Con and costume musings for next year

[ladyofthethread]

If you missed my post about holiday cards yesterday and would like one, go here and leave me an address: http://ladyofthethread.livejournal.com/83100.html If you’d like to send me one, too, let me know where I can leave you a mailing address. ^_^

Well, I’ve been thinking a bit about what cons I’ll attend next year. Here’s what I think about the more obvious possibilities so far…

Katsucon: definitely out because I checked the dates and it coincides with Chinese New Year; knowing my mother, she’d call me crazy if I asked to travel several states away for a con then.
NY Comic Con: will go for a day on Saturday like I did this year since it’s local
I-Con: Should I go for a day? I considered it a couple of years ago but decided it wasn’t worth the two hours on the train to get out there since it’s more of a sci-fi/fantasy con with limited anime programming. They seemed to add a bit more anime stuff this year though.
Anime Boston: I’d like to go to this one. Will have to look into travel info and see if I can manage it with luggage and costumes. (I’ve taken a short trip to Boston on my own before but didn’t have lots of stuff to bring then.)
AnimeNext: definitely going, like every year. ^_^
Otakon: at this point, not likely; although it was cool meeting people from other parts of the country, I didn’t really like the huge size and location and the hotel was so expensive, too. Plus, next year, it’s only 2 weeks after AnimeNext.

*looks over list* So, the only definites now are NYCC and AnimeNext. I’d really like to go to more since I put so much work into my cosplays but the biggest hindrance is transporting the costumes because I don’t drive. I tend to do elaborate costumes and most just wouldn’t do very well being squished into a suitcase with all the other stuff I haul to cons (The top of my nyosen uniform wrinkles just from being on a hanger due to the weight of the fabric and wrinkles in my Terra gown would be a bad thing since it can’t be ironed easily with all the sequins.) And it wouldn’t be much fun to travel for a con but only be able to bring the really simple costumes like Tohru and Namine. :-/

Not sure if my family will go on any trips next year. If my parents weren’t reluctant to travel out of the country now, I’d try to talk them into a Canadian vacation to coincide with one of the Toronto cons like Anime North. (My mother has relatives in Toronto and it’s been several years since we last visited them.) And my father said something about wanting to go to a machinery trade show in Georgia next year if he had time. But I don’t know how likely that is to happen and whether there are any cons that would be feasible side trips since I don’t know the dates.

As for costumes, the two main projects I’d like to get done next year are Ayame’s parent teacher conference outfit from the Fruits Basket manga and Sora’s Saiyuki princess costume from Kaleido Star. Not completely sure which one I’d do first. If I am able to make it to Anime Boston, Ayame would probably be better since the outfit includes a coat and it won’t be overly warm yet. But Sora’s costume seems like it would be more fun to make. And it’d be kind of nice to do a girl character again and not have to worry about binding after two crossplays in a row.

I have a third minor project planned, too. A very simple outfit Count D wore when he went on vacation with Leon and Chris. I’ve been thinking I need another simple costume for times when I want a break from wearing the elaborate ones. And I wanted to do this one since that part of the manga amused me a lot. (Count D with amnesia XD) Just going to use cotton for this; I’ve bought fabric already although I’ll have to add the faint floral pattern myself. Not in a hurry to make this since I’ve already got two D costumes and the photo idea I have for it would work best with warm weather. *wants to go to the beach and pretend to look for mermaids*

I’ll probably end up doing another costume or two also but not sure what those will be yet. Haven’t come up with any new characters I want to cosplay since the last costume list I did after Otakon.

Comments

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

LOL, Count D with amnesia. XD That does sound amusing. How did that happen, and how did it get resolved?

[ladyofthethread.livejournal.com]

Well, he got washed off a boat in a tidal wave and when the others found him, he seemed to have amnesia. What really happened was that he let a mermaid possess his body because she knew the volcano on the island was going to erupt and wanted to warn people but she couldn't speak. Afterwards, they found the mermaid again and switched back. Although the Count wondered afterwards why he had that bump on his forehead. *laugh*

[novaraven.livejournal.com]

If you can make it to Anime North in Canada I can volunteer space in my hotel room for free. I only have one guest so far and my sister has four friends for her room! (We each organize one hotel room and have two double beds in it, sometimes an extra cot too)

I know it's not really something that might happen for you, and it's kinda weird staying with strangers for a weekend, but I just wanted to let you know you're welcome any time. No drinking, no smoking, but lots of sugar and pockey! ^^

LOL, I can't wait to see your mermaid hunting pictures! Will you get a little net on a pole like he had when he went kappa hunting with Taizu?

All your cosplays sound like so much work, I hope you can get them done! You always look so proffessional in your pics.

[ladyofthethread.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the offer of hotel space. ^_^ It’s really the logistics that are a problem for me when going to cons though. Money generally isn’t that big a problem and booking a hotel is normally one of the simpler things. The most difficult part tends to be actually getting to the con with my costumes. My family is very paranoid, too, so I can’t really room with other people. A couple of my brother’s friends stayed with us for a con once but normally I can only share a room with family members. ^_^;

But if I actually am able to make it to a Toronto con somehow, I’d definitely try to meet up with you. It would be nice to have someone to do PSOH cosplay with. ^_^ Or if you don’t mind crossovers, I could be a kirin from the Twelve Kingdoms. I actually ran into a T-Chan cosplayer a few months back while wearing my other Twelve Kingdoms costume (the one in the icon) and was asked if it was from Petshop. That was when I was only halfway through the manga and before I decided to make a D costume though.

Mermaid hunting pictures probably won’t happen until at least May or June even if the costume is done beforehand. Haven’t really thought that much about photos yet other than wanting to take some on the beach. ^_^; Hmm… I have to ask my brother about the pictures he took of my original D last week. It’s been a week but he still hasn’t showed them to me yet!

[djranmas.livejournal.com]

I have a room for AB if you need space. ^_^

[ladyofthethread.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the offer. :-) I'll have to find something on my own if I go though because my parents are very paranoid and I'm generally not allowed to room with people outside our family. ^_^;;

[djranmas.livejournal.com]

Quite understandable. ^_^ My sister has a simular issue, but all is good if her hubby knows that she's rooming with me. Do you want me to book a second room for you?

[ladyofthethread.livejournal.com]

Thanks but that's not necessary. ^_^ I went ahead and looked up the info and made a reservation yesterday morning. I hate to impose on people for stuff if it's something I can easily do myself. ^_^;