From Drab to Fab With a Touch of Paint!

Steampunk has taken on a life around our home. We have it peeking out in various parts of our homes decor. I do this purposely, of course. I can't really take over the whole house, now can I? But decorating our home isn't the only place I have for Steampunk. I had been building my cosplay for the Time Traveler over the past few years. While I haven't worked on it with as much dedication as I would like, I have been able to utilize it. I was the Time Traveling Pirate in one of our homeschool meets. Traveling back in time to tell the kids all about the life of a pirate and the perils as well. 

Why we dress up

I have been enjoying the art of cosplay and costuming for a great long while. As a girl, I played dress up and used my imagination to act out my own fantasy. For my birthday one year, my mother created gowns for myself and my guests while we had a marvelous tea party. I always wanted a masquerade party one day! (Still wanting to do that.)

Throughout my adult life, I have attended Comic Cons and Gamer conventions. Free Comic Book Day events were my supplements in between conventions. I've even had photos taken with green screen technology to show off mine and my families creations in style. The last big event we dressed up for was the Renaissance Festival. Our whole family went as Vikings!

My mom has been very helpful in finding things to use in our costumes. Yes, plural. Each of us have at least 2 costumes. She knows us so well that she sent me some perfect masks. She likes us to have a variety. After all, I've introduced my children to cosplay and, like me, they thrive in it! They have no qualms about dressing up to go to Wal-Mart or the library. My oldest son will wear his finest and even straighten his unruly curls, just to run an errand! Fedora, dress shirt and vest, and slacks! More often than not, even a tie is worn. High praise for this proud Mama. My older daughter likes to wear this red and black medieval costume dress, while the younger daughter puts on whatever suits her fancy. We get a lot of looks, but as I remind my children, who cares?? We are doing us in our own way. I don't want my kids growing up to care what everyone around them thinks or worrying about what they say. If this makes them happy, then enjoy it! 

But I'm getting carried away

I was telling you that my mother sent us some masks. She sent 4. Two of them are plague doctor masks. I laughed at these. I'd been telling my husband ever since the 2020 mess, that I thought we should wear this kind during the lockdowns and mask mandates. We aren't able to wear them just yet, but I'm hoping that once I get the new rubber smell down we can do so. 

Then we have the Steampunk or Mecha cat mask. My girls both fell in love with this one. They take turns wearing it. My oldest decided it needed a makeover, however, and out came the paints.

I have to say I'm so proud of her taking initiative on this one. She painted in the details to give it more depth. And now she is planning out a costume to go with it!

When my parents came out to visit, my mom had given her a velvet-like blazer that has double-breasted buttons. We also found a hat from my mom that had goggles attached. And to finish it off, she wore her booties with the animal print pattern! Oh yes, and wore some of my black and gold 'gloves'. This kid was rocking her killer style and made me so proud for coming up with it herself!

   Then we have my mask...

The final one is mine. A Steampunk version of the Phantom of the Opera mask. I have done a female Phantom costume in the past. But this will take on a new look for sure! Of course, I had to touch up the mask and give it more character. 

       I needed to get some brown paint to add leather-like patches to it.

I designed the costume that will accompany it. I'm also still debating whether I should attempt to cut the eye hole slightly bigger to accommodate my glasses. I should wear contacts during cosplay, but I have such a hard time putting anything near my eyes... I have another style I want to try out next time, using a skirt and maybe a cape.

These were cheap masks on Amazon, but they are looking fantastic with just a little effort! What are your thoughts? Are you creating anything this Halloween? I'd love to hear about it. So leave me a comment below!

Colortime Crafts and Markers - Glow in the Dark Halloween Tote Review

*Disclaimer: I was sent these products free of charge to write a review. All opinions are my own.* 

Halloween is less than two weeks from now! Where has this year gone?! Right before Halloween, I have my oldest sons 9th, yes, NINE YEARS OLD, birthday! Since it is so close to Halloween, we often use it as an excuse to get dressed up. Anything to wear our costumes! 

My son wanted a Star Wars themed party. We will have it with my husbands family. And then, that weekend is when my mother-in-laws neighborhood was planning a block party. Food, fun and I'm pretty sure there will be candy! Which means that kids will need a bag to collect their haul in. Normally, we use whatever we have around the house for this. However, this year, US Family Guide teamed up with Colortime Crafts and Markers to get the word out on these awesome glow in the dark designed canvas bags and the fabric markers. I think having glow in dark items is best when you are planning for a night time event. And this makes such even cuter. With the added benefit of being a fun activity for the kids to do in preparation.  

The canvas bag alone is great. I love reusable bags. The fact that we got to decorate it as a family, was even better.

We took turns coloring in parts of the design.

They can't wait to see it glowing in the dark. It didn't glow well at first, so I put it in a window to get some sunlight. It showed nicely after that. There is also a paper that came with it, explaining proper care, washing and how to make coloring easier.

Colortime has so many other great products to choose from. If you want something personal to give as a gift, I would suggest checking them out. Click on this Link for the latest online special offers and promo codes to Colortime Crafts and Markers. I would love to hear what you think about their products and what you would find to be the most interesting. So leave me a comment below!

Costume Preparations Begin Now!

I love to dress up and do cosplay. Which is why I have a large tote full of costume stuff for our family. Also why my kids have costumes to play with any time they want. 

You can dress up and for that time, be someone else. Someone you wish you were. Someone you admire. Your favorite hero. To me, its a blast!

I currently have a handful of costumes. I have a complete Sweet Pea from Sucker Punch costume (even down to a blond wig).

I've been a Lady Phantom of the Opera.

I'm just about done with my Lara Croft cosplay.

Spent a few minutes in between loads of laundry this week, painting the toy guns I had picked up last summer. I love these because they were cheap (Walmart cheap brand of imagination toys), look like the type of gun Lara would use, and they make the sounds of being cocked and fired!

Per cosplay regulations, I left the orange tips slightly showing so that others will know they are toys. Now, all I have left is to fix the leg holsters I had bought from Spirit Halloween last year. They turned out to be too small for these guns. Plus, it's generic. So both guns are facing the same way and it looks silly. I plan to pull out my needle and thread and *fingers crossed* fix it! 

And eventually I want to have a Wonder Woman one as well. The other costume I want, is a realistic Steampunk one. The one I have now, makes me look generic, and with a red wig, like a steampunked version of the Scarlet Witch.

While we were hiding from Hurricane Harvey in Waco, we went by a Dirt Cheap store. If you don't know what they are, its sorta like Ross. They get the scratch and dent items from retailers though (saw a lot of Target labels there) and sell it at a fraction of the retail price. It wasn't as awesome as I had hoped, but it still had some cool things. We picked up a set of Star Wars books that comes with an electronic reader device that would've been $29.99, but we paid $9. Then we went through the mountains of Halloween stuff they had. Found my oldest son a Deluxe Navy Seal costume. Came with multiple toy weapons, full jumpsuit, and belt. 

Normally this sells for $23.99, but we only paid $12.He can't wait to wear it to the party we plan on having to celebrate his birthday and Halloween! The same time we go for that, my husband plans to dress up as Darth Vader and pay a visit to his sisters class. Last year, when her class was going over family, she showed her students a picture of our family in costume. She pointed to my husband, who was in his Darth Vader cosplay, and tells her students, "That's my brother." From that moment on, they were convinced that her brother was really Darth Vader! This year he has plans to upgrade his outfit so that there is a voice changer in the mask as well.

I didn't get to cosplay at any cons (conventions) this year. Next year, just maybe, I do hope to. The neighbor across the street even wants to join in! Who knew?! Its a small world when you meet a fellow Nerd in your own neighborhood. 

So what about you? Are you the type to get hyped up for Halloween because you get to dress up? Do you dress up for cons too? Are you a closet nerd who seeks to show this side of yourself only in the presence of those just like you, or do you scream it from the rooftops?? I'd love to hear about your costumes and where you wear them in the comments below.

Steampunk costume review

I absolutely love being a part of the Costume Reviewers group. I get to try out various costumes and let you know where to find them! This time, I went with Steampunk Girl costume. Costume Supercenter has them for $42.39 when you use the promo code: x20 at checkout. 

I love to cosplay. To be another character for a little while. Whether it's for a comic event, Halloween with the kids, or just because with my kiddos, I love the chance to dress up. We let our imaginations run wild around here. 

I've been getting into steampunk recently. Blame watching the new series, Steampunk'd if you want. The costumes are amazing. Gears and goggles are nothing new to me. I had a friend that wore goggles to school all the time. Just because. And he was AWESOME! Steampunk is as though the beautiful Victorian style clashed with a flair from the future. Want the actual definition? "Steampunk refers to a subgenre of science fiction and sometimes fantasy that incorporates technology and aesthetic designs inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery." 
This costume follows that idea. And it's adorable! Made from your standard costume materials, it's comfortable and breathes well. I'm surprised at how much detail it has.To make it more authentic in the steampunk fashion, it's going to need some modifications though. The hat gets squashed and collapses under the pressure of the goggles band.

The goggles are cool, but eventually I shall want to replace them with real goggles.

These can't be worn to see through as they are solid plastic.

The skirt is a hi-lo style that could use a slight crinoline-type underskirt.

A tutu would work just as well. The strings on the hat and top of the dress are cheap ropes that could be better as ribbon.

Add a pair of glovelettes to bring the charm.

They are comfortable and fit well.
As far as your average costumes go, this one rocks! The sizing is pretty accurate. I'm an 8/10, medium up top, so I ordered the Medium. Fits everywhere like a glove. 
Check around too as there are always sales or coupon codes to the site to help save even more. 

Women’s Sucker Punch Costume review

As you know I love to cosplay and attend anime conventions. Or comic conventions. They both suit my fancy. 

I'm also a member of the Costume Reviewers group. Thanks to my latest review project with them, I'll be cosplaying as Sweet Pea from Sucker Punch at the next con I go to.

Now I have to admit, I've not had the chance to see the movie, but I've fallen in love with the style that was used for the fight costumes. Check out Sweet Pea in action.

Butt-kicking flair with the slightly erotic but elegant touch of corsets. Most definitely a mans fantasy in my opinion, however, even I found them to be interesting. 
My costume came from the Wholesale Costume Club. You can check out this one and other women's movie costumes if you click here.

On this costume, it's actually quite nice. It comes with the hooded top, shorts, thigh high stockings, and wristlet gloves. 

The shorts are stupid. No getting around that. The plus side to them would be that they are stretchable and breathe well, but not my style in the least.

 I like materials I wear to stay smooth and not bunch. Since these are made to be worn without a defined front or back, they are loose and have elastic around the waist. They also ride up just a bit in the rear. Speaking of the backside, there's a gap between the end of the jacket to the top of the shorts.

This could be because I have a longer torso than most women, so keep that in mind if your long or tall like me. 

The hooded top is amazing. Adjustable tie in the front to fit almost any bust size.

One side has a long sleeve that is snug but still has room to maneuver. I don't think the hood would fit over big hair. It's just perfect over my straight do, so nothing more than a wig might fit well if you're going to wear it up. The armor piece isn't too big or heavy.

It's not all that noticeable. The straps that go down the front and across your front are adjustable too. 

The thigh high stockings are your average kind though a little more on the durable side. 

The wristlet gloves fall under a cheaper, but still okay part of the outfit.

They Velcro to tighten them on your wrist and breathe nicely.

No one likes to shakes hands with sweaty palms after all. They do bunch around my fingers so I might swap those out with the kind I had already. 

It's pretty much a full costume ready to go. If you wanted it to be more accurate, you could add a gun and sword to your back, with ammo strapped above the knee. I'm mostly just planning to add the tall boots. In the movie she wore thigh high boots that came just past the knee. Mine won't be so high. 

I have made other modifications for the purpose of feeling a little more comfortable.

I had my own black shorts which are short but still longer and more fitted than the ones they sent. I added a black camisole tank under the top to hide certain areas that I don't like showing off; where the ties are in the front and the gap in the back. I like how easy to move it is. Great costume and I can't wait to use it! 

TruMoo milk review via Bzz Agent

My kids love chocolate milk. But then… who doesn’t?

As a Bzz Agent, I was given the chance to try and share the experience for TruMoo milk. I've also been sharing the coupons with friends and families so they can try them!

They have dressed up their milk for Halloween this year and not only do they offer chocolate, but they have Vanilla milk that is colored orange!

Both were rich and creamy in taste. There is no syrup that has to be shaken from the bottom of the jug. My kids gave it the thumbs up for taste.

My husband who is hard pressed to drink anything besides soda or Gatorade... even enjoyed both.

Though his favorite would be the chocolate while I lean to the vanilla.

Still, overall we enjoyed it to the last drop.

Want to know more about TruMoo? Check out their website! They provide store locators, nutrition information,

and even a coupon or more that you can sign up to get.

And they are holding a sweepstakes for a Goosebumps Haunted Hollywood Vacation! Look under the cap of the milk and enter a code for your chance to win.