Hot Air Balloon Ride and new HAB

I finally flew in a hot air balloon! 

It was at the Warren County Farmers Fair in New Jersey; about 1 hour and 15 minutes away from NYC.  The tethered balloon ride was $10 per person for a couple of minutes....just long enough to enjoy the experience before you start flipping out because you suddenly realize you're scared of being in a hot air balloon.  

For those of you who have never ridden in a HAB before, standing in the basket was surprisingly very stable but the spurts of fire that are released right above your head are loud and hot.  We had to wait 2 hours from the scheduled flight time to wait for the winds to die down.  I thought it was a pretty calm day but it appears there has to be practically NO wind at all.  Even though the balloon was tethered to the ground, it was a great experience and besides, I'm not sure I'm brave enough to go for a real ride.  
The tethered rides were run by a friendly family owned company called Skylands Ballooning.

And new to my Etsy Shop is the Millennium Vintage Hot Air Balloon.  (Similar to the Millennial Hot Air Balloon I made in June).

New Hot Air Balloon ~ Millennial Vintage

This one-of-a-kind Millennial Vintage Hot Air Balloon was created to help raise funds for Gabrielle's Angel Foundation in conjunction with the 2nd Annual Millennial Ball which is being held on June 18th at Marquee NYC. All proceeds (minus seller fees) from the sale of this balloon will benefit Gabrielle's Angel Foundation which was created by songwriter Denise Rich after the death of her daughter Gabrielle to acute myelogenous leukemia when she was just 27.

The Millennial Vinatage Hot Air Balloon measures about 15" tall and 9" wide. It was inspired by a popular vintage Hot Air Balloon image used in many decorating projects and party invitations. It is painted in red, white, blue, black and tan. A fabric floss net covers the top half of the balloon with string supports leading to the woven wood and paper basket. White paper sashes, a band of light brown paper string and creme colored basket weights finish off the design.

********** ABOUT THE EVENT ****************

The Millennial Ball 2.0 brings together some of the most influential and socially-minded young people in NYC for a night of music, dancing, and magic. Last year's event put more than 300 people in Lavo and raised $57,000 for Gabrielle's Angel Foundation with the help of sponsors and partner fundraisers. This year on June 18th, the Millennial Ball is going to Marquee NYC with more space, more sponsors, and bigger acts. This will be a red carpet event unlike any other and with your help, we can leave a mark in the fight against cancer.
Date: June 18, 2013 Location: Marquee NYC, 289 10th Avenue New York, NY (Between 26 / 27th Streets) Time: 9pm-midnight

For more information and to reserve a ticket for the event visit http://mbparty.eventbrite.com/.


*********** ABOUT THIS AUCTION ************

The Millennial Vintage Hot Air Balloon can be bid on at Etsy here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/153117138/millennial-vintage-hot-air-balloon?ref=shop_home_active

1) Convo. me with your $bid amount. (The listing price will be continually updated for you to see what the highest bid is at the moment).
2) I will reply to let you know if that bid has been made by someone else or if you have dibs on the HAB so far.
3) The highest bidder will be announced on the day of the Millennial Ball, Tuesday, June 18.

THE WINNING BID:
1) The winner will pay the winning bid via Etsy.
2) Proceeds from the purchase price will go towards a Direct Donation to Gabrielle's Angel Foundation.
3) I will send you an official receipt to know that your donation has been made.
4) The Millennial Vintage Hot Air Balloon will be mailed to you!