Adventures of the Striped Stockings

Sadness

2012-02-29T21:22:00.000-05:00

Morgan and her friend Ira

This is from Morgan's wedding day.....from left to right.....her father, her stepmother's grand daughter Samantha, Morgan, her husband Ryan and her stepmother Kathy

Hi my dear readers. This week has been a sad week for my family. My oldest daughter Morgan has lost two very important people in her life. Her stepmother passed away on Sunday after a long battle with cervical cancer and then on Monday a very close friend of hers from high school passed away from a head injury. She obviously has been struggling and my heart is breaking for her. There are so many other things going on....underlying issues that she is going through with all of this and it is just heart breaking. Please keep her in your prayers.

What is Better Than Xanax and A Giveaway

2012-02-23T22:20:00.001-05:00

Did the title of this post get your attention? Which was it?.....something that is better than xanax or the giveaway? Well....first I'll tell you what is better than xanax......the weather here has been so mild this winter and I had an assignment to take a picture of myself as my "wise self" for SouLodge......and I knew that it would have to be taken at the beach. That's what's better than xanax....the beach......I went last Friday to take pictures and it was wonderful but I didn't really get to enjoy it.....So I went back today just because it was so beautiful outside. As soon as I felt the sand between my toes.....felt the sun on my skin......smelled the salt air......and heard the waves crashing on the shore......everything just melted away......I walked a while and I sat a while and by the time I left the beach I was more relaxed than I remember being in a very long time.

Now for the giveaway......I scored big time at the thrift store the other day. I found two books.....a hardback copy of The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd and a hardback copy of Women Who Run With the Wolves. I almost didn't buy them.....but I have read a book by Sue Monk Kidd....and loved it so I bought it. I already have a copy of Women Who Run With the Wolves so I didn't need that one.....but then I thought of YOU......so I'm going to give away the hardback copy of Women Who Run With the Wolves.....it is used.....but in perfect condition......I haven't found anything wrong with it.....not even any underlining....which I'm SHOCKED about.....but apparently whoever owned this book didn't underline anything.....it doesn't even look used.....so there you have it.....my giveaway. Leave me a comment here and you will have a chance to win your very own hardback copy of Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D.

UPDATE: The giveaway winner will be picked by putting all of the names in a hat and my daughter will pick the name. The winner will be announced Monday March 5th.

Have a Magical Day.....

ATC Lottery and Valentine Tin Swap

2012-02-12T19:46:00.001-05:00

UPDATE: Here's pictures of the tin I made and sent to my swap partner....I had forgotten to take pictures so I borrowed the pictures that Karen took....

Hi everyone. I have a couple of projects to share with you. I am so so so bad at remembering to take pictures of the things that I make in these swaps. I did take a picture of the ATC I made for a lottery swap done for Peggy Jones....with Blissful ATC Swap.....this was January's swap....I'm a little late posting this....so sorry.

Peggy's theme of choice was Steampunk....this was my first attempt at Steampunk....and I made two because I couldn't resist!

I wasn't so good with the Valentine Tin Swap.....I forgot to take a picture of mine that I sent out.....but here is what my swap partner Karen sent to me......she hasn't posted pictures of my tin yet....but I figure she will by Valentine's day....if I see them I will come back here and link directly to the post.

I have some Art Journal pages to share with you too....but that will be saved for another day.

Have a Magical Day......

Right Now.....Today

2012-02-05T20:55:00.000-05:00

I'm taking a class this month.....actually two of them....one is called Create Space and is about self care and the other is called You Are Your Own Muse....it's about taking self portraits. You may ask why I would want to take a class about taking pictures of myself.....well you see I hate....absolutely HATE to see myself in pictures.....I don't let anyone take my picture and if I somehow end up in a picture it usually ends up deleted or I just don't want to see it. This was a huge struggle for me a year back when my oldest daughter got married. You can't be at a wedding.....and certainly not be the mother of the bride without being in pictures.....this was my daughter's big day.....had really nothing to do with me.....and I worried about all of the pictures I was going to be in.....afraid that I was going to ruin my daughter's wedding pictures. Of course my daughter didn't see it that way at all.....it was all me....all in my own head......and it was painful. Now....the wonderful Liz Lamoreux (who is facilitating the Create Space class I'm taking) talks about self portraits and how she found herself always taking pictures of herself and not the space around her or of the other people around when she was at different events.....and I just found that amazing. I have seen many people in the blog world that take pictures of themselves and actually post them on their blog.....not me....there is not one picture of me on my own blog....well...except a few of my feet or my shadow. Anywhoo.....another thing that happened that has led me to this class and this place is this.....you may have noticed a button on my blog that says "I've been Double Dog Dared".....it is from the Squam blog. It is all about DDDing yourself to do something that you've been meaning to do or want to do....and well mine is continuing to lose weight. After we had stated our DDD one of the beautiful women DDDed us to put up a picture on Flicker that represented our DDD....and well for me that would be a picture of myself. Yes I could have put a picture of my bathroom scale or the sign at weight watchers.....but I chose a picture of myself. Well.....what it did to me and what I went through emotionally trying to get a picture of myself that I liked enough to post on flicker was again very painful. I shared this with the group and they suggested maybe taking a picture of a part of my body that I DID like or something else creative.....but I was just paralyzed by the thought of it. I finally chose a head shot that my youngest daughter took of me and took a huge deep breathe and just posted it. It has taken a lot out of me NOT to go and delete it off my flicker account.....I just don't go on flicker....if I don't see it then it's not there. Sooooo......This is what has led me to want to take a class like this ....to learn to like myself....no love myself just the way I am....right now today. Not when I'm a certain size or a certain weight....but right now in this moment. I don't think I can ever lose weight and get healthy without being able to love myself where I am right now today.

There are so many things going on in my world right now.....January was an extremely rough month.....and I was glad to see February 1st so that I could try to put January behind me.....but there are things to learn from that rough month.....it is part of this journey I am on......That's what I want this year to be about.....learning about myself....stretching myself....and coming out on the other side a better person. I am still a part of the wonderful group of SouLodge....but this session I have found myself much quieter and not as active in the group as I was in the autumn session and I'm allowing that.....winter is a time that I hibernate and turn inward....and I know that the next session in SouLodge will be different than this one.....just like each season. I have found another group that I am in love with too.....it is called The Sisterhood of the Book.....and it is facilitated by the fabulous Effy Wild.....it is all about art journaling.....a Book of Days. I plan to use the art journal in conjunction with this journey of taking pictures of myself. I have written here before about wanting to learn to art journal but I have just never gotten started....too afraid of not doing it right.....but I'm going for it this time.....Effy and the group are so completely inspiring....I found this group a month after it actually started but I am starting where I am.....right now.....today.

Have a magical day......

Me, Myself and I

2012-01-28T23:11:00.000-05:00

Hi all! I am finally feeling human again....I'm not 100%.....but I don't feel like a truck just ran me over either....yay! My husband and my little one went out for a Father/Daughter day....which meant I had a day to myself. I drove myself down to the beach......

and took a walk.....I walked down the boardwalk......

and then walked back up the beach....then I sat down and read a book.

After treating myself to all of this "good for my Soul" stuff....I went to my favorite pizza place and had dinner with myself......well....me and my new alien friend. What a way to spend a day.....and after feeling so bad all week.....this was a great way to end it!

Have a Magical Day.....

Grateful

2012-01-21T22:16:00.000-05:00

Thank you all for your kind words....it means a lot to me that I can come here with the good, the bad and the ugly and that you all are here listening......I am Grateful. I had a couple of really really bad days.....but then I decided I wasn't going to let this situation take over my life. Instead of staying in bed and pulling the covers over my head......I got up and I went into my craft room and started reorganizing and working on an couple of projects. I was able to turn my mood upside down instead of my mood turning ME upside down and it felt fantastic!!! Yay for being creative!!! I am Grateful. I still have lots of ideas floating around in my head that I want to do....it's been so nice to have my head filled with fun, creative stuff instead of the bad things in life. I just had to realize that there was nothing else that I could do about this situation.....that I had done the right thing and I had to let the authorities involved do their job. The other people involved have a long road ahead of them but at least healing can now begin. My little one learned that bad things happen to good people in life.....but she has been so brave and I am so very proud of her for doing all that she did.....but I'm hoping now she can go back to being a kid.....and not worry so much. I will send love and light to the family involved.....but I can't let it consume me and I know me....and I will have to work at it every day.....and being creative is going to play a big role in that for me. I will be back very soon to share some pictures of some of things that I've been working on the last few days.

SouLodge started back up this week too....so that couldn't have come at a better time.....I'm looking so forward to digging back down but also resting in this winter session. I am also joining Liz Lamoreux in her ecourse Create Space.....I am really looking forward to turning inward this Winter.....the Universe has put so many good things in place for me at the perfect time.....and I am Grateful.

I hope you all are having a magical weekend.......

World Upside Down

2012-01-17T17:55:00.001-05:00

It's amazing what one day can do to a person. Hi all.....I can't go into any details because there are other people involved and it wouldn't be right for me to put other people's business here for the world to read. But there is something huge going on in my world right now.....something that is effecting me on the deepest level.....deep inside my soul and I feel myself falling down into a hole.....and I would really appreciate all of the love and light and prayers......all the good juju you can send me. I'm not doing well with this at all.....I'm having to take care of my youngest daughter with this too.....she is a mess and I am a mess.....so I'm trying to be very strong for her as well.....and therefore my own emotional well being is not being taken care of like I know it should be.....I'm a bit numb right now as well.....the days are blending together......and I'm just kind of going through the motions....when all I really want to do is climb in bed and not come back out. I am so glad I have this little place to come to and ask for a little help....ok in this case A LOT of help. I may be gone for a little while.....I just don't know where this is going to take me.

Love Your Body Cleanse

2012-01-16T22:56:00.000-05:00

Well....I'm doing something that I have thought about doing for many many years.....but was too scared....man....there is that dang word again....scared...FEAR.....what's with me and being afraid of everything??? Anywhoo......I am going to do a 10 day cleansing called Love your Body Cleanse with Stephanie Perkinson. I've never done a cleanse of any kind but I can't wait to see what it does for my body. My older daughter Morgan is doing the cleanse with me.....she lives about an hour away and she eats much healthier than I do already.....but the support will be much needed. This week is prep week and it officially starts next Monday. This week will be spent figuring out what new things I want to try and gathering all my groceries. This isn't an all juice or all liquid cleanse....we will be eating real food.....real, whole, good for you food.

The main points of this cleanse are 1) Gluten Free 2) Dairy Free 3) Meat Free (although Seafood is OK) 4) Mostly Caffeine Free (tea is allowed, especially for hardcore coffee drinkers) 5) Alcohol Free 6) Refined Sugar Free

Stephanie sent out a 27 page Welcome Kit with all the information and guidelines and there is also a private facebook page for extra support. This is going to be a new adventure for me.....this year is going to be full of new adventures. The Winter Session of SouLodge starts this week too.....and I'm super excited about that....to get back into the work that I started back in the Autumn Session. I think doing the cleanse is going to be a great addition to SouLodge....I think it will help me go deeper and see and feel more clearly. And hopefully I will learn to Love My Body.

I hope all of you had a great weekend.....talk again soon.

SQUAM!

2012-01-09T20:06:00.000-05:00

I have a story to tell.....for several years now I have been stalking a website.....Squam Art Retreats......with dreams of going to this magical place that so many people have written about on their blogs. It is something that I have been reading about for years and never thought I would ever be able to attend. I found it through a blog I read....and through that same blog I found Pixie Campbell......and this past Autumn I joined Pixie in SouLodge and it has been amazing....as I have already written about here. THEN I found out that she also teaches at Squam....it was a sign.....it was meant to be....today I sent my registration in to attend Squam in September 2012! Now....let me back up a little bit.....a couple months ago I had signed up to get an email when the Squam website updated the information for the retreats for 2012. I got that email and looked through the classes and I was once again dreaming about going but thinking it was still out of reach. Then last week I decided to bite the bullet and I told my husband that I really wanted to attend this art retreat....that it was in September and it was in New Hampshire.....would he mind if I went?? He said it was fine with him....I was a little bit surprised....but I decided not to second guess it and started printing out the registration pages. I sat with these pages and looked through the class descriptions. After deciding which classes I would most like to take and filled out the registration forms and sat them to the side.

So, here I was with my husbands blessing, registration filled out and ready to mail on January 9th....the first day that registration can be mailed......and I started to panic. Guilt set in.....guilt.....why you ask? I started asking myself and wondering if it was the right thing to do.....you know.....doing something just for ME. But that was my second thought....not my first.....no....my first thought was......what about my weight? I can't go there looking like THIS. I've been trying to lose weight for the past year.....I joined Weight Watchers last February....I can't believe it's been that long.....I've only lost 12 pounds.....back in October I just stopped losing.....I started going up and down about 2 pounds.....I kind of gave up....stopped tracking what I was eating. The first week of January I decided to get back on it and went back to my meetings.....and so I've figured out that if I lose a pound a week between now and September.....when Squam is.....I could lose 32 pounds.....I have 70 pounds to lose....so that would put me about half way to my goal. This is a good thing really....but I hate that I automatically went to that place....the place where I'm worried about and feeling self conscience about my weight....but then it makes it very clear to me that I HAVE to lose the weight for myself....not for Squam or the people I will meet there....but for ME. Every time I think about putting something in my mouth that I really shouldn't.....I've been saying SQUAM out loud......to remind myself of the goal I have.....it hasn't worked every time....but I will keep plugging along. Now....the next thing that came to my mind was.....I won't fit in....I'm not good enough.....I'm not an artist like the other lovely, amazing women that I've seen that go to Squam.....do I really BELONG at Squam with those women? I mean they are SO artistic and SO amazing and SO talented.......should I go? These are just a few of the many doubts I have.....BUT....instead of letting those doubts about myself stop me......I mailed that registration in and I am going to Squam because yes I do deserve it and yes I am good enough.....if I keep telling myself that maybe I will start believing it for real.

Wild Woman

2012-01-01T19:55:00.000-05:00

On this first day of the New Year I wanted to share with you a painting that my oldest daughter painted. She painted it a few months back and I just loved it. The other day she said she was going to throw it away because she didn't like it....well I snatched it up! It reminds me of SouLodge.....of a Wild Woman......and so now it is sitting on my altar in my living room so I can see it all the time.

Books that I keep close at hand......I have read The Dance of The Dissident Daughter already but I am referring back to it over and over. Women Who Run With the Wolves I haven't read yet.....but I will starting it very soon.

This is a Gaia Statue that I found on Etsy.....I just love her.....she is sitting on Mother Earth, her hands create a heart and she has a beautiful long braid down her back.

Isn't she beautiful?

Have a Magical Day......

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T19:39:00.000-05:00

Wow....I can't believe a new year is getting ready to start. Last year at this time I picked the word Believe (or it picked me) to be my word for the year. Picking a word for the year instead of making New Year's resolutions was amazingly liberating. I don't know what my word is yet for 2012.....two words are floating around me right now.....Release and Truth......but I'm not sure which one it will be yet.....both words have come to me through SouLodge. The winter session of SouLodge starts January 16th and I just can't wait to get back in the Circle with the amazing Wild Women! I did my releasing ceremony....sharing it with my daughter.....we both made our own releasing bundles and through them into the fire and LET IT GO. I am now ready to start 2012 with a clear view of my Truth, a new word and more SouLodge.....it's going to be a great year.....a year full of deep searching and FINDING.....I am looking forward to what I am going to find.....the healing that is going to take place and the journey of walking my Path. There are still a few slots open for the Winter Session of SouLodge if any of you are interested.....I would love to have you join me.....it is a journey that would change you forever in a very profound way. I hope you all have a very Happy New Year! I can't wait to see what 2012 has in store for us!!

Have a Magical Day......

Merry Christmas.....Happy Holiday

2011-12-24T22:51:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas.....Happy Yule......Happy Holidays.....I wish everyone......each and every one of my dear readers a Happy Holiday......whatever and however you celebrate!

Cleaning House and Giveaways

2011-12-09T23:24:00.003-05:00

I plan on doing some cleaning soon.....I will be cleaning out some of my craft supplies.....and YOU get to be the new owners!!! I have way way too much.....I know many of you can relate to that......so I'm going to be cleaning house! I wanted to go ahead and give you guys a heads up now and give you the chance now to tell me what kind of craft supplies you like to work with paints....paper....ATCs....favorite colors.....tell me what you LOVE! I will be picking several....maybe more.....of my lovely readers to get some surprises in the mail. I will be posting again at a later date as I start getting things cleaned out and I know how much I will have to giveaway.....but this is your chance to comment FIRST and have first pick when I have my stash all cleaned out.....so go ahead.....leave me a comment and tell me what you like to play with!

Have a magical day......

The Mother of All Releasings Ceremony

2011-11-30T21:38:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone! I have written a few times now about SouLodge.....it has been the most AMAZING experience and I am signed up for all four sessions next year....I just can't imagine my life without SouLodge and the beautiful women I have been sitting in circle with. If you have any curiosity about it at all I encourage you to go here and learn more about it.....try one session and I guarantee you will have the same feelings. I now want to invite you all to join us on December 22 for the Winter Solstice and our Releasing Ceremony.....imagine all of the women around the world experiencing this at the same time....imagine the energy that would create. You can learn more about the Releasing Ceremony here. I really hope you will join us.....I believe it's going to be a powerful experience.

I also want to share a book with you all. I first heard about this book from one of my favorite blogs.....and then I shared some things in SouLodge about being pulled between my family and their religion and my desire to walk my own path and how I felt like I was being spiritually attacked. Many of the women shared this same book with me! I had gotten a copy of it from the library....but hadn't started reading it yet.....and so I picked it up and couldn't put it down. I ended up going out to buy my own copy of it because I wanted and needed to be able to underline and highlight so many things! The title of this amazing book is The Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd. If you haven't read it I highly recommend it!

How do you like my new blog look? Is is hard to read with the new background?

Have a magical day......

Spirit Doll and SouLodge

2011-11-28T19:43:00.000-05:00

This is my Spirit Doll that I made in SouLodge. She represents the water aspect of the West in the medicine wheel. She has dreads, a shell at her heart and bells. I love her....and she now sits on my altar. SouLodge is coming to an end.....but I am signed up for all four sessions for next year......this has been an amazing experience and I have met so many amazing SouLodge Sisters.....it has been such a blessing to me and I don't ever want to be without it.....or without the new Tribe I have become a part of......HOME. I learned about prayer ties this week as well.....they are little pieces of cloth with some type of plant offering....like dried lavender or tobacco like Pixie uses.....or you can even place pieces of paper in them with your prayers/wishes.....they are magical to make. I plan on putting some on my Christmas tree this year....my youngest daughter and I will be making them and adding them to the tree. You can also hang them outside in your garden.....you want to use biodegradable items in them so that when they return to Mother Earth there isn't anything in them that will harm her.

I am so thankful for all of you.

Have a magical day......

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T20:53:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to stop in and say a quick Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday......

Magic

2011-11-13T22:28:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone....this video was shared in SouLodge.....and I just had to share it with all of you......it is AMAZING!!!!!

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

Have a magical day......

11-11-11

2011-11-11T22:50:00.000-05:00

As you all know I am participating in SouLodge and Pixie gave us the assignment to spend today embracing the energy surrounding this day and to make a small medicine wheel. She also asked us to think about some questions and journey if we felt led to....I couldn't journey because of it being a holiday everyone was home so I had no alone time to journey. Instead, I built a fire in our little fire pit and spent some time with my daughter....we made this small medicine wheel, buried a small piece of tourmaline as an offering and put some sage and lavender and our hand written wishes into the fire and released them to the Universe.

A fellow SouLodge sister wrote on her blog about the Full Moon and she uploaded a video with a person singing I See the Moon......I hadn't heard this song in such a long time....and I am so grateful that she has reminded me of it.....I always point out the Moon.....to make sure my daughter appreciates her.....and tonight while were sitting out under that Full Moon.....I sang and sang.....

I see the Moon and the Moon sees me
and the Moon sees somebody I want to see.....

Have a magical day......

More to Share

2011-11-08T22:25:00.000-05:00

          Dance, when you’re broken open. Dance, if you’ve torn the bandage off.
               Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood.
               Dance when you’re perfectly free.

-Rumi

Someone at SouLodge shared this quote....and I just love it. I don't dance enough.....I feel self conscience when I dance....and have always felt like I couldn't dance.....I want to DANCE.

Many of you expressed an interest in my new journey....so I will be sharing more of my experiences here.....I am now in Week 2 of my journey.....and did another journey work today. This time we were supposed to focus on being around Fire....as we are now in the South on the Medicine Wheel. Just like the last time....things were dark at first.....I could "see" fire somewhere in the distance.....but I couldn't get there.....I actually had to journey twice.....the second time I finally made it to a fire...sitting on a stump around a fire in the forest of the botanical gardens that I live close to.....and next to me sat Hawk. I still felt disconnected from the fire though....I could see it but I couldn't feel it. Hawk told me to keep looking into the fire and watch how the flames dance...that it would free me to find myself. He told me I needed to get close to the fire...almost in it...become part of it....and that I could do it without being burned if I just trusted it....it wouldn't judge me. Hawk let me pet him...he was so soft to touch and then I noticed there were several other Hawks flying above me. I left this journey feeling a little let down because I felt so disconnected from it this time....but I also left knowing that I had to sit around around a fire and watch the flames dance.....and that I did.

I made a fire in our little fire pit and we (my daughter, her friend and I) roasted marshmallows.....and then when the kids were all done and gone in the house to play on the computer....I stayed outside and watched the flames dance under the light of the moon. I know that I will do this often during this beautiful Autumn weather.

We are supposed to have a craft to do this week as well.....I think we get directions for that tomorrow and I will post about that process later in the week. When I was at the Ren Festival I bought a large leather, hand sewn journal with at Tree of Life on the front of it. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it when I bought it.....but I had always wanted one and I thought there wasn't a better place to buy one. When I started the SouLodge I thought that it would be the perfect thing for me to use the journal for.....but I can't seem to let myself use it.....I'm so afraid of "messing" it up.....I know it sounds silly.....I have ideas in my head about what I want to do.....but it's taking the step from getting it out of my head and into the journal without judging it. Do I use it as an art journal only? Do I write my journeys in it or just use images? It isn't a lined journal....do I type my journeys into the computer and print them out to glue into the journal or do I use my own handwriting? All great questions....but they are paralyzing me. I will be back with more very soon......

Have a magical day......

Giveaway Winner

2011-11-06T21:35:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone.....sorry I'm late! I was supposed to announce my giveaway winner on Friday and it just slipped right past me! My daughter helped me pick a winner out of my witch hat.....and the winner is Marfi from Incipient Wings! Congratulations Marfi! I will send out an email to you!

Many of you have shown interest in my SouLodge and Journey post.....so I will be back with more information very soon!

Have a magical day.....

SouLodge and Journey Work

2011-11-03T16:13:00.001-04:00

I have joined an online class that Pixie Campbell teaches called SouLodge.....you can go to her website to learn more about it....she will have another one for Winter that I plan to be apart of too.....this is only the first week (it's a five week class) and it is amazing. I have learned about Smudging....which I had heard of before but had never actually done....and I have done it everyday this week.....and it is amazing. Today I did what is called Journey Work.....which is like meditation....but you lay down and listen to a drum beat.....and then you go into nature somewhere and you meet guides....maybe an animal or ancestors....could be anyone....and you ask them what you want to know....which today was "What do I need to be able to Trust in myself and this process?" At first all I could see was black.....nothing was happening......and I kept trying to make myself see or imagine the place that I thought I should be (we were supposed to try and imagine a place in nature that makes us feel safe). It wasn't happening and then all of a sudden I was somewhere I never thought of.....but it was a place that I went to as a child with my Dad....a piece of land he had.....and we would go camping.....he wanted to build a log cabin and live there one day.....but it never happened for him. When I found myself in this place I assumed I would meet my Dad there.....but I never saw him....instead I saw a Catfish....yep....that's right.....a Catfish.....I thought that was such a strange animal to see....but there he was. I won't go into all the details of our meeting....because I don't know if you guys would even want to hear it.....maybe I will share more about in another post. After meeting there with the catfish.....and feeling the entire time that there was something or someone in the woods hiding from me....but watching me.....I found myself in another place....in the woods but near the beach....there I met an Owl.....and then I was on the beach and for a few seconds saw a sandpiper and a seal. Each of these animals had a message for me.....and after journaling about my experience I started to look up the animals.....the Catfish was the one I really wanted to see....and each and every one of them meshed with the message they had for me. It was really amazing. I purposefully did not read anything about any animals and there meanings before I did this work because I didn't want it to influence what I might see or hear. This was really an amazing experience.....something I have never done before.....and it felt like Home to me....this whole thing feels like I have come Home. I have heard many people say that when they have discovered or read about Paganism or any other type of Spiritual path.....and now I know what that means and how that feels. Home.

Have any of you done any work like this? What experiences have you had? I would really love to hear what you dear bloggy friends think about this.....what you might know that you can share. I will share more of this journey with you as it goes.....and maybe more details about this work that I did today.....but first I wanted to put my toes in the water here and see if you all would be interested in hearing more about it??

p.s. I will be announcing the winner of the Witches Spell Box tomorrow......good luck everyone!

Have a magical day......

Witches Tea Party and a Giveaway

2011-10-28T18:52:00.000-04:00

Welcome! This is my post for the Witches Tea Party being hosted by Anna at Frosted Petunias.....thank you Anna for hosting this wonderful party to help end our favorite month of the year!

This is my altar or seasonal table....where the witches are gathering......

This is Lucinda......

And this is Dotty with her cat Penelope.......These are my two new Witchy friends that came to live with me this year....they are very happy to meet you!

These aren't very good pictures.....but this is an ATC that I made for the Witches Tea Party......and to celebrate the end of October and one of my favorite holidays......I will be having a giveaway. I will randomly pick one person out of my witches hat to win a Witches Spell Box.....it will be full of all kinds of goodies......including some Halloween craft goodies.....and what would a Witches Spell Box be without a little magic??? So leave me a comment and tell me your favorite thing about Halloween......I would like to pick a winner on Halloween....but to give everyone time to visit and leave a comment I will pick the winner next Friday November 4th.

Well I am off to visit my other witchy friends at their tea parties......hop on my broomstick and I'll give you a ride.......

Carolina Renaissance Festival

2011-10-26T20:36:00.000-04:00

I spent last weekend at the North Carolina Renaissance Festival. I drove down with my youngest daughter and my sister. My niece lives in Charlotte and my sister went with her last year and she came home telling me how much she thought I would love it.....and so we've been planning this trip for a year.....and it was not disappointing......we had a GREAT time!!

I just loved this witches hat......

And if you don't already know her......this is Twig!! She is such a beautiful fairy!

Here she is playing her flute......

And this fairy made a sun in the dirt......

These were hand blown glass spiders and spider webs......they were just beautiful hanging in the sun.....

Here's my daughter trying on a little witchy hat.......

And here posing with a Tree Man.....he was really cool....amazing someone can walk in that suit!!!

These witch legs were outside one of the shops.....I just thought they were really cool....I went in and asked the lady how she made them.....I might try to make a pair for myself.....striped ones of course.

There were a few rides for the kids.....and they were all manually operated.....this ride had two people standing on the base of the rocking horse to rock it by hand.

Finally.....I managed to catch the King and Queen standing still long enough to take a picture!

This is a Knight.....but I was told he was not a good Knight!

The End.

Have a magical day.......

ATC Swap.....Movie Monsters

2011-10-24T20:45:00.000-04:00

I participated in an ATC Swap hosted by Wendy at Blissfull ATC Swap this month. The theme this month is Movie Monsters. My partner was Cindy at Cindy Rose's Garden and this is what I sent her.......

I picked The Headless Horseman......Legend of Sleepy Hallow......as my Movie Monster. Cindy sent this picture to me because I forgot to take a picture of it before I mailed it out to her. I used a page out of the book as a background and a postage stamp in the corner. I also sent her a few extra goodies too.

This is what Cindy made for me......

The Bride of Frankenstein was her Movie Monster and she sent me some very pretty paper to use on a future ATC!

This was my first ATC swap and I had a great time......so I have signed up for next month too!!

Have a magical day......

Striped Sock Monkey

2011-10-22T22:16:00.000-04:00

I just HAD to have this.....it's a striped sock monkey.....and well we all know how much I love striped socks/stockings.....this was a no brainer!!! I actually saw this monkey on a Pier1 Imports billboard....and so I headed to the store to see if they actually HAD one.....and they did!!! I have never had a sock monkey or ever had any interest in them.....but THIS ONE I had to have!! Hee hee!! Can you guys help me name her....she came with a tag saying it was a HE and that his name was Pierre.....and this is so NOT a HE....it's a she and she needs a name.

My youngest daughter and I are in North Carolina right now.....we went to a Ren Faire today....it was the first one we've ever been to and we had so much fun!! I've been saving my money.....and I'm sure glad I did.....cause there was many many things that I just had to have!! And of course there were many many things my daughter wanted too!! Here is one of the must haves for her......it's supposed to be some kind of squirrel or rodent....it doesn't look like a squirrel to me....but that's what the woman said it was. My daughter named it Mango......

It has really weird white eyes....they look like they might glow in the dark.....but I'm not sure.....it has a magnet on the bottom and there is a metal piece you put under your shirt sleeve so it will sit on your shoulder....and then it has a control that you hold in your hand so you can move it's head around so it looks "alive"....she has had a blast with it!

I have a couple of things that I bought for myself to share with you too....but I want to share a story with you too....and I'm just too tired right now to even think straight.....so that will have to wait until tomorrow.....I really can't wait to share it with you.....I will also have more pictures from the Ren Faire to share in a couple of days.

Also when I get back home I will share my ATC swap with you that I participated in with Blissful ATC Swap. I have so much to share.....time has just been getting away from me!

Have a magical day.......

Meet Penelope

2011-10-18T19:50:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone! Before I start this post I just have to say that this obsession is all my sister's fault! Many months ago my sister asked me if I watched a show called Criminal Minds.....I had seen it a few times....but never watched an entire episode. She told me there was a character on the show name Penelope Garcia that she really liked and she thought I would like her too....and boy was she right! Do you watch Criminal Minds? Do you know Penelope? Well.....if you don't know her......you should......so let me introduce you to Penelope.....

Played by: Kirsten Vangsness
Rank: Special Agent (SA), Technical Analyst, Media Liaison

Vehicle: Vintage Cadillac convertible

Vitals: Penelope Garcia was born in 1977. Her parents died in an auto accident due to a drunk driver when she was eighteen, and she now helps counsel the families of murder victims in her spare time. Garcia has stated that after her parents died, she dropped out of Caltech and went "underground" but continued to teach herself computer coding. She has 4 brothers (names unknown) and is godmother to JJ's son, Henry.

She had been placed on one of the FBI's hacker lists (she was one of a small handful of extremely useful or dangerous hackers in the world), and they recruited her from there (3:09 - Penelope). It has also been mentioned, when she was not allowed to travel with the team to Langley, that she was on the CIA's "lists" as well.(1:21 - Secrets and Lies). JJ joked that Garcia belonged to that list when she (unsuccessfully) tried to hack the CIA for information on Princess Diana's death and other government conspiracies (Namely, Prince William's phone number).

Penelope Garcia is the team's Audio/Visual Technician at BAU Headquarters in Quantico, VA. When she speaks with Morgan they use pet names such as "hot stuff" or "sweet cheeks" or he calls her "baby-girl." Garcia frequently answers the phone with comments like "This is the office of All Knowing; how may I be of assistance?" She is into online games, specifically MMORPGs. She has broken down crying several times due to the fact that the area of her job is to listen to and watch terrifying things in her office to analyze them for the team. However, according to Hotch, she "fills her office with figurines and color to remind herself to smile as the horror fills her screens." She is required in one episode (4x19: House on Fire) to be a profiler. She states when Hotch comes back that she can't go into people's minds and see the "god awful things that happened to them to make them do god awful things to someone else" because she "chooses to see the good in things."

Garcia was shot by an UnSub with a hero/homicide complex by the name of Jason Clark Battle in Season Three ("Lucky" and "Penelope") when she flagged several open homicides to help out the families she helps counsel without knowing that Battle was the murderer in all of the cases. She has since recovered, and is currently dating another Technical Analyst by the name of Kevin Lynch. She may also be the only person that Derek Morgan truly trusts, and they are considered to be best friends.

Has a Fear of clowns.

All of this information was found here.

So there's some information about Penelope Garcia. You really need to watch the show to get a good idea of who she is......I have become just a tad bit obsessed with her.....but it's a healthy obsession.....hee hee. She also has a collection of funky pens....writing pens.....most of which have been sent to her from fans.....and she uses them on the show. Of course one of the things that I love the most about Penelope is her wardrobe.....and her bubbly personality of course.....but her wardrobe is just fantastic!!! She wears the best accessories......something that I would like to try to wear more of......She wears the most fantastic eyeglasses......I recently got new eyeglasses and I got a pair that was a little funkier than I would have normally gotten.....and I am just loving them....and now that I've discovered Penelope I want to get some more.....I want them to become a part of who I am.....part of my outfit.....not just something that I'm trying to hide and pretend I don't wear.....like I've done in the past. I would like to create my own "Penelope Style".....something that is different and funky.....but me. Well.....I hope you have enjoyed getting to know Penelope.....I'm sure you see more of her here in the future.

Have a magical day......

The Halloween Tin Swap

2011-10-06T21:06:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! I have stuff to share! I participated in the Halloween Tin Swap hosted by Wendy at Bliss Angels. This was my first tin swap....well actually my first swap at all.....so I was pretty nervous. So first.....here is what I received from my swap partner Deb from Garage Sale Gal.

I just loved it and she sent me all kinds of goodies! And here is what I sent to her.....I took pictures of the box that I mailed it in and the tin.....but I forgot to take a picture of the inside of the box....I sent her some goodies too....she is going to post pictures on her blog soon so hopefully she will take pictures of the extras that I sent to her! I hope I get better at taking pictures of my swaps! Here's what I made.....

This box is stuffed with stuff! I don't know why I didn't take a picture of the inside.....I must have gotten sidetracked somehow........around here you never know.......

I am participating in the ATC swap this month at Blissful ATC Swap so I will have my first ATC swap to share with you soon.

I will be gone this weekend.....tomorrow is my birthday and so I'm spending the weekend with my daughters. We were supposed to go to Ocracoke but the road isn't reopened yet from the hurricane.....stupid hurricane! Now I have to wait until the Spring to go to Ocracoke......I hope I survive without my Ocracoke fix this Fall! So sad!!

Have a magical weekend.......

Happy October and Practical Magic Giveaway Winner

2011-10-01T19:14:00.000-04:00

Happy October everyone!! I have so many things to share with you today! First of all....my birthday is next Friday.....and for my birthday I have been granted with a week full of Wonderful, Beautiful, Autumn Weather!!!! It was 60 degrees today and all next week it will be a high of around 70.....I couldn't ask for a better birthday present!! I am supposed to be going out of town to my favorite little island....Ocracoke, NC.....with my two daughters.....just the three of us......but we are waiting to see if the road will open for us to make it down there....the main road was washed away and they are having to build a new bridge because of the hurricane we had......so everybody send us some good energy so they can get the bridge done in time for our trip!

Now.....on to some important business.....the winner of my Practical Magic Blog Party giveaway.......I assigned each entry a number and my daughter picked a number at random......and the winner is.......Wendy from Bliss Angels!!! Congratulations Wendy! I will email you for your address and I will send your Halloween Surprise Box out next week!

I will share my Halloween Tin Swap with you guys soon....as soon as my partner tells me she received her package I will post pictures of what she sent me and what I sent her......so stay tuned.

I found the image that I used online....but could not find who to credit.....so if any of you know who this image belongs to please let me know so that I can credit that person and/or ask permission to use it. I just thought it was so beautiful!

Have a magical day.......

Practical Magic Party

2011-09-23T17:13:00.001-04:00

Welcome to my Practical Magic Party! Thank you to Anna at Frosted Petunias for hosting this wonderful party! For inspiration.....I am watching the movie right now as I write this.....so here we go.......

Come right in....we were just getting ready to have some chocolate for breakfast.....would you like a brownie or a piece of cake?

How about some tea?

Here....let me light a candle......and cast a little spell.......

What's that? Something went wrong with our spell? Let's call the Aunts....they'll know what to do......

Oh.....it's time for Midnight Margaritas.......turn on the music......it's time to dance.......

Grab your brooms ladies.....it's time to clean house and move on to see what everyone else is up to......

I hope you enjoyed your visit......I can't wait to visit everyone else.....please go here to find everyone's party post.....and just for coming by and leaving a comment one lucky witch will win a Halloween Surprise Box.....it will be full of fun Halloween stuff just for you! Now, hop on your broomstick and let's fly.........

Happy Hobbit Day and......(Almost time for the Practical Magic Party)

2011-09-23T12:20:00.000-04:00

Hi everybody! I will be posting my Practical Magic post later today....but I wanted to stop in and say a quick Happy Hobbit Day.....yesterday was actually Hobbit Day.....and I celebrated it with my sister.....we had a little Hobbit Party! We watched LOTR.....well actually we watched the beginning of LOTR where they show The Shire and Bilbo's Bday party (which is why it's Hobbit Day....for his Birthday).....and we watched it 5 or 6 times in a row......and ate some Hobbit snacks. We have already started planning next years party so it will be even better....this one was kind of last minute because I've been so busy preparing for the Practical Magic party! Ok.....well I will see everyone a little later at Anna's (Frosted Petunias) for the Practical Magic Blog Party!!! Get your brooms ready.....it's going to be a great party all weekend long!!!!

Have a Magical Day......

Giveaway Winners

2011-09-16T21:54:00.000-04:00

I had such a wonderful time hosting and visiting everyone's Gypsy Dreams......and because of that I will plan on it being an annual event. Now on to the giveaway winners......I used a random number generator to pick two numbers for my giveaway. The first winner is Wizardess and the second winner is Miss Peach.....congratulations! I will email both of you to get your mailing information.

I've been very busy getting my Tin and ATC ready for swapping.....and I've been making a few other surprises too....and I will share them with you very soon. It's been a very fun process....and I've even found someone that is willing to swap with my 10yr old daughter! She is VERY excited! She made an ATC with me even before she had someone to swap with.....she just sat down with me and created along side of me.....I just love it!

Have a Magical Day!

Fall Is In The Air

2011-09-15T21:09:00.002-04:00

Hi everybody! Well....today has been an exciting day.....in fact I'm really excited about tomorrow too.....why you ask? Well....first of all today's high temperature was 89.....and tomorrow's high temperature is going to be 69!!! That in itself is enough to be very excited about.....don't you agree??? Now on to the real excitement.....I got a package in the mail today......I actually got 2 packages in the mail today! This is the first one......

Thank you Anna!!!! Anna from Frosted Petunias sent this package to me.....just to wish me a Happy Autumn! What a fantastic surprise it was! And if you are familiar with Anna's work you can just imagine how excited I was to be the recipient of one her amazing works of art!! The packaging was so pretty I didn't want to mess it up......and with each item I took out of the box I got more excited!

No matter how hard I tried I couldn't get good close up pictures of these beautiful works of art......the blurry pictures that I took just didn't do it justice....you can see better pictures of the Gypsy Wagon at Anna's Gypsy Dreams blog party post. I feel so honored that she shared these with me!

I added some of the goodies to my inspiration board......

This is the second package that I received.....but I'm not going to show you what was inside.....not yet....it is my Halloween Tin Swap from my partner....yep....I got it already!! She works fast.....and it is full of lots of goodies! I will share this with you in a few weeks when I finish my tin and package.

Here is a picture of some of my witch shoe collection.....and you can also see that I bought myself a deck of Gypsy Witch cards! I saw them on several Gypsy Dreams blog party posts and decided that I just had to have a set for my room!!

Have a Magical Day......

Happy Harvest Moon

2011-09-12T22:39:00.001-04:00

Phew.....it's been so fun visiting all my Gypsy Dreamin friends!! Now I'm getting ready for a few other things I have coming up. I am signed up for the Halloween Tin Swap at Bliss Angels and an ATC swap over at Blissfull ATC Swap. The Practical Magic Blog Party is also coming up September 24th. It is going to be a very busy few weeks trying to get everything done. I am brand new at these swaps.....so I have been playing with ATCs and Tins to practice. I finished this ATC tonight.....minus some purple ribbon I wanted to add to the edges....but I'm not sure if adding the ribbon would make it technically too big or not. I think I'm going to find myself addicted to these swaps......and it's a perfect way to keep myself happy and busy in my new room!!

So this is it.....what do you guys think? I wasn't sure if I wanted to share it here.....I'm not very confident about things that I create but if I'm going to do these swaps I have to post pictures of what I create and what is sent to me so I'm putting myself out there for all to see......It's a bad picture of it....but it's black with orange stripes and green and purple glitter paint in the background. It's not as good as other people's ATCs that I've seen.....that's why I need to practice! And as you can see I have to figure out how to take a decent picture of them! This was the best out of a bunch I took....the lighting either came out too dark where you couldn't see any of the color or it had a horrible glare. If anyone has any suggestions about that let me know. I will post more stuff as I get it created.....Happy Full Moon!

p.s. I will be picking the Gypsy Dreams giveaway winners this Friday.....I want to give everyone a chance to leave a comment and enter.

Have a Magical Day........

Gypsy Dreams......and a Giveaway

2011-09-09T17:43:00.000-04:00

Once upon a time I found this beautiful armoire that I wanted to turn into a craft trunk.......so it came home with me.......

And I put it in my utility room with my washer and dryer......and it sat there with all of this stuff around it.....while I had dreams of painting it......and then I decided not to paint it....but to decorate it in other ways that weren't so permanent......and so began my dreams of my very own Gypsy Room.

And so began the transformation.......and my Gypsy Dreams began to take form.......

Slowly this room began to look like a Gypsy Oasis.......my very own Gypsy Room was emerging from all of the clutter and craft stuff that I've had laying around.........

Welcome to my Gypsy Dreams Room........this is the view from the doorway.......

This is the Gypsy Dreams sign I made.....I bought the letters at Michaels, painted them and then stapled the ribbon to the back of the letters and hung it from a small cafe rod.......

This is my bookcase....and I hung a inspiration board on the closet door.....it's just waiting to be filled up.....and as you can see I have lots of stuff......

And here is my craft trunk.....I put ribbon on the front of the big door and draped fabric over the top and down the sides. I put a little ornament in the middle of the small door. The craft trunk is full of craft supplies......paper, paints, glues, ribbon, and odds-n-ends of all kinds. You can see some of my bright curtains that are hanging all the way across that wall.....and my two vintage suitcases there that are full of more supplies......

This is the inside of the large door......I made that shelf.....painted it glitter blue and put the bead trim on it.....and I have ribbon hanging from a pants hanger.....on the inside of the door is cork....to pin up any inspiration or reminders I may need.

This is the corner next to the doorway into the hall.....that print is a fabric/quilt square that I found on Etsy and had it framed. My intention when I bought it was to put it on a canvas and make a mixed media piece....but the size was so odd and it has so much texture to it I just couldn't hide any of it.....it's really beautiful in person....and one of you will win a print just like it.....just a little smaller in size.......more about that at the end of my story........

Here's the inside of the small door on my craft trunk......in the top there you can see I took a lazy susan and screwed lids to top of it.....turned it upside down and attached it to top of inside of the trunk.....you can't see it but I painted the lazy susan red....with glitter of course!

Here's a long view of the inside of the craft trunk....in the bottom there is a basket full of craft paper.....and a reusable bag for toting my stuff with me if I go somewhere and want to take some craft stuff with me......I'm not quite done with the inside yet....I'm sure I will be moving stuff around.....and I will probably get different baskets or paint the ones I have......not sure yet.....and the drawers are full of stuff.....I couldn't get good pictures of the inside of them....the top drawer is full of glues and modge podge.....and the second drawer has lots of different paints and the third one is full of odds-n-ends.......the small door has a basket of stamps and the jars are full of buttons.

Well....there you have it.....one last look at my Gypsy Dreams room from the doorway.......it's been nice having you over for a visit.....you should come by some time and we can have a play date.......hee hee

Oh.....and lets not forget about my giveaway! I have two items that I will be giving away.....like my last giveaway the first name picked out will be able to pick which item they would like and then the second name picked will get whichever item is left. So.....here is what you have the chance to win......

Both of these items are things that I purchased from Etsy......I thought they would be perfect items to giveaway at the Gypsy Dreams Blog Party......so for the chance to win one of these items.....just leave me a comment and let me know which one you like best!

Head on over to the Gypsy Dreams Blog Party page to visit everyone else.....I'm on my way there now......see you around the campfire.....thanks for coming by....and please do come back again real soon!

Have a Magical Gypsy Dreamy Day!!

A Magic Box

2011-09-07T22:59:00.000-04:00

Look what I got in the mail yesterday!! I won a giveaway over at A Fanciful Twist......I won a Magic Box.....made especially for me by Vanessa! I almost didn't want to open it and take out the goodies......it was so pretty.....but I did.....and it was more magical with every single thing I took out......I can hardly wait to show you what was inside......

Pretty lace.....a magical key.....faerie dust.......mushrooms......earrings (made by Vanessa)......glittery stars.....and a mini gourd and some dried flowers straight from Vanessa's garden......enchantment and magic all tucked away in a little Magic Box! Thank you Vanessa!! She has inspired me to make a few of these little boxes to send to some friends.....how can I resist???

Have a magical day.......

Is Your Gypsy Wagon Ready?

2011-09-05T21:45:00.001-04:00

Hi everybody! I have lots of pictures to post of the mountains.....the last day we were there was overcast and cool! Loved it!! I will share those with you tomorrow. Do you all have your Gypsy Wagons ready? It's time to remind everyone about the Gyspy Dreams Blog Party.......it's almost here.....this Saturday, September 10th is the big day! I have posted a reminder and some things to do to help the party go easier......so please go on over there and take a look. There's still time to sign up if you want to join us.....if you don't have time to actually join in.....you can still go over there the day of the party and visit with us! I can't wait to see what everyone has come up with!

Have a magical day.......

Hello From the Mountains

2011-09-03T22:11:00.000-04:00

We are having a great time here in the mountains. We went to Tweetsy Railroad today......it is a cute little theme park.....nothing fancy....but a good family fun time! The weather has been a little disappointing......if you can believe it.....they said it has been near record highs the last few days! It has been in the low to mid 80's and next Tuesday it's going to be a high of 59 degrees!! It's just my luck.....record highs in the mountains the weekend WE are here.....so I didn't get my cool Fall "ish" weather......boo hoo.....so sad!!

Here's my little one "feeding a troll" and riding one of her favorite rides.....Free Fall

The top picture is of the dancers from the Clogging Show and then the one above is of my little one with one of the Can-Can girls from another show. As you can see in the picture it was a really crowded day.....but there really aren't any long lines for anything. It is really a very laid back type place.

Tomorrow we are going to Grandfather's Mountain.....I will share more pictures tomorrow.

Have a magical day......

Halloween Anyone???

2011-08-31T21:16:00.001-04:00

We are ready for Halloween around here.....I've already eaten most of my first bag of Candy Corn and it's not even September yet! Ok....I didn't eat them ALL by myself.....but most of them!

This is a little blurry.....but these are candy corn earrings that my daughter was wearing the other day!

And all of that stuff is my new Halloween Stash for goodies I plan to make!! I signed up for the Halloween Tin Swap over at Bliss Angels.....so some of this will be used on my Tin....and the rest will be used for some fun stuff I'm going to make for a few friends.....and yes, I know I have way more than I really needed....but I just COULDN'T choose.....I really had to just walk away and stop looking.

We are going to the mountains this weekend......and I can't wait.....it will be SO much cooler there....it will really feel like Fall is coming.....when we went last year at this time it was in the 50's at night.....aaaahhhh.....we are leaving tomorrow night and will be back Monday afternoon.....I will try to post something from there.....but if not I will check in with you on Monday. Have a great weekend!

Have a magical day......

We Made It

2011-08-28T20:40:00.000-04:00

Well.....here I am.....hurricane Irene has come and gone. We have a bunch of branches down....a few trees down in the neighborhood......but no trees down in our yard.....our fence didn't have any damage.....our house had no damage.....and WE HAVE POWER!! My neighbor told me today that she has been here 60yrs and this was the FIRST time EVER that we did not lose power during a major storm! I am just completely shocked.....but completely grateful!! Thank you all for your well wishes.....they worked! I hope you all had a great weekend!

Hurricane Update

2011-08-27T09:53:00.001-04:00

Hi everybody.....I just wanted to touch base with you.....the storm is getting ready to hit us later today and through the night. The hurricane is going to go right over us....so it's going to be pretty bad. They are expecting widespread power outages and being that we usually lose power I expect we will be without power for at least a week....maybe more. They are also expecting many many trees to come down.....I just hope that it isn't one of ours because if one of ours actually comes down.....it WILL hit our house. I will update you all as soon as I can.....I should have some battery left on my computer after the storm is gone.....so I will try to get on and let you know how we are.....

Earthquakes and Hurricanes......Oh My!

2011-08-23T21:51:00.000-04:00

Hi everybody.....we had an earthquake here today.....I live in Virginia.....it was a 5.8 earthquake.....we haven't had an earthquake of that size in over 100 years. We apparently had one sometime in the mid 70's....a smaller one.....but I was a small child so I don't remember that. Having an earthquake is a very odd thing for us to have.....it was a strange feeling. We didn't have any damage where I live....it was a small earthquake....there was some damage where it originated.....but nobody was hurt. And if this wasn't enough....we also have a hurricane coming this weekend......the hurricane worries me much more than the earthquake did.....hurricanes can go either way......we might get a little rain and wind.....or we could have a whole bunch of damage as we have in the past. I hate hurricane season.....it usually brings at least one big storm where we end up with no power.....big branches down.....damage to our fence.....we've been lucky that one of our huge trees that we have all around our house have not come down....and we've never had any major damage to the house......but luck is bound to run out eventually......so hurricanes worry me. One of my favorite places in North Carolina has issued an evacuation notice......so hopefully my little island will be ok too. So please keep us in your thoughts......maybe if we all do it together we can blow the hurricane right back out to sea!!

Have a magical day......

Fun Finds and Fun Things to Do

2011-08-19T21:05:00.001-04:00

Ribbon.....did I need more ribbon? Probably not.....but I have BIG plans for some of this ribbon.....and then some of it....well....it was just SO pretty.....I HAD to have it! And this "book" that's really a box......well....it was SO pretty that I just HAD to have it.....it's going in my new craft space.

I have been so very busy this week......but it's all been FUN stuff!! I am working on my new craft space.....which includes my "craft trunk"......and I can't wait to show you how it all turns out! I still have lots of work to do.....but it's coming along very nicely. I'm trying to remember to take lots of pictures so I can show you all the before and after pictures......so stay tuned! Now.....I know it's still August.....but Autumn is coming.....and with Autumn comes Halloween! So.....today I bought my first Halloween items.......I just couldn't resist!

Aren't these fantastic???? This picture really doesn't do them justice.....the one on the right is purple, green, black and orange.....I had to add them to my little striped stocking/witch shoe collection......I don't think I've ever shared that with you guys.....but as I take them out for Halloween I will share them with you....maybe I can find space for them to be out all year in my craft space.....I'll have to look into that.

I also wanted to tell you about the Practical Magic blog party that Anna at Frosted Petunias is hosting....it is the second annual PM blog party.....it was so much fun last year that I just HAD to join in this year! I hope you will join me!

I am also going to join in with Bliss Angels and do her Halloween Tin Swap.....this is the first time I've done anything like this.....but I think it will be loads of fun!

I'm also thinking about joining in at Blissful ATC Swap to try my hand at doing ATC (Artist Trading Cards).....I didn't even know what these were until the other day when I found a book about them....and of course I bought it and I want to give it a try....have any of you done these before? I've seen mention of them on a couple of my favorite blogs....but didn't really know what they were.....but now I do....and I'm really excited about trying them.

Have a magical day.....

Gypsy Dreams......Announcement

2011-08-11T18:32:00.000-04:00

Hi everybody!!!! Like many of you......I love all of the great blog parties that some of my bloggy friends host.....so I've decided to host a Gypsy Dreams blog party!!

So lets gather our Gypsy Wagons........

Meet in the forest.....under a full moon......wearing our striped stockings........

With our craft trunks.......

Sit around a campfire........

And spend the evening creating Gypsy Dreams.......

Click on the Gypsy Dreams button on the top of my sidebar and come join me.......I do hope to see you there!

Have a magical day.......

Look What I Got!!

2011-08-08T20:46:00.000-04:00

I got a great big surprise in the mail today! One of my new magical bloggy friends, Marfi from Incipient Wings sent me a little get well package for my sister and she put a little surprise in there for me!

The tea and this little package of Fairy Dust, Heart and Fun Playing Cards are for my sister......

And this fantastic Striped Stocking magnet was for ME!!!! Squeal!!!! Thank you SO much Marfi!!

Today was my little one's 10th birthday....we spent the day at the Aquarium......we had a great time!

Have a magical day......

I Wish I Was A Hobbit

2011-08-06T22:56:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone! I don't know if you know this or not.....but I not only dream of running away in my very own Gypsy Wagon to the woods......I also dream of living in my very own Hobbit House in the Shire. Yes....these are two very different dreams......but I dream them both......I will be celebrating Hobbit Day on Sept. 22.....I will be eating 6....maybe 7 meals and watching Lord of the Rings all day.....walking around barefoot (well...I do that most of the time anyway) and I'm hoping to have a Maiden Hobbit dress to wear......like one Rosie Cotton would wear. I will be going to a Ren Faire in October.....and I'm going as a Hobbit. All of my Hobbit obsession began long before I ever watched my first LOTR movie.....I haven't even read the book The Hobbit yet.....(and I can't wait for the Hobbit movie to come out next year).....my obsession began because I am very short (4'10") and people would call me a Hobbit.....and at first I was very offended....I didn't even know what a Hobbit was.....but then it became a word of endearment.....and then I saw LOTR........and so began my love affair with Hobbits. If I could make my front door round.....I would.....I would even cover my house in lush green grass. Living like a Hobbit would mean living a simple, unadventurous life....maybe even with a few chickens (another dream of mine.....although I don't think they show Hobbits having chickens in the movies....my own little addition).......sounds like a slice of heaven to me!

This is a playhouse that I found online....I can't find the link for it.....

I found this Hobbit house on a Tiny House website......

And this house I found here......

And this is a miniature Hobbit House that this lady made by hand.....amazing....you have to go look at the details of this house......

Well.....now you know......I wish I was a Hobbit.....minus the hairy feet.....

Have a magical day.....

Giveaway Winners!

2011-08-02T16:26:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone!! I have our giveaway winners! First I have to say that I made a mistake and I actually have five prints to giveaway.....not four.....I apparently couldn't count that day.....oooops. So anyway, my daughter and puppy drew the winners out of a flower pot. The First winner is Incipient Wings, Second winner is Elle, Third winner is The Blue Faerie, the Fourth winner is Denise and the Fifth winner is Mina. As I stated previously.....the first winner will have first pick at what print she would like.....and then the second winner will have second pick......and so on. I will email each of you and let you know what prints are available and you can pick which one you want. If you do not have an email attached to your blogger account please email me as soon as you can. Thank you all for commenting and welcome to my new followers!

Have a magical day......

I Have a Secret to Share.......

2011-07-31T18:22:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! First......before I get into the fun stuff.....let me share that my sister is doing well.....she is home.....and recovering......she is still in some pain.....but she sees her doctor on Aug 8th so hopefully they will be able to tell her a little more......thank you all for your concern and you well wishes......I really do appreciate it.

Now......I have a little secret......the excitement around here is getting almost too much to handle.....I feel like I'm about to bust! Things aren't quite ready......but I'm going to share just a little.....enough to raise your curiosity.......and maybe you can guess.......I am making plans......hanging lights.......decorating......getting snacks ready......making invitations......and this is all for you.......all of my bloggy friends.......

Can you guess?

Have a magical day.......

Update and My Very First Giveaway

2011-07-26T11:07:00.001-04:00

Hi all!! My sister is now eating food.....real food! If she does well with the food today then she will get to go home today!! I am so very happy and relieved......and I want to thank each and every one of you that left kind words here and send healing energies her way and my way. You guys are awesome!!

Now....on to my first giveaway! I have 105 followers now.....and I am so completely amazed that there are people out there that actually read what I write here and come back to read again!! I know that not every single one of the 105 people come here everyday to read my blog.....but each one of the people that decided to follow my little blog brought another person......and the ones that come back regularly and leave comments have become my bloggy friends and I wouldn't trade any of you for any amount of followers! Most of my followers like Faeries.....so I've decided to giveaway some of my Linda Biggs faerie prints that I have. If you don't know who Linda Biggs is you can visit her site here......I think she is awesome.....some of her prints are a little out of the box....and I think that's why I like her so much. So here are the prints that I have that I will be giving away.......

I have four prints to giveaway so I will pick four winners. All you have to do is leave a comment here and/or mention it on your blog.....if you do both you will be entered twice. (I know some people have been having trouble leaving comments with blogger......so if you can't leave a comment here.....please send me an email and I will add you to the drawing) I will be picking the winners on August 1st......I will put each entry into a bowl and have my daughter pick the names. First place gets to first pick and second place gets second pick and so on.......

I have another exciting announcement that I will be making very soon.......I can hardly wait!

Have a magical day......

Great News!!

2011-07-24T14:38:00.000-04:00

Hi everybody!! Thank you SO much for all of your support and good wishes for my sister. The blockage has moved through and they have taken the tube out and they are starting her on a liquid diet to see how she does. If she does well with the liquid diet they will start her on a soft food diet tomorrow. This is such great news.....and I can't thank you all enough......it meant so much to me!

I see that I have reached 102 followers! Thank you and welcome to all of my new bloggy friends! I had decided a while back that when I reached 100 followers I would do my very first giveaway.......so come back tomorrow for all of the details.

Have a magical day......

A Short Update

2011-07-22T19:07:00.000-04:00

Hi everybody. Thank you all SO much for all of your kind words. There is really no news yet.....she has been transferred to a different hospital.....one where her doctors can keep a closer eye on her.....and that if they have to do emergency surgery on her then her surgeon will be the one to do it. So far she is doing the same....they are trying to let this blockage break up and pass on it's own.....because surgery would be very risky and possibly life threatening for her. So right now it's really just a watch and wait situation. Please keep the healing energies coming. Thank you again for all of your support.....it really means so much to me.

In Need of Bloggy Friends

2011-07-21T13:57:00.000-04:00

I am writing this on my phone while I sit at my sisters bedside at the hospital. She has Crohns disease and it is a very bad case. She has a blockage in her intestines. When she had her last surgery several years ago she had several life threatening complications. They told her at that time that she couldn't have anymore surgeries.....she has no more intestines left to remove without her having to have a bag and they also said that having another surgery could kill her......and of course if they can't get the blockage to move....that could kill her too. Please send her healing energies and prayers......however you talk with the Divine. Thank you and I will keep you posted as I am able.

Celia

Finds, Prayer Flags and Stuff......

2011-07-19T21:21:00.000-04:00

Hi all, I have been so busy with so many things.....and I'm going to share a few of those things with you now.....I hope you enjoy.

I found these two beautiful chairs at a consignment shop a couple of weeks ago.....along with this.....

I'm not sure if I'm going to paint this bird cage or not.....but I just couldn't resist it.....I imagine it filled with plants.......

I also couldn't resist snapping a pic of my baby girl....Lacy.....can you believe how big she has gotten?

I bought these birdhouses to paint and hang on my fence......add a pop of color to a plain wooden fence.....I'll share the final results....I haven't even started these yet.....

This is a prayer flag that I made for a swap I signed up for.....that's a little bell in bottom corner.....this is the first one I finished.....and I have 5 more to finish.....but they are almost done......I need to get these in the mail this week. I'll share the ones I get in return when I have them all......6 all together.....and I made one extra of mine for myself. I'm going to hang these in my new craft area......

I'm still trying to decide what exactly to do with my "craft trunk" that I shared with you a few posts back.....I have a couple of people telling me.....actually begging me not to paint it.....they think I should fix the scratches and leave it as is.....in which case I would do some things to it that aren't permanent to gypsy it up......but then part of me still wants to paint it.....I'm a bit paralyzed by it because I don't want to do something and regret it.....so right now I'm working on doing some things that aren't permanent to see if that will satisfy me. What would you guys do? I'm told it is Art Deco and very desirable.....which I don't really agree with.....I mean it has some pretty things about it......but it has many scratches and some wood damage......and I bought it (at a thrift store) with the intention of painting it......so I'm just a little confused now. I'd love to hear y'alls opinion.

I have found some really great gypsy-ish stuff too.....I will be sharing that stuff with you soon.

Have a magical day.....

Snail Mail Penpal Project

2011-07-13T21:18:00.000-04:00

Hi all! I have SO many neat things to share with you.....I found some GREAT gypsy-ish pieces to use with my "craft trunk" and a few to decorate my little table/altar space. I can't wait to show you.....but I haven't had a chance to take pictures of them yet.....but I'm really excited about what I found! I will share them very soon! I also have an exciting announcement coming soon.....hee hee......

Today I want to share something else.....my friend over at Aradia's Cauldron wrote a post Monday about the lost art of letter writing. I don't know about you guys but I used to love writing letters and have had a few penpals over the years.....I love the feel of paper in my hands and saving things that have been written to me. I have a few things from my Mom and Dad that have their handwriting on them....it's something I remember about them.....their handwriting.....and I love to bring it out and look at it sometimes. Everyone's handwriting is different and special just to them. I know many of you love the movie Practical Magic.....but one of my favorite scenes is when Sally is writing a letter to her sister Gillian.....I've always wanted a wax envelope sealer like she uses......I think letter writing can be quite magical. Well, anyway....after writing her post on Monday she had many comments sharing the interest in having a penpal.....so she has decided to put together a Snail Mail Penpal Project.....and has asked her readers to spread the word.....so here I am.....spreading the word! If you are interested please visit the link above and sign up! I think it will exciting to actually write someone by actually writing and not just typing it and hitting send. I hope some of you will be joining in!

Have a magical day......

Come see....I'm in LOVE......

2011-07-10T17:31:00.000-04:00

Chair by Etsy Shop VelvetPerch

Oooooooo.......I have found some new things to LOVE! I know many of my bloggy friends out there are going to LOVE them too!!! I have a chair....my chair....that I really need to cover.....and I think I have found my inspiration! I absolutely LOVE this chair!

Switch plate covers from Etsy Shop TurnMeOnArt

And check out this Switch plate......this would look heavenly in my house.....

Gypsy Curtains by Etsy Shop BabylonSisters

These curtains.....what can I say??? I'm in LOVE!! The Babylon Sisters is how I found all of these dreamy things.....I am in the process of reading through their lovely blog and looking around their Etsy shop......so far I love everything I'm seeing......I'm having more Gyspy Dreams......

This Gypsy Wagon print is from the Etsy shop Turine

I will be buying THIS! How dreamy and enchanting is this???? Gypsy LOVE...........

Have a magical......Gypsy love day.......

First Day of Yoga.......

2011-07-08T22:03:00.000-04:00

Print by Jennifer Brinley

(I really love this print.....I think I'm going to have to buy one)

So I took my first yoga class this afternoon.....it was AMAZING! I have to say that about half way through the class I was thinking....."What in the heck am I doing here?" It was HARD....and the class I took was called Gentle Heart Yoga....and was mostly done on the floor....and a few poses standing up.....sorry....I don't know the names of the poses yet. I can't imagine how hard a regular beginner's class would be....I think I will stick with this one for now and work on getting better at this class before trying something else. Even as hard as it was....when it was over.....I felt like jello.....like you feel when you've just gotten a massage.....it was amazing! (I know....I said that already) They have this class once a week.....every Friday.....and I think maybe I will try to practice some of the poses and meditation at home during the week.....(if I can find some time alone) Thank you to all of you that have left me encouraging comments about trying yoga......I can't wait to see where this new path leads me......physically, mentally and spiritually.

Have a magical day.....

Dreaming Dreams

2011-07-07T21:42:00.002-04:00

Artwork by Jennifer Brinley

I am doing something tomorrow that I have wanted to do for YEARS......but have always said "Oh, I'll try it when I lose some weight." I am going to my first yoga class! I am finally realizing that I can't wait for my life to start when I lose some weight.....now don't get me wrong....I am still working on losing some weight.....I am still attending weight watchers and it is very SLOW going.....but I'm not going to give up.....BUT I'm done not doing something that I really want to do until I lose weight. I am very excited about taking my first yoga class.....but at the same time I am really scared too.....trying something new is always a little scary....but the important thing is.....I am DOING it! At my WW meeting this week I had a "guest leader" because my usual leader was on vacation....and she talked a lot about motivation and dreaming DREAMS......she asked us what our dreams looked like.....if we were waiting to reach for a dream until we saw a certain number on the scale.....and what our dream of being healthy looked like to us. All of this dream talk gave me the idea to make myself a dream board for my weight loss.....for motivation.....and I wanted to put words and images on it that would not only motivate me....but would represent what the "new me" would look like....what would the new me wear.....what would the new me be doing.....and one of the first things I thought of was that I wanted to be doing yoga......so I went out a bought some magazines to use to create my dream board....and I bought several yoga magazines.....and while reading through one of them I decided I wasn't going to wait to take that first yoga class.....I wasn't just going to DREAM about it.....I was going to DO it! I'll let you know how it goes.....

Do any of you practice yoga? I'd love to hear about it.

Have a magical day....

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-04T14:10:00.000-04:00

Happy 4th of July everyone! I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday!

GoneThrifting!

2011-07-01T21:25:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! I have been out thrift store hopping....in search of my own "Craft Trunk"! Well this is what I found....the picture isn't all that great.....but it's an armoire with one long door on the left and one small door on the top right and three drawers. I have BIG plans for this thing! It's not a trunk.....but it will be my version of a "Craft Trunk".....thanks Aunt Opal for the inspiration! I found a few other great things today for my garden....I will be sharing those later this weekend. And as if this wasn't enough....I will be going garage sale hopping tomorrow!!

Have a magical day......

Crafting Dreams

2011-06-29T22:09:00.000-04:00

Hi everybody! My daughter and I went to see Judy Moody's Not So Bummer Summer yesterday.....and I have to say the movie itself.....the story....was cute.....it wasn't the best movie I've ever seen.....but I fell in LOVE with her Aunt Opal! The picture above is her "Traveling Craft Trunk".....how absolutely cool is that??? I WANT one!! Aunt Opal was a self proclaimed Guerrilla Artist......which she explained was someone who could and would make art anywhere out of anything. During the entire movie Aunt Opal was creating stuff....making a mosaic bench.....creating a backyard patio area that was full of color and faerie lights(I couldn't find a picture of the patio but I LOVED it!)......and she even made hats out of metal garbage can lids.....talk about altered art! I couldn't find a finished picture of the hats....but they were cute....Aunt Opal and Judy went and put the hats on the big lion statues at the library.

Here she was making a "Bigfoot" with Stink

I will be getting this movie when it comes out on dvd just so I can see more of Aunt Opal!

Summer Projects

2011-06-26T14:23:00.006-04:00

Hi all! I don't how many of you remember The Mad Tea Party from A Fanciful Twist that I was a part of last year.....but yesterday was this year's Tea Party (you should go check the other blogs participating in The Mad Tea Party this year....they are always fun) and I didn't join in this year.....partly because time just got away from me.....and partly because Saturday would have been my Daddy's 85th birthday.....this time of year is a little hard on me.....there is Father's Day one weekend and then the very next weekend is his birthday. Thinking about it.....the Mad Tea Party may have been a good distraction....but I guess I didn't want to be distracted....I wanted to be fully aware and miss my Daddy.....and I did.....I do....every second of every single day. It's been almost 3 years now since I lost him....and the pain does get a little easier....and it gets replaced with the good times....the good memories....but there are moments that it just kind of hits me between the eyes....and stabs my heart......but they are fewer and farther between.....I like that I can smile and laugh now when I remember my Daddy.

I didn't really plan on talking about all that.....I came here today to share some summer projects that I'm hoping to tackle......some are ones that I wanted to get to last year and never did.....so here goes.....

1) Paint some birdhouses and hang them on our fence (I bought a few birdhouses last summer to do this one)
2) Create a new garden/sitting area
3) Clean up my faerie garden area
4) Start an Art Journal....something I've been wanting to do for a long time
5) Continue to lose weight....I haven't shared that here....but I joined Weight Watchers...and I've lost almost 10lbs so far....it's coming off really really slowly....but at least it's coming off
6) Clean and Declutter my house/closets.....that's a big project that won't really be any fun....but it needs to be done
7) I want to learn how to do a mosaic....I want to make a mosaic birdhouse.

I know there are more things.....but I can't think of them right now.....but I think this is plenty for now......I just want to get my creative juices flowing again......I miss my creative self! What kind of projects are you guys hoping to do this summer?

Have a magical day.....

Happy Faerie Day

2011-06-24T23:24:00.003-04:00

Picture from angelstarcreations.com

Have a Magical Day.....

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-17T19:34:00.000-04:00

I love you Daddy.......I miss you every second of every single day.

The Healing Garden

2011-06-09T22:29:00.001-04:00

Ok....today is the last day of pictures from the Botanical Gardens. This is the Healing Garden......I think this is my favorite spot.

I just love this area.....it is so quiet and peaceful....I haven't ever been there by myself.....so I haven't ever been able to really enjoy it.....one day.....

Well, I hope you all have enjoyed the tour of the Botanical Gardens......

Have a magical day......

More......Botanical Gardens

2011-06-08T21:27:00.000-04:00

I wanted to share one more tree.....there were so many great trees and pictures....it was hard to choose...but I picked my favorites....

I really thought this was just amazing looking......from a distance it looked like it was going to be a perfect little hiding place.....but as I got closer it was too open....but it was still neat looking.

Now I'm going to share a few flowers......I just love the colors......

This is the fire pit they have in the Enchanted Forest.....I've never gone to anything where they are using this....but I would LOVE to.....I want one of these in my yard!

And here is the Butterfly Garden......

Well there you have it.....that's the huge butterfly garden.....again I had a hard time picking the pictures.....I hope it wasn't too much......

Tomorrow I will share one last thing from the Botanical Gardens....The Healing Garden.....my favorite place in the Gardens......it's so quiet and peaceful.....I can't wait for you to see it......

Have a magical day......

Me and the Trees

2011-06-06T23:05:00.005-04:00

I mentioned the other day that my sister and I took a trip to the Botanical Gardens.....and I have finally had time to upload my pictures. My sister and I have been walking everyday together and when the weather is nice enough we like to walk through the gardens....and on this particular day I had my eye out for trees. I have some beautiful pictures of flowers too....but this post is going to be all about the fantastic old trees they have.

I was a little jealous of the squirrel in this picture....I wanted to go sit in this tree......

This looked like it was holding a secret inside that hole......

I just loved the roots this tree had......reminds me how strong they are.....

I saw this and I couldn't WAIT to go in there and PLAY!

Oooooooooo........

Ahhhhhhhhhh........

And yes......I did climb in this tree and sit a spell......wrapped in her arms......and loving life.

Well....I know that was a lot of pictures.....and believe it or not there are more.....but I will stop here.....I had a hard time picking which pictures to share. I hope you enjoyed the walk and looking at all of the lovely trees. I will post some of the other pictures I took of the flowers tomorrow......

Have a magical day........

I Love It!!

2011-06-04T17:42:00.000-04:00

I love my new look! I'm having trouble seeing my background on my computer.....if I resize my screen I can see it.....so I know it's there.....do all of you see the blue background? I purchased my blog theme from Plumrose Lane. You have probably seen her work on other blogs.....she has free backgrounds and other free templates you can get from her.....or you can purchase a custom theme like I did. Sharon was wonderful to work with......she looked at my blog and I showed her some other blogs that I like and she went from there....and I think she did a fantastic job!! I am so very excited about my new look.....I think it fits me very well! I have been wanting to do this for a while now.....and I am SO glad that I did it! Please go check her out.....she has many themes and items to choose from.

We had a great time today at my daughters run. This is my older daughter Morgan and my younger daughter Lindsay. You may remember that Morgan runs marathons.....and this was Lindsay's first 5k....so Morgan ran with her for support and they did great! This run was for Girls On the Run.....it is a great program for girls....it teaches them about self esteem and how to have a good body image....as well as talks about bullying and other things that kids have to deal with now.....I really love the program.

Here's Lindsay with her GOTR coaches. This was the first year her school had the program and they did a great job with the girls.

This is her team as they were getting a final pep talk about the race. Lindsay doesn't have orange hair.....it's just hairspray.....lol.

Well I think that's it for today.....I will share my pictures and tell you about my trip to the Botanical Gardens another day.

I hope you are having a magical day!

My New Look

2011-06-03T22:14:00.000-04:00

Hi all....as you can see I am working on getting my new look up and running. It isn't quite done yet but I am working on it....I have run into a problem that I have to get figured out. Once it's all up and looking beautiful I will tell you all about where I got it and you can let me know what you think! I am really excited about it....I think it's going to look great when it's done.

I took a trip to The Botanical Gardens today and took lots of great pictures.....I will share them with you soon. My daughters are running a Girls On the Run 5k tomorrow together so I will have pictures from that to share as well!

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Happy New Moon

2011-06-01T20:09:00.002-04:00

My last post took a turn to the serious side......with me pouring my heart out to all of you once again about the internal struggle that I am having. I am feeling SO much better today......I have read all of your comments and once again you gave me beautiful advice. I am turning inward.....listening to my Heart.....my Soul.....my Spirit. I am going to take your advice and write in a journal.....pour myself out......and some of that pouring out will be here....with you......I'm going to find a touchstone......something that can return my thoughts to the positive....away from guilt and back to what my Soul is yearning for.....my Truth. The Moon is something I have always been drawn to.....and so I have been doing some research and reading some blogs about the Moon.....how it effects us.....and Moon Magick. Tonight is a New Moon.....and I will be lighting a candle and putting new intentions out into the Universe......I want the next month to bring me Peace, Light, Love, Good Health.....Mentally, Spiritually, and Physically. I am looking forward to the months ahead....finding my path and my truth......getting back to the real me......and letting go of all the rest.

Light and Love,

Too Hot....Too Soon

2011-05-30T20:56:00.000-04:00

It isn't even June yet.....ok...it's pretty much June.....and it is SO STINKIN HOT already. We usually don't have a very long Spring time.....we usually have some Spring weather mixed in with some hotter weather.....and then boom....it's hot, sticky, humid, nasty.....and this year it seems to have happened even faster than normal. I don't do well with heat....I would much rather be cold than hot. I like seeing everything turn green and bloom.....and I don't feel like I have even been able to enjoy that this year. I have asthma and that doesn't help with my heat hating feelings.....the humidity here makes it very hard for me to breathe. I am finding myself already dreaming of Autumn.....and I feel so bad.....Summer hasn't even started yet.....I feel like I'm wishing my life away somehow......at least in the winter it feels good to crawl under some covers and take a nap.....in the summer it's just so miserable I can't enjoy much of anything.....not even a good nap.

I am still struggling with my finding my path and not listening to the voices in my head.....I'm going to take a leap here and go into a little more detail here and hope that my wonderful bloggy friends will have some more wisdom for me. I grew up going to church....on and off.....and have done that through my entire life. As a young person I always said I was a "Baptist"....not knowing what that even meant.....and then I learned that being Baptist was one of many denominations.....I didn't even go to a Baptist church! I find that so funny now....wondering where I even got that from......then as I grew up and really started learning about the Christian faith.....well I had a lot of trouble with many of the teachings.....mostly the judgement....and the "we are the only way" and everyone else is wrong. But then each time I would try to go off in another direction....on a different path.....one that would welcome my open mind and my belief that "God" made this world with so many different faiths......how could just one way be the only way.....my guilt would set in.....my friends and family would tell me I couldn't listen to what "others" said.....that the Bible was the only Truth I needed....and I would find myself back in church until something that was said or taught didn't mesh with me.....and I would be told it was the devil trying to confuse me....and that any confusion I ever have is from the devil and that I just need to pray about it. I would really love to hear from you guys......tell me your about your Spiritual Path.....tell me where you started and where you are today......tell me how you keep the voices in your head quiet....or do you have those voices? I don't know if there is any ONE path out there that is for me.....I think my beliefs are a mix of many things......and I just don't understand why I can't just be someone that says "I believe this" and that's it.....I think I know more about what I DON'T believe than I know what I DO believe. I know you.....my dear readers have some wisdom to share with me.....with my soul......with my Spirit......I would love to hear from you......

Wow....this post got a little bit serious.....I hope you don't mind.....all of this is weighing so very heavy on my heart.....and you all have been so sweet to me in the past when I have poured my heart out here.....

In the Dark

2011-05-26T21:54:00.000-04:00

Hi all. We had a pretty bad storm come through a few days ago and we've been without power.....meaning no AC.....and of course this week was the hottest week of the year so far......in the 90's and very humid. The rest of the neighborhood got power back yesterday but our power lines coming from our house to the power pole were down.....laying in our yard. We finally got power back this evening. It's been a rough few days. Things are slowly getting back to normal.....we've been back and forth between our house and my brother's trying to stay as cool as possible.....and cleaning up all the debri in our yard. I had some things I wanted to share here today.....but my brain just won't focus right now.....it's late and I'm tired.....but I wanted to check in with you guys so you wouldn't think I disappeared again.

I have some exciting things going on.....I will have a whole new look for my blog soon.....I can't wait to show you guys.....not sure when it will be up and running.....but it should be soon. I have a few other things to share with you and I will be back soon to share them.....after I get some rest and get my thoughts together.

I hope you all are having a terrific week.

Amazing

2011-05-18T22:32:00.000-04:00

You guys are amazing! I came here needing encouragement and support.....and I got that and more. This group of blogland friends I have.......hold no judgement....and have so much love and light to share. I am loving the Goddess Guidebook website.....thank you Autumn......the quotes were exactly what I needed.....I wrote them down and put them around my house as reminders. I spent some time today reading some of my favorite blogs......and one that I visited.....I hadn't been to in a while.....and the post she had up was about the same subject......Divining Women. You should go check it out.....I think it's amazing that so many of us can be going through the same thing at the same time......it just goes to show how we are all connected. I also went out today a got two books by the Dalai Lama......and I have my eye on two other books about spirit guides and listening to your spirit.....I had all four books in my hand.....and it was so hard to decide what to get first.....but I just told myself I couldn't read them all at one time.....lol. I am going to open up my mind and heart and see what I hear....and where it leads me. I don't know if any of you ever watched the TV show Dharma and Greg back in the late 90's.....but I loved it.....I loved what a free spirit Dharma was......that is me....in my heart......I am free spirit. I can feel myself opening up......freeing up......coming back to myself.....back to my path.....my Truth. I have work to do.....it's not going to just happen....and I have to learn to protect myself from what other people think......or as Tina from Carousel Dreams reminded me.....the voices may sound like other people.....but they are actually me.....and they aren't serving me.....so I have to learn to ignore them......and just stay true to myself. Thank you again for all of your support guys.....I really needed it and I really really appreciate all of you......I love you guys. Oh.....and Happy Full Moon!

My Heart

2011-05-16T16:21:00.000-04:00

Have any of you ever had trouble trusting, believing, listening to your own heart? I am having trouble with that right now.....and I believe that it is part of why I have been away from blogging for so long. My heart.....my Spirit.....is being bombarded with other people's beliefs and what other people want for me. I am having this internal battle with myself......but it is coming from other people in my life. I don't want to get into my Spiritual beliefs....but let's just say that I have always been very open minded and open hearted. I don't like being told that I have to believe one thing or another.....that one person's beliefs are right and another person's are wrong. And yet as I write those words.....and I believe them with all of my heart.....I have these voices in my head from other people telling me I'm wrong.....telling me that their way is the only way and that I'm a bad person for having my own feelings. I don't know if any of this is making sense.....I'm just trying to get it out of my head and onto this page. I'm hoping that some of my very dear bloggy friends out there will have some wise words for me. I feel like I'm being put into this box.....a box that other people want me in.....a box that other people say I belong in.....and I can't breath in here. When I try to get out of the box and get my feet and heart and soul back onto my own path.....guilt comes in and makes me question my own heart.

I know that some of you have been through the same type of thing.....I have read about some of it on your blogs.....but it's been a while and I'm not sure who and where to go to read them again. Can anybody out there in blogland relate to this? Are you able to give this broken hearted girl some advice? Maybe a book to read or a blog entry to read? I need some Spiritual food........my heart is aching......the magic in my life is missing.....somehow I feel like I have fallen off my path and gotten lost in the woods of other people's expectations.....and I'm having a really hard time finding my way back.

It's Been A Long Time

2011-05-11T10:52:00.000-04:00

Hi everybody.....if there is anybody still out there. I have to apologize for being gone so long.....I'm not even sure why I've been gone. Winter was really rough on me this year.....my mood stayed pretty low.....as I talked about in previous posts. Once Spring time came along it had been so long since I wrote anything on here that I didn't know if I had anything to say.....or at least anything to say that people....you all....my bloggy friends would want to hear. Life has been pretty boring around here. I did just go to Ocracoke a couple of weeks ago and that was wonderful as always. I didn't make it to any Faerie Festivals this Spring......and I haven't picked up my camera in months. I didn't even take any pictures in Ocracoke. I seem to be in some kind of funk.....and I'm hoping if I start blogging again and get back on here and start reconnecting to my friends in Blogland it will help pull me out of my funk. I am ashamed to say that I haven't even been online to read any of your blogs.....I have just been......gone.....mentally.....emotionally.....not physically......physically I have been right here. I would log on to my blog every now and then and just stare at the page.....and wonder.....what can I say......will anyone even still be there to read it? I picked up the new Artful Blogging magazine yesterday in hopes that it will inspire me to get back on the Blogland Horse and ride again.

Are any of you still out there? I hope you are.....I hope you can forgive me for just disappearing for so long.

Happy March!

2011-03-01T19:19:00.004-05:00

I can't wait to see flowers like this in my yard again. Spring is so close......my forsythia bushes that I planted last year have little buds on them. There are a few things coming up through the ground.....and there are buds on some of my other "mystery plants" that I have in my yard. The weather has been so weird here.....Monday was 78 degrees and today was in the 40's with horrible cold wind. With each spring like day I become more and more excited. I can't wait to get back out there and start on some new projects. I have horrible roots in my yard and have been having a really hard time planting things in the ground.....so I think this year I'm going to try some more container gardening. I've had a few of my things get broken outside.....I didn't think about the cold weather cracking and breaking some of my containers that I had outside.....I had never used containers before so this was a learning experience. I also have a group of terracotta pots out there.....they look ok......but I have been told that they will also break and crack in the cold weather.......so I think I'm going to have to look into using a different type of container.....concrete seems to be the best choice but they are expensive.....so I will have to get them slowly. I have so many projects swirling around in my head......I hope spring gets here soon.

I hope you all are having a great week! I have been slowly visiting my blog friends and getting caught up.....I have missed you all so very much.

I'm Finally Feeling Better

2011-02-26T20:56:00.004-05:00

Hi all! I'm almost afraid to say it.....but I think I'm finally better! I've been sick so long I don't know what to do now that I'm feeling human again. I still have a bit of a cough left over from the bronchitis but I'm finally able to sleep through the night without waking up in a coughing fit. I have so much to catch up on.....I haven't read any of my favorite blogs out there in weeks.

You may remember that a couple of posts ago (although it's been weeks ago) that I told you I would be a guest blogger over at my friend Danni's blog The Whimsical Cottage.....I was supposed to send her a post by the 18th but wasn't able to......but I finally sent it to her last night and I'm on there today.....so please stop by and see my post.....I turned a bird cage into a Faerie Oasis!

This is a picture of a vase that my friend Melissa from Fancilicious Fairylands sent to me......it was such a wonderful surprise! She posted about them on her blog and I asked her if she would sell me one (she plans on selling them at her local Farmer's Market along with some of her other goodies that she makes) and she sent me one as a gift!!! I just love it and I can't wait to have some fresh flowers in my garden to put in my new little vase! Thanks again Melissa!

I have some really fun news too......my 9yr old daughter participated in a program called Destination Imagination and her group won 2nd place and will be moving on to the State Competition! It's been a lot of work but it was all worth it! Her school had 4 teams and 3 out of the 4 are going to the state competition and the 4th team placed second in their challenge. They all did really great! It's been a very long day today.

Well I think that's about it for tonight everybody......I hope to be back up and running next week and get back to my Word Friday posts. The last few weeks all I've wanted to Believe was that I was eventually going to feel human again! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend!

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T18:08:00.002-05:00

Hi everybody.....this won't be a long post.....I'm sick.....I think I now have bronchitis.....so I will be going back to the doctor.....blah. I just wanted to touch base with everyone and say Happy Valentine's Day.....and let you know I'm still here.....half dead.....but still here. Today is my 17th year wedding anniversary......that seems like such a very long time......but it has gone by so fast! I hope everyone is having a great day.....and hopefully I will be back to posting and visiting my bloggy friends later this week. I love you all!!!

My Word Friday

2011-02-05T18:57:00.002-05:00

I found this sign at Target.....it is the word Believe made out of other words! They had other words too....but of course I just had to have this one! I haven't found a permanent home for it yet.....but it will be somewhere that I can see it each and every day.

We've all been sick around here.....strep throat is going around.....my little one had it this past week......and now I'm beginning to not feel well......just have to love this time of year......I hope you all are well.....

February Fairies

2011-02-01T19:43:00.003-05:00

Hello all! Happy February! My friend Danni over at The Whimsical Cottage is hosting February Fairies.....she will be posting all about Fairies.....and will be having guest bloggers posting all month long......including ME! I couldn't resist the chance to be a part of a month full of fun Faerie stuff!! I will be guest posting on February 18th......and you will just have to wait and see what I have planned.....hee hee! You can look forward to all kinds of fun posts......tea parties......crafts......stories......anything you can think of.......I am sure that the Faeries won't disappoint.......they love to have fun! I hope you will all join me over at The Whimsical Cottage and see what the Faeries are up to......just click on the button on my sidebar and join the February Fairies Fun!!!

My Word Friday

2011-01-29T20:57:00.003-05:00

Hi all....I apologize for being a day late with My Word.....I was visiting my daughter yesterday and wasn't near a computer. I have been thinking about what I wanted to post this week. I have a few new words that I could have taken a picture of to post.....but I didn't want to do it that way this week.....I will share them with you in the weeks to come. I will also have a new My Little Word project coming Feburary 1st.....so I'm excited about that too. I've been thinking about my word.....Believe.....and I think I'm going to share a list with you today.....a list about my word......

.....I Believe in Faeries
.....I am learning to Believe in myself
.....I Believe that I am worth being healthy (I'm working on really Believing that)
.....I Believe that life is good.....most of the time
.....I Believe that friends make life worth living
.....I Believe family makes life worth living too
.....I Believe in taking naps.....lots of naps.....often
.....I Believe animals make the world a better place
.....I Believe in magic
.....I Believe when you stand at the edge of the ocean you can put life into perspective
.....I Believe when you walk outside in nature you are communing with God........
whatever God means or looks like to you

Those are the things that I Believe.....or am trying to Believe today.........what do you Believe?

My Word Friday

2011-01-21T21:41:00.002-05:00

I found this little book at Barnes and Noble this week. It was wrapped in paper and the label said that it was a gift card holder.....and I bought it just because it said Believe on the front and I thought it was cute. Well....after I got home and opened it I found that it was not only a gift card holder but also a little book filled with quotes about Believe!! Once again the word Believe presented itself to me. Every week I find myself looking forward to seeing when, where and how my word will find me......

Hibernation.....

2011-01-18T21:17:00.007-05:00

1. (noun) hibernation
the torpid or resting state in which some animals pass the winter

2. (noun) hibernation
cessation from or slowing of activity during the winter; especially slowing of metabolism in some animals

3. (noun) hibernation
the act of retiring into inactivity

I know I'm not the only one in hibernation mode.....I've read about it on many blogs......many of my bloggy friends are writing about about being slower.....resting more....napping and reading.....keeping warm inside while it's cold, gray, wet, and windy outside. I hadn't really thought about all of this behavior in terms of hibernation before this winter......until I started reading how other people do the same things.....feel the same way......and they are ok with it.....they see it as natural.....not something to be looked upon as lazy......or that something must be wrong with you. I am learning to go with it.....go with wanting and needing extra sleep......maybe even more carbs.....go with not having all of the extra energy and desire to do extra projects......going with it.....and not letting myself feel lazy or bad. I don't feel like cleaning out closets.....I need to clean out closets.....I need to declutter.....but I don't feel like it and I'm going to stop feeling guilty about it and start enjoying my hibernation.

Do you hibernate? Tell me all about it.....

p.s. I found the above picture online.....and I do not know where it originally came from.....but it reminded me so much of me.

My Word Friday

2011-01-14T20:44:00.003-05:00

Hi all! This week I will be sharing my One Little Word project prompt for January. The top picture is my title page and the second page has my word's definition, synonyms, the why I chose this word.....and my quote. I would like to share my quote with you because my quote was written by Vanessa Valencia of A Fanciful Twist.

I believe in a wish.

I believe in a thought and a dream.

I believe that everything good,

can happen to me.

I believe that I matter, and above all,

that I am wonderful.

I whisper a reminder everyday.

I am special.

I ♥ me.

I had been looking everywhere for a quote for my word.....and then I read this beautiful poem on Vanessa's blog.....they were the perfect words.....words I needed to hear......and BELIEVE.

Inner Excavation

2011-01-12T11:07:00.004-05:00

I just finished reading Inner Excavation-Explore Your Self Through Photography, Poetry and Mixed Media by Liz Lamoreux. This is what the back of the book says: There are clues all around you-sounds, textures, memories, passions-just waiting for you to shine a light on them, and unearth the most intimate form of expression-the self-portrait. Inside Inner Excavation, author Liz Lamoreux will be your guide, along with eleven inspiring artists, as you discover more about who you are, how got here and where you wish to go. Prompts and exercises will show you how to express who you are through the photos you take, the words you write and the art you create.

I decided to read the book through once and now I am going back to do each exercise. Each chapter has a prompt and you take photos, write poetry and make art......all of which sounded a little bit intimidating to me......but I'm going to do it anyway.....I am going to let go of my perfectionism......my negative thoughts......and my self doubt.....and BELIEVE that I can do this....yep....there's my word.....Believe....I'm going to believe in myself! I decided when I first started reading this book that I was going to create a scrapbook type book to keep all of the exercises in to keep them together....and then when I got to the last chapter of the book.....Liz actually suggests doing just that......making some kind of book, journal, website.....whatever you want.....to keep all of your exercises together.....so my idea wasn't unique as it turned out.....but I felt reassured that I can do this. I will share with you here some of my exercises as I go through this book.....I am going to take my time.....and breath it all in......each chapter also has a meditative section.....to help you stay centered.....and I am going to use those......and take each exercise and let my creative journey begin......with all of it's imperfections.....all of it's beauty and openness. I highly recommend this book to you......and I also invite any of you who would like to join me to do so......as I show you my prompts and my artwork.....I invite you to do the same on your blog and link back to mine......and I will always have a link back to Liz's blog as well. I will probably do one prompt and exercise a month.....so a prompt and then either the photography, poetry or artwork and invite you to use the prompt for your own photography, poetry or artwork.....and see how this goes. If any of you choose to buy the book and want to join me that way....that would be great too......just let me know! I am really hoping that I can build a creative, supportive community here like I see on so many other beautiful blogs that I read.

My Word

2011-01-07T21:10:00.003-05:00

I have decided to make each Friday "My Word" day......I am going to post a picture each Friday to show how my word has shown up in my life that week. It won't always be the word.....it might be something that seems to represent the word for me that week......I'm excited to see where this journey takes me. This is a necklace that I bought from ERiaDesigns.....an Etsy shop that I have bought several pieces from.....she does beautiful work. I am ordering another special necklace from a different Etsy shop too....and I will share that as soon as I get it. I am trying to surround myself with my word.....so that it will always be with me.....so I can focus on it each day.....be aware of how it may be showing up in my life and what it may be trying to teach me. I also received my supplies for my One Little Word class so I will be working on this month's project and I will hopefully be able to share that with you next Friday.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

One Little Word

2011-01-04T19:34:00.003-05:00

While I've been blog hopping to see what everybody is doing to start 2011....I started noticing that many people don't make New Year's Resolutions.....instead they choose a word or intention to focus on for the year. I don't normally make resolutions either....so when I started reading more about choosing a word.....it took me to this blog......it took me to Ali Edwards.....she not only chooses a word and encourages others to do the same......now she has a class to help us put our "word" in something that we can see, touch, feel.....something to help us focus on our word all year and remember why we chose it.....or if you're like me.....why IT chose us. I have signed up for the class and I am really looking forward to the journey......to see where my "word" (BELIEVE) takes me.....what it might have to teach me. I really hope you take a minute and go over to Ali's blog and see what this is all about.....and maybe you can choose a word for yourself. In the class we will be doing one project each month and I will be posting pictures of my progress here on my blog. If you have a word or intention for 2011.....I would love to know what it is....and why you chose it.....or it chose you. If you decide to join me on this journey or if you sign up for Ali's class I would love for you to leave a link to your blog in my comments each month when I post my picture of my project. So....tell me.....what is your word?

Happy New Year!!!!

2011-01-01T00:10:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year from my house to yours!!!!!

More SNOW

2010-12-31T22:58:00.007-05:00

As I said in my last snow post.....we don't get much snow around here.....so when we got 15 inches of snow......the biggest snow in 12 years.......well.....let's just say things shut down around here for a few days. We were lucky that school was already out for the holidays.....or they would be making up a bunch of days!

I have many more pics....but this gives you a good idea. My daughter had a great time playing in it.....my doggie didn't know what to do with it.....but she ventured out eventually......and me.....I stayed in where it was warm! (except for when I ventured out to take pictures.....of course)

How are you all celebrating the New Year? We are staying in and celebrating from home......hope you all have a safe and happy new year.

Merry Christmas Blogland Friends

2010-12-25T21:08:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas all! My daughter and her husband came over today for our first Christmas together as a family. Last year we went out to dinner for Christmas at a chinese restaraunt......and so this year at the request of my oldest daughter we went again......I think this will definately be a new tradition. Things have sure been different with my daughter being married and this being my second Christmas without my Dad.....and our first Christmas without our doggies......and the first with a new doggie......but we are all adjusting and we are working toward making new traditions. My oldest daughter gave me the best present.....an album with some pictures of her when she was younger on the front and it was full of pictures from her wedding and in the back is a cd with over 500 more pictures from the wedding.....I actually had to put it aside and look at it after she left because it made me start crying. As I said.....all of the changes have been an adjustment

Unfortunately with all the excitement I didn't take one picture today.....not even one......everyone was gone......and the house became quiet......and I realized I didn't have any pictures to show for it......I'm not sure how this happened.....but it did. We are supposed to get more snow tonight and tomorrow......so very strange......so much snow....so early......but I will enjoy looking at it and knowing I don't have to go out in it.

I hope you all had a wonderful, magical Merry Christmas!

Christmas Town

2010-12-23T20:35:00.015-05:00

We all went to Christmas Town at Busch Gardens last night.....we being....me, my husband, my two daughters, my son in law and my mother in law and my sister. We all a great time......but it was SO cold! We went last year too......maybe it's a becoming a new family tradition.

Here's Lindsay petting one of the Clydesdale horses.

This a "tree" outside of a store in the Ireland section of Busch Gardens.....this is my favorite part.....I could sit down on a bench here and just watch the world go by......I dream of going to Ireland one day. My Dad's Mom and her parents were from Ireland. They had Irish Christmas music playing.....I loved it.

Me and Linny in the "tree"

They had a small penguin exhibit....they have them on loan from Sea World

My sister in the corner of the picture here......this is the closest I could get to getting her in a picture......

Here are my two girls and my son in law getting ready to ride the swings......and you can see my oldest daughter can't take a picture without making funny face......such a silly girl.....

A Snow Day

2010-12-18T22:22:00.007-05:00

We've had two days of snow already this year......and we don't usually have any snow all winter! It wasn't a lot of snow.....just an inch or so......but it's a lot for us already in December.

This is my puppy.....hasn't she gotten big?.......playing in her first snow. She wasn't sure what to do with it at first......but once she got going......you couldn't stop her!

Can you see the Cardinal in the pomegranate bush?

Well there you have it......a little snow day.......cold but pretty to look at.......it's been colder than it normal here for this time of year.......I hope you all are keeping warm.....and those of you who are in the middle of spring or summer.......LUCKY!! (but I'm not wishing for the too hot and too humid either......just can't make me happy......unless it's Spring or Fall......they just don't last long enough!)

More Christmas Decorations and a Faerie Tree

2010-12-11T11:51:00.012-05:00

Here is my table again with some updates.....one with my flash and one without. I can't wait until I figure out how to use this camera of mine to take better pics.....I'm trying to figure out Photoshop too.....I think I'm gonna need to find a class......

This is our tree. My 9 year old daughter put all of the ornaments on.....I think she did a great job!

Remember my branches I showed you a few posts back? Well here it is with some small ornaments on it along with a few more Christmas decorations.....I just love my Santa....you can't see it but he is holding a bird house and some branches.

I found this little guy at Micheal's Arts and Crafts store.....I just couldn't resist his crazy beard!

This is my little Faerie Tree......the found these little striped stockings at The Whimsical Cottage etsy shop.....you can also find her blog here. I bought several pairs and I already have a plan for a new tree for next year. I bought a necklace from her that has a miniature mushroom inside a little glass bottle.....so cute! I also got this......

It is my favorite thing that I got from her......I just think it is the CUTEST thing ever! I am waiting for her to make some more after the holidays.....I'm going to make a little Faerie Circle on my table here for the Spring. Her items are just beautifully done.....and I am so very happy with everything that I got from her.....you should definitely go check her out.

This has become my favorite word......I find this word everywhere I go.....and not just at this time of year......it started showing up over the summer......and I've just now really started paying attention to it.....and thinking about what it might be trying to tell me.......I know this word can mean all kinds of things to different people.....what does it mean to you?

The Start of Christmas Decorations

2010-12-02T21:55:00.005-05:00

On one of my favorite blogs Fancilicious Fairylands she posted a couple of days ago about Advent Calendars and she inspired me to make one for my family. My daughter and I had a really good time shopping and making these......so here are my stockings.....with a few mittens thrown in there too. I wrote the numbers on small tags and tied them on with ribbon. They turned out pretty good. Each stocking holds another tag that my daughter made with different things we are going to do each day......some are random acts of kindness and others are family activities.

This is my little table that I have been changing with the seasons.....it's not done yet though.....I will post more pics of this when I get it right......but I do LOVE my mushroom.......

I almost didn't buy it.....but I decided it would be a beautiful way to add some red to my Christmas decorations.......

And this is my wreath.....I didn't make it.....I have tried to make wreaths but I can't seem to get the stuff to stay.....so now I leave it to the professionals.

I bought a few more decorations today.....and I plan on getting my tree up this weekend......I am going to get rid of some old things that just don't speak to me any more......and keep what does.

As you can see I fixed the problem I was having with blogger.....I'm still not sure what fixed it.....I updated everything and somehow I got it to work......and I am SO happy!

Blogger Trouble

2010-12-01T20:22:00.003-05:00

I have been having trouble with blogger for about a week now.....I can't get in and change my template.....I want to update it to more of a winter theme......and all I get is a blank black screen. And as I'm typing now....my signature is nowhere to be found and it has disappeared from all of my other postings too.....it's very frustrating!

I am working on getting my own little advent calendar.....it will be filled with family things to do and random acts of kindness.....I'm running a couple days late......even though it wasn't quite done we decided what day one should be.......day one was Smile at a Stranger.

I am hoping to have pictures of it up tomorrow.......if blogger will cooperate. I see that many of the blogs I read have changed their template and theme......Is anyone else having any trouble? Do you have any suggestions on how to fix it? Any help would be very much appreciated.

Where Did November Go?

2010-11-28T22:20:00.005-05:00

I don't know where November went......I spent Thanksgiving with my oldest daughter this year....we went to her house and she cooked her first Thanksgiving dinner.....she is a vegetarian but she still cooked a ham for the meat eaters at dinner. We had such a wonderful time.....we watched A Christmas Carol after we were stuffed. She bought and decorated her first Christmas tree today....and I'm having so many mixed feelings......I am proud and happy that she is such a beautiful, happy and lovely grown woman......and I'm feeling sad and empty at the same time. I still have a 9 year old daughter at home.....so it's not like I have an empty nest yet......but I guess part of me is still suffering those feelings. I miss her. I know it's only a few days past Thanksgiving.....but I'm having a hard time wanting Christmas to get here. Christmas isn't a "religious" holiday for us....it isn't a "commercial" holiday either......we try to have the Christmas Spirit (something we should have ALL year) and try to do things to help others and of course with a 9 year old Santa still plays a huge part in our Christmas......We love Santa in our house. I usually love looking at Christmas stuff and start watching Christmas movies almost immediately following Thanksgiving to start getting in the mood.....but this year I'm just not feeling it yet.....I find myself avoiding watching Christmas movies that are playing on TV and I haven't really looked at too many Christmas things in the stores......I find myself wishing I could skip the holidays this year....and I know that it's not just because my daughter isn't here......it goes deeper than that.....maybe just the winter blues.....but I have a 9 year old that still needs a great Christmas. I will push myself forward and try to get in the Christmas mood......for the sake of my family......and hopefully it will rub off on me and the Christmas Spirit will show me the way.

I'm Back

2010-11-18T20:10:00.005-05:00

So sorry that I have been MIA.....I have been sick......starting off with sinus trouble.....then my throat started hurting....which I thought for sure was strep throat......but thankfully not.....then I got a cough......and then a really really bad ear infection. It's been a rough couple of weeks. I am still recovering but at least now I'm on antibiotics......I have to go back next week and get my ear checked again.....the ear canal was so swollen that the ear drops wouldn't go down in my ear.....and the weird thing is that it started hurting overnight.....and my doctor was amazed by that. Enough of that.....here are a few pictures that I have managed to take.......

This is the view of the trees in my neighborhood right now.....just beautiful.....I love the colors of Fall.....and cool crisp air.....

How do you like this? I know the picture is a bit blurry....but this is sitting on top of a shelf in my living room. I thought it was kinda neat looking....it looks like there is water in the glass jar but there isn't any water in it.....my sister brought me the limbs to me.....I just think they are so enchanting....magical looking.

While I was sick I pulled out a movie that I had gotten years ago and never watched......The Lord of the Rings......that's right.....I had never watched LOTR before just a few days ago......and I am now hooked! I will share some more about that in my next post. I'm glad to finally be back.....

Dreaming of a Little Gyspy Village

2010-11-08T22:11:00.006-05:00

I have written other posts about my dream of having a gypsy wagon in my yard......a grown up play place.......my wagon will never look like the one pictured above.....but that's okay......I don't have to have anything fancy. I am actually dreaming a little bit bigger than just having a gypsy wagon......I want a little gypsy village. I am dreaming of having a fire pit in the center and then having a little shed (complete with heat and a/c.....and of course electricity), a gypsy tent and one day a wagon, all of which I can decorate with twinkle lights, pretty fabrics, and somewhere comfy to sit......Sounds like a dream to me......all I would need is a few friends to come over and play......

Restoration

2010-11-07T18:31:00.007-05:00

This is the Bodie Lighthouse in North Carolina. As you can see.....it is being worked on.....being restored. That's how I'm feeling right now......broken......and in need of restoration. I am in some kind of funk......I'm not feeling creative or motivated in any way. I've been feeling this way for too long now.......I miss blogging......I miss feeling creative.......I miss hearing from all of you.....but I can't hear from you if you're not hearing from me......it's such a vicious cycle. Maybe it's the change in the weather.....maybe it's moon cycle......maybe it's just me. Do I dare tell all of my dear readers the truth about me? Will it scare you all away? Will you quit coming here to see what I'm up to? Will you judge me? I worry about all of these things......but I think I am going to take the risk and tell you.....explain to you why I have been so distant.......I fight with anxiety and depression.......I have a mood disorder. I guess we all do.....to some degree.....but my mood disorder requires me to take medication......but even on medication I struggle......and I always will.....it is a very hard thing to live with. When I discovered blogland it was such a blessing to me......a place to escape.....a place to meet such beautiful people......and a place I didn't have to think about my anxiety and depression. As much as I love the fall and prefer the cooler weather over the really hot weather......the cooler weather triggers depression in me......even on my medication I tend to get low......and I think that, my friends, is what is happening to me right now......why I can't seem to find the energy to post here......even though I want to......I miss it......I miss all of you......I have been able to keep up with you by reading your blogs......and watching each of you live your lives. I am going to try very hard to shake this and get back to posting......

Well.....there you have it......my secret is revealed......I have found such kindness from my new found blog friends in the past......and I have no doubt that I will find understanding and kindness from you now. I was very apprehensive about sharing all of this with you......only because I never wanted this blog to be a place of negative vibes.....I wanted it to be a positive place.....a place of light.......a place that people could come a read what I wrote and smile. All I want is to make people smile.

Being Restored

Happy Halloween

2010-11-01T19:34:00.011-04:00

On Saturday we went to my brother's house and had a wonderful time! We carved pumpkins and then the kids dressed in their costumes and we took them to a Harvest Festival. This is my brother Eric building a bonfire for us to enjoy.......we ended up cooking hot dogs and roasting marshmallows later that night......sorry but I didn't get any pictures of that......

Here is my youngest daughter carrying her pumpkin inside to start carving.......

And here she is taking all the "guts" out of her pumpkin.......

And here is her choice of pattern to carve.......

Here she is working hard on her pumpkin......

That is hers on the end......left side.....it's a spooky house......it turned out really good.

My daughter dressed up as Alice in Wonderland with an attitude.....and those are two of her second cousins.

Here are my two girls......the two best things in my life......

We had a really a good time......we carved pumpkins, went to a Harvest Festival, built a bonfire, cooked hot dogs and roasted marshmallows.......what a perfect day! I think we might have to make this a new tradition!

Check In

2010-10-27T22:22:00.004-04:00

Here is something that always makes me smile.....even when I'm down.

Hi all.....I don't know if anyone out there has missed me but I just wanted to stop by and touch base. I am going through some things right now and I just haven't had the energy to focus on my blog. I'm not sure how long this will take.....I'm just emotionally drained. I hope you all will stick around and wait for my return........

The Birds

2010-10-20T19:38:00.008-04:00

One of my favorite things happened today.......I was in my house cleaning and all of a sudden I could hear them........the birds......they are starting migrate.......and from this point forward I will be have the joy of being visited my the birds often until they leave. It all starts with hearing all their singing.......all together......it becomes VERY loud.....I wish I had a video of it so you could hear it......it is absolutely amazing to hear. They fly from the trees to the yards......back to the trees......back to the yards......and then all of a sudden......they all take off......ALL of them at the exact same time.......amazing.

Here are a few birds in my backyard.......there were many many more before my dog ran around the corner and chased them off.......

Here are some on the back fence.......most of them are in the yard over that fence......you can hear them......

Here they are in the yard across the street from me.......

Here they are starting to take off......

And there they all go......and everything goes quiet once again......