We had a great opportunity recently to attend a special nerd meet-up at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood. It was Pin-Up day and hosted by @ainselkestylehaus (follow them on Instagram!).
There were several meet-up times/places througout the day. Really nice goody bags with necklaces and earrings, and a trivia contest where I won a wand!
We started our day as usual, with a frozen butterbeer!
We walked around and saw the sights around Universal while waiting on the nighttime light show on Hogwarts Castle.
We took the backstage tour…
We also had a raptor encounter…
Our rockabilly outfits feature vintage cardis from Elhoffer Design in our house colors so we can show our Hufflepuff Pride in style! Get your own in your house colors here.
We stayed until the light show on Hogwarts Castle, which was really cool!
We had a great time. If you are in the LA area, check out The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It is amazing!
Recently, the kid and I watched a great documentary on Epix called, “Straight/Curve: Redefining Body Image” by Jenny McQuaile. We highly recommend that you give it a watch.
Watch the trailer below:
The documentary deals with the complicated issues of body image in today’s society and the pressure put on all women to conform to a certain body type. There are interviews with teen girls that are honest about their struggles with body image. The documentary also addresses that these body image issues continue long into adulthood.
What I liked about the documentary is that it wasn’t an exercise in finger pointing at the fashion industry and media. The film does address these industries as contributing to the problem, but it moves on from that quickly, since we already know this, and gets to the growing number of designers and content creators that are taking this on and putting out a variety of races, ages and body types in their clothes and photos of their clothes.
The film then focuses on an photography art exhibit by Anastasia Garcia featuring 12 models from different ethinicities, ages and body types to create a one-of-a-kind exhibit to be shown during NYC Fashion Week. The film follows the models on shoot day.
Some highlights of the film:
The kiddo really loved seeing the models show up without make-up. She exclaimed, “Wait, their skin isn’t perfect! They look like us!”
The models talk about how much they hate the photoshopping of their bodies. They know that the pictures don’t look like them and that it is impossible to look like the photos. It is truly unachievable. Even for them.
The models talk about how their bodies are scutinized at work. These were models that were a size 2, and were referred to as “fat” by photographers and agents.
The models also talk about how unhealthy they were when they were super thin, and now that they are not worried about fitting into a size 00, they are happier and much healthier.
In addition to body size and image, skin color is addressed as well. One of my favorite models, Philomena Kwao, is a plus size model and a very dark skinned woman. She talks about getting excluded from covers, not because of her size, but because of her color. Because she looks differently from what we are used to.
“I’m not a plus size woman. I’m a plus size model.”
Seeing that all these amazing beautiful women also struggle with body positivity, whether they are a size 0 or a size 20. That resonated with the kiddo and with me.
“The top of my modeling career, I was the bottom of my self-esteem.”
“My worth was in not eating.”
“We cannot allow girls to live like that anymore.” Amen.
If you have the time, I highly recommend this documentary. It is streaming on Epix now.
The film’s website is here to get more information.
These cute dresses are Spiderman themed with the spiderman stretch lace over a red bodice and a cute sequined spider on the shoulder. We also think these are great goth looking dresses for Halloween as well.
We purchased these at the Her Universe store at SDCC, but they are available on their website.
As always, Her Universe sizing is kind of all over the place. I got a 4X in this dress, so I have items from Universe from a size XL all the way up to 4X now. I’m a size 18/20 for reference. This is super frustrating, so let’s hope they keep working on the sizing issue. A big part of the problem is that these are junior sizes, not women’s sizes. So a 3X in Her Universe on the site versus a size 3 at Torrid of the same dress will fit differently. So, my advice, check the size charts and go by your measurements. Scout got a medium.
We really love these dresses and can’t wait to wear them often this Halloween season, which are high-holy days for us!
Next up, some great new everyday cosplay items and a great new Marvel Legends buy for Guardians of the Galaxy!
Recently, I realized as a geek parent, who is proud to be a geek, that raising a geeky kid has some challenges as she gets older.
As the kiddo approaches teenager status, she’s started to struggle with, “what the other kids are doing” more and more. This was expected, but nonetheless, I was a bit unprepared for this new phase of her life when it actually happened.
It all started this past month while she was packing for her first trip to sleepover camp. She took charge and got the list and began to pack, but as she did, I noticed that she was concerned about her sheets and her comforter. At our house, they are Marvel, naturally, but a bit more generic at her father’s apartment. The ones at her dad’s won a trip to camp. Then her pajamas, and her t-shirts faced new scrutiny. “What if I wear a Spiderman shirt to camp and none of the other girls are wearing Marvel shirts?!”
You may think, “Whatever! Wear what you want!” This would have been her answer a couple of summers ago, but not now. This may seem to be such a non-issue, but when you are 11, it is everything.
So, as a parent that trumpets body positivity and confidence on a blog no-less, and someone who has always done her own thing, how do you reconcile this issue? How do you be a good parent, but teach your kid at the same time to be confident and themselves?
It’s a tricky thing. My best answer, and what I will be doing, is to be a support system at all times. If they want to wear what everyone else is wearing, then fine. A tween and a teen’s comfort in social situations is crucial right now. Allow them to be comfortable. Their individuality will show its face again, don’t you worry. Once they get settled into the new school and meet new friends, then that special style will shine through.
So, I didn’t freak when she wanted to leave the Marvel at home for camp. Who cares? It’s fine. She relaxed and had a great time at camp instead of constantly worrying about being made fun of because she likes “nerdy things” or “boy things”. She has the ability to stand up for herself and express herself, but sometimes it is just easier to be comfy. And comfy is OK. As a parent, make sure they know that. Don’t be judgmental. They get enough of that at school, at camp, at swim team, etc.
I know from talking to other parents, that the kiddo it looked up to by many a kid for her style and her confidence. That will bounce right back in time. Especially if you are that safety net for her. You are support. When she decides to take a chance and wear something unique and different; you are there to support her and encourage that courageous move. On the other end of it, be there and let her know that it is OK to be safe and comfortable amongst her peers.
Anyway, that’s my two cents. What do my fellow ‘rents think? Sound off in the comments!
Next time, more fashions and a fun unboxing of a Marvel Legends product!
Love, Kim and Scout
*Pro photos by Justin Davidson Photography and York In a Box (see watermarks)
For our latest outfit of the day, we are featuring our Patriotic Cardigans from Elhoffer Design.
This cardigan has a vintage cropped cut that is universally flattering.
The sweater is super soft and comfy. A perfect choice for bounding either Captain America or Wonder Woman.
I’ve paired mine with my Cap leggings from Gold Bubble Clothing. Scout paired hers with black leggings, and we both wore black t-shirts. My trusty tall boots are from Lane Bryant, and Scout’s silver sneakers are from Target. We both wore a red chiffon scarf to give it a vintage style. The scarves are from Amazon.
Get your own cardi at Elhoffer Design. As always with Elhoffer, these are size inclusive. Women’s sizing, not Juniors, XS-3XL, but supplies are limited, so grab yours while they are in stock!
The kid and I will be helping out at The Galaxy of Comics this weekend for the Elhoffer Pop Up Shop. Please come by and say, “Hi!” and take home some great geek bounding items!
OK, this year’s SDCC didn’t disappoint in the merchandise realm at all! We scored many things we had to have that we didn’t know we needed, so that is Con success!
Lego Batman is now protecting the LA Sanctum (aka home), but first he wanted to hold Lego hands. :Click:
My favorite item from the Con this year? My “This is Fine” dog. That meme has become a big go-to for me, so I love having him around the house.
We also stomped the floor a bit and got some great photo ops:
We ran into Deadpool giving maximum effort as well:
Friday of SDCC, we participated in our third SDCC Marvel Group Photo:
Here’s the Iron Man group with Scout:
And the Cap group with me:
More on our “New Wave Avengers” cosplays later. The photo shoot is always a great opportunity to meet up and say hello to friends that you only get to see once a year. Here’s a shot from the cosplayers point-of-view:
It is always crazy and always so much fun! We had a blast hanging out with everyone.
On our way out, I spotted these great cosplayers and had to snap a final pic!
We had a great time at nerd camp, as always! Catch ya next year, SDCC!
Elhoffer Design has some great new items up for pre-sale. With Elhoffer Design, the overall amount of sizes ordered depends on the interest in the pre-sale, so if you want any of these items, then pounce!
Potter Inspired and Anglophile Items
First up are the Loony and Serpent Slayer cardis:
Both cardis are a vintage-style silhouette, which are universally flattering. Elhoffer Design also carries all of their items size inclusive, up to 3XL. The sizes are women’s and not junior’s sizing as well, so a 3XL is a true 3XL. I should know, that is the size I wear in her clothes. I wear a size 18/20 for reference.
Elhoffer also has a dolman sweater inspired by Fantastic Beasts and a very cute Union Jack cardi.
Star Wars Inspired Items
Next up are some Star Wars inspired items:
The Scavenger Vest has attached arm warmers and is super-soft. The General cape comes in two colors, brown and grey, and is one size fits all. Both items are great for casual cosplay or bounding.
All items are available at special pre-order prices now at elhofferdesign.com. Make sure you order them now before the prices go up and to make sure you get the size you want.
Until next time…
Love, Kim and Scout
*All photos: elhofferdesign.com
** I am the Administrations Manager for elhofferdesign.com
