If you enjoyed my post on the Little People Project, you’ll love this.
First, feast your gaze on these gorgeous landscape photos:
Photos courtesy of MatthewAlbanese.com
Photos courtesy of MatthewAlbanese.com
Photos courtesy of MatthewAlbanese.com
Photos courtesy of MatthewAlbanese.com
Rivers in flood, erupting volcanoes, coral reefs, Northern Lights … the moon??
This photographer must really get around!
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Have you ever been to Bonn?
Photo by Matthias Zepper via Wikipedia
Alas, I have not, but if I were to get up and gallivant to Germany, I would be compelled to book a night or two at BaseCamp, a refuge among Bonn’s big-city bustle that beckons my inner glamper.
Photo courtesy of Pop Up City
Housed in a revamped storage warehouse,
Photo courtesy of BaseCamp
BaseCamp offers the year-round comfort of a hotel (it’s indoors, complete with furniture and WiFi) with the charm of a retro camp-o-rama.
All of the rooms, as you can see, are housed in adorable “canned ham” classics and other vintage vehicles with nifty names like Flower Power,
Photo courtesy of BaseCamp
Space Shuttle,
Photo courtesy of BaseCamp
and Safari.
Photo courtesy of BaseCamp
Most of the trailers also offer cute little compartmentalized “yards” where you can lounge or picnic, soaking up the sounds of the campground.
Photo courtesy of BaseCamp
Rates range from $32 to just over $100 per night.
Sweet dreams!
Photo courtesy of BaseCamp
Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)
Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)
My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Sue Hacker!!!
Sue Hacker (Teenie weenies, #5458) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning a Beginner, Intermediate, and Expert Level Horse Dreams Merit Badge!
“In my back road drives, I found myself admiring those cute little tiny horses. I knew nothing about them or if they required more because of their small size. After talking with a trainer friend, I learned they were so easy to care for and required less hay, and space. I also learned they are great for cart driving for adults, which looked pretty fun.
I kinda peeked on craigslist to see miniature horses were on there, and found a handsome little sorrel paint. He was with a rescue group and a lot older. I looked at the rescue site, and saw a little miniature mare, the same age. I inquired about him, then about her, and asked if it’s possible to get them both. They said that would be ideal because they have been together all their life. But If I wanted just one, that would be okay too. Without any hesitation, I happily adopted them both and even a cart to drive him. It didn’t take me long to realize he knew how to cart drive, but he’s happier just enjoying the retired life with his little woman. I couldn’t be happier with my decision to make Sniffy and Libby part of our family.
Um, well… it has turned dangerous – in the best of ways. I have since rescued three other horses and have been continually learning more about not only horses, but different breeds. I am always sharing the joy of horses with my daughters and encouraging them to enjoy these amazing and beautiful animals.”
If you think transforming life’s lemons into lemonade is an inspiring feat,
imagine converting an abandoned wedding reception into a joyous—and charitable—celebration.
Photo by CrayonMonkey via Flickr
That’s exactly what Carol and Bill Fowler of Atlanta managed to accomplish last month, after their daughter’s wedding was cancelled six weeks shy of the meticulously planned ceremony.
“My husband actually prayed about it,” Carol Fowler recalls. “The next morning he woke, I was in the process of canceling the venue, letting them know that we had no use for it, and he said, ‘No, we’re going to call Hosea Feed the Hungry and have them round up people from the shelters.'”
The Fowlers’ children had volunteered with Hosea Feed the Hungry, an Atlanta-based nonprofit that works to bolster families in need, so they knew it was just the place to turn for assistance.
Carol was crazy about the idea. After all, she says, “We were going to spend this money anyway!”
When the couple called Hosea Feed the Hungry, proposing an elaborate party for local homeless families, the organization was skeptical.
“At first I thought it was a prank call. I thought somebody was joking with us,” admits Elizabeth Omilami, Hosea’s chief executive officer.
But the Fowlers and Omilami wasted no time gathering a guest list of 200 people, most of them women with children, for an afternoon meal at Villa Christina, an upscale local restaurant.
Omilami arranged bus transport from three area shelters to the restaurant, where attendees were treated to fabulous food and lots of kid-friendly entertainment courtesy of a clown, juggler, and face painter.
Photo courtesy of Alvin Evans via Today.com
The whole Fowler family attended the celebration as well. “The feeling was one you cannot explain, to see the faces and hear their thank yous,” Carol commented. “[Our daughter] was also very delighted to see and know that others had an opportunity to enjoy something, rather than just allow it to go to waste.”
Photo courtesy of Hosea Feed the Hungry via Here and Now
Julie Bilecky, sales and marketing director of Villa Christina, said, “Carol and Bill did a phenomenal job of giving back to the community. It could have been difficult situation, but everyone worked together to make it a different kind of party. It was fabulous.”
The event, which has become known as “The First Annual Fowler Family Celebration of Love,” was such a sweet success that the Fowlers hope to hold a similar affair year after year.
Carol credits divine intervention for the advent of a new Atlanta tradition. “We feel that this is something that God would like us to do because obviously, we did not set out to do this.”
Buy props used in MaryJane’s books and magazine!
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
