Blogging Break/ Badass Book Giveaway!

(Nothing to do with anything, really--I just love this picture)

As you've probably noticed, I haven't had much time to post recently. I really hate not being able to update regularly because I feel bad leaving my readers hanging and I miss writing and my mom calls me every day and says, "Didn't you used to have a blog or something? Didn't it used to brighten my days? BECAUSE NOW I HAVE NOTHING TO LIVE FOR." She's so subtle.

Anyway, I'm currently working on some new projects which are really exciting but also really time-consuming, so for the next few weeks posting will continue to be sporadic. I just wanted to let you know that I'm not dead or trapped under something heavy, and to thank you for your patience!

I'll still be updating my Tumblr with pretty pictures and funny quotes, and my Twitter with blog updates and really important observations so please feel free to follow those, if you'd like.

Now, the good news: To make up for my radio silence, I'm super excited to be giving away a free copy of The Wanderlust Workbook, a life-changing ebook by the amazing Sarah Von Bargen, who is about to embark on an 8-month globe-trotting adventure.

I have a copy of this book, have read it approximately 40 times, and cannot emphasize enough how helpful and inspiring it is in making your travel goals a reality. In fact, I think one of the reasons Sarah decided to write it was because I kept emailing her and saying, "OK, so I want to spend 3 months tending to baby goats on a farm in the south of France. Where do I start?!"

This book answers every question that I ever asked her about trip planning and financing, and many more, things like how to take a leave of absence from your job, how to fund a big trip, how to decide on an itinerary, and how to deal with the smack in the face that is real life upon returning from an epic adventure.

For a chance to win a copy, just leave a comment on this post telling me a little about your dream trip--where would you like to wander and why? I'll choose a winner at random next Friday. Good luck! And check back soon for Daddy Likey updates!

p.s. For the next three days, Sarah is having a sale on The Wanderlust Workbook, knocking the price down to just 9 bucks. That price also includes a one-hour podcast and a step-by-step outline of what you need to do to prepare for a big trip. Snap one up for you or a friend or everyone you know, and thanks so much for supporting badass bloggers like Sarah VB!

When Horses Fly.

Pegasus Vintage Book Page Print, $8.50

This weekend I went to the Oregon Air Show with my dad and two of my brothers. While we were walking around the grounds trying to score as many free stickers and FAA Junior Agent badges as possible, my little brother Bob turned to me and said, "I'm going to buy a horse and a plane."

"Cool!" I said. "Are you going to learn to jump from your plane onto your horse like The Phantom? That's a classic move. The ladies love it."

Bob sighed at my stupidity. "No. I'm gonna teach the horse to be a pilot. Then I'm gonna ride the horse while it flies the plane."

"Oh," I said. "Well I guess that's even better."

Martin Feels Threatened.

Today's post comes courtesy of Daddy Likey's resident racoon fashion blogger, Martin Sheen. Take it away, Martin:

So, a fashion designer in Louisiana is making hats and purses out of the pelts of the nutria, a large invasive rodent.


Martin no likey.

xoxo,
Martin

p.s. A huge thanks to the lovely Angelina for the heads up!

Don't Show-cha Your Chocha!

Happy Monday and welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to this week's installment of Don't Show-cha Your Chocha! For those of you who are just joining the party here at Daddy Likey, DSYC is a recurring feature in which readers send in examples of the not-wearing-pants-when-they-are-clearly-necessary trend.

Please feel free to click here to read the humble beginnings of Don't Show-cha Your Chocha, or just read on and you'll surely get the gist of it.

Like, look at this:

Get it? (Thanks Gabrielle!)

Lovely reader Niovi sent this one in:

She explains: Sienna definitely shouldn't wash her dress too often, now it's torn, shrunk and chocha-lyptic.

To continue with the British chocha theme, here's the always-subtle Cheryl Cole:

Says Sarah: And to think of that she danced in that, oh the horror!

Here's a classic "For the love of God, hold down that hem!" moment:

Kimberly submitted a few not-so-ready-to-wear looks from Versace's Ready-to-Wear collection:

See-through shower curtain skirt...why even wear one?

Wouldn't you love a dress with these wonderful little triangle "chocha windows"?

Zoe found the perfect dress for your next purity ball:

Dub it "Key to my chocha."

Well, this is upsetting:

Says Winifred: Apparently your local toystore can provide some chocharifficness!

Tessa found the next few gems at every chocha hunter's favorite online store, Shopbop:

Sitting down: overrated and unnecessary.

So, wouldn't you guess this dress was from, like, sluttyclubwear.com?

Reader Becky delivers the bad news: The worst part is that this is A. from SEARS, and B. In the JUNIOR'S department.

Here's a confusing peacock/chocha combo from Amena:

Ummm, yeah.

Next up:

Says Natalie: This is not only an ugly dress, it's a risky, possible chocha-showing dress.

And finally, Anya sent in a series of chocha images (plus commentary) that I kind of want to turn into a flip book:

Exhibit A: The model is wearing sunglasses AND looking away, she clearly does not want to be recognized. I like the way she is touching the hem with one finger, as if to reassure herself that it didn't ride up and reveal her lady bits.

Exhibit B: She looks less than pleased about not having the sunglasses on anymore. I guess if she didn't have them to retain some dignity it was time to put her legs together and pull the dress down.

Exhibit C: A serious case of bitchface, and full-out leg clenching.

Amazing.

Giant Jewelry

This double-finger ring is the equivalent of brass knuckles for stylish geologists. Amazing.

Raw Stones Purple Double Finger Agate Slice Ring, $34.

Oh Deer!

Well, I'm back from Montana, and did not get eaten by a bear! I did, however, get spit on by a deer, a fact which seems to have elicited the most interest and bewilderment.

So here's the story.

On the second day of our trip we headed to Glacier National Park, which was obviously gorgeous, all craggy cliff faces and green forests and majestic waterfalls and bouncing mountain goats.

One problem: we accidentally visited on the 100th anniversary of the park, so we were basically stuck in a traffic jam for the entirety of our visit. We wanted to get off the road and explore, but every parking space was full and every shoulder was populated with construction equipment. At times it felt less like a natural wonderland and more like the parking lot of a suburban mall during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. And I mean, yeah, I love the Anniversary Sale, but that's not why I came to Montana.

So finally, after two hours of driving, we spotted a trailhead and my mom just sort of stopped the car. We got out, stretched our legs, and then I saw a sign that said, "CAUTION: GRIZZLY BEARS" and I started crying and got back in the car. I'd been nervous about bears for the whole trip, mostly because my brother Tona kept saying things like, "When a grizzly bear kills you, it's personal" and when we stopped to get water at Walgreens that morning my brother Devin pointed to a newspaper that said, "Grizzly Bear Eats Man."

Upon entering the park a ranger gave us a pamphlet with grizzly bear safety tips, which included making a lot of noise on the trails, especially around blind corners, so you don't surprise them. And that was pretty much it, because if a grizzly bear wants to eat you, it's going to.

My family finally coaxed/bribed me out of the car and I nervously made my way toward the trail entrance, where we came upon another sign that said, "Missing Hiker: Please Look For Body Parts."

Tona grabbed my shoulder and said, "The worst thing to do if you see a bear is to scream and run."

"Tona," I said, grabbing his shoulder, "if I see a bear I am going to scream and run."

Five minutes later we rounded the first blind corner and I saw a large brown animal in the bushes. I screamed and ran.

Turns out it was a deer. My family shook their heads at my stupidity and walked past it without incident. "Come on!" they all said. "It's just a deer!"

But my adrenaline was pumping. My life had flashed before my eyes. So had a VHS tape that my brothers and I watched on repeat when we were kids, called Dangerous Encounters. It was a collection of clips of wild animals mauling and killing people. It included a segment of a deer ramming some guy in a field until all his bones were broken.

Now Marty Stouffer's voice was on loop in my head, saying, "Deer kill hundreds of people every year."

The deer was staring at me, daring me to proceed. My family was staring at me, begging me to hurry up.

"Deer kill hundreds of people every year!" I yelled.

"That's not even true," Tona said. "Marty Stouffer doctored the statistics. That number is from deer causing car accidents."

"Marty Stouffer would never lie!"

"He did."

"Fine, I'm coming," I said, and started to shuffle toward the deer. Its front feet were blocking the trail, and when I got within a couple feet it reared up, made a hissing sound and stuck out its tongue at me. Seriously. Look:

I ran back to a safe distance and pleaded with it. "Deer, dude, you've gotta work with me here!"

It ignored me and resumed snacking on leaves.

"Nona, just do it," Tona said. "It's distracted and it's a female, it's not going to hurt you."

The rest of my family had resumed their hike and were disappearing around the next corner. I counted to three, covered my face and neck, and marched down the trail. That's when the deer stomped its feet and spit on me. I felt a mist of deer saliva. I yelled a series of expletives and charged forward. The deer made a sound that I can only describe as the ungulate version of "Harumph!" and bounded across the trail into the forest.

We never saw a grizzly bear.

p.s. Fashion-related posts coming soon!

Big Sky Blogging

I'm so sorry for the lack of posts lately!

I'm actually in Montana with my mom, brothers, and boyfriend right now. I packed my laptop in a Betsey Johnson floral totebag (just like Jack Kerouac, right?) so I'd be able to post updates from the road, but then I found out there is no internet in Montana.

Besides the lack of wifi though, I'm loving this beautiful state. Here is a list of notable events/experiences so far:

-Swam in a mountain lake
-Got spit on by a deer
-Saw a black bear
-Saw Professor Keenbean from Richie Rich
-Got an awkward back rub from a waiter at a Mexican restaurant
-Acted out some key scenes from Harry Potter
-Saw a mountain goat and a baby mountain goat
-Had to hide from a couple of Skeksis from The Dark Crystal
-Got in trouble for laughing too loud on a train

At one point on a hike in Glacier National Park, I was overcome by the natural setting and sat down by a raging river to sing "Mother Nature's Son" and whittle a spear from a birch branch. Photo evidence:


I'll be back to blogging ASAP, but for now I'll be whittling and trying not to get eaten by a grizzly bear. Hope you guys have a great week!