Freyja's Day.......... Tregul and Bygul.

    As we all know, Freyja had two cats. By some accounts their names were Tregul and Bygul. That translates out as Tree-gold, aka amber, and Bee-gold, aka honey.           HOW I wish I was writing about amber!!! But no..... I'm up past my wrists in honey.   And not in a good way.
     Discovered a large hive had been built up in my mobile home, under the tub area and along the shower pipes. It would have been almost impossible to remove the queen AND since some of the worker bees were starting to come up into my bedroom.... I had to have them eradicated. So sad but necessary at this point.  At the bee man's suggestion I waited for three days to begin the process of removal. This photo is only of the section that I could see as I started to work. Got quite a surprise as I went deeper in to remove honeycombs..... not all the bees were deceased!!!  I quickly blocked off any route they might have to the inside of my home.   Sheesh!!!  (I'll just consider that to have been a really good cardio workout)       So anyway, I'll wait another day or two and see if they have finally passed on, before continuing my clean up efforts.
    Best accessories for this task....... a good quality ventilated face mask, goggles, gloves and a can of wasp and bee spray in case you have to fight back!  Fashion and style take a backseat to safety and common sense every time!  Stay safe out there folks!!!!!

Freyja's Day........ coins to create abundance for all.

 Ronan loves to mess with whatever I put out to work on! lol

    I've recently developed a desire to acquire enough coins to make a "sort of" belly dance belt.... actually I'm thinking of it more as a ritual piece. With my back and knees the way they are, I won't be doing much real dancing. chuckle
    Anyway, I'm thinking "ABUNDANCE". Not just for myself, but for the whole world. Everyone having enough to live well and be happy. No more global destruction of animals and the environment.  
    Here is how I see it.... an object that is created for that purpose and infused with that energetic intent and used repeatedly during prayer and ritual will build up a reserve of energy and then begin to generate it out into the world. It doesn't have to be a belt of coins, but I felt that the movement and sounds would increase that energetic output.
   
 

   To begin  my project I've found several of those old coin charm bracelets that were so popular when I was young. And, of course, you can purchase coins that are actually for use on belly dance costumes! They usually have metal loops soldered on whereas the bracelet coins are all drilled. Either way its a wonderful creative process.  
    My choice of using genuine coins instead of the lighter weight faux ones is simply my personal preference. INTENT is the real key to a piece like this. 
    Haven't decided exactly how I'm going to construct it. I could make a stiffened fabric base or I could use a metal belt like the one in the photo. Or a length of substantial chain to hang everything from. Will just have to wait and see what happens........ 
   

Butterflies and Tropical storms!!!

 

Since my photo session with a friend was postponed by Tropical storm Colin, I decided that I'd at least take pictures of one of the hats and send it on over to the Style Crone's Hat Attack. I love going through and seeing everyone's posts each month!

 

   Found this hat in a thrift shop a few years back, it almost matches one that I found at the local Ross store. A nice shade of dusty pink/mauve. The maker is Betmar and it is quite sturdy! That's a real plus for casual wear!

   I've added a couple of small butterfly pins to the front. Whenever I find more I intend on keeping them on this hat! Its a good way to organize small pieces and hey, who wouldn't want a "flock" of butterflies flitting around their head?!

   The back is another matter. The matching bow was mangled and torn. There is old hot glue residue where I'm guessing that someone tried to fix it. I'll clean it up a little more and add flowers.... for the butterflies, of course!

   
   Took these two petite bouquets off a vintage hat that had seen much better days. When combined they're just the right size for embellishment.   Of course, now I need a small bee pin to put right above them! Hahaha!
 

Freyja's Day ....... when a handbag stirs up some memories.

   Did you ever see an item and immediately think of someone? When I spotted this little handbag on Ebay the other week all I could think about was how much it reminded me of my paternal grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Lewis. Most everyone knew her as Lulu... though a couple of her friends called her Mae. And yes, that used to be short for Mary.      
   I'm certain I've mentioned it before, this lady is one of the main reasons that I love vintage hats! hahaha  But hey, you had to have a nice purse to help complete your outfit! Oh my, memories....

   Though faded a bit with age it is still an enchanting piece. Obviously loved and taken good care of.... it reminds me of the Velveteen Rabbit, but its in much better shape than he was! Which shouldn't come as a surprise, after all, it is a LEWIS.  And we're pretty strong and well made.   hahaha   Seems fitting, doesn't it?

    I'll have to do some research on this brand. Have seen some very nice examples and I would enjoy learning more.