The Supernatural Wardrobe Sale–What’s a wardrobe sale?!

Hey all!

Last week, one of my friends told me that Supernatural (the TV show) was having a wardrobe sale in Burnaby. So a huge thanks to her for making this blog post possible!

My first question was: What is a wardrobe sale?

My Google searches did not direct me to any useful info, but it did show me a wide variety of dressers, vintage wardrobes and other cabinets. So for those of you who are wondering, here is my description of it.

Orginally, I thought that they were auctioning off items used/worn by the main cast, so I was not sure if I wanted to go because it would probably be very expensive, and if I cannot buy anything, I will leave sad and heartbroken. Why go through the pain?

But in the end, I decided to check it out anyway since I was told that the sale was happening at one of the Supernatural studios where the show is sometimes filmed. It was not the most convenient of locations to get to, but it also was not the worst, so I did manage to drag my mom out to go with me (since I found out about this so late and would not be able to find anyone else to keep my company).

Photo 2013-05-01 1 46 24 PMPhoto 2013-05-01 1 25 20 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I got the the warehouse-like place, I was really excited because I saw huge garbage cans that read the following:

Photo 2013-05-01 12 38 03 PM

Anyway, entering the studio place, we were handed huge plastic bags. I think the best way to describe what the experience was like would be to imagine yourself in a HUGE thrift store. They had both unworn clothing items, as well as worn ones. You did not know what you are going to get because there was so many different articles of clothing. Jackets, dresses, shoes, T-shirts, tanks, pyjamas– you name it. It was also CRAZY CHEAP. The T-shirts and tanks were $5, which became 50% off at the end of the day. Same with everything else.

Photo 2013-05-01 12 39 47 PM

Photo 2013-05-01 3 12 52 PM

Photo 2013-05-01 3 15 29 PM

What I found very interesting was that you could get a jacket from some low end store for the same price as say, a Dolce and Gabbana/G-Star jacket ($15, which became $7.50 at the end of the day). They kept reducing prices towards the end of the sale, because it was a one day sale and everything had to go. Their locations manager Russ Hamilton said that the rest of the unsold clothes were all donated to charity!

I recognized some shirts that were from way back in season 4 of the show, such as some school gear from a high school an episode was set in, and a bunch of T-shirts from a call centre that one of the characters had to work at for another one. There was also some clothes that were ripped and blood stained, which really could have been from any of the Supernatural episodes. Otherwise, the rest of the clothes were pretty regular clothing, which I assume extras wore. Some of them still had tags attached to them that seemed like instructions from the costume department.

Photo 2013-05-01 1 00 59 PM

So if there is a wardrobe sale near you, I suggest you check them out! The show’s costume department probably has to get rid of clothes they had in storage, so you may find some awesome deals. My mom and I spent around $100, but got two huge garbage bags full of clothes and other assorted goods.

Oh, and if any of you know of anything else like this around Vancouver, give me a shout! This was definitely fun!

Hope you are all enjoying the sun!

– Karen

Dav Pilkey Book Signing: Revisiting My Childhood

Hey again!

My friend and I were at Chapters one time, and we saw a poster that advertised a book signing. Dav Pilkey was coming to Metrotown for a book signing!

We both decided that we would have to go because Captain Underpants was such a big part of our childhood. I remember sitting at my friends house after school and all we would do is read all his Captain Underpants books. Back then, everything was so carefree and the world seemed so much easier. And the underwear wearing captain really was a hero to us. Plus, toilet and school humour was always well appreciated.

Anyone remember the Flip-o-Ramas!? Every book should have a Flip-o-Rama. Man, those things were like magic.

At Chapters, the line up was not too bad, but there was a decent line. The Chapters staff served us salted caramel and cookies, making the line up more fun!

Giant inflated Captain Underpants in the store

Giant inflated Captain Underpants in the store

IMG_1732

From left to right: Dav, my friend’s sister, my friend, and me

My friend and I were giggling so much before we went to the little platform thing because we were getting nervous. We thanked him profusely, and what was amazing about his signing was that he did not just sign his name– he also drew you a picture too. He drew Captain Underpants for my friend David’s book (he could not make it, so he told me to get him one), and for mine, I requested Super Diaper Baby for mine because he was so cute and I have always loved him!

Our signed books :)

Our signed books 🙂

So thanks again Dav for making our childhood what it was!

-Karen

Fan Expo Vancouver 2013

This year, I decided to go to the Fan Expo in Vancouver. I am not sure if it was the wisest choice, as it was sandwiched between two final exams (I actually could not go on the first day because it was ON the day and time of one of my exams), but it was definitely fun and I am excited to see how the expo will grow in the future! Vancouver’s Fan Expo is quite new, and has a while to go before it can catch up with many of the other conventions out there, but it was very promising.

I cosplayed as Amelia Pond from Doctor Who, and my friend cosplayed as the 11th Doctor. At one point, we met several other Doctor Who cosplayers who told us that they were going to do a Doctor Who photoshoot at two o’clock, and invited us. The photos were fun, and around thirty of us showed up–all doing a bunch of silly poses.

The expo’s floor was not too big, taking up Halls B and C at the Vancouver Convention Center–if I am not mistaken, but it was packed with vendors and there was an artist alley. Celebrity guests included Stan Lee, Michael Rooker (from The Walking Dead”), Nichelle Nichols (Star Trek), Sean Astin (from Lord of the Rings), and the whole cast of Continuum. 

I really like conventions because I love looking at cosplays. I admire how you can see how much effort people put into their costumes, and when they stay in character during the whole con, it makes things that much better. At the Fan Expo, I would say around 50% of the people there were in costumes? Not a bad turnout!

Here are some  random pictures from my adventures that day!

My friend and I who cosplayed characters from Doctor Who

My friend and I who cosplayed characters from Doctor Who

Sauron! Amazing costume!

Sauron! Amazing costume!

Pics from the Doctor Who photo shoot from my camera– which explains why no one’s looking at the camera.

IMG_1704

A picture of the companions

IMG_1698

Tardis!

IMG_1697

And of course, all the doctors!

A cosplayer cosplaying a nurse from Silent Hill. She limped around the whole con the whole day. Props to her for her dedication!!

A cosplayer cosplaying a nurse from Silent Hill. She limped around the whole con the whole day. Props to her for her dedication!!

If you live in Vancouver, keep an eye out for the Fan Expo next year! You may want to check this out!

– Karen

My First Time Bar-hopping!

Hey guys!

So I went bar-hopping for the first time today! What is bar-hopping? It is synonymous with pub crawling, and basically means exactly what its name entails: visiting different bars for drinks. You will have to put up with my grainy photos with terrible lighting. To be fair, I did the best I could given I was using an iPhone camera and pubs are not usually known for having the brightest lighting.

20121231-005150.jpg

The Storm Crow Tavern

20121231-005216.jpg

The Doctor Who table!!

We decided to hit up the Commercial Drive area first, since one of my friends worked near there. The first place we went to was the Storm Crow Tavern. This was not our first time there– actually, it was our third visit this month I think. The Storm Crow is this great little pub with cheap food (all their food items are $6 from what I remember), and a great atmosphere. There are board games that anyone can just grab and play when you are enjoying your drink, and the whole pub has a nerdy/geeky-esque decor. They play Star Trek on their TV, as well as other awesome geeky favourites. Their wall decorations are also awesome! There are signed photos from several of the Doctors, Game of Throne actors/actresses, and other fancy memorabilia! The washrooms also have World of Warcraft figurines to indicate which one is for males, and which one is for females. If it is not obvious, I love this place.

20121231-005224.jpg

I had a Screwdriver here, which I enjoy. Screwdrivers are great because the orange masks the taste of the vodka so well. I like alcohol, but I hate the taste of alcohol if that makes any sense.

20121231-005235.jpg

Food at St. Augustine’s

Our drinks at St. Augustine's. I had the one with the cherry garnish-- the Tequila Sunrise.

Our drinks at St. Augustine’s. I had the one with the cherry garnish– the Tequila Sunrise.

After Storm Crow, we went to St. Augustine’s, which was just down several blocks. We also ordered food here. I knew we were probably going to go to another pub, so I went for a salad and stole a slice of my friend’s pizza. 😛 I tried the Tequila Sunrise. It was pretty, but I thought that it did not mask the taste of the tequila very well, but I still ended up downing it. St. Augustine’s had good food, but of course, was pricier than Storm Crow. However, they have a huge selection of beers here. In all, the food was good, but soon enough we were off again.

Food at the Cove

Food at the Cove

Drinks at the Cove!

Drinks at the Cove!

We picked up the car, since our driver only had one drink so far, and he had time to let it wear off. We then headed to the Cove, which also had board games. I opted for some greasy food here and had their pulled pork poutine. For drinks, I first had their Dark and Stormy– only to realize I hate ginger beer. I have never had ginger beer before, but I thought I would like it since it was basically pop. I was wrong. I gave half of it to my friend to finish, and then ordered a Bloody Caesar. That was good. I have never had a Boody Mary before, but to me, a Caesars tasted like cold soup with hot sauce. Not in a bad way.

Overall, bar-hopping was fun, but exhausting. You get pretty buzzed from the drinks, and you know how a bit of alcohol makes you feel warm, nice, and sleepy? I really felt tired of it after switching over from our first pub, but we decided to keep going. We finished off with three pubs, which is not a lot, but for a first time, I thought it was decent. It was fun to settle down in various pubs, and sip on different drinks in a new atmosphere again and again. But like I said, it does get physically tiring.

It is now New Year’s Eve! I better hurry and make some resolutions (that I will ultimately fail, but they are fun to make regardless)! Feel free to recommend some bars/pubs around the Vancouver area that you particularly liked! I LOVE places with board games, because alcohol and board games mean only one thing: hilarity! So drop down some pub names below!

Cheers!

-Karen

Disney Princess And Villains – A New Look!

Hey you guys!

I hope everyone’s Christmas/Holiday celebrations went well! I feel several pounds heavier, but it has been an enjoyable one! I was out Boxing Day shopping yesterday (and honestly, that could have been made into another blog post because there are so many comments that I have on the crazy consumerism that we see taking place on the 26th of December every year), and when I went to the Disney store, I noticed that they had beautiful Disney Villains stuff on sale! 

We all remember the evil stepmothers, the witches, and the scary old men that appear in Disney movies. In fact, they may not even have been human! Nothing comes to mind when I mention Disney’s villains? How about all the antagonists in each Disney Princess movie? Captain Hook? Scar from Lion King? Cruella Deville from 101 Dalmatians? Stromboli from Pinocchio? Hades from Hercules? The list goes on forever and you end up realizing that although you hated them for most of your childhood, they have been a big part of it as well. That is why I was delighted when I saw that Disney now has a Disney Villains branch of merchandise! 

They revamped a lot of the villains, such as giving Rapunzel’s stepmother a new dress– she now looks like an elegant lady. Ursula from the Little Mermaid also got a dress that reminisces her signature tentacles. I bought a leather notebook of Mother Gothel (Rapunzel’s stepmother) because I just could not resist! They were so pretty! And I could also justify buying a notebook…whereas walking out with one of the princess costumes? Not so much.

 Obviously, the Villain line is going to be making Disney some sweet money. The new designs and the idea of the fact that another aspect of our childhood is coming back to life will send Disney fans hurrying to get their hands on some of the merchandise. Plus, they have pretty much over exhausted the Disney Princesses, slapping their faces onto every pink item that they have. 

However, something interesting caught my eye as we were lining up to pay. I saw that not only did they make a new look for their villains, the original Disney Princesses have been revamped as well! We all remember Cinderella and her classic up-do for the ball, but she now has modern bangs falling from her bun. We also see Belle’s hairstyle getting a change, as she now has fuller looking hair that is done half up, half down. Ariel’s hair is more tame, and Aurora’s is also getting a perm or something. They have fixed her outdated front bangs, and gave them  more of a 21st century look! 

This is a lot more attractive to girls growing up in the modern day, and I guess they decided it was about time that the princesses got an updated look to match the changing times. At first, I was a bit offended that the classic princesses that I grew up with now look different, but I must say that I really like Cinderella and Aurora’s new look. I now see that they were definitely a bit behind on the times appearance wise, and hey, there is no rule saying that cartoon characters cannot change their looks! God knows how many times I have done the same trying to find my style! 

So I hope this made for an interesting read! See you guys soon!

-KarenÂ