Magickal Mommy

Checking In

2011-06-09T16:11:00.003-04:00

I really miss this blog. I've been spending so much time on my other blog and my other "hobby" (I sometimes refer to our faith as a hobby because there's always so much to learn, so many crafty things to do). But as much as I love playing with dolls, and as much as it satisfies my inner artist, my soul has been lacking.

My focus has not been my children, it's been stealing moments wherever I can to work on my doll crafts. It becomes a real obsession.

A lot of bad stuff has been happening on our lives. We were robbed, had to take my daughter to the emergency room. We keep breaking important things. There's just some stagnant energy around (we're about to have a yard sale, so there's loads of junk waiting to be liberated). This always leads me to my very Catholic "what have I done to anger You?!"

More than that I feel it around me. My husband's unhappy, my children are bored. Okay the toddler is bored, the baby is just fine! My friends are behaving weirdly.

When people discuss how much they miss their pre-children life, I never understood it. I figured they were just bad mothers. But I get it now! It's not that I really miss being single and childless. These folks are my world! But I do miss being able to work with tiny objects or use some glue without a little one snatching it to pour on her head or something.

What I do think is contributing to this feeling is: 1. my IUD with hormones. I am crazy cranky right now! 2. a more public life. On the internet that is. With my doll blog I was in a new world. It's not like the pagan blog world. You guys are warm and loving and supportive. The doll world pretends it is, but it's much more competitive and sometimes just mean!

Facebook has changed a lot of things. For instance, now I can talk to my friends more often but that opens you up to things like "Why didn't she comment on my new baby?" It's like it's come up with new ways to make you feel like an insane teenager. "You didn't 'Like' my status! I'm unfriending you!"

My mom and I just started a doll bedding business so I can't put the doll world on hold right now, but I need to manage my priorities! How can I teach my girls to be Goddess worshippers when they only see me talk to her before a meal?

Just venting I guess, but I need to shake things up!!

Samhain 2010

2010-10-28T10:17:00.004-04:00

Hello again,

I miss you guys. I see most of you on Facebook but I do miss blogging and reading all your blogs.

You know I've been thinking about all the witchy terms out there. I had always considered myself to be Wiccan. I follow the Rede and it's a less scary term when you're talking to non witches. But you know, aside from Samhain and the occasional Beltane, I don't really celebrate the Sabbats. And I stopped pressuring myself to feel guilty about that.

I guess because I was raised by a half-assed Catholic and an atheist, holidays other than Christmas or Thanksgiving weren't really paid any mind. Except I think Easter has something to do with new shoes...

Anyway, am I still a Wiccan? What is a Wiccan? Whatever.

This was not supposed to be what I'm blogging about.

My husband lost both of his parents within the last 6 or 7 years. He's been missing them a lot lately. We keep seeing movies with people saying goodbye to loved ones in a coma, which is how he said goodbye to his mother and it's been making him feel sad.

So being so close to Samhain, I wanted to do something special for them. I always bury an apple and some bread at the base of a tree and I will still do that this year.

But for them, we're going to make one of their favorite dishes and set a place for each of them on our patio table. We'll also include a nice big pot of espresso. I'll arrange some seashells and beach stones on the table too (they're from Puerto Rico). And I'll keep a seven day candle burning. I wanted to put out a picture or something but it's been so rainy and windy...

Anyway I'm really excited about paying tribute to this amazing couple, especially his mother who I never met but who created some of the most awesome people I've ever met.

Rest in Peace Iris and Edwin Ramirez Sr!

Happy Beltane everyone!

PS: Another little pagan mom thing: Iris has started to pay attention when we bless the evening meal. She still doesn't want to hold my hand while I do it, but she smiles and soon enough she'll be saying, "Blessed be" Hee hee.

Naming Your Year

2010-10-28T09:31:00.005-04:00

Hello my dears,

It's a post! Can you believe it? Well, I wanted to repost about naming your year. I did a post about this last year.

But here's a refresher for any of you who would like to join me.

Several years ago instead of doing resolutions, a friend and I decided to name our years. As magickal people, sometimes it's enough to just decide on a year name, you have to do stuff.

This also helps if you don't know what to name your year. The first thing we do is buy a new notebook. Or if you're crafty, make one. Or if you're a paper whore like me, pull one from your shelf of unused notebooks.

So on your first page put your list of things you hope to accomplish this year. No no, things you WILL accomplish this year. If you haven't come up with your year name, you can now look at this list and see if there is a common thread that unifies it. If you have, then you can see how each thing will tie into your year name.

For example, here is mine:

Year of Luxury:
Spend more money on frivolous things
Work out after baby arrives and get back to pre-baby weight
Attend community events, festivals, etc.
Enroll Iris in daycare a few days a week
Take a family vacation
Go vegetarian for a while, research yummy vegetarian dishes
Begin craft projects with Iris
Spend every Saturday outside the house (in pleasant weather)
Take a walk every single day
Toward end of the year, buy clothes for self!!!
Come up with/employ meal plans!
Buy a deep freezer

So that all ties into my family living a more luxurious life. Playing more, worrying less. But we're no fools, buying frivolous things has already gone a little haywire, so one does have to have a little discipline. I have limited myself to one frivolous purchase per month, all for me.

The husband does what he wants with his money and the children's needs come from the household budget.

This came about because we've been scrimping and saving and we're still so far from being out of debt and wishing for this and that. We had such a frivolous life before we got married and had kids. In my doll craft work, I take so many shortcuts because I don't have the money for XYZ (yet I have money for Starbucks every day) We do not think that life has to be about NOT having. Life is about living.

So we put it to the test. I bought some frivolous doll things. The hubs bought comic books. Then my mom retires and buys us a new king sized bed. My aunt receives pension money and gives us a little something. My husband had mysterious gigs pop up out of the blue. All that PLUS we found a way to save more for my upcoming maternity leave.

So here comes the fun part: Decorating your notebook!

Last year, (was the Year of Conservation but that sounded too bleak, so I changed it to Year of Expansion and promptly found myself pregnant. oops) I used a simple cheap type of Moleskine and inscribed it with symbols of things I wanted to expand. Money, health, protection, etc. I found clip art of various things: happy family (with TWO kids!), a DJ (hubby's profession), a witch on a broomstick (bristle in front), a woman doing some craft work, etc. This year I think I'll put in more of an effort.

Then in this notebook (which should have pockets) over the course of your Year, take whatever notes you will need. I might put in a list of things to buy. Or a random spell that I'm crafting. Or a recipe or exercise plan. And print outs of things from the internet or magazine articles or something.

The book itself becomes a spell that helps keep you in line with your goals. I always keep the notebook with me. You may want to set up a weekly ritual sitting before a candle and going over some of the materials and articles you've collected to freshen your goals.

Lastly, in the notebook, sometime around March-June, depending on whether you begin on Samhain or on January 1st, do a mid year progress report. Note which goals you have accomplished, if your year has truly reflected the name and if not, how to change it. Also any other or new goals that you have for the remaining part of the year.

Okay kittens, that's all for me. Going to do another post about Samhain now.

Blessings!
Dani

Big Career Change

2010-08-07T09:08:00.004-04:00

First, allow my venting:

Four years of working at this current job is just about enough. I've had it. I was given my choice of two jobs. I chose one, the better paying one and 4 years later I'm still doing both the jobs I was offered. And then told both are actually my responsibility. Swindled!

I was told I couldn't do flex time (without someone to fill the non existent 2nd job) and that wanting to spend more time with my family was not a good enough reason. I was told I couldn't work the 7:30-4:30 (rather than 8-5) schedule of my predecessor because there was not this non existent 2nd person.

Now, with the first baby I didn't sign up for Short Term Disability during the enrollment period at the end of the year. By the time the end of the year came around, I was already pregnant (pre-existing condition because baby-making is an illnesses apparently). So my three months off (allowable by law) was unpaid. We saved a lot, cashed in vacation days, but it was scary at the end.

In a related matter, Iris now goes to bed at 7 so I have one hour with her every day.

So anyway, next time, I wised up, signed up for STD (that's a lovely acronym) and got pregnant. I asked about it yesterday to find out exactly what I'm getting and how. My hr rep told me I can expect that 60% of my salary 15 days after birth and only until the doc releases me at about 6 weeks. So I can really expect 4 weeks of this support.

That did it. After sobbing insanely for a while (I'm pregnant, you know) I've decided this is it. I'm done.

I'm going to be a stay at home mom.

But I'm terrified. I'm willingly thrusting my family into poverty? We'll have enough in savings to live as we've grown accustomed for maybe 6 months.

I'm doing this for the kids, to give them time with their mom, to give them structured lessons. I'm doing it for my husband. So he's not the housekeeper, cook, babyminder all day every day. It's not as natural for men, call me old fashioned. I'm doing this for me, so my soul won't be entirely sucked out by doing what I'm told all day with no creativity or life or joy.

It's gonna be tough guys. I definitely want to look at work at home options, part time jobs, especially in daycare, where I have experience and maybe the kids could attend for free or cheap.

I'm going to budget and be a deal finder. I'm going to grow some vegetables out here even if we are renting.

But I'm scared. And I'm sad for my husband. He grew up poor. As soon as he was an adult, he made sure he always lived well. And I know more than anything he wants to never been poor again. But this move pretty much guarantees he will.

I can feel the Goddess's presence behind this decision. I know She supports me.

So with Her, I'm going to do this and be successful. We will not be poor. We will be thrifty but new opportunities will open for us. And we will buy a house. Maybe not tomorrow but we will have a house before our kids are in middle school. Deal? Deal.

Think of what I'll be saving. Overpriced health insurance, work clothes, frozen lunches, starbucks, public transportation. Oh my god, you know I have not dressed like who I am for years? I can finally have purple hair. Okay, maybe that me has passed.

Thanks guys, I needed that. I feel much better already. Maybe this decision will also revitalize this blog! If I have any time left. I'm excited about working in the earth and letting Iris run around outside all day. I'm excited about the kitchen being my domain again.

Now to think up some spellwork to help us on this journey.

More later!

Blessings,
Danielle

Epiphany!

2010-06-29T09:06:00.003-04:00

I know I said I was leaving and all that, but I had a revelation last night and I just had to share it with my virtual coven!

You know for years I've been lost magickally. Once you learn the basics, if you're just a sort of folk witch type, there's not a lot more to learn. I think that's where I was getting sort of lost. Like, surely there is more I can bring to the Goddess.

I was reading Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. I highly recommend it if you love period pieces as I do. It's set in 1666, the year of the Plague. I won't give it away but it's got good witches and bad witches. Anyway the good witches (and later one who becomes a healer) are the midwives of the village who are always there with a gentle hand if someone is ill. It reminded me what put me on this path in the first place!

Herbs! Herblore was the first thing I wanted to learn in my newbie witch days and what filled me with purpose. I was always mixing up teas for anything and every ailment. Even now, every single spell I do usually involves a gris gris bag of herbs.

But I spent a lot of time alone. And being a very hearty person, I'm rarely sick. So the herbs were unused medicinally and just collected until their potency ran out. I didn't want to replace them because they would just be wasted again.

I should have noted my excitement and gratitude when my husband brought me home some willowbark and wormwood. I should have realized here I have a husband who is willing to take any tea I offer him and a daughter who is bound to bring home all manner of ailments once she starts daycare.

At last I have patients!

So it's time to dedicate myself to work that takes the mundane and the magickal and combines it for the health of my family. And I will do more research (especially where little ones are concerned, both Iris and the little one inside).

I feel really happy and energized. Perhaps this what I've been looking for all along! I'll be all over your blogs learning and relearning. I think I remember paganpath.com having an online class or something...

And when we finally move into a house that we will OWN, I will have my little herb garden.

Off to do research. YAY!!!

Making it Official

2010-06-21T08:51:00.002-04:00

You know what really gets on my nerves? When you find a blog you like and you go back every day and there are no new posts! Months will go by and you're hoping for some wit, some news or something neat to look at and NOTHING. Eventually you move on to other sites, checking in once every few months and not surprised to find no updates.

You may have experienced this as one of my followers (like you're all frantically waiting for a post).

So I'm going to make this official. It's not you, it's me. I will still visit all your blogs and comment and get some ideas on how to balance this motherhood and magick thing (what with all the incense smoke and candles and having to focus and visualize when there is a little creature crawling up my leg).

I'm pregnant again by the way and I'm not even going to pretend that suddenly NOW I'll have more free time to spend hearing myself talk (seeing myself write?).

This blog has accomplished what I wanted, which was to help me locate a group of pagan mothers who are down to earth, crafty and totally awesome. I am so grateful to have 'met' you guys.

Maybe once in a while I'll come up with a question to address to ya'll.

**For instance, any of you attend a Universal Unitarian church? What do you think of it?**

Anyway I think I may start re-start a blog for my current artistic obsession, fashion dolls-creating their homes, personalities and accessories. Not sure what I'll call it yet, but you can access it through here if you're interested.

Much Love and Blessings to you all!

Danielle

Hilarious video

2010-03-16T16:51:00.004-04:00

I saw this today and had to share it with you guys:

http://www.revver.com/video/586191/attract-your-dream-home-spell-wwwwiccatv-web-series-videos/

I mean, where do I begin? I started to get suspicious when she said we would be calling on Merlin. But hey maybe a fictional character of such renown has an energy of his own. Then it got progressively more amusing....

Hee hee. Miss you guys!

Dani

Year of....(part 37 or something)

2010-02-03T07:51:00.002-05:00

So yesterday I was thinking to myself about my Year of and I've decided to change it. I think as wiccans, witches and pagans, we all believe in the power of words. If you tell the Goddess you want less, guess what She's going to give you?

The friend I mentioned yesterday is doing Year of Abundance. I'm going to join her.

Since I made the decision, I feel so much better! So much lighter and happier. I've been dragging since the year began and we've been so broke!

Lately signs have been pointing me towards buying a house and the Year of Abundance will bring that. And this:

Abundance of Joy
Abundance of DJ jobs for the husband
Abundance of mula!
Abundance of time with Iris
Abundance of love to and from friends and family
Hey maybe by year end, Abundance of Y Chromosomes in my uterus
Abundance of Credit
Abundance of Amenities our new house will bring

See, I could go on and on. Conservation was just too depressing.

Moving up and on! Growth and Increase!

So anywho, my first order of business was to grab and empty notebook from home (I'm a school/office supply horder) which is what I usually do for my new Year but I did not end up doing for Conservation. First up, a list of all the qualities my future property will have. Then maybe a list of goals, etc.

Anyway, better get to work because there is an abundance of it to do!

blessings,
Dani

Plastic Items in Magickal Use

2010-02-02T13:26:00.004-05:00

Okay I've been gone a while AGAIN, so I'm offering you this video of Iris crawling for your forgiveness.

So how are you all?

The Year of Conservation is starting off well. But we are more broke than ever. Hmm. Makes me start to think that this naming of the year is sort of like a spell. I tell the universe "Less Less" and that's what I get? So I'm going to have to remedy that with some clarifying spellwork. Maybe a prosperity spell would be good.

I have this witchy friend who I converse with daily about magick and art. She is a great artist and has some really interesting ideas and I want to share with you.

Well first of all, she's done a lot of art magick. She'll draw a picture, empower it, maybe carry it with her, bless with herbs and salt, etc. I like this! I want to try that. Any of you do that?

Now seeing as we both work with miniatures, she brought up the idea of using dolls to create magick. Maybe she was just inspired by my new witchy shop on my doll site: http://anotherdayanotherdolly.weebly.com (the first page).

This method of magick would be great for me! I'm already in the barbie room the minute the baby goes to sleep. I could grab a doll that looks like me, put her in a tub of tiny paper money (hee hee) or similar. BUUUUT, in all my magickal workings, I've always stayed away from anything plastic as well as anything electrical.

So I'd love to hear your perspective here. Is plastic have sort of "dead" energy? Can energy penetrate it? I'd love to hear your ideas about barbie magick! I think about all the veneers that must be on our tarot cards or fancy wooden boxes. So maybe plastic wouldn't be totally alone on my altar...

Okay my friends, that's all for now, but I will try to be a little better at communicating!

Hey are you guys on facebook? Find me there so you can see new pics of Iris: http://www.facebook.com/daniellelesperanceramirez

Blessings!
Dani

Haiti

2010-01-15T14:32:00.002-05:00

This is especially meaningful to me as a Haitian. Thankfully we just heard last night that everyone is okay.

Posted by Mrs. B today:

Pagans Helping Haiti

I posted this to my Examiner column yesterday, but I thought I'd post it here today as well (frankly, I just have more readers here :O) Getting the word out is more important that getting paid per page view on this subject. Help where you can.

As a result of the 7.0 earthquake that devastated Haiti at approximately 4:53 p.m. ET Tuesday, some estimates are putting the death toll could top 100,000. Thousands of buildings have collapsed, from school houses that were in class at the time of the quake to the presidential palace. Increasing the worry of the threat of looting and violence, Haiti's main prison also collapsed, allowing inmates to escape into the streets.

In the western hemisphere's poorest country, where 8 out of 10 residents live in poverty, fifty percent of them in extreme poverty, the majority of residents lived in poorly constructed housing, which was quickly destroyed in the quake. As Haitians wait for more help to arrive, the residents attempt to save trapped survivors, often digging into the rubble with their bare hands.

While there are those religious leaders who would seek to forward their own agenda, and blame the people of Haiti for this deadly event, it is time for everyone to put aside their religious issues and come together in support of a country that will be in recovery for years to come. The following are charities working to help Haiti, how they help, and how you can donate to make a difference.

Yele Haiti (previously known as the Wyclef Jean Foundation) A grassroots movement that builds global awareness for Haiti. 100% of donations go towards relief; make a donation through this form or text “Yele” to 501501, which will automatically donate $5 to the Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund (it will be charged to your cell phone bill).

Doctors Without Borders An international medical humanitarian organization working in more than 60 countries to assist people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters. Donations are tax deductible and can be made through this form.

The American Red Cross An emergency response organization working worldwide to offer neutral humanitarian aid to victims of war and natural disasters. ATT&T is supporting the Red Cross via $10 phone donations that you can make by texting the word "Haiti" to 9099 (the donation will be added to your wireless bill). Donations can also be made directly through the Red Cross website (the page is currently slow to load).

CARE An is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty, generally putting special focus on woman, who "have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty." CARE also delivers emergency aid to survivors of war and natural disasters. You can make a tax deductible donation through this form.

World Food Programme A United Nations frontline agency that continually responds to emergencies by getting food to the hungry. The charity is preparing a six-month emergency operation to assist as many as 2 million people affected by Tuesday's earthquake. Donate through this form.

Brother's Brother Foundation

If you are in the PA area, they are collecting goods (see the site) to deliver to Haiti. You can also donate cash to help them in their efforts. This is an organization listed by Forbes as one of the top efficiency charities in the country.

Every donation, no matter how small, can make a difference in this horrific time for Haiti.

Please Note: If you are a family member trying to find a relative in Haiti, there are place to go for help: Call the U.S. Department of State, Office of Overseas Citizens Services at (888) 407 4747 or list yourself and/or a relative through the ICRC family locator service.

Happy Year of Conservation!

2010-01-07T16:30:00.003-05:00

Hello all!

I trust you had a happy Yule and New Year. We sure did!

I wish I had more time to blog but these entries will sporadic at best. I don't seem to have much energy to be crafty or magickal. The baby is at that age where I have to watch her every second and when she's asleep I'm grabbing precious moments of cleaning. With CHEMICALS!

Yeah in my other house with all the new cabinetry, cleaning with my vinegar solution was very cute, but this house, this old smelly, buggy house needs like battery acid to clean the counters!

And it never stays clean. I wanted to post some pics for you guys of the new place. I'll have to take pictures immediately after I clean.

Man, this house is full of problems. It's super drafty and the old wood smells funny and those huge cockroach/waterbugs that you only see in summer after a good rain are in the house every friggin' day! I think some good sealing would really help me out with both my problems.

But I will say the house feels more like home than the other one every did. Bugs, clutter and all.

I'm thinking of doing a ritual for a home purchase. It might be a multiple step spell. We're still working on saving and cleaning up our credit. We might also do a "vision board" of pics of our dream house. Maybe put that above the altar (which is in the kitchen now) so we'll be reminded daily....

Anyway guys, just wanted to check in now that I had 15 minutes of Me time!

Many blessings,
Danielle

Gratitude and a Call for Recipes

2009-11-25T09:02:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone,

Thanksgiving is upon us. This is my favorite holiday. Not only because of the food, but because of my big family getting together without the noisy madhouse that comes with Xmas. And because my birthday is November 22 it falls somewhere around the holiday.

This Thanksgiving was going to be especially fun because my cousin has fallen in love with an amazing Italian filmmaker and he and his mother have flown in from Italy for the festivities. But then suddenly her mother, my Aunt and Godmother suffered a stroke. Luckily it was mild and the paralysis in her right hand and part of her mouth should be worked out with rehab therapy.

Still it made me think. This is not my aunt's first trip to the hospital (I lost count after the 3rd heart attack). My cousin is an only child. She's only in her early 20's and the burden of an ailing mother should not be one that she bears alone. So I'm looking for ideas for what my family can do to help.

So I thought that my sister, sister in law and mother should take turns making meals for my aunt and cousin (who moved back in to take care of her mother). I'm thinking lasagnas, casseroles, something that freezes well.

I'm a good cook but I rarely cook, so I don't have a cache of recipes on hand. My aunt is also diabetic, so everything is going to have to be healthy, lean and low on sugars. I would really appreciate any ideas you have!! (I'll be all over your blogs too)

In the meantime, let's all focus on what we're grateful for. What are you thankful for this year?

I'm thankful for:
The Gods and their infinite love
My new daughter
My wonderful husband
My awesome family
My growing Pagan Mommy network
My hipster mom friends
My job (It's great to have one!)
Our new mold-free home
Barbie dolls and crafts
And so much more

Much love and blessings to all of you this Thanksgiving. Soon I'll be settled and hopefully posts will come more often.

Blessings,
Dani

I'm Back(ish)

2009-11-06T13:18:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone,

I thought I posted something ages ago and was totally heartbroken that I didn't get any comments, but then I checked just now and whaddya know?

Anywho we're are happily in a new home! It's small but perfect. Okay we might have to dump some possessions but it's the Year of Conservation! We need to conserve space.

Things weren't all rosy. We looked at about 10 different houses. We even looked at the one we're in. The Hubs wasn't crazy about it but me and the baby were. In the end, when the perfect, HUGE house we looked at had German cockroaches (those of you who know Atlanta, know that you have got to be seriously gross to have a NY-style roach problem. We have big waterbugs, not the tiny kind.)

We still have far to go in the decorating and organizing but it already feels so good. The baby got to sit on grass for the first time. (By the way, she's sitting up ya'll!) The neighborhood is peaceful and safe and well lit with lots of kids and dogs. And it's multiracial so it's not surprising to see black, white and Hispanic kids playing together. And it's behind and elementary school. Awesome!

The move was not smooth. My brother drove the 27 foot truck and the bumper got stuck in the asphalt as it tried to turn into the driveway. In the rain. Yikes. A tow truck, a cop and $125 later, we were free. Took 2 days to move us. I wonder if our movers (our friends and family) will ever speak to us again.

It was a great Samhain in the new house. My altar is still boxed but I set up the outdoor altar right away and buried an apple and a loaf of bread for the passing souls. Also burned a candle in the window all night.

We cancelled cable and found that we have no idea what time it is but we have lots of time to be with each other and the baby now. We all cuddle up in front of the internet for The Daily Show reruns and are asleep by 10.

Man, I can't wait to give this place a thorough cleaning. There was no time for any spiritual cleaning (long story) so the altar will be unpacked this weekend and I'll get to work!

We re-watched The Secret last night. Have you guys seen/read that? Everyone hates on it but it's EXACTLY what witchcraft is. Witchcraft for the masses. But sometimes I get bogged down in...I dunno, the persona of the Goddess that I forget to think of Her as this universal energy that really doesn't care if you don't follow exact rules of Wicca ceremony that was crafted by some dude in the 20th century. Just be nice and feel happy! Challenging but rewarding.

Anywho, with the absence of TV and trying to curb my Facebook usage, I might end up slowing down on blogging for a while. I spend more time thinking of stuff to blog about than doing the things I should be blogging about. Know what I mean? So my entries may be sporadic. Or I might have quite a lot as I decorate...We'll see.

Oh and almost forgot, Not Hannah: the house and the neighborhood is surrounded by pine trees!!!!

It's good to be back you guys. I've missed you!

smooches,
dani

A Time of Repose

2009-10-01T13:01:00.005-04:00

Well the mold assessment guy came out to the house and it turns out the entire foundation is infected! To fix it the landlords will have to give the basement an overhaul and reseal everything or else it will happen again. I feel bad for them. I think they bought this house with the idea that they would flip it but it just didn't happen for them. (Well they seemed to use the cheapest materials possible so I'll reserve my pity until they tell us that we don't owe them anything for breaking the lease.)

So we are outta there! They're still running tests on the other areas in the house but it's only a matter of time before those spores journey upstairs.

So I need you guys to keep us in your prayers, not just for health but for finding a house in a timely fashion. We're moving out November 1st and we don't have money until November 1st, we haven't found a place yet and haven't begun to pack. Yikes!

Well I wanted out of this house and the Goddess provided. I know she'll provide us with a great place too.

Know any "find a house" spells?

So the month of October will be mainly looking for houses, viewing houses, packing up, and hitting the road. This is a great opportunity for me to be closer to my family (okay they're like 5 miles away now but we're all sort of in love with each other).

Ever since I had the baby and was on unpaid leave for 3 months, we never really caught up financially. I think this is a prime opportunity to get organized and pay less rent. So I retreat my dear friends and will emerge after Samhain, renewed and happier than when I left you. And positively bursting with wealth.

The house is there just waiting for us. I am claiming it. We will find a house that is at least 3 bedrooms, with a bonus room for Caesar's man cave and room enough for me to have my doll/craft studio. A safe neighborhood where I can pop Iris in the stroller and walk off some of these stubborn baby pounds. Um, close to family, easy commute and a sturdy, healthy home with absolutely no rodents (I have a thing with mice. They freak me out.)

See ya'll in November if not sooner.

Oh hey if any of you have minor mold issues, the mold dude recommended pine sol instead of bleach. I still like my vinegar!

Blessed be!

Mold and Baby Wipes

2009-09-28T14:42:00.002-04:00

It's been 10 days since I've posted?! I've been neglecting you. I've been obsessing over Barbie and fighting mold. Which is so pretty when viewed up close (above). The baby is now spending her nap time in the crib so I have so much time to do everything!

Did I tell you guys that I make my own baby wipes? It's so easy and convenient that I'm thinking of making home cleaning wipes of vinegar and lavender.

So here's my favorite recipe:

Take strong paper towels-my dad is in construction so he gets these strong industrial paper towels. Like you can't even rip them. Anyway, Bounty does well. Those Select-A-Size are perfect. After I run out of the strong ones, I'm going to try some generic brands, so I'll let you know they hold up.

Anyway, the recipe I had said to cut the paper towel roll in half. I tried this with a bread knife and made a terrible mess. Try maybe an electric carver or table saw or something. What I do now is separate each sheet and cut them in half.

Place towels in plastic tub/wipes container.

Mix (in this order to avoid lather), 3 cups water, 1/8 cup vegetable oil (olive, almond, etc. No corn oil people), 1/8 cup baby soap, 8 drops lavender Essential oil, 4 drops tea tree oil. Mix slowly. Pour over paper towels.

This makes A LOT of baby wipe juice so I use this recipe to make 2 batches. Let towels soak, pour and squeeze out excess into the other tub.

Tada! There is a recipe that calls for baby lotion too. I'd mix that with the oil separately first.

So I think for cleaning wipes I will use what I usually have as a spray.

One part water to one part white vinegar
about 10 drops of lavender essential oil.

As for the mold, I'm soooo glad that we're renting. This mold has reeked havoc with my once beautiful sun room. Even the incense is moldy! Gross. Vinegar is great for this but it's going to take more time, attention and dry weather!

Mold is like a good horror movie. Gives me the creeps but I can't help watching it...

Introducing the Year of ...

2009-09-18T09:36:00.003-04:00

...Conservation!

This is great. It encompasses everything that is really important for next year.

Get back to composting (it started to attract bugs and the baby was totally new and I, totally paranoid)
Stop the madness with the Starbucks!
Save money!
Downsize, organize
Live frugally
Learn to do more with my dioramas with less money (using what I have, dollar stores, etc)
Conserve funds and reduce pollution with homemade stuff like soap

And there's just something about the word "conservation" that feels like an action, you know?

I'm looking forward to hearing what you name your year! Now to begin my year I will use a notebook that I already have! (I have a bit of an office/school supply fetish).

Have a great weekend guys!
Danielle

Name that Year!

2009-09-16T13:33:00.005-04:00

Hi All,

As I mentioned briefly in my last post, a friend of mine developed a new way to keep those New Years resolutions. Instead of coming up with a list of things we want to accomplish, we come up with one word to sum up the year.

At first we had the same year name. I believe our first was the Year of Beautification. That year I got laser hair removal (don't ask), wore awesome vintage clothes, straightened my hair a lot, stopped watching TV and instead listened to Ella Fitzgerald, fully decorated every inch of my little apartment, lounged around in fancy nighties and read books like The Bombshell Manual of Style while wearing facial masques and giving myself a mani-pedi. I wrote that terrible novel about a really attractive jewel thief and bought a full bar set so I could mix myself cosmos. Ah, to be 24 again.

Over time, our priorities changed and we couldn't come up with one word to encompass all we both hoped to accomplish in the next year. So now we have our own years.

My first year on my own was Year of the Monk. For that year, I was celibate, spent all my time studying all things Wiccan, drawing and playing with dolls. I don't think I went out socially once. It was an amazing year, equally as fun as the Year of Beautification.

But I've had total failure years. Years that made no sense when we named them. The Year of Clarification. The Year of Reflection? Yeah very easy to do nothing and say you were reflecting.

So my friends, I issue you this challenge. Join me in naming your year. We can share it publicly or you can do it privately. But it's infinitely more successful than resolutions.

So here's how it goes:

Come up with a list of things you would like to accomplish in the coming year.

Figure out a name the suits you. We keep it to one word. I like very grand sounding names. I would like to name this year "Year of Getting Your S*%# Together" but it's not very grand, is it?

This is optional but it helps: Get a notebook. Can be any kind, any size, whatever you like. Here you will write up some of your goals, quotes you come across, books you have to remember to buy, spells you thought up on the train, the reports mentioned below, etc. It helps if it has pockets. You should see my friend's book at the end of the year. It's doubled in size. I'm not so good at using the notebook but I still try every year.

Around June you have to write a report on what you've done so far to support your year name. That's right, accountability! Also, what else you hope to do for the rest of the year.

Around September or October, start to write your new list and think about what you will want out of the next year.

At year end, write up a final report of how you lived up to the name of the year.

You can start at Samhain or on January 1st. I find I automatically shut down the year around Samhain, so I think I'll start then.

So, wanna join me? I'll send reminder posts about writing your report and how my year is going.

For the sake of full disclosure, here's what I hope to accomplish:
-Declutter! Have yard sale, move to house with better space layout
-Break out of hermit ways for the sake of Iris at least a little bit
-Get serious about dolls: building more sets, getting better like this , going to conventions, entering contests.
-Stop watching so much TV
-Research some work-at-home stuff (so I can eventually be a stay at home mom)
-Work on finances: cut down on expenses, manage debt, quit Starbucks addiction, cut corners
-Household/craft: learn to make soap!
-Spirit: work on more kitchen witchery, actually observe sabbats, maybe find unitarian church to attend with sister or a pagan circle that is kid friendly.
-Family: continue/expand play group, spend more time with Dad.
-Wear cute clothes. (Seriously, I should be on What Not To Wear.)
-Find an awesome house to rent for at least 2 years.

That's it for now but I'll be sure to add to the list. The name might now cover everything. You'll find that you

Off to brainstorm names...

Herbal Spell Blends

2009-09-11T10:43:00.005-04:00

Since becoming a parent, I've become the worst witch ever. There never seems to be time for anything. I've been trying for years to integrate magick into my daily life in small ways but creating routines has never been my strong suit.

Now it's even harder. I don't want to use candles, incense, keep herbal pouches around, etc, not to mention, having 5 minutes of quiet to center myself and raise some energy is damn near impossible.

But my best, quickest and most effective spells have been "small magick" or "low magick". Both terms are totally offensive to me. Why is my magick small? It's no less effective and I don't even know what a complicated thing like the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram is even for. Boo. Maybe I can call it quick magick. I do very well with this stuff.

Like that chant I used for my morning coffee. Or the quickie circle cast: "Thrice thrice thrice about. Good stays in, bad stays out." Also, a long time ago, in my pre-witch days, a witch taught me how to stave off the rain by making a pentagram in the sky with an athame (or a finger). Or when I'm in a public office bathroom and I need some...privacy. I push a pentagram of energy out.

All these things work wonderfully. So I need to get back to that. I need to remember that the magick is in us, not in the candles or wands! Okay I totally got off topic.

So anyway I was cleaning the sunroom/altar room and realize we have a mold problem. Cleaning the altar and finding mold growing on everything organic makes you feel like a very bad witch. Time to streamline! "Stuff" is fun but it gets me away from what's important. Me, the gods and all that energy swirling around.

Anyway in cleaning up the altar, I came across my magickal herbs (too old to be used for medicinal purposes). Since I have to move my altar indoors and we have little room, I have to condense everything. Voila! Herbal spell blends.

Armed with my hand Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, I made a few mixes for me and anyone I do magick for. So now I have mixes for Love, Money, Success, Women's Mysteries (what? when will I ever use this?) protection, psychic powers and healing.

So I got the flu recently (which is why I've been absent) and then it looked like Hubby was getting it. So, very quickly (because I had to set up the day for baby AND Daddy), I grabbed a handful of healing herbs on my way out the door for work, said a quick prayer at my outdoor altar and spread the herbs before my Goddess and God rocks. And tada! Daddy ended up just having a sore throat and nothing more.

Anywho, my fellow magickal mommies I'm feeling really sort of buzzing with excitement today. See, my good friend and I always name the year, instead of doing New Years resolutions. This year was the Year of Expansion. And I expanded in many ways (still waiting for my baby weight to drop off...). So when this time of year comes around she and I start to think of names for the next year. It always inspires a spirit of renewal in me.

Cleaning out the altar, starting a debt mgmt program, possibly doing a music video with my dolls for my friends band, getting together with my Mommy friends for playdates is getting me really excited for what 2010 holds!

Oh one more thing. For those with kids who are old enough to read Harry Potter type books, let me recommend City of Beasts by Isabelle Allende. You may have read some Allende books already like the very magickal and awesome House of Spirits. Anyway City of Beasts is about a boy who's mother has cancer and who ends up going on an adventure down the Amazon River.

Very cool book. There are two more books but I haven't read those...yet.

Okay have a great weekend!

blessings,
Danielle

A Blog Happy Fool

2009-09-10T14:53:00.003-04:00

I knew it was only a matter of time before I needed another blog. And another. I probably won't stop there.

So I created one yesterday to discuss Barbie and similar fashion doll things. You'll like that, Not Hannah! It's here: http://anotherdayanotherdolly.blogspot.com/

And on facebook, I like to pose a question to all the new mothers and we all discuss it in the comments. Two of them told me how much they like the posts and how I should have a forum, so I thought, hey why not a blog?! We're all just clueless folks over-educated about babies. We need each other! So join me, new moms and seasoned moms. You don't have to be an Atlantan by the way. http://freshmomsatlanta.blogspot.com/

Just some quick self promotion for now. More later!

Goddess Gift for Iris!

2009-09-07T15:23:00.004-04:00

Sorry I've been away so long guys. I just got over the flu. I hadn't had it in over a decade! With surgical masks, handwashing bordering on OCD, hand sanitizers, air sanitizers I managed to keep hubby and baby from getting it. Thank goodness!

Anywho, last week I was delighted to find a beautiful (and fragrant!) goddess in my mailbox! Nydia from Bringing up Salamanders was sweet enough to make and embroider this little goddess for my little goddess!!! It's so beautiful. I have it hanging in her room but soon I think I will put it in her magickal hope chest so it stays in good condition. Check out what else Nydia has for sale in her Etsy shop and her ArtFire shop. Oooh, she's got some new stuff in there. Off I go!

Oooh wait, she has a Zibbet shop too!

So Nydia, what's inside my goddess that makes her smell so good? Thank you so much for thinking of Iris! Muito beijos!!!

The Wiccaning

2009-08-21T08:17:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking about the issue of Godparents. It's a big tradition in the family to select the aunts and uncles too. So much so that I threw a FIT when my sister thought about giving the honor to her best friend instead of me.

But I don't like following tradition without researching it. So it seems the godparents were invented to help parents keep their kids on the christian path and not fall prey to those awful sinning pagans. Hmm, not so good. I'm often torn when it comes to adopting christian traditions. On one hand, hey, why can't we have our own stuff?! On the other hand, they took our stuff and changed it to suit them so why not?

In the end I decided not to do it. My sister accepted that she is the godmother anyway and knows that if anything happened to me and the hubs, she would be Iris's guardian.

But my cousin came into town recently and suggested I have the ceremony for the sake of the family. I mentioned it to my sister who seems existed. So that did it. I'm going to have a ceremony.

Okay as pagans we know that babies are born pure and the slate of the previous life more or less wiped clean (though I swear this kid is like a grown up trapped in a shell that can't speak or control its movements), so a washing away of original sin will not be necessary. This will be purely a blessing I think.

Also, and some of you guys will have your own feelings about this, do we make our children pagan/wiccans before they can choose that for themselves? I say yes. This is our family's religion and this is how she'll be raised. Iris can choose another religion when she's old enough to study other religions and make an informed decision. HOWEVER, I don't think we need a ceremony to introduce her to the Goddess. I actually already did that with my outdoor altar. Quick and easy. But she doesn't need to be dedicated until she's old enough to dedicate herself if she wants.

The possibilities are wide open for the ceremony. I was thinking about a Unitarian Church but my sister (good work for a non-pagan) said that being out in nature would be more appropriate. Location: check-I'm think Mom's garden.

So pagan clergy person? My sister in law's mother who is a minister that would probably give me a non denominational blessing with no mention of that bearded fellow they're so fond of.
I certainly would like the Goddess to be mentioned seeing as she is my whole world and all. And I'm sure a Christian wouldn't want to do that.
Officiant: undecided

Ceremony? Should I design it myself? Or let the possible pagan clergyperson use something already written?

And calling it a wiccaning is neither true nor will encourage my family to keep their judgement energy at bay.

So I'd love some opinions. What did you/will you do? What do you wish you had done differently? This will probably happen in 3-4 months so I have a bit of time to plan it.

Love yous!

2009-08-20T10:50:00.006-04:00

So I was listening to Stevie Wonder this morning and his song Summer Soft is totally pagan:

Summer soft ....
Wakes you up with a kiss to start the morning off
In the midst of herself playing Santa Claus
She brings gifts through her breeze

Morning rain ....
Gently plays her rhythms on your window pane
Giving you no clue of when she plans to change
To bring rain or sunshine

And so you wait to see what she'll do
Is it sun or rain for you
But it breaks your heart in two
When you find it's October
And she's gone
And she's gone
Summer's gone
Taking with her summer's play

Winter wind....
Whispers to you that he wants to be your friend
But not waiting for your answer he begins
Forcing dangers way with his breeze

Morning snow...
Plans to have a winter ball for you to throw
But just where or when he never lets you know
If it's snow or clear days you'll find

And so you wait to see what he'll do
Is it sun or rain for you
But it breaks your heart in two
Cause you've been fooled by April
And he's gone
And he's gone
Winter's gone

You find it's October
And she's gone
And she's gone
Summer's gone

You've been fooled by April
And he's gone
And he's gone
Winter's gone

You find it's October
And she's gone
And she's gone
Summer's gone

You've been fooled by April
And he's gone
And he's gone
Winter's gone

Okay it's not really pagan, but it personifies nature which me likey.

Hey Ty-Anna (and anyone else who wants to groove today), here's the song:

Have a great day!

Dani

Barbies!

2009-08-19T09:49:00.002-04:00

Okay this one is especially for Ms. Not Hannah. This is an old one that I did before I got really into the crafty side of doll dioramas, but it should hold you until I upload s'more.

Enjoy!

New Features, Funny Babies

2009-08-18T16:05:00.004-04:00

Hi all,

As you see I have added a couple of gadgets to the sidebar here. One will be the music I'm listening to for today. Well it's my pick that reflects my mood. Since I'm usually in some playlist with an obscure name like "Housecleaning" (dance music) or "Kitten de Palma" (swing and Cole Porter) or "Scandis" (Scandinavian music-Bjork, the Cardigans, Abba), I'll just pick an album from the playlist.

Also, I love sharing a good book almost as much as reading one, so I'm also adding a book list. I'll be adding books as I read them. I might start reviewing them too...

In other news, Miss Iris gave us all a scare on Saturday night with diarrhea and a weird noise that sounded like she's gasping for air.

So we rush out in a storm to discover she is totally fine. She even gave me her first giggle right before this picture was taken. She's a comedian, I tell ya! Thank the Goddess she was okay!

Okay kittens, I'm off to make s'more improvements. When I went to check out my archives, I couldn't find anything. Gotta go fix that...

Blessings!

Blog Awards

2009-08-10T13:40:00.004-04:00

Time to pass on the awards to my sisters in the blogosphere.

If you've been bestowed The Domestic Witch Blog Award:
~ Pass the award on to 3 blogs about Domestic Witchery that you really enjoy.
~ Include the award in your blog post.
~ Link the nominees within your post.
~ Don't forget to mention the person who gave you the award.
~ Let your chosen winners know that they received The Domestic Witch Blog Award by commenting on their blog.

My picks for Achievement in Magical Housecrafting goes to:

Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom-Mrs. B was my portal through which I found all of you wonderful followers. When I'm looking for a spell or advice regarding witchery or motherhood and the like, I head to Mrs. B's place.

Bringing Up Salamanders-Nydia has an awesome blog and have no problem sharing her deepest feelings with you. If not for her featuring me on her blog I might not have ever had so many followers. When you read her blog, you don't feel like a reader, but a good friend reading a family newsletter or something.

Crafty's Cuppa Joe-Whether crafts or pagan lore, Crafty is a fantastic resource. I learn something every time I visit!

Congratulations winners. Pass it on!

OMG I won an award!

2009-08-09T13:07:00.002-04:00

Dear Faithful Readers,

I have been awarded the Domestic Witch Blog Award for Achievement in Magical Housecrafting!!!
This is so exciting. Thank you all out there who read and enjoy this blog. I promise to keep it up!

blessings,
Dani

The Home Tour!

2009-08-08T19:23:00.007-04:00

Come on in people and welcome to our home. Sorry the baby's hanging out with her auntie, so no baby pictures in this entry. Well, okay, here's one:

As I said, I didn't clean. Sorry for the mess, just keepin' it real:

Can't wait to see yours!!

Blessings,

Danielle

Home Tours!

2009-08-07T14:27:00.004-04:00

Hey guys,

Sorry if you all have already done this. I was over visiting the Christian housewife blogs and they occasionally do photo tours of their homes. I thought it was a neat idea. Here are their homes: http://myblessedhome.blogspot.com/2009/04/tour-of-my-home.html

Okay so they're a little dull. No one does knick knacks like my pagan sistren (and brethren if you're out there)!

So whaddya think? Let's take pics of our homes this weekend and share them on our blogs. I dunno about you but I'm not cleaning house before I take pictures. Let's be real, right?

Who will join me?

Love ya'lls
dani

Magickal Hope Chest

2009-08-07T13:47:00.003-04:00

Hello out there,

I've been toying with the idea of a magickal hope chest. You may remember this post from a gazillion years ago. Well that old footlocker now has new life. I painted a sunrise, a blue sky and the word "Iris", then on the back a japanese cartoon city, a design totally ripped off from the liner notes from DeeeLite's second album, Infinity Within. Okay totally have to play that album now. *Chair dancing at work*

Inside I planned on decoupaging but I never got around to it since a giant belly separated me from anything I was working on. Now it's just picking the right time to get covered in glue. (Iris has a knack for timing her cries for when my hands are covered in toxic goo or when me and Magickal Daddy are trying to have some private time).

This was going to be a toy chest but after Mrs. B's wise suggestion, I scrapped it for a nice open basket.

Now it's sort like a coffee table in her room. But what I'd love to do is fill it with things that I find over the years that will aid her in her magickal teachings later.

So you all remember the post about my grimoire, right? I've stopped decorating pages and adding spells now. It is now Iris's book so she can add into after her teachings begin.

I'm having a lot of fun looking at my altar and around the house to see what else I can put in there! And um, what will last 7 years when her training begins.

How awesome will it be for her to open this mysterious trunk that mommy has kept locked (but which bears her name) on her 7th birthday?!

So when I gather everything up I'll post a picture. I'm excited. Hopefully I'll put her down long enough to make this happen...

Music Meditation

2009-07-31T10:26:00.006-04:00

You can blame Eat Pray Love for all these meditation entries.

So this morning, the author is in Bali and has learned the method for Balinese meditation: "Sit still and smile." This inspired me to think about a type of meditation that might be fun and interesting for me, which might still the mind but also give it something to do so I don't start daydreaming about Barbies. (although I've learned that that's totally okay and your mind will get the hang of it eventually)

So my method is this: I listen to a song and concentrate on the instrument or voice that I never really pay attention to. Like the baseline or background vocal. My father has explained to me several times that when he listens to music (mostly classical or salsa), he listens to one instrument at a time. I do not naturally have this talent. I listen to the song as a whole. I respect the instruments but it's the cake I love, not the eggs, flour, milk and butter on their own.

But when you listen to music this way, you force your mind to ignore everything in the foreground and you get to appreciate your music all over again.

Also, as our Brasilian friend Nydia from Bringing up Salamanders can attest, I'm obsessed with all things Brazil. So as a variation on my meditation, when I listened to Brazilian music, I didn't focus on the beat and do the mental samba. I don't pretend I'm on the subway in Rio. I listen hard to every single word. I love Brasilian Portuguese. It sounds like a sigh from your lover. It's a melody that's positively hypnotic. I can speak it a little, read it a little more but understanding it when it is spoken or sung is hard for me. Especially when spoken really fast as it is in some regions.

So when I forced myself to focus on each word, imagine how it might be spelled, I was able to actually understand some lyrics! I'll actually get to practice my Portuguese without really trying!

Let's listen to some Brazilian music together, shall we? Here's Seu Jorge doing 'Cirandar' from the documentary "Moro No Brasil" (I live in Brazil). This song made my brother lose his mind when I played it for him. Urgh, the video skips at about 1:50. But keep listening. Muito bem!

Okay I totally got off subject. All roads lead to Brazil.

All or Nothing

2009-07-30T09:22:00.002-04:00

I'm a Scorpio, the sign of extremes. It's either black or white with me, never gray. I found it hard for many years to be myself and to be a witch too. After all, witches are supposed to look like Stevie Nicks, only go food shopping during the right moon phase, be a vegetarian and have a sticker on your car that says "My other car is a broom."

Then I met a Rock-n-Roll witch named Ara Vesta who was the only gal at the open Sabbat celebration who wore jeans, smoked cigarettes and dived into the red wine she brought loooong before the "cakes and wine" portion of the ritual.

Ten years later, I am certainly more myself (a little bit Stevie, a little bit rock and roll) but I find that I still struggle with an all or nothing mentality.

For instance, the Goddess has been sending me some signs that TV is bad. So I will go through a phase in which I will not watch any TV. I read the Christian lady's blog and I want to reorganize my house too but I don't have much time with the baby and all so I don't do anything. I want to meditate so I have to listen to Enya or my CD of Hindu chants. I have a baby then I never let her leave my arms. I might struggle with these things always but I'm going to take steps to change this.

What inspired this topic you ask? Well as I posted earlier I listened to Enya during my train meditation and fell asleep. But when I decided to wake myself up by putting on The Kills, which makes me feel like some sexy indie hipster, I still felt every bit as removed from the people on the train and from myself even. Maybe to achieve some peace in my head I don't need saffron robes, incense and one of those adorable meditation seats. I may not achieve Nirvana, but maybe a little indie rock is just what I need to relax and prepare for the day. Plus, what better way to drown out the crazies on the commute?

Also maybe I'll stop watching TV on the weekends at first...

How do you balance conflicting aspects of your personality?

Subway Meditations Part II

2009-07-30T09:15:00.002-04:00

Mmm, sometimes during your commute, when you put on Enya and close your eyes and if perhaps you got like 4 hours of sleep due to infants, then sometimes instead of meditating, you fall asleep.

I'm Back! and Subway Meditations

2009-07-29T10:42:00.006-04:00

Good morning my friends,

I've missed you all so much. I'm back at work now which means I actually have a little time to post!

It's tough not being around the baby all day but it's also a nice break. Here's the picture on my desk:
I love it. The messy hair, the squinty eyes, the drooly t-shirt. I can't wait to get home.

Being back at work and having an active mind again is making me feel very ambitious. I did an internet search today and found my favorite Christian housewife blog. The owner, a woman named Candy had disappeared from the internet. She is really disliked by some people and was getting stalked! Anyway, though she is a stay at home mom and I'll have only 1/2 the time to do some of that stuff, her projects totally inspire me. Go check her out when you can. Keeping the Home Caution: Not Safe for Those Who Have No Tolerance for Bible Talk.

So now I want to totally reorganize my home, read more books, blog like crazy, make more crafts, and taste kombucha! Also, I think I'm going to go to college. Finally. Having this baby makes me want to do more, be more so I can be a good example. And make more money.

Have you guys read Eat, Pray, Love? Sooo good. I highly recommend it. The way she communicates with God is the same way I do with the Goddess. Or rather the way the Goddess communicates with me. That's what I'm reading now. What are you guys reading?

Anyway the book got me thinking about meditation. The author was just as bad at it as I am. But her eventual grasp of it makes me think I need a little meditation in my life. Especially now.

I ride public transportation to work. I only learned to drive a couple of years ago and honestly I'm still not a fan, so public transportation (called MARTA here) works very well for me. I realized this morning that my commute is the most relaxing part of my day.

This is when I do all my reading, listen to music and don't have to talk to anyone. The mind sucking power of my bff, television doesn't reach me here. I feel physically euphoric. When I end up at work I barely recall the commute.

So I'm going to try to use my subway time to meditate in the afternoon. Put the book down, put on some Enya or Celtic Harp or Dead Can Dance or classical, close my eyes and just breathe.

On MARTA (and the subway in NY) I have met so many "spiritual teachers". Maybe they didn't know it but taking the time to talk to the crazy person next to you can be very enlightening. One such person, named Francesca, was a psychic. Without me telling her anything personal she told me it was okay to not be in love with my ex anymore, predicted my marriage and also told me "God" (who I later interpreted as The God) was sad that I never talk to Him. Sometimes listening to your ipod closes you off from speaking with such characters so I will vow to turn off the music now and again too.

I'm feeling passionate about blogging again, so tune in soon! I've got lots to say...

Blessings,
Danielle

Danielle's Obsession

2009-07-01T11:28:00.010-04:00

Hey guys!!! Thank you for all your comments. I wish I could address you directly or even have time to visit your blogs! Baby steps.

Have you every had a hobby that just takes your breath away to think about? While doing baby related crafts and Goddess related projects fulfills my heart and soul, my #1 hobby makes me giddy like a schoolgirl crush.

BARBIE!

Okay it's more that just Barbie. It's 11 inch fashion dolls. Like most girls, I loved playing Barbies as a kid. But it wasn't until I was 22 and came across Indian Barbie that my real obsession began. She was so beautiful. She had a hot pink Sari and a bhindi for Pete's sake! I couldn't resist. I bought her and displayed her in my apartment. It was fun. It was camp. But I started to feel sorry for Pria. She had no friends, no furniture. So I bought more. And more. And gave them all away to my niece. Then bought more. And more. And more! This cycle went on for a few years.

Then I discovered Fashion Royalty and it was all over. They were a higher end doll and required higher end accessories.

I'm not your typical collector. Some people leave them in boxes to grow in value. Some display them on shelves. I paint furniture to make it more realistic, then I create stories and take pictures. With patterns online my girls have things like manilla folders and chinese food boxes. With scrapbook paper I can make wallpaper. I'm always on the hunt for what I can make out of cheap items from dollar stores and Big Lots. For instance, that jewelry box I referred to. I'll show you a picture later of a jewelry case that did work as a doll closet.

When I got pregnant, I couldn't sit on the floor for 5 hours at a time or sit in a chair and bend over so my hobby had to wait.

I'm not sure how to get back into it. For now I can't spend 5 hours away from the baby and soon she'll be crawling around putting everything in her mouth (including tiny Barbie cellphones covered in toxic paint). It might be a few years before I can really get into it again but I go visit my doll land (in our finished attic) now and again and daydream about stories I will create again...

I'll post more pics of them soon but for now, see what I did with a dollhouse bookshelf from Big Lots:

Here's what it looked like before. It was all pink and purple and just hideous.

A couple of coats of primer and white paint:
I bought dollhouse shingles and dyed them a rosy brown color.
Here's a close up of the kitchen. It was originally blue I think. I painted it brown, added the 1970's dotted backsplash (scrapbook paper) and window panes (small glass stick-on tiles). For the OJ on the table I used a plastic carton that came with a Barbie kitchen set and used the ad from a supermarket circular to make it Tropicana. Check out my Chinese food containers on the garbage. Most of the other realistic stuff came from a Japanese company called Rement.
Below is an example of the kind of stories I do. Here, Melody Lane, burlesque dancer turned housewife has lunch with her husband Joe. They have been separated for a while since Joe had a wandering eye while on his tour of duty in Tijuana that resulted in an lovechild. But it turned out he wasn't the father, so Melody considers a reconciliation, though he is having a great time being back on stage. Okay I'm nuts.

Okay gotta go, baby's fussin'.

It's All About Nap Time!

2009-07-01T11:13:00.004-04:00

Hi everyone! I miss you guys! Being a mother is great. I live to wake up and see that little smush face. But I admit that being away from my creative projects really bums me out. If she's not in my arms, I'm pumping milk or doing cleaning baby bottles, doing baby laundry, or other assorted baby tasks.

I started wondering why I could leave my husband with the baby to find all the dishes done, laundry done and house spotless. Turns out you can actually set a baby down without feeling like you're abandoning her!

So now I'm taking advantage of nap time (and husband's presence) to do something fun.

So I have this great vintage jewelry box. But years and years it's getting pretty gross. So while I work on it, my jewelry will need somewhere to live. I have this small jewelry box that I bought originally for my OTHER obsession (to be blogged about later). It didn't really work for what I needed. It was covered in this hideous brown print that reminds me of that old Leonardo DaVinci screen saver on the Windows 95 program. It had these dark metal knobs and hinges so I thought I'd goth it up proper with some red paint.

My mom found a frame on sale that was mint green and said "Little Miracle". I wanted this to be the frame I bring to work to display her picture so I had to make it a little more adult. I painted it purple and I found it a bit boring so add a little painter's tape and voila!

So now the big projects is the vintage jewelry box. I'm going to paint the disco gold exterior a dark gray. Then on the interior, which was hot pink velvetine, I will try my hand at decoupage using multiple shades of pink tissue paper. It may take me months, but at least I'm remembering to take some time for myself!

Hope to post more soon.

Love you guys!
Dani

She's Here!!!

2009-05-26T12:00:00.005-04:00

Hi guys,

It's been forever and I can't write much, but I wanted to let you know that Iris Josephine has arrived.

She came into being on May 15th at 7:43 pm. She was 8lbs, 8oz and 19 inches long.

I'm learning how to be a mom now, so I won't be posting much until I get the hang of blogging with a baby in my arms!

She's already totally awesome. She seems desperate to get control of her limbs, and control of her head. She even smiles when she's falling asleep or waking up. She's a really good baby who only cries when she's hungry. Oooh, here's a video of her smiling.

Breast feeding didn't go so smoothly so we're pumping and feeding her the breastmilk. We were cutting it with formula until I got enough milk, so now we're happily weaning her off the formula. This should really help out the terrible gas she has. Or is that from my diet? We'll see!

I'm giving up hope that cloth diapering will work for us, especially with all the water we're already using on bottle washing and laundry. So I'm looking into biodegradable diapers. Any suggestions.

We've also had to put composting on hold since it's attracting ants now and random dogs are entering our yard to feast. Sigh. Seems like motherhood has made me environmentally unfriendly! I'm sure we'll get back to honoring the mother after things settle down a bit (which should be when Iris enters college!)

Anyway, love you guys, gotta go, baby's fussing...

Baby News

2009-05-14T15:28:00.002-04:00

Hi guys,

I've been gone for a while, waiting patiently for my little witchlet to be born. But she has other plans. So I went to the OB today and I'm checking into the hospital tonight and I'll get induced tomorrow. This is not the route I wanted to go, but at this point, all I want is my baby to be healthy and safe.

I'm also at risk for a C-section because the baby is about 9 lbs! Yikes.

I'll keep you all posted!

Love,
Danielle

Garden Bummer

2009-04-28T11:28:00.001-04:00

This just makes me want to say sadly, "Dude."

I went out back to my secret garden, ready to transplant some of the purple flowers growing out there and I was greeted with a sea of poison ivy! Pre-pregnancy I had destroyed all the poison ivy everywhere else. I hadn't discovered my garden then. The poison I used was so strong I couldn't go near it after I got pregnant.

And now I'm wondering if I should use it while breastfeeding. You can't be too careful.

So anyway, there go my gardening plans for a while. I guess I can recruit my husband and father to get to work out there so my dreams of sitting out back with baby Iris can still happen...

Any ideas for natural poison ivy/poison oak killers?

*whimper, fret, pout*

Outdoor Altars

2009-04-27T15:04:00.008-04:00

Okay so here I am, nearly 39 weeks pregnant, aching in the pelvic region, unable to stand up for 30 seconds now, unable to tie my shoes or put on pants and STILL I can't stop with the creative projects! Since I can't remember NOT being pregnant anymore, I had to ask my husband if I was always this way. He seems to think I was. I guess the major difference is that I wasn't asking him to come cross my legs for me.

Anyway, I was at the bay window in my kitchen, looking out at the squirrels and chipmunks and several varieties of birds who come to eat the seed that I put out for them every few days. There's this area by one of the trees that is just...lacking. Nothing grows there so a plant is out of the question.

Then I thought, well, I don't have any outdoor altars. Why not?! I thought about getting a lawn statue, but those can be pricey and frankly we're saving every cent. But how to represent the Goddess? We have lots of big rocks on our property so I decided I would paint a Goddess. But I was tired of painting the general goddess shape. So I decided to paint the Venus of Willendorf. When that was done, I thought it best to also do a god figure. I wanted to do a horned god, but I didn't find one that I liked. So I started looking into the Greenman. I found two I liked, one of which had horns! So I combined them and painted them up this weekend.

Here's what I have so far:

Here's a close up of the Lord and Lady. Sorry so dark:

Now I'm gathering all sorts of weatherproof stuff like shells, pretty rocks, those shiny glass stones that you put inside vases and stuff. I strung up some old tiger eye and jade beads and I'll probably come up with a bowl that has drainage so I can leave offerings out there. Maybe a 7 day candle would be nice to keep out there too.

I'm so excited about adding to this over time. I might start another one outside of the baby's room so she can rest her eyes on the gods whenever she looks outside.

Do you guys have outdoor altars or special place in nature? It would be great to see those on your blogs this week!

ALSO:

Okay I had to do something while the paint dried, right? My best friend gave me an iris plant at my baby shower (the baby's name is Iris). It gave us a great bloom and I took a photo of it and printed it out to put on the baby's door.

Well, I couldn't just stick it up there with no frame, could I? But I also didn't want to put a hole in the door. Voila! Foam core board!

One day last week I was feeling really bad. I was dizzy and in pain and totally uncomfortable. The cure? Creative projects! Seriously, it worked. So I cut this piece of foam core and left it there for a while. I didn't want to do MORE rainforest stuff. I wanted something really different. But I was stumped.

When I lived in New York, I bought all these India pillowcases and never really used them. I gave them to my sister since she wanted to decorate her living room in Indian colors. But she never used them and recently returned them to me. Like many Indian pillowcases, these are done in a patchwork style, using bits of gorgeous fabric. I almost cut them up, but decided to work a bit harder. I painted the frame with irregular rectangles and used three basic colors: tealish blue, a rich, reddish purple and foresty green.

That's all I have so far. Here's the frame and the inspiring pillowcases:

I've been sketching out patterns so this week I'll be painting them all. Then I'll add some gold string from a curtain tassel that fell apart and maybe some little rhinestones or something. I'm really excited about this project so I'm going to take my time.

Maybe if I learn to relax, Baby Iris will take it as her cue to make her entrance into the world. Off for some valuable couch time.

Blessings

Taweret, Protector of Laboring Mothers

2009-04-21T14:45:00.003-04:00

Hello all,

I was looking for a focal point to use during labor and I went to my favorite site for goddess stuff: http://www.goddessgift.net/

I found several that I liked but I couldn't decide! But I had been thinking about Taweret ever since I read the Red Tent. Happily, Goddess Gift had a nice cheap one small enough for me to grip during contractions or to gaze at when I do my breathing. Here's more info on Taweret:

Reprinted from: http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/taweret.html

Taweret (Tawret, Taueret, Tawaret, Taurt, Thoeris and Toeris, Ipy, Ipet, Apet, Opet, Reret) was a patron of childbirth and a protector of women and children. Like Bes, she was considered to be a ferocious demon as well as a protective and nurturing deity. She was associated with the lion, the crocodile, and the hippo; all animals which were feared by the Egyptians but also highly respected.

Initially she was viewed as a dangerous and potentially malignant force. Taweret was associated with the northern sky as Nebetakhet, the "Mistress of the Horizon". She represented the circumpolar stars of Ursa Minor and Draco (the little dipper formed her back) who guarded the northern sky. The northern sky was thought to be cold, dark and potentially dangerous and was associated with both Apep and Set. According to one ancient myth, her husband Apep could only come out during the night and so she represented all that was evil during the day. However, by the Old Kingdom she was seen as a protective rather than an aggressive force (just as female hippos came to be seen as aggressive largely in defence of their young). As a result, Taweret became a mother goddess and a patron of childbirth who was often described as the mother or wet nurse of the pharaoh. As time passed she soon became a household deity, helping rich and poor alike.

When acting as a protective force she is described as a goddess. She was thought to help women in labor and to ward off evil spirits and demons who intended harm to mother or baby. She was also thought to help with matters of female sexuality and pregnancy, and so she was often associated with the goddess Hathor.

As a fertility goddess she was also associated with the innundation, particularly at Gebel el-Silsila. According to "The Book of the Dead", Taweret guarded the paths to the mountains of the west which led to the underworld and could also use magic to help the deceased pass safely through that dangerous and frightening land.

Expectant mothers often carried amulets depicting Taweret to invoke her protection. These amulets remained popular even when Akhenaten moved his capital to Akhetaten and rejected the old gods in favour of The Aten. Her image also makes an appearance on cosmetic applicators, jewelry, headrests and vessels. The vessels often had an opening in one of her nipples to allow the contents to be poured out and to add the protection of the goddess to the contents.

She was associated with so called "magic wand" or "magic knives" used during labour to ward off evil. These magical tools were usually made of hippopotamus ivory, and included depictions of the goddess.

Her family relationships were typically confusing. She was ocassionally (usually in older texts) described as the demon-wife of Apep who lived in the norther sky. This area was also associated with Set. One myth (reported by Plutarch) claimed that Taweret was the concubine of Set but that she was loyal to Horus. Apparently, she helped Isis after the death of her husband Osiris by detaining Set in the northern sky and preventing him from attacking Isis and her new baby. The link to Set probably came about because he sometimes took the form of a Hippo and because the animal was recognised to be potentially dangerous and destructive.

As the wife of Set she was linked to Isis whose magic kept the god in fetters. However, she was also described as the wife of Sobek, probably because he took the form of a crocodile. Sobek was associated with Set, but also with Horus (the enemy of Set) and Isis. She was frequently described as the wife of Bes, a demonic deity who was also closely linked to childbirth. Finally, in Thebes, Amun and Taweret were thought to be the parents of Osiris (and therefore by implications his siblings, including Set). One of the most popular festivals (called Ipet or Opet) celebrated her marriage to Amun thereby associating her with Amanuet and Mut. In fact in later times, Mut absorbed many of Tawret's attributes. She was also associated with Nut the sky goddess of the Ennead because her constellation was always above the horizon.

She was depicted as the combination of a crocodile, a hippo and a lion. However, unlike the composite demoness Ammit she had the paws of a lion, the back of a crocodile and the head and body of a pregnant hippo but with the addition of a woman´s hair. She often wears a short cylindrical headdress topped by two plumes or the horns and solar disk of Hathor, bearing the "Sa" (representing protection) or the ankh (representing life). Sometimes Taweret was depicted with a crocodile on her back, thought to represent Sobek. Taweret literally means "The Great Female", but she was also known as "Ipet" ("harem") and "Reret" ("the sow"). At one point in history there may have been three variants of the goddess, but soon all were merged as Taweret.

She's Crafty!

2009-04-15T16:26:00.004-04:00

So I mentioned to my mother that I wanted to make a mobile for the baby. She said she still had a bag of leftover rainforest doodads that she used for my baby shower umbrella.

I had another project in the works, that footlocker I mentioned a few posts ago. I took Mrs. B's advice and decided not to make it a toybox until Iris is older (what with the risk of boo-boos and all). Until then, it will be a sort of hope chest for her. We're using a lined basket for her toys now which is perfect. The top portion will be painted green, will use some of those fake grasses and stuff and symbolize earth, the front has her name and the rising sun, symbolizing fire, one side might have an ocean scene, maybe with a mermaid and the back has the full moon over a little village. But on the remaining side, I'm not sure what to do to symbolize air...I don't think I can do justice to a tree blowing in the wind...Maybe birds? Any suggestions?

I'll post that when it's done, but it's slow-going. There's a lot of uncomfortable crouching that has to be done, so it's not much fun. But the mobile idea was the perfect project for me. I could use things I already had and I didn't have to strain myself too much.

I followed the instructions on this site. But I decided to give it a rain forest twist. This will hang over her changing table so if anything happens to fall off, we'll be right there to prevent any dangers. Here's a view from the top:

Here's what the baby will see, so far. I'm planning on hanging a bird, a flower, a butterfly, a little bird's nest, etc.

Oh yeah that bank I made from the Strawberry Quik tub turned out okay but then someone bought me a polar bear bank that's so adorable it makes my bank look a little nuts. .

I mean, look at that bear's face. No one wants to smash that open to get change out. And the proceeds went to the National Wildlife Fund. I might end up painting his muzzle, ears and paws to de-silly him a little bit. And examining the other bank tonight makes me realize some of those pieces might be pried off too easily. Ah well, the baby mobile just gained a frog.

Okay I've been posting for far too long and the baby wants some grape-nuts. Mmmm, gravel.

Blessings,

Dani

Pre-nesting

2009-04-15T15:54:00.005-04:00

Hi everyone! I sure miss you guys. Welcome to all you newcomers and thank you for your kind words.

Though I've taken a small break from blogging, nothing seems to stop this creative bug. I never realized how creative I was until it became so physically strenuous that I was unable to do any crafts. Not that I let that stop me. I have resorted to using an office chair to roll around the house. Hello my name is Danielle and I'm a craft addict.

Okay so first, my mom and stepdad came over to hang the curtains my mom made for me. (see below)

It brightened up the room so much that I couldn't just leave well enough alone. I moved an Ikea fold-out chair/bed thing out and moved the glider back in. The glider was in the living room. So we moved a huge ottoman that was in the bedroom out to the living room to make space for the enormous co-sleeper. But there wasn't enough room so we rearranged the bedroom and it's perfect now. Better chi too!

Then I moved the fold-out to the dining room corner where formerly a plush chair (a garage sale gem) lived. I moved that chair to the sun room. Then me and hubby went nuts on the sunroom.

We brought all the plants back out there, constructed a shelf for the garden tools and stuff, moved chairs out, hung curtains. Like I said, nuts. I sprayed vinegar and lavender oil to deter insects and it's really worked. It's like we gained a room.

Here are some pics:

I decided at that point I was nesting. But hubby reminds me that I have been that active since day 1 of the pregnancy. I can't imagine what real nesting will be like!

But I did not stop here. See the next post, we haven't even gotten to the crafty part yet...

Quick Note

2009-04-06T20:19:00.002-04:00

Hi Gal Pals,

It feels like forever since I've posted. I really wanted to make a good blog post today but I'm starting to feel this pregnancy. I can't stand for more than 5 minutes without back pain. This sitting on the computer after all day on the computer at work is no picnic either. I really think this weekend I overdid it.

My mom and stepfather came and installed the baby's curtains and the nursery looks so warm and homey. Then I went into redecorating madness. For hours, hubby and I moved furniture (I mostly watched) and decorated the sun room. We rearranged the bedroom which magickally gave us loads of space.

But today I'm feeling it. Maybe that burst was nesting because today I can feel my pelvic bone stretching. Yay! She's coming. It's exciting but not comfortable.

So, this is my non post post. Merry Meet new readers! I'm sorry your narrator has nothing new for you.

Buuuut I haven't been without my creative projects.

I created a piggy bank for the baby with a plastic Strawberry Quick canister (mmmm). I used a lot of the rainforest things my mom used at the baby shower but I'll share all that soon.

Oooh and our friend's husband is a hypnotherapist and he's going to hypnotize me into painless childbirth. I was just reading about hypnobirthing too when he offered his services. We've got about three weeks to go people!

Oh the baby talked to me last night (in a semi half dream). She's done this before. Towards the beginning of my pregnancy she told me in order to stop my headaches, I could counteract them with a positive thought. It worked every time. So last night I asked her, well I guess my dream self asked her, how many days late she would be. She said 4. So we'll see! Place your bets!

Anyway guys I'll write as soon as I'm able.

blessings,
dani

My Home Management Binder

2009-03-28T14:52:00.001-04:00

I've come to realize I've been doing this whole homebinder thing badly. My first section is the calendar which is useless unless someone's looking at it (we're not). We already have a kitchen calendar (Llewellyn's Witch's Calendar-comes in so handy) so that's out.

Then this recipe section. It's full of recipes for things I'll never make like tater tot, bean and meat casserole (Really?). I'm not a fan of recipes. I only use them for portions and temperature info. So now I'll just include my mom's rice and bean recipe, things like, what temperature at which I should cook salmon and for how long. Or complex things like how to make bread.

Looks like I've just been collecting articles. This should be the spot for important info. The book you'd grab if the house was on fire. I have work to do!

Here's a link to a site with great guidelines for your home binder.

Here's the Home Binder now:

And here's the baby binder:

So here's how the sections break down:

Home Binder

Basic Info-Emergency numbers, numbers of family and close friends (cell phones spoil us!), Utilities, Animal control, etc. Soon I'll add stuff like clothing sizes, allergies, etc. Copies of passports, birth certificates, etc.

The Household-Feng Shui layout, stuff to buy for the home (always a long list!), decor ideas, emergency preparation guide (what do to in case of...)

Recipes-like I mentioned before, just trusted recipes and complex stuff.

Cleaning-recipes for homemade cleansers, 50 uses for vinegar

Beauty-natural beauty products

Saving $ and the Planet-anything related to budgeting and being more green

Garden-hints and tips for gardening, composting, etc.

Inside the back cover I have a "paganized" version of Rules for the Wife at Home. Super old fashioned, yes but I try to live by most of that stuff. Okay so my husband is really the domestic one and I'm the handy one but it really does help a man's pride if you make him feel like the boss. We all know who the real boss is ladies. *wink*

I haven't fleshed it out with Waterhouse paintings or household spells YET.

Baby Binder

This is more a collection of articles and tips. Once baby is born, her info (like blood type, allergies) will be in the home binder.

Basic Info-hospital registration papers,

Breastfeeding-articles

Clothing and Cloth Diapers-tips and how to's

Making Baby Stuff-it's empty now but things to be included are baby laundry soap, baby food, baby massage oil and oooh, how to make baby wipes!!

Stuff We Need-copies of the registry plus things we'll need as she grows (like child proofing stuff, high chair, baby dishes, etc)

Ooh I think I'll add a baby spells section...

Okay ladies, that's it for now. This is going to be another busy weekend but I'm going to try to post some new nursery pics. Except for the curtains my mom is making, we're all done! But um, have you noticed how much stuff babies have? I'm going to have to do some reorganization...

blessings,

dani

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider Clan

2009-03-28T10:54:00.006-04:00

I love spiders, and always have since my goth days in high school. I was never more thrilled than when a giant hairy spider took up residence in my room. I still love spiders. I yell at my father for using spider repellant (he lives in the basement of my brother's house and the bugs on that property are totally Jurassic looking).

The house we rent now we have downright turned into a spider sanctuary. I guess the house had been unoccupied for a while and when we moved in, we found tons of tiny arachnid inhabitants. We discovered we had orbweavers which are just gorgeous:

So we gave them all a safe home.

Buuuuuuuut....

Well the baby's on the way. And though some spiders like the orbweaver aren't aggressive, they are poisonous and will bite if handled roughly. Can you imagine chubby little hands wanting to play? Not to mention that hubby saw a black widow in our barn/shed thing and our neighbor was recently bitten by a brown recluse.

I'm sorry spiderfriends, but it's time to go.

I'm not too worried about the areas inside the house. They seem to move into the bathroom for a few days then move out. Enormous ones seem to hang out by the window in the living room. But by far the biggest problem is the sunroom/altar room.

We had intended on making that room a sort of Moroccan retreat with lots of vibrant textiles where we would while away the evenings meditating in a cloud of incense. But now that we really might move some furniture out there to make room for baby stuff, we realize that spiders cannot be a part of this place where my family will spend a lot of time.

So I went searching the internet this morning for a natural spider repellant. It's important to be natural not only for my own sensibilities and the health of my child but also because I try to steer clear of anything artificial around the altar. No plastic is on my altar, I won't have it in a room near a tv if I can help it. So absolutely no chemicals in this room. Not to mention the room holds the smell of anything in it so we have to be cautious.

Here's what I found:

Mix concoction of 1tsp coconut oil to 1 quart distilled vinegar. Spray around areas where spiders live.

5 tbsp natural soap in 1 qt water, 5 drops of essential oil of lavendar or tea tree

1 cup vegetable oil, 1/4 cup dawn liquid detergent, 1 tsp vanilla extract. In a spray bottle use 1 tbsp of this mixutre per every cup water

So what do you think guys? How do you handle your spiders? Any other recipes that you know of?

Man, I can't imagine how the vinegar is going to make that room smell but since vinegar is just genius at everything else, I'm willing to try. I make a cleanser out of vinegar and lavender so I might try that first and see if it works.

Wish me luck!

Blessings,
Dani

PS: I'm still mentally full of energy. I can't wait to do a million different projects but physically it's all catching up to me! Still, if I can do it while sitting down comfortably, I just can't help myself!

Busy Little Bee!

2009-03-23T14:19:00.011-04:00

Hi Everyone!

I feel like it's been forever since I've posted. It was a very full weekend. Friday night I made homemade cookies for my baby shower. Then we got up early (for us, which is like 9:30) and made some bean dip for the shower. We have a taco bar, which was a great idea. It satisfied all the kids and the vegetarians and picky eaters.

Then we went to my brother's house where hubby did yard work and helped the women cook and decorate. My mom went all out. She made a diaper cake (we'll be switching to cloth when the baby grows out of newborn sized diapers) and decorated an umbrella with a rain forest theme.

The shower was great! My sister and sister in law really outdid themselves.

So we got home and hubby had to prepare for a gig (he's a DJ). Poor thing, after yard work and socializing, he was as tired as his beached whale of a wife! I should have been resting, but I could not resist the idea of wrapped presents just sitting around. I had to organize them, I just HAD to! So I put together the stroller and wheeled everything out to the living room. I spent the next two hours sorting everything out and putting it all away.

Then on Sunday, I washed all the clothing, blankets, etc that we received. And I came to the realization that this kid already needs a toy box. Luckily my dad had given me an old footlocker a few months ago.

PROJECT! It was holding my and hubby's costumes (like I said, he's a DJ and works with burlesque troupes so there's always a theme party for him to dress up for), so I relocated all that stuff.

Meanwhile, there is the rain forest umbrella that is just itching to be deconstructed. And that I did. Remember the baby's skunk lamp and plain white shade? Plain no more!

This was also the plan for the footlocker. So I painted all the sides green with crayola paint. But then I thought of drooling babies and drippy juice cups and choking on tiny plastic alligators and reconsidered.

So I washed off all that paint and painted the top portion with green acrylic paint. I have no idea what's going to come of it yet. I'm not much of a painter, but the baby deserves something that will stand the test of time. So definitely some magickal themes. And inside I plan on decoupaging with some of the tissue paper I received on saturday. I've never decoupaged, so I'm excited about the huge mess I'm going to make.

Also, I want to child proof this thing. If the lid comes slamming down, how can I protect little fingers? Rig it so that it never really closes? Add some kind of foam cushioning? Luckily we have a bit of time before she'll be able to crawl over to it.

So that's where I am these days. Getting the place ready for baby. Six weeks until our due date!

Blessings,
Dani

Natural Cleaning

2009-03-19T12:25:00.005-04:00

Hello Readers!

Sorry for missing two days in a row but I think my posts will be pretty sporadic from now on. I think when I pressure myself to do something every day or every other day I lose interest. Not to mention having no energy for crafts and stuff. So I'm going to take some time off and explore some of your blogs, which I haven't had much time to do since I'm always thinking about what I should be writing about.

But to keep you entertained, here are some natural products we use around the house. I apologize if any of you have this stuff on your blogs. See? That's why I need to check ya'll out more!:

Dishwasher Soap
1 cup Borax
1 cup Baking Soda
(recently read a recipe that also includes 1/4 cup of salt. I haven't tried this yet, but it's supposed to help with rinsing everything cleaner)

Laundry Soap
1 bar laundry soap (I use Fels Naptha. You can use the Ivory laundry soap but I can never find it)
1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda

For a more gentle formula, which I use for baby clothes (though since the little one is only dressed in amniotic fluid, I haven't tested it), substitute the washing soda for baking soda.

Hubby's deodorant:

Coconut oil
baking soda
cornstarch

Combine equal portions of baking soda & cornstarch. (start with 1/4 cup)

Slowly add coconut oil (5-6 TBSP) I personally like to heat it first to make mixing easier. Remember it will dry hard.

Pour into a glass jar with a lid and apply with fingers or refill an old dispenser.

Now bear in mind that if the room is hot, the deodorant will melt slightly.

Okay that's all for now. See you soon!

Blessings,

Dani

Sparse Posting

2009-03-17T16:36:00.003-04:00

Hey guys,

The more pregnant I get the more exhausted I am at the end of the day. I want to keep providing good posts so I may start doing these every other day or something. I'm just too tired after work.

They might get even more sparse the larger I get.

But good news, the hardware for the crib arrived and tonight Hubby and I will be putting the rest of it together and deep cleaning the nursery (read: hubby will be doing the work and I will be "supervising"). So I will do some "after" pics soon. Thanks for the household charms, Mrs. B. I'll be sure to use them!

Maybe some shower pics too from this weekend.

Did I ever tell you guys how awesome you all are? I'm so glad I started blogging.

blessings,
dani

The Altars

2009-03-16T20:21:00.000-04:00

Hello all,

Over the years I've had a gazillion altars. I love altars. I mentioned once that it was the "stuff" that attracted me to our faith. Altars are like the display tables of witchcraft. I get positively giddy looking at mine or altars of others. In the last year alone I think I've rearranged my altar 5 times. I find better locations, better furniture, etc. Now my working altar is in our sunroom.

What I usually like in an altar is a place to put beautiful things: boxes that hold tarot cards, various things I use in spell pouches, bottles and stuff, herbs or flowers that need to be dried, and so on.

Then I like a working space. On my cutting board pentacle I mix oils, incenses, create spell pouches, etc. So here's my working altar now. The wooden thing is the top portion of what is now my changing table.

Okay so the altar is taking over the entire sunroom. Next to the head from Indonesia or Basil, there's my mini-altar to Yemanja. I'm a total Brazil nut and she's Brazil's patron goddess so of course I'm in love with her. (Aphrodite is my patron goddess and she and Yemanja seem to be very similar. Still, I keep them in different rooms):

Then we have the household altar. The last Aphrodite statue I had was very modest looking, covering up her privates and stuff. This one is a better reflection of how I see Her, bold and proud. Her altar includes a copper bowl filled with sand, a mirror and crystals in shades of pink and blue, some offerings like sea salt and dried roses. The candle has drippings that I have to make charm out of, but have totally forgotten. That really belongs on the other altar. Behind Her are pouches containing remnants from my dedication to Wicca and my dedication to Aphrodite: (how do you guys feel about the capitalization of He or Her when referring to a god? Feels very Christian to me, but I have started doing it lately out of respect.)

You know what I was thinking? Making a baby altar. When I was going to write a book for Pagan moms and babies, I started taking some notes. Just playing with some ideas here. After I create it, I'll share:

picture of baby
goddess and god symbols (research goddesses of motherhood, children, birth)
small wind instrument (air)
silver cup/bottle/sippy cup (water)
rattle for earth?
white candle (fire)
baby book (BOS)
small toys
mirror
keepsakes from Wiccaning
Colors white and yellow
Research plants/herbs safe for baby
Maybe wreath of some kind, lavender?

Anyway, I'd love to hear any ideas.

Blessings,

dani

The Home Management Binder

2009-03-15T12:08:00.006-04:00

Hey ladies,

In my first post I mentioned those Christian fundamentalist ladies that inspired me to create this blog. Even as stay at home mothers, I don't know how they have the time to do all the stuff they do. But my mother was pretty darn prolific as a single working mother. My sister in law had a terrible time living her shadow at first and said, "Yeah, Haitian women can cook dinner, feed a baby, clean the entire house, sew a new outfit and dote on their husbands all at the same time!" I'm convinced I can do that too (with some variations of course).

Where was I? Right, the Christians. Well I first found them through Real Simple I think. They mention the use of a home binder. So I went Googling and found these women and their insanely organized homemaking.

The home binder, if you're unfamiliar, will have all kinds of things: a schedule of your children's various activities, telephone numbers of family members, poison control and the like, recipes, homeschooling stuff, whatever reference materials you want.

This is an example from the Christian housewives. Note the many tabs and such. At the start of each section they usually have a bible quote and a painting of a goodly Christian woman covered from neck to toe doing something wholesome:

Um, here's the state of my home binder right now...

So I'm going to take advantage of my nesting instincts and let this be this week's project (right after I scrub every inch of the nursery with a toothbrush hee hee). And maybe each section will have a nice John William Waterhouse (how much do you LOOOVE him?) painting and a cute little spell/chant/charm.

Oooh, I just thought how cool it would be to have a little housework spell. You know a little something to empower the mop water? I know there are washes that are popular with in Voodoo and Santeria (maybe Candomble too) but I'm all about everyday magick.

Anywho, anybody use a home binder or household spells? Please share or blog about it.

Blessings,

Dani

danigrls!

2009-03-15T12:03:00.002-04:00

I know this blog is about witchy stuff but I knew I'd eventually find a tie-in for my other interests.

When I was a teenager, I was more a doodler than an artist. I wanted to come up with a cartoon I could doodle all over my notebooks. So I came up with a formula and danigrls were born.

But then I moved to NY and lived with my cousins who were young half dressed hip hop party girls. They saw some old danigrls and begged me to do cartoons of them. danigrls was totally reborn. I did loads of danigrls. It serves as free entertainment when NY bleeds your pockets dry. I ended up starting a business with it, doing custom danigrls and if I actually LIKED drawing, I could have done a lot better.

Oh yeah, my mascot. So like I said before, I've been been more into writing than drawing. I wrote a book about a jewel thief named Kitten de Palma. Well the book was just terrible. AWFUL! But I love Kitten. We're friends. I loved her as I was writing her backstory. So I can't just let her go. So I started doing cartoons of her and there you go.

Anyway, here are some Goddess, pagan and generally witchy danigrls. Bear in mind some of them were done when I was a teenager so they ain't pretty!

blessings,
dani

African Print

2009-03-14T12:16:00.005-04:00

Hello all,

Thanks for all your comments on the nursery. I thought it was looking pretty bare in there but I guess babies don't need all the bells and whistles, just some bold things to look at. It will really look filled out after my mom finishes the curtains and I have the place accessorized with bedding and a rug and stuff. Instead of a rug, I'm actually planning to use those foam squares that have the alphabet/numbers on them and fit together like puzzle pieces. That will make a nice soft washable crawling surface later.

Here's a closer view of the African print for Dragon Petals (I'm due May 7th, by the way). Have you guys ever read House of Spirits by Isabelle Allende? I highly recommend it. The eldest daughter in the family, I think her name was Rosa, was sort of a mermaid girl and embroidered sheets or something with all sorts of mythical animals. That's what this print makes me think of. Anyway, read the book, it's awesome. But don't see the movie. Don't. Don't!

Baby Stuff

2009-03-13T22:12:00.000-04:00

Greetings all!

Well guys, my time is getting closer and I'm trying to put the finishing touches on the nursery. It's a shame we're only renting or those walls sure would have gotten a coat of paint or something.

Anywho, here's her dresser with a Flower the Skunk lamp, print by Jamie Hewlett from the Gorillaz Chinese opera, Monkey: Journey to the West. Oooh that show was so good. And some Barnes and Noble collections of Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen. Hey, I figure those stories were always filled with magick and witches, right?

I bought some foam sheets and made animal shapes out them (as well as the pentacle and goddess shape above). And there's Homer in the Land of Chocolate. This changing table-to-be is the bottom half of my altar. I'll take some new altar pics for another post.

My half-constructed crib. This was a hand me down from my sister who sort of lost some of the hardware. I've ordered a new set of hardware so I'm hope it will be here before the baby shower. The wall hanging is an African print that has been in my family for as long as I can remember.

So I'll show you this all again after we buy everything we didn't get in the shower. I'm getting so excited!!!

Blessings,

Dani

The Virtues of Crayola Paint

2009-03-13T21:09:00.002-04:00

When I was a teenager and most heavily into creating art, I would use any kind of paint I could get my hands on. No art supply could survive long with me around. My mother is a seamstress and went through a scary puffy paint phase in the late 80’s. This was the first paint I got my hands on.

I absolutely loved puffy paint. You can use the tip to do the outlines and for the inside, use a brush for a opaque, waterproof finish. And if used on a non-porous or semi-porous surface, it peels off with ease. A fan of reinvention, this was perfect for me.

I never bought any other paint. I primarily considered myself a writer and drawing was for simple decoration and fun. Plus when the mood strikes for creativity I don’t have time to wait for fancy paint. I just used what I had and if I didn’t have it, I’d find the cheapest easiest replacement. I do my cartoons mainly with Sharpies. But more on my toons in another post.
As I didn’t have a car until recently and the internet hadn’t take off yet, I used what I found at the corner store. Crayola Paint. I cannot say enough about it. It’s kid-safe, super cheap, smells like Kindergarten and is sheer in a way that creates some great effects when multiple coats are applied. And best of all, it’s washable!

If you paint a wooden object and let it dry, then wipe the paint away with a wet cloth, you get a beautiful sheer, antiqued looking finish.
If you rub the painted wooden object with oil, it will make it permanent. Here’s the pentacle (originally a cutting board at a $1 store) that I painted about 10 years ago and never once touched up. It’s gone through it’s fair share of wine and water spills and it’s held up amazingly well.

Here is a mirror that I repaint every once in a while. Since the white paint under it is semi-gloss, it wipes off with water and a cloth perfectly. See the shadowy effect I was talking about? Sorry my painting is totally sloppy but I could totally fix it with a damp cloth!

The cover of my grimiore is painted with this sort of paint too. Because the surface is slick, the oil rub didn’t work so I wiped away the oil and covered it with clear tape. I have had a love affair with clear box tape since I was a pen pal as a teenager. Oooh, now that’s a blog topic!

The most fun use I had with this paint was in my apartment in a brownstone in Manhattan. My landlord was an artist (think half naked afro pin up girl painted on black velvet) so he encouraged all the artists in the building to put art everywhere. So I did a few cartoon girls. When I moved out I scrubbed the walls so clean you wouldn’t need to put primer over it before the fresh coat of white paint.

Here is my danigrls mascot Kitten de Palma in Istanbul. This started out with pastels that weren’t dark enough so the blue city, orange sky and green wall are streakier than they normally would be.

But, when you use it on paper it has a chalky finish that creates dust. I think a spray sealant of some sort would work. Hmm, do I have any hairspray?

Blessings,
Dani

Morning Coffee Chant

2009-03-12T21:46:00.004-04:00

Yawn! Good morning. I thought I'd do a quick morning post. I'm going to regret all these multi-posts when I run out of stuff to say.

Anyway I made up a little chant for work for spicing up my morning coffee and I thought I'd share. It makes me feel like I'm a storybook witch.

While stirring your coffee, tea or other hot beverage:

"As butterflies are light
And fairies take flight

This brew give me energy

From morning 'til night."

I don't drink morning coffee anymore, well only on weekends, but I think I'll have a nice warm raspberry leaf tea and tone up the ol' uterus.

Have a great day!

Blessings,

Dani

Squirrels: Evil Geniuses of My Backyard

2009-03-12T21:33:00.004-04:00

So I get home today and my husband tells me that the squirrels have found the bird feeder. I went outside and witnessed the aftermath:

Look at that! They not only chewed up the little holes, and knock out my charming and rustic perch but they climbed inside, dug all around, ate all the sunflower seeds and left the shells. How rude!

I took the bird feeder down. I can't have squirrels chewing on plastic and gaffer's tape. I'll just spread the seed on the ground as usual and it's every animal for herself/himself.

My husband said, "You know baby, we could just buy a bird feeder." My eyes narrowed to slits.

G'nite all.

Raising Witches?

2009-03-12T15:08:00.006-04:00

Nydia's post at Bringing up Salamanders today got me thinking. I've been thinking about this since I read a post Mrs. B over at Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom where her daughter has decided to become a Wiccan (must a have been an exciting day!).

I have every intention of raising my daughter as a Wiccan and I look forward to the challenges of answering questions that only children can come up with.

I am not a keeper of secrets but in high school I was positively tortured for being a witch (though I wasn't at the time). I know we're in the age of Charmed and now goth is pretty mainstream but would I encourage my daughter to keep her faith a secret? When she's little, that will be nearly impossible. Plus I don't want her to have the impression that we're doing anything wrong. And I certainly don't want to make my politics her politics. (ie: no putting her in a pentagram t-shirt just HOPING that the principal will call me and try to make a fuss.)

All I can do is make it as natural as possible for her and try to surround her with like-minded Wiccans to balance out the Christian force in my family. After all, eventually (gulp) it will be her choice.

So the point of this post? What are your thoughts? Will you/have you raised your children in your faith? If not, why not? If so, any handy little tips to make the Goddess and God part of their lives? Like, do they say evening prayers? All I can really think to do is take Christian traditions and change them.

So share your thoughts and ideas and I think all my readers know each other, but still, let's be open minded and not judgemental.

Blessings,
Danie

Alternative Sabbat Celebrations

2009-03-11T20:39:00.003-04:00

Hello all,

I've always been a slacker when it comes to sabbat observation. It's not easy to incorporate them. Then it felt like it didn't apply to me who has mostly been a city dweller. But these alternatives really helped me bridge that gap. And it will be a good jumping off point for creating fun traditions with my daughter to be.

So in honor of my friend and yours Nydia at Bringing Up Salamanders, here are some alternatives that you can use to inspire some different sabbat practices.

Blessings,

Dani

Alternative Sabbat Celebrations
By Estelle Daniels

Samhain (October 31st)
Samhain is the season of the root harvest and also of the hunting season. For this sabbat, consider taking up hunting-you can use a camera if you’d rather not carry an actual gun. Just getting out into the woods in the fall and observing how nature is getting ready to bed down for the winter can give you a good Samhain feeling. Once you are outdoors, watch the sights and listen to the sounds. This is the time that birds migrate. Make a point of learning which birds go and which stay. Afterwards, make up a thick stew with veggies (and meat if you eat it). This is a good and warming way to celebrate winter root crops.

Yule (December 21st)
Yule is the dark time of year. As mentioned, sitting vigil on the longest night with a Yule fire is one way to celebrate this sabbat. Fire is a sacred thing, and necessary for life. But modern society has tamed fire, so it’s no longer the big deal it once was. A good alternative Yule celebration involves getting up before dawn after the longest night of the year, gathering at a place with a good eastern view to greet the Sun as it comes up. Some ancient societies felt that this Sun greet was crucial to ensure its constant return. Alternatively, go ice skating, skiing or sledding outdoors on this day, and enjoy what the season has to offer. Then come in and drink warm cider, celebrating the fruits of an earlier season, and appreciating the comforts of central heating.

Imbolc (February 1st)
Imbolc is the traditional time for working on the tools necessary for the coming year. Clean out your chests and closets, and sift through your Books of Shadows and other tools. Review and reorganize your magical stuff. Imbolc is also usually the coldest time of the year in northern climes. Go outside and watch the stillness of the world now. If the Sun is out, it will be strong enough to melt ice and snow even if the temperature is below freezing. How does the old snow look, compared to when it was new? If you get one of those rare warm days, a winter thaw, go outside and enjoy the Sun and warmth. Feel the Sun growing stronger, the days longer, and realize that spring and summer aren’t far behind. Cook a meal using dried ingredients. In the past, this is the time people ate from their stores and reserves.

Ostara (March 21st)
Ostara is the Spring Equinox. If you can feel the spring’s arrival, go outside and see how things are changing. Are the buds swelling on the trees? Are there flowers poking out of the snow? Watch the animals, are they more active after winter? Are they mating? Building nests? Are fish running in your area? Watch the birds migrating back from the south, closing the cycle of the year.

Beltane (May 1st)
Beltane is when spring has arrived. The plants and trees are now in flower, so it’s a perfect time to go out. Look at the new plants, and at how the old plants re putting on new growth. Check what survived, and what did not, over the winter. Have a picnic outside, if it’s warm enough. Go to a farmer’s market and get some first fruit: asparagus, strawberries-whatever grows in your area. Eating foods in season in your locality is one way to keep your body in tune with nature. Make yourself a spring salad or tonic. Has fishing season started? Try going fishing. You can cook up what you cat or just catch and release.

Midsummer (June 21st)
Midsummer is when the crops are in and fruit is more abundant. The first hay is usually ready. And outdoor picnic and walk is always fun. A trip to the swimming hole is fun too. On the longest day of the year, put a stick in the ground and see how short the shadow is at noon. Examine the Sun. It is most closely overhead at noon in Midsummer in the Northern Hemisphere. You can stay up for the shortest night, having a party or just enjoying the warm weather. Go berry picking at a pick your-own place. East some as you pick and try to store some for the coming winter.

Lammas (August 1st)
Lammas is the first harvest and the height of summer. Crops are becoming ripe at the hottest time of the year. Camping is always fun now. Swimming cools your body naturally. This is the time for picnics and games. Ancient peoples celebrated these times with games and contests, which tested the people in preparation for the coming hard months.

Mabon (September 21st, approx.)
Mabon is the main harvest. Go apple picking. Visit the farmer’s market and see the bounty that is all around. Go outside and see how life is adapting and storing up resources for the winter to come. This is the main canning and preserving season. Try putting up something from your local food market.

Bird Feeder Day Two

2009-03-10T18:12:00.005-04:00

Hello all!

So here's our bird feeder. I haven't seen a bird in it yet, but there is a cardinal in the tree who seems to be jealously guarding it. I've seen some birds hop around on the ground around it and land on nearby branches but no one seems to be venturing. I'll give it until the weekend then I will try to reposition it or something.

I don't know much about bird behavior but I wouldn't want to land on something that feels wobbly, that's for sure.

That's all for now. I'll be back in a couple of hours with another post.

UPDATE: Oooh, the feeder had a visitor! Not sure what kind bird it was. Maybe I can get some pics of them soon.

Dani

No Post Today

2009-03-09T16:47:00.003-04:00

Hello all!

My husband just had oral surgery today so I imagine I'll be spending the night making smoothies and doing just about everything for him. You know how men can be with a little pain! I am preparing a good post involving folklore and charms for children, as well as the follow-up for my bird feeder. I might be able to manage it tonight but no promises!

Blessed be!
Dani

Child Related Folklore

2009-03-08T21:42:00.012-04:00

Hello all,

I love folklore and old world remedies and superstitions. I got these from The Magical Household by Cunningham and Harrington.

A key placed in a cradle will "lock" the baby home so that it can't be stolen by fairies
A door key placed upside down near the bed will banish nightmares and ensure a peaceful sleep
Wearing a key will promote fertility and conception
Bird's nest fern offers protection to the home, especially for children and babies
Dress babies in clothing the features knotted red ribbons. Red wards off death, knots time up evil. (Welsh)
Anyone who rocks an empty cradle will soon fill it.Place and ear of corn alongside the infant to protect from supernatural forces or a steel key or piece of stale bread
To prevent children from wandering away from home, take them outside and show them the house solemnly and completely.
Teddy bears are good luck. Say protective chant over it before presenting it to the child.
Use kites for child spells. Put the child's problem, such as illness, into the kite [affix a symbol of the sickness to the kite.]
Feathers placed in doorways with intent of halting wandering children
Feathers burned beneath the bed to ease a difficult birth [I'm sure I'll totally want that smell when I'm giving birth!]
A small broom beneath pillow to keep evil from their slumbers.

Protection Herbs for Children:

Arbutus-used in Rome

Dill-placed in a cradle

Garlic-placed beneath pillows

Caraway-small bag of seeds placed beneath the bed to protect from illness

Holly-hollywater is sprinkled on newborn babies to protect them.

Grain-to protect children when they're away from you, throw a handful of grain after them as they leave. Be sure they do not see you do this

Peony-seeds or roots hung from a child's neck to guard it from mischievious fairies and imps.

That's it for now folks! Off for a good nap. Pregnancy takes a lot out you!

Blessings,
Dani

Sunday Craft Project!

2009-03-08T20:24:00.011-04:00

What a day! Today I had lots of guests over. Lots for me anyway. My best friend came over with her daughter for our weekly (when we can) life update and On-Demand reality show catch up. My mom came by with the fabric for the curtains she’s making for the baby’s room along with my 2 year old niece. Then my sister came to pick her up, then my husband returned from food shopping. After listening to us coo over babies and fabric for a few minutes, he said, “I think I’m growing breasts, I’ll be upstairs.” (in his man-cave)

By 5:00, I’m seeing the last remnants of my weekend slip away. I need an early evening craft project so I can feel like something came out of this weekend.

My husband just bought a huge sack of bird seed for our little friends outside, so bird feeder it is. I don’t mind the squirrels eating the seed I spread out for the birds. Hey, we all gotta eat but the poor birds barely get a chance at all. Maybe this will help them out. I’ll put in in an area where I see more birds than squirrels, even if it’s not in the perfect spot to watch from inside.
So after a quick web search, I found this:

-Wash milk jug out thoroughly and let dry completely.
-Cut holes in each side of jug. I did a large hole on one side and a smaller one on the other. If you look carefully on the jug, most have a raised area in the shape of a circle on the side--use that as a guide.
-Make two very small holes in each side of jug just under the large holes you cut out. These small holes will be for your wooden dowel (what the bird will sit on to eat the food out of the feeder).
-Insert the dowel into the small holes.
-Decorate (or let you child(ren)) with whatever materials you chose. We decorated ours with stickers, macaroni and markers. Let the glue dry for a few hours after decorating.
-Pour food through a funnel into the top of the milk jug and put the top back on it.
-Choose where you'd like to put your birdfeeder and hang it up. Those birds will be at your feeder in no time!

On another site, they also added tiny holes at the bottom of the jug to drain any rain water.
I didn’t have all the materials needed so I’m improvising:

Instead of a milk jug I have a Publix Apple Juice gallon jug. It’s shaped a bit differently but it will work. I don’t have a long dowel so a small smooth fallen twig will do nicely and will look at bit more natural. I’ll cut down the one I have pictured below.

Okay first I’m going to clip my branch with whatever this thing is, pruning shears?

Then I drill the holes for the stick, starting with the smallest drill bit, then the largest.

Oops, my stick is much thicker than the hole and this is my largest drill bit.
Off to the kindling pile for another stick.

There’s the new stick going through the two holes.
Now for the holes for the birds.

I’ll use and X-Acto knife and a box cutter. (I ended up using scissors too)

Holy jagged edges! I pity the poor bird to visit my feeder. I’ll fix that in a moment.

Now I’m drilling a hole in the top of the jug.

And loads of tiny holes on the bottom.

Okay so I used some gaffer’s tape to smooth out the holes. I cut small pieces and put them on one at a time. Not beautiful but it works.

Now to cut my stick again.I strung the wire through the cap and knotted it on the inside. What’s with my dainty pinky?

Hubby made me a funnel by cutting the bottom of a plastic cup.

Then I added some decoration.

The husband encouraged me to bedazzle it more, so several glue gun burns later we have something out of Conan the Barbarian:

And here it is filled and ready.

I’ll hang it tomorrow after work since it’s already past sundown. YAWN. Time to clock in some valuable couch time. What is the point of daylight saving's time? They say it's for farmers, but I don't think it makes a difference to crops!

Until next time!

Hey Blogspot people, can you click the pics to enlarge? For me it only enlarges one picture. Do you know how I can fix that?

Blessings,
Dani

Birth Goddesses

2009-03-07T21:10:00.012-05:00

Sometimes I feel that I don't pay enough attention to the God. I'm starting to get a bit better, but it's so much easier to just talk to the Goddess. I'm a woman, in a very matriarchial family (we are prolific female baby makers), raised by a single mother, influenced by a big sister and with lots of female cousins that were surrogate little sisters.

Though I'm definitely a Daddy's girl, I have seen the full spectrum of what women are capable of. At times I've wondered what purpose men serve other than fertilizing our eggs. But since getting married my perspective is changing. I'm starting to fall for The Green Man and Pan and Dionysus since they sort of remind me of my husband, lusty child of nature that he is.

But there is one time in my life I will need the strength and support of the Goddesses alone. BIRTH. Have you guys read the Red Tent? I reread it at least a couple of times a year. It got me very interested in natural birth and the Goddesses the women called upon for birth and fertility.

Below is a list of birth and fertility goddesses, in no particular order, each linking to their listing on Encyclopedia Mythica (pantheon.org). Love that site. I'm thinking of how I can work many of these names into a charm during birth. I'm a fan of the gris gris bag, so maybe I'll gather some herbs and a list of goddesses with symbols and crystals and what not. I'll keep you posted on that one.

Blessed be!

Taweret -several variations of this hippo-goddess: Taouris, Taurt, Toeris, maybe Ipet below as well.

Yemanya, Yemaya, Yemanja, Iemanja

The Crafty Grimoire

2009-03-07T19:18:00.008-05:00

I admit with no shame that one of the things that attracted me to the craft are the props. Maybe it's because I was raised sort of Catholic. The candles, incense, cloths, boxes, cards, pendulums, athames, wands, crystals, etc!

What was most attractive to me were the grimoires. Too dramatic to be called mere Books of Shadows, these intricate, ancient looking tomes demand a French name. After a quick internet search, it seems there really is a difference:

"Technically, a book of shadows is a collection of non-public rituals.The word grimoire comes from the same root as grammar and pertains to instruction and techniques.Grimoires sit on shelves, to be consulted when you need them to refresh your memory of stuff you should already know. Books of shadow sit on your altar." -Labgrrl, Yahoo Answers

Well cool, that makes even more sense. We'll get to that in a moment.

My mother gave me this old ledger book in the 80's that her company was throwing out. This thing is huge, 11"x14" and 2 inches thick (300-something pages). It has had many incarnations over the years but was mostly taken for granted.

Then I saw these: http://www.brahmsbookworks.com/ Drool.

I've been looking at that site for years and kicking myself for not buying when they were cheaper. There's no way we could justify a purchase like that with a baby on the way. But when I have a creative drive, there's just no stopping it.

Welcome back to life, old ledger book. I had put a few spells in and decorated the cover a few years ago, but now I'm determined to let it be a teaching tool for our little girl. Something fun and bright to inspire her later. So I began decorating pages like crazy even if I didn't have something to put on it. Instead of just adding spells, I've added lots of reference information about astrology, tarot, spell correspondences, symbols, etc.

Pictures below (I took too many pics and I want you to see them all, so I'm going to attempt a slideshow):

Rose Colored Memories?

2009-03-07T17:53:00.008-05:00

This morning I had a photoshoot of my pregnant belly with our friends Alice and Jasdeep at Punkinpix Photography. We had a great time. They're both so professional and the peek at the pics we saw were beautiful. I'll share as soon as they're ready.

The weather was so gorgeous afterwards that I had to go visit my little garden and daydream.

Uh, is this the same garden I saw in November? I'm going to have to blame pregnant brain on this one. I guess my dreams of what it could be clouded my memories.

Yeah that white metal thing is much smaller than I remember and I can't imagine what it was before. Still, there is potential.

If you look closely, there is an offspring from that big ugly yellow spikey vine:

Hmm, here is my magickal archway. Yikes. I'm not sure if you can even see it but it seems to be rusty pipes draped with more of that wire fencing. Well, it can still be pretty when I clean it up a bit.

I also saw lots of little piles of cinder blocks and old rocks to use as edging.

So here's the plan. Clear out a trail to the end of the yard and another going off to the left, line it with wooden planks and/or rocks. Then conquer each area bit by bit. I do have to remember that I'll have a tiny one to care for soon!

Okay I promise tomorrow we'll get to the juicy stuff like recipes for cleaning products and baby spells and crafts and stuff.

smooches,

dani

Blessings Be

2009-03-06T22:14:00.009-05:00

Since getting married, I've tried to make Wicca more a part of daily life. My husband has always been sort of a pagan anyway, what with his love of Hindu gods, shamanism and nag champa incense. I've been really amazed at how well he and the Goddess have taken to each other. I wasn't sure of his sincerity when speaking with Her at first. It can be hard at first to expand your ideas about your own version of how your Creator should look.

But it was clear they had a dialogue going. Hubby can be pretty pessimistic but whenever he puts something in the hands of the gods, he is completely confident that everything will work out. And it always does. (thanks Mother!)

Anyway, one of our new traditions is blessing our meals. We don't do it every time, only with meals we've cooked, not like with frozen pizza. Have you tried Kashi frozen pizza? Oh my god, it's so good. All the veggies are so REAL. Mmm. Anyway, we thank the Goddess and God for our food and our life and our day. I usually end it with "Blessings" or "Blessed be". My husband, still not very exposed to Wiccan vocabulary always says, "Blessings be." I think it's so cute and childlike that I haven't corrected him. I think the Goddess understands just fine.

Blessings Be,
Dani

The Garden (to be)

2009-03-06T20:13:00.013-05:00

As I mentioned in the last post, I stumbled upon this area behind the shed that is just desperate for love. This house had been empty for a while and all manner of unseemly characters seem to have hung out in the backyard area. We found tons of garbage in the garden-to-be. We threw out/recycled everything but came upon some treasures:

rolls of wire fencing, which might later become a container for a big circular bed of dead leaves to be composted,
planks of wood, maybe for edging or a raised garden bed.
a huge mound of wood chips that I'll use for mulch
a big metal barrel. I wanted it to hold rainwater but was something wrong with it that i can't recall. Either it has a big whole or was filled with grossness.
a piece of metal painted white, at one time maybe a gate or something. I'll string some viney plant around it or something.
Tons of large rocks and broken cinder blocks and bricks. I'll probably use this as edging or stepping stones or something.
A large cement cylinder thing. Maybe a planter?
Oooh, the best part was if you go deeper into the overgrown backyard you'll find this sort of metal archway area. Either I'll put a seat here and string flowering vines around it leave it as a future resting spot for the wildlife that likes to hang out there.

So yeah, the planning is nice, but raking what must be 2-3 years of dead leaves is not. Especially while pregnant. I enlisted mynieces to help out. But it was late fall and cold and no one in my family seems to share my zeal for yard work, including the hubby. So the project has been on hold.

After the baby is born, and I heal, I'll get back to work. First, enough of this raking. I'll borrow my brother's leaf blower and get the biggest job out of the way. Then I have to solve the vine problem.

We have vines everywhere. When we first moved in, I killed all the poison oak around the property (before I had discovered the garden). During raking, we found the biggest ugliest vine root I've ever seen. It was a sickly yellow and covered in huge spikes. And wherever we raked, we inevitably got caught on vines right under the soil. So I'd appreciate any ideas on vine killer that won't poison the environment too much.

So let's take a tour of the garden.

Here's the barn type thing. In the center are those rolls of chicken wire or whatever they are. We keep branches for kindling and stuff in the section that's behind the tree. Now go to right, under the lean-to where I found a little black snake under some rocks.
Okay you've just passed through the lean-to and turned to the left. You're looking at the back of the barn. There's the barrel and the cement cylinder. The tree further from you was totally hollow and being held up by a miracle of some sort. It has since fallen after a big storm. My friend, the tree man, Clay cut it up for me but i'm still left with a big log and exposed roots. Maybe I can shake out the dirt, hose it off and make it some sort of garden art piece. And I could plant something in the gaping hole in the ground. You're basically looking at basically the same thing now but if you turned your head to the right a little. You'll see the corpse of my fallen friend. Isn't the snow pretty? That was last Sunday. This Sunday it will be 70 degrees. Atlanta weather is nuts.

I'm taking this from inside the lean-to, immortalizing my free child labor:Boy I have my work cut out for me. I think I'm going to have to hire these kids.

This one below is purely for the look on her face.

So that's it for my very own Secret Garden. We'll see you in the summer! Oh by the way, wild onion grows back there! We haven't eaten it yet, but I think we'll try some soon.

Blessed be!

Dani

Mystery Flower

2009-03-05T19:00:00.006-05:00

Hello my non existent readers. Can anyone out there identify this pretty purple flower? It's growing out of our buried compost pile.They're just gorgeous.

We moved into this house in July but I only recently realized the area behind the barn shed thing was a beautiful garden waiting to happen.

I don't know much about gardening but I will have a beautiful cottage garden by next spring.

The area behind the barn is a truly magickal place. We've seen a coyote and a fox in addition to our normal wildlife: chipmunks, squirrels, raccoons and a big array of birdlife including robins, sparrows, bluejays, cardinals, spotted doves, woodpeckers and a cute little blue bird that we haven't yet figured out. When we can catch a picture I'll post it.

How This Blog Came To Be

2009-03-04T22:05:00.005-05:00

So here I am, newly married, pregnant and looking for a little online community of pagan mothers to share crafts and recipes with. After what seemed like endless searching, I just gave up. Nothing suited me. These weren't hippie mothers talking about cloth diapering. They were talking about random political issues that vaguely affect us liberals as a whole. Or they were talking about celebrity gossip or the like.

I finally found what I was looking for. Disturbingly enough, I found it in the hardcore conservative Christian community. Yikes. I was a little skeptical at first. There were bible quotes and women who only wore dresses and never cut their hair or use birth control. Think: The Duggars

Terrifying.

But then I looked past the Jesus talk and the bible quotes and realized these women were who pagan women should be. They live frugally, the make their own bread, yogurt, toothpaste, etc. Some live off their gardens, cloth diaper their kids and live to make their lives about their Creator.

So I credit those women with this blog. While I'm not a housewife, I don't plan on homeschooling and houseplants cower when I get too close to them, I'm try to live my life to make the Goddess and God proud every day. I've changed many things in our home. I make our laundry soap, my husband's deodorant (yeah, I still need the high powered chemicals), our dishwasher soap, and household cleaning products. We recycle and reuse. We're not hardcore (yet). We don't eat organic and we're not obsessed with researching every ingredient in everything we use and there is a lot more we could be doing. But one step at a time.

So let's get educated together. Let's share advice. Let's have a pagan/wiccan community and not get all tied up in the tiny differences in our many traditions. Believe in a Goddess and a God? Love nature? Awesome. Let's do this!

This site will be for wives and mothers (and husbands and fathers-the Christians haven't corrupted me that much!) and will contain recipes and spells for the home and family. It will also contain observations and maybe articles but they will all tie back to being good partners and parents and children of the gods.

If you want to contribute, don't put it in the comments, email me and we'll feature it on the blog and a link to your site or whatever.

Blessed be,
dani

UPDATE: I think I just stumbled upon a treasure of pagan mommy blogs. I will post them in my blogroll in the next few days as I investigate them all!