STORY TIME: Dragon Con 2019

If you've been following along in my Instagram/FB stories then you're probably a little sick of Dragon Con by now, heh, but I want to get all these thoughts and photos here on the blog, just for me.

So first, here's most of those Stories put into a video with fun music, courtesy of John and his editing skills. These aren't polished like our official daily vids, but they're still super fun and have some real gems not in our other videos:

(The FedEx sign from my preview pic had its own hashtag and shrine by the end of the convention, bahaha. Some people are already talking about cosplaying #FedExJohn for next year!)

Now here come some more favorites I didn't have time to post over the weekend.

My friend Alexie LOST HER MIND when she saw this woman in armor, but it wasn't 'til the guy turned around that I recognized them:

Willow! I need to watch this movie again.

A close up of my friend Avera Cosplay in her Maleficent WoW armor:

Avera is also the incredible Ursula bunny in my video up there, the one with the puppet Flotsam & Jetsam. Now lemme blow your mind: Avera is 6 MONTHS PREGNANT. Whaaaaaat. She's out here winning contests and working the floor like a Queen with a baby on board! MAD RESPECT.

This Fast Food group was so clever: 

My favorite is the Dairy Queen with her ice cream swirl hair! You can't tell here, but the giant cherry was covered in sparkles. 

More Fast Food lolz:

SO SALTY.

That moment when you find a flaming sword in the bottom floor of the Marrott:

 No one was around, but I think if I'd tried to touch it, I'd have received some kind of epic quest.

The prettiest use of ThinkGeek's Twinkling Stars skirt I've ever seen:

 Aren't they gorgeous together? I love these two!

Han Solo frozen in...comforter?

Dragon Con 2019: Our 10 Year Anniversary!

I didn't pack my laptop for Dragon Con this weekend, which is why I've been a little MIA here on the blog. (You didn't even notice, did you? OOF, the pain.) John and I are doing daily cosplay videos again this year, so every night John needs the one laptop we brought for video editing - meaning I can't get at it to ramble on to you guys about how much fun I'm having. Blurg. Again, just bad planning on my part.

I've tried to make up for the lack of blog posts with lots and lots of Instagram Stories, but I have so much - SO MUCH - to tell you guys, and it's just not the same. So while John's taking a shower let's see how much I can cram in here.

 A couple of favorites from my Stories.

I just realized this is our tenth year coming to Dragon Con, and so much has changed since then. For one, I think my photos are a little better now:

 A photo from my first ever Dragon Con photo post.

 

A photo from yesterday.

Back then I was so timid getting photos, always afraid to interrupt or yell to get someone's attention. I remember running around like mad, sliding in front of some awesome cosplayer on my knees - so I didn't block anyone trying to take a photo behind me - and then often feeling a pang of frustration and failure when they never looked at my camera. I saw all the "professional" photographers around me and envied their confidence, their ease at directing people and taking up that person's time.

This weekend, I WAS that professional photographer. Sure, I'm still not as bold or brash or loud as some others, but I'll happily yell to ask permission. I make eye contact. I take up space. I clap my hands and scream out "I love you" to total strangers. I even give photo directions now, asking people to move or drop their chin or swing a battle axe. And all the while, I'm having the time of my life.

Ten years ago I didn't know anyone, not at this convention or any other. I was an anonymous face in the crowd, fangirling over amazing cosplayers and wishing I knew people half as cool and creative.

This weekend John and I have been nearly mobbed by you guys. Even after two scheduled Epbot meets (one of which we had to move because there were so many of you), we've had dozens more readers find us and hug our necks, scream our names, give us gifts, or just yell "I love you." I've also lost count of the number of amazing cosplayers who, as we're taking their photo or video, suddenly say, "Jen? JEN!!"