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Why I Dance For Star Wars

Posted May 6th, 2013 by Jeni & filed under Blog.

Let it be known—I’m not a dancer. At least not a professional one. But I never let that stop me from dancing around Los Angeles! So when this year’s Star Wars Day approached, I knew I had to take another shot at dancing in honor of The Wars. I danced in Union Station for last year’s Star Wars Day and it was a little crazy but a lot of fun. A couple months ago, I came across an amazing remix of John Williams’ “Binary Sunset” by a group called Coyote Kisses. Their “Binary Suns” is an incredible song and after listening to it nonstop, I knew that this was the track I had to dance to.

For this year’s Star Wars Day dance video, I danced to the entire song backwards. Then in the editing process I reversed the footage to give it a more stylized (and kinda creepy) effect. The challenge was trying to choreograph an entire routine backwards to a backward version of the song. It was practically impossible to hear the beat! (Not to mention, I can barely choreograph a routine forward!) Ideally I wanted my dancing to be rhythmically in sync when the music played forward in the final version. I spent 5 hours trying to put together some sort of routine but…Laurieann Gibson I am not.

On May 2^nd, my cameraman BF and I headed to Venice Beach around 5pm to start filming. Despite all my planning, I ended up forgetting most of my dance routine and just went with how the music made me feel. I figured that what I lacked in skill, I’d make up for it with heart! Because that’s all this video is about—my passion for Star Wars. It’s strange but there’s something cathartic about going to a public place and unabashedly showing who you are and what you’re passionate about. And it’s always especially interesting to see how passersby will react to my spastic dancing. Venice Beach is known for it’s wacky crowd so my dancing seemed to fit right in!

Now I gotta be honest. These Star Wars dance experiments both thrill and scare me. Sure, it’s cathartic while I’m dancing but I’m often terrified before I start. Truth be told, I’m somewhat of a shy person. For many of my Padawan years, I used my shyness as a way to be invisible so I wouldn’t get picked on or bullied. I was a scrawny Mexican-American kid who liked Star Wars, Carol Burnett, and Frank Sinatra. You can imagine how popular I was. But as I grew older, I learned to embrace my weird ticks and quirks because they’re here to stay and quite frankly, I like them. In the words of Sammy Davis Jr., “I Gotta Be Me“.

So why do I dance for Star Wars? I dance for the girl who dreamed of living in a galaxy far, far away because the underdogs always won. I dance for the girl who has found her tribe with countless other fans who understand and share her passion. I dance because I love Star Wars.

[Check out the finished video by clicking on the photo above!]

Geeky Glamorous Art Show

Posted February 8th, 2013 by Jeni & filed under Blog.

It was a Saturday night and the JapanLA store on Melrose was packed with people. The DJ was mixing beats, the grilled cheese truck was serving cheesy goodness, and I was wearing my Black Milk Stormtrooper dress just for the occassion. ;) The event was the Geeky Glamorous Art Show, a celebration of geek girls through art & fashion. Mandie Bettencourt organized the event and is also the creator of the Geeky Glamorous brand. Mandie is super sweet, has incredible style, and is a strong supporter of her fellow artists/crafters. So when she asked if I wanted to participate in the show, I was honored and so excited!

When I walked into the gallery on opening night, I instantly fell in love with every piece of art I saw. If only I could collect them all!

Geeky Pamyu Pamyu by Chingyi Liu

KaMeow by Locketship

Wonder Woman by Hanie Mohd

My Date with the Doctor by Misha (top) Chikuwaemil by Virtual Girl (bottom)

Nostalgia by Lazarus

The frame was decorated with action figures & toys!

In addition to the paintings/prints/sketches, there were also wearable pieces on display as well!

Geeky Glamorous Controller Necklaces

Pinup Peach BitRom necklaces by Okeegu

There she is! Miss Millennium Falcon. I decided to display the skirt (which I made for last year’s SDCC) and create a few new accessories for the show. I wanted her to look as geeky and glamorous as possible!

I revamped the X-Wing hair clip and attached it to a sparkly headband I made.

I also created a glitter resin Millennium Falcon necklace and matching bracelet. These two pieces are part of my Glitter Galaxy Collection, which I’ll be selling in my Etsy shop soon!

It was neat to see how many people came out to support geek girls, Mandie, and all the artists!

Stephanie aka @zilla308 (and her uh-mazing hair) cast a spell on this muggle!

The ever stylish Chrissa Villanueva modeling Lazy Oaf‘s Batman dress

Super Kawaii!

Me with Mandie, the hostess of the evening

Cassie & Keith (who decorated his tie with glow in the dark stickers!)

Angie as Link (The Legend of Zelda)

The lovely Set to Stunning team, Victoria Schmidt & Lindz

Ashphord Jacoway & my favorite YouTuber Andre Meadows!

Thank you Mandie for all of your hard work and for organizing such a special event!! (And be sure to check out LA Weekly’s awesome article about the show!) The exhibit runs though the month of February, so if you’re in the LA area, stop by JapanLA to check it out! And if you’re a fan of Hello Kitty, you might just leave with a few trinkets as well. ;)

Geekette out! *

*Who says Ryan Seacrest can be the only one with a signature goodbye?! I want one too. Let me know what you think of this one or if you have any suggestions! :)

My Etsy Shop!

Posted December 31st, 2012 by Jeni & filed under Blog, News.

I can’t believe 2012 is almost over! Wowzers. The past few months have been a bit of a blur for me. My sketch group DWG Comedy put out our first music video. I also came down with the flu…TWICE! But in between all the madness, I finally launched my Etsy shop. Over the years people have asked me if I sell my handmade accessories, so now I can proudly say yes, I do! The name of my shop is Rockets and Rainbows.

I wanted to create jewelry that was playful, whimsical, and fun to wear. I thought the name Rockets and Rainbows was the perfect representation for what my collection is all about! Here’s my sis modeling my Darth Vader black onyx necklace.

And here’s my Micro Machines Millennium Falcon ring!

In addition to Star Wars jewelry, I also have some My Little Pony pieces. I’m a big fan of MLP—-from the original 80’s cartoon to the new Friendship Is Magic series—so I created some Kawaii-inspired pony necklaces and bracelets.

This is my first foray into the Etsy world so I’m still learning all the ins and outs. I’ve got so many ideas that I’m excited to see how my collection grows! In the meantime…Rockets and Rainbows is officially open for business! Happy shopping!

❤ Jeni

WIWT: Halloween Edition!

Posted November 1st, 2012 by Jeni & filed under Blog.

A week before Halloween, I spotted the biggest Hello Kitty piñata I had ever seen. It was seriously almost as tall as me! As it proudly dangled from the party store’s fence, only one thought popped into my head…I must make a Hello Kitty piñata costume! I headed home and immediately began researching the idea. What I found were a lot of crafty ideas and a very handy video that I eventually used as my costume-making guide. Originally, I wanted to make the entire costume out of paper mache (like my Miss Death Star skirt). However I quickly scrapped that idea since I was short on time and I wanted the ability to sit down! Making the piñata dress out of craft felt seemed like the best solution. I picked up 2 yards of white felt and 2 1/2 yards of hot pink felt from the fabric store. Then I bought a white leotard from American Apparel and a $5 skirt from Goodwill. To imitate the look of a piñata, I cut long strips from the craft felt. Then I cut 1-1 1/2 inch fringe into each strip.

Using a hot glue gun, I glued each strip around the arm of the leotard. I continued this process until I had many rows of fringe on the sleeve. I thought gluing would be a faster process than sewing but unfortunately it wasn’t. Not to mention Tim Gunn would be horrified! Several hours (and a few glue gun burns) later, the sleeves were finally done. When I tried on the costume I became concerned. I looked more like a Dancing With The Stars contestant than Hello Kitty!

¡Ay yay yay! But since crafting is often about improvising, I modified the length and created a short sleeve.

I then used the excess fringe to create wrist warmers instead!

For Hello Kitty’s pink dress, I opted to sew the strips onto the skirt and leotard this time. This method was much more efficient!

Making the piñata dress turned out to be a little more time-consuming than I had originally planned. In fact, I spent so much time working on the dress, I had no time to make a head! So I headed back to the party store and bought the Hello Kitty piñata that had caught my eye before. Then…I beheaded Hello Kitty.

I tried on the head and thankfully it fit. I suddenly felt like I was back in the character department at Disneyland! For an authentic piñata look, I left the hook in and kept the “Made in Mexico” sticker on her ear. As a Latina, I felt the sticker was pretty appropriate. :)

To match the color of my dress, I swapped out her paper bow for a craft felt bow I made.

For the final look, I wore white tights, white boots, and long, white gloves.

As a huge fan of Hello Kitty, I loved wearing this costume! I might update the look and create Hello Kitty piñata feet for next time. If only there was a Harmonyland in America that I could wear this too! ;) I hope you guys had a fun Halloween!

Star Wars Day of the Dead

Posted October 14th, 2012 by Jeni & filed under Blog.

Whenever I think of Dia de los Muertos, I picture ornately decorated skulls and whimsical skeletal scenes.

Even though the holiday is synonymous with skeletons and skulls, Day of the Dead is actually a celebration of life! On November 1^st in Mexico, people gather to remember & honor family members & friends who have passed away. The idea is that even though the deceased are no longer with us physically, they are with us spiritually. For those who celebrate this holiday, the memories of past times are alive and well.

For artist John Karpinsky, the same can be said about his childhood memories of Star Wars. His Guerra de las Galaxias prints are a “tribute to characters of my youth, an invitation to the celebration of that cultural phenomenon that shaped my life so long ago.” I’ve been an admirer of John’s work ever since I first saw his prints on Tumblr last year. I loved how beautifully he fused Star Wars with the traditional Dia de los Muertos artistic style.

So when my birthday rolled around this year, my boyfriend surprised me with the greatest gift of all—13 prints from John Karpinsky’s Guerra de las Galaxias collection! What a guy. When I opened the box and started looking through the artwork, I was amazed at the vibrancy of the colors, not to mention the incredible detail in each print. As a lover of Star Wars and a Mexican-American gal, John’s art perfectly encapsulates who I am. Whether it’s the ornately tribal Stormtrooper or the X-Wing Fighter Pilot with roses in his eyes, I’m in love with all of his designs. In fact, I’ve dedicated an entire wall in my living room to displaying his artwork!

There was also another little surprise in the box from John Karpinsky himself! <happy dance>

I was so touched by this special birthday card John created for me! I must admit, I got a little teary-eyed. The detail in my Death Star costume is astounding. He even included the tiny stars on my tights! And the little Ewok piñata…I can’t repel cuteness of that magnitude! Thank you John for making my birthday so memorable!!!

For more on John Karpinsky’s work, check out his store on Etsy. The quality of his artwork is impeccable! If you want to infuse your home or office with a little Star Wars magic, then these are the prints you’re looking for. No Jedi Mind Trick necessary. ; )

Star Wars Transmission!

Posted September 4th, 2012 by Jeni & filed under Blog, Videos.

Cosplayers, crafts, and tattoos…oh my! Check out my two segments from the Star Wars Transmission at Celebration VI!

Star Wars Celebration – Day 4

Posted August 29th, 2012 by Jeni & filed under Blog.

It was the final lap of my Star Wars Celebration marathon and although I was exhausted, I was sad to be crossing the finish line. I started off the day in the Digital Studio with vegetable carver and sushi chef Oki! He gave me a lesson how to create a parsnip R2-D2. Incredible!

Oki was such a skilled carver! His creations only last a week and must kept refrigerated. I asked him how he felt about throwing away his carvings after spending hours working on them. He said that he has no trouble letting go because for him it’s more about the carving process than the end result. In fact sometimes, he’ll boil and eat his creation! I thought his perspective was really insightful and a good life lesson as well. Here are some of his other Star Wars vegetable carvings:

After the craft demo, I got the chance to be a part of the Star Wars Transmissions wrap up show! The wrap up show was taped in front of a live studio audience and featured Chris Gore, Clare Grant, Milynn Sarley, Casey Pugh, and myself talking about some of our favorite SWCVI moments. Once the video is up I’ll be sure to share the link!

After the wrap up show, I literally ran to the closing ceremony. It was a packed event and everyone wondered why they gave us 3-D glasses as we entered the theater. To find out the answer (and the other big announcement) check out my post here!

After the ceremony, I finally got some time to go shopping. Sine I only had an hour and half, I raced through that convention floor faster than the Millennium Falcon. I picked up shirts, Micro Machines, a Yoda bathrobe, and the list goes on and on. I wanted to buy these Leia headphones but I resisted. Mainly because they wouldn’t fit in my backpack!

During my Star Wars shopping extravaganza, I happened to come across two Darth Vaders playing Star Wars Kinect. I guess even Sith Lords like to practice their Force powers.

After 4 days of Star Wars heaven, it was time to go back to reality. Star Wars Celebration was like living out my childhood fantasies. Never would I have imagined that one day I’d be interviewing Chewbacca, seeing Mark Hamill in person, and meeting so many other fellow fans. My bucket list is a lot shorter thanks to the epic weekend in Florida. Many thanks to everyone at Lucasfilm, StarWars.com, and all the people I worked with at SWCVI. Wookiee hugs to all the people I met—both new and old friends, you guys made the weekend extra special. Until next Star Wars Celebration…that’s a wrap!

Star Wars Celebration – Day 3

Posted August 29th, 2012 by Jeni & filed under Blog.

Day 3 of SWCVI was all about the cosplayers! I got a little break during the day and I spent the whole time gawking at all the awesome costumes. There are some seriously creative and talented people out there. These costumes are on a whole other level. There was a cybernetic Darth Maul, a screen-accurate Gamorrean Guard, and so many more. One of the highlights of the day was getting to interview Chewbacca himself! What?!

This Chewie cosplayer was seriously dedicated. Not only was he on stilts, he also created the entire costume himself! He even made a mold of his face for the mask. Like I said, these cosplayers are on a whole other level of awesome. I got inspired and couldn’t stop taking photos of everyone!

It’s a ghost trap!

Mini Boba Fett & Ahsoka Tano joined forces in the kids craft room!

I didn’t have the heart to tell Jar Jar I blew up his action figure.

Jabba captured Hello Kitty!

Mother Talzin made a dramatic entrance

This cosplayer is my kind of scum. Fearless and inventive…

“Hey Greedo, can I get a shot? Uh…I mean photo?”

Cosplaying kids is my kryptonite.

If you’d like to see more photos from Saturday, check out my Flickr page!

I also had a chance to meet my online friends Jon & Piggy in person! Piggy is a little Gamorrean Guard action figure that travels to conventions and other Star Wars events. Jon is Piggy’s owner and he’s such a kind person. It was great to finally meet him and Piggy face to face (and snout).

Day 3 was perhaps my busiest day yet! I definitely loved going around the con floor and interviewing all the cosplayers. Being a StarWars.com field reporter and getting to talk about Star Wars all day was awesome and surreal. I wish I could do it everyday! Guess it’s good motivation for me to get back into vlogging! : )

Star Wars Celebration – Day 2

Posted August 26th, 2012 by Jeni & filed under Blog.

I must admit, I’m writing this post on the 3rd day of Celebration. As you guys know, I’ve been doing double duty as both an on-camera host and a blogger for StarWars.com. It’s been a lot of fun and it’s meant having an action-packed schedule this weekend. Day 2 was all about panels, crafting, and a dash of cosplay! In the morning on Friday, I headed to straight to the “Super Secret Star Wars Panel”. Since the panel featured both Seth Green and Matt Senreich (of Robot Chicken fame) I figured they might be announcing a new Star Wars animation project. And boy did they ever! If you want to know what the super secret was, check out my post here!

One of the highlights of the day was getting to craft with one of my favorite geeky crafters, Amanda Jean! I love AJ’s style and I’m always so amazed by the cool clothes and accessories she creates. AJ and I filmed a craft video where she showed me how to make an Ewok purse! Her design was so cute, the process was really simple, and it’s a craft that anyone could make. Best part? AJ let me keep our finished little Ewok purse!

After crafting with AJ, I ran over to the Costume Masquerade where they awarded the best costumes at SWCVI. I caught the tail end of the Masquerade but got a chance to interview some of the winners. There were some seriously incredible costumes. One was a Bantha that required two cosplayers to operate. I didn’t get a photo but hopefully you’ll be able to see the interview on StarWars.com. I did however see some other great costumes on Friday. Here are a couple of my favorites from the day:

This cardboard Stormtrooper won my crafty, little heart.

Cuteness. Overload.

ANIMAL!!!! Muppet Trooper FTW!

After a quick lap around the floor, I headed straight to the Mark Hamill panel. Little did I know that people had been waiting in line for 6 HOURS already! But I knew I couldn’t leave SWCVI without seeing Luke Skywalker. It’s always been a dream of mine to at least hear him speak in person. And thanks to the kind folk at Lucasfilm, I got in! The thing that surprised me most about Mr. Hamill was how open and genuine he was. He shared some hilarious stories including one about his audition for “Pop” in a Rice Krispies Commercial. I could have sat and listened to him talk for hours. He has such an interesting perspective about life and the entertainment business. If you’d like to read some of his stories about Star Wars, I wrote a very extensive post about the panel. I wanted to include everything he said! ; )

As I made my way through the convention center at the end of the night, it was neat to see how empty it was. As I walked by the giant AT-AT and hanging Death Star, I kind of felt like I was in Night At The Museum. If spending the night at the convention center meant seeing the AT-AT come to life…you know I’d bring my Tauntaun sleeping bag.

Star Wars Celebration – Day 1

Posted August 24th, 2012 by Jeni & filed under Blog.

Gold Five to Red Leader, I’m in Orlando for Star Wars Celebration! Besides getting the chance to see and experience all things Star Wars, I’m also doing on-camera hosting and blogging for StarWars.com! I geeked when I saw the callsheet for today. I felt so official seeing my name next to Nerdist’s Chris Hardwick and G4′s Chris Gore!

The first part of my day was spent inside the Star Wars Digital Studio where I got to interview Star Wars crafters and artists. I fell in love with Linzy Busch’s adorkable Star Wars puppets that she makes herself. How cute is this mini Yoda?!

Check out artist Ken Lashley’s Boba Fett sketch. He drew this within a matter of minutes, right before my eyes!

I also crafted a Huttlet plush toy with Terri Hodges, learned how to fold an origami Jango Fett with Chris Alexander, and Katie Cook taught me how to draw! Here is Katie’s Yoda (and his pet womp rat) along with the Yoda I drew.

Look how amazing Katie’s drawing (on the left) is! I got a little carried away in drawing Yoda’s ears so mine ended up looking a little like Stitch. Regardless, Katie was a great teacher and she’s such a talented artist. I can’t wait for you guys to see the craft/DIY videos. I had so much fun chatting with my fellow crafters and gawking at all their amazing artistry. All the videos will be featured on StarWars.com and I’ll be sure to let you know when they’re up! After a fun day of crafting/drawing demos, I walked around the con floor and saw some awesome cosplayers along the way.

It’s everyone’s favorite mog from Spaceballs, Barf! May the schwartz be with you.

Utinni! What a very tall Jawa!

“I find your lack of faith in the Miami Dolphins disturbing.”-Dolph Vader

Where else can you witness an impromptu Astromech Droid parade?!

Droid dance party! This R2 unit (R7-C1) was also a boombox that played Katy Perry.

Listening to Warwick Davis talk about his experience working on Return of the Jedi was definitely a highlight.

Part of the fun of Celebration is asking for a picture and ending up getting Force-choked.

After a long (but fun) first day at the convention, I treated myself to a lobster dinner. From where else, Red Lobster! And since it was within walking distance from my hotel, it made the meal that much more enjoyable. Not to mention their cheesy biscuits are addictive.

That’s a wrap on day 1 of Star Wars Celebration! Tomorrow I’ll be checking out Seth Green’s Super Secret Star Wars Panel AND seeing Mark Hamill in person! I’ll try to be cool when I see Mr. Hamill. Just know that I’ll be freaking out on the inside. Until tomorrow Star Wars super fans! : )