{"id":2099,"date":"2014-10-30T03:00:09","date_gmt":"2014-10-30T10:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.westsidemommy.com\/site\/?p=2099"},"modified":"2015-08-17T23:35:54","modified_gmt":"2015-08-18T06:35:54","slug":"hello-kitty-con-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.westsidemommy.com\/site\/hello-kitty-con-2014\/","title":{"rendered":"Hello Kitty Con 2014 Tips and Highlights"},"content":{"rendered":"

I consider myself\u00a0lucky to attend the press preview\u00a0for the first ever official Hello Kitty Con 2014 <\/strong><\/a>because it is sold out! Whoever has a ticket, get ready for sensory overload! I was there for about two hours and didn’t get a chance to see everything (and it was not crowded, mind you). What I did see and experience was pretty awesome. I imagine it will be packed the next few days.<\/p>\n

Here are my\u00a0tips to make the most of your time:<\/h2>\n
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  1. Read Hello Kitty Con’s\u00a0website’s event info link<\/strong><\/a> thoroughly. There’s a lot of information there that will help you prioritize your day.<\/li>\n
  2. Arrive early for signings. I was lucky to get a coveted personalized drawing by Yuko Yamaguchi<\/strong><\/a>, the lead (and third) designer for Hello Kitty<\/strong>. I was too late to get autographs from the other artists (which were in the Super Supermarket area), who were signing drawings of My Melody<\/strong><\/a>, Pompompurin<\/strong><\/a>, Chococat<\/strong><\/a>, and Hello Kitty<\/strong><\/a>.<\/li>\n
  3. Free PERMANENT tattoos for Hello Kitty superfans! You must be 18 and have a valid I.D. I did not do this, but if you choose to, it’s something you should sign up for right away.<\/li>\n
  4. Bring a canvas\u00a0tote bag<\/strong> for freebies and purchases and carry your wallet, keys, and other valuables in a crossbody purse. Most places will have a plastic bag with purchase, but I found the canvas tote bag I brought very helpful. Spam is heavy!<\/li>\n
  5. If you love exclusive or limited\u00a0edition items like I do, check out this link for the Hello Kitty Friendship Station Pop-Up Shop<\/strong><\/a>, and plan accordingly. It can be easy to browse too much in a shop, and end up spending more than you wanted. Certain items, like the Hello Kitty bobblehead<\/strong> and the vinyl bow figure\u00a0<\/strong>say “one per person,” so those are ones that are more likely to be worth more in the future.<\/li>\n
  6. Bring more than one credit card.\u00a0<\/strong>Also bring cash. But a second credit card is something I learned the hard way. Because my credit card\u00a0has fraud protection, I couldn’t use it on my third (and most important) transaction. It was denied. Luckily, I had a backup and was able to use that for the purchase AND to get out of the parking garage!<\/li>\n
  7. Parking: I parked at Aiso Street Parking Garage<\/strong><\/a>. It’s run by the city, so the price is really reasonable. It’s a quick five minute walk to the event.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    More photos can be found on my instagram feed<\/a><\/strong>, but here are some highlights:<\/h2>\n
    \"Hello<\/a>
    A giant cake for a big star! Happy 40th birthday, Hello Kitty!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"Temporary<\/a>
    Temporary Tattoo, paper kitty headband, official guide book, and post card<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"Yes,<\/a>
    Yes, I bought one of these! Limited Edition Spam musubi kit Hello Kitty Con exclusive!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \"So<\/a>
    So excited I was speechless and all smiles as i watched her draw right in front of me! Head artist for Hello Kitty Yuko Yamaguchi!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \n
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    <\/div>\n

    Best thing I got at #hellokittycon : signed and original #drawing for my daughter by #yukoyamaguchi at #hellokittycon2014 #hellokitty #artist third hello kitty #designer<\/a><\/p>\n

    A photo posted by Westside Mommy (@westsidemommy)\u00a0on