VegasCon 2014: Day 1: Part 2

We took a break in between panels and karaoke. We stopped by the awesome Burger King "whopper bar" which was full of con attendees, and went back up to the room to recount the events of the day and get ready for that night.

My Ruby inspired outfit for Karaoke:

By the time we got downstairs around 10pm the line was already craaaazy long! But it finally started moving and we went inside to get the party started!

Matt & Rich were still busy with autographs and photo ops so we had to wait a little while for them to make their entrance, but when they did it was awesome!

This was my first time seeing Matt, and he is absolutely GORGEOUS!

Rob also came back on stage and kicked things off with an awesome version of "Jessie's Girl"

And we were even lucky enough to get a performance from Jim Michaels!

We ended up leaving Karaoke around midnight because it started to hit us just how tired we actually were and we knew tomorrow was going to be a big day. But it was such a fun time! Next, get ready for a lot of gushing...J DAY!!!

VegasCon 2014: Travel Day

My mom and I arrived in Vegas on Thursday March 13th, the first official day of VegasCon 2014. We had an early flight out of Atlanta. The plane ride was pretty smooth, but it felt like it took forever because I was so anxious! Then we finally landed in Vegas!

 

When we arrived at the Rio (the hotel where the convention is held) we got in the line to check in and literally 5 minutes later Osric Chau walk through the doors! He was probably hoping to go through unnoticed, but when I spotted him I couldn't help it, I totally fangirled! I said "OMG Osric, I'm totally freaking out right now!" He smiled really big and said "we're in Vegas! I'm so excited!" I feel bad that I brought attention to him, but he had such a great attitude and it was a perfect start to the con. 

 

Osric arriving at the Rio and being a complete sweetheart.❤️

We went to the strip for lunch and a little wandering. We stopped by It'Sugar to stock up on some candy for the weekend. Then we came to the hotel.

 

This is the first time I've been in Vegas that I was old enough to legally drink and gamble, so we stopped by Evening Call, a frozen drink bar located in the Rio. The bartender asked us if we were here for the convention. We told her yes and she gave us a sample of "The Supernatural" a new drink she'd created that combined Straw-Banana, Vegas Lai (a tropical rum mix), and an extra shot of Mango rum, it was delicious! We even fangirled with her a little bit because she had seen Osric too!

Then we hit the slot machines, I've never really had any desire to gamble but I figured why not this one time! I picked a penny slot called Ruby Magic (I can't stop with the theming.) I put in a quarter and won 46 cents! Woo hoo!

We also saw Chad Linburg walking through the casino on his way back from his ghost hunt. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of him. But I'll make up for it! We turned in kind if early because it had been a long day. It was a pretty awesome  first day even though we didn't do any official con stuff. Tomorrow will be filled with panels, shopping, and of course I'm most excited for the Karaoke party! 

 

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.

The Road So Far: Supernatural Saved Me

For me as I've found for many people in the fandom, Supernatural is so much more than a TV show. I never expected to get so emotionally involved in a TV show and I NEVER expected a TV show to change my life.

 The only thing that can compare to my emotional attachment to SPN is my attachment to Elvis, but I always thought of that as a more "legitimate" or "rational" attachment because Elvis was a real person. Truth be told I always thought people who were so emotionally attached to fictional characters were taking things a little to far. But the characters on SPN are different. I can relate to both Sam AND Dean in so many ways. From moving around a lot as a kid, to losing a parent, to feeling like I've (not literally) gone through Hell.

When I "discovered" Supernatural about a year ago (I'd heard about it a little, but not a ton of hype. It appeared to be very underground to me, and I came across it on TNT one morning and decided to watch it.) I was at a very low point in my life. A turn of events happened over the past couple of years, I'd made decisions I regretted and things just weren't going my way. I felt lost and extremely lonely. 

Supernatural became something for me to be excited about, something to look forward to and something to belong to. I believe it was no accident that I happened upon it that Friday morning, I believe I needed it to come into my life at that time in my life. I was depressed, I wasn't to the point of wanting to end my life but I can see that being the road I might have gone down had I not found Supernatural. 

A year later I am in a much better place. I have a much more positive outlook on life and hope for the future. Supernatural might not have solely saved my life, but it definitely brought me back to life. 

The Road So Far: Planning For VegasCon Part 1

So I'm a huge planner. I like to have everything planned out way in advance, especially when it comes to big events. Which for me VegasCon is a REALLY BIG event. So I have a whole notebook dedicated to planning and organizing for VegasCon (I might do a blog post on that actually if it would be helpful to anyone, if anyone actually reads this lol). And I put pictures of the outfits I plan to wear so I thought I'd share them.

First here's my Friday Day outfit:

For the Friday panels I wanted to keep it simple. I chose my custom Ellen's DIY Supernatural t-shirt (not the one pictured, but very similar), leopard leggings and converse. 

And here's my outfit for Friday Night:

For the karaoke party on Friday night I'm wearing a Ruby 2.0 inspired outfit. My favorite was her 'Lucifer Rising' outfit: black t-shirt, leather jacket, jeans and high heeled boots. I also really like the idea of having "demon blood" and her knife on the necklace but I still need to find one or maybe I'll end up making one.

Perhaps the most important outfit of the weekend is my Saturday outfit:

For J2's panel on Saturday AND my Jared photo op <3 I wanted to have a very Sam/Hunter vibe which is why I went with the buffalo plaid shirt, but with my own twist hence the leopard bow. For shoes I'm wearing my motorcycle boots. And for makeup MAC's Ruby Woo lipstick and Kat Von D's tattoo liner.

And finally for Sunday:

This is the one outfit I'm not 100% sure about yet. I don't know if I'm getting a Fallen Angels photo op yet or not and that might affect what I actually end up wearing. My "outline" is inspired by the Impala: black leather jacket, jeans, converse and my "Saving People, Hunting Things" shirt. However I'm torn between that and wearing my Abaddon "The Devil made me do it." shirt with motorcycle boots. If I end up getting the fallen angels op I might want to look more demon-y. I'll have to think about it.

This will probably be the beginning of a series of planning posts, because I'm beginning to stress out about it and it keeps me sane to think that I'll have everything ready ahead if time. :)