Maria's Monster Menagerie

06/28/2026

New day, new page. Many great moments during the holiday, one of them was David Kinnard’s performance at Sterling’s Old Town Jail. Mixing history lessons, penology, criminology, sociology and a healthy does of empathy into the experience, I couldn’t help but reflect on how lucky I was to be born in the late 20th century. Of course, all those things is what I took away from the information presented…others may just enjoy the show.

The same man does ghost walk tours…but we weren’t in town for the weekend when he does them. Just another reason to plan new holiday.

06/26/2026

Shout out to Gillian Boyd Fine Art / Gillian Boyd Art

She has her own website, she’s on FB, Etsy and Insta

She’s marvelous. Her partner Mi Chelle is marvelous. I picked up a few pieces that would fit in my luggage. I’m planning on ordering some more now that I’ve had time to contemplate how her pieces make my soul feel.

If you have a trip to Belfast in mind…or somewhere close enough for you to pop by, make sure you plan to go Fri-Sun so you can visit St George’s Market. Bring an appetite, and plan on staying a few hours. You can pop in and out, but it’s magical to grab a breakfast snack and drink then wander. Talk to the makers. Learn about their passions. Pick up lunch, sit and listen to the live music. Pet a dog or two. They are pet friendly and there were fur babies everywhere. Find something that moves your soul. Pick up food for your dinner & dessert before you leave. Find the artists on their social media. Follow. Like. Comment. Share. Show off your purchases on your social media. Tag them. Let them know how much you love them, their work, their creations.



Gillian Boyd Art

06/20/2026

Edinburgh Castle hustle & bustle

06/15/2026

Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland:
I shared many stickers on my holiday. If you found me on social media because you got a sticker - tell me about it. Where are you? Where and how did you get a sticker? What sticker did you get?

06/15/2026

Loved St George’s Market in Belfast. Many talented artists, creators and small businesses. The quality and wide variety of food boggled my brain. AND I got to meet a few women artists that vibe checked with me nearly immediately - I got some marvelous work from each of them. I’ll share when I get home and unpack my goodies.

I was tagged by this artist…her partner helped me find the print I wanted and then took this photo after Gillian suggested the social media shout out. How kind they both are. Check out her page and follow her.

Today we had a visit from this lovely & talented lady at St George's Market, Belfast😊

05/17/2026

This little pig was named yesterday! Thank you Sandy. Here is Percy. Sandy explained that her neighbor has a sweet pig that loves to leave muddy nose prints on your pants when she wants scratches or snacks. The sticker reminded her of Percy, so Percy it is.

Also huge thank you to Sandy & The Farm for carrying Sticker Packs with my stickers!! Stop by The Farm on Mobile Hwy for sticker packs or Angel’s Garden for single stickers.

05/13/2026

I had the opportunity to accompany a friend’s daughter on a class field trip to Destin Snorkel. Sometimes it’s neat to be a tourist near your home. Started with dolphin spotting…the students got to see a baby in the wild. Also tarpons and sea turtles. Then we moved to a beach with shallow waters so the class could hunt for sea shells. Here are a few photos of the beauties she brought home. I love love love the lines moon snail shells. I’ve been fascinated with spirals in nature since I can remember. I’ve got two tattoos that incorporate a spiral. I named one of my pets Koru which is Māori for loop or coil 🌀. Anyhooooo, enjoy the beauty in nature, no Snapchat filter needed.

But thank you to Joey and Brandon, the crew we had who handled 6th graders and cold rain with ease and grace. Making the day enjoyable.

04/29/2026

I think I was about 15 when I asked my dad if I could have peacock blue hair…in a Mohawk with a tattoo on my skull.

How he didn’t sputter WTF‽ I’ll never know. Instead he calmly told me that hair won’t grow back in a tattooed area. Heck, I knew I didn’t want a bald spot the rest of my life so I just moved on. By the time I found out he lied, I was past that phase.

I started a career that didn’t allow visible tattoos, “abnormal” hair colors, & piercings, other than one set of ear rings. The tattoo & piercing rules slightly changed over the years but crazy hair color didn’t.

Every time I saw fantastic hair colors there was a longing to have that too. When I retired I held back…I had lavender color added but it really only showed on my grays (I have heavy streaks on both temples).

It took me two years to finally ask Callie who her hair stylist was. During my consultation I explained my dream hair but then started to chicken out. HA

Sidni didn’t let me. She wasn’t pushy. Didn’t talk me into anything. She simply laid out the plan to transform my hair to my dream. Politely explained why certain colors wouldn’t suit me and which would.

On transformation day I was anxious. She noticed and gave me the space, grace, and energy I needed to enjoy the day. 10.5 hours is a long time to spend with one person. She was fantastic.

I’ve been really lucky with a few of the hair magicians over the years. Each seems to fit the place in my life I am in. In this year of bold steps forward, mermaid melt hair makes me very very happy.


Thank you Sidni, for the colors, for the video, for being you.

04/27/2026

A little backstory about Cheshire Cat v2.