Happy V-Day Lovers!

If you are the type of person who moans and groans over Valentine's day and your lack of significant other than you should probably back it up and exit it out of here. Unless you're totally into reading about me telling you how great V-Day is and why you should be happy and enjoy the holiday regardless of whether or not you've got a love in your life. Then you should stick around.

Because I am one of those people that doesn't care if they have a significant other for this holiday. I really, really don't. Valentine's Day is about love, all kinds of love, not just the romantic mushy kind. So take the chance to send messages to the people you love, give chocolates to your mom, wear something nice and tell yourself you look good in the mirror, drink wine with your best friend, cuddle with your cat, or compliment someone on the street. Spread the love around.

Was this enough of a feel good post for you? Do you feel inspired, renewed, overwhelmed with joy? You should. It's a good day. It's a great day. 

And if you're still a little sad about not having a romantic partner, just remember, all that candy goes on sale tomorrow!

x

p.s. if you know the source for the image let me know, I just found it on tumblr.

Happy The-Day-After Christmas

I hope that everyone had a lovely holiday!

Things have been hectic around here, but my holiday was okay -as good as it could have been considering everything that has been going on. My mom bought me a new camera which was the highlight of my gifts and I am so excited to use it and snap some pictures for the blog. I also got tea, chocolate, makeup, gift cards, and a new Monster High doll (because my mom knows me that well.) And I have eaten more pie in the past two days than I eat all year. Granted, I don't really eat pie other than at Thanksgiving & Christmas, but still.

Mug from my sister. It came with lemon tea as well!

And now that Christmas is over I am spending my time packing, cleaning, and going through my stuff to see what I can get rid of. Because I am indeed moving. Again. I am losing track of the amount of times I've moved in the past few years to be honest. I'm lucky that Eli adjusts to being in new settings really well, although he's a pain in the butt when I'm tying to pack. He really loves boxes. But I really love him, so it's okay.

How was everyone else's holiday? Any good plans for New Years?

x

Halloween Tea Time

Because of my "hiatus" or "break" from the blogging world I have not done a tea time post in forever, but I thought I would throw one together in honour of my favourite holiday, HALLOWEEN. (Also, yes I know it's Thursday not Tuesday, shhhh...)

So here we go!

Tumblr Finds

this cat is so cute!

And this is just awesome! I love Hocus Pocus!

This guy is dressed as "Edgar Allan Ho" and I cannot stop laughing, omfg.

Window Shopping

These skull sugar cubes are so awesome.

I love this coffin shadow box.

I would love to have this, even if it's just a prop book.

Reading List

1. Angie made a frightening list of things you Never Want to See.

2. Kristin made a post about Gothic Novels that my English major heart loved reading.

3. This Halloween Quiz cracks me up.

4. Last year I made a brief post about Samhain that you can read here if you're interested.

Quote

But I love Halloween, and I love that feeling: the cold air, the spooky dangers lurking around the corner. -Evan Peters

Happy Halloween lovelies!

Manda Rave

Happy Fourth

I'll be honest with you guys, I'm not a very patriotic person. Politically this country is pretty dodgy and it's kind of embarrassing. But regardless of how I feel, it's a holiday. My boyfriend has the day off and we're going to spend our time at the summer festival a town over. It's got a huge Independence day parade and then tons of vendors and performers afterwards. It's a lot of fun. Usually I save up some money to get a few things (there are always so many awesome clothes to buy!) but I am beyond broke these days so it's a no go on that this year. But that's okay because I plan to enjoy the parade, soak up some sun, and probably run into random family members.

And I may not be patriotic, but how awesome is this lookbook by SoulMakes? Love it!

Manda Rave

Happy Beltane!

It's May 1st, which means that it is Beltane! And here in Mass, it is a beautiful day out. My love took me for ice cream at my favourite local place (I have been going there since I was a toddler) and we fed the goats (they have goats!) and soaked up some sun before he had to head off to work. While he is away I am hoping to list some new stuff in the shop, craft something (I have no idea what, still in the process of brainstorming), and will be holding my own private celebration and ritual. Perhaps baking will be involved.

Oh! And I received the items I ordered from ever+mi.crush that I bought with the credit I won via The Dainty Squid! I am so excited about both pieces, I love them both so much! They fit like a dream and look so lovely!

Floral Chiffon Blazer

Orange Chiffon Button Up

I have been eyeing that orange top for a few months now and I am so thrilled to finally own it! Happy Beltane to me! 

What are your Beltane plans?

Manda Rave

Read About Beltane:

• Beltane Wiki
• Beltane -Holiday Details & History (Witchvox)

Happy Earth Day! (Link Collection)

Today is Earth Day (!) and I thought that to celebrate I would share a collection of Earth day and Earth-themed links with you all. So let's get to it.

1. Find some green-craft ideas on Kind Over Matter's post Crafting a Green World.

2. Explore the Earth Day Network and and learn how to become a green activist.

3. Shai's blog The Vagabond Studio is not only an awesome personal blog to follow, but it great to read if you're interested in peace and being environmentally friendly. 

4. Ecocentric Mom is a great subscription box for mom's and mom-to-be's looking to find healthy, natural, and organic products for their homes.

5. Looking for organic, fair trade clothing? Fair Indigo has a pretty good selection.

6. Have you ever heard of seed bombing? If not you definitely have to check it out. And buy your own seed bombs here.

7. Check out a few different ways that you can reduce your carbon footprint.

8. If you're looking for more natural, do-it-yourself beauty products then you should take a look at this post. It's filled with great ideas!

9. If you're interested in learning more about herbalism and how you can make your own homemade remedies then I recommend this free introductory e-course by LearningHerbs.com.

10. Take a look at these absolutely stunning photos of Earth taken from space on the National Geographic site.

I hope you have found something that interests you! I hope everyone gets a chance to go outside and commune with nature today. 

Lady Unlaced

Don't forget to enter the giveaway -it ends April 24th!

Happy Spring/Ostara!

Apologies, I meant to make this post earlier in the day but I got caught up doing a few other things instead. 

It's the first day of spring! Which, granted, would be more exciting if there were not snow on the ground. I'm not going to lie, I really dislike New England winters. They go on too long and there is hardly a year where the first day of spring isn't one filled with snow and below 40 degrees. Today has been mostly cloudy, cold, and wet.

But still, with it being officially spring I am looking forward to the inevitably soon REAL arrival of warmer weather. Fingers crossed that the next few weeks show some actual signs of life and warmth.

Source.

If you're the witchy type, then today is more of a big deal for you then it is for most people. Because were as most just say "Hurrah! It's spring!", witches see today as a time for real celebration. The wheel of the year is turning and Ostara is a time to holding celebratory rites, give offerings to the gods, and rejoice in the return of life to the Earth.

So if you're the last minute kind of witch (I definitely am) then here as some last minute ideas for altar decorations and rituals. This is assuming you are also the kind of witch who celebrates at night. Again, that's the type I am.

Decorations:

Fresh flowers, moss, fruit, glitter, eggs, seeds, yellow and pink candles, rose quartz, citrine, and symbols of deities such as Brigid, Eostre, Freya, Osiris, Persephone, etc.

Source.

Ritual Ideas:

1. A simple cleansing ceremony is always a nice idea. Spring is a time of rebirth, not just for plants, but for the soul. 

2. A ritual for creative birth is always a good idea as well. Now is the perfect time to ask the gods to give blessings to any new projects you are starting.

3. A ritual for celebration! Your rite does not always have to have a purpose like "please bless this" or "now I am going to make this change" etc, it can be just for pure celebration of the fact that is is spring! Eat fruit, drink wine, give offerings to the gods and the faeries, and enjoy yourself. There is no need to be serious all the time, especially not during the playful time of spring.

Happy Ostara everyone!

Lady Unlaced

Read More About Ostara:

• History of Ostara 
• Ostara
• Ostara Rituals

Happy V-Day Lovers!

It's Valentines day! -throws imaginary heart shaped confetti in the air- Isn't that exciting? Holidays in general are exciting because they give us an excuse to wear holiday colours, eat candy, exchange gifts and cards, and make lots of homemade yummies.

If you're not a Valentine's day fan then I suggest you check out the post I wrote last V-day and then get back to me.

Buy print here.

You may have noticed by now (and I really hope you have) that I am a huge advocate for self-love and loving the things and people you choose to surround yourself with -in doing all things with love. I really hope that today especially you all remember how incredible you are and how much the universe loves you. Treat yourself to a nice bubble bath, a glass of wine, new perfume (or cologne for you men!), or whatever makes you feel good. Spend time with the people you care about, tell them how much they mean to you. Don't let a moment of your life be wasted and try to infuse every day with a big dose of heartfelt love and kindness.

That's what Valentines day is about.

Lady Unlaced

December (& 2012) in Review

I can't believe that December is already over! And that all of 2012 is at its end! Everything goes by so quickly, especially since I have moved around so much this past year. A lot has changed in 365 days. But before I get into all that new year stuff, let's take a look at my monthly goals.

For December I set myself these goals:

Get through finals without going crazy.

Sleep more.

Look for an online writing job.

Write more in my novel.

Update the shop at least once, preferably twice.

So I managed the first three things. Finals were long and crazy -I had a ton of work to do and on top of the moving process (which I am still not done with), it was pretty stressful. But I managed to hand in all my papers on time and I think I did pretty well on the one exam that I had. My crazy status is at a stable level.

I did sleep more, especially once finals were over. Something about paper writing just makes me want to sleep for days.

I did look for online writing jobs. I applied to a few, heard back from no one. I suppose other people might be discouraged, but I plan to keep at it. I will find another in town part time job if I have to in the mean time. Fingers crossed!

As for the last two, I honestly haven't had the time or energy. The shop is on vacation right now until everything is settled, and the most I have done for my novel is jot down some notes and write down a few good sentences here and there. I have been writing some poetry though, so that counts for something, right? Maybe, haha.

I am not disappointed with the last month at all. I think it has been a good end to the year and I am excited to get into 2013 and have an even better year. I am even thinking of doing a 365-challenge. Don't worry, if I do I will let you all know about it. I was thinking something like a portrait challenge. Ideas?

I hope you all have a lovely New Years Eve! Drink lots of wine (if you're old enough!) and celebrate with friends, I know I will ;)

Lady Unlaced

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone has a lovely holiday (if you celebrate it) and enjoys time with family, food, presents, and the like. I will be returning to a regular blogging schedule once the holidays are over. In the mean time I will be eating tons of good food, drinking lots of tea and wine, and setting up in the new apartment.

Lady Unlaced

Happy Yule!

Today is Yule, aka the Winter Solstice! That means, despite any snow we've previously gotten, today is the first official day of winter! I keep putting exclamation points like I'm excited -I actually really don't like winter all that much as I prefer warmer months. Buuuut, Yule is a pretty great witchy holiday with cool traditions, and is an important holiday on the wiccan Wheel of the Year. It is the shortest day of the year, but that means that after today the days will get longer -and I am so ready for some more sunlight at the end of the day. Every day will be a day closer to spring.

Me and this lady typically do a friend gift exchange on Yule like we would with our families on Christmas, and when we are feeling super ambitious we even make cookies and hold a ritual. Unfortunately, this year has been far too hectic, and due to my move (and her pending move) we have already exchanged gifts because I won't see her today. However, I am hoping to get some baking in tonight to celebrate the season!

And, of course, to celebrate (yet again) surviving the end of the world. With the amount of times people have predicted the apocalypse in the past decade or so, you'd think it wouldn't be a big deal anymore, haha. 

It is raining an awful lot though which I am not a fan of. I will be spending my Yule inside where it's warm and dry, curled up with blankets and slippers and hot coffee.

Any Yule plans (if you celebrate it) for today?

Lady Unlaced

Read More:

• Moon Cookies Recipe
• The Winter Solstice - Yule Lore
• Yule Rituals

Thankfulness

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers!

Source.

I hope that everyone gets to eat delicious food and spend some time with their families and other loved ones! And since it is thanksgiving, I thought this would be a great day to give a list of some of the things I am grateful for recently.

Blogger & Etsy friends!

Pen & paper to ease my soul.

Cuddling with my kitty while I do homework.

Phone conversations with people I love (mom!)

The infinite possibilities and potential for the future.

What are you grateful for today?

Lady Unlaced

A Little About Samhain

Samhain ("Sow-in") is the witchy term (meaning summer's end) for Halloween and is the beginning of the new year on a witch's calendar. During this Sabbat the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is the thinnest. It is a time to celebrate life and give offerings to those who have passed on before us. 

Traditionally lit candles are put in the windows on Samhain night to guide home the spirits of deceased loved ones. Food they may have liked in life can be left on the altar or front steps as offerings. Pumpkins were carved into jack-o-lanterns to ward off evil spirits. Because as much as Samhain is a time to honour the dead and to feel your own mortality, the thin veil allows all sorts of spirits to become more prominent in the physical world.

If you plan to do any spirit workings on Samhain, you must be extra careful. Jack-o-lanterns should be kept outside your house, you should cleanse your space and well as yourself before any magickal workings, and you should spend a great deal of time making your protective circle. Salt is a must.

This image seemed appropriate, haha. Source?

If you keep an altar you should definitely dress it up for the Sabbat. Mini pumpkins and gourds are an obvious choice, as well as autumn leaves. Black candles are a good choice, as well as bones and stone skulls. Pomegranates are also great -recall the Persephone and Hades myth. I currently have the "Death" tarot card on my altar, perfect for Samhain energy.



Samhain is a great time to do rituals or spells for change and spiritual communications. And with the thin barrier between the physical and astral plains, it's also the perfect time for connecting with your spirit animal.

Ritual Ideas:
Celebrate the Cycle of Life and Death
A Samhain Ritual
Evoking Hecate

History & Lore:
The History of Halloween or Samhain
Samhain Lore

Happy Samhain/Halloween everyone! I hope you have a spook-tacular day!

Lady Unlaced

The Autumnal Equinox

Today is the fall equinox -the first day of Autumn. I couldn't be happier. I love summer -the shorts, sunshine, beach trips, and flip flops- but autumn is my favourite season. It's the most beautiful month, especially in New England. It would be nice if it lasted longer but I'll take what I can get. And with the autumn season going into full swing that means the rise of Halloween decorations in stores and getting into the spooky spirit. I realize Halloween is still over a month away but it's my favourite holiday and I can't help but get anxious for it.

Anyways, the Autumn Equinox is a lovely holiday for me and my fellow witches. It's not as huge an event as Yule or Samhain (Halloween) but the change of seasons are always a thing to be celebrated. This change of season from summer to fall is called Mabon in the witchy world. It is a harvest holiday and in the Wiccan tradition (keep in mind I am not Wiccan) it marks the deterioration and death of the Horned God who will eventually be reborn again of the Goddess in the spring. 

Mabon is a time of being grateful and giving thanks and is often celebrated with a feast of some sorts.

Buy this print here.

Good altar decorations for witches on Mabon include things like a pomegranate (remember the Persephone and Hades myth? -this would be the time of year she would return to the Underworld), autumn leaves, acorns, and pine cones. Anything that reminds you of Autumn is usually a good idea. Mini pumpkins are a personal favourite of mine, I like to keep them on my altar as well as around the house.

Check out this page for more info on Mabon and a list of links for history, traditions, crafts, and food.

Lady Unlaced

Happy 4th & All That Jazz

Or if you're not from the States, Happy Wednesday! :D

My Independence day has not been very exciting, mostly it's consisted of hanging out with my other half, helping her dye her hair, baking cookies, and perusing the internet. I did, however, get to go downtown last night and watch the fireworks with my aaa-mazing boyfriend. I don't have any cool fireworks pictures, but I did snap a couple shots of a wall that has been recently decorated with cool art.

I don't know why all this was put up, but I appreciate it. It makes out sketchy little city seem more friendly and cultured, something that it really needs. I love my apartment, and my college is right down the round, but sometimes the city I live in can be scary. I suppose that's how it is with every city.

Anyways, how has everyone's day been? Awesome hopefully :)

Beach Trip! + Happy (late) Solstice!

Yesterday was the Summer Solstice, otherwise more simply known as the first day of summer! For the witchy types like me, this is an important holiday, one which me and my other half decided to spend at the beautiful Easton beach in Newport, Rhode Island with some friends. It was a long drive, but totally worth the  8 hours of beach time we got in! Yep, I said 8 hours. It was pretty awesome.

The water was beautiful, the sun was shining, and we all left with sunburns, hurrah! Haha, I don't usually burn in the sun, but I do every time I go to the beach. The sand and salt just magnify the sun and make it impossible not to, no matter how much sunscreen I put on. The burn is worth it though!

Now check out some crappy phone pictures I took of the day :D

It really wasn't crowded at all.

Some yummy hummus & crackers.

Some of my first shell finds of the day.

The beach practically empty at 5:30.

I have lots of cool shells and stuff I found that I want to share, I just haven't gotten around to taking nice photos of them yet, and it's too hot for it right now. It's in the 90s here in Mass and the humidity is disgusting. Summer weather certainly came out of nowhere. Hopefully it eases up a bit soon.

I hope everyone else had a great Summer Solstice! Anyone been to the beach lately? Where do you go? Collect anything cool?

Lady Unlaced

Cinco de Mayo Roundup

Anyone got cool plans for the day/night? I wish I did, however, I am simply too busy (and broke) to party or anything like that. That doesn't mean I'm not going to share some cool Cinco de Mayo stuff though! 

This just amuses me. We celebrate it, but most people don't know why. Not that I'm saying you shouldn't have a good time!

How delicious does this cupcake look?

Click for the Margarita Cupcakes recipe!

And of course you'll need a margarita recipe as well!

These are honestly one of my favourite drinks and one of the only ways I'll drink tequila.

Click for recipe!

Guacamole is also another love of mine <3

Find out how to make this one (as well as a yummy looking mango salsa!) here on A Beautiful Mess.

Here are some more Cinco de Mayo related things I've found:

Yes, that last picture is veggie tacos. Yum! I'm a vegetarian so no beef for me, but that does not mean I can't enjoy a good, meat-free taco.

Hope you all enjoy your day and get to do something fun.

Lady Unlaced

Happy Beltane/May Day!

Today is May 1 (as many of you probably might have noticed) which means that it's Beltane! Or May Day, both terms work. What is Beltane you ask? It's a witch/pagan fertility and fire holiday that celebrates the abundance and growth of the Earth, typically celebrated with fire and the Maypole.

Read up more on Beltane here.

Unfortunately for me, it's been raining here all day. And I know rain is important and vital to the Earth -I'm thankful for it, really. But I would have liked a little sunshine to get me in the spirit. I'm hoping it will clear up a bit tonight and be warm enough that me and my best friend can go hooping outside.

I wish I had the time to put in to make this holiday really memorable. I would love to have bonfires going all night and a maypole and dancing and wine and food -but I am an overworked, poor college student. Woe is me, haha. I try the best I can though to celebrate the Earth.

If you're like me (one busy witch!) then you might enjoy this post on Beltane ideas.

Hope you've all had a lovely day thus far and that some of you got some sunshine at least! 

Lady Unlaced

Happy Friday the 13th!

Hey ghoulies (I might take to calling all my readers that now) it's Friday the 13th! How awesome is that? Little, lame things like this make my goffy heart sing, haha. I wish I could say I was doing something super-cool to mark the day, but I'm not. :(

Actually I'm still sitting around in my dorm room not doing anything (reading all the newest blog posts of the people I follow) instead of getting a move on and doing all the things I need to do. Like shower, eat something, go register for my Seminar class next semester, work on homework....

I'd rather just chill out in the sun with a book or my sketchpad, even though I know the sunshine through my window is deceiving me. It's not as nice out as it looks. I also have some jewelry projects and clothing deconstruction/studding that sounds like more fun than my current to-do list. Me and my boyfriend starting studding some jean vests we got last week and we have plans for patches as well. He's pretty into the punk scene. I like the aesthetic. My patches will be things like a Sylvia Plath quote and something Emilie Autumn related, haha. I will share when it's done. I have a few other altered clothes I want to share as well. Keep your eyes peeled.

What are your plans for this lovely Friday the 13th? Doing anything fun and ghoulish? (I've been looking at too much Monster High stuff lately, can you tell? I can't help it, those dolls are awesome!)

Part of the newest news on MonsterHigh.com. Can't wait to read the whole thing!

Hope your day is awesome!

Lady Unlaced

Spread the Love

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Before you start moaning and groaning about how you hate Valentine's day and how commercial it is or how you don't have a significant other anyways just hear me out. I used to be just like that and I know how you feel. But it doesn't have to be that way.

So what if Valentine's day is a commercial holiday? No one is forcing you to buy fancy chocolate or Hallmark cards with doily hearts on them. Regardless of all the stuff people buy for others for this holiday, Valentines day is ultimately about love. And that's something I can get behind.

You don't have to be cheesy to celebrate today. You don't have to hand out cards and flowers and chocolate to all the special people in your life. And you certainly don't have to sit around moping about how you're not in a relationship and have no one to share a fancy dinner with. That's not what it's all about. If anything, today is a day to  think about the people and things in your life that you really love and appreciate. Give your mom a call and wish her a happy V-day and tell her how much she means to you. Give your best friend a hug. Snuggle with your cat. Curl up on the couch and enjoy your favourite book.

Just focus on the positive.

That's what today, and everyday really, is about. Why not embrace it? I bet you'll feel much better about yourself and life in general if you throw out all those negative feelings towards Valentine's day that you've had pent up for however long.

But don't limit the love to your friends and family (and pets)!

Valentine's day is a great day to focus on yourself as well. Self-love is so important and something I don't think people indulge themselves in enough! Loving yourself isn't vain or narcissistic, it's a beautiful, freeing experience that can really improve your life. I know I sound like some kind of self-help manual, but I'm speaking from my own personal experience.

I hated myself for a long time and that hate built up in me and tainted my view of the world. Because of my self-loathing I also disliked other people (often for no reason) and I was constantly pessimistic. Honestly, I was no fun to be around. But recently I've gone through a transformation of sorts where I have learned to love my life, regardless of all the crap that's been in it. I look in the mirror and I don't hate what I see. I embrace every little scar. Even on my bad days I don't think I would change myself. I might say that I would, but when it comes down to it, I don't want to be anyone other than me.

And if that's not something to celebrate this Valentine's day then I don't know what is.

So love yourself, be your own valentine! Indulge in chocolate from yourself, pour yourself a glass of wine, pick out your own flowers and spend some quality time with you.

And if loving yourself is still a foreign concept, take a look at Gala Darling's 100 Ways You Can Start Loving Yourself. The woman is a real inspiration.

Love is a powerful force in the world and people shouldn't be afraid to let it into their lives. Commercial holiday or not, take the opportunity to appreciate your life, loved ones, and yourself.

Lady Unlaced