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

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

The Long Awaited Chuckie Finster Cosplay Tutorial!

Ladies and Gentlemen, BOYS AND GIRLS!!!!! It's finally here. The wait is now over!
The Chuckie Finster cosplay tutorial is COMPLETE!

For this tutorial, you will need:

• Blue T-shirt
• T-shirt board
• Paint Brushes
• White, Black, Red, and Yellow fabric paint (acrylic paint works too)
• Fine point Sharpie
• Some large round object for tracing
• Reference picture of Chuckie's shirt

READY?! LETS DO THIS!!

Step One:
Place your shirt on the T-Shirt board and pin the sides down so the shirt lies taunt against the board. This is super important, so when you're painting, the shirt doesn't move and make you mess up your lines.

Step Two:
Now, you need to draw Chuckie's iconic planet. Find something 5-6 inches in diameter that you can trace around. For me, I just used my dinner of instant noodles. When you trace, make sure you're using a FINE TIP Sharpie or pencil. The planet on Chuckie's shirt is kinda sloppy and looks like a kid drew it, so we're just using this as a basic outline, to help keep it even on all sides.

As for the ring around the planet, just free-hand it. Now, that might sound a little scary, but it's easier than it sounds. REMEMBER, it's suppose to look like a child's drawing, so if you're not the most artistic person in the world, IT'S OK! Just look at the reference picture as you draw it and you'll be fine!

Step Three:
YAY FOR PAINTING! Alright guys and gals, since we're painting on a dark shirt with light colors, we need to PRIME the space. I've painted PLENTY of shirts in my time to have learned this lesson the hard way. Basically, we just need to paint the whole planet white. It'll cover up your lines, but don't panic! These lines were just a guide. As the last step, we'll outline everything again with black, to give it that extra cartoony effect!

Step Four:
Once the entire planet is primed white, we can add color. I start with lightest colors first, mainly out of habit. This part is pretty self explanatory, just paint the two colors over the white. But remember! Between each layer of paint, you need to let the paint dry, and occasionally, GENTLY, lift the shirt from the board. (The paint seeps through the cloth and when it dries, the shirt will stick to the board. To prevent that, we need to gently separate the shirt from the board from time to time).

 

Step Five:
The last step is to outline the planet with black paint. DON'T WORRY about trying to have a steady hand! It's OK if it looks a little wonky and wobbly. IT'S A CARTOON, it doesn't need to look perfect!

Now from here, I think I might be done...but looking at Chuckie's picture, His shirt is trimmed with red on the collar and sleeves. It's up to you on how you'd like to accomplish this! I think I might just paint the trim.

But as of now, I'm happy with how it turned out! I've got time to figure out how I want to do the trim though. Our plans for the Con in February fell through, but Aaron and I are looking into A-Kon in June for my birthday! FINGERS CROSSED that works out, because I'd LOVE to wear this in the summer rather than winter :P

SORRY FOR THE MESSY DORM ROOM!! I decided to work on this rather than unpack. TOTALLY worth it! ;D

Well, I hope this tutorial was worth the wait! I'm really excited with how it turned out!! If you've got any comments or questions, don't be afraid to leave a note down below! 

Treat Yo' Self & Cosplay Update!

Hey guys! I'm so, so, so, SO, SOOOOOO sorry I feel off the face of the Earth again. Truth is, not a whole lot of fun and exciting things have been happening! I spent my entire winter break at home hanging out and relaxing with family. I also took an online class, so that pretty much took up all my free time.

BUT! It's a new year, a new semester, and a new, more blog devoted Kenzie! I promise I'll be updating a lot more in the future!!! A big thank you to the people that have still checked in on the daily to see if there's been new posts. You guys rock!

SO HERE'S THE UPDATES!

I just got back up to school and decided to have a TREAT YO' SELF day with my friend! (DISCLAIMER: Before splurging on the few things in this bag, I was a responsible adult and bought my textbooks for the semester and groceries. Because, as sad as it is, you can't live on expensive makeup.) We went out, had lunch, and went to Ulta. The wonderful makeup wonderland.

I LOVE ULTA. This has been a recent development. Normally, I just threw on some mascara for makeup and called it a day, but now, I LOVE doing my makeup. It has become a recent hobby. Mostly because of a Youtuber named Bunny, AKA Grav3yardgirl. Her videos are amusing, interesting, and informative! If you're just getting into makeup, or just want to get some advice on product, she's GREAT at actually giving in-depth reviews!! Check em out here! 

Anywho! The first thing I bought was more of a necessity rather than a treat yo self splurge, but it's new tweezers! 

Like a goober, I forgot to pack my awesome tweezers that I love so much...So, unless I want woolly mammoths for eyebrows, I NEEDED a pair of tweezers. The second thing I bought was kind of a splurge...

It's winter y'all. My lips have deeper cracks than the Grand Canyon. Now when I say I've tried everything to help moisturize my lips, I mean EVERYTHING. I just can't seem to find anything that would help. Perusing around Ulta, I remembered there was some blush by Too Faced that I wanted to look at, but ended up finding this instead. 

I am absolutely impressed with this lip balm! Normally, other lip balms tend to make my lips crack more and I have to consantly apply and reapply the balms. But not this! It's like one and done! 

 Seriously! This stuff is amazing! If you have dried cracked lips I definitely recommend this balm!

Too Faced "La Crème" Lip Balm - $22 

That was my splurge of the day! Not much, but it was a treat! 

The second treat was Taylor Swift's new album 1989. I was hoping to get the deluxe edition for Christmas, but no luck :/ I'm just glad to finally have a copy! Don't care who you are, love her or hate her, the girl has good and catchy songs :3

Another treat yo' self was from a far today. Since I'm back at school, I have to wait months to be able to visit my favorite comic book store back home :( BUT my amazing fiancé is back home and able to make runs for me! Today he ran over to our local store and picked up a newly released POP! figure that I've been wanting for a LONG time!! 

Isn't she CUTE!?!?!

Am I a lucky girl or what!? He fought through lunch time traffic and parked 5 stores down (because the comic book store was having a Magic the Gathering tournament today) JUST to get me this POP! Now THAT is true love :D Over the break, we also picked up Discord! HE'S HUGE!

Pretty soon, we'll have ALL the Pony POPs! These are some of my most favorite things to collect :3

My last stop of the day was to the bestest store of all...

That's right, I went to Hobby Lobby for exactly what you think. The Chuckie Finster cosplay I've been promising! 

Better late than never, right you guys??? Sorry it took so long, but as you're reading this, know that I'm working on it right now, and I'll have a tutorial posted by tomorrow!! It should be fairly simple and quick to throw together! I'll have step by step pictures to make up for the long wait.