Poll Results

by Harley | Oct 20, 2017 | Appearances, costumes

I put out to Instagram and Facebook about which costume to wear for a few Halloween parties. An overwhelming majority voted for #1, NoFlutter’s Fantasy Harley Quinn, it wasn’t even close. Steampunk was a distant second with Injustice 2 surprisingly only getting one vote!

Think Geek’s Halloween event tomorrow is on deck as well as a birthday/halloween party next Saturday. There are a few other events on the maybe list, so we will see how they pan out 🙂

TBT 10-19-17

by Harley | Oct 19, 2017 | conventions, costumes, Storytime, TBT

Today’s Throwback Thursday is an oldie from 2000. This is Anime North in its 2nd or 3rd year.

If you don’t recognize the characters, its from one of my favorite anime of all time, Revolutionary Girl Utena and I was Utena Tenjou.

How I came into the group was on the interesting side. The young man in blue playing Miki was on a message board I also frequented at the time, but I can’t remember which it was. He wasn’t happy with the commercial rose seal rings available and he wanted to get a real ring custom made. Getting a ring cast was not cheap, so he reached out to the internet to see if he could get enough people to meet the minimum the jeweler wanted, both in terms of $$ and the minimum quantity to make.

I jumped on board, having extra money at the time and wanting an opportunity to have an unique item.

When the rings came in from Japan, he contacted everyone who ordered to make shipping arrangements. When I mentioned my location, he asked if I would be coming up to AN and I said I was. He was ecstatic because he could give it to me in person and not have to deal with international shipping and it would save us both time and money. It came up that I was cosplaying Utena and he told me he had a student council group with no Utena, so would I join them? Of course I would! The various members hailed from all over Canada. IIRC, “Akio” hailed from Montreal. They were all awesome people and I’m glad I met them. We even did a skit 🙂

I hope that where ever they are that they are all doing well in the 17 years that have passed and that they also still have their rose seals.

FTR, that is my real hair. Even before we were even dating, Bob bleached and dyed my hair. My hair was so thick and long that it required 4 bottles on manic panic LOL

Review Wednesday 10-18-17

by Harley | Oct 18, 2017 | costumes, reviews

Available to wear at Queen City Pinups, size small

Today’s Review Wednesday is the Arkham City Harley Quinn from Rubie’s Costumes, size Small

Overall, once on, its very cute. But this is a cheaply made “quicky” costume meant for a party that lasts a few hours. I would not wear this all day to a con.

The skirt was very generous in the stretch, but because the belt has a very exact fit, I had to wear the skirt higher than I would have liked. It would have benefited from a steaming.

The top has some stretch in some spots and not a lot of give in others. Over all, it looks nice once on, but the red materials rubbed off on the white, leaving faint stains.

Gloves are hastily made, again fine for a quicky costume, not for all day wear.

Not shown:

Nurse’s cap – I felt it was a little small and not to easy to attach to my wig.
Mask – The one that came with this was TINY. It dug into me and I couldn’t fully open my eyes. I used my handcrafted mask

Does not come with mallet, handcrafted mask, wig, fishnets, or boots.

After wearing this, I elected not to keep it after this photoshoot and donated it for studio use. Although I think “nurse” Harley is cute and I appreciate the irony of her wearing it, it is not high on my list of need to have costumes. I bought this because the price was right at $25. If I wanted to wear it more frequently, I would have either figured out how to make it or would have invested in a better made version.

Steampunk Harley at Horizon Martial Arts

by Harley | Oct 15, 2017 | Appearances, costumes

Yesterday, I was invited to appear for the kids Trunk or Treat Party at Horizon Martial Arts. All the kids were adorable and even some of the adults were dressed up! Judging was pretty tough!

The parents did a great job decorating their trunks, but we had to award the top prize to the motorcycle – it was just too cool.

Thank you for inviting me! <3

Friday the 13th

by Harley | Oct 13, 2017 | conventions, costumes, Storytime

October 13th, 2013.

Two significant things happened. I started a promotion that I knew in my gut was doomed for failure and my beloved Fluffy (Fluffernutter Peanutbutter Hubbard) crossed the Rainbow Bridge. If that was not a portend of doom to my new position, I don’t know what is.

4 years ago, the world became a little less Fluffy.

I miss my little stinker. She could razz and sass like no one else. She put the cats and dog in their place, because she was #1 She was my muse, my constant source of joy. She knew what she wanted and she always found a way to get it. She would tell us when she wanted out of her tank and when she wanted back in. She would bark if you tried to put her back in when she didnt want to. She was my intrepid explorer, fearless and determined.

She loved hornworms, sweet potatoes, and soaking in her “hot tub.”

Seven, our very alpha cat, misses his furless #friend

I can see you on the rainbow bridge, scowling at everyone and going “pah!”

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In other news, I have updated my Buffalo Comicon gallery and added a new photography gallery for pinups & costumes.

I added in my Harley Potter costume for Halloween

Review Wednesday 10-11-17

by Harley | Oct 11, 2017 | costumes, reviews

Here is another exciting edition of Review Wednesday!

Star Trek 2009 Women’s Uniform

Starfleet Officer Harley!
Starfleet uniform available for Queen City Pinups. It says medium, fits more like a small.

First up for today is our Star Trek Dress. This came out for the 2009 Star Trek movie. Its actually red for Uhura, but Bob turned it blue since Harley would OBVS be in the sciences.

We bought it at Party City for $15. It was a size medium, but fits snugly and is a little awkward in the armpit area. It does not have any give and isn’t a perfect replica, but for the price, its decent.

This version does not appear to be in stock anymore. There is only a deluxe for $49.99 that comes in 2 pieces. The one we bought is only one. I only bought this one because it was so low of a price, I would NOT have spent the money on the deluxe

The phaser is Bob’s that he had since the stone ages. I believe it came from an old model kit, but I could be wrong.

Fishnets are available from studio inventory. Not sure where we got them, maybe Spirit?

Happy Birthday Harley!
You too can channel your inner Marilyn at Queen City Pinups. It claims one size, but does fit oddly

“Marilyn Dress”

This is a dress we picked up at Savers in the “used: section. The size claims OS, so we thought it would be great for our clients. The truth is, its OS for your boobs. The waist has a little give, but I wouldn’t go beyond a size 8.

Suffice it to say, I was a little disappointed.

It did fit me ok, with some work, mostly since I had the wig on. I could not get it to stretch over my hips and had to pull it over my head. Because the halter is a free size, its cut a little odd and didn’t look too good on me. Its not fitted, just kinda loose and hanging there.

I don’t remember what the company was that made this, but we didn’t pay a whole lot for it, so for the price it does give the look well, just don’t walk over any subway air vents.

All mentioned reviews are from items personally purchased by self or studio. I am not paid for my reviews. They are only here to inform consumers.

[VIDEO] Harley Quinn’s Pistol – Suicide Squad Movie

by Harley | Oct 6, 2017 | costumes, reviews, Videos

So I decided to try my hand on an unboxing video. I figure I order so many geeky and costuming things, that I would share the fun 🙂 Ill probably do some review videos of items I got in person.

Unless otherwise specified, all items are fully purchased by me and all opinions are strictly that – opinion.

This is an item I purchased from Etsy seller The Plastic Foundry.

In the image below, I have one side of the gold detailing painted and the first coat of the handle. The gold is a fine tip paint pen and the white is a metallic pearl that goes on quite nice. Ill do the other side and a second coat of white tonight or tomorrow. Then I just need to find a holster it fits. The one I bought does not hold this pistol, despite the packaging having a pistol that looks to be the same size =/

Sorry for the quick cell phone pic in my kitchen lol Oh hey, Im wearing Dalek socks 😀

May I Rant?

by Harley | Oct 5, 2017 | costumes

May I Rant? Its my blog and no one reads it, so why not?

My new personal pet peeve: People asking me to borrow my costumes. Ive had a lot of people in the last 6 months think that my costume closet is available for their use.

I’m sorry, but no.

I have a number of reasons.

Firstly, this is my investment for my hobby and it is NOT CHEAP. Serious cosplay is going to cost money. Even “keeping” it cheap usually involves a bought piece in the $50 range for me. Whether or not I make it or buy it, a costume will run me $50-$170. I try to get things locally or thru Amazon, since I have Prime to save on shipping. But some items I cannot get around that and it isn’t always cheap, especially if Im getting it from outside the country. I do look for deals and coupons to save where I can, but its still not pocket change.

I have been burned numerous times in my life when lending items to people. They almost always come back damaged, if I get them back at all. I never get an apology, much less an offer to replace it. It made me realize that people only value me for what I can do for them/give them and do not value me as a person, since they cannot treat my belongings with respect.

Just because I can sew it does not mean it is cheaper or will save you money if I make it. Materials are not cheap and most things I do need a pattern for. For the cost on the materials/pattern alone, someone can outright buy decent commercial costumes. It will also take me several days, maybe even weeks, to make some costumes. When I point this out, I find that people stop talking to me. I am not making a costume for $20 in a couple of days time.

I am always happy to take a few minutes to help track down usable/cost efficient alternatives someone can use to put together their own costume. But sometimes, that isn’t good enough.

Secondly, when I buy or make costumes, they are bought/modified/made to fit me. My proportions are not typical and will not fit most people I personally know. I’m sorry, if youre 25+ pounds heavier than I am it is very likely an item will tear or break. Please re-read reason one.

It really isn’t my problem you decided to attend a costume friendly event at the last minute.

It’s not my problem you were invited to Halloween party and you don’t want to buy a costume.

It isn’t my problem if you can’t afford the costume you want.

I appreciate you like what I have, but I didn’t buy/make it for you.

I didn’t buy/make them so that you could save money.

My personal costumes are separate from the costumes provided by Queen City Pinups, LLC They aren’t for the business. On occasion, I may donate pieces, like when I lost weight and replaced a bodice I bought from Hot Topic or when I got a tulle skirt and it didn’t work with an idea I had.

I buy/make the costumes I want because its my money being used for it.

End rant

Review Wednesday – 10-04-17

by Harley | Oct 4, 2017 | costumes, reviews

Here is another set of store bought costumes for review!

Hula Girl

The lei I had from some party or another.

The grass skirt and coconut bra are both available from Spirit Halloween. They are both one size, although I am not sure if I would wear this without having spankies under the skirt and maybe some extra adhesive on the bra. The bra DID cover my girls, but the string felt flimsy 😮

Overall it IS very cute and it looked good on me. For your budget, it was only $17, but was cheaper after coupons. There are other hula outfits/accessories and they’re all inexpensive. If you’re on a budget and don’t mind potential accidental exposure, this is a great costume.

Batgirl corset and skirt

Spirit has a ton of mix and match super hero pieces and Batgirl is no exception. These pieces are “cutesey” but surprisingly well made with durable material. Although both the corset and the skirt had a “utility” belt. I hiked the skirt up higher and covered the one on the corset.

The skirt is $24.99 and the corset is $29.99 and comes in sizes sm-xl. Again, wait for a good coupon.

There is no give on the skirt and I had to a medium to get over my hips. It was HUGE on my waist and we have it clipped in the back.

Nurse Harley Quinn wants to give you your shots!

“Nurse” Harley says “C’mere for yer shot mistah!”
Costume available for use at Queen City Pinups. Size small.

Adult Say Ahhh Nurse Costume

This comes with the dress, cap, the shots and stethoscope. I substituted the included cap for the nurse harley cap.

The dress could use some steaming out of the bag. The props are fun and the dress fit well. This is clearly meant for a party crowd! Be sure to wear a light colored bra with it, as materials are thin.

The outfit is $36.99 and the Harley cap is $12.99

All mentioned reviews are from items personally purchased by self or studio. I am not paid for my reviews. They are only here to inform consumers.

Buffalo Comicon 2017

by Harley | Oct 2, 2017 | Appearances, conventions, costumes

Buffalo Comicon – two days of fun and friends!

We had a great time at Buffalo Comicon this year!

On Saturday, I went with Bob, my BFF, her daughter and daughter’s friend.

I started off by helping the con by passing out comic books to attendees at admission as the con’s “Harley Quinn.” I started out in my Injustice 2 costume and did that for about the first hour. Lots of hugs and high fives with attendees 🙂

We wandered about a bit. We stopped by Eric Roberts booth so that I could have The Master to go with The Doctor photo I got at NFCC. He is absolutely charming! I even came back to his table later to spell my friend who was helping with the transactions ^_^

I then got my picture taken with The Harp Twins. They are SO incredibly nice! Even though I was in a different costume, they remembered seeing me at Fanworld!

Sabretooth even paid the con a visit – AWESOME <3

I then switched into the costume I was going to compete in, my NoFlutter’s Harley costume.

I had the pleasure of running into many friends I know from “real life” as well as running into many “con friends” Ive made this last year.

Bob and I listened to The Harp Twins concert and then I participated in the cosplay contest.

I made a few more new friends in the waiting zone. I didn’t win, but had a lot of fun with everyone.

While we gone, Scooby received visits from two “aunts” and one “uncle” who gave her much hugs and even more cookies. Because she was so deprived.

Sunday, I returned to join the Queen City Cosplayers in helping to raise money for children’s cancer at Roswell. I wore Suicide Squad Harley – but only because its easy to swap out a Buffalo Bills shirt in that costume 😀 Although I should hem it up, as it makes me look chubby ;_; It was great fun being next to Buffalo’s Best Turtles and helping my friends in the other costume groups collect money for a great cause!

Red Skull and I were interviewed for a Star Trek themed podcast while we walked around. Hopefully that will be put up and I can link it.

Even though I was in a different costume, it was great that people still recognized me from the day before.

I also ran into a few more people I know, some I only knew via facebook until today.

I had the honor of judging the kids cosplay contest. There were soooo many cuties and it was hard to pick. Some won for the costume, some won because they had a great understanding of the character, but really they all won in my book. Even shy kids participated <3

I bought a couple of cute plushes – a sloth <3 and a grey luck kitty

My feet aren’t used to being up that high of incline with those boots and so my feet super hurt now LOL I was going to clean up my weekend mess, but I can’t stand very well right now! ^_^ I might try putting in a foam insert next time I wear them.

I give much thanks to everyone who stopped for pictures, gave hugs, and engaged in conversations. I want to sincerely thank Shawn and Emil of Queen City Comics/Buffalocomicon for letting me help them in my very small ways. It was a very wonderful event and executed well. I heard a number of people compliment it and expressing that they want to incorporate ideas they saw here into their own events.

I am exhausted and sore, but I also feel pretty awesome. This con was good for soul nourishing. If I get anymore pictures, Ill put them up 🙂

For some reason, the gallery doesn’t always display inline of the blog, but it IS up at the Galleries link in the main menu