A Year?

I can't believe that it's been almost a year since I've updated.

I take that back. I can absolutely believe it. I've had no time over the last 11 months for costuming, but I'm very happy to say that I'm back!

I'm currently at work on two things: finishing Daenerys (poor, neglected khaleesi) and beginning a new challenge.

I tend to overspend when I'm crafting. The thing is that I'm broke right now, and I would like to change my habits anyway. Thus, I'm challenging myself to stick to $40 for my newest adventure (and one of my cosplay dreams!): Final Fantasy XIII's Lightning.

Lightning is going to mean some magical adventures to Goodwill, but I really think I can make it work. Of course, that means wig, boots, supplies, and gunblade (weapon) all for $40 or less.

I've already got a turtleneck that I'll be re-purposing, and I may have a skirt. I'm also toying with the idea of cutting up an old prom dress to make the cape. Either way, I'll keep you updated on my adventures.

As for Daenerys, I just dyed the top today. Once it dries, I'll do the detail stitching on it. Then, I'm going to weather the skirt. The biggest challenge for Dany will be styling the wig, as I have no experience doing that.

The ACEN Diet

I hate the d-word. I really, really do. So, this is the first and last time I will use it: diet.

Stay with me here, alright?

I'm comfortable in my skin. For the first time in my life, I've actually been able to say - for about a year now - that I love my body. I have a big bust, round thighs, and some big ol' hips. My feet are large and kind of weird. Despite having been in braces for four years, my teeth aren't perfect. My skin is pale and splotchy in places. And I love it. All of it.

Don't get me wrong: I have my bad days. Sometimes, I look at my skinny friends and wish, wish, wish that I looked like them. Really, though - deep down - I don't. I like me. And that took over a decade to figure out.

Of course, there are always ways to improve oneself. I'm not a terribly healthy person. I love Coca Cola and candy, and I don't eat enough protein. I don't exercise, either; while I love walking, I don't have time for it. My thunder thighs are things of beauty, but they're also weighed down by some excess fat. My tummy and my arms could use a little more muscle and a little less jiggle, too. Thus, in the spirit of being healthy and looking nicer for a slew of upcoming events, including ACEN, I'm cutting down on some things. First, I'm drinking Coke Zero instead of Coke - at least for a while. I'm foregoing sweets for the most part, and  kicking up the fruits and veggies.

My goal is to be happier and healthier, mind and body, in the next couple of months.

Elena Gun Progress

I mentioned that I started anew the Beretta M9 for my Elena costume. I used a cardboard base, just like last time. Instead of measuring it, though, I just free-handed it and then adjusted the size until it felt natural to hold. I taped the cardboard together and then did a layer of papier-mache to smooth things out. Basically, the process is the exact same as the one detailed in the post below. This time, however, since the proportions turned out right, I went at it with some Paperclay:

It took about 1/3 of a standard package. I waited two days to make sure it was completely dry and then did some sanding. I followed JiaJem's tutorial on armor to a tee. Two lessons: never sand indoors, and usa an electric sander, if possible. You wouldn't think that sanding something that small would be so difficult, but it really is. So my next cosplay investment will indeed be a mouse sander, preferably something in the $25-30 range. 

I filled in the cracks and craters with more Paperclay, let the gun dry, and sanded again. Alas, Christmas Break ended, and I didn't want to deal with trying to sand at my apartment at school. Elena is thus going on hold until Spring Break, when I hope to finish this thing.

Joyeux Noel

Now that I'm on Christmas Break, I'm finally getting a chance to do some crafting. My list of things to finish includes:
1. Clothes for my poor stuffed snowmen who have really taken a beating over the past 15 years. Their threadbare-ness is starting to scare me, so I'm making them some clothes for protection.
2. A baby blanket that I bought the fabric for last spring. Fail.
3. Elena Fisher's Beretta M9 for my multiple in-progress Elena cosplays. For info on that in a second.
4. A new purse.
5. Poor, neglected Daenerys.

Quite a lot. I'm really enjoying it, though. I've also been playing Dragon Age II, which is fabulous so far.

Anyway, about Elena. I attempted to make a gun awhile back, but the proportions were off and it ended up being too large. Therefore, it never got past the papier-mache stage:

I used this tutorial, which was actually very helpful in getting my bearings. Because I need to make a replica of an actual pistol, though, rather than an anime gun, the measurements didn't work for me. I decided to scrap measurements (for the most part) and just play around with the cardboard until I got something that looked and felt right. I constructed a cardboard base, coated it with papier-mache, and then put on a layer of Paperclay, as per Jia Jem's amazing tutorial. The Paperclay is still drying, so I'm not ready to sand yet. I think it's going to take a second layer because of cracks and such. In the meantime, I'm working on the baby blanket and snowman clothes.

Khaleesi Pictures

Upon returning home for Thanksgiving, I found the lost camera cord! So here are some progress shots of Khaleesi:

The top is going to end up being a halter, which all you ladies with larger chests will recognize as the bane of your existence. Thus, I needed to put some more support in it. First I made a lining out of brown fabric - that brown is about the color that the whole thing will be, once dyed - and then I cut up an old bra and sewed it in.

I've not been able to find a photo of the back of the top, so I'm improvising. I'm still not sure how I want the fabric to lay yet, so it's just pinned for now.

Hair: A Story of Love and Hate

Well, school got in the way of me finishing Daenerys in time for Halloween. I was quite disappointed, but it worked out in the end. I got to spend the day leading up to the Halloween party (Saturday) crafting, all the while riding on my Friday night high from the Cardinals winning the World Series. When it came time for the party, however, I was terribly sick to my stomach and ended up going home to bed. So I suppose it was a good thing I didn't kill myself to finish Dany.

My replacement costume was going to be a Companion Cube (Portal) dress, which I made on Saturday. It's super cute, so I'm going to wear it to a party tomorrow. Ask me if I care whether Halloween is over.

In the meantime, putting off Dany is also giving me more time to grow out my hair. All of the Daenerys costumes that I've seen thus far use wigs - which can look really nice, of course - but I want to add a unique touch with my own hair. It's about the right length - that's what not getting a haircut for a year will do - so I'll just need a bit of silvery spray color on the top and some light curling. And here's the best part: after the photo shoot, I'll be chopping it all off! I'm sure I'll get it cut and immediately miss my long hair, because short cuts have never really worked on me before. This time, I'm going to the salon with a load of pictures and very specific instructions. I think there will even be bangs involved, and I haven't had those since I was 10.

I am really, really excited for this haircut. Once it gets to a certain length, it's completely unmanageable. Even in the winter, I'm stuck wearing it in a bun on the top of my head because having a huge main on my neck is terribly hot.

As always, I promise to have pictures of all of my costume progress by Thanksgiving. The camera cord is still missing, and if I don't find it by then, I'm going to fork out the $20 for a new one.

The Affair of the Lost Camera Cord

I still haven't found the cord that hooks my camera to the computer. Yes, my computer has a card-reader, and it claims to be able to read those tiny SD cards...empty promises! I tried to stick it in there, just to see what would happen, and I had to pry it out with two pencils. So, not having been back to St. Louis to look for the camera cord (it's probably floating around the house somewhere), I haven't located it yet. It looks like I'm going to have to cave and go to Best Buy anyway. Or maybe Wal-Mart will have a cheap card-reader that would actually work. I'll be investigating that this afternoon.

In other news, I've made some good progress on Daenerys. Not enough, mind you, as Halloween is a mere 16 days away, but some. I took apart an old bra and sewed it into the lining material. The next step will be sewing the lining material into the top. Now the trick will be figuring out how to make the bra supportive enough. Since the top is a halter (the bane of all big-chested women), I might just try to attach it tightly in the back. It will be a trial-and-error process, but I'll make it work somehow.

I haven't begun on the skirt, but it's going to be easy enough. My biggest challenges are going to be:
1) dying the top and then reworking the burlap to make it look more natural, and
2) making all of those belt paillettes out of Paper Clay.

Having never used Paper Clay before, I think the jewelry-making will prove to be interesting. I'm going to be working off of this tutorial by the amazing JiaJem (my eternal cosplay inspiration).

On a somewhat unrelated note, Nora and I are going to be starting an Etsy shop that sells geeky pillows. That's right, folks: all of your Mass Effect, Portal, Nintendo, XBox, Playstation, Game of Thrones, Star Wars, and Star Trek needs in the pillow department will finally be met. I'll have more news as we figure things out. We'll definitely be up-and-running by the holiday season, so be thinking about ordering gifts for your friends and loved ones! Who wouldn't want a fluffy companion cube to sleep with every night?