what i did on my (not) summer vacation
I certainly don't do *this* often...
So, the joy of going to Akon and Fanime back to back is over. THAT WAS JUST LOVELY. In the last 5 weeks, I've been to Oahu, Death Valley, Las Vegas, San Jose and Dallas -- and TWO trips through the hell that is LAX. I reeeeally appreciate our comfortable little airport here in San Diego whenever we have to go to LAX. I got punished for being a cheapskate on our trip out to Dallas where the parking place, while dirt cheap SUCKED BALLS and left us waiting for half an hour for a shuttle.
That and other little travel annoyances and PANIC getting ready for Fanime and NO SLEEP due to red-eyeing it to Dallas, both cons were awesome.
Fanime was a blast, as busy as it was. Made a trip out to SF for a shoot with my favorite model and Jess was suuuuuper nice to me, manning the booth while I was running around taking photos. I haven't unloaded since before KawaiiKon and I now have about 2500 god damn photos I need to go through. I should stop being so trigger happy. ::snickers::
Fanime masq was total fun-times relaxo skit and we got a great reaction to it. I'm actually really happy with how my Chris costume turned out and am tempted to wear it again in spite of not knowing anything about Resident Evil >_> I just have to not get cornered by a fan who will ask me questions!!
Wore the new revamped Zoro -- first time doing Zoro in probably... two years? Was nervous about it but enjoyed myself. Love my new swords and my new haramaki, though the swords are going to get some parts sanded and redone... definitely want to get some real tsuba-ito for Wadou's hilt. Do that shit right. Probably going to sand off the blades and redo those too with a stencil. And I've still got all of Shuusui's details to paint. I need to get some decent photos of them for the lady that whittled them for me. XD
Re: Zoro.... I was really intimidated about putting on this costume again. I stopped wearing it because I started getting real selfconcious when my old haramaki stopped fitting. And I didn't think I could pull it off with a wig. But I've really missed doing it and though I was selfconcious still, and felt inadequate with my mushy arms and thick hips, I had a great time. I was the ONLY chick Zoro at the gathering, if I'm not mistaken. ...Also we all nearly killed one another when it came time for the Zoro group photo and EVERYONE pulled out their swords. That was like being in the middle of a porcupine.
Aaron's Brook costume was the bell of the motherfuckin ball and Jess and I couldn't be prouder. He was a fucking TROOPER wearing all that make up for two days in a row. I had a ton of fun applying it. I miss working with prosthetics and foam latex is so awesome. I really kind of want to make someone be Magellan so I can do that stupid, stupid baboon face. Either that or I should stop being a lazy bastard and make Absalom for myself. Anyway, Brook-Aaron = fucking awesome and inability to walk through the hallways for more than 5 feet.
And then... there was Hetalia.
I. Love. Cosplaying. AMERICA.
I worked fucking HARD on that costume and I dare say it's probably the highest quality I've ever produced. I'm not ashamed to say how proud I am of my bomber jacket. The costume is comfortable as hell, flattering, I get to use my own hair AND wear my glasses and be competely. Fucking. Retarded. Hetalia cosplayers are fun to interract with and extremely enthusiastic which is nice. :D Met tons of nice people at both Akon and Fanime. Although at Akon I was mistaken TWICE for Montana Max (oh I see it. I saw it the moment I put on the costume and parted my hair.) and once as... AMELIA EARHART? That one I didn't let slide. For one guy who was really disappointed that I wasn't heir major, however, I posed like Max for him for a photo.
Also, um. The gathering incident. Here's the thing. I have had no experience whatsoever in the Hetalia community/fandom. I'm not really into slashing it, it sort of weirds me out. But I didn't really think anything of it when Jess and I were taking a photo as England and America at the gathering and the crowd started chanting for fanservice. Obviously the crowd didn't realize we'd been together for six years and have no problem posing naughty for the camera... But I didn't expect the SUBSEQUENT FREAKOUT that followed or the photos all over the Hetalia community. XD;; Ahaha.... Diana did warn me, I suppose I should have been prepared.
The following day, I got into an elevator in my America costume and a girl SQUEEEED and tackle-glomphed me shrieking "I DIDN'T GET TO HUG YOU YET!" So I hugged her. And then she says delightedly, "You're the America that made out with UK at the gathering!!!"
D: So. Yeah. At least I wasn't recognized at Akon the following weekend. In any case it's not hard to give Jess affection in those costumes since Jess is ADORABLE AS ALL GET OUT in her UK costume. Eyebrows and all.
Sunday night we managed to get the whole huge gang together for a dinner at Spaghetti Factory again which seems to be becoming a yearly tradition. I felt so bad that Jess was working her tush off and we were running around doing Masq stuff on her birthday but she was such a good sport about it.
Akon was great as well, if always a bit weird to go to a con where we know far fewer people. But we got to see Spork and Kyra for the first time in AGES and we had tons of fun with them on Saturday night and I got a few shots of their zuper zexy Zoro and Robin costumes. Dammit Kyra, I want to do a photo shoot with your hueg OP group of WIN AND EPIC. ::shakes fist:: Saw Angel again which was yay! And met people that I knew who they WERE but had never met in person. XD If any of you Akon folks are on my FL or have me friended, remind me who you are so I can put LJ handles to faces/costumes, ok?
We ate good food and relaxed with Emi and Kei in the downtime and I learn more and more that my body knows what planes are and that, it knows, is a bed. The MINUTE I sit down on a plane lately, I fall asleep, sleep through take off and landing, just dead to the world. It's nice but then I wake up DYING OF THIRST. Oh man I just realized our next con is driving distance. :D YAY. Flying is second nature by now but toting around two suitcases full of fifty pounds of paper per -- which get to go in overhead bins -- gets old after a while.
So, now we have a month until our next con. Thank GOD. Our house is a complete fucking DISASTER which I am slowly working my way through while Jess slogs through three cons worth of commissions... Next costume I'm digging in to is my ComicCon masq costume which i'm going to try to get completely done by July which is quite feesible since I think the only new thing I'm making for AX is Impel Down ver. Bon Clay. I think I'll then try to get Sokka's outfit from the final scene of the final episode for kickin it at Comic Con. Also I really have an urge to make CLOTHES. I've got fabric lying around that I got with the intent of making a messenger bag and some shirts and hoodies... I should go for it since I was on such a damn roll before Fanime. I don't think I've ever cranked out such decent quality so quickly as I have recently.
And then the new badges for AX.... I want to get SO FUCKING MANY DONE. We have like twenty pages of suggestion sheets/email list sign ups that I need to get typed up, and I need to update our site. Anyone have any specific requests/suggestions for this round? OTHER THAN KIRK/SPOCK, LAURA.
Saw Night at the Museum 2 when we got back from Fanime -- in one of the two nights we were actually home that week. I've been fagging out about this movie almost as much as I fagged out for Madagascar 2. (What the hell, Ben Stiller? I don't even normally LIKE Ben Stiller. Go fig.) Mixed feelings about it. It was extremely enjoyable and thoroughly hilarious but definitely wasn't as cohesive as the first movie. Night at the Museum impressed the hell out of me because it was a movie that hadn't been made for a decade -- a high quality FAMILY movie that was actually something everyone could enjoy. It really harkened back to the movies I loved as a kid. The sequel was less magical and more slapstick without a really strong story -- but it was tons of carefree fun. I didn't find any of the characters in it as likable as in the first one, including my favorites, the little guys. Amy Adams as Amelia Earhart left me conflicted because she looked AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING and had me drooling the whole time (thank you costuming department for those pants) but I found her character to be INCREDIBLY ANNOYING. Every word she said was grating and her whorish persistence was obnoxious. Custer on the other hand MADE MY LIFE. All this criticism aside, I loved the movie and want to see it again. Also is it terrible that I sort of want a cosplay group? Jess and I call Octavius and Jedidiah. XD Although I kind of want to do Custer as well....
We also saw Up on monday. Fuck. Go see this movie right now. I don't think I've cried so much in a movie since I was a kid (not counting Boys Don't Cry... that's not a movie, it's emotional abuse) and yet also LAUGHED so much in a movie... it's just fucking amazing. Also, the short at the beginning made me laugh UNTIL I cried. Can someone please send a memo to Pixar and tell them to learn how to fucking market their films? I had absolutely no excitement about seeing this movie. To me, it looked like a cliche story wrapped in unusual visuals. Old crochety dude doesn't want to deal with the rest of the world, young cute kid teaches him that peoplel aren't so bad. If I knew what the story ACTUALLY WAS and had the previews given any insight whatsoever to the depth of Carl's character, I would have been dying to see this movie. Also I'm not a pussy for crying in this movie -- it just hit really close to home. In a very warm, fuzzy -- but also scary -- kind of way.
So yeah, anyway. Back in town for a month, back to life. I am REALLY looking forward to the weekend since I've now been going full tilt for three weeks without a day off -- believe me, cons don't count. I'm dying to do some writing since we haven't had the chance to do much in over a month...
I think you know you're an adult when you REALLY look forward to being able to vacuum and have a fucking clean floor.
Richard got some awesome shots of our Hetalia costumes at Fanime. http://imagecraft.smugmug.com/gallery/8348550_yDQCQ#547381042_q2quz Thank you, Richard!!!
Highlights for me:
Eyebrows McGee from the House of St. Poncerton
What? :D
So, the joy of going to Akon and Fanime back to back is over. THAT WAS JUST LOVELY. In the last 5 weeks, I've been to Oahu, Death Valley, Las Vegas, San Jose and Dallas -- and TWO trips through the hell that is LAX. I reeeeally appreciate our comfortable little airport here in San Diego whenever we have to go to LAX. I got punished for being a cheapskate on our trip out to Dallas where the parking place, while dirt cheap SUCKED BALLS and left us waiting for half an hour for a shuttle.
That and other little travel annoyances and PANIC getting ready for Fanime and NO SLEEP due to red-eyeing it to Dallas, both cons were awesome.
Fanime was a blast, as busy as it was. Made a trip out to SF for a shoot with my favorite model and Jess was suuuuuper nice to me, manning the booth while I was running around taking photos. I haven't unloaded since before KawaiiKon and I now have about 2500 god damn photos I need to go through. I should stop being so trigger happy. ::snickers::
Fanime masq was total fun-times relaxo skit and we got a great reaction to it. I'm actually really happy with how my Chris costume turned out and am tempted to wear it again in spite of not knowing anything about Resident Evil >_> I just have to not get cornered by a fan who will ask me questions!!
Wore the new revamped Zoro -- first time doing Zoro in probably... two years? Was nervous about it but enjoyed myself. Love my new swords and my new haramaki, though the swords are going to get some parts sanded and redone... definitely want to get some real tsuba-ito for Wadou's hilt. Do that shit right. Probably going to sand off the blades and redo those too with a stencil. And I've still got all of Shuusui's details to paint. I need to get some decent photos of them for the lady that whittled them for me. XD
Re: Zoro.... I was really intimidated about putting on this costume again. I stopped wearing it because I started getting real selfconcious when my old haramaki stopped fitting. And I didn't think I could pull it off with a wig. But I've really missed doing it and though I was selfconcious still, and felt inadequate with my mushy arms and thick hips, I had a great time. I was the ONLY chick Zoro at the gathering, if I'm not mistaken. ...Also we all nearly killed one another when it came time for the Zoro group photo and EVERYONE pulled out their swords. That was like being in the middle of a porcupine.
Aaron's Brook costume was the bell of the motherfuckin ball and Jess and I couldn't be prouder. He was a fucking TROOPER wearing all that make up for two days in a row. I had a ton of fun applying it. I miss working with prosthetics and foam latex is so awesome. I really kind of want to make someone be Magellan so I can do that stupid, stupid baboon face. Either that or I should stop being a lazy bastard and make Absalom for myself. Anyway, Brook-Aaron = fucking awesome and inability to walk through the hallways for more than 5 feet.
And then... there was Hetalia.
I. Love. Cosplaying. AMERICA.
I worked fucking HARD on that costume and I dare say it's probably the highest quality I've ever produced. I'm not ashamed to say how proud I am of my bomber jacket. The costume is comfortable as hell, flattering, I get to use my own hair AND wear my glasses and be competely. Fucking. Retarded. Hetalia cosplayers are fun to interract with and extremely enthusiastic which is nice. :D Met tons of nice people at both Akon and Fanime. Although at Akon I was mistaken TWICE for Montana Max (oh I see it. I saw it the moment I put on the costume and parted my hair.) and once as... AMELIA EARHART? That one I didn't let slide. For one guy who was really disappointed that I wasn't heir major, however, I posed like Max for him for a photo.
Also, um. The gathering incident. Here's the thing. I have had no experience whatsoever in the Hetalia community/fandom. I'm not really into slashing it, it sort of weirds me out. But I didn't really think anything of it when Jess and I were taking a photo as England and America at the gathering and the crowd started chanting for fanservice. Obviously the crowd didn't realize we'd been together for six years and have no problem posing naughty for the camera... But I didn't expect the SUBSEQUENT FREAKOUT that followed or the photos all over the Hetalia community. XD;; Ahaha.... Diana did warn me, I suppose I should have been prepared.
The following day, I got into an elevator in my America costume and a girl SQUEEEED and tackle-glomphed me shrieking "I DIDN'T GET TO HUG YOU YET!" So I hugged her. And then she says delightedly, "You're the America that made out with UK at the gathering!!!"
D: So. Yeah. At least I wasn't recognized at Akon the following weekend. In any case it's not hard to give Jess affection in those costumes since Jess is ADORABLE AS ALL GET OUT in her UK costume. Eyebrows and all.
Sunday night we managed to get the whole huge gang together for a dinner at Spaghetti Factory again which seems to be becoming a yearly tradition. I felt so bad that Jess was working her tush off and we were running around doing Masq stuff on her birthday but she was such a good sport about it.
Akon was great as well, if always a bit weird to go to a con where we know far fewer people. But we got to see Spork and Kyra for the first time in AGES and we had tons of fun with them on Saturday night and I got a few shots of their zuper zexy Zoro and Robin costumes. Dammit Kyra, I want to do a photo shoot with your hueg OP group of WIN AND EPIC. ::shakes fist:: Saw Angel again which was yay! And met people that I knew who they WERE but had never met in person. XD If any of you Akon folks are on my FL or have me friended, remind me who you are so I can put LJ handles to faces/costumes, ok?
We ate good food and relaxed with Emi and Kei in the downtime and I learn more and more that my body knows what planes are and that, it knows, is a bed. The MINUTE I sit down on a plane lately, I fall asleep, sleep through take off and landing, just dead to the world. It's nice but then I wake up DYING OF THIRST. Oh man I just realized our next con is driving distance. :D YAY. Flying is second nature by now but toting around two suitcases full of fifty pounds of paper per -- which get to go in overhead bins -- gets old after a while.
So, now we have a month until our next con. Thank GOD. Our house is a complete fucking DISASTER which I am slowly working my way through while Jess slogs through three cons worth of commissions... Next costume I'm digging in to is my ComicCon masq costume which i'm going to try to get completely done by July which is quite feesible since I think the only new thing I'm making for AX is Impel Down ver. Bon Clay. I think I'll then try to get Sokka's outfit from the final scene of the final episode for kickin it at Comic Con. Also I really have an urge to make CLOTHES. I've got fabric lying around that I got with the intent of making a messenger bag and some shirts and hoodies... I should go for it since I was on such a damn roll before Fanime. I don't think I've ever cranked out such decent quality so quickly as I have recently.
And then the new badges for AX.... I want to get SO FUCKING MANY DONE. We have like twenty pages of suggestion sheets/email list sign ups that I need to get typed up, and I need to update our site. Anyone have any specific requests/suggestions for this round? OTHER THAN KIRK/SPOCK, LAURA.
Saw Night at the Museum 2 when we got back from Fanime -- in one of the two nights we were actually home that week. I've been fagging out about this movie almost as much as I fagged out for Madagascar 2. (What the hell, Ben Stiller? I don't even normally LIKE Ben Stiller. Go fig.) Mixed feelings about it. It was extremely enjoyable and thoroughly hilarious but definitely wasn't as cohesive as the first movie. Night at the Museum impressed the hell out of me because it was a movie that hadn't been made for a decade -- a high quality FAMILY movie that was actually something everyone could enjoy. It really harkened back to the movies I loved as a kid. The sequel was less magical and more slapstick without a really strong story -- but it was tons of carefree fun. I didn't find any of the characters in it as likable as in the first one, including my favorites, the little guys. Amy Adams as Amelia Earhart left me conflicted because she looked AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING and had me drooling the whole time (thank you costuming department for those pants) but I found her character to be INCREDIBLY ANNOYING. Every word she said was grating and her whorish persistence was obnoxious. Custer on the other hand MADE MY LIFE. All this criticism aside, I loved the movie and want to see it again. Also is it terrible that I sort of want a cosplay group? Jess and I call Octavius and Jedidiah. XD Although I kind of want to do Custer as well....
We also saw Up on monday. Fuck. Go see this movie right now. I don't think I've cried so much in a movie since I was a kid (not counting Boys Don't Cry... that's not a movie, it's emotional abuse) and yet also LAUGHED so much in a movie... it's just fucking amazing. Also, the short at the beginning made me laugh UNTIL I cried. Can someone please send a memo to Pixar and tell them to learn how to fucking market their films? I had absolutely no excitement about seeing this movie. To me, it looked like a cliche story wrapped in unusual visuals. Old crochety dude doesn't want to deal with the rest of the world, young cute kid teaches him that peoplel aren't so bad. If I knew what the story ACTUALLY WAS and had the previews given any insight whatsoever to the depth of Carl's character, I would have been dying to see this movie. Also I'm not a pussy for crying in this movie -- it just hit really close to home. In a very warm, fuzzy -- but also scary -- kind of way.
So yeah, anyway. Back in town for a month, back to life. I am REALLY looking forward to the weekend since I've now been going full tilt for three weeks without a day off -- believe me, cons don't count. I'm dying to do some writing since we haven't had the chance to do much in over a month...
I think you know you're an adult when you REALLY look forward to being able to vacuum and have a fucking clean floor.
Richard got some awesome shots of our Hetalia costumes at Fanime. http://imagecraft.smugmug.com/gallery/8348550_yDQCQ#547381042_q2quz Thank you, Richard!!!
Highlights for me:
Eyebrows McGee from the House of St. Poncerton
What? :D