Strange Folk Festival

Last weekend Pete and me made it out to the local craft fair - Strange Folk Festival. I have heard about it a few times but I was living in PA at the time and had no way of getting there. I'm so happy I finally made it out and could share it with Pete. He seemed to have as much fun as I did. 

I also wanted to check it out as maybe a future place to sell my own crafts with a friend of mine. We both have been looking at sharing a table/etc. at a event so I was checking it out for us too. Everyone was so friendly and I talked to a few sellers/crafters for awhile. New ideas popped in my head on future craft projects looking at everything, which always make me happy. It's hard for me at times to buy things because I know, I can make whatever I find but I still want to support that crafter on his/her amazing work.

They had alpacas! Someday when I have the land, I will have my own little herd.

Of course we had yarn bombing.

So many people which made me happy because running your own business is very hard work. Sure everyone made some good sales! Keep crafting.

Some amazing yarn I found. Both spinned and dyed by the ladies selling them! Check them out on Etsy at DyeabolicalYarns and YarnGeekFibers. I talked to both ladies for awhile and loved it. They were so friendly about everything and fun to talk too. I can't wait to work with the yarn I got! 

I found some amazing things at Tangerine Designs. She had some awesome knitting/project bags which every crafter needs. Also, some great Doctor Who items! Go and check her work out at Tangerine Designs.

Halloween Love

 As I have said before... I LOVE Halloween. I love that it's fall and pumpkin/apple picking has started. I am waiting patiently for the leaves to start changing around here so expect tons of photos from that too.

(Me very happy to find the huge pumpkins already.)

I also love the DIY tutorials that run wild on my blog feed this time of year too. Here are a few I have seen and just had to share. Wanted to make sure everyone saw them.

Wild Olive has a awesome tutorial on making your own pumpkin rings that can be used as napkin rings too! Plus, you can have them out till Thanksgiving! Awesome idea.

Awesome DIY skeleton shows by the amazing MyPaperCrane! Pretty easy and simple to follow. Being so tall and having big feet, finding the right shoes is such a pain! Wanting those perfect shoes to match my Halloween outfit is another pain so ideas like this make me happy. Great idea!

Let's not forget Martha Stewart DIY craft ideas for Halloween! There is a ton of tutorials on her website and worth checking out - Martha Stewart.

It's Fall!!!

I love the fact that it's finally Fall!! I celebrated over the weekend by having some of Dunkin' Donuts Pumpkin flavored coffee. I also added some whipped cream and cinnamon on top which made it even more amazing. Lets not forget the pumpkin butter on toast and fruit for my breakfast. I can't wait and this time of year means more pumpkin flavors are out in stores/restaurants/etc.

Another thing I am in the mood for is baking! With it becoming cooler it is easier to be in the kitchen. I already started baking candy corn popcorn balls, pumpkin flavored popcorn balls, and pumpkin bread. I have a few other recipes I want to try out as well.

Fall also brings my favorite holiday! Yes! Halloween!! I love mostly everything about Halloween. So when I get a chance throughout these weeks I will be posting about it. I have a soft spot for vintage Halloween decorations or art. I am not a big fan of anything too scary like we see now.

I will also be posting awesome Halloween DIY tutorials I find. Check out this awesome tutorial on how to make a Bat Chandelier by MyPaperCrane!

I also found some awesome vintage Halloween postcards that are free to download. Go check Vintage Holiday Crafts for more.

Roller Derby Friday: Part 3

Roller Derby has skated into my life and completely taken over. I don't know how else to say it but yes, yes it has. Maybe it's because I always give 100% when I'm really into something. I throw myself in head first without looking back. Maybe my mind knows I can do this and for once, let me push myself physically. I don't want to hold myself back anymore? Maybe it's with all the padding I wear and falling so many times in the past two weeks? I don't really feel the falls because of the pads, so it's a little "easier" not to give up? Pain has come of course and pulled muscles. Tears as well even though I push them back and keep on.

Shirts that my friend and I created for Roller Derby. It was fun making them and of course it's easier for everyone to remember our names. I am currently in my 2nd week of practice and lets just say I come home in so much pain. The other night in practice my muscles in my leg hurt so bad I actually had tears in my eyes practicing a one knee fall on the floor. Still I refuse to have any of the other ladies help me when I fall/etc. I want to get up on my own and prove to myself I can do it. I have started using handicapped bathrooms a lot. That extra bar support when your in so much pain, is a life saver.

I've come to hate lunges in every worst way possible. It's a completely love/hate relationship. My legs scream at me but I try and do them every day even if I am not at practice. I need that part of my body to be strong to be able to do this. I also love every minute of getting my butt beat. I think it's the ladies in this league and how much I have fun. These ladies are from every background imaginable but I still have a great time. They take the time to talk to all the new girls and offer encouragement, advice, and whatever else they can do. Every practice I have noticed me getting better a little here and there. I love seeing the improvement. I'm starting to get comfortable on skates and love it.

Like I said before, I have been trying to go to as many practices as possible during the week even if I can't be on skates that night. Every Tuesday night is scrimmage night so I've had fun just running around and helping out while the other ladies get to play. I can't wait to actually be out there though. It makes me only more motivated to get through each level. As you can see from the pic below I have been helping out keeping track of the major and minor penalties through scrimmages.

Some other pics. I love the RX toe stops and I'm so happy I ended up picking them up. It was suggested in our newbie package that we look at these toe stops. Something else I have learned is to check my toe stops before every practice and make sure they are on tight. After the 2nd time of my toe stop flying across the rink and a few ladies going to retrieve/helping me put them back on, you kind of learn your lesson?

Since I currently live at home with my parents trying to find a place to lay out my gear after practice can be interesting at times. Right now it's a toss up between my dad's work bench in the garage and on there freezer. I want everything to air out there because let's face it...you pretty much sweat your butt off at every practice. I learned this on the first night when the league had donated gear in a box. A lot of that derby sweat from years, you could easily smell just by walking by the gear.

I also wanted to share something I found on facebook recently. It actually sums up well WHY, I want to be in Roller Derby:
Roller derby is the only place I know where we are all different and yet still manage to accept and support each other. We are:  gay, straight, bi, transgender, androgynous, or nearly asexual; virgins, sluts, poly, monogamous, kinky, married, single; heartbroken, madly in love, or simply alone. We may have never had a significant other, or we may be in committed relationships that have lasted several decades.

We are tattooed, or not. We are pierced, or not. We come in every shade of skin imaginable. Regardless of our “upholstery”, we all bleed red.
 We are religious, or not.  We are Jewish, Catholic, Mormon, Christian, Muslim, Pagan, Atheist, UU; not interested, in too deep, confused, seeking,  or just trying to recover from any of the above. We are parents, or not. We may have a house full of kids. Some of our “kids” may have fur, or feathers, or scales.
We are waitresses, doctors, musicians, artists, cowgirls, lawyers, teachers, students, and therapists. We are rich, poor, or just doing ok. Some are recovering addicts. Some of us are criminals, hopefully reformed, or at least working on it.  Some of us have been homeless and know what it’s like to be hungry and alone.

 As children, we may have been born to a great family, been spoiled, abused, ignored, or loved unconditionally. We grew up as nerds, jocks, preppies, bullies, outsiders, and invisibles. Some of us went to college, some did not. Some barely, or never, finished high school.

We are kind, angry, frustrated, peaceful, depressed, happy, crazy, enthusiastic, giddy, sick, and tired. We are also quiet, loud, and surprisingly shy; sometimes we exhibit all those things within a span of minutes.

We are vegans, meat-eaters, hunters, gatherers and everything in between. I think most of us in derby are addicted to bananas.

The things we do not have in common could fill volumes. What is important is that we meet at a skating rink, often exhausted and grumpy after a long day of work, school, and taking care of everyone else in our lives, and we work together. Strapping on skates and gear we drag ourselves onto a small oval track to sweat together, bleed together, and learn to fight fairly as we practice teamwork and communication. We work our asses off to get stronger. Sometimes we snap at each other, but more often we shout encouragement.  We each learn that no matter who we are, there is a place for us in derby. Anyone is invited to join us, to get knocked down, to learn to get up, and to always lend a helping hand to not only our teammates, but to our rivals as well.

After a hard fought derby bout the losers are quick to drop to one knee and graciously thank the winning team, because we understand and appreciate the hard work and dedication it took for them to get there. No matter the final score, there is something to be learned from everyone.  We truly do appreciate each other’s journey and commitment to this sport we love. Hopefully, when it’s time to go home, we have been reminded that each and every one of us is strong, worthy of respect, and capable of doing so much more than we ever believed. We are reminded of the value of hard work, of a common goal, and of good sportsmanship.

Most importantly, we are reminded that all our differences make no difference, because above all else we are sisters and brothers. That is what I wish the world knew about roller derby. Because if a band of unlikely misfits like us can achieve this, just think what the whole world could do if everyone committed to becoming each other’s family. Instead of worrying about what someone else is thinking about, who they love, or what they are doing with their private bits, what if we each focused on treating each other with care, dignity, and respect?

What if we become quicker to lend a helping hand and pick each other up, give a needed push to get someone through a hard time, or defend our brothers and sisters from those who wish to harm them; and slower to anger and judge? What if we were committed to a common goal, instead of letting our own insecurities and obsessions over things that are truly none of our business drive us to senseless acts of persecution? I believe… no, I KNOW we would all be better for it. It really isn’t as hard as you think.

 Life is like derby. At least I think it should be.
 For the love of derby and peace,
Kinetic Rage, #71, Springfield's Queen City Roller Derby

Dice Bags!!!

How to start out this story? One day a nerd girl meet a nerd boy and he asked her to listen to some nerd music? She wasn't sure at first but always willing to listen to new music, she was directed to a site. The nerd girl listened to everything she downloaded and fell in love. She then went out in the world to tell her other nerd friends about this amazing nerd music. The rest is history?

I have listened to a few Nerdcore artists through out the years but really had no idea how big the music was. I think my fellow nerd friends failed me? Pete within the first month of meeting him, had me downloading music from Scrub Club Records. Being a fan for a number of years and knowing several of the artists personally and attending a lot of there shows, Pete was happy to share several stories with me. It's not really shocking I fell in love (both with the music and him). Also, now that I have meet a few of the artists both in person and through the wonderful internets, they have my nerd love even more.

If you love music that has themes from all kinds of different fandoms( Ex: video games, doctor who, comics, harry potter, etc) then I highly recommend you check out  Scrub Club Records. Seriously, I doubt you will be disappointed and I really think you can find at least one artist you will love.

Taken from Scrub Club Recrod's Website:

Not only are we independent, we're also not-for-profit. Yes, you read that right - the label itself gets zero cut of the money! We release and distribute albums, promote our artists, book events, direct street teams, and offer awesome merchandise all by the power of donations from supporters and cash from our own pockets.

All of our albums are available for free so that there are no barriers in the way of a potential listener. The whole world is welcome to check out our music and other projects for free, and if they dig it enough, they are welcome to give a few bucks. If they can't, that's all good - we make our art to entertain and enlighten, getting reimbursed is not our focus.

I have no idea even how the idea came up but I wanted to donate something besides money. Maybe the fact, I always like to be different? The thought originally was going to be a couple of knitted items that they could sell. Course, I can never do a couple of "simple" things so it exploded into a number of dice bags that you can see below. It was insane work for me and trying to get it all done. I enjoyed every minute of it even though I wanted to pull my hair out at every dice bag. I think everything that went into the dice bag; knitting, crocheting, felt design, and embroidery took about 10 hours to each one.

Not hard to guess what these diced bags were made after? My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I couldn't help it. A few of the artists in Scrub Club Records are big fans of the show as well. I think, these dice bags were my biggest pain. I'm not sure if I will ever agree to do them again but we will see.

The rest of the dice bags! Here we have Zelda, Batman, Mario, and finally Scrub Club Records symbol. These guys weren't that difficult to make. I had to do a Batman themed dice bag since I'm such a huge fan. I can't wait to see all of these sold and used for nerd gaming.

Roller Derby: Part 2

Something I forgot to mention in my last post! I actually am starting this journey with a friend I've know since High School. We have always wanted to do roller derby and we both actually moved back to IL this year. Can we say fate? I am excited that she is doing this with me. Not only can we share car pooling but we can support one another.

She has also been going skating a lot with me at the local roller rinks around us. We try and go at least once a week leading up to official practice. We have talked about outside skating once she gets her own Roller Derby Skates. I can't wait for that!

(Photo taken from C.C.R.D.)

Both of us attended the first meeting. I am so happy they had a package to hand out because I was still out of it from GenCon! After reading over the package and talking to a few ladies that night I became more excited to start. There is a few weeks between that meeting and the official practice date(next week). The league wanted to give everyone a chance to get everything together. 

I loved the meeting and the no B.S. conversation they had with us. That we will go home for awhile after practice and pretty much fall into bed to pass out. That it's not the question of, "Will I get hurt?" but "When I get hurt?" I also found out another usage for Maxi Pads - they are good to stuff in the back of your shorts for spin/butt padding. The ladies in the league also brought up another good point - buying cheap will not protect you in derby. After pricing all the equipment I would need, it can be really expensive but I want to make sure I am well protected so it's worth it to me.

I also found out awhile ago and it was brought up in the meeting that there is a official rooster for Roller Derby Names! I already have mine picked out so I am hoping I get it. Not going to share it yet, until I know for sure I can have it. 

(Picture taken from C.C.R.D.)

Something else I have learned - It's better to buy all your derby gear from a shop that is owned by someone that did/is currently doing Roller Derby. You attempt to go into a sports store for example and try to talk about what you need? That random person will have no clue. It makes sense and that means the shop owner will know everything about the equipment she is selling.

I actually purchased all of my equipment from Roller Girl Skates.

I loved all the videos on the website which made it so much easier for me to figure out the sizing and what I needed. Also, the owners are currently doing Roller Derby so they supply gear that they can back and currently are using. I love the reviews they give on what they like and customers can leave there own reviews on products.

In my package from C.C.R.D. was a ton of information on the equipment I will need and what I should look for which made it even easier to find out what I wanted! Also in the package was the Newbie Training Plan! I will actually be practicing in a green shirt when I first start. My friend and I have already decided it will be fun to get a couple of shirts and decorate them together. Something to remember the pain and fun those first weeks of practice. Once we are done with that level, we then move on to gray t-shirts which means we can start doing the contact part of practice/derby. At the final we can start wearing the league colors and scrimmaging. I can't wait to work on all of this!

Hopefully I won't be too sore next week to make a post! 

Guinea Pigs and Cross-Stitch

Realizing today that I have been cross-stitching for about 22 years now is just amazing to me. I never thought something I picked up as a child would stay with me. After school daycare really worked out well for me, huh? A lady that worked there actually taught me how to cross-stitch and I loved every minute of it. It's funny because I never thought cross-stitch or embroidery is something difficult to learn. I think, having patience to do it, is what really makes it difficult. 

I also love picking bigger projects like this Epic Mario/Nintendo cross-stitch I am working on. This piece will be HUGE and it will take me forever I'm sure to complete it. The fabric count is so small, I can only work on this piece for about a hour or so before my eyes start to cross. I can't wait thought to get this done and find a place for it in my home.

(Guinea Pig: Ann Marie)

Oh! and to make this a little longer post I wanted to show off a few of my favorite pics from the summer. I never had a real chance to take Ann Marie and Abby out into the grass where I lived in PA. The back yard didn't have a fence and I didn't know what kind of chemicals/etc. my landlord put on the grass. Currently living with my parents, I finally got the chance to take them outside and they loved it! They pretty much had their heads in the grass the whole time munching away. It's suppose to be cooler this weekend so I'm hoping, I can take them out again before Fall weather starts to hit.

(Guinea Pig: Abby)

Roller Derby Friday: 1

It was suggested to me that I start blogging about my Roller Derby experiences. I am completely new to this sport and have been wanting to do it for years. While I have been to bouts over the years I guess, I never really had enough guts till this year. As my mom would say, "Either shit or get off the pot Jess!"

So every Friday, you guessed it! I'll be making a post for Roller Derby Friday. It will be my progress, buying gear, bouts, pain/bruises, teammate experiences, and whatever else that has to do with derby. I don't start official derby practice till the 2nd week of September but I have a few ideas to post about that will cover Roller Derby Fridays up till then. So yes, if you want to read about my blood, sweat, and tears then come back again!

Roller Derby is something I have been wanting to do for years as I've said before. I have had a number of friends tell me I should do it. I have no idea if it's because in the recent years I have become healthier or I'm getting older? Maybe it's the fact I moved up in my job so I have the money to buy equipment/etc? That or maybe it's because I have Pete that's pretty much become my number 1 fan in supporting me through this. He even has gone roller skating with me at a local rink to practice.

The only sports I have ever really done so far in my life is Softball for a number of years. I was very active in it through middle school and high school. Most people think it's not really a contact sport but I made it one. For example, if a unlucky girl was covering the base a bit too much. Yet, I have never done a full on contact sport so Roller Derby will be a bit of a change. I'm still ready to do it and I have a friend that will be starting from the bottom - up like me. I have know her since High School so you will see me mentioning her in my posts as well.

How did I find a team? A few months ago in July, I was randomly in a clothing store and started talking to the sales lady on the floor. I'm not sure if this was fate knocking on my door but Roller Derby came up. She told me about a new local league called Confluence Crush that just started up and was a little over a year old now. Also, that try outs were coming up. Pretty much anyone could join as long as you were willing to work your butt off. I am ready to do that and ready to have my butt handed to me. To me everything was falling in place and just that week I was thinking about Derby again.

So I went home and did a little searching around the internet for the league. I also started looking up equipment and prices which I'll discuss in a later post. I found the league on Facebook and of course they have there own Website. I think this team is for me and the fact they are taking women that could have no experience at all. I have nothing against the leagues that don't do this and have real try outs but Confluence Crush is for me considering they will take a "newbie".

(Take from C.C.R.D.'s website)

More info about C.C.R.D. taken from there website:
"Confluence Roller Derby exists to provide women in St. Louis and the Metro East unique opportunities to play flat track roller derby within a welcoming community that both supports skaters in their development and as well as challenges them to realize their potential as athletes. The league offers competitive team opportunities for skaters who desire greater athletic advancement, and who seek to win, rank, title, or achieve against opponents on a regional or national level. The league also provides recreational team opportunities for new and alumnae skaters to learn and play flat track roller derby in a safe, fun and social environment without the level of commitment or skill required of derby athletes at a regionally or nationally competitive level. Confluence Roller Derby was in founded in 2011 on feminist ideals, a DIY attitude, and a desire to grow the derby community. The league is operated “by the skaters, for the skaters,” and the time, talents, knowledge, and contributions of all league members are valued and respected."

That's it for Roller Derby Friday! Post next week will contain getting ready for official practice with the C.C.R.D, buying gear, and the get together C.C.R.D. had a few weeks ago for new people.

Gen Con: Part 3

The last part of my GenCon updates. GenCon by far is the biggest convention I have ever been too. Some things I learned is preparing better for sickness and people being unsanitary. I loved all the different panels and how a few had nothing to do with gaming. It pretty much has a little of everything. For example, one night Pete and me attended a My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic panel. I loved it! 

I spent HOURS in the Exhibit Hall because every time I would walk around, I always found something new I had missed. It is really a overwhelming place to be and I loved it. I always found free goodies I had missed earlier too which was another major plus.

Pete spent a bit of time playing Magic The Gathering and selling cards to vendors. I didn't mind this as I spent a lot of time just wandering around. It was also fun to wander into where they were having magic tournaments and watch him. I started playing less then 6 months ago so I didn't want to try. I'm still questioning things when Pete and me play that I'm sure someone that has had years of playing wouldn't like. Maybe when I branch out more and play against more people I'll consider it next year. Plus, having someone like Pete teach you that has been playing over 13 years is another major plus.  

I also made a trip to the crafting room that they had open the whole time. People would donate supplies so you could easily find something new to try. I also had a random knitting group get together with people I didn't know. It actually was tons of fun to talk to the ladies there. We discussed a lot of nerdy things going on and what we were working on. Knitters are about the friendliest people I know and will never turn you away.

Of course I came home with some awesome dice and games as you can see below: Munchkin, Dice, Four Taverns and X Marks The Spot, The One Ring TTG, and Dragon Age TTG. Another major plus was a few of the creators and artists were able to sign a few of my game purchases! 

I loved being able to meet people that worked on the games/etc and talking to them about it all. It showed me they cared enough and were/are dedicated to it. I also didn't make any game purchases till the last day as I wanted to talk with people and think it over. I loved all the game demos going on and how even if you weren't playing you could stand there and listen/watch. There was no really big "push" to get you to buy a game. Everyone seemed excited about the games they were showing you and I loved that.

That pretty much sums up my first GenCon experience. I really hope to go back again next year and not get sick.... I would highly recommend this Con to anyone and even if they aren't a "gamer" because you can easily find any type of "nerd"or "geek" thing there.

Gen Con: Part 2

More Gencon fun ahead! This post is going to be mainly about what I was wearing and my amazing friend. I am all about dressing up/cosplaying now thanks to Pete. Funny, after so many conventions Pete was the first boyfriend to convince me to actually do it. I have had a blast so far coming up with what to wear and having a hand in making a few of the pieces or asking friends to create them for me. I was so shy about the whole thing but with enough "poking" from Pete, I finally gave in. Pete cosplays as well so it's another plus to do this together. It also makes me talk to people because of random people asking pictures or about what I'm wearing.

I love how easy it is for me to be able to craft. I see something in a store that I find overpriced and I just make it myself. I get images in my head on what would be a cool thing to make and I easily make it myself. That makes my day and I have a craft journal filled with ideas. Cosplaying and figuring out how to do it has been so much fun for me.

For Gencon I had 3 outfits to wear and couldn't figure out what to wear shoe wise. I have been friends with Lindsay at Em & Sprout for a number of years. I have seen her shop grow and her work. It is truly amazing and she is a awesome person to work with. I came up with 3 separate shoe ideas and brought them to her. She was so happy to do them for me and got them in the mail in time for GenCon!

This is my awesome Batman outfit and the shoes that Linds made for me. The story that goes along with this is I wore this outfit on Thursday. After spending over 6 hours in the Exhibit Hall, Pete and me decided to have a early night. While trying to leave the convention center we noticed it was raining. Pete was nice enough to head back to the car and get my umbrella so I wouldn't get soaked. When he got back with the umbrella, he also warned me about the huge puddles around the entrance to the parking garage. I thought nothing of it till I got there and noticed no dry land for me to skip across. I then took my amazing Batman shoes off without thinking and walked through all of this. Getting into the parking garage I did put my shoes back on but sadly I still got dirt on the inside. I ended up telling Linds and my embarrassment which she responded on how to clean them. I was more worried about these amazing shoes then what my feet were stepping in!

My awesome Tardis outfit! I am a HUGE fan of Doctor Who and of course I needed a outfit. It's pretty much based on the episodes, "The Doctor's Wife" from the 6th season. Not exactly what Idris was wearing but I made my own version of "Sexy". Linds did a amazing job making the shoes as well and everyone loved them. I went over to the Doctor Who booth in the exhibit hall and all the workers there talked to me about my awesome outfit. The story I have for this one is about a man working at the Doctor Who booth. He informed me that the Tardis was his very, VERY favorite thing in the show. He loved my skirt and then I pointed out my shoes. He became very excited and asked if he could touch my shoes. I agreed and watched this man get on his knees and rub his finger over the Tardis key on my left shoe. He made really shrill girl sounds of excitement. I reported this all to Linds to inform her, how happy her shoes make people.

My last outfit which I wore on Sunday so few people got to see it. I have been a HUGE Nintendo fan for years and Yoshi is my favorite character. I even have a pink Yoshi tattoo on my left foot. Even though not a lot of people were around I still I had a number of comments on it and people loving my shoes. Linds, was even nice enough to put Yoshi eggs on the back for me too! I don't really have a story for this one. I did pass by the Doctor Who booth again and enjoyed my time talking to the people working there as they loved my outfit. 

That's about it for this post! My last one will be mostly random pictures taken at the convention and what I bought of course. What other things we did and panels/events we went too.

Go and check out Lindsay's Etsy Shop - Em & Sprout to see about getting your own pair of shoes!!

Gen Con: Part 1

I have been wanting to write something all week but with this lovely "sickness" I received at GenCon it has completely slowed me down. I actually got excited today as my ears finally popped and I could hear again! It meant I was getting better and I've had this sickness for 7 days now.

This is the first convention I have been too that has caused me to get sick. I'm not sure if it's because of how huge GenCon is or the fact there is more people not washing there hands or really taking steps not to spread germs? I can honestly understand why Wil Wheaton is so big on people not getting to close to him at conventions.

First off, I'm going to do a few different posts about GenCon and hopefully get these done in the next few days. This post is mostly about the dice bag I created for Wil Wheaton and me meeting him for the first time. Few people get to see how much of a fangirl I can be but I am a nerd and love my fandoms. I don't usually express it by jumping around and screaming like we usually see around the internet. I'm more of a silent fangirl. I was pretty nervous about meeting someone I have been a fan of for years. I love the fact how much of a nerd he is and that he loves his fans.

The day before GenCon offically started I went with Pete(my boyfriend) to get his badge and I actually asked a few people working there where exactly Wil would be signing autographs. I didn't want to mess around with figuring this all out on the day of. Yes, I wanted to make sure I got to meet Wil Wheaton.

On Thursday the first day of GenCon I got Pete up really early(7AM) to make sure we would make it to the Exhibit Hall in time. Pete was amazing and humored me this whole time even standing in line for almost a hour to get into the Exhibit Hall first. When they finally were letting people in I grabbed his hand and we made our way through the doors and to the back of the Exhibit Hall. I even started moving quickly a little and Pete picked up the pace to a run. So yes, I was first in line that day to meet Wil Wheaton. 

 I really thought, I wouldn't even have the guts to even say anything to him. I am a very shy person when I first meet someone and to actually meet someone I've been a fan of for so many years....yeah right? It helped immensely that Pete was there the whole time with me. Pete, I hate to say is not really a fan of Wil Wheaton but he knew how important this was for me. He kept encouraging me to speak and give Wil the dice bag. I actually got worried Wil wouldn't accept the gift but a few fans told me in the line that he would. He just didn't like people getting too close to him because of germs/etc.

I'm not even sure what I said to him but I'm sure it was along the lines of, "Here I made this for you..." The look on his face when I first gave it to him was great and I about melted. He loved that I made it and told me he would put all the dice he got that day into it. I was happy to see it would be put to good use and yes, of course I got a autograph too.