March for Life 2014

This was my second go round on the March, it was a different experience but a good experience. I was a chaperone with our parish priest and we were charged with keeping our little group of high spirited teens amongst the larger together. I love these kids, a few are almost ready to go off to college and it was a great opportunity to see them get out of our small town for a spell and focus our energies on a cause larger than ourselves. 

 

It's overwhelming being amongst half a million people but exhilarating, even though it was 19 degrees and it felt like the shuffle for life as we linked arms and tried to keep warm, it was a joyous crowd. This year's theme was Adoption, which was very fitting. Three of my cousins are adopted and they have been such a big part of our family.  

 

I believe every life matters, and it was a joy to stand up and be counted with so many people that I would severely miss if they weren't a part of my life :)

 

Also in the freezing cold and falling snow we saw the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It was a poignant moment as we read the tomb and it said "Here rests in honored glory, an American soldier known but to God." And it just made me think of all the children who are known but to God.

Thrift Stores Are the Bacon of Shopping...

Sorry for my absence, my cousin Carrie and I went on a thrifting road trip and it did not disappoint. We laughed our way through Springfield, the Quad Cities, and Galesburg, IL. We were led on some wild goose chases and experienced lots of bargains, screaming babies, chatty hotel neighbors, one man motorcycle wheelie popping fist pumping shows, PMS ice cream outings, Gumbo Ya-Ya, would-be yogurt bandits, singing horrible 90s music, Bad Girl Video and Fat Cat's Tattoo lounge, a license plate that said WHO AM U, drive-in movies, paying in pennies, forgetting to eat lunch, and Willy Wonka saying "tell me how you're going to try and eat a salad." It was a magical journey.

  

The Sangamon Antique Mall in Springfield, lotsa junking fun.

The Route 66 Drive-In, I highly recommend this!! We saw Fast & Furious 6 (bleh) and Star Trek Into Darkness (woohoo!!!!)

 

Coasting through small towns scouting out garage sales, that is the best way to get deals.

 

Totally misleading, don't always trust the signs, they had a wooden tv table painted like a watermelon for $20. No thank you! Where's the quarter table?!? 

 

Oh heck yeah, ice cream, cures everything...except diabetes.

 

My haul! Lots of fun treasures! I've already listed some in my shop, coleblk.etsy.com. If you want to check out some of Carrie's treasures, check out swankyladyvintage.etsy.com. 

Always remember: "Thrift stores are the BACON of shopping, antique stores are the STEAK!"