Short NDK Follow-up

My friend with the video blog finished his last NDK video, and it is cool so I wanted to share it. For those of my readers who are curious, this is a small taste of what NDK is like. He got some great shots.

RAW: NDK (Nan Desu Kan)

Something that I don't think I shared was the meaning of the name of the convention, Nan Desu Kan. So Nan Desu Kan (Pronounced like Nan Des Con) is sort of a play on the Japanese phrase "Nan desu ka?" meaning roughly "What is it?" Kan is the Japanese-ified word for Con (short for "convention"). So basically, "What is Con?" I always think it is funny, anyways...

And one more video that I wanted to share because it is my all time favorite AMV. I believe it won an award at NDK many, many years ago. I am not sure what for or if the categories were the same then as they are now (I am pretty sure they are not). Please forgive the quality: it is an older video and I downloaded it many years ago. Plus, I am not sure the video application agrees well with Blogger. So here it is:

My absolute favorite part is the fight scene with Saito. Saito is a favorite of mine, both in the series as well as the real Saito Hajime in history that he is loosely based on. This video always makes me happy :)

And I could not find it on YouTube or even on the editors page without downloading it, so here is their page and their page for this particular video:
Main Page: Laser Chicken
Information Page for Rurouni Kenshin - Butterfly

NDK Checklist and a Moment to Myself

Kurama Shuiichi wig styled: check (and it was very difficult).

Yoko Kurama wig styled: check.

Happy to report that both Kurama costumes are complete.

Under-dress for my Katamari dress: check, but not well done. Since it goes underneath the actual dress, I think it will be OK.

Dress for my Katamari costume: partially sewn together, but still needs trim and paint.

Katamari head: still need to finish covering and trim and paint.

Katamari shoes: still need paint.

Katamari gloves: haven't even started. Or exactly figured out how to make them...

Basically my Katamari costume still needs way more work that I want to think about. One thing at a time.

I would like to take this breather to say that my Aunt Jennifer passed away yesterday, September 12. She was only 40 years old. She was a very spunky red-head, adventurous, and funny. She is leaving behind two daughters, a husband, a mother, siblings, nieces and nephews, all of whom will miss her greatly. Her father and my grandfather passed away exactly six months ago, so my step grandmother is having a difficult time and year. My heart aches very much for my step grandma as well as for Jennifer's husband, and very much so for her girls (the eldest of which has already experienced more trials in life than she should have). I feel a little guilty, pushing her death and the grief of my family (as well as my own) aside for a fun weekend, but I know how much Aunt Jennifer valued a good time. My best memory of her was from many years back when she came with my brother, sister, and me to an amusement park and worried me by rocking our Ferris wheel cart as much as she and my sister could manage. My other favorite memory was of Christmas 2003, a few years after marrying Rodney, with their new baby girl in her arms and seeing that she was more at peace than I had ever seen her before. I hope that your thoughts (and, if you are so inclined, your prayers) are with her and my family. You are so missed, Aunt Jennifer. And I hope that you and Grandpa are happy and together. Peace and love to my family, especially Elizabeth and Abby who I cannot stop thinking and worrying about.

NDK Countdown

For those of you who don't know, NDK is this coming weekend: Friday through Sunday! The main thought going through my head as we rapidly approach the weekend: YIKES!!!

I still have yet to style my wigs. At least the Yoko Kurama one doesn't require much work.

Jareth did not happen at all. The only thing I did for that costume was to find a perfect wig (which I did not purchase) and make the sparkly belt.

Contacts did not happen for any costume.

I haven't planned make-up yet, but I want to try to cover my freckles.

I need to find the caps that go under the wigs (but I think I know which box they are in).

My Katamari costume is not finished. The head is mostly covered, but still needs to be trimmed and painted. The costume is still in a couple pieces, needs clasps in the back, and needs to be trimmed and painted. I haven't even started the gloves yet. And the shoes need to be painted. And we need to make and put on faces and the piece that goes on top of our heads.

Proceed in full panic mode! Step one: sew like a maniac. Step two: paint like a maniac who knows how to paint lots of perfect circles. AHHHH!!! And take a deep breath. I will be at my sewing machine if anyone needs me.