Vacation

Happy Hump Day!

As you know, I'm on vacation from work this. I've been trying to keep busy, taking time to enjoy the little things, and the company of those I care about and having some fun.

Just wanted to let you know that's it's been going great and I'm trying to take as many pictures as possible.

Here's a little peak from the little adventure Laura, Michael, and I went on Monday:

I'm signing off early again today because my parents are helping me install a new bathroom door this morning. I've been working like crazy to make my house pretty and clean again. It sure is hard work sometimes. I have so much STUFF!!

I'm headed out later to hang out with my dearest friend, Nichole. It's been years since we've really honestly hung out. Of course, I'll get to meet her lovely daughter, Taylor, too. It should be a nice afternoon of thrifting and little adventures. I'll be sure to snap a couple pictures, at least with my phone!

Just wanted to check in. :)

xo, Linds

A week in Instagrams 5.16.11

I'm back for the weekly "A week in Instagrams". These are some snapshots throughout the past week.  Thought I better get these posted since we're almost to hump day already! Enjoy!

1. More chocolate milk love! I can't seem to part with my nearly empty bottles of chocolate syrup. You never know when you might just need another squirt to make one more glass. So currently, there's about 4 of them on my kitchen counter. I also loathe grocery shopping so I try to make things last as long as possible.
2. There's are my salt and pepper shakers! Aren't they the cutest thing everrrr? I got them from Stapes Treasure Trove shop on Etsy. Speaking of Etsy, I think I deserve a pat on the back. I've done a swell job of avoiding excessive online shopping. Particularly from Etsy. It was getting kind of.. scary.
3. Here's a quick shot of Nixon. He was helping me out with some portraits of my LPS collection for an upcoming post. I realized that it's going to be kind of hard to introduce you to Nixon, seeing as.. how am I going to take a picture of my camera? So I'm sure you will get some lovely cell phone photos that will have to do.

4. Ichabod took a nap with Michael when he got home from work Sunday afternoon. They look too precious all snuggled up on the loveseat.

5. I believe I may have already posted this photo of Dolb and I, but oh well. Hans and Dolby had a little sleepover here earlier in the week. It's always a fun time.
6. It's rare to find Lux napping on the couch, so I had to take a picture. He napped next to me on the couch while I was surfin' the web and Michael and Ick napped on the loveseat Sunday afternoon, pictured in #4.

 10. One of my Pike Days finds! I took the photo especially to text it to Kelsey while she's still down in sunny Florida. Kelsey loves owls and she supports my LPS love 100%. She gets just as excited about them as I do, if not more, at times! :) I can't wait to hang out with her when she gets home!
11. A little snapshot of some things on my fridge; including; A pumpkin magnet that I made with the kids at work. An old Polaroid of an older lady that we found when we moved in the apartment. A Betty Boop magnet that my grandparents cut out of wood and painted, A magnet from when I was about in 5th grade. I collected aliens when I was younger. (See, I've been collecting for years!) A Bruce Springsteen magnet from The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Also, a sticker that says I love Caseys Buffet. Molly sent this bumper sticker up to me when she sent me the cute little birdie (pictured next). Casey Buffet was, indeed, delicious. I long to go back to North Carolina and to see Molly, but unfortunately, the time and funds are just not in my cards. :(
12. Nixon also helped me out with taking some pictures of some things Molly created and gave me. I'm planning on doing sort of an "Ode to Molly" type post. So hold tight for better pictures of these creepy, cute critters.

13. These 2 guitars belong to Michael's friend, Emilio. Not exactly sure how they ended up here or why they are still here, BUT I'm not complaining. They are easy on the eyes when I wake up and see them by my bedside every morning.
14. Michael's Pike Days find! He seriously LOVES this jacket. We took some silly photos with it. This is one of them. I think he called this one "Captain Abe and Moby Ick."
15. A beautiful flower I found growing out in the wild and an even more beautiful piece by Mean painted on the brick wall behind it. You will get a better look into this old lumber yard shortly. I've got lots of posts in the works.

xo, Linds

Lux goes to the vet

Good afternoon! I had kind of a lazy morning this morning, BUT that's okay, because that's what vacations are for.

Not completely lazy, though, because... Lux and I had a little date with the doctor earlier.

Ever since I brought Lux home he has had the dirtiest and stinkiest ears. We just kind of laughed it off. I cleaned his ears regularly with ferret ear cleaner and cotton balls and moist q-tips. He didn't seem bothered by his ears and the other ferrets didn't seem completely turned off by it because they often would lick his ears and help him clean them. However, I figured that since I had some time off work, I better be safe than sorry and take him to see the vet because ear mites can sometimes be common in ferrets.

As I suspected, the doctor thought it may be ear mites, as well. It was a quick in and out visit. He swabbed his ears and examined it. He gave me some details on a parasite preventative for felines called Revolution that I could apply to the back of his neck once a month. He said I could order it online and it would be safe to treat both ferrets, just in case. He also suggested that I use mineral water in their ears about once a week to suffocate the mites.

Since I am sharing my ferret wisdom today, I wanted to share with you the three best recent investments for my little fuzzies:
1. a ceramic water dish. I read in the Ferrets USA magazine (My favorite bathroom reading material) that sometimes ferret prefer to drink from dishes rather than bottles. Every time the ferrets go to visit my parents with me, she gives them a dish of water and they seem to enjoy it. Plus, I figured, they are out of their cage constantly at home, so they might like having easy access to quench their thirst instead of climbing completely back into the cage. Not only am I sure they stay hydrated while playing hard, but I think they actually find it quite fun. Lux is always snorkling around in their bowl. He puts his head in nearly up to his eyes. It's the cutest thing! He loves bobbing for ice when we add ice on exceptionally hot days, too! Maybe I'll get a picture someday!
2. Dog steps. Now, I guess I'm lying because I didn't actually buy these. We had these doggie steps at my parents house for my dog, Sheba, once she had got old and had a hard time getting on and off the couches. They are still in great condition so they're sitting right below the cage door. I don't have to worry about them jumping in and out and climbing up and down the cage when they are running around the house and want to go back to there little home for snacks, drinks, sleep, or to use the liter box. Plus, the stairs are hollow and they make a perfect little tent hideout. Sometimes you will find Ichabod napping under there!
3. Plastic tube. This week I finally bought one of those plastic bendy tubes. I don't know why it took me so long to purchase one of these! They love it. Ferrets love crawling through small spaces and digging and tunneling. It's hours of entertainment for them, which mean, hours of entertainment for me!

Dolby enjoying the tube.

That's all for now. I'm signing off for the day because Michael got off work early and Laura was nice enough to take the day off work to hang out with us. :)

xo, Linds

Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium

It's been several weekends since Michael and I went to the zoo. I hadn't been there for YEARS! Finally, both of us had a day off and the weather was juuuust right. Apparently, a zillion other people thought so, too. Nonetheless, it was still a great time. It was kind of an early anniversary date for us. I've been meaning to post pictures via facebook to show some friends and family but I think this is an even better way to showcase some of my favorite snapshots from our day at the zoo!

 Which animal was my favorite? Hmmm. That's a tough one!

The giraffe really kind of blew my mind when I got to thinking how tall her really was! 'What an amazing creature! Monkeys creep me out a little, but I couldn't stop looking at them! Bears are adorable, of course!! The polar bear seemed extra playful and reminded me of my own little polar bear looking ferret, Lux. The kangaroos were outstanding because you could actually go inside their pen! I'm a sucker for petting zoos or anything hands on! I would have loved to see African painted dogs. I think I would have fell in love BUT they were busy napping.

I guess I can't really answer that question! They were all extremely fascinating and fun to take photos of!

xo, Linds

Pike Days

Hello! It's been a busy day. Just wanted to made sure I was at least able to check in to say Happy Saturday!

Today is a very special day for people in the area... it's PIKE DAYS!! On Pike Days weekend, we celebrate the settlers visions by waking up in the early morning and setting out junk in our front yards and porches and sidewalks in hopes to sell it to total strangers. It's really a sight to behold. It has become somewhat of a tradition to go. Plus, you already know I'm a sucker for cheap stuff.

So I made my way to Brownsville at 7:30AM. (I've come to the realization that I really force myself to become a morning person.) Michael and I met with some of my family for some breakfast at the infamous 50's style diner, Fiddle's.

After a delicious breakfast of eggs, toast, sausage, and hashbrowns, we made our way down the Pike to see if there was any junk we couldn't live without!

The photo above has nothing to do with the apparent rapture that was suppose to happen today! (I'm still here!) I just thought it was an interesting collection of items that summed up the type of things you might find at Pike Days!

Castle Blood is a local haunted house. It's quite theatrical and interactive. Every year, they sell some of their old props. Being a lover of Halloween, (and all holidays, really), it's always a pleasure stopping by there!

So, Pike Days isn't really just all about buying junk. They have some pretty fun festivities set up. These are some horses that give wagon rides. There is also a large barn set up near this area with live entertainment (fiddles, banjos, and whatnot. We didn't catch any performances while we were there!). The food is a whole other story! It's not unusual to spend more money on food than on junk! Lots of delicious food grilled up or roasted up right before your eyes!

Another thing I particularly like about Pike Days is all the classic cars. It was such perfect weather this afternoon for cruising in a lovely vehicle such as this one. One year, Laura and I went in her hearse. That's about as close as we've got ourselves! But nonetheless, it sure is easy on the eyes to see these rolling by as I'm browsing for bargains or hiking up the sidewalks.

So what did I come home with?!
- Littlest Pet Shop! 9 of 'em!!! I found them for 50 cents a piece! I kind of regret not grabbing more. There was a box full! Though I'm sure now that some other little kiddos are going home happily with new additions to there Littlest Pet Shops! I would have posted pictures, but I'm saving all my LPS photos for an extra special post that I've been slowly working on about my strange, yet cute collection!
- A friendship bracelet. It's red and white. I'm not sure if it's actually little hearts or chevron stripes! Either way, it's cute! I love any kind of thread-like bracelet that I can just leave on forever. It was only a couple cents and the proceeds went towards... well, something or other. It was my good deed for the day!
- Michael and I picked up the Rumors vinyl by Fleetwood Mac. I think it will sound just lovely spinning on the player. As always, it's pleasing to add to the collection!
- Michael picked out a crazy ship captain costume that Castle Blood was letting go. He's super pumped about it! We've already been taking some goofy, serious pictures with it.
- We got a sweeeet Crown Royal belt buckle that we already gifted to Michael's brother!
- I found 2 pair of new sunglasses at our last stop! My most loved shades from previous summers are either missing an arm or are scratched up or the designs are starting to peel off! Such a bummer! It's was definitely time for some new ones.
- I also found 2 sets of button stud earrings. One is black and white stripes and the other is red and white stripes. I'm pretty predictable, I know. I like what I like!

So that's what we got into this morning! On our way home through Brownsville this afternoon, we also stopped at one of our favorite photo spots! I took some photos with my phone because I didn't feel like lugging Nixon up and down the streets, BUT I'm making it a point to go back there with him when the weather is nice like it was today! Maybe I'll make a post with some of these pictures as sort of a little teaser to some much bigger, better quality photos that I hope to be getting!

We've been lounging around the house this evening. Though it's Saturday, I don't think we've really got anything in store for tonight. It was a hot one today. I actually got a bit sun burnt! Between the heat and waking up early, I'm pretty beat!

By the way, I've got lots of posts and ideas in the workings. Feel free to get excited or something.

xo, Linds

Gucci, Maestro, and Lux

In February, my sister decided to move out of our apartment and in with her boyfriend so our little family had significantly downgraded. Like I said, Ick was still our spoiled little baby so we were sure we could give him enough love and attention that he wouldn't be too heartbroken when Hans and Dolby left.

Hans and Dolby are Laura's and Ickabod is Michael's. So, I had been tossing the idea of getting my own pet for a while since all I technically had was my beta fish.

Gucci

But finally, I caved in and made the commitment to get a bird. I had my heart set on a canary since we had one in our household from our grandma when I was younger. So, off to Your Pets we went.

Maestro

I came home with a beautiful yellow canary. He is a male, so naturally, he sings. I named him Maestro.

After a bath!

In flight!

Well, I thought that was it. I had satisfied my longing for a pet and companion, but boy, was I wrong. Everyone had always joked that if I ever came across an all white ferret, I'd have to buy him, since we all have different types of ferrets. Hans is sable. Dolby is cinnamon. Ichabod is chocolate.

Well, I must not have as much of a strong will as I had thought. Especially when it comes to ferrets. Michael and I had been out thrifting at Red, White, and Blue thrift store out towards Pittsburgh one weekend and decided to stop at Petco to look around. That is where I found myself in THEE situation. A baby albino ferret looking at me through the glass. I obviously could not find it in my heart to say 'no'!

Prince Luxington Interior

I asked to hold him. Maybe that's where the problem started! Everyone knows you can't hold an animal at a pet store without taking it home!! We ended up talking to a sales associate for a good half hour, if not longer, while I held who was to become my little wonder, Lux. (Yes, named after the late Lux Interior of The Cramps.)

Lux ended up to be the trouble maker of the bunch. Well, I guess I had got use to how mellow Icky was. Lux was always up to something. He just wanted to play, play, play, even though Ick just wanted to sleep, sleep, sleep. He has got himself a bad reputation in the short 2 months he has lived here! Hans and Dolb could be quite mischievous and needed to be under supervision, as well, so of course, I couldn't be so lucky as to own two laid back ferrets!

He quickly learned to climb.
This is always a bad thing. A whole new level of things to get into and knock over!

The night he wanted to drink wine out of cups and got a little messy tasting chocolate ice cream!

Visiting Has and Dolby. Wrestling, of course.

As bad as he can be, when I hold him in my arms, he is a total sweetheart. I'm not going to lie, I had similar doubts and regrets, as I felt about Dolby, but once again, just look at this precious thing!!! I fell in love. Completely in love.

I think Ichabod also enjoys the company. It's good to see him have some one to wrestle and hop with. Lux is a perfect little playmate. A perfect cuddle buddy, as well.

Lux's addition to the family may not have been planned, but I feel like he completes our little family so well.

I'm so thankful to have these four little furry creatures in my life. It has been such a fun experience. Everyone else seems to enjoy their presence and their antics, too.

Getting some ferret love from Kelsey.

I hope you enjoyed this peak into our little world. These animals are a HUGE part of my life, so expect more updates and pictures on my blog in the future!

xo, Linds