Taxidermy! (Who doesn't love a birthday party with a theme?)

It's an heirloom.

*Here's your warning shot: There is a graphic image at the bottom of this page. No more so than a biology class, but still, heads up El Sensitivos!*

I once paid an exorbitant amount of money to make my own stuffed rabbit mount. True story. I attended the out-of-town workshop with a cherished friend, so the experience ended up being worth the cost despite the instructor being a crappy facilitator. While she has definitely nailed a niche market--and I appreciate her entrepreneurial spirit, I really do--I was grossly overcharged. Maybe she was having a bad day or maybe being snappy and awkward just comes with the territory in an industry I have little experience in. Either way, I have since wished for that same exact activity with a room full of different people...

I have long believed taxidermy, though quickly gaining clout in the world of trendsetters and hipsters, to be an incredible way to treat the remains of an animal. I also appreciate the kitschy appeal a crappy taxidermized animal can bring to just about any space. Now I am not advocating for killing for fun or, say, I don't know, running down your neighbor's scrawny ragamuffin dog that runs rampant all day long just barking and shitting on everyone's lawn but its own. I don't believe in such cruelties (as evidenced by the continued life of dear little Shaggy as he runs amok atop of the hill). However, if you can find humanely sourced animals or want to go rogue and hit the county roads with a shovel, well, you won't hear an argument from the likes of me is all I'm saying.

And my birthday is Wednesday, so now I'm officially wishing for a taxidermy themed birthday soiree. And, true to my form, if I officially wish for something to happen there really isn't any stopping it. Ask anyone who knows me. And so the small mammals and scalpels were ordered and the invitations sent:

I LOVE YOU TO DEATH: A TAXIDERMY THEMED BIRTHDAY PARTY!   

I have spent the last several days running around like a mad woman trying to pull together the details, and now there are two dozen animals thawing out in my garage for the occasion. I can't wait to tell you more about it, but for now I just wanted to give you a preview of what is coming... and to make sure you know whose blog you are reading.