2014 Reader Survey

Happy New Year!

Last year, I tried out a reader survey to help me learn what you guys liked best about xo Mia. Your feedback was incredibly valuable, and one of the reasons that I worked on so many Cosplay 101 posts this year! I love learning about you all and what you are interested in.
So let's keep the tradition going! If you have 5 minutes, please consider filling out the form below. Be as simple or as detailed as you'd like! If you can't view the embedded form, click here to fill it out on Google Drive. 
The feedback you provide will directly influence xo Mia in 2015. Thank you so much for all your support!

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Top 5 Cosplay Myths Busted!

I put together a list of the 5 biggest cosplay myths I hear over at MagicCatJenny! I think the biggest issues people have with cosplaying are all related to these myths floating around... so let's talk about them!

1. Cosplayers have to make every piece of their costume.Although many who cosplay are focused on crafting their entire costume, it is definitely not a requirement! Even the best cosplayers will order or commission pieces that are outside their skill level. Someone may be excellent at sewing, for example, but rubbish at prop making, and choose to purchase from an experienced prop expert.

Moreover, it's not a bad thing to purchase items for your costume! My personal rule is if it's cheaper AND easier to buy (or modify) a piece, and it's still accurate, I'll buy it instead of making it from scratch. Some costumes lend themselves to purchasing rather than making, anyway.

For the full post, click here!

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Announcing: Superheroesque!

Today is February 13, and you know what that means - it's Galentine's Day! (Also my mom's birthday... happy birthday mom!)

For the past year or so, my friend Liz and I have had this vision of a new web project - we wanted to build a safe community where we can talk about self-love and self-improvement in a geeky context. It's been a wild ride getting this project together, and I'm absolutely thrilled to be able to announce that the site is live! The first post is up and we'll be bringing you new content regularly.

"Our mission is to encourage every geek to become their own 

superhero through a happy community of self-love and pop culture."

Please check out the articles and videos currently up, and consider subscribing, joining our G+ community, or following along with social media. We're also looking for contributors! If you have something you want to say, consider submitting it to the site.

Thank you so much for your support. It means the world to me.

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Ch-ch-ch-changes! Welcome to xo Mia!

Hello and welcome to my first blog post on my new domain!

A while ago, I realized that MiaMoore.net wasn't really fitting what my blog had become. I chose to use my name so it would suit any content I created, but I felt like it didn't really explain what my blog was about.

Now, my domain and blog name are xo Mia. What does this mean? Well, it still has my name - that much is true - but instead, I see my blog more like a love letter to all the things I love. Geek culture, conventions, cosplay, style, and other topics all have a place here. I feel that xo Mia fits my content so much better, and I hope you all agree!

I'm still tweaking the layout and some of the behind-the-scenes stuff, so there may be a few broken things here and there. For now, I hope you like the changes as much as I do, and thanks again for following along!

Grab a Button!

<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.xomia.com" title="xo Mia"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5548/11896482044_ba7ff055b9.jpg" width=200 alt="xo Mia" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Need another size? Let me know!
Don't forget to update your URLs if you subscribe through an RSS reader!

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Featured: Celestial Bodies

Abby from A Geek Tragedy interviewed me for her body positive series, Celestial Bodies. I think it's so, so important to remember to be kind to ourselves. Abby's series features a wide range of bloggers and their stories of personal body image - a definite must-read, and I can't wait for more interviews to be posted.

I answered Abby's questions a while ago, so re-reading the final piece made me remember to take my own advice:

"The best advice I could give to my younger self is if it doesn't make you happy, it’s not worth it. Does agonizing over my lack of chest or big thighs change anything? No. Does it make me happy? No. So it’s not worth it. It’s so much more worth it to spend my time doing things I love. If I could take back all the time I spent on hating myself throughout my life and instead hula hoop, or work on cosplay, or travel, I’m certain I’d have several weeks of fun and a much better life experience to share." 

Check out the full article here, and don't forget to browse Abby's blog while you are there. If you are interested in participating in the Celestial Bodies series, simply contact Abby!

What body image advice would you give to a younger version of yourself?

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Featured: Who's That Geek?

My new geek girl BFF Leslie interviewed me on her blog, LeslieIRL! Click on over to see my thoughts on Sailor Moon, first cosplays, and fictional character crushes. Only subjects of the utmost importance, of course!

By the way, if you don't follow Leslie already, definitely get on that! She's hilarious and an inspiring voice in the geek girl community. She talks about everything from balancing hobbies to LARPing to comic book-themed wedding showers. You won't regret it! 

I'll leave you all with a question that Leslie asked me...

BOOM! Apocalypse! The world ends and it’s only you, and one other guy or girl, real or fictitious, to re-populate the Earth. Who is it?

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August Call for Sponsors -- 30% off with the code PASSION

I've got big plans... and I want you to join me! 

Change is in the air, baby! Passionfruit has updated their ad store, I'm about to begin grad school, and big things are happening for my blog. I want to invite you personally to join me through these adventures by becoming a sponsor.

My blog is growing, and now is the time to join on! Your ad (and additional sponsor opportunities) will be seen by thousands of eyeballs at budget prices. For stats and more info about who reads my blog, click on over! If you have questions or want more info, feel free to contact me.

I only have a few spots left for August, but to celebrate all this change, I'm giving them to you for 30% off! Use the code PASSION at check out to get your discount -- and don't forget, if you purchase multiple months, they will all be discounted! This is the biggest discount I have ever done, so take advantage while you can -- the code only lasts until August 5.

I'm so excited for my blog to keep on growing and developing. I hope you will take this journey with me.

P.S. - I have a few spaces left for ad swaps with similarly-sized blogs that cover similar topics. Click over if you are interested!

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