Friday 25th May 2012: Savannah and the Angel

Friday 25th May 2012

So today was a disappointing day!

Me, Mike, Roxana and Jason were all supposed to go to EXPO on Saturday or Sunday. Me and Jason couldn't get the day off work so we all decided to go on Friday.

Jason got all dressed up as Savannah and I dressed up as a graveyard angel... just to change things up a bit! 

Now we've never been on a Friday, as it turns out for a very good reason. EXPO announced that they would be adding Friday to the event a few EXPOs ago. So us, assuming it was a normal EXPO decided to go on Friday. 

Mike ended up not being able to go because of work and Roxana cancelled the day before because she had exams. I said to Jason should we just leave it this year, but we were both determined to go. 

Sunday 30th October 2011: Mario riding Yoshi

Sunday 30th October 2011

This has been one of my most ambitious costumes so far! I had the plan for this costume for months for I planned to wear it at EXPO. I'd gotten the fabric, the clothes, the shoes and the stuffing ... but I never actually got around to making the costume. It was about a week before EXPO before I realised how soon I'd needed the costume made. After more procrastinating, I found myself at the night before EXPO looking at a pile of supplies and no costume. So I got to work! 

I started cutting and sewing at about 9.00pm Saturday night. I did the trouser bit first and then moved onto making the Yoshi bit of the outfit. The I sewed the tiny shoes onto the Mario costume and stuffed it and sewed it to the Yoshi. I was nearly finished, but ended up giving up at 2.00am that morning. My fingers were numb from sewing and I needed sleep for the early start for EXPO. 

I made sure I woke up at 5.00am to carry on the costume. By about 6.30am I was finished apart from the odd bit of sewing that I planned to do on the train journey. I hadn't had a chance to sew up the bits I'd stuffed so after putting the outfit on, I then had to stuff around myself!

Jason and another Kyuubi

Mike and I caught the train at Egham and met up with Roxana who had caught the train from Bracknell. Jason would be meeting us at EXPO because his Kyuubi costume was too big for the train so his dad was taking him.

I got lots of kids coming up to me and a lot of happy faces after seeing my costume, unlike other times when I've just had stares! Someone asked me if I was dressed up for charity so I had to explain EXPO. I had a few kids asked for hugs so I made Yoshi's arms hug them! Before I'd gotten to EXPO I had already had about 10 photos taken. It doesn't seem a lot, but for me it was!

I got a caricature done of
myself as Mario

When we got to EXPO, Jason and I had a little competition about who could get the most photos. I had gotten a bit jealous at the last EXPO because Jason kept getting stopped for photos and I didn't get any!

So I got 63 photos and a hug! We were about to leave the venue when some guy came up to me and said 'I just love your costume, it's brilliant ... can I get a hug?' I may have got more photos but they are the ones that I was stopped for.

Jason got at least 50 photos. He was stopped about 53 times and then we lost count. Even though I'd like to say I won, I think Jason did! 

A photo of me that someone else took

A photo of me that someone else took

Saturday 15th October 2011: Gill's Costume Party

Saturday 15th October 2011

Today was Mike's mum Gill's birthday party. It was so close to Halloween she wanted to do a costume party. Mike dressed up as Ghost Face from Scream and I dressed up as a random vampire. I had bought retractable fangs from Vampfangs a few months before, but hadn't had a chance to wear them yet! Watch the Vampfangs video here of them in use: YouTube.

Photos to come!

Saturday 28th May 2011: Lady Gaga

Saturday: 28th May 2011 

So I was really into Lady Gaga (and still am) and loved 'Born This Way', so those things combined, it was no wonder I decided to go as skeleton Lady Gaga's in the video.

I went with Roxana, Mike and Jason. Jason's mum and dad drove us this time because Jason's costume was too big to get on the train. He went as Kyuubi Nine Tails from Naruto and as usual Mike and Roxana didn't dress up. I missed not being able to go on the train due to all the attention and strange looks we get. All of us feel that going on the train is one of the best parts of the day and definitely adds to the experience EXPO.

I was really excited about going this year as some of the cast of Futurama were going to be there. Look a bit further down this post to see some photos.

Jason with the business man. 

I got a few photos and a few comments about my costume, and got a teeny tiny bit jealous about the amount of attention Jason got from his costume. Roxana and Mike found it hilarious that I was jealous.

When we first got the EXPO, a business man couldn't get enough of Jason's costume. He kept talking photos and following us around the venue. It was fun at first, but then it got a bit creepy when he wouldn't leave! lol

Halfway through the day, my wig was driving me crazy, so I decided to take off everything. Luckily, Mike had a spare shirt in his bag that fit me so I went and changed and took off all my make-up. It was a relief to take everything off, but it did make the rest of the day a bit less fun! 

Overall, we had a great day and I got some great photos of my costume this year!

Here's the link to all my photos on my Facebook: Kayleigh's Lady Gaga Cosplay

Me with Phil LaMarr who does the voice of Hermes on Futurama
(among other things!). Photograph copyright of Creative Eye

Billy West who does the voice of Fry from Futurama.
Photograph copyright of Creative Eye

Lauren Tom who does the voice of Amy and others
in Futurama. Photography copyright of Creative Eye

Sunday 30th October 2010

Sunday 30th October 2010

Mike and Roxana on the train

So this EXPO I didn't dress up. It always feels weird when I don't, like I don't belong there or something!

John de Lancie. Photograph copyright of
Creative Eye Photography

I decided to just take photographs this time rather than dress up. I always find that my photographs suffer if I wear a costume, so I dedicated the day to photography. So of course, my camera had to mess up and decide not to work for half of the day!

We had an amazing day as always, and I got to see John de Lancie! I loved him as Q in Star Trek Next Generation! :D

Mike showing off his long legs! haha

Sunday 30th May 2010: Gothic Princess

Sunday 30th May 2010

This year a huge group of us went to EXPO. There was me, Mike and Roxana as usual, with the addition of Dan, Emma, Jason and Danfeng. Danfeng and I go to uni together, but at the time of this EXPO we had only been speaking online before we had gone to uni, so this was the first time we'd seen each other. Dan and Emma are people I went to college with and Jason is someone I work with. 

No body dressed up apart from me and Dan. I lent Dan my cape, and I don't know who he was supposed to be! I went as a Gothic-y Princess. I didn't have a real costume and I wanted to dress up in something. Jason bought a link costume, but he chickened out at the last minute and decided not to wear it!

We all had a great day. I got to leave with a Luna Sailor Moon hat so I was happy! 

Me and Dan on the train

Emma and Mike listening to
music

Jason on the train

Me and the Cheshire Cat

Danfeng with Avatars

Roxana and Emma wearing my new Luna hat from Sailor Moon

Saturday 24th October 2009

Saturday 24th October 2009

This year Mike and I went with some old school friends called Shannon and Katherine. 

I didn't dress up this year. Katherine dressed up as a character from Vampire Knight. Katherine had made a 'free hugs' sign which I wore for most of the day. I can't remember how many hugs I got though!

We got to meet Tom Baker and Craig Charles. Well I didn't personally, but I took photos!

Katherine and Shannon on the train

Katherine in the queue

Me and Mike in the queue

Katherine with Tom Baker

Shannon with Craig Charles

Mike with a Warthog from Halo

Mike, Katherine and Shannon on the bridge

Me and Mike on the bridge

Sunday 24th May 2009: The Joker

Sunday 24th May 2009

I love Batman and The Dark Knight so it was only fitting that I played the Joker this year! I bought rigid collodion and liquid latex to complete the look after doing some make-up research on YouTube. Me and Mike were leaving for EXPO at about 7.00am so I had to get up at 3.00am to start my make-up! It was exhausting! I finished at about 6.30 so I just about had enough time to get my costume sorted. 

I'd hired my suit jacket and waistcoat from a place local to me in Ascot called As If By Magic. I bought the hexagon style shirt from Hot Topic. I searched for ages to find the perfect Joker shirt and this was the only place I could find one. If I remember right, it cost me quite a lot at around $20 odd dollars plus a ridiculous amount for postage and packaging from America! I couldn't find any purple trousers that matched the jacket and waistcoat so I went as a female Joker. 

The train journey to EXPO was great. We had one elderly man asked us 'what all this was about' pointing to my costume, so I explained all about EXPO and that seemed to make sense to him. He said he thought that this was the kind of style... as if dressing up as the Joker was the new Goth or something! haha

It got to the point where I kept getting really odd looks, which obviously wasn't a surprise, so I started saying 'Why so serious?' to anyone who gave me a funny look. It soon put a smile on their face (no pun intended)!

When we got to EXPO I signed to do the masquerade, as I'd only done it the once before when I was Tuxedo Kamen (see the post here). I didn't win of course, there were much better costumes than mine! And I hadn't learnt anything from my time on stage as Tuxedo Kamen and I was only on stage for a very short time (although to me it felt like ages)! When I was behind the stage I met some great people! It got really awkward when a guy started asking me 'how I got those scars?' and I couldn't remember the speech from The Dark Knight so I started mumbling about how 'my dad gave them to me' etc Then he went a quoted the whole scene really well and in the right voice and I was just sitting there very awkwardly and embarrassed! :S haha Nevermind.

I found this on DeviantArt! Thank you to whoever
took this!

Me with another Joker

Me with another Joker

Me with Harleyquin

Sunday 25th May 2008: V for Vendetta

Sunday 25th May 2008

For my birthday this year, my mum and dad bought me a V for Vendetta mask. 

I didn't go all out on this costume so I just wore all black, my mask and a cape. When we got to EXPO there were 2 other Vs!

Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos of myself which is a shame. I did end up getting lots of Sophie though!

Mike making fun of Roxana
drying her hair

Sophie and Roxana

Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Chibi Moon

Sailor Moon and Sailor Jupiter

Saturday 20th October 2007: Gothic Lolita Dress

Saturday 20th October 2007

This EXPO I dressed in my Gothic Lolita dress that I bought back at the May 2007 EXPO.

This was the first EXPO to be attended by my boyfriend Mike. At the time, we'd been going out for just over 2 months. While I'm writing this (28.8.2012) we've been together for 5 years now (and living together).

We were joined by Sophie again and a new addition to the crew in my friend Roxana. Roxana and I have been best friends for years. We went to infant, primary and secondary school together. We stopped talking for a few years in secondary school while we were in different classes, but we got back in touch and since this EXPO, we've gone to all our EXPOs together. 

Mike got to meet some Stormtroopers

Sophie dressed as Sailor Jupiter. She bought her costume on Ebay from a seller in China. It came out pretty good, I wish I could have got a Sailor Moon one!

We had a good EXPO this year. Mike got to meet some Stormtroopers, and I managed to get hold of some Sailor Moon merchandise! Which made me very happy! I got a hat and a plaque about Usagi and Sophie came away with a Sailor Jupiter keychain.

To top off our day we all got to meet Marina Sirtis! Mike got her signature and I got to geek out over the fact I'd seen Councillor Diana Troy from Star Trek NG! :D

Marina Sirtis signing Mike's photo

Mike drooling over his signature! 

Me with my Sailor Moon merchandise

Sophie with her Sailor Jupiter keychain

Me trying on Sophie's Sailor Jupiter headband