Birthday Blast!

Well, I expected to spend today mostly at home. Maybe going out to eat, and if I was lucky, going to Putt Putt at our local All Star for my birthday celebration. The hubby never does much for birthdays, because they aren't a big deal in his world.

So imagine my freaking amazement when after our big lunch at CiCi's Pizza, he drives me to the zoo! If you've been a follower of this blog for very long, you'll remember that zoos and museums are basically my favorite places in the world, so I was thrilled beyond thrilled!

Flowers in the newly renovated Jungle exhibit.

Now, the Sedgwick County Zoo is massive, so it took us a few hours to get through, but I was having so much fun that I didn't care how sore my feet were or how hot I was! There are so many amazing exhibits, segregated by their region in the world. So you have Australia (my personal favorite), Africa, Asia, South America, and North America. Along with the regional exhibits, you have the stand alone buildings and exhibits: The Jungle (a freaking real life slice of the rainforest!), the amphibian and reptile houses, the penguin cove, and the children's farms (which showcase animals from different regions in a petting zoo like setting).

A tropical bird perched above the entrance to the waterfall, in the Jungle.

We hit the Children's Farm first, and spent an hour or so wandering the various barns and exhibits, feeding the sheep and goats, and the fish as well. Next, we swung by the penguins, then on to the reptile house! OUtside the doors to the enclosure, I noticed some very out of place sunflowers making a go of it, and snapped a photo.

We toured North America next, and saw all the bears and antelope, and even a few bison. The otter enclosure, wasn't super crowded, but there was a trio of children running wild along the glass tank and screaming bloody murder, so I had to bypass one of my favorite exhibits since the parents didn't seem to see that behavior as any amount of disruptive to the rest of the zoo goers. but I digress...

A sleeping Cougar in the North American region.

We finished up the rest of the regions, and had to backtrack a bit to find our favorite cluster of exhibits: Australia and South America. Unlike the rest of the zoo, these two regions are entirely open to explore, with the wildlife running free in many instances. Which means you get some awesome encounters, like these!

A wallaby grazing near the entrance, about 2 feet from the doors, happily greeting visitors as they come in!

A pair of macaws sitting over the river that runs through the exhibit. They were close enough to reach out and touch!

As we entered the Australia enclosure, there was a Tawny Frogmouth just sitting on the sign, posing for photos. So needless to say, I had to snap selfie! I had no idea he was smiling too!

Needless to say, today was awesome, and I couldn't' have spent my 27th birthday any better!

Love and Lightning Bugs,

 

Pika Pika!

Well, I recently found my copy of Pokemon Soul Silver for my DSi, and have been playing it almost nonstop! I forgot how great this particular Pokemon game is, and it's been so long since I've played anything from this franchise, it's a nice bit of nostalgia too.

That said, I quickly realized that one of the most iconic Pokemon from the series is also one of the rarest to find in that particular game! Turns out Pikachu can only be found in Viridian Forest, and even then it is exceedingly rare. So rare in fact, that I have been running around that forest for days, and still haven't come across one. 

So I decided to make my own! 

It took me about 15 hours to draft the pattern, crochet, stuff, and sew this little guy together, but it was well worth it! Everything was on him is yarn, except for the eyes, which are felt. I am stupidly proud of this little project, hehe.

Love and Lightning Bugs,
 

Missing Childhood: Polly Pocket

I was looking through the blogverse the other day, and came across this article by Chrystal over at Yumeating, about getting rid of beloved toys that her daughter was outgrowing, and it got me thinking about the toy I miss most from MY childhood. The Original Polly Pockets.

Back in the 90's it seemed like every one of my friends had at least three or four of these freaking lockets, and the envy was real. I grew up with not a lot of money, so I never really got the newest toys, but thankfully my friends let me play with theirs, and let me tell you, I was so in love with these it was sad.

The original Polly figures weren't anything to toot your horn at, but they were tiny enough to fit in the miniscule rooms and environments held in the lockets, and that was good enough for me! I had huge adventures at my fingertips, living out everything from the dainty princess, to the happy housewife, and much more. Most of the lockets only had a couple of moving parts, if any, but that didn't limit my imagination any less. I could dance with the prince in the castle courtyard, or have tea in the sitting room, or just go to the mall like to oh so amazing teenagers I couldn't wait to grow up to be.

Look at this magical mofo! It has lights and everything! That was some advanced tech for my childhood.

 After a year or so of pining almost desperately for a Locket of my own, I was surprised one day with this freaking amazing set. The Polly Pocket Magical Mansion. I was OVER THE FREAKING MOON, and for a few more years, I did nothing but play with this set, living out dreams of fancy adulthood with the M.A.S.H husband I had decided on.

And then one day, I just didn't play with it anymore. It eventually got sold for a fraction of the price at a yard sale, and I had decided that my time with Polly was over. It's sad really, to realize you've outgrown something you so loved as a child. But here's the thing about adulthood....you gain the ability to once again own the toys you loved as a kid! So if anyone happens to know of someone with a Polly Pocket Locket that might be rotting away in an attic or something, let me know. I want to give it a good, and very loving home again.

Where there any toys from your childhood you would love to have again?

Love and Lightning Bugs,
 

Ralph...

Sometimes I come across useless videos or photos that make me laugh, and sometimes I come across useless videos or photos that make me let out an unholy and inhuman pterodactyl screech in sheer joy.

This is one of those videos.

Love and Lightning Bugs,
 

Fallout Shelter: Not Your Normal Apocalypse Game

This is NOT a sponsored post. It's just a game I'm into, and I wanted to share.

Well, I got a new phone a couple of weeks ago, and I've been spending a bit of time browsing the Google Play store looking for apps or games to amuse me in my spare time. I don't normally find a game I really get into, but then I spotted this little gem: Fallout Shelter.

As an avid PC gamer, I came across the Fallout franchise when it went on sale a few months ago on Steam. I bought Fallout 3, and have been hooked ever since! In Fallout 3, you play as a Vault dweller, who is forced to leave the safety of the Vault, and explore the nuclear fallout landscape (called the wasteland), in search of your father. The entire franchise has a very 50's feel to it, and the distinct art style reflects that. Thankfully, the Fallout Shelter app keeps with the feel of the original games!

Unlike in the other Fallout games though, you don't explore the wasteland or see the horrors it holds. Instead, you play the role of a Vault Overseer, who is in charge of keeping the dwellers in your vault happy, healthy, and safe from everything the nuclear apocalypse has in store for them. You build rooms that give you basic resources, such as water, power, food, medical supplies, and more. You place dwellers in the room that best suits their SPECIAL skills, to help you gain more resources.

I was thrilled to see SPECIAL being used in this app, since it's such a vital set of statistics in the main games. SPECIAL stands for Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Luck. Each of these stats plays a huge role in the app, and will dictate what dwellers you can put in what rooms, how fast resources are gathered, etc.

But Fallout Shelter isn't just a boring level-builder game. Oh no! You're also tasked with repopulating the now desolate world! Or...at least starting by filling up your vault. You can create more dwellers by placing a male and a female in the Living Quarters, and well...just waiting for human nature to kick in. What else can you really do to entertain yourself in a subterranean community where work and survival comes first?

You can also send dwellers out to explore the wasteland, where they will bring you back caps (bottlecaps are the in-game currency), new armors and outfits to equip your dwellers with, and weapons to help fight off the raider attacks to your little hive of safety!

Overall, I'm incredibly impressed with how well this Fallout app came out. It ties in well with the main franchise, but is good enough to stand on its own as a credible game. If you're a fan of the franchise, I can't suggest this download enough! If you've never played the main games, I still suggest giving this little app a try. It's fun, it's unique, and it's a good way to waste some time.

Love and Lightning Bugs,
 

Blood Drop Amigurumi Free Pattern!

Well, here's a first for me! Thought I would share a pattern I made for a little blood drop!

I crocheted this little droplet for a phlebotomist friend of mine who needed a little pick me up, and thought I would share the pattern! It's not too difficult, and I managed to get through it in about an hour. He would be perfect for those nursing and medical friends in your life!

Magic Circle tutorial can be found here, if you don't already know how to do one!
sc =  Single Chain
st = Stitch
sc2tog = Single Chain 2 Together (Tutorial HERE!)

Row 1.)  6 sc in magic circle = 6 stitches
Row 2.)  2 sc in each st around = 12 stitches
Row 3.)  1 sc in next st, 2 sc in next around (repeat 6 times) =18 stitches
Row 4.)  1 sc in next 2 st, 2 sc in next around (repeat 6 times) = 24 stitches
Row 5.)  1 sc in next 3 st, 2 sc in next around (repeat 6 times) = 30 stitches
Row 6.)  1 sc in next 4 sc, 2 sc in next around  (repeat 6 times)= 36 stitches
Row 7.)  1 sc in next 5 st, 2 sc in next around  (repeat 6 times) = 42 stitches
Row 8.)  1 sc in next 6 st, 2 sc in next around (repeat 6 times) = 48 stitches
Rows 9-13)  1 sc in each st around = 48 stitches
   *Insert Safety eyes between rows 12 and 13 if you're using them. You can sew on felt eyes after fastening off at the end.
Row 14.)  1 sc in next 6 st, sc2tog  (repeat 6 times) = 42 stitches
Row 15.)  1 sc in next 5 st, sc2tog (repeat 6 times) = 36 stitches
Row 16.)  1 sc in next 4 st, sc2tog (repeat 6 times) = 30 stitches
Row 17.)  1 sc in next 3 st, sc2tog (repeat 6 times) = 24 stitches
Row 18.)  1 sc in next 2 st, sc2tog (repeat 6 times) = 18 stitches
Rows 19-20)  1 sc in each st around = 18 stitches
Row 21.)  1 sc in next 4 st, sc2tog (repeat 3 times) = 15 stitches
Row 22.)  1 sc in next 3 st, sc2tog (repeat 3 times) = 12 stitches
Row 23.)  1 sc in next 2 st, sc2tog (repeat 3 times) = 9 stitches
Row 24.)  1 sc in next st, sc2tog (repeat 3 times) = 6 stitches
Rows 25-26)  1 sc in each st around = 6 stitches

Fasten off,  and weave tail through last row. Make sure to pull tight!
Pull the loose end of yarn through body using a yarn needle, and cut off the excess!

There you have it! You're own little blood drop! I hope you enjoy!

Love and Lightning Bugs,
 

Pretty Pictures and Apologies

WELL, it's been a hot minute since I've been on here, huh?

Sure, I've popped on from time to tine to post a VoxBox or two, but any real content on my part has been missing for almost a year. What happened? Well, I got a job that I don't hate, am renovating a house, and in the middle of three massive projects that have taken up any and all my free time. So yeah...been a touch busy.

But not so busy that I forgot to take some pretty photos of the 4th of July fireworks I enjoyed a couple weeks ago! So take a look at them, and accept my apology for the insanely long hiatus. Because they're pretty...and pretty things win people over, right?

I call this one above, Dandelion, because it reminds me of the fluffy flower. I don't know why, but it amuses me a great deal.

The above photo is another of my fave's. it's just so...WHOOSH. That's a correct descriptive word, right?

Love and Lightning Bugs,
       

Dessange Vox Box

Earlier this month, Influenster sent me an amazing new Vox Box to test and give a review of, and just like all the others I have tried, this one was just as great!

I received the Dessange Paris California Blonde Collection, and since I had just bleached part of my hair blonde, I was more than thrilled to see what this new line could do for me. Now, at home bleaching rarely goes the way a person would like, and of course, I ended up with brassy blonde hair. I didn't hate it, but it wasn't quite what I wanted, so I was hopeful this system would be able to even it out.

I used it for a few days, and was completely THRILLED with the results!

Not only did it lighten and even out my blonde, but it didn't remove any of the intentional red I put in my under layers! My hair is softer, and feels so much healthier as well! I honestly can't recommend this system enough for bleached blondes!

Love and Lightning Bugs,
 
I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”