Glamping...Caravans revisited

Back to one of my favorite subjects..... Glamping! I love camping and always have camped in a tent. I'm the kind of girl that knows how to "ruff it." I'm not saying I don't occasionally bitch and moan about the conditions but I don't mind tent camping at all. For a long time the Mister and me have wanted a caravan. Matt particularly would rather have an airstream... I on the other hand would like a little caravan with because they have a little more personality and you can add your own special touch to them. Honestly, I wouldn't mind either way.... I would just be glad to have a camper to travel together and be on the open road with our little fur baby Lucy. I did a little searching online and found some campers that I liked. They are a little girly, I wouldn't expect Matt to ride in one of these but a girl can dream.....

This one is my absolute fav. I don't usually like pink but there are certain shades that are acceptable to me know and dusty pink happens to be one of them... and look, there is even a crocheted Afghan! Meow

This one is pretty cute. Looks kinda country, Grandma style but not in a bad way. It pretty cool how they have the private little shade set up. Love the pink peonies.

Somebody likes CocaCola.... they based their whole Camper off of it. I don't know if I would go that far. I like vintage but more vintage eclectic. I like the Camper on it's own, scrap the table and chairs.

Winter Wonderland. I hope this Camper has a heater in it! The trees are beautiful and it would be lovely to camp during Christmas maybe for a day or two... but then we can hit the Highway and go to the beach.

I simply love this interior. I would sprice it up more with some crochet here and some embroidery there but I love the turquise.... It's very calm and soothing.

No we're talking. This is more my style... happy and bright. I could get used to this. Someday I will have a Caravan and I will be living the dream. I will go to Mustang Island with Matt and the baby every weekend.

OOOoooooOOOOoooooooo! My eyes hurt...... they hurt with tears of happiness and joy. Okay, so it's a little Pepto Bismol but I kinda dig it. Can you dig?

Me likey and me wanty.

Oh yes. The Mister would love this...The Tear Drop Camper. We looked at these before. They are pretty expensive but are swell. I would like something bigger but if you are looking for a place to rest your head this is it.

A caboose turned into a trailer...how neat! Looks like the stairs come right off.

Ha, this is great. The boat is made to fit right on top of the Caravan. Somebody did some really good planning and put some hard work and time into this one. The Mister would love the wood panel on the side.

I can't wait till the perfect trailer comes into our lives.... the perfect amount we are willing to pay. The perfect fixer upper..... sigh. It will happen someday, somewhere, somehow.

Hope you enjoyed my relatively calm post as opposed to the last few.

xoxo

Lacy afternoon

This was a lovely afternoon on the farm with Mandy. I had changed out of my purple frock and into this lacy little number and pulled my hair back because it was so hot. I was expecting to be able to freshen up my hair and makeup before the next shoot but Mandy told me to hop up on the swing. I was terrified that it was going to come crashing down and I would land ass first in the grass. It took me awhile to get up the nerve to get on it. I tried one foot first while Mandy held the ropes.....then I tried it myself cause I was afraid I would flip and kick her. Time went by and I could tell Mandy was starting to get impatient. So I finally just worked up the courage and told her to get the camera ready and ran right over and grabbed onto the ropes and pulled myself up both feet at once. Nothing happened. I was still alive.

It was hard to pose while keeping my balance on the swing while looking graceful. You can see the tension in some of the pictures. I started to loosen up towards the end but I neglected to suck in my tummy because I was concentrating so hard on keeping my balance. Oops.

I started to get into it a little bit more..... swinging and laughing....hoping to Christ the swing wouldn't break. It never did, I survived. All was well and we got some cute pictures. Note to self: invest in spanx.

Dress: I'm embarrassed to say but it's from West Seal

Boots: Thrifted

Photos by Nestled in Nostalgia

trippin on a triptych

Back on the Farm in Yoakum with Miss Bustamante on a very windy day indeed. I just love this purple dress, I bought it at Strut with my good friend Jennifer Schaaf Osbeck of Jo Jo Photography. I just adore Strut.... it has become my new favorite boutique. They have one of a kind pieces that are very reasonably priced. Every time I walk in there, there is always something unique that catches my eye..... this dress was one of them. I'm so glad that I bought it. This is the first time that I wore it out, looks pretty swell don't you think? The black woven hat I bought at XXI. I usually would never buy a hat like this but I'm glad I did. I bought it years and years ago when I lived in Ohio. It has survived many a moves and hasn't been crushed yet. I was super excited when I discovered that it went well with my purple frock. Oh happy day! The yellow wedges and the black sunglasses were the finishing touches.

I love love love Triptych's. Fortunately Mandy took a ton of pictures so I had plenty to work with. I use this amazing app that I downloaded to my i phone called Diptic. They have hundreds of layouts to choose from, you can even adjust the width and heights and change the boarders. Speaking of boarders.... you can change the color or stick to classic black and white, make the edges rounded or keep the crisp and sharp. However you prefer it, I can't get enough of it.... it's so much fun to play with.

This Triptych is so fun. It worked out really well. I like that Mandy always makes sure to capture the  "details" in my outfits... she's really good at that.

This picture makes me laugh... I had a ton of these "swing pictures." Actually, we both did. I had to edit out an underwear shot that was hilarious (thanks Mandy). We were both terrified of this swing.... it was for a little child or something. We tested it first, when we sat in it, it sunk down and almost touched the ground. We kept checking the rope to make sure it wasn't going to snap.... it never did but it was still scary.

I hope you enjoy my triptych's as well as my pretty purple dress and my black woven hat.

There are still more Adventures of  Mandy and Taylor to come.

XOXO

"You and Me in Our Fiber Glass Chairs"..... by Taylor

 "You and Me in our Fiber glass Chairs"

...... do do do... de de de.. do do do....do do doooo.......

You and me, wait and see

we will be

so happy

in our fiber glass chairs

...... do do do... de de de.. do do do....do do dooooo.......

we are so, la de da

fancy us

ooh la la

in our fibar glass chairs

...... do do do... de de de.. do do do....do do doooo.......

Sha la la... la la la... Sha la la... la la laaaaa

...... do do do... de de de.. do do do....do do doooo.......

We make love, in our chairs

hold on girl

almost there

In this fiber glass chair

...... do do do... de de de.. do do do....do do dooooo.......

We are free, you and me

flying high

in the sky

In our fiber glass chairs

...... do do do... de de de.. do do do....do do dooooo.......

We explore the World

see stars

never ending

in my fiber glass chair

...... do do do... de de de.. do do do....do do dooooo.......

Sha la la... la la la... Sha la la... la la laaaaa

...... do do do... de de de.. do do do....do do dooooo.......

Only with you, I feel this way

up all night

holding you tight 

in my fiber glass chair

...... do do do... de de de.. do do do....do do dooooo.......

(fade out)

The adventures of Mandy and Taylor at Calhoons

Mandy and I decided to take a day to do one of our favorite things...... antique shopping! Mandy showed me the cutest Antique Mall called Calhoons that was originally and old boarding house. It had three levels and tons of rooms (we will get to that later). First we started in the basement, which was pretty much just filled with odds and ends. I did happen to find this vintage suit case but it was to worn out and too beat up to invest in.... so instead I just had Mandy take a picture of me with it.

I spotted this neat old cash register... pretty cool eh? The price wasn't so cool and vintage typewriters are my thing anyhow. Onward.

There was some really pretty glass vases and dishes.

Here we are on the main floor. We were trying to be sneaky and take all our photos secretly. A lot of antique places hate it when you take pictures of their items and will ask you not to or as you to leave and ruin your whole day.

I had to take a picture of The Star Wars dolls for The Mister...just to let him know that I was thinking of him.

Here's sweet Mandy with and adorable case that she found, I'm guessing it's used to put makeup or jewelry in. It's shaped like a large pocket time piece that opens up. She found it placed on a vanity so we are assuming that's what it was used for.

Vintage Cookware!!!!!!

Mandy admiring the colored glass.

Games, games, scary dolls and more games.

Beautiful light coming through the window with ferns growing through.

These precious little birds were on a vanity just waiting for me to come along and see them. They were so adorable! Alas.... I did not buy them. I do believe they are napkin holders, which is just darling but I don't entertain that much to justify buying them.

Bah! More cookware...... I must have the pink ones. Someday when I have some extra money to just toss around I will invest in some vintage kitchen cookware.

Okay, so this is the upstairs on the third level that Mandy forced me to go to. I was scared that the evil shop owner was going to catch us and kick us out. Once I gave in to peer pressure and went up there I was glad I did because it was really interesting to see all the old boarding rooms and the way they had used the antique furniture to play up the way they used to look like. It was actually very creepy. I took this picture of Mandy in a room that they were renovating.... the light coming through the windows was unbelievable. 

Try to imagine yourself back in that space and time with all the noises and chatter of people.... if we closed our eyes we could almost hear it. It's as though they just all got up and abandoned it... left all of their belongings for us to look through. Most of the furniture was in disarray, we had to step over chairs and other items to take pictures. I only took a few.... I mostly wanted to look and take it all in. We did stumble onto some dead bats. I'm sure Mandy has some good ones of those little guys.

I snapped this one on the way out. Door knobs and old license plates. Yes.........

This was on the way back to the car. We spotted the coolest looking fire escape stairs and weathered door with the "smart shop" sign..... perfect for some pictures. This is the outfit I wore for our day out at Calhoons Antique Mall. Most of my outfit is thrifted except the top I bought from Target.

I hope you enjoyed the post! There is more shenanigans to come with Mandy and Taylor's weekend getaway.

XOXO

Foraging for Fab

Guess who's featured on a blog post? ME!!!!!!! I know I'm a geek but this is the first time that someone has ever blogged about me, and it's a cute blog too! I sound so retarded because I'm actually proud of myself.... my pictures look so good. I'm tickled to see them up there next to other peoples creations. Wow! They DO look swell. I've worked so hard on these little guys and now it's finally paying off. So here it is..... cute little Ketsy with Foraging For Fab.

Rhinka The Rhino - Amigurumi Rhino - Faux Taxidermy Crochet Wall Decor by Sanda, Pepika Amigurumi Patterns on Etsy. [Pattern Only]

When I was a child, my parents purchased an old but formerly grand small hotel in cottage country. After one season in that strange structure with a giant kitchen and tiny winding staircases, creaking floorboards and peeling white paint, my father had that sad hazardous fire trap of a building torn down and worked with an architect to build a modern winterized cottage in it's place.

Faux Taxidermy Rabbit by Sabine Alpers, FAUX FAUNA on Etsy.

Custom Mounted Animal, Hand Sculpted OOAK by Ashleigh Burbidge, The Burbs on Etsy.

Yellow Pig - Mounted by Taylor Hart, Nothing But A Pigeon on Etsy.

One thing I remember distinctly from one of the drawing rooms in the place was the two mounted Stag Heads on the wall. They had been there for decades likely, with sad looking glossy glass eyes and majestic raised heads.  I am not now nor have ever been a fan of taxidermy. I don't know anyone who actually owns a gun, much less hunts, and I care far more for the ecosystem and all it's creatures to ever dare approve of hunting for sport alone. But there is something very rustic and traditional about having these sorts of items in a cabin or cottage setting.

Orange & Robins Egg Blue Dear Head Wall Mount by Hannah Reed, Banana Tree Studios on Etsy.

The Hooper - Blue Raspberry Resin Shark Head - Chic & Trendy by White Faux Taxidermy on Etsy.

Captain Moose-Stachio - Faux Taxidermy Eye Patch and Mustached Deer/Moose Trophy by Bree Y., Anatomically Incorrect Creatures on Etsy. [Made To Order]

Our family, though no longer cottagers, still has one of those mounted stags, long ago named 'Charlie". It resides in my sister's family Ski Lodge, with a place of honor. It reminds us to respect the animals, wild and otherwise around us, and makes us aware that the number of those majestic animals is in serious decline.

Custom Mounted Deer Head - Animal Friendly Taxidermy by Stephanie Garcia, Pockets with Posies on Etsy.

Custom Mounted Animal, Hand Sculpted OOAK by Ashleigh Burbidge, The Burbs on Etsy.

The Calhoun - White w/Silver Glitter Horns Resin Rhino Head - Chic & Trendy by White Faux Taxidermy on Etsy.

However you feel on the subject, you cannot deny that sometimes a little reminder of the traditions of the past, the whimsical side of our natural environment is often something we are missing.  We mostly live in the city and rarely see wild animals, unless you consider the odd squirrel or chipmunk, even a raccoon raiding your garbage bin 'wild'.  Today's strange stuff post takes a fun look at a much more magical 'faux' taxidermy that while strange to some, definitely has it's share of charm.  Check out these wonderful offerings and consider if there is a place in your home for a little faux friend on the wall.

Wilbur Head Mount OOAK by Ghoulie Girls, Shop Ghoulie Girls on Etsy.

Needle Felted Cow Head, Style Faux Taxidermy by Sabine Alpers, FAUX FAUNA on Etsy

Foxy (Orange & White) by Taylor Hart, Nothing But A Pigeon on Etsy.

What do you guys think? I'm so happy to share this with everyone. I'm hoping that my business will continue to expand and grow and little by little get recognized by people that appreciated the creative thought and skill that it takes to make these little creatures. A special thanks to Ketsy for featuring me in her lovely blog Foraging For Fab.

XOXO