Pin #333: Rangers Opening Day 2005

This monstrosity of a pin naturally comes from Texas.  They say everything is bigger in Texas, and apparently so are the pins.  This pin is from the Texas Rangers Opening Day game in 2005 against the Angels.  It used to light up, but it doesn't anymore.  It's really a huge, clunky pin, both in size and design.  It was given to me by my parents, I think.  They happened to be in the Dallas area around the time of this game and got this pin for me.

Pin #332: Peru Olympic Team

This pin represents the Peru Olympic Team and features the colors of pattern of the Peruvian flag.  I believe it is from the 1984 Olympics.  This was one of a bunch of pins that my mom got from someone and then gave to me.  There were a bunch of random Olympic pins from 1984.  You will see many more of them if you continue to follow this blog.

Pin #331: Arkansas

A couple summers ago, the camp I volunteer for had a theme of American Road Trip.  We were fortunate to get some souvenir packages from a variety of different states.  Many states sent pins.  Arkansas was one of those states, and this was the pin they sent.  It is in the outline of the state and highlights the state nickname, The Natural State.  Overall, it's a very bland pin, but I appreciate that they sent us stuff.

Pin #330: Bill Clinton Presidential Center

This is a pin from the Bill Clinton Presidential Center.  And it doesn't matter what your definition of is is to know that's true.  I haven't actually been there, but my dad got to go when he was doing a training in Arkansas, so he bought me a pin.  I think it's cool to have a pin from any Presidential Library.

Pin #329: Betty Boop

I bought this pin during my last trip to Universal Studios, which was a few years ago.  It was on clearance if you can believe it!  I bought a few pins that day that were all dirt cheap.  I thought this one was pretty cool because of the pin on pin camera.  Plus it has Betty Boop.  I'm not a huge Betty Boop fan, but I love retro stuff, so I this pin stood out to me.

Pin #328: Endeavour - California Science Center

This is one of the pins I bought after visiting the Space Shuttle exhibit at the California Science Center.  Seeing the space shuttle up close and personal like that was one of the coolest things I've ever seen.  I've always felt a connection with the shuttle program since it launched the same year I was born.  I was really glad to see the shuttle fly over the UA campus on its way to California for this exhibit.  And then to be in the same room with it was just awe-inspiring.  I like this pin because it shows the profile of the shuttle as if it is flying in space.

Pin #327: Phillies Jersey

For those of you who don't know, I'm a huge Phillies fan.  I have quite a few Phillies pins, and a ton of other Phillies paraphernalia.  This pin was given to me by my mom this past Christmas.  I guess she found a bunch of Phillies pins online and decided to get them for me.  This one is a replica of their current jersey.  If I could find one of their 70s-80s powder blue jersey, that would be really sweet.

Pin #326: Grand Canyon Night Sky

This is a cool pin from the Grand Canyon showing the colors of the canyon with the night sky above.  As someone who has actually seen the Grand Canyon at night, I can attest, that it doesn't look like this.  It is both awesome and scary at night.  I say that because it is so dark that you can see a crazy amount of stars, which is absolutely wonderful.  But it is also so dark that you can't actually see the canyon, which is scary because that's a big hole to fall in if you can't see it.

Pin #325: Lady Liberty Centennial

This is an interesting pin.  It commemorates the centennial anniversary of the Statue of Liberty.  There's a picture of Lady Liberty's face with a red, white, and blue ribbon in the background.  It's a very patriotic pin.  I'm not sure who gave it to me, but I'm glad they did.  I like historical stuff.

Pin #324: Star Wars Day 2014

This is a special pin that was released on Star Wars Day 2014, May the 4th, at the Disney theme parks.  The pin has quite a bit of detail.  First, the Star Wars Day saying, May the Fourth Be With You, is featured on top, with Jedi Mickey in the foreground.  The Jedi Mickey is a pin on pin element, which seems to be popular now.  Another neat feature of the pin is that it appears to be a comic book or magazine as evidenced by the icons in the corners.  And lastly, you can make out the silhouette of the Rebel Alliance logo in the background of the pin.  All in all, a very cool pin.  I'm very thankful that a friend of mine, who has an annual pass to Disneyland, was able to track it down for me.

Pin #323: Partners Statue Stained Glass

The Partners Statue at Disneyland is one of my favorite parts of the park.  That's why I'm always attracted to pins that showcase the statue.  This one seemed especially different.  It's the Partners Statue set on a background of a stained glass window.  I just thought it looked really cool and was different from most other pins, so I bought it.

Pin #322: San Antonio

This is a thumbtack pin I bought during my last trip to San Antonio a few years ago.  It features the famous facade of the Alamo on top and the Riverwalk on the bottom.  I like the pewter look of the pin.  I've bought a couple other similar looking pins.  They have a cool, older feel to them.

Pin #321: South Kaibab Trail

I bought this pin during a trip to the Grand Canyon.  It represents the South Kaibab Trail, which is one of my favorite hiking trails at the Canyon.  Along the way on the trail, you get to Ooh Aah Point, which provides an absolutely breathtaking view.  I could sit there for hours and just stare into the beauty.

Pin #320: Space Mountain Stitch

This pin was a gift from a friend of mine.  It features my favorite ride at Disneyland, Space Mountain.  Even though you can't tell in the picture, the rocket that Stitch is riding actually moves on the pin.  It's cool.  I love anything to do with Space Mountain, and I'm very appreciative that my friend thought to buy me this pin.

Pin #319: Lincoln Memorial

I bought this pin during my last trip to Washington DC in May 2013.  I went to see the Lincoln Memorial and I don't have a pin from the first time I saw it, so I figured I needed one.  This is a pretty basic pin with just a picture of the outside of the building, but it gets the point across.  There weren't very many options for Lincoln Memorial pins, but I wanted at least one.

Pin #318: Adventureland

This is one of my favorite Disneyland pins.  It's a pin that celebrates Adventureland.  I just absolutely love the look of it.  It's nostalgic and cool.  I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it and didn't think twice about buying it.

Pin #317: Start!

This is a pin from the Health Plus START! Physical Activity Challenge.  At least that's what the logo looks like.  It's a program run through Vanderbilt University, so I have no idea how I would have gotten this pin.  I really don't remember who gave it to me.

Pin #316: Jersey Boys

I have seen Jersey Boys twice now, and I can easily say that it is my favorite play.  I love the story, I love the music.  The first time I saw it was on Broadway, but I didn't get a pin because it was very busy.  When I saw it again in Tucson, I made sure to buy a pin.

Pin #315: Happiness Quote Disney

This is part of a four pin set featuring quotes from Walt Disney.  The full quote on this pin, because I know it is hard to see, is, "Happiness is a state of mind."  And as you can also see, the pin features Kermit the Frog.  I think that's fitting considering the quote.  But I really love quotes, and I really love Walt Disney, so when I saw this set at Disneyland during one visit I had to buy it.

Pin #314: Walt Disney World 2009

Sadly, I didn't get this pin by going to Walt Disney World.  It was a gift but I don't remember from who.  It's a generic yearly pin that each park releases, but a Disney pin nonetheless, so I like it.

Pin #313: LA 84 Gas Company

Ok, I'll be honest, this is really one of the strangest pins I have.  At first glance, it is a pin promoting the Gas Company for what I assume is a sponsor for the 1984 LA Olympics.  But after looking closer, some things just seem strange.  The eagle in the pin is actually Sam the Eagle, who was the Olympic mascot that year, not a very original concept.  Why he is wearing a bow tie, I really don't know, but apparently he always wears a bow tie.  In this pin, however, he is not wearing his Olympic outfit, but a gas company uniform.  Again, just strange.  But what really gets me is that he appears to be holding a flame in his left hand.  Either that or it is a really small wizard hat.  Altogether, just a strange pin, and another one that came in the random assortment I got from my parents one day.

Pin #312: San Francisco Giants Goofy

I bought this pin when I was in San Francisco this past February.  I was at AT&T Park and this pin was on clearance in the team store.  It combines two of my favorite things, baseball and Disney.  And Goofy just happens to be my favorite Disney character.

Pin #311: 2010 Rose Bowl

This is a pin from the 2010 Rose Bowl featuring Ohio State and Oregon.  While most Rose Bowl pins have a similar look, I really like this one.  The rose is featured prominently at the top and the location and title are bold underneath the helmets.  It's a very classy looking pin.

Pin #310: LA Olympics Hot Air Balloon

This is a cool pin from the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984.  At least, I assume it's from the Olympics based on the year.  Either way, I like the hot air balloon shape.  It's neat.  I got it as part of a stash of pins from my parents, who found or were given a bunch of old pins.

Pin #309: Arizona Diamondbacks Spring Training

This is another pin I got when attending a Spring Training game in March of 2005.  You may remember the Chicago White Sox pin I shared earlier in the blog.  This pin represents the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Those teams used to share the complex at Tucson Electric Park before they moved up to Phoenix.  Now I have to drive a lot further to get any giveaway pins.