Side Project

The past week I have been working on a project for the hubby. Years ago when we were first married we purchased a couple old chairs from an antique shop. The chairs needed to be re-finished and to have new cane seats put in them. Our plan was for me to do the re-finishing and for him to do the caning. He had learned chair caning as a youngster in 4-H, and had taken on the occasional job in the years since then. Well, he has a way of taking on too many projects and not having enough time to do everything, and I made the mistake of saying I would finish the chairs if I only knew how to cane. Long story short, he taught me how to do chair caning, and I not only refinished the chairs, I caned them too. I even ended up doing a couple rocking chairs, one of which can be seen as a prop in some of my ETSY listings. Now all these years later, he was approached by someone who had chairs in need of new cane seats, and who knew it was a skill he had. Long story short again, I have a chair caning job.

It has been fun to get back into caning after all these years, and Jezzie has even taken time out from her busy napping schedule to help me. (OK, so she only moved to a different room to nap. It's the thought that counts, right?)

Grimmie decided to add his invaluable assistance on a different day. Lucky me!

Sick Day

I have been battling what I have labeled 'the head cold from hell' for the past couple weeks. One positive thing about being too sick to make anything new, was it forced me to take the time to list all the finished items. I really get tons of enjoyment out of creating the things I sell. Unfortunately, I have a lot of trouble making myself sit at the computer to list them once they are done. So, with the boss watching over me in case I tried to bolt, the computer work was finished. She and I even managed to work in an online class on digitizing designs for the embroidery machine. The hope is to have embroidered towels and baby bibs for sale shortly, sometime this spring. The long range goal is to use only our own designs on them. CEO Jezebel has confidence in my ability to become a master digitizer, and is even willing to give up a small portion of her nap time to give me all the support I need. In other words, to stand over me and force me to sit at a computer!

Madame Z's Corner: Unakite

Madame Z provides monthly posts featuring a different healing stone each month. She gathers her info from many different sources including the books: The Pocket Book of Stones; The Way of the Green Witch; Healing Crystals and Gemstones; The Essential Guide to Crystals, Minerals, and Stones; and Grimoire for a Green Witch; the websites: That Crystal Site; Wings of Spirit; and Healing Crystals for You; as well as relying on personal experience. Healing stones are not a substitute for medical treatment. Anyone with serious medical or emotional issues should consult with a health care professional. When purchasing a healing stone, it is best to buy the stone you are drawn to. Healing stones should be cleansed and charged periodically. We cleanse our personal stones at least once a month, and sometimes more often if we feel they need it. Cleansing can be accomplished by holding the stone in a stream of water. A natural stream is best, but since most of us do not have access to one, filtered water is a good substitute. Stones that include metals should not be placed in water because of the risk of rust. These stones can be placed in dirt or smudged with white sage. To recharge the stones, place in a sunny window or in moonlight for a few hours.

The spotlight stone for March is Unakite. Unakite, considered a good grounding stone, is a type of jasper. Jaspers are known as gentle, slow healers, and unakite is no different in that regard. This wonderful stone is thought to help one release old emotional wounds in a way that avoids trauma, and to support the slow purging of toxic energies. A spiritual stone, it is believed to bring about a feeling of unconditional love of humanity, and to assist one in finding their animal spirit guide. Like many green stones, it is thought to help one feel a connection to nature, and is considered to be beneficial to gardeners. Unakite, a protective stone, is also considered to be a balancing stone, helping to balance the mind with the emotions. It is thought to help one with the healing of abandonment and separation issues.
Physically, this stone is thought to help improve ones sleep. It is also considered a helpful stone to use when trying to overcome addictions. Unakite is associated with all chakras, but in particular the heart.
Our personal experience with this delightful stone, is of a gentle healer. We feel it brings about a peaceful feeling, and helps us to feel a connection with nature.

Grimoire's sneak peek

 The 'Stone of the Month' for March will be Unakite. Congratulations to Andrea, who won our facebook contest. She correctly guessed our next spotlight stone and has won a $20 gift certificate redeemable at either ravenheartdesigns.etsy.com or ravensmysticmoon.etsy.com.
Madame Z will tell you all about this special stone in her post next week.

The winner was selected by our CEO at random from all the correct answers.

How we spent our day off..............

We took some time off this past week to start our seeds for this summer's garden. I decided to try planting by the moon phases this year to see if the plants do any better. We did not have enough peat pots to start the seeds in, so Grimmie and I carefully constructed some extra pots from toilet paper rolls.

While we were busy with that, Madame Z consulted the Llewellyn's Witches Calendar to determine which plants we should be starting now.

Jezzie quickly lost interest with this phase of the process and went to take a nap with the hubby. His contribution to the garden  comes later, with the rototilling, planting, and weeding.

She wandered out later to oversee the operation once it was in full swing, and to give her final approval.

Here's hoping the plants survive Grimmie's curiosity!

 

New pics, yay!

This past week, I started changing some of the old photos in the shop to new ones. A while back, Aaron's lovely lady, who is trained in photography, took some professional pictures for me. They were kind enough to provide me with a couple models, and the hubby even posed for a few photos, too. Grimmie tried to get into the act, but there just were not any cat size scarves for him to model. None of the earrings were really his style, either. The pictures turned out great! I hope to have her take more for me in the future.

Madame Z's Corner: Rhodonite

Madame Z provides monthly posts featuring a different healing stone each month. She gathers her info from many different sources including the books: The Pocket Book of Stones; The Way of the Green Witch; Healing Crystals and Gemstones; The Essential Guide to Crystals, Minerals, and Stones; and Grimoire for a Green Witch; the websites: That Crystal Site; Wings of Spirit; and Healing Crystals for You; as well as relying on personal experience. Healing stones are not a substitute for medical treatment. Anyone with serious medical or emotional issues should consult with a health care professional. When purchasing a healing stone, it is best to buy the stone you are drawn to. Healing stones should be cleansed and charged periodically. We cleanse our personal stones at least once a month, and sometimes more often if we feel they need it. Cleansing can be accomplished by holding the stone in a stream of water. A natural stream is best, but since most of us do not have access to one, filtered water is a good substitute. Stones that include metals should not be placed in water because of the risk of rust. These stones can be placed in dirt or smudged with white sage. To recharge the stones, place in a sunny window or in moonlight for a few hours.

February's featured stone is Rhodonite. Rhodonite is derived from the Greek word rhodon, which means "rose red". It has long been considered a protective stone for travelers, and is associated with the heart and root chakras. Rhodonite is believed to have a stimulating effect on sexuality and to promote the energy of love. With Valentine's Day right around the corner, those qualities have a lot to do with why we chose to spotlight it this month! The pink in Rhodonite is thought to enhance passionate love, while the black helps one to stay grounded. It is believed to help open one up to unconditional love, and to sharing ones gifts and talents with others. Rhodonite is thought to offer support during times of stress and sorrow, and to help in coping with change.  It is considered to be a stone useful in calming anxieties and balancing emotions.   Rhodonite is also believed to help one find and understand their life's purpose, and to build self esteem. Physically, Rhodonite is thought to help improve early stage cardiac deficiencies, to strengthen the immune system, and to protect against allergies. It is also believed to have a detoxifying and purifying effect on the body, and to support weight loss. Our personal experience is of a stone with very calming energy, that also brings a feeling of happiness. This wonderful stone can be cleansed in a stream of water and re-charged in a sunny window.