Q u o t e s

I just love quotes. I recently found (or stumbled, tee hee) a site called Stumble Upon. Oh myyyy. I am in love. If you don't know what this site is, or what it's about...I highly recommend checking it out. But beware, it may take up your whole day. I found some great quotes on there, and a lot of them really hit home for me. I will share some here and there because I'm sure I'm not the only person these quotes would mean something to.

I'm so happy tomorrow is Friday. I've been trying to think of a good infusion to whip up for my next salve. I want it to be great, so I have to think long and hard about this. I've also been thinking about incorporating other items in my shop other than just beauty products. I do have another shop (www.benbentandmoo.etsy.com) that's partial to vintage stuff and my own creative goodies - which took a back seat once ABB opened...so I'm not sure it would be smart to add them to ABB when I do have another shop for that. Shrug haha. It's just really hard to spread the word out there. I hope to gain more of a following in the coming months, not just on here, but with my shop. I see other shops and how far they've come, and I hope to achieve that one day. I'm proud to have as many sales as I've had in such a short time though. So I can't completely complain, right? :p

So my 23rd birthday is in less than a week. I'm excited but not at the same time. Me and a ton of other people will be hitting up Great America down near the Chicago area. It should be an awesome time. I haven't been there since I was a senior in hs (five years ago, eeeeek), so I've been itching to go there and hit some coasters ;) I'm an adrenaline junky, so I can't wait!

This weekend I'm going to Fairie Fest with two awesome people. They introduced me to this awesome festival last year and I just can't wait to go there again!! I will take lots and lots of pics and tell you all about it :D

This month is going to fly by, I can feel it already... I will be out of town pretty much the entire last two weeks of the month. I'll be going to Minnesota for vacation to surprise my brother (I'm pretty sure he's not going to read this, so shhhh!) and then I will be going to Crandon (possibly the last time this year, sniff sniff) over Labor Day weekend. I will, (and mark my words) WILL catch a fish this time. I don't care if I have to go out on the boat at 6 in the morning to get one. I will get one! Perhaps I will catch some in MN with my brother. I can't wait to see him. It's been almost a whole year since I seen him last. We never got along too well when he lived down here, but since he moved, we get along pretty good. I found out we have a lot in common, which is very surprising because we are 10 years apart in age. I just can't wait to see him. He can meet little Lola and I can also visit my paw on the way there. <3

Cemetery Adventures

Now I believe in a post back or two I did say that I lived across the street from a cemetery as a child...I had a very close nit group of friends that I seen everyday. We lived right next to each other, my house in the middle. We all were into mysterious things and shared the same interests with the paranormal. Perhaps it was because we lived directly (and I mean directly) across the street from a very old cemetery. That special haunted marker held a sweet spot in our hearts, mine especially. I remember sitting on the corner of our block, staring into the old cemetery for hours on end, just hoping to see something move...To see an apparition, a figure, just something.

All of our houses were old, very old. Mine was an old Dutch Colonial, built right before the 1900's. It had a lot of history. It had a past that we never got a real chance to know about. You felt different when you were in our house. You knew something else was there, but you just couldn't pinpoint what or who it was.

I loved the unknown past our house held. I loved the mysterious old cemetery across the street. I love sitting there pondering where our ghosts came from and what kind of people they were before they entered a new dimension. I loved all the different headstones in the cemetery and how far back in age they went. The more I explored, the more my heart broke. There were many infants. I couldn't imagine baring a child for 9 months for it to pass away far too soon.

The photos above (and below) aren't from the cemetery I grew up across the street from. These photo's are from a different cemetery, just a few short blocks away. This cemetery is HUGE. You could get lost very easily inside there. When you are inside, you see no end. You see no exit, you just see hills, trees and old graves. It's very beautiful and special. I had gone there over the weekend with one of my very dear and close friends I grew up right next door to (from that old cemetery across the street).

Unfortunately, it was scolding hot out, so we didn't get to spend nearly as much time there as we would have liked, but we did find some awesome graves. They were just beautiful. I loved when you first entered into the cemetery, the graves are very very old and illegible. They are small, warn and broken. But the more further you enter into the grounds, the larger and more spectacular those graves turn in to. Many were large and tall, some were statues and a good bit were old crypts (one of my favorites).

I wish I could have stayed there taking photos all day long. 

Oh Friday, we meed yet again!

Dogs dogs dogs. I just don't know what to do. Our doggie, Lady Jane is 4. I purchased her when she was a tiny little puppy with a big girl attitude (see, wasn't she a cutie pie???). She is a Cocker Spaniel, whom I love to pieces. Lately, she seemed so sad and down, because she'd be alone during the day because my mom and I would be at work. So I got the bright idea to look for another dog. We've been going back and forth whether or not to get one - the responsibility, can we afford to take care of yet another animal, will Lady get along with it, etc etc. But Lady just seemed so sad and unhappy, we opted to get little Lola <3

Lola is almost 2 (or so they said) and she is a cute little Chihuahua. She is just perfect. She's still in the accident stage of potty training. She goes outside, but sometimes slips up. Totally understandable. So Lady is so used to being on her own (or with the cats, which kinda really doesn't count, right?) and not having another pup around to play with her toys and her buddies. She is a suuuuper jealous dog it seems. She gets mad when Lola plays with her toys, chases the cats, and so on. I just hate this. They are good together, most of the time, but when Lady's jealousy kicks in, all hell breaks loose. And the thing is, lady is like a T-Rex compared to Lola, a baby sloth. Not cool. I hate yelling at Lady because she's my baby, too. I practically birthed that girl, haha. It just bugs me I guess.

So I'm thinking this whole post shouldn't just be about my pups! I finally got some shots taken of two new products. This is the Lavender Cuticle Oil. I personally like using this on my hands and body. I usually put my favorite lotion on afterward to lock in the great properties of the oil, but of course, it's totally not necessary. One drop seriously goes a looong way, I love that!! This stuff is amazing and smells fantastic! I love that it's soothing, anti-fungal, and moisturizing all at the same time <3 How awesome is that? Very awesome!

This, my friends, is another awesome creation. Now, I can't take full credit for this line...I was hanging out with my friend Liz one day and we were throwing ideas back and forth for my shop. I have this necklace of Wisconsin with a heart punched out over La Crosse, where my dad is buried (so I can be with him always). She seen that and said "Hey, you could totally make a lip balm collection about cities that you're from" (or something to that effect). The idea kept on going. I have a feeling that this balm will be altered into something amazing. I'm not sure how I exactly feel about the label at the moment, but I just love the idea. So thank you Liz :)

B o r e d .

I haven't been bored in quite some time. I'm always rushing somewhere, hanging out with someone, out of town, working, working, working, driving somewhere across Wisconsin or just plain busy. But right now, I'm bored out of my mind. And guess what?? I'm okay with it!! It's unusual for me to feel this way, but I'm happy with it. I slept in past 9 today for once, I laid around and watched movies (we finally have movie channels again, but I'm not a tv person usually, so I feel weird doing this...watching tv that is), played with my doggies, and read blogs. I feel like I didn't even sleep last night. Lola slept with me. This is the second night in a row that we both were woken up during a thunderstorm. And her being a Chihuahua (and sadly, not fully potty trained), I had to take her outside in the storm. That was interesting...

Yesterday I picked up my nephew in Edgerton, WI, where he lives. Every other weekend my mom and I drive to pick him up...we drive through the beautiful farmland of Wisconsin. It's probably my most favorite drive that I've been on in Wisconsin. I had taken an old camera my grandma recently gave me (that's over 50 years old) with us to take some neat country photos. I had purchased black and white film for it too. I did most of the candids while driving, not realizing that the film only allowed 12 photos to be taken...oops. I hope they turn out...but anyway, I love how each special location of my home state is different. For example, in SE WI, it's mostly city and lakefront. In Northern WI, or the "Northwoods", it's just nothing but complete woods and reservations (which I love). In Northwestern WI, you see the Mississippi river, bluffs, farms, woods, everything. Okay, so maybe I may like NW WI better than the Southwestern...maybe. I love going by my dad's hometown because once you're out of Milwaukee, the air changes...the scenery changes, you change. It's hard to explain. But it's wonderful.

There are a few places in WI I have yet to explore that I'd really love to...if most of you didn't know this already (which I'm sure you do), WI is home to a few...erm...serial killers. Not proud of this, but I'm always in to a good scary story. I always wanted to drive to Plainfield, WI where Ed Gein resided. He actually was from La Crosse, WI, where my dad was from. His dad owned a butcher shop a few blocks away from my dad's house. Scarrrry. But anyway, I always wanted to go there for some reason. Another place would be Door County. It's a nice home away from home area. Bed & Breakfasts, wine tastings, small quaint shops...Just a cool place I always wanted to go. Another place is the Summerwind Mansion in Vilas Cty, WI. When I was in Eagle River with my friend Liz a few weeks back, her bf's family was telling us about the Summerwind Mansion, and how it was struck by lightening 3 times and burned down. The foundation is still here. It supposedly was haunted, which I love, and a lot of spooky things had happened there, and even after the fire. Google it, it's really interesting.

So yeah. Sorry for rambling so much on here. I guess it's a place for me to release the oddness that's floating around in my mind...even if it doesn't make much sense :p One of my favorite things right now is slouch hats. I just purchased this one and got it in the mail on Thursday.

Cute Slouch Beanie!!

I've been wearing this pretty much since I got it. It looks awesome with my red hair. My mom thinks I'm nuts though, seeing it's so hot outside. But I've only been wearing it in air conditioning ;) I got Lola this cute little pixie hat as well...

Pup Pixie Hat

I just love these items. I'll have to get some pics of them soon...perhaps when it cools down some. Well I think I'm going to call it a night soon. I'm going to watch a scary movie, eat some ice cream, and snuggle with my pooches! <3

We, Are Warped

Whelp! I feel so behind. I feel bad that I haven't progressed very far recently when it comes to my shop. Life has been crazy the last few weeks (thank you summer). Now, you ask what have *I* been up to. Oh, you know...Camping, the 4th of July, spending time with my friends and family....music festivals, swimming, ya know ;)

I came back from Crandon this past Sunday. Oh man, I was a buffet for the skeeters. They were HORRIBLE. My arms weren't touched (go figure), but my feet got mangled. My bad for wearing flip flops and not spraying them... This trip was by far the most gorgeous. I drove up this time, instead of going in one car with a bunch of people. My cousin, Luke, road with me. We had a good time laughing and blasting music. It was great. I give my uncle many many kudo's for driving up so many times with so many people. That drive wiped me out. Which it really shouldn't because I'm used to driving back & forth to La Crosse (3 hrs 1 way from me, where my paw is buried) in one day. But still.... I was the only person out of 10 people this weekend to not catch a fish. I don't have good luck it seems. I got a bite though......BUT! I got some amazing eagle photos. That was intense all on it's own. I was standing right below her while she was circling around. I had gotten a video of it, which I think I'll upload sometime soon. Our internet is getting changed, so I'm crossing my fingers that it's faster than what we have now...

This is the Bald Eagle completely zoomed out on my camera. And me, standing on a boat directly below her. It was like I had wings and was flying right beside her. Words cannot express how exhilarating that was. I wish I could feel that free all the time. 

The photo above...for some reason, I don't like. It's a good shot of the eagle, but I think my exposure was down too low at the initial time of taking the photo. I tried messing with it on my computer, but I think it looks worse. Oh well :p

This picture though, I really like. I messed with this one also, the original looked like I had taken it in January. I just love the bird minding his own business in the leafless tree. He was a cutie!

This is what I'd like to call a "Money Shot". It's gorgeous, fascinating, beautiful, breathtaking, inspiring and it makes me really really proud. Not to actually take this photo, but to be so close to something so beautiful and something that holds such strong relation to my home. It's pretty awesome to say the absolute least. What's the next best thing to an experience like this? Seeing baby Bald Eagles together in a tree. THAT my friends, is a loss for words. I couldn't believe my eyes. For some reason, no matter how many times I see an eagle, or any large bird really, I get so mesmerized. I just love birds. But anyway, it was great to see two beautiful babies (they didn't look like babies though, they were HUGE) together in a tree waiting for their parents.

They were giving me cute little faces too. It was adorable. I love how they look exactly the same here. Smiiiiileeee. Hehe. But that's not the only thing that was crazy this weekend. We rescued this cute girl, Lola.

She's a Chihuahua, almost 2 years old, such a sweet little girl. She loves to cuddle and she looooves treates. She jumps like a jumping bean when she gets one or see's her leash to go outside. Hehe, I just love her to pieces. She got along pretty well with our other doggie, Lady Jane, she's a Cocker Spaniel who's 4. The cats aren't too fond of this one, but they'll get used to her in no time! Well, I think I rambled on enough I suppose. This post didn't have much meaning behind it other than me taking some sweet pics and getting a new doggie. I'm hoping to have some new stuff made this weekend or my preping out of the way. Either way, new stuff will be up! Good evening all <3

R a m b l e

I want to be able to find a job where I'm not confined to only a cubicle. I want to find a lover that doesn't get sick of hearing me tell him I love him more than once a day - there is NO such thing as being loved too much, EVER....don't let anyone tell you otherwise! I want to be able to use my creativity in all aspects of my life. I would love for my work life to equal the same happiness as my home life. I want to have a big family someday, on a farm in the country, with horses and dogs and sheep and chickens...I want to grow my own food and herbs for my shop so I can ensure that my customers are getting the highest quality they deserve. I want to be able to grow old, very very old, with someone and I want them to feel the exact same way about me. I don't want to act guarded around this someone, but be my complete dorkish self without shame, as well as him too. I want to find someone who has the same aspirations as me, and not shun me if I never get there. I want someone to support my craziness and be there for me when times get tough, not run the other direction like all the other men I have encountered thus far. I want someone who loves nature as much as I and who wants to live out in the woods sometime in our lives. I want to be able to create without boundaries, where ever I may be, and for my future kids to be able to do the same. I want some one to understand my crazy sense of humor and laugh along, not look at me like I'm crazy. :) I just want to love someone unconditionally forever. Not just short term, but for the rest of our lives. I want it to be like the movies, to grow old and happy together. That's what I want. That's on my list of things to accomplish before I die (I'm hoping much much sooner). I know some may seem far out of reach, but you cannot limit a dream that can become an easy reality. <3