So, after a long and deserved rest, let's finally talk about Anime Friends and everything that's been happening. Long text coming...
If you don't know what I'm talking about. I've been at São Paulo, Brazil, from Friday to Sunday (7th to the 9th of July) to take part of the finals from a cosplay competition called Yamato Cosplay Cup International (in short, YCCI). Although I am in fact born in Brazil, I was there representing the Netherlands, because that's the country where I'm living since some years now.
Since last year when I was selected for the finals, I've been having butterflies in my stomach. I've been extremely happy, but also very nervous and uneasy. What if, when I get there, people won't actually like me, because I am representing another country? What if I can't reach my own expectations? What if I mess up and make a bad acting?
But I tried to stay calm and stick to my own principles. I wanna do something that people can have fun watching, something simple to understand, with a costume that wouldn't break during my travel and wouldn't cost more then just my own suitcases to bring. I wanted to go there to meet everybody (or at least most of) these wonderful people that are always here supporting what I do and have fun with them. And so I came up with this idea of a Mario suit that could be transformed into princess Peach.
I'm not at all that great on sewing. I struggle and I take long with these things more then I would with armor pieces or weapons. I've never made a princess sort of dress before and I had no idea how to make this become reality. I worked for months on it, but it was finally done and the whole acting idea came out very well too. Now I just had to go there and do it!
Easier said then done. Everything started amazing on the Friday that I arrived when I met the other participants from the compo. Actually, I didn't even see them as participants, but more like a group of new friends on vacation. We enjoyed the surroundings of our hotel a little and I introduced some of them to Brazilian barbecue. The reactions were very positive! After that in the evening, we had an official meeting with everybody, so we could know a bit of each other. More butterflies again, this was a competition after all, so I started to get very nervous again.
Saturday was the big day. We all went early to the event location to practice our actings on stage, get dressed, judged and finally do the real actings in the evening. The whole day was a mix of stress, waiting and more stress, but together with that I also got the chance to see the best side of each of the participants. We were supporting and calming each other, having fun talks, checking and being amazed by each others works. Thanks to them, my husband and my staff Karlijn I was able to do my acting 100% right, without any mistakes.
The results came and I wasn't expecting to win, and indeed I didn't. The first three places truly deserved their position for their wonderful actings and outstanding costumes. I wasn't sad at all, and things only got better when I could finally get some feedback from the people who were watching our actings. I'm so happy you had fun and really enjoyed watching it! That feeling really made my day 
Things got even better on Sunday. I finally got the chance to wear my Lucina cosplay, walk around and meet everyone! I don't even know how to find the words, but I was _overwelmed_ by the sweetness of each one of you who spoke and spent time with me. I felt overjoyed to meet every single person that I met and I never felt so welcomed in my own country as I was on that day. Thanks so much to all of you cosplayers or non cosplayers and photographers, you all know who you are for making this weekend something that I'll really never forget. I already wanna be back for another convention over there!
If you wanna see how the whole convention and how my acting was, please click in the videos below and enjoy! 
Anime Friends 2017 by Animaff
If you read until the end, congratulations! I hope you had fun reading
Mario photographer: Paula Baio - Cosplay Photography
Peach: TheEyeProjects
Now I'm ready to continue all my beloved cosplay projects! More photos of Peach will be coming anytime soon~
Go to 
WE* ARE GOING TO BRAZIL!! 
and here are some of the photos from our photoshoot (credits to my photographer TheEyeProjects!) 
