Monday Musings

Well, the first weekend of the school year just flew by and here it is Monday already.  So much to be excited about!  I get students today and I honestly can't wait to see them.

The super moon was quite spectacular this weekend, but I wasn't able to see it in it's complete fullness on Saturday because of the cloudy sky.  It turns out that had I gone out around 10:30 p.m. I might have been able to see it.  But alas, after an exhausting first week back at school, I was already in bed by then!  So last night I made it a point to check for the moon.  Even though it had just begun waning, it was still mostly full, bright orange, and it looked really big. I spent a few moments outside looking at it and while I was standing there, something flew by my head.  I'm pretty sure it was a bat, which I am not afraid of.  It was actually pretty cool.  Once I came inside I sat on the love seat to read and I discovered I had a perfect view of the moon through our bay window from there.  Nice!

My last Monarch caterpillar was on the roof of it's mesh cage this morning, so I suspect that by tonight or tomorrow morning it will be in it's chrysalis form.  I recently learned that only about 1-5% of the Monarch caterpillars actually get to the chrysalis stage in the wild, so I'm glad I bring every caterpillar I see inside to help them along.  We had crazy torrential rains on Friday and one of our butterflies decided that was it's day to emerge.  Lucky butterfly.  I was able to keep it inside until the weather was nicer to release it.  Not sure it would have survived such a rainy day had it emerged in the wild.

This is our last day of August.  I figure I can start decorating my yard for Halloween around the middle of September, so I'm getting pretty excited.  The anticipation!  We have new neighbors on either side of us, so they are in for quite a treat!!  Especially with the motion and sound sensitive zombie girl on a swing we hang from the maple tree in our front yard.  She was new last year and one of my favorite moments was watching one of the guys in the garbage truck videotaping it with his phone on garbage day.  The garbage truck is certainly loud enough to set her off to swinging, turning her head and humming her eerie tune.

The girls begin their Suzuki lessons this week.  It will be nice for them to get into their lesson routine again.  KD has a new viola teacher this year after having had the same one since she was 4.  We really miss her previous teacher, but I also know KD is going to click very well with her new one. New beginnings can be fun and exciting.

I hope everyone is having a marvelous Monday!  Check back tomorrow for Tarot Tuesday!

Freaky Friday

TGIF!  It's been a few weeks since I've done a "Freaky Friday" blog.  So what's freaky today?











This:  "A Dream Within a Dream" is currently in production at the Black Hawk Children's Theatre.  I             can't believe how talented the cast is!  KD is doing costumes and Angelle will be on crew.  It's             always so much more fun when we do things like this together.  The play is going to be pretty             creepy.  Not so much freaky, but it is based on the works of Poe, so there is definitely a little               subtle creepiness involved.  It opens in just a few short weeks.  Get your tickets!    

This:  "American Horror Story" begins again October 7.  This one is called "Hotel" and will star
           Lady Gaga.  That is truly freaky. Even freakier is that it is rumored this season will contain
           one of the most disturbing scenes in AHS history.  Considering that I've watched every season
           and I can personally tell you that there were many, many disturbing scenes, this has me a little
           bit anxious.

This:  "The Visit". Have you seen the trailer for this movie?  Frankly, we can't wait to see it!  My
          favorite scene in the trailer is when the grandma says to the little girl "Would you mind getting
          inside the oven to clean it?"  I keep telling my girls that's the kind of grandma I'll be.  They
          don't seem to be that surprised.  That's freaky.


This:  When the girls play "dress up" at our house, it can get              to be just a bit freaky.  Yikes.

 That's it for the Friday freakiness in my world today.  What's freaky with you?

Witchy Wednesday

On Wednesday We Wear Black!!  Are you?

With the cool breezes lately, it's felt a lot like Fall, my favorite time of year.  Fall brings my favorite holiday, Halloween!  Frankly, I've been obsessed.  One of my favorite websites to check out for Halloween is Grandinroad.  While some of the awesome Halloween items they sell can seem a bit on the expensive side, there is some great stuff on clearance, and it's worth checking out the site just to watch their videos!  You HAVE to check out their videos featuring their products.  This year's is about a dog named "Shadow", which just happens to be the name of one of our dogs.  If you've never watched these before, watch some of their videos from previous years, too.  I love them!

Now, on to a few of their products that caught my eye this year.

First, these gloves are great.  They are featured in the video, too.  They would be great with a "Day of the Dead" costume or I even thought they would go nicely with my Silent Supper dress.

I really like top hats.  And I really like crows and crow feathers.  Grandinroad has this excellent top hat and also the capelet made of black feathers.  Again, these are a bit on the expensive side, but I would think well worth it.  So elegantly creepy!

I mentioned that sometimes they have great things on clearance.  This black cape with orange bead accents is one of them.  At just $19.00 I think this is a great find. Appropriate for any witchy Wednesday.

Finally, I just love this "Gothic Raven" headband.  Looks fabulous on, I think.  This would be a great accessory for the opening night of "A Dream Within a Dream" (the play I helped to write based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe which features the poem "The Raven").  Yes, it's kind of true.  I have ravens and all things "Poe" on the brain.

In addition to costumes and accessories, Grandinroad also has a lot of excellent Halloween decor.  If I won the lottery, I'd probably buy everything on their site!  Go check them out at Grandinroad and have a wonderfully witchy Wednesday!

Tarot Tuesday, August 25

Wow!  Today was an incredibly full day.  From our 2nd day of Leader in Me training, to taking KD to piano lesson, then to her input conference with her teacher, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the van on the way to "A Dream Within a Dream" rehearsal, it's no wonder I didn't get around to this blog until now. It is still Tuesday, however, so Tarot Tuesday, here we go!

Today's card drawn is the Two of Swords.

Do you find yourself facing a tough decision?  That is what this card is all about.  It could be that you are avoiding making that decision.  This could be in order to bring about peace of  mind. However, the decision still needs to be made.  You might be pretending that if you ignore the decision long enough, it will go away on it's own.  That's not going to happen.  You really are going to have to face this decision.  Avoidance will eventually lead to a greater conflict.

The blindfold on the woman can indicate that you might not have all the information you need to make the right decision.  Once you are able to remove your blindfold and see the situation for what it really is, then you will be in a much better position to move forward.
You will need to research your options and seek outside input.  Ask yourself what it is you are missing.  Why is this decision such a difficult one to make?

This card can also indicate a need for better intellectual balance in your life.  You might need to take a break from your usual way of thinking and think outside the box a bit.  Weigh pros and cons of both options that are available to you and look to see if there's another way around the problem.

Sometimes the Two of Swords can indicate that you need a truce with someone.  Sometimes there is no winner or loser, but a compromise.  Agree to disagree or seek to understand what the other person's viewpoint is before reaching a final solution.  It's interesting because I feel like this card could fit right in with our Leader in Me training.  "Seek first to understand, then to be understood". Hmm.

If you need help making this important decision, there are steps you can take.  First, as I said before, do a little research and see what you are missing or what you need to learn.  Make a list of pros and cons.  Sit in silence imagining each outcome.  If you are so inclined, you could seek the help of a pendulum.  No matter what you do to make this decision, make sure you do something.  This card clearly says that you won't be able to ignore it.  Good luck!

Monday Musings

This morning found the girls and I getting up much earlier than we have been this summer and heading off to school.  Well, I actually didn't go to school, but am participating in two days of Leader In Me Training (based on the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People aka Covey training).  Then Wednesday will be our official day back to school with next Monday being our first day with students.

I have to say I actually got a lot out of our first day of LIM training.  I kind of like looking at my life and analyzing how I spend my time.  I also actually wrote down some of those big future dreams I've been thinking about.  Somehow they become more real once I actually write them down.

My new love is writing.  I've really been enjoying writing for my blog.  I loved participating with the "Po-etic Collective" in writing "Dream Within a Dream".  It's even more fun to watch it come to life in rehearsals.  It was fun to submit a story for publication.  I just found out it was rejected, but I'm okay with that.  I submitted another one and will wait to see what they do with that.  I also might submit my first story to other appropriate publications.  I believe that my writing is "sharpening the saw" for me.  It is good for my soul and I truly enjoy it.

Yesterday was my 51st birthday.  My husband did a fantastic job again of making me feel like a queen on my special day.  I watched a bit of "Dream Within a Dream" rehearsal.  This play is going to be so delightfully dark and creepy I can hardly stand it.  Watching it come together is very rewarding.  Then we went and played laser tag, one of my favorite fun time things to do.  We had teams of 5 each and discovered it was much more challenging with more people.  After that our family went to Red Lobster.  Yum!  Add to that a witchy angel-food confetti cake (decorated with spiders and witch hats, my family knows me so well), and I had a perfect day.  Not to mention one of my butterflies decided to share my birthday and emerged yesterday, too.

I have a recent obsession with handmade witch hats.  I found some beautiful ones on Etsy.  There is a nice black and white one which would complement my Silent Supper dress nicely.  Even better, I saw some really cute crocheted ones.  I have set my good friend DuRaae working on crocheting witch hats for my two daughters and I.  When we start exhibiting at Psychic and Paranormal expo's, we plan to wear them.  We won't be doing that for quite awhile yet, so lots of time to prepare!  I'll be sure to post pictures of the hats when they are finished.

After a full day, my 11 year old has gone to her friend's house and my 16 year old is sleeping.  The first day of her junior year must have worn her out.  I am hoping for a bicycle ride tonight.  Preferably with my daughters, but I'll go by myself if I must.  I need to make some contacts for the UNI Children's Choir which I will be directing this semester.  The first rehearsal is next Thursday, so I have much preparation to do.  I have a feeling this evening is going to go by very quickly and then it will be Tuesday!  I'll try to get up early enough to draw the tarot card before I go to LIM training and get everyone sent off to school.

How was your Monday?  New beginnings?  Back to school?  I would love to hear about it.

Witchy Wednesday

Happy Witchy Wednesday!  Are you wearing black?

We love thrifting and yesterday turned out to be a great thrifting day!  It was raining, KD had a friend over and Angelle was just dying to go thrifting so we got in the car and headed downtown.  I've already found my silent supper dress at "Gram's Place" in Grundy Center, but wonderful black vintage clothing is popping up all over the place.  That being the case, I thought I would help all of you find your silent supper dress.  I will share the really awesome dresses and great pieces we found yesterday.

First stop was "Miss Wonderful" on Main Street in Cedar Falls.  This is a wonderful vintage store.  They have the best furniture and always have some really great pieces in the shop.  I was looking at the clothing, however, and right away saw two great black vintage dresses hanging high on the wall.  I didn't ask to get them down to see sizes or prices, but I did take pictures of them to share.

 

I thought both of these were very nice.  If I didn't already have my dress, I would have been tempted.  And what if black just isn't your color?  You certainly don't have to wear black to the silent supper.  You don't even have to wear vintage.  You don't even have to dress up.  But if you want to dress up, go vintage, and not wear black, "Miss Wonderful" had a few other really nice formal vintage dresses.

 

After having fun at Miss Wonderful, we headed down the block and across the street to "Main Street Exchange".  We used to go here quite often, but it has been awhile and I hadn't realized it changed ownership.  Immediately the atmosphere was different and in a very good way.  The new owner has a real talent for displaying things.  She loves tea and tea cups and these were displayed right as we entered the front door.  I love those, too, and she has so many cute and interesting teapots and teacups and also sells packaged tea.  How cool!  I found this very adorable lacy vintage black dress.  It is a size 2, so if you are a tiny person looking for a silent supper black dress, you might want to go check this one out.

 

In addition to all the cute teacups and displays, we noticed that the prices here have gotten a lot more reasonable.  Angelle and I both found quite a few items we took home with us.  I paid $2.99 for the dress on the right.  When I got it home and tried it on it fit perfectly.  When I looked at the original tag for this dress when it was brand new, it was $300.00.  WOW!  What a deal I got with this one.  I love the colors and can't wait to wear it somewhere.  I could even wear it to school with a jacket or sweater, but think I would rather wait for a special occasion.  Maybe opening night of "Dream Within a Dream".

Angelle was looking through a rack of shirts and got very excited when she found this for me!  Of course, I just had to get this.  It's a sheer blouse which will go great with either black, tan or brown.  At $11.00 for a Vintage Havana blouse, I'm quite pleased with this.  It was my most expensive purchase at Main Street Exchange.

 Black is always good for me, and Angelle also found this "Rock and Republic" shirt on the right (one of my favorite brands often featured at Kohls) there.  The cross on the front and the entire back of the shirt is lacy camouflage.














And this black shirt with the cute cap sleeves and chains on the front?  Just $1.75 and it looks even better on.  Fits me perfectly and is a great find!  I'm sure I'll wear it often.


It's another rainy day here in the Cedar Valley.  Why not try thrifting?  If you don't yet make a habit of it, it can be quite satisfying, especially when you find such great things like we found yesterday.  Angelle also got quite a few cute shirts for herself.  With all the great vintage and second hand stores we have here in the area, you really should go take advantage of them.  You never know what you might find!  Enjoy your witchy Wednesday!

Tarot Tuesday, August 18

Today's card drawn is The Empress.

The Empress represents the feminine aspects of ourselves, whether you are a man or a woman.  Those feminine aspects can be shown in many ways - beauty, sensuality, fertility, creatives expression and nurturing.  For many of us, she represents our artistic and creative side.  The presence of this card today calls you to connect with your feminine energy.  It is a good time to create beauty in your life and explore the senses; taste, touch, sound, smell and sight.  Have you been feeling extra creative lately?  It's also a good time to spend some time treating yourself to some of the better things in life.  Get a massage, have a spa day, go enjoy a nice dining experience.

This would be an excellent time to begin a new hobby.  If you've been thinking of learning something new, you should do it.  This will help you to access that creative part of yourself.

This card could possibly indicate a pregnancy or birth.  And no, that doesn't apply to me personally!  This can also be metaphorical and represent the birth of a new idea, a product, or a new way of being.  You may have or will have new ideas which will be implemented to help lead to the success of your projects and interests.

The Empress also encourages you to spend some time in nature.  If you're going on a vacation, skip the fancy hotel and try camping or hiking.  Connecting with Mother Earth can be truly rewarding.

This is a deeply nurturing and caring card.  If you are a mother, you might be exploring that role more deeply than ever before.  Truly appreciate the gift you have been given.  If you are a father, the Empress encourages you to be nurturing to your children and open the lines of communication between you and them.  Support them and guide them.

We are naturally born to create.  We all spend most of our lives doing just that whether we realize it or not.  Anytime you act upon an idea, write a letter or a blog post, improvise on the piano, draw or paint a picture, or contribute to the birth of a child, you are acting as The Empress.  Don't be afraid to try new creations.  It's amazing to watch those creations come to life.

Finally, The Empress card can indicate that the Universe is about to intervene in your life.  You may receive the glimpse of a miracle or perhaps even more.  What might appear to be good luck could actually be the result of a series of good choices you have made.  In other words, it is your turn to have things work out in your favor.  You deserve to be blessed and to feel nurtured yourself.  Great things are coming your way.

Monday Musings

Happy Marvelous Monday!  Here we are down to our last week of summer vacation before school starts.  It has been an awesome one, too!

On Friday I didn't get to do a "Freaky Friday" blog because we were at the Iowa State Fair.  Angelle, our oldest daughter, sang for the Bill Riley Talent Search competition.  She sang "Diva Dance" from "Fifth Element".  It's a very difficult piece, starting with the mad scene aria from "Lucia di Lammermoor", then morphing into a tech vocal acrobatic type of section.  Quite frankly, Angelle nailed it.  She performed absolutely beautifully and was even complimented personally by a judge.  Unfortunately, she did not advance to the semi-final round and the judge who personally complimented her told her it was her age that hurt her.  The singer who did advance was 19.  The personal compliment from the judge meant the world to Angelle, though, and she didn't even care that she didn't advance.  The judge basically told her that her performance was perfect in every way and to keep singing.

The rest of our day at the fair was awesome, of course.  We rode the "Crazy Mouse", our favorite roller coaster and Angelle even went on one of the super big rides, the "Skyscraper".  Much to her dismay, she was forced to sit by a cute, polite and nice teenage boy.  I jest.  She loved every minute of that!  She said it was awkward at first, but then when they were stuck at the top for what seemed like a very long time, they ended up introducing themselves to each other and had a nice conversation.  So, to the nice boy named Jake from Chicago, thanks for sharing the ride with Angelle!

Our favorite food was strawberries and brownies on a stick dipped in chocolate dip.  Mmmmm.  After that we actually were pretty healthy eaters.  We had our free hard boiled eggs on a stick (one of our fair faves) and then salad on a stick, PB & J on a stick, and wood fire oven pizza for supper.  The girls had fun at the Indian Village (one of their favorite things at the fair), and after that I dragged them over to the wine tasting barn.  They know I like to do that if I'm not going to have to drive home and since we were staying overnight, well, I just had to.  I had the 6 samples of the state fair featured wines for $5.  We also got the pizza there.  The timing was perfect as the wine barn is way on top of a hill and we were there just at sunset with a great view of the Des Moines skyline.  Just beautiful!!

It was a full and very hot day.  We got back to my in-law's camper around 9:00 p.m., exhausted, sunburned, sweaty and full of happy memories.

We had to make the drive home the next day an adventure, too.  We stopped at a flea market in Melbourne.  Met a very nice man and his dog named "Mocha Joe" and enjoyed talking with them.  Angelle found a couple of fun treasures there.  Then we had chinese for lunch in Grundy Center at an awesome chinese restaurant.  Right next door was a fun store called "Gram's Place".  It was full of fun vintage items.  Our kind of store!!  I was thrilled to find my "Silent Supper" dress there for $10.  It is black, of course, and nicely fitted.  It is a perfect fit and has a nice white draping on the neckline.  It's like it was meant to be.  KD also found her silent supper hat.  The most intriguing thing I found there was a $1.00 postcard with a date of 1910.  On the front was a couple lines of music to a song with the lyrics, "Won't you remember me?".  The beautifully handwritten part on the other side said "Why don't you write?".  Oh I know there's a story there and I'm dying to know what it is.  I suppose I never really will, but I might just have to write one.

I have a lot to do today.  The first rehearsal for "Dream Within a Dream" is tonight.  I'm so excited to see it come to life.  Have a great Monday and to many of my teacher friends, enjoy your last full week of vacation!

Witchy Wednesday

Happy Witchy Wednesday!!  "Didn't anyone tell you? Black is my colour!"  In fact, this is one of the designs I will be sharing with you today!

I learned about a site called Redbubble this last weekend at the Psychic/Paranormal Expo in Marion.  At this site, you can upload your own artwork for free and then Redbubble handles selling and shipping and you get a portion of the sales.  Our new friend, Sapphire Moonbeam, has a lot of her artwork on this site and that's how we heard about it.  The cool thing is that you can purchase the artwork on a wide varitety of products such as cell phone cases, notebooks, stickers, framed wall art, mugs, travel mugs, tee shirts, even leggings and pencil skirts.  And much more!  Amazing!  Angelle had her friend, Jessica, over a couple days ago.  While here, they ended up painting a large piece of wood on wheels that we were going to throw away.  Their hands got covered in paint and they held them over the wood and it made a fabulous photo!  So, this was the first work I put on Redbubble.  It's called "The Colors of Friendship".  Here it is and if you go to Redbubble and search for "Waltzbrew", you can find all of our artwork.  KD's "Too Goth For Prom" is even there.

Since I am discovering and learning about Redbubble, I thought I would share some of my witchy favorites which you can purchase on clothing or other products.  I think most of these would be great on a tee-shirt or a hoodie.  

 I just can't even tell you how much I love this.  I think this would be great as wall art.  What an incredibly cool and witchy design.
















Okay.  I love Jack Skellington and I love coffee and I really love this design.  Here the design is shown on a tee-shirt.  Remember you can get any of the artwork on just about any product you like

 Of course, "Dream Within a Dream" begins rehearsing on Monday next week.  You know I love crows and ravens!!  So, I really love "Skelecrow".

 This might be my very favorite.  There's just so much very cool, witchy stuff in there.  And now the song "I Put a Spell On You" will be running through my head all day.

 The inspiration for my opening statement.  If you watch "Once Upon a Time" and know who Regina is, you will appreciate it that much more!  And yes, black is my colour!  I love "colour" spelled with a "u".

Need something delivered in a hurry?  Try "Witch Delivery Service" air mail!  And don't make me push you  off my broom.  Too cute.  This would be great on a tote bag!













Remember that you can purchase these works of art and many, many more at Redbubble on just about any product you can imagine it on.  I especially like notecards (about $2 a card) and notebooks ($12 a notebook) as very reasonable works of art you can purchase.  While there, search for our art under the name "Waltzbrew" (I take credit for the hands photo, but the others are by either Angelle or KD), and look for art by "Moonbeam".  She has beautiful stuff.  Angelle bought a notebook of hers at the Expo last weekend.  And if you're artistically inclined, start your own Bubble Shop.  It's free to sign up.  Happy witchy art hunting!

Tarot Tuesday, August 11

Today's card drawn is the Seven of Swords.

I am so used to drawing very positive cards, that this is something new. The Seven of Swords is a card of deception and betrayal.  This card urges caution when attempting to use secrecy, cunning, or even deception to gain an advantage over someone or something else.

One way to read this card is as advice to face a problem head on.  You may be tempted to sneak away from a particular situation that isn't working for you anymore.  You might be tempted to procrastinate from doing something unpleasant.  You might not feel ready to deal with issues in life and are aiming for a solution where you can just escape and not have to worry.  You might be avoiding unpleasant situations and allowing them to just become worse.  Be sure to ask yourself if avoiding the problem is realistic or if you need to face it head on.

On the flipside, this card asks you to be very cautious so that you don't become a victim of someone else's deception, betrayal, cheating or false motives.  For some reason I can picture my readers checking their spouse's or significant other's phones right now!  You might be trusting someone who has their own agenda which might leave you high and dry.  Be careful of who you trust over the next few months.  You could be at a risk to be taken advantage of.  Trust your gut instincts when something doesn't feel right.  At the same time, don't be overly paranoid!

Finally, sometimes the Seven of Swords can indicate a desire to be more independent.  You might think that you have a better chance at success if you go your own way and don't listen to the input and advice of others.  Sometimes this can work in your favor, but sometimes this can cause you to feel isolated and alone or maybe even excluded.  You might miss the great feeling of collaboration that working with a group can create.  If you are feeling like you need to work alone, make sure it will really work for you.

Monday Musings

Well, here we are.  My daughters have just two weeks left of summer vacation.  I have two and a half.  Things are getting real.  Both girls are registered for school.  I have officially been hired as the temporary director of the UNI Children's Chorus.  Angelle sings at the State Fair this Friday. The play "Dream Within a Dream" will begin rehearsals next Monday.  And here I am, sitting outside on this beautiful day, one of the last few that I will actually be able to have the time to do this, typing out my thoughts.

Always up for new adventures, the girls and I went to the Psychic and Paranormal Expo in Marion, Iowa.  We thoroughly enjoyed the experience and at just $5 a head to get in, it was a pretty good deal. While there we listened to a couple of speakers, namely, Paulette (Mama) Moon and Chris Moon, with his phone to the dead.  We were particularly impressed with Paulette's presentation.  Since she reads the tarot, I found it to be quite interesting.  She is also just naturally a very good presenter.  She is funny and natural in front of an audience.  While I didn't get picked for her to do a quick gallery reading for me, I enjoyed watching her work with the ones she did pick.  And to make up for that, I did get into the line to make a "phone call" to the other side while Chris Moon was presenting.  That was a very interesting experience.

We met some very nice people while checking out the various vendors.  KD bought a pen made from a (what else) crow feather, and Angelle bought a wand made from a recycled plastic ballpoint pen cylinder and a beautifully artsy notebook designed by Sapphire Moonbeam from Kansas City.  She had her name legally changed to that.  And it suits her.  Sapphire had so much beautiful artwork and jewelry and is working on designing a tarot deck.  She had some clay figurines and I immediately commented on the green wicked witch figurine and explained that I really liked witchy stuff.  She said that she did, too, and then she told me that she was a witch herself.  Ah, a kindred soul!
KD was very drawn to fairy items.  Artwork depicting fairies, fairy gardens, fairy doors, etc. etc.
Sapphire was quick to pick up on that.  I'm hoping our paths will cross again.

There was another lady from right up here in Waterloo who had a booth there.  It's where KD bought her pen and Angelle bought her wand.  She had the funniest personality and a very dry sense of humor and we all three really liked her.  She has a shop on Etsy.  You should check it out.  I think her shop name was Zhana.  I just looked through all the business cards I got there, and can't find one for her, which surprises me.  She was a favorite!

We also saw our fortune telling friend, Tina, also from Waterloo, there.  She once read the palms of both KD and Angelle earlier this summer.  She is awesome and it was fun to run into her there.

Cedar Valley Reiki Center from Cedar Falls was also there displaying their beautiful products and giving Reiki sessions.

Angelle has always loved rocks and stones, so she really enjoyed "Crystals in the Raw".  The vendors were so nice and willing to explain and educate about their crystals.  He goes to a mine and mines them himself, then leaves them as natural as he can without completely polishing them.  I don't think I had ever seen crystals looking that natural before.  I like them better that way.

There was even a belly dancing troupe there.  I love their name, "Dancing with Scissors".  Angelle and KD tried their hand at belly dancing when they did a short teaching session.  They had a lot of fun.

There were tarot card readers, some very well-known psychics (like Chris Moon and Robert Baca), reiki healers, energy workers, jewelry makers and crystal miners.  So much to see!  We were inspired to the point that we are looking into having our own booth next year.  We would like to sell some of our jewelry and art and also give readings with tarot, Lenormand, pendulum and palm reading.  We have decided to call our fortune telling hobby business "Three Witches".  I don't think we will be as "new agey" as some of the other vendors and readers, but are going to be more straight-forward fortune tellers.  Angelle can sell her rock necklaces and KD is going to come up with some cool artwork.  It will be an adventure, anyway!

I hope this beautiful Monday is finding you enjoying the outdoors a bit.  We couldn't ask for a more perfect day.  Stop by tomorrow as I (or maybe KD or Angelle) draw a tarot card and interpret it's meaning for "Tarot Tuesday".

Witchy Wednesday

Happy Witchy Wednesday!!!  Are you wearing black?

Today someone sent me a link on Facebook to Pottery Barn for some skeleton wine glasses.  I immediately thought of the "Cedar Valley Silent Supper", and how appropriate they would be for that.  They are a bit pricey, though, at $26 per glass, but still, I love them.

This prompted me to check out the Pottery Barn website for Halloween stuff since I just can't seem to get enough!!

So today, for Witchy Wednesday, I'm just sharing a few of my favorite items I found on Pottery Barn. If you're interested in any of them, you can find them at Pottery barn .  Once at the site, type "Halloween" into the search box.

.

 This is an awesome chip and dip server.

 I love this pillow!!  Especially with my recent fascination with crows!

I guess the theatre will be holding a wreath contest sometime this Fall.  This very cool skeleton wreath gives me some great inspiration for what we could cook up!

And here are the skeleton stem wine glasses. They have bat and black cat ones, too.  

If the resolution of the pictures on my blog here is a bit blurry, check these items out on their website to see them more clearly.

Stay witchy and enjoy the middle of the week!

Tarot Tuesday, August 3

Today the cards were shuffled and drawn by KD.  Today's card drawn is "The Star".  Much to KD's chagrin, the lady on the picture is naked. I apologize for the nudity of this card, but "The Star" seems to be naked in every deck I've seen.

The Star card represents renewed hope and faith.  You are truly blessed by the Universe at this time.  You can feel courage, fulfillment and creative inspiration working in your life and as such, you are filled with a calm happiness.  The next phase of your life is going to be one full of love, mental stability and a deeper understanding of yourself and those around you.  It is important right now that you trust the Universe to provide you the better future that is coming your way.  Wonderful things are possible.

This card suggests that you may have struggled through some challenges and difficult times.  You are stronger for having gone through these experiences and you are ready for healing and transformation.  Let go of damaging memories.  There is no room for hatred, envy, bitterness or revenge in your life.  Don't let them get in the way of your future happiness.  Forgive and forget.

The Star card also indicates a generous spirit.  You want to give or share your gifts with others to help transform their lives.  You have an open heart and you wish to give back the blessings you have already received so that others may benefit.  It's important to remember that being generous does not just mean being generous with physical possessions and wealth.  Share your talents and your gifts as well.  It is also important to remember that allowing someone else to be generous is a gift to them.  It is a gift for the giver. Nothing is as good for the soul as the act of giving.

In summary, The Star card shows wonderful things and spiritual growth coming your way.  You are going to trust and believe in yourself as never before.  Trust that the Universe has a plan for you and that it is a great one full of love and joy.

Monday Musings

Hello Monday!  I just picked up Angelle and our  friend from All-State Camp, got them lunch and got them home.  I was able to listen to some of the recording session when I got there.  It amazes me how good those kids sound!  Angelle had a great experience and had her first little taste of "dorm" life.  It's hard to believe that in just a few short years, she will be going to college for real.

When we got home, I was happy to see that our first butterfly emerged from its chrysalis.  There are three others in chrysalis form which should be following in the next few days and about four more very small caterpillars who have a ways to go.  I'm always very excited to see the first butterfly.  I am letting it dry its wings in the sun, then we will release it soon.  The best part is watching them take to the sky.  I can only imagine what that must feel like to fly for the first time.












Friday was a blue moon.  Apparently this won't happen again until January 2018.  It was quite spectacular and I spent a lot of time outside that evening just sitting and enjoying it.

The play "Dream Within a Dream" that I helped to write has been cast.  I watched one night of the auditions.  It was a very different experience to sit back and watch other people bring the characters and story to life.  It's an exciting thing for me to see who is going to play each character.  I am also going to act as Assistant Director for this play.  Two of my favorite teen actors from the children's theatre are going to be Stage Manager and Assistant Stage Manager.  I couldn't be happier!  It's going to be a fabulous cast and crew to work with.  I believe KD is even going to help with costumes.

Other exciting news is that I've begun selling tickets to the "Cedar Valley Silent Supper".  I have already sold a few tickets.  It's going to take place October 30th (the night before Halloween) at 6:30 PM in Waterloo at the Walker Building on Commercial.  If you are unsure what this is, it is also known as a dumb supper.  It's one of the most popular "Festival of the Dead" events in Salem, Massachusetts.   If you are interested in attending this very unique event, you can find Cedar Valley Silent Supper on Facebook for more information.  Please like the page to continue to get updates.  You can also purchase tickets by calling (319) 290-0338.  I can take credit cards over the phone or in person and you can also mail payment.  An added bonus is that we are doing a free divination for anyone who attends, either right after the supper or to be scheduled for a later date (your choice).  Divinations from my daughters and I include tarot card reading, Lenormand card reading, palm reading and pendulum divination.  The event plus the divination is only $35 per person.  A very good deal considering you will receive a gourmet, three course catered meal, the experience of a "dinner with the dead", and a divination session.

Mondays can bring great things.  This one brought the first butterfly and also brought Angelle back home.  Not to mention the beautifully gorgeous weather.  Get out there and have a marvelous Monday and if you see any Monarch butterflies this afternoon, just think, it could be the one we released!