuna and Jazzmin
Katsucon is a yearly tradition for me where I look forward to seeing amazing work while also catching up with friends. With those two things in mind my mission was accomplished. I was really worried I wouldn't finish my projects in time but luckily I was able to pulled through without pushing myself too hard. The grind to finish Katsu costumes, aka "Katsucrunch", got the best of many people this year, which serves as a good reminder to take a step back and reevaluate things with high stress projects. I learned that lesson the hard way at WCS.

I have to give special thanks to a few people who made this weekend great. First off to Kurumasha for helping me finish my projects and lending me her wig. Second to VickybunnyAngel for being an amazing roomie, helping me in and out of costume, and also helping with makeup. Third to Jayuna, for helping me out of costume when Vicky wasn't there. Lastly to everyone who I caught up with ans shot with over the weekend. Thank you for your time and sharing it with me.

​All right let's dive in!

Thursday

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I flew in on Thursday morning and made friendly with some local cosplayers on the same flight. We split an Uber to the hotel and I totally felt like a con mom asking them about what they planned to do for the first year there.

When I arrived, I picked up some supplies for the weekend from CVS then got ready to shoot my Spring Sawsbuck that afternoon. I shot with White Specs and Vicissijuice back to back. It was my first time shooting with her and I look forward to seeing the photos. Afterwards I immediately took a nap because I was very tired. After sleeping for 2 hours, I got up and worked on finishing up Lilith while watching the Olympics. Figure skating woot woot!

Friday

I was pretty certain that I would't finish this costume in time but I was able to wear Lilith on Friday of the event. I was suppposed to finish this costume for Katsu of last year but I just kept putting it off. There are a few details that still need to be added or improved but I am still happy with what I got to wear for a few hours.

A special thanks goes to Vickybunnyangel for helping me get into this and pinning down my wing harness and also to Jayuna for helping me out of the costume. I was resigned to the fact that I would have lie down on the bed for close to hour waiting for a roommate to return to help.

I got to shoot with MH photography by the water before the rain came in. I had a "great" time balancing my long nails (not pictured but you'll see eventually) for pictures but they were worth the hassle because they add an extra layer of crazy detail to the costume.
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Photo by Martin Wong
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The rest of the day was easy going. My roomies and I went for dinner at Elevation Burger then we went to Felt for a party at the MGM. It was a nice change of pace from the hustle that happens at Pose. I didn't end up going there this year since the lines were horrendous.

It was a great opportunity to catch up with friends without having to circle the bar all night trying to find them. Also two couples got engaged, how exciting!

Side note: I got this new blue dress and it is a nightmare to get in and out of. It's a snug fit with minimal stretch and I wish it had a zipper. Luckily I wasn't stuck sleeping in it overnight.

Saturday

The big day. I decided to wear something somewhat comfortable and that was Storm. After years of putting this costume on the back burner she is finally done! She got such a warm welcome at the event even though I got blamed for the snow that arrived that day.

I did a shoot with U.V. Photography partially outdoors and indoors then I spent the rest of the afternoon meeting up with friends and getting to know new ones around the gazebo. I also shot with Anna Fischer and my god it is magic what she can accomplish with a few lights and gels.

I had another dinner with friends, this time at the Walrus for some delicious seafood. I find this is the best opportunity to catch up with people because the hustle of Katsu can get the best of you. Afterwards I went around the lobby visiting friends and playing more catch up.
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Sunday

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I was pretty tired come Sunday but I still got into Alexandrite. There were so many other gems that it made me so happy. I love to see the different ways people interpreted the wigs and the makeup. My interpretation requires 3 layers of highlighters. 

I spent most of time hanging out at the gazebo  level and doing the odd shoot here and there. I also got to catch up with Sweet Sensation photo, and I'm curious to see if my over posing worked out. Since it was such a simple costume I figure it was time to whip out the Vogue moves. I also did a brief balcony shoot before I changed out of the costume, which was a first for me.

After saying too many goodbyes I made my way to the airport and after nearly falling asleep at the gate, I made it home in one piece.
All in all I had a good time despite the crowding. Honestly, I expect this every year from Katsu so it was not a surprise and honestly I thought it would be worse. I wore my cumbersome outfits on Thursday and Friday to avoid the worst of it. Crowding makes it difficult to get good photos but a little ingenuity, courtesy, and determination goes a long way. I would agree with some friends with the point that some of the usual photoshoot spots are getting overused but I think that is part of the deal when you attend a con several years in a row. However, it's still leaps and bounds better for shoots than conventions held in warehouses every year. I will be returning next year so long as my friends will be there since that is the bulk of the fun for me.

How was your Katsu? Did you run into any issues?
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Otakuthon 2017

8/8/2017

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With Sarcasm-hime and Detailed Illusions
PictureMy pirate face
Busy but fun. Otakuthon is one of my staple events for the year and it delivered good times with my friends. I came into the city on Thursday evening and I was able to grab a few drinks with a friend on a patio and catch up after a few years apart.

On Friday I wore Nidalee, I didn't forget my necklace this time, and I got to shoot with White Specks. I immediately had to run to my panel afterwards and it went surprisingly well considering I thought it was cancelled and I had to make due without my notes.​Afterward I had an amazing seafood dinner at the Captain's Boil. It's a pirate themed restaurant with bibs, gloves, and food in bags. It was glorious and delicious.

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On Saturday I got dressed in my Fall Sawsbuck costume after attaching some last minute flowers to the skirt. I'm so stoked to get photos back for this costume. I felt majestic af in this. I love it so damn much with its warm colour palette. I also hung out in the Otakuthon lobby for a bit and I was pleased to see how warmly the costume was received especially since it's an original gijinka design.

The rest of the day was spent judging the masquerade and Otakuthon always has stiff competition. This year was the year of WOW. There were so many talented Sylvanas cosplayers, in addition to a lot of Hakuouki and Madoka Magika. 

On Sunday I wore Ducklett and I took it pretty easy. I watched the WCS Canada performances, then jetted out for a fashion inspired shoot, then came running back for the award ceremony. I spent the rest of the day eating great food with friends and catching up with them.

All in all it was a good weekend despite the questionable weather.

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Anime North 2017

29/5/2017

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This is @animenorth aka parking lot con pic.twitter.com/bRDdXvbzBf

— Melting Mirror (@MeltingMirror) May 27, 2017
I've been going to this con for more than ten years and sometimes you can get into a funk of "been there, done that" but this year was a blast at Anime North!

First off, it didn't feel as crowded as usual. Secondly, the weather, although overcast and sometime lightly raining, was nice. It wasn't the usual sweaty mess which was a welcome change. Lastly, my schedule was relaxed enough that I had time to spend with friends instead of running around from event to event.

Overall it was a good year. Although I felt as if there were less cosplayers wandering around or at least less crazy impractically big costumes.

I had a great time judging the Friday workmanship contest. I highly recommend it since it is such a short time commitment (under 10 mins).

Most of my weekend was spent hanging out with friends and convincing them to buy Siamurai pants and joining my pants cult. Special thanks to my roomies, carpool buddies, and all the friends who made the weekend a blast. See you next year!

Selfies

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Photo by Liquid Cocaine Photography

Con Photos

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Anime Matsuri 2017

11/4/2017

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Being invited to Anime Matsuri was a dream come true. After hearing so many good things about this event for years and having it on my "to visit" list I finally got to experience it. Everyone was kind and polite which made my first trip to Texas a blast!

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