Happy Halloween!

Welcome to our Halloween Party, Witches!

Henrietta is happy to see you, but is making sure no one snitches the kids trick or treat bags.  Penelope and Eloisa are also part of the welcoming committee.  I think they are keeping an eye on Henrietta to make sure she doesn't sneak from the kids bags.  :-)

Heloise and Evangeline are over by the snacks.  Go on and say hello.

Help yourself to all the treats.  We have savory and sweets, plus all the candy you can eat! Cackle Cackle Cackle

 Bring your plate on over to the fire and get warm.  We can sit here and visit all night!

 
Hope you've had fun at my little Halloween party.  Be sure to head over to the most fantabulous Vanessa and check out her party.  I swear she is the Queen of the Party! 

Happy Halloween and a Blessed Samhain!
 
thanks for stopping by!
love & blessings
~*~

Samhain blessings...

 

  

 Hello!  Happy Halloween and many Samhain blessings to you all!  I hope this finds you enjoying the spirit of the day and having a bit of fun too.  

I spent a good portion of yesterday getting ready for today.  I took a quick drive to the farmers market for a variety of things, including cut flowers and a carving pumpkin.  Then I spent the rest of the day setting my dining table and sideboard area for Halloween and The Ancestor Offerings.  I made some banana bread using one of my grandmothers recipes and made a few plates with some of their favorite food for offerings to the Ancestors.  One of my Grandmothers used to keep Zero candy bars in the freezer so when I saw a Zero bar in line at the grocers I just new I had to get it for her.  I haven't seen these in ages!  Some of the offerings include, pimento cheese sandwich (a favorite of my Great-Grandmother Ida), pasta with homemade sauce (for my Granddaddy, Lester, whose knickname in college was Spig, because he ate so much spaghetti having never seen it until he moved to NC), pepsi (my other granddaddy, George, retired from Pepsi Bottling Co. after a lengthy term of employment), and iced sweet tea (because everyone drank it).   

I cleaned up my year-round ancestor altar on Saturday and spent this morning making up fresh bouquets for them and one for Maman Brigitte's altar.  I used elements of the flowers I picked up yesterday and a few things from my own little garden.  

I'm feeling very right today, I don't even know the correct word.  I just feel as if I'm doing the things I should be and that everything is good.  I pulled out one of my journals last night to find that I hadn't read tarot for myself since last Samhain.  I read over the year reading I did and boy, was it spot on.  I'll do another for myself for the coming year, tonight.  (As I've been typing, the word I had been looking for came to me - balanced.)

I've walked the line between the worlds my entire life.  For the most part I've kept it to myself, and/or hidden what I am and the gifts the Ancestors have given me.  Recently, I've realized that this is the time to step up fully into those gifts and use them.  What is the saying, use it or lose it?  Well, I lost this gift several years ago and it was the most miserable year I've ever spent.  Not like anything bad happened, I just didn't feel like myself.  I didn't feel...whole.  But this autumn, things are feeling balanced.  Like I'm no longer trying to keep from tripping off the rope into one world or the other.  So, I'm going to use it, as much and as often as I can.

I'd planned to do a giveaway at the beginning of the month so I could send out some Halloween goodies, but time and other things conspired against me and it didn't happen.  However, there is no rule that says Halloween can't be enjoyed throughout the year!  So, I'm having a little giveaway today.  I have some Halloween items to send to someone out there in bloglandia.  Included will be what you see in the picture above as well as a few other little things (like maybe some candy!).  I'm also offering the winner a tarot reading.  You can ask a question or just see what the cards and spirit have to tell you if you'd like.

To be entered in the giveaway, leave a comment telling me your most favorite Halloween memory* and I'll enter your name into the mix.  I'll put everyone's name in the witches hat and draw one out (old school style!) on Saturday, Nov. 5th.  Entries will be cut off at 11:59pm Friday (Nov. 4th).  

*To be sure I don't add someone who doesn't want to be added please be sure to start your comment with "My most favorite Halloween memory is".  For an extra entry, you can mention this giveaway on your blog.  Nothing big, just a line or two will do.  Leave me a separate comment that you did so, please, and I'll enter your name a second time.  

Well, I just realized what time it is and I must run!  I still have treat bags to fill and lunch to eat and a pumpkin to carve!!

thanks for stopping by!

love & blessings

~*~

 

Happy Halloween and Blessed Samhain

We had quite a day of rain and storms a few days ago.  Late in the afternoon, I went to look out the back and saw the gorgeous play of light on the trees.  I grabbed my camera and when I stepped outside was surprised by the beauty of a double rainbow.  

Today, I took my annual trip to the neighboring county to pick up our yearly supply of brunswick stew with my mum.  It was a nice little ride in the countryside and despite having my camera with me, I wasn't able to get but a few photos.  

After I left my mum and headed home, I stopped at a store that I'd seen that little pumpkin girl in a week or more ago.  She was still there, sitting all by her lonesome with the 50% off Halloween decor.  So, of course she had to come home with me.  Us lonely girls need to stick together!  :-)  I posted a photo of her on Instagram when I arrived home and it turns out she has an identical twin sister that lives with the marvelously magical Miss V.  Now I know why she seemed so familiar to me when I first saw her.  I'm still waiting for her to tell me her name.  She seems like either a Penelope or maybe a Pepita.  :-)

I'm off to get dressed for giving out treats.  I have much left to do on this All Hallows Eve.  My yearly tarot reading, an ancestor reading I discovered today on Instagram that I want to try out.  I need to start on supper for the ancestors (and myself), my last inktober drawing and I'm going to make time to sit and see what the spirits have to say (if anything) to me tonight.  I also have started some other work that I want to continue today.  

What are you planning for this evening?  Do you have any special rituals or habits that you do each Halloween/Samhain?

thanks for stopping by!
love & blessings
~*~

ps...I'm several days behind in my blog reading thanks to the cold I've been fighting for a week.  I hope to catch up with you all over the next few days. xo

You're invited!

Hello my friends!  It is time to shine up those boots, put on your prettiest stockings, and gussy up the old broom.  Hold on to your hats, because the best Witches Tea Party around has sent out this years invitation.  

I do hope you'll be able to join us for a wonderfully fun Witches Tea Party.  There will be treats, spells, magic and maybe a few tricks.  If you want to join in, click here to be transported to A Fanciful Twist so you can sign up.  I hope to see you there!

love & blessings
~*~
 

october art...

October seems to be about art and creating this year. 

I joined in with Inktober this year. My drawings are little but it's a start.  I think my favorite so far is day 3.  The tree and mushrooms.  Although Day 2 - the little lady on the left, I was very upset with it at first as I'd made her face way too long, but I found a fix by adding a scarf.

 

 I've also been working on lots of little things for Halloween.  I started working on these little witch hats last month.  I've had the forms for several years but never did anything with them.  I think they are kind of cute.

The sun is out.  Finally.  It's so nice to see it and to not have so much rain. 

I think that's all for this little post.  Hope you are all having a wonderful day.  Are you working on any projects this month?

thanks for stopping by, 
love & blessings
~*~

busy little bee...

 I've been staying pretty busy lately.  Lots of knitting and studio play.

 My Steelers Scoreboard KAL.  I've the first game and part of the second on the needles.  They don't play again until a week from Monday, so I'm hoping to be caught up.  I knit pretty slowly and my stitches get tight if I'm not paying attention.  It has taken me about seven hours of knitting to get that far.  Because of how slow I am and all the other things I'm doing, I've decided to hold off on the Heels scoreboard I was going to knit.  

 I found these little cork top bottles at Target the other day.  They were $1 each so I bought several.  I've already put two to use and I have plans for these two.

 My Halloween mantle decorations.  I'm pretty happy with it.  I tend to move things around and rearrange a lot during the season so we'll see if this gets tweaked.

 My new shoes!  I saw them used as a decoration at Mary's blog and fell in love with them.  The last time I was this crazy over a pair of shoes, I was never able to find them. So, I went on a mission.  I found these on sale at Kohl's website, plus I had coupons so they were pretty reasonable.  I never order shoes online.  I have a hard time finding shoes that fit comfortably, so I'm always afraid to go that route.  But I just had to have these, so I took a chance.  They came today and I tried them on right off.  They fit!  Plus they make me about 4 inches taller (which is great when you are as vertically challenged as I am!).   I also found a cream colored pair which I really, really want and am fighting with myself about ordering.

I've spent quite a bit of time in my studio the past several days.  I've played with paint, feathers, tulle, wood, glitter and clay.  I've been wanting to get my hands in clay for over a year.  Finally!  It felt really good.  I have several small things drying.  I am looking forward to being able to paint them and see how they turn out.

That girl up there.  I think she's finished.  The paint is still drying and I may put a sealant on it, but I think she's done.  (The picture is just a small portion of the piece.)  She's one of my faceless girls.  I've done a few things like that, where I leave the face blank.  She could be anyone or everyone.  I'll show her full picture soon.

It's still raining here.  Well, not right this second, but it has been raining every day.  I woke yesterday with aches and pains and was freezing.  I decided to keep myself home.  Today was even colder and I'm congested and my throat hurts.  Maybe walking in the rain is not such a good idea.  I hope to get back to walking tomorrow.

Well, I'm off to work on that scoreboard kal.  How's your weather?  Have you decorated for Halloween?

thanks for stopping by, 
love & blessings
~*~

All Hallows' Eve

Today is Halloween, Samhain, All Hallows' Eve.  I can feel the veil disappearing between the worlds.  Do you feel it? 



I took a walk through my favorite local cemetery today, visiting some of my favorite spirits and graves.  While walking I happened to glance down and found this leaf.  It looks black and is the only one I saw in the graveyard. 

I made sure to visit my favorite little girl.  Her name is Marjorie and she is so beautiful and special.  I love that the beads that I took her are still there.  I try to take her treats, sometimes candy, sometimes shiny necklaces and sometimes flowers.  I always take her candy on Halloween (except for last year, since I wasn't here).  Several years ago I had this little wind chime that was made with big glass beads.  It fell apart rather quickly and I took one of the glass beads to leave for Marjorie.  It isn't attached to anything just left in a corner of her stone and every time I go back I find it still there.  It is always on the ground near her stone, but is there.  I think she tries really hard to keep it, other wise, wouldn't the weather or mowers have made it disappear by now?  

 If I can remember, I'll do a post about this particular cemetery soon.  There are several beautiful tombs and mausoleums there.  

I finally found a pumpkin today.  I should know better than to wait until the last minute.  I decided to go old school with his face.  I do think he's cute.  Hopefully he will do the job tonight.

I'm off to prepare the dumb supper for my ancestors and to get the candy ready for any trick or treater's I might see at the cottage.

I hope you have a wonderfully Happy Halloween!
blessings
~*~