Just checking in...

Since it's been awhile since I've posted here, I thought I'd share the latest goings-on with you.

William Shatner, aka Capt. Kirk

My son and I attended the 3rd annual Lexington Comic & Toy Convention, held the weekend of March 14-16, at the Lexington Convention Center.  We had an absolute blast getting to meet such stars as Lou Ferrigno (the original Incredible Hulk) and William Shatner, George Takei, and Nichele Nichols of the Star Trek tv show.  If you like comic book conventions, you should definitely come to next year's event.  For more information, you can visit their website at lexingtoncomiccon.com.

I've become a grandmother for the second time.  Beau was born in April on what would have been my father's 89th birthday.  (Note:  Dad passed away in 1991.)  He looks just like his big brother, Gunner.

I've started physical therapy this week on a bum knee.  The naproxin my rhumatologist prescribed for me helps alot also.  Therapist says the back of my knee cap seems to have degenerated quite a bit.  

My embroidery learning is still on-going, due mainly to there being so much to learn.  However, I'm having a blast with it.  I'm also trying my hand at simple quilt patterns.  

The website templates I design for my website, Sharry's Place, are getting a much needed make-over.  I try to keep up with the latest html updates and then incorporate said updates into my designs.  Since I've got several templates to go through, it's a slow process.

My photography has taken a back seat to the other projects I'm working on, but I haven't completely given it up, nor will I ever.  There are a few pictures I've taken recently that need to be uploaded to my site, which will be done asap.

There are a few other projects floating around in the back of my mind that I'm trying to decide what to do with them.  At this time, those projects will remain there until I decide what to do with them. 

Thanks for visiting...come back often.

Must be semi-contagious...

In 2010 my son, Matt, attended his first pop culture convention, the ScareFest Horror and Paranormal Convention, at the Lexington Convention Center.  Matt had so much fun he wanted to go to the next one in 2011, and wanted me to go along so I could experience what he was talking about.  After that, we both have attended every ScareFest convention since then.  Not only that, we have attended 2 conventions in Louisville, and both of the Lexington ComicCons, which is the newest convention to "hit" Lexington.

I am not a fan of the horror movies represented at ScareFest, nor am I a believer in the paranormal, but I must say it is so much fun to attend ScareFest.  The Lexington ComicCon has grown from having just the original stars of the Power Rangers show their first year in 2012 (which was a 1 day convention) to such big names as William Shatner, Nichelle Nichols, and George Takei of the original Star Trek tv show and the original Incredible Hulk, Lou Ferrigno, coming to their 3rd convention, says a lot on how popular it has become.

Attending these conventions in Lexington has become rather contagious.  Both Matt and I look forward each year to see just what stars we will get to meet, as well as getting to spend some quality time together.  I've always tried to keep up with what both of my children are interested in so that I could have a better understanding of what they were talking about.

NOTE:  The 2014 Lexington ComicCon will be March 14-16.  The 2014 ScareFest will be September 12-14.

All Aboard the Embroidery Train...

Brother PE500

Don't know about where you live, but in my neck of the woods embroidery and monogramming has really taken off over the last year or so.  Seems everyone is buying either a single-needle or a multi-needle machine, and they are really doing a great job with the crafts they have made, most of which have been monogramming items such as scarves, purses, shirts, etc.  

Not to be outdone, I too have jumped onboard the embroidery train with not one but two single-needle machines.  :-)  The first one I bought was a Brother PE500 from Amazon.  The maximum size it will do is 4"x4", and does embroidery and monogramming only.  Last fall I purchased a used Babylock Esante ESe from a dealer in Lexington, KY, and it is both an embroidery machine and a sewing machine.  The hoop I have with it is 5"X7".  Though I use the Brother PE500 most of the time, the Babylock comes in handy for embroidering names and/or phrases on items that are too long for a 4"x4" hoop.

Pocket T-Shirt

So far some of the items I've done are monogrammed pockets on t-shirts, totes, burp rags, and key fobs.  The internet contains great sites (such as Pinterest & Etsy) which offer great ideas and tutorials, several of which I have either bookmarked or downloaded.  YouTube is another great site that has lots of video tutorials.

While researching embroidery/monogramming ideas, I also looked up sites containing supplies needed for my *craft room.  I hope to, over time, share some of these sites with you.

*Craft Room - A room in the corner of our garage that my husband had built just for me.  :-)  It houses both my embroidery machines, as well as my Singer sewing machine, Singer serger, Cricut, and quilting frame.  A laptop in the craft room contains software for designing monograms and other embroidery designs, and a couple of shelving units hold essentials such as material, finished products, and other supplies.  I will always be grateful to my wonderful husband for giving me this room. 

I will be back to share tips, links, and other crafty items with you as I find them.  If you come across anything you think I might like, please share.  Thanks, and have a great day.

Where has the time gone...

It just dawned on me that it's been quite a while since I've posted anything here.  There have been several things going on around here which has caused me to temporarily step away from my blog.  However, I have decided to make a concerted effort to post more often, and have a few ideas of where I'd like to go with it.  Just to keep your interest peaked, no mention of what I have in mind will be made.  :-)

Since my last post, I have found out that my grandson, Gunner, is going to be a big brother.  His little brother, Beau, is due in April, and I am so looking forward to his arrival.  Their parents, as well as my step-granddaughter, were hoping for a girl; however, boys are great.  All we want is a healthy baby and a safe delivery.

Christmas has come and gone, as well as the new year.  I don't make new year resolutions because, let's face it, no one sticks to them.  2014 looks to be a busy year for us.  With the new grandson on the way (which I will be babysitting), my son and I have at least 2 conventions to attend.  The first one, The Lexington ComicCon, will be in mid-March at the Lexington Convention Center.  William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols, of the original Star Trek television show, will be there, as well as Lou Ferrigno, the original Incredible Hulk.  Then in mid-September we will be attending the ScareFest Horror & Paranormal Convention at the same convention center.  No guests have been announced as of this date for that convention.

Until next time, I hope you are blessed...

Among the stars...

The ScareFest Horror and Paranormal Convention, held September 13th through the 15th at the Lexington Convention Center, was a blast.  My son, Matt, and I enjoyed being able to mingle with the stars who represented the horror and paranormal genres in film, television, and books.  There were also lots of vendors offering just about everything imaginable from books to jewelry to posters/art work to toys and figurines. 

Both the celebrities and vendors were very approachable and seemed happy to talk with everyone attending the convention.  Some of the celebrities, such as Kane Hodder from four Friday the 13th movies and the Hatchet trilogy, are very adamant about recognizing they would not be where they are today if not for the fans.

Tom Morga

Tom Morga, an award-winning stuntman known for having played Jason Voorhees" in Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning, told Matt and me that he was into bird watching, and wanted to know if we knew of any good places close by that he could visit and check out the birds.  When we suggested Bernheim Forest, Mr. Morga got out his cellphone and asked us to show him on his map app the general location of Bernheim Forest.  He also said he never knew one of his grandmothers and was trying to get information on her.  Mr. Morga was planning on going to New Albany, Indiana, after ScareFest to visit with a distant cousin, who works in a library.  They were going to do some genealogy research on his grandmother.

Adrienne King (right) and me

One of the nicest celebrities at the convention was Adrienne King; she was in the first two Friday the 13th movies.  While at the convention, Ms. King was promoting her line of Crystal Lake Wines, appropriately named for Jason's Friday the 13th stomping grounds.  I mentioned I had a website and would love to put something on it about her wines, and she seemed so excited over my wanting to do that.  She immediately wrote on a piece of paper the names of her websites and webmaster so that I could contact him if I needed anything.  Ms. King even went so far as suggesting she and I have our picture made together holding bottles of her wine so I could put them on my website.

Kane Hodder and me

To look at him, you would never know Kane Hodder was a sweetheart.  Being known for playing monstrous slasher movie villains doesn't help, either.  In his autobiography, Unmasked (co-written with Michael Aloisi), Mr. Hodder had a stunt go wrong during an interview and suffered severe burns over his neck, arms, and torso.  As a result of his injuries, Mr. Hodder suffered Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and had to overcome several obstacles such as hugging.  When I asked to have my picture taken with him, he gave me a bear hug (which you see in the accompanying picture).  After the picture was taken, I mentioned I was under the impression he didn't like to give hugs.  Mr. Hodder asked why I thought that, and when I explained about the book he immediately gave me another hug, and said the PTSD wasn't as bad as it once was.

Aaron Goodwin and me

Aaron Goodwin of the Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures is another sweetheart.    He has more energy in his little finger than I will ever dream of having.  Not long after last year's ScareFest I had an ornament made with his Big Steppin' logo on it, and presented to him at this year's convention.  Mr. Goodwin has the motto, "Why take little steps when you can be big steppin'?"  Hence, the name of his logo.  He seemed truly happy that I had presented him with the ornament, and commented that it would not go on his Christmas tree (as I had suggested) but on a wall of collections he keeps.

Photo-bombing

Another fun part of attending conventions such as ScareFest is the camaraderie among the celebrities.  During the introductions of the celebrities, John Zaffis (SyFy's Haunted Collector) and the cast of SyFy's Ghost Hunters photo-bombed the introductions of the cast of SyFy's Deep South Paranormal.  When it came time for the introduction of the Ghost Hunters cast, Deep South Paranormal decided to return the favor.  On "Celebrity Row" Kane Hodder and R. A Mihailoff ('Leatherface') had booths next to each other.  Each time a fan would come up to one of them, the other would shout something or make some type of loud noise just to get a reaction out of the other star.  In prior conventions, it has been known for the the stars to have rubber band fights.

You don't have to be into the type of movies or tv shows represented at conventions such as ScareFest to enjoy rubbing elbows with celebrities.  I highly recommend attending some type of convention where you can mingle among the stars and get to know them one-on-one.  The sights and sounds of these conventions are fun for all ages.

ScareFest Video

The following video was made from pictures my son, Matt, and I took at the 2013 ScareFest the weekend of Sept. 13-15.

2013 ScareFest Convention - slideshows

Interview with Jeff Waldridge, Event Manager & Co-Founder of the ScareFest Convention

On September 13-15, 2013, the 6^th annual ScareFest Horror and Paranormal Convention will be held at the Lexington Convention Center in Lexington, Kentucky.  ScareFest has quickly become one of the largest events of its kind.  Each year fans from all over the country converge on Lexington for three days of horror and paranormal filled entertainment.  Not only do the fans get to meet their favorite stars of the horror and paranormal genres one-on-one, they also get to shop from over 200 uniquely unusual vendors, attend workshops, free seminars, and Q&A panels to learn more about the fields they love, and party the night away at the VIP party and costume balls.  These are just some of the activities planned for the fans of ScareFest.  If you would like more information about this year's convention, including the guest lineup and activities, you can visit their site at www.scarefestcon.com.

The convention this year has expanded to include gaming and cosplay.  I'm sure there are some of you who are unfamiliar with gaming and cosplay.  Some of the gaming will include Magic the Gathering Card Game, Warhammer, and HeroClix.  From what I understand there will also be "regular" board games such as Monopoly.  Cosplay is short for costume play, where people can come dressed as their favorite character from a movie, comic book, or other genre.

The ScareFest Convention is governed by a board of 5 members.  They are:

• Jeff Waldridge, Co-Creator and Event Manager
• Patti Starr, owner of both ScareFest and Ghost Chasers International
• Chuck Starr, Chief Financial Officer (and Patti's husband)
• Lee and Jennifer Kirkland, Organizers

Jeff Waldridge was kind enough to answer some questions for me via email about ScareFest.  I chose to interview him via email because I realize his time is very valuable right now due to the convention being less than a month away.  I felt it would be more convenient for him to be able to answer my questions at his leisure.  I would like to extend my gratitude and appreciation to Jeff for taking the time out of his extremely busy schedule to answer my questions.

SP:  What prompted you to want to organize a convention?

JW:  Around 2006 I came up with the idea of a Horror convention of some kind in Lexington, KY, because it had not been done.  So I approached Patti about it.  We discussed it and she brought up the idea of adding Paranormal.  We realized that the two genres had never been done together so we did it. We were the first Horror and Paranormal Convention; copy cats followed but they don't have the secret recipe. :) 

SP:  Why approach Patti Starr?

JW:  I had taken Patti’s course in Lexington and had investigated with her a lot.  I really think alot of her and Chuck, almost like second parents.  I trusted them and knew if done with them it would be done right.

 

SP:  How did Lee and Jennifer Kirkland get involved?

JW:  Lee and Jennifer took Patti’s class and started volunteering.  Over the years their roles have grown within Scarefest due to their dedication.

SP:  Has there ever been a point in time where you felt so overwhelmed you wanted to throw up your hands and let someone else take over?

JW:  Every Year LOL But that’s just part of the stress.  This is my baby and although you get frustrated with your children you can't just throw it away.  We have been approached by some major folks wanting to buy it but we do not trust they will run it with the same goals in mind.

SP:  When the convention was first organized, what was the reception of a horror/paranormal combination?

JW:  People said it would not work and alot of convention insiders frowned at it.

SP:  Have you been approached by other organizers who wanted to “copy” your concept? 

JW:  Yes but they just copy it, they don't ask and they usually fail.

SP:  You are well-known for wanting ScareFest to be as fan-friendly as possible.  Why is that so important to you? 

JW:  The fans are important because number one - I am a fan and I know what they expect. I create memories people will remember forever so they need to be good ones.

SP:  ScareFest has expanded this year to include gaming and cosplay.  What has been the response to that? 

JW:  Good so far but we really won't know until the event. 

SP:  With the inclusion of gaming and cosplay, ScareFest has expanded its floor space.  Is there enough space at the Lexington Convention Center in the event you need to expand again? 

JW:  Oh yes, we can keep growing there; that’s why the venue’s perfect.

SP:  Are there other events in the works to be included in future conventions?

JW:  Always looking to expand to new things; we got to keep it fresh. 

SP:  As you are very much aware, a recent convention (which I attended) was blasted for being extremely unorganized.  Has the negativity they received impacted ScareFest in any way? 

JW:  People worry alot more about certain things like "selling out." Selling out may happen some time, but crowd management is key in making sure that does not happen. NEVER SCREW THE FANS!!!!!

SP:  The other convention also had a “crowd control” problem.  Do you have procedures in place in the event this happens at the Lexington Convention Center? 

JW:  I stress badly about it and make sure I go through every little part for crowd control. 

SP:  Have you had to rethink the way some things are handled at ScareFest as a result of the problems the other convention had? 

JW:  Not really because I pre-troubleshoot the event pretty well.

SP:  Have you considered writing a book/memoir about ScareFest?

JW:  Eventually Patti and I will and it will be a good one.

SP:  If you had a crystal ball, what would you see in the future for ScareFest? 

JW:  Bigger and better than ever!  LOL

One more tidbit.  When we were planning year one, I literally sacrificed so much to make it happen it damn near killed me.  LOL That’s why I am so protective over the event, along with Patti and Chuck.  I run a tight ship because it reflects badly on the three of us if somebody screws up.

SP:  How much emphasis, if any, do you put on volunteer training?  They always seem so knowledgeable about what's going on and are very professional acting. 

JW:  We train them probably more than any other convention out there.  I'm very firm with what they're required to do.  Like I said, what they do reflects on Patti, Chuck, and me, as well as the others who work hard.  We have a manual and rules they must follow, even a waiver saying they will keep things confidential.