If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll notice that a large majority of my photos feature me standing in front of the mirror in the women’s restroom at Planet Fitness, taking workout selfies. I’m proud of my abs and I like to show off my progress.  

I’m not the most qualified person to give health tips by a long shot, but I am in shape and have certain habits that contribute to my health I’d like to share. Also, my workout selfies are my most liked photos on Instagram and that might (does) give me a false sense of confidence, but that’s okay. All in all, I’m very passionate about my health, plus I was a competitive swimmer for 11 years, so I know what it takes to be fit.
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This article is not about counting calories or macros (whatever those are, I honestly don’t know), it’s about laying a foundation that allows your body to become healthier.
Here are six health tips from someone obsessed with workout selfies:
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1. Shove greens in your face
It’s important to treat yo’ self. So important. Life is hard and challenging and you shouldn’t have to stress over one of the most basic, intrinsic things we do to survive— eat.
But life’s not fair, and most things delicious in this world are hella bad for us so we have to filter what we eat.
One thing I crave like crazy at night when I’m watching late night talk shows (Culbert and Noah are the best) is potato chips. It’s not bad to have cravings, but it's bad to always indulge them. This is why every time you get a craving for something you’ll regret eating later, balance that out with something healthy.
What I do:
Do I have amazing self control? Haha no. Sweets are my weakness. However, I am great at balancing my diet. When I know I’m about to hunker down and destroy a half bag of Lay's original potato chips, I open the fridge and grab the bag of spinach or arugula that I hope hasn’t expired. (Greens go bad way too fast). If they’re good, or even on the fence of going bad, I shove a handful in my mouth and eat it. I’ll probably eat about two to four handfuls, depending on the day. Then, I eat some delicious chips, but not nearly the amount I would have before.  
By doing this, I’m balancing out the snack I’m about to have with something healthy. I usually don’t cut out unhealthy foods entirely, because nobody's perfect. But I never let myself eat only junk food.

2. Care more about delayed gratification than instant gratification
Stop pressuring food to make you happy. Food is essential to life, obviously. No one is refuting that. However, not all food is essential and that mindset is crucial.
Stop glorifying binge eating junk food. Stop glorifying going so many days without eating a vegetable.
That awesome feeling you get when you eat something really delicious is temporary— how food affects your body is not. Care more about the after effect rather than instant gratification.
If you want to change your body, you have to change your mindset. Instead of thinking about how good bread is, or how amazingly satisfying potato chips are after a long day, or how double chocolate cake tastes paired with red wine and a little ice cream with a heated up drizzle of-sorry, sorry, I’ll stop. Stop those thoughts right now. Tell yourself “not today, Satan” and eat a carrot.  
Also, food isn’t healthy because it contains a fruit or veggie in its name. Veggie chips? Full of sodium. Bad. Dried fruit? Most are full of added sugars. Look out for that. Fruit juices? Most have a crazy amount of sugar.  
Sugar is the enemy. Sure, you can fraternize with it every once in awhile, when it’s in plain fruit, but don’t think for one second that foods like Greek yogurt with fruit on the bottom or all granola bars are healthy. They have so much sugar and that’s honestly what’s stopping me from getting a six pack of abs.
Sidenote: screw fitness blogs on Instagram. They’re stupid. Kind of. In a way. By stupid, I mean they use sneaky tricks to get you follow them. When I post a workout selfie, I’ll get maybe 10 comments, usually short ones with a thumbs up or a “nice!.” I’ll also get about 10 new followers, but those aren’t the people that commented on the photo.
Then a day goes by.
I’ll lose eight of those followers within 14 hours. They follow you just so you notice them, go “oh wow, thanks for the follow,” then you look at their page, decide they’re cool, and then follow them back because you’re nice like that and you’re in a good mood because all these cool fitness blogs are following you now. Then a few hours go by and they just up and unfollow you and break this new friendship you created and it just hurts. Those sneaky, cheap bastards. But damn do they have nice abs.
Anyway, back to it.
What I do:
I tell myself to think of food as a means to stay alive and get energy. I don’t always think this way, especially when I’m eating chocolate at my desk, but it does influence what I choose to get at restaurants. or decide to make for meals. I rarely order pasta, and I always try to get some kind of green on my plate.
If you’re craving something sweet, make or order a smoothie without added sugar.
I like to buy snacks for my desk and eat them throughout the day, and one of my favorites is granola bars. My rule with this particular snack is the protein content has to be at least 2 grams higher than the sugar content, and the sugar content cannot be above 7 grams per serving. Gotta’ get that protein but not the sugar.
 
3. Drink so much water
For the love of God, stop drinking pop. Just stop. Nothing in pop is good for you. At all. It’s such a waste of stomach space. Also, watch out for fruit juices because many contain a lot of sugar. Remember my tip of not believing that something is healthy just because it contains the word “fruit” in it.
Carry a water bottle with you everywhere — to work, the doctor’s office, into stores, into the bathroom, to the gravesite when you’re burying bodies, literally everywhere and chug it. If you don’t like the taste of water, get over it, sweetie, because it’s what’s keeping you alive and you should worship it everyday.
Try to finish at least two water bottles a day. You’ll pee a lot more, but it will increase your metabolism and that’s great.
What I do:
I drink tea like it’s my lifeline until about noon, when my tea bag has lost its potency. Then I drink water throughout the day. When I get home, I chug a glass of water and then carry around water. When I first wake up, I chug some water. Before I go to bed, I chug water. After I post a workout selfie and I’m anxiously waiting to see how many likes I get because I’m pathetic and crave other people's approval, I chug water. It’s a constant thing. So are bathroom trips, but that’s fine.
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4. Get off your bum
All of the above will help you lose weight and be healthy but adding physical activity is so crucial. If you’re a weirdo and hate the gym, there are so many other things you can do.
Number one: go to the gym anyway. You’re not there because it’s a nice environment, you’re there because it’s good for you and physical activity is necessary for your health. Gyms also have people who can show you how to use machines. If you’re too shy to ask how machines work, just watch how others use them and then copy.
If you’re worried about what people think, don’t be. Most regular gym goers, like myself, either A are happy to see bigger people there because it means they’re trying to be healthy, or B literally don’t care. There are a few assholes, sure, but you should really feel bad for those ones because they’re the kind of people who say crap like “fat people are so unhealthy and make us all pay more for insurance” while simultaneously fat shaming people who go to the gym. Their pecs may be huge, but their brains are not. Don’t let your fears keep you from doing what’s right for you. Screw what anyone at the gym thinks.
Number two: go for walk.
Number three: go to the gym with a friend.
Number four: go swimming in your local pool.
Number five: go to the gym and reward yourself after with a new purse or a new soldering iron. Whatever flexes your pecs.
Number six: home workouts are excellent and you can easily use YouTube to find some fantastic workouts. I highly recommend this option.
Number seven: download fun walking/running apps. You can get so many fun workout apps, like ones where you run away from zombies, that will motivate you to get off your bum.
Number eight: physically run away from your problems. Seriously. Just think of all of your issues and everything that’s stressing you, and then just run. If it helps, imagine they’re chasing you. Points if you freak out your neighbors by screaming while you run.
What I do:
I steal workout moves from people at the gym all the time. I’m at Planet Fitness three times a week for about an hour to an hour and a half. My workouts consist of about 25 minutes of cardio (I freaking love cardio, it’s my favorite), then I do some lifting, ab workouts, and then I stretch. It’s really basic stuff. I actually need to up my game and change my routine.

5. Identify other stressors in your life
It’s almost impossible to take care of your physical health if you aren’t taking care of your mental health. I feel like this topic could be a whole separate blog post, because it’s so important. If you have depression, you’re obviously less likely to have the motivation to get outside in the first place. If you have anxiety, you’re more likely to eat what makes you feel good in the moment and then have even more anxiety after.
Don’t underestimate the weight of mental illness and how it affects other aspects of your life.
What I do:
What I do will not be helpful for people suffering from mental illness. When I’m stressed, I run. I love pounding out miles on the treadmill, but that’s not helpful for everyone. If you’re suffering from mental illness, I recommend taking care of your mind first, because if you have a healthy mind, it’s easier to have a healthy body.

6. Stop searching for a miracle
If you’re searching for some miraculous weight loss supplement or plan or drink or vitamin or a free liposuction surgery or anything that causes you to lose weight without changing your daily routine, stop it. Even if something like that did exist, you probably couldn’t afford it anyway.
You know what you can afford? Buying bell peppers instead of chips. Buying a $10 Planet Fitness membership instead of all those Starbucks drinks. Going for a walk instead of binge watching Game of Thrones for the third time (even though I really don't blame you, the next season comes out six days before my birthday, I'm freaking out on the inside).
Here’s the best kept secret about being healthy that weight loss and diet supplement companies don’t want you to know about— there is no miraculous way to lose weight besides putting the work in yourself. You can’t expect your body to change unless you change how you treat it.
What I do:
I trust myself to do the best I can do, and then I try to do better. I believe that there are too many people in this world who want something they aren’t willing to work for. Don’t be one of those people. It should go without saying, but your health is incredibly important and it’s something you should try to improve daily (speaking to the skinny people here, too).
I use the above tips every day and it’s made a difference in my body. (I also learned how to pose so my abs look better, a very helpful tool. Use the Slumber filter on Instagram to make your muscles look better, trust me). ​

I’d love to end this article with a joke or an anecdote about my ab pictures, because good bloggers try to bring their articles full circle, but I can’t think of anything so I’m just going to end with a cute after-workout photo of me with one of my dogs, Kaycee. ​

This death sparked more national outrage and coverage of the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

Many people, like myself, support this movement. Many people do not. Just think how differently this movement would’ve been received if it was called #BlackLivesMatterToo. I can’t coin that term. A friend’s little brother said it and I loved it. Thanks, Collin. The term is not exclusionary, it’s not aggressive, it’s just a gentle reminder that hey, black people exist in this world and they also matter.

But this movement is more than that.

To me, as a white young person, #BlackLivesMatter was never threatening nor did it feel exclusionary. The people who reject BLM and exclaim #AlllivesMatter seem to think they need to be included in everything.

Here’s a PSA — you aren’t meant to be.

Here’s another PSA — stop trying to compare #BlueLivesMatter to #BlackLivesMatter.
It’s not possible.

Someone chooses to be a cop, and therefore chooses to put their life in danger every day, enacts their authoritarian powers, and acquiesces to constant public scrutiny — yet, you can’t choose to be black.

Therein lies all the difference.

No one, in their right mind, is saying all lives don’t matter. No one, who you should listen to, is saying cop lives don’t matter.

The broken system

People seem to be rejecting the BLM movement without knowing the facts, so here they are.

Police are 3.6 times more likely to get violent in altercations with African Americans than whites. (The New York Times.)

African Americans are more likely than whites to be arrested, convicted, and incarcerated for committing the same crime, despite the fact that more white people are arrested every year. (The Huffington Post).

Police officers in Chicago, Illinois, North Carolina, New York, and Ferguson, Missouri are at least twice as likely to stop and search an African American’s car compared to whites, and yet in every city, whites are more likely to have contraband than African Americans. (Vanity Fair)
This is a common theme found nationwide.

Whites are more likely to be found with illegal drugs than African Americans or Latinos. (The Huffington Post.)

According to The Washington Post, “Black Americans are 2.5 times as likely as white Americans to be shot and killed by police officers...unarmed black Americans were five times as likely as unarmed white Americans to be shot and killed by a police officer.”

If only 14 percent of the population is African American (US Census Bureau), how is approximately 50 percent of crime committed by African Americans?

How is it that, statistically, white people are more likely than African Americans to carry illegal substances yet much less likely to be serve time for those crimes?

You’re not born with it and it’s not Maybelline. People aren’t born with a predisposition to commit crimes, yet in our current society the color of their skin is an indicator if they’ll be convicted for it or not.

The BLM movements works to combat this. 

BLM proponents are protesting a system that’s literally set up for African Americans to fail.

The US Department of Justice launched an investigation into the Baltimore Police Department, where a lot of riots are taking place after an unarmed, African American man, Freddie Grey, died from spinal cord injuries sustained while in the back of a police car.

This report just came out on Wednesday, Aug. 10, proving all of the above statistics.
They found — wait for it — a broken system. (They literally called it “broken.”)

According to USAToday, “The report said the police department makes unconstitutional searches and arrests, uses excessive force, uses ‘enforcement strategies that produce severe and unjustified disparities in the rates of stops, searches and arrests of African Americans,’ and retaliates against people practicing freedom of expression, which is protected by the Constitution.”

The BPD even conducted public strip searches on African Americans, which is extremely not allowed. Baltimore police have literally violated the constitutional rights of African Americans. The report proves it.

To my fellow white people — have some empathy and think about how you would feel if your race was being systematically targeted by police. You don’t get to choose which facts are real. This injustice is real even if you choose to ignore it.

But, Hannah, if they just complied with police, there wouldn’t be a problem, right? Hopefully yes, but in many instances no. Philando Castile was cooperating. Alton Sterling was unarmed,  on the ground, and subdued when police shot him point blank multiple times and killed him.  

But, Hannah, if they commit a crime, they should be in jail. Absolutely. But did you miss the point about how African Americans are targeted by police? If police look hard enough for a crime, they’re going to find one or find a reason to arrest someone if they really want to.

Also, but this logic, many more white people should be arrested, convicted and jailed, but they’re not.  

The police

Recently, there’s been so much backlash about police mistreating African Americans from the heightened media coverage, even though this is something that’s been happening since the beginning of the US.

What changed in recent years?
Technology.

Many police use body cameras, or people will record their interaction or a friend’s interaction with law enforcement, which is the best way to hold police, and people being arrested, accountable.

The world can now see how racism is ingrained into a system that’s sworn to protect everyone.

Don’t forget — it’s wrong to blame all police for the mistakes of a few. Police are human, and they screw up from time to time.

Every time they put on their badge, every time they respond to a call, every time they approach someone threatening in the street, they’re putting their lives in danger for the good of everyone else.

They’re a crucial part of our society.   

However, they need to be held accountable for their mistakes and prejudices, especially because of the power they hold. They’re held to a higher standard because they possess the power to take away someone else’s freedom.

Not all police are good police, just like not all journalists are good journalists. I understand that police are scared because of high racial tensions right now. If I was a cop, I’d be scared (I’m also 5’2” and 112 Ibs.)

But if police can’t control that fear and they end up hurting, or even killing, an innocent civilian they are sworn to protect, they should not be an officer of the law. 

The riots

BLM opponents are saying they don’t understand why black people are so angry. Look at the above statistics — of course people are angry and rioting in the street.  

I don’t like the riots. I think they’re unnecessarily destructive, and, if Baltimore is any case, the perfect example of how to make things worse. Police there are under so much scrutiny for who they talk to, they’ve stopped approaching people on the street and murder rates have “soared.”

It angers me when I see BLM protesters shut down, yell at, and push journalists who are trying to cover the event and interview a few of the attendees to help their voices be heard.

What really angers me is when police are murdered because of this, like in Baton Rouge. It’s not justice. It’s not right. It’s senseless killing that’s making the world go blind.

However, keep in mind that all this violence is a reaction to a broken system that’s been failing these people their entire lives. African Americans are most likely not going to trust the system. How can they complain about the system to the system that’s failed them their whole lives, and expect change within that system?

They can’t. So some (not all, some) resort to one of the easiest methods of garnering attention and having their voices and actions heard — violence.

It’s not all violent, though. Mainstream media is the worst source for unbiased, and well-rounded information because the medium of television news media isn’t suited for that type of coverage when it comes to social issues. Meaning, TV media can’t go as in-depth as online articles.

I love hearing stories about BLM protests turning into a dance session and a Q&A with law enforcement.

I love watching videos from police officers, like Nakia Jones, who made a heart wrenching Facebook video after Baton Rouge officers were shot and killed.

The fix?

Remember, white people, that sharing videos of white cops being nice to black people isn’t necessarily helping black people — it’s helping police.

The only thing that will help black people is unbiased and non-racist law enforcement agencies worldwide. But we’re a long way from that, so the riots will probably continue.  

I can’t control what African Americans do. I can’t tell them, and neither can you, how to fight back against being oppressed, and in no way should we be able to. I can’t tell them how to react to this injustice, and expect them to listen. They have no reason to listen to a small white girl who’s never had to, and never will, face any of these types of problems they’ve had their entire lives.

I’m fortunate enough to not have to worry about my safety every time I encounter police, which would really be bad because I’m a journalist and talk to police on a regular basis. I get to live in my small, almost all-white town and not see this stuff on my streets.

My opinion literally does not matter on this subject, and I’m perfectly fine with that.  

They shouldn't listen to me. They shouldn’t listen to you. They should do what feels right, except that they should base those feelings on what will produce the most effective and positive outcomes that inspires social change.

I really want to say the riots won’t accomplish that, but I don’t know the future. I don’t have an alternative method for change, no matter how much I want to help.

I would love to see more conversations between BLM people and police. I would love to hear about more communication and change between two groups who are seemingly at war, yet history has told us that social movements don’t always procure change without riots, without picketing, or without violence.

I still don’t like the riots, and I’m not condoning them, but I see the reasons for them.

The concerns

Here are my concerns: 

What worries me is thinking about my male black friends being targeted and shot by police.

What worries me is people’s willful ignorance and refusal to admit that racism still exists.

What worries me is that people let their emotions rule them instead of making judgments based on facts.

What worries me is BLM proponents’ easily accept #BlueLivesMatter while reject BLM because it excludes people.

I mean, what?

So suddenly people are shouting that #BlueLivesMatter, even though they obviously don’t think other professions don’t matter, it’s just that police are under fire right now (literally) and they need extra attention.

To the wet blankets who are saying #BlueLivesMatter, that’s the same exact argument BLM people have been saying for years.

No one is saying white lives don’t matter. No one is saying Hispanic lives don’t matter. We’re saying that black lives have been under fire lately (literally) and they need extra attention.

Obviously, you can comprehend that idea.

The #AllLivesMatter

What worries me is #AllLivesMatter.

Many of my white friends don’t see the problem with #AllLivesMatter. Of course everyone’s lives matters, so why are we only focusing on black people? Isn’t that racist?

Hell no it’s not.

Frist of all, you can’t be racist toward white people. Racism is based on a system of oppression. There are no systems that oppress white people in America. You can be prejudice and discriminatory as hell against white people, but by definition, you cannot be racist toward them.
Look it up.

But the main reason it’s not #AllLivesMatter is the same reason it wasn’t called Human Suffrage, and the same reason it’s not called Straight Rights. Men could already vote prior to the 1920s. Women couldn’t. Men didn’t need help. Women did.

In certain states, you can still be legally fired and lose your housing because you’re gay.
Heterosexuals don’t have to worry about that. Homosexuals still do, which is why it’s called Gay Rights.  

There are literally so many examples and great metaphors of why it’s #BlackLivesMatter and not #AllLivesMatter. If you’re confused about this, please Google it.

White people do not face systemic injustice because they’re white. We don’t need to be told our lives matter — that’s never been questioned.   

African Americans need help, as evidenced by the above statistics, numerous sources, and the freaking US Department of Justice.

#AllLivesMatter just ignores the problems certain demographics face, and puts a bandaid over a cut instead of treating the disease (racism).

The call to action

The one GOP African American Senator, Tim Scott, of South Carolina, who’s also only one of two African American Senators in the US, gave a speech about how he was stopped seven times entering his place of work as a US Senator in one year by police. Yes, you read that right. A US Senator was stopped by police seven times where he works, just because he’s black.

“Recognize that just because you do not feel the pain, the anguish of another, does not mean it does not exist,” he said.

To my white friends who don’t believe in BLM, you can’t say you wouldn't riot in the streets if it was your family being targeted by police, if it was your son who had been shot for no reason, if you were scared for your life every time you were pulled over for something trivial.

You haven’t lived their life. You don’t know.  

Still don’t believe African Americans are targeted by police? Still don’t believe racism exists? Look at the report from the DOJ. Now look at it again. The proof is glaring at you in the face, and it’s now your responsibility to challenge your ingrained belief that racism isn’t an issue anymore. It is.

Remember, these African Americans who have been unlawfully shot and killed by police are your people, no matter skin color.  

These are your fellow Americans, and this entire system is literally set up for them to fail. No matter how the BLM movement is handling it, no matter how many riots you see on the news, African Americans are still facing this injustice everyday.

Until the system helps instead of hurts them, I suspect the riots will continue.

If you didn’t know the above statistics about the systemic injustice before reading this, I’m sorry you heard it from me first and not an unbiased source. I understand thinking #AllLivesMatter if you didn’t know the facts.

But now you do. So do something about it. I’m not saying you should go march in the streets, or start hating cops. I’m saying stop lying to yourself and face the truth.

If you truly believe that all lives matter, all of this should anger you anyway. It should make your stomach churn to challenge your ingrained, childhood beliefs, it should give you anxiety to think that it’s 2016 and people in this country are still being killed because of the color of their skin.

Ultimately, it should piss you off.

If it doesn’t, I think the hashtag you’re actually looking for is #WhiteLivesMatter. ​

What was advertised as a professional cosplay panel quickly turned into a Meg Turney Q&A after none of the other scheduled cosplayers showed up.

Meg is known for her online hosting at Source Fed, YouTube and on Rooster Teeth. She's a cosplayer who's made 30-plus costumes,  a journalist and host for The Know, a popular video game news channel on YouTube. She voices Neon in Rooster Teeth's popular anime "RWBY," and makes fantastic vidoes on YouTube. Her "Ask Megs" are always a delight.  

​The online host/cosplayer/Rooster Teeth employee sat on stage, waiting and maybe getting anxious, but not showing it.

She admitted she worked 20-plus days in a row, and that she was tired. But Meg handled the situation with complete grace and simply answered questions from the audience for around 40 minutes.

​
After all, the panel must go on. Here’s what happened.​

June 18 came faster than I thought it would, yet not fast enough. It was the first day of Indy Popcon, a con I had never attended before, and Nichelle and I drove down to Indianapolis for the weekend. In the car on the way to the hall dressed at Batgirl, my stomach was doing that fun thing where it feels like I either ate something awful, or I was starving. I knew I wasn't starving, as evidenced by the half-empty bag of chocolate animal crackers resting in the car by my hip, but I decided to eat more just for good measure.

​Conventions always made me nervous for some reason. For this con, I knew why.

I had just premiered my new Batgirl cosplay at Motor City Comic Con about a month earlier in Novi. Everything went great (besides the belt). My cape flowed in the nonexistent wind of the stuffy convention hall, I didn't trip in my heels, and I took so many pictures with people.

​So many. Here's one. 

I was Batgirl on Friday and Daenerys Targaryen on Saturday, which was my very first cosplay. The outfit, and the Mother of Dragons, will always have a special place in my heart. I bought a new lace front wig for the Dragon Queen, which was a fantastic investment. At least 10 people asked me if it was my real hair (I wish, buddy).

​It was a serious upgrade from my previous Daenerys wig.

 But this con, Indy Popcon 2016, was extra special because  I was meeting my cosplay idols - Meg Turney and Knightmage- as a cosplayer.

​(Also, was does it mean to be a cosplayer? I hesitate to call myself such until I finish a huge armor build I plan on making for Grand Rapids Comic Con in October. What do you guys think?)

​I had first met Knightmage at last year's Grand Rapids Comic Con when I was dressed as  Supergirl. This cosplay really needed work because it was the first outfit I made by myself, and I'm not very experienced with sewing. He was very nice and said he liked it, even though it wasn't the best.

​But this time I stood in front of him, 95 percent proud of all of my cosplays. (There's always something you want to change last minute, amirite?) I showed him my new and improved Batgirl with straightened hair and a new belt on Friday, and my cosplay of the orange Tamaranian Princess Koriand'r herself (her solo series outfit) on Saturday. 

On Sunday night, I tweeted him to thank him for taking a picture and talking with me and he FREAKING RESPONDED.
​

HE SAID I LOOKED PHENOMENAL. AKSHDAKSD

Do you see why I think he's so great? No? Well, here, let me break it down for you.

​Knightmage is extremely active on social media as a professional cosplayer and great human being. He partners with so many different charities to raise money. At his booth, he was giving away prints and only asked for a donation for a charity instead. I forget which charity is was. I don't have the "Great Human Being and Cosplayer" status he does.

​He can also make a whole new cosplay in about three to four days. When I asked him about it at the con, he said "I just work fast." I am forever impressed with him.

​He's not the most high-profile cosplayer (yet), but he makes quality costumes and I was so flattered that he liked my cosplays and said I looked, and I quote, phenomenal.

You should follow him on Twitter and like him on Facebook: @Knightmage

​Then I met Meg Turney, which, oh my god, still seems so crazy. She gave me a hug and I tried not to get orange on her. 

This women isn't only one of my biggest cosplay idols, she's one of my biggest life idols. As a young early-20s-year-old with dreams of hosting, she first started working at Deviant Art after she graduated college and then landed a job at SourceFed. She got herself a nice internet following by being on SF and creating her own YouTube channel. Then she started working at Rooster Teeth, covering video game news and being a host. Chelle introduced me to RT and I learned of Meg.

​She might be just another pretty face online to many people, but she represents accomplishment to me. She knew what she wanted to do and she did it. She's an amazing journalist, something I especially admire as a fellow journalist, and she's very apt at dealing with rude people online. She's been a huge cosplay inspiration for me ever since. 

But most importantly, journalists for the win. High five, Meg.

​Nichelle and I mainly came to meet Meg. We've both wanted to meet her for so long, and this was the best opportunity. She was the only one who showed up to the professional cosplaying panel, and it turned into Meg Q&A session. She pulled the entire thing off with grace. I'm transcribing her panel so I should have it on my blog by the end of the week. 

She even saved a print for me!! I always wait until the end of the con to buy things so I don't have to carry them around. This print looks a thousand times better than the picture of it, I swear.

Also, she's my height! We're both 5 feet, two inches tall. Short journalists for the win.

​Heart you, Meg.

My cosplays turned out amazing!

​Batgirl was so much better with straight hair and a better belt that didn't need adjusting every 12 seconds.

​My Starfire cosplay was a hit. I took so many pictures with so many nice people, and a few creepy ones, and I took a bunch of selfies.

My Starfire cosplay needs some serious cleaning, though. The orange body powder I used rubbed off a bit on the costume and I don't want it to stain.

Thankfully, it came off easy in the shower. I've heard horror stories of cosplayers acciddently dyeing their skin and the color not coming off for days. However, the powder did turn to red on my face by the end of the day. I think it reacts to sweat because it happened to my hands, too. 

My belly button was orange for a few days after, though, 

​My feet were killing my after Friday and Saturday, which I expected. High heels make your legs look great, but at what price?? I have blisters. Most are actually from my Daenerys cosplay. I will have band aids on my heels for a week. Worth it. 

A huge thank you and I love you to best friend and best cosplayer handler Chelle!

She seriously saved my butt so many times, and made the entire weekend 1000 times better. She's the real MVP. She held my bag when people wanted pictures, took absolutely  amazing pictures of me and other cosplayers, and even put orange powder on my butt. Thanks, Chelle. You're the best. I'd gladly powder your butt if you wanted to cosplay as an orange Tamaranian princess.

The con was a really fun time. The floor organization was definitely lacking, though. There wasn't an artist alley and the merchandise vendors were all over the place. Maybe we're just used to Motor City Comic Con where they have many more attendees and vendors, and plan the floor extremely well.

I took a bunch of videos throughout the weekend so expect a new con vlog on my channel soon. You'll definitely want to see us chase a Bucky through the convention hall. Did he catch up with him?? Did Chelle get to hold his awesome gun?? The world may never know. (Yes and yes).

​I'm not exactly sure when our next con will be, but we're aiming for around August/September!

​Thanks for reading!