So what to do on a rainy afternoon? Hats and cats, of course!

   Well, its that time of year again. At the supposed end of a long hot summer I sit and fantasize about all things Autumn! Of course, I'm also watching the weather radar because we are under a tropical storm warning and hurricane watch with flood warnings up along the coastal areas. But hey, that's Florida!
   So what to do on a rainy afternoon.... with dreams of autumn leaves and pumpkins dancing about in my head? Look through some clothes and hats, of course!!!  OR clean the house.  Just try and guess which one I've chosen to do.

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   As you can see, Ronan and Fergus have decided to join the fun. But they don't seem overly enthusiastic about looking through everything. Their goal is to turn it all into a mattress with linens. Can't blame them. The rain is starting to really come down now and the thunder is rumbling around. Thankfully the winds have not kicked up much!

   I dug out some of my velvet skullcaps and clutch hats to try on with the clothes. I like to sort of balance elements out.... simple color clothes with a fancy hat and vice versa with a bright colorful garment. But I love it when you find the perfect combo and it all SINGS!!! hahaha
    Found this cute little fascinator a couple of years ago, it needs just a little bit of TLC. So much fun for Autumn! But Ronan wasn't the least bit impressed.

   And then there is this little turkey feather hat. I LOVE turkey feathers!! They look stunning when the light hits them right. Let me say, this photo does not do justice to this hat. It isn't even a style that looks good on me, but the colors are so captivating I try to wear it whenever I can!
   There are a few pheasant feathers scattered throughout to add visual interest. And I want to make note that the turkey feathers may be dyed somehow. They look "normal" on the surface, but the red and orange sheen seems a little extra intense. On a couple of hats that were falling apart (badly) I saw that the shafts had obviously been dyed. In one instance they were a vivid orange!  I don't understand the process, but I can appreciate the result.

Tags in the turkey feather hat.

   

Freyja's Day...... being reminded of treasures.

   After a rough few weeks it was so nice to 'rediscover' this little jewelry box. I retrieved it from the back of a shelf while looking for art supplies. I spilled parfum in this a few years back... so it has an odd enticing fragrance!  White oak and vintage Histoire D'Amour.  mmmmmm...

   An assortment of treasures and memories awaited me. I do so love the feel of familiar things.

     This fun heart pendant that I discovered in a thrift shop a few years back. At 2" square its a nice size, so I placed it on a pink ribbon and wore it almost every day. It has a really nice energy about it.

    And this Goddess pendant that I made in 2002. Worked in sterling silver then. Wow, does she need a good polishing!!! I gave her a carnelian face... for courage. Sodalite breasts.... its one of my favorite stones... for healing, maintain emotional balance, strengthening the immune system and intuition.  Black onyx arms... to embrace the deepest parts of the Universe and my Self. And turquoise from the womb to the feet..... for grounding to Earth and sky.
    My dad and I bought the rough turquoise when my family lived in Arizona in the 70s. I even ground and polished that particular stone!  Talk about memories! Wish I could remember what mine it was from.   2 1/2" wide by 3 3/4" long. She is a substantial little piece!

    What fun!  Modern angel wing earrings,  nephrite jade bead necklace, MOP buttons with brass beetles on them, old brooch with an iridescent blue butterfly wing, my Australian opal triplet spider pendant (another one of my creations!), rosary, faux pearl hat pin, wolf tooth and claw earrings, moonstone pendant and more!

   And Ronan pretending to be asleep. But now and then he would thrust his paw forward and try to grab a treasure for himself! chuckle

Late Freyja's day..... Candidates for modification.

   I've been meaning to pick out some of my clip on earrings to modify. Finally made my choices! Guess you can tell that I'm fond of the color blue.   chuckle 
   The white and blue disks are lightweight and as far as I can tell, they go with just about everything! It'll be easy to pop off the clips on these. I really need to get out my old jewelry supply catalogs and find some good quality posts, not to mention research what type of glue would be best. Perhaps someone has come up with something new!
   The confetti earrings are screw backs. I look forward to removing those little torture devices! They aren't very big, but they look really good on. Fairly subtle with just enough sparkle.
   The flowers bring up the question of whether or not to alter a signed piece. They're marked Lisner..... and if I intended to sell them I would leave them as is. Collectors want to SEE that name! But hey, they're BLUE.... blue FLOWERS at that!!! So I have every intention of keeping them and I want to be able to wear them comfortably. Won't be hard to cut off the clip mechanism, file them smooth and glue on a post.    Unless I can find someone who could possibly spot solder them. That may not be feasible because of the translucent glass. Oh well, I'll cross that bridge when I get there!

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.