Read with Me - Tales of a Wannabe Author, Cosplayer, and Blogger

Hello, everyone! The other day I dyed one of my tops in order to get it to look closer to the picture above of Bella's top from the movie The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1. This is the second time I've dyed an article of clothing, so my confidence was there but a bit shaky. I found the original top at Good Will, and it was only for a couple of dollars due to some damage to the stitching. I thought it would be a good project for me to try out for the first time. So, I bought Rit fabric dye because I've heard that this was the best for the price. On the bottle it has a couple of ways of dying your fabrics. You can dye them in the washing machine or in the sink. I did neither and went the old fashion way: a bucket. So this is how I dye a top with Rit dye with a bucket. First have the item that you want freshly washed and dried, and you need to make sure that if you are doing a top, unbutton all of the buttons. This is how it looked like before: It was

Hello, everyone! The next step I've taken towards my cosplay project is a minor detail, sometimes overlooked but can make an outfit! For the past couple of weeks, I've been using strength gel for my weak fingernails in order to get super Shadowhunter nails like Isabelle as seen in the photo above. A couple of days ago, I used China Glaze nail polish in Foie Gras to get the look. I put on two coats of paint and a top coat, and for the most part, it has stayed on. It has been chipping at the edges, but I can't really blame it after doing some ridiculous cleaning and notoriously biting the tips. I wish the color was a bit more purple, but it is what I had on hand that was the closest. I don't know if you can still get the color at your local beauty supply store, since this color was originally released as part of the China Glaze Hunger Games Collection. I would recommend China Glaze for your nail polish needs, though because I haven't met a China Glaze nail polish th

So, I've just finished up with the  City of Glass  by Cassandra Clare, and I have a lot of feelings rumbling within my crying heart. This book may be may favorite one in the series. Right out of the starting gate, Clare hits us with one emotional crisis after another. Then, the way she ends it seems like that's the end. No more Jace or Clary or Simon but then a miracle happens, and Clare decides to write three more books. All of this makes me extremely excited. I have two more books to read and review before the last one comes out, and then I'm sure I'm going to be reviewing all of Clare's other Shadowhunter books she has in the works (if Goodreads is anything to believe). Now, back to the review. Ms. Clare doesn't hold back on any of the action in this book, including a few battles and a war between Valentine and his league of demons against the Shadowhunters and Downworlders. Revelations happen between the main characters, and there is a death that will brea

Here it is, another book review!  City of Ashes  by Cassandra Clare is the second book of the Mortal Instruments series, and let's face it, the Mortal Instruments series is like an expensive bottle of wine: they only get better as time goes on. Clare further fleshes out her world of Shadowhunters and Downworlders in City of Ashes  with beautiful but fierce fairies, an Inquisitor with a score to settle, and a family smack-down between Valentine, Clary, and Jace. Now without giving anything away, you should absolutely read this book. It was near impossible for me to put it down, and the epilogue will have you in tears. I remember when I first read this, I was so upset that I would have to wait a full year before finding out what happened next. That's the effect these books have on people. Immersing yourself into a world that seems so similar to your own yet so unfamiliar at the same time makes it approachable yet exciting. That's exactly what this book does. Clare loves to

Hello, everyone! So, I'm not here with a review of any kind, but I do have a discount if you really love The Mortal Instruments and want to cosplay as Clary or Simon. At Brooklyn Industries (click to go to website), you can get Clary's and Simon's t-shirts that were worn in the upcoming movie City of Bones. And some lovely people from The Mortal Minute (click for awesome sauce) got us this coupon for five dollars off of each shirt! I ordered from the website earlier today, and the website was a little glitchy; however, after a quick call to the store they fixed it right up and are sending Clary's shirt straight to me. Also, you have to add the code while still in your shopping cart. I got panicky when I got to the end and didn't see a place to put the code. I will probably do a review on the t-shirt and let you all know how I feel about it. Also, feel free to subscribe to my blog for more book and cosplay reviews. I promise that there will be more than just Th

Hello, everyone! Today is going to be a review of Parallel Worlds Makeup Collection by Nyx inspired by The Mortal Instruments City of Bones. I've had this for a while and have been wanting to do a review for it, but it turns out that I am horrible at taking makeup photos. Seriously, to all the beauty gurus out there that do your own make up, take pictures, and do tutorials, you are doing an amazingly difficult job. So, keep that in mind when you are viewing the pictures down below (seriously, I tried my best). Now the makeup collection comes with a smokey eye shadow palette, a matte lip creme, a black mascara, black liquid liner, a powder blush, a jumbo eye pencil, and a two-look look book. I'll start with the palette. I was very surprised with the color payout. It's not as vibrant as a MAC eye shadow, but it's definitely workable in an everyday routine. The matte lip creme is a bit... weird. I put it on an it just looked and felt artificial. It did come out matte, wh

Hello, everyone! I'm finally going to do the review for my two Izzy cosplay pieces from Hot Topic. I got the serpent cuff and ruby necklace. Now, first off I have to describe how they are in the book. According to the Shadow Hunter's Wiki, Izzy's bracelet/whip is described as being silvery gold (although I've went through the City of Bones and only saw it depicted as gold), and a glamour is used to make it seem like a bracelet while not being used as a whip. (You can read the full description here .) Her necklace is described as "a thick silver chain, on which hung a dark red pendant the size of a baby's fist." ( City of Bones) As you can see from the Hot Topic stock photos, the cuff is clearly silver, and while gem is bright red in the picture, it is noticeably darker in real life. Now, here are a couple of pictures that were taken during the Book Expo of America of props that were used in the movie. And here is a picture of Izzy wearing the brac

Finally! The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones  review is here! I'm so glad to be doing this. First off: a disclaimer. I am a super fan of this series. So, I may be a little biased. Now, let me just say that this book is pretty darn amazing. You have love, war, and betrayal, and things are just getting started. There are several reasons to why this book is awesome. Firstly, the main character, Clary, is your typical fifteen-year-old thrust upon a supernatural world filled with demons and the Shadowhunters that fight them. She doesn't just wait for things to happen around her; she takes action, which is a breath of fresh air if you're an avid reader of Young Adult fiction. Secondly, her love interest Jace isn't what a lot of readers are use to. He's arrogant, condescending, and a bit of jerk all wrapped up in a delicious package of tall, blonde, and sexy, and he knows it. He laughs in the face of danger (literally), and he is so intrigued by new-girl Clary. Then th

Alright, shadowhunters! I'm really excited! After many phone calls about my pre-order of City of Bones Merchandise and a cancellation, Hot Topic sent one of my items: the Morgenstern Family Ring! The picture above is the stock photo of the item from the Hot Topic website. Last night, the FedEx man cam with a package, and I would have never had guessed it was for me! Inside the package was a small plastic box decorated with runes and the dual city landscape fans have come to know through the movie posters that have been plastered just about everywhere. On the back of the box, it shows a grainy shadowy picture of what I could only guess is Jace's fist wearing the Morgenstern Ring. From the picture, you can tell that the item inside closely resembles the one actually worn in the movie. Now let's talk about the actual ring. The ring itself is quite large, which makes sense considering it is supposed to be a man's ring. The website says that it is a size 7, but it feels li