The Travelling Wilbury

This is my best Legolas impression. Sad, isn't it? It could also be a Yeti impression...

 

Hiya Readers,

How have you been? I've been away for a long while, but don't worry, everything is fine. In fact, life has been verging on wonderful. While I have been away, I have been trying to absorb my surroundings and the artistry that I have been exposed to. It is my hope that you notice an improvement in my artwork. Not only that,  I have also been busy compiling ideas for new posts while I've been gone and have so much artwork to share with you. This blogger turned traveller has stories to tell of the places that I have had the privilege of visiting, the people I have met, and plenty of pictures for you to peruse. Seriously, I've spent DAYS cropping pictures to be able to upload to the blog. Just take a look at this screen shot!

 

It's actually been a little...nay...massively inundating trying to summarise 3 and a half phenomenal months into a couple posts (I've got 26 drafts in the works...Brace yourselves, people!). Part of the reason why I'm so excited to blog about my trip is because I've been dreaming about travelling to these places for years! For instance, I've been able to cross so many places on my 2003 edition of The Life Goals of Jana LaPine. This list also contains classic goals, many of which I do not foresee fulfilling like "26. Get cornrows." and "37. Try out some new hobbies like hovercrafting." For the record, I don't even think I know what HOVERCRAFTING IS! Is that in Back to the Future?

 

Nevertheless, I can't wait to share my experiences with you all!

 

Wait! I haven't even told you where I've gone! Well, I went to...

The Palace of Dalkeith in Scotland (one of many estates belonging to the Duke of Buccleuch)... 

West Sands Beach in St. Andrews, Scotland (Chariots of Fire)... 

The Eagle and Child Pub in Oxford, England... 

Transportation Museum in Glasgow, Scotland...

 St. Andrews Castle...

 Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh, Scotland...

 Rydal Mount, Grasmere, Northcumbria, England (Poet William Wordsworth's Estate)...

 The Queen's Royal Yacht Britannia docked off the coast of Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland...

 Hill Top, Cumbria, England (Beatrix Potter's Cottage)

 London, England...

 Glasgow, Scotland...

 Edinburgh, Scotland...

 Dalkeith Park...

 Highclere Castle (sigh)...

 Forest Side Hotel in Grasmere, England...

 Edinburgh, Scotland...

 Haddon Hall in Bakewell, England...

 Roslyn Chapel in Roslin, Scotland...

 Edwinstowe, England...

  Bodleian Library in Oxford...

Hyde Park in London, England (Guest Appearance by Mimi A.)...

 The Conan Doyle Pub in Edinburgh, Scotland...

 The path around St. Mary's in Dalkeith, Scotland...

 the steps of Bowhill in Selkirk, Scotland...

the stoop of a shop on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, Scotland...

 Nottingham Castle, Nottingham, England...

221b Baker Street (The Sherlock Holmes Museum)...

 

and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England leaving me with oh so many places and stories to describe!

 

You can look forward to blogs on some of these places in the near and I promise if I ever get cornrows or go hovercrafting, I will post pictures for you to laugh at.

 

 

Thank you for not giving up on LaPine Design!

 

"I warrant there's a nasty bog nearby."

If I could smell, I would have been like Samwise Gamgee uttering that line, but instead, I had to use my keen spidey senses to guess there was a bog in our vicinity.

So, basically, that meant that I read this sign and followed the leader.

 I don't think I had ever been to a bog before. As we drew near to our destination, I couldn't help but notice the intensity of green all around me. "It's like we're in a lime."

 I felt we were going to run into the Berenstein Bears as we got closer. Didn't they built a fort in a bog in No Girls Allowed?

Can anyone guess who made these?

A classic Jana pose...my Wellies were in their element.

 I kind of wanted to tip over and fall into the water like when Frodo falls into the Dead Marshes.

 A frog in a bog. So fitting.

 This was a pitcher plant. Also, a carnivorous plant...

I was lucky I made it out alive.

 

Can't wait for my next trip to a bog!

Bag End

Good news, they're adding another installment to the Hobbit film. So, there are going to be three filmses now!

 

EEEEE!!!!

In honour of this announcement, I will show you a little project I worked on this summer.

Extreme-Home Make Over-Hobbit Edition...

I made the mushrooms from clay too. I could have worked on this for weeks! I was in my element.

Notice the broom made out of pine needles and the garbage cans made out of creamers.

In all actuality, this isn't to Hobbit scale, but it's Hobbit style.

Enjoy!

103 days away!