Under the Weather

Hey there!  I haven't forgotten about my blog and I have loads to share, but I've been sick since my trip to Brimfield with some kind of respiratory infection.  I've spent most days just hanging out in bed, so you would think I could still do blog posts, but really I've just been playing Sims 3 and napping when I can.  I'm finally on the mend, though, and am hoping for a fun little family trip this weekend, so I will definitely be back next week with some updates!  I miss writing (typing) and crafting and all the other fun things I've been neglecting in favor of coughing and blowing my nose! Happy Friday, everyone!  Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Road Trip Playlist

As you read this post, I will be on my way to Brimfield, MA for their big antique show.  I usually like to plan things out for trips, places to eat, things to see, etc., but for this trip, I'm really going having made very few preparations.  The only thing I am certain about this week is that I will be eating a lobster roll and I will be up way earlier than any human should ever be awake.  It's all in the name of vintage, though, so I am okay with that.  The one thing I am totally prepared for is the long car ride.  I have a ton of books on my Kindle, a bunch of episodes of my favorite podcasts, and some good music  Here's a little playlist I made and here is a list I found online that's not too bad.  Hopefully, when I return next week, I will have tales of delicious lobster rolls and amazing bargains on vintage cake toppers, doll faces, and toys!
I'd have more songs on this playlist, but I don't really love this site and I stumbled upon Amanda Palmer covering I Will Follow You Into The Dark, so I can't really continue typing.  When Amanda sings, especially one of my favorite songs, I stop everything and listen!  See you guys next week!

Luray Zoo

If you were to only know one thing about my husband, know that he loves animals.  Zoos, wildlife parks, and any other place we have the opportunity to see animals are always on the list when we travel.  We actually made two animal related stops on our trip to Virginia and our first was Luray Zoo.  This privately owned zoo is home to animals that have been rescued, are retired from zoos, or were no longer wanted or able to be cared for by their previous owners.  It's a little zoo, but there are lots of animals to see and the staff seemed really friendly.  Even one of the owners was out and about caring for the animals and chatting with visitors. 

This absolutely gorgeous gal is Angel.  She's a kestrel and was bred to be a falconry bird, but was born with a deformity that makes it difficult for her to use her right wing.  You can sort of see it in the photo here.  The wing sort of swoops out like an angel's wing.  The sign with her information said she loves human interaction and we definitely felt like she was as interested in us as we were in her. She was my second favorite animal at the zoo.  I'll get to my very favorite next.

This is Bella.  Her owner gave her up, after becoming sick with cancer.  I really could have spent the whole day with her.  I felt such a strong connection to her and fell in love with her sweet personality. I went back to her several times during our visit actually.  She smiled by showing her teeth each time and a few times ran around excitedly, as if she was showing off for us.  I totally cried when it was time to leave her!  Two other sweet monkeys that I believe came from the same owner were next to Bella and they were equally beautiful.

This is Zena and Chewie.  I think I have their names correct!  I believe they are older, so they didn't try quite as hard as Bella to entertain us.  They mostly seemed content with sitting peacefully and watching us watch them.

So I'm certain I could easily write a paragraph on every animal there, but I really think you need to visit for yourself and make sure to buy something from the gift shop or put some change in the donation box, because every little bit helps to care for all these amazing animals.

Musical Monday

Do you ever get really hung up on a song?  You just can't get enough of it and as hard as you try to listen to something else, you just go back to that song until it's finally all out of your system.  Lately that song has been Middle Distance Runner by Sea Wolf.  It's just a really lovely song and it's not particularly sad or happy, just sort of a perfect in between that's good for the drive home from a long draining day at work.  Here's an acoustic version of the track I'm so infatuated with at the moment and it's great, but you should check out the original version below too!

A Forgotten Cemetery

While out for a drive recently, we came upon a little cemetery sat atop a hill.  It was on a country road somewhere in Frederick County, Maryland and seemed oddly out of place with all the nearby rancher homes.  I suppose this place hasn't really been forgotten, since someone mows the grass, but the way the graves have been swallowed by the growing shrubs and the dates on the markers lead me to believe that this place doesn't see much attention or traffic.  It was a lovely little graveyard and I can't imagine a better view from your final resting place.

Dollies for Days!

Instagram really makes me an awful blogger and online shop owner!  The convenience of posting and selling there have made me neglect most other forms of social media and shopping, so I need to change that.  Ideally I would have posted these finished pieces before most of them were sold, but alas, see that previous sentence about Instagram!  I'm thinking of skipping Instagram altogether for my next update and immediately listing items in my shop.  Any opinions on that?  Are any of you guys exclusive Instagram shoppers?  As I said, most of these cuties are already in new homes, but I'm always open to customs and recreating sold items, as best I can and as my schedule allows!