Of course I'm not too old for stuffed animals, you silly!
Hey, these are special though....let me explain...
Bottom row:
I bought the sea turtle at Sea World in Orlando when we went for Peanut's (my other little sister) birthday. Wouldn't that be an awesome birthday!
Winifred the river otter (named after the otter in Redwall) is my favorite, she came from the South Carolina Aquarium, the first one I ever went to.
The dolphin is actually my sister, Luna's, but I had to put it in because it came from the Baltimore Aquarium, that was awesome!!
Rufus, the dog beanie baby, came from Arkansas actually....he's there solely for sentimental purposes. I have had him ever since I can remember and has been everywhere with me (and he's in surprisingly good condition) I love Rufus! (he also has an awesome singing voice, the other beanie babies on the block say he sounds just like Elvis!)
The white tiger was bought at the Natural History Museum in Washington D.C., that was a fun place. He is one of the most patriotic tigers you'll ever meet!
Middle row:
The clouded leopard came from the Zoo in Washington D.C. I love clouded leopards! Ever since I saw that episode of Planet Earth about China I have been fascinated by the animals from there; the clouded leopard (who has the awesomest tail and coat) pandas (well, you know why they're cool) and musk deer (deer with saber teeth!)
The bear came from Germany. It was special when I got it because we didn't live in Germany yet. My dad had brought it back from one of his trips.
The red-tailed hawk came from the St. Louis Zoo. I got that particular animal because in S. Carolina, a family of red-tailed hawks lived in our back yard, and that was a really great thing to me. (it also makes a hawk sound when you squeeze belly that scares away squirrels and make them do funny things with their tails!)
The last animal on the top is another otter. She is actually a back pack ( I had to put splash balls inside of her to make her sit up straight) but the straps wore completely off. I got it from my Grammi and Papa on year for Christmas when I was about 7 or 8 and it was the best thing ever! I remember sitting under their pool table with all my other presents (and a few "treasures" like rocks and screws I found in the yard hidden under the top corners of the table) and playing for hours.
There are a few extra things I have to mention like the blue blanket the animals are on is actually a shawl my grandpa sent from Turkey! Also, there are some animals not shown (oops, sorry) like a cute little teddy bear from Hawaii and a koala bear from Australia both also from my grandpa.
And I'm still adding on to my collection (I can't wait to go to France or Italy!!!)
Oh, and I don't have an animal from my hometown in Mississippi! *hint hint*
This is what got me started. I got it for one Christmas or birthday, I can't remember, but it has everything. Water color pencils (but I'm not sure what they do) and color pencils, chalk, pastels, paint boards, drawing tablet, water color tablet, a canvas and, the best part, acrylic and water color paint.
These are some of the best color pencils on the market. I love them, so bold and soft. The Art Stix are cool, they have no wood around them so they're perfect for filling in big spaces! Also, those pencils at the bottom of the picture that are still in the package are blenders, they make it so there is not a bold line that separates each color. you know so it all blends in, pretty cool huh? (Oh, and that odd shaped thing in the middle, that's a special soft color pencil sharpener)
These are for sketching, which I'm best at. I have all sorts of pencils in different sizes and softness(es?) hmmm, well anyway, I think the little black sketch book is so cute! Its really good for carrying around wherever I go!
