Welcome to the Grave Harvest

Hi all! We are three weeks away from Halloween! Isn't that exciting?! I feel like Halloween is a favorite holiday of many cosplayers. As a result, several conventions, parties, and gatherings happen this month. I was recently at a Halloween con, this past weekend, called Grave Harvest in Fullerton, CA. I got to be a part of the press and spent a majority of my day there. I would like to tell you all about this con and hope you like what you see!

I decided to be Vampire Harley with a dress that I upcycled from the thrift store, my Timeless Trends corset (I'll be doing a full review on that later), and my Sony A6000.

Grave Harvest 2017 was the convention's second year in operation. It was at a very affordable price of $10, online only. It is also a one day con, which is good for conventions just starting out to do. It allows the organizers to gauge the interests of the attendees and eventually decide whether to change locations or add more days to the con. Guests were greeted by friendly and enthusiastic staff, which was a wonderful way to start out the day. As press, we were also welcomed with cookies from one of the vendors, Lucky 13 Sweets and Treats, based out of Costa Mesa, CA. They were some great cookies, as well! :)

There were two rooms full of vendors and I took it upon myself to interact with as many vendors as I could, collect their cards, and take photos of their goods. That will be shown below in slideshow format. The vendors were extremely nice, cordial, and welcoming. All of them were very enthusiastic about the con too. Some of the vendors stuck out to me more than others given the uniqueness of their craft, but all of the vendors that I interacted with were friendly and open to talking with me about their items.



I also attended two of the three workshops during the con. The first was Skeleton Corpsification led by Larry Carr. He demonstrated by usage of latex, cloth, and spray paint how to make a plain skeleton look like a mummified corpse. It was extremely cool and well received as I counted over 50 people in attendance. I don't even always see those numbers in my own panels I participate in at larger comic book conventions! The other panel I attended was in regards to making armor out of EVA foam called Foam Fabrication 101. That panel was very relevant to me as I am a cosplayer and have made my own armor before. While this panel had much smaller numbers, it made for a more intimate experience. The workshop coordinator, Dave King, did a very good job explaining the ins and outs of armor building and even stayed later to talk with us all.

I ended my day by looking at the hearses outside and left feeling good about the con's atmosphere. I really hope they do it again next year. Here is a complete list of all of the vendors at the convention, so I hope you check them all out and help support their passions!


Well everyone, that's all for today's blog! I hope you enjoyed it and stay tuned to my next con related blog when I "cosplay" as a member of the press for Stan Lee's L.A. Comic Con, always known as Comikaze Expo! Do any of you dress up for Halloween? Let me know in the comments below !

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

When Fish Fly! - Newport Pier Restaurant Review

Hi all! Today's post is a review of an eating establishment I recently went to. While I did provide a Yelp review for this particular establishment, I'd like to extend my review on my blog with pictures included. The establishment that I went to is called "Fly 'N' Fish Oyster Bar & Grill" in Newport Beach, California.

Photo taken from the Fly 'N' Fish website

The location is in McFadden Square by Newport Pier. Parking is $1.90/hour, and if you have a handicap placard or license plate, you do not need to pay at most parking locations. However, there are some exceptions. Newport Beach is known for frozen bananas and Balboa bars as well. Unfortunately, I forgot to grab one before leaving. Expect to circle around for long periods of time to find parking both here and Balboa Island. However, once you do find parking, check out the local hangouts around both of these areas. You can even grab touristy items in both locations.

Photo from Newport Beach Magazine - Balboa Bars

 My original Yelp review:
The atmosphere is nice and lively. It can be a tad bit loud so expect to speak loudly when you're with others. We (my mother and I) got the fish and chips, today. The fish has a great texture, not over seasoned, and not overcooked.  You get four pieces. You also get a side of fries, which I believe could be truffle fries, and coleslaw. As an avid coleslaw hater, I can say I ate it all up like Goldilocks eating baby bear's porridge. It has golden raisins in it as well, which adds a nice sweetness to it. The cocktail sauce was great with the fish as well. I've had a lot of fish and chips and this one is up there with the best. Also, the executive chef/general manager came and talked with us many times. He was funny and courteous. Also, he had really cool glasses This might have been my first time, but it certainly wasn't the last.

Started off with a glass of Blue Moon on draft with an orange slice on the side.

The inside of the restaurant - The man in white is the executive chef.

Fish & Chips with truffle fries, and coleslaw. That cocktail sauce was also amazing! I normally hate cocktail sauce.

At the restaurant- headband by & Other Stories

Sunglasses by Fendi, Crop Top by Forever 21, Overalls by Cherokee & thrifted from Savers, Over the Shoulder Bag by Mz Wallace, & Sandals by Mephisto

My view from Newport Pier - It was around 84 degrees that day - May 20th.

Anyone that personally knows me knows that I very rarely do Yelp reviews. I have to either really like or really dislike a place to review it. Luckily, Fly ' N' Fish made it on the 5 star review from me. I hope that you liked my review and photos.

Let me know in the comments below what Orange County restaurants you recommend me trying. I'm very open-minded when it comes to food choices.

Till Next Time!

-Hachi