Madame Vo NYC

January 15, 2019

I am not a food blogger but I am a foodie. And when it involves Vietnamese food, I’m always down. I’m Vietnamese, by the way if you haven’t already picked that up. And I wanted to highlight a new restaurant in NYC that’s changing the face of Vietnamese cuisine. This is important to me because well, culture.

Growing up, my mom tried to pack me lunch sometimes but because I grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood, I would get made fun of because I was different, and lunchtime was no different when your food smells weird to the other kids. And kids are brutal. Anything different can easily be seen as offensive and you’re instantly shunned. So of course, I stopped letting my mom pack my lunch and started just using the school’s free lunch program instead (cuz duh, we were poor). I grew up wanting to eat American food because I wanted to fit in. Funny because when I left home for college, I instantly missed my mom’s cooking and wanted homecooked meals all over again. You learn in adulthood the things you took for granted were right there all along your entire life. I found a renewed love for Vietnamese food and now it’s my favorite type of food. If given the choice, I’d choose it every time.

What I didn’t like about Vietnamese food culture growing up though, is how underrated it is and how little people know about it. When people think of Vietnamese food, all they think about is pho and banh mis. But in reality, there is so much more than just those two staples. I have so many favorite dishes and there’s so many things you could pick from if you ever found yourself wandering the streets of Saigon. Looking back, I hate that growing up, going to Vietnamese restaurants here in New York, you were limited to certain dishes. I could never find my favorite foods on the menu like banh bot loc, banh bao, banh nam and more. I know, lol, there’s a lot of “banhs.” And they are all different too. It’s not a sandwich. Well, at least not a traditional one.

And on top of that, there’s more to Vietnamese soup than just pho. In my opinion, my people have perfected the art of the soup. There’s so damn many. I wish someone would just open up a solely Vietnamese soup shop and sell them all. Bun bo, bun rieu, banh canh, hu tieu, canh chua, canh ca, hoanh thanh, chao, ca re, I could go on! And there’s different variations of each too. Like how you can have beef pho or chicken pho. Each Vietnamese soup can be catered to your liking. There are endless possibilities of combinations of soup.

But again like pho, there’s more to Vietnamese food than just soup as well. We have so many different rice dishes, noodles, rolls, desserts and more. The problem with America is the same as the Chinese takeout problem. The Vietnamese food exhibited here is simply a tip of the iceberg. And the other problem is it’s usually viewed as “cheap” cuisine because in the past, it’s always been that way. You walk in, you get a quick easy bowl of pho for $6-7. What I never understood is why when Vietnamese food takes a lot of prep and time to make. I remember my mom would spend a whole day making banh tet for New Years. I love banh bot loc but I also hated making them because they were so time consuming to make but so fast to eat that I could never keep up with production enough to keep me satisifed. There are a lot of complicated ingredients and prep required for each dish too. Granted there are a lot of ‘easy’ dishes to make but the art of Vietnamese cuisine is truly undervalued.

This is where Madame Vo and many other new eateries popping up recently in NYC, as well as many other areas of the world come in, as we live in this foodie renaissance. I learned about Madame Vo from the internet a few years ago when it first opened and of course, being a true judgemental AF Asian, I had to go check it for myself. My first time I was definitely impressed. The prices are definitely on the higher of Viet cuisine, but upon tasting its freshness and quality as well as the art of its presentation, you see why. Their pho broth is just like my mom’s. Made fresh and concentrated, not watered down like Chinatown cheap restaurants where you could tell they added water to the remaining pot as their stock ran low instead of making a fresh new pot of broth. They give you more than enough noodles so you don’t leave feeling like there should’ve been more. They also don’t skimp on meat in your bowl either. Their Madame platter is my favorite and best if you go with a big group to help you finish, as it is a lot of food. It’s a nice appetizer platter to get a taste of a little bit of everything they have to offer. I ended up coming back a few more times with more friends even though I don’t usually frequent this neighborhood often. And now even my siblings frequent this spot regularly. They make great bun bo as well as their pho. And their suon kho makes me nostalgic for my mom’s home cooking all the time. They do have a small selection on their menu compared to Chinatown restaurants but it should be noted that they take their time preparing and making sure those dishes are foodie worthy. I do hope they expand into offering some lesser known dishes soon too, like the rarer ones you can’t find in regular restaurants - like of course, my favorite - banh bot loc.

The true test though, is when we took our parents here. Asian parents are the hardest to please, as they like to disapprove of absolutely everything. My parents said nothing to criticize the food when we took them, but nothing directly praising it either, as they are very proud people. But the silent approval came weeks later when my parents asked me for the address because they wanted to take their own friends there, hahaha!

And this winter, Madame Vo has expanded with a new restaurant nearby! Madame Vo BBQ has opened up in the neighborhood and my family stopped by before the New Year to try it out before the public finds out about it and it becomes the next hot new spot. We tried the Bo 7 Mon and the tomahawk steak and man, they definitely didn’t miss the mark. Everything was absolutely delicious and cooked fresh right in front of us with mouthwatering presentations. Our waiter was amazing. He was sweet and absolutely friendly and knew his stuff.

The owner of Madame Vo and Madame Vo BBQ even stopped by to welcome us. The restaurants looks beautiful, modern and chic. I can’t wait to go back and try the catfish later this year when I have a moment as dining hours are limited to 5:30-11pm daily currently.

There are already a few other great Vietnamese restaurants that have popped up recently as well as more on the way. Hanoi House is also another great restaurant I recently tried last fall that houses Northern Vietnamese style cuisine. Everything there was absolutely amazing too and I believe their chef partners with Madame Vo from time to time for tasting events. I have yet to be able to attend these events due to my own schedule’s availability but one of these days, I have to definitely make it out there.

I do have to note that these new Vietnamese restaurants are on the pricier side compared to traditional Chinatown restaurants but in my opinion, worth the extra penny. My friends and I still go to Chinatown for a quick bite every now and then, but when given the choice, we do go out of our way for better quality Viet food and don’t mind paying for it. And just because the name doesn’t have a number in it, doesn’t mean it’s not good. These new restaurants are stepping up and changing the game. Those holes in the wall are no longer cutting it.

What I love about Madame Vo is how they are making Vietnamese food more known and increasing its popularity to the world, but maintaining its authentic flavors and richness. Nothing is watered down to please the masses. It maintains its authenticity to show to the world how delicious it is can be, without needing to be a french fry and chicken nugget version to fit in. They take their time prepping and cooking, not compromising flavor for speed and quick bites. There is nothing “quick” about these spots. You come to take your time, taste every flavor and savor it. And leave wanting more. I can’t wait to see what Vietnamese dining out will look like in the next few years as it evolves further.

Madame Vo is located at
212 E 10th Street New York, NY 10003

Madame Vo BBQ is located at:

104 2nd Avenue New York, NY 10003

Goals for 2018 & 2019

December 31, 2018

Goals for 2018

̶̶T̶r̶a̶v̶e̶l̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶P̶a̶r̶i̶s̶,̶ ̶P̶a̶r̶i̶s̶ ̶D̶i̶s̶n̶e̶y̶l̶a̶n̶d̶.̶ ̶D̶i̶s̶n̶e̶y̶ ̶a̶g̶a̶i̶n̶.̶ ̶H̶a̶l̶l̶o̶w̶e̶e̶n̶, Christmas or NYE.
̶S̶e̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶B̶r̶o̶a̶d̶w̶a̶y̶ ̶s̶h̶o̶w̶, opera, ̶b̶a̶l̶l̶e̶t̶.
Furnish and complete the spare room into a full guest room.
I never got around to doing this. But I did finally clear out the room last month and got rid of a lot of stuff. Hopefully next year I can finally get a bedframe and complete this project.
Clean out the garage.
This was pure laziness. I never even opened the garage all year, honestly.
̶ ̶G̶o̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶g̶y̶m̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶a̶ ̶f̶u̶l̶l̶ ̶y̶e̶a̶r̶!̶
̶R̶u̶n̶ ̶a̶ ̶5̶k̶,̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶k̶ ̶t̶o̶w̶a̶r̶d̶s̶ ̶a̶ ̶1̶0̶k̶.
Launch floating lanterns into the sky - Lantern Fest.
This was not my fault. We drove all the way there to have them cancel it hours before on account of rain. The raindate wasn’t worth it either.
Learn to sew again and make my own skirts.
I just never got around to buying a sewing machine and starting this project. Although now I’m getting rather lazy and would just buy everything or ask my mom to make it, given enough time.
Read one book a month.
I actually did this half way. I read only half the year. After the summer I got lazy. So I read 6 books this year instead of 12. Does this count? Better than last year.
Get rid of all personal debts and dig myself out of my credit card debt so I can pay my card off in full again every month.
I screwed up this goal through my birthday vacation YOLO-ing. I probably could’ve completed this if I wasn’t so reckless. But YOLO. No regrets. My birthday was awesome. Hopefully in 2019 I can get this under control if I discipline myself enough.

Reflection on 2018

Travel - I didn’t expect Paris to actually happen. I was scared of doing this and being in a foreign country with a language barrier but it ended up being not an issue at all. And I did almost everything I wanted to do while I was there! I fell in love with this city and I can’t wait to go back one day. The people, the lights, the sights, the old history. And my Eiffel Tower photos! Everything was so magical. I’m glad I devoted a week to this city instead of trying to rush through it. I was able to soak it all in. And my Disney World birthday was absolutely amazing. And oh yeah! I checked off yet another Disneyland off my list in Paris. The last one left is now Hong Kong. Hopefully I get to visit that in the next few years. I also went on my first family vacation in years! It was actually a lot of fun and I really do want to go on more with my family and spend more time with them as I get older. I also visited Chicago for a hot minute this summer on a spontaneous trip. I do like planning itineraries, as stressful as they can be, and I like being able to check everything off as I go. Or watch myself do as much as I set out to do.
Weddings - I went to so many weddings this year! I went to 3 weddings from my college friends and 1 from family on my husband’s side. And on top of that, a lot of people had babies this year. Something in the water. But I’m still not ready to drink from it. But I did love watching all my friends get married. Something about weddings are so magical. I love watching ceremonies and the wedding traditions. And I love celebrating my loved ones, being in love! I love the food, dressing up, the dancing, everything. It’s always a good time with great memories. I also love that a lot of them are like mini reunions so I get to see all my friends again. It’s hard now that we’re all adulting on different schedules in different zip codes. It’s interesting to see all the lives and paths we’ve set ourselves on post-college. We’re all growing up in different ways and at different paces.
Cons - I actually only attended 2 comic cons this year and 2 beauty conventions. I made absolutely no new cosplays this year and just re-wore all my old ones with my revamped body so everything looked so much better than it ever did before. I’m not sure if any cons are in the cards for next year but I will probably continue with rewearing old costumes at this point if I do attend. I have no desire or motivation to make anything new anymore. I enjoy cosplaying but I don’t enjoy pouring any more time and money into it. I also hate that the majority of my follower count on Instagram is due to cosplay, making it hard for me to grow organically on my account. Sometimes I wonder if I should start over so that my acquired following is more genuine to the content I’m posting. I also hate that audience is 81% male. Males don’t tend to actively engage with your content as much (unless the intent is to troll, 90% of the time), which hurts how well my content is seen. It makes beating the Instagram algorithm very hard. I don’t care about getting famous or a lot of followers - I just wish that the people who actually wanted to see my content could actually see it and know of it.
Exercise - If there was a theme for my 2018, this would be it. This was my main focus all year round. I worked on making this a reality, after years of so much trial and error and disappointment. I was determined to succeed this year and I’m really glad I pushed through and conquered this goal. The funny thing is if you look at the list I had set out for myself for 2018, I didn’t really accomplish much at all. In 2016, I made my weight loss goal a target of 115 lbs but I never reached it. I kept gaining weight instead of losing it. So it discouraged me from setting a target goal for 2018 when I made this list. I simply said I wanted to try going to the gym for a full year. Baby steps. And this ended up being the year I not only reached that target weight of 115 lbs but I dipped 10 lbs further than that! That alone and my results gave me such a high that made my entire year. I feel so accomplished from this alone that only fulfilling 4 of my 10 goals can’t get me down. This was such a big obstacle for me and I’m really proud of myself for finally pushing through and exceeding my own expectations. Within this one goal, I achieved so many little “wins” to help bring me to this place and I’m really just in awe of everything I achieved with my own two hands. In January, I was intimidated AF and never had done a deadlift or anything involving weights. Now I lift 3-5x a week and I absolutely love it. I never thought I would love lifting so much and find a new love for fitness. I’m excited to see if I can keep this up for 2019 and make it a true lifestyle change.
Diet - This goes hand in hand with my exercise goal but I wanted to speak on this separately because I struggled with this more than actual exercising. I have no problem with working out as I really do enjoy it. But the diet part is the hardest part, and the actual 90% of the work to really see the results. So the commitment to this is a real challenge. I did it twice this year, in the winter-spring and then later in the fall to lose from 130 to 110 and then 115 to 105 respectively. Both times were equally hard even if the weight was less to lose the second time around. I can’t commit to the diet as a lifestyle change completely as the foodie in me misses food and bigger portions. So I made a compromise to myself. During my maintenance phase, I allow myself cheat meals and cheat days more often, so long as I watch the scale and know when to dial back. I try to eat healthy during the week 5 out of 7 days. I did make some diet lifestyle changes permanent though. I do make a conscious effort to eat more protein and less sugar and carbs. I’m also more conscious of watching my portion sizes.
Pop-ups - This was the year of the pop-ups. It seems I traded in my cosplay life for exploring pop-ups instead for photo ops. I found that not all pop-ups are created equal and that a lot of places can do a lot with very little space, and vice versa - some places could be a big warehouse full of potential and be a flop if not done properly and creatively. I enjoyed visiting all of them and experiencing them for myself firsthand. I found them a great creative outlet for me to play with. I hope to find more great quality pop-ups to explore in 2019. Oh yes, I even had the opportunity of meeting my number one favorite supermodel of all time, the beautiful and gracious Adriana Lima herself due to these pop-ups!
Photoshoots - In 2017, I had set a goal of doing at least one shoot a month and in 2018, I kept the same goal and fulfilled it. I want to keep shooting to keep building my portfolio and feed my creative nature, as well as fulfill the fashion bug in me. I have to tone down my style for work so my days off are my opportunities to let it all out. In 2019, I want to continue this, but hopefully build upon it even more and step up my game as well. Originally, the boy and I weren’t going to do Christmas gifts this year as we didn’t have any “wants” or “needs.” We’re at that age where we just don’t want random knick-knacks or tchotchkes anymore. But then he surprised me with a beautiful new camera for me to play with and finally get into learning some photography skills to be able to take better photos and on my own when I’m not able to schedule a photographer to shoot with. I’m always with my sister and we’re always gramming on our phones but now I’m excited to upgrade our IG game for the next year. I’m always on the search for beautiful places as well as ordinary places that photograph beautifully to show that you can turn any place into something magical through photos. You can take beautiful photos anywhere as long as you have a good eye. I’m also really happy because this gift shows how supportive he is towards my passions and love for photos. He’s also willing to learn and has been looking into it as well to take better photos for me when we travel. You don’t know how much this means to me and how something so little like this excites me. Somehow I still am finding ways to fall in love with this boy more and more every day.
Adventures/Time Spent With Friends - A few years ago, I also made it a goal to spend less time on work and focus on spending more time with friends and family. And as time went on, I did. I let go of retail and switched over to hospital pharmacy and although I had to let go of a comfortable paycheck, I learned to downsize and budget, in exchange for my sanity. My shift in fields allowed me to leave work at work and spend more time with my loved ones. This year was packed with a lot of dates with my sisters! I enjoyed this a lot and I really hope to continue this trend next year. This year was not as successful as I would’ve liked for my friends though. We vacationed separately this year, which I am disappointed and sad about it, but adulting happens. One day the stars will align again. I’m happy and grateful we’re still able to make time for each other for small dates though and saw each other about once a month this year. It’s just hard when we all are on different schedules, different area codes and it looks like we’re all on different paths lately. But I’m excited for everyone and their changes. I want nothing but amazing things to happen for them and I know one day we’ll make our amazing adventures happen again. You have to let each other grow - you don’t have to grow apart, but you do have to allow each other room to grow up. And it seems like we all are finally growing up in little ways. Letting go of all the silly little things we used to do back then in our 20s. We still make time to talk to each other pretty much daily even if we’re just sharing dumb memes and photos.
Bruno Mars Concert - This was my second big concert (my first being the Weeknd last year). Bruno really is the Michael Jackson of this generation with his energy and performances. He really puts on an amazing show and is over the top with all his effects - lights, glitter, fire everything! I also haven’t met a Bruno Mars song that I haven’t liked yet. Well, except for his collaboration with Cardi B because sorry not sorry, I just can’t stand her. But that song was out way before he added her onto it, so I still like it, just the version without her.
Started my blog - I finally sat down and figured how this thing works after years of privately blogging on Blogger. I got over the trolls and said fuck it, here we go. It’s still a bit filtered but I do enjoy sharing my world, my thoughts, and my adventures with you guys. I hope to be able to continue this for as long as I can without running out of topics, sounding repetitive or getting boring. I don’t have a central theme like fashion, makeup or travel or anything unfortunately. I didn’t want to limit myself to one niche because I personally like writing about everything and anything that’s on my mind. I hope you guys have enjoyed the past year since I’ve started. My goal is not to become a social media influencer or star from this. I simply want to share my adventures and see where it leads me. I also want a central place to document all my adventures with the written word. Instagram is simply a highlight of my life with one quick photo and a limitation of what I can write. Sometimes I want to share more than one photo from a shoot and write more than a paragraph. And sometimes followers get annoyed with seeing so many photos from one shoot or even reading a caption. This is where my blog comes in for those who want to learn more about me than a quick snapshot. Although I’m still selective about what I blog about, I promised myself that I will keep everything as raw and truthful as I can. I’ll always post my honest opinion while remaining tactful. If anything, my goal is for this blog to be genuinely ME. I’ve never been able to identify myself to fit in a box or one word, so I hope this blog is a good representation of the many different pieces of me as you guys sift through the disorganization. I enjoy reading everyone’s comments and thoughts and I’m glad there are avid returning readers and supporters. So thank you guys for sticking around!

Pop-ups of 2018

I went to a lot more than 12 but these were some of my favorite photos from the ones I did visit.

Top 9 of Instagram

It looks like fitness was a favorite on the gram, as well as my cosplays even though I rarely cosplayed this year.

Looking Back at 2018 Adventures

There are more than 12 photos I want to post but these are some of my favorite.

New Goals for 2019

Maintain a 105-110 lb weight range and a sustainable diet and exercise balance.
Run a half marathon.
- I really don’t want to embarrass myself in 2 months so I really need to be able to complete this.
Finish the spare room.
Italy in the spring? or Paris in the fall? Disneyland for Halloween, Disneyworld for NYE possibly.
Learn to drive stick.
- The boy’s new car is a manual. I need to learn this so I can move his car out of the driveway when necessary or just in case I need it for any emergencies.
Finally pick up photography. Learn the basics so I can take and edit my own photos.
- I’ve modeled for so many years and I realized how sad it is that I never took the time to learn. It would really help me take better photos when traveling and even when I’m just hanging out with friends and family. It’s an useful skill and good hobby to have and I’m excited to learn and start with my new camera.
Learn how to drive a motorcycle.
- It would just be nice to be able to ride with the boy one day. And have the skill and know-how just in case for traveling purposes. Although I’m terrified to drive one around in Vietnam, it would still be nice to know for late night rides if I ever make it back there. Or even cute Vespa rides in Paris.
Take more photos with the boy!
- I always look like I’m single or traveling solo but the truth is he hates photos. And it’s not that I don’t want him in my photos. I LOVE taking photos with him. I want to do more couple sessions and shoots.
Work with more creatives.
- I love working with my favorite reliable and trusted photographers! But I also want to meet new creatives with different styles and eyes for a great shot. Regardless of my bad and unprofessional experiences I’ve encountered, I still want to give new people a shot and create some beautiful work.
Finish my pharmacy CEs early.
- I have this terrible habit of waiting till last minute or letting it creep up on me. I’m trying to make a conscious effort to not let this happen this renewal time around.

Overall, my 2018 was about a lot of personal growth. This was a big theme for me in 2018. My fitness journey definitely opened my eyes up to a lot of things and made me realize the important things, and how in control I really am of my life. It helped me in a lot of ways, not just my weight loss. It activated a better level of happiness for me and I realized that I could do anything I wanted as long as I set my mind to it and worked at it. If I wanted to do something, I got up off my ass and hopped to it. I went to a lot of places this year, even if locally. I spent a lot of time being more positive than I’ve been previously, as I started to believe in myself a lot more. The high you get from working out is real. And it’s amazing how it snowballs into great things and allows you to not let the little things get to you. It actually helps you to let them bounce right off. I hope to take this attitude with me into 2019. It’s funny because 2018 actually started a little rough for me. January was really depressing and I was actually crying a lot. But as the year grew on, it got better and now that time when I was crying about my weight seems so far away. I’m actually worried at the same time about 2019. Did I peak in 2018? I mean, how much more can I do in 2019 to step up my game in everything? But you don’t know if you don’t go. I’m ready to jump into 2019 and see what great things lay ahead. Cheers to 2018 and it’s great gifts, and here’s to what the new year will bring us!

Anime NYC 2018

December 4, 2018

Anime NYC is an anime convention that debuted in 2017 and returned again this fall due to last year’s success. Located at the Javits Center like most of NYC’s biggest conventions, it was similar to NYCC but focused primarily on anime and Japanese culture. This year it was a 3 day weekend event running from November 16-18. I attended Saturday, the busiest of the 3 days, for a few hours to check it out. Compared to last year’s event, it has definitely grown in size and attendance, but in content, I feel like it stayed more or less the same. In Artist Alley, I saw the same artists as last year as I recognize them from the photos I took last year, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it would be nice to see more talent and more varied types of artwork featured and different wares. The actual con floor had a few more vendors than last year with some new indies as well as a bigger presence with more sponsors and well known names.

What I like about this con is that they don’t check tickets until you walk onto the con floor. NYCC scans your badge before you even walk into the building. So if you’re there just to cosplay and take photos, you can do so without having to pay for a ticket, which is nice for those who rarely make it onto the floor or if you only want to check out the floor for just a day but want to hang out with your friends on the other days outside the halls.

This con, due to being a newer con and concentrated on a certain niche, is also a lot less crowded and congested than NYCC, so there’s plenty of room to walk around without feeling like someone is breathing down your neck or walking too uncomfortably close to you. Of course there are still lines everywhere, but they are much shorter waits. A smaller con also allows more intimate interactions with your favorite artists and vendors. They’ll have more time to interact with you, take the time to talk to you and invest in you to draw you into their booth. It doesn’t feel like a “NEXT!” culture.

There were some missed opportunities however. I noticed the same food trucks there as every other convention I attended this year. For an anime con, they could’ve invested more in drawing in food trucks or food vendors more relevant to Japanese and anime culture. It’s NYC. There’s no shortage of Asian food, I’m sure. I even stumbled upon Japan Fest earlier this year walking through the streets of the East Village one day.

What I didn’t like about this convention, is the same as all other pop culture conventions I’ve attended so far. There’s not a lot of exclusive merchandise to be found among the vendors on the floor. A lot of it is the same stuff I can easily find here in the states, through a simple Google search, for probably a cheaper price. So it deters me from buying anything on the floors. For an anime convention, I was hoping to find rarer wares. Clothes, toys, makeup, novelties that I could only find walking through the streets of Takeshita and Shibuya. I would be more willing to pay more for those wares. Like Secret Honey clothing or exclusive Sailor Moon Creer Beaute Miracle Romance products. All these vendors need to up their game.

One of the cutest and favorite cosplays I spotted was Kotoko and Sumomo from the Chobits series, one of my favorite animes. It’s a really cute love story, easy and quick to watch and get through. I had wanted to cosplay Kotoko once upon a time but got lazy but I hate wearing wigs and it’s hard to find a person to commission what you want just right.

I bumped into Vampybitme on my way out, as she was on her way out of the con. She was really sweet to me and my sisters, as my sister shyly spoke Vietnamese to her. It’s funny meeting her up close, as we’re basically the same size. I admire her for turning this into such a successful career and how she gets to partner with so many companies and travel all over the world, especially Japan. Man, I would love to be able to jet set to Japan. Alas, the West Coast Asians and their ability to take chances and invest in riskier careers! The East Coast Asian in me could never make that jump, even though my heart is a West Coast Asian in my fashion style and certain reckless natures. But maybe it would’ve been different had my parents raised me on the West Coast. We’ll never know.

I attended in my casual Sailor Moon Crystal cosplay for the day and got some quick shots from my photographer friends as well. It took me a while to develop the Sailor Moon hair, from trial and error over the years and never wanting to wear a full out wig because I always felt it looked so fake and terrible. It’s really hard to find a GOOD Sailor Moon wig so I’ve always tried to incorporate my own hair with some simple clip on hair pieces. I’ve finally found my own style of how I like to look as my interpretation of Sailor Moon and I’m pretty happy with it. I didn’t do the front bangs because I didn’t want to cut my bangs just for this con. But I like how natural this looks on me as my own style. If only the moontails weren’t so easily tangled, I’d probably wear this hairstyle all the time because it’s so easy to throw together.

Anyways, I’m not sure if I’ll be attending again next year since this year’s content didn’t exactly wow me. It’s still nice to check out for a day for a few hours but I would mark this convention as one you only need a day out of, not a weekend pass necessarily. If you’ve never been, it’s fun to check out and see for yourself since everyone goes for different reasons. But if you’re a seasoned con goer, this might be one and done.