I often Enjoy Window-Shopping or Virtual-Shopping as much as I do the Real Thing. Especially when Budget constraints proclude indulgences, I need Inspiration, or Stress and Tension levels are particularly high, it is a very Therapuetic form of Retail Therapy that Costs Nothing... so the Price is definitely Right! *LOL* So lets go Virtual Shopping Together today... we'll happen to be at my Antique Mall THE BRASS ARMADILLO WEST , so if you see something you want to REALLY Shop for and buy, you'll know where to find it. *Winks* The first two Creations in Images above and below were in my Friend Myko's newly expanded Showroom, she's so Creative that she never ceases to Inspire me.
Altered Art Creations are some of my Favorites... utilizing a conglomeration of Lovely bits and bobs is so Interesting and Resourceful that I really Admire that particular Art Form. And its Fun to Experiment with as a potential Project of your own to find Purpose for those Favorite items you've accumulated as a Human Magpie and are Attractive and Attracted themselves to you, but you weren't sure what to do with? I'm Assuming if you're here you COULD BE a Human Magpie too, am I correct? *Winks*
And since I have a Mall Gift Card I haven't yet used, I could be considering the Purchase of this Old Memorial Button because the Woman reminds me so much of one of my own Dearly Departed Relatives... they could have passed for Sisters in fact! Have you ever seen a random Image that eerily resembles someone you know or are Related to? I always Wonder if they could be some distant Relation we or our Friends didn't know about... Connected to us in a long complex lineage that branches out further than we could ever Imagine?!? This Button was priced at a Bargain so my Gift Card covers it, so if it's there in the Morning it will come Home to Bohemian Valhalla and sit side by side with the known Relatives Images... perhaps being Reunited with a Long Lost Relative, who knows?!?
Jelly Jars and Conductor Tea Light Holders strung up on an Old Bedspring, how Simple and yet Enchanting... I could Imagine these suspended on our Mesquite and Ironwood Trees and Twinkling in the Summer Night above us.
And you might by now be Wondering just why I was Feeling compelled to go Virtual Shopping? Well, it's a combination of keeping within Budget AND the necessary Stress and Tension Reliever. You see, though Wednesday was a busy day of Working my usual Shift and then Hosting a Roundtable Presentation that kept me busy the entire day... it was also one of those Unexpected Crisis Days thrown into the mix... where you felt absolute Panic and then Relief that things weren't the worse case scenario by the Grace of God! *Whew!*
You see, right in the midst of my double Shifts that day I got an Urgent Call that The Son, his Girlfriend and the G-Kid Force had been in a pretty serious Car Accident on their way to bring the Kiddos Home!!! A reckless Driver had caused a considerable pile up of carnage and Paramedics and Police were checking everyone out at the Scene as we spoke on the Phone!!! My Heart literally stood still and I felt intense Nausea as I awaited the Outcome on whether everyone was okay and what extent anyone was injured?!?
And it drove Home the Reality that Life can turn on a dime and in an instant be forever Changed! By the Grace of God and the large SUV they were in, there was added Protection and the injuries they all sustained were not Life Threatening or really Serious. And certainly could have been much worse given the scope of the Accident and the Images The Son Photographed at the Scene for future Litigation against the party responsible for causing the Accident.
I couldn't Thank the Lord enough for His Divine Protection and Grace extended towards our Loved Ones and the Relief I felt that everyone would be Okay! Even though sorting thru the Medical Claims chain of Responsibility for Payment, Insurance Claims and Litigation is certain to be a Process we're not looking forward to facing and enduring. I won't say this wasn't a Good Time for this to happen, since there is never a Good Time for an Accident or an Injury... but we've already got a full plate and this just topped it off for me!
Princess T had her Pre-Surgical Physical the Afternoon after the Accident and so I Assumed I could get her checked out again by the Pediatrician since she might have re-injured that arm she broke on the School Playground earlier this year, so I'm duly Concerned. WRONG... her Insurance won't want to pay for an Accident related Injury where someone else was at fault and of coarse everyone is Concerned about getting Paid... so we need to get more Info about the other Guy's Insurance Carrier so that Medical Claims can be filed and we're not inundated with the bills... Yes, we'll be getting Lawyered Up Immediately... but I have no delusions about The Process being a pain in the arse!
The Young Prince hit his head on the Truck Window, luckily he has a hard head, but I still want to get him check out too. And The Son and his Lovely Girlfriend both have neck and back pain from the rear end and side collision caused by the pile up around them! These are two very hard working Responsible Young People... they cannot afford Injuries that make Working difficult... and now her Vehicle is Totalled, which was the one they often Shared to get to and from Work. So there's a lot they'll be going through... and no matter how Old your Kids get, you go thru their Trials and Tribulations with them Intimately because it's very Personal and Close to your Heart! There certainly is a wide Range of Emotion after hearing Bad News isn't there? And so though there is intense Relief that things weren't the worse case scenario, there is still the Stress related to the Incident... and who needs that, right? It is somewhat like a Boat Anchor weighing you down!
And so a bit of Faux Retail Therapy was definitely in Order after I concluded my Presentation and all Work for the day had ceased and I could finally Let Down. And Deal with everything else a bit later since they decided to bring the Kiddos back to her House after they were Released... and bring them Home the next Morning after everyone had sufficiently Calmed down and Rested after the Ordeal. I knew The G-Kid Force were in good hands with their Uncle and his Girlfriend so I could have a Peace about having that extra day to Process what had just happened and how best to Deal with it.
The Man had been particularly Rattled by the Bad News... as a Guy will, he felt like he should be Doing Something about it all to fix it and make it better... and of coarse with his own current Limitations he couldn't... and so that was very Difficult for him, he felt so helpless and useless... and that's an unhealthy Head Trip space to be in for sure! It made him... and me... feel better when they all got Home Thursday Afternoon and we could see them and Embrace them! And now we just have to Support them in obtaining the best Legal Representation and Medical Care they will need to Heal from their Injuries and be adequately Compensated and Protected from Insurance Companies more intent on saving Money and attempting to defer Liability than doing Right by the Victims of an Accident. I know how the Game is Played... it's an Ugly Game and not one I have a lot of Respect or Patience for.
And so I De-Stressed the best way I knew how without causing collateral damage... *Winks*... and I thought I'd finally show you one of my Fav New Vendor's Cases... the one I practically stocked my own Mad Scientific Laboratorie with recently! *LOL* I'm sure to be one of this Guy's Best Customers if he keeps Sourcing such things as this!!! LOVE IT... this is Fantasy Shopping for me!!!
Needless to say it was Fantasy Shopping for many others too... during the recent Sale we all cleaned him out and so he had to Re-Stock and bring in a bunch of New Inventory! *Smiles* A good problem to have when you're a Vendor and see that everyone is diggin' your Vibe and Product!
In fact, I can't wait to meet this Vendor... I know they must be Interesting and probably have some good back end Stories to tell!? I don't even care if the Stories are factual, Fantasy or embellished... I just Love a Good Story and an Interesting Personality that Enjoys telling it! *Smiles*
And the absolute most Appealing Treasure I Window-Shopped for this day would have to be, hands down, this HUGE Cauldron!!! Yep, a Real Cauldron... which would be a Fantastic Halloween Prop don't you think? Isn't the Patina Awesome?! If I had this stocked with Dry Ice and sitting out front on the Porch of our Old Allegedly Haunted Homestead on Halloween Night... well... it would Scare the living bejeebers out of all them Trick-Or-Treaters... so on second thoughts... can't do it... or it would be the sound of Crickets and a deserted Homestead landscape... we'd have too much leftover Candy that never got handed out! *LOL*
Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian