New tutorials and Comic Con post!!

What's up you guys?!
Ok. I know I didn't do ANY posting over the summer and I am TREMENDOUSLY SORRY. I'm still trying to find a balance in life between hobbies, school work, classes, and everyday life. But I'm getting there I promise! Thank you all for being so patient with me! I promise it's gonna be worth it in the end!

I'm currently working on posts for all my cosplays I did at Dallas Comic Con AND pictures of the con itself! My goal is to have posts up by MONDAY at the latest. And I promise, SOMETHING will be posted! The main reason I've been having trouble making posts is just the time it takes to type and format everything. It's surprisingly time consuming. That's why, I'm now considering doing Vlogs! I think I would be able to post A LOT more AND cosplay tutorials would be a hell of a lot easier to follow! Don't ya think?

Again, thank you everyone for keeping interest in my blog, even though I've been awful at keeping everything updated. I SWEAR IT'S IMPROVING STARTING NOW.

Announcements! GingerSnap Finally on Twitter??

Hey y'all! I know I've been super busy lately, but I promise I haven't forgotten about y'all! I've been trying to write up some tutorials about my upcoming cosplays, but I'm also trying to finish them all! So many little parts and pieces, I'm starting to worry I won't finish in time!!

Anywho! I'm pleased to say that I FINALLY got a Twitter up and running! Now you guys can have easier access to when blogs are posted AND you can shoot me any questions you guys have! I'm still getting it all together while I sit here and make business cards to hand out at con this weekend! Really really REALLY excited about it so go follow!!

@GSCosplay 

I can't wait to see you guys over there! And I PROMISE! I'll have a post up at least by the end of the day Friday! After all, I'll want to share my first experiences at con with you guys!! :D

HEYYY YOU GUYSSSS! (The post I've owed you guys for 2 weeks PLUS a special announcement!)

HEY GUYS! Sorry I feel of the face of the Earth (AGAIN). The past semester in school has REALLY beaten me up, and I needed to devote all my time to studying for finals. Now that finals are over, summer has officially begun and that means, MORE TIME TO GIVE Y'ALL AWESOME DIY PROJECTS! I've got a bunch of awesome, exciting, fantastic, magical news to share with you guys! But first, let's start with the post I promised you guys like two weeks ago! TREAT. YO. SELF.

A few weeks back, Aaron came up to visit me before Dead Week/Finals kicked into full swing. We of course did our normal schedule - Shortcakes, Hastings, and grocery shopping. Hastings was having a sale on POPs!! Buy two, get one for $1. So, instead of paying $30, 3 POPs would only be $21. That's a pretty good deal! I knew I was gonna get some, but I didn't have specific ones in mind. Whoda thunk it....I found POPs that I've been searching for for a LONG time.

Let me introduce the newest POPs to the collection! Trixie, Skipper, and Oogie-Boogie!! 

I've been hunting for Skipper and Oogie-Boogie for a really long time! I just haven't been able to find them in any of the stores! To tide me over for the time being, Aaron got me an Oogie Boogie bobble head that was much bigger than the POPs, for Christmas, but I was still set on finding the POP version. I was lucky to find them at Hastings! And even luckier that they were having such an awesome sale! 

 

Now, the fun didn't stop there! While I was pouring over the POPs, Aaron managed to find a replica Sky-Hook from Bioshock. . . FOR ONLY $40!!! We had a feeling this was mismarked or something, so we decided to buy it while the price was still low! Good thing we did! When we got home later that night, we looked it up and the cheapest it was going for online was about $60-$70. So I think we got an AMAZING deal on that! When we took it out of the box, we were surprised to see that it was actually functioning! The trigger mechanism actually made the hooks at the end rotate, and the "engraving" was actually pretty impressive looking! Needless to say, this was a fantastic deal and I'm REALLY happy we got it! 

The amount of detail on this gun was surprising. The gun is super light to hold which is surprising since it's so big! It feels good in hand and would make a GREAT addition to a Booker cosplay! (**HINT HINT**)

NOW THEN! TIME FOR THE SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!

Aaron has fulfilled his husbandly duties and gotten us tickets to Dallas Comic Con!!! I have never been so excited in my life! We've always talked about going, but we've never had the cash to do it. He's managed to get me a 3 day premium pass! So in honor of this momentous occasion, I've been planning some pretty important cosplays! Both me and Aaron are going to be cosplaying! Are y'all ready to find out what we've decided to Cosplay?! :D

FRIDAY

Me: Amy Pond (Dr. Who)                                                    Aaron: Joel (The Last of Us)

SATURDAY

Me: Harley Quinn                                                              Aaron: Booker DeWitt (Bioshock Infinite)

                                                                                                       

SUNDAY

Me: T.A.R.D.I.S (Dr. Who)                                                  Aaron: Starlord (Guardians of the Galaxy)

                                                  

Now, I know my Sunday TARDIS dress isn't exactly COSPLAY. I've already had the dress for a while, but both Aaron and I decided for the last day of the Con, we wanted to still dress up, but we wanted to be comfortable and enjoy it. This dress is super comfy! My parents got it for me while they were out shopping one day and even got the light up headband to match. 

As for Sunday (Harley Quinn) - this is the cosplay I'm currently working on...and it's proving to be a little more work than I anticipated. I'm still working on the tutu, but as soon as I get it done, I'll be posting a tutorial on how I did it! I've even got my mom working on her own with me! We plan on going to Scarborough Fair the weekend before Comic Con, so I was thinking about testing the tutu out then! I think the hardest part is gonna be tearing it up to make it look distressed and old...BUT we'll see how it turns out! I can't wait to share this with you guys! I've been so excited about it ever since Aaron told me he got the tickets! 

Hopefully I'll have the tutu done by the end of this week! Check back in to see if I've posted any updates! 

Anyone local going to Dallas Comic Con?! I'd love to meet y'all! 'Till the next update, stay nerdy! :D

I'M NOT DEAD I PROMISE!

I feel like I keep having to make posts like this...
I'M STILL HERE!

My feelings about life at the moment...

I know I promised a bunch of tutorials over spring break, but what can I say, my life is as crazy as I am. I managed to do some of the tutorials I promised, but a few didn't turn out the way I wanted/planned. SO, I didn't even want to post them, until I figured out an actual FUNCTIONING tutorial.

School is REALLY crazy right now, we're winding down to the end of the semester, and I've gotta put all my time and energy into projects, homework, and studying...but I PROMISE I'll try to throw SOME sort of post up on here for y'all here in the next couple weeks!

Any tutorial in particular y'all wanna see? Want another Treat yo Self post? Let me know in the comments below!!

New Tutorial Coming Soon!

Hey guys! Hope you're all surviving this crazy winter we've been having! Here in Oklahoma, it's snowing one day, then 60something degrees the next! During one of the pauses in the crazy weather, I managed to make it up to the store for some grocery shopping when inspiration hit! Knowing there's a possibility of being snowed in, I wanted a DIY project that could keep me preoccupied and keep me from getting cabin fever.

Who DOESN'T love a ratty, worn, vintage t-shirt!? I know I do! I scoured Pinterest for the perfect tutorial, but of course, I couldn't just settle with one, so I sorta mashed a few tutorials together, and I'll be putting my own spin on it!

I've already got most of the required materials for this DIY, BUT, in my true style, I forgot a few things :/ SO, I'll have to brave the bitter winter outside to get back to the store. But in the mean time, just know an AWESOME tutorial is coming your way!

Are you excited?! I know I am! What other kind of tutorials would you guys like to see? Let's start a conversation down below! Comment! Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, or of course, here on the Ginger-Snap Blog! I'd really like to hear from you guys so drop a comment down below! :D

High Waisted Jean Short Cutoff DIY

Who's ready for another Weekend DIY?! If you saw my last post, you know I went thrifting with Aaron while he was up here last week, and I found the perfect pair of high waisted jeans for $4! I was actually really surprised to find so many pairs of jeans at the thrift store, but these were the only pair that actually fit comfortably and since this was my first time making cut offs, I thought 1 pair would be a good starting point.

The jeans I bought from the thrift store were $4 Faded Glory jeans. The problem I didn't think about when I bought them was the fact that they're stretch jeans. Now, this isn't a HUGE issue, but the end result will be slightly altered. Since they're stretch jeans, the elastic woven into the jeans make it harder to tear up AND once you cut them off, they sort of suck to your legs and roll. BUT like I said, not life altering! In my case, I've been losing so much weight in the past few months, that in a week, they won't suck to my legs! :D

Now then. I did some research before I just took a pair of scissors to these jeans. I wanted to make sure there wasn't some magical PERFECT way to do this before I just went all hackjob on it. But the truth is, there is no perfect way to do this. 

What you'll need:

High waisted jeans from a thrift store
Scissors
Tweezers
Xacto knife
Marker
Grater
Patience. Lots and LOTS of patience (you'll see why)

First off - Put them jeans on!

Wearing the jeans while you measure will ensure that you don't cut them off too short! I mean, we're trying to make some Daisy Dukes here, but we don't want a redneck thong. . . 

NOT WHAT WE WANT!!

When you have the jeans on, take the marker and lightly draw how short you would like your shorts. I kept mine a little longer in the back and shorter in the front. A good rule of thumb that I found when looking for some help on this was to keep at least 2 inches of fabric from the seam in the crotch region. Down the outside seam, I measured about 16 inches.

                                    

My marks for measurement (2 inch inseam 16 inch outer-seam)

When you cut the majority of the jeans off, cut a little below your measurements JUST TO BE SAFE! Put the jeans back on and draw the exact lines you'll want to cut for the actual shape of the shorts you're wanting. 

After you've got the measurement you want, take the shorts off and grab the scissors. Cut along your measurement lines and be sure to keep to the lines! Pro Tip! If you're worried about the shorts being even, cut one side and fold the shorts over to copy the line onto the other leg. BOOM! Even lines for both legs of the shorts! 

BEHOLD! You made it through the hardest part! Now we get to move on to the fun part! Distressing the shorts! Now, I won't lie, this was something I'm COMPLETELY clueless on. Luckily, there's plenty of hacks on the internet that helped me make it through! Like this American Eagle guide to distressing I found on Pintrest!

The two methods I used in this process were the Xacto knife method and the Grater method. 

The Grater Method:

Enjoy this poorly done video! 

This is just to show the "method"...if you can call it that? Basically, gather the raw ends up in your hand, kinda layer it randomly in you hand like so...

Once you've got a good grasp on it, run the grater over it in a semi rough manner. You'll see the ends start to fray. Now, don't go overboard! Remember, with time and laundry cycles, they'll become more and more distressed. 

With grating (left) vs. raw cut (right)

The Xacto Knife Method:

This is where the required patience comes into play...

To use the Xacto method...well, it will challenge your sanity. . . 

First, pick the spot you'd like to have that classic "rip" in your jeans. For me, I placed it on the back butt pockets. The jeans are pretty short and showing enough skin for my taste, but I still wanted some rips in them. SO, for this method, you'll need to make two slits. This will make up the length of the rip you're wanting to make. 

Once you've got the slits made, use the tweezers to pull out the woven blue threads. Like I said, patience is KEY here. depending how large you made or want your rips, the longer you'll be pulling threads. . . and it's not as easy as you think! Very time consuming and irritating!!! But it's worth the end result! 

Here's what my rips turned out looking like! 

This is where I pretty much called it quits for the day! I roughed up the label and thick seams with the grater, but never went crazy anywhere. I saw somewhere that throwing them in the dryer for a couple minutes would help fray the edges up nicely, so I might try that and post an update about it...But as of now, I think they turned out pretty great! I'm looking forward to thrifting some more and finding another pair! Maybe some thicker denim?? If I could get my hands on some old school Levi's, I'd be ecstatic! I'm excited to wear these when it gets warmer! Just putting them on with my boots made me ready for music festivals! HURRY UP SUMMER!!!!! 

Are you planning on making your own cut offs? Excited for summer?! Lets start some comments down below y'all!!! :D

Thrifting, Crafting, and a Fiancé, OH MY!

Hello all! So sorry I sort of dropped off the face of the Earth again!! Lots of things going on, both inside and outside of school and I've hardly had a moment to myself! BUT, now that the hard stuff is over, it's time to get to the fun shizzzzzz.

So this past week, Aaron came up for his first visit of the semester. I was so stoked to see him! It had been since January since we last saw each-other (aside from Skype) and let me just say, I missed the HELL out of him. He came up on Friday, but I had to work two Wrestling matches this weekend (Friday and Sunday) so we tried to cram in as much fun stuff as we could in such a short amount of time. Luckily, we had snow on Monday so he got stuck here till this morning (Wednesday) so I got to keep him for a few extra days ;3

Now, I'm not gonna lie, as excited as I was to see my wonderful fiancé, I was JUST as excited about the package he was bringing up with him (wow that sounded wrong...). A while ago, a package came in the mail that I have been so ecstatic about, I could hardly contain myself!! Over Christmas, Aaron's darling Aunt gave us an Amazon gift card to share. With my portion, I bought something I've wanted for a REALLY long time, but just never seemed to have the money laying around for it.

A Cheshire Cat Kigurumi.  

Tail included!

This thing is BEYOND perfect. I'm head over heels with it. Now, there is ONE thing that bothered me on it, but it's super minor and an easy fix. On the top of the hood and ears, I thought there was suppose to be some purple fur, but when I opened the package, it wasn't there :/ But it's a simple fix! Quick trip to Hob Lob and I'll have it done in no time :D



Other things that came in the mail were my Totoro shirt and watch. Sad news about the shirt, it was WAY too small. We bought it off of Sammy Dress and being wary of the sizing, I decided to get an XL. Normally, I wear a M or sometimes L, but I wanted to play it safe and make sure it fit. If it was too big, I could always take it in. But of course, the opposite happened. I could barely get it over my chest. I got really depressed over this, but quickly rebounded. Sizing is never the same no matter where you look, and I wasn't gonna let a shirt completely ruin my day.
Bright side? I thought of the perfect remedy for this problem! I know exactly how I'm gonna rip the shirt open on the side seam and add fabric to let the shirt out and make it flowy. I'm really excited about this! Hopefully, I'll be starting on this project over spring break, since I don't have my sewing machine here at school. 

On Friday before the first dual, we went to my FAVORITE store (aside from Sephora & ULTA) Hastings. We always get ourselves into nerdy trouble whenever we set foot in this place. We basically call it the "nerdy Walmart". Everything is soooooo cheap and you don't realize how much you're spending on things you didn't really need, until your arms are full and you can't even scratch your nose.....BUT, we tried to show some sort of restraint this time and I'd like to think we were decently successful. I only bought two things: a water bottle (that I REALLY did need) and a small stuffed animal...that I also REALLY needed. You see, I have this problem. . . I have a compulsion to buy literally ANYTHING Sailor Moon. I already have a stuffed Luna, that I had also bought at Hastings over a year ago, but I was having the hardest time finding Artemis. I've been looking for him since I found Luna, but no luck. Then, it happened. Just by pure luck and good timing, he was there...sitting on the shelf, all by himself. I was so excited! I immediately picked him up and did not set him down for the remainder of our excursion.

 


Saturday was Valentine's day. Normally, Aaron and I go ALL OUT on holidays, especially when they have to do with doing something nice for one another. But this time, we decided to just hang out with one another, maybe go thrifting, watch BBC shows on Netflix, and order pizza.

Sherlock is my jam. 

 Now of course, this didn't stop Aaron from getting me something for V-Day (He spoils me too much). An awesome Alice/Dr Who shirt, my favorite chocolates, personalized keychain, and a wire bracelet that says love (made by Aaron himself)




We started our morning with hitting up some of the thrift stores in town. I went in with the intent of looking for some pieces I could use for various future cosplays, but had some bad luck in that department. BUT overall, I had some great luck in finding some awesome pieces to add to my regular wardrobe!

This awesome jean vest! I found it on a side rack and ALMOST passed it! SO glad I saw it! For $4.50, I think I'm gonna embellish it - give it a sort of "biker-hippie" make over!

This beautiful lace bralette was only $3.00! Perfect for summer time tank tops! I don't know about summers where you live, but in Texas, they're KILLER. It's so bad that even BRAS are too hot. So something like this is PERFECT for being able to get through those scorchers.

Now THIS is what I'm most excited about! I've been on the hunt for the perfect pair of high waisted jeans to cut off into shorts. It seemed like I had hit the jackpot in this store! I tried on about three pairs, but one fit the best!! I'll be working on properly cutting them off into shorts right after publishing this post, so be sure to check back soon for that tutorial!!

All-in-all, this was an AMAZING week. I was so excited to spend time with Aaron, do nerdy things, and go thrift shopping. Though I struck out trying to find cosplay pieces, I'm super stoked for the personal pieces I found! Never too early to stock up on Summer pieces!! Can you tell I'm desperate for summer?

Now then, if you'll excuse me, I've got some jeans to cut up and a tutorial to write!!
:D
-Kenzie