The Mountain Goats

I've been pretty bad at keeping up with new music lately.  I really have only been concerned with listening to The Mountain Goats, since downloading every recording I could find and didn't already have.  The singer has written songs about his childhood and abusive stepfather and I always feel like there is so much emotion in his voice.  I'm a sucker for a singer like that, one who can tell a great story, especially a singer with an amazing voice.  I don't think I can pick my favorite songs, so I just decided to post a few videos.  Go listen to The Mountain Goats!

 

Collections ~ Vintage Brooches

Cozy Fall

Fall is definitely here!  I do love the cooler weather, pumpkins, colorful leaves, and most everything else associated with autumn.  I am less than enthusiastic about my stupid allergies which are the reason I've been quiet this week.  Just a quick post today to share an outfit that is perfect for picking pumpkins, sipping hot cider, and staying warm and cozy this season!  Click the link below the picture to find where you can get everything you need to recreate this outfit!

Cozy Fall

Family Adventures - East Coast Exotic Animal Rescue

We spent the other half of our Saturday day out visiting the East Coast Exotic Animal Rescue, a local nonprofit animal sanctuary that is home to quite a variety of rescued and donated animals.  Some had been kept as pets or came from zoos.  The alligator was actually caught by a man while fishing!  There are signs telling the stories of how the animals came to the sanctuary and while it made me sad to read, I was glad to see that they now have good care and proper homes.  If you're a local, I'd definitely recommend a visit.  It's sort of a hidden gem!

New Fall Food Favorites

The cooler weather we've had recently has made me crave warm soups and savory pumpkin dishes.  I tried two easy recipes last week that satisfied both of those cravings and were pretty darn delicious.  Unfortunately, I only remembered to take photos of one of the two dishes.  I'll share that recipe, but here's a link to the dish I didn't photograph- skillet pumpkin lasagna.

Tomato Tortellini Soup

9 oz. tortellini (I used a spinach and cheese tortellini, but any would do!)

2 cans condensed tomato soup

2 c. vegetable broth

2 c. milk

2 c. half & half

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. dried basil

1/2 c. shredded parmesan cheese

Cook the tortellini according to the instructions.  Combine the remaining ingredients in a large pot, except for the cheese, and stir frequently.  Once heated, add the drained tortellini and stir in the cheese.

This recipe makes a enough for leftovers and I thought it was even better reheated the next day.  You can find the original recipe here.  I suggest eating it with some warm delicious bread!  Enjoy!

Family Adventures - The Round Barn

My husband had a rare Saturday off work, so we took the boys to some fun local attractions.  We started at the Historic Round Barn and Farm Market which we really enjoyed.  There were a handful of adorable farm animals, lots of produce, and the barn itself is quite lovely.  I can't believe we've never been here, but I'm certain we will go back!

Mighty Oaks From Little Acorns Grow

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8

Some Pretty Songs for Monday

Girly Art

I am really no good at coming up with catchy titles!  To end this week's posts, here are some prints by a few of my favorite female artists.  I could probably do a dozen posts about amazing female artist!

Finding Magic by Team Kitten

Cold Hands Warm Coffee by The Tiny Hobo

Flavia in Candyland by Mab Graves

Still Magic by Miss Van

Doll Face by Heidi Kenney

Floating in Circles by Tara McPherson

Little Red Riding Hood by Amanda Visell

I hope you all enjoyed this week's posts.  It was fun doing another theme!  Happy Friday the 13th!

Lady Links

I didn't want this week's posts to just be wishlists, because although they're super fun to do, I like to get a little serious sometimes.  Okay, not very often, but I can get pretty serious about issues that are important to me.  I did a lot of online searching for "female empowerment" and "girl power" hoping to find something interesting to share.  Here's a bit of what I found-

The Annotated Wisdom of Amy Poehler -You didn't really think this list would be all serious, did you?  Amy Poehler is smart and funny and pretty damn amazing!

Empowering Books For Girls -Really I think this list could just also be called good books for everyone!  There are quite a few on the lists that I love!

LiveYourDream.org

This organization is an offshoot of Soroptimist, a volunteer organization that helps women.  What I love about Live Your Dream is that you can choose which cause you want to support and do volunteer work based on how much time you have.  You can do something as simple as sharing a link on Facebook or as grand as starting your own awareness campaign.  It's definitely a site I will be visiting again!

Do I even need to say anything else about my love for Girl Scouts?  The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) has a great site and is definitely worth checking out! 

5 Organizations that Empower Women -If you can get past the annoying little sidebar, this list has links to some pretty cool organizations!

Feminist Taylor Swift is a pretty funny Twitter account that changes up the lyrics to the pop star's songs.  You can even buy prints, like the one above, here.

Be Prepared

The title of this post is the motto of the Girl Scouts.  I was a Brownie, but I never made it to the Girl Scouts.  Maybe that's why I have a bit of an obsession with all things Girl Scout.  I did a post on the few vintage scout items I have which you can find here.  There is a ton of cute vintage Girl Scout and Brownie memorabilia, but these items are my favorite.  Dear hubby, if you are reading this, click the description at the bottom of each picture to purchase the item for your sweet wife!  Hehe!!

Brownie Scout Camera

This is the Brownie version, but the Girl Scout version is even cuter.  It's a lovely minty green, but seems to be harder to come by. 

Girl Scout Paper Doll

I love that this paper doll has uniforms from all around the world.  She's super cute!  The price of this particular one is insane, but there are some more affordable Girl Scout paper dolls on eBay.

Terri Lee Girl Scout Doll

I just adore this sweet doll!  I've seen a few with different hair colors and there is one in a Brownie uniform too.  I think this may be my favorite thing on the list!

Brownie bank

How fun is this little bank?!  I don't remember anything this cute when I was a Brownie!

1941 Girl Scout catalog

I would so love to flip through this 40 page catalog!  You can see a few of the pages in the listing.  They're great!

Brownie handkerchief

I've seen a few different Brownie and Girl Scout handkerchiefs and they're all pretty adorable!  I love the colors on this one!

Girl Scout figurines

Right now all my scout books are on a shelf in my craft room.  I would love to have these beauties to sit beside them!

Hello Sweetie

My love for Doctor Who is no secret, but I don't think I've mentioned my absolute favorite character from the series, River Song.  The title for this post is one of her signature lines, her greeting for the doctor.  River is fierce, such a strong female character, and has some of the best lines.  I don't want to give much away about her character, because I think you should watch the show and find out for yourself!  I'm not alone in my love for River Song, as you can tell by the amazing items below!

Hello Sweetie print by Nan Lawson

 

 

 

Banner necklace by Showponystore

Raggedyman print by James Hance

Hello Sweetie by Megan Lara

Custom hand-painted shoes by The Painted Child