the whimsy turtle

I haven't forgotten about my mission to rescue my plushie friends from their boxes! This year, I am trying something new: If I GRUMP carefully at every inch of this box, will I find a weak point?

Our packages from friend (Iri)epsi @epsifawnshawn were filled with so many goodies! 🎁😍 Several were sized just right for me: A delicious cute new friend for me and a shiny shell portrait, fancy scented minis, and a radicchio-colored wine bottle perfectly portioned for me! 🌊🐢🧼🍾😋

Friend (Iri)epsi also included more of the pretty tape from the outside of our packages, plus a gorgeous butterfly tape that fascinated me so much I couldn't stop staring at it! 🌿🏮🦋

Last but not least, friend (Iri)epsi sent us noms! A shiny turtle-shaped treat and scrumptious cookies baked by (Iri)epsi herself! 🍪👩‍🍳 I was very excited about the cookies (chocolate lemon bourbon and cacao!), but Mom wouldn't let me have even a single CHOMP!? 🍫🍋😋🐢😤

Friend Rae sent us a turtle-y amazing Christmas package! This year, Rae handmade her own beautiful holiday cards that are so incredible Mom and I both were mesmerized by all the tiny details! ✨🎄💌🖌😲

Friend Rae also sent us shell-tastic stickers from her travels this year and a brilliant beaded new friend I totally did not CHOMP as soon as Mom put her camera down! 🌊🦜🐢👀🤨

Not shown: Friend Rae also continued last year's mushroom theme with a gorgeous mushroom tote bag that Mom loves so much she's already using it! 🎁🍄😍

Friends gckaf and sanvobun visited today!  They last saw me three (!) years ago and couldn’t believe how big I am now!  💗😎

Friend gckaf also brought me so many new friends today!  I totally did not CHOMP any of them, no photos = it didn’t happen!  👀😋🐢🤨

International Turtle and Tortoise Week, Day 6

🌎  Happy Earth Day, friends!  🌏

Several years ago, we discovered conservation illustrator Laurelin Sitterly, founder of Laurelin Rian Art!  Laurelin uses ink and liquid watercolors to create beautiful illustrations of plants and critters that are at risk or live in imperiled habitats, such as gopher tortoises and diamondback terrapins.  🎨🖌  Isn’t this the cutest punny terraPIN?  🐢😍

Best of all, Laurelin collaborates with scientists and conservation organizations to encourage ordinary people like all of us to make conservation-based behavior changes, no matter how small.  🌟  After all, we all share this beautiful planet for our home.  Helping threatened species like us shells means helping our planet, too!  Whether it’s remembering to recycle, using less plastic, or carpooling with friends, every change helps, no matter how small!  ♻️💚🌏

International Turtle and Tortoise Week 2023, Day 4

A few years ago, friend Rae gifted us with this stunning print of a spotted turtle painting by Stoneridge Art Studios!  Our print even came with a bonus spider tortoise postcard!  🍁🐢💌

Professional wildlife artist Matt Patterson focuses specially on reptiles and amphibians in his beautiful, detailed paintings.  🦎🐸🐍🐢🐟  Matt goes out of his way to use his talent to help us shells:  As a signature member of Artists for Conservation, he often donates his sale proceeds to conservation efforts, such as a series of radiated tortoise studies a few years ago from which he donated all proceeds to the Turtle Survival Alliance!  🎨🖌💯

🔜  Matt is also the illustrator for two new books by Sy Montgomery all about turtles:  The Book of Turtles, a picture book for all ages coming next month, and Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell, a work of narrative nonfiction for adults coming this fall.  We can’t wait!  📚

International Turtle and Tortoise Week 2023, Day 3

Today is all about the most special art we own:  The most beautiful paintings of yours truly (with my BFF Brunhilda) and my late big brother Lunchbox, made by @wafflesworld‘s super talented humom, Alicia!  Friend Alicia captured my CHOMP and Lunchbox’s smile perfectly!  👩‍🎨❤️🐢

Alicia is not only the bestest tort mom, but also she is an incredibly talented artist who makes gorgeous art showing all kinds of critters!  You can get your own wonderful critter art by Alicia from her Etsy shop or through a commission!  ✨💝

Happy Hatchday to the one and only Waffles S. Tortoise @wafflesworld!  Waffles is 10 years old today!!  Double digits may seem old, but watch out, Waffles is only just getting started STOMPing to greatness!  🎉🎂🥳1️⃣0️⃣🌟🐢🎊

Friend Rae sent us an adorable penguin and polar bear Christmas card and the best presents:  An awesome Save the Turtles sticker all the way from Hawaii and felt mushroom ornaments!  🌊🐢🍄🎄😍  Mom loves mushrooms and hung these up on our tree right after I booped and hugged the super soft felt all over!  Mom, can I have these mushrooms for pillows when we take down our Christmas tree?  🤗🎅🐢

Bonus present:  I couldn’t stop booping the gorgeous shiny sticker!  ✨👀🐢

Friend @sanvobun gifted us a box filled with turtles!  But Mom says these turtles are for nomming!?  Brunhilda and Sergeant Benny, we have to rescue these turtles!

Some days just require a lot of naps.

Mom, aren’t these your pants?  How are they on the floor when you’re over there?

Our beautiful surprise package from friend (Iri)epsi @epsifawnshawn was like a bottomless box of presents!  Tucked into the back of a bookmark were scores of gorgeously detailed stickers—and a vintage library card that brought back lots of memories for Mom!  😲😍🔖 📚🐢

One more flashback to my marvelous birthday card from friends Tito, Nico, Joa, and their humom @anne-fine at the end of the summer:  I was so excited about my card that I couldn’t stop booping every single piece!  💌👀👃🐢😍

My birthday card from friends Tito, Nico, Joa, and their humom @anne-fine came with a bonus surprise inside:  A cute flower turtle patch!  That pink flower is a surprise nom for me, right?  💌🌸 🐢👀🤔