Orange News

Loli Stuff! Loli Stuff!

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 17:37:34 GMT

Heya everyone! I'm especially looking at you, Aimee! aimeekitty

My pal, Lynleigh, and her hubby just opened a super cute CUSTOM EGL STORE!

http://www.sweetrococo.com

You can design your own lolita clothes and accessories to be custom made for you, how cool is that? Even better,there's a 15% off sale through Valentine's day! NEAT-O!

Oh, and the site itself? SO CUTE. Sooooooo cute!

So, yeah, I totally ordered a pink dress with cakes all over it. I'm gonna wear it at Anime Boston because, you know, I love me some delicious cake. If you like loli, you need a cake dress, too. Or a Cinderella dress... or an ice cream dress.... or maybe strawberries. Definitely.

Valentine's day is coming up, too! Does everyone have fun things planned? I'm going to be running the CosWorx booth atKatsucon in Washington D.C. but hope to squeeze in some time for candy. Yum.

In other news, I just got home from my trip to Mexico City where I was a guest at TNT GT 2. It was so much fun and I have a lot of memories to share with everyone soon. Also, look for a big, meaty, site update with a few new and exciting costumes. Stay tuned!

Brazillian FUN!

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 23:34:32 GMT

Hello everyone!

Sorry for the lack of updates: I'm still on vacation right now! On a cruise in Brazil!
It's a lot of fun and I'm trying to learn a little bit of Portugues. So far, I just say "Obrigada"
a lot. Tomorrow, we dock in Ilhabella and it promises to be a lot of fun.

I'm going to leave you all with a fun fact. You know you have been engrosssed in Takarazuka too long
when you see a cheesy cruise ship production and you wonder two things: Why is the English so easy to
understand and why are there dudes... actual MEN in it?

Hahaha. it seriously took me a few minutes to adjust.

I hope everyone had a happy Christmas! Ciao ciao ciao!

Anime USA!

Thu, 22 Nov 2007 05:06:42 GMT

Wow, thanks to everyone that came to Anime USA and said hi! It was such an amazing experience and all you guys in the D.C. area are so sweet! All the panels were a LOT of fun and you guys asked some GREAT questions. Oh yes, I love those in-depth panels where you feel like you are having a dialogue with the room.

The whole weekend left me feeling very happy and on top of the world! Thank you SO MUCH to Jen, Tiffany, Jesse and all the AUSA staff for making me feel so welcome, Adam for being so darn awesome and of course to Mara and Lilli for helping out! Oh, and I can't forget Vartan and Rob for their good humor and Lizzy and Soni for the bubblebath and tshirt. The list of people to thank could go on forever so I'm sorry if I forgot anyone! Thank you all for the happy memories.

I premiered three new costumes at the convention- Miyuki from Lucky Star, Mikuru's frog suit from the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and Shiva from FF12: Revenant Wings. Expect these plus more, like Zonbiya Reiko and Amaterasu to be added to the galleries SOON! Until then, here's a funny picture from AUSA:

Did you know I'm actually very much like Miyuki in that I have trouble putting things, even eye drops, in my eyes? It's true! Contacts frighten me a little, but I'm determined to figure them out someday. Thank you so much to Lilli, Soni, and Jesse for cosplaying the cheerleaders with me! Let's all do the dance together sometime, okay?

Ahh yes, I know I'm very behind on pictures and by the looks of my costume page, it seems like I haven't been up to much. On the contrary! As my semester winds down, expect to see some fun things indeed. Like Shiva and a frog:

More tutorials, too! Just need a few more hours in the day and more days in the week ♥

Thank you again, EVERYONE, for an awesome Anime USA!

♥ ♥ ♥

Anime USA Slight update:

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 21:55:02 GMT

Panels updated in last post (below):

http://tristencitrine.livejournal.com/474783.html

Can't wait to see you there!

USA! USA! Anime! USA!

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 07:20:59 GMT

Is everyone ready for Anime USA? It's coming up this weekend in Washington DC (Crystal City, VA) !

I'm so happy to be a guest there and am very excited about the trip. Things are getting packed and plans are being finalized as the days 'til I depart get very short. Before I go on trips, I always get a little nervous, so I try to prepare as far in advance as possible. Call it a personality quirk.

Everyone who is going, please come to my special panels as they will be LOTS of fun!

Tristen Citrine Focus Panel:

8:30- 10:00 PM Friday in the Cosplay Panels room

Bring your questions, curiousity and smiling faces because it's going to be ninety minutes of pure orange. There will be some CosWorx new wig show and tell, what it's like going from costuming as a hobby to a profession and, of course, some storytime. There will be some surprises and giveaways, too, so don't miss it! I can't wait to meet you!

Takarazuka Revue: You really should be into this stuff!

8:30-10:00 AM Sunday Room TBA

This is going to be a fun panel talking about the all-female Takarazuka Revue. Many anime fans may be familiar with the revue through such shows as Ouran High School Host Club but there is so much more to see than the crazy Zuka Club! We're going to talk about the troupes, the revue's beginnings, parallels in anime and watch clips from several famous shows. Be prepared to be dazzled as we explore the "land of violets"!

Now that things are drawing close, here's the final costume list:

Friday AM/ Afternoon: FF12:RW Shiva *NEW*
Friday PM/ Panel: Miyuki (Cheerleader) from Lucky Star (+ friends)

Saturday: Duchess Montzette from Takarazuka's Rose of Versailles

Sunday: Mikuru's Frog Suit from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

See you all at Anime USA! ♥♥♥♥

Tutorial preview desu!

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 05:06:10 GMT

Here's the subject of the next tutorial...

Putting a full curl in a wig!
Don't worry, it only looks hard. Tedious? A little, but definitely doable! No worries, everyone will get a nice walk through step by step! Had a lot of fun with this one, another experiement with good ol' Ivy ( http://www.cosworx.com/product.php?productid=26259&cat=2471&page=1 ).

A BIG THANK YOU TO OSCAR, TOO! I bought the camera that took these tutorial pictures from him a couple weeks ago. It's so neat and easy to use, it fits right in my purse, so I can take pictures easily. Oscar, you rule and I love the little camera. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ . Expect things to look much clearer from now on!

Things have been very busy here, as usual. Midterms just passed and business is hectic with Halloween coming up! Both are going very well. Does everyone have exciting plans for Halloween? What is everyone dressing up as? As for me, I think I'm going to go to the Beaux Arts Ball here in Las Vegas for fabulous fun and a good cause.

This week, I'm probably going to go through my LJ and add people who wish to be on my friends list. Please comment if you've been reading and wish to be added. It's easy to miss people, so please pipe up because I'd love to have you!

Until then, it's getting late so that means bubblebath and bed. This week I got some of the new "Velvet Tuberose" scent from Bath and Body Works and it smells DIVINE. Tuberose, I love you so~~~ ♥

Home sick, but HAPPY NEWS!

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:35:19 GMT

Unfortunately, I'm home sick today with a wicked-horrible bellyache. Rar.

Did you all know that my good friend, aimeekitty , has her book coming out in just over a month? You can preorder it for a great price on Amazon right now!

http://www.amazon.com/Japan-Ai-Tall-Girls-Adventures/dp/1933617837/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-5001519-0183259?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1191272561&sr=8-1

I've been lucky enough to see the preview and it is REALLY GOOD! Basically, it's about the trip she took to Japan with some of my other good pals in hcc_cosplay , ajmeow and twjudy a couple years ago. They had some really awesome adventures and it is GREAT that you can read about them in super cute book form. My favorite part is the Takarazuka chapter, of course! Tako-san, too!

Tako-san is very dear to me. He was a gift from my dear friends from that trip. he There's a story about him, but you'll have to get the book to hear it!

Aimee's going to be a guest at a convention in New York City this December, check it out:

http://www.nyanimefestival.com/en-us/guests.cfm

Another one of my dear friends, Mara, and I are going to go out there and support Aimee at the con! New York is so exciting during Christmastime and it's been too long since I last visited. Oh, and Aimee and I are TOTALLY GOING TO COSPLAY CODE GEASS while there. Understand my love for Junko Minagawa and know who I'm gonna be, hehehe. It's going to be a nice con and a chance to support a good friend at the start of what will surely be a long and wonderous book career!

We are going to have so much goofy fun running about in our Britania costumes! All hail dysfunctional family, Britania! Elevens, watch out- the pink one is crazy!

Even though this blog is about my citrussy exploits and costumes, it's good to squee for friends when a good squee-ing is due!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ to Aimee!

P.S. Photo updates are coming, things are just very busy right now :). First, my belly needs to get better!

Tutorial UPDATE Desu!

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 06:10:38 GMT

It's time for a brand spanking new wig tutorial!

http://www.tristencitrine.com/tutorials/antennabangs.html

This one goes over how to do those antenna-like extentions you see so often on anime characters. There's also some razoring and bang cutting technique in there too, making it pretty useful to those of you who aren't completely comfortable styling your own wigs yet. I'm using one of the brand new Ivy wigs from CosWorx for this tutorial, so check it out if you want to see a little bit of what this versatile wig can do!

The more I play with the Ivy wig, the more I love it! It is so silky and well behaved. The bangs trim up like a dream, too! My personal favorite part is the swinginess it has... which is a hard attribute to describe in words, I know. In other words, this wig is awesooooooome.

There are other tutorials to come as I get time to do them (I'm trying, guys, really!). Actually, the next one is going to be fairly intense and involves another Amanda wig. Can't wait to do it!

Until then, enjoy making antenna bangs! It's a lot of fun!

(can anyone guess what one of my next costumes is gonna be? Huh? huh?)

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Welcome the weekend!

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 07:29:48 GMT

To start the weekend off right, I've got a fun embroidery design to share:

(ignore the yellow jump threads in the center, those are designed to get snipped at the end)

This was made with my friend, aimeekitty in mind. She loves pink!

After finally getting the hang of digitizing, it's time to share some of the things I've come up with, don't you think? This is a simple sakura applique that those of you with embroidery machines can use. Embroider this on a nice subtle pink pattern for a truly neat effect!

This design is made for a 100 X 100 embroidery hoop and I've included three common formats. Please consult the directions for your specific machine for how to load in embroideries. The design calls for two colors (yellow and pink) and was created in Husqvarna 3d Embroidery.

VIP file:
http://www.tristencitrine.com/EMB/sakuraapp.vip

PEC file:
http://www.tristencitrine.com/EMB/sakuraapppec.pec

SEW file:
http://www.tristencitrine.com/EMB/sakuraappsew.sew

If people enjoy it, embroidery designs may get a section of their own on the site. Right now, I'm just putting out feelers, so comment if you like!

One thing is for certain, though- No matter how much anyone begs, I absolutely will NOT create copyrighted works in embroidery format for download . This means no Ouran patches (this has already been perfected by someone else who feels the same way I do anyway), Ashford Academy crests, Haruhi patches, Hellsing, whatever. Also, I hate to be a harpy about it, but, no- I will also not be sharing the Rosen Creutz embroideries (Trinity Blood) that went into my Eis Hexe costume. They are extremely confusing and labor intensive anyway. Please be understanding about this manner.

Enjoy the sakura and have a great weekend, everyone! ♥ ♥ ♥

CosWorx Store SQUEE!

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 01:18:01 GMT

I'm so overjoyed about this, it needs to be shared:

http://www.cosworx.com/home.php?cat=2471

CosWorx has an arrival date on the new, EXCLUSIVE wigs we designed! These have been in the planning stages for a very long time and, honestly, I've been bursting at the seams with joy now that I know they will be in!

LABOR DAY! LABOR DAY! LABOR DAY!

Their names are Ivy (superlong bangs), Scruffy (unisex shag) and Wisp (short, wispy cut) and would love to meet you.

They were designed from the ground up by us to fill the needs of cosplayers wanting to dress as some of the new, popular characters as well as the classics. All have a nice, roomy cap that even those of us with long hair can wear comfortably and all are made from soft, stylable Kanekalon fiber.

Oh, it gets better- CHECK OUT THAT COLOR PALLETE! There's all your old favorites and then some new ones like teal and grey/light color blends. Ever want to cosplay a character with muted pink hair but the standard colors had a bit too much punch? Problem solved!

To celebrate this grand new arrival, they are offered at a discount off their already bargain price for this short pre-order period. The wigs will start shipping soon after Labor Day (Sept. 7th is a safe estimate but could be earlier) from CosWorx HQ in Las Vegas, Nevada.

So yes, today is a very happy day indeed. These wigs are gonna make cosplay life SO MUCH easier.

In other news, Please pardon the lack of new tutorials lately. There are a few in the works, though! One is a super length "cheat" using an Amanda wig and another is an updo/ high ponytail. Styling a super-duper puff into the Ivy bangs is a possibility as well. All in due time, though ♥♥.

Costume Update!

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 07:09:03 GMT

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! I'm very very behind on posting photos, sorry!

Maybe this will make up for it? A little?

http://www.tristencitrine.com/photos/mikuru_maid/mikuru_maid.html

One of my favorites:
http://images.cosplay.com/showphoto.php?photo=1223632

These are all pictures from wonderfully fabulous Laura from http://www.just-a-dream.net! Her style is so elegant and dreamy- it was great to finally do a photo shoot with her!

There's a lot more Mikuru pics out there, too! David and I did a really fun photoshoot at Anime Boston that I need to add in to the gallery, too. Good things come to those who wait.... but, really, it will be done soon!

Don't even get me started on the completed costumes with no photos up at all. Waaaaah, there's a lot of work to do, it seems! Free time is very scarce and precious these days, but everything will get done. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Goodnight everyone! Ciao Ciao Ciao!

What a pleasant weekend!

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 06:09:49 GMT

Even though I've been busy, there's a lot of cool things going on right now!

Anime- TOTALLY in love with Code Geass! Everything about it is just great. Did I mention Junko Minagawa as Cornelia? Oh, she's awesome. Will definitely be cosplaying Cornelia, not JUST because I wouldn't be a terribly good Sagiitta Weinberg (another voice she does, from Sakura Taisen V) but because she's an interesting character. Oh yeah, and the Royal uniforms= LOVE. If you haven't seen it, check it out! The U.S. DVDs will hopefully be out soon. Aimee is going to cosplay Euphemia and we will go to the foggy part of the stage together. Ohhohooo~~~~!

BLEACH- yeah, still love it, especially with all the Matsumoto and Hitsugaya airtime lately!

Games- It's all about Odin Sphere! Still don't have much time to play, but I'm halfway through Mercedes' story and am completely enthralled. It's really a cherished experience getting to play something so beautiful and oozing with heart. This isn't too popular of a game yet, but if anyone is looking for a nifty RPG to pick up, I'd definitely recommend it. Playing it gives me a huge urge to make a Fairy Queen Elfaria costume. Her wings are AMAZING, don't you think?

Am I the only one who gets HUNGRY FOR FRUIT while playing this game?

So, yeah. Looks like I have a lot of sewing to do! Speaking of that, I've been cleaning my sewing room at my house up to get ready for some Fall creativity. First thing I worked on was altering a pretty new dress to fit me:

Bathroom photos FTW, haha! Please pardon the silly photo and just look at the dress! Madras and similar plaids have always been a love of mine. Too bad most dresses in these patterns are closer to mumus. Ahh, it's pretty, lime greeen and very comfy all lined in soft cotton gauze. Thank goodness Summer lasts so long in Las Vegas.

Before I go to bed, there's one more exciting thing, Dearest WAYNE uploaded the video of HCC at San Diego Comic Con 2007:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DM7n2tx6UI

(really, I promise I'll get to the DAUNTING task of updating my ACP soon!)

Please enjoy it! Goodnight all!

♥♥♥

thoughts on the Comic-Con Masquerade...7 years later

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 05:31:07 GMT

Now that I've had a decent night's sleep, maybe I can write more coherently about Comic-Con. Still exhausted, but there's this burning need to say something. Add into that, this is being typed on the new laptop, which I'm still getting used to.

The last time I went to Comic-Con was in the year 2000. Granted, I've pre-regged for the event every year, but, usually post- AX exhaustion gets in the way of actually going. It took everything I had in me to fight that this year and re-create the amazing Five Star Stories designs with my dear friends.

Things were so much different then. Only being there THIS YEAR showed just how much I've, well... grown up. Both experiences were wonderful in different ways.

In the Masquerade, there were a few people from that 2000 SJ performance in the show. They have grown up, too! Girls have turned into women and everyone's workmanship has evoled into something even more wonderful. Emily is engaged to a really nice fellow and Nessa, who I met after that Comic-Con (but I still feel like I've watched grow up) has matured so much. My quitetness back stage was partially choking back tears of swelling pride.

Then, watching them go up to get their awards... it took everything I had to hold back tears. After seeing them win, that whole Best in Show thing was just gravy. Completely unexpected gravy. (still OMG about it)

Still, doing FSS with my dear friends and doing it this year shows how I guess I've evolved, too. Working hard and challenging myself are two very important things to me, but being with friends will always be dearest to my heart. Like I've said before, everyone should be lucky enough to have friends like mine!

Thank you to everyone in HCC, those who were in/saw the masquerade and all those who where there on the way. (you all know who you ae :) ) ♥♥♥♥♥

Comic-Con! San Diego!

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 10:58:32 GMT

hcc_cosplay
HCC won BEST IN SHOW at Comic-Con 2007!

We wore our Five Star Stories costumes and had a lot of fun doing it!

It still feels a little unreal right now and we are all very tired, but oh my... what an amazing experience and I feel so honored. San Diego Comic-Con International is always great because people in the masquerade are known for bringing not just their A game, but their A++ game. The competition is very tough and exciting. It's neat just hanging out backstage looking at all the completely amazing things people bring and show onstage! There's nothing like it ANYWHERE.

There's a lot of things to squee about, but I'll leave that for a post when I have pictures. One thing's for sure, though- I'm a complete FANGIRL for Underground Cosplay, now. Their skits are always top notch, but tonight, they did a Harry Potter skit that was a million different varieties of awesome. Can't wait for it to be on Youtube so everyone can enjoy it, too! Absolute classic.

More Comic-Con squeeing later, promise :) Until then, GOODNIGHT! ♥ ♥♥♥♥

P.S. My friends are so wonderful, Everyone should have some like them :)

I leave you with a back view!

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 05:32:22 GMT

You know what time it is! It's COMIC-CON TIME!

Me and the crew over at hcc_cosplay are bringing out the Five Star Stories and I get to be mother of God, how cool is that?

I bid you good bye with hopes of seeing many interesting people at the show!

P.S. I has a laptop. It came in its orange and yellow glory. *happy citrus dance*

It has a name- TRIPOD CAT.

Now sleep, then plane! Ciao ciao ciao!

Happy Birthday, Orihime!

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 06:18:10 GMT

(a little early, I know)

Soletta Orihime from Sakura Taisen turns 100 today De~~~~~~~su! There were Orihimes before BLEACH, it's TRUE!

Everyone enjoy Tanabata - Nana day - The LUCKIEST day of the year! 7-7-7

Learn more about Tanabata here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanabata

As for me, I plan on watching (or reading) some NANA in Las Vegas while working on a kimono-ish costume on Tanabata. Anyone else have some good plans for 7-7-07 ?

In case you were wondering, this is still my favorite Orihime moment...

SABOTEN MAMBO:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmP0vrHqVS8

Watashi no Natsu:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdV893HpqNk

Moshimo...:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcxszLuSJOk

Ohhohohooo~~~!

Leaving for ANIME EXPO desu!

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 06:30:58 GMT

Tomorrow we leave for AX for a very exciting and busy weekend! Most of the time, I'll be at the CosWorx booth in the dealers' hall #1453, 1455, 1457, 1459 (right near the snack bar). It's really big and we will have TONS of stuff, so come check it out :). Admin from Cosplay.com will be running a photo booth there as well, isn't that NEAT? All your cosplay needs in one handy, dandy place!

Still unsure on times, but I'm bringing a couple things for cosplay. Simca, Mikuru and Aimee's Matsumoto (+sundress). All easy stuff so it can be squeeeeeeezed in! There was absolutely no time to make anything new, I'm so sorry and really fail in that regard. F--. The orange life is a busy one, that's for sure!

Anime Expo is always a great time filled with happy memories. I hope to see a lot of you there!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

FANIME!

Thu, 24 May 2007 05:17:08 GMT

Tomorrow morning I'm off to Fanime... so exciting!

If you are going, please be sure to say hi! Most of my time will be at the CosWorx booth in the dealers' hall, so come on over :) It will be great fun, oh yes yes yes. The new wigs will be out for preview, too- YAY!

Oh! One costume is going:

Super Sailorneptune
http://www.tristencitrine.com/photos/neptune/neptune.html

First time at a con, too and with the awesome Tenshi (http://www.interstellar-beams.net/) as Super Sailoruranus. SO WIERD NOT BEING VENUS, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT.

In addition, a very, VERY nerdy dress probably on Saturday.

With that, WOOOOSH... be back sometime Tuesday. Enjoy the Memorial Day weekend, everyone!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

P.S. I wanted super cutie Blake to win American Idol. He's so entertaining. Good luck to Princess Jordin, though.

Nerdy update (SUBBED Subarashiki Butai)

Sun, 20 May 2007 07:30:00 GMT

Mondo mega fun fact: My favorite song of all time is Subarashiki Butai and it just so happens to be from Sakura Taisen (a bonus for a nerd like me). There's just something about it, the melody, the singing, the meaning... all of it. It is schmaltzy and sparkling-dazzling in the special way only Reni can deliver.

milchstrasse translated the lyrics a while ago and I have been meaning to do this for a LONG TIME... Sakura Taisen fans, (especially the Reni-lovers) listen up!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbDiFgeTC_g

It's my first time subbing something and it is by no means perfect, but it does get the point across. This song is very important to me and has a way of pulling me up when I get very down.

Now that it is presented in subbed form, maybe more people will find it and be uplifted as well? :)

Enjoy! ♥

A long overdue update!

Thu, 10 May 2007 06:30:25 GMT

The first part of the Sumire pictures are posted and ready to view:

(click to view pictures)

There's still David's yet to post, but this is a good start, don't you think? I'm amazed at these pictures Miss Cornstarch took at Sakuracon and hardly believe it's me in them. Finally making and wearing Sumire's classic kimono just put me in a dream world and it's like floating on air. It's an amazing feeling.

Please enjoy these pictures and the costume, everyone! Sakura Taisen isn't too popular these days, but it really is a great series. Gekitei FOREVER!

As for my opinion on the matter...

Ohhohohohohoho~~~~!

Now, go thank MARARARARARA for making the pictures update. The credit is all hers with the Web-fu and whatnot.

Better know a state...

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 01:54:16 GMT

There were so many great things about Anime Boston this year but, because I lack for time this evening, let's continue with my crazy visiting states obsession...

Add MAINE to the map!

create your own personalized map of the USA

According to the fancy voucher Mara and Christian gave me, Vermont will be had in August. Then it's just the two tough ones. There's a FREE Southwest round trip with Hawaii's name on it and a question mark for Alaska.

Even though I have no time to talk Boston awesomeness right now, I'll just post some hearts. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ . Boston is awesome and filled with great people. Every year staffing at Anime Boston gets better and better.

Now, I ask my friends this question- how many states have you seen? What's your favorite?

Sakuracon is approaching!

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 18:04:31 GMT

Tomorrow, I leave for Sakuracon in Seattle, Washington. So exciting!

In addition to working at the CosWorx booth, I will be hosting the following panel:

Wigs and Cosplay: Fibers, Colors and Styles for Everyone

6th Floor, room 609 10:00-11:00am
Saturday, April 7

It's going to be a little different from the wig panels I've given in the past. This one will focus more on fibers and color- all the things that make good wigs great and bad wigs horrible. We're going to go through all the essential tools you need for successful wig styling and and do LOTS of show and tell. It's going to be GREAT FUN, so stop on by and be sure to bring your questions!

Also, if you're going to be attending the convention, please stop by the CosWorx booth and say hi! We're going to have the cutest kitty ears and EGL gear, wigs, shoes (!) and WONDERFLEX (!!) all at our famous rock bottom convention prices. It will be a great time to stock up on all your cosplay needs :)!

In other news, there will be a new costume and one that is definitely a long time coming. Here's a preview:

http://images.cosplay.com/showphoto.php?photo=1036622

Ohhohohohoooo~~~~~~! See you at Sakuracon! ♥ ♥ ♥

Friends, fun and kimono!

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 06:32:13 GMT

This past weekend was spent with my dear friends in hcc_cosplay. We all met in Southern California at aimeekitty 's house to have a nice weekend of cosplay planning, Takarazuka watching and general loafinating. Everyone got color coordinated bracelets! It was great!

On Sunday, Aimee played dress up with all of us, sharing some of her beautiful kimono. Putting these on was quite the adventure with all the layers, parts and ties. It was a lovely excuse to wear my hair up for a change (rare natural hair sighting, ahoy). The ornaments were very detailed and elegant.

My body type, unfortunately, isn't the best suited for kimono wearing, but it was great fun! All the layers meant I stayed nice and warm. After positivespace took pictures of all of us, we had a mini picnic with nothing but sweets like sakura jelly.

Did I mention how lovely everyone looked? Aimee wore a kimono with a beautiful red-orange and cream pattern, twjudy wore a deeper hued purple kimono with lots of golden butterflies on it, ajmeow wore her SUPER CUTE (OMG) Sakura Taisen Yukata and positivespace brought the pain with a yukata decorated in skulls, guns and flowers. Beautiful!

More photos are here:

http://flickr.com/photos/positivespace/sets/72157600030038905/

Ahhh, yes, it was great fun and relaxing. Good friends definitely keep the spirit whole, don't you think?

So late, but it needs to be said

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 07:28:53 GMT

positivespace summed it up in ONE PICTURE:

Can you believe it- Takarazuka cosplayers? ROME AT DAWN ones at that! At KATSUCON. OMG. *fangirl*

It was the beginning of a lovely, lovely convention indeed. The awesomeness just kept on rolling.'

Every year I go to Katsu, it's a great time in spite of the cold and feeling like a fish out of water because of it (Vegas is more my climate). Each time returning, every single thing gets better. New friends are made and current friendships grow stronger. It's amazing and warms my heart to think about it.

To keep this from growing too long I'll stay brief. The masquerade- it was AMAZING and everyone in it brought their A+++ game making it so difficult to judge. Color me very impressed by it all! Even over a week after the fact, the impression stays- everyone in the show deserves a standing ovation. Thank you again to the masquerade coordinators, Corey and Darcy for giving me the honor to be a judge for this wonderful show.

If you didn't go to Katsu, seek out videos and prepare to be in awe. Seriously. Just watch the whole thing, you'll come away inspired.

One skit (and the one my judges award went to) was very close to my heart- Sakura Taisen. Know me, know I'm a big nerd about this series. These girls had everything- Handpainted Kobu (+ Reni's Eisenkleid) the Gekitei dance, a quick costume change AND a delightfully in character (and useful) Ohgami-san. Animated background, too! It was SO COOL. *throws up horns for Reni*

Really, I could go on for hours about all the acts in the show and how great they were. For the sake of time and the fact I was one out of eight judging, I'll leave it with that little blurb about my personal award :) . Did I mention enough how the whole masquerade was so awesome, though? Because it was.

It was great meeting so many people at Katsucon. Thank you for coming by the booth and saying hi! ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Next up- SAKURACON- Seattle

Cosplay in the New York Times!

Sat, 24 Feb 2007 20:44:58 GMT

Big news! The cosplay article everyone's been waiting for came out in today's NEW YORK TIMES!

If that link does not work, here's a snazzy PDF of the actual newspaper:

http://www.tristencitrine.com/cosplaynytimes.pdf

This is very exciting mainstream exposure for this fun little current of counterculture. Can't wait for this book of lovely photographs to come out!

I was interviewed and photographed for this article back at Yaoicon and am so excited to see it finally go live. That's me up there dressed as Renge,the banana creme pie, ohhohohoho~~~~! Did I say I'm excited about the book coming out? because I am ♥ The author was so nice and treated all her subjects with the utmost respect, elegance and dignity. Needless to say, this book shapes up to be awesome.

Everyone, please check it out and enjoy! ♥ ♥ ♥