21st Annual Academy Award Extravaganza Under Way in Seffner Draws Costumed Guests

For more than two decades, Cindy Miller-Ray in her Seffner home has invited costumed guests to celebrate the Oscars.

Dressed last year as Julia Child, this year Miller-Ray, a veteran community theater thespian, has opted to dress as the 14-year-old in “True Grit."

“I just love the movies,” she said. “And this gives us a reason to dress up."

Riley Mathena and Domonic Botto came dressed as Woody and a toy soldier, respectively, from “Toy Story 3."

“We grew up with ‘Toy Story’ so it was nice to see the final chapter, and all the creativity that ran throughout the three films,” Mathena said.

“And, yes, when we were growing up we thought, too, that our toys got together in the middle of the night to play,” Botto added.

Mike Wood and his date, Lindsay Harris, both dressed up black swans, she more in the style of Academy Award-nominate actress Natalie Portman and he more as, well, a black swan.

Jennifer Maxwell, with her date, Bill Collins, also dressed as a Black Swan, saying that she “loved the artsy” feel of the Oscar-nominated movie.

As for Collins, he dressed up as a character from “True Grit."

“Actually, this year’s (nominated remake) is better than the original,” Collins said, “and I was a fan of the original."

Carlton M.L. Jones, a veteran community theater costume designer, came dressed in an original piece representing three characters from “The King’s Speech."

“I’m Queen Elizabeth, King George VI and Lionel Logue, all rolled up into one,” Jones said. “I took a suit from ‘Mame,’ a dress from ‘Mame’ and a hat from ’Scrooge’ and sewed it altogether, with a fur from ’Sideshow.’ The medals, including one from the 1937 coronation of King George VI, I got on eBay."