The night I started the meds for my IVF cycle, I was supposed to run a table for my boutique at a big cosplay event. I had worked really hard to bring my character to life and was excited to wear the outfit as part of a trio. Things did not go as planned. The drugs made me really ill and I ended up puking in the parking lot before the event started. We never even got photos of our group – the Lady Luck dressphere from Final Fantasy X-2. I was Paine, the one in blue and black.

So that costume has sat in a drawer for the past four years. The best part of cosplay is wearing what you put all the effort into making, so I never got to really enjoy it. I was not in shape to wear it post-baby. And now, the event I made it for is coming up again, and the theme happens to fit. So I was thinking…maybe…maybe I can wear it again and finally get to enjoy it!

And now the fun part- I’ve managed to convinced a mom buddy, who has never done anything like this, to make and wear the Yuna cosplay. (The pink and purple one) So here is our before photo:

I’ll be helping a first time cosplayer put together an outfit, and covering it on the blog, to show the progress and eventual transformation from stay-at-home-mom to video game vixen. My friend up for the challenge is Effie from Project Mom Strong, and she will be posting on her accounts as well.

We will be wearing the costumes at GAAM, which has consistently been voted one of the top cosplay events in Jacksonville. We also have a friend doing the third one in the group, Rikku, so I will finally get that group photo!

Effie has a son around the same age as mine, so we are both in the same place of getting used to our post-baby bodies and working on getting them back to where we want them to be. It’s a process of hard work and also acceptance that some things are permanently altered. We both could use a little extra motivation at the gym, so this is our motivation! We have a month to push a little harder, lose those last few pounds, and then celebrate by dressing up and partying.

Follow our Total Cosplay Makeover progress on social media:

Instagram: @SewGeekMama & @Project_Mom_Strong

Facebook: Candy Keane & Project Mom Strong

YouTube:SewGeekMama & Project Mom Strong