Arietta the Wild cosplay - Tales of the Abyss

Better late than never...  The cosplay I made for ACen 2014 was Arietta the Wild from Tales of the Abyss.  She is a member of the God Generals which are a the main antagonists in the game.  I made the entire outfit myself including the Frankenstein-ish construction of the boots.  I can't wait to wear it at another convention.

If you like my cosplay please like my facebook page and follow me on twitter @forstericosplay 

Aside from the boots, this cosplay was really fun to make.  The doll was by far my favorite part.  It's made out of fleece and felt and is very soft.  The outfit also allowed me to try my hand at making my own bias tape as well as working with leather.  Overall I'm quite pleased with how Arietta turned out.  The only thing that I will probably change is the styling of the wig.

Kratos Aurion cosplay - Tales of Symphonia

For Acen this year, not only did I make myself a cosplay, but I also put one together for my friend Jake.  He was Kratos Aurion from Tales of Symphonia.  The costume (shirt, cape pants, belts) was purchased online, but I made some modifications to it as well as making all of the accessories and styling the wig.

I modified all the yellow accents by adding gold fabric paint and red rhinestones to look more like the artwork.

The wig was first dyed with ink to give it a darker red color.  Then I cut and styled the wig with hairspray and fabric glue.

I made both the sword and shield using EVA foam, a dremel, and spray paint.  This was my first time crafting any sort of weapon so I'm pretty pleased with how it came out.

Nymphadora Tonks cosplay - Harry Potter

 This year for ACen I did two new costumes for myself as well one for my buddy Jake.  The first of my new cosplays was Nymphadora Tonks from the Harry Potter series.   I picked her because she's fun, clumsy, and a little bit of a rebel.

If you like my cosplay please like my facebook page and follow me on twitter @forstericosplay 

For the hair I went with a slightly more vibrant pink than the traditional bubble gum pink for Tonks.  I ordered the want from Etsy, and make the choker with buttons and leather cord. 

Pecan Pie Bars

I had every intention to post this 2 months ago when I made them....

Pecan Pie Bars

Ingredients:

For crust

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For topping

• 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 cups chopped pecans

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a 9x13-inch pan with foil.

2) Cream together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. 

3) Add in the flour and salt and mix until crumbly.

4) Press the crust into the foil-lined pan and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

5) Combine the butter, brown sugar, honey and heavy cream in a saucepan and stirring it over medium heat. Simmer the mixture for 1 minute, then stir in the chopped pecans.

6) Remove the crust from the oven and immediately pour the pecan filling over the hot crust spreading it to cover the entire surface.

7) Return the pan to the oven and bake an additional 20 minutes.

8) Remove the pan and allow the bars to fully cool in the pan.

9) Slice into bars and serve.

Caprese Bites

Every year for Christmas eve my family hosts a party at our house.  We have food and drinks and play games with the family.   Its always a really good time.  For the food we primarily do lots of different finger foods that people can munch on throughout the night.  Each year my mom and I like to try out one or two different things in addition to the old standbys we always have.  This year we decided to put together some caprese bites, and I must say they were delicious. 

Caprese Bites

Ingredients:

• 1 large package of cherry tomatoes
• 5-7 sticks of mozzarella string cheese 
• 1 bunch of fresh basil
• Salt and pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1) Rinse and pat dry the cherry tomatoes.

2) Cut a thin slice off the bottom.

3) Scoop out the seeds. I found it easiest to use my fingers to do this but you can also use a small melon baller or a knife.

4) Place the tomato cut side down on a paper towel to drain liquid.

5) After they have drained place them upright on a plate and lightly salt and pepper them.

6) Rinse and gently pat dry the basil. Tear the basil into pieces in stick on piece into each hollowed out tomato.

7) Cut the mozzarella sticks into bite size pieces and place them inside the tomatoes.

8) Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.