Elvis Is Back In The Building

Since the Elvis Exhibit at Westgate Las Vegas opened earlier this year, I have visited 3 times. It holds a very special place in my heart, not only because of my love for Elvis but also by how closely I feel our lives are connected and how similar our relationship with Las Vegas is.

Here's a little history on the Westgate. The Westgate Hotel and Casino is now one of the oldeststill in  existence in it's original building in Las Vegas. When it opened in 1969 it was named the International Hotel. The International was sold to Hilton properties in 1970 and renamed the Las Vegas Hilton in 1971. Elvis opened in the International showroom on July 31,1969 and performed 58 consecutive sold out shows, breaking all Las Vegas audience attendance records in history. He would perform again at the property in February of 1970, August of 1970 (famously showcased in his 1970 film Elvis: That's The Way It Is), August of 1972 and again in December of 1976. Elvis even loved the property so much he lived in the penthouse on the 30th floor during his residencies.  The property was renamed the LVH in 2008, then sold to Westgate Resorts and renamed the Westgate Las Vegas in 2014.

When the property was renamed it was also announced that Elvis's presence would be known again. A brand new permanent exhibit with items direct from the Graceland archives was brought in. The very idea of an exhibit in this building dedicated to the man that made it famous was a novel idea that was a long time coming.

The exhibit is beautifully done. It takes you on a journey throughout Elvis's life. It is a soul stirring experience if you can let yourself take it all in and you can truly feel Elvis's presence around you.

The beginning of the exhibit takes you back to Tupelo and Elvis's humble beginnings in Memphis as a young truck driver with a dream of becoming a singer.

There are several items I think some of the most seasoned Elvis fans haven't seen. For example Elvis's tassel from his graduation cap from Humes High in 1953.

Can you spot Elvis in his ROTC group photo?

Then it takes you through his first recording experience at Sun studio, his rise to fame to RCA, his army stint and his movie career.

The orange racing suit Elvis wore in his 1964 film co-starring Ann Margret Viva Las Vegas

And my personal favorite part of the exhibit is his return to the stage in the International showroom in Las. Vegas. There's something about being in the very building with the very clothes and items used during this time that is almost surreal. It takes you back in time and you can almost imagine that Elvis is still playing in the showroom nightly.

The blue suit Elvis wore to sign his initial contract with the International while it was still under construction in 1969. (the picture beside.)

A review of Elvis's first performance at the International on July 31,1969.

The suits Elvis wore onstage and to the press conference immediately following his performance on opening night.

There are several jumpsuits as well as personal items on display throughout the rest of the tour. Just a sampling are shown here:

 

The grand finale is a beautifully done documentary taking you on a journey throughout Elvis's remarkable career. It shows his talent, his charisma, his passion and his heart and brings me to tears every time I watch it.

I have nothing but good things to say about this exhibit. It truly is a tribute fit for a king. (Yeah I had to go there, forgive me for that one cliche.) I have the highest recommendations of it and am so thankful Elvis has rightfully taken back his place in Las Vegas history because of it.

Elvis IS back in the building! (He never truly left. ;))

The Road So Far 2.0: Always Keep Fighting

I don't know why I always get the urge to write late at night, my thoughts seem to flow better during this time. Anyway, I was inspired by Jared to share my story. I don't talk about this often, in fact I usually avoid bringing it up but it IS a subject that needs to be adressed and if it can help save one person it is beyond worth it.

I do have first hand experience with suicide. My dad suffered from bipolar disorder and struggled with it for as far back as I can remember. He ultimately took his own life in 2009 when I was 17. That was without a doubt the hardest thing I've ever had to go through and have been a strong advocate of suicide prevention ever since. 

On the flip side, I have also struggled with depression issues myself. Around the time I found Supernatural I was in a very dark place. I felt very lost and very lonely. There were times that year that the thought of suicide crossed my mind. I never made any attempts or any plans, but I did have those thoughts. 

Then I discovered Supernatural by chance. Did I think right away when I started watching it that it was going to save my life? No. I didn't even realize half of the affect that it would have on me. Honestly, I thought okay it's a show with 2 hot guys in a hot car with ghosts and monsters. But it made me happy. Then as I got more into the story I realized it was so much more. I related to these characters. I noticed immediately that I  connected very deeply with Sam. And then I discovered the fandom, and that gave me something to belong to. I especially loved how connected the cast was to the fans and the way they thought of them as family. 

Soon I didn't only have a connection to Sam, I also had one to Jared. He gave me happiness, he gave me hope and he gave me inspiration to keep going. Sometimes still during that year I would have moments of wanting to give up but knowing I was going to get to meet him was the main reason I wanted to push through. I wanted to be here for that. And meeting him was a truly life changing experience. We only exchanged a few words but he gave me so much inspiration to keep going. He is the reason I turned my life around, the reason I felt determined to get to a happier place. And even though I'm still working on getting to where I ultimately want to be, and even though I still have my moments of weakness I am inspired to always keep going, because of him.

I can't  think of a better campaign and better message for Jared to be a leader for. It is everything Supernatural, Sam Winchester and Jared Padalecki are to me. A symbol of hope, a symbol of strength, and an inspiration to never give up, to ALWAYS KEEP FIGHTING. And I couldn't be more proud of him, or to support this cause. You are an amazing individual Jared, I love you.❤️

Please if you or someone you know is suffering from depression, talk about it! And please support this amazing cause:

https://represent.com/Jared

The Road So Far 2.0: Getting Inked Up

After attending VegasCon 2014 I knew I wanted a Supernatural tattoo. I even decided that weekend that I wanted to get one. Because of the instant connection I had with fans and cast alike and the overwhelming feeling of family. I knew then that it meant more to me than just a TV show. That this story, these characters and this fandom would be a part of me for life. So I wanted to commemorate it with a tattoo.

I thought about the design a lot and while I loved the idea of getting the anti possession symbol and having the same tattoo as Sam and Dean, I also wanted something that represented what the show meant to me and to represent the SPN family.  I'd never  seen a traditional style Supernatural tattoo before but I thought it would be cool, so I came up with the idea of getting the colt which was a perfect symbol of the show with a banner that said "Saving People, Hunting Things" which of course the next line is "The Family Business" which represents my SPN Family.

I got it done by Lea Vendetta at Hart and Huntington (HUNTINGton!) Tattoo in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Which is a GORGEOUS shop by the way! Take a look:

Lea has a really cool way of combining styles and the design she came up with was amazing. It was like a portrait of the colt but still had a traditional feel which I loved. She also took so much time to make sure all the engravings were perfect on the gun and tried out a few different fonts for the banner. We decided on this for the final design and it was perfect.

Then she shrunk it down to fit on my arm and put the stencil on. We let that dry for about 5 minutes and then got started!

First of all I have to point out that Lea was totally awesome. We had great conversation and she got really interested in the show as I was telling her about it. She wanted to see pictures of the boys because I told her "they're nice to look at." And she said she would totally go for Sam which I loved. So she made it an easier process for me. The pain really wasn't that bad. She started with the outline, which only hurt around my wrist and my elbow. Then she went over the banner and the edges of the gun to make it thicker to make it look more traditional.

(And yes, I got tattooed in plaid. What other way is there to do so?)

Then she did the shading which honestly only hurt when she was wiping away the excess ink. 

And then finally she did color! And I will be honest and say this DID start to hurt towards the end because essentially she was tattooing over my skin twice. So it was very raw and stung a lot.

But I made it through in 4 hours and couldn't be happier with the result! It turned out better than I even imagined. And now I have peice of art forever on my body to show my dedication to my favorite TV show, my love for my SPN Family and to always also remind myself to never stop fighting which is what Supernatural is all about for me.❤️

The Road So Far 2.0: One Year Later

Sooo I haven't blogged in FOREVER. And a whole bunch of crap has happened in my personal life. But it looks like things are looking up. ;) And I AM living in Las Vegas officially again! AND VegasCon is exactly one month from today!!! I can't believe it has been a year already, and I can't believe how close it is. I feel like I've accomplished a lot in this year and overall I am in a better place this year mentally and emotionally than I was last year. And once again I have Supernatural and my SPN Family to thank for that. 

I didn't truly know the meaning of SPN Family until VegasCon last year and after that experience my outlook on life changed. It gave me courage and strength and hope to carry on. I now have friends I know in real life that I met through the Supernatural fandom. I am more invested and dedicated to Supernatural than I ever have been since I started watching but at the same I have accomplished so much in my own personal growth as a person and I know none of it would have happened without Supernatural. I am so grateful for this show, this story, these characters and this fandom every day. I truly believe I wouldn't be where I am and wouldn't be WHO I am and possibly wouldn't be here today without Supernatural. 

I may not be exactly where I thought I would be by now, or have reached my ultimate goal but if Sam and Dean have taught me anything it's this: life is a journey, not a destination. It's the road so far. And I can't wait to celebrate just how far I've come over the past year and look forward to the road ahead. I can't wait to see my SPN Family including the cast. I can't wait it see Jared, my sunshine. To tell him I love him and thank him for all he's done for me. I can't wait for four days of wonderful and amazing. I want to soak it all in. To savor every single second. To take away more amazing memories. I just can't wait.