My brush with fame – American Idol style

As promised, here is my American Idol Finale experience.

Lee DeWyze is the winner!!!!!!!

So excited!!!! LOVE HIM.

There are 3 parts to this story – beforehand, the actual show, and after the show. Right now I’m going to just tell you about what happened after the best show on earth.

After the show was over I picked up my phone from my friends car and hubbs and I headed towards the Nokia garage where his car was parked. On our way we saw a swarm of people and headed over to see what was going on. This is what we walked right into:

(All photos were taken on my aforementioned iPhone, so the quality is not that great unfortunately.)

All the cast members (minus the top 2 – Crystal Bowersox & Lee DeWyze) were having a press conference outside the Nokia Theater!

In between each of their interviews they would race over to the fans and sign autographs and take pictures.

There were so many people and we just could not get at the front of the crowd, so we just took tons of pictures from where we were at.

Casey James is just beautiful. You should see him in person. Oh.mah.gosh. Swoon. And his hair! Don’t even get me started on his amazing hair.

Tim Urban? A serious cutie-patootie. And so nice. And his smile?! Melt.

You would have thought I was a giddy 13 year old seeing all these people!

Two pretty-boyz in one photo? Can’t.breathe.

The press was absolutely insane. Ridiculous. Off the hook. This was the craziest event I’ve ever been to in my life.

Aaron Kelly? < sigh > I’m way too old to crush on a 17 year old.

Lacy Brown is SO tiny. Like, the size of an ant. And so sweet. But honestly, they ALL are sweet.

Yes, poor Paige. I spelled her name wrong. Oops. But she’s cute too.

Again, yes, I am fully aware that I spelled her name wrong again. Brilliant.

All these contestants are so sweet and nice. And so beautiful.

LOVE this guy. I wanted Lee to win, but I have always loved Andrew Garcia. Love him. He’s like a new Maroon5 or something. I can’t wait to hear his first album. I hope he has a great career.

There is just something seriously sexy about a guy with diamond earrings and a huge tat on his neck.

Three idols at once? I’m seriously having sensory overload here. I think I almost fainted.

What a seriously sweet nice kid. I hope the very best for him.

I *almost* refused to post this picture because, well, look at me! But I’m IN THE SAME PHOTO AS ANDREW!!!!!!! How could I NOT brag about it?!?!?!

Sibohan Magnus is just a class act. She’s so sincere and nice. And I loved her on and off the show.

Just look at that crowd!! I was lucky to get as close as I did.

Nokia theater shots.

Michael “Big Mike” Lynche is a teddy bear. Seriously. I’ll admit it, I wasn’t a huge fan of him on the show. I liked him okay, but he should have been voted off, but the judges saved him which IMO got Katie Stevens the boot. And I LOVED Katie. So I was resentful.

But in person, Michael is a big cuddly sweet nice teddy bear. I want to just hug him. Great guy.

I’m pretty sure her tat is of Mary Poppins. She’s so weird in such a fun cool way.

Big Mike doing an interview.

Eeeeek! Pinch Me! I actually got a photo with an Idol!!!!!!!

Didi Benami is also a tiny cute little thing. She’s also my favorite IRL. I felt like we were long lost BFFs.

And I got a picture with Didi too! Too bad it’s blurry & dark. Boo.

But my sweet hubbs took a 2nd one that turned out better. Too bad she isn’t looking. Argh.

Katie is a little firecracker. She is young (17) and very sarcastic and fun. What a party!

Yup, a picture with Katie too! Pinch me.

After waiting at least an additional hour, guess who finally showed up?!?!

LEE!!!!!!!!!! OMG I’m in freaking lurve!

swoon.

He’s getting closer to ME!

But alas, this is as far as he made it before the mean bouncers swept him away never to be seen again. But I *almost* got a picture with him. Almost.

Wow, what a lucky ride! I can’t believe we walked right into a press conference and got to see and meet all these Idols. I skipped back to the car grinning from ear to ear like a giddy 13 year old girl who just met the Jonas Brothers.

But then… My luck must have been on a serious role because as I was walking I spotted someone I knew. It went something like this…

I’m walking along and see a guy that I know, but where do I know him from? He’s so familiar. I must know him from somewhere. He was walking right towards me. I said, “Oh my gosh! Hey! What’s up?!?!” in this voice and with an expression like we were long lost friends. (This whole time I’m trying to figure out where I know him from). He looks at me with the same exact expression and says “Hey!! How are you?!?!”

AND THAT’S WHEN IT HITS ME.

David freaking Archuleta.

I met David Archuleta. But at that exact moment I became so overwhelmingly star-struck that I couldn’t even think to grab my phone for a quick picture. All I could say as we passed each other like long lost old friends, in a voice that resembled a high-pitched pre-pubescent 11 year old was,

“I VOTED FOR YOU!”

Yes, I’m freaking awesome. (No you’re not dude, don’t lie.)
(Disclaimer: the link is to a youtube video by Spose that is full of cuss words you probably don’t want your youngin’s to hear.)

But you know what, who flippin’ cares?! I met David Archuleta! Before today my big claim-to-fame was that I saw him on a float from 50 yards away at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade two years ago. This time I actually brushed shoulders, so whatevs!

I skipped my way from there into the parking garage where at which point I saw a row of about 4 limos….

Hubbs and I were there all alone. No other fans in site. And then it happened.

EVERY ONE OF THE TOP 12 (except Lee and Crystal) CAME WALKING UP TO GET INTO THE LIMOS. Every.Single.One.Of.Them.

I’m NOT making this up. See for yourself!

At this point I faint and am rushed to the hospital for a heart attack.

Well, almost. I almost died right there. I talked to every one of them as they walked by. But their bouncers would only let me get this one picture.

And then the world went into slow-motion as Casey and his hair glided by. And I tried to say hi. But he was in a hurry and didn’t want to stop. So I did the only thing I could think to do…

“CASEY!!!!! HOOK EM’ HORNS, DUDE! HOOK EM’ HORNS!!”

And he stopped. And turned around. And smiled. And threw his fingers into the the official horns hand-sign and said, “All right! Hook em’ Horns!! You from Texas?”

And hubbs jumped in and said, “Were from Austin!” and then I said, “Come visit us!” and he said he would. (‘Cause he’s from Texas too.)

So, straight from the horses mouth – Casey said he’d come to Austin to see me. He better not blow me off.

After that we walked to our car. And I was floating on Cloud 9. My cheeks hurt I had smiled so much. I didn’t think the night could get any better.

Until it did.

On our way out of the garage, we saw Paula freaking Abdul.

Straight Up. I met Paula Abdul.

And I threw my phone to some stranger and told her to take a picture. Paula HUGGED me. We stood cheek-to-cheek. We smiled.

And then the stranger that I enlisted to snap the picture hit the wrong button. No photo.

Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Noooooooooooooo!!!! I swear she did it on purpose.

My cheek and her cheek touched. And we hugged. No joke.

I did get this picture though. She is the tiniest person I’ve ever met. She probably wears a -4. She was sweet as a button and I love her.

And that was how my night after the finale went.