Cosplay Mashups: Zelda Quinn

Hi all! Sorry for the random hiatus! I've been in the midst of a "con crunch " for San Diego Comic Con and spent a while working on my cosplay. A con crunch is when you try and finish a cosplay close to the start of a convention. I made the whole outfit on one week and two days. I would probably never do that again, it was extremely stressful considering that I had never used a pattern before. The pattern is by Simplicity #8113, R5. It's their version of Princess Zelda from the Twilight Princess game in the Legend of Zelda series. My pet peeve about patterns is that they are extremely expensive for being on flimsy tissue paper. I recommend waiting until Joanns has their 1.99$/pattern sales. Save your self some money! That's what I did and that's also the reason why I had such limited time to make it. The reason I call her Zelda Quinn is because it is a mashup between Princess Zelda and Harley Quinn.  Every year that I volunteer for SDCC, I go to Harleypalooza. That would be the Harley Quinn cosplay gathering. I always have to be different, so instead of making her classic or canon outfits for the gathering, I always do some sort of mashup. It's become a bit of a tradition for me now. I made the whole thing in under 65$, with my goal being under 75$. I think I did pretty well for myself. The only downside is that by the end of the day,  after being "peace bonded", which means that they attached my "weapon, or prop to my costume", the security ripped my overlay. Sadly, I will have to repair it for the next gathering or convention I go to. Otherwise, I am glad I got some great shots before that happened and that my post-ripped overlay shots were modified to hide the rip, but those are not processed yet.  Without further ado, I will show you guys some of my SDCC photoshoot photos. I really hope that you like them! Below is also a quick review of SDCC 2017.

Photography courtesy of Ron Z. Photography

Photography Courtesy of Michael Greening

Photography courtesy of Snapshot 360 Photography

Photography courtesy of Snapshot 360 Photography 

SDCC Review:
As usual, I attended San Diego Comic Con as a volunteer. I have been volunteering with Comic-Con International for five years now. It still is an enjoyable opportunity for me. For many people, volunteering is the only way to actual get into the convention as it has grown exponentially over the years. It was another humid day in San Diego, as it has been every year I've volunteered. It felt like there were more people at the convention, this year, as opposed to last year. The staff were not as helpful as I would have liked them to be, but they were for the most part very kind. The officers on duty were extremely kind, courteous and easy to approach. There were plenty of panels going on and the usual mad rush to Hall H. I actually decided to do outdoor activities for the first time since I started going and had a blast at the FXhibition. I hope that they bring that back for next year. I also enjoyed playing the video games, but I did feel like there were less video game exhibits offered this year. Or quite possibly, they were spread out more than usual. Another favorite of mine is the walking dead section where the zombies come after you. One of them actually managed to scare me this time, it was pretty funny. I also FINALLY found out how to get to the back of the convention center to do the cosplay gathering stair shoots. Only took five years to find that out hehe. I unfortunately didn't get the volunteer shirt this year due to miss communication in the volunteer room, and that was extremely unfortunate. Other than the staff ripping my costume while peace bonding me, not getting the volunteer t-shirt this year were the two downsides of the con this year. The rest of it, and being able to reconnect with friends was great. I will always enjoy volunteering for this convention.


That's all I have for now, but I'll continue to add more as I get more photos back! Let me know in the comments below if you have any cosplay suggestions for me. :)

Till Next Time !

-Hachi

These Peepers are Hep!

Hi all! I went home for the holiday and was able to pick up my new glasses! Although I take many photos without my glasses, I am practically a full time glasses wearer. My style of choice varies between large squares, small squares, and a simplistic vintage cat's eye. However, I am also a big fan of sunglasses, especially ones that encompass the vintage styles of the 40s and 50s. I am a huge history buff of the World War Two, and early post war era - (1945-1950s).  I really enjoy the styles because I am very interested in Pin Up. Occasionally, I will do pin up photography with my friends that are also hobbyists. Anyhoo, I came across this eye-wear company, Warby Parker, that specializes in vintage-inspired eyewear and unique sunglasses and fell in love!

You'll be a total cat wearing these binoculars! They start at $145, and that's a really good price for an American specialty brand, especially for being vintage inspired. Also, if you have an eye prescription, you can fill in the information and you'll be seeing 20/20 in no time! I'll clue you in on the newest sunglasses collection that Warby Parker has.

Photo from Warby Parker's Newest Collection

This collection just launched on June 13th. It's inspired by the 1955's look of bold brow-lines and mixed materials. The particular materials used in this collection are acetate and stainless steel. This means that the glasses will be rather durable and shouldn't break easily on you.

The style also looks good with no tint as well. I could see myself wearing these particular frames for a summer-esque pin up shoot. For instance, a high waisted pair of shorts or jeans and then paired with a Gretta top.

Photo from Warby Parker's Newest Collection

My favorite style of the collection, however, is the Addie. I am a bit of an odd ball and I feel like the style accentuates my eccentricities. It's very similar to a cat's eye, which was extremely in style with women in the 1950's and is currently making a comeback today, much to my excitement! Each of the styles come with two color options, but for the Addie, I would choose the Lapis crystal with Midnight Gradient Lenses. Blue is my favorite color, so I am a sucker for any thing blue. The threads I could pair with those are almost limitless. I live for A-line skirts, so that would be my go to for those. Either way, this whole collection sure is swell.

Photo from Warby Parker's Newest Collection

Here's glossary of all the 1950's terms I've used throughout the blog. Check out more terms here :

Peepers = Glasses
Hep = With it, or cool
Cat = Hip person
Binoculars = Glasses
Dolly = Cute girl
Flatter Bum = Good looking guy
"I'll Clue You" = "I'll fill you in"
Odd Ball = Someone a bit off the norm
Threads = Clothes
Swell = Great, good, or wonderful

I hope you've enjoyed today's blog and let me know in the comments below what styles of eye wear you like!

Till Next Time!

-Hachi

Worried About Dormitory Decor? Well I Say, No More!

Hi all! Apologies for the delay in posting. I was on a brief three week hiatus for personal reasons, but am back now! I hope my fellow Americans enjoyed their 4th of July, this past Tuesday!

So it has been almost two years since I left the Inland Empire and moved to Orange County. This is my second time making a big city move since I first started college down in Southern California.  Something about living alone with your pets and having a new slate to work with seems magical in a way. However, it can occasionally be stressful when you have to think about how to decorate your new home. I have lived in over four different apartments and the college dormitories over the past nine years. So I have learned how to decorate for both limited space and seemingly unlimited space. Keeping up with the school theme, I would like to help you out with figuring out how to decorate your dormitory with the help of Aura Frames.

Dorm Living:

Dorms, they're pretty small. Typically, you share them with one other person, but sometime you might have two, or even three other people per dorm. A lot of big box stores will give you check lists full of the most unnecessary things ever to buy just to get you to spend extra money at their stores. My list of essentials would have to be the most basic and the most realistic from my own personal experiences.

Bed: Twin XL - Bed set (for most dormitories, the best are Twin XL -some times you can find bed-sets that fit both regular Twin and Twin XL). They are fairly cheap so feel free to buy more than one, you'll be in that dorm for at least one year.

Pillows - You can usually find some good pillows on deal from Macy's or J.C. Penny.

Under the Bed Organizers - Remember that you are sharing a very small space with other people. If you have two or three roommates, you might also be sharing a closet. Under the bed organizers helped me out so much as a Freshman in the dorms.

Full body Mirror - Not all dorms will come fully furnished aside from the bed and desk (I bought mine at Target for under 4$.)

Bundles of Hangers for Clothes - most dorms have closets and dresser-drawers

Laundry Essentials - Baskets, Pods/Detergents, Fabric Softener, Iron/ Iron Board- Look for coupon deals on laundry items, believe me, you can find so many.

Bath Supplies - Flip-flops, Shower Caddy, Towels, and the basic shower essentials (body wash, soap, shampoo, conditioner. (The reason that I recommend the flip-flops is because you will be sharing those showers with several other men or women and can risk getting foot fungus.)

Frames for Photos - You can be low tech and get very simple frames to put up photos to combat homesickness, or you can be high tech and get some pretty neat digital frames like the ones that Aura Frames has.

Posters - Posters can be a cheap way to decorate your apartment as well, and it's also a good way to really personalize your space with posters displaying your interests.

Stuffed Animals or other comfort items - If you were like me and moved to a college far from home, then bringing moments with you can help combat homesickness as well. For me, it was old stuffed animals, but it could be something different for you. 

If you are artsy, I recommend that you draw some pictures or make some little decorations for your dorm side. Even have your friends help you!

*Desks are typically included and lamps/lighting as well. If I think of anything else to add, I'll let you know! Highly recommend a trip to Walmart and Target for some cheap dorm supplies. Good luck with your first year at the dorms!

A picture from my freshman year in my dormitory at UC Riverside - East Lothian ( Nine years ago).

If you guys have any comments on the items you brought with you to the dorms, feel free to let me know in the comments below!

Till Next Time!

-Hachi