Vermont Country Store | Unique Hard To Find Gifts

Life, like the weather, can be unpredictable. One minute you’re huddled up by a warm fire beating the chills of winter the next you’re peeling off layers as spring hits.
With the warm weather right around the corner we take a look at three tips to help prepare your hair and skin for the changing of the seasons, without the drama.
In the power of a fantastic skin care routine, morning and evening. Over the colder months, you might feel that your skin and hair needs a little extra TLC and is prone to drying out more but with the sun comes just as many challenges so at the very least step up that sunscreen application. Harmful UV rays might be the number one cause of ageing but they also play a key part in damaging skin that can lead to some types of skin cancer, so invest in a quality product today.
Your hair too will no longer have the frizz factor that comes with constantly whipping a wooly hat on and off, so now’s the time to treat your locks to some deep nourishing. Hair down is the new look over the summer so make sure your tresses are radiating shine. A great cut will do wonders for your overall sense of wellbeing, get rid of those dry ends and put back a summer swing in your step.
Cheap mascara is a false economy and unfortunately, it’s easy to end up buying beauty products that promise the earth but deliver very little. So our next tip when buying summer beauty products is to do your research. Whether you’re looking for a new set of hair straighteners or some tinted moisturizer, what you pay is often what you get.
When it comes to buying electrical goods, you don’t want to run the risk of getting landed with some faulty wiring so check out reviews on sites such as All The Stuff and lifestyle blogs to check out what everyone’s raving about and what’s best to avoid like cheap mascara.

Last week, NBC’s hit series America’s Got Talent wrapped up its 10th season with the crowning of a new winner who rose above to walk away with the series’ top honor.
After several eliminations throughout the night, it all came down to two competitors, comedian Drew Lynch and ventriloquist Paul Zerdin. Only one act could walk away with the series’ top honor. In the end, Zerdin got the edge on the young comedian and walked away with the $1 million prize!
Last week a few fellow bloggers/reporters were able to interview the winner Paul Zerdin about his win. Here are a few questions and answers.
Can you speak a little bit about what was going through your mind as you awaited the final results? And what your initial reaction was when Nick announced your name as the Season 10 Champion? – Cody Schultz from hiddenremote.com
Well, when it was whittled down to myself and Drew I thought that Drew would win it definitely. I thought he was an amazing comedian. Very, very, very lovable character — personality. The audience loved him in the theater and, you know, out and about in America.
And I thought that he was going to win it. So I was preparing in my head what I would say to him before I got told to get off the stage. And I was going to say to him, you know, well done. The best man won. You’re a great act and congratulations.
And I thought I would be runner up. And then when they said my name, my heart skipped a beat. And it took a bit of a – it took a moment to sink in really. I still the feel the same really.
It’s a mixture of jetlag, lack of sleep, and euphoria all together — which, you know, I feel very happy about it. And I’m still slightly lost for words when people ask me about it now like you have done.
You had some tremendous performances throughout the season. So looking back is there any performance that stands out as your personal favorite? And what was it about that performance that made it your stand out above the rest? – Cody Schultz from hiddenremote.com
Well, I think, well, probably my first audition at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood would stand out for me because it was the first one. And I just thought, I don’t know what’s going to happen here. It could go horribly wrong, or it could go well.
And luckily it went well. And I got a standing ovation from the judges and from the audience in the theater. And so I thought, wow that’s a great reaction and what a great start.
So that filled me with confidence. And I think helped me enormously to carry on and think that I could maybe, you know, go far. I didn’t ever think I could win it. But I thought I could get maybe, you know, quite a bit further in the competition.
That was a big moment for me. And also having Howie last week in the semifinal be my human dummy. I mean that was a bit of a moment because he was such a great sport. He had no idea what was going to happen.
And I was so lucky the way that he reacted. Because he could have reacted so differently. But he – whatever he did, he did it just beautifully. And I love doing that piece because I can control – I do it from, you know, I’ll be doing it in my show in Las Vegas where I’ll get a couple out of the audience and I — a married couple is what I usually do — and I turn them into my dummies.
And I get them doing, you know, crazy things. And it’s great being able to sort of control them. But you’re, of course, you’re not really in control. You control their voices. But it’s very much up to the individuals how they react. And everyone reacts differently.
But that’s what I love. I love the danger of that and the fact that you can adlib. And Howie Mandel was absolutely brilliant.
So I’m curious to know is there anything throughout your time spent in the competition that you found that you were surprised to learn about yourself as a performer? – Kristyn Clarke from Pop Culture Madness
Well, I think when you come to perform at Radio City — and I’ve been lucky enough to perform all over the place, all around the world doing different sorts of gigs and things — no gig has ever been quite as big as Radio City.
I mean that theater holds just under 6,000, I think it is. And even though I think of myself as a, you know, a fairly polished performer and, you know, pretty experienced, I still had jitters in my stomach. I had butterflies just before I started my performance.
I’m not a performer that’s like a jabbering nervous wreck before I go on. I’ve worked with some comics over the years who just spend all day worrying about the gig that night. And I’ve always thought that’s crazy. That’s just going to ruin your day. And I’m, you know, I work a lot and perform a lot. And I just thought, I can’t go through life just worrying about it. I think that’s ridiculous. But I try and channel the nervous energy.
So I would just get a little kind of buzz just before I started. Before I walked out on the stage at Radio City. But I remember being slightly surprised that, you know, I did have that slight jitter.
And I just kept saying to myself, “Right. Come on. Keep it cool. Keep it cool. Look like you’re in control. Just go out there.” And also sometimes you’re worrying about so much because you’re very limited with time. You don’t have much time. You’ve got to try and make an impact when you’re on a live TV show and you want to try and make the best impression you can.
You want to impress the judges. You want the audience at home to love what you’re doing. And you want a great – you want great feedback from the theater audience as well. And to try and do that in like two minutes — or whatever it is — is quite hard.
And so I – you’re worrying about it. Or and you don’t want to overrun because you’re on live television — which when you think about it, is quite – it’s quite a big deal when you’re right there in the moment.

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While in LA last week for the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales we also celebrated the 75th anniversary of Disney’s Bambi! As part of this celebration we were able to sit down and interview the voices behind young Bambi ( Donald “Donnie” Dunagan ) & young Thumper ( Peter Behn ) moderated by Disney Archivist Becky Cline!!
While Disney’s Bambi was based on the book Bambi, A Life in the Woods by author Felix Salten, it was altered slightly from the book version. The original novel, written for an adult audience, was considered too “grim” and “somber” for the young audience Disney was targeting, and with the work required to adapt the novel, Disney put production on hold while it worked on several other works. Bambi was originally supposed to come out after Snow White (and be the second animated film released) but came out 5 yrs later due to this process. Disney was also forced to slash 12 minutes from the film before final animation, to save costs on production.
The filming studio moved, WW2 happened, and there was even a strike during the process of filming!
Nowadays when a movie releases there are many interviews in both tv & print, but the film scene was quite different 75 years ago when Donnie Dunagan and Peter Behn recorded the voices of Bambi & Thumper. In fact, Donnie & Peter didn’t even meet untill about 10 years ago! Even Donnie’s wife didn’t know he was the voice of Bambi until she discovered a box of his mementos buried in the attic!
Peter’s father was a screenwriter, starting in the 20’s silent film era, & children’s book author. He met Walt sometime in the 30’s which helped Peter launch his career. Peter originally auditioned for the part of Bambi in Disney’s classic film but was told had the wrong voice for the part.
“My voice was right for the rabbit”
Peter never auditioned for Thumper, after his audition for Bambi they knew he had the right voice for Thumper.
When Peter grew up he built houses & worked in real estate.
Q: Did you see the Bambi after you filmed?
A: “No not for some time.”
Q: What was it like to work with Disney himself?
A: “I did meet him but not on a regular basis. But I remember the Disney zoo where they had little deer so animators could watch the anatomy and movement of the deer to draw.”
Q: What was it like to work on a big Disney film as a child?
A: “I remember going into the sound booth with a voice director to read my lines. I would mimic him. The thing I remember most is the recording equipment was in the booth with us and was fascinated. It was so mechanical.”
Q: What do you hope for Bambi’s Legacy?
A: “One of my strongest feelings about the movie is that Disney was so ahead of his time. I think the movie was so far ahead of it’s time to protect the environment. We have to do everything we can to keep the environment from getting worse. I think as time goes on that aspect of the movie will resonate and become more important.”
”We were dirt poor. And I mean, certified dirt poor in the South. And my mother would take me down to the corner about two blocks away where a wonderful man danced on the corner on Saturday. I’m standing there at 3 ½, four years old, people were there laughing about this wonderful man dancing on the corner for nickels and pennies. And I started imitating him. Then they decided to put me in a talent contest and I won the darn thing which was a miracle. I danced to ‘A Tisket a Tasket’ with a paper bag and a stick for a cane.” In the audience was a wonderful man who was a bona fide genuine talent scout in those days. About two weeks later we’re in Los Angeles.”
Donnie started filming Bambi when he was just 5 years old but his acting career began at the age of 3.
He was in 7 movies before the age of 5 1/2 yrs old.
When Donnie grew up he joined the Marine Corps.
Q: What was it like acting so much as a child?
A: “I was a little boy – sometimes I just wanted to be home riding my bike and playing with my puppy.”
Q: Did you see Bambi after you filmed?
A: “I saw it with Peter in theaters at the premiere.”
Q: What was it like seeing Walt Disney?
A: “When I first saw Mr. Disney I thought he’d get a broom and help clean up….he participated in things. Disney was successful bc he had such great leadership and participated in what was going on.”
Q: What did you do after Bambi?
A: ” I went into the US Marine Corps. when I got older. In 1977 I was a battalion commander. I saw that Disney was going to re-release Bambi and I was horrified that my base would find out. I could imagine all of my soldiers saying that their battalion commander was Bambi!”
Q: What do you hope for Bambi’s Legacy?
A: “If I live to be 1000 years old I couldn’t say it better than Peter did. The environmental profile is spoken to children in school now, and they pick up on that right away. I get one of these by children a month from all over the world.”
Photo by: Louise Manning Bishop from MOM START
During this day of celebration we were also able to chat with Paul Felix, a Disney animator who worked on Bambi and was inspired by the original Disney Animator Tyrus Wong.
Q: How has animation changed over the years?
A: “Animation starts with hand drawing, that hasn’t changed much. Things need to be much richer now. The drawings from Bambi to Moana are all the same principles.”
Q: How did you become interested in art?
A: “I drew a lot as a child & always thought my older brother was the artist in the family.”
Q: What are some of the projects you’ve worked on here at Disney?
A: “Mulan, Bolt, Big Hero 6, Inner Workings”
Q: What was your favorite film to work on?
A: Lilo & Stitch. It is more about heart and storytelling than the effects although Big Hero 6 was the first time we could technologically add things to the film & use light.
“Designing Bambi is deceptively tricky! I’m known for designing environments instead of characters. I looked at some of Mark Davis’ drawing of deer for research. My first drawings Bambi looked more like a fox. But everyone has their own unique take.”
Q: Why do you think Bambi is such a popular film?
A: “Bambi is a cycle of life. It shares the beauty, mystery, & reality of the world. It’s zen. What’s more primal than the connection with a mother? Films are an extension of us.”
Make a Portfolio. (life drawing is a good talent)
Don’t limit yourself to just drawing. Try colors.
Learn a sense of art history (eras, mediums, etc)
Bambi, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, joins the Collection on Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere on May 23, and on Blu-ray, DVD and On-Demand on June 6. The Collection release includes a variety of new bonus material, including recordings of Walt Disney discussing the challenges and triumphs during the production of Bambi; deleted scenes and characters; stories and effects that Bambi had on the studio, other films and artists; and much much more! Additionally, the Digital HD release includes an exclusive, heartfelt feature on the incredible artist, Tyus Wong, who inspired the film’s soft watercolor backgrounds and beautiful palette.
Brand New:
The Bambi Effect – “Bambi” was full of innovations for its time. Let’s take a look at how those past innovations affected future Disney animated titles all the way up to today
Studio Stories: “Bambi” – Recordings of Walt Disney. Listen in on intimate moments where he discussed the challenges, pitfalls and triumphs during the production of “Bambi.”
Deleted Scene: Bambi’s Ice And Snow – Bambi coaxes Thumper and his brothers and sister to come play on the ice during the first snow.
Bambi Fawn Facts – Think you know everything there is to know about Bambi and his forest companions? Well, it’s time to discover some fun real-life facts about the creatures that live in the forest he calls home.
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit: “Africa Before Dark” – Oswald Short
Celebrating Tyrus Wong (Digital Exclusive) – A Heartfelt look at the man who played a key role in the success of “Bambi.” Much like Mary Blair and Eyvind Earle, Tyrus Wong had a unique signature style all to his own. The Soft Water-colored backgrounds and beautiful palettes in “Bambi” were inspired by Tyrus’ concept art paintings.
Classic:
Deleted Scenes – Two Leaves, Bambi Stuck on a Reed, Winter Grass, Twitterpated
The Making of Bambi: A Prince is Born
Trick of the Trade (Excerpt)
Inside The Disney Archives
The Old Mill: Animated Short
Original Theatrical Trailer
The Golden Age
*Digital Bonus Offerings May Very by Retailer
Bambi will be released on Digital HD 5/23 and Blu-ray & DVD 6/6.
Follow Facebook | Disney Animation #Bambi
DISNEY MOVIE REWARDS BONUS: If you have Disney Movie Rewards and purchase Bambi you have the option to buy this special tank top featuring the Paul Felix art inspired by BAMBI here! Ends July 31!

Our mother is our modern day hero. She never failed to take care and protect us from the time we were born until we are capable of our own. She reared and guided us to become the person who we are today. Mother’s Day is the special occasions where we give to our mothers back all the love and care that she showered us. Lots of mothers will say that they have everything they need, and there is no need for a gift. However, giving gifts to her is one way to show that we love and care for her. Moms can be very difficult to shop for. Hence, Mother’s Day gift baskets are the perfect solution for this situation.
Well-chosen Mother’s gift baskets will surely bring a smile to the face of our mother. When we speak of gift baskets for Mother’s Day, luxury items are always a popular content. If you have a mom who loves her kitchen so much, then giving gourmet items such as exotic fruits, rare cheeses, imported chocolates and find wines are sure to make great happiness to her. Meanwhile, a gift basket that contains soaps, upscale lotions and perfumes are a popular choice for people who like to pamper their mothers with beauty products. Moreover, a basket containing gardening tools and hand lotions will surely be appreciated by a mom who is a gardener.
The most efficient way to purchase Mother’s Day gift baskets is through online retailers. There are countless numbers of retailers that specialize in gift baskets for Mother’s Day and let buyers choose a customized selection of gift items to be included in the gift basket. Lots of these online retailers specialize in gift baskets that are specifically made for women, particularly mothers. These online retailers can creatively design a gift basket that will surely leave a lasting impression and create good memories to your mother.
You can get many advantages when you shop online. There are large selections and competitive prices that makes the shopping for Mother’s Day gift baskets easy and fast. Moreover, you don’t have to fight traffic and wrestle crowds. With a click of your mouse, you can choose and buy a gift basket for your mother delivered right at your mom’s doorstep. Online shopping is very convenient for those whose mothers are far away or residing overseas.
Mother’s Day is where we express our love, care and appreciation for our mothers. A gift basket that is delivered to her is a great way to say “thank you for everything”.