2020 has been awful so far 🙁
Ugh. That’s the short version.
I took two of my cats in to the vet at the beginning of January. Snoop had the sniffles she couldn’t take and Yui was losing weight no matter how much we tried to feed him.
Snoop was put on anti-biotics and cleared right up.
Yui we thought had been due to bad teeth. The prior vet clinic always told us his teeth were bad. Much to our surprise, the new vet said his teeth were fine, especially for his age. He had hyperthyroid that was stressing his internals. He was given an appetite stimulant and pill to settle his system. He went right back to eating, with him going on hyperthyroid meds and a new prescription diet. He even finally, at 16.5 years old, got his big cat meow when he got chicky (he usually squeaks instead of meowing).
Everything seemed to be going well, so I ordered the new Black Widow costume from SimCosplay since I was VERY happy with the Captain America I won from them.
Then on January 26th, I came home from lunch with my cousin to find Snoop laying strangely in a spot upstairs I never have seen her rest at. When I went back up later to feed them, she was laying somewhere else and didnt come over. Again, odd.
A few hours later, we noticed Yui’s paw turned over. We thought maybe he had sprained it and got him crated to minimize his movement until we could get to the vet in the morning. Once he was situated, our third cat, Seven, made a distressing meow. We knew one of the cats was having issues in the box, so I was always listening out for this. I ran up and he was in the middle of the stair case, no where near the box. I went all the way up and Snoop was laying odd near the water fountain. I got her up and noticed a small spot of blood on the carpet and blood flecks on her rear. I called up Bob to get a better look while I held her. When he got up, she peed blood on my lap. He went to go to walmart to get a second crate for her while I messaged one of best friends who is a former vet assistant.
She had me check a few things, specifically her gums. They were bone white. When Bob came home, we rushed to an emergency vet. The bloodwork showed she had bladder cancer and was severely anemic. We had to put her down. She only needed the sedative, so I know she would have passed that night regardless. At least we know the why and if we had waited, we would have woken up to something horrific. She hid it so well.
Yui, it turned out, was having reactions to him hyperthyroid meds. They were causing clots in his legs. He was put on pain killers and blood thinners. He stopped eating again. After a week of finding the best method to administer his meds, he started eating again. He was eating really great, I was so happy! But he wasn’t pooping and he didnt look like he was gaining any weight. His legs were still shaky and it was hard to walk.
But how he tried SO hard. He really did. The heart was there but the flesh couldn’t comply. I also think recovery was difficult because of losing Snoop. He was very attached to her. I think he was lost without her.
We made the decision to put him down on Valentine’s Day. Normally, I don’t care about this holiday, but he was our sweetheart and the irony was not lost on me.
We still have Seven. When we came home from putting Snoop down, he made a point to sleep with me at night again. After Yui passed, he has made a point to show how good he is, running and jumping all over. He is our independent Alpha cat and while he can handle being on his own, he does miss them in his way. I think he calls out for them because he knows its too quiet.
I miss Snoop yelling at everyone…I miss how Yui thudded when he walked. It didnt matter if he was 21 pounds or 7, I could hear him walking around three rooms away.
The vet bills were not fun. I maxed out or nearly maxed out most of my credit cards, so I have had to slow down a lot of plans. I’ve lucked out with credits, coupons, and gift cards to pick up a few things.
I have a lot of foam still from making Batman for Bob, so I am surprising him with the JL Aquaman armor to match my Mera.
Onto slightly happier news, JLWNY is still going strong. Adding new members and charity/community events. Its kept me distracted from losing Snoop and Yui. I know 16.5-17 years old is great for a cat, but it doesn’t hurt any less. I still have Seven and he’s my baby. He will be 17 in June, which I hope he makes.
My mother has been secret priming me from my Amazon wish list. One is a wig I can use for Captain Marvel, so I feel good about dying my hair red again. Ive been thinking about for the last 6 months or so. I love being blonde, but the upkeep is ridiculous since my hair grows so fast. If I can’t line up an appointment, my roots can look very bad. When Im a red head, my roots are less obvious and I can go longer between visits, ultimately saving money.
She also got me a wig for Elsa. I had to laugh because I was only THINKING about the character to encourage more princesses for our group. When I went to remove the previous wig from my list, the Elsa one said it was out of stock, so I figured the universe was telling me no. Surprise the next day! So I used my $50 coupon from Procosplay to get Elsa’s traveling dress from their ready to ship section, so hopefully that is what my DHL notice is for. My Black Widow is held up because of the Chinese New Year and the precautions China was taking for the CoronaVirus. As long as its here before the new movie, Ill be happy LOL
Winter is Coming 😡
Yeah my bad, I continue to not update. My excuse is that the software that I use for this site “updated” and I hate it. Ive been website coding since 1998, Ive seen changes over the years…and what Divi did is just gross. There’s an alleged option to use the old editor, but when I try, I break the site. -_-
To say I am unpleased is understatement. I walked away for my own sanity plus I figure maybe some of the worst of it will have been fixed if I waited it out.
See also Executive Dysfunction stemming from my ADHD 😡
So to pick up from June, well its been a ride. I DID finish me Mera Armor and it looks pretty awesome if I don’t say so myself. I have only worn it a couple of times because most events aren’t really meant for it. I figure the next Aquaman movie will be soon and Ill have her ready to go for that. I also have her Aquaman movie version for if Im feeling lazy or if the event is not conducive to the armor.
If you go to the front page, you can see almost everything I have done with JLWNY. There’s a few private events not listed and JLWNY certain has done more than what I have been to. Around 85 events will be in the books for 2019, with 20 booked or pending for 2020. To say I am insanely surprised by the demand of the group is an understatement. It turns out people like working with groups that can clearly communicate and they are more than happy to refer us to other charities and fundraisers.
We have made some incredibly strong allies who have helped promote us or helped us get our 501c3 Status. As of this writing, we are the ONLY 501c3 cosplay group in Buffalo. That means any donation made to the group is tax deductible. We can also be found on Amazon Smile as Justice League of WNY, Inc. With the status, we are making big plans to help even more people in 2020, so I am very humbled and excited by the success.
Costume wise, I am trying very, very hard to watch my spending. I have a severe anxiety-depression cycle and because I am filled with unhealthy coping mechanisms, I buy a lot of things mostly for cosplay. While crafting is a very good therapy, it can be EXPENSIVE therapy LOL I am really trying to pace myself. I buy when there are very good sales or if I am buying an already made costume that I am able to justify it, not just buy because I want it.
After Mera (armor by me, zentai suit by Herostime), I finally got my Valkyrie armor (Procosplay). Ive wanted to have that costume forever and when I got a very nice tax return, that was my treat. Ive had to make adjustments with it and I didn’t wear until October, but I still love it. Its comfortable 😀
I have also said for years that if an authorized costume was decent that I would buy it to encourage more higher quality costumes. When I found Batgirl 52 on Amazon from a commercial license, I put my money where my mouth was. The mask was awful tho, so I made my own. I also reinforced the pouches on the belt so it kept its shape.
I went through a couple of spandex Captain Marvel costumes. My first one, I loved. But its metallic spandex and the shine was wearing off. I didnt like most of the other ones available cheaply, so I settled on one from Amazon and I used my accessories from other costumes. My MCU one from Procosplay is finally crying its slow death. So I made both my own spandex version and have on order a vinyl version that I havent seen anyone locally have. It is one piece and has a front zip. The Procosplay one looks great, but its hard to move in and I always needed help to get into it. Also, about 6 people locally have it and a million other cosplayers, so I wanted to be a little different and I couldn’t wear it whenever it was over 70 degrees. The one I made, the pattern was a pain the ass LOL but I got thru it, learned a lot, and plan to use it to make the Endgame version.
I also picked up the simplified version of Mera’s costume, so I can wear her and not have to worry about the armor.
When Buffalo Comicon’s Fall show came around, I did not intend to make anything new, because broke. I said as much to a friend of mine on September 29th. September 30th, Bob asked me to make him Batman in 19 days. Amended to 18 for an event the day before 😐 I did it tho, because somehow I can make things in less than 3 weeks…
I also won a Captain America costume from Sim Cosplay, so we will see if that comes thru
Happy June!
It’s June! A few days until my birthday. There’s so much coming up, I can’t wait!
This upcoming week is the Superhero walk and Niagara Falls Comicon. Ill only be up Saturday. Ill be wearing my Kaylee Frye costume – look for the parasol LOL I want to get a photo op with Cary Elwes, but mostly I am going to see friends
Ive started working on the armor for Mera…hopefully I don’t doof it 🙁 I know it won’t be perfect, but I really want to challenge myself and learn new skills. Ill be ordering the bodysuit as soon as the company gets back to me on a question I have.
Justice League of WNY is now officially a NYS recognized non-profit – whooo. I’ve filled in more events the group will be in in my appearance list
A Little Bit of May
Welp, I had another unexpected cosplay opportunity pop up. Kaylee, from Firefly. Think Geek had a MASSIVE one day clearance sale and I got her coveralls for $18 😀 😀 😀 Add in pretty much any of my raglan shirts and its mostly set.
I lucked out BIG time when someone was reselling the out of print parasol of hers that Think Geek had about 4 years ago. SCOOOORE On Poshmark of all places LOL
Still haven’t painted my ice axe for Lara Croft 😛
We have 2 walks this month, hopefully lots of fun
Spring-ish?
Holy cow, its FINALLY warm-ish. Temps are anywhere between 40-60 and honestly, Ill take it over the snow.
JLWNY has done a few events. We had something every weekend in April. Lots of fun and networking. Hopefully, in a couple weeks we will officially be a register charity group. We can then file for a fundraiser status so that we can raise operating expenses as well as for charities of our choice. After that, we will be aiming to earn a 501c3 tax exempt status – so fingers crossed.
ENDGAME – just OMG :O I held back my tears because I didn’t want to smudge my make up, true story. Ill probably see it again but not in costume so I can ugly cry all I want. I won’t give spoilers, but lets just say I concur that Steve Rogers has America’s Ass 😀 I also loved the shout out to A Force – pleeeeeeease let that become a thing!
Costume wise, I need to finish painting the ice axe for my updated Lara Croft. Its going to be mostly Shadow of the Tomb Raider, with a bit of the movie thrown in. My steampunk Captain Marvel is one of those that I am working on at my leisure. You know, a bit here, a bit there. Its sort of my work on between bigger projects. I need to put the red cuffs on (might be a little challenge with the way the jacket is designed), make my gaiters, and an aviator’s cap. Im also making a new belt for American Dream. I needed new pants and they don’t quite match the blue of the top because its a different material (but otherwise I love them). If I use the belt that came with the costume, I would have 3 different blues, so I decided to make a new brown belt so the color shift doesn’t look as obvious until I can buy the real replacement pants. Plus, I can make the pickets actually fit things like my phone and trading cards 😛 My BIG costume Im gearing up for is Mera, JL version. I want to make the armor. While I like the made ones online, I think I can make it look better with the proper armor. Save my big purchase for Valkyrie. I hope to have it done in enough time for Fanexpo and to get a picture with Jason Mamoa in it 😀 😀 😀
NFL DRAFT – I LOVE what Brandon Beane has done for the Bills. I LOVE that the players he selected truely want to be here. Exciting times ahead. Trust the Process. We get to the Super Bowl again, Ill fucking tattoo that somewhere. Although I want a Flerken tattoo first….assuming I can stop spending money on cosplay :O
I think I had my post disappear??
I swear I had made a post not too long ago, but I see no evidence on it ;_;
So since the holidays, admittedly, not a whole lot except trying to stay warm. I’ve been fortunate that MOST of the bad weather happened on the weekends, so I didn’t have to go out. I did get 2 paid snow day from work tho, so SCORE!
One of my cats is having teeth issues and had been hiding on us. Because he wasn’t eating, he dropped a ton of weight, which became obvious on a typically broad (but not fat) cat. We have been giving him extra feedings, which he has been very happy about. Unfortunately, the other cats have learned this and have started following us every time we go upstairs. My cats are all 16 this year, so I am very happy to see my Alpha kitty have his personality back. He has taken to exerting his dominance over my Goose plush-stand in -_-*** He spent all of the last two days doing this:
….and YES, my Captain Marvel replacement did come in and ITS AWESOME! Its also THICKER than the previous model, so its a LOT warmer – its practically insulated. It might be an issue when the weather gets warm tho, so no sunny events come July LOL The more I wear it, the more it loosens up, so its been great. the only down side is that I didn’t specify the calf width and the boots don’t fit. I had to order a new set ;_; In the meantime, I’m wearing my black and red moto boots from New Rock that I usually wear with my Harley Quinn costume. Hey, it works!
Bob has taken some AMAZING portraits of me in this costume and he won’t let me share them until he publishes his book of cosplay composites…which will be FOREVER since he is on image 25 and he wants 100 ;_;
Tomorrow is the Captain Marvel fan event and I AM SO EXCITED! And yes, Im dressing up. Im also going with members of JLWNY on FRIDAY (also in costume). Its also pay day so I plan on buying the CM BUILD A BEAR because I am 😛 I’m probably always going to be 5 years old. Fight me 😀
Here’s a shot of me with my friend and amazing artist, Will Rodriguez of Creative Zenith <3
Merry Xmas 2018
Pffft yeah, I don’t write a lot..
So, yes my MCU Captain Marvel came in and its awesome…and when I wore it for Halloween at work and for a party I was hired to entertain at a fire hall, I ended up puncturing it. It looks like when I went potty the back zipper flipped under and caught it 🙁 Now the hole didn’t spread, which speaks to its durability. I was able to reinforce it and it SHOULD be ok, but with it being compromised, I was concerned.
Originally, I was going to see about replacing just the jumpsuit, but when I was looking up info for a friend, I saw that the shop made a new version already. I made a little noise and my husband, who was standing right over my shoulder, rolled his eyes and told me to go get it LOL I love him! But I waited for the Christmas Sale 😀
Now I DID start making a review video for the previous version….but the damage came right after I made the raw pieces. Now I will wait until I have the newer version and I make it a compare video 🙂
Otherwise, Ive added a few more events to the 2018 Gallery and its now a wrap.
Ill be getting the site ready for 2019 and prioritizing my next cosplay goals. Some store bought, some hand made…we’ll see how it goes to see what Ill do first
Its been a crazy year. There’s been a few low points, with assholes crossing my path, but the GREAT people and experiences Ive had this year FAR outweigh them
I probably won’t have anymore updates until next year, so as my boss likes to say “See ya on the flip side!”
Im bad at titles
A few bits:
- My MCU Captain Marvel has still not shipped. When I ordered it says if you want it for an event to give 13 days notice. I gave 16. 16 days is how long it took my last order from them to come in. We are now on day 18 🙁 I hope it comes in this week…and definitely want it by Halloween ;_;
- I did wear the comic version of Captain Marvel at the Hamilton Comicon. I was the only one and it went over very well. I got to see a number of my friends and overall had a nice time.
- Checked email. Still no shipping notice 🙁
- Video. Im going to be putting out some videos onto youtube. Im almost done with my first one, which is comparing the Injustice 2 Harley Quinn costume from XCoser and Procosplay. I intend to review all my bought costumes as well as go over how I made/put together others. There will be unboxings and who knows what else. I need better video lighting. Although my kitchen is bright enough, there isn’t enough directionally on me so my shadows are harsh on my face.
- Email ding…still not a shipping notice
- Met Larry Sharpe tonight, the Libertarian candidate for governor. This is a man who should be fixing the mess NYS is in.
- Added a few more appearances. Light the Night this Friday at Delaware Park, an grand opening for a Domino’s, and a Veterans Day parade in November.
- Thankful for spell check. Just saying.
- GTG to bed soon…hopefully Ill wake up to that shipping notice
Long time no blog
Yeah its been a bit. A lot has happened, some good, some bad. I update a lot over at Instagram.
So what has gone on? Lots of events. We just wrapped up Buffalo Comicon, Fall Edition. It was wonderful seeing a lot of friends. Ive got a ton of pictures, which I have to sort still before I put them up here
Members of the Justice League of WNY also participated in Offbeat Cinema segments, Cobblestone Live!, and Music is Art
Con-wise I only have Hamilton Comicon (Oct 13) and Joe D’s Toy Show (Oct 27). I am hoping that the costume I just ordered will be in time for both- MCU Captain Marvel 😀 Its a -little- more than I wanted to spend, but the shipping is what got me. I think the shoes made it heavier and cost more. The company is great tho, ProCosplay.com and I had $15 off coupon I won in one of their groups. I actually don’t mind the shipping with them because they will DHL it overnight as soon as its made.
Im also working on a Lady Blackhawk, but I have to modify the jacket I found. This is mostly for when any of my friends want to do a Birds of Prey theme. Everyone goes for Canary or Huntress, so I wanted a different character I can pull off.
Bob put out a photography book on his Cosplay photography, so check it out. Im on the cover lol
Comparing Xcoser and Procosplay Injustice 2
Having had to replace my Injustice 2 Harley Quinn costume, I went with another company. I thought I would do a comparison for those thinking about it and wanted the pros and cons.
Xcoser’s version: $116.19 with free shipping since its over $99
Procosplay’s Version: $129 +$45 shipping
Turnaround time: XCoser’s took a full month from order to delivery. Procosplay took 16 days.
Material: Both are pick up leather. XCoser’s is thicker and shinier than Procosplay’s. Both are constructed well.
Fit: With XCoser, even though I am a small on their chart, I ordered medium because I was unsure since it was my first costume shop order. I would say that the top fit true to their medium. I had to get a strapless +2 cup bra to fill it out. The pants are very very tight. I cant really sit very well in it. It really digs in and gives me a muffin top 🙁
With Procosplay, I fell into their large size. The top jusssst fits and the pants are a little loose, but not annoyingly so.
So piece by piece….Xcoser on the left and Procosplay on the right on all pictures
Jackets: I like the fit of the Xcoser’s. Its sturdy and comfortable. I wear it out as a regular jacket sometimes. Its not totally screen accurate, but I dig it. The emblem isn’t quite right and was my only real complaint.
With Procosplay its more screen accurate. They squished up the sleeves, which I don’t like. I love to wear my jacket pieces out, so Im not sure I would with this one with the sleeves permanently up. The epaulets also need to be secured. Emblem is accurate.
Winner = Both
Tops: Xoser cheated and made it a bustier. Its very short compared to how it should be. I feel weird wearing it without the jacket, so on hot days, I would swap in my Arkham City top instead. I also needed a +2 cup strapless bra to fit into it. See comments above about sizing.
Procosplay made an actual vest. My problem with it is the top between the shoulders and the breasts kinda puff out, while it is just fitting from the breast down. You could see way too much through the arm holes. I did bring in the seams at the top and that helped, but didnt fix it 100% However, it is wearable now sans jacket. On the plus side, its comfortable and I don’t have to wear a bra. Its also more screen accurate.
Winner: Procosplay
Cincher: XCoser’s is very thick and sturdy. Procosplay’s is a bit loose. The gap in front is much larger than I prefer and it has a different red as the trim for some reason.
Winner: XCoser
Pants: You can see from the picture that the XCoser one is more of a slim fit cut and that Procosplay is more of a boot cut. XCoser barely fit me. It made my butt look great, but I couldn’t really sit. It also split on me along the belt area early June, hence trying a different company. I may tailor the Procosplay one’s a little bit, but now I can sit and do action poses.
Winner: Procosplay
Belts: XCoser’s is nice and thick….but barely fits on me. Procosplay’s is very long (likely to accommodate all sizes they carry) but can’t hold up too much
Winner: Neither, I bought a new one from Walmart for $6 that was similar in look to Procosplays =/
Pouches: Xcoser’s is large and with a snap shut. They are however shallow. Great for carrying trading cards. Procosplay’s is shorter but has more depth. The flaps don’t clasp but it didn’t matter.
Winner: Both. Its your preference and depends on what you intend to carry. Neither will carry a large phone. I have a tactical case that blends in.
Knee and elbow guards: Xcoser came with these weird fabric ones that cut off my circulation. Procosplay came with real guards.
Winner: Procosplay
Holsters (guns not included with order): XCoser’s snaps to your pants. They are accurate for the pistol intended. Procosplay’s the straps of the holsters are more accurate but the holster is not. Ive taken the top strap from Procosplay and put it on the holsters from XCoser.
Winner: Xcoser
Accessories: Xcoser came with none. I had to buy additional gloves and goggles for it. Procosplay came with goggles and gloves.
Overall my winner is Procosplay. XCoser is still a great choice if you are looking to save a few bucks and don’t mind waiting.
Supporting SH Cosplay
Consider making a donation to help fund my costuming – I’d very much appreciate it!
2022 Costume Progress
This year, I am working on selling off unused costumes before buying anything major. Please visit on Facebook to see current listing.
American Dream (Captain America from White Sheep Leather) - Done
Star Trek Strange New World's Female Tunic (eBay)- DONE
The MIGHTY Thor (Handmade) - DONE
Captain Marvel - Ms. Marvel Endcredits (Handmade) - DONE
Clea Strange - Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness Endcredits (Simcosplay) - ORDERED
Mary Marvel - Shazam! - In queue to handmake
Coming soon
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