Steampunk Every Day!

My everyday cosplay HAS to include Steampunk. While there are several ways I could accomplish such a feat, I have started off simple. I don't want to wear the top hat every time I leave. And some days are too warm for a velvet-ish jacket. But there are other items I like to wear to get into the groove of 'punking while taking in the sights around town. This one was a comfortable option for me.

My mother sent me this amazing skirt that has a corset-like waistband that ties in the front. The slit is high on the side, so I can wear it on warmer days too. I wear my black suede boots. Moving upwards, I am wearing a simple red T-shirt with a simple black vest over it. I'm hoping to expand my vest collection. My 14 year old son also likes them in his dapper look. Makes me so proud! It was a cold day, so I am wearing the long red duster that matches the shirt. I probably should have gone with the grey one that matched the skirt though. I'm also wearing a choker that my mom sent. Steampunk is very much with the Victorian styles. So cameo jewelry is a great addition.

What do you think? What would you change? Another one I have is a white top, black vest, leggings and a velvet-like jacket. 

Do you have a style in the 'Punked range you like? Let me know in the comments below!

Every Day Can Be A Cosplay Day! Starting with Elves!

I love to dress up. Doesn't matter what I'm doing. If I'm going out, I like to do so in my own style. 

Why do I enjoy cosplay on regular days? 

Being close to the holidays, I wore a green blouse and black leggings with calf-length black boots. I did up my hair too. My son walked in and said, "Mom, you kinda look like Link!" If you don't know who that is, look up Legend of Zelda. So I decided to pull out my elf ears that my mom had sent me for my costuming collection. Totally worth it! We had to run to the post office. The worker was dead on her feet. Tired. Didn't want to deal with another person. And working completely on her own. You could see it in her eyes. She told one customer ahead of me that she hated Christmas by the time it rolled around because she saw nothing but boxes every day leading up to it! I felt her pain. When I took my turn walking up to her, she barely glanced at me as she asked the standard questions. Poor lady. Then she finally looks at me and shock lights up her face. She forgot what she was saying for a moment. Then she collected her wits and went back on. But she kept staring at me. Finally, she asked me, "I know this is rude, but I gotta know. Are those ears really yours?" I wish I could say yes! I turned my head and moved my hair aside to show her how they just slide over my ear. She started laughing and I told her I was a cosplayer that took pride in showing off these things. So ask away! Maybe I get a lot of funny looks. But if I can make one person smile, or at least have them break out of the monotony, then it is totally worth it! 

I wore that look again a couple weeks later, but with some slight changes. We were once again going to the post office on a weekend. This time, the lady was there, but so was the funny guy. He's the one who suggested the prank of asking a Walmart employee if the chicken legs were from the front or the back of the chicken. Apparently someone has done this and stumped a manager... Anyhow! He called, "Next." I stepped forward. And that's when he glanced up. He grabs the counter, bent over laughing. "Well, hello Mrs. Spock!" He tried to get the lady to look, but she was past the point of even faking a smile. Can't blame the poor woman. But I made one person smile! 

We also went to Walmart afterwards. So many people were staring. But one woman steps up and says, "I love your ears!" Person number two! My day was made.

So here are some of my every day cosplay looks. Feel inspired? Tell me about it! Better yet, message me! I love seeing others' styles. 

Link from Legend of Zelda or Lord of the Rings elf? 

This look can go either way. It just takes the switch in accessories. I usually prefer to wear my leggings. I find they are easier on my back than jeans are. The flexible material adjusts better than denim. So I wore black leggings. I also chose to wear the black boots. If I was going more Link, I'd wear my brown boots. My mom found 2 pairs a long while back. By Dream Pairs on Amazon. They have lasted about 2 years now, I think? Love them! Starting to wear the heels out, but excellent boots at affordable prices. 

For the top, I have this green shirt that I wear over a longer white tank top. I don't like wearing the leggings without my shirt covering my rear a bit. The green one is dark. From East 5th. I love hunter green. I've been looking for clothing with this and other colors to add variety to my wardrobe. But this green works great for the woodland creatures - elves - that I love so much! The sides have details to help show I do still have curves. Having gained as much weight as I have has been hard on me, mind-wise. I don't often feel as beautiful as I wish. It was cold, so I added the long great sweater. Grey is just another color that fits the themes. My daughter says that when the wind catches it, it looks like I have a cape on. 

That is the main part of the look. Just simple, yet effective. The true cosplay part comes from the accessories. If I want to go elf, I need my ears!

My mom had sent me a big bag with multiple types of elf ears that she got from Amazon. I like these, as they just hang onto the ear. No glues or other adhesives. However, some are too loose. And with my glasses, I do have to tuck the ears under the glasses over my own ears to stay on properly for longer periods of time. But they look good, no? 

Leather bracelets like this, or even bracers are a favorite of mine. I LOVE Wonder Woman. This was another gift from my mom that has been included in so many of my looks. 

I wear this Evenstar necklace when I want to be Arwen from Lord of the Rings. The day I dress like Link, I was wearing this necklace that I got from a friend who sold Paparazzi jewelry.

I would love to expand to somehow do a Tauriel version. It will take some thinking though. My mother recently sent me a long, dark green top that I might modify to look like this. 

  

So this is just one look I've created for my everyday cosplay! Two characters, in the Elven realm! I need to work on a couple more. Like the every day version of Harley Quinn I want to do based on a single necklace I got... Yes, sometimes my ideas stem from a single item! 

Not all my styles are based on a character though. Some are just things that I can feel good in. I haven't been able to accept my current size. I still can't see myself as beautiful, but I can look generally 'good' in my own eyes when I pair things up just right. Like this one for colder days.

                        I enjoyed this one as it also matched my Mini Me doll.

What do you think? What character would you create an every day cosplay for?

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!

Oh the Cosplayer Dilemma!

I love cosplay. I love the culture. I love dressing up. Becoming my favorite characters for just a short while! So, I often look for the chances to do just that. The last costume opportunity was dressing as a pirate for the homeschool class I teach. It was great fun! And the next one I have scheduled is to be a Viking at the Scarborough Renaissance Festival. But shortly after this, I was planning to create an evening gown style that was reminiscent of Queen Amidala from Star Wars as we attend a night at the symphony. There, we planned to enjoy music from Star Wars and hear (I was also hoping to meet) our beloved Lando Calrissian, Billy Dee Williams. Sadly, he will not be attending. Music is still being planned to include Star Wars, but will also have music from Titanic. And from Lord of the Rings. See, it is called Sounds of the Cinema. Something I had overlooked when planning the evening. According to the email I woke up to, we are going from outer space to Middle Earth as Sean Astin will be present! I love Sean! He was a crush when I first saw Goonies. Later, I thought he was the better hobbit in Lord of the Rings. I cheered for him in Rudy as he overcame such great odds. And most recently, I about cried when they killed him off in Stranger Things. HOW COULD THEY KILL BOB?!?! The writers at least kept him longer than originally planned and his death was very heroic. Only saving grace for those guys.... But I digress. 

So, what is my dilemma, you ask? Glad you asked. I was in the process of trying to create a Star Wars-esque dress. I was dressing up the Padme look in the black and red battle outfit she had. I thought I would wear my suede black boots with the long black and silver cape. My mother sent me beautiful jewelry to accessorize with. 

But then I get this email that Lando won't be there. Sean Astin will. I would LOVE to be able to meet him. I just want one photo! I promise I wouldn't squeal and go total fan girl on him. I have better control than that. So.... do I wear a Lord of the Rings-like gown instead? My wedding dress was the Elvish style of Arwen. She was, after all, my hero. Beautiful and elf. What I always wanted to be. As much as I love him for Goonies and Stranger Things, I'm not going 80's style. I refuse. Those styles are better left back there. 

The part of this email that caught me the strongest was the Red Carpet. Looking at the picture of what I had started putting together, I'm not feeling like it is Red Carpet level. So do I find another gown to pair up? Or switch to my Elf style?  

What are your thoughts?? I'd love any input on this conundrum of mine. Drop me a comment below and have a great rest of your week!

Free Comic Book Day Fun

A couple days ago was Free Comic Book Day! I love it. Sort of like a mini comic con when it's done right. Plus, you walk away with free comics. Win-win! Truth be told, I don't really go for the comics though. The best part for me, is getting to cosplay. To be a character for a while. I haven't been cosplaying much in a while. Between life being so busy with 4 kids and not being able to get away for comic cons.... okay and dealing with the larger body size... I just haven't been able to work up the joy I used to have for this hobby of mine. However, I made the last minute decision to be Wanda aka the Scarlet Witch from the Avengers. I love Wanda's style. The red was a huge draw for me. Love red! Her story might be a sad one, but it ended on a good note. As far as I know. I haven't seen WandaVision. Since I don't subscribe to streaming services, I'll have to miss out on that show. So my knowledge of her comes from the movies. 

Last minute makings

My mom gave me 2 dresses. One maroon, one purple. Both identical otherwise. They are vintage styled. 50's, with empire waist and well flared skirts. I love them both. For the purple one, at first, I had the idea to create a Joker themed outfit. But I haven't had the time to start designing that yet. So my thoughts shifted to the maroon dress. 

I thought of 2 characters: Wanda from Avengers and Jean Grey from X-Men. Of course, for the latter one, that is the Phoenix or Dark Phoenix version. Like from the movie...

                                    After some deliberation, Scarlet Witch won my choice. 

Mind you, this was all configured the night before the event. So I worked in between gaming with my husband. It also meant that the designing was quick and not going to last for a long term cosplay with multiple uses. But that is okay. I like to switch it up. 

Piecing the style together

The dress came with a belt from my mom. The belt was too large for me - even after pulling it as tight as it was made to go. So I had to safety pin it from underneath. You can't see the pins, and the belt stayed in place! If I was to redo this, I'd go find a new belt to use that was smaller around my middle. I didn't have to do anything else to the dress though. 

I had these gloves from another cosplay I had before. They aren't the best, but they are versatile in their usefulness. I pulled them out and promptly forgot to bring them along... But they would have been awesome for this outfit! 

Of course, black boots seemed fitting. I have them. They matched. Good enough. One day I think I'll try to do something to make or get red boots. Especially if I do a Wonder Woman cosplay.... 

Red hair is a must. Scarlet is in her name and blends it all together so nicely. I have 2 wigs (so far). One is this red, and I have a blond. My husband loves them both. I can change my hair up in about 5 minutes without smelly dyes and semi-permanent results!  

I don't have a red cape. So instead I added this sleeveless long cardigan vest I have. I love this piece! And I hope to get another one. In blue this time. They work well with everyday wear as well as cosplay.

So what else is left? 

Now for the hardest part of this transformation. The headpiece. Considering I did this with cardstock and paint, you'd think it was super easy. You'd be wrong. I printed out this template from another cosplayer. She made it pretty simple, really. But it just didn't look quite right. It matched, don't get me wrong, but felt off. I couldn't quite figure it out. However, after making my own adjustments, I decided to just satisfy myself with it and move on. 

I did find another tutorial HERE that I think you should check out too. Pick the one that works best for you. If I do this again, I think I will use this one and make it with the worbla. 

I do suggest having elastic or a headband to attach it to so that you can wear it easier. I did this all the night before, so I just tucked the sides under my glasses. Big mistake. My hair came loose and the mask kept falling. I looked great for a little while though, so I'm not too torn up over it. We even had another cosplayer (Rocking Spider-man) ask for a group photo with us. Which, if you are a cosplayer, you know this is the highest form of admiration.

It's all for fun

Overall, I'm impressed with this get up. It was quick, easy, yet effective. We had fun as a family! My oldest son dressed up as a military/SWAT type guy (he's still piecing it together). My younger son was a Tusken Raider. My oldest daughter was a medieval princess. And my youngest was Elsa (even had some blue hair going on). My sons and I like to cosplay. My girls just want to dress pretty. But either way leads to fun! Sadly, my husband didn't dress up. He has a movie set-grade cosplay that he put together himself as a SWAT guy from the Resident Evil franchise. And he can easily outshine any cosplay I do with that! But this time, it was way too hot and he had another migraine. 

So now I want to hear from you! Do you cosplay? Who is your favorite character? I love hearing and even seeing them! Send me your Instagram details and I'll gladly follow you. Or email me at texanmama08 at g mail dot com. Show me what you have created! 

Preparations For Free Comic Book Day

Free Comic Book Day happens on the first Saturday of May every year. And it is a blast! Being the nerdy family that we are, we love to dress up as the characters that inspire us. As a family! Not only do we get to dress up and get free comics, but we bond. We share in fun times together as we prepare our costumes before the big day and then we show them off. As fun as it is, it can be a lot of work. And it means that I need to have all my supplies in order. My crafting corner needs some help, but it works out for now. Eventually I need to get another one of my storage boxes for my steampunk supplies alone. My Mom bought me this first box and it has been amazing! My kids can search through it as we work together. Though the baby loves to rearrange everything... almost daily!

My husband normally looks like he walked off the set of a Resident Evil movie.

He created his cosplay before we got together. And made it as realistic as possible. Makes me a proud wife! Sadly, he might not be able to get dressed up with us due to his old pants needing replacement.

My oldest son asked me to help him look like a Black Ops Guy. A spy with a cool gun, basically. His was easy to put together. But then he changed his mind and decided he wanted to be the Jedi from the Force Unleashed 2 game. *hit head here* So I started over and had plenty to come up with.

I bought a pair of cheap suspenders and hot glued belt-like pieces to it to create the chest harness. I used Pringles lids and craft sticks that I painted silver to make the decorations for his belt.

My Mom sent Ace bandages that I could use to wrap his arms. It will look awesome!

My younger son wanted something that truly tests my creative abilities. He wants to be a Tusken Raider from Star Wars.

For the most part, I was able to make the pieces easily. I sewed and hot glued his rifle sling and pockets together.

He decided to use some Jedi robes as the main part of his costume. Makes him look more like a Tusken assassin. The mask has been tormenting me though. I have to use what we have around the house, which makes it even harder. Otherwise I would have followed this guys tutorial. Or use this guys great idea. Instead, I'm using the hood piece on the black robe to hot glue these pieces I created using broken Nerf darts (painted silver) and a toilet paper roll that I cut in half and painted.

I had a couple silver pieces I had taken off something else. They made the perfect toppers for the darts that go right above the mouth. The mouth part is still up in the air for me. I have a leather belt, but I haven't figured out how to get the triangular shape yet. Then, to finish it off, more Ace bandages will be wrapped around his head.

My oldest daughter wanted to be Princess Leia. Normally, I'd be so proud! However, this was difficult in that she had no white dresses and I had nothing plain white to use. White is not a family-friendly color around here. It stains too easily. I did find a great tutorial on Pinterest about using a large piece of white fabric or sheet to use without having to sew anything. Yay for easy! And my Mom had sent me some pillow cases that I could use. Then she changed her mind and wanted to be Aurora instead. Thanks for continually being indecisive kids...

Then there is the baby... What do I do for her? I am thinking a Barbie Princess is just right for this little lady. She has dresses. I just need to accessorize her. I think...

Finally, there is my own cosplay. I'm going all steampunk. A Steampunk Time Traveler. I finally got the skirt to an acceptable style. I also found the shirt that looks perfect under my corset. I'm feeling pretty good about how it looks.

I have been working on this for quite a while. Took an old pair of boots, glued on the gears to the ankle and painted the toes. I had a cheap pair of goggles that I put in actual colored glass lenses into, painted and added gears on the sides. My Mom sent the corset.

I added gears and chains to 'punk it out more. I sewed pocket pouches that I added gears to so that I can hang them from a draped belt. I'm still debating on whether I'll add my steampunk'd glocks.

I created one holster at least. And one of my favorite pieces? This cuff!

One thing I have learned, is that your craft supplies can come from anything. I had an old pair of boots with buckles on them. I cut those pieces off and now they are being used for my oldest sons costume. Embellishments can come from things you least expect. Like the silver pieces I mentioned that I've glued to the Nerf darts. They came from a busted pair of headphones. Always remember to think outside the box!

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.