Salute to Supernatural 2016 Con Recap

Howdy! In case you don't follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you may have missed that I was at #HousCon2016 on Sunday! (It was also VALENTINE'S DAY!!!)

This was only my second convention, ever, and it was glorious fun! I was more prepared this year, had a more 'unique' and thought-out cosplay, met/had a photo with Jared Padalecki, (and a second one with Jensen Ackles because I just can't help myself!), and this year I finally met BABY!!!

Let's get into it:

MY COSPLAY 

This year, I really wanted to dress up in something a bit.. different. I can't remember when or how I exactly got the idea for this cosplay, but it sounded so awesome to me! Alice in Wonderland is one of my favorite stories of all time - the imagery associated with it is something I find myself returning to, time and time again, in different ways. So in thinking of what it would be like if Alice emerged into the land of "Supernatural" after she fell down the rabbit hole, this is what I came up with.

 
As always, I started off by finding inspirational images and collecting them in a secret board on Pinterest.

I constructed the entire dress and apron myself! I used a store bought pattern for the dress, (which fits me like a dream.. I'm going to be making more of this style in different colors.. someday..), and for the apron, I followed a Japanese photo tutorial I found on Pinterest. (It had no English words/translations, but I was able to figure it out, with some modifications! Go ME!) - I didn't notice until I got home that I forgot to have a photo taken from the back.. I did criss-crossing straps and everything!) There are also two patches I added to the straps: a pink Mark of Cain/Darkness and a hand drawn anti-possession 'tattoo'.

And, of course, one of my 'things' is that I love to have a dolly companion. If you'll remember from last year, I had made a Dean doll in an FBI suit to complement my own. This year, in keeping with the Alice in Wonderland/Supernatural-land theme, I made a Castiel doll, but as the Cheshire CASS!

 I ran out of time, and so he doesn't have shoes or a cat tail, but I'm still happy with him!



BABY

Did I mention I met Baby? (Y'know.. the Impala?)  Well. Actually.. I met TWO!!!

They each had different license plates - the one to the right had the original "KAZ" plate. The one on the left had it's tricked out trunk on display!

The owners of these beauties really did a good job at replicating every last detail. It was SO awesome!

Alice is going hunting!

THE CELEBS

As I said, I got a second photo op with Jensen, and this year I also got one with Jared. And yes, he is just as tall as you think.. taller, actually.

ALAS, I do not have those photos to show you yet, because I'm waiting on the photographer to send me my digital copies. I may try to photograph my prints, but they won't look as nice as the jpegs.

I still couldn't meet Misha this year, but I met his cardboard standee.

The scheduling for this day was a lot different than last year, and aside from Jared/Jensen's panel, I only got to see one more: Jim Beaver aka Bobby Singer! He is SUCH a sweetheart in person, it's not even funny. And of course, Rob Benedict's band Louden Swain entertained us again, and MC Richard Speight JR made us laugh our heads off. I love this show's cast.

Jared/Jensen's panel consisted of a lot of laughs, as usual, but also some touching/tender moments where they took the time to comfort some super nervous fans and reminding them to "always keep fighting".

It went by way too fast, but if you follow them on Twitter, you saw some.. interesting photos. We came away with a bit of an inside joke, I guess, about Jared' finger, haha. Do Youtube searches for the details!

What else? It was Valentine's Day, so I made some hand drawn ATC's that I wanted to leave around the hotel for #SPNFamily members to find.. I didn't get any tags/contacts from them, but oh well!

I will be showing those off later, as well.

So once again, I only got to attend the last day of this fabulous three day con, but I'm so thankful that I got the chance.

I've been kind of stressed, lately, and I especially have myself to blame since I was being too much of a perfectionist about constructing my cosplay, but it all worked out! I'm still so tired, three days later, and wish I was there again. I wish I hadn't been too shy to say "hi" to Jared's sister, Megan, and chat about illustration aspirations with her, but.. oh well.


Until next time!

G.

New T.V. Show Alerts: The Magicians + The X-Files (rebooted!)

The Magicians premieres on SyFy this Monday, January 25th!!! Technically, they jumped the gun and showed the first episode back in December, and it's available to view online for free, but the "official" premiere with a second episode is set for Monday night. I'm quite excited about it! I did watch the first episode and thought it was right up my alley.

It's based on the bestselling book series by Lev Grossman, (which I have yet to read! Another series to add to my ever-growing list...), and kind of strikes me as a modern day "Chronicles of Narnia" for grown ups! Young adults with weird powers enrolled in a magical University to learn more new powers! And a secret land that threatens to destroy the real world! What more could you want?

I have high hopes for this series, (and SyFy better keep up with it!), because it's being produced by Sera Gamble, of Supernatural-fame!! (She was one of the people who took over the series after Eric Kripke departed..).




What do you guys think? Will you be watching?


The X-files

Rebooted! This show needs no introduction from me, as (I hope), most of you geeky girls and boys should be familiar with it already?

I used to love it as a child, and dreamed of becoming an FBI agent so I could infiltrate area 51, Mulder-style. (Ha - that actually didn't end too well for him, but I admired his bravery! Poor Scully, though. He never listens to her.)

The revival is finally  here, premiering TOMORROW. I'm excited. The truth is out there, ya'll.






Are you excited too? Will you be watching with me?

Funko Fridays: Funko I Want the Most

edward by whimsyandnoir on Polyvore

Since I'm so new to the whole Funko thing, I have quite a long wish list of little guys and gals that I want. I didn't even know that there was an Edward Scissorhands Funko Pop until I was browsing the display at a comic shop and he was just there! I immediately picked him up and went "AWWWW!!"

(but alas, I did not purchase him.. not yet)

Edward Scissorhands is one of, (if not my all-time), favorite character of Johnny Depp's. The movie is so magical and special, and Edward was such a kind, sweet, adorable and misunderstood creature.

I just love him. And I must have this in my Funko collection some day soon! 

(Look at the details of his little outfit! And they even added the scars on his face!)

 

The Road So Far: Supernatural Season 11

*Spoiler alert! If, for some reason, you aren't yet completely caught up with the current season of Supernatural that premiered in October, don't read this post!*

Since we don't have a new episode of Supernatural tonight, (thanks, Thanksgiving!), I figured it'd be a good time to write about what we've seen so far. It's only seven episodes in to this current season of everyone's favorite angsty monster-hunting show, but DUDE. So much has already happened that needs to be talked about!

1) POOR CAS

Seriously.. I feel so sad for him. While his story line hasn't been as prevalent this season, it seems like things just keep going downhill for him. He started out with trying to overcome Rowena's curse, (all on his own), he was tortured (for no good reason!) by his own fellow angels, he was betrayed by (and then lost) his one angel friend, Hannah, and the Winchesters kind of keep shoving him aside because they're so wrapped up in their own drama that he can't help with... JEEZ! But I suppose things could always be worse. I mean, he could be in Metatron's sorry shoes.

2) BABY

Yes. This gets a heading all it's own. The one episode so far that everyone and their mom is still talking about. It was that precious. And it was the episode that inspired my lame little comic strip (above).

Overall, the writers seem to really be giving fans what they want/have been asking for for ages! And it's wonderful. The episode "Baby" was absolutely brilliant: a story line more or less told from the perspective of the car. There was monster killing, joyriding, deep bro conversations late into the night.. and singing.  Oh, how I love the singing...

And at the very end we had Sammy himself finally refer to Baby as "home". This was epic not only because he's always been more or less apathetic about the Impala/not as in love with it as Dean is, but also because it was a shout out back to the "Swan Song" episode in season 5, in which narrator/prophet/possibly God himself, Chuck, called it their home. *THE FEELS*

3) WTF IS UP WITH AMARA.. AND HOW DO THEY PLAN ON GETTING RID OF HER?

Seriously. I still can't wrap my head around the character of Amara/The Darkness.

Is she evil or just.. different? If they kill her, will it kill Dean too (since they're "linked")? And I'm sorry, but just WHOA at the whole revelation a couple of episodes ago that she is apparently the sister of GOD, Himself?!?! WHAT. I mean, really, what's going to happen here? And why do we have Sam talking about sacrificing himself.. AGAIN? Which brings me to my next talking point:

4) THE CAGE

Ahhh. The Cage. The one thing that hasn't been mentioned since season 6: where Lucifer and Michael have been trapped, not to mention the body of Sam and Dean's half brother Adam. At the very start of season 11, one of Crowley's demons let it slip that "something or someone is screaming from the Cage".  It basically broke the fandom.

But this is exactly what I mean when I said that the writers are giving the fans what they've been wondering about for years, now! It's like "finally!"

5) BRINGING BACK BELOVED CHARACTERS FROM PAST SEASONS

And in keeping with #4, another way the writers have been treating us is by bringing back guest stars of seasons past, my personal favorite being Matt Cohen as (young) John Winchester. Just last week we also had Brianna Buckmaster (Sheriff Donna) in the episode "Plush", we got Curtis Armstrong coming back as Metatron/Marv, and even Jenna (Laci Mailey) from the first two episodes played a different character back in season 7, OH, and the upcoming episode 8 (airing December 2nd) was directed by Gabriel (Richard Speight Jr.), himself!!!

But something tells me we aren't done yet. We're all hoping for/wondering if and when Adam will show up again, I'm hoping for John Winchester again, and maybe Bobby Singer? Or, hey, Lucifer himself might volunteer to help ridding the universe of the Darkness??


Tune in to Supernatural on the CW Wednesday nights at 8/9 pm!
(You can also join me on Twitter during my live-tweeting sessions: @GhoulieGaby



And just because a little holiday that goes by the name of "Thanksgiving" or whatever is coming up tomorrow, why don't I give you a list of

~ ~ ~ ~ ~  5 Supernatural-related things I'm THANKFUL for:  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1) I'm thankful that this show is still going strong. I haven't been watching from the very beginning, but it's been a wonderful, life changing adventure catching up on finished seasons, and I STILL have new things to look forward to! Thank you, fandom Universe!

2) I'm thankful that Misha Collins (Castiel) is okay. A few months ago, I mentioned how he had been assaulted on the street, and he was badly injured. But it could have been a lot worse, and I'm happy he's all better.

3) I'm thankful for Misha Collins himself! And all the other wonderful actors on this show that often show their humble sides, working diligently with charities and just being all-around-GOOD and DECENT human beings, in general. There's no stuck up-holier-than-thou celebrity attitudes, no gossipy drama, no negativity. (Just take a look at Matt Cohen's Instagram feed: full of daily inspiration! and adorable baby pictures/videos!) Part of the reason I admire them all, and this show, so much.

4) I'm thankful for the Always Keep Fighting campaign. It's been a wonderful message that's helped, and continues to help so many people.

5) And finally, I'm thankful for the SPN Family itself. We're all a bunch of weirdos, but we're in this together!



Until next time! OH, and Happy Thanksgiving, America!

Fandom Friday: Crossovers That Would Cause My Heart to Explode

As always, thanks to the Nerdy Girlie and Super Space Chick for Fandom Friday!

I actually had a REALLY hard time with this prompt! But here we go...
Basically, the answer to everything is "Supernatural"... In fact, earlier this year, actor Stephen Amell (best known as Oliver McQueen/the Green Arrow) revealed he pitched an idea for a Supernatural // Arrow crossover: Supernatural Arrow Crossover Plan, because he's a fan and close friend of Sam Winchester, himself!

I don't know that it'll ever happen, but it'd be kind of awesome if it did! And now that Arrow has John Constantine, it'd be kind of funny if he and Castiel were to meet and just be like "Hey.. nice trench coat.." Ha!

Here are some other t.v. shows that I think could use a touch of the Supernatural:



5) Supernatural // The Vampire Diaries

the photo that sparked the idea

 There had been playful banter from Jensen Ackles before, about how he and Jared (as Dean and Sam Winchester) should visit Mystic Falls and "wipe out" all the vampires living there. (And maybe the witches and whatever else, too!)

This past SDCC, the lead actors of both SPN and TVD finally met and all I could think was "PLEASE make this happen on t.v.!!"  Honestly, all I can think about is the Winchesters showing up with the intention of getting all the vamps, but the Salvatores convince them that they should work together. Dean begrudgingly accepts, and finds that he actually kind of sort of gets along with Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder).

Really, I just want a scene with Dean and Damon sitting at a bar, bitching about life, and getting old, and their 'annoying' little brothers. And Sam and Stefan (Paul Wesley) sitting off to the side rolling their eyes and exchanging funny stories of their irritating older brothers:

Sam: "Does yours sing loudly along to classic rock, too?" 
Stefan: "No - mine DANCES to it"

.. HA! Look at me. I'm writing a fanfic!!

* BONUS photo: remember that time I met Ian Somerhalder/Damon Salvatore's brother at the SPN Convention?!? *

4) Supernatural // The X Files

Nevermind the fact that Walter Skinner of the XFiles (played by Mitch Pileggi) is also the Winchester boys' grandfather, Sam Campbell on SPN, but since the boys are so adept at pretending to be FBI agents, I need to see them work together with Mulder and Scully.

Can't you just picture Dean freaking out over aliens being real?!


3) Supernatural // Dominion




Dominion is a fairly new t.v. show on the SyFy channel that I enjoy watching. (I'm obsessed with angels!!) It's currently in it's second season, and it's basically about Angels coming down to Earth after "God" disappears.. hey wait a minute, wasn't that already a Supernatural plot line, once? Why, yes it was! However, it's a vastly different world altogether. In Dominion's world, we have a human named Alex who is told he is the Savior of humanity itself. And the angels Michael and Gabriel are SO not the same ones that we met in Supernatural.. But it would be so awesome if these two shows crossed over: Castiel urging Dean and Sam to meet him in Vega (formerly Las Vegas) to help his angelic brothers in a post apocalyptic civil war to save humankind.. I love the wings they give the angels in Supernatural, (virtually invisible shadows), but the ones in Dominion have actual black, feathery wings. Give Cas some of those! It'd be lovely :)


2) Supernatural // American Horror Story: Coven

I  realize AHS: Coven has already ended it's run, (and I've only recently started watching it on Netflix), but I would LOVE to see the Winchesters intervene and fight these nutty teenage witches! Also, one wish I've always had for Supernatural is that I'd like to see at least ONE episode filmed/take place in New Orleans, Louisiana, (where Coven takes place). They mention it from time to time, but have never actually stepped foot in it. For all the magic and hoodoo/voodoo that NOLA is known for, I think it's past due timing for a certain black Impala to make it's way down there and stir things up ;)


1) Supernatural // Doctor Who

Of course, I have to leave the best for last. Imagine one day, Dean and Sam are just sitting in their parked Impala, reviewing some new cases when all of a sudden a blue phone box appears in front of them. They both think they're losing their minds, but the crazy British dude who emerges from the box insists that they aren't. Can't the Winchester brothers be the Doctor's companions for ONCE??

It would burst my little fangirl heart into a billion pieces!! 


BONUS: Face Off // Project Runway (... and Supernatural?!?)

Ok, I realize that Face Off and Project Runway are both 'reality' shows, but it'd be perfect for the competitors of each to team up on a challenge: the Project Runway designers have to design a fashion-forward outfit for a new breed of monster, the Face Off artists are in charge of making the model into the monster.. and then set the made-over models/actors loose into the filming of an episode of Supernatural where the Winchesters have to hunt them! Whose 'look'/creation will stand up to the test?! Tell me that wouldn't be amazing!!!



And that's about it, for me.
What do you think? Do my ideas sound logical?!

Can't wait to see others' responses!


Until next time,

G.

Binge Watch: Firefly (a.k.a. I am OFFICIALLY a Browncoat!)

Earlier this year, I made it a personal resolution of mine to make 2015 the year when I finally start watching t.v. shows or movies that I've had on my "to watch" list for a long time. One of those t.v. shows was Joss Whedon's Firefly.  People 'in the know', (i.e. cooler than me), have been recommending this show to me for years.

And, I admit, I ignored it for a long time because I didn't really understand what it was about. A friend once described it as a "western in outer space".. It just didn't really intrigue me. (And I was certain that Battlestar Galactica was the only show about a ship in outer space for me - how wrong I was!).

However, I added it to my Netflix queue earlier this year and it just kept staring at me.. So recently, I finally sat down and started to watch. And now, well.. I'm officially hooked!

Such a great cast of characters! Fantastic storylines! Suspense and action! Yes, yes, and YES! Not to mention some pretty amazing costumes and fantastic styling.. *swoon*

"Firefly" is the name given to a type of transport ship from the future that travels to and from different planets, ferrying people and cargo all over outer space, (because by now Earth itself doesn't exist anymore). Captain Malcolm Reynolds, (played by Nathan Fillion - whose acting I first got a taste of with Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog, last month), is my new hero! The cleverness, the snark, the rebellious attitude! He's just cool. But so is the rest of his crew - and he'd be nothing without them. The Browncoats.They fly around in a Firefly called Serenity, and they are essentially rebels, running away from the "alliance" (central outer space governing body of planets), and making up their own rules as they go along. They get into a lot of trouble now and again, but they save some people, too. OH, and Mark Sheppard is also on this show, (the King of Hell, himself!), so of COURSE it's good.

I have yet to get through the entire season, (and it's lame that it only ever got ONE season! Can you believe it?!). I'm taking my time with it, because I don't want it to end. But so far, I really dig what I've been seeing. 


How about you? Are you already a Browncoat? Or do you want to be?



Until next time,

G.

Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog

Yay! So I finally got around to watching Joss Whedon's "Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog", a webseries that he put out back in 2008, starring Neil Patrick Harris as "Dr. Horrible", and Felicia Day as the girl he's in love with, Penny. 

I wasn't too sure what to expect with it, as I'm not a HUGE fan of musicals, (I do enjoy them, but I don't automatically gravitate towards them). But this was a fun little production with really good music, (written by two of Joss Whedon's brothers: Jed and Zack - such a talented family!). It was super short and over quick, but you can tell that a lot of love and thought went into it. The story is about Dr. Horrible wanting to become a famous super-villain and join the Evil League of Evil. But some cheesy dude named Captain Hammer stands in his way and steals the heart of the girl he's secretly in love with!

The singing! And the acting! Such a good cast! I admit, I mainly wanted to watch this to see Felicia Day, ('cause I'm slowly learning/discovering how AWESOMELY TALENTED of a person she really is!) I had no clue she had such a lovely singing voice. As for Neil, I pretty much knew he'd be good, (and he did fantastic), and I forgot to mention this also starred Nathan Fillion as Dr. Horrible's arch nemesis: Captain Hammer. ("Firefly" is next on my 'to watch' list, I swear!)

I'm still listening to the soundtrack on Spotify, (look it up!), and I thought it'd be fun to come up with a cosplay set for Dr. Horrible's character. What do you think? Wouldn't it be fun to dress up like this?

In other news, I'm excited for Felicia Day's book, "You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost), coming out in August! Can't wait to read it!

Have you seen "Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog?", or do you want to? Tell me how you like it!

Until next time,

G

When Your "Heroes" Let You Down

I have to start off by stating that I am actually NOT a fan of the 'Avengers' movies/comics. (I tried watching one of the movies, and I honestly just wasn't feeling it. It wasn't my cup of tea. I sort of liked the character of Loki, and the way Tom Hiddleston portrayed him, but that was really about it). But that's just me. And that's okay, because that's not what this post is even about. I am well aware that there are millions of people out there who DO love these movies, and are looking forward to the latest installment in May - many of them in my circle of friends. And that's great! As I've stated on my blog before: Fandoms make the world go 'round. No matter what movie/show/book/band you're into, you should love it with all your soul if that is what truly makes you happy.

Furthermore, I think it's especially great that there are so many young and PROUD female fans of this movie franchise. Just do a google image search for "female Captain America cosplay" and be amazed! But that's also why this headlining news story from last night disturbs me.

In case you missed it, two of the "stars" of the Avengers, (Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner), had to issue public apologies for an interview in which they reffered to Scarlett Johansson's character (Black Widow) as a "slut", "whore", "trick" and Renner even went so far as to make a snide comment about her prosthetic leg. (Umm.. okay?).

Yeah.

I kept scanning my twitter feed for responses from some of the girls I follow whom I know are fans, but didn't see much. In fact, what I did see, from comments on some of the sites that were reporting this kind of bothered me even more. I kind of get the sense that some girls might be wanting to 100% accept these so called "apologies" from the actors and kind of sweep it all under the rug. To be accurate, they seem to accept Evans' apology as sounding more "genuine" and "heartfelt", but admit that Renner's was more insensitive.

Why isn't there a bigger fuss being made out of all this? So they apologized. Fine. People make mistakes. Okay. I know that no one is perfect. And that includes me: I'm sure I've said stupid things at some point. Fine. But what I can't wrap my head around is WHY these dudes would even use these particular words in the first place, knowing full well that they are indeed offensive and derogatory?

Especially in present times, when I feel like female geek culture is at such a tipping point: More and more females are coming forward and trying to show the world that comics/superheroes aren't just for macho men and that we could (and should) be portrayed as just as powerful/cool/smart as the male protagonists. That the little girls of the future need to be made aware that it's okay to be into things that once upon a time were deemed "for boys only"... So to have two actors (with a lot of influence) suddenly and so easily throw out comments like that, making it clear that they have zero respect for their fellow female co-character, when they should KNOW that they have legions of young and impressionable female fans who probably look up to them as male role models..?? I'm sorry, but how is that okay? Talk about a major step backwards. And not only that! Think of the young impressionable MALE fans, as well! Are these two actually teaching them that it's okay to use those words? And dude, what even was the bit about the prosthetic leg about? Are you insinuating that girls with prosthetic legs can't be seen as attractive? That's like saying guys don't like girls who wear glasses, or are in wheelchairs, or *insert characteristic here*   Some of us have low self esteem about our disabilities and things that we struggle with as it is. OH. You were tired from your "tedious" job of doing press? Ok. That justifies it all...

Seriously. If you think your job is so tedious, then maybe you're in the wrong line of work. How about trying to show some gratefulness, instead? You'd probably be a lot happier, Jeremy.

Speaking from personal experience, I know how much of a bummer it can be when somebody you love and admire, (and sometimes IDOLIZE), can completely let you down. So my heart breaks for any young girl out there who may have felt a "punch to the gut" after seeing that interview. Some of us, unfortunately, have never even truly had a positive male influence in our lives, growing up. So yes, sometimes we look to characters/actors/celebrities to fill that gap. Like it or not, a lot of the people we see in the media are our model for the kind of people we ourselves will become, or maybe even end up in a relationship with, down the line.. The older I get, the more I try to pay attention to who exactly it is I choose to allow into my "fangirl heart". I'm trying to make it a point to only support/admire positive and genuinely GOOD and intelligent artists... And while Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner have never been personal "favorites" of mine (and at this point, never will be), I feel so badly for the girls out there who maybe did (still do?) consider them "heroes".

Watch the interview here and tell me your thoughts.

Are you a Marvel fangirl? How does all this make you feel? Will you continue to support the Avengers franchise the same way? Why or why not?

Fandom Friday: Five Times I Shamelessly Fangirled!

Happy Fandom Friday! I know I've been missing out on these Fridays, (and blogging in general) lately, but I do miss them and am trying to get back in the fandom saddle. Today's prompt has me so excited because "FANGIRL" happens to be my middle name!

The following are five true life accounts of occasions when I let my Fangirl-Flag fly. (There's even photographic proof for some!) I hope you find them humorous and entertaining! Can't wait to read everyone else's!!!

As always, THANK YOU to the Nerdy Girlie and Super Space Chick for these prompts!

5) "GET IT RIGHT."

 

I wear my band love on my jacket! MCR forever!

 

This one is pretty recent, so that's why I'm starting with it. I was having a conversation about My Chemical Romance with a coworker the other day, and at one point he called the lead singer "Jared Way", and I immediately cut him off and yelled "It's GERARD! Get it right!"... he was like "Jeez, alright. Calm down."

No shame.

4) and 3) 

"Umm.. I made you somethingbutitreallysucksbutitwouldmeanalotifyouacceptedit"

This is one of my favorites. Two different moments, but with the same dude. I've seen one of my favorite bands, Kill Hannah, in concert three times. On two of those shows, I got to meet the singer, Mat Devine (whom I've blogged about here), and give him some handmade gifts. The first time, I gave him a notebook filled with fashion sketches for a collection I designed inspired by his 'muse'. I remember being way too shy/frozen in place while he chatted with and took photos with other fans, and I just stood there until he was literally about to walk off and my friend shoved me towards him and so finally I was like "Wait!" and handed him the book, and my friend took photos while he looked through it, and then he hugged me!

he's holding the notebook!

 I think he was genuinely pleased. (Hopefully, anyways).

The second time, (a year later), I got more ambitious with my gift for him. I knew he was fond of wearing military style jackets, so I applied some of my clothing construction knowledge and attempted to make him a jacket! I was so incredibly nervous when I showed it to him, but he immediately tried it on and my heart kind of sank when I realized it didn't fit properly, (after all, I had to guess what his measurements are), but he kept insisting that it fit "perfectly" and he posed for a photo and he even kept it on the rest of the night. It was, hands down, one of the BEST experiences of my life. I got to live my dream of designing for rockstars for a night! I will fangirl about that forever!

before the show

and after :)

 

2) "Say 'hi' to your mini me!"

I've already mentioned this from January: I got to meet my first ever ACTOR: Jensen Ackles (better known as Dean Winchester from the show Supernatural) at #HousCon, and I had made a doll version of him to complement my cosplay. I held it up and showed it to him and said "Say 'Hi' to your mini me!" when it was my turn to get a photo with him and he smiled/laughed at it. If making a doll of a character you love, cuddling it for dear life, and showing it to the actor who plays that character on t.v. is not the definition of a "fangirl", then I don't know what is!

me: sandwiched between TWO Dean Winchesters!

1) "I'm going to die."

I saved the best for last, because this is the ULTIMATE fangirl-moment. Like.. textbook definition. Making a fool of yourself in front of someone you admire can be embarrassing, but at least it makes for a story to tell!

I once had the privilege of meeting the members of the band Placebo at an autograph session for an outdoor concert tour they were a part of. A once in a lifetime experience, because this band is huge and virtually inaccessible.

Asking for photos with the guys was not allowed, since they needed to keep the line moving quickly, so I just held out my hand for each of them to shake, and when I got to lead singer Brian Molko, I literally blurted out the phrase "It's Brian Molko. Oh my God. I'm going to die", while holding his hand and I wanted to smack myself. What kind of thing is that to say to someone?!

However, being the sweet and awesome guy he is, he clutched my hand tighter, looked me straight in the eye and pleaded "Please don't die!".

This is the back of my once-fuschia-ish head right before I fangirled in front of Brian Molko (the guy in the black hat and shirt!) - forever thankful to my partner-in-crime Tina for sneakily capturing this moment!

I dare someone to top that story! ;)



And that's about it!

Share with me your favorite fangirling (or fanboying!) experiences!




If you missed any of my previous "Fandom Friday" posts, check them out here:


October 3rd 2014:  Five Fandoms that have made me Who I am Today

 October 17th 2014: Five Characters I'd love to dress as for Halloween 

October 24th 2014:  My Must See List of Halloween Movies

November 7th 2014: Five Songs that Always Make Me Feel Better

November 21st 2014: Five Characters I Would Invite to my Thanksgiving Feast

December 12th 2014: Presents I Want Santa to Bring Me

January 2nd 2015: New Year's Fandom Resolutions

January 16th 2015: Conventions I Wish to Attend

January 23rd 2015: Albums that have Changed my Life

January 30th 2015: Favorite Fandom Accessories

February 6th 2015: Favorite Monster High Dolls/Characters

February 27th 2015: Characters I Would Name My Pets After

What I Read: January 2015

I'm doing my "book posts" a little differently this year. Instead of writing about what I'm reading as I read it, I'm going to wait until I finish, and then share my thoughts on it.

The first book of 2015 that I've read so far is "Fangirl" by Rainbow Rowell. I was very excited to finally land my hands on a copy of this, as it's been kind of a popular book at my library. But of course, that only means that if it's *that* popular, then it must be a really good book, right?

"Fangirl" was an unexpectedly quick read.. I managed to get through it in a matter of days. And I say "unexpectedly" because lately I feel like I've been reading books by authors who use such eloquent and descriptive, flowery language, (Donna Tartt's "the Goldfinch", anyone?) and long sentences that take me quite a while to get through, sometimes. (And that's not a bad thing! I loved the Goldfinch, but I'm just saying.. it takes me a while to read because I like to savor the words, if that makes sense..?) Rowell's "Fangirl" was different. She doesn't go into great details with settings, or even her characters in this novel, and the whole story was dialogue-heavy, so that made reading through it as swift as a conversation with a friend.

The story focuses on a character named Cath, a certified geeky FANGIRL of a wildly popular (but entirely made up by Rainbow Rowell)  Harry Potter/Twilight-esque book and movie series about a character named Simon Snow. Just how geeky does she get? She happens to be *the* go to and world-famous online persona behind the Simon and Baz fanfiction stories. Cath loves living in the world of Simon Snow so much that she never wants to leave, but things start to get complicated when she and her twin sister Wren go off to college together, but start to drift apart in ways she wasn't prepared for. Family drama ensues. A budding relationship with an interesting dude blossoms. Cath's antisocial nature gets thrown for a spin when she's forced to (*gasp*) get to know other people, and her writing career takes a nose dive down the drain when she realizes that she can't call herself a real author if all she's good at writing is fanfiction, and using characters that already exist/belong to somebody else.

 I enjoyed this book immensely, especially because I felt I could relate to Cath so much. While I've never written (or even read much) fanfiction, I understand how it feels to be SO in love with a character and their  world that you never want their story to end! Everyone has a favorite movie, tv show, song, whatever that makes them so happy that it becomes a part of their life. These things change you, or they save you, and they give you so much joy that it only makes sense to want to immerse yourself in them completely, right? And sure, some people might think you're a little crazy, or even immature and childish to obsess over something fictional so much, but who cares? If it's real to you, then that's all that matters. And true friends understand that. After all, isn't that how fandoms are born?

So if  you happen to think of yourself as a fangirl or geek (of anything), who has sometimes struggled to fit in with "normal" humans, then I recommend this story. It's heartwarming, without being cheesy, and it's a good reminder to be exactly who you are, always. Your quirkyness is what makes you YOU.

I, myself, am proud to be a FANGIRL. Always!

My First Convention: Salute to Supernatural 2015

 

excuse the people in the background! whoops!

~Permission to SQUEEEEEE!!!!!
For my birthday present to myself this year, I treated myself to a ticket to the Salute to Supernatural convention in Houston, Texas on January 25th, 2015- the first time this convention has been held in my hometown! While I haven't been a fan of the t.v. show Supernatural for quite as long as some other people, I truly have fallen head over heels in love with it. I'm obsessed. And like Doctor Who, or Monster High, or any other geektastic fandom that I am a proud member of, I can definitely say that Supernatural has changed my life and has brought me joy in a time when I really needed it.

Unforunately, I actually didn't end up taking as many photos as I thought I would! And I was way too far away to even try to get a clear shot of any of the celebs during their panels, so apologies for that section of this post being boring/empty. If you search for #houscon on Twitter and Instagram and Facebook, you can come across so many good photos/videos that other people were able to take, so please do so because I am not about to steal anyone else's photos!

My Cosplay...

 I arrived at the hotel venue at about 10 a.m. feeling kind of nervous, but oh so very excited! I hadn't yet revealed my casual cosplay choice to anyone, so this was the first photo I posted on my Instagram:

I was freaking out the morning of, because I realized that I hadn't practiced actually TYING  A TIE, so I did a last minute google search for diagrams, and did the best I could. Honestly, I don't know how dudes can put up with wearing these things.



I had also been posting photos of a mystery "little dude" that I had made clothes for weeks before the con, but I never told anyone who he was going to eventually become! It was kind of a last minute idea that I had, and honestly, I'm so surprised that it actually ended up looking better than I expected.. Introducing: my DIY DEAN WINCHESTER FBI AGENT DOLLY!!!!

and yes.. that IS me with Dean Winchester himself in that photo...

The actual blank doll body was purchased pre-made from the craft store. All I did was stuff it, and then I made his entire little outfit from scratch. I used felt to create his signature spiky-ish hair, and then I hand embroidered his face! For the finishing touches, he's holding a felt cheeseburger in one hand, and a slice of cherry pie in the other, because everyone knows Dean loves food. I'm so freaking proud of my doll, and I definitely want to make more, of different characters.

So since I had a Dean-dolly, naturally, that just meant I had to be Sam, so I wore the appropriate badge. (Both Sam and Dean's FBI badges were bought off of eBay - Dean's says his name is agent "John Bonham" and Sam's is agent "Robert Plant").  The rest of my outfit was just clothes I already owned. The purple tie was thrifted, and the shoes were brand new from DSW - I looked for the most "fbi agent"-looking ones, nice and shiny and black!

The Venue and Vendors...

The hotel that this was all being held at is SO nice! Unfortunately, there wasn't much "Supernatural" decor around, aside from a few banners, (mostly inside the ballroom where the panels were held), so there wasn't a lot of opportunity for photo taking.

When I first arrived, I was drawn to a big table set up with some merch, and I thought it was all Supernatural stuff, but when I got closer I realized it was all for a different show on the CW, (The Vampire Diaries). There were also some interesting looking wooden pieces, but I couldn't figure out what or why any of this had to do with Supernatural, so I asked the lady sitting behind the table. She then pointed to a gentleman who approached me and introduced himself. Long story short: it turns out that this guy is the older brother of none other than Ian Somerhalder, who plays Damon Salvatore on the Vampire Diaries!

The table was for his and Ian's company: Built of Barnwood (aka B.O.B.), and they sell handmade home decor items made with recycled materials. I was already familiar with the company as I had first heard about it sometime last year, but I  couldn't believe I was witnessing the pieces in real life.. and getting a first hand look at specific items by none other than Bob Somerhalder himself! Ian's brother!  I asked him if he would mind taking a photo with me, and he happily agreed. He was very kind, (and he totally has the same blue eyes as Ian - no joke), and his pieces were truly lovely. Unfortunately, some of them were a little out of my price range, so I didn't buy anything from him this time around.. but maybe next time!

Some of the other tables set up were selling the SPN merch, including two different sizes of toy car replicas of the 1967 Impala that they use in the show. I wanted one SO badly, but the price for them was just a bit too steep for me. But I did buy a black and white photo print of Jensen and Jared together, and I looked all over for the table where they were supposed to be selling a book called "Fangasm: Supernatural Fangirls" that I really wanted, but when I finally found the table, they were all sold out :(  They had free postcards of the cover of the book, though, so of course I helped myself to one, (you can see it to the right of my Dean doll, above).

Overall, (not to sound mean or anything), the vendors areas and overall choices were a bit.. lacking.  I would have LOVED to see some props from the actual show displayed somewhere. I found out the next day that one thing that I completely missed out on was an ACTUAL 1967 Chevy Impala car that was apparently on display outside! Apparently, there is a couple in my hometown who actually found and bought one years ago, and had it painstakingly remodeled after THE SPN Impala, and even tricked out the trunk with a weapons case and the devil's mark and everything. They take it out to different conventions to display. You can read about it here.

I'm not 100% sure if it was there on Sunday or not, but I'm SO distraught that I missed out on getting photos of that. I really wish someone had announced/advertised it, but there was nothing. Some lucky fans even got to sit inside of it... But at least this couple lives in my city, so maybe I'll have my chance yet.

the Fellow Con goers...

I didn't witness a whole lot of other cosplay, but there were plenty of Castiels, as I knew there would be. They ranged in ages, but the best one (in my opinion) was definitely the one with the black wings that opened up! I saw this fantastic Cas walk into the ballroom when I was sitting there. I asked for a photo with my doll, and this was the awesome result:

(a HUGE thank you to this Castiel for letting me take this!)


The second best Castiel was the CUTEST little blonde toddler walking around with a tiny trench coat. Misha Collins posted a photo of him on his official Instagram: @officialmisha

The Panels...

Colin Ford
After being starstruck by the "original Somerhalder" as he referred to himself as, I proceeded into the ballroom where the main events were to be held. I had an upcoming photo op with Jensen Ackles that was set to start at 10:45, but I was number 283 in line, and they were only allowing 50 people at a time, so I had some waiting to do!

When I walked in, the very first panel was already going on: actor Colin Ford was speaking onstage, (he plays the young/kid version of Sam Winchester on the show). He was so calm and cool and spoke about how young he really was when he started watching Supernatural to study for his upcoming role, and how he was actually kind of scared by the subject matter. He also mentioned how he and the other actor who played the young Dean Winchester in episode 8 of Season 3, (" a very Supernatural Christmas") had gone shopping for leather jackets together. Cute.



**after Colin's panel, they set up to play a game of "stunt the experts" onstage, and some time after, my number was finally called so I headed to my photo op.. I'll talk about that in the next section!**



Tahmoh Penikett
I was actually really excited about seeing this actor's panel, as I was familiar with his work as 'Helo' on Battlestar Galactica. On Supernatural, he plays Gadreel/Ezekiel. He turned out to be super soft spoken, and I had a bit of a diffucult time understanding what he was saying, even though he had a microphone! But he seemed super super sweet and he received lots of good questions from the fans. I found out he also appeared on a show called Dollhouse, (that I've never watched), but now I really want to check it out, as it sounds like it's so good! So I'm hoping Netflix has it, or that I can find dvd's.


Louden Swain
Ok, so this wasn't actually a "panel" - this is the name of the band led by actor Rob Benedict, who plays 'Chuck' on Supernatural. They played in between panels, singing classic rock covers, as well as one original song. They're actually very good, and I need to get their album!!



Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles
The one everyone and their MOM was waiting for! When the MC Richard Speight (who plays the Trickster and the angel Gabriel on SPN), came onstage to announce them, he first mentioned how awesome it was that the show had officially gotten green lighted for an ELEVENTH season, and the crowd went wild. He went on to talk about how awesome it would be for it to reach a THIRTY-SEVENTH season! (Again, more cheering, as we all wholeheartedly agree!), and he did this little intro about what Supernatural would look like in 37 years, and we're all thinking Jensen and Jared are about to appear from behind the curtain...

Well, two guys did indeed come onstage.

However.. they were NOT Jensen and Jared... even though they insisted that they were.
They were.. older gentlemen. So yes.. Supernatural in 37 years will look like that, of course.. and then Jensen and Jared suddenly DID come out, behind the two older gentlemen.. After the crowd is done erupting, we all find out the two older gentlemen who came out first are actually none other than the PROUD FATHERS of Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki!  How amazing that we got to see them!

J2's panel was very fun. At this point in the afternoon, though, my phone was already dying, and I couldn't get a good photo to save my life, because I was soooo far away!

Some of the things I most remember them talking about/being asked:

• Jared was asked which version of Sam is his favorite to play, and he said "brother Sam"... (awwwww!!!!)

• Someone asked them if they could act out a fight scene in slow motion. They happily agreed and it was hilarious

• they talked about how difficult and trying it can be to wear SFX makeup. Jared told his story of how the 'swollen eye' prosthetic from the end of season 1/beginning of season 2 had started melting into his eye while filming, so they eventually had to take it off.

• Jensen insisted that Dean Winchester does NOT cry. His face just "leaks".

• Someone else asked what they had thought of actor Misha Collins (Castiel) when they first met him, and they played out that day with Jared doing his best impersonation of Misha: he got down on his knees (because he is SO TALL) and said "I saved you from perdition" in a funny voice. He stood up again a while later, but Jensen was still telling the story, and when Jared tried to get down again, his shoe started to come off.. so he brought out one of his most famous lines, from the episode "Bad Day at Black Rock" (ep 3 season 3): "I lost my shoe!"

• They spoke a lot about their very humble beginnings, and it was nice to know that even they had struggles when they were first starting out: Jared thought that L.A. was a tough place to live and wasn't sure if he could handle it when he first lived there many years ago.. but then again that was all because people on the streets gave him really weird looks one time when he forgot he had fake blood all over his face from an audition. HA.

•  when it was time for the final question: Jensen stood up and literally did a whole song and dance about it: Louden Swain (who had remained on stage this whole time) started playing some music, and Jensen started singing "it's the LAAAAST question!" and dancing back and forth, and it was so funny. 

And after that very lucky fan got to go onstage to ask her last question, Louden Swain started playing The Outfield's "Your Love" and Jensen joined in to sing, and it was the best! His serious/singing voice is actually really freaking good and I swooned all over the place. Yeah...

And then they left :(

My Photo Op

Before Tahmoh and J2's panels, I had my photo op with Jensen Ackles. I was on the verge of a panic attack at this point.. I couldn't believe that I was about to meet Jensen Ackles!!! I walked into the special room where they were taking the photos and stopped in my tracks. There he was!! And not to sound like a ridiculous fangirl, but I was literally floored by how HANDSOME he is! It's one thing to see him on the t.v. screen, (and yes, I've always thought he was good looking, but holy guacamole, he is gorgeous in real life)! And tall!

The line was moving at the speed of light, and my mind is going blank and I had no idea how I even looked/if my tie was straight/if my hair was all right.. I was so nervous! Since days before, I had this idea in my head of how I wanted to pose for the photo: I was going to hold the Dean doll in between us, so that he could help me hold it up or something, but that all quickly went out the window. When it was finally my turn, I smiled at him (or tried to!) and held up my doll and said "Say Hi to your mini me!".  I'm not 100% certain if he actually heard me clearly, though, but he did look at it and laughed.. whether or not it was a "oh that's so cool!" or an "oh that's kinda weird" laugh, I'm not sure. But before I knew it, his arm is already around me and the camera went off and that was it. My moment was done. I couldn't even get a proper hug :(

He looked down at me (again: he's freaking TALL, but not as tall as Jared Padalecki), and told me "thank you" and I said the same to him and then I had to walk away and I was very sad about it.. but also happy.  I'll never forget it!

And next time, I also want a photo with Jared!

(I haven't yet received the shareable jpeg file of the photo, but you can see my print on the photo above next to my Dean doll on my desk!)



And that was basically my big day at my first convention. I went home shortly after J2's panel because I didn't have tickets to any of the other photo ops/autograph sessions that were still set to happen. Overall, I truly had so much fun and enjoyed every minute of my day.

I am ALREADY looking forward to next year! (They've already announced the dates!). I will be better prepared for things, and I hope to have a photo with Jared, and maybe even Misha, and I even have an idea for another cosplay in mind.. but I'm not saying ;)

This was probably a really small convention, compared to others, but it wasn't a bad intro into the world of it. I look forward to attending more cons in the near future!

Hope you enjoyed reading that!



What do you think?!?

-G.