In Memory of Our Friend & Honorary Nerd Misfit: Danielle Harada

NOTE:  There has been a GoFundMe started for the Harada family and Which you can find HERE if you would like to personally or directly donate to it. The funds raised will help cover final expenses, funeral/memorial services, and any unforeseen challenges her family will face in the coming months.

Because Danielle's passing has come as a shock to her family I began looking for ways that our company could help lighten the burden of this loss. With that in mind I have asked her parents permission to do something we've never done before in 10 years. We are activating a sale on our website that will go from today (Monday, July 20th to Friday, July 24th @ 12 midnight). After the sale concludes proceeds will be donated directly to the Memorial GoFundMe by Espionage Cosmetics on behalf of the community of Nerd Misfits that Danielle was part of. This sale will be for one product:

Our super popular (and one of Danielle's personal favorites) the Mystery Nail Wrap pack.

• These are $5 for 14 Wrap packs and $8 for 22 Wrap packs.
• While you won't get to pick a design (that's what the mystery is about!) you do get the chance at getting up to FIVE sets of nail wraps for the price of one. 
• Some designs that are retired can only be found in these packs. 
• There are also EXCLUSIVE designs that only show up in Mystery wraps.
• ALL sales of mystery wraps between now and Friday (7/20 to 7/24) will automatically count towards the total EC will make a final donation to the GoFundme within 10 days of the sale closing on Friday.
  
  Feel free to share this sale link with friends and family that may know Danielle or the Harada family. If you don't want to participate in the sale but want to support directly feel free to click on any of the above GoFundMe links as they are all pointed at the same URL for the official fund. 

From our Glitter Jedi:

In the immediate aftermath loss I had attempted to repeatedly write this post out, but I was too overwhelmed and couldn't untangle my grief and my words. I was and am still heartbroken to know that my friend and fellow nerd, Danielle Harada passed away early last week. I have a lump in my throat typing that out even today. Because the world just lost a bright, creative, amazing ray of sunshine.

I met Danielle (and her amazing mom Linda) years ago when she started shopping with Espionage Cosmetics and showed up at HQ for one of the first shopping days we ever hosted, only to find out that we had two staircases and no elevators to assist her in joining us. Rather than getting frustrated and leaving when we weren't prepared to facilitate her wheelchair, she instead was willing to hang out at the door while myself and the other available Nerd Misfits hustled our asses off to literally bring the shopping day to her at the bottom of the stairs.

From then on we anticipated her smiling face showing up at more and were prepared going forward to take a mini shopping day to the bottom of our staircase whenever she arrived.

My team seriously loved this human. I seriously loved this human. One of my favorite memories of her was when she participated in a shopping event in our old store space, as the resident Origami master. At my request she was teaching other customers and attendees how to execute an adorable unicorn model she'd taught herself.



I had sat down next to her at some point to try my hand at it and proceeded to make one of the most tragic looking magical creatures possible. After several tries it was obvious the fold pattern for this unicorn was clearly above my skill level. However I was incapable of admitting I was out of my origami league. That didn't stop me from loudly complaining and groaning the entire time Danielle repeatedly and kindly tried to help me. She remained encouraging the entire time, but additionally didn't bother stifling her laughter when I continued to be thwarted by a teensy, paper, unicorn. I loved her for that moment.

The last time I saw Danielle in person was at San Diego Comic Con in July of last year where I got to high five her as she made her runway debut. Because the Espionage Cosmetics team had been providing hair and makeup for the Her Universe/ Hot Topic Geek Fashion Show since it's inception we have always been part of the planning phases. During one of our meetings for 2019's runway we were able to put Danielle's name forward to model. Our hair & makeup team got her ready and then watched her OWN that runway. The crowd LOVED her. Obviously.

After the show, as we were breaking down our gear, she sought us out to say thank you and that she'd see us back in WA. I got to hug her neck for what ended up being the last time.

The loss is hitting me like a ton of bricks. This sweet girl has been one of my most beloved customers-turned-friends from EC. She has been such a big part of events and conventions for nearly 5+ years that we even made her an honorary Nerd Misfit in 2017. I don't think she missed one shopping day or event we held in three years. ANY convention we had a booth at we would always get to see her smiling face for a few minutes. Long enough at the very least for us to hug/high five our girl AND take an up close look at whatever bad ass cosplay + themed wheelchair decor she'd inevitably made in mere hours and always looked like she'd had months to craft.

This girl was and is kind of a big deal in a lot of universes. I hope she knew that. I hope she understood that. Ugh, my heart is aches like hell right now, but I am trying to find comfort in the fact that this loss aches in direct proportion to how amazing Danielle was. It doesn't make the pain go away but it helps me re-frame it as kind of the post-admission I am paying for getting to be part of her life for so long.

Danielle, I already miss you like crazy. Thanks for letting the rest of us stand in the light you created around you. Rest peacefully my friend.