First troop of the year: INTREPID

Well this TK here had been a bit lazy!!! It’s kind if like this every year. Things are pretty calm after SMF and the first troop of the year for me has always been in February, on Presidents’ Day! Kids week at the Intrepid, in NYC!

I love this event! So much fun!!!
This was my third year going but first time as a TK.

Again my armor held up pretty well for such a long troop. No pieces falling off along the way, and not one single armor bite!!! I even sat down to eat!
Oh and went up the stairs. So many stairs.
And thank goodness for people’s help, especially Kirstin and the new girl from Carida. ( sorry I forgot hat name) they helped me all the way up, because besides the fact I couldn’t see the steps, I barely could move my legs.
And do you know how the steps are inside an aircraft carrier????? Well believe me! They are awful, and tight, and definitely not made for stormtroopers!!!

Oh!!! And I even ran in armor!! Lol I have the impression I may have looked a bit like Forrest Gump while I was running, but that’s ok!!!!!!
I got myself made into a small potato and got sorted into the gryffindor house at hogwarts by the talking sorting hat!

And most fun of all got to see friends I don’t see very often!!!

You know! I wonder if the excitement of wearing armor will ever stop because I still get soooo excited!!! All the time!!! IM A STORMTROOPER!!! And I love it!!!!!

And looking at all the other troopers there, I still can’t believe I did make my armor small enough to fit me.

Sooo cool!!!

The reveal

Basically since April or something my 501st garrison has been working as a group in a secret costume for Super Megafest!
It is one of the coolest projects we’ve done so far and of course, super awesome to have so many people involved.

The thing is that our SMF Saturday night costume is always a secret and that’s why I couldn’t say anything before!
But since the Con was this past weekend and we finally wore it, I can talk about it!!!
I guess it was the first time we actually did something closely related to Star Wars! The previous years had been Grease (2011) Star Trek (2010) M.A.S.H (2009) and in 2008 I think was a bowling shirt. I think it was their first year but it was before I joined.

We always add our own little spin to it and since its a night time costume to hang out at the bar, we add some of that to it as well!!!

I did start working on it in April! I got one of those plastic mannequins, drew my own design because I actually hate the way some of the female chest plates look like, and cut, trimmed and sanded every piece. I put everything away and started working on my TK because the Mando was for November so id have plenty of time to work on it right?

So August came and went, I got busy working on my dress for Sarah’s wedding, September went by super quickly so did October! And then I found myself stuck and with no clue what else I could do for this costume.

Being a CTG project it had to have CTG colors… And of course I got the wrong color.
Life got in the way and I was not able to join everybody else on shop nights (where all CTGers get together to work on costumes, props and be merry!!!)

An you know that freaking big block? Yeah that was me! I wanted something more, something cool like I saw everybody else had! But I had no idea what!
I ended up getting some signs and making some leg armor which came out cool!
Got the right color, made a cape out if some fabric I had dyed for something else. And in the last few days before SMF I was working in this thing until 2, 3 in the morning and spray painting in the dark until way after 10pm.

Talk about last minute stuff.

I also got my helmet super late in the game and had to spray paint, put toothpaste on it, masking tape and paint 3 different colors! :S

But I guess the end results were ok!!!!
Too bad I don’t have better pictures of it!

NYCC – day 2

Day 2!!
No costume for me today!
Worked all day and had a blast!

I know people think I’m little, and have this voice, but hey!!! When it’s needed I can be tough!!
And I was today with all the people trying to sneak a picture of Carrie and Ian!

OMG Carrie fisher and Ian McDarmiad! (I need to learn to spell his name!!’ Hahah)
I didn’t even see Carrie at CVI so it was awesome to see her in NY!!
She is so funny! She was covering everybody in glitter!!! Ahahha
I escaped actually, which is great cause I hate glitter! Even if its Carrie Fisher’s hahahha

The day actually went super fast! They were done at around 3 and so was I.
Then I got to walk around with some friends, see some other stuff! Looked for people! Didn’t find them, but I tried.

After that we went to have dinner but guess what?? I freaking got car sick again!
I don’t understand why I don’t get it in the morning.
I was on the back seat in the morning too although I should have learned my lesson.

So annoying.
There was a huge line at the restaurant and I was starving which doesn’t go well with being car sick!! So I went to the pharmacy got some ginger ale, Dramamine and waited outside.

That Dramamine thing is good! Really good!
Although I was soooo sleepy was not very smart to take knowing I had to drive!

And that’s pretty much it! It was a short NYCC for me! But still fun!
Now there’s RICC and SMF and the convention year will be over. So sad!!!

NYCC – day 1

Can this still be adventures of a TK even if I’m not dressed up as one???
Yeah cause I went to NYCC and didn’t wear my armor!
Boo me!

Well, with all that crazy crap with job – not having one – and not knowing if I had one if would be appropriate to ask a day off right off the bat (probably not) – I didn’t buy a 4 day pass.
When the whole job situation was good and I realized I got the most amazing boss in the world and that I could have gone at least 3 days, it was too late and all 4 day and 3 day passes were sold out.
I had to buy Saturday and Sunday separately and it cost more than 4 day one!
So annoying.
I should have bought 4 days! And now I even missed having Daryl Dixon on my NYCC badge!
I got Carl and Glen! Glen is awesome!
And I love Chandler but I’m sorry! I can’t stand Carl!!

Anyways!!
With only 2 days to enjoy NYCC and actually volunteering for OPix again on Sunday, I wanted a costume more comfortable that I could wear all day but still talk and be able to see things and people!!

So I wore Wonder Woman!! I haven’t worn it since….. Uhm I can’t even remember the last time! Hahah
I never even got to wear the new boots I got!!!

NYCC is seriously packed.
Like… Not so good kind of packed!
I hated that they changed the con floor layout and damn! It was so freaking full there were things you couldn’t even get close to see them!!

Some of the guys wanted to try the new Wii but the line was insane!

Talking about line!!! Thank goodness I didn’t have to face that huge line to get in! OMG that’s insane!
Even with them trying to get more organized about things it’s just crazy.

And have you noticed that most people just get in their heads there will be line and they accept that.. Which is cool but they end up forming lines for freaking nothing! Seriously!
They see people standing somewhere, just assume is a line for whatever and stand behind them!
In a matter of seconds you have that long stupid line going NOWHERE!
I don’t know if I wanna laugh or cry!
I guess ill laugh cause I didn’t stand on it!!! Hahahah

Ok now lets have a serious conversation here!
What the heck is up with Power Ranger?????????
Seriously, were them that big?? How did I miss that???
I mean we had the show in brazil. Not all these versions I guess. And I may have watched it once or twice!
Isn’t that show that the monsters look like they are from some Japanese tv show or something like that???

It was soooo freaking lame!
And besides that I have been going to conventions for 3 years now! Not that long I k ow but I have gone to quite a few!!! And I never heard anything about power rangers. And now!!!

Damn!! The green ranger had the longest line in the whole autograph area!!! People were going crazy to meet him and get his autograph!!

I honestly just don’t get!!

Anyways!

The best part of the day of course was sitting on first row for The Walking Dead panel!!’
The questions from the audience were stupid! Way too many little kids asking silly questions or repeating the ones from last year! But it was awesome to see them all (Merle, the governor, Michonne, Daryl, Carl, Rick, and Robert kirkman!) missed Nicottero tho, and gale was there as well!

The preview was awesome and I got my Daryl badge signed (Bill got a 4 day badge and he gave it me yeeey)

Norman did something funny! Maybe it’s all in mind but I’m 90% sure he did it on purpose! Hahahhaha it’s ok! I get it!!! Hahahha

After the con we went to have dinner at stout!
Me, Dawn and our boys!!! Lol Gino, Neil, Seth, Bill, and Jim from Ohio. He works for Opix as well and we met him at CVI. He is staying with Neil!
And probably regrets it by now cause we a bunch of crazy ppl!
Hahahah we were going to stay for ruby’s birthday karaoke. But the guys didn’t wanna wait so Gino took is to this Korean place!!!

It’s karaoke in private rooms!
OMG
I don’t even want to let my crazy OCD take over because I will wash myself in Clorox! Soooooo disgusting.
The walls and ARGH.

At least they seemed to clean up the seats and table very well.

It was fun tho. A lot of fun! Everybody got so drunk. Everybody but me cause all they have to drink is sake and beer.
I tried sake and its the worse thing ever.

But it was a fun fun night!
The way back home was not fun at all.
Riding in the back seat does not agree with me much. Especially in a small car. I got so car sick it was not even funny!!

At least I had time to get home before my dinner saw the light of day again!

Well there’s more tomorrow!!!

Wearing a costume at Sarah’s wedding

It wasn’t really a real challenge. But when Sarah and Steve announced their wedding Sarah said it wasn’t going to be a costume affair!!
I did take it as a challenge and told her I would wear a costume and that she was going to love it!

I got back home from CVI and had exactly one week to work on this!!!

I know professionals can whip up a couture dress in a day, but I’m not a professional! Even a regular dress would take me more than that, a lot more!!
And this dress had soooo many ruffles!!

I got crepe and chiffon for the dress! I wanted silk chiffon but the one they had was more orange than red!

Chiffon is a pain in the arse (That’s my word of the month! ARSE!) hahaha
And I had to cut all the strips of chiffon, fray check ALL of them cause this stupid fabric fray like a bitch!
And them ruffle them!!!!

The way I do the ruffles is probably not how all of you smart people, sewing much longer and I have, do!
I sew 2 rows of straight stitch. Big ones, one row at a time. Then I pull the bottom thread to ruffle it up and then sew again on top of it with normal size straight stitch, backing up in the beginning and end to secure it.

After all those ruffles were done I hand sew them on the dress, sewing beads on them as well!

A whole week worth or work! But i actually made the base dress in 2 days (measuring, adjusting pattern and cutting on one, and sewing on the next) And it was actually a good thing I wasn’t working this week!!!

The wedding was yesterday! In Bristol or something! So far away!
I was still hand sewing ruffles Friday at 11pm.
It was around 12am, right before I started the last bit of the ruffling (the waist and flower) that I decided to try it on!

Oh freaking God Almighty!! Of course the zipper is on the back and not the easiest thing to zip up by myself.

I forced it too much and broke it.i broke the zipper.
I BROKE THE FREAKING ZIPPER ON THE DRESS I SLAVED ON FOR A WHOLE WEEK!

I was in so much panic I couldn’t even cry.it was not the fact I had been talking about that dress since before that week, or that I really really wanted to wear a costume for the wedding, or the fact I had nothing else to wear!
It was 12am I hadn’t showered or done my hair, or even had a back up dress!

OMFG

After a little of the panic went away all I could hear was Tim gunn on my ear saying
MAKE IT WORK!

I didn’t have another red invisible zipper, so I googled how to fix a broken one. Found it!
Because of the lining and stuff I had to literally take the whole back of the dress apart to remove the zipper, I fixed it, sewed it back on and done!
Tried it on, all good! And went to sleep at 7am.
Woke up at 9am to shower, do my hair, hopped in the car, went to the wedding, partied until 2, 3 am! Chatted until 4:30am
And was up today at 9!
Seriously! I’m a trooper!!!
Hahaha

It’s a wrap

It’s over! Well it’s been over for 2 days now, but I’m still in disbelief. Maybe it’s because the OCCC hasn’t taken down (turned off) their Star Wars Celebration signs yet, and every time we drove by there was a huge pain in my heart.

Now we are on our way home, somewhere in Georgia I guess.
I wish it was not over and I’m suffering a huge case of PCD. But on the other hand I am happy to go home to my McDreamy.
It will be awesome to sleep on my bed tonight cuddling with my pup!

I’ll post pics when I get home, after I sleep a bit! Had only 3:30 hrs of sleep last night!!!
And I’m still awake, don’t even know why!

Celebration – Day 4

Can you believe it’s over???
I can’t!
Basically 2 years planning, crazy 5 months working on my TK to have it ready for this, all the anxiety as it got closer and closer, and its over sooo freaking fast!

Sad!
I had post con depression even before things ended officially.

Today I decided to not wear costume! Wanted to walk around, see people, see stuff! So much to see!!!
In the afternoon had to report for duty with OPix and had another amazing time!
I was scheduled to work with Katie Purvis and it was fun!
She wasn’t too busy with fans but there was always someone at her table and I have to tell you! I ran a freaking marathon in that con floor! Running for water, running for a chair! Running for a red shirt, running for floor clean up!!! Geez how I ran!!!
Tracy said we should wear comfy shoes, but I should have worn RUNNING shoes!!!
Seriously!!
But it was too much fun!

The best of all was Amy Allen stopping me to thank me for taking care of them last night and that it was fun to hang out!!! So cool!!
Seriously!!! My kid self flips out in joy when these things happen!!!

Day was busy and went by so fast. The con closed and Katie was done and they asked me to help out with Ashley’s line (Asohka) Her line was huge way after the con was over and we stayed there for a while!!!
It was sad, while helping control the line, to watch workers break down the con floor! A guy drove a golf cart and even took away the plants.
It was the most depressing feeling ever!

They announced CEII (Celebration Europe II) for next year. 3 days of fun in Germany! But of course I’m not going! Even if it was a possible dream, forgive me European fans, it’s just not the same.
If it was the same it would be Celebration VII in Europe. But it’s not!

I heard people saying they were supposed to announce the dates for CVII at the closing ceremony as well, but they didn’t.
The rumors around, just like last day of CV, was that it will be again in Orlando because Reed had since 2010 a 3 event contract with the OCCC.

I hope it’s in Orlando again. I know people complain so much because its a hike for some fans. But hey! Seriously! It’s gonna be a hike anyways. And picking a celebration location because its close to your house is NOT the way to go.
There are many factors involved and Orlando is a hike for me as well, but I honestly think its the best place.
Everybody can make a good vacation out of it.
The only other place that would make sense to me is Anaheim because of Disney world!
I always said this partnership between LFL and Disney’s very profitable for them am having celebration in Orlando is good for both sides!

And Orlando is awesome! Hotels are cheap, food is affordable! You can go in a budget with no worries!
Hey I even made this trip without a job!

But we gonna have to wait again! Because they are not telling.

It’s quite annoying actually, because announcing things like that makes it easier to plan.
They should just let celebration be in one place and that’s it. Make it an official 2 year thing in that location.

There’s nothing bad in that! Cons like Dragon Con and all others are always on the same place, every year! People come form everywhere in the country and especially at Dragon Con the hotels are super expensive. No one complains of the trip or prices.
Why do they have to complain about Celebration.

Anyways! All is done!
Got 2 more days in Orlando for Disney and some shopping then we are heading home.
Hopefully stupid hurricane Isaac won’t spoil our plans! Going to Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios tomorrow.

Bye bye Celebration!
It was awesome! Again!

Celebration VI – Day 3

I cannot believe this thing is already half way done!!!! Saturday!!!
All i can think is that tomorrow is the last day! Soooo freaking sad.

But hey still got a whole day of fun!!!

Mara Jade was the costume of the day for the 501st Legion group photo that was scheduled for 1pm.

By the way, I walked up to Zac Jensen and declared my crush on Kit Fisto! I sure did! Hahah
I have no idea why, but I always thought Kit Fisto was the sexiest of the Jedi and up until CVI I had never seen the man behind the headtails!!!! Hahahah
Zac is pretty sexy himself, gotta admit!!! Hahaha

And the highlight of the day!! First one! I walked up to Jeff Carlisle table to show Neil his piece where he drew Monique and Cavalyn! I love that piece and always thought it was so cool my friends were on it!
So I found Cav and Monique and showed them to Neil, all proud of the girls and then! WAIT A MINUTE!!!
THAT’S ME!!!
I swear!! The Mara Jade looks exactly like me! And I only saw it cause she was close to Cav and Monique! OMG!

Jeff was not on the table at the time so I couldn’t ask, but his wife and Neil thought it looked a lot like me!!!!
So cool!!

Then the best of it all happened during the group photo.
We were there waiting! I was with all the maras and EU characters… Only 2 maras with the black suit this time! And then who walks to talk to us????

THE CREATOR HIMSELF!!!

Yes! Mr Timothy Zahn!
I never saw him before and had the biggest fan girl moment when I read his 501st honorary member badge!
I swear I screamed and hugged him so tight!
Of course people thought I was crazy but that’s cool!
Hahaha

He actually came up to us asking for a Mara Jade (in black suit) to help him re-create the cover of the Emperor’s Hand comic book!!!
And I did it!!!
Seriously!!
OMG
Best thing ever during the whole convention!!!
The creator!!!
He called me daughter and I called him daddy!!!
Hahah
His wife is so sweet too and she was wearing Mara’s shirt!!!

Oh and she told me, when they realized that I was the Arica at the bash, that he had his biggest fanboy moment when he saw me on stage last night. And that he was sooooo happy that they included her on the scenario!!!
And that made me even happier!!!!

I am soooo happy I got to meet the creator of my favorite character!!!!

Celebration VI – Day 2

Whoaaaa what fun!!!!
I think I went to sleep at 4 or 5am and woke up by 8 freaking out cause my friend Neil was still sleeping!
I must have say in bed for around half an hour wondering if it was ok to wake him up already cause I wanted to star the day as soon as possible!!!!!
Come on lazy bones!!!!!!!

Honestly I have no idea where I find so much energy! People say as we get older things change but I have to confess one thing!!! It’s getting worse for me (or better hahahah) I seem to have more energy now then when I was 19!!! Crazy shit bitches. Hahahhah

Costume of the day: my burlesque TK!!!
I planned to wear this for just half of the day! Those shoes are killer and I will have to do something about them!!!
It didn’t last much tho. Not even because of the shoes.
I kept my blaster on the holster and carried the big one and guess what???
One of the holster’s snap broke and was dangling.
Damn that was enough to piss me off!!!
It didn’t even look that bad but I was sooooo mad I had to change.

Neil and I were scheduled to work with Official Pix anyways!!! So I changed are something and reported for duty!!!

My very first day as an official pix volunteer!
I was honestly prepared to be giving info about the autographs by the bathroom door right next to a garbage can!!! Hahahhaha
But guess what????????
GUESS WHAT PEOPLE??

I got to work with Ian McDirmiad! YES! The emperor himself!!!

OMG I could not believe it!
And Neil was at Mark Hamill’s table!
Aren’t we the luckiest rookies in the face of the earth ??

Everybody at OPix are do cool! All the oranges and reds!!! There are so many oranges tho I didn’t get the chance to meet everybody!!! But there’s still time!!!

Ian is awesome! I lived to see how zealous he is with people’s things!!!
Oh and I was holding a guys poster after he signed and I thought te guy had it already so I let go and he didn’t have it so it rolled up a bit (ink was still wet) I caught and so did Ian and the guy, but Mr Emperor gave me that cold look!

HOLY FREAKING CRAP!!!! I almost died!!!
Made sure I didn’t do that again!!! I held to people’s stuff until they had to pry it from my hands!!! Hahahhahaha

Today was also the dinner and Bash night!!
OMG
so much fun!!!

I was running like crazy before cause you know I talk to much!!! And for that I got to help some guys do some stuff!!! Long story! But it resulted on the Emperor looking for himself on my dress!!!

OMG I swear!!! My little self, the one who grew up in Brazil and never dreamed these things could ever happen, was freaking out inside of me!!!

I didn’t tell people about my participation on the Bash.
I didn’t know if many people knew exactly what was going on so I kept my mouth shut!
I guess that was cool!
Neil said people kept asking where I was when the bash started and he had to point to the stage!!! Hahahah

I was soooooo shy in the beginning!!!
Yes, me! Shy! I’m shy damn it! Hahah

But the girls on stage with me looked sooo amazing, and everything looked sooooo perfect!!! It was like being at Jabba’s palace!!!!
And the the rest was just fun fun fun!!!!

Celebration VI – Day 1

We arrived here on the first day of the Con, and that means we missed the whole beginning of it.
Gotta have to do it differently next time, and plan to arrive on Wednesday.

Anyways, so much fun to see people I haven’t seen in so long! Even the ones that live so close to me, like all the gang from the ECG and NEG! But I haven’t seen them in forever!!!

The first ones I saw were Brian, Jodi and Monique from the NEG when we just stopped at the hotel and got out of the car!!!
The fun is about to start people!!!

I don’t know guys!!! Celebration is always a blur for me! So much to see and do and damn time goes fast!!!

I wore my TK today! It seemed it was for such a short time!!!
2 friends recognized my shortness!!! Lisa and Kevin!!!!
But there were people that walked right passed me and had no idea the tiny TK was me!!! Hahha

Funny thing is… I haven’t heard much of “Aren’t you too short for a Stormtrooper?”
Unless I take my helmet off and they know its me! Hahah

Btw, I hate taking my helmet off. I look absolutely ridiculous with that balaclava on. I always had the impression my head is too small for my body and with that silly thing it looks even smaller!!!

Hahah

Night time was pool party! As the social butterfly that I am I tried to spend some time with everybody! And kept going around the pool and stopping by every little garrison groups!!! So funny how it ended up beig a bunch if little cluster of groups divided by garrisons, but everybody was still interacting.

I just love my 501st family!

It is kind of sad though that the CTG seems to be the smallest group here! Just me, Neil, Seth and Bill!
Btw, Seth and Bill are just awesome fun!!!!

Some pics of today!