All of my fairy doors, fairy houses, fairy dolls, scented bookmarks, dryer balls, and other magical creations are available at my upcoming events and in my etsy shop! Click on the images to learn more about each one! Garden Critters Spring Collection More of the Spring Collection...
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All of my fairy doors, fairy houses, fairy dolls, scented bookmarks, dryer balls, and other magical creations are available in my etsy shop! Click on the images to learn more about each one!
All of my fairy doors, fairy houses, fairy dolls, scented bookmarks, dryer balls, and other magical creations are available in my etsy shop! Click on the images to learn more about each one!
Motherhood does not always smell great, and among the many benefits of motherhood, moms deal with a lot. This Mother's Day, give your mom a magical gift that not only smells great and looks pretty, but also can aid her in her everyday magic, as well as offer some rejuvenation of that magic. Not sure which scent is best for mom? Here's a great guide to help decide! Rosemary Rosemary is great for reducing stress and tension. For those moments a back rub is just not possible and booking a day at the spa is not feasible, a whiff of rosemary can elevate mood, soothe those tense muscles, and help in a stressful moment. There's so much for mom's to remember, this is a great aid for memory. It enhances concentration and increases retention. Plus, the refreshing smell can cut through dirty diapers and a sink full of dishes! Cinnamon Much like Rosemary, cinnamon is great for boosting moods, relieving tension, a great memory tool, and aids in those smellier moments. It can also increase attention span, offer relief from menstruation cramps and discomfort, reduce headaches, and is used as a mosquito repellent. Coffee Coffee is great for rejuvenating! On those busy days or for the mom on the go, just the smell of coffee is a great way to gain all the benefits of caffeine without having to drink a cup. While it can give you that needed pick-me-up, it is also can be calming and de-stressing. Chocolate Much like coffee, chocolate is a pick-me-up, while relaxing and de-stressing.For those moms who are looking to stave a craving, but wish to cut back on the sugar and candy, just the smell of chocolate can also boost memory and energy for those busy-scheduled days, while elevating mood for those difficult and frustrating moments. Mint Mint improves memory, raises alertness, relieves and eases stomach aches and headaches, provides comfort, energizes, manages stress, fights mental fatigue, and is an insect repellant. Lemon Lemon shares many of the same benefits of mint, while also providing a refreshing and clean aroma that can overtake the green clouds that moms can often find from the infant's dirty diaper to a teenager's room. Lavender/Rose Lavender is a symbol of devotion and rose is a symbol for love. While these scents symbolize all a mother gives to her children, these scents can also give back to moms. Lavender is a scent people either love or hate. Therefore, if mom is not a fan of lavender, rose is a great alternative to receiving the same benefits. These two scents relieve stress, relax body and mind, fight anxiety, can help reduce mild pain, relieve headaches, and fight insomnia. While exploring the internet for some great new content to post on my social media accounts, I was disheartened to discover a number of creations and "facts" that were not only false, but show a great disrespect for the fairies. So, I'm setting the facts straight in the hopes none of my followers will participate in such atrocious acts, and offering some alternatives. 1. Fairy Jars
There are people making mason jars with little rhymes attached to them about capturing fairies in them. Though it discusses not taking them far, let me be very clear here. A great way to anger the fairies is capture them in anything, let alone a jar. Fairies are all that is wild and free in nature. I could imagine no greater offense or disrespect than to catch a fairy and stuff them in a jar. Yes, I make fairy bottles, but here's the difference. Fairy bottles have clay representations of butterflies and they are not meant to be opened. Yes, in my newest book, The Butter Thief, the little girl catches a fairy in a mason jar. The fairy was not happy about this, and it was to stop a fairy long enough to make a deal. She, also, did not have this blog to set her straight. In short, DO NOT capture fairies and do not specifically design jars to do so, either! This is a great way to have fairies avoid you and your garden or home. 2. Stepping inside a Fairy Ring I cannot stress this enough. DO NOT go in a fairy ring. For those who do not know, fairy rings are circles of mushrooms that magically appear in nature. It is said that fairies dance in them. Another correction to what some might find online, witches do not dance in them. Witches, being connected to nature themselves, would have a great respect for fairies and would know better. ONLY fairies may enter a fairy ring. It is a sacred space for them not to be trampled by creatures such as us. Another misconception, running in any direct around the fairy ring will not grant you the ability to see the fairies as they dance. Fairies will only show themselves when they wish to. There is nothing you can do to see a fairy if they do not wish you to see them. This comes back to why capturing a fairy in a jar is a grave offense. It is a great honor to have a fairy show themselves to you. To disregard that honor is a terrible thing and fairies are masters of justice and vengeance. This also brings us to #3. 3. Eating Plants to see the Fairies I discovered online discussion of eating certain plants, like pansies, to grant the ability to see the fairies. Once more, a fairy cannot be seen unless it wants you to see them. They decide. And, to try to force them or give up their right to decide by means of eating something or another cheap trick would make them less likely want to show themselves. If anything, you prove yourself unworthy. There is no cheating when it comes to the fairies, nor easy way out, so to speak. Here's what to do instead: Welcome the fairies to your house and garden by creating special gardens for them. In the garden, place fairy doors or fairy houses, and plant a variety of plants loved by the fairies, including wild flowers, daffodils, foxglove, pansies, yarrow, thyme, daisies, scabiosa, tulips, nasturtiums, and more! Offer gifts to the fairies, such as butter, milk, something sweet, something shiny, something sparkly pennies, acorns, pretty stones, and other natural or tasty treasures. To share with them is to offer your friendship, and to show you honor them and thank them for all they do. Believe in magic! Fairies remind us that magic is all around us. They remind us to look upon the world with the eyes of a child, always. If we believe in magic, truly believe to the depths of our hearts, and can find the fantastical and spectacular in the everyday things, the sacred in what most might consider mundane, you have a better chance of not only drawing them to your garden and home, but also help them believe in you. And, above all else, respect the fairies and nature. Fairies and nature are tied together. They are part of it, and to hurt nature and the earth is to hurt them. Let them know you are a friend by doing your part to clean up the earth, reduce, reuse, recycle, and take care of the planet. Doing so in your own back yard, not only offers them a safe haven, but let's them see what kind of person you are. Also, respect them and that they are the ones to decide whether or not you get the opportunity to see them. They are the ones who decide where they will go. The decision is theirs. I hope this "dos and don'ts" of fairies may be helpful in your relationship with these magnificent beings! And, before you believe something you read on the internet or when in doubt of a fact your find, ask yourself if it is something you'd like have done to you. If it seems disrespectful, don't do it. If you've done any of these things in the past, remember, too, mistakes can be forgiven. Try offering an apology, both verbal and in the form of a gift.
Inspired by this post by The Enchanted Wren!
The stocking were hung by the chimney with care... A fire place sits snug on a snowy tea cup fairy garden between a couple sprigs of rosemary. Holly and berries align the top of the mantle and a fire (glow in the dark) offers some warmth from the cold. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse... Well, perhaps a couple mice were stirring. But, after Santa eats that tasty plate of cookies, there might be a crumb or two left. Unless the Grinch stops by. Then the one speck of food that will be left in the fairy garden, will just be a crumb not even big enough for this wee mouse. The second mouse scurries among the three wrapped presents that sit beneath the rosemary and mint foliage. What do you think the fairies are getting for Christmas? Twas the Night Before Christmas Fairy Garden will be available at my next upcoming events. Stop by Tamiza's Treats on December 1st and December 13th! They say any pet is beneficial when battling depression and anxiety, but the Cinnamon Cat-erfly is particularly helpful. They aid in diminishing lethargy, petulance, pain and regular headaches. They also aid in mental capabilities, such as focus, memory, attention span, etc . Mosquitoes stay clear of the wee cinnamon Cat-erfly. Unlike their house cat counterparts, along with repelling bugs, they also freshen the air. It is believed that the cinnamon Cat-erfly originated from Sri Lanka and India, but can now be found all over. Pelargonium Felines, better known as Cat-erflies, were first discovered hiding in scented geraniums. They camouflage using both scent, as well as color. Despite their name, they can also be found hiding in their corresponding herbs and flowers. This can make them extremely difficult to spot, along with their tiny size. Masters of hiding, if you catch a random whiff of a familiar smell, a Cat-erfly might have crossed your path! Cat-erflies are made from wool and other fibers (and a little bit of magic). They also contain fragrance oils. They can lose their scent after some time, but can always be rescented. They are handcrafted with love in the USA! Find more information regarding cinnamon here:
* https://www.herbs2000.com/aromatherapy/a_cinnamon.htm *lwww.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/essential-oils/health-benefits-of-cinnamon-oil.html Why is believing in the fantastical so bad? Why, when we get older, must we lose the magic? Things like fairies or Santa aren’t lies. They are believing in something bigger than yourself, concepts we should embody in the everyday. And, as children, when we are allowed to believe in the extraordinary, we come to find the extraordinary in the everyday as adults. With the holidays just around the corner, when I think of the embodiment of Christmas it is no longer the large man with a white beard and red hat. It’s my mother in his place. It’s the incredible lengths she went to so my brother and I could believe. And, now, it’s also myself I see in that place, with my large sack of gifts (most of which are already wrapped). Was it a lie? For her to ask “what did Santa bring you?” To have us believe in magic and possibility and hope? There are those who would say it was, that there was a seed of dishonesty. But, it was never about what was wrapped under the tree. It’s what it meant. Like, what it meant if mom could still cook the turkey every Thanksgiving. We might not have had milk in our fridge. Mom might have been sick. But, we had Christmas. When we later came to the realization on our own that Santa wasn’t real, the magic was still there, if not more so, to discover everything my mother did to make sure we could still believe. And, from the time my brother and I were old enough to know mom was Santa, we were also old enough to know we were, too. Everyone has a little bit of Santa in them. There is magic in the world if we know where to look. Children know where to look. We just forget when we’re older. Buttercups telling us who loves butter and who doesn’t. Butterflies and fireflies are fairies in disguise. The sun setting and the moon rising. A wish on a dandelion. Leafs changing and snow falling. That such a big sunflower can come from such as tiny seed. Every day is a miracle. Fairies and Santa Clause are the embodiment of them. And just because I’m older doesn’t mean I don’t still believe and doesn’t mean the magic has disappeared. It’s only become stronger. As artists, we make a specific something with a specific purpose or reason in mind. We try to convey our own meanings. Every time a customer walks into the booth, I give my well rehearsed spiel. "These are fairy doors. They are hand carved and hand painted. You stick them at the base of a tree or on a bookshelf, anywhere you want to invite the fairies." My main goal and purpose is to offer products that will draw the fairies into your world and enchant it. While accomplishing that goal, I have also sought out ways to appeal to a wide audience and remain unique. Despite my intentions as the creator, the customers will find different ways to use my product and different meanings behind it. Take, for instance, Seeds of Inspiration's Ouch Pouch Line. This is an aromatherapy product that can be used in the freezer or microwave as an ice pack or heating pad. It's scented with lavender and chamomile and can be used for anything from bumps and bruises to ear aches and migraines. A friend and constant customer, Jess, used her personal ouch pouch on her bottle fed puppy. The poor little guy was the only one of his litter to survive and the ouch pouch neck wrap helped offer the comfort and warmth he normally would have found from his litter mates. My customers tend to first have their interested piqued by recognizable, or even not so recognizable, designs. Then the door itself. Sometimes the purchase is for nostalgia, sharing the interest, or a different meaning behind the same message. A Dalmatian fairy door is now used to memorialize a beloved pet who has crossed the rainbow bridge. My TFIOS door becomes a reminder to a loved one that everything will always be okay. Or, most recently, a custom ordered 82nd Airborne fairy door will bring comfort to a little kid every time he gets scared at night. Another example is my fairy bottles. They normally feature miniature scenes in tiny glass bottles. People have used them as ornaments to hang on their tree. They use it as attachments to key chains. Just a few months ago, at the steampunk convention it was used as part of a cosplay outfit. John Green said books belong to their readers. The same goes for art. When that door leaves my booth, it opens to something more. It becomes more than I could ever dream.
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On Fairy Wings and Acorn Hats
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