Going Hollywood

Monday was the Premier for Wolverine. I went over to Debbie's to get ready and to help her with her hair. It took me a few tries but I am happy with the turn out. Here we are driving to the premier.
Once we got to the theater we met up with our brothers Eric and Ryan then got our wrist bands.

Here we are dressed up for the show. We didn't get there early enough to get close to the stage and see the stars arrive. But we were able to get close to the red carpet and watch as they made their way down to the theater. While waiting for the stars Debbie started taking some photos at first glance it looks like Debbie has got some crazy hair. We kept laughing about it, we took another photo this time it is Mimi's hair.

Britt & Amber

There were two short ladies in front of us so basically it was like there was no one there at all. But we could not see down the red carpet and everyone wanted to know who was coming so I jumped up on a foot high ash try and announced to everyone who was making their way down the carpet, like an announcer on a sports show, giving a play by play.

Our local celebrity Alice Cooper

Ryan Reynolds was the first star to make it down the red carpet. See how short the two blonds in front of us are. Notice Mimi's hand holding her shirt & marker in the top right corner.

These picture are from mine & Debbie's camera so that is why there are so many.

Mimi pointed out how it looks like the woman in the picture is crying, I think she is just sad to watch him walk on by.

The Director Gavin Hood (above)

Lynn Collins - The female lead Kayla Silverfox (above in yellow)

Liev Schreiber who plays Sabretooth came by and was very nice, Debbie even got him to sign my little note pad.

I announced that some football players were coming. I guess he plays for the Cardinals and that his first name if I remember after being told a few times is Steve.



While we were waiting for the stars to walk the red carpet people were asking what I could see. I told them I could see a big blonde woman, not that she was big just her hair. They then asked who she was. I hate when people ask me questions that they know I don't know the answer to.


Will i am from the Black Eyed Peas who plays John Wraith

Taylor Kitsch who plays Gambit...I love me some Gambit

Here is Hugh coming down the carpet..see how he was surrounded by people

Going down the red carpet

And he was gone...

After that I headed off to go put our cell phones and cameras in the car. They had security with metal detectors and more checking bags. When Eric and I got the tickets we went to different windows and our tickets were for different theaters. Debbie was saving me a seat when I got back, pretty soon the lights went down and the 20th Century Fox music started to play. It was kind of cool to watch a movie with out any ads or previews before.

The movie is about Wolverine from the time he discovers his mutant ability or claws as a young boy to about 15 years before the first X-Men takes place, that is just a guess on my part. All the X-Men fans will be excited to see Gambit, but don't expect him to show up until later in the movie. Ryan Reynolds does a fantastic job as Wade/Deadpool, very funny and man he is so fantastically hot. And speaking of hot I am going to warn you all Hugh Jackman is nakie for a good little chunk of the movie, man alive he is beautiful. The only other warning I will give is you might want to hang around after the credits.

Just Keeps Getting Better

Thursday I came home for lunch and happened to turn on the TV, something I never do. The news was on and I began to watch it, again something I never do. There they announced that Tempe had won an online contest to have the world premier of Wolverine to show in their home town. You can see the original announcement made by Hugh Jackman here. The news also reported that they were giving away 500 tickets to attended the premier. For those who keep up on my blog you might remember that I mentioned Wolverine as one of the movies I was looking forward to on my blog here. I also mentioned seeing Hugh Jackman and a clip from Wolverine in my post about Comic Con. After I received the news I got rather excited and had to call Mimi I started walk around my living room in circles trying to remember what I was looking for, oh yeah my cell phone.

Friday morning I went into work for a few hours then met up with my little brother Eric and together we headed down to Tempe Marketplace. We got there at 11 am, I went in and talked to a manager who told me they would not be letting lines form until 9pm and that they would have lots of security. He also would not tell me where they were going to have the line. But if we wanted to walk around the shops and stuff that would be fine, but to come back at nine. Like we were going to leave, come on. First Eric and I got lunch and sat by a table close to the theater so we could keep our eye on it. Next we moved over closer to the fire and waterfall from there I saw where I wanted to be. The Coffee Bean which is right next to the theater had a table right there close to the theater. It was perfect we could sit at a coffee shop all day and no one could say a thing to us. Once the people at the table got up to leave we slid in and began our very long wait. While waiting we thought we heard a manager telling the news cameras that the ally way about 5 paces from us is where the line would be. Thankfully my friend Kristen came by to visit with her son Ethan after having dinner with her husband Cory who works close by. We talked and talked like we always do when we get together and it made the time go by so much faster. Cory also told us that was where they always did their lines for their local premiers. When Kristen was leaving Brittney and Amber showed up, it was perfect they sat at the table with us and ate their dinner. Soon the crowd kept getting bigger and bigger, they kept pushing everyone back a few feet back from where we sat. I knew we were sitting pretty to be one of the first in line. The crowd kept creeping forward and a few snuck behind us. I saw the cops and security moving to the doors and I told Eric now he got up and moved for the door I grabbed my bag, Brittney grabbed onto me with crowd hard on our heals. We got in and boom people were shoving and screaming I thought Amber must be close behind us but as I watched people pushing through I could not see her. Soon we saw her and grabbed her, it was a little scary but she wasn't hurt. She did tell me that she left her purse I had to wait for the crowd to go down a little and I had to convince the security to let me out of line and back in but I got her purse and the chairs and blankets that got left in the mad dash. They started the lines early because the crowd was getting to out of control. Mimi and her mom had not gotten to us in time but thankfully they were able to move up the line and stand next to us. Did I mention we were number 10 in line? We were all so compact in the small space, it was a few hours before they were able to move the line up closer to the theater. Where we were able to set up our chairs and blankets. You can see our set up from this picture I stole from this site.

The first two women we adopted into our party, they became fast friends with Mimi's mom. Next to them you can see Eric talking on his cell phone. On the ground you can see my blanket set up for sleeping and just down from that you can see Amber & Britt laying down on their blankets. I think Mimi & I were out at her car getting some stuff and my cardboard cut out of James Dean. I had loaned James Dean to Mimi for a school project and she decided she would return him tonight and that he could watch over us while we slept.
Here is Amber enjoying James.

Of course there were news cameras and reports filming and every time we would look away and try to avoid getting in their shots. Little did Mimi know the attention James would bring, and some how she was gone when the reporter from The Arizona Republic showed up and must have taken like 50 shots of me, James and Eric. She took our names but I have no clue if she will or did use the pictures. It was so very awkward, I even decided just to try and sleep through it but the flash did not make that easy.

I was so glad we got to spread out and were not stuck in the walk way between the two buildings. Eric said he felt like we were VIP but also like we were in a fish bowl. Because everyone who walked out of the theater would stare at us and don't ask me why with 9 people in front of us and hundreds behind us everyone stopped and asked us why were camping out. And by us I mean mostly me, Mimi even gave me the portable DVD player so people would stop bugging me. But no that did not stop them some still bugged me with my headphones and all. During the night we took turns laying down or sitting in the chairs but we all slept doing both. I has such a great time, I am so glad it all worked out and I am super excited for Monday!!! If I had not had such little sleep in the last 72 hours I am sure my excitement would have me jumping through the roof!!! I am going to go ahead and post this massive post event though there are still some funny stories to tell, I am just to tired to type anymore.

Here I am after 22 hours of either sitting in the sun or trying to sleep under the stars...

BOOM BABY!!! - totally worth it

Looks Like A Beautiful Day

Saturday Mimi & I were talking about how cute Debbie was and I said "I don't know how I got so lucky to have Debbie as my sister." And many times after Mimi does something awesome for me I think "everyone needs a Mimi". Without Mimi & Debbie this stuff you are about to read would not have happened.

Saturday was also the Project Book Babe benefit event that Mimi, Debbie & I volunteered at. We started off the day by having lunch with our friend Tamir and then heading over to the event. Where I sold raffle tickets, Mimi signed people in and Debbie got to hang out with Shannon Hale, as her helper. Once Mimi & I got everyone signed in and the raffle tickets sold we went backstage with Debbie to help out with passing out the raffle items. When backstage Debbie had Shannon's camera and was snapping shots for her. One of my favorite moments was when all the authors were off stage in a huddle Debbie was getting photos and got down trying to get a shot and Shannon said "Debbie just lay down and get the shot" so Debbie laid down in the middle of all these authors and took pictures of them. Edit here is the picture off Shannon Hales blog.I was sad I didn't have my camera at that time to take the picture of Debbie. During the raffle Mimi & I got to be out on stage with all the authors helping with checking the winning tickets and stuff. Then they had the live auction which was just insane!!! They had us stand in front and make sure we did not miss any of the bidders.
Items Auctioned:
Stephenie Meyer's Eclipse prom dress: $5500

Advanced Readers Copy of Twilight: $1500

Epilogue to Forever Dawn: $ 5100

Eclipse Draft: $2600

The Host Draft: $1100

Lunch with Stephenie Meyer: $6500 each - The actually had a draw so two winners each paid this.

The Host Skateboard: $ 1500 - The Host Skateboard was designed by Hobo Skate Company whose co-founder is my friends husband, they are both awesome...I am super excited for them!!!

After the auction they had a special reception for those who bought the 300 dollar tickets. Where they got books from all the authors and then went around and got to get them personally signed. We helped out by writing people's names down so they didn't have to keep spelling out their names. Edit See Debbie and I tearing paper to write down names on. Brandon Mull & Shannon Hale...picture from Project Book Babe flickrOnce things started dying down I went out to my car and got my camera & my Shannon Hale books. While getting my books signed I got to talk to Shannon and man she is so super nice and funny. I also got to talk to another of my favorite authors Janette Rallison, I had already got her to sign my books at one of her signings. Man I know how to pick authors because seriously both Janette & Shannon are SO NICE and funny. Debbie decided that we needed to get a picture with Shannon, Janette and Stephenie. Thankfully it is much easier to have Shannon ask Stephenie to take a picture with us. We helped clean up and load some boxes before leaving. While walking out to the car I saw one of the bands that performed Adam Watts Band and realized I never got one of the signed CD's they were giving away so I had Debbie go ask if they had anymore. He did but he wanted to know if I wanted it signed. When they asked I paused because I didn't want to make them sign it but then realized if I said no would be rude and my pause was rude, so with much as enthusiasm as I could muster I say something like yeah that would be great. But since I don't have much practice at being fake you could totally hear how fake my enthusiasm was. But Adam just laughed and said you can't say no you will hurt my feelings. Well we were all laughing but I did get them to sign it and they were all again very nice and had us all (all being Mimi, Debbie, Tamir & I) laughing. So I got to meet musicians, authors, and help raise money for breast cancer, it was my kind of day!
All the authors from the panel, Shannon making everyone laugh as usual.

Mimi took this picture with out saying one two three or anything...Is it just me or is Stephenie looking at Debbie and smiling.. I love this picture even if I am sticking my booty out so Shannon could put her arm around me.

Here is the one with the one two three and a little less booty.



Here are my books Shannon signed can you read what she wrote? I LOVE THEM!!!
For Austenland she wrote Mr. Darcy thinks you are Hot!!! (how did she know)

Oh and we came home and found out that Debbie had been on the news...Check it out here...In the video Debbie is sitting next to the book babe, in the front row taking pictures for Shannon.

And if you did not see Shannon Hales blog you need to go here and see. The first picture of Debbie and I am Debbie's cute sister Connie. - seriously so nice.