DIY Recycling: Beer Bottle Landscaping

So this last few months has been rather busy and hectic, but also extremely productive!  I have shifted from no job, to four jobs, back down to three great opportunities that provided valuable experience related to my degree.  I am still pursuing Computer classes, this time as a full time student back at my college.  Go big or go home, right?

And in the midst of it all, I have managed to not entirely neglect my house.  We have been meaning to fix up the backyard for a while.  However, being the backyard, we can't find it in us to splurge on money for landscaping.  Those rock wall borders, or even the logs can be quite pricey when we talk about enough to frame out an area.  I have been following a lot of facebook groups on Off the Grid living, or Sustainable living and brainstormed some excellent ideas.  We finally decided on using our beer bottles to build a border, which we can then fill in with mulch.  Between us, our friends, and our room-mates (all being about in our 20s), I found we go through a surprising amount of beer.  Well, I suppose I am TheCraftBrewMrs after all.  So we decided, instead of self-shaming over our indulgences at the end of the week, we will turn it into something very useful. We put out a proclamation to reserve all dark colored beer bottles.  Shortly after, I saw a shelf in the garage fill up with bottle after bottle and several weeks (and one house party) later, we had our materials!

So rather than a random tree in the middle of sandy dirt and patches of grass, we have a nicely edged focal point. I even added some lovely "chicken gizzards" as I've been told they are called from my friends' nursery, and a handful of white snapdragon flowers.  I am hoping to go back over them and put a dab of glue between the bottles to keep them all upright. They are pretty sturdy on average but once in a while the dogs try to jump into the flower bed and kick one.  As for the future, we have continued collecting and hope to tackle the papaya tree next!  

Under the Spell of InstaTweetBook

So I've finally made my rounds on the social media train. While still unsure exactly about where I'll go with my career, or life for that matter, I realized that not only has the internet become increasingly important for making connects. It is in fact necessary.  In the beginning I was always late to the game, at times cringing at the ability of facebook to promote an unwanted enhanced knowledge of my family's religious and political thoughts or for making me feel the need to spy on middle school classmates.

But in fact, I've grown to really love each of these sites for their various purposes.  Instagram, revolving around photos, is certainly still a program I use for close friends, but my Facebook, google+, blogger, and LinkedIn have grown increasingly focused on expert articles, fitness blogs, joining intellectual groups, and my favorite authors.  There's nothing better than having a PhD candidate read your term paper or seeing a personally reply from your favorite author on a comment you posted.

Thus far it seems most of this talk has been about the personal tendencies of social networking. To emphasize it's more than that, think about how lately the job market has dwindled.  One of the complaints that job seekers, including myself at times, had was that the personal interaction has been taken from the search.  "I would have gotten a call back if I had a face-to-face interview!" some cry.  However, I believe this system can also provide more opportunities in wake of the ones that were taken.  What it comes down to is not limited opportunities, b
ut a change in nature moving into a world we shouldn't be afraid of.  So update those profiles and share your projects, work, and interests.  Just don't underestimate the power of the internet to destroy, but don't undermine it's ability to create.

Just like the magic we do to build a connection with the divine, to commune with like minded people, to feel attached to the lives we live and the natural world we are in, the internet has evolved to meet some of human's most basic needs.  Social networking provides the invisible web of links trying us to people and places we would never otherwise have access to.  And just like in magic, we would do well to keep protection in mind by guarding some of our personal details, and remain always vigilant about what our intent truly is and even take care to note what the intent of others who see our information may be. To know, to dare, to will, to be silent.  These are the rules we are taught for using the power we have, in whatever form that power may come.

Full Moon Mania

So now that I am getting a little bit more settled - unpacked, cleaned, started some part time work, in the midst of my online classes, and starting a new educational technology blog....I can finally start getting back into my magical groove as well.  I've certainly been missing it, hardly even feeling like a witch. Afterall, as they all say, it's a way of life.  I made it back to my class to participate in my year and a day ceremony.

But more importantly on that front, I managed to get my etsy shop open and listed an item or two from my wedding (with more to come!). It's a good start to have a few items listed but as I've discussed in previous posts, my end goal was to make homemade soy candles for household magic and general decorations alike.  Usually I am morbidly unprepared for the various holidays and cycles. Short of stopping by a CUUPS ceremony, I don't generally have the items or ritual prepared for my own solitary work, and each time I watch a sabbat or esbat come and go with not much more than a meditation.  Sad, I know.

But alas!  I opened my planner, saw that beautiful and exciting white circle indicating a full moon.  I had some work to complete and dinner to make/eat with the husband but I got it all done and sent him off to bed. I stayed up, prepped my jars, cleansed them with the elements and a small chant (after starting with a very thorough physical cleaning, of course).  As I was using glass jars I emptied and cleaned from my own items I wanted to make sure the essence of pasta was not lingering and muddling up our intents here.  I melted a big batch of soy wax, added lilac scent for a light, heavenly sense, and finally covered the top (didn't wan't bugs in my fresh wax) and left the candles out to bask in the full moon glow overnight.  I finally have full moon candles ready to be decorated and listed on my site - so keep an eye out!  If we can get this kicked off, I may find more types of containers online and try to keep a steady and consistent design going.

But guess what, that's not all!  I found a simple, quick full moon spell in my witch's almanac for Monday and was able to do before getting ready for bed. The husband even decided to join in, and he's normally a little intimidated about actually doing spells as opposed to just celebrating sabbats in a group ritual.  This one involved only paper, pen, and some water. We wrote a wish for ourselves on the paper, said a chant provided by the almanac, and tossed our wishes into the water while sitting on the porch under the moon.  I must say, I'm rather proud of my full moon participation this time around. As a solitary, it's usually pretty hard to make sure I don't have work/school/family/friends preventing me from setting time aside. But I believe the secret will be preparation ahead of time, and finding quick simply things to do alone (or with a loved one!) to remind us of the special events that continue around us, with or without our noticing.

Ready to Meet the Mrs.?

So the day has come! (and gone..) I am a married woman now and that still feels like just a line in a script to me.  But I'm sure eventually it will be natural....or I'll still be calling him my boyfriend in five years.  Either way, the chaos of graduation and the wedding has come and gone and I am now struggling to return to reality after a great European honeymoon to Rome and Paris.

It's strange, because as happy as I am to settle back down and relax in my home with my boy(husband)friend, I have to now face the issues that come with being a recent grad.  That means - essentially jobless. My new legally attached other half keeps trying to remind me that I do have a job, and do plenty of work around the house (the same arguments moms have been making for themselves for years). However without a bun in the oven or any related situation, I can't accept that as a valid description of my day. Sure I clean and got unpacked and filled the fridge back up, preparing full meals when he gets home and catching the dogs up with the vet and heartgard.  I suppose there's also that online program for web design I just started. But with one course at a time, a "job" that still keeps me in the house all day, I am nearing a severe cabin fever.  Not to mention - WAY too hot to go running anymore, even after dark.

Hopefully something will turn up. I'll keep scourging indeed.com and various sources during the day for work.  I may even revert to my high school self and simply make rounds at the local mall for something in the mean time.  For now, I am trying to focus on my web program and take advantage of any extra resources and projects that come with it. I hope everyone likes my new blog banner, courtesy of my new Adobe CS suite and mandatory practice with Photoshop.  I'll also be listing items on my etsy shop from the wedding. So if anyone would like some conversation pieces for an event, my crafty projects can be found there.  I will post the address to my links page.

I hope an employer turns up soon, ready to meet the Mrs. me.  Because until I'm an established, working adult, I'm still not sure I believe it!

Hand-fasting

Jumping the Broom

Brooms and Besoms

The wedding besom is a ceremonial broom used in marriage ceremonies.  This practice has occurred historically in many different cultures.  Most likely, its use is due to the association of a broom with home and hearth, and by extension with the concept of family.  In Great Britain and Wales, the jumping of a broom was a sort of official-unofficial wedding.  It was considered official and resulted in a legitimate union in the eyes of the communities, but could easily be undone. In Wales, this process would involve jumping over the broom into the prospective home by the couple together in front of witnesses.  Either member could later jump backwards over the broom in front of witnesses to annul the marriage.  (George Monger - Marriage Customs of the World).

These traditions are most seen continued today by couples of African descent. But in the subculture of wedding ceremonies, they are also used by those practicing a Pagan religion for its relation to British and Celtic customs, of which many neo-Pagan religions are based on.  The connotation often associated with this "jumping of the broom" today says the broom symbolizes that the past is swept clean and the couple will take their first leap of faith together into the new life with a clean slate. This would be the root of my decision to have a special besom for my big day.  Of course many are available online by people who are either specializing in these historical items from dedicated besom online-stores, or even more easily found on Etsy.

However, as with most things Crafty, I felt it would be much more meaningful to create my own.  Now as I am certainly no broom-crafter by trade, I knew I would keep the actual construct simple, and instead dress it up with sparkly, colorful ribbons and flowers.  After all, it is a spring wedding!  My colors are hot pink and silver, so I went all out on the ribbon.  Pretty much all the supplies were purchased at Michaels, a few of the flowers were picked up while I happened across them at Wal-mart and JoAnn fabrics.

With a little creativity and hot glue, I have to say I am very pleased with the outcome.  While my parents seem to be torn between a sense of pride in my uniqueness and tenacity and a sense of caution about my "weird" spiritual choices, even they seemed impressed and excited about my wedding broom.  Great success!

Restroom Reno

So I realized that with school and job hunts, I have completely neglected posting about the renovations and home improvements that have gone on in the background.  We finally got around to fixing up our bathroom a few months ago and I am so happy with it.  It was pretty much the last room in the house that met with the paint roller.  And as each other room became cleaner and brighter, the bathroom just looked more and more dreary. The constantly drooping tile edges of the vanity were not a friendly reminder to address the bathroom.


In an effort to help motivate myself, I jumped on the fixture removal, patching, and spackling in one weekend.  However, we then decided that if we were painting, we might as well update the loosely tiled counter and wobbly vessel sink with space-inefficient handles that always pinched my fingers against the wall. Not to mention, the mirror on tilting hinges that stuck out from the wall.  We certainly were not very clear on the original motivations for the (poor) decisions made in our foreclosed treasure of a home. At least the shower is nice!

Either way, I moved along onto taping the frames and edges.  But with the addition of the new counter in the plans, our finish line was extended a few weeks.  We did eventually agree on a very well priced granite counter with sink bowl included from Home Depot and had a contractor we knew install the vanity.  I finally got around to painting it a spa-blue color and with the new brushed nickel faucet and light fixture it took on a whole new life.  Now I am thrilled to relax and refresh in our master bath.

Intuitive Interests

Often, things don't turn out how they seem. The best we can do is to be as prepared as possible.  The fiance and I have been watching quite a lot of Derren Brown shows lately.  If you don't know about this, I fully recommend finding it on Hulu Plus!  Often times his experiments involve showing normal people how they have instinctual (psychic) powers.  The average person is fully capable of amazing things if appropriately prepped to recognize the messages.  And, we return to the theme of preparedness.  Of course the term psychic makes most people cringe. But no one will as easily dismiss instinct. Whatever you want to call it, keeping alert to those feelings can really help.

It's about that time for me to really hit the pavement on the job hunt.  Although I did enjoy my studies, I am starting to realize the job postings for linguists don't exactly match my work.  We were often advised about the misconception that linguists are not inherently multilingual - we analyze a language's structure. (Well someone forgot to tell the world this, resulting in a linguist=translator dichotomy).

So I took a step back.  I really needed to figure out what can be a life move for me.  The question then is not simply "What do I enjoy?" but "What do I enjoy that can be applied toward a lucrative career?"  Here's a moment for regression and instinct.  I have utilized this spring break to think about what I like to do.  At what point in my life have I found it easy to stay up until 3 am because I was just so involved in my project?

Thus, my new interest.  More accurately, a long lost interest that might actually be worth something to the job market today.  I flashed back to the days of MySpace.  I would actually stay up late reading articles and how-to's on HTML and basic web formatting so I could customize my site.  I spent entire Saturdays taking photos, then sat glued to Adobe Photoshop. I watched tutorials and experimented with layers and filters until my eyes burned.  Combine that with the constant advise from my parents' recruiter friend who says, "A degree in computers will land you a job," the positive reactions about this path from the fiance as well as the parents, and I had a brilliant (although fiscally depressing) idea. Today, I just applied for a program in Interactive Media and Web Design.

While the thought of more school is a little exhausting, I suppose it does not send me off track to go for one more degree at 22 years old. Also, my position as a grad assistant payed for most of this last degree, so it's not quite the stretch to take out a loan to pay for some more courses if it will help me establish a solid career that I enjoy. I read through the course list and as long as I turn a blind eye to the price per credit hour, I get butterflies in my stomach at some of the interesting titles and descriptions. Gut, please don't steer me wrong!

Home and Hearth

With the spirit of spring cleaning in mind, I thought I might share about today's witchy activity based on Llewelyn's Witches' Spell-A-Day Almanac.  The entry for today was about clearing out negativity.  Not to mention my dogs have left wonderful gifts of floating hair tumbleweeds around the house.

I don't know how it all works, but I do acknowledge that we feel the effect of positive or negative energies daily.  Some days you just feel in a funk, weighed down, or groggy. I've found correlations of this with the moods of the other people in my house, or the weather.  Simultaneously a very cheery friend can instantly lift your spirits.

Whatever the scientific explanation, I do believe in the power of these energies on a psychological level and how, by extension, a spiritual cleansing of the home can trigger a change in mentality.  The very fact that you are acknowledging and addressing the issue of energy in your home will allow you to focus attention on your own energy and how you feel in your home.  The attention-directing nature of these cleansing rituals can thus be successful and leave your home feeling open, happy, and safe by altering your own perception of your home.

I first went over the floors with my very modern broom (AKA vacuum) and then set up a candle as per the Almanac.  While it asked for a grey taper candle, it is always alright to use what is available here (for me, a white tealight).  This is about your connecting and believing in the process to effect perceptual change, and in turn, manifesting better feelings.  I did, however have the purifying herbs to surround the candle with - rosemary, bay leaves, and parsley. I feel lighter already!

Tuesday Fitness

Alrightly, so I figure it's time to actually start posting about what I am DOING for fitness and not just want I read about and plan on doing.  Tuesday warrior energy - utilized. I admit, it has not been a very productive work out week.  I tried one of Melissa Bender's at home work outs last week between exams, just one of the 10 minute core workouts. I ended up with sore-to-the-point-of-unusable thighs for the next 3 days.  And I mean, this was the worst post work out soreness I have ever experienced.  Talk about efficient exercise time management. I don't know if it was because I did not stretch properly, or I am just incredible out of shape.  Either way - I took a 5 day break from working out...

Well, I got my sea legs back and hopped back on that horse today.  I decided with the intensity of the last workout, it's best I stick to the short ones, and refrain from moving beyond beginner level suggestions at that.  I haven't jogged in a while either with the cold front causing some hesitation about going outside. So I found a quick, in-home cardio routine.  Advice: think ahead when prepping for a workout! Tennis shoes, yoga mat, strategic placing over an area rug, etc.  Also interval timers prove helpful for her particular work outs - I was using my fiance for this until he resigned and found an iphone app (Seconds) for this.  I followed up with an easy dog walk because they haven't gone out on a full walk in a while.  Overall, this workout (plus pre-workout stretching) went very well. I guess I will find out how I feel tomorrow.

Chips, dip and pasta: never-mind the mismatched dishes

I let the dogs loose for water back at the house, and made up a glass of chocolate almond milk for myself.  I read several times that chocolate milk is a great post-workout drink for the nutrients and energy it provides.  I have had some bouts with heartburn recently so I've swapped for almond milk (FYI, good soother for cranky reflux).  I cooked garden veggie pasta with a simple sauce of tomatos, chili pepper, garlic, and thai red curry paste.  Just enough to have flavor, but not actually be hot.  I topped it off with reduced fat goat cheese.  For a side I heated up some left over homemade potato chips - not at all healthy, but I had them leftover from our last dinner out :P
I even made up a version of the sauce they were served with at Whale's Rib.  (According to my taste buds, that would be mayo, dijon mustard, oil and red wine vinegar and just a pinch of sugar).  Tasted like a match to me! Again, not advisable, but waste not want not.

My goal is to keep up a simple but regular routine. I'm more concerned at the moment with making exercise a habit than I am with those workouts being at bootcamp level.  At this point, slow and steady wins the race.  Short, simple workouts just to make sure I actually do them.

I even put a little post it on my desktop to remind me how much I should get done in a week. I did not schedule these focus areas on days, or even for durations or designate if any are in the same day or not.  I just want to work on these areas, this number of times in a week.  They say that once you have done something for a month, it becomes habit.  Two weeks of consistant workout is my record...so I'm halfway there, right?

Time Out? Yes, Please!

With all the craziness that is February, I realized that I may have fallen into old habits.  Over stretching myself.  Certainly at the time, taking on a continued schedule at the spice and tea store (which I usually only work on school breaks) seemed plausible.  I have one less graduate class this semester, as it is my last semester.  But - somehow I forgot that wedding planning, PhD applications, job applications, and exams amount to a little more than the work that I would have saved by that one class.  Hm.

I was working with a fellow employee last Friday at the store and realized - wow I have so much to do the rest of the weekend because I can't do that work today (Friday). I really should not have tried to fit in a side job when I already am a full time student and working as a teaching assistant. Unfortunately that is my doom. I fear boredom.  I hate down time and I hate sitting around not knowing what to do, then I put SO much in my week that I can't possibly have free time.  However, you start to realize how that may actually hurt things when your fiance brings home a movie from RedBox and you are not even sure if you should take a break to watch it with him.


For this post, I will keep it short.  It's a moment for me to stop and reflect before I delve into the world of studying for midterms.  I want to remind everyone that you don't have to be wonderwoman or superman all the time to be a success. Overworking yourself can make you focus too much on all that you did not finish yet, and blind you to the fact that you've done more than most people do in the same time and that's amazing.  Because all that work can't really be worth it if you don't have 5 minutes to realize, "hey, you are doing a great job."

So maybe someone out there can take these words as inspiration, and I'll try to do the same (as difficult as it is sometimes!) - Put down the projects, take a sick day from work, quit that side job you really didn't need. Just sleep or sip tea or read a book (for fun!).  Go to dinner with a friend or boyfriend. Time will go by so fast and you will wonder what happened to this year and the time you meant to take a vacation or visit a friend.  These moments are no less important than making an extra buck. In fact, they are probably more important.

Yes to the Dress and a Run in the Sun

Less than 4 months to go until the focus of all our friends and family will be on me, walking around and dancing.  But with a big gown (yet to be altered), I'm less concerned with fitting into my dress as I am looking good and feeling healthy on my honeymoon.  We are spending 4 nights in Rome and 4 nights in Paris, which is sure to include quite a bit of trekking around town. I would hate to get winded or tired and tell him we need to take a break!

I may not work out, but I am familiar with the concept. We moved to Florida because my father got a government job which required some strict fitness criteria to get in.  It's been many years since all of that, I can't vouch for his fitness at the moment. But now my brother takes the torch. He is on the wrestling team at his high school and trains constantly. The wrestling team has some strategies that are a little too much for my tastes (a growing teen who is supposed to be 130lbs probably shouldn't be fasting, working out, and sweating until he can fight the 115 weight class).  But, the extreme diets and 3 mile runs in sweat clothes aside.... I have managed to pick out some core features of a workout that seem to be repeated in much milder workouts by the average adult.

My conclusions are that you need:
Cardio+Workout, neither one will work alone.  Cardio is great for endurance, heart health, circulation, and fat loss.  Some ab work and push ups/pull ups will certainly help shape those muscles, creating definition, strength, and strong core muscles helps protect your body and maintain good posture. But, it would be hard to see your rock hard abs with a layer of fat over them, unless you add in the cardio to help work it off.

I don't have an eminent problem with fat, other than in my own mind! We are always our own worst critic.  My goal as far as fat loss goes is simply to lose enough so that I can see my ab workouts paying off.  The cardio for me is more about endurance and to strengthen my heart and lungs.  (I have no endurance - not joking).

I started trying to jog this week.  But hopefully I can get a run in 2-3 times a week and do some exercises at home in between. There are actually some great little workout routines out there for specific areas you want to work on.  These are great for the days in between jogging.  Pinterest is pretty helpful here too.  I found a great blog by Melissa Bender and she has workouts GALORE.  I found a 10 minute total core work out (a quick one is all I wanted to start with - when I start too intense the drive seems to fizzle out within weeks).  Today is a run day (I last jogged on Sunday or Monday) so after this post I'll have to get dressed and get my butt outside. Tomorrow or Friday I will do this core workout.

I'll try to take a picture so we can get a before and after.  That is, as long as there is an after - keep your fingers crossed that I actually keep up!

Pentas, Parsley, and Peppermint

Gardening both inside and outside the home can really help one create a much needed connection with nature. It also helps remind us how many things in our lives are influenced by the world around us, an environment we often take for granted while confined to offices, kitchens, and studies.  Not to mention, it is so rewarding to be able to utilize something in the home that you helped create, nurture, and raise.

I don't generally have the best luck with gardening of any sort.  I am better than my mom with plants (in whose care plants seem to die instantaneously and consistently). BUT, occasionally I find a plant I get along with.  That combined with my determined attitude to finding said plants or figuring out what it is I am doing wrong with the ones that don't like me will sporadically result in success.

As some earlier posts mention, I started landscaping our home last year. I've had some things work and some fail miserably.  Thus, I did not choose to include my dead gardenia plants in this picture.  However, I did have tremendous success with this little, cheap plant I bought at Home Depot (shocking in itself). I bought it simply to add a pop of color to my driveway. After what seemed to be a process of dying, they actually bounced right back (I assume it was shock and adjustment to being planted) and they look fantastic. They have been in bloom all year around ever since. This miracle plant for the gardener without a green thumb is the pentas.  I have 4 purple dwarf pentas and 8 pink/red regular ones now and they all look great. 

This is a great flower not only for convenience and price, but the added bit of magick just puts a smile on my face.  The pentas are thusly named for the 5 -pointed star of a flower.  I feel that having so many flowers representing pentagrams in front of my house has to offer some level of protection to deflect negative energy.  I can't help but imagine it forming a barrier of sorts that blocks guests from bringing any nasty vibes with them. So far so good - my house has always felt open, inviting and calming after any stressful day. 

I don't mean to go on too long here but I also wanted to add a little bit about my recent attempt at herbs.  Again, a pass/fail sort of situation. I tend to grab herb plants as I pass them at Walmart or such. I am choosing to attribute my failure with them based on that.  Gardeners typically advise against Home Depot or Walmart plants rather than a nature center or somewhere that specializes in happy, healthy greenery. But I have maintained a slim level of life in my basil, lavender, and rosemary plant for some months. No progress, but they aren't dead either... hm.  I did acquire just last week a peppermint and parsley plant from Whole Foods.  Still a grocery, but I figure the focus on organic and healthy food may transfer to their plant care as well.  So far so good...the plants are alive and well.  I actually trimmed them to make sure they have room to grow in their curent pots until I find new homes.  I am curious to see how drying them out goes. I tied some of the trimmings up and hung them in my kitchen for looks, smell, and convenience during cooking and possibly for candle making.  If it works, the thought of natural scents from the plants would be so nice. (lavender-mint anyone?) Wish me luck! If anyone has tips on healthy herb growing in the house, please pass it along!

Catching the Flame

January has ended and with its passing, so too is the winter coming to an end.  It is hard to believe it is already February and the new year is slowly loosing its novelty.  Although all these application deadlines, comprehensive exam study session, and reading lists do bring a certain level of excitement on a career level, I do regret my lack of spiritual or physical work lately.

Imbolc Altar

At times like these, it is good to have always a reminder of this trinity.  The triquetra means many things to many people.  Wiccans often use it to mean the triple goddess. Although I acknowledge the triple goddess concept, I don't usually like to work so specifically.  I simply defer to the trinity as a way to reiterate the need to balance mind, body, and spirit.  It's all about balance.

Sometimes it is about accepting when the balance has shifted. Maybe that other aspect of your life needed the extra focus at the moment.  But acknowledge it and know that the balance will have to be restored.  The simultaneous situation of deadlines on the academic side is, of course, out of my control.  It is my final semester and I expected things to get hectic.  Add in wedding planning and it's a recipe for stress.  I almost thought about canceling on my monthly Wicca class but I am glad I did not.  The class gave me a great night to focus on magickal things and meet up with some great minds.

At home, I also [finally] received my lightcatcher from Sacred Mists!  I was awarded one for second place in a Samhain altar contest.  Unfortunately over the winter holiday it seems they had repeated mail issues trying to send it to me. But I got it at last and hung it on a statue near my living room window.  Perfect timing. I could really use something to help bring all the light that has begun shining in my life into one place and transform it into organized, geometric sparkles.

Brownie point for my 'body' aspect of the trinity, I did find a fantastic yoga studio. Yes, there are free classes at school. But they're often late at night (not likely for me to drive to campus so late) or mid day only 2 days a week (hard to catch between my classes).  Having a studio on the back burner is great when you know you need to get a class, but are trying to work outside the school's schedule. I can only make it once a week for now, to save money. But it still feels very good to walk straight into a small yoga class in a room that is clearly set up and decorated in a way conducive to meditation.  Beautiful himalayan salt lamps lining the walls and fascinating lotus mandala on the roof are hard to pass up.  I missed class today because of work (I am still keeping one shift a week at a tea and spice store - not sure why at this point) but I look forward to going again. Even this smallest bit, a weekly yoga class, is a step in the right direction for my physical and spiritual well being.

Hopefully Brigid, goddess of home and hearth associated with fire, will help bring focus and light into my life and I can keep a calm and steady grasp on all that's going on.  After all, having too much going on is better than having nothing.  I certainly accept that I am blessed and lucky to have so much coming into my world, but I will have to work on balancing it all at once so that I am actually able to reap the benefits that are hiding behind the stress!

the Candle Crafting Continues

I made a post recently mostly just about decorating some natural candles I bought for my wedding.  While those are turning out lovely, my passion and admiration for the gentle glow and scent of a good candle has only burned brighter.  Many times, in passing, I have thought about making candles. That fantasizing grew to be about candles that are so interesting and handcrafted with love and natural ingredients, that others may actually like to purchase them.  I have a friend who enjoys the thrills and drama of a home business, making and selling products online.  While not enough for a year-long career, she seems to really enjoy taking time from her office job in the holiday months to work from her apartment.  However, I also know people who have attempted to do some online business and it hasn't quite worked out.  So candles has never been a serious career move idea for me, but the idea still lingers as a whimsical hobby.

One day recently, I finally decided to at least get enough supplies for a candle or two and see if I could even make a candle worth selling.  Or at the least pretty enough for me to keep around the house and maybe save some money from buying candles.
Armed with some wood wicks, a hot glue gun, a box of soy wax, fragrance oils, and a melting pot...I went to work in the kitchen.  Interestingly enough and by coincidence, it was a great time to be making these candles for magickal purposes as well.  It was around the full moon, and on a Saturday, which according to my weekday correspondences courtesy of Ellen Dugan's Book of Witchery, is represented by pomegranate.  Lovely!

With pomegranate for fertility and/or prosperity, and vanilla for sensuality (great for relationships), the full moon should amp up these candles for love and prosperity.  I melted down leftover wax from a glade apple-cinnamon candle I had pretty much used up, and poured that into another nearly used candle with a wintery smell.  Tada - already rejuvenated old candles and made them usable again! :) I was also left with a nice new frosted candle jar!  The other jar I used was an old artichoke hearts container that I washed out (many times - artichoke marinade smell lingers apparently). Eco point 1 for me, reused glass jars.

 The process was actually pretty simple.  I scooped about a half cup of soy flakes (eco point 2!) into the pot.  I set it up double boiler style, as instructed by a plethora of YouTube videos.  It melted quickly and I added in the pomegranate oil and some rust-colored candle dye.  I decided to do layered candles; hey, go big or go home, right?  So I poured the first layer in after having glued down my wood wicks (eco point 3 - all natural wicks!). I had to let that cool before dealing with the next layer.

Second verse, same as the first.  I melted down more wax, this time left it natural colored, and added vanilla.  A few repeat rounds of wax pouring later... I actually had pretty and delicious smelling candles!  Not to mention, my kitchen smelled WONDEROUS.

I finished the jars off with some ribbon I had around the house.  Not too shabby...this candle thing may work out just yet!  I gave one to my friend (the one who works from home) and filled her in on all the magickal goodness that awaits her within her one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted, eco-friendly, witch's candle. She was pretty excited, agreeing that love and prosperity were certainly things she could use :) She was also shocked at how clean and pretty they looked (which I most strongly concerted with her surprise) and  planted the seed - "I think you really could sell these, especially if your going through the trouble of establishing correspondences and moon phrases into this..."  
I kept one candle for myself, and happy to say, it's still going!  I have had it lit for maybe 1-3 hours in a night, and over the course of several nights it is nowhere near half used.  I imagine it has a good 10 hours burn life in it.  I haven't made anymore yet... but will definitely try to work on that soon! 

New Year New Beginnings

Well here comes the mandatory new year blog post!  I'll try not to get into notions about positive thinking and starting fresh. That's a given and naturally each new year gives us a special time to refocus ourselves and reinstate old goals as well as develop any new ones.

Of course, I am very excited for graduation and marriage, all to come in the first half of this year.  So most of my time and energy will have to be aimed at keeping focused and not letting distractions get in the way.

Resolution #1: Maximize time efficiency to get all school work and wedding projects done and done well.

Spiritually I am finishing up my year and a day Wicca course at the Unitarian church.  Granted I think I've decided I'm more in the way of traditional witchcraft rather than Wicca, but that's the sort of thing I may not have figured out without attending this class.  Not to mention all the other great things I've learned. This class is truly designed to help us find our own way and lend tools that anyone can utilize and alter to fit our personal style. As it should be.

Resolution #2: Continue to learn, study, and grow spiritually in whatever way life leads me. In particular - use my new "Spell-a-Day" Almanac by Llewellyn to help me use magick on a regular basis and start internalizing some of the great information I have been learning.

Of course, there is also the need to hop on that job train that I will have to carve out more time for.  I have a fast approaching deadline to start rounding up some interviews toward finding something to do with my life post-wedding.  I can't wait to see what the world has in store for me (although it is most definitely scare to not know!).

Resolution #3: Try to use some of my spare time to actually apply to jobs, use the career center at school, and keep on top of networking opportunities to find a career. Never lose hope and never stop trying!

I have a few other goals that probably reflect those of many who read this.  Some people look at me and think I must eat healthy and work out and all that jazz.  I am a young adult and blessed with a good metabolism (for the moment).  But any day now, given my genetic predecessors, it will slow down and I'm going to have to do something about it.  So my final new year's resolution is to not only start exercising  but continue doing so.  I have started many times before, but my drive tends to fizzle out after two or three weeks. I need to buckle down and make exercise a routine. I think I have done well eating healthier lately, but I can always keep improving.  I did buy a cookbook today with a lot of delicious, fresh looking meals called "ten dollar dinners" that I am excited to work with.  Two birds with one stone on better eating and saving money! I'll try to take pictures when I get around to making those recipes.

Resolution #4: Exercise and cook great, healthy meals at home :)

So those are my resolutions.  As will any goal, I tried to keep them realistic. I also will try to keep in a positive mindset and realize that I may have hard times and hiccups in juggling all of these and that is ok.  Life goes on and so will I.  As long as I'm trying to stay on track and keep focused on these goals, I will be moving in a good direction.

Good luck to all of you in your resolutions, and don't give up! May the sun rise each day bringing brightest hopes and blessings for everyone.

Happy 2013!