Holy crap I haven't updated this in a long ass time. So here it goes.

Jason and I have moved to Cambridge, MA on Halloween, and Jason is now working for Zynga. I love it up here! Lots of things to do, but unfortunately I don't have any friends up here, and the girl that I have been talking to and hanging out with occasionally in our apartment complex will be moving soon.

I have a second interview tomorrow for the Petsmart Pet Hotel and I'm looking forward to it as I love working with animals.

I have been working on a new costume for the heck of it, and actually I started on it in late September but since I made an Ash Ketchum costume for a co-workers son, I got set behind a little. The costume I'm working on is Sheryl Nome's cowgirl outfit from the Macross Frontier Movie. So far I have the boots finished and the hat.

I will be attending PAX East in April 2012, and I look forward to it! I'll be making a new costume just for that event.

Work has most of my time now-a-days. This whole month I have only had 2 days off. It's been killer, so much in fact, that is why I was 20min late for work today due to exhaustion (and I have NEVER been late to any job before!). I will be having next weekend off for the 4th of July which I'm looking forward to so I can get some decent sleep in.

Things have been hard because Jason and I are only down to 1 car instead of us both having one. So I have to wake up extra early to take him to work, and I pick him up late at night well over when my shift is done. MAKE DAT MONEY though.

Anyways, I have updated my site with new Stocking and Kneesocks photos:
http://www.hezachan.com

Here is a preview:

Waiting on photoshoots :) But here are 2 pictures of my newest costumes. First pic taken by ACP, second by Clayton.

I'm going to try to finish the dress this weekend or next. Work has been kicking my ass, but in the best way possible. I love my new job and working with animals everyday is such a wonderful experience. I actually ENJOY going to work, I don't think I can really say that about all the other jobs I've had. OH yeah, here is a dog that I work with that is my absolute favorite. His name is Pal:


Anyways, here is some progress shots of my work over the past week or so.

( Progress Bliss )


I've also finished a Maetel costume for my friend Amber:
http://hezachan.deviantart.com/art/GE999-Maetel-Cosplay-Costume-202915053

I don't have pictures of the styled wig yet because I'm waiting for the motions oil sheen to dry before taking pictures :P

BUSTIN' MAH ASS. Hopefully I can crank out a Kneesocks before ACen as well.

After hours of uploading, it's now up!

Video makeup tutorial to come soon. I still have to do the voice over for it, other wise it's all edited and ready to go.

So I managed to get my contacts in.

( Care to see the difference? )

These are the first contacts I have ever had in my life. Sure, I had one in once at the eye doctor, but that doesn't count. That experience was pretty traumatizing, and I never thought I would wear contacts ever again. I love these though, and I probably will get more in the future.

AM I ANIME YET?!

So, I took a big leap forward for cosplaying a few weeks ago, and purchased some contact lenses.

( Photo of Lenses under the cut )

Now, I know it might not seem like a big leap for others, but to me it is. I've always had this fear of sticking things near or around my eye, to the point I had a panic attack the first time I ever tried contacts on back in highschool. I think now I can handle it, although they still are probably going to be hard to take out (I had a horrible time trying to take them out years ago).

Thanks to suggestions from fellow cosplayers, I bought my contacts from PinkyParadise.com~
I got the Geo Super Size Angel Green and they are just so pretty! I'm letting them soak right now in solution, so tomorrow I will try them on and take some photos.

Right now I'm in the midst of making a costume for my friend. Over the weekend I went out and got materials for it, and the fur I bought was $20 a yard! I only want the best for this costume for her. The fur they sell at the local Joann's up here looks like something my cat threw up, so I drove all the way on the other side of town to Hancock Fabrics to pick up the nice plush fur. Although, I don't see how she's going to stand wearing this at ACen. This is not a costume for the summer. Hopefully it won't be too hot out!

I've also been working here and there on small things for Stocking. So far I've made her Honekoneko plush. I've also found these awesome huge bubble wands to make her "night sticks" (lol) from the "Of The Dead" episode where she is a cop. I figure I could make that costume easy as I have most of the stuff for it already. I plan on making the weapon light up and vibrate. Haha.

( Honekoneko & Nightsticks )

Nick Accristo (www.nickaccristo.com) is making my Stocking sword for me for ACen. I can't wait to see how it turns out!

Nothing much more to talk about. I suppose if I manage to wear the contacts without flipping out tomorrow, I shall post pictures.

I sure wish I had the skills and equipment to make Stocking's cool glowing stocking katana :<

I recently bought a wig for her and contacts (to me her eyes look green to me compaired to Panty, so I got green circle lenses although some people told me they thought they were blue -- oh well). I'm making her angel outfit for Anime Central, and hopefully I can also squeeze in a Kneesocks cosplay or two~

I went to KitsuneKon this weekend and had loads of fun. It was it's first year ever, and was held in Appleton, WI. It did really well, selling out of badges on the second day. I just love smaller conventions. Everything seems so personal, and you can just relax and not have to worry about running around everywhere. I won Best in Show for my SonSon cosplay! That's the highest award I have ever won!

Things have been going ok, and I've been meaning to make a video talking about my experience in Mexico, and about the con over the weekend. I also had an idea for a tutorial of some sorts to put on my website -- it will be a video about the myths of wig styling (ie: You can't use a brush, hairspray doesn't work, don't ever use a hair straightener on a wig) and how you can use those things, and what products seem to work best.


I also thought about documenting how I made a costume from start to finish, and fast forwarding the video to music... I've just been thinking of ideas somehow to incorporate my hobby into a show for youtube or something. I really want to give ideas to beginners who are starting out because not much info was out there when I started, and I really wish I had these ideas and tips on how to make my costume look better.

Hope everyone is doing well -- I've been noticing not many people have been on LJ lately including myself. lol

The past few weeks I've been rather busy. I've been visiting Chicago on the weekends to see friends, and attend a video game tournament (of which I did not enter, but I played a shit-ton of Para-Para-Paradise).

I've been lucky enough to get to hang out with Jia now that she's moved back to Chicago :D Yay~ She wants me to go to OhayoCon with her and some friends, but I don't know if I'll manage to find a way to Chicago in order to go to Ohayo with them. :(

Just in case I am able to go, I've been busting my ass on a new costume thanks to friends and family who have given me gift cards to Joann's for Christmas.

I completely used up one of my $100 gift cards to make this costume, and about $50 out of pocket for other materials and the wig. I guess most people wouldn't think this costume looks like it'd cost that much to make, I didn't think it would either, but I'm happy with the results thus far. I've been posting progress pics rather frequently on twitter while working. Cell phone cameras are so convenient!

( Let's take a look at what I've been working on )

Honestly, I think this is some of my best work. I tried to make all my seams very straight and clean. Also this was my first time working with bias tape. It's really nice, but a pain to work with. I got the corner on the sleeves right the first time, but the second sleeve, I couldn't remember my method, so I ended up re-doing the bias tape 5 or 6 times until I got it right.

The headband is made from model magic that was sculpted around a plastic headband. I also made a longevity peach, but it's not done drying yet. The staff is just a wood dowel rod painted red with acrylic paints, and the end caps are made from quarter machine capsules and the border around them is made from model magic. Painted with gold acrylic paint, then sealed with clear spray paint. The wig is still in the mail, and it's a darker brown than I would have liked, but I'm on a budget and used my cosworx gift card from ACen to purchase it. Even with 20 bucks off, it still cost me around $23 for it. The style is nice though, and I hope it is a bit lighter since the lighting in the pictures was a bit dark. Oh well. You work with what you got!

I'm so excited to wear this! I've been wanting to make this for years now~

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I'm pre-reged for a convention up here starting in late February in Appleton, WI (not far from where I live) and it is it's first year -- KitsuneKon. I'm looking forward to it as small cons are much more personal and I'll get to see a lot of new faces. Fun Fun~