Princess Wonderland

D23

2011-08-23T15:29:00.000-07:00

This weekend was D23 and while I was totally excited, it ended up being mostly a disappointment.

Honestly, for a company as big as Disney, they really disappointed with the fact that they have no idea how to run a convention. There wasn't nearly enough space in any of the panels, the lines were terribly done, and there really wasn't enough to do. The best part was honestly meeting other cosplayers while I was there.

On Friday we saw the Legends Ceremony, which was really good. The voices of several of the Princesses were honored, including Paige O'Hara (Belle), Jodie Benson (Ariel), Linda Larkin (speaking voice of Jasmine), Lea Solonga (singing voice of Jasmine and Mulan) and Anika Noni Rose (voice of Tiana). They each sang live, which was an amazing thing to see.

We also met Margaret Kerry on Friday. She was the model for Tinker Bell.

On Saturday I wasn't able to get into any panels, though I did see a presentation about Tangled, and got to meet the head animator on the film.

On Sunday I spent most of the day in line for the Star Tours panel. I was the only person at the expo dressed as a Star Wars character, which surprised me since the ride just reopened. The panel was really interesting, and I learned a lot about the ride.

This is the only shot I got of my costume... hopefully I can find some online since a lot of people took pictures.

After the expo we went to Disneyland. I changed into regular clothes but left my hair in. So I had the take a picture in Star Tours.

You can totally see the hair nets haha! I ended up being the Rebel Spy, which was exciting!

Then I went to Disneyland again yesterday. I really wanted to see the Star Wars characters that were out last week, but they're gone :( I did get a picture with a Stormtrooper but I really wanted Artoo!

I was trying to look serious since it was a Stormtrooper.

I also saw Rapunzel. It wasn't my favorite, but this one was good too, very in character and talked to me for a while.

Thanks for looking~

Random Update

2011-08-16T20:50:00.000-07:00

Time for a random update!

This past weekend was pretty exciting, one of my friends from Japan came to visit! We went shopping, ate lots of food (I didn't eat as much as everyone else because I'm a lightweight at eating) and visited Round 1. And then on Sunday I had a birthday dinner with some of my friends from high school. It was really nice. My birthday isn't for a week, but it was nice to get together with all my friends.

This weekend is Disney's D23 Expo and I'm so excited! If anyone is going, please come and say hello if you see me. I'll be dressed as Briar Rose from Sleeping Beauty on Friday, Rapunzel on Saturday and Princess Leia on Sunday. I know Leia is not really a Disney character, but there is a Star Tours panel that day, and they recently released an R2-D2 robot at Disneyland that you can meet, and I really hope that they bring him to the expo! It would make for some awesome pictures!

Then I have one week before school starts. I already bought all my school supplies because I love them so much... all of them are Little Twin Stars and Disney haha!

Goth Club and Obon Festival

2011-08-08T21:16:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I went to the Goth club with some friends.

I had a hard time getting an outfit together, since none of my clothes are really gothic at all. Even though I have a lot of black, it's not styled right at all. I ended up wearing mostly items from my TRON outfit.

Cell phone mirror shot because I didn't get a real outfit shot. It's a pretty boring outfit, and unfortunately the boots ended up really hurting my feet, so I didn't get to dance as much as I wanted. Next time I'll wear different shoes!

On Sunday, I went to the Obon Festival in Gardena. I like to go every year, since I love the dancing. I don't really know them, but I just kind of follow along and I still enjoy it. Since it's a festival, I wore one of my yukatas. I tried to do hair and makeup in gal style, but the hair didn't turn out as I'd hoped.

I decided to wear my blue yukata since I wore my pink one last month at AX.

I'm excited because a friend is visiting from Japan this week, and next week is D23!

Review: Royal and Langnickel Brushes

2011-07-29T16:56:00.000-07:00

Hello again!

I haven't posted for quite a while because I was moving and now I've been working, so nothing exciting has really happened. However, I figured I should update since I haven't for a while. I'm going to review the Royal and Langnickel brushes that I got at IMATS.

I ended up buying this brush set because they were at the front of the hall, and after walking around a bit, I kind of wished that I had waited, since there were other really good deals. I wont be so hasty next time.

I purchased this set:

I chose it because of the color (I love pink) and and because the brushes were very soft when I felt them. It was on sale at IMATS for $25 so it was a very good deal for a full set of brushes.

All my other brushes are MAC so that's what I'm comparing them against.

I do really like the powder brush because it's very large and soft. I liked that one better than the MAC powder brush.

But of course, everyone knows that eye brushes are some of the most important when doing makeup.

Unfortunately, these brushes do not pick up as much product as the MAC brushes; I think this may have to do with the fact that the MAC ones are stiffer, while these are fluffier and softer. They did have less fallout when using them, but I'm pretty sure this is just because it's picking up less product. I honestly prefer my MAC eye brushes over the Royal ones.

All in all, I would say that these are good for travel or if you don't wear a lot of makeup. I am using them with my MAC brushes, which is working alright. If I were to recommend a brand to someone, I think I'd stick with MAC, even though it's much more expensive. But the quality makes it worth the money.

AM2 and AX

2011-07-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

This weekend was 2 conventions, AX and AM2. I was able to attend both, which was fun.

Unfortunately I didn't take too many pictures. I had an Artist Alley table at AM2 and it was so crowded at AX that it made is difficult to take many. Here's a few that I did take.

Kanon Wakeshima was one of the guests for AM2. We weren't able to take pictures with her inside the convention, but as luck would have it, she was outside as we were leaving! So I was able to get a picture with her, which was exciting! I also attended her concert (no photography allowed though) and it was really good! She's just as good live as on CD, and is really amazing at the Cello.
Outfit:
Top: DreamV
Skirt, Socks, Bag: Angelic Pretty
Boots: Secret Shop (Angelic Pretty replica)
Hairclip, Necklace: Handmade

I don't have any pictures from Saturday, because I ended up having to walk to the bank, and it was further than expected, and I got really hot, sweaty and looked a mess. So I went from cosplaying Orihime to random schoolgirl.

On Sunday, things were really slow, so we headed up to AX early.

I was wearing one of my Yukatas because I wanted to be comfortable.
As you may notice, I have a lightsaber. It's pink!
For the longest time, I've wanted a pink lightsaber. It's an unorthodox color, so it's not common to find. There was a seller in the dealers hall, and I asked if they could make it pink... and they could! I was so excited! I finally have my pink lightsaber! Even better, it's strong enough that I can actually duel with it. I did stage combat in college, so it will be fun to get into it again possibly!

Today we just went to wander around and hang out. I wanted to wear Rapunzel, but since it's so crowded, I didn't want to deal with the long wig. So I got and styled the short brown wig from the end of the movie. It seemed like a lot of people were confused, I guess they didn't watch the movie!

Myself with a Flynn who was selling in the Artist Alley. Her costume was great! Her art was really cute too, I got a Rapunzel cell strap!

Both cons were lots of fun, both to see and hang out with lots of friends and just to have the con experience! I can't wait until the next one!

Los Angeles IMATS

2011-06-25T20:22:00.000-07:00

Today myself, Mama Cass and Mie of No Beauty Limits attended IMATS Los Angeles. For those who aren't familiar, IMATS stands for the International Makeup Artist's Trade Show. There are shows in several countries every year, including in New York and Los Angeles. This was my first time attending and I am so glad that I was able to go.

We got up at the crack of dawn so that we could arrive early to get in line. The doors opened at 8:30 and we arrived at 7:30... there was already a line!

Outside the convention center

Outfit shot for the day.
Top: DreamV
Skirt, bracelet: Forever 21
Tights: Star Couture
Sweater: Tralala
Bag, Necklace, Ring: Angelic Pretty
Pom Pom, Bow: Handmade
Shoes: American Eagle

Makeup shot

At around 8:15 they let us in for registration, and then we waited to be let into the hall.

Rush to get in the hall!

Every year the most popular brands are MAC and Makeup Forever. We had a plan, and hit those booths first to avoid lines. Fortunately this worked out well as we had the rest of the day to browse.

There were some models walking around in very elaborate makeup. Here's an owl person, it was quite creepy in real life!

This model was getting her makeup done all day. When we came around towards the end of the day, she looked like this:

It was pretty amazing!

While walking around, we went to Anastasia Beauty, where I got my eyebrows done:

While it looked nice, I felt like it was a bit too angular and long. They did have nice products though.

After looking around the Exhibitors Hall for quite a while, we went to a few panels. The first was for Beauty So Clean.

Since the founder's birthday was today, they gave out cupcakes! They were really delicious!

Due to my talent for remembering random facts, I won a brush cleaner. I will review once I use it!

The next panel was the PurseBuzz panel. She taught about doing summer makeup looks. Unfortunately due to my seat I couldn't get too great of a picture. She was really cute though, I loved her dress! And she had some great tips and answered a lot of questions.

After her panel we returned to the Exhibit Hall. This guy covered in glitter was at the MAC booth.

Some more awesome Special Effects makeup at the Crown Brushes booth.

The Inglot booth. This brand has been taking the beauty world by storm, and were pretty crowded the whole time. Because it was so crowded, I didn't get to get a good look at the eyeshadows, which is what is most popular from them. However, I did get a loose powder (I had originally planned to get one from MAC, but they didn't bring any). I will review once I get a chance to use it!

And... the haul!

Items that I purchased:
Inglot loose powder, Smashbox Primer, Royal Brushes set, MAC eyeshadows, MAC brush cleaner, Makeup Forever HD Foundation, Model in a Bottle fix spray, DUO eyelash glue

Freebies/Prizes:
Crown Brushes Brush Cleaner, Beauty So Clean Brush Cleaner, Bow from PurseBuzz, Stila Lipgloss (from PurseBuzz), Too Faced Primer, Napoleon Lipgloss, Crown Brushes eyeshadows, Model in a Bottle eye makeup remover, Crown Brushes powder brush, Crown Brushes lip liner

All in all, I am so glad that I went to this show! It was amazing to see all the different products that are available, as well as the amazing makeup that people can do. I do wish I had made time to see the Student Competition, since that would probably have been really interesting, but there was always something new to see in the Exhibit Hall!

I will definitely be attending next year, and expect some reviews once I get to using the items I got!

Disneyland Report

2011-06-11T22:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I went to Disneyland yet again. I ended up spending about half the day by myself because my friends came later than I did. Oh well!

I was excited because there were several characters out and about that I don't usually see.

First I went to see Rapunzel. I was super excited because it was my favorite, who asked where I'd been since she hadn't seen me in so long haha!

I was pretty much a muggle yesterday lol... this is how I used to dress in high school. In fact, I think I've had the skirt since high school. The skirt and top are both from Hot Topic. The necklace (Star Wars Rebel Alliance symbol) is from Sudlow on etsy.

When I was going back to main street from seeing Rapunzel, I saw that some princesses were out, so I went to take pictures with them too. I love it when they are out by the castle instead of being stuck in the Princess Fantasy Faire.

With Aurora. She actually remembered me and commented on not seeing me for a while, which is funny since I hardly see any princesses besides Rapunzel haha!

With Ariel. She asked from how far I had swam haha! I love how detailed her necklace is!

With Snow White. She's not a favorite, but I figured why not since she was out.

With Aladdin. Unfortunately not one of the ones I know.

This is a shop that is new to New Orleans Square. It's actually a re-open... it used to be there, and you could get a custom perfume mixed. Now they just sell commercial perfume (mostly Dior and Givenchy). I found one I liked but it was $90 ^^; I'll have to save for that since I've bought too much Star Wars stuff lately!

These goats were so cute! The black one walked up to the gray one and they put their heads together. It was adorable!

Later I saw Fairy Godmother and took a picture with her.

Super cute Jedi Duffy that we saw when we were going to Star Tours.

I rode Star Tours 6 times yesterday. And the third time I was the rebel spy!!! I was so excited and started screaming and cheering and then I bought the pin. I wanted to get it before but I wanted to be legit and only get it once I had been picked.

Paradise Pier at night. We ate at the Cove Bar before going to elecTRONica.

All in all it was an amazing day!!!

Star Wars Opening Day

2011-06-05T19:22:00.000-07:00

Friday was the official opening of the new and improved Star Tours. I had already ridden it 3 times, but I got up early to go to the opening anyway... I love Star Wars and wanted to be there for this big event!

The line when I arrived. I got there at around 7 am and was one of the first 500. The first person arrived at 2:30 PM the previous afternoon!

Darth Goofy.

Stormtrooper Donald

Unfortunately none of the people in line got to see the ceremony. I got a few shots from the back, though you can't see much in them :/

Stormtroopers

More Stormtroopers

The line inside the park later

After riding I went to see Rapunzel and Flynn. Unfortunately it wasn't my favorites. But you can see my outfit lol
Top: Disneyland
Skirt: H&M
Shoes: Converse

In front of the ride.

And inside the ride You can kind of see the bag I made here; I appliqued the rebel symbol onto a bag. It wasn't very well made but I made it in about and hour haha! I hope I can make a better one, I quite like how it came out.

Some of the items released were an R2D2 popcorn bucket and mug. I got them both! The mug is now holding pens and the popcorn bucket will hold stuff as well as soon as I figure out what I want to put in it.

All in all it was a really fun day! Again, I definitely recommend going on the ride if you get a chance! I've been 6 times and still want to ride it more!

The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure

2011-06-01T16:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, there was a special preview of the new Little Mermaid ride at Disney California Adventure for Annual Passholders. Of course I had to go see it!

Unfortunately, I was not impressed with the ride. Perhaps I was too hyped up about it, or spoiled by Star Tours, but it was just a big let down. I felt like the Ariel animatronics were kind of strange looking... I know that they worked hard to make them realistic, but I still felt that they were very static looking. I also felt that it was too short... they based it around the music, but I felt like they were trying to tell the story as well, and failed miserably. If you've seen the movie, you know what is going on, but it just felt very short and choppy. It's sad, since I had such high hopes for it :(

I did take some pictures, so here they are. Don't look if you don't want to be spoiled!

This mural is in the front, where you get in the clams. It's really big and really pretty!

The Ariel animatronic from "Under the Sea". She kind of looks like an ice cream cone :/

The Ursula animatronic. It was honestly the best one in the whole ride, she looks just like the movie and moves really well and has great facials. She's also huge (8 feet tall)!

During "Kiss the Girl". Eric looks like a creeper!

Animated scene of Ariel getting her voice back.

Happy Ending

King Triton. We weren't sure why he got real hair while Ariel and Eric have rubber hair?

Ariel and Eric wedding

I tried to dress Ariel inspired... though I'm not sure how well it worked out haha!
Top- DreamV
Skirt- Tralala
Hairbow- Twinkle Wish

They also had special items for sale for the opening.

I got the Annual Passholder Collectors Coin and a pin for the ride. They also had a print that I liked but I've run out of space to hang up art in my room

I'll be back on Friday for the grand opening of Star Tours!

Soundsational

2011-05-27T00:21:00.000-07:00

Today was another big day at Disneyland: the debut of their newest parade, Soundsational. I was really excited for a new parade since I've been missing Parade of Dreams ever since it was canceled.

I was also hoping for soft openings of Star Tours and/or The Little Mermaid, there were none for Star Tours, but they had some for The Little Mermaid. Unfortunately, they had technical problems and by the time we got there they were no longer running :( I'll have to wait for the Annual Passholder preview next week to see it.

I watched Soundsational twice, and for the most part, it was a really good parade. However, it did not live up to Parade of Dreams or the parade I saw at Tokyo Disneyland. The biggest aspect to me was costumes... they just weren't as elaborate as those from other parades. The only one I really liked was Rapunzel, since she had a ton of hair and her costume was detailed.

Here are some pictures of my favorite parts of the parade:

Dancers from the Aladdin section. I liked these costumes the most out of all the dancers.

The Little Mermaid segment. You can see the floats and dancers here, it was pretty vibrant and fun!

Ariel. I didn't like the end of the fin since it looks really static. I much preferred the other style that has been used before. She also looks pretty unstable up there!

The princess float. While I love the look of it, I found it rather boring that the princesses didn't really move. I wish they would have danced, or done anything other than just sit and wave. Rapunzel was the only one who moved, and it was kind of just swaying back and forth.

Aurora. I was really disappointed in her costume and the fact that she just sat there :/

Rapunzel. Unfortunately you can't see too much of her costume here.

You can see a bit more here. As you can see, she has her long hair, and it is draped over her arm and continues on the floor. I really liked the wig, I kind of want to make a super long one like this!

Belle. I did like how they made her kind of flowery inspired.

The opening float, which features Mickey drumming.

These are only a few parts of the parade, I encourage you to see it if you go to Disneyland!

Of course now I want to make a new blinged out Rapunzel costume with a super long, ropelike wig like hers. I'd probably add more rhinestones to it though, since I love adding rhinestones to things.

Outfit shot. Kind of boring today haha!
Dress, Locket: Forever 21
Rose Necklace: Renaissance Faire
Other: offbrand

All in all it was a fun day, though I'm pretty tired now!

Star Tours Preview

2011-05-20T17:01:00.000-07:00

Today I was lucky enough to attend the Star Tours Preview at Disneyland! This was a special event and we were the first people to ride it who weren't cast members/cast member guests. My friend won and was nice enough to take me since she knows I love Star Wars so much.

Since we were to ride as soon as the park opened, we needed to get there very early; I ended up getting up at 4 am to get ready and get down to my friend's house to carpool to the park. We ended up arriving at around 6 am.

They had a photo area set up. I wore my Star Wars tank top with the bottom half of my TRON outfit and Leia style hair. Kind of boring but it was early.
Everything is from Forever 21 lol

At 8 am we were let into the park. Here's the Marquis for the new ride.

Inside the queue. You can see the StarSpeeder 1000 with R2D2 on top.

C3PO is on hand for the technical work.

They have a large screen that displays things like destinations, commercials about places you can go and the weather. It was in the process of changing languages when I took this picture.

Close up of R2D2

A sign tells you where to find different departments, like in an airport.

This droid scans baggage. From above, you can see what's inside the suitcases.

The new ride is in 3D, so you need to wear "flight glasses".

The ride was amazing. One new aspect is that there are 54 different combos of where you can go and who you encounter. We encountered Darth Vader, Admiral Ackbar, and traveled to Hoth and Coruscant. I can't wait to see the other combos also!

Myself with the poster that is at the front of the park.

Afterwards we went to DCA because we heard there might be a soft opening of The Little Mermaid. Unfortunately that wasn't true, but I did take a few pictures of the outside.

Now I'm super tired, but it was worth it! I'll definitely be back on opening day to ride again and again!

Wig Review: Gothic and Lolita Wigs/Cosplay Wig USA

2011-05-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

I figured I would do another review for everyone.

Gothic and Lolita Wigs/Cosplay Wig USA is a company that has two separate lines: one aimed at cosplay, and one aimed at lolita. However, I'm pretty sure they all come from the same supplier and are the same fibre. I have 2 wigs from them, one from the cosplay line and one from the lolita line.

The first wig I bought was the Rangiku Matsumoto wig from their cosplay line. I bought it because I liked the color (I bought it at a convention, so I didn't even know it was a cosplay wig until later).

Here it is worn.

For the most part, I like this wig a lot. It's a nice color and it's comfortable. However, I have 2 issues with it:
-It sheds a lot. I always brush out my wigs after wear, and I always have a lot of fibres that have come loose when I brush it. I'm not sure if this has to do with the type of fibres or how they are wefted, but it does shed a lot.
-One of the things that is advertised on the website is that the wigs have "high temperature fibre". In my experience, this means you can use up to 400 degree F on it, so I decided to straighten the wig using my flat iron. I used it on a low setting, and it melted. Fortunately, I started at the back and bottom, so it didn't affect the wig when worn. But it did irritate me. I later found out that you can only use 180 degrees F on their wigs. Personally, I don't consider this to be "high temperature", so I felt a bit misled by this claim.

The other wig that I own is the Classic Lolita Wavy Wig.

Now, I love this wig. I bought it after seeing my roommate's, and loving it. It's comfortable, cute, and doesn't tangle. I haven't had to do any restyling on it or anything after wearing it a few times. I'm considering buying this wig in other colors as well, because I really love it.

It was listed as light brown on the website, when to me it looks blonde. It looks slightly darker on the website, although I'd still call it blonde there.

As for customer service, I e-mailed them after the melting incident on the red wig, and I never got a response. This is the only time that I've contacted them, so I can't say that they have very good customer service.

Overall, the wigs are nice, but the customer service and such is somewhat lacking. This wouldn't deter me from buying wigs from them in future, but only if I'm sure of what it looks like and it didn't need any styling.

For the wigs, I would rate them 4/5. As for customer service, I'd rate it 2.5/5. They are very friendly and helpful in person at conventions, but they are not very good when it comes to online service and what they put on the website.

Wig Review: Arda Wigs

2011-05-13T21:48:00.000-07:00

Today I'll be doing a product review of Arda Wigs, a wig company in the US. They market themselves as a Cosplay wig company, but from what I've seen, their wigs would be great for regular wear/lolita as well.

I first heard about them at Anime Expo last year, where they had a booth. However, I didn't need any cosplay wigs until I was looking for a wig for Rapunzel, at which time I started looking into cosplay wigs again. However, at that time they did not carry a super long wig, so I ended up getting my wigs elsewhere. But I was still itching to try out one of their wigs.

My chance came when I got a commission for a Chibi Usa wig. I used their part wig (called Chibi haha!)

I also used 2 of their ponytail falls for the wig.

Let me just say that this wig had ALOT of hair. When I cut the hair to stub the pigtails, I had a box full of hair. The fibres were very nice and styled easily. I ended up with the wig looking like this:

It is my first odango wig so I'm thrilled with how it turned out (ignore Dr. House creeping on the TV in the background haha!)

After such a good experience with this wig, I decided to order my new Rapunzel wig from them. I ordered the Delilah, which is 60 inches long:

This wig also is super thick. In fact, this wig by itself is almost, if not, as thick as the double wig I made for my first Rapunzel wig. Another good aspect is that the fibres are heat resistant; they mean it. I used my straightener on a setting between 300-400 degrees F and there was no kinking or anything. While this wig is a pain, any 5 foot long wig will be, and it's much less of a pain than the other 5 foot wigs I've used. I'd take a picture, but the wig isn't styled yet. It's definitely worth the price though.

My only real problem is that they have their own color chart, which makes it difficult to match wigs that I already own or know the coloring of. However, this is more a personal thing than anything that they did. On the other hand, it does provide for unique colors that are great for cosplay.

As for customer service, they are fabulous! I e-mailed them about color and I got a prompt response that answered my question and included pictures to help me decide. They also contacted me when one of the items I ordered was out of stock and asked what I would like to do (wait until it arrives to ship, or ship what is available now). I have been very impressed with all interactions with them.

I definitely recommend Arda for your cosplay wig needs. They are my new go-to store. I'd rate them a 5/5 in both product and customer service.

Renaissance Faire

2011-05-08T17:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry for no post last week. I was super busy with school and ended up getting sick -_- However, I got all of my schoolwork done and I was able to go to the Renaissance Faire yesterday.

The Faire was located in Irwindale, CA. I recommend going if you have a chance and are local. It was my second time going and I had such a fun time!

I don't have any garb, and wasn't sure what to wear. Several friends suggested Rapunzel, but I didn't want it to get dirty, and I wasn't sure how well I'd last wearing the wig for that long. So after some thought, I decided to make a costume that I've been thinking of making for a while: Briar Rose. I figured it fit in alright with the theme, and I could make it out of fabrics that could easily be washed. So I got to work and made it in one day. For a one day costume, I think it turned out pretty well.

Me in my costume. I got a lot of good feedback, a lot of people said "Oh look, it's Sleeping Beauty!" I was so excited that people recognized it!

Myself with one of the Knights. They have a jousting area where 4 knights compete. This was the Scottish Knight.

Myself and my friend with some pirates. People have really awesome costumes!

This guy made his armour out of Coke cans haha! I thought it was really creative and clever!

With some Vikings/Barbarians. Just another example of how awesome some costumes are.

My friend got most of the pictures because she has a really awesome camera, but this should give you an idea of what it's like.

In other news, I'm thinking of doing reviews of things. But what kind of things would you like to see reviews of? I was thinking eyelashes and wigs to start off since I wear them a lot? Let me know what you think!

Tune in Tokyo and Disneyland

2011-04-24T20:20:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday I went to Tune in Tokyo's Pop and Punk event at Royal-T

Outfit:
Skirt: Tralala
Bow: 6%DokiDoki
Necklace, Headpiece: Handmade
Tights: Forever 21
Boots: Secret Shop (Angelic Pretty Replica)
Top: Not sure, it's super old!

Today I went to Disneyland. I didn't stay for too long because I was cold and it looked like rain. But I saw many characters while I was there!

Myself and Alice. I haven't seen her since I was in Japan I think. She's around, but I don't often stop to see her. She was really cute, one of the best I've seen.

With my favorite Rapunzel and Flynn. She saw me waiting, but then they switched out, and I waited extra time to see them (partially because Flynn wasn't there and partially because she's the best Rapunzel in my opinion). When I came in she said "You waited all that time?" Haha she probably thinks I'm crazy.

Sometimes I wonder what the people think since I come so much. It started because I was trying to get costume references, but they're so sweet that I like talking to them even though I know it's just acting. It seems like it would be so much fun to do!

With Rapunzel's Tiara. Flynn has it in his sachel, and it kept breaking, which became a kind of joke; it kept having missing stones and such, and she'd scold Flynn for breaking it (though he would say she dropped it). But it's all fixed now. This is one of my next cosplay projects, so I asked to see it. It's so pretty o_o

I went over to get a baked potato and the Princess Fantasy Faire line was really short, so I decided to wait. I saw Mulan, Ariel and Tiana. But most of the pictures didn't turn out. But here's one with Ariel.

With Mr. Incredible. Check out my scrawny little arms haha!

Outfit:
Sweater, Necklace, Shrug: Forever 21
Tank top: H&M
Skirt: Not sure, a friend gave it to me
Tights: From Japan
Shoes: BG (also given to me by a friend)

My wig is Cosplay Wig USA. I call it my Hannah Montana wig haha! My roommate got it first and I really liked it so I got one too. I like it a lot.

Happy Easter to everyone! I don't do anything to celebrate, but I hope you have a good time if you do!

Disney and DokiDoki

2011-04-17T18:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to Disneyland for a Gal style meetup.

Of course I visited Rapunzel, and was very surprised that her hair is much shorter now! She told me that it is no longer magic, because she had to heal Flynn again. But now it can be cut without turning brown, so she cut it to a more manageable length.

Outfit Rundown:
Dress: Cecil McBee
Boots: Secret Shop (Angelic Pretty replica)
Thigh Highs: Offbrand
It was really hot! I got a bit dehydrated.

Ari and I waited forever to see Jack Sparrow and Angelica (she's from the new movie coming out in May). Her friend said he kept stopping and talking to people while walking over, which is why it took so long.

Today I went to 6% Doki Doki's Mighty Harajuku event. They were selling their items to benefit Japan. I bought a pin, a shirt and a sticker. The shirt has a pony on it, it's really cute!

Myself with Yuka and Vani, the shopgirls/models. They remembered me from Japan/Sweet Streets, which was really sweet! I totally want Yuka's belt, it's so cute!
Outfit:
Top: Sanrio
Skirt: Target
Socks: Angelic Pretty
Boots: Secret Shop (Angelic Pretty replica) (yes, I love these boots too much)
Buttons: 6% DokiDoki, Sanrio
Hairbows: 6% DokiDoki
Bow Brooch, Necklace: Handmade

I'm super excited since Ari and I are going to do a Rapunzel photoshoot later this week! I can't wait to get some really good pictures of the costume and wig.

Until then, homework!

Lolita Fashion Show

2011-04-10T15:48:00.000-07:00

Last night I was a model in a lolita fashion show at a charity event for Japan. It was organized by Julie Doll (smileysquid.blogspot.com)

I represented Hime Lolita, since all I have left is Lady Rose. Everyone looked amazing, I felt so lucky to be walking with such a fabulous group!

Myself and Ari. She was the rep for Kuro Lolita. We both were thinking we were crazy for our shoes!
Outfit breakdown:
JSK, Rose Ring- Angelic Pretty
Tights, Bracelets- Forever 21
Tiara, Shoes- offbrand
Ring- Tarina Tarantino
Bow- Paris Kids
Parasol- Baby, the Stars Shine Bright
Choker- Handmade

My roommate styled the wig... its actually a Priscilla half wig and bangs. My hair was really big but big hair is part of the style.

An action shot of myself and Mandie of Geeky Glamorous (geekyglamorous.blogspot.com) walking backstage.

I was so scared that I would trip in my heels... I'm usually ok but the tights made them slippery! I did have a near disaster when stepping off the stage during rehearsal, but I was alright and made it through the actual shows without any problems.

All in all it was a fun experience and I'm so grateful that I was chosen to be a part of it!

TRON Signing

2011-04-06T01:09:00.000-07:00

So TRON Legacy was released today. I got up and went to the Disney Store to pick up my copy, and then to the beauty supply store to get some hair for my Rapunzel wig. I planned to work on it while I watched the movie, but when I got home my roommate informed me that there was a signing with the directors and we needed to go. So I immediately got dressed up in my TRON finest and we headed out.

We were worried we wouldn't make it in time, but we got there by 4 and easily got wristbands. I took a picture with the poster lol

My typical TRON outfit. I haven't gotten new fabric for my actual costume.

We got in line, and we were pretty close to the front. So we were some of the first to meet the directors. We got to meet Joseph Kosinski and Steven Lisberger. They were really nice. When I walked up, Steven Lisberger said "Wow, a real female!" haha! Then they commented on my outfit (first they said Quorra, and then realized that it was more based on Gem [at least makeup and hair]). I got to take a picture with them also.

All in all it was a cool experience. Now I'm going to go watch the movie since I didn't earlier!

Magical Girls and Disneyland

2011-04-04T00:14:00.000-07:00

On Friday, there was an event called "Magical Girls- Art Inspired by Shoujou Manga". I wanted to dress up but none of my outfits were very magical girl, and I didn't have money to make a whole new costume (though I did seriously consider doing PGSM Sailor Moon). In the end, I decided to finish Rapunzel for the event, since technically she is a magical girl.

I didn't completely finish (I didn't get the lace on the skirt, and there is still no embroidery) but I was pretty happy with it and I loved wearing it. A lot of people recognized it and liked it, and I ended up winning an Honorable Mention in the cosplay contest. It was judged by Tavuchi, the owner of Spank!. She was so sweet!

As of now, this is the only picture I've found that I actually like. It's from LA Weekly.

Here's a mirror shot to show the whole costume, but it's not the best picture lol! It was in H&M... before the event, we went shopping! I got a lot of strange looks walking around the mall dressed as Rapunzel!

I can't wait to wear it again, one of my friends offered to do a photoshoot with me, which I'm super excited about!

Today I went to Disneyland as usual.

With Bre'r Bear, a character from Song of the South. This movie is not available anymore because it's racist, so it's not a super well known character. You can see some of my outfit here, it wasn't too exciting though.
Skirt- H&M
Boots- Secret Shop (Angelic Pretty replica)
Leggings- Forever 21
Tops- I don't know, I've had them for 6 years haha
Bag- Sanrio

With Rapunzel and Flynn. When we came in, Rapunzel said "Oh Flynn, this is my friend, she comes to visit me every week! Sometimes you're not here, but she's like my new best friend!" It was so cute. She asked who Ashley is, and I told her she was my best friend and roommate. She said that Mother Gothel was kind of like a roommate, but she hoped Ashley wasn't like her! I love when characters interact rather than just brushing us off since we're not little kids.

More Disneyland

2011-03-28T19:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to Disneyland with my roommates and friends.

With Rapunzel, of course. This is my favorite one, she asked if my hair was magic. I said it was... if by magic you mean fake haha! More on that later.

I also went to see the fairies, which I haven't done for quite some time.

With Silvermist. You can see the hair better here... the bun at the top is my hair and the braid is fake. My hair was inspired by Princess Leia in Return of the Jedi... only one person caught this though.

Every time I mention cosplaying Princess Leia, people ask if I'm doing this costume... NOPE! I do not have the body for it! I joked that my hair styled like it was is the closest anyone will ever get to seeing me in this costume.

With Tinker Bell and Vidia. Vidia was only recently added after the last Tinker Bell movie. I don't like Tinker Bell's new costume, it was kind of weird, I liked the original one that they made.
Outfit rundown:
Sweater, top, boots, leggings, belt: Forever 21
Dress: Love Culture

At elecTRONica I pinned the braid up into a bigger bun for dancing.

Unfortunately you can't see it all that well.

Fake Fake Fake

2011-03-24T20:12:00.000-07:00

Despite having effectively left lolita, I still love the fashion and so I try to keep up to date on it. I read some of the communities and blogs and such, just to keep up with what's going on. But one thing drives me nuts.

So many of these girls are so fake!

I don't just mean photoshop, while many girls use liberally (for the record, I never photoshop, because I don't know how, and I don't have the program. The only thing I adjust is lighting). I mean their writing as well.

So many of these girls seem to live in a pure fantasy world! They act like their life is SUPAH KAWAII all the time and that they never wear anything but lolita because they are a kawaii hime chan desu!

NO ONE IS ACTUALLY LIKE THAT!

Ok, I love princesses, I am very very girly, I have way too much pink stuff. But I'm not going to pretend that I look super cute and dress up every day. In fact, right now I'm wearing sweatpants and a hoodie. No, I don't wear this to go out, but today I worked on schoolwork and did some errands. I didn't see any reason to dress up. I can't be the only person who thinks like this.

And seriously, people who wear it to school every day: really? I used to wear it once in a while and I got LOTS of nasty and weird looks. Even from people in my department. I was a theatre major. I got fewer looks running around the building with a bloody sword than I did wearing lolita. I had to do a presentation in one of my classes about what lolita and cosplay are because people kept asking me wtf I was wearing. I was a costume design emphasis, and the head costume designer told me that it was hard for her to take me seriously dressed in lolita. So I can't imagine what the professors of those who have more conservative majors think.

One of the reasons that I left lolita was because I'm studying to be a teacher. If I were to go out wearing a full coordinate from Angelic Pretty and a student or parent saw me? It might cause me some issues, because despite that to those of us who wear it, it's a fashion, it looks really weird to the rest of the world. If I make a return, it will have to be in subdued classical. As much as I love lolita, getting and keeping a job is far more important to me.

I don't understand why people seem to think that they need to be so fake! I wish they would at least admit it; I follow xiaxue's blog, and she photoshops, but she admits it. I respect her for the fact that she admits that she has had plastic surgery and uses photoshop instead of just acting like she looks perfect all the time. No one does! I look like crap 90% of the time, I wont lie about that.

I wish people would just be real and honest, it would make things a lot less irritating to read.

Oh, and yes, I tend to only post pictures of me wearing makeup and dressed nicely. If you're curious, here's a picture of me in my t-shirt and hoodie and no makeup (it's a little old but I look pretty much the same):

Sleepy~

2011-03-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

I've been super sleepy since the time change even though I've been getting a lot of sleep T_T I've been getting quite a bit of work done though, I have lots of schoolwork as well as sewing to do.

On Sunday I went to Disneyland for Harry Potter Day Lite. It's basically just a Harry Potter themed get together rather than having a large scavenger hunt and such.
I dressed as Hermione. For the first time since I started dressing as her (at age 11) I wore a wig. My hair has darkened to the point that it doesn't really look right, and I had a light brown wig that I had to cut down because it got to tangled, so I get a bit fluffy and was good to go.

I didn't have my sweater on because it was pretty warm.

Part of the idea of the meetup was to all go to elecTRONica together but that pretty much got ruined for me :(
So basically, whenever I got to elecTRONica, I go to a corner and I stay in my corner and I dance there. I do this because 1. I put my bag on the "shelf" there and I can keep an eye on it and 2. I dance facing the wall in my corner because I dance for myself because I like to, not so people can stare at me (of course if I have friends dancing with me, I don't face the wall).
So I arrived at the very beginning and I staked my corner. I was dancing with other Potter people but still in my corner. And then these shufflers moved in.
Shufflers drive me crazy! I am not against them for any aesthetic reasons, their dancing is not my thing, but my dancing is not the style of many either. My issue is that they go all over the place and I'm always scared that they will kick me or flail into me. They often don't seem to be paying attention so it's just really nervewracking for me.
And they also don't seem to have a concept of personal space! As I said, I'll be in my corner and they will get right up in my space. I don't need half the floor but when you're almost touching me it bothers me. Let me dance in my corner in peace!
So I was dancing but I was seriously getting afraid that I was going to get kicked and not giving me any space so I left. Maybe it seems lame but I hate that they ruin the fun for me! Please respect personal space and don't almost injure people (I told my friend that I wanted to yell at them that if they kick me, I will kick back).
Oh well.

A few Outfits

2011-03-11T11:39:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was a friend's birthday party.

Dress, Cardigan, Shoes: Forever 21
Tights: Offbrand
Yep, I'm actually wearing heels! They are actually pretty comfortable too.

The next day I went to Disneyland

As usual I went to see Rapunzel. Here's a picture of when I was talking to her and Flynn.
Sweater: Forever 21
Tank, Tights: H&M
Skirt: Old Navy
Shoes: Offbrand

I was planning on dancing at elecTRONica but it rained so the DJ couldn't really spin and they were playing bad music. I was sad :(

In other news, my heart goes out to all those affected by the earthquake and tsunamis in Japan. Watching the footage was horrible, I felt like crying. Fortunately all my friends in Tokyo are ok. Please keep everyone affected in your thoughts.

Disneyland Trip

2011-02-28T17:58:00.000-08:00

I went to Disneyland yesterday~

Kim and I saw Aladdin and Jasmine. They are always so sweet!

Outfit:
Sweater- Tralala
Skirt, Boots- Forever 21
Leggings- Offbrand

I also went to see Rapunzel but the picture didn't turn out well :( I feel like I need to check with them that the picture turned out well before leaving, since it's turned out badly the last few times.

We all saw Chip and Dale for Mardi Gras Family Fun Weekend. All the characters were wearing the costumes from the Parade of Dreams. I miss that parade a lot, although I look forward to Soundsational. I'm tempted to audition for it even though I don't have time for it :(

I also danced like crazy at elecTRONica. Now I'm sore!

Outfit Shot

2011-02-21T20:02:00.000-08:00

I went to Disneyland yesterday. Unfortunately most of my pictures didn't turn out too well :(
But I did get an outfit shot~

Cardigan, skirt- Forever 21
Tights, shoes- Offbrand
Necklace- Vivienne Westwood Replica

The wig was styled to look similar to Rapunzel; I figured it wouldn't be too obvious since it's brown and not really that long, but I got a lot of comments about it (all positive, yay!). I also liked wearing it because I had nice hair but since it was braided, it's not fussy. I think I'll definitely be wearing this wig/ style again.