Secondary Blog!

Hi All! I made a secondary blog for things related to spoonie-based awareness, fashion, and lifestyle. That way this blog can be focused primarily on cons/pop culture, when we are allowed to safely resume them again. If the other topics are more up your alley, give that blog a peep where I've been writing on here and there for a majority of the pandemic. 😌

https://sunfloweratdawn.wordpress.com/

 

Till next time!

Hachi

Release the Kraken! - Los Angeles Comic Con 2019 Recap

Hi All! Happy 2020! I hope the new year has treated everyone well. I am working on mastering more photography and editing skills to provide you all with the best content I can. I do not personally believe in New Year's resolutions, but I do want to try and write more, if possible, regardless of what I end up writing about.

With that said, today's blog is about Los Angeles Comic Con! LA Comic Con is typically the very last convention that I attend in 2019. It also marks the end of the California convention season for most cosplaying con goers. Unfortunately, this year I was rather sick during the con so I only had the pleasure of attending for one day, so I tried to make the most of what I could. The process to check in was rather effective for press. Press, Staff, and Exhibitor entrance was separate from the general attendee check-in as always. They still had the metal detectors and bag checks for all, including multiple stations on the side for general attendee badge pick-up checks. However, once you already picked up your badge, you could enter from the front of the convention center. While many might have groaned about this being a minor inconvenience, safety was definitely Los Angeles Comic Con's first priority, and I commend them for it.

The booth to pick up the press pass was quick and efficient. A convention staff member was waiting with a friendly and excited face willing to help and explain. As I always say (due to being a staff member for other cons), represent the con well and attendees will always return. This particular staff member was a great reflection on Los Angeles Comic Con and made me feel like a welcomed attendee.  Overall, the entire check-in process was top notch. Over the years, Los Angeles Comic Con has exponentially gotten better with the entire process in the years I have attended. Going on year five, this year!

This time around, I was in a cosplay group based off of an art concept by Savannah Alexandra called The Puppettes. This was my first time in a group, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Luckily, it worked out well and we all had fun. For everyone, collectively, this was one of the best LA Comic Con seasons. I also did some video work with my collaborative partners, Beyond Fandom during the con as well involving other cosplayers. They are a great resource in video-driven fan-focused media, while I focus more on written word in the pop culture community and con photography. I ended my day dropping by the dealers hall to grab some fun con swag as always and to see if I could snag a few new comic books to add to my collection. Each year I have attended the con, I do different activities. Sometimes I might focus heavily on fan focused panels, with a few industry panels sprinkled in, and other times, I will focus on the attendee experience holistically.

End review: The overall vibe of LACC was friendly and relaxed, most people eventually got used to the format changes in security, the con felt safer and happier. Everyone I talked to seemed happy, energetic, and overall glad to be there. I think that LA Comic Con is probably the best con to end the season with given the location, the overall atmosphere of the con, and the people it brings. 9.5/10. 

I can't wait for the next year's con and what that might bring! 

 

Till Next Time!

- Hachi

Photography courtesy of Dapper Geek Photography

Let's go to the Expo~ CBD Expo NW!

Hi All! Quite a bit of time has passed and so much has occurred, which caused a slight delay between blogs. However, the show must go on! On that note, let me tell you about a fun expo I attended in the summer, CBD Expo North West! As you might have remembered, last year, I attended the first CBD Expo on the tour in Anaheim, CA. You can refer back to a previous blog about that event. CBD Expo NW was a two-day event that took place in Seattle, WA at Motif Seattle. Unlike when I went to CBD Expo West, I was able to attend both days of CBD Expo NW.

My first day of the event went very well. I checked in and they were able to easily find my name as a press member. I was also greeted by my new point of contact, Kathleen after my previous point of contact Camille moved, and she was so warm and welcoming. It was an amazing experience. It is always great when you are able to work with such kind and genuine people. Kathleen with CMW Media Group was very informative in the months prior to the show and even during the show.

After checking in, I decided that for the first day of the show, I would only interact with half of the vendors so that way I would be able to spend some time getting to know what the various vendors did and learn about their companies. My first encounter was with Keiko, who was based out of Orange County, CA like me! That was a cool coincidence. She teaches CBD wellness classes for seniors in the area, and was planning on doing an island wellness retreat. Afterwards, I continued on and talked with some vendors about bottling and packaging processes for CBD. We discussed how simplicity is popular for some, and this can be seen often in skincare lines such as Drunk Elephant, and many "Clean at Sephora" lines. However, on some occasions, the luxury goods tend to be more alluring when they have a shine to them. So depending on the price point and formulation of the product, the packaging can make a difference in marketability. Also on day one, I got to try out CBD breath mints from a vendor based out of Oakland, CA called Lucent Botanicals. Those were amazing and discrete! The best type of CBD products, in my opinion, are the kind that can do many things at once. The packaging was what drew me to the product, and the fact that the product delivers total transparency so you are aware of what goes into the product instead of being an uninformed consumer. The taste is what made me consider seeking out the product after the show.  I met other really neat vendors that were kind and hospitable as well.  Aside from Lucent Botanicals, I focused on the more marketing and business based vendors for day one.

During day 2, I focused a bit more on vendors that made edibles and topicals. I met a CBD kombucha vendor called Green Buddha Hemp Co. and that has go to be some of the best kombucha I've tasted. I think the smaller brands of kombucha taste less sugary and over processed, and more natural compared to the mainstream brands. There was a water soluble CBD shot vendor called Danodan Hempworks that incorporated the full components of CBD and I liked that because the earthy flavoring was better than I expected it to be. Each shot delivers 6 mg of CBD and can be used in more than just liquids. I also was able to pick up some pet CBD for my dogs and it's done wonders for my senior pitty back in my hometown. Spectrum Confections made some really neat jelly beans as well that have helped me with relaxing during high anxiety moments. Also, the various flavors are pretty fun to guess. They low key remind me of the Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, just without any scary flavors. ;) While making my rounds, I was able to try a sample of Vital Leaf's CBD chocolate bars. Typically, I am not a fan of chocolate. Shocking, I know. Yet, this chocolate actually tasted quite good to me. It was not sickingly sweet, nor excessively bitter. It was pretty good and is also fair-trade and organic, which makes me feel even better about it. I always like to know about the products I ingest, so transparency is very important for me. I am glad that Vital Leaf is very transparent about where they source their ingredients from.

One thing I really love about CBD Expo Tour is that I have learned about so many different CBD products since attending two of these shows. Since attending the shows, I became a CBD product tester for some time, and also have recommended vendors' products to my friends. The tour for the 2019 year is soon reaching it's end. Since CBD Expo NW, the tour has already visited the mile high city (Denver) with CBD Expo Mountain, and kicked it in the other coast in Florida with CBD Expo East. That leaves only one more stop left for the year, CBD Expo West! I likely won't be able to attend this one, despite it being back in my home state, but I hope you'll make it out there! This year, it'll be in San Diego, CA on December 5th and 6th. If you're interested in getting tickets for CBD Expo West, feel free to register here. Also, just a reminder, CBD Expo Tour is a 21+ event. :)

I hope everyone has a nice final month of 2019! All named vendors are linked within this post, so check them out! :D

Till Next Time!

-Hachi

Come Out and Play at L.A. Comic Con!

Hi all! It's been a little while since my last post, but it's also been a little over five years since I've started my blog! I am so pleased I've kept this blog going for five years. :) Today's post has been a very long time coming, and the reasoning for that can be seen in a past life update blog. Since Los Angeles Comic Con is about a month away, now's the best time to hype you up for the con with a comprehensive recap from last year's experiences and a future outlook of 2019's con!


Previously at LACC 2018:

I had the opportunity to attend the con for two of the three days as press. Typically, I have a game plan when I attend conventions: Scope out the vendor's hall, interact with con attendees, do free scheduled cosplay photo shoots and if time permits, attend panels that interest me. Unfortunately, I was unable to make any panels or the fashion show that year, but I was able to interact with both con attendees and vendors. Overall, the outlook of the convention was positive.  Also, can I just say that the mascot for the con is awesome looking. I am glad that they kept the same design for 2019.

In 2017,  the process was somewhat unwelcoming when I picked up my press badge. However, in 2018, this was quite the opposite and I felt very welcomed throughout the whole experience from bag check to badge pick up. The staff members looked happy and like they enjoyed their assigned shifts. As someone who does staff for a different convention, maintaining a pleasant guest experience is important. I am always very pleased to see when cons improve upon themselves. Even the convention security situation was a much more pleasant experience than 2017.

When I had discomforts about an uncomfortable situation at the convention and expressed them with a staff member, they did not disregard my concerns. The staff member took my discomfort seriously and notified security. I was extremely pleased to be taken seriously in regards to this situation, as that has never happened before at other conventions. So, for future con goers to Los Angeles Comic Con, please feel free to voice your concerns to staff members, if need be. Never feel like you cannot say anything to anyone. From my experiences, last year, someone will listen to you.

In 2017, I rated the con 8/10, but based on how well they improved upon themselves from 2017 to 2018, I believed that they deserved an increase in rating to 9/10.  I cannot wait to see what 2019 brings.

Peep some photos I took from last year's con:

@januarycosplay - Star Wars

@thebigloserqueen - Snow White

@miss_madra_rua - Gwenpool

I JUST LOVE THAT MASCOT

Coming soon to LACC 2019:

COSPLAY COSPLAY COSPLAY!

I really like that this year is very cosplay focused. Anyone who has followed my blog or either of my Instagram pages knows that I am both a cosplayer and a cosplay photographer. In 2019, Los Angeles Comic Con will have both The Dark Crystal Cosplay Competition and the Cosplay National Championship. Click the links to apply for both competitions, if you're interested in competing! There will also be a Kid's Halloween Costume Contest and Indoor Trick-or-Treating. I like the idea of indoor trick-or-treating because it's a safe alternative for children that might not be able to go out at night on Halloween . It's also reminiscent of what malls used to do in my childhood.  As for me, I was asked to participate in a cosplay group based off of Savannah Alexandra's Puppettes and Purrlesque's fan art, so I hope to be able to fulfill that request to the best of my abilities. I've never done a cosplay group before despite cosplaying for over 14 years. Also, I've been on a con hiatus essentially all summer due to personal reasons and am looking forward to getting back into it. Los Angeles Comic Con is a relatively good sized con where you can wear a more elaborate cosplay and not worry about it being ripped.

There are a lot of interesting guests coming in 2019 as well. Some are giving panels, such as Gerard Way, while others are going to be making appearances and doing autograph signings.

Tickets: If you don't have a full weekend free and are interested in attending Los Angeles Comic Con 2019, the one-day passes are rather affordable for the size of the con. Also, the three day passes are rather decent as well. Children under 12 are free with a paying adult badge too! Very few cons do that, so that's a great perk, if you would like to take your child with you to the con. :)

Anyhoo! That's all from me for now! If you do happen to go to LACC 2019, I hope you have a safe and amazing con experience!

I've also recently created a photography portfolio & post my favorite photos from various cons in there now as well, so check that out too.

Me cosplaying as Blake Belladonna from RWBY (LACC 2018) - Photography courtesy of @jackofsometradesx11

Till Next Time!

-Hachi

Orange you glad I didn't say Banana - Facial Peel Review!

Hi All! It's been a while since I've done a product review, don't you think? I recently bought this at home facial peel by Derma-E at Sprouts. I've been really into the natural skin care options lately so I have been testing out different brands to see which work best for my skin as I have extremely sensitive skin.

 I am not sure if you remember, but a few years ago, I tested out the Yes-to brand and it left me with facial burning for over two hours. I have not used that brand since. Instead, I tend to gravitate towards brands with ingredients that are easier to decipher and have not been subject to several negative reviews; ie, products with over 4 stars on multiple sources. I read several written reviews too in depth. Believe me, I make the time for that. I have hyper pigmentation with sensitive skin and I want my face to be the best it can be, not worsen.

When I bought the Derma-E Vitamin C Instant Radiance Citrus Facial Peel (now my punny title should make sense), I got it for 25% off during the vitamins and beauty sale. I love sales, so if I can ever find something cheaper than original price, I will go for it.

The look of the box

Unfortunately, upon opening the box, the cap was cracked and then fell off on the ground. I debated returning it, but the contents inside were alright and undamaged so I just kept it. The product also comes with a little instruction pamphlet and an application spoon. The spoon is also utilized as a way of removing the product while massaging the skin to promote blood flow. You want to put an even layer of the product on your skin and leave it on for 3-5 minutes before using the spoon to remove it.

Unfortunately, the lid was cracked :/

After leaving it on for five minutes, I did feel a slight tingle in my face. It was no where near as unbearable as other products like this I have tried in the past such as First Aid Beauty. While I liked the end result of First Aid Beauty, Derma-E is really good for those looking for a more eco-ethical brand and want to know exactly what they are putting on their face without googling long, complex names.

It's made with orange peels :)

Upon removing it, and finishing with a rose petal toner, my face had a very nice glow with it. I have really bad hyperpigmentation, but pairing Derma-E with Sephora's Glow peel pads made with naturally occuring glycolic acid from sugar cane has helped me obtain a glow like no other. I have been using the Derma-E mask weekly for a month now paired with the peel pads 2x a day and the hyperpigmentation is staring to fade away. This paring is highly recommended if you have sensitive skin and hyperpigmentation like I do. I am also not sure if this is related or not, but I have combination skin, that typically produces really oily T zone, and even that is starting to calm down some since using this pairing! So try it out, if you please! :)

That's all for this post! Let me know if you have any eco-friendly, or cruelty-free make-up brands you would like me to try and and let you know about!

 I just recently got the Beauty Blender Bounce™ Liquid Whip Long Wear Foundation in 4.40N (Deep with Neutral Undertones). I wanted to give that one a try first since I feel my shade changes in the summer months. However, I am coming from using Fenty Beauty 420, but have to stop since it is not working for me in the way it used to. The comparable color according to Sephora's Shade Finder is actually 4.10 C/O (Deep with Cool Olive Undertones)  - so I might test that next time after this runs out. After I use it for a couple of weeks, I'll be doing a review blog on that brand as well! :)

Stay tuned for some Seattle blogs, I am going for an expo. In the meantime, check out my photography website- I just launched it! There are never before seen photos from my time doing photography at Los Angeles Fashion Week F/W '19.

Till Next Time!

-Hachi

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Let me tell you a tale of the Renaissance Pleasure Faire!

Greetings fair knights and ladies! It has been quite a while, hasn't it? First new post of the year too! I'll have to explain my absence for another time and also fill you in on my previous con adventures another time, as well. For today, I'm here to tell ye about my experiences at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire. This particular Renaissance faire is quite possibly unlike any ren faire you have ever been to! Let me stress that there is something here for everyone!

I went on Saturday, April 27th - Renn Con weekend. As I had noticed, each weekend was designated a theme. Since I am both a cosplayer and a cosplayer photographer, I chose Renn Con weekend to attend the faire as press. This weekend was geared towards those who love cosplay and wanted to combine Renaissance styles within known cosplay fandoms. Also, Craft Beer weekend happened at the same time so beer enthusiasts came out to partake in delectible brews and enjoy the events This was also my first time ever attending the Renaissance Pleasure Faire.

The entrance into the event was pretty easy, a quick bag check and a ticket scan. Parking at the dam was only 10$, which is cheaper than pretty much every con I have ever attended. From scanning my ticket and onward, I was immersed within the Renaissance ages. I loved, and let me stress this again, absolutely loved the diversity of this con. I understand for some people, historical accuracy is more important, but for others, diversity can be just as important. Seeing individuals of varying ethnic origins, doing roles that would otherwise not have been assigned to them during this era made me so happy.

The events were pretty fun. The events I watched were dancing, swordplay, comedy, and jousting. Seeing the belly dancers be able to balance bladed weapons on their head and still move made me want to up my belly dancing game. I loved that the swordplay group by the maypole let both men and women fight together, regardless of size. I love swordplay as I was a kendo practitioner, myself for a few years. Jousting was also a good time; I cheered on the blue side. Even though we lost, it was exciting to see the fans taking the action seriously and how big the crowds around the arena got.

There was so much food to choose from as well, which is awesome for the diverse event goer. I opted for Caramel apples, and the workers at the booth cracked me up. I also watched my friend test his strength at a booth, as well, with the worker giving tips and encouragement along the way. If there is anything I can say about the Renaissance Pleasure Faire, they have amazing customer service at every turn. From the moment I got my ticket in the Will Call line to the moment I returned my media badge for the day, just about every worker I encountered was amazing. I only had one questionable experience the whole time with someone taking their character a bit too far in the jousting area causing a moment of discomfort, but everyone else's good energy dispelled that. For the most part, this event brought a very positive experience for me and I am very glad that I was able to attend. I hope to attend the Renaissance Pleasure Faire, next year and bring more of my friends with me.

Here are some photos from the event and when I finish processing other photos, I'll include a slideshow! :) As always, typically, I will post photos from any event I attend prior to writing about it in a blog on my photography Instagram.

Te Fiti by @adinn.cosplays

Daenerys by @kowaikohai

Maleficent and Princess Aurora by @criccicricci & @abracatrena

My event rating: 9.5/10 - would definitely recommend this event to others & want to return again

Pros:

• Diversity
• Themed Weekends
• Enthusiastic Workers
• Variety of Events
• Variety of Food
• Variety of Vendors
• Large event

Cons:

• Parking on grass/dirt
• Needs more Seated Spaces
• Some workers take roles too far - could lead to harassment
• A solution to that is a training weekend for preventative measures

My dear knights and ladies! The Renaissance Pleasure Faire is on it's last two weekends for the 2019 season! So if you can, get out there and go enjoy it! :)

Dr. Facilier - me ( Cosplay/personal - @bosshachi_08/ Photography - @himawarisayscheese)
Taken by @pyrozack & edited by me

Till Next Time!

-Hachi

The Wild, Wild CBD Expo West!

Hi all! I hope everyone has been well! Thanksgiving just happened in these parts! I think Canada celebrates theirs in October. Normally, I would be at a research conference around this time. I was in Vancouver, B.C. last year, if you all remember presenting my Master's Thesis, but this year I had no new research and opted out of attending. While I missed my colleagues dearly out in New Orleans, I am very pleased to tell you all about a fascinating convention I went to back in late September, CBD Expo West.

Being the spoonie that I am, that is, someone that is directly and personally involved with the chronic illness community, I jumped at the chance to be press for this expo. Over the past year or so, I have been trying to learn all there is to learn about the benefits of CBD. Why, you may ask? Well, I am the type of person who has utilized dozens of medications over the years for a multitude of aliments only to be riddled with numerous negative side effects and no relief. As a result, I turned to the magic of CBD. CBD to put it in simple terms does the same high effects that THC has. It's mostly non-psychoactive. I strongly prefer CBD for this reason. CBD is great for anxiety, pain, seizures, and a multitude of other ailments with virtually no negative drawbacks. Many (not all) CBD products will not show up on a drug test either, and you can check with certain manufactures to ensure this is the case. Some products have a 1:1 CBD/THC ratio along with other variations, so keep that in mind as well. There are many great articles out in the medicine world to learn more about CBD and it's uses for pets, adults, and children. :)

CBD Expo West was held at the Anaheim Marriott hotel near Disneyland and was a two day event (September 21st & 22nd, 2018) kicking off the CBD Expo Tour. Unfortunately, due to recently starting a job, I could only attend on the Saturday, but it was an AMAZING day. The Friday beforehand, the expo had a press and industry mixer, which was THC friendly, but I was unable to attend that event. I had never been to an expo of this kind before so I had no idea what to expect. I was greeted by some of the friendliest people I had ever met at any expo or con. I always say, as staff to two major comic book conventions, that what makes or breaks a con at times is how a patron is treated at first entry. First impressions are everything, and the CBD Expo West staff left a great first impression on me. They were unable to find my press registration information on their list, but instead of sending me away, provided me with a same-day registration pass and some useful pamphlets to get me where I was going. I also still had access to the press lounge and was so appreciative for their generosity.

Now, I am not the type to schedule one-on-one interviews with people as I feel they become too formal and less personalized. So I decided to opt out of doing one-on-one interviews and went to various vendors talking to them as if I was just a regular patron rather than a member of the press. When giving informal meet and greets as opposed to a formal interview, I find it as a way I could get a more relaxed feel of how they were as a person and what their company stood for. I met with Dr. Kerklaan Theraputics, Sativa by Design, Relive Everyday, Sagely Naturals, and Topikal Everything Hemp.

Main takeaways from each of these companies:

• Dr. Kerklaan Theraputics - Dr. Kerklaan truly believes in his product and wants his product to work for everyone that uses it. He was a very friendly person, who looked very eager to tell me about why he started his company, and what he hoped that his company could do for the consumer. I really liked that his company also had very focused and specific products for PMS, headache relief, and even sleep therapy. I got some nice creams from them too.

• Sativa by Design - This company was really cool because they will help people create their own products. It's really great for entrepreneurial minded individuals. The people that ran this booth were so friendly and absolutely hilarious and I purchased some CBD tincture for my partner and I from them at a great convention rate that you would rarely find anywhere in California. Their product, Hemp Life Drops work amazingly too!

• Relive Everyday - Probably my favorite booth because I learned so much about this company and what they stand for. The ladies running the booth kindly answered all my questions and even gave me insight of how the life of working the cannabis convention scene can be for CBD vendors. They also gave me the most samples out of everyone. Their pain spray was great, but their gummies and their tinctures were really top notch. I would consider using their company for gummies, if given the chance. The taste is not overwhelming at all and it does work :)

• Sagely Naturals - The rep for this brand had told me that she started out as a customer before becoming a rep and started using the product due to living a high stress lifestyle. Since I work a desk job doing tech based work, she recommended I try out their product called Tranquility to achieve a relaxed mind, while using the Relief & Recovery cream to ease sore muscles from my weight lifting/fitness lifestyle. Those products smelled really good, I must say that for sure. I am really sensitive to smells, and those were very pleasant to the senses.

• Topikal Everything Hemp - The girls running this booth were extremely chill, I mean EXTREMELY chill. They had strawberry lemonade, my favorite kind, and gave me a sample with 5mg of CBD in it, and it was the best. I was actually drawn to this table by their logo rather than the lemonade, to be honest. As a linguist, the way things are written interests me as it looked almost like a different writing system rather than just English. We discussed how the font can really draw in clients and they told me how the artist of it, who also happens to be the owner of the company was very proud of his work.

One of my favorite aspects of this expo was that many of these vendors were local vendors to California, so I could easily venture out and seek out these companies for myself. However, it was really nice getting to know vendors from around the country as well. That is the beauty of expos, meeting people you possibly would not have the opportunities to have met in any other contexts. If given the opportunity, I would love to go back.

Rating: 9.5/10 -
Pros:
I felt relaxed, rejuvenated, entertained, social, and at peace. I don't think it was all the CBD samples talking either. I tried so many samples (probably too many ^_^'), met some cool people, saw some demos, and learned new things about the world of CBD.

Cons:
The only true con was that they didn't have my press registration information on file, but otherwise, everything else was great. I was really glad that they were able to make up for it. Only one vendor rep was slightly standoffish and rude in how she spoke with me, but that might have just been her demeanor in general. I won't hold that against the company. The actions of one do not define the actions of many.

Anyhoo, that's all from me! I delayed this post until I had the time to go through all my samples from the various vendors and I finally got through them all, starting with CBD Living Water's gummy and ending my samples with the hemp infused olive oil by Due Santi that I cooked my baked salmon with. All of the samples were amazing and got me through some rough days the past couple of months. It was much needed and I am very appreciative. If you guys are interested in following the CBD Expo Tour, they have more stops coming through 2019! Their next stop is just around the corner at CBD Expo East in Orlando, Florida at the Hilton Orlando (December 7th & 8th, 2018). I wish I could attend, but alas, living on the West Coast has its drawbacks. I hope to catch them again on this coast!

Let me know in the comments below if you use CBD and how it's helped you :)

Till Next Time!

-Hachi