Cosplay Alias: Windofthestars
Nicknames: Windy-chan, Mel
Age: 24
Resides in: Nevada
Made first costume: 2004
First Convention: Wondercon 06
Years Cosplaying: 5
Likes: art, sewing, cosplaying, anime, manga, video games, food, sleep, the ocean, San Francisco, computers, music, singing, photography, cooking, spending time with friends, and various other things.
Dislikes: Early mornings, drama, rudeness, dishonestly, tests, hip-hop bars, snow, dial up internet.
Interest: I have a lot of interests outside of the anime/manga world. I love taking trips to places, especially the ocean. Gardening (when it is warm enough) is another favorite thing of mine.

Before I even knew what anime and manga was, I was dressing up as my favorite Disney characters for halloween as a child. Wtih my mom making me award winnng costumes, I instantly feel in love with the concept of creating costumes and acting out your favorite characters.

Now, I have been an anime and manga fan for many many years. Sailor Moon being my first love, I was initally pulled in by the character designs. To this day I will watch an anime or read a manga souly based on if I like the character designs. For many years I dress like Usagi, sporting odangos and dressing as Sailor Moon for halloween 3 years in a row, until that is I found out about cosplay a few years later. I initally wanted to do Sailor Moon as my first offical cosplay, but having no sewing experience and no idea where to get a wig to cover my new short hair, I started to entertian ideas of other characters.

Cassandra Alexandra was my first cosplay. I had my mother help me and teach me the ropes of sewing. It fit me well and I had terrific fun playing Cassandra. I didn't make another costume for about a year and during that year I spent learing how to sew and saved up for my first sewing machine. Princess Serenity was my first costume I made on my own, soon followed by School Uniform Usagi. However, after making one more costume after the uniform I didn't pick it up again until late 2007. In 2007 I started attending more convetntions and started competeing in masquerades too. To me, 2007 was my first "real" year of cosplaying. I experienced so much and I feel very thankful to have been able to.

I have had some people ask me why I choose the characters I do. Simpily I choose a character I relate to or just really enjoy. Almost every single character I have cosplayed as has been out of love for the character, not the design (though usually the design doeshelps me decided wheather or not to do the costume). Costuming to me is my form of fanart of that particular series or game, much in how some people draw or write about their favorite characters.

A very important point in cosplaying for me is to have fun. If you aren't having fun then why do it? It is hobby no different then collect coins or getting stamps on your passport! Like any hobby, if you take it too seriously then it will become just that. Don't let people tell you what you should and shouldn't be cosplaying, because it is about YOU and about YOU having fun. In the end it's something I love and have meet so many wonderful people doing it and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon!

To date I have made 36 costumes; all hand made with blood, sweat and tears. I take pride in my work and I truely hope it shows. My goal on every costume is to do my best in portraying the character accuratly with amazing detail. I also hope that I can bring some realism to other fans out there too.

In the end I'm just a dork as much as the next person!