VegasCon 2014: Day 1: Part 1

This was my first official day engaging in all the panels and events. We got a pretty early start, we woke up around 8 am Vegas time. We took our time getting ready because the welcome from Richard wasn't until 10:45. I took photos of all of my outfits of the day. Here was Friday's:

Then we made our way down to the casino. We went to Starbucks where we were in line right in front of Chris, the photo op photographer. My mom laughed and said, "good I'm glad he's getting coffee before taking our pictures!" :P We sipped our coffee and talked about being excited for our first day. We went over to the ticket table and got our tickets ripped off and our Saturday wrist bands. Then we began exploring Convention Way. There was a really cute set up. They had a giant Impala poster that I couldn't resist posing in front of.

And there was also a really creepy killer clown! Poor Sammy!!! :(

Then we went into the panel room. "Highway to Hell" was playing in the background when we walked in and it immediately set the mood. The panel room was awesome! Here was our view when we first walked in:

There were also banners of all the stars appearing hanging on the walls (of course I'm partial to Jared, and this is also the beginning of blurry pics, sorry.)

And 2 huge screens, which I tried not to look at because I wanted to look at the star themselves when they were right in front of me, but they did come in handy if they turned there head in the other direction.

First up we were serenaded by the awesome Elastic Waste Band (Las Vegas's 4th Most Popular Lounge Act 4 years ago!) I can not give these guys enough props. They played great, were absolutely hilarious and kept the energy up the whole entire weekend! I love you Tango, Sir Richard, Sweet Johnny and Hot Carl!

Then we were greeted by the Master of Ceremonies, the one and only Richard Speight Jr.! He was the most amazing host. I swear, every single time he was in stage he walked up and down the aisles interacting with the audience. This was the closest he got to me on the first day:

Rich made every single day so much fun and I looked forward to going down and seeing him every morning. I hope someone out there captured Rich's welcomes even though that's "breaking Rules and Regulations!" because it's something I want to relive. Then it was time for the first panel which was a complete surprise when Rob Benedict took the stage, strangely after Tango from EWB went missing! ;)

Rob was absolutely adorable, I truly fell in love with him this weekend. One of the first things brought up during his panel was his stroke during BurCon. He got choked up talking about how it truly was a miracle that he was alive, and how Rich essentially saved his life. I don't think there was a dry eye in the house. Over the course  the entire cast brought up how happy they were that Rob was there. It was a beautiful thing to witness, the way this cast cares for one another.

Next up was DJ Qualls. He was so funny, inspiring, and revealing. :) He started off confessing to us that he lost $700 in the casino, at a Wheel of Fortune slot machine no less. And the really bad part was that he needed a hair transplant after getting a bad haircut. Awww DJ. One of the most touching moments was when one fan told him he was adorable. He got teary eyed, explaining that he didn't know he was adorable until he became a part of Supernatural. And he really is. I won't go into detail about some of the things he confessed while on "truth serum" because he asked us not to. But I will leave you with this. "Balls in an ice pack."

Next was Ty Olsson and this is a touchy subject. But I'm going to talk about what I saw. Ty took the stage with everybody cheering. He informed us it was his con anniversary because VegasCon last year was his first.

I'm not sure what exactly it was that was considered taking things too far and ultimately got the rest if Ty's appearance cancelled, maybe it was something I didn't even see. But I will continue to support Ty. I don't want to spread and negativity.

Next was Kim Rhodes and she was truly awesome! She looked adorable in her overalls and her whole energy was bright. She was very inspiring too. One of my favorite things she said was in response to a fan's question about her greatest achievement in life. She said "fucking up and learning from it." I love that so much. I also loved what she said about a fan being rejected for a role because of her tattoos, she said it was "complete bullshit!". And about why she loved Jody Mills, because she "doesn't have to be a woman." She is just an awesome, awesome lady. 

Friday was an amazing day. It was a great crash course in what we were in for for the rest of the weekend! I'll be back for part 2: Karaoke!

My Travel Essentials

As you know if you've been reading this blog I'm preparing to go to Las Vegas for a Supernatural convention. It's only 3 days away! So I'm all packed up and ready to go. I always make sure I have several travel essentials in my purse when I fly, so I thought I'd share them with you. :)

1. A wallet

This is a no brainer. For obvious reasons, you need a wallet to carry your I.D., credit cards, etc. when traveling. I like one that's expandable like this Betsey Johnson one so you can store boarding passes and any extra papers you may acquire. I also like a zipper for easy access and extra security.

2. Sunglasses

These are so essential for travel, and I always take mine in a case and protective bag in case of bumpy flights.

3. Make-up bag

I always carry a make-up bag and a few make-up essentials in my purse with me. These are the things I like to have on hand if you need to touch up after landing: a BB cream (Revlon Photo Ready), a powder (Rimmel Stay Matte), a powder brush (Revlon), an eyeliner (NYC High Definition), a lip liner  (Jordana), and a lipstick (Wet 'n Wild Mega Last).

4. A book

Having a book on hand helps flights  go by so much quicker. I like something that can be light reading if you want to take a break and talk to your fellow passenger. Haunted Las Vegas by Paul W. Papa is perfect because you can read one story at a time. And come on, Sin City ghost stories on your way to a Supernatural convention in Vegas? Perfect!

5. Ear buds 

Another thing that helps pass the time and makes the flight so much more enjoyable for me is listening to music. So a pair of ear buds are a must have.

6. Hand sanitizer 

Going through security and being on a plane that millions of hands have touched, I think this one is self explanatory. I love the Bath and Body Works pocket bacs (they're airline size approved!), this Red Ruby one is pomegranate scented and I couldn't resist the name!

7. And the most important travel essential of all...a stuffed Moose!

This is my moose, Moose. He's going to be my new travel buddy, VegasCon is our first adventure together. If you're in the Supernatural fandom you get it. If you're not, I'm sorry.

So there are all my travel essentials! I hope this was helpful for anyone with an upcoming trip! Next time I talk to you I'll be in Vegas!!!

The Road So Far: One Week Out

This time next week I’ll be on a plane to Las Vegas. For two very important reasons. One is an important event, something I’ve been planning for almost a year but didn’t even know I wanted a year ago. A TV show, a cast, and a fandom entered my life and helped me through a very  hard time, and honestly kept me going.

Now I realize I have my whole life ahead of me and am ready for the next chapter, which is the other reason. For me to get back to my city, to start making plans for my life in Vegas. I’ve realized it’s what I want more than anything and now I’m ready for it.

I feel so lucky to be able to conclude my first year in this fandom with such an amazing experience, to be able to see these actors in person and thank them for all they’ve done for me. And for all of it to happen in the city I want to make my home.

I truly believe that everything happens for a reason, and Supernatural was supposed to enter my life at this time in my life and I was supposed to go to VegasCon. I feel like this is finally the time for things to work out for me. The road hasn’t been easy, but the easiest past is rarely the most enjoyable. And I plan on enjoying next weekend to the fullest, and everything else life has to bring me from here on out.