(first off, i just want to say that i'll me mentioning a lot of people by name, but if i don't mention someone who i met, know that your presence at the convention and your interaction with me meant a lot to me and made my convention none the less.)

warning: many thank yous (and a couple apologies to come). it's gonna get schmaltzy. be warned.

so, i've just got home after successfully completed my first ever convention, as a guest of honor no less, by way of anthro new england, and all i can say?

wow.

i had a stellar time and i have only all of you who attended and who put on this excellent convention to thank for that. it exceeded my expectations and made me feel so loved and validated. not because of being guest of honor, but just how welcoming and accommodating and patient everyone was with me as a first timer.

first and foremost, thank you to the staff who put this shindig on and kept it going so smoothly. the love and devotion to this event is evident and present. gale, logan and all the other staff members were incredibly kind and patient with me and helped me out when i needed it and everyone always made sure i was doing well. they were incredibly generous to have me this year, and i thank them for making the foundation of my first experience with a convention rock solid. you are all pros and should be proud of what you do.

thank you to co-guest of honor, kittiara, for being so incredibly rad <3 i could not have picked a better person to work with and sit beside in the dealer's den. she was unbelievably supportive and just an amazing person and talent.

thank you to the gals who rep'd vest-a-dog, ANE's charity, for being stellar company and having such positive things to say about the convention and fandom. i always wonder what a non-fandom entity thinks about us when they come to one of these, and they were just so much fun and handle all things with such grace. it was a pleasure spending the convention next to them.

thank you to all my FBA friends who made me feel like a frickin' queen by showing up with as much love and support as you did. you're constantly reminding me why you guys are the best group of people i could ever hope to know. thank you chris, steebs, pdog, wen, bets, rain, gus, kingsley, jdub, lance, gabe, madworld, kinto (athea, i don't think i OFFICIALLY met you, but i saw you!) meeting you all was more amazing then i can describe, you all felt like the old friends you all are. i still won't forgive you for making me cry tears of happiness though |:CX sorry i could not be there for the FBA panel and only cut in at the end of the broadcast! i was with you guys in spirit!

thank you to my brofriend, security harse zach, for supporting me through this process from the beginning and helping make richard's transition through this whole thing so much more smoother. you face is still dumb and smelly, though.

thank you rain and kingsley for helping me out at my table when my security harse had to leave early.

thank you to everyone who stopped by my table to talk to me. whether you purchased anything from me (thank you if you did!!) or not, having you there to talk to was the high point of my stay. new people or old friends i'm meeting for the first time, it was exhilarating to see how happy everyone was to just be there, how honored i felt to meet people who had known my art for ages. my favorite part of the whole convention hands down was meeting folks who had commissioned me in the past. it seriously meant the world to me to know you enjoyed my work in person, and i never realized how much of an impact it would have hearing it straight from the horse's mouth (or fox... or wolf... dragon... whatever!)

i want to also thank everyone i met, dealers, attendees, friends and staff alike, for being incredibly understanding and accommodating to my husband, who did not attend the convention per say. it meant the world to me that you did not begrudge my absence to spend time with my husband, who has trouble dealing with mascots and thus spent most of his time in the room. in all honesty, i dreaded this aspect of the trip, prepared for the worst, and really struggled with this leading up to the convention. it was only because of this being such an amazingly respectful convention (staff and attendees alike) that his stay went better than i could have ever hoped for. the few brief times he accidentally crossed paths with a suit, he dealt with it as best he could and in turn they did not push to bother him (if you were any of the few people he ended up running away from, he sincerely apologizes for being weird about it). thank you everyone who invited me out but was entirely cool and understanding when i explained why i wanted to spend more time with my hubby. he is the best friend i could have for coming to support me, despite this, so having everyone be OK with my and his absence meant the world to me.

thank you to stigmata and kingsley for making richard's weekend worthwhile. he cherishes the brief time you guys spent talking with him, and appreciates your understanding.

and finally, thanks to my husband, who despite all his reservations and all the rocky spots we had leading up to this, pushed through his discomfort to support me and be there for me. it made me and everyone else so happy to know that despite the fear, you pushed through and found the good in this visit. your efforts did not go unnoticed or unappreciated, and those happy few that you did let in to your space felt incredibly honored.

thank you to the other folks in the dealer's den for making me feel so damn welcome and offering your help when i needed it. it was invaluable.

thank you to all the other artists i've been fans of for letting me fawn and gush over them like a crybaby.

thank you lady jaboah for the lovely drawing you surprised me with <3

thank you everyone for being so chill, so friendly, so respectful, so patient and so understanding.

(if i missed anyone's name, know i did not forget about you. i will never forget about you!)

i don't know what the future holds for me as far as conventioning goes (i can't make any promises) but the fact that my first interaction went so well means the world to me. ANE: A++++++ highly recommended.

ok enough of that, can i go back to be a cranky cynical recluse now?

PS: i forgot to take even a single picture. CRAP XD