Thursday, March 7, 2019

How I'm Creating My Ideal Steampunk Outfit

I absolutely love Steampunk! Where the past meets the present, and the present meets the future. It takes Victorian fashion and adds steam powered tech to create an awesome mix. For my particular cosplay, I have chosen to go with time travel. If you are wanting to create your own Steampunk outfits, you have the pick a theme. Then work through each item that goes with it. I got ideas from seeing what others have made. This is one of my favorites! Pick a style that speaks to you. Create a Pinterest board even, so you can reference back to it.
I started with a purse, which you can check out here. I thought something simple would be the best way to build my crafting skills. I plan to add a couple more elements to it this weekend. 
Every great steampunk cosplay also comes with goggles.
Being that I wear glasses, I have decided that mine will be worn on the hat my Mom sent me.
But they had to be tricked out still. I still have one more element to add before I feel they are 100% complete. Something like this....

Then came the boots. I'm thinking there is still more I want to do to them.
Like paint the toes perhaps... But for now, the heels are rocking some gears.
My daughters, and even my sons, sometimes like to try and help. The baby likes to play in my craft supplies while my older daughter likes to sort the gears into groups.
It is one way we get to bond. I also use it to teach. Sorting and grouping is a concept she has learned, but can expand on. This is also how the kids gain an interest in being creative. My sons wanted to have their own steampunk goggles when they saw mine. So we designed and made some for them!
They play pretend with them. 
Not everyone is a crafter. At first, I wasn't. So I used some review opportunities to get steampunk costumes.
That is what sparked my interest in the genre. I started to realize how much more there was to it. Then I began searching on Pinterest. Talk about a huge movement! There are now shows and sub-genres to diversify in. People make a living on creating or "making" gear. They are called Makers. The more I dove into researching, the more I wanted to be a part of this community. And my cosplay is just how I do it :) 
My next project is to decorate the corset top my Mom sent as a gift. I'm going to add some decorations to it. Then I have to work on the skirt. I'm also wanting to 'punk out some toy guns we have. My goal is to have it completed by Free Comic Book Day/Star Wars Day this May. And I'm trying to convince my husband to get new pants for his Resident Evil Guard costume. That way, the whole family can dress up this time. It is a great bonding event for us.  
Are you a Steampunk fan? Sci-Fi? What gives you the greatest joy in your down time?? Let me know in the comments below!

Saturday, March 2, 2019

Creating Lasting Memories Through Crafting

My daughters both love their 18" dolls. They have all kinds of dresses and accessories for them. And then my Mom sent some American Doll craft books. If you are new to reading my blog, then let me start by saying that I believe creativity is an important part of growing up. A child that learns to think and be creative while young, will be more successful later in life. Which is why I helped my daughter try out some of the crafts. And I must admit, we created some awesome accessories for the dolls. 
Our dolls love to read. To expand their minds and learn about everything. Best way to do this is to get books from the library. And when you check books out, they get stamped. Or at least used to... 

And then when the doll learns something she wants to remember, she needs her composition notebook. 

And then there are so many reasons to give gifts. So a wrapped box that opens and closes is perfect for re-gifting moments! 
But you know what is better than all that? She and I worked together to create the things she liked. All because she helped me with my steampunk designs earlier. Her interest was peaked. We did all this while creating memories. She was able to craft with me. That is the most important element for us. Creating memories and deep connections that I hope will last a lifetime. 
What do you do to connect with your kids? No matter the age. What is one thing you do special with them? Let me know in the comments below!

Sunday, February 17, 2019

A Move Most Successful

What a weekend last weekend was! Hard to believe a week has passed already. My Dad and brothers flew out to help load and unload the moving truck on Friday. We made the long drive to our new home where my Mother and sister-in-law were waiting. Of course, on the days we chose to move, the temperatures dropped to lower 40's. We also had nearly non-stop ice pellets (sleet) to deal with.
Loading and unloading the truck was very trying. I overdid it throughout the day, so I struggled keeping up and my pain lasted for several days afterwards. But the guys persevered and did a fantastic job. On Saturday, my Mother and sister-in-law came by as well as my husbands grandparents. They did so much, helping us unpack and arrange the furniture. We could actually walk around and find things!

While we are not 100% settled just yet, I'm absolutely thrilled. My kitchen is just as I've wanted it. My oldest son even helped me set up the pantry so nicely. He said he was making it just "like a store".
 The rest of my kitchen is Star Wars themed.
From the towels to the X-Wing knife set, and even the salt and pepper shakers, we are decked to rock the nerds we are! Don't worry, my husband will have the Star Trek office to show off his own space love.
And we love meal time even more. The food isn't the only thing that excites the kids at the table these days. They now get to pick their character! We have also begun a new dinner tradition. We play trivia. I ask questions and the one to answer correctly gets a sweet treat. They love playing and I love teaching them through it.
The kids have more space in their bedrooms.
Which is great, because the toddler needs to move in with her sister and out of my room.
When we get some shelves and a DVD case, I can finally finish unpacking that part of our house. Being OCD about being neat and orderly has me "twitching" according to my husband. 

We also get to live near the SpaceX testing center. We hear the rockets rumbling quite frequently. I hope that my husband can one day go to work for them. We are in a happy place. Sunday lunch with family, better schools and hope for our future! 2019 is looking great!

Tuesday, February 5, 2019

When They Love Plants vs Zombies

My son turned 9 this month. And for his birthday, he decided that a Plants vs Zombies party theme was what he wanted. Of course we were 2 weeks from moving day when we started talking about this party of his. I always give them the choice of theme. But why does it have to be PvZ?! This is not in my comfort zone... Still, I do my best to create the party they dream of. Even mid-move! 

Planning starts with invitations. A party needs guests and since we are moving long distance, I had to give him a chance to hang out and socialize with his buddies near here before the move. After that... well, it might be a while before he sees some of them again. If ever. 
After the invitations, I decided to design his birthday cake. We agreed to make it ourselves to save money. But I didn't want to do the same one I had done for my older son. I made him the sunflower one. Fun and easy. Made from a round cake and Twinkies for the petals. No, this time I got a little ambitious. I mean, how hard can it be? 
At first I thought I'd make some characters using marshmallows. That was a mess. I had green fingers to show for it. And a perfect specimen for the show Nailed It. I was aiming for this guy and came out with...
Can't help but laugh. And then try something else! I figured I might have better luck creating paper ones that I can put on the cake using toothpicks instead. When I told the kids, they decided to do it for me! Can't blame them. After all, they saw my first attempt...
I also decided to use Golden Oreo cookies for the sunflowers. And grapes shooting green M&M's for the Pea Shooters. My daughter had some rectangular shaped graham cookies that I turned into headstones.
As for snacks, I thought popcorn, green grapes and watermelon bites would be perfect additions. They fit with the characters from the game. Plus, they are healthier options. Overall, I think it went well. He was thrilled with it all. Some of his friends came and celebrated with him. Quite the happy party!
In the middle, I used mini marshmallows, covered in green frosting to make the "bushes" that are in the game.