Okay, it's decided.
I've decided for sure that I want to go to Comic Con as Maxim instead of just some random female Jäger. After doing some looking around I found that his costume won't be quite as difficult as I thought. I might even be able spend less money than I had originally thought it would require. Now I need to write everything down that I'll need and keep track of where I'll be able to acquire those things for a reasonable price.
Here's my list so far and some thoughts about each item.
Wig - I originally thought that I could just buy any old wig in the right color as long as it was at least somewhat straight and of the right length, but I decided that I want to be able to take my hat off occasionally so it needs to be a wig with a specific style. It must have semi-bangs (not too short or thick) or some hair pulled forward over the forehead, and it has to have a part on the left-hand side or at least be able to be styled as such. Originally I was just going to style it the best I could and use the hat to cover up any messiness, but I want it to look as natural as possible, hat on or off. Of course, purple hair isn't exactly natural, but you know what I mean.
Sources:
Ivy wig in "Black Cherry" - This one's my first choice but there are a few others I could also use on Amphigory.com. I like this one because it's very straight, has a lot of hair to work with, and comes in a very unique color called "Black Cherry". It's basically black mixed with purple. The purple in it looks a little too bluish in the photos on the website (the purple tint in Maxim's hair is almost fuschia) but I figure that I can always use some of Katie Blair's wig dye if, when the wig arrives, it turns out to not be as close to the right color as I was hoping for. When I first saw the Ivy wig on that page I thought the color they show it in was perfect but if you look at the other photos it's actually too light. Then I thought that maybe I could just buy some black wig dye and use it sparingly to darken the wig a bit but on closer speculation of that color on the site's color chart it's actually more of a dark red than a purple. I'm just better off buying the wig in "Black Cherry" and using a bit of pinkish dye on it. And perhaps the wig will actually be in the right color when I get to see it in person and I won't even need to dye it.
The website says it's out of stock in "Black Cherry" but I e-mailed the people and they told me it should be available mid-May.
Katie Blair's wig dye in "Raspberry Pink" - I think should do the trick if the wig's color isn't quite right. I'm going to buy the wig as soon as I can so I can recieve it and still have plenty of time to decide what I'm going to do with it.
Bobby pins in "Purple"
Wig cap in "Black"
Estimated cost: $45 ($65 if I have to buy wig dye)
_______________________________________________
Hat - I was doing a whole bunch of searching for cavalier hats and found some good ones but they were all a lot more expensive than I thought they would be. I was prepared to just buy one in any old color and just cover it in purple fabric. I even found one in the PERFECT SHADE OF PURPLE but it was over $100. HA! Then, this morning I was climbing down from my bed (I have a loft bed) and I accidently knocked off an old black Riata Western hat that was hanging on my bedpost. I got it for my birthday a long time ago as a gift. It was always a bit too big so I had to hold it on my head whenever I went riding and I hated the heart conchos on the band (I'm not really a girly girl so hearts aren't my thing). I put it on and looked in the mirror and with my hair down and straightened... MAXIM! The sun was behind me through the window so my reflection was dark. It was like I was looking at Maxim's silhouette in the mirror. So what I'm going to do is just remove the band, cover the hat in purple fabric, and put a red band around it. And it will fit quite snugly with a wig. I even tried it on over one of my old wigs to make sure and it was quite a good fit. I'll probably end up spending just a few dollars for a bit of stretchy purple fabric and a tiny bit of red for the band. Oh, and I'll also need purple casing for the edge. Again, cheap.
Sources:
My own hat and some cheap fabric from Joann's.
Estimated cost: $5-$10-ish
_______________________________________________
Boots - I knew the boots were going to be difficult. Where the heck do you get thigh-high boots in red that aren't made of a cheap, shiny vinyl and don't look like they're part of some whore costume? I eventually resigned myself to the fact that I was going to have to use red paint so then I just started looking for boots in any old color. Black was obviously the most common. At first I was looking for "thigh-high" boots on Google shopping but that wasn't turning out much more than the shiny high-heeled junk. So then I started looking for people who do boots and other leatherwork for Renaissance Faires. There are actually quite a lot of them but their stuff is expensive. I managed to find a pair I liked for $90 here: http://www.renboots.com/MaidMarion.html but they still weren't quite right. The heel is only 5/8" and I know Maxim is an ex-cavalry officer. His boots most likely have at least a bit more of a heel than that for riding purposes (yes, I know, but I'm a horsey person; I pay attention to details like that). Plus, I really want my boots to make that clicking sound when I walk, don't ask me why.
So then when I was looking around on CosWorx.com this morning after I found the "Ivy" wig I noticed they have a section for boots and got excited. Most of them were, again, shiny and vinyl but there was one pair that caught my eye: http://www.cosworx.com/product.php?productid=26223&cat=2484&page=1. They look almost exactly like the $90 ones but they're much cheaper. Before I had time to get excited though I noticed that they were titled "Thigh boots" rather than "Thigh-high". I immediately did a search on Google shopping for "Thigh boots" and look what came up: http://exotichighheels.stores.yahoo.net/thighhighboots.html
1" heels (the standard for riding boots), real leather, and STILL cheaper than the Renaissance ones. Then of course I'll also have to buy some leather-safe red acrylic paint but that should be pretty cheap.
Sources:
Boots - I'm not going to bother with the purple things on Maxim's boots. They seem to disappear later on anyway.
Acrylic leather paint in "Scarlet Red" - I could also just go and buy some plain acrylic paint at a craft store which I'll probably look into first before buying this fancy stuff.
Estimated cost: $90
_______________________________________________
Sword - I was very excited for this part of the costume. Maxim's sword keeps changing throughout the comic so I knew I would have a little freedom with it. I ended up choosing this one: http://www.a1webshopping.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3848_4139_4140_4262&products_id=45247. I know it says that there are only 11 left in stock but that particular sword is all over the place and for the same price. There's also one just like it with a wooden handle, though I think black goes better with Maxim's whole ensemble so I'll just get the leather handle. The best part about the sword? It's a cavalry sword! If I have more time and money left I might wrap the scabbard in some brown material because that's how it looks through most of the comic but again, it keeps changing. I know I've seen at least one panel where the scabbard was silver so I could totally get away with just leaving it the way it is.
Sources:
The sword! - Now all I have to do is find out if the convention people are going to want me to peace-tie it.
Estimated cost: $35
_______________________________________________
Belts + buckle - I've already got belts that will work, all I need is a belt buckle but just a cheap, plain one that's round and silver. Easy and cheap.
Sources:
Belt buckle - Not perfectly round but it's big and shiny and I like it just fine.
Estimated cost: $15
_______________________________________________
Cape + brooch - The cape I'll basically just be doing from scratch with some Joann's fabric and my trusty sewing machine. The brooch may be a challenge. I may just buy two of those belt buckles and paint one gold... or I could just leave it, not a big deal. For the cape I want to buy a nice heavy, drapey fabric and line it with a cheap cotton. I figured I'll need about 1 1/2 yds of each. We're talking about $10-$15 for the fabric and add on the brooch...
Notes for myself:
60" long total
50" long nape to hem
45"-ish wide (can be changed depending on fabric width)
60" fabric = 1 1/2 yds of each fabric, 3 yds total
Estimated cost: $25
_______________________________________________
Shirt - Again, another sewing project. I'm guestimating 1 1/2 yds for the main fabric of the outside shirt, 1 yd of lining, 1/4 yd of cheap cotton for the sleeve of the undershirt. I'm not going to have a whole undershirt because I'm trying to minimize the layers I'll be wearing... freakin' July heat! So, I'll just make the left sleeve and tack it to the inside of the outer shirt's left sleeve. I'll also need a bit of gold trim for the outer shirt's left sleeve but I already have the perfect stuff left over from my Kida costume. Now, remember that I'm not doing the crazy black and red prosthetic right arm so the right sleeve has to have the cuff you see earlier on. I'm just going to use some scrap fabric, interfacing, and buttons. The shirt itself will also have a TON of buttons. Let's say about $15-$20 for fabric and $10-$15 for buttons.
Notes for myself:
2 yds main = $10
1 yd lining = $2
Cuff:
Fabric = $1 (scraps)
Interfacing = $0 (already have)
Buttons = $5
Shirt buttons = $10
Trim = $0 (already have)
Estimated cost: $30
_______________________________________________
Trousers - Yay for Good Will! I'm just going to find some cheap, plain red pants and then sew a flap onto the front and put a couple buttons on it. $5 for the pants, $5 for the fabric + buttons... (And if I can't find the right pants I can always sew some which will only be a few dollars more)
Estimated cost: $10
_______________________________________________
Shoulder armor - This one has been nagging at me. I think I know how I'm going to do most of it, I just need to find something I can use as a base that will fit over my shoulder and that I can tack everything onto. I also need to figure out what I can make the spikes out of. It needs to be something easily shapable and paintable but very lightweight. I'm thinking just some kind of foam. Everything else I have figured out.
Estimated cost: $30? (This is still really in the air... I need to do more research on the supplies I'll need)
_______________________________________________
Body paint - I've got this one ALL figured out. I was a bit worried about spending the whole day (or all four days if I decide not to bring my Kida costume and wear that one too) with painted hands and that I wouldn't be able to touch anything or my face or neck for fear of smearing the paint. But I knew there HAD to be something I could use that could take some wear-and-tear. I see people at cons with painted bodies all the time. Here's the secret: a base layer of foundation, setting powder, cake makeup in preferred color, setting powder, special makeup sealant spray. $7 for spray + $6 for powder + $9 for paint + shipping = $30, and I already have foundation.
Sources:
Barrier Spray, 2 oz - I'm guessing I won't need that much because I'm only painting my face, ears, neck, hands, and part of my left arm but if I'm going to wear this costume all four days of the con I want to buy enough to be safe.
Colorset Setting Powder, .6 oz - Again, want to have enough to be safe.
Paradise Makeup AQ Moist Cake Makeup Pro Size in Violet? - See, I want the light purple color that you see in the pastel palette further up on the page but there it says that color is "Violet" while on the site's color chart it says it's "Purple". I e-mailed them asking which one is which but I haven't gotten a response yet. I want to buy the makeup stuff ASAP so that I can do plenty of experimenting and make sure it'll work. I could just guess and buy one and exchange if it's wrong but that would be such a hassle. I'll wait a bit longer and if I don't receive a response soon I'll just go for it.
Estimated cost: $30
_______________________________________________
Claws - Walmart + fake nails + nail file + purple nail polish = Jäger claws! I might even be all fancy and get some black paint and dirty them up a bit, make them look less like fancy nails with girly purple nail polish. And I'm getting the glue-on ones. That tape-like adhesive just doesn't stay on. I need stuff that'll put up with some abuse and that I can easily reapply. The tape stuff only applies once and they only give you so much of it.
Estimated cost: $5
_______________________________________________
Teeth - This one is going to require experimenting. I really don't want big ol' cheap, fake-looking ones that make you talk funny and make your upper lip stick way out. I found these: http://www.halloweencostumes4u.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?store_code=hal&screen=PROD&product_code=rub2126. They look pretty good and they even come with a custom fitting compound. I wasn't totally satisfied, though. I really wanted some nice fangs on the bottom and LONG ones so I could get that under-bite look Maxim has but all the fake teeth I was finding, even the vampire caps, were for upper teeth. Then I found these: http://www.ronjo.com/costumes/TEETHWRWLF.html. Expensive, yes, but if it means I can get that unique Maxim look, I'll do it! I might save them for the end as an option in case I end up being broke by the time I pay for everything else.
Sources:
Upper teeth, $10
Lower canines, $30
Estimated cost: $40
_______________________________________________
Ears - Pretty straight-forward. I'm getting a pair of prosthetic elf ears and painting them purple.
Sources:
Prosthetic ears
Spirit Gum (adhesive) and Spirit Gum remover - I know the ears say that they come with adhesive but I only trust Spirit Gum. NOTE: Buy with makeup, powder, and sealant to save on shipping.
Estimated cost: $18
_______________________________________________
ESTIMATED TOTAL = $380-$400
Not bad, actually. I think I can do it. As long as I buy all the stuff gradually and put in some extra hours at work I should be fine. I just got a couple raises so my base rate is about $10.40 now and I'll also be doing three weeks' worth of Playhouse Disney rehearsals at show rate which is $1 more than your base rate, then I'll be doing that regularly once I get gridded and those are all overtime shifts. I'm also working a lot more hours now that I'm just hosting. My health was causing me to miss a lot of work. So yay for moneyz!
I'm also getting about $350 back for taxes but I owe about that much to my dad. HOWEVER, that means I don't have to take $350 out of my own pocket to give to my dad. The only other major thing I have to pay for before July comes around is my car insurance but I've already got that all saved up in my savings account. All the extra money I make in the next few months can go toward my costume. Yee haw!
I'll even set a weekly goal and put that much into my savings account so that I can have $400 saved up by early-mid July. Let's start out with $25 per week.
One last thing: ICON! That's one of my favorite pages of the comic. See, the Jägers were created to be servants and soldiers for the Heterodyne family and Agatha (the blonde girl, main character) is a Heterodyne so she pretty much has command over them. Also, Jägers are very serious about hats. You'll almost never see one without a hat. Feel free to take, just be sure to credit me.
Here's my list so far and some thoughts about each item.
Wig - I originally thought that I could just buy any old wig in the right color as long as it was at least somewhat straight and of the right length, but I decided that I want to be able to take my hat off occasionally so it needs to be a wig with a specific style. It must have semi-bangs (not too short or thick) or some hair pulled forward over the forehead, and it has to have a part on the left-hand side or at least be able to be styled as such. Originally I was just going to style it the best I could and use the hat to cover up any messiness, but I want it to look as natural as possible, hat on or off. Of course, purple hair isn't exactly natural, but you know what I mean.
Sources:
Ivy wig in "Black Cherry" - This one's my first choice but there are a few others I could also use on Amphigory.com. I like this one because it's very straight, has a lot of hair to work with, and comes in a very unique color called "Black Cherry". It's basically black mixed with purple. The purple in it looks a little too bluish in the photos on the website (the purple tint in Maxim's hair is almost fuschia) but I figure that I can always use some of Katie Blair's wig dye if, when the wig arrives, it turns out to not be as close to the right color as I was hoping for. When I first saw the Ivy wig on that page I thought the color they show it in was perfect but if you look at the other photos it's actually too light. Then I thought that maybe I could just buy some black wig dye and use it sparingly to darken the wig a bit but on closer speculation of that color on the site's color chart it's actually more of a dark red than a purple. I'm just better off buying the wig in "Black Cherry" and using a bit of pinkish dye on it. And perhaps the wig will actually be in the right color when I get to see it in person and I won't even need to dye it.
The website says it's out of stock in "Black Cherry" but I e-mailed the people and they told me it should be available mid-May.
Katie Blair's wig dye in "Raspberry Pink" - I think should do the trick if the wig's color isn't quite right. I'm going to buy the wig as soon as I can so I can recieve it and still have plenty of time to decide what I'm going to do with it.
Bobby pins in "Purple"
Wig cap in "Black"
Estimated cost: $45 ($65 if I have to buy wig dye)
_______________________________________________
Hat - I was doing a whole bunch of searching for cavalier hats and found some good ones but they were all a lot more expensive than I thought they would be. I was prepared to just buy one in any old color and just cover it in purple fabric. I even found one in the PERFECT SHADE OF PURPLE but it was over $100. HA! Then, this morning I was climbing down from my bed (I have a loft bed) and I accidently knocked off an old black Riata Western hat that was hanging on my bedpost. I got it for my birthday a long time ago as a gift. It was always a bit too big so I had to hold it on my head whenever I went riding and I hated the heart conchos on the band (I'm not really a girly girl so hearts aren't my thing). I put it on and looked in the mirror and with my hair down and straightened... MAXIM! The sun was behind me through the window so my reflection was dark. It was like I was looking at Maxim's silhouette in the mirror. So what I'm going to do is just remove the band, cover the hat in purple fabric, and put a red band around it. And it will fit quite snugly with a wig. I even tried it on over one of my old wigs to make sure and it was quite a good fit. I'll probably end up spending just a few dollars for a bit of stretchy purple fabric and a tiny bit of red for the band. Oh, and I'll also need purple casing for the edge. Again, cheap.
Sources:
My own hat and some cheap fabric from Joann's.
Estimated cost: $5-$10-ish
_______________________________________________
Boots - I knew the boots were going to be difficult. Where the heck do you get thigh-high boots in red that aren't made of a cheap, shiny vinyl and don't look like they're part of some whore costume? I eventually resigned myself to the fact that I was going to have to use red paint so then I just started looking for boots in any old color. Black was obviously the most common. At first I was looking for "thigh-high" boots on Google shopping but that wasn't turning out much more than the shiny high-heeled junk. So then I started looking for people who do boots and other leatherwork for Renaissance Faires. There are actually quite a lot of them but their stuff is expensive. I managed to find a pair I liked for $90 here: http://www.renboots.com/MaidMarion.html but they still weren't quite right. The heel is only 5/8" and I know Maxim is an ex-cavalry officer. His boots most likely have at least a bit more of a heel than that for riding purposes (yes, I know, but I'm a horsey person; I pay attention to details like that). Plus, I really want my boots to make that clicking sound when I walk, don't ask me why.
So then when I was looking around on CosWorx.com this morning after I found the "Ivy" wig I noticed they have a section for boots and got excited. Most of them were, again, shiny and vinyl but there was one pair that caught my eye: http://www.cosworx.com/product.php?productid=26223&cat=2484&page=1. They look almost exactly like the $90 ones but they're much cheaper. Before I had time to get excited though I noticed that they were titled "Thigh boots" rather than "Thigh-high". I immediately did a search on Google shopping for "Thigh boots" and look what came up: http://exotichighheels.stores.yahoo.net/thighhighboots.html
1" heels (the standard for riding boots), real leather, and STILL cheaper than the Renaissance ones. Then of course I'll also have to buy some leather-safe red acrylic paint but that should be pretty cheap.
Sources:
Boots - I'm not going to bother with the purple things on Maxim's boots. They seem to disappear later on anyway.
Acrylic leather paint in "Scarlet Red" - I could also just go and buy some plain acrylic paint at a craft store which I'll probably look into first before buying this fancy stuff.
Estimated cost: $90
_______________________________________________
Sword - I was very excited for this part of the costume. Maxim's sword keeps changing throughout the comic so I knew I would have a little freedom with it. I ended up choosing this one: http://www.a1webshopping.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3848_4139_4140_4262&products_id=45247. I know it says that there are only 11 left in stock but that particular sword is all over the place and for the same price. There's also one just like it with a wooden handle, though I think black goes better with Maxim's whole ensemble so I'll just get the leather handle. The best part about the sword? It's a cavalry sword! If I have more time and money left I might wrap the scabbard in some brown material because that's how it looks through most of the comic but again, it keeps changing. I know I've seen at least one panel where the scabbard was silver so I could totally get away with just leaving it the way it is.
Sources:
The sword! - Now all I have to do is find out if the convention people are going to want me to peace-tie it.
Estimated cost: $35
_______________________________________________
Belts + buckle - I've already got belts that will work, all I need is a belt buckle but just a cheap, plain one that's round and silver. Easy and cheap.
Sources:
Belt buckle - Not perfectly round but it's big and shiny and I like it just fine.
Estimated cost: $15
_______________________________________________
Cape + brooch - The cape I'll basically just be doing from scratch with some Joann's fabric and my trusty sewing machine. The brooch may be a challenge. I may just buy two of those belt buckles and paint one gold... or I could just leave it, not a big deal. For the cape I want to buy a nice heavy, drapey fabric and line it with a cheap cotton. I figured I'll need about 1 1/2 yds of each. We're talking about $10-$15 for the fabric and add on the brooch...
Notes for myself:
60" long total
50" long nape to hem
45"-ish wide (can be changed depending on fabric width)
60" fabric = 1 1/2 yds of each fabric, 3 yds total
Estimated cost: $25
_______________________________________________
Shirt - Again, another sewing project. I'm guestimating 1 1/2 yds for the main fabric of the outside shirt, 1 yd of lining, 1/4 yd of cheap cotton for the sleeve of the undershirt. I'm not going to have a whole undershirt because I'm trying to minimize the layers I'll be wearing... freakin' July heat! So, I'll just make the left sleeve and tack it to the inside of the outer shirt's left sleeve. I'll also need a bit of gold trim for the outer shirt's left sleeve but I already have the perfect stuff left over from my Kida costume. Now, remember that I'm not doing the crazy black and red prosthetic right arm so the right sleeve has to have the cuff you see earlier on. I'm just going to use some scrap fabric, interfacing, and buttons. The shirt itself will also have a TON of buttons. Let's say about $15-$20 for fabric and $10-$15 for buttons.
Notes for myself:
2 yds main = $10
1 yd lining = $2
Cuff:
Fabric = $1 (scraps)
Interfacing = $0 (already have)
Buttons = $5
Shirt buttons = $10
Trim = $0 (already have)
Estimated cost: $30
_______________________________________________
Trousers - Yay for Good Will! I'm just going to find some cheap, plain red pants and then sew a flap onto the front and put a couple buttons on it. $5 for the pants, $5 for the fabric + buttons... (And if I can't find the right pants I can always sew some which will only be a few dollars more)
Estimated cost: $10
_______________________________________________
Shoulder armor - This one has been nagging at me. I think I know how I'm going to do most of it, I just need to find something I can use as a base that will fit over my shoulder and that I can tack everything onto. I also need to figure out what I can make the spikes out of. It needs to be something easily shapable and paintable but very lightweight. I'm thinking just some kind of foam. Everything else I have figured out.
Estimated cost: $30? (This is still really in the air... I need to do more research on the supplies I'll need)
_______________________________________________
Body paint - I've got this one ALL figured out. I was a bit worried about spending the whole day (or all four days if I decide not to bring my Kida costume and wear that one too) with painted hands and that I wouldn't be able to touch anything or my face or neck for fear of smearing the paint. But I knew there HAD to be something I could use that could take some wear-and-tear. I see people at cons with painted bodies all the time. Here's the secret: a base layer of foundation, setting powder, cake makeup in preferred color, setting powder, special makeup sealant spray. $7 for spray + $6 for powder + $9 for paint + shipping = $30, and I already have foundation.
Sources:
Barrier Spray, 2 oz - I'm guessing I won't need that much because I'm only painting my face, ears, neck, hands, and part of my left arm but if I'm going to wear this costume all four days of the con I want to buy enough to be safe.
Colorset Setting Powder, .6 oz - Again, want to have enough to be safe.
Paradise Makeup AQ Moist Cake Makeup Pro Size in Violet? - See, I want the light purple color that you see in the pastel palette further up on the page but there it says that color is "Violet" while on the site's color chart it says it's "Purple". I e-mailed them asking which one is which but I haven't gotten a response yet. I want to buy the makeup stuff ASAP so that I can do plenty of experimenting and make sure it'll work. I could just guess and buy one and exchange if it's wrong but that would be such a hassle. I'll wait a bit longer and if I don't receive a response soon I'll just go for it.
Estimated cost: $30
_______________________________________________
Claws - Walmart + fake nails + nail file + purple nail polish = Jäger claws! I might even be all fancy and get some black paint and dirty them up a bit, make them look less like fancy nails with girly purple nail polish. And I'm getting the glue-on ones. That tape-like adhesive just doesn't stay on. I need stuff that'll put up with some abuse and that I can easily reapply. The tape stuff only applies once and they only give you so much of it.
Estimated cost: $5
_______________________________________________
Teeth - This one is going to require experimenting. I really don't want big ol' cheap, fake-looking ones that make you talk funny and make your upper lip stick way out. I found these: http://www.halloweencostumes4u.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?store_code=hal&screen=PROD&product_code=rub2126. They look pretty good and they even come with a custom fitting compound. I wasn't totally satisfied, though. I really wanted some nice fangs on the bottom and LONG ones so I could get that under-bite look Maxim has but all the fake teeth I was finding, even the vampire caps, were for upper teeth. Then I found these: http://www.ronjo.com/costumes/TEETHWRWLF.html. Expensive, yes, but if it means I can get that unique Maxim look, I'll do it! I might save them for the end as an option in case I end up being broke by the time I pay for everything else.
Sources:
Upper teeth, $10
Lower canines, $30
Estimated cost: $40
_______________________________________________
Ears - Pretty straight-forward. I'm getting a pair of prosthetic elf ears and painting them purple.
Sources:
Prosthetic ears
Spirit Gum (adhesive) and Spirit Gum remover - I know the ears say that they come with adhesive but I only trust Spirit Gum. NOTE: Buy with makeup, powder, and sealant to save on shipping.
Estimated cost: $18
_______________________________________________
ESTIMATED TOTAL = $380-$400
Not bad, actually. I think I can do it. As long as I buy all the stuff gradually and put in some extra hours at work I should be fine. I just got a couple raises so my base rate is about $10.40 now and I'll also be doing three weeks' worth of Playhouse Disney rehearsals at show rate which is $1 more than your base rate, then I'll be doing that regularly once I get gridded and those are all overtime shifts. I'm also working a lot more hours now that I'm just hosting. My health was causing me to miss a lot of work. So yay for moneyz!
I'm also getting about $350 back for taxes but I owe about that much to my dad. HOWEVER, that means I don't have to take $350 out of my own pocket to give to my dad. The only other major thing I have to pay for before July comes around is my car insurance but I've already got that all saved up in my savings account. All the extra money I make in the next few months can go toward my costume. Yee haw!
I'll even set a weekly goal and put that much into my savings account so that I can have $400 saved up by early-mid July. Let's start out with $25 per week.
One last thing: ICON! That's one of my favorite pages of the comic. See, the Jägers were created to be servants and soldiers for the Heterodyne family and Agatha (the blonde girl, main character) is a Heterodyne so she pretty much has command over them. Also, Jägers are very serious about hats. You'll almost never see one without a hat. Feel free to take, just be sure to credit me.