Yes, these pics are SO freaking exciting, we just had to post them. And for all of you haters who think no one cares about this stuff…you are so wrong! (shooting devil horns in your general direction). The mystery gift turned out to be a pair of shoes/sandals a million sizes too small for our dear Shenanigans. One day she will meet her Prince Charming and put on the perfect fitting glass/cloth slipper.
CVILLAIN ALERT: SHENANIGANS WILL UNVEIL THE CONTENTS OF THE BOX AT SOUTH STREET TONIGHT AT 8PM!!!!!
During last week’s chatter about Yard Sales, one “Otterdung” was apparently smitten by our beloved Shenanigans and claimed to have sent a package to the Spicy Bear office. Shen said:
Is there a present for me at the Spicy Bear office y’all? I wanna know if Mr. I’m-trying-to-seduce-you-with-my-French is for real or just pulling a Max Bacon…
Parlie was quick to jump in:
DO NOT OPEN THE BOX. otterdung has the upper hand.
As someone who has dabbled in brewing my own libations in the past, I was overjoyed to hear that there was a local source for homebrewing (and winemaking) supplies coming to the Cville area. The Fermentation Trap opened recently up on 29 North (just past the Greene County line) and had a Grand Opening day on Saturday in observance of National Homebrewing Day, so EvoMan and I jumped on our two-wheeled conveyances and cruised over to check them out. Owned and operated by a couple of Greene County locals who are back in the area thanks to NGIC, the Trap is a great place for folks experienced in homebrewing and those looking to get started.
They carry several different kits for beer or wine, lots of literature on both, including recipe books on how to create copies of your favorite Macrobrews. If you don’t want to dive in with both feet right away, they also have no-cook beer and hard cider kits that require only a fementation vessel, yeast and water to get started. Each kit yields 2.5 cases of 12oz bottles after approximately 3 weeks of fermentation, and they currently have kits for a variety of styles, from Irish Stout to American Lager.
Homebrewing is a great way to learn more about beer, experiment with flavors, and become active in a community. There are two brew clubs in Charlottesville, so there’s an established group of folks to learn from (and believe me, brewers LOVE to talk about beer) and swap recipes and tips with. The Fermentation Trap is a great place to start if you want to get rolling down the road to fresh, homemade beer and wine, and the owners will be happy to bend your ear, listen to your concerns and answer your questions.
Mother’s Day is coming up (Sunday, May 11th) and I have started looking around for gift ideas. My mom is such a great person and I try to find something special each year since I don’t get to see her as often as I would like to. This year I came across some websites that were very interesting and helpful and thought others might enjoy them as well. I started at
Gifts.com, where they give you a variety of categories to view based on moms interests. Some examples are for the Eco mom, they have recycled bicycle parts clocks, solar chargers, and energy monitoring devices which also link you to Terra Pass. For the relaxation theme, I found heated body wraps, aromatherapy blankets and pajamas. A gift certificate to Oasis Day Spa is also always a nice gift for the mom in town. Practical around the home gifts or gadgets are also a great idea and can be found at Brookstone.
Red Envelope always has very stylish ideas with beautiful jewelry, floral kits, and journals.
Locally, I’ve always loved the downtown shops such as Quilts Unlimited, Innisfree, Chinaberry, Posh, or Londons. Many of these places will also ship. Hope these ideas help. Don’t forget mom.
What ideas do you have?
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